i want one

 I lieu of a photo, we have some video I did not take...

Watch the full episode. See more Antiques Roadshow.

because i never meme

i saw this one over at wendyknits and it amused me because like wendy, i was given a name that starts with a letter you hate to get stuck with when playing Scrabble.

Use the first letter of your name to find a word for each of the following:

Your Name - Yvette
Four letter word - yoke
Boy name - Yves
Girl name - Yolanda
Occupation - yeoman*
Color - yellow
Beverage - Yoo-hoo
Something found in a bathroom - yarn, knit into two bathmats
A Place - Yugoslavia, the former
Reason for being late - youthful shenanigans
Food - yogurt.
Something you shout - Yippie!

* i love "yeoman" because it ties back to my name. it has a lot of meanings through time, but my favourite is the archers. yeoman archers were english war archers who used longbows made of yew trees. the continent picked up this technology and the name "Yves" means "archer" from the teutonic for "yew". Yvette is the feminine of "Yves". fun. with arrows!

intarsia

instarsia is also known as "picture knitting". it is most often seen in the wild in the following 4 forms:

1. teacher sweaters.

2. reindeer sweaters.

3. big 1980s flower sweaters.

4. kiddo sweaters.

it is a very challenging means to creating an incredibly tacky end product. unless it is a cute kiddo sweater. i like to think this strawberry, my first foray into this form, falls under heading #4.

heeeehheeeehhheehe!

Skelley says Happy Halloween!!!!!

shower craft

saturday i attended my cousin's baby shower. for the forthcoming bambino, i made a few crafty gifts. not all of them were yarn craft, but there was some of that as well (as always!). first, something we have seen before.

bambino is a little boy, and he will have the cashmere bootees i knit a few months ago. i added a blue ribbon to each to make it a little more "boy" and to help prevent him from kicking them of his little feets.

at the shower we had to pass the bootees around because everyone wanted to touch the cashmere.

in addition to warming his piggies, i made something to adorn the bambino's nursery walls. jess liked the winnie the pooh gang a lot when we were little, so i decided to make some pooh themed wall hangings. these four little guys are about 2 inches tall in their frames.

very cute and super fun to make.
each one took about 2-3 hours to stitch and frame. i have not done a lot of cross stitch since 2000, so this was a big change of pace for me. i enjoyed it a lot once i got the hang of the technique again.

finally, i created a "least common denominator" craft--iron-on transfer. i was at jo-ann's a few weeks back and saw these iron-on transfers and could not resist. super cute on blue onesies. they were a pretty big hit

there may be more shower and/or ohio pictures to come.... BUT! i am entering tech this weekend, so updates will become sparse soon.

blargh!

there is something seriously screwed about the pattern from which i am knitting my father's sweater. it was smooth sailing until i hit the final 25% of the knitting. then the pattern numbers stopped matching up in the book, and all sorts of chaos ensued.

the collar was in the wrong place, and then the backs of my sleeves and the back of the body suddenly became too long well before they should have been "done". i think i need a break from oddly constructed sweaters that are made all in one piece.

when you have to rip back, you have to rip back a lot.

let's look at a few things that were not headache.

froggy
designed by Lion Brand

crocheted in Berroco Touche (3/4 of a skein of green tea and scraps of bleach, 50% cotton, 50% rayon) with a tahki cotton classic embellishments with a size H hook.

started and finished: august 4, 2008.

this guy is super goofy. he takes very little skill to create, and he is a very fast way to get the crochet fix. he has other friends from the same set on the lion website, and i plan to give him some company. i may gift the frog and his future friends as a whole menagerie or parse them out to people over time. we shall see, but i am pretty sure he will not be mine forever.


piggy
designed by Lion Brand

crocheted in Mission Falls 1824 cotton (3/4 of a skein of #408 Foxglove 100% cotton)and mystery pink stash cotton and tahki cotton classic embellishments with a size H hook.

started and finished: august 5, 2008.

the pig was designed as a buddy to the frog, but i did a lot of modifications to the pattern to make him cuter (in my opinion). he has a real snout and a tail in my version. he also looks more like pig and less like a ball.... his body instructions are actually identical to the frog.

now you can see how much i modified him.

whew.
i feel better now. i think i may have it in me to put the stitches back on the needle and then... suck it up and deal.

arrrrrrtissssst

squash!

i am beginning to think i am just not a sweater knitter. i have the technical skill and i have enough patience, but i don't think i can make both of those qualities merge in one sweater project for myself. i hope not, but it seems to be true.

i guess it is a good thing that i love to knit little tidbits like hats....

