Recently in Completed Category

I never really gave much thought to what I kept my projects in while I'm working on them. Gallon Ziploc bags always seemed to work just fine. But one of our cats, Horus, loves to chew on plastic. He's quite obsessive about it, actually. He knows there is a stash of plastic in my knitting bag, and will poke his head in and chomp away. It was driving me rather crazy.

Last night, as we were driving back from a housewarming, I had the brilliant idea that I could use some of my quilting fat quarters and make some small bags. Easy-peasy!

My technique definitely improved with each bag that I made. The first one I sewed up the sides, stitched along the top to make a nice roomy tube for the ribbon, and completely sealed the thing shut. Opps. I pulled out a few stitches and stuck the ribbon in anyway. It looked, eh, okay. And I moved on to the next one. This time I had the idea that I could put button holes in for the ribbon to stick out of. It took me a couple of times before my button holes looked okay (hey, it's been awhile... I had to get out the manual for my sewing machine to remember how to do it).

By the fourth bag I decided that they really looked better with finished edges at the top. So I went back and turned the ends over on the first three. I also completely redid the top of the first bag, including adding button holes. This is my favorite fabric (the Chinese kitties) and now my favorite bag, since it is the best one.

I'm just tickled over these. It's such a simple thing, and only took a few hours to do. But I love the way they look. And so far no cat chews!

Cloth Bags for Knitting:
Started: November 9, 2008
Finished: November 9, 2008

I finally was able to get Lantzilla his toque. He posted this photo this morning.

I'm glad that he likes it. And it looks like it fits great. Yay!

My friend Lantzilla commissioned me to make him a hat, like the lead character in The Professional wears. I did some web searches, and I found a pattern that both he and I liked.

I used Brenda Zuk's pattern for the Roll Brim Hat. It was easy to follow and very quick to do. I would have finished it sooner but I forgot to bring double pointed needles with me to Carmel.

I ended up using slightly larger needles than the pattern calls for, since the Merino wool was slightly finer. But the finished result is very nice. It's cosy and soft. I hope he likes it.

Lantzilla's Toque
Started: August 30, 2008
Finished: September 7, 2008

At some point last year, I picked up some Trendsetter Yarns Blossom yarn at Noe Knits. They had this lovely deep pinky-red color that I fell in love with, but they only had one skein of it. The yarn has flecks of other colors in it though, so I picked up two skeins of the white, since it has the same pinky-red in it. I figured I could make an extra-wide scarf out of it. I'd do a skein of white, then the pinky-red and then the white. It would be long enough so when I wrapped it around my head a bazillion times, it would look neat with the white-pinky-red-white.

However, as you can see from the image below, I did not end up with the lovely, cozy thick snuggle scarf that I had pictured. Sure, it felt nice. But it looked, well, horrible. And it was so thick that I ended up folding it in half first, which made it too thick when it was wrapped around.

A few weeks ago I started the laborious process of ripping out the original scarf so I could make into something that wasn't horrible. Maybe it's because I've been knitting so much in the round lately, but it seems that it's a heck of a lot easier to rip things out when I don't want to actually do it, than when I do actually want to. At a couple of points I was reduced to *gasp* cutting *double gasp* the yarn because I just couldn't get it untangled. Finally I had three balls of this fuzzy stuff.

The pinky-red I decided to turn into a hat. Sadly, this hat does not photograph well. But it sure is soft and cozy. I followed Dawn Adcock's pattern for a Chinchilla Chemo Hat, mostly because I didn't want to have to think about what gauge this stuff was or the best way to decrease the crown.

I did modify the pattern a bit. I have a big head, so I cast on 66 stitches instead of 60 (which added an extra 2 inches). I also started in the round with the first row. I just knit a row then purled for the first 6 rows. Seemed like extra work to knit it flat and then have to sew the edge at the end. I actually like the way this worked up in stockinette better than how it looks in knit. And it was super, super fast to do. The only reason it took me two days is because I started it at about 10 PM and just got too tired to finish it in one sitting.

Then I started on the scarf. The original monstrosity was about 30 stitches wide. This time I cast on 15 and worked it in knit stitch the whole way. At some point I must have done a yarnover and I was working 16 stitches, but eh. Whatever. It looks much better at this width and is a whopping 78 inches long.

This yarn is very soft, but it's not my favorite to work with. It sometimes feels matted instead of fluffy. And it's rather hard to read the stitches through all the fuzz. It goes nicely with my new winter coat through, and I think I will get much more use out of it now, in its new reincarnated state.

Chinchilla Chemo Hat:
Started: August 16, 2008
Finished: August 17, 2008

Knitted White Scarf:
Started: August 13, 2008
Finished: August 26, 2008

Dishcloth. Dishrag. Washcloth. Mapeen.

It doesn't matter what you call them. I seem to be obsessed with them lately. I finished another dishcloth last night. This is the same cotton yarn that I used for the Cap Karma Cap of The Hat Series, the Malabrigo Yarn 100% organic cotton. I'm almost done with the first skein, and I have another whole hank in the stash. I'm thinking there will be a number of dishcloths in my future.

