...Somewhere Between the Stitches...

Knitting for Baby

2012-01-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

It's been quite some time since I posted last--my Etsy shop is actually keeping me pretty busy. Well, that and having two little boys to take care of. Not to mention the fact that this pregnancy is getting more and more difficult with each passing day... I'm on modified bedrest at this point, although I know I'm doing a terrible job of it. I should be staying off my feet, but it's impossible with two kids! This last week, my brother's been around, so it's been a bit easier, but I still have to go up and down the stairs more often than I should... Considering that standing up and walking a few steps typically brings on a contraction, and going up a flight of stairs brings on a really strong contraction... Sigh. I CANNOT wait to not be pregnant anymore! Just a little less than 6 weeks to go--then the torture will end! The latest physical symptom has been this dull, aching pain in my tailbone area that radiates down my legs. I know it's because of the pressure and the fact that my bones are stretching out so I'm not concerned about it, but... I guess I'm just tired of being physically miserable. Oh, and the last couple of days--it doesn't matter what I eat. I have an awful aftertaste in the back of my throat that just won't go away. :-(

Well... Onto happier things! My Etsy shop has been doing quite well, and I'm pleased to say that the first month of sales hasn't been so shabby! Right now, I'm offering free shipping on all domestic orders (Coupon code FREESHIP), so if you're thinking of getting something that isn't a pattern, now's the time! However, after spending the better part of the last month and a half stocking things in the shop, writing, editing, revising patterns... I decided to make a few things for Lady Penelope. So here's what I've made so far...

I finished the Maile Sweater a couple of months ago, but I had enough yarn to make a matching hat, so I made a companion hat using a single repetition of the lace pattern that's used in the sweater. After finishing it though, I think it would have looked much better with at least two repetitions... And I'm not about to frog it and start over, so it's just gotta do for now. I'm definitely planning to make this cardigan again--it's sooooo cute!--so the next time I make the hat, I'll write down the pattern to share.

After finishing the hat, I STILL had some yarn left over... So booties were next! I used the Baby Janes pattern, which calls for DK yarn, so I doubled up on the yarn from the Maile sweater, which was a fingering weight, and it came out perfectly. Obviously, it still needs a button. And because I doubled up on the yarn, the self-striping quality is gone, but the booties are so small that I don't think it makes much of a difference.

I also made a Puerperium cardigan for baby Penelope, which is adorable and a very quick knit (although the formatting of the pattern itself--the font and the multiple colors--drove me crazy). I think it turned out beautifully, and I love the color... I also made a matching hat and a pair of booties, which are soooo TINY and I can't imagine my baby's feet will be small enough to fit in here... But it's apparently the right size, so I guess her feet WILL be that small!

So this was supposed to be Penelope's coming home outfit, but DH isn't in love with the color of the yarn. :-( And he wants something in lavender. And only because I love my DH dearly, we went online together and picked out a lovely pattern AND he went through my stash and picked out a yarn... And this is what happened:

Obviously, the sweater still needs buttons, and both pieces still need to be blocked, but I think they turned out really well. I haven't been able to get the color of the yarn just right in the photos, but it's a lovely lavender color--just what DH wanted for his little girl. ;-) For the top, I used the Small Things Sweater pattern, which is a fantastic pattern. If you're looking for a baby sweater pattern, I highly recommend it. I made the newborn size, so I know I won't get a whole lot of wear out of this, but I knit it up in a day, so it's not like it took forever to make. I'm making another one for a cousin right now--and I need to finish it by tonight so my brother can take it with him to Korea!!--but it's going quicker this time because I don't have a contrast color garter tab, and I won't be doing the foldover mitts, which actually took quite some time.

For the pants, I modified the Leapfrog pattern by eliminating the cables along the sides, and adding a garter stitch cuff at the bottom to match the sweater. I had to teach myself how to do short rows, but that was pretty simple. I do love how it poofs out in the tushie to make room for bulky diapers. ;-)

Like I said, right now, I'm working on another Small Things sweater for a cousin's baby, and I also have another flower pattern in the works. Hopefully, that'll be live sometime this weekend. We have guests coming over for the weekend though, so I may not have the time to get it finished.

Well, the boys' naptime is quickly coming to an end, so I better wrap this up and get back to work on my knitting!

Keeping up!

2012-01-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

Phew! I'm having a tough time keeping up with everything these days! Although DH is being super helpful--especially on the housework front because I'm just about the size of a beached whale and by the end of the day, my feet are absolutely throbbing from all the extra weight I'm carrying--there just aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with all the crafty things I've got going on! I'm trying my hardest to keep Ravelry and Etsy updated with my new creations, and the latest pattern that I finished writing up and testing is the Starlight in Springtime fingerless mitt pattern!

Check it out on Ravelry or Etsy! And due to its popularity, I'm working on another simple (cheap) headband pattern. I hope to have it ready in the next couple of days!

A New Pattern

2011-12-29T15:59:00.001-05:00

So this is what I've been working on the past couple of days!

I wish the hat wasn't so small on poor Charlie's head! He kept telling me that he's "too big" for the hat... I really should make my sample hats in their size. Only problem with that is I'm so accustomed to making hats for them that "testing" 2-3 year old sizes aren't actually testing the patterns for me. I have to try out the smaller sizes to make sure that I'm getting the sizing correct. :-p

Anyway...

This adorable pixie hat was specifically designed with the beginner in mind. Or the crochet-er who’s tired of making hats in the round! It’s got everything you want in a hat for your favorite little pixie—a whole lot of cute, a little bit flair, and a touch of decorative lace!

The pattern is written for three sizes: 1-2 year (2-3 year, 3-4 year) and comes with measurements to help with sizing.

The pattern is available at jkwdesigns Etsy Shop or on Ravelry. You decide. ;-)

And We're in Business!

2011-12-28T16:53:00.000-05:00

All of the patterns discussed in this post are available for sale on Etsy

as well as on Ravelry. The advantage of Ravelry is that it's an instant download.

Since my last post, lots of exciting things have happened. Aside, of course, from the celebration of the holidays, which was a mixed bag here at the JuliaStitches household. We definitely had fun. This was the first Christmas that my boys seemed to have a grasp on what's going on (they'll be turning 3 in February), so it as really neat to watch them get excited about Santa Claus coming and opening presents the next morning. DH and I actually dragged our butts out of bed before the boys woke up so we could call them downstairs. And this NEVER happens! ;-) We also didn't travel anywhere this year or have anyone over, so it really was a relaxing 4 day weekend. On the other hand, all four of us were sick with a cold. Nothing too terrible, but four congested, snotty, slightly feverish people in one house is not a lot of fun. Thankfully, we all seem to be on the mend.

Anyway, on to crafting news! My Etsy shop, jkwdesigns, is getting bigger every day! I started out with 10 products, and I've more than doubled it in the past two weeks. I've been very busy writing patterns, testing, re-testing... And in the process of testing out all these patterns, I've also managed to make tons of headbands, hats, and flowers. My pattern sales are doing well, although, of course, they could always be better! And I'm working on some new hat patterns that I'm really excited about. The tough part is not having a little girl to photograph in all these hats! They look so much better on a human head, and although the boys will do it if I ask, they look so miserable in the photos... Particularly Lincoln. ;-)

So the only pattern that I'd introduced so far is the Sweet Magnolia pattern:

I worked long and hard on the Gardenias for Lady Day pattern, and I went through a number of prototypes before settling on this design. I think it turned out pretty great--worthy of the great Billie Holiday? Maybe?

Because I was experimenting with all these flowers, I needed someplace for them to go. So I whipped up this crochet headband/earwarmer pattern, and it's actually been doing quite well in terms of sales! It's absolutely suitable for beginners, so if you're looking for something quick and easy, this is definitely the pattern for you. You don't have to worry about gauge--just get started and you'll be done before you know it!

Next, I worked on a pattern for a cloche hat because well... I just love them. And again, I needed something to do with the flowers that I'd made. ;-) It's super-stretchy and can fit a lot of different sizes, which is fantastic because I hate making hats for kids that will only last one season. With the band, it's easy to slightly tighten the hat so it doesn't fall off a little one's head and gradually let out some of the band to accommodate a quickly growing child.

And my final work--I just wish the photos did the hat justice. It's adorable. You can take my word for it. ;-)

I just wish there were more hours in a day because once I can actually settle down to do some serious work (that's after the boys have gone to bed), I really only have a couple of hours before I've got to turn in for the night or risk being an absolute zombie the next day. And it doesn't help that this baby is literally trying to push her way out of me through my belly button...

I'm working on a new pattern right now for an adorable baby hat with a bit of a pixie twist... Then I've got an idea for a vintage inspired baby bonnet in the works... It's almost like my brain is in complete over-drive right now. My hands can't work fast enough for all the ideas I have in my head.

Case in point: this morning, Charlie made something ridiculous with his Lego blocks and stood at the back of the couch and said, "Mommy! Look! I'm fishing!" I looked over and he'd put a bunch of red Lego blocks together to make a long tower-like thing and on top of that, he'd put a Lego gas hose, which I guess was for the fishing line. And immediately, I had to make my boys something that would allow them to "go fishing." So...Just from things I had around the house... I found two wooden dowels to use as fishing rods, some magnets, and, of course, yarn, and got to work. What resulted were 2 fishing poles (one blue and one green so there's no war over the fishing poles) with crochet "hooks" with magnets in them. I was working on the first fish when the boys woke up from their nap, and thankfully, Mr. Charlie waited (not-so) patiently for the second fish... Unfortunately, the magnets aren't quite strong enough... So I think I'll either have to make the fish one-dimensional or get stronger magnets. I'm leaning toward stronger magnets since the fish are pretty darn cute. ;-) And here's a crappy cell phone photo of my wonderful creation.

Crochet Magnolia Headband

2011-12-16T21:36:00.004-05:00

Woah! My 100th post! Who knew I would actually get this far? Considering the extended hiatus I took from all forms of crafting after my boys were born, I never thought I'd get back to this point. And who knows what'll happen once Lady Penelope gets here, but I've gotta keep my fingers crossed. I'm hopeful that I'll have time to make pretty things. It makes me so happy. :-)

Anyway, I have been plugging away, working on writing patterns, editing, taking photos... And here's one that I'm finally finished with! The Sweet Magnolia Pattern! The pattern is available through my Etsy shop (the link will take you right to the listing) or on Ravelry, and although the pattern is only for the flower, I'm also offering a pattern for a winter headband/earwarmer for free with the Magnolia pattern. The flower and the headband are pictured below.

And if you're one of my regular readers who "follows" my blog, send me an email by December 31, 2011 and I'll send you the pattern for free--my holiday gift to you! Happy Holidays! This offer is only good for my current followers, but if you're visiting my blog for the first time, I have other free patterns that you can enjoy (see the Free Patterns listed on the right), and I'll be sure to have more goodies and freebies in the future!

More Projects

2011-12-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

I've been a busy, busy crafting mama lately... Both for the holidays and for getting my butt in gear and actually OPENING my Etsy shop--jkwdesigns!!! So here's a quick rundown of what I've done in the past couple of weeks:

1) Lots of crochet flowers. I'm experimenting. After writing the Plumeria pattern, I decided I needed more flowers in my crafty life. I'm working on a magnolia pattern right now, one that doesn't require the sewing on of all those petals. I'm hoping that I can design one where at least the back row of petals are worked as one piece. I hate sewing individual knit/crochet pieces together.

2) Hats for gifts:

I used the Big Button Hat pattern for these, but obviously made one shorter than the other... I made the pink one first, and despite not knitting as many rounds as the pattern called for, the hat was still huge, so I made the second hat slightly shorter. I like the shorter one better, but it's just personal preference as I don't like hats to cover my eyebrows!

3) A growth chart for Charlie and Lincoln. The Caffeinated Mommy from Creative Momnesia, which I must say has been sadly neglected lately, found this adorable DIY growth chart, so I had to make one for each of the boys. I suppose I could have just made one for all the kids, but then which one would I give it to once they're older and having their own kids? So I've made two. Just one more to go for Lady Penelope!

4) I spent an inordinate amount of time designing a business card for my Etsy shop. Because I make ridiculous hats for my boys and take them out in public wearing said ridiculous hats, I'm often asked where I got them (the hats, not the boys). I wanted to have some business cards that I could give out to these inquisitive mamas! And after much twiddling, I went with an elegant cherry blossom design (I LOVE CHERRY BLOSSOMS!), and tried to print OVER.AND.OVER.AGAIN. With no luck. After I had essentially ruined the 7th sheet of business card paper, I did a quick Google search and discovered that it wasn't just me. My particular printer is actually incapable of printing the margins properly on the Avery Clean-Edge business cards. I felt vindicated! So I went online and just ordered some. 500 cards printed and delivered to my door for $20. I can handle that. Considering that I wasted about $10 worth of business card paper, the $20 is a small price to pay!

This is just the front side of the card--the back side gives some more details about what I make. I think it turned out kinda nice! I'm going to modify if for the banner on my Etsy shop.

Now, I just need someone to buy something! I only have 10 items listed right now, but it takes time to make things, and that's definitely something that I don't have enough of... Time. I told DH last night that there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do... And he looked at me like I'm crazy--mostly because he doesn't really understand why I create MORE work for myself by wanting to knit and crochet and write patterns and craft...when I can barely keep up with the dishes and laundry and grocery shopping and vacuuming and my millions of prenatal appointments... *sigh* I don't really have an answer!

Cookie Sheet Magnet Board

2011-12-14T13:00:00.003-05:00

After seeing a number of pins on Pinterest of cookie sheets that were beautifully transformed to magnet boards, I decided to have a go at it! I'm definitely pleased with the overall outcome, although next time, I'll definitely be making some changes.

I used the Martha Stewart instructions for making a decorative tray out of a cookie sheet (minus the acrylic on top).

Using a spray adhesive, the fabric stuck very well to the front of the cookie sheet. Next time, I would pay a bit more attention to making sure that the spray adhesive goes on uniformly. There are a couple of spots that were a bit heavy on the adhesive, and a slightly darker color shows through the fabric. I thought it would dry but didn't! The back of the cookie sheet was much tougher, but I wasn't terribly concerned since it was A) never going to be seen once I hung it on the wall and B) was going to be covered up with a piece of felt anyway. In some spots, just for precision's sake, I used my trusty 'ole glue gun to hold the fabric down. There are probably better options--like fabric glue!--but the glue gun is what I had on hand.

And really, it's just that easy! The cookie sheet has two holes, so it was easy enough to cut through the fabric just a tiny bit to weave a ribbon through. The bigger task was attaching magnets to all of my make-up! I used the stick on magnets that come in a roll, but I had to use the glue gun (again!) since the adhesive on those magnets are very weak.

Anyway, as I learned when I set the tray right side up...those magnets aren't very STRONG either! They're strong enough to hold everything up, but it doesn't take much for the make-up to all come tumbling down! So buying better magnets is definitely in my future. The important part is, my make-up is now hanging on the wall rather than taking up counter space, and I no longer have to dig in m make-up bag for colors. I can see everything!

If I do this project again, I'm going to try the spray-paint method next...

Making Flowers!

2011-12-09T23:06:00.002-05:00

For the past couple of days, I've been experimenting with various crochet flowers. Well, I've been working on quite a few things--I'm preparing to open up my Etsy shop! Woohoo! Anyway, some have turned out better than others...

But one of my all-time favorite flowers is the plumeria. So I just had to make one:

There’s something just beautiful in its simplicity, yet the way the petals overlap each other and spiral out of the center gives it a very unique quality. I looked for free crochet patterns online, but couldn’t find one that I liked, so I made my own--and so I share it with you--in order to spread the plumeria love. ;-)

Materials: DK yarn and 4.00mm/G crochet hook

Petals (make 5)

Ch 6

Round 1: 3 sc in 2nd chain from hook. 1 sc in top loop only of next 3 sc. 3 sc in last sc. 1 sc in bottom loop only of next 3 sc. Join with sl st to 1st sc of round. [12 st]

Round 2: Ch 1. 1 sc in next sc. 3 sc in next sc. 1 sc in next 5 sc. 3 sc in next sc. 1 sc in next 4 sc. Join with sl st to 1st sc of round. [16 sc]

Round 3: Ch 1. 1 sc in next 2 sc. 3 sc in next sc. 1 sc in next 7 sc. 3 sc in next sc. Sc in next 5r sc. Join. [20 st]

Round 4: Ch 1. 1 sc in next 4 sc. 3 sc in next sc. 1 sc in next 9 sc. 3 sc in next sc. Sc in next 6 sc. Join. [24 sc]

Bind off.

Once you have 5 petals, sew the petals together, overlapping each other on one side as you go around. Once you get to the last petal, make sure that it overlaps the first petal rather than going behind it. All of the petals should be at least partially behind another.

Here's a photo of a real plumeria flower to give you an idea:

Plumeria Leaves

The leaves of a plumeria plant are quite oblong, and depending on how long you’d like the leaves to be, you can adjust the length of your starting chain and increase the number of times you repeat each crochet stitch. It’ll make sense once you read the pattern.

For the purposes of what I wanted to make, the leaves couldn’t be too long, so my leaves are about 2.5 inches long.

