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Mini Mochi Akimbo

This may be my favorite project ever, I loved the yarn, I loved the simplicity of the pattern, and I couldn’t stop taking photos of it.

Here’s how it went down.

Taking a weekend away to drive up to New Hampshire, we stopped in Newburyport for a late breakfast. I pulled out my ‘yarn store finder’ app from the ravelry.com people and discovered I was 43 feet away from a yarn store, A Loom with a View.  Gotta buy something, it’s vacation, right? 43 feet? Hell ya.

So I came out with 2 skeins of Mini-mochi and one of a Madeline Tosh Sock yarn. I took these photos with my iPhone using the white bag they came in as a lightbox, I uploaded them to flickr right away.

In New Hampshire I surfed ravelry and found a lovely triangular shawl someone did with Mini-mochi and figured I’d skip socks this time and try my first shawl. Once I got back home I made my shawl decision, Stephen West’s Akimbo shawl.  I worked with it as the Mini-mochi colors came, and decided I didn’t like it enough. Meh…

So I pulled it all out, down to a nub, and then considered speaking to a therapist.  I cut out all the blue after seeing that there was more orange and pink than blue after looking at the color cards.

Then I went to town on this, keeping the blue aside until I got to the contrasting colors. Eventually I realized I needed to order a 3rd Mini-mochi skein from the store in Newburyport to finish this project… but here’s how it came out. Love, love, love it.

I used this for my March project in the BSGFPB game we have going at ravelry. And it ended up winning me a hand dyed skein from Kesten. (!!) So awesome.

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Daggit Ate Crayons Socks

The yarn for these was dyed by Kaostling and sent to me as part of the Sock Blank Swap on ravelry. Kaostling noticed the Battlestar Galactica bent to my projects since everything I’ve worked on in the past year has been for the BSG Fleet Power Battle game on ravelry… so she named her dyed sock blank “What happens when you feed crayons to a daggit”. The challenge for the dyed sock blank  swap was to use the primary colors.

Since the resulting colorway was somewhat random I looked for a pattern that would have fun color pooling and found this “Rainbow Socks” design from Germany. It lent itself nicely to this yarn, and surfing around looking at other projects I noticed a lot of people are using it for animal stripes  . Fun pattern, the short rows ended up becoming a breeze. I did the pattern toe up, and played with making a differently worked heel. The beauty of these sock blanks is how you can come up with the same color pattern on both socks, the two socks match almost perfectly.

   
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Two Days for Gaeta

I knit up the sock blank that I dyed in 2009, using the middle red and blue one in this photo:

The clever thing with the sock blanks is that there’s two strands of yarn together so however the piece is dyed, both socks end up identical. I snipped the sock blank in the middle and wound it off into the two red halves and the two blue halves. Using the same concept that I used for these socks that I knit before using Noro, except I did leg down and not toe up, figuring the middle mushy red and blue part was more interesting than the plain red and blue stripes that develop as I worked through to the outer edges of the sock blanks, the parts with the more solid colors.

I knit five rows from the red side yarn and then five rows from the blue side yarm, all the way down the sock. Here’s the top part around the leg which came from the center of the sock blank, the idea being that the coloring is more subtle on the part of the sock that tends to show more often.

Working my way down the sock the colors become more pronounces as stripes. I used the blue part to work out the heel (there’s still some dashes of red in the the field of blue over the heel), and finished the toe with alternating one row blue/one row red. I have to say that this whole project was a blast… not only dying the sock blank, but working the yarn interleaved like this to have more fun with the color. Send a note if you’d like more information on this pattern. I don’t think writing it up as a pattern, per se, is worthwhile since the design is coming from the colorwork on a standard sock pattern. But I’d like to hear feedback if anyone else does this sort of thing. It’s over on ravelry as Two Days for Gaeta, done for the BSG FPB game over there. 😉  btw… I should be using a better camera than my iphone for these photos, huh?

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Ascii Santa – from 1994ish

Ascii Santa 1994 by Heather Classen

Drew this ascii art back in the 1900s.

Posted here as pre-formatted text, and as code… work with me wordpress.

