Well, losing the game, so to speak, with NaBloPoMo kinda put me off blogging feed.  I decided to get focused on other things for a while – got some projects done, recentered myself.  Probably good, in the long run.

SO – here’s what I’ve been up to:

I’m still working on exploring the Newbie Level of crochet.  I’ve gotten a few projects done  (Please forgive the photo layout – I’m struggling with this template and may chuck it soon. ) -

Firstly is this LAMB inspired hat.  You can find info on the pattern here at Ravelry, and see more pics at my project page here.  This one turned out pretty well – da kiddo is pleased – it’s for his girlfriend.  He was a bit reluctant to model it for me, tho. ^_-

I also worked up a headband last night.  For some reason it gave me fits – frogged it a kajillion times before I really figured out the pattern.  Go figure.  Anyhoo, while it’s far from perfect, it’s done and I like it.  I figure I’ll do more soon.

The pattern (Trebel Crochet Headband)  uses just a very little yarn.  I can see using project scraps to make more of these.  In this case, I used some left over Peaches & Creme from a Christmas present project.  (No more information on *that* one right now. Ahem.)

I also frogged a hat I was working on for the other half.  He’s finicky. So, as he likes the yarn I am using, but didn’t like the way the hat was shaping up, I frogged the whole thing.  Blech.  No fun, frogging an almost done project.  Ah well, I have some ideas for creating a Fabulous Hat for the man.  We shall see.

Poor Doomed Hat....

I’ve been contemplating picking up knitting needles again.  I’ve just been a little intimidated – the last few times I’ve tried, I’ve come away with aching hands and wrists.  Guess we’ll see, huh?  o.O  I’m also working on a few small projects for Christmas.

Oh, I also discovered the most awesome vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I believe I’ll leave that for the next post.

Be well, y’all!

An afternoon with no rain, Flickr playing well with others, and some mail that piled up makes for a yarn-crawlish post.   Grab a cuppa’ (it’s chilly here), your favorite snack, and settle in!

We’ll start with the long-neglected last Loopy Sock Club package that arrived a couple of weeks ago.  This is the last of this season’s sock club, but it’s also my last after two years in the club.  To the best of my recollection, I’ve not knitted with the first yarn from ANY of the packages, so there’s little point in putting my name in for the lottery for next year.  I’ve gifted some of the yarn, sold one offering, and I really do like some of it, but…

The yarn is a rich color that reminds me of the fur-girls.  It’s Numa Numa’s The Usual in Red Bartlett Pear.   I’m thinking that eventually I will knit these socks with this yarn, but once it swims into my stash, who knows?!

Then there’s my first Creatively Dyed Sock Club kit!   This is a sneak peek at a new technique Dianne is doing.   I’m quite certain this “Wild Thing” yarn will get knitted up in that pattern, right after 2010 becomes the current year.   I’m leaving the pattern tamers right there with the yarn and the pattern too, so there will be no excuses!

Now, I know spinners like a WIP (wraps per inch) tool, but do other knitters really use them?  I definitely didn’t, not before I started spinning.  I mean…  There’s swatching and there’s a label around the yarn, right?!  Karat Stix made these little cuties.  Obviously, they were part of my Loopy kit.

Still with me?  Moving right along…  Next up, we have some beautiful Gypsyknits BFL roving in Gem-Spin that grew up to be yarn.

I wanted to make the most of this beautiful yarn, but in the end, I decided to navajo ply it because I didn’t have enough of any solid that would work with it.

I love how muted the colors are.  It reminds me of the beach, where the sky and earth and ocean seem to just slip together at some point out on the horizon…

A little larger than life, and those aren’t wrapped, but draped across the WIP tool, so it’s really about sport weight.  I’m pretty pleased with myself…  Three-ply, sport weight, with about 214 yards.  I’m thinking I’m going to do Anita’s Mermaid scarf.

Ready for Thanksgiving, if you live in the States?   We are!  We’re going to have a not so traditional pot roast tomorrow, because that’s what the Knight wanted, and he’s cooking, so what’s not to love?  I’ll add a couple of pies – because the extras can always go to the firehouse – and we’ll have a quiet day at home.

Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating!

This is a pattern, for a beginner knitter. It’s for a 2.5″ square knitted patch which can be attached to a card and given as a greetings card. It’s unusual, quirky and very handmade. And best of all the pattern is free from this blog, just download it as a PDF from the side bar on the right. This really is a simple pattern, but here are a few hints and tips, just in case:

Yarn Type

You could knit this pattern in any low gauge yarn, I can imagine that you would get some great results using sock yarn scraps, although using yarn any higher than worsted weight is going to make the patch too heavy and the card will fall over a lot.

Intarsia (or colour knitting)

A little square like this is an excellent first project to try out intarsia. I’ve blogged about intarsia techniques before, here . But for a complete beginner’s tutorial I recommend knittinghelp.com if you scroll down the page you’ll see the heading “How to knit with 2 colors at a time” and below that a video for “intarsia method”.

