castonerika!

Playing catch-up

2009-12-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

I finished my dissertation and defended back in August. Since then, I've been updating my cv, working on articles, and knitting. I've not, however, been blogging. So here is a quick rundown of a few of my recent projects...

First up: the Flower Basket Shawl, in 100% bamboo, with a beaded edge.

2. Miffy - a birthday present for my niece.

3. Mitered Mittens, from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac.

That's all for now!

Never fleeced is he who buys the wool...

2009-07-13T03:17:00.001-07:00

To give or receive?

2009-05-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

Usually I enjoy the former more than the latter. However, my participation in the Grad Swap on Ravelry is making me rethink my stance on this question, because Rebeccag sent me the most awesome package ever! I now have:

coil-less safety pin/stitch markers,

a tape measure that reminds me of Pinocchio (you pull his nose and it grows! I just hope he doesn’t lie when it comes to measuring… J),

a copy of the totally cute It Itches (Franklin Habit is hilarious),

a skein of amazing merlot-colored Australian merino,

and a skein of Malabrigo sock.

I have NEVER tried a Malabrigo yarn before, but now I’ve got my chance! I’ve been scouring Ravelry for the right pattern all morning. I love love LOVE this colorway, called Archangel. It amuses me to no end that I receive a colorway named this during the Pope’s visit to Israel, which has effectively made getting in and out of Jerusalem – and specifically the Hebrew University – a total pain in the Arsch (vielen Dank, Ratzinger).

I’ve coped admirably with the traffic, however, by making Jonathan drive and taking the time to work on several knitting projects in the car, like these socks which I finally finished up – the pattern is Cookie A’s Monkey from Knitty.

Oh yeah, Rebecca also sent me some amazing Belgian chocolates, but Jonathan and I ate them about 30 seconds after opening the package. J Rebecca, תודה רבה!

I also did some giving last week. For a friend’s new baby boy, I knit my first Baby Surprise Jacket in Wisconsin stripes. I wanted the jacket to have a sporty, rugby-like feel. I totally got lucky with the stripe placement, though – when knitting the jacket for the first time, I was unsure how the shaping worked exactly so I just winged it. I am most pleased with the turnout and plan to use this pattern again soon.

I also made the new one a Bobbi Bear. I was very happy with how he turned out. Bobbi was difficult to give up, and before I gave him away I would sneak him out of the gift bag and hug him. Wouldn’t you?

Sláinte!

2009-05-02T06:35:00.001-07:00

When we approached passport control in Dublin, the officer looked at my passport, then at me, and smiled.

“Well, you’re a Hughes, so we HAVE to let you in!”

The first few days were typically rainy. This is the pedestrian zone on Grafton Street. I trudged about the city in waterproof boots, a rain coat and with an umbrella. And I still got wet.

All that water is what keeps the island so green. Here is the garden at the Dublin Castle… note the labyrinth-like design in the grass.

Dublin is full of churches – here is the protestant St. Patrick’s:

And the catholic Christ Church. The weather was gorgeous for our last few days, so we were outside as much as possible.

That is, when we weren’t drinking. The Jameson's Tour is fantastic - and if you go, be sure to volunteer for the tasting. The Guinness “Experience” isn’t really a brewery tour, which is very disappointing, but the beer at the end in the bar with the view of the city is very nice. We left happy.

Almost as happy as when I left This is Knit! J If you’re in Dublin, go check them out. They’re really nice. Here is my huge haul, plus some knitting magazines I picked up at a bookstore across the street from Trinity College:

I really loved it in Ireland. The accents were so cute - it was all I could do not to ask people superflous questions just to hear them talk. Some people were difficult to understand, however - a few bus drivers, nice as they were, were also pretty confusing. And one woman and I were totally at a loss with each other - finally I looked at her and said, "you know, we speak the same language only in theory!" She smiled politely, but I have no idea if she understood my joke.

The people were ridiculously nice. People would approach me when I was staring at the very confusing bus schedule and help me, unprompted. I'm not sure if I could get used to the lack of sun - but if I could, I'd love to live there one day.

