Shrug this!

That sounds like a rude exclamation, but it actually is the name of the pattern. We are going to a friend's wedding in March and my snazzy new dress is sleeveless so I just wanted a little something to go with it. I thought about a wrap (and would buy one probably) but I like something that stays on me without me holding it. So I hit ravelry for shrug patterns and hit my stash for appropriate yarns. I decided on Shrug This which is from One-Skein Wonders but is also available for free as a PDF on the publisher's website. (Link to the html pattern, pdf available on the left) This is a nice and easy pattern but it comes out small. This was not just my problem, a few people mentioned this problem on ravelry (but did I listen? um, no.). I even swatched, people! I'm not a great one for swatching but I did it! And, just like the Yarn Harlot says, the swatch lied. Or the pattern did, or the knitting muses just hated me, whatever. Either way, the shrug turned out for a very tiny person. I could put it on, but it was just not right (unless you enjoy possibly cutting off the feeling to your arms. Then, go for it.). First, I was pissed. Then I was sad. Wasted yarn! Wasted knitting time! Then I decided to do something about it Mad Scientist/Frankenstein style. And now it fits! Here it is:

And again, on me. (ignore the crappy photo. Really. I took it myself, in a (apparently dirty) mirror, and I haven't done the little sewing job the dress needs)
Here are the problems and my solutions:

1. The armholes were too tight. This was the real mad scientisty part - I cut my knitting. gasp! I took hope from seeing the Yarn Harlot do it many a time and thought of it as a steek of sorts (it isn't exactly, but that's the idea I followed). I took matching thread and needle and sewed all around the underarm stitches that I would be cutting to reinforce them and make sure they didn't come apart on me after cutting. Then I cut them. I believe it was five stitches in the middle of each underarm.
   
2. It was too short. It was really too short after I cut the stitches which pulled it up more. For this I added an edging. I decided to do a crochet edging since it would be quicker than picking up the stitches for knitting, I think, and double crochet almost perfectly matched the pattern that was already on the bottom of the shrug. I added one row of double crochet edging to the front panels and two rows of double crochet edging to the bottom. Now it was the perfect length for this dress!

Yay! Problem solved. :-) Oh, info on the yarn: It is Plymouth Fantasy Naturale, a mercerized cotton. The tiny shrug took the first skein so then I had to go into the second one for the edging. This is the same yarn I used for one pair of Fetching, which erm, apparently I never blogged! O.k., here are the gloves too, they were for my sister for Christmas.

More finished Christmas gifts!

I made a bunch of tiny socks, here's one that showcases my sock monkey tag that I'm putting on them.

To make the tags, I bought a sock monkey head rubber stamp and stamped it on Shrinky Dink (the official website is down) with brown ink (you have to use a permanent ink pad not just any kind), then I used colored pencils to do the lips in red and the eyes in black. Don't forget to punch the hole before you shrink them! A regular size hole punch comes out to a nice small hole when it is shrunk. Then I put on a jump ring and stuck it to the tiny sock!

Yet another pair of fetching... these were for my mother-in-law. This is Rowan Summer Tweed, the same as the pink one I showed earlier. This yarn works great for this pattern, but be careful! Now that I've made two of the same pair, I want to warn that you can get two from one skein but it is close. Really really close, I had a few yards left at the end of the second one. So don't let any yarn go to waste with extra long tails or anything, just in case!

I have one more Christmas present to post but that has to wait! On my needles right now: the second pink Fetching for me.

I'm back!

Sorry for the hiatus, I have been getting ready for the new job, starting the new job, smushing my car and needing to buy a new one, and getting a new cat. sheesh. But I have also been knitting! I have an hour lunch and usually stay in so I have at least a half hour of dedicated knitting and podcast time each day, which is lovely.

I have one Dashing off the needles and the second one just started. These are a Christmas present, hopefully for my brother but I'm a little nervous... he's a rather no-frills kind of guy and I'm a little afraid he won't wear them. For some reason the pattern gave me a little trouble on the first one so I have a bit of time invested and don't want them to just sit in his drawer. I'd rather have somebody wear them than I mind having my feelings hurt so I'm considering asking him honestly when I give them to him if he'll wear them and telling him I"ll make him something else if he wouldn't. Unless I can come up with a more espionage way of figuring it out...

Modeled by Trevor who wants his one snazzy pair at some point - his comment? "They're gauntlets!!" in a positive way. ;-)

I have one Fetching for me done, I cheated and snuck it in among the Christmas knitting. Why I'm not sure since they don't do me any good until the second one is done. ;-) These are made from Rowan Summer Tweed which is gooooorrrrgeous. You may remember it as a gifty from my Fall dishcloth swap from Jenna. It is 70% silk and 30% cotton and wonderfully soft and squishy. Neither silk or cotton has much give so it is a little hard on the hands to knit with (especially the cables) but the result is very nice so it is worth it. This one is on the wrong hand (the cables twist the wrong way) because I can't take a picture with my left hand and the husband was sleeping. :-) This yarn looks so nice worked up that I ordered some in another color for a gift Fetching (No, I'm still not done with these things) and a Dashing.

And then in progress I have three dishcloths: a Grandma, a Feather & Fan, and a DW, I'll save the photos until they are done. Dishcloths are boring enough without seeing half finished ones. (Well, I don't find them boring but many people do - did you know there's a whole dishcloth hating group on Ravelry? Where's the love people - can't we all just knit different things and get along?)

Coming soon: an update on the completely unrealistic Christmas knitting list and a foody post of Halloween & Thanksgiving goodies (I know, very late)

Rhinebeck and stuff

I'm on my 4th pair of Fetching and I'm starting to get tired of them. ;-) Too bad I still have at least another 2 pair I want to make! (I don't even have any of my own yet) I have unsuccessfully tried to cast on for Dashing twice now. Tried once, needed a smaller needle. Tried again and decided the yarn just wasn't right. So I'm back to the drawing board on that one. Maybe I will find the perfect yarn at....

RHINEBECK!! Woo, day after tomorrow, baby! We will be there Saturday and Sunday and will be camping out Saturday night. Tentative plans for Saturday include eating artichokes, watching sheep dogs, watching bunnies being spun, and vendor browsing. There is a Ravelry party that night but I don't think I'll make it since my long-suffering husband is already putting up with so much this weekend, I don't think I can subject him to that (which also requires a drive to Kingston). There is also a Ravelry/Blogger meetup both days at Noon near the food stands so I might make it to one of them. Maybe, depending on what it takes to keep everyone as happy as possible. On Sunday the agenda includes a visit to the author tent for some book signings, and then after lunch a talk by the Yarn Harlot! I just saw her a few months ago but who can pass up the chance?

So, my next post will be a roundup of all the fun Rhinebeck things we do, and things I buy, and photos of it all. :-D

Fetching(s) Spree!

I am on a roll with my Christmas gift list thanks to Fetching! I am in the middle of the 3rd of 5 or 6 pairs I will be making. I love this pattern - it was my first cable project and now I am in love with cables. Here are two completed pairs and one in process - after that I have a cream pair (a gift), a pink pair for me, and maybe one more that isn't planned yet. I also have a possible pair (or more) of the male version, Dashing to come.



Aren't they pretty? They are all Knit Picks Shine Worsted - the green is Green Apple, the purple is crocus, and the blue is wave. This yarn works great for these - the gauge is perfect (up one needle size to 7) and the slight shine really shows off the cables. Hopefully I will continue to love the pattern through the rest of the pairs and won't get tired of making them before I'm done. :-)