I finally finished my dice!

A few years ago I made a set of knitted fluffy dice. I posted them on Ravelry and I thought it was all done and dusted. Not so fast! It seems that, along with a few other projects that I made up myself, I accidentally posted them as a pattern, not a project. For a long time, I didn't realise that this would be an issue. Then in February of this year, I got a lovely and polite message from an admin asking when/if I was going to be posting my patterns to my pattern page. .... What the? ...

I was very surprised to find that, due to clicking the 'wrong' button 2 years ago, I have somehow become a knitwear designer. I was as shocked as you, my friends. There didn't seem to be any way to get out of it, so the only recourse was to finish the job off and actually write the patterns that were supposed to be on the website. I even chose a 'designer name' for myself. It was all very exciting and very scary. I had to make decisions like:
What should my designer name be? Do I need to add anything to my profile?
Is my blog what I want it to be, knowing that people will be linking to it from the Ravelry site?
Are the items I've already made up-to-scratch or should I make more professional examples?
Can I use the photos I already have or should I take new ones?
Should I put the patterns on my blog or should I make them into PDFs?
What's the best way to knit a cube?
How do I express that in the best way that others will understand?
And many more.

The worst part has been: the patterns are already listed on the site as patterns, even though they weren't actually there. People are able to search for them. They started asking me questions about them. I started feeling pressured and stressed. Like I had a deadline. I couldn't say what that was, but it was stressing me out. I had obligations all of a sudden. I had to make decisions that could be important in the future, and I had to make them quick! Anyone who knows me knows that I don't work very well under these conditions. Even just choosing a meal in a restaurant with the waiter there can make me freeze up.

In my own special, procrastinatey way though, I've been working diligently on the patterns. And I'm proud to announce that I finished the biggest one today! It involved knitting an example, and taking photos of it (Boy did that bit, he's a hero!), and re-configuring the dots and writing a pattern and drawing a colour chart and merging them into a PDF and figuring how to post it to Ravelry. And I did it!
Voila!


KNITTED FLUFFY DICE

The Pattern!
Even though the pattern is hosted on the Ravelry site, which requires an account to access, anyone can download the PDF from the above link.

*massively relieved*

Now I only have 2 more patterns to (re)write, and I will have paid my dues.
Then I can get started on some new ones. I'm actually quite liking this gig.
;)

A Short Interlude

japanese fashion, originally uploaded by RIDSNAP.

Why?
Just cos I like the prettys sometimes!

Recent Activities, Crafty and Otherwise

1. Last weekend I went to the European Masters from the Staedel Museum at the National Gallery. There were some familiar faces and some unexpected pieces. It was worthwhile. It was a beautiful, sunny winter day and the company was lovely.

2. I've been working on a baby blanket. I'm calling it the Giant Granny Square. Cos that's basically what it is. It's good zombie knitting crochet. I'm using Bendigo Woollen Mills wool (love that stuff) with coloured stripes. It keeps my lap so toasty warm when I'm working on it that I'm tempted to keep it!

3. Yesterday I went to visit the baby in question. I hate babies normally, but I love this kid! He's my nephew, so I'm probably genetically forced to love him, but I don't care. Isn't he adorable?! I had a lovely time hanging out him and his Mummy and Daddy.

P.S. That's not my hand, it's Boy's. Just thought I should point that out. =D

4. I whipped up this scarf for baby Alex earlier this week. It's so short, it's actually amusing. It wasn't even long enough for him to wear as a headband. I put extra long fringes on, but it did nothing at all to disguise its lack of length. I've realised that, no matter what I make for Alex, he'll probably already have at least 10. I just can't help myself though!

