WIPping Along

Since I’m on a posting jag, and I have some yarn giveaways to follow up on (and new ones to link to) I think it’s time to get all my readers caught up on my current project list.

What I’m Doing Now

Yarn Work

Chuppah

Yes, it was used in the wedding.  Yes, it was beautiful.  No it’s not ‘properly finished’.  Yes, this is another example of me being lame…

As you can see, it was light enough to be caught by the wind, which was a good thing.  Now I just need to finish putting the little flower motifs between all the bigger ones.  Not difficult, but it’s large enough to be unwieldy and unportable.

Hopefully I can give it to them on their first anniversary!

Hermit Crab Amigurumi

My friend Colleen has hermit crabs.  Last fall, when she went on vacation, she asked DD#2 to crab sit.  She gave us all the instructions, and an isolation tank to use if one of the three was unwell or being bullied.

We ended up using it when “Wonton” began to bury himself.  Poor DD kept digging him up, and was eventually convinced that he was dead, but kept misting him daily because she didn’t want to admit defeat.  When Colleen came back she was impressed that DD had nursed him (successfully) through a molt!  I am making her this little guy,

It’s the Hermit Crab from Hansi Singh’s Amigurumi Knits (it’s a Goodreads link, you can use the Amazon link from within Ravelry and give them the referrer’s cut…)

Unfortunately, the tight gauge makes my hands hurt, and it’s definitely not driving knitting anyway, so I’ve got a third project.

Les Miserables Shawl

I’m using the  Old Maiden Aunt “Moody” laceweight yarn I won in a giveaway from Knitting Pipeline back in 2010, and I’m knitting Les Miserables (by Cynthia Parker, published in Handheld Knitting).

Useful Resource

I’ve found that the amigurumi knitting is both physically and mentally intensive, so that I can’t do it for too long at a go without my hands complaining.  So far I’ve just switched to the less intense shawl project, but thanks to a post I found at Knitfreedom, now I have 5 Stretches to Relieve Knitting Pain.  Of course, I first read this as “5 Stitches to Relieve Knitting Pain”, which was even more exciting, but I’m still happy to have found it.

Other Projects

March is National Novel Editing Month (NaNoEdMo).  Since I finished NaNoWriMo last year I’ve signed up for it.  Here’s hoping that in April I’ll have a draft I feel confident in showing to others…

Blog Contests and Giveaways

I didn’t win the Retrobaby giveaway, or the Twist & Twine giveaway, but Earthmama 101 has a giveaway which will be of interest to parents of young children.  Natalie Servant Designs is giving away a wonderful skein of yarn hand dyed by Indigodragonfly, but I’m not sure I can write a limerick for yarn, so I’m holding off on this one (I’ve tweeted about it though, that’s worth something, right?).  Also followed up on the Knitfreedom handspun giveaway and free pattern. I entered the Red Heart Yarn of the Month giveaway as well (after checking out projects made with it on Ravelry)  If I actually had any Malabrigo I’d join Mr. Yarn’s Malabrigo March giveaways – but you have to have some to win some. 

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Just Knitting

Haven’t won any of the previous contests, so here is another one. Purls Entwined is hosting a sock pattern giveaway (deadline is the 21st).

The cuffs are working well. I’ve gotten to the split for the thumb. I slipped six stitches onto waste yarn, and cast on fourteen with a reverse loop. I thought I’d be clever, and break the yarn then cast on with something particularly clever, but really messed myself up and went back to basics. Just one more set of ends to work in, right?

I’m knitting the new stitches in two by two rib, like the rest of the cuffs (did I even mention that before? They’re to match the socks) and decreasing every few rows. Seems to be working well so far. Still wish I had a camera…

Meanwhile, DH has asked for a hat. Unfortunately not one which looks like a pokeball, one he’d actually wear. So I’ve found a nice Raglan Hat pattern on Ravelry, and gotten some wool. Second WIP coming soon!

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Aaaaaargh!

It must be scream like a f*ing pirate day, because I just realized how badly I’ve messed up Haruni part B.  As in, now I need to frog back all 11 rows I’ve done on it.

I was so SURE I had downloaded the corrected pattern (but apparently I hadn’t), even sent notes to the designer to make sure I was knitting it right, and still I managed to totally mess up the repeat structure.  I think I know what’s needed now, though.

So, back in the freezer with it, and I will just have to go to my socks for comfort knitting.

Did I mention the benefits of multiple WIPs?

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Multiple WIPs Again!

Well, didn’t win the Knit – A- While Vampire Giveaway.  Ah, well. so it goes, there’s a great KnitCircus giveaway from Sunsetcat

toes and beginning of ribbing on size one circs...

