2010 wrap up

2010 was not a good year. Crafting-wise it was a little 'light' but ok. DH's health was not good at all, which made 2010 a really tough year.

I made a Baby Surprise Jacket using a lot of different techniques talked about in the BSJ group on Ravelry. It's one of my few projects there.

I don't think I'd do it seamless again though, yeah, it's nice to have it finished as you go but the ends were cramped from the seaming and it didn't hang comfortably from the needles. OTOH, I did like the way the seam line looked with the cast-on looking like a row of stem stitching. I'll have to remember to do that when I sew up a BSJ again.

The 'decrease 2 every row instead of 4 every other row' I'm going to try again with two differences from how I did it this time ... use one or two yarns that will show the sharper diagonal seam, and use better markers to know right/wrong side so I can keep track of rows easier.

I did the "center 90 section" using alternative #2 where the 'center 90" are knit using the same yarn as the earlier rows, then cutting the yarn. A new yarn is used for the last 34 stitches and then all the stitches are picked up on the next row. I usually do alternative #1 where the center 90 is knit with a separate yarn. There's the same number of ends to sew in with either one, so there's no benefit that way with one over the other. I think which one I use next time depends on the yarn, if I'm keeping it all the same color, I'll probably go with #2, if it's stripes or a color change, then #1.

For the pick-ups, I put a thin ribbon (1/8” polyester ribbon) in the knitting when I turned each row of the center 90. After the rows were done, I slid the needle under the ribbon, pulled out the ribbon and easy, easy all the stitches were picked up. It was a little annoying to have the ribbon flopping around while I was knitting the rows, but it's worth it to have the stitches just slide on the needle instead of doing the pick-ups.

Barbara Walker's one-row buttonhole was good

The 'sock toe hood' was good (although the self-striping yarn I used didn't line up at the short-row diagonal lines so it looked 'off' but that's just a yarn that didn't go well with short-rows.)

Making buttons by crocheting a cover looked good when they were finished but it was a pain to do.

I still want to try an asymetrical BSJ and a stockinette version and a textured one.


I made Robot 3.0. (Robot 2.0 and my first robot). I did the legs & arms as double knitting flat, instead of in the round. I the head as an afterthought - I cast on at the bottom front, knit up to the shoulders, did some stitches with waste yarn, then knit the back. The head was knit flat as double knit from the shoulder up, and russian grafted closed. I don't remember if I attached the legs as I cast-on, or when I seamed the bottom closed. The only part I still don't like is how the arms attach to the shoulder. I think next time, I'll attach them to the shoulders somehow either before it stuffed, or during the knitting.

I found pics on Ravelry of the robot in progress using the real instructions. I was surprised to see the pieces it's made of I think I like my way better

I also crocheted a little robot for an Artist Trading Card (ATC) swap over at Craftster.

The purple sweater in progress since forever hasn't been touched in months. And the reasons from July 2009 still apply. It's being ripped out and being turned into an Anika Shrug. (the Ravelry pic is better)

And I've done a whole bunch of ATCs this year and some preemie caps and a few other odds&ends.