Crochet 7" Record Box

I've been designing and crocheting 7" and 12" record boxes for at least a decade now.  I used to make them quite often but then once I had Xena, I started using the same basic template to make toy boxes for her instead (which technically also double as LP crates).  But while I was at Stitches South, I found an indie-dyed yarn from Inner Yarn Zen in the exact colors of Troy's favorite basketball team, UVA (University of Virginia) and I immediately knew the destiny of this wool.  I bought the last 4, 230 yds hanks of their 100% SWM yarn in their #67 Mustang colorway.  It was my first time seeing and meeting these vendors who were very sweet and I believe are from Idaho.

I made a "long box" for 7"'s which measures about 8" x 16" and fits probably about 200 7"'s, depending on what kind of sleeves you have.

I spent the last 2 months working on this project in between all of my other things and I'm very pleased with my results.  I used almost all of the 920 yds worth of yarn I purchased with a size G hook.  It's rather cumbersome crocheting around thick corrugated cardboard but the finished object is always so rewarding.  I find that while crocheting the boxes in SC is much more time consuming, it's more durable and aesthetically pleasing than using the DC stitch.

The box was very well received and I do not doubt that I will crochet many more in the future!

Tin Can Knits Flax Pullover and more!

Sure, I've crocheted and even designed my own crochet garments in a plethora of patterns and sizes but I am still quite a novice when it comes to knitting garments and following knit patterns.  The Tin Can Knits Flax Pullover is the first (toddler) sweater that I've knit for Xena, on my own without any help and instructions.  

I knit the 1-2 yrs size with a required yardage of 310, Worsted/Aran weight yarn.  I used 2, 110g/141 yds balls of Valley yarns Berkshire in Copper #18 and 1 ball in Merlot Heather #54.  This yarn is 85% Wool and 15% Alpaca.  

 I swatched and made the gauge for the required US #6 & US #8 needles required for the pattern. 

 Xena is a little petite so even though she turns 2 on the 14th, I knew that by knitting this size of sweater, that it would still have some legs (or arms?).

 As soon as I put it on her after her bath this morning, she pointed to it, proudly smiled and shouted, "Mom!".  That was truly one of the most rewarding moments I've had since I became a mother.

This was a super quick knit.  I finished 1/2 of it the first week I started it and then finished the majority of it on my flight to Toulouse, France a few weeks ago.

Now that I feel confident with this pattern, I'm going to make a monochrome adult version for myself with some of the yarn I purchased at Rhinebeck.

Because I am such a "maker", it is extremely rare that anyone ever makes or sends me anything knit or crocheted so this crochet Amigarumi Hangy Odon that my dear friend, Milly, made for Xena, came as such a magnificent surprise!  Thanks Millowski, you're the best! CT x FB, foreva!

From my recent trip to Toulouse, just 2 deviant toddlers cheerfully unraveling hours worth of crocheting...

I managed to randomly walk into this classic French yarn shop mere moments upon exiting the metro station in the Toulouse city center!

Yeah, I know I don't need anymore yarn, but (of course) I couldn't possibly resist picking up a couple souvenirs.  Here they are, pleasantly posing alongside the pillows I crocheted for Etienne.  

In my haste, I completely forgot to post my photos of from Stitches SoCal before I went abroad.

Kristine and I had a fabulous, although considerably mellower time, in comparison to last year, as she's now in the 2nd tri-mester of her pregnancy.

The Bob Ross quilting competition blew our freakin' minds!

The marketplace was so tiny in comparison to Stitches West but the quilts were worth the trip alone.

 These were 2 of my favorites!

This was a great challenge presented by the Greater Los Angeles Spinning Guild.  They all made something different out of the same base.

This crochet mosaic of mini-granny squares was one of the most impressive crocheted garments I've ever seen.

I also spotted my future ride.

There is only 1 major UFO that I am working on for X-Mas and then I am moving on to a very special gift for Bill and Kristine's baby shower in Feb which I may or not be able to finish by then.  Of course, I also have some socks on the needles for myself but I've come to realize that I feel "naked" without perpetually having a pair on my needles at this point.  I imagine that this will be my final post until after the New Year so Happy Holidays!  I'm looking forward to Matt being off work for a wk and having a little more time to focus on my own shit.  I'm quite proud of all of the progress I've made with knitting this year and I look forward to expanding my repertoire even further in 2021!

Mosaic Knitting - Kira K Designs Kalidoscopic Cowl

Being relatively new to knitting, I have to admit that I wasn't even sure WTF mosaic knitting was until I purchased this cute and colorful kit from Kira K Designs at Lambtown.  Certainly I've seen it and admired it but until I actually tried it, I suppose I just assumed that all stranded colorwork was knit in the Fair Isle fashion and I had no idea that the same motifs could also be knit simply using slip stitches and then knitting them with contrasting colors.  