Making the Ribbon loops

When you sew the ribbon on to the gift, make a little bow at the top by making a loop of yarn and then sewing it into place with a few small stitches. Then repeat with a second loop. The small stitches actually look like a knot.

Blocking?

It’s knitting sacrilege to say this, but these patches don’t really need blocking if you sew them to a felt backing. Of course my patches are living proof that without blocking they still end up a little uneven and less than square, but I actually find that quite charming. You may disagree and you may have a toddler free household where knitting with pins in it drying flat on the floor isn’t a hazzard. In which case, I say block away!

Attaching the Patch to the Card

I was astonished to learn that there are plenty of glue dots on the market that will glue fabric to card very successfully, ask for advice at your local craft store. However, if you wanted the patch to be re-usable you could sew it to the card and then glue a slightly smaller and contrasting coloured insert inside the card to cover the stitching.

looky here: mommarock’s stuff

5 weeks ago we ordered a new laptop from Dell.  The original delivery date came & went but now they promise the gem is “in the truck” en route to our house.  This is no special-order machine by the way.  Ask me about their customer service if you dare!

Baby Sierra was born yesterday afternoon.  Her aunt sent word to say mother & child are both well!  This is the dress I designed & can’t wait to give her Mom.  It’s been under wraps for months but I’m 100% certain that no-one close to her will be checking up on me now, so!  Thankfully, the Baby Bamboo yarn behaved well under my serious blocking.  The edging is now blessedly flat and even (phew!).

Blocking the world's first Sweetie Pie Dress

This is the FO on a hanger.  Love the wood buttons lots!

I am going to work this pattern up as soon as the new laptop is up & running.  Let’s hope that Dell is correct and the laptop is well & truly out of production….

‘Tis the season for Christmas knitting… my Angee sock is still without a mate, and I am resisting the strong urge to spin.  This is what I decided on for MIL’s cravat request.  Take 2 is a Lacy Baktus scarf in a variegated colourway of the Sea Wool yarn by Fleece Artist.

If you can make it out, there’s a green stitch marker to the right of centre.  It’s what I needed to keep the row counting going.  The pattern is the very soul of simplicity but I was getting my odd & even rows confused.  Garter stitch does that.

Do you know what else garter stitch does?  It eats up yardage.  I am playing with over 380 yards of the Sea Wool but this is looking like a mini-scarf.  As you can see, I made peace with that idea, and started to decrease anyway.  This is only part of MIL’s presents & well, another skein is not in the cards.  I am now on the hunt for a nice pin.  Tying a knot with the ends is, admittedly, out of the question.   DH is in love with this & I hope he’s an accurate predictor of his mother’s reaction.

Also knitted is a prezzie for someone in the bloggy audience.  Obviously, I can’t post a picture here – yet.  Check out Irieknit on Ravelry if you care to peek.

This weekend we went to see the latest Twilight Saga installment, New Moon. I enjoyed it and you’ll find no complaints here, however, I am not a Twilight aficionado, like my step daughter, Michelle.

I found some fun sites filled with Twilight inspired crafts and I thought you might like to visit them too.
 
Craft Contest
Twilight Amigurumi by April Draven
Twilight Crochet Dolls from DeadCraft

Craftzine Alice Wrist Warmers
 
You can also do a search on Ravelry.com, Etsy and other crafts sites like CraftStylish for more patterns, ideas and crafts.
 
Happy crafting to the young and the young at heart!
 
Twilight Quote (2008)
Isabella Swan: “About three things I was absolutely positive: First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him-and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be-that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”

 Although, not Twilight inspired, this wonderfully handcrafted journal arrived today which will become a family heirloom for us. I urge you to support the handmade artists in your town and online at Etsy this holiday season.

Suede Christmas Journal from Renate Ikinger of Kreativlink on Etsy.com

Marg (working on a project to share on tomorrows blog)

You might also like Delicate Desire Fingerless Gloves inspired by the TwilightSaga character, Bella Swan.

Ravelry was such a good find for me. I’ve been a member of this knitting, crocheting, weaving and spinning community for some time now, but only in the last few months have I really been getting involved with some of the groups. There is a Cardiff Knitters group which I’m in, a group for Welsh yarn addicts and (the one I’m having lots of fun with at the moment!) a Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup! I joined only this term, and was sorted into Gryffindor, and the assignments have helped me to get most of my Christmas knitting and crochet done well ahead of schedule. But the extra fabulous special lovely fact has to be that I have won prizes for two of my projects! Yay!

The first prize I won was for this shawl/cardigan (the pattern is the Berocco Juliana) which I made for Maria for her birthday in September. She always dresses well, and likes to look elegant, and when I saw this pattern I hoped to be able to create something that was both elegant and a little out of the ordinary at the same time. I was quite pleased with the result, and glad that I persevered through the many weeks it took to knit it! I took this project into the detention class in September as I was worried that I wouldn’t get it done in time for Maria’s birthday if I didn’t get a bit of a kick up the bum to keep me motivated. Obviously it worked, and in October the ‘professor’ in charge of the detention room nominated my cardigan for a prize. It was against two other projects, and it was left to other students to vote for their favourite, and my Juliana won! I got my prize (all the way from Ohio) the other day – a beautiful kaleidoscope which gave me a very happy time as I sat looking at the mess in my living room through it, captivated by how beautiful it looked through the prism!

