When Worlds Collide…

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

So I mentioned that I was doing a little designing? Yep. Look!  It’s a toe!

We picked up new dice bags at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo a couple of weekends ago.  Not really much to report on that front…it was fun, we saw quite a few of our friends, spent a bit of money on new artwork for our home, and got really sore feet. I recommend going on Friday, because Saturday was far too crowded. That aside, we picked up the aforementioned dice bags from Dragon Chow (or someone representing them). Robin has a Cthulhu dice bag and a Sushi-print bag, and I have a black cat bag in addition to the Tardis bag. They do not double as project bags.  They aren’t big enough.  That’s ok…we’re nerdy enough to have dice aplenty to populate our new dice bags. (And what do you think of my somewhat Tardis-y blue dice?  Pretty smokin’, huh?  They’re actually a deep blue-ish shade of purple, but I’ll always think of them as my Tardis Dice :)

And then there’s the collision of two different worlds here…I noticed that the colours in the 2nd HitchHiker scarf that I cast on are pretty close to the colours on the cover of the new(ish) edition of Shadowrun (4th Edition). I’m still learning all the rules of the game, but having a good, mindless knit to work on while this happens is fantastic. I’m enjoying reading up on the world the game is set in, and it’s helping me kick-start my imagination…which is never a bad thing!

 

Enhanced by Zemanta
Leave a comment

Best things in life?

Posted on May 5, 2012 by

See, this is why I’m glad I took a walk last night. Because around here, you’re never sure the weather’s going to last.

Yep.  Big fluffy flakes. And before anyone asks, yes, that’s an ashtray on the deck railing. We no longer smoke, but we have friends who do – and it’s just easier to keep an ashtray handy rather than making them loiter at the front of the house looking suspicious.

While we were on our walk yesterday, we stopped by the Safeway for something to drink. I was very happy to see that Snapple now has a 0-carbohydrate “Diet” drink, for those of us looking for the occasional beverage that isn’t water or a soda.  Personally, I’m trying to cut out the soda (it has started doing ugly things to my digestion), and I generally don’t believe in buying bottled water (I’d rather think ahead and bring a reusable bottle of my own). It was really nice to see a Snapple product that fit the bill.  The one negative? Aspartame. I find that aspartame usually has an aftertaste, which is why I switched to sucralose. Luckily, the Snapple drink doesn’t seem to have that aftertaste, for which I’m thankful.

So, while it may not be the best thing in life, it’s certainly better. And that’s nothing to sneeze at, really.

Enhanced by Zemanta
Leave a comment

Reinventing the Wheel

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

Once in a while I get this rush of productivity and glee, and think to myself that what I’m doing is so great and original…and then I find out that someone got there before me. We were watching some Dr. Who (still getting caught up on the past few years, so…no spoilers!) and I remembered something…which had me going to the stitch dictionaries. I actually was inspired to knit socks!  Socks of a Whovian theme!

And then, after picking out what looked (to me) like the perfect lace pattern & readjusting needle sizes…and knitting about halfway up the foot….I found out that what I was doing was essentially the same as a knitty pattern (only upside down, because upside down my swatch looked entirely different).  Needless to say, that has been ripped out and I had to go back to the drawing board.

Yep. I literally drew out what I had finally decided was going to be my inspiration (and now discerning Dr. Who fans probably know where I’m ultimately going with this). I’m somewhat surprised that my sketch actually turned out looking like what I was wanting to draw. Proof that not all my skills from Art College have totally atrophied. If all goes well and the sock comes out looking nice, I’ll put the pattern up on Ravelry. Because I’m goofy like that. These socks will be knit on either 2.25 or 2.5mm Addi Turbo needles, using Lorna’s Laces Solemate in “Navy Pier”, because the blues are very Tardis-like (prior to LL having released a Tardis-themed colourway, which I covet.  Me Wants!!)

Now I just have to decide whether it’s going to be toe-up or cuff-down, and what kind of heel. Admittedly, cuff-down would work best with the kind of cuff I’m planning, but that can always be worked around.  Feel free to leave a comment with your opinions.

