Chugging Away on Pomatomus

I'm slowly making my way through the Pomatomus socks. Now that I have several repetitions of the design down, I'm really digging the fish scale effect.


This project is yet another reminder that I need work on my lace skills. I look at some of the pomatomus photos on Ravelry and they're much lacier and airier than mine, with clear curves of yarn-overs around the edges of the scales. I ran into this same problem a couple of years back when I was doing the vine lace section of the Mason-Dixon linen nightie. My natural tendency is to knit tightly, and too often that means that my yarn overs disappear. On Pomatomus this won't be a huge problem. The socks will still look great even if the lace aspect isn't as evident, but I really need to do some small lace work projects as practice.


I've let another month slip by without ordering my worsted weight Knit Picks shine for the Molly Weasely sweater bodice. I will get that order in at the beginning of March. And as a heads up for anyone else making, or planning to make, the MW technicolor housecoat: Order that shine sport now! Knit Picks new catalog shows that several of the colors are being discontinued!

I guess this is a lesson learned...

I love knitting socks. I taught myself to make cuff-up socks on four DPNs, using the indescribably helpful Silver's Sock Class. After happily churning out cuff-ups for a couple of years, I finally decided it was time try a toe-first pattern. I had two small hanks of handpainted merino sock yarn in my stash which I pulled out to make my first toe-up socks. Purchased via mail order more than two years ago, I'd simply tossed these hanks into my stash drawers, thinking all was well.

I balled one hank and got to work. The first toe-up sock went well, after some initial missteps and ripping back. I then went to ball the second hank. About 1/3rd of the way through - I found a break. Then another break, and then another and another. The final 1/3 of the yarn was pretty much unusable, with breaks every few inches.

@#$%^&!!!!

And at this point, what can I do? I bought it more than two years back, but hadn't discovered the problem because I hadn't tried to wind it. I guess today's lesson is to ball purchased hanks within a month or two. That way, if there is a problem, I have a chance to get an exchange or return.


Too annoyed to work out a solution right now (I have one lovely, striped, but mateless toe-up sock...), I instead cast on another pair of socks entirely.
Here's my start on Cookie A's Pomatomus Socks, using Zitron Trekking in the "Brazil" colorway:


So far, so good. The chart is excellent. You can see the upper half of the first round of "scales" taking shape.

Entrelac Socks

I finally finished these #$%&&$ socks! Their completion marks a triumph against the longest bout of dreaded SSS with which I've wrestled.



I used the Buttercupia Noro Entrelac sock pattern, downloadable on Ravelry. I sort of like entrelac. I don't exactly love doing it, but I like the way it looks enough to do it anyway. Noro sock yarn works perfectly because of those long color runs that enhance the basketweave effect. I have a pattern in my queue for a matching bag. I don't know that I'd go to all the trouble of making another pair of entrelac socks out of a single ply yarn like this, but I may give the bag a try soon.








































The completed socks aren't perfect, but good enough for me. There was an error (or more accurately a typo) on one line of the pattern in the ending round of triangles. When I first started these way back when, I was not as good a fudger as I am now. The sock I made nearly two years back has these weird bubbly spots in that round where I was trying to work my way through. The second sock looks much better. I briefly considered frogging the foot of the first sock back to where the triangles and reworking it...but after finally getting these off of my needles, I couldn't do it. Live and learn.

Molly Weasley Sweater

Here I am again, updating after far too long. Instead of blathering on about why it took me so long to get back to my knitting blog, I'm just going to talk about this sweater.

I've not been a big fan of crochet over the years, despite the fact that my only published pattern thus far has been crochet. Amigurumi aside, I generally shy away from crotchet projects. I'm in a rare minority that finds knitting far easier.

My crochet phobia was what made me put off making the Molly Weasley technicolor housecoat from "Charmed Knits", even though I loved how it looked. This past fall, I decided to give it a go.

A firm believer in taking the bull by the horns, I started with the crocheted sleeves. I worked them simultaneously, doing one or two rounds on one before switching to the other for a couple of rounds. I found that worked best for me. Since my crochet knowledge is a little shaky, doing the sleeves in this manner made sure that techniques were still fresh in my head from one to the other.