On the plus side, I cast on Ann Bud’s “On Your Toes” socks from Interweave knits. Used Judy Becker’s Magic Cast On (which I love, btw).   It’s a nice, simple pattern, perfectly suitable for TV knitting or late night casual conversation knitting.  The Knit Picks yarn is a great change from my love-hate relationship with mohair as well.  It’s well behaved and doesn’t surprise me (and it looks yummy too).

As I mentioned in the Labor Day Episode of the Ramblin Ambler, I got mixed up about the size of the Addi circs in my knitting bag, and wasted time buying more US #2′s when I needed #1′s. Fortunately, the LYS was really nice about letting me swap them, so that’s cool. (Of course, I probably should have gotten shorter circs, but live and learn).

I’m still working on Haruni (and well into Part B now, need to get a good picture of that I suppose).  Just getting to the point where that part is starting to ‘make sense’, and approaching yet another transition point.   I actually decided I had to print out the chart key, because otherwise I’ll never remember where it’s K2Tog first and Sl2K1PSSO for the other repeats and where it’s Sl2K1PSSO first and Sl1K1PSSO for all the others (or however it goes).

I also frogged the Calla.  I think it had just been hibernating too long, and when I picked it up again I couldn’t get the stitch counts right, and besides, the pattern really would have been better with a shinier yarn.  Maybe market bags for that cotton poly blend…?

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Rainy Day

Rainy Day

Originally uploaded by efbq

Pretty dramatic drive this morning. Nearly took a swim.  Still, it’s a break from the crazy heat we’ve been having.

More from the “It’s Got to Go Somewhere” category,  got to watch the replacement of my daughter’s windshield.  It was pretty wild.

The guy from Metro Auto Glass was polite, efficient, and did good work.  (I couldn’t find an actual MAG website, and the review I linked to was not positive, but, honestly, I recommend these guys).

I’ve put Haruni aside for a little while.  But rather than picking up Calla I zipped through a stash reduction bag with a Fibonacci stripe sequence.  Ended up jiggling the base size a bit, because my shortest Harmony cable was a bit stressed, so it’s a bit more substantial than I’d originally planned, but I think it will work fine once I’ve lined it.

I actually like the crossways garter stitch which I ended up with on the bottom of the bag.  Once I’ve got better pictures than the ones on Ravelry I’ll post some here.

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Ask and…

So, now that I’ve mentioned Cast-On withdrawel, Brenda has uploaded another episode.  Cool how that works, huh?

I’ve been procrastinating all morning (and babying myself after a migraine attack yesterday).  Haven’t done anything more useful than playing chauffer to DD#1.    Been working myself up to cast on Calla, a beautiful tank top from the late, lamented MagKnits which I found on Ravelry.    There are some great pics of it on the Same Knit Different Day blog.  It’s been a while since I’ve had two projects going at once, but Haruni’s tiny lace stitches seem like a huge challenge while I’m still headache fogged. 

Waffling about casting on yet, I’m still thinking through the mods I want to make.    Do I really want all those rows of eyelets, or should I turn some to twists or cable braids?   I’m pretty sure I want the back plainer than the front, but not sure how much plainer.  I won’t even worry about the neckline/straps until I get close to them, but the basic cable pattern I should plan out before starting.

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Growing the Feather and Fan

Well, I’ve been working on the Haruni, and it’s coming along nicely.  I’m getting used to the Claudia’s Handpainted Mohair as well.  That beautiful halo (which I love, BTW) comes from horrible, hairy, loosely plied yarn, which I didn’t think I could tolerate.  Who knows, by the time the project’s done I might well miss it.

I’ve been dealing with Cast-On withdrawal by working through the CraftLit back catalog.  This is actually more entertaining than downloading directly from Libravox, both for the book-clubish elements and because rather than choosing from hundreds of books I’ve been choosing from a limited library.  Just finished Turn of the Screw, and am in the middle of A Tale of Two Cities.  I’m thinking I’ll skip Frankenstein, because that would be re-reading, and it’s not the point of the exercise.

I’ll probably be starting another project in the next few days.  It’s always nice to have more than one thing on the needles.  I’m also considering joining a yarn swap.  If I do it, I’ll post it.

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I really should know better…

Note to self – when you decide to double the yarn to get a thicker gauge, DOUBLE the yarn you buy!

The cast on is beautiful.  The cabling is coming along nicely.  The yarn shop can’t lay hands on the same color of Lang Pearl…   I’m very sad right now.

So, I’ve got two other projects going in parallel.  A simple, repetitive pattern called ‘dream swatch’ and a crochetted hat.   I’ll call the LYS again today.

Lion Brand Incredible City Lights

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