    MERRY CHRISTMAS!              __ _ __ ___
          &                  _ __’.:;.:;.:;.:`
     HAPPY NEW YEAR!        _’.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:`
                           ‘.:. , :`,.,`;’/`__ _` _
                          ‘..:;.;’.:,.;.:;      (_)
                        -__ –_-_-_-__—_-)
                       (                    )
    ____               (_- -__-_-__-____-__-)
   /#### /            |  ,~~~’  `~~~.   %@
   |######|             )  ><@>  <@><    %@%
   |#######|            /      /          %@p       
    ######|            ( *   (_c)   * )  % %      .vvvvvvvv.
     |#####|             ‘%@%@%@%@`, %@%@       .vvvvvvvvvv.
     /#####         _ _ d%@ `—-‘ @%@%@ _ _ _.vvvvvvvvvvvvv.
     ~~~~~~~       ‘:;.;%@@%@%@%@%@%@@%p  /.:;.:;vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv.
      `.:;.’     ‘:;.;%@@%@%@@%@%@%@%@ :: ____vvmvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv.
      :.:;.:`   ‘:;.:d%@%@%@%@%@%@@%@%.:;/####/.:;mvvvvvvvvvvvv
      :.:;.:;` ‘;.;;.%@%@@%@%@@%@%@%@p.:;|######|.:;mvvvvvvvvvvvv. 
      :.:;.:;./;.;;.;%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@ ::.’######|.:;mnvvvvvvvvvvvv
      :.:;.:;.|:.;.;.% %@%@%@%@%@% % :  mvv#####|.:;.mnvvvvvvvvvvv
      :.:;.:;/:;.;.:;.q%@%@@%@%@ %p.:;vv%mv|#####.:;.mnvvvvvvvvvv
      :.:;.:;|:;.:;.;;;%@%@@% %.:;.:;.vmnv. ~~~~~~ .:;.|mvvvvvvvvvv.
      :.:;.:/.:;.:;.:;.: o  .:;.:;.:;.vv.:;/.:;.:;.:;.|mnvvvvvvvvv.
       `.:;.|:;.:;;;.:;.    .:;;;;;;;;;;;;;|.:;.:;..:;mnvvvvvvvv.
        `::/:;;;.:;;.:; o  .:;.;;.:;;;.:;.:|.:;.:;.:.:;mnvvvvvnm
           ;.:;;.:;;.:     :;;;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;|mnvvvnm.
           :::;.:;.:;. o  ..:;.:;.:;;;;.;;;;.:;.:;.:;.:|mnvvnm.
           :::;.:;;.:     .:;;;;;;;;.:;.:;;;|.:;.:;.:;./mmvnm.
           ;.:;.:;.;. o   .:;.;.:;;.:;.:;.:;.________/mmmnm.
           :.:;;;.;;;     .:;;.:;.:;;.:;.:;.:;.;.:;;;;`mmnn
            `#######HHOHHH###########################
             #######HHOHHH###########################
            ‘::;;;.;; o  :;;;.:;.:;;.;;;;;;;;;;;.:;.:`  H.Classen 
   MERRY CHRISTMAS!              __ _ __ ___
         &                  _ __’.:;.:;.:;.:`
    HAPPY NEW YEAR!        _’.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:`
                          ‘.:. , :`,.,`;’/`__ _` _
                         ‘..:;.;’.:,.;.:;      (_)
                       -__ –_-_-_-__—_-)
                      (                    )
   ____               (_- -__-_-__-____-__-)
  /#### /            |  ,~~~’  `~~~.   %@
  |######|             )  ><@>  <@><    %@%
  |#######|            /      /          %@p       
   ######|            ( *   (_c)   * )  % %      .vvvvvvvv.
    |#####|             ‘%@%@%@%@`, %@%@       .vvvvvvvvvv.
    /#####         _ _ d%@ `—-‘ @%@%@ _ _ _.vvvvvvvvvvvvv.
    ~~~~~~~       ‘:;.;%@@%@%@%@%@%@@%p  /.:;.:;vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv.
     `.:;.’     ‘:;.;%@@%@%@@%@%@%@%@ :: ____vvmvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv.
     :.:;.:`   ‘:;.:d%@%@%@%@%@%@@%@%.:;/####/.:;mvvvvvvvvvvvv
     :.:;.:;` ‘;.;;.%@%@@%@%@@%@%@%@p.:;|######|.:;mvvvvvvvvvvvv. 
     :.:;.:;./;.;;.;%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@ ::.’######|.:;mnvvvvvvvvvvvv
     :.:;.:;.|:.;.;.% %@%@%@%@%@% % :  mvv#####|.:;.mnvvvvvvvvvvv
     :.:;.:;/:;.;.:;.q%@%@@%@%@ %p.:;vv%mv|#####.:;.mnvvvvvvvvvv
     :.:;.:;|:;.:;.;;;%@%@@% %.:;.:;.vmnv. ~~~~~~ .:;.|mvvvvvvvvvv.
     :.:;.:/.:;.:;.:;.: o  .:;.:;.:;.vv.:;/.:;.:;.:;.|mnvvvvvvvvv.
      `.:;.|:;.:;;;.:;.    .:;;;;;;;;;;;;;|.:;.:;..:;mnvvvvvvvv.
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          ;.:;;.:;;.:     :;;;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;.:;|mnvvvnm.
          :::;.:;.:;. o  ..:;.:;.:;;;;.;;;;.:;.:;.:;.:|mnvvnm.
          :::;.:;;.:     .:;;;;;;;;.:;.:;;;|.:;.:;.:;./mmvnm.
          ;.:;.:;.;. o   .:;.;.:;;.:;.:;.:;.________/mmmnm.
          :.:;;;.;;;     .:;;.:;.:;;.:;.:;.:;.;.:;;;;`mmnn
           `#######HHOHHH###########################
            #######HHOHHH###########################
           ‘::;;;.;; o  :;;;.:;.:;;.;;;;;;;;;;;.:;.:`  H.Classen
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The Doc Cottle Afghan.

