Forays into design, a free chart.

I adore cats, like in a way that's practically unhealthy.  When I noticed that there wasn't a chart available on Ravelry with kitties making a heart with their tails, I whipped one up. I can draw, but charting is new stuff to me, so this is a simple chart. It would make a great dishcloth, or look cute on a hat or bag in a contrasting color.

PDF download here

Have fun knitting kitties!

A dishcloth with kitties!

Glove update

I had my first real frustration as a knitter recently. I noticed as I was making the glove it had a dropped stitch 20 or so rows back. Not only that, but it was turning out too large. Cody is not a size large glove despite what he thinks. I had already gotten nearly halfway through my colorwork when I realized I would have to frog it. Needless to say, I was devastated; I lay about feeling glum and lethargic for a few days before perking up and casting on again yesterday. Also, this time I'm taking progress pictures.

Here's my progress so far, I've a few more rounds to go and then I'll be done with the thumb gusset.

Hurray for re-purposing my piercing earrings as stitch markers.

As for the baby hat, it's hibernating. I made the gloves top priority because I'm far more excited about them. I might frog the baby hat entirely since it won't fit the baby it was intended for by the time I do get around to finishing it. The yarn would make cute socks though.


Edit

As of today, February first, one glove is knit up and the embroidery on the back of the hand started.

Left glove is mostly done, duplicate stitch takes forever though.

A book review, yarn worship, and my adventures in design.

I recently purchased my first knitting book, Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I'm so glad I got it, it has the simplest patterns for common projects in different sizes and gauges. It's easily readable with little charts so you can easily keep track of which size and gauge you're working on. It has mittens, gloves, hats, socks, and sweaters, all the basic garments any knitter will want to make, written in a simple manner with suggestions for different edgings. This book is a must for any knitter who wants to get a little creative with design, yet who has neither the skill nor inclination to make up a pattern completely from scratch. I decided to start with making the gloves, as I had worked up a simple pattern to put on the back of simple gloves.

This is my design, the symbol for the Locust from The Gears of War games.

I'm working the gloves at a gauge of 7, men's size L for my darling boyfriend, Cody, who was generous enough to spend $50 on the yarn for the project. The yarn is Simplicity by HiKoo, owned by Skacel Collection, Inc. The yarn is 55% merino wool, 28% acrylic, and 17% nylon. It feels fantastic to work with and I love how it feels after it's knit up. It's my new favorite yarn. I'm using the Gypsy Red for my MC, and Black and Seattle Sky for my contrast colors. I'll be working the pattern in intarsia, my first time using the technique in the round. Planet Purl has a how-to video demonstrating how to work intarsia in the round.

The baby hat is still half finished, the small stitches in the lacework pattern are a bit tricky and my hands get sore if I work on it for long stretches. I decided to take a break to knit the gloves, since I've been wanting to make gloves for a long time, and I feel like I am definitely ready, now that Ann Budd has explained gauge to me in a way I understand.

Baby hat and other news

Well, the holidays are over and I took a little longer to update than I thought I would, I'm sorry. The holidays are a big deal in my family. I haven't knit any new owls, but I probably will shortly because my friend just had a baby. I'm knitting her a hat first, Mandie Harrington's Swirl Hat with Bernat Baby Jacquards, in rosebud. I'm knitting it on size 2 needles, and to get the size right I opted to follow the 12m-2y size instructions, since I like the look of the very fine stitches for a baby hat.

My baby hat in progress.

I'm undecided yet whether I should follow up with matching booties or perhaps an owl or small teddy bear. I never liked teddy bears much myself.

Then next in my queue, I have to do a few things for a trade with a friend. I need to knit her a small doll that she can have as a keychain or phone charm. I'm thinking a very simple and easily modified pattern like this one will be best. Then I need to knit her some cat ears, a tail, legwarmers, and a scarf for her cosplay as Cheshire Grell, from the anime Black Butler.

This is Cheshire Grell, though I don't believe this is an official artwork.

So I'll likely update this post with pictures of the finished hat, and do an entry dedicated to her cosplay.

There's a few things on my list after that, like making a pattern to knit a Kikwi from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, a Totoro pouch and a Narwhal for my friend Zaphy, and a sweatervest for my man's birthday in September. (I fear no sweater curse, we are planning to marry.)

