To Wollmeise or Not To Wollmeise?

I managed to snag three skeins of the ever allusive WM last night from a destashing raveler. The colors are

Limone


Terra di Siena


Tiefer See WD


Now, my funding is most probably running out at the end of this semester, so I've told myself I'm not allowed to buy any more yarn until I have a Big Girl Job. But it's WM, and everybody says it's made of fairy pubes. Now someone is offering me

Wilder Mohn


and/or a Dunkle Kirsch



Can I afford another $76 for yarn? I ever so looooove red, which is what I originally was trying to get from the first destasher. Imagine what a gorgeous shawl I could make with limone, terra and wilder (and hope the last two aren't too similar)!

A change will do you good

What, me, procrastinate from writing my thesis? Never! At least I procrastinate from going to the gym by actually writing my thesis :/

I'm torn with the look of my blog, not that this is that important. I'd like to do something simple, a shade off white, with burgundy or dark red side bars, or something that makes the blog mainly red, without getting in the way and making it look cramped. Does anybody know of other places to find free templates?

Other things I did today, instead of writing, have involved going to four different places in town to get an estimate for some minor body work, getting my car inspected, changing the address on my registration, and renewing it. And cleaning out my email and catching up on webcomics, blogs, ravelry, and livejournal. I haven't done facebook yet... hmmm...

Yesterday I had a minor snafu signing up for the Ravelimpics, somehow thinking it was going on this month, and was sorely disappointed that the mitts I finished this weekend and the new ones I started aren't going to count. I have to think of something else to make. Maybe socks. I've made socks for other people, but I have yet to finish a pair for me...

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I finished reading the first book in the Dresden Series, Storm Front, a couple of nights ago. It was a fun book! The guy used a few too many words describing everything, but at least he wasn't as bad at it as Tolkien! I liked it all in all, and am planning to read the rest of the series, intermixed with the True Blood books. I like fantsy, if you haven't noticed! I should probably open up Word before I start describing my D&D characters or something. And this thing thinks my emoticons are html...

[FO] Sourwood Mountain Fingerless Mitts

SOURWOOD MOUNTAIN, by Erika Jackofsky
Knitty, Spring 2009



These gloves were such a brain sore! I mean, the pattern is technically written correctly, but I want to stab the editor IN THE EYE! I hate printing things out, so I tried following it on my computer at first. Yeah, not gonna happen. No part of the process can be done with only one screen/page. The pattern starts off with four pages of charts, both drawn and written out, which are useful... but... Then you go into three pages of directions, which are divided for the cuff and the hand (makes sense) and contain a hodgepodge of individual lines for each of the three sizes. And instead of telling you (k1, p1, k16, p1, k1), it tells you (k1, p1, k to last 2 sts, p1, k1) which, yes, can be interpreted, but is unnecessary, since you work 20 sts no matter what size.

My main peeve was reaching the hand, which is done on three sock needles, one for the pattern, one for the thumb, and one for the palm. You are given ten lines on how to work the first part of the hand, that alternate Work in Pattern As Set, and Work As In Round 4. They are mostly just stockinette and a couple of increases, and a direction to go to pg 3 and follow the Hand Pattern for only one of the needles.

Yes, the pattern isn't written in with the instructions, and you constantly have to flip back to it. This gets a lot more complicated once you start creating the thumb gusset and have to keep straight which non-commital line in the paragraph you are currently on. There are a couple of numbers wrong in the final counts towards the end, but they are noted in the errata. As far as binding off, I need to find something that doesn't leave a one row step at the end.

Limbo Color by Schoeller+Stahl

DK / 8 ply (11 wpi)
135 yards (123 meters)
50 grams (1.76 ounces)
100% Wool, 3 ply

Now for pictures!



You can't quite tell in the pictures, but in the first picture, the top cuff was done on sz#3 as per pattern, and the lower one on #5, like the rest of the mitt. The cuff was very uncomfortable and tight, even in the L. I was on the first row of the final ribbing when I frogged them. You can't tell in the pictures either, but on the leaf motif I switched ssks and k2togs and the leafs look cleaner and pop out more.


The pattern doesn't really specify where to pick up stitches on the cuff for the hand, other than "along upper edge", so I took this picture to show people I picked them up between the p1 and k1 rows along the edge.



The thumb was really what made me redo them. I couldn't stand how the M1L, M1R on the same stitch made it gape like an ass hole, so I changed it for a KFB on the two stitches that are kept between the markers.



The vagina of the thumb also was stretched and deformed, so instead of BO20, I only BO the 18 stitches in the middle of the thumb, and when I was asked to M2 on the next round, I took the two stitches that were left on the sides of the thumb, used them as one stitch (k2tog), and KFB on them (k2togFB?). This doesn't change the count of the stitches, and it allows for a heartier foundation stitch that won't pull to the sides.



