Ingenious.

August 20, 2008August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 3 Comments

First, I promised a picture of the Shmocks.
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Done with Blue Moon STR med weight in Loch Ness, Basic two at a time toe-up, plain foot, short row heel, and 4×1 ribbed cuff. He wears them, and asked all on his own about how to wash them, so I am guessing he likes them. I think they look a bit funky and am not sure what the hell I did to make the wraps so bulky, but they’ll be hid in his Doc’s most of the time, so it’s all good.

And now, the good stuff.
I have been aware of turtlegirl76 for a while now. After all, there really aren’t that many knitblogging turtle lovers out there, and the intartubes makes us more interconnected. But I don’t read her blog regularly, and in fact, I only stumble across it now and then, read a bit, and then continue on my merry way. But yesterday while perusing, I saw something that made me think, “Dear God! She’s fucking brilliant!” So, I am pointing you there today. Specifically I am telling you to click on her free patterns link on her header and then scroll down to number 5. Row Counters. Simple, easy, no brains involved row-counters.

Seriously. Go read. Download her tutorial and peruse it. I’ll wait.

So now that you are back… Neat, huh?
I made some last night.
I plan on making more.
Should I ever find myself in a swap again I will most definitely make some of these to give.
Hell, I may make some to give to random knitters I see on the street.
I like them that much.
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Blue.

July 31, 2008August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 2 Comments

Wow, is it Thursday already? I totally meant to post this on Monday or Tuesday, but it would seem I suck and lack time management skills.

I haven’t been very productive knit-wise lately and it’s bothering me, but with my arthritis flaring up, it’s not like I am going to get a much done, so in the interests of instant gratification I whipped out a Reverse Bloom Washcloth.

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This pattern was the reason I learned how to knit. I had already been making soap for a while and the pairing of a handmade soap with one of these luxury cloths was just too much. I WANTED one. I didn’t actually learn to knit and knit one up for the first time until a year later, but this pattern will always hold a place in my heart. Also, they are pretty damned nice to use.

Speaking of soap….last Friday night, after getting pissed off in WoW, I decided to take the night off from gaming and make soap. I wanted to try swirling 4 colors. Unfortunately, the entire pot basically instantly set up as I was adding in the colors to the pot for the swirls. Which meant I just had to make the best of it and mix it all up for as uniform a color as I could get, and it turned out a deep dark blue. So while the smell is nice, and the oils used in it are nice, it’s not the prettiest stuff by any means. It’s also a bit soft. And the lather is blue. And it turns the water you are washing in blue. And I have 3 pounds of the mess. The blue doesn’t stain anything (it’s just a powdered oxide) and it all rinses off, but I hate soft soaps, so I am not pleased. Kids should like it however, as they can mush it up in their little foamy blue hands when they use it. Now I just need to find some kids to shove it off on. BUT! I’ll try again when my new fancy silicon lined soap mold gets here, and it’s due to be in tomorrow, so woot!

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FO: Lace Leaf Shawl

May 27, 2008August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 4 Comments

Lace Leaf Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark
Started: August 2, 2006
Finished: May 26, 2008
Yarn used: Dale Baby Ull, in darkish true red, no idea about the number anymore, and some of my first handspun. 117 yarns or mohairy purple goodness.
Why I would ever mix red and purple: Because my mom is into that whole red with purple thing, and this was done for her. I don’t think she knows that I was doing it for her, and it’s good thing because it surely took me long enough to get around to finishing it.

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And if that’s not enough, I’ve got some spinning photos for you. The gold singles from Loop were done ages ago and I just finally got around to taking a photo. The stuff on the bobbins is Party Roving from MSW last year.

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I promised pictures.

February 11, 2008August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 3 Comments

So there’s a crap load of them today….

First photos of Ufserud, including a rare photo of myself wearing it.

The spinning I finished last week. This is Crown Mountain Farms Pencil Roving in.. Pumpkin Patch…I think. No idea on yardage. I didn’t bother to check it as I still have a good bit to spin up and add to it.

Look at these socks! Don’t they look like these? Yeah, I didn’t slip any knitting by you. I bought them at Target. In fact, I bought them because they looked so much like Red Herrings.

Sahara will not be done in time for this weekend. I made it sit in time out too long and there’s just too much ripping back I am going to have to do in order to be happy with the end product. So I’ve cast on two other things instead! But I’ll save those for another post.

In other random news, a little over 2 weeks ago, I got my eyebrow pierced.

And finally, I leave you with a picture of what appears to be the cat being pervy while sitting on my pillows.

FO: Unorignal Hat

January 17, 2008August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 1 Comment

Yarn Harlot’s Unoriginal Hat, Size US 10.5 dpns, Manos yarn.

