Stephanie Likes to Knit

Finally, Knitting!

2008-06-19T15:47:00.006-04:00

I've been knitting! See:

Knttin' old-lady style, yeah!

There's nothing better than knitting on a porch in a rocking chair with a class of wine and your favorite boy next to you. After taking a break from knitting for a couple months (aka spending too much time on Ravelry), I'm back with more projects started than needles to complete them. And mentioning Ravelry, that picture above is my new Ravatar. Grin.

To keep you entertained until I get a new camera (my old one doesn't want to focus anymore) and a new hard disk for my computer (computer won't let me do anything except use Firefox), I'll show you a couple items I knit LAST SUMMER (!) that I haven't blogged about yet. To be far (to myself), I didn't gift these items until last February, so this post is only 4 months late. Wink wink.

Pattern: "Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono" from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Mods: Knit a few more rows for extra length, used ribbons to tie closed
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish, superwash wool, in color "Bubblegum"
Needles: 4mm straights
Recipient: Friend's baby girl
Finished Size: Comparable to store-bought clothing in 3-6 month size

I don't have pictures of the sweater on a baby, but Harrod, my teddy bear, was kind enough to model it for me.

The pattern was wicked easy to knit because it's knit flat, but seaming was a bitch. See those tiered edges on the sleeves...

...they don't create a straight underarm seam.

I figured a tie closure would be easiest for a parent dressing a baby, so I sewed ribbon on both front sections. I left an inch-wide gap on one side seam to let one ribbon through, and I attached an icord to the other side to thread the other ribbon through and hold it in place.

Along with the wrap sweater, I gifted a couple bibs (and the February Baby Sweater from a few posts ago).

Pattern: Baby Bib O' Love from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Mods: Added lace stitches
Needles: 4mm and 4.5mm
Yarn: Various Sugar'n Cream cotton
Other materials: Pansy plastic buttons from JoAnn Fabrics

Next post: More stuff that I knit months ago. Ha!

Baking... But Still Not Knitting*

2008-06-04T18:25:00.008-04:00

I haven't baked much since my college days because I try to eat healthy but mostly because my last two apartment stoves couldn't maintain a constant temperature. (When I bought a stove thermometer, I discovered that when set to 450 degrees F, my stove would fluctuate from 200 to 550 degrees!) However, over the last two months, I've baked this delicious Swedish Visiting Cake three times!

I hate frosting, so this almond- and sugar-topped cake is perfect for me.

I changed up a few ingredients in the recipe. I used 1 tsp of almond extract and only .5 tsp of vanilla extract because I wanted the almond and lemon flavors to be the focus. I baked two cakes with half white flour and half wheat flour, so the baking time was longer (38 minutes exactly both times), but when I used all white flour, baking took the recommended 30 minutes. I enjoyed the cakes with some wheat flour more (heartier taste), but my boyfriend enjoyed the pound-cake texture of the all-white flour cake more.

My boyfriend gave the cake rave reviews and said, "Your people [the Swedes] sure know how to make good cake!" I'm only an eighth Swedish, and I don't know if the cake is even a traditional Swedish recipe, but it sure is yummy. It's light (for a cake), and the lemon and almond flavors work well together without overwhelming each other. I enjoy it as a tasty tea-time treat. I also baked one for a Mother's Day lunch, and it was gobbled up.

*Psst! I have been knitting for the past couple weeks, but I don't have anything to show yet. I'm hoping to finish up a couple projects this weekend and take pictures.

Not Knitting

2008-05-04T13:00:00.001-04:00

I've been spending more time on Ravelry than I have been knitting, so I don't have any knitting to show you. I'll show you some other craftiness to make up for that.

Left: refurbished earring, right: "vintage" earring

Four years ago, I bought a pair of $2 earrings from Aeropostale (that teeny bopper store). Though made of some cheap metal, they survived the years with dangly dignity until last summer when the finish started to peel off the base. Now I have refurbished the earrings into real silver beauties. I only salvaged the original beads - I made the rest from silver jewelry bits from JoAnn Fabrics.

I was also a busy crafter for Easter, dyeing my eggs with food coloring and vinegar...

...and making a cute felt chickadee for my mom's Easter basket.

The idea for an egg-shaped chickadee was ripped off from someone elsewhere on the world wide web. I just can't remember who to give you a link.

That's all, folks!

February Baby Sweater

2008-02-20T15:34:00.007-05:00

I knit this sweater for a Christmas present and only just mailed it, so ironically, it really is a February baby sweater. Although I finished knitting and seaming last October, I couldn't find good buttons until January. The coating came off in the wash of the first set of buttons I had sewn on... even though they were supposed to be washable. Argh, darn shell buttons from JoAnn Fabrics, darn you!

Oh la la, these colors match my blog!

Every time I look at these sweater pictures, I smile. My boyfriend says this is his favorite item that I have ever knit, and the mommy loves it too, and she says that her baby girl wears it all the time. I'm dancing the Happy Dance.

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's "Baby Sweater on Two Needles," aka "February Baby Sweater," from Knitter's Almanac
Yarn: Washable wool, for the mom's sake.... Knit Picks Swish in color "Indigo Heather," about 2.25 skeins
Needles: 4.5 mm (US size 7) Knit Picks 24" Options (for body) and 4.5 mm straights (for sleeves)
Recipient: Friend's baby girl... the mommy is the person who taught me how to knit

Mods:
I added a half-inch in length to the body and sleeves. I compared the finished sweater/jacket to store-bought clothing, and the shoulder-to-shoulder width was comparable to size 3-6 months. I estimated the size correctly because my friend says that her 3.5-month-old girl is wearing this now.