SHOP STUFF
It's been literally years since I did an update on Shop Stuff. The shop has been kind of chugging along in the background a bit. Up until this week I hadn't made any sales for two months - but it took me a long time to even realise that. And I was surprised to find that I wasn't really fussed. In fact, it made me feel motivated to write new zines. I even had 2 ideas in one day! When I'm in that mood, I compose in my head while I'm on mail runs at work and then write it down in my lunch break (if I can remember it!). Then this week I made 3 sales! Phew! I'm happy, but at the same time it kicks off my anxieties: what if the person doesn't like my zines? What if something goes wrong and they don't arrive in the mail or there's some other kind of problem? In my more confident moments, I know I can handle all of that. But Negative Nancy has to stick her big nose in and try to stop me from putting myself and my stuff out there! Well, get stuffed, Negative Nancy!

Pattern: Subtle Stripe Scarf

Subtle Stripe Scarf
by Katie TheodorusThis pattern came about because I wanted to knit a scarf for a male friend using two different colours, but I didn't want to make an ordinary striped scarf. I wanted it to be more ... subtle. The pattern is so simple that it barely even deserves to be called a pattern, but I will lay it out for you anyway! The only requirements are two different colours of yarn, and appropriately sized knitting needles. Smooth (not novelty) yarns are recommended. After the pattern I have shown some samples with different combinations of yarn.

Materials
Main Colour (MC), approximately 100 grams
Contrast Colour (CC), approximately 30 grams
pair of straight knitting needles (size depends on thickness of yarn)

Pattern
** Using MC, cast on in the method that you prefer. The scarf can be any width that you desire.
Row 1: Knit to end.
Row 2: Pick up CC and knit using both strands held together. Knit to end.
Row 3: Drop CC and knit to end using MC only.
Row 4: Knit to end using MC only.
Row 5: You will now be back to the side where CC was dropped. It will now be a couple of rows down, but that doesn't matter. Pick up CC and knit using both strands held together. Knit to end.

** Rows 3 to 5 form the pattern. Repeat until the scarf is as long as you desire - or you run out of yarn!
** Cast off using the method that you prefer. Add a fringe if desired.

Samples
** [Below] This scarf was knitted with two colours of Double Knitting weight Patons Fireside pure wool, on 8mm (US Size 11) needles. The yarns are different shades of blue. Because both yarns are the same thickness, there tends to be a little bumpiness on the side edges, but sometimes that rustic effect is what you want. Also, the striped effect is a little more pronounced because the Contrast Colour is more visible.

James' Scarf

** [Below] This scarf was knitted with Bulky weight Patons Inca alpaca in dark grey as the Main Colour, using 10mm (US Size 15) needles. A light jersey-grey acrylic in Sport weight is the contrast colour. Because the Contrast Colour is much thinner, it has much less effect on the physical bulk of the scarf. The stripes are also less visible and (even) more subtle. Two different shades of grey create an elegant, misty effect.

Stew's Scarf

** [Below] This baby scarf was knitted with Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic, a Double Knitting weight pure wool in cream as the Main Colour, and Cleckheaton Baby nylon Sport Weight as the contrast colour. I used 5mm (US Size 8) needles. This time I knitted it sideways. It shows how a another effect can be created by mixing pastel colours.

Alex's Scarf (baby)

Experiment
Now you know the basic principle, you can experiment with colours and textures as much as you like!

Knit / Wear

Question: what do you do when you want to wear a necklace, but you also want to keep your neck warm?

Answer: You make a knitted necklace!

It's basically just a ridiculously long piece of i-cord with the ends joined. I can wind it around my neck up to 8 times to create different lengths - and different degrees of warmness.

Mmmmm, warmness!

Photo credits: Boy arranged the knitted necklace on Hedda (my head model) and took these photos. I think he has quite a talent for styling.

What I Wore Drawings

Here are two drawings that I did last week. I posted them to the What I Wore Today group on Flickr.

Done in my Blue (Dry) Journal.
Materials Used: Kuretake Zig waterproof pen, watercolour, watercolour pencils, metallic rub.
Boy drew the arms in. I normally leave them off because I'm not very good at them yet!

Done in my Blue (Dry) Journal.
Materials Used: Kuretake Zig waterproof pen, watercolour, watercolour pencils, metallic acrylic paint on rubber stamp.
This time I used a guide to proportions that Boy showed me. I think it looks much better!