Violently Domestic

Whippersnapper

21 November 2011 · No Comments

This was supposed to happen Tuesday, but it’s ready now and I’m not the patient type, so I’ve jumped the gun and done it today.

Both the weather and The Boy proved exceptionally agreeable, and many photos were taken.  While the sorry state of our yard is usually something of a shame to me, this time it turned out to be quite convenient.  There were plenty of piles of leaves to serve as handy backdrops.  And our decrepit and alarmingly mossy fence cheerfully lent its services as well (I’m really not sure how it’s still standing, but I’m not going to go out of my way to investigate).

All of which means the socks are now available.  They’re called Whippersnapper, and you can find them over on ravelry.

They’re available in two sizes (a 56 stitch version and a 64 stitch version) and they’re marvelously unisex.  These are simple to make (you’ll have them memorized in no time), but the cabling is enough to keep you from getting bored to death some time around the middle of foot.  Even better, they’re mirrored, so your chances of finishing the second one are better than usual.  If you know someone who deserves a new pair of socks (or if you deserve a pair yourself), these might be just the thing.

Warm Up

3 October 2011 · 5 Comments

You remember the (ever so slightly crazy making) reign of painterly doom.  They did lovely work, but while they were here, I just could not pay attention to one thing for more than an hour or so at a time.  It just wasn’t happening.

So in celebration of a short attention span, I made this set of mitts.  At least that’s the excuse I’m using for the otherwise pitiful amount of stuff I got done while they were here.  The mitts are an excellent consolation though!

Each one takes only minimal mental effort (hey, we all have those days, I don’t judge).  Each is made a different way (I wouldn’t want you to get bored).  Best of all, they only take a bit of yarn (these are all made with 100 yards or less), come in a wide range of sizes, and work up quickly.  So basically they’re perfect for using up leftover sock yarn and ticking names off your Christmas list (it’s 12 weeks away people, you may all commence panicking now).

The red ones at the top there are called Smidgen.  They’re the laciest of the bunch and perhaps the most classic.  They tuck up under your shirt sleeves and provide just a tiny bit of color and frill to entertain you as you go about your day.  The shape leaves your hands free to type or knit.

The yellow ones over there on the right are called Sliver.  They’re the most unusual of the three.  I’ve never made a mitt in this shape before, but I’m sort of in love, and will be making more in the future.  They’re dead simple to make but look marvelously impressive once they’re done.  That, and you get to use a button (well, two buttons really).  I’m more or less hopelessly smitten with them.  I’ve seen a few done in some lovely multi-colored yarn and it seems to stand up to crazy colors just fine.

The blue ones down there on the left are Snippet.  These are unabashedly exuberant.  They are not serious.  They are not classic.  They’re just wicked good fun and super cute.  Now of course you could make them taller.  Making them taller might even be the reasonable thing to do.  But I had only a wee bit of yarn and I wanted to do something a bit dramatic.  These are the result.  They’re almost like bracelets at this length, though somewhat to my surprise, even tiny slips of wool like this do seem to keep me warmer.  However tall you make them, they’re sure to delight.

Each of the patterns is available individually for $3.00 (just click on the names), or you can get all three together here for $5.75.

This is the first time I’ve grouped a few patterns together as a collection.  I’ve often offered pairs of patterns together as a set (hat and mitts or cowl and mitts).  Those have all been things made of the same yarn, using the same or similar stitch patterns, and meant to be worn together.  Those felt perfectly natural to offer as a pair.  This I’m a little more hesitant about.  They all have a common thread, but it’s not like you’ll wear them at the same time.  What do you guys thing?  Good idea?  Unnecessary?  Something I’m overlooking?

Gripping

23 September 2011 · 8 Comments

I’ve got a quick little freebie for you.  We all know I’m shamefully easily amused.  I have a suspicion one or two of you may suffer from this condition too.  So I’ve written up some quick instructions for making your own squirm of tentacles.  You can use more or less any yarn (each only takes a few yards), and you can bang several of them out in a night.  They make excellent desk pets, they are highly entertaining when tucked around your house in unexpected places, and they are fearsome yarn guardians.

