Something That Isn't Green

Another finished object, and an old one at that. I am halfway through finishing my 2010 projects, hooray!

Pattern: Saartje's Booties the Bockstark Way by Kris Stanton
Yarn:KUAS Yarns Fingering Weight Superwash Blend Wool in Sex in the City
Needle: size 2.5 circular
Date Started: October 16, 2010
Date Finished: March 29, 2011
Comments: These were supposed to be a baby gift, but I decided I want to make a set with a hat or sweater instead. I will put them aside, because I am sure someday someone will have a baby girl, even though none of my friends are even considering such action and my relatives are past the baby-making years. (Not to mention it is not even in my 5 year plan!) The actual knitting did not take too long, I just got lazy about making the button loops. There is a fantastic tutorial here.

Interstate Traveler Scarf

This is the scarf with the world's longest bind off. I named it the Interstate Traveler Scarf because I worked on it during our drive from Virginia to Wisconsin. I think I was binding off through all of Ohio, parts of Indiana, and for several hours in Wisconsin. That is because it is a sewn bind off, so I had to start with three times the length (probably about 5 feet, so 15 feet or so of yarn). Mr. DB kept making fun of me: "Through pull pull pull pull pull. Through pull pull pull pull pull..." I am very happy with the final product though. This is my favorite jewel tone shade of green, and I think it has the perfect amount of ruffle. And isn't the shawl pin adorable? I got it from fibrespace, where I also bought the yarn.

Pattern:Palindrome: A Little Jazz by Samantha Roshak
Yarn:Miss Babs Yummy Monochrome Sport & Sock Yarn - 3 Ply in My Kelley
Needle: size 5 circular
Date Started: January 12, 2010
Date Finished: March 13, 2011
Comments: I made a few mods: cast on 220 stitches to make it longer and increased front and back on every stitch to make it more ruffly. Here it is stretched out:

Button and Brad Bobby Pin Tutorial

I recently got my hair cut very short and decided the style needed some cute accessories. I trolled Etsy for awhile, but decided that I could make my own at no cost. I did up a little tutorial. Nothing earth shattering, but it is a fun little project.

Supplies

• Hot glue gun. Mine is actually a low-heat one, but I think I hot one would work better so that it stays tacky longer for better placement.
• Old buttons and or brads
• Bobby pins

This is what I did to make my new favorite hair accessories.

1. Look through your crafting stash and find interesting buttons and brads. This is a great way to use up single items because you do not need a matching set.
2. Clear off your table so that it looks presentable in pictures. Not that my apartment ever looks anything but presentable.
3. Gather supplies.
   
4. Plug in hot glue gun.
5. Do laundry and have a cup of coffee. Coffee may be substituted for your favorite caffeinated beverage. One of those lucky people who eschews caffeine? Have a glass of water. It is almost always good for you.
6. Get distracted for 10 minutes trying to figure out how to spell the word eschew.
7. For buttons, put a line of hot glue on the flat surface. I tried the loop, but I found that was not large enough to be secure, so instead I used a radius of the button. The diameter would probably work better, but unless you have extra long bobby pins, that might make the pin too short.
   

8. Quickly line up and put the flat part of a bobby pin into the glue.
9. Press firmly.

10. For brads, fold over the flaps.


11. Put glue on one of the flaps.
12. Quickly line up and put the flat part of a bobby pin into the glue.

13. Admire your handy work.

14. Realize that it is 11:30 and you have not done anything useful yet today.
15. Put your new bobby pins aside to let them bind.
16. I suggest you find a place away from cats and other creatures that might think they are fun toys.

17. Clean up your materials and actually do something for work or school.
18. But first, more caffeine (or water).
19. Wait a month or so until you have done your hair to take "after" pictures.
    

Boyfriend Scarf

I finally finished Mr. DB's scarf, as he pointed out, just in time for spring. Oh well, he can wear it next year. He hates having his picture taken, so I modeled instead.

