Watching More Progress

Now it looks like a sweater:

(So, I got a new computer not quite a month ago, and instead of using the image editing software I've been using for more than a decade, I'm using what was on the new computer. It'll be better, once I get the hang of it.)

As you can see, I'm working both sleeves at the same time, just like I worked the front and the back at the same time. This way, I can't screw up by forgetting what I did for the first by the time I reach the second.

I confirmed with Liv that it's long enough. So, I can sew down those side seams (which I didn't as I wasn't sure if I was going to add length). Now it's just a matter of getting the sleeves to be 18 inches long. 

It's something to do while watching the Olympics.

(I'm regretting the theme I adopted for the titles to these posts. I mean, it was obvious when I started, but I'm running out of seeing-themed words. As I type this, the post is untitled. Whatever will I title this post?)

Late edit: Guess who tested positive for Covid? My posts for this week are already all written and scheduled. I'll be around, but not as quickly as usual. (I feel like I have a cold--another cold this summer. Ugh.)

Eye sweater previous posts:

• Eyeing a New Project
  
• Seeing Some Progress
• Second Sight
• Envisioning the Next Step
• Glaring and Sniffling
• Surveying the Sweater
• Looking Towards Sleeves

Surveying the Sweater

I made some progress on the eye sweater. 

If you recall, last time I had marked where the corners would go. So, putting in corners was the first order of business. Then I followed that up with another round/rectangle of variegated.

And then another "round":

That one I kind of evened out the top and accentuated the curve along the bottom. (And now that I'm really looking at this picture, I think I might have this upside down, or rather the inside is out. Oops.)

I have done this for both the front and back now:

And now I'm kind of stuck. At this point I have gone way past the reference picture (which didn't square the circle), and I'm not sure what to do next. 

Partly, I want to keep going "around", but I don't know if the sizing would be right that way. The other option is to start working the top and bottom for a bit, as that's what it looks like they did in the reference picture, but I'm not sure.

I just need to make a choice. I showed Liv the middle two pictures, and she likes it thus far. It's almost the size it needs to be. It's just a matter of creating some sort of neckline, and then I'll add sleeves. (I'm going with a boat neckline and drop sleeves, so I don't have to worry about too much more in the shaping.

This is why I like patterns. With a pattern, the choice is already made. 

Eye sweater previous posts:

• Eyeing a New Project
  
• Seeing Some Progress
• Second Sight
• Envisioning the Next Step
• Glaring and Sniffling

Happy Birthday, Niece

Today is my niece's 21st birthday. I did manage to finish the top: 

She currently lives in Ohio, but she was in town for a friend's wedding last week. So, I got a chance to give her present to her in person. She tried it on, and it fit: 

So, yay!

Feel free to wish her a happy birthday in the comments. I will give her a link to this post.

Knitting this top's posts:

• Gauge is Important
• A Week's Progress
• Time Crunch
• On the Flip Side
• Almost Finished

Almost Finished

If all goes well, by the time you read this, the top will be complete and in the hands of my niece.

But as I write this, this is not the case. I'm still working on the back: 

There's not that much left to go, as you can see if you compare it to the front:

Once the knitting is complete, I'll need to sew the front and back together. Doable, I think. But that's only if everything goes well. 

Wish me luck...

Previous posts:

• Gauge is Important
• A Week's Progress
• Time Crunch
• On the Flip Side

On the Flip Side

 This week's progress... 

...looks a lot like where I was on May 9th: 

There's one major difference, though. What I'm now working on is the back of the top: 

The front is complete: 

It's coming along...

Previous posts:

• Gauge is Important
• A Week's Progress
• Time Crunch

A Week's Progress

Last week: 

This week: 

I didn't get as far as I would have liked. There was an increase row every three rows. As of last Monday I had four increase rows to go. I did one on Monday, one on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, and one on Thursday.

That's very, very slow. But I was so tired last week that I'm going to call any forward progress a win.

