A Flower or Shawl for Brandi

Brandi bought a dress for the wedding she's going to in July and is thinking of having me knit a flower or a shawl of some sort. I think it'd be fun.
*Try to find shawl pattern to show her...or make one yourself
I bought a small crochet hook the other day so I could finish that stupid bear. It worked. So, I finished the heart sachet, a couple of flowers and another bear. Need to put eyes on the bear, though.

K2tog Alternative

Do it in 2 steps instead of one (courtesy of fmarrs). k1, slip st back to left needle, lift second st over and off the needle, return 1st st to right hand needle. Voila!

Killed the Bear and Frogged the 'Pod

I'm just having a rotten knitting day. First, that stupid iPod sock turned into an Intarsia nightmare and I am not even certain I know what Intarsia is. I HATE having all those strings dangling all over the place! Then I thought I had figured out a better way to knit it by going back and forth on on pair of circs only to quickly realize that I was an utter moron and that this would cause the sides to not be connected. I guess, in retrospect, I could have just seamed the sides together, but I hate that yarn anyway. Then, when I got home, I thought I'd whip up another miniscule bear, but I messed him up at the neck and I'd already spent the better part of an hour doing his legs and body. What a complete waste of time. I should shoot myself now. The problem is, I have lost interest in all my little projects. I need something different to occupy my time, but I want to finish the ones I've begun. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Let's look up a Greek word.
katexw; to hold back, hold in, restrain. to possess occupy.
"eu katasxncei: it will turn out well"
I highly doubt it. Especially if tonight's knitting chaos is any indication.

iPod Sock

I'm attempting my first design. Apple sells overpriced "socks" for their iPods that would be super easy to make. I'm going to try using the multicolored novelty yarn (which I actually hate knitting with) to make a funky sock with the Apple logo on the front in a stark white. I started it on the train today. I'm knitting it on 2 circular needles, top down. I'm using 2.5(mm?). I cast-on 40 sts and am working the back in 3/2 rib and the front in stockinette stitch. I wonder if I can do a purl stitch on the outside of the apple logo to make it stand out more.
Kyou watashitachi wa Nagoya e ikimashita. Maruzen's has a copy of Stitch 'n Bitch Nation finally. They want 2500yen, which isn't outrageous for Japan, but I decided to wait and buy it when we get back. I like all the topics she covers, but I'm not in love with most of the patterns in the book. Can't wait to take a closer look at the book.

Tracy's Eye Pillow

I finished Tracy's eye pillow today. It actually wasn't as much of a pain as I remembered to sew the lining by hand. In fact, it was harder to cut the fabric than to sew it thanks to my duller-than-hell scissors. I like it ok, but I think it still needs something to jazz it up...I just don't know what. I sewed a funky yarn around the edge, but it's not highly visible. Hmph. Maybe Tracy will know what it needs. I really want to finish Mike's sock, but I don't know when I'll have time. My iPod is all set to go, so now I can listen to books, podcasts or music while I knit. We got some educational type books for our edificational pleasure.

UFO's

There are just too many of them hovering around my apartment. First, there's the 3 different pairs of socks that are in varying degrees of incompletion. Then, there's the eye pillow that I'm avoiding b/c I don't want to sew the lining by hand. My second heart needs some work. And, of course, the numerous flowers that just need to be finished. I'm pathetic. Besides that, now I need to knit a cozy for my NEW IPOD MINI! Here are a couple of sites I found:
http://knitting.about.com/library/weekly/aa050905.htm
http://www.ami-itoya.com/ca/
Mayb I'll use my pink yarn that I used for my first heart.

Poncho or Pullover?

The orange yarn from KnitPicks will be waiting for me when I get back. I ordered it with the intention of making the herringbone poncho from LMNG, but there's a great sweater in IK Summer 2005 issue that I might try for my first sweater instead. The Lace Leaf Pullover.
Oo La La. I wish I could start it right now (especially with the leaf pattern all fresh in my head from working on the eye pillow, which I finished the knitting portion of today and am waiting for it to dry so I can add the flare and the flax and sew it shut).

