WIP Wednesday: Tom Baker Scarf

Aka, The Fourth Doctor Scarf. Also, a sneak peak of my finished yarn bowl in action --I'll post bigger pics on Friday of the finished bowl.

I got the yarn online, which I do not recommend unless you are using the exact recommended yarn brands and colorways from the pattern. I am also using sock yarn instead of worsted weight, so it won't be quite as ridiculously humongous --especially since my 12-year-old daughter has claimed ownership. If I even make another one, I guess I'll either use the yarns they recommend, or find the colors in person. It's just straight knitting with a slipped stitch at the end of each row, so it's great to do while catching up on my DVR queue.

Work In Progress Wednesday - The 4th Doctor Scarf

The colors looked closer to the correct colors when I was ordering the yarn online. This is why I don't like to order yarn online. A few days ago, I posted a pic of my yarn that had arrived (scroll past the mug pics). The colors look closer to how they looked online in the photo, thanks to lighting and my flash. For some reason, I ended up having to edit this one just to get it close. So this is my scarf so far. I'm using fingering/sock weight yarn instead of worsted weight and size 2 needles instead of...well the pattern suggests size 5 with worsted weight, but I think I'd end up using size 8. I cast on 66 as the pattern suggests. It is still going to be a fairly wide scarf in spite of the lighter weight yarn. I am pretty sure I'd cast on fewer stitches if I was using a heavier weight. I almost used a size 5 needle with this yarn, but my daughter, who will be wearing this scarf, preferred the tighter knit. 

It Never Seems to Look Like the Photo in the Book

I finally finished the Catching Butterflies pattern by Stephanie Dosen. It is supposed to look like this:\

And this:

I used different color yarn, hand dyed by my friend who owns Inner Yarn Zen for the main color, and for the butterflies, I used yarn dyed by another friend, who owns BC Yarnings. I don't remember the name of the colorways, and I couldn't find the labels, so I guess we all have to suffer from my lack of organization. So, here's how mine turned out:

I made these for my daughter. The yarn I used for the butterflies is thicker than the yarn in the original pattern. The butterflies on the gloves on the left are positioned more like the pattern, with the rows of garter stitch going perpendicular to the stockinette stitch in the glove. With the other butterflies, and with my daughter's approval, I tried sewing the butterflies on in the other direction to make the wings look a little more like a butterfly rather than a bow. (Though, bow ties are cool.) My daughter is happy with them, and really, in the end, that's all that matters. If I took the time to get better lighting and use something better than my Galaxy Note (one), to take the picture, you would be able to see that the little "butterfly" pattern on the main glove does show up fairly well in spite of me using a dark shaded multi-colored yarn.

Also, I ended up using one size up on all the needle sizes. I may have used a lighter weight yarn --it's fingering yarn. If I had to do it over again --and I probably will, I would make sure I had an even lighter weight fiber for the butterflies, as recommend. Also, I would do an extra pattern repeat between where I stopped making the thumb gusset and the ribbing at the top. I would also do a couple of rounds of straight knitting on the thumbs before starting with the ribbing. 

You can find this pattern on the Tiny Owl Knits website through the link above, and it is also available in Stephanie's Book, Woodland Knits, which is what I used. 

Back To School: In Denial

The first day of school, and the first day of Middle School for my youngest child begins in 18 days. I'm not sure if I'm ready yet!
Here's my post on Christine Fonseca's An Intense Life blog.

Work In Progress Wednesday - Hunger Games Fingerless Gloves

This is sort of a combo WIP/FO. Since the one glove itself is done, it's FO, but since it comes as a set, WIP,  plus these particular fingerless gloves aren't totally matching. The oak leaf pattern goes down one glove and back up the other glove. They are designed by my friend's daughter and I get to test the pattern. It is supposed to represent oak leaf camouflage.

Maybe the pattern will show up better if I block it...?

I guess it's hard to see the oak leaf pattern in a photo. You can see it better in person.

Finished Object Friday - Hunger Games Yarn

I finished the cowl I making with the Hunger Games yarn. The WIP post for it along with yarn and pattern information can be found in this post can be found here.

Here's the finished cowl:

I made this for myself. It is a little big for my daughter, Amanda, who is modeling as I outweigh her by almost 100 pounds. It still works for her at this size too. 

My Next Project

You'll see a photo of my progress on Wednesday, unless by some miracle, I'm done. Here is the project:
It's the Euro Cowl on Ravelry

What Holds Me Back

What do I want? Aside from world peace, a self-cleaning house, and children just one notch below "Stepford," I want to do two things:

1. I want to be paid for my writing
2. I want to be paid for my knitting and crocheting

I am forty-five years old. Why have I not yet found a way to make either of these things happen?

1. I have never submitted any of my writing to any market. I don't even own a copy of the current (or any year's) Writer's Market...yet.
2. I have never offered any pieces of my work for sale. I don't even have an Etsy account...yet.

Okay, but WHY haven't I done these things? The reasons behind my procrastination in selling my knitting and crocheting seem more legitimate to me than the reasons behind my procrastination in submitting writing pieces.

Right now, of the three projects I am currently working on in my knitting, two of them are already going to specific people. The other, a "crochet-a-long" afghan will most likely not be for sale as I tend to want to keep afghan's I've made unless they were intended for a specific person. So really, I don't have anything available for sale. I already feel like if I'm not writing, then I'm knitting or crocheting, so I don't feel like I have much extra time to make things to sell until I have these other projects out of the way.

