Thursday WIP

The last few weeks have given me a chance to be a lady of leisure. I have got a job now but I don’t start until Monday so I’ve been taking the chance to knit as much as possible.

I’m one of those knitters who needs to be watching something while they knit. As a result I’ve managed to watch in the last three weeks (just in knitting time, not including movie visits):

• All of Wonderfalls. I love Caroline Dhavernas.
• The recent remake of Carrie. It didn’t suck.
• The Little Mermaid!
• Three eps (and counting) of True Detective.
• Jaws which apparently I’d never seen.
• Children of Men which I’ve seen many times and love.

Lately I’ve finished a pair of pink socks that I’ll be posting about on Monday, but since then I’ve started knitting a new pair from some alpaca sock yarn given to me in a swap. I wasn’t sure how to manage the colours since I don’t often knit with high contrast variegated yarn but it turns out it set my muse aflame.

It’s really, really busy. Look at it.

As a result I’ve started writing my own pattern for them. I had to figure out a way to break down the business of the yarn a little and I couldn’t find a pattern that suited me so I made one up. I’m pleased with it so far.

The pattern is simple but not boring to knit.

I could tell as soon as I got through the ribbing that I wasn’t going to like it in stockinette. I had to think quickly about what to do. I looked on Knitting Fool which is my go-to thing for stitch patterns but none of them really did much for me. In the end I took inspiration from Ant’s Nest and did something similar but less likely to make me associate it with ants.

Because I really hate ants.

 

With the contrasting yarn for the heel.

The yarn is Paca Peds, an alpaca-based fingering weight (sock) yarn that comes with a 25g mini-skein of yarn for the heel and toe which I didn’t notice at first. I’m about to start the heel so I’m excited to see how it turns out. I think it will help to break up the irregular colours of the yarn too.

Now to watch episode  four of True Detective and get some more of these socks done before I have to start life as a working person again on Monday.

A Trip Down South

With my departure from England becoming more and more imminent, my previously-scheduled holiday visiting my family this week has taken on a different sort of meaning. It’s more intense and I have found myself revisiting things (and people) from my past with a strange nostalgia that’s both triumphant and sad. In other words it’s been a strange sort of week for me but deeply enjoyable.

Most of the week has been spent in London. I met up with a fellow knitter, a long-time friend and excellent person that I still think of as Cal (though I’m sure she goes by her real name now, it’s how I knew her when we did pixel dolls back in the day).

We took a much-needed trip to Loop which is one of my favourite yarn stores for reasons obvious to anyone who has been there. It’s tucked down a backstreet near the Angel tube station and I’ve missed out on going there the last couple of times due to horribly bad timing (I always end up in London on a Monday when it’s closed). With Wollmeise in mind I very nearly walked out with some brightly-coloured Socks that Rock instead but, after painful deliberation, walked out with a beautiful skein of Wollmeise in the Gianduia colourway – a rich orangey brown that’s much more natural than the usual colours I pick. I’ve fondled it extensively but have yet to take photos.

And no, I have no idea what I’m going to knit with it. And yes, I’m aware that I shouldn’t be buying more yarn right now when I already have so much to take back to Canada with me.

I met briefly with Frankie, a fellow geek I met at university. I believe our first conversation was about X-Men back in a long-distance seminar and we got along swimmingly after that. Unfortunately due to bad planning on my part (as in, I barely let anyone know I was coming down this week) I didn’t get to spend much time with her or another friend Ruth who has managed to turn into an even more interesting and lovely person in the years we’ve not met up.

One of my favourite moments in London this week was wandering around the South Bank and Westminster for no reason just to soak in the city. I do love this country; it’s strange and archaic and modern and banal all at once. It’s also beautiful.

The second of these pictures is from the latter half of my week off. I went back to my hometown, a little island poking off the bottom of England. It’s called Portland and while I moved off it when I was 16 as quickly as I could manage, I still find it gorgeous. And weird. It’s always weird being back there.

I’ll be posting a few pictures of things I made for my family whilst down there. For now I’m going to go pet my Wollmeise and wonder what to make with it whilst lamenting the fact I have the yarn and the pattern but not the needles for the thing I want to make most of all (despite the fact my girlfriend is shocked that I don’t have every needle size in existence).