Sweater in progress

Once I got to the sleeve divide, I knit the sleeves first on straight needles (leaving the body stitches on my Options cord), then I picked up stitches to knit the body, but I ended up with this hole - whoopsy. I don't think I picked up those stitches properly.

Oopsy hole

All turned out well once I seemed up the sleeves.

Nice!

Review:
A simple, fun, beautiful pattern. Zimmermann's pithy directions are short and sweet, and I can't wait to tackle more of her patterns. I love how this cardigan looks like a swing jacket, which is fitted across the shoulders but swings out from the body - they are in style again. I only included three buttons on the top and left the sleeves “short” (three-quarter length) to emphasize the look. I also love the smooshy Swish yarn and its rich color because I didn't want to create a stereotypical pastel pink baby sweater.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T15:12:00.006-05:00

When my boyfriend saw me making these hearts, he was impressed with my craftiness, but I totally copied this idea from Paper and String, who is far craftier than I. My hearts are made of acrylic felt, embroidery floss, ribbon, buttons, and potpourri (for filling).

I made these hearts for my grandma, who has been in and out of the hospital with heart problems for the last month, and my mom, who went into the hospital yesterday with a possible heart blockage. This Valentine's Day, I wish both their hearts health and happiness. And I wish you, dear (and few) readers, real candy and eye candy...

Valentine chocolates from my man

Tonight, I'm staying in with my boyfriend, take-out food, and Netflix. Happy Valentine's Day.

Update, February 15....

Yesterday was relaxing... until I was woken up in the whee hours of the morning by my boyfriend swearing profusely because he had spilled a whole glass of red wine on the carpet. Whoops! Luckily, "we" got it out - I just dabbed laundry detergent on it.

Now that presents have been received, I can share some of the little gifts I gave my Valentine... from Etsy. Sure, Esty can be "manly." My boyfriend received...
...a funny love card from The Beautiful Project.
...beer soap from Pixie Soap, which doesn't smell strongly of beer but does smell very manly.
...(his favorite) a business card/notes holder designed like an old-skool Nintendo controller from Lost Mitten (here's another one). Lost Mitten has awesome creations made from Perler beads, which I loved to play with as a child.

I also gave myself Valentine presents - soaps from Lily Bay Soap. The rose soap with shea butter and kaolin clay makes my skin wonderfully smooth; I don't even need to apply body moisturizer after my shower. I have very sensitive skin, and it doesn't bother my skin at all (love it!). The vanilla with shea butter lip balm is moisturizing and glides on almost like lip gloss (need more of this!). I'm still waiting to try my chocolate soap, which looks like a huge hunk of chocolate that I want to eat, but boyfriend says no - phooey.

I entered Paper and String's monthly give-away contest, and I won a prize! As a runner up, ironically, I win a heart similar to the ones I copied from her (see above) - awesome!

This Year's Boyfriend Hat

2008-02-05T01:42:00.002-05:00

My boyfriend helps me with my knitting "photoshoots." He models or holds the knitting or takes the pictures... in public, without complaining. He's a keeper! And he deserves another hat. This year, he wanted a larger hat. He said his last hat is too short when he's outside in the winter cold shoveling or hiking for hours, so I re-knit The Boyfriend Hat, adding an extra inch to the height to cover his ears.

Pattern: A Hat Fit for a Boyfriend
Mods: Added that extra inch
Yarn: Mission Falls Wool color 021
Needles: 5mm (size 8) 16" circs and dpns

Someone on Ravelry pointed out that there are over 100 boyfriend hats in the world. Yippee! I'm glad you like the pattern as much as my boyfriend does.

This Is Belated....

2008-01-31T09:25:00.000-05:00

...but Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. I haven't blogged since November!

Gobbler wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving too!

I've been a busy knitting beaver, but I've been a lazy blogger. I'll start the new blogging year by showing off my handmade Christmas ornaments and Christmas present - yep, that's "present," singular - bwahaha.

Another poinsettia ornament....

Pattern: Petal Dishcloth
Mods: Thinner yarn, smaller needles, added beads
Needles: 2mm (size 0) dpns
Yarn: DMC cotton floss, 2 skeins (5g=15m each skein)
Other materials: Aleene’s Fabric Stiffener and Draping Liquid (available at JoAnn Fabrics) to stiffen the ornament

A little chickadee for my Christmas tree....

Pattern: From The Cute Book with modifications
Materials: Acrylic felt, cotton embroidery floss, cotton balls for stuffing

And my favorite new ornament, a mini Christmas stocking....

Since the pictures been taken, I've hung my stocking from a
fancier gold ribbon instead of just string.

Pattern: Mini Stocking from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts
Mods: Thicker yarn, bigger needles, knit in the cuff in garter stitch, skipped the fair isle pattern
Needles: 3.5mm (size 4) dpns
Yarn: A small amount of Knit Picks Merino Style in colors "Hollyberry" and "Pine"
Size: 3.75” from cuff to heel, 3” from heel to toe

My Christmas time was stressful enough running around to see my friends and family and the boyfriend's family, so I gave up Christmas knitting except for one scarf, for my former college roommate.

Pattern: Not-Quite-Straight Scarf (no mods)
Needles: 5.5mm
Yarn: Knit Picks Andean Silk in color "Bluebell" (about 2.67 skeins)
Size: Blocked to 7.25" wide by (approximately) 65" long

I love the diagonals, but the pattern is tedious and boring. A simple pattern but I could never remember if I was on an increase/decrease row or not - wicked annoying! I love the finished scarf but did not enjoy knitting it.