Ch 14.

For the first “row” of stitches, you will only be going through the back loop. For the second “row,” you will go through only the front loops (although they will be in the back since you’ll be rotating your work).

Sc in back loop only in 2nd ch from hook. Sc in next 2 ch. Hdc in next ch. Dc in next ch. Htrc in next ch. Trc in next 2 ch. Htrc in next ch. Dc in next ch. Hdc in next ch. Sc in next ch.

Ch 3. Rotate the work so that the front loops (which were on the bottom) are now on top. Sl st to join with first ch. Sc in next ch. Hdc, dc, htrc, respectively, in next 3 ch. Trc in next 2 ch. Htrc, dc, hdc in next 3 ch. Sc in next 3 ch. Join with sl st to first sc in round.

Bind off.

You can download a FREE pdf file from Ravelry--just click on The Link!
Or go to the Ravelry page to put the pattern in your queue.

First Test Knit Complete!

2011-12-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

The first test knit/crochet of the Stereostyle Hat pattern has been completed! Thanks to the lovely Yolanda of The Handmade Way for trying out the pattern. She also found an instance where I apparently forgot how to add by 6, so her help is way appreciated! ;-)

This is the crochet version of the hat, and Yolanda added a "ribbed" brim to the hat. Mr. Brown Bear looks super cool with his Stereostyle Hat. Any guesses on what he's listening to??? ;-)

Ratchet and Clank Hat Patterns are here!

2011-11-24T21:41:00.002-05:00

For the first time in YEARS, we decided not to travel or have guests for Thanksgiving, so my DH and my two precious boys got to spend the entire day together, stuffing ourselves silly. And because I didn't have to worry about entertaining or even setting the table, the men in my life and I even got to run around outside in the beautiful autumn sunlight. And this is what we did:

As a celebratory gift, I have finally completed the pattern for the Ratchet and Clank Hats, and I offer it to you here for FREE! The hat is designed to fit kids between the ages of 2-4. My boys are a few months shy of 3, and I'm fairly certain that they'll be able to wear the hats next winter as well. They're a little big, but absolutely wearable.

Ratchet and Clank Hats

© Julia Kim Werts 2011
These patterns are for non-commercial, personal use only.

A PDF file can be downloaded for FREE on Ravelry!
Or visit the Ravelry page to put the pattern in your queue.

Size: Ages 2-4

These hats were made for my soon-to-be three year old twin boys at their Daddy’s request. They are definitely fun hats for little ones to wear, although I’m pretty sure that they’re more fun for my husband, who absolutely loves to take the boys out wearing them.

Materials
Worsted weight yarn in various colors
For Ratchet: brown, yellow, and tan
For Clank: light gray, dark gray, emerald green, red
No. 8, 16” circular needle
No. 8 dpn
No. 4 dpn
Tapestry needle
Poly-fil for Rachet’s ears

Ratchet’s Aviator Hat
With brown yarn, CO 97 st on No. 8 circular needle.
Place marker and join in the round, being careful not to twist stitches.
Round 1-5: Garter stitch around
All even rounds (WS): Knit around
Round 7-15 (odd rows only/RS): k1, m1, k14, slip 1, k2togtbl, psso, k14, m1, k1, m1, k14, slip 1, k2togtbl, psso, k14, m1, k1, m1, k14, slip1, k2togtbl, psso, k14, m1, k1
Round 17-until 16 st remain (odd rows only/RS): continue with pattern established above, but without the increases. So for Round 17: k15, slip 1, k2togtbl, psso, k29, slip 1, k2togtbl, psso, k29, slip 1, k2togtbl, psso, k15 [6 st decreased]; Round 19: k14, slip 1, k2togtbl, psso, k27, slip 1, k2togtbl, psso, k27, slip 1, k2togtbl, psso, k14 [6 st decreased], etc.
When 16 stitches remain, k2tog around [8 st]. Break yarn, and using a tapestry needle, weave the tail through the remaining stitches. Pull tightly to close hole at top of hat.

Ratchet Ears
With yellow yarn, CO 36 st on No. 8 dpn. Divide stitches evenly on 4 needles, and being careful not to twist stitches, join in the round.
Round 1-3: Knit around.
Round 4: k2tog, k32, ssk (34 st)
Round 5-7: Knit around.
Round 8: k2tog, k30, ssk (32 st)
Round 9-11: Knit around.
Round 12: k2tog, k28, ssk (30 st)
Round 13-15: Knit around.
Round 16: k2tog, k26, ssk (28 st)
Round 17 and 18: Knit around.
Round 19: k2tog, k24, ssk (26 st)
Round 20 and 21: Knit around.
Round 22: k2tog, k22, ssk (24 st)
Round 23 and 24: Knit around
Round 25: k2tog, k20, ssk (22 st)
Round 26 and 27: Knit around.
Round 28: k2tog, k18, ssk (20 st)
Round 29: Knit around.
Round 30: k2tog, k16, ssk (18 st)
Round 31: Knit around.
Round 32: k2tog, k14, ssk (16 st)
Round 33: Knit around.
Round 34: k2tog, k12, ssk (14 st)
Round 35: Knit around.
Round 36: k2tog, k10, ssk (12 st)
Round 37: k2tog, k8, ssk (10 st)
Round 38: k2tog, k6, ssk (8 st)
Round 39: k2tog, k4, ssk (6 st)
Round 40: k2tog, k2, ssk (4 st)
Round 41: k2tog, ssk (2 st)
Break yarn, and using a tapestry needle, thread yarn through the remaining 2 stitches. Pull tightly and weave in ends.

Make 2.

The chart on the right shows one half of the Ratchet ears. The stripes on Rachet’s
ears can be added using duplicate stitch according to the pattern.

Put just enough poly-fil in Rachet’s ears to hold their shape. Sewing the ears onto the aviator hat is quite challenging. The easiest way to figure out where to place the ears is to find a well-behaved child to wear the hat while you carefully pin the ears onto the hat. And if finding a 2-4 year old child who will stand still for long enough to accomplish this is an impossibility, a mannequin head will work.

Clank’s Hat
With lighter gray yarn, CO 72 st on No. 8 circular needle. Place marker and join in the round, being careful not to twist stitches.
Knit in 2x2 ribbing for about 1 inch
Continue in stockinette stitch until hat measures 4.5 inches
Begin decreases -
Round 1 - *k7, k2tog* around (64 st)
Round 2 - knit around
Round 3 - *k6, k2tog* around (56 st)
Round 4 - knit around
Round 5 - *k5, k2tog* around (48 st)
Round 6 - knit around
Round 7 - *k4, k2tog* around (40 st)
Round 8 - knit around
Round 9 - *k3, k2tog* around (32 st)
Round 10 - knit around
Round 11 - *k2, k2tog* around (24 st)
Round 12 - knit around
Round 13 - *k1, k2tog* around (16 st)
Round 14 - knit around
Round 15 - k2tog around (8 st)
Break yarn, and using a tapestry needle, weave the tail through the remaining stitches. Pull tightly to close hole at top of hat.

Clank’s Top Piece and Antennae
With darker gray yarn, CO 4 st on No. 8 dpn.
Row 1: Knit across
Row 2 and all even rows: Purl across
Row 3: k1, m1, k2, m1, k1 (6 st)
Row 5: k1, m1, k4, m1, k1 (8 st)
Row 7: k1, m1, k6, m1, k1 (10 st)
Row 9: k1, m1, k8, m1, k1 (12 st)
Row 10: Purl across. Leave stitches on needle, but leaving a 6 inch break yarn.

Make 2 of these, but on the second one, do not break yarn.

(Note: You can actually bind off stitches to the 2 top pieces if you would prefer, then sew the two pieces together and pick up 4 stitches in the center for the antennae.)

Holding the two pieces together, use the tail you left on the first piece you made to bind off 4 stitches (Figure 1, 2, and 3).

Turn the piece so that the bound off stitches are now on the left side (Figure 4).

Doing the same thing you did on the other side, bind off 4 stitches from each needle. You will now have 8 stitches remaining, 4 on each needle (Figure 5).

Figure 1: Hold two pieces together with the WS/purl sides against each other on the inside.

Figure 2: Bind off 4 stitches by knitting 2 stitches together (one from each needle) 2 times, then passing the first stitch over the second stitch.

Figure 3: You will have 4 stitches from each needle bound off on one end.

Figure 4: Turn the piece so that the bound off stitches are on the left.

Figure 5: Bind off 4 stitches from each needle. You will have 8 stitches remaining, 4 on each needle.

Figure 6: Holding 2 needles together, knit stitches together. You will have 4 stitches remaining.

Again, holding the two needles together, knit the stitches together (do NOT bind off). You will have 4 stitches on your needle (Figure 6).

With the 4 stitches remaining, knit as if you’re making an i-cord until the piece is approximately 1.5 inches. Cut yarn, and using a tapestry needle, weave tail through the 4 stitches. Pull tightly, then thread the yarn down the center of the i-cord and use the yarn to close any gaps that you may have along the base of the i-cord antennae.

With red yarn, CO 6 st on No. 4 dpn. Divide stitches evenly between 3 needles.
Being careful not to twist stitches, join in the round and knit one round.
Round 2: *k1, m1, k1; rep from * 2x (9 st)
Round 3: Knit around
Round 4: *k1, m1, k1, m1, k1; rep from * 2x (15 st)
Round 5: Knit around
Round 6: *k2tog, k1, k2tog; rep from *2x (9 st)
Round 7: Knit around
Round 8: *k2tog, k1; rep from * 2x (6 st)
Round 9: Knit around. Break yarn. Using a tapestry needle, thread the yarn through the remaining 6 stitches. Before pulling to close the hole, insert the end of the antennae that you just made into the red ball. Use the tail to sew the ball onto the antennae.

Clank’s Eyes
CO 6 st on Size 8 dpn.
Row 1: Knit across
Row 2 and all even rows: Purl across
Row 3: k1, m1, k4, m1, k1 (8 st)
Row 5: k1, m1, k6, m1, k1 (10 st)
Row 7: Knit across
Row 9: Knit across
Row 11: ssk, k6, k2tog (8 st)
Row 13: ssk, k4, k2tog (6 st)
Row 15: Bind off.

Make 2.

Clank’s Mouthpiece and Hinges
With darker gray yarn, CO 32 st
Row 1: Knit across
Row 2: Sl1, then changing colors to lighter gray yarn p30, leave last stitch on left needle. Leave the darker gray yarn hanging. You will pick it up again in Row 18.
Row 3: You have 1 st from the previous row on the right needle. Sl1, k28, leave 2 sts on left needle.
Row 4: Now, you have 2 sts from the previous row on the right needle. S1, p26, leave 3 sts on left needle.
Row 5: You have 3 sts on the right needle. Sl1, k24, leave 4 sts on left needle.
Row 6: You have 4 sts on the right needle. Sl1, p22, leave 5 sts on left needle.
Row 7: You have 5 sts on the right needle. Sl1, k20, leave 6 sts on left needle.
Row 8: You have 6 sts on the right needle. Sl1, p18, leave 7 sts on left needle.
Row 9: You have 7 sts on the right needle. Sl1, k16, leave 8 sts on left needle.
Row 10: You have 8 sts on the right needle. Sl1, p14, leave 9 sts on left needle.
Row 11: You have 9 sts on the right needle. Sl1, k12, leave 10 sts on left needle.
Row 12: You have 10 sts on the right needle. Sl1, p10, leave 11 sts on left needle.
Row 13: You have 11 sts on the right needle. Sl1, k8, leave 12 sts on left needle.
Row 14: You have 12 sts on the right needle. Sl1, p6, leave 13 sts on left needle.
Row 15: You have 13 sts on the right needle. Sl1, k4, leave 14 sts on left needle.
Row 16: You have 14 sts on the right needle. Sl1, p2, leave 15 sts on left needle.
Row 17: You have 15 sts on the right needle. Sl17. Cut lighter gray yarn and leave end hanging to weave in once you’re finished with the mouthpiece.
Row 18: Picking up the darker gray, knit across.
Row 19. Bind off.

For the hinges, CO 6 st on No. 8 dpn.
Knit 6 rows of an i-cord.
Break yarn, and using a tapestry needle, weave yarn through the live stitches. Pull tightly to close the gap.

Sew all the pieces onto Clank’s hat.

And you’re done!

Knitting for Others

2011-11-22T16:52:00.000-05:00

The past week has been a mad rush to finish projects that I promised to make for friends. My list of projects to complete was getting out of hand, and I was also beginning to get embarrassed since I promised to make things for people eons ago...

Unfortunately, in my mad rush to get things sent out, I forgot to take pics. :-/ So there's no photographic proof of this past week's productivity! You'll just have to take my word for it--I made two Stereostyle Hats and a Turn A Square hat, which I made several months ago for the Glee Cast Knitting Project.

The past couple of days, I've been working on writing writing the pattern for the Ratchet and Clank hats, which has also involved re-making the Clank hat. I wasn't happy about the mouthpiece, which hung over poor Lincoln's eyes a bit too much. In the end, I may have to do away with the mouthpiece altogether, although I hope that's not the case. So I'm going to spend the evening trying to figure out how to make that work. So for those of you still waiting for the Ratchet and Clank pattern, it's coming soon! And it will definitely be a free pattern. :-)

Ratchet and Clank Hats Complete--Finally!

2011-11-15T09:02:00.000-05:00

It's about time, huh? I've been working on these hats for months. I actually finished the Clank hat quite some time ago, but I just wasn't happy with the Ratchet hat. I really wasn't getting the aviator hat that I wanted, and even after I got that worked out, I had a lot of trouble actually attaching the ears to the hat. It's much harder than it looks to sew something onto a rounded surface! It took me getting a mannequin head to attach the ears so that they were perfectly symmetrical. Plus, I got a bit derailed by all the other projects I've got going! I really should learn to finish one project before moving on to the next... But that'll never happen... Anyway, here they are!

The pattern-writing part is going to be a bit more difficult because these hats were completely improvised, and I failed to write things down as I went. Aside from Rachet's aviator hat, that is... Clank's hat has so many pieces... I'll have to re-create them in order to write the pattern properly. So that's next on my to-do list. Thanks to everyone for being patient with me. I've received a few messages for the pattern, and I promise--I'll get there!

Test Knitters/Crocheters Needed!

2011-11-13T22:35:00.001-05:00

Due to popular demand, I have put together a pattern for the Stereostyle Hat that I originally made for a friend's son. I've written the pattern in both knit and crochet, and it can be made in 3 different sizes: 6-9 months, 1-2 years, 2-3 years.

I've written a handful of patterns, but this is my biggest undertaking so far... And also the first time that I'm planning to sell a pattern. So unlike the patterns that I've written and offered for free, I need this pattern to be tested.

Please email me if you're interested! I'll need to know whether you'd like to knit or crochet and what size you'll be making. I will email you a pdf of the pattern!

In the meantime...here are some more photos of my ridiculous boys in their super-stylin' hats! ;-)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Goodness

2011-11-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

I came across this recipe on Pinterest, and I started salivating almost immediately. Three of my favorite ingredients all rolled up into one??? I'm in! However, because with two little boys, I'm always short on time, rather than rolling the peanut butter pretzel mixture into individual balls, I spread it out in a pan, chilled it, then spread melted chocolate on top and chilled it again. Once the chocolate had hardened, I cut it into little bars.

They are A-MAZ-ING! The next time I make them--and there WILL be a next time--I'll put a layer of chocolate on the bottom as well because the peanut butter and pretzel mixture remains a bit sticky, despite being chilled. It is very easy to make--I highly suggest this recipe--and the recipe can very easily be double, tripled, quadrupled, etc! I'm pretty sure I'll be making a batch for DH to take into the office. He loves taking treats into work--which is odd considering that he can't cook (hmmm...)--and this is definitely a very tasty, extremely simple, delectable treat to be shared!

Busy, Busy... Sweaters and hats!

2011-11-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

The month of October was completely insane, and at the end of the month as we welcomed Halloween with the season's FIRST SNOW here in Virginia, DH and I were packing our bathing suits for a trip to the beautiful island of Oahu! I left my boys for the VERY.FIRST.TIME (aside from the 24 hours earlier last month when we were at my parents' house) and took a 12 hour plane ride nearly halfway across the world... It was nerve-wracking to say the least. And it absolutely didn't help that I had somehow managed to develop a sinus infection right before the trip. Being in an airplane with a sinus inflection? Really not fun. I felt like my eyeballs were being pushed out of my head, and my ears refused to pop, and oh yeah...being 5 months pregnant doesn't help. Luckily, DH got us seats in the exit row, so I could get up and walk around all I wanted without needing to disturb anyone.

So our week in Hawaii was AMAZINGLY restful, despite my awful sinuses. And I had planned to do a lot of knitting, wrapping up projects, and finally finishing patterns that I've been promising for quite some time... I managed one of those things! I finished knitting the Maile Sweater (Ravelry Project Link) for Lady Penelope, which I thought was perfectly fitting because the pattern is based on the leaves of a Hawaiian lei, and I even managed to find some purple buttons to finish it off! Obviously, I haven't sewn the buttons on yet, but I'll share some more photos once I get that done. I also have enough yarn leftover from one skein of Threeravens Superwash (I don't have the label, unfortunately, so I don't have any of the specifics on this yarn) to make a little matching hat. I should be able to create a simple hat pattern that mimics the maile leaf motif on the sweater.

