Monthly Archives: December 2014

Inspiration: Fireworks

Happy New Year’s Eve!   Do you have cool New Year’s Eve plans?  Are you going to some fancy party where men wear tuxes, women break out their diamonds and everyone drinks expensive champagne?  Or are you going to sit on the couch in you PJ’s with a bowl of popcorn and a mug of $5 “sparkling wine” from Trader Joe’s?

Bet you can’t guess which one I’m going to do!

Whichever direction you go, I hope you get to see some New Year’s fireworks (even if they’re only on TV).

I’m not really into crochet, but this firework-y granny square might encourage me to break out my hooks.

Fireworks Surprise by Amy Schwab

101_0159_medium[1]Or, you could add sparkly beads to a teeny-tiny sock (just the right size for a kitten, or, if you want to be practical, you could use it as a key chain).

Wee Tiny Fireworks Sock by Meg Bakewell

4901564945_da6bf05bc4_z[1]And, supposedly these are chrysanthemums, but they look like fireworks to me!

Chrysanthemums by Regina Rioux

2177375724_dfddd2b245_z[1]See you in 2015!

Inspiration: X-Files

I am a big nerd.  And, I grew up in the 90s/early 2000s.  Therefore, I am a giant X-Files fan.  I’ve probably watch the whole show through three or four times (I’ve got to do something to keep my mind busy while I knit).

xfiles[1]When I was really little (when the show was still new), I was a giant scaredy-cat, and didn’t watch the X files.  In fact, when my folks wanted me to go to bed on Sunday nights, they’d tell me that the X-Files were coming on, and I’d run off to bed, scared.

But, in high school, I discovered the X-files, and started staying up late to watch reruns with the volume turned way down so that I wouldn’t wake up my parents.  Sometimes, I’d tape them (on the VHS tape that I’d bought specially to tape episodes) and watch them later with my dad.  Still whenever I hear the theme song I think of my dad whistling along while we sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

(I’m re-watching the series again (because why not).  I found a new podcast from Kumail Nanjiani (a comedian that I like-he’s on the HBO show, Silicon Valley) called the X-Files Files, where he goes through the series and talks about the show with various guests.  It’s kind of great.  If you’re a nerd like me, I’d recommend checking it out.)

You know what else is great?

Scully’s fashion sense.

I’ve never noticed how many boxy suits and sensible shoes she wears.tumblr_lgck2x6W6J1qdaotno1_1280[1]Look at those shoulder-pads.  Amazing.

If she had time to sit down and knit between fighting off the Flukeman and conducting alien autopsies, maybe she’d make herself a blazer like this:

The Season’s Smartest Blazer by Meg Black

img093_medium2[1]But, you know what?  I don’t think those shoulders are quite big enough for Dr. Scully.  This is better:

Midnight Blazer by Xandy Peters

Blazer08130504_medium2[1]But, on her days off with her man-eating puppy Queequeg, she’d probably wear a comfy, slouchy sweater like this one.  (In fact, I’m 90% certain I’ve seen her wear a sweater just like this in one of the episodes… I just can’t remember which.)

Simple Summer Tweed Top Down V-Neck by Heidi Kirrmaier

3526321597_b611db4970_z[1]

Inspiration: Charity Knitting

Congratulations!  You made it through Christmas!  You’re probably heading out to buy batteries for your kids’ Christmas presents and nursing a hangover from too many sugar cookies.

(Also, it’s my mom’s birthday!  Happy Birthday, Mom!)

But the day after ftsChristmas is not just a day for regretting that fifth cup of eggnog.  It’s Boxing Day!  We don’t really celebrate Boxing Day in America, but I learned about it when we lived in the UK as a kid.  Boxing Day is the day after Christmas, and was the day when the wealthy folks (think Lord and Lady Crawley) gave gifts to their servants and the other poor folks in their town.

Sure, it sounds patronizing when you put it that way, but it’s a good idea.  If Christmas is all about getting gifts, then Boxing Day is all about giving.

And, since you’ve all finished your Christmas knitting, you’ve got plenty of time for some Boxing Day charity knitting?

These beautiful (and simple) little hats would be perfect to drop off at a hospital for preemies (and their mothers).  Just be sure to check your local hospital’s regulations before you start knitting.

Preemie Hats for Charity by Carissa Browning

870859826_2e671d29fd_z[1]Up for something a little more challenging?  Think about contributing to the Mother Bear Project.  These darling little teddy bears are sent to kids around the world whose lives have been affected by HIV and AIDS.  (And the bear pattern is pretty cute, too.)

Mother Bear Project Teddy Bear by Amy Berman

Mother_Bear_in_Liberia_1_medium2[1]Maybe you want to do something a little different?  Think about knitting a prosthetic breast or two and dropping them off at your local hospital (or local knitting shop… my LYS is having a breast drive right now, which is pretty cool).  These prostheses are lighter and more comfortable on healing skin than the medical-grade ones, and don’t require complicated undergarments to stay in place.  And they can come in cashmere, which is pretty cool.

408379437_68c70c53f4_z[1]Do you do any charity knitting?  What groups do you give to?

A Christmas Eve Gift to You

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably trying to finish up some last-minute gift knitting.  Maybe it’s 11:00 on Christmas Eve, and everyone else is tucked up warm and snug in their beds, and you’re frantically knitting and purling.  Maybe the house is quiet and still, except for the furious click-click of your US2’s as you try to finish turning that last sock heel.  Maybe all you want to do is drink some eggnog and watch the Muppet Christmas Carol.

I understand.  Believe me.  (The Muppet Christmas Carol is great.)

I have a solution:

Stop knitting.