And yesterday I found out that I’ve won a second prize! But…I can’t tell you anything about it, because the item in question is intended to be a present for someone. At least the recipient can be proud in the knowledge (because you should be very sure that I will tell him or her!) that they are receiving a prize winning piece of hand crafted loveliness!!!

I will tell you all about it in January. TTFN!

So, I spent a long time this summer working on my Laminaria (rav link). I had this skein of malabrigo sock in the lettuce colorway, and it was just so beautiful and green, i know it would be perfect for the pattern. So, in June, in the midst of a Lost marathon, I began the pattern as written for the smaller size. It’s a tough pattern on the hands because there are a lot of times when you have to knit multiple stitches into three stitches. It’s not a difficult concept, but the execution is time consuming and challenging.

After getting through repeat after repeat, I ran out of yarn 3 rows from the finish. That was a low blow. I didn’t want to go out and buy more yarn for just three rows, so after careful consideration of what to do, I ripped out the whole thing. This amazed my friends who are new knitters, because they get so attached to their work. If i had taken the time to do some math (or scour ravelry), I probably would’ve figured out that I could’ve just ripped back and done one fewer repeat of the blossom chart. But I decided to do a stockinette portion instead.

Attempt #2, I followed the stockinette instructions for the Ishbel shawl until I had what i deemed to be the ‘right’ number of stitches, then did a repeat (or maybe it was two) of the blossom chart, then did the edging charts. I was convinced this would work. It did not. I again ran out of yarn 3 rows before the finish. So I ripped back until I only had the stockinette portion, then only did the edging charts, and I had just enough yarn. So, after all that, here is my final product:

I pretty much adore it. The yarn is so soft and warm, the color is perfect, and I really like the look of the stockinette with the lace edge.  I wear it a lot and get a lot of compliments on it.

In life news, I got my visa!!!! Which means i will be able to head back to the states for the month of december! And hopefully when I come back I will have a new job! I will be home for the entire month of december, so if you want to see or speak to me, that is the time to do it!

Sweetness. Finished this up for Miss Jenn last week. Barely got around to sewing on the badass buttons yesterday.

Pattern: Indian Summer by Kalurah on Ravelry

Needles: Knit Picks Options US 6

Yarn: Naturaly Caron SPA — Misty Taupe

Below is a pic from retreat, but where is everyone?  Retreat fell on the same weekend as the OU/Texas game, so they are all out in the lobby in front of the TV.

Where is everyone?

Cindy was working on a UFO and it gave me an idea of how I can use all of my 80’s floral’s.  It is 8″ squares of fabric, cut into fourths and the addition of 1″ lattice strips.

Cindy's floral quilt

 We also exchanged our packs of 5 inch “cookies”.  I managed to get mine all sewn together into a top, but need to add 2 additional rows to make it lap size.  I didn’t get any pictures of other people’s projects, and keep forgetting to take a pic of mine.

Kerry called one day and asked me if I would make something for a friend of her’s that was having a baby.   The baby is now around a month old, and I finally finished and mailed the items on Monday.  After searching through Ravelry I finally decided on Autumn Leaves for the sweater, and Afternoon Outing Baby Cap for the hat.  For the sweater I did a couple of modifications.  First, I made it with long sleeves and also added an eyelet accent before the hem.  I’m rather pleased with the results.  The hat was a whole other story.  Actually there are two hats, because the first one turned out large enough for a toddler.  Sorry for picture quality, but the weather hasn’t been cooperating.  The yarn I used for these is Elann’s Superwash Worsted, and the color is actually a raspberry sherbet color.

Autumn Leaves Cardigan with Afternoon Outing Baby Cap

The sky portion of A Crazy World has been put on hold until I can round up more fancy fabrics in various shades of blue.  I’m wanting fabric that is solid, tone on tone, brocade, jacquard or subtle prints, in various shades of blue from light to dark.  Not having much luck in the shops around here or online.  While I’m searching for blues, I have decided to visit the Far East.  So far I just have running stitches outlining the pattern, and it won’t photograph well, the pictures will have to wait until I get further along in the stitching. 

There may not be much in the way of stitching going on around here for a week or so.  I’m cooking Thanksgiving for any of the family that can make it here, and then there will be a “Before the Holiday Madness Party” and real cookie exchange with the Skrappy Ladies and Loose Threads in Lawton.   I will be baking, I think, at least 72 cookes and still haven’t decided on which recipe to use.  It will be some type of biscotti.

Yay I got mail! My kind neighbours took it in for me today so when I got back from the spinning guild tonight it was waiting for me – I was so excited! Sorry if the pictures come out sideways, it’s a miracle I’ve learnt how to load them on to the computer never mind learn how to move the around.

