WIP Wednesday - Merry and Bright

What a week!  Pitt is technically in Finals but I just have a paper to submit before Friday at 6 pm.  The paper is complete just with my group for a final review.  That out of the way, I am back to my regular schedule and it's a little weird.  I really have lost track of what day it is because I'm not leaving for class on Monday and Wednesday.

I do want to apologize for not responding to comments this past week.  Something is wrong with the embedded comments and I cannot reply.  When I started my blog I promised myself that I would respond to every comment.  I really appreciate your insights and reminds me that there are people out there reading this.  :)

In another bit of news, this one's a big one.  I am having Gastric Bypass Surgery on December 24th.  I have kept things quiet while I was prepping and telling friends and family.  Now that it's so close I am excited but anxious about how rapidly it's approaching.  Please keep me in your thoughts.  With that said, I can't wait to post pictures of my weight loss.  I have lost 25 lbs in 2 months in preparation for the surgery.  My doctor wants me to lose 30 total and it's been a bit of a challenge.

Rigging Up the Color Affection

This is coming along nicely.  I have 8 of 12 stripes complete with only 4 more to go.  This section has flown.  I am also at the point where the stripes are mixing colors.  I like it but it took a while to get used too.  Its a little more muddled than the solid color stripes.  Anyway, can't wait to get it done.

Pittsburgh Panther Hat

This is a hat for my bestie's guy.  Like me he went to the University of Pittsburgh so I decided to make a Blue and Gold hat.  I looked for color work that was Pitt inspired but couldn't find anything so I settled on this pattern.  It was originally Steeler Black and Gold but the blue looks so nice. Since it lacks any logo, it can be worn anywhere.  I made a boo boo and misread the instructions. You're supposed to knit plain for 4 inches before the pattern and i knit 2 inches.  Sadly this is a but of a blessing because I was low on the navy blue so the hat will be predominately gold.

So that's all for this week.

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis

Check out my new meme Movie Madness Monday

<3 Heather

Finished Object Friday - Gryffindor Knit Set

Gryffindor,Where dwell the brave at heart!

My fellow knitters, I should have known.  Really I suspected but I was naive to the amount of Gryffindor spirit required to embark on a journey of House Color Coordinates.  I honestly thought if I worked on it a lot it wouldn't take too long.  I started at the beginning of March and just this week finished the entire set of Gryffindor items.  

The Finished Set

I made the scarf, hat and wristlets in stunning Burgundy and Gold for the daughter of my boss.  She was graduating high school and going to college and I initially thought to make the items in her new school colors but she wanted Gryffindor Burgandy and Gold.  I wanted to make these items as a reminder of a new adventure in college and to have a piece of Harry by her as she faces the triumphs and challenges of this new experience.  Needless to say, she is already at college but winter is coming and these are just in time.

As an avid Potter fan, I had always wanted to make a set but I myself identify with Hufflepuff.  I am honest and hard working and just want everyone to get along.  The Hufflepuff colors are black and gold and here in Western PA, those colors mean a different thing entirely (Let's Go Steelers!).  I wanted to make something iconic from the films and so making the Gryffindor Set for someone as deserving as Katherine was a treat.

So here are the different parts of the set,

The Gryffindor Scarf!

The scarf (and subsequent pieces) is modeled after the stripe pattern in the later movies particularly Movies 3 and 4.  I think it has a very adult feel and would work well for a college student.each section has 29 rows of K1P1 ribbing in burgundy followed by an 8 row stripe pattern. There are 14 sets of stripes and 15 burgundy sections which equal 547 rows of knitting.  To go further, each row has 60 stitches, totaling 32,820 stitches.  That all results in over 6 ft of yarn!

This was a beast in fact, knitting the end of it during August was a bit uncomfortable because the hot summer and the warm wool blend.  I got it down that in one knit night on Thursday (round 3 hours) I could get one section complete.

Fringe!

I made the fringe a combination of both the burgundy and the gold because I felt that it really set off the scarf nicely.

The Gryffindor Hat!

I really liked working on this hat (perhaps because it only took 2 weeks).  In the entire set, this was by far the most mindless.  Perhaps it was due to past experience with knitting hats or just the nice round after round of stockinette.  Unlike the scarf where I kept meticulous notes of rows and can then calculate the stitch count, this was more of a wingged effort.

I cast on 128 stitches which was more stitches that it called for to make a large and slouchy hat.  I worked the ribbing for 10 rows and then in stockinette until the body was 6 inches from the cast on edge.  I made the same 8 stitch patter and then did the written decreases after 8 inches from the CO edge.