Also, I got my first knitting book, The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, by Ann Budd. I'll actually get my hands on it tomorrow when my friend (the one I'm knitting the cheshire set for, actually) drops it off, since she was so kind to let me use her Barnes&Noble membership and have it delivered to her house. I expect I'll review it when I'm finished with it, if I can find the time.

Holiday Celebrations

I'm sorry my owl post is being delayed so long, with my family getting ready for the holidays and scrambling to finish making their gifts, I haven't had the time to do a post. The Christmas party is on new year's day, so I'll probably update that week when the hubbub's over.

Happy Holidays friends.

Tiny Snail

My youngest sister is really fond of snails. I expect this is because of Spongebob. So when I saw the Snails and Slugs pattern by Anna Hrachovec on Ravelry, I knew I had to make a snail for her for Christmas. It was my first time knitting something so small, and it was a little tricky. It worked up pretty fast though, I made one in under two hours. My library actually has her new book, Teeny Tiny Mochimochi, and I'm dying to check it out, but it's been checked out since they got it. I'll do a post about it if I get my hands on it and knit any more tiny things. I liked how quickly making such a small plushie went, it was like instant gratification.

Here's my snail before I made its shell, so it's still a slug at this point in its development. I had this done in just under an hour.

I used Paton's Grace yarn in 'natural' for the body of the snail, and Hobby Lobby 'I love this yarn!' sport solid in orange for the shell. I used size one needles to get a nice tight knit for her snail.

Here's the finished product:

The shell was a bit difficult to sew on, I'm not very good at the sewing part of things so it was really tricky for me. Also Mr. Snail there sort of falls over because his shell is big and heavy, even though I only stuffed it with a tiny bit of fluff. I think using a variegated yarn for his shell as shown on the pattern page would look really nice, this fellow's just a simple snail. But his companion snails are pink and green, so he'll really stand out when he meets his new friends Christmas morning.

In other news, my good friend Zaphy bought me the only knit Narwhal pattern on Ravelry, Napolean the Nervous Narwhal as a Christmas gift. Another friend of mine bought me some new yarn that I'm looking forward to getting, Corntastic in Topaz. 210 yards of light blue yarn made of corn, I'm thinking about what I can make with it. I'm honestly tempted to make a Narwhal, but I'm undecided until I see the yarn in person.

 Next week I'll do my entry about owl making, so look forward to it.  

Olivia the Octopus

With the holiday season hot on my heels, I've decided to knit up some plush toys for my younger siblings. Plushies are a great knit, most of them are pretty quick and don't require complicated stitches. The oldest of my three younger sisters, Sarah, espied an octopus pattern I was looking at and proclaimed that a purple octopus would be cool. Thus for her I chose the pattern I'd been looking at, the Teacupfaery Octopus by Jane Conway.

 This is Jane Conway's lovely octopus, how could I not make one?

I was dismayed to see that despite the cuteness of the finished octopus, no other ravelry users had completed the pattern, only Jane. A cute knit, being passed up by other users? I was sold, I have a weak spot for anything that seems pathetic, especially if it's also cute. I set out to knit Olivia the Octopus for my sister.

The pattern has a couple of seeming errors, or perhaps I should say that it wasn't written as clearly as it could be, though it's easy to follow for the most part. It starts out having you knit the body of the octopus flat, then seaming it up and knitting the bottom in the round after you knit each tentacle in the round. I did knit it flat, but honestly it would have been easier and for me, faster, to knit in the round. I'd advise doing just that. I'm using Caron Simply Soft, in lavender, on size 6 needles. It makes for soft but durable and easily washable toys, so I like it for that purpose. I also like using plastic 'safety eyes' on my toys, they slip between stitches and stay fastened, forever. As long as the surrounding yarn is intact, the eyes will never fall off.

 Pictured: Safety eyes

The tentacles start with 8 stitches and decrease by a stitch every inch. I chose to i-cord the last two inches of mine, since when I was down to three stitches it was easier than trying to knit in the round. I put a pipe cleaner in each tentacle so Olivia is pose-able. Unfortunately, my yarn had a flaw and there is an odd puffy lump on her head, but she's cute even with octopus-acne. Her head isn't as round as Jane's octopus', but I attribute that to my sewing skills being lacking. I will opt to knit another octopus in the round, and as at that time I will have actually received my christmas present of a digital camera, I will take step by step photos of my process.

And now, Olivia!