Kick The Bucket

Here's what I spent the last 24 hours making: The Felted Bucket Hat from Chic Knits.

It is still blocking- it was a really quick knit, and I will definitely be using this pattern again, depending on how this first one wears and stuff.

Here's what it looked like pre-felting:




I made a few modifications- added length and width for my huge head. Hopefully the brim will stiffen up once it dries- if not, I am going to have to either needle felt it or see what some steam blocking will do!

I used Patons wool, which is my fave for felting, and when it was time to toss it in the washer, just followed the directions and started checking after 5 minutes. The project probably took less than 20 minutes to felt while agitating in the washer. After experimenting with different combo's of plates and mixing bowls, I found a bowl the right circumference to shape the brim.

The color isn't my fave, but it is what I had on hand. I am thinking about jazzing up the finished product with a black grosgrain ribbon and maybe a buckle of some sort- we will see what I come up with!

Casting On....

Oh my flippin'...something.

I cast on for The Man's Slippers last night.

The base pattern is Keep Away Slippers, and they are felted slippers with needle felted thrums. I am probably going to add an extra layer of knit on the bottoms to give them some extra wear.

It wasn't until I looked at the pattern (I am bad about this) and it was kind of like deciding to make cookies? And then you open the fridge, and there's no butter. Or eggs. Because these slippers assume that you use Magic Loop or two circulars. And called for the Turkish cast-on.

First of all, I am Armenian, and a Turkish ANYTHING seems excessive. I have seen people raving about it, but didn't really want to accept that the Ottoman Empire may have ever done anything that made sense.

Secondly, I have tried the "socks on two circs" method, and I hated it. The fact tat I was using my Boye Interchangeables at that point may have something to do with it, but the technique pissed me off so flippin' much that I just ended up swearing a lot and throwing it into a corner.

Thirdly, I was already going to be doing "thrumming" and needle felting, and I have zero "thrumming" experience (I think I actually said WTF are THRUMS!??) , and very limited needle felting experience. Crizzap. How many damn techniques do I have to learn?!!!

But then I thought, "OK, beeyotch, you have been knitting for a few years now. You're not exactly a bad-ass mofo in knitting terms, but you can hold your own. So hug it out, suck it up, or whatever. Quit whining and learn some new stuff. What the hell are all those books for, anyway?"

Books schmooks. It was after 9PM. I turned to the Internet, and I found this Turkish Cast-On Tutorial. Bless you, Fluffy Knitter Deb! But my work was still not done, so I went and found a great video of someone doing the Magic Loop Cast-On. You do have to scroll down a bit on that one.

I took a good look at both, and they literally turned my brain inside out and double dutch jump roped with it. It was one of those things where I wasn't going to comprehend it, but I was going to have to try to do it anyway.

In the process of casting on and having it completely BLOW MY MIND, I realized that the instructions for the pattern called for me to cast on 9 sts, but the Turkish Cast-on can only really be used (according to the tutorial) to cast on even numbers. So I just threw caution to the wind and did 10. Holy macaroni! Seamless cast-on, Batman!

I couldn't stop knitting magic loop until I got to the part where all the increases for the toe stop. By God, that is some heady stuff!

I think I may get over my sock irritation and ACTUALLY knit a pair if I can use this method.

Who knew? It's called Magic Loop because it really is magical. No joke. I still don't exactly understand it, but I think I may be in love with it, in a sixth-grade kind of a way. Like I am going to be doodling "Mrs. Jenna Magic-Loop" all over my Trapper Keeper. In Sharpie.

Bellisima!

My Belle Cardi is going fairly smoothly, even with all the weird substitutions and surgeries I have done on it. In fact, that is why it has been taking so long. I totally had to frog a completed sleeve and then re-knit, because as usual, I decided to wing it and that sucker turned out HUGE. Rats!

Now it's redone, and it looks much nicer. I am less than an inch from starting the ribbing on sleeve number two, so it looks like I should finish this weekend. I am going to a Fresno Ravelry Knitters Meetup at Starbucks tomorrow, and I am thinking I may have to tote along a backup project! I still haven't decided on a closure, though. That's me, wishy-washy to the bitter end. Pin? Button? I-cord tie? Duct tape?

Hell, I still don't know.

In other news, I have been seduced by material goods, specifically the Knitpicks Options set in Harmony Wood. The set should be showing up on my doorstep this week. I'm so ashamed.

I did better at Barnes & Noble. I trekked back to the chaotic craft book section, which has been known to make me break out in hives, specifically so I could look at some titles that I have been thinking about ordering from Amazon. I am not freaking getting knitting books from an outlet that throws knitting, crochet, quilting and needlepoint together all higgledy-piggledy. Soon all the books will breed and intermix and start their own bastard craft, and we can't have that.

Ahem. I apologize for possibly taking that metaphor a bit too far. Moving on-

I particularly wanted to get a load of the new SN'B offering, "Son of Stitch N' Bitch", and also "Knitting With Balls." Because.....I am actually going to bite the bullet and knit something for my husband, who is 6'5" and incredibly picky. The phrase "labor of love" seems to be recycling crazily though my head, followed by, "What the feep were you thinking?!!"

