Danido Crafty » craft

So, my little toe dipping in the yarn dying realm  has gone pretty well and I’ve dyed more yarn and put some of them up for sale in my Etsy shop.  Check out my new stuff:

Sock yarns I’ve dyed:

This one is called ‘Azul’

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is ‘Catastrophe’ because I was trying a different method with the dye process and it was kind of ugly for awhile and a huge mess, and then all of a sudden as it was drying I decided I liked it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one is called ‘Laura’ currently because I dyed is specifically for Laura Marie (New and Horrible Blog). It’s not for sale, since I gave it to Laura already.

 

 

 

 

This is ‘Loud’ because well, it’s loud. It was supposed to be for Laura, but I decided it didn’t suit her and I put it up for sale instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are some worsted weight ones I did.

This is ‘Dusk’ because the oranges, blues and purples look like sunset here in the desert.

 

 

 

 

 

And this one is ‘Fire Bug’ because it’s all flame colors. Reds, hot pinks and oranges. I almost didn’t want to put this one up for sale, but my stash is already so big, I really didn’t need another ball of worsted weight wool.

 

 

 

 

 

And finally some cottons I did, which are not for sale because they are going to be used to make some baby items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve also just learned about this great new subscription based service for fiber fanatics that will be rolling out in January. It’s call Phat Fiber (Phat Fiber Blog) and the premise is this; the gal who’s putting it together is getting a bunch of fiber related businesses and artisans to contribute samples, coupons and other little fiber related things to put in a box, you pay a subscription for the box and each month you get this box full of all kinds of fun fiber-y stuff. Some ideas of contributions could be stitch markers, roving, yarn, knitting needles, patterns, tutorials, etc.

The cost of the box is pretty low I think, between $20-$40, which is pretty awesome considering all the loot and coupons you’ll be getting.

I’m going to be participating by contributing some yarn samples, patterns and coupons to it to market my Etsy shop a little more and maybe sell some of my hand dyed yarns. Check out the Phat Fiber blog for more information about the sample boxes, how to contribute or how to get on the waiting list for the boxes.

In other knitting related news, I’ve started on my Master Hand Knitter Level 1 through the Knitting Guild Association. I’m pretty excited about it, I’ve already powered through the first four swatches (but I’ll probably re-knit them before I send out my packet to be judged.) and I’m feeling pretty good about it. We’ll see how I feel as I get to some of the harder swatches and then the questions and the report. (Yup, it’s just like a college course!)

So, any recommendations or ideas for the kinds of yarn/patterns I should contribute to Phat Fiber? If you were receiving a box of goodies like that what would you want to get?

So, my darling boy recently went to New York City to be on the game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? I really wanted him to go with something hand knit so that he had part of me with him when he went for good luck. Because I didn’t have time to knit him a sweater I settled on socks.

I ran out of time though, so they ended up being short socks. But they are socks none the less. I call them "Love on his Feet" socks.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, since I’m not the only knitter who knows and loves my Michael, he was also gifted with a hat and mittens for his trip to NYC from our friends Laura! and Christina. You can see from the picture below that our dear Michael was very pleased with his knitted gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, keep in mind that in Vegas right now it’s still in the high 90’s, which is why he’s wearing shorts and a tee shirt in this photo.  Sadly it wasn’t very cold in NYC this week either, so he did not get a chance to walk around Manhattan looking a fool in his knitted love tokens. But, it does get chilly here in the winter and I will make sure that he wears this entire get up at least once this winter.

I cannot disclose how he did on the show, but the good news is he is home now and I and our dogs missed him dearly.

I also knit up a pair of baby socks out of the yarn I dyed last week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I don’t have a baby to gift these to, but I’m sure one will come along shortly since I’m at the age where most of my friends are breeding like bunny rabbits. (Too bad they’re not actually breeding bunny rabbits….)

That’s it for now, other than another cute picture of my adorable honey:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s Mike, my adorable boyfriend/fiance thing with Binky my new favorite knitted toy, sporting a Ravelry shirt. It’s like, cuteness on top of cuteness on top of MORE ADORABLE SHORT DARK AND HAIRY man.

Did I mention I’m happy he’s home?

Well, I dipped my toe into the hand dying game.

