Bombay Love

During my masters degree (crazy but I am on the website. My claim to fame), I shared an apartment with a wonderful person. We had nothing in common. We met out of circumstance, found a place, and lived together. It was magical, romantic, and fulfilling. She is one of "those" people in my life where there are no boundaries, no inhibitions, no pauses. I can pick up the phone and we pick up our relationship from the time we talked last. The picture is from our old college years.



After several years of waiting and hoping, Nilanjana (aka Nilu) is having babies. Yes, babies as in twins. Babies in general make me terribly emotional, but nothing like this time around. Making these two little shirt-sweaters for them was a journey for me. I remembered our years in Bombay, the wars with our worlds, and the negotiations regarding what we wanted to become. I also thought of the heartbreaking journey that Nilu has undergone to become a mother. Her disappointed voice, but her very hopeful spirit. I am so very happy for her.





I came up with this pattern and figured a way to write it--this could not have been more timely. My first pattern to met the rest of the world. It is called "Bombay Love" ...reminiscing Nilu's and my old times in the city we both love so much. And the city in which we met and built our wonderful friendship.

Bombay Love (Queue it on Ravelry by clicking here)





- Top down baby shirt-sweater. Fast and furious.
- This is my first attempt at writing a pattern. Please email me with comments/corrections. My apologies in advance.

Stuff:

* 1 skein of worsted weight yarn; a little bit of worsted weight yarn in contrasting color for edging (I used Vanna's Choice Solids)
* size 5.5 crochet hook (fits newborn - three months)
* US 2 DPNs
* two buttons and one yarn needle.

Abbreviations:

* Ch: chain
* DC: double crochet
* SC: single crochet
* St: stitch
* DC-DEC: double crochet decrease
* Sl st: slip stitch

Body:

With the main color of your choice, Chain 38.
Row 1: DC in the 3rd ch from hook and in the next ch (first front), (DC, Ch1, DC) in the next chain, DC in next 4 chs (first sleeve), (DC, Ch1, DC) in the next chain, DC in next 12 chs (back), (DC, Ch1, DC) in next chain, DC in next 4 chs (second sleeve), (DC, Ch1, DC) in next chain, DC in the next 11 chs (second front), Ch2, turn. Do not count this ch2 as the first st in the next row or in any other row. If you dont do this, then when you do the edging, there are "holes" between the edging and the body. Does that make sense?

Row 2: * Work DC until Ch1 space, work (DC, Ch1, DC) in this space, repeat from * 3 more times, DC to end, Ch2, turn.

Repeat Row 2 until desired chest measurement. My shirts had a chest circumference of about 20 inches.

Next row: DC until Ch1 space, work DC-DEC in the first Ch1 space and the next Ch1 space (one sleeve created), DC until next (third) Ch1 space, work DC-DEC in the third Ch1 space and the next (fourth) Ch1 space (second sleeve created), DC to end, Ch2, turn.

Next row: DC in each st across, Ch2, turn. Repeat this row until desired length of the shirt. My shirts had a total length of 10 inches. Remember to end with WS row.

Next row: Change to edging color. SC across the lower edge, continue SC across the first front, around the neck, across second front. Fasten off. I would suggest that at each corner you might come across during the edging, work 2 SC. This will stable the corners and will reduce curling up.

Sleeves:

Attach edging yarn at Ch1 space at underarm, Ch1, work SC around, join to Ch1 with sl st. Fasten off.

Repeat the same for the next sleeve.

Buttons:

With DPNs and with color of your choice (I just used what was remaining), cast on two stitches and work I-Cord for about 9.5 inches. Sew the I Cord to body as shown in the picture. I placed the I Cord between the fourth and fifth row from the top. Sew button on the other side.

Finishing:

Weave in ends.
Smile.
Look at your handmade project again.

Please:
This pattern is for your personal use only. If you use it, please link/acknowledge the pattern. Kindly do not publish pattern text or photographs without my written permission. Thanks!

Floor Decor...