There’s a part of me that’s thinking of doing a couple of pattern sets. I was kinda inspired by the Comic Expo this past weekend.  More on that later :)

Leave a comment

Don’t Panic!

Posted on April 27, 2012 by

Meet my buddy Max

Max is a Phrenology head. He is currently modelling Robin’s Bowler hat and 2-Row Noro Scarf (Robin accused me of dressing Max up, but I maintain it’s to keep the hat from getting crushed). Max sits in our front hallway, where he can greet people as they come through the door.  Eventually, I will have a hat for every season for him. Until then, he makes a great hat-stand for the Bowler. Max is going to help me out today by modelling my latest finished project: my Noro 2-Row HitchHiker (Pattern by Martina Behm).

It isn’t blocked, but it’s nice and big. I’ve tried it on and it actually wraps around my shoulders and can be loosely tied in front with enough of a tail hanging down to look cheerily jaunty. It’s warm, too. It’s going to make a really nice, warm, small wrap. I cast off using Jeni’s Surprisingly Stretchy Castoff (or at least, my version of it). Makes me wonder how big this scarf will be when I finally get around to blocking it.

I also really love the colours. I’ve probably mentioned that before, but the colour vs white striped look is very pretty together.  Definitely a woman’s scarf.  Can’t see the Husbeast stealing it (though if I re-knit the scarf in manly colours, all bets might be off, and it definitely IS something I’m considering).

And yes. I’ve already cast on another one.  Did I mention I like this pattern?  I like this pattern.  Best (approximately) 4 bucks spent evar (well, if I was paying the individual price. I actually bought the 4-pattern collection for about $13, which is what 11 Euros translated to at the time).

 

(I apologize for the grainy-ness of the photos. I’ve found that my iPod can sometimes take the best photos ever in the lowest light possible, but the resulting quality is unpredictable. I’d have hooked up my digital camera, but wasn’t sure the batteries were working & I didn’t have a transfer cable handy).
2 Comments

Moar Stripes

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

I have a weird feeling that this scarf/shawlette may actually fit me. I’m also impressed with the camera in my iPod (it’s been handy, and doesn’t seem to distort colour the way my cell phone recently has).

The “point” of the scarf (and thus the current “middle” of the scarf) is up on the stool. That stuff hanging down? That’s one full side of the scarf. This puppy is going to be long.

Because, you see, I’m only halfway through both balls of yarn. Sure, you can’t see them to scale with anything but each other, but trust me…I’ve got another couple of days of happy, care-free knitting before I have to make decisions about what I could/should be knitting on next **

I love shawlettes, but I have to say that the wearing of them is horribly skewed towards skinny/”Normal” sized ladies. I’m sure that blocking wires could be my best friend when it comes to this issue, but I never feel that my shawlettes are quite long enough. And if you keep knitting on them, they just seem to get deeper, rather than getting longer in the arms. I admit it…I’m fat. I have more neck and shoulder area to cover, and I’d rather not look like I’m trying to wear something made for a toddler. This particular design, with it’s elongated shape, might be one of those shawls that actually fits.

It’s also really really warm. I realized this as I was bringing it back into the house, draped over my arm. The Weather Network says that it’s 14 degrees out there (57 degrees for non-Canadians who don’t believe in Celsius), and the area the scarf was covering was starting to get a couple of heat prickles. Say what I will about Noro, they know how to make yarn to keep you cozy. This will definitely be a fall/winter scarf.

 

**The Yarn Harlot expounded on her Inner Knitter today, and pretty much got mine bang-on. Except that mine’s a couple of years older, going on a Siouxie and The Banshees/The Cure jag, and has been cranky at me for the past 7 years that she’s been unable to indulge her craving for a clove cigarette.

Leave a comment

Don’t Panic

Posted on April 7, 2012 by

Remember this?

It’s been ripped back and now being knit as such:

May I just say that I’m loving the HitchHiker pattern by Martina Behm?  And that I’m particularly loving it as a Noro striped-scarf?

