Felted Sheep

Yarn:	Cascade 220 (100% wool - worsted)
Pattern:	Fiber Trends "A Felted Flock"
Needles:	10.5
Felting:	Approximately 20 minutes total, following by rinsing, towel drying, stuffing and shaping. Air dried for 2 days, restuffed and final seam sewn.

First part was the body, knitted as one piece with some clever wrap and turn maneuvers.



Next, I picked up stitches along the neckline to do the head, then switched to the black for the nose. (Sorry, no head close up pic for some reason.) The tummy piece was knitted separately.


and then seamed to the front of the body (including the front seam on the front legs).


Picked up and knitted stitches with the black for the front hooves


and then sewed the back seams on the front feet and down along the sides and on to the front of the back legs.


Picked up and knitted stitches with the black for the back hooves


then partially seamed the back of the legs, leaving an opening for later stuffing. The tail and ears were knitted separately and sewn into place, and it was all ready for felting.


A couple more pics of the final result.


As I was pulling the pillow case out of the washer to check on the felting the second time, I found myself saying "Ok, Sherman, let's see how you're doing." So I guess his name is Sherman the Sheep. He still needs eyes - I bought some little plastic ones at Michaels, but I don't really like them, so I'm going to keep looking for something nicer.

Wrist Warmers Progress

I have decided to turn my warmers into fingerless mittens rather than fingerless gloves, since I think they'll feel more comfortable while typing. I started out with one pattern and switched partway through to another, so now I'm pretty much just going by the actual fit on my hand.

I want to go back to 2x2 rib at the end of the fingers portion, to help keep it in place while I'm working. I can't decide a) how long overall the finger portion should be (to the first knuckle on my pinkie finger? or further in order to keep the other fingers warmer?) and then b) how much of that should be rib versus stockinette (because examples I've seen with a LOT of ribbing after the palm section look a little weird to me).

Here's what I have so far:



What do you think?

One Year Later

It's been slightly over a year since I taught myself to knit (at the instigation of the jewelry ladies). In that time, I've completed:

• Two baby afghans
• Six scarves
• One wrap
• One felted purse
• One felted hat
• One baby hoodie*

Doesn't seem like much, but I guess it's ok since I also made four music videos, took a whole bunch of jewelry classes, and, of course actually went to work and out with friends during that time. :D

Plus, there's a bunch of stuff in "time out" as well as some experiments that may or may not turn into something.

Things in "time out"

Baby afghan 3

Started in the fall, not really touched since December?

Baby afghan 4

Started in the late summer/fall and not really touched since November?

Color block sweater

I got one side done and then started the second, then put it aside. Chunky yarn, so it's definitely not a summer sweater, so we'll see when I get it done.

Experiments in mosaic

Black/gray/pink

(Sorry about the blurry picture.) I thought I might make a scarf like this - I had a whole pattern worked out for switching through the colors in a great sequence - but the large amount of slip stitches makes it rather heavy/stiff, so I might need to try again on a lighter yarn.

Tweedy

I liked this pattern in my stitches book, but it didn't turn out as well with this yarn/needle size/colors combination. I'll probably frog this one at some point.

Felted diamonds

I have an idea to make a nice felted purse with this pattern (adapting one of the purses in the Pursenalities book). I haven't decided how I want to do the ends yet, though, since in the book she switches from knit to purl to help build a sharp corner, and I can't do that with a slip stich mosaic pattern.

I also have another scarf started, using one of the lovely handspun yarns in a traveling rib pattern, but I can't decide if that's the best use of the yarn (no pics yet, sorry). And I have an experiment in mosaic that I'm not showing because, if it works out well, it'll be a gift for someone.

Finally, I will finish knitting (and hopefully felt) my sheep tonight, and I'm happily working on my first glove. So I guess I'm doing ok. :D

*Ok, so it's not quite done, but I just need to sew the sleeve seams, add the buttons and then block it one more time.

Pick a Project

I learned how to knit in the round using two circulars this weekend. I now have about 3" of a Sassy Stripes tube that fits very nicely around my wrist.

I can't decide, however, whether to just make the Voodoo Warmers from knitty.com, or try for the full fingertip-less gloves thing.

The goal is to have something that will keep my hands warm at work, when I'm typing/mousing all day.

A Question of Gauge

Dear Knitsters:

I have a pattern for a wine bottle cover that is confusing me. The pattern calls for bulky (5) yarn. The listed gauge in the pattern is 14 st / 20 rows for 4" by 4" in st st. No problem, right? But the patten says that they accomplished that on size 7 needles.

All of the bulky yarn that I have lists gauge as either 14 or 15 st on size 10 or 10.5 needles. Even the yarn the pattern says they used for the model lists 15 st on size 10 = 4" on its label. I knitted up a small gauge swatch on 7s, then on 8s, then on 9s before I had to put it in time out. I can't for the life of me figure out how they managed to knit that gauge with that yarn on those needles, unless their test knitter just did it incredibly tight.

Am I cracked? Or are they crazy?