Baby Squash Hat
designed by Tamara Del Sonno
published in 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders

knit in Plymouth Encore (sage green 75% acrylic , 25% wool) leftovers from my stash on size US 5 needles.

started: february 25, 2008
finished: february 26, 2008

this is one of the patterns that made me want to buy this book. i love it. the hat is adorable and an extremely fast little knit.

my friends need to have more babies. knitting stuff for kiddos is way too fun. it doesn't take too long. it uses less yarn. and everything is cuter in miniature.

so i wondered about the hat's name.... squash? yeah, it has the little curl at top. and i guess it could look like a pumpkin (a squash) with the wide rib. it i also modeled by a squash in the book.

and guess what? i photographed mine n a butternut myself. i searched all over my apartment from an appropriate model, and that was what i had.

funny.

back to mittens. i started the 2nd striped mitten in my class tuesday, and i have wound a skein of yarn that really wants to be a pair of mittens. can't wait! warm hands!

holiday finishing time

i used part of my holiday time to finish some projects. i brought more with me than i could ever get around to, but i am not disappointed by my progress.

first up...

Herringbone Scarf
designed by Allison Belvins
available at Tangle

knit in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick&Quick (1 skein "lemongrass" 75% acrylic, 25% wool) on size US 19 needles.

started: december 19, 2007
finished december 22, 2007

i really don't like knitting with huge needles, but sometimes i cam abandon process knitting in favour of project knitting. i wanted the scarf, and i had yarn in my stash, so i sucked it up and knit on the broomstick needles.

i like the results for the most part, but were i to do it again, i think i would try to do some sort of edge stitch to make the selvage edges look nicer.

my second finished project of the holiday was the education of my mum on sock knitting. we knit mini socks together so she could knit a complete sock before starting a full sized pair.

i did mine in some scrap koigu, and hers is some scrap trekking. i wish i had taken some pictures of hers!

i think my mum now wishes i hadn't been the one teaching her. i am a task master, man. now she can feel sorry for all the students i had when i was teaching in grad school. at any rate, i hope she learned a lot!

i am starting to have a lovely little collection of these mini socks, so i need to work on an idea for displaying them. i am considering rigging up a little clothes line for them. we'll see.

let's all say it again... together!

kitty = huge geek

speaking of socks.... i finished a pair that had been languishing on the back burner since june.

Hand Basket Socks
designed by kittything
free pattern in the sidebar

knit in Rowan Calmer (2 skeins "onyx" 75% cotton, 25% microfibre) purchased at K+S=B on size US 4 and US 5 bamboo double points.

started: june 2007
finished: december 26, 2007


i first put these aside to a knit a larger pair in the same pattern. then they were put aside to knit holiday gifts. i decided to discipline myself and make sure they were completed before we rung in 2008. under the wire, but i made it!

i have not worn them yet, but i will probably report back once i do. my friend Miss Mar has a pair of Calmer socks, and she likes hers. i hope i have similar good luck with this yarn.

ahh.
yes, that is Baby Panda. he never got to model those socks, so i let him in on the final portrait. isn't he a sweetheart?

coming soon!
my latest project!
and the gifts i knit for my mum and could not post here!

long time no knit

i have been a busy girl, but even though i have been busy, i have had my trusty knitting with me for those spare moments when i can sneak some rows. here are the things i finished in the last two weeks while teching and dress rehearsing my latest show.

first up....

