Finished Socks and New Job!

I finished my awesome knee-highs! Now if only it was cool enough to wear them... Ok, I don't really mean that. I like that it's warm.


Aren't they pretty? Right now I'm working on the Botanical Pullover from the new Interweave Crochet, but I'm making other socks now too. They're something that basically I'm working on while on my way to work. This is how I figured out I can make a toe in about 30 minutes. Yay!

That does mean that I finally have a job! It's just a part time position, but I'm really liking it- more than I expected I would. It's at an awesome new trendy ice cream shop. My boss is a really nice guy, my coworkers seem really cool, it's a great neighborhood and we've gotten some terrific customers, and I'm making a reasonable wage. All in all, it's been really fun so far.
That said, I hope it's not warm enough for me to work tonight- I want to go to stitch night!

Some Pretty Yarn and Socks!

I've been making socks. I'm pretty pleased with them- I've been planning them for quite some time.
They're knee highs based on two patterns I've made before. I'm getting there with the heel to these socks- I just need to figure out how many rows and decreases and such to work. But I have the stitch pattern figured out.

They're comfy- and I've gotten so much done from the first ball. Seriously, the sock and a half up there is from the first 100g. I'm gonna be able to make another pair out of this yarn!

I went to Mary Maxim today to apply for a job. At knit night last night, Sarah mentioned that they were hiring a part timer. I need a job, I love yarn... I had to apply! I've been applying like crazy to jobs, and have a huge batch of applications to go out on Monday.

I also had to pick up some yarn while I was at the store. This is for a present I'm planning for someone!
I also got two more balls of the self striping sock yarn I've been using a bunch- On Your Toes. For 8$ a ball, making two super awesome pairs of socks, totally worth it. I am seriously getting a good sock yarn collection. I'm excited! I shouldn't have bought more yarn- but I also did over 12 hours of babysitting Monday that really burned me out. Spending a bit of that money on pretty yarn to be my therapy. It's definitely cheaper than real therapy... and softer and prettier...

This is more of my new sock yarn. I guess it's not so new anymore- I got it about a month ago from KnitPicks. I love Stroll Tonal <3! So many pretty colours. I can't wait to make something from these. I'm gonna keep doing the same as the socks above- basically a plain foot with a fun ankle. I like it. I might try working the ankle pattern onto the top of the sock.

The project I'm designing with sl st is made from this pretty yarn- Cool Crochet. I love it, I'm so sad it's discontinued! It's just got a really great sheen to it.

Pattern: Fluffy Pullover

Someone on Rav asked me for the pattern for this. I have been meaning to start on writing patterns, and this one was really simple. It seemed like a good place to start!
If you make this, please leave a comment or link to your project, and please let me know if I can change anything to make it easier or if you find any errors!

Fluffy Pullover

Materials:

Bulky weight mohair, approx 400-500 grams.

Large hook- 7 to 9mm, to get gauge.

Gauge:

4 DC and 3 rows = 2 inches

Written size medium. Bust size 36”. To increase or decrease size, add or remove 5 fsc for every 2 inches from starting chains.

Worked bottom up in joined rounds. Ch 2 do not count as stitches.

Dec refers to DC dec. To work: Yo, insert into first stitch, pull up loop. Insert into second stitch, pull up loop. YO, pull loop through first 2 stitches, YO, pull loop through remaining 3 stitches.

Body:

FSC 83 stitches. Join with sl st, being careful not to twist.

Round 1: Ch2, DC into every st, join with sl st.

Round 2-3: Repeat round 1

Round 4: Ch 2, Dec over next 2 DC, (1 DC into next st) for the next 43 sts. Dec over next 2 DC, mark st. (1 DC into next st) around. Join with sl st

Round 5: Repeat round 1

Round 6-9: Repeat rounds 4-5 twice.

Round 10: Ch 2. (Dec over next 2 DC) twice, (1 DC into nex

t st) until stitch before marker, (Dec over next 2 DC) twice, (1 DC into next st) around. Join with sl st.

Round 11: Repeat round 10.

Round 12-13: Repeat round 1.

Round 14: Ch 2. Work 2 DC in first DC, (1 DC into next st) until marker. Work 2 DC into marked st, (1 DC into next st) around. Join with sl st.

Round 15-19: Repeat round 14.

Round 20-21: Repeat round 1.

Fasten off. Leave marker in.

Sleeves:

FSC 26. Join with sl st being careful not to twist.

Round 1: Ch 2.1 DC into every st, join with sl st.

Round 2-10: Repeat round 1.

Round 11: Ch 2. Work 2 DC into first DC. (1 DC into next st) around. Join with sl st.

Round 12: Repeat round 11.

Round 13-29: Repeat round 1. (Rounds can be removed or added here to adjust sleeve length)

Fasten off, leaving long tail.

