Hand-sewn Knitting Needle Case!!

I had been lamenting the fact that I was neglecting sewing projects for quite some time.... probably most of 2014, in fact, so I decided to use some musty old fabric I got from an estate sale way back when and make something insanely useful out of it!!

After washing the fabric several times, the smell was (mostly) gone!

I searched online for patterns for knitting needle cases, but most of the ones I found were really small! I guess most people want something portable that they can take to knit night with them....or for trips.

But honestly, I wanted something EPIC. Something LEGENDARY. Something that could pretty much hold every single knitting needle I own (sans the ones that already came with cases.) Basically my problem was that I had sooo many knitting needles (straights, DPNs, and circulars) and they were pretty much just in a big freaking pile inside of a shoe box and some mini storage bins...and they barely even fit in those spots. So it was time to get my shit together and organize everything so that I could easily locate a certain needle type and size on the fly!!

And then this beautiful thing was born!

(Actually it's kind of hideous but w/e. It is FUNCTIONAL. So fuck yeah!!)

:D

I basically just sewed two different patterned fabric pieces together and used bias tape sewn down at intervals. I want to say I started out at ~0.25" or so intervals or maybe it was closer to 0.50" intervals... then I gradually increased to around 1" or so...and then I got a little bigger toward the bottom right hand side for my giganto needles!!

It's not perfect but oh well. It works for now. I literally spent 12 hours making this fucking thing. I did not have a pattern so most of it was guesswork! And I am mostly pleased with the outcome. I just need to find a way to hang it up now... well, I found an old curtain rod but I need to put a fixture on my wall somewhere to hang this bad boy. And then where to hang it? I have limited space, so it may just stay rolled up for now. That's the other thing I like about it. You can either hang it up or roll it up! Two different storage options. :D


After I had sewn the two pieces of fabric together and attached the bias tape at one end only, I laid out all of my needles according to increasing diameter size:


Then, once I had a really, really, REALLY rough guesstimate of how wide to sew, I measured with a gauge, marked with chalk, and began sewing my intervals:


After a little while I tried putting some needles in for a test-fit of sorts, just to make sure my guesstimate wasn't insanely off-base:


Behold, the finished product in all it's glory. Just not hanging up quite yet:


I must go back and upload more photos once I have it hanging!! :-D

Sorry there aren't more pics.... and I can't really say this is a tutorial either. Just my random photos here and there and a pathetic attempt at explaining what I did, LOL.

It was really annoying to sew this at first, and I was pretty much swearing at one point (well, I am always swearing so nothing new there) but truthfully I really hope I NEVER have to make another one of these again. It was soooo boring. And my back was aching by the end of the day. And yet when I finished, omg, the glory! It was soooooo worth the struggle!

I don't think it would have been faster/easier if I had been working to a pattern. In fact, I think it would have taken longer b/c of cutting out pattern pieces and so forth and having to really measure. I have found that when I sew stuff on my own, I actually tend to measure more than when I am working to pattern...IDK why. I figure they spent a lot of time proving out the pattern's functionality, so I don't have to be as precise, whereas if I am sewing on the fly, sans pattern, then I have to actually double-check my work to make sure I won't end up with a hot, flaming pile of shit. :D

So yeah, that's the saga of sewing my knitting needle case/holder/organizer thingy.

And now that I am still in the 'sewing zone' I would like to attempt to make my Sailor Pluto cosplay. I already have the wig for it. So now I just need to get my shit together and buy fabric. I already have one pattern I could use but I have a 2nd one on the way just in case...


That's all for now. And I promise I will try to write more in this damn blog, LOL. Despite my undying love for IG...

More Knitting (April YarnBox & KnitCrates!)

Got my April Yarnbox and decided to begin the McCarren Park Cap pattern that came with the lovely lavender yarn!


Fyberspates Vivacious DK in Lavender Haze! Gorgeous! My first purple yarn! ^__^

& This is the pattern in question:

Very pretty! I love the texture of the brim and the tab and the buttons!! Just love everything about it! At first I was worried it wouldn't look good in purple (I am quite partial to the mustardy yellow color the pattern author knitted it up in!) but after knitting some rows, it looks quite nice in purple too! :D

At first I was struggling with my gauge but now I think I am just gonna stick with the Size 4 US needles. :)




Also working on my first ever shawl and about halfway done! It's supposed to be a kerchief pattern but I decided to modify and continue knitting to make it into a shawl. :)


The pattern is called Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief and it's free on Ravelry! :)

Believe it or not I have two other projects in-work too. @__@;;

My April KnitCrate contained this gorgeous yarn:


(2 skeins actually but I was a derp and wound the other and forgot to put the cake in this photo! LOL!)

