thinking 'bout some summery knits
so.. instead of studying for exams like a good college student, i am thinking about things i want to make in the future, after exams are finished..
i bought the pattern for the silk corset tank top last night.. i'm a little nervous since it uses charts, but i figure if i settle down and pay attention to what i am doing, it should be juuuuuust fine. i was trying to find a not-too-expensive yarn that would still be nice, and someone online made theirs out of patons katrina, which looks like a good substitute, so i'm going to stop by michael's before work to see if they carry it (unfortunately, i don't think they do, so it will be back to searching for a good yarn to use). i was thinking about a nice pastel antique-y sort of colour, like pale pink or green with pearly white buttons, but hmmmm... a nice cherry red would be quite fun as well.
i think i'm going to pick up some yarn for the jiffy tube top when i stop by michael's today, since i believe their lion brand jiffy is on sale for $1.79-ish? or something. and i'll probably pick up a few extra skeins to make matching cabley armwarmers or a shrug to go with it. i might have to fiddle with the shaping to get the top to work well with my boobs.. mmmm... i ♥ boobs.
i also have been contemplating designing my own tank top. i was at walmart the other day at lunch, picking up a skein of caron simply soft for teh aubli's garden scarf (numero tres) and they suddenly have all these awesomely bright yarns.. i picked up a skein of bernat softee chunky in "new" hot pink [whoa!] to play around with ideas.. i think i might do something with black and pink vertical stripes. i'll probably end up crocheting it, since although i've been knitting much longer than i have been crocheting, i'm more confident fooling around with crochet without a pattern, since there's less opportunity for things to go horribly wrong.. haha.. i hope to start getting into designing more of my own things and getting away from being patternbound.
sadly, i feel like i should get a move on making the lil' devil baby hat for MP's baby boy, considering she just had him.. but.... i want fun summeryknits for me!
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HDC Hat
Pattern: modified from "Hat with Flower" (Designer: Annette Petavy), from Crochet: Pattern a Day Calendar (April.13.2006)
Yarn: Peaches + Creme, in Fiesta ombre.
Hook: US H
Modifications: No brim, no flower. Just base of HDC hat pattern.
Quick and easy. i wanted a nice cottony crochet hat for the summer so my bald noggin (or lazy-at-shaving ubershort hair'd head) won't get sunburnt.
Previously, I had attempted to make a hat with this yarn, but since i was very new at crochet and had never worked in the round, it turned out much too large (and was promptly given to aubli, who has dreads and i could pretend the hat was intended to be large.. even though we both know it was an accident.)
but this hat, this hat is a perfect fit. however, being really brightly coloured (uh.. should have definitely realized this before making it), i'm not sure how often i'll wear it, and have begun work on a black version. whoa, ohsogoth.
p.s. note my totally awesome shirt from magpie. rock on.
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Garden Scarf
Pattern: Garden Scarf, from Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft; soft yellow, autumn red, + raspberry.
Hook: I-hook
Comments: it was decided amongst the people in the office that all gifts for the bosslady/supervisor should be red+yellow (her favourite colorus) and flower-themed (she likes flowers). "AHA!," i thought to myself, "What a perfect idea!" when i decided to make the Garden Scarf from SNB Crochet figuring it would be quick and easy (which it was). at first i didn't particularly care for the scarf -- the flowers look really large on the model (swallowing her neck!), and it looked kinda dopey. but, hey, i needed flowers.
i started making it -- a super plus that you actually attach the flowers AS you make them, instead of having to stitch them all together at the end (ew..) i wasn't quite sure how i felt about it until i finished weaving in all the ends -- up until that point, well.. it's hard to judge with multitudes of little yarn bits hanging out the sides.. i put it on and really liked it.
but that's also due to the fact that mine turned out a lot smaller! my flowers are neat little ones.. i just looked up the finished measurements that the scarf was supposed to be (since in the picture, the scarf, wrapped around the model's neck so that both ends dangle in front, comes to about her waist.. whereas mine is boobhigh with one end thrown casually over the shoulder). turns out that my flowers are quite a deal smaller (my scarf couldn't have been over 40".. guesstimating, since the scarf was already given away.. their's was 63.") in some ways, the scarf was a little short, but i wouldn't do it too much longer.
in the end, i think i like the scarf.. and i'll probably end up making one for myself.. i like the bright colours (well, the yellow and raspberry), especially with my green shirt -- it's very "HELLO spring!" i picked up a shade of pink and will probably make my own spring garden scarf.. with the smaller dainty flowers..
and then take myspace-esque pictures with it.. haha, bathroom, shower curtain, over-head camera angle... oh jeez. (it was the picture that scarf showed up best in, since i finished it at like 1AM this morning and had to take pictures really fast before rushing out the door to get to class before wrapping it up and giving it away -- used the nice green tissue paper, as seen in the babyshower set post, so it was a very spring-looking present.)
she seemed to like it alright, though it will be used as office decoration instead of as a scarf (which it was potentially a tad short for).. oh well..
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Angie's Baby Set, etc.
sadly, the image is too large and messes up the layout, so click the thumbnail for full-size
Pattern: Stockinette Stitch Hat, from SheeptoShawl.com Knitting for Change
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby; pale blue, mint.
