Lana Grossa

http://www.lanagrossa.com/service/mdm/index.html
This site's free patterns are glorious (the pics are down there). Will I make them? Probably not....maybe...would I love to? Oh yes.

But I need to get started on my mom and sister's birthday presents, because they're both in April. I'm pretty sure they don't read this blog, so I'll tell you what I'm making for them (also so I don't forget). For Laura I'm making a crocheted wall cd holder, from this free pattern here:
http://members.aol.com/cillcrochets/cdwallpock.html

I'm thinking fuzzy white yarn with maybe forget-me-nots embroidered on it. Or bunnies. Or something girly like that. She'll be fifteen (look out, world), but in my head she stopped growing at nine.

I have to find a pattern for a sweater for mom, it has to be hip enough to satisfy me, yet not offend the Mom sensibilities. She's a very conservative dresser, and I'm...well...not.I'm going to check the library for this one. I want it to be a cardigan, preferably slightly fitted, with a lace panel down each side of the front. It will also be fuzzy white. Because that's the only yarn I have enough of, and I have enough of it to make an elephant sweater.

I wish I knew some elephants.

I also added a finished projects gallery button down at the bottom...there's probably some things there I haven't posted. I just sort of threw it together when I was cleaning out my digital camera folder. I know Jimmy the cat and Marlo the Demon Gopher are in there...

Oooooo..*faints* http://www.whiteliesdesigns.com/patterns/lcardigans/139.html

Ooooo I want I want I want...http://www.whiteliesdesigns.com/patterns/lpullovers/110.html

Here's the back.

I made this out of recycled cotton yarn I bought on Ebay. The dear woman frogged all these sweaters and then sold the yarn for 99 cents a sweater lot!

I'm Almost Ashamed

I have so many finished objects that I wonder where I found the time to do it all. I have to admit it's because I end up spending about three hours a week on homework, as opposed to ten on yarn. But I do spend eight hours a day AT school, so presumably some education is osmosing into me. I haven't missed any assignments or classes or anything. So my projects, which I think I will post pictures of as they get finished rather than all at once, start with the Brave New Bra Top from he Interweave Knits Crochet issue, which bears the stigmata of being the only pattern I've ever actually bought. Wow. And, ironically, it is also a pattern I wouldn't recommend to anyone who doesn't already design clothing for a living (in which case you could make something more glorious anyway, so why bother?). This thing looks so smooth and cute in the picture, but when I finished it and put it on, it looked like I
stored about six walnuts in each bra cup for kicks. Lumpy? I looked deformed. The elephant boobitis syndrome. SO I sewed a dart up the middle of each cup. I haven't tried it on yet, but I really hope it helps...it was a lot of work, and I think a lot more difficult than it had to be. It was like the designer went to any lengths to avoid cutting and reattaching yarn, and sometimes you just have to break down and do that.

I'm also doing the Hug Shrug from Magknits, and I was absolutely stumped on my first two tries--I know how to do ribbing, and it wasn't working with the decreases. So I'm skipping the ribbing, using larger needles, and just doing it in stockinette. I'm using brown brushed acrylic, which I got a huge bag of from Ebay for $7. Mixed colors and I can pretend it's wool! I can if I want!*wipes tear*

Moulin Rouge corset: Almost done. Like four rows of crochet shells away. So that pattern I will put up as soon as I'm done, and it will be my very first knit crochet combo.
On that note, are all you crocheters mad at me for defecting to knitting? =) Hardly anyone comments any more. I swear I still like crocheting better! It's just that I had so many crocheted toys around that I wanted to try something else, and after long searching decided that crochet just isn't the best for clothing, because it doesn't stretch. So I'm just using knitting to make clothes.

My next big idea is actually going to be crochet--I want to try shrines. A pair of them, Fire and Water. I want to use all my Red Heart and free form to make them, and the Fire one will have my clay sculpture of Ganesha in it, (although I want to try crocheting him too)a sun, dandelions and books. The Water one will have a tree on each side of it, and a crocheted dryad inside.

I was sketching out my ideas for all this in Environmental biology this morning, because the teacher was talking about population and it was really getting to me. She said that if the human population continues to grow at the rate it is now, in 35 years the earth will have more people on it than it can actually support with its resources.So what are we supposed to do about that? Be like China and tell people they can't have families? Euthanasia? There doesn't seem to be a
solution here, at least not one I can accept. I felt like I had to do something to reaffirm that every human being is valuable and deserves a chance to exist...and the shrines will do that. Somehow. I can't explain it. Art for art's sake, I guess.
If anyone's reading this, (and I know you are) please tell what you think about this. It's really bothering me.

