Category: Accessories

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Cornflower Shawl

Guess what’s off my needles! (Hint: It’s in the title.)

I finished the shawl!

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So the full details:

This is the Wavedeck Shawl by Kate Atherly in Knitty Winter 2014.

I did get a little impatient, and I skipped a few rows of edging and zig zags, but it’s the first non-sock pattern that I didn’t end up making big changes to! Normally I don’t like the way that its bound, or I’m too impatient for long sleeves, etc. But not this time… partially because I would have no idea what to do in order to change things, but mostly because I love it just the way it is.

This was Christmas yarn from over 3 years ago… I picked it out when we moved my brother into college as a freshman, and my parents kept it for me until Christmas. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Prima, which is now discontinued I’m afraid, but its a nice thick DK or thin worsted, as it almost worked out for me. Part bamboo and part merino, so its just warm enough, but not overly warm.

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It felt like it took forever, but I think it was a February and February alone project, which is nifty. I like finishing projects within a month of starting them, and bonus points for actually getting pictures and posting about it.

I was going to take a picture with my coat on, ready to go to school, but when I went outside to take these and a few other sets of pictures, I realized that it was too warm to do that. Despite all the melting snow that I cropped out of these pictures, it was quite warm.

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But the way that I’ve already fallen in love with wearing it is with my shawl pin. So woot! A use for my shawl pin!

 

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Knapsack

At the beginning of the semester I ran into this problem…

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My trusty backpack that I’ve used since 8th grade was just a bit too big for what I needed to bring into grad school each day. You see, I have an office, or rather a cubicle in a shared office with three others. I’ve personalized it and everything. Most of my prop type things have migrated there. So I don’t have to carry around an entire world, since I’ve got plenty of space to stash stuff.

And my “laptop” bag was too small. I made it specifically to carry my old laptop, which was a smidgeon bigger than my current one, and one or two notebooks. I have managed to stuff up to 6 slim notebooks and the laptop, but I was constantly worried about it breaking. I am planning to use it as a “round campus” bag, though.

But I really needed an in-between bag.

So I made one to fit my laptop!

I cut the back to the approximate dimensions of my laptop, adding about an inch to the width, and a few to the height, which I later cut down to size. The width of the laptop segment was maybe 2 inches? I measured the depth of my laptop to be 1 inch, and I wanted some extra clearance room, since this was non-stretch upholstery weight fabric. I forgot, though, that my laptop has some curvy sides, which also ends up adding clearance room.

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The other bit of side is trapezoidal, made from an eyeballed width of fabric at the proper height, triangled, and sewn up. The front panel was just a longer version of the back. I added a top flap, which rarely seems to sit properly, but I like it. The straps were made up of scraps, and are actually comfy for being un-interfaced and un-padded.

It’s  unlined, but that’s more because I was lazy, and for the most part the seams are unfinished. All the pieces went through my serger, except the top flap, but the seams themselves aren’t backed up.

But it fits everything I need, is comfy, rather stylish at the moment, was free to me, since I was donated the fabric, and I know how to fix or remake, if the need arises.

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Backpack crisis averted!

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Rainforest Purse

This may be the project I’ve stashed the longest. I never cut it out, or even read the instructions.

I was in maybe seventh grade, or eighth, and I bought this at a moving sale for my favorite quilting store… AKA the store at which I learned to quilt and fell in love with sewing. Granted, they were moving next door, but to a much smaller space and they were getting rid of lots of cut fabric items.

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And look at these fabrics! Aren’t they really cool? And as for the quilting, I really hate the boring straight line approach, so I went with the lackadaisical curving way.

So I picked up this really neat looking purse pack. Originally I think it was supposed to be $20, but I got it for five… Which was probably better considering that my allowance was probably about five at the time, so twenty would have been extravagant for me. It’s called the CQ Quilter’s Purse, I believe.

But I am on a mission to finish projects, and this one was eating a hole in my blog (ship’s) hull.

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Quilted the fabrics together, cut out the pieces, made the piping, and sewed it together in an afternoon! Or, rather, afternoon and evening… I took a long dinner break.

It’s the perfect size for a project purse. Enough room for all the necessary purse constants as well as a small knitting project. Like socks. Such as the Christmas presents I’m working at… I should get back to work on those…

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Stashbusting Kree!

