Wow, I turned away for a minute and an entire month escaped me. Incredible. Well I have a finished object to show off... only 2.5 months late (twas a christmas gift) and unblocked because my mom tore it out of my hands... It's a tilted duster from Interweave Knits Winter 07 and my mom says she loves it. Which is good because I don't. It doesn't lay as prettily as in the photo and I hate seams of which this has plenty. But, who cares what I think, she loves it!
This is my rowena and while I'm not 100% in love with the bottom ruching ruffle, I do have a policy of done = done. I can try it differently on the next, because believe you me, there will be another.
If anyone is interested in deets and patterns, please let me know.
Wow, remind me to never again take for granted having a camera; lots of neat stuff to proudly display and no way to do it. boo hoo.
My rowena is finally finished and I could not be more pleased with myself! I used a no name microfiber which turned out to be not only cost effective ($15 for 10 skeins) but really comfy. Unfortunately, it's like a bajillion degrees here with all the humidity in the world and so, she sits on display waiting patiently to be worn.
deets: 8.5 skeins Markoma microfiber
50g ± 125m (136 yards)
4mm circular, 4mm dpns
construction: my own top down raglan based on this picture
My other feats will have to wait until I can borrow a camera... le sigh
I love it. It just needs to be a leetle bit smaller.
This is noticeable more so in the back shot...
I'm gonna give it a shot: top down raglan construction, I think I've even figured out the ruching... with either a wine red or olive green ribbon.
What do you all think?
And presenting Julia's new bike! She's very excited about it and finds a reason to clean it (if she can't ride it). I think being sick had thrown a serious hitch into her biking schedule.
Last, but not least: go check this kid out, HILARIOUS.
But I need some help. Which button to use? I say the top left blue green one, the husband says the peachy brown. What says you?
And a little reminder courtesy of Julia:
Enjoy even the most mundane things in life, like laundry.
Have ya'll been holding out on me? This is fricking awesome, this book mooch idea. Am in heaven...
I gotta sit down and breathe.
In the wonderful world of knitting:
I am kicking some serious butt. Since completing the cardigan, I've finished quite a few other projects as well, including my first felting project. Which was interesting, to say the least. (It turned out too big and I messed up the star.) It pays to know something about the wool you are trying to "ruin". I finally (FINALLY!) found 100% wool at the craft store... There was nary a label and very few color choices. I figured it must be házimunka gyápjú, I can just imagine some old lady carding her wool and hand dyeing it. Although, I have to say it was super lanolin-y and not very clean. Is all wool like this? It made my hands hurt, sticky, and stinky. Gotta say, not loving the wool.
Here's a view of the wrong side with the intarsia, this was my first intarsia project and although,m I began a little wobbly, I'm fairly certain I now know what I'm doing.
I also received some very pretty gray-green mixed yarn for the birthday and I already knew that I wanted to make myself a bag from that, so it worked itself up nice and quick like. (The gall! I made myself something, can you believe it!) But apparently, I cannot count as the inside is slightly askew... oh well.
And finally, a little sumpin-sumpin for the girls in the fam... Spring is rebirth and cleansing, but also chocolate and bunnies, so tessék! (here you are) I saw this idea somewhere, but where? No clue. They're little soap cozies and according to Julia, "using it was FANTASTISIC!" I used a 50% wool yarn and so I'm hoping they'll be reusable.
Oh yes! Happy Easter/passover/spring/whatever you celebrate. I hope it was riddled with joy. And also chocolate. Aaaand, maybe some alcohol.
Well, the cardigan for Zoli is finished as of a week ago. I meant to put up the pics then, but we were attacked by a crazy week long cough til you puke party. I also wanted to snap some pics of the sweater in action, the zipper action, the hood, well everything, really.
I am so proud of myself. Not only is the first hooded cardigan I've knit, but it is the first zipper I put in, as well as my first pattern. All in all this took one month and one week to accomplish. It also took three passes at each part which pretty much tripled the time it should have taken... Oh well, live and learn.
Details:
Yarn: Tweed Extra 20% wool, 72% acrylic, 8% viscose 50g ~ 90m, 14 skeins
needles: 5mm circular and dpns; sleeves knit in the round, body knit in one piece.
pattern: my own using saxon braid pattern.
The hood was specifically requested as "over the top large" and so that alone swallowed 5 skeins... My husband has a more feminine taste in clothing and wanted flared sleeves with no hem.
working pictures forthcoming...
Hey everybody! I have a knitting question: Pockets. HELP! I made two pockets for a cardigan for the husband and cast on the body... What I am wondering is if there is a way to knit the pockets into the original body or if I have to attach afterward?
Any clue?
just a knitting update before parent's day at kindergarten. One has to be pretty creative here to not go crazy from lack of choice, this is especially hard for spoilt-americans who are used to finding anything their little hearts desire. But here in Hungary, good yarn is impossible to come by, now on the other hand, if what your heart desires is every type of Red Heart for 3.5 - 4.5 mm needles then I guess you're in heaven.
Also? no fricking 100% wool because apparently it doesn't sell... argh! Luckily, I can write a request and when the truck comes, the kezimunka-néni will inquire as to its existence.
What I have been able to create are these two winter hats...
