Chevrons, Please

One of my goals for this year was to make a pillow. I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I never got around to actually doing it. Putting it on my list of goals gave me a better shot at following through. I love to mark something off a list. I decided I'd do one of the chevron pillows from Knit Simple Holiday 2013.

Then I realized I didn't really need to mess with two different yarn colors. I bought three balls of Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted Long Print n grayscale from Webs during their sale.

Why not let the yarn do all the work? I used the pattern from the Jaywalker socks (I've made 3 pairs of Jaywalkers--here, here, and here--it's a great stitch pattern) over 95 stitches.

Jaywalker Chevron Pillow (mine ravelled here)

I knit the front and back panels separately. Once they were finished and blocked, I sewed three sides, fit it over a 18" square pillow form, and sewed the fourth side closed. The pattern suggested inserting a zipper into the fourth side so you could take the cover off and launder it, but I don't know how to put in a zipper. So, I just sewed it shut and will hope any spills on it can be spot cleaned.

I'm proud of the way the seaming turned out on the top and bottom. I flipped the pieces so the zigs of the front fit into the zags of the back.

Still remaining on the 2014 goal list is a steeked sweater, namely the Falling Stars kit I purchased. I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle that yet. I've been avoiding it for at least a couple of years.

Presents Revealed

Today I have a roundup of finished projects.  Some of these have been done for a very long time and sat waiting patiently for a friend's birthday.

Clock Cozy and Sugar Maple socks, 

both knit in Knitpick's Felici in the Afternoon colorway

Entrelac Cap, knit in Knitpick's Chroma Worsted in the Roller Skate colorway

This hat was one of the most enjoyable items to knit that I've found.  I have no idea why it was so fun, but it was better than watching Britcoms while drinking iced coffee.

I knit these owl mittens to match the hat.  Chroma has a very long color repeat, so it does some strangely interesting things.

Spillyjane's Owl Mittens,

 knit in Knitpick's Palette in Black and Chroma Fingering in Roller Skate

I think the back is just as beautiful as the front.  I've knit a few pair of fancy mittens now, and I've done at least three different patterns for the back.  I used this pattern on the Fornicating Deer Mitts as well.  Those were also done in Chroma, although in a different colorway.  I think Knitpicks should either a) hire me, b) send me free yarn, or c) go public so at least I could buy stock in it.  The amount of yarn I buy from there is a bit staggering, and there's no sign of me being able to stop.  Oh, well.  It's better than a crack habit.

I'm nearing the end of a mammoth project, so hopefully I'll be able to talk about that later in the week.  For now, let's just keep our fingers crossed that the tubular bind-off isn't going to be the kryptonite I fear it is.

I hope you're having a great week!

Clockwork Orange...

and red and green and brown and yellow and some variegated stuff...

Colorful Clockwork knit in fingering-weight scrap yarn

A coworker saw me knitting at lunch and asked what I was doing.  Having just attempted to explain it to another coworker, I said I would just show her a picture.  When I did, she said, "That's adorable!  The picture helps.  I wouldn't have known what to think if you said you were knitting a clock cozy."*

Retrobaby's picture was enough to send me barrelling through the sock yarn remnants. 

Cast on 20 stitches.  Knit in garter stitch for awhile.  (Mine was 22".)  Pick up 20 stitches from cast on edge and kitchner ends of strip together.  Stretch around clock.  Hang on wall.  Admire your own cleverness.

I've already made two of these, and there's a third one in my immediate future.

*For the record, the other coworker said, "Well... I guess clocks get cold."  Sigh.

Dreaming of Wool

Well, dreaming of wool and alpaca and, I'll admit it, even a bit of acrylic.

The sweater is currently drying.  It has buttons and everything.  I'll take pictures once it stops smelling like a sheep with a perm.  I'm still working on the socks, but my mind is wandering toward new things it wants to make.

1.  Holycrapthat'sanawesome Clock

Retrobaby's Colorful Clockwork

This clock is awesome, and it needs to be mine. In fact, it needs to be other people's, too. I'm planning to make three of them. Retrobaby is a genius. Note to self: Buy clocks.

