Stalwart Staghorn Cable Fingerless Gloves by me!

I love cables.  Love.  I might consider leaving my boyfriend if it came to him or knitted cables, but fortunately neither one has given me the ultimatum.  Daniel thinks my addiction to knitting and passionate adoration to cables is a little odd, but in a cute way.  Poor man, I don't think he realizes the depth of my affection for these twisting winding stitches.

One of my favorites is the Staghorn cables, with its lovely branches spreading outward.  Since I'm forever knitting things for other people, it's a particularly nice choice since it doesn't shriek "girly".  By not being overly intricate or lacy, even burliest bros in your life aren't threatened by this cable.  Personally, I think that this cable is a wonderful balance between the simplicity men typically desire and something that won't bore you to death while knitting.  Of course, that being said, it's not like the staghorn cable is exclusively in the boy's club.

Putting the stag back in staghorn

So now, may I introduce (drum roll please) my first attempt at writing a pattern (TA-DA!).  After careful perusal, and then a more leisurely glance; I'm pretty sure I've worked out the kinks.  Then again, it is my first attempt, so it probably looks as if I've had ti many martoonis before writing it.  If you happen to find some, or perhaps it makes about as much sense as a mad hatter, send me an email at daniaerickson@gmail.com.  Otherwise, without further ado, here's a link to the pdf for "Stalwart Staghorn*.  (and three cheers to Google docs!)
*All rights to the pattern and design "Stalwart Staghorn" are protected by copyright. Dania Erickson 2011.  Updated on 11/17/2011

Works in progress aka WIPS

This Hobbes wasn't built in a day

Most knitters are aware of the acronym "WIPS" (work in progress) and they are not afraid to apply it.  Me?  I am irrationally terrified of it.  Usually I'm actively working on something, otherwise I've just scrapped the project and stoutly refuse to think of it and my failure to complete it.  Even if I'm slowly nibbling away at a project, I practically get an anxiety attack at the thought of announcing I'm doing "X" only to find that whatever it is doesn't work out.  Remember when Sasha Cohen got the silver medal in the 2006 Olympics and the general murmer from the American public was, "awww.... that's too bad".  Nice.  Being a silver medal Olympian is a pitiable situation?

It's cute, people talk about "fearless knitting".  Trying something new, a technique you're not familiar with.  Still, with each stitch, you're investing yourself, your time, your effort.  I know I care FAR too much about the outcome of my endeavors instead of the process.  I suppose this accounts for me spinning my wheels in life for so long, partially at least.

Fingerless gloves for Kathy

Today for example, I was mulling over what to post.  Sure I have one finished project, another pair of Vancouver Fog fingerless gloves, this time for Kevin's mom, Kathy.  But other than that I've only got a number of WIPS.  First, I've got my little crochet amigurumi Hobbes.  It's my first attempt at amigurumi, and I'm also learning how to do "jogless stripes" at the same time.  Second, I've begun the first stages of experimenting in order to make my own patterns.  Finally there's the project that I've been so hopeful and fearful of, making my own site where I can sell things that I've created.  Figuring out what to put where, the subtle nuances of googlecheckout, potential policies, and what in the world I'll actually put up have been most of my focus.  Somehow I'm making small steps in each direction.  Wish me well?

Rolling in the Fog

Jordan's wee gloves

Continuing on about the project that has been very much apart of my life for the past month, I think I might be done making Vancouver Fingerless Gloves for a while.  In an earlier post I blathered on about how I got started with this pattern after my boyfriend suggested that I look into making some gloves.  I suppose that excuse only lasts for one pair though.  The rest are going towards gifts and *gasp* one commission. 

Jessica's pair in progress

My boyfriend has two half sisters.  Jordan, who seems to be a force of nature at times is nine years old.  Whenever I've visited with my boyfriend, she's been wonderful with her attention.  There's always some new thing that she'd like to show me.  Not only that, but she seems to enjoy my knitting and crocheting.  As soon as I start working my way through a project, she gets her embroidery floss and begins working on this interesting knot-work which makes bracelets, necklaces, keychains, and bookmarks.  I showed her the gloves I had just finished, and before I knew it, I was thinking about working on a set for her.  The only problem is that not only is she nine, she's also small for her age, and the pattern is for adults.  I'm hoping the smaller needles and the sport weight yarn will work out.

Daniel pointed out that it's not kosher to make a present for one sibling and not the other, so I immediately got to work on a pair of gloves for Jessica.  Jessica is fifteen and has the opposite problem of her sister.  She already towers over me, and I think she's taller than Daniel as well.  Not surprisingly, her school's volleyball team has snatched her up, where she excels.  The color choice was easy, it's one of her school team's colors.

Debbie's Vancouver Fog

In an email to my mother letting her know what I've been up to recently, I attached a few pictures of the projects.  Since my mother is the personification of "supportive", she forwarded the pictures to one of her lifelong friends, Debbie.  Not a knitter, but a crafter, Debbie exclaimed over the gloves, and commented on how cold it gets in Iowa asking if she could buy a pair from me.  Does it get better than that?  A few days later I finished the fourth set (the second pair in royal blue), and that Friday I went to the post office and sent them off.  Can you tell I was excited to have a commission?  With any luck, I could get a few more people to use me as "needles for hire".

Very foggy lately

It started off innocently enough.  After completing and sending the baby projects (the Green Lantern Baby Blanket and Converse Style Booties), I didn't have anything particular to move onto.  I wonder what kind of hell I put my boyfriend through when I don't have something on my needles.  After he gets home and wants to relax by playing a video game, I'm there sitting next to him twitching, fidgeting, restlessly playing with my knitting needles, crochet hooks and whatever yarn is in the caddy next to the couch.  This only lasts for about ten minutes.  By that time I can't stand it any longer and I'm trolling the Ravelry website looking for some new project to leap out at me.  Still, he doesn't get any peace.  It doesn't take me much time to get updated on all of the recently added patterns, and then the whining starts, "aaaahhhh!  I don't have any projects!  What should I make?"  Stoically, he makes nice suggestions which I usually shoot down like skeet.  The good news is that he'll usually say something that gets me at least started in a direction which leads to a new sort of annoyance.  Once I've settled on a pattern I become consumed with working on it.  Sitting next to him, I tend to count under my breath, reach over to click my row counter, require the light on for pattern reading, and all other sorts of obnoxious things.

Recently, when I began my itchy-no-project routine, he pointed out that here in Chicago winter is ever so slightly different than it is in Southern California and I might want some gloves to wear.  In fact I think he said I -WILL- want gloves.  Oh, and maybe he said need, not want.  Onto Ravelry, searching, and searching, and even more searching; not finding anything that blows my skirt up.  Then I caught sight of Vancouver Fog Fingerless Gloves on orangellous blog.  Sure they wouldn't cover my fingers, but just look at those sexy cables!  I quickly dove into my yarn stash, and casted on.  All too soon I finished my first pair of Vancouver Fog Fingerless gloves, with no intention of keeping them for myself.  At that point I sighed and thought about my lack of projects.  Silly me.  As of yesterday I finished my fourth set; though I probably blather about the other three in a different post.