Pattern:Palindrome: A Reversible Cable Scarf by Kristin Bellehumeur
Yarn: Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool in Hunter Green
Needle: size 9 circular
Date Started: December 5, 2010
Date Finished: March 16, 2011
Comments: Cast on extra stitches for another pattern repeat. Extended cable to every 10 rows. I think those two changes made the pattern more masculine. I hate knitting scarfs, but maybe because it was for Mr. DB that I did not mind as much as usual. But I still do not think I"ll be making another scarf for quite awhile. Once I started working on it exclusively, it went very quickly. This thing is very long- well over six feet.

Here is detail shot, although the color is actually a dark, hunter green.

Happy Spring Break!

Just what the doctor ordered- a week off of classes. Actually a week and a half because my last class was last Wednesday. A friend of mine had his spring break last week, and he commented that it should actually be called "Late Winder Intensive Term With No Class Sessions". I think that is very true. I did my visiting and vacationing over the weekend, and now it is time to catch up on work and all those pesky little tasks I never have time to do during the semester.

There has been knitting though. I'll be sharing the story of my latest scarf soon. Let's just say it was the longest bind off EVER. For now, my goal is to finish Mr. DB's scarf so that maybe he can wear it once or twice before the weather gets too warm.

I hope you are enjoying a little bit of spring.

Cowl Completed

I decided not to let the cowl sit in time out after all. I just have too many lingering projects, and I'm dying to cast on for a sweater.

I suppose wearing it this way isn't as fashionable, but it is so snuggly and warm. Really, you can't go wrong with Plucky and Madelinetosh.

Pattern:Honey Cowl by Madelinetosh
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino Worsted in Ivy League Daydream
Needle: size 8 circular
Date Started: February 24, 2011
Date Finished: March 3, 2011
Comments: I made a custom size by casting on 180 stitches. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I ran out of yarn. Instead of frogging all the knit rows at the end plus some of the pattern, I only did three rows of stockinette instead of three before binding off. I can't decide if I like that there is a fake seam at the edge. Final size is 38" by 5". I think this yarn and pattern were made for each other. This is my first cowl, but I can see more in my future.

PS- I've decided it is impossible to take a picture of yourself wearing a cowl. So please excuse all bra straps, double chins, bad lighting, unbrushed hair, and disproportional body shapes.

Grr

Don't you hate when this happens? One yard of yarn and 100 more stitches to bind off. That means I have to undo the stitches I've already bound off, then frog one row of 180 stitches. Grrr. My cowl is in time out for a couple of days.
Lol, on a positive note, two somebodies wanted to know what I was doing on the floor. (Sorry for the fuzzy pictures).

2011 Goals- February Recap

Boy did February go quickly! March is going to be equally busy. But before I worry about that, let's recap February.

1. Make one scrapbook- no, although I did use my scrapbook supplies to make a Valentines Day card and gift
2. Start and finish a sweater- no
3. Make a color work project- no
4. Knit Nana and Grandad socks- no
5. Finish or frog all 2010 knitting projects- I thought I was done with Mr. DB's scarf, but he is just too tall. I need to go buy more yarn and finish this one up. This is one of my Spring Break goals.
6. Make a felt advent calendar- no
7. Work out 111 times- worked out 6 times (if I can read my calendar correctly). Not great, but an improvement over 1. March is going to be crazy, but my goal is 10 workouts.
8. Lose 11% of my body weight- I've lost about 5 pounds, so it is a start.
9. Learn to walk in high heels- I wore heeled boots a couple of times, but didn't really focus on this.
10. Prepare an academic paper for submission to a journal- I got some great ideas, but didn't do any actual work on this.
11. Read 11 non-school books by different authors- read one book. I am about halfway through another, plus halfway through a book that does not count because I've already read that author this year. This one is going to be tricky this month because I have a lot of school reading to do.

So overall, a kind of meh month. I made some progress, but not a lot. Spring break is in March, which one would think would leave a lot of time for working out, knitting, and reading, but I will be doing a little traveling and trying to get ahead on school work, so I am not expecting too much.

How about you? Are you still keeping your New Year's goals/resolutions? If not, why not re-dedicate yourself today?