Thursday, November 20, 2008

Better embarrassed and knitting that not wither.

So, yesterday I promised you a finished scarf. First of all, I have to tell you. I didn't get a pre-blocking picture, but let me tell you... blocking is WONDERFUL. Hands down, my favorite part about knitting lace. It's like, you finish it and it's a pile of knitted crap. You wash it, it's still a pile of knitted crap, only now it's soaked and smells like a wet sheep. Then you block it and unpin it and it's...

Wonderful. I loved this pattern. It's "Waves of Grain" from knitty. The yarn is Ultramerino 4 by artyarns. It's so soft...

I wore it all night last night (well, not to bed but you know...) and I wore it out today. It makes me feel so happy because it's YELLOW and happy. Of course I wore it out with my new blue hat (omg I haven't blogged about that yet either? Tomorrow tomorrow...) and pink fingerless gloves, so I looked like a freak, but it was awesome anyway. Here's a close up of the beads.

I'm so in love with it. I'm going to wear it at work tomorrow. Not just to work. AT work. As part of my outfit. It's going to ROCK.

Remember way back in February when I cast off the Pinwheel baby blanket and started to add a crocheted edging? Yeah... so... that didn't happen until last night and today. But it's FINALLY FINISHED!

And yes, it still looks like an eye. That's ok though. I love it! It took me AGES to do the edge. Crocheting is so not my thing. I did stay up late last night though, working on it. The edge is so beautiful and... scallopy and ruffly. I love it.

So, you may be asking what's up with all the UFO's coming back to life? Well, I seem to have lost something lately. I can't get into anything that I'm working on, there's nothing new I want to start (except a test knit I'm doing in FGF but that's different). So I figured I'd go through my hibernating projects on ravelry and get rid of some of them. Doing good so far, yes? I want to work on Emmy's elephant but I can't find the pattern. I may reprint it.

Alright, I'm off to watch the Steelers game!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Alright, that's it. I'm getting the hose

It's all about the bibs here today. I've made two since the other one I showed you, and I have plans for 3 or 4 more. First I made one from the "Grandmother's best" baby bib pattern (scroll down on that link for the pattern.)

It's out of Bernat Cottontots too. It was really really fast and super easy. Look at the cute button!

Then today I made one from this sunshine dishcloth pattern. You might have to look closely to see the sun in the bib.

For the strap, I just followed the pattern until the cast off edge, then I cast off all the sts but 5 and word 9.5 inches in seed stitch. I put in a buttonhole like this: k1, bind off 3 in pattern, k1. Next row k1, cast on 3 via backwards loop, k1. Then k 3 more rows of seed stitch and bound off. Super easy. :)

Tomorrow, I'll blog about my finished hat and my finished scarf. It'll be great.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Since when do turtles go "roar"?

Hey guys, I'm blogging TWO DAYS IN A ROW! Is it the end of the world? lol I just wanted to let you all know what I did last night. I made this.

It's a Modern Cabled Baby bib, and I made it out of pink Bernat Cottontots. I went and bought it last night because Angie started making a baby bib and I can't let her make something without making it myself. It only took me like 3 hours, including choosing and sewing on the button and weaving in the ends. So freaking cute. It's gameday today, so hopefully I can watch the Steelers kick butt while finishing my Koolhaas. :)

What are you guys up to this weekened?

Saturday, November 15, 2008

I have magic spit!

Ok, first things first, I need to tell you guys about my new cafe press shop. It's called Knit for the Cause, and I'll also put a link to it in the sidebar. There are just a few things now, but if there's more interest I'll add other things. All proceeds from that shop are going to HIV/AIDs research or poverty in Africa. All of the designs have somewhere on them the phrase "Knitters for the cause" and there will be more funny sayings. If you have a request for a design, let me know and I'll add something with it on it. Alright? Sweet. Now on to the other fun stuff!

As you all know, I have startitis. But before I tell you about all the things I've started this week... I finished the Waves of Grain scarf, but it needs to be blocked yet so no pics. Hopefully this week. It was so fast. I did almost all of it last Friday at work. So easy. I've also been working on Wisp, and I'm more than halfway. Ok, now for the new stuff. First, I started (under much peer pressure thanks to my co-blogger and fellow enabler Angie) a Swallowtail Shawl.

