Goals

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions.  I've made some in the past, and forgotten about them within a week.  This year, I plan on making some light suggestions of things I would like to do, and maybe you guys can keep me on target.  ;o)

1)  I just read about someone who tried to self publish a pattern a month.  That sounds like a great goal, but again, potentially too lofty for me this second.  If I fail at it one month, then I can see myself saying it's worthless, and end up not publishing anything else for the whole year.  Instead, I would like to push myself to self publish at least once a season.  A lot less pressure, but still a push towards productivity.

2)  Submit patterns to pattern calls more often.  I have let many submissions go by because I was too nervous to try.  However, what is gained by not trying?  I now have three accepted submissions to date that will come out later this year.  I can't wait to try for more!

3)  Unify my patterns.  I have now looked back at the patterns I've written in the past.  They do not sound like they are from the same designer because I wrote them at so many different times in my life.  As my knitting has improved, so has my ability to write a pattern.  I am currently working to unify my old patterns so that my new patterns will have the same voice.  Once done with my old patterns, I'll start releasing my new ones.  Thus, #1 will start in the spring time.  I also like this for the due date it gives me with revising my old patterns.  :o)

4)  Design at least one sweater.  I have ideas for 3 different sweaters in my head, and yet I still haven't actually tried to create any of them.  This is going to change this year!

Some of these are things that one may read and say, well, all of these are simple or self explanatory... but as a truly new designer (yes, my patterns on ravelry go back as far as 2008, but as far as actually thinking of myself as a real designer and not just someone who likes to create things with knitting...) these are some big ideas for me.  That I hope become second nature and I can expand on these next year.

OctoMitts

My OctoMitts

Pattern:  OctoMitts by SpillyJane
Yarn:  Louet Gems Fingering (blue), Crystal Palace Silky Panda (pink), and StitchJones Titanium Sock (in Celadon).

Notes about the yarn:  I didn't even use up an entire skein of the Gems with these mitts.  And the pink and green were small scraps I had lying around.  These mitts make great leftovers projects!

I am absolutely in love with SpillyJane designs!  They're so cute and quirky.  I wish I could buy them all, but I know that's a bit too much.  As it is, I have 3 of them already, and these were the first that I actually decided to make.  Once I started the pattern, it was quite easy, and now I'm hooked on colorwork.  Enough so that I am working on a couple colorwork designs myself now... ;op

I only have a couple qualms about the pattern, and these are just personal preferences.  The first is the afterthought thumb.  While this is an easy method that doesn't disrupt the pattern of the mitt, I am not in love with how it skews the palm of the mitt to the side when they are being worn.  I would much rather have had a thumb gusset, myself.  The second is also personal preference, but I feel the length of the fingerless version of the mitt is a wee bit short.  They only make it up to our knuckles, and I'm used to them going up just a tiny bit more.  I could have made them longer, but I followed the pattern exactly this time, as it was my first time trying them out.

Below picture shows both sides.  I messed up on the palm a few times, which you may or may not notice.  ;op  I think it just adds character, though.  :o)  Amie seemed to really like them, so that's definitely the more important aspect of this knit!

 All in all, I think this was a successful knit, with a very cute result.  Can't wait to try out another one of SpillyJane's amazing designs.  They're rather addictive... I couldn't stop knitting on these once I started!  :oD  Two thumbs up for a great pattern!

Zug zug

I've been working a lot lately.  Daily job has been getting busier (lots of people coming in makes for a constantly moving day), and when I have some spare time, I have been busy designing knits!

Right now, I'm still slowly trying to get my current designs all finished and converted over to a newer, cleaner look.  Once that is finished, I will have at least two more designs to test and self publish. And, in other exciting news, one of my patters will be published in a group publication around the end of February, and another pattern has been accepted for a yarn club!  I have submitted two more entries to another company, and am awaiting feedback on those.

My mind has been filled with fun ideas, and I can't wait to try them out.  It's hard to get any knitting of my own done with all these swatches to knit and design ideas to sketch!

Windschief

My Windschief

Pattern:  Windschief by Stephen West
Yarn:  KnitPicks Swish Worsted

Ah, Stephen West.  The prolific designer has a ton of great patterns available.  I, honestly, cannot say that I am the biggest fan of his stuff... but I will admit that some of his patterns are hip, yet classic at the same time.  I personally like his older work better, and this is where we find this hat.

