Euroknit

It never comes out the way you think...

2010-10-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I wonder why??? Because I never have the yarn that's in the pattern, or not enough, or because I refuse to follow instructions??? Or a little bit of everything?

I am reading Adrienne Martini's Sweater Quest right now, and one of the questions she poses is how much a knitter can alter a pattern before it's not that pattern any more...

Okay, enough musing... Remember the 14 skeins of Berroco Cliche, color Krispie Treat and the DROPS Design "1-1 long jumper in moss stitch" on Ravelry? Well, here is what became of them:

And the two skeins of Vinca # 803 (a green-blue marbled hue) for the standard toe-up socks turned into this:

Since there is still plenty of yarn left over, I thought I would start another pair exactly the same way. This way, since the colorway is rather different between the two skeins, I thought I could match them up between the four different footsies. But again, I can't even follow my own instructions, so the second pair is coming out a bit different. I am making the toe part longer, so they are not quite as open and will hopefully stay on the foot a little better. Stay tuned...

It's a wrap!

2010-09-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

Finally! I finished it!!! The shawl/wrap/vest thingy. Actually, it's an adaptation of the DROPS Design, "96-13 loosely knitted top in Puddel." Except, of course, I didn't use their Puddle yarn, but the Vinca #810 (blue-purple-vine marbled), and I used the crocus bud pattern, which, by the way, I really like.

Yeah! Haven't actually worn it yet. Desperately waiting for weather cool enough to be able to tolerate something a little warmer.

So, with that out of the way, I started a new project with one of the yarns I got in my big Freecycle coup. Among all the stuff I got were 14 skeins of Berroco Cliche, color Krispie Treat. It's really nice! But, it's discontinued, so if the 14 skeins aren't enough, well...

I found this DROPS Design "1-1 long jumper in moss stitch" on Ravelry. I thought it would work well with the Berroco yarn. But I think I will open the front to make it more of a cardigan than a pullover. I used one skein for each sleeve (6 inches long), five skeins for a length of 15 inches for the back (I haven't cast off yet, just in case), and have now 7 skeins left for the two front panels. We'll see...

I prefer to work on the sweater at home, so I started another pair of socks as my bus project. I bought two skeins of Vinca # 803 (a green-blue marbled hue) a while back. So I started my standard toe-up socks with that yarn.

Hmmm. Lots of DROPS Design and Vinca going on these days, it seems. I guess you like what you like :).

Post-vacation blues

2010-08-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

I spent two weeks in Vancouver, Canada. Beautiful!!!!! Great scenery, great weather, great people, great food, lots of stuff to do and see... And best of all, vacation! Time to knit :). And time to do jigsaw puzzles. My sister-in-law and I have this tradition that I always bring a puzzle whenever we see each other. Since our time in Canada overlapped shorter than usual, I only brought a relatively easy puzzle. Turned out, I totally underestimated our abilities (or tenacity), and we had finished the puzzle within a few hours. So Sarah was kind enough to get us another one. And it was really hard!!! It's a beautiful picture, and even our girls had fun with it. In fact, they were the ones who finished it up:

Okay, so since I was afraid that airport security would take my knitting needles away from me, I only brought sock stuff, knitted with wooden needles. I finished one pair of short socks.

And mostly finished another pair of long socks. Did the rest on the commute to work after I got back from vacation. It's an easy thing for me to bring along. Not a lot of bulk, easy to stuff in your purse to take anywhere you go, and by now I know by heart how to knit my standard toe-up socks:

Needles: size 0, 1, or 2 dpns, depending on needed sock size, yarn, etc.
Cast on 24-28 sts with Magic Cast-on method
Divide sts over 4 dpns (6 or 7 sts ea)
Increase 4 sts every other round until you have a total of anywhere between 16-20 sts per needle
Work this until you get to where you increase for the heel (your foot is about 2 - 2 1/2 inches shorter than you want it to be). Now, every other round, m1 st at the beginning of the first sole dpn and at the end of the second sole dpn until you have 30-33 sts on each sole dpn, like so:
Work dpn 1 and 2 (instep dpns) per whatever pattern you might choose or just stockinette
Work dpn 3 and 4 (sole dpns) as follows:
dpn 3: k1, m1, k rem sts
dpn 4: k to the last st, m1, k1
(Remember to increase (m1) only every other round!)
Repeat this until you have 30-33 sts ea on dpns 3 and 4.
To turn the heel work dpns 3 and 4 as follows (the rest of the sts are resting during this):
k3 more than you have on dpn 3, ssk, k1, turn
sl1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn
sl1, k8, ssk, k1, turn
sl1, p9, p2tog, p1, turn
sl1, k10, ssk, k1, turn
sl1, p11, p2tog, p1, turn
Continue this way until all sts are worked. Divide them up over 2 dpns again, combine with the 2 dpns from the instep needles, and continue working in the round again
Work in whatever pattern you choose for as long as you want your cuff
Prepare for bind-off:
Second to last round: m1 after every 2 or 3 sts depending on how loose (and/or ruffle-ly) you want your bind-off to be/look.
Last round: k
Bind off any way you like. My preferred bind-off is:
*Ssk, put st back from rhn to lhn, rep from * until all sts are gone.
This makes for kind of a wavy bind-off. Use a different method, if you don't like this. If you have any great and easy bind-offs that allow for enough stretch to comfortably put socks on and take them off, without necessarily getting the ruffled look, I would love to hear about it!!!!
And to make it even easier I knit both socks simultaneously, so I don't have to remember how I did the first sock when I start the second one.

Our niece Alisha got the monkey I finished just before the trip. I started another one after I got back home. I think my daughter has some friends who really like my knitted critters, and she wants to give some of them away. I made another baby monkey (like the one our exchange student Theresa got), including the safety pin for the punk look (Theresa's creation).

I am still working on the monstrous shawl... Haven't touched it in a while, until this week. I am really pretty close to being done, but it's all getting a big cumbersome. I guess I am learning that I am not very good with larger projects. Patience and stamina are not my strongest virtues. That's why I like socks and little toy animals :). It's good to know your strengths and weaknesses...

And before I sign off from this post, one more garden picture. The fruit of our labor... Actually, my husband planted all the tomatoes and peppers, but I harvested :).

Done, done, and done!!!

2010-06-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Most of the cactus garden is done. Gravel is spread (mostly), cacti are planted (mostly), edges are put in place (mostly)... Well, you know the saying: 90% of the work take 10% of the time and the remaining 10% of the work take 90% of the time. For now, though, I am enjoying the fruits of the 90% work and try not to think about the odds and ends that still need to be finished.

Here, again, is the front part of the yard:

As you can see, I desperately need the plants to grow :).

This is the side of the house where the truck had dumped the 12 yards of gravel. You can still see a tiny little elevation with a little extra gravel (for those remaining 10% of the work, remember?). But I am done working on the yard for now and wanted to leave it looking somewhat "done."

This, apparently, is a sago palm. I bought this one a little while ago at a school plant sale.

I also received a few "pups" from another kind freecycler. And they look like this:

Okay, last gardening picture (I promise). I could not resist this one. It is our very first red tomato. I will give it one more day. It is beautiful, big, and will be delicious! Too bad my husband is missing out (he is out of town).

Okay, enough with the garden and yard. Back to knitting...

I finished the shawl/vest. It came out nicely, but the front parts could have been a little wider. I was afraid that I would run out of yarn.

Now I just need some cold weather to be able to wear it. But that's gonna take a while :). Maybe I will take it to the office, where the A/C sometimes gets quite cold.

Oh, and I forgot that I also finished "Ellie Elephant." I don't like it quite as much as the baby monkey before, but it came out okay in the end, I guess. My daughter has not seen it yet, so she will be the ultimate judge.

And just in case "Ellie" will not pass her judgment, I quickly started another monkey. Hopefully, I will get it finished before my daughter comes back home.

As you can see, still monkey-ing around :)...

Too sore to knit!

2010-06-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, the drainage ditch and the cactus gardens are done! Well almost... I still need to add some cacti. But all the digging and shoveling is done. All the drainage pipes and all the gravel are in place. And I even planted some Agave plants already.

It felt good to do all this manual labor! But both hubby and I are sore all over! Name a body part... it hurts! The pain will subside, though, and the lovely front yard will stay. Now if we could just get the neighbor cats to stop using is as a litter box :).

Due to nightly pain recovery sessions, knitting took a bit of a back seat.

"Ellie Elephant" is still a work in progress... My vest thingy is still a work in progress... The good news is that the buses I take to work have started running again (after a short summer break), so I have more time to knit again. Though neither of these two projects lend themselves for commute knitting at this point.

SOOOOO, I had to start a new project... I got a huge load of yarn from a very nice person on Freecycle.I just can't believe my luck! All kinds of designer yarns and different kinds of sock yarns! Must of been a few hundred dollars worth of yarn in that box I got! Here is just a very small excerpt:

Among my loot were 14 skeins of ON Line Trend Setters' LINIE 78 VEGA (it appears to be a line from 2002). Color is purple with a metallic thread woven into an inconsistently bulky wool. Very nice!

I saw this nice vest/shawl at Coldwater Creek and am trying to use the yarn to make something similar.

Stay tuned...

Monkey-ing Around

2010-05-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

My vest-shawl thingy has not made too much progress yet. I do work on it enough here and there not to forget how the pattern works, but it's still a long way from being done... But then again, here in Texas, I really won't need it until it gets colder again, which is, like, in November, if we are lucky!

The socks I finished are done, though. Seems like I can always whip a pair out in between. So, another pair of socks for my stash.Opal sock yarn: NEON. I was very excited to try that Opal yarn, but have to say that I was a bit disappointed. If feels kind of rough, though I don't know how it will wash. Oh, and it came with this extra little skein of thin contrast yarn in dark purple. I looked online but couldn't find anything anywhere. So I used it as a run-along string for the toes and heels. I don't know if Opal sock yarn comes with this or if the seller on eBay just gave me a little extra gift :).

So here goes my latest addiction: I have gotten into sock-monkeys for the girls.

I started out with the Red Heart Sock Monkey. Though, you know me, I didn't use Red Heart yarn. I think this is Hobby Lobby's "I love THIS Cotton" Ivory Print.

It's cute, but not perfect... They don't all come out quite as planned - yet (I guess there is a little learning curve), but the girls like them anyway, take them to school, and take orders from their friends for more. I can't keep up!

Next, I splurged (I don't usually like to buy patterns when there are so many free ones floating around) and bought the Patons Classic Wool Monkey Business booklet. This is the "Baby Monkey."

Since Michael's didn't have the Patons yarn, I used Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice. Colors are Linen, Scarlett, and Taupe Mist.

Please note that Baby Monkey was adorned with a safety pin through the lips. I guess what we have here is a Punk Baby Monkey or a Baby Punk Monkey...

The next request was for "Ellie Elephant," also from the Patons Classic Wool Monkey Business booklet.

This is still a work in progress...

The picture is a little dark. So far I have the head and trunk (though I think I have to redo that because it really does NOT look like a head and trunk and might, in fact, be somewhat offensive... Also finished are the two ears and one leg. I really have to start using the suggested yarns to make sure my projects come out the way they are supposed to. I am using lily sugar 'n cream, one twist and two solids. May just not be the right yarn for "Ellie Elephant."

Mayfest, time to work in the garden

2010-05-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I missed my April post. Just barely, though. It was a busy month. Hubby and I have been doing all kinds of projects around the house (repaired kitchen drawers and added pull-out trays to most of the lower cabinets, changed some lighting fixtures and fans, etc.) and garden (got a compost pile and rain-collection containers, installed an herb garden, started working on a drainage ditch in the front yard--using the excavated soil to turn the sand box, which we no longer need, into a vegetable garden patch, repot some plants, etc.). As you can see, we were quite busy. Well, okay, so my husband did most of it. But, hey, I had to supervise, right?!

