Hello, again!

 Test, test, test...

So, I recently realized I have a perfectly good blog that I haven't touched in almost a decade, and after some trial and error, found my way back here. 

After several years of not really knitting, this has become the year of KNITTING ALL THE THINGS. I got an itch to knit some socks in March, which my boyfriend promptly claimed for himself. Clearly, I had to start myself another pair and suddenly I remembered how much I love knitting and playing with yarn and exploring patterns. Since the world had pretty much shut down, I started spending all my time at home with at least one project going. It became the perfect opportunity to explore all the techniques and projects I'd ever been interested in trying. I suddenly had the time to focus and research and learn new things. I mean, who cares if that big project is going to take foreverrrrrr....it's not like there's anywhere else you need to be. 

I dabbled in brioche, made a garment that actually fit, played with lots of colors, discovered the joy of MKALs (which I learned means mystery knit-a-long), found comfort in the online knitting community, fell in love with new yarns and designers, focused on more and bigger projects than ever before, and rediscovered my joy in knitting. It has become my calm and happiness in this weird, weird year. 

I'm planning an epic recap post in a couple of weeks, but for now enjoy a sneak peek.

Happy Knitting!

Uhlissa

Twinkle, Twinkle

Hi there.

I've been making stars. I was thinking I wanted to make some Christmas ornaments for gifts this year, and decided I wanted to understand how stars work.

See:

The six-pointed red and green one is a pattern called Star with Hearts that I found on ravelry. I used red and green mohair that's been in my stash for several years on US2s. The pattern was really well done, but I didn't really enjoy the process very much.

Then I started thinking that I might be able to adapt it to make a five pointed star using the same principals. Hey, as it turns out, I'm kind of brilliant and it worked. The five-pointed star was knit on US8s, with some acrylic worsted weight I've been trying to get rid of.

It's not perfect, because I'm bad at picking up stitches, and I need to make an adjustment to the body, but I think I understand what I need to do. I might, in fact, try again today and see if I can improve the design.

Apparently, my dog enjoys this star as much as I do. She kept trying to pick it up while I was taking pictures, and she finally got a hold of it while my attention was focused elsewhere. see:

<3 uhlissa (and tiny dog)

Here We Go Again

So, ya, I disappeared for a year and a half. But, I've just moved back to Oklahoma and have lots of time for knitting and blog updating, so be prepared to see some beautiful new work.

I'm on a mission to make all my second socks that I've been putting off. Last night I finished a pattern called Fawkes (which can be found on Ravelry). I knit the first sock Jan/Feb 2010.

I just knit the second one in six days. Boredom really can inspire productivity as far as knitting goes.

I'm pretty happy with the results. They're knit in Knit Picks Imagination in the color Frog Prince on circular #2s. I don't really like the color, but that's what I get for ordering yarn off the internet. Actually, I've never been disappointed with any knit picks yarn before, but this color just wasn't what I was expecting. I loved working with the yarn, and the result is a super comfy pair of socks. the pattern is great. Highly recommended.

I just realized the only projects I've completed in the past year haven't been documented. Expect another post in the next couple of days. The wind here has been crazy, so I can't take anything outside to photograph at the moment.

<3 uhlissa

So, Once Again I'm Sorry

I'm fairly certain we don' t have any readers, but I'm going to apologize anyways. First, I apologize for doubting your existence in case someone does actually read this, and secondly I apologize for the serious lack of updates. You'll hear no excuses from me. I know it's unacceptable, and will attempt to rectify my slacker nature regarding posting.

Now, onto the good stuff.

For Christmas, I finished my mom's Glynis socks. They turned out wonderfully and it was really hard to wrap them up and hand them over. As I mentioned in my last post, this pattern is great, but there is a mistake printed in the book. Definitely check out the errata on the Interweave site (link above). I knit these using the magic loop method on 2s with Knit Picks stroll. I love the color, which I believe is called "Sparkle." Overall, I loved the pattern even though it was a bit of the challenge, and the yarn was great to work with. My mom was so excited to receive these. She constantly is telling everyone how great hand knit socks are, so I think just about all of our family members have asked for some socks.

