Nancy Knits Stuff

Wilf's Hat, Prototype

2010-10-22T17:21:13Z

I've had my proof of concept hat done for a while, but it took me until today to get a picture of it.

( Cut for the picture, which is... big-ish )

It needs a bit of tweaking still, to get it as source-perfect as I can tell, but it's a pretty solid pattern, I think. Of course, the pattern won't go up until I do get it perfected, but I think sharing the progress is good. Even if I'm distracted from the perfecting process right now by working on a Pinstripe Tenscarf for myself, which is in itself serving as a version one of a gift scarf my mom's commissioned me to make.

And speaking of commissions, in a round-about way, I decided I wanted to do something to help foresthouse with her surgery bill. You can bid on it here.

Of course, I realize I could probably be more help by sending even a few bucks to her, but I don't know that I could do it before her deadline, so this is a way for me to help right now. Maybe I'll be able to send a little something to foresthouse herself later. But for now, this feels right.

Not to mention, knitting for other people is a lot of fun, so I'm excited for the opportunity. And, knitting another hat will help me figure out what I need to do to move closer to source-perfection. It's a win-win! Perhaps with another win in there, too.

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Hello!

2010-09-17T00:38:01Z

Um... hi.

Yeah, I've completely neglected this knitting blog. Very sad and pathetic. But, I have been knitting, so it's not too bad. If that makes sense.

Since nearly a year ago, I've had a set of circular needles destroyed by a cute-but-occasionally-attention-seeking dog. Not the most exciting thing ever, but it's enough. It means that I haven't finished the socks I was making on them. I mean, yes, I could use my DPNs, but when I was working on the first sock, I thought it worked really well on two circs, and that using DPNs would kind of stink. Once I have a spare ten bucks, maybe I'll order new ones.

( A heart, a pineapple, and some hats )

So, that's basically what I've been up to lately. I hoping to update here more, because I really do enjoy the knitting and the talking about it. See you... soon? Maybe? I hope?

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Non-update update.

2009-06-06T01:25:32Z

So, after I'm all, "Hey, this is gonna be great, I'll have a knitting blog!" I don't end up with anything good to blog about.

Well, that's not exactly true.

I've finished the striped socks for Tarma, finally, and I even have pictures of them; they're just still on the camera. I've worked some more on the original flavor Harry Potter scarf, but not as much as I'd hoped. (Though, knitting on it while watching Rifftrax of the HP films was quite fun, I must say.)

I've spent a lot of time working on a single sock made from this pattern. I was having trouble with the sizing of it in order for it to fit me, as it's yarn I've never used before. Between the yarn thickness and wanting to have a slightly longer cuff than I usually make for myself, I worked the cuff and two repetitions of the pattern on size 3 needles, and the rest of the sock on size 2. Also, I tried working it with four needles (as written) instead of five (which is what I usually use, when using DPNs), and I was getting much more noticeable gaps between the needles, so I switched to five, and it was better. Except for the pattern being split between needles, but I managed. So far, I've finished the one sock and started the second, but only up to the needle change, because I have something else I want to make, and now, using the size 3 DPNs.

And that something is a hard drive case... thing. I got a nice portable hard drive (at quite a deal, I must say), and I think I'd like a case for it. Of course, I'm not gonna buy one, so I'm knitting. Again, it's something I started two or three times before landing on the final variation.

See, I started with that magic cast-on thing, which was fine, except it's really hard to start it with DPNs instead of two circular needles, particularly when you're casting on 40 stitches. I tried it again, trying to divide the stitches over a couple more needles, and that was working okay, except that I added a couple needed increases, as well as a couple unnecessary increases. I couldn't handle forcing the magic cast-on again, so I decided I'll do a top down thing and end by grafting the bottom closed. But, I wanted a flap, so I knit that. In seed stitch (or is it moss?), with increases, which was interesting to figure out (and required a couple froggings to get it just right).

Now I'm working on the body of the thing, which is fine. Only I want it sort of padded, so using my oh-so-1337 skillz *cough* I decided to make it in a heel flap sort of way, in that slip stitch sort of pattern. But, I liked the way the heel flap in that Hedera looked on the outside, which is a lot smoother than the usual heel flaps I've done, so I thought I'd do it like that. Which is slipping the stitches on the purl side. So I'm purling in the round (and will flip it inside out when I'm done). I think it'll work out nicely, but it feels so tedious right now. But I'll do it.

Maybe I'll watch some more "Torchwood" while I knit. See, this is why knitting's so great; I can be productive and still veg out to great TV and movies.

And, yes, I just realized that it's been exactly a month since I posted here. And that I'm always watching MSNBC while posting. Not intentional, but kinda fun.

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I've made a decision.

2009-05-06T02:10:18Z

I think I want to use this journal for knitting stuff. I think that'll be good. I may throw in some other stuff once in a while, but I think, for now, knitting is where it's at.

So, with that, here are some things I've knitted (semi-)recently.

( Nothin' but knit )

Beyond that, I've got a pair of striped socks for a friend that are nearly finished, an original flavor Harry Potter scarf for another friend that's a few blocks in, and the more modern flavor Harry Potter scarf for a third friend that's not actually on the needles yet, but will be soon, I think. And I'm thinking of creating a knitting class for HOL, so there's all of that, too, on top of another two or three projects I want to make soonish.

So, you know, lots of knitting ahead.

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