Monday, November 2, 2009

FO: 1 Shawl, 4 Mittens, and a Facehugger

More FOs!

First off...mmmmmmalabrigo.

Rusty Aestlight
Pattern: Aestlight by Gudrun Johnston (Rav link)
Yarn: Malabrigo Sock Yarn, 1 skein in Botticelli Red
Needles: US 6 circ
Modifications: Just that I bound off the garter triangle before moving along with the borders.

Um...ohmygodthisisthebestyarnever. It was SO SOFT! SO SQUISHY! SO DRAPEY! I get so many compliments when I wear this. I made the smaller size b/c I only had one skein and I wear it like a kerchief with the point in front. My friends keep telling me it looks like something I purchased b/c the bird's-eye lace is so unique and the colors are so rich. I want maybe 700 more of these. Plus, the pattern is pretty fun to knit up.

Next up, we have some fluorescent mittens...

Blinding Birds in Hand
Pattern: Bird in Hand Mittens by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Filatura di Crosa Zara, 2 skeins each in 1727 and 1783
Needles: US 2 circs
Modifications: None

Holy cow are these awesome. I tried to make these with some Mountain Colors yarn I had last year, but it was really hard on my hands to knit worsted weight yarn on such small needles and with stranding, no less. I finally cast on for them again with sport/dk yarn and it worked out so much easier this time. I did mix up the left/right cuff charts, so I just switched to the mirror image on the second mitten. I'm going to make these again for a friend of mine, but I'll make sure to use a provisional cast-on b/c I'd like to get the picot hem out of the way right off the bat.

Little birds! I embroidered them with some leftover Cascade 220 in yellow and Drops Alpaca in black. Don't ask me exactly how...I really suck at embroidery and I was lucky that these stitches didn't migrate.

I also finished these little things in August:

Sapphiras
Pattern: Bella's Mittens by Marielle Henault
Yarn: Laines du Nord Dolly Maxi, 2 skeins
Needles: US 8 dpns
Mods: None

Sigh. This is an example of me being an idiot. I totally didn't even think about what kind of yarn the original yarn was and just went on gauge...so my worsted weight yarn is not knit tightly enough to provide serious insulation. Alas, these are merely decorative. I'll have to knit them again in bulky weight yarn b/c these mittens are pretty fabulous. I haven't even read or seen Twilight and I still love them.

Last, but not least:

Alien Facehugger
Pattern: Alien Face Hugger by Meghan Munro
Needles: US 9 dpns
Mods: None, except I held yarn double and used bigger needles.

My buddy Carys wanted to be Ripley from Alien for Halloween. She was concerned that people wouldn't really get it b/c A) she's blonde and hates wigs and wasn't going to wear a brown curly wig and B) her "flight suit" could refer to anything from Top Gun to Independence Day. So I told her I'd make her a Facehugger so that she wouldn't have to explain her costume all night. Thankfully, someone else had already done the work of making a pattern. I just bought some cheap acrylic yarn and went to town. I cut up some hardware wire and threaded it through the legs, but we ended up taking it out b/c it was poking through and exposed sharp wires + people imbibing at a Halloween party = no good. But she'll eventually get pipe cleaners and make it moldable and safe.