Hookers N’ Junkies

 Greetings! I have finally gotten off my heiny to post, which is horribly shameful as I’ve had the ability to since this site was started. In reparation, let me tell you a story:

Once upon a weekend, there was a cottage. And in that cottage, there were three stitch n’ bitchers.

One stitch n’ bitcher brought a string bikini with her. One brought a bikini top she had crocheted.

The third stitch n’ bitcher didn’t own a bikini. However, she was enticed to try on the string bikini and was pleased. She also saw the clever pattern of the crocheted bikini, which was unlike any bikini top pattern she had ever seen.

This percolated in the back of her mind for two weeks. Then, one evening, the third stitch n’ bitcher looked at her yarn stash and her collection of crochet hooks and It All Clicked.

This is the end result. Hooray for figuring out how to access Photo Booth! I finished it this afternoon, after a day of hard, hard labour:

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what do you think of the name? I think that is how we should package it. Just print off some nice paper with that and a nice logo, and wrap around bars of soap. easy as pie.

that is all. I just wanted you to know

So here are the samples I am THINKING about sending in. Some of them may be opted out and replaced.Input, and you should know (Char you certainly) that a bad review mixed in with good makes me value the good that much more. It is “less likely” to be platitudes if you are willing to tell when things are mediocre or out right shit…

So, I finished the socks. They are made from 50% Australian Wool, and 50% Angora, and it’s still up in the air weather or not it is rabbit angora or mohair angora, just based on feel, but I don’t really care either way. They are sooper cozy, and wearable. I likes them

This is a picture of me in them. I have issues with home made socks, since I retain a lot of water, I tend to have deep stitch marks imbedded into my tootsies, so what I’ve done with these socks is knitted them inside-out, so the smooth knit side was against my feet, and not the bumpy purl side. So far, a 4 hour test of them in a bar with salty food has proven this wise. I figured I’d make an attempt at even writing out my first pattern. So, this is what I did:

Pattern Notes:

The w&t “stitch” works like this: when knitting: bring yarn forward, slip stitch purlwise, bring yarn back, slip stitch back, turn work. This makes it so that the stitch stays (relatively) tight, makes the working yarn in the right direction, and prevents any holes. To w&t purlwise, bring yarn back, slip stitch knitwise, bring yarn forward, slip stitch back to needle, then turn work. Just try it out. It may sound confusing, but you will get it if you try. It’s a wierd thing to do right off the hop, so if it’s your first time, do it when there will remain at least 2 stitches on the needles. It’s hard-ish to do on the first stitch of a needle.

What you need:

a wee bit more than 50g of sock weight yarn, I estimate about 160 yards of yarn

2.5 mm DPN, one set

2.25 mm DPN, one set

With 2.25mm needle, Cast on 34 stitches.

Toe:

P 33sts, w&t

K 32 sts w&t

P 31 sts, w&t

K 30 sts, w&t

P 29 sts, w&t

K 28 sts, w&t

P 27 sts, w&t

K 26 sts, w&t

P 25 sts, w&t

K 24 sts, w&t

P 23 sts, w&t

K 22 sts, w&t

P 21 sts, w&t

K 20 sts, w&t

P 19 sts, w&t

K 18 sts, w&t

P 19 sts, w&t

K 20 sts, w&t

P 21 sts, w&t

K 22 sts, w&t

P 23 sts, w&t

K 24 sts, w&t

P 25 sts, w&t

K 26 sts, w&t

P 27 sts, w&t

K 28 sts, w&t

P 29 sts, w&t

K 30 sts, w&t

Foot:
P 32 sts, then pick up 30 sts along cast on edge. Divide stitches onto 3 needles so that there are 30 on one, and 17 on two. Change to 2.5mm needles. Knit in the round for 50 rows. This will make the toe stockinette stitch, and the foot reverse stockinette stitch, but knitted inside out. (so you will have reverse on the toe and regular stockinette on the foot)

Heel:

On the needle with 30 stitches change to 2.25mm DPNs:
K 28 sts, w&t

P 27 sts, w&t

K 26 sts, w&t

P 25 sts, w&t

K 24 sts, w&t

P 23 sts, w&t

K 22 sts, w&t

P 21 sts, w&t

K 20 sts, w&t

P 19 sts, w&t

K 18 sts, w&t

P 17 sts, w&t

K 16 sts, w&t

P 15 sts, w&t

K 14 sts, w&t

P 13 sts, w&t

K 12 sts, w&t

P 13 sts, w&t

K 14 sts, w&t

P 15 sts, w&t

K 16 sts, w&t

P17 sts, w&t

K 18 sts, w&t

P 19 sts, w&t

K 20 sts, w&t

P 21 sts, w&t

K 22 sts, w&t

P 23 sts, w&t

K 24 sts, w&t

P 25 sts, w&t

K 26 sts, w&t

P 27 sts, w&t

Ankle:

Now, change to 2.5mm DPNs and continue working in the round for 30 more rows. Change to 2.25mm DPNs and work in 2×2 rib for 5 rows, and cast off VERY LOOSELY (it helps to cast off with a 3-4mm needle)

repeat for other sock When you turn the heel on the other sock, you will notice that instead of K (even number) w&t, you will be K (odd number) w&t. that is normal. get it?

So, last night, in stead of doing anything productive on the last wee bit of my socks, or even on my cashmere lace thingie, I tried out a new stitch pattern. I like it:

It works out cutely, and kind of stiffly, so it would make a good dishcloth, or with larger needles, a fun colorful blankie? Or even with patience, since it keeps its shape really nicely, a bathroom/kitchen mat. I found it Here.

what do you think? cute, eh?

I had my first successful felting experience this weekend. Unfourtunately, I made extra room for horizontal shrinkage, but no alterations were made for vertical shrinkage, so the garment didn’t work, but the felting sure did! I’m quite pleased. I used a needle that was 2X the recomended guage, and it turned out perfectly!

Other than that, I think for the next little while, I am going to focus on amigurumi. Make that mobile I’ve been thinking of. But I’ve also kicked around the idea of designing something of my own. I’m also on a desperate search for this pattern

So, I absolutely cannot knit lace while doing anything else. Like talking. Watching TV, listening to audiobooks, makin’ whoppie, etc. So, I need  a project I can do with what I have on hand that does not require so much concentration. This way at S&B I don’t have to be either:

a) Antisocial

or

b) unproductive

this comment has led me to imagine a photoshoot of me knitting while (ehem) busying myself with other *things*.

back on track, people! ok. so what will it be? Any ideas? please help me!

Not that i don’t like it, but I kind of screwed up on the increases a bit, so it’s misshapen. That’s Ok. at the moment, I’m going to finally use my cashmere, which is knitting up nicely into a cute lace pattern. I Quite like it. This is it’s inspiration:

It is my first attempt at knit lace, and I have to say it takes patience that I usually don’t have, but I’m glad I stuck through. It looks like ass until the very last minute when it all comes together, but it makes it hard to determine if you are on the right track or not. All in all, I’m ok though. It is sooooooooooo soft and nice and pretty and smells like silk