Make 2.

Yoke:

Pin sleeves- one at beginning of body rounds and one at marker, or so they are even across body. Make sure ends of rounds are facing the body so the tails can be used later to sew underarm to body. Count 5 sts out from each marker and pin. You should have each sleeve pinned to body with 11 sts.

Join yarn to body at the left of one of the pinned sleeves. Lay sweater so that it is flat with the sleeves on the side. Place marker on the st on the fold of each sleeve.

Round 1: Ch 2. (1 DC into next st) across body and around the sleeves, leaving 11 pinned sts on either side unworked. Join with sl st.

Round 2: Repeat Round 1.

Round 3: Ch 2, (1 DC into next st) until 1^st marker. Dec over next 2 sts. Work 1 DC into next st and across to next marker, dec over next 2 sts. (1 DC into next st) around, join with sl st.

Round 4-6: Repeat Round 3. Try on sweater for a better fit- it should stay up fairly comfortably. Dec more over these rounds for a tighter shoulder fit.

Round 7-8: Repeat Round 1.

Round 9: Ch 2, (1 DC into next st) until 1^st maker. Work 2 DC into next st, (1 DC into next st) around until 2^nd marker. Work 2 DC into next st, (1 DC into next st) around. Join with sl st.

Round 10: Repeat Round 9.

Round 11-12: Repeat Round 1.

Fasten off. Sew sleeves to body under arms, weave in ends and block.

Maia Shawl and What I'm up to

I finished my Maia shawl yesterday and blocked it. I felt like I'd been working on it forever... but it's done! All those stinkin' trs are done!

It seems like everyone else likes it too! One day on Rav and it's already my most favorited piece with 13 faves. That's so cool! My next most faved piece is my Imitation Hawaiian Diamonds pullover- it only has 9 after months of being up. Eee!

Speaking of being noticed, I got contacted by Inside Crochet asking to put pictures of my beret in an upcoming issue! It's so cool- it feels like people are recognizing what I'm doing and that's definitely making me feel good. Crocheting has been keeping me sane while I'm job hunting and unemployed, so hearing someone say I'm good at it is a real boost.

(The yarn I used for the beret. Ain't she pretty?)

I really have to start publishing/writing patterns. I have a few things that I could put out patterns for- it would probably be a good idea to test my pattern writing skills before I put out any paid patterns. We'll see.

I'm working on something now that could eventually be a pattern I put up for sale. I ripped out a tube top I'd made last summer. It took me forever the first time- I kept getting things wrong and it was fitting funny and finally I got it right. I wore it once. The stitch pattern made it way too hot and a tube top? Seriously, tube tops are not flattering on me, and I feel like I'm getting too old for them.Look at it. Yuckers. This time I'm making the rather obvious dye lot changes horizontal, so they'll be more subtle stripes if anything.

So now I'm working on a plain stockinette tank, and if I like the final product it will be my first crochet stockinette garment (other than socks!). The other wrap cardigan I was working on is still in time out. I'm still mad that I messed up the back.

New Shawl

Yesterday I made a shawl! Today- picture taking time!


I made it with kitten-soft acrylic mohair. I say kitten soft, because my boyfriend touched it and asked me why I skinned a cat. He calls the shawl my cat-net.

The shawl itself was really fast. It's the Solomon's Knot Shawl. I started it late Monday/early Tuesday and had most of it done by the time I went to bed. Then I woke up and realized that I'd just missed a bunch of stitches so my triangle was off to one side. Yeah, I was really tired.
So I finished it. Wrapped it around myself and sat it down. Later I pranced up to my mirror to see how it looked.
It was good but... the triangle at the back was way too long and just so not me. Of course, I'd already woven in the end. So snip I went, found the end, pulled it back a bunch of rows to get a flat bottom instead of a triangle. It's still a bit long, but I can live with that. It means that I can bundle it up as a scarf in the winter.


So having been inspired by a fantastic shawl I saw in this pattern on Rav with flowers on the border, I decided I had to do that too. I found some pretty gold faux-pearls in my beads and started. Of course, it's thick furry mohair, so trying to pull it through beads with a .6 mm hook was making me rip my hair out. Finally, I started trimming the mohair where I was pulling the beads through.
Still, it was at least 10 minutes a flower from making to sewing them on. And there are 50 of the buggers on there. Two big, the rest small and one that I ran out of yarn on- a 4 leaf clover!
But the gold bead against the green looks great and they add a nice heft to the shawl.
I'm quite pleased with it!


I also decided to take some pictures of my petal pullover with my new crinoline.


I think I may have had too much fun! I ended up with 9 shots of me being silly. It was really fun!

