Friday, May 29, 2015

Finished Object Friday

I went to JoAnn today and bought a whole bunch of stuff for several different projects.  It was really fun to find the Doctor Who fabrics there.  I'm trying to work up a little energy to get all of it out of the car.  I'm too tired to attempt pictures, but I may dig up some I already took.

What I finished since the last time I mentioned finishing things:


  • Time Traveler Geek socks.  They're in the laundry.


  • Fairy Queen Tea Cosy.


  • Mystery Shawl.  I used about 2/3 of the amount of yarn that the pattern called for.  I don't know what I did wrong.  I don't like it anyway.


  • Oswin Shawl.  I don't like how it came out.


  • Seventh Doctor mitts, for my spoilee:


  • Wibbly Wobbly mittens, for my spoilee.  They came out okay.  Picture later.


  • Mini K-9.  Picture later.
  • Seestra mystery socks.  Picture later.



  • Wednesday, May 27, 2015

    Work in Progress? Wednesday

    I'm going through one of those phases where most of what I work on doesn't look good to me. 

    Mystery afghan square looks okay.

    Alice in Wonderland pillow continues, but the squares are not quite what I want them to be.  Sewing the squares together has been not fun.  I've done some seams multiple times and they still aren't good.

    The Weeping Angel looks okay enough to send to my swap partner.  I don't think I'll try the other people I was thinking of making for her, though.

    I knit a mini K-9 which is okay enough.  I've done this pattern at least twice before, so I don't know why it didn't come out better.

    I'm about to switch over to the sewing projects.  Maybe a little vacation from yarn will make things look better. 

    Go visit Yarn and Life and see some things done by people who like their work this week.  :)

    Wednesday, May 20, 2015

    WIP Wednesday

    Mystery afghan's square is done.  It looks a lot like many of the previous ones, so no picture.  I'm using up the leftovers from my Central Park Hoodie for this and the yarn's almost used up.

    Ravelry recommendations turned up another fun-sounding mystery KAL.  You make a mystery yarn ball of various weights and then we get a pattern.  I think it's going to be a shawl.  Here are my mystery cakes:
    I think my yarn pieces are a bit longer than required.  I used up bits of handspun made from fiber samples.

    I started a pair of mittens for my Doctor Who swap partner:
    Those are sonic screwdrivers on the bottom and a bunch of tiny Tardises on the palm.  The back of one hand says Wibbly Wobbly and the other says Timey Wimey.

    I made a weeping angel, also for my swap partner:

    I'm not confident about her.  I'm thinking about repainting her eyes so they are closer to the yarn color.  The wings could use a bit of blocking.  I was thinking about doing a couple more by the same designer that my swappee wants, but want them to come out well.  Grumble, grumble, grumble.  It's back to the mittens or maybe a mini K-9.  I know I can do that one.



    Saturday, May 16, 2015

    Stash Enhancement Saturday

    None of it is actually being stashed.  It's three separate projects for the Doctor Who Odd Duck swap.
    I don't think that my partner will show up here, but just in case I won't say exactly what is happening.  Two are inspired by the Weeping Angels and the other by the Seventh Doctor.

    I've already warned the swap group that I'll probably make too much stuff.  If one of these projects works out okay, there are two more related ones I'm going to do.  There's a sewing project.  Plus maybe a shawl if I can find a pattern that isn't made with laceweight.  Wheeee, big swap fun!

    Wednesday, May 13, 2015

    WIP Wednesday May 13, 2015

    It isn't just yarn stuff in progress.  I've made two separate attempts with the camera.  Only the last picture in this post was one that looked in focus to me.

    Week 20 of the mystery afghan is complete.  It's picture was a complete blur.  I was starting to think I needed to get to an eye doctor pronto.

    The Oswin shawl made it past the halfway point.

    Alice pillow is done through the second hedgehog (picture looked like a hedgehog was between me and the square) plus the first Alice (which looks like she might've already had a sip from the Drink Me bottle).
    Seestra socks came out better if you don't count that the color's actually dark blue.
    Helena:
    Sarah:




    The stitch marker charm bracelet is kinda sorta work in progress:
    I was not expecting to end up with a bracelet that fit, let along one that was a little bit big.  I can hook the clasp in one of the links instead of the clasp.  The clasp looks like a fancy little charm and it is just fine dangling down with the little bit of extra chain.  I'm glad I decided to do this.

