Episode 11: 2017 Year-in Review

Year - In - Review

3 scarves
2 cowls
9 hats
1 dress
1 tank
1 blanket
2 shawls
2 pairs of socks
3 food savers

Finished Objects:

Indiecida Brambles
Pattern: Brambles Beret by Amanda Muscha
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Rios
Colorway: Indiecita

Works in progress:

Cabled Mitts
Pattern
Yarn: Red Heart Soft Solids and Heathers
Colorway: Wheat

Almost Lost Dish Cloths
Pattern: The Almost Lost Washcloth by Julie Tarsha
Yarn: Knit Picks Dishie
Colorways: Honeydew, Linen

Wool Baby Hats
Pattern: None
Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool
Colorway: Plum Heather
Yarn: Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable
Colorway: Winery

Harry Potter Scarves
Pattern: None
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Colorways: Black and Sunshine

Emilien
Pattern: Émilien by Ariane Caron-Lacoste
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Colorway: Wallaby 

Chevron Baby Blanket
Pattern: Chevron Baby Blanket by Purl Soho

Yarn: Premier Yarns Sweetroll

Colorways: Wild Cherry Swirl, Mint Swirl, Frosty Swirl, Blueberry Swirl, Butterscotch Pop, Lavendar Swirl

Pumpkin Pie
Pattern: Pumpkin Pie by Heather Dixon
Yarn: Knit Picks Billow
Colorways: Comfrey

Two-at-a-Time Socks
Pattern: Mina's Two At A Time Socks by Knitting Expat Designs
Yarn: Crystal Palace Mini Mochi Yarns
Colorways: 325

Delphine
Pattern: Delphine: Lacy Cap-Sleeve Top by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport
Colorways: Green Apple

Stash Additions: 

Knit Picks Wool of The Andes Tweed
Colorway: Dill
Yards In: 330

Knit Picks Swish Worsted
Colorway: Honey
Yards In: 220

Knit Picks Felici
Colorways: Goth Kitty, Treehouse
Yards In: 872

Knit Picks Chroma Fingering
Colorways: Drawing Room, Get Your Neon, Lupine
Yards In: 1188

Paton's North America Kroy Socks FX
Colorway: Cameo Colors
Yards In: 332

Caron Cupcakes
Colorway: Strawberry Pie, Mint Smoothie, Sour Grapes
Yards In: 732

Episode 10: December update

Finished Objects:

Outlander Cowl
Pattern: None
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick Solids
Colorways: Claret

Works in Progress:

Food Savers
Pattern: None
Yarn: Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet (Size 10)
Colorway: White
Yards Out: 100

Emilien
Pattern: Émilien by Ariane Caron-Lacoste
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Colorway: Wallaby 

Pumpkin Pie
Pattern: Pumpkin Pie by Heather Dixon
Yarn: Knit Picks Billow
Colorways: Comfrey

Stash Additions:

Malabrigo Yarn Rios
Colorways: Indiecita, Archangel
Yards In: 420

Cascade Yarns 220 Heathers
Colorways: Turtle, Gray
Yards In: 440

Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet (Size 10)
Colorways: white
Yards In: 400

Episode 9: October 2017 - It is still summer in GA!

Finished Objects:

Fir Forest Lace Hat
Pattern: Fir Forest Lace Hat by Franna Pitt
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash
Colorway: Gray

Iona
Pattern: Iona by Heather Dixon
Yarn: elann.com Lara
Colorway: Natural/undyed

Sweet Pea Shawl
Pattern: Sweet Pea Shawl by Amie Hirtes
Yarn: Bernat Pop!
Colorway: Scarlet Sizzle

Two At A Time Socks
Pattern: Mina's Two At A Time Socks by Knitting Expat Designs
Yarn: Phildar Superwash Lenox Sport 082
Colorways: 26, 35 Gray

Morehouse Dragon Scarf
Pattern: Morehouse Dragon Scarf by Morehouse Designs
Yarn: Morehouse Farm Merino Merino 3-strand
Colorway: Green

Nadine
Pattern: Nadine: Tunic Tank by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes
Yarn: Caron Country
Colorways: Foliage, 12