Here are the results of today’s experiments:

 

I call this one Phoenix Rising. Because I like fancy sounding yarn names.

 

 

 

And this one is Vintage Pinks because…well, it looks like pinks that have been worn and washed for about 100 years.

 

 

 

Vintage Pinks is for sale in my Etsy Shop, because I don’t have much use for pastel colorways but Phoenix Rising is going to end up a pair of wildly dashing socks for myself.

Just as soon as I finish the two sweaters and Mikes socks I have on the  needles right now.

Verdict anyone? Should I keep at it or hang up my kool-aid gloves and let the pros stick to it?

I do. I do get a lot done when I can’t do anything but lay in bed.

So early last week I threw my back out while I was working out. Further evidence that I should never ever exercise. I am now on doctors orders not to. Perfect!

Just as my back was getting better and I was able to actually bend and move on my own and without the aid of muscle relaxers I started thinking my allergies were maybe a little worse than usual. Until I woke up yesterday morning to discover that I have a full fledged cold. And a bad one. Chills, fever, sweats, coughing, congestion, goopy eyes. The whole she-bang.

Last week while I was just sitting around trying not to move my back I made some more progress on my Braided Pullover I’m working on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it’s lovely and I adore it. I’m making the medium size with Karabella Aurora 8 merino and it is absolutely gorgeous. It goes pretty quickly too and stays very interesting because there are sections of purl, sections of ribbing and then the super interesting cable that’s tons of fun to try to keep track of which row of the chart you’re on.

I also cast on for a store sample sweater to be knit up in some new yarn we got in at the shop, Wisdom Poems. It’s 100% wool and it does the Noro-esque gorgeous long color changes but it doesn’t have twigs and berries in it and it’s a much more even twist so it doesn’t create a lumpy or uneven fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is the back panel of the sweater I’m knitting up for the store. It’s an adaptation of a Noro pattern by Jane Ellison.

Saturday I was flipping through the new Interweave Felts magazine and fell in love with Nora Bellows Polar Bear pattern in that issue.

So I had to immediately cast on for one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have named him Binky, after the polar bear that lived in the Alaska State Zoo when I was a child. He was much loved by Alaskan residents. This Binky is much loved by the residents of my house, my yarn shop and mostly my dogs who think I made him for them as a toy.

He was a nice distraction but I should probably get back to one of the two sweaters I have on the needles.

I have finished my sweater for the Ravelympics. I finished it last Thursday evening on the way to the library to see a documentary about Wizard Rock bands. (The Wizard Rockumentary)

Ta da!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pattern: Hey, Teach from Knitty.com

Needle: US 9 / 5.5 mm

Yarn: Filtes King Kim

6 skeins = 648.0 yards (592.5m)

Mods: Added an inch to the length and omitted the ribbing below the lace portion.

This knit up in just under a week, started on Friday August 8th and finished Thursday August 14th.

I’ve also worked up two little scarflette/ascot thingies too in the last two days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are Tunisian crochet on a size N hook, the brown one is made from some Berroco and the pink one is Araucania Nature Cotton. Both have vintage buttons on them as well. They’re both for sale in my Etsy Shop (click here!)

I’m working on a pair of socks for Mike and a purse right now.

Yesterday I whacked my foot on the side of a hard plastic baby gate and bruised the top of my foot pretty bad, then last night I did it AGAIN to the lower part of the same foot so today I’m pretty much sticking to bed with it elevated.

I’ve got an idea kicking around in my head for a sweater design that I think I might start sketching out and swatching for. 

I am working on the Hey, Teach pattern for the Ravelympics. The Ravelympics run for the duration of the Summer Olympics (17 days), which means I have 17 days to knit this sweater.

You were supposed to pick things that would be a challenge for you. Well this sweater has been a challenge.

First of all I’ve never done a sweater flat to be seamed, because I hate seaming. So I always do my sweaters top down raglan so there is nothing to seam.

Secondly I’ve never done a lace pattern that involves shaping as well. All the lace I’ve done has been a scarf or other flat pieces of fabric that doesn’t involve working shaping into the lace pattern. That has proven to be the most difficult part of this sweater, however I must say that I felt like the Best Knitter IN THE WORLD when I did get the arm shaping to work out without messing up the lace pattern.

