That didn't take long

the LJ feed, which may or may not be working, is here.

I got an email from the publisher today saying that I need to pick out my top two yarn choices and tell them how many skeins I need. Eep!

In addition to making a post in knitting, which lots of people have answered and helped me out with, I took and extended lunch break LYS hopping with Kate. The only way I'm going to be able to accurately determine how much yarn I'll need is by swatching, so I've picking out my favorite/most likely to succeed yarns from each store I've gone to. So far Hilltop East and the Fiber Gallery have been plundered. Alchemy Bamboo (HOLY CARP EXPENSIVE!) from Hilltop, Debbie Bliss Silk from Fiber Gallery.

People in the knitting post have pretty much said no on the bamboo (heavier than I thought, apparently, but I'll still swatch and make a desicion on my own), and yes on silk, but leaning more towards a merino/silk blend or Euroflax. One of the dresses in Sensual Knits is made with Louisa Harding Grace Silk & Wool, which seems like it would be a good choice but I'd still have to swatch it it or something VERY similar to determine yardage, and I'm not exactly sure where I would find it.

I really want to figure out my yarn choices soon so I can request it and start designing. This whole deadline thing is SCARY!

A design idea I submitted for the sequel to Sensual Knits got selected. It was something that I completely made up on the spot at work and submitted pictures of my sketches that I took with my phone and emailed myself. It got picked! One of my knitting designs is going to be published. *flaps hands*

Problem is, I think I might have designed something a little... advanced for me. Not advanced for me to knit if it was from a pattern, but to design myself, whoo boy. At least I have until March to come up with the pattern and finish knitting it. I'm sure I'm supposed to keep it under cover until the book is announced/published or whatever, so I'm not going to say anymore about it than I think I'm getting paid a pretty penny for it considering it's my first published design. And it's 10 million hotdogs awesome.


Building up to the omg jump up and down excitement of this whole "I'm going to be in a book!" deal, I got some yarn from Kate for Fishmas this year. Kate has a tendency to buy me yarn that is much longer than it should be. It's like her yards are as long as Chris' minutes. Previously, she bought me three skeins of yarn that was 200 yards a skein, and I used it to make her a total yarn eater project (the Manitou Passage Scarf). Not only did I only use two of them to make the scarf 6 feet, but I also made her a matching hat and I STILL have some left over.

The yarn she got me this year was 6 skeins of super-bulky Tahki Taos, 60 yards a ball, in Jungle. 360 yards of yarn. I looked through Ravelry and the books I owned, and figured that the Carrie Cropped Cardigan from Fitted Knits would use about the amount of yarn I had. I'm not normally a fan of cropped stuff, but I have a couple tank tops that would go with the colors and I figured it's just a shrug that buttons in the front.

I swatched on Saturday, but I couldn't get gauge with the right needle. I moved up to a 17, but got the same gauge as with a 15. I decided to just knit a size bigger than I needed and everything would work okay in the end. It did. Not only did it work okay, but Sunday evening, right before midnight, I cast off a full length sweater jacket, going past my bum. I'd added more increases to the front to encompass my bosom, and decided to make it a little longer anyway. I was expecting it to come right above my navel, which would show off the lacy bottoms of my tanks nicely, but no. I'd used two balls on the body, one each on the sleeves, and still had two left when it came to lengthening the bottom. I added some lacy eyelet-vents in the lower back to add shaping and match the eyelets in the bell sleeves.

The finished product is wonderful. I'm going to buy a couple buttons after work and do the finishing touches, and then I'll add pictures.

And I think I'll make Kate buy me yarn when we go on the Yarn Train to PDX.

Poor neglected craft journal *pets it*

Things have been busy. I made a lot of stuff, but I have no pictures because I've been too busy to upload them.

I finished my NaKniSweMo sweater, although I had to bind off my last several stitches a couple days into December because I couldn't find my swatch to unravel. The sleeves are half length, which is annoying because I can't stand half-length sleeves on sweaters, but if I wanted them longer I'd have to undo the bottom of the sweater and I'd rather have the extra length. I'm thinking I'll knit armwarmers with the same pattern out of a different color and attach them with buttons or something like that.