I finished this up while taking a break from Sahara. It was quick and easy and is entirely to small and too short for my fat head.
Luckily, I know a someone at work who has two little girls, so it should fit one of them. (Yes, Chris, I am talking about you. Your oldest girl like purple?)

New Year, New FO.

January 4, 2008August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 4 Comments

The Shmoose Hat
A Bea Ellis Original

Thoughts: I loved the kit; it’s a great value. Loved the pattern. I am thinking of ordering another from her at some point in the future, but want to finish more things up first. The hat is for shmoo, mostly to keep his head warm, but also because shmoocon always says “less moose than ever!” every year, so I felt like he needed some moose. The line where I joined the liner to the hat is very obvious, and my floats aren’t the best, but other than that, the hat pleases me. If the rest of my knit items turn out this well this year, I think it’ll be a good year.

FO: Fishscales Socks

November 18, 2007August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 5 Comments

By now everyone has already knit this pattern or at least knows where to find it so..

I give you, Knitty’s Pomatomus, by Cookie A, knit in dyed-by-me, spun-by-me, merino-tencel. I am well pleased about how they came out, though I was worried about yardage towards the end. This is a full 4ozs of fiber, and as you can see from the photo below, it was a bit close. Oh, and I got some sock blockers a while back that I forgot to post about. I won’t be keeping them; I am a sock savior. As soon as they are dry, these babies will be winging their way to someone who was in sockapalooza4 whose pal did not knit them socks. I hope that she enjoys them and likes them as much as I do. I hope that the handspun makes them special enough, since I didn’t have time to design a pair of socks just for her.

I do plan to do this pattern with more handspun for me sometime later, but first I have a few Christmas hats to knit.

Fall Felted Bag Exchange

November 2, 2007August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 4 Comments

The final FFBE question is “How was your experience in the exchange? Did you enjoy the folks you met? Did you just love the bag you received? Please share any thoughts, criticism, and things you loved!”

Honestly, my experience wasn’t outstanding. I did find some new blogs to read, and the person who is my bagmaker is really nice, but I think the fun in these types of swaps is really getting to know your pal and then creating a great package for them. Unfortunately my pal’s first language is not English, and her blog isn’t generally written in English. Now this in and of itself is fine, but it makes it really really hard to get to know your pal when you can’t read most of the blog or the archives. I am happy with the bag I created, and think I did a good package for my pal, but that’s about it.

Speaking of the package I sent my pal, here are the photos of the contents. [Despite the fact I haven’t heard from my pal that she got my package OR the pattern I emailed her, I am going ahead and posting this, as it’s time to wrap it up.

EDIT! My pal received her package and posted about it here. I am so happy she (and her cat and son!) liked it. I have been very worried.]

The bag, the bag’s lining, a close up of the lining, a package of mints, Spunky Eclectic fiber and some Merino/Tencel that I dyed, some Kool-Aid (and the generic version because my grocery store is the suck), my favorite tea, and some Hershey bars, because if you are sending chocolate to another country, that seems like the most American one to me.

And……I’ve received my package as well. My pal was Vickie, and she made me a wonderful bag and sent nice goodies to go with it.
Here are the photos of the bag, the liner, and the goodies it held.

And this concludes my obligations for the FFBE!

Skyscraper Socks.

July 31, 2007August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 16 Comments

My sock pal’s socks are complete. I have named them Skyscraper Socks, and am very pleased over all with how they came out. There are a few things I will be tweaking for the next pair and the pattern I am writing, but the over all look has made me really happy.

And this is what will be in the package for my sockpal when I mail them off on Thursday.

Most likely I will add a bar of soap from the last batch I made, and I will be adding the remaining yarn I used for these socks as well. That way, should they need a repair, she’ll have the yarn to do it.

Most of all I hope that my sock pal will love the socks as much as I do and that she is happy with her package.

What’s Lantern Moon got….

July 25, 2007August 6, 2023 ~ laura ~ 5 Comments

That I don’t got?

Well, better seams for one. But I have a liner!
This is my knockoff of their small project bag. Admittedly I didn’t use the silk they do, nor is my bag as refined, but it’s pretty, serves the same purpose, and I am proud of it.

It holds the same amount of stuff, and I think the liner works well with the outer fabric.

And what it’s currently holding? The prototype of my toe up on two circs Skyscraper Socks pattern.
Here’s the top and bottom of what I have so far.

I still need to finish my sockpal’s sock mind you. (It’s in the red LM bag.) And then I need to get a nice picture of my sewn LM copy bag, with the socks in it, and the trial sock cuff that became a beer cozy, because after that I won’t be seeing any of them anymore without a trip overseas. The pair of original colorwork socks, the matching drink cozy, and the small project bag are all going to my sock pal!

Hopefully this excitement about the project bag will give me the spur I need to finish the last 4th of her sock, as we are closing in on the deadline in just two weeks, and I’d like to be ready to mail out first thing the morning of Aug. 2nd.