 

Geeky Crochet: Marvel’s Avengers

It’s been ages since The Avengers hit our screens and I’m still reeling. I’d been tentatively dipping my toes into the world of comics for a while before that but this movie flung me full pelt into it. Thanks, Joss. Another life ruined.

Anyway, I’ve been scouting Ravelry for Avengers-themed knits and crochet…ing. It’s what I do with my spare time, don’t judge.

I can’t believe I haven’t done one of these posts for Avengers yet.

Pattern Here

Yes, that’s right, you can get your very own ebook full of the Avengers cast as bunnies. Why, might you ask? Well… why not? This would be a perfect gift for anyone who is a fan of the film franchise and also small fluffy bunnies. The best is Fury. Fact.

 

Pattern here

Are you a member of Loki’s Army? Of course you are. The only thing to do is crack out your crochet hook and make yourself this adorable (and free!) amigurumi, complete with a little hat with adorable horns. Um, I mean terrifying. Terrifying horns. Sorry Loki.

Pattern here

Are you more of a Thor person? I don’t blame you. Look at those flowing blond locks, those rippling muscles. Mostly I just enjoy his almost oblivious humour; it cracks me up as surely as that coffee glass. Here’s another awesome pattern for you to hook.

Pattern here

Maybe you’re more of a Stark person. If you are, welcome to the club of which I am a founding member. Well, maybe not founding. He’s quite a bit older than me in terms of both chronological age and time since first comic was published. I think he’s older than at least one of my parents. Anyway, point is he’s great, and here’s a way to zoom around your school/workplace/parliament pretending to zap people with your repulsors. Or something.

Up next: Captain Marvel. Yes, she does deserve a post all of her own.

Related articles

• Cozy at Home Crochet Socks Crochet Pattern (thecrochetcrowdblog.com)
• ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – the Crochet Version! (pattern-paradise.com)
• Marvel Comics inspires child to wear his hearing aid (amplifon.co.uk)
• First Amigurumi: Slenderman (kindtoreality.wordpress.com)

Hunger Games Knitting/Crochet Patterns

Like a lot of people right now I’m up to my neck in Hunger Games and I have no particular urge to change that. I adore the characters, even the baddies; they’re twisted and complicated in the best possible ways. Katniss is one of the best characters I’ve read in a long time with her smartness and her capability. She’s great.

While I’m re-reading the books I thought I’d get another one of those fandom knitting pattern pages done.

I’m going to start with the obvious. Anyone with even a vague interest in fibre arts sat up and took notice at Katniss’s cowl in the first scene of Catching Fire. You know the one I’m talking about. That totally awesome one-slee^ed thick-cowled thing that stole the show. Funnily enough there’s a few patterns for your perusal on Ravelry.

 This is the most popular Katniss Cowl on Ravelry and I guess I can see why. It looks like the real deal. I have never seen anything like her cowl but I love the way it’s so… well, impractical, but it still looks like it fits the scene. Strange indeed. This pattern is a paid-for one; click here or on the image to go to it.

 

I think this is the best pattern. There’s something about the neck that looks right. It doesn’t sit the same way as the original maybe but it’s still pretty close. I would feel totally up to wandering around the woods shooting squirrels through the eyeballs with this. Of course, a bow and arrow might be a bit more useful in that scenario. Click here or on the image to go to the download page; this one is free from Ravelry.

Now on to the other patterns. I found some Katniss amigurumi that I might make one day with that magical free time I get between projects… or I might live vicariously through others who make it.

 

Isn’t she ADORABLE? No. Because Katniss is not adorable, she is kickass. But this is sort of cute. I’d like to put pipe-cleaners in the limbs and make her do all sorts of kickass poses. TAKE THAT, CATO!

There are all sorts of things of this ilk on Ravelry, I suggest you go take a look. For example, a Mockingjay chart so you can knit your own rebellious fare.

Go on. Stick it to the Capitol. If Johanna Mason can do it, why can’t you?

And may the odds be ever in your favour.