I also have a new Boyfriend Hat to show off, and I'm working on my first pair of mittens!

Updates

2007-12-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

Fixing up the blog, but I will leave the patterns up.

Updated January 15th:
A couple notes to add...
- I will be posting images differently, and now I'm re-posting all my old images. This could take a while since I hate sitting in front of a computer for tedious activities, but posts will slowly start to reappear. I'm still working on this, so some pictures might be slightly pixelated.
- Looking through old posts, I see that I've missed many of your comments - oh dear! I'm having comments sent to my e-mail now so that I'm sure to read them.

Autumn Accessories

2007-11-15T15:30:00.001-05:00

I knit myself some autumn accessories: Calorimetry and Fetching. And I love-love them! I wear them all the time. They are perfect to wear when I go hiking because I can wear my hair up in a ponytail and I have my fingers free to take pictures.

Pattern: Calorimetry from Knitty.com: more than a headband but less than a hat
Needles: 4mm (size 6) straights
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in color "Chocolate"

I knit my new accessories with Wool of the Andes. It’s not too scratchy, has a nice halo and good stitch definition - and of course it’s inexpensive - but it is stretchy. After wearing Calorimetry once, it grew way too large for me.

After frogging Calorimetry and washing the yarn to get the kinks out, I switched to 4mm needles and reknit it. The new circumference is perfect, but the width is still too wide across the top of my head. Another time, I would knit less rows.

Calorimetry Mods (updated January 2007):

The second time I knit this, I tried to wrap when I turned to avoid holes (except for a couple buttonholes). However, there are still small holes because I didn't knit together the wrap and the wrapped stitch (I just realized this was one of my mistakes).

Not only did I still have small holes, I w&t-ed all the holes when increasing my Calorimetry, so I eliminated all the buttonholes! Stupid stupid stupid. Best of all: I didn’t realize this until I had woven in the ends then tied on the button - when I tried to button my Calorimetry closed, that’s when I noticed. Argh! (Stupid stupid stupid stupid.)

Instead of a button, I sewed on snaps to close it. The close snaps are a pain in the ass to unsnap, and I need to sew them on better. I’m using a button to cover up my crap sewing, but it doesn’t match. I’m annoyed with myself for frackin’ up the buttonholes. However, I’ll definitely wear this when I wear my hair up on a cold winter day… until I knit another, better Calorimetry.

My boyfriend asked why I can’t knit a whole anything: I knit just the shoulders of a sweater (Ribbed Lace Bolero), a half-hat (Calorimetry), and now gloves without fingers (Fetching). One day I'll knit a whole sweater!

Pattern: Fetching from Knitty.com
Needles: 4mm (size 6) dpns
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in color "Chocolate"

The Fetching pattern is very cute and very easy. I was nervous before starting the thumbs, but I could easily see my stitches to grab off my waste yarn.

Fetching Mods:

For this pair, I knit the standard size with some extra length, but they are too roomy in the palms and too short. I have a 7” wrist, thin hands, and thin, long fingers. If I were to knit this again, I would definitely decrease a repeat or two in the palm (and possibly cast on one less repeat). I’d also make the thumb-hole opening much smaller, and I knit this a little longer to partially cover my fingers (this pair only covers my palms). Despite all the sizing issues, I love them! They are my first pair of fingerless mitts that I have ever worn, and they are functional and awesome! They are perfect for hiking and/or photographing in the cold.

Altogether, I used less than two skeins of yarn, and since it's cheap Wool of the Andes, my awesome autumn accessories cost only $4. Four dollars! And they are super quick to knit. My Calorimetry might be too wide and my Fetching mitts might be too big, but I love them both and wear them all the time. I will have to knit them again in the proper sizes because they rock!

We Are the Champions... Again

2007-11-01T11:54:00.000-04:00

We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions... of the world

Happy-drunk after Game 4 of the World Series

It's a good time to be a Red Sox fan. Growing up a hard-luck Sox fan, I hardly can believe we won one World Series - and now we've won two, baby! Though this year's victory doesn't feel quite as sweet as the 2004 win... because I didn't have to wait my whole life for it. My liver is glad the Sox swept the series in four games, and I'm glad I don't have to spend another weeknight at the bar. How did I do it back in college?

My boyfriend took time off work to watch the victory parade in Boston with me and to see Papelbon shake his bonbon. We drove into Boston, managed to find parking near City Hall (for only $20 - yay! - yes, that's real happiness), and we joined the masses to cheer on our World Champs. In 2004, I watched the parade in front of the Science Museum, and although crowded, it wasn't anything like Tuesday's pandemonium near City Hall. I was twenty-plus rows of people back from the duck boats. Luckily, I am tall.

My view of Pap's jig (you can see the broom he's dancing with):

I've been in a knitting funk for a couple weeks. None of my current projects are inspiring me to pick up the needles. I looked through my yarn for a quick pick-me-up project and made this with leftover cotton:

Pattern: Ballband dishcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Needles: 4.5mm (size 7) straights
Yarns: Yellowy off-white for the background with stripes in light green, blue-green, sky blue, dark purple, medium purple, and light purple

Ribbed Lace Bolero

2007-10-15T13:53:00.000-04:00

I had two skeins of Cascade 220 "Hot Pink" in my stash for over a year, and I had been planning to knit myself a winter hat/gloves set with them, but instead this yarn wanted to be a summery bolero.

Pattern: Ribbed Lace Bolero by Kelly of "10 feet high"
Yarn: Cascade 220, 100% Peruvian highland wool, Color #9469 "Hot Pink"
Needles: Knit Picks Options, US size 7 (4.5mm) and 9 (5.5mm), on 24" cord

I have never seamed up purl stitches before, but I think I did well - yay!

