FO: DPN Case

I got my sewing mojo back!

Last week, my wrists revolted against the constant demands I've been placing on them (nonstop knitting, piano, home improvement, cleaning...). Finally, after I had to cancel my Saturday piano lesson, I caved to their pressure and gave them 2 full days of rest. Couldn't just sit and do nothing, though, so I started sewing again.

Here's what I made:

It holds up to 20 sets of DPNs. The shorter pockets are meant for 5" needles, though I've stuck in some 6" ones. The taller pockets can handle anything longer than 6". (Kinda like your mom.)

In case you're wondering why a newbie knitter has so damn many needles: I stocked up on various sizes so that I wouldn't have to do a last-minute Amazon order every time I started a new project. Then there was the Knit Picks sock set that I bought to support a LYS. Then there was the switch to Contintental, which changed my default sizes (of which I had bought extra sets). Or maybe I'm just greedy.

One nifty thing about this case is that it folds into thirds, rather than rolling. Feels a little more purposeful to me. I got this idea from another blogger during my web research, but I can't find her site again. Suffice it to say, someone else came up with this cool approach.

1/4" space to enable folding

In this version, the pockets are 1"or 1.25" wide. Even 1.25" wasn't enough to accommodate size 8 needles, though.

Rather than tying with a ribbon, like most of these cases do, I used a magnetic clasp. To make sure they matched up, I waited until the very end to apply the "female" side. Once the whole case was sewn together, but before the hole was stitched shut, I folded the case up and marked where the female side should go. That way I could just stick my hand inside to apply the metal backer and flatten the prongs. Easy peasy.

I used heavyweight interfacing in the tab (snap side only) and against the outer fabric for strength.

Much neater than what I had before: a Ziploc bag full of DPNs in their original packaging, which I'd have to unwrap every time I needed them.

Did I mention that all the fabric was from my scrap pile? Bonus!

I'm really happy with how this came out. If I make another in the future, I'll do a few things differently:

• I'll make it wider, with more pockets.
• I'll add bigger pockets: 1.5", 1.75", maybe even 2".
• I'll taper the top of the flap about 3/4" on each side, to prevent the flap from sticking out when the case is folded.
• I'll interface both sides of the tab, for extra strength.
• I'll place the tab better, so it's centered when the case is folded.

If anyone's interested in the specs, let me know and I'll write them up.

FOs: Four Miranda Hats for Halos of Hope

I love it when a plan comes together (*chews cigar*).

What's the best weight to work at when you're learning something new in knitting? Worsted.
What's the best size project to knit in summer? Small.
What's the best size project to avoid get overwhelmed? Small.
What's the best way to get a warm fuzzy? Charity.

What combines all those things? The Miranda Hat currently being knit for charity by the Project: Stash Ravelry group.

So I made four.

2 adult-sized, 1 large child-sized, & 1 normal child-sized

As modeled by Tebby Dear, Bonkey, and Lamby

Here's what I learned:

• Valley Yarns Valley Superwash is AMAZING to knit with. So soft, so easy to tension, and a pretty good bargain!
• It's going to take practice to get comfortable knitting C-style (Continental) on DPNs.
• Switching to C-style makes me knit a lot looser! I went down two needle sizes for these hats.

Sadly, these don't count toward my stash-busting pledge because I broke the pledge to buy yarn to make them! (But I've broken the pledge, like, four times. At least this time was for charity!)

BTW, if you're interested in doing some quickie knitting or sewing for a good cause, check out Halos of Hope! They're devoted to collecting and distributing handmade hats, scarves, and turbans for cancer patients.

Aaaand we're back.

As it would turn out, when my work is making me miserable, just about all my hobbies go out the window. But things have recently gotten back to normal, which means I'm back to knitting, sewing, and playing piano. Ahhhhhh!

So, what have I been working on? I finished a pair of Pom Pom Peds in Sockotta, which is a discontinued wool/cotton/nylon blend:

This was my first ever pair of socks. They were pretty easy, as socks go, though they took more hours than I expected! Tiny yarn, tiny needles, go figure. I learned a lot from doing these, which I'm now applying to my second pair. For one thing, I started off way too loose. So the cuffs and heel flaps turned out huge, and the socks are weird around the ankle. (See how the right cuff is rolling a bit? That's because it's too damn loose.) Also, the pattern is taller than I want, so I'm experimenting with a shorter heel flap and an adapted gusset to match.

I ripped and reknitted the first sleeve of my Miette:

This gave me the chance to practice proper tension on DPNs. The first time I did it, the sleeve was noticeably tighter than the body. This time, it's all even. Yay!

I knitted about a quarter of the body of a basic sweater for my boyfriend:

This is my TV knitting. I'm using Valley Yarns Northampton, which I absolutely love. It's so nice to work with.

And just this weekend, I started my second pair of Pom Pom Peds--this time in Cascade Heritage Paints:

And finally, I'm working on the muslin for my border-print dress. No pics yet on that one.

More to come...