Nerd Wars

So I haven't been keeping up with Nerd Wars as well this tournament. I mean, I've been following the threads and stuff, but between moving, internet and all kinds of other things, I haven't been participating as much, which makes me sad, really. So I'm going to go through and, even though the month is almost half over, I'm going to go through the challenges for this month, like I used to.

Scientific (WAVES): I'm thinking about doing something with Professor X and his psychic waves. I'm thinking something yellow, in honor of his crazy floating wheelchair from the original cartoon series. :P

Intellectual (FINISHING THE RACE): It's another WIP challenge! Yay! I actually finished a WIP this month, but I forgot to take in progress pictures like a fool. :< So I'm going to see about finishing the Riverbanks hood and my Dalaran Reading Mitts. Hopefully.

Technical (GUILTY PLEASURES): I'm crocheting a pair of fingerless mittens for this one. I was not sure what I would do at first, but then I realized that sometimes I will crochet something because it's easier/faster than knitting, and fingerless mittens are kind of my go-to project, which is silly.

Team Spirit (NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION): I was thinking about making a utility belt for Isaac or something like that. Or possibly the Bat Signal, to fit in with our Team Unity project.

Nerd Culture (KNOW YOUR ROOTS): For this one, I was thinking about making a Superman cape for Isaac. Superman was the first major super hero, according to Wikipedia.

Giving Geeks (RESPECT YOUR ELDERS, ESPECIALLY THE LONELY ONES): I was thinking about doing or making something for Gramma Sue. Other than that, I don't really know what I'd do.

So yeah, I'm working on some Nerd Wars stuff, including my dissertation. I'm hoping to get a lot of knitting done, especially now that we can use Netflix and watch movies again on our new (super bitchin) TV. :D

Mitts For My Sister

I finally finished them!

I'm pretty pleased with them, really. I gave them to Ellie and she seemed to really like them. :D I'm hoping that I will see her wearing them this winter.

I showed her this entry and she goes, "They're the exact same as mine! They even have the same yarn! ....Oh...."

Because I don't know what else to do~

Guess what it's time for? A Post-Move WIP update! :D With pictures this time!

Scrapghan 

This thing is getting freaking huge. I'm having a lot of fun knitting it, and there is now more blanket than extra yarn in the bag, which is exciting.


Blue's Shawl

I have to have this finished by the end of the month if I'm going to have it for Nerd Wars. I'm on my 9th of 12 repeats, plus the border. I will have to get my second skein wound, probably. And if not, oh no, I have a super pretty skein of yarn.


ACen Socks

These have not had any progress, though I did really like how they were coming along last time I worked on them. I'm hoping to finish them soon. One of the Nerd Wars challenges this month is to finish WIPs, so I might do that.

Crochet Scrapghan

I've been making a lot of progress on this one, since it's smaller than my regular scrapghan and John likes to watch the crochet motion. I am more progressed than the picture shows.


Dalaran Reading Mitts

I need to work more on these, since they're so close to done and I really like them. Once I figured out the edging, they became a lot prettier and I liked them a lot more. The colors are really pretty, too.


Test Knit Fingerless Mitts 

I need to finish these so my aunt will stop bugging me about her needles that I have. Also then I would have one less WIP and that would be nice.


Longcat Scarf

Not a lot of progress on this one recently. I need to get more yarn wound. We're going to get Netflix hooked up again soon, so I'll be able to sit, knit, and watch docs. Which will be good.


Sunshine Shawl
This thing barely counts as a WIP. I only knit two rows of it so far. I'm really excited for the finished product, though, so I will work on this one in September, at least.

Riverbanks

I still hate this pattern, but I love the project. And the yarn. I finally have internet again, so I can look up the pattern, because the "print the essentials" button didn't print any of the charts. So.. yeah.

Purple Shawl
I did a couple of rows the other day, but I'm working mostly on other projects right now.

Yoshi Blanket
No real progress. I'm still trying to deal with my gauge issue, so I'm nervous to work on it any more, in case I have to rip everything. I might try blocking the squares I have to see if that helps at all.

Another WIP Update

Scrapghan
It's actually getting pretty big now. I can't believe how wide it is! I never would have guessed. I've been working on this one a lot while watching BS:G, so I've done a fair amount with it lately. I'm worried that it will get too big for the bag soon.

