Happy Valentine's Day!

My husband likes video games, and Portal is one of the more enjoyable ones he's played.  I came across a pattern that seemed correct for the Companion Cube from the game, and with the hearts decorating the box, it seemed to be the perfect Valentine's Day gift.  I've already blogged its beginnings and the major problem, so here's the finished product:

Pattern: Mini Companion Cube (Rav)

Yarn: Multiple scrap yarns from various projects, mostly acrylic WW.

Hook: USF/3.75mm

Timeframe: February 5 - 13, 2011
Mods: None really, crocheted the pieces together and used a flat cushion cut to fit rather than loose stuffing.
Problems: Ran out of the gray yarn.

I did manage to finish this on the 13th and as I wake up slightly earlier than he does, I put it on his desk so it was waiting for him on Valentine's Day, along with a candy he enjoys that is not readily available here.  The different grays I had to use are not all that noticeable, so while I was originally considering ripping and re-crocheting those squares when I can get more of that yarn, I think I'll just leave it as-is, 100% finished.

One of the other major pluses of this project was that I learned how to make a nice crocheted seam!  I've used a crocheted seam on blankets before, but always using the method of putting the wrong sides together and crocheting through both pieces, which makes a nice crocheted line but also leaves a "wrong side" line of stitching next to the seam.  Not pretty when you're making contrasting seams or want it to be perfectly perfect.  With this project, I learned that if you put the pieces to be seamed next to each other and pass your hook through the right sides of both pieces you're seaming rather than right side of one and wrong side of the other, you get a gorgeous crocheted seam with the "wrong side" line on the actual wrong side!

I love that I've been knitting and crocheting for a number of years and have gotten pretty good at it, but still manage to learn something new on many projects.  I love how my work keeps looking better and better with the little techniques I pick up from the internet crafting community!

Lady Scarlet

I've had these gloves on the needles since November of 2009.  That's awhile.  This year, I am trying to get down to no yarn WIPs.  No way I'll finish the cross stitches I've got going on, but reasonable to attempt to finish all WIPs and Christmas presents in 2011.  This one was for LSG11ty as well, as that's how I'm holding myself accountable for my WIPs.  I'm going to rotate between new (12in2011) and old (LSG11ty) projects as a traveling project, and my first finished traveling project was gloves, so my hands can be warm in this very snowy winter:

 

Pattern: Lady Sunshine (Ravely only)
Yarn: Cascade Heritage in Red, 60% of a skein

Needles: US1.5/2.5mm
Timeframe: November 28, 2009 - January 31, 2011
Mods: None
Problems: My flat knitting gauge is ever-so-slightly tighter than it should be, and I was an idiot and slipped the first stitch on every row for the second glove, so picking up the stitches isn't as nice as it should be.  Finally finished though!

Somewhat blurry pictures, but really nice gloves and I'm really happy to finally have a nice pair of handknit gloves in rotation!  I've also got enough yarn left that adding it to the second skein, I should be able to make a pair of German Stockings, sweet!

Nearly All My Bases Covered

In taking stock of my current WIPs, I noticed that I had one of nearly everything - one cabled, one colorwork, and one easy knit, along with one crochet project and one cross stitch project.  Just about whatever I could want.  Towards the top of my to-knit queue, there's some simple socks (which I nearly cast on for recently, when I thought the Rhiannon Socks might be too challenging to be my travel project), another work vest I just purchased the pattern for because Vogue is running a pattern sale right now, and a lace square that I'd like to make for my sister as a possible christening wrap for her baby and a shawl she can use at her wedding, a sentimental heirloom of sorts.  It was also the perfect project for some undyed Knit Picks Bare laceweight that's been in my stash since a year or two before Japan.  Time to move it along!

Of course, I immediately realized I had no lace ongoing.  In my natural state of knitting on all the things at once (or at least, all the things I have needles for), did I pull out the second-oldest project from my WIP basket to finish it?  Of course not!  I started a new lace project, Spanish Armada, after realizing I'd have to make a trip out and about if I want the same yarn to finish the Cube. 

It's not too far along yet, just the first chart, but I think it'll be amazing when it's done!  I'm Magic Loop-ing until it's large enough to work all on the needle.  I'll be switching out the Print O'the Wave pattern for probably a solid or nearly solid small design to break up the two patterns, and then go on to the final pattern and find some sort of knitted on edging to finish it off with.  I don't like the wave pattern and I also have a bit less yarn than called for, so I'd rather cut that one out and find a nice edging to knit on instead.  I might just shrink it a lot instead.  And keep the original edging.  Who knows?

