Like Pixie Stix, but Better!

Better, because it's Yarn! Previewed here, but to be offered for sale on Etsy if they don't move before then...three skeins of luscious Blue Faced Leicester Wool hand spun into approximately worsted weight 2-ply yarn in hues of pinks, blues and purples.

3.3 oz/116 yards
95 g/106 meters
$40

I should probably tell you that if you click on any of the photos, you can see a much larger image of the photo in question.

Each skein is continuous, and has no breaks at all, so rest assured, there are no lurking hidden knots inside.

The image to the left is a closeup of a section of the above skein...isn't it lovely? Don't you just want to reach out and pet it?

This skein is the largest of the three, and also seems to have the most pinks throughout.

3.2 oz/97 yards
90 g/88 meters
$30

This second skein seemed to have a touch less pink in it, and a bit more blue and purple - or it could just seem that way with the plying!

All of these skeins came from the same hand dyed roving - so the colors in each of the skeins matches those in the other skeins. Each skein varies from the next a little because of the way I split the fiber for spinning.

I should mention that the yarn is incredibly soft and has a very subtle halo to it, probably best visible (but still not terribly obvious) in the pre-plying photos seen here.

3.2 oz/103 yards
90 g/94 meters
$35

It seemed to me that this skein is a touch more blue than the previous one - but it could just be an aspect of looking at yarn for too long :)

You're probably wondering why I'm calling these the Pixie Stick lot - it's because that's all I could think of as I spun the yarn up and plied it together - for some reason, the colors remind me of pixie sticks and sweet tarts.

In any case, if you're interested in any or all of these, drop me a note by email or leave me a comment. Once they've been here for preview for a while, I'll send em over to my Etsy Shop.

A Little Tacky

wee little decorated thumbtacks

While we were busy cleaning up the house, we stumbled across a box full of office supplies from when we were both in school. Inside, I found a box of thumbtacks. Since my marble magnets aren't selling, and glue and a hole punch languishing by, I thought I'd see if I could make the thumbtacks look more unique and colorful.

Leafing through some magazines and catalogues yielded some cute images. I also gave a try to using some handmade papers I have sitting in my paper stash. You can see some of the tacks up close and personal over yonder to the left.

I think I've succeeded, don't you? They do take a bit of work, and some fussing - I never realized how poor the quality control is in thumbtacks. Some had pins that weren't perpendicular to the back, others had chunks missing off the flat bit, as if some crazy tack eating monster had to have a nibble. The variation in the diameter of the thumbtacks was also surprising. I fear I'm showing my engineering nerdiness so I'll hush up now.

Colorful thumbtacks in hand, I'm ready to post all my crazy ideas on a board for easy perusal... my problem now is that I don't have a bulletin board. *sigh*

Introducing Citrine!

(and reintroducing Pasha!)

You all already know Pasha.

I'd like to introduce to y'all Ms. Citrine - named after the orangy colored gemstone.

Pattern: From the Japanese book with ISBN 4391130122
Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun in Mango
Hook: USF5 (3.75mm)

That's right! Hook, not needle! I'm a Hooker now! ;) Continuing to branch out in my fiberly arts, I've now picked up crocheting in addition to knitting and spinning.

Comments: After learning the basics from a friend, I was cranking out kitty bits in a reasonably quick pace. A little bit of creativity was used in changing colors (being self taught and all, and not finding any direction in either of the two crochet books I have). Assembly of the kitty from the neck on down was wonderfully easy. I can't say the same for the head. I think I spent as much or more time working on Citrine's head as I did assembling the rest of her!

The first delay was in creating her muzzle - attaching her nose was no problem, but getting her mouth done took a few tries. Once complete, attaching her muzzle posed no difficulty. The next trial in frustration were her ears - I think I attached each ear at least twice. And the final bit of frustration was sewing on her eyes. I first tried french knots, so it would look like her eyes were open, after attempting several tries and not being happy with any of the results, I fell back to the line-shaped eyes as illustrated in the book. I never knew sewing two lines would be so difficult! Ah well, she's done now, and looking quite good, if I do say so myself :)

Waves of Mojave Red

Lookie lookie! My first attempts at plying!

