Watch This Space

I promise to start posting again after 5/11/2009.

Vintage Patterns: Simplicity 8255

Vintage Patterns: Simplicity 3922

You can't tell from this picture, but there are shorts built in.

Vintage Patterns: Vogue 8277

View B has little loops to hold golf tees.

Vintage Patterns: Vogue 8451

Vintage Patterns: Vogue 6713

(I'm scanning my vintage patterns so that I can add the pictures to Pattern Review.)

Progress

I was able to take a few items off my list:

- I sewed my knit cuffs into my red coat.  I tried it outside and it makes such a difference.  I'm very happy about that.

- I wove in my button threads on my cardigan and snipped a few other threads.  It is done, done, done.

- I threw out my store-bought brown sweater because it doesn't fit really well anyway.

- I officially bailed on the Babettte Blanket and I am now finishing up the Babette Pillowcase (12x15).

- I'm putting the Leg Warmers on hold until November.

I feel like I have a bit of breathing room.

Running the Numbers on Babette

Each square has four sides.  The number of double-crochets in each row is 4n-1.  So a two row square has 

    4 * [ (4*1) - 1 + (4*2) - 1 ] = 40.  

A four row square has 

    40 + 4 * [ (4*3) - 1 + (4*4) - 1 ] = 144.

Etc.

I'm using sport weight yarn instead of the called-for fingering weight and I'm using a size F needle instead of the called-for E.  The largest square I've completed is a ten row.  It weighs 45 g.  I've worked out the following table:

I don't have 24 balls of yarn so I'm contemplating my options.  The pattern conveniently groups the motifs into ten groups that spiral out from a center 12-row square in a log-cabin fashion.  So, I could probably do nine groups and end up with a good sized blanket.  Or would it be better to scale back the project to a pillowcase and repurpose the unused yarn for something else?  (And use the money I save to pay for Pixelmator, so I don't have a watermark on my table!)

Works in Progress Update

I'm shampooing the carpeting today, after spilling a coffee last night.  (ahem, Friday the 13th)  This has me in a cleaning and organizing mood.  That and the hope that I can put the severe winter parkas back in the storage l0cker.  So, here's the updated list of projects:

Practically done/ Finishing/ Mending

• Striped Cardigan.  I just need to weave in the ends of the button thread.  And get over the fact that it is completely unflattering.  Other people seem to think well of it.
• MagPi shawl.  Done, but I want to mount it on the wall.  So I need a big circle of... foam board?
• Leg Warmers.  I was so fired up to make these when it was freezing cold.  They need elastic because they are too big.  I still can't seem to accept how much knit things will stretch.  (Maybe this one is actually on hold)
• Winter Coat Cuffs.  I knit cuffs for the sleeves of my winter coat to keep the wind out.  All I have to do is sew them in.  I should do it before the weather really warms up.  It will be a treat to pull my coat out of the storage locker next fall and find them in there.
• Mend hole in (store bought) brown sweater.
• Re-attach button to DH's (store bought) gray cardigan

In-progress

• Babette Blanket.  I have all the yarn for this now.  (Note to self.  Update Ravelry)  And I've noticed that, if I make the squares in the recommended order, I can stop when I run out of yarn and I'll have something I can work with.  I'm making this in heavier yarn than the pattern calls for, so there is a real danger of it getting too big if I make the full pattern.
• Juliet Cardigan.  I have the yarn for this.  I think I'll bring it to the UFO Party if I go.
• Bulletproof Vest for DH.  This is going to take some time...

On Hold

• Re-line my knit Circle Skirt.  Not only is the current lining half-baked and insufficiently slippery, but I attached the skirt inside out. (!)  [Stored in "May" box]
• Alter Luxembourg t-shirt so it fits better.  ["November" box]
• Fix the bind off of bamboo socks (add to Ravelry) to make it more flexible.  ["May" box]
• Add elastic to blue chevron lace socks (add to Ravelry) so they stay up.  (See complaint about leg warmers.) ["May" box]
• Turn cat tights from Lands' End into socks. ["May" box]
• Re-knit top of Venezia Hat so it fits better.  ["November" box]
• Line Silver Purse.  ["May" box]
• Fix ripped seam in DH's blue sweatshirt.  ["May" box]
• Make a Nokia N800 case from the single entrelac sock I made (Ravelry?)
• Line knit-felted bindle bag (Ravelry?)
• Alter polka-dot sweaters from Ann Taylor
• Line "Mainframe" wristlet (add to Ravelry)

Starting Soon

• Baby Surprise Jacket for DF (add to Ravelry)

Later

• Thrummed Mittens next winter.  For me.  For DF.  For DH?  Loopy says they'll have a class on this.  Yay!!!
• Make something - probably a dress - from the lace edging I made long ago.  ["May" box]
• Piece Matador Quilt when I get the rotary cutter that DF's grandmother oh-so-generously gave me.  ["May" box]

Ideas not yet fleshed out

• An apron.  Really.  A practical one, not just a cute, kitschy one.
• Sock-weight hat for DH.  Small enough to pocket.  Maybe an alpaca sock yarn.  Maybe from the hodge-podge of sock yarn that I already have.  [Yarn stored in "May" box]
• Another lace skirt.  Plan was to use my sock yarn, but now I'm thinking linen.  Vicky at Loopy was talking about how people don't use linen yarn as much as she'd expect.  She also mentioned something about handpainted linen...

Blocking Lace

The magic of lace blocking is always worth seeing, right?

Before:


After:


I'm glad to be done knitting this piece that I'm calling the MagPi shawl (based on the Pi shawl, made from a magpie-like collection of bits). I'm sorry that I lost faith in the concept near the end and doubled the stitches prematurely at the last green part. Apart from the fact that I had to keep scrambling to find more yarn for the cast off, now it has a sloppy, not-remotely-ruffly edge. I think I'm going to stretch it over a big circle of... something and mount it on the wall.

Knitting Status

Active

• Sonnet Cardigan (Crocheting edge now.  Need to add buttons.  Maybe shoulderpads?)
• DH's Fair Isle Vest (I'm not even to the armholes yet.)
• Scrap Pi Vest (How did this jump the queue?)

Unfinished, but Active

• Juliet Sweater (Have the yarn, just need to make some room in the schedule)
• Red knit cuffs (These are done - I just need to sew them into my coat sleeves)

Unfinished and Dormant

• Venezia Hat (Have the yarn but what are the chances I'll finish before spring)
• Babette (Have most of the yarn.  Need to bundle into commute-friendly mini-skeins.)

That's all I can think of at the moment.  I'm sure I'll come up with more.

Giving blogging another try

I'm feeling very sociable and involved having been to Loopy Yarns' Thursday Lunch Bunch today.  That, and I have an idea for a project that might be worth sharing.  And you can't share your ideas without a blog.

So I'm going to post all things yarn-related.  And some things that aren't.  And I'm going to post them... soon.

-M