[updated to add]
The first is of my own creation. CO 72, I used 4mm dpns and a multi-blue acrylic for the first 6 rounds in k1,p1 rib. I then picked up a second yarn, a beautiful deep blue and knit in moss stitch until 3 in. I then drop multi yarn and worked 4 rounds in yo, k2tog. Pick up multi yarn, resume moss st 2 more inches. I dropped the multi-yarn and began decrease rows knit 7, k2tog, k 2 rounds, k 6, k2tog, etc. until 12 st remain, thread through, break yarn. weave in all ends.
The second is a pattern I found at magknits... here to be exact, although I did take some liberties to make it less pointy on top. The flower is from here. The bead, my own.
Wow. I just finished a week long knitting marathon. It all started on Sunday when one of the nieces asked if the bolero would be done in time for Christmas... I, of course, said yes! and promptly sprinted to the yarn store to make a large purchase. I was more than a little apprehensive as I had just finished the ruffled scarf and still had a rather easy but large vest on the needles...
I cast on Monday night and knit 10 hours a day for the next 3 days, I finally, bound off all stitches yesterday. Oh. My. God. I can't believe I actually finished it. Also? It looks decent. Yay!
While I was furiously knitting, I thought about Christmas and the giving and receiving of gifts. I really, really hate the gift part of the holidays. (I don't want you to buy me crap I don't want, therefore, let's just hang out and have some turkey, m'kay?) But I love giving crafty gifts... However, I was/am nervous that somebody won't like what I've made (being new to the knitting and all) and it pisses me off because, well, it should be about the giving and loving. Anyway, they're going to love all their crap. They're nice people.
So, here's me wishing you a sappy, made for television Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year. May Santa (or Jezuska) bring you all the szaloncukor you can eat whatever your heart desires (assuming you were a good boy or girl; unless you want bad things. In which case, let me rephrase: peace. I wish you all peace.)
Mwahahahaha. Thank you all so much for the vote of confidence. I don't know what to say, except that, I, um, I meant the built in email-address-rememberer-thingy that comes with the email account. I don't actually have a tangible address book. Well, I do but it only has my mom's address in it and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to forget that one, you know, since I grew up there and all. But really, omg, I felt so organized there for a second.
So Hanukkah has begun, Christmas is a week away, yesterday we slaughtered a pig. Ahh, the holidays. The butchering barely involved myself, I was more the dishwasher and courier. The whole DIY pork thing is a pretty cool process and really hardly anything gets wasted (except the workers, they're wasted by 9 am). Bonus points for drinking while handling sharp objects, yike! All in all it was less icky than I thought, I was less squeamish, and no one lost a finger.
(that's me pimping the ruffled scarf)
A week ago the MIL asked who wanted to host Christmas as she said she didn't. We said, "Sure! We'll do it." I was so excited to plan an american Christmas dinner because well, carp soup with a kilo of oil and paprika is NOT my idea of food let alone Christmas. I ran to the butcher chop to reserve my turkey, dug out my recipes for killer stuffing and mile-high cranberry apple pie, and then, tragically, was informed that the MIL IS, in fact, hosting the holiday. Apparently, she just wanted to be begged to do it. WTF!
Woohoo, carp soup and overcooked breaded meat.
I'm homesick. I want my mommy.
Holy hell, this extended vacation can get boring. And before you get all snarky with the poor little 5penny, hangs out, no job to go to, living in a foreign country, boo hoo you f'ing bitch... Let me say this: were this a true vacation, where my spoiled rich ass could hang out and do whatever, I would totally agree with the snark. But, because we moved here with the grandiose plan of self-employment that was thwarted prettymuch the moment we got here, we have been "on vacation" insomuchas we do not work but we are also living off our life savings. Therefore, I am not said spoiled rich girl: there is very little traveling involved, very little movement involved, actually.
As an example, may I present a week in the life of 5penny: With the exception of delivering and picking up daughter from preschool, I sit still, knit, watch friends*, make food/bake something, interact with said child, and sleep. Wash, rinse, repeat. Every. Single. Day. And while it is fun and has it's moments, and while I wouldn't trade this year for all the money in the world (or even the savings that is dwindling) it has it's boring moments. Wah. Boo hoo. Poor baby.
See, those two green gloves? Yeah, they were supposed to be a pair for my neice, but apparently she would like a pair that are the same size. What's up with that?
Even though they look almost the same size, it's really the angle of the photo. Let's take a closer looksy, shall we? Yup, definitely NOT the same... dammit...
*This is me whispering, it is my other secret shame. I cannot get enough, I am a sad, sad creature.
Breakout the granny panties, it's official: I am the 29 year old equivalent to a grandma. That's right, I learned myself how to knit and I'm addicted. It's this month's drug of choice. Well, that and alcohol, anyway.
I've had been telling myself for ~9 months that I wanted to learn; I had researched it and found free web tutorials. (who better than the internet to teach, right.) I even had the "equiptment" left to my husband by his godmother. I only needed the yarn.
I procured said yarn 3 weeks ago when I broke my toe. (It feels much better by the way, thanks for the wishes. And no, I didn't have to go to the scary hospital, phew.) I practiced non-stop for a week. Well, truthfully, am still practicing non-stop. The yarn is so cheap here, I had no choice but to buy it all and I've started three hopeful gifts and it seems I can't stop.
Is there a rehab program dedicated to knitters who lose track of time whilst knitting? I fear all that's left is needlepoint! Help! I've become my grandma... but it's so. much. fun.
[edit: I just realized that I was in no way being clever nor original with the knitwit as there is actually a knitting/ loom set website called, whatelse: KnitWit Dammit. I thought I was so clever. But if you want encouraging check out the cool digs here]
