Saturday, September 25, 2004

Ravenclaw Scarf

Well... I started the Ravenclaw Scarf for my lil sis. It's great. I knitted about 12 inches and realized it was going to be waaaaay too big. Suggested gauge was about 5 stitches 6 rows/inch, and mine was 4.75 stitches 6 rows/inch, but somehow it ended up that the stripes were a bit wide (about 8 in instead of 7) and waaaaay too long (almost 4 inches compared to 3...)

So I did what I had to do... ribbit. My lil sis is only 5'2", and the scarf was about to be 5'11" or so... Anyway, I adjusted the pattern a bit and now it's much better, with just a smidgen over 3' stripes. I'm about halfway through stripe seven. I'll post a pic later when I'm not so lazy.

As for the baby sweater, it now has two sleeves (just imagine!) and has become a bit of a pain to tote around. I'm thinking I'll just work on it at home and take the scarf with me, although soon that will be too long to be portable and I'll have to start something else... Don't want to mop the floor of the subway or anything! Socks maybe?

Friday, September 17, 2004

First sleeve done!

Well, I've finished the first sleeve of my baby sweater. It looks fairly good. Hopefully the stitches will even out a bit after sitting a while and washing. Now onward to the other sleeve!


Thursday, September 16, 2004

First time with DPNs

I've moved to DPNs for the first sleeve of the baby sweater. Now that I'm doing it (and it really isn't that hard) I've realized that the sleeve of a tiny baby sweater is probably not the best first DPN project, simply because it's so small.

However it's going just fine, thanks to a cool tip I read about stitching the first stitch on the next needle so it's not always the same stitch from one needle to the next.

Problem is I'm leaving for my school retreat tomorrow, and a DPN project is not the most portable... Maybe I'll bring it, and something else for the bumpy bus ride.

Yarn, yay!

Today I headed over to school for a morning meeting about a class we're taking.

Afterwards I headed to an area yarn shop. See, last night at SnB, I met two girls who work at said yarn shop, and casually mentioned in some context how I would love to work in a yarn shop. So one of the girls, a manager, says 'Why don't you?'

Problem is I'm technically not allowed to work anywhere because of my school stipend. Well, turns out they let people 'volunteer' to put price stickers on merchandise, and pay you with store credit. Bingo! So today I stickered for about 4 hours and got $32 in lovely store credit. It's great because it allows me to 1) Hang out in a yarn store and absorb knowledge from cool people. 2) Get free yarn. 3) Make friends!

Then I returned home to find my super-secret-Harry-Potter-scarf-yarn here! Unfortunately no needles yet because I ordered them from somewhere else... So I guess I'll be working more on that baby sweater.

Sunday, September 12, 2004

Well, I realized that the recipients of my gifts are very unlikely to find this blog, so I can reveal their ultra-secret identities.

1. Currently working on a baby sweater for my friend L. It's a light green cardigan, since I don't know the gender of the future child.

2. Going to make a red and black chenille afghan for my sister Gina for Christmas/her birthday depending on how hard it is to get it finished. Might use extra yarn for a hat and scarf for my other sister.

3. Super secret Harry Potter scarves for me (Ravenclaw) and Robb (Slytherin). I'm excited to make these, just waiting for the yarn!

4. At some forseeable time in the future, a felted bag for myself.

5. Afghan squares for an exchange.

I really do have to take pictures later!

Friday, September 10, 2004

More yarn than I know what to do with!

Well, I've recently acquired a lot of yarn, so now I just have to project it! The baby sweater is going surprisingly well! The pattern is getting a bit harder to count, but I found this cool counter thingy at the store today so I'll try it with that.

Also got the yarn on eBay for some Christmas presents, and some yummy soft yarn for a scarf for myself, and some yarn for a super-secret project ordered online!