It came with the Jasminda Shawl pattern. It also came with a wraps per inch tool which is useful for identifying yarn which you have no clue what weight/type of yarn it is... and also some little cookies which unfortunately I didn't really like but oh well! I really just wanted the yarn and the pattern. The tool will be so useful though!


Jasminda Shawl Pattern (very difficult at first, see my Ravelry project entry for it for details on how to overcome the first few setup rows! @__@;;.)

Right now I am torn about my Knitcrate vs. Yarnbox subscriptions... Part of me likes YarnBox better for some odd reason probably because I just want yarn and I don't care about extras (although the tool I got in my April KnitCrate was fantastic!) and also YarnBox seems more professional for some reason. I like the fact that I can access my account and adjust color preferences and subscription type whenever I want. Whereas for KnitCrate, I can't do that without calling them or requesting a new billing link. Kinda weird. They do have store accounts but it's separate from their subscriptions....so odd to me! But I understand it's a small family business so yeah... not the end of the world. I think I will wait to see what my May KnitCrate and Yarnbox items are before judging! :)

Going to Portland on Monday... + Knitting Updates

Sorry again for neglecting this blog. I had a post for March but it somehow got deleted. >_<; wtf. I am going on a business trip to Portland on Monday and I will be gone for exactly 8 days... returning on the 14th. I hope to take some good photos while there and maybe explore the city a little after my conference is over. A friend of mine from college is driving down from Seattle just to see me. Yay! :) I have never been there before, so it should be fun to explore a new city. It's been a few years since I was out to the West Coast. I was in Arizona last year...I don't recall if I posted any photos or not. I have been so bad about that, I know! Sorry! >__<; I know I posted photos of my trip to Philly a while back. But yeah. Long flight on Monday so I plan to bring lots of ...you guessed it.. knitting! (I love how this blog started out as a fashion and makeup blog and has slowly shifted to knitting. LOL.) So yeah. KNITTING: I got a cute hedgehog knitting gauge!

Also finished a simple hat for my BF's dad. Baby Alpaca Grande by Plymouth Yarn. Love how soft it is. Might even be softer than Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky... hmm.

I messed up a few times though...the pattern said to use straight needles but that if you wanted it seamless, you could use circulars. Obviously I went with the circulars because they're so easy to use and I didn't feel like doing a three needle bind off to make a seam or w/e it's called.

Also decided I would try to start a new pattern. It's called Ojo de Dios by Vanessa Ewing. It's only available from Interweave Magazine (Winter 2013 edition, I think.)


See here for more info:


http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ojo-de-dios-shawl

Not really sure if I know what I am doing though... I thought I did, but after knitting a triangle and a half, it dawned on me that I had somehow accidentally put the garter stitch on the right side instead of the wrong side. Derp. I kind of like the way it looks but now I am struggling to pick up stitches and match it. Uggh. >__<;; I am sure I will figure this out eventually but it's going to take me a little while. Only 2nd time using DPNs. The first time I used DPNs I attempted to knit fingerless mitts...it didn't go so well. I ended up getting 1/4 of the way done with one mitt and totally messed up on the thumb gusset... alas. :(
Still trying to figure out those pesky triangles. >__< I managed to find some big enough buttons I liked at the local knit shop while I was purchasing my Gina yarn for the Ojo de Dios shawl and I attached one to finish my mug cozy!
OK so it still needs blocked.... but yeah. You get the idea. xD

I still haven't blocked anything before. I guess I am still a knitting n00b. I'm gonna take my friend's advice though and get those puzzle piece interlocking mats from Harbor Freight and some non-rust T-pins and go that route for blocking... and my other friend gave me instructions on how to block! I am so glad to have friends who like to knit. I'd be totally lost otherwise (or spending lots more time on the intarwebz, lol.)

In other news... I am STILL playing Rune Factory 4. I got Rune Factory 3 for 3DS as well but it's not as fun, haha. I think it's a mixture of the fact that I was spoiled with such cool new features in 4 that 3 is just...meh. I still can't figure out how to auto-sort like in 4 (maybe you can't!) and plus I just dislike the characters in 3. IDK why. They just seem so...flat. But then again I felt that way about a lot of characters in 4 until I invested a lot of play time into it. Oh well. Maybe I will do a separate post with my musings....hmm.