I’m nearly finished with the back panel, as of bed time last night I had only four more inches to go on the back. I’ll finish that part today and hopefully get a fair amount done on the first front panel. If I continue in this manner, I’m hoping to have the knitting done by Thursday of this week, so that the seaming can begin over the weekend, for a finished product by this time next week.

If that happens, that will leave me another week worth of Ravelympic time to do the Toe Up Jaywalkers that I had slated to do during the Ravelympics as well. These would be for Mike.

I finished the Express Lane socks that I was working up in the Pagewood Farms Yukon sock yarn that I showed ya’ll in the last post. Since my readers failed me and only one of you suggested a sock pattern, I went ahead and did the Express Lane pattern with that sock yarn, which I ended up gifting to my friend Bethany anyway because she fell in love with the colors in the sock.

 

The beautiful Befany with her socks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The yarn was quite divine to knit with, I will be purchasing more in various color ways. I wasn’t totally in love with these colors for myself, which is why I didn’t mind giving these up to Bethany.

Now I have this sock yarn that needs to be worked up. I’d like a nice fall/winter style sock to work this yarn in. It’s not too stripey, so this is good yarn for lace and cables. Any ideas, ya’ll?

 

 

 

Dream in Color Smooshy

 

 

 

I’m headed back to work on the Hey Teach sweater. Updates forthcoming!

It’s a whole post dedicated to my adorable dogs. The only reason I own a digital camera is because I needed a way to document the ridiculously cute things my dogs do.

Some of the recent cuteness has included Dixie lounging in the pool with her Uncle Josh (Who is also her God father. There’s paper work and everything, if Mike and I die, Dixie goes to live with Uncle Josh.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She’s obviously quite pleased her herself.

 

 

 

 

Then the other night Mike and I went to get some late night frozen custard at Sheridan’s. Evidently they serve these itty bitty vanilla cones to dogs. So Dixie and Allie shared a cone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of biting it like I thought they would, they licked the whole thing down and then I had to break the cone part in half for them because they wouldn’t bite it from my  hand. What good girls they are.

To further prove my undying love and affection (and sometimes craziness) to my animals I knit Dixie a little sweater that matches the Classroom sweater I just knit up for myself. (As soon in the previous post to this one.)

Here you go, evidence of the devotion/creepiness that lives in my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good times at Chez DaniDo. 

First things first, I have FINALLY finished the Los Monos Locos/Toe Up Monkey Socks. BEHOLD!

Laura models the finished sock. And gives it the thumbs up. Even though it’s 198 degrees outside right now I’ve still worn these four times since I finished them. I don’t even care how bad my feet sweat, they’re GORGEOUS! I love them.

Now, here comes the part where I need your help. I don’t have any socks on the needles currently. I need your suggestions. I always knit my socks toe up, but if you have a top down pattern that you love let me know and I will either convert it to toe up or maybe, just maybe, even attempt them top down. Here is the sock yarn I want to use up:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Pagewood Farms Yukon sock yarn, which is a merino/bamboo/nylon blend and it’s SOOOO soft and smooshy and I just adore it. I’ve had it in my stash for six months and I’ve decided to use it up. So, give me your sock suggestions! Nothing is too much, if I don’t know how to do a technique I’ll learn it, I want awesome interesting new socks. And I’m going cross eyed from sifting through the patterns myself.

So, dear readers, BRING ON THE SOCKS!

I also knit up a sweater in the last few weeks as well. I’m calling it the Classroom Sweater because I knit it to be worn when I’m (hopefully, fingers crossed) substitute teaching here in the fall. I wanted a nice dress sweater to wear that would be fitted and stylish but still warm. I don’t like long sleeves, but I needed something that was long enough to cover the tattoo on my left fore arm. So, tada! We have the classroom sweater:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has a slight v-neck, 3/4 sleeves and waist shaping that falls at my natural waist and then flares a bit and falls mid hip. The yoke is knit with Berroco Jasper (100% merino variegated) and the body and sleeves are knit with Ultra Alpaca. It’s super soft and VERY warm. I probably won’t be able to wear it here in Las Vegas until late September at the earliest, but I’m positive I’ll get lots of wear out of it over the winter here and it will be perfect when I go home to Alaska in the spring for my other brothers graduation.

