I Really Need To Branch Out From Hats

Oooh...look at the shineys!

but they're just so quick and easy (usually). Like this chunky blue one that I made mostly because I needed something to knit. It's this Chunky Slouch Cap pattern, done on size 10 needles with Michael's Loops & Threads Dewdrop yarn. I actually really liked this yarn because it's an acrylic/mohair blend AND it has SEQUINS IN IT!!! I'm such a girl. Anyway, this hat basically took up the entire skein, because I kept ripping it back when I realized that I could use more yarn and make it bigger. SUCH a pain in the butt. I did it though, I think I'm gaining more patience as I knit more.

Sometimes We Amaze Ourselves

With our own stupidity. That story is coming up. Like I said I was going to do, I went out to Woolstock Yarn Shop. I chose to patron this particular yarn store because it's the only one in the area that's open on Monday (my one day off). Which honestly, is a little ridiculous, because there are several yarn stores in the area including A Good Yarn, Lovelyarns, Woolworks, and Cloverhill Yarns just to name a few.

Super Colorful and Sparkly Yarn from Woolstock

Anyway, the people at Woolstock were really very nice. I was having issues locating the store, even with my Google directions (there was construction in the way, ok?), and when I called they were very nice in explaining how I should find the store. (Ok, here comes the "Becca can be really stupid" part) Then, when I accidentally locked my keys in the car (with it off, thank goodness) they helped me call the police to see if they would come unlock it and even offered to drive me home to get the spare key. Well, it didn't come to that, I called Mom. She valiantly came to open the car and was not mad at all :-D They also encouraged me to sit and relax, knit and otherwise enjoy the ambiance of the store, which was nice.

More colorful yarns at Woolstock

Crazy Zauberball. Someone buy this for me? Please?

Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn

Bris

As for the selection at Woolstock itself, overall I was pretty happy. They definitely have some pricey-er yarns but there was a really large selection of things from wool, to cotton to acrylics. Their notions section could have been a bit larger, but they had some pretty fancy stitch markers and all the essentials you might need. I walked out with two skeins of Bris for my Stitch-N-Kvetch swap partner and one skein of  Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn for myself. I really, really, REALLY wanted to buy myself a Crazy Zauberball, but the Noro was a teeny bit cheaper and I wanted to hold out on the Zauberball until I can make something really fabulous with  it. So I ended up walking out having spent about $40 total. All in all, I would go back to Woolstock, especially if I was looking for a really fancy yarn, or some help on a pattern.

The Smithsonian Is A Big Deal

I was just flipping through my dad's Smithsonian Magazine and they had a feature on Margaret Wertheim! Check out the Smithsonian's video of her here.

Stay Tuned

For pics and stuff about the Stitch-n-Kvetch Chanukkah swap, my visit to Woolstock Yarn Shop, and goals to do a sweater KAL (Knit Along) with The Wench and have a Stitch-n-Bitch with friends from work.
In the meantime, please enjoy this amusing knitting-related vintage ad while I go encourage my swap item to block faster.

I Think This Is Why I Haven't Made Myself A Sweater Yet...

Ay, With A Twink

And a wink of my eye, I have finished my first shawl-like item. This pattern is Martina Behm's 22.5 Degrees, so named for the angles of the corners. I didn't swatch for this, I just started knitting with the Serenity Garden on size 2 (2 3/4mm) needles and I stopped when I had 329 stitches on the needle. The scalloped edge was a new experience. Thankfully, Ms Behm has a link to a YouTube video to demonstrate how to do the scallops. It's actually not as difficult as I had anticipated. Overall, I'm quite pleased with how this turned out, even if it is a little smaller than I initially thought it would be.

Full view of the finished product.

Close up of the scallops.

Wearing my creation. 

Um...Little House on the Prairie? 

Also, The Wench and I are once again participating in a swap with other Stitch-n-Kvetcher's on Ravelry. So The Wench decided she wanted to give her swappee some glow-in-the-dark yarn, which I happened to have in my stash. So she traded me a skein of turquoise JojoLand Ballad for some Bernat Glow in the Dark.

Glow!

