Twisted Stitches

Just realized it had been over a month since I last blogged. I haven’t been knitting much, to be honest, as I’ve started working again, and had some really good books to keep me company when I wasn’t. That being said, I did manage to finish my Tudor Grace scarf. I even wove in the ends! I just have to block it, and send it off to my gramma:

I’ve also made some progress on some bus knitting recently. It’s a simple stockinette sock, in a very bright-for-me Regia 4-ply sock yarn, but I’m quite enjoying it:

well to make a bit of cash I am trying to sell a few of the toys that I have crocheted since I have been bored to death at home not working. I hope I can get pictures up this time

there’s a few more but they are too big for adding

See?

I even wove in the end at the toe, which no one would see. And can you believe I left in a couple of errors (intentionally!) that I thought wouldn’t be too noticeable?! These aren’t blocked, and they’re fairly large socks sitting on small sock blockers, so the lace pattern isn’t really opened up or even and the heels look baggy. I do love them, though, and they fit my feet better than the blockers, so I’m already wearing them!

Of course, I had to change up the pattern a bit… I can’t imagine doing the full length of the heel flap called for in this pattern. I know I have a fairly low rise/arch and shallow heel, but these are still nearly too long in the heel and a little baggy in the midfoot, and I reduced the heel flap by 12 rows (36 rather than the 48 called for). I also lengthened the ribbed cuff by a couple of rounds, and carried the twisted stitch between the lace repeats up into the toe for a subtle extension of the pattern.

I’m sure I’ll make these again someday. It was a really fast knit, given how little I was knitting this winter, and the pattern was easy and fun. The next time, I think I’ll reduce the heel flap by an additional 4 rows or use a short-row heel, and knit them toe-up, with the toe being much more rounded (my first socks had a very square toe like these, and it just doesn’t look as nice to me).

Well it’s been a really long time since I have been on here and I have been crafting just not posting about it I made all of the Christmas prezzies this year. I made a slouchy hat and a scarlet for David’s sister Debbie and a pair of slipper socks for his sister Donna nothing knit for the mom though this year.

Now I am making little crocheted toys for my little girl a little late for Christmas but I didn’t have the time during that season to get them done they are now done and will be sent as soon as possible for her.
I want to post pictures but am having issues doing it once I figure it out again I will post pictures.

I tore out my sock…

I got to the heel flap the other night, and noticed an error (I skipped two rows in the pattern repeat). I decided to leave it due to the fact that it was on the front of the sock, and would land right where the ankle meets the leg, and wouldn’t be very visible. Those who know me well know just how big a deal that was for me. Then, as I was finishing up the heel flap, I noticed a major error right up near the cuff of the sock on the other side. It was just too much! So, I tore the whole thing out and started over; I’m now working on the cuff again, but much happier!

Have I mentioned how bored I get with knitting rib? Oh, well… maybe I’ll remember before I start another project. Despite being sick of knitting the Man-Scarf, which will now go to my sister for Christmas instead, I love how it turned out. It’s simple, clean, and this yarn is super-squishy and soft. And while I can take awesome scenery photos, I’m just not very good at the still-life and/or object shots; nonetheless, here is a giant roll of black alpaca!

And, now the yarn I have on the stove is beeping, so I’m off to check on my dyeing. Watch for a new batch of Faking Sanity yarns at Make One in the near future.

Just finished the socks! I cut the yarn to do a sewn bind off, then realized I had done an elastic bind off on the first sock, which takes way more yarn (and doesn’t need to be cut first. oops). I ended up running out of yarn with about 10 stitche to go, so I picked out the bind off, joined the ball back in, and finished up. I even wove in the end! The angle of the shot and the way they were stretched over the blockers makes the top one look longer… it’s actually about one row shorter, but I figure that’s close enough. Just don’t tell the recipient!

