Lizard Ridge #1

I finished one square, and am done with 3 out of 4 repeats on my second square. I really like the way the colors are coming out, although I am slightly dissappointed that on square one, the really bright colors didn't show up till the very end, and by that point I was almost finished and they didn't take up much of the square. But I will be using my leftover bits of yarn to make other squares, since one square takes less than one skein, so they will show up somewhere in the blanket.

Some of these colors are beasts to photograph. The blue is more teal than it shows up here, and the purple more...purple, not as navy as it looks here.

More Noro

I've started my first Lizard Ridge square, but I'm going to wait until I finish it and block it before posting a picture, it doesn't look like much after only one repeat of the pattern. I did buy another skein of Noro for it, which brings me up to 4. I need to cool it until my next pay-day though, I had originally planned on only buying 2 skeins per paycheck. I just got a little over-excited.

The skein I bought today; I made a super cheap light box to try out, to see if I like it before paying a couple more bucks for supplies for a home-made one. I think I like the way the pictures look better, I just need to get the lighting placement down.

When I get the supplies to make a lightbox, it will have a less obvious 'glued down printer paper' look about it. But these are the three colors I have waiting for my blanket, the other is on the needles.

Booga Bag

I finished it! I'm so excited I'm done and ready to use it tomorrow. Right now it's drying, but it should be fine by the time I leave for class tomorrow.

Before felting, with a DVD case that would have been for shrinkage reference, but I forgot to put the case in the felted picture. The colors are truest here, but the green is a little more subtle than it is in the picture.

After felting. The color here is so off, the wall next to the door is actually a really pretty tropical blue, but it looks like putty here. I'm not sure what I did, but I think I changed the settings on my camera.

Noro pt. 2

I'm in love. I have been knitting less than one day with Noro, and I'm addicted. I've been searching around for a pattern that will show off the yarn, but not be something I have to wear against my skin (as gorgeous as that yarn is, it is so scratchy). I've decided on Lizard Ridge from Knitty:

(picture is from the Knitty website)

I want to do each square in a different colorway of Kureyon, to end up with a patchwork type blanket like above. I figure if I buy one or two skeins each time I get paid, the price won't seem so overwhelming (the yarn all together will cost around $190-$200).

Noro

A Noro virgin no more! I went to Renaissance Yarns and picked up three skeins of Noro Kureyon in color 159 for a Booga Bag. I have finished the bottom and picked up the stitches for the sides. It just seems a little small so far; but the colors are gorgeous. I'll get a picture of the bag when I'm further along, right now it doesn't look like much. But here is the yarn I'm using:

A bumble pug in the making

I am going to Seattle's Pugapalooza this May, and will be entering Daisy, one of my pugs, into the custom-made costume contest. I'm knitting her a bee-striped sweater, and will fashion wings and feelers. I'm using Casey's Coat from Stitch & Bitch Nation, and Simply Soft yarn (she has some skin issues we are trying to get cleared up, so I want something that will be soft and not itchy, as well as easily washable). I don't have a picture of the sweater (I have about 2.5 inches of the color done), but here is my Daisy who will be modeling it:

And the whole group, so no one feels left out:

Bumble Bee Sock

I have had a few people come up to me while I was knitting to tell me my sock was cute! That makes me happy. The sock itself though is making me a little peeved. I had noticed, while doing the short-row toes that they seemed a little off. Like they were loose and flappy. But I finished the short rows and knit a row or two longer before going, "OK, something really is not right here." And then noticed I had picked up the wrong sized needles. I was using 2's instead of 1's, and I'm amazed at the difference in the fabric between one needle size and the other. Not wanting to re-do the short row toe (I hate doing short rows, but I do them because I think they look 100 times better than other heel or toe techniques), I just switched over to my size 1's. They started looking better immediately, the toe just looks a little funky.

Fetching

I managed to finish one of Knitty's Fetching in just a day! I did it while watching two Dirty Jobs episodes, the movie Open Season, and most of The Mummy. I really, really like the way the yarn looks knit up, although it was a monster to work with. It was so loosely spun and split all over the place, and just pulled completely apart in some spots. But, I think the finished result is worth it, although it was pretty much impossible to get a picture that looks decent. The colors don't want to show up. I'll get a better picture once I finish both Fetching, but until then, here is a blurry, bad picture to give you an idea of what it looks like:

And a better view of the stitches:

Armwarmers!

