Knit · Princess · Speaks

I just finished a commission set for darthmouse who drove to Webs, bought the yarn, bought me some bonus yarn, and treated me to lunch in exchange for me doing this hat and glove set for her. (She's making the matching scarf herself.) The yarn is Berroco Peruvia in a very Dark Green. She bought a hat and scarf pattern from Blue Sky Alpacas (Worsted Hat and Scarf set or something equally evocative). I found the glove pattern that would have a similar cable motif.

The pattern for the gloves is called Tornado. DO NOT USE IT. Horrifyingly bad. I hope that it's just a bad translation from Finnish, but it probably would have been easier to write my own pattern than to fiddle this one into something usable. As an example, it tells you to put the pinkie finger in the center of the back of the hand. Now, I'm no doctor, but I'm fairly certain that's not how most human hands work. Typing would be a challenge, at the very least.

But enough of the bitching and onto the pictures:

I did the hat on size 9's and 10's, but it came out quite nice, I think. And the gloves of doom and despair:

They still need a snap attached to the tip of the mitten and the middle of the wrist where the mitten covers come down, so they can be snapped in place, but that's sewing, not knitting and darthmouse is handling it herself. :)

Now, what to work on while killing time until my December Sock Package can be opened...

Remember the cute kid with the absolutely stunning baby hats that I posted pictures of a few weeks ago? I was in charge of her for more than two hours this morning. As soon as the Stupid Lady (that's me) figured out that she was hungry and that's why she was crying, we got along famously. We played with the play mat and danced and played with a mirror (that other baby was giving A. some odd looks) and worked on rolling over and petting the cat and took a nap.

Yeah. She was so tired from trying to explain that she was hungry that she passed out while eating. While lying on top of me. So we both had a nap.

Still, I managed to keep her alive and returned her in more or less the same shape as I got her. That's sort of the goal, right?

I finished up my November Socks last night and let me tell you, the pattern was JUST what I needed.  Simple, easy to memorize, pretty, and only one minor error that was easily fixable.  (Assuming that I was correct in thinking that 31-2 =/= 27.)

The pattern is Hedera, which is one of Cookie A's patterns from Knitty.  I feel like I'm the last person on earth to knit these, but there you are.  I used a skein of Peacock opal from my stash.  Here's a picture:

Now it's back to the Baby Stuff Sweat Shop.

It finally occurred to me that I can post a picture of a finished project since I actually gave the recipient the present on Saturday.  Here's a picture of the Wee Mousie I made:

From the tip of his nose to the base of his tail, he's about 2 1/2" long.  His tail is 6".  His new owner has named him Guillaume.  Ridiculously cute, yes?  :)

So, remember the whole stack of baby hats I knitted a while back?  Yeah, finally getting pictures of The Kid in the hats.  Say it with me: AWWWWW:

Awwww:

As for The Kid's most recent gift?  Business card for scale:

No, I'm not trying to influence her.  Why do you ask?

I'm leaving for Stitches East bright and early (or when I get up) tomorrow morning, so I'm going to be out of email and internet contact for a few days.  If you send me a message and I don't respond, be assured I'm not ignoring you.  Unless I am.  ;)

I will have my cell phone with me for emergencies/sightings of fabulous and/or hilarious knitting.  If you don't have that number, Roommate knows how to get in touch with me.

If you'll be in the area of Hartford, CT this weekend, stop by the Hartford Convention Center!  It's only $8 to get into the Marketplace and I'm almost positive that the Handknit Heroes writer and I won't be the only vendors.  :)  More info here: www.knittinguniverse.com/flash/events/Eventportaleast.php

I finished my October socks for my Personal Sock of the Month Club (2009) late Friday night.  Since I was at Sheep and Wool and then riveted by the baseball game until 1 in the morning yesterday, I didn't get a chance to take a picture until a few minutes ago.  The pattern is the Rivendell Sock from the book The Eclectic Sole.  The yarn is some Flock Sock yarn that I picked up at Sheep and Wool last year.  The colorway is Robin's Egg.  Here are a couple of pictures:

And a close up of the patterning:

The pattern is... a little disappointing.  Aside from finding two errors in the pattern that were not listed in the book's errata, there was really just some laziness with the patterning.  Like the ribbing on the top of the foot didn't line up properly.  And the foot has 32 stitches on the top of the foot and 31 stitches on the bottom.  Well, kitchenering the toe together won't really work right.  Also?  Those stitch clusters along the top of the cuff are a lot better in theory than in practice.  They're still awfully tight on the leg even REALLY trying to keep them loose.

The more I design my own patterns it seems the less I'm willing to put up with other people's shoddy patterns.  On the other hand, I really love getting to work with a well written, error free pattern even more now, so perhaps I won't just end up an unforgiving pattern snob.

P.S.  Fell utterly off the wagon at Sheep and Wool.  In my defense, only half the yarn I bought was for me.  The rest was for gifts.  Let's just not talk about the sheepie art print I got.  Suffice to say, I just couldn't leave it there.

The History Channel has stencils for Historical Pumpkins!  So cute!

Go!  Look!  www.history.com/content/halloween/the-jack-o-lantern/pumpkin-carving-stencils

There are a couple of upcoming events where I'll be for Knit Princess.  I'll be at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, but just walking around on Saturday.  I'll be wearing a Knit Princess T shirt, but the tiara is staying home.  :)

Starting Thursday, October 22 and running through Sunday, October 25, I'll be sharing a booth at Stitches East in Hartford, CT.  Here's the web site for Stitches: www.knittinguniverse.com/flash/events/Eventportaleast.php

I'm sharing a booth with Handknit Heroes.  We're in Booth #228.  Here's a map:

www.knittinguniverse.com/flash/events/html/east/marketfloor.php

I know.  It's hard to read.  We're in the furthest right hand row toward the Concession Stands.  It's only $8 to get in to the Market, so if you'll be in the area, stop by!  I'll have T shirts, buttons and books!