You're viewing 70g (about 2.5 ounces) of hand spun yarn - sadly it's not 70g continuous....I had a small issue after plying 50g and the yarn broke

:(

Fiber Content: 100% fine merino from Ashland Bay (purchased through Fantasy Fibers at the Black Sheep Gathering)
Colorway: Mojave
Spindle: Mielke Emily Spindle

As you might be able to tell, I tend to spin rather finely - I probably should have put in a coin or something for reference...

Gratuitous close up....aren't the colors lovely? The hanks are currently having a soak to set the twist...I'll hang em to dry, then coil em for a proper photo.

In any case, the total yardage is just over 116 yards (106 meters) - with the larger 50g hank having 79 yards (72.5 meters) and the smaller 20g hank having the rest (almost 37 yards/34 meters)

X'd Out!

Behold! A slightly different Ribbon X-Back!

Pattern from Knitty

Yarn used: Oasis in Chocolate from SouthWest Trading Company with Berroco Glace in Tumeric (I think)

Needles: US6

Comments: As with many of the other knitters on the X-Back Knit Along, my original X-Back was a bit large. I'm sure my problems were compounded by the fact that the yarn I've selected is totally different in size compared to that which is called out for in the pattern. This was my first foray into completely overhauling a pattern by using mathematics, and I'm quite pleased with the result. Other than the major mathematics involved in tweaking the pattern, the other additions I made were to add a picot cast on at the bottom hem and some waist shaping.

Because the pattern is done in seed/moss stitch, the fabric does have quite a bit of stretch to it - when I redid my math, I re-figured for a "small" size (rather than a size L) - definitely plan on a negative ease on this pattern if you plan on knitting it - or check your gauge swatch appropriately :)

I will say the Oasis was pleasant to work, and it certainly makes for a luxurious tank - it is soysilk, after all. In total, I used just under three full balls of yarn - my only niggling issue is the lack of dyelot on the label - which resulted in some minor striping from ball to ball which may or may not be obvious to the casual observer.

"Marble" Magnets

I seem to be late to join the craze - I've been seeing those glass "marble" or dome magnets all over, thinking to myself..."how lovely - I bet I could make those." And sure enough, they aren't hard to make at all.

These are made with 1" and 3/4" acrylic cabochons and custom images - they all happen to be desert flora from hikes I've taken! Sorry for the blurry shot - the darn things don't photograph well - seems my camera likes to focus on the reflections on the tops of the domes instead of the bottom image...I'm sure it also has to do with the index of refraction of the domes themselves...but I'll keep my mouth shut and not get too nerdy.

If you're interested, I'm more than happy to trade or sell them...Though if you have a specific flower in mind, I'll have to see if I have it available. Given enough time, I might be able to upload all the images I have available.

And if you are interested in making your own, I highly recommend Not Martha's site for details.

Branched Out

Pattern: Branching Out from Knitty

Yarn: Lace or Cobweb weight lambswool angora blend - reclaimed from a sweatervest that had been sitting and languishing in my closet for ages...

Needle Size: US4

Finished size: Approximately 6 1/2 x 60 inches

Comments: This was my first lace knit with an actual lace weight yarn - and I have to say I was quite pleased with the results. Sadly I did have the yarn break once or twice in the process - but I was able to fix that problem (along with joining new balls) by simply felting a small bit of the ends together (about an inch and a half or so). Because the yarn I used was so much lighter in weight than the yarn that was called for in the pattern, I decided to double the pattern repeat to get a wider scarf. I have a feeling I'm going to have to invest in blocking wires soon if I carry on with my lace knitting obsession, as keeping the edges of the scarf straight while blocking proved to be quite a pain - not to mention all that crawling around on the floor repinning!

As for the pattern, I found it clear and easy to follow - I knit straight from the chart and it took me approximately 40 pattern repeats to complete (that would be a total of 410 rows - 10 for each pattern repeat and 10 for the 5 garter rows on either end!). It did take a while for me to memorize the pattern, but a quick glance at the chart usually took care of any memory lapses.

