283 Projects

283projects @SXSW

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:15:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the lovely city of Austin, Texas for the SXSW Interactive and Film Festival. Really I was just along for the ride, Eli was speaking on a panel and we decided to make a vacation of it. I even got 283projects business cards made! Check it out!

AND, like I always do before a trip, I spent an unreasonable amount of time thinking about what new knitting project I should bring.

After much inner searching, I decided it was about time I knit a Whippoorwill.

The set up rows of this project made me crazy. I was ready to throw the whole thing out the window. That, plus the fact that her explanations of the different yarn over techniques is long-winded and as far as I can tell, incorrectly labeled. It seems like she is asking you to do sort of a half-double yarn-over on the purl side, and of course make adjustments for going from K to P and from P to K. I have been doing "regular" Yo's on the knit side, so hopefully this will not be a problem.

In any case, once I figured out what I was supposed to do and got through my set up rows I was very happy with my progress. The nice thing about this project is that you don't really need to worry about finishing a row before you stop knitting. I can just tuck it in my bag and pick it right back up and have no trouble at all figuring out where I am in the pattern.

As you can see, I am still working on it. I just started in on the eyelet edging in my contrast color. I had dropped a stitch during the first row of this section (yup....had to frog back like 400 stitches....*le sigh*) and so that slowed me down quite a bit.

The yarn I'm using is Mini Moochi in Blueberry Pancake, something I've had stashed away for quite some time. I picked it up at the Bay Window in Virginia a few years back and hadn't found the right project for it yet. My contrast color, which you can just make out in the following image, is Filatura Di Crosa Alpaca in a deep red color.

Two stitch garter stitch edging visible here....

In between the knitting, we did awesome stuff like have this picture taken.

Amazing, right!? Did you know Space Camp is for adults now too!?

Ya, and of course, we saw some panels, got some free stuff, saw some bats and stuffed our faces. Thanks Austin, you're a great town!

Snow Day Legwarmers

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:28:00 +0000

These super cute, extra cozy legwarmers are knit up in Morehouse Merino Merino Bulky yarn (which is really an extra bulky weight). They are of my own design and the pattern is available as a free Ravelry download! You can also download the PDF here: Snow Day Legwarmers.

Harley likes to help me model things.

Yup, thats a Harley butt.

I'm really pleased with these legwarmers. They were so quick to knit (about a day) and a extraordinarily warm! I actually haven't worn them outside yet because it has been so unseasonably warm in New York recently, but I am looking forward to it!

Backstrap Weaving, Take 1.

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Last weekend I took a great Guatemalan Backstrap weaving class at Weaving Hand in Brooklyn. It was an intro class, so we made little sampler belts. I used three different colors of sport-ish weight velour yarn, one of which is variegated. I had a lot of fun making it, and learned enough new stuff to get me excited about weaving again. Yay!

Here it is wrapped around my drill (I was making some DIY heddles...with limited success...)

And here I am modeling it! Yay! Ready for a night out at The Castello Plan!

Chic Knitted Turbans

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:39:00 +0000

The last time I was at the Brooklyn General Store I picked up this great new book, Knitting Vintage by Claire Montgomerie (using my Groupon, no less!). This little gem has a bunch of cute and sometimes goofy (condiser the looped jacket on the cover, which I really wanna make...) patterns, including one for a knitted turban.

I decided to knit up one for myself and one for my coworker Olivia, who had taken care of my puppy over Christmas. The pattern itself is very simple, it's basically a loop of ribbed fabric folded over and twisted, but I ended up making a few changes to it. First I made the band more narrow than it called for. Other peoples' versions on Ravelry just seemed too big (wide), and on closer inspection, so did the picture in the book. Secondly I used a provisional cast on and a three needle bond off to connect the ends instead of just sewing a seam. And lastly, I decided not to secure the knot with any tacking stitches. I like the option to loop it around my neck when I'm not wearing it on my head.

All in all I think they turned out great! And despite being made of cotton (Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima, Jeremy @Purl's suggestion as the best sport weight with a sheen) it is very toasty warm. This project took way less than one skein, so it's a perfect stash buster. Or a perfect reason to buy one skein of whatever super fancy yarn you've been eyeing...

Et voilà...

These amazing photos were taken in my amazing bathroom. That wallpaper is great, right?!