And if you'll be in the Albany Area on Sunday, November 1, I'll also be appearing at the Albany Comic Convention at the Wolf Road Holiday Inn!  More details here: www.myspace.com/comicbookshow.

Now that I have been assured that the recipients have received their package, I can post pictures of a recent knitting project.  This Sweet Baby Cap and matching sock set went to peregrinning and a_c_fiorucci for their baby due in December.  How cute is this?  :)

I just love knitting baby  things.  :)

I am about to commit blasphemy.  I'm a Pisces.  I'm supposed to be all romantic and go for things like flowers and chocolates and poetry.

Yeah, two out of three ain't bad.  But poetry?

Dudes.  I hates it.

You may ask what brought this on.  Well, in the absence of better things to do, I've been reading through this web site: www.contrariwise.org/ which is an entire web site of literary tattoos.  Most of them are text tattoos, but there are some artwork ones.

What amazes me is the vast percentage that are bits of poems (and Kurt Vonnegut, but that's a separate rant).  I just... don't get it.  I've tried.  BELIEVE me, I've tried.  I even took a poetry class in college (huge mistake) thinking that maybe I just hadn't heard the right poems yet.

Yeah.  Except for Shakespeare's sonnets and Shel Silverstein and a scattering of epic poems that can pass as stories, I... don't get it.  Shel Silverstein, though?

Mrs. McTwitter the baby sitter,
I think she's a little bit crazy.
She thinks the baby sitter's supposed
To sit upon the baby.

That's poetry, kids.  Not the kind I'd get as a tattoo, mind, but still.

So, I've still been going to weekly boxing classes.  It's hard to tell if I'm getting better since it seems like everyone else there is So Good, but they've been doing this for months or years, as opposed to weeks.

I was planning to wait for two months of going to make sure I was still interested before buying gloves for myself.  They have loaner ones at the gym, although they are gross and some of them are falling apart.  Still, gloves are pricey and I wanted to make sure I still wanted to do this two months from now.  I also wasn't thrilled with the color choices at Dicks, which are blue, black and pink (with a donation to breast cancer research, which I am All For, but DAMN, pink boxing gloves?  Who am I?  The Pink Pummeler?).

rowan1 decided for me.  :)( I Can Haz Lavender Boxing Gloves? )

Hell.  Yeah.

I'm trying to fill the last couple of days before I can open my October sock package by finishing up projects.  One of the projects is Top Secret, but I finally finished a pair of plain vanilla socks that have been living in my purse since last June.  I used some Opal Rainforest in the Ladybug colorway, which, yeah, I'm not seeing it.  I think of ladybugs as more red than pink, but there we have it.

Picture!

Hmmm...  The socks aren't that blurry in person...

OMG!  Not only is Mark Newport a Man Who Knits, but he knits superhero costumes!!!

Swoon!  www.gregkucera.com/newport.htm

(Although $7,000 for an acrylic costume?  Dude, did you run out of superwash wool?)

Avast!  It be Talk Like a Pirate Day!  Don't forget or you'll get a good keelhauling!

Arr.

Okay, I just finished up a baby set for a friend who either isn't on LJ or isn't friended to me here, so I have no worries she'll see it.  :)

This is the Baby's Earflap Hat and Socks Set using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Rainbow colorway.  I'm sure the mom will appreciate it.  Pictures:

No, the i cord doesn't match perfectly, but it does look cool.  Here are the socks:

So cute.  Alas, except for my Personal Sock of the Month Club through the end of the year, most of the rest of my knitting is Top Secret.  Be assured, I haven't stopped knitting.  :)

There are two new T shirts in the Knit Princess store!  Go to www.knitprincess.com/ to check them out!

Hope everyone likes them!  And Volume 2 of the Comic is Coming Soon!

Stolen from susannaknits :

( 65 Questions )

So, I just got back from my first boxing lesson.  Yeah, ow.  But my super cool pink wrist wraps held up and my wrists don't hurt.  I'll definitely be able to knit tonight, after I take a shower.  (The wraps do smell pretty bad, though.)

It was Wicked Fun.  Okay, not so much the crunches with my legs in the air, but the punching the bag and the stuff in the ring.  And I almost got the hang of the hanging bag.  Next time maybe.  Man, I'm tired now, though.  And I drank 32 ounces of water during and after the hour long lesson.

Totally worth $12 to get my frustrations out on an actual punching bag, which is better than using my friends as metaphorical punching bags. 

Also, kudos to tashadandelion for her recommendation of the Enell Sports Bra.  It did an admirable job of keeping the girls in line.  :)

Wow, do socks on size 3 needles go fast!  I finished my September Socks from my Personal Sock of the Month Club last night.  Voila!

Yeah.  They're a bit busy.  But they actually fit really well.  Anyway.  They're called the Lacy Mock Cable Socks and they are just that: mock cables and, you know, lacy.  The lace pattern is Ridiculously Simple.  If anyone has been wanting to try lace socks, but has felt intimidated, these would be an excellent choice.  Plus the gauge is 7 st/in, so they go faster than many lace socks, which tend to be at a smaller gauge.  Full details are on my Ravelry Project Page.  Here's a close up of the lace pattern:

They're actually a bit darker in person, but the pictures are pretty close.  Now on to the baby stuff!  Because seriously EVERYONE I know is pregnant!  Which is an excellent excuse to knit lots of baby hats.  :)