06.28.09
Cupcake Mittlets
Pattern: Cupcake Mittlets, by Shantha Rose
Yarn: Wash & Wear by Wendy, more earthquake sale yarn
Recipient: Me
Notes: I have been getting really cold hands while typing so went looking for a fingerless glove pattern. I originally wanted fingerless gloves rather then fingerless mittens, but having started a pair of fingerless gloves (to be blogged soon) but not being happy with the fit and needing something ASAP I looked to this pattern for a quick stash buster that would warm my hands. The pattern was really easy to follow and as I thought quick, I had them finished in just 2 days of casual knitting. The yarn was originally purchased for a jumper but has been siting in the stash for a good year, and having realised I don’t need anymore knitted garments I was glad to use a ball of it on these, now to only find what to do with the remaining 9 balls.
06.22.09
Ankle Socks
Pattern: My own but I used this calculator to help me with the heel and toe
Yarn: Grignasco Strong Print
Recipient: TP
Notes: I made the pattern up as I went with these and as a result the size is a bit off. I forgot that for socks you need negative ease. I calculated to start that I would need 80 stitches as my gauge was 10 stitches per inch and they needed to fit a foot which was 8″ round. After I realised the mistake I decreased in the instep of the first sock but this has left them too loose around the ankle. I guess the good thing is they have been made for a fast growing 8 year old so they will fit for some time to come. The yarn is from the LYS which has recently reopened at the local mall and is 75% merino which makes for really soft socks at 3/4 the price I would pay for it normally. I have purchased two more balls, one a fair isles type print, to be used for socks again for TP and another along this colour way but with green for gloves for myself.
06.20.09
Urchin
Pattern: Urchin
Yarn: Wendy Chunky with Wool. Picked up at the earthquake sale last year.
Recipient: Nana
Notes: The pattern calls for a super bulky yarn but I thought this would work and it did however it is not as big as it should, which goes without saying really. I like the style of hat so may try to find a super bulky in a colour I like to for myself. The pattern was nice to knit with short rows and kept me interested. I hope it keeps Nana warm this winter.
06.18.09
Baha Beanie
One of my fellow students at my NZSL class has a 8 month old daughter, J, who has recently got her Baha band. This amazing little devise allows for J to hear even though she has no ear carnals. The baha (bone anchored hearing aid) works by conducting sound through the skull bypassing the ear carnal or middle ear. J is too young to have a surgically implanted baha so the band holds the baha sound processor to her skull. Anything touching the processor causes interference, so wearing a hat while out watching league with Mum & Dad isn’t possible with the baha band. This is where I come in, K (J’s Mum) asked if I would be able to make her a beanie with a hole for the sound processor, and here is the result modelled by Pillow.
It was surprisingly easy, and this time I did a gauge swatch, then after working out the number of stitches I cast on and knitted rib in the round for 2 inches then it was time for the hole, which is just a really big square button hole, over around 6 rows, from there on it is just a normal beanie pattern. And the best part of it all is that it fitted J perfectly and she loves it. So not more cold ears while out cheering on the local league team.
06.15.09
Lossy’s Loss
Lossy has this nasty acrylic Rip Curl beanie that he has had ever since I have known him, 12+ years. It has served him well and although he does favour the Claud beanie I made last year, when its really cold he will grab the Rib Curl one as it is longer and keeps his neck warm as well. I casted on , (is that correct English?) for the Samaras Hat on the 31st of May hoping to use up some of my stash and replace the Rip Curl beanie. However I did not check my gauge, which of course is rule number 1 when it comes to knitting, no surprise it turned out far too large, but he was able to see that the green and red stripe, although this High School colours, looked good and he liked them with the black.
So then on Thursday the new Knitty came out and there was this great pattern, from Wooly Wormhead. So I started on it instead, once again I didn’t check the gauge (you would think I would have learnt!) but knew it would be off as I was using worsted yarn which is heaver then it calls for.
Urbanista
Ok so it doesn’t fit Lossy but I have myself the most amazing hat. I just love it.
05.27.09
Leg Warmers
I found these boots early on this winter, however they do not fit my massive calf, as so many don’t I wasn’t really surprised. Then I found this pattern for Tabbed leg warmers from Mother Daughter knits. I thought perhaps these along with my comfy shoes could be the knee high boots of the winter.
I am up to casting off the tabs and I’m not sold, the garter stitch is never a favorite and I wonder if I really have any skirts that these will go with. As a result these have been pushed to the bottom of the knitting basket while I work on a beanie for Lossy.
That Blew the Stats
Imagine my shock when I saw this spike on my stats, according to it over 300 visits in just one day. Now I am normally lucky to get over 5 but 300, well that is just unheard of as an you can see it has totally blown my stats out, and I am quite fond of those stats.
Turns out this site is the cause, I’m not sure if it means anyone really stayed on my site for any length of time but I guess any views are good?
05.25.09
Twisting Ladder Hat
I had promised to make TP a winter hat since before her birthday, and only this weekend did I get around to doing it. I used the Twisting Ladder Pattern by DaphneRunning however I didn’t read the pattern or really take much attention of the photo. Therefore TP’s Twisting Ladder is minus the ladder and has a rib boarder. All the same it came out well and TP now has a warm head.
05.23.09
One Skein Scarf
Last Monday while I was trying to teach Bestie to crochet, have I ever mentioned I’m not good at teaching, we pulled out my copy of Debbie Stoller’s The Happy Hooker, which I taught myself to crochet from and opened up to the One Skein Scarf project. It looked like a nice simple beginners pattern for Bestie. I didn’t have much luck with the teaching, but I did carry on with my scarf and just under a week later, I am very relived to share only my 4th finished item for 2009.
There may of may not be errors in it, but I’m not telling. I am now off to find a beanie pattern for TP to keep her head warm now that the temperature has dropped considerably this week.
05.17.09
Manual
I have owned my Sony A200 DSLR now for a year and I must say in that time 80% of the time I have it set to either S A or P then 18% is a split Auto and the scene modes with a miserable 2% of the time it set to good ol’ M for Manual. This changed a few weekends back when I had an outing with Bestie & one of her work friends, you can read a bit about it over at Besties blog.
It was a great challenge for me and since then have almost exclusively had both my Sony & Leica on manual. Here are a couple of the results from that weekend outing at the museum, the first two i have played with a bit in PS elements, with success I don’t know, as I’m just really starting out with digital editing. The last has only had the levels adjusted a little.