Anyway, I did knit, too! No really! I have been working on this really cool vest/shawl.

The original inspiration as

96-13 Loosely knitted top in Puddel.

I found the pattern on Ravelry. But it is available for free at the above link. However, I completely changed the yarn from the original pattern . Instead of the suggested

DROPS Puddel from Garnstudio
400-450-500 g colour no 07, medium grey,

I used Julia's Vinca (sock yarn), color 810 (some kind of purple/plum and blue). The color between skeins varies a lot, but, hey, it's inexpensive. I like it so far; but since the yarn is rather thin, it takes a while.

It's really quite an easy design:

I
Instead of stocking stitch, as the pattern suggests, I used the pattern stitch called "Crocus Buds" from the stitch library in "Now you're knitting - super how-to handbook and design treasure."

Row 1 of Pattern: K1, *YO, K2* Repeat from * across needle.
Row 2 of Pattern: *P4, with left needle bring the third st on right needle over the first 2 sts and off the needle (P3SO). *P3, with left needle bring the third st on right needs over the first 2 sts and off the needle. Repeat from * across.
Row 3 of Pattern: *K2, YO. Repeat from * to last stitch, K1.
Row 4 of Pattern: P3SO, repeat to the last st, P1.

It took me a little while to figure out the pattern (I am still not very good at following instructions), but eventually I got it right. I really like the pattern. It makes for a very light vest. However, it's not the kind of pattern that is easily done without looking, so it's harder to knit while doing something else like watching TV, or on the bus without getting nauseous from looking down all the time. Also, as I progress, it's a bit bulky to take along...

So I needed another project for my commute to work. And what easier project than socks, right?! I had bought a whole bunch of different sock (and other) yarns on eBay. So I started a pair of plain ol' toe-up socks with Opal, color NEON, 1931. Each skein I bought came with a small skein of accent color, which I am using for the toes and heels.

Since I like to knit both pairs of socks simultaneously, I decided that I really don't like 100 g skeins. I always seem to get into a big mess with I start the skein from both ends :).

I am back!!!

2010-03-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Whew! Some spam site had taken over my blog. Nobody could get on, including me, without instantly getting rerouted to another site. But now all is well again :) and I better hurry and get my March entry uploaded.

Don't have too much to show, though. I saw this really cute hoodie-scarf-mittens combination-thingy somebody was sporting on the bus and was trying to recreate it. I have made a few attempts but nothing worked out yet. So that was kind of a time suck.

I also unraveled a pair of almost done socks last night because I just didn't like them. I will start over today...

As I mentioned, I bought a whole bunch of yarn recently from Knit Picks and from different ebay sources.

They are almost exclusively sock yarns. So... MUST KNIT SOCKS!!! I do have one more pair I finished.

I am glad when Spring Break is over, the shuttle buses will run again, and I don't have to drive myself, but can ride the bus and knit again. I don't mind the extra commute time it takes.

Anyway, dh and I were at the book store last night and I saw this sock challenge ad in one of the knitting magazines with some really cool designs.

When I googled "sock challenge" after we got back home, I found all kinds of funky links: the MetaBlog sock challenge, the Rainbow Toe sock challenge, the Flickr 5280 sock challenge, the think outside the Sox contest winners and all the entries. Here are some of *MY* favorites:

But the one I really liked in the magazine, for some reason, was not included. And now I am obsessed with finding it...

Brrrrr!!! Snow in Texas!

2010-02-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

Finally a day off (thanks to dh!) after a crazy few weeks or month at work... So I have a few hours to dilly-dally away at the computer at home and post my latest projects.

Yes, we had snow in Texas!!

No, really!!!

So I was borrowing the leg warmers I had made for my daughter, since they apparently are not quite cool enough for her!

She modeled them for the blog, but has not worn them outside the house yet.

I have, though!

And they match the two hand muffs I made with left-over yarn stash:

They are really warm and have little pockets inside and outside to hold ipods, etc. You know, all the stuff you need while you are out and about.

It all started when I tried to make one of those snake draft thingies...

Those long whatshamacallits you put in front of the door or window to keep the cold drafts out:

I made one, and before I had a chance to stuff it, my daughter decided that it would make a really cute leg warmer. So I made her a pair of leg warmers (even if she is not wearing them in public).

It's fun to be creative with the color and yarn combinations of these little "left-over" projects. But since it requires being close to the stash box, they are not very "mobile" projects.

Which means that for my daily bus commute, I stick with socks for that. Here is my February pair:

I really love the colors of this Red Heart sock yarn: Heart and Sole with Aloe! It felt really nice knitting. Haven't worn them yet. But did I mention that I really like the colors? And the pattern. Can't wait to get more :).

I had a little attack this week, though, and ordered all kinds of yarn (and other knitting paraphernalia) from Knit Picks and from ebay! So, I better hold off for now. Less yarn buying and more knitting...

More Ladybugs! Just in time for Spring and Valentine's Day

2010-01-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

Since I am just working away on that pair of socks I started and don't really have any new projects going on, I thought I would share some more LADYBUG patterns I found lately. Maybe somebody will be inspired for Valentine's Day.

Here is an absolutely adorable ladybug cardigan for a little girl on Petite Purls:

Another cardigan:

Little Bug Cardigan by Laurel Young

published on her blog Strings and Rings

by QuirkyLaurel Flickr

And if you want to knit something even smaller.
How about these Ladybird Shoes by Zoë Mellor.

The pattern is in her
spiral-bound book
50 Baby Bootees to Knit
on Amazon.com.

Next I have a really cute ladybug scene with flower:

The pattern is from

Susanne Fågelberg

and available on Ravelry.

She also sells the patterns to her creations on Etsy under: Tilda and Filur.

Another cute ladybug also sold on Etsy:

This one is also crocheted and then felted.

Adorable, isn't it?!

And crawling right along:

by craftyshanna Flickr

crafty-shanna is kindly sharing her patterns, including this one, on her LiFEJOURNAL Thanks for sharing!

Okay, so the next one is not technically a ladybug pattern. These car seat belt covers just have the cutest ladybug buttons. The "Carseat Shoulder Strap Covers" pattern by Sylvia Schuchardt is available for free on her website hook candy.

by sylver Flickr

Back to real ladybug patterns. Here is a cute blanket:

Ladybug Afghan and Pillow PA273 by Maggie Weldon

by MaggieWeldon Flickr

How about a ladybug coaster?

Found on Ravelry.

Available on

The Crocheting Commuter.

A cute little hat and bootee combo:

"Ladybugs Bring Good Luck" Beanie and Booties

by Mary Triplett

by ClickClick Flickr

Found on Ravelry, does not seem to have a website, but gives her email address.

Last one for today. Also technically not a ladybug pattern but it's called

"Ladybug" by Jennifer Lippman-Bruno

I am going to include it, because it's just too cute!!!

Is that a doll or a baby?

Precious!!!!

I don't know what I like more, the hat or the baby!!!

Available on knowknits.

Hope you enjoyed our little trip down ladybug lane...

Super funky chunky VEST

2010-01-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

First I made another one of those funky bags with leftover yarn:

I love how all those little pockets look, outside and inside (okay, so it just looks like a black hole, but really, there are two pockets on the inside!):

No pockets on the back. The overall color theme on this one is more green-brown tones, whereas the previous bag was brighter colors.

When I realized that these bags don't even make a dent in my leftover yarn stash, I tried to come up with a "bigger" project and decided to make a vest:

I really like all the weird color and texture combinations. It was a fun process, knitting and picking the next yarn or yarn combination.

However, the vest came out not just funky, but also really chunky :( and is not very flattering to wear. At least not for someone who "needs" flattering :). It's warm, though.

My husband really likes it and thinks I should add it to my "stash" and sell all that stuff at a booth next holiday season. He even wants to "man" the booth :).

It was great actually using up a lot of yarn. Oh, by the way, our foster dogs also helped with that. I woke up one morning to a huge yarn mess in the living room. They had had a ball over night. Fortunately for me, no work in progress was destroyed. Unfortunately for my daughter, she was not as lucky :( ...

Anyway, here is the "left over" leftover stash:

This does, of course, not include the stash of "new" yarns. Yarns are like books. It's hard to resist them in the store, but once you have them at home, they keep staring at you...

Anyway, next project: another pair of socks. Basic stand-by: toe-up. Yarn: Patons Stretch Socks, Mineral:

Three-stitch, two-row pattern:
Row 1: k, k, p
Row 2: k, p, k
repeat

I knit a lot during the bus commute to work. And socks are easy to take along...

Replenishing the depleted stash

2009-12-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

Survived Christmas. One more little "craft" gift to show off. I received one of these many years ago and have always wanted to make some. And this year I finally did:

I don't think this is legible, but here is what it says:

This is a very special gift that you can never see. The reason it's so precious is it's just for you from me. Whenever you are lonely, or ever feeling blue, you only have to hold this gift, and know that I love you. You never can unwrap it, please leave the ribbon tied. Just hold the box close to your heart, it's filled with love inside.

Okay, enough with the mushy...

I also finished another pair of short socks (this time for myself!):

Quick toe-up socks. Made with Knit Picks Bare yarn. Very cute and easy to work with. I have found that making a new stitch every fourth stitch in the second to last row gives me enough stretch to get the socks on easily.

Being off for two weeks, and not going anywhere, there is a lot of time for movies and knitting. My goal, aside from replenishing my "gift stash," which has been depleted for Christmas, is to use up my boxes of remnents:

I started out with this artsy purse/bag:

Just a plain front and back purse with three looped cords braided together for a handle.

And pockets sewn on in different places. One around the side, one around the bottom, and one even on the inside.

A pretty bright yellow button. Lots of different fancy and colorful yarns, like Lion Brand's Fun Fur and Fancy Fur in different colors, all kinds of left-over Lily yarns, and whatever else I could find bits and pieces of in my boxes.

I really liked the result. So I decided to continue with the patchwork theme:

Just cast on about 60 stitches on some chunky needles and knit along... Maybe a vest? Or another bag/purse thingy? Who knows...

All I want for Christmas...

2009-12-26T05:16:00.000-08:00

... is to get in one more blog before December is over as well (no post in November). Not much blogging, but I did knit. Lots of homemade presents again this year:

Socks for Wanda (who came for just a couple of days, but it was still great to see her!):

Remember the toe-up "circle socks" I made on our road trip around this time last year? The original design was on Ravelry by Anne Campbell. Yarn is Patons Kroy Socks 4 Ply.

Socks for Melanie (our new friend and fellow exchange student host mom):

Oops, it appears, I forgot to take a picture of them before I gave them away. I need to catch her wearing them...

A very simple Lion Brand Fun Fur scarf for her niece, Brianna, who, by the way is a wonderful, beautiful, I-am-running-out-of-adjectives young lady:

A chap stick or lip balm holder with Sugar'n Cream for Theresa:

And presents from the heart (with no material content) for Malinda and Gwen (the two invited me this year to come along on their annual pre-Christmas shopping madness trip - it was one of my best Christmas presents to hang out with them for hours while hunting for some last minute presents), Theresa and Katrina (not knitted, but hand-made, nonetheless):

Oh, and, of course, the usual barrage of cookies for friends and coworkers. This year, I had a lot of help with baking from Theresa, which was fabulous!!! It was so much more fun and so much easier. She loves to bake and decorate, but she also likes to eat cookies :), as do I, of course. Aside from tons of cookies, we also made the most wonderful cheesecake (with a few tweaks: add a little eggnog and reduce the sugar, no extra sugar in the crust, 6 eggs instead of 5 eggs and 2 yokes, and then drip a little eggnog on top, along with a little nutmeg and cinnamon) - a real joint family effort - it was quite cute, the four of us in the kitchen, all doing our part to make this work.