Of the two, of course I have a soft spot for SN'B, and I was going to get it. BUT!! Fortunately, he was unimpressed by both books, and spent much time abusing the sweaters featured therein. There were one or two objects he liked in SN'B, but the commentary of, "but without the stripe" and "can you get rid of the design thing," and "I hate zippers" and "no hoods" and "I don't like all those cables" made me realize that I was doomed to an eternity of one-color stockinette, if I am ever to knit any item of clothing for this man. And then he will try it on, make a face, and say, "It's itchy." And then I will have to bury his cold, lifeless body in it after I stab him with one of my size 19 Lantern Moon ebony straights.

While this charming scenario was playing out in my head, fate intervened. The Man considered what he wanted, and has specifically requested some nice, safe, felted slippers for Christmas. Which is still going to take some doing, as he has size 14 feet. But still, not a (boring, one color, stockinette for miles) sweater. Hallelujah!

I actually ended up leaving the knitting book section empty-handed, escaping with one mere magazine (Knit 'N Style, Dec 2007) and one bargain book. I may have found non-man-centric knitting books that I wanted, chiefly "No Sheep For You" and the newish one by Veronik Avery. I have been a good girl and added them to my Christmas and Birthday lists.

I feel so fiscally responsible. I must go to Meg's soon and blow it all on French 75 sock yarn or something.

Ravelry Revelry

I seem to have sold my soul.

I have spent most of the evening (except for the hour that I devoted to watching Ugly Betty) to uploading books and stuff to my profile. If you look at my Ravelry library, you will immediately discern that I have a serious problem.

If you haven't joined Ravelry yet, click the button in my sidebar and go sign up ASAP.

Totally worth the wait!

I'm not dead!

Here's proof:


I know, I am a dork. But I need it for my Ravelry profile!

I forsee updating this page a lot more too. I went on a slight knitting hiatus, but that seems to be over and done woth. Woot!

How YOU doin'?

Sorry- been watching a lot of Friends episodes.

Just wanted to say that (of course) the September issue of Mag Knits is out. I have already printed out the pattern for Honorine. Because, as we all know, I am working on two sweaters right now, having never actually finished one in its entirety. I definitely need to get cracking on one more. But it's cute, no?

Speaking of both sweaters, well....

Oh hell, I am bored. BORED. Especially with the black Wool-Ease and the 3-1 ribbing on Tubey. As much as I know I will like the finished project much more without colorful stripiness adding inches and drawing atention to my basoomas, the unending black is KILLING me. And I can't just zone out, because I am knitting in the round and it will become stockinette as soon as my mind begins to wander.

Tajah is still in its initial stages- also stockinette but the Berroco Softwist seems to have a "split personality", if you know what I mean. The stuff feels like a dream, but it is splitty. I also changed from my ratty aluminums to the Lantern Moon Ebony needles, because that stuff is also slippery as all get out, and I was dropping stitches all over the place.

Um, although I am talking about being bored, have I even touched the tree skirt? Hell no. I started another project.



Hey, I am using stash yarn, so shut up already, voices in my head!

It's the felted Pi Kitty Bed from Wendy Knits. Aha, mindless stockinette, but constantly changing striping is keeping me relatively sane. I am using different brands of wool together with wild abandon, thus tempting the forces of evil to give me something resembling a pancake at the end of this, so please say a quick prayer to the felting faeries on my behalf.

Is it sad that I am almost halfway done?

Also- The KnitPicks Options interchangeable needles I have been coveting?

They have been endorsedendorsed by none other than theYarn Harlot.

I have been holding out because, let's face it, I have 2 sets of Boye and one of Denise, not to mention my ridiculous collection of straight needles.(I was a little over-enthusiastic as a new knitter, OK?) I should probably put both sets of Boye on Ebay because I never use them, but I love my Denise set......oh hell, I need the Options too. Right? It's always good to have options.

Just keep knitting...

So- it's been forever. I actually cleaned and organized my knitting/sewing room, and am on a pretty strict yarn diet, which isn't too much fun, but I have an entire laundry basket full of unfinished projects- some totally abandoned, some actively in progress, and some that are basically lost causes and need to be frogged.

Remember that last post about the sweater I was starting?



Yes, it's a knitty pattern- check it out HERE.

I have completed the sleeves, and about 6" of the body- I omitted the stripes on the body for personal reasons, although the miles of mindless black ribbing are slowly killing me. I figured it would be a good project for SN'B and watching TV.

I also started a project from Handknit Holidays- it's a tree skirt, my first real experience with intarsia. I have been wanting to make this for awhile, but the pattern calls for....I think 14-15 skeins of Manos? I did the math and nearly had a heart attack, so I am substituting Lion Homespun- I like the texture, and the colors are pretty close. Here's someone else's rendition:



I know it's dark, but you should get the idea. I am learning intarsia as I go, and the experience is pretty addictive. This project definitely holds my attention, what with following the chart and all the different colors and untangling the bobbins. I am hoping it's all done in time for Christmas.

I am also working on a random moebius scarf, and am considering starting yet another sweater. (No, I'm not on crack!)


The pattern is Tajah- from the October '06 issue of Knit N' Style. Amazingly, I actually have the Berocco Softwist yarn to make it in my stash- not in teal, but in a gorgeous violet color. I just need to get the sparkly novelty stuff to finish it off. Yeah, I gotta get my bling.

OK- I definitely must get my digital camera back online so I can document my progress, what with all these projects going on!