I found the yarn I want to make my armwarmers with! I had been digging around my stash trying to find something that would work, but I wasn't really liking anything I had for armwarmers. But I went to a yarn shop in Gig Harbor today, which is a bit of a drive away so I don't get to go very often, and as soon as I saw this yarn I had to buy it. It's so bright and happy!

Trendsetter Yarns Tonalita in Rio.

It is 52% wool and 48% acrylic, and is so soft! I just need to find a pattern now. I was thinking Knitty's Fetching, just without the cables. I don't think this yarn would show off cables very well.

And then here is me working on my Bumble Bee sock, wearing my Very Harlot Poncho, which is my all-time favorite knit thing to wear.

Shame on me

I promised myself I would not start a new pair of socks until I had made the match to at least one of the three lone socks I have waiting for their partners. Then I went to Renaissance Yarns, and decided to buy some Lorna's Laces. Just buy it, or course, I wouldn't knit with it until I had finished another pair of socks. But then I got it home and wanted to see what it looked like rolled into a ball. And then I cast on. Shame on me! Presenting the beginning of the Bumble Bee Socks:

And I finally finished the body of the felted bag I have been working on forever. I stuffed it in the bottom of my knitting bag after I started the flap because purling with such large needles hurt my wrists. But I finally dragged it out and finished the flap and felted it. Now I need to finish the strap and pockets.

I'm a little disappointed with how short the flap came out, but the bag itself is the perfect size for what I was shooting for.

What I learned today

Here is what I learned today:

*My photography skills suck hardcore, even after two semesters of photography class (ok, highschool photography, both taken online, no teaching whatsoever. Gotta give myself a little credit).

*I still have no idea what all the fancy options on my new camera do.

*I can't figure out how to make my camera take smaller pictures.

*Even with anti-shake technology on said new camera, my hands are so unsteady everything comes out blurry.

*I was still too lazy to drag out my tripod for a proper FO shoot.

But here you go, one Victorian Diamond Top Sock, much blurrier in photo than in real life:

On the sock blocker (cheap metal hanger)

On my foot

Trying to get the detail to show up a little better

No pictures today

I finished one of the Diamond socks, and it has finished blocking. I just bought a new camera, so once I get it all figured out, I'll post pictures.

I didn't make it to the Noro Tasting at Renessaince Yarns, which is unfortunate, but we took my mom out to Azteca for her birthday instead. That food is well worth missing a yarn fondling trip. I'll play with the Noro yarns next time I'm in the store. I can't knit it up there, but I may buy a skein just to play with (although, it's kind of pricy to buy one just to play; maybe I'll just grope the yarn in the store).

I am trying to find an armwarmer pattern to start. My hands are always cold while I'm waiting for the bus or in class. I want to keep my fingers free so I can use a pencil or knit or read. I'm considering Knitty's Fetching, which it seems that everyone else has tried and loved. I'll look around a little more, but I may stick with that.

I should have pictures of my sock tomorrow, and maybe one or two of my current projects.

Victorian Diamond Top Sock

I have gotten a lot done on my sock for not knitting much lately. My shoulders and wrists have been bothering me (I think it's from hauling around the really heavy Anatomy and Physiology books I have this quarter when I walk to the bus stop), so I have tried to limit how much I use them. But I have been doing a little knitting (and a ton of sudoku; that is how I spend my spare time, knitting and sudoku. Nerd, why yes I am), and here is the progress on the Victorian Diamond Top Sock (it is going to need some serious blocking to open up the yarn overs):

Finished with the gusset decreases

Also, Friday through Sunday my favorite yarn shop, Renaissance Yarns, is having a Noro Yarn Tasting. The idea is to come in and play with Noro yarn to see if you like the way it knits up, how it feels, etc. I have never knit with Noro before, although I do find most of their yarns very scratchy in the skeins, but I'm going to go tomorrow to see how I like knitting with it. And all Noro yarns are 10% off if you do decide to buy some, so that's a good deal. Plus, they have some new yarns and a new sock book I want to check out.