I got my parcel off a wonderful lady called Nancey from Baltimore.  It’s such a fantastic parcel. I love it!
 There’s a wonderful rainbow project bag – I’m so impressed with it and very helpful as most of my stuff is in random paper bags at the moment so it’ll be nice to have a proper bag to put WIPs in.
There’s a lovely red candle – my favorite colour, and some red socks in knit picks yarn. Double yay in fact triple yay, I love red and I’ve been lusting after knit picks for a while (cant get it over here) and I’m jealous of anyone who can make handknit socks!

There’s a pattern for a beret/tam which is just what I have been after, some tapestry needles which I need desperately and a clicky row counter which my partner is strangely fascinated by.
There’s some spice which smells just fantastic (I’m going to be careful with it the first time I use it but I think it’ll be okay with my allergy) my partner is also trying to prise that off me along with the chocolate.

There’s a lovely card and three wonderful buttons which I already have plans for, and finally and the bit I got the most excited about, some wonderful soft squishy lovely manos wool. I love it all!

Update! You do not need to be a member of Ravelry to purchase this pattern.  Simply click the “Buy Me” link below and you should be directed to paypal directly.  Please let me know if you have any issues purchasing this pattern.

There are few things more intimate than handcrafting something for someone you love.  After my husband took us to see one of our favorite bands, I knew I had to come up with something to show him how much it meant to me.  The lyrics, “Palms full of mystery, fingers of magic,
greetings so glorious, partings so tragic,” spoke to me.   So, I came up with two pairs of matching, but not kitschy, socks.  The name comes from the song that inspired me to create something beautiful.

This swirling slip-stitch pattern, designed to work with hand-painted yarns, creates lots of visual interest all by itself.  Dropped yarn over’s give length to the slipped stitches so the pattern doesn’t pull in.  The chart may seem daunting, but the pattern is easy to knit and memorize.

This is a pattern I submitted to Knitty for the Winter 2009 issue, but they decided not to include it. So instead, I’m going to put it in a .pdf file available for free on Ravelry, as well as listing it here.

I Do Not Drink . . . Wine!
(pattern and photos by sosoclever knits!)

I think those charms that you put on the stem of a wineglass so you can tell yours from someone else’s are really neat. Of course, I don’t use them, because I don’t drink wine. I generally drink pop. The problem of being able to tell drinks apart still exists, though. Imagine, you have six women over for a night of knitting, and they all drink the same diet cola. Or, in the excitement at your Superbowl party, no one can tell whose beer is whose. Whatever shall you do?

Knit up a bunch of can cozies in different colors and patterns, that’s what!

These cozies do extra duty, too. The fabric is flexible enough to use them to clean off the tops of cans before opening them, and absorbent enough that you don’t really need a coaster. Then, after they’ve cleaned off the tops of enough cans and absorbed enough condensation, you just toss them in the wash with your towels, and they’re ready to go again.

And if you really want to use the wineglass charms, just add the optional hanging loop, and you’ve got someplace to put one!

Note: the cozy will likely stretch a little with use. After washing, it will shrink back to its proper size. It may even be a little smaller, but it will stretch!

SIZE
One size fits 12-ounce cans and most 12 to 20-ounce bottles

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: approx 8.5 inches
Length: from beginning, approx 5.5 inches; from turning row, approx 4.5 inches

MATERIALS
Lily Sugar ‘N Cream [100% cotton; 120 yd/109 m per 71 g skein]; color: shown in #19173 Spring Meadows (discontinued), #00026 Light Blue, #00004 Ecru, #01742 Hot Blue, #00003 Cream; 1 skein

Alternate yarn: Coats and Clark Crème de la Crème [100% cotton; 126 yd/115 m per 71 g skein]; color: #0750 Fuschia; 1 skein

2 sets 16 to 24 inch US #7/4.5mm circular needles (or size necessary to obtain gauge) and
2 sets 16 to 24 inch US #5/3.75mm circular needles (or 2 sizes smaller than needles used to obtain gauge)

(I use the two circular needle method for knitting in the round, but you can also use one set of each size in long circulars to use the Magic Loop method, or one set of double-point needles in each size.)

Notions required:
Size F5 crochet hook (optional)
Tapestry needle (for weaving in ends)

GAUGE
20 sts/26 rows = 4″ in stockinette stitch with size 7 needles

PATTERN NOTES
This is a very forgiving pattern. Gauge does not have to be exact, but should be close.

One skein of Sugar ‘N Cream will make three to four cozies.

This pattern is a very simple introduction to knitting in the round, but it can easily be converted to flat knitting, also.

You can substitute just about any rib pattern, so long as you can fit it to 40 stitches, or close to it. If you have a pattern that needs one more or fewer stitches (e.g. a multiple of three stitches, or a multiple of twelve stitches plus five), increase or decrease as necessary in the “turning round.” Also, you’ll only have about 30 rounds after the turning round. Any patterns longer than will need to be modified to fit.