The only other Christmas present I managed to make this year was for my brother. I make him something every year. I try to make something useful, such as gloves or scarves. He doesn't like useless stuff, but I ignored that and decided to make him a toy this year. As a native Texan, he's loved armadillos his whole life. I found this (sorry, ravelry only link) pattern and immediately knew I had to make it. He was a blast to make, and I'm now on the lookout for other cute toys. I believe I knit his body and appendages on 2.5 dpns. His shell was knit with 8s. His body is made out of Bernat Bamboo. The pattern called for another Bernat natural blend that I couldn't find. The bamboo actually worked out perfectly. He's very soft and cuddly! His shell is Bernat Alpaca. The eyes were the most challenging part of the whole project. The pattern linked to a great tutorial. The method sounds a little crazy, but the results are ideal.

I was in Dallas for a wedding at the beginning of January. Every trip to Dallas means a visit to Hobby Lobby. By far my favorite large chain craft store, I miss it dearly when I'm here in Arizona. So, anyways, a trip to Hobby Lobby led me to pick up some fuzzy Yarn Bee Surprise. I'd been wanting a mindless knit, and immediately cast on for a simple garter stitch scarf. I made it a bit too wide, so even using every yard of the skein, the final result is a bit too short, but I think it works well tucked into my coat. It was knit on 10 1/2s for a super, super quick, instant gratification sort of project. The width I randomly chose worked really well with the self-striping nature of the yarn and it's very cozy. Super satisfied with the result, and the skein I bought in a different color is going to very quickly become a very similar, if slightly narrower, scarf.

So, I've had a skein of Manos del Uruguay sitting around for very close to four years. It was sitting on my table tempting me a couple of weeks ago, and I finally decided on a pattern for it. I chose the Big Blue Beret. I love the pattern, though I made some pretty severe changes in the decreasing. The pattern tells you to knit for about 8" before beginning to decrease. I knit about 5" and then decreased very gradually for a few inches. I used the last scraps of yarn to make the pom pom because I firmly believe that all hats are better off with pompoms.


I've got a couple of different sock projects on the needles right now, but I'll save those for sharing later when I have something worth showing off.

In other exciting knit news, if you're on ravelry, I just got asked permission to have a photo of one of my projects used on a pattern page. I'm really psyched about it. Check out the Toasty Twisty scarf pattern here on ravelry.

Again, I apologize for our extended absence. I hope no one missed us too much. I might promise to not disappear again, but you know what? I feel like we'd never succeed in that mission.

<3 uhlissa

Socks and Such

As usual, Ambrrr ahed both of them within a two week time span, which is pretty impressive for me. Not only did I knit relatively quickly, I knit bothnd I have both proven to be exceptionally good at slacking off about posting. But luckily, there has been knitting progress made, and now the inspiration to post has finally struck me.

First off, I finished my Aquaphobias. I mentioned them in my last post. They've become my favorite socks. Super comfy, though something's vaguely wrong with the cuff. It's a little bit loose, but because of the strength of the rest of the sock, they don't sag down at all. I finis socks without taking a break in between. I made a lot of progress on these while knitting at the bar. They were a great conversation starter since they're so bold and fun.





I bought Cookie's book Sock Innovation and immediately started a project the moment the book arrived. I chose Glynis and used Knit Picks Stroll in Sprinkle Heather. I had a little trouble in the beginning with the stitch pattern. There are a lot of K3tog and SSSKs. Once I got the hang though, it was decently easy to understand. If you're knitting this project, definitely check out the errata on the Interweave site. There's a typo in the gusset (which I didn't come across, since I substituted a short row heel), and one in the 8th row of the foot, which if you don't catch disrupts the number of stitches you have at the end of the row. I love the result, but have decided to be generous and gift these to my mom for Christmas.


The only other thing I've finished recently was a beer cozy. One of my friends asked me if I thought I could knit one. I took the challenge and found a pattern. I adapted it a bit. I used US7s and Lion Brand Wool-Ease, and made the body in seed stitch. The recipient was pretty psyched about it, and I was pretty happy with the result. It was a very quick knit, and I'm thinking about knitting a few more in different colors and patterns for Christmas gifts.


