Friday, April 8, 2016

Trekkie Scarves!

My dear husband Kishi is a total Trekkie.  I still love him, though; no-one's perfect.  Our entire relationship has pretty much been a battle between the Force and the Federation, and while I do love the cheesiness of the original 60's era Captain Kirk Trek, I'd still take the Millennium Falcon over the Enterprise any day.  (I also proudly wear my Boba Fett shirt -- and helmet -- to Star Trek night with our friends, but that's mostly just to annoy them)

While I'm not an uber-fan myself, I have learned to take inspiration where I can find it, and Star Trek has certainly given me a few ideas.  (The Bajorans on Deep Space 9 have some gorgeous knitted clothing, which I really want to pattern up...)  Kishi is a real Next Generation fan, and the geometric pattern of their uniforms translates well into various knitted forms.

These scarves are recognizably Trekkie, but not "OMG, you're a nerd!" Trekkie.  I actually rather like them.  Of course, they come in command red, engineering and security gold, and science and medical blue.  (I think I got those designations right...)  Personally, I think I'll be keeping a blue one for myself.  As Spock would say, "It's only logical."
It took me a little longer than usual to get these finished, as I had to contend with what is probably a sprained thumb.  (I fell off the couch...no lie)
Live long, prosper, and stay warm.
In the end, I did three versions: a color-block (with and without the stripe) and a solid.  Which do you prefer?

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Dragons and Mermaids!

I'm sure by now, almost everyone has seen the mermaid tail blankets that seem to be popping up all over the Internet.  I must say, I think they are super adorable, and I want to be friends with whoever came up with the idea.

Well, a friend of mine came across the idea too and wanted one, and I was super stoked that she thought of me to make it.

She wanted one for her niece...and something for her nephew too.  What to do?  We talked about sharks, and a few other options, and settled on a dragon.  Because what kid doesn't want to be a dragon, right?

So a mermaid and a dragon...what could be easier?  Well, for starters, I couldn't find a pattern I liked.  I know, I know, I was probably just being difficult.  But I just didn't feel the "Oomph" from any of the patterns I came across.

So what do I do?  Of course, I make my own.  OMG, it takes so much math!  In the end, though, it all worked out.  And I even wrote it all down, so I can do it again, if I have to.

Really, I loved both these pieces so much, it hurt me to see them go...but I know the little ones they are meant for will enjoy them, so I'm also glad.  

It took about two months of constant devotion, ignoring all other projects I had on the go, but I can honestly say that my first real commission was a resounding success.  (At least, Auntie loved them...she'll be bringing them home soon!)
I promise to go into more detail on each of these gorgeous blankets later, but for now, I'm going to go launch myself into my next project.  Allons-y!