Can’t say hello to 2013 without saying goodbye to 2012!
it’s here!
November 7, 2012 by 4 Comments
Stylecraft Special DK: the “Lucy Pack”
Finally, my package from Deramores is here! It took 19 working days, which was longer than it was supposed to take, but now that it’s here I know that it was totally worth the wait. The colors are so gorgeous and vibrant, and the yarn is so soft! I was not expecting it to be so soft, considering it’s 100% acrylic, but I think it’s going to be great to work with! I never use DK yarn so it will probably take me a long time, but that’s fine with me.
I’ll be making another ripple blanket. The first one I made looks so great but I don’t use it because I made it with Berroco Vintage Chunky, which was expensive, and I don’t want to mess it up. It covers the bed in the spare room. This new one will be used frequently and bring much happiness to our downstairs living area.
Since I got “the Lucy Pack” and am making Lucy’s pattern, I feel a little bit like a copycat. I assuage these feelings with the knowledge that my new blanket will be super cute, and that it’s not exactly like hers (“the Lucy Pack” was put together based on her granny stripe blanket, I believe, not her ripple blanket).
Well, I’m off to work out a color progression, thanks for stopping by!
new project: another shawl
October 20, 2012 by 5 Comments
The last shawl I made made me so happy that I want to make another one with different yarn. I’m using this:
Two balls of Cascade Yarns Heritage Hand Painted Sock Yarn, 75% Merino Superwash, 25% Nylon, 437 yards each (or 400 meters each)
The pattern, again, is here. Here’s what I’ve got so far:
It’s a little blurry but the color came through surprisingly well.
The hook I’m using is the G/6 hook from a Susan Bates set. The set is really special because it belonged to my great grandmother:
The G/6 is in the top right corner of the picture.
My grandma gave the set to me, along with a set of steel hooks for lace work, but I don’t really use those because I don’t work with thread much. I’m really glad she gave them to me — they mean a lot.
On another subject, everybody else is blogging about their beautiful fall weather and sharing their beautiful fall pictures. I’m so jealous! We’re having weather in the 70s every day, but that just started recently, and the foliage isn’t looking so great. Much of it is just brown so far, with pretty colors occasionally interspersed. I really hope this winter is colder than last winter (during which I mostly wore my usual t-shirts with a coat, and maybe a scarf). That’s what happens when you live in South Carolina, I guess. Winters in Oklahoma, where I lived until I was 15, were actually colder than they are here.
Also, I was asked to mention how I like the new JKR book, The Casual Vacancy. Honestly, I’m still only about halfway through. It’s dramatically different from the Harry Potter books, and not just because it’s written for adults. It’s not a fantasy book, there aren’t really distinctions between good and bad people, and there’s a lot of depressing subject matter (i.e. horrid parents, awful relationships, rebellious teens, and drug users, to name a few). I think the biggest difference, though, is that I haven’t laughed once. The Harry Potter books made me laugh a lot, just because of funny/witty comments or situations. This new book feels much different because there isn’t really any humor, although there is some irony. Also, there are many points of view to follow, which is a little confusing sometimes. I think it’s well written but it’s such a different kind of book than what I would usually read.
That’s all for today. I’ll probably have an update on the shawl soon, and my Stylecraft Special DK should arrive within the next week or so. Thanks for stopping by!
crochet shawl: complete!
October 16, 2012 by 10 Comments
ta-da!
I finished the crocheted shawl in 3 days, crocheting for hours each day. It took a surprisingly long time once I got to the longer rows.
Sorry that picture is a little blurry — it was hard to hold my phone steady and far enough away to get the whole shawl in the frame.
The pattern is $6, which, after making the shawl, seems like a lot… While it took a long time, it was pretty repetitive and easy. Oh well. Now I have a shawl big enough to wrap around my neck comfortably! And even though the yarn was all leftover from other projects I think the colors are great! I can’t wait until it gets cold enough here for me to wear it!
knitting the second cowl
October 9, 2012 by 5 Comments
Remember how I’m making two cowls for my mom (one for her, one for a friend)? I’m using this pattern from Ravelry to make it but I’m doing it in thinner yarn and adapting the pattern a bit. She wants something thinner — more like a necklace. Well, here’s how far I am on #2:
This one’s going much slower, and it’s not just because I’ve already done one and the novelty has worn off. That’s not it at all, really — this one I’m making with a thinner yarn but the same needles. The first cowl was sock weight, and this yarn is about half that size. It will be much more lacy, which I think will look equally cool, but it’s taking longer because I’m not used to working with such lightweight yarn. It keeps sliding through my hands so my tension is wonky and I have to keep adjusting to keep it right.
As you can see, my knitting is resting on my laptop, which is in turn resting on the arm of the couch. My boyfriend is often taking up the TV with his video gaming (which is fine), so I usually sit here on the couch, using my computer to watch movies/TV or listen to audiobooks with my headphones on. When a pattern is difficult for me, I’ll postpone those things in favor of turning all my attention towards my knitting, but for stuff like this cowl, which is an easy pattern, I like to listen to things.
Do you do things while you knit? If so, what? I need some new ideas — I’ve practically memorized all of my audiobooks and movies (lines and musical scores).
Thanks for stopping by, hope you visit again soon!
not your average crochet 