Just stop knitting, and wrap up your WIP, needles and all, and put it under the Christmas tree with one of these specially-made gift tags:

tag2or:

tag1or maybe:

tag3Then go pour yourself a big glass of eggnog (with a generous helping of rum… it’s the holidays after all).

Get the printable .pdf here:

Christmas Tags

Finished!

And just in time, too!

Phew!  I made it just in the nick of time!  Grandma’s sweater is done!  And it’s awesome!  (And that’s a lot of exclamation points!)

I finished the sweater with exactly 52 inches of blue yarn left.  It was a nail-biter, let me tell you.  (I’m all about reducing waste, but this was ridiculous.)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABut all’s well that ends well, right?  The sweater has turned out beautifully!  The Biggo yarn I used blocked up wonderfully.  And, I’m so glad I made the change from dark gray to light.  It turned out so much better than it would have otherwise.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI even found the perfect buttons!  They’re bright pink, to match the snowflakes, and just a tiny bit sparkly (the photos don’t do them justice).  I drove all over Seattle looking for them, and, when I found them, I thoroughly freaked out the clerk who helped me find them by doing a little happy dance.  It was exciting, what can I say?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERANow I just have to wait and see if it fits!  Cross your fingers for me!

Prince George

Oh my goodness, have you guys seen Prince George’s adorable little Christmas sweater?  It’s freaking too cute to handle.   Look at those chubby cheeks (and Christmas shorts?  The British are odd). (Thanks to my friend Jenny for sending me his picture!)

_79710177_princegeorge2[1]Apparently you can’t buy the the royal sweater vest, but we’re knitters.  We don’t need to buy sweaters like common folks (or like the Duchess of Cambridge).  Let’s take a look at the sweater originally from Cath Kidston.

sweater16n-3-web[1]It’s pretty simple,  right?  Just a standard stockinette sweater vest with teeny tiny palace guards on the bottom. If you wanted to make one, just start with a simple vest pattern in navy blue:

Baby’s Banded Sweater Vest by Lisa K. Ross

DSC_0055__2__medium2[1]And work the little palace guards along the bottom.  You could work them with intarsia, or if you wanted to make it even easier on yourself, why not use the duplicate stitch?

I’ve even worked up some palace guard charts, as a Christmas present for you!  (Click the picture for a larger version

Prince George Sweater ChartNow you can make a sweater for your little prince, too!

Bo-Peep Has Lost Her Sheep

And should try looking for it in Omaha.

i[1]This little cutie (complete with Christmas sweater) was found last week in Omaha, Nebraska, and rescued by the Omaha Humane Society.

I have questions:

1. Who trains a sheep to take walks on a leash?  And, more to the point, I didn’t even know that was something you could do.

2. How do you loose a sheep?  It’s not like they run terribly fast, like a dog or cat.

3. Sweater?  Really?  I suppose it’s kind of cute, but as my dad said (when he sent me this article), it’s “sort of creepy– like a cow wearing a belt…”

 

(Upon further research, it looks like Gage the sheep was picked up by his owner soon after being found.  He’s basically a house pet… which makes me wonder, do sheep make good pets? And, can I convince my husband to get one?)

 

Hello, Everyone!

Holy moly, you guys!  When I started this blog (almost) two years ago, I never really thought it would take off.  I might get a couple readers, but mostly I thought I’d be just yelling out into the void of the internet.  But, now I just saw that I got my 150th follower!

150[1]I don’t even think I know 150 people in real life!  (OK, maybe I do, but they certainly don’t all want to hear me yammer on about yarn and my weird TV shows.)

I just wanted to say “Thank you” to all of you for reading my ramblings, even when they veer into the incoherent.  I love reading your responses to my posts, and seeing your projects on Ravelry.

So, tell your friends!  They’re all invited to the knitting party.  (And if one of you wanted to make me a ‘150’ cake, I wouldn’t complain. :D)

Adventure Time Again!

I told you that Adventure Time had a lot of knitting in it.  Although, I think that this episode (Everything’s Jake, which aired on November 24th), is the first one to actually show a character knitting.

It’s not an important plot point, and unless you were a weird-o knitter, like me, you probably wouldn’t even have noticed it.

But, the episode begins with Jake sitting on the couch, listening to his Victrola and knitting away at… something.

UntitledHe then puts down his knitting, and you get to see the rest of his WIP, where it sits on the coffee table:

Untitled1Then, if you’re a big nerd like me, you squeal in delight, because you realize that Jake is making an entire outfit for his buddy BMO, the sentient robot/gaming system.

thCASP0UENSure, he’s a robot, and probably doesn’t get cold, but, he would be so cute in his new little outfit!  (I’m pretty they show this in the episode, but, for the life of me I can’t find it, so maybe it was all a beautiful, adorable dream.  Who knows.)  And he’s such a sweetie, you know that he’ll wear the sweater just to make Jake happy.

Adventure Time Sweaters

I’ve talked about Adventure Time before.  It’s one of my favorite shows, and defiantly one of my favorite cartoons.  It’s weird, existential, goofy, and fun.

And, for a children’s cartoon, it has an inordinate amount of knitting.

Last year for Christmas, the characters even had a Christmas Sweater party.

adventure-time-sweater-time[1]Finn the Human rocked a super-chunky moose sweater.

christmas-finn[1]And Jake the Dog wore a goose-themed turtleneck.

christmas-jake[1]BMO had on an adorable Snowman number.

christmas-bmo[1]And Princess Bubblegum wore a great all-over color-worked sweater which kind of clashed with her typical bubblegum-pink outfit (and hair), but she didn’t seem to mind.christmas-princess-bubblegum[1]Want to see the rest of the gang in their holiday best?  Click here.

Which is your favorite sweater?