I wonder why my great-grandfather left... a question for the next family reunion, perhaps.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T02:45:00.001-07:00

Pssst...

Happy Easter! (And Passover, and Spring, and whatever else you choose to celebrate!)

Crochet-Along

2009-04-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Amigurumi Doll Lovers group on Ravelry is doing a crochet-along with my love bunnies pattern and I am so flattered and excited!

Here are some of the bunnies people have made. First up, VJW's pair (I love the inverted colors with the eyes):

Next, here is a pair of loving bunnies by mo3insd. They look so smoochy:

This bunny is by no1pugmom, and has a lovely crocheted collar:

This bunny by chictiquita is lovely - can you believe it is her first amigurumi?

This pair is by SenorMysterioso. I love, love, love this photo! The red bunny, which is trying to steal the scene, is a real daredevil, and apparently has been shot out of a t-shirt cannon! (He survived and the picture was taken after his death-defying stunt.)

There are sooooo many excellent bunnies online, and this is just a sample. Please visit the thread to see them!

I am also making a bunny for the crochet-along - you'll see him on Sunday! Want to participate? The crochet-along goes through April...

Other uses for yarn...

2009-03-31T12:31:00.001-07:00

Beret Me*

2009-03-30T02:58:00.000-07:00

I am getting ready to go to Ireland in about 2 weeks, and I could not be more excited, for a number of reasons:

1. A few years ago, I was on a day cruise on the Rhine in Germany. I was pretty drunk and talking pretty loudly, so there was no doubt that I was an American. An Irish girl about my age (who looked like she could be my sister) came up to me and said, "well, so, I guess your grandparents came from Ireland, didn't they? You sure look it!"

I think she was also drunk.

Maybe our shared alcohol consumption was another reason she thought I was Irish...

Anyway, I like the idea that everyone there looks like me. We'll see if it is true.

2. A few more years ago, a friend of mine spent a year in Ireland researching his dissertation. He brought back some amazing tweed wool that I still pet from time to time. I have swatched it and agonized over what to make from this incredible stuff.

I want a sweater. I have enough for a hat. I'm gonna get some more.

3. I love Guinness. (I love Beamish even more, but their brewery is unfortunately in Cork.) I also love a good black and tan (or Half-and Half, I can never remember which name is considered offensive for which part of the island).

It will probably be a bit colder and rainier than here in Israel, so I decided to make myself a beret for the trip.

Pardon my sleepy eyes. Mornings are when I have the best light in my office.

My beret owes a great deal to Elizabeth Zimmermann's Tam from Knitting Workshop.

Here it is, from the top:

And here's how I made it:

I used two strands of yarn held together - one fuzzy laceweight (something like Kidsilk Haze would work well) and one DK microfiber.

Gauge: 5 sts = 1 inch. (20 sts = 10 cm.) I used a size 6 16" circular, and DPNs at the end.

Cast on 96 stitches.

Work k2, p2 rib for 1 inch.

Increase row: K3, m1 all the way around. (128 stitches.)

Work in stockinette for 3 1/2 inches.

Decrease row: K2tog, k62, k2tog, knit to end. (126 stitches.)

Begin regular decreases, decreasing 6 stitches per row:

1. K19, k2tog all the way around.

2. K18, k2tog all the way around.

3. K17, k2tog all the way around.

Continue in this fashion, decreasing 6 stitches per row until you only k2tog all the way around - 6 stitches remain.

K2tog all the way around - one more time - so three stitches remain. Place all 3 on a DPN and work a small I-cord tab, if desired - mine is about 3/4 in.

Weave in ends.

Fly to Ireland. :-)

*This post's title inspired and excused by this Op-Ed piece from the New York Times.

Funeral and Wedding Kippah

2009-03-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

The other night I was browsing the excellent Purl Bee site, and found a very sweet kippah pattern to crochet. I’ve never made one before, but they seemed like a simple project. So I asked Jonathan if he knew anyone who could use one.