Needles: US6
Pattern: Oh! Baby Baby Booties
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby; pale blue, mint.
Needles: US4
Comments: this is the first time i've knit baby items (have not had any reason to yet, hah.. thank goodness. i mean, for other people, it's fine.. NO babies for me!)
Hat: Slight disappointment due to a little bit of laddering at DPN joins in hat, despite using the tips from the knitty post about DPNs. actually though, i think that was my problem.. i pulled too tight at the join to prevent the ladder, that the stitch after the join ended up being a great deal looser, since the ladder appeared in the stitch next to the join, instead of at the actual join. hm.. bizarre. it's the first time i've used DPNs for the entire projekt, so i think that also has something to do with it. all previous projekts on DPNs were started on circulars, so it had a more solid base. ah well.. practice, practice, practice. i don't think the baby will notice.. hah..
Booties: booties were quite interesting to do.. have not done any socks/booties to this point. i think they were quite nifty, though i don't forsee making any more anytime soon. i am quite pleased, however, that i did both of the pair, instead of making one and not getting around to its match. heh.. i think it helped that i did both cuffs first and then did the rest of the bootie.
and now must wrap them up (in the green tissue paper and blue gift bag, as shown) and get ready to go to the baby shower!
have also started work on the crocheted flower scarf from Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker for my boss. it was her birthday last week, but we're celebrating on monday. it was generally decided that people should make something flower-themed in shades of red and yellow for her birthday. aha! i said, i shall make that flowerscarf. which is actually progressing quite nicely (about halfway done), but i'm supposed to be working on actual school assignments (sigh) and i think it might turn into one of those "oh.. gee... thanks." sort of gifts. (i don't think she likes me particularly much.. alas.) but it will fulfill my bosslygiftgiving. :)
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and in un-knit-related news: last night i attended the opening of the genesis exhibit at the peninsula fine arts center (genesis is the college student juried exhibition), where my friend fallon had submitted a photograph she took of me and another model. and the photograph won top prize ($500)! hooray :) so, this is the second image of me that has graced the walls of an exhibit, and this one won top prize. how fantastic.
[currently i only have a photograph i took of the photograph, so it looks better in real life.. shall hopefully get a scan of it soon.]
AND another friend lil ashley had two photographs in the show, one of which won a prize for photography ($100) -- and it was the image featuring the scarf i knit for her! (scroll down) hah! actual image here. hooray hooray :)
april is for babies
so.. i have two friends with babies due in April. i believe both are due around 2-3 weeks.
Baby One: a classmate has invited me to her babyshower. oh.. oh bother, i thought just recently.. babyshowers = baby gifts.. oh.. hm. i have never been to a babyshower. but then i thought, aHA! i shall knit a wee little hat for the baby boy she is expecting. and perhaps some booties as well. and i even have some DK/sport weight baby yarn in pale blue + mint green in my stash already! how convenient! heh.. so yes.. did a bit of a google search (to find a pattern that would work with that weight yarn, and after realizing that the few babyhats i have seen, i don't particularly like.. then again, i never really paid much attention to the babyknits.. cuz.. yaknow.. babies.. oh jeez..), i found this pattern -- doing the rolled brim stockinette cap, striping it with the pale blue + mint.. haven't decided about the i-cord knot at top yet though.. i figure i'll test it out, and if i don't like it, i can always take it off.
so far though, i'm a little worried about the circumference of the head. it seems rather large to me, but then again, i haven't really measured a baby's head recently.. much less an unborn one! but, i figure, if it's too big, he can grow into it. besides, babies usually have oddly large heads, so it's probably just fine.. heh..
one time, a while ago, she asked if i could knit baby sweaters. truthfully, i told her that i didn't have any previous experience doing so.. she told me about how the family would give sweaters to the children/babies from Scotland, but the boxload had been upsurped by the husband's other sibling's family (or, she couldn't tell, if the whole box had been intended for the other family, or if it was for both families and they just took them all.. either way, it means NO sweaters for them..) honestly, i don't think i would spend effort knitting babysweaters even if i was paid for it though, since i'm so busy.. but it does make me want to give more than a hat, which i don't know is even appropriate for a babyshower gift (i mean, quantity-wise..) so.. i thought perhaps some booties as well.. but i haven't found a pattern i particularly like yet.
and then to make it more of a complete set, i was thinking about getting a rectangle of fleecey fabric that i can crochet a bit of a border on with the yarn. at first i was thinking white, but babies + white = no good, so perhaps if i can find a shade similar to the pale blue or mint, and use the contrasting color for the trim. or perhaps stripe the trim. i'm not sure. i'm not sure when the baby shower is anyhow, so i suppose i'll see whatever i can fit in.. heh..
Baby Two: The other baby is expected by a model i worked with.. she's an alternative model and trust me, anything "typical baby" would probably make her scream. hah.. or at least, something more "alternative" would definitley be appreciated more than generic-baby items. so.. perfect -- lil' devil baby hat! plus, i still have some caron simply soft in some shade of red (must be autumn red) which should definitely be enough to make the baby hat. i've made the similar adult version (the kittyville hat, not the adult devil hat, so i'm already familiar with the process, so it should go nice + quick).
so hooray for baby items that do not involve going out and buying more yarn..
so.. knitting for babies.. and then BACK TO ME. ;)
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