remember these?

S1050784, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Yeah, I barely do either. I started them in JULY. Crazy. Of course I've done a bunch of other things since then, including Christmas presents and that giant blanket for my friend's housewarming. Still, it seems like an awfully long time for a pair of socks to be on the needles.

Here's a picture of the first one, so you can get a better idea of the pattern:



Pattern is Kai Mei (rav link) from Cookie A's Sock Innovation.
Yarn is Crash Into Ewe'sJewel Collection in Garnet (less than 1 skein).
Needles: US 1 dpns.
Mods: none.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas - or whatever else you choose to celebrate this time of year!

I had a lovely Christmas morning with the family, everyone came over to mum and dad's for brunch and later we will join everyone at my brother and SIL's house for dinner. And of course, after brunch came presents!

I gave a few hand knit gifts this year, all of which have been shown already here. But I also got some knitting related gifts, including yarn and a book I hadn't heard of yet.



The yarn is Mirasol's Tupa, 2 skeins, in a beautiful bright pink. My favorite! It's 50% Merino and 50% silk and has a great feel to it. I'm thinking mittens or gloves.



The book is called "Yarn Bombing" and is about crocheters and knitters who use yarn to put up "graffiti". We do this at the yarn store every once in a while and it's a fun read. It also has a couple of cute patterns, including the hoodie vest and switcheroo sweater. (I looked, only a couple of the actual knit-graffiti patterns are on ravelry so far.) The hoodie vest is actually crocheted (and I'm not normally big on crochet) but I might have to give it a go anyway!

Hope you're all having a wonderful, relaxing holiday with your family as well!

on person

S1050770, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I promised pics of this on a person, so here you are... and they're fuzzy and out of focus. I blame lighting. If I can get one on Christmas Day I'll try to get one of my nana wearing it. No promises though. And hopefully the lighting will be decent enough.

Hope everyone is having a happy and lovely holiday season with friends and family!

Christmas, check!

pretty thing, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Yay! I was getting a little worried that I wouldn't be ready in time for Christmas, but I just finished binding off this Pretty Thing for my grandmother and that is the LAST of the presents. Ok, it's the last of the presents that has to be done before the 25th. I have one more that has a bit more leeway.

I'll try to get a picture of it on a person once it's dry (yes, it is actually currently damp and blocking in that picture...).

Yarn: Malabrigo sock in Natural, less than 1/2 a skein
Needles: US 6 circs (16")
Mods: None, it is the yarn harlot afterall. Oh wait, that's a lie. I accidentally put in a purl row after the last mid-section repeat and was a ways along before I realized it. I decided that ripping back was not in the cards and left it.

Off to the post office!

Is there anything worse than following up a post with a picture of one mitten with a post of a picture of two mittens?



Yes. But only if that picture was taken by my mac cam. Because I think my real camera is downstairs and I'm feeling that lazy. These are done, commissioned by a friend for a friend currently stationed in Afghanistan. Off to the post office!

I promise, I have a more interesting post floating around in my head. Ok, I, at the very least, think it will be interesting...

commissioned

S1050756, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I don't normally knit-for-profit, 'cause let's face it, to actually get paid even minimum wage for the number of hours (let alone the materials, or the fact that this is SKILLED labour) it would take to knit something would mean that these gloves, for instance, should be worth over 100$.

BUT, I was asked by a very special friend if I would knit some special mittens for a friend of hers currently stationed in Afghanistan. They had to be the right-ish colours to match BDUs, and flip tops so he could use his fingers when necessary.

So this is mitten 1, designed with all the necessary requirements in mind. Flip top, with button to keep it out of the way, individual fingers to keep them extra warm, a shorter index (trigger) finger, and a thumb flip, in case he needs to type, etc.

I hope they help keep his hands a little warmer, it sounds like it's ghastly cold over there, and that they're still functional for all the things he needs to do. I also hope they fit.. I'm going on a large-ish size but not totally sure, especially since we've never actually met!

knitted science

Go check out knitted science on discover magazine. So cool. As a side note, Freud was interested in knitting and the crafty arts and it's psychological effect on women... I went to a talk a while back on the influence of the arts on Freud and it was very interesting. His granddaughter, Sophie Freud, discusses some of this in My Three Mothers and Other Passions I believe.

et voila!

S1050750, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

"Socks for a Winter's Night" pattern is posted on ravelry!

Rav link (for queuing and the like)
PDF link (for direct downloads)

Details:

Materials:
US size 1 (2.25mm) DPNs
1 skein J. Knits Superwash - Light Sock in Pueblo, 550 yards (I used way less than 550, any normal 400 + yard sock yarn should suffice)
stitch markers, if desired

Enjoy!

New Pattern!

S1050749, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Coming soon!