I also finished Kate's hat and scarf (the Manitou Passage/Reversible cable things). The hat didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to, and I'm not sure I'm going to bother writing up the pattern. Too much of a pain and the reversible cables don't decrease very well.

The first two of my army of cupcake hats have been completed, and I made them to match the baby blankets I made for these kids. The cupcake hats are way too big for their little heads, and since the hats only take me a couple hours to make (once I get past the damn nubbins) I'm going to make a couple that are smaller and can fit the babies now.

Liesel has been cast on, but I'm not that far into it yet, just three or four lace repeats. It's looking nice, but I'm worried that my mystery vintage yarn is mostly acrylic and I won't be able to block it. I am planning on making more than one of these, so it shouldnt' be too much of a problem.

Hallowig has also been completed, and that was finished in about three days worth of spare time. Very easy, very quick. I think hyperpurple will like it.



Non-knitting crafts: I etched some glasses with snowflakes for a gift exchange we had at our party, and they were well received. I took pictures of those before they left the house, and I'll post them when I have time. Which will hopefully be tonight because I need to upload lots of pictures. My Ravelry notebook is all unillustrated. Can't have that.

I also might be submitting a couple things to magazines and books soon. I've got the submission criteria, all I have to do is come up with the designs...

I've been busy, but not busy sewing this time. Since the last time I've posted, I had a job interview, a job offer, and a first week of work. I also started my NaKniSweMo project, and I'm almost done with the body. As I said, I've been busy, so this this is the only picture I have of it:



It's the Cable-Down Raglan from Interweave Knits, Spring 2007. The yarn is worsted weight, 80% Alpaca/20% Nylon, recycled from some sweater from a thrift store. I had a few issues with determining how much I had, even after I bought a kitchen scale to weigh my yarn. I've figured I have about 860 yards, which should be enough to lengthen the sleeves to wrist-length. Being almost done with the body, and having used maybe about half of my yarn, I'm not too worried.

With the new job, I'm not sure when I'll find time to knit, at least not until I'm trained and actually working. As it is now, I'm trying to make a good first impression, and with my boss being out of town and nobody training me... it's a little frustrating spending 8 hours a day at a computer not really doing anything but still looking productive.

What is my problem? It's the third day of November and I STILL haven't cast on for NaKniSweMo. Guess I've had too many other things on my mind, such as all the sewing I've been doing.

First, the tablecloth I designed and made in a week for the Halloween party:

( 4 pictures, two with a kitty in them )

The tablecloth was made to fit the dining table that Kate's grandfather made a million years ago, and it fit perfectly. Hooray! I only went crazy sewing it while the cat was trying to sit on it. I made it from a twin size top sheet and an old tablecloth I found at the Goodwill. I think total, they cost me $8.

Next, I decided to join an ongoing swap on Craftster. It's great the way this one is set up... Somebody posts their wishlist, and then the next person claims something off their wishlist and posts their's. If you're too busy to make something, you don't claim anything. It's very low pressure. The lace-up armwarmers I made were for this swap. The second person I claimed wanted ( PJ pants and embroidery scissors with a case )

The PJ pants were AWESOME. Can I just say right now that I didn't use a pattern for these? Oh, and the fabric was free, which I didn't figure out until I'd already walked out of the store and realized the clerk hadn't scanned my receipt from the cutting counter. Apparently she assumed I walked into the store with 2 yards of fabric tucked under my arm? The draw-string is i-cord I knit myself, I made the stencil myself, and whoo hoo! I ended up with pants that would look store bought until you turn them inside out. Have I mentioned I want a serger?

I know I mostly talk about knitting, and I hoard yarn more than fabric, but sewing was my first love. And hey, I've been doing it for... 15 years now? Not bad!

My first version of this pattern is complete. When I finish up some other things, I'll start working on a simplified, less cluttered version with a better brim. But for now, here ya go, my first written pattern! The yarn quantities are estimated. Bernat Satin comes in 166 yd skeins and the hat used barely half of the main, if even that much. I don't have a scale yet so I can't give more than my estimations.