And then Theresa also made a super yummy and very light cake - Maulwurfkuchen - that was gone within minutes :).

Now, if that doesn't look yummy!!!!

Socktoberfest, again...

2009-10-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

Gotta hurry and get my Socktoberfest entry in. I did actually knit a few pairs of socks this month. A pair for Theresa's birthday...

a pair for Katrina (sh... she doesn't know yet)...

and a pair of little toe socks...

I ran out of the Patons Kroy Socks in Denim Jacquard and actually found a skein on eBay. So I could finish the pair I had started. I was amazed, though, how different the colors were on that one skein that came from a different batch. Oh, well, they are just socks...

Lots of people gonna get socks for Christmas this year or whatever other handmade little things. I have definitely picked up my production some again, but am still a bit uninspired these days. I do have to show off my cute little toddler hoodie, though. Here is little baby A.:

Isn't she just the most adorable little thing?!

Btw, the doggy in the background is Woody, a Shar Pei mix, who is desperately looking for a permanent home.

But back to Christmas presents... I also finished a few more picture frame earring holders. Just need to get my husband to get out the nailgun to assemble them with me. Oh, and another shopping bag:

Confessions of a Sporadic Knitter...

2009-09-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have not posted anything since March. I have a lot of different excuses.

Let's see...

Excuse # 1:

Somehow, knitting, in my old German mind, is for cold days, long winters. And since I live in Texas, I have a hard time getting the knitting needles out in the summer.

So, at least I made some summer fare. Technically, not knitting, but at least some form of handy-craft. Flip-flops for all the summer visitors (Alicia modeling a pair):

Or...

Excuse # 2:

I have been working longer hours here and there and had less time for knitting...

But you can always use some shopping bags (and they also make great gifts - one of them was for my lovely friend Jane):

Okay, so technically, those were not knit, either. Maybe crocheting is for summer and knitting for winter?

Or...

Excuse # 3:

First, we had summer house guests, and now we have an exchange student from Germany (a permanent house guest for a year), and I have just been too busy. Here is another one of my lame excuses (the excuse is lame, not Theresa!!!) as we pick her up from the airport:

Which brings us to...

Excuse #4:

What with all the rearranging we had to do to accommodate the extra people in the house...

Or, how about...

Excuse #5:

We have been fostering puppies and dogs...

Here are Inuit, Tammy, and Penelope:

And this is our current foster dog, Woody:

Or...

Excuse #...

Oh well, enough with the excuses.

As you can see, I actually have been working on the occasional project (as you can see me sitting and knitting with my daughter):

I actually have been knitting, or crocheting, or whatever. I just have been really bad about posting. And I have an excuse for that, too:

FACEBOOK!!

But to catch you up, here are the other things I have been working on:

I crocheted a small cell phone holder for around the neck, because I have a wireless blue-tooth (is that redundant?) headset that doesn't reach if I hold the phone in my hand or have it in a pocket or purse. And I listen to music on my cell phone, so I need a good connection.

I finished another little baby blanket (squares are knit, border crochet) with the remainder of the yarn I had for my co-worker's baby blanket. This one will be for Karen:

Of course, with the obligatory lady bug!!!

A little baby/toddler hoodie. I have another one (much smaller) in the works, but am not sure if that one will ever get finished :). You know how that goes... But here is the one that did get done:

With pocket, of course :)

And remember, I had all those different kinds of Sugar'n Cream from all kinds of different projects.

I crocheted a little hat for a very old doll (almost as old as I am):

And I little iPod cozy with lipstick holder:

I tried to use all the remains up with this pillow cover:

It was also a nice chance to try out all kinds of different patterns.

I also made another attempt at felting:

As you can see, lots of little projects. But nothing really earth-shattering. Just lacking the right motivation (and time). But, Austin temperatures are finally below 100 degrees and maybe the slightly cooler and more pleasant ambient climate will help me to take a closer look at my stash...

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

2009-03-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

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...

My Knitting History...

2009-02-21T05:38:00.000-08:00

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

Socks on the road...

2009-01-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

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:

Do you know where your jewels are?

2008-12-28T19:27:00.001-08:00

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...

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

2008-12-24T12:12:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-24T12:02:00.001-08:00

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!!!

Knitters/Crocheters' Night Before Christmas

2008-12-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

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!"

HATS HATS HATS HATS or Ode to all my bald friends...

2008-12-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

When I found out that my friend Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer, I called her and asked her if there was anything I can do. Everybody feels helpless and wants to do something. But there is just not much to do... I had seen a few women at work go through similar experiences and knew the routine.

Anyway, in my desperate attempt to DO SOMETHING, I started knitting hats...

First of all I knew from my husband, who is bald by choice, that bald heads get cold easily. Also, it's one thing to shave your head as a man, especially right now, when it is fairly fashionable; it's a whole other story to loose your hair as a result of horrific chemicals being pumped into your body... Ot seems as if bald heads on women are just not quite as *IN* these days. And, from what I understand, wigs feel awkward and are not very comfortable, so many cancer-battling women are not too crazy about them.

Which brings us back to hats.

I started with Robin's Egg Blue Hat. I could not find a button large enough that matched the colors of the yarn:

Sugar'n Cream Cotton Ombre Yarn-Country Side.

So I crocheted a little flower-thingy for the spot where the button would go. Here you see my daughter sporting the hat, before they all go to Lisa's.

I like the feel of the Sugar'n Cream cotton yarn. I had some more around the house, so I started another hat in different colors. I had my eyes on that pattern for a while. Since my friend Lisa has a good sense of humor, I dared to offer her this "Berry Hat" (again, my daughter is modeling the hat for my blog):

Isn't that just the most adorable little thing?! I have a feeling I might use that pattern again some time in the future.

And on to the next project...

I was kind of going for the ruffle look and found this really nice pattern. But then the Bernat Softee Chunky (color: Nature's Way) yarn was too chunky (that's my excuse, and I am sticking with it!), and the ruffle look turned into a bonnet look. I wove a little string (made of a crochet chain) around the hat where the ruffles start, but this seemed to only strengthen the bonnet look. Here is my daughter again...

She turned the bonnet into a French baret:

Much better, isn't it?! We will have to see what Lisa thinks of that one...

Since the weather here in Texas was still warm most days, I made one more hat that was a little lighter. Not sure if Lisa will like the fact that the crochet pattern is a little hole-y. But it looks cute.

The yarn is once again Lily Sugar 'n Cream, I think the color is called Butter Cream Ombre.

Now I just can't wait to see how they look on Lisa!

Btw, she is amazing!!! I am blown away by her wonderful spirit in the light of this challenge! While she will be the first one to tell you that having cancer can be a real "ball-buster" at times, she handles it wonderfully! Way to go girl!!!!! I love you!

What comes after Socktoberfest?? or "I felt your presents!"

2008-11-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

My daughter thought if October is Socktoberfest, then November should be Knitvember... But what to knit in Knitvember? How about Feltvember?

The socks were done, and I didn't feel like another pair of socks right away. Not that I don't still have plenty of sock yarn sitting around the house.

I also still have some Lion Brand Wool left over from my very first felting project. It was a water bottle cozy that supposed to be done on a "Knifty Knitter." I bought the instrument in question, got started on the project and didn't like it. So I returned my not so "Knifty Knitter" and decided to crochet the water bottle cozy instead.

As I said, this was my very first felting project, so I didn't really know what to expect. And if you know me, you know that I am not good at following instructions. Not because I can't, but because I usually have some other ideas (call it ADD), and then things often turn out rather unexpected.

Anyway, I am not sure if you are still supposed to see the stitches after you felt something, or if that's because I crocheted rather than knitted, but...

So, I thought to test my own theory (that crocheting is not for felting), I will knit something with the same yarn (did I mention that I still had lots of yarn left over??) this time around to see what happens.

I found all kinds of really cool ideas on Ravelry and started knitting. The pattern I liked the most was Angela's Fabulous Felted Bag. But don't expect a perfect copy!

So here is my version:

Anita's Amazing Afelted (AAA) Tote

(of course you can use whatever colors you like and in whatever combination--be as creative as you like--I am just telling you how I made this one...)

I cast on about 80 stitches in black wool.
Knit back and forth for about 5 inches.
Then I picked up stitches all around my little rectangle and started knitting in the round. It's a little tight at first, but gets easier, as you get away from the bottom.
About 2 inches up from the bottom,
I changed to color #2 (in my case pink). Knit 2 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 4 rounds.
Switch to color #2 (pink). Knit 4 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 1 round.
Switch to color #3 (gold). Knit 2 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 4 rounds.
Switch to color #3 (gold). Knit 7 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 12 rounds.
Switch to color #2 (pink). Knit 2 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 3 rounds.
Switch to color #2 (pink). Knit 10 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 3 rounds.
Switch to color #3 (gold). Knit 3 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 8 rounds.
Switch to color #2 (pink). Knit 6 rounds.
Switch to color #3 (gold). Knit 3 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 2 rounds.
Switch to color #3 (gold). Knit 14 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 3 rounds.
Switch to color #2 (pink). Knit 6 rounds.
Switch to color #1 (black). Knit 12 rounds.
Bind off.

Create one cord of the same length in each color represented in your project (or just pick three, if you used more than three) either with a knitting spool (Strickliesel) or using an I-cord method.

Braid the three cords together and sew the braid onto your bag, starting on the bottom of one side, looping all the way around (the loop handle of your bag will be as long as you made your cords--keep in mind, though, that you will loose some length by felting) and going down the other side of your bag.

Voila! Done! Well, you got quite a few loose ends to weave in (the inside of your bag, of course). Oh, and you still have to felt, i.e., wash your bag in hot water and dry.

And here is a picture of mine after the first round of felting. I think I will do a little more...

I really like the way mine came out. I might make some more... I definitely dig felting! I am going to change my blog title from "What comes after Socktoberfest" to "I felt your presents!" Because that's what I am going to do this year. Felt my friends' presents...

I still had wool left over from the bag. So here are some more felting projects, inspired by Leigh Radford's Felted Bowls (note: this link is from Ravelry, but the pattern has been published in her book One Skein):

Cast on 64 sts
Knit for about 2 inches in the round on four dpns
Start decreasing as follows:
Every other round start each needle with ssk and end each needle with k2t, thus reducing by 8 sts every other round until you have no sts left.

And another one:

Cast on 100 sts
Knit in the round for about x inches
Start decreasing as follows:
Divide sts by five
Every other round start each set with ssk and end each set with k2t, thus reducing by 10 sts every other round until you have no sts left.

Then I started felting them. Hmmm. They just did not quite come out as bowls...

So, I tried shaping them by placing them under some kitchen canisters:

This still did not quite produce the desired results. I must be doing something wrong. I should buy the book...

Meanwhile, I kept knitting, using up the remainder of the wool I had. The next round (haha) I made rectangular (pun intended).

The first one I started with the pumpkin, aka burnt orange, color.
I made the "base" about 50 sts wide
and knit about 60 rows in seed stitch.
Then I picked up the sts all around
and continued in seed stitch in the round in black for about 10 rounds (roughly--I just used up all the black I had left).
Switched to pink and knit another 20 or so rounds, also seed stitch.
Then I bound off.

And started another one to use up the rest of the pink.
Also rectangular.
Cast on 40 sts
seed stitch for about 45 rows.
Picked up sts all around and continued seed stitch in the round until I ran out of yarn (about 10 rounds.)

Okay, and then I washed them...

Finally getting frustrated enough with the felting process, I went to the bookstore... And read the book... And learned a thing or two about felting...

