Knitting | Cosmic Geek

The legacy of Loki

Nov 052011

Once upon a time I had two wonderful furry boys, Thor and Loki. Loki had a self-destructive habit of eating yarn/tinsel/ribbon/anything stringy and then swallowing it and then felt miserable and then threw it up. I really tried to hide these types of items, but he was a sneaky, burrowing, drawer/door opening kind of kitty — which is what you get when you name your cat after the Norse god of mischief and evil. Both boys died last year of kidney failure, with Loki having to be put out of his misery on my birthday. I miss them terribly.

So almost a year has gone by and I decide to go stash diving for making gift items. I find two hanks of a delicious alpaca blend in the perfect color for my project. I go to wind them up on my ball winder and I get this on the first one:

I fared a bit better on the second one.

The ends are definitely chewed off. This is not a result of poor yarn handling by the manufacturer. Loki has left his legacy of yarn chewing behind him. It’s rather annoying and will mean a lot of weaving in of ends if I choose to still use this yarn. But I still miss him so.

Drama in Scotland

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Aug 102010

Do not read the following if you are blissfully unaware of the drama that is currently going on about Knit Camp in Scotland and want to stay that way. It’s pretty infuriating. But when Lynda the Guppy IMed me with the details, I became enthralled and a little enraged. Here is the story, as I’ve been able to uncover, with what I’m hoping are chronological links.

Ysolda canceled her classes in June, citing a lack of agreement on the contract. For someone who seems to be very easy going and who expressed quite a bit of excitement, this seems troubling in retrospect.
Jessica AKA Mama Rav disassociated Ravelry from Knit Camp at the end of July, citing lack of contract and “the Ravelry name was unofficially used again this year,” which must have made many attendees uneasy.
Lorilee arrived to teach her class on continental knitting, found there was no work visa for her, was documented, treated like a criminal and deported.
All non-European teachers arriving in Scotland discovered they also did not have work visas and had to leave the country. Most/all of them went to another country to await their work visas. This was the weekend, nothing could be done until Monday.
The website for the Knit Camp went down at some point during the catastrophe and did not come back up until early Tuesday, PDT.
There was and still is not as, of this writing, any official statement anywhere from the organizers explaining the situation, announcing the changes in schedules and substitutions, explaining how to get refunds. Nor were there emails sent out to attendees affected before this morning.
European teachers were also forgotten in the hubbub, at least one being stranded for two hours at an airport.
The organizer, Jo, has left a number of petulant, unprofessional responses over Ravelry — including chastising Lorilee and calling her a liar. She attended a tea party and then a dinner rather than make a post and then declared she needed sleep before she could post. Meanwhile, many attendees were trying to determine if they should make the trek to attend the classes they paid for.
Jo arranged to teach the class Jared Flood was going to teach on Tuesday. You know, because they are interchangeable. I don’t know if this substitution actually took place.
There is also some side drama regarding the official knit camp sock pattern/kit that Lorilee designed.

Kristen Rengren AKA retroknit has posted a solution for Jo, which will help everyone including Jo. It would be a hard pill for her to swallow voluntarily, but as retroknit points out, she’s going to have to swallow it no matter what. Her post also hints at more of the backstory that led up to this fiasco.

I hear that the people actually attending are having a wonderful time. I am very happy for that. I just feel sorry for all of the people who were adversely affected. Knitting events should always be anti-stress!

Good luck, Knit Campers. I hope all turns out the best it possibly can.

Tha Cardigan… she is finished…

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Feb 272010

…as am I…

Laters.

Will She Make It??

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Feb 252010

Hey Robin!
I won’t bore you with the in-between shots but here’s where I stand as of this morning!!

I dunno… think I can make it?

All that is left is to block the sleeves, sew it all together and knit the button-band! I’m going to get some buttons today hopefully!

Later!

I’m a Knitting Olympian!

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Feb 192010

Hey Robin,
Whether you call it Knitting Olympics or Ravelympics, my fingers have been hard at work on my event project. I chose to take this as a true challenge on an Olympic scale and see if I can knit a cabled-cardigan in less than 17 days. I am 6 days in and here’s my progress so far:

I was so frustrated with the instructions/charts in the published form of the pattern, I had to make a new chart in excel, After the second day I didn’t need it anymore but I am so glad I made it. I was able to visualize what I needed to do and that has made things much more smooth! You can see the chart behind the wool in pics 1 and 2. I am now maybe halfway through the other front piece and hoping to complete it by tonight and begin the sleeves. Think I can make it?

At this point it’s a bit of a struggle as being monogamous with a project usually gets me to burnout-time rather quickly…. I’m willing to push myself to see what happens. That’s what the Olympics are all about, right?

Later!

So. Much. Work.

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Jan 132010

Super Mario Sweater Vest. I am overwhelmed by the work that went into that wonderfully geeky vest.

