Rok Star in my Rokchoke

Long long ago, in a galaxy far far away called "Rhinebeck", Costumechick came across some back wool yarn with bits of silver melted onto it. She fell in love with the yarn, and just KNEW that she had to make a neck warmer for herself. The yarn was called "Heavy Metal Wool", and it needed a rock star pattern to truly do justice to the totally rock star name of the yarn.
Costumechick set off on a mission into the bowels of Ravelry to find a suitable rock star pattern to compliment her rock star yarn. She searched and searched, only to be disappointed in the level of rock star-dom of neck warmers. Finally she stumbled upon the coolest of cool; the rockingest of rocking; and the most pattern less of patterns. From it was born.... Rokchoke.

Pattern: Blakchoke by John Brinegar was my "muse"
Yarn: Heavy Metal Wool by "Little Barn Yarns"
Needles: 10.5 knitpicks harmony interchangeables
Notes: The original "pattern" isn't really a pattern at all. It is more of an explanation of an idea. I gave credit to the pattern because it was my inspiration. In all honesty, I fell in love with the closure and the asymmetry.

I felted the piece, like the original, but that is the end of the similarity in construction. Blakchoke was knit as a stockinette rectangle, then felted into a asymmetrical shape. I just knit up an asymmetrical shape to begin with. I added safety pins to clip my "dog clip" to, and to hold my "dog clip" on. What is more rock star than safety pins and dog clips?

I like to wear it folded down in a fashion I think of as "new wave" style, as opposed to the above picture that I took to show off the closure. (I think that makes it look like a neck brace.) The yarn was a little scratchy before I felted the piece, mostly due to the silver bits, but after felting, it is soooo soft. It still looks bad ass, but it is really cushy. Oh, and warm too!

Just call me Joan Jett

I started a pair of socks yesterday. (A big surprise, I know.) They are a heavily modified version of a pattern form the book 'Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn". I think I will name them 'Blackhearted Socks' after the color way I choose, and they will probably be finished around Valentine's Day.

Now I just need to keep weighing my little ball of pink and purple yarn so I don't make sock #1 too long, and have an anklet for sock #2....

Migrations

Schaefer Yarn sent me another project last week, and this one had beeeeeaaaaaddddds. I don't want to send it off!

Pattern: Migrations Scarf
Yarn: Scahefer Yarn's Nichole, in "Indira Gandhi"
Needles: US 6, knitpicks harmony interchangeables
Notes: I love beaded things, and it has been a while since I knit a beaded anything, so I was happy to have this as my next project! It is knit from the ends, then grafted in the center back. The beads are only on the ends, as it would be really heavy with beads throughout.

The yarn is wonderful. It is so springy and next to un-splitable. I love the colorway as well. Ya'll know I'm not a "bright color" gal, so I was excited to see a color way that was colorful, but muted. Complex colors make me happy. I really like that even on the wrong side of the knitting, the yarn knits up into a pleasing mix.

Also, the yarn is superwash! Now, I know that nobody in their right mind would throw a beaded scarf in the washing machine, since glass beads and agitation seem like a remarkably bad idea, but I can envision lots of uses for it! It is soft enough for baby things too!

Overall, this was a very quick project. I knit side one on Thursday and Friday. Side two worked up quickly on Saturday. I waited to graft it until Monday, and a good block on Tuesday. I suppose, I could have done it in three days if I tried. I'm not that crazy. (usually) I just had some good free time for once!

I've also started the Vernal Equinox Shawl. 2 clues down! Some pics to come!

Call me Ms.Fitzgerald

I went to WEBS, and I fell in love with some yarn. That isn't really a surprise, is it? I also fell in love with a pattern. I bought the book "Boutique Knits", a while ago, for a bunch of patterns, but mostly for one "to die for" hat. But, when I went to WEBS, and saw another hat from the book, knit up in the most beautiful yarn I have ever seen, I knew I had to knit it. I had to knit it RIGHT NOW. I had to knit it in THAT YARN, RIGHT NOW! The end result is my Silk Slip Cloche.

Pattern: Side Slip Cloche, from Boutique Knits
Yarn: Plymouth Mulberry Silk - 52% mulberry silk, 48% merino
Needles: Size 4 DPNs and Knitpicks Harmony circs
Notes: Let me say it one more time... I LOVE THIS YARN. It is the softest, shiniest, prettiest yarn in the whole world. (Until I fall in love again.) Love love love love love.

This hat pattern, like most of the patterns in this book, is not fundamentally "easy". It has some advanced techniques. It isn't "hard" per se, but I wouldn't recommend it as a first hat to someone. I decided to knit my hat on smaller than called for needles, since I have an ubertiny head. I also knit only 3.5" of crown before decreasing. The results were a great fitting hat!

You can wear this little slice of heaven with the ruffle on either side. I can't decide which way I like better. Opinions?

Frankly, this was some great instant gratification knitting. Oh, and I can't beat the fact that I feel like Zelda Fitzgerald with it on. I love cloches.
I almost forgot! I took a picture of Denise, knitting with her beaver. Aww... pretty beaver.

