Catamari Damacy

I finished up my Katamari Damacy project and I'm pretty happy with the results. Making it was somewhat of a weird experience though. I'm a nanny, and if I'm awake, odds are I'm at work, so if I want to work on a project that's often the only time I've got. Knitting is an acceptable...I would even say encouraged hobby for someone in my profession so I'm not usually shy about working on a project while on the clock. However, (and this turned out to be a fairly big however this week) most of my projects are only "nerdy" in a tertiary sense. Hand warmers don't out me as a gamer, just as someone with poor circulation. The same for the hat I made a few weeks ago and the slippers I'm working on now. They aren't nerdy until I imbue them with nerdiness. This week however, there was really no getting around it. So when other adults asked me what I was making as I sat at ballet class/soccer practice/gymnastics/piano lessons waiting for the kids I wound up having to admit to my shady double life. I tried saying "a ball" but that was immediately followed by "for what?" so by last Friday I had given up and was just telling the truth.

"It's a Katamari ball." Which was of course followed by blank stares but those I'm used to. One woman though, shocked the hell out of me by responding "With or without stuff on it?" I about fell out of my chair. And I know it's hypocritical for me to have that response. When I'm at work I look like a nanny. Hair up, modest blouses, etc... But still seeing a woman who looked like the textbook definition of a MainLine soccer mom and finding out she games, that took me off guard. It says something about the world that we live in and I like it. I'm a card-carrying adult now. People my age have children in ballet class and we grew up in a world where everyone had a nintendo. It's kind of awesome. My future children, should they be gamers, will be mainstream. J.J. would like to take this moment to note that D and D will never be mainstream, but I rarely take her opinion into account...I'm not going to start now.

Katamari Ball

©Megan-Anne Forsythe, 2009

Difficulty level:
Easy

Yarn:
Caron Simply Soft™ in Persimon; Berry Blue; and White

Hook:
1 H crochet hook

Abbreviations:
Ch= Chain
BO = bind off
SC= single crochet
DC= double crochet
Sts = stitches
R = Row
Inc= Increase (make one stitch)
Dec= Decrease (crochet 2 stitches together)

Instructions:
Work 8sc into a slipknot. Place marker in 8^th to keep track of end of row. Pull knot tight so there is no hole at center of sts and tie off knot.

Increase rows:

R1) 2sc in each st around

R2) *sc in next st. 2sc in next st* repeat around (increases 1 in every other st)

R3) *sc in next 2 sts. 2sc in next st* repeat around.

R4) *sc in next 3sts. 2sc in next st* repeat around

R5) *sc in next 4sts. 2sc in next st* repeat around

Continue this pattern of increases until you are doing 15scs before an increase st.

Next 5 rows:

Sc in each st around.

Next 5 rows:

Dc in each st around

Next 5 rows:

Sc in each st around

Next 5 rows:

Dc in each st around

Next 5 rows:

Sc in each st around

Decrease rows:

R1) *sc in next 15sts, dec1 in next st* repeat around

R2) *sc in next 14sts, dec1 in next st* repeat around.

R3) *sc in next 13 sts, dec1 in next st* repeat around.

R4) *sc in next 12 sts, dec1 in next st* repeat around.

R5) *sc in next 11 sts, dec1 in next st* repeat around.

Continue in this pattern of decreases until you are decreasing every st. 8sts remain. Stuff piece with fluffy stuff of your choice. I like fiberfill™. Run yarn through sts, pull tight and tie off so no hole remains.

Nobs: (make as many as you want. I did 15.)

R1) ch30 with orange. Slip through first st to form a ring.

R2) 1 sc in each st.

R3) 1 sc in each st.

R4) 1 sc in each st.

R5) sc in next 2sts, dec1 in next st. Repeat around

R6) 1 sc in each st.

R7) sc in next 2sts, dec1 in next st. Repeat around

Break off orange yarn, join blue.

R8) 1 sc in each st.

