The other big thing that happened last week was that I finally finished my Easter Show knitting. I had two entries this year: “St. Brigid” in the aran category and “Albert the Magic Pudding” in the knitted toys. I think they turned out pretty well!
St. Brigid is from Alice Starmore’s Aran Knitting, a book which is sadly out-of-print. (Used copies go for $300! No joke!) Luckily I know someone with a copy who was generous enough to share. This is my second Starmore after last year’s Na Craga. The wool is Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in colour 127 Posie. It’s a very pretty pinky red with little flecks through it. Starmore’s patterns are famously huge with lots of ease, so I had to play to get the right size. I actually used 4mm needles to get gauge and lengthened the body by an extra repeat. I also lengthened the arms quite a bit. The original version had fringe around the bottom (ew) and a mock turtleneck (ew ew), so I left both of those off. This is a very warm jumper, and I’ll probably only get to wear it a few times a year. But it’s beautiful and I made it and I love it. (More pictures on Flickr and more details on Ravelry.)
And then there’s the Magic Pudding. (No, Mom, he’s not an octopus!) He’s from a famous Australian children’s book by Norman Lindsay. The Snook read me this book, and I absolutely loved it. It’s a shame that kids in America don’t know it! I based my original design off a postcard with a watercolour of the Pudding by Lindsay himself. I was really tickled when the RAS volunteer who was taking my entries recognised him immediately. Maybe next year I’ll have to do Bunyip Bluegum? (More details on Ravelry.)
The Eighth Annual web-goddess Oscar Contest has finally begun. I’ve added a thirteenth category this year – Best Original Score – to lessen the odds of a tie. As usual, the number of dead people in the obituary montage will be the tiebreaker. And what do you get if you win? Why, it’s a Sparkly Emo Vampire Sockmonkey Playset! (And don’t worry, Twilight-haters. I’ve catered for you too.)
The contest will end the minute the ceremony begins!
Once upon a time, a girl named Bella fell in love with a very sparkly emo vampire named Edward. He gave her piggy-back rides in the trees.
But her long-haired Native American friend Jacob didn’t approve and warned her away.
Bella didn’t care. She and Edward frolicked in a meadow and he sparkled.
Jacob cut his hair and took to wearing cutoffs and hanging out in the woods in the rain.
But what’s this? It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer! With a flash, she whips out Mr. Pointy and reduces Emo Edward to dust.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. If you win this year’s Oscar Contest, all this melodrama could be yours. You get three different sock monkeys: Edward, Bella/Buffy, and Jacob.
Edward comes with foofy auburn hair, amber eyes, embroidered six-pack, and a black peacoat. Oh, and he sparkles in the sun.
Bella has long brown hair, a grey coat, and a treasured copy of “Wuthering Heights” (with hand-embroidered cover). She’s also very clumsy and lacks any sort of personality. (Just like the books!)
Jacob (in his younger incarnation) has long brown hair, an embroidered six-pack, and a pair of denim cut-offs. He’s friendly and nice and has no idea he has a latent werewolf gene.
Later, Jacob gets ripped, cuts his hair, finds out he’s a werewolf, and kinda turns into a jerk. See? You can tell he’s scowling. Poor kid has no idea Renesmee is in his future.
With a quick change of wig and the addition of a crucifix, Bella becomes Buffy! Buffy has long blonde hair and a wooden stake. She’s also quick with a pun and has very little patience with mopey emo vampires.
The four wigs (Bella’s long, Buffy’s long, Jacob’s long, and Jacob’s short) all have a strip of Velcro on the underside that corresponds to a strip on the appropriate monkey’s head. You can mix and match to your heart’s content!
So whether you’re a Twi-hard or a Twi-hater, there’s something for everyone in the Sparkly Emo Vampire Playset!
B.A. Baracas Sock Monkey. As an accomplished sock monkey artist myself, I have to say that’s one of the best ones I’ve ever seen! I’m all about people who push the sock monkey medium.
The Seventh Annual Web-Goddess Oscar Contest is now open for entry! This year’s winner will take home a one-of-a-kind pair of Batman and Joker sock monkeys. (I almost didn’t do them because it seemed too obvious, but I also couldn’t resist the opportunity to make my second Heath Ledger tribute monkey.) I have to say, the Joker monkey is without a doubt the most DISTURBING sock creation of all time. He features hand-hooked green hair, a green waistcoat, a purple duster, and a SUPER-CREEPY painted face. Batman features a utility belt, a bat crest on his chest, his bat mask/helmet, and a long black cape. You could act out your favorite scenes from the movie… or slash fiction! Up to you.