One of the big things I did wrong was putting them in the dryer. Apparently, you wash them (with as much "agitation" as possible), then stretch them into the desired shape, then let them dry in that shape. And that worked much better! So, voila:

I am so excited!!! Aren't my four felted pieces beautiful?! I am off to the yarn store to buy more wool... A-felting I will go...

Socktoberfest

2008-10-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

If you are a knitter and if you are online, you probably have heard about Socktoberfest by now. Being from Germany, from the land of the "Oktoberfest," I felt a strong urge to participate, or at least to knit some socks in October - does that count?

I already had some yarn sitting around (which knitter doesn't!), so it was easy to get a pair started. I picked the red and grayish black (Volcano Twist) Knit Picks Essential and cast on yet another pair of toe-up socks.

I used my new favorite magic cast-on again. I only cast on 8 (x2) stitches, and the result is a rather pointy toe. Not sure yet, how I will like that.

I had seen these really cute mini cable socks online and used those cables for my Socktober socks. I like the pattern. It's basically a four-stitch, four-rows pattern:

Row 1-3: k2, p2
Row 4: rt, p2

And here is the finished product. Another pair of socks for my (present, as in gift) stash (my husband says he is all decked out and does not need any more of my socks for the time being - even though red is his favorite color) from my (yarn) stash...

More Totes

2008-10-01T16:22:00.001-07:00

After my first market tote (with a limited amount of yarn) I had made from this inspiration...

...I decided to make a couple more, slightly larger. I had bought a large skein of Lily Sugar'n Cream Super Size Green and started my first tote with that yarn. I didn't really follow any particular pattern, but rather just kind of winged it.

I was pretty happy with the final product (this is my daughter modeling the tote):

And a few more pictures (sorry about the strange lighting, but this really is the same tote with the same yarn):

As you can see, this tote has a relatively large opening and two handles. Since there still was lots of yarn left, I decided to make another tote. This time with a tighter opening and only one handle:

The yarn is pretty sturdy and makes for strong totes. Should hold some heavy groceries. And since the yarn is 100% cotton, the totes can be tossed in the washing machine.

I am putting both totes in my secret stash for presents, I think.

Bright Baby Blanket--BBB

2008-09-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a while... I have taken a little knitting time-out. Or rather a blogging time-out. But here is another project I just finished:

My coworker is expecting her first baby, and I was trying to think of something to make for the special occasion. I decided on knitting a blanket. Since she is not much of a girly-girl, I tried to find colors that were appropriate for a baby blanket, yet not too cutesy. And I found some really great, bright colors!

The blanket is made of different squares. I came up with the color scheme and tried to either find patterns for designs or make them up myself. I tried to find things that were somewhat meaningful to the baby's parents. Here is my design:

“2008”	“flower”	“ladybug”	“horseshoe”	“star”
“ASL”	“1”	“2”	“3”	“paw”
“sun”	“4”	“5”	“6”	“ABC”
“guitar”	“7”	“8”	“9”	“heart”
“X”	“O”	“X”	“O”	“X”

The patterns for the individual squares are at the end of this post.

I bought some pretty cool looking bright colors and started knitting. I thought I would do the whole blanket all at once...

...but soon found myself all entangled with five different yarns and started over.

We spent three weeks with the in-laws over the summer, and I did a lot of knitting there. I knitted one column at a time. I had brought some graphing paper and had everybody in the family help with the different designs. Some came out better than others, but overall, I was pretty satisfied.

Once I had finished the five columns, I sewed them together. The columns made the piecing together a lot easier than having all the individual squares to sew together.

Individual patterns used for this blanket:

2008:

Cast on 36 sts.

Rows 1-6: knit across

K2, p32, k2.

P2, k32, p2.

K2, p3, k4, p25, k2.

P2, k25, p4, k3, p2.

K2, p2, k2, p2, k2, p24, k2.

P2, k24, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2.

K2, p3, k4, p25, k2.

P2, k25, p4, k3, p2.

K2, p2, k2, p2, k2, p24, k2.

P2, k24, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2.

K2, p3, k4, p25, k2.

P2, k25, p4, k3, p2.

K2, p9, k4, p19, k2.

P2, k19, p4, k9, p2.

K2, p8, k2, p2, k2, p18, k2.

P2, k18, p2, k2, p2, k8, p2.

K2, p7, k2, p4, k2, p17, k2.

P2, k17, p2, k4, p2, k7, p2.

K2, p8, k2, p2, k2, p18, k2.

P2, k18, p2, k2, p2, k8, p2.

K2, p9, k4, p19, k2.

P2, k19, p4, k9, p2.

K2, p17, k4, p11, k2.

P2, k11, p4, k17, p2.

K2, p16, k2, p2, k2, p10, k2.

P2, k10, p2, k2, p2, k16, p2.

K2, p15, k2, p4, k2, p9, k2.

P2, k7, p2, k4, p2, k15, p2.

K2, p16, k2, p2, k2, p10, k2.

P2, k10, p2, k2, p2, k16, p2.

K2, p17, k4, p11, k2.

P2, k11, p4, k17, p2.

K2, p22, k8, p2, k2.

P2, k2, p8, k22, p2.

K2, p27, k2, p3, k2.

P2, k3, p2, k27, p2.

K2, p25, k2, p5, k2.

P2, k5, p2, k25, p2.

K2, p23, k2, p7, k2.

P2, k2, p2, k3, p2, k23, p2.

K2, p24, k6, p2, k2.

P2, k4, p4, k24, p2.

K2, p32, k2.

P2, k32, p2.

Next 6 rows: k across.

Bind off 36.

Heart:

Ladybug:

ABC:

ASL: I Love You:

Horse shoe:

Star:

Sun:

Flower:

Guitar:

Numbers 1-9:

"1"

Cast on 36 stitches
Rows 1-4: knit across
Row 5: k3, p30, k3
Row 6: knit across
Rows 7 & 8: repeat rows 5 & 6
Row 9: k3, p10, k10, p10, k3
Row 10: knit across
Row 11-16: repeat rows 9 & 10
Row 17: k3, p13, k4, p13, k3
Row 18: knit across
Row 19-36: repeat rows 17 & 18
Row 37: k3, p10, k7, p13, k3
Row 38: knit across
Row 39-42: repeat rows 37 & 38
Row 43: k3, p12, k5, p13, k3
Row 44: knit across
Row 45: k3, p14, k3, p13, k3
Row 46: knit across
Row 47-50: repeat rows 5 & 6
Row 51-54: knit across
Bind off and weave in ends

"2"

Cast on 35 stitches
Rows 1-4: knit across
Row 5: k3, p29, k3
Row 6: knit across
(all remaining even numbered rows will be “knit across”)
Row 7-8: repeat rows 5 & 6
Row 9: k3, p8, k13, p8, k3
Rows 11-14: repeat rows 9 & 10
Row 15: k3, p8, k3, p7, k3, p8, k3
Row 17: k3, p8, k4, p6, k3, p8, k3
Row 19: k3, p8, k5, p16, k3
Row 21: k3, p9, k5, p15, k3
Row 23: k3, p10, k5, p14, k3
Row 25: k3, p11, k5, p13, k3
Row 27: k3, p12, k5, p12, k3
Row 29: k3, p13, k5, p11, k3
Row 31: k3, p14, k5, p10, k3
Row 33: k3, p15, k5, p9, k3
Row 35 & 37: k3, p9, k3, p4, k4, p9, k3
Row 39: k3, p9, k4, p3, k4, p9, k3
Row 41: k3, p10, k9, p10, k3
Row 43: k3, p11, k7, p11, k3
Row 45: k3, p12, k5, p12, k3
Row 47-50: repeat rows 5 & 6
Rows 51-54: knit across
Bind off and weave in ends.

"3"

Cast on 36 stitches
Rows 1-4: knit across
Row 5: k3, p30, k3
Row 6: knit across
(all remaining even numbered rows will be knit across)
Row 7 & 8: repeat rows 5 & 6
Row 9: k3, p11, k8, p11, k3
Row 11: k3, p10, k10, p10, k3
Row 13: k3, p9, k12, p9, k3
Row 15: k3, p9, k4, p3, k5, p9, k3
Row 17 & 19: k3, p9, k3, p5, k4, p9, k3
Row 21: k3, p17, k4, p9, k3
Row 23: k3, p16, k4, p10, k3
Row 25: k3, p13, k6, p11, k3
Row 27: k3, p13, k5, p12, k3
Row 29: k3, p13, k6, p11, k3
Row 31: k3, p16, k3, p11, k3
Row 33: k3, p16, k4, p10, k3
Row 35 & 37: k3, p9, k3, p4, k4, p10, k3
Row 39: k3, p9, k4, p2, k5, p10, k3
Row 41: k3, p10, k9, p11, k3
Row 43: k3, p11, k7, p12, k3
Row 45: k3, p12, k5, p13, k3
Row 47-50: repeat rows 5 & 6
Rows 51-54: knit across
Bind off and weave in ends

"4"

Cast on 35 stitches
Rows 1-4: knit across
Row 5: k3, p29, k3
Row 6: knit across
(all remaining even numbered rows will be knit across)
Row 7 & 8: repeat rows 5 & 6
Row 9: k3, p16, k4, p9, k3
Row 11-22: repeat rows 9 & 10
Row 23: k3, p7, k15, p7, k3
Row 25-28: repeat rows 23 & 24
Row 29: k3, p7, k4, p5, k4, p9, k3
Row 31 & 32: repeat rows 29 & 30
Row 33: k3, p8, k4, p4, k4, p9, k3
Row 35: k3, p9, k4, p3, k4, p9, k3
Row 37: k3, p10, k4, p2, k4, p9, k3
Row 39: k3, p11, k9, p9, k3
Row 41: k3, p12, k8, p9, k3
Row 43: k3, p13, k7, p9, k3
Row 45: k3, p14, k6, p9, k3
Row 47-50: repeat rows 5 & 6
Rows 51-54: knit across
Bind off and weave in ends

"5"

Cast on 35 stitches
Rows 1-4: knit across
Row 5: k3, p29, k3
Row 6: knit across
(all remaining even numbered rows will be knit across)
Row 7 & 8: repeat rows 5 & 6
Row 9: k3, p9, k10, p10, k3
Row 11: k3, p8, k12, p9, k3
Row 13: k3, p7, k14, p8, k3
Row 15: k3, p6, k5, p5, k6, p7, k3
Row 17: k3, p6, k4, p7, k6, p6, k3
Row 19: k3, p6, k3, p9, k5, p6, k3
Row 21 & 23: k3, p19, k4, p6, k3
Row 25: k3, p8, k5, p6, k4, p6, k3
Row 27: k3, p8, k6, p5, k4, p6, k3
Row 29: k3, p8, k7, p3, k4, p7, k3
Row 31: k3, p8, k3, p1, k9, p8, k3
Row 33: k3, p8, k3, p2, k7, p9, k3
Row 35: k3, p8, k3, p3, k5, p10, k3
Row 37 & 39: k3, p8, k3, p18, k3
Row 41: k3, p8, k12, p9, k3
Rows 43 & 45: repeat row 41
Row 47-50: repeat rows 5 & 6
Rows 51-54: knit across
Bind off and weave in ends

"6"

