One Geek to Craft Them All

I’ve been told I’m a fast knitter. My reaction is usually a shrug and a I have a very long commute.  But I may just have to take the lightning bolt as my symbol.

In my last post I talked about, getting the yarn and picking a pattern for a friend’s baby blanket. Well that blanket is done. And I keep wondering how that is possible. Yes it was a simple pattern but it was still miles and miles of ST and I have a job.

It kinda makes me wish I took daily growth pics.  I know I didn’t work on it every day, or even for the same amount of time daily but it’s done.

t kinda makes me wish I took daily growth pics.  I know I didn’t work on it every day, or even for the same amount of time daily but it’s done.

One complete baby blanket waiting for a good soak to be be then shipped off to its new blankety life in FL.

And there it is with a mass market paperback for size comparisons. Now to start planning for the Tour de Fleece, the Ravelympics (whatever they are called now) and month 2 of Nerd Wars T5.

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Knitting baby, blanket, FOs

This past weekend was a particularly long one. I worked from home Friday, and in between prepping for  a July of DOOOOOooooooommm in work projects, I finished all the spinning from the last post.

Saturday I had brunch with a pile of friends from High School, one of which I had just found out that Monday is expecting, due to a combination of our schedules clashing repeatedly, pretty much since the year started.  So when I wandered Michael’s to restock on craft tools, I grabbed some Acrylic yarn, because mom is a Doctor, and so is dad, I would not subject her to trying to remember even super-wash care  on a baby item.

Four skeins of almost 300 yards later and I started a baby blanket that night. Using the Constant Baby Blanket as a template  I’ve been knitting away as there are deadlines.  Mom is due sometime in August. And moving to FL in early fall, which means  I should finish this soon. Not even considering when there will be a baby shower.

Sunday rolled around and I head off to a wedding with a different group of friends I’ve know since high school. I have a few of those, I like it.

Me, rocking out in a purple dress which was the same color as the bridal party, again!  And the shawl I’m wearing, Gothic Moss  which worked great for the last wedding when I insanely put it together in a week last July.

I also took Monday off from work expecting to be tired and hungover not realizing when I took the day that the wedding started at Noon. I was home by 7 even with the hour or so drive back to the city.  So I woke up fine, around 10, and went to the craft room.  A bit of organization but mostly I played with things and restocked items. And I finally created a chain for the first of what will be a series of 7 charm bracelets. One for each year at Hogwarts. So first up Year 1.

Six charms per year, and touching on some of the major points of each year.

There are now five sets of the Tardis Markers available that should last a little longer than last time. Why am I even surprised they sold out faster than I can blink?

I finally got the beads I needed for Captain America Stitch markers. And Hawkeye, I just didn’t get a chance to make them, for the archer. Thor still eludes me.

And a surprise for me. But with the Marvel scarf, I guess they were on my mind.  I give you Fantastic Four Earrings.

Quietly geeky I would say.

This weekend is the first I think in three months or so where I don’t have plans. Other than starting the Tour de Fleece.  I plan to live in the craft room, maybe come out for Thai or something. I want to finish the Tardis Flasks  Take 2, and make some more Star Fleet Stitch Markers.

Also I started listening to the knit 1 Geek 2 podcast, and woah.  I was listening to the Avengers episode and ideas! Also just look at that layout on the site? Did you catch everything? I see Wizards, and Hammers, and screwdrivers oh my.

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beads, Etsy, Knitting avengers, baby, blanket, Captain America, Doctor Who, fantastic 4, harry potter

So a fellow Geek knitter took up the call to help and brought the Spidy blanket to block somewhere cat free.

Two things happened, It blocked out HUGE. That is half the conference table at my office. A table that seats 10.  That tiny looking square is my iPhone. I put it on as a cape when it was brought over. So it should last the kid a while right? She’ll be loving her new blanket forever. It will be on that crappy futon in her first apartment after college.

That is the blanket pre-blocking, you may notice that there was webbing on this second photo. It  had to be pulled out and put back on, I hit four spokes on the bus this morning while drinking my latte, and reading A Feast For Crows. So if I focus I will likely be done soon.

