Secrets, deadlines and Wips

I had some major camera issues that prevented me from posting for a few weeks.  These have been solved due to the generosity of rav friends :D.  It is late and I am tired so I am going to keep this brief.  I think I have forgotten at least a couple of my WIPs but I guess you'll see them next week.

I am good at lots of things but there are few things that I am really terrible at  deadlines and secrets.  I can't finish anything to a deadline even one I give myself, and I couldn't keep a secret to save my life.  Secrets make me excited and when I excited I feel like there a million butterflies in my chest and if I don't tell someone they will explode.   I am telling you this because this week I have several secret projects that have failed deadlines to share.

Tiny Amigurumi that I am making up
as I go along

 I have a ton of projects started right now and I feel like they are all in the blackholes.  Most of them were supposed to be gifts for special events that have already occurred.  A couple are gifts for special events that will occur soon.  My sister had a baby July second and I am still working on a blanket for her baby.  Her older daughter just celebrated her 2nd birthday on the 8th and I am still working on a present for her.  I am also still working on a present for the same sister's birthday.

Back of a very special baby blanket that I am working on. 
Hopefully I will get it backed and  mailed soon so you can see it in all its awesomeness.

A special blanket project that I hope will become a self- published pattern soon

My sister's birthday present.  Can you guess what it will be?

And just because I don't have enough crazy in my life.  I started swatching Venus by Aoibhe Ni.

Pattern Review: Hermione the Unicorn by Dawn Toussaint

Hermione the Unicorn is a free pattern by Dawn Toussaint.  It is available as a free Ravelry download and is a well

My Hermione is about 9 1/2
inches tall from hooves to horn
tip, compared to a recommended 
6 inches.

formatted PDF file.  When you open your pattern file the first thing you will see is a large blue rectangle containing a list of the techniques you will need know, and a list of the materials and equipment you will need to have to complete the pattern.  After that we jump right into the critical information.  As Hermione is a stuffed animal gauge is not critical and Ms. Toussaint has provided us with neither gauge nor a recommended yarn.  She does however suggest that  she used worsted weight yarn(150-200 yards of  color A, 20 yards for color b, and 10 yards for color ) and an f size hook.  I found this disconcerting as worsted weight yarn can vary much inside the class and most of the worsted weight yarn I have recommends using H, I, or J hooks.  Amigurumi are usually worked with hooks about 2 sizes smaller than is recommended for the yarn but I was worried that the f would be too small.  My unicorn is worked with KnitPicks Brava for the main color and a size H hook.

If you look closely you can see that the
muzzle is very shallow.  The little shaping
shown is formed by pressing the stuffing
into the desired shape.

Hermione is started by making all the auxiliary pieces first.  We make 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 ears and a horn.  The arms and legs are very similar, both start with color b in the spiral differing only in stitch count as the legs are slight larger.  After 7 rows we switch to main color and make the clever little scallop feature on the hooves before continuing for the length of the pattern.  The ears are simple an work up very quickly.  The horn is the only piece made in color C and I found the shaping to be a bit tricky.  After finishing the extremities we move on to the head and body.  The head and body are worked as one piece stuffing and joining the other pieces as you work so that by the time you are done crocheting you are also completely done assembling your animal.  All that is left is to embroider details and attach the mane.

I am sorry not to have better
pictures of the gaping holes
around the arms and legs but
 you can see above the right
 arm there some of the stitches
that I repaired.  I also wanted
 to note that Hermione is very
 floppy and doesn't sit well.  I
have tacked her arms and legs
 together for these photos to
 make her look better and
 be easier to pose.

My Hermione didn't go quite as smoothly as reading through the pattern suggested it might.  Despite excellent instructions and clear diagrams I had serious difficulties in attaching the limbs without leaving massive holes in my work.  I ended up having to duplicate stitch around the arms and legs to cover up said ugly gaping holes.  I am however certain my difficulties were due to user error and not a defect in the actual pattern.  Of greater concern to me was the lack of muzzle shaping in the head.  The head works up almost perfectly round and the muzzle is much to flat to look like a horse's face.  With great deal of stuffing and squeezing I was able to achieve a head shape with which I was reasonably satisfied, but had I known beforehand I would have added my own modifications to make a more horse-like muzzle. 

The mane was added using latch hooking techniques
 and is Nashua Handknits Sitar in the colorway gypsy
 wagon.  It has been brushed gently with a pet slicker
 brush to make it look fuzzier and sleeker.

Overall Hermione the Unicorn is an excellent pattern and I am certain to try other Dawn Toussaint patterns in the future.  Due my limited budget I often work free patterns, especially as a way to decide if I would like to purchase other patterns from the designer in the future.  I am grateful that Hermione was offered as a free pattern as I had a great deal of fun making her and now have a gorgeous unicorn sitting in my living room making me happy.

