Ruby In The Rough Archives

The Jolly Green Mitts that will soon be Frogged

2010-08-16T01:30:00.000-05:00

These mitts are in Cascade Fixation color 5184 Celtic Green. They were an experiment, and it didn't work. They will be frogged as soon as I come up with a different project to make the yarn into. Until then, they will live in the Sock Yarn Stash Bin. DS2 was not willing to wear them. Eventhough I had used the S&B Son of S&B pattern as a basis and a (IMHO Macho) Whale Bone Spine Cable. The color was a good choice though.....

Learning to Flickr

2010-08-15T18:35:00.000-05:00

Ok, so now I'm learning to Flickr.
I have tons of photos of stuff that I would love for my friends to see, but they're all locked up on those little chip things.
So, my first try at it, I just put the chip in the computer slot and uploaded them all to Flickr.
Didn't think about band width and MB of space alloted. So a couple hundred photos at the highest resolution my camera will capture might not have been a bright move. And, it would be really nice if it didn't take hours for each web page to open, right?
But, I'm learning.
Always learning.

Here's a cut-down version:

The Harry Potter Scarf that started it all

2007-12-21T23:40:00.000-06:00

This is the first Harry Potter scarf that I knit for John, obviously. I think it was in 2004, or may be 2003, or sometime in the haze of time before now but after 2002. It was from the first generation movie. The pattern was a free one from the Walmart yarn section. And, yes, it's good old reliable Red Heart yarn. It really has held up pretty well for the use it has had. I know it's been washed (and dried) in the machine several times.
Flaws: The duplicate stitch is atrocious. The color change has a dramatic jog each time.
Highlights: Done on circular needle, it was fast and easy. It was my first circular project.

Star of David Baby Afghan

2007-11-29T16:42:00.000-06:00

I made this baby blankie for a friend that I work with. I was trying for a "Star of David", trying to be kind of subtle and do the pattern mostly with texture. The variegated "color" of this yarn was really soft, and I made my decision to use this brand based on the softness of that first skein. The solid colors weren't nearly as soft, and I was really disappointed by that. Secondly, I started in the center and worked out to the outside edge. When I got it off the circular needles, the whole middle was just too puffy. It bulged out like a blister. So, I carefully cut the yarn at the point where the bulge started and reknit that part back into the center. At the start, I had a really cool thing going with significant numbers of rows and stitches. That still worked on the outer rings, but when I frogged out the center, it didn't really go back with the same numerology. But, I think it came out pretty good in the end. Email me if anyone is interested in the "pattern".

The Jughead Hat series from Domiknitrix

2007-08-01T12:10:00.000-05:00

I've finished several hats from the Jughead pattern in DomiKnitrix. My first was a black one for my eldest son, that looks strikingly like one of the photos in the book. Then I did a couple in desert camo colors for marines. And then the other son helped design a hot green and blue verigated version and one with eye slits. Where are those photos?

Knit a Faux Chain-Mail Coif

2007-05-31T13:41:00.000-05:00

Do you want the "pattern"? I'm working on writing it down, it's more of a recipe based on the wearer's measurements.
Email me or comment here to encourage me.

A Coif is the Hat part of Chain Mail.
I had a request to knit a coif last fall for part of a "Link" costume. Link is the hero of the Zelda video games (Zelda is the girl they're rescuing). Jeeze ! Don't you watch what they're playing?

The main part of the yarn is Red Heart's Super Saver in a Gray that really does look (and feel) metalish. The darker strands are a black with silver glitter yarn from the bargain bin at Hobby Lobby. It really makes the pattern stand out.
The stitch I used is the Loop Stitch from the 365 Stitches calendar.
The Cap was knit similar to a stocking cap / ski mask from the top down on two circular needles. Size 8 US, I think. When time ran out, I cast off the bottom edge loosely. It seems to be somewhat reversible, we couldn't be sure which was the inside and which was the outside when we went out to take the photos.

Pros: I like the texture and feel of the finished product. I really came out looking good. They actually use it! I've actually machine washed and dried it a couple of times (before the photo was taken even.) It "wears like iron". The report is that it's really warm. They can pull the chin up over the mouth area to stay even warmer. It doesn't cover the eyes, or collect steam on glasses like a ski mask with a nose covering piece.

