Woe is me... designer disasters...

Haha..that's actually a little hyperbolic but still.

Last night I decided that I was going to make a QR Code wristband. I've knitted a QR code before, and at first it even scanned, but now it doesn't. The yarn has gotten fuzzy and muddles the code just enough that you can't scan it at all. I even did it in black and white just to make sure. Here are the pictures...

Completed QR Code. Scannable (IRL).

Progress as it happened...

So I thought, I bet I can make another one, smaller on smaller needles and get it into a wristband to wear in public! How cool would that be?!

I broke out my fingering weight yarns and decided on colours. I was originally going to go with blue and orange figuring the contrast would work. It did but the gauge was WAY off and I would have needed an arm three times larger to make it scannable. The second attempt was on size 1 needles and the fingering yarn but now it was too small and the needles, made of bamboo, felt like they were going to break in my hands. Third attempt seemed to look the best but upon inspection, the orange just wasn't bright enough. So I went with yellow. I actually like the way it came out but it doesn't scan. Of course. Here's the final product:

QR Code to kobuu.com

Simple garter stitch for stretch!

Like I said, I like it, it just doesn't scan. So back to the drawing board. I am going north to visit @sara marks in lowell today and knit with her and @zen alpaca. Me thinks I need to swing by my storage room to find my crochet cotton OR I will be getting DMC Floss to work with for the same purpose. BTW, @virginia given, this would NOT count towards my "yarn diet" as floss is not yarn. LOL. I know I'll be doing this again, I really want it to work, and maybe just black and white floss will do the trick. I will update with my progress on this design later....

#WIPWednesday: Blogged

Well at least I'm consistant! I cannot even believe that I've been blogging every week but this gives my fingers some writing practice and my brain a chance to purge I suppose. Oh wait, this is the knitting post...shit.

HEY! So projects!
My commissioned baby sweater is DONE. Working on the booties. Was going to go way over the top with those but decided on a simpler pattern just so that I could get them done. Here is the finished sweater:

It is SUPER cute! I love it and have even figured out how I'm going to charge for it! So excited. The booties are a one page pattern from somewhere online. Not Ravelry, but I don't remember where...

And I'd like to get some work done on Vic's hat or something else. We'll see. I need to finish "Mockingjay" as well and it's good so I don't want to miss out on the plot line!!

That's all for now kiddies!
-Kobuu

#WIPWednesday : BLOGGED!

Wasssuuuup?!
No, ok...seriously. I have only been working on one project for the past few days. I started this last Friday and when I'm not at work, and not reading "Mockingjay", I'm working on it. One of my coworkers came to me with a question:

"Hey Patrick, how long would it take and how much would you charge to make a sweater, hat and booties for my niece's baby due May 9th?"
To which I replied: "Whew!" LOL
After some discussion, we agreed that I would come in on Monday with ideas and pricing for the pieces. Well, I had already come up with an idea AND the yarn by Friday but she wasn't in. So, being that I'm usually good with colours and patterns, I just went ahead with what I had picked out. I couldn't believe that I actually still had acrylic yarn left in my stash as I've been purging it out pretty quickly but I found four skeins of Red Heart Soft in Fuchsia.

It was very soft so I figured what the hell. Then I got my little baby knit book. This book is from 1968 and chuck full of vintage patterns that are just wonderful to knit! The best part is that this book was actually free from the Holden Recycling Centre a couple of years ago! Here's the book:

That's the Book and the Pattern that I chose. I will be typing out the pattern for the Ravelry database as I think it doesn't need to be lost in time! So this pattern calls for chunky yarn, but the yarn I found was worsted (really it knits as sport though)..... THEN DOUBLE IT!!!

With two strands held together and size 11 needles, this is what I've got so far:

TADA!!! I LOOOOOOOOVE this stitch, it works up fast and is super textured for baby. Also, with the two strands of this yarn, it is SOOO SOOOOFT!!! I can't wait to get this done and put buttons on it. Then there's booties and I've found this pattern on Ravelry which I think will go well. I'm going to incorporate the jacket's stitch into the leg/cuff of them however which will take some planning but I think I can do it:

Swimmy's First Booties

In other news, I had a FABULOUS Easter. My family came down to Vic and I, brought the food already cooked and we were able to have a stress free day.  After food, we went to the beach. It was a little blustery but Squantum Park was nice and then Wolaston beach was ok too. My 'rents brought the dog along as well and he had a ball in the water. Pictures:

My parents and Bailey (wow...my phone's camera sucks..)

