Just in Time . . .

Ends and bits trimmed off the hats

Dear friend, I have not crafted in a long, long time.  Hard to blog when there's no crafting to report.  Yeah, school got in the way (and work, and family life . . .  well you get the point, right?).  Thankfully I have finished all my courses for the semester.  So I finally have some free time.  And what did I do with this mythical free time?  I was industrious!  LOL!  I managed to finish the first of my Christmas gifts.

Check out my nephew's hats:

Angry Bird Hats

I really like how everything came together.  If you will remember from previous posts the hats initially didn't look like much without the face details.  Don't the finished hats look great, though? Just love them (If you're interested in the mods, check out my Ravelry notes for Angry Bird #2).

And I really like my niece's hat.  I decided against threading any ribbon through the eyelets 'cuz I was worried it might interfere with the fabric's stretchiness.  Besides, the pom pom adds a nice "pop" of colour (Too bad the yarn sheds a little).

Finished Zeebad Hat

I was nervous about making a pom pom 'cuz it's been a long time since I made one--and honestly I was never really good at it.  But I found this great tutorial on You-Tube from Repeat Crafter Me (I follow her Facebook page).

It really works!!  And yes, I did the thing using only my fingers!  Check out the finished pom pom before it was sewn to the top of the hat:

Pom pom detail

Now I'm off to wrap these hats so they can get mailed to my niece and nephews--just in time for Christmas!! :)
 
 

Yay!

Even though I haven't been good about posting regularly, I am trying ever so hard to craft on a regular basis.  It can be hard during the week 'cuz I've got lots of readings and assignments to work on (seriously, I have something due every week).

Stack of Christmas hats

Happy to say that all my Christmas hats are finally done (six in all)!  They're not completely finished, but all the knitting is done.  And that's something for me who has been lacking in the mojo and/or the time department. I just need a weekend to finish everything, as in weave in ends and make pompoms and such (Hoping to work on the ones that need to be mailed away first).

Last Angry Bird Hat

I managed to finish the last Angry Bird hat.  Even though it is the black Angry Bird, I decided to finish it in the same way as the red ones.  I'll just adjust the colours of the facial features so that the features will be visible against the black.

New amigurumi, but who could it be?

And I've started something new and interesting.  Can you guess what it might be?  I'll give you a hint.  It's amigurumi and it's something for which I have no pattern.  Yeah, that's right: I gotta wing it.

I'll give you another hint: I'm using a pattern for John Lennon and converting it into something else--or someone else.  Stayed tuned . . . . ;)

Some Problems

Last Angry Bird hat

There is knitting--not that there's much to share (Actually, I'm farther along than picutred above--almost ready to start decreases with an inch to go).  At least I'm on my last Christmas gift.  I decided to work a black Angry Bird rather than a yellow one.  It'll be interesting to modify the facial features.  Hope this fits my oldest nephew.

School books with binder

Anyways I'm currently facing  a couple of problems with regard to lack of time for knitting.  The first problem is school--specifically homework.  There's lots of reading, especially since I'm enrolled in 2 courses.  Free time is limited.  After supper and the dishes, I'm doing homework.  When I'm done with that, I have little brain power or energy to knit.

Smartphone with Candy Crush Soda app

My other problem is my new phone.  My previous phone was a small flip one.  Very old school in size and function: small and no real internet access.  Now I have a smartphone--with apps! Oh the apps!  Specifically Candy Crush Soda.  That is my downfall.  At naptime, I used knit and now I "crush candy".  See the problem?  Welcome to my world.

While on Vacation . . .

Vacations are for sleeping in, relaxing and taking it slow.  And knitting.  On the downside, sometimes blogs fall by the wayside . . . 

One hat and a second almost done . . .

But there is progress!  I've got one Zeebad hat finished and the second one is almost done.  I should be further along, but there was ripping--followed by cursing (or maybe it was the other way around?  Expletives were shouted and there might even have been some growling).  In a fit of exasperation over size, missed yarn overs and dropped stitches I ripped it all out and started again.  Twice.  Once for each hat.

First hat awaiting ribbon and pompom

The hats have to be perfect 'cuz they're gifts.  So when I was done cursin', I knocked some sense into those stitches.  And I promised myself to only work on the hats when I am well-rested and have time to concentrate.  (Don't rest and time go hand-in-hand with vacations?).   

Second hat in progress

In any case, my goal: finish the second hat within the week and then look for ribbons.  These will get threaded through the eyelets.  There are pompoms to be made too!  Haven't made those in a long time.  I might have to peruse some how-to videos.  I'll keep you posted.

