Fairly Random Monday
1. Last week was a busy, wonderful week here -- the kids had off from school for February break. That's also the reason for no blogging last week -- just busy doing other things. We had one day trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house ("Hi!") but other than that we've just hung around and enjoyed each others' company. I can't believe vacation is over already.
Here is a pile of happy, relaxing, slightly out-of-focus kids.
2. There has been some time for knitting and spinning so today you'll get a photo gallery of finished objects or objects-still-in-process. So Fo's and OSIPs for those of you who enjoy the alphabet soup of the online world. (If we're going to be entirely honest, "FO's" is a widely used abbreviation but OSIPs, that one is just mine. You'll see "WIPs" out there in the real virtual* world.)
(* I'm going for a nomination to the 2009 Oxymoron Hall of Fame)
First FO, which took freakin' forever to finish but I love it.
Pattern: Noro Striped Scarf by Jared Flood
(Last I looked on Ravelry, 4028 other Noro Striped Scarves had been made so if you see someone else wearing one, well, it is by no means unique.)
Yarn: Noro Kureyon in the forgettably named color # 188
Mods: The only modification I made was to use the same color for the whole scarf -- the pattern calls for using at least 2 separate colors. The balls are wound randomly so I just started at the beginning of 2 unmatched balls. Whenever the colors weren't working out the way I liked, I broke the yarn and advanced the yarn until I found a color I like and reattached.
3. I joined the Spunky Eclectic Fiber club and receive a 4oz roving once a month. This was January's offering all plied up.
Roving: 100% Organic merino in Twilight colorway.
Yarn: Light worsted weight.
Final Project: I have no idea what I'm going to make out of this.....yet.
4. Here are some mittens requested by DD#1. Megan picked out the colors and I found the design on Ravelry. I may have actually gone on a bit of a mitten jag here. Can't get enough of them -- bulky yarn (see Random note #5) or DK weight -- totally enjoying knitting mittens. I suppose a stretch of 50 degree weather might cure me of it but that isn't predicted anytime soon so....how about some more mittens.
Pattern: Generic Norwegian mitten graph from Adrian Bizilia
Graph for turtle and lizard from RedHeadRachel on Ravelry
Yarn: Knit Picks DK Merino Style in Eggplant and Asparagras
Needles: US 3 for cuffs and US 4 for hand
5. I usually don't make forays into the world of super bulky yarn but I wanted a big warm hat and there was enough yarn left for a set of big mittens as well.
Hat Pattern: Unoriginal Hat by the Yarn Harlot.
Yarn: Smile by Reynolds - 2 balls
Needles: US 10 1/2
Gauge: 3 st /inch
Mods: I know I've mentioned the circumference of my head before (yes, a bit larger than average) so some mods to the pattern were required. I added another complete pattern repeat to the circumference so I CO 70 stitches rather than 56 and I added 2 inches of ribbing to get enough depth. The resulting hat is ample and warm and lovely.
Mittens:
Generic Mitten pattern from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Pattens
6. OK, mid-February and I really could use something other than gray outside the windows. So when I caught sight of these guys flashing some brillant reds in the trees, I grabbed my camera. For your enjoyment:
Here is a pile of happy, relaxing, slightly out-of-focus kids.
2. There has been some time for knitting and spinning so today you'll get a photo gallery of finished objects or objects-still-in-process. So Fo's and OSIPs for those of you who enjoy the alphabet soup of the online world. (If we're going to be entirely honest, "FO's" is a widely used abbreviation but OSIPs, that one is just mine. You'll see "WIPs" out there in the real virtual* world.)
(* I'm going for a nomination to the 2009 Oxymoron Hall of Fame)
First FO, which took freakin' forever to finish but I love it.
Pattern: Noro Striped Scarf by Jared Flood
(Last I looked on Ravelry, 4028 other Noro Striped Scarves had been made so if you see someone else wearing one, well, it is by no means unique.)
Yarn: Noro Kureyon in the forgettably named color # 188
Mods: The only modification I made was to use the same color for the whole scarf -- the pattern calls for using at least 2 separate colors. The balls are wound randomly so I just started at the beginning of 2 unmatched balls. Whenever the colors weren't working out the way I liked, I broke the yarn and advanced the yarn until I found a color I like and reattached.
3. I joined the Spunky Eclectic Fiber club and receive a 4oz roving once a month. This was January's offering all plied up.
Roving: 100% Organic merino in Twilight colorway.
Yarn: Light worsted weight.
Final Project: I have no idea what I'm going to make out of this.....yet.
4. Here are some mittens requested by DD#1. Megan picked out the colors and I found the design on Ravelry. I may have actually gone on a bit of a mitten jag here. Can't get enough of them -- bulky yarn (see Random note #5) or DK weight -- totally enjoying knitting mittens. I suppose a stretch of 50 degree weather might cure me of it but that isn't predicted anytime soon so....how about some more mittens.
Pattern: Generic Norwegian mitten graph from Adrian Bizilia
Graph for turtle and lizard from RedHeadRachel on Ravelry
Yarn: Knit Picks DK Merino Style in Eggplant and Asparagras
Needles: US 3 for cuffs and US 4 for hand
5. I usually don't make forays into the world of super bulky yarn but I wanted a big warm hat and there was enough yarn left for a set of big mittens as well.
Hat Pattern: Unoriginal Hat by the Yarn Harlot.
Yarn: Smile by Reynolds - 2 balls
Needles: US 10 1/2
Gauge: 3 st /inch
Mods: I know I've mentioned the circumference of my head before (yes, a bit larger than average) so some mods to the pattern were required. I added another complete pattern repeat to the circumference so I CO 70 stitches rather than 56 and I added 2 inches of ribbing to get enough depth. The resulting hat is ample and warm and lovely.
Mittens:
Generic Mitten pattern from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Pattens
6. OK, mid-February and I really could use something other than gray outside the windows. So when I caught sight of these guys flashing some brillant reds in the trees, I grabbed my camera. For your enjoyment:
What the hell is that top bird? The Yellow-Breasted Yuppie-Punk? It's all sorts of tacky/cool. It's got the feather equivalent of paisley mismatched with clashing pastel solids. Perchance was it wearing little Hush Puppies or baby Doc Martens? I demand even my esoteric metaphors come to fruition.
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It is, and I didn't make this up, the "red-bellied woodpecker" and, according to my Field Guide to Birds of North America, a member of the ladder-backed woodpecker family. (Who knew there was a whole family of ladder-backed woodpeckers?) One would think it would be called the "red headed woodpecker" but that was already taken by another more Woody Woodpecker-type bird. More than you probably wanted to know, huh? (Apparently I have to type "woodpecker" five times before it looks misspelled and I feel vaguely dirty.)
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