Sunday, February 22, 2009

The Impossible Project.. - Very picture heavy.

Okay, so this really isn't "The Impossible Project", or at least it started that way, but once I got past some frustrations it was quite simple.

I think I've got a few other things that actually will fill the description of "The Impossible Project" but we'll get to those in time. (Oh and James, you will love the fact that they are Kushiel related.)

Yes, this is the Entrelac Gator that I have made for my hunny.

If we were still doing Tourgique, this would have been perfect for our "house scarves" or equivalent there of (as we were set on an island).

But I did not make this with that in mind.

I did the project in the colors of Black and wine red, simply because I was learning how to do Entrelac, and the separate colors were a way to keep from getting fully lost. I was originally going to do 3 colors, but decided not to at the time.
So, when I decided that the project wasn't going to be frogged out, and also that I didn't want to make a scarf I'd never wear (due to the colors, I just don't wear red often, though, this Wine Red isn't that bad), I decided to make a Gator for Guy.

For those who don't know what a Gator is, it is a cowl like scarf thingie. Okay, it's a neck warmer. Generally Gators are knit in the round, because it is the equivalent for a Headband for your neck. But with entrelac, you can't do that- well I think you can, if you know how to knit backwards, which I don't. And I'm not sure if it actually be knit in the round due to just the way it works.
So, I decided to give my hand at buttons.
Now this was not in the original plan for this project.
In truth, there was nothing planned for this project. I was just trying to figure out how to do entrelac!

Button holes are not easy if you are just learning, and they are even more difficult if you are not working a "normal" side to side knitting project.

With entrelac, your sections end up going diagonal. So what you'd normally work with, is just slightly skewed.

Considering it was my first time, I think I did a DAMN good job.
Because of the small size of the button holes, to me they seemed a little sloppy, but in truth that is just the nature of the beast.

Unfortunately, when I was out buying buttons yesterday, I ended up getting two packs of different sizes. Sigh. I only needed 3 buttons naturally.
So the project is currently unfinished due to 1 button.
But all the knitting is done, all the button holes are finished, and all the ends woven in. All that remains is stitching on the last button when I go out and buy a new pack.

SQUEEEEEeEEEEEEEE.

In other news, yesterday was a good day. As I wrote above, I finished the project(mostly). Mother of Mine and I went out for breakfast at Panera as we had a Buy 1 get 1 free breakfast sammich coupon from the Library's 8 books in 8 weeks event that we did. (Which is still running, but Mother of Mine and I finished it a long while ago and collected our prizes).
The brekkie was very good! Surprisingly good actually. I haven't had something from Panera in a very long time, so I had forgotten that they were in fact good.
Then we skipped over to the store and picked up a few necessities like laundry soap. We managed to avoid any psycho crazy ladies this time, and got in and out very quickly.
Then we went over to the Colorado Mills, which is a privately owned fabric and notions shop. So basically, it's Colorado Springs equivalent of Denver Fabrics. Only slightly smaller and more cramped.
But, I think it'll be worth going there from now on, simply because oh my god.. they cut your fabric straight!
True, I was only there to look for buttons..
And actually, not for buttons for Guy's Gator. I was looking for buttons for my button up leg warmers Mother of Mine made for me (pattern via Knockdown Knits by Joan of Dark).
We of course did not find the buttons for the leg warmers. But, I did obviously find the buttons for Guy's Gator, and I also ended up finding buttons for my Steampunk Alexandra waistcoat. Woohoo. I had found buttons online that were made to look like gears and such, but honestly I don't want to use those, simply because they might catch on the yarn, and if you read my previous post, I'm spending a lot on my yarn and the last thing I would want would be for the buttons to snag my precious yarn.

Coming home, I looked for buttons online for the leg warmers, as now I had physically held some buttons and knew what I was looking for.
Lets just say with all the buttons I've looked at, I felt like I was in Coraline's Other world.

Okay, Okay.. I'm done chatting I guess on to photos. I don't know what my next project will be. I have a few ideas, but I don't have the yarn yet to do those. Mayhaps I'll just work on a few patterns for another crazy impossible project. Or mayhaps I'll start working on cables.

Oh, and a random note.. it is amusing how our couch there are balls of yarn shoved everywhere, seriously behind ever pillow is at least one ball of yarn if not more. Thats not dangerous, but the random knitting needles are! Lol. It's a good thing we never have guests over, otherwise they might get a wooden knitting needle where they don't want it!

Please ignore how horrible I look. Sunday morning prior to a shower. I'm sure you wouldn't look too spiffy either! :-P
















3 comments:

rjccj said...

Very awesome looking gator. Looks like Guy will have a very warm neck till he has you there to wrap around it. :)

Good job on a tough knitting project. Good choice on the buttons too. Very Other world. Glad they aren't in your eyes though. lol

Marissa said...

It looks awesome! I've got some entrelac in my "to be knitted" list, I'm just too chicken shit to do it.

Leslie said...

Good, fantastic, wonderful job. I haven't been able to master it yet and YOU DID, woot.