Trellised Scarf

Pattern: based on the pattern repeat of the Lucinda Pullover from SouthWest Trading Co. (available with yarn purchase at your local yarn store)

Yarn: SWTC's Karaoke in Forest

Needles: US8

Comments: This is an excellent and easy knit - it looks a lot more complex than it actually is and I actually used it as my "mindless" knitting project while watching TV or talking on the phone. Because it's an adaptation from another designer's work, I will not be posting instructions here. The little pointy bits on the end are remnant artifacts from blocking (I did block this scarf to ensure that the garter edge would lay flat) - and are due to the fact that I do not own blocking wires. I personally think that the open/lacework is unobtrusive enough to work on a scarf for a man or woman - but some may disagree.

Better than a Pink Pinafore!

Pattern: Anouk, from Knitty

Yarn Used: Lion Brand Microspun in Lime and Mango with Purple pockets and Buttercup and Mango flowers.

Knit on: US6 needles

Comments: A fast an easy knit, especially when you knit both the front and back at the same time! Instead of seaming on the side tabs, I opted to pick up stitches to attach them and I went with the two-button hole option. The pockets were my first foray into intarsia knitting, and I have to say I liked it fairly well, though even though I can knit with both hands (hooray!) I didn't apply that skill here - I was too paranoid about making sure I twisted my yarns on each color change - something that I cannot figure out how to do while knitting double fisted. If I had it to do again, I'd make sure to leave my floats a bit longer - as they don't allow for much stretch the way they are now - and I'd think about a different method for seaming the pockets - in this case I opted for blanket stitch in contrasting colors, which worked alright, but after playing with the fabric a bit, the stitches are no longer as neat and tidy as they were when first completed. Overall I'm very pleased with how this turned out and I sure hope the parents to be are too.

Blast from the Past

From the Prehistoric Past that is :D And while the real Triceratops do indeed have three horns, I took some creative liberties and decided that one horn was enough for this guy.

Pattern: from Xtreme Jen's Blog - Jen has also designed other things and has been published in Magknits. Go check out her blog for her other designs.

Yarn: Definitely Acrylic - for easy care - from Carron. Unfortunately I no longer have the label - it was reclaimed from this bag.

Comments: The pattern is simple and straightforward - but if you're making copies to tote around with you, be sure to bring the whole pattern - as the body & tail and legs of this guy are the same as for the Brontosaurus. I nearly ran out of knitting because I had not noted that fact when I put my project in my bag for carrying around! As noted above, I did not add the top two horns - and the nose horn also does not follow the pattern - it was my first adventure into crochet and it seems to have come out alright. Also feeding my Crochet Learning Curve was the attachment of the legs - done in slip stitch after being stuffed. I got the spacing a bit off - since I wasn't referencing the photo - my dino's legs are a bit close together (front to back), but I kinda like how they turned out. I should also note that I forewent the added mouth - as I didn't think it went well with the dino. I think my least favorite part were the legs - they are knit flat and then seamed up - because I dislike seaming, I probably should have just knit the foot, then picked up the stitches for the leg. Ah well. Live and learn, right?

Can you pull a Rabbit out of a Swatch?

I can :) and isn't he adorable? And he even sits like a real bunny! Unfortunately the little cotton tail I spotted in the grass across from my house wasn't cooperating - otherwise I would have proof to post in the way of a photo!

Pattern: From HeartStrings Fiber Arts

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun in Edwardian with SWTC Karaoke for the Eyes and Lion Brand Microspun for the tail.

PomPom Maker: Hand cut thin cardboard die - perhaps an inch and a half in diameter in width, with the center hole half the diameter - be sure to totally fill the hole while wrapping yarn so a nice fluffy pom-pom is had :)

Comments: The cute little guy kinda reminds me of Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch) due mostly do his crazy long ears - In case you are wondering, I knit the "alternate" ears noted at the bottom of the pattern. Anyway, back to comments on the pattern! Very easy to follow, and an excellent use of random gauge swatches (if you don't happen to reclaim your gauge swatches that is). The Bunny is made of a stockinette square, and a pair of ears...all the fancy bunny form is in the seaming. Because of the bulkiness of the homespun (knit tight on US9 needles) my seams weren't as tidy as I would like - and might have benefited from being seamed with a thinner yarn (I seamed with homespun as well - just in case the yarn showed). This little guy came together in no time at all - perhaps an hour or two while watching TV - I probably spent the same amount of time seaming as I did knitting the stockinette square - but then I'm not a real fast knitter or seamer...