Keep in mind that the patterns in stitch dictionaries are often written as if you will be knitting flat. They’re also often framed by selvedge stitches, and you’ll probably want to drop any extra stitches (e.g. instead of “multiple of five stitches plus two,” you’d only work the “multiple of five stitches”).

Rib pattern suggestions:

1×1 Rib (over even number of stitches) (Spring Meadows cozy)
Every round: ** k1, p1** to end.
Repeat to desired length

Holey Rib (multiple of four stitches) (Light Blue cozy)
R1 – 2: ** k1, p1** to end
R3: **k1, yo, k2tog, p1** to end
R4: ** k1, p1** to end
Repeat rounds 1-4 to desired length

Zig Zag Rib (multiple of five stitches) (modified from Nikki Epstein’s Knitting on the Edge) (Ecru cozy)
R1, 3, 5: **k1, p2tog, p1, m1, k1** to end
R2 and all even rounds: k every stitch
R7, 9, 11: **k1, m1, p2tog, p1, k1** to end
Repeat rounds 1-12 to desired length

Puff Rib (multiple of three stitches) (adapted from Barbara G. Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns) (Hot Blue cozy)
On turning round, purl last two stitches together
R1: **p1, yo, k1, yo, p1** to end
R2-3: **p1, k3, p1** to end
R4: **p1, k3tog, p1** to end
Repeat rounds 1-4 to desired length

Lace Rib (multiple of five stitches) (adapted from Barbara G. Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns) (Cream cozy)
R1, 3: **k3, p2** to end
R2: **k1, yo, ssk, p2** to end
R4: **k2tog, yo, k1, p2** to end
Repeat rounds 1-4 to desired length

Twisted Rib (over even number of stitches) (Fuschia cozy)
Every round: **k1tbl, p1** to end

PATTERN
On size 5 needles, CO 10 sts (long tail CO is fine). Join, pm.

R1: **k1, p1** to end.
R2: **kfb** to end (20 sts)
R3: **k1, p1** to end.
R4: **kfb** to end (40 sts)
R5: **k1, p1** to end.

Continue in 1X1 rib until piece measures 1 inch.

Next round (turning round): P to end.

Switch to larger needles, and work in desired rib pattern until piece measures 4.5 inches. BO.

FINISHING
Optional: before breaking yarn, with crochet hook, chain 12 stitches and join to body to make loop for hanging.

Weave in ends.

I Do Not Drink . . . Wine! by sosoclever knits is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

I love knitting socks. Being cursed with a perpetual lack of stash, I often knit a sock and frog it just for the pleasure of having knit the heel.

But here’s my problem.

I have chronic SSS. [Second Sock Syndrome, for the uninitiated.] SSS is the name for the inability to finish a pair of socks. You may love the first one, but by the time it comes to the second you’re incredibly tired of it.

I did not feel that SSS was a reason to stop knitting socks, so I decided to start the Singleton Sock Project. I never wear matches anyway, so I have resolved to try and replace every sock in my drawer with a handknitted singleton. I’m on the second sock, as of now, and loving it. You will be able to see my progress on my Ravelry page, should you be interested.

We’ll see how it turns out!

~Captain Acacia

Yesterday was my birthday & I spent at least part of the day spinning on my Lendrum.  Only fitting since the wheel was my birthday present.  But because I am horribly spoiled, I got a dozen roses too! 

Here are the latest yarns:

The JulieSpins merino roving in the colorway Polaris -It was 6.1 ounces (yet another reason to love JulieSpins, her rovings are usually always more than 4oz.) and I spun the singles laceweight. After 2-plying, I ended up with 610 yards of light fingering weight yarn! Wow! It is the most yarn I have spun yet! I managed to get it all on the large plying bobbin with room to spare. I think that sucker will hold 800-900 yards easy. 

Partial bobbin of singles

Large bobbin after plying

Big fat squishy skein!

I also spun up the Ashland Bay merino/tussah silk roving I got at SAFF.  I snagged it on my frantic runthrough.  Remember SAFF was pre-wheel, so I wasn’t sure what I wanted to get, but I had read a post on Ravelry that talked about how nice the Ashland Bay silk blend was to spin.  “Drafts like butter” stuck in my head. One vendor had a little over 3oz. left so I grabbed it.  I spun it into fingering weight singles with the intention of leaving it singles.  Unfortunately, I overspun it.  I think it will still be okay as a single yarn, but it would have been much prettier as a more loosely spun single.  Also, I did not find that it was all that wonderful to spin. It was nice, but not as nice as the indie dyed silk blends and seacell blends I have been spinning.

Before

After-330 yards

I also spun up the playing with red & scarlet sw merino roving I dyed last week.  Here are the singles (again you can see my little overspinning tendency!)

