Finished Objects: Dual Colored Bag

So... this is the dual colored bag I made. Isn't it nice? I ended up totally re-working the pattern and now I can't remember exactly what I did. Oh well... such is life.
The main part of this bag was knitted around in a circle, holding two strands of yarn together (both DK weight). I think I used US 8 needles. It's a pretty fun project and doesn't take that long.
After I finished the main body, I separated out half the stitches and did a few rows of garter stitch with the size 6 needles. I then took the other half and made the flap in all stockinette stitch, decreasing every other row.
The strap was a lot of fun to do and actually went faster than I thought. I started with a crochet chain of how long I wanted it to be, using both colors. I then did half-double crochet along both sides of the original chain. After that, I switched to only black and did single crochet around the whole thing... and then I sewed the strap on a bit more firmly.
For me, the hardest part was working the buttonhole... well, that and figuring out how to sew the lining in, as I am not very good at sewing. What I am amazed about is that it actually worked and that it looks nice. This is also an incredibly fast knit, as I think I just about finished the entire thing in about a week and a half or so... and I don't knit fast or very often!
So there you have it. I should make one for me, as the bag I made myself is starting to not work right... but I didn't know what I was doing when I lined it really.

Norweigan Star Scarf - Modification

First of all, I don't claim any rights to the Norweigan Star Pattern. This pattern is based off of a generic pattern for a tube scarf and the Norweigan Star Earflap Hat pattern by Tiennie. Go check out her stuff 'cause it's really cool!

But what I wanted to do was to make a scarf for one of my friends to wear next winter, as winters here get pretty cold and those of us from down south aren't used to the snow...

This will be a nice project to work on because the majority of it is just stockinette stitch in the round.

Materials:

US circular size 8 needles
Worsted weight yarn in two colors (I am using black MC and light green CC)
Stitch marker
Tapestry needle for weaving in loose ends

Pattern Rating:

Advanced Beginner for Fair Isle work. Your basic tube scarf is very much a beginner's project.

Skills:

Knitting in the round
Fair Isle
Following a chart

Instructions:

Using the Old Norweigan CO method, CO 80 stitches in MC. Join in the round.
Rows 1-10: k80
Rows 11-25: Work the Norweigan star motif in both MC and CC. You should work five motifs around in the circle.
Main Panel: k80 in MC until scarf is about seven inches shorter than desired length.
Finish up with one round (10 rows) of the Norweigan star motif in MC and CC, then 15 additional rows in MC. Bind off in knit.
Use a tapestry needle to weave in loose ends and sew up top and bottom.
For a child's scarf, CO 64 stitches and work motif four times around on each end.

Well, there you have it! Hopefully this will be done in time for next winter!

Dual Colored Bag

This is a relatively simple bag that is a good size to carry schoolbooks. It's a lot of knitting, but almost all of it is stockinette stitch worked in the round. This project is good for a beginner, but it is also nice for a more advanced knitter because it is something that you can work on while watching a movie or working on something else.

Materials:

-US Size 8 circular needles
-US Size 7 circular needles (optional)
-Acrylic DK yarn in CC (I used light yellow)
-Acrylic Worsted weight yarn in MC (I used black)
-Stitch marker
-Crochet hook (size G or H) for handle
-Tapestry needle for weaving in loose ends
-Cloth for lining the inside of the bag

Gauge:

tbd

Pattern Difficulty:

Advanced Beginner

Skills:

-Knitting in the round
-Crocheting
-Basic Finishing

Instructions:

USING BOTH COLORS:
CO 100 stitches using whatever method you want. I used the Old Norweigan CO method. Leave a six-inch tail.
You will be knitting with both strands held together for the majority of the bag.
Insert stitch marker and join in the round.
Rows 1-70 (?): k100 or until bag is desired length.
If you want to make your bag shorter or longer, either subtract or add a few rows. The number of rows isn't critical and if you're off by a few, it's perfectly okay.
After the first 70 rows, you have the choice to switch down a needle size.
Row A: p100
Row B: k100
Repeat rows A-B twice, finishing with a row of A. Bind off loosely in knit.
Using your smaller needle, knit 50 stitches from the larger needle to the smaller one.
SMALL NEEDLE
Row A: p50
Row B: k50
Row C: p50
Bind off loosley in knit.
LARGE NEEDLE

Finishing:

HANDLE
Using the crochet hook with both colors of yarn, attatch at the start of the round near the top of the bag. Make a foundation chain that is the desired length of the bag strap. Fasten on the opposite side of the bag with a slip stitch.
Make a row of half-double stitches (one in each of the stitches in the foundation chain) all along your handle. Turn. Repeat the half-double stitches.
Switch to only your MC. Make a row of single stitches all along the outside of the handle. This should look like a border. Fasten with a slip stitch and cut a six-inch tail.
GENERAL
LINING

Disclaimer:

Feel free to use this pattern to make bags for yourself or for your friends.

Finished Objects, Round Two

Welcome to the second issue of Finished Objects. I'm your host, Amo Scribere and joining me today is Samu.

