Tag Archives: WIPs

WIP Wednesday

So far the B.A.D.D doesn’t seem so bad….hardy-har-har. However this is going to be very short, as I hate discussing things I haven’t finished yet. It seems a little redundant, but I am trying to recover my blogging ability – I miss you guys when I’m not on the site.

1. Fiori Autunalli – It has been successfully frogged and is not sitting in time out until I can look at it without breaking a sweat.

Bad Lace…
or Bad Knitter…

2. Jayashiri Pullover – I have actually pulled this out of hibernation! I am slowly putting the mileage on it and all I need is another two inches to do the bust increases. Who knows? This very large (oh goodness it is soooo large) pullover may actually happen.

Look! Progress!

And finally…

3. The Rose Tyler Doctor Who Fingerless Mittens – A FREE pattern on Ravelry, I thought that these would be perfect for my Doctor Who loving niece Gloria. I love this pattern, I love the mitts… I HATE purling in the round on size 1US needles! I am hoping to get them done before March. By the way, the picture is courtesy of ©Dana Berry because I want to do a blog post when they’re all finished!

So those are the big to-do’s on my knitting list. Of course there are also leg warmers, but for the life of me I cannot post another picture of leg warmers. So until next time, which I hope is soon, have a great hump day!

The Last Birthday of My 20s & Finished Objects

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My 29th birthday was actually December 27th, but I resisted the urge to post that day. We found out a friend has stage 4 cancer and I didn’t want it to be a whiny, self-indulgent post. Things have settled a bit and that means it is time to get back on the blogging horse. Let’s start with what I’ve finished since my last post, it’s my birthday (weekend) and I will post how I want to! 😉

~ Some Finished Objects ~

1) The first one is yet another Christmas Stocking. You’ve seen pictures of them in my last post so I won’t bore you again.

A Shameless Seflie.

: A Shameless Seflie.

: Flat

: In progress.

2) This is the Podcaster Cowl by Susan Ashcroft. I made it with Lions Brand Vanna’s Choice Worsted in Dusty Green. I LOVE this cowl! It has been a while since I’ve done a pattern that has a written, 24 row repeat (which I thought would be annoying but wasn’t at all) so I was a bit slow going at first – until I saw the first leaf come together. When that leaf popped out at me I was off, I couldn’t wait to get to the next leaf, before I knew it I’d been up for 22 hours and my cowl was done. All things considered I don’t look too scary in that picture. Also, this cowl in a worsted, slightly variegated Malabrigo would be breathtakingly beautiful!

Legwarmers are great for watching movies – and keeping your legs warm.

3) Obviously, these are leg warmers ;). For whatever reason my Mom loves leg warmers and is demanding them in high quantities. She’s not making a (horrible) fashion statement, her legs just get really cold when she is driving our out in the weather. T

This is my own little tube design. The top is a 1by1 rib that goes over the knee and will stay there securely. I balloon out the calf section because she has big calves (a floor nurse for 30 years has given her very strong legs) and the ankle is a decreased section in 2by2 rib so it will fit securely across her ankle. The finished decisions are; thigh 16″, calf 20″, ankle 12.4″ and the total length is just over 20″. They are not pretty, but what the Mom wants…the Mom gets!

Chemo hat design pattern.

Designing cable-y goodness.

This is the really similar to the cabled hat I made for my first custom order – I just took out the cables I didn’t like and replaced them with new ones. As a result, the hat doesn’t have any weird bulges or gaps. Who wants that on their head? It’s made with Red Heart Soft Yarn in Aqua Verde. I did the pattern on 4.0mm and 4.5mm needles (US 6 and US 7) up to 6″ and then began the decrease. As you can see, it is really tight on my head – which means it’ll be perfect for someone with no hair. The color has a bit of a sheen to it and I really like the color …. all in all pretty happy with it.

~ My Sock in Progress ~

Magic Loop CAN be Magical!

: First Sock Done.

: Max and My Sock

: Magic Loop? Who, Me?