R9) sc in next st, dec1 in next st. Repeat around

R10) dec1 in each st. Repeat until 5 sts remain. Draw yarn through sts and pull tight so there is no hole in top of nob. Arrange your nobs onto your ball where you want them and using a tapestry needle st in place, stuffing as you go. Roll up world and make stars.

mmm...mmmm..mm..mmm. Toasty.

I love making hand warmers. They keep my notoriously cold hands toasty, and they're pretty, but I don't think those reasons have much to do with it. I just like making them. I have many pairs and I'd be lying if I said I wore them all that much. But they're satisfying. They go from ball-o-yarn to wearable item in just a few short hours.


I was more or less successful in my learn-to-knit-lace endeavor. I had set out to make a double helix (dna) design on the hand warmers out of lace but that didn't work out. I just couldn't get the dna design expressed on something as relatively small as a handwarmer. So I gave up and made a spiral out of said lace. I'm quite happy with the result, and it was a great use of some fantastic yarn that was gifted to me by a friend. Also, these are great for larping. They keep your hands and arms warm without getting in the way the way fingered gloves do, plus they keep your hands protected from the horrors of weapon-related-blistering.

I'm quite pleased to tell you that next week I'll be having an extra-special guest designer. My good friend (and roommate) J.J. Carrera will be joining us with a Halloween costume for my cat that she put together. J.J.'s a writer and I'll tell ya more about that when her book comes out. In the meanwhile, she has graciously offered to fill in for me when I'm working on a project that just can't happen in one week. When I'm done typing this I will ball up my yarn, polish my needles and gird my loins to make an entry for the penny arcade Katamari Damacy contest.

Normally I would avoid doing a Penny Arcade project so soon after just having done one, but I couldn't walk away from trying to win that scarf. The idea of rocking it at PaxEast was just too much for me. I must enter. November is a big fan girl month for Knerdy Knits in general. I'm going to be doing a Dreseden Files project and a New Moon project (don't judge me). And I might make a Wheel of Time project what with the new book coming out but we'll have to see.

Lacey Handwarmers

©Megan-Anne Forsythe, 2009

Difficulty level: intermediate

Yarn: Any worsted weight yarn

Needles: Size US5 straight or circular needles

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on

BO = bind off

K = Knit

P = Purl

Sts = stitches

R = Row

YO= Yarn over

M1R= Make one Right (pick up stitch under stitch on right needle and knit it. Aka an increase)

M1L= Make one Left (pick up stitch under stitch on left needle and knit it. Aka an increase)

SkS= Slip Knit Slip (slip one stitch as if to knit, knit next stitch, Slip slipped stitch over knitted stitch. Aka a decrease)

K2tog= Knit 2 together (aka a decrease)

Skn= stockinet stitch (K on Right side and P on Wrong side)

M= Marker

Instructions:

CO 72 Sts

Work in K2P2 ribbing for 10 rows

Make lace: (purl all sts for Wrong Side rows)

Right side rows:

1. K
2. K24, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
3. K22, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
4. K20, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
5. K18, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
6. K16, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
7. K14, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
8. K12, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
9. K10, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
10. Sks, K7, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K last 2 sts, K2tog
11. K5, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
12. K3 sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
13. K1, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
14. K46, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
15. K44, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
16. K42, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
17. K40, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
18. K38, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
19. K36, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
20. Sks, K33, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog
21. K31, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
22. K29, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
23. K27, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
24. K25, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
25. K23, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
26. K21, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
27. K19, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
28. sks, K16, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to last 2 sts, k2tog
29. K14, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
30. K12, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
31. K10, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
32. K8, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
33. sks, K5, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to last 2 sts, k2tog
34. K3, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end
35. K1, sks, YO, K1, YO, K1, K2tog, K to end. Work wrong side (purl) row.

Work 2 rows skn, decrease one stitch at each end of both rows.

Work 6 more rows skn.