Please note: You’re welcome to save these photos to your server as long as you give me credit and link back to the contest. If I catch you hot-linking them or claiming credit, I reserve the right to replace them with something nasty (or poke you in the eye with a pencil).
Anyway, I know this picture is enormous, but it’s also my favorite and I can’t resist. I’ve got this set as my desktop wallpaper right now.
Here’s the full view so you can see how long their arms/legs/tails are.
Joker close-up. Note: I used acrylic paint on his face, so you can’t ever get him wet or it’ll come off.
Batman close-up. I’m really proud of how his mask turned out.
I can’t believe I forgot to post my Bag Swap Package! I received mine from Tricia, and I sent off a package to Amanda in rural Victoria. I spent some time stalking Amanda, and I figured that a practical bag was going to be best for her. I went with Knitty’s Satchel, which is a roomy, felted messenger bag. I knitted the smaller size out of Lincraft Cozy wool and felted it in my washing machine. (I double-felted the handle for extra strength.) In one of her questionnaires, Amanda happened to mention that she really wanted a dog. Well, I thought, I’d stitch her one…
I also sent her a book of Sudoku (since she likes doing those), a bar of chocolate, and a box of T-pins. (A lace knitter can never have too many T-pins.) I’m really happy that she liked the package! (More details over on Ravelry if you’re interested.)
It’s time to start the Sixth Annual web-goddess Oscar Contest, folks! Here’s how it works: Just go the entry form and make your picks for the dozen award categories (and tie-breaker!). Whoever gets the most right wins a fabulous, one-of-a-kind sock monkey creation. After much deliberation, there really was only one choice this year: a Striking Writer Monkey. He’s union and proud, dammit! (And he’ll probably get the Oscar ceremony cancelled anyway.) He’s also kind of a hipster, for some reason. He features hand-knitted Converse All-Stars (which also function as baby booties, if you have a baby) and chunky black glasses (made out of Fimo). He’ll also come with his very own picket sign, as soon as I get some more ink for my printer. (If you want an idea of how big he is, check out this Flickr photo.)
A few months ago over Ravelry, I floated the idea of a “secret pal” exchange on the Australian Knitters group. Lots of folks were onboard, and we hammered out a plan for a “Tea Cosy Swap.” Everybody was to knit a tea or coffee cosy for their pal, along with $20 or so worth of related treats. My secret pal was Jen, who occasionally comments over here. I made her three crafty things, along with homemade brownies, chocolate-covered coffee beans, and a pack of Japanese cookies. She got her package today, and despite a near tragic dog-related incident, she really liked it!
First up is the Tiki Head Coffee Plunger Cosy. On the questionnaire everyone filled out at the start of the swap, Jen had said that “I absolutely love kitsch, the sillier the better.” Folks, it was like waving a red flag at a bull. I brainstormed to come up with something suitably kitschy that fit the columnar shape of her plunger pot. Then it hit me – TIKI! After scouring Google for a while, I found some tiki faces that seemed suitable. I traced my favorite in Photoshop and turned it into a crude knitting chart. Jen described her 4-cup plunger pot as being 12 inches in diameter and 6 inches high. The following pattern is based on that, but you can easily adjust it to fit other sizes.
Cast on 75 stitches using 8ply wool and 4mm needles.
Knit K1P1 rib for a bit to keep it from rolling up at the bottom. I did 4 rows in total.
Switch to stockinette stitch, and knit 8-10 rows. Now you’re ready to start the chart.
Next row: Knit 10, place stitch marker, follow face chart (18 stitches), place stitch marker, knit 19, place stitch marker, follow face chart (18 stitches), place stitch marker, knit 10.
Continue following chart, knitting stockinette stitch throughout other sections. When chart is finished, knit another 12 or so rows in stockinette stitch. Cast off.
Use duplicate stitch to add teeth and eye highlights, and to embroider “TIKI” (or something else) in the center between motifs. Use backstitch (a thinner yarn helps) to add outlines to face and around letters. Sew top and bottom edges together for about one inch, leaving opening for handle. Add fringe to the sections over the faces.
