I Like Ike!

Just in case anyone was worried since I moved:

1)  Yes I'm in Texas
2)  Yes I probably will get hit by Ike
3)  I'm far enough north that I should be safe
4)  If anyone wants to panic, I'll be updating my Twitter as the storm develops and if the power goes out, I can text updates there
5)  I've got a flashlight that's windable and doesn't run on batteries, a few books of word puzzles, and all my knitting.  Worst case I end up texting Twitter and knitting by flashlight.
6)  We've got a cooler and a lot of bottled water as well as some cold cuts and bread

Good luck to everyone else in the wake!  I'll catch y'all on the other side.

Simple Pepper Spray Case

The inspiration for this project is simple: I bought the wrong color red yarn for the Dr. Who scarf. So what's a girl to do with a full skein of bright red Red Heart Super Saver yarn? Well, I guess I could make Christmas decorations or something. OR I could make myself a super cool bright red (for safety!) pepper spray case.

This pattern takes less than a day to complete (unless to spend 5 hours playing Rock Band, in which case you might have to finish the strap at a later date) and is super simple. It's a circular knit stockinette sock. My pepper spray is the brandname Whoop-ass. It is approximately 7/8 inch diameter and about 4 1/4 inches long. It has a removable keychain ring at the bottom. With simple adjustments, you can modify this to fit almost any standard pepper spray container. The strap is easily adjusted to fit any size hand.

Suggested:
Needles: Knit with 4 DP needles, US 8
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver (although any worsted weight yarn will work)

Start by casting 15 stitches onto 3 of your needles
Work purl in stockinette until approximately 3 1/2 inches long (IMPORTANT: Do not extend case above this length unless using a larger size pepper spray as this will block the stream of the spray should you need to use the pepper spray for its intended purpose)
P2tog until you have 3-5 stitches left on your needles
Knit stockinette until the strap is long enough to fit snuggly across the back of your hand to the top of your case. This will vary depending on how big your hand is.
Bind off
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If your pepper spray does not have a keychain ring, skip the italicized directions
Remove the keyring from your pepper spray and insert it into the case
You should have a small hole in the bottom of your case
Insert the hook for the keychain ring into the hole and then reattach the ring. This will give your spray a firmer hold into the case.
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Insert the pepper spray into the case and hold it the way you will need to hold it if you need to spray it. Note which side will be against your palm. This is the side you will be attaching the strap to.
Stitch the strap to the top side of your case that will be against your palm (closer to your thumb is probably a good idea)


That's it! Isn't that easy? Now, slide the case over your hand and you can easily take it jogging or slip it on if you know you'll be outside without worrying about dropping it. This is the way the man who sold me this can suggested I wear it for exercise.

Enjoy!

Better pictures to come. My camera decided to crap out right after I got these and they're not great.

Twisted Sister Shrug

This is immensely frustrating. I'm attempting to make a shrug using some white fuzzy baby yarn I've had for aaages. I want it to be just basically a fuzzy tube top that fits snuggly around the shoulders. I also want a twist in it in the front for a little glam and cute.

It's my own pattern, so if I can ever make it WORK I'm going to try and post it. Especially if it turns out half as cute as I think.

It's driving me absolutely BATSHIT. The yarn is really soft but it's so fuzzy that it's nearly impossible to see what I'm doing and it keeps getting messed up. The only circular needles I have in a larger gauge aren't long enough for what I'm doing, so I might have to buy more. And even IF I had bigger needles, it's a 275 stitch project, so it's not like it's easy to cast back on.

This is going to be a definite character building experience...

Nerdy Knitting

It may someday prove not to be to my advantage that I am encrusting The Boy in hand-made nerdy knit wear. But it's so funny to watch him squirm in the cold.

There are only so many iconic hand-knit pieces of clothing from Sci-Fi series, right?