Cowls!

I'm kind of obsessed with cowls right now.  In particular I am loving Garter Girl's Burberry Inspired Cowl. So far I have made two, with plans for more in the near future. Both times a added 2 extra pattern repeats more than the one from the original, because I like a slightly longer cowl. Anything shorter feels a little too turtle-neck-y for me.

The first one I made was after I had been knitting for just a couple weeks. It was a actually the first pattern I ever finished! I didn't think it would make much difference if I used a bulkier yarn weight, and so I turned to my stash of Loops & Threads Cozy Wool. It took three balls to finish it, and it came out quite "cozy" indeed:

Really,  not terrible for a first try!  But I wanted to make a sleeker version. I bought some of this lovely Berroco chunky Alpaca yarn for my second run at it, and I think it came out even better:

I actually made this one for a good friend of mine, but had to snap a shot with my creation before giving it away. :) So of course I will need to make another for myself! I would like to find a yarn similar the the one the pattern calls for, which is a merino/ silk blend, but that particular yarn has been discontinued and finding a similar blend in the same weight has been hard to find.

I really like the alpaca but the silk would give a nice sheen to it.

As far as technical execution, I got the hang of the cables pretty well but I didn't have the patience to learn the provisional cast on. Also,  the YouTube tutorial I found on the Kitchener stitch was giving me nightmares, so I decided to heck with a seamless finish, because how hard are people going to be staring at the back of my neck anyway??

But I want to learn those techniques eventually! Anyone have any advice on provisional cast on sand Kitchener stitching??

The iPad cozy!

After my foray into the world of cables which resulted in my highly coveted coffee cozy, I felt comfortable enough to tackle this ipad cozy.

I just really like my household objects to be sufficiently cozy, okay??

I fittingly used a skein of Loops & Threads "Cozy Wool" that I found on sale at Michaels. It was actually a bulkier weight yarn than the pattern called for, but I like the way it turned out;

My stitching to close up the bottom is pretty shoddy work, but because the pattern is such a snug fit for the iPad, it stretches it out enough that it's not overly noticeable.

Not quite as inconspicuous is the reverse side, where I forgot to add a cable and as a result there's a big flat spot where the braid just gives up on life.

Not pictured. You don't need to see that.

Overall, I think it's a great free pattern that's perfect for beginners and quick to make.  Even I can finish one of these suckers in a afternoon.

I think I might like to try making another ipad cover but using a different pattern.  Maybe one with a button? But there are so many patterns to choose from! Any recommendations?

Creations I'm not too embarrassed to post on the internet - The Coffee Cup Cozy

Once I got the hang of "knit one, purl two" it was time to try an actual project with the hopes that the finished product might resemble something other than a 19th century sanitary napkin. You know, something with a little more purpose than this:

Yeah, I still wasn't getting the whole binding off process.

My first attempt was the "Pumpkin Spice" coffee cup cozy, perfect for beginners and a crash course in cables. I used cheap yarn to practice the pattern with and after several attempts (half of which I used the wrong sized needles and the wrong weight yarn) I finally made it to the end where I could actually sew on the button! Here was the result.

Not perfect by any means but you can almost consider it a functional piece of craftwork. The trick I found with cables is to knit as "relaxed" as possible, especially the two rows before the cable row.  It also helps to use plastic needles as I lost many stitches to the evils of  those slippery aluminum needles. I also found I needed to count the stitches after every row or I would magically end up with err... "Extracurricular" stitches. But really between all the stitches I dropped and all the ones I inadvertently added, I think it balanced out. I mean, doesn't it work like that?

And yes,the button is slightly off centre. I think it gives it character.

How often have is used this coffee cozy at home, you may ask? Exactly zero times. But next time I hit up the Starbucks drive through you better believe I will brandish this piece with pride. No more cardboard sleeves for this textile-savvy caffeine addict!

Gnitting... ? I think it's with a soft "G"

About three weeks ago, after months of drooling over knitted scarves, gloves, and cardigans on Pinterest, it occurred to me -  What of I just make this stuff myself? How hard can it be?

So I ran over to my local Walmart (Michaels who?) and bought a pair of knitting needles (there are different sizes?) and yarn (Double Worsted What?) and loaded up the first YouTube tutorial I could find on knitting. 

After several hours of diligent study, I ended up with this:

Not one to be easily deterred, I kept practicing, and the triumphant result was this:

What. It's a bookmark. I mean, binding off is for losers, right?

I'm happy to say that the following days and weeks have seen considerable process. I may like to do things the hard way (ie- skim pattern instructions and/or disregard them altogether) but sooner or later I end up with something I'm proud of. Or at least something that will serve as adequate tinder post-apocalypse.

 I started this blog to stay motivated, to spare my friends and family from spamming up their Facebook newsfeed with my latest "accomplishments", and to hopefully blunder my way to a garment or accessory I can somehow wield in public. So... stay tuned!