[via Wonderland]

Catching up (again)

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Jan 042010

Hey Robin!
With the passing of the holidays, I finally find myself able to get some pictures taken and organized. Whee! A lot got completed in the mad scramble to clear off some needles before the New Year, what a relief that is. The ability to start new projects that don’t really have a deadline is somewhat foreign lately…

Here we go. First up, I finished pair #2 of Through the Garden Gate. I like them in variegated!

Pattern: My own: Through the Garden Gate

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks that Rock Heavyweight in Loch Ness colorway.

Next is a hat request from the Darling Hubster. I used the Point-Down Toque pattern which really just turns out to be a rough guideline. It worked fine for my purposes and Hub is really happy with it. He especially likes the tassle I think. The yarn was a gift from him (bless him), and I don’t think he meant to give me yarn so I would make him a hat… but it’s a great color and I definitely think it belongs as this hat.

Project: Scat (yes, I know what that means but it’s a hat/scarf!)

Yarn: Patton’s Classic Wool in… blue.

Next is one of the items I gifted which I didn’t want to show before just in case. This was a gift for my Dad’s best friend. She’s really a special person and I wanted to make her something to keep her neck and hands warm when she rides her bike to work on a chilly morning. Here’s a pic of her wearing the cowl, it looks so great on her!

Pattern: Melony Cowl

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted, Rich Chocolate colorway

Lastly, here’s a design I’ve been working on and I would like to ‘sneak peek’ it to you all today in hopes of gauging some interest in a written pattern. I saw a commercially produced hood like this somewhere and started working on designing one in my head. Finally got some pretty chunky-weight yarn and gave it a go. Alterations will be necessary, but mostly the finished product will look like this:

I love the gentle cabling and the way it covers my head. I also like that there’s no seaming! I know, seaming is NOT hard, but any chance to avoid it is a good thing in my book. I am looking for a good name for it as well, any ideas?

That’s all I got today, Later!

Last Minute Finishes…

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Dec 222009

Hey Robin!
Just wrapping up (literally) a few new FO’s that I managed to squeek-out and I wanted to show off a bit.
First a pair of slipper style socks for my Uncle’s wife Rita. I am hoping she gets a lot of use out of them, they are so cozy! I had to guess at foot length, mostly my guess was “smaller than MY feet”… which only eliminates most basketball players and clowns… so in the picture here I am hiding the fact that the heel is creeping up my sole

Project: Thuja Socks by Bobby Zeigler.

Yarn: Moda Dea Superwash worsted in a candy-corn orange color…

yeah she won’t be losing these anytime soon.

Next up, this one took a lot longer but it’s a labor of love. Actually I want to make several more of these because the pattern is so well written even as such a simple thing and it’s SO COZY. Apologies for the awful blocking-net picture (yes, something bled on this ages ago, but the dye doesn’t seem to be going anywhere) but this NEEDED to be blocked for a pic and it’s going to be resting there for a while. There’s no hiding this one from it’s recipient. The pattern calls for a hood, but in this case that would be a waste of yarn… i like the collar!

Pattern: Wonderful Wallaby

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Ravelry Red Child’s size 6

On my Birthday I finished a Father-Son set. This one was a last-second addition to my Queue as the pattern was just released on Ravelry not more than a week ago! It was too enticing not to make a pair!

Pattern: Incognito by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark

Yarn: Moda Dea superwash in yellows and oranges

And THEN, because I can’t leave well-enough-alone, I made one of my Shiny iPod socks for DSs Xmas gift (no, not an iPod but an MP3 player). Here is the awful picture of it, the flash-version was worse… the colors are a deep pewter grey, creamy-white and deep red. I like the combo! I altered my design (aside from changing dimensions) to create a flip-top for better security and I have decided to add a cord so he can hang it around his neck. I still love this pattern. I love that it is seamless (though I did have to tack-down the flip top, still it wasn’t a pain in the neck or anything) and a fast-knit.

Pattern: Kate’s Shiny iPod Sock

Yarn: Knit Picks Telemark in three colors

I know it’s ok to post these items here because the giftees don’t read this blog, but I have more to share and I cannot because I am not sure about THOSE giftees… they might be a sneaky bunch. So after the 25th I will try to pop back here and add pics of the rest of the stockpile of knitted pressies

Can I tell you about my day on the 20th? I want to thank everyone for the well-wishes and Happy Birthdays… it was a VERY pleasant and care-free day. I loved it. My boys let me sleep in a bit and made me my favorite breakfast. Then I got some brief knitting time before heading out for a Matinee of Princess and the Frog. I loved it. Such a cute story and a good re-telling, as always, by the peeps at Disney. Back home again, more knitting, and then off to a favorite restaurant for dinner. Benihana! I swear I want to install one of those hibachi in my house, I could eat like that every night! And aside from the terrible jokes, I think I could cook like that every night too! DS ate EVERYTHING put in front of him (yes, even the onions!) which is a rare and Mommy-pleasing thing. Happy Birthday to me

I hope your upcoming birthday is as wonderful and relaxing! I wish all of that and more for you dear friend!