I've done 7 repeats out of either 14 or 19, depending on the size when it gets there. I love it so far, but for a while there I was having serious issues. My brain wasn't working. I was actually scared I had lost my knitting mojo, but I think I found it again. It's smooth going now anyway. Angie just finished one for herself, maybe if we pressure her enough she'll blog about it. :) She's also making THREE more, one for each of three of her family members.

I also started "Spring Forward" from Knitty in my yellow and pink birthday present to myself sock yarn. :) I swear they're not nearly as ugly as they look in this picture.

My camera did NOT like taking that picture. I seriously don't even know why I bothered lol. I'm loving the pattern so far, and I got to turn a heel. I love to turn heels. It's freaking magic. Then, yesterday, I started Koolhaas. I. Love. This. Hat.

I had put it off because I heard that the cables were hard. They're not hard! They're a bit of a pain because they're only one stitch, but if you do it without a cable needle it's so easy. I'm using Merino et Soie and a size 7 circular. I just started yesterday, and I'm over halfway. I love it. Love love love it. Can't wait to finish it.

Ok, two more things. First, Angie's trying to get pregnant this weekend (she is soooo going to kill me for telling you this but there ya go...) so think happy pregnant thoughts for her, k?

Last, here's what Mattie thinks about all of this.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

You can't have the king neutered

R is for... Rolls! Specifically, double pointed needle rolls.


I told you the other day that Tracy made me one. Well, my friend Anne (Nano!) made me one too! It's the one on the bottom. Aren't my friends awesome? I have some of my needles in each one, though I took pictures of each with most of them in them. Most because.... well... I'm missing some. I think they're hiding in the stash. Like, 3 or 4 sets lol! Crazy needle eating stash...

Anyway, here's Tracy's roll with needles...

Mostly. lol there was so issues with my batteries dieing so I wanted to be quick. Here's Nano's roll with needles.

I love them both the same. I can't decide. Nano's roll has a tag (that I'm keeping forever) that says "Lovingly sewn for Krystal's needles. Isn't that sweet? Thanks Nano and psst (Tracy) too!! You guys rock!!

I have more stuff to show you. You want to see? Vote here!

Oh, wait. Sorry. Too much election stuff. It's starting to mess with me. You don't get to vote. This is the yarn MAFIA. I'm the mafia boss. I say what goes, and you will see more so there. :P

I finished another pair of socks!

Pattern: Anastasia socks. Yarn: Duet Skinny Sock yarn in Midnight Mantis. Needle: Size 1.5, 40" circular. I knit them both at once via magic loop, which is now my favorite method. I have virtually no ladders on the sides. At all. Amazing. This sock yarn is so perfect. I love it. I will be buying more. Probably in this color. Or something. I'm not sure. LOVE it. I was completely enchanted with these socks from the part where I finished the toe and joined the other color. Love it. My favorite part?

The heels and toes. My least favorite part? The ENDS. Oh god, the ends. Took me forever to weave in all TWELVE of them. Totally worth it though. They're completely enchanting and comfy and perfect. They took me eight days. I thought it was nine, but I counted. Eight. How cool is that? That was my fastest pair of socks ever.

And one more thing to share. I cast on for "Wisp" in Malabrigo Lace for my sister in law for Chritmas.

I changed a couple of things. I don't have the patience to memorize where the YO rows on the edges are, so I'm not doing it. I also took out the ones on the ends. I figure I'll just sew on the buttons in the end, and they can go through the YO's on the project. It'll still be versitale without my pulling my hair out every time I forget to do it. This thing is flying. I did virtually all of that today. Amazing. Here's a detail pic of the lace.

It is SUCH an easy lace pattern. Seriously, anyone, ANYONE who can knit can do this. All you have to know is how to cast on, knit, yo, k2tog (which is really just... well... knitting 2 stitches. Together.) and binding off. That's is. So simple. It's so light and airy. I'm going to have a problem giving it away. I can see it now.

"Oh no! I had another present for Nancy but I think we left it at home!" (They live 4 hours from here). "But on the plus side... look at my new purple scarf I made!!" :)