Blue's Shawl
I'm working on this one for Nerd Wars. I'm using the Boneyarn Shawl pattern. It will have 12 little sections, plus the ridge on the edge, and I'm on the 8th section. To get points for it, I will have to have it done by the end of August. I think I'll do it.

ACen socks
I started these ACen weekend, and only got through the toes. I have not worked on them much since then, but I really liked how they were coming out so far.

Crochet Sock Yarn Scrapghan
Yes, I started another one. This one is crochet, though, rather than knit, and made with sock yarn instead of worsted yarn. It's not very big yet and is already packed for the move.

Dalaran Reading Mitts
I have not made any progress on these since the end of last Nerd Wars tournament. I'm hoping to finish them shortly after the move.

Mitts for my Sister
No progress. I bet if I worked hard, I could finish them before the move. ..Maybe.

(Test Knit) Fingerless Mitts
I still don't like these very much, but I need to finish them. I'll hopefully finish them soon and give the needles back to my aunt.

Longcat Scarf
I've made a little progress on this one, but I need to get more yarn wound. John has been so patient about this project, and I'm really glad. I would love to have it finished for him this winter.

Sunshine Shawl
I'm only like four rows in to this one, so I'm putting it on hold for now. I think I messed up already, though, so I'll have to see what happens with it. I really want it, but I might have to start over.

Riverbanks
I hate hate hate hate this pattern. But it looks so pretty. I'm working on the hood lace section, but I'm only on row eight of 50 or something stupid like that. 

Purple Shawl
Kari found the pattern for this while we were packing for the move yesterday. I hope to work on this again soon, because I really like how it's coming along.

Yoshi Blanket
I haven't been able to fix my gauge issue yet, so I haven't been working on this one really at all. I'm too nervous about it. :(

Traveling Shawl

I finally finished that lace shawl I was working on!

This is it in all of its fresh-off-the-needles glory~

Pinned out to its full extent. A view of the middle part, obviously.

I had to get John to take the photo because I wasn't tall enough. But this is the whole shawl. That tape measure is 60 inches at its longest.

A sort-of-decent-for-now shot of the end of it, pre-blocking.

I don't have a pretty picture of it yet, since it's pretty much been either raining (which would undo the blocking, of course) or stupidly hot and I don't want to wear an alpaca shawl when it's that stupidly hot. :/

I will, though, get a better picture of it once the weather decides what it's going to do. There's actually a heat advisory right now...

UFOs

I realize I just did this, but it's been more than a month and I need to do it again.

Ok. I'm moving in 3-4 months. I don't want to be dealing with WIPs and taking care of things when I'm worrying about everything else already. I fret. It's what I do. So basically, I want to have at least 95% of my WIPs done before moving day. Everything left needs to be able to fit in a purse. A normal purse, not a me purse.

Here we go:

Scrapghan
Oh, scrapghan. Will you never end? No, likely not. I will use this project to de-stress after ACen while I sit and watch movies for a week straight. Yay summer vacation?

Dalaran Reading Miits
I was working on these for Nerd Wars, but did not get them done in time. They're super cute and a pretty quick thing. I'll probably have these done before too long.

Mitts for my Sister
I was also hoping to finish these for Nerd Wars, but didn't get to. They're close to done--I'm almost finished with the ribbing on the second mitt.

Test Knit Fingerless Mitts
Ok. I'm gonna come clean, here. I don't like these. I would never wear them. I don't enjoy fun fur. But I'm going to finish them, dammit. I'm working on the second mitten already. I just need to freaking do it.

Creepers Galore
I'm working on these for ACen. So any of them that aren't done by then will be put into the conbox and out of my hair until next con season.

Red Traveling Shawl
I am so close to this one, it is stupid. The rows are very long and that is my only excuse. I will finish this one soon, too.

Longcat Scarf
Oh gosh. I am not really making any progress on this one. I don't honestly remember the last time I worked on it. But John is so excited and I have put so much work into it already, I can't just rip it. Next time I go to knitting, I will get the two skeins wound so I can work without fear.

Purple Shawl
I am incredible at losing the pattern for this one. It's getting kind of stupid. The shawl is beautiful, but not very far along, so it's of a lower priority.

Yoshi Blanket
I encountered a problem with the Yoshi Blanket and it is making me wary of working on it. My gauge has changed as I've gotten more comfortable with crochet. The new squares are smaller.

Cthuluclava
This one hasn't actually been cast on yet, so I'm off the hook here. Er, needle.

Dreamless Calorimetry
Similarly, this one is not on the needles yet.

