Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sugar and Spice, ahem, Sugar'n Cream...

I love Lily Sugar'n Cream yarn. It is so versatile, comes in an endless number of different colors and color-combinations, is easy to work with, and is inexpensive. I had already made all kinds of little things with that cotton yarn, like these cute little soap sacks for the shower:





Or this little cell phone (or i-pod) "hoodie":


I have also made a baby blanket and matching hat and socks for my friend Cissy and her baby girl Ayla a while back:



I had some of the orange-pink-yellow left and wanted to crochet another easy market bag similar to these I had already whipped up at some other time (also with Lily yarn):



But in the end, it didn't turn into a market bag, but rather a totally improvised, cute little backpack, which immediately found a new owner in Jenna, my friend Malinda's little 6yo daughter.


As always, my daughter the ever patient model...


And to show my appreciation to the model, I made this little lip balm holder for her:


...which she promptly attached to the belt of her robe (but which also fits around her wrist or could be attached to a key chain).


I still have a whole big bag full of Sugar'n Cream in all kinds of different colors. Oh, the possibilities...

Saturday, February 21, 2009

My Knitting History...


My daughter drew this little cartoon (published with the permission of the artist) for my blog. Cool, eh?

And while we are just "thinking" about knitting...

This came across one of my knitting lists (strange thing is, there are a bunch of items I never even heard of or know what they are):

Mark with bold the things you have knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

————————————————————————
Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hats: Top-Down
Hats: Cuff-up
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items

Knitting With Your own handspun

Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Combination knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Participate in an exchange
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Dyeing spinning fiber
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else's hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Tassels
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn (guilty)
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/
poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Socks on the road...

During the holidays, we took a road trip through West Texas. If you have ever been to West Texas, you know that it is vast. This means a lot of driving... My husband drove, my daughter listened to music or watched movies on her portable DVD player - except for those times when I pointed out scenaries to her, such as windmill farms, mountains, cacti (lots of cacti - in all kinds of colors: green, gray, purple, pink, with and without spines), dessert, nothing (lots of nothing - in all kinds of colors: brown, tan, beige, light brown, dark brown, with or without vegetation), small and not quite so small towns. We had fun, and saw lots of little gems in between, like the McDonald Observatory, Alpine (a quaint little town), different museums with all kinds of funky stuff, a meteor crater in Odessa, an old (but still active) movie setting, the Marfa lights, and much more (well, maybe not much more, but more).

So, while DH drove and DD watched movies, yours truly knitted, of course!! I finished a pair of really cool socks.


They are called "circle socks." I found the original design on Ravelry. It is by Anne Campbell. Her website has the pattern.


The yarn is by Patons, called Kroy Socks Stripes, color Bronzed Berry Stripes. Quite possibly my new favorite (inexpensive) sock yarn. I bought a whole bunch, in all kinds of different colors. Not sure how it wears yet, but it knits nicely.

The Kroy is a new sock yarn they carry at our local Michaels. I am so glad. They did not used to have any sock yarns. Now they also carry Patons Stretch Socks. I also knitted my first pair of socks with that yarn.


I liked the feel during knitting. Now I am curious to see how it wears and washes.

Here is my finished pair. Oh, yeah, I saw these "screwball socks" on Ravelry, which sort of inspired my own screwy version. My usual toe-up socks with the "screw" pattern for the instep and leg parts.

Instep:
Let's say, ndls 3 and 4 are your instep ndls.
After you are done with the toe increases and are getting ready for a pattern:
k ndls 1 and 2 throughout all this
ndls 3 and 4 are worked as follows:
p6, k the rest of ndl 3 and 4
k3, p6, k the rest of ndl 3 and 4
k6, p6, k the rest of ndl 3 and 4
k9, p6, k the rest of ndl 3 and 4
keep doing this, moving your 6p by 3 sts on needles 3 and 4
until you are at a point where the last 6 sts on ndl 4 are purls
next row:
k ndls 3 and 4 to the last 3 sts on ndl 4, p3
start ndl 3 on the next round with 3p, k the rest of ndl 3 and 4
and start the next tread of your screw socks.

Once you worked your heel and start the leg part you want your tread to go all the way around the socks, so:
work your 6 purls on opposite needles:
if you start ndl 3 with 6 purls, also start ndl 1 with 6 purls and work as before, winding your purls around your socks, if you will.

And here is the final product:

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Do you know where your jewels are?

I saw these instructions for a jewelry frame online:



At our local Goodwill outlet store, I found some picture frames with missing glass, so they were perfect for my misguided purpose...

I have to admit that I did not look at the actual instructions. I just saw the pictures, crocheted a very simple lace-type rectangle, and attached it to the first frame.

My first jewelry frame would be a Christmas present for my daughter and came out quite lovely:



The hardest part was tacking (or nailing) the crocheted fabric to the back of the frame. My husband and a friend, who happened to stay with us at the time, helped to stretch and tack. And the result was quite lovely!

I had two more frames of similar sizes and crocheted two more rectangles. Gotta get DH to get the staple gun out again...

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Presents, felted and non-felted or: I felt your presents 2

Like I said before, everybody got homemade gifts from our house this year. Here are a few samples...

  • socks for my daughter

  • a jewelry frame for my daughter
  • socks for my husband
  • a purse (can also be a pillow case) for my friend Wanda
  • a felted bowl-set for my friend Ria
  • a felted bag for Mary

  • a grocery bag for Susan


  • a scarf for Carol
  • a scarf for Dey
  • I had made a similar scarf for Chris a few weeks ago for her birthday
  • and more...
  • and, most importantly, lots of cookies changed hands
Everybody was very kind and pretended to appreciate the gifts :).

Merry Christmas!

To Top It All Off or More Hats

Just very quickly a few more hats.

One crocheted, and very similar to the one I made earlier, just a tad bigger and different colors:



The color did not come out very well in this picture. The hat is really pink and white, with a white border. So here is another picture my dear husband took for me:



The other hat is knitted very loosely with just a small rolled brim:




My precious daughter is once again modeling for me :). She has such a hat-face!

And also a better picture of that one:



Okay, now I can go and wrap them. This year, everybody gets homemade gifts only from our house. Lots of knitting and crocheting has been done. And also lots of baking...

What greater gift than some homemade cookies and a hat, or a bowl, or a scarf?!

Happy Holidays!!!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Knitters/Crocheters' Night Before Christmas

This was posted in one of my groups. No idea who the author is, but here goes...
(you can substitute "knit" for "crochet")

CROCHETERS' NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

~ Author Unknown ~
'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished crocheting not under the tree,
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep-he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6? too small.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my hook to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.

The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.
When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.

And although I was tired-my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.
Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.

"Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite! Move over!
Lopi, don't circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!

I know this is hard as it's just your first year
But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."
I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!

And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's big boots stomping on the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.

He was dressed all in wool from his heat to his toe
And his clothes were hand crochet from above to below.
A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran crochet sack.

His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.

On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:
"S.C." in duplicate on the cuff.
So I asked, "Hey, Nick, did YOU crochet all this stuff?"

He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to crochet when I was just a kid."
He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.

I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.
He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my crochet hook and yarn for a cap.

He began then to crochet, first one cap then 2-
For the first time I thought I might really get through.
He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.

Quickly like magic his hooks they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year, start your crocheting sometime around JUNE!"