Make thumb gusset:

P all wrong side sts.

Right side:

1. K28, place st marker, K1, M1R, K1, M1L, K1, place st marker, K27 (to end)
2. K to M, K1, M1R, K3, M1L, K1, K to end
3. K to M, K1, M1R, K5, M1L, K1, K to end
4. K to M, K1, M1R, K7, M1L, K1, K to end
5. K to M, K1, M1R, K9, M1L, K1, K to end
6. K to M, K1, M1R, K11, M1L, K1, K to end

Next row: (wrong side) P to M. BO all sts between Ms, P to end

Next row: (right side) K to BO sts. Work K on other side of BO sts, and pull yarn tight creating thumb hole. K to end.

Next row: P

Work 7 rows K2P2 ribbing. BO Sew side seam. Enjoy their toasty glory.

Keep Your Brains Off My Hands

It's been a tough week knitting-wise. Thanks to a post on one of my Ravelry groups I have been left pondering my own mortality. And by mortality I of course mean knitting style. The issue of "process" vs. "project" knitters came up and I want to be a process knitter, but if I'm being really honest with myself I'm a project knitter. In the spirit of trying to improve my knitterly-self I've spent much of this week to knit lace. More on that next week.

This week (when I wasn't tearing my hair out trying to decipher lace charts for next week) I made a Flash hat. Actually, I made two. The first one came out much too small and I have designated it as a Christmas present for Kevin's nephew. The second one was a bit more thought out and successfully fits my head :) My father and I have collected comic books together for as long as I can remember and the crown jewel of our collection is a mint-condition Flash of Two Worlds. As I was working on the Flash hat Kevin and I wound up arguing over whether or not the Flash could kill someone by vibrating his hand so fast that he could pass it through their skull and then stop vibrating said hand and kill them via brain-poking (the medical term). Kevin suggested (and is wrong, of course) that if he were to stop vibrating that hand while it is in someone's skull his hand would have brains inside of it as the molecules would mix. Obviously this is false. His hand would seek to recreate it's original genetic structure and wouldn't allow the brains to get caught. Bodies reject things that don't belong there. It's science.

On an unrelated to brains note, I positively LOVED the yarn I used this week. It knits beautifully, shows ribbing fantastically, and sparkles. Nothing competes with sparkles.

Flash Hat

©Megan-Anne Forsythe, 2009

Difficulty level: Easy

Yarn: (1 skein each)

Vanna’s Glamour™ in Ruby Red (Color A) and Topaz (Color B)

Needles:

1 set of double pointed needles, size US3

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on

BO = bind off

K = Knit

P = Purl

Sts = stitches

R = Row

K2tog = Knit 2 stitches together (decrease 1)

Instructions:

Hat is knit in the round from the bottom up.

CO 140 sts with color B.

R1: K

R2-11: work all stitches in K2P2 ribbing.

Break color B, join color A

R12-17: With color A, K all sts.

Determine where you want the front of the hat to be. I like to make the front of mine the opposite side of the beginning of each row (so ½ way around the hat).

Next 23 rows: Work chart on front of hat, K all other sts with color A.

Next 20 rows: K all sts with color A.

Begin decrease rows:

R1: K2tog, K5 around

R2: K

R3: K4, K2tog around

R4: K

R5: K2tog, K3 around

R6: K

R7: K2, K2tog around

R8: K

R9: K2tog, K1 around

R10: K

R11: K2tog around

BO by breaking yarn and pulling it through all sts and pulling yarn tight so no hole remains on top. Weave in ends. Now put it on and run really fast.

I can has will save?

