FO: Haruni

It done, oh god it's done. After months of not working on it, I spent the last week working hard on Haruni. I was a bit unsure I'd get it done before the end of July, but I did. This is good too, because my cousin's bridal shower is on the 6th of August, I think. Before now, the biggest project I've made for someone else was a scarf or a hat. Nothing as big as a shawl. But I'm glad that I could make something that Ashley would like.

Pattern: Haruni

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Royalty

Needles: 3.75mm

Notes: I love this shawl, so much. The next one I make will be for me, in green.

Now I'm down to... 10 WIPs. It's slowly going down.

FO: Moogle!

A long time ago, I found a pattern for a crocheted moogle from Final Fantasy. I didn't know how to crochet at the time so it went into my favorites on Rav and I forgot about it. Sometime during last winter moogles were mentioned and the pattern was brought up. I decided to make a moogle. When I told one my good friend QS about it, she wanted one. I knew I had to make her one since she, in her awesomeness, reintroduced me to KH after years of having it but not playing it.

Pattern: Moogle Doll

Yarn: Red Heart Super Savior in white, dark red, and lavender

Hook: 4mm

Notes: I used the game case for Final Fantasy IX for scale. Also because it's the one QS and I are both playing right now. The moogle's eyes I'm not happy with and I think the nose is a bit fat...

FO: Netbook Sleeve

One thing I've wanted for years has been a netbook. For my 21st birthday, my wonderful father gave me enough money to get one. I knew instantly that I wanted something to protect it when I would put it in a backpack with other stuff. Instead of paying $10-20 for a commercially made protective sleeve from HP, I decided to design my own. The way I designed it makes it easy for it to be a sleeve or a bag.

The prototype is finished and my netbook is in my hands and has been for about a week now. I have thus named it Marly. The only thing I need now is a small cordless computer mouse.

Here's an image of the netbook, fully inside of the sleeve:

Project: Netbook Bag

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Shaded Dusk

Hook: 5mm

Notes: My first crocheted pattern design. It came out well I think.

FO: Porifera & Twilight Socks

Two pairs of socks are complete! I just finished one pair and the other was done about a month ago. I waited to post a picture of them anywhere besides Rav because they were Mom's birthday present. I wanted her to see them first.

Porifera was one of the guiding patterns in my purchase of a booklet titled Twist & Knit. Rachel kept talking about them and other patterns from it until I eventually folded. Porifera will probably be the only ribbed pair of socks I do.

Pattern: Porifera Socks

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Kettle Dyed in Wine

Needles: 2.25mm

The pattern for mom's socks was originally written for cuff down but because I like doing my socks toe up better, I converted it. And even learned a way to do the slip stitch heel (most common heel I've seen on cuff down socks) on a pair of toe up socks.

Pattern: Twilight

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll in Paisley Multi

Needles: 2.5mm

FO: SKA March Socks!

They're done! SKA (Sock Knitters Anonymous) has a mystery sock KAL every other month. Sometimes I join in, other times I don't. This time I did and I'm so glad I decided to. The socks turned out absolutely beautiful. I don't ever want to take them off.

Pattern: SKA March Mystery Sock

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Kettle Dyed in Auburn

Needle: 2.25mm

Mods: N/A

Fingerless Mitts!

I finished two pairs of fingerless mitts in March. One pair was for me and another was for someone I got to spoil in a swap. My pair was originally for her but with a deadline looming, I stopped working on them in favor of a quicker pair.

Pattern: Serpentine Mitts by Miriam L. Felton

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Happy Feet in colorway 16

Needle: 2.25mm

Mods: 3" 2x2 ribbing for the cuff, instead of 4"

Pattern: Susie's Reading Mitts by Janelle Masters

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton

Needle: 3.5mm

Mods: I only did the picot edging for the cuff, instead of also for the knuckles too.

HatHatHat~

March was almost a utter fail month in terms of knitting. I did finished 3 hats and get a pair of socks sort of close to the heels. I also nearly finished two pairs of fingerless mitts. But, this post is about hats:

Bold means Not Pictured; Italics means gift.

1: Eyelet Ridge Hat
2: Windy City Hat
3: Tangled Mom Hat #1
4: Godric’s Hollow Graveyard Hat
5: WeeCorgi Baby Hat
6: The not-girly-manly-MAN!hat
7: The totally-girly-womanly-LADY!Hat
8: Divine Hat

I'm so behind. I wanted to do a hat per week. It is not the beginning of March, it is the beginning of April. So I'm 4 behind. I'm going to try and get at least 5 done this month. I need to do one more a month, if not two, so I can catch up.

