Coffee & Cables
Been super busy lately, but still managed to finish a few projects this month.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to participate in the Tumblr KAL this month, but the pattern is in my queue (among many others) to be knitted at a later date (or, you know, to make my queue look pretty).
One of the projects I managed to finished this month was a pair of cabled fingerless gloves for a friend’s daughter. Her daughter works for Starbucks, so we bartered: some fingerless gloves for a pound of coffee (I really do miss those weekly markouts from Sbux). It was my first time doing fingerless gloves with a thumb gusset and despite a pattern that was a little confusing to read, they came out pretty damn good.
Project: Coffee & Cables
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Sport in Fedora
Ravelry Project Info
I adapted the pattern just a wee bit; my friend told me her daughter had large hands. Now, my hands are tiny, so while I was knitting these, I’d try them on and think, “Oh no! These are way too big!!” So I was very happy when my friend told me that the size was perfect for her daughter.
The pattern is really easy; it’s a good introduction to both cables and thumb gussets. However, I’d caution one to keep a notebook handy. Even though the pattern is easy, midway through the pattern stops including the cable pattern, which is something you want to keep in mind so that the cables go all the way up the glove. It helped me to keep track of rows on a pad of paper.
Other than that, though, great pattern. Definitely going to have to make more of these in the future.
Frustrations in Knitting or, F@#$ing Frogging!!
Last week, I was armed with bulky purple yarn, large needles (US11 and US 15) and a pattern scrawled out on a post-it note.
Last week, I yelled at a youtube tutorial, dropped out of a KAL, reentered said KAL, completed a project and cast on for another…which I then frogged, only to start over again.
On Tumblr, there is a KAL group that has two different KALs going on each month. This month was the Shroom Hat and the Darkside Cowl. Living in Texas, I really have no use for a cowl, and I confess, I don’t see the point of them — then again, this could be a direct result of living in Texas.
So, naturally, having no use and seeing no purpose for the Darkside Cowl, I decided to join the Shroom KAL.
The Shroom, as many are aware, made it’s debut in the 2009 Winter Knitty. It’s a pattern that has been in my Ravelry queue for a while now, probably since its Knitty debut. The Tumblr KAL offered me the perfect kick in the pants to finally knit one. It also offered me a chance to meet two of my knitting resolutions: To stash bust and to knit something weekly.
Needless to say, I was excited for my first KAL of the year.
The beginning of the Shroom pattern, which only calls for 1×1 ribbing, was easy enough. In a mere 30-45 minutes, I had my four inches of ribbing and was ready to start the puff rib pattern.
Here is where things got tricky and my brain shut down.
For the life of me, I could not figure out how to yarn over between knit and purl stitches. A few sts in, and I decided it was time to find help. I found some on Twitter and then moved to youtube for a tutorial. The tutorial made perfect sense, but when I put it into action, I realized this person was daft and their yarn overs where a total mess.
I realized this when I was on my third pass of the puff rib pattern.
I threw the project across my desk. Rewatched video. Looked at finished Shrooms. Looked at mine. Realized mine looked like yarn threw up. Frogged all the way back to the ribbing. Too far. Knit up another inch and a half of the 1×1 ribbing and started the puff rib again.
Messed up. Again. Yelled at youtube for steering me in the wrong direction. Decided I was done with this project and dropped out of the KAL.
The next day, I was calmer and not quite so petulant and easily irritated. With new found determination, I decided that this pattern — a pattern that everyone was touting for it’s simplicity and quickness to knit up — would not get the best of me. I found a different youtube tutorial, one that made SO MUCH MORE SENSE than the original.
Two FarScape episodes later, I had a completed Shroom hat.
But I wasn’t sure if I liked it.
Then I tried it on.
Bliss.
I wore it all day Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday afternoon, I cast on for another one. This time in green.
Got cocky in my ability, and when I came to the decreases, realized I had royally messed up.
Cursed and frogged — all the way back to the 1×1 ribbing.
Today, I’ll finish that green Shroom hat. Even if it kills me.
I had plans to do a third in dark blue…but I think it’s time I moved on from this. I don’t think I could handle having to tink back and frog a third hat.
What KALs are you participating in? Hopefully, you’re not having near as tough a time as I am…
Bonus points if you can tell me the purpose of a cowl and why one may need one in Texas. 😛
The trouble with Tribbles…
Brr! It’s been a chilly week in Texas; look, we even got snow:
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SnoMG!
OK, so many of you probably don’t think that light dusting is even considered snow, but trust me…people in Texas are freaking out over it. Imagine last year when we had nearly a foot of snow on Christmas Eve! Crazy times.
So with the cold weather and the “snow”, I’ve been spending as much time as possible indoors where it’s nice and warm. The majority of my time (when I’m not in class) is spent in my crafty room, knitting and watching whatever is in my Netflix instant queue (btw, God bless the soul who invented Netflix — they are a genius). Add a mug of hot chocolate in a “knitted” mug, and you’ve got one super amazing afternoon.
Finished a Tribble as well as "Torchwood: Children of Earth".
This past week I finished up some WiPs I had on needles from 2010, among them a dishcloth I started sometime in August (?!) and never finished. Terrible. After the dishcloth (pattern: Waffle Dishcloth), I finished a Boucle Shawl (actually began this 2009!) and then began casting on for Tribbles.
I always love knitting things for my kitchen (kitchen towels and dishcloths), but I’ve never knitted a Tribble. The pattern’s been in my Ravelry queue for ages, and I finally cast on for my first on on Saturday. I knit one Saturday, half of one Sunday (finished it earlier today) and I’m halfway through a third. You couldn’t ask for an easier, quicker knitting project than a Tribble.
There are definitely a plethora of Tribbles in my future. The only trouble with Tribbles seems to be how addicting they are to knit.
Tribble the First
After this third one, however, I’m going to cast on for the Shroom hat. It’s part of a Tumblr KAL for January. Most people, I think, seem to be done with theirs. I hadn’t started because I didn’t have the right size needles. Bought what I needed today (with birthday money I received yesterday) and I’ll be casting on later tonight.
I may not like the cold, but it’s definitely good for my knitting!
What are your first projects for 2011?
adorably alice 