Golden Socks
Being knit for the express purpose of learning toe-up socks. I don't care that they're coming out too small to fit my feet because they are made of yucky acrylic. I don't care at all. Really. :|


So, it looks like most of the things I'm working on are either really close to done or really not close to done. I'm going to try to finish up the ones that are really close and then see where we're at. :)

An Update

So I'm going to do an update on all of my WIP's because they are making me feel guilty. And I don't have any photos or notable progress to share. :(

Scrapghan: I have been unabashedly throwing half-balls of worsted wt yarn into that bag, but I have not been doing a whole lot with the thing. Probably because my nice, big TV watching chair is covered in crap. I did knit a good two rows on it the other day (that's 800+ sts), but it's not even half done yet.

Capillary Action Socks: These are my most active project at the moment. I am really liking them, and am getting close to the heel of my second sock.

Mitts for my sister: I feel bad even calling this one a WIP. I haven't even gotten past the ribbing of the first mitt. Maybe I'll work on these on Sunday while I'm out with my family. Something easy and simple that I know well.

(Test Knit) Fingerless Mittens: GUH. That is all I have to say about this. I am not really having fun making it, but I am obligated to finish them. Preferably by Sunday. ...Crap.

Creepers Galore: These are gonna be little plushies for ACen. I have not finished the first one yet, but to be fair I did not have the yarn to make his face.

Red Traveling Shawl: This one tried to escape under my desk, but I have found it and have since done a couple rows on it. I only have one more repeat after the one I'm on, then I get to bind off. :)

Christmas Present for the Boy: This is my guilt project. I just feel so bad every time I see it that I have not completed it yet. I have not really made any progress. I should work on it some after my more time-constrained ones. I have the most understanding boy ever. ;-;

Purple Shawl: Now that I have found my red shawl, this one has been bumped down in priority. I did make some good progress with it so far, and the color changes are beautiful.

Yoshi Blanket: There is a part of me that really wants to sew together the bits I already have to see how far I am and a part of me that feels that would be very depressing. I do love how mindless the granny squares are, though. I have made one square recently.

Little Blue Sock: I was putting this one off because the st st part was boring, but now that I have turned the heel of my other sock, I am really quite excited to turn this one.

Cthuluclava: I have not actually cast this one on yet since I have so many projects going right now.

That's 11 projects. I have plans for two more before the end of March. I would really like to do them, at least. We'll see.

Socks!

YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS. Guess what I did today.

I turned a heel! It looks a little ugly and I'm pretty terrible at picking up stitches, honestly. But look!

This is a better look at the sock and the yarn itself:

So.. it looks a little yucky in that second photo. It's super soft, I promise.

I'm so excited! :D

Squiddy!

Squiddy is finished!

This is Ozumat. He is my squid buddy. <3

Squiddy

So I have been working on my squid. He is getting close to done--I only need to make four more tentacles, one more fin, both eyes, and then sew him together. He's so bitty and sweet! I'm excited to display him proudly on top of my computer.

(Apparently when my keyboard and Blogger interact they don't like it. When I hit enter, it creates new lines, but it does not move the cursor. Hmm.)

I also ordered my rainbow yarn, which I'll be using for the Capillary Action challenge to make rainbow socks with black on the toes and heels. <3
In that order, I also bought some black worsted wt yarn to use for the mouths and eyes of the creepers I'm working on, and I also bought some green yarn to make the Cthulhuclava, which I am going to make and sell at CON or ACen or something awesome.

I am also planning on throwing together a tablet cozy for the "shield" challenge.

And! Unrelated to Nerd Wars! I have been working on a couple of other things. One is a pair of fingerless mittens that I am test-knitting for a pattern that my aunt wrote. I am most of the way done with the first one and should finish the second one soon. Photos to follow.
I'm also working pretty regularly on my purple shawl, which is starting to show the color changes. It's really gradual and I am really quite thrilled with how it's coming along. Again, photos to follow.

Nerd Wars Tournament the Second!

So the first round of Nerd Wars has finished. I earned my team a grand total of 30 points (I think), which I am pretty proud of. :D But now the new challenges are out! Yay!

Team Spirit (In like a lion, out like a lamb): The theme here is animals or the hard/soft contrast of the proverb. My first thought was hunters and druids. But I hate druids. And as much as I love my hunter, he is only level 13 and I don't really know what to make for him. But then I had a thought. You know who's an animal? Ozumat. My favorite dungeon at this point is Heroic Throne of Tides. Yay Squiddy!