In the BSG FPB ravelry group, one amoung us has a husband going through cancer treatments, and I thought it would be a nice knit-a-long if everyone made a 12×12 square to include in an afghan. Well, I’m done putting it all together, and the blanket has made it’s way all the way to Alaska so I can post completed photos now.

Here are the progress photos.

 
   

These are the people that contributed squares:

AbsolutKnitNut
kesten
boringknitter
Carysabel
gbina
airmidm
KnittyFish
femmephoenix
mpamelae
freerangechick
guen001
izzyryu
sammimag
djinnj
Nikoleta
linzibean
KnittyBrotz
wonderfallz
rogue1
LittleLaura
CraftyAndy
Dare2BDifferent
stitchtwister
Teanah
MissAudrey
Ronnica
bobbilicious

And here’s the video at syfy.com… the afghan recipients. This link disappears now and then, if this link breaks just search up “love in space” & “syfy.com” and you should be able to see it.

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Dying Sock Blanks

Never done a swap before, never dyed yarn before… why not combine the two?

I found this dyed sock blank swap group at ravelry.com and jumped in, bought three sock blanks from knitpicks, with the jaquard dye, and had at it one weekend, doing all three blanks at once. Knit picks put together a nice video that they have up onYou Tube to learn how to do it. Realizing I needed more paraphenalia, squeeze bottles for the dye, gloves, a big pot for steaming that will become unsuitable for food after using it for this process… plastic wrap, good ventilation… I pulled out a big piece of scrap wood I use as my can-crap-it-up craft surface… I pulled out a paint tarp after look at my white kitchen. What a process… I had no idea, and I totally get why people use studio space for this sorta project now.

Well, here ya go, my finished yarn blanks.

I did the “eye of jupiter” one first, the one I ultimately sent to my swap recipient. The BSG game people at ravelry have done a ton of “eye of jupiter” motifs, so I figured I’d jump on the bandwagon… realized it ended up looking like the poppy on the Alarm cd back from the 80s, which I also painted on a denim jacket back then. It’s like… I keep painting this motif over and over again, and I don’t know why… wonder if it indicates anything.

I did the bottom one next, I did stripes across and a stripe all the way down (which doesn’t show in this photo), just to get an idea of how the sock blank distributes as you knit it into a sock.

The middle one, I did with the intent of knitting up like my Tori’s Toastie Airlock Socks. Where rows are done starting at both ends of the yarn, so it’ll be red and blue stripes, with it kinda munging together when I get to the end, which will end up being the middle of that sock blank… My big question would be if I do the more pronouncing striping at the toe of the sock? or up around the calf? and do I do equal sized stripes or do I increase as I go? That’s the fun of these blanks tho, it lets you plan and have fun with it.

I also received my sock blank in the swap already… which I thought was nicely done by ‘kaostling’ from ravelry.

I’m mulling over using the Rainbow Socks pattern , , for these, since that pattern is also something I’d like to try.

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Caprica Six Bag

Number Six: Love isn’t about sex, Gaius.

Dr. Gaius Baltar: There’s an enlightened point of view.

Number Six: I’ve been thinking. And as far as I’m concerned, you can have any woman you want. But always remember… I have your heart.

Baltar: Yes, of course you do.

Number Six: I can always rip it out of your chest if I need to.

The Caprica Six Bag, for human hearts.

Knitting chart over here, for the basestars. I kept a record of the bag base, up to the flap… then I stopped writing down what I was doing when I made the cylon headflap… I might be able to come up with it if anyone else wants to give this pattern a go. The colorwork was a beast.

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Caprica 6 Bag for the ravelry.com BSG FPB game

I never felted (fulled) anything before, so I jumped in feet first and did a big complicated color swapping bag for the Battlestar Galactica Fleet Power Battle at ravelry.com.
I started in the beginning of July and have worked on it for two rounds of the game. Here’s the progress in photos…

 

 

So, hopefully this weekend I’ll get the strap done and toss it in the washer to shrink it. It’s been a lot of work… really hoping the washer doesn’t chew this up and spit it out.

The chart I used to do the basestars, and two others I threw together ‘cuz it might be helpful for someone else are here. I love the idea that the basestars make a nice geometric pattern all lined up like that, I’d like to see what other people might do with it.