Tag: Knitting

Functional Products

It’s been a while since I made something just for its functional purpose, rather than because I was trying a new technique or look. So I got bored and made some dishcloths. The first few were just average square ones, in that weird tan colour since my mom had it hanging around in her stash. The round ones I made when I got to the point where I did want to try something new.

I’ve been fascinated by that black-flecked white cotton for a while now, and finally caved and made a dishcloth out of that too. Since I made the first ones in February I recently (roughly a couple weeks ago, this post is after-the-fact) decided to see if I could make another from memory. It turned out quite nice I think.

I left a few of the tan ones in the kitchen. The flatmates pretty much ignored them, though one of them did (seemingly accidentally) get tossed in the trash. The other one has yet to be used. I am saving it as a housewarming gift for the new flatmates when I move at the end of the week. It can then be broken in properly.

I still have some more of the cotton hanging around, so I think I may make another one. I like the way that turned out and it would be nice to have a couple to rotate while the others are being laundered.


Scarlet Fever!

I’ve finally finished Dean’s red socks. All in all, I think they turned out rather well, though I must admit I am eager to try making some socks using intarsia or something to vamp them up a little.

These socks were quite fun to make. I used a short-row toe for a change on these ones, since they seem to wear better and be more comfortable. I was hesitant to try a short-row heel though, since I’m not sure how well fingering-weight yarn would wear if I do it that way. That experiment shall be done on socks that aren’t a gift for someone else.

Also, I finished the second pair of cotton socks for my mother. It felt really strange to go from fingering-weight yarn to worsted, but the socks turned out really well. I’m going to mail them out as soon as the holiday is over, so my mom can give the lavender pair a break for a change.

Pictures shall come later tonight once I find the camera.


Peacock Tapestry/Embroidery

I’m finally getting some real progress done on my cross-stitch. In the last couple days I’ve done most of the burgundy in the border, and when I get that done will be back to working on the main part. I’m not sure where I’m going to start with that, but I’m going to do one area at a time instead of doing one entire colour all over the piece. Doing that takes too long and makes it more likely I’ll make mistakes.

My next plan is to embroider the leaf motif of my sheets onto my duvet cover, possibly onto the blue pillowcases too, since that would tie everything together quite nicely and be a small project which won’t take too much time.

I’ve knitted the back pocket for the iPod cozy, but I have yet to attempt putting it all together. That should be done soon too, with pictures.


The Wonderful iPod Cozy

I caved in to the current fad and knitted Dean an iPod cozy. It took a bit of searching, but I finally found a red button that was the perfect size to close it.

It’s a work-in-progress. I’m probably going to knit a small pouch on the back for the ear buds. Since I didn’t think ahead enough to remember to slip a stitch on the top for them to be plugged in while it’s in the case, I guess that a pouch on the back will have to do.

This was my first time making something off the top of my head. I even took apart an old shirt that was hanging around to get some burgundy cloth to line it with. That was interesting in itself. Sewing cloth to knitted fabric is fun. I just hope that it holds.

Has anyone else tried making one of these yet?


My First Pair of Socks



Wow. I am both proud and saddened by these socks. They function as socks, which is great. But there are ladders and slipped stitches and other mistakes all over them. I even somehow misaligned the gusset. Thank god it didn’t hurt anything.

All in all, they are great, for the simple fact that they are warm, beautifully tacky, and they got me hooked onto the wonderful world of sockknitting.

I find it pretty amusing that the first time I saw yarn specifically for socks (in December) I bought tons of it and just jumped right in. My mom taught me to knit when I was little…I’m not even sure how old I was, so I was probably under five years old. She’s not all that capable of reading a pattern, or just doing something out of the blue like that, so I really was on my own. But it looks like they turned out fine.

I mean, I used dpns, they were smaller than any other knitting needles I had yet used, and that was a lot of knitting to do in a week. At least, the first sock took a week, the second took me a couple of sporadic knitting around classes and such.

I’ve done another pair since these, but my mom has magicked them away and so I have no pictures to show you. But the good news was I did those with a generic formula. I can make socks with any size needles and any yarn now, as long as I like the gauge. Pretty cool.

I’m off to finish the heel on my third pair.


A New Obsession

I have found something new to occupy my every spare thought: SOCKS!

I never really cared for knitting until I went home for a week and pretty much had nothing else to do. Then while wandering around with my mom on one of her frequent shopping trips, I discovered bright red sock yarn complete with pattern.

The obsession began.