Right now I'm knitting some more fingerless gloves. I knit a pair last year for my brother, and my dad was envious. So, this week while I'm in Tulsa for Thanksgiving I'm trying to his pair finished up. It's going very quickly when I sit down and work on it. When I finish them, I'll go into more details about the adjustments I made to the pattern.

Well, that's about all folks. I talked to the lovely Ambrrr earlier this afternoon and if she follows through on her word, she'll be updating soon too.

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone who celebrates this great glutinous holiday. Looking forward to all the turkey and mashed potatoes and the food coma that will be sure to follow.

<3 uhlissa

Jaywalkers = done!

So, in my last post, I spent a lot of time talking about my Jaywalkers. In the past couple of days I got inspired and determined to finish them. Today I rode my bike to my favorite bar/pizza place and finished up the foot. When I got home this afternoon, I finished the toe. I'm very happy with the result. They are super comfy, and I look forward to weather where socks are appropriate (probably months from now). Arizona, 103 degrees and bike riding don't really lend themselves to hand knits, but I usually ignore that and knit as much as I can anyways. I do however, have the definite sunburn to prove I love being outside even in this ridiculous heat.

Also, dear readers, comment and encourage Ambrr to update. My text message pleas are apparently falling on deaf ears, and I am very anxious to see all the glorious things I know she's been working on.

<3 uhlissa

I Pretty Much Only Knit Socks

In case y'all didn't see, I just updated my last post (three months later....) with some pictures. And that motivated to post again. Ready to catch up on four months of knitting?

1. Jaywalkers. One day in March, on my way home from lunch I decided I had earned a treat. I stopped by my LYS (Kiwi Knitting) and bought some Crystal Palace Panda Superwash. It's this really cool mauve color, with bright orange and blue and green and yellow. I decided I'd finally try out the infamous Jaywalker (ravelry link) pattern. The yarn is a little bit splitty, but otherwise feels amazing. The pattern is so easy to memorize, which makes this pattern very transportable. The only adjustment I made while knitting was to make the leg several inches shorter than called for. A few weeks ago I was in Kentucky visiting my brother, and I got invited to a craft night, where I cast on the second sock. Everyone was really impressed, which is always a great feeling. In the past week I turned the heel on the second sock and will hopefully get them done pretty soon.

2. Juggling balls. My friend Amy has always really like the juggling balls I knit myself, and requested some for her birthday. Of course I obliged. I think I made them out of some magenta Vanna's Choice.





3. Kindness socks. I finally decided to learn how to do magic loop socks. It's amazing, and I'm trying to never go back to dpns. I ordered some Knit Picks needles and this Essential yarn (colorway is Fruit punch, which makes me smile). It took me a while to find a pattern that was simple enough to learn magic loop on, and looked pretty good in the yarn. I stumbled upon this pattern via ravelry. Like my Jaywalkers, I shortened the leg. I don't really like the toe that the pattern calls for, but I did it anyway. If I were to make another pair, I'd definitely change it up. This was also my first experience with a three needle bind off. Loved it! Might incorporate it into more of my knitting. I haven't started the second sock, but plan to once I finish my jaywalker and maybe the pomatomus I haven't mentioned yet....

4. Pomatomus. I have been in love with this pattern for as long as I can remember, and finally developed the courage to try it out. I bought the yarn at a Christmas sale in December at the Stitchworks in Tulsa. It's Plymouth Happy Feet, which has quickly become one of my favorite sock yarns. The subtle color changes make this sock so sexy. I don't know why, but the word "sexy" just constantly comes to mind when I'm looking at this sock. I'm absolutley in love, though it's taking forever, and after two and a half months I'm just now turning the heel on the first one. Oh well, it will be completed, it will have a mate, and they will be glorious.

I also want to give dear ambrr a shout out for the best birthday present ever, which I've been meaning to blog about. Of course she bought me yarn, but not just any yarn. Dream in Color Smooshy, which is wonderful, and I mostly just cuddle with it. I think it will become Blackrose socks, but I'm open to other pattern suggestions.




Once again it is summertime, and I have endless free time. Hopefully the knitting and blog-updating will both increase. What's on your needles this summer?

<3 uhlissssa

We're Baaaccckkk!

Hello!

