Finished! Flexible Flirtation Cowl

So, I finished this a while ago but I've been trying to take photos of it.  It's very comfy and fluffy, but... I don't look good in it.  But it's comfy! And actually, it wasn't that horrible to knit with, either.  I would work with this yarn again, maybe to make a fluffy stuffed monster.  It makes a great fabric.

Anyway, it's a flexible cowl because I knit it on larger needles, and the buttons fit through the stitches instead of any set button holes.  So you can button it any way you want.  I found four:

I guess if you wanted to add a fifth style you could twist it and make it a mobius cowl.  I'm sure there are more!

So, I packaged it up and will send it off when I get around to the post store... hopefully tomorrow.  I feel like I have had no time to myself lately.  It was very calming to sew up the package on my sewing machine.

Perfect Buttons

Dan and I went into JoAnn's the other day to get buttons for my cowl.  He told me "I have memorized where everything is in JoAnn's, because everytime we go you go looking for things... but really that's just an excuse to browse the store."

He caught me.

It still took me fifteen minutes to find the perfect buttons. He even helped me!

I'm a lucky person.

Christmas Yarn

I normally don't like it when people give me yarn.  It's usually not my style, or not enough to make a good project out of, or just uninspiring.  But over Christmas, my old art teacher RB gave me this bag:

It's got a ton of goodies! This multicolor mystery yarn:

A bag of this stuff:

A PILE of recycled Sari yarn that I spent the afternoon untangling last weekend.  It was so calming to do that, seriously. 

(Before pile)

(After cake)

And then there is this: "Flirtation."  

Normally, I would call this yarn "icky looking" but it's so soft and squishy.  I knit some of it up, and couldn't stop.  So I'm making an easy garter stitch cowl.  I have a plan and everything - the loops on the yarn are so big (because I'm working on US 13 needles) that small buttons can fit through them - so no buttonholes!  If I  put some buttons on the end, she'll be able to fasten the cowl in a few different ways.  

I'm really excited to make this!

Sweater Disaster

So, I was really really proud to finish my first sweater!

But... as you might notice... it's not really finished.  I picked up the exact number of stitches, but it looks like the button band has too few of them, because this weird scrunching thing happens.

This is probably the most unflattering thing that has ever been draped upon my figure.  All of the endorphins from sewing the last button on disappeared when I looked at myself in the mirror.  Instead of a beautiful form swathed in beautiful handknit goodness, I felt like a potato in a too-big potato sack.  I have lost weight since I started knitting it, so it might just be way too big... but I would at least like to have the bottom form a straight line!

Anyway, this thing is in time out until I get the gumption to unravel the button band, cast on with more stitches, and try again.

If Only the Force was With Me...

Does this look like a Princess Leia inspired hat? I'm not really that happy with it... but, whatever, the Dalek came out great!

That makes two pretty big flubs for me this week, the second one being a sweater disaster that I still need to blog about.  I'm starting to feel like most of my blog posts are about problems I'm having! I REALLY am good at knitting... I swear! 

I think my main problems were: 

1.) I made it up as I went along instead of just using one of the many patterns on the internet.

2.) When I sewed the little buns on, I didn't have an orange or grapefruit to use as a gauge of a baby head, so I have no way to tell if they are wonky or not. I just have the sneaking suspicion that they are!

Rainbow Socks are Dead. Long Live Rainbow Socks!

Yep.  I took the time today to try to make the right heel.  It didn't work, and I decided that maybe I would change the way I was approaching these socks.  Maybe top-down socks will work... and maybe doing them two-at-a time will help me finish them quicker. 

I also might not do simple stress socks this time... I might do an actual sock pattern, but I have to find one. 

Pudgy the Curious Dalek

I finished him! There were a few hiccups, but I kind of like it. 

First, I worked a jogless round because there's color work in the body and neck.  But because of them, the start of the round had moved about an inch and a half! So, the eyes are kind of at an angle from where they are supposed to be.  I don't mind it though, because he kind of looks like he's just turning his head.  I think he looks slightly curious.  Like he's hearing someone talking and is listening in, turning his head just a little bit.  And he catches you looking - but instead of looking away bashfully, or turning all the way towards you to engage in conversation, he just freezes.  "Uh... uh..."  Then you have to make the move.

Oh man, I am way too attached to this doll.  I gotta send it away! Stop being adorable, Pudgy!

Anyway, I really like the pattern.  I would make it again, as another gift for a Dr. Who fan.  I know so many! And now that I've made one, I feel like I can make another even more efficiently.  Aside from catching the whole start of the round mess-up, I plan to:

1.) Place a coffee can lid or some other circular object in the bottom to keep it flat.  

2.) Knit the bottom as a flat circle and then work my way up, finishing at the top.  I totally know how to do that!

3.) Use stitch markers to mark where you decrease during the leg-ish section (where the bobbles are).  I did that this time and it worked really well!

Anyway, I had fun knitting this and I'm pumped to call it my first FO of 2014 :)