Modifications:

I used wool instead of a wool/cotton blend, and of course, I adjusted the pattern to suit my size, and I adjusted my needle size accordingly. I like knitting Cascade 220 with 4.5mm needles (for ribbing or stockinette stitch), and my stitches wouldn't fit on the 6.5mm needles when I switched to the lace pattern, so I used the the next smaller size that I owned, 5.5mm, for the lace.

Fit:

This is a good fit but not a perfect fit. The pattern suggests that the length of the bolero should be the circumference of your upper arm; however, my bolero "sleeves" end near my shoulders, a wider spot than my upper arm. I seamed less of the edges together to give me more arm room. It's still a smidgen tight at the arms, but I'd rather too tight than too roomy and slouchy. I hope with washing that it will widen to fit.

The bolero fits like sleeve caps, which emphasize upper arms - not exactly what I wanted to do. I like cropped sweaters, boleros, shrugs and such because they HIDE my upper arm flub. Yep, my 10" circumference arms are FLUB. I better start workouting with my 3-pound weights. ;)

I think I could have knit this 1-2" less wide and blocked this to fit since the bolero is more than wide enough to fit shoulder to shoulder.

Reviews:

Pattern: This is a super easy pattern - probably not suitable for a first project but possibly a second project. I spotted no pattern errors, and it gives a detailed explanation how to adjust the pattern size if you are not mathematically inclined. The design is simple but ingenious because you knit a rectangle that is then sewn up to a bolero shape. The lace pattern looks fab but it's a mindless two-row repeat. By the end of my rectangle, I was thoroughly tired of it, but luckily, this was a very quick knit.

The Yarn: I always love Cascade 220 wool. It feels great to knit with, it's flexible but not too stretchy, and it's got a slight fuzzy halo just perfect for any wool. Best of all, I LOVE this color pink. Sadly, this project wasn't as big a stash buster as I had hoped. I used roughly 1.15 skeins, using the second skein only for the last 6 rows of ribbing, bind off, and seaming.

The Needles: This is the second time I've used the Options needles, and they feel wonderful to work with. They are light and maneuverable with a very flexible cord. Love 'em!

This is definitely a bolero meant to keep my shoulders warm on a cool summer's night. I wish I had finished this sooner because it's going to be packed away with my other summer clothes for the next few months - sad!

"Federation Mutoid" Hats

2007-08-28T18:49:00.000-04:00

My basic hat pattern - with a poof top.

My hat is very snug but a perfect fit. I wanted the top to be more cylindrical than perfectly fitted to my skull shape, and I got the top just how I wanted it. My British friend says that this hat reminds him "of the black helmets that the federation mutoid women wore in Blake's Seven" - but I rarely understand what he is talking about. ;)

Copyright/ Disclaimer:
This pattern is owned and was designed by me. Hats you knit with this pattern should not be for commercial gain. Feel free to use it freely for yourself, but please do not distribute this. Send others the link to this site if you want to share the pattern. Thank you. :)
(c) 2007

Materials:
- Lion Bran Wool, 1 skein - but I used only about two-thirds a skein. You will need perhaps 100 yards of worsted weight wool.
- 4mm and 5mm 16" circular needles or dpns
- 5mm dpns
- tapestry needle to weave in the ends

Gauge:
4.5 sts/inch
6 rows/inch
Gauge is for stockinette stitch knit in the round.

Pattern:
CO 80 sts on 4mm needle with the cable cast on method. (Cast on more or less stitches in multiples of 8 if you head circumference varies. Mine is 21.5" round. For example, if your head is 20" round, you might want to cast on only 72 sts instead. If your head size is 23", you might want to cast on 88 sts.)

Work K2xP2 ribbing for 1.5 inches.

Switch to 5mm needles and knit in stockinette stitch (knit every row) for 6 inches total (those 6" includes the ribbing). (Knit for more or less than 6" if your head size varies. Mine is ~11" over the top of my head from ear top to ear top.)

Decreases (you will need to switch to dpns when you have too few stitches):

Row 1: *K6, K2tog, repeat from *

Row 2: K all sts

Row 3: *K5, K2tog, repeat from *

Row 4: K all sts

Row 5: *K4, K2tog, repeat from *

Row 6: *K3, K2tog, repeat from *

Row 7: *K2, K2tog, repeat from *

Row 8: *K1, K2tog, repeat from *

Row 9: *K2tog, repeat from *

Row 10: *K2tog, repeat from *

Thread yarn through remaining 5 sts and close the hole at the top. Weave in ends. Ta da!

Forget the Knitting Needles and Give Me a Camera!

2007-03-12T11:22:00.003-04:00

I was contacted through the photo-sharing website Flickr by a British writer requesting to use a knitting picture of mine for an article in an upcoming issue of Motoring and Leisure magazine. She sent me a copy of the issue (which has cute penguins on the cover!). A picture I shot is in a magazine! Eek, I'm excited! It is included in a article about getting tickets to various events (a mommy/baby show, bike show, motoring show, etc.) and in specific about a craft fair.

Here is the picture:

My two skeins of Manos del Uruguay "Wildflowers" against my former hardwood floors.

I've always been interested in photography (interested in others' works), so I've been trying to learn the basics and improve my picture quality. Now I've been published! Granted, I've been published by a magazine that I had not heard of previously (and quite possibly is a free publication - not that there's anything wrong with that), and I received no money whatsoever, but I'm happy that a picture of mine was "good enough" to publish in a magazine - woohoo!