On a more cheerful subject, my brother made me a web button, so if you want to link to me, you can use it! It's at the bottom of the page..and that's a lucky cat in the corner, if you can't tell. It's so small, it's a little fuzzy.

Le Patternle, with Flapperjakk's blessing

This is based on Kristin's (Flapperjakk) knitted hat, which you can see both on Craftster: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=23248.new#new

And on her blog, i heart wool and sharp pointy sticks, which is down there in my links. Isn't she an amazing designer?

Here's my wimpy easy crochet one. =)

Ingredients:
I used brushed acrylic baby yarn. 1 skein Main color and a little white.
Black ribbon
G hook

1. Ch 3, join to form a ring.
2. Ch 3, 11 dc in ring, join.
3. Ch 3, ( counts as first dc now and forever) 2 dc in each dc. Join.
4. Ch 3, dc in same sp, fpdc (front post double crochet) in next dc, 2 dc in next dc. Continue around: 2 dc, fpdc, 2 dc. Join.
5. Ch 3, 2 dc in next, fpdc in fpdc,1 dc in next. Continue around: 2 dc, fpdc, 1 dc. Join.
6.Ch 3, dc in next, fpdc, 2 dc in next. Continue: dc in next 2, fpdc, 2 dc in next. Join.
7. Ch 3, dc in next 2, fpdc, 2 dc in next. Continue: dc in next 3, fpdc, 2 dc in next. Join.
8. Ch 3, do a round even in dc, fpdc in each fpdc. Join.
9-11. Repeat 8.
12. Sc in next stitch, dc in next. Repeat around. Join.
13. Dc in first sc, sc in next dc. Continue: sc in every dc, dc in every sc. Join. End off main color.
14. Attach white, *ch 3, skip one stitch, sc in next four stitches* around. Join.
15. Slip stitch into next ch 3 space, *3 sc in space. Ch 4, 3 sc in next space.* around. Join.
16. Starting at first sc of a 3 sc group, *ch 3, 4 sc in ch 4 space.* around. Join.
17. 3 sc in ch 3 sp, sc in first sc of 4 sc group, decrease over next two sc, sc in next sc. Go around even in sc except do the decrease in the 4 sc group every third group. End off white.
18. Join main color. Repeat rounds 12-13 until brim is as long as you'd like- I did 3 rows. End off.

Then thread a ribbon through the big eyelets and enjoy!

Ditto.

My crochet version of Flapperjakk's hat..the Gwennabe Zim.

Remember Belle Epoque? Here's the sewn copy...from a $1.50 Simplicity pattern and two XL black thrift store t-shirts.

stitch markers I made by threading beads onto twist-ties.

hunka hunka burnin' scarf

Bag for carrying yarn projects. It is made of red canvas and I designed the kitty myself.

Look at me, being a blogger.

You scored as Sadistic Humour. Congratulations, you scored Sadistic Humour. You find the little things in life to be funny, and have a great sense of humour, whether it's stupid or dark. You're probably young, and older people don't understand why it's all so fucking hillarious. Either way, check out: Clerks, Mallrats, Napoleon Dynamite, Wayne's World. Sadistic Humour 100% Artistic 90% Mindfuck 75% Romantic Comedy 70% Drama/Suspense 45% Sci-Fi/Fantasy 40% Mindless Action Flick 0% Movie Recommendation. created with QuizFarm.com

I tell you what, I never would have guessed I had a sadistic sense of humor. And I hated Wayne's World. I guess I just don't know myself at all....

Now I just need to post some pictures of my hamster......and then back to our regularly scheduled yarn content.

The Corset

Thus far, I've got this:
I'm using size 13 needles and the poncho yarn, which is probably comparable to a medium bulky soft spun wool.

Cast on 78 on this order:

(14 stitches,stitch marker, 2 stitches, stitch marker)4 times, then cast on 14 stitches.

Knit three rows. (This was a mistake on my part regarding ribbing, but I'm turning it into part of the pattern because with the party in eight days, I cannot be frogging. And it kind of looks ruffly.)

