tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72813152590942391442012-02-02T07:52:35.772-05:00Don't worry, I do other stuff too. But mostly yarn.Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.comBlogger1511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-41503227373857199122012-02-01T20:29:00.000-05:002012-02-01T21:41:51.841-05:00

..... February. I thought January would never end and yet I'm surprised to see February here so soon. What's up with that? This week I have more exciting things to post about for WIP Wednesday. First a stitch marker, one of a pair, that I made to go along with a test knit that I can't show you. It's sparkley and gold and silver and red and very Gryffindor. Plus I used little bitty jump rings and

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-44450991490064224672012-01-25T23:49:00.000-05:002012-01-26T00:03:17.047-05:00

2012? Can that be right? What's on the pile this week? Oceanspray is coming along at roughly 6.5% complete based on my adjustments to not run out of yarn. So far so good....

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-61298244687829134312011-11-12T12:06:00.000-05:002011-11-12T12:06:00.614-05:00

This project was completed in May, 2011. Traveling Woman is a very popular pattern that's been around a while. The designer re-released the pattern with a host of matching patterns and directions for making the shawl in other sizes and yarn weights. I used the free version to make my own, at long last! It's a nice little shawlette, and the yarn really makes it. It was also a quick knit,

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-54583862562944867762011-11-10T10:59:00.000-05:002011-11-10T10:59:00.483-05:00

This project was completed in May, 2011. This dishcloth was my first try at illusion knitting. Very cool! Pattern: Deathly Hallows Illusion Cloth by Jenn Bragg Yarn: Natural color is a Peaches & Creme cone of cotton in Ecru; blue is Lily's Sugar & Cream in cornflower blue. I used 34.4 yards of ecru and 38.4 yards of blue. Needles: Size 8 (5.0mm) boye aluminum circular needles Rav Page

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-82953615884696629182011-11-09T21:52:00.001-05:002011-11-09T21:53:48.893-05:00

My Tour de Sock....er ... tour.... ends tonight, as Stage 4 is ending in a few hours and this is all I have. Oh well, I stuck it out as long as I could and that was far longer than I expected! And now I'm a sock knitter!! But, right now, this sock knitter wants to look at lace. This is a variant of the very popular pattern Ishbel, where the lace is started first thing instead of having a

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-78768675439966619812011-11-08T08:21:00.000-05:002011-11-08T08:22:01.360-05:00

This project was completed in May, 2011. Another lovely free pattern on Ravelry! This is called Dane Shawl. It's supposed to be a shallow triangle, based on traditional Danish heart-shaped shawls.  I blocked mine to more of a triangle and less of a heart shape. I think every comment about this shawl in person has started with the colors.  It's all in the yarn, Plymouth Zino.  It's a sock

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-74668272658939653632011-11-07T14:04:00.000-05:002011-11-07T14:04:30.304-05:00

I'll  apologize right now for getting that song stuck in your head... I've been longing for some spinning wheel time since,  oh,  the last time I used it,  and I finally gave in because I couldn't stand waiting anymore.  My wheel is a Kromski Minstrel, a double drive that I've been using primarily as a single drive because I'm a newish spinner and it helps me not lose control.  So my double

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-21189591397076758902011-11-02T23:16:00.000-04:002011-11-02T23:18:16.331-04:00

We're up to Stage 4 of the Tour de Sock, and much to my surprise I'm still in it!! This stage's pattern is Technical. Now, in case it's not obvious from the picture, I need to get back to work while I have two brain cells to clang together. This one is tricky!!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-62485892015027177822011-10-19T22:50:00.001-04:002011-10-19T22:51:01.564-04:00

Here's what I've worked on in the past week! Evenstar is the big purple blob (I'm at 61% complete right now, and for full points I need to hit 75% by October 31). The latest Tour de Sock pattern came out today, which is the rainbow and black colorwork sock on top there. And sneaking in just to spice things up, I cast on a Tappan Zee sweater on Sunday for those times when I just need something

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-15876711853847859572011-10-12T21:48:00.001-04:002011-10-13T09:44:53.814-04:00

Hey, look, a WIP Wednesday! Well, surprise surprise, I've been continuing to work on socks for the Tour de Sock. The first stage was from October 1st to October 9th and I made it - turned them in on the afternoon of the 9th, putting me in 64th place. See? Calable by Regina Satta, Stage 1 Tour de Sock. I'm thrilled to have survived the first Stage, and since my personal goal is accomplished

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-61598484144997098302011-10-06T12:30:00.000-04:002011-10-06T12:30:01.919-04:00

How can two months fly by so quickly?? A quick rundown of what I've done since my last post: - I finished two sweaters in July. - I can no longer close the fiber drawer. This could be because it is stuffed, or because something fell behind it. Or both. Probably both. - I spent the first 10 days of August hustling to finish two items for the fair that I'd entered when one was nearly finished and

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-15233174369386306562011-07-24T13:08:00.000-04:002011-07-24T13:08:12.163-04:00

This project was completed in May 2011. In the HPKCHC this term, Quidditch was split into four quaffle matches between houses in May and later hallows or horcruxes in June and July.  The first quaffle match was to make a golden snitch. Near instant geeky gratification! Pattern: The Golden Snitch by Melissa Mall (free pattern) Yarn: Stitch Nation Full o' Sheep in honeycomb and Red Heart Super

