Behold, the Beast from Hell!
I haven’t given you a knitting update in ages, have I? Yes, that’s me in a custom knit devil-horned hat. The pattern’s from Debbie Stoller’s book Stitch ‘N’ Bitch and I whipped it up in about six hours. (Pattern note for those playing at home: I used two balls of Heirloom 12-ply on 6mm needles.) I discovered some black wool in my stash so I might try the kitty-cat hat next. Now I just have to wait for it to get cold enough to wear!
Catching up on other projects… I also made a jumper/sweater for my iPod! My old case was getting grubby and I rarely use the belt clip anyway. There’s a pattern in Stitch ‘N’ Bitch but it requires sewing, so I just made up my own. (I started by knitting a flat rectangle about the size of the bottom of the iPod, and then picked up around the edges and knit in the round to the top. Then I cast off the front and continued knitting flat to make the flap. I even put a yarn-over in the right spot to leave a hole for the headphone jack!) I haven’t sewn any velcro on it yet, which is why I have to hold the flap closed here. Also note: I finally got my iPod in-ear headphones! As Ron suggested, they are a bit tinny. I only really notice it on the badly-ripped songs though. I’ve fiddled with the equalizer settings to boost the bass and that helps. But I’m back in the Cult of the White Wires!
Another recent finished object is the red scarf I’m sporting below. The wool is some handspun and hand-dyed stuff I bought at Camp Creative in January. The thickness varies from thread-thin to finger-thick. I just cast on eight stitches on my 10mm needles and knit til I ran out of wool. It went about six feet. I’m loving it. Oh, and my sister tells me that “skinny scarves are in” in the US, so unbeknownst to me I’m already in style for the winter!
Oh, and there’s a work in progress in that last picture too: my muscles. I’m on Week 3 of my weight training regimen and I’m feeling pretty darn buff!
Kel
February 23, 2004 — 1:45 am
awww, come on, make me an ipod sweater!!! (fave colors = blue and green ;). i brought you your ipod from the states… that’s something, huh? also, it can be an engagement present for me! 😉 😉 😉
Kris
February 23, 2004 — 7:09 am
Okay! 🙂 I need to find somebody here with one of the new ones though, as they’re a little smaller than mine, I think.
robert
February 23, 2004 — 11:49 am
wow, that ipod cover is the coolest! you could set up a thriving business, kris – i would definitely buy them!
Kris
February 23, 2004 — 12:28 pm
Yay! I’m definitely making another prototype, then. 🙂
I used mine on the bus today. They’re actually more suited to the newer ones with the remote, because then you don’t even need to open it up. My old iPod doesn’t have a remote but I discovered that I could still fast-forward through songs and adjust volume pretty easily through the wool. I suspect it would be harder on the new ones (since they have a touch pad and the four buttons at the top), but if you’ve got a remote you’d be fine.
A few issues I’m wondering about though: I think Velcro might be a big too “sticky” for the flap fastener, especially if the cover is made of wool. If you didn’t get it on just straight, the hooks would grab the wool and pull it out and make it look all fuzzy. A button might be a bit too fiddly though, unless I made it fairly large. I might investigate using one of those little metal slidey clasps, like they put on fancy dress pants. Then you wouldn’t even be able to see it from the front. Also, the original SnB pattern used cotton instead. I’m wondering if that would be a better choice. I kinda like the wool though, because it really does look like a sweater. I was thinking about Kel’s today and had all sorts of ideas for little intarsia motifs (like snowflakes and zigzags) like on a regular sweater. I think it would be ADORABLE. Acrylic might work and would be more easily washable but I’m worried that it could actually scratch the casing (and we definitely don’t want that).
So yeah, I’ll be churning out some more prototypes. I guess I can put the two of you down as testers, then! 🙂
aim
February 23, 2004 — 1:22 pm
i love that all 3 of these photos involve your small hands! sweet. i’m emailing you a photo of my first finished scarf today (and one of the ugly hat that was finished and promptly dismantled so i could use the extra yarn to make my scarf longer…)
i have another scarf started but let me know how difficult the kitty hat is – i wanted to do it but think i better do some more straight knitting first. oh, and i met a couple girls this weekend who want to be knitting buddies! yay!
Kris
February 23, 2004 — 2:41 pm
My hands don’t look small in those pictures! Do they?
amy
February 23, 2004 — 7:35 pm
you are so rock-n-roll.
we SO need to have an SnB.
badly.
very badly.
Kris
February 23, 2004 — 10:04 pm
And I’m very pleased – after watching tonight’s episode of Queer Eye – that I did the proper devil horns as opposed to the sign for “I love you.” I didn’t even know that. 🙂
(And I’m e-mailing you about your invite!)
robert
February 24, 2004 — 10:44 am
mmm… snowflakes.
Arnell
March 19, 2004 — 2:05 pm
I’m just starting to Knit and I’m looking at all the projects you have finished and I’m SO IMPRESSED lol I can barely knit takes me forever but I’m trying maybe we can exchange ideas sometime..I crochet alot better than knit 😀
Ed
February 15, 2006 — 8:53 am
Hey,
I am also making iPod jumpers. I do mine in a thick Aran with a 2 cables. It looks like a fisherman’s jumper and is SO cool. My pod will be the cosiest around Melbourne this winter.
Anonymous
April 27, 2006 — 5:50 pm
I want one of the Devil hats! Do you sell them????????