What can you do with Koigu?

Someone asked last week what you can do with Koigu, besides the obvious (socks!) and the much-blogged (Charlotte's Web shawl). There is a turtleneck made in 4(?) shades of the stuff at Knitty Gritty, most recent post.

Bubby was just the right size...

Bubby made it to his new home this past weekend and seems to fit right in. As you see, he's also the right size for little hands. Not that Troy knew what he was holding, but maybe someday I'll hear that it was one of his favorites.

BTW he was born 2 weeks ago, September 9, 2005 on his big brothers birthday!

Well back to stitching for Christmas ...

Rhonda's Bubby and Other Stuff ...

Well this morning I finished "Bubby" for my new grandson. Going to visit the little guy for the first time and of course I must bring something with me that I knit myself. Stacy was right ... Bubby was easy and quick to knit up. Here he is ready to met Troy. I think his nose is a little big, but Troy won't notice that I'm sure. I still think he's cute!


I'm also including some other projects here that I've finished recently for myself ... in between the Christmas gifts I'm making that is. First a "pincushon or doodad holder" Came out rather nice so I made two for gifts and another even larger one for myself [I have a LOT of doodads!]


The 3rd picture is of the present Tapestry Crochet project that I'm working on for a Christmas gift for my husband's daughter in Maryland. It's a pillow case for a throw pillow to put in her new blue & white bedroom. The yarn I'm using is the Valley Cotton I purchased from WEBS. I'm really happy with the quality!

I've had so much fun with the tapestry crochet, I've also made my own apple design for a "toaster" cushion on my kitchen counter. It didn't come out too bad for my first time, if I must say so myself. I think I'll make one for under the coffee maker also. The reason I made the cushion was so that I could easily just pull out the appliance when it comes time to use it and it won't be under my paper towel rack or the cabinet.

Bubby

Bubby
Originally uploaded by mitstitchandbitch.

Here is my Bubby from the Fall '05 Knitty.

It was knit using Plymouth Encore (which is a nice acrylic) in a neutral spring green color, with some Dover washable wool for the crochet chain bow and some of the black yarn that Claudia generously donated to me for my other bear project.

The Bubby pattern was a little flaky. The author did post corrections to her blog though. I'm not totally pleased with the outcome. I sewed the arms on a little lopsided and the seams are pretty sloppy. I tried grafting the feet closed (first time grafting) and one came out really bad -- I must have done something wrong. The other came out less sloppy, but still not great. One of the legs is a little shorter than the other, I think because my gauge was tighter. I also learned how to do M1 increases while knitting this pattern.

This is meant to be a gift for yet another pregnant friend of mine. Even though I'm not 100% pleased with it, I still think it's pretty cute. I've determined that you can embroider a face on anything and make it cute. Since Bubby isn't a large bear and since he's not perfect, he will accompany a Target gift card to the baby shower.

Katrina Stash Replacement Project

If anyone didn't have the time to donate yarn, knitting and crocheting supplies today, here's the flyer that Stacy sent out earlier in the week.


As for the last post -- don't I have a sexy ankle? Admit it. I do.

Yarn Galore!

As Stacy said, it's a good thing she has a station wagon! Look at all that yarn!

(Tor those readers who don't come and craft with us during their Thursday lunch hour, Stacy's the pregnant one. We took pity on her and helped haul the 6 or so bags of yarn to her car. That other foot in the sassy shoes belongs to the inimitable FemiKnit Mafia. You can just discern the edge of the wonderful -- but not cute! -- black caplet that she made. I believe it is shown in booby-licious detail on her blog.)

This yarn is being donated by the MIT SnB to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. We hope that it might provide some distraction for the minds and hands of those affected by this storm.

So cute...

Matt and I are thinking about heading to Mass MoCA this weekend (while we can still take spontaneous semi-long-distance trips) and I sent him the link to the Mass MoCA website where there is a photo of the Knitting Machine installation.

He writes back to me "wow, what gauge are those knitting needles?".

I don't know why, but I think it's so cute and endearing that he used the correct knitting terminology for needles! He sits next to me on the couch every night while I knit but I don't think I've ever discussed gauge or needle size with him. Maybe he's picking up this stuff through osmosis.

Tivoli!

I got stuck in a meeting until 12:30, and missed today's meeting. And after staying up after midnight to block Tivoli!

Here she is:

She's a little loose, particularly in the back:



I'll probably do my next one at least two inches smaller, but I do like it as it is. The looser fit is ladylike, and the extra drape in the back is kind of pretty. I've got an idea for a lace-embellished variant for myself, and just started one for my mom yesterday.

If I may show off: when I resized the pattern, I made the underarms too wide, showing my bra edge and framing that underarm flab... I fixed it, not by frogging, but by grafting! I took a yarn needle and stitched up four stitches on either side of both armholes, narrowing it nicely. Invisible, if I do say so myself:


Jessica
http://jessdr.blogspot.com

Tapestry Crochet anyone?

I got the tapestry crochet handbag done. Well the stitching part anyway. I love it! I'll be putting in a magnet clasp. And also lining it ... which I'm doing only because I want a couple of small pockets inside. The pattern orginally comes from the Interweave Knits Crochet issue Fall 2004

I'll bring the handbag with me today at lunch along with the book "More Tapestry Crochet" by the author Carol Ventura, in case anyone is interested in looking thru it.

See ya later...