Done by Geek Knitting on Thursday? One can hope.

And I finally started and my first project for Nerd Wars.

The 75 yard Malabrigo gloves, left over from T4 Nerd Wars. Added to the pile of someone will get these eventually gifts. Now I have to swatch by Thursday for my Dissertation submission, a beaded lace shawl, Adoro.  All while trying to work out a couple new designs.

Ares and Aphrodite, seem to want to go hand in hand. Perhaps I’ll throw in Hephaestus for a knitted love triangle. We’ll see what comes out. And I really want this Work + Shelter  yarn for Apollo V2.

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Knitting baby, blanket, nerdwars, spiderman

…Spins a web, any size, catches thieves just like flies. 

So I have some friends who are geeks. Shocking I know.  As they have gone off to be fruitful and multiply we agreed there was only one baby blanket for them. Even more so as pastels were vetoed.

The baby blanket pre-blocking, where shall I  be blocking this monster? I have no idea. Extra fun fact? The mother is allergic to cats. Why does this matter?  Oh no reason.

No reason at all. This is going to be interesting, as the rooms I can easily lock her out of don’t have enough room to block…

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Knitting baby, cats, gifts, spiderman

It’s been a while since I updated what I have been up to in the wide world of crafting I live in.

Spinning: 

I’m hoping to get a  fingering yarn once I ply it with some green I have not yet started to spin.

I have also been pondering grabbing some black yarn and creating my first three ply yarn, with green, purple, and black. Seems my mind is on a Clown Prince of Crime. Or you know people who lose control and turn into giant green rage monsters (I’m not excited for the Avengers, not at all).

Crafting: 

I had someone ask me a question on etsy just as I started pondering the same. Why don’t I have any Tardis stitch markers?

And the answer to that is I do now! Also I am a bit in love at how well this picture came out. Sunlight in the still in progress craft office is a wonder.  And while I was working on those I pulled out these beads that once upon a time would have become a pandorica. Instead they became Pandora’s  box.

And of course. Knitting:

I finished my dissertation. At around 10pm on the 30th for Nerd Wars. I have about a dozen things I want to change, From yarn to pattern repeats. But I have the start of a pattern and I shall work from there.  And you know blocking… that does mean I have 2 complete shawls for 2012. 12 in 2012? Not sure yet.

The Spider-man baby blanket has grown a lot. And of course I’m carrying the blanket around in a Spiderman tote bag. What else would I carry it in?

I have joined in Rock & Purl’s sock KAL  and have donated a prize. A set of stitch markers. Now I just have to find more than 1 dpn in the right size and I will even be able to cast on.  Whistles.  Go join!

Also I have cast on Bigger on the Inside  Of course I have. A tardis shawl? Done. The fact that I had the right yarn in my stash is extra amusing. Though there is a chance I will run short as I made gloves from that yarn as well.

I should wander off to find all the other’s knitting this shawl as well, and see how badly I may run out of yarn. But, I had to start this and there was nothing to do but jump in and shout Geronimo!

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beads, Knitting, Spinning baby, beads, blanket, Doctor Who, etsy, nerd wars, shawl, socks, spiderman, stitch markers, Tardis, WIPW, yarn

So I finally finished the Mystery Shawl now called the Belle Haven Shawl  and got it blocked right before I headed out  Sunday afternoon.

Isn’t it pretty? Though it does point out that I may need more blocking mats. To Knit Picks Batman!  The picture below shows a more true to color shot of the yarn, but I may have to see if I can find a time to run outside with it while the weather is in the 80s and take some bright sunny pictures, there are bursts of orange that are my favorite part of the yarn and aren’t really showing up.

This makes shawl 1 of 12 for 12 shawls in 2012, that are actually completed. I have three more on the needles… *whistles. I am nearly done with my Apollo shawl, mark I.

One of the biggest changes I want to make on that is a different yarn. There is nothing wrong with the yarn I am using but the lack of band complicates things.  I also think I want to start the lace sooner.

Since I cast off one project, I started a new one. That’s how it works right?

Spider-man baby blanket.

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Knitting 12shawls2012, baby, FOs, lace, shawl, spiderman