Gift knitting
Jan. 2nd, 2008 07:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tephraDelayed due to Dalek but now finally complete. YAY!
The best lighting in the house this time of year is in the bathroom (700 watts of halogen) so I apologize for the setting. Toboe (my howling wolf plushie) agreed to model.
Moebius Starf/Scole for Mom.
Yarn: Paton's Bohemian in Indulgent Indigo, 3 skeins
Needles: US 10.5 (smaller than recommended 11)
Pattern: none
I actually started this thing several times over trying to decide on the ideal width to get enough length since I had 3 skeins to work with. I ended up casting on 30 and knitting until I ran out of yarn. This reminds me I didn't take final measurements, good thing I haven't wrapped yet... *goes to measure* 9.5x49" in garter stitch so it stretches like crazy. It won't pull down over my shoulders for a stole effect (well it will, it just won't stay) but mom is much smaller than I am so I'm sure it will on her if she wants to do that.
I learned how to graft garter stitch with this project and developed a love for this yarn, it's just so soft and squishy. I'm sort of kicking myself for not snapping up a bunch of it in the blue pop color when it was discontinued and reduced in price. Electric blue isn't my thing really, which is why I didn't. If they discontinue one of the plum colors though....
Winterized Topi for Dad.
Yarn: Caron's Simply Soft in Country Blue and Light Country Blue, about half a (6 oz) skein of each.
Needles: US 7 DPNs and 16" circular, US 5 circular (that I HATE, OMG), US 5 &7 straights
Pattern: Knitty's Topi, with modifications
This would be another project that I restarted several times. The first problem I had was uneven gauge and holes in the first few rounds. I finally figured that out enough to make it work. The next problem was just a yarn choice issue. I had originally picked up a really pretty variegated blue yarn but it pooled really unattractively when it got to the 100 stitch rounds, which is the sides of the hat. Had I used it one side of the hat would have been dark blue and the other light.
I worked the pattern for the smallest size (20") and it ended up 21", perfect for Dad. I really hated my #5 circular (far too flexible in the needle portion) so I did the brim on straights. It was a bit awkward but not unworkable and probably better for my mood than the flexible circular would have been. Because of the gauge change with the doubled yarn I had to redraft the brim stiffener and I made it a bit more curved than the original. I still think I'm going to end up doing some surgery on this hat when I see Dad this summer though, it really does require you to wear the hat pretty tilted on your head and he likes to pull his down.
Anyway, modifications other than the yarn... not that many really. I was planning to knit it all in one piece but didn't think that idea through carefully enough and had to wing it. I put the start of row at the center back (this was the mistake) so when it came time to do the brim I knit 25 stitches, bound off 4, worked the brim over 42 as the pattern states, bound off 4... and the realized that because I started in the center the flap would be one round longer on one side. *head!desk* So I knit 25 to get back to the center and broke the yarn. I then knit the flap separately and joined it to the hat with a three needle bind-off. I think it actually works better this way since the bind-off helps the flap stay up.
Dalek for my brother.
Yarn: Caron's Simply Soft in grey heather and black, less than one skein each
Needles: US 2 DPNs (!!), steel crochet hook US size 1 for setting beads
Notions: 56 black pony beads, 2 white pony beads, a surprising amount of Morning Glory polyester fiberfill
Pattern: Extermiknit!
OW about sums it up, those little needles were a literal pain. This was the major time eater in November when I should have been writing, I knit about half of it then. I ended up taking several days off due to blisters forming on my index fingers due to pushing the needles around.
The only real modification was replacing the bobbles with beads. I discovered that, while I'm perfectly capable of knitting bobbles, I hate them. Putting in the beads was much more fun even if the beads are a bit too large for the knitting and I had to knit a few stitches with the crochet hook to get them in there (the one the bead was on and the one after it). Ideally though with this gauge it would have been better to find some half dome buttons, and I did find some in black... for 22 cents each. I didn't think it was worth $13 in buttons, the yarn was only $4.14 and didn't use even half of either skein.
I did make some notes on this should I ever feel the need to knit another one. One of them is to practice corrugated ribbing, this was my first attempt and boy does it show. My attempts at jogless joins were a bit more successful, sorta. Next time I shall knit the blaster before the manipulator, since the grey portions should be of equal lengths. I was a bit iffy on the manipulator while I was knitting it so I set it aside before knitting the cup so I could knit the blaster for comparison. I ended up taking out three rows. As far as appendages go, eyestalk first! At least for sewing purposes.
Catnip Rat for our kitties.
Yarn: Caron's Simply Soft in Country Blue and Light Country Blue
Needles: US 7 DPNs
Notions: 2 black pony beads, polyester fiberfill, a scrap of old T-shirt to contain some catnip
Pattern: none
Just because the cats needed a new toy (and I wasn't in the mood to work on the dalek or my Cherie Amour). As you can see, it's well loved already.
I started out with the idea to knit a mouse for them, but then I thought, "I could add some eyes" (because adding beads is addictive). Then I thought, "I think I could knit in some ears without breaking the yarn" and it worked. At this point I noticed the head was a bit big... so it ended up being a catnip rat, sewer variety. Maybe even a catnip R.O.U.S.
The best lighting in the house this time of year is in the bathroom (700 watts of halogen) so I apologize for the setting. Toboe (my howling wolf plushie) agreed to model.
