Entrelac Scarf, Redux

I recently got commissioned to knit an entrelac scarf. This project completely ate my life for over three weeks, but I think the end result was damn worth it.

I used a multi-colored yarn this time, instead of three different colors of yarn like last time, and I am definitely in love with the result. Much less fussy, and the result is quite stunning.

This yarn is particularly pretty, and has great variation in color. I am actually making a second scarf like this right now in another colorway, and I am still so in love with how different the colors come out. The yarn is quite perfect for entrelac.

Christmas Tree Beanie: the pattern!

Remember this?



I promised to write the pattern for it ages ago, but then life happened (as it does, which is also the reason this blog has been inactive for so long). But I finally, finally wrote the pattern and put it up on Ravelry. So if you need to make a last-minute gift, or something festive to keep you warm in the following weeks, check it out! It's a super simple, super quick project.

Here's the link again.

Spring scarf

I found this gorgeous lightweight linen-viscose yarn on sale at the yarn store the other day, so I grabbed some to make a nice lacy spring scarf.





I really love this yarn. It's light and soft and drapey, and it's that wonderful cream color that makes every outfit look amazing.

(Very belated) Christmas tree beanie

Hey, all! I finished this project during the holidays, as the title implies, but I've been once again procrastinating and just now got around to posting about it. Christmas might be over, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy a nice holiday project ;)

(Apologies for the mediocre photo quality, it was way too bright in my room when I took these.)



I spent all of December watching the Yogscast charity livestreams, and everyone kept wearing these adorable Christmas tree hats. I loved them so much that I couldn't resist trying to knit one for my very own. The livestreams were perfect to knit to as well!





I completely improvised the pattern, and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out (even though I wish I had used a less soft acrylic yarn so the beanie wasn't so droopy. On the plus side, though, it's super comfy). It's knitted on straight needles and sewed up at the back, and the star is crocheted and stuffed so it's all puffy and squishy :D

I'm thinking about maybe writing up a pattern for this, but it's still a while until next Christmas, so we'll see.

Pumpkin Virtuoso

I made this little guy for my friend's birthday that was a couple weeks ago (so, yeah, if you were wondering why I was not posting, this is what I was working on). He uses this picture A LOT as his avatar:



so I thought I'd go about recreating it in reality. (I'm sorry that I have no credit for this icon, if you've made it or know who has, please let me know!) The first thing I got excited about knitting the little scarf (which is ironic because it ended up being the thing I hated making the most), and I contemplated various ways of making the body and violin. I was all prepared to make it all out of clay, but then it hit me. Paper mache!



I shaped the body and head out of newspaper and painter's tape. I used thick string for the 'veins' on the pumpkin, and pipe cleaners for the fingers. I basically folded two pieces of pipe cleaner in half, and inserted the folded part in a tube of newspaper for arms. (Apologies for the messy desk, but paper mache is a really messy craft :P)



The violin is two pieces of violin-shaped cardboard filled with newspaper and bound with painter's tape, and the bow is just another pipe cleaner. This entire process took about three hours while I was rewatching Sound of Music with a friend.



I used PVA glue mixed with water and paper towels, here is the first layer applied. I think I did... four layers? Though the base, for example, only has two layers of glue and paper towels, and the pumpkin head has a couple more. With the breaks needed for the glue to dry, this process took around three days.



I first painted the whole thing with light grey acrylic paint. Then I switched to gouache (mostly because I had way more colors and wouldn't need to do as much mixing, but I ended up really thankful I did because I would be way less comfortable shading with acrylics). I've never really shaded a 3D object before, but I am quite pleased with the results, especially on the pumpkin. Finally, I glazed the whole thing.





Sewing the tiny coat was another challenge, because sleeves confuse the hell out of me. It worked out alright after a lot of trial and error. I used felt and handsaw it.



I used fishing line for the strings, and cut little notches into the base of the violin so I could thread the line through the loop at the neck of the violin and tuck it into the notches so it was nice and secure.



