Extermiknit!

The year of Doctor Who knitting started last May, when I decided to knit a TARDIS for my friend's birthday. That led to the idea to knit my own Tenth Doctor. And then I got crazy and knit a second mini David Tennant. Oh yeah, and there was the Adipose I knit for Liz...

Anyway, it had come around again to my friend's birthday, and I was trying to figure out what to make or get him. And, eventually, I came around to this.



Pattern: Extermiknit!, the Dalek, by Penwiper
Yarn: Cascade 220 Quatro in a pink shade and Valley Yarns Amherst in eggplant, on US 4 needles
Notes: And it just turned out so cute that I then had to make one for myself, which led to this:



Yarn: Lamb's Pride Brown Sheep Worsted in periwinkle and Patons Classic Merino in peacock, on US 4 needles
Notes: Two color knitting and I still have a difference of opinion, but I'm newly in love with corrugated ribbing.



So, in the time period before I mailed off the pink Dalek to his new home, that meant I had two Doctor Whos and two Daleks in my apartment. Which inevitably led to these (I was going for battle scenes, but I didn't have enough hands, and the Doctors did not want to stand up on their own)...







And yes, I have been told that I am both daft and bonkers. In the best possible way, of course.

then I go out at night and paint the stars

(Entry title courtesy of Vincent Van Gogh.)

A few months ago, I played around with some fabric paints and a pumpkin carving stencil and came out with this bag. I really liked it, but the strap on the bag wasn't long enough for me to put it over my shoulder, which meant it wasn't going to get nearly as much use as I wanted.

So, this weekend, I pulled out the paints again, cut out some more stencils, and made a few larger bags celebrating my favorite sci-fi shows.

Here's another Doctor Who bag, using the same template as before.



And then I had to do this one of Wash, my favorite character from Firefly. This one didn't come out quite as well; I think the main problem is how much of his face needed to painted so it makes it look a little odd.



But this one is my favorite of this batch. I had found this dark bag at home and just needed to use the red paint for the lovely pairing of Jack and Ianto from Torchwood.



I just love the warmth of the color with the strength of the image.

la bella

I finished my Ishbel this weekend.



Pattern: Ishbel, by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock mediumweight in Thistle (less than one skein) on US6 needles



I know the lace doesn't pop as much in the variegated yarn, but I'm still very pleased with it.



This was a pretty quick knit, and I think I'm going to have to do another eventually. There's a skein of pink yarn in stash that's just begging to be another Ishbel.

fluffy faces

Catherine and I got up very early yesterday morning to do a quick roadtrip out to the Webs tent sale. I don't actually have any photos of yarn for you--though, trust me, plenty was purchased--but I do have some of the friends we made outside.







There was a raffle to take one of them home, but somehow I didn't think they'd like living in my apartment.

a designer visit

Ysolda Teague has been visiting around the mid Atlantic and New England these last few weeks, and today she was at Windsor Button here in Boston. She brought lots of lovely samples to look at, and toys to play with, and her book to sign (and even Jess from Ravelry). All of the things were beautiful--or adorable--but the thing that kept me going back to it the most? The exquisite feet on Elijah the elephant.



I love how they come to those lovely flat centers.

I ran into some people I hadn't seen for a while, and chatted with the guest of honor (who kindly didn't cringe too much at my brightly variegated Ishbel in progress--though I do plan to do another in a lovely semi-solid pink I found buried in my stash, eventually), and even met someone who invoked my adored Helene Hanff in conversation. Yay for kindred reading spirits!

And, because I am a dork, I did get a picture with Ysolda.



See, Kate? I did meet her.

Painting the town pink

A birthday girl has to have a new outfit, in her favorite color of course!



Pattern: Monica, from Knitty, size 4
Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Pink-a-boo and Tea Rose (less than one skein each) on US6 needles



The birthday girl loved her "new dress"! The only problem with the pattern is that cotton stretches, which means the straps stretch. Five minutes after this picture was taken, the tank was around her waist! I'm going to get some ribbon to make new straps and get rid of the knitted ones, so she can actually wear it out of the house.