Cast on 36 sts
Rows 1-4: knit across
Row 5: k3, p30, k3
Row 6: knit across
(all remaining even numbered rows will be knit across)
Row 7 & 8: repeat rows 5 & 6
Row 9: k3, p11, k9, p10, k3
Row 11: k3, p10, k11, p9, k3
Row 13: k3, p8, k14, p8, k3
Row 15: k3, p8, k5, p5, k4, p8, k3
Row 17 & 19: k3, p8, k4, p7, k3, p8, k3
Row 21: k3, p8, k6, p5, k3, p8, k3
Row 23: k3, p8, k7, p4, k3, p8, k3
Row 25: k3, p8, k13, p9, k3
Row 27: k3, p8, k3, p2, k7, p10, k3
Row 29: k3, p8, k3, p3, k5, p11, k3
Row 31 & 33: k3, p8, k3, p19, k3
Row 35: k3, p8, k4, p7, k3, p8, k3
Row 37: k3, p9, k4, p5, k4, p8, k3
Row 39: k3, p10, k4, p3, k4, p9, k3
Row 41: k3, p11, k9, p10, k3
Row 43: k3, p12, k7, p11, k3
Row 45: k3, p13, k5, p12, k3
Row 47-50: repeat rows 5 & 6
Rows 51-54: knit across
Bind off and weave in ends

"7"

Cast on 35 stitches
1-4: knit across
5: k3, p29, k3
6: knit across
7-8: repeat rows 5 & 6
9 and 11: k3, p11, k4, p14, k3
13 and 15: k3, p12, k4, p13, k3
17 and 19: k3, p13, k4, p12, k3
21 and 23: k3, p14, k4, p11, k3
25 and 27: k3, p15, k4, p10, k3
29 and 31: k3, p16, k4, p9, k3
33 and 35: k3, p17, k4, p8, k3
37 and 39: k3, p8, k3, p6, k4, p8, k3
41, 43 and 45: k3, p8, k13, p8, k3
47-50: repeat rows 5 and 6
51-54: knit across
Bind off and weave in ends

"8"

Cast on 36 stitches
Rows 1-4: knit across
Row 5: k3, p30, k3
Row 6 and remaining even numbered rows: knit across
Rows 7-8: repeat rows 5 & 6
Row 9: k3, p11, k8, p11, k3
Rows 11 & 13: k3, p10, k10, p10, k3
Row 15: k3, p9, k4, p4, k4, p9, k3
Rows 17, 19, 21 & 23: K3, p8, k4, p6, k4, p8, k3
Row 25: k3, p9, k4, p4, k4, p9, k3
Row 27: k3, p10, k10, p10, k3
Row 29: k3, p11, k8, p11, k3
Row 31: k3, p12, k6, p12, k3
Row 33: k3, p11, k8, p11, k3

"9"

Number "6" upside down.

X (hugs):

0 (kisses):

Cast on 36 stitches
1-4: knit across
5: k3, p30, k3
6: and all remaining even-numbered rows; knit across
7: k3, p12, k6, p12, k3
9: k3, p11, k8, p11, k3
11: k3, p10, k10, p10, k3
13: k3, p9, k12, p9, k3
15: k3, p8, k14, p8, k3
17-37: (odd numbered rows) k3, p7, k4, p8, k4, p7, k3
39: k3, p8, k14, p8, k3
41: k3, p9, k12, p9, k3
43: k3, p10, k10, p10, k3
45: k3, p11, k8, p11, k3
47: k3, p12, k6, p12, k3
49-50: repeat rows 5 & 6
51-54: knit across

In another color, I picked up all the stitches along one side of the square and knit 4-6 rows in seed stitch. Bind off.
Then I picked up all the stitches along the next side, knit 4-6 rows in seed stitch. Bind off.
I did this to all four sides for a nice border.

One of these days, I will come back and write up all the patterns for all the squares...

I LOVE Ladybugs!!

2008-08-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

I am a big ladybug fan and wanted to share a few projects I found:

I made a baby blanket for a coworker with all kinds of dishcloth designs I either found or made up myself (I will post about that project later), and one of the squares is a ladybug I found on Designs by Emily:

And a few more ladybug related patterns:

a kid cardigan with a ladybug (on Ravelry)

ladybug mittens:

a ladybug bookmark:

a ladybug hat:

and another ladybug hat (on Ravelry)

a ladybug beret and scarf:

little crawly bugs (also on Ravelry):

and more creepy crawlies:

Body

At the end of each round, join with a slip stitch to beginning sc.
With red,
Chain 2, (starting at top of bug body)
1) 5 sc in 2nd chain from hook
2) ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around (10 sc)
3) ch 1, (2 sc in first sc, sc in next sc) repeat around (15 sc)
4) ch 1, (2 sc in first sc, sc in next 2 sc) repeat around (20 sc)
5-7) ch 1, sc in each sc around.. DO NOT FINISH OFF...
Embroider spots now. With black yarn, embroider small X's on bug body.
Resuming with red yarn,.
8) In BLO, ch 1, sc-dec around (10 sc)
STUFF
9) ch 1, sc-dec around (5 sc)
FO leaving long tail. Use tail to sew hole shut on bottom
Weave in ends
Head
With black
Chain 2
1) 5 sc in 2nd chain from hook
2) ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around (10 sc)
3) ch 1, sc in each sc around
FO leaving long tail.
Sew head to body.
Antennas
Cut a 2½ piece of black pipe cleaner. Push through head and bend up.
Trim as desired
Finish
Glue on google eyes.

I also found this crochet pattern for a ladybug baby rattle (I have not made this yet, but just thought it was way cute!!!) on Crochetville:

Finished size: 2 1/4 inches tall, 4 inches long, and 3 inches wide
Lady bug is worked in one continuous spiral, unless otherwise noted.
Body
With main color, and F hook,
Ch 2
1) 6 sc in 2nd hook from chain
2) 2 sc in each ch around (12 sc)
3) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next sc) repeat around (18 sc)
4) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next 2 sc) repeat around (24 sc)
5) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next 3 sc) repeat around (30 sc)
6) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next 4 sc) repeat around (36 sc)
7-11) sc in each sc around
Slp st to next sc, Ch 1.
12) In BLO (just for this round) (sc-dec, sc in next 4 sc) repeat around (30 sc)
Now, back to working in a continuous spiral,
13) (sc-dec, sc in next 3 sc) repeat around (24 sc)
Now add stuffing and cat ball inside body. Continue stuffing as you go.
14) (sc-dec, sc in next sc) repeat around (16 sc)
15) sc-dec around. (8 sc)
FO leaving longer tail.
Use tail to close hole, weave in end.
Head
With black, and F hook
Ch 2
1) 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook
2) 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc)
3) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next sc) repeat around (18 sc)
4-6) sc in each sc around
7) (sc-dec, sc in next sc) repeat around (12 sc)
Slp st to next sc and FO leaving long tail.
Stuff and sew head to body.
Spots (make 6)
With black and f hook,
Ch 2
1) 7 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Slp st to first sc, and FO
Sew spots only ladybug.
Antennas
Figure out where you would like the antennas to be.
Cut a piece of yarn about 12 inches long. Fold yarn in half. Using your hook, draw up the middle of the yarn piece, around the stitch where you want one of the antennas. Now, chain an additional 4 chains, using both yarn ends.
You are now going to have a thicker chain for your antenna. Tie a few knots at the top of the antenna. Snip yarn ends close.
Repeat on other side.

I will add patterns to this site as I find them. So please check back...

Toe-up cabled socks

2008-08-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

These socks are pulled together from bits and pieces of the following patterns:

Wendy's Fingering Weight Toe-up Gusset Heel Sock
Judy's Magic Cast-on
Freaksngeeks' Noro Kureyon Socks (on Ravelry)

Yarn:
ONline Supersocke 100 Cotton Summer Color

Needles:
Size 0, Knit Picks Harmony dpns

Cast on 28 sts with Magic Cast-on method
Divide sts over 4 dpns (7 sts ea)
Increase 4 sts every other round until you have a total of 68 sts
Divide as follows:
Two sole dpns: 19 sts ea, these will be knit
The remaining 30 sts can either go onto one dpn or you can divide them onto two any way you like. Divide them as follows:
p2, k8, p2, k8, p2, k8, p2.
Every 8th round, the instep sts will be worked as follows:
p2, slip2cnb, k2, k2cn, slip2cnf, k2cn, p2, k8, p2, slip2cnb, k2, k2cn, slip2cnf, k2cn, p2.
Or, alternatively, you can have three cables, in which case you would do this:
p2, slip2cnb, k2, k2cn, slip2cnf, k2cn, p2, slip2cnb, k2, k2cn, slip2cnf, k2cn, p2, slip2cnb, k2, k2cn, slip2cnf, k2cn, p2.

Work this until you get to where you increase for the heel (about your foot is about two - two and a half inches shorter than you want it to be). Now, every other round, m1 st at the beginning of the first sole dpn and at the end of the second sole dpn until you have 30 sts on each sole dpn, like so:

work dpn 1 and 2 (instep dpns) (or 1, if you decided to put the remaining sts all on one dpn) per above pattern
work dpn 3 and 4 (sole dpns) (or dpns 2 and 3, if you have all the "pattern" sts on one dpn) as follows:
dpn3: k1, m1, k rem sts
dpn4: k to the last st, m1, k1
(Remember to increase (m1) only every other round!)
Repeat this until you have 30 sts ea on dpns 3 and 4.

To turn the heel work dpns 3 and 4 as follows (the rest of the sts are resting during this):
k33, ssk, k1, turn
sl1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn
sl1, k8, ssk, k1, turn
sl1, p9, p2tog, p1, turn
sl1, k10, ssk, k1, turn
sl1, p11, p2tog, p1, turn
Continue this way until all sts are worked and you have 34 sts left. Divide them up over 2 dpns again and continue working in the round again.

Combined with the 30 sts from the instep dpns, you now have 64 sts.

For the cuff, I decided to have cables all around. For this I needed 70 sts. I picked up 3 sts on each side of the heel (this has the added benefit, that you can avoid any holes you might have there).

Work the heel dpns with plain knit stitches until you have picked up the right number of sts, then start your pattern with the instep dpns, and then continue from there with the cable pattern: p2, k8, p2 until you get to row eight again, where you do a round of: *p2, slip2cnb, k2, k2cn, slip2cnf, k2cn, p2* as with the two cables, except that now you have seven cables around.

Work this pattern for as long as you want your cuff.

You can also add a ribbing, if you like. I chose not to do that with this pair of socks.

Bind off with your favorite loose bind off.

I used:
2nd to last round: m1 after every 2 sts.
Last round: k
*Ssk, put st back from rhn to lhn, rep from * until all sts are gone.

This makes for kind of a wavy bind-off. Use a different method, if you don't like this.

Enjoy!

Ribbed Lace Boleros # 2 and #2b

2008-06-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

So I made this Ribbed Lace Bolero for my daughter a while back. It came out great!

However, after she wore it just once, the whole thing stretched way out and completely lost its shape. I decided it was because I had used the wrong yarn (Knit Picks Shine Worsted), which was very nice to work and looked great, but did not keep its shape very well.

And because I liked the pattern so much, I decided to make another bolero (Ribbed Lace Bolero #2) with the right yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, lime.

I love the feel of the yarn. It is very nice to work with! I finished another bolero in no time.

One thing I changed from my first attempt, was to cut the number of stitches dramatically. I only cast on 74 stitches for this one.

I had bought two skeins of yarn, but only used one skein (or not even). So I quickly decided to make another one (Ribbed Lace Bolero #2b).

Since we are going to see my husband's family in July, and my daughter is going to get to hang out with her cousin there, and the two girls will be BFFs for a few weeks and like to dress alike and spend every waking moment together, I thought it would be great if the two girls had identical boleros to wear (I will post pictures after our trip!). Now I am just hoping that these will hold their shape better than my original attempt, which, I think, might just become another market tote :). We will see...

Glossary of Knitting Terms and Abbreviations

2008-05-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

I grew up knitting in Germany. So when I started knitting again in the US many years later, I had a hard time with English knitting instructions. Even the simplest things like "yo" threw me. Over time, I learned and learned and struggled and learned some more. One of the most helpful sites I found was the Knitting Glossary on knittinghelp.com. They even have little video clips of many stitches for both Continental and English knitting style!