So I may be on a bit of a Stargate kick, but who can say no to Teal’c? And don’t forget the apostrophe.

In other news, after my sock-high I was interested in doing some stashbusting. After all, those sock cost about twelve bucks, and the cowl an additional 6, which I’m totally not regretting, but there’s something about the subject of free that I love.

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Granted, free means I’ve had this yarn for so long that although I know exactly where I got it, there’s no way of knowing how much it cost. It may have ended up a birthday gift. I’m a picky gift-receiver, which my family knows well, so I tend to end up picking out gifts knowing I’ll receive them all trussed up for a “surprise” a few months later.

In this case, the deep blue yarn, Sirdar Snuggly Domino DK, was bought at a Superbowl Sunday sale about 6 years ago. Maybe even 7… I think I even deigned to watch 10 minutes of the game, before I gave up and ran downstairs to hide out until the snacks were served.

The Schachenmayr nomotta Baros, otherwise known as the aqua yarn, was bought in Germany on my second trip to visit family there. It was on sale, which was good because I had a limited number of euros to spend. Souvenir yarn is often too difficult to part with, so this was stashed for 5 years.

Definitely high time to make something. On both counts.

Both of these projects had basis in a one skein book, 101 Yarn Shop Favorites.

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My new hat is technically the Aran Tam. I say technically… I should have followed directions and knit the beginning on smaller straight needles, but I was confused, and it was my second go, having tried a bulky yarn first which would have made a monster sized hat. So I trudged ahead. Then I moved on, and managed to get some kind of counting wrong, resulting in a messed up pattern. You can’t tell with the surprisingly busy yarn, but I think I’ll have another go at some point. Also, the band is too wide, due to the aforementioned needle issue, so I’m considering threading some elastic through the ribbing. Still have another ball… Now what to make? Maybe some wristlets…

 

The wristband had basis in the Cabled Headband. I say had basis… I took the starting point and just knitted without increases or decreases wristuntil I made it tightly around my wrist. Sewed it up with my handy knitpicker, and I got a lovely wristband! Handy when my wrists decide they hate knitting. Or typing. Or cooking. Or moving. Darn that violin playing from an early age! Messing up my wrists forevermore.

The wristband yarn is soon to be finished in a yoke for a shirt capacity… I misplaced a piece, and once I locate it, you’ll hear about it!

 

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Deep Forest Cowl

So I had a good amount of yarn left after my socks were completed. This wasn’t surprising, as I have rather tiny feet, but because it was the most expensive yarn I had ever purchased I wanted to use it for something special.

When I was abroad, I found myself wearing scarves all the time, all day long. I carried this with me when I returned stateside.

But what is more handy for a full day of neck-covering goodness? A cowl… It doesn’t fall off your neck… Always a plus.

So I was looking through the Knitty archives looking for a hat pattern, but when I saw this cowl I just couldn’t resist. It was everything I wanted: lacy, pretty, a cowl, and not requiring oodles of yarn.

It is… the Eleanor cowl. The one, the only, the lovely.

It was a quicker knit than the socks, if only because it was less repetitive and therefore easier to get interested in working the pattern.

I blocked it, my first successful blocking if we’re being honest, but it quickly snapped back a day later. No matter, it’s still comfy and will certainly serve its purpose well!

I still couldn’t find a yarn needle, though, so I ended up using this knitpicker thing to sew up the seam. An effective but time consuming method. Kinda like using a needle threader for every stitch.

Now if only cooler temperatures would appear, then I could get to wearing some of the stuff I’ve been making!

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Socks in Four Parts

I finished just under the wire of my deadline! At 4PM I was the new proud owner of wool and silk socks!

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They’re so pretty and comfy and though it’s regularly in the 90s here, I’ve barely taken them off. I determined, though, that they weren’t suitable wear for going to the library… That involves going outside where it is quite hot, and I didn’t think my feet could handle it.

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But since then, I’ve continually worn them… They’re so comfy!

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But I should tell you, this isn’t my first foray into sock making, just the first time I ended up with two socks. Behold the tube sock of doom!!! It was made of a variety of worsted weight acrylic yarn, and it’s not comfy and doesn’t smell nice after a while. I think I made it in middle school or early high school, and I only wore it once, when I had this massive blister on my foot, and had to remove some of the callous on my heel and my entire foot felt odd.