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-59846688178425359782011-07-18T16:21:00.030-04:002011-07-18T16:21:01.318-04:00

April was busy - I only finished one project. But I did sell off some stash on Ravelry! And I got some very pretty stash additions. Younger Yarn Sexy String in Alice Longbottom 430 yards Younger Yarn Fiber 100% Punta Wool in Daydream Believer Younger Yarn Fiber of the Month Club for April 2011 - Superfine merino in "Sidewalk Chalk" Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin in Pfauenauge (

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-87467493717742506532011-07-15T16:01:00.000-04:002011-07-15T16:01:00.324-04:00

This project was finished in April 2011. The second leaf shawl component of my Nerd Wars dissertation was the Lehmus-huivi shawl, a pattern that had been translated from the original Finnish. I'm not sure if this is a pattern modification or a mistake that I corrected, but I kept the three edge stitches on both sides and the band across the top at the bindoff in garter stitch throughout.  I

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-66715988840484129002011-07-14T14:10:00.021-04:002011-07-14T14:10:02.685-04:00

Yes, yes I am aware that it is currently July.  I'm catching up here as best I can... Here's what I finished in March! And the lovely yarn I brought home in March: This is 440 yards from Kara (dnatheory) who was my upstream swapper for the Staff Swap last term.  She dyed it herself!  Isn't it lovely? This is Alina Shea Creations Shmerino in Whispers of Spring, the yarn club shipment

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-86124738769540942512011-07-13T23:49:00.000-04:002011-07-14T08:39:16.535-04:00

Behold, the triumphant return of WIP Wednesday!  Here's a quick look at what I've got going today. A sweater blocking in pieces while I finish the second sleeve! I'm trying to get it finished by this weekend.

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-15154332096658793142011-07-12T16:57:00.000-04:002011-07-12T16:57:00.217-04:00

On the last day of the Winter11 HPKCHC term, I finished up two more charity hats for Quidditch.  This time I pulled out all my wool scraps and worked on making scrappy but fabulous hats. Errrr.  Well.  They look better in person. This one used up as many blues and purples as I could coordinate together - lots of my little bits and bobs of dyeing practice over the years: and this one got

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-60653448597162757162011-07-11T13:40:00.000-04:002011-07-11T13:40:00.204-04:00

This project was finished in March 2011. I love how this shawl came out.  It's an unusual construction, which is how it became part of my Nerd Wars dissertation last spring.  The yarn is a silky, drapey thing that I only regret I do not have more of. It blocked nicely and looks great as a yarn and pattern match.  I almost - almost! - wish I hadn't given it away! Pattern: Emily Shawl by

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-62854381578779721632011-07-11T09:06:00.001-04:002011-07-11T09:06:00.821-04:00

In the HPKCHC the three-month projects are called OWLs, in reference to the big exams of fifth year students in the Harry Potter series. There is a set of guidelines by subject and to achieve an OWL in the subject you have to propose and complete a project that takes longer than six weeks but less than three months and that presents a personal challenge. Transfiguration  Option 1: Knit or crochet

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-67882929530218874142011-07-11T08:56:00.000-04:002011-07-11T08:56:00.483-04:00

In the HPKCHC the three-month projects are called OWLs, in reference to the big exams of fifth year students in the Harry Potter series. There is a set of guidelines by subject and to achieve an OWL in the subject you have to propose and complete a project that takes longer than six weeks but less than three months and that presents a personal challenge. Herbology – Students should be able to

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-19915769918901839382011-07-10T15:25:00.000-04:002011-07-10T15:25:00.815-04:00

This project was completed in March 2011. I finally finished my first sweater! Like the first sweater I ever started, lo these many years ago (2005 I believe), this one is for my husband.  We saw its humble beginnings in my Muggle Studies OWL proposal last January.  Despite the name, he did not want the hood. I dove in hoping that I'd figure out how to not have a hood later, and as you all

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-37070412509752918972011-07-10T13:24:00.001-04:002011-07-10T13:28:12.972-04:00

This project was completed in March 2011. I finished a third and final scarf for the same charity as the fluffy pink scarf before I boxed up my scarves, leftover kits, and some yarn to donate and sent the box back to California last week.  The short answer as to why I didn't make all the kits is that I found no joy in crafting these scarves for this charity anymore, so I fulfilled my obligations

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-25319422264340184582011-07-07T23:14:00.001-04:002011-07-07T23:14:00.849-04:00

These projects were completed in March 2011. One of the Quidditch challenges back in March was a duel where you set the terms between you and your partner, and my partner and I decided to make as many hats for charity in one day as we could.  She beat me, soundly, but I still made three more hats for charity than I otherwise would have. The purple hat and the green-purple-blue hat are my own

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-81504462461613366562011-07-06T23:13:00.000-04:002011-07-06T23:13:43.867-04:00

This project was finished in March 2011. Last Christmas my parents were up visiting and as usual I got out my newest pattern books for my mom to look though.  She saw the Celeste Shawl pattern and fell in love.  The picture in the book has the shawl on a hanger and it's hard to tell much about it, but a quick look through projects on Ravelry helped. Shawls are very popular right now, but this