Candy cane striped singles

I attempted to navajo ply this at first (mainly because after finishing that 610 yards of JulieSpins merino above, I was too lazy to wind this onto a second bobbin to 2 ply). Disaster. I am still not absolutely sure what happened, since I was able to successfully nav-ply the Dragonfly Fibers silk/merino earlier, but this time it was just a mess.  I used the regular plying head at the lowest (slowest) ratio and the yarn still got all crazy twisted up. My loop kept closing on my finger and I broke a nail trying to rush and stop the wheel. It was so bad that I just stopped, wound it off and decided to 2ply the remaining singles.  Managed to get 150 yards of DK/Sport weight in the 2 ply.  Probably could have been another 50 yards or so if I hadn’t mangled it.  Oh well, that is why I dyed up the merino to practice on.  The yarn is drying now after setting the twist last night.

ON THE WHEEL TODAY:  The Plucky Knitter sw merino in the Honey Wilkes colorway

The Plucky Knitter SW Merino "Honey Wilkes"

That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing lately, sitting and knitting. It doesn’t help that when I stand, my left knee hurts, and when I sit in my wheelchair, my right hip hurts. I wish they would leave me one good side. *sigh*

Basketweave dishcloth

So, what have I knitted lately? Nothing too adventurous, unfortunately. I have done a couple of dishcloths. Why in this particular nauseating color, I don’t know. I use one, The Boyo asked for the other for his birthday. They really are nice for scrubbing dishes, or they make good shower poufs for body wash, too. I do them mostly to learn new patterns in cheap crappy cotton before I try to knit the good stuff.

And speaking of the good stuff, the best yarn I’ve got is some that is 18 % mohair. This is the first time I’ve had any yarn that wasn’t 100% dinosaur fiber (acrylic). I’ve done another scarf with it, and have one that is a work in progress. The scarf I adapted from the Lucky Thirteen pattern on Ravelry. With modifications. I never could get the holes right, so I only made them on the end of the scarf rather than the intricate pattern that was called for. I haz the L, as we

Lucky Me Scarf

say in my favorite Ravelry forum, Lazy, Stupid and Godless. And in this case I haz the S, too, because I couldn’t figure it out. Although it goes nicely with my coat, it is a wee bit too long for a 4′11″ woman sitting in a wheelchair. I do believe it is going to get washed, blocked, and given to someone taller for giftmas.

The work in progress is also going to be given for

Work in progress

giftmas, but I’m not telling to whom, because they sometimes read my blog. For this one, I don’t have a pattern, it is just seed or moss stitch all the way, which gives it this kind of nubby

Seed stitch

texture.  I hope to make a hat to go with it, but we will see if I’m too S to do some of the patterns.

The Boyo has requested a hat for giftmas, too, and that is in my queue after the other hat. He saw one at when we were at the mall the other day that he liked, and that I knew I could make. Except, again, I don’t have a pattern. I think I’m going to have to find hats that have the things I want and take “One from Column A, and one from Column B.” Which is pretty ambitious for somebody who just started knitting.

And I have a whole bunch more cotton yarn with which to make more dishcloths, so guess what a lot of folks are getting for giftmas this year? Well, we’ll see how long I can keep up this ambition. Usually, all my holiday ambition craps out about November 30th, so we’ll see.

This week I rec’d an email from my husband’s daughter, Michelle requesting a slouch hat for a special Christmas gift. I was in a panic! Where could I find the perfect slouch hat pattern for her. I did an online search and came up with this lovely pattern by Sarah Sutherland. It’s young, soft and perfect for winter.

The pattern is rated easy and includes using short rows, but there are very clear directions for you in case this is something you’ve never tried.

I substituted a nice yarn from WEBS called Artful Yarns Legend, color #1528. It’s 83% wool and 17% nylon. Originally, I started the hat with a boucle that I had on hand, but it seemed to bulky for this project. The yarn used in Sarah’s pattern is Emu Florentine, but I was unable to find a US distributor. I modified the stitch a bit because of the colorway and am making the body of the hat in straight stitch.

I also rec’d House Plant Hand Dyed Sock Yarn from Rachel-Marie of KnittyDirtyGirl.com today for my KAL on the KnittyDirtyGirl Ravelry group that I’m thrilled about. Socks haven’t been on the menu for awhile, so I’m a little rusty, but am glad for the challenge. The pattern I’m using is Lifestyle Toe Up Socks from Charisa Martin Cairn.

So today is all about new challenges….

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, She became a butterfly” – Proverb

Be a butterfly

 Marg (enjoying the process of transformation)

I’m in the midst of putting items together for my 3rd Ravelry swap. This one is a bit different(and much more fun so far!) compared to my last two. I’ve been stitch marker swapping but then came across Little Tin’s N Things swap..and decided eh..why not? I was partnered with a greal gal named Carrie..and although I’m dying to talk about what i’ve put together so far..y’all will have to wait because Carrie is cyberstalking me and I don’t want to ruin her fun! ( lol)  So here’s the scoop…as quoted from the group site

 ”1 medium or large tin or 2 small tins, any kind/brand(something that can be reused, such as an altoid’s tin) the more unique, the better! If it has mints, candy, chocolate or anything edible must be new/sealed!
-2 or 3 small items that can fit in the tin. a set of stitch markers, cable needles, point protectors, buttons…
-something “extra” that your partner will like, a skein of yarn, a certain needle…” the possibilites are endless…and it’s just great fun so if you are on Ravelry..check it out and sign up for the next round!

