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.