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-75816295510189455172011-07-04T12:46:00.001-04:002011-07-04T12:46:00.910-04:00

Since the beginning of blogs, bloggers and their blogs have gone on breaks both announced and unannounced. I didn't decide to take a break - it just happened. And then it kept happening. In fact, I started to write a return post back in May and my computer crashed spectacularly, leaving the thought incomplete and extending the break even more. Just a little break, not broken. Of course, I've

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-22298969900689639772011-03-23T11:12:00.000-04:002011-03-23T11:12:11.702-04:00

A while back I discovered a charity called Handmade Especially For You.  They provide handmade scarves for abused women in shelters, originally in California but chapters have sprung up all over.  They also have a lot of donated yarn, so the people who run the charity set up yarn kits for garter stitch scarves already with doubled yarn wound up to match on both ends.  This scarf is from one of

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-65807411599994118852011-03-15T08:44:00.000-04:002011-03-15T08:44:26.281-04:00

The fruits of February! On February 2 we had a snow day and Paul disappeared off to an unknown hiding place, returning with the Dogwood Blossoms Sweater Kit (4620 yards). Holy Guacamole, some day when I am good enough at this knitting thing to make this sweater, it is going to be glorious. Shannon/ShaylaMyst, the woman behind Alina Shea Creations, surprised me by letting me choose some

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-25641874509451504252011-03-09T11:09:00.000-05:002011-03-09T11:09:11.891-05:00

Here we are at Wednesday again! The pink furry scarf is done except for hiding the ends.  So is my first pink and brown striped mitt there (Hallowed Hands) and I'm a few inches into the second mitt.  Continuing clockwise, the Celeste Shawl is going by quickly and I've only got 8 and 2/3 rows left to go.... very, very long rows!  I'm at about 80% I think.  Up at the top you can see the toe of a

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-78774054375583198812011-03-08T10:58:00.000-05:002011-03-08T10:58:00.610-05:00

Surprise!  One last square was squeezed into February. Pattern: Square #29, Alternate Spike SC, from 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches Yarn: Red Heart Giant, aran Needles: Size I/5.50mm crochet hook Yardage:  92.4 yards by weight Ravelry page (for the whole project) Mods: none!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-62044408033928800532011-03-08T10:57:00.000-05:002011-03-08T10:57:00.704-05:00

I finally get to show off what I did with my new crimping tool!! Stitch markers.  They are fun to make and I'll be making many more now that I have beading wire and a crimping tool to properly crimp the bottom.  It's so much easier with the right equipment!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-86265534967758020332011-03-08T10:45:00.002-05:002011-03-08T10:45:00.186-05:00

Since my beading stuff was already out for the Pink Girl Necklace, I found 1.5 earrings and finished the pair. The second earring only needed to have the .... errr... dangly part..... attached to the hooky part.  As you can tell, I am not an expert.  But I did make them!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-40274352644784346452011-03-08T10:45:00.000-05:002011-03-08T10:45:00.376-05:00

After the last snowstorm, Spike and my husband were outside playing in the snow.  After a while, Spike came bursting through the front door with a request for, "Eyes and a carrot!"  I pulled an unlikely-looking carrot out of the deepest depths of the fridge and looked around until I found some eyes - bottlecaps.  But the mouth was trickier, so I grabbed a hook and some leftovers and whipped up a

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-62456580694626550952011-03-07T22:35:00.000-05:002011-03-07T22:35:00.441-05:00

Guess what? It's another square! Pattern: Square #13, Bushy Stitch, from 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver, country blue Needles: Size I/5.50mm crochet hook Yards:  70.3 yards by weight Ravelry page (for the whole project) Mods: none!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-34078061285681735082011-03-07T22:29:00.001-05:002011-03-07T22:29:00.107-05:00

Squares. Best idea ever. Pattern: Square #62, Basket Weave, from 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver, soft navy Needles: Size I/5.50mm crochet hook Yards:  76.3 yards by weight Ravelry page (for the whole project) Mods: none! This was a nice stitch pattern.  I'd definitely use it again, although it does eat yarn!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-3655617208373977182011-03-07T20:28:00.001-05:002011-03-07T20:28:00.711-05:00

The parts for this little necklace have been knocking around the house for about a year, but I finally got all the pieces together in the same place and made it! The necklace clasp: The strands: Finally, the necklace: Yarn: DMC Six-strand Embroidery Floss, not sure about the particular shade of light pink but it was from my giant box of floss.  I used two strands of the six. Pattern: 

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-5542456234894268682011-03-07T18:04:00.000-05:002011-03-07T18:04:27.493-05:00

Oh my, these were a fun knit!! Just to be contrary, instead of knitting a plain thumb in a single color, I continued the pattern on one side and alternated colors every stitch and offset them every row.  Just to be contrary.  The end product was nice, but it was a little fiddly (especially considering I have made only two pairs of colorwork mittens before).  I've put project notes on the thumb

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-69725300125145798072011-03-07T15:31:00.000-05:002011-03-07T15:31:39.247-05:00