Jonathan hates wearing kippahs. When he was in the third grade he moved to the U.S. for a year. In Jewish Day School, he had to wear a kippah, but didn't own one. His mom had to purchase one for him, but the only one she could find in Maryland was hand-made by some group to raise money for Israel. The fact that she was Israeli didn't lower the price - it was $20 back in 1987. (That's about $37.00 today, according to this inflation calculator!)

Jonathan is also 110% secular. (A quality in him that I really like, by the way.)

So imagine my surprise when he said, “Sure, make me one.”

“What?” I almost dropped my computer off my lap.

“Sure. They’re good to have around, for funerals and weddings and things.”

So here is Jonathan’s “funeral and wedding” kippah.

The action shot (he had to squat on the floor – he’s much taller than I am).

This one cost a lot less than $37, or even $20. I made it with Rose cotton yarn and a size 3 hook. The brown trim is some embroidery thread I had left over. It took a little over 2 hours, and was the perfect project to accompany some beer and basketball on television.

He can even wear it to the funeral of my NCAA tournament bracket, which died a torturous death over the weekend...

Mr Dangly's Operation

2009-03-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this thread on Ravelry, titled "Mr Dangly: How hard is he?", I made a Mr Dangly. The only DK yarn I had was pink and white. Nonetheless, this pattern definitely made a little male monkey:

But as Mr Dangly was growing, he was also feeling uncomfortable with himself - unsure of who he was. Feeling a little awkward - like a foreigner in a strange body. He looked to his idol, Israeli pop singer and Eurovision song contest winner Dana International, for inspiration.

Then he realized what he was supposed to be - a baby gift for two friends of mine who are having their second girl. And he also decided that he wanted to become a she.

So he went under the knife, so to speak.

Actually, I didn't have to cut anything - I just tucked his dangle inside his body and sewed the doll shut. My friends can thank me now for keeping awkward questions at bay... ;-)

And here she is, all healed up:

During the recovery period, she got a lot of rest:

And ate lots of bananas to regain her strength:

She is now healthy, and getting ready for her trip around the world. Fabulous!

And for those of you who don't know Dana International, Mr Dangly's favorite singer, here she is:

A brief summary...

2009-03-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

You can get one too, at Wordle. You can see this one again here.

Study Bunnies

2009-03-11T01:38:00.000-07:00

My desk needed a little mascot, so I crocheted this very studious love bunny:

She has a little navy blue bow tie and a pale teal-blue nose.

She also has a little friend - I made my boyfriend a study bunny for his desk as well! They are proportionate to us - he is a lot taller than I am! :-)

They are also quite fond of each other... I don't know how much studying will get done - they are love bunnies, after all!

Ok, ok, back to the books! :-)

Small things

2009-03-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

A few little projects I've been working on, in between bouts* of dissertation-writing.

First: a little adidas-inspired hat for my boyfriend's nephew, Orr:

Second: a pumpkin hat for the baby of a friend who is about to become a daddy for the first time!

Third: a wacky Mr. Dangly. At this stage, he kinda looks like a pink hammer, perfect for Israeli Independence Day:

We'll see how this guy turns out. It might also become a baby gift...

*from the Oxford English Dictionary, bout: 1 b. this, that bout: i.e. occasion, turn, time. 3. a. A round at fighting; a contest, match, trial of strength, physical or intellectual.

Recently, both definitions have been applicable to my dissertation writing...

Shaun the Sheep

2009-03-05T00:07:00.001-08:00

Guess who?

I love Shaun the Sheep. I love the little Maaaa sound he makes. I love the googly eyes.

So I knit myself one.

The pattern is here, on Ravelry.

Wanna see Shaun in action? Here is a complete episode on Youtube!

Amineko

2009-02-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

I have been on an Amigurumi kick lately, and this is the cat that started it all for me. Meet Amineko. (Here he is on Ravelry.)

I love how stoic he looks, like a real old soul.

