anna knits - knit octopus 2

I am in the midst of knitting another pink/green octopus. I hope to finish this weekend, and will follow up with more images.

In the meantime, check out this awesome video about octopus camouflage. I didn't know they were masters of disguise!

knitting, etc. - starting a new project

Starting a new project:

Since posting my Octopus Tea Cosy, I have gotten a few requests for similar tea cosies and little octopus toys. So I've decided to put off some of my fall knitting projects to make a few octopuses(?), octopi(?). I am planning to use the same Kambgarn sport / 5 ply yarn in Rosebloom and Glacier Green that I got in Iceland and used for my first Octopus Tea Cosy.

The first thing I like to do when starting a new knitting project is assemble my materials and pack my knitting bag. This way everything is in one place, and I can take my knitting on the go. It usually consists of the pattern, yarn, scissors, tapestry needle, pencil/pen, and needles.

Knitters - how do you prepare to start a new knitting project?

anna knits - octopus tea cosy

At the beginning of the summer I was asked to make an ocean inspired tea cosy. Well, it took me the entire summer, but I've finally finished! Enter the octopus tea cosy; modeled after a design on Ravelry by the user Cephalopot. It fits a large, six-cup tea pot.

For the octopus, I used this pattern by Hansi Singh via Ravelry. While the pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, I opted for Kambgarn sport / 5 ply yarn in Rosebloom and Glacier Green, which I had bought in Iceland (read about my trip here!) with size US2 double pointed needles. This of course made the octopus smaller and more delicate, which I liked. You can see more pictures of the octopus, including execution pictures, here.

For the tea cosy itself, I used this pattern by the blog Cast On Cast Off. It is a modified ribbed pattern, which I thought kind of mimicked an ocean rock. I knit it with Cascade 220 Heathers in Dark Charcoal, color no. 4002, which has a nice color variation going on, making it look more earthy, or rock-like in this case.

I then embellished the tea cosy with a seaweed design made using tambour crochet. You can learn how to tambour crochet here. I used a left over green yarn that I had gotten second-hand, so I don't know its specs.

While this project took me a while, it was a lot of fun to knit. I like knitting amigurumi (see my pug, bulldog, tea cup), and the tea cosy itself was quick and easy. Tea cosies are great because you are encouraged to be creative. I'm currently brainstorming ideas for my next tea cosy, so let me know if you have a fun idea!

flowers, etc. - summer in the boston public garden

Summer is winding down, but in the Boston Public Garden flowers are out in full force. Every few weeks there are changes in the arrangements, but I particularly like the bright colors dominating the flower beds this season. I am so lucky to get to walk through the Garden on my way to work each morning! <3 Boston. 

Follow me on Instagram to see more! - @annaknitsetc 

anna travels - saratoga weekend

Last weekend I had the chance to go to Saratoga Springs, New York with some friends. We strolled through the town and saw a yarn-bombed bench (part of the knitting store Common Thread Saratoga!), wore fun hats to the races, and cheered on our favorite horses. It was a really fun and different trip for me. The Saratoga Race Course is celebrating its 150 year of racing, so it was an especially exciting time to be there. You can read a little bit about Saratoga and the races in this recent New York Times article.

anna socializes

I've been working on a big-ish knitting project, which has occupied most of my summer. That combined with travel most weekends has led me to post less often than I'd like. While I hope (and plan!) to finish my current knitting project soon, you can always catch me on these other mode of socialization:

facebook

twitter

pinterest

bloglovin

instagram

ravelry

xx anna

nails etc. - summertime blue

Bouncer, it's me! by Essie (neons 2013):

While I always think of August as the height of the summer, it is really the time when summer winds down. Recently it has been a bit cooler here in Boston than the past few weeks, and with the cool breeze I've come to embrace a color palate full of blues and grays. I am particularly loving this royal blue nail polish, Bouncer, it's me! by Essie. It is a deep blue, but it has a brightness to it that keeps it summery. I'm excited to try some of the other polishes from Essie's neon 2013 collection. (The green reminds me of this post I wrote about color early in the summer!)