Bambina
designed by the fine folks at Colinette.
pattern free with yarn purchase.

knit in Colinette Tagliatelli (remenants from 3 skeins #139 "Neptune", #48 "Florentina", and #100 "Gauguin" 90% merino wool, 10% nylon) from my stash on size US 10.5 crystal palace bamboo needles.

started: november 30, 2007
finished: december 6, 2007

this was a fun little baby sweater that knit up in no time at all. i finished it in 2 or 3 days and was lazy about sewing up the seams until thursday. i was dreading it because i was worried the yarn would not mattress stitch well, but once i started, i disciovered that this is an incredibly forgiving yarn to seam. it turned out very well.

to answer the most frequent question on everyone's lips.... there is no intended recipient. yet. i just knit it to knit it. that is the thing with baby items. you can knit them and they won't go out of style and they fit as long as you give them at the right time.

i also don't know if i have friends who are funky enough for this yarn that intend to have a baby any time soon. handpainted merino ribbon yarn is pretty... out there.

there is still some yarn left, and i plan to knit a little hat to go with the sweater. nice not to have a deadline!

second project is a beret that i have been eyeing since the fall issue of knitty.com came out.

Urchin
by Ysolda Teague
published on knitty.com

size large knit in Colinette Zanziba (1 skein #72 "Tapis" 51% wool, 48% viscose, 1% nylon) purchased at K+S=B on size US 10.5 crystal palace bamboo needles.

started: december 7, 2007
finished: december 8, 2007

i wanted to knit this since i saw it, but i wasn't sold until i found the right yarn. i really love the grey and pinks of this hand painted blend, and when we put it on sale at work, i couldn't say 'no'.

the viscose gives the yarn a slight sheen, and after i blocked it, it became nice and drapey. i was a little worried about this when i finished.

i knit the size large because i wanted the top to be fuller, not really because my head is all that large. i just knew from looking at the pictures of other versions on ravelry that i didn't want the top of the hat too look anemic. it needed to really look like a beret to work.

when i finished it was a little stiff and springy at the same time... and not very beret-like on my head. i crossed my fingers and wet blocked the hat over a dinner plate. ta-da! it really seemed to work.

i like it. i'm sure you'll get a long haul report in the spring. we'll see how it holds up.

finally we have a new pasha the penguin. he is 99% finished. i just can't find my buttons for the eyes. i put them away in the spring, and i did a great job at that. yes. i put them away so well that i can't find them again.

i'll pick some up tomorrow when i am out and about for work.

ps- show is open. go see Antigone. great cast! i am especially fond of Antigone herself.
pps- my peguin is in line with the story of antigone's family. he doesn't have eyes! wheeee!

ennui bunny gets a friend

several months ago a little friend came to live with me, and his big floppy pink ears and glassy little eyes have been making me smile ever since. i was thinking he looked a little sadder as the months passed--like he may be suffering from bunny ennui.

we had a little chat.
i offered him a pal, but there is a condition... we have to let the pal go make someone else happy after he perked us up a bit. bunny agreed.


at first he was skeptical, wondering if i meant to keep my word and where on earth i would find him a friend.


but then.... !!!!!


oh, hi! you looking for me?


hurry off you two, the holidays are almost here and your new friend has an important date!


the new bunny is for my nephew, and the photo series is for hannah. she is having a contest, and while i don't expect to win, i hope the bunnies make her smile because she is a genius when it comes to making little crocheted friends!

so i won't do a full project run down on the green bunny.
he is exactly the same as ennui bunny with two minor exceptions. he is made entirely out of Berroco Touche (the pink yarn was Tahki Cotton Classic) and because he is going to live with my nephew soon, he has embroidered eyes instead of boot button eyes. i love how little details entirely change the personality of a stuffed friend.

one gift to go....

lovely little needle knits

as much as i like a quick project, i do love some sock-weight yarn. it makes a lovely fabric, and i seem to prefer my hand painted yarn in light weights. having ends of skeins hanging about after knitting socks, i wanted a project i could use these small yarn quantities to complete.

ta-da.
mini socks--dollar included in photo for scale. not entirely practical, but very cute. as set models and kittens prove--everything is cute when small. (well, not everything. teacup poodles. not so much.) in the future i hope to knit one of these after i finish each pair of socks. they are fun, fast, and a great way to hang on to a bit of wonderful sock yarn without simply leaving a scrap in the stash bin. these little darlings will probably also end up on my holiday tree.

in addition to tiny socks, i recently knit another small project out of koigu.