Chakra





Inspired by the art of Alex Grey, this hat is decorated with a representation of the crown chakra. This simple fair-isle pattern requires the use of only two colors at a time, with some duplicate stitching used to carry the design into areas where stranding is inconvenient. Using worsted weight yarn, this is a quick knit with warm results. Two variations of the color-work have been included. The two hats shown use the first variation.

MATERIALS

• Approx. 80 yards MC1/MC, 60 yards CC/CC1, and 30 yards MC2/CC2 of worsted weight yarn (I used Bernat Satin Solids, Mai Tai/Flamingo/Bordeaux and Ebony/Mai Tai/unknown worsted)
  
• Size 6 circular needle, 16"
  
• Size 6 DPNs
  
• tapestry needle
  
• one stitch marker

GAUGE: 20 sts and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch


Chart (click to enlarge)

Using MC1/MC and circular needle, CO 100 sts, place marker, and join in the round.
Work in k1, p1 ribbing for 5 rounds, then in stockinette stitch for 4 rounds.
Begin working chart joining in CC/CC1, starting on Row 3 (pattern on Rows 1 and 2 are done in duplicate stitch later). Make sure that your yarn floats are loose enough to allow fabric to stretch.

As you're working:

• Rows 12 and 13 are worked in MC1/MC with duplicate stitching added later. Do not break CC/CC1 yarn, it can be carried up and worked in row 14.
  
• Rows 23-25 also have duplicate stitching that is added later. Knit these stitches in MC1/MC.
  
• Row 30: Break MC1/CC1 and begin working with MC2/CC2.
  
• Rows 33 and 36 involve decreases where stitches of two different colors are knit together.
  
• Switch to DPNs when it becomes difficult to knit on the circular needle

After Row 43 is completed, break yarn and draw it through 5 remaining sts, down into hat and weave in ends.
With a tapestry needle, take lengths of specified yarn in chart to do the duplicate stitches to complete the design. Here is a good duplicate stitch tutorial if you need a little help with this.


If you decide to knit this pattern and run into a problem or notice an error, please let me know! Also, I'd love to see pictures of finished ones. To see the process of this pattern, click here.

P.S. Please don't sell this pattern or anything made from this pattern. Thanks :)

... is posted here. I'd put it in here too, but I'd feel dirty.

I'm exhausted from so many projects and deadlines and sick rabbits and vet bills that this post won't be nearly as long as I thought it would be at the beginning of this week.

Around Monday or so, I went to Tuesday Morning with Chris to buy stuff and found lots of ( close-out yarn )

I don't think I ever posted the second Chakra hat, so here's a two-for-one:


( more armwarmer pictures )

I finished the armwarmer things for a swap, and they ended up being a REALLY fast knit once I got the hang of them. I re-wrote the pattern so that it's more organized and fixed up some errata, and I'm sending it to the recipient of them. I'll probably be posting the improved pattern sometime soon too, but probably just in Craftster. I'll link to it.

I've been working on the reversible ribbed hat too, and I'd post pictures but it looks exactly like the scarf at this point so I won't bother. It's coming along, but I'm a little puzzled as to how to do the decreases when the time comes.

Oh well.

My special order Tahki Yarn ( from California came today )

I don't have pictures of the table cloth, but I will once it's finished. I just have one more triangle to sew on and then I need to stitch around the edges so I can throw it in the wash and have it be functional for the party tomorrow. I want to put a backing on it, but that's not going to happen overnight.

Up until recently I was pretty good at knitting project monogamy. Then, once I slipped and had two projects.... I've ended up with way too many. Not my fault though.

This Friday, my household is holding a Halloween party. Money is tight, and the hostess who has a tendency to spend a LOT on parties has been forced to budget, which means I'm designing and making a few little things, like a FULL QUILTED TABLECLOTH FOR THE GIANT DINING TABLE, among other things. At the same time, I have a swap due in a week for a pair of knitted armwarmers, which isn't a problem besides the pattern being HORRIBLE HORRIBLE and me resisting urges to write a better one and using that because I have a deadline.