Keeping Boyfriend's Ears Warm Since 2006

2007-03-06T17:13:00.002-05:00

I knit a simple stockinette cap for my boyfriend last winter. He wore it frequently, especially when shoveling snow; however, I knew I could create a better-looking, better-fitting hat for him. This past Christmas, I included two skeins of Mission Falls 1824 wool in his stocking, and I told him that I'd knit him any type of hat he preferred, and he asked for a ribbed cap.

I present to you the Boyfriend Hat:

Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool, 100% merino superwash, 2 skeins (with about a fifth of a skein leftover), color 004 - a beautiful charcoal grey
Needles: US size 8 (5mm) sixteen-inch circulars and dpns
Pattern: My own, see below
Design/knit time: January 5-12, 2007, which included ripping and re-knitting the crown a couple times

I'm proud of my hat. I love the ribs and the decreases. I also love this yarn. It's yummy - super soft and spongey. Best of all, my boyfriend likes it (yay!).

My pattern is very basic, but I think the decreases are alluring, so here's my pattern to share....

The Boyfriend Hat

Copyright 2007:
This pattern is designed and owned by me. Feel free to use the pattern for personal use, but please do not distribute this. Please send others the link to this site if you want to share the pattern. Thank you!

Sizing:
This pattern should fit a typical male head of 23.5" circumference. The rib pattern is stretchy, so it should fit slightly wider or smaller heads, or you could decrease/increase the number of stitches cast on in multiples of 10 and still follow the pattern. Note that this finished hat should only cover the tops of ears. If you want a hat to fully cover the ears, knit an extra inch or more before starting the decreases.

Pattern:
With 5mm sixteen-inch circulars or dpns, CO 100 stitches. (I used the cable cast-on.) Join to knit in the round and mark beginning of round.

Row 1 (and every row): *K3, P2; repeat from * until end of round
Repeat this row until the hat measures 5.5" tall.

Decreases:

Row 1: *K3, P2, K2tog, K1, P2; repeat from * until end of row (90 sts remain <-- if you had CO 100 sts) Row 2: *K3, P2, K2tog, P2; repeat from * until end of row (80 sts remain) Row 3: *K3, P2, P2tog, P1; repeat from * until end of row (70 sts remain) Row 4: *K3, P2, P2tog; repeat from * until end of row (60 sts remain) Row 5: *K3, P1, P2tog; repeat from * until end of row (50 sts remain)

You have now decreases every other rib out of the ribbing pattern. (If you are using a sixteen-inch circular needle, remember that you will need to switch to double-pointed needles when you cannot fit the stitches on your needle any longer.)

Row 6: *K2tog, K1, P2; repeat from * until end of row (40 sts remain)

Row 7: *K2tog, P2; repeat from * until end of row (30 sts remain)

Row 8: * K2tog, P1; repeat from * until end of row (20 sts remain)

Row 9: *K2tog; repeat from * until end of row (10 sts remain)

Row 10: *K2tog; repeat from * until end of row (5 sts remain)

Cut yarn, weave through remaining 5 stitches to close hole at top, and weave in the ends. You now have a ribbed hat perfect for your very own boyfriend (or husband... or friend... or relative... or yourself).

This pattern on Ravelry: here.

Catching Up

2007-03-05T13:49:00.003-05:00

Oh, the knitterly things I have to show from last year!

Here's my friend opening the dishcloth set at her wedding shower:

Here's a Christmas present for me from a fellow knitter:

That's a Lantern Moon basket and needle case. For a year, I've been talking about buying a lined basket to hold my works in progress, so my friend stepped in and bought one for me.

And here's my final finished objects from 2006...

...which are two dishcloths I knit for the Winter Wonderland Swap. Both dishcloths are slip-stitch patterns. The dishcloth on the left is the Mason-Dixon Knitting "warshrag," and the cloth in the right was inspired by this site:

My dishcloth slip-stitch pattern:
Cast on an odd number of stitches.
Rows 1 and 2 (1st color): Knit all stitches
Rows 3 (2nd color): *K1, slip 1 purlwise; repeat from * across the row
Row 4 (2nd color): *K1, yarn forward, slip 1 purlwise, yarn back; repeat from * across the row
Repeat these four rows for as long as you want.

With the unseasonably warm weather earlier this winter, I fretted that my winter accessories would remain in the closet for another year.

I'm wearing short sleeves! In New England! In January! Hello, global warming! This picture was shot at Moore State Park, a lovely park in Paxton, MA, with a lake and small water falls, an old mill, fields, short hiking trails in the woods, and plenty of knitting spots.

When I took a trip up north to New Hampshire, I finally needed a winter hat, so I knit myself a new one in just a few hours while vacationing next to a snow-covered mountain and watching reruns of Top Chef:

Pattern: My own. A stockinette-stitch hat with 2x2 ribbing at the base.
Needles: US size 6 (4mm) and 8 (5mm) sixteen-inch circulars and 5mm dpns
Yarn: Lion Brand (Felting) Wool
Knit time: Roughly 3 hours per hat

I think Lion Brand Wool is just fine - slightly scratchy, slightly fuzzy, and not too splitty - good enough for a wool hat. However, the Knitpicks Wool of the Andes is very similar, wears better, and costs less - though Lion Brand does offer different colors like a blue-purple, teal, and dark pink.

The teal blue hat is for a friend. I knit her a scarf for Christmas, but I haven't given it to her yet, so I'm going to include the hat with her belated Christmas gift:

You might have noticed that hardwood floors are no longer the backdrop in my knitting pictures. I've moved, and my new place has carpeting. I will miss those hardwood floors, especially for their photogenic appeal. I also will miss the beautiful sun and sky pictures from my old apartment.

