Panda

I knit this for my young friend who has a 15th birthday coming up this weekend. I never can figure out what to get for her each year, but recently, she's let it be known that she likes panda bears. And you know, it's not like she can have too many pandas. So I looked through my patterns and found the perfect one. It's from Noah's Ark by Alan Dart.


I knit him in worsted yarn instead of DK because I didn't want him to be teeny tiny. The pattern can be found in the simply Knitting magazine or his book, Irresistible Toys to Knit.

Stats:
Date started finished: a week because I was thinking about modifications.

It's actually a very fast knit, it took me a bit because I had to think about how to redo his legs and body so that he's more sitting, and less standing on all fours (like a cow). I wanted him to not be on 4s because well, I normally see sitting pandas.

yarn: acrylics
needle size: US2
mods: Many.

Here's my modifications:
Body: Done in the round because well, I try to do all of Alan Dart's patterns in the round when ever possible.
Head: Done also in the round after the neck part.
Arms: Done in the round. Went with casting on 10 stitches, knit a tube for a bit and then decreasing by k2tog and then thread through and pull. Stuffed and sewed on.
Legs: Done in the round. Cast on 14 stitches, knit 2 rows, increased 2 stitches at stitch 1 and 7, knit a few, decrease again, k row, decrease, knit.

Here's some more shots because he turned out so nicely. btw, that's a lucky bamboo that my mother gave me in the 90's (maybe 1996?).

Ory-gone

Due to a soon-to-expire free ticket, we had a minivacation in Portland this weekend.

Of course, what is my main thought? What knitting to bring? Since we didn't want to check anything, I had to bring a project that would work w/ my Harmonies. So, it would be a doily (0-2needle size) or something that goes with size 4.

I chose to bring my Malabrigo green laceweight that I purchased from Nine Rubies a bit ago. And since one of my friends is turning 40 this next month, I thought I'd knit her something. I went back and forth between Ice Queen and Swallowtail, and then decided that the Malabrigo would be much better as a swallowtail.

Anyway, I cast on the tabby bit and that was it. Printed out the pattern, and put it in the bag.

We dropped the kids off and make it to the airport with plenty of time. Only to find that our flight had been delayed. Not a little bit delayed, but 4 HOURS delayed! Good thing I brought my knitting. 4 hours normally wouldn't be that painful, except for the fact that we boarded our plane at 1:05 AM. Ouch!

Anyway, I was able to get lots of knitting in during that time, and surprisingly, I finished the shawl in 3 days (and vacation too).

Given the amount of time I KIPed, only one person asked me about it...here's my knitting at the Portland Rose Garden.


Here's some gorgeous roses.


Did I mention this was going to be a short vacation (couldn't leave the kids too long). We were in the city of Portland for a total of 65 hours. And in the time I knit the whole shawl, got to check out Yarnia, where I picked up a cone of purple cotton yarn, and got to check out the Yarn Garden, where I picked up the latest Piecework for the shawl pattern.
This is my yarn being wound off at Yarnia.

Didn't have that much time at the Yarn Garden because we only found it 15 minutes before they closed. And lovely husband was so nice about it since we needed to be at the airport to catch our flight. (Of course the flight was late too, so whatever). I think had I known it was in the same block as my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Portland, we would have gotten there earlier. By the way, that restaurant would be Jarra's. I went there when I lived in Oregon and we'd make a special trip up there. Of course, that's the restaurant where one of my closest friends said 'Even the vegetables are hot (spicy)'. Man was it fabulous! Then they moved to their present location, and we've been there once (that would be once in the last 12 years?)

To all: I must say I've got a most fabulous husband. He hung out as I checked out my version of heaven at Yarnia -- just imagine wall to wall yarn...in...cones. And he suggested and helped find the Yarn Garden as a stop before leaving Oregon.

The most fabulous killer spicy wings can be found at the Widmere brewery/pub.


As for the project, it's the swallowtail shawl:



pattern: Swallowtail Shawl from IK
start: July 9, 2008
finish: July 12, 2008
modifications: I did an extra 2 rows at the end (because I wanted to)

Bubby for a Bubby

This gift is already gifted. This was for a lovely boy who just turned one at the beginning of the month. He's a doll. So I knit him a bubby.
This knit was fiddly. But cute. And it hurt my fingers knitting tightly. I am not a natural born tight knitter. (sigh) Remember, I'm the loosey goosey kind of gal.

The directions were followed, except that I used doubled Woolease with US5 needles. I did add a tail and a bellybutton. For the tail, I crocheted a chain of 4 and tied a knot and sewed it on. For the belly button, I used the yarn used for putting the tail on and came out through the front, and back into the back. Put a bit of tension there so that you got a little 'insie' and that was that.

I will have to make one of these for my little girl child too. I wonder if I can knit it and felt it to get that tightness?hmmm...I've got some lovely worsted weight 100% wool in a pink that I really shouldn't use for anything but toys. I may even try to make a dinosaur, for my boy z (but maybe not in pink).