I really like how it turned out, and I think it'll be just perfect for Penelope in the spring. She's going to be a late winter baby, so the 3 month size is perfect.

I also worked on a new hat--instead of working on existing projects/patterns. I really wanted to make a giraffe hat, and it's great that baby/kid hats are so small. I can crank them out rather quickly, and if I stay focused, I can write the pattern down as I go! So I started and finished this little giraffe hat in a day, making it in 6-9 month size, and I'm happy to share a free pattern with you here! I've written the basic hat pattern in three different sizes (6-9 mo, 1-2 y, and 2-3 y), and the ears and antennae are all made in the same size. The ears and antennae could easily be made bigger--please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Cute Giraffe Hat

2011-11-08T17:19:00.010-05:00

A PDF file can be downloaded from Ravelry for FREE!

Or visit the Ravelry page to put the pattern in your queue!

This is a free pattern for personal use. Please do not sell, redistribute, or use for profit. If you post about this pattern on your website or blog, please provide a link to the pattern on my blog: http://juliastitches.blogspot.com/2011/11/cute-giraffe-hat.html

Enjoy!

Materials:

Worsted weight yarn in appropriate colors

(golden yellow, tan, brown)

Size 8, 16" circular needles

Size 8 double pointed needles

Tapestry needle

1 stitch marker

5 mm crochet hook (optional)

Makes sizes: 6-9 mo (1-2 y, 2-3 y)

Gauge: 17 st x 24 rows = 4 in. in stockinette stitch

Hat:

CO 56 (64, 72)

Place stitch marker and join in the round, being careful not to twist stitches.

Work in stockinette stitch until work measures 3.25 (4, 4.5 in).

Begin decreases:

Round 1: *K5 (6, 7), k2tog. Repeat from * around. [48 (56, 64) sts]

Round 2: knit

Round 3: *K4 (5, 6), k2tog. Repeat from * around. [40 (48, 56) sts]

Round 4: knit

Round 5: *K3 (4, 5), k2tog. Repeat from * around. [32 (40, 48) sts]

Round 6: knit

Round 7: *K2 (3, 4), k2tog. Repeat from * around. [24 (32, 40) sts]

Round 8: knit

Round 9: *K1 (2, 3), k2tog. Repeat from * around. [16 (24, 32) sts]

Round 10: knit

For 6-9 mo size, k2tog around (8 sts). For 1-2 y and 2-3 y sizes: continue with decreasing pattern until 8 sts remain.

Break yarn, and using a tapestry needle, thread tail through remaining 8 sts. Pull tight.

Ears (make 2):

CO 6 stitches

Row 1: knit

Row 2 and all even rows: purl

Row 3: k1, kfb, k2, kfb, k1 (8 st)

Row 5: k1, kfb, k4, kfb, k1 (10 st)

Row 7: k1, kfb, k6, kfb, k1 (12 st)

Row 9: knit

Row 11: k4, ssk, k2tog, k4 (10 st)

Row 13: k3, ssk, k2tog, k3 (8 st)

Row 15: k2, ssk, k2tog, k2 (6 st)

Row 17: k1, ssk, k2tog, k1 (4 st)

Row 19: ssk, k2tog (2 st)

Break yarn and using a tapestry needle, thread the tail through the remaining 2 stitches.

Antennae (make 2):

CO 5 on dpn

With 5 stitches, make i-cord until length is approximately 1.5 inches.

Break yarn, and using a tapestry needle, thread the tail through the 5 stitches. Pull tight.

Assembling the hat:

Sew ears and antennae onto the hat.

Using the appropriate color, create giraffe spots on the hat using duplicate stitch. I prefer the duplicate stitch in this instance because the spots are relatively small and intarsia in the round is rather annoying. Plus, I think it's nice to see the main color peak through.

Optional:

Pick up stitches along the brim with a 5.0mm crochet hook and single crochet around.

Weave in ends.

Finished Knits

2011-10-24T22:26:00.000-04:00

Blocking, seaming, weaving in ends complete on two recent projects:

Globe-trottin' Mama!

2011-10-23T23:29:00.000-04:00

Well... Sort of. If Texas and Hawaii qualify as "globe-trotting." ;-)

So yes, amazingly, more than 20 days have passed since my last posting... But this time, it really does feel like it's been a while. I'm not sitting here wondering how the hell 20 days passed without my knowing! We took a wonderfully relaxing family vacation to Texas to see my parents and my brother for 10 days, and we just got back this past week. DH needed the time away from what has been a very stressful few months at work, and the boys and I needed a change of scenery. DH and I got to sleep in just about every morning. We didn't have to worry about cooking or cleaning or doing laundry... And most of all, we didn't have to worry about the boys. At all. Like I said--AMAZING.

Before we left for Texas, we had decided that I'd go and get an elective ultrasound while we were visiting my parents because I'd be about 19 weeks along, my parents had never seen an ultrasound, and it would be wonderful to find out the sex of the baby while surrounded by family. Since I don't know may people in Dallas anymore, I just went online and found a place with very decent prices (I suppose because I was comparing them to Northern Virginia's ridiculously high prices). If anyone in the Dallas area is looking for a place to go for an elective ultrasound, I highly recommend Ultraview Imaging in Arlington. The technician was very sweet, and the room is set up so that mama gets in a very comfy bed, and there are seats arranged around the room for up to 6 guests. Guests watch the ultrasound as it's projected onto a wall. All very nice.

Anyway, when the technician announced the baby's sex, there was actually a round of cheers that went up in the room. There were so many of us--DH and the boys, my parents, my brother... And everyone was thrilled that my little boys will be getting a baby sister! We all thought the baby was a girl--Charlie and Lincoln even told me there was a girl in my belly--but it's good to have confirmation! So I have a huge list of crafty things I want to make now that I know!

I made a little top a couple of weeks ago that I'm in the process of blocking, so photos to come very soon, and I'll be casting on a new project--the Maile Sweater, which is a gorgeous little cardigan for baby. It's a free pattern that can be found on What To Knit When You're Expecting.

Green Shrug for me

Yarn for Lady Penelope's cardigan

I'm also currently blocking a shrug I just knit for myself using the Pretty in Misty pattern, and as soon as I'm done with the seams and crocheting the edge, I'll be working on my first official item for Lady Penelope. I picked up the yarn yesterday at Lovelyarns (yet another reason why I miss Baltimore so much)--and I can't wait to get started. I guess you could say that my crafting mojo has returned--thank goodness!

My mama

In think I've also been a bit inspired by my amazing mother who has returned to working on her macrame. My brother sent me a photo of her macrame-ing away.

Hoohoo!

And her first creation in over 20 years:

Where, oh where, does the time go?

2011-10-03T08:57:00.001-04:00

ETA: I began writing this post about 2 weeks ago. *Sigh*...

I don't even know what's been going on this past month. Oh, wait... That's right. I had to go back to work. And despite being only once a week, it's been quite consuming. Plus, one of my boys was sick, and I was suffering from various pregnancy-related ailments... My morning sickness began to taper off, then I developed horrible headaches, then awful shoulder stiffness and pain, which also involved a sharp pain in my sternum every time I tried to stretch and push my shoulders back or take a deep breath. Then, once that pain worked itself out, I was hit with absolute and complete congestion. I couldn't breathe for days. I'm pretty sure that I am currently a walking Public Service Announcement for birth control. Children, this is what will happen to you if you have unprotected sex. And in the past week or so, the morning sickness has returned. It's not the all day affair that I experienced earlier on, but in the mornings, I get up and gag several times, which is always a great way to start off the day. I am now at 18w2d, and hoping that life will get better before it gets worse again during the 3rd trimester when I'm huge and uncomfortable. Although I imagine that if I survived carrying twins, carrying a singleton will be a breeze, right? Well, I would have figured that this entire pregnancy, but it has certainly not been the case!

When it comes to crafting, my handcrafting mojo hasn't exactly returned, but I have finished a couple of things--mainly because I was given a deadline! I was asked to make Mickey and Minnie hats for a cousin's niece's wedding, and here's what resulted:

I think they turned out pretty well, considering that I totally just made up the pattern as I was going along... The bride ears were much easier--I made a basic crochet hat, but cut it short so the bride can actually pin it into her hair. It doesn't quite reach the ears. The challenge came when I had to attach the ears to the hat. Maybe if I had used a smaller hook (I used a size H, 5.0mm hook) and the stitches were tighter, the ears would have been less floppy... But once the ears were on, they flopped over. So my solution? I used pliable jewelry making wire to add a support to the ears. So the wire had to be weaved through the circumference of the ears and to make sure they remained standing, I made a support with wire that's hidden on the inside of the hat. It wasn't a very elegant fix, but the messy parts should remain hidden, so no problem.

The groom hat is quite silly. I know you can't really tell in this image (I took a few photos of my mom wearing the groom hat, but she looks absolutely ridiculous and made me swear I wouldn't post them anywhere), but the hat is quite large and has a real Dr. Seuss quality to it. I was a bit worried as I was making it because it was becoming more and more insane as I was working... But in the end, I think it turned out really well because there's a very silly quality to it, which is actually quite perfect. I don't know the bride and groom personally, but I imagine that if they want Mickey and Minnie hats for their wedding, they aren't exactly going for serious! Plus, now I have some ideas for making a Dr. Seuss hat. I just need to find someone who wants one. ;-)

I have a couple of other small items that I've been working on for a little baby girl, despite not knowing yet if I'm having a boy or a girl. Wishful thinking? Why, yes! Although, obviously, I'll be happy with a healthy baby. But I happen to have two cousins who are also pregnant--all of us within 3 weeks of each other--we couldn't have planned it better if we tried!--so I figure at least ONE of us will have a girl. These items still need to be blocked, so I'll add photos soon.

My next project? I think I'm going to work on a hat that I promised a friend whose birthday was back in August... Oh whoops... And I told him I'd get it to him by the time it got cold. Well, baby, it's cold outside. We went from summer to winter, skipping fall altogether... But of course, the rain hasn't stopped... I think that I'm suffering from seasonal depression--we've had non-stop rain for about 2 months now with only little peeks of sunlight. I feel so much more productive when the sun is shining, and I can take my boys outside to run around. They've been cooped up in the house so much lately. Every morning, Lincoln looks out the window and says, "No rain, no rain!" :-/

It's been 20 days since my last post...

2011-08-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

Sounds a lot like: It's been 20 days since my last confession... It's almost how I feel! I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. The summer is almost over, kids are going back to school (well, mine aren't old enough, but other people's kids are going back to school!), which means that I, JuliaStitches, must go back to work... Le sigh...

I really shouldn't complain though. My job is teaching a very fun and energetic group of college students once a week. I enjoy the job, and I enjoy my students. But this semester, I'm faced with a bit of a challenge. Not only do I have to commute back to Baltimore (about an hour and 20 minutes each way with no traffic, which is almost impossible on the D.C. Beltway), but as the semester goes on... Well, here's the thing:

Yep! I'm preggers! I'm just wrapping up the first trimester, so I figure it's safe to share the news although as I've learned from both my own experiences and from friends' experiences, pregnancy is rather unpredictable. However, I can't sit on the good news forever, right?

This first trimester has been a bit of a challenge, and despite having confirmation in an early ultrasound that this time, I am only carrying ONE BABY, the morning sickness has been far worse than when I was pregnant with the boys. I've also been so exhausted on a daily basis that it's difficult to get anything done. Oh.. And the headaches... I also appear to have lost my crafting mojo. The only thing that I've been working on lately is a set of bride and groom Mickey and Minnie hats that a friend requested for her niece's wedding. The Minnie ears were super easy, and the top hat that I'm making for Mickey is just a larger version of the miniature Top Hat Pattern I wrote a long time ago for the Corpse Groom. I should have this finished in the next week or so and will post patterns for both the Minnie and Mickey hats soon.

I seem to have a running list of things I need to finish writing down patterns for... I really should stay on top of these things better! But now that I'm going back to work, I have other things that require my attention (unfortunately). I still need to finish my syllabus and plan out at least the first week's lecture... So much to do, so little time. Mostly because I've been sleeping so much lately!

Knitting for a Cause

2011-08-05T13:04:00.004-04:00

I've finally got my head together enough to put together a post on some wonderful things I've found lately. Because I haven't posted much in a while, I've actually got a very long running list of Fabulous Finds, too long, in fact, for today's post. So I've whittled it down, and today's list has a theme--Fabulous Projects that you can contribute to as knitters and crocheters.

As I've discovered over the years, knitters and crocheters are some of the most thoughtful and giving people I know. Maybe you have to be giving in nature to want to knit/crochet since most of what you make is given away to friends, family, even strangers... But most of the knitters I know love making this for charities and contributing to various causes.

So if you've been looking for a worthwhile cause to knit for, here are some wonderful excuses to pick up your needles/hooks!

This one isn't really a cause, but it's definitely worthwhile as you'll be contributing to the beautification of a public space! My Fair Isle is working on a project to create 1500 knit and crochet squares along the Avenue of Trees in Cheongju, S. Korea for the 2011 Cheongju Biennale. There's a Ravelry group (you must be a member of Ravelry) to help get you motivated, but even if you're not on Ravelry, you can read about the project here on Robin Love's blog, My Fair Isle. I am definitely planning to make at least one square (hopefully more) to help decorate my parents' homeland. ;-) The deadline is fast approaching though--she needs the squares by the first week in September!

Click for Babies: Click your knitting needles together to help prevent infant abuse. Click for Babies is a grassroots initiative to collaborate with knitters and crocheters across North American to make PURPLE caps for babies. The initiative is being organized by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS) in partnership with invited organizations in an effort to prevent infant abuse, namely Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma and educate caregivers about the Period of PURPLE Crying.

The Mother Bear Project is an amazing charity that "is dedicated to providing comfort and hope to children affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations, by giving them a gift of love in the form of a hand-knit or crocheted bear." If this doesn't make you want to knit for charity, I don't know what will! There's also a Ravelry group for the project.

Project Linus: Warm a little one's heart by knitting a machine-washable blanket for children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. Why wouldn't you?

Now is the best time to get started.

Yarn U App Review

2011-08-03T14:39:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: I was provided with the Yarn U App for free in exchange for a review of the product.

There's no doubt in my mind that knitting and crocheting are a HUGE part of my life, and I'm 100% certain that if it wasn't for my two little ones keeping me busy for the vast majority of the day, I'd spend a lot more time doing fiber-related things. Like shopping for yarn. I know this because most of my stash was acquired before the boys were born, and the few things I've purchased since then have been to work on specific projects. What knitter/crocheter doesn't just ADORE yarn?

When we were still living in Baltimore, I visited my LYS--Lovelyarns--on a regular basis, even as I forbid myself from buying yarn that I didn't have time to knit. Luckily for me, Sue didn't mind having the boys run around, messing up her stacks of yarn! Now that we've moved to a new area, and the closest LYS isn't within walking distance (nothing is within walking distance here!)... I haven't had a chance to see and feel and drool over any new yarns.

This is where the Yarn U app comes in. Aside from the tactile element, Yarn U is as close as it gets to the experience of actually "seeing" yarn. The beautiful, close-up photos of the yarn and pics of project ideas are a great way of getting that yarn-y, fiber-y experience without actually going to your LYS. I'm often hesitant to purchase yarn online because the ONE photo that accompanies order pages don't really give you a sense of what the yarn feels like, how well it would knit up, etc., but with Yarn U, between the array of photos and the helpful descriptions and lists of pros and cons, you get a much better sense of what the yarn "feels" like.

If you're a yarn addict, then this is definitely a useful app. Although you can find yarn info for free on Ravelry, this app brings all the relevant info onto a single page because reading 100+ reviews/comments on Ravelry is quite time consuming!

You can search and sort yarns by weight, brand, hand/machine wash, those with free patterns available on the web... I think the user interface is clear and easy to use, and it allows you to mark specific yarns as favorites for quicker reference.

My only reservation about the app is that a vast majority of the yarns listed are described as "expensive" under the cons list. It's not really clear what "expensive" means since it's a relative term. I think it would be useful if, like restaurant guides, there was a range of prices indicated by $$$$... But I suppose that would be pretty difficult since you'd have to calculate the price according to yardage...

Anyway, it's not just the whole "expensive" category thing. Most knitters are well aware of the fact that their fiber-obsession isn't exactly cheap. Yarn can get quite pricey, and before you know it, you've knit up a sweater that cost over $100 in yarn alone... But I'm what I like to call a thrifty knitter, not because I'm not willing to pay for nicer, more expensive yarn, but because I can't always afford to spend lots of cash on the pricey stuff, so I try to find nice, affordable alternatives. And sadly, most of the yarns that are listed on Yarn U are ones that are most certainly out of my price range.

That being said, the Yarn U app is definitely a great yarn reference to have on hand, and the content grows with each update so perhaps in the future, a wider range of yarns will be available. And for $2.99, it's a good price for what you get. So why not?