Boston Skyline from Squantum

Vic and Ashton (youngest sister)

So that's about it! Knit night tonight will probably yield a completed hoodie at least. Then it's time to start the booties!!

-Kobuu

WIP Wednesday: BLOGGED

Hey All!

This has been a crazy week and I've started reading again so my hobbies have to be carefully planned out or at least measured so that I don't miss out on stuff.

For knitting news, I made a hat over the weekend. It's the Scallop Lace hat on Ravelry and it's wonderfully easy to make and fantastic to wear! Here's a pic:

And now Vic wants one in black, maybe not so slouchy but I added an extra pattern repeat to get that so I'll just make it as the pattern says. Also, I used Ella Rae Classic Worsted which knitted up beautifully and I think really shows of the stitch!

In other news, I'm still working on my Saroyan, Acid Green Shawl, crocheted tablecloth, and a couple other things. And my coworker is pregnant and has come to me for knitted things.  I've picked out a couple of WICKED cute hats and a set of booties. She's not due until October so I have plenty of time but I just want to start now! LOL.

And since I mentioned reading.... I'm getting a Kindle!! It's actually on its way to me as I type. I'll probably end up getting it tomorrow some time which is fine. I can't wait. I've been reading The Hunger Game trilogy, I'm on "Catching Fire", and I have to say that I LOVE IT!! I think my favourite bit is the correlation between the world of the Districts and the USA as it could possibly become. It's scary the parallels that follow in the story with our own potential future.  I must say that I'll be reading other Suzanne Collins books for sure!

AND, Today is Knit Knite day!!! The Greater Worcester Hook & Needlers are meeting at our NEW location: Panera Bread on Gold Star Blvd. I cannot wait to see them, to knit and to be able to THINK without that asshole playing his guitar and singing songs about the Titanic sinking! SRSLY?!?!

That's about it, chickies!
-Kobuu

30 Poems in 30 Days; Poem #1 - Awareness

The last moment I thought
That I wanted to see all there is
I stood in quiet solitude
And flushed after taking a piss.

    
 hey, how's that?! LOL

#WIPWednesday

It's that time again! #WIPWednesday !

I've actually not done much crocheting this week but what I've done is pretty good looking. First there's the BOTM for my Crochet group on Ravelry:

This is just one of them. I need to make the other one for this month. Last week I also started my P-Town scarf: 

And in other news, I'll be starting a whole NEW line of crafting with perler beads!! Making lots of plans now, need to get some more colours! First project, coasters. This is Kefka from Final Fantasy 6. He's the baddest dude in the game and is a pain in the ass. This is just the normal overworld version of him. The final battle version will come in due time...

Tonight is knitting night and I will actually be going! So more progress on projects later!!

-Kobuu

Monday Posty Goodness

I thought I would make a more random blog post. This contains some of the things that I can think about on my hour long commute to and from work. My brain will inevitably wander and I come up with all sorts of things that I wish I could write down as I drive but that would be ...well, very dangerous.

Anyway..
I was listening to a song called "Daedalus" by Thrice. It's basically a rundown of the story of Daedalus and his flight towards the sun and his fall to the sea. It's a beautiful song but I got to thinking, what is the story of Daedalus? Is it man's attempt to defeat God or the Gods? I don't really know but then I started letting it all kind of muddle together. Then, I had an epiphany: that Daedalus was on a "futile" mission. So then, as I am a geek, I came up with this T-Shirt idea:

"Resistance is Daedalian" (Geek Mythology)

No?

Ok...well, I had another idea as I passed a funeral home. Not really an idea but more of a question. This particular home has been rather busy over the past couple weeks. When I say busy, I mean that there's been a frequency of cops waiting with processions to bring the casket to the burial site. Ok, so here's my conundrum, when the director of the funeral home goes to the bank at the end of the month and deposits a larger check then normal, is it ok for him to say that he had a "good month"?? By all rights I would say that it is, but how fucking funny is that?! How would you react to that?! LOL. This is my brain.

Ok. No photos, no knitting, just random brainings...

-kobuu