Pattern: Haruha Scarf
Yarn: Joseph Galler Superfine Prime Alpaca 3-ply, Black, 1 skein
Needles: Addi Turbos, US 7 (4.5mm)

The Haruha scarf had been bound off for months and just needed a good blocking before I could add it to the list of completed projects. The problem is that the only real blocking surface in my apartment is the floor. And while my apartment is carpeted, the padding underneath the carpet is virtually nonexistent and I suspect that I often wind up pushing pins directly into the wood subfloor.

Which: ouch. Blocking lace with straight lines requires an obscene number of pins. I tried, but gave up after pinning out maybe a third of the scarf because my fingers were red and sore.

So at the same time I splurged on yarn at WEBS, I also hit up KnitPicks and grabbed a set of blocking wires.

Much better. I only needed about a dozen pins to block the long edges of the scarf, and a few more to secure the ends.

Pattern commentary and lace porn after the jump.

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You may remember that I was disgruntled with my yarn and was going to splurge on something pretty.

Well, I hit the big WEBS sale and this showed up on my doorstep last week:

I have no idea what to do with transmission parts.

So it’s a good thing that there was a WEBS label on top of the box. Sure enough, it was full of yarn-y goodness.

I have (basking in the warm glow of the sunset):

…two skeins of Plymouth Encore for making more Wave of Babies Booties samples…

…six balls of Debbie Bliss Rialto (mmm…buttery-soft) to knit something for my Maid of Honor…

…and a bag of Rowan Felted Tweed for Eunny’s Tangled Yoke Cardigan. I’ve been wanting that sweater for eight months. I will be wearing a Tangled Yoke Cardigan this fall and winter or I will eat my Addi Turbos.

It was a good splurge.

Pattern: Frogs on a Holiday, from Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts: Amigurumi
Hook(!): D 3.0mm
Yarn: Plymouth Encore, #1232, 1 skein, and scraps of #1203

Ladies and gentlemen, my first completed crochet project! It’s a far cry from this. And this.

*takes a bow*

Since this pattern is titled “Frogs on a Holiday,” I thought it only appropriate that I take him out on the town for a little photo shoot.

This book has a very tiny techniques section, so if you’re a beginning crocheter like me, you should have another crochet reference handy. But other than that, the pattern was very easy to follow.

More pictures and commentary after the jump.

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