knitting needle a-PLODE!

ok, I haven't updated this blog in ages, because I've been sewing instead of knitting. BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH FASTER. But I'll probably start up again now that it's starting to feel like Fall. Here's an article from the Port Townsend Leader that I found quite interesting:

The case of the exploding knitting needle

love coaster

This is the base of the heart-shaped basket or mini-trays, but I was too lazy to finish the edges according to the pattern. I used it to practice needle felting: "love." Needle felting is fun! And easy! I approve.


felted "love" coaster 

Heartfelt Expressions

that's Fiber Trends' name for the pattern, not mine. I wasn't completely happy with this pattern. Picking up the stitches in a heart shape was rather annoying, and there were some other minor issues as well. I've felted it twice now, and the basket is still floppy, so it's not very good for holding things. bah.


felted heart-shaped basket 

Life Aquatic beanie pattern

(Ned/Owen Wilson version)



This is a simple knitted hat worked in single rib stitch on circular needles.

Materials

-1 100g skein worsted weight red wool yarn (you'll have plenty left over)
-5mm/US size 8 16" circular needles
-1 stitch marker (or paperclip, etc.)
-darning needle or yarn needle for sewing up top of hat
-1 small rectangle of black fabric 2"x3"
-3 buttons: 1 each red, yellow, and green
-black thread and sewing needle

Cast on 82 stitches using the cable cast-on method.

Knitting the Body

Row 1: *K1, P1 repeat from * to the end of row.

Place marker in the first stitch to mark the beginning of a row. Join
yarn, and begin knitting in the round, in the same pattern as Row 1. Work
in the round, in K1, P1 rib stitch until your knitted tube measures 8.5
inches in length.

Decrease

Last Row: *K2tog repeat from * (41 stitches)

Cast off.

Cut yarn, keeping a tail (about 1 foot) for sewing up.

Finishing

Fold the cast off edge in half, with your yarn tail at the center of one
side. You will be sewing through the decrease row. First attach the
opposite side to the root of your tail. Then, bring in the points at the
folds to the center, betwen your tail and opposite point. This will create
an X shape. Sew along this X to close off the top of hat. Weave in ends.



Traffic Light

Cut a piece a small rectangle of black fabric measuring roughly 2"x3". Tuck under half an inch on each side and sew down. If you're using felt, fleece or another non-fraying fabric, just cut a piece 1"x2". Sew buttons onto black fabric in a column from top to bottom: green, yellow, red. This is upside-down from normal traffic lights, but it's accurate to the movie. Using black thread attach your traffic light to the inside of your hat with the green button closest to the bottom edge. Fold the brim up, and wear!

Life Aquatic hat at 100% completion!

Pattern coming soon... stay tuned!


Life Aquatic beanie 

Stitches West radio report

There's a segment from KQED's California Report about Stitches West. (Scroll down to "Knitting Becomes an Industry") A couple neat statistics, and a few truths about the way Americans buy yarn. I'm not sure I agree with the "fellowship" thing, maybe that woman, like me, just finished the Lord of the Rings on audiobook. hoom.

another convert

I taught my friend Sarah to knit today, and she's a natural. Her stitches are beautifully even, as you can see in the picture below--I'm so proud. I cast on 20 stitches for her, and she got quite a lot done before leaving our apartment 3 hours later. She's working a garter-stitch scarf in some brown merino aran I picked up at Stitches West for $3 a skein. There was no label on the yarn, but it looks hand-dyed, and there are ligher brown/reddish bits. It was a bargain, and I knew someone would be able to use it. Perfect for a new knitter, as I think everyone should start with wool, and merino is softer on the hands. I can't wait to see the finished product.

I have a couple felted items drying in my living room right now knit from a new Fiber Trends pattern for a heart-shaped basket, tray and coaster: a cotton-candy-pink heart basket in Cascade 220, and also a red coaster from leftover Gryffindor yarn... though I didn't quite follow the coaster pattern, which is often the way with me and patterns. I decided to felt the items by hand, rather than in the washing machine, since the pattern gave both options. Hand-felting is a bitch. It's like whisking something for 20 minutes, only you're using your bare hands and you're in constant contact with really hot water. I was also (rather stupidly) doing this while bent over the bathtub, so now my back aches along with my arms. And still, they're not as felted as I'd like. I might have to throw them into the machine with the next batch, but I'll let them dry before I decide.

Sarah's first 6 inches of knitting! 

1st of the year

I woke up this *morning*. Yes, before noon! I had to, kind of... Debbie was coming over to watch lots of Fruits Basket and eat lots of food mentioned in the show. One of the main problems with watching anime is becoming very sad when I can't eat the deliciously-drawn food on the screen. So this year, we come prepared. The mochi ice cream was in the freezer, plum wine in the fridge... I made Japanese curry (which we actually ate while watching the the Princess Diaries 2--yikes! horrible sequel!), onigiri (the onigiri-filled culture fest episode of Furuba), and soba (New Year's episode, of course).

knitting also happened: Debbie finished her diagonal-stripy scarf in Noro Oimochan, and My Gameboy Advance SP is now sleeping comfortably in beautiful Noro wool Kureyon...

a toasty, wool-happy GameboyAdvanceSP! 

oh yes, my tea *will* stay warm this winter!

My holiday knitting project is completed... behold, the tea cosy! I looked at a couple of knitted tea cosy patterns and then came up my own variant to make this stripy bit of Christmastime. It was knitted on double pointed needles (bamboo, of course) with Cascade's Lana d'Oro yarn--50% alpaca/50% superfine wool. I'm going to replace the red yarn bow as soon as I find a red ribbon that matches.

holiday tea cosy!