Post #13: Knitted Dodecahedron Ball

     I've mentioned the website Ravelry in a previous post. Fairly soon after I learned to knit I saw a pattern on there called "Celestine" which is a knitted dodecahedron (10-sided object) that was done all in white. It would have made a fantastic Christmas ornament. It looked so complicated to me I thought I would never in a million years be able to make something like that, but I saved the pattern to my favorites on Ravelry anyway. I think it was the very first pattern I ever saved there, it was so long ago.
     A lot of time has passed, and an awful lot of yarn has made its way into my shopping cart, my knitting bag, and wound itself around my needles since then. Earlier this summer I came across the same pattern on Ravelry, but this one was done using a self-striping sock yarn, and was called "Celestine Sox" (Sox is the name of the Berroco Brand yarn that was used in the sample). I thought, "I've always wanted to make that, maybe now I should give it a try."
     I have no idea which brand of sock yarn I used to make the one you see below. I know I purchased it in Tennessee about 7 or 8 years ago and when I decided to finally make this project, this ball of yarn was sitting in my night table drawer. We have moved a lot since returning to Florida and each time that silly ball of sock yarn stayed by my side, never geting lost in the shuffle of moving and rearranging, maybe for just this purpose.

 

 

     I had lots of fun working on this project. The first section and beginning the second section was the hardest, but a dear friend helped me out when I got stuck. Once I got it figured out I realized that it was actually quite simple. It's one of those things that looks much harder than it actually is.

     It is about 5-1/2" across, and if I had thought of it sooner I might have added a squeaky or some bells inside, so it could be a pet toy. There I go again, thinking up more projects; imagine that!

 

Finding peace in creativity,

 

Meryl



Post #9: UFO Report: Jamaica Pouch

     As a knitter, one of my favorite places to spend time on the Internet is a site called Ravelry. It is an information warehouse, a gathering site for all things knitting and crochet, and an online meeting place for creative people from all around the world. There are resources for learning, patterns (free and for purchase), forums, knit-a-longs, and so much more. Each user can create their own Ravelry username and become a part of the community. You can save favorite patterns or designers in your own “notebook” for future reference, and you can upload photos and details of projects you are working on or have completed. If you are having a problem with something there is surely a forum where you may be able to find some assistance. I am barely touching on all that Ravelry has to offer and I highly recommend that anyone who likes to knit or crochet check it out.

     A few months ago I found a free pattern on Ravelry called the Jamaica Pouch that I really liked. It was from a published book called “One-Skein Wonders.” The pattern called for self-striping worsted weight yarn and size 6 needles, but many times I like to do small things, so I figured I'd scale this down by making it on size 2 needles with some self-striping sock yarn I'd had in my drawer for a while. The pattern isn't really complicated, but it is harder to see what you're doing when working with smaller stuff. (At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it)!
     This is how far I got with the project. It is started at the bottom center of the pouch, increasing until the diameter needed is obtained, then the spiral stitch pattern is worked around and around all the way up the sides. (The photo shows my pouch upside-down, with the bottom of the pouch on top and the circular needles still attached as I was working the spiral stitch pattern). I don't know why, maybe I had too many distractions, or I was tired, or it simply wasn't the right time for me to work on this particular project, it doesn't really matter what the reason, but I just couldn't get through it without making tons of mistakes. I'm not that fussy, I don't always take it out and re-do it, but there are times when it will really show, so after starting this and getting quite a ways into it, then ripping it out, then doing it again, (I think I did that three or four times), I finally decided to take it apart and set it aside for another time.

    

     I still love the pattern, there's nothing wrong with it or the directions, and I will probably pick it up to start again sometime in the future. Even though I am usually working on a specific “project” I still believe that I am more of a “process“ knitter. In other words, if I'm not enjoying the process, then there aren't a whole lot of reasons for me to finish the project, even though at one time I thought I would.

     Here's where you can see a completed Jamaica Pouch and find the pattern:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jamaica-pouch

Peace in creativity,

Meryl