Oooh....prettiness for socks.

Hopefully tomorrow I will make it to Woolstock Yarn Shop to buy some goodies for my swappee. 

Mo's Lace

Finished the hat for The Redhead. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Lacy in a way I envisioned. I will say though that the cables were a MASSIVE pain. I think that just the natural way I knit they ended up lopsided in tension. Oh well, short of frogging it all out and sitting in a solitary room solely concentrating on knitting it's not going to get any better. I'm ok with that. For you though there are pictures. What do you think? Leave me a comment!

Top of Hat

Side of Hat

Front

Purple People Wearers

If you'll recall I bought a skein of Lion Brand Cotton to make a hat for a friend of mine. I probably should have made the slouchier version of this hat, but I didn't. Oh well, cotton is stretchy, hopefully it'll be ok.

In the meantime, I had all this leftover yarn and no plan. Then I remembered my friend/coworker Red is also a fan of the purple and decided to make a hat for her with the rest. I feel like Red is not a slouchy hat type person so I wanted to make a really lacy cap to contrast to her hair. This picture is of the progress as of the very beginning of November. You'll notice that the pattern calls for a rolled brim and I did 2x2 ribbing. I think this will make a better cap than a rolled brim. Stay tuned for the finished product!

We All Do This

It Helps To Pay Attention

I needed to change it up a bit, but keep knitting small, portable stuff (cuz I knit at work. Apron pockets are excellent for stashing projects) so I grabbed a skein of Red Heart: Heart & Sole to make a pair of toe-up socks for myself. For the record, I only make socks for myself. They are too individualized and too time consuming to make for other people. Especially when you do dumb-ass things like I do like knit the heel of the sock on the side so that there's NO WAY you can comfortably wear them. GRRR.... BUT, I, like a mature knitter, took a deep breath and very, VERY carefully frogged back the whole damn heel. Then of course, I ran out of yarn on the very end of the second sock, so if you look carefully you can see that the cuff of one sock does not really match with the other. Oh well, they're socks for me and they're warm and comfy and that's all that matters.

Things I Don't Usually Notice

Trends. But this time I did. I was just in NYC this weekend to see The Cowboy and a friend from my year in Israel. It was a pretty fantastically fun weekend. I even made Brown Sugar-Hazelnut Cupcakes with Blackberry Butter-cream Frosting which were AMAZING.

My home made cupcakes.

 But, I did notice going around the city, that many people were wearing bulky, knit cowls to keep warm. Like these

Readers, these are SUPER EASY. Get out some super-bulky yarn, (Lion Brand has a bunch of nice stuff) and some needles and get knitting! Here's some links to some free patterns for pretty trending looking cowls. So in a short amount of time you can be warm AND fashionable. Who wouldn't want that?

Off To Och-Eye Land

I was recently IMing a friend of mine who is doing museum studies in Scotland who was saying that it's gotten really cold there and that she'd really like a pair of fingerless gloves. To which I responded "well, I know someone who can make them" ^_^ I chose to go with Patons Classic Wool in a color that would go just fine with a tan coat. I also went with something with a gorgeous cable so that the gloves would be more than just hand-warmers. There was also a MAJOR proud moment for me knitting these hand-warmers because at one point I twisted the cable the wrong direction. Instead of ripping it back, I switched it around when I got back to that spot on the next row.  It was WAY cheaper than I thought it would be to ship something to Scotland. I also crocheted a matching flower for her to pin to her coat. :-D

Take Me To Your Bakery

Fabulous!

In that fabulous Blueberry Ascot. Ages and ages ago The Teacher handed me two skeins of Plymouth Yarn Shire Silk and asked me if I could make a scarf for her.It took me forever to get around to it, but I made it into Kat Coyle's Huckleberry Ascot. All in all a great pattern using short row shaping that doesn't take too long. The pattern has you make bobbles on the edges but since I'm not much of a bobble person, and I was really pushing the limits of the yarn that I had I made ruffles on the edges which I like so much more. As for working with the silk, it was an interesting experience. It's kind of got the same texture as cotton but it was way more nubbly so it would shred a little. I think I would use it again though.