Here comes more handspun! This is BFL from the big fluffy ball that came free with purchase of my wheel from The Spinning Room.  Spike and I dyed it back in November while stalking the windows for the UPS man we knew would be bringing the wheel.  Today's spinning is from the braid on the left. I worked on spinning it as thinly as I could, which when plied turned out to be a light fingering

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-30579404017224746512011-03-07T15:30:00.000-05:002011-03-07T15:30:26.956-05:00

We're snowed in today, although the skies are now blue and the plows came through at last.  It's been a good day to catch up with ourselves and I've been busy finally catching up in all the things I like to do on Ravelry and of course a few things around the house. One thing I missed was WIP Wednesday last week!  I have a good enough reason though - I even took a WIP Wednesday picture and

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-81478249337831348722011-03-01T08:29:00.001-05:002011-03-01T08:30:39.124-05:00

These socks are finally finished and they are just lovely! Close-up of the lace, twisted stitch ribbing at the top, and the picot bind-off. The socks are toe-up, and I quite like this heel's construction. Yarn: Alina Shea Creations Crescent Moon (100% superwash merino wool, a sproingy 2-ply), in a Dreamer's Little Secrets colorway called South Seas Pattern: Mermaidia, a free toe-up

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-21362341615998702912011-02-23T23:59:00.009-05:002011-02-24T00:12:40.154-05:00

Busy day!! Blanket squares sent from all around the world and I'm making them into a blanket on the left.  On the right, from the top down we have the Mermaidia socks that were finished and then became unfinished and now have since been finished again (grrrrrr), Celeste Shawl (I'm about to insert a lifeline and rip back a repeat (grrrr!!!), and the lehmus-huivi shawl (Leafy Lehmus on the

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-44815509599169836272011-02-22T20:27:00.002-05:002011-02-23T14:20:22.453-05:00

Knitting with your own handspun is a transcendent experience. I enjoyed every second of knitting up this little sweater, using my Hurley Yellow handspun yarn.  I made it for a little fun challenge on Ravelry to make a team of four and have each team member make part of a miniature Quidditch uniform.  My team, consisting of two Slytherins, a Ravenclaw, and I, a Hufflepuff, made a Gryffindor-esque

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-75258982866961079712011-02-21T09:21:00.000-05:002011-02-21T09:21:00.456-05:00

I finally finished up this spinning project that I started way back in November! This is Younger Yarn Superwash roving in the Hurley colorway.  I used bits of this fiber for learning different techniques, so some went into a 2-ply that I used an Andean bracelent technique to ply back in November: Some went into the chain-ply practice from the spinning class I took last November, with some

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-41804626354294550242011-02-20T17:36:00.001-05:002011-02-20T17:39:59.601-05:00

I mentioned that I signed up for another crafting game on Ravelry, Nerd Wars.  The game runs through February, March, and April, and their three-month crafting prompts are called dissertations. Competitors interested in taking part will post a proposalfor their project. The project should be expected to take a solid three months, like a cable-knit sweater or 3 pairs of socks, or spinning 1200

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-2059512803225420872011-02-20T12:46:00.001-05:002011-02-20T12:47:08.217-05:00

I'm really enjoying these squares!! Pattern: Square #34, V Stitch, from 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches Yarn: Red Heart Giant, aran Needles: Size I/5.50mm crochet hook Yards: 45.2 yards by weight Ravelry page (for the whole project) Mods: none!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-80545584441993140032011-02-17T14:09:00.001-05:002011-02-17T14:09:44.094-05:00

Not a very thorough or prompt edition of WIP Wednesday, I'm afraid, but the mom portion of life has kept me extra busy lately. In addition to these Camilla mitts, which are coming along nicely despite a wacky gauge issue, I submitted a dissertation proposal in another game on Ravelry - Nerd Wars. I'll post it here when I can. My first portion of it, which of course I'll also turn in for the

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-69209938956808358632011-02-09T15:59:00.000-05:002011-02-09T16:00:02.995-05:00

Here I am! I'm not even sure that I did work on my Celeste Shawl this past week, but I thought I'd better throw it in just in case. Other stars of this show are the well-rested Mermaidia Socks in blue-green up at the top, now only a cuff and picot bindoff away from the end. My other OWL is the sweater masquerading here as green stringy blobs, which are a complete back and about 2/3 of a

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-27123972331112841872011-02-07T16:47:00.000-05:002011-02-07T16:47:00.418-05:00

One of my favorite treats to snack on is a wedge of brie cheese warmed in the oven with a little homemade strawberry jam on top with crackers. It seems to hit just the right savory-sweet balance and enough of a snack to get me through to the next meal. Plus it looks fancy.One afternoon I was feeling clever and thought I'd like to try something other than strawberry jam, so I started plotting.