Finished Project & Happy New Year!

First post of 2014, yay! (And it didn't happen in February either, lol!)

Just wanted to wish all my followers & fellow bloggers a Happy New Year and I hope you gals and guys have a kickass 2014. :)

Also wanted to share a project I just finished knitting. It's going to be a surprise present for someone...can't say who in case she reads this (though I doubt it!) lol! xD

It's a scarf from the game Rune Factory 4 for Nintendo 3DS. It's been kind of my addiction lately and also the reason why this blog has gone mostly neglected. ;___; sorry, friends!

In the game, your character can knit a cute little scarf for friends/lovers/etc. So I decided to make one myself, inspired by a teensy tiny pixelated game sprite. I don't think you actually see this scarf in game or in any character art. Even if you equip it, I don't think you can see it on the character because it's not a head accessory. Lame! But anyway.... see the comparison below:



Cute huh?

I think there's another scarf which becomes available for crafting later on in the game, though I have not yet encountered it.

Yay for nerd knitting. xD (I also got the "Knits for Nerds" book! I am gonna make a sweater vest from one of its patterns!)

I also plan to knit some UNIF replica dresses in 2014. And possibly some other garments...we shall see! (and also an amigurumi of Wooley the sheep from Rune Factory.)

Speaking of RF... I got a doujinshi of Frey x Arthur which I am in the (very slow, very tedious) process of scanlating! Here is a sneak peak below:







(Feel free to open the images in a new tab if the text is too tiny to read on my blog, lol.)

Anyway, I will post more pages as I finish them! If you are interested in helping me scanlate this doujin please comment below with your e-mail and I will give you access to the raw scans on my Dropbox. ^___^

Love you guys!

O-Mighty Hates Big Butts!

Long time no post, yet again. Sorry for the blog neglect, everyone. I don't know if there's anyone out there who actually follows this blog or whatever, but if there is...I apologize for my neglect! Life gets in the way every time I want to update. But moreso, I just hate typing posts and formatting them and all that crap. I tried posting from my phone a few times since I can talk into it and it will spit out what I write, but then the issue with formatting came up. Bah.

So anyway. I guess I will get on with the subject of this post: o-mighty! Some of y'alls may have encountered their products before in the online fashion blogosphere world.

http://o-mighty.com/

But at any rate...they're based out of Singapore (which I am assuming is how they escape all the copyright infringement lawsuits!) and they pretty much only carry one size for most everything. This is slowly changing but not by much. They do have a lot of cool stuff for sale, which brings me to the Word Art Skirt.

http://o-mighty.com/products/150/all/3172

Pretty dope, huh? Well I thought so too. And I wanted to order one. So I did. But then I realized, hooooly shiiiit, it's like...XS. And I'm usually like M/L in bottoms! So needless to say, I was a bit disappointed. I was kind of anticipating it though, and decided to go to the fabric store to make the skirt BIGGER by adding two panels in. Below is a photographic depiction of my journey in the world of making something larger. (Usually I take things in!) I was a little nervous about the alteration...not to mention I already dropped like $45 US on this stupid skirt, lol.


Got the skirt in the mail, and obviously it wouldn't fit on my big caboose!! >__<;;;
Grab sewing machine, add beer and loud music....


Seam rip skirt edges...as you can see, their skirt pattern is "highly complex" lol...


Now pin the damn thing to mannequin and attempt to figure out how much fabric you will need to buy...!


Go on shameless fabric shopping spree with your JoAnn coupons...end up spending $120 instead of the $15 you originally planned!

???

FINISH!


Threw it on with some other random stuff.


Not bad but I could have been more patient to do a better job. >_<;; Annnnd I will end with my favorite photo!
Because, fuck yea, drippy tights!!! xD

The end.

Hope you guys enjoyed this. Thankfully o-mighty is beginning to make bigger sizes now but I don't know by how much. I ordered their Nokia Phone skirt because, shit, it's dope, and I used to own one of these phones, back in like 2000. It even had a metallic green case to clip on it. I thought I was a straight up baller, lol. I got it in M/L so it better fit. Dammit. Otherwise I will be buying more knit fabric and doing skirt surgery again. Skurgery. Yep. I said that.


Have you ever made something bigger before? What was it? Did it come out good? Or was it a fail? Comment below and tell meeeee!!!