Everyday Magic

Some of you know that I have spent the last 9 months in a rather boring an intensive french class.  In many ways in was an amazing experience I met many people from all over the world who had moved here to build a better life for their families.  I made friends, learned a new language, and discovered more about the region.  In other ways it was boring, stressful, and downright unpleasant. From this experience I learned something--most things in life are just this way, and it is up to the experiencee to make a meaningful life out of the roller coaster ride.  One of the ways I coped with the unpleasantness of certain parts of the class was to knit or crochet obsessively (often during class ) so I have many finished objects to share with you but I will share a few at a time too keep it from being to overwhelming for both you and.

Hermione the Unicorn by Dawn Toussaint

When I was little  I used to say I wanted to be a dragon when I grew up.  I still do actually the difference is that I know it won't happen.  As much as I wish it were otherwise I have yet to see a dragon, pet a unicorn, or meet a wizard outside my imagination.  Sometimes I search for fairies in the wooded areas and although I have never found one I can't believe that they don't exist.  However dragons and fairies and unicorns are not really what I wanted to talk about.  I have realized that in my desire to find "real" magic in the world, I was missing something more important: everyday magic.

Side view to show off Mane.  

There is a spell of pure joy and peace that is found in learning to love what we already have.  This everyday magic can be found: in the quiet early mornings before everyone wakes, a stolen kiss, long talks with someone you love late at night, in joy of sport, or hidden moments with a ball of string and a couple of sticks.  The laugh of a small child is as a wizard's spell to sorrow, and the wonder of simple hot meal and warm bed can wipe away the weariness of a long day.  Finding the magic in the ordinary is every bit as much an art and science, as the magic  wizards in the fantasies I love practice. 

Finished in Mid-April.  Back view for the mane.

 For example, a few days ago I realized I had stopped listening to music.  I don't know why but I do know that for last few years music listening has been a fleeting occasional sort of thing that I did by accident.  As I child I listened to and made music every chance I got, and I couldn't imagine a world without music.  I have started making time to really listen to music again and you know what music is magic.  Music can spin straw into gold, mend broken hearts and allow a human to fly.  I hate cleaning but just yesterday evening I found myself in my kitchen cooking dinner and cleaning up while listening to music, and guess what I was having a blast!!!  Everything seemed to go by much more quickly.
My favorite new kind of string magic is spinning.  It amazes me that a stick with a little weight on it and a ball of fluff are all it takes to make beautiful yarn, and I am learning quickly, as is evidenced by my most recent creation.

Finished a couple weeks ago. 4ply from mixed wool roving.  About 200yds sock weight.  I am rather absurdly proud of it and have no idea what to do with it.

Last but not least I have finally gotten up the courage to really learn to draw.  I used to love to draw as a child, but was too busy to take art courses as an adolescent. Sometime on the way from then until now I convinced myself that I was no good at it anyway.  I have lately had many ideas and things I wished to draw and design and no way to express them adequately and I determined that it was time to learn to draw.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that although I still have much to learn I am much better at drawing than I thought.

Study in 3-D shapes and shading form a couple days ago.

See my tab on link parties to join me in looking at other great finished projects.

Break

I missed last Friday and this Wednesday despite having plenty to share.  I thought I should drop  by to tell you that everything is fine.  I am just tired and busy trying to get ready for exams and such so I wanted to let you know I am going to be away from the blog until next Friday probably.

Unicorn and Socks

My unicorn is coming along very well. I had hoped to finish him by Friday but I don`t think I will have time to finish the mane. I am not sure if he is going to stay with me or find a new friend elsewhere.  I had planned on giving him to the daughter of one of my friends for Christmas 2012 but that obviously never happened. I had considered giving it to my niece for her birthday but the eyes aren`t really baby-safe. Maybe the unicorn will hang out with me for a while and then find a new home for next Christmas.
The yarn I showed you Wednesday is done. I followed a video and managed to sort of chain ply it .  It is drying now and I will show it to you Friday.
I am almost finished with the gussets on my socks. I have had a few issues so they are kind of ugly. 
Secret knitting is fun and makes my heart burst with joy.  I am planning a major project and am just about ready to start swatching.  I have some other secret knitting and crocheting I am preparing for as well.
As For books I forgot to take a picture.  I finished Funny Boys and can't decide if I liked it or not.  It's kind of a gangster book and it's pretty funny and fairly sad but left me feeling kind of unresolved.  I am still reading the Great Hunt by Robert Jordanson, and I started listening to I Still dream of you by Fannie Flagg.

March reflections

I haven`t finished anything new this week but I wanted to talk about some of my highlights for March and how I am doing on my goals.