 

 

Related articles

• It’s like a dystopian hug! {a free Katniss cowl wrap pattern!} (thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com)
• The Katniss Cowl- Final Proof that I’m insane (winterparkpurl.com)
• Cute Boot cuffs & Hunger Games Knits! (thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com)
• That Katniss Cowl in Hunger Games: Catching Fire (an APOCALYTICAL Fashion Tribe Podcast) (fashiontribes.typepad.com)

A Year in the Making

This jumper/sweater has taken a long time. I don’t mean the knitting; that I started mid-September and fell off the needles at a rate of knots (har har); it is everything leading up to the cast-on moment that has dragged.

I bought this Cascade 220 at The Little Green House for my 26th birthday as a present from my girlfriend’s sister. She insisted I make myself something because I tend to give away everything I make so quickly I don’t get photos of most of them for my Ravelry projects page. I prefer it that way, but I realised I have never knitted myself anything more than hats (except single socks because I can’t get past SSS* when it’s for myself) and this needed to be fixed. So I picked up a couple of shades of green Cascade 220 and some dark grey and knew exactly what I was going to make.

At that time it was leading up to Christmas and the deadline to return back to England was looming, so I didn’t start the sweater in Canada. I figured I would get back after a month or two and would knit it then. I didn’t bring it back to England with me.

Nine months later I get back to Canada for a two-week visit. Yeah, things didn’t go exactly to plan. However, I cast it on as soon as I could and started knitting as quickly as possible.

If I hadn’t had to stop for a couple of other projects with deadlines I think I could have knit this jumper up in two weeks, tops. It’s a quick knit, it’s satisfying, and it’s easy to adjust to your own shape and size. The pattern is $5 in Paris – this is a link to the Ravelry page. I recommend it; it’s beautiful and simple and fun.

So here it is. A terrible picture of my first adult-size sweater. I made it with a lot of negative ease because that’s the look I was going for; hence the lots-of-shaping. I can’t stand knitting sleeves so they stop at my elbow. I made the collar with big needles so that I can wear it low on my shoulders. All I have to do is weave in the ends and then I’m going to be wearing it ALL THE TIME. I AM SO PLEASED.

Better pictures coming later – I finished it at night so there was no way to make it look good!

*Second Sock Syndrome

Related articles

• Crafty Thursday (archaeologycat.wordpress.com)
• Cascade Yarn Tasting at Paradise Fibers – Knitting Extravaganza (prweb.com)
• The Story Behind The ‘Christmas Jumper’ (banana-moon-clothing.co.uk)

Three Day Weekend (AKA knitting time!)

It’s bank holiday Monday next week and I have Saturday off. That can mean only one thing; masses and masses of knitting.

The timing is perfect. I am leaving for Canada in just over a week and I need the Avengers blanket to be done by then. I’ve done:

1. Black Widow
2. Hulk
3. Coulson
4. Iron Man

which means I need to do

1. Captain America
2. Fury
3. Thor, and
4. Hawkeye.

Hawkeye is our favourite character, yet he’s the hardest. I’m doing a purple mask on a white background (Matt Fraction’s comics-inspired) but every time I do it I mess it up. It’s a simple design but somehow it keeps going wrong. I’ve tried it three times already. I’m determined to get it done.

On top of the main character squares I have a bunch of plain squares to do. I’m reeling them off two or so a day right now. I have discovered that for the first twenty minutes or so on the exercise bike at home I can knit. After that the sweat gets in the way a bit, but yes, this is how little time I have left to finish the blanket; I’ll be knitting in my sleep soon.

No pictures yet on the offchance that Nari happens by here.

I can’t wait to finish this blanket. I can’t wait to be able to do something else! I am going to start a boatneck sweater in the green Cascade 220 I bought a year ago. It’s still in Canada so I will be casting on while I’m out there. Can’t wait to get some natural fibres on my needles – yarn snob or not, I’ve had enough of acrylic!

This might actually be the biggest project I’ve ever done. It had better turn out okay.

Pictures in a couple of weeks!

Related articles

• Wednesday: WIP (stitchknit.wordpress.com)
• knitted :: Germinate (Through the Loops Mystery Shawl Knit-along 2013) (earthchicknits.com)
• Knit August Nights (habeonzblog.wordpress.com)
• Knitting for Peace and dementia (tiggerrenewing.wordpress.com)
• Knitting Two Pieces at the Same Time (berroco.com)

Friday Pattern Collective: Hitchhiker’s Guide

DON’T PANIC.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was one of the first super geeky things my Dad suggested to me. Let’s just say that my Dad is the reason I believe in the geek gene – we have very similar obsessions with very nerdy things (and we both yell at politicians on the TV, but that’s another story). It is very close to my heart because of that.

