Below are the 11 most recent journal entries recorded in Shayna's LiveJournal:

Monday, May 28th, 2007
10:33 pm	No Traffic Socks! In lieu of anything really substantial, I give you handknit socks!  I call them my No Traffic Socks because I knit them to and from on a car trip to Austin, TX from Bethlehem, PA and back in 6 days, including 2 days in Austin.  I knit the good "no traffic" juju into them, and it worked!  I started them on May 7 and finished in about 2 weeks.  A nice quick knit if you're looking for lace or socks.  And a bonus of a free pattern.  Each sock took less than a skein a piece and the yarn knitted up beautifully and the socks are super comfy.  They successfully protect from Memorial Day traffic to JFK airport too!  Enjoy. In progress and on the road: <img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/518994926_9e1a56cbd6.jpg?v=0" /> Sock #1 is finished! <img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/225/519037447_d6460bbe39.jpg?v=0" /> My favorite sock shot: <img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/222/519067838_9182ab4cf9.jpg?v=0" /> Both socks finished! <img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/519017652_0445be838c.jpg?v=0" /> It's the rare wild tree socks! :o) <img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/519017622_674daf3ec6.jpg?v=0" /> The rest of the photos are on my flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/8572599@N06/?saved=1 The pattern is Hedera by Cookie A from knitty.  http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATThedera.html The yarn is Knit Picks Memories in the colorway Hawaii.  http://knitpicks.com/Memories_YD5420143.html Maybe I'll have some words of wisdom some other time. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 8th, 2007
3:08 pm	Hedera Instead of doing the work I desperately need to do on my thesis I started a pair of socks.  <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATThedera.html">Hedera</a> by <a href="http://www.knitanon.com/blog/">Cookie A.</a> from <a href="http://knitty.com">Knitty</a>.  I'm using <a href="http://knitpicks.com/Memories_YD5420143.html">KnitPicks Memories</a> in a colorway that they no longer have and I can't remember the name of.  It's watermelon pink, light blue, teal and spring green.  This is the thrid pair of socks I've tried with this yarn and this one had the most promise.  I'm trhough the first 2 leg repeats of the first sock, still in the baby stages, but it's looking good and I'm pleased.  I have a nice walk around project as I've almost memorized the leg rows already! ANYHOW, I really <i>should</i> start writing again as Ari comes home tonight and I'm going out tomorrow for my birthday (yay!  21!) and the next day is my actual birthday and moving out day.  I have to have my thesis in by then.  Right now I've got 8 or 9 pages and I want about 25.  Ready, go! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
1:20 am	Lace Ramblings So yes, I have been bitten by the lace bug.  I am overly ambitious.  It seems funny, I never would have thought myself to be the little dainty yarn dainty garment knitter.  But I love it.  I am coveting Lace Knitting Today so badly it's embarrasing.  I think I'll make my boyfriend buy it for me for my birthday on Thursday.  I lost the name of this etsy seller that I loved and had awesome yarn and it was SO CHEAP and I never bought any and now I'm kicking myself that I didn't at least bookmark it.  Oh well, there's only so much I can beat myself up about that.  Maybe that'll be a birthday outing.  I'll make him buy me the book and then go with me to Purl or something and buy lace needles (addis or the like, something metal) and some beautiful laceweight to make this: or this: or this: or this: or even this:. I think the last one may be my favorite.  In other lace news, I've finished 3.5 of the 4.5 repeats in my Luna Moth Shawl  (I know, unappealing name, very pretty shawl.)  I'm not so sure how it'll block out, but it has potential.  It's knit with half of a lion brand yarn.  Yes, half.  I got some very ugly Moonlight Mohair for Hanukkah and split the two yarns that are spun together apart into separate balls and knitted my shawl with just the mohair strand.  Very pretty autumny colors.  I think I'll stick it in the gift stash.  And by stick it in the gift stash, I mean, make a gift stash and have this be the first piece. OK, it's 1:36 am.  Bedtime for me.  I have a thesis to write in the morning!  T-Minus 3 days until the birthday! EDIT: LJ is not letting any html tags work so here are the links I coded but just looked like jarble on the entry: Victorian Lace Today http://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Lace-Today-Jane-Sowerby/dp/1933064072 Luna Moth Shawl Pattern (free!) http://elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=207024 (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, May 6th, 2007