(Psst. Justin if you're reading this, I need a picture of your hat!)

FO: Test Knit socks!

I'm so happy. I finished the socks I was test knitting for a friend. They're really comfy and cozy. And a perfect fit! When I'm knitting a pair of socks or such for myself or anyone else, the thing I worry most about is fit. I get frustrated if what I'm knitting doesn't turn out to be a perfect fit. Because then I either have to give what I spent time on to someone else or redo it. This time, it came out right!

Pattern: English Breakfast Tea Socks

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Kettle Dyed in Ivy

Needle: 2.5mm

Project page

Test Knitting

One of my favorite things to do in the world of knitting is test knit patterns for designers. Sometimes that even means that I get a paid pattern for free. In February, two of my friends came up with patterns that needed to be test knitted. One was a hat like the one Hermione wears in the graveyard scene of Deathly Hallows part 1. The other was a pair of socks.

The socks aren't finished yet. I've only finished the first one tonight. I'm really hoping that now that I've finished one I can speed knit through the other one. That's the way my socks are usually knit - I do the first one and because I want the second one so badly, I speed through it.

Here's the hat I finished a couple weeks ago. As I told the designer, it needs to be a bit longer. I'll probably go back eventually and add some length to the body of the hat.

January Summary

In January, I knit (or crocheted) a total of 7 things. 3 small bags, 3 hats, and a cozy for my PSP. I also started a scarf out of the skein of Chroma I ordered with my last KP order. I knew I wanted to make a scarf out of it so I got a skein of Choma Worsted in Midwinter. The scarf is about half done. It'll get done soon enough so I can block it and wear it.

6 HPKCHC classes:

Choma scarf:

You'll notice the third bag is missing. I need to do 2 things before I post it, take a better picture and mail it out today to the one it goes to.

Finished: Cozy & Pouches

So far in January I've finished five things. I'm going to wait and do my finished hats later, when I finally get around to taking a picture of the second one. The first thing I made this month was a self-designed cozy for my PSP that I got for Christmas from my Dad. The second and third were two pouches from the same pattern. I love quick little crochet patterns that can be done in a half an hour or so.

Pattern: N/A

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks Stripes in Krazy Stripes

Needle: 2.5mm

Project page link

Pattern: One Hundred Yen Pouch

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Burgundy

Hook: 5mm

Project page link

Pattern: One Hundred Yen Pouch

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in Lavender

Hook: 4.5mm

Project page link

Damson: Finished!

I'm quite happy with myself - my very first shawl is finished! It's not the first one I've started, but I did finish it. I blocked it as best I could while at my brother's. I might re-block it later to open up the lace a little more. This shawl is also my very first Ysolda project.

Pattern: Damson

Needle: 4mm

Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss in Winter Night - 440 yards

Damson makes for an easy first shawl. It is knit in garter until you reach the chart and the 2 rows of edging are really easy.

Samhain Socks!

I finally finished my Samhain socks. Originally I was going to use a pattern for them but after I got started and saw how the stripes were doing, I realized that they'd be just as beautiful without a pattern. So I didn't use one. Despite how much I love knitting socks, I've only finished three pairs. The first pair went to mom because they fit her better, the second pair needs redoing. And well, here's the third:


This will probably be one of the last times I get to update my blog with finished projects until Christmas. Why? Because I don't want anyone seeing their presents before they get them.

Shortening the List

This month has been all about working on getting WIPs finished. I had a total of six going into August. I expanded it by a few since then but I've also finished half of the original six. The original six are counted as WIPs because I started them in July. In August I've started a traveling scarf, 6 dishcloths, and a pair of Hufflepuff mitts for a friend. Right now I'm aiming to get as much of the two shawls I've been working on for awhile done. I'm positive one will get done and I'm hoping to get the other done too.

This hat actually ended up being a bit smaller than I would have liked. It looks more like a cap than anything else. I need to try it on again (It's wool, I haven't tried it on except for pictures) to decide what I'm going to do with it. If I decide it really is too small, I can always take it out and reclaim the yarn. I don't have that much wool so I'm not that likely to just give it away.