On Friday I got started on the part where the top divides into bra cups. So, not too bad.

I've got a little under a month to finish the top if I want it done in time for niece's birthday. I wouldn't say I like my chances, but at least I'm making progress. 

The pattern is well-written. I have employed a few tricks I know so that I don't lose my place. That blue marker that's just hanging out on the piece is my reminder of which is the public side of the work. (In something like this, it'll be easy to lose track.) 

I hope to be working on the back of the piece at this time next week. We'll see if I actually get that far.

To Review or Not to Review

For my niece's birthday, I gave her a choice: she could have me make her something, or she could get a gift card, like I did for her brothers. But, of course, she was good with either.

She found a pattern, and I found yarn. 

It didn't take me that long to complete it: 

And it should be on its way to her when you read this. 

The thing is, I really had an issue with the pattern. It... I mean, clearly I made the thing. I could follow it. But, I felt like it had some omissions that made me have to guess a few times as to what the pattern writer intended. 

I might just be being overly critical. I had enough information. And others have made this with no problem, as far as I can tell. 

So, I wonder whether or not I should write a review on Etsy, where I purchased the pattern.

It won't be a glowing review. And as a creative, I don't want to do that to another creator. But, should I warn others about the issues here? 

I don't have to write a review. It's not required. But since I have the headspace (with it being summer and me not working at the moment), I've been tossing this around for a few days. Should I? Or should I just skip it? 

And now I am yet again between projects. Although, I have a couple ideas. We'll see if I get any of them started by next week.

Nothing New

I, once again, find myself between projects. So, I've been making more masks. . .

The fabric for this one is from a shirt I ordered that I didn't like. The fit was weird, and the style just didn't flatter me. Because I got it on sale, I couldn't return it, so instead I cut it into pieces and the first piece became this mask. 

I'm considering writing up the pattern. But I don't know if anyone is truly interested. I found the instructions for a crochet version from Crafting on the Fly, and I just modified them to work for knit. 

***

The tank top I crocheted for my niece. . .

. . .successfully made it halfway across the country (maybe a bit more than halfway), and niece gave me permission to show you how it fits on her. 

It looks like she got to wear it at least once this year. Success.

Summer Crochet, Part 3

I finished it! 

It wasn't a difficult project. I should have finished it two weeks ago. But school started, and I got slammed with lesson planning and teaching and such. By the time evening rolled around, I didn't have the mental capacity to do all that much, and the top fell by the wayside. 

Because, seriously, those straps should have taken maybe two nights. And that's including after showing them to the niece and having to redo them because they were too wide for her. 

Something that I've hidden in previous posts and pictures is that there is a seam at the back of this thing. . . 

It took me by surprise when I started the pattern as the designer had hidden it. It was worked in the round, but it was also worked back and forth. It was an interesting design choice, but I see why the designer did it that way. (I only mention it so it doesn't take anyone else by surprise.) 

So, now it's done. Finally. (As is my gig at the alternative education center, but more on that on Wednesday.) 

My next planned project needs to not be mentioned on the blog for a couple of reasons, so I have no idea what I'll show off next week. (I'll tell you all about it once it's finished or abandoned. Either outcome is possible.)

Not Quite Finished

I was a bit busy last week. Ah, the joys of a new school year. I'll get more into that in the posts later this week. 

But for today, that means that I didn't make a whole lot of progress over last week on niece's tank top. 

I removed the loops from the bottom before I posted last week, so all I really accomplished were one and a half straps. 

Which I now get to rip out. 

I texted the pics to niece to make sure they looked okay. She wants them narrower. Sigh. 

But I learned my lesson with the loops from last week. Have niece approve before finishing up. This way she's sure to like it.

Summer Crochet, Part 2

I'm making progress on my niece's top. 

I texted her Wednesday with the warning that I would soon need a decision (and measurements) about the straps. . . 

Thursday night I finished the body part. . . 