Reflections on my snowflake project

I am a member of the Harry Potter Knitting/Crochet House Cup (HPKCHC).  The HPKCHC is a Ravelry group "competition" that is set up around the world of Harry Potter.  Every month there are class prompts for various things to craft and a player earns points for their house by participating in activities.  It is fun and helped me to stay motivated and get to know new people. 
My Snowflake project was what is called an OWL (ordinary wizarding level) and is supposed to be a project that takes 10-12 weeks to complete.  Participants have to propose and OWL and be approved to be able to earn the 150 points available. 
·         The whole owl  proposal process was a bit demanding and slightly annoying but helped me prepare to finish the project in a limited amount of time
·         Setting a time limit made me much more likely to finish the project
·         I was totally proud of myself for finishing on time
Learning to work with thread
·         I don`t think I am an expert at crocheting in thread yet but I feel fairly confident
·         I have learned a lot about tension and stitch definition
·         It`s easier than it looks.  In a lot of ways thread and crochet feel like they were made for each other
·         I really love the stitch definition of thread, and I actually like working super tight which keeps the stitches super neat.
General reflections
·         I really enjoyed the project and the results, but I am relieved to be done.  It was a huge undertaking and by the end I was pretty bored of tiny white  crochet thread and snowflakes.
·         Written doily patterns are a bit of a pain.  It is kind of difficult to determine what the huge sheath of instructions means until you actually do it.  I am sure the instructions I have written out will proof just as difficult to someone else as the instructions I have run into were for me.
·         I have resolved to learn to read and write crochet charts.  A lot of the pattern reading difficulties I had could have been solved with a good chart.

Learning to spin

I set a goal in the HPKCHC's Order of the Pheonix (OOTP) missions to spin for 3 hrs a week for 8 weeks.  
I loved this project.  I think in a lot of way the biggest thing I have learned by  spinning project is that there really is so much to learn about fiber and spinning.

There are so many things I don`t know. My yarns are still lumpy and uneven but I think they are beautiful in all their irregularity.   I really liked working with the BFL even if was also the hardest for me to draft evenly. 
Setting a goal and sticking to it was fun and challenging.  It was good for my self esteem as well

Yearly goals 
I know I have alluded to these, but I haven't posted the list yet.  So here is how I am doing on my yearly crafting goals:

• Knit or crochet 12 squares for charity---2 so far
• Learn Tunisian crochet----so far I have worked through
  
  Beginner's Guide to Tunisian Crochet by Marie Segares and made this sampler square

  
• 24 snowflakes for my Christmas tree next year--Finished
  
  
• Learn to spin ( I got a spindle on Christmas --Actually my WIP the first project is with the tiny bit of yarn I have spun since then)--See above
• Knit at least one Men’s Bias-Knit Tie--not started
• Knit Wallet--not started although I've had the yarn for 2 years
• make at least one homemade present for everyone in my family(either Christmas or b-day NOT both)--I have a few presents for special occasions planned but none completed
• Learn Irish and/or Clones lace--I learned a little bit making the Irish snowflake and I have done some reasearch
• improve at tapestry crochet--not started.
• Knit or crochet 12 Bookmarks --Not started

Spinning,Socks, and Unicorn

 My newest spinning project is looking good.  I have been able to draft quite a bit thinner and more even.  I hoping to attempt chain-plying on this one.  I have to admit I am loving spinning even more than I expected.  I had to force myself not to spin to finish my snowflake project on time, and I think if I have the time and money spinning could become my favorite of the three fiber arts I know so far.

 I know I posted the cast on of a pair of peach socks a couple weeks ago.  I have since ripped those out, because they were too hard.  I decided to try two and a time toe-up socks and to that end I received (at my request) KNITfreedom's class on the subject.  So far the class has been great and very helpful.  These grey socks in Brava worsted weight are my practice project for this class.  I am sure they will become bed socks for someone on my Christmas list.   This week while working on the socks and watching the videos I discovered that for the past two years I have been twisting all my knit stitches and creating twisted stockinette.  This unpleasant discovery was less difficult to fix that I imagined and I have knitting much easier since fixing it.
This beauty is Hermione the unicorn by Dawn Toussaint.  In many ways I am unhappy with some the construction in this pattern and I have had to do a lot of embroidery repair (both duplicate stitch in white and decorative) to make this unicorn look acceptable to me I would probably have put it together differently if I had know before I started.  On the other hand I love the face I have come up with and probably wouldn't have done the star on the forehead if I hadn't had some of the other problems.  The nose could have really benefited from more shaping and has be squeezed and shaped with the fiberfill to make anything resembling a horse shape.  You can see this even more clearly in some of the other project pages.  I am really looking forward to the mane when I get there though.

As for reading  I finished listening to A Mighty Fortress by David Weber for the second time this week.  I have really loved the Safehold series which feels like a mixture of historical fiction and sci-fi.  The series is set on the world of Safehold 900 years after the destruction of all other human colonies, including Earth, by a hostile alien species.  Safehold is at about the technology level of Pre-industrial revolution and the people living there have been kept from innovating past this point by the repressive religion instituted by the colonies founder's 900 years earlier.
Merlin Athrawes is a PICA, basically android with the personality of a long dead woman, named Nimue Alban's who's mission is to undo the millennium of brainwashing by the oppressive religion and all the humans on the Safehold to begin innovating.  The Safehold series more or less follows Merlin's decisions and the friends he makes through a harrowing fight for religious and intellectual freedom against the corrupt Church of God Awaiting.  I won't tell you more for fear of spoiling the series for you but I love it.
I am now currently listening to Funny Boys a drama about a gangster's girlfriend set in the 1920s .  So fa I like it pretty well.  I am also starting The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, which is the second book in the Wheel of Time Series.