The second WIP I finished was a KAL that a few of my friends and I decided to do. One of my friends who hasn't been knitting for very long found this cell phone cozy. We all liked it and wanted to make one so we decided to wait until August and do them together. Mine is done and so pretty. :)



The last finished WIP is a test knit I did for a friend. She wanted to know if any of us would like to test knit a cowl she designed and I jumped at the chance. I love to test knit because not only am I helping out someone, but I get the pattern for free. :D This one was an easy cabled cowl that came out fairly well. The only thing I didn't like was the curling. Blocking would help with it, if I had used a yarn that was wool.



Now I have two shawls (one for me, one for Mom) and a pair of socks out of the ones started before August and planned on being finished this month. And August is already half over. Where did the month go?!

DS Cozy

In July, I decided to make myself a cozy for my Nintendo DS. I've been meaning to make one for awhile. It gets put into bags whenever I go anywhere that has some travel time and/or I think it will get dark. I can't knit in the dark. Now I have a way of keeping my DS protected so it doesn't get anymore scratches and such.



It also was the first time I did a button flap, button hole, and sewed on a button. I have to say, I still dislike weaving in ends the most.

Hat and Bootie Set

One of my HPKCHC friends found out this month that she's expecting. I've been wanting to make a couple of baby items for someone. I didn't want to just make them and give them to a hospital because then I wouldn't feel the same joy as I feel for making these items for my friends. I decided on a pair of booties (I did those for Quidditch) and a baby hat in cotton. Cotton just doesn't slid over the needles like acrylic or wool does.



Aren't they adorable? I gleed over the booties for nearly 15 minutes after I finished them because that's just how cute they are.

Birthday Presents for Nami

Okay, I can post these now. Nami (or Bubbles as she's also know as) got her package in the mail today. When I made myself a pair of Evangeline back in January, she commented about how she'd love a pair Slytherin colored. I knew then that I'd make her a pair for her birthday. Hers were made wrist length because it was hot and I didn't see the need to make hers as long as mine. I also got tired of them by the time I had a couple cable repeats done. I'd been trying to do them twice without a cable needle but they refused to work. In the end I used the cable needle. I absolutely love the wrist length. If I make myself another pair, they'll be wrist length.



I hadn't planned on making this headband for her until I was thinking about what I wanted to send with the mitts. The pattern was one I was doing for a HPKCHC class to the letter E. The pattern, yarn, or item had to start with E. I had decided I wanted a headband and went with making the Easy Cable Headband. It was something quick and easy so I added it to Nami's package.



5 days left in July and 3 classes to finish. One of which will be another headband, this time for me. August is an break month for classes and yet its looking like it will be busy too. And I still have to figure out what to do for Dad's birthday...

More Quidditch

For the main Quidditch this term, each player was asked to create 3 items that would go to charity. Charity could mean that it went to a friend or someone who needed the item. On the other hand you could indeed, find a charity and craft for them. Now, I'm as much a supporter of charities as the next person but for this I went more personal.

I made two scarves and a pair of booties. The booties are going to a friend who just found out that she's expecting. :D The pattern said they were newborn size but didn't come out so. That's okay - she can use them when the baby gets big enough to fit into them.



The scarves were made for something that one of my aunts wanted to do. She thought it would be fun if I would craft a scarf for every aunt. I ran out of time to do the third so I'll work on that in August or something.

The good news is that now that Quidditch is done, I can get back to working on classes! I only have two left (finished one up this morning) and a week in which to do them. Maybe for the first time, I won't be turning in projects on the last day!

Quidditch and Bookmarks

Is it really already the 20th? I've been so busy crafting this month! Two classes are finished but I can't post pictures of them yet. They were for a friend and I don't want her seeing what she got before they arrive in the mail. I've also been working on bookmarks for the Headmistress' challenge. They had to be postmarked by the end of July and I sent mine out today.



I just finished, an hour ago, an afghan for charity. GazeboGal on Rav's shelter is in desperate need of blankets and such for animals and crates. Being the animal lover I am, I just had to craft one! My first afghan and I did it in two days. Can you say hand cramp?



I should be able to post the classes I've finished soon. In the meantime, I'm working on a cozy for my DS and a hat similar to the one I made at the end of June. This time it's wool and knit on the right size needles.

Blue Fairy Lights

A fellow Ravenclaw came up with a hat pattern she calls Fairy Lights a few days before the end of June. I tried to get it finished before the last day of the month was over but didn't. I got tired of working on the decreases for what seemed like forever.

Isn't it pretty? I love it~! June was an off-month for me in terms of knitting. July will be much better. I will make it so.