Eye Pillow #2: Tracy's

It's been a while since I did the last eye pillow and I forgot everything...provisional cast-on, YO, how to M1 with a right and left slant (I think I might be doing the left slant a little wrong, even now. I k1, then I stick my left needle into the front leg of the st below the st I just knit ((now that st is on the left needle)), then I knit through the back loop. I just can't tell if it's right). Also, I wanted to use one yarn for the front of the pillow and a different one for the back, but I couldn't get it to work out, so I'm just using the pink linen mix alone. Maybe I'll knit a flower to go with it for her present and put some scented flowers or candles with it all. This weekend I want to finish heart sachet #2 and eye pillow #2. It's my boon or boom, depending on whether or not you're Japanese, maybe.

Blogorama

Ok, well, I have all the knitting projects posted that I have pictures for. I need to get a picture of some other random projects (ie Mom's womb doll, a few random flowers that aren't quite finished, Bailey's scarf and Brandi's French Market Bag), but I'll get those eventually. I can't believe how much I've made since I learned how to knit from the ancient woman amimono coach at Yamagata H.S.! I have several socks started, too, but have yet to finish a pair. I'll update this as often as I can/as is necessary. Sorry my posts are a little boring so far, but I just wanted to get the basics in here before I get clever. TTFN!

Kitschy Kerchief

Kitschy Kerchief
Pattern from Stitch 'n Bitch. Yarn=Lamb's Pride Worsted for raspberry color and a hyaku-en yarn for pink (b/c, as is my style, I ran out of L.P.). Used U.S. 8's. Fun, mindless knitting. I made this in early 2005 (I think).

Noro Stats 

Noro Swatches 

The Gang

Oedipus, Eyegore, Posey Scarf & First Blanket
Oedipus and Eyegore were knit from free Frugalhaus pattern using Annie Blatt yarn. I made them in Summer or Fall of 2004. The scarf was a vague pattern from some blip in a magazine about Parker Posey. I later frogged this scarf and tried to make a purse with the yarn (didn't have enough) then frogged that and am doing random projects with it. The Lap Blanket is my very first hand-knitted project. The yarn is Artfiber's Kyoto (which, incidentally, is made in Kyoto ((about 2 hours from my apartment)), but it's only made for Artfibers, so it had to be shipped from here to there and back. Kyla? Keirsti? Kendra?...someone from Artfibers was super nice in helping me. I bought a stitch pattern book and made many 12ishx12ish squares and sewed them together. It took me a good 6 months. I think I started it around Christmas 2003 and finished it while I was in America in July/August 2004...maybe even blocked it later. Even though it's flaws are plentiful, I love this blanket and I really enjoyed knitting with that yarn. It was fun picking my own stitch pattern (kyla/keirsti/kendra's idea). I learned so much while I was making this.

Kate's Blanket and The Fat Man

Kate's Blanket & The Fat Man
Blanket pattern=Big Bag Baby Blanket from Stitch 'n Bitch. Yarn=Noro (stats above)...3 different colors. Used U.S. 10 circular needles that I hated (they were from Japan and the plastic cord kept turning in on itself). Knit in the Fall of 2004 (Kate was born February 16th, 2004). The Fat Man pattern is from FrugalHaus (free pattern I found on the internet). He's a combination of Noro and a little Annie Blatt. His scarf is Mohair and Lamb's Pride Worsted held together.

Evie and Dodo's Scarves

Evie & Do's Hyaku-en Scarves
Garter stitch using hyaku-en keito. Maybe size 10.5 needles? Knit around Christmas 2004.

Scarlett's Sweater

Scarlett's Cowl-Neck Sweater
Pattern=Cowl and Howl from Stitch 'n Bitch. Yarn=Lamb's Pride Worsted. Needles=U.S. 10 1/2 (gauge 14sts=4"). Knit early 2005. I thought it was kinda dull, so I found this patch/broach at Tokai Heart and sent an extra to Tracy so they can be Twinkies!

