The Decorator Crab

Ease on down the road.

So, I'm going to put up this here post as though it hasn't been FIVE MONTHS since I last blogged. Nothing out of the ordinary to see here folks, just a regular post.

Here we have my most recent FO, the Just Like a Peasant Cap (pdf) by Amber Daniels (Ravelry).

Yarn: Valley Yarns Williamstown, color 09, three skeins.
Needles: Inox circulars, size 10.5
Size: One Size
Notes: This is a fun, quick project and produces a jaunty little cap. The yarn is held doubled, so this really does knit up quickly. I loved the yarn, which I used for the first time in this project. I found it on WEBS for $4.99 a ball - a smoking deal! Here are some more photos, and then the notes from my Ravelry Project Page.

   

More notes:

I knitted the body of the hat flat for a couple of inches so that it would open a bit in the back and give the ties some room to move around. Then I joined and worked in the round until the piece measured 8” to the hem (not including the brim), and started evenly decreasing with K2TOG in 8 sections, every row until there were 8 stitches left.

For the strap, I slipped the first stitch of every row purlwise with the yarn in front, which left a very nice edge for sewing. I sewed the strap/tie thing on to the top of the brim ad around the edge of the hat to the back.

Success!

Pattern: Ballband Dishcloth from MDK
Yarn: Lily Sugar n' Cream
Needles: Clover bamboo straights, 7US

Notes: Never underestimate the utility of finishing small projects to boost your morale!  In an effort to reassure myself that, yes, I could finish something that I've started, I made my first stab at the Ballband Dishcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting (MDK). Before I started my "Stash-Only Knitting Diet," I stocked up with about ten balls of Sugar n' Cream cotton for dishcloths.  It looks like I can get two reverse-image dishrags from two balls of yarn (not surprisingly). This dishcloth will actually be used as a bar towel for the espresso machine, instead of a folded up kitchen towel. Multi-purpose! The reverse cloth (plain green blocks with a variegated background) is already on the needles.

Finished Object: Toesties

Pattern: Toesties, by Megan Mills

Yarn: Misti Alpacas Chunky

Needles: Inox straights, 7US; Clover bamboo DPN’s, 7US; G/6 & H/8 crochet hooks

Notes: I altered this pattern quite a bit to achieve the product that I wanted, and in the end I am satisfied with the results. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I knit the rib section in the round instead of flat, and I used garter stitch on the sole instead of maintaining the rib. I changed the toe shaping a little bit in order to produce a more rounded shape. I added a couple rounds of single crochet around the slipper opening, first with a larger hook, and then with a smaller one to snug up the opening around the foot. The yarn is so soft that they tend to slip a little anyway, but they stay on the foot very nicely. I went through a few iterations on the decorative treatment, from bobble to tassel and finally to a simple bow made of twisted cord. Just a little something to dress up the toe area (and cover up my sloppy crochet attachment!). A more utilitarian slipper could easily go without any decoration. If anyone is interested I can write up specifics about the alterations, but they were easy - give it a try yourself!

Garter Stitch Scarf

Pattern: CO 12, slip first stitch knitwise, knit to end.  Rinse, repeat.
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM in P3152, Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Drab, KH588
Needles: Denise Interchangeables, 11US

Notes:
The garter stitch scarf is supposed to be your first project, and now I understand why.  If you select yarns that are a pleasure to touch and that dazzle the eyes, knitting row after row is relaxing, satisfying, and, dare I say it, zen.  That being said, maybe I should have cast on some thing like 20 stitches instead of 12.  I was really worried about having enough yarn to make a decent scarf, so I made it narrow.  Maybe a bit too narrow.  The scarf is about three inches wide and about ten feet long.  In this picture I have it folded in half and wrapped around my neck twice.  But, it is SO warm and SO snuggley that I don't actually have any regrets about the way it turned out.  Here is a close-up picture so you can get a feel for the colorway.

My hand is doing well, but the Dermabond has already half fallen off and I am hoping that copious use of band-aids and paying extreme attention to it will keep me from having to go back to the ER for actual stitches.  So far, so good.  Thanks for all of the well wishes, and many apologies to mom for not calling right away.  I thought we were used to this sort of thing by now...