The One About Inori

Before I fall off the face of the internet again (buried by a mountain of school work – mid year exams coming up!), I’m popping in to show you my latest FO!
I made this pattern up and this hat is knitted from the top down to its brim so sizing could be adapted for bigger/smaller heads.

This character is called a Moogle. Mog (as he is often named) is a permanent special guest in Final Fantasy games.

His pom pom is fixed on top of a chenille stick/ pipe cleaner.

The hat was knitted with 2 strands of 4-ply wool as I initially wanted to use an 8-ply (DK) but couldn’t find one in moogle-colour.

Okay I got to go back to my studies. I have other FOs to show but really would have to finish my school work first.

If I get enough responses asking for a pattern of this hat I’d write it out.

Meanwhile, this is its rav link.

Kupo!

Why?

Because of this:

So it’s finally done – the handspun shawl that used handspun-from -scratch-fleece-to-yarn.

This is how it looked like, fresh off the needles. Not very good looking.

While blocking, I fell in love with it. I really thought it wasn’t going to look good since it was always so scrunched up.

Today was a dark and dreary day. So what was I doing out in the backyard with only a halter top on? (I was wearing pants too, just in case you misinterpret my meaning.)

This:

I had no dress or long sleeved black tops so I had to chatter in the cold wind while snarling at Nad to hurry up and take the picture already!!!!!!!

I also had to photoshop 3 or 4 pieces of doggie nuggets (poop) from the grass. -___-

I understand that the lighting is not very nice but I have to send out this shawl by tomorrow. And even then, tomorrow’s forecast is an overcast sky.

I don’t think my pictures did my shawl any justice. I need a better place to take photos. Like an emotionally charged, by-the-window-with-sunlight-filtering-through and light bouncing off the seed beads making them seem like diamonds shining.

Think I can commission this kinda photo on etsy’s alchemy? Lol.

So it’s now folded neatly and awaiting to be packed in some tissue and hopefully I can find a decent box to contain it before it takes it’s flight. I hope the recipient would be obliged to take a photo of herself wearing it and I can post it here!

Name of Project: Photosynthesis Handspun Beaded Shawl

Yarn: Handspun from scratch

Needles: Knitpicks Harmony. Can’t remember the size.

Cast On Date: 1 November 2009

Cast Off Date: 2 June 2010 (with a HUGE hibernation period!)

Learned: 1st time beading a shawl!

Modifications: Did two extra repeats of chart B.

Mistakes: Nil

Ok. I’m still cold from that ordeal. Everyone else is napping now and I’m very sleepy but I shall continue to knit!

Thank you for your comments on the bag. I will reply to everyone soon! (I’ve already replied most of you though I think!)

There once was a girl woman young woman who went into a local yarn store (despite her owning a yarn store herself……and even if she didn’t have a yarn store, her personal stash was enough to be a store and she had no yarn stash), she came across this particular wool.

It wasn’t blue.

I had to state that first just in case you’re already shaking your head, thinking that since I’m such a sucker for blue items, I bought the wool because it was blue.

ANYWAY.

It wasn’t blue. It was light beige. It wasn’t merino (my absolute absolute absolute favourite kind of fibre). It was only 50grams in a ball but cost a whopping $9.50.

Now a 100g skein of Malabrigo Worsted only costs $13.90 (from my store… ) and if you double that $9.50 (it’s $19 for those who can’t double it – don’t worry, I needed a calculator as well because it was just in front of me and I only had 5 hours of sleep last night so I’m not judging you), that’s like……… a lot of difference. Because it wasn’t Merino. And because it wasn’t blue. And also I found it rather scratchy. But then again, anything not merino and is scratchy to me. I even find Cascade 220 (which I knitted my Central Park Hoodie in) scratchy. I don’t know why. Maybe I got sensitive skin.
And because I grew up in a family that believed in thrifting (actually.. just my mum… my dad splurges… don’t ya, dad? I know you are reading this… hehehe…) and Nad too is a very very thrifty person, I would have put that ball of yarn back into it’s shelf.

Did I forget to mention that it was also scratchy?

BUT!

Somehow… that beige colour was beckoning to me. And with Sasha by my side… she wasn’t the best person to go into a yarn shop in…. I mean… she doesn’t splurge… she’s more self-restrained than I am… but her problem is that she CAN’T restrain others!

The conversation might have been like this on that day… (it was in year 2008 I believe….)

Me: You have to stop me from buying any yarn that I don’t absolutely love, okay?
Sash: Okay.
Me: Oh look!!!! Should I buy this? I like the colour but I don’t LOVE the colour… and I don’t like the texture and I don’t like the price.
Sash: Don’t get it then.
Me: But I kinda like the colour.
Sash: Okay. Get it.

See? Doesn’t take much to get her to cave. *Pout*

Anyway… I bought 3 skeins ($28.50) and started a cardigan for Sunshine.

I didn’t like the way it behaved. It was scratchy, it was flakey, it was rough (on my tender hands), it was scratchy, it was flakey.

I knitted on it with full steam……. determined to finish it before my hands get calluses. And in my fervour, I picked up way too many stitches on one side of the cardi and as a result, both sides of the button/buttonhole panels do not match.

I got fed up. There’s no way I’m ripping back with this stupid wool!

Let’s just say it was banished and never saw the sun for more than a year.

Until a week ago, my mum was helping me get organised and we came upon the dreaded cardi again.She lovingly stitched on the buttons (which were all that it needed, really, to be considered as an FO).

