To the frog pond!

Posted on 08 March 2011 by Kris

Several family members tend to be packrats, and I’ve been known to display similar tendencies. But you know what? I’m kind of tired of it. I’m over having stuff I don’t use or don’t like. So, I frogged a few things earlier this year. “Like what?” you may ask. Well:

My mistake rib hat, for one. I’ve never actually worn it because it’s way too big on me.

The one Fairways sock, for another. This sock was an interesting exercise, but I have no intention of ever repeating it, and what good does a single human-sized sock do me when I have two feet?

Finally, my Shetland Shorty. Which you won’t remember because I never made an FO post about it. Also, I’ve barely worn it, because as you probably can tell, it’s now smaller than I’d like. (Yes, I took this photo right before I frogged the thing, because it turns out I hadn’t taken one before. Oops.)

Yay, fresh slate!

And since I’ve already used some of the resulting yarn and have plans for the rest – yay, future projects!

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Fingerless Farinelli

Posted on 05 March 2011 by Kris

Okay, let’s start looking at my 2010. I somehow managed to go half the year without finishing anything. Until I finally did a quick project, that is.

Pattern: Farinelli by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Brooks Farm Acero, unspecified color
Needles: US3 / 3.25mm Crystal Palace DPNs

I used Ysolda’s shorter, fingerless Farinelli notes as a starting point, but made some additional modifications due to the heavier yarn and gauge. Mostly I recharted the lace, to shorten it by two rows and narrow it by two stitches. Basically, I cut out the very center bits from each main lace repeat.

I also reworked the decreases to better suit my arms.

I probably should have cut a little more out from the lace, or eliminated another plain repeat. If I had blocked these gloves more aggressively, then the lace would stand out more, but the gloves wouldn’t actually fit. I opted for blocking to fit, but the lace suffers a tiny bit.

Oh well, they’re still lovely and more than just wearable, and I really enjoyed the pattern, so I call this project a win!

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Finishing up with 2009

Posted on 03 March 2011 by Kris

I’m going to be posting all my FOs within the next few weeks. There are actually two from 2009 that I never posted, so let’s start there, shall we?

Pattern: Catherine by Kate Blackburn
Yarn: Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Heather in Opal
Needles: US1 / 2.25mm Crystal Palace DPNs

I don’t think this was the best pattern for the yarn, sadly. As subtle as it looks in the photo, it’s even harder to discern the pattern in person. I can’t even get a good closeup photo because of how poorly the stitch pattern shows up.

Also, the socks are a little on the large side for me. Still wearable, but I really should have modified it so that there are fewer stitches around.

Oh well. The pattern itself is pretty nice, though.

I had a fair amount of yarn left afterward, and my hands are frequently cold, so for me, there’s no such thing as too many fingerless gloves.

Pattern: Fetching by Cheryl Niamath
Yarn: Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Heather in Opal
Needles: US1 / 2.25mm Crystal Palace DPNs

I did have to modify the pattern a bit to account for the finer yarn. I knit the cuff as written, since I have tiny wrists, but I increased by 9 stitches once I started the hand. So after the cables, I ended up with 5×1 ribbing instead of 4×1. Then I decreased to 4×1 rib again just before the cables at the top.

Also, instead of doing the thumb as written, I added gussets – I increased every other round on the palm side.

Finally, I skipped the picot bindoff because I’m just not a fan of it.

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Back to blogging!

Posted on 02 March 2011 by Kris

Why, hello blog! Yes, I know it’s been over a year since I’ve posted here. (Well, not here here, since the Kris Awesome blog is all shiny and new. But you know, publically.)

So what’s happened in the past year or so? Well, I’m still working at the same company, though my specific role is ever-changing. Can’t be helped when you’re a jack-of-all-trades in training, I guess! And as you may have gathered from that, I’m still in San Diego, though T and I have moved to a (slightly) different neighborhood and upgraded to a nicer place.

On the hobbies front, I’m still knitting. Oh, boy, am I still knitting. A lot more than I used to. For that, I have to thank my knitting/social group (because really, it’s both). I still enjoy cooking and I still pack my own lunches, though quite differently from how I did a couple of years ago. And I still read, though I’m not focusing as much on the crazy to-be-read list I have, and I have less time for it these days.

I used to try and blog about the knitting and food and books separately, but it wasn’t sustainable for me in the long run. Which is partly why I gave up and quit altogether for quite awhile. But now I’m back with one blog, multiple categories! You can follow one, or you can follow all. There’s a list of the different feeds in the right-hand column of the main page if you’re interested.

And, I’ve ported all the old content over so that everything’s in one place, and any links to, say, old Knitting Affairs posts and categories should redirect appropriately. But if you happen to notice something broken, please let me know! Thanks!

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October 2009 goals

Posted on 01 October 2009 by Kris

Okay, so what I said about documenting last month? I lied. But not on purpose! Basically, it got too warm for me to wear the last couple FOs, and one of them looks significantly less impressive when it’s laid flat, so… there you have it.

It’s cooling down here again, though, so I do have photos of one project. Two more projects to photograph, and then I should be all caught up on FOs! WIPs, on the other hand…

In the meantime, let’s make some goals:

  1. Finish Froot Loops
  2. Start and finish a pair of fingerless gloves
  3. Finish at least one chart for Lotus Blossom
  4. Start a sweater

I know, I know, I’m referring to two projects you haven’t seen yet, but I promise they exist!

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