This is my own, weird sock formula – meaning I am stealing bits from all sorts of sock patterns until it fits me just right. Sometimes I feel like Goldie Locks trying to make a sock…. Anyway, the yarn is Patons Socks Yarn in Aqua Jacquard. My plan when I finished my “perfect” sock was to knit it in something a little more expensive, but I actually really like this yarn. I’ve been wearing (and washing) my first two pairs of socks all month-long and they look just like they did when they came off the needles – so why mess with something that works? Higher end sock yarn will come, but for now my Patons and I are very happy.

Also, for the first time in my entire knitting history, I am using magic loop – Huzzah! I went on YouTube and found a video I liked and off I went. I think the 40″ cord is a little fiddley (I found it sifting through my destroyed yarn stash after the pipe bursts, no idea what I had it for) but I am getting the hang of it. I am really looking forward to turning the instep, I just haven’t picked up those stitches since turning the heel. Also, with long, pointy needles I 1) don’t break them and 2) can knit backwards on the heel turn – something I’ve been dying to put into practice.

~ My Birthday ~

This post is getting pretty long, so thank you for hanging in there. I guess, from a knitting perspective, the best way to get what you want for your birthday is make a list. Non knitters have no clue what to get you, and how could they? So, to avoid getting two bags of yarn that someone got for $2.00 at a yard sale and thought it was priceless, make a list 😉

One more amazing thing friends and neighbors! I did get an AMAZING birthday present from a near and dear friend of mine that I am dying to brag about. May I present….MY NEW YARN PET!

Almost 1,000 words and time to sign off. Have a great rest of your weekend and I hope to see you all really, really soon!

Busy as a Bee….on Crack!

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This post may be pretty photo heavy, there is no better way to show the progress I’ve been making. It’s been a bizarre (and OCD riddled) couple of days. Someone tried to break into the house on Thursday, I am going to write about that soon but I just don’t feel mentally up to it at the moment. On the plus side it has given me OCD focus on knitting and kept me from getting any real sleep. So, here we go!

** Questing for Finished WIPS **

Warm and Fuzzy Fingerless Mitts

I actually found these at the bottom of my WIP bag (oops) and finished these first. They are the Staghorn Mitts by Tera Johnson. I love this pattern and this cable! They were nice and easy to knit up and with Patons Classic Wool they’ll be wonderful for winter.

The Vermonter Hat

: ALL PHOTOS

: COURTESY OF

: ABI GREGORIO

: ON RAVELRY.

I thought this hat was going to be my first original design, but it turns out that someone already came up with the same thing – and did it better. The Vermonter Hat is by Abi Gregorio and is so similar to the Etta Hat I’ve made a million times – thus thinking it was an original. Made with Lion Brand Hometown USA it knitted up in about 2 hours. Way to go Abi for getting there first – wish I had beat you there! 🙂

I love this scarf and have made it a quite a few times! I call it my Year of Magical Thinking Scarf – thinking of Joan Didion’s novel of how things just keep changing over and over. It’s just one skein of Red Heart Magical done in seed stitch. I started this in (oh my) February for a Christmas present and now it’s done!

As for the rest – well – I added another 8″ to the Fault In Our Stars Scarf and casted on my socks.

: 70sts a round on size 9 needles – what was I thinking?

: Sock Numero Dos!

** The Hunger Games (Cowl) are Catching Fire **

Here is where I broke the WIP diet and started the Katniss Cowl!! Here is the progress thus far – at least until I get a new pair of needles! Can I just say real quick….Lolly of Lolly Knits, you are lovely and amazing!

: Rope burned and duct-taped

: First ring crocheted!

: Both rings Finished and SOOO happy!

: Two pieces of the body being blocked.

So that’s it for me right now. I will just have to find a few things to work on until those needles get into my rather greedy hands 🙂 So friends and neighbors, what have you been up to lately?