Oh NO!

In my last post, I showed off my scrap Companion Cube.  I had two possible sets of yarn in the correct colors, one wool, one acrylic, and since I'd rather use up the acrylic and save the wool for projects where wool is required, I chose acrylic.  Getting to the large dark gray body of the Cube, I checked my stash on Ravelry and noticed I had 1.19 skeins, so I figured as long as I was able to get a chunk of the second of eight corners done from the partial skein, I'd be fine.

I didn't realize until much later (when running out of yarn fairly quickly) that I actually had 1 skein and 19 ounces left.  Clerical error.  These skeins are, in fact, only 40 oz skeins, so I actually had nearly 1.5 skeins.  Therefore, the nearly two squares I'd gotten from the partial skein were not even close to what I needed to get out of it for a full eight squares.  I've got just over 6 done.

No problem, I'll just go to the dollar store and grab another skein, I'll only need one more.  Except here, they are highly seasonal and the stock is not ever something you want to bet on at any craft store.  The only color of that brand left in stock is yellow.  Yellow is not dark gray.  I went to the nearby dollar store - no luck.  The craft store near there - no luck.  I think I'll have to hit up one or two more tomorrow or Saturday, and finish everything else up as fully as possible in order to finish on time.  Worst case scenario, I have to use my wool, different fiber and a couple shades darker, but it will work for this Valentine's Day at least, and I can always rip and re-do those last couple squares when the store has the correct yarn in again.  This tends to be a staple yarn and even a different dye lot would almost certainly be closer to the shade of the rest of it than the wool is.

Stupid last-minute projects that are supposed to be cute and quick and easy.  I was so pleased with how everything's coming out, the hearts are all nicely shaped (contrary to what the picture seems to show) and sewn onto their circle backings, my tension didn't change between pieces, I got a nice square of foam to cut into the correct size so that the cube is actually cube-shaped, and then I run out of yarn.  D'oh!

WIPs? Yes.

As can be seen from the sidebar, I have WIPs.  Quite a few, really.  Technically, a bunch of them are really UFOs, Un-Finished Objects, because of how long it's been since I've touched them.  Of the 16 current projects that are in some stage between casting on and finishing, I've worked on five in the past couple of weeks, which is a pretty good number.  Especially since I've also finished two other projects, one started and finished, in the past month.

I'd been in a cross stitching mood for a bit, so pulled out a barely-started kit of Christmas ornaments on perforated paper.  Out of the four cross stitches in my sidebar, this one requires the least work, so I'm hoping to finish it this year and it will be my go-to project whenever I get the stitching bug.  It's not all that far along, with two almost finished ornaments and another one barely started:

I keep a project in my traveling bag for, well, traveling, as well as reading papers and during lunch at work.  Since my Lady Scarlet gloves are finished, I started some Rhiannon Socks, a gorgeous cabled design by Cookie A.  I'm doing this project as part of 12 in 2011, having both the yarn and pattern in my stash, and for the Loopy Ewe Challenge, so my goal is to finish by March 31.  I'd also like to wear them with a skirt during the Purdue Open House I'm attending in early March, and I'll have the plane ride there to attempt to finish, but with the rate thus far, I'm not sure I'll make it!  These socks are absolutely stunning but quite fiddly.  I'm partway through the cuff of the first one, and because it's a foldover cuff, you're cabling on the wrong side, so it's not all that pretty to look at while knitting thus far.  Also, with 200 stitch rows, it's not growing all that quickly!

In addition to that one, I decided to make Lee a Portal Companion Cube for Valentine's Day.  I started that one during a day of presentations, and of course I'm not working on it at home, so I'm hoping to get it done while reading papers this week.  At least the components.  Lee has to work on Saturday while I don't, so I can always finish it up then.  I would like it to be nearly finished before then so I can bake a cake as well.  It's going fairly quickly, so it is a very reasonable goal.  As long as the seaming doesn't kill me, like it typically does for stuffed things!