I also have fears. What if I make some things to sell, and then I end up with more orders than I can handle in a timely fashion? I don't want to be thought of as irresponsible or flaky. There are people who design their own patterns, and then only sell the patterns rather than the actual item. Great idea, only, I tend to work from the patterns of others. While I have designed my own knit and crochet projects, I have yet to actually write them down. I tend to design as I go.

For my writing, I have similar fears. What if they ask me to write about something, and I just don't feel I can even manage to do the required research --or worse, say that I can do it, thinking, sure, why not? I can research anything! Only to discover that I cannot, in fact, research everything. 


I've been working on my Linkedin.com profile. I can only choose one industry. Arts and Crafts, or Writing and Editing. Which do I choose?  I ended up choosing "Arts and Crafts." I feel like it makes me sound like I'm a summer camp counselor. Of the two choices, I thought Arts and Crafts actually covered both areas. There is no question that is covers knitting and crocheting; but it also covers writing. Writing is an art. Writing is a craft. Had I chosen Writing and Editing, I would have felt as though I was misrepresenting myself. I am not offering my services as editor. While, sure I could help with some basic editing, so could pretty much anyone else who has a competent grasp of the English language.

I also tend have this inferiority complex about not having a bachelor's degree. I have this imaginary conversation with imaginary people who are looking at my profile. What if I put Writing and Editing instead of Arts and Crafts? The imaginary conversation goes something like this:

Educated Person: It appears you are offering your services as a writer and an editor. Is this true.

Me: Uh, sure!

EP: What are your qualifications as a writer? Have you published anything?

Me: I haven't sent anything out to publications, but not only do I have a blog, a friend of mine, who also happens to be a published author, lets me guest post twice a month on her blog about living with intensity of Gifted and Twice Exceptional children.

EP: Oh. So you are a blogger. Well, isn't that precious.

Me: Um? (continuing in spite of the veiled insult): In addition to that, for over ten years I have been an active member of an online writing group, where we take turns posting writing prompts every day and then we have the option of writing to these prompts and posting what we write.

EP: Is this a critique group?

Me: Not exactly. It's more of a morale group for writers.

EP: (flatly) Oh, well, good, because there is such a shortage of groups where writers all go and tell each other how great their writing is.

Me: There is? Oh. Well, if you want a serious critique from this group, you can ask for one.

EP: And there is someone in the group who is qualified to seriously critique your writing?

Me: No idea.

EP: Now, what about editing? Are you offering your services as an editor?

Me: I think I have a strong enough grasp of the English language to do some editing work.

EP: Have you ever done any editing?

Me: I edit my own work. I have edited some of  my kids' school assignments, and they both managed to graduate high school. I earned and A.S. degree in Paralegal studies, with straight A's....Oh never mind. How would you like a nice hat or a scarf?

WIP Wednesday - Perry the Platypus Hat and Bernat Mystery CAL

When I make hats for my kids, sometimes their friends like to put in an "order" for a hat for themselves. If I can use yarn from my stash, and I have the time, I'm happy to make hats for their friends. Often, they will specify color preferences. This time, one of my daughter's friends wanted a hat that was the same color as Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb. No problem! I did happen to have that color (or very close to that color) in my stash. Next, he wanted to have Perry's eyes on the hat. Ugh. Okay...well, I have black and white, so...but how? Intarsia? 3 strand Fair Isle? 3 color double knit? Then, before I got started, he wanted to have a hat with Perry's bill for the brim. I looked up photos for examples and didn't like what I saw (plus, they were usually in crochet, not knit), so I decided to just start low on the hat with the bill and work up from there. First, I had to make a pattern for Perry, so after downloading some knitting graph paper, I worked on that for about 20 minutes, then I got to work.

So far, I have started this and unraveled it completely at least four times. The farthest I have gotten was just past the halfway point of the bill. I have tried Fair Isle, but I was having a hard time keeping the strands loose enough. I tried double knit, but really, the yarn is way too thick once I get to more than 2 colors. I've tried different methods of wrapping and stranding. Next, I will be attempting Intarsia, even though in many places, there is only a one stitch color change. Ugh. Any suggestions?

I am also doing the Bernat Mystery CAL. Here is my progress so far:

I'm using Waverly for Bernat yarn. My main color is Celadon in the Past Perfect line, color A is Antique in the Town & Country line, color B is Stone Brown in the Town and Country line, color C is Birch White in the Simplicity line and Color D is Incense in the Beautiful Things line.

I am still working on the sweater for my husband. It isn't much further along than it was last week since I kind of got distracted by these new projects.

I'm also linking to:  The Crochet Way, Ambassador Crochet, and Yarn Along

WIP Wednesday

It is RAINING outside right now! This is one of the rare times that I am wishing we had taken the option of having a fireplace in our bedroom when we were choosing options for our new home back in the late 1990's. The one in the family room is going right now and I am actually too cold to leave the comfort of my bed to go in there and enjoy it! I've made some good progress on my husband's sweater:

I finished one sleeve and am on the the second sleeve! Only SIX more sleeves to go! Ha! Kidding! 

I also finished the earbud case, so I will have that to show for FO Friday (you notice I didn't have anything for last week?)

My daughter just came in here and asked if she could go for a walk before she emptied the dishwasher. It is POURING rain outside! Wow. Talk about some serious procrastination!

I'm also linking to Yarn Along