Don't Cross Me!

I've got a new pattern up!

 Don't Cross Me is now available in my Ravelry shop for $4.99, or you can purchase the PDF through the patterns tab at the top of the this page.

As an added bonus, followers of this blog and members of my Ravelry group can use the coupon code "Censored1" to get 25% of their total purchase when you buy the Don't Cross Me pattern. This discount is running through the end of October, so hurry before it expires!

Out of Context

Hey, look! It's a finished object!

Pattern: Context by Kristen Briney

Yarn: main color--Cephalopod Yarns Skinny Bugga in a grey that I can't find on their site, "Geek". Contrast color is Bugga in "Spanish Dancer." (70% superwash Merino wool, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon. Skinny Bugga is fingering weight, Bugga is sport weight). I used a full ball of Geek, and about 1/3-1/2 of a ball of Spanish Dancer.

Needles: US 4/3.5mm

Notes: I made a few modifications to the original pattern. I decided I wanted it larger than pictured (I was hoping for something shawl size, but was out of luck), so I knit until I ran out of my main color. I did four rows of garter stitch after the end of the pattern, and then did the bind off row in the contrast color. Without cutting the yarn, I went straight into picking up stitches for the ruffle.

The original instructions for the ruffle call for it to be in plain stockinette, using a kfb increase in every stitch on right side rows, purling the wrong side rows. I decided that I wanted something more open, so I knit the the first two stitches on the right side rows, then did a yarn over between every stitch, knitting the last two stitches. The wrong side rows remained purled.

After only four rows, however, I was starting to run out of circular needle (that's what happens when you have almost 700 stitches on your needle). On the next rs row, I grabbed a crochet hook that was just slightly larger than my needles and did a modified crocheted cast off.

What I ended up with was an epic ruffle. It's kind of funny--I love ruffles on hand knitted objects, but I avoid them like the plague on anything store bought.

So why is this the Out of Context scarf? Well, first there are the modifications to the pattern. Second, the colors. Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a fan of our local college team. I don't even like the school very much, but that's a political diatribe I won't get into here. Anyway, I usually avoid the scarlet and grey color scheme whenever possible for that reason, but in trying to match a color to that grey, which has some yellow undertones and bits of grey and tan in it, the orangy-red of Spanish Dancer was really the only option from what I had on hand.

I think they look fabulous together.

I love this scarf.

I am not sure I can bring myself to wear it in public, however.

But perhaps I just need to get over my issues and appreciate the knitting. After all, the scarf itself has no affiliation or political leanings.

I'm just a girl with a scarf. Call me a Buckeye, and you might find out how pointy my needles really are.

 

That Wooshing Noise...

It is currently 11:39 p.m. on Wednesday night, which makes this post a full 12 hours later than I usually post. And since I still have about four rows left on my current project, which will not get done tonight, and I think my self-imposed deadline is pretty well shot.

I'm working on the Context Scarf by Kristin Briney. It's a super easy lace pattern with lots of garter stitch--which is the only reason I'm knitting it.

While I was testing out yarn samples for the book, I was struck by the fact that one of them would be fabulous for lace. Initially, I wanted to make To Infinity and Beyond, but lace and I do not get along. There are issues, mostly regarding numbers. No matter how many times I count, they are just never right. I ripped out my foundation rows six times before I finally gave up and found my current pattern on Ravelry. It gives a nice lace-y effect without making me want to rip my hair out.

I'm down to the last bit of border, and then the ruffles. I'm hoping to have it cast off by this weekend, and with any luck I can show you pictures on Friday. In the mean time, I'm knitting away.

Thanks.

Okay, so I didn't quite make it to the September 1 mark, but I just had to say: People are awesome. The FU scarf kind of went viral at the Ravelry level within the first 24 hours, and spent more than a day as the #1 viewed pattern on the site (out of 309,000+) before dropping down to #2. And since I love my stats, here are a few:

Comments: 100
Queues: 265
Projects: 16
Favorites: 657
Downloads: 1013
Knit-a-longs: 3

I also wanted to give a big, huge, massive thank you to Zephyrama on Ravelry, who has been instrumental in helping me fix some of my counting errors, and to everyone else who alerted me to my mistakes. I'm really sorry about that, and I hope to have it all smoothed out here in the next couple of days at the latest. Keep checking the pattern page for updates.

I really was not expecting this many people to like the pattern. I figured ten people might download it on the first day, and that it would slack off from there, but it's still going strong, holding on to the #2 position.

Unsurprisingly, some people have been upset about this pattern. I've been told that I am uncreative, produce trash, and that I should be ashamed of myself. I even had one person say that they are considering quitting ravelry because of the pattern.

Seriously? You would eschew one of the greatest knitting and crochet resources on the web based on a single pattern?

There are 309, 046 other patterns on the site the last time I looked. If it bothers you so much, go knit something else.

Also, this is what the pattern page looks like:

My pattern is a link and an itty bitty thumbnail in the corner. Both the title and the thumbnail are censored. The pattern is flagged as adult content. If you find the censored title of F**k You! offensive, then I suggest you don't click on it. It's that simple. That Mariposa looks lovely, why don't you try it instead?