Organization

In my heart, I am an organized person. If you were to visit my office or home on any given day you wouldn't think so, but I really am. I swear. I think it stems from my love of containers. You see, I LOVE me some containers. Tins, bins, baskets, bottles, shelving, bags - I'm a container whore. All my containers do actually contain stuff - unlike those sick people on HGTV that use them purely as "decoration". I am banned from the container store. I've never even been in one. It is too dangerous. The last thing I need, aside from more yarn, is more containers.
So guess what I did yesterday, with my day off?
Bought Containers. How did you know?
But, these are important and useful containers! They are for yaaaaaaaaaaaaaarn.

I took all my yarn out of the closet, and reorganized. I am insane, but soooo happy.
I found the bags at target for 3 bucks each! I have two more. I am not using them for yarn. I plan to use them for bed linens. Not yarn. (at least for now....)

Not so black Blackroses

Actually, "black" is the furthest from accurate description you could give these socks.

Pattern: Blackrose Socks, Knitty winter 08-09
Yarn: Knit one, crochet too, Ty-Dy in color 1574
Needles: US0, Knit Picks classic circs
Notes: I had a great time knitting these socks! even though they are in the "Knitty spin" section of Knitty, commercial yarn works just fine, imho. I knit them as written - with the lace panels different on each sock, except for the heels. I did my trusty short row heel - it just seams to fit me better.

The yarn looks great, and as usual, I love waiting for the next stripe. I am easy to please, I guess. My only caution would be the splitty factor. It could be because I was using super pointy needles, but I think that was a small part (if a part if all). The splits didn't prevent me from loving the yarn and the knitting of said yarn, but I did have to pay attention more.

I do think it is funny that the stripes almost line up exactly opposite each other. I couldn't have done that if I tried.

I'm looking forward to wearing these! They are really soft, and fit like a glove. Hopefully they wear well. Oh, and they are my January Socktopia submission!

A post from the dark

Technical rehearsals, also known as 'tech', can be four days of crazy stress inducing panic... or four days of the most boring, mind numbing droaning. Rarely is it anything in between. Today I'm sitting through a whole lot of the second kind. Blergggghhhhhhhhhhh.
I am using the time to do some boring work paperwork, but soon, soon...... I will be knitting.
Anyway, I have no pics, but I popped on to tell you about a Mystery Lace KAL, just in case you are interested. No need to sign up, just watch the blog for the clues.

Equinox

Criss Cross Crossed off!

I finished up the Criss Cross Wrap for Schaefer Yarns last night!

Pattern: #299 Laurel Criss Cross Wrap
Yarn: Laurel from Schaefer Yarn Company
Needles: US 9
Notes: I knit this for Schaefer Yarn Company as a model. Overall, a very simple pattern that shows of the variegation in the yarn really nicely.

The criss crosses are made by dropping yo's and criss crossing them. It is garter stitch based- so no purling! A little fiddly, but definitely not a hard project to accomplish.

The fringe was the hardest part. Honestly. It was only hard to do because it required a little finesse.

Overall though, a very satisfying project, quickly knit up, and easy to finish!

WIP Roundup!

Yee HAW! I'm starting the new year off with a BANG!
Ok. Enough of that. It's quite irritating.
Really, I needed to post about three projects that are currently OTN, that never made it to the blog. Sad, but true. (ooo. Good Metallica song)
First up, the Three Cornered Lace Shawl in Clover Pattern, from Victorian Lace Today.

I started this ambitious project for work. (I know. My job sucks.) There was a possibility that we would need a Civil war era lace shawl for our World Premier production of Paula Vogel's "A Civil War Christmas." I don't know if you realize this, but real shawls from the civil war aren't easy to find - at least in usable condition. I realized that if that scene stayed in the play I needed to start knitting NOW. (This was the end of October) I started. Somewhere about the week before Thanksgiving-ish time it became apparent that the shawl was cut and was going to stay cut from the show. I stopped working on it. It has been sitting on my desk waiting for me to knit the last chart since then.

I got a little busy with Holiday gifts, but I am coming back to it soon. I think I am going to donate it to the Theatre Silent auction when I finish it.
In the midst of the final Holiday gift rush, I got an e-mail from the nice lady at Schaefer Yarn Company. She needed emergency model knitters. So I took on the "#299 Laurel Criss Cross Wrap".

It was not super easy to knit, cause it was a bit fiddly, but it wasn't hard to knit either. I was on a quick deadline to finish, so I didn't even post about it at all.

It is blocking now, and only needs the fringe detail to be a FO. If only it would dry....
Finally, I started a pair of socks for me. These will be my January Socktopia socks, should I actually finish them in January. I see no reason that I won't, but you never know. The pattern in Blackrose from the new Winter Knitty.

And... that's it! Not to shabby. I'll try to keep ya'll updated better. I promise.
I have a big boring tech coming up this weekend. Most likely, I'll be doing a lot of sitting. Hopefully, lots of knitting will accompany the aforementioned sitting.