I grudgingly weaved in the 3 ends I’d left and decided to try it on Sunshine.
It still fit her.

(I can’t seem to get her to pose nicely for a photo anymore.)

With the buttons, you can’t really tell that one side is longer than the other.

It’s not so scratchy in this bitter cold weather (same goes for my Central Park Hoodie…. the colder it is, the less scratchy wool feels to me). But er, I don’t think Sunshine really likes it because she was begging me to take it off her.

According to my Ravelry page, it says that this project was

I can barely contain my excitement as I type this entry. It’s 1.35am now and I’ve just finished writing, proof-reading and publishing my 1st sweater pattern for kids!

MOSSY!

This baby sweater is knitted in one piece from neck down. No seams!

Sunshine has a small little toy that she named ‘Mossy’. It’s actually Gonzo the Great but because he looks so much like a mosquito, she’s been calling him Mossy from day 1.

Mossy has been her favourite toy for a while now and since I’ve always loved the texture and look of the British moss stitch, I decided to design a sweater that uses this stitch, just so I can name it after Sunshine’s favourite toy.

I made a mistake while knitting the ’1st draft’. I used a variegated yarn despite knowing that the moss st will not show up well in variegation.

But, I’ve had these skeins of Malabrigo Merino Worsted in the Oceanos colourway marinating in my stash for a long long time and I’ve been dying to use it!

Oceanos is my favourite Malabrigo colourway (no prizes for guessing why) and I tell you, knitting with this buttery soft yarn and watching my favourite colour change from one shade to another……. woohoo! It’s like knitting on high! (I wanted to say ‘knitting org–m’ but I won’t, on the risk of sounding dorky and rude).

Anyhooo… I made the pattern in 3 sizes. 3 months, 18 months and 3-4 years.

Chubbs is modeling the 3 month old size and Sunshine is modeling the 18 month old size. Apparently, my children run small.

Well, not Chubbs though. He was practically bursting out of the seams. No, wait… there are no seams… hmm… out of the sweater, I mean.

(In case you are wondering why the big grin. I asked her to ‘smile’ and she flashed me her dorky-grin-with-no-eyes instead!)

The pattern is easy. If you can knit in the round and do simple increases, you are good to go!

Malabrigo Merino Worsted is a dream to work with. I think it’s value for money as it has good yardage per 100g. It’s one of the softest yarn I’ve ever worked with and have you seen the colours they come in?

(Shameless plug of the day: Visit http://www.yarnandkisses.com to buy your Malabrigo! )

I’m knitting up the largest size now just to make sure my calculations are correct and also trying a summer version of this sweater. I am using Malabrigo Organic Cotton and I’m pleasantly surprised at how light the cotton feels! Cotton is usually heavier than wool but this has greater yardage than the Merino Worsted per 100g!

I am also humbled while writing up this pattern. Now I know how much hard work designers put into creating and putting everything in to words.

It’s not easy, people! I’m saluting to all designers out there, especially those who are so generous to share their patterns for free! (I think I’ve said all these before, haven’t I? But I think it deserves another mention!)

The pattern is colour coded for easy reading and referencing. I hope everything is correct and although gauge and measurements are ‘not rocket science’ (as per Nad’s words), I hope that no one will have problems reading it or ‘getting gauge’.

Whenever in doubt, always knit the larger size for kids. They grow soooo quickly!

I hope to create a page for my patterns in the near future but for now, I’ll link you to the PDF file for download.

Here it is, clikity click!

Comments and criticism most welcome. And before I forget, PLEASE DO NOT SELL OR REPRODUCE THE PATTERN IN ANY FORM AND DO NOT SELL THE FINISHED GARMENTS TOO. This pattern is free for everyone and I’d be very pissed if anyone tries to be funny.

If you wish to knit for charity, please contact me; inoriz88(at)gmail(dot)com or send me a private message through Ravelry (username: inoriz). I am not evil and I certainly will not bite you if you ask me!

I’m also entering the Ravelry Malabrigo Junkies October Stockpile 2009 Malworthy Design Contest (phew! What a mouthful!!!) and if you like my design, you can vote for me in this thread. >clickity click<

Thank you very much!

Name of project: Purple Forest Canopy Shawl

Yarn:Moda Vera Bamboo/Cotton

I cannot remember the details of this shawl because it was a quick knit (finished less than 2 weeks and to me, that’s pretty quick!)

And I didn’t have time to record what I did etc… and there isn’t time to model the shawl either! When we had time, it was rainy and overcast. When it was sunny, Nad wasn’t in to take pictures of me modeling it.

So sorry, you’ll have to see it being modeled on a bush.

I used a thick yarn and big needles so that the shawl would go quickly. I made it for my neighbour who is getting married this month! That was why I needed a quick shawl pattern and this was perfect!

The yarn is rather splitty (can’t expect much from a Spotlight brand) but when knitted up, it actually has a very nice drape and is not so warm – perfect for the cooler summer nights.

The pattern is easily remembered as there are really only 3 rows to memorise. It has an 8 row repeat but 4 rows are purl-back rows and the 1st row is a set up (knit) row.

This is how it looked like during blocking:

and how it looked like before blocking:

I created a care sheet for my neighbour as she is not a knitter and I would imagine that she might want to, at some point in time, wash her shawl.

You are most welcome to use this care sheet for handmade shawl gifts. Click HERE for the care sheet (or use the link to the right, under ‘pages’).

Comments and criticism welcome!