 Now that I've done it, I'm like, "Duhhh!", but at the time it was a startling revelation.  Concept-wise, it's quite similar to tapestry or intarsia crochet and the motif charts are easily interchangeable. 

This pattern was extremely easy to follow.  It has charts and written options and striping sequence options for a 2-color or 8-color cowl.  The yarn included in this kit is from Knitted Wit.  It's worsted weight SWM and extremely soft and squishy.

As you can see, I opted for the 8-color version which leaves no shortage of ends to be woven in.  I knit this pattern with the US 6 and 9 needles recommended and it came out shorter than the finished dimensions on the pattern but since I had some extra yarn leftover, I just repeated the same color pattern on the bottom and the top.

Xena looks like some sort of extraterrestrial plant with her fashion star pose.

T pins offer endless (dangerous) hours of amusement for a toddler.

I always feel a bit ludicrous posing in a cowl indoors but it's too rainy and foggy (incidentally, it's perfect cowl weather) to take very fine photos outdoors this afternoon.  I am completely satisfied with this kit and I look forward to trying this pattern again with some yarn from my own stash and the 2-color option.

Tin Can Knits Rye Light Socks

Hooray!  I finally knit a different sock pattern.  I tried the free Rye Light pattern by Tin Can Knits which was simple enough but required significant modifications for my rather petite feet.  I used the Urban Girl Yarns SWM sock yarn in Nutmeg that I picked up at trunk show over the summer in RVA. 

I cast on (60 stitches for) the small adult size of the socks, working the 1x1 ribbing with size 1 needles and the rest of the sock on size 2 needles. 

The small adult size of the heel flap was WAY too big for my foot, so big that I actually reverted to the pattern's size length of a baby's heel flap (16 rows total).

I turned the heel to the small adult size but then worked the gusset and foot with a combo of mods.  I picked up 9 stitches on each side of the heel flap (baby size) for a total of 33 stitches on each side (66 stitches total) and then only knit of total of 3 decrease rounds (6 rounds total to get back down to 60 stitches in the round).

 

For the rest of the pattern, I followed the small adult instructions.  I'm very pleased with the results and quite proud of myself for successfully calculating my own modifications.

Next, I am going to try this pattern again, entirely on size 1 needles with different yarn.  I'm am curious to see what (if any) modifications will be required.

Rhinebeck Recap

My trip to the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival in Upstate NY was everything I could've wished for and much more!  On the wooly weathered night I arrived, I had a scrumptious meal in a warm and friendly atmosphere at Foster's Coach House Tavern.  I had many delicious dining experiences throughout the trip but as this isn't a food blog, this is the only food photo I'm going to post.

(Sorry vegans) grilled pork chops, red cabbage sauerkraut, apple sauce, a baked potato and string beans sauteed in garlic with an Ithaca Beer Co. Flower Power IPA (or 3) for a tab that cost less than some shitty takeaway in SF.

I stayed at the Mirbeau Inn and Spa which was less than a mile from the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.  It's a brand new hotel and they hadn't even finished building it when I made my reservation months ago and was lucky enough to secure the last available room!  It was a lovely place to stay and I highly recommend it.  My knitting pal, Amber, took the train up from BK and shared the room with me from Fri-Sun and we enjoyed it so much that we already booked an advance reservation for next year.

Groovy yarn display in the window at A.L. Stickle 5 & Dime Store on the high street.

Great view of the Hudson at the Rhinecliff-Kingston train station.

I started these socks in SF and finished them during my trip.  They're knit on size 6 needles with Malabrigo SWM Rios in 841 Tranquilo using my favorite Atelier ribbed sock pattern.

The festival is literally Lambtown on steroids.  It's basically Lambtown x 100 with stronger county fair vibes, especially with the food tent offering tantalizing taste testings of a myriad of local produce and booze, the smorgasbord of food trucks and countless fiber themed competitions.

The weather was perfect.  My company was divine.  The vendors were endless and the quality of their products impressive!

 We arrived right when the gates opened at 9 AM and besides a brief lunch break, it took until the gates closed at 5PM for us to finish exploring the grounds.  It was very inspirational to be surrounded by so many talented and enthusiastic fiber artists and to see so many (different interpretations of) amazing patterns and products.

Great license plate spotted on our way out of the fest and a shot of my purchases.  Not featured in the photo, the other 7 hanks of The Periwinkle Sheep merino aran gold rush I bought.  The other 2 hanks in the photo are Hubcity Fibers Yummy SWM Aphrodisiac which I was lucky enough to find as a free gift in the ATM hut and Bumblebee Acres Fiber Farm Bubble Sock SWM "Claire" Outlander.  My adorable fimo stitch markers were made by WeeOnes and my beechwood yarn bowl was made by Yellow Dog Farm.

The fall foliage was spectacular!

One last photo of the final morning of my trip, sock knitting at a dear old friend's apartment in Ridgewood, Queens.  All and all, an awesome trip!  Can't wait for next year!