And she really wasn't feeling the loopy, lacy embellishment at the bottom. Which, honestly, wasn't a surprise. I mean, I like it, but the pictures she's been sending me are fairly plain with more of a clean aesthetic. 

I removed the loops Friday. But I haven't gotten a picture of it yet. This was enough to get her strap measurements, so I'm good to go on that. 

Hopefully I'll be done by next week. We'll see. It depends if the straps go easily or not so much.

Summer Crochet

My niece finally texted me her measurements, so I was finally able to start on her tank top. She picked out the Crochet Tie Strap Crop Top, which conveniently was a free pattern. She's not too into the tie straps, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

It's a very simple pattern. The only reason I haven't gotten very far is entirely due to the amount of time I've put into it. Where does all the time go? I mean, it's not like I've had that much to do, but it seems like my days just fly by. 

Anyway, I've got about five inches done. She wants it eight inches long. . .

If you take a look at the pattern, you'll see that there is a bit of an embellishment at the hem. Then the straps. But it's really a pretty simple pattern. I should thank niece for giving me an easy project. 

Although, she hasn't really given me terrible requests in the past. I mean, there was The Gray Behemoth. . . 

. . .but that wasn't difficult, just cumbersome. And I had been curious as to how to knit something with yarn that chunky, so it was a good experience. Shipping the thing to Ohio was a challenge, however. 

The top will easily ship. I first have to finish it, though. 

I hope you all are staying cool.

Waiting Pattern

I have one niece and four nephews. I have given up trying to figure out what to make them. I let them decide. 

Eldest nephew's birthday was the day after Christmas. He turned 14. He requested a drumstick bag (that he got at the beginning of May). Yes, I was behind. 

The twins' birthday came next at the end of April. They turned 7. Via their mom (my SIL) I was told they wanted a Spinosaurus and a shark. After sending those off, I got word via their dad (my brother) that they wanted a kracken and a dragon. Christmas, perhaps. 

Middle nephew's birthday was a little over a week after that, on Star Wars Day. He turned 10. And he asked for (and received) a squid. 

Between middle nephew's birthday and niece's is about five weeks. I sent her a card and a text with the same message: she got to pick what she wanted me to make her. 

Niece turned 19. When I didn't hear from her for over a month, I didn't worry. She's an adult now. If she wants me to make her something, she has my phone number. She can get in touch with me. 

I was surprised by her text. She found a pattern online of what she wants. (Actually, she found two, but she eventually picked one.) That makes things really simple for me. 

We discussed fiber and color. She's currently enamored of periwinkle. We figured a summer top should be made out of cotton. I didn't have such a thing in my stash, so I ordered the yarn online. I tasked niece with measuring herself (or having someone do it) because I won't guess on sizing. She said she'd send me those measurements in a day or two. 

It took a bit over a week for the yarn to arrive. 

That's the pile of all that I ordered. One skein looks like: 

I've already wound one skein into a ball and started a swatch: 

So, I'm all ready to begin. But I can't. Because niece still hasn't sent me her measurements... 

I sent her a reminder text. She informed me she's camping and will get those measurements to me soon. 

Uh huh. Sure. Whatever. 

She's an adult. If she gets her summer top in the fall, it won't be my fault.

Periwinkle Beanie Complete

Yes, my district has closed down. Which means I'll have more time to knit...

I finally finished niece's beanie...

...for Christmas. Yes, I'm still finishing up Christmas 2019 knitting. I'm hoping to be done before summer. I only have one more project to finish after this one. Woo-hoo!

And, it appears I'll have a bit of time. Sigh. Here's another angle for the hat...

I don't know if you've seen this particular style on everyone lately like I have. I had noticed that the top is seamed rather than decreased, so I attempted a seamed style...

It was a good first attempt. If I wasn't under (past due) deadline, I'd probably rip this out and redo it. In fact, I had ripped out and reknit the short rows that I worked initially. This isn't bad, but it could be better.