Felted Rose Karaoke Bag

Behold! The bag as it blocks!

Following the felted flower bag craze, this bag is a fun creation knit out of Karaoke, a new yarn releasing to the public this July from Southwest Trading Company.

I had the distinct pleasure of being able to play with multiple colors of Karaoke - a different one for each of the twelve flowers that adorn the bag. I must say, they did come out quite lovely - after I did some minor repairs after the first wash.

Pattern: Designed by Sue Morgan - Sue has quite a number of designs floating around - a quick google turned up a bunch of cute patterns available on Get Knitted - look in the Bags & accessories - Kits and Patterns section! She even has a bag that features knitted daisies!

Yarn: SWTC Karaoke, multiple shades.

Comments: Worked in the round, this bag was quick and easy to knit. I cranked this baby out in about a week. If you dislike seaming like I do, I knit the tabs right onto the bag body as I bound off - a much better option for me than knitting them separately and attaching them later - especially since there are fourteen of them! While it has been through my washer twice, it could probably felt down more if I was determined - I have a front loader, so it typically takes a few extra runs through.

Apparently my CRC is still good for something :)

As you can see, the bag was fairly large to begin with - prefelt measurements were approximately as follows:

Straps: 25 inches (63.5 cm), 145 rows of i-cord! I knit them a little longer than called for and still think they might do better a mite longer - only time will tell as the bag sees some use.

Bag Base: 11 x 5 1/4 inches (28 x 13.3 cm)

Bag Height: 13 inches (33 cm)

After going through two washes in my machine with some other things thrown in to add friction, the bag had shrunk - mostly to compress the rows. I noticed no change in the Bag width, but the base had shrunk to 4 1/2 inches (11.4 cm) deep and 10 inches (25.4 cm) in height. Why the metric conversions? Its just in case the designer visits and is curious on measurements - she's from the UK! As I mention, it could probably felt down more, but I'm a smidge time constrained as this is a test knit that needs to get back.

The only problem I encountered was when I took the bag out of the machine after the first wash - seems simply affixing the flowers via the loose tail that was pulled thru the remaining stitches at the end (to make them curl on themselves) wasn't quite enough - some of the flowers were looking rather droopy and not happy - I quickly reinforced them, threading yarn through the various layers of the flower in order to more securely attach them. They would be even more adorable with little leaves, a la the Vogue Rose Basket Bag. Clustering the flowers more closely together in a couple spots, rather than evenly distributing them along the top edge might also make a nice variation. And to make it more purse sized, I'd probably not knit it not quite so deep - the bonus of that is less yarn required and faster finishing time!

Swift Gifts

After completely spacing the fact that a friend is having a baby girl due for arrival next week, I figured I better get on the sticks and get a gift knit! *what* to knit was the question - especially since it needed to fly off the needles fast! Bored of booties and washcloths, I opted for a baby set...and since I abhor pink and the local yarn shop had limited colors available, I opted for yet another lavender project.

Patterns: Miss Dashwood, from Knitty and the Five Hour Baby Sweater

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease - which I hear is being discontinued! For ease of care and because summer is here - if not coming soon!

Comments: on Miss Dashwood: Even knit on smaller needles, the fabric of the hat is rather floppy and lacks structure. I did modify the pattern by leaving out the ear flaps - the hat is destined for a baby that resides in the south, so I don't think ear flaps will be necessary. For the ties, I single chained some yarn instead of going with an i-cord since I can't i-cord neatly to save my life - they always look wonky, so I have decided to reserve i-cords for projects where it doesn't matter - like felting :)