Heart Sachet
designed by Vicki Sever
published by Interweave Press
available for free on Knitting Daily

knit in Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (1 skein, 100% hand painted merino wool) purchased at Knit+Stitch=Bliss on size US 2 Brittany Birch needles.

started: october 25, 2007
finished: october 23, 2007

this was my first miter square/domino/modular knitting project. they are very popular in the shop i work at, so i thought i would give it a go and see what all the fuss is about. it was... okay.

what i told BossLady at the shop today was that i probably should have picked a project with larger yarn. the technique was a little tricky to learn on small dark yarn. and while it should always be about the process, i have to admit that i do think about the fact that by the time i finished the 14 squares of this little heart on size 2 needles, i could have finished 1/3 of a Rambling Rows Afghan on 8 needles.

still. it is cute, and i have one more little trick in my knitting arsenal. plus...koigu is yummy to knit. i think i have enough left to be able to knit a mini sock out of my leftover koigu. yum.

pretty threads

just a quickie here.

these are some of the newest snowflakes i have finished. they have not made an appearance since january or february because i have been a slacker. yeah... right. at least a slacker on this project because there are other fun things to do!

as my friend penguingirl said of me when we were in grad school... "huh. i guess you are procrastinating, but at least you are doing it productively."

i have 9 of these beauties, and i am trying to get to 12-20 by saturday. wish me luck!

2-D

in grad school penguingirl and i liked to make southpark character versions of our friends and mentors. we tried to use one of those flash powered make-your-own-southpark-character thingies to create a version of me. we were unable to do so because i am apparently composed of too strange a combination of traits for the southpark universe as we knew it. well. the Germans changed all of that!

ta-da!
southpark kittything!



clearly the internet is improving my life every day.

when life gives you yarn...

make lemons! (and limes.)

these are the fruition (har. har.) of my current groove on needlecraft whimsies. i saw all sorts of patterns for fruit, but the only fruit colors i have on hand are citrus. i found knit patterns for lemons and limes, but i didn't have needles that would work. alas, i couldn't find crochet patterns i like. so i made one up!

for your enjoyment...

Crocheted Lemons and Limes

Materials

• Small amount of worsted weight yarn. (For the lime I used Sugar and Cream kitchen cotton. The lemon was made from scraps of Berrocco Touche.)
• Size US “H” hook
• Small amount of polyester fiberfill or wool roving for stuffing

Notes

• Fruit is worked in continuous spiral rounds—do not join. Work tightly in order to prevent stuffing from poking out of the stitches.
• If using a lighter worsted weight yarn, work an additional increase row after Rnd 6, one additional even Rnd, and an additional decrease Rnd before the written Rnd 10. (Lemon was worked in this manner.)

Ch 2.
Rnd 1. Sc 4 in 2nd ch from hook.
Rnd 2. Sc in each sc around.
Rnd 3. Sc 2 in each sc around. (8sc)
Rnd 4. Sc 1, sc 2 in next stitch* around. (12sc)
Rnd 5. Sc 2, sc 2 in next stitch* around. (16 sc)
Rnd 6. Sc 3, sc 2 in next stitch* around. (20 sc)
Rnds 7-9. Sc in each sc around.
Rnd 10. Sc 3, sc2tog* around. (16 sc)
Rnd 11. Sc 2, sc2tog* around. (12 sc)
Stuff firmly.
Rnd 12. Sc 1, sc2tog* around. (8 sc)
Rnd 13. Sc2tog around. (4 sc)
Rnd 14. Sc in each sc around.
Fasten off, pull ends into body of fruit, snipping off any excess length.