Well that wraps up my sock escapade!

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Sock Progress – Part 3

Here it is, Monday.

mostly there

Didn’t check in yesterday, mostly because I slept in and forgot…

But I thought it fitting to give you a morning update, even though today it is an exercise in phone frustration. Darn multitasking.

I’m through the gauntlet, err the gusset. I’m about halfway down the foot.

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And since I don’t normally go to the library until five or so, I’ll still have all day to work on it… hopefully I won’t need it all…

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Sock Progress – Part 2

It’s time for another update!

After three days of knitting, I have finally completed a sock!

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It’s warm, it’s comfy, and fits perfectly. I’ve been wearing it since I finished it. It’s odd to be wearing only one sock.

I did have to tweak the pattern due to the whole gauge sitch. But unlike my normal self, I took careful notes on row counts and configurations, so I can copy them directly into my left sock.

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Also learned that Kitchener stitch is not easily accomplished with dpns instead of a needle, but I managed. I know that I have some pink plastic needles lying around, because I definitely saw them when I was moving, but I haven’t managed to find them.

And I cast on for the second sock immediately, so I’ll be continuing that shortly! Talk to you in a few days!

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Sock Progress – Part 1

So it looks like it’s going to be an every two day update on the socks, which suits me just fine.

On Monday night I was supposed to be making a gauge swatch.

That didn’t work  out.

Instead I spent four hours making a center pull ball of yarn by hand. Four hours. But I have now kinda fallen in love with center pull balls, so we’ll see what the future holds for me and yarn balls.

ball

But doesn’t my yarn ball vaguely look like Turnip Head’s head, from Howl’s Moving Castle? I think so.

Then instead of casting on for a gauge swatch I just went ahead and cast on for the full sock. I know, I know, but I was going to treat it as a double gauge swatch, if it wasn’t working out I’d frog it. But it just so happened to fit the specifications quite well, so this morning I trudged on once I had gotten enough to tell. I should admit now that I’m not using the proper sized needles, because I don’t own them, but also that I’m a tight knitter, and often need to move up needle sizes anyway. It has worked out, that the width of stitches is proper, even if the height is a good amount off.

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And so I spent about ten hours of close to continuous knitting on Tuesday. Yesterday.

When I knit, I grasp the knitting needle with my ring finger for stabilization. My ring finger swelled after all that knitting. So much that I couldn’t bend it well and it’s throbbing a bit. That’s why I stopped, really.

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But I’m proud of my progress. The entire leg part and heel are completed, and I’ve got a round or two into the main foot part as well. Or gussets… I’m not up to date on my sock anatomy.

I’ll check back in on Friday!

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Embellishment

Now presenting my Belle necklace!

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In fairness, I actually finished it awhile ago. Still not on time for my self imposed deadline, but I think I’m doing alright considering I don’t have a firm costume deadline anymore. I even photographed it the day after I made it, which is even more of an accomplishment.

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However I’ve been procrastinating on posting it. I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps its because I know that if I wanted to go to my place of choice for photographing the entire costume, makeup would melt off my face and my hair would flatten. It’s quite hot. Even in the evening.

I think I might have to remove the collar from my dress, anyway. Too much of the necklace would be covered if I left the collar on, so I’m thinking of leaving the collar stand, but removing the collar.

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In other news I’m going to start a new project, as though I don’t have enough started. Have you noticed that I tend to start knitting or crochet projects, and then the entire thing disappears? I don’t like finishing these projects. Like the sleeve of this sweater I’m knitting. I’ve got one nearly complete, or at least I’m almost done with  yarn ball on that side, but the other side needs to advance about five inches to keep up.

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So I recently bought myself sock yarn with the intention of actually making socks. I even have a pattern, from a book called Sock Innovation. I’m going to make the Kai-mei socks, since they’re gorgeous, but the catch is that the library book is due in a week. I know I can renew it, but that spoils the fun. So in the next week I endeavor to make at least a sock and a half… and by that I mean the cuff and turning the heel on the second sock.

There will hopefully be daily progress reports in order to keep myself on track. And today is all about gauge.