Later…

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Nov 262009

Hey Robin,
In the spirit of giving thanks for all that I am and all that I have, I am releasing another free pattern! Yay!

I give you: Through the Garden Gate

Yarn: Sundara Sport Merino in Tomato Soup colorway (1 skein!),
needles: US size 1

This one is top down style, with a gusset (with built-in decreases!) Made with sport weight yarn for a fast knit, and using the Trellis and Gate pattern from my stitch-a-day calendar, this pair of socks has been a true labor of love. I hope others will enjoy making them too! Get the .pdf here.

Thank you readers for your kindness in visiting our blog! Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Baby Robitaille

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Nov 032009

Hey Robin!
As promised I have finally published my first for-pay project! It was a difficult decision, but I felt that the amount of work I put into ensuring sizing and coordinating testers was worth a couple of bucks. I don’t expect to sell millions but I hope knitters can appreciate the effort that went into writing up the pattern!

I give you the Baby Robitaille:

So far I have no idea how to sell this outside of Ravelry, so unfortunately if you don’t have a Ravelry account I am not sure how to sell a copy of this pattern… except perhaps through Paypal? If anyone out there wants to buy this and does not have a Rav account, please feel free to leave a comment!

I’m about to plotz…

Later!

Beowulf I am not….

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Sep 302009

Hey Robin!
I have neglected to update you on my FO’s recently! Allow me to rectify that aberration!

First up we have my “Sonnet” cardigan. I would be happy to bow to the desires of the designer regarding the name, but this puppy took me almost a year to complete (my bad, not hers) and so I redub thee EPIC POEM! Or “Saga” for short:

Isn’t she purdy? The yarn is a 50/50 merino/silk blend that is just luscious. (Malabrigo Silky Merino in Cloudy Sky colorway) It is one of my favorite yarns to play with as you will see in the next FO. The buttons are temporary placeholders… I haven’t decided what to change them to. Currently they are a mis-matched set of shell-like white buttons. Some people have told me they like that about them, but I am not sure it’s my preferred final look. Time will tell. The construction on this one is unique in that it is knitted side to side instead of bottom to top (or vice versa). I liked the idea of it… and I think I might make another someday, perhaps trading out the stitch-detail with something else.

Our next FO is a sort of a test-change to a friend’s cowl design (cowl, gaiter…. potato, potah-to) It’s a beaded pattern, a great one for the beginner with just lovely results. She designed it for worsted, but I found a skein of the Silky Merino that was screaming to be a lighter-weight version of the original (the silky is a DK weight, which is smaller-diameter than a worsted… for those of you unfamiliar with yarn weights) I got some fantastic beads to go with it and Viola!

Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in the Tatami colorway with size 6/O beads.

Sorry for the unmodelled photo, I have been under the weather lately and not looking my best…

Another test-knit that was recently finished is another awesome hat by my friend Nina Machlin Dayton. She’s a brilliant designer of things for one-skein usage. I love helping her with her projects. This one is a beret with some unique engineering. Instead of the usual hat construction, which is knit in the round, this one is knit back and forth on straight needles and grafted at the end. I have gotten very good at the grafting lately!

I give you: The Medici

Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Sunset colorway (love it!)

I believe that’s all the knitting news that’s fit to print! October is “Stockpile Month” in my Malabrigo Junkie world. All of us are knitting like crazy women in preparation for the Holidays. I won’t be entering any contests but I am using the fervor to knock some projects out so that I’m not bleary-eyed and crazed on Xmas eve Wish me luck!!

Later.

Another Creature-knit

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Sep 142009

Hey Robin,
So after completing the earthworm and hermit crab, one would think I would be done with the genre. BUT NO!

Actually a friend (not a knitter, mind you) had spotted the pattern and almost-begged me to make it (I’m such a softie, begging is really not necessary). I asked if he wanted it for Halloween so that I might have some sort of deadline and after a color consult, I began.

The pattern was a trifle frustrating for me. I don’t want to put that all on the designer though, there were a few instructional-items that I had gotten used to having and so made some assumptions that I should not have… at any rate the thing came out wonderful looking and he has gotten many compliments on it. So it’s a winner!

Here it is modeled by my fellas:

Aren’t they just the cutest?

I ended up adding some pipe-cleaners to the tentacles so that the owner could possibly fiddle-around with them a bit and get some interesting results. I am curious to see if he comes up with something good… he’s very creative!

That’s all i got for now, still trying to finish-up quite a few things… just in time to start holiday-knitting. Yay.

Older Entries

Cosmic Geek

The legacy of Loki

Drama in Scotland

Tha Cardigan… she is finished…

Will She Make It??

I’m a Knitting Olympian!

So. Much. Work.

Catching up (again)

Last Minute Finishes…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Baby Robitaille

Beowulf I am not….

Another Creature-knit

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