Make some of your own and see what they move you to do.  All I ask is that you post a picture on ravelry if you find yourself inspired.

Rampant

6 September 2011 · 1 Comment

Back in the early part of July, when I was up to my neck in a giant school project and starting to go a bit crazy around the edges, I cast on these socks.  They helped me avoid chewing my fingernails off.  A few days later, the neighbor’s son rang the doorbell and handed us a sick kitten.  The socks kept me from crying at the vet’s office (Douglas is fine, I’m just a total softie about kittens).  Then we went to the woods for a family event and off to Portland for Sock Summit and up to Buffalo for a concert.  The socks came along for all of these and kept my hands occupied on lots of long drives.  Once we were back home, we got to figure out house painters and endure the banging, funny smells, and unexpected repairs that seem to be part of the house painting process.  It seemed only fitting to take pictures of the sock on the about-to-be-painted-aaaaaaaany-day-now back porch.

They were more or less magic…involved enough to hold my attention, but soothing enough to work when I was tired or frazzled.  The long loops were shamefully entertaining (ooooh, which color will the next one be), and the fit is great.

I’ve named them Rampant, and they’re over on ravelry if your own mental health needs a bit of bolstering.

Vaunt

4 July 2011 · 2 Comments

So I lied.   The plan had been to do these tomorrow.  But in the interest of being all scholarly and productive tomorrow (a girl can dream), I’m doing them today.

I’m pleased to present Vaunt.

These are the latest in the ongoing attempt to find patterns that are subdued enough to appeal to both guys and girls but still interesting enough to not send the knitter mad with boredom.  I think they hit the spot.  Well, I think this pattern in this color hits the spot.  One of the testers made them in a lovely pale purple that might not work for some guys.  But these are safely in the boy color palette.

I’m rather taken with them.  They’re easy to memorize, and they work up quickly.  I’m especially pleased with the spiffy heel flap and the way the pattern continues all the way down the toe.

They’re over on ravelry if you want to make your own.  I’ll get a page up for them here at some point, just not today.  Probably not tomorrow either.  It’s going to be that sort of a week.

Inlay

23 June 2011 · 8 Comments

I really don’t like waiting.  I’m bad at it.  It makes me a tiny bit crazy (hey, maybe if I reload this page over and over and over the update will happen faster…hasn’t worked yet, but I should still try because you never know when it might work).  I’m an absolute delight on long car trips.

But now the waiting is over.  The socks that I started back when it was snowy, finished in March, and photographed in April…the socks that I thought were coming out on Monday…can now be shared.

I’m pleased to present Inlay.

And yes, I am inordinately fond of them.

Now the reason that I had to keep quiet about these for weeks and weeks and weeks is that I submitted them to knitty.

Once, long long ago, I submitted another pattern to knitty.  It was maybe my fourth or fifth pattern ever (I was cocky, what can I say).  It was, quite reasonably and ever so politely, declined.  I must admit I took it to heart.  Of course that’s a total rookie mistake.  I realize now that this is just part of the game.  But back then I decided that I would just release patterns myself, not try and get them published by anyone else.

So I did, and it worked.  It was great fun turning out patterns on my own.  But eventually, I decided I wanted to try knitty again.  This time it worked.

Now having a pattern get accepted is ever so much more fun than having it declined.  But it does mean that you have to continue to keep quiet about it for even longer.  This can be a bit taxing.  But, now all need for silence is over.  I can flaunt them with abandon.

Inlay is a splendidly tidy sock.  The lattice pattern on the front is quick to learn, and by the time you’re done you’ll be very comfortable making left and right twists.  The fancy ribbing on the side is great fun to do and continues down the heel flap and gusset in a satisfying way. I have a sneaking suspicion that they’ll work equally well for guys and girls (they come in three sizes, so you should be able to make them to fit most feet). Click on any of the pictures to see gigantic versions.

I can’t wait to see what people do with them!