Still icky?

It was the husband's birthday and as a gift he got a digital camera/recorder. To "test" it out I naturally snapped pictures of knitting. I can't stand these shoddy cell phone pictures. Notice, I said pictures. Yes multiple. Will you see them all? No. I managed to get one good one and it happens to be of the one I was wanting to show anyway. I do have some sock pictures....one finished and one finished but frogged and being redone in a different form. The finished one has been done for sometime and is ok. I like the fit but it's basically a tube sock. It doesn't feel like a real sock to me for that reason. Silly I know. It was done toe up and I am still having issues with my bind off on them. I only have one of two done. The other sock is a mystery sock. The only details I am going to share are this: it is done toe up, my own dorky ass pattern, I originally did a heel on it but have frogged it and am going to make it a tube style one. The fit and everything will be far better for it I think.

I finally restarted the ugly newborn PP's. I had frogged the night I blogged but never started it again. I was depressed about it. I'm just not sure about this yarn. If I remember right it's Punk Rock Girl and while it's cute it's not my kind of cute. I have seen other versions of this colorwayand mine seems VERY faded and dull. It's dissapointing.

I admit, it's a TON better with the black trim. In person the black doesn't look as odd as it does here. I asked the man here if it still looked dirty and he said no so there may be hope. I'm just not in love with it though. I think they will become actual longies and hopefully they will grow on me. If not, oh well. I'm just happy they aren't a larger size and take longer to knit. Two or three days of tv knitting is nothing. Oddly enough, my gauge on both yarns is the same. usually my body yarn is thicker so it's just a tad off. This however is the same even though the black is Cascade 220 (I think....seems all my solid yarn is these days) and the other is not.

I need to get going on covers. I have about 12 weeks left and have one pair done. That's it. Well one and a half is you count the above pair. Remember my "goal"? I do. 4 pairs of PP (either shorties or longies....probably 2 of each) and 4 wraps. I have one pair of PP. What does that leave me with? A lot of knitting.

Some yarn

STATS:
2 ply
Spun on a drop spindle
Roving was part of a kit (as was the spindle...not my standard Schacht) bought from here!

Overall, not sure I like it. There was a bit of a mess in the middle which resulted in some hacking. The ball, therefore, is much smaller. Not as in love with it after that happened as I was before hand. I also have quite a bit left over from one single. Not sure how that happened since they were thesame amounts of roving. I'm thinking I spun thinner on one and therefore made it longer. Who knows?! Thinking about the entire process of it just makes me mad. It did not go as smoothly as it should have. I have had nothing but issues with this set since the beginning. The purple was wiry hairy as I spun it, the blue (or the greenish looking one in the link above..it was blue with green undertones) dyed my hands and made them itch. The white was gifted to a Waldofer with the intent of being something doll related. I have been avoiding this last ball for sometime because of those first two I worked up. I should have kept it in the closet. There are so many new spinners on Mothering lately though that I felt inspired and was itchin' to get some spinning done (and you know...it was another way to avoid some other projects that needed done). I should have spun my merino instead.

If I canmanage to get over the desire to toss the ball in the washer on hot I think this will become a hat for the new babe. Maybe....if I have enough. I hacked out quite a bit.

When it's ugly...

frog it.

I started a pair of newborn Picky Pants (yes another pair) and decided to use up my Punk Rock colorway. In the ball it's not so bad but knit up I'm not sure. I wanted it to be a darker purple (and certain WAHM's have made it darker....this was donated so I only know the colorway....not the yarn or who did it or anything else) and had forgotten it's not. I used this for another project (the one it was donated for) but didn't use a lot of it as the recipient wanted something more gender neutral. Apparently the time between then and now was enough to make me forget how not in love with this I am.

I decided to use it anyway and once again wanted that contrasting cuffs and waist. Since this wasn't a dark enough purple I had to use a different color (not that I have a solid purple anyway).. I didn't realize there was any pink in it but that wouldn't have mattered. The amount in the yarn is so minute if I had chosen a solid pink it would look silly. To me at least. So I went for the next color....white/cream.

Bad picture quality but it gets the point across. It's ugly. It's pastel. And as the husband says, "Looks dirty already". That right there is about 3 days worth of knitting. Newborn size. They should be done but I am so not thrilled with it that I have avoided it. I think I can manage, if I force myself, 10 rounds a day but that's pushin' it. Today I managed 1.5.

The wee one has switched up her bedtime and is going to be earlier lately so now I am left with knitting time at night and an ugly, uninspiring project. When she woke up, I went in to nurse her and I got to thinking about the other yarn combos I have been wanting to use and it dawned on me. I have black. I have black! The ugly item has been frogged and the waist is about to be restarted in black. I think it'll give me that pop I wanted colorwise. I obviously can't rely on the main yarn to do it.

I seem to be on a purple kick. Socks, newborn PP, small PP, the ugly pair (I swear once the black is used I will not refer to it as the ugly pair).....when I grabbed my black out of the closet I took a quick inventory so I could hypothetically plan future projects and realized I have 2 skeins of Art Yarns superwash in purple, my Regia has purple, my sock bag swap yarn has purple. The funny thing? I am having an ongoing love affair with RED. How is it I have so much purple? Good thing I am in love with it all.

