another chalk bag.

I've not been feeling very crafty lately.  I've also been climbing four times a week so it's hard to find time for anything else other than sleeping besides work.  I did make my climbing partner a chalk bag though!  I've pretty much perfected this pattern, and I'm real happy about that at least.

It matches his shoes, just like he wanted!

It's amazing to see these transform by felting.  I casted on the same number of stitches as I did for my bag, only I made it four rows shorter and felted it for 30 minutes longer and the size difference is incredible!  He requested a smaller bag than mine so this was all somewhat planned out but to see it happen is nuts.  Now I'm off to break up the kittens who've decided to wrestle nonstop for the past 30 minutes.

3/11 hats in 2011!

I finished the flapper hat.  I'm not excited because I don't really like.  I also finished the chalk bag and I love it!  

First the hat...

I really loved this pattern when I first saw it online.  In fact, it's one of the first patterns I favorite'd on Ravelry.  But my yarn choice did not mesh well with the intended design.  I don't know what I'm going to do with it now, maybe my parents can figure out someone who wants it?

Second the chalk bag...

This bag is going to be used!  In fact, I'm going climbing tomorrow and it'll make its debut.  All of the adjustments and picking at the pattern were so worth it.  I'm going to cast on another for Craig soon, I got the yarn he wanted today.  I'm pretty excited for these!

Third the cats...

My cats are little camera hogs.  Well Rivers is, Eli not so much.  Here is a picture of both of them being adorable and after the jump you can see a whole lot of adorable if you should choose to!

Happy week everyone!

chalk bag round two.

I have not been making anything or blogging due to a bad case of bronchitis.  I actually took my first two sick days from work last Wednesday and Thursday and felt ultra guilty.  I went to the doctor on Thursday and was given some steroids to help me breathe, although they haven't really been working at all.  

On a better/side note, I kind of got a promotion at work!  Instead of working at the State Board of Medicine, I've moved to the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Podiatry, where I will actually be evaluating doctors and medical students and issuing licenses.  I've moved my desk over and will hopefully begin training next week!  I'll still be doing the work of my old job for some time and I'm hoping this double duty will keep me safe when the Governor lays off his 500 state employees.

Sometime last week, I finished my second (and hopefully the first usable) chalk bag.  I used my first attempt as a model and improved upon it quite a bit to make this second one more durable.  

First, I did more of a rolled edge and crocheted it so it would stay in place, making the thicker edge more even all the way around.  I also spaced out the eyelets much better so they'll be more even!

I added a crocheted loop to the edge for a carabiner instead of what the original pattern suggested, simply because I didn't like that idea.

On my first attempt, there were teeny holes in the bottom created from the decreasing knit stitches, so I crocheted a circle and sewed it into the bottom to help it hold chalk better!

I hope this attempt is actually usable, unlike my last one!  It is in the washing machine felting as I'm typing.

I've also started my third hat of 2011, a flapper hat featured at Rheatheylia!

Have a happy week everyone!

chalk bag test run!

The chalk bag test run was a pretty good success.  There were some problems, some notes for chalk bag round 2, but overall worked out great.

Here are some notes:

1. Paton's Classics Wool Merino is awesome for this project.
2. Cast on 80, garter stitch AT LEAST 4 rounds, possibly more.
3. Test run did eyelets at round 15, only made 7.  Next time, do them at round 15 again but space them better and possibly make 8.
4. Crochet or knit another circle to reinforce the bottom, the decreasing creates small holes and I didn't felt it enough to completely fill those.
5. GET BIGGER GROMMETS!  I can't completely finish the test run until I return the grommets I got, they're too small!

Pictures of test bag: 

On a side note, moving was a huge success!  I'm all settled in, almost unpacked and going to get bad cats on Saturday!

all done!

I finally completed my second hat in 2011.  I'm taking this pretty slow, doing a hat a month.  I actually don't even know why I chose to do it, because I don't know 11 people to make hats for AND I don't need 11 for myself.

After I switched to US7 circulars, it went really quickly.  I repeated the body of the pattern 6 times and finished.  I've gotten a lot of compliments on it already and I'm very happy with it!

I also have casted on my felted chalk bag for the THIRD time.  The first time I was using homespun yarn that has weight variations that would affect it's ability to hold chalk after being felted.  The second time I was using Lion Brand Landscapes which is only 55 yards a skein.  That in itself isn't a problem, but I only had one skein and it's impossibly hard to find anymore.  Now I'm using Patons Classic Wool Merino in HARRY POTTER COLORS.  Well right now it is Gryffindor colors but I'm adding a nice muted aqua-y blue soon.

Also.  I am moving on Saturday into the little blue house!  Yay!  And in 2 weeks I'll have monster kitties back!  Woop.

some progress.

After switching the Wurm from DPNs to circular needles in a larger size, I have made some serious progress!  It is far from perfect, but it is big and slouchy and fun colors, so I think I'll love it. 

All of this progress is motivated by a new project I want to tackle soon.  I found this pattern for a felted chalk bag for rock climbing and bouldering!  This weekend I got my own climbing shoes and a membership to the gym, but I think I'd rather make my own chalk bag than buy one.

I also found an apartment last week and am moving out next Saturday!  I'm very excited to start living on my own again.  Living with my parents wasn't awful at all, it was actually really nice, but I really do enjoy living on my own and paying my own bills and all of that.  It makes me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something by going to work everyday.  I'll also get my lovely kittens back soon!  Ooo I'm so excited.

slowing down.

I've been not very crafty and not very bloggy lately.  I've been busy with work, looking for apartments, and having a social life (which is not something I'm used to).  Last night was the first night this week I've had to myself.  I started working on the Wurm again, which was a DISTASTER.  This hat is so simple, but I'm having so many problems.

First, the yarn choice was not ideal.  Paton's Angora Bamboo is wonderful and soft, but the more it is handled, the fuzzier it gets.  The double edging of the hat is unbelievably fuzzy from folding and holding in place while knitting the edges together.  Second, the pattern calls for a change of needles, from a US 4 to a US 6 for the body of the hat.  I couldn't find US 6 16" circulars anywhere, so I decided to do the whole thing on DPNs.  WORST IDEA EVER.  I cannot stress that enough, it was a horrible choice and one I KNEW I'd regret, but I did it anyways.  There were stitches dropped like crazy, the tension was not consistent, and there was an all over sloppiness (also due to fuzziness) that I was just not okay with.  Last night, I frogged almost everything I did on the DPNs and began again with US 7 16" circs.  Hopefully now I'll make some progress.

This weekend I'm setting up a spinning class (I didn't last weekend because I was so busy all week!) AND I have a 3 day weekend.  The weekend will be filled with a Wurm and climbing some boulders and sleeping in.  I'm very excited!

Happy Friday everyone!