On the Five Hour Baby Sweater: well, I modified that one too, deciding to go with a single button closure at the neck instead of ribbon or i-cord or full button down front. I'm not certain I got the pattern completely right since I had a hard time understanding just what was called for when it read: "insert needle under next horizontal loop of row below" - first I thought, "M1 increase", but what came off my needles didn't seem to match the photos - then I thought "lifted increase", which looked a little closer to the photograph, but still not quite right. Oh well, I think the sweater still looks adorable, and who can resist when all it has for seaming is the length of the arms?! My only qualms are that the neck is too small - the good news is the neck is very stretchy; and the other is that I bound off too tightly on the wrists - I thought I bound off loosely, but there isn't as much stretch in the finished product as I would like. Ah well. And for those of you who are wondering, it really is a five hour baby sweater - I think I finished with all seaming and finishing in under five hours.

Open Airy Scarf

Lovely, isn't it?

What is it, you ask? Why it's about 100 grams of Karaoke knit into a scarf...twas another test knit for SWTC - but this one flew off the needles much faster than Mariposa. There's something to be said for near-instant gratification.

The scarf doesn't look so open or airy in these photos because they were taken before I dropped all the stitches to open up the fabric...and since I find dropping stitches rather traumatizing, and I figured you could see the color shift better before I dropped all the stitches, all you have to ogle are these photos. So there. :D

In addition, the final version of the scarf has some lovely crochet embellishments, but I can't crochet to save my life...so those touch-ups will be done by the skilled hands of someone other than myself.

Pattern: Test Knit from Southwest Trading Company, name still to be determined, I think.

Yarn: Karaoke, due to be released to the public sometime in June. It's a Wool/Soysilk blend. Same heft as Noro Kureyon, and softer than Noro's Silk Garden. A real pleasure to work with. I personally can't wait to see the other colorways.

Comments - I think I've finally mastered continental knitting! Though for some circumstances, I still prefer to knit English Style, I did this entire scarf knitting continental :D

Scrubbin with a Flower

Pattern from: Weekend Knitting

Yarn: Bernat CottonTots in Grape Berry

Comments: Quick and fun to knit, though the number of ends that need to be woven in at the end can be quite a nuisance...there are total of eleven strands to weave in!

Flutter Away!

I present to you, at long last, Mariposa, from SouthWest Trading Co - this was a test knit and my first extensive lace (after my initial beginnings with Cozy that is...and who, I might add is still an unfinished object)

Mariposa is knit from SWTC's Bamboo yarn, and is basically a lace shawl that has a handy little slot in it so that one end can be tucked thru the other so there are no unsightly knots to mar the lovely lace, a la the bowtie scarf.

Comments on the pattern: Fast knitting once the original pattern is memorized, and fairly straight forward. Some calculation is needed in order to determine how to space the decreases, and there was no recommendation for blocking the shawl once finished. I personally think all lace looks like garbage without blocking, so I went for a full wet block on this one. The pattern is availible where Bamboo is sold, but a recent Google turned it up online at YarnMarket.

Comments on Bamboo: The yarn is not spun, but seems to be woven, and it seems every ball has a joining knot deep inside - a shame really, it seems that if every ball has a joining knot, then perhaps some adjustment could be made so that no balls would have a joining knot! Bamboo itself was easy to handle and knit. It didn't seem prone to splitting or pilling with handling, though every now and again I would split the fiber while decreasing. While it seemed a bit rough while knitting, once wet down and drie, the fabric loosens up considerably and becomes much softer to the touch.

Start to finish, it took me about a month and a half to knit - not too bad, considering I had to frog the poor thing once (reknit the yarn with no ill effects). Not to mention the fact that I'm not a real fast knitter, and I typically don't knit for more than an hour or so a day (often less, and on a rare occasion more), since I typically knit at night before I go to bed.

One last gratuitous parting shot before I pack her up to give her back - a Lace Close Up:

Soft Packages of Fun!

Not only do I have a thing for handbags, I also love little pouches that I can hide little surprises in. This little bag was knit for Amy's Birthday - inside, I hid a package of tasty caramel treats from Holland - Stroopwafels!