I just need buttons and to block it now. I’m writing a pattern for it as well, that my friend Laura will be test knitting for me. I’m very excited as this will be my first fitted garment pattern I’ve written. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Also,  in the "non-knitting but still awesome" category I have these little gems:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are Smitten Kitchens - Homemade Oreos and they are DELICIOUS. They’re also gone. They went quick. I have plans to make more, and to alter the recipe just a little bit. When I do, if it works out, I’ll post my version of the recipe here as well. I highly recommend this recipe as is though, they were delicious and very very quick and easy to do. I did take the authors recommendation to use half a cup less sugar though for a more Oreo-like cookie. The result was wonderful and I think the perfect balance.

In other news, I will have a few new knit bags up in my Etsy Shop soon. They are knit up, but still need to be lined. They’re all clutch style bags and I think they’re very cute. I’m excited about them. I’ll post pictures here when they’re lined and ready to be posted in the shop.

Now, send in those sock pattern suggestions. I’m itchin’ to get started!

I recently put a bunch of my stash yarn up for sale in my Etsy shop, I know I didn’t make it (not even close) but it’s cheaper to sell through Etsy than through Ebay and I really needed to clear out space for new stuff (and also, pay for text books for the coming semester.)

So if you are the kind of knitter who likes yarn, I encourage you to take a peek and help out a struggling college student.

DaniDo Crafty at Etsy.com

Thanks!

I had a thought. I keep see these blog contests and I was thinking about having one. I think if I had a readership that I felt like I was talking to I might post more often. So I’m thinking of maybe running a contest on this here blog to get some people to stop by and maybe start reading on a regular basis, thus propelling me to update on a regular basis so there’s stuff to read. See how that works?

The four of you that currently read this; what do you think? And what should I give away? I’m broke but I have a pretty expansive stash, I suppose there’s yarn in there that other people might want/covet. If I were to give yarn away what kinds of yarn are good for giving? Perhaps some sock yarn? I have A LOT of sock yarn. Or some sturdy feltable worsted weight wool? I have a lot of that as well.

Now on to the real stuff! Knitting has been happening. I swear it has.

Baby Tank. A DaniDo Design that really should be a pattern soon.

 

 

 

I knit this well over a month ago now, I was working on it while my Mom was in town at the end of May. I don’t know why I hadn’t bothered to get a picture of it up here.

This is a bit of a departure for me for a couple of reasons, mainly as you can see it’s bright colors and STRIPES. Lots of stripes. Some of you may  know that I am a pretty ‘as easy as humanly possible’ knitter generally speaking and stripes are work. And all those ends to weave in! Oi!

And then there are the bright colors. I’m usually a fan of neutrals and earth tones. But these colors just screamed to be put together and the effect is so…cheery!

I’ve also been working on these:

Key chains!

Key chains of adorable miniature versions of some of my favorite things. Like mittens.

And…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Socks! Wee bitty socks! I made a little hat too, but I gave it to my dear friend Christina and I forgot to get a picture. It’s adorable I assure you though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then I tossed these damn things back onto the needles to try to finish up. I’m two repeats up the leg so far and I’m already sick of them again. I love them, don’t get me wrong and the pattern is a dream, but I’m just tired of them and I want them to be OVER already! I had originally had ambitions for these to be knee highs to wear with my little gray wool skirt in the fall, but…I just don’t see that happening.

I am looking for a good knee high pattern (toe up of course as it’s my preferred method for knitting socks.) so if anyone has any suggestions send them on over! (Ravelry links especially welcome!)

I’ve also started a simple top down raglan sweater out of some ridiculously soft merino that I had that is variegated, and then I’ll be doing the body of the sweater in an alpaca that I had laying around in the stash as well. I think it’ll be quite pleasing to look at but it’s slow going at the moment because it’s been 110+ degrees here in Las Vegas for the last few weeks and so anything made from wool that is bigger than socks has been put on hold for the time being.

I’d like to knit my brothers some things for Christmas as well, and I know it’s only July but I need good boy patterns too. NO sweaters or socks for them though, they’re both large boys over 6 feet tall and pushing 200 lbs. both of them. They can have hats, scarves and mittens.

So dear readers! Spread the good word! Lend me your wisdom and send me links and pattern suggestions! I’m not above buying a book for a single pattern, so if it’s in a book let me know the name of the book and I’ll look into it.