Striping

My dear college piano buddy R and her husband D are expecting their second child this September and we are just ecstatic. They are wonderful parents and any child in their family is a lucky child indeed.

R is an avid crocheter who lovingly stitches together baby blankets for moms-to-be in her home and church communities, so I of course wanted to knit something for her new bundle of joy. As with the last pregnancy, R and D are waiting until the baby arrives before they find out the gender, which means my blanket color choices are quite limited. Unless, of course, I wait until the baby comes to make the blanket, but what fun is that?

Since they were inundated by yellow items for their first son, I wanted to do something a little different. Stripes are usually pretty unisex depending on how they are done, so I bought a few skeins of Red HeartEco-Ways in Peacock (3518), Aquarium (3520), and Lichen (1615—I don’t think this color looks like lichen, and further, I don’t know why companies keep thinking that names like “lichen” sound appealing). The colors are boyish but are colors adult women like to wear. But looking back, I kind of wish I had added Misty Violet (3533) to the mix as it’s turning out to be a little more rough and tumble looking than I had intended. Oh well. I am el stinko with color coordination, so it is a miracle I was able to get this far to begin with.

So, I tried to carry the yarn up the side to avoid weaving but it wasn’t working out very well for my tastes. I didn’t like how the sides were not flexible, so I went searching for other options. Maybe I’m just slow in the game here, but I was overjoyed to find THIS beautifully photographed tutorial on how to weave in ends while knitting. Those as in the dark as I have been, enjoy!

Ack!

Well, I've gone and disappeared again. I've been down with a freak summer cold and bronchitis all week. Luckily, I saw the doctor early enough that I didn't get to that horrible stage of bronchitis where I practically turn grey, but I've still been on another planet with all the cold meds and cough suppressants. As Sheri at The Loopy Ewe put it, I really have been Too Stupid to Knit!

Thankfully, I haven't been Too Stupid to Wind Balls of Yarn though, as I finally got a swift and ball winder this week. Knowing I'd do more damage than good to any of my projects but needing a fiber fix anyway, I spent most of this week winding everything in in my path. If I had any foresight, I'd have taken pictures of the yarn ball pyramid I've been building this week, but alas--I'm also Too Stupid to Plan at the moment, apparently.

I haven't forgotten Manly Friday though!

Mowhawk Hat by domiKNITrix.

Let your punk flag fly!

 Star Wars Golf Club Covers by Katie LeComte

I think I know about twenty guys off the top of my head who would totally geek out over these.

Cargo by Brynne Sutton

Ok, so not a technical man, but a baby one. I thought these were too cute to pass up though. :)

Have a great weekend everyone, and keep your fingers crossed for me and hope I stop drowning in my own phlegm over here. Gross.

Knits for Men

I just noticed that I'm up to my 30th post--wow!

Anyway, I've been thinking about men lately. Knits for men, that is. On my bus ride to the metro one day, I ran into a fellow knitting library friend, S. She casually mentioned that she had been working on a sweater for her boyfriend for, oh, 8 months now. I was surprised--S is a young, hip knitter who has been turning project after project for over half her life. When I asked why she kept getting sidetracked, she responded, "It's so boring!"

So, I thought I'd start a new feature here: Manly Fridays! Every Friday, I'll hunt out and highlight some  fun patterns for men.

Men's Mod Sock. Photo by Jenna H.

Interesting pattern that deviates from the normal rib, but is simple enough not to be too flamboyant. Unless you knit it in neon yellow. Pattern available in toe-up and cuff-down versions.

Bias-Knit Tie. Photo copyright Interweave Knits.

The ultimate man-accessory: the tie. J has been interested in knitted ties for a while, because of their interesting texture and one-of-a-kind-ness. I guess I should probably get on that, huh?

Goomba Hat. Photo by FadeCrazy.

Throwback to Super Mario Brothers! Heck, I think I might make this one for myself.

What are your favorite manly knits?

Quick Alpaca Knit

The week I put my last stitch into Stella, I wanted a fast project since Stella had taken me so long to complete. I decided to make an alpaca scarf for J since it was a worsted one-skein project--and since I've been neglecting making anything for him for a while. The yarn and pattern comes from a local spinner and alpaca owner, and is so squishy and soft that J should hide his new scarf before I decide to steal it for myself! Check her out: Ewesful Fiber Arts.

Summer tomatoes

Summer always flies by so quickly with short trips and visiting family. J and I are traveling to visit some family in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this holiday weekend. Not sure how the internet situation is, so for now, I bid you adieu for another few days. Coming with me is the Haruha Scarf, which I am knitting up in a fabulous fiery red-orange that Madelinetosh calls Tomato. How appropriate for the summer!

Have a safe and happy 4th, everyone!

Stella, completed

I tried to do one of those fancy "scarf on a tree branch" photos everyone seems fond of, but was not successful.

More detail:

Guess who's on the blocking mat!

...Stella! I FINALLY finished this long-lasting project--that'll teach me to have a separate "waiting room/waiting in general" project again and make me just sit down and do it.

I took some pictures after I blocked last night, but they didn't turn out very well, so you'll just have to wait until I get more pictures after Stella dries. Hooray!