These are the shoulder caps and top sleeve portions. I used the suggested yarn, Knit Picks Shine sport.
















Close-up on the sleeve stitches. I had some confusion on the magenta stripe of triple crochets, right below those lime green clusters. The directions on the PDF I downloaded from Ravelry weren't clear. Thankfully there are some great project photos posted from other users, and I was able to figure it out by looking at those.
























Here are the finished sleeves! They took me about a month for the pair of them. I made some minor alterations to the pattern. I'm a short girl, and made as written these would have been ridiculously long on my lil arms. I skipped three rows at the top (where the lower sleeve joins the upper piece). I also trimmed the three rounds of magenta trebles to one round of half-doubles and one round of trebles.

There are some minor errors in the PDF version of this pattern. Specifically, the end of round stitch counts are off. I've been meaning to send a note to the author. The directions otherwise seem great. IMO, if you're like me and not an experienced crocheter, the PDF version is written a little more clearly than the one published in the Charmed Knits book.

All that's left is the stockinette stitch bodice, trim and buttons. I need to place another order to Knit Picks. The holidays slowed me down for knitting much more than socks, but I need to make sure this is finished before Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 comes out in July!

PS, if you're wondering about progress on the October for Spinners scarf, it is temporarily hibernating. You would think the spider would have been the difficult part of that one. It wasn't. At least for me, the hard part is afterwards, trying to work a complex pattern where every line is different. The results are gorgeous, but much like trying to make that ruffled mohair scarf, it can't be put down and picked up easily. I've set it aside for the present, until I clear my queue of easier, quicker projects.

Capsule Bunny 2.0

Here you go! A free amigurumi bunny pattern. Don't say I never gave ya nuttin'! ;p

Capsule Bunny v2.0

2010 Marya Diederichs

This pattern is for an amigurumi crocheted bunny. You can finish your bunny any number of ways, using multiple colors, stripes, or accents. For simplicity's sake, these directions are written for a solid color bunny, but feel free to let your bun-inspired creativity run wild!

This pattern is for non-profit, personal use only. Create as many bunnies as you like for yourself, or for gifts. Please do not sell toys made from this pattern. The bunny gods would be most displeased.

Supplies Needed:

• Yarn of your choice. The example pictured uses about 2/3 of a skein of inexpensive, aran weight acrylic.
• A crochet hook of an appropriate size for your yarn choice. I used a 5.5mm for the example. Since this is amigurumi, make sure that your stitches will be tight enough to contain the stuffing.
• One stitch marker
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Tapestry or yarn needle.
• 2 buttons, safety eyes, or black embroidery floss. Please note that if this bunny is to be given to a baby or to a child under 3 years old, you must either embroider the eyes, or use safety eyes.

Gauge:

Gauge is unimportant for this project. Obviously bulky yarn with a larger needle will make a bigger bunny.

Notes:

Each piece begins in typical amigurumi fashion, with either a six stitch magic loop, or six scs worked into one stitch. Pieces are then worked in spiral rounds. Use the marker to keep track of your rounds. The total stitch count for each round is noted in parentheses after each line of the pattern.

Pattern:

Head

Rnd 1: Begin with a six stitch magic ring. Alternatively: Make 1sc, then work 6 stitches into that 1.

Rnd 2: Make 2 sc into each st around. (12)

Rnd 3: *Sc into the next st, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (18)

Rnd 4: *Sc into the next 2 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (24)

Rnd 5: *Sc into the next 3 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (30)

Rnd 6: *Sc into the next 4 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (36)

Rnd 7: *Sc into the next 5 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (42)

Rnd 8: *Sc into the next 6 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (48)

Rnd 9: *Sc into the next 7 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (54)

Rnd 10: *Sc into the next 8 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (60)

Rnd 11: *Sc into the next 9 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (66)

Rnd 12: *Sc into the next 10 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (72)

Rnd 13: *Sc into the next 11 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (78)

Rnd 14: *Sc into the next 12 sts, make 2 sc in next st; rep from * around. (84)

Rnds 15 – 18: Work even. (84)

Rnd 19: *Sc in each of next 12 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (78)

Rnd 20: *Sc in each of next 11 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (72)

