• Coruscate
• 5

The pattern for the Coruscate hat and mitt set is (finally) out.  This was my first slouchy hat, and you watched it grow and watched me figure out how to block it to achieve proper levels of pouf (it turns out that the secret to blocking success was a giant but short bowl).

I finished these way back at the end of November, and have been using them ever since.  But it was only yesterday that I had my lovely friend Lauren over to model them for me.  They look much more stylish on her (on me, they look warm and snugly, on her, they look awesome).  I’ll admit I’m jealous!

If you want to make your own, head over here and check them out.

We also took some pictures of the magical, sanity restoring purple hats, so that pattern should be out soon too.  I’ve also got the pattern for one of The Boy’s hats all ready to go.  My delay is just shameful.  If I don’t show up here with a new pattern next week and the week after, poke me with a sharp stick and tell me to get a move on.

Up next, some lacy green mitts to go with the cowl.

• That’s Better
• 8

I have embraced the idea that blocking is not stretching.  It is smoothing.  Adjusting.  Nudging into place.  It does not need to be a hugely violent process.  Once I got that notion through my head, the reblocking of the cowl went much better.  See? Wee curly lettuce edges, just as I wanted.  Order is restored to the universe.

• Nemesis
• 0

So I’m just really bad at blocking.  The grafting was fine…fiddly, slow, demanding of a certain amount of focus…but more or less fine.  (Full confession, there’s one stitch where I was weaving in my ends and was off by 1/2 a stitch, but it’s really hard to find and will never show when it’s worn.)  The blocking, however, was my undoing.

The whole point of this exercise was to preserve the frilly, curly, curvy, round edge that appeared as I knit this.  In blocking, I somehow turned all those lovely curves into jagged points.  Now it’s still cute, but it’s not what I was going for.  It’s back in the sink for another soak as I type.  The pins and I will join battle later today.

• Knit Along Patterns
• 0

The official thread for the February knit along is up on Ravelry.  The individual patterns for these two socks are also now available on Ravelry, in case you prefer to get the patterns one by one.  Some time between now and the start of February, Shannon and I will come up with official rules and post them in the group.  For now, the general idea is: cast on after it gets to be February, finish a pair by the end of March, be entered to win prizes.  Use whatever yarn you like, use whatever color you like, make whichever sock you like, make whatever changes you need for fit.  Something more official will be coming soon, but we’re not going to go crazy with rules!

Oh, and because I know someone will ask, the sock blockers are from The Loopy Ewe and they are made of awesome!

• Morning Routine
• 6

Collect camera and knitting and go downstairs.  Make a note of the temperature.  Wish fervently that there were two digits in the number instead of one.  Put the water on for tea (this stuff, I’m addicted).  Put on a pot of oatmeal.  Put on a sweater and hat and shoes.  Go out on the back porch.  Think filthy things about the wind and its effect on exposed skin.  Recall that the pot of oatmeal puts a built in time limit on this little bout of picture taking and get butt in gear.  Whack knitting down on the porch railing.  Waggle fingers around to encourage circulation.  Get a few quick and dirty snapshots totally abandoning artistic merit in the hopes of avoiding frostbite.  Come inside (don’t forget the knitting and the camera) and hop up and down on top of the heating vent for a moment.  Finish oatmeal.  Feed the blog.

And yes, for those plaing careful attention, there are two separate pieces of knitting.  They’re both due to get a wee bit taller, and then I’m due to spend some serious time indulging my unnatural fondness for grafting (no really, it’s awesome, I like it).  The two piece approach seemed the best way to keep the little ruffly edge with which I am so unreasonable smitten.  And it’s lace, it will look amazingly more polished once blocked.  Give me a day or two and it will be much less rumpled.

P.S. The color is a wee bit off.  It’s actually a bit closer to the green in the previous picture.  If I were a good website monkey, or if it were warmer outside, I’d fix it.  But I’m not.  It’s not.  We’ll just pretend the yarn went a bit blue around the edges with cold.