He's not alone, though:

But all that socializing makes this introverted kitty tired.

Made with worsted-weight acrylic and a size F hook. I love him. :-)

Haifa, Part 2

2009-02-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

It's a rainy election day here in Israel - I went with my boyfriend to vote, and saw the Israeli electoral system, which differs greatly from what I know from America. There are no ballots here; rather, the voting booth has small slips of paper, each marked with the name of an individual party. The voter takes one slip of paper, for the party he or she chooses, and places it in an envelope, which is then sealed. The voter places the envelope in the ballot box, and we wait until 10pm, at which time the voting ends and the results start coming in. That's when the real coalition building/fighting beings...

Here are pictures of something in Israel, but which is not Israeli at all - the Baha'i Gardens in Haifa.

No Baha'i live in Israel - all Baha'i at the Baha'i center are volunteers and live there for no more than three years.

The tree in front of the shrine is where the Bab stood when he told his son where to build the temple.

The Baha'i walk up the hill as a pilgrimage; visitors who are not Baha'i walk down the hill.

Below is a Baha'i archive and an example of the neoclassical architecture in the complex.

We really enjoyed ourselves on the tour, which was both gorgeous and informative.

I wore my February Lady Sweater today, and we grabbed a moment (before the hailstorm that is going on right now!) to take some pictures of the sweater:

I like it so much - wearing it just makes me happy! The red buttons were something of a fluke - I found them in the small notions bin at the local dry cleaners.

The inside is a whole bunch of woven ends - I had to use literally every inch of yarn I had. I began the body, then knitted the sleeves so I could knit the body until I ran out of yarn.

I like it so much that I am planning to knit a second one, but this time with longer sleeves. I have the yarn (purple bamboo) and buttons (wooden). But I wonder if the bamboo would stretch too much for the lace pattern...

Love Bunnies!

2009-02-09T00:48:00.001-08:00

Another Amigurumi pattern! Meet my love bunnies:

She is made with DK/sport weight acrylic:

And he is made with worsted weight acrylic.

Same pattern, same hook size, just slightly different ingredients.

I made them for Valentine's Day, but I hope to make a whole bunch more this spring in a wide range of colors.

You can make some, too! These guys are available as a free PDF here. Or on Ravelry here.

Enjoy! :-)

Spring Interlude

2009-02-08T02:17:00.001-08:00

Ribbit! Ribbit!

It is supposed to be 21 degrees Celsius here in Jerusalem (that's about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, for all my countrymen). How better to celebrate than with this guy?

He is called Amigaerumi - for amigurumi + "gaeru" which is Japanese for frog.

I wrote up the pattern - it is available for download as a pdf here. Ravelry link here. (And it's free!)

Enjoy! :-)

Haifa, part 1

2009-01-17T23:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to wonderful friends who loaned us their place, we spent Christmas and New Year's in Haifa, an amazing city with a diverse population and excellent falafel. Two highlights: our trip toRosh HaNikra and the tour of the Baha'i Gardens.

Rosh HaNikra is on the coast, and on the border between Israel and Lebanon. You can tell because of the military base on the top of the rock:

And the little Israeli warship patrolling the border.

There were caves:

And rock cliffs:

And lots of these little guys, called hyraxes:

And we rode down and back in a cable car:

And enjoyed ourselves immensely.

(By the way, I am wearing my Central Park (non)Hooded Sweater, which reminds me that I still need to post pictures of it!)

While in Haifa I knit two top-down cardigans: the Glampyre Bulky Cabled Cardigan and the February Lady Sweater. I have pictures of the former ready to share - the latter turned out so well that I am waiting until I get new batteries for my camera to take some better photographs. (I will post the pics from the Baha'i Gardens with the shots of the FLS.)

