Knitting Overload Much?

Ok, so I created this blog a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't actually gotten around to doing a first post until today... lame, I know. That's me, the wondrous Procrastinator! So I'm afraid this entry is going to be quite um... huge. (very photo intensive...) Can I do entry cuts on blogger? You know, like the ones on LJ?

Any ways, I've started and finished many many projects over the past little while.

That was from... oooh, two/three weeks ago? Yeah, first thing you all need to know about me is that I am probably the biggest procrastinator you'll ever hear of.

This first entry is still going to be huge, even more than intended, and very photo intensive, but I will finish it.

Finished Objects

Project ID: Loopless Muff?
Ok, my first knitting project ever was a muff, you know, one of those hand-tubes from the Jackie O era? Yeah, superfun. Kind of boring and I modified it a bit because I couldn't figure out what the hell they were talking about when they said "embroidery loop stitch," I searched it and everything, about a million times over. So I just crocheted some flowers and stuff instead because I wanted to get the damn thing over with. I was very sloppy with this pattern but hey, at least I finished it eh?

Pattern: Spun Magazine: Loopy Muff
Materials; Lion Brand: Jiffy Thick N' Quick Adirondacks
Red Heart; Super Saver in some dark red color
US 7 and US 15 Needles
Time: A week?

Project ID: One-Hour Hat
This was a superfun project! I managed to knit it up in an hour or less!

I really loved the fun yo, k2tog pattern, it makes a really cool design. I saw someone else use it on a scarf with a regular garter stitch border and I think I might use up some of my stash for it too.

I cast-on with some of my leftover Jiffy Thick N' Quick for a cool lookin' brim and, instead of using the crochet flower patterns that the hat pattern suggested, I used the knit flower from the Head Huggers Patterns in Stitch N' Bitch Nation. I think it looks better knit, and I hate crochet.

Pattern: Flower Cap (scroll down to find knit pattern)
Materials: Dark teal chenille yarn (very thin and fragile) held doubled, from unraveled sweater
Lion Brand; Jiffy Thick N' Quick Adirondacks
Red Heart; Super Saver in some dark red color
US 11 needles
Time: About an hour

Project ID: Mmmm Riblets...
The name of the project is because I suddenly crave BBQ sauce smothered ribs... But, instead, I munch on overly salted sesame sticks.

Onwards, Just a simple, knit/purl rib scarf. It's kind of short, and a little stiff, but very warm. I think this scarf used up exactly one skein of Thick N' Quick

Pattern: k2, p2 repeat...
Materials: Lion Brand; Jiffy Thick N' Quick Adirondacks (yeah, I have a lot of this stuff, the muff pattern called for 3 skeins before I chose to nix the loop stitch and I still have one whole skein left)
US 15 needles

Project ID: Pink Flashy
I just could not get a good picture of this thing, it's a camera case, complete with wrist loop and strap closure. I don't know if I'm happy with this, I might have to make another one. I think the strap is too fat looking, I need to invent a different closure method, like a button or something. I used DPNS and this kinda cool boucle type yarn, patons I think.

Materials: Patons Melody Magenta
Fat DPNS

Project ID: Little Pink Bowl
This was my third-ever felted project. A crocheted pink bowl, made of this really lovely, fat wool I got from Knit One, Chat Too.

The only reason that this one is crocheted is because I couldn't figure out how to knit a bowl-shaped something.

Materials: pink, purple and orange 100% wool fat yarn.. zombie find label later.
Time: 15 min

Project ID: NO KITTY! YOUR PI!
This is the ever-popular kitty pi. I experienced a weird sense of project monogamy with this one, so it ended up going quite quickly, which was good. This was my second ever felting project and, so far, neither of my cats really uses it with out me going all pageant mom and coaching them to do so, and this bed was really meant for Mittens (cat in picture) anyway.

Hey, he just jumped into it all by himself! YAY! Good kitty...
Note: The two yarns I used for this project have been long discontinued, I got them from a thrift store (very cheap!)

Pattern: Kitty Pi
Materials: White Buffalo LAMA rusty red [100% Pure New Wool]
Papillon intense blue with orange and green slubs [55% Acrylic, 25% Wool, 10% Mohair, 5% Nylon, 5% Viscose] apparently you can make a whole sweater with just one bag of this (not suprising for 250g of the stuff)
Random fat DPNS and fat circulars
Time: Weekend plus a day or two

In Progress

Project ID: Little Blue Socks
Ok, this is pretty much my first pair of socks ever. I mean, I started another practice pair but they were boring and I wanted to get the real pair out of the way.

The first picture is of my first attempt which I had to frog because I had somehow managed to twist it somewhere, the right hand picture is of my current attempt, obviously foing well.

These are a pair of socks for my dad, he picked out the yarn (he loves bright colors) and I'm doing the knitting. This yarn was pricey for me, but , then again, I'm a high school student with no job, (get a job Katie!) so I guess it wouldn't really be that bad to anyone else. This yarn was also the first that I bought outside of Michaels or Wal-Mart, so it makes sense. I got this stuff from Pudding Yarn and it's really nice and soft and it doesn't split easily, which is a good thing because I tend to split plied yarn and then go nuts. It's very nice to work with and I can't wait to finish them. When I'm done, I plan on going back and getting more of the same yarn in orange and pink and making my self a couple of pairs.

I like the zig-zaggy pattern I'm using for these socks, it's really fun to do and sooo not boring, which is good for me with my super knitting ADD.

Pattern: MagKnits Jaywalker Socks
Materials: Skacel Kokon Bright Turquoise [35%Silk, 35%Cotton, 30%Acrylic]
5 US4 DPNS

Project ID: Freakin Fuzz...
This, my friends, is a great big (HUGE) ball of very light pink angora fingering thant I unwound from a sweater/tee that looked crappy on me. (it accentuated my wide shoulders, something normal t-shirts shouldn't do) I absolutely hated unraveling this thing because it is two ply and soooo thin it broke about a million times.

The reason this is a WIP is because I'm going to make something out of it, I just have no idea what yet... I tried to do this, but I kept screwing up after a few rows and I couldn't fix it without frogging it and starting over. So the idea is that I want to do something lacey and I have alot of this so I think maybe I'll do a shrug or something... We'll see I guess.

BTW my camera takes kick-ass pictures, it just has to have kick-ass lighting.

Other News:

I am now the proud owner of a ball-winder! YAY! My mom took me out to DeWinton (just outside of Calgary) on the weekend, when I was really sick. We went to this place called Shuttleworks Ltd. owned by a really nice man whose name I've forgotten. (sorry!) They have tonnes and tonnes of Brown Sheep stuff which is what I originally intended to buy there. I ended up buy absolutely no wool (I'll be back though) but I got two drop spindles, big and small, a ball winder, and 100 g of natural white cultivated silk hankies. I'm so excited!!!

We also went to Safeway to get some Kool-Aid to dye the silk, but now I'm hearing people say Kool-Aid isn't strong enough for silks. Is this true? Will it work at all or will I just get pastels or stripes? Can I handpaint with Kool-Aid? How?

If anyone actually reads this yet, please help! Leave a comment.

The yarn on the smaller spindle is some cotton wadding from the inside of a new Cold-FX pill bottle. It spun up quite nice. I want more now. (the cotton, not the pills)

I wound all of this yarn the night I bought this winder, and it was fun! This is almost all of my stash except for a few skeins that are in use at the moment.Try and count 'em! It's like the game where you guess the jellybeans in the jar!

Ok! I think I'm finally done! Yay for me!

See ya later,
Katie