Next row: Knit 14 stitches, purl the two inside the markers. Repeat til the end of the row.
Next row: Purl 14 stitches, knit the two inside the markers. Repeat til the end of the row.

This will go on for six inches or so, creating the ribs of the corset. I'm tentatively poking the idea of shaping the waist, not sure if I'm brave enough.
Anyway it's a corset, it will be laced to body shape...and I don't want a REAL rib squeezer, I have to be comfy at parties because I hate them. I'm only going because, well, it's a costume party and I'm a sucker for dressing up. And Moulin Rouge, too. I can't resist.

The top of the corset will be crocheted, crocheters, so I'm hoping it will inspire you to be brave and try knitting! This top will be classy enough for everyday wear, I'm hoping. I know it will be beautiful.

MM

Like this, but black.

Voulez Vous Crochet Avec Moi

Black scarf: My first knitting project and what my honey got for Valentine's Day- I ripped out a very soft poncho from JCPenney to make it. It's a 2/2 ribbing thing...you know, knit knit purl purl. I got a load of loot from Pier One,a Ravi Shankar cd, and a dozen of the scarlet lovelies. Am I happy? Oh yes.
I also made him a bag to protect his sheet music (he's a classical guitar/music therapy major) and embroidered his initials on it, and bought him all the calorie-laden candy he won't buy for himself.

Corset: I just got invited to a Moulin Rouge costume party-in TEN DAYS. Whether I go or not will depend on whether I can recreate this corset from somewhere in my head or not. It's a knitting pattern, and I think I should stick to that, because of stretch issues. I'm thinking black with red chenille on top in a lacy crochet pattern.

One that note:
Debbie Stoller is my hero!!!! Have you heard? Of course you have. StitchnBitch Crochet is in the works and she's calling for designers to submit....so I packed off everything I had and am checking my email every fifteen minutes.

On a non-yarn note-( rarer and rarer these days) two of my professors have told me I'm destined to teach middle school. Who am I to argue with destiny? I may have to become dependent on caffeine pills to cooperate, however.

A Beautiful Swatch

I did it! I decided to give knitting one more try with some orange cotton yarn I just got in a swap; and just like in the StitchnBitch book, it was suddenly clear and easy. I have a little swatch of 1/1 ribbing, I can increase, decrease, knit and purl. This is very good, because if it's true that crochet uses up more yarn than knit,I was going to be running out of yarn every other week. It also opens up a whole new world of patterns. My first two projects will be:

http://www.thesmartyarns.com/patterns/Nov00/catpillow.html


http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=1338


And these lovely rabbits, which is a pattern for sale, but looks too difficult for me now; so I might try to make a crochet version.



http://www.purplekittyyarns.com/browseproducts/Bunnies.HTML

I swore I'd never, ever make a potholder. Ever. Then I got a new apartment and I......need potholders.....and it would be against my morals to buy what I could make myself.....so here are the ones I'm going to design:

Sunshine

Cat

Goldfish

They will all be in happy shades of red and yellow, as un-tacky as it is possible for a potholder to be.

Which isn't very.

American Amigurumi!

Aren't you melting?

Look at this critter. Is he not adorable? I cheated, I didn't want to slog through translating Japanese so I just took a wild guess and copied it from a picture here.

My pattern version is up on the free patterns page.....and the bunny is going with me to school today, as a thank-you gift for Erica, the Japanese girl who translated some other patterns for me. I love multiculturalism. =) I had three Japanese roommates at one time, and they were the sweetest people I've ever known, although this may have been because they didn't know how to be rude in English. Nah, they were really great. I miss them. So this bunny is dedicated to Toshie, Mami, and Megumi-the best housemates ever.

Heeeeeere's froggy!

Amigurumi crochet

I don't know what it is, except that it's in Japanese. But how cute are these. Check out this blog.
http://rohmerohmy.blogspot.com/

This Babelfish translator does an okay job on Japanese pages, but I have a premonition that this is not for the faint of heart. Although these critters look pretty easy anyway.
http://world.altavista.com/

Update: I just saw my Japanese friend Erica, flagged her down, and she translated this seal for me! http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~JI9R-TUKK/seal/int/int01.html
I'm going to work on it today and then post the translated pattern. I'm so happy!!! A free source of translation! However, the translation on rOhme's page is much better.

Flying Froggy Mobile pattern is up on the Free Patterns page!


Mad excess of exclamation points!!!!!!!!