kthx bai!

2008.02.24.19.09.42, originally uploaded by katy_pine.

Pattern: Knucks, from knitty.com

Knitted for my favorite Norwegian. I started these near the beginning of January in anticipation of his February birthday. It was a quick knit, about two evenings' worth of knitting (including frogging and reknitting the 2nd glove three times because the decreases didn't match properly, entirely my fault, it's a great pattern). So, there they sat for almost a month while I decided what the 8-letter statement should be across the knuckles. I did quite a bit of research and pondering and wracking other people's brains about it.

Here's a sample of other people's choices, culled from ravelry pictures and around the internet, and some from my own crazy brain:

high/five rock/roll game/over whatever nerd/core play/golf serenity rtfm/unix cuteness omg!/wtf? laughter strength read/jane bike/safe dynomite star/zero fuck/yeah patience play/loud knit/soxx play/time late/fate cats/meow half/full piss/off! song/bird love/life all()aces cozy/warm baby/wins brit/pop bull/shit purr/hiss liebling damn/cold snow/babe yarn/diva look4luv look/lush lush/life geek/girl geek/love hard/core nerd/core geek/chic

the winner:
kthx/bai!

I know, not all deep and stuff. But my recipient laughed and laughed and laughed, and I think that was worth it at least.

Ravelry Ate Me

Ravelry is an incredible tool for organizing and encouraging my knitting. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a progress bar. It's been a little consuming lately, but I've been very productive in the knitting realm.

Annetrelac Socks
Regia Design, Kaffe Fassett


sweet baby Djevellue
silke-alpaca


My So-Called Scarf
colonia 140 from handpaintedyarn.com


and some coldie-pants of my own pattern (basically)

Also we had the most amazing Stitch-n-Bitch this last Monday. We got some exciting baby-makin' news from one of our members, and met two new members. Emily has a beautiful blog and makes adorable little babushkas and gives them super-scandinavian names like "Vilde". Esther didn't have a blog but she's making charming baby hats... you'd have to see them to understand... I'll try to get a picture next time.

smallxorz

my man rigged a pringles can to his new SLR to make an extreme-macro lens; witness:
addi turbo 
 
noro silk garden
 
laceweight silk from colourmart.com

hals

I had this little bit of cashmere/silk sitting around from a sample pack from colourmart.com. I knew I could make something little out if it. At first I tried a headband/earwarmer for a little head, but I didn't like it too much. I ripped it out and started anew after I finished my pomatomus mits. I loved the pattern, so I adapted it to a "hals". This is a piece of clothing that is very popular for Norwegian children, but I didn't see so much in the States (even Alaska). It's great though, like a turtleneck without the sleeves or body, keeps the neck warm and prevents a draft going down the back. I used 10 repeats of the pattern on 2.75 mm needles. After one vertical repeat in the round, I split it and continued one more vertical repeat for the front and one for the back, then about 3 cm of twisted ribbing.

What a Swell Hat

This was just a little quick project (finished in one night of movies) for a gift. Unfortunately the recipient's head is probably  a little bigger than my four-year-old's. It's based on Knitty's Swell, but obviously there's no wave motif and it's seed stitch. One of my favorites. The yarn is from handpaintedyarn.com in the hot chocolate colorway.

p0matømUs

Mitts modified from Cookie A.'s Pomatomus. Not my idea. Koigu KPPPM in some color or other. I really do love this pattern. As usual, there are things I would change after seeing the product. Mine ended up too large. I did want them to be long, but they are too wide really. I wish they were more hugging. Maybe taking out one of the pattern sections (there are 6) would be enough. I started at the elbow with 2.25 mm needles and switched to 2 mm for the wrist and hand. This did bring in the width a bit, but not enough really. I also decreased right before the final ribbing section. And I took the easy way out and didn't knit individual fingers.

Wind Godly

This is a modified version of Eunny's Anemoi Mittens. Really less lovely than Eunny's original, but they are infused with love so I hope that will make up for the homeliness. They are for my grandma for Christmas. I actually started them back in March. They got up to 90% done quickly, but a mistake ended in the 2nd mitten being a few rows longer than the other. Of course I didn't notice this until I casted off (sort of a bitch because you have to turn the mitten inside out and then do a 3-needle bind off without missing any of the stitches which are curling inward like crazy). Fast forward 8 months and I pulled out the offending .5 cm and finished it right.