This hat was made for my brother (though, modeled by Bret).  He requested a hat for Christmas.  I ended up making him two hats, but (of course) I forgot to take any pictures of the other hat.  He seemed to like both hats a lot.  He wore both of them around while I was there, and his girlfriend made a point of telling me that he loves them.  So, I'm pretty happy here!

The pattern is rather straight forward.  Simple language, and easy to follow.  My only complaint is that the cowl and hat actually have the exact same pattern (CO and everything) until the end.  I would think many people would prefer a looser cowl, if only to get it over your head without messing up your hair and everything.

Ikkicon, 2015

I've actually never attended an anime specific convention.  I've been to other types of cons... including a Japanese Culture Con that obviously had a lot of anime in it, but never just anime based.  Ikkicon is held yearly in Austin, Tx.  This year, it was held Jan 2-4 at one of the Hilton locations downtown.  I decided that I wanted to go, and that I wanted to cosplay (dress up).  My biggest problem with this was that I'm not a seamstress.  Maybe one day, but not yet.  Luckily, my friend Courtney is an extremely talented seamstress (knitter, spinner, artist, etc etc), and so I asked her if she would be able to help me out with this endeavor.  I suggested a few ideas (all images taken off google images):

Haramura Nodoka from Saki

Nonon Jakuzure from Kill la Kill

Hitagi Senjougahara from Bakemonogatari

I was initially looking for someone with pink hair, as that was my current hair color.  After discussing it with Courtney, it seemed that Nonon was out due to the proximity of the event and the complexity of her costume.  And after debating it through a bit, I decided on Senjougahara because her uniform was not quite as generic, and there was a higher chance of being recognized.

There was a debate on whether I should get a wig or dye my hair, but in the end, I decided to dye my hair.  So, based on that, the costume became based on Senjougahara after she cuts her hair.

Without much further ado, here is my rendition:

The sweater was extra because it was cold out, and we were about to leave.  I think it worked out pretty well, don't you?  :o)  I was only able to make one day of the con, but a number of people recognized the costume, and a few even asked if they could take a picture.

It was a fantastic experience.  Once inside the center, just about everyone was dressed up in some fashion.  Some in cosplay, some harajuku, some Lolita, and a few just in appropriately cutesy cute items.  So many people had ears on, stockings with bunnies, Totoro shirts, etc.  All in all, it was incredibly fun, and I can't wait till the next time an event like this occurs.  Only next time, I will find appropriate shoes ahead of time.  >.<  No heels for a con again!

Happy Hippos!

My Project

Pattern:  Feet Eaters by Anna Hrachovec
Yarn:  Berroco Vintage (blue), and Cascade 220 Superwash (red and white).  I did use up almost 2 balls of the blue, and the red took most of 1 ball of Cascade.  The whites can be done easily with just scraps of yarn.

I honestly don't know how I feel about this pattern.  They did come out looking right, but everything about making them felt cobbled together.  It didn't feel like it could possibly come out looking right, yet it did.  Is that a good thing?  Maybe?

Well, here are some of my big notes.  The original sole is not thick enough, in my opinion.  It is knit with the yarn held double, but still feels a bit floppy.  My dad has a tendency to eat through his slippers quickly, so I thought I'd go ahead and make a second sole.  My second sole is removable, and so can be replaced, if he wears through them.  The ears are the same size for all 3 sizes.  This means they seem a little tiny for the largest size, IMHO.  The same can be said about the teeth, but each size uses a different number of teeth, so that is adjusted for there.

My last aside is that I"m terrible at embroidery!  Maybe especially so on knitted fabric.  Not a single one of my eyes looks even remotely like another.  :o/  Oh well.  My dad said they were very warm, and so it looks like they are good for their purpose.  :o)

Cascading Cables Mitts

My Mitts

Pattern:  Cascading Cables Mitts and Mittens
Yarn:  Princess by Classic Elite (now discontinued)

Yay, I can finally post about my holiday projects!!!  Here are my first ones...

I don't think I can say how much I love this pattern!!  They're super cute, pretty easy flow of the pattern, and knit up very quickly!  Glowing glowing compliments, highly recommend!

This was a Christmas present for my friend Sarah who is a writer living in New Jersey.  The long length of these mitts will help keep her warm, but she needs her fingers free so she can type away!  I knit these in September as the beginning of my present making spree.  :o)  They are now mailed off, and she should have them already.  I hope they keep her warm in these cold months.

For those interested on the other side, they are ribbed along the arm, but plain stockinette for the hands.