Moved

A new year, a new blog.

http://mjsknits.tumblr.com/

It's been a wonderful time running this blog, and I will miss it dearly. All posts will remain untouched for the sake of archiving, but my new knitting adventures will all occur on the page above.

Thank you for such a wonderful experience <3 Happy crafting!

Much love,
MJ

FO's: Anonaimal and Of Sharpest Mind

I'M NOT DEAD YET! In fact, I'm getting better!

Here there be FO's!

An Abalone in Araucania Nature Wool. I'll get a better, color-correct photo…someday. If you'd like a reference anyway, this post can help!

A House Scarf (from Charmed Knits) in Lion Brand Suede and Caron Simply Soft for my friend and wannabe-Ravenclaw, Christina!

I have hardly kept up this blog in the last year, and for that I apologize. It's always been more of a personal record-keeping deal for me. I hope I can get better at keeping said records, aheh :P

Oh. Hi.

So I might've ignored my blog for a whole summer, but that doesn't mean I can't just jump in without excuses and post, right?

…Right?

Well something that happened in my absence was my birthday. And people not only saw fit to get me birthday gifts, they saw fit to get me really awesome birthday gifts.

And I treated myself on some things as well :)

Cascade Heritage Sock in Blood Orange

And introducing my new best friend: the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS

FO: Chuck

I have quite the backlog of FO's to plow through, aheh…

About a day after Buttonhead was released in the spring Knitty, I decided I needed a beret and I needed it immediately. Hence, this hat was made in a matter of a week.

Yarn is Cascade 220 wool in a lovely, rich gold, which inspired me to name it for the sunny fashion ensembles and personality of Lonely Tourist Charlotte "Chuck" Charles. RIP Pushing Daisies :(

That, and I had a button that looked like a pie crust.

(Mitts and photos belong to my soupsnake)

Obligatory stupid face photo.

Shades of gray

The first half of my Drawing and Painting class ended two weeks ago. Here are some results:

All: pencil on paper

Sure to be more color in the next half of the year! ;)

FO: Folding Chair

So named because it tends to buckle at the knees a bit, but at this point I am throwing in the towel.

Advice to knitters who are new to knitting toys/objects/chairs, enjoy working with tiny needles, and have to make art projects on a deadline: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. While I find I do love this chair, it took forever to construct and knit, and exactly one week ago I would have never thought it would be such a nightmare (hence why I made this chair in the first place, foolish past self).
But enough whining, more pictures!!!

Yarn: leftover sport weight Filatura Lanarota Cuzco and Malabrigo Yarn Sock in Tiziano Red

Gauge was 16 stitches = 1.5 in. in stockinette

It stands about six inches high and the legs are about three and a quarter inches apart.

At this point I should probably bring up the construction. As I was in such a hurry to put everything together, I didn't think to take progress pictures (booooo). The front legs are standard glass test tubes and the back legs are two test tubes stacked on top of each other; between the top two is a small wooden block. The seat is wood also, although the seat piece is heavier to distribute the weight evenly and keep the chair from falling over on its back. Everything has a knit cover, and I attached pieces by sewing them together.

That little decorative square is the most intarsia I even intend to do x(

In conclusion, many lessons on what to do and what not to do when creating unorthodox patterns from thin air have been learned. Mostly, MEASURE EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME and NEVER KNIT SMALL THINGS WITH A SMALL GAUGE ON A SMALL TIMELINE.

But overall, this thing is just so darn cute that it may win me over :)

Meanwhile!

As the snow continues to lengthen both February and my school year (ugh), the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival has lengthened the yardage in my stash :D

Mo and me, respectively, knitting and simultaneously displaying our favorite FO's (what else would you wear to a knitting convention?!)

It was my first PKaCF, and oh man…the display room even smelled like yarn. We had such a blast. All the people we met were so nice, and the goods were heavenly!

Speaking of goods:

As soon as we walked in we were given free yarn: a good sign.
Two skeins of Berroco Plume FX that I have no idea what to do with, but free yarn!!!

And with Cascade as a sponser, that meant MORE free yarn. Two skeins of 220 wool in Steelers pride colors and a free pattern for a hat that were given to me by the kind lady at the booth even though I lost my ticket = a very happy MJ.

The catch buy of the day!

Knitting Notions Classic Merino Supersock in a succulent Pear mmmmm.

I will never get tired of staring at it/drooling on it/petting it/sleeping with it (kidding on the last one) <3

Of course we found time to sit back and knit in public, heh. Funnily enough, these WIP pictures are out of date already! You can check out Mo's delicious Traveling Women here, and as for the lump in my picture, here's how it grew:

After it acquires blocking and buttons, official FO pictures will arrive, promise!

Have a yarn apple.

Not a DQ blizzard

We've received probably the most snow I've ever seen.
It's pretty incredible.

This one makes me laugh because it makes us look like survivors of The Day After Tomorrow.

Sledding!!!

(There are no pictures of me because I manage to look like both a coat marshmallow and an idiot while sledding :P )

Happy Blizzard of 2010, everyone!