If I were to make another, I would rethink the top. But for now, it's done. And hopefully I'll get it in the mail this week. Presuming the mail is still delivered, it should get to niece in a couple days.

As I'll be home all week, the blog will be here like normal. I worked last week, so I still have some subbing stories. My "what if?" for tomorrow was written back in January. And if there was anything anyone wanted custom knit through my Etsy shop, let me know. I suddenly have a bit of time on my hands.

The Gray Behemoth, End

So, yes, I finished it...

And I'm still learning my camera, so the pictures could be better.

It's about bed-sized...

And in case you're curious, the back side looks like the back side of stockinette stitch...

I finished it up last Monday. Now it's just a matter of getting it to my niece.

Hey, it's only 20 pounds. Not too bad.

Finally, I had to pose with it, just to give you an idea of how big it is...

And now I can go back to focusing on my other projects.

Middle nephew (one of niece's little brothers) is raising money for the American Heart Association. If any of you are so inclined, he would be most grateful for your help. (This link will take you to his page.)

The Gray Behemoth

Because knitting takes time and effort, and because I don't want to become one of those aunts (the kind that gift things the kiddos hate), I'm establishing a request system for gifts. That is, I ask the kiddos what they want, and then that's what I make.

Niece asked for one of those large knit blankets for Christmas.

Yes, I know it's January. But, I'm still finishing up two scarves from Christmas 2017, so I'm not that far behind.

I already explained some of this when I showed off the yarn for this beast...

I even went and bought three more skeins. Turned out these six weren't quite enough.

I finally got around to starting the project. I have knit all six of those skeins, plus a seventh.

(Niece requested a blanket 75 inches by 90 inches. The six skeins got me to a length of 56 inches. That'll stretch, but not quite enough. Yes, this is huge.

So, I'll let niece know that this blanket is: Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, Congratulations on your Graduation, and Happy Birthday. She never told me what she wanted for her birthday last year. She graduates from high school this year. And suddenly I'm caught up gifting for her. Yea!)

It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the thing. I played with the yarn a few times before devoting a whole day (January 1st) to just doing it. I discovered that I don't like knitting on my arms. I almost broke and bought needles to use. It turned out that one crochet hook was all I needed to figure out the tension.

This was the first attempt to cast on. Too many stitches. Too tight. I eventually loosened it up again, but I ripped this out at least three times before I got it going.

Above is just about one skein in. (Keep in mind that the width is about 70 inches--just a bit under.) You can kind of see the crochet hook I used to get thing started, plus the amount of that first skein left. Alas, my camera was being difficult with the focusing (and my phone camera isn't uploading to my computer), so the pictures aren't ideal.

Once I got into a rhythm, I discovered that I really liked knitting off my fingers. It turns out my thumbs are just about the right size for the stitches, so I used them to measure stitches.

At two skeins, the blanket looked like this...

I used my TV remote for a bit of scale. At about three skeins it looked like...

Finishing up a skein took me about an hour, depending. It was shorter when the TV was off, but that got boring quickly.

I'm not sure if the above photo is of five or six skeins. At some point I lost track. I only got four skeins knit that first day. (It wasn't the whole day. I had to switch over to another project, and then it was night.)

As of the writing of this post, I had completed knitting seven skeins. This picture is of six skeins knit plus the seventh skein I was about to start...

Yes, it's huge. And warm. And heavy.

It's kind of a fun project, now that I'm into it. I wouldn't mind making these as throw blankets or lap blankets. And I totally get why they're so expensive to buy. (I could totally justify charging $400 for this particular blanket. And that's what they're going for.)

Will I make them for my shop? Maybe. I'm more likely to do one if specifically requested to do so. (I would charge at least $100 for one, but likely more depending on how many skeins of yarn are required.)

I should have finished photos for next week, depending. It'll be a challenge to figure out how to get a good picture of it. Staging and such. I only have two more skeins to go, so it'll be finished.

(And as for my cold, it's pretty much gone now. Thanks for all the well wishes.)