Then I knitted a tiny scarf, and that was basically it. Except not, because aaaaaaaah, I hate tiny scarves. Hate hate hate. It was so tedious, and I ended up being frustrated and having loose ends poking all over the place because there were so many of them and I just had no patience. So the scarf is a little bit crap, but shhh, don't look too closely at it.







I think my favourite part might be the hands, oddly. I just used some really, really watered down gouache a shade darker than the base color I used, and it settled into the grooves and made this quite awesome shading.



From the side and the back.

Overall, I think this entire thing took about... thirty hours of work, maybe, not counting waiting time. But it was worth it, and it was one of the most fun projects I've worked on in a while!

Waffle stitch gloves

It's been so cold here the past couple of weeks that, even around the house, I've been wishing for a warmer pair of gloves. That's when I found this pattern and decided to have a go at it.







As you can probably see, I fiddled with the original pattern a lot. I made mine quite a bit smaller than the pattern suggested, because I have tiny hands, I changed up the stitch in the cuff and edge, and I added a thumb gusset by increasing two stitches every three rows or so.



In progress shot. As you can see, I knitted them flat and then sewed them up the side. I made them with worsted weight merino yarn, the scraps I had left from the entrelac scarf I knitted - I literally had two inches of yarn left when I was done, I was seriously worried that there wouldn't be enough to finish the second glove.

Entrelac scarf, finally finished

(It was actually finished a couple weeks ago, but it's exam time, so I just got around to updating.)







I didn't really block the scarf - just steam-blocked a little bit, because I really love the texture of unblocked entrelac *__*



I love how it turned out. The friend it was for liked it too :D And, even though it got really tiring towards the end, I really did love knitting entrelac. Usually my problem when knitting or crocheting is that I get bored. Which is why I have so many WIPs -__- It's exciting at first, but then I have to do the same thing row after row, and I lose interest (it doesn't help that my attention span is that of an overexcited three-year-old or something). But entrelac is involved enough that kept my interest the whole time. Not to mention that it gave me an excuse to practice my backwards knitting ;) Now I want to make entrelac hats and entrelac gloves and more entrelac scarves *__*



All the yarn I snipped off after I waved in all the loose ends - quite a pile :P

Progress!

Entrelac scarf is going along swimmingly!



My first attempt was way too wide, so I frogged and restarted it, and now it's just perfect. It's really not a hard technique, once you get the hang of it - at this point, the hardest, most annoying thing is having to join in a different color every tier :P



I'm seriously in love with it, knitting entrelac is extremely enjoyable.

More gloves, and headbands

It's really chilly here, so I recently made a pair of my v-stitch gloves for myself.



The cuff is knit instead of crocheted.



I also whipped up a couple of simple crocheted headbands today.





I keep making these kinds of headbands in all kinds of colors. They're so quick and easy to make, but so cute.

A hat, and the beginnings of a scarf

I've been meaning to make an interesting-looking beanie-like hat for a while now, and when I saw this pattern I knew this would be it.





I made my ribbed brim about an inch or so shorter than the pattern said, so I could wear it unfolded as a slouchy hat without it being too long.

I was also commissioned by a friend to knit an entrelac scarf, and I spent this morning playing around with it.



I've never knitted entrelac before, and I'm surprised at how fast it works. After the first couple of tiers everything gets a lot less confusing, the pattern is easy to remember, and it generally turns into an incredibly fun project! I'm really excited about this one.

(Also, knitting with merino will never not be a delight.)

Ribbed Gloves

I whipped these up last weekend. They're my first ever knitted gloves, and I'm pretty pleased with them.



Just a simple pair of ribbed knitted gloves for a friend. I used this great pattern, but I modified it quite a bit. I made them larger to fit a man's hand, I did 3x2 ribbing, and I didn’t knit a thumb, just the gusset, which I made a little shorter than the pattern said.

Granny Square Bag

Long time no update!

I've had a pretty busy summer, but I've had some downtime the past couple of weeks, so one of my biggest WIPs is finally, finally done.

Styduing & crafting

Because, apparently, learning to knit socks and theoretical mechanics go hand in hand.