Cons: It's a little large for the owner, but he'll grow into it.
I'm still having problems with the little pointy top on the hat. Casting on too few stitches? Maybe not increasing fast enough?

Variations: The shoulders could have been made larger to cover more shoulder, chest & back. But, I quit when it was time to wear it.

The boys wore this as a "ski mask" several times last winter and this spring that was unreasonably cold.

Rainbow Hoodie Poncho 2004-2005

2007-05-22T17:08:00.000-05:00

I started this one with Simply Soft yarn.
I had originally purchased the burgundy color with a boy's sweater in mind. But, the color that was red under the "big box store" lights far from sunshine, ended up being significantly pinker in daylignt.
So, a change in plans, and the next in line girl matched it up with the Rainbow Simply Soft. I'll have to write the pattern down someday, because it really was fun to knit. I started at the top center of the hood and it just grew from there. If I remember right, there are some Fibronachi stripes at the beginning. And the stitch pattern progressed from small leaves to large fern leaf lace patterns at the bottom edge.
The top of the hood never quite worked out right. I was really obsessive about top down seamless work at the time, and hadn't mastered picking up stitches around a neck yet. Given what I know now, I would probably pick up stitches and do a Elizabeth Zimmerman baby hood thing for the hood. Maybe.

EZ's Surprise Baby Sweater! Woo Hooo!

2007-04-26T01:07:00.000-05:00

I finished a Babies' garter-stitch Surprise Jacket. I feel like a real grown up knitter now!
Is there some initiation rite, or a medal, or something? How do you explain to regular people, non knitters, the sense of accomplishment that goes with something like this? A real Finished Object! I feel like there should be a patch. Or something. Like in Scouts. If I ever see a finished jacket in person made by someone else, I'm not sure what I will do. Can you imagine? To me, it would be like seeing a ..... Well, I can't even think of what to compare it to.

But, I finished it, and then realized that it will probably fit it's intended baby Next Winter. But, I still gave it to him and his mommy. And, once again, I forgot to take photos, or make clear notes, or even document it in any way.
Someone else had actually started the little Jacket from the directions in Opinionated Knitter, and she may never try to knit again! She gave it to me, mumbling something about "there might be a Baby Sweater Curse, just like there's a Boyfriend Sweater Curse." It really was a lot easier after I got the video from Schoolhouse Press. I really like EZ's writting style. I'm sure I would have loved to listen to her speak. Geeze, that's sounding like a commercial. But, if I did advertize, it might just be for Elizabeth Zimmerman's stuff.
But, her directions leave a lot to be desired. Don't get me wrong, I fully embrace the "Don't knit like a Blind Follower" philosophy. Like a lot of other things: Once you've done it, it just all really makes sense. But, before then, there's just no amount of explaining in the world that can actually get it clear for you. The only problem that I have with EZ's stuff is that you really do either have to be either a) a very experienced knitter OR b) Blindy Follow her directions the first few times before you get it. And, honestly, I'm just way too ADHD to knit the same thing over and over again. I have trouble staying on task long enough to finish one project before I get bored and move on to something else. Probably explains the unbelievable number of UFO's hidding around my domain.

Like so many other things in my life, I missed out on what was going on when Elizabeth Zimmerman was living and working, and now I wish I had been paying attention.
How does that happen? Why was I watching reruns of Love Boat and Gilligan's Island? I could have been watching PBS and seeing someone that would be one of the major influences on my life.

Like, Wow! I could have had a V8!

And the Red Floppy Hat

2007-01-23T14:53:00.000-06:00

This one really didn't come out as intended. But, I think it's more flattering to me this way.
I started out the top in a spiral doily pattern, but it didn't translate into the sides very well. Then, when I got to the ribbing, it doesn't pull in at all! Maybe not small enough needles? Who knows?

It was a lot of fun.

Forgot about the Dragonscale Mitts!

2007-01-23T14:11:00.000-06:00

http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Pattern-Day-2007-Calendar/dp/1579392679/sr=8-1/qid=1169582303/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0003659-7021466?ie=UTF8&s=books

How did I forget about the Dragonscale Mitts?