Scientific (Capillary Action):. I had no idea what to do for this one until someone in my group mentioned that this is the scientific name for when you put black marker on a coffee filter, get it wet, and then it becomes a rainbow. So my yarn has been ordered: I'm making socks with a black toe and heel and a rainbow body. :D

Nerd Culture (Don't Hide Your Light Under a Bushel): Basically, either yarn bomb or document yourself knitting in public. Easy peasy.

Intellectual (Warrior's Friend): This challenge has an Anglo-Saxxon riddle on the main page, so I'm guessing that's why it's the intellectual challenge. My first thought was to make myself a partial glove that covers my pinky and the heel of my hand for art class, but I might go with something else. Maybe a little cozy for my tablet? The poor thing.

Giving Geeks (WIP Help): For this one we have to help someone who is otherwise unable to finish a project. Like if they have arthritis or died or something. I might help Ellie finish her arm warmers, since she is too busy to make them herself. I asked and this would be okay by the judges. :)

Technical (Polytechs): For the last challenge option, we basically have to combine two or more crafts. That could mean either spinning something and then knitting it, crochet + knitting in the same project, knit + sewing, anything! Well, as long as one of the crafts is one of the four RavCrafts. I am trying to figure out if I can incorporate drawing somehow...

February FO's

It's almost the end of February! I made some projects! Let's look at them! Apparently we're going from newest to oldest, since that's how Blogger decided to upload the photos!

This is a bag. I made it for NerdWars.

This is the inside of the bag. I made up the pattern as I went along. It was actually meant to have more of a flat base then it ended up with, but I realized I was crocheting it inside out (what?), so when I flopped it, the base got more rounded. It is big enough to hold my iPod, phone, chapstick, eraser, pencil and inking pens. I'm calling it my Epic Gold Commission Bag, because it can hold all the things I need to take commissions at an artist alley.

Here is my Cowl'Thas! It was the first project I completed for NerdWars. It's for the Valentine's Challenge, where we make a gift for our favorite NPC. Kael'Thas Sunstrider is my favorite, by far. I decided that if we send him enough hand-knit love, he will come home to Silvermoon and everything will be better again. See, it's even in Silvermoon colors! It's a relatively close-fitting cowl, and I really really like it.

The last (first?) project I completed is this hat for John! I made one for myself in January in red, and John demanded a similar one. It's made out of Baby Alpaca Grande, so it's super soft. He is super pleased with it. :)

...In other news, I'm thinking about making a FO post at/near the end of every month, to make sure I didn't miss anything. Also to maybe x-post to the LJ group. Y/N?

Impulse Buys

So I was looking at Etsy today. This is a thing that I really should never do. Do you know what they have on Etsy? Hand-dyed yarn. Pretty hand-dyed yarn.

I was looking today, just a little bit ago, when I found a really pretty yarn that was different shades of blues and greys and do you know what it was called? Little Boy Blue. That is cheating. Cheating, I tell you! How could I not immediately go "GASP. Boy Bluuuueee~~~" because Blue is my favorite character in my favorite comic book (aside from maybe something with X-Men.). It was only reading the description that saved me from an immediate impulse buy--the listed price was for one ball of yarn. I would need two to make an adult sized pair of socks.

So right now I am settling for adding them to my favorites and closing the window. And pouting. And considering getting a temporary job just to buy more yarn.

But now I am thinking. Maybe I should learn to dye my own yarn. ..Where do I get "blank" yarn? Hmm.

Nerd Wars

Nerd Wars is afoot! :D

Nerd Wars is a group on Ravelry. A bunch of people got together, grouped up by fandom (I'm on team Epic, the MMO/RPG team), and are knitting for points. There are a bunch of challenges every month for three months, and the team with the most points at the end wins.

This month, the challenges are: NERDWARSCON (Nerd Culture), VALENTINE'S DAY (Team Spirit), NEBULAS (Scientific), PRIME NUMBERS (Intellectual), A BONDING EXPERIENCE (Technical), and COLD HANDS, WARM HEARTS (Giving Geeks).

I've got an idea for a couple of projects, if I have time. I'm already competing in the Team Spirit category. The goal is to knit something for your favorite character within your fandom. So I picked up this yarn..

And am making a cowl for Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider. <3 It's even in Silvermoon colors! :D (Though that was, admittedly, John's idea, not mine.)