Friday already???

2011-07-22T21:17:00.001-04:00

How is it Friday already? This week has gone by in an absolute blur... Probably because DH has been out of town for what feels like forever, and I'm managing the house and the boys on my own. My mantra has been: just make it through the day!

I had intended to post another Fabulous Finds Friday, but clearly, that hasn't worked out for me this week...which is too bad because there has been some wonderful stuff I wanted to share. I suppose I'll have to combine them with next week's post because I'm simply too tired to do anything other than sit in front of the tv, not fold the mountain of laundry piled up behind the couch, and knit for a little while before crawling into bed... *sigh*

- Posted from my iPad

Glee Knitting Projects Complete!

2011-07-20T21:35:00.002-04:00

My Glee Knitting Projects are complete and have been sent off to...somewhere with the hopes that they'll either be used on the show or given to the actors. My hat for Finn/Cory Monteith was completed a while back, and I'm pretty sure I shared a rather crappy photo of it. However, seeing how beautiful some of the other projects were, I kind of felt bad for Finn. So I made him another hat. :-)

Here are the two hats:

This is the original hat, made with Berroco's Vintage Chunky, a machine washable wool blend. I used a free pattern called Hat Fit for a Boyfriend, and as GradSchoolKnitter warned me, following the pattern would produce a hat that's quite short, barely covering the top of the ears, so I added an inch before I began the decreases. DH actually really liked the hat and wants me to make one for him to match the scarf I made him a few years ago. I just need to find matching yarn somewhere...

For the second hat, I used the second skein of Vintage Chunky (I bought two and only needed one for the first hat), and I had a bit of leftover Vintage Chunky in a beautiful blue color for some stripes. the pattern is Turn a Square, which can be downloaded for free from Ravelry. I didn't have too much of the blue yarn, so I was only able to make four rows of stripes, but still turned out pretty nice.

I wish I was able to take a photo of the crown of both of these hats, but it's pretty much impossible to take a photo of the crown of your own head... :-p I need to get a mannequin head. DH laughed at me when I first mentioned it, but now he agrees because he's not too crazy about the idea of modeling hats for me.

Originally, I'd wanted to knit something for Mercedes/Amber Riley, but by the time I signed up for the project, she was already taken. But, as it turned out, the person who signed up was unable to complete the project, so I had a few days to crank something out for her. I wasn't able to make what I originally wanted because DK yarn on size 5 needles takes forever... So I held two strands of worsted weight yarn together and using size 15 needles, made this beautiful cowl for Mercedes/Amber in two nights! And the best part is, I made this with a lovely alpaca/wool blend yarn that I picked up on clearance for $0.99/skein! It took 3 full skeins to knit this up, using the very simple pattern, Bulky Knit Cowl. I love it!

So my projects are complete with gift tags and all... I put them in the mail today, and if they end up on the show... I'll definitely be blogging about it! ;-)

Fabulous Finds Friday!

2011-07-16T07:45:00.000-04:00

I fully intended to post this yesterday when it was actually Friday... But better late than never?!?

My daily scouring of the internet for everything from cool stuff, crafty ideas, and useless crap, here's my Top Ten for the week:

10) This is technically from last week, but it definitely deserves to make the list because it was one of the things that made me want to start a Fabulous Finds Friday. This cool DIY Guitar Pick Punch is the perfect gift for your guitar playin' BF/BFF/DH/DS/DD or any other abbreviate-able person in your life. I want one, but seeing as how I don't play the guitar, I have absolutely no use for this very cool gadget. However, I fully intend to force my children to learn how to play the guitar so I can be the awesome (or weird) mom who continuously supplies them with DIY guitar picks.

9) These Pixbags DSLR Camera Bags are so friggin' cute. They're available on a website called DaWanda, which is the European equivalent of the much-loved Etsy. I'm not sure if the Pixbags creator, Chocomuf, ships to the U.S., but I'm sure you could PM her and find out. She has a wide selection of adorable fabrics--you're sure to find one that you love.

8) What crafter doesn't enjoy edible versions on their work? These Granny Square Cookies are absolutely adorable! And not only are they visibly cute, they look delicious!

7) For those of us who love that quiet time to soak in the tub, these DIY Bath Fizzies are a perfect addition to our arsenal of bathtime necessities. And for those of us who don't have time to relax in warm tub of water, you can make these for a friend who does. And feel insanely jealous at the same time.

6) Macrame is one of those crafts that I don't think about very often, but when I come across macrame objects, it makes me think of my mom. My mom is one of the craftiest people I know--when I was a little girl, the crochet, made beautifully decorated dried gourd wall hangings, created amazing things out of macrame--everything from plant hangers to purses to a Santa Claus wall hanging, which she still puts out at Christmas time, and for our birthdays, she used to make my brother and me the coolest birthday cakes. I specifically remember a Rainbow Brite birthday cake. Anyway, I've been missing my mom lately--she's been in Korea visiting her family since March--so I've been deprived of my daily phone calls with my mama. When I saw this cute little macrame plant holder on Design*Sponge, it made me think of her. Next time I visit her, I'm going to have to take some photos of my mom's craftiness and share. She's AMAZING.

5) How cute is this?!? An adorable dress for a little girl made out of a pillowcase? *Sigh* There are so many cute things for little girls, and so few cute things for little boys... And I'm surrounded by little boys... Anyway, this sweet dress can be found at Sewingdreamskids' Etsy shop along with a whole bunch of other adorable prints.

4) Once upon a time, I loved to read. I still do, but I just don't seem to have the time to read for pleasure. The fact that I spend the vast majority of my time either occupied with little boys, playing with yarn, or on the internets, that doesn't leave me with much time for reading. And if I do have time to read, I find myself purchasing digital copies and reading them on my iPad. I don't have to go to the bookstore, and it saves paper. But, there is definitely something to be said for reading printed words on paper. In fact, I love books, so much so that DH has asked me not to buy anymore (come to think of it, this may be why he got me an iPad)! So every now and again, when I curl up with a good book, it's so satisfying to hold that book in my hands... So for all those crafty bibliophiles out there, here are some fabulous, handcrafted bookmarks.

3) So pretty! This dip dyed pot is so perfect with the gorgeous array of wildflowers. If only I was capable of keeping plants alive... I used to do really well with plants--before my boys came along. After the boys were born, within the year, I had killed every houseplant in the house except for the aloe plant, which I'm pretty sure doesn't count because I never watered it and it WOULDN'T die! When we moved earlier this year, I bought myself a beautiful hydrangea plant and a begonia plant--and it was like we had poisonous air in the house. They were dead in a couple of weeks... :-( So I'll just admire this from afar...

2) If you're a jar collector like me, and you're just waiting for inspiration to hit you so you can do something wonderful and creative with all those jars you've got hanging around, then you definitely need to check out this list of 25 Creative and Cool Reuses of Jars. So many wonderful ideas--use jars for storage, as candle holders, as light fixtures... The possibilities are endless!

1) Finally, in honor of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, here's an awesome video recipe for a Harry Potter speciality--butterbeer! Sadly, I haven't even had a chance to watch Part 1 yet... DH promises to get me the complete set on blu-ray once the final movie is available. Hooray for DH!

Lion Bath Mitt

2011-07-11T22:21:00.001-04:00

I needed to take a break from the Ratchet and Clank hats and work on something quick and easy. So here's a little lion bath mitt I made today!

Unfortunately, I made this bath mitt to fit my hand, which will come in handy when DH is out of town, but since he regularly bathes the boys, I'll need to make a bigger one for him. Once I make his, I'll share the pattern.

- Posted from my iPad

Ratchet and Clank Hats in Progress

2011-07-10T21:40:00.000-04:00

Here are the prototypes for the Ratchet and Clank hats in progress:

The ears for Ratchet, on the left, haven't been attached yet, and I don't know that I'll get that far because A) they're a bit too big, B) the color for the stripes on his ears aren't right, and C) I'm not happy with the way the little peak in the center of the hat turned out. Ratchet wears an aviator hat, and it would probably look better if I made a proper aviator hat, but I wanted to add Ratchet's eyebrows in the bit of yellow yarn in the bottom center... As for the stripes on the ears, I purchased a rust colored yarn, which I think is much closer to the actual color of his stripes.

As for Clank, I'm not really sure what to do... The problem is that Ratchet's hat is so much more fun with the huge ears sprouting out like horns. Clank needs something more exciting... Obviously, I've only made one eye so far. ;-) Also, Clank's antennae should be a darker gray... Decisions, decisions... The only thing I'm absolutely sure of is that I've got to get started on round 2 of Clank's hat!

Anyway, I'm moving forward...

4th of July Fun and More Hats

2011-07-07T08:16:00.001-04:00

This 4th of July, the family road tripped it up to PA to spend the weekend with DH's cousin and his family. Although the drive up was absolute torture because the boys were miserable, even before we got in the car, and with holiday traffic, the 4 hour long drive took over 6 hours, we made it there in one piece and without having to drop our kids off on the side of the highway! And the weekend was a total success. The boys were fantastic, and DH's cousin's youngest son had a bin full of toys that definitely came in handy.

Despite being nervous about how exhausted I would be a after spending a weekend away from home--because it's always more work--I ended up not having to lift a finger all weekend, and with two extra adults around to entertain the boys, it truly felt like a vacation. I loved it! And I definitely didn't want to come back home!

For me, the best part of the weekend was going for a two hour motorcycle ride on the back of DH's cousin's beautiful (and patriotic!) Harley, which included a pit stop at Michael's so I could run in and buy some more yarn for a hat I was working on!

DH comes from a family of motorcycle riders, and the young couple pictured on the front of his cousin's bike is DH's grandparents. What a wonderful family tradition! DH has been wanting a bike for years, but once we we're actually able to afford one... Well, two little boys came along, so realistically, it'll probably be quite some time before he gets one, but I hope he does because A) it's part of his family history, and B) I wouldn't mind riding on the back hanging on to to my handsome DH! ;-)

So the yarn I picked up really could have waited until I got home, but the relatives were fascinated with what I had been working on that weekend and wanted to see where the hat was going. And having so much time for myself, I got more knitting done than I had anticipated and packed for. One of DH's favorite games--and I have to admit that I really enjoyed them as well before the boys were born--are the Ratchet and Clank games. Ratchet is a make-believe animal called a lombax and Clank is his best buddy, a robot with a soul. ;-)

So I'm working on Ratchet and Clank hats for the boys! Charlie is definitely silly Ratchet and and my Lincoln is the more serious Clank. ;-) I'm writing up patterns for the hats, so it'll be a little while before I share them, but the first prototypes are almost finished. I've already noticed a couple of things with both hats that I want to tweak for the final pattern, but hopefully, it won't be long before I have a couple of new pattern to share!

- Posted from my iPad

Stereo Style Hat

2011-06-29T22:54:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty impressed with myself right now--I actually managed to start and finish a project in just a smidge more than 24 hours! I cast on stitches for a hat yesterday while the boys were napping, and I put the finishing touches on it right after DH got home from work today. So hooray for me, right?

It was a super easy project, despite not having a pattern to work with. I knit a basic baby hat with about an inch and a half of ribbing and the rest in stockinette stitch. The headphones, however, are crocheted. I put just a tiny bit of polyfil in the headphones, then sewed the headphones onto the hat. And voila! All done!

I'll write up a quick how-to soon, but until then, enjoy these ridiculous photos of the boys in the Stereo Style hat! And if the hat looks a bit small, that's because it is! I made it for a friend's kid who's only a year old right now. However, DH is in love with the hats and thinks I need to make two more for the boys...

The photo on the left is Charlie, who is always far more willing to model hats for me. But I didn't want Lincoln to feel like he wasn't getting any love, so I pretty much forced him to put the hat on and stand there for photos... He was none too pleased, and this is the photographic proof of his misery:

He did cheer up a bit and by the time I was finished snapping away, he'd wiped away his tears and was down to a soft whimpering. ;-)

Quick Knits and Other Craftiness

2011-06-28T12:51:00.000-04:00

This whole not having to work thing is great for getting my craft on! I've worked on AND finished a number of projects recently. I love it! Now, if I could just figure out a way to make a living doing this... ;-)

The biggest of my three projects was designing and knitting a PSP cozy for DH. The pattern is live on the Creative Momnesia blog. If you know someone who needs a PSP cozy, then this is the pattern for you! It's a quick knit since it's small, so even with DK weight yarn and size 3 needles, you could easily make it in just a few hours. Since DH is planning to get the new version of the PSP set to come out next year (or something like that--I don't really keep up but DH keeps telling me about the new one...), I'm sure I'll either modify or write up a new pattern when it does.

The next project I worked on was for my Creative Momnesia partner's littlest boy's first birthday. It was definitely a quick project as it really only consisted of gluing pieces together, but since crafting is definitely part trial and error, The Caffeinated Mommy let me know that the letter definitely needed to be screwed into the back of the frame rather than just glued on. Good to know! And sorry for the craptastic photo. I took it with my phone while trying to get the boys ready to go over to The Caffeinated Mommy's house for a playdate. I'm actually amazed that I remembered to take it with me...

And finally, my most recent project--the dinosaur hat for a friend's baby's first birthday! I think it turned out really well, and I kinda want to make one for each of my boys now, although I really love the mohawk hats I made them not to long ago...

The pattern for this hat ended up being a combination of two different patterns, both of which can be downloaded for free on Ravelry. I came across the Dino Cap, and I had to make it! But the pattern called for a double layer of knit, and it just doesn't get that cold here in the mid-Atlantic... So for the main part of the hat, I used the Cozy pattern, which is just a basic earflap hat pattern. And the result, super cuteness!

So that's what I've been up to lately... Now, off to find another project!

Knitting Intarsia in the Round

2011-06-25T23:09:00.001-04:00

I've written down this very simple how-to because when I was teaching myself how to knit using different colors in the round, I did a Google search and came up with so many different methods. And because I'm crazy and obsessive, I tried out several different methods (some quite complicated and frustrating) and ultimately, I found that it's really very simple! So here goes:

The first thing you have get over is the idea that knitting intarsia in the round is actually not possible because you'll end up completing a row of color, make your way around, and end up with the contrast yarn at the wrong end of the pattern. So, fundamentally, you have to knit intarsia back and forth. There are a number of different methods that tell you to go back and forth only on the pattern, then to make your way around, remembering that you've completed two rows of the pattern and only one round of the rest of your knitting... Then, you have to slip those stitches, blah blah blah. It's really confusing. Going back and forth makes the process MUCH easier.

When you come to terms with the fact that you're simply going to be working the entire thing back and forth instead of in the round, then the only thing you have to worry about is joining the rounds as you work so that you don't end up with gaps at the beginning/end of the round.

So, let's say that you're making a PSP cozy... ;-) Work the first row of the pattern. When you reach the end of the pattern (in Color B), you'll want to work a few stitches of Color A. Then, turn the work.

Now, you'll be working the purl side. However, before beginning the next row (and going back from left to right in the pattern), bring your working yarn to the front and yarn over on the right needle from front to back, bringing the working yarn back to the front of your work. Resume working the row, remembering to purl all your stitches instead of knitting them! Once you reach the last stitch of that round, purl the last stitch and the yarn over together. This joins your previous round with the current one.

Next, turn your work again. This time, you're back on the right side (the knit side) of your work. However, because this is the knit side, you will need to hold your working yarn in the back. Bring the working yarn from the back to the front and to the back again on the right needle. You've created another yarn over that you will use to join with the row that you will know be knitting by knitting the last stitch of this row and the yarn over that you've just made together.

Continue doing this until you can resume knitting in the round (once the pattern has ended and you're back to one color).

Please feel free to ask questions (via comments). If need be, I can add some photos to help with the process!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

To the wonderful fathers in my life, I love you.

Glee and Pirates

2011-06-17T23:20:00.001-04:00

My Friday night is being well spent working on writing a pattern for the psp cozy. I have to give credit though where credit is due because there is an existing pattern that I worked off of (that can be found here)but I'm using significantly thinner yarn and smaller needles, which means more stitches per inch in order to have a much more detailed image of the skull and crossbones. Plus, I've decided to add increases and decreases at the top and bottom in order for the cozy to be more form fitting.

Hopefully, I'll have a new pattern to share soon! In other productive news, I finished my hat for the Glee knitting project! I wonder if Finn/Cory Monteith would actually wear it. This photo doesn't do it justice, but I'm not sure that I can convince DH to model it for me... I really like it and kinda want to make one for myself!

And I can't figure out how to rotate the photo on the iPad... Anyway, better get back to work!

- Posted from my iPad

Collaboration

2011-06-13T17:29:00.000-04:00

I just want to announce a collaborative blog that I've just begun working on called Creative Momnesia with a fellow mom of little boys (her's are 3 and almost 1). She sews absolutely adorable stuff for babies, and you can find her on Etsy at The Caffeinated Mommy. We found ourselves sharing both our crafty projects and ridiculous stories about being SAHMs to boys, and we figured... What the hell? Let's share our stories with the rest of the world.

I'll still be posting here, and there will probably be some overlap, but join us at Creative Momnesia to read about our projects and the absolute chaos that makes up our lives.