I'm guessing it was my mistake in my binding off that I didn't know how to blend in the last row, but by this time, I was just so happy to get rid of the needles that I didn't care. I managed to pull off seven or eight rows of ribbing before running out of yarn, and had less than a foot left over ^_^



And I used pretty buttons! La Mode 26269, 1/2". They had them in 5/8", but only in the silvery color, and I really needed copper for this yarn. I anchored the chain for the loops on the top corner, ch4, skipped 4 sts, did 2 half crochet sts, and repeated three more times until the hand edge, and used the tail to reinforce the joint of everything.

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Above all, I am really glad I finished these. I really like the yarn (and will never frog 100% wool again!) and its gradual color changes. I hope that next time I want to follow a pattern from Knitty, it will be written in a more intuitive manor. If not, copy/paste will be my friend!

[pattern] Matt's Uggly Mettal Hatt

Ok, so it looked a lot cooler in my head :/
This hat is knit in a rectangle and sewn up the sides. I used Caron Country Yarn in red and black, and size 11 needles.

PATTERN
Cast on 39 stitches in RED.
Knit in stockinette 40 rows.
Knit two rows in BLACK in garter stitch.
Knit two rows in RED in garter stitch.
Knit 20 rows in BLACK in stockinette.
Knit 4 rows with pattern.
Knit 16 rows in BLACK stockinette.
Cast off.
Fold wrong sides together and sew up sides; add pompoms.

The chart for the \mmmm/ is as follows:

[pattern] Mom's Thrummed House Slippers

These things are so cozy! The slippers knit up in a few hours on Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Oatmeal with size 11 needles, and then a few more hours to thrum them with alpaca fiber with a crochet hook. Probably 4/5 of the skein was used. And I really should have written this up a month ago when I still had everything fresh in my head :/

PATTERN
This is a modified toe up sock with a figure 8 cast on. Increases are every row instead of every other row. Work is done in spirals. The leaf pattern is the same one used for my Lacey Leaf socks, taken upside down, and only once across.
1) Cast on 8 sts on two DPN needles in figure 8. Knit first row all around, splitting on to 4 DPNs.
2) K1, m1, k6, m1, k2, m1, k6, m1, k1. 20 sts around.
3) K1, m1, k8, m1, k2, m1, k8, m1, k1. 24 sts around.
4) K1, m1, k10, m1, k2, m1, k10, m1, k1. 28 sts around.
5) K1, m1, k12, m1, k2, m1, k12, m1, k1. 32 sts around.
Here is where the patterning starts. For the lace pattern, you will pattern every odd row and k every even row.
6) K32
7) K5, yo, ssk, p1, k2tog, yo, k6. 16 sts.
9) K4, yo, k1, ssk, p1, k2tog, k1, yo, k5.
11) K3, yo, k2, ssk, p1, k2tog, k2, yo, k4.
13) K2, yo, k3, ssk, p1, k2tog, k3, yo, k3.
15) K2, k2tog, yo, k7, yo, ssk, k3.
17) K2, k2tog, k1, yo, k5, yo, k1, ssk, k3.
19) K2, k2tog, k2, yo, k3, yo, k2, ssk, k3.
21) K2, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, ssk, k3.
22-29) repeat first half of pattern from row 6.
Insert a short row heel on side opposite of pattern.
30-37) repeat second half of pattern (rows 14-21).
Knit in spiral to desired height (about four rows) and make an EZ super stretchy bind off.

Thrumming is inserted down center of pattern, and along footbed, moving diagonally two rows and two stitches for next point.
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My sister's house slippers, in brown, were done on size 10 needles and without thrumming or lace pattern. Five more rows were added to the footbed (35 total) to compensate for a smaller gauge.

Happy No Longer Holiday Season!

I am so happy that I managed to finish everything for my family! I still have several gifts for friends on the needles, but meh, I'm spreading the Holiday Cheer ^_^



Just in december, I managed to make the thrummed slippers for my mom, regular house slippers for my sister, fingerless mitts for her husband and two kids, and Snoopy Pilot Scarfs for Rudy and Chris (k1, p1 in 50/50 silk/wool; quite yummy!). Individual patterns to come shortly.



For me, Jessie got me some wonderful alpaca to spin, and Erin got me some Manos, which I'm dying to make into gauntlets and a hat! Erin, and her fiance Drew, are now the proud owners of my Leaf and Steelers socks (and a howling monkey that loves Pittsburgh), and Jessie's husband Matt now owns a Funny Metal Hat. Her belly dancing gear has gotten much better tips and is currently being produced in my basement...




I made a Chunky Button-Up Cowl for my boss, and I am ALMOST FUCKING DONE with my orange headwarmer thing. I can't believe how busy I've been for the past couple of months! In store for me now, I should be making a Quadrat in a KAL with nanonukie and a bitterroot shawl just because. I bought some skeins of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk, and hope it will be enough!

Oh, and I also knit a horrible cabled scarf for my roommate's father's new wife.