Hated Bag

French Market Bag Mistake
My second French Market bag. The first one (which I don't have a picture of yet) was pretty good, but this one sucked. Pattern from Knitty website. Used a nice Lamb's Pride Worsted for red part and a yarn Brandi gave me for the gray part. We didn't have the tags for the gray yarn and I was hoping it was wool so it would felt, but I was wrong, I think. When I get back to the States and have access to a washing machine so I don't have to watch my arms fall off in the sink while I'm felting by hand, I'll see if I can salvage it. Otherwise...sayonara, bag! Maybe used U.S. 7 needles? Knit around early 2005, I think. It resides in my closet.

Palm Pilot Cozy

Palm Pilot Cozy
The pattern is Cricket's technicolor techno-cozy from Stitch 'n Bitch. Used bits of Annie Blatt yarn with size 6 hyaku-en needles. Maybe knit at the end of 2004 sometime? Can't remember. If I did it again, I'd do the closure differently. I tried to sew velcro to it and it didn't work well at all. I also messed up when I was knitting the top. I forgot I was doing the Palm Pilot cozy and not the keitai cozy, so I started binding off stitches that I shouldn't have. Instead of frogging, I just did the same thing on the other side. I meant to do that!

First Flower of Spring

Six Petal Flower
Pattern from Knitty website Spring 2005. Yarn is leftover Artfibers Kyoto from my Lap Blanket held together with a nylon yarn from Yanagiya for the flower. The petal is knit using only the nylon. Used U.S. 8 needles. Knit in March or April 2005. Pinned it to my big bag.

Foo Foo Eye Pillow/Provisional Cast-On

Streaming Leaves Eye Pillow
Pattern from IK Website (Cat Bordhi). Used red Annie Blatt yarn, but I ran out, so I tried to finish with Molash, but I knitted that part using 2 strands held together and it might be a little lop-sided. Needles were about a size 3 Addi Turbo circular, using Cat's 2 Circular Needle method. Knit end of April, beginning of May 2005. I started this a million times b/c I couldn't figure out the Provisional Cast-On. It was super simple once I finally got it. Once I figured out the cast-on and the M1 left/right increases/decreases it went relatively quickly. I put drops of Lavender scent on it to help relax. I might give it to Takae for her birthday.
Here's a link for the Provisional Cast-On.

Heart Sachet

Heart Sachet
Pattern from IK Summer 2005. Used 100% cotton South Land yarn from Yanagiya (190 yen/ball). Knit April 2005. Used size 2.7 millimeter Clover Bamboo dpn. I gave it to Brandi for Passover.

Mike's (second) Hat

Hat, Flower & Bear

Using some of the ubiquitous Annie Blatt yarn (100% wool) from the sale bins, I knit the Hot Head Hat from Stitch 'n Bitch. Needles were U.S. 10 1/2 (I think). Turned out so-so, but I don't like how the seam looks in the back. The other projects I'll explain in their own post.

Sukoshi Chotto Noro Kuma

Itty Bitty Noro Bear
Pattern from IK Summer 2005. I used leftovers of Noro yarn from Kate's Big Bad Baby Blanket. (See stats above.) Used a size 0 dpn. I don't know what to do about his eyes yet. Because I am still so slow and couldn't figure out parts of the pattern, it took me the better part of a day (May 2005) to knit him, if you can believe it. How can something so small be so time-consuming?

Knit and Knit Alone

I wanted to have a separate place to post my knitting projects. I like to use my other blog for personal thoughts and the idea of any random stranger (or worse, a friend or relative) reading my "private" journals paralyzes me and sends my inner censor into overdrive (no offense, gang). So, I intend to post all my knitting projects right here on Eumallos. (I wish I could find a job combining knitting, translating Greek and writing. What a coup that would be!