    Links to other WIPs.



    Tuesday, May 12, 2015

    Love Your Library - May's done

    Hmm, not too terribly fuzzy.  Someday I will be able to tell before I see the pictures on the computer screen whether they are correct or not.  I haven't been able to figure out why one day I can take some that look right and do the same thing the next day and they are fuzzy. 

    These are from a book where you pick one pattern for the top edge, one for the leg, and a third for the foot and toe.  It's fun.  You use three different yarns.  The multi colors are not the same wool blend, but they are from the same dyer.  I may try this again.

    I haven't made plans for June yet.  We got our partners for a Doctor Who Odd Duck swap on Ravelry yesterday.  I've got tons of ideas of things to make for my partner.

    Wednesday, May 6, 2015

    WIP Wednesday 5/6/15

    Oswin shawl, third attempt.  Picture's fuzzy, but otherwise I do think I've finally got it right:
    Mystery afghan, week 19:
    Alice in Wonderland pillow.  There are two of each square and I've started the second one of this.  They are hedgehogs.
    More wips are here.


    Saturday, May 2, 2015

    Seestra Socks

    I enjoy watching Orphan Black, a show on BBC America.  Tatiana Maslany is the lead and does an amazing job.  She plays multiple characters and I actually forget that it is only one person playing all of these parts.  Normally when I watch something with a single actor doing multiple parts, I try to figure out how they get them all on the screen at once.  Not with Orphan Black.  The main characters are all clones who were raised in separate countries.  My favorite is an insane Ukranian called Helena.  (Note:  the character really is out of her mind and I'm not throwing rocks at Ukrainians.  I had Ukrainian grandparents.)  Sarah, another clone, calls her Meathead.  Helena calls Sarah seestra (sister).

    That was my long explanation about the name for my Coexist socks.  This is the chose your adventure style socks.  I was surprised to discover that there are 8! different choices, four each in science fiction and fantasy.  I'm being forced to choose between Doctor Who and Firefly.  I can't do it.  There will be two socks, seestras, with the same yarn and different patterns.

    Next week, will I choose Star Wars or Star Trek?  Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings?  Harry Potter or Narnia?  (Probably not Narnia because I've never read it.)  Stay tuned.

    Friday, May 1, 2015

    Arne & Carlos yarn

    I didn't have anything in progress to show yesterday.  It's because I finished a few things and had one fail.  You'd think I could tell the difference between a single and double crochet in a chart I've started twice.  Turns out I couldn't.  Duh.

    I still went and clicked away at links of people who had things in progress.  This is dangerous because you can easily find patterns and yarn that you must have.  I bought one pattern where the proceeds go to Nepal.  That was a Good Thing.  The not good thing was Arne & Carlos self-patterning yarn from Regia.
    It comes in six colors.  It was designed by the guys who do those great Scandinavian pattern books.  I like them and I must have this yarn.  My frantic search gave me little information.  I could buy it on eBay for $24 a ball.  That's not happening.  I might be able to find some in Europe.  The cost of shipping will probably bring it up to the eBay price.  Again, not happening.  Sellers everywhere are running out of it.  It's expected back in the USA in the fall.  Oh, well.  Many shiny objects will distract me before then.

    Mayday queue

    Keeping a queue here works better for me than my Ravelry queue.
    • Mystery afghan squares-keep up
    • Alice in Wonderland pillow, Frieda bag, alternate with something that isn't a square
    • Monster Under the Bed challenge, choose something, finish in May
    • Where in Time & Space challenge, choose something, finish in May
    • Chameleon Circuit challenge, choose something, finish in May
    • Doctor Runs challenge, choose something, finish in May 
    • Colorwork socks, finish in May
    • Coexist Socks, Hitchhiker box bag, start in May, check for updates on Fridays
    • Oswin shawl, Jessalu Who bag, due 6/30, restart.  At least 45 g of yarn for each side.
    • Name of the Doctor scarf, Tardis bag, enter in Pandorica for the month you think you can finish it
    • Pond Socks, Monty Python bag, save for Who event
    • Spoilers Socks, Llama bag, save for Who event
    • Arts and Crafts blanket-project in hibernation until you finish most of this list
    • Cat Hoodie, do later
    • Mollie Makes flowerpot covers, do later 
    • Remember the sewing projects