monkeys and ponies

Now that all three recipients have their octopusses, I can share a photo:



I got the pattern from the Dapper Toad over on Etsy, and it was very easy to follow. I did actually have to switch to dpns for the ears instead of continuing to magic loop on circulars, just because I was dealing with something so small, but for once the dpns behaved and didn't hurt my hands.

In fact, the hardest part of making these was finding the cat's eye buttons, which I ended up buying through Suncrafter Craft Eyes on Amazon. I need to order more soon for the current project (a yeti!), which might leave some spare for more octopusses. OH WELL.

KnitPicks Time Traveler (obviously), done in magic loop. There are a few tiny mistakes, but I'm the only one wearing them, so I don't care. Lessons learned for next time, anyway.

Of course, it's nearly 90°F (32°C) here today, so way too hot for socks. But that is BESIDE THE POINT. The point is, they're done, and I love them.

I knitted a squid for lizbee. Because I had the yarn, and I had the squid pattern, and it was Christmastime, so why not?



I told myself some time ago that I would never knit tentacles again, but these were much easier than the previous set of tentacles, largely because they were sewn up instead of being knitted in the round with a ridiculously small number of stitches. I used some nice wool yarn I had left over from a sweater I never finished making quite some time ago, and the evil bamboo yarn, last seen as bronze Dalek bumps, continues to redeem itself as an accent color. (I still hate knitting with the yarn, but the color and texture make up for that.)

I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out, and extra-pleased with the USPS for getting the squid to Australia in seven days flat.

Yeah, I know, there aren't any purple Daleks. (Yet.) But there should be.

I finished knitting my first sweater last month, but am only now getting around to (crappily) photographing it:



(Gee, it would be nice if there were some broad, flat surface in our home with decent lighting. Alas, that is not the case.)

Anyway, it came out pretty well. The pattern was easy to follow, and the sweater fits perfectly, although the bell sleeves can make eating a little tricky. (It's also less shapeless than this photo makes it look; click through to the pattern to see it on a mannequin.) This may be my one and only sweater though, unless I find a pattern that is largely knit in one piece, as I have confirmed that there is nothing I find more tedious and annoying than sewing seams.

Still, I got it done well before my deadline of "finish before winter ends," and I'm pleased with the results.

1. Do not try to knit an octopus.

2. I cannot make a French knot to save my life.

3. I also apparently sometimes pick up stitches from the edge in the wrong direction, no matter how many times I try to pick them up in exactly the same way every time.

4. Knitting tentacles is incredibly boring.

5. The cats will never be impressed by my work.

6. Okay, at least it's kind of cute.