Honfest and New Projects

2011-06-12T18:36:00.001-04:00

For the first time in a YEAR, I went to the salon and got a pedicure! The last time was seriously a year ago, just before a friend's wedding. So for the past two months or so, I've been wearing open-toe shoes with terribly self-painted nails. Glad that disaster has ended! ;-)

So I've got a couple of new yarn-y projects in the pipes. The big one is, of course, my Glee knitting project. I'm knitting a hat for Finn (Cory Monteith), and I was actually able to get some yarn this weekend. Come to think of it, this weekend was absolutely insane (and HOT), but there was quite a bit of self-pampering in the form of retail therapy! DH had to go to Baltimore to do some work on our previous home turned rental property, so I met him there with the boys and we took part in a bit of HonFest.

Despite my absolute annoyance at Denise Whiting and her arrogant "ownership" of all things "Hon," there are quite a few businesses that I absolutely Adore (with a capital A!) on the Avenue in Hampden--my LYS being one of them! In sweltering heat, my men (both big and little) and I first stopped by Baltimore Burger Bar, which used to be Puffs and Pastries, to partake in Anisha's wonderful, edible creations. DH got the rabbit burger, and I ordered the beef burger. They were both fabulous. And honestly, we could have just ordered one burger--they're HUGE. The fries were phenomenal--probably on par with the duck fat fries at Salt. I'm sad that Anisha's not making pastries anymore though... Her baklava used to bring me such joy!

I really wanted to stop by and say hello to my favorite tattoo artist at Have Fun Be Lucky, but with the boys in tow and it actually being hotter than the sun outside... We had certain things that needed to be accomplished, so next on the agenda was Lovelyarns. Unfortunately, Sue was at TNNA. :-( But I was able to get the yarn I needed for Finn's hat:

There wasn't a whole lot of selection of wool, it being summer and all... But this works. It's a washable blend that I've worked with before, so it should knit up nicely.

Then, the biggest treat for me was going to Doubledutch. I actually love this store. If I could buy everything in it, I absolutely would. But because I rarely treat myself to nice clothes these days (and it's not just an issue of not having the time to go someplace and try on clothes, but since my body has changed since being preggers with twins... Clothes shopping just isn't as fun as it used to be), DH got me a gift certificate to Doubledutch, basically forcing me to go there and try on cute stuff. The best thing? Doubledutch has a kids' play area in the back of the shop to keep kids occupied! So I tried on a million things and got a new dress (which I wore out of the store), a skirt and a top. All really cute. See...

I don't normally post photos of my fashion finds, but it's been a really long time since I actually purchased clothes were fun rather than practical. Shoes, on the other hand... I really can't help myself when it comes to shoes.

Anyway, my other yarn-related project (got a little side-tracked!)--DH wants me to make him a PSP cozy. There's a cute pattern for a knit one with a skull design on it, but I think I'd rather crochet it, in which case, it wouldn't be too difficult for me to just design one myself. We'll see...

I'm going to try and cast on Finn's hat tonight. Depending on whether or not this stack of laundry decides to fold itself or not.

LOVE!

2011-06-12T13:35:00.001-04:00

How much do I love Dianna Agron (of Glee fame if you're not a fellow Gleek) for posting this?

An Exercise in Futility

2011-06-10T08:13:00.001-04:00

Trying to get both boys to look at the camera at the same time long enough to take a decent photo...

So rather than one decent photo, here are three crappy ones. ;-)

- Posted from my iPad

Back to Reality

2011-06-09T23:22:00.001-04:00

The past several days have been utterly insane, and I'm so happy to be back home. At least I'm used to the level of insane here! I survived 4 days at Myrtle Beach with the boys, although there were definitely moments when wasn't sure if I was going to make it out alive. With DH there for a work conference, I was on my own most days with the two... And it didn't make for happy times for Mommy!

I didn't get much knitting in while we were there (surprise, right?), but today, i managed to finish a project! The boys are asleep, so I haven't been able to get them to model their hats for me, but here they are:

I'll have better photos tomorrow, although I'm sure that it will be a struggle to get the boys to both wear the hats and sit still for a photo...

- Posted from my iPad 777 807 3454

Sweltering Summer Heat

2011-06-01T14:26:00.002-04:00

Right now, I'm sitting under a blanket on the couch in our basement where it might actually be below freezing. Needless to say, the AC works down here. If only it were half as efficient at keeping the rest of the house cool... There's a noticeable temperature change as you walk up the stairs to the first floor, and the second floor? Well, it's downright tropical up there. This may be why my sweet little Charlie is busy singing to himself instead of taking a nap. Or maybe it's because we had a bit too much excitement this morning, going over to a friend's house for a play date. It may have been the best play date in the world--splashing around in a kiddie pool and riding a kid-sized electric Jeep around the backyard. So today's nap may have been compromised... Sigh... But perhaps that's what I get for wanting to spend some time chatting with a grown up. We lost track of time and before we knew it--it was well past noon.

It's been a completely insane few days, and the insanity shows no signs of stopping! DH and I spent the entire Memorial Day weekend trying to get the new place organized. Because he'd been spending so much time working on getting our house ready for renters, we hadn't really had time to unpack. So all the boxes are now empty and put away, and there's a small stack of mostly books and papers that I need to find homes for. We've got some artwork that needs to be put on the walls, but other than that, I'd say that we're all settled in. Just in time for a business+pleasure trip to the beach. DH has a work conference next week, and the whole family will be joining him, so we're packing up the car and heading to the beach bright and early Saturday morning. I'm not sure what the road trip or the 4 days on the beach will entail... But there's no stopping now!

On a totally different note, I've joined a group of Gleek knitters who will be making knitted/crocheted items for the cast of Glee to hopefully wear on the show! I'm a newbie Gleek, but after watching the first season on Netflix, I was completely hooked and quickly got myself caught up in time for the second season finale. Who knows if the project will work--if the costume designer will actually incorporate our items into their wardrobes, but it's sometime fun to do. I'll be making a hat for Finn/Cory Monteith, but I haven't committed to a particular pattern just yet. His wardrobe isn't exactly exciting, and I haven't seen him wear a hat on the show, but it's probably the most likely to be worn by either the character or the actor.

So far, I think that A Hat Fit For A Boyfriend pattern is the winner. I just have to find a nice, non-itchy, washable yarn...

The Longest Day Ever...

2011-05-24T17:24:00.003-04:00

Today has been the longest day ever, or the day from hell, whichever you want to call it. And it's only 5:30. Luckily, I only have two hours left with the boys. Once they're in bed, it's wine and knitting for me.

I've pretty much given up on doing anything else with the boys today, so they're sitting next to me on the couch watching Cars and yelling and screaming at the TV. They've seen it a million times, but the opening race never ceases to amaze them. Charlie's screaming "Um-ma ('mom' in Korean)! Oh no! Um-ma! Um-ma!" because he wants me to watch the greatness if an animated car driving around and around a track. Lincoln's yelling "Go, car, go!" on the top of his lungs and jumping up and down on the couch. And to think, I put in Cars, knowing full well that this would happen because I actually prefer this behavior to today's earlier behavior...

I guess it's just one of those days... *Sigh*

On a more exciting note, I finished one of the cutest things I've ever made. It's the cable and fringe hat, complete with a blue mohawk for Mr. Charlie. Lincoln will get one with a green mohawk.

And yes, my son is not wearing any clothes. Well, he's got underwear on, Thomas the Tank Engine underwear to be exact, and he has let me know multiple times today how he really want to be wearing his Cars underwear instead... Anyway, my boys have definitely entered into the running around the house naked phase. They like clothes, but there's a certain novelty to bare skin--like blowing raspberries on each other, which is super cute, by the way. ;-) If only they could just be cute all the time and skip out on the annoying...

Here's my Charlie posing again in his hat. I'm pretty sure that he likes it, and because it's got the blue mohawk, he's been letting Lincoln know that this is his hat. And Lincoln points at the green yarn that I have for his hat and says, "Me!"

And yet another photo of Charlie posing--I'm pretty sure this is the Mom!-I-can't-believe-how-many-photos-you're-taking-annoyed look. It's hard to get a decent photo of a squirmy kid...

Knitting plans foiled once again!

2011-05-22T13:12:00.003-04:00

Today, I was hoping to go to a knitting meet-up for the first time in... I don't know how long! But, DH's plans changed, and he had to go work on our house today, so I'm home with the boys. No knitting and adult conversation for me. I've reached a point in the pattern for the mohawk hat that I'm making that I've really got to pay attention and read the pattern, so it's kind of hard to do with the boys running around. I wish I was better at multi-tasking, but unfortunately, this is simply a talent that I do not possess!

However, the boys are napping right now, so I'm hoping to get a bit of knitting in. I'm very excited to see the finished product on this hat--which is a feeling that I haven't had in a while. Hopefully, the boys will be asleep for the next hour... That should give me time to make a bit of progress on the hat.

I'm also thinking that at some point in the near future, I'll be transferring over the posts from my other blog. Please ignore if you're not interested in baby-talk!

Off to knit for a while!

Actually finishing things!

2011-05-19T13:44:00.003-04:00

This is the first time in a while that I've actually started and finished a project! I have a tendency to let things sit on the needles for an extended period of time. I often find myself putting unfinished projects on needle holders because I need the needles for something else I feel Imust start.

But, alas! This is not the case right now. I have officially finished the baby hat and matching mitts for a friend who will be welcoming her first little one in July.

Hooray for finishing something!

I also just started a pair of fingerless mitts, using the Swirling Gauntlet's pattern I found on Ravelry. There isn't a direct link to the pattern since it's a free Ravelry download, so if you're interested in the pattern, just search on Ravelry. However, I've sent it aside for now and started a really cute hat. I figure I'll get an early start on next winter! Mostly, it's because I needed something to work on that required a bit less concentration that the Swirling Gauntlet pattern. The mitts turned out to be a bit more work than I had anticipated. First, I left my WIP sitting on the couch while I took Charlie to the bathroom, and in that time, Lincoln managed to pull the needles out and unravel half of my ribbing. :-p So I had to start over. Then, I was too busy watching Glee to really pay attention to what I was doing, and I ended up repeating a row of the cable pattern and had to unravel quite a bit of it and start the pattern over again. :-p

Anyway, the hat is moving along. I'm also trying to destash a bit and work with yarns I already own rather than going out an buying more, which is what I really want to do... So the body of the hat will be brown, and Charlie's mohawk will be blue and Lincoln's green. Here's a link to the pattern, but I think you have to be logged in to Lion Brand Yarn's webpage in order to view it. This is what the finished hat looks like:

So cute! I had to learn how to do a cable cast-on, which was actually quite easy, thank to this video. Hopefully, I can take some good photos soon. It's been horribly overcast for the past several days, so there's no good light in the house. I hate how colors wash out when the flash goes off... Anyway, back to knitting!

Post Eater...

2011-05-13T14:11:00.002-04:00

I finally come back to the blogiverse, and Blogger decides to eat my last post. :-p

It wasn't very important anyway--I was just wondering what to do with my other blog, Two Little Coconuts, which is dedicated to my thoughts and experiences raising twins. But I've come to a decision about it... I'm going to incorporate it into this blog. This way, I only need to maintain one. So if you're completely uninterested in my thoughts and opinions on baby products, breastfeeding, potty training, making my own baby food, etc., feel free to ignore those posts! ;-)

In knitting news, I finished a newborn hat and am in the process of beginning a pair of matching mitts. However, working with DK weight yarn and size 3 needles, I had to stop and cut my fingernails because I was having way too much trouble with my dagger claws navigating their way around the thin yarn and small needles. So despite the fact that I love having long nails since they are quite effective in giving my short little fingers the illusion of being longer and thus, more elegant, this is the sacrifice I'm willing to make, all in the name of pretty, knitted things.

Yarn and Children together as one?!?

2011-05-11T19:58:00.000-04:00

My great dilemma at the moment is what to do with my other blog, Two Little Coconuts, which is dedicated to my thoughts and experiences on random things having to do with raising twins. I don't have that many posts on it, and it's basically been sleeping for the past two years as well (much like this one...). I don't want to get rid of it, and I still have things I'd like to post about kids' stuff and links I'd like to share... But I don't know that I have the time to maintain two blogs. So do I combine the two? Bring together my love for yarn and my love for my kids??? Dare I?

And She's Baaaaack!

2011-05-11T08:48:00.005-04:00

It's hard to believe that it's been more than 2 years since I last posted... It's gone by so quickly. Although I can hardly remember life before my boys were born, it also seems like just yesterday, I had the time to knit and crochet, to design patterns and make jewelry... I actually thought about starting a new blog altogether, but that seemed like an awful lot of work. Plus, I know that there are readers out there, who have probably all but forgotten about me. But here I am!

Well, my boys are no longer babies. In fact, they're apparently ginormous children. They're 3 feet tall and about 32 lbs each, making it quite difficult for me when they both desperately want to be held--at the same time. Despite being so big, they're still my little babies. And they know it. Mommy will hold and kiss and snuggle them whenever, where ever. However, they've also become quite good at entertaining themselves now, finally giving me a bit of time to return to some of the things I love--mostly, I'm referring to yarn. In case you were wondering... But I'm also excited to return to other things--like cooking and reading and blogging. I think I have two years' worth of Food and Wine magazine and Martha Stewart Living to catch up on.

Our family recently moved (which, by the way, was quite the challenge with two-year-old twin boys running around. I recommend avoiding this type of major life change when you have two very curious, high energy, lunatic toddlers around), and during the packing process, DH was mortified to discover the size of my stash... So I've pretty much been restricted to knitting with what I've got--at least until my stash reduces by 50%--or unless I can sneak new yarn into the house and claim that it came from my stash, which I actually don't think will be all that difficult considering that there's no way he can possibly know what exactly is in those crates...

I have to admit though that my stash is rather ridiculous, and I need to get knitting. I don't even know what I have in terms of yarn anymore... So the move has been good in that it's forcing me to go through boxes and boxes of things that had been neglected. It's definitely a slow process, but I'm making my way through the stockpiles of crap.

In the past few months, I've actually worked on a few things, although I didn't have the time to post them. With classes in session, it was hard to find that extra time. But now, it's officially summer break! So with joyous enthusiasm that rivals my students, I was my hands of any academic responsibilities (although that's not necessarily true because there are a couple of books that I really need to read this summer, and I've got to work on a syllabus for next semester). But whatever--a girl can dream.

So here are recent finished projects:

Cabled wristwarmers - I made these for my awesome tattoo artist, Andrea at Have Fun Be Lucky in Baltimore to go with a scarf that I made for her (although I forgot to take a picture of the scarf before I gave it to her). Here's a link to the pattern I used.

As I went through patterns on Ravelry, I found that I wasn't really crazy about most of the patterns for wristwarmers or fingerless mitts. I wanted to make armwarmers that come up to the elbow, but also serve as fingerless mitts. And I wanted something other than the standard cable in the middle, but I didn't want an elaborate or intricate design. So... I'm working on my own pattern. I'll probably be a while before I get it written down and ready to post, but hopefully, I'll be able to! It'll actually be the first knitting pattern that I've designed. All of my other patterns have been very simple crochet patterns for amigurumi.

Chevron Lace Cardigan - When my mom was visiting this past winter, she and I worked on quite a few things. Mom's a wonderful crocheter, but she doesn't know how to read patterns. She really wanted to make this pattern, so we did it together. She made one for herself. I made one for me. I need to find the photo my mom emailed me of her's... And I need to find mine and take a picture of it! So I'll share soon. But if you hate seaming (like me) and want an easy and beautiful crochet pattern, then I absolutely recommend this one.

I better get back to reality... The boys will only occupy themselves for so long. Plus, I think Lincoln might have a panic attack if I don't help him find his car...

Growing Babies, Tired Mommy!

2009-04-10T15:01:00.003-04:00

The boys are growing like weeds! It's hard to believe that they're the same little ones that we brought home from the hospital. They've nearly doubled their birth weight, and although we're still in the eating, sleeping and pooping phase (they don't do much else), we are beginning to see a little bit of personality. They're extremely good babies though, and they don't fuss much. They sleep a lot, which makes it easier for me to get a few things done around the house. As long as one baby's asleep, I can get work done. I put the other one in the baby carrier, and while wearing a baby, I've managed to cook dinner, swiffer the floors, fold and put away laundry. Still haven't figured out a way to shower during the day while DH is at work, so showering waits until about 10:30pm when the boys have been put down for the night. They're not sleeping through the night, and we're working hard to establish a bedtime routine. It's a bit of a challenge, but hopefully, it'll pay off soon.

As for knitting, needless to say, I don't really have time for it! While my parents were here, I did manage to make my mom an ipod cozy! My brother got her an ipod so she could listen to the Bible, and she loves it. While she was here cooking and cleaning, she'd put the headphones on and get to work! I'm not thrilled about the flap that I made to close the cozy, but I didn't have time to fix it as I finished the thing about an hour before my parents' flight left. It took me nearly 4 weeks to make this thing!

So, considering that something so small took so long... Hopefully, I'll be able to get back to my yarn. Maybe I'll find time between feeding babies, changing diapers, cleaning the house, entertaining babies, cooking dinner... :-p Motherhood is exhausting!