But, to be sure I thought I would start my own glossary, so I would always have a place to go to and look things up. And here it is:

Note: this is a compilation (borrowed, stolen, copied) from a variety of different sources, too numerous to list. Please let me know what's missing...

“ or in(s) inch(es)

( ) repeat instructions inside the parentheses

* repeat instructions following the single asterisk

* * repeat instructions between asterisks

alt alternate

approx approximately

bar increase one stitch by knitting into the front and back of same stitch

bc back cable

beg begin(ning)

bet or btw between

blo back loop only

bo bind off, cast off

bor bind off row

bpdc back post double crochet

bt back twist

cA color A

cB color B

cc contrasting color

cdd centered double decrease. sl2 tog, k1, pass the slipped stitches over (tog)

ch chain (stitch) (using crochet hook). Create a slip knot, insert the crochet hook into the loop of the slip knot. Holding both the tail and the live end of the yarn in your left hand, wrap the live end around the hook and pull this loop through the slip knot loop. Repeat until desired number of chain stitches are created.
cir(c) circular

cm centimeter

cn cable needle: a short needle to help twisting a cable

co cast on

cont continue

cor carriage on right

cross 2 L cross 2 stitches to the left (to work a cable). Slip 2 stitches p-wise onto a cable needle, let cable needle hang in front of work as you knit the next couple of stitches; then knit stitches off of cable needle.

cross 2 R cross 2 stitches to the right (to work a cable). Slip 2 stitches p-wise onto a cable needle, let cable needle hang in back of work as you knit the next couple of stitches; then knit stitches off of cable needle

ctr center

dc double crochet: Yarn over hook, insert hook in the next stitch to be worked, yo hook, draw through stitch, yo hook, draw through first 2 loops on hook, yo hook, draw through rem 2 loops on hook.

dec decrease

dk double knitting weight yarn. Slightly finer than worsted weight. 22 stitches (22 sts) = 1"/2.5 cm

dpn or dp double pointed needle(s). Short needle with points at both ends, used in sets or 4 or 5, for knitting in the round (mostly for socks)

dtr double treble crochet (aka quad crochet): Yarn over hook twice. Insert hook in the next stitch to be worked. Yo hook. Pull yarn through stitch—3 loops on hook. Yo hook. Pull yarn through first 2 loops on hook. Yo hook. Repeat last step until 2 loops remain on hook. Pull yarn through remaining 2 loops on hook

eon end of needle

eor end of row

est established

fc front cross (in working a cable), or front cable

fl front loop(s)

flo front loop only

FO finish off

fol(l) follow; follows; following

fpdc front post double crochet

ft front twist

g or gr gram

g st garter stitch = knit every row

grp group

hdc half double crochet: Yarn over hook. Insert hook in the next stitch to be worked. YO hook. Pull yarn through stitch. YO hook. Pull yarn through all 3 loops on hook (one half double crochet made)

hk hook

in(s) or “ inch (es)

inc increase = work twice in the same stitch

incL increase left = knit into the back of the left side of the stitch of 2 rows below stitch on the right needle

incR increase right = knit into the back of the right side of the stitch of the row below stitch on left needle

incl including

ins insert

k knit, knit stitch

k tbl or k1 tbl or k1 blp or k1b knit stitch through the back loop

k-b knit stitch in row below. (Infrequently used for knit through the back loop; see K tbl)

k-wise knit-wise. Insert right needle into the stitch as if to knit it

k1 f&b or kfb or kf&b knit 1 stitch in the front, then in the back. This is also called a Bar Increase (= inc)

k1togww knit 1 together with wrap: Slip the wrap onto the left needle tip and knit together with the stitch through the back loop.

k2t or k2tog knit 2 stitches together

k2tog tbl knit 2 stitches together, through the back loops

k3t or k3tog knit 3 stitches together

kll knit left loop (= inc)

krl knit right loop (= inc)

ktbl or k1 tbl or k1 blp or k1b knit through back loop

kw knit-wise, as if to knit

k.co knit cast on

lc left cross (to work a cable). As in: cross 2 L

lh left hand

lhn left hand needle

lp(s) loop(s)

lsi left slanting increase = insert left-hand needle under bar from front, btw last stitch worked and 1st stitch on right-hand needle, knit (or purl) strand through back of loop.

lt left twist (two stitches cross each other = smallest cable stitch possible)

m meter

m1 make 1 (= inc). If the method isn't specified, use whichever increase you like, for instance m1f. Insert lhn front to back under horizontal strand between the st on the lhn and the st just worked, forming a loop on the needle, knit this loop through the back.

m1A make 1 away (= inc)

m1L or m1 or m1f make 1 (front)(left) (= inc). From the front, lift loop between stitches with left needle, knit into back of loop

m1p make one purl-wise

m1R or m1b make 1 (back) (right) (= inc). From the back, lift loop between stitches with left needle, knit into front of loop

m1T make 1 towards (= inc)

mb make bobble

mc main color

meas measures

mm millimeter

my main yarn

ndl(s) needle(s)

no number

nr next row

oz ounce(s)

p purl

p tbl or p1 tbl or p1b purl through the back loop

p-b purl stitch in the row below. (sometimes used to mean purl stitch in the back loop; see p tbl)

p-wise purl wise: Insert right needle down into the front loop, or up into the back loop for tbl

p1 f&b or pfb purl the front of a stitch, then purl the back of the same stitch

p2sso pass 2 slipped stitches over

p2tog or p2t purl 2 together

p2tog tbl or p2togtbl purl 2 together through the back loops (Alternately, purl 1 st, place it back on the lhn. With point of right-hand needle (rhn), pass the next st over it and slip the st back to the rhn)

p3tog purl 3 together

pat(s) or patt(s) pattern(s)

pm place marker

pnso pass next stitch over

pop popcorn stitch

prev previous (ly)

psso pass slipped stitch over (as in slip 1, knit 1, psso)

pu or p/u pick up stitches

pu&k pick up and knit

pw purl-wise, as if to purl

Rc right cross (to work a cable), as in: cross 2 R

rc row counter

rd or rnd round, as in one entire round. In circular knitting, a “row” is called a “round”

rem remaining or remove

rep or rpt repeat

rev revers(e)(ing)

rev St st Reverse stockinette/stocking stitch. The “purl” side of plain, stockinette stitch. Purled on RS, knitted on WS

rh right hand

rhn right hand needle

rib ribbing: vertical columns of knit and purl stitches, side by side, as in K1, P1 ribbing

rnd or rd round, as in one entire round. In circular knitting, a "row" is called a "round."

rpt or rep repeat

rs right side, for instance the outside of a sweater. Stated to indicate which side is facing you when carrying out instructions

rsr right side row

rsi right slanting increase = insert lhn under bar from back, bet last st worked and 1st st on rhn, knit (or purl) strand through front of loop

rt right twist: knit the second st through the back loop, then knit the 1st (2nd st crosses over the first st, to the right) (two stitches cross each other = smallest cable stitch possible)

rt2 right twist 2

s or sl slip the next st purl-wise

sb Slip bead over next stitch

sc single crochet: Insert hook in stitch. Yarn over hook. Pull yarn through stitch. YO hook. Pull yarn through 2 loops on hook (one single crochet made)

sk skip or skein

sk st skip stitch: Move past the next stitch without working it

s2kp slip 2 sts together as if to knit, knit the next st, then pass both slipped sts over this st

sk2p slip1, knit 2 tog, pass slipped stitch over (a double decrease)

skp or skpo "Slip, Knit, Pass." Slip a stitch, knit the next stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the knit one. The same as: sl1, k1, psso

sl or s slip a stitch. If they don't specify, slip the stitch purl-wise. Unless you are decreasing: then, slip it knit-wise on the knit rows, and purl-wise on the purl rows

sl st slip stitch: Slip crochet hook into stitch, YO, draw loop through stitch and through loop on hook

sl1, k1, psso slip1 knit-wise, knit1, pass the slipped stitch over. The same as skp

sl1k or sl 1 k-wise slip a stitch knit-wise (yarn at back)

sl1 k2togpsso slip 1 st knit-wise, k 2 tog and pass slip st over the k2tog

sl1p or sl 1 p-wise slip a stitch purl-wise

sl1 wyif slip 1 st purl-wise with yarn in front

slip knot an adjustable loop, used to begin many cast-on methods

sm slip marker

sp space or single-pointed

spi stitches per inch

ss slip stitch (Canadian)

ss or St st or st st stocking or stockinette stitch: Knit 1 row, purl 1 row

ssk slip, slip, knit slipped stitches tog (= dec)

ssk (improved) sl 1, sl 1 p-wise, knit slipped sts tog

ssp slip, slip, purl, usually done on the purl-side (= dec)

sssk slip, slip, slip, knit 3 slipped stitches together. A double decrease

st(s) stitch(es)

St st or ss or st st stocking or stockinette stitch: Knit 1 row, purl 1 row

syif slip st purl-wise with yarn in front

t turn

tbl through back loop

tog together

tr treble crochet: Yarn over twice, insert hook in the next stitch to be worked, YO, draw yarn through stitch—3 loops on hook, YO, draw through first 2 loops on hook, YO, draw through first 2 loops on hook, YO, draw through rem 2 loops on hook.

Tsc Tunisian single crochet

vdd vertical double decrease: slip 2 sts as if to work k2tog, k 1, pass slipped stitches over (2 stitches decreased)

wo or won wool (or yarn) over needle

wpi wraps per inch

wrn wool round needle

ws wrong side, for instance the inside of the sweater. Stated to indicate which side is facing you when carrying out instructions

wsr wrong side row

ww worsted weight yarn

wy waste yarn

wyib or wyb with yarn in back

wyif or wyf with yarn in front

x times

yb or ybk yarn to the back. Move yarn to the back of the work by going between the needle tips

yd(s) yard(s)

yfon yarn forward and over needle. Same as yo

yfrn yarn forward and 'round needle. Same as yo

yfwd or yf yarn forward

yo yarn over: wrap the yarn around right needle

yo2 or yo twice yarn over twice

yon yarn over needle from back to front. Same as yo

yrn or yron yarn round needle: Bring yarn around needle from front to back.

ytb yarn to back of work

specific to crochet

What's this obsession with feet and socks??? And what is a "fong"????

2008-05-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

It's a "foot thong!"

I saw this really cool pattern for "The Fong!" on the "Island of Misfit Patterns" and wanted to make one:

Picture "borrowed" from the above source.

I had a tiny bit of Knit Picks, Felici, Coastal, left over from the below socks and cast on.

Well, the yarn didn't last long, so I put "The Fong!" project on hold, got out two more skeins of coastal and cast on another pair of socks. Just my standard toe-up, seed-stitch rib, run-of-the-mill socks.

But I made sure to bind off early enough to have enough yarn left over to finish "The Fong!" So here is another pair of (short) "Coastal" socks.

Okay, back to "The Fong!" I finished a pair, but am not sure, if it should go on the foot...

... or the hand. They can totally be used as little fingerless glove thingies as well. I can't wait to see if my daughter will prefer them on her hands or feet :).

I might make some more later, but I think they need a few alterations. First of all, I would but a little ribbing on both sides, to keep the stockinette from rolling up. Then I think the little between-the-toes part could be a bit wider, especially if you want to wear your fong with flip-flops. It's a cute idea though!

So while I was into kind of funky foot-wear (and I still had some of the yarn left), I also started a pair of "toe warmers."

Foto from Ravelry

And, of course, you guessed it... I ran out of yarn again. I finished one toe warmer, though I prefer the name "sockette," and started the second one, but didn't quite have enough. And Knit Picks doesn't make or sell the "Coastal" any more, so...

... I can either open up one of the fongs or finish the second sockette with a different yarn. Or leave it forever unfinished. Hey, it's happened before...