...of a different kind. Rangoli. Ami's wonderful handiwork for our party last October.

Ingredients:
1. In this case, washable color chalk. The possibilities are endless. See here.
2. Flowers
3. Diyas
4. Drawing talent
5. Love for best friend

Red for Emergency

There has GOT TO BE an emergency exit out of UFO land. (Please. Tell me there is.) I suppose not. So very angrily and stubbornly, I am finishing them. One at a time. Or sometimes a new one and an old one. I never learn.




To celebrate the one ones, I present Big Red Sleeves. Extra large, mushy, cuddly sleeves. (For some reason, this sweater also reminds me of the red robe that boxers wear to the ring. Dramatic.) Started last year around June, this sweater is finally done. The sleeves were pending this whole time. I am not a good project finisher (but a very very good starter).




I am bad at taking notes as I make stuff up, so I don't remember how many stitches I casted on. But I do remember that they were most stitches for the sleeves in proportion to the rest of the body. I know. This is of no help.


Love my new sweater. It is perfect for cold NY winters. Perfect with a cup of hot tea...and snow. Also perfect for the knitter in me, because it is top down. Perfect for the color lover in me, because it is red. Crazy red. (Oh, did my nail polish give me away?)


I used Cascade Pastaza (part Ilama, part wool). Bad idea. The yarn sheds as you work with it, and it gave me itchy eyes. (BUT I don't get itchy eyes when I am around it or wear it. It has also stopped shedding. Phew) But my skeins were thick and thin in some places...and fuzzy at some spots and I like the rustic, almost crude, stitch definition they lend Big Sleeves. This is going to be my most worn sweater this season.


Ending a top down sweater in rib stitch. I found this very very painful. So how many times have you heard "bind off loosely?" So when I finished the ribbing (US 8 for ribbing), I went up a needle size (US 9) and bond off rib wise. The edge of the sweater flared. I ripped back and with US 9, I bond off knit wise. Still flaring. So I tried with US 8 rib wise. Flaring. Finally, it worked with US 8 knit wise. Just when I was loosing my mind.


Pattern: my own concoction
Yarn: Cascade Pastaza, 9 skeins
Needle: US 9 & US 8 for ribbing

Mission Possible

Another wonderful year begins. I usually do not make resolutions as they become mission impossible. But I have a resolution this year--no yarn procurement for 2009, unless it is for a huge project like an afghan/blanket or a very specific gift for which I didnt have yarn. I am comfortable saying this because I have not bought any yarn since June 18, 2008. (Crazy or what). I almost bought some when I was here yesterday--but I paused and thought about the consumerist circle I have gotten myself into. Buying yarn. Procuring yarn. Buying more yarn that I really dont need.



So I spent some of my holiday time last month organizing my yarn. And finishing this blanket, Stripes. Stripes was actually supposed to have a twin. You got it. There were supposed to be two of them for my friend's to-be-twins. Well, by the time I finished this blanket, I was in garter stitch hell. And terribly bored. So I decided to stop at one. And give it to someone else at a later date. Or keep it for myself as a chair throw. Yet to be decided. I think I will end up keeping it.



Though I curse garter stitch hell, it was a very enjoyable knit. Relaxing. You begin at one corner and end at another. I did this once before, and I loved it. No math, no over-thinking, no measuring. All the things that make the anal in me very anxious. Just knit. And oh yes, the blanket owes its existence to a dishcloth pattern. See below.



The color panels are all coincidence. I knit a color until I finished that ball of yarn. And miracle. The blanket looks all "made-up." Well, now that it does look like I had a plan, if I look closely, the green rows on one side don't add up with the green on the other side. Crap. Lets not think about this. And not look too hard.



All in all, I am in love with this pattern. Another version of this pattern coming up sometime soon. After I am done with some UFOs that are flying around in my home.



Pattern: Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth
Yarn: Vanna's Choice in Beige, Golden Yellow, and Green (these are my names for the colors)
Needle: US 10
Size: 35 inches * 35 inches