Yarn Sales

I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell anyone reading this blog how exciting a yarn sale is. Especially when you're about to go to college and are a little short cash-wise. It didn't help that they had my favorite kind of yarn, Caron Simply Soft, on sale for two-fifty a skein. Of course, I spent most of my time in Michael's contemplating bulky yarn prices, because I'm planning on knitting my first sweater, the Curly-Edge Pullover found in Kids Knitting, by Melanie Falick, for my brother for Christmas. I now know why sweaters are so expensive in stores: the cost of yarn alone for a single sweater can run around $20-$40! Lets just say I'm waiting for my birthday and the Michael's gift card that will come with it to purchase that yarn. Anyway, I got these two really shades of Caron Simply Soft: Persimmon and Sunshine (I think you can figure out which is which). I think I'm going to use them in these fingerless gloves that were on the back of one of the labels. Also, really exciting, I finally found a 16" circular needle! And it was even in size 8, the size I've been looking for. Which means, I can now knit a bunch of hats without having to translate patterns! So I think whatever color I don't use for the gloves will go for another Utopia Hat.


Also exciting, I got my first serious knitting request from a friend yesterday (I've made Hugo's for people, but that's not the same...). I'm knitting Joanna two pairs of fingerless gloves: these lace-up opera gloves, and another cable fingerless glove set.

I always tell my friends that I'll knit them something for free, as long as they provide the yarn and whatever other materials are needed. Plus, that way they can pick out their own yarn, which is really sort of a personal thing (don't worry, I always specify how much I need and what weight of yarn I need, with idiot-proof instructions). Joanna picked out this really pretty Caron Simply Soft Heather. I guess since she got two skeins she wants both gloves in the same color. Also, for the lace ups, she got a really pretty purple ribbon (I totally guessed she would go for purple; it's her favorite color).


And, on actual knitting, I got my socks done. They turned out well, though I can't wear them for more than ten minutes because it's in the mid-eighties and really, really humid right now. I'll have to wait until night to wear them for a longer span.


Well, I need to get to rolling all of those skeins into balls (skeins always tangle on me halfway through a project), which is going to eat up at least another hour. Adieu!

Fancy Trellis Lace Fingerless Gloves

I did it. I finally designed a pattern. The structure of these gloves is based off of SmarieK's Persephone Fingerless Gloves, but I edited the length, needle size, yarn weight, and thumb gusset. The Persephone gloves are really pretty, but they restrict the use of my pinky greatly, therefore, in my mind, totally defeating the purpose of fingerless gloves (which is, of course, to be able to use your fingers while they're nice and toasty). So I made these shorter, and made them fitted a little. I also gave them a pretty lace pattern.

Fancy Trellis Lace Fingerless Gloves

Needles: four, US 5/3.75mm double pointed needles
Yarn: about half a standard big-box sized skein of worsted (upon reflection, I think I actually used DK... [4/11/09])

Also needed: two stitch markers, stitch holder/waste yarn

Gauge: 8 rows & 6 sts in 1"

Size: Women's large hands (8" circumfrence around the widest part of the knuckles, not including the the thumb)

Pattern :)

CO 48 st
Distribute as follows: Needle 1, 24st; Needle 2, 12st; Needle 3, 12st

2 by 2 rib for 9 rounds

Row 10: K1, Kfb, P2, continue 2 by 2 rib

Now, for the rest of the glove until the finishing ribbing, on needle 1 you will be knitting the pattern below, and on needles 2 & 3 you will just be knitting, unless otherwise stated.

Fancy Trellis Lace Pattern
1: K2 (K2, K2tog, yo, K3)x3 K2
2: K2 (K1, K2tog, yo, K1, yo, K2tbl, K1)x3 K2
3: K2 (K2tog, yo, K3, yo, sl1, K1, psso)x3 K2
4: K
5: K2 (yo, sl1, K1, psso, K5) x3 K2
6: K2 (K1, yo, K2tbl, K2, K2tog, yo)x3 K2
7: K2 (K2, yo, sl1, K1, psso, K2tog, yo, K1)x3 K2
8: K

Repeat pattern above twice (remember, pattern is only on needle 1; needles 2 & 3 are knit).
Repeat rounds 1-3 from above pattern.

Alternative Wrist
Instead of knitting stockinette on needles 2 and 3, continue the 2x2 ribbing as long as dictated above (two pattern repeats + rounds 1-3), for a better fit. The palm will still be knit as per original pattern.

Right Glove
Round 4: Needle 1 - 4 from pattern; Needle 2 - K6, Kll, Krl, K6; Needle 3 - K11, Kll, Krl, K1
Round 5: Needle 1- 5 from pattern; Needles 2 & 3 - knit

Left Glove
Round 4: Needle 1 - 4 from pattern; Needle 2 - K1, Kll, Krl, K11; Needle 3 - K6, Kll, Krl, K6
Round 5: Needle 1- 5 from pattern; Needles 2 & 3 - knit

Thumb Gusset - Right Glove
On needle 1, continue the lace pattern. On needle 3 knit. The instructions below are happening on needle 2.
Round 1: K7, place st marker, Kll, Krl, place st marker, K7
Round 2: K
Round 3: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 4: K
Round 5: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K2, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 6: K
Round 7: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K4, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 8: K
Round 9: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K6, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 10: K
Round 11: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K8, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 12: K
Round 13: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K10, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 14: K
Round 15: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K12, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 16: K
Round 17: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K14, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 18: K
Round 19: K7, remove marker, slip 18st onto stitch holder, remove marker, K7

