Girl on the Rocks

Craftiness at Daiso January 8, 2007

This Sunday my friends and I traveled to the new Daiso Japan store in Daly City (as mentioned recently on the Craft: blog). It is the Japanese equivalent of a dollar store (100 yen) where almost all items are $1.50. I got a ton of stuff, especially cute stationery with poorly translated phrases. I also grabbed a few crafty items.

Cork tiles, laundry bags for washing fleece, carving tools, origami paper

The most exciting are the cork-covered tiles. These are supposed to be some kind of padded floor tile, but mine will be assembled and used a blocking board (I think i first read about this on the Yarn Harlot’s blog). They can be assembled in a square for sweaters, or a long line for scarves. The cork is a bit absorbent, and the tiles are foamy and padded - perfect for sticking in pins. I put it to work immediately since My So Called Scarf was in need of some blocking.

and when it is done I can just stack up the tiles and put them away. Not a bad blocking board for less than $15, and it is modular!

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Mohair Boucle scarf November 19, 2006

When I was in Melbourne, Australia a few months ago my friends and I made a trek out to Marta’s yarn store. It was a truly lovely place, full of Marta’s hand dyed yarns.

Marta was there to help us with our yarn selections and displayed infinite patience while we ran around her store like 6 year olds hopped up on Dr.pepper.

I picked up a center pull ball of about 8 ounces of Mohair boucle, dyed in a chocolately brown color.

yarn with a US 10 needle for scale

I just finished knitting it up into a scarf. I used 22 stitches across on size 10 needles and cranked along in garter stitch until I ran out of yarn. The yarn has such an interesting texture that the garter rows aren’t that visible in the finished scarf.

It was the first time that i have ever knit anything with a boucle yarn, and i am really satisfied with the feel of the finished object. It was a little tricky to knit with. Let’s just say that I am happy that I did not drop any stitches and have to look for them.

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Tiny completed objects July 29, 2006

While at work i found myself with an hour to waste and I was desperate to make something. I found some acrylic yarn in my office and a crochet hook in my pencil cup, and i whipped up this little guy…

photo courtesy of teapotgirl

he is a little amigurumi droplet. we thought he looked like melted mochi so we put him in the mochi tray. I am also working on crocheting some bacon - you can see it in the foreground.

I also whipped up a prototype baby beanie that is supposed to look like a buckeye. The pattern needs some improving, so i will probably give it another try.

i will be sending it off to my cousin for his new baby that is due in a few weeks.

I have also made some progress on the the only big knitting project that I am working on right now, the clapotis. I have 3 dropped rows!

and finally, the results of my solar dyeing adventure

whew! That is some bright green.

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All sweaters, all the time August 7, 2005

I need to knit a bunch of sweaters. I am getting focused…

I have a bunch of fleece and yarn. i need sweaters, therefore I will be trying to knit mostly sweaters. it wasn’t that long ago that I was trying to talk myself
out of knitting sweaters, but I have decided that it is the way to go. i mean,
i like knitting and i don’t need any more scarves, so sweaters it
is!

so… a little update on my current projects. Hi! remember
me!

Why it is the incredible custom fit raglan made out of precious precious 100% merino handpainted yarn (the last batch that was available in their website I do believe). i decided to buckle down and finish the sleeves. for some reason i didn’t realize that unless you want the sleeve to be like a pant leg, you really need to put in a bunch of decreases. there used to be 1.5 sleeves on this sweater, but after some ripping we are down to 0.5 sleeves. but at least the one that is there is like a sweater sleeve and not a pant
leg.

the shawl from the fall interweave - blocking!

It looks great and I can’t wait to wear it!

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Christmas scarf mania November 21, 2004

While playing hookey on Friday afternoon, my
friend and I went down to article pract for a yarn fix. I picked up two ballsof GGH Amelie to make a scarf, and it was done by saturday afternoon.
ta-da!


This yarn is so super-soft. As with all of the
scarves that i make, it is a little too wide, and a little too short, but i
still like it. I used the drop-stitch scarf pattern from Stitch-N-BitchNation.

I also started a lacy
scarf out of some mohair that i bought at lambtown USA. I am using what i
believe is called “the old shale” pattern. I got it in a free berroco pattern.

Wow! it is so photogenic! It is a little slow
going, but i am enjoying it.

I have
also made a little progress on a felted tote for my mom - i started knitting the
bottom. I am progressing slowly, because i know that I don’t have appropriate
needles to use for the sides of the bag. i need size 13 circular needles.
Though I have a ton of straight needles, i really don’t have many circs. Seems
to me that i should order a set of Denise Needles for myself and never have to buy
a circular needle again…. that’s a good plan, right?

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