Free Pattern: Cinquanta Otto

Materials:
1 skein worsted-weight yarn (120 yards)
US 10 16” circular needle (optional)
US 10 double-pointed needles
Tapestry needle

Gauge:
5 stitches x 5 rows in stockinette stitch=1 inch

Terms:
MS~K3tog, keeping the stitches on the left needle. Yo, then knit the same 3 stitches on the left needle again.
(modified from Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks)

Brim:
CO 125
K 1 round
Round 2: K1, [MS, K1] around
Round 3: K around
Round 4: K3, [MS, K1] to the last 3 stitches, K3
Repeat rounds 1-4
K 1 round
Decrease round: [K10, K2tog, K10, K2tog, slip the new stitch back onto the left needle, and knit it together with the next stitch] across
Hat body:
Round 11: [K2, MS] around
K 3 rounds
Round 16: [K3, MS] to the last two stitches, K2
K 4 rounds
Round 22: [K4, MS] to the last 5 stitches, K3, [K2tog, keeping the stitches on the left needle. Yo, then knit the same 2 stitches on the left needle again]
K even until the piece measures 4.5” from the cast-on edge
Crown decreases: [K9, K2tog] around
K 1 round
[K8, K2tog] around
K 1 round
[K7, K2tog] around
K 1 round
[K6, K2tog] around
K 1 round
[K5, K2tog] around
K 1 round
[K4, K2tog] around
K 1 round
[K3, K2tog] around
K 1 round
[K2, K2tog] around
K 1 round
[K1, K2tog] around
K 1 round
K2tog around
Break yarn, and tread it through the remaining 10 stitches, Pull tight, and weave in ends.

Goodies

I don't usually like Sundays, but yesterday earned A+! Well, more of an A-, since I did have to go to bed early (school night=yuck).

My mom dropped me off at Barnes and Noble for half an hour while she went to Wal-Mart, and I picked up a classic.

I swear, it's like the knitting equivalent of Jane Eyre (which I am currently attached to). EZ really is sitting next to you, calmly discussing her ideas and methods through the pages. *love*

After that, to Michael's!
Now I don't really like Michael's all that much. To me, Jo-Ann has a much wider selection of craftiness, and a lot more knitting stuff. It's debatable, but not now, cause I have yarn to show off!

Three skeins of Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Terracotta. Soooooo yummy :P

I will be using them to make the Cropped Jacket featured on p. 57 of Adorn Spring '07. . .

. . .but I'm forcing myself to wait until I finish Cinquanta Otto to cast on for what I am going to call Trendsweater. Catchy, huh? Cute, no?

Alright, hang in there until Wednesday! The hat's almost done (wow, that's surprising even to me ;) )

Got time to kill? www.blogthings.com

You Are a Fortune Cookie

You're a rather normal person, except that you have extraordinary luck in life. People want to be around you (even when they're a little sick of you), in hopes of being lucky too!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

Screw you, time. You keep running out on me!

So I have been knitting this hat.
Designing, knitting, and frogging this hat. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Actually, it is a cloche. I have have mentally set the date to publish and the pattern on February 27. It is the 58th day of the year, and hopefully it will be my 58th post. That's why the name is Cinquanta Otto (Italian for 58—don't ask about the 58 theme. A long and stupid story).

I knew I wanted a scalloped edge, so at first I thought I'd try feather and fan lace: scalloped and pretty.
Well it scalloped, alright. And then came the decreases for the main body of the hat, and the scallops bunched up and gathered and looked horrible. However, I must've been feeling stubborn or something, for I knit and reknit the brim using feather and fan lace at least 3 times before I realized it just wouldn't work with the decreases.

After a battle with the yarn while frogging (it is slightly fuzzy—most fuzzy yarn hates me), I found this stitch pattern. It looked pretty and simple, so I abandoned the scallops and knit a long swatch as the brim.

What do you know, I got scallops when I didn't plan on making scallops. Figures.