Snowstorm Hat
Pattern: Snowstorm Hat by Humerus Knits
Yarn: Premier Yarns  Isaac Mizrahi Central Park
Colorways: Belvedere, Ramble

Works in Progress:

Harry Potter Scarves (Hufflepuff)
Pattern: None
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Colorways: Black and Sunshine

Emilien
Pattern: Émilien by Ariane Caron-Lacoste
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Colorway: Wallaby 

Chevron Baby Blanket
Pattern: Chevron Baby Blanket by Purl Soho

Yarn: Premier Yarns Sweetroll

Colorways: Wild Cherry Swirl, Mint Swirl, Frosty Swirl, Blueberry Swirl, Butterscotch Pop, Lavendar Swirl

Pumpkin Pie
Pattern: Pumpkin Pie by Heather Dixon
Yarn: Knit Picks Billow
Colorways: Comfrey

Two-at-a-Time Socks
Pattern: Mina's Two At A Time Socks by Knitting Expat Designs
Yarn: Crystal Palace Mini Mochi Yarns
Colorways: 325

Delphine
Pattern: Delphine: Lacy Cap-Sleeve Top by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport
Colorways: Green Apple


Stash Additions:
Red Heart Soft Solids and Heathers
Colorway: Wheat
Yards In: 512

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick Solids
Colorway: Charcoal
Yards In: 106

Lion Brand Amazing
Colorways: Acadia, Strawberry Fields
Yards In: 588

Big Twist Yarns Natural Blend Solids
Coloway: Aged Brass
Yards In: 294

Caron Simply Soft
Colorways: Dark Country Blue, Sunshine
Yards In: 630

Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Central Park
Colorways:  Sheep Meadow, Belvedere
Yards In: 330

Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Carlyle
Colorways:  Carlton
Yards In: 381

Premier Yarns Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Weight Prints
Colorways:  Chili, Surf
Yards In: 920

Mondial Merinos Extra
Colorways: ? Red, Orange, Purple
Yards In: 268

Bernat Pop!
Colorways: Scarlet Sizzle
Yards In: 280

Episode 8: My super late June 2017 update!

Finished Objects:

Ann's Go To Socks
Pattern: Ann's Go-To Socks by Ann Budd
Yarn: Loops and Threads Woolike
Colorway: Mauve

Capucine #3
Pattern: Capucine by Adela Illichmanova
Yarn: Berroco Vintage
Colorways: Crimson, 5150

Soft Stroller Blanket
Pattern: Soft Stroller Blanket by Marianne Forrestal
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Colorways: Sage, Bone, Off White

Jayne Hats
Pattern: Jayne Cobb Firefly Hat by SmarieK

UGA Scarf
Pattern: My Own!
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Colorway: Black
Yarn: Bernat Satin Sport Solids
Colorway: Red

Works in Progress:

Iona
Pattern: Iona by Heather Dixon
Yarn: elann.com Lara
Colorway: Natural/undyed

Sweet Pea Shawl
Pattern: Sweet Pea Shawl by Amie Hirtes
Yarn: Bernat Pop!
Colorway: Scarlet Sizzle

Stash Additions:

Premier Yarns Sweet Roll
Colorways: Lavendar Swirl, Mint Swirl, Butterscotch Pop, Blueberry Swirl, Wild Cherry Swirl, Frosty Swirl
Yards In: 1,470

Lion Brand Heartland
Colorways: Hot Springs, Yellowstone
Yards In: 753

Red Heart Boutique Treasure
Colorways: Tapestry, Portrait, Spectrum Abstract
Yards In: 1,208

Bernat Pop
Colorways: Scarlet Sizzle
Yards In: 280

Lion Brand Wool-Ease
Colorways: Fisherman
Yards In: 197

Red Heart Grande
Colorways: Aran
Yards In: 92

Episode 7: Stitch markers, dyeing, and a mountain of yarn!

