Category: Knitting

Flower Basket Shawl

I long to knit intricate lacy things, or at least items more complicated than a little stuffed toy. Sadly, my regular schedule doesn’t really permit this, as I don’t have enough time to sit and concentrate on a complicated pattern, and I certainly couldn’t take it with me and work on it in between appointment. Thankfully, this vacation time has allowed me to finish my Flower Basket Shawl, and I must say I’m very proud of the end product.

The pattern is from Interweave Knits, Fall 2004 issue, but I somehow downloaded it in PDF form for free. I can’t seem to find this file anymore, but if anyone’s interested in making their own, I could try to email it to you? Trust me, this shawl was so much fun to make, it’s really worth your effort!

So here it is, pre-blocking, rather curly and unimpressive on my bed…

Oh, and do you see that little thread to the side of it? That is literally all that’s left of the yarn. I was so scared I would run out at the very end, I was having a nervous fit as I bound off! It used exactly 6 skeins of Cotton Classic (With the yarn doubled-over) for a grand total of $36. I know that this may seem pathetic, but that’s the most I’ve ever paid for a single project. As you can see, I usually make really small things from cheapo acrylic, because it doesn’t matter if a knit vegetable isn’t so soft, for example.

So anyway, I laid it out to block yesterday…

…And was certainly rewarded for my patience.

I really love this shawl. Never mind that I have no clue when it’ll get worn, it’s exactly what I was hoping for. Beautiful, elegant… and PURPLE. I swear, I was practically seizing when I saw how rich this hue of yarn was at the store. I think it’s perfect for this pattern.

And now I have a reason to use my brand new brooch!

Hannah (BitterSweet)5 Comments

Happy Crafting To You!

Somehow I’ve managed to give out my entire stock pile of knit cupcakes – They all went so fast! With at least two or three upcoming birthdays to prepare for, I figured there was no time like the present to start replenishing my supplies.

Another pin cushion, mostly because I think the pinheads look better as sprinkles than the beads, but it’s also for another crafty friend, so I think the effort will be appreciated. Unfortunately, I’m running out of “realistic” frosting colors… The neon pink may be pushing it a bit.

Hannah (BitterSweet)5 Comments

Pitter Patter of Little Feet

[Before launching into my latest rant, I just wanted to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who replied to my frantic post the other day. You guys were such a great help, I was so bewildered and panicked, every time I thought about it I just felt sick to my stomach. After being vegan for a solid 2-3 years now, you would think you have the whole reading-every-single-label routine down by now, but this one managed to slide past me for far too long. Anyway, your suggestions all mean more than words to me, and I plan on searching for the VegLife Vegan One supplement today if there’s enough time. I’m hoping they’ll have it at Wild Oats…? Anyway, once more, thank you SO much for all your support, I knew that if anyone out there could help me, it was my fellow veggies.]

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How out of the loop am I! Only recently, I learned that a friend of mine was expecting some big changes to her household hierarchy in the form of an addition; A very small, and possibly demanding addition at that! She will soon become an aunt, as her sister is now almost 8 months pregnant! Although my dear friend isn’t exactly thrilled about this news, I haven’t heard anything so exciting in a long time. You know what a new baby means – Tons of tiny knit lovies to create!

Getting straight to work, I dove right into the One Hour Baby Booties in Stitch and Bitch Nation. I must say, the title doesn’t lie – This was one of the fastest projects I’ve been able to whip up in quite some time! Instant gratification, huh? It makes me want to knit other sweet baby things, just because they’re so cute and easy. I have no doubt that they will be appreciated by the mother, so who knows… If I can get my hands on some soft and inspiring baby yarn, there might be a sudden surge in the number of miniature finished objects…

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Fits Like a Glove

With all of the dazzling, intricate stitches and patterns that can take shape in any of knit item you can dream up, sometimes the simple cable just has a certain simplistic appeal.

I happen to love making them; So simple, barely any interruption from the regular knit stitch, just a few select strands weaving around and around, dancing for all time. These in particular made me think of the ocean, with modeled blue waves ebbing and flowing toward the beach of my pale, sandy skin.

Alright, enough lame prose from me today.

This is the perfect time of year for arm warmers, as the temperatures begin to finally rise, but are not quite warm enough for t-shirts alone.  I have tons of arm warmers made from old knee socks because I have an inability to throw anything out, but these are really much nicer.  Especially the fact that they won’t fray at the end, and even have snug little thumb holes.

From the March issue of MagKnits, I might suggest these to someone who’s slightly weary of cables.  It’s a great way to practice, since there’s nothing else more complicated going on.  I was slightly confused over which needle size to select, since I didn’t understand the directions on how to make the stitches “ridged,” so I just knit normally on… Oh, what was it?  Maybe #3 DPN?  I don’t even remember anymore.  They came out very small, which worried me at first, but since I’m a small person, they fit just fine.

I was so happy to use this yarn, since it’s probably been hiding at the very bottom of my stash longer than any of the other skeins.  I only wish I could get more, but strangely enough, I got it for free from a library book that my mom was processing (She works at an elementary school library) because she couldn’t include the extras on the shelf.  Heh, don’t they always say that the best things in life are free?

Hannah (BitterSweet)1 Comment

Of Cabbages and Kings

When I actually buy a book, whether it be for leisure reading or knitting patterns, it is a rare occasion indeed. I like to think of myself as “thrifty,” but truth be told… I suppose can be rather cheap. That’s what makes my purchase of Knitorama by Rachel Mathews even more of a painfully upsetting let-down.

Tell me, what does this look like to you?

Not only is it a terrible picture, but this is supposed to be a cabbage. Sadly, it looks like a horribly swollen Brussels sprout, some sick joke if you ask me. I really hate it. The picture in the book looked so much nicer… and bigger. Oh, and by the way, what on EARTH is a “yrn”?? It’s definitely not a “yarn,” and it doesn’t even list it in the glossary of terms in the back!

I also tried the facial mask as per a request from my aunt, and yielded similar results. I ended up having to make it up along the way, and try to interpret what those instructions could possibly mean.

Maybe I’m just dense. God knows I can be more than just half a bubble off in the intelligence department… Either that, or the author wrote this while under the influence of some illegal substance. It looked like a really awesome book; Quirky, unique, and with a number of patterns I would actually want to make. I had never seen it anywhere else… but now I guess I’ve figured out why.

Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

Sweet ‘n Crafty

Okay, I swear this is the last knit cupcake for a while now.  I just couldn’t help it!  Can’t you see that it would make a perfect pin cushion?  And seeing as that is exactly I needed / wanted / just got tired of the old one, it’s obvious that if I didn’t knit myself my a sweet pin cushion, the gods themselves would would drink my blood.  [Don’t question the logic – Just knit!!]

I don’t say this very often about things that I make, but I really love it.  I bought the pins onsale a while back, and they look like perfect little candies on top.  It’s slightly overstuffed so that it can actually hold the pins instead of having them just slide out.  There’s very little that makes me crazier than cleaning up pins I’ve dropped on the floor… Especially since I usual don’t find them until they’re already lodged in my foot.

Part of me wants to keep making these little beauties until I have a baker’s dozen… Or maybe atleast fill my large silicon muffin pan…

…But I’m trying exceedingly hard to restrain that part. 

Hannah (BitterSweet)9 Comments