January 11, 2007: Sky at 2pm

February 2007

I will not miss my former upstairs neighbors.

Sock Yarn

2007-02-26T16:11:00.000-05:00

I have never knit a sock, but I have sock yarn:

Sock yarn in my sock drawer, left to right: Fearless Fibers in "Exuberant," Fearless Fibers in "Midnight Passion," Knit Picks Memories "Geranium," Knit Picks Memories "Smores," Socks That Rock lightweight in "Little Bunny Foo Foo," Claudia Hand Painted "Bearded Iris," Claudia Hand Painted "Plumicious," and on top, Lion Brand Magic Stripes in "Bright Spring." (I just had to buy the STR yarn because it is beautifully pink and brown... and the name! I love Little Bunny Foo Foo!)

I have never even cast on to knit a sock, but I have 900 grams* of sock yarn. Do I have a problem? (My boyfriend would say yes.) Methinks I should start knitting some warm and cozy socks.

*For those of you doing the math, I actually have two 100g skeins of Magic Stripes.

Another Christmas, Another Deadline

2006-12-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

My Christmas knitting was down to the wire... again. I finished more than one handknit on Christmas morning, including votive candle holders (sorry, I forgot to take pictures!) for Grandma D and this poinsettia ornament for Grandma B:

Pattern: Petal dishcloth, modified to include beads
Yarn/materials: Red cotton embroidery floss (used two 5g skeins of 15m each), 48 Beader's Paradise beads (from A. C. Moore), and a few inches of green embroidery floss to hang the ornament
Needles: 2mm (I used two size 0 sock needles)

I stiffened the ornament with Aleene's Fabric Stiffener and Draping Liquid (available at JoAnn Fabrics). I diluted the stiffener with water, soaked my finished ornament, rinsed and wrung out the excess liquid, shaped the ornament flat on the table, and let it dry overnight. Drying the ornament on Christmas Eve, I woke up on Christmas Day to discover that the ornament had not stiffened enough to my liking, so I re-soaked the ornament in the stiffener then quickly dried it in the oven - risky, but luckily it worked like a charm.

My boyfriend's parents are very generous, and I wanted to give them something in return. I knit his mom a feather and fan scarf:

Pattern: "Misty Garden" from Scarf Style (just feather and fan stitch)

Yarn: 3 skeins of Knit Picks Andean Silk (55% superfine alpaca, 23% silk, 22% merino wool) in color "Cornflower"
Needles: 5mm (size 8)
Dimensions before blocking: 6.5" x 47"
Finished Dimensions (after blocking): 6.75" x 59" - a foot longer!
Time requirement: I knit an hour a day for 8 days, then I blocked it. The entire project took roughly 9 hours to complete.

In return, his mom gave me two knitting books (Last-Minute Knitted Gifts and Vogue Stitionary 2) and sock yarn:

The sock yarn is Claudia's Hand-Painted sock yarn. She chose the beautiful colors "Bearded Iris" and "Plumicious." I cannot wait to start knitting socks. ;)

WIP It, WIP It Good

2006-12-15T17:35:00.000-05:00

Here's where my Christmas knitting stands:

1. Votive candle holders (top left): 0% complete. The wire cozy is too wide for my glass candle holders, so I will have to start over.

2. Flower Ornament (center): 50% complete. My prototype is finished, but I have another ornament to knit.

3. Daisy, an Infant Hooded Cardigan (bottom): 25% complete.

4. Feather & Fan Scarf (top right): 92% complete. I only have enough yarn left for a couple more pattern repeats, then I will bind off and block.

I feel like an elf in Santa's workshop. How many days left until Christmas?

Bubby Bear

2006-11-09T11:54:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Bubby from Knitty.com
Yarn: Red Heart Soft Yarn, acrylic, in "chocolate"
Needles: Size 3 dpns, Clover bamboo
Other materials: DMC cotton floss for embroidering, Soft Touch Poly-fil Premium (machine washable and non-allergenic), ribbon from Michael's
Finished dimensions: Bubby is teeny weeny and only 8" tall

What I learned from this project:

- The "Make One" increase. This is the first time I've knit an M1. I made two "oopsy" holes, which I closed afterwards, so it looks fine.

- I loooove knitting with bamboo dpns! However, I would increase my needle size if I do this project again. I knit tight stitches, and using 3.25mm needles with worsted weight yarn was difficult. I had to be gentle because I feared breaking my precious bamboo needles.

- I suck at embroidering. Bubby's face took me an hour to sew on, and it is only three circles for the eyes and nose.

- Acrylic yarn still sucks. For Bubby, I used Red Heart "Soft Yarn," the only acrylic yarn I find "acceptable." This acrylic is suitably soft, machine washable, and dyed in rich colors. However, this yarn is darn splitty. Picking up stitches was a pain. Darn acrylic. Give me wool! Give me alpaca!

I think Bubby is cute, but his neck is flimsy, so I'm not sure I'd knit another as a child's toy.

I Say Washrag, You Say Warshrag

2006-10-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

Why I Heart Washrags

1. Instant Gratification - They are quick, easy knits. Cast on and bind off in the same day.

2. Affordable - I use Sugar 'n' Cream cotton yarn, roughly $1.50 per 50-gram skein. A washrag takes up less than 50 grams. That's cheap.

3. Practical Handknits - You can use washrags every day at home. They can be machine washed and dried. And they make great gifts.

4. Easy Pattern - The pattern is easily memorized for on-the-road or tv-watching knitting, and yet it is fun to knit.

5. The Community - You can share you handknits with many, many of the other Mason-Dixon knitters on the knitalong, the official site, or with the swapcloth.