I have two cats. Before I had Gambit and Inara I had many whole, complete sets of dice. I had so many I could frolic through them. I could have filled a kiddie pool with D12s and bathed in them. Since bringing the kittens home two years ago I've had to start hording them like a squirrel protecting her winter stash. A couple weeks ago I sat down to get ready for a game, opened up my very tasteful Vera Bradley dice bag...and discovered that there were absolutely no d20s in it. Over the following 1/2 hour (which I spent rumaging around under the couch and behind the tv trying to figure out where they had stowed my dice) I finally came to terms with the fact that my cats have a problem. It was time to get out the intervention banner and take some action. The prospect of actually reforming them was overwhelmingly daunting, and I figure St. Jude is busy enough without adding my cats to his to-do list of lost causes. So I've gone with the next best thing. I have given them a cat friendly dice alternative. I put catnip in them, and to make them as attractive as possible have told the cats that they aren't allowed to have them.

Dice You Want Your Cat to Have (instead of the ones they steal from you)

© Megan-Anne Forsythe, 2009

Difficulty level: Easy

Yarn: (1 skein each)

Vanna’s Choice™ in Brick Red and White

Needles:

1 pair size US4 needles, tapestry needle

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on

BO = bind off

K = Knit

P = Purl

Sts = stitches

R = Row

K2tog: Knit 2 stitches together (Decrease by 1 stitch)

Instructions:

D20:

(Make 20) CO 10sts with red yarn.

R1: K

R2: P

R3: K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog (8sts)

R4: P

R5: K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog (6sts)

R6: P

R7: K2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog (4sts)

R8: P

R9: K2tog, K2tog

R10: P

R11: BO

Using white yarn and tapestry needle backstitch numbers (1-20) onto triangles. Then stitch pieces together. I used an actual D20 as a reference when I put it together so it would be accurate, but whether or not you do that is up to you. Before stitching the final seam stuff the die. You could also put some catnip in when you stuff it.

D4:

(Make 4) CO 20sts with red yarn.

R1: K

R2: P

R3-20: Odd rows: P; Even rows: K2tog, k to last 2 sts, K2tog

BO. Using white yarn and tapestry needle backstitch numbers onto the pieces. (note, for a d4, each triangle will have 3 numbers, one in each corner, not one large number on each) Before finishing the final seam, stuff the die.

D6:

(Make 6) CO20. Work in stockinet stitch (K on right side, P on wrong side) for 22 rows. BO. Using white yarn and tapestry needle backstitch the numbers onto the pieces. Stitch pieces together. Before finishing final seam stuff the die.

Knit Happens

I never actually got around to seeing Julie/Julia but I heard about it, and surely that counts for something. It is in the spirit of the Julie and Julia project that I have begun my own.


Here is how this is going to work:
I am going to design and complete a knitting (and sometimes, when I'm feeling particularly non-conformist, a crocheting) project every week for one year. I will post a picture of the finished piece, and the pattern on this blog. I believe knitting patterns, like any other kind of art, ought to be free and thus they shall be. The only price of admission is you have to read whatever it is that I feel like talking about on any given week. I promise to keep it *relatively* short. I imagine that will be a harder task for me than the actual knitting....

This week I made a baby bunting as a gift for the Magnificent Mr. Jerry Holkins. He and his wife recently co-produced a baby girl, and all of us at Knerdy Knits (by all of us, I of course mean me) wish them the very best. I have a fairly well developed hero-complex revolving around Jerry, and have to admit that I looked upon the news that they had welcomed a daughter as an excuse to make him something without looking like a creepy fan girl. I don't know how successful the try-not-to-be-creepy endeavor was, but the bunting itself turned out fabulously. All in all a perfect way to kick off my year 'o knitting. I haven't yet worked out the whole file-hosting thing (I have many talents. Dealing with technology isn't one of them. I'm lucky I'm managing to type this without inadvertently setting the laptop on fire) so for now I will just be pasting the patterns into the end of each post. I would like to ultimately make them downloadable, but that sounds suspiciously like work on my part so no promises on when that will happen. For now, I would recommend copy and pasting them into your own file. Just for fun, I've decided to actually keep my blog relatively short today, what with how I said I would a paragraph ago.

Megan-Anne
I had a fortune, but the Greek stole it from me.