Here are a few of Olivia modeling in her turban at Thompson Alchemists.

She was really happy with it.

And here is one last pic of Miss Esther lookin' cute modeling mine for good measure.

Babies who appreciate my knitting include...

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:01:00 +0000

This one!

And this one!

Hooray for kitty hats! And stripey overalls! Read more about them here.

Wrapping up 2011, looking forward to 2012.

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:35:00 +0000

Once again its time to take a look at what I've accomplished in the last year and set some goals for the new one.

Sadly, looking back on last year's goals, I realize how few I managed to meet.... This is especially sad since I did so well with my 2010 goals! But, frankly I'm going to cut myself a little slack since a whole lot of my lack of productivity can be blamed on Harley, my wonderful wonderful pup who came into my life in June. He is a joy, but also a spare-time-destroyer, which affects my knitting/blogging. In 2010 I managed to churn out 25+ projects, 2011 came to a close at only about 15, and my blog with similarly fewer posts. BUT. I will not let this setback get me down! 2012 is going to be my best year yet! Here are my goals:

1) Finish a sweater. I have a few half knit sweaters lying around. At least one must be completed!
2) Build a website. This was a goal from last year! Perhaps a certain someone will help me out and build me one (or help me build one) for Valentines Day. :)
3) Knit another original design and publish it. My Tinsel & Garlands pattern is available for sale, and in a few queues on Ravelry, but so far, nobody has bought it.
4) Knit away at my stash! I really need to stop buying yarn.
5) Blog at least twice a month. I had 30 posts in 2010 and only 19 in 2011! What's up with that?!
6) Actually begin knitting swatches for the Master's Program. Yup. Never started it. *sigh*

Happy New Year everyone! May it be happy and productive!

Christmas Knitting 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Christmas this year was filled with little knits. For my Starbucks obsessed cousin a coffee cozy (and a gift card inside...), for my Eli warm and woolly socks, and for all the little ones Candy Cane Ponies!

The cozy was knit on the fly with some left over yarn from Gary's hat. I knit it in a 2x2 spiral rib pattern with a few rows of plain ribbing at the bottom and some stockinette at the top to make a curled edge. Super quick to knit up and a very satisfying little gift.

Eli's socks, I think, turned out great! The pattern is from the Purl Bee, Men's Socks for Giving Away.

These were also super quick to knit, and amazingly, he was totally surprised! They are slightly too big, but we havent decided if something should be done about it, I may end up unraveling the toe a bit.

And then, the ponies....

Boy were these fun to make! And sooooo cute! I used various scrap yarns in sport thru aran weights.

Here are some happy cousins, Christmas morn, showing off their ponies.

Peachy Slouchy Gansey Legwarmers

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:01:00 +0000

As soon as I picked up the newest Interweave Knits Weekend, I knew I had to make the Gansey Legwarmers by Courtney Kelley. I headed over to Knit-A-Way, chose a burnt orange alpaca blend (Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light) and cast on! They actually took me a long time to knit, but then again, I figure they are almost the size of two pairs of socks! So maybe I'm not that slow after all. In any case, they turned out wonderfully and I can't wait to wear them!

The dog was feeling photogenic this morning (i.e. wouldn't get out of the way) so any white fuzzy stuff you see is a little bit of Harley.

And in the picture above, he is not in motion, just highlighting a blurry spot on my lens (dog nose juice...I cleaned it after this shot).

Also, if you are interested in my coordinating toenail polish, it's Essie Alligator Purse, available at Thompson Chemists/Alchemists.

Silken Mittens for Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:12:00 +0000

After a relatively unproductive summer, I hit the ground running for Fall. And then stalled. This past weekend I completed a pair of mittens (Celtic Moonrise Mitts in Alchemy Kosmos) that had intended to make 2+ years ago. I knitted all but one thumb back before I began Esther's hat, but somehow couldn't bring myself to pick them up again until now. Boy do I need them too! Just in time for the first real cold snap.

My wonderful fairisle mittens (Vintage pattern, some kind of Rowan tweed wool) that I made back in 2005 were on their last legs even then, and last year at the end of the season I punched a hole right through the front of them in a rather irreparable manner (both thumbs had been repaired on several occasions...).