Surprisingly enough, I have actually been knitting this summer, even if I haven’t been posting about it!  First, there was some garter stitch — not the most fascinating thing to photograph.  Then there was some present knitting — couldn’t talk about it because it was for one of this blog’s co-authors and presumably she reads it, even if she doesn’t post (hint, hint.)  And of course I gave the present to her before taking pictures (or, you know, sewing in the ends!  And she won’t give them back so that I can.  Lose a present that you’re finishing once and they never let you forget it!)  And then there was some baby pressies that are waiting for finishing (have I mentioned lately that I hate finishing?  I’d rather untangle a skein of yarn for someone else than sew together a sweater!)

But!  I did complete something!  (Well, except for sewing in the ends.  But really, they’re socks.  I can just tuck the ends in once I have them on…)

Pattern: Kaylee by Monkey Toes
Yarn: Fireside Superwash Sock in Greens
(dyed by the incomparable SpinKnit, the Fiber Queen)

I’ve been working on them in little tiny spurts for almost a year now and they’ve remained favourites the entire time.  I didn’t even swear at them!

Finally! Well, technically, I still have an end to weave in, but I’m calling it done. I love the colour and drape of this. Debating whether it’s a bit too large for my grandma now, as she doesn’t get up and about much any more. It’s her 90th birthday this fall, though, so I still have time to decide if I should make something smaller and more practical or send this home.

The corn socks for the roommie are done! I just finished kitchenering the second toe, and she hasn’t taken them off long enough for me to weave in the end at the cuff, so I guess that means they’re ok!

I also bought a skein of Sandnes Garn Sisu yesterday for a mini-Koolhaas.  I think I may make a few of these, because the thought of baby and kid-sized Koolhaas hats is just way to cute. For now, I’m off to swatch as I bought a thinner yarn than the worsted-weight the pattern calls for, but I’ll have to play with the stitch count as well to get an appropriate size.

If you’ve been anywhere near me in the last 5 months, you’ll probably be very aware that I have a little hard on for Jared Flood’s Koolhaas pattern.  It started when I knit one for my brother-in-law for Christmas (Cascade Ecological):

And then I made one for me (Sheep Shop Sheep One) and one for a friend (Manos Wool Clasica):

The latest one I had even more fun with, since I also dyed the yarn for it.  I started with some lovely Custom Woolen Mills mulespun worsted and ended up with a pretty damn cool hat, if I do say so myself:

Do you know how hard it is to take pictures of your own head?  Bah!  Though I do love seeing the backgrounds (despite having to delete the ones that make us look like complete and utter slobs.)  For instance, the stack of Munchkin boxes, Joshua Malina as Will Bailey on my computer screen (damn West Wing has sucked me in again), and my collection of geek DVDs (Stargate, Doctor Who, Buffy, Lord of the Rings, etc.)

I finished a fiber-related project!  I haven’t really been in the mood to knit or crochet lately (probably because I have a backlog of Christmas presents on the needles and the guilt is making me procrastinate) but mtlaise dyed up this tiny skein of yarn a couple weeks ago and I couldn’t resist doing some Tunisian crochet with it.  The speed of crochet, the suppleness of knitting, and the look of weaving…

Ta da!  Easy peasy iPod cover.  The seam on this one isn’t perfect, so it’s for me, but I thought I might do up some for the store.  Dunno if anyone would be interested.

I also had to share my super-duper photo setup I had going this afternoon, trying to get decent pictures of my chainmail bracelets:

Excuse the blurriness, I had to take it with my old, icky camera.  That is a bracelet on a Irish Cream bottle (not empty!) on a Doctor Who book, up against a footstool, all on top of a computer table.  It prompted a discussion on just how big of a lush I will have to become to have a liquor bottle big enough for a necklace shot.

I got a call the other day from Dave’s mom just to say hi and she mentioned that she has been wearing the shawl that I made her everyday since she got it anywhere she goes. It’s awsome that she loves it so much she finds it nice and warm which it was meant to be so yay. Now I have to re start my sweater and a few other projects that I have in mind I am going to busy.

I finally finished all my Christmas gifts that I was making for my family and sent them off yesterday through greyhound I hope they get there in time for Christmas eve I want the kids to be able to open them for christmas not afterwards. All the other Christmas shopping has finally been finished and now all I have to do is wrap everything and put them under the tree. I also have to start making one more Christmas gift that unfortunately will be late in getting there for Christmas (sorry Mar). I promise they will get there this year though.