Next up is the Magical Octarine Hotpad. Jen had mentioned that she could use a hotpad, and I knew from peeking at her Ravelry groups that she was a Terry Pratchett fan. And while I’ve read a couple of the Discworld novels myself, I didn’t know them nearly well enough to come up with any clever ideas. So I did some research and asked some questions.
Octarine (the colour of magic) is described as a “greenish-yellow purple.” I figured that the nearest non-wizard approximation was using one strand of greenish-yellow cotton and one of purple. I combined the two and used a slightly smaller needle than expected to make it a bit bulkier. Octagons also have special magical significance, so I decided to make my dishcloth/hot pad octagonal.
Cast on 80 stitches on a 6mm needle using two strands held together. Join for knitting in the round.
You get the idea. Just go til you get down to the last 8, and then draw the cotton through and pull tight. I also crocheted a loop on one side so it’s hangable.
The last item – “The Librarian” – was inspired by a suggestion on my Ask Metafilter question. Someone suggested I knit her an orangutan. (The librarian of Unseen University was transformed into an orangutan in the books.) While I do like to knit, knitting toys isn’t one of my strengths. However, making sock monkeys is!
The first step was to find some appropriate socks. This wasn’t easy. After checking three or four department stores’ hosiery departments and striking out, I stopped into Kmart on a whim and checked the men’s section. There they were! Bright orange Holeproof Explorer socks. (I think they’re meant for hunters.) And by turning them inside out, I even got a fluffy texture! I was sure I was onto a winner.
The actual construction was pretty easy, especially as I didn’t have a make a tail. (If you call the librarian a monkey, he’ll rip your arms off. Apes don’t have tails!) I modified my usual design a bit by shortening his legs and lengthening the arms. I also stuffed his belly a bit more to give him a paunch. I made more human-looking ears than usual too.
The last step was to knit him an “ook.” (That’s “book” to you and me.) This was knit out of scraps of 8ply wool on 4mm needles. I simply knitted 3 stockinette rectangles (two white, one black) and sewed them together to make a book. Then I used black stranded cotton to embroidery some mystical-looking runes inside. Then I just sewed it to his arm! (Which sounds cruel, but sock apes don’t have opposable thumbs, you know.)
I’m happy to report some Finished Objects for October. First up are my Whitby Socks, which I started on the way home from knitting camp at the beginning of the month. I had to frog and restart once, as the number of stitches suggested just wasn’t working for me. (I actually went up to 67 from the 51 suggested.) It was an easily memorized pattern and the cables were fun without being bothersome. I also tried out an eye of partridge heel for the first time. The original pattern is from Knitting on the Road and the yarn is the last of my Colinette Jitterbug. I love the colours, but I don’t think I’ll be getting any more. (My Vinnlands are already starting to pill and felt from a single wear.) I knitted these at the same time on 2.75mm needles using the two-circulars method. I’ll be cross-posting these at the Southern Summer of Socks as well. I think a goal of one pair per month is pretty do-able…
The other fun things I’ve been making are these toys from Jean Greenhowe’s Jiffyknits. I bought the book a few years ago for the Halloween stuff but somehow never remembered to make them before our party. So far I’ve made two pumpkins, a scary ghost, and Frankenstein’s monster. The patterns themselves are *extremely* simple. It’s literally just garter stitch strips with no shaping whatsoever. (You don’t even have to know how to purl to make these toys.) Construction isn’t quite as fiddly as I feared, though sometimes you have to cut circles of cardboard to reinforce the round shapes. And I’m not sure the whole “knit a boulder and sew Frankenstein’s legs to it to prop him up” worked very well. He’s kinda wobbly. I do love joggle eyes though…
AND – I’m happy to report that by posting these toys to Ravelry, I’ve now jumped to #4 on the list of people with Halloween projects. (You can see it on the “People” tab.) Next year I’m aiming for #1!
The Seventh Annual Web-Goddess Oscar Contest is now open for entry! This year’s winner will take home a one-of-a-kind pair of Batman and Joker sock monkeys. (I almost didn’t do them because it seemed too obvious, but I also couldn’t resist the opportunity to make my 
It’s time to start the Sixth Annual web-goddess Oscar Contest, folks! Here’s how it works: Just go the entry form and make your picks for the dozen award categories (and tie-breaker!). Whoever gets the most right wins a fabulous, one-of-a-kind sock monkey creation. After much deliberation, there really was only one choice this year: a Striking Writer Monkey. He’s 