But I digress. I'm not getting into a flame war. I've got over 1,000 knitters who love it. I'm not going to get upset by three or four people with delicate sensibilities and no common sense, and this is the only time I'm even going to waste my breath mentioning it. Because really, all I have to say is this:

Thank you.

If you would like to download the pattern while it is still free, you can do so here: download now

The Scarf that Shall Not Be Named

Long, long overdue, it's release day for the Super Secret Project, the Scarf that Shall Now Be Named (Warning: foul language ahead).

May I present: Fuck You!

This is a super easy scarf with a big attitude! If you can knit and purl, then you can make this scarf.

Extra wide for extra warmth, it's nice and long. From a frontal perspective, it's a plain-jane stripe--nothing special. But check it out from an angle:
This pattern is based on a project that Fynn works on in The Hanged Man's Ghost, and it's one I've been wanting to make for a while.

Even though it looks complicated, if you can knit and purl, you can make this scarf.

This pattern is available for free via Ravelry download (you will need an account to view the page, but they are free and they won't send you emails or anything).

The Night Wars books (The Hanged Man's Ghost, The Night Shift, and several short stories) are written by Missouri Dalton, and are available for download or purchase from Torquere Press, here. They can also be purchased from Amazon.com.

The pattern is a FREE download via Ravelry.com. Get it here: download now

ETA: This pattern is currently the #1 pattern on Ravelry!! Thanks!

October Update

How can it already be the 11th? Really? I swear I just started school a few days ago.

The London Calling sweater continues to progress nicely. I have two more pattern repeats left (well, one and a half) and then I can start the armhole shaping. I've also started on my washcloth stash for Christmas presents, and I have a little portable knitting project out of some handspun that may or may not stay with me and may or may not be a scarf. We'll see how well I do with a superwash wool blend around my neck, and go from there. It might end up on Etsy if I decided that's just too sensitive of an area for me to wear wool (curse you, allergies!).

I did manage to find my camera and snap those pictures of the sweater, but my battery died before I could take a picture of the scarf. Which is a shame, because I'm really enjoying it. It's an entrelac pattern I downloaded from somewhere a few years ago, and I have to say, I love entrelac. It's easy, it's fun, and it provides just enough interest without being distracting. I was able to knit on it all through French with no problems.

I did manage to post a new yarn to the Etsy site this week. Red Brick Tavern is actually inspired by a place where I used to work, so it's kind of close to my heart in a way. It's superwash merino (undyed) mixed with some rose and navy bamboo.

In other news, I'm plugging away at the research for my column in the next issue of the CFM, which will be all about the spiritualism movement. I've found some interesting books, but looking at their so-called "spirit photography" it is so obvious that it was double exposures and some cotton fiber. It really is too bad that there were so many fakes during that time (and also now).

Well, my day job is calling and my paycheck won't earn itself (but how I wish it would!).

Coming and Going

Hello, beautiful.

What you see before you is a 1958 Chevrolet Impala and my new love.

This little beauty was one of four Impalas at the Belfountaine Hot Summer Nights Car show yesterday. Okay, well, two days ago now since it is officially after midnight.

Dad's '53 won a Top 50 award and he won $57 in the drivers pool, which he promptly donated to the Holland Theater. The Holland is a local historical site that my grandparents have been helping to restore. Hot Summer Nights is sponsored by the Holland and a local car club, and all of the proceeds go to the Holland and other local charities.

It's been a busy weekend, even without bouncing around in a poodle skirt (because at heart, I am still a geeky con-goer).

Speaking of being geeky, I'm going to have to blame Crazy Aunt Purl for this next bit of geekery. My knitting mojo has been somewhat depleted for the last several weeks. Maybe it's just the weather combined with stress but when I read her post about the Entrelac Scarf, I had to try it. This segment here seemed almost like a challenge, and considering how non-competitive I am and how terrible I am with patterns, I just had to try.

I'm very thick-headed when it comes to reading patterns and I think that Allison Lo Cicero, the woman who wrote this, is brilliant at writing patterns! It's very clear for such a complicated concept. You do have to take a leap of faith when you start the first time because it may not make sense for a while (What? I'm knitting one stitch and then turning the work around and knitting that one stitch from the other direction? Are you nuts?) but it works

No pictures just yet; I'm using recycled sari silk and it makes the texture a little hard to pick up in the best of times, let alone with a camera interfering. I've had some skanes of this that were semi-striping, or at least had color variations. This particular one, however, is very evenly distributed but I still like the way that it looks and it makes me happy. I love the construction and after I finish this initial scarf, I'm going to play around with it a little bit and see what else I can do to it in a self striping yarn. That will have to wait until I get to Italy, though.

Today I went to the State Fair. It was hot. Very hot. It was 90 degrees with little shade, but even with the windows open on my car, the AC on it's max setting, and going 75 (sh, don't tell) down 670, it was still cooler outside in the sun than it was inside my truck. I think my brain melted. I may have lost IQ points, I didn't have many to spare.

And lastly, if you've been paying attention to the news the last few days (as in, a lot of attention; it didn't get much press) the wonderful, beloved, and magnificent John Hughs passed away this week. Alice and I are marking his passing in appropriate style. We started with her favorite, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, moved on to Sixteen Candles (which, shockingly, neither of us had ever seen all the way through), to Pretty In Pink. For the grande finale there's my favorite, The Breakfast Club.