Girl on the Rocks

Mittens are the new socks June 4, 2008

Mark my words, mittens are going to be huge soon. As a knitting project, they have all of the versatility and satisfying features as socks. Colorwork, textures, a variety of increase and decrease methods, thumb shaping (analogous to heel of toe shaping)…. And you can use them to try to make a dent in your sock yarn stash.

Patterns I have been eyeing (Most links are Ravelry links - sorry. The waiting list is only 2 days long - hurry up and join):

- Anything from the Selbuvotter book ($24.95)

For example, NHM #9:

Or NHM #10:

Order this directly from the author like I did. It arrives quickly!

-Okka By from Randi K. Design ($7)

Her chart for a tiny little knitting village in Norway captures an amazing amount of detail. I am also impressed with the little crab that pops up on the other side…

All of her designs are amazing, so be sure to check out her etsy shop.

- Baske by Nicole Hindes ($6)
Simple enough for a beginner, but truly gorgeous! I love the yellow color that she chose.

- Hello Yarn’s amazing fiddlehead mittens. ($5.95)




I saved this for last cause I have big plans for this one. Adrian makes kits of hand-dyed yarn to go with the knitting pattern. As far as I can tell, it would be impossible for me to ever score one of those rare gems. I love her suggestion of using something for the outside that is durable and has a little mohair in it… So I am challenging myself to dye and spin all of the yarn that I will need for this project. Truly ambitious, I know, but I give myself until this winter to get it done. Wish me luck!

Related posts

• Two quick tidbits (3)
• Socktober shame, October pride (10)
• Sock yarn Beer Cozy (6)

Event Report - Color: A Fiber Festival April 29, 2008

Saturday was a perfect day in Berkeley: Sunny and 75. It couldn’t have been a better time for Color: A Fiber Festival. I was a vendor at this event together with A Verb for Keeping Warm, Tactile Fiber Arts, and Pigeonroof Studios. (But I couldn’t have done it without Abby and my table wouldn’t have looked the same without her tweed chickens, so thanks!). The Verb and Tactile ladies are fiber show pros, and they have a ton of product. In my typical style, I am less professional and little more garage sale-y, but I try my best. I still could not resist capturing some of their setup in action. I took a photo of my little table.

I loved hanging out here and meeting other Ravelers and especially several of my blog readers. Hi Ladies - leave a comment!! I was tickled every time I met someone that I recognized from their Ravelry avatar.

The festival provided not only an opportunity to shop, but also several free classes. I taught two rounds of “Weaving on small hand looms” and was so happy that I had so many participants! A big high-five to everyone that was in my class! I hope you left with lots of ideas and that you aren’t all bidding against each other on ebay right now.

And just because I was selling doesn’t mean I wasn’t buying….

California Red Wool

Icelandic, Gotland and Wensleydale Wools
I sure hope there are more Color: Events in the future. Seriously, it was SO much fun. Thanks so much Sara for your awesome organizational skills!

Links

• I started a flickr Group so if you have photos on Flickr, send them over.
• There is also a Color: group on Ravelry
• Looms to go Ravelry Group

Related posts

• Stuff for me. (6)
• Fiber Festival Fun (4)
• Doomed (1)

Sock yarn Beer Cozy April 23, 2008

A long time ago a bunch of knitters had a dream… They wanted to have a book published that was full of their knitting patterns. Not just any patterns, mind you, but lovingly designed beer cozies. The proceeds (if any) would go into a fund to supply beverages to thirsty knitters at their weekly knitting night. Each design reflected the preferences of the designer. Not just in stitch patterns and yarn, but also in beer: 40 oz., tall boy, bottle or can. Alas, the book has not come to be as the “market is saturated” with kitschy knitting books. And though they continued to make new cozies, the designers mostly forgot about it. Or did they….

With the advent of Ravelry, and its awesome pattern delivery service the dream can become a reality. Now I know that you are itching to get your hands on some more beer cozy patterns so I have excerpted a pattern available for free. the pattenr is hosted on Ravelry, but I think everyone should be able to download it Behold! The Sock Yarn Beer Cozy!

Related posts

• King’s Cozy (3)
• Another superbowl… (3)
• 40 ounce paper bag cozy (10)

Dishcloth cottony January 4, 2008

The other night I beat down a bit of insomnia with the help of some yarn and a few minutes on Ravelry* I wanted to find something to use up some of the ton of cotton I acquired a while ago since it not suitable for amigurumi sushi as I had originally hoped. I took a look at my queue and immediately cast on for a Pear Apple cozy. About an hour later i had this:

I already used it to take an Asian Pear to work, and it survived my bag without even a single bruise. [My Ravelry project page]

I found a few other projects that I plan to make to help me work through all of the cotton:

Re-usable swiffer cozy
I can’t believe I missed this when it was a whiplash entry… Green Mountain Mama modified the ballband dishcloth pattern to button on to her Swiffer. Since the cotton is machine washable, you don’t need to buy disposable swiffer cloths any more.

Photos from grnmtnmama’s flickr stream

Bath Puff
This one is for the crocheters out there… Instead of a weird plastic-y bath puff, how about a handmade cotton one? And if you choose your colors carefully, it might look a bit like a brain (which i find totally cool)…

Picture courtesy of Pania’s flickr stream

And there is also the old standby - Dishcloths. I like to make boring ones like the ones my mom used to buy in Amish country. But I am willing to try out something a little more exciting like round spirally ones.

Any way you look at it, my cotton stash will be shrinking.

*I’m not sure I ever officially mentioned that I am on Ravelry as girlontherocks (friend me and I’ll friend you back!). I’ve been on since june, but I was so impatient while on the waiting list. I was fully jealous of everyone that would blog about how they just got in. So I secretly vowed to not mention it here. But now since the wait is only a few days long, I’m okay to talk about it.

Related posts

• Sock yarn Beer Cozy (6)
• Sniffles - Knitted Tissue cover (9)
• Only one will survive (4)