Monkey Business

My pair of monkey socks for the January Sockdown at Sock Knitters Anonymous is finally done. Though I love the pattern and am happy with the way the pair has turned out, it you look at the picture, you can see a difference in color richness between the two socks. This happened within the single skein of yarn. The colors in the right sock are somewhat subdued.

Another thing, I mistakenly did a few less rows in the toe decreases on the left sock :( However it fits okay and now I am wondering if I should fix it or leave it as such.
There is quite a lot of leftover yarn from this project so I plan to make a pair of sock for my daughter out of that, inshaAllah.

Spin Some More

Taking a small break from my knitting, I tried some spinning on my drop spindle. The roving is alpaca fibre my friend sent me last month. it is so soft and easy to spin. The yarn is coming out quite thin.
This is not a very clear pic but will have to do for now.

Bounce Cardigan

I finally finished the cardigan I was working on, last night. This is my own pattern, and even though I say it myself, I really love the way it has turned out.

As, you can see, even rain or dying camera batterries could not deter me from taking pictures!

I have written the pattern for 5 sizes, 2, 4, 6 ,8 and 10 years. This project was the smallest size. After getting the test knitting done for the other sizes, I hope to put the pattern for sale in my ravelry store by the middle of next month, inshaAllah.
Regarding the name, this was DH's idea. He originally suggested "Baby Bounce" (whatever it might mean!) but I modified it to Bounce, baby being a tad bit inappropriate for the larger sizes.

Design In Progress

These past few days, I have been almost exclusively working on a cardigan for my daughter. I am working on a design of my own. I have worked out various sizes for this pattern and hope to put it up for sale at my ravelry store, inshaAllah. Finished the body today and will be starting the sleeves next.

It is not looking much right now but I think it will turn out rather cute when complete.

The First Felt

My husband got a PSP (playstation portable) recently and I immediately offered to make a cozy for it. Apparently, DH was thinking of a safe way to carry it with him, so surprizingly enought, he accepted. While, nomally he is not thrilled with knitted items for himself.
After a great deal of pondering and looking around at patterns, I finally decided this simple, felted cozy would be best. I made many modifications.
I started out with full intention of following the pattern but had no 6.50 mm DPNs. So, instead,I worked on straight. Also, altered the number of sts and length to adapt to DH’s PSP:
I cast on 28 sts.
Row 1: (k1, sl 1 st purlwise) repeat to the end.
Repeat this row until the piece measures 11 inches.
Next row:( k1, sl next st onto a spare needle, k next st, pass the 1st st over this st)repeat to the end.
In this way, half the sts are BO. On the remaining sts, work in st st for 5 inches. BO and weave in end. No seams to sew and ready to felt.

The yarn I used was Araucania Magallanes. I really liked this yarn. This cozy used up only a small amount, maybe 50 yards. I still have the remaining skein. So maybe I can make a bag or something out of it.
Being done with the knitting, I went looking for a good felting tutorial. Then equiped with the necessary information, I went on to try for myself. And it worked. It is quite simple really. And fun!

The great thing is that the cozy turned out exactly right sizewise and more than that, DH was very pleased with it. I also lined it witha cotton fabric, to protect the PSP from any wayward wool fiber, LOL.

Diagonal Garter Vest

I got 4 balls of Boku (Plymouth Yarn) a few months back as part of an RAK. I really wanted to make a wearable out of them. I thought I could successfully stretch the 396 yards into a vest. I had knit a vest during my teens and quite liked its shape etc. So, I decided to base this new vest on that shape but to knit diagonally, this time. It has taken me about a week from start to finish and that's partly because of the occassional frogging. I wrote the pattern side-by-side and so it is ready. Did not add sizes other than the one I knit, because I was not confident about their accuracy without being test knitted, as this is a diagonal knit. I used up all the 4 balls in knitting. For the crochet edging, I used another yarn in solid brown.

DIAGONAL GARTER VEST

MATERIALS:
· Boku 4balls
· Solid color yarn for crochet edging small amount.
· Straight knitting needles 4.50 mm
· Crochet hook 4.00 mm
· Buttons…7
Note: The pattern uses up all but a couple of yards of the 4 balls. To be on the safe side, have an extra ball handy.

SIZE: 38 -40

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS:
Chest 38 inches (negative ease of about 2 inches),
Length 18.50 inches (back) and 20.50 inches (front at longest point)
Armhole length 9 inches

GAUGE:
8 sts X 16 rows = 2 inches in garter st.

METHOD

LEFT BACK:
Cast on 2 sts.
Foundation row (WS): Knit.
Row 1(RS): Inc 1 in 1st st, inc 1 ind 2nd st.(4 sts)
Row 2 (WS): K.
Row 3: Inc 1 in 1st st, k to the last st, inc 1 in the last st.
Row 4: K.
Repeat rows 3 and 4, until there are 60 sts.
Next Row: ssk, k to last st, inc in last st.
Next Row: k.
Repeat the last 2 rows, three more times

Armhole Shaping:
Row 1: ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Row 2: BO 2 sts, k to the end.
Repeat these 2 rows, once more.
Next Row: ssk, k to end.
Next Row: K
Repeat the last 2 rows, 11 more times. (40 sts)
Next Row: Ssk, k to last st, inc 1 in the last st.
Next Row: K
Repeat these last 2 rows, another 23 times.
Next Row: ssk, k to end.
Next Row: ssk, k to end. (38 sts)

Neck Shaping:
Next Row: BO 8 sts, k to end.
Next Row (WS): Ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. (28 sts)
Repeat these last 2 rows, once more. (18 sts)
Next Row: BO 2 sts, k to end.
Next Row: Ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog. (14 sts)
Repeat these last 2 rows, 3 more times, BO all.