I'm well aware that we have been silent for a very, very extended period of time. Unfortunately, neither Ambrrr or I have been off having amazing adventures. Ambrrr's working on her thesis, and I'm struggling through grad school. Also, the fact that we live more than a thousand miles apart has apparently had some effect on our blogging. But, we're currently in the same city! (on Spring Break for me) and have been inspired to fill you in on what's been going on, knitwise anyway.

This summer I was knitting like a fiend, and updating pretty well. In August I moved to Arizona to work on my masters, and school has stolen all the time I used to spend doing things that make me happy. Despite being incredibly busy, I was able to get a few projects knocked out.

I might be missing a few items, but I'm not even in the same state as all my FOs, so we'll just have to hope I get them all in. And apparently I don't have pictures of most of these readily available, so bear with me until later in the week when I'm home and can fix that.

Wedding Shrug. My uncle got married in October, outside in Northern California. I had a perfect dress, but it was going to be far too cold, so I knit myself a shrug. I used the "Posh Wedding Shrug" pattern, knit with Bernat Alpaca in a slightly off-white color. The yarn made it very soft and cozy, but was a little too fuzzy and kept leaving fiber on everyone. Being the amazing procrastinator that I am, my brother was driving us to the wedding, and in the valet line I was sewing in the loose ends. Unfortunately, I wasn't completely done (I hadn't managed to get the lace edge or the ribbons done), but it looked pretty good. I was actually the flower girl (a dream come true!) so all eyes were on me, and I was overly conscious of how unfinished I must look, but I got a lot of compliments, especially from other knitters. I've been meaning to finish the last few details, but keep getting distracted by other activities.


Every year I knit my brother a christmas present. He's a very practical guy and hates useless junk. A few years back I had knit him fingerless gloves. He destroyed or lost them in some way, so I made replacements. I decided to go all out and use sock yarn and a really fine gauge to hopefully inspire him to take care of them. I used this pattern for inspiration and some math help on the fingers, but a lot of it, I just kind of winged. I used Red Heart Heart & Sole sock yarn. as usual, I needed to find a yarn I didn't think he could destroy, and I was interested to try this stuff out. It was surprisingly nice to knit with. I was nervous about the size of the first one, and waited until I was back in Tulsa for Christmas and had my dad try it on. It fit perfectly, so I cast on the second. Then my dad demanded a pair, which I barely started after the first pair was completed. I want to make some for myself.

About two weeks ago, I decided to cast on my second Charade sock. Yes, it's been almost a year since the first one was completed. I only knit about an inch before my life caught back up with me. Luckily, spring break is here, and I've been sitting in New Orleans enjoying my break and knitting non-stop. In the past four days I've knit almost the entire sock. All I have left is the toe. I'm in love with the pattern, and the yarn (my first Koigu experience). I can't wait to have the sock done today so I can wear them soon.



<3 uhlissa

Ravelry has Kidnapped our Devotion to the Blog

Dear Readers,

I apologize for our lack of posting. I'm blaming ravelry. Also, the fact that Ambrrr and I both work and are very easily distracted by the tv and rest of the internets.

Anyways, on to the knit goods:

I dyed my first yarns! I had dye and yarn sitting around for over a year, and finally used it. I did three different combinations of the three colors of dye (Lilac, Violet and Gunmetal). Something weird happened to one skein, so we won't be talking about it.

The darker skein has contributed to half a pair of sock. It's would be a whole pair of socks, but I get distracted. The sock is Catherine on US2s. The yarn, which is Knit Picks Bare, would have showed the pattern better if it weren't so dark. The colors managed to self stripe a little, which actually looks surprisingly cool. I also threw in a short row heel, which is my new passion. I love the pattern, and am pretty happy with the overall result.

My brother called me one night while I was working on abovementioned sock, and when I told him I was sock knitting, he demanded a pair. "demanded" might be too strong a word, but not really. All he said he wanted was black. I needed to find something he could wash and dry, since I have no faith in his ability to take care of things. I also needed a pattern that wouldn't bore me to death, but would be subtle enough for him. Per usual, I've only got one sock knit, but I'm so excited about it.