After seaming the brim into one piece, I worked in the round and the decreases turned out fine with no bunching (Hallelujah). Then I realized I wanted to sprinkle a few stars here and there on the body of the hat, but the stitch pattern formed the stars by purling, which is why I knit the brim flat.
In a quick experiment, I discovered I could've just knit the stars and brim in the round, and it would've looked just fine.
*slams door on head repeatedly*

I am warning you: Cinquanta Otto may be changed to Sessanta Otto if you do not see the little picture of the finished hat next to Delovely and The Nutcracker Scarf next Wednesday (Italian translation: sessanta otto=68 ((again, do not ask about the 58 thing. Believe me, you don't even want to know ;) ))).

Also an apology: I am not in a picture-taking mood, so you will have to wait to see the brain-eating cloche :P

I am *such* a nerd

Okay, so today I am not feeling so well. My throat hurts and I am just really tired.

But my mom knows how to cheer me up.

Yes, it is an electric typewriter! My mom was helping my grandma go through some of my late great-aunt's old stuff, and they found it. My grandma wanted to give it to her church's flea market, but my mom, knowing me so well, said she would take it.

And now, it's all mine!!!!!!!! :D



It doesn't have that much ink, but what a chance that Staples has ink for this model in stock! :) Tomorrow we'll go down to get some and my baby will be juiced up!

*geeky love squirts out of my ears*

Why Lent is so hard:

Happy Valentine's Day ;)

Is there a lazy-faced smiley?

Don't really feel like blogging. Don't know why :P So today I'm just giving some (random) updates.

Knitting:
Procrastinating on starting the second sock.

Started a cloche instead to use up some mohair and match the Pink Aura Scarf. It is going very easily; I just hope I have enough yarn.

Also, since cloches are so easy, I am going to design a cloche after this one is finished. It will be prettier edging-wise, but easy and of course you will get it free ;)

Art:
Drawing/sketching a book inspired portrait/scene/whatever, it's gonna take a while, so now I will puzzle you with a close-up of the (un-colored) sketch.


Music:
Started Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (the actual original version that stumbled the great players of Beethoven's time, along with me.) It may sound very pretty, but playing it is another story.
Also with close-ups:



And there you go! Updates! Yaaaaaay! :P

FO: Pink Aura Scarf

I LOVE IT

It ended up being not very long, but I'll tell you a secret: fringe adds length. I used a matching skein of Steadfast Fibers Marvelous Mohair for the fringe, and along with being soft and fuzzy and pretty, it visually makes the scarf longer! :)

I've been wearing it all day. It was freezing outside, but this picture turned out really good, considering I had no coat on and it was taken with my cell phone held by moi, shivering in the wind that is knocking down trees here today in Pittsburgh.

I'm a winner!!! :D

Well, not actually me. My names are winners.
Cosy had a contest on her blog to name skeins of her hand-spun yarn. She posted pictures on Flickr, and you commented on the picture of the skein with the name you wanted. And my names got picked for not just one, but two skeins!!!
Go here to see them. The blue/gray skein and the green skein are the ones with my names.
There's no actual prize, I don't think. But satisfaction is enough for me! ;)

That frog better not be nocturnal

Sorry this post got out late. I've just been . . .busy. Wow. That feels strange to say. I am very very very rarely busy. That's why I have a blog ;)

Anywho, my first ever sock is taking forever+two weeks and four hours to finish. I swear the foot shrinks when I'm not looking. I have been measuring and knitting and measuring and knitting some more, and it seemed like time was in slow motion while I was knitting for seven inches.

And finally I have reached the toe decreases.
And then I will have those for another freaking two inches.

I cannot even imagine how bad my Second Sock Syndrome will be. First Sock Finishing Syndrome has pretty much eaten all of my brain, along with my sanity.
Can socks eat you? Can they? Really? Are you sure? Positive? So that means I am not even here typing this. I am being digested.