Moebius Starf/Scole for Mom. Yarn: Paton's Bohemian in Indulgent Indigo, 3 skeins
Needles: US 10.5 (smaller than recommended 11)
Pattern: none
I actually started this thing several times over trying to decide on the ideal width to get enough length since I had 3 skeins to work with. I ended up casting on 30 and knitting until I ran out of yarn. This reminds me I didn't take final measurements, good thing I haven't wrapped yet... *goes to measure* 9.5x49" in garter stitch so it stretches like crazy. It won't pull down over my shoulders for a stole effect (well it will, it just won't stay) but mom is much smaller than I am so I'm sure it will on her if she wants to do that.
I learned how to graft garter stitch with this project and developed a love for this yarn, it's just so soft and squishy. I'm sort of kicking myself for not snapping up a bunch of it in the blue pop color when it was discontinued and reduced in price. Electric blue isn't my thing really, which is why I didn't. If they discontinue one of the plum colors though....
Winterized Topi for Dad.Yarn: Caron's Simply Soft in Country Blue and Light Country Blue, about half a (6 oz) skein of each.
Needles: US 7 DPNs and 16" circular, US 5 circular (that I HATE, OMG), US 5 &7 straights
Pattern: Knitty's Topi, with modifications
This would be another project that I restarted several times. The first problem I had was uneven gauge and holes in the first few rounds. I finally figured that out enough to make it work. The next problem was just a yarn choice issue. I had originally picked up a really pretty variegated blue yarn but it pooled really unattractively when it got to the 100 stitch rounds, which is the sides of the hat. Had I used it one side of the hat would have been dark blue and the other light.
I worked the pattern for the smallest size (20") and it ended up 21", perfect for Dad. I really hated my #5 circular (far too flexible in the needle portion) so I did the brim on straights. It was a bit awkward but not unworkable and probably better for my mood than the flexible circular would have been. Because of the gauge change with the doubled yarn I had to redraft the brim stiffener and I made it a bit more curved than the original. I still think I'm going to end up doing some surgery on this hat when I see Dad this summer though, it really does require you to wear the hat pretty tilted on your head and he likes to pull his down.
Anyway, modifications other than the yarn... not that many really. I was planning to knit it all in one piece but didn't think that idea through carefully enough and had to wing it. I put the start of row at the center back (this was the mistake) so when it came time to do the brim I knit 25 stitches, bound off 4, worked the brim over 42 as the pattern states, bound off 4... and the realized that because I started in the center the flap would be one round longer on one side. *head!desk* So I knit 25 to get back to the center and broke the yarn. I then knit the flap separately and joined it to the hat with a three needle bind-off. I think it actually works better this way since the bind-off helps the flap stay up.
Dalek for my brother.Yarn: Caron's Simply Soft in grey heather and black, less than one skein each
Needles: US 2 DPNs (!!), steel crochet hook US size 1 for setting beads
Notions: 56 black pony beads, 2 white pony beads, a surprising amount of Morning Glory polyester fiberfill
Pattern: Extermiknit!
OW about sums it up, those little needles were a literal pain. This was the major time eater in November when I should have been writing, I knit about half of it then. I ended up taking several days off due to blisters forming on my index fingers due to pushing the needles around.
The only real modification was replacing the bobbles with beads. I discovered that, while I'm perfectly capable of knitting bobbles, I hate them. Putting in the beads was much more fun even if the beads are a bit too large for the knitting and I had to knit a few stitches with the crochet hook to get them in there (the one the bead was on and the one after it). Ideally though with this gauge it would have been better to find some half dome buttons, and I did find some in black... for 22 cents each. I didn't think it was worth $13 in buttons, the yarn was only $4.14 and didn't use even half of either skein.
I did make some notes on this should I ever feel the need to knit another one. One of them is to practice corrugated ribbing, this was my first attempt and boy does it show. My attempts at jogless joins were a bit more successful, sorta. Next time I shall knit the blaster before the manipulator, since the grey portions should be of equal lengths. I was a bit iffy on the manipulator while I was knitting it so I set it aside before knitting the cup so I could knit the blaster for comparison. I ended up taking out three rows. As far as appendages go, eyestalk first! At least for sewing purposes.
Catnip Rat for our kitties.Yarn: Caron's Simply Soft in Country Blue and Light Country Blue
Needles: US 7 DPNs
Notions: 2 black pony beads, polyester fiberfill, a scrap of old T-shirt to contain some catnip
Pattern: none
Just because the cats needed a new toy (and I wasn't in the mood to work on the dalek or my Cherie Amour). As you can see, it's well loved already.
I started out with the idea to knit a mouse for them, but then I thought, "I could add some eyes" (because adding beads is addictive). Then I thought, "I think I could knit in some ears without breaking the yarn" and it worked. At this point I noticed the head was a bit big... so it ended up being a catnip rat, sewer variety. Maybe even a catnip R.O.U.S.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-03 05:24 am (UTC):) I love the catnip ROUS's.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-03 10:50 pm (UTC)I also got about ten inches or so on a sweater for myself done in that time period. I really need to get back to work on that, it's at a tedious part so I've been slacking off. Instead I've been playing with a celtic cable pattern in hopes of eventually getting a hat out of it. Unfortunately the yarn I want to use up is black so it's not showing up that well. I might have to do that cable in another yarn and think of something else for these two skeins of black. :P