"Finished" objects:

Cladonia
Pattern: Cladonia by Kristen Kapur
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish DK
Colorways: Lotus, Dove Heather

Oceana Cowl
Pattern: Knit to end, with long end
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Paints
Colorway: Oceana

Pussy Hat Project #1
Pattern: Pussy Hat Project by Kat Coyle
Yarn: Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok
Colorway: Quartz Crystal
Yarn: Blue Sky Fibers Worsted Hand Dyes
Colorway: Strawberry

Pussy Hat Project #2
Pattern: Pussy Hat Project by Kat Coyle
Yarn: Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Full o'Sheep
Colorway: Passionfruit

Works in Progress:

Iona
Pattern: Iona by Heather Dixon
Yarn: elann.com Lara
Colorway: Natural/undyed

Capucine #3
Pattern: Capucine by Adela Illichmanova
Yarn: Berroco Vintage
Colorways: Crimson, 5150

Stash Additions:

Loops and Threads Facets
Colorways: Tanzanite, Emerald, Capri Blue, Blue Zircon, Fuchsia, Light Azore, Pacific opal, Red Topaz
Yards In: 3,360

Berroco Vintage
Colorways: 51105, 51191
Yards In: 436

Caron Simply Soft
Colorways: Sunshine, Grey Heather, Dark Sage, Black
Yards In: 1000

Knitting and sewing goals for 2017!

Knitting Goals for 2017:

January: Cladonia
February: Iona
March: Pumpkin Pie
April: Delphine
May: Palladium
June: Erquy
July: Nadine
August: Silverleaf
September: Chelsea Skirt
October: Slinky Ribs
November: Hampton Cardigan
December: TBD/Gifts?

Pussy Hat Project

Completed Projects:

Huntress Cowl by KYSAA

Ravenclaw Scarf (No pattern)

Sewing Goals:

Eowyn Costume (Simplicity 4940)
Chiffon Overlay Skirt (Freestyle)
Red Suede Skirt (Freestyle?)
Pink Brocade Skirt (Simplicity 1369)
Teal Brocade Skirt (New Look 6217)
Lisette B6168
New Look 6208
Simplicity 8014

Pot holders and oven mitts:

December Sewing 2016

Here is my December sewing update! I've worked on several projects over the past few weeks:

Simplicity 1363 White Top

New Look 6217 Multi-color Kimono cardigan

Yule Stockings
- Pattern available here. 

Janice's Travel Set
- Tutorial available here. 

Episode 5: Hats, mittens, and gloves

Episode 5: Hats, mittens, and gloves

You can find me on:
Ravelry: Humerusknits
Instagram: april.k.smith

Finished Objects: 

Brambles Hat for Franchesca
Pattern: Brambles Beret by Amanda Muscha
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solids, Heathers, and Twists
Colorway: Black

Kitchen Towel
Pattern: Chili Pepper Red Kitchen Towel by Janet Carlow
Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream Solids & Denims
Colorway: Jute

Three Leaf Mittens for Mom
Pattern: Three Leaf Mittens
Yarn: Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Full o'Sheep
Colorway: Passionfruit

Fisherman's Hat for Dad
Pattern: Basic Beanie (unreleased)
Yarn: Lion Brand Heartland
Colorway: Olympic

Fishermans' Hat for Greg
Pattern: Basic Beanie (unreleased)
Yarn: Lion Brand Heartland
Colorway: Great Smoky Mountains

Sparkly Gloves for Tiffany
Pattern: Sporty Ribbed Gloves (unreleased)
Yarn: Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Craft Broadway
Colorway: Palace

Bat Hat for Chip
Pattern: Bat Hat by Joanna Rankin
Yarn: Big Twist Yarns Chunky Solids
Colorway: Chunky Black

Seahawks Gloves for David
Pattern: Sporty Ribbed Gloves (unreleased)
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Solids
Colorways: Country Blue and Gray Heathered
Yarn: Loops and Threads Soft and Shiny Solids
Colorway: ? Green

Waffle Hat for Janice's Birthday
Pattern: Waffle Hat by Gail Bable
Yarn: Red Heart Soft Prints
Colorway: Icy Pond

Works in Progress: 

Panther Gloves for Alan
Pattern: Sporty Ribbed Gloves (unreleased)
Yarn: Knit Picks Mighty Stitch
Colorways: Black and Gulf Stream

