Swatches are Dirty Liars

I finished my redpinkpurple socks this weekend, with quite a lot of yarn left over. But that's okay, cuz I'm gonna use my leftover sock yarn to make doll socks for Peanut to sell at the Christmas craft fair.
But about swatches. Never trust them. I was swatching for Tita's socks, and my tape measure said that I was getting 13 1/2 stitches over 2 inches. The place on my leg where I wanted the sock to start(and Tita's legs are pretty much the same size as mine) was 9 inches around. If the swatch was truthful, that would mean I would need to cast on about 60 stitches.(and I used a calculator) But I knew that couldn't be right because I had just finished a pair of socks in sock-weight yarn with 58 stitches cast on. This yarn is DK.
So I decided to wing it. I cast on 50 stitches and started working in k1p1 rib. I tried it on several times, and it seemed to be working, so I kept going. Apparently I'm a really good guesser. I knit the whole first sock and part of the second sock in less than 2 days.
(as you can see, there's a substantial guage difference.)

This is a doll I made for Thing 1. I know, she doesn't have any pants. I started knitting the top before I decided that I was going to save this and make it a Christmas present, so I'll have to make her a little sweater and some pants.

In other news, the high today was somethig like 80 degrees. I had to put my jacket on when I went outside this morning. You have no idea how happy this makes me. The weather is changing! My favorite time of year is on its way!

I want to knit myself a cardigan or a jacket for cool weather, but I'm not sure exactly what style. I couldn't find a pattern I really liked on the internet, but I think I've got it down to either Tilted Duster from the Fall issue of Interweave Knits, and the Trailblazer Jacket from the September issue of Creative Knitting. But all this said, a jacket for myself is not the highest item on the priority list right now. I really don't want to succumb to IT this Christmas, so I'm going to go ahead and start on my holiday knitting. That means lots of yarn buying, and lots of time, and hopefully a more enjoyable Christmas season(free of frantic last-minute knitting). Comments, I beg of you!!

The Wait Begins

I have just joined the legions of knitters and crocheters waiting to join http://ravelry.com/, and at the moment of this writing, I am number 20660 in line. Dang.



Something I can't believe I forgot to show you last time: a recent FO, Accidentally-on-Purpose, a drop-stitch vest from Stitch n Bitch Nation.

I absolutely love it. It's very easy and pretty quick to knit. You just knit 2 stockinette rectangles and drop the stitches as you bind off. The neck shaping on the front was a little tricky, but I pulled it off and it's wonderful.

This is a patternless gossamer shawl made using the first yarn I've ever gotten from an actual yarn shop instead of a craft store. The yarn is Karabella Gossamer and the needle is a US 17 circ.

This Sunday we went over to our friend's lake house to fish and grill and hang out. Our other friend, Peanut, the one that asked me about the BagBag, was also there. I brought the one in progress with me and finished it there, so I don't have a picture. She loved this one too, and we agreed that I would make some more and she would sell them at the craft fair. I said that I could also make lots of purses out of yarn instead of bags. She liked the idea and I've been churning them out ever since.

Emily the Doll is seen here modeling and hoping Thing 1 will buy her one. In rows from top left: dainty bow tote; on-the-go shoulder bag; roomy knapsack; cary-all tote; slightly smaller carry-all; fair-isle shoulder bag. And that's just in 3.5 days in between other projects! I do think I should start making some BagBags now, though.

Guess what came in the mail yesterday!

"The Museum of Kitschy Stitches: a Gallery of Nototrious Knits" by Stitchy McYarnpants. Hilarious! I definitely reccomend it for your own bookshelf.

My grandparents on my dad's side are getting on up in their years and recently moved into an assisted living facility. A few weeks ago, my dad and his siblings were up there helping them get settled and sort through their stuff. They got rid of a lot, but he brought back lots of old pictures and some things for us kids.
This is a crochet doily that my dad's dad's mother made. I love it to bits(metaphoricaly, of course. It's a priceless family heirloom and it's staying right where it is, away from the hands of destructive little Things) and as a crocheter myself, I can fully appreciate how much time and work went in to this.

Just a warning, beware the edges of open tin cans. However docile and harmless they appear, they are viscious and think nothing of slicing open an innocent and well-meaning thumb.(The resulting cut will render the thumb 75% useless, which, strangely, is a whole lot more annoying than a 100% useless thumb.)

Pix!

I am relatively knew to this knitting gig. I learned the knit stitch when I was around 8, but never made anything or learned anything else until October of last year. I've only bought yarn without a definite purpose a couple of times, which is why--those with weak stomachs may wish to look away--my entire stash(excluding the stuff on the table above this) is visible in the above picture(that big red thing with hearts is a hat I got at a theme park). Shocking, I know.
I don't mind the fact that storage isn't a problem yet, but there is the side effect that I usually can't just start something on a whim without going to buy yarn for it. I also don't have a good selection of needles. The only sizes I have are US 5, 7, 8, 10 1/2, 11, 15, and something without a lable that's just a teensy bit bigger than my 15s. (Yes, I tried a needle sizer. It only goes up to 15)

This was the scene on my worktable yesterday. That big mass of black in the middle was this--

--the pieces for "Cowl and Howl"(minus the howl, which is a dog sweater) from Stitch 'n' Bitch: a Knitter's Handbook. Today, that mass of black is this--

--my first sweater ever!!!! I used size 11 needles and I Love This Yarn #30 black, 2 skeins. There's a slim chance that if you knit the smallest size and took some length off the sleeves, that you could manage it with just one skein. I finished the front, back, and sleeves with the first skein and about 8" left over. I only needed the second skein for the seams and cowl neck.

Just in case there's any confusion at all, yes: that's me modeling it. Quit staring at my butt.

This a lap afghan I'm knitting as a wedding present for my nanny and her fiance. It's a very simple knit & purl stripe pattern with a seed stitch border.

Blurry closeup.

This misshapen blob is tote bag for my knitting and crochet projects. Oh yeah, I crochet on the side. That's why there's no needles in this picture: I'm crocheting it.

These are my old(old, old) trusties. Yes, that's duck tape around the toes. At some point during the week before last, the sides split open. My mom and I went shopping on Tuesday and we got some new sneakers, but I couldn't wear them the next day because I was going on a field trip and would be out in the woods getting dirty(with mud, you perverts). I wore them on Wednesday, and I think that because of the duck tape, my feet stayed drier than they would have in new sneakers. I haven't worn them since, but I can't bring myself to throw them out. Not quite yet.

This is Ruddy. He just wants to say Hi.

This is the knitting that I was going to show you on Monday, before I knew how to post pictures here. It's a fairly recent FO, bound off on March 19. It's about 43 inches/109 cm square, and took about 4 balls' worth of Red Heart Super Saver and TLC Essentials. Knit on a 36", size 8 circular needle, it took 3 weeks exactly.

I am now gonna go spread the word of my (fairly) new blog and beg for comments. PLEASE COMMENT!!