I will miss them though! This is me making them, back at 283, many many moons ago. :)

Here are the new mittens:

The Alchemy Kosmos yarn is so soft and delicious. And while it's kind of a pain to have to undo anything, its not nearly as bad as Haiku that I was knitting a Citron out of. I feel like I might lose all the yarn I have in the project already because its nigh impossible to unravel because of the stickiness of the mohair.

It felt really good to be able to start and complete a project in a week or so, although I was dissapointed in myself for leaving the finishing for so long. But it's gotten me back into the swing of things. I'm still not sure I'm ready to get back into my larger projects that have been lying about (Raggedy Raglan etc) but hopefully soon! I need to be more disciplined again about having a "home" (read:complex or large) project and a "travel" (small/easy) project at all times because as you, reader, probably well know, the initial planning/start up of a new project can quite be energy intensive even if the project itself is a simple one.

I made just a few changes to the pattern. For starters I made them a lot smaller to fit my tiny hands. I used a size 3 needle for the cuff and a 6 for the rest. I also added a thumb gusset by following GinRose's instructions on ravelry, with some adjustments. I also continued to cable the center even after I had begin the decreases so that I finished with the same row I began with. I think it really turned out nicely. And a three-needle bind off for the top (why not? who wants kitchiner stitch anyway???)

Somewhat slouchy hat for Esther!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:47:00 +0000

Impressed (and somewhat jealous) of the hat I made our boss earlier in the season, Esther decided she had to have an Emily-made hat for herself! After I convinced her to choose something other than the same pattern I used for Gary, we came up with this slightly slouchy look for her. The pattern is katherine by Erin Archer (available for free on her blog). I sent Esther to Purl Soho to choose her own yarn and was so thrilled with what she chose. Firstly, the color is magnificent. The blue/purple is so rich and has so much depth to it! Secondly, its cashmere(!!!) and was soooo lovely to knit. It is called Anzula For Better or Worsted and the color is Periwinkle. Only one skein was needed.

She's so excited!

PS: If you don't actually know me, and your curious about what I do for a living, check out our website, blog, facebook and twitter! Or just stop in!

Kitty Hats for all! (Plus some stripes!)

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:38:00 +0000

How could I possibly resist making more of these adorable Kitty Hats! This time though, I knit them in the round and used a three needle bind off on the crown. Muy simple!

The orange one I made with size 9 needles for Baby Ryan, just in time for his first birthday!

The blue hat is for Baby Jackson, in a smaller size, just in time to celebrate his birth!

Jackson also got a pair of overalls...knit from the odds and ends of the Morehouse Merino yarn I used in the hats. I just love that yarn sooo much I needed to keep knitting with it!

Photos of happy babies in their outfits to follow shortly!

Tinsel & Garlands pattern now on sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:07:00 +0000

Its been almost a year since I promised you, dear reader, that the Tinsel & Garlands pattern (blogged about as "Meg's Mountain Mitts") would be available for sale. I do apologize for the delay, but now its available! Hooray!

I have also created an email just for the knitting/blogging so feel free to contact me at 283projects@gmail.com

Tinsel & Garlands

Easy, fun and quick to knit these fingerless gloves feature a long fairisle cuff with garter stitch edges. The simple peasant thumb makes them interchangeable left and right.

Materials:

Approximately 140 yards Worsted Weight wool in MC and 25 yards CC.

One set US size 5 dpns or size needed to obtain gauge

Stitch marker

Stitch holder/waste yarn

Gauge: 20 st by 27 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Fuzzy Rainbow Cowl

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:58:00 +0000

Just realized I had never posted this and I made it last year! Enjoy!

The yarn is Three Irish Girls Vive Alpaca Silk in Aurora, a club colorway. Pattern is Drooping Elm Cowl by Doggrell Designs.

Warm Hat for Bald Man

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 12:53:00 +0000

The aforementioned TOP SECRET project is complete! I made a fun cabled hat for my boss who was already beginning to feel the effect of Fall weather on his newly shaven head. The pattern is Knotty but Nice, the yarn Three Irish Girls Springvale Super Merino in Smoke and Mirrors (a club colorway).

I really like the way it turned out. Ever since I got this yarn I knew I had to make him something. The only problem is that the cabled section is really very very inelastic and quite tight. I'm not sure how I would remedy this if I made it again. I'm hoping it will just stretch a bit with wear because right now there is a noticeable difference when you put it on. I also think I would use magic loop if I were to make it again as I found it to be slightly too small for the recommended 16 inch circs.