Cat Coasters for Michelle
Pattern: Cat Coaster by Kraft Croch Pattern
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Solids
Colorway: Black, White

Cat Butt Coasters for Alan
Pattern: Dog or Cat Butt Coasters by Sally L.M.
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Solids
Colorway: Black
Yarn: Jo-Ann Sensations Cuddle
Colorway: Pink

Emilien
Pattern: Emilien by Ariane Caron-Lacoste
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Colorway: Wallaby

Huntress Cowl Rawr!
Pattern: Huntress Cowl Capelet Scarf by KYSAA
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick Solids
Colorway: Charcoal Gray

Stash Additions: 

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick
Colorway: Charcoal Gray
Yards In: 106

Loops and Threads Facets
Colorway: Tanzanite
Yards In: 120

Red Heart Soft Prints
Colorway: Icy Pond
Yards In: 204

Caron Simply Soft Paints
Colorway: Oceana
Yards In: 200

Year In Review

Knitting Projects Completed: 

Gloves (7): 
Vancouver Fog
UGA Mitts #1
Red and Black Mitts
Three Leaf Mittens
Seahawks Gloves
Sparkly Mitts
Panther Gloves

Hats (10): 
Solitare
Pinch Hat
Owl Hat
Baby Berry Hat
Brambles Beret #1
Brambles Beret for Franchesca
Fisherman's Hats (2)
Waffle Hat
Bat Hat

Shawls (2): 
Yule
Outlander-esque Shawl

Socks (2): 
Cadence Socks
Dad's Socks

Cowls (2): 
Skully Cowl
Huntress Cowl Rawr!

Sweaters/Cardigans (1):
Cromarty

Other (4): 
Pillows
Michelle's Coasters
Kitchen Towel
Cat Coasters

Total Projects Completed: 28!

Goals for Next Year: 

12 Projects, 12 Months!

January - Cladonia

February - Iona

March - Pumpkin Pie

April - Delphine

May - Palladium

June - Erquy

July - Nadine

August - Silverleaf

September - Chelsea Skirt

October - Slinky Ribs

November - Hampton Cardigan

December - Gifts/Something TBD!

Knit Picks Haul September 2016

Hi everyone! I ordered a few things from Knit Picks to ready myself for the upcoming Yule/Christmas knitting for my family and friends.

Here are the yummy yarns I got:

Mighty Stitch
Colorway: Black
Yards In: 208

Mighty Stitch
Colorway: Gulfstream
Yards In: 208

Swish DK
Colorway: Dove Heather
Yards In: 492

CotLin
Colorway: Sagebrush
Yards In: 492

Brava Worsted
Colorway: Red
Yards In: 437

Brava Worsted
Colorway: Canary
Yards In: 437

Brava Worsted
Colorway: Orange
Yards In: 437

Episode 4: A Long Overdue Update

Episode 4: A Long Over Due Update

You can find me on:
Ravelry: Humerusknits
Instagram: april.k.smith

Finished Objects: 

Socks for Dad (August 3, 2016)
Pattern: Easy Peasy Socks for First Timers by Stacy Trock
Yarn: Lion Brand Heartland
Coloway: King's Canyon

Michelle's Coasters (August 21, 2016)
Pattern: Noro Mitered Coaster by Ratchadwan Chambers
Yarn: Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Sutton
Colorway: Amsterdam 

Works in Progress: 

Franchesca Hat
Pattern: Franchesca Hat by April Smith
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Rios
Colorway: Purpuras

Brambles Beret (April 3, 2016)
Pattern: Brambles Beret by Amanda Muscha
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solids, Heathers and Twists
Colorway: Black

Delphine
Pattern: Delphine by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport
Colorway: Green Apple

Iona
Pattern: Iona by Heather Dixon
Yarn: Elann Lara
Colorway: Natural

Sporty Ribbed Gloves #2
Pattern: Sporty Ribbed Gloves by April Smith
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Colorways: Grey Heathered and Country Blue
Yarn: Loops and Threads Soft and Shiny Solids
Colorway; Green?