It's very difficult to photograph, and also looks silly as it was knit for a foot about three inches bigger than mine. That's part of why I haven't knit the second. He'll be here in a few weeks to help me move half way across the country. I will have him try the sock on, and then on the two day drive, I will knit the other sock. Or that's the plan.

Details:
Pattern: Rudy Got Sole
Needles: US 1 1/2 dpns. The smallest I've ever used. I love them.
Yarn; Regia Silk. I love it sooo much. I want to make myself something out of it.
I added a short row heel, because that's what I do now.

Every year I knit Whitney a birthday present. We were roommates both freshman and senior year of college, and she's one of my favorite people ever. Well, anyways, back when I knit my bolero, she kept trying to steal it, and suggested I make her a turquoise one. I totally intended to do it for Christmas ( I even went to Garden District Needlework and bought the yarn), but just now had the time and right occassion. I finished at about 130 this morning. I was determined, and needed to get it mailed today. But that's going to be my excuse for the crazy picture.

Pattern: Ribbed Lace Bolero
Yarn: Cascade 220 in Lagoon (7812)
Needles: US8 and US10 1/2 (which is why I think it took so long---the 10 1/2s were super slippery and not sharp enough)

I finally finished my bag. Last time I posted I mentioned I was in the mood to knit a bag. I actually started one, and it was sitting around for over a month just waiting for me to finish sewing up the strap. I just finished it, and am so excited, I already threw all my purse contents in it.
Pattern: Bag
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease in White Multi (IT SPARKLES!)
Needles:
Lining it was pretty difficult, and the strap was a nightmare. Mostly because of my choice of construction. I didn't just want a garter stitch strap, so I knit a strip of stockinette, cut a piece of fabric, and sewed the fabric into the knittin (if that makes any sense...which it doesn't).

One more sock:
The artichoke sock. In lovely, lovely drops alpaca. This was my first short row heel, and how I fell in love with the technique. The sock looks strange and disproportionate, but it's so comfy.


Whew. That was a super post. I'll be back before too long. For now, I'm off to cast on something new.

<3
uhlissa

Uh Ohs

So, Ambrrr found this quiz, and I am proud to report I would have been a failure as a housewife in the 1930s. Honestly, this result is perfectly inline with my goals for myself as a woman.

20 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

I'm sure if it asked more about knitting, I'm sure I wouldn't have been such a failure. However, I would apparently make a pretty awesome 1930s husband. Good to know.

129 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Just thought I'd share with ya'll. No knitting update right now, even though I've made some progress on a bad I'm knitting. I'm pretty psyched about it.

<3

Stash-Down Update

So, I've finished yet another project.

I made toeless socks. I'd been intrigued by the idea, and I have found them to be pretty much the best thing ever. I love knitting worsted weight socks because they go so quickly. I love toeless socks because I love flip flops. All of these things are wonderful. I love the color green I used. Check out some pictures, and then the details:



Pattern: Pedicure Socks from Knitty
Yarn: Cascade 220 in a gorgeous apple sort of green that's been in my stash since who knows when
Needles: US7 dpns

Took about two days to complete both of them. I tested them out by going to the mailbox a little while ago. They're totally great, especially on summer days like today, when it rained for eight hours and is about 20 degrees cooler than it has been the past few weeks.

Also, wanted to show my stashbusting progress:
The Baby blanket used 1 whole skein of cream colored baby soft and about half a skein each of blue and green. That's a total of 2 skeins.
The homespun hat used almost every bit of the skein of homespun. That makes three so far.
The quant used almost a whole skein of SWS. We're up to 4.
This beautiful specimen of footwear used about 75% of a skein, and I like to round up. 5 skeins!!

5 skeins is small when looking at it as a percentage of my stash, but still, it's a start. I'm in the mood to make a bag. I'm scouring the rav right now to find something inspiring.

<3 uhlissa

I Am A Knitting Machine

Hello World.

The past few days I've been knitting like crazy. I have also declared it THE SUMMER OF THE STASH. I'm going to try my darndest to resist purchasing any new yarn. I can't make any promises and it will definitely be an exercise in self-control, but I'm sure going to try.

Yesterday I finished a hat made from the homespun I received last year as part of the Secret Pal 10. I kind of winged the pattern based on my experience with Purl Bee Berets and the Mary Jane Pithy Hat.