If you decide to make fruit from my pattern, please give me design credit. Also, selling finished lemons and limes created from this pattern or selling the pattern itself is a big no-no. And by "big no-no", i mean illegal.

hardcore happiness

i couldn't get to sleep last night. usually i stay up late on fridays with thehairyape, and with him out of state, i settled for crocheting and watching the second half of Cocktail on TBS. a pretty typical friday, but he wouldn't be caught dead watching TBS.

look who i made! he is a hardcore bluebird of happiness, and he was inspired by the Birds of a Feather over at Bittersweet. hers are a little sweeter, but the hardcoreness of my little bluebird of happiness was more his choice than mine.

i was merrily making him according to the Bittersweet pattern when i began to run short on azure yarn. (i'm used leftovers of SweaterKits CottonLicious from Dane's birthday sweater) so i subtracted a even few rounds (7 instead of 10) to make him a little shorter and finished the last round with the ocean blue. the ocean inspired me to give him a birdie mohawk.

the yarn and the mohawk made me decide to give him to Dane with the sweater (i have a photo of Dane with his "Sid Viscous" hair) so i had to modify the facial features so they would be safer for the little guy. the crocheted beak was a happy accident and the embroidered eyes give him an even more hardcore look.

my last mod was to do one less round in the wings to make them more in scale with his shorter body. clearly i cannot leave well enough alone. i plan to make some more of these little guys according to the written pattern with some of my bigger scraps of yarn.

go check out the other little friends and whimsies available on Bittersweet. they are great!

concept rabbit

this is my first crocheted friend. isn't he sweet?

yesterday at work BossLady was saying she wanted to make a store model so cute it would make customers die. some of us pointed out this would be a bad strategy for business and too many of our customers are getting old and dying anyway. well, i think the bunny is almost that cute.

please don't die from reading my blog.

here are the pattern details...

Best Bunny
designed by the Evil Empire: Lion Brand and published on their website--free!

crocheted in scrap amounts (less than half a skein) of Tahki Cotton Classic (100% mercerized cotton) in magenta and Berrocco Touche (50% cotton, 50% modal rayon) in 7917 "peeps" on a size "H" US crochet hook.

the supplies for this darling came from the scraps left from the penguin and my pink and black cotton skirt. he is supposed to be made of a wool blend, but i think cotton is more fun to snuggle than wool--at least on your cheek. and we all know the cheek test is the most important. i suppose i could have made him out of angora and then he would have been a bunny made out of bunny. ha.

i only made one tiny change to the pattern. i embroidered more nose on him than they indicated. my big decision was about the tail.

i have scrap white yarn left from the penguin, but thehairyape suggested that he should have a pink tail because a white tail is too traditional for a yellow bunny with magenta ears. hence, the title of "concept rabbit". well, as the picture shows, the concept rabbit got his pink tail. he will have to meet thehairyape when he returns from his business trip.

that's right; he is gone, and for three whole weeks! (that is not an excitement exclamation mark) i guess that means i should post some fair progress on my projects for the next few weeks.

creature comforts

lately i have been interested in making little friends. little yarn-errific friends. they are fast a fun!

i decided to make the penguin to practice short row shaping, which is a technique i will need to use in a sweater i plan to knit for myself. next up is a crocheted bunny made from scraps from the penguin and a cotton skirt.

the details....

Pasha the Penguin
designed by Alexandra Virgiel
published on www.Knitty.com (winter 2004 issue)

knit in Berrocco Touche (50% cotton, 50% Modal Rayon. 1 partial skein each of 7900 "Bleach", 7999 "Jet", and 7917 "Peeps") on size 5 US needles.

this penguin is not named Pasha. i don't know what his name is yet, but it is certainly not Pasha. he is just not that Chekovian. but he is fat! rotund even.

i really enjoyed this project, and it went nice and fast. i'm really looking forward to making more friends. i am considering a turtle on the knitty website as my next knit friend. crocheted bunny coming soon!