Disorganized Crime Yarnblob

Note that picture is crooked, like the bad guys' hideouts in the old Batman series:

Unfortunately for the hapless multi-strand Yarnblob, I'm sure I have something in my utility belt ("pencil bag") to end his knotty crime spree...

WIP Progress: Hex Blanket and Pink Scarf

Despite a tumultuous week, I did actually make some progress. The hex blankie is up to 4 rows completed:

Unfortunately, the blankie is now too large to simply lay over the dungeon (game mat), and the library doesn't have great light for photography, so I normalized the color as best I could.

Meanwhile, the Pink Scarf of Doom is now 20 inches long, and I've had to buy another Pound of Love because the first one ran out:

In all fairness, I didn't use the entire first Pound of Love for this scarf; part of that went to a baby blanket I haven't finished (I still have some of the first POL set aside for that blanket). I'm contemplating just using the pull-out skein on this one, rather than winding it into multiple cakes, but I'm not sure which tactic will yield fewer Yarnblobs. Either way, I'm also going to have to switch to a larger project bag.

Level Indicator Yarnblob

This handy device, similar to a rain gauge, lets you know that your desk has too much yarn on it by covering the icons on your computer screen:

Poor "Blaine" doll; he didn't stand a chance

Tough Week for Knitting (and everything else)

As the title says, it's been a rough week: my mother-in-law went into the hospital last Friday and passed away around 5 AM Wednesday morning, so besides everyone feeling very sad, there's also been a lot of scrambling to get things handled. In the midst of all that the kids have been exchanging the mystery virus, for which the doctor says there's no treatment. I also had to work late Monday and Friday to try and get caught up after missing several days from all this. As one might suspect, I've not gotten much knitting done. I also missed the painting contest. Our heads are still spinning with things that have to be done, but we're trying to take it one step at a time.

Meanwhile, here are the roses, chocolates and teddy bear my Hubby sent me for Valentine's Day:

A little blurry; taken with my cell phone

I left work early Tuesday and didn't go back until Friday, but the roses were still fresh and the chocolates and teddy bear still waiting for me :-)

V-Day FO and WIP Progress: Hex Blankie

This year, I made my Hubby's Valentine's Day gift using a pattern from Mochimochi Land, and actually had it done early:

At least he'll never get the blue screen of death.

I've also started row 4 on the Hex Blankie (also for him):

This odd critter is threatening to take over the whole dungeon!

Happy V-Day everyone!

Anti-Yarnblob Device and WIP Progress: Pink Scarf

For projects too large for my original Anti-Yarnblob Device but still small enough to carry around, I have this nifty little Pretty Cheep Project Bag, distributed by Blue Sky Alpacas:

It was fairly inexpensive and a brilliantly simple idea, so I got one and have used it a number of times. Currently, it holds the pink scarf of doom I'm finishing for my older daughter's friend:

It's now up to about 18" long and looks increasingly like a blanket. Oh, well. She actually worked on it some the other night, and I didn't get a picture, but she had her first WIP Yarnblob when a small knot came out of the cake. She was quite worried and didn't know what to do, so I explained that it was a Yarnblob and detangled it in only a few seconds. Family togetherness brought on by a Yarnblob; who'da thunk it?

FO: More Lembas Bread Knitted Can Cozies and Free Pattern

Another set of commissioned bottle/can cozies completed:

Dungeon Not Included

Here's the pattern:

Can/Bottle Cozies

Materials: US 7 circ. knitting needles, 2 colors worsted weight yarn
Gauge: 3.5 st./inch in circular Stockinette st. (St.st.)
Size: Cozy meas. approx. 8.25" circumference x 3.5" tall.

Layer 1:
Using 1st color, c/o 28 st., join and work in the round in 2x2 ribbing for 6 rows; work in St. st. to 3.5" total;
Beginning with a purl row, work in Garter St., decreasing 4 st. per round on the knit rows until 12 st. remain (end w/decr. row). Break yarn, run through rem. 12 st., secure and weave in ends.

Layer 2:
Using 2nd color, with right side of Layer 1 showing, pick up 28 st. just inside lip of Layer 1;
Join and work in the round, working 2x2 ribbing in opposite direction from Layer 1 (i.e., purl where Layer 1 is knitted, etc.) for 6 rows;
Work remainder of Layer 2 as Layer 1; stuff Layer 2 inside Layer 1 so desired color is showing.

And, of course, the requisite Mad Knittist Notes:

WIP Progress: Hex Blanket and Pink Scarf

One more hex and I'll have row 3 completed:

The objects in the background might give some clue as to what else we did last weekend. I couldn't work on the blanket while gaming because the pattern requires a bit more brainwork than I can devote while trying to survive a dungeon. Instead, I worked on the scarf my older daughter started for her friend. To me it looks more like a small blanket, but it's simple and dungeon-friendly so I'm not complaining:

Goal Post Yarnblob

Happy Superbowl Watching!

Reaper Painting Contest

Thanks to fellow blogger LadyArgent for posting that Reaper Minis is having a Winter Painting Contest. I admit I've had painting on the backburner for awhile; my January Ninja is not complete, though thanks to some helpful suggestions by fellow mini painters, I have some ideas on how to improve him.

Meanwhile, we have this contest thingy now. My first thought was that I'm not really a good enough painter to even bother entering this thing. Since then, I've been mentally chewing over what they said: "Be fun and clever." Somehow I managed to connect this to a gnome mini I've been wanting to paint that previously didn't come out right and has to be scrubbed down to the metal once or twice. While I was working on the hex blankie this afternoon I brought the mini with me so I could think it over, and indeed I've come up with an idea. Right now she's just primered, so I won't post pics of it here until I have some of it done. Here's Reaper's pic of the unpainted mini, sculpted by Sandra Garrity:

What you can't see in the photo is the cool little helm she has hanging on her belt behind her left arm. It's probably my favorite feature of this mini, which is why I want to paint it well. With all the great painters on Reaper's forums, I probably won't even "place" in this contest, but that hardly matters. I feel inspired to paint again, and that does matter. Thanks, Reaper!

Yarn-Related LOLCat

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

WIP Progress: Hex Blanket

I managed to get mostly done with the second row of this blanket, and I must say I like the way it's turning out. However, I did hit a bit of a self-induced snag on the first hex of the second row. This:

Directions? Bah!

is supposed to look like this:

Oops

It helps if you read the directions thoroughly. Seems I'm sposed to pick up and knit on the sides of 3 prior hexes, not just 2. I considered ripping it out, but decided just to sew the two sides together instead:

You didn't see annythiing....

It might still look odd in that photo, but in the next photo, the second row is nearly complete and you can see that the gaps between hexes pick themselves up nicely:

Yes, that is a Pathfinder book in the background by the t-square

Thus the last "bite" shape at the end will go away when I knit up the final hex of that row.