Sock Yarn

    A quest to use sock yarns:

    Yarns I've had:
    * means I really liked it

    4-ply Soft
    A Piece of Vermont*
    Alpafina
    Artsygal*
    Artyarns Supermerino*
    Austermann Step
    BMFA Sock Candy*
    Black Bunny Fibers*
    Brown Sheep Naturespun Sport
    Chinese Mystery sock yarn
    Claudia's Handpaints
    Conjoined Creations Flat Feet
    Crystal Palace Maizy
    CTH Supersock
    Dicentra Designs
    Dorchester Farms
    Fabel
    Fearless Fibers
    Fixation*
    Gloss (KP)
    handspun
    Inspinknity*
    Interlacements Beibi Seda
    Interlacements Tiny Toes
    Interlacements Toasty Toes
    Jarbo Raggi
    JKnits*
    Jojoland Melody
    Koigu*
    Kona Superwash
    KP Essential
    KP Merino
    KP Palette
    Limbo
    Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock*
    Macek Designs
    Madelinetosh
    Magic Stripes
    Mega Boots Stretch
    Microspun
    Nature's Palette
    Noro Kureyon Sock
    Opal
    Panda Cotton
    Paton's Kroy*
    Peru DK
    Peruvian Quechua
    Regia Bamboo*
    Regia Cotton
    Regia Strato*
    Ruby Sapphire
    Sockotta
    Socks That Rock*
    Star (Classic Elite)
    Stitch Jones
    Sunshine Yarns*
    Three Fates Cauldron Sock*
    TOFUtsies
    Trekking*
    Wick
    Wildfoote*
    Wollmeise*
    Wool Ease
    Yarn Pirate*

    In Progress:

    Perchance to Knit
    Regia
    Vesper
    Yarns in the stash:

    All Things Heather
    Ancient Threads
    Apple Laine
    Araucania Ranco
    Artyarns Ultramerino
    Autumn House Farm
    Baby Ull
    Ball and Skein
    Baywood Yarns
    Bearfoot (Mountain Colors)
    Briar Rose Fibers
    Brooklyn Handspun
    Cavyshops Handpaint
    C*eye*ber Fiber
    Cervinia Calzetteria
    CTH Superglitz
    Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks
    Chewy Spaghetti
    Classic Elite Alpaca Sox
    Colinette Cadenza
    Colinette Jitterbug
    Country Classic Yarn for Sox
    Crash Into Ewe
    Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop
    Curious Yarns
    Done Roving
    Dream in Color
    Duet (A Swell Yarn Shop)
    Dye Dreams
    Ellen's Half Pint Farm
    End of the World Farm
    Fashion Trend Sportivo
    The Fiber Denn
    Fleece Artist
    The Flock Bransonas
    Fortissima
    French Hill Farm
    Froehlich Blauband
    Fyberspates
    geeyouknit!
    Gjestal Silja
    Great Adirondack Soxie
    Greenwood Fiberworks
    Jaeger Matchmaker
    Jarbo Mini Raggi
    Jawoll
    Jawoll Cotton
    Just Our Yarn
    Knit Purl Natural Collection
    Kona Superwash
    KP Dancing
    KP Essential Tweed
    Lime & Violet
    Lisa Souza
    Louet Gems Pearl
    Luxe
    Mama Llama
    Merlin the Cat
    Meilenweit Cotton
    Meilenweit Trend
    Mind's Eye Merino/Tencel
    Mirasol Hacho
    Misty Mountain Farm
    The Natural Dye Studio
    Neighborhood Fiber Company
    Over the Rainbow Twinkletoes
    Peterle
    Pigeon Roof Studios
    Pine Woods
    Posh Yarn Lucia
    Prism Saki
    Pucker Brush Farm
    Regia Surf
    Reynolds Swizzle
    Reynolds Soft Sea Wool
    Rio De La Plata
    Royale Hare
    Roz Houseknecht
    Schaefer Anne
    Scout's Swag
    Sheep Shop Wensleydale
    Shelridge Farm
    ShibuiKnits
    Sockenwolle Unipo
    Spirit Trail Fiberworks
    Spunky Eclectic
    Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle
    Sundara Yarn
    Sweetgeorgia
    Tess Designer Yarns
    Twisted
    The Unique Sheep
    Universal Ditto
    Valley Yarns Franklin
    vanCalcar Acres
    White Oak Studio tvyarn
    Wisdom Yarns Marathon
    Wool in the Woods
    The Woolen Rabbit
    Yarn Botanika Radiance
    Yarntini
    Ysolda Yarn
    Zen Yarn Garden


    To check out:

    Pippikneesocks
    Sophie's Toes
    The Spinning Bunny Yarns BFL

WIPs and FOs