2.  HP bookmark

Ann Kingstone's Hogwarts Bookscarves

Somehow these are done so there is no wrong side. I think there is chanting involved. I want to make one of these for a friend's son.

3. 

Attic 24's Bauble Decorations

I don't know how to crochet, but these tempt me to learn.

4.  

Jared Flood's (brooklyntweed) Noro Striped Scarf

I'm the only knitter in the world who hasn't made one of these. Seriously, go find a knitter and ask him/her. Andrew doesn't need another knit scarf, but I find myself unable to stop knitting them for him. Hey, it's better than a crack addiction.

5.

spillyjane's Naive Socks

I've made two pairs of these already, but I have plans for a third. My mother-in-law asked if I'd knit a pair for her to give to her bff for Christmas.  

Her bff has size 11 feet.

I love my mother-in-law very much.

6.  Fancypants cashmere scarf

I'd like to show you a picture of this, but the truth is that I haven't figured out the pattern.  I'm making it for one of my best friends. I bought the cream cashmere for 50% off when a lys was going out of business. It's really lovely yarn, and this is probably the only way I could afford to buy such deliciousness. I'm still trying to find a pattern that won't look too fussy. It's difficult to find a pattern for fingering weight yarn that works for a boy.

There are other things percolating, but these are what has captured my attention at the moment. Please note that the photos are all other people's. I've linked to the original websites below each picture. I'm so grateful to have access to so many wonderful designs via this fancy Internet!  Thanks, Al Gore!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and enjoy whatever it is that's occupying your mind right now.

Abundance Indeed

A 14.5" x 72" tablerunner named Abundance

92 stitches cast on

8 edge rows of 92 stitches each

44 repeats of the pattern, each repeat with 12 rows and 92 stitches in each row

8 additional edge rows with 92 stitches in each row

92 stitches bound off

50,232 stitches

(Nearly) Instant Gratification

With the completion of the mittens for my mother-in-law, my Christmas knitting is finished.  To celebrate, I'm knitting for myself.

I knit a coffee cup sleeve to use at work.  I sometimes drink cocoa here, and the paper cups they have for hot drinks are so thin that I have to use two to keep from burning my fingers.

Now I don't!  This was knit from scrap yarn I had leftover from another project.  It was ridiculously fast to knit, and I think I'll use it a lot.

It even makes diet cocoa look cozy.

Where Shall We Go?

The luggage tags are finished, and I love them.  I am giving away four and keeping one for myself.

Luggage finders knit in scrap sock yarn, mostly Blue Moon STR

Market Bag

I really like the idea of using reusable bags while shopping.  I always fail to remember to bring enough to handle a serious grocery trip, but I do find that I use the single one I keep in my purse quite a lot.

I've been looking at the various knitted bags for some time now.  I just finished a Knitpicks pattern with some very inexpensive Sugar 'n' Cream yarn.

Montavilla Market Tote in Lily Sugar 'n' Cream cotton, Summer Splash colorway 

The pattern itself is fine.  The color choice is not.  I have some washcloths I've knitted out of this colorway, and they're lovely.  However, this much color on this large bag is just no good.  I keep trying to think of someone who would adore yellow, lime green, and sky blue in a market bag.

Huh.  Reading the colors, I would like that bag.  But looking at it.... no.

Despite the color problem, which is obviously no fault of the pattern, I like the concept of this bag.  It has a five-row lace repeat for the sides, which makes it very stretchy.  The bottom is a square worked in a woven stitch I don't think I've ever used that creates a very sturdy fabric.  That same stitch is used again to work the band around the top and the handles.

The handles are pretty snazzy in that they're worked like giant buttonholes.  Everything is knit in this project.  Often patterns for bags have you knit the handles separately and then sew them in.  Not only is this a pain in the tukhus because you're knitting tiny rows and constantly shuffling the project, but it's not very sturdy.  I'll be interested to see how these handles hold up.  Conceptually, it seems to me that they have a better chance of survival.  They certainly were more enjoyable to make.

Without working hard at all, this bag held a jar of peanut butter, a bottle of olive oil, a canister of bread crumbs, a box of Clif bars, and a leek-- you know, everyone's weekly grocery list.  There was plenty of room for more even with all that loaded.

Now if I can just remember to carry it into the store....