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-89269200203972974212011-02-04T15:04:00.001-05:002011-02-04T15:04:00.506-05:00

It's that time again, the day of reckoning between the stash and me. I finished ten projects in January, eight of which counted for yarn out for the month. The other two were spinning projects, and like in 2010 I am just not going to count handspun as yarn in. Of course now that I'm making a specific effort to write about everything I finish, we've already seen all the yarn out into projects!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-30963898483054554902011-02-04T13:36:00.000-05:002011-02-04T13:39:26.307-05:00

I'm still a little surprised that I managed to pull this off, but as I reported nearly live here on the blog, I made a Swallowtail Shawl in just five days.Tossed into the snow!Triangles are more versatile than I thought.It was not very many degrees out and snowing when my husband kindly helped me take these photos.Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl, by Evelyn A. Clark (free pattern)Yarn: Knit Picks

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-54455422060440225322011-02-04T10:17:00.002-05:002011-02-04T10:24:45.305-05:00

At the ripe old age of 20 months, Zee finally has his own baby blanket. I think he actually likes it, despite how hard it was to get this picture.Pattern: Sideways Shell Baby Afghan, from Project LinusYarn: I bought it from eBay over five years ago, and I think it is Lion Brand Jamie but that's just my educated guess.Needles: Size I/5.50mm crochet hookYards: 1862 yardsRavelry pageMods: I made

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-79873539527468314832011-02-04T10:07:00.001-05:002011-02-04T10:17:18.856-05:00

Another patchwork square! Nice and straightforward.Pattern: Square #46, Palm Leaves, from 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern StitchesYarn: Red Heart Super Saver, worsted-weight 100% acrylic in country blue Needles: Size I/5.50mm crochet hookYards: 45.2 yards by weightRavelry page (for the whole project)Mods: none!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-92043804230494064162011-02-02T23:59:00.002-05:002011-02-03T11:14:40.020-05:00

(actually posted on Thursday....)For the second week running, all I have worked on in the past week that isn't done yet is right here - my two OWLs. The green sweater back I finished Wednesday night and the Celeste Shawl is now at 59% complete. After the Swallowtail, I feel like I've been to lace knitting boot camp and can do anything lacy much faster than before. I feel pretty good about

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-29267726176309722882011-01-31T21:27:00.001-05:002011-01-31T21:28:38.036-05:00

I made it!Proper FO post later, but I wanted to post tonight!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-90025351838269862512011-01-30T20:50:00.002-05:002011-02-04T10:26:58.520-05:00

I'm at 84.42%, and also I made a lasagna today. Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-38333889923471132822011-01-30T13:26:00.002-05:002011-01-30T13:44:07.504-05:00

I'm at the beginning of the edging chart, which is 74.21% complete and I have 20g of yarn left! Time for lunch.Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-52080770821530954052011-01-30T08:17:00.002-05:002011-01-30T08:38:06.017-05:00

I put the shawl down last night after row four of the second Lily of the Valley border chart, which was 66.98% complete and well ahead of the pace needed to finish on Monday. Only three more pattern rows to go before the edging!Before starting the current chart I had 25g of yarn left. I should be okay on yardage but it's good to have a second opinion from the scale.Published with Blogger-droid

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-34320670358276394002011-01-29T16:00:00.002-05:002011-01-30T08:38:34.962-05:00

I'm seven rows into the Lily of the Valley border chart 1, which puts me at 56.84% complete. The nupps aren't that bad!Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-26577176190258009042011-01-29T11:44:00.003-05:002011-01-29T11:46:24.768-05:00

No picture this time!I'm on the last budding lace repeat, which puts me at 43.64%. After spending 20 or so minutes scanning Ravelry and squinting at the shawl under a lamp, I've decided to try the nupps as written instead of replacing them with beads. We'll see how it goes!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-19535094088306978602011-01-29T08:38:00.001-05:002011-01-29T08:38:34.802-05:00

Yesterday's end and today's beginning is 39.98%!Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-74555149471876516492011-01-28T21:31:00.001-05:002011-01-28T21:31:15.565-05:00

We' re at 30.58% - looking promising for today's goal!Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-13590504648052928722011-01-28T16:15:00.001-05:002011-01-29T07:06:07.129-05:00

It's the end of the month, which means that in my crafting game things are reaching a fast and furious point of crafting as quickly as possible to beat the deadline, the end of the month. I've already got my stuff done (although not all turned in yet) and I'm making nice progress on my OWLs, so yesterday afternoon when I got a wild idea I decided to run with it.I've offered to make items to be

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-210532345413678222011-01-26T20:21:00.000-05:002011-01-26T20:21:00.661-05:00

To find out what the heck an OWL is and to read my first OWL proposal from this term, check this post.Muggle Studies - Produce clothing and/or outer wear to use as a disguise when dealing with muggles.Option 1: Knit or crochet an adult sweater OR two children’s (age 6 yr and up) sweaters OR four toddler items (to keep the crafting time about the same). Option 2: Create a ‘coordinated’ (according

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-57371753518098560852011-01-26T16:08:00.000-05:002011-01-26T16:15:54.406-05:00

I finished three projects last weekend so there are only two projects I've worked on this week that are still WIPs, and they are both my OWL projects for this term. One I haven't even told the blog about yet since I only proposed it Monday. But, here they are.That's roughly 38% of my Celeste Shawl and the start of the back of a sweater (more on that, um, later). The colors are really off here,

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-11522059172160342622011-01-25T09:56:00.000-05:002011-01-25T09:56:11.979-05:00

Considering the amount of sock yarn I possess I am not much of a sock knitter, although I am working on changing that. I couldn't pass up socks designed to work with a yarn I had in stash and made on size 3 needles (usually I work socks on a size 1 needle, this yarn is much thicker) and these didn't disappoint. In ten days of fairly monogamous knitting, I have a very cute pair of socks!Freaky