I started with some 1x1 ribbing on a US4 circ. I changed to US7 and increased into every stitch. I decided it wasn't what I wanted and switched up to a 10 1/2, which I used for the rest of the hat. The yarn was a very interesting thick and thin in yellow with swirls of blue and red. In some spots the colors are gorgeously vibrant. I'm pretty happy with it. As a blonde, I really shouldn't wear yellow hats, but apparently I can't help my self.

Today, I finished my second quant.
I used Paton's SWS in natural pink on US8s. It went very quickly. I cast on last night and finished this afternoon. I'm totally enraptured with the joy that is entrelac. I can't wait to do some more. I'm not thrilled with how it turned out. It's almost too wide for my head, and I don't like the way the pattern ends. I'm not anticipating giving this a lot of wear, but it was indeed a stashbusting project, so no regrets.

As far as stashbusting goals go, I have four giant tubs of yarn, and keep finding more every time I unpack a box or dig through a bag. These projects almost completely used up full skeins. The baby blanket I finished used up a total of 2 skeins of yarn. I'm going to set my goal not in objects made, but in skeins used up from my stash.

So, here goes: Official Goal for Skeins Used This Summer*:3o

This number might be unrealistic or a complete underestimate. We'll see.

Share your goals, and let's all de-stash together!!

*Summer being defined as the period between graduation and the first day of graduate school.

<3 uhlissa

Baby Knits

The blanket is done! Well, the knitting is done. It has some ends to be woven in and I'm going to attempt to block it. But overlooking those things, IT'S DONE! It took about two months, from casting on to binding off. Of course, in those two months, a lot of things other than knitting took place, like finishing college, graduating and moving.










Details:
Pattern: Round or Pinwheel Baby Blanket (found on ravelry, just like everything else I love)
Needles: US6, dpns, 16" and 47" circulars
Yarn: Lion Brand Baby Soft in cream, bluebell and pistachio. I used almost exactly the whole skein of cream and about half of each of the others.
I used a border that another raveler came up with, that a lot of people have used. Mine's not lying flat really, but I think the slight curl/ruffle is kind of nice.
I talked to the mommy-to-be yesterday and told her I was knitting her something. She was really excited, but I refused to tell her what it was. Apparently the blanket matches her color scheme. As soon as I get it all blocked I'll be taking it to her.

I'm really happy with the outcome, but I'm glad to be done. Near the end it became pretty tedious, and I'd take breaks to wind balls of other yarn and plan out future projects. Look forward to a handspun hat, another quant and various other beautiful things.

<3 uhlissa

p.s. congrats to ambrrr on being employed.

We Meet Again

Dear Blog and Readers,

Ambrrr and I didn't mean to neglect you, and we are very sorry. Our lives have been overrun with things like school and trying to decide what to do with our futures. No big deal. In exciting news, I just got my acceptance letter for graduate school today. I already knew I had been accepted, because of some e-mail correspondence that had taken place, but having the physical letter is such a validation and thrill. Unfortunately, what this means is that Ambrrr and I will be separating ways in about a month. That does not mean the Black Heels and Purls will perish, it will just be written from cities 1400 miles apart. I promise you this distance will not affect our dedication (which exists, despite recent lapses in posting). And now dear readers, I update you on what's actually been accomplished, as far as knitting goes, in the past month of my life:

Charade Sock

Yes, just one. I finished it, and can't be inspired to start the other. I had a horrible time with this. I knit two inches knowing that it looked wrong before I figured out what I was doing. I ripped back and restarted. It went pretty quickly, and it's beautiful. I'm not really a big fan of the toe, but that's ok.
Made in Koigu KPPPM on size 2 dpns.

Spiral Baby Blanket

I've had my eye on this blanket for a long while, not really sure who I could make it for. A woman I worked with a few summers ago recently let me know she was having a baby boy in August. I decided immediately that a blanket was in order. I just started a few days ago, and am very excited about it.
It's knit in three colors of Lion Brand Baby Soft of US 6s. I'm worried that when it gets a bit larger in diameter I'm going to regret using something with such a fine gauge, but right now it's not so bad, and I'm really excited about how pretty it seems to be.

