So its been a while...

Well, lately I've been knitting because I have to rather than because I want to. After finishing the book project, I wasn't very motivated to knit at all. I was contracted to do some work earlier this summer, so back to knitting I go. I'm working on a series of hats for a woman I met at the farmers market. She's expecting and I'm doing a few newborn beanies and a couple 3 month ones. I'm making them from a soy and organic cotton blend yarn that is super soft and relatively easy to work with. I was given free reign on artistic design on them, so I'm thinking I might do some crazy cable work on a few.

I haven't done newborn hats before, so I knit the first one pretty "plain jane" style, with just a 2x2 rib for an inch, then straight stocking net. It came out pretty good, though I have some reservations about the color. The yarn is somewhat light weight, so I'm double stranding it. I used a tan/grey one with a light blue, and it came out alright, but they really didn't contrast off each other as I had hoped.



The book project went quicker than I hoped. That being said, it still took me a good solid couple weeks of knitting to finish. It was basically 7 scarves that I used a 3 needle bind off to attach together in an alternating fashion. It's hard to describe exactly what it looked like. By the time I was done with it, I was pretty sick of looking at it, and didn't get any pictures of it. I didn't even lay it out to get a good look at it. I cast off the last stitch and shoved it in a zip lock to mail off the next morning. So I guess I'll just have to wait like everyone else for the book to come out for a good look at it. I haven't heard an exact date that its going to press yet, but keep on the lookout for Yarnbombing, it's going to be a great knitting book!

I did take a short time-out from the book project to do some necessity knitting. While on a recent weekend work trip with the family, I had forgotten to pack socks for our youngest. I did however remember to bring a healthy quantity of knitting supplies. One must have priorities lol. Anyway, I decided to just knock out a pair of socks for him using my trusty basic sock pattern. They took me the first day to finish, and for the rest of the weekend he ran around the place wearing only those on his feet. I was pretty shocked to see that they didn't wear a bit! I'm guessing that he really doesn't weigh that much still is why.



I'm still working on the reversible cable scarf. It's taking shape, and is about 2 feet long at the moment. I really enjoy that one, but its just tough to find time to work on it.

Giving knitting a second chance

So recently I've been getting burned out on knitting. Making baby socks in a production line style for relatives and the wifes booth will do that. I found myself spending less and less time knitting and more and more time procrastinating.

That is, until thursday.

Needing more yarn for more (ugh) baby socks, I head down to the LYS. On display is my bag that I entered for the "Felted Bag" contest. Under it is "First Place". I was shocked.

Now, let me back up a little here and tell you about my contest entry. I found out about it late, and only had a week to design it and get it done. I knitted it at furious pace. Half the time I didn't even bother counting any stitches, and I'm pretty positive I had a very uneven number per side. Well, long story short, I handed it in still a little damp, but at least I had gotten it done.

I had won. HOW?! I asked about the judging, thinking I had gotten the "oh look, a guy knitting" sympathy vote. Much to my surprise, the judging was done by a local design firm thats "in the business", and all the bags were just given numbers and had no names attached to them. I had won on my bags merits alone. Very shocked. Suddenly I'm thinking more and more about knitting.

Friday comes and I get an email about a design I had entered in an open submission call for a new book on knit graffiti. They liked my design and are going to use it in the book. Once I picked myself up off the floor I quickly replied my thanks and appreciation. WOW!

Ok, so twice in two days my knitting was given credit on its merits alone. It was really the boost I needed to stick with it. I honestly can't wait for the summer to be over so I can be done with these baby socks and focus more on projects I will enjoy and learn from. Well, just between you and me, I've cast on a wicked reversible cabled scarf, but shhhhh!

Felted Bag Contest

So I was at my local yarn shop the other week, and found out they were having a felted bag contest. The only problem being that all entries had to be done and submitted the following week. Eeep!