Another summer goes by with no blogs....

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:09:00 +0000

You may have noticed that it has been quite some time since my last blog....

What can I say...my knitting fell by the wayside for a little bit. I'm not sure how it started actually, but I do know that the nail in the coffin was this little guy, who became a part of my family on June 19th:

And so, instead of knitting before/after work, I spend my time out on walks and snuggling the dog.

BUT, I have resolved to get back on track, and I do have a new (top-secret) project I'm working on. Should be ready in just a few more days, but I may wait to gift it (and blog about it) when the weather is a little cooler. Here's the yarn I'm using. Its from the Stash Menagerie club.

I promise more (interesting) blogs soon! Thanks for reading!

Oh why did I buy all that variegated yarn!?

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 20 May 2011 13:00:00 +0000

If you're like me, you probably have way more variegated yarn that you need. They just look so nice on the shelf! But, when knit up, variegated or multicolored yarns are prone to obscuring complex patterning. Try using a pattern with short rows and/or simple horizontal textures. My Silk Ruffle Scarf is a great example. The short-rows make more fun to knit and cooler looking, while the use of garter stitch, the most basic of all stitches, allows the yarn to be the center of focus. Also, I find that the use of texture eliminates the bad kind of pooling from my knitting, simply because it makes it less noticeable.

This week I've been working on a pair of socks in some Cherry Tree Hill Super Sock Potluck Yarn. I really liked Emily B. Miller's Crosswalker socks, but the yarn I wanted to use is more patchy than stripy so I designed a mitered sock with a simple eyelet pattern between rows of purl stitches. I find that adding the purl rows shows off the true variety of color in this yarn.

Here are some pics. Pattern to follow in a few weeks.

Naughty, naughty Purl...

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Naughty naughty Purl Soho, displaying their sale yarn with each colorway in a ziploc bag, ready to grab and go!

:-/

Now I have so much yarn!

Because I couldn't possibly have broken up the set...

*Sigh*

Cherry Blossom Socks! Just in time for a sunny day!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:53:00 +0000

I finished these last night and can't wait to wear them!

Also, just a note on the pattern. Because I used fewer stitches than the original I had to adjust the ribbing pattern as well. Starting with the first decrease stitch I used a pattern of K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2. This way the first 3 "K1"s follow the line of the stitches before, between and after the yarnovers and the "P1" stitches are over the yarnovers. Here's a photo.

And here are two pics of me modeling them. :)

Now the question of the day is what do I knit next?!

Isla's Kitty Cat Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 15:45:00 +0000

This hat design is just the cutest thing I ever did see. It was the thing that made me buy the book, Chic Knits for Stylish Babies. BUT. And its a big BUT. This pattern is really poorly written. Let me count the ways:

1) There is no weight listed for the yarn. It simply says "any chenille yarn." Looking at the other projects in this collection and the fact that it was meant to be knit on a US8 I figured it was a worsted. Wrong. If I had looked closer I would see that its basically 3 stitches to the inch. :-/

I ended up using US9s at about 4.5 st to the inch because I wanted it to fit a younger baby anyway.

2) It is unclear whether it is knit flat or knit in the round. I had to go on Ravelry to be sure of this.

3) One of the reasons this is not clear is because there is no diagram for what the finished piece should look like pre-sewing up or how the edges should be sewn together.

4) There is an error in the "ear" instructions. They say to decrease one stitch at the end of each alternating row, but it should read EVERY row.

Well, obviously I figured it out, right? But its pretty annoying. I paid good money for those instructions!

Now back to how friggin' cute it is...

The yarn is Morehouse Farm Merino 3-Strand. Very very soft and beautiful bright colors!

As you can see there is a seam at the back. I hate seams so when I make another one (which I will! Like I said I love the design; hate the pattern...) I'll knit it in the round. I'm not sure if this will cause the edges to curl more so I may need to add a ribbed border.

Cuteness!

This little hat was made for the newborn daughter of some customers of mine at Thompson Chemists. She may or may not be born yet as of this morning, she's been slow to arrive. :)

I decided to make it because, as much as I love all the little baby boys in my life, I desperately wanted to knit something for a girl! So, thank you Isla! I hope you love it! (And Mom and Dad too!)