Ann's Go To Socks
Pattern: Ann's Go To Socks by Ann Budd
Yarn: Loops and Threads Woolike
Colorway: Mauve

Emilien
Pattern: Emilien by Ariane Caron-Lacoste
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Colorway: Wallaby

Kitchen Towel
Pattern: Red Chili Pepper Kitchen Towel by Janet Carlow
Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream Solids and Denim
Colorway: Jute

Stash Additions:

Cascade Yarns Venezia Sport
Colorway: 160 Ginger
Yards In: 614

Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima
Colorway: 3740 Sprout
Yards In: 220

Cascade 220 Superwash Worsted
Colorway: 900 Charcoal
Yards In: 220

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids, Heathers, and Twists
Colorway: Mustard
Yards In: 788

Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Craft Sutton
Colorway: Amsterdam
Yards In: 68

Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport
Colorway: Golden Heather
Yards In: 328

Big Twist Yarns Chunky
Colorway: Black
Yards In: 195

Total Yards In: 2,443 yards

Sewing Projects Complete: 

Small Drawstring Bag

Large Drawstring Bag

Simplicity 1589 Top

Simplicity 1363 Top

Up Next: 

New Look 6217

Oven Mitts

Pot Holders

Episode 3!

Episode 3 of my podcast is up and running!

You can find me on:
Ravelry: Humerusknits
Instagram: april.k.smith

Finished Objects: 

Candence Socks (February 6, 2016)
Pattern: Cadence Socks by verybusymonkey
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll
Colorway: Cork

Berry Baby Hat (February 10, 2016)
Pattern: Berry Baby Hat by Michele Sabatier
Yarn: Jo- Ann Sensations Cuddle
Colorway: Pink
Yarn: Elann Sonata Soft
Colorway: 5382 Green

Cromarty (March 30, 2016)
Pattern: Cromarty by Heather Dixon
Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport
Colorway: Golden Heather

Brambles Beret (April 3, 2016)
Pattern: Brambles Beret by Amanda Muscha
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Colorway: Amber

Skully Cowl (April 13, 2016)
Pattern: Ossuary Chart by Kristi Hallamaa/ own cowl pattern
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Colorways: Black and White

Red and Black Mitts (May 10, 2016)
Pattern: Sporty Ribbed Gloves by April Smith
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Colorway: Black
Yarn: Bernat Satin?
Colorway: Red?

Works in Progress: 

Iona
Pattern: Iona by Heather Dixon
Yarn: Elann Lara
Colorway: Natural

Sporty Ribbed Gloves #2
Pattern: Sporty Ribbed Gloves by April Smith
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Colorways: Grey Heathered and Country Blue
Yarn: Loops and Threads Soft and Shiny Solids
Colorway; Green?

Ann's Go To Socks
Pattern: Ann's Go To Socks by Ann Budd
Yarn: Loops and Threads Woolike
Colorway: Mauve

Emilien
Pattern: Emilien by Ariane Caron-Lacoste
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Colorway: Wallaby

Kitchen Towel
Pattern: Red Chili Pepper Kitchen Towel by Janet Carlow
Yarn: Lily Sugar'n Cream Solids and Denim
Colorway: Jute

Casting on SOON: 

Socks for Dad
Pattern: Easy Peasy Socks for First Timers by Stacy Trock
Yarn: Lion Brand Heartland
Coloway: King's Canyon

Stash Additions: 

Knit Picks Hand Painted Stroll
Colorway: Make Believe
Yards In: 462

Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Broadway
Colorways: Various
Yards In: 1,968

Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Central Park
Colorways: Various
Yards In: 165

Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Skyscraper
Colorways: Various
Yards In: 830

Lily Sugar'n Cream Solid and Denim
Colorways: Red
Yards In: 120

Lion Brand Woolspun
Colorways: Various
Yards In: 762

Total Yards In:
4,307

2015 Year in Review

So, this year was definitely a knitting year. I managed to finish:

17 hats
7 scarves/cowls
2 blankets
1 rug
2 cardigans/sweaters
1 pair of socks
1 dishcloth
2 gloves
1 cami (technically, I made 3 of these, but only one was actually right!)
1 shawl

with a total of 10,772.5 yards knitted!