I’m proud to say that I’ve written my first pattern!!  You remember that cowl that I blogged about last week, right?  Well, it now has a name and a pattern.

As I wrote about in a recent post, I’ve caught design disease and can’t seem to go a few minutes without another design idea popping into my head.  So, since I’m nearing completion of another project that I plan on writing up the pattern for, I thought that I would get some pattern writing practice by writing up the pattern for this cowl.  Granted this pattern is much simpler than the one that I’m planning on tackling soon, practice is still practice.  Anyway, on with the show:

seirou

Size: 6″ high by 16 1/2″ round (unstretched)
Yarn: 90 yards of a bulky singles yarn [shown in Tahki Yarns Taos]
Needles: US 10 1/2 (6.5 mm) 32″ or longer circular needle or DPNs
Other materials: tapestry needle
Gauge: 4 stitches and 5 rows per inch in stockinette in the round

This pattern is named after the Japanese word for bamboo steamers – 蒸籠 (seirou) – because the woven look of the stitch pattern that covers most of the cowl reminds me of the pattern on the top of these steamers.  Knit in bulky yarn on big needles, this pattern knits up quickly.  I might even be tempted to say instantly…  making it a great tool for overcoming startitis.

seirou is wonderfully warm and cozy.  Combined with its short production time, these qualities make it the perfect choice to knit up if you find yourself in the midst of a quickly onsetting winter without a scarf to keep your neck warm. Additionally, it also means that seirou would make a great last minute gift this holiday season.

You can download the seirou PDF directly from marginalia or, if you are so inclined, the pattern is also available as a Ravelry download:

Given that this pattern was written in anticipation of writing up a more complicated one, your feedback about things like content, writing, photos and layout would be greatly appreciated.

VOTING ENDS: FRIDAY 25th November at 10PM (BST) (Scroll to end for poll)

“Missionary Mary had a vision of my father,” says Beverly Finster.”

.

.

.

.

“The family of Dashwood had been settled in Sussex since before the Alteration, when the waters of the world grew cold and hateful to the sons of man, and darkness moved on the face of the deep.”

.

.

.

“It still counts, even though it happened when he was unconscious.”

.

.

.

“She loved her country. She hated zombies.”

…

…

.

Miss Molly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick.
So she called for the doctor to come quick, quick, quick.
The doctor came with his bag and his hat,
And he knocked on the door with a rat-a-tat-tat.

He looked at the dolly and he shook his head.
And he said, “Miss Molly, put her straight to bed.”
He wrote on the paper for a pill, pill, pill.
“I’ll be back in the morning with the bill, bill, bill.”

Well, in the last weeks this Miss Molly had all her children sick at home ( one of them twice) and now she herself needed to go to the Doctor. As some of you might know I have Asthma and if I get a simple cold it acts up and does not want to leave.

Anyway, if you want to make me feel better (hehe) you can sign up for my newsletter by sending me an e-mail to sunnyside(dot)ellen(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Or on Ravelry you could link your yarn to my new shop page and make it look prettier. Instructions how to do this are here.

Thanks a bunch!

Well, after a week of sweater frustration, I can finally check off on project #3!  I had originally chosen a different “pattern” for this gift, but after frustration of measurements not working out (and it not really being a pattern at all) for my skinny mini recipient I had to scrap the idea and search for another pattern.  I was so afraid that after 3 days of working on the original sweater, I would really set myself back on other gifts that have yet to be casted on.  With a rather large list of projects to make for Christmas, time is very precious at this point.  Luckily I finally found a decent pattern and was able to get in the groove, which made it possible to catch back up in my knitting progress.

When I asked Olivia for some ideas of things I could knit her for Christmas or birthday gift, there was only one thing she asked for…a sweater.  I started searching for sweater patterns that would be great for a little 12 year old fashionista, but apparently the yarn felt differently when I started on the Garter Stitch Swingy Sweater.  I knew that the way the instructions were written wouldn’t work for my tiny model, so I tried to figure out what I would need to change things to so that it wouldn’t swallow her alive.  Unfortunately after 3 days of knitting and measuring, I couldn’t get it to work out quite right.  Since all she asked for was a sweater, I had to go back to the drawing board so that she could have her sweater.  Since I wasted three days already, I knew it had to be a super easy project but still have something about it that made it special.  That’s when I found the Top-Down Raglan and began to cast on again.

I’m amazed at how much I got done on the sweater in the first day of knitting.  I got into “the zone” and ended up finishing this sweater the very weekend I started it, and I was so relieved that I was able to make up for lost time.  To dress it up a little bit I added a seed stitch edging, and knit a 1/2 sleeve to make it a little different.

I don’t have any great pictures of the sweater at the moment, since I just finished it right before bed last night I haven’t had a chance to wash and flatten it out a bit (it’s all curled up from stuffing it my bag and taking it around as my To Go knitting project).  Once I get a chance to clean it up a bit, I’ll post some more pictures so you can get a good look at my first adult sized sweater.

