Friday, February 27, 2009

Finished the hat, still have some yarn left

OK, I'm done with my striped hat. I've ripped this baby a record number of 4 times. Four times! As always, math problems. I really can't seem to calculate the exact number of stitches needed for my head. I keep forgetting that knitwear is supposed to stretch. But ripping the same stupid hat four times is too much, even for a doofus like me.


This was part two of my stashbusting project. See wristwarmers for part one. Two wristwarmers and a hat, and I still have some yarn left. Come on! How am I going to get rid of these two colors? I've got 15 g of the blue one and 23 g of the brown. Yes, I weighed them on a digital kitchen scale.

What am I supposed to knit with those amounts? A striped cellphone holder? I'm getting sick of the blue/brown stripes, that's for sure. Right now, the yarns are sitting on my desk, mocking me. So if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking of casting on a DROPS pattern, 88-17. I ordered Lana Grossa Cool Wool in lavender a while back. It looks more like pink than lavender to me, but it gorgeus and super soft, 100% merino.

I did a swatch and for the first time in my life, got the gauge listed in the pattern. Finally got gauge! And guess what? The pattern doesn't come in my size. The smallest size is too big for me.
I swear, there is some kind of conspiracy out there that's forcing me to use math.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Zinnia

Quick little embroidery project - the pattern is Zinnia from Big B, purchased on etsy.
I embroidered it on a scrap fabric, because I wanted to test a new transfer method - the laser printer one. Basically, you just print out your pattern on a laser printer, then iron it on the fabric and it transfers. Greatness!

Sure, the lines are faint and a bit hard to see, but it beats tracing the pattern taped to a window.

Now the only question is - what am I going to do with it?

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Stripes!

I ordered some new yarn from Germany and while I wait for it to arrive, I decided it's time to make some room for it. By getting rid of those lone one-skeins in my stash.

I've had this Ispe Padova Duetto sitting around for ages. They're leftovers from previous projects, I knit a Britannia sweater with the brown one, and Fetching with the blue.
I love, love the blue yarn. It's the most beautiful yarn color in my stash. When I was buying it, they only had two skeins. My Fetching barely used one, so I had one extra left.

And thus I knit some wristwarmers, thinking I'll use it all up in one project. Wrong. Still have about 30 g of the blue one left. And one more skein of brown.
I'm knitting a hat with it, to match the wristwarmers.

They are you basic wristwarmers - a long tube with a thumb. I finished them over the weekend. I love such nice quick projects, instant gratification is the best.
I tried jogless stripes for the first time here - in the second row of the new color you lift the stich below (the one in the old color) and knit it with the new color stich that's on your left needle. It makes for nice stripes, but it creates a sort of spiral along the tube you're working on. I''m probably pulling the yarn too tight when adding the second color - I can't help it, I'm a tight knitter.
I should probably wash them, to make the stiches losen up, but I'm too lazy to do that, and besides, it's raining outside, so it would take forever for them to dry.

Pattern: none, I improvised
Yarn: Ispe Padova Duetto, colorway 93 (pale blue) and 83 (brown)
Needles: 3.75 mm DPN
Time it took: Two days

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Dharma Swan Logo

My double knitting adventure is finished!
It took me almost a month to do it. I'm glad I learned a new technique, but I'm not so sure I'll be repeating it anytime soon. But it does get a little exciting when you start to recognize the image you're knitting.

This below is the logo of the Dharma Swan station. For all of you who are not a fan, it's from the TV show Lost. I lose all perspective when it comes to that show - it's like crack!

The knitting was supposed to be a potholder, but I miscalculated and got a rectangle instead of a square. It's 32 cm long and 22 cm wide. I'm probably going to crochet a chain from the BO tail, and hang it on the wall as my precious a tapestry.

The yarn I used is called Rebeka (by Deltex). I think I finally realize what people have against acrylic yarns. This one was coarse, stiff, of different thickness and a pain to work with.

Pattern: Orientation
Yarn: Deltex Rebeka, in black and in white
Needles: 3 mm
Time it took: 21 days