Babies!!!

2009-03-17T15:12:00.003-04:00

It's been a long while since I updated, and my hiatus from the internets can be explained away by the birth of my beautiful boys! The babies were born on February 17th at 10:18pm by C-section after laboring for about 14 hours. Today, the boys are 4 weeks old, and I can hardly believe that time has flown by so quickly.

With two babies, there isn't much time to do anything non-baby related, so I doubt I'll be able to post much, at least not for the time being. I don't really have time to make things either, so I suppose it doesn't really matter! I am, however, knitting a little ipod cozy for my mom so my hands aren't completely idle. I also made some more thank you cards since I ran out of the original batch that I made before the boys arrived. My mom kept telling me to just buy some cards, but I couldn't bring myself to send pre-made cards, not after sending out handmade ones. Maybe other people don't appreciate handmade stuff, but it makes ME feel better knowing that I sent something that I put time and effort into. Plus, they're a lot cuter! :-)

Now, I have the daunting task of writing a thank you note to Baby A's cardiac surgeon. What do you say to the person who saved your baby's life??? Hopefully, I can find some words to express my gratitude.

Anyway, I need to sign off for today, but not without sharing a little bit of baby perfection...

Cranking Things Out (all except for babies that is...)

2009-02-03T12:31:00.004-05:00

I'm still pregnant! These babies have tricked us all. We were expecting them at some point last week, but they're still in there! It's given us time though to get some work finished on the nursery (and by us, I mean DH because I can't really help him!). I have, however, been knitting like a maniac, despite the fact that my fingers are swollen and I feel arthritic pain in my joints. So here's what I've finished:

These socks, I made using a slightly different pattern from the first pair I made. The first pair was made using the Baby Mitten Sock Pattern. These, however, I used the Leftover Baby Socks Pattern, which I think made a cuter sock, but it's also a little smaller. I'm a bit concerned that they're too small. We'll see though!

These scratch mitts are a self-created pattern, and I've made two pairs so far, trying to work out the details. Hopefully, I'll get a pattern written up for them at some point. They're really quite simple.

Now, I'm working on some legwarmers, which I've heard really come in handy in terms of dressing baby in a onesie and legwarmers and not having to take pants off to change diapers! I've got one finished in an orange and beige striped pattern, but it's a bit big -- probably would fit a 9 month baby -- so I'm making another that's a bit smaller around to perhaps fit a 3 month baby. We'll see how it goes...

I'm off to sit in my new glider and knit while I watch DH construct a dresser! :-)

Seaming = My Worst Skill

2009-01-28T19:51:00.003-05:00

Seaming is quite possibly one of my worst skills, which is why I try to avoid it at all costs and knit things in the round.

I love how this sweater vest turned out, but I can't stand my horrible seaming along the two sides. Wish I could do something about it, but pretty much, I'm just terrible at it so there's not much I can do. So sad!

Whirlwind of activity!

2009-01-25T05:41:00.005-05:00

It has certainly been a whirlwind of activity lately. With Babies' impending arrival, DH and I have been quite busy trying to prepare for things. Doesn't help that about a week a half ago, my midwife put me on modified bedrest. Even if she hadn't however, I doubt I would have been able to do much this past week. I just get to tired from carrying around this HEAVY body of mine! I think the official count so far has put me at 45 pounds!

The bedrest thing has given me some time to work on my knitting, which is always good! I've been working frantically on this prayer shawl for a while and finally finished it last week.

It took a long time, but I worked on it pretty much non-stop. Crocheting seems to be easier on my fingers as I've developed what feels like pregnancy arthritis and my finger joints ache all day long though it's particularly bad in the mornings. If it wasn't for the soreness in my fingers, I would probably get more knitting/crocheting done.

Regardless, here's what else I've managed the last few weeks:

A newborn hat for Baby B:

One for Baby A:

And I plan to make some matching mitts to go with the hats.

But my proudest moment are these adorable little socks. I say proudest because they're actually my first COMPLETE pair of socks!

The other ones I started back in November are actually still at the exact same point that I left them... Kind of sad, but I just don't think socks are for me. Even these teeny tiny baby socks take me an ENTIRE evening of non-stop knitting. It's the tiny needles that drive me insane... ;-) Regardless, I'm very proud of these little socks. So I've got a pair of them finished, but there are four little feet to warm so I'm working on number 3...

Oops! Belated Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T08:35:00.002-05:00

Wow! The days just kind of slip by! I suppose part of it is all the doctor's appointments that keep me busy, now that I'm in the third trimester, but oh... I remember. We had a house guest. Who stayed the entire holiday weekend. He told us he was coming the day before he arrived. So like a hugely pregnant hostess who can barely stand long enough to shower AND dry her hair, we pretty much ordered out every dinner. It was kind of cute though how enraged my mother was that this person had just come over and was being a burden on her pregnant daughter... ;-)

I've been pretty busy with various craft projects lately. I'm working on an adorable little sweater vest for Baby B, a prayer shawl for a family friend who recently lost her son, earrings for my Etsy site, thank you cards to send out to everyone who has been sending us baby gifts... That's a lot of crafting--but I LOVE it!

I was going to share a photo of the thank you cards, but I suppose I shouldn't since some of my lovely friends will see the photo here before receiving the card and that wouldn't make much sense...

Etsy, Here I Come!

2008-12-30T00:45:00.002-05:00

I finally did it--I set up shop on Etsy. Now that I've got all this "free" time, I figured I would try to do something productive with all my crafting although making things for the babies is keeping me pretty busy. Oh well... Gives me something to do! I've listed a few items, and hopefully, in the next few weeks, I'll be able to get some more things made and listed. Anyway, you should check it out: JKWDesigns!

Completed Projects!

2008-12-24T17:39:00.002-05:00

I've been knitting frantically these last few weeks, and luckily, I actually have something to show for it! ;-) I'm not so great at finishing projects, so I'm quite proud of myself these days.

I finished the neckwarmer I was working on my one of my Ph.D. committee members. I think it turned out really well--just hope she likes it.

I'm really happy with the stitch pattern. I think it turned out really well. It was very easy once I got the hang of it, and because the neckwarmer is significantly shorter than a scarf, it knit up very quickly.

If anyone's interested in the pattern, it's called Otulenie and can be downloaded here for free!

I also started working on and finished this sweater vest for one of the twins. It only took a week, which is record time for me. It's most likely because I didn't have to make sleeves. I hate making sleeves...

I've already cast on to make another sweater vest for my other little one, but it's a different pattern that has cables up the front and is not knit in the round. I love knitting in the round, but I think I'm going to stick with the pattern as it's written rather than trying to figure out how to work the pattern in the round. For now, at least...

However, more importantly, before I really start working on that sweater, I've got to finish DH's scarf! It's almost done. Really!

Working Frantically

2008-12-08T10:22:00.003-05:00

Baby's Blue Starghan and the Green Jacket and all my woodland creatures have been put on hold while I frantically work to finish some gifts! I've finished two scarves, and I'm working on two more although one is more of a neckwarmer than a scarf so it'll hopefully get done quickly. Once I finish those two things, I won't be under such a time crunch, although with only about 2 months left in the pregnancy, how on earth am I going to get everything done before the babies arrive?!?

Here's one of the scarves completed:
Here's another (the one that was supposed to be DH's):
This is the neckwarmer in progress:
And randomly, my first socks, although they're on hold while I finish everything else!

Introducing Dr. Julia

2008-11-25T19:07:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. I've been traveling a lot lately--in the span of 5 days, I spent time in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Texas. Part of it was for work, part for pleasure.

The big news is, I finally defended my dissertation, so I'm now Dr. Julia! :-) I'm so happy to have that part my career OVER! Now, I can look forward to bigger and better things. I think...

Well, at the moment, I've got some new projects lined up. I finished DH's alpaca scarf, but then he decided he wanted one made out of a thinner baby alpaca that I had used to make someone else a scarf last year (the color was slightly lighter, and the scarf itself was much more lightweight). And because I love him and I want to make him something that he's happy with, I decided to give the one I finished to one of my committee members, which spawned this whole new idea to knit thank you gifts for my committee. I spent A LOT of money on nice yarn, the kind of money I wouldn't normally spend on making things for myself, but I figured that these three people gave me a PhD, so I'd like to give them something nice.

So I've got two new scarves on needles right now, and another waiting... One of the two shouldn't take too long since it's bulky yarn on big needles and a simple 1x1 rib, but the other will take some time. Wish I had more time to knit... Wish I had more time for everything, actually!

Here's one of the scarves in progress:

I'll post more stuff after the holiday. This is all I brought to Texas to work on. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish it before I get back!

Woodland Creatures

2008-11-11T18:57:00.004-05:00

I spent my Sunday morning with my sketchbook, pencil in hand, thinking of ideas for an entire woodland village of trees and animals and gnomes... To be fair, I have to credit the Washington D.C. Craft Fair. I went Friday and saw an artisan who had created a woodland fantasy in ceramics, and it was just so adorable and would be perfect in a nursery. However, each piece was in the hundreds of dollars and it's not entirely practical to put ceramics in a nursery anyway... So I figured I would make one out of yarn. That way, the boys can drool all over them and I can easily throw them in the wash. Plus, I don't have to worry about them breaking!

Here's one of the sketches--pencil drawings don't scan well.

So far, I've made one gnome, though I can't assemble her until the safety eyes that I ordered arrive. Should be here tomorrow, so hopefully, I can put her together soon. I should probably go ahead and make Mr. Gnome, that way, once the eyes get here, I'll have both ready to stuff and sew together. I've also got half a tree done, and I have to admit that I'm pleased with how it's turning out! However, I think these are the easiest of the pieces. I think the mushroom house and the mini bunnies will be fairly easy as well, but the deer and raccoon will probably be a bit more involved.

Obviously, this is a rather big project, and I don't intend to finish it anytime soon. Besides, I think DH's becoming increasingly impatient about his scarf!

Progress on Starghan

2008-11-08T21:03:00.003-05:00

It's definitely coming along. The pattern calls for the star to measure 22" from center to point, and I think I'm a little more than halfway there. Still quite a bit to go, and this thing is using up A LOT of yarn, but I'm really happy with how it's looking. Can't wait to get started on the other one in green, brown and cream. I think the two blankets will look adorable together.

Today, I co-taught a crochet class at my LYS, Lovelyarns, which was a real treat. It was a beautiful day outside, so sitting out on the back porch of Lovelyarns and breathing in some nice fresh air while playing with yarn. What beats that???

Another Project

2008-10-26T11:41:00.003-04:00

If I didn't already have enough to work on, I started a new project. I've started on a starghan for Baby A. I figured that since I've got one thing going for Baby B, my other little one needs his mommy to make him something too!

It took me a little while to figure it out, and I think I managed by following the step-by-step instructions found on A Whole Load of Craft. The pattern is also from the same site, which I found through Ravelry's pattern search for a baby blanket. This one is called the Chromium Star Blanket, and it gets rid of the small "holes" that you find on other starghans.

My star curls a bit, and I think that might be because my stitches are a bit tight. Perhaps I should have used a bigger needle??? Overall, I'm quite pleased with how it's turning out.

Anyway, off to do a little Sunday shopping!

Time flies, but my knitting doesn't!

2008-10-19T13:28:00.004-04:00

So I started on a new project, even though my other project is never-ending and may never be complete. Yes, I'm talking about DH's scarf. On the bright side, it's halfway done, but considering how long it's taken me to get to this point, I don't think that's a good thing!

The new project I began last week is the adorable Seed Stitch Baby Jacket. I managed to get almost halfway through when I decided that I hated it and ripped the entire thing out. I may try it out in a different yarn, but I didn't like how the cotton was looking. It may need to be done in something a little bulkier.

So much for that one...

I started something else a couple of days ago--the Ribbed Baby Jacket--which I have much higher hopes for. It's in a different yarn--a worsted weight acrylic blend--which is thicker, but it's not terribly soft. Oh well... It's a jacket, so it doesn't have to be the softest thing. Plus, I'm making it in the 12 months size so my little peanut will have time to grow into it!

In the past couple of weeks (since I found out I'm having twin boys), I've been completely obsessed with finding cute boy patterns. There are so many things to make for little girls, but not a whole lot for boys. I am, however, obsessed with sweater vests for my boys, so I think I might start making sweater vests soon. I was shopping this weekend and splurged on two Ralph Lauren Chaps sweater vest sets for the boys. I couldn't help myself... :-)

So Much Excitement!

2008-10-01T10:22:00.002-04:00

Well, I don't have anything yarn-related to share, but I have been kept busy the last few days with the "results" of our ultrasound Monday morning. Don't worry--it's nothing bad. Just surprising! DH and I found out that we are having TWIN BOYS! Madness, madness, I tell you!

So I've been busy calling people, sharing the news, and of course, reading everything there is to read about twin pregnancies on the internets. I have so many questions... Good thing I see my midwife on Friday. I'll probably be referred to an OB, maybe even a high-risk OB, but I should still be able to get some answers.

We still can't believe we're getting two babies at once. Quite surreal!

Finally, a finished project!

2008-09-22T11:10:00.002-04:00

I started these a while back--in the summer--but I just got around to putting the finishing touches on them. The babies were born in August so I think they're a bit over a month old now, but they're twins so I know they were a bit little... I just hope they'll fit! My main concern is the hat since I have absolutely no idea how little/big baby heads are... I'll found out for myself in February, I guess!

Heehee...

2008-09-21T14:23:00.001-04:00

Yes, I'm Still Alive!

2008-09-19T08:05:00.003-04:00

I know it's been ages since my last post... I have no other excuse except that I've started my new job, which I think is actually a pretty good excuse! ;-) I went from having an entirely flexible and self-centered schedule to actually having to be certain places at certain times. It's really quite a challenge... ;-) My other little excuse, I think, is pretty good too. I went and got myself KNOCKED UP! We didn't tell many people during the first trimester, just to be on the safe side, and once the second trimester rolled around, we realized we needed to keep the news to a minimum because I hadn't told work just yet. However, now, the cat's out of the bag, and though I think my department chair was a bit surprised, he seemed to take the news pretty well!

Today, DH is finally able to go to one of my prenatal appointments with me so he'll finally get to hear the baby's heartbeat. I heard it at my last appointment, and it was just so amazing. I mean, there's a little heart beating inside me!!! That seems a bit wild... We should be able to schedule our first ultrasound in the next couple of weeks, and neither one of us is big on surprises so we absolutely want to know if we're having a boy or a girl.

So, considering how much I love to knit and crochet baby things, this should be great for all my yarn-related projects, right? Well, it hasn't been... I've been so insanely busy that I haven't made it out to my knitting group in over a month, and I feel like I haven't picked up needles in ages. Last night, I made a pair of earrings while watching a DVR'd episode of Project Runway, which BTW is kind of terrible this season. Kenley is quite possibly the most annoying person that I've never met.

Yikes! I better get started with my day. Got lots to do...

Earring Madness!

2008-08-07T16:59:00.006-04:00

A friend of mine came to visit, and she's been making earrings for years now (and she sells them on Etsy--EJewelryDesigns). I took her to Beadazzled, and I just couldn't resist the urge to buy some beautiful beads myself, even though I've never done any beading... Well, Elizabeth taught me the basics, and I've been busy making earrings ever since! :-)

So here are a few of my creations:

I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with them--if I want to try and sell them, or if I should just wear all of them myself (heehee!). We'll see....

Yarn and tomatoes

2008-07-30T09:46:00.004-04:00

I haven't been knitting or crocheting too much lately. I finished the booties and matching hat for my friend who's having twins next month, but she won't reveal the sex of the babies, so I made them in a forest green and they look way too much like little boy stuff. I'm a bit disappointed in how they turned out. I'll get a photo posted of it soon, but they're currently upstairs on the third floor and I'm on the first floor and I really am that lazy! ;-)

I started another project, and it's turning out pretty nicely.

It's a pretty crappy picture, but it's not so sunny out today and I couldn't get a decent photo without the flash. One sleeve to go and a decorative border, but I've got to find another yarn for the border.

So my stitches have been lacking lately... Just not feeling overly motivated about anything these days. Well, aside from my overly rambunctious garden! Actually, I should say tomatoes because nothing else is doing all that well because the tomatoes have taken over!

Here's a photo of my harvest from a few days ago:

It looks like a bajillion cherry tomatoes, but there are several large beefsteak tomatoes under them. Anyway, yesterday, I picked 7 large tomatoes. Today, I picked 10. I currently have 18 tomatoes on my kitchen counter, and this is AFTER using up 6 tomatoes yesterday to make salsa! Good thing I love myself some tomatoes! In fact, I'm heading off to the gym right now, but when I come back, I think tomato and fresh mozzarella with some basil from the garden will make a perfect snack! :-)

A Whole Lotta Crochetin' Going On!

2008-07-12T11:29:00.002-04:00

Just found out that a friend is having twins! So, I wracked my brain for something that it's too terribly time consuming because I have to make two sets of them. Plus, the friend won't reveal the sex(es) of the babies. I think that making things for little boys are harder than little girls. There are so many absolutely adorable things for baby girls, and just a handful of cute things for baby boys.

