hair pics, before and after indigo and dye removal

BEFORE - two-tone crazy hair:


AFTER - ALL RED! (thanks to effasol):

the mermaid's net shawl patttern

i named this one after it was finished and on the model--i realized it kinda looks like a fishing net, and imagined a mermaid finding it, abandoned in the deep, and turning it into a stylish piece of fashion. by pure coincidence the yarn color is "sailor." ha.

yarn: knitpicks shine worsted in sailor, 2.5 balls (75yards/50g ball)
*note--the beauty of this piece comes primarily from the gorgeous drape of this soft, silky yarn. i can't promise a successful result if you use anything that doesn't have a weighty drape!
needles: US15
stitch: garter. yep. that's it.

the pattern

CO about 40st, depending on how long you want it (vertically when worn)

knit every row (garter stitch) for at least 40 inches, or to the length you desire.

bind off loosely.

now the fun part...
the key to this pattern is the seam, which is created by joining the bound off end of one side *perpendicular* to the last 10 or 12" of the long edge of the other side. this creates the asymmetrical hang and diagonal decorative seam in the center. if you knit the shawl too long (i.e. there is too much circumference) you can easily size it to fit by moving your seam a little higher up on the long edge (though this will slightly change the shape of the final product).

hope you like it!

a hair pic

i finally realized my hair is actually super long and i can do all kinds of fun things with it! this is my first attempt at a braided chinese bun (don't mind the flyaways, it's 6 hours old at this point):

you can really see the contrast between dyed/henna'd brown and regular henna!

newborn mitts knitting pattern

these were created for my incubating baby girl, so she doesn't scratch herself with those sure-to-be-sharp little baby nails. they are so tiny and cute and were a really fast knit!

i used two yarns i found in my mom's stash, just some cheap, roughly equal-weight little yarns, probably sport or maybe fingering. gauge is not important as long as you use a small enough yarn and needle so they will fit little hands.

this used maybe 10 yards of yarn… knitted flat and seamed.

CO 40 in multi-colored yarn
rows 1-6 knit in 1x1 rib

switch to white yarn...
rows 7-12 in stockinette
row 13: *k3, k2tog*
row 14: purl
row 15: *k2, k2tog*
row 16: purl
row 17: knit
row 18: purl
row 19: *k1 k2tog*
row 20: purl
row 21: *k2tog*
cut yarn and pull it through stitches to close top appropriately, with knit side facing out.
seam up the side, turn inside out, and voila! note: i wove a piece of yarn through the wrist to create a drawstring closure.

15 minutes to cute mitts!

(this is my first pattern--yes, it is very simple--but i hope it isn't too laughable...)