The SwapCloth

I knit and mailed these to my swap buddy, Lisa, in Texas...

That's three warshrags and two petal dishcloths in "girly colors" as per request, which I adore. My buddy says she loves them as well - woohoo!

I received my swap package... all the way from Colorado.

I love it! Thank you very much, Kristine! The dishcloth is the MDK hexagonal washcloth in Peaches 'n' Cream "Fiesta." The happy colors reminds me of Mexican restaurants - bring on the margaritas and quesadillas! My package also included two handknit sachets filled with moth-repellent and green chile jelly. I tried the jelly on toast with scrambled eggs, and it's divinely delicious. I hope I can find more here on the East Coast when I run out.

Gifting Warshrags

What's true Mason-Dixon Knitting? Knitting gifts up North and sending them South, over The Line, for a friend's birthday. One of my childhood girlfriends requested something handknit for her September birthday. She's recently moved to South Carolina, so she didn't want winter weather clothing or accessories. Mason-Dixon towels and warshrags seemed like the perfect gift.

These are the suckers that bled and bled and bled in the vinegar wash. I washed and washed until they stopped bleeding; I didn't want my poor friend to turn all her laundry purple.

For a wedding shower, I knit my old college roommate a couple washrags in berry and tan. My boyfriend picked the colors, and I thought berry was a great color choice since that is the shade of my bridesmaid's dress.

It looks like bricks!

I picked out the perfect matching towels without the washrags
on hand - booyah!

Believe it or not, I'm not done ballbanding just yet.... I currently have a blue and white ballband bathmat on the needles, though that may get tossed to the backburner since I'm in the middle of many, many other projects.

"You're Knitting Looks Like Puke"

2006-09-26T14:33:00.000-04:00

My boyfriend told me, "You're knitting looks like puke."

What?! My knitting looks like vomit?!

He clarified that it was the colors, not my stitchwork or pattern.

I can take criticism, so I took a step back and looked at what was in my hands. Yep, it looks like puke:

I can't give that to my friend. The purples-green ombre just doesn't go with the green yarn. They look "pukey" together. It's been frogged.

UFOs and Other Flying Objects

2006-09-24T20:59:00.000-04:00

In an attempt to reduce The Stash, I'm knitting only - mostly - from The Stash and knitting those pesky UFOs (unfinished objects).

First, my so-called "Look for Less" scarf. I saw this scarf in a magazine...

...and thought, *Hey, I could knit that for less than $130.* Like the tv series The Look for Less, where fashion experts try to recreate an expensive designer outfit with cheaper clothes, I attempted to recreate this magazine scarf for way less than $130.

The "Look for Less" Scarf
Yarn: 3 skeins Lion Brand Landscapes, in color "Spring Desert"
Needles: 9mm (size 13) straights - big suckers
Pattern: My own. I cast on 16 stitches then worked 3 rows knit, 1 row purl - repeating these 4 rows until I ran out of yarn.
Recipient: I had intended this for myself, but I don't think the colors go well with my complexion, so I'm gifting it to a friend.

After a year's wait, I finally, finally finished that second wrist warmer. I didn't particularly like the first wrist warmer:

I don't particularly like the pair:

I don't like the colors and the button-hole thumb. The color is "Hawaiian," but the wrist warmers make me think of Rainbow Brite, not Hawaii. Despite their appearance, the wrist warmers are super soft and will work fine for my intended use - keeping my hands toasty for cold New England winter driving.

I used double-pointed needles to knit these, and they weren't as daunting as I had expected. DPNs are easy and even enjoyable to use, and I can't wait to learn to knit socks.

"Hawaiian Wrist Warmers"
Yarn: Less than 1 skein of Knitpicks Sock Memories, in color "Hawaiian"
Needles: 3.5mm (size 4) dpns
Pattern: I loosely based my wrist warmers from the Knitty "Voodoo" pattern, just a tube knit on dpns with a button-hole for a thumb - easy as pie. For reference, I cast-on 44 stitches, and I have a small wrist (I wear 7" bracelets, at the largest).

Some UFOs are never meant to be finished. I began a cable scarf a year ago. My knitting experience has grown greatly over this past year, and I no longer like the yarn (too splitty, too acrylic), so I chucked this baby in the trash:

At least I learned how to cable.

You Know It's After the All Stars Break When...

2006-08-28T19:15:00.000-04:00

...the Red Sox are playing so terrible that I can't even drag my boyfriend to the bar to watch a game. The view from 6.5 games back isn't pretty. Was 2004 just a dream?

My roomies and I amidst the rioting outside our apartment after the World Series win. Look how happy we were.

The Red Sox parading their World Series trophy around Boston.

"Jeter is playing golf today, THIS IS BETTER."

SwapCloths in Progress

2006-08-24T16:39:00.000-04:00

Progress on the Mason-Dixon SwapCloth warshrags for my Super-secret Buddy:

Almost done. I'm contemplating knitting more. Hey, a Super-secret Buddy could never have too many warshrags, right?

A Rude Awakening... And Mom's Birthday Handknits

2006-08-24T07:36:00.000-04:00

Today is the third day in a row, the f-ing (I'm trying to keep it clean) Upstairs Neighbors woke me up in the morning. ARGH!!! The last two days, I've woken up at 5:45am to loud stomping/banging that lasted thirty or forty minutes (daily exercise routine?). Today, I got an extra hour of sleep, being woken up at 6:45 to the sounds of a musical my neighbors were playing loud enough to hear conveniently (for them) from anywhere in their apartment. Don't they understand that people live below them? If I don't kill The Upstairs Neighbors, my boyfriend soon will since yesterday I was a major sleep-deprived grouch. Grrrrrrrr.