About the Boys' Hats

Since I'd shared details about the girls' hats, I thought it only fair that I also share more about the boys' hats.  There were lots of options, but I decided on something related to Angry Birds (my older nephews really love Angry Birds).

I decided to use Red Bird with Attitude by Heidi Yates (free download at Ravelry) because the facial features looked great and didn't protrude from the hat (Also, I wanted my older nephews to wear their hats. Y'all know how older kids get about hand knits if they think it looks silly).

Finished hats before facial details are added

Here's the thing:  I needed to make some mods.  First off, the hat sizes tended to run on the small side.  I started with the child size, but that looked more like toddler size.  So I knit the next size up (teen size) to get something in a child size (sounds confusing, right?).  Also, I really didn't like the "tail" as written in the pattern.  I wasn't sure my older nephews would go for it.  What do you think (see version #1 pictured below)?

Hat version following pattern exactly as written

So for version #2, I made some mods:
1) Used 3.75mm circulars to work the brim for a more snug fit
2) Used K2P2 instead of K1P1.  That's just a personal preference.  Besides, I think my choice looks better.
3) Switched to 4.5mm circulars for body.
4) For decreases, worked them as written until row 16 where I made some minor changes in how the decreases are worked:
Row 16: K1 K2tog (18 sts for teen size)
Row 17-18: Knit
Row 19: K2tog (9 sts for teen size)
Row 20: Knit
Row 21:  K2tog till last st, K1 (5 sts teen size)
Row 22-24: Knit each round as I-cord
Row 25: K2tog K1 K2tog (3 sts teen size)
Rows 26-28: Knit each round as I-cord
Leave long tail and thread through last 3 stitches.  Fasten off.

Version #2 following modifications to "tail"

I think the modified version looks so much better than the first--so much better that I may rip out the first version and re-do.  Hey, I've got time. ;)

Makin' Christmas in July?

Yup, that's right!  I'm makin' Christmas in July.  Hoping to make hats for my 3 nephews and 3 nieces just like last year--except this time I'm getting an early start.

In progress beret

The plan is to make angry bird type hats for the boys, a beret for my older niece, and eyelet- ribbon hats for the younger girls.  I've got plenty of yarn in my stash (it really is nice to go "shopping" in the stash, especially when funds are tight).

In-progress hats for nephews

Hoping to get most of the gift knitting done by the end of the summer.  If I can stick to "my plan", I may have time to make a scrapbook for the grandparents.  Haven't really scrapped in a while, but I've got lots of paper and it would be nice to use it.

Lovin' It!

After finishing my Keyhole Bow-tie Scarf, I cast-on for another bow-tie type scarf.  With only 109 yards in the one skein of elann.com's Peruvian Alpaca, I needed something small.  Problem: not happy.  The yarn is just lovely, but not loving the curl which is intregal to the pattern.  What now?  Rip out?  What else to make with such a small amount of yarn?  The yardage got me thinking about different types of small projects, which in turn got me thinking about dolls.  That's right: dolls.

Not loving the curl

Flipping through Ravelry's search engine, I found loads of cute patterns for 18" dolls (if you don't already know about Ravelry, get thee to the website post-haste 'cuz it is awesome!!).  Perusing patterns always gets me looking through the stash.  And I found a nice pattern to marry with some DK weight leftovers.

Top/dress in progress

The pattern is a little ensemble (Ravelry link), but I only made the top.  The top length is perfect as a dress, especially as my doll has leggings and pink booties.  Pattern is straight-forward, but I tweaked parts of it because of personal preference and because I couldn't get gauge.

Front view of dress

Back view

What do you think?  Pretty?  I love it, especially the bright colours.  Also love that I used leftovers.  And my doll finally gets a nice outfit.  Think she needs a matching cardigan?  Maybe in green?  I'll keep you posted. ;)

Life Is Like . . .

Fragrant lilacs in bloom

. . . . Knitting.  N'est pas?  Yes, life is very much like knitting.  You think you've found the most wonderful yarn or the best pattern.  Full of enthusiasm, you cast on and soon realize something is amiss.  Gauge?  Dropped stitch?  Wrong size?  Ignoring the nagging doubts, you continue working on the piece until you realize the "mistake" needs addressing.  Your options?  Well, some of us will throw the whole mess in a cupboard and try to forget; others try something entirely different, while others just give up altogether and declare knitting (or crochet) to be too difficult.  Then there are those of us that either tink back or frog the entire thing, but they do not give up.  Maybe you need a different pattern for the yarn or different size needles.  Maybe you modify the pattern.  Maybe you ask for help and continue forth.  Either way, you persevere.

