Black & Tan I

Today's pattern comes from Psych - particularly the episode "Black & Tan".  It's the scarf Sean wears while walking down the street with the fashion models.  It's quite simple and fairly quick to make!

Using light grey worsted-weight yarn and a size H/8 crochet hook,
Foundation chain: Ch 10
Row 1: DC in 3rd ch st, DC across, ch2, turn
Row 2: DC across, ch2, turn.
Repeat row 2 until piece measures 8 feet. 
Cut 16 12" pieces of yarn
attach as tassels (one to each stitch) to each end of the scarf

That's it!  A perfect addition to any Psych fan's wardrobe!

6 months

Yes, I know you're used to geek craft posts on Thursdays, but Ganon has just turned 6 months old, and I must commemorate the occasion.  He's been such a good eater lately - he gets so excited when I put him in his high chair!  So far, he loves all his green vegetables, all the orange and yellow ones he's been given as well, but he absolutely hates mashed potatoes.  He was cranky for nearly an hour after we tried to feed him some.  The funny part is that when I was little, I wouldn't eat anything that wasn't mixed into mashed potatoes! 

He's over 2 feet tall and nearly 18 pounds now - a far cry from his tiny beginnings, and only a couple of inches shy of the maximum height for his car seat.  I've been looking at intermediate seats, and I'm leaing toward a Britax one.  That brand seems to have the highest rear-facing maximum weight, and are able to stay rear-facing for the full height of the seat. 

Teeth!  Oh, teeth are the bane of my existance!  Not only did one of my wisdom teeth come in a couple of months ago, but poor Ganon has been getting his first.  He broke out in a mild fever (99-100 degrees) for nearly a day, and the next morning, he had tiny spikes poking out of the top of his gums, just left of center!  His first tooth! 

He has also begun talking and babbling a lot more.  He loves to say "Hi!" on the phone, "hey" when he wants your attention, and "yeah" to agree with things.  He's really quite amazing!

The Elder Wand

I'm a geek.  I dressed up to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1).  I brought along my trusty verson of the Elder Wand (one of the three Deathly Hallows themselves!)  Here's how I made it, so you can have your own as well!

Begin with a 14" dowel (I used a 1/4" diameter)

Attach a small ball of polymer clay approximately every 2 inches.  Make one end ball slightly smaller, and use the removed clay to enlarge the ball second from the other end.  Use a ball-ended tool to create indentations in each ball to add texture.  Add a glob of clay to one end.  Stand the wand upright to flatten this glob of clay.  Again using the ball-end tool, draw a line downward from where the clay attaches, increasing pressure as you go down to create a decorative texture.  Bake according to the clay's instructions.
I suggest making two small stands and using those to hold the wand sideways to bake.

Sand thoroughly and sand extra on the unadorned end to create a slight taper.  Add a base coat of off-white or cream colored paint.  Add a second coat if needed.

Create a wash of dark brown paint, 2 parts water to one part paint.  Paint the whole wand, allowing the paint to pool in each indentation.  Paint a silver band two balls from the base end to serve as a handle.  Coat the entire wand with a gloss coating. 

There you have it!  Your very own Elder Wand!  14", Elder, with a Thestral Tail Hair core.

Teeth

Ganon has been sleeping for a nice 6 hour stretch each night - which is great for my rest!  He has started to wake up in pain, though, as his teeth begin to work their way to the surface.  Poor kid. :(  He also likes to nurse about twice as often when the teething pain hits, so I can't get much else done.  Ah well, at least I have the week off of homework!  He's gotten his next round of vaccines as well, and was such a champ again!  This time, I didn't even get his pants back on before he stopped crying!

His little fingernails grow so quickly, I clip them almost every day, and they're still always sharp!  It wouldn't be such an issue if he hadn't started to grab everyone's face...  At least he gives lots of sloppy kisses!

House Scarves

I hate working with DPNs.  I am endlessly frustrated by the variation in tension where the needles meet.  I prefer to work in the round on short circulars (<3 my Boye Needlemaster).  I do use DPNs for things too small to knit with even a 18" circular.  This is precisely why I have not tested the small and medium sizes of the tube-knit scarf.  While the patterns are listed for Gryffindor scarves, they are just as useful for any other Hogwarts House, with a color substitution. 
Sizes are as follows:
Small: Toddler (3')
Medium: Child (5')
Large: Adult (7')

Pattern written for size L(S, M)

size 10.5 needles
Worsted weight yarn (I used Red Heart in Ranch Red (MC) and Gold (CC).)