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-75367808350008735532011-01-19T16:54:00.000-05:002011-01-19T17:02:24.479-05:00

This is the view from my office/craft room this afternoon:Makes you want a cup of tea and some knitting, doesn't it? I mean, that's a perfectly normal reaction to icicles over three feet long, I think.So in the triumphant return of WIP Wednesday we have quite an assortment here:Starting with the blue thing in the upper left corner and moving clockwise, we have a (blue) afghan square in progress

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-49458016076973320332011-01-18T10:30:00.000-05:002011-01-18T10:32:55.518-05:00

In the HPKCHC the three-month projects are called OWLs, in reference to the big exams of fifth year students in the Harry Potter series. There is a set of guidelines by subject and to achieve an OWL in the subject you have to propose and complete a project that takes longer than one month but less than three months and that presents a personal challenge.Care of Magical Creatures (CoMC) Option 1:

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-28173001663945949132011-01-17T13:46:00.001-05:002011-01-17T13:46:00.142-05:00

When I got my wheel last November Pacasha sent me a little package including some mystery fiber, telling me to use it to practice chain plying or something. So when the time came to start a new spinning project in 2011 I knew what to go for and go for it I did!Pacasha has since elaborated that this is about 2.5 oz of Brown Sheep mill ends fiber, so I'm guessing that the content is a wool/mohair

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-50344105035083259382011-01-17T13:20:00.000-05:002011-01-17T13:20:00.647-05:00

Paul asked for a new scarf, and so on January 1 I got out the yarn I'd set aside for his next scarf and got to work.Then I got to work again...and again....ripped it out again.....it's tricky, this scarf, when you're just getting going and have the pattern pdf on the phone and you're trying to figure out just where it's going. But after a while it clicked and the scarf and I took off.It's a

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-16505645753032548812011-01-15T21:45:00.001-05:002011-01-15T21:48:18.700-05:00

I'll warn you right now - some of you might think this is cheating.I kind of agree.But, I have to make rules somehow, and so I'm sort of using some of the rules from the Harry Potter Knitting & Crochet House Cup, which allow modular pieces of a larger project as a complete project if they are (or add up to) over 64 square inches (an 8 x 8 square).Pattern: Square #26, Simple Shell Stitch, from 63

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-14794216117881530942011-01-14T20:49:00.000-05:002011-01-14T20:58:39.401-05:00

I made a belated (oops) Christmas gift that just got finished a couple days ago. It's a free knitting pattern - the Summer Flies shawlette, knit in a worsted weight superwash wool.Pattern: Summer FliesYarn: Queensland Collection Super Aussie, a superwash worsted-weight merino woolNeedles: size 8/5.00 mm Knit Picks Options, nickel platedYards: 194Ravelry pageMods: Instead of knitting ten rows in

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-45297176764454785182011-01-14T19:55:00.002-05:002011-01-15T21:48:27.472-05:00

I bought the yarn to make Paul a hat and finally got around to it. The pattern, Ribby Toque, is from the Winter/Spring 2010 issue of Knitscene. The yarn is Knit Picks Swish worsted in Truffle (a nice chocolate brown color) and using size 8/5.0mm needles I used almost an entire ball of yarn at 103.4 yards (by weight).I was careful in weaving in the ends so that the hat is reversible too!Borrowed

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-16972649870335010562011-01-14T10:32:00.003-05:002011-01-14T10:32:00.286-05:00

December - the month that's a whirlwind, and before you know it it's over. I bought yarn on December 1 and that was actually my last purchase through today. I'm trying not to pay too much attention to the accomplishment lest I ruin it just to spite myself.Of course, December 1 was a busy day with some lovely laceweight and some other goodies half off.So, we'll see how long this streak goes.

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-48303883080610545322011-01-13T22:22:00.002-05:002011-01-13T22:31:40.283-05:00

There was a sale. I've since unsubscribed to the technology that alerted me to the 99 cent skeins of lovely wool, but the damage was already done... Looking back, I definitely just gave up in November. Not that I didn't give up in the months before, but this time it was obvious.Ironically, December fared much better.November yarn in: 8,990 yardsNovember yarn out: 1,102.3 yardsSeptember to

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-77404412821342798392011-01-13T20:37:00.003-05:002011-01-13T21:42:02.189-05:00

Here it is - my first finished object of 2011.It's about 1oz of superwash BFL, spun into a continuous single, wound into a center-pull ball, the inside and outside ends held together and wound into a plying ball (on an tennis ball) and then plied. The plying ball was interesting in a tangly sort of way, but I would try it again at some point in the future. 29g51 yards12 wpi (dk weight)The fiber

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-19539441463218643952011-01-13T20:12:00.003-05:002011-01-13T20:34:57.932-05:00

Hello, again.If you thought you'd escaped the endless torment of my blog, think again, because I am BACK! My friend in all things fibery Pacasha and I are steamrolling through 2011 with a ridiculous goal. A goal so absurd that our group dedicated to the cause on Ravelry has 203 members, all just as crazy as we are. We are testing the boundaries of sanity and attempting to finish 111 crafty