This one was a bit slower to make, since there are two rows of knit 1, purl 1. It also didn't help that I had this habit of switching rows in the middle of a row. So I'd be working on a knit to the end row and half-way through I'd switch and start purling. *shakes head* I guess that's what happens when I try to knit in the car and aren't paying attention.

This one came out nice and nubby. The cotton yarn is so soft and spongy. It seems like it will be quite good at scrubbing. The pattern is fun to look at and feel.

Nubby Dishcloth:
Started: August 16, 2008
Finished: August 26, 2008

I have a lot of quilts that are in various stages of creation. But there is one little lap quilt that has been lucky enough to make it all the way to completion. It's a Christmas Lap Quilt that I made at the end of 2002.

The quilt is a very simple patchwork pattern. I picked it up at ThimbleCreek, back when they were still in Walnut Creek, CA, as a kit. The fabric for the top was all pre-cut. I chose a Christmas-y flannel as the backing, because I wanted it to be something cozy to curl up with.

To stitch the top I put all the squares in a big grocery bag. I shook it up good and then blindly picked out a square to stitch. I added the square in whatever orientation I pulled it out. This meant that the squares are upside down and sideways and all around pretty random.

Here's a photo of the quilt after it had been pieced and as I was sandwiching it together for basting.

I used the Warm and Natural (at least, I think that is the name) as the batting.

The fact that this quilt is only a lap quilt size made it a lot easier to finish. I stitched in the ditch for the final top stitching. I had a bit of trouble with the flannel backing bunching up as it when through the machine. I don't notice it anymore, but at the time I was all upset about the bunching. Washing it a few times so it crinkled up a bit has also helped with that.

It's actually just a smidge too small. You have to turn it on the diagonal to get it to cover your feet and to your chin. But I still love it. It's soft and warm. And I think the fabrics they chose for the kit really work well together.

Christmas Lap Quilt:
Started: Fall 2002
Finished: Fall 2002

This weekend was the baby shower where I was finally able to deliver this sweater and hat to the parents-to-be. I finished this project a month or so ago and it's be driving me crazy that I haven't been able to post about it. But I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

The sweater is Baby Kimono from the book Start to Knit: From Casting On to Binding Off by Gina Macris. It's actually a very easy pattern, as it is knitted in one piece. Here it is being blocked.

The edging is made by slipping the first stitch in the garter stitch edging. It took me awhile to figure out the point of this, but the effect is quite nice. Here it is blocking, as well as afterward with the ties sewed on. The ties are actually knitted... one row that you then bind off.

I made a matching hat to go with the sweater.

The hat is the Gooseberry Hat, a pattern I found on Ravelry. This was the first hat that I ever made. I was a little unsure when it came off the double pointed needles, but it came out just lovely. Especially after some massaging while blocking.

Baby Kimono:
Started April 6, 2008
Finished July 17, 2008

Gooseberry Hat:
Started July 17, 2008
Finished July 26, 2008

For all of you following along at home, the Hat Series is officially over. I completed the fourth and final hat on Saturday. This little cap is another free Ravelry pattern.

I made this one in a 100% organic cotton. I really like the subtle coloring - just lightly pink with a very, very slight variegation. I'm still a little mixed about the knitting pattern though. I like the subtle cables, but I'm not sure I like how abruptly they stop. I do however love the look of the crown from above.

I love the way the decreases make a spiral pattern. This one fits a bit small on me, but I'm hoping that my head is just bigger than the intended. I have a far bit of this yarn left over (like, a skein and a half!). Stay tuned for new and exciting dishrags in this yarn.

Cap Karma Cap:
Started: August 10, 2008
Finished: August 16, 2008

I am almost complete with my Hat Series. I finally got my size double pointed needles last night, so I was able to finish the decreases for the crown. I'm pretty happy with this one. I think they yarn works well. It's a Merino wool and silk blend and feels quite lovely.

I'm slightly worried that it will be too small for its intended. But I love the rippled brim. It gives some nice visual interest to an otherwise simple design.

Ripple Brim Hat:
Started: August 3, 2008
Finished: August 14, 2008

Hat number Three of the Hat Series is still on the needles. I'm waiting to get to the store to get a pair of size 7 double pointeds. I could use the longer circular 7s that I have, now that Stacy showed me how to do the wiz-bang magic loop thang. The problem is that I only have it in a Clover bamboo and the join is really hard to slide the yarn over. See, I tried that once already before I ripped out the crown on this hat to add more to the sides so it wasn't a beany. Don't really want to have to do that again.

So... I made another hat this weekend.

It's a pink version of the Amanda Hat, which was the second hat in The Hat Series. This is also in Merino wool, but it's not quite as thick as the Malabrigo Merino. It makes for a more openworked hat, but I think it still works.

It still seems to be a bit small on me (you can see the stitches pull a bit in the photo below). But I'm pretty happy with it. I also worked out on paper how to port the pattern to a scarf. I'm excited to start on it, but I'm determined to finish the Hat Series first.

Amanda Hat II
Started: August 8, 2008
Finished: August 10, 2008