Dainty bleeding hearts in bloom

Life is like that.  Stuff happens that shake you to the core.  You wanna give up.  But you don't.  You persevere.  You find a way.

Detail of pretty lungwort

And truthfully, thank heavens for the knitting (or crochet).  It can ease the stress and give your mind a place to focus when you feel like crumbling into a small ball in the corner.  So while my absence has been much too long, my thoughts and heart were not far.  Complete immersion in all things crafty (and all things garden-wise and plant-like) kept me sane and functional.

Finished keyhole scarf

By the way, I finished that keyhole scarf.  What a lovely quick knit--and satisfying too.  Then I cast-on something else, but before I finished that, I cast on a second project.  Then I had this crazy idea to start making Christmas early . . . but that's for another post.
 

About Ennui . . .

Progress of Keyhole Bow Tie Scarf

I must confess that when ennui sneaks up on me, I peruse Ravelry or rummage through my stash (especially the special yarns).  Something usually "speaks" to me so much so that I print off a pattern and immediately cast on.

Mainly garter stitch

Such was my mood last week. Not happy with my current WIPs, I cast on something new.  It's a keyhole bow tie from Knit Simple, Fall 2009.  It's been in my queue for ages.  Instead of worsted weight, I'm using chunky weight.

Detail of keyhole

Instead of the 30 sts indicated in the pattern, I cast on 20 sts. The finished width is supposed to be 5”.  Mine works out to just over 5” with 20 sts. And I'm loving the way the colour is mixing in the garter stitch.  Here's hoping I have enough yarn.

Score!!

Oh yeah!  After a busy week with little knitting (Who am I kidding?  There was no knitting.), I finally scored some crafting stuff.  Seriously!

Cute crochet kit

First off, a cool crochet kit.   Isn't it neat?  There's enough yarn for one Beatle, but the book has patterns for all 4 Beatles in their early years AND patterns for the Sgt. Pepper versions (I know, right?).

Sgt. Pepper's version

Besides the kit, I got my hands on two knit books.  One is a book on children's top-down knits (check out some of the patterns over at Ravelry.com). By far, top-down is my fave way to construct a sweater.  There are some cute items (and I dare confess that I've photocopied a pattern or two in the past . . . ). The only drawback is that the photos in the book are all B&W--but that's a small drawback.

Book on top-down kids' knits

View of more patterns

The other book is a re-working of vintage knits (check out more over at Ravelry.com).  And while I might admire the patterns more so than make them, there a few accessories that caught my eye (scarves, a hat, bolero and 2 shrugs).  It'll be a neat addition to the crafting library.

Vintage Knitwear book

Circular knit vest/bolero

Cute bolero

At a dollar a pound, we made a steal!  In total my husband and I spent about $37.00 for over 25 books (including the crochet kit, 4 gardening books, half a dozen kid's books, quite a few paperbacks and over-sized hardcovers.  All the items had been donations from the local community).  Seriously, we scored big time!  And all the proceeds go to funding our local library (seeing as our provincial government has frozen current funding, local libraries need as much as they can get in the way of fund-raising.  See CBC news for more details).

Now I'm off to peruse my finds.  
Later,

Still Winter?!

What?  Winter still here?!

 Yeah, it's blustery out there today.  I dare say it is even blizzard like with all the snow and wind . . . Thank heavens my hat is finished 'cuz  I can still wear it!

Friend modeling my hat :)

I really do like the fit.  I did something different by casting on the smallest size for the ribbing, then I increased twice--once to reach the medium size stitch count for the brim/ribbing and then again as per the medium size instructions.  

Top view of my "meret"

I also made the hat a little more slouchy by repeating the simple lace pattern twice before working the crown decreases (pattern offers suggestions for making mods.  Gotta love it when the designer gives you options).  And I love it!  Now onward to another project . . . .

MIA?

Missing mojo is sucky, but I gotta confess: even though I have been absent the last number of weeks, I got over my slump.  Yes Martha, there HAS been knitting!  And really, that's all that matters.

Pretty yarn

In fact, I finished one project and am very close to finishing another one.  And surprisingly, there are a few other small projects in the works--nothing new or special, but something that is needed (more on that later). 

