16: Jayne Hat

This was a Christmas present for my husband who loves Firefly. In fact, we both love Firefly. I remember watching it for the first time with him in his flat when I was in first year at Uni and loving it straight away. We can both recite the Hero of Canton by heart all these years later! The hat wasn’t really a surprise because I had to size it to him as I went (he has a pretty big head) but I thoroughly enjoyed it and he loves it still. It was also a good way to channel my stress as I was just reaching my dissertation deadline and suffering a lot of anxiety. I crocheted it rather than knitting it because I couldn’t find decent chunky yarn and I was also a coward and scared of adding earflaps to a knit hat because I didn’t know how to do it. I’m a bit of a scaredy cat still when it comes to unknown knitting techniques!

Stats
Started: Dec 7^th 2012
Finished: Dec 18^th 2012
Yarn: Drops Karisma
Hook: 4mm

15: Iron Man Repuslors

My gauge changed drastically between one mitt and the other but it’s not a huge deal. In the same way as the previous gloves I used my arm measurements at various points to make a custom fitting pair of gloves to use as repulsors for my Iron Man costume for a Uni event. Again I wish I’d done them in the round than seamed them, but oh well. The blue repulsor circles on the palm make these inconvenient for day to day use but they were fab for the costume.

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Stats
Started: September 8^th 2012
Finished: September 23^rd 2012
Yarn: Drops Merino Extra Fine. Drops Ice for the blue repulsors on the palm
Hook: 3mm

14: Stripey Rave Gloves

I picked up some yarn my friend auctioned and OMG COLOUR. I started them, then put them down for ages. I measured my arm at multiple places, did a gauge swatch and wrote a pattern so they would fit perfectly without stretching or bunching. Looking back I’m actually pretty proud of that! I just wish I’d knit them in the round instead of knitting them flat and seaming them because the seam is AWFUL. I will never wear them because 1: the colours aren’t great for Glasgow and 2: I would never really have an occasion, but it was still a fun exercise. If It’d knit them in less crazy colours I imagine I’d wear them all the time.

cof

sdr

Stats
Started: Feb 13^th 2012
Finished: Aug 9^th 2012
Yarn: Unknown cone – I think it’s Bramwell 4ply
Needles: 2.75mm

13: Sock Monkey Bag

So remember how I said my first attempt at a sock monkey hat was way too big? Well I hated frogging so instead I turned it into a bag. I’ve never really used it but the stuff to make the lining is in it, I just never got round to actually sewing it in. Now it just sits in and FO box somewhere and doesn’t get used. Maybe it will end up as a present someday. Who knows?

Stats
Started: April 17^th 2012
Finished: July 13^th 2012
Yarn: Drops Andes
Hook: 8mm

12: Little Owl

This is the companion to the arigurumi octopus for the younger cousin. It has become a little bit of a running joke because it’s expression is less than intelligent (it’s known as Derp Owl). It was still a fun project though and again the recipient loved it (he refers to it as a penguin). I used leftover yarn from my sock monkey hat. He has a big head and very derpy eyes but I still think he’s cute.

Duurrrrrrr

Stats
Started: May 1^st 2012
Finished: July 13^th 2012
Yarn: Drops Andes
Hook: 6.5mm

11: Karibiner Flare

This was just a quick project to see if I could jazz up the karabiner I used for my keys with some spare yarn. It worked for a while but eventually the yarn broke and it unravelled. It was still an interesting experiment though.

Stats
Started: May 12^th 2012
Finished: May 12^th 2012
Yarn: King Cole Wicked
Hook: 3mm

10: Amigrumi Octopus

Having recently discovered crochet I was, pardon the pun, hooked. I received the yarn from this in an international yarn swap and I was SO SOFT! I knew we were going to be seeing my husband’s cousins in the summer so I decided I wanted to make them some toys. This octopus was for the older of them and is certainly… something. You can tell my crochet skills were still rudimentary! The eyes have lovely anchor buttons. Again I don’t have great pics because it was given away but the recipient really loved it which is nice.

Stats
Started: May 1 2012
Finished: May 7 2012
Yarn: Premier Yarns Deborah Norville Serenity Chunky Prints in Red Ochre and After Dark
Hook: 8mm

9: Sock Monkey Hat

This was my first foray into crochet. I was going to a convention in May and one of the actors there was very well known for wearing a sock monkey hat in one of his photo shoots. I, ever an obsessive fan, decided I needed one. I finished it with plenty of time (even though I actually had to make it a second time as the first on was WAY too big) and I wore it to the convention! While at an autograph signing he told me he liked my hat and when I proudly told him I made it myself he seemed to be impressed but that might be my crazy fangirl self projecting haha. It has a lot of really, really good memories attached to it. I wore it everywhere for months but it doesn’t see the light of day much anymore. I grew up and moved on from that particular fandom.

cof

sdr

Stats
Started: April 17^th 2012
Finished: April 19^th 2012
Yarn: Drops Andes
Hook: 6.5mm

7: First Hat

My first attempt at a hat was Capucine. Not only my first attempt at a hat, but my first attempt at ribbing and knitting in the round. I’m not sure when I actually cast it on, but I did end up ripping it back and starting again because no one told me that when you transition between knitting and purling you need to move the yarn to the front/back. There were a lot of accidental yarn overs and yarn forwards. It was so frustrating! I was at my in-laws place for New Years that year and his Godmum was staying. She showed me how to fix it and also taught me how to cable. Not only that but she caught the fact I was twisting my purls too! She’s a genius knitter and I still refer to her as my Fairy Knitmother. It turns out that my forays into knitting and her helping me out inspired her to break out her needles again which is so lovely.

sdr

cof

The hat is knit in yarn I was given as a present by my in-laws for my birthday in the October and it’s so soft and gorgeous. Unfortunately the hat does try and slurp itself off my head as I wear it so it needs to be tied which looks a bit ridiculous. I should probably invest in some hat clips or something, I have a few which could use them.

Stats
Started: January 8th 2012
Finished: January 10th 2012
Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky in Noviembre
Needles: Unknown

3,4,5,8: Kindle Covers

This is actually 4 finished objects: My 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th. They are all the same – kindle covers. I got a kindle for my birthday and Sam got one for Christmas so I knit them for us. Then other people started asking for them so I made 4 all in all. I would knit a square and a simple triangle decreased flap at the top, fold it and sew 2 edges. They were really simple and pretty quick. Again, I don’t have great photos of them. The first 3 are in the same colourway and the fourth is a different one which was specifically asked for. I don’t use mine anymore because I got given a hardback cover. I think Sam’s is around somewhere but he only uses it if he’s traveling with his kindle (he’s very good at smashing screens). I’m not sure if the other two are still used but the recipients were very happy when they got them.

Stats:
Started: Nov 27th 2011
Finished: Nov 30th 2011
Yarn: Cygnet Seriously Chunky Macaw
Needles: 9mm

Started: Dec 7th 2011
Finished: Dec 10th 2011
Yarn: Cygnet Seriously Chunky Macaw
Needles: 9mm

Started: Dec 10th 2011
Finished: Dec 13th 2011
Yarn: Cygnet Seriously Chunky Macaw
Needles: 9mm

Started: Jan 21st 2012
Finished: Jan 21st 2012
Yarn: Cygnet Seriously Chunky Nightjar
Needles: 9mm