Rnd 21: *Sc in each of next 10 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (66)

Rnd 22: *Sc in each of next 9 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (60)

Rnd 23: *Sc in each of next 8 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (54)

Rnd 24: *Sc in each of next 7 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (48)

Rnd 25: *Sc in each of next 6 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (42)

Rnd 26: *Sc in each of next 5 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (36)

Rnd 27: *Sc in each of next 4 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (30)

Body

Work rounds 1-10 as you did for the head. (60)

Rnds 11-14: Work even. (60)

Rnd 15: *Sc in each of next 8 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (54)

Rnd 16: *Sc in each of next 7 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (48)

Rnd 17: *Sc in each of next 6 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (42)

Rnds 18-20: Work even. (42)

Rnd 21: *Sc in each of next 5 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (36)

Rnd 22: *Sc in each of next 4 sts, Sc2tog; rep from * around – (30)

Ears (make 2)

Rnd 1: Begin with a six stitch magic ring. Alternatively: Make 1sc, then work 6 stitches into that 1.

Rnd 2: Make 2 sc into each st around. (12)

Rnds 3-14: Work even.

Arms (make 2)

Rnd 1: Begin with a six stitch magic ring. Alternatively: Make 1sc, then work 6 stitches into that 1.

Rnds 2-10: Work even.

Legs (make 2)

Rnd 1: Begin with a six stitch magic ring. Alternatively: Make 1sc, then work 6 stitches into that 1.

Rnd 2: Make 2 sc into each st around. (12)

Rnds 3-4: Work even. (12)

Rnd 5: *Sc in the next 1 st, Sc2tog; rep from* around – (6)

Rnds 6-10: Work even. (6)

Tail

Rnd 1: Begin with a six stitch magic ring. Alternatively: Make 1sc, then work 6 stitches into that 1.

Rnd 2: Make 2 sc into each st around. (12)

Rnds 3-4: Work even. (12)

Finishing

Begin by pinching the ears flat, like empty glove fingers. Stitch the ears to the head with your tapestry/yarn needle. You may wish to pin them first, which allows you to try a few different positions until you find one you like best. If you are using safety eyes, attach them at this point. The inside fasteners will need to be in place before the head is stuffed.

Using fiberfill, stuff the head firmly.

Stuff the body.

Stitch the head and body together at the neck. If you have a loose length of yarn left at the end, use the eye end of your needle to push it into the fabric, where it will not be seen.

The arms, legs, and tail usually do not need to be stuffed. This may vary if you are using a very soft yarn, or working at a large gauge.

Stitch the arms to the body. As with the ears, play with several different placements to find the best look for your bunny.

Stitch the legs to the body. The bunny shown in the photo example is sitting. The legs were placed at the front “edge” of the body. The two legs and the tail provide a 3-point support which allows the bunny to sit on its own, on a table or shelf. An alternative is to sew the legs in the middle of the body, as if the bunny is standing up. If you do this, your bunny will not be able to stand unsupported, but it's still a cute look.

Stitch the tail to the body. If your bunny is sitting, play with the tail placement to make sure it balances out with the legs.

If you didn't already affix eyes to your bunny's face, do that now.

Enjoy your new friend!

Just in time for Easter...

I've just finished my amigurumi bunny pattern. It is an updated version of the "Capsule Bunny" stufftie that is viewable on my Ravelry projects page. Consider it Capsule Bunny Version 2.0!

The pattern and photos will be posted before Sunday.

In addition, I am doing a free drawing for a special edition Capsule Bunny, completed by me, but adorned with some extra beading and bling!

Stay tuned. Same yarn time, same yarn channel!

Small Update

Whew! Things have been a little crazy around here for the past few weeks, and I haven't gotten much done. I'm still plugging away on the "Spinners" scarf.

In other news, the "Homespun Yarn Party" will be held on March 21st, at Historic Savage Mill, in Savage, MD. It looks like I may not make it, as my daughter's birthday is coming up, and I don't have much extra cash to splurge on yarn. The event is highly recommended for anyone who can check it out. Score yourself some gorgeous stash additions in my honor!

Coming soon: I'm working on writing down one of my amigurumi patterns. I'll post it here, for free download, hopefully within the next week!