So, I settled on booties and matching hats. So far, I've finished all four booties and half a hat. In green. I'm not too happy with the color, but oh well... They still look really cute, but pretty much anything in baby size is really cute!

I'll post some photos later, but I've got too much on my plate these days and I think I have photos on my camera from weeks ago that I haven't even downloaded yet!

Busy, busy

2008-06-09T20:19:00.003-04:00

I haven't really been knitting/crocheting much lately. Between finishing up my dissertation, gardening, house renovations (we're replacing the stairs from the first to the second floor, getting hardwood flooring and new drywall on the first floor!), and making plans for my new job in the fall... I don't have much time for playing with yarn. It's quite sad, yes...

I'm still working on a baby sweater, though I started the sleeves and I think I need to frog it because they seem too big, although I'm doing exactly what I did for the last one. Clearly, I'm not doing EXACTLY what I did... I'll get back to it though. In the meantime, I'll share photos of my flourishing garden!

This photo was taken about three days ago, but the tomato plants have already grown another few inches and are now above the deck. Yes, the space is much too small for what I have planted, but to be honest, this is my first time gardening, and I really didn't expect everything I planted to actually GROW! It's a blessing and a curse... ;-)

It's been 95-100 degrees during the day and about 80 degrees at night the last few days, so the tomato plants are hurting from the heat and I don't expect any of the flowers on it to pollinate. *sigh* I'll have to wait even longer to taste delicious vine-ripened tomatoes...

Soft and Snuggly on Cloud 9

2008-05-18T18:28:00.003-04:00

Aside from all the fuzzies that came off the yarn and clung to my clothes, I have to say that Cascade Cloud 9 yarn is now one of my favorites. It's one of the softest that I've ever worked with (although Plymouth Baby Alpaca is pretty darn soft too!). Anyway, my project is complete. The ends have been weaved in and everything! I think it's a bit on the small side, so it would really only work for a newborn, but it's still wearable, and could be worn for longer if the bottom isn't tied together. I'm working on another, somewhat similar, but shorter--much more of a sweater. We'll see how it turns out!

Oh, how time flies!

2008-05-09T18:13:00.002-04:00

I didn't realize it had been so long since I last updated... It's actually been quite a busy couple of weeks for me. Well, there's the garden of course. It's warming up and I have to keep a close eye on how all my little plants are doing. My tomato plants are growing marvelously, though I'm concerned that I didn't put enough space between the plants. We'll see how it goes.

And I'm still working on the baby bunting, though I'm just about finished now. I'm working the collar now, and it'll be done since there's no seaming, which makes me very happy! I am still planning to post the pattern once I've gone through my notes and typed things up.

Other than the gardening/knitting/wasting time on the internets, I've been busy preparing for a job interview. I had a phone interview last week, and Monday, I'm going to visit the campus and give a job talk. Little nervous, but trying to keep myself somewhere on earth. Which reminds me, I should get back to work. :-p

Vestee is Done!

2008-04-28T10:39:00.002-04:00

I finished the problematic Vestee! Hooray!

I'm now working on a baby bunting, and I'm hoping to get a pattern for it written up as I go. Hopefully, it'll work out and I'll be able to post a new free pattern soon! Wish me luck--this is my first knitting pattern.

On a Happier Note...

2008-04-26T08:55:00.003-04:00

I forgot to mention that I've also spent the last two days gardening like a maniac! I made a garden bed in the backyard for my herbs and vegetables, and pretty much everything has been transplanted! I'm still achy and sore from all the digging (let me tell you, digging in the dirt is NOT easy!), but it was well worth the effort.

Here's pictorial proof of all my hard work:

I'm recycling an old banister that we took down from our porch to allow a few vining flowers to decorate and spruce up the vegetable garden. I'll likely need to add more support for the tomatoes, but as of now, they're still too little. My only concern is that I transplanted the tomatoes a bit too close together, but if that seems to be the case, I can remove one or two of them later. However, I'm hoping that they will be happy and produce TONS of tomatoes to enjoy this summer!

Frustration Sinks In...

2008-04-26T08:42:00.002-04:00

I've been working on a new project that for no apparent reason is giving me a hell of a time! I'm knitting Vestee from Knitty.com, and so far, I've had to go back and take out ROWS of stitches for the fifth time! The first time was at the point when I had to join all the stitches from the front and back pieces and the two sleeves together. I somehow ended up twisting on the of the panels, and I was stupidly about six rows into the round before I discovered my mistake so I pulled off the needles and ripped out until that point which absolutely pained me, not just because I lost six rows of knitting, but because I get so friggin' nervous about removing stitches from the needles. It took me about an hour to get it back together. Then, I was about four rows into the round, and I THOUGHT I messed up a couple of rows back, so I started backtracking, only to realize that I hadn't actually messed up. Then, I later realized I skipped a knitting round back where I thought I hadn't, but at that point, I said screw it and kept going. One skipped round isn't going to ruin the piece. It's only about an eighth of an inch. Now, I'm working on the sleeve and neck shaping, and I've been working on going backwards because I worked it in the pattern for the past 10 (!!!) rounds like the pattern said, but it was very unclear about the fact that I had to incorporate the purl decreases every other row into the NEWLY established pattern. This pattern is currently the bane of my existence. It's an absolutely adorable pattern, one that should be knitting up so quickly, but I'm fast beginning to hate it. I'm too far into the project to give up, but the pattern could have been written in a far more comprehensible manner. I've never had these kinds of problems with patterns before, but it seems that I have to read this one over and over again to actually comprehend it!

I don't think I'll give up on the pattern after I finish this one. Like I said, it's an adorable little sweater, and thankfully, the next go around, I'll know what I'm doing and I can improve the pattern on my own, but I think I've been discouraged from knitting other patterns written by the same person...

Gardening Progress

2008-04-18T18:03:00.002-04:00

My gardening endeavors are really beginning to take off, though some seedlings are doing better than others. I think I may have to say goodbye to the lavender and rosemary seeds I planted. Little did I know when I bought the seeds that it's very difficult to get them to grow from seed, true to the parent plant. Now I know... *Sigh*

Many of my other plants, however, are doing quite well. Here's a dill plant I sowed from seed:

And this is my lovely cucumber of the pickle variety. They don't get too big, which is good because our yard isn't too big either!
My sweet basil is beginning to show its true leaves. Smells like basil too!
My beefsteak tomatoes are also lookin' good and about ready to go into the ground.
The slow-growing jalapeno pepper. This little bugger is taking forever to grow!

Anyway, this is just a sampling of the many things I have growing. Hopefully, sometime in the near future, I'll be able to post photos of my little plants actually producing flowers and vegetables! How exciting that will be!

More Than Just Yarn!

2008-04-16T11:41:00.004-04:00

I extended my craftiness to a paper project recently, and created a boarding pass/plane ticket for my niece for her birthday. Her father and I discussed having them come visit us for 4th of July weekend, and we would cover the kids' plane tickets. So here's what I made, and I think it turned out pretty well!

Her brother, whose birthday is next month, may be able to predict what he's getting for his birthday this year...

Blossom Complete!

2008-04-07T19:28:00.005-04:00

I've actually finished something that's not a tiny amigurumi doll! :-)

This is by no means a LARGE project, but it's something that's actually DONE, which is more than I can say for most things I start...

I've sewn the seams, woven in all the ends, and blocked. The only thing left to do is to add the embellishments. I bought some different embroidery threads, but haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with it. I'm thinking of little white flowers with a yellow center, but I'm not sold on how the yellow looks in the rose colored dress.

The flash went off, so I don't think the colors in the photo are accurate, but oh well... Hopefully, inspiration will hit soon and I can move onto the next thing. I bought more yarn yesterday, so I really must get working!

Current Knitting Project

2008-03-28T16:09:00.003-04:00

I don't even know the number of projects I currently have on needles... I don't ever finish anything, but I sure like to start stuff! ;-)

I'm working on a baby girl's dress, working with a pattern I found on MagKnits called Blossom. I'm using an old yarn that I had around the house, so I have no idea what yarn it is. I'm fairly certain it's an acrylic, though it is super soft. It on the light side for a worsted weight, and fingers crossed that I don't run out! I don't think I will. I'm about 2/3 of the way done and there's still plenty. Perhaps I'll be able to make some matching booties or something!

Gardening Madness!

2008-03-20T16:16:00.003-04:00

My yarny-craftiness has been overtaken by my urge to grow pretty green things these days. With spring approaching, I couldn't resist getting my hands dirty and planting way more seeds than I know what to do with!

The weather is beginning to warm up, and I'm estimating that in about 2 weeks, the time will be right to plant things outside in the flowerbeds. In anticipation of the spring weather, I've begun seedlings indoors because it's significantly cheaper to buy a packet of seeds than in is to buy a seedling. However, considering the money that went into the various other things I needed to start my seeds, I don't know if I actually saved any!

It's been fun though to see my little seeds sprouting up. Just about everything I planted is showing green, even the notoriously difficult to germinate rosemary seeds. For my herb garden, I planted lavender, oregano, cilantro, tarragon, sweet basil, dill, sweet marjoram, rosemary, chives, and mint. For my vegetable garden, I planted cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, green onions and I'm waiting to plant cucumbers and lettuce directly into the soil in a couple of weeks. My main concern with planting seeds directly outdoors is that we live in an area that's a bird preserve, and we have something like 300 species of birds here or something... So I don't want all the birds to come and eat my seeds! :-p Finally, for the flower garden, I planted sweet pea, delphinium, four o'clocks, impatiens, and morning glory. A few other seeds I'm waiting to plant (because I don't have much more space in the kitchen for all these seedlings!) are violas and columbine.

This year, I'm basically starting from scratch with any kind of greenery in and around the house. Spending a year in Korea wasn't so great for my plants, and the only one that survived is the aloe plant. (However, Ryan has claimed it as his own because he brought it back from the dead so when he moves next door in a couple of weeks, he will be taking the aloe with him.)

The only other addition to my gardens is an English Thyme plant that I brought back from Wisconsin. My aunt passed away last week, and her children--my cousins--gave plants to the people who came to her services. Right now, it's in the kitchen, but when it gets a bit warmer, I will plant it out in the garden so it can grow freely.

So this has been all consuming lately--plus, it doesn't help that there's a Ravelry-like site for gardeners to keep track of their plants, seeds, gardens, etc.--MyFolia. Oh, how I love the internets...

More Ninjas!

2008-03-16T23:25:00.002-04:00

I had to travel this past weekend, and though I didn't have much time to make anything while I was gone, I did manage to crochet up all the pieces of another ninja. I've just got to stuff it, put the pieces together and make the face.

I'm also working on a bunny. She currently lacks legs. Hopefully, I can find the ball of yarn I was using to make her (how do I lose an entire big ball of yarn?!?).

I'll add some photos soon. Lately, I've been obsessed with photographing the progress of the seedlings for my first garden. All my little vegetables, herbs and flowers are doing wonderfully!

Amigurumi Top Hat Pattern

2008-03-09T09:54:00.004-04:00

The Corpse Groom is shaped the same way as the Corpse Bride. Click here for instructions on how to construct the head and the body of our ghoulish bride and groom!

The only difference is that the Corpse Groom is wearing a top hat, and it's really easy to make. The top hat can, of course, be used for many other cute amigurumi creations.

Please feel free to use and share the link to this pattern.
However, please do not re-post the pattern on your own blog or website.

Top Hat - Crochet

I used worsted weight yarn and 4.00mm to create the top hat, but depending on what you're making, you'll want to match the yarn and gauge accordingly (for example, use the same yarn and needle size that you use for the body of the Corpse Groom).

*Each piece is worked in the round without joining rows. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the row in order to keep track of your rows.*

In order to create a starting circle without a hole in the center, I use the double ring method. Detailed instructions for the double ring method can be found here.

TOP HAT:

Row 1: 6 sc in double ring. Pull ring closed tightly.

Row 2: 2 sc in each sc - 12 sc.

Row 3: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc* - 18 sc.

Row 4: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* - 24 sc.

Row 5: *Sc2tog in back loops only. Sc in back loop only of next 6 sc.* Repeat twice - 21 sc.

Row 6-11: Sc around.

Row 12: *2 sc in front loop only of next sc, 1 sc in next sc* - 32 sc. (You will end with a 2 sc in a sc.)

Row 13: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* - 43 sc. (You will end with the first of the 2 sc.) Bind off. You're done!

Amigurumi Corpse Groom

2008-03-09T09:47:00.002-04:00

Finally, the Corpse Bride has her Groom!

I think he turned out to be much cuter than the Corpse Bride... :-/ I think it might be that his mouth is wider, and that's an easy fix.

The pattern for the Corpse Groom is not at all different from the Corpse Bride. The head and body are shaped the same way. The only difference is that the Corpse Groom has a top hat. The pattern for the top hat can be found here.

Runway Knits

2008-03-07T09:37:00.002-05:00

There are many reasons why I really enjoy the designs of Alexander McQueen. Here are four of them from his latest Fall 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collection:

The Corpse Bride, Version 2.0

2008-03-05T23:15:00.003-05:00

She's finished, and I'm definitely happy about the way her hair turned out though I think it would look great if she had some gray and blue streaks in her hair. I tried out black beads for her eyes, and I'm not overly thrilled, but they're okay. I can't tell which eyes I like better... Thoughts, anyone?

I'm still waiting to be inspired by the Corpse Groom. Hopefully, I'll make him soon. I did make a top hat the other day, but it was too small for the head. If at first you don't succeed, right? :-)

Finding Your LYS

2008-03-04T11:54:00.003-05:00

I found this great website called KnitMap for finding your local yarn store. Enter your address or zip code, and a map pops up with the LYS in your area. I found several in the Baltimore area that I didn't know existed because I have a great one that I go to down the street from my house. Perhaps I should broaden my horizons. Or perhaps not because I will only end up spending more money... :-/

For the Love of Kimchi

2008-02-26T16:23:00.002-05:00

Someone on Ravelry posted a link to this story on the New York Times, and I had to share because kimchi might actually be in the Top 5 things I love most!

So for all those kimchi lovers out there, kimchi is finally going "where it has never gone before"--SPACE!

Check out this article in the New York Times: Starship Kimchi.

...Then kimchi took over the world! Mwahahahaha!

Amigurumi Corpse Bride Pattern

2008-02-25T22:47:00.001-05:00

Please feel free to use and share the link to this pattern.
However, please do not re-post the pattern on your own blog or website.

The Corpse Bride (Crochet)

I used worsted weight yarn and 4.00mm to create the corpse bride. In addition to the yarn, you will need a sheer white fabric, needle and thread, and a small piece (approx. 1.5in.) of white pipe cleaner to attach the veil. For the eyes, you may use doll eyes found at craft stores, small black beads or felt. I used doll eyes that I colored in with black permanent marker in order to get rid of the whites of the eyes.

*Each piece is worked in the round without joining rows. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the row in order to keep track of your rows.*

The head is worked from the top down and the body is worked from the bottom up. The two pieces end in the same number of stitches and are joined to create a seamless doll.

In order to create a starting circle without a hole in the center, I use the double ring method. Detailed instructions for the double ring method can be found here.

HEAD:

Row 1: 6 sc in double ring. Pull ring closed tightly.

Row 2: 2 sc in each sc - 12 sc.

Row 3: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc* - 18 sc.

Row 4: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* - 24 sc.

Row 5-8: Sc around.

Row 9: *Sc2tog in next sc. 1 sc in next 2 sc* - 18 sc.

Row 10: *Sc2tog in next sc. 1 sc in next sc* - 12 sc. (At this point, it may be easier to stuff the head because once you reduce the opening to 6 sc in the next row, the opening becomes very small. However, depending on the type of eyes you choose, you may need to attach the eyes before stuffing the head.)

Row 11: Sc2tog around - 6 sc. Bind off.

BODY:

Row 1: 6 sc in double ring. Pull ring closed tightly.

Row 2: 2 sc in each sc - 12 sc.

Row 3: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc* - 18 sc.

Row 4: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* - 24 sc.

Row 5: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc* - 30 sc.

Row 6: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 4 sc* - 36 sc.

Row 7: Sc around in back loop only.

Row 8: Sc around.

Row 9: *Sc2tog in next sc, 1 sc in next 4 sc* - 30 sc.

Row 10: Sc around.

Row 11: *Sc2tog in next sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc* - 24 sc.

Row 12: Sc around.

Row 13: *Sc2tog in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* - 18 sc.

Row 14: Sc around.

Row 15: *Sc2tog in next sc, 1 sc in next sc* - 12 sc.

Row 16: Sc around. (The same applies here. You may want to stuff the body before moving on to the next row.)

Row 17: Sc2tog around - 6 sc. Bind off.

HAIR:

I'm currently experimenting with hairstyles. I'm not too happy with the Corpse Bride's current hair. I think it needs to be much more unruly. I will add photos and instructions for the various hairstyles as I work on them.

VEIL:

I'm not very handy with needle and thread, but the veil was quite easy to construct. I used a small piece of sheer, white fabric (approx. 4 inches x 20 inches) and simply bunched it together at the top. After sewing the fabric, I attached it to a small piece of pipe cleaner so I could mold it around the curve of the head. Also, the pipe cleaner gave me something to attach to the head.