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-26396188563412142412010-12-23T13:22:00.001-05:002010-12-23T13:22:24.547-05:00

Who needs Elf on a Shelf when you can have Sith on a Cliff?Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-35589785081606431692010-12-02T14:37:00.001-05:002010-12-02T14:37:21.887-05:00

Okay, confession - Paul and I are tv junkies, and one of our guilty pleasures is watching a highly predictable show called Brothers & Sisters. Right now we're trying to watch everything on the DVR as quickly as possible so I was watching an episode by myself and saw a character under this cozy looking blanket. Now I want to make one!Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-75548898254178482272010-11-28T21:46:00.001-05:002010-11-28T21:46:34.102-05:00

We decided to go for it and now my husband and I both have these fancy new android smart phones. I found this app for Blogger that lets me easily post from the phone, so I'm trying it out. I'm almost done with my Octopus Mittens (only one thumb to go!) and I've been really productive over the last week or so. It's the end of the month and term for the HPKCHC so time to wrap things up! Well

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-77006122346904522102010-11-18T09:20:00.001-05:002010-11-18T11:30:31.414-05:00

Rolling in a little late this week.... it's been a long week! I finally got a good night's sleep last night though and I'm already feeling a million times better about life, the universe, and everything. So what have I been working on? This stuff.We'll start with the red sleeves there, which are still not done, and I've finally faced the fact that they will NOT be done (along with the entire

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-25934615345878266642010-11-16T09:22:00.001-05:002010-11-16T09:22:00.241-05:00

Last summer I went through what I realized, in retrospect, was most decidedly a green phase. I think I've entered a turquoise phase, although it's not quite as beat-me-over-the-head obvious as the green phase was. But it does add up.Back in September my husband surprised me with this skein of Araucania Itata in Ocean:Then around the same time I bought this skein of Alina Shea Creations Crescent

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-19446686338709058322010-11-15T20:21:00.001-05:002010-11-15T20:21:00.286-05:00

Paul came home from work one night last week and told me that he needed me to make another hat like the one he was wearing, but in orange and blue Syracuse University colors. This was at the request of a contractor he is only working with for another week, so I had to move fast. I also had to really dig through the stash to find just the right orange and blue yarn.The hat that Paul wore that

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-4877629705069985662010-11-12T12:13:00.000-05:002010-11-12T12:15:36.956-05:00

Yarn barf is what happens when you are trying to find the end inside a skein of yarn and you get this.It pretty much sums up my week this week!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-2820247686235986972010-11-11T13:37:00.002-05:002010-11-13T16:15:14.008-05:00

I'm running a day late everywhere, so here goes yesterday....I've been mostly focused on my Herbology OWL sweater sleeves, which seem to be completely endless. I measured them here to prove to myself that all my knitting is really going somewhere.... eventually.... I only have until the 20th to get these sweater pieces done for my sweater finishing lesson. EEEK.At least there are two of them

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-29677474432151120562010-11-08T13:18:00.001-05:002010-11-08T13:18:00.824-05:00

My spinning wheel is here!It's a Kromski Minstrel with a clear finish.It arrived on Friday afternoon and Paul and I put it together. Friday and Saturday I spun some of the Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) fiber that was free with purchase of the wheel from The Spinning Room.It's 29g spun 2 ply (last part is chain plied), and about 55 yards, 19 wpi (wraps per inch) (that must be wrong ... it's anywhere

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-2057405032727839202010-11-04T10:37:00.000-04:002010-11-04T10:40:26.163-04:00

It's that time again, the monthly stash reckoning where I try not to worry too much about my swiftly growing stash and we all laugh because clearly I'm nuts. Ready? Ready!October had the potential to be a disaster because of Rhinebeck, but it actually went pretty well. My salvation this month was that some of the yarn I bought at Rhinebeck was a gift and I gave some other yarn away as

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-31755678760007835522010-11-03T23:02:00.002-04:002010-11-03T23:32:29.643-04:00

It's been a crazy, busy week around here. The end of the month was Sunday so all my House Cup classes were due, as well as proof of 50% progress on my OWLs. I already turned in one OWL's progress but the other was down to the wire. I took my picture and posted it with less than two hours to spare. As you can see, the picture quality wasn't all that great either.What can I say, it was

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-6655427638522982632010-10-29T09:18:00.000-04:002010-10-29T09:18:00.566-04:00

I decided to try a new pancake recipe fitting for the season - Pumpkin Pancakes. They came out great!Happy pumpkin season!