So I grab some yarn and head home to get started. Where to start. Browsing ravelry I really didn't find anything I liked, so I decided to just invent my bag as I went along. I started out with a basic garter stitch bottom, picked up stitches along the outside, and went to town on it. Five days later and I had my basic bag shape finished how I wanted it. Another day and the i-cord was finished (I hoped at least, as I wasn't sure how much it was going to shrink, double eeep!).

Now, every previous time I had felted something (once) I had done it in the shower (yes, ha ha, "I felt it in the shower"). Doing a whole bag this way ended up being none to practical. Off to the washer I went, soaking wet bag in hand. In went a pair of jeans, and my project in a pillowcase. 10 very anxious minutes later I was the proud owner of a nicely felted bag!

Ok, we've now reached the point where I can tell you something I've learned. Let the thing go through the spin cycle. I know there are a few sites on the internet that say not to, but when you have less than 20 hours to submit your piece, or need to wear it, there's no way it will be dry unless you live in the Sahara. A couple hours with the iron later and it was sufficiently damp to be able to take to my knitting social and submit.

Upon arriving, everyone had me hold it up and show it off. One lady asks "How long have you been knitting?" Since december. "Oh wow! You're really good!" What pattern did you use?" None, I just made it up as I went along. After saying that, I heard from somewhere at the table "Bastard!" It made my night =)



I'll find out in a couple weeks if I won or not, or how I did. I'll be sure to add that here when I find out.

Sock Keychain

Ok, so after a hellish week I need a break. So I tell the wife I’m heading to the LYS to take a class. It was Socks on DPN’s and the pattern is a cute little toddler sock. I already know how to do socks on DPN’s, but I needed the break from the family. I had a super time just sitting there knitting my cares away, and by the time the class was over I was already starting the heel flap. By the time I went to bed I had already turned the heel and was working on the gusset. So its the next day, and I’m done. WHY can’t regular socks be this quick!? Sigh, I need smaller feet…. OR some really HUGE yarn! YES! Sigh, ok ok probably not gonna work out.

Anyway, I took a photo with my action fingers, they’re pissed its too big, but meh, they’ll get over it.

One Manly Piece of Knitting

Recently I was lucky enough to get a new welding hood thanks to my loving folks. Being a welder and an asthmatic, I was looking to reduce the amount of fumes and dust that I breathe while I weld. A quick browse through my local welding supply catalog, and I found this incredible full face respirator (like the kind you see in the movies when they are trying not to die from a deadly virus or poison or something), with the addition of a welding visor that drops down over the viewing area.

It was amazing when I put it to use. Not a single bit of fumes or dust reached my lungs and I could actually breathe when I was done welding! There is always a catch though. With a normal welding hood I wear a baseball hat to protect the top of my head from bits of flying molten metal. With the new hood, because of the straps, I couldn't do that anymore. By the time I was done I had a few burns and my hair was full with more metal than a rebelling teenagers face. I knew what had to be done.

Combining knitting and welding, what can be cooler than that!?! Nothing! Well, ok, maybe a few things, but still, thats pretty darn cool. So I found

A Hat Fit for a Boyfriend by Stephanie Nicole and cast it on that night. In no time flat I had a small version of the hat made that fit nicely under my new welding hood. I remember my welding instructor telling me that I welders hat is supposed to be really flashy though, so I'm going to make a second one that will hopefully have some pizzaz to it.

A Quick Break

Ok, so doing hats on size 5 needles takes a while. After sitting there working on it for days, I needed a break. Something quick and mindless is just what the doctor ordered. So I take a poke through my yarn stash and try to find something I could cast on and whip out without much effort. And then I see it. Jamie had picked up some cotton yarn last time she was down at the LYS.

I do a quick search on ravelry and find an easy dish cloth pattern. I cast on 30 stitches with the knit cast on, and realize that I want a more spongy cast on. So I rip them out and do a cable cast on. Yeah, still not right. Ripped it out again, and this time the long tail cast on is just right. Feeling like Goldylocks I set into a nice steady pace.