My stash also grew A WHOLE LOT this year, mainly because of getting some hand-me-down yarn from my aunt, along with just buying a bunch more than I usually do. Yesterday, I brought home my last yarn haul for the year - 4,846 yards of acrylic/cotton yarn from Michaels that were on sale. I was really excited about getting some more Lion Brand Heartland:



This stuff is REALLY nice for acrylic yarn -- and really beautiful colors too! I bought 4 skeins of it!

I also got some really inexpensive fingering weight yarn for making more socks:



I also bought some Lily Sugar and Cream  yarn to see how they compared to Knit Picks Dishie. In my house, we really need a few more kitchen cloths and potholders, so I'll probably be making a few of those in the future. The rest of the yarn I got was for a charity project I'm planning on doing for the Annual Meeting for the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. A nice skully - themed cowl using the Ossuary Chart!

Also, my mom got me a $75 Knit Picks gift card, and so I'm waiting on yet another large package of yarn! I got enough yarn for a bulky weight sweater, some socks, some dishcloths, and a pair of gloves! So, first thing for the new year -- go on a yarn diet, or really, a buying anything diet.

Also, here are a few more goals for next year:

1. Start a podcast - Obviously I'm not really great at writing on a blog, and considering how visual knitting is for those who are interested, making a video diary to share would probably simplify the process. Maybe.

2. Etsy - this will happen this year!

3. Socks - make more socks, a lot more! Goal: 5 pairs

4. Sweaters/Cardigans - I have lots of yarn I've already designated for sweaters and cardigans, so lets try to make 3 this year, minimum!

5. Stashdown - I signed up this quarter for the stashdown challenge, and failed miserably -- like 7,000 + yards miserably, so my goal for 2016 will be to end up with a negative yardage balance for the year. Also, I'll track my yardage in, yardage out, and how much I'm paying for crafting stuff, becuase I would really like to know what I'm spending on this! That can't be that hard, can it???

Happy New Year, everybody!

So, I've decided...

I hate this color.

Baby blue. Dull baby blue. And I have 11 skeins of this.

So, what is a girl to do?

Dye this crap. Dyyyyeeee it.

So, into the pot it went. I decided to try my hand at kettle dying, since literally anything would be an improvement upon this color. Anything. My test swatch came out this beautiful royal-purple color: 

But the final product (with Kroger brand food coloring), came out a little bit lighter and more variegated: 

I love it! This is such an improvement. It is now in my queue to be made into a beautiful henley-type shirt. Now to get to swatching....

Yarn porn

Earlier this year, my aunt sent me an e-mail telling me that her mother, who is sadly in hospice, has decided to relinquish her stash to anyone who is willing to take it. She told me that if I wanted anything, I should come get it. So, on my way to visit my parents, I stopped by my aunt and uncles place to have a look.

I left with six bags. SIX.

And no, I didn't take everything. There was still more left. SO much more. But six bags is still a lot.
I mean, it is beautiful, isn't it?

There was Italian yarn...

And Noro....freakin' Noro...

Maybe I won't buy anymore yarn... for a few months...maybe

Busy, but still knitting (sometimes)...

So, since beginning the PhD program that was the impetus for moving to Athens in the first place, life has been really, really busy. In the two years, I've survived my core classes, traveled to Italy for six weeks, survived yet another, even more disturbing year of school, and now I've just returned from two months in Italy. So, since blogging has not been a remotely high priority for me, I'm just going to review some of the things I have finished in the past two years (I can't believe its been TWO years!). Most of what I work on now are small projects, but I did manage to finish a large, beautiful lace shawl for my mom's birthday before the madness took me:

Japanese Waves

I'll be honest, I did not really enjoy knitting this, but I think that's because I knit combination style. Combination style is great for knitting quickly, but unfortunately knitting a flat piece means that all of your knit stitches will be facing the wrong way. Sooo.. knitting lace is a little difficult. Maybe one day I will learn how to knit continental style...

Nevertheless, I love how this turned out.. so beautiful! And my mom LOVED it!

 I've also finished making a Dragon Scarf for my aunt:

And multiple hats and scarves, usually as gifts for others.