Sadly that's all that's been accomplished. Hopefully more soon.

With Love,
uhlissa

Hello World, How Are You?

Hello blog. I'm sorry I neglect you. I've been busy! I'd love to tell you I'm just focusing so much on school right now that I don't have time for anything else, but that would be a blatant lie. I play a lot of cards, juggle, knit a bit and am generally lazy.

But here's what I've been doing:
I knit juggling balls. They work. I love them.
Pattern: Oh Balls!
Yarn: Vanna's Choice in colors I just had sitting around
Needles: US7 dpns
I just used beans instead of fluff. Eventually I'll get a picture of my mad juggling skills for all of you to witness and appreciate.







On Valentine's Day I posted a picture of the Heart Bouquet, but didn't say anything about it. My friend Amy was my valentine. She put together a scavenger hunt and cooked dinner. I knit a bouquet of hearts and made desert.


There were a total of 16 hearts made from this pattern.
Yarns: Cascade 220 in Ruby; Red Heart Soft Yarn in Fuchsia; Vanna's Choice in Dusty Rose, Mustard, Purple, Brick, Dusty Purple, and some blue/green color; Wool Ease in dark rose heather, blue heather and ranch red; bernat cashmere blend in rain and ocean; karabella aurora 8 in some dark purple; and Berella 4 in burnt orange and rich pink.
Needles: US6 dpns

I also made some heart sachets for my roommates. The heart pattern is from the earflap of a hat in an old Knit.1. I stuffed them with fluff and added some potpourri.









I'm currently working on Charade socks. It's been an interesting adventure, which I will explore further once I finish them.

Happy Knitting!

<3 uhlissa

I have so much free time I should have knit more than this

So, I find myself in my last semester of college. Bizarre. It's one of the strangest feelings I've ever had. It means my real life is fast approaching. It also means I'm only taking 12 hours and have a lot of time to do the things that I enjoy. This semester I've been doing a lot of things I enjoy, not just knitting. Sadly, that means there's not much to blog about right now.

But here are the things I've accomplished in the three weeks I've been back in school:
1. Malabrigo Mary Jane

Yarn: Malabrigo in violetas
Pattern: Mary Jane Pithy Hat
Needles: US9 ( I think..) that I borrowed from ambrrr
I'm in love with this hat. I love the pom pom. I did the decreases slightly more gradually than written in the pattern, to smooth things out a bit, but it's still a bit too gathered for my taste. I've worn it a couple of times, and it's mostly fun to pet.

2. Amelia Earhart Aviator Cap

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Worsted in Dark Wool Heather.
Pattern: Amelia Earhart Aviator
Needles: US 8 (I think...) I should probably pay more attention.
My roommate describes this as my 20s swim cap. I kind of agree. It keeps my ears warm. I also added some braids. I'm debating on a pom-pom, because I seamed pretty poorly. Any opinions?

3. The never ending purl bee beret

Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun in Ebony
Pattern: Purl Bee Beret
Needles: US4
This hat has taken me longer than the one I made on 2s did. I just can't get into it, and the yarn splits a lot. The splitting has gotten better, but the first several rows were unpleasant. It was supposed to be for my aunt's birthday, but that was yesterday. I really like how it's looking, I just can't get it done.

My other free time has been spent homeworking (not so much) and painting. I don't normally paint but I was consumed by the desire, and have been working on this New Orleans collage.

Also, learning to juggle. (Damn those attractive boys and their ability to convince you to learn things you'd probably never even consider) There are no pictures of this. Thank god. I'm bad. But I'm convinced that one day I will be fantastically talented. I'll let you know if that day ever arrives.


Next on my list:
My mom really wants another pair of socks.
I promised my mom some baby knits for a colleague.
I really, really want to make Endpaper mitts. And I have the materials.
I want a lacy scarf. And I have the materials. I'm thinking maybe column of leaves or marnie's scarf. thoughts?
I also want another purl beret. I'm addicted. I can't help it.

Well, that's all. Just wanted to check in and let ya'll know I'm still alive. Ambrrr's alive too. I'll get her to post some time soon. I know she's been doing some crazy knitting.

Happy Monday ya'll.

<3 uhlissa