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-63035332055169335982010-10-28T12:44:00.001-04:002010-10-28T12:46:15.011-04:00

At our last State of the Stash I'd bought a dresser to hold my overflow yarn. I don't think that my acquisitions have really taken up a lot of space since then, but I needed to organize again so I could find things.So Paul found a roll of blank newsprint I'd stashed in the basement and I hauled every speck of yarn into the garage. Every bin and bag from the basement, every bag and box and all

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-88923353341126451422010-10-27T19:19:00.000-04:002010-10-27T19:39:09.215-04:00

Hmmm. This didn't look as blurry on the camera phone....My Herbology OWL is the cabled sweater pieces we see here, and the right front piece is coming along. I just put the underarm stitches on waste yarn and have some more to go before retiring to the sleeve to try to hit 50% before the end of the month for my midterm points!Upper right we have Spike's sweater... coming along through

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-37098446870550199572010-10-27T09:53:00.001-04:002010-11-14T11:47:30.150-05:00

In September's Potions class in the HPKCHC, the topic was beautifying potion and they were accepting repairs and sewing projects. I decided to repair a stuffed pillow creature that my mom made for me when I was a baby named Mr. Turtle. My turn-in post is here.Well that doesn't look so bad.GAH!That doctor (Doctor FRANKENSTEIN) should be sued for malpractice! (Sorry Mom! ;) )Mr. Turtle just wants

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-62159122321604774952010-10-22T21:45:00.004-04:002010-10-22T22:19:04.998-04:00

This year was my fifth Rhinebeck, properly called the New York Sheep and Wool Festival and held the third weekend of October every year.Weather permitting, people get decked out in their wooly finest.(L-R: Mystery sweater I quite liked and a green shawl roaming the Ravelry meetup Saturday; a fetching knitted viking helmet; a gorgeous Citron shawl; dinosaurs on a hat)This sheep is on the way into

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-6463250009746129192010-10-20T13:36:00.003-04:002010-10-21T08:40:54.256-04:00

WHEW this past week has been really nuts! My family went to Rhinebeck last weekend for the New York Sheep and Wool Festival, which really needs its own post (or many) to describe. Getting ready for the festival meant doing a lot of laundry and prepping the family for a weekend away, plus getting my crafting queue in shape so I knew what I should look for at my biggest shopping opportunity for

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-9686587161950106542010-10-13T13:09:00.001-04:002010-10-13T13:09:30.105-04:00

My parents and sister visited over this past long weekend, which meant I would either get a ton of crafting done or very little. It turned out to be a ton!Squirrel mittens? I'm past the squirrels on mitten two already. Star blanket? Half done already. Spinning is coming along slowly (15 minutes a day and it's a guarantee). I'm most pleased with my progress on the Fireside Sweater right front

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-26745791109241854832010-10-08T10:36:00.004-04:002010-10-08T11:08:33.803-04:00

There comes a time when working on some projects when that nagging feeling of doubt finally cracks through and you realize that the project just isn't going to work. Sometimes it's that the gauge swatch lied and you're staring down a sweater that would better fit a cat or a train. Sometimes it's a little something you changed and it's not working. Sometimes it's that you fail at operating a

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-56950659583054085562010-10-06T12:13:00.002-04:002010-10-06T12:13:00.467-04:00

It's already the 6th of October, and with Rhinebeck coming up in less than two weeks I came up with an idea to work up some yarn, fast, to help achieve my goal of more yarn out than in for the last four months of 2010. I'm making a couple things (like the giraffe) for a friend to auction to raise money for her run for charity. I made a star blanket a few years ago for Spike in the car and

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-65812114085284289562010-10-04T11:00:00.001-04:002010-10-04T11:02:10.286-04:00

As we all can see, my goal for 2010 of more yards of yarn out than in is pretty well sunk. I am weak! But as I mentioned last month, starting September 1st I hope to have more yards out than in for the rest of the year. Smaller bites, you see. I'm going to try smaller bites and if that fails maybe I'll make it a 5 year goal instead. ;) KIDDING. That's ridiculous....September yarn in:

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-11529714159304981062010-10-01T10:03:00.005-04:002010-10-01T10:03:00.478-04:00

I try to set reasonable goals for myself - really, I do. As it turns out, I'm just not all that reasonable. It's a process.So in the interest of, what else, imaginary points in the Harry Potter themed knitting game, I'm not going to go crazy in October. I'm going to focus on getting to 50% on both of my OWLs first, since that deadline is October 31. Meanwhile, pair of mini-socks is in order

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-89387650192551706072010-09-30T12:41:00.000-04:002010-09-30T12:41:00.736-04:00

It started as a joke.Over on Ravelry, someone asked for a suggestion on entertaining kids in the car. One person suggested the quiet game, in which the winner was the person who stayed quiet the longest (the hope being that the kids fall asleep and everybody wins). Someone else suggested that the kids pretend to be giraffes, since they are not known to be particularly loud animals. A plan was

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-22668211974025410892010-09-29T11:52:00.000-04:002010-09-29T11:52:00.493-04:00

I was poking around on Ravelry (how many stories start this way?!) looking for patterns that have a spiral in them to satisfy the Arithmancy requirements for September's HPKCHC class which was, loosely, "something with math". Spirals are math, so a couple fun searches later I happened on the Textured Child's Spiral Hat pattern, which is available for free. I dove into my superwash wool stash

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7281315259094239144.post-19782744204167223582010-09-29T09:28:00.006-04:002010-09-29T10:02:00.538-04:00

It's WIP Wednesday, which means time to pull out everything I've worked on in the past week and show off my progress.Wow... that's pretty awful! Okay - upper right corner is Mr. Turtle. He is a pillow creature my mom made out of a ruined bedspread and socks when I was a baby. For this month's Potions class we're supposed to beautify something, and I'm beautifying Mr. Turtle by taking out the

Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949662606966372530noreply@blogger.com0