Stalled

So, I have some Knitpicks Comfy in October, it's lovely and I want to make a summer pullover.  Because I have concerns about it's durability, I want to use a stitch pattern that will keep it solid, so I was thinking a simple aran pattern.  I want the front and back to be basic squares with some shaping for a boat neck and then the sleeves will be basic with a center cable motif that will make a tab up the should seam and continue, wrapping around the two neck edges making for a decorative, non-traditional edging.
Not so big a deal, right?
Wrong.
I worked and did math and swatched and ripped out and did more math and restarted and ripped out and cast on again and ripped out again.  I've designed 3 different sets of cable configurations, and the first 2 have been non-starters.  Grr.  I think I need to use 4's on this yarn, it wants to be very loose no matter what I do, and I don't want a super loose hand on this project.
So, what I keep going back to because it doesn't make me mad, my socks.
Still using up sock yarn, I designed these from the toe up.  I just cast on 32 sts on scrap yarn and used the Nutkin heel/toe short row technique to make my toe, then picked the 32 original sts back up and worked up the foot.
I kinda like 'em.  Not even sure it's worth writing up this pattern (they're absurdly basic) but they calm me down when I want to throw my charts in the trash.

Lotus flower glove pattern now available on Ravelry

But not here yet.  I'm charging $5.00 for this pattern.
The difference between knowing how to do something and describing how to it to an unknown audience is huge.  How do you make fingers?  Ooof.  Well, done now and the prototypes are on their way to Elsie in the mail.

Olympian is done - pattern now available

Oh look, more pictures of me with no head.
Pattern now available via Ravelry for $2.00, I'll put up a link here soon.

It's fun and fast, would make a good Christmas knit for a medium sized person you love with a lizard's constitution.
And now for something completely different. 
I love to work with nice fibers, subtle colors, things that are soft and have a great hand.

Which is why making a hunter orange, acrylic Rasta hat for the small one's costume is just so sad for me.  Putridity ugly, but fast.

New Pattern available - DIY Mittens

So, today a coworker asked for my help with something she's knitting. It's a blouse with a fitted top and a Rowan kidsilk haze (aka kidsilk crack if you've ever felt it, so lovely) sort of skirt - it's going to be lovely, but she wasn't happy with how the top part rolled, was worried it would mess up the drape of the lighter skirt part. I told her to rip up the cast on edge and knit it back down in 2 rows of seed stitch so it would be flat. Long story short, I spent some time showing her how to insert the life line, how to undo a cast on and tink back. While this was all going on, she asked about the soccer mom mittens I've been working on. So, for Amy, I've worked up a DIY mitten pattern - includes sizes kids medium, women's small and medium large and a men's medium. But the graph is blank - for 99 cents you can print it off over and over and design your own mittens in as many or as few colors as you like. Got a zillion little balls of space dyed sock yarn (the craze of 2005-2008?) but not enough desire for that many socks, well, now you can use it up in a fun way.
Available here and on Ravelry, just 99 cents and I'll make up some season graphs to use with it too. Still working on the Olympian, supposed to be in the 50's here this weekend - whoo hoo!

Neighbor, can you spare a cup of time?

Soccer season has started! Which is tons of fun. This is a great age.
And there goes any illusion of time.
So, I'm working on a written instruction version of the Peacock, which is slow going, and Putnam's shawl is lovely, but not quick. I'm nearly done with the mittens, and I find myself coming up with zillions of new things I want to do. Oh, and I have one or two friends I want to catch up to someday.
So here's why I started this blog in the first place, so I can use the internet as my external harddrive back up!
I want to design a shawl in Gloss Winter Night and design it in a water/wave pattern. I had thought blue beads, but maybe white or grey instead? Or would that look like lint? Such a fine line between clever and stupid, to quote Spinal Tap.
I want to design Adria, which will have raised leaves with just a few beads for sparkle, in dusty pink. Need to dye that yarn myself. Have yarn, not time.
I want to design the Posies shawl, shaped like the Peacock, but with small stylized flowers in it, inspired by Yarn Or Death's doodles. I have the YO pattern and everything.
I want to design a beaded cardigan, using the wave pattern I used in the peacock, only it would mostly be plain st. st. with edge beads and patterns - too much and it would be heavy (and so stretch out) and not comfortable.
I want to get busy with the Olympian pull over - I really love that yarn.
Most folks want more money, which, I admit would be great, but I really want more time. And I'm not one of those cool folks who sleep 3 hours a night.

Update on Putnam's

Yeah, I pulled it out, it's just going to be a big rectangle, but a lovely one.
And I'm trying to update the Peacock pattern for a larger size and English directions on the charts.