It’s been a crazy week of double-shifts, so there hasn’t been much knitting or computer time lately. That being said, I’ve been slowly making my way through the blogs of the people who responded to my yarn naming contest, and in the process, found something truly inspiring to the geek in me: a crocheted discworld! Check it out here.

Now, I know socks seem pretty minor compared to an entire world, but I finally finished my Dad’s socks! I knit them based on the old sample sock he sent me, but these have a fair bit more negative ease in the leg especially. Hopefully, that will be ok. Now, I’m just waiting for the gift I ordered for my brother in law to arrive, and then I can send off my Christmas package for my entire family.

And with my mandatory Christmas knitting done, this weekend, at the end of my contest, I can start dyeing more yarn right away. Merry Christmas to me!

The shawl was finished a few days ago and is already washed and blocked  pictures are coming soon . In the mean time  I have been knitting a new pair of mitts for me and a toque now  that the  winter season is starting up here  I will try and get  pictures of me wearing them when I can.

While Saturday evenings are usually filled with friends, TV and knitting, this weekend, we upped the geek quotient a notch or two…We only knit a bit while we were waiting for everyone to arrive, as we were planning on RPGing. For the record, “Torg of the Rings” is a ridiculously funny campaign, and adapting it to the Munchkin RPG was hysterical. Along with our seriously geeky game, we had a seriously geeky cake: a pumpkin patch – complete with candy pumpkins and dirt – surrounded by green grass and overrun with giant gummy worms. I laughed so hard, I just had to show you guys. There are even vines on the pumpkins, and eyes on the worms! Thanks, Doug!

In knitting-related news, I finally finished my Mom’s christmas hat… Not great pics – as usual – but I’m quite pleased with it. It’s the same pattern as the recent charity hat I posted about, but with a few modifications to make it deeper. I think she’ll like it; I hope so, at any rate… Tonight, I also started the “final version” of my Dad’s Christmas gift: A 3×1 ribbed sock in Louet Gems Sport in Bluebird. I’m so glad I changed my mind about the yarn… A Sport weight yarn knits up so much faster – It’s not much to look at yet, but I’ve already got over 3″ done. I may actually finish this before Christmas!

I just had an incredible moment.  I made a baby blanket a year ago for a co-worker, it was my first completed crochet project.  You can read about it and view pictures in my very first posting here on Twisted Stitches.

Well, my co-worker was in today for a visit and brought the baby.  Not only did it hold together after all this time but Katie drags it everywhere with her, not letting it out of her sight ever!  Wheeee!  She likes her Blankie!!

Well, as some of you know, this week’s first attempt at a charity hat was… well… creative. The second attempt – with a pattern – went much more smoothly. See? This is the Amanda Hat (Ravelry link) by SleepyEyesKnitting. I kind of like it; I think I’ll make another one – a bit longer – for my mom for Christmas.

I posted that post and then realized that I had more to say!  Because not only have I been knitting, I’ve been spinning.  Long, long ago I spun up some gorgeous red fiber on my drop spindle and I actually put it to good use:

They’re uber short (and used every last inch of yarn!) but I’m so proud of them.  My very first project out of my own handspun!  Since then Sherry, one of the lovely ladies who hangs out at  M1, lent me an Ashford Joy wheel and I’ve been thoroughly drafted (sorry, one must pun when one can) to the spinning side.  I’ve tried a few different fibers, though the only one I thought to take a picture of was this one:

It’s a 3-ply using the fiber that came in the Louet kit with my drop spindle.  There are a few icky spots but all-in-all it turned out faboo.  I decided that the colour just wasn’t me, but Mike liked it so it was immediately gifted.

In completely non-fiber-related news, I cooked last night!

I don’t cook.  Unless you consider making Kraft Dinner cooking.  But this?  This is homemade Ham & Kidney Bean soup.  It was yummy and has made me want to cook more often.  Unfortunately, I have no ideas.  I look through cookbooks and nothing seems all that appealing.  Anyone have any good recipes for me?  Or, y’know, want the recipe for this?