Sweaty (stinky) feet anyone???

2008-05-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

I started another pair of toe-up socks a little while ago. Sort of as a stand-by, when I don't want to work on anything else. You know, the usual, Knit Picks, Felici, color: "Atmosphere," toe-up... I know I can do these socks, so when I need a successful knitting experience, I grab them.

But then I wanted to finish the socks, because I wanted to make them short so I would have enough yarn left-over for either these toe-warmers or footlets

or these ballet school dropout sockettes.

Note: these are the pictures that come with the patterns, not mine yet.

Aren't they both way cool?! My daughter has this really bad habit of wearing her shoes without socks (it's the in-thing these days). Since sweaty feet kind of run in our family, we just do better (and our shoes do better), when we wear socks. So I thought these would be great.

Anyway, so I rushed to finish the short socks and here they are:

I knit the instep part with my standard seed-stitch rib pattern. After the heel was done, I did the seed-stitch rib all around for maybe half an inch or so, then another half inch of plain knit, so the end would roll over. I like that. This time I used the purl cast-off somebody had recommended, and it really is pretty stretchy. My best one yet so far. Thanks!

Then, finally, I got to start the "sockettes." I got to the third line of the knitting instructions and already got stumped. I had to look up "kfb." The Knitting Glossary quickly came to the rescue. I love that site!

I made a few slight alterations as I went along and here is how I made the "sockettes" with Knit Picks Felici:

Cuff:
Cast 27 sts on dpns.
Rows 1-4: sl1, k to the last st, sl1 (this is supposed to create a little extra cuff that will fold over the shows to avoid blisters)

Heel:
Row 1: sl1, k2, *kfb, k3*, repeat from * to the last 3 sts, k2, sl1 (there are now 33 sts)
Row 2: sl1, k to the last st, sl1
Row 3: sl1, *sl1, k1*, repeat from * to the last st, sl1
Row 4: sl1, p to the last st, sl1
Repeat rows 3 and 4 18 times
Next row: sl1, *sl1, k1*, repeat from * to the last st, sl1

Shape heel:
Row 1: sl1, p16, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 2: k3, sl1, k1, psso, k1, turn
Row 3: p4, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 4: k5, sl1, k1, psso, k1, turn
Row 5: p6, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 6: k7, sl1, k1, psso, k1, turn
Row 7: p8, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 8: k9, sl1, k1, psso, k1, turn
Row 9: p10, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 10: k11, sl1, k1, psso, k1, turn
Row 11: p12, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 12: k13, sl1, k1, psso, k1, turn
Row 13: p14, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 14: k15, sl1, k1, psso, k1, turn
Row 15: p16, p2tog, turn
Row 16: k16, sl1, psso

Foot:
Get a 3rd dpn
Pick up 19 sts along the side of the heel
Turn around and work your way back across
Pick up 19 sts along the other side of the heel (total 55 sts)

Knit the next two rows until only 38 sts remain:
Row 1: sl1, k2, p to the last 3 sts, k2, sl1
Row 2: sl1, k2, k2tog, k to the last 5 sts, sl1, k1, psso, k2, sl1

Knit the next two rows until the sockette is 11cm/4.5 inches less than foot length, ending with row 1:
Row 1: sl1, k2, p to the last 3 sts, k2, sl1
Row 2: sl1, k to the last st, sl1

(Hint: After a while you can combine all sts onto one needle and continue knitting with two needles rather than three.)

Toe:
Repeat the next two rows until you have 65 sts:
Row 1: sl1, k1, kfb, k to the last 3 sts, kfb, k1, sl1
Row 2: sl1, k1, kfb, p to the last 3 sts, kfb, k1, sl1

Distribute the sts onto 4 dpns: 16, 16, 16, 17
K to the end of the 4th needle, sl the last st onto the first needle, and k that st tog with the first st on the first needle to join and start k in the round (total 64 sts: 16 each)
K 2 rounds

Toe decreases:

Round 1:
Needle 1: k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 2: k1, ssk, k to end of needle
Needle 3: k to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Needle 4: k1, ssk, k to end of needle

Round 2: k

Repeat these two rounds until you have 3 sts on each needle left (total 12 sts)
Bind off using Kitchener stitch.

(Note: I have not tested the revised pattern yet, but will hopefully do so soon. I kind of rewrote the pattern as I went along.)

Crocheted Market Tote

2008-05-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Since my last market tote was knit, and I was not completely satisfied with the end-result, I thought I would crochet one this time. I found this Crochet Grocery Bag on Ravelry and gave it a try.

I have never crocheted anything following instructions, so it was a bit of a challenge. Unlike knitting, though, it seems that when you crochet, it's a lot easier to muddle through on your own. At least for me. And I usually don't mind if things don't come out exactly the way the pattern says. I have another skein of Knit Picks Cotlin (this time the color is Desert Turquoise) I will use. And I have a tad left-over from the other market tote I could use for the handles, maybe, if I run out of yarn.

It starts out looking very much like a doily:

I don't know if I made any mistakes with the increases, or (you guessed it, I am not much of a gauge person) the yarn just ran differently from the original pattern, but in any case, this turned into a very small bag. It certainly looks much smaller than the picture that came with the pattern. Oh well...

I used up one skein of the turquoise, then used the little bit of blue I had left for the handles. I love the pattern, and the shape and everything, it's just way small. My daughter immediately snatched it. I definitely want to make another one and just make it bigger.

Market Tote (again...)

2008-05-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I made yet another tote bag attempt. This time, I followed the advice of "naturallyknitty" on Ravelry to knit in the round. She suggested Judy's Magic Cast-On, which I tried for the first time and totally fell in love with!!! I will use it on all my toe-up socks from now on. It's so much easier and tidier than what I have been doing.

Since one of the things I didn't like about my two prior attempts was the sloppy sides, knitting in the round with no seams on the sides or the bottom should take care of this problem. One of the things I read, though, about knitting this bag in the round, is to make sure the top opening is large enough.

By the way, I also changed needle size and am now knitting the tote with size US 7. I am using my beloved Knit Picks Harmony needles. Since I only had one skein of the lime green yarn, I had to switch to blue when I ran out of green. I tried to make a nice transition.

As you can see in the picture, the lime green is about 7 inches long, then I did a set of pattern (i.e., 4 rows) of blue, then another set of green, and back to blue for good. I had a little bit of green left. By the way, the Cotlin blue is called "Nightfall." At around 11 inches, I divided the stitches in half and worked the two sides separately, so the opening of the tote would be a little wider. I made the two sides about an inch or a bit more. Then cast them off.

And my next challenge started. What is an I-cord???? Or an applied I-cord? I had no idea. I read the instructions, played around a little, went online for more instructions, and more instructions, found this nifty little tutorial, and finally found this online tutorial for I-cord (scroll down). I later found another tutorial on YouTube, I think I would have liked better. I will try that next time.

I started the I-cord over several times and am still not quite happy with the end result. But I wanted to finish, so I let the sloppiness slide this time around. So, I used the applied I-cord along the two cast-offs and then the regular I-cord for the actual handles. Since I had a little bit of the lime green yarn left over, I used that for the applied I-cord, which probably added to the sloppy appearance, since the lime green stands out a little more. Oh well, you live and learn. I definitely want to make this bag again, and I will do better next time. So, here is the finished product:

I was also a bit messy in joining the ends of the handles with the beginning of the applied I-cords. I wanted to make sure I have a sturdy connection and in the process probably overdid it a little.

Overall, though, I like how the tote came out. Here is my husband sporting it:

He said the handles could have been a bit longer. I was afraid to make them too long, because I didn't know how much everything was going to stretch out once the tote is in use. I will have to see about that. If it doesn't "grow" too much, I might make the next tote a little bigger.

Another "FO" (finished object)! Yeah for me!!

Totally Unrelated to Knitting

2008-05-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of...

I was looking at my friend Mary's Knitting on the Cam blog and found this:

What we have here is the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you've read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish.

(I am not going to underline the ones I have read in school, I will just bold all the ones I have read. There should be another category for all the books I have on piles on my nightstand, that I want to read, but haven't gotten to yet.)

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West

The Canterbury Tales
The Historian : a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno (and Purgatory and Paradise)
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

Wow, maybe I should knit less and read more...

Too Many Unfinished WIPs (works in progress)?

2008-05-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

And diagram for: Super Easy Poncho (scroll down)

Well, I opened the tote up yet again. I am just not happy with how it comes up. Maybe I should use slightly smaller needles to make it not look quite so sloppy? In any case, when I start them again, I will knit them in the round, I think. I have done a little research, and it appears, that is the most common modification people make when using this pattern. I will give it another try, but not today. So, technically, that's not an unfinished project any more. The yarn went back to my stash...

Because I was so frustrated with the tote, I started another pair of socks.

At least I know how to do socks by now. My old stand-by. But then my daughter counted all my WIPs for me, and I felt compelled to keep working on some of them. So, here is my progress...

I worked some more on the cabled shrug and finished it today. I wish I had used different yarn, as the Wool-Ease is a bit scratchy, but my dd says she likes the shrug anyway :). And here it is:

And another picture:

So, I finished one of my WIPs. Good for me.

And here is another project I have been working on for a long time. It's just a plain triangular wrap/shawl. I am very unmotivated about it, because I am tired of the yarn. I have made so many ponchos with Bernat Bling-Bling (see pictures below), that I just need a break from it. I bought a whole bunch of the that yarn in all kinds of different colors and made these ponchos. With the last color, I thought I would try something different and I am making this shawl. I will finish it eventually...

You can use any pattern you would like for the poncho. You can knit the two rectangles or crochet them. And you can decide on the size as well. My two pieces were roughly 70 x 40cm or 30x15", but of course that all depends on who you make the poncho for and how big you want it. You can add fringes or not. Since mine were knit kind of loose, I added a black ribbon to one of them around the neck, so the person wearing it can tie it a little tighter around the neck, rather than wearing it more off the shoulders. Your imagination is the limit...

Here are the parts and how you assemble them:

Nests and Nets and Knots

2008-05-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have been working on "Elisa's Nest Tote." And while the pattern is/was relatively easy, I am struggling a little bit with how "loose" everything is, especially on the sides. I have already opened up the whole thing once and am now working on my second attempt. I found that on Ravelry a lot of people have made the bag, and none looks like the other. Everybody has put a personal spin on the bag, and I have a feeling, I will, too.

Here is the original pattern from "the purl bee:"

MATERIALS

· One skein or approximately 175-200 yards cotton yarn. We used Rowan 4-ply Cotton in Tutti Frutti.

· One pair straight needles a few sizes larger than recommended for your yarn. We used US size 9 needles.

· Double pointed needles in the size recommended for your yarn. We used US size 3 needles.

· Crochet hook in the size recommended for your yarn. We used a 3.5mm hook.

· Tapestry needle

NOTES

· k2tog decrease; knit two stitches together

· psso pass slipped stitch over

· ssk decrease; slip, slip, knit

· yo increase; yarn over

Step 1: Knitting the Bag

Cast on 41 stitches.

Rows 1 and 3: Purl.
Row 2: K1, *yo, k2tog, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4: *Ssk, yo, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Repeat Rows 1 - 4 until fabric measures approximately 24 inches, or twice desired length of the finished bag.

Bind off loosely.

Step 2: Join Together the Sides

1. Fold the bag in half, right sides together so that the cast on and bind off edges form the top of the bag. You will join together the parallel long edges of the bag using a crochet hook.

2. Using a 1 yard length of the same yarn that you used to knit the bag, make a slip knot on the hook. Leave a 6 inch tail of yarn.

3. Insert your crochet hook under the loops of the first edge stitch on the front side, at the corner with the top edge of the bag. Then insert the hook through the first edge stitch on the back side.