Here are some glorious patterns I’ve stumbled upon while looking for awesome things.

Babel Fish

Picture copyright and pattern here – Ravelry link

Fancy being able to understand all known languages? Yeah, I thought so. Just squish one of these little beasts in your ear and you’ll be chatting to penguins in no time. (Um, don’t actually do that though… penguins are mean.)

Hitchhiker Shawl

Picture copyright and pattern here, Ravelry link.

This is one of the first shawls I knitted, though I never actually finished it so it really doesn’t count. I think it was the first (set of) patterns I ever downloaded. They’re simple and versatile and great for beginners. The Hitchhiker pattern is the most popular pattern on Ravelry at the moment and the others in the collection are lovely too.

Marvin Knitted Plushie

From here.

Life? Don’t talk to me about life. How about you cheer up these grumpy little plushie with a good cuddle?

Marvin Crocheted Pattern

Picture copyright and pattern here, Ravelry link.

Don’t knit? Still want to make a depressed robot? Here you go then. A crochet alternative.

Friday Pattern Collection: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy Logo

Find pattern here.

Emblazon ALL THE THINGS with the Buffy logo. It’s stylish, retro (god I am old) and will catch the eye of all the other geeks out there who started out with their heads and hearts in Sunnydale. Buffy was a gateway drug for so many people. Wear it with pride.

Five By Five

Find the pattern here.

I’m loving this. Faith is my favourite Buffy character by far; she was one of my strongest crushes as a teenager and I still adore Eliza Dushku. Her character was amazing. I kind of want to make a sweater with this on the front.

Stake Through the Heart Scarf

Find the pattern here.

Looking for something a little more subtle? How about a scarf with nice heart designs and the opportunity to stab that organ with a nice wooden stake (i.e. shawl pin)? I love this. LOVE IT. I WANT IT. Excuse me while I run out and find some red yarn.

Friday Pattern Collection: Game of Thrones

Winter is coming.

Fortunately we’re knitters/crocheters and that’s pretty much the best news ever.

Dragon’s Egg

Find pattern here [Ravelry].

I have a confession to make: crocodile stitch really skeeves me out. I don’t know why, it’s a textural thing. I dislike the look of it. That said, making a dragon’s egg and pretending to be Danaerys appeals more than I would ever admit. This is a paid pattern.

Direwolf Mittens

Find the pattern here [Ravelry].

One of my favourite parts of the books/show is the direwolves. They’re awesome. I am the type of person who had imaginary pets as a kid, which… I already had a house full of animals, so I’m not sure why. Anyway, I wanted a giant wolf for a while. Now I want these mittens.

Game Of Thrones Throw

Find the pattern here. Ravelry again!

I haven’t tried illusion knitting yet. I think I might have to when there are patterns like this. It just looks like a normal throw and then you move a bit and GASP! IT’S A DIREWOLF WARNING ME OF WINTER! Glorious.

Next Friday I’ll be going back to my roots: a selection of Buffy-inspired patterns. Yeah.

P.S. I tried to get permission to post these pictures. One did not reply. If you see this and want me to take the picture down, let me know!

Related articles

• Wonderful Patterns Wednesday (dragonflowerjewellery.wordpress.com)
• SDCC 2013: Cuddle Up To A Direwolf With Factory Entertainment’s HBO ‘Game Of Thrones’ Plush Assortment [EXCLUSIVE] (geek-news.mtv.com)
• The Best Game of Thrones Quotes (cabletv.com)
• Games of Thrones’ Season Finale Excites Us For Season 3 (wholesalecostumeclub.com)

Doctor Who Knitting Patterns

For my fellow Whovians out there I thought I’d bridge the gap between the epic finale of season 7 and the 50th Anniversary extravaganza with my favourite Doctor Who patterns. Let’s face it, we’re all going to be flailing like mad things when the next episode airs so we’ll need the appropriate geeky knitted goods to celebrate.

Let’s hope it’s a little cooler in the UK by then before we all develop Dave’s Syndrome.