FINISHING:

Construct the doll by lining the stitches at the bottom of the head with the stitches at the top of the body and sewing them together. The doll should be seamless, and you can hide the ends of the yarn in the body.

Finally, along the bottom edge of the doll, I added a decorative edging to the "dress." I simply chained 4 and joined with a slip stitch every other stitch.

I think there are a lot of other great things that can be done/added to the corpse bride to make her look more "deadly." For example, adding "dead" flowers to the top of her veil. You could also add arms to have her holding a bouquet.

I realize that these directions aren't too precise, but if you can get the head and the body together, that's really all there is too it. Everything else is embellishment, so it's really up to you to personalize your corpse bride!

Happy crocheting!

Amigurumi Corpse Bride

2008-02-24T16:21:00.003-05:00

I so wanted to blog about her earlier today, but I was focused on getting her finished up. I ran into a few snags though because I cannot locate me glue gun, or my entire box of crafting supplies for that matter... And the eyes I bought yesterday just didn't look right on her. However, I improvised, and I am proud to say that she is done!

I wished she looked a little more "dead," but I think the dead aspect of it will be more effective once she's got a corpse groom standing next to her.

I didn't give her arms, though that's possible. And I'm really happy about her veil. I found some scrap fabric at Joann Fabric, and I'm so not good with sewing and needle and thread, but I think it turned out really well. I sewed the fabric onto a small piece of pipe cleaner so I could mold the piece around the curve of her head. Also, you can't see it in these pictures, but she's got long black hair down her back. I figured the corpse bride has long hair...

Anyway, I hope to get the pattern up later today.

Amigurumi Fun!

2008-02-22T18:20:00.002-05:00

After creating my cute ninja, I have recently become obsessed with little amigurumi critters! They're so easy to make--instant gratification, which is great because I'm so awful with finishing big projects--and they're absolutely adorable!

The Little Gamers ninja has been a big hit. Like I said, I made it for my brother, but I shared photos of it with non-yarny friends on Facebook and everyone seems to want one of their own! I also love seeing other people's takes on the pattern through Ravelry (isn't Ravelry great!?!). That was my first amigurumi design, and I'm thinking about what to make next... It's strange, but last week, when the weather was warm and beautiful, I had all these ideas for springtime creations. Now it's cold and wet and icy outside and I can't think of a single thing I want to make. :-/ Damn the cold weather!

Anyway, fingers crossed that the weather will get better and I will be inspired! Or something like that...

The Cute Ninja, Version 2.0

2008-02-15T13:05:00.004-05:00

Here are some photos of the new Cute Ninja. He's really pretty much the same, but I added a little belt for storing his throwing stars, which he will get eventually. The last photo is of the original cute ninja.

Open Book

2008-02-12T16:20:00.000-05:00

Because I found this amusing:

Pick up the nearest book.
Open it to page 123.
Find the fifth sentence/ phrase.
Blog the next four sentences/ phrases together with these instructions.
Don’t you dare dig your shelves for that very special or intellectual book.
Pass it forward to six friends.

It is only on the 115th day of his life, or around the fourth month, that one notices the child actually paying attention to his right hand.

Only in the twenty-third week of life, or around the sixth month, does one find the child systematically making the experience of exploring one hand with the other.

At that moment--having clasped his right hand with his left hand, for example--he interrupts his movement and looks attentively at his hands.

At the twenty-fourth week, or at the end of the sixth month, the child is perplexed at the sight of a glove placed next to his hand.

I think I'm supposed to tag other bloggers to do this, but I don't know very many other bloggers, so if you read this and want to put this on your blog, you should.

Back to Basics

2008-02-11T20:53:00.001-05:00

I've returned to old, reliable Blogger because not having site-tracking capabilities was starting to get on my nerves, and the novelty of iWeb was beginning to wear off... Besides, I'm still slightly miserable from having my wisdom teeth taken out--not miserable enough to be laying in bed, but too miserable to really do anything productive with myself--so I spent the day transferring my blog back to Blogger. I didn't have many entries on my knitting blog anyway, so there wasn't a whole lot to transfer.

Right now, I'm working on another crochet ninja because a friend told me she was "coveting" it! It's hard to concentrate on knitting or crocheting though when my cheeks are throbbing. Thank goodness I only have to get my wisdom teeth taken out once in my lifetime because this is really poopy. The pain is just bad enough that I can't ignore it, but the pain medication makes me really nauseous and dizzy...

However, I think finishing another cute ninja tonight will make me feel better! ;-)

Litte Gamers Ninja Pattern

2008-02-11T20:11:00.003-05:00

Please feel free to use and share the link to this pattern.

However, please do not re-post the pattern on your own blog.

The Cute Ninja from Little Gamers (Crochet)

I used a worsted-weight yarn (I think it was Red Heart Super Saver, but I can’t be sure. It was just some black scrap yarn that was floating around the house) and a 4.0mm crochet hook. My little guy is about 6 inches tall.

*I’m writing this pattern down from memory, so please let me know if there are any problems/mistakes.

**Changes were made to the pattern on 13 February 2008.**

**Sorry! I'm reverting back to the original pattern! I had a lot of trouble with Cute Ninja Version 2.0 (the size of his head), and I tried out several different things, but turns out the original pattern was correct. The changes (back to the original) are made in dark purple. Apologies for the confusion! 13 February 2008.**

Each piece is worked in the round without joining rows. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the row in order to keep track of your rows.

HEAD:
Starting chain: Ch 2.
Row 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc - 12 sc.
Row 3: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc* - 18 sc.
Row 4: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* - 24 sc.
Row 5: *2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc* - 30 sc.
Row 6-11: Sc around.
Row 12: *Sc2tog in next sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc* - 24 sc.
Row 13: *Sc2tog in next sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* - 18 sc.
Row 14: *Sc2tog in next sc, 1 sc in next sc* - 12 sc. Bind off. There will be a small opening to allow stuffing.

FACE:
Using white or flesh colored yarn, ch 5.
Row 1: 2 sc in back loop of 2nd ch from hook. Sc in back look of next 2 sc. 2 sc in back loop of next sc. 2 sc in front loop of next sc. Sc in front loop of next 2 sc. 2 sc in front loop of next sc. 12 sc.
Row 2: 2 sc in next 2 sc. Sc in next 4 sc. 2 sc in next 2 sc. Sc in next 4 sc. 2 sc in next 2 sc. 16 sc. Bind off.
*With black yarn, sew eyes onto the ninja mask. You can make the eyes normal circles. I made mine in a “fighting stance” mode, but he looks more constipated than anything else! See samples.

BODY:
Starting chain: Ch 18 and join last ch to first chain with sl st, being careful not to twist.
Row 1: Sc around.
Row 2: *2sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 8 sc* - 20 sc.
Row 3: Sc around.
Row 4: *2sc in next sc, 1 sc in next 9 sc* - 22 sc.
Row 5-10: Sc around. Bind off.

ARMS (Make 2):
Starting chain: Ch 2.
Row 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Row 2: 2 sc in each sc - 12 sc.
Row 3: Sc around.
Row 4: Sc2tog around - 6 sc.
Row 5-6: Sc around.
Row 7: Sc in next 3 sc.
Row 8-10: TURN. Sc in each sc - 3 sc.
Row 11: TURN. Sc in each sc. Bind off.

FEET (Make 2):
Starting chain: Ch 5.
Row 1: 2 sc in back loop of 2nd ch from hook. Sc in back look of next 2 sc. 2 sc in back loop of next sc. 2 sc in front loop of next sc. Sc in front loop of next 2 sc. 2 sc in front loop of next sc. 12 sc.
Row 2: 2 sc in next 2 sc. Sc in next 4 sc. 2 sc in next 2 sc. Sc in next 4 sc. 2 sc in next 2 sc. 16 sc.
Row 3: Sc around in back loop only.
Row 4: Sc2tog. Sc in next 4 sc. Sc2tog twice. Sc in next 6 sc. 13 sc.
Row 5: Sc2tog. Sc in next 3 sc. Sc2tog twice. Sc in next 4 sc. 10 sc.
Row 6-7: Sc around. Bind off, leaving a long tail to sew foot to body.

FINISHING:
Sew pieces together. You may want to sew the mask portion onto the head before stuffing the head. You may leave the arms unstuffed or stuff them for more definition. When you sew the feet on, sew the bottom row of the body onto the second or third row of the feet, shoving the feet into the body cavity a bit to create a bit of distinction between the body and the feet. In order to hide the last bit of stuffing that will peek through between the legs, sew the front of that area to the back.

Finally, for the little “notch” on the top of the ninja’s head, ch 2 and 2 sc in 2nd chain from hook. Bind off and tie the little notch to the top of the ninja. This also helps to conceal the little hole you may have at the top.

The Cute Ninja

2008-02-07T20:08:00.000-05:00

I spent two days on this little ninja, although it really only took about two hours to crochet all the pieces to put it together. There’s no pattern for this little guy (I ended up not using the amigurumi ninja pattern I found online), so I was just kind of winging it, using an image of the ninja from the online comic Little Gamers.

My brother is a big fan, and he’s coming back from the Congo in about 10 days, so I really wanted to make him something useful that he could take with him when he travels. If he goes back to Central Africa, he won’t really need anything that I could knit or crochet, but everyone needs a cute little doll to take around with them!

I’m hoping to put together the pattern and post it in the next few days. In the meantime, check out the Little Gamers and their adorable little ninjas!

Cupcake, Anyone???

2008-02-05T20:06:00.000-05:00

I crocheted myself a cupcake last night. It took less than an hour and is actually adorable. I need to run out to the craft store and get some poly-fill and some beads to “sprinkle” on the top of the cupcake. I have enough scrap yarn to make at least a dozen of them.

I used the Bake Me A Cake pattern found at Bittersweet, which is really easy to follow. I love the extra little scalloped edging. They’re adorable!

I found a pattern for an amigurumi ninja, which I’m hoping to make for my brother who is currently in the Congo with Doctors Without Borders and will be home later this month. A cute little ninja will be perfect for protecting him against the elements when he heads back to work in May!

FO - Hooded Baby Cardigan

2008-02-02T20:03:00.000-05:00

Going to a Stitch and Bitch must help significantly because I’ve actually finished something! There are two groups, one in Hamdpen’s Golden West Cafe on 36th Street, which meets Tuesday evenings, and one on Saturday (all day) at my LYS, Lovelyarns on 36th Street. I finally finished this baby cardigan, made for a as of yet not even conceived child. Here’s hoping it’s a girl, right??? ;-)

I used the Eskimo Jacket Pattern from Drops Design as a guideline, but I had to revise significantly because I used an entirely different yarn and needles than the pattern called for. I made a baby jacket for a cousin’s baby last year, and the pattern was similar but significantly easier to put together--there was less sewing involved, which I’m a fan of. I don’t think that the hood is quite deep enough, but I can fix that at a later point by adding a trim to the edge.
I’m making another one, combining the two (the variations in color and the stitch pattern in the Drops pattern) and the shaping from another random pattern I came across on the internet, so I’ll write it down as I make it and post the pattern (hopefully, sometime soon).

I’ve also made a bit of progress on the Never-ending Scarf I’m making for a friend. It’s a basic ribbed scarf, but the yarn is quite thin and I’m using size 7 needles, so I’ll be knitting for an hour and end up only making an inch of progress! Hopefully, I’ll finish it before it gets too warm!

Beautiful St. Lucia

2008-01-27T20:01:00.000-05:00

I’m finally settling back into domestic life in Baltimore after having D return from Korea, spending a long weekend in Orlando with the extended family, and vacationing on a blissfully tranquil resort in beautiful St. Lucia for a week. Coming back to Baltimore felt like a prison sentence... But, I’m getting readjusted.

I wanted to finish a scarf that I’ve been working on while I was on vacation, but being in sunny, 80 degree weather, I didn’t think about knitting once while I was in St. Lucia...
Now that I’m back and it’s properly cold outside, I’m busy working on this scarf. It’s nothing fancy--just a simple ribbed pattern--but the yarn is heavenly. It’s baby alpaca, and really, next to cashmere, which costs an arm and a leg, it’s the softest yarn out there. At half the price of cashmere, you really can’t beat it.

Hopefully, I’ll have this finished sometime soon. Then I can finish the one-sleeved wrap that I’ve been working on since November... I haven’t finished an object in quite a while, and it’s starting to make me feel unproductive (though one would assume that finishing the first draft of a dissertation should feel like an accomplishment--one would assume...).

Oh, and when I was in Florida visiting the family, we celebrated a late Christmas, and my darling niece and nephew, knowing how much their aunt loves to knit and crochet, insisted that my Christmas gifts be yarn-related. I got knitting needles, crochet hooks, yarn and a needle holder. Is it strange that a 6 year old and a 9 year old can put more thought into presents than adults can because I’ve received gifts from full-functioning adults that are so not me... Such as a brooch of a cat with a mouse hanging on its tail, which is kind of weird in and of itself, but made all the stranger by the fact that the cat is covered in pink rhinestones... I wish I had a photo of it, but I gave the brooch to my 6 year old niece.

Anyway, hopefully soon, I will have some finished objects to post! And I do want to get started on posting some crochet patterns that I’ve been working on as well.

Holy Haberdashery, Batman!

2008-01-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

Liger just ran down the stairs to the basement. I was sitting at the dining table, working... Then I heard squeaking, and I thought to myself, "she's caught a mouse!" So I went to the stairs, switched on the light and sure enough, Liger looked up at me with a mouse in her mouth. She brought it up the stairs and dropped it right in front of me--"Surprise! A present for you!" she was probably thinking...

Well, I, of course, freaked out because the mouse was still alive and started running for cover! The little mouse was no bigger than my thumb, and Ryan was trying to catch it so he could throw it outside, but alas... the mouse was faster than all of us. Actually, I think with all the commotion (i.e., me screaming and jumping onto the furniture), Liger was a little distracted because she's usually quite the hunter! She was, after all, an outdoor cat before we took the little hussy off the streets!

Anyway, now I'm more freaked out by the thought that there's a mouse somewhere in the house. Though it's possible that it's mortally wounded... Hmm...

Ravelry Obsession

2008-01-06T19:58:00.000-05:00

I am now officially obsessed with Ravelry. I’ve been on it for about a month, but the first few weeks, I was up in Ithaca without regular internet access and unable to explore the site. Now, I can’t stop myself. It’s great! It’s totally cutting into my dissertation-writing time as well as my actually knit/crochet time!

I’m sure that once this damn dissertation is done, I won’t be in such a horrible position of trying to squeeze every last minute possible in front of the computer, and what better distraction than just clicking on a link to waste time??? I do so love my computer though... ;-)

Anyway, I should get back to work. I’ll post more yarn-related stuff sometime soon, and there are also a few patterns that I want to post. So much to do, so little time! Isn’t that always the case?

Finally! Something New!

2007-12-13T16:42:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not posting ANYTHING for so long. There are a lot of new things I want to add (other than the fact that I FINALLY got my Ravelry invite!), but I’ve been eating, sleeping, breathing dissertation lately. And when not doing that, I’ve actually been doing a fair amount of knitting. However, most of my WIPs are huge projects right now, so it’s quite UN-satisfying.

Which is why I made this adorable little hat! It took two evenings, and I used a pattern that used to be available online (it’s not anymore) that I modified a great deal so next time I’m able to come up for some air, I’ll post the details for it.

I made it for a friend’s baby, but I think it might be a bit small for her since she’s already wearing 18-24 month. I may have to make another one a bit bigger. I’m also making a matching scarf. I’ll get around to posting photos of that soon--maybe even this weekend because Ithaca is expecting a huge snowstorm and that pretty much translates into Julia is not leaving the house! I may be going into hibernation-mode. There’s nothing wrong with that, right???

Turkey Goodness

2007-11-25T16:39:00.000-05:00

I have a magic oven. I don’t know how else to explain it, but from my cooking experience with various ovens, the one in our Baltimore house is magical. I’m kind of sad that it’s horribly old and really filthy and will be replaced when we remodel the kitchen this year. Maybe I should put it in the basement... ;-)

Anyway, I think that’s it for now. I’m working on a couple of projects right now, but I haven’t taken any photos. I’ll get those up here soon.

Acrylic Yarn - Cuts Grease???

2007-11-19T15:26:00.000-05:00

Last month, in my post Antibacterial Yarn?!?, I expressed disbelief at the merits of crochet dish towels made of acrylic yarn. I don’t know if I want to test and see if they actually have enough antibacterial properties to forgo dish soap, but today, I had a sink full of greasy dishes, pots and pans from a spicy curry. I was just rinsing the dishes to put them in the dishwasher, so I grabbed one of my crochet strawberries, and like MAGIC, all the grease just disappeared! Not only did the red, greasy film vanish, but the dishes felt as if they had been washed with soap. They weren’t greasy to the touch. I was amazed!

Like I said, I don’t know if I can actually use these crochet dish towels to replace soap, but they will absolutely come in handy when I have a sink full of grease that needs to be rinsed for the dishwasher or to wash things like woks that shouldn’t be cleaned with soap anyway.

Who would have thought???