DIYgal’s ratings:

• Pattern (Garter Stitch Swingy Sweater):  Not a real pattern at all, so I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone wanting to knit their first sweater.  While the FO’s on Ravelry look great, I think they have made changes to the suggestions (if knit as suggested, the sleeves seem like they will be huge when you get to the right measurement for the bust).  Great idea, but really needs some changes to make it work.  2/5
• Pattern (Top-Down Raglan):  Great pattern for a beginner!  It’s a quick and easy knit that still gives beautiful results, and can easily be changed to give a little personality to the FO.  If you are new to sweater knitting, I would highly recommend this sweater as your first project. 5/5
• FO:  Absolutely fantastic!  Simple yet fashionable.  5/5

Well I finally was able to check off project #2 on my Christmas To Knit gift list!  For your viewing pleasure, I present to you the wannabe sock monkey (semi “gag gift” for my aunt).

After last Christmas I knew right away what I had to make for my Aunt Tracy, a sock monkey to match her wonderful hat and mittens she got last year (the mittens are almost like puppets, which I had tons of fun playing with after dinner).  I knew I wanted to knit it instead of just buy a kit, so I figured I was going to have to come up with my own pattern…then I came across the adorable Happy Sock Monkey pattern while doing my usual Ravelry pattern search.  I absolutely fell in love with the pattern author’s FO and knew this was the perfect pattern for my aunt’s gift.

Once I had enough ideas in mind, I placed my Knit Picks order for the yarns needed and anxiously waited for the yarn to get here so I could get to work.  Sock knitting isn’t my forté, I figured this would be great practice because I really want to make socks for my family eventually.

I did all the finishing touches to the monkey last night, and I’m fairly happy with the end result.  I’m too much of a perfectionist, and things weren’t quite perfect in my eyes…but then my boyfriend reminded me that a sock monkey isn’t supposed to be perfect (I wouldn’t really know because I never had one growing up…I only recently fell in love with them after seeing this pattern and my aunt’s hat and mittens).  Some of the instructions confused me because the numbers weren’t quite adding up, so I contacted the author through Ravelry to see if I just wasn’t getting it because I’m not a sock knitting pro.  It ends up that I wasn’t crazy, and she was actually working on editing the pattern to fix mistakes but was sidetracked because of other commitments.  She was absolutely wonderful and understanding and emailed me the corrections so that I could keep making progress.

**Note: The pattern on the blog still has some mistakes, so please contact the author for corrections.  I don’t feel right posting their corrections on my blog.**

Some other people have added their own twist to this pattern, and created fun and lovable sock monkeys.  I highly recommend checking out all the FOs for this pattern on Ravelry if you want to come up with something slightly different.  That’s why I love sock monkeys, each one can be different and unique!

DIYgal’s rating:

• Pattern:  The corrected pattern is great and cleared up so much confusion for me.  There aren’t any instructions on finishing, but if you aren’t sure what to do you can always find finishing techniques in a knitting book.  If you haven’t had experience with sock making, this might be a good introductory project. 4/5
• FO:  Fun and lovable! 4/5

Spent the day not doing some house projects I’d hoped to get around to – seemed like a good day to kick back and just chill a bit….So I spent the time I’d planned on doing some Fall Clearing Out working up this hat.  It’s a variation on the L.A.M.B inspired hat on Ravelry.  (Modeled by my ever fabulous yet very serious youngest.)

I decided to use Caron Eco Soft just ’cause. Figured it was worth a whirl, and would turn out with a nice texture/feel. It did, but based on the exact pattern it’s a bit small for me – which is a shame, as it’s kinda fun.

I was thinking of gifting it, but it’s a bit funky for most of the potential recipients I can think of. I may give it to Eldest Son’s girlfriend – she *does* have a birthday coming up and she’s a petite little thing. I’ve no doubt it’d fit her well. My only thought is whether she’d like it….Hmm.

LOL – on the other hand, Youngest just reminded me that *his* birthday is in a few days as well, and he’s pretty fond of the hat as well.  He has just enough panache to pull it off, too – da boy knows how to wear clothes.  Certainly doesn’t get that from me. o.O

Two more pics are below – sorry that last one is blurry – as you might be able to tell, I took these in a hurry.

Aunque hace poco que he descubierto Ravelry y el grupo de tejedoras No8das, y sólo he ido a dos de las quedadas, la verdad es que cada vez estoy más enganchada a las agujas (suena mal esto, ¿no?) y tengo una pila importante de cosas en proceso (WIP’s) y cositas por hacer… Si mis cálculos no fallan, lo tendré todo hecho hacia finales de agosto de 2014.

De todo lo que tengo empezado lo primero que quiero terminar es la bufanda de ganchillo que no era para mí pero al final sí lo es, la que deshice cuando ya llevaba un ovillo entero de la lana que vi en otras manos y se me encaprichó… aunque en realidad poca prisa me corre, porque el frío no termina de llegar, y las ganas de ponerme una bufanda las sigo teniendo en el altillo.