Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Pikmin, Ni No Kuni and FO's

I've finished A LOT this time around. Some FO(finished object)s are great, while some are a little iffy. I've divided it up into sections(as you can see lol).

Amigurumi

Epona from the Legend of Zelda game series. I have done a Version 1 quite some time ago and recently added the 'nose holes' aka nostrils. The head was rather large and my colorwork was not the best, in response to that i have Version 2. The color scheme was changed up a little, i skipped a few rows in the pattern when making the head overall getting something more proportioned. The colorwork is an improvement i think, and the nostrils look a lot better on this version. Will i add the saddle? I think yes... The pattern came from this awesome book, check it out! - Amigurumi Toy Box by Ana Paula Rimoli.

I've also decided to make something based on a game i have beat(completed) whenever the occasion arises. In this case, Ni No Kuni just happened to be it. Did i love it? Actually yes, very much so. I chose to make 'Mite' since he's the first familiar/creature the main character gets to join his party on his way to defeat evil. This pattern was made up on the fly. It's not perfect but i did take notes, so will revise and have it available in the future. 

Cowls, Hats & Misc
My first cowl came from a hat that was just too big and i wasn't ready to rip out all my work. By now i know my gauge is pretty off being such a loose knitter and all... this just confirmed it. So, i did some seed stitch, some 3x3 ribbing and some more seed stitch. The hat pattern it was meant to be - Seed Slouch Hat - is a free pattern i found via Rav(elry). I did end up knitting the actual pattern with smaller needles and a thinner yarn which gave me a wearable item.

The baby hat was also from a free set of patterns also found on Rav - Two Lace Baby Hats. Too adorable, love the results and it was a pretty quick knit. With that, i'll pair the baby blanket which is a simple granny square stripe made with some I Love This Yarn and Mid Green and Gray Mist. It's pretty small as it's preemie size, it will be going to Kim in a few weeks.

The two other cowls are pretty similar. The first i made was to use up some scrap yarn and is also a tight cowl which should fit snugly around your neck(my neck, 'cause i'm keeping this one). It's simple ribbing with a few cable twists thrown in. The second cowl was made with the super-wash i dyed in green and black. I'm still trying to decide if i like this color or i'll be over-dying it....probably the lather. It's a similar ribbing with a few cables, and yes, i'm also keeping this one. It's the softest to date and actually my first time making something with my hand-dyed.

The purple vest is also finally complete! I had to order some more yarn but it was well worth it... It will be getting much use this fall/winter for sure; It's an awesome layering piece. The pattern came from Contemporary Crochet. To date that's my most used book of patterns, and still have a handful i want to make. My top was a little short so opted to add a ribbed border at the bottom until it was my preferred length...worked like a charm. 

Spinning
I finished spinning the green/brown/black fiber which came
out to be 74 yards/1.8 oz with the weight falling somewhere between an aran & chunky. The purple/yellow fiber i dyed earlier on was 4 oz and gave me 273 yards of a dk/fingering weight. It's not all that evenly spun so if have worsted or even chunky bits in there, it wouldn't surprise me. I'm now working on some red/pink fiber which is really a WIP(work in progress)...

WIPS
Pikmin tunisian crochet pillow...i'm so close to being done with this. It falls under my finished/completed games this year(Pikmin 3) which was a pretty quick yet fun game. I think next time i use this chart, i will have a different color pallet. 

The only other project is a rectangle shawl, also a free pattern all though this one's from the Michael's website. It was written for their Loops and Threads Impeccable yarn which i happen to be using in a purple hue. I'm treating this one as a long term project to sort of tie me over in between other projects...lol.



Thursday, October 9, 2014

Project Updates!

I've been lagging behind on writing blogs recently, so this kind of update was inevitable. This blog is born from laziness! Sooner or later it was time, and so here it is.

My last Cast-Off update was on Sept. 3, and since then i've decided to update every 2 weeks or so. Around every 15th and at the end/beginning of the next month sounds about right. So, only missed 2 updates here, not too shabby. No pics for this one either, since i didn't take any when i made the vids, i'm not going to try and collect all this stuff to snap a few so long after the fact. Live and learn. 

Cast-Off #69 - 9/15

FO's(finished objects):
  • I completed the baby vest from the Noro Kids book. I would not make it again, too many ends to seam in for such a tiny thing. Not worth it imo...sorry babies. 
  • I dyed some yarn in a long transitioning colorway. I plan to use it/make something and re-dye it once complete as i wasn't all too happy with the colors. 
  • Finished spinning up the 4oz of fiber i had dyed..finally...phew! 
  • The project for my swap was completed, which was a cute Snow White (tree)ornament. Unfortunately i only had a pic since i had to ship out this project. 

WIP's(works in progress):
  • Purple top/vest from Contemporary Crochet book. So close to being done.
  • Blue & White shawl, a free pattern via Ravelry - the Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief.



Cast-Off #70 ~ 9/30

FO's:
  • I got the chance to test out the pattern for a pretty cute crochet hat, which i made 2 of. My first was a fail(my gauge and yarn choice probably, wasn't correct). It's a free pattern, find the link in my video description! 
  • 2 Baby blankets! Awesome stash buster.
  • Blue & White shawl, finally complete! Info in the previous vid update above.
  • Tunisian Crochet Goat panel is done...and sooo cute! Although the project is not officially 'complete' (i still have to put the pillow together), the crochet part totally is so i'm letting this one slip by :P. This is for a knit/crochet along by SmellGreatGuy, find more info in my vid description.
  • The 4oz fiber i spun last time has been plied!! Took too long for my liking, but it's done. And it's awesome. 

WIP's:
  • Spinning some green/black/brown fiber on my giant spindle(which i made myself, heh). It's made with a clock face!
  • Working on a cowl with that long-transitioning colorway yarn.