3:54 pm	Cheapee yarn I think finding this site (http://www.astridsdutchobsessions.com/scripts/default.asp) might have been a mistake.  I can see the spending of lots of money.  I really need to start plowing through some freakin' socks already.  Those stupid Hawaiian ones refuse to work and I refuse to not knit socks because they hate me. ::Covets yarn and sock-making patince:: P.S. I am annoyed that LJ is not working right.  I had it formatted as a link, I swear! (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 5th, 2007
12:12 am	An FO, as promised. Yes, I am doing this instead of studying for my 9am final tomorrow. It's my chutes and ladders shawl.  I used some old yarn from mom's stash.  I assume it's some sort of mohair/acrylic blend.  I'm pretty sure it's machine washable, but I'm not gonna try!  I can't find the pattern right now, basically, it's an 18 row repeat ad nauseum.  I was going to make it a lot longer, but I was getting bored and realized that I could make it a cool short shawl as opposed to a more  scarf like shawl.  It's still missing a sweet shawl pin so it's folded and sitting on my floor right now.  Anyhow, on to what you, Imaginary Reader, really want: PHOTOS! blocking: closeup of the stitch pattern: a hasty (and admittedly crappy) model shot: OK, bed.  See you in the gym for the final tomorrow! (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007
10:40 pm	Knitblog Neglect. Yes, I'm sorry dear LJ. I have let you down. But I am once again struck by the urge to knitblog and so here I go. There is a recap of my knitterly updates since I last blogged that I put on my personal journal ( under here ). Very soon to come (I promise, for real this time!) is a recap of what I've been doing lately. Maybe I'll even break down and get flickr or something to do my photo hosting so I an innandate my nonexistent blog readers with photos. Maybe I'll just use facebook :o) Anyhow, I promise soon. And no more neglect. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 6th, 2005
12:32 pm	Yarn Riot! In fact, I won't be posting revisions to the pixie hat. I changed it for the show, but there was a miscommunication with the designer, she wanted it to come further down on the forehead, I thought she meant the point. In any event, poor Mustardseed ended up walking around with what looked like a great gold, knitted penis on ther head for two weeks. It was quite amusing though... In more exciting news, last week I went to Smiley's Yarn Riot in the city. I bought a bag (10 balls) of a linen blend to make a tank top ($25), 2 bags (6 balls tot.) of a pretty varigated bulky weight purple yarn for a sweater... someday ($16), 1 bag (10 balls) of a sweet mint sherberty chunky yarn ($10!!!), 4 bags (12 balls) of polar spun, half in purple, half in a varigated pink to make a hooded baseball sweater ($24), a bag of red sparkly yarn to make something for my mom (10 balls, 30 bucks) and more accessories than I could count (5 circular needles at just $4 a pop, a few new stitch holders ($1.50 a piece) and a row counter ($1.50). I think I'm in yarn heaven. And I only spent $129.50 for 6 projects plus notions. I rock! Now, if only I had time to knit... (Comment on this)
Friday, October 28th, 2005
10:52 pm	Midsummer Pixie Hat Pattern This is the pattern for the pixie hat that I made for the fairy Mustardseed in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Apparently the costume designer thinks the point needs to be higher, so I guess I'll post some revisions later. Anyhow, here's the patter as it is: The Midsummer Pixie Hat 1 scane Simply Soft SEASONS in #2904 LACE 95% acrylic, 5% metallic wrap 2.5 oz, no yardage listed Machine washable in warm water on gentle cycle, dryable low heat delicate cycle US 8 16 inch circular needles 1 set of 4 or 5 US 7 dpns CO 69 sts. Sl the last st in front of the first st and k the 2 sts tog. K1, P2, *K2, P2 repeat from * to end. PM, cont as est in K2, P2 rib for 18 additional rows. Row 20: *K2tog, P2, K2, p2tog, K2, P2 repeat from * to end, ending with a P2tog. – 56 sts Work 2 rows even. Row 23: *K1, P2, K2tog, P1, K2, P2tog repeat from * to end, ending with a P1. – 45 sts. Work 2 rows even. Row 26: *K1, P2tog, K1, P1, K2tog, P1 repeat from * to end. – 34 sts. ***Change to dpns over the next row of instructions.