This was a mini-sock I made, using the same pattern as before. This time around, I worked a checkerboard pattern using Fair Isle technique. The checkers were two stitches by three rows. This made it a lot easier to count how many rows I'd done; instead of counting rows, I counted squares. Like the other mini-sock I made, the ribbing, heel and toe were all done in the main colour.
This one took me a little longer than the red and white one because of the added difficulty on the colorwork. I was also being considerably more lazy and it sat around for about three days waiting for me to finish the toe.
Pattern Rating: Advanced Intermediate. Between Fair Isle colourwork, working the short row heel and the Kitchener stitch, this isn't an easy project.
Samu Says: This sock is almost as large as I am... and Wedge tried to put it on her foot when it was finished! Our human couldn't help laughing at that. I don't really like socks very much, but if I was to have a sock, I would have this one... or another one that the human makes.

This was a pattern I wrote for a fairly small bag. You can find the pattern here. It's called Tiger's Little Bag of Oddities.
This was a fun piece to knit and it only took me a few good, long hours of knitting (over the span of two days). I especially enjoyed writing the pattern (I did that while I knitted it) and the decrease pattern is the same one I use for crown of the hats I make.
Skills: Knitting in the round, simple decreases, yarn over, Fair Isle technique (optional), braiding.
Pattern Rating: Somewhere between Advanced Beginner and Intermediate, depending on whether or not you choose to do the zig-zag stripes.
Samu Says: This bag was named after Tiger, our clownfish. He's blue and white, just like the bag and he has approximately the same stripey pattern. Even though I don't like bags, I like things the human makes and Tiger really likes the stripey bag. It's too small for any of us to fit into, though, which is probably a good thing. Except for Edmund, but he can fit almost anywhere he wants. He's miniscule!

This is Athena the Owl, featured in a ribbed scarf. She's a small owl, about six-seven inches tall. Like the striped bag I made, I wrote the pattern myself... while making her, which is always an interesting experience. She was a little harder to make, especially figuring out her beak and how to make her talons.
She was made with a combination of Caron Simply Soft Eco yarn (that's the dark grey that you see) and Red Heart. I stuffed her using mostly cotton stuffing, but also some extra yarn scraps and some pinto beans, just to weigh her down a little so she didn't fall over as easily.
Skills: Knitting in the round, increases and decreases, i-cord, duplicate stitch, simple color changes, finishing
Pattern Rating: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Samu Says: I don't care how cute the owl is, but I still don't like her! I'm just glad Amo gave her away and decided not to keep her. Tiger told me that Athena is a character from Greek mythology and that's what the city of Athens is named after. That metropolis is located in Greece and it was originally started in BC. That's a really long time ago, even before Mr. Frodo was born!

Well, that just about wraps up this edition of Finished Objects. Tune in next time for more pictures and a surprise guest!

Back to Knitting!

So... I got my cast off yesterday (hoorah!), so now I am back to knitting. I found that I can knit stockinette in the round, so that is always a good thing. I started a basic beanie hat yesterday and I got quite a bit done on the bus ride. I just casted on 80 stitches and then did 5 rows of k1p1 ribbing, then stockinette stitch from there. I'm using worsted weight yarn (yay for wool/acrylic blend!) and US size 8 circular needles. These are probably my favorite needles in my collection.

And when I am done with my dual colored socks, I have totally awesome sock yarn to make more socks with! Last semester, I did a knitting exchange with one of my friends (I made her a bag and a whole bunch of other stuff) and I got awesome yarn in return. I will have to be posting pictures when I get my camera hooked up to my computer. And I shall have to post pictures of the finished items.

Unfortunately, I can't work on the cabled hat or the cabled scarf I am making. Cabling and Fair Isle both require too much coordination, so I shall have to wait on those. Fortunately, I have plenty of knitting to keep me busy until then! So I am in a good mood. I will be working on the plain beanie and also working on a dual colored bag (pretty simple and knitted in the round). I will post a pattern for that when I am done with it.

But that is what I have been doing the past few days. Other than school and other life stuff, of course.

Long Time, No Post

So... if you hadn't noticed, I haven't been writing in here. But I also haven't been knitting very much, save for a garter stitch scarf that I have to unravel every few rows. Hopefully I will get my cast off soon so that I can actually knit because there are a bunch of projects I'd like to work on/finish.

1. My socks! I am almost to the toe of the first one.
2. Cabled hat I've been working on for a friend. It's a difficult pattern and I may have to rip it out and start over.
3. My cabled scarf. Another complicated and difficult pattern.
4. Another little bag. I can knit one up in a day or two. I'd also like to make up an alternate pattern.
5. Finishing the Veritas Fair Isle bag!

And I think that's pretty much it. But first I have to wait for my arm to stop hurting. And to get the cast off my wrist because until I do, I won't be knitting anything but silly garter stitch scarves. Le sigh.

Hiatus

Well, I managed to fracture my wrist last weekend, so no knitting for me for awhile. Unfortunately, I was working on a hat, a scarf, a pair of socks and a number of other projects, so this is all very disappointing. Oh well. Now you know where I am and why I haven't been uploading pictures and completing projects.