I’m also thinking that the pattern might be a good knit for some of my completed handspun. It’s definitely worth a try!  And will probably go faster than juggling two balls of yarn at the same time. Thinking that if I’m not tired of the pattern by the time I’m done this scarf, it may go on the list of upcoming projects :D

Let me just say that I’m not the biggest fan of Noro…I don’t particularly like the inconsistent gauge of the yarn. However, I’m willing to overlook that for the silk content. I can already tell that once it’s washed and blocked, it will be soft and warm for spring and fall (maybe even winter!), but I’m thinking that I could have gotten a similar effect with some less-fussy yarn from the store. I just didn’t feel like spending money when I had a whole triangle of yarn that was sitting around getting absolutely no use whatsoever ;)

Leave a comment

Clockwork (with orange! Really!)

Posted on April 4, 2012 by

Not exactly a WIP for Wednesday…I cast off my Clockwork Scarf yesterday!

I decided that the deck post could do the modelling for me. At some point I may get Robin to do the honours, maybe on a less-overcast day. The scarf needs to be blocked, but even so, it still looks wonderful. I think that the gauge shortened the length a little, but that can be blocked out. I may attempt this again but with a lighter gauge of fingering weight yarn.

I was right about the colours, though. The oranges, greys and blacks just kinda *pop* against the charcoal grey of the “spokes”. Seeing as how the yarn is Kroy (Patons Kroy in “Gentry Grey” and “Burnished Sierra Stripe”), it should be one heck of a warm scarf.

I’ve been letting my fingers rest since casting off. They hurt a bit, from moving stiffly crammed stitches down my straight needles. I will admit that I never used to enjoy using straight needles, but since learning how to lever-knit, it’s a lot easier. It’s still something I’m practicing, so I’m not exactly ready to knit Estonian lace on them, but for mostly garter-stitch items, it’s a win!

Trying to figure out what to work on once the fingers stop aching.  Maybe go back to my blanket? Cast on a HitchHiker or Wingspan? Maybe…I dunno….find a nice, simple pair of (gasp!) socks?  I guess we’ll see!

Leave a comment

I baked! (kinda)

Posted on March 31, 2012 by

I took this

and turned it into this:

I’m frankly surprised it worked *at all*. You see, it’s a mix that uses yeast. Way too late, I remembered my Mum’s advice to not “kill the yeasties”, as they’re what make the dough rise. For starters, I used cold milk instead of room-temperature. Second, I used Splenda instead of sugar.  So not only did I create an poor environment for the poor things, I also starved them.  Then I forgot to add the melted butter. Either way, the group around the table appear to have liked it, particularly the person with Celiac disease. It tasted good slathered with butter, as a compliment to chili – and that was the goal.  Yay!

The husbeast has dubbed it “Cram“.

Apparently Gluten-Free breads are notorious for being awful. This turned out not-too bad. If, maybe, I’d used Sugar and Oil, it might have been even more awesome.

Leave a comment

Like Clockwork

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

Not much going on, knit-wise, but that scarf I showed on the 24th?  It’s grown!

The Clockwork scarf is basically knit in two sections. I’m finished the first half and am  working my way through the second. I’m starting to run out of room on the needles, and I think that’s due to the fact that Kroy tends to be closer to a DK weight than the light/fingering weight called for in the pattern. I’m still not sure who belongs to this scarf – while I suspect Robin, I keep thinking of his maternal grandfather whenever I see the way the colours pop. It’s possible that his Granddad has a sweater with these colours that I’m vaguely remembering.  Whoever gets it will likely wind up being nice and warm!

Leave a comment

A little distraction

Posted on March 24, 2012 by

I keep meaning to work on the sleeves for Robin’s sweater, but I keep getting distracted.

That’s about an inch or two of Stephen West’s Clockwork being knit in two different colourways of Kroy sock yarn on size 5 straight needles.  Colour A is “Gentry Gray” and colour B is “Burnished Sierra Stripe”. I was a bit worried that the combination would be too dark, and the colour would be lost among the grey, but it appears to be working just fine.

(And yes, two posts in one week?!  Yep. Taking advantage of a little downtime & making an effort to share a bit more) :)

1 Comment