*** Row 27: (1st needle) K1, PM (only 1 marker is needed, the old marker can go here, just remember that your marker comes after the first st of the round.), K11, (2nd needle) K11, (3rd needle) K11. Row 28: K1, P1, K1, P1, K2tog, K1, P1, K1, P1, P2tog, K1 P2tog, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2tog, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P2tog, P1. – 28 sts. K around 3 times. Row 32: K4, K2tog, K7, K2tog, K8, K2tog, K3. – 25 sts. K around twice. Row 35: K1, K2tog, K7, K2tog, K6, K2tog, K5. – 22 sts. Row 36: K5, K2tog, K5, K2tog, K5, K2tog, K1. – 19 sts. Row 37: K around.a Row 38: *K1, K2tog repeat from * to last st, K1. – 13 sts. Work 1 row even. Row 40: *K1, K2tog repeat from * to end. K around. Row 42: K2tog, K1, K2tog, K2tog. – 4 sts. Row 43: Sl 1 single st to the other needle with only 1 st so that you now have 2 needles with 2 sts ea. K2tog on both needles. – 2 sts. Row 44: Sl 1 st as before so that both remaining sts are on the same needle. K2tog. – 1 st. Break yarn with 6”-12” tail and pull end through the remaining loop. Weave in ends and turn hat right side out. Voila! Enjoy. (Comment on this)
9:32 am	I wish it were getting warmer not colder! I found this gorgeous pattern, I so wish that the weather was getting warmer so that I could actually justify making it. Not that I don't already have 6 thousand projects going already and a full course load this semester, but you know, that's just trivial. The alpaca sweater is coming along nicely, I'm at the point where I have to start working on the bust increases and I've had so much work that I've kinda gotten stalled on my progress. But I want to start working on it again, it's already cold here, 45 degrees every day, so I'm starting to really need that sweater. Who told winter it could come so damn early? I want some fall! (Comment on this)
Thursday, October 13th, 2005
12:23 am	Shetland Wool? Really? You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a little on the harsh side. Though you look delicate you are tough as nails and prone to intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are widely respected and even revered. What kind of yarn are you? brought to you by Quizilla My favorites are alpaca and merino wool. But whateva, whateva. I've started a sweater with the alpaca that should have been for the SWDR. That pattern is over. But as I'm writing my pattern, if it comes out nicely (which it better!) I'm hoping to submit it to Knitty so I can't put my pattern up for a while. Pictures to come soon, tomorrow is Yom Kippur so if I get a free second before or in between services I'll take some and upload them. Until then, you'll just have to wait and see! Current Mood: tired (Comment on this)
Saturday, October 8th, 2005
2:53 pm	OK, GO! So here goes the first entry: Welcome to my new knitting blog. I'm Shayna, I'm 19, from NYC, currently in school at Lehigh University. I've been knitting for a couple years now. I worked in a knitting and needlepoint store in Manhattan over the summer called The Lion and The Lamb. I also finished my first sweater. It was "Fairly Easy Fair Isle" from Stitch 'N Bitch Nation. I used some yarn that my mom had had sitting in the attic closet since the '80's during her knitting craze. It came out pretty well. I still have 4 buttons to sew on, I just haven't gotten around to it. Last night I finished a hat that I was making for the next show at my school (I work in the costume shop). It was the first pattern I had ever written myself. It's not exactly but it looks like the rendering of the costume (a fairy called Mustardseed for A Midsummer Night's Dream) so I'm pleased. Pattern and picture to be posted soon. I'm currently looking for a really good gloves or fingerless glove with mitten top pattern (one that's free please!) so if anyone comes across one, please send it this way! Well, I'm off to restart a sweater I was having trouble with over the summer. Sweater With Diagonal Ribs from Rebecca Magazine Issue 28. It's hard to see, but it's the sweater in the middle on page 6. The yarn I'm using is Misti alpaca bulky weight yarn in a chocolate yarn. It is so yummy! The reason I had trouble with the pattern is that Rebecca is a German magazine and the English version is translated and knitting jargon is hard enough, but when it's translated, it's not so hot. Plus the cable chart is a little wonky. Anyhow, enough excuses, I'm off to knit! Current Mood: excited (Comment on this)