Welcome March, Welcome Cherry Blossoms!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:03:00 +0000

With the Cherry Blossom festival just a few weeks away, I've been working on some festive pink and silver socks to welcome the Spring.

The pattern is Anastasia Socks, which is available as a free download on Ravelry. I had a bit of trouble with starting each one. With the right foot my gauge was off, and then even when my gauge was right they were too big. So I started again with only 52 stitches (as opposed to 60) with 9 stitches between each spiral. Now they fit just fine!

But then when I started the left foot I just wasn't paying enough attention. First I used the wrong decrease. Frogged. Then I put the decrease/yo in the wrong order. Frogged. But now all seems to be well. Phew!

The yarn is Yarntini Plum Blossom which I got in a trade from the lovely Halation.

Tartine de Miel with Blueberry Compote (Cowl)

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:47:00 +0000

Two weeks ago during my usual Sunday visit to Brooklyn General Store I fell head-over-heels (needles-over-wallet???) for a bulky super soft hellomello handspun yarn. Here's what I made.

The colors remind me of honey and blueberries. The yarn is 85% wool, 15% mohair, single-ply. I adored knitting with it. If you want to knit with it, you can purchase it on etsy.com or at Brooklyn General Store. :D

The pattern is the "Tuesday Night Cowl," which is available for a free download on Ravelry. I had to use two techniques that were new to me: the crocheted provisional cast-on and a three needle bind off. Very exciting.

Meg's Mountain Mitts (Tinsel & Garlands Prototype)

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:13:00 +0000

The top-secret project is top-secret no more! I designed these fingerless gloves for my Aunt Meg. They feature a long cuff with a simple fairisle pattern, a peasant thumb (meaning theyre completely interchangeable left and right) and garter stitch edging. The thumb is long, better to keep her warm while allowing her to utilize her Blackberry.

Right now I am test knitting this design and should have it available for download on Ravelry very soon. The title of the pattern is Tinsel & Garlands. It will be available in two sizes, a small/medium to fit most women and a large/x-large to fit most men.

Un Chameau! Sur ma chaussette! (Maroc Socks continued...)

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Last night I dragged out ye olde Maroc Socks. I need the needles for another project. But rather than transfer Maroc to waste yarn I decided to try and figure out where I was and continue them.

I was pretty confused by what I saw, and I couldn't find my notes on that section, but I just ran with it, didnt chart anything else and finished it! YAY! I have one Maroc Sock!

I know its difficult to see, but there is a camel on the sole of my foot. :D

Work Shawl at Work!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:06:00 +0000

I took a moment to pose with my work shawl before we closed last night. Its doing a great job of keeping me warm and so far nothing has fallen out of my pockets! I've been wrapping it around my neck so that the pockets fall at about boob level though because when I have it just draped across my back it get in the way in my tiny tiny store.

Work Shawl of Many Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:49:00 +0000

Yes, yes, yes, my work shawl is finally completed!

This shawl, which is huge by the way, was quite an undertaking. The stitch pattern is easy to memorize, but there are endless endless repeats! It was an exercise in patience for me, especially all the sewing in of ends and then the sewing on of the pockets.

Because this shawl is more or less reversible the ends needed to be woven in invisibly. To do this I split each end into two and wove them in opposite directions, some on the "right side" and some on the "wrong side." This doubled the number of ends that needed to be woven in. *sigh*

But the important thing is that I got through it, and even learned a certain zen appreciation for it. And now I have a beautiful beautiful shawl! With pockets!

I also want to say a little something about the pattern, which was a Ravelry download from designer Martha Marques. The stitch pattern is also her own design, something she calls "Fishbone Lace." The alternating rows of knit and purl make it completely reversible.

Martha very kindly helped me out with a few questions I had when working on the pattern and has since updated the pattern to include the "missing" information (i.e. the stuff that confused me). Indeed the interactions I had with her (including, of course, the wonderful things she had to say about my version of the shawl) made this project even more special.

<3 my knitting community.

Be sure to check out her other designs on Ravelry (marthamarques) or on her website: http://www.marthamarques.com/

These photos were taken at 8am this morning at The Farm on Adderley (yup, they do an excellent early breakfast! And they were very nice about my mini photo shoot.) Thanks guys!

And thanks to my Dad for being an excellent (and willing...at 8am) photographer. :D