Thumb Gusset - Left Glove
On needle 1, continue the lace pattern. On needle 2 knit. The instructions below are happening on needle 3.
Round 1: K7, place st marker, Kll, Krl, place st marker, K7
Round 2: K
Round 3: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 4: K
Round 5: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K2, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 6: K
Round 7: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K4, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 8: K
Round 9: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K6, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 10: K
Round 11: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K8, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 12: K
Round 13: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K10, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 14: K
Round 15: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K12, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 16: K
Round 17: K7 *marker* K1, Kll, K14, Krl, K1 *marker* K7
Round 18: K
Round 19: K7, remove marker, slip 18st onto stitch holder, remove marker, K7

Repeat Lace Pattern one more time (remember, needle 1 has pattern, needles 2 & 3 are knit).

End Ribbing
Round 1: K2, P2tog, continue with 2 by 2 rib
Continue with four more rounds of 2 by 2 rib
BO in 2 by 2 rib pattern

Thumb
Distribute 18sts from st holder onto two needles
Pick up 6sts around thumb hole for third needle
K four rounds
1 by 1 rib for three rounds
BO in 1 by 1 rib pattern
Weave in ends

Notes
K2tbl: knit 2 together through the back loop; knit two together, but from the back, not the front. Video here, just scroll down and look for "k2tog tbl."
Krl: Knit right loop. Video here, but it is only the increase part.
Kll: Knit left loop. Video here, but it is only the increase part.
*marker*: Just signifying where the st marker is on the needle. Nothing special.

Excess and Decision-Making

So, a few weeks ago I went to Michaels, with the intention of purchasing yarn for a lobster and a squid. I really didn't know how much yarn I needed, so I guesstimated, and decided to buy two skeins just in case. I went with my brother, and we picked out this really awesome multi-colored yarn. It would, we decided, make the best lobster and squid the world had ever seen! We bought two skeins (same dye lot of course). Of course, it turned out I only needed about two thirds of a skein, so I had too much on my hands now. It was not a problem, as I soon found other uses for the yarn . I knit my lobster, named Lobster-friend, and my squid, names Bloop-bloop. My brother desperately wanted an animal out of this yarn for his own, so I knit him a kiwi that I'm going to give him for his birthday. When the time comes, he will name it. All three of those animals only ate up one of the skeins, so I've moved on to socks. I think I'll be able to get at least two pairs out of the second skein, which makes me super excited to have such awesome socks. I'm only about halfway through with the first sock, but I did that all yesterday, mostly during a swim meet, so they should be done soon.

I'm sorry I've been so lacking in posting. I have had time and have meant to post more, but I hate, hate, hate typing out patterns. Since none of the patterns I've posted so far are actually mine, I've just been reproducing them, I've decided to heck with pattern writing, unless, of course, I developed it myself. From now on, this will be more of a standard blog.

Anyway, I've finished a bunch of things since last writing, including everything you saw above, plus a bunch of things you'll see below. I don't have pictures of everything, but they include: grey Persephone fingerless gloves, a pattern of fingerless gloves I developed, based on Persephone, in light purple, a clutch for prom, a hat for Mom, a whole bunch of Hugo's for my brother's friends (all proceeds go to his eagle project), and a big, lovable caterpillar named Leopold, for a favorite teacher of mine upon my graduation from high school.

I've recently acquired a new laptop - essential for college. It's a Dell Inspiron 1545, in aqua blue. I also have a matching wireless mouse with a pretty floral pattern on it from Logitech, and an external hard drive. I still need to get a surge protector, but for now I'm just using a power strip. With my new computer, I've discovered the wonders of Picasa, and how easy it makes to post pictures onto a blog (that was another reason I wasn't posting, it was too big of a pain to upload pictures). Now everything is super easy, and it seems to me like I have more freedom. Hopefully I'll post more now!

In another college and knitting related train of thought, I now have an excellent aqua blue ottoman, which will act both as storage for my knitting and a footrest for my chair (that I will hopefully be able to use if the loft situation works out). I also recently joined Ravelry. I haven't really done much with it besides post projects. I need to get all of my yarn stash and everything loaded, find friends, start discussing, etc. I've got a long way to go on ravelry... but because of ravelry, I've become active again on devientART. An excellent thing, because almost instantly after I uploaded pictures of my knitting and some photography, the pieces got favorited. Such a good thing. Perhaps I'll be active on Gaia once more in the near future...

It's been a while...

It has been quite a while since I posted anything on this blog... sorry to anyone who actually reads this (though I highly doubt that anyone really reads this). I've gotten a bunch of stuff done, including a hat for my mom, a few pairs of fingerless gloves, a bunch of Hugo's (or Quincy's, if you prefer) as funding for my brother's Eagle project, a clutch for prom, a large, squishy caterpillar, and a lobster. I am almost done with a squid, made out of the same yarn as the lobster. That yarn has an amazing combination of colors, and gives the impression of being self-stripping. I'm going to make socks out of it after I finish the Kiwi (the bird, not the fruit) I'm going to make for my brother before I go off to college. Hopefully it will be useful to remember me by when he's feeling lonely. Actually, it would be more appropriate to knit him a bunny, so I think I'll set off now looking for a pattern. A short entry, but I felt It was necessary. A bientôt!