My First Socks!

My grandma taught me how to knit over 15 years ago, but I've never quite had the patience for intricate projects. I usually tend towards small, quick projects and I've whipped up a lot of iPod cases, doll clothes, and thick, lacy scarves over the years. But I recently happened upon some really nice variegated orange/red/purple Fortissima sock yarn for $1 a skein (it had a sticker giving the original price as $20.95!) so I decided it was time to knit my first socks.

This yarn is a washable wool/polyamide nylon blend and it has a really nice feel to it.

I picked the simplest pattern I could find, but even that gave me a run for my money. I probably could have knit a pair of socks in the time I spent messing up and ripping stitches out of the first sock. After that the second sock was a breeze and I feel like any future sock knitting endeavors shouldn't give me too much trouble.

Done! And (almost) the same size to boot!

Otama Obsession

I found this pattern in the depths of Ravelry while looking for an amigurumi crochet pattern to make for a friend. From there I found the Facebook page associated with otama and scrolled through hundreds of pictures of these weird... things. There are photos of otamas at the bottom of the ocean, resting atop animals, disguised as rasta dudes, arranged on skewers in a field, the strange list goes on. From what I can gather, the pattern was made by a Japanese man named Koji Takamiya and it's supposed to be a tadpole character.

Otama at the Ballard Locks

I made one just for fun and quickly got hooked (lol crochet jokes). I don't really know why this pattern of all things became the one I make over and over... I guess it's the mixture of how easy the pattern is, the cute factor, and the mysteriousness of why they even exist.

Otamas on the beach at Discovery Park