The whole project only took probably in the neighborhood of a few hours, and when I was done I had a nice planet friendly dish cloth ready for use. The cotton yarn was interesting to knit, very different feel than most the acrylic yarns, almost closer to wool but more stiff. I was so happy how it turned out, I found a bunch of rolls of cotton yarn on sale (yay) at Fred Meyer last night. I'm hoping to cast on a red white and blue one tonight.

More fun in a circle

I had some yarn left over from doing the hat so I decided to try something new. Wanting something for Jamie, I decided on a headband / earwarmer thing. I got out my #9 16" circulars and got to work.

I cast on 88 stitches and started in a knit one purl one pattern.
I didn't count the rows, I just continued till I thought it would fit her ears well. Actually, if you zoom in on the photo, you could probably count the purl rows fairly easily.


Anyway, it was an extremely easy project, and a good way to practice knitting for a beginner. I went today and picked up some #5 dpn's and a #5 16" pair of circulars. I'm thinking the smaller needle size will fit better with the current yarn I have atm.

Knitters do it in a circle

My first attempt at a hat went better than I thought it would go. I got a pair of #8 circulars and sat down with some Lion brand Wool-ease yarn. I started with a 4x4 guage swatch and just multiplied it out to figure out the base size. I started the knitting out with a knit two, purl two rib pattern for a few inches and then just switched to stockingnet stitch.



Seeing my creation take shape, I got excited and started decreasing way too soon. When I picked up the circular needles at my local yarn shop, I asked the owner when you know its time to switch to double points. She said that when the circulars get too cramped and tight to work with, you should have switched probably two rows earlier. Thats exactly what happened. I waited until it was terribly difficult to work with the circulars and then had one heck of a time trying to slip the stitches on to the double points. I did a basic decrease, starting with K6, K2tog; K all; K5, K2tog; K all, rinse repeat until I had just a few stitches left, and then thread the tail through and pull them together.

Once it was off the needles it was pretty clear that it was too shallow for me, but surprisingly it fits my son pretty well. I really liked making it, and enjoyed not using a pattern at all. I learned a lot from it and will apply what I learned to the next hat which I'll probably start here soon.

The continued adventures in knitting

Well, I finished my second scarf. This one was for Jamie. I learned how to ease up my death grip on the needles a bit, which resulted in a much softer, much more relaxed scarf. I used Lion brand "Homespun" yarn for this one, which is a very soft and heavy weight yarn, but I found it liked to bunch up a lot and was generally a pain to knit for a complete novice. Still, that being said, 1 skein resulted in a nice long and wide scarf that drapes nicely.



Pattern :

Cast on 18 stitches
Knit every row
Cast off

Yeah, pretty darn simple, but what do you expect, its only my second one lol.

Settling Down

Well the holidays are finally over. Two weeks of always on the go can really wear you out. My camera made out nicely this year, which is a good thing if I want to get my photography business off the ground within the next couple years. New Years was completely uneventful. Stayed up reading till midnight then stepped outside to watch the fireworks for a little while... thats about it. Boring but nice.

Jamie set out for Florida to visit her friend for about a week, and to keep myself occupied I decided to teach myself how to knit. Not very manly or macho, I know, but fun. If I can make something to keep myself warm in the winter for mere pennies, why not? So far I've knitted a thin, VERY basic scarf, but its warm and does the job. At the moment I'm knitting a softer, larger one for Jamie that I think she'll like.

The pattern for scarf above is:
Needles: US 11
Yarn : Lion "Chunky"
Cast on 12 stitches
Knit every stitch
Keep going till its long enough
Wear.


Just before the holidays our family grew in size to include a new puppy. A female boxer to hopefully mate with our older boxer, Buckshot. We named her Dutches, after a boxer my grandfather had, the mother of my dog when I was growing up. I had forgotten how much work goes into training a puppy, its almost as bad as a child.




Thankfully Jamie gets home tomorrow night. I could really use a break.