Circuit Portrait City Skyline

Don't even try to make sense of the title. It is pure stream-of-consciousness. This project is a combination of several ideas that have been in my brain for the past year or two or three. That means I had piles of paper all over the house. Here are the projects.

1. PCB/Circuit Board- I have wanted to knit some version of this for about three years. My first prototype ended with me impaling my hand on a size 000 steel needle. I have a lot of pixellated circuit motifs sitting around. I have yet to decide which style I will use. It is most likely to be a squared off version that is suitable for knitting.

2. Self portrait- Total accident. I found a profile of a female face with circuits for hair. Ping. I also dug up some yarn that is close to my skin tone.

3. Skyline- Another long term plan. I've been looking to do a knitted skyline for a long time, but never found the right chart. Lately I have been reading about Bauhaus Art and Art Moderne/Art Deco. Ping. I have a number f pixellated buildings that I will use for a custom skyline.

4. I found a graphic purporting to be an outline of the Pittsburgh skyline. I'd like to use it, but it may not be right for this project.

5. I have Glow-in-the-Dark yarn. I MUST use this. It would be perfect for the windows.

6. The Areceibo Message will be knit into the scarf. I dreamed this, so it has to happen.

These projects are being conjoined so that they appear back-to-back in the same scarf/stole. Purely practical matter of hiding loose ends.

Finally, This is being knit on size 3 needles in fingering yarn. It's going to take a long time or it with drive me nuts....probably both. This will also consume a nice chunk of stash yarn in dark colors, blues and black and white/glow. I may use a multicolored yarn for the circuit portion. This project will evolve.

Qulited Lattice Mitts

These mitts were also made for the gift stash. The pattern is Quilted Lattice Mitts. They were a pretty easy knit, albeit a pain in the thumb gusset. For that reason, I might not make another pair anytime soon. Interestingly, they are made with the same number of stitches, on the same needles as the Jacoby Mitts. These were knit in stockinette stitch, while the Jacobies were knit in ribbing. For me, at least, the Jacoby mitts were snug and a much better fit. I have small hands. This version may be fine for most larger hands.
They were made with KnitPicks, Palette in Black with Fushia trim, on size 3 needles.

Blue Jacoby

This time I am pleased. This pattern is a keeper. The pattern is called Jacoby. It is easy and perfectly suited to self patterning yarns. These went in the gift stash. I shall absolutely may a few more iterations of this pattern. At least one set will be for myself. Of course, I found this pattern in the Spring, after suffering through another Winter in a drafty office and house.
Note: I have no idea way the Barbara G. Walker book is sitting there. Wait...I was looking up slip stitch patterns for....I forget..........

Pink Quickie Cowl

Here is the finished cowl. An extremely quick knit. I knit 50% of it yesterday while enjoying a Netflix marathon. The pattern is Quickie Cowl. I will absolutely make more of these. This one used a single skein of bulky yarn. I knit this one flat, lengthwise, and joined the ends using a three-needle bind off. I may knit the next one in the round if I have two skeins of a particular yarn. If knit as a continuous loop, the rib pattern will be oriented vertically. I'm quite happy with this and it is going in the gift stash. I must dismiss the thought that it goes perfectly with my pink sweaters......

Gift Stash/Destash

This is the project on my needles now. It is knit in Bernat Softee Chunky, so it will be a quick project. The pattern is called Quickie Cowl and is available on Ravelry. I am knitting this as a straight length. When it is done, I will either join the ends to form a circular cowl or add buttons so it can be worn flexibly. The yarn is from my stash.

Last week I undertook to clean out my stash as part of a general desk cleaning. In general, I don't dispose of yarn before it has been knit. The rare instance being when I suddenly had an allergic reaction to some yarn I bought years (and two states!) ago.

This time, I just went ahead and threw out a few skeins of variegated acrylic yarn that was just not worth my time. I see no reason to buy more yarn just to save $4.00 worth of acrylic in a color scheme that is not working for me. The yarns were in beautiful Autumn colors that looked so inviting in the skein. Once knit.......not so good, more like kitty spew.

As for the other things found in stash....I am knitting gifts ahead of time. I do have yarn that I bought and still like. This way, I can have a supply of gift items ready well before the next round of holidays, birthdays, whatever. Also, small, easy projects, such as scarves, mitts, hats, will give me something mindless to work on while dreaming up the next geeky project. I always have a few ideas in mind, but they can take years to accomplish.

TARDIS Socks, finished

Here is a shot of the business end of the TARDIS socks. The photo was taken under UV light, to highlight the glow. Still doesn't do it justice. Never mind why I have a UV lamp handy. I have lots of niche tools. Anyway, that is why my thumb is in the photo. At the top, you can see my thumb holding the casing of the lamp. The white embroidery of the sock is reflected in the surface of the lamp as well.

I have given the socks to Zuchar for her birthday and she is pleased. She has been instructed to sit in a dark room and stare at her feet. I am actually debating making a second pair of knitted TARDIS, this time as mitts. That way, I get to start with the fun parts and I can play with them as I like. If I knit socks, I'd pend to much time staring at my feet.

Brevity mitts

This is the current project, fingerless gloves in worsted weight yarn on size 5 needles. I am using the pattern, Breve that is available on Ravelry. These mitts are wonderfully easy to make, just 40 stitches of 4 X 1 rib knit in the round. After both tubes are knit I will add "afterthought thumbs".
My goal this year is to knit up some stash yarn and have some gifts ready for when I need them. In particular, I plan on giving these to ********. \One thing I really like about this particular pattern is that the fabric has a sleek look, nice and uncluttered. Worsted weight yarn knits up quickly so the project won't take forever. That also gives me time to day dream about the next geeky or complicate project. I am planning something that came to me in a dream.