In addition to the tablecloth and the armwarmers, which have deadlines, I'm also making the Manitou Passage Scarf (almost done) and I'm designing a matching hat (not quite halfway done), also for the hostess of the Halloween party (there's a reason I haven't hemmed the skirt I made for her last month yet). I've finished the second of the Chakra hats, and have to start doing the charts in excell so I can post the pattern, and also do a couple more to perfection and post them in the Craftster challenge board.

Oh yeah, and the pink fuzzy coat from hell... Yeah. Plus NaKniSweMo is starting in a little more than a week. I've been so busy with all this STUFF that I haven't even had time to gloat over pictures of all the awesome closeout yarn I found at Tuesday Morning, or post the pictures of the super awesome sweaters I picked up from the Goodwill to unravel.

Did I mention this is the week Chris decided to start organizing our rooms? :|

I'll be posting pictures of everything in the weeks to come, trust me. For now, ( Here are some pictures of the mushrooms growing in our front yard )

WHOOPS! I'd missed five mushroom pictures earlier! ( Here are some more pictures of my apparently delicious mushrooms that somebody STOLE FROM MY YARD BEFORE I COULD PICK THEM )

Once I figured out the charts, it was smooooooth sailing. I stayed up ALL NIGHT knitting it. Seriously. I'm really happy I ended up buying yarn for it (I went to the store last minute before they closed to get a size 5 circular needles, but there were none so instead I bought yarn to go with needles I already had), because I really wouldn't have enjoyed this as much with my stash stuff. The yarn I got was cheap ($6 for three skeins) and it's soft, and it's PINK.

I'm going to make at least one more of these, because I want to figure out a better hem, and I want to make sure my charts are accurate. The crown was a pain in the ass chartwise, because for some reason I couldn't figure out how it would look on paper, even if I knew what I was doing. I want to do a different color pattern, most likely with the yarn I bought for this but in a different order. It needs to have all three colors, because there's a pentagon on the top in red (if it's not obvious). Suggestions?

Oh, yes, and I'll be posting the pattern and charts when they're all done and pretty and not completely scribbled on and crossed out all over.

Chakra

I'm sick of being too busy and having to sit out knitting challenges I'm DETERMINED to enter this one. So determined that I've spend a good portion of today charting. CHARTING CHARTING CHARTING SWATCHING CHARTING. My biggest problem is I don't have enough colors of yarn in the weight I'm using to be guaranteed a good result. I'm just going to have to deal with what I have because I'm too broke to buy new stuff, and too stubborn to start using yarn with a different gauge and having to reswatch and rechart.

I'm being crazy with my plans, as usual. Want to know what I'm doing?

Imagine a hat, inspired by this:



Not easy. I know after I do this one, I'll want to do another one with finer yarn and infinitely more detail. As it is right now, the chart looks like a peacock feather instead of a chakra petal with an eye in it.

I think I have my charts decent enough to start working on A HAT!!!!! so I'm going to dive in now. Maybe I'll finish it today if I don't explode and die. Have I mentioned I've never done fair isle before?

ETA: bought new yarn anyway

Chris is gone again, and I found the perfect way to use up time like no tomorrow.

I just spent 8 hours taking pictures of yarn, and adding everything to my stash in Ravelry. I knew I had a lot of yarn, but I never thought I had THAT much. Too bad a good portion of it is carp!

Recently, I found out that my IAM account was made into a permanent free account for being featured in ModBlog warning, NSFW a while back, so I went on there and saw somebody in the Seattle group was asking if any knitters wanted to start a SnB. I responded to her, and once that gets started up I'll have some other liberal minded tattooed chicks to knit with, since the group at Crossroads scares me a little. I haven't gone, and I know shame on me for getting impressions before I go, but I don't really expect there to be people there I can relate to or feel comfortable around at a knitting circle in BELLEVUE.

So. Now that I've spent all day fiddling with Ravelry, I should probably start... knitting?

I finished Cherie Amour ( Pictures )

And I started Kate's Scarf ( More Pictures )

Blue.