RIGHT BACK:
Cast on 2 sts.
Foundation row (WS): Knit.
Row 1(RS): Inc 1 in 1st st, inc 1 ind 2nd st.(4 sts)
Row 2 (WS): K.
Row 3: Inc 1 in 1st st, k to the last st, inc 1 in the last st.
Row 4: K.
Repeat rows 3 and 4, until there are 60 sts.
Next Row: Inc in 1st st, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row: k.
Repeat the last 2 rows, three more times.

Armhole Shaping:
Row 1: BO 2 sts, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Row 2: k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Repeat these 2 rows, once more.
Next Row: k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row: K
Repeat the last 2 rows, 11 more times. (40 sts)
Next Row: Inc in 1st st, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row: K
Repeat these last 2 rows, another 23 times.
Next Row: ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row: K. (38 sts)

Neck Shaping:
Next Row: Ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row (WS): BO 8, k to end. (28 sts)
Repeat these last 2 rows, once more. (18 sts)
Next Row: Ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row: BO 2 sts, k to end. (14 sts)
Repeat these last 2 rows, 3 more times, BO all.

RIGHT FRONT:
Cast on 20 sts,
Foundation Row (WS): K.
Row !: K to last st, inc 1 st in last st.
Row 2: K.
Row 3: Inc in 1st st, k to last st, inc in last st.
Row 4: K.
Repeat these 4 rows, 12 more times, (59 sts)
Next row: K to last st, inc ` in last st.
Next row: K.
Next Row (1st Buttonhole Row): Inc 1 in 1st st, k2, yo, k2tog, k to last st, inc 1 in last st.
Next Row: K.
Next row: Ssk, k to last st, inc 1 in last st.
Next row: K.
Repeat last 2 row, 3 more times.

Armhole Shaping:
Row 1: Ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Row 2: BO 2 sts, k to end.
Row 3 (2nd Buttonhole): Ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, k to last st, k2tog.
Row 4: BO 2 sts, k to end.
Row 5: Ssk, k to end.
Row 6: K.
Repeat the last 2 rows, 4 more times.
Next Row (3rd Buttonhole): Ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, k to end.
Next row: K.
Next row: Ssk, k to end.
Next Row: K.
Repeat the last 2 rows, 4 more times.
Next Row (4th Buttonhole): Ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, k to end.
Next row: K.
Next Row: Ssk, k to the last st, inc 1 in last st. (42 sts)
Next Row: K.
Repeat the last 2 rows, 4 more times.
●Next Row (5th Buttonhole): Ssk, k2, yo, k2tog, k to the last st, inc 1 st in last.
Next row: K.
Next Row: Ssk, k to the last st, inc 1 in last st.
Next Row: K.*
Repeat the last 2 rows, 4 more times.●●
Repeat from ● to ●● once, and then once from ● to *.

Neck Shaping:
Row 1(RS): BO 2, k to last st, inc 1.
Row 2: K to last 2, k2tog.
Repeat these 2 rows, 4 more times. (32 sts)
Next Row (RS): BO 2 st, k to end.
Next Row (WS): Ssk, k to last 2 sts, k 2 tog. (28 sts).
Repeat these last 2 rows, 6 more times, 4 sts remain, BO all sts.

LEFT FRONT:
Cast on 20 sts,
Foundation Row (WS): K.
Row !: Inc in the 1st st, k to end.
Row 2: K.
Row 3: Inc in 1st st, k to last st, inc in last st.
Row 4: K.
Repeat these 4 rows, 13 more times, (62 sts)
Next row: Inc in 1st st, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next row: K.
Repeat last 2 row, 3 more times.

Armhole Shaping:
Row 1: BO 2 sts, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Row 2: K to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Repeat the last 2 rows, once more. (54 sts)
Next row: K to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row: K.
Repeat the last 2 rows, 11 more times.(42 sts)
Next Row: Inc in 1st st, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row: K.
Repeat the last 2 rows, 18 more times.

Neck Shaping:
Row 1(RS): Inc 1, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Row 2: BO 2 sts, k to the end.
Repeat these 2 rows, 4 more times. (32 sts)
Next Row (RS): Ssk, k to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row (WS): BO 2 sts, k to the end. (28 sts).
Repeat these last 2 rows, 6 more times, 4 sts remain, BO all sts.

FINISHING:
Stitch together the two back pieces. Then sew the shoulder and side seams. With 4 mm crochet hook and contrasting yarn, crochet a row of sc all across the lower edge, front edge and the neckline. Also crochet a row of sc across the armholes. Sew on the buttons.

From Rag to ?!?!?

Seeing so many wonderful projects around the web, mostly afgahans, made from yarn scraps/leftover, I started one of my own last year. Initially, I was thinking of making a yo-yo afghan. (Yo-yo's are small round crochet motifs which are later joined together to make different projects) . Later on, I decided on another style. Good thing with this is that I manage to incorporate the yarn ends during crochet.

This is going to be a very long-term project. I don't know if I have stamina for a afghan. As a rough estimate, an afghan would require around 4000 small squares (I'm near 100 right now) so the finished nature of this project is still undetermined.

Fair-Isle Yoke Sweater

It took me about a month to knit up the sleeves but that was basically because I put this project on hold to work on some others. However, I picked it up again yesterday and it's done now. And my son was more than happy to pose for it. He even picked out his favorite photo.

It is a bit big for him right now, but that was intended as he is going to wear this next winter, inshaAllah.