Birthday Cables

So I knit this a long time ago, according to ravelry, I worked on it from August 5 to September 9 of 2009. So it's been over a year. I'm not really good about updating the blog about these things, and I've been thinking about starting a new blog since, but I have enough stuff from this one that I don't want to get rid of it yet.

The original pattern is by Mary K Saunders and is called "Ms. Brend." The original blog post disappeared, but if you want the pattern, let me know. I worked on these fingerless mittens and made a few alterations to the chart and the finger sizes. The original fingers were huge, and Princess's fingers were not huge. I think I changed the cable a bit, I can't remember how, though. But I do remember that the chart was really hard to follow and the gauge was as bit tight. Even though the pattern was fiddly, and the whole project was kind of a pain in the ass, I ended up falling in love with them. When the time came, I couldn't really bring myself to give them away. If I didn't promise them to her already, I would have totally kept them for myself.

I had some problems getting the fingers to go on seamlessly. I kept getting these gaps, and I think next time I'll knit them on smaller needles or knit through the back loops or something. I knit these on US 2 (2.75 mm) with Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport - A Bit of blue (030).

Mindless

My winter break is finally winding down and all that I can think about right now is what I'm going to knit next. There has been some drama with the whole boys and myself situation, and I find myself knitting, watching TV online, and eating French Truffles. Amazing therapy, I assure you.
I just finished my armwarmers in what I believe to be in record time so I'm going to start a scarf that will hopefully match with one of the jackets that I bought earlier this holiday.

Materials:
- Size 7 US straight needles
- Aslan trends Guanaco Color 37 (Looks like a natural color)
- Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran Color 200005 (Looks like a blue gray)

Scarf Pattern:
CO 27 sts
Work in 1x1 rib and 2 row stripes until length desired.
BO

THE END! Easy squeezy

Hope Springs Eternal

In all honesty, part of the Natayla pattern is a free form adventure. I found that I do not fall into the category of "average" when it comes to most knitting patterns. In the end, I modify a pattern so that it fits me. Which is why I tend to do things like scarves, or hats, or things that are easily modified to fit me, which isn't all bad. But I have a problem when it comes to things that require fine-tuning for it to fit. Like the Natalya arm warmers.

Let me set the stage: I have already guessed/estimated/taken-a-stab-in-the-dark about the circumference of the pattern. I went down a needle size to compensate for the fact that I understand that I'm smaller than average. I work the pattern until I feel that it's time to work the thumb gusset.

The thumb gusset in the pattern is, well, really long. I do not have large hands, so I try it on and estimate that I should stop when I have approximately 9 gusset stitches. Then I realized that it's wayy too long, so I rip back and set it at 7.

I then estimate what's supposed to be the top of the hand. I apparently start on the wrong row or something, probably because I didn't do the thumb gusset the way that the pattern tells me to. So estimate that the top of the hand would be a repetition of 4 and an extra one (I probably should have done extra two instead).

Then I estimate the size of my fingers compared to the rest of the population that makes up "average." Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. That takes approximately 400 million eons to work out. I take up the normal 11 stitches for the index finger, then realize that I should probably decrease. Takes me 3 tries. I start with 11 and decrease to 8. Then my middle finger is taking 10 stitches and then keeping it that way; it took 5 tries to get that figured out. My ring finger uses 8 stitches and keeps it that way; that took 5 tries as well. The pinky needed to add two stitches to the leftover 6 stitches; that took 3 tries. The thumb needs me to add 3 to the 7 from the gusset; that took me 4 tries. All five fingers required me to rip out 20 times. I am learning to hate this project.

To add insult to injury, the fingers had gaps between them that needed to be repaired, stitches would fall when I ripped back, I needed to add yarn because there wasn't enough to go all the way for a finger...

And there's one more to go. I am not terribly excited about it. But the hope that through all this trial and error the left hand will go more smoothly and I can remember to cross the cable the other way.

Danger! All Cals Hat!

Well, this hat was started for no particular reason other than the fact that I was going to be on a 4 hour car ride, one way, for a fencing tournament. I picked a random ball out of my stash and started knitting a hat. It's kinda sad that I didn't really finish it until lately, but that's alright, I guess. During the trip, I promised it to a member of my fencing team, Danger, I'd disclose his name, but I don't want to invade his privacy that way. But here is the pattern!

Note:
I did all of the cables without a cable needle. I'm not really sure how to explain but this website will help.

http://media.wendyknits.net/knit/leftcable.htm

Instead of using 3 stitches to slip, I did only 2. The cable uses only 4 stitches overall.

C4L = Cable. Put tip of right hand needle into the back of the 3rd and 4th stitches on the left hand needle. Slide all stitches off, catch 2 free stitches with left hand needle and slip the two that are on the right hand needle back onto the left hand needle. Now the order of stitches would be 4,3,1, 2 from the tip of the needle. K all stitches.

Materials:
- Size US 6 dpn
- 1 Ball Patons Classic Merino Wool in Natural Mix
- Yarn needle

Pattern:
1. With yarn, CO 100 stitches, pm, join without twisting.
2. Work in 1x1 rib for about 2 inches (Or until you get tired of it).
3. K2tog, then knit 2 rounds (99 stitches)
4. *P5, K4, rep from * to end of round.
5. *P5, C4L, rep from * to end of round.
6. *P5, K4, rep from * to end of round.
7. *P5, K4, rep from * to end of round.
8. *P5, K4, rep from * to end of round.
Rep 5 - 8 3 more times for a total of 4 repeats.
9. *P2tog, P3, C4L, rep from * to end of round.
10. *P4, K4, rep from * to end of round.
11. *P4, K4, rep from * to end of round.
12. *P4, K4, rep from * to end of round.
Rep 9 - 12 3 more time for a total of 4 repeats.
Crown shaping:
13. *P2tog, P2tog, C4f, rep from * to end of round.
14. *P2, K4, rep from * to end of round.
15. *P2tog, K4, rep from * to end of round.
16. *P1, K4, rep from * to end of round. (55 sts)
17. *P1, C4L, rep from * to end of round.
18. *P1, K4, rep from * to end of round.
19. *P1, k2tog, k2tog, rep from * to end of round. (33 sts)
20. *P1, k2tog, rep from * to end of round. (22 sts).
21. K2tog to end of round (11 sts).
Finishing:
Break the yarn, using a yarn needle, thread the yarn through the remaining stitches and pull to close the crown. Weave in all ends. Block.

The END!