Some FOs

I have been busy doing something I'd been putting off. I'm making my demo reel and preparing to start applying for jobs later this week. I need to do it, and I need to get a job, but that doesn't make it any more fun. I'm waiting on an email from a former employer right now, hoping to get some old work.
I don't like applying for jobs. I know it's not how it works, but I want to just be given a day or two to show them how hard a worker I am! They can call my references, they'll tell them I'm a good employee. I don't mind working really hard at a job- but I'm intimidated by the work that goes into applying for jobs. Walking into a place and handing over my work is scary!
But it needs to be done. Hopefully I'll have done all my applying by the end of the week. Even better would be having a job in the next two weeks. Fingers crossed.

I have been crocheting still. I need something to relax me- and while I'm waiting to hear from my old job, there's not much else I can do. My resume is in order, my reel is just waiting to have the work dropped in.
I finished these socks last week. The first one was a pain, the second was relatively easy. I made changes between them- the second one, on the right, has a nicer heel because I figured out crochet stockinette worked flat. The heel uppers on both need to get changed next time- I worked sc for height, but it would have been much nicer in stockinette. Next time! I also need to remember that ankles will stretch and I should work them tighter than I think I need to. They're still really comfy and cute though!
Once I finish my current project (the stockinette one) I will be starting in on a pair of knee-highs. They'll have this plain foot base, then I'll start in on a pattern from a different pair on the ankle. I'm excited!

I made this shawl mostly while my nephew was here in the mornings when he and my sister in law were sleeping off the jet lag (by the way, I have the cutest nephew in the world, just thought you should know!).(the sweetest guy in the world wearing a hat and booties made by his auntie!)

Finished it in a week and have been really loving it. I will definitely make another in just one solid yarn- I don't totally love the combination of the two yarns here, and it really doesn't help that one is lace and the other is fingering weight!
Speaking of shawls, my Nana seemed to like hers. She wore it all weekend and thanked me for it, which is about all I needed! I'm happy.

This was what I finished the day after I finished the socks. I'm loving this shirt! It's a mysterious cotton blend- I'm thinking cotton/acrylic. It feels nice and soft and drapey and has a great sheen to it that I need to get a picture of. It's like a thin band of mercerized cotton twisted with something matte, and the yarn is almost ribbon like.
The shirt is great. I want to add more to the bottom band, but otherwise I'm pleased. It has a tendency to slide off my shoulder, but it ends up looking really cute. It's just really comfy and a nice addition to a simple tank top.

Alright, back to my stockinette top- almost finished the back. Then it'll be just the sleeves left. Yay!

Crochet Stockinette

ETA: since this post, I have begun working on my crochet stockinette in a different way.
Check more out here

I always thought that it must be somehow possible to crochet something like stockinette. Something flat, non-holey, with a little stretch, just simple, plain looking fabric no thicker or denser than the yarn. I've been trying lots of things- different stitches, hooks, etc. I wasn't having a huge amount of luck until yesterday.
Now I knew that sl st flo worked in the round gave you a nice flat even stockinette-like fabric. My favorite sock pattern ever, Smoothie Socks (trust me, you won't be disappointed with how they feel!) uses that as part of it's awesomeness. What I didn't know was how to work it flat. Working flo then blo on the ws made ridges. I tried working the right loop from behind- no dice. Turning just wasn't an option.
Then suddenly it clicked- don't turn.I'm starting a project (who's pattern I may release soon!) and it's awesome. Soft and smooth, light and only as thick as the yarn itself. It's a little bit slow going, but it's so, so worth it. And I doubt it's any slower than normal stockinette (and way faster than learning to knit good stockinette!).
I was debating on showing the process before I release my pattern, but honestly, I'm pretty excited and want to share!

The Process
Chain as many stitches as you'd like (10 was a pretty good swatch) plus one.
Sl st into the second ch and across, working the top loop only.

Here's where it gets a bit interesting. Don't turn. Chain one (from here on in, when you chain at the end of the row, pull it tight. You don't need the height, just the separation from the other stitch). Find the front loop of the stitch to the right of your hook.
(If you have trouble finding the first stitch, don't worry. You can try a stitch marker, holding it differently, etc. As long as the hook goes through from the rs and you hold the fabric that way when you work, it'll be fine!)

Insert the hook into the front loop only of the stitch to the right of your hook.

Turn your hook upside down

With your upside down hook, grab the yarn.

Pull the yarn through the two loops on your hook. Twisting it upwards as you go can help. Work loose!

Work across the row, front loops only. Count every stitch while you get used to this pattern. When you get to the end, ch 1, pull tight, don't turn. Start working in the stitches to the left of your hook. Continue as needed.

Decreases in sl st can be worked as normal- to increase, work first the front loop then the back loop, or both loops together then the front, etc.


(Please let me know if you have any questions or could use more photos or a video!)

ETA: One more note- I find my starting chain tends to be too loose. Try it yourself and see, but don't go as loose as you normally would.