Not to be confused with the Chartreuse Knits Dragon Scale Gauntlets that I also have started. I did finish a pair of Dragonscale Mitts, or maybe they called them Wristletts or Wrist Warmers from the Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar 2007. I actually started them in about October, 2006 and finished them in November for the DIL's birthday. I used Lion Brand Incredible ribbon yarn. This pair, I used one ball of the Blue Shades. The intended wearer has delicate hands and wrists, so they didn't take much. And, being the tightwad knitter that I am, I had wound the ribbon into two rather equal balls and knitting them 2 mitts on 2 circs style, I just knit until I ran out and then I bound off. I know, It's a very OCD thing, but I can't seem to throw away anything, not even scraps of leftover yarn.

These ones went so well, that I started another pair in Accent on Black. See current projects.

http://cache.lionbrand.com/yarns/incredible.htm

I forgot to take pictures!

2007-01-17T12:50:00.000-06:00

Would you believe that I forgot to take pictures of Three, count them, Three, Finished Objects that I gave as Christmas Gifts! Where was my head at???

I'm trying to get photos from the basic ideas I used to get started. So this is a partial post, again.......

The first was the wear it three ways poncho, scarf, wrap thing. I did it in huge needles and it ended up really cool. It really did come out stretchy, but had to have the stretchiest bind off I've ever done. I did the thing where you knit a stitch, knit the second, slip the first stitch over, then yarn over, slip the knit stitch on the right needle over, knit a stitch, slip the yarn over over.
Makes perfect sense, right?

The second was supposed to be a mobius that I started by using a figure 8 cast on for 144 x 2 stitches, then I knit 1 purl 1 my way around both edges in a loop. But, I twisted it twice instead of once. And it ended up way too long. The bind off didn't work out too well. And somewhere along the line, I dropped a stitch that was unraveling into a really big hole when it hit the cast on point. So, I was reworking it while people were opening gifts. Then it was a very dramatic point where I finished and announced that you three may choose who gets which of these knit thinggys. It's a good thing they were all relatives, and very kind in not being judgemental.

My favorite was a frothy yarn in rainbow colors with sparkles and fringy fluffs. I got two balls of it from a LYS close to my hotel on a business trip. It was in the "marked down to almost nothing" bin, didn't have any ball band labels or anything. One ball was darker rainbows and the other ball was lighter pastel rainbows. I tried the figure 8 cast on again, with 120 x 2 stitches. This time I got one mobius going properly. I tried using a stockinette stitch, thinking that it would look cool when it "flipped" to being wrong side out. But, I rolled, predictably, into a reverse stockinette rope. It's still too long to be a good mobius, and ended up to thin. But, it wrapped around the wearer twice and layed like a fluffy necklace. It looked great, but just wasn't what I had intended to arrive at.

Well, get on with it!

2006-12-13T18:30:00.000-06:00

You would think I would have something posted here by now, wouldn't you?

Well, you should be right.

Does this count? D2 and I whipped this one up one Saturday a while back.

It's a lovely pale pink Cabbage Patch Preemie hat. Kind of.

Or, it could be a slightly fluffy doily. The ribbing didn't exactly pull it in like I meant for it to. The string for the end of the bind off acts as a ribbon to keep it on. Kind of.

Pattern? Well, I'll see about it.

Deconstruction from under a kid's bed..........

2006-10-18T16:03:00.000-05:00

The blue crayon hooded vest

From the "everything has a hoodie" time frame.
Very soft German wool and cotton blend that I got from eBay.
Pretty blue with crayon speck flecks. This one started out as Son2's, but now it is D2's. Has a roomy sweatshirt pouch pocket on the front.
The hood has funky "ears" that weren't supposed to be there, and the hood isn't quite the right shape. It doesn't come far enough forward over the top of the head to stay up. I was rebelling against the typical hood with a seam at the 'center part' and a point at the crown of the head.
It was really fun to knit though.
The stitch pattern is from the Harmony Guides 220 Aran Stitches and Patterns - Volume 5, 1998. I think it's an Arrow Head stitch. Or at least Son2 thought it looked like arrowheads. He was only this size for about 2 weeks during the hottest part of July, so he didn't really wear it much. His teddy bear was wearing it until his sister got ahold of it. I bet teddy will get it back next Summer.
(Photo here)

The Beginning of the End: The Harry Potter Scarf

2006-09-11T17:05:00.000-05:00

FO = Finished Objects

2006-09-07T15:06:00.000-05:00

A log of the projects that I actually have finished.
There have been a few.
Really.

Did I give them all away?