If I have time at the end, I'm gonna use my leftover gold yarn there to make a gold bag for the Nerd Culture. You get bonus points (I think) for relating your project back to your team. Gold bags are where you got set pieces from PQ's in WARhammer Online. <3 I think I ended up with a total of three.

Also:

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssssss....

Hat!

I finished a thing! It's the first project that I have made in 2011 in its entirety.

Don't mind me, I just look like a total dork in these photos. But I just took a couple quick snapshots to show my dad and stepmom, who were the ones who actually bought me the yarn. (We communicate mostly through emails and the occasional phone call, so I was concerned that he would not be able to open the attachments. I think Ellie helped. Dad was suitably impressed with the knitting. :D )
I realize that you can't see the dark red particularly well against my black sweater, but the high was like.. -a billion that day, so I was chilled. I might take better pictures later.

..In fact, I might reknit the whole thing. :| I want it to be at a slightly tighter gauge than the pattern recommended, and I want it to be a little longer before the decreases. (That's my fault though. When the pattern says knit for 5 inches before decreasing, do it.)

I am, though, knitting one for John, who was very excited about it. So we went to my LYS and he picked out some blue alpaca grande with sparkles (hee!) and I will cast that on as soon as I am not too lazy to actually gauge swatch. He apparently made a positive (and adorable) impression on the people working there, as well. :D

Organizing

I made an attempt at organizing things today. I pulled out my big yarn bin, put about a dozen half-balls of yarn into the scrapghan bag, and I put a few other bits of fingering weight yarn into a bag to make into a little shawl that will change colors as it goes! I'm excited for that, it'll be pretty. Then on top of that, I made a little list of various skeins of yarn I have and what I want to use them for, and I got together a small bag for yarn that I want to donate or give away or something.

I have cast on my first sock, as well. I don't have a photo yet because I am too lazy to get my camera and all of its bits together, and my iPod has a hard time connecting to the internets at home. It is a wonderful teal blue color. Rather than knit in rib for 8 inches, I did rib for ten rows (because I hate rib) and then I will just do stockinette until the thing is 6 inches. I am nervous about the idea of turning the heal.

I am on the second of three lace repeats for my Traveling Woman shawl. It is getting stupid wide, though. But, after looking at that blocking thread I found on Ravelry the other day, I am super excited to finish and block it because it will be super pretty.

My plan for the day is basically to watch movies on Netflix (though I think I've watched all of the dinosaur docs.. :< ) and try to work on my scrapghan, which has been sadly neglected recently.

Happy New Year!

Hello! How was your New Year celebration? I had a lot of fun with my friends. :)


I counted today, and I have seven WIP's, and I'm getting ready to cast on an 8th. I know I should finish them, but it's just so difficult. Does anyone else have that kind of issue? I love casting on and starting projects, but then I kind of tucker out about halfway through. Then I start making up excuses... "Well, it's a scarf, so it's a lot of knitting... ""Well, I'm improvising that design so it's okay..." "Well, I'm using size 1's on that, it's okay that it's not done..." Gah. It's terrible.


Anyway, I made some resolutions, and some fake resolutions! Here are the real, fiber-related ones first: 
-Finish at least one project a month (even if I don’t start one a month…) 
-Finish at least 90% of my 2010 UFO’s.
-Organize all of the yarn and the yarn area. 
-Make at least one thing in several categories that I have not done yet: socks, sweater, lace, felting, bag… 
-Learn to spin (I’ve got everything, I just need someone to teach me!) 
-Knit socks both toe-up and top-down to see which I like better. 
-Knit/crochet every day I can, even if it’s just a couple of stitches. 
-Kit up as many yarns and patterns as I can.


Wow, that's actually a more substantial list than I meant to make...


Also, I'm making some "fake" resolutions. I'm taking part (again) in Mission 101, or 101 in 1,001. Basically, you think up 101 different clear, measurable goals and you then have 1,001 days to complete them all. I won't bore you with the whole thing, but I do have a few knitting related ones...

-Do/attempt self-imposed-sock-of-the-month-club

-Knit/crochet 10 things for someone else

-Knit/crochet 10 things for myself

-Knit/crochet 100 projects to completion

-Knit at least half of an afghan

-At least start the World Map afghan

-Reduce my yarn stash by 50%, at least

-Have a plan for the remaining 50%, even if it’s just “scrapghan” or “trade/gift”

-Knit a sweater

So that's that! I hope you all have a good year!