The result is a lovely but modern version of the beanie from the movies.

The Gryffindor Wristlets!

The pattern was actually mittens but in the age of smart phones and touch screens, this would not be a practical item for our college bound grad.  Instead I modified the pattern and made fingerless wristlets.  I am so please with this pattern that it might be my go to for any fingerless wristlets going forward without the Harry Potter Pattern.

I have to say that when I initially looked at the pattern the thought of dropping off stitches onto scrap yarn and then picking them up again was a bit daunting but I think after socks nothing is unusual anymore.

I did however make a boo boo.  I made the first attempt but placed the increases on the thumb seam instead of the crease between the pointer finger and thumb.  When I went to make the second wristlet, I realized my mistake far to late.  I finished the wristlet and then cast on another one.  These in total took about 4 evenings of work.  Not bad considering the 45 hours needed for the scarf.

I plan on writing up my modifications on the rav page if you are interested in seeing where I deviated.

So there you have it.  My completed set, I am please as punch at the result and my boss (AKA Katherine's Mom) is so pleased with the result.  I am sure she will be too...hopefully I will get a picture!

Check out more Finished Objects at Tami's Amis!

<3 Heather

Now for the Details:

Ravelry Page - Hogwarts Scarf: - Gryffindor
Needles - Size 7/4.5 mm with 24 inch cables
Yarn - 
3.5 Skeins of Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in 999 - Burnt Sienna
0.5 Skeins of Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in 1014 - Butternut
Duration - 45 hours of Work
Pattern - House Scarves - Year-3-4 from Charmed Knits


Ravelry Page - Hogwarts Beanie - Gryffindor
Needles - Size 5/3.75 mm Double Pointed Needles
Yarn - 
0.88 Skeins of Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in 999 - Burnt Sienna
0.05 Skeins of Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in 1014 - Butternut
Duration - 45 hours of Work
Pattern - House Hats from Charmed Knits


Ravelry Page - Hogwarts Wristlets - Gryffindor
Needles - Size 5/3.75 mm double pointed needles
Yarn - 
0.62 Skeins of Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in 999 - Burnt Sienna
0.05 Skeins of Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in 1014 - Butternut
Duration - 45 hours of Work
Pattern - House Mittens from Charmed Knits

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!

There are a few most wonderful times of the year.

• Christmas (Obviously) 
• Hockey Playoffs (Hello hockey is on every night for like 2.5 months)
• March Madness (I love college basketball)
• Back to School time (Schools Supplies are my kryponite)
• And...

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!!

I can really care less about who is playing (that's a lie because I love the Steelers but what can I do) but I love this weekend.  Good food, good friends and lots of awesome commercials.  

Anyway, I thought I would reminse about Super Bowls past.  Back in 1995, the Steelers went to Super Bowl 30 and we had a party to celebrate.  Mom was in charge of the food and the decorations but after we lost we told her she was not allowed to watch the big games because we think she jinxed us.  She really didn't care because she hated football.

Then in college, the Steelers were doing pretty well.  Here is a picture of me watching the AFC championship game in my dorm room.  My roomie Lucy so kind took a pic while I was swearing at the Patriots.

And being caught on camera...

Then the next year, we won the Super Bowl but the playoff games leading up to the super bowl were insane.  I mean I couldn't watch I would run out of the room into the bedroom and have my roomie tell me what was going on.  Mind you, Lucy had no idea what was going on, so I would run back out.  I think I wore a hole in the carpet.

When we did win, the whole college town rioted and of course I was in the thick of it, luckily Lucy took pictures of people burning a couch on our lawn.

Of course I ran out without a coat and it was snowing

Meanwhile, I was making my way to the heart of campus with all of the screaming fans.  It was one of the best memories of my life until the groups started wrecking havic and destroying things.  I realized it was time to go.

A couple years later, the Steelers went back again and some friends had a party.  It was fine but by the end I couldn't take it and I left before it was over.  My rationale was that I listened to the entire season on the radio in my car, so I needed to get there to reverse the jinx I was creating.  As soon as I started the car, the Steelers scored.  Granted my friends still make fun of me for "peacing out" before the game was over.  I also didn't partake in any riots but it was a good time.

Last year the Steelers were in the Super Bowl again and another party was held and again I left early.  Can't really remember why now but I did.

Granted, I do watch the other one's but they are mainly low key events with some food and people but alas, there are not pictures from these later Super Bowls.  

Hope you have a good weekend and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

<3 Heather