Wednesday’s WIPs & Setting a Good Example

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Hello Wednesday, I cannot believe you are here already! This week seems to have sprouted wings and flown away from me a bit. So many things to do and so very little time. The needles are busy here in the Buckeye State on all sorts of goodies. As I am sitting here in my knitting/reading chair and looking at the profuse amount of yarn around me I am a bit terrified, how did I end up with so many things on the needles at once? Let’s see if I cannot break it down a bit:

The Fault in Our Stars Scarf (my first every design!)
Roman Pillar Stitch Baby Blanket (super-duper snuggly and soon will be off the needles)
Magical Thinking Scarf (saw the yarn, thought of Joan Didion’s book and went with it)
Stitch Pattern Week 9 ( better be off this morning – No peeking at the pattern yet though!)
Another scarf (oh…when did I start this? Oh Right! Super soft scarf for a friend with radiation burns…that needs to get done yesterday…)
Chevron Stitch afghan (this doesn’t need to come off till December 24th at the latest)
Hot Water Bottle Cover (off the needles…NOW!)

: The Fault in Our Stars

: Roman Pillar Baby Blanket

: Chevron Sampler

: Hot Water Bottle Cover

: Super Soft Scarf

: Magical Thinking Scarf

Too many things going at once? Nope, don’t think so. When it comes to knitting I am like a swinger – married to knit but will knit anything….anytime and anywhere! 🙂

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-Good Examples-

As the weather warms and summer approaches that means more time for me and the munchkin. My brother works at Muirfield and the summer’s are so busy that I get to have her all to myself, where as in the winter I have to share her more than I would like. As she has gotten older and developed more of a personality and we have grown closer, she seems more and more adult every time I see her. In the back of my mind though, as we spend this time together I worry I am a bad example.

Due to a series of unfortunate events (putting it lightly) I am not where I thought I would be at 28. When I lost functionality in my hand I just quit writing, taking photos and expanding these things that used to be concrete dreams. I gave up a bit – okay, a lot – and it has been through knitting, my husband and the munchkin that I am slowly getting back to where I want to be. This doesn’t erase the fact that I am still not there, and since Gloria’s mother is not in the picture I want to be a strong female role model for the munchkin. Am I cut out for that?

Mental illness makes me goofy. My OCD panic monster has given me noticeable quirks that have always been accepted by the munchkin, but is seeing them bad for her? I try to get her to read as much and as often as possible (without being pushy), but do I know what is the best things for her to read? She spends time in our library at home, but have I filled the shelves with the best possible things for her to read?

We play Scrabble, we read, we talk about writing, we watch movies, we giggle….we do cool aunt stuff. I just want her to know how proud of her I am, and I want to be someone she can look up to.

So friends and neighbors…how do you set a good example for the people in your life you love? Any advice is good advice in my book.

* * * *

-Finding My Way Back-

I am trying to get back to my photography roots, trying to remember my dreams. Have a look!

Oh So Pretty

A Play with Light

Lilacs

Good Morning

Street Lamp at 3am

Nature Reflected

Cherry Blossoms

Jewelry Display Accomplished!

Slouchy Hat Love

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This pattern was so fun and well written that the hat just seemed to make itself. Not to mention the blocking instructions were hilarious – they included two dinner plates, a bowl and a saucer – and it worked out flawlessly! It may have looked a bit like a dangerous sombrero for a while, but the blocking stretched the lace out and created a very multidimensional piece.

: Almost Ready to Block!

: Hello Sombrero!

: It Looks a Bit Like a Sombrero!

: Instagram Photo.

The hat is perfect for the summertime, it’s light airiness lends itself to the spring and summer months with that hint of unique lace stitches that make me feel fancy. And who doesn’t like to feel fancy?

As for me, I am still learning html, Photoshop and now Gimp which has had some hiccups here and there but it could always be worse. Catching up on some many neglected WIPs, working and playing with Max who would prefer to play with my yarn. Rascal.

So in an attempt to get more comments and to learn from the plethora of knowledge that is the blogging world, let’s give this a whirl. I have done some funny things to block a project that seemed ludicrous but worked out splendidly. SO….

What works best for you when you are blocking?

What is the strangest thing you have ever done to get a project to hold it’s shape?

As always, thank you for stopping by and taking time out of your day to listen to my diatribes. It is much appreciated!