In-progress beret

So the hat I was working on is one that's been in my queue for ages.  It's Wolly Wormhead's Meret (aka Mystery Beret).  It's a lovely pattern with clear instructions and tips for mods (you can find it here along with other free patterns ).  Everything about this project made me happy except for one thing: I lost a circular bamboo needle.  The cable separated from one of the needles.  Thank heavens I didn't lose any live stitches, but I was not happy.

With school just about done, I hope I can get back into regular weekly blogging.  More importantly, I wanna get back to regularly scheduled knitting--as in every night, if you please.  It's a great cure for itchy fingers. ;)

No Mojo :(

Finished socks :)

So the socks got finished.  Yay!  Even with readings, assignments and a group project taking up my free time, I managed to pick at the project long enough to finally finish. I'd like to say that once finished, I immediately cast on something else.  But that didn't happen.  No.  Instead I was stuck--more like, lost in quagmire.  What to make next?

Fits great!

I thought long and hard, but couldn't make up my mind.  Do I make more worsted socks (enjoyed using Glenna C.'s worsted sock so much, I wanted to make more)?  My sock drawer was certainly lacking a nice pair of thick--almost "workman-type"--socks.

Maybe a beret?  With winter still around, I'd been itching to finally make that matching hat for my lovely cowl (I'd even printed off a bunch of beret patterns ages ago).  And hats are often quick projects, especially in worsted weight.

But I also needed mittens--specifically toddler mittens.  I had the pattern and lots of leftover yarn from Christmas.  Many a toddler at work often needed an extra pair and the spares at work were often too big for their wee hands.

Then there was that list of waiting WIPs.  Some of those projects needed just a little time . . . .

What did I do instead?  Nothing.  Nyet.  Nada. I made no choice, so sadly there was no knitting.  And now, my little peeps, I am feeling the withdrawals.  The fingers are itchy and twitchy.  My jaw is clenched.  My stomach is in knots.  I gotta grab some needles and string quick before I stab someone in the eye . . . 
:(

More Socks!

Knitting tools with yarn

 Yup, socks are king at my house--that is, worsted socks.  For some reason, socks grow quickly in worsted weight.  And that's part of the appeal.

Sock detail in worsted weight

I'm using Briggs and Little 'cuz everything I saw on Ravelry recommended it as very durable and washing-machine friendly.  Living in a small town, my options are limited regarding yarn availability.  However, Briggs and Little is readily available--and there's lots in my stash!

Heel detail in contrasting colour

The pattern initially was to be Heavy Socks (link to free pattern on Ravelry), but the numbers looked too big.  The 54 stitches looked more like a man's size.  So I checked out Paton's Basic Sock (worsted weight version) 'cuz I had used it before.  The 48 stitches still looked big, so  I adjusted the numbers again and reduced my cast-on to 44 stitches (I like using long-tail cast-on for socks 'cuz it makes a nice even edge at the cuff).

I always cast on on DPNs and then move my work to 2 circulars after working a few rows. My preference is working in the round on circulars ('cuz for me it reduces ladders).  Rather than using a pattern, I prefer plain ribbing 'cuz it usually provides a decent fit.  Besides, ribbing can fix a multitude of sock sins.  Hoping the two-tone blue and cream looks fun and interesting.

Chugging Along . . . .

Finished socks

So the socks are finished.  Yay for me!  Still pondering which version I prefer (the highly modified or the less modified) . . . . 

Left versus right:  who wins?

Seriously, which toes do you prefer?  The left (not modified much) or the right (highly modified)?  Both have their merits. I suppose with wear and time, I will find one more comfy than the other.

Finished "lady" slippers

Meanwhile I started these "man slippers" that turned out to be just the right "lady slippers".  Hee hee! I've made these slippers before for my husband--just less than a year ago in fact (wrote about it here in this post and here ).  Just as before I combined three yarns: Phentex Slipper & Craft yarn (for strength), Bernat Roving (for softness) and Briggs & Little Heritage (for durability).

Sloppy assembly but very squishy

Admittedly my seaming and overall assembly is a little sloppy, but these slippers are the most comfortable.  Ever!  I swear!  They feel so awesome 'cuz they're so squishy.  Love 'em!

Modifications: Using 9 mm straights, I cast on 20 stitches as written; however, I changed the pattern.
Row 1: Knit all stitches
Row 2: Purl 5, Knit 10, Purl 5 
This change creates a garter stitch sole which creates the "squish factor".  

What's on your needles?