Tube-Knit trapped bar Gryffindor Scarf:
gauge: 4sts and 5 rows per inch

Using MC, Cast on 60 (20, 40) sts.
Join, being careful not to twist
Knit in the round for 15 (8, 10) rows
*change to CC, knit 3 (2, 2) rows
change to MC, knit 4 (2, 3) rows
change to CC, knit 3 (2, 2) rows
change to MC, knit 25 (15, 20) rows
repeat from * until scarf measures 7 (3, 5) feet
change to MC, knit 15 (8, 10) rows
cut 120 (40, 80) pieces of 4" yarn in MC
Lay edge flat, attach to both sides of scarf in 2-strand bundles to each pair of stitches, sealing the end of the scarf.

Double Knit Gryffindor Scarf:
Using MC, Cast on 60 (20, 40) sts.

Knit a 1x1 rib (K1, P1) across, slipping the first stitch of each row knitwise.
Repeat for 15 (8, 10) rows
*change to CC, work in established pattern for 3 (2, 2) rows
change to MC, work in established pattern for 4 (2, 3) rows

change to CC, work in established pattern for 3 (2, 2) rows

change to MC, work in established pattern for 25 (15, 20) rows

repeat from * until scarf measures 7 (3, 5) feet
change to MC, work in established pattern for 15 (8, 10) rows
cut 120 (40, 80) pieces of 4" yarn in MC
Lay edge flat, attach to both sides of scarf in 2-strand bundles to each pair of stitches, sealing the end of the scarf.

*Note*
For either pattern, to switch to a first- or second-year scarf (even stripes), ignore the color changes in the pattern, and instead make 4" (2", 3") stripes of each color, beginning and ending with MC.  The tassels should alternate colors, requiring 60 (20, 40) 6" strands in each of MC and CC.

Grabber!

If you haven't noticed, my updating has been a bit irregular lately.  I'm doing my best to keep up and make sure there is a post-dated post for each day I've missed, but between holiday preparations and end-of-semester schoolwork, I've been a bit swamped.

Ganon has been working hard, too!  He has taken to reaching out and grabbing things.  His favorite thing to grab is whatever I'm holding at the moment.  He has started stealing food and shiny objects off the table (or out of your hands!) whenever you take your eyes off him, and loves to grab the little gerber puffs he's been eating.  The only trouble is that he forgets to let go before he pulls his hand out of his mouth...

Baby Jayne Hat

So cute!  So cunning!  So tiny!  A Jayne hat fit for a wee one! 

Materials:
Size 8 Double Pointed Needles
1/4 skein Red Heart Super Saver yarn in each of 3 colors:
Pumpkin
Gold
Carrot

gauge: 1.5 sts per centimeter
Size: 42 - TK cm head circumference

Using Pumpkin,
Cast on 64 stitches, distributed evenly over DPNs
Work 2x2 ribbing (k2, p2, repeat) for 3 rows, or 1cm.
Work stockinette stitch (knit every round) until piece measures 2.5"
Change to Gold
Work stockinette stitch for 2.5"
*K2, K2tog, repeat from * around (48 sts)
*K2tog, K, repeat from * around (32 sts)
K2 tog every round until 8 sts remain
Cut yarn, leaving a long tail.  Pull through all 8 sts and pull tight

Using Carrot,
Count 7 sts from the beginning of the cast-on edge.
Pick up 17 sts
Row 1: Sl1, knit across
Row 2: Sl1p, purl across
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until earflap measures 2"
Row 3: K2tog, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog
Row 4: purl across
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until 3 sts remain, K3tog, tie off, leaving 5" tail

Count 7 sts in the other direction, pick up 17 more sts
Repeat instructions for second earflap

Cut 2 10" pieces of Carrot yarn. Fold in half and pull the looped end partly through the tips of each earflap, then pull the cut ends through the loop and pull tight.  3 strands should hang from each ear flap.

Using all 3 colors, make a 2" pom-pon and attach to the top of the hat

Voila!  Cunning, don't ya think?