4. Wrap the yarn around the hook, then draw the hook back through the two edge stitches. You now have two stitches on the hook.

5. Wrap the yarn around the hook and draw it through both stitches on the hook. You have just one stitch on the hook now.

Continue joining the front and back edges of the bag, repeat steps 3 - 5 along the length of the bag. When you reach the bottom of the bag, where the knitted fabric is folded in half, draw the remaining yarn all the way through the final stitch to secure it.

Weave in your ends using a tapestry needle or your crochet hook.

Repeat for the second side of the bag.

I will post any changes I made to this pattern, once I am finished and can show pictures of my own.

Endless Knots

2008-05-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the Endless Knot Socks! Yeah! They are cute, sort of. They are a little tight where the pattern is. The second one is a little looser, because I had the first one to practice on. What matters, though, is that my daughter loves them. She thought they were a little scratchy. Since the Felici yarn seems to get softer with every washing, she told me to wash them, so these would get softer, too. Haha, little does she know that these are wool! And, if you have ever had the joy of receiving a pair of socks my sister made (she is the sock queen, old style), you know the feel of wool socks!

So, after I finished the socks last night, I found myself without a project I wanted to work on.

Since I could not continue with my daughter's shrug until she came back home, and I could measure her back, and since I didn't feel like working on the "ugh" project (more on that some other time), I started my first tote bag. I have this Knit Picks "Cotlin" yarn I got a while ago, and I was looking what to do with it, and I thought a tote bag would be perfect. And since they kind of look as if they are made from lots of knots, I thought this would be a good next step for me :).

I found Elisa's Nest Tote published in "the purl bee" and really liked it. Mine is going to be lime green. I was surprised at how easily I grasped the pattern. I have never made a tote before, and I am curious to see how sturdy they are hand-knit. If I like how this one comes out, I have two more skeins of "Cotlin" in two other colors. I can mass-produce them and stash them away as gifts, maybe.

I took my tote project on the bus today (I take the bus to work every day). But the pattern requires me to pay quite a bit of attention, which I don't like to do on the bus. I get car-sick when I read on the bus or have to pay too much attention to what I am doing. That's why I usually just listen to music. It's just lately that I have had the urge to bring something to knit. But it has to be an easy pattern, where I can knit mostly without looking down. Maybe as I get more and more comfortable with the pattern, I don't have to look as much.

Well, that's it for today. Back to my tote...

Hugs, shrugs, cabled shrugs, boleros, and superchunky

2008-05-04T04:35:00.000-07:00

Other than the "endless knot" socks, I am working on a shrug for my daughter right now. She takes a sweater to school every day, because she says it's always cold inside. Jennifer Thurston calls her pattern "Hug," and Jenna (knits & pieces) altered that original pattern into a "cabled shrug" (see Jenna's picture). This shrug is basically two long sleeves that connect around the shoulder, thus keeping all the parts warm that usually get cold. It is knit starting from one wrist across the shoulders to the other wrist. I am using Lion Brand Wool-Ease solid, looking pretty much like Jenna's picture here (color is called "Fisherman"). The original pattern was knit with Cashmerino Superchunky, so I am doubling the Wool-Ease to make it "superchunky."

It's really fast and easy, except I think I made the first arm too long, so I am waiting for my daughter, so I can measure it on her. I might have to open parts up again. As easy as these shrugs are, getting them the right size always seems to challenge me.

I made this other, really cool shrug, called Ribbed Lace Bolero by Kelly Maher for my daughter. Instead of using Lion Brand Cotton-Ease like the "recipe" said, I used Knit Picks Shine Worsted, which somebody else on Ravelry had used. It came out great! Really awesome!! But after the first time it was worn, it "grew" to about double the width. The pattern completely lost its "spring," and I am totally bummed. I definitely want to make another one with the Lion Brand yarn to see if that makes the difference. By the way, I had the hardest time with the pattern at first (remember, I mentioned before that I have a hard time "reading" knitting patterns), but once I figured it out, it was totally, totally easy!

And more socks...

2008-05-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Toe-up!!!

Okay, so you remember I was discussing the "sock" dilemma of having to judge if you have enough yarn to last you all the way down to the toe when you start your socks with the leg. I had mentioned that one way to avoid this, is to start with the toe, and then just knit the leg as long as you like it or until you run out of yarn. This toe-up sock was totally new to me. I had never even heard of such a thing, but decided to give it a try. And here they are, my first ever toe-up socks. Tada!

And boy, did I like it!!! It's so much easier and nicer. And my husband, who had been complaining a little bit about the heel not fitting quite right on the socks I knit for him (he has very narrow feet), totally loves the toe-up version! Here is a close-up of the heel.

And the pattern I used for the instep and the leg part is called seed stitch rib:

row 1: k all
row 2: k3 p1
repeat those two rows

And here is it, the moment you have all been waiting for, my all-time (at least until now) favorite toe-up sock pattern:

It's called "Fingering Weight Toe-Up Socks With Gusset Heel" and is published by Wendy Johnson (THANK YOU, WENDY!!!!!).

As you can see when you compare her picture with mine, I make some slight alterations, but for the most part, I am following her pattern, because it's easy and I love it!

My husband likes his legs long, so I oblige and make them long for him. I just continue the seed stitch rib.

By the way, I forgot to mention that the socks are once again made with Knit Picks "Felici" yarn. I think they call it "self-striping." Works for me. This colorway is called "Coastal." We all love the different colors in this house. And here is another one I made with the same yarn, just yet another colorway. And the same seed stitch rib pattern. I think they call this color "Firefighter" or something along those lines. My husband loves them!!! Red and gray are probably his two favorite colors, so this is perfect!

I also really like the feel of those socks. The yarn is really soft, and they wash well. I wash them in the machine, but don't stick them in the dryer. We all like them a lot.

And here a quick word about needles. All the socks I have knit so far are with double-pointed needles (dpn) size US0. I have several sets of cheap metal ones, and I also have one set of bamboo. I usually alternate between them. The bamboo ones are a little more fragile (since they don't bend, but rather break). So when I knit something, where I put a lot of tension on the needles, I use the metal ones, but when I just knit straight up, I prefer the bamboo ones, since they feel so much better.

I have some "Harmony Wood" in my shopping bag at Knit Picks that I can't wait to try out. I have some circular "Harmony" needles I really like, but I don't have any dpn's yet. Can't wait!

And now more about yarn. I am still learning about sock yarn. It seems like a lot of them are wool or have a lot of wool in them, so you have to wash them by hand, which is not really my thing. Also, we all have sensitive feet and don't really like scratchy socks all that much. So, I am trying out new yarns (or else I will be stuck with Knit Picks Felici forever, not that there is anything wrong with that. In fact, they just came out with a bunch of nice new colors.).

Anyway, so I thought I would venture out a little... We have this really nice new yarn store in town, called Gauge. They have free knitting classes every Sunday afternoon, and I went there with my daughter just to check it out. There were a lot of nice people there who were all very helpful. I bought some really nice sock yarn there, but a bit pricey. Well, for my personal taste anyway. It was about $14.00/skein, which is a lot for me. But then again, it is really, really nice, and I actually got 4 socks, well, more like sockies, out of them. Yes, that's two pairs! One for my daughter and one for me. One toe-up and one regular leg down. Or what little leg I have. Here they are:

Isn't that the coolest yarn?! I looked online for it, but apparently, it's no longer available. But it makes me want to go back to the local store to see if they have some more. It's Mondial Ciao. Even if I can't get the same color again, I imagine they might have other cool colors. But I am afraid I will spend way too much money there again :).

These socks go great with my purple croqs, my lime-green croqs and my daughter's burnt orange (UT Austin colors) croqs. So that's perfect for us!

Another skein of yarn I bought at Gauge I used for chunky socks. I found this pattern online at Tara's Knits for "Chunky Ankle Socks" and thought this yarn would be perfect for them. They were really fast and easy and I wear them a lot with my croqs.

Okay, and this brings us up to date to the socks I am working on right now and to date my last pair of socks. I am going toe-up again, same pattern, but this time I was trying my luck at Robbyn Kenyon's "Endless Knot Socks." I tried to provide a link, but it seems to be broken at this time.

I didn't use the sock pattern (I stayed with my true and tried Wendy's pattern), but I used the "Endless Knot" pattern. Well, I tried anyway, but I was having a really, really hard time with (and eventually gave up on) the whole "mosaic knitting" and just kind of "borrowed" the pattern, but did it with two yarns running along. I will try my luck again some other times with mosaic knitting. If somebody has any really good sites where it's explained where even I can get it, please forward me the link!

Anyway, this is where I am so far.

Oh, and by the way, these socks are going to be color-reversed. One sock will be lilac with purple pattern and the other one will be purple with lilac pattern. I used Knit Picks yarn (I bet you are really surprised!), but this time it's "Palette," which I already am not all that crazy about, because I am going to have to hand-wash them, which I absolutely hate!!!! Maybe they would make a good gift for someone who doesn't mind washing them by hand. Hm....

In any case, I will post a picture when both socks are done. I am kind of dragging my feet (haha) a little, because I think I am tired of socks for now, I am not happy with the yarn for these socks, and I never figured out the mosaic knitting, and the pattern makes the leg part kinda tight. So, who knows when I will finish them. Until then, tata.

Oh, and there is one thing I forgot to mention about toe-up socks. You start with the toes and end with the top of the leg. Then you have to bind off. And since most bind-offs are not very stretchy, that creates a problem. I have been looking around and have not found the perfect bind-off for toe-up socks yet. They are either too tight or, if they are loose, they look a little, hmmm, shall we say, sloppy... Anybody got any good bind-offs?????

Also, there is another way to knit socks I have heard of, and that's gonna be my next pair. The two socks are knit simultaneously on two circular needles. I am waiting for my size 0 circular needles to arrive, and then I will try that for the first time. Should be interesting.

Euroknit

It never comes out the way you think...

It's a wrap!

Post-vacation blues

Done, done, and done!!!

Too sore to knit!

Monkey-ing Around

Mayfest, time to work in the garden

96-13 Loosely knitted top in Puddel.

I found the pattern on Ravelry. But it is available for free at the above link. However, I completely changed the yarn from the original pattern . Instead of the suggested

I am back!!!

Brrrrr!!! Snow in Texas!

More Ladybugs! Just in time for Spring and Valentine's Day

Little Bug Cardigan by Laurel Young

published on her blog Strings and Rings

Susanne Fågelberg

Ladybug Afghan and Pillow PA273 by Maggie Weldon

"Ladybugs Bring Good Luck" Beanie and Booties

"Ladybug" by Jennifer Lippman-Bruno

Super funky chunky VEST

Replenishing the depleted stash

All I want for Christmas...

Socktoberfest, again...

Confessions of a Sporadic Knitter...

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

My Knitting History...

Socks on the road...

Do you know where your jewels are?

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

To Top It All Off or More Hats

Knitters/Crocheters' Night Before Christmas

HATS HATS HATS HATS or Ode to all my bald friends...

What comes after Socktoberfest?? or "I felt your presents!"

Socktoberfest

More Totes

Bright Baby Blanket--BBB

I LOVE Ladybugs!!

Toe-up cabled socks

Ribbed Lace Boleros # 2 and #2b

Glossary of Knitting Terms and Abbreviations

Euroknit's Very Own Glossary

What's this obsession with feet and socks??? And what is a "fong"????

Sweaty (stinky) feet anyone???

Crocheted Market Tote

Market Tote (again...)

Totally Unrelated to Knitting

Too Many Unfinished WIPs (works in progress)?

Nests and Nets and Knots

Endless Knots

Hugs, shrugs, cabled shrugs, boleros, and superchunky

And more socks...