Woolly Interlude

This little guy was actually my second FO of 2007, but it was a surprise that had to be mailed pretty far away, so I didn’t want to post anything until he was safely home.

Pattern: Junebug, from Jess Hutchison’s Unusual Toys for You to Knit and Enjoy
Needles: Clover DPNs, size US7
Yarn: Scraps of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, LB CottonEase, and KP Main Line, for washability
Started: January 9, 2007
Finished: Januray 11, 2007

The above picture doesn’t show his little I-cord antennae, but that’s fine with me. I was super excited to finally get to use some safety eyes, because I love how they look! I used bigger eyes than the pattern calls for, since that’s all I had, but I like how they give him a slightly bug-eyed look.

This is the third pattern I’ve knit from that booklet (first was Spherey, and then the still unfinished Odd Fellows), and they’ve all been fantastic. Now I just have to keep knitting them, because I’ve got a huge bag of fiberfill to use up, and I’ve only put a small dent into it.

I love Unusual Toys for You to Knit and Enjoy, a booklet self-published by Jess Hutchison last year. It’s not available from the author anymore, but if you happen to see a copy up for swap/sale anyway, BUY IT AS FAST AS YOU CAN. It’s that good.

Last year, I knit Spherey from this booklet for my little niece’s Christmas gift, and this year, I’ve made her six little Odd Fellows, although I think of mine as Eggy Fellows

It was hard to pull the Fellows away from Waking Ned Devine for a photo shoot. They wouldn’t pose until I promised to let you know that they wholeheartedly recommend the movie, despite the dead chickens. I did get them to pose for a nice (if slightly cheesy) group shot.

I knit them with US 6 Clover DPNs and an assortment of Knitpicks Wool of the Andes and Cascade 220, with a wee bit of Artyarns Supermerino thrown in. I embroidered on the faces, including the eyes, because they’re intended for the under-2 crowd. I can’t wait till my niece is old enough not to try to chew eyes off of toys, because I love the look of black safety eyes. Now all I have to do is decide if I like them better with or without limbs; I’m leaning toward limbs, but they’re kinda fiddly and will therefore test my knitting stamina.

And thanks, everyone, for the kind words about the last post; it was fun to come up with a photo idea that would make people gasp with horror. In case y’all remember the contest I mentioned (yarny goodness to commenter #300), well, we’re within 15 comments now. I can’t reveal exactly what the prize will be, because it depends a little on what the knitter who wins likes. Don’t worry, though, there are some great things to be won!

I got a package from the UPS man today, and it was a copy of the Crochet Pattern-a-Day 2007 Calendar. It was a surprise, although it probably shouldn’t have been. See, about a month ago, I was at Barnes & Noble, and I saw these calendars for sale, and I thought to myself, ‘Hey, didn’t I submit a pattern for that? And shouldn’t I get a free copy? Well, I haven’t heard anything, so maybe my pattern isn’t in there.’ And I didn’t think more about it, until I saw that Deneen had written about the copy she received, and I thought, ‘Well, surely if I were in the calendar, I would have gotten a copy by now.’

So, last week, I got a phone call from my old landlord in Iowa City, saying that the tenant in my old apartment had received a package for me from UPS, and that she’d see if they could forward it to me. Well, I don’t think UPS forwards, anyway, because if someone’s shipping to you via UPS, surely they’d have the right address. So I had to pay $9 to get it sent here, and the package got here today, and it was a free(ish) calendar!

I’m December 13th, if you were curious. The pattern is for this afghan I made in May of 2005.

The box design for the calendar is great, and I like the page design, too. Some of the patterns are fantastic, and make me want to bust out my crochet hooks for something other than casting on or picking up dropped stitches. Of course, there are also patterns that are the sort that perpetuate the stereotype that crochet is tacky, but everyone’s taste is different, and it’s really not my place to criticize. Especially because some people might pick up the calendar and think ‘Who on earth would make a neon colored acrylic monstrosity like that?!’

So, today I started a scarf, which sounds really simple. But it’s one of those situations where I knew exactly what I wanted, so I’ve designed it myself. Here’s the start:

This is a Christmas present requested last January by my mom; it’s a hooded scarf with “fewer holes” than the last hooded scarf I gave her. That one was made with a lacy crochet stitch, and she wears it and loves it, but apparently too much wind got through at the height of winter. I’m using KnitPicks’ Sierra in Pool and US 10 1/2 Addi Turbos. In terms of design, I provisionally cast on and worked a combination of 2×2 ribbing and a 6-stitch cable I found in the Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns. I got it this afternoon at Barnes & Noble, where it was 30% off. I like that it has both written instructions and charts for each stitch in the book.

Anyway, I’m going to work two half, and then I’m planning on working the second half off of the initial cast-on. I know the cables and ribs won’t line up perfectly, but I’m going to put in a fake “seam” of stockinette, so hopefully it’ll be less noticeable. [Edited to add: I know this might seem odd, but in the planning stages, it really made sense. I’m keeping it, mostly because I got to try a new cast-on, and we’ll just wait and see how it looks in the end.] Then I’m going to seam a little bit to make a hood, and if I have time and the inclination (and the yarn), I might crochet an edging on it.

It’s nice, mindless knitting, since 5 out of every 6 rows are essentially 2×2 ribbing. Comes in handy when you’re watching Drop Dead Gorgeous for the umpteenth time I think my mom will like it, and at any rate, she’ll wear it no matter what, ’cause she’s sweet like that.

In other news, I went to pay an insurance bill yesterday, and the agent asked me to bring in a resume for a customer service/marketing position. Since the other 15 jobs I’ve applied for in the last two months haven’t really gone anywhere, I’m hoping that I get an interview, at least.

I got a sewing machine last February and made some handbags for awhile, but since getting to Louisville, I’ve done quite a bit more with my trusty Kenmore. In August, I sewed slipcovers for the dining room chairs, and a tablecloth, and they still look nice. So, for September, I decided to make a quilt, having never done so before. Now, before you peg me as overly self-confident (or really, really dumb), I felt confident because I checked out an awesome book from my local library: Your First Quilt Book (or it should be!). This book is completely appropriate for anyone with basic sewing skills who want to know how to make a quilt; it answered all of my questions and even some I didn’t know I had. Of course, I’ve already renewed the book, because the quilt’s not finished…. Here’s the top, though (see, I learned that bit of jargon from the book!).

I used 14 fabrics, and it’s based on the Turning Twenty quilt. By based on, I mean I saw a picture of that quilt, didn’t know what it was, liked the proportions of the squares, and figured out my own version, and then found out it was a pattern available for sale. I like my version better, though

Now, all I have to do is get the supplies I’ll need to finish the quilt, and finish it. That might take me awhile, but when I get it done, it’ll grace the back of my futon. With fourteen fabrics, something should go with the rest of the “decor” (which is, unfortunately, currently still “college student chic,” or bare).

Last but not least, the Hawks lost (but it was to the top team in the nation, so I shouldn’t complain too much). There is one benefit to the Buckeyes doing so well: my dad, who has three buckeye trees and hundreds of pounds of buckeyes to get rid of each year, is able to sell the nuts on eBay to the nuts who like the team. Crazy? Yeah….