Scrapbuster Headbands

I made some headbands inspired by this one at The Long Thread. I made mine a bit thinner than the pattern. This is another useful project that doesn't take much time or fabric. Action shot:



This photo is weird; yes I took it myself. But notice, makeup, and a collared shirt. A sleuth might deduce that I just got back from a job interview. It's for a three week project, nothing too big, but it would be a good thing to hold me over for now. Fingers crossed, and all that.

Failure and Fleurchon

I'm going to a wedding today in Wellesley, a high school friend of my husband's. I had this idea that I would make a dress for this wedding. My goodness. It was going to be navy blue dupioni with a gold lining and a patterned waistband, in a crossover bodice style. And I spent many, many hours more than I intended, and I did indeed finish it, and it is beautiful.... for a person two sizes bigger than myself.

Damn you McCalls!

I'm just too upset to try to fix it (which will be possible). It's fully lined, so I need to completely rip out the zipper and cut out fabric of fabric and re-insert it. I'm never making anything lined, or from a pattern, or complicated in any way, again.



Okay, I (probably) don't mean that. But looking at how pretty and properly made this dress is just pisses me off! It makes me want to gain two dress sizes just so it fits. Okay, again... not really. But still.

In defeat, I bought a dress at Ross. It's very cute, and was $13. Remind me again why I was making a dress in the first place? It's a cute black & white floral and is only marked down because the buttons were missing. I made some fabric covered buttons out of the Six fabric, that is, red ponte knit, and a maching headband with a yoyo (paired with a covered button). So I didn't manage to make a dress for this wedding, but I did make a fleurchon.

Belts from Ties

I like colorful accessories. I think this project is a great way to turn ties that would be hideous with a suit into belts that would be cute to wear with jeans. You can find bags of bright, otherwise useless ties at most thrift stores.


Tie Belt

I think I may use this idea as part of a costume for Geoff's new short movie.

Fancy Scarf #2

Continuing my official "artist wait mode" at work (read: I have literally nothing to do). No, it's not really because of the writer's strike. But I am making another scarf, a fancy lacy scarf.

This is my first attempt at doing fancy stitches like "yarn overs" and "knits through the back loop," so I'm not using the mohair that is recommended, just some cheap worsted weight that I happened to already have.



If you are new to these stitches, as I am, check out the Knit Witch videos for instructions.

Here's where it gets g33ky: I was having a lot of trouble keeping track of what stitch I was on, until I realized that the design was symmetrical, and that the line of symmetry was visible. When I realized that this equation was true:

ssk = k2tog x -1

it all fell together. How's that for geeky??

reprinted with middle stitch in bold cast on 27 st 1. purl; purl every odd row 2. Ssk, (yo, sl2-k1-p2o)x3, yo, k1-tbl, yo, sl1-k2tog-po, yo, k1-tbl, (yo, sl2-k1-p2o)x3, yo, k2tog. (21 st) 4. Ssk, yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2tog. (25 st) 6. K1, (yo, sl2-k1-p2o)x2, yo, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, ssk, (yo, sl2-k1-p2o)x2, yo, k1. (23 st) 8. K1, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k9, ssk, yo, ssk, k2, yo, k1. (23 st) 10. Ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2o, yo, k1-tbl, yo, ssk, k7, k2tog, yo, k1-tbl, yo, sl2-k1-p2o, yo, k2tog. (21 st) 12. Ssk, yo, k1, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k5, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k1, yo, k2tog. (23 st) 14. K1, (yo, sl 2-k1-p2o)x2, yo, k1-tbl, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1-tbl, (yo, sl 2-k1-p2o)x2, yo, k1. (21 st) 16. (k1, yo, k3, yo)x2, ssk, k1, k2tog, (yo, k3, yo, k1)x2. (27 st) Repeat as needed

Alien creatures Hamlet and Rama inspect the goods.

Knitted (River) Tam

I have been seeing tams, those giant slouchy knit hats, a lot lately, and I like them. In honor of River, I'm making a blue one (because rivers are blue-ish). Here's the pattern I'm using, an amalgam of some different ones I've seen.

Supplies
Size 7 circular needles
Worsted weight yarn (wool-ease in denim)

Brim
-Cast on 72 stitches.
-2 rows seed stitch (knit-knit-purl-purl)
-Proceed in stockinette (knit-purl) until 1.25" long
-2 rows seed again

Body
-Increase to 96 with k3 (knit 3), m1 (make one)
-Rib stitch 4x4 until 4.5" long

Crown
-1st row: p2tog (purl two together) in the center of each depression (decrease 12)
-2nd row: proceed with rib
-3rd row: k2tog (knit two together) in the center of each stockinette section (decrease 12)
-4th row: proceed with rib
-Continue in this fashion until 12 stitches remain. Sew together.

UPDATE: I learned something about myself. I f@#$ing hate circular needles! And I don't have the patience to figure out DPNs. So... screw this!

Writer's Strike Fancy Scarf

Joss Whedon, wunderkind creator of Buffy, Firefly, and stuff, has some great observations about some of the media coverage and public opinion surrounding the ongoing WGA strike. It's rousing, eloquent stuff. Joss has always been surprisingly good at political waxing.

After the article, the disparaging image of a writer as layabouts in emo glasses and boho scarves stuck with me, so I decided to make a scarf in honor of the strikers. Initially I thought I would try to send it to Joss, but since he will probably get scarves by the bucket load after this, I'm just going to give it to my sister-in-law for Christmas ;)

Chunky "mistake rib" scarf pattern


This is what the mistake rib looks like close up.

Mathilda Crochet Hat

How cute is this?

Look Professional


If only I knew how to crochet.