Owning It

While working on a new project for my son I started thinking about patterns and modifications. If you start with a pattern and then make a lot of modifications, is there a point where you can own it and say it is your own pattern? Now don't get me wrong, I feel that credit should be given when you use a pattern or even if the pattern you created is loosely based on another. Sometimes I will see a pattern on a blog and then later see a very similar pattern somewhere else but with a different designer. I just wonder where do you draw the line? (click for bigger)

The Spin-Off pattern seen here (scroll down a bit) uses a lighter weight wool than I had spun, so I had to change the stitch count and needle size. After changing the colorwork pattern also I basically ended up using only the cast on method and the 3-needle bind off but even did that with a twist as I ended up adding fringe while I cast off. But I still think that credit should be given to the original designer because I doubt that I would have come up with this litle bag on my own.

Project Specs:
Pattern: Based on Deborah Pullman's Gunnister Man's Pouch pattern in the Summer 2006 issue of Spin-Off
Yarn: My own handspun. Light grey Romney (gifted to me by my friend Madame Purl), dark gray Shetland and then some blue Wensleydale, all around sport weight. Approx. 100 yards romney, 35 yards shetland, small amount of wensleydale.
Needles: Knitpicks Options, size 4
Started: 1/16/07 Finished: 1/20/07

Colorways

A long time ago I bought some Dazzle yarn to make a easy quick wrap. The wrap ended up not being wide enough and so for a couple of years I debated frogging it and re-knitting it into something else. I still had 2 full skeins left and a partial 3rd. This Fall I pulled out my scarves, hats, etc. and there was the "almost wrap." With the help of my friend we decided that it actually looked pretty good as a wide scarf. There, problem solved. Now there is something I found odd about this yarn. Different company, different weight, yet same colorway as a sock I was working on. Both yarns bought at the same store and I think around the same time and maybe this is more common than I think but I found it peculiar. One thing I did notice is that Trekking is a German yarn and the tag of the Tahki Yarns ~ Dazzle said that it was dyed in Germany so I assume they were dyed at the same place?

So I finished up the sock I was working on and then pulled out the 2 plus skeins to make some fingerless mitts ( I had given my Fetching pair to my sister). When finished with the fingerless mitts I still had 1 full skein and now 2 partial skeins so I decided to make some little slipper socks. Now those are finished and I still have 2 partial skeins left. This is the yarn that seriously will not go away! My neck, hands and feet will be covered so I guess I need to make something for my head and then I remember Knitty's calorimetry so I made that. Finally, as Mr. Chicken will demonstrate the best he can, I was almost out of yarn.

Now for the projects and yarn info. Click for bigger.











Socks
Pattern: basic
Yarn: Trekking ~ #800
Needles: Knitpicks double points #2

I probably should have put both items side-by-side but trust me, they are the same even though the photos are a bit off in color depth.





Fingerless Mitts
Pattern: my own
Yarn: Tahki Yarns ~ Dazzle ~ color #05
Needles: Knitpick Options #9 (magic loop method used with 32" circ)



Footies
Pattern: my own
Yarn: Tahki Yarns ~ Dazzle ~ color #05
Needles: #9 bamboo double point

Calorimetry
Pattern: Calorimetry
Yarn: Tahki Yarns ~ Dazzle ~ color #05
Needles: Knitpick Options #9

I tried to get a good pic of the button but it just didn't want to be photographed (even with the macro setting and sunny) so it's a tad blurry.

Can you tell I really like this colorway? So much so that I when I bought each of these yarns it did not dawn on me that I had the other one. That happened some time later.

And someone, please tell me, for the love of Pete why do I continue to knit socks on 3 mm needles? I have knitted around 10 pairs of socks and finally realized that maybe I should go down to a 2.5 mm. I'm working on a STR pair and even though I am a tight knitter I am much happier with the result.

Drive By Blogging

Just a quick post to get some pictures up that I don't want to forget to post, mostly for archive purposes. As I said in my last post, I did very little Christmas knitting this year.

I've really been making an attempt to keep better notes, even started a nice binder and everything but when making my gift this year I didn't stay true to my new system so details are very sketchy.

Crocheted scarf for mom.
Specs:
Pattern: just double crochet length-wise
Yarn: Berroco Glace' ~ color 2864
Size K crochet hook
Skeins used: 2

This scarf only took a few hours to make.


Scarf and hat for sister.
Specs:
Pattern: none really. co 30 sts (I think) and brioche stitch
Yarn: Mountain Colors ~ Obsidian
Needles: Knitpicks Options size 9
Skeins used: 1 -1/2



Hat
Pattern: Just casted on some stitches, brioche stitch until I needed to decrease and then joined and continued in k1, p1. I was running out of yarns so I had to make this hat shorter than I would have liked. And I had a heck of a time getting my decreases right so it didn't end up pointer than it already is.
Yarn: Mountain Colors ~ Obsidian
Needles: Knitpick Options size 9
Skeins used : 1/2

Beaded bracelets.
Gifts to teachers and to my best friend. Mostly crystal beads.










Watch for mom.
The strands are not twisted like it looks. I really wish I would have gotten better pictures of this stuff but I was in a hurry. My mom said she always has a hard time finding a watch that will fit and so I made her this one and she absolutely loves it. I used turquoise, glass and silver beads. I can't take credit for the design, there was a similar bracelet at the bead shop and so I based it on that.

Holiday Gifts

Now that the holidays are over I can get busy and hopefully post on a more regular basis. My Christmas knitting was limited to a scarf and hat for my sister and a crocheted scarf for my mother. I will post those later but for today I will show you some other fiber projects that I made for gifts. As always, click for bigger and sorry about the non-artsy floor photos.

Though not practical, these potholders were fun to some crewel work on. I've been wanting to get back into embroidery and crewel so this was a good project to start on. These were gifted to my sister-in-law.



I also made some beaded necklaces and bracelets this year and the next photo is a little pouch that I made to put them in. I used two methods of felting. For the larger pouches I did the conventional felting with water, soap and agitation. When I found some thin areas I then used my Clover 5-needle thingy to add more fiber. Then I did some crewel and the button is an antiqu eglass one from my button stash. This pouch went to my best friend.

My friend also stated that she wanted a felted bowl like the one I had made myself last year so I set to work on that and this is what I ended up with. Again, conventional water, soap, agitation and then dried over an oblong bowl that I had to give it shape.

Lots more photos to post on some projects finished the past few days but for now I'm out of here, I have a gift card burning a hole in my pocket and hopefully will come home with a new coat today.