I Stalk Knitters

I Stalk Knitters

Oh, she's cool. I found her through My Best Friend's a Dork, another awesome knitblog. I WANNA JOIN THE RING! Mid-June, baby, mid-June. Breathe.

Bring in da seam, bring in da funk..iness

OK. I finished all 6 of the orange-peel-looking sections last week, but the torment of The Joining nearly drove me frizzy.

I'm not the best when it comes to finishing; I tend to get wide-eyed and freaky... But after days of curling up in Child Pose and rocking back and forth when I couldn't ken how to join the pieces together, I went to the Knit & Sip. They couldn't think of any other ways to do it, so I just sat there and hacked away at it. VOILA! It turns out that if you pretend to do the Mattress Stitch and just plow through the curves, it gets joined up pretty tidily.

So I'm almost done joining up (have to pick out one of them, due to sloppiness) and will probably stuff with polyfill and the bell and wait until J's sister has her baby to mail it off. Everyone at the K&S thought it was very cute and I had done a good job. A few of them are getting together this afternoon to knit braclets and chokers, and I may just bring my stuff and join in the conversation.

Ball With Bell

So- since J's sister's baby is due any day now, and I know she doesn't read my blog, here's the skinny in my recent non-Cardi project!

It's from a book called Knitted Toys by Fiona McTague.

Ball With Bell
Measurements: Height of ball approximately 5in
Materials: Small amounts of Rowan Handknit DK Cotton in 6 colors
Pair of size 3 needles; 1 toy bell; Washable toy stuffing

Gauge
24 sts and 32 rows to 4 in measured over stockinette stitch using 3 needles

Sections:
Using 3 needles and color A, cast on 1 st
Knit into back and front of this st => 2 sts
Cont in A, work in st st, starting with a P row:
P: Inc into first and last st => 4 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 6 sts
P: purl 6 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 8 sts
P: purl 8 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 10 sts
P: purl 10 sts
K: knit 10 sts
P: Inc into first and last st => 12 sts
K: knit 12 sts
P: purl 12 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 14 sts
P: purl 14 sts
K: knit 14 sts
P: knit 14 sts
K: Inc into first and last st => 16 sts
Work 16 rows even (pkpk/pkpk/pkpk/pkpk)
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 14 sts
Work 5 rows even (kpkpk)
P: purl 14 sts
K: knit 14 sts
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 12 sts
K: knit 12 sts
P: purl 12 sts
K: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 10 sts
Work 3 rows even (pkp)
K: knit 10 sts
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 8 sts
K: knit 8 sts
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 6 sts
K: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 4 sts
P: Dec 1 st at each end of row => 2 sts
P 1 row. K2tog, and fasten off

Join sections neatly, leaving a small opening. Insert stuffing and bell and sew up the opening.

I'm nearly done with section #5! Yaaaaaaaaaay!

Sugar'n Cream... and Peaches & Creme

So I'm working on a little side project- no serious details until it is finished and sent off, but suffice to say that I have learned some interesting lessons from the toils of this project.

1. Sugar'n Cream is made in Canada by Lily. Peaches & Creme is made in North Carolina by Elmore Pisgah. Wow. Just think of it. "Pisgah."
2. Nothing helps you understand a difficult stitch like PICTURES, people.
3. You don't have to buy the chic-chic expensive Rowan yarns. Or six different colors of the less expensive 4-ply cotton yarn. Especially if you haven't worked full-time since October 2003.

I can finish one of these panels in an hour, so I think I can complete this and get back to Dad's Cardi soon.

Have spread the worldwide knit in public day meme to the Knit&Sip group leader for another library branch- she likes the idea and hopefully may spread it on herself. I'm thinking of making a different-type flyer for Library Posting. Although, now that I've just seen Kelly K's new flyer, that might do.

Frustration!

I am getting frustrated with a side project I thought would be a piece of cake. It's turning into a stressy piece of cake. I'm trying to not have to buy the fancy pooh-bah handknit Rowan yarn as I am not cash-flowy lately. But the only equivalent yarn I can find doesn't want to be knit with size 3 needles. HAIR PULL.

Cardigan- still waiting for the yarn to seize up. Father's Day is fast approaching and I better have it done by then or my name will be "Delinquent Deb."

Bleah. Maybe I'll just knit it REALLY loosely and see wot happens.

sigh. I'd rather just veg out and watch all the Star Wars flicks.