Let the madness commence!
19.2.09
17.2.09
what did you say? crochet??? no way!
pattern: Thorpe
designer: Kirsten at Through the Loops
yarn: pigeonroof studios worsted weight handspun in Winterberry
needles: 16 inch circs in US #8
modifications: I knit the crown to 88 stitches (instead of 80) because I was using a smaller needle size knit at an almost comparable gauge (just a tiny bit smaller). When knitting the earflaps, I knit over 16 stitches for each (instead of 14) in order to accommodate all those extra stitches. It fits like a dream!
designer: Kirsten at Through the Loops
yarn: pigeonroof studios worsted weight handspun in Winterberry
needles: 16 inch circs in US #8
modifications: I knit the crown to 88 stitches (instead of 80) because I was using a smaller needle size knit at an almost comparable gauge (just a tiny bit smaller). When knitting the earflaps, I knit over 16 stitches for each (instead of 14) in order to accommodate all those extra stitches. It fits like a dream!
Ever knock out a project in a day or two only to let it languish because you just can't bring yourself to take care of those finishing details, like say, crocheting an edge around it? I am such a slacker when it come to those things, as evinced by the fact that it took me two years to get around to sewing some darn buttons on a pair of socks. I had been meaning to knit myself a Thorpe ever since I first saw Mr. brooklyntweed's, but I was being picky about the yarn I would use for it. As soon as I got my hands on some lovely pigeonroof handspun in a worsted weight, I knew I had to make it. Last week, slightly sick of sock-knitting, I cast on and nearly finished my Thorpe in one go. Then came the time for the crochet edge, and I waited... and waited... and like the super-procrastinator I can be, waited some more. Why? Because I was afraid to crochet that edge. Which is really truly silly. I like crochet. Or rather, I like crocheted projects, but my few attempts at it have been nothing short of sucktastic. So finally, last night, I bit the bullet and went in and crocheted that edge. And you know what? I rather like it. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be (super-easy, in fact), and I am pretty pleased with the way it looks:
And Malachi approves! Now off to crochet myself a hexagon blanket! Or, you know, baby steps on my way there....
16.2.09
meh
I love the yarn (Knitterly Things Vesper Sock in Watermelon Tourmaline), and the colors are just the pick-me-up I needed for the winter doldrums. However, the pattern... the pattern, no offense to the lovely designer who did a wonderful job at designing and writing out the pattern... the pattern leaves me full of meh. It's easy and pretty, but it's not for me. I want a pattern that will really show off and play with the striping, which this kinda does, but I don't want to knit another pair of Jaywalkers (only because I have about 8) and I don't know how I feel about some of the other chevron patterns I have come across. I almost want teeny zig-zags, but I haven't found a pattern for such. Off to ravelry to search for something else then....Now to watch Matt cringe as I frog this sucker. Heheheh!
15.2.09
slouching towards somerville
pattern: Fern Glade (this is the slouchy version of the 2 offered)
designer: Megan Marshall
yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK
needles: 16 inch circs in US #3 and #6
modifications: None.
Disclaimer: I actually knit this about a month ago, but lazy git that I am, I am blogging about it now. Yep, because I'm on it!
When I went to see Clara Parkes at MIT last month at the Common Cod Fiber Guild (which, seriously, what an awesome group of knitters), she spoke about how the specialness of a yarn makes for a more enjoyable knitting experience and an end result that you will love more, and really, have truer words been spoken? Knitting with the pigeonroof handspun was an exquisite experience, and the yarn has transformed an otherwise basic pattern into something magical. On the other hand, I am not sure about the Debbie Bliss. It was alright to knit with; I don't have any complaints. It's squishy, and I am happy with the texture more or less. I think I am having second thoughts about the color I chose. It kinda screams toilet roll cozy. Also, I don't think the DB was as nice to knit with as say the Louisa Harding silk/wool blend I used to knit my mother-in-law's Porom. That project is a perfect example of a great combo of yarn and pattern, and the color is pretty spot-on, too. Funny thing, too, is that price-wise, I think the Louisa Harding was only 25 or 50 cents more per skein than the DB, which for a small project like a hat is really not a big deal and totally worth it.
Back to the hat, though, I love the design. It is so very pretty! The only problem is that knowing how loosely knit to begin with, I should have gone down a needle size or maybe knit the fitted version of this hat instead of the slouchy version, because it is huge. I mean ginormo. Like, I know my head is massive, but this is humongous. When I first tried it on, my immediate thought was that I looked like one of the Martians from Mars Attacks! There are a plethora of jokes that could be made about that really, from the Jiffy Pop being ready to the Vatican going green. I like it and wear it a lot, however. I just need to wash it every couple of wears so that the ribbing tightens up again. I also don't wear it with anything stuffed inside of it as in the photo I linked to, but you know, perhaps someday I will and hopefully start a new trend.
designer: Megan Marshall
yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK
needles: 16 inch circs in US #3 and #6
modifications: None.
Disclaimer: I actually knit this about a month ago, but lazy git that I am, I am blogging about it now. Yep, because I'm on it!
When I went to see Clara Parkes at MIT last month at the Common Cod Fiber Guild (which, seriously, what an awesome group of knitters), she spoke about how the specialness of a yarn makes for a more enjoyable knitting experience and an end result that you will love more, and really, have truer words been spoken? Knitting with the pigeonroof handspun was an exquisite experience, and the yarn has transformed an otherwise basic pattern into something magical. On the other hand, I am not sure about the Debbie Bliss. It was alright to knit with; I don't have any complaints. It's squishy, and I am happy with the texture more or less. I think I am having second thoughts about the color I chose. It kinda screams toilet roll cozy. Also, I don't think the DB was as nice to knit with as say the Louisa Harding silk/wool blend I used to knit my mother-in-law's Porom. That project is a perfect example of a great combo of yarn and pattern, and the color is pretty spot-on, too. Funny thing, too, is that price-wise, I think the Louisa Harding was only 25 or 50 cents more per skein than the DB, which for a small project like a hat is really not a big deal and totally worth it.
Back to the hat, though, I love the design. It is so very pretty! The only problem is that knowing how loosely knit to begin with, I should have gone down a needle size or maybe knit the fitted version of this hat instead of the slouchy version, because it is huge. I mean ginormo. Like, I know my head is massive, but this is humongous. When I first tried it on, my immediate thought was that I looked like one of the Martians from Mars Attacks! There are a plethora of jokes that could be made about that really, from the Jiffy Pop being ready to the Vatican going green. I like it and wear it a lot, however. I just need to wash it every couple of wears so that the ribbing tightens up again. I also don't wear it with anything stuffed inside of it as in the photo I linked to, but you know, perhaps someday I will and hopefully start a new trend.
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