Amy Pond Cowl

So, I'm really trying to cut into my yarn stash. A problem that I really had a hard time with was buying a couple of skeins of yarn that would work for my Etsy shop projects. I had this red sock yarn that was my go to for Amy Pond scarves and whenever I had a 50% off coupon or it was marked down on sale, I picked up a couple of skeins.

And then the yarn was discontinued. Dun dun DUN. Yeah. So I knew I didn't have enough yarn for a full scarf, but I figured I probably had enough for a cowl. And I was right!




I used the same needles and pattern that I do for the Amy Pond scarves and then joined the ends to make a cowl loop. It was quick and I already had the pattern memorized. It also gave me the opportunity to try a 3 stitch garter border on the scarf instead of picking up stitches and crocheting a border. I think I like the garter stitch border better. It's easier to keep the same tension while I'm knitting the scarf, as opposed to trying to keep the tension the same while crocheting.




Overall, I'm really pleased with how this turned out. This cowl will be up for sale in my Etsy shop with my November shop update. So if you're interested, keep an eye on my shop after Halloween!



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Doctor Who Cowl v.1

I've been in a cowl-ish mood this year and I thought I'd try my hand at adjusting my Doctor Who pattern for a cowl. This is the first attempt. It's shorter than I had originally anticipated, but I ran out of one of the colors and I've had to stock up on another brand of yarn for the color. But I do intend to try out another one that's a bit longer.

But if anyone likes this one, it will be up for sale at my Etsy shop soon!

Shop Update, Behind the Scenes, Purl Ridge Cowl, and WIP

1. Shop Update!

If you missed my post yesterday, there is a shop update over at my Etsy shop at 7 pm EST! The moleskines and stitch markers will be restocked and new handspun will be listed! Check it out!


2. Behind the Scenes: Product Photos

It seems like every crafter I know has different ways of setting up their space for blog photos and product photos. My normal blog photos are pretty casual. I try to worry about lighting, which will be much easier in the coming months as spring sets in, but I generally don't fuss over the work in progress photos. I'm sure you've noticed that they're usually taken on tables or on the rainbow blanket at the foot of my bed.

But product photos and photos of finished objects tend to be more of a production. I'm not a professional by any means. I've picked up a few things from The Gabbers, who went to school for photography, and from other bloggers, but my stuff has mostly been trial and error. Since I broke out the set up yesterday for the handspun photos from yesterday's blog spot, I thought I'd share my set up.



First, I set up my staging area: a folding tray table and a W.B. Mason's paper box. The box itself is covered with some white fabric I picked up a Jo-Ann's on clearance because the yellow of the box tends to shine through the other stuff. I don't have it pictured here, but there was also a flattened box from Amazon on top of that tray table to widen out the service, since the tray table is narrower than the W.B. Mason's box.



Then I drape the whole thing in a white sheet that I picked up from a thrift shop. You can see that's it's a wrinkly old thing. Washing it has never helped with the wrinkling and ironing has proved to be futile. It's pretty terrible.



So then I cover that whole thing with this double seed stitch blanket that I made a while back. It provides a nice, clean background with enough (intentional) texture to keep the photo interesting.

I like product photos with a plain, flat white background, but I've very rarely managed it. I've used paper, fabric, one of those light box things, natural light, spotlights, lamps... I can't consistently get that pure white background and keep the colors of the object I'm photographing. I knit a "swatch" about the size of a place-mat in the double seed stitch and tested photographing items on that in natural light and I was able to get much more consistently good photos. I think my camera likes the shadows in the knitting to balance out all the white, so it's not distorting the color nearly as much.

Speaking of...


This is my camera. I bought it back in college when I was still doing YouTube videos with frequency. It's served me well enough. With my iPod and phone working well as "on-the-go" cameras, this one generally just stays home and takes photos of yarn and animals that wander into the yard.


3. Purl Ridge Cowl

Pattern: Purl Ridge Scarf
Needles: US 7 - 4.5 mm
Yarn: Debbie Macomber Blossom Street Collection - Wild Meadow



I finished this almost two months ago. I figured I'd better post it. XD



4. WIP


I cast this onto the needles Saturday night after finishing a project that lagged on forever. This will be a hat. I'm using the pattern Graham by Jennifer Adams.

Coventry Farmer's Market Fiber Twist and February Cowl

1. Coventry Farmers Market Fiber Twist

This year is the third Gergler Family Trip out to the Coventry Farmers Market for the Fiber Twist weekend for as much woolly goodness as we can stand. We can now officially call Fiber Twist weekend an annual pilgrimage. Huzzah!

As per usual, I spent a huge chunk of money on some fantastic local roving and yarn. This year's theme was alapaca, as I somehow only managed to buy alpaca fiber.







Everything is so soft. I just want to roll around in it.


2. February Cowl

I also finished this little gem using the yarn I bought at the New York Renaissance Faire.






Pattern: February Cowl (on Ravelry)
Needle Size: US 7 - 4.5mm
Yarn: Foxglove Silks Auburn - 80 g used

Messenger Bag and WIPs

1. Wool Messenger Bag

























Pattern: "DJ Bag" by Stephanie Gourley in Son of Stitch 'n Bitch: 45 Projects to Knit and Crochet for Men
Needles: US 11 - 8.0 mm
Yarn: Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool Nature's Brown


2. Current WIPs