I'm trying to get Christmas presents done a little at a time this year, so I've already purchased just about all of the yarn I believe I'll need, and started the first of many presents.  The goal for 2011 was to get two Christmas gifts done per month, one 100% stash project for 12 in 2011, and one WIP for LSG11ty.  In January, I failed on the Christmas gift front, though I did finish three LSG projects and two for 12 in 2011 so I'm ahead of the game overall even if I'm behind in one specific category.  Everyone's getting illusion projects this year, scarves for my sisters, wall hangings for my aunts, and I'm starting with the scarves.  I have the first scarf almost halfway finished and I've perfected my left-handed purling thanks to the Norwegian purl, yay!  It's the Dark Mark Scarf, and coming out very well if I do say so myself:

Finally, my evening project is the huuuuuuuuge blanket I've mentioned quite a few times before, but have not yet photographed in its final design permutation.  The Norwegian purl is helping me to do the back-and-forth stranded knitting required on many rows.  Why back and forth, why did I not just work this in the round and steek?  Well, it's the intarsia I'm using on ever-so-much of it.  Sure, you can in fact do intarsia in the round if you need to, by doing sections back and forth or fiddling with your yarn, but that's only useful if you're making something like a hat that you don't want to seam but want an intarsia motif.  The level of intarsia going on in this project meant that the best method was back-and-forth, like it or not for the stranded areas.  It is turning out great and will be just stunning when blocked:

The back, in all its glory:

And that's my WIP roundup, or at least the ones that have been worked on recently.

FO: Bramblewood Vest

Wooohooo, after years of having the yarn, knowing which patterns I want to knit, and being cold at work, I finally have the first of a week's worth of work vests done.  I'm not in love with this one - I think the next size up until after the bust would have worked better for me, and maybe a bit longer, but it works well enough for me to wear it and be warmer!

Pattern: Bramblewood Vest (Ravelry)
Yarn: Recycled marled wool of some sort.  Spit splices well!

Needles: US8/5.0mm for the body, US10/6.0mm for the I-cord
Timeframe: October 3 - November 14, 201
Mods: Some.  I started the front cables at the same row in the chart the back cables were at and lowered the hip shaping to 10" from neckline.
Problems: Only that the top is too snug.  I should have knit a bigger size through the bust.  I would recommend binding off the top of the armhole very loosely, mine is a bit tight.

I was hoping to finish off the available yarn, the marled wool I'd recycled from a GoodWill sweater a few years ago, but I still have a bit of that left.  Much less than I did, but more than I want leftover, especially since my major gripe of this sweater is that it's a bit small around the bustline.  Ah well, not a big enough gripe to rip allllll the way back and re-knit, or re-knit and graft for this top-down vest.  I would have liked it a bit longer as well, but not a whole repeat longer, and I didn't want only half a repeat, so left it at the length it's at.

Ignore the rumpled shirt - I checked the front before photographing, didn't think to check the back!

Transforming yarn from stash to wardrobe is always a plus, especially when it's bulkier yarn like this worsted weight wool.  I still have a LOT more stash than I should now, but this is a step in the right direction!  Pay no attention to that Loopy Ewe package over there...or the Knit Picks order I'll be picking up in March...yarnflow is supposed to be in the out-of-stash direction.....of course there's no influx....of course....

Christmas Creatures

I made Pocket Creatures once before, a set of three creatures the summer of my third year of college.  I gave a pair to a friend, kept one for me, and somewhat recently gave my sisters the last pair.  I've also lost the second of the purple guys I kept for me, so now I have to make another one of those if I want a set again!  I still have yarn in the correct colors for it, and I'm pretty sure I have leftover buttons of that variety as well.

Of course, my sisters needed sets of their own, so I made three sets for Christmas, all from stash yarn except the purple, since I didn't have quite enough purple left in my stash for another set.  Good thing I did buy more purple, since I'll be needing it for myself as well, and I was able to use it for the Fish Hat, a good purchase all around.  On to the Creatures!

 

Pattern: Toasty Pocket Creatures (Rav)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool, various colors.

Needles: US6/4.0 mm
Timeframe: December 11, 2010 - January 14, 2011
Mods: None.

Problems: They took so much longer than anticipated for such little items!

These guys look like they should be in a Studio Ghibli film!

Pattern: Toasty Pocket Creatures (Rav)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool, various colors.

Needles: US6/4.0 mm
Timeframe: December 30, 2010 - January 14, 2011
Mods: None.

Problems: They took so much longer than anticipated for such little items!

Pattern: Toasty Pocket Creatures (Rav)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool, various colors.

Needles: US6/4.0 mm
Timeframe: December 30, 2010 - January 14, 2011
Mods: None.

Problems: They took so much longer than anticipated for such little items!

 

While I love stuffed creatures and amigurumi, they really are not my favorite things to make.  Small, fiddly, and then the comparatively huge amounts of seaming typically needed versus, say, socks (one line of Kitchener!) or a sweater, even a 100% knit flat sweater.  Oh well, they're done, and now I just have to make another one for me...eventually...