Icewater & Hell…together at last. April 28, 2008
Posted by La in Miscellaneous.Tags: Knit Design, IK magazine review
6 comments
The IK Summer 2008 preview is here, and I gotta say that it really, really doesn’t suck. Let’s hope this is the just first of many better-than-meh issues. The last couple issues had me seriously rethinking my subscription, I was THAT disappointed. But not this one. In fact, there are a couple of things in here I really REALLY wanna knit. Things including techniques I thought never to employ. For instance?
Roped Shell by Angela Hahn
Is that mosaic? Or stranding? I really don’t know. Yeah, I haven’t done either, and I’ve sworn that mosaic is the work of the debbil, created to drive sane knitters completely batshit. But, whatever. I. Must. Knit.
Plaid Halter by Gryphon Perkins
Makes me glad I held onto a couple of my racer-back bras, cuz this baby’s all mine! I’ll probably elongate the body so it hits me mid-hip, and add some shaping to accommodate the assage area. And again, with the stranding. I guess I’m evolving or something…
The Wakame Lace Tunic also by Angela Hahn along with the Leaf Kimono Top (Sarah Barbour) and quite possibly Apres Surf Hoodie (Connie Chang Chinchio) will find their way into my queue. And if the DH minds his manners (stays on the quit smoking gig), Kathy Zimmerman’s Brick Pullover just might be in his not-so-distant future.
So, yeah, I’m loving on the new IK. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have it’s complete and utter train wrecks. Like the
(my)
(v-jay)
(is)
(this)
(big)
(and)
(down)
(there)
sweater, and then there’s always the Sloppy (b)Ast(a)r(d) Cardi mess. WTF IS that, anyway?
The rest are a just steaming pile of meh, with the potential shift one way or the other, or not, as I see fit. But as I they say, and by they, I mean me…“one knitter’s meh, is another knitter’s whee!”
Mission Briefing April 17, 2008
Posted by La in Accessories, Design, Knitting.Tags: alpaca, Clamber Hat, Irish Hiking Scarf
4 comments
One of my Mission Possible 2008 goals was to find a purpose for my gorgeous Misti Alpaca yarn and actually put it to that use.
Then, on one of her visits, my mom asked if I could make her a scarf for her upcoming Alaskan Cruise. I showed her the alpaca and she loved it. With that amount of yarn, I could make her a scarf and a matching hat. I’ve always admired the Irish Hiking Scarf, so I made that…
But when I did a search for a matching hat, I came up empty. So I designed my own. My first attempt…
…left something to be desired. It was a little snug (and mom’s got a tiny noggin) and the bottom edge wasn’t finished enough looking for me, making it look a little waifish, which definitely isn’t my mother. So I did another…
…which I like much better!
Pattern: Clamber by Dizzy Blonde Designs (pattern link to follow once I write up the pattern)
Yarn: Misti International Misti Alpaca Sport [50 g/146 yards] Less than 1 ball each!
Needles: US Size 4 [3.5mm] Addi Lace – magic loop
Mods/Notes: Each hat has it’s own attractive characteristics, though I much prefer the second hat. I’ll include instructions to both in the pattern when I finally get around to writing it up.
Mom loves her matching set. As she was leaving to go home, I caught her red-handed trying it all on, yet again. She even took the first hat, just in case.
So I only have a partial ball left of the Misti Alpaca. I’d say that counts as MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
~~~~~~~
Guess what?
Just kidding! Seriously, though…I’m being A-longed! Check it
Oh! And I got the selling feature to work on here, so non-ravelers (are there any left?) can get the pattern. Just go to the Dizzy Blonde Designs pattern page.
Cable Guy April 9, 2008
Posted by La in Accessories, Available Pattern, Design.Tags: Firefly, New Pattern, Wash's Cable Sweater, Washburne Scarf
7 comments
Phase 1 of Operation Big Damned Sweater is complete:
Stats: Washburne 2.0
Pattern: Washburne by Dizzy Blonde Designs that’s me!
Needles: US size 5 [3.75mm]
Yarn: Jo Sharp DK Wool [98 m (107 yards) 50 g (1 ¾ oz) Color: 011 Heath, 4 balls
I really enjoyed the intricacies of sussing out the cable pattern when all I had were screen-shots to work from. Now, upon closer examination I noticed that the termination points on the small “parentheses” cable is just an illusion. I chose to leave the termination points in my design, mainly to satisfy my sense of natural progression: There must be a beginning and an end. Cables that start out of nowhere and then disappear make my head explode and completely futz with my sense of symmetry.
As you can see in comparison, the termination points only add to the appeal of the pattern instead of detracting from it, and it makes for a unique variant.
Until I move this site to my own server, the only way to purchase Washburne is through Ravelry. Just click on the button below, or visit my Dizzy Blonde Designs page for the link.