I knit this with Rowan Polar, a supersoft alpaca blend which feels lovely but pills like crazy. A few notes on this pattern - I made the second-smallest size, but modified the sleeves for length - as written, they were very long. I also finished the neck and button bands as written, but hated them. The stockinette stitch rolled up like little sausages and would not lay flat. I tried to place the buttons in a few different ways, but nothing looked good. I also did not like how low the neck was - it practically fell off my shoulders. So I picked up stitches around the cast-on edge, and worked raglan decreases in keeping with the increases I'd made. I then undid the button bands and re-knit them in garter stitch. I am much happier with this sweater and have worn it alot - it is very warm (which is a must for the ice-cold library at Hebrew University!).

Here is a bathroom-mirror shot. Think of it as in homage to Wendy. :-)

And no, I usually don't look so wistful whilst taking photographs... :-P

Peace.

2009-01-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-30T09:50:00.000-08:00

These were made from my free Two-Needle Christmas Stocking pattern! I even found my pattern listed on a free pattern-of-the-day website. (I was pretty flattered.) These were both finished before Christmas.

This first one was for my sister-in-law, Valerie:

I even stitched a little jingle bell inside the stocking so it rings!

This second one is for my Israeli boyfriend Jonathan. That's his name in Hebrew, knitted into the cuff. I crocheted the Star of David onto the side.

Happy New Year - I am hopeful that 2009 will be a great year for everyone.

Hats off

2008-11-25T00:30:00.000-08:00

These hats - all gifts - were made using my free Fair Isle Hat pattern.

This one, a gift for my friend Natascha, is made from a merino-cashmere blend.

And these hats, which were made as a pair for a couple, were my first foray into knitting with the huge pile of research-trip yarn seen here.

The second hat used a slightly different pattern that I made up, which seemed to go with the first one without being too "matchy-matchy." I love this yarn, and am thinking I will make the Estes Vest from Interweave Knits Fall 2008 with it. I just finished the CPH (but I changed it up a bit) and will post pictures soon. Right now I am working on the Bulky Cabled Sweater by Glampyre, aka Stephanie Japel, but it is knitting up so quickly that I will be done really soon.

And now:

Ears

2008-11-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

I made another bunny! He's made of angora. I thought that I should make a bunny out of bunny yarn.

He's sooooo soft that it is difficult to keep from snuggling and smooching him.

Snuggle, snuggle!

And for dear Chloe, here is the pattern for the bunny ears:

Cast on 11 stitches.

Work 8 rows in seed stitch.

Rows 9 and 10: p2tog, k1 p1 to end.

Work 3 rows in seed stitch.

Rows 14 and 15: same as 9 and 10.

Work 3 rows in seed stitch.

Rows 19 and 20: same as 9 and 10.

Work 2 rows in seed stitch.

Rows 23 and 24: same as 9 and 10.

Knit 2 together. Pull yarn through and secure.

Fold ear in half (two sides making the new front) before securing the ears to the head.

Snuggle!

Vote.

2008-11-03T06:25:00.001-08:00

In the garden

2008-09-13T00:02:00.000-07:00

I've been knitting bunnies! I started making them back in July. I am using Barbara Prime's (free!) Fuzzy Lamb pattern, but I changed the ears and only knit them in one color. Her website is full of really cute toys, and I am thinking of buying one of her books online. http://fuzzymitten.com/
This guy was my first bunny. He is made from the leftover wool/acrylic yarn that I used for the Sierra Cardigan. I really love his face.

This is bunny #2, made from Lana Grossa Baby Alpaca - so he's super soft. I brought him to coffee with my friend Susan, and her adorable daughter liked him so much that I thought they belonged together - so he's with Berenike now.

He has a little white tail made from the leftover yarn from the Christmas Stocking.

This is my most recent bunny - made from GGH Cumba yarn. The yarn is very light and lofty, but I think the gauge is a bit too thin, as the stuffing shows through in places. I think he's adorable, though, and would make another black-and-white bunny with different yarn - or with two strands held together.

He also has a little tail :-)

If this isn't enough cuteness for you, I recommend you check out this website: http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/bunnies/index.html

It is aptly called "Cute Overload: Bunnies."

I can't stop knitting these bunnies. I already have another bunny on the needles - out of 100% angora!