The apron was a hit apparently. We ended up leaving early due to a chocolate/jealousy induced fit but I was told it was well received. I tried it on my little gal the night before the party and it fit great. I can't wait to see it on the actual person it was for. :)

Insomnia, a working husband, and a sleeping child: spin, knit a sock, or restart the ugly pair..what to do, what to do?

Child's apron

I've decided to go ahead and share it. I am tempted to submit it to Knitty or something but since it's my "first" I don't think I will. :)

Toddler waist apron
*This pattern is worked flat*

Body:
Cast on 40 stitches.
Work in garter stitch for 4 rows or until you have a waistband width you like.

*The rest of the pattern is done in stck.*

Row 1 and all odd numbered rows- slip first AND last stitch on every purl row.
Row 2 and all even numbered rows- kfb on first AND last stitch on every even row.

Continue in pattern until you have increased to 80 total stitches. You will want to end with a purl row.

Work in stockinette slipping first AND last stitch on every purl row until an inch before desired length.

Starting with a knit row begin ruffle as follows:
Row 1: *k1, kfb* repeat from *
Row 2: purl remembering to slip first AND last stitch
Row 3: knit
Row 4: *p2, pfb* repeat from *
Row 5: knit
Row 6: purl
Row 7: *k3, kfb* repeat from *
Row 8: purl

Bind off in desired method.

Weave in ends.

Ties
Pick up five (5) stitches at edge of waistband. NOTE: If you made a wider waistband you may need to pick up more stitches. I found it made a stronger connection to pick up one stitch below the wasitband to help anchor it.
Knit every row until desired length (I have 57 garter ridges on each tie).
Bind off in desired method.

Repeat on other side of waistband for the second tie.
Remeber to count your rows so that the ties are of equal length.
Weave in ends. I use the cast on tail on each tie and go back to reinforce my connection.

Wash in warm/cold and block.

So there you have it! I'm pretty sure I got it all but if there are questions feel free to ask. This is the first time and I jsut wrote all that down from memory. I kind of failed to write notes as I went. :)

A little knit apron

I finished it up this afternoon! I couldn't sleep last night so after I got the wee one in bed (at a very late midnight) I stayed up and finished the body. Then this afternoon I weaved in ends and finished up the ties. It's currently blocking and looks so darn cute!

Pictures kind of suck but that's what you get. :)

Specs:

size 8 needles

Sugar/Peaches and Cream (can't remember and the tag is gone)

Pattern is my own.

Super easy and quick to knit. Took maybe 6-8 hours total? It was spread out very randomly so I can't be sure. I'm thinking of making a couple more for various little gals. It doesn't use a ton of yarn. I just wound up a ball of my cone. I stopped winding when the base was completely covered. I didn't use the whole ball so it takes very little yarn.

I'm itchin' to knit some covers but am trying to hold bback until I finish the second sock. I need to work on the hubby's birthday socks too. They aren't going to be done in time for his actual birthday though. Unless a miracle happens and my fingers start knitting in my sleep.

Gah.

I do not normally have an issue with gauge. In fact even when I don't check my gauge I am pretty dead on.

I just recently finished up a sock. The only thing I changed was the amount of my cast on. The pattern called for 48 for a woman's sock. I did 64 and worked it toe up. Same size needles and I still managed to get gauge. I followed the pattern exctly except for the toe (since I did it toe up using my standard magic cast on) and I did less ribbing on the cuff. The body (the actual portion with the pattern) should have been 13 inches with a grand total of 18 inches cuff to toe. Since I altered those I focused mainly on the body portion. It's quite a bit shorter. I'm not sure how as I worked the 7.5 pattern repeats WITH correct gauge. Why is it shorter? It doesn't effect the fit of the sock much since it still fits but good grief why the hell is it shorter! It has made me not want to start the second one. I will jsut to get them finished but if it ends up the same way or is closer to the real length I'm going to rethink using this pattern. Maybe it's my dinky yarn.

I am undecided about a pattern. I am making something for a birthday party and am just winging it pattern wise. I thought I was being super unique but after seeing an FO on another blog (an FO on something totally unrelated!) I think I may not be so much so. :) If that's the case then my problem is solved. However, if the pattern is unique I am debating sharing it right off the bat or submitting it some online source. It's nothing super splendid but it might be neat to have it published you know? I guess I'lll finish it up, contact the author of the pattern that seems similar to double check I'm not inadvertantly copying, and then decide from there.

I haven't really been progressing on anything. The wee one has a birthday coming up and instead of knitting her something I sat down and made her some dollhouse furniture. I cannot tell you how stressful that kind of crafting is for me. Knitting is by far more relaxing and ideal for my person. :)

The list redone

* finish Wyvern socks- This is no longer Wyvern and is an entirely new pattern altogether. finish last 2.5 ronds and then start second sock.
* start on play food for the wee one's upcoming birthday..after all a kitchen themed birthday needs food.- Again no longer. Not kitchen themed but instead a lovely little dollhouse. Am tempted to knit something but honestly, that may be a bit much. :)
* start the husbands birthday socks- Swatched but not an entire 4 inch piece nor with any pattern in mind.
* possibly start the husbands birthday beanie/hat- Maybe not. :)
* swatch for Bonsai Tunic- Swatched and thrown to the back of my closet due to anger issues.
* swatch for afgahn and plan basic construction and figure out numbers- Also in back of said closet.
* work on newborn wool stash- Work on GIRL newborn stash.
* work on small wool stash- Can continue without worrying about using gn colors for future users. :)