Penny Arcade baby bunting

© Megan Anne Forsythe, 2009

*The Penny Arcade logo is the sole property of penny Arcade.*

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Yarn (1 skein each):
Caron Simply Soft™ in Dark Country Blue (Color A); Persimon (Color B); Berry Blue (Color C); and White (Color D)

Needles:
1 pair size US8 Circular needles and 4 size US7 double pointed needles.

Notions:
6 Buttons, tapestry needle, stitch markers

Abbreviations:
CO = cast on
BO = bind off
M1 = make one stitch (pick up loop from bottom of stitch on left needle and knit it, knit next stitch. Also known as increasing)
PM = place marker
SM = slip marker
Skn = Stockinet stitch (K on right side and P on wrong side)
PU = pick up
K = Knit
P = Purl
Sts = stitches
Sl = Slip
Dpn = double pointed needle
K2tog = Knit two together

Instructions:
Bunting is knit in one flat piece from the bottom up. Bottom will be seamed at the end.

CO 83 sts onto circular needles with color A.
Row 1: K
R2: P
Increases (this helps give the bottom its shape):
R3: K15, PM, M1 K1 M1, PM, K47, PM, M1 K1 M1, PM, K15
R4: P
R5: K15, SM, M1 K3 M1, SM, K47, SM, M1 K3 M1, K15
R6: P
R7: K15, SM, M1 K5 M1, SM, K47, SM, M1 K5 M1, K15
R8: P
R9: K15, SM, M1 K7 M1, SM, K47, SM, M1 K7 M1, K15
R10: P, remove markers as you come to them, 99 sts on needles.
Next 10 rows: skn
Next 20 rows: skn, sl 1^st stitch of each row, and all rows from now on until otherwise noted.
Next 34 rows: work 25 sts in skn, work 49 sts from intarsia chart, work 25 sts skn.
Next 6 rows: skn

Make armholes:
K 25 sts onto dpn, K to end.
Next row: P25 sts onto dpn, P to end. 49 sts left on cicular needles.
Working just center 49 sts work 2 rows skn.
*k2tog, K to last 2 sts, K2tog. Next row: P* repeat from * twice (3 decreasing rows, 3 Purl rows) Break yarn. Place remaining center sts on stitch holder.
Front (right side) Place the 25 sts on the front right dpn back onto circular needles. Join yarn.
*K2tog, Kto last 2 sts, K2tog. Next row: P2tog, P to end* repeat from * 3 times. Break yarn, return sts to dpn.
Front (left side) Place the 25 sts on the front left dpn onto the circular needles. Join yarn.
*K2tog, Kto last 2 sts, K2tog. Next row: P to last 2 sts, P2tog* repeat from * 3 times. Break yarn, return sts to dpn.

Collar:
Beginning on the far right (with RightSide facing you):
K the 13 sts on the dpn onto the circular needles. CO 3, then K center sts onto the circular needles, CO3, K the 13 sts from last dpn onto circular needles.
Next row: *P2tog, P1* Repeat from * across. Switch to color B and work 5 rows in K2P2 ribbing. BO in pattern.

Button edge:
PU and K 46 sts along left front edge from just below collar to 2” above bottom.
R1: P
R2: K
R3: P
R4: *K4, BO3* repeat from * across
R5: *P4, CO3* repeat from * across (this makes button holes)
R6: K
R7: P
BO

PU and K 46 sts on right front edge from just below collar to 2” above bottom. Work skn for 4 rows. BO

Sleeves:
With dpns PU and K 30 sts from armhole. Knit in the round for about 7 inches. Switch to Color B and work 9 rows of K2P2 ribbing. BO in pattern.

Finishing: Block piece. Seam along bottom, and then seam front from bottom of button edging to bottom seam. Weave in all ends. Using a tapestry needle backstitch with one strand of color A around letters on intarsia (this step is very important. It really gives the letters definition.)