In grad school, I have found that small projects are awesome because they don't usually take up much time. Time is precious now, so very precious...

Like Copper!

Codex Costume Done!... (last October)

Though I have not had much time at all to blog, I have made some progress on a few projects while I was working on my first year in the PhD program. Oh, and I'm officially a 2nd year student! Huzzah!

I'm most excited about getting the Codex costume done, especially since it is my first 'true' corset project. I want to do a tutorial-esque post, so I'll go over each of the parts and how I made them.

The Cuffs:

The cuffs were the first and easiest parts to make. To make these, I just made a template out of paper by wrapping it around my forearm and cutting the paper into the desired shape. I then used the template to make the cuffs out of craft foam, added a layer of sheer white fabric, and trimmed in gold bias tape. I then added the grommets, which was greatly helped by using the handy-dandy tool below:

I found this tool at Walmart -- the only place I found that sold bronze grommets instead of brassy-gold ones. (I am not a habitual shopper of Walmart, only when there are no other options.) This was the first part of the costume that I completed, and I love them!

The Skirt: 

The skirt was the second-easiest part to make, if you know what you are doing. The first time I tried, I obviously did not have a clue! My first attempt at the skirt involved trying to make a tube for a draw string using a circle skirt pattern. Um, yeah -- that didn't work out so well. I managed sew the tube onto the skirt with the wrong side facing out, and then had issues figuring out how to make the drawstring work -- it was a mess!

Anyways, I finally broke down and followed this tutorial. I used a solid white satin fabric with a sheer white overlay. 

Once the fabric was cut, all that needed to be done is to make an appropriate-sized elastic waistband, and sew the skirt layers to the waistband. Finishing was a little harder since I had to learn to use a hemmer foot, but I think it ended up looking pretty good for my first time. 

The Necklace: 

The necklace was completely made of craft foam and flat-backed rhinestones. I painted the craft foam using gold model spray paint I bought from Michael's (like, the kind for painting plastic models). The best tutorial to explain how to paint craft foam can be found here. Essentially, I had to add a layer of watered-down glue to the craft foam pieces before spraying them with the model spray paint. Once they were dry, I just glued them together with superglue and added the rhinestones. Though this worked for the Halloween, I will probably add some kind of tie in the back since the necklace came off when I was taking my friend's daughter out to go trick-or-treating. 

The Headband: 

I really got lucky and found some awesome headbands that would work perfect for this outfit at Walmart (yes, again, I know, but they were the only place that carried them! I swear!). Essentially, I only had to spray the plastic headband with the same gold spray paint as the necklace and add flat-backed rhinestones to finish the headpiece. This is definitely my favorite part of this costume.. I wonder if I could wear this to school and not look completely insane?

The Knee Pads: 

The knee pads ended up being much less work than I thought they would be. The first time I tried making them, I made them much smaller than I should have. Knowing this, the second time around ended up much better. For the front part, I used red corduroy and some metallic fabric from Joann's, sewing the gold part on the bottom, and then making a duplicate shaped fabric piece for the back using some scrap fabric. Then I made some red corduroy elastic casings at about twice then length of the elastic pieces. Then I just sandwiched the right side of the front and the right side of the back together, and placed the elastic pieces and casing in between these two layers such that the seam on the casing would be against the right side of the back fabric. I just sewed a half-circle around, and had planned to finish the top by slip-stitching the fabric together, but I ran out of time by that point. Just another thing to work on before next year, I suppose!

The Top: 

Oh, the top was sort of a nightmare, but ended up looking pretty good. I took an old white tank top for the base of the shirt, cut some of the satin fabric I used for the skirt to cover the chest, and overlaid that with the sheer white fabric from the skirt like so: 

I sewed around that, placed it so gingerly on the tank top, and cut out the parts that were not needed from the tank top. For the shoulder pads, I used craft foam cut into triangles and sewed onto the tank top:

After these pieces were sewn on to the tank top, I trimmed the whole thing (very, very poorly) in gold trim, and added red jewels for finishing. Voila: 

Not terrible, but much improvement is needed; Such as properly sewing on the gold bias tape as demonstrated here. But, all in all, I got to be codex for Halloween, so I'm happy: