Seeing Stars

My favorite shape has always been a star – I don’t know what about it appeals to me, I just know that it does! I am really enjoying this project – it is a convergence of things that please me: crocheting, crocheting a star, crocheting for my best friend’s baby, and even Caron Simply Soft (shut up, yarn snobs! LOL – it is cheap, machine washable and dryable and super-soft).

I think I am going with 10 rounds of each color – yellow in the center, band of blue, band of yellow and then a band of blue to finish. I am 4 rows into the first blue band and I really like the way the colors look together. The colors are perfectly gender neutral – I could girl it up with some purple I guess, but there is something very pleasing about the pale creamy yellow (“off-white” my ass – that is YELLOW!) and the mellow light blue. Even if I were to know what gender the baby will be, I would probably choose the blue and yellow anyway.

There were a ton of misleading instructions (if not out and out errors) in this pattern – it took a while for me to trust my instincts over the pattern, but the finished project will be the better for it. There are a few stitches in the first rounds that look a bit off after following the pattern as written, but probably things that only I or another crocheter will notice. I am torn between finishing this one, gifting it to someone else and starting fresh on a new one (without trusting the pattern as written) for Liz’s baby and keeping this one intended for Liz’s baby because that is who it was for at the start. I guess I will decide when it is closer to done.

Cabled Calorimetry (aka: Failorimetry)

On Sunday, 9/28/08, I began to think about a cabled calorimetry – I am sure someone on Ravelry has already figured it out, but I haven’t seen it and I want to give it a shot! I was inspired by the yarn, actually. I knit Sarah the calorimetry in the gray wool-ease chunky but I have a TON of wool-ease chunky in aran, too. I thought the aran version would look a bit, well … huge and white unless it had something to give it a bit of personality, but the brown leather covered buttons I have would look sweet with that color – voila – the need for a cabled calorimetry.

I started with CO 100 sts and planned for 5 cables separated by plain ribs for the center of the headband. I also did 1 more short row than on the calorimetry I made for Sarah (leaving 18 sts outside each of the markers). It was too big in every single direction. Also, a twist on the cables would have happened on the last row so I eliminated it – it just looks dumb. I need to pare this down to between 88 and 92 sts CO and stop the short rows when I have 22 on the outside of each marker – this should fix the sizing and the dumb looking cables.

Knit Night

On Saturday, 9/27/08 I had the privilege of teaching my best friend to knit and helping another good friend remember how to knit. In all of my geek glory I ran out to Michael’s and purchased them each a pair of US8 bamboo short needles and a ball of Vanna’s Choice in a light blue color (I think it is actually the color the elephant amigurumi calls for – they didn’t have it when I was crocheting that! J) Elizabeth was a beginner but did a great job – she had figured out the knit stitch and was gartering away before the night was over – no surprise, she is one of the smartest people I know! Jackie had been taught to knit by her mother when she was 7 but needed a refresher. It was slow going for her at first until I began to suspect she had been taught to knit English by her mother and my continental was probably not helping! I had never knit English before but have seen it enough times to try, so I did a few stitches on my own until I was sure I could do it before showing her. It clicked INSTANTLY! By the end of the night, Jackie had a few inches of perfectly even stockinette. There was a lot of info to pack into only a few hours so hopefully we can gear up for another knit night and I can teach them some more!

Star Afghan

My best friend is having a baby! I am so excited for her! You know a person is your best friend when you get deliriously happy over the happy events in their life – when Elizabeth met her husband I was on cloud nine, when they married I was just beside myself with happiness, and now that they are having a baby I am overjoyed! I am tearing up just thinking about it!

I have been waiting for this! Elizabeth is one of the best human beings I have ever been fortunate enough to meet. Generous and kind to a fault, an incredible friend who is always there no matter what is going on in her own life, so incredibly smart and talented and beautiful to boot. There is something about her that just inspires me to be the best person I can be. I can’t wait to spoil her and the baby with handmade gifts!
Since it is way too early to know if she is having a boy or girl, most projects will have to wait, but I can certainly get started on the unisex gifts I want to make! First up? The Star Afghan! I noticed this and added it to my queue 2 days before Elizabeth called me with the good news – I am planning to use Caron Simply Soft in off-white (which is a pale creamy looking yellow) and country blue (which is a nice soft blue color.) I started last night and it is taking shape nicely! I am thinking of frogging and starting over with a larger hook though. For just about anyone else, I would just continue on since it doesn’t look bad at all, but I want this blanket to be beyond perfect!

Calorimetry

I have been meaning to make one of these for a while. I love the way it looks and I know my sister would get some good use out of one when she goes snowboarding. I was mentioning the Calorimetry to my friend Sarah, a runner, mom to an adorable energetic 3 year old and all-around awesome person – she loved the idea and said “I want one!” It was not a directive for me to get busy and make it for her – she crochets beautifully and I taught her to knit … I think she was saying it more along the lines of a project she would be interested in making, but since her birthday is on Monday, I decided to surprise her with one. I have a ton of Wool-ease chunky in my stash, so I figured I would start there. After reading how big everyone else’s came out and realizing that I was using bulkier wool than what was called for, I decided to CO 88 st and work the short rows until I had 22 on each side outside the markers and 44 inside the markers – perfect!!! I could have stood a little more width – I might consider more short rows next time – but it looks cute! I used one of the brown leatherette covered buttons I got at the AC Moore store closing – perfect!!! I can’t wait to give it to her! Sarah is one of the most thoughtful people I know and she is constantly doing nice things for me and gives great presents – I am excited about giving her something she wants and will be useful when the cold weather kicks in! I plan to make a bunch more of these – I knit the whole thing in one sitting so they go fast! My current vision is that all of the females on my Christmas list that would wear something like this will get one!

Twisty Turns – still going!

At last measure, I have 24” along the long edge … I may be taking my time on this, but I am actually enjoying it very much. It is a perfect project for watching TV – as described before I have taken all of thinking out of it so it is nice and easy! The metal needles and the yarn just slide slide slide – reminds me why I prefer metal over bamboo! I took this with me to the laundromat on 9/21 and got some work done – it really is a great take-along project. I need to concentrate my efforts on this to speed it along – the temperatures are now staying in the low 70’s for the most part … I want this wrap ready to wear when we start seeing temps in the 60’s!!!

Hunting Cap

The yarn is acrylic and not the softest thing I have ever felt, but it is certainly the right color for a hunting cap and there is plenty of it! I have tried to wing it with my own made up patterns, but all previous attempts result in laughably oversized hats. This time I grew a brain and decided to follow a pattern! It still seems a tad large, but it is shaping up nicely. I am using the pattern for the Cousteau hat and I think that pattern is going to be the basis for a bunch of hats on my Christmas knit-list. I am using a heavy Aran yarn and US4 16” circs – it makes my hands a bit crampy so I don’t really put in long sessions knitting this one but it is resulting in a nice thick fabric, even though it is slow going. That is for the best – if I stare at the color too long I might go blind! This cap is for my dad, depending on how well it goes, I will probably make one for John I. too – he and Karen always remember the sibs and I at Christmas – it would be nice to have something nice for them too! (Though Karen will get a different hat in a normal color since she is not a hunter!)