Pattern: adapted from Last Minute Knitted Gifts

Yarn Used: Bernat CottonTots in Grape Berry

Comments: As you can see, I was taking care of my cable fix while knitting this bag - there's a matching one on the back. New technique learned: 3-needle bind off! The CottonTots was easy to knit, and the fabric was nice and soft. I will note that when the bag is open, it flares a lot at the top - but when drawn shut, it makes for a very attractive ruffle. While I like the three-needle bindoff just fine, I'm also partial to totally seamless (in appearance) bags - I might do up another with a flat bottom, picking up the stitches around the edges to do the sides, knitting the bag from the bottom up, rather than top down as described in Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

ChicKnits Ribby Cardi

Lookie, lookie! My first sweater ever!

Pattern: From ChickKnits - The Ribby Cardi

Yarn: From Elann.com - Peruvian Highland Wool in Periwinkle and Ink (I think) :D

Details: Medium Size, Plain Panel Front & Back, 2" Mock neck with Zip closure.

Comments: Definitely a fun and relatively quick knit - especially when knitting the front panels and sleeves simultaneously (also helps to ensure that each piece matches it's mate!) Modifications included adding an extra inch or two to the body length and two full inches to the sleeves. Seaming was a breeze, even for me - a person who goes out of the way to design out seams when possible!

Regarding yarn usage, I purchased 8 skeins in the Body Color and 4 skeins in the contrast color (pattern called for 12 skeins total for the size I planned to knit) - I used all of the contrast color except for a yard or two, and have exactly two skeins left of the main color.

The Peruvian wool was a pleasure to knit, and it makes for quite the toasty cardigan. I thought it was a little scratchy when I first put the sweater on, but after a few minutes, I no longer noticed - definitely a pleasant surprise. Length wise, Ribby fits very nicely, hitting just above my hips with sleeves that come down about an inch past my wrist - just the way I like 'em. The sleeves are snug, but have plenty of ease due to the ribbing throughout. Because I blocked the heck out of her, she fits a bit loosely through the body- nothing that a quick dampening to relax the side ribbing won't cure! The only thing I have issues with is the slight ripple that is formed just under the collar on the back of Ribby. I assure you, that's Ribby and not me :D I'm not certain why this is, or if blocking will cure it, but I think it's due to the fact that the back panel is straight across the top and has no neck shaping*. Ah well, I'm happy to have her complete in time for some use before the summer comes :) I really enjoyed the process of creation, and am contemplating another Ribby, perhaps in a cotton or other more warm-weather friendly yarn.

*Well, so much for that theory :D Chalk it up to inexperience. Some back and forth with Bonne Marie, the designer of the most fabulous Ribby, leads me to believe that I may have not have picked up my stitches quite right across the neck. Some additional blocking may be in order to try to flatten that small ripple out.

**Regarding the stripes on the sleeves, they were very simple to add. I knit 20 rows in the sleeve color, then knit two rows in the body color, two rows in the sleeve color, four rows in the body color and voila! Back to regular sleeves we go! Don't forget to check your sleeve length to make sure the sleeve stripes land where you want them to!

Corduroy Purse

I have a thing about bags. I love em. And I can't seem to have enough...so rather than go out and spend all kinds of money on handbags, I've taken to making my own.

Fabric: Outside - Black corduroy. Lining: Cotton print of festive lightbulbs.

Design: Adapted from a design on the Craftster Forums known as the "Jordy Bag"

Comments: Came out remarkably well considering the fact that I winged it and used scrap fabrics. I've already got ideas for modifications for an improved and more personalized version :) Stay tuned!

One Hour Baby Booties

Somehow I seem to know a lot of people expecting little bundles of joy this spring. With limited time to complete projects, I was trying to find something that was quick and fun to knit and these little booties seemed to fit the bill for springtime babies.

Pattern from Stitch n Bitch Nation

Yarn used: Bernat CottonTots

Comments: The pattern calls for Chunky weight wool, but for springtime babies (and concerns over possible allergies) I went with cotton. CottonTots is a worsted weight yarn, so I held it double stranded for the bootie, but went to single strand for the crochet strap. Unfortunately, I have no babies to try them out on, so I'm not sure how they came out for size - they appear big enough to stick jumbo eggs inside...perhaps a set for Easter goodies might be in order :) they'd certainly make a nice change to the standard "basket"!