Today's sunrise

Yesterday's sunrise

Since I'm awake... I've got pictures to show of the kitchen set I knit for my mom. This is what I knit in time for her birthday:

Did you actually expect me, The Procrastinator, to finish something for a deadline? Nah! Here's what I finished knitting yesterday, after the fact (and now must mail to mom):

Project specs:
Yarn: Sugar 'n' Cream cotton, in colors light green, sky blue, and blue-green
Needles: 4mm (size 7) straight needles

Kitty Dishcloths:
Pattern: Found here
Mods: Seed-stitch border instead of garter

Potholders/Dishcloths (whatever my mom wishes to use them as):
Pattern: Mason-Dixon Knitting warshrag pattern
Mods: I cast-on only 33 stitches for a smaller cloth. I used a crochet bind-off and continued with a single crochet chain after BO to create a loop for hanging.

Towels:
Pattern: MDK "Baby Burping Cloth" Pattern
Mods: (Note: I modified this towel after 2 or 3 towel patterns I saw online. It's not my own pattern, per se, just a combination of many others.) I cast on the regular 45 stitches and worked the 2-color pattern for 11.5 inches. The rest is knit in one color. For the towel top, I knit 8 rows of garter stitch. First decreases... Row 1, *K2tog* for the row; Row 2, knit all; Row 3, K1, *K2tog, K1* rep from * for the rest of the row; Row 4, knit all; and Row 5, *K2tog, K1* rep from * until last two stitches, K2tog (11 stitches remain). I knit another 20-30 rows in garter stitch until the loop of the towel top was long enough to fold over the rod of a towel rack. Final decreases (and button hole)... Row 1, K2tog, knit until last two sts, K2tog; Row 2, knit all; Row 3, K2tog, K2, YO, K2tog, K1, K2tog; Row 4, knit all sts; Row 5, knit all sts; Row 6, K2tog, K3, K2tog. Finishing... BO, weave in the loose yarn ends, and slap on a button where you like. The YO is the button hole (some one else had that great idea - I hate knitting buttonholes).

I like these MDK towels much much better than the cat towel - you know the one with the bleach stains? Viewing the glass half-full: the bleach stains led to a better birthday present for mom.

Petals

2006-08-18T12:07:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Mason-Dixon Knitting, I searched online for more knit dishcloths and came across this site. Jackpot!

Pattern: Petal dishcloth
Needles: 4mm (size 7) straight needles
Yarn: 1 skein (minus a mere 18 inches of yarn) of Sugar 'n' Cream cotton ombre

I joined my first knit swap - the Mason Dixon SwapCloth. I'm knitting and receiving warshrags. These two dishcloths are going to my secret buddy as a bonus.

Bleach Stains Make Stephanie Sad

2006-07-21T10:34:00.000-04:00

Knitting a kitchen set for my mom's birthday, I've finished two dishcloths and a towel. I handwashed all. The dishcloths look fine. The towel has discolored spots all over it! That look like bleach stains!!! On my handknit towel!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! How did I get bleach on it?! My only guess is that cleaning products (left nearby) must've been used near my precious handknits, but I didn't think they had bleach in them. Grrrr!!!

Sure enough, I just rewashed the towel, and the discolored spots are even more prevalent. Ah fuuuudge!

See the horror:

The wrong side is worse. Pout.

Knitted Things are Made of Sugar 'n' Cream and Everything Nice

2006-07-14T09:02:00.000-04:00

I've been a busy knitter, exclusively using Lily Sugar 'n' Cream cotton yarn. I blame Mason-Dixon Knitting.

The first pattern I knit from the book was the baby burping cloth - except I made it a kitchen towel. I striped a pink yarn and a pink-orange-yellow ombre yarn. Initially, I didn't like the colors, but now that the plaid-y pattern is more pronounced, I like it.

The yarn and pattern combined make a terrific, though vibrant, kitchen towel:

My mother's birthday is approaching, and so is the deadline for her knitted birthday gifts. I'm knitting her a kitchen set of dishcloths, towels, and potholders. First up, a kitty dishcloth:

Kitty pattern here.

Rainy Red Sox

2006-06-26T20:24:00.000-04:00

The baseball gods have cursed me. My boyfriend and I had free bleacher seat tickets for Saturday's Red Sox game at Fenway. Fearing a rainout and because we had night plans in Boston (and didn't want to drive to a rainout, back home, back to Boston at night), we decided to skip the game. Big f-ing mistake. The game was unbelievably awesome, ending in an extra-inning homerun from Ortiz. Hit to our section of the bleachers (had we been there). We are sucky Red Sox fans.

Trying to atone for Saturday's mistake, early Sunday morning, my guy (drunkingly) bought tickets online for Sunday's game. Nothing short of major surgery would stop us from seeing this game (or so we thought), so we drive into Boston in the pouring rain. At the last toll into the city, the Sox radio announcer says, "And today's game is now postponed." Postponed until 1pm today - when I'm freakin' working!!! Of course! Argh!!!! We deserved this. I know I'll never skip out on a game again. Stupid stupid stupid.

Where I could've been today:

Misty Garden

2006-06-26T20:03:00.000-04:00

I'll start this blog by showing you my favorite finished object to date, my Misty Garden scarf:

Pattern: "Misty Garden" from Scarf Style (just feather and fan stitch)
Yarn: 3 full skeins of JoAnn's Cosetta Yarn
Needles: 5mm (size 8) straights
Finished Dimensions: 8" x 60"

I love love love the colors and feel of this scarf. I can't wait for winter to wear it again.