Mini Sock Ornaments

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I started working on tiny socks to use as Christmas tree ornaments a few days ago. The first one turned out great for a first shot, but the second has a hole on each side. Not sure what I did there. 😛

The first sock I worked on is a bit bigger since I didn't bother counting rows and decided when to stop on a whim. It's in (movie) Ravenclaw colors with a toe in the contrasting color. The second is Gryffindor colors, and both the heel and toe are in the contrasting color. I think switching colors for the heel could be the culprit for the holes!

I have another picture that's better, but unfortunately Blogger decides to flip most of my landscape-oriented photos and I can't stand them being sideways.

Yarn used:

    

Hermione's Godric's Hollow Hat

My latest finished hat is from a French pattern called Hermione's Deadly Hallows Hat. It is a version of the hat worn by Hermione during the Godric's Hollow scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. The decreases were hard to understand, so I used another Ravelry user's notes to finish it. I love the hat! It's a meandering 2x2 rib, so it looks like a spiral going around the hat to the top. I finished this hat a few days ago, but forgot to post about it! Here's a picture of the finished hat:

I've been hard at work on my OWL for HPKCHC, and this was number 3 of 8 hats that I am supposed to complete by the end of July. I might be working at a slower pace soon because I'm planning on starting my first pair of socks in a few days using Silver's Sock Class. It's a scary thought!

Diva Bride

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I was thinking about doing a French manicure tonight, but I got lazy and just left it pink. =P I used China Glaze's Diva Bride, which is a translucent pale creme. Then the TV distracted me and I stopped working on my nails. But here's a picture of the results:

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UNC Beanie Take 1, Part 2

I finished my UNC beanie a couple of days ago, but I forgot to post about it! I made it long on accident, but I like the length even if it was just a smidge too long. If I made it as written, I bet it would have been too short. The top of the hat is boxy because there are four panels that decrease into the top of the hat. I tend to prefer hats that have 5 or 6 sets of decreases to make it look less boxy, but that's a personal preference and not a pattern problem. I'm going to make another for my aunt's co-worker, who saw it and already wants one! Here is my aunt modeling her new hat:

I'm going to try another Potter house hat pattern in Gryffindor colors soon to see which one I like better. It's a much lesser known pattern, but that doesn't mean it's worse!

Blue Sparrow

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I was painting my nails with China Glaze's "Blue Sparrow (Neon)" during a storm today (what's a girl to do when it's raining?), and was amazed at the transformation the polish made. It goes on shiny, glittery, bright blue... And then turns into a matte blue that reminds me of dead people fingernails. =P Nothing that a top coat won't fix, but I just thought it was weird. It's a really pretty color, but a bit messy as one coat is like blue glitter water. Forgive the messy nails in the photo. I haven't cleaned them up yet!

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UNC Beanie Take 1, Part 1

I'm currently making a beanie in UNC colors for my aunt. I'm making both a medium and large so she can decide which one she likes the most, and have another for a friend in UNC territory. I'm using the Harry Potter House Beanie pattern because I want to try it out before I go buy more yarn in house colors. I'm using the last of my Gryffindor burgundy yarn to make another house beanie pattern, but there will be more on that when I start making it.

So here is the start of the UNC beanie... There's not much to it now, but I feel like I'll be able to finish it fairly soon.

Milanese Lace Wonkyness

I finished my Milanese Lace Topper last night, but I knew that it wasn't going to be perfection. I made the mistake of watching a lot of TV while working on this one, and it turned out looking OK on one side and looking like a train wreck on the other. So here's a picture of the least messed up side:

It looks all right, but not perfect. The other side will not be photographed because it's too embarrassing. =P I don't really like the yarn for a hat anyways since it's itchy and rough, so I'm not sad that it will end up in the frog pile. Maybe I'll make this one again with some other kind of yarn. The top is really pretty though...

Butterflies

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Today I needed a change, so I went for something that's totally not my normal thing. I picked up a clearance polish at Sally that was $3.99 on a whim, and I decided I'd use it today. It's an Orly polish in "Butterflies," which is a bright, almost hot pink. It's a bit translucent for my taste because I can see my nails through the 2.5 coats I put on (1 super thick and 1 regular).

Another reason I'm kinda "meh" about it is that I used it to follow a dark glitter polish. Those never quite come completely off, so I've got a blue glittery residue on my fingers and stuck in every little crack it could find on my nails. I bet I would like this one more if I hadn't used it in that sequence (and maybe if it wasn't hot pink =P).

It looks more orange on my computer...

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Milanese Lace Topper

I've started an OWL (Ordinary Wizarding Level, for you non-Potter people) in the HP Knitting and Crochet House Cup, in which I plan to make 8 hats in 3 months. I haven't taken on something of this magnitude yet, so I'm excited for the challenge.

I decided to start with one of the more difficult hats I plan on making. It is a beautiful hat called Milanese Lace Topper. I'm making it using Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes yarn in a beautiful teal color called Calypso Heather. Unfortunately, the wool is irritating my hands and wrists like crazy. I have a feeling that I won't be wearing this hat any time in the future.

I also am angry at both the pattern and myself at the moment. I decided to go against my better instincts and go with the pattern for the brim, which is one row of k1p1 ribbing and 13 rows of stockinette. And guess what? It rolls up like a b$%&! So that was irritating me, the yarn made it worse, and then I spaced out somewhere near the end of the second pattern repeat and now one side looks like a mess. This hat is determined to fail spectacularly in every way...

The good side

Dorothy Who? (with a cameo by Ruby Pumps)

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Tonight I tried Dorothy Who? by China Glaze, which I've had for a while but haven't had a chance to use yet. It's a blue with blue and silver glitter mixed in that reminds me a lot of Dorothy's dress in The Wizard of Oz. It's rough and driving me a little crazy because I didn't put a top coat on it. I have plans for it...

Ooooh.... Aaahhh....

I'm going to see The Avengers tonight, so I broke out another China Glaze glittery polish from the same collection called Ruby Pumps. I tried a Scotch tape manicure and "nailed it" because I didn't have the kind of tape I wanted. But it's staying on for the movie anyways...

This was the better hand =P

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Gryffindor Scarf

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I'm making another Gryffindor scarf. This is the old-style one from the first two movies with broad, even stripes. I made one in Ravenclaw colors, but I haven't blocked it and put fringe on it yet... This is my relaxation knitting because I don't have to worry about a pattern or anything. I just have to count rows when it looks like the stripe is long enough. I've only got two stripes so far (the second one isn't even complete), but I just started 2 days ago. Here was the progress picture I took last night:

Freaking made it sideways again.

Yarn used:

  

My First Crochet Project

I still can't really crochet, but I made a single crochet dishcloth just to get the technique down. I think a double crochet washcloth may be in my future... I don't get those instructions yet. =P

So here it is... It's not pretty or special in any way, but I did it!! It has one weird edge, but the other 3 turned out OK.

Melonaid Epic Fail

So I made this dishcloth this morning off of a pattern on my iPad. Little did I know, but the pattern had a crucial error that hadn't been corrected. I guess this is what I get for not looking it up on Ravelry first:

It's supposed to be flat.

So May 1, failure is winning. ;) On to the next, hopefully more successful project...