Tag: knitting

Sidetracked…By Blankets

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Remember how I said I was going to knit an entire sweater over the past two weeks? Well, I didn’t. I did manage to get the back of the sweater fully finished, though:

So that’s something.

I didn’t end up watching much of the competition because NBC requires that you log in to their website through your cable provider to watch the replays of the events. I was trying to watch online because I don’t have a cable provider, so that didn’t work out so well.

I also had something else sneak its way into my work schedule as well – blankets! Two baby blankets to be exact. One out of a fluffy, bulky yarn:

and the other out of a light, lace yarn:

It doesn’t look like it in the picture, but this one if also going to be a square. It is just gathered on the circular needle right now.

The first one was fairly easy to create. I kept the pattern in my head/made it up as I went. Lace, on the other hand, well…

That took a bit more planning – and paper.

I finally managed to puzzle out a good chart. Well, several charts used together:

I am chugging along at it. I’m hoping to be able to have enough of the yarn left over to make matching hats. Lace yarn really does go a long way.

Ever get sidetracked in the middle of a project by a bigger project? What did you do while watching the Olympics this time around?

Knitting With The Games

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I didn’t use the “O” word, so I can’t be sued, right?

Anyway, the event that is now know as the Ravellinic Games is starting tonight. Well, technically started this morning at about 8am, but NBC insisted on not live streaming. So I’m using the start of the opening ceremonies telecast. Which I am watching as I type that. I could be a professional procrastinator, if such a thing could actually exist.

I didn’t join a team. I’m a procrastinator, remember? I just decided to do this…a week ago? I’m not really sure. But it wasn’t the months ago that everyone else started. That’s the important thing to remember. Actually, I kind of kept forgetting that there were even going to be “games” this year. I will be disappointed if someone doesn’t try to push the potato-man logo Bart created in the 2010 “games” episode, though.

Since I’m not actually participating in the Ravellinic Games, I’m going to use Yarn Harlot’s rules she created in 2006.

“Rules:
1. The project must be a challenge for you to complete in 16 days.
2. There are no rules about what a challenge would be. Like the real Olympics, there are many areas to compete in. If you are a new knitter, then a garter stitch baby sweater might do…If you are experienced, well. I’ve already considered Torino. Use your own conscience.
3. While this is intended to be somewhat difficult (like the Olympics) it is not intended to ruin your life. Don’t set yourself up for failure. (Olympic athletes may cry, but they do not whine pitifully, sob and threaten members of their family with pointed sticks because they haven’t slept in five days. ) This is intended to (like the Olympics) require some measure of sacrifice, and be difficult, but it should be possible to attain.
4. No casting on before the flame is lit.
5. Finish before the flame goes out.
6. You may swatch before the games. (I consider this “training.”)”

With those rules in mind, I’m setting off to create this wrap sweater (and perhaps the leggings, if I have enough yarn left). As part of my “training”, I sketched out the sweater:

so I could try out the color combination I am planning:

And, yes, that really is the yarn in there, from a scan of my swatch:

so it’s as close to what it will look like as possible.

Now all I have to do is actually cast on while I’m watching the rest of these opening ceremonies. I’m also machine sewing the seams and planning to knit the sleeves in to save myself all that hand-sewing. If you want to keep up with my progress, I’m going to update the Ravelry Project Page daily.

Two-Eyed Minion

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Most of my minions tend to have only one eye, but by request my second minion hat has two eyes. The requester? requestee? person who made the request had received a one-eyed minion hat and had gotten his grandmother hooked on “Minion Rush” over Hanukkah, so he asked that I make a two-eyed minion hat for her.

I don’t know. For some reason minion-y things don’t look so minion-y with two eyes.

I had the crown of a hat already knit that I was wondering how I would use from re-knitting the first hat. So when he mentioned I should make one for “Grammy”, I was already halfway done. Well, a third of the way done anyway.

Project notes, as always, can be found on the Ravelry project page, but in general I used Knit Picks Comfy worsted weight yarn in Creme Brulee, White, Celestial, and Hawk, along with a miniscule amount of Knit Picks Stroll in Midnight for the pompom. The eyes are basic crochet circles with buttons sewn in the center for pupils.