Category Archives: Knitting

Another New Hobby! (And Entering the Caardvark Challenge)

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I have discovered the joys of making cards.  The projects can be as simple or complex as I like.  They can also be done in a single sitting!  (Very little knitting can be done in a single sitting.)I admit to going a wee bit overboard with this new hobby.  But, well, it is fun and can draw upon so many other things I do. 

First, I got some stamps and ink.  This happened during the August Craft Group Sleepover and Shop Hop.  My Wednesday Night Craft Group does this every year.  We craft together and watch bad movies.  (By being obsessed with trying to find my hiding crochet needles, I escaped the horror of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.)

The next thing I knew, I had signed up for the Christmas Card Extravaganza at the very local Sandee’s Stamps.  I immediately started thinking about making cards for Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Of course, I still have to get the card to my nephew for his 4th birthday.

Everything is on the Internet, including card making contests.  So, I decided to enter one, to enter my project(s) into. The contest is from  Caardvarks (Clean and Simple with Hero Arts Stamps)- a blog that is all about making cards.  It is very inspirational to look at what the designers there have come up with.  I thought it was appropriate to enter this contest as the Hero Arts owls were the first set of stamps I bought!

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The second card I made was inspired by looking at all the purple I had around me.  I used a second of the set of three owls I had gotten:

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DH likes the purple better.  I kind of like the orange more.  (I think it is because purple is his favorite color.)

 

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Bubbles the Fish Dishcloth Extravaganza

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I have found that with chemotherapy, I can’t concentrate on complicated stuff, but, I have found this pattern:

http://knitalittlestore.blogspot.com/2008/03/bubbles.html

and have been knitting a bunch of these – including upscaling one to a dish towel for my mom.

Here are some bad pictures I took:

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This is a great dishcloth pattern that, if you knit, you can do while watching TV, or doing just about anything.

Mel’s 60th Show and Tell : DH Succumbs and Knitting

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Show and Tell Chalkboard 2

Click on the chalkboard to go see the rest of the class.

Two things this week for Mel’s Show and Tell:

  • I’ve got deck furniture!
  • A pic of WIP, Lady Entrelac Shawl. (With the furniture.)

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Lady Entrelac is the shawl in the basket on the big table and the chair by the smaller table.

Now I can enjoy the out-of-doors and watch the swans, turtles, ducks, and other wildlife out over my deck.

Now, there will be no need to haunt DH about patio furniture… Maybe I should now start thinking about wood flooring for our upstairs.

Roman Shades

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I can sew!

Using the instructions from Simply Window Treatments: All You Need to Know to Make Curtains, Shades, and Swags from Sunset I have successfully made Roman Shades for my front door. I had attempted this two years ago, and though serviceable, the shades were not exactly right.

Using the instructions in the book, I measured my front door’s window. I then set about to use the material I had already gotten two years ago in the vain attempt to make shades for most of the front room’s windows.

I then cut the lining, pressed, pinned and sewed it.

Once that was done, I tackled the actual blind material. It was cut a little larger in order to accommodate the insertion of the lining.

Before attaching the lining I sewed in a ribbon with loops in it for the string onto the lining. Once this was done, I sewed the lining into the main material and put the string for the shades through the hoops.

Since I already had attached a Roman Shade to the door before, I already had the hardware installed – well, I had had my brother-in-law install it so I don’t quite remember what was done. I do know they describe it in the book.

Using a staple gun, I attached it to the door where it now hangs.

This wasn’t as hard as you might think – at least not the second time.

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Entrelac! From Scarf Style

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I just started an entrelac stole two weeks ago:

entrelac start

two weeks into entrelac

And a close-up:

This is an adapted version of Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style: Innovative to Traditional, 31 Inspirational Styles to Knit and Crochet (Style series).

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Lady Eleanor is the first thing I have knitted from this book, but most of the patterns seem pretty well written. Someday I might even do the dragon scarf.

This is a worthy addition to any knitter’s library.

Oh, I’m also running an LSG Ravelry Entrelac – a – long. So, if you are on Ravelry and want to knit or crochet along, join us. Just remember, LSG is where swearing is encouraged – especially at your knitting.

Broken Promise Year Socks – Finally Finished (Or, Putting It All Behind You)

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I finally finished the stockinette stitch self-striping socks that I have been working on throughout this year. Somehow, finishing them is cathartic, and some, superstitious part of me believes that finishing these socks means I will not carry the badness of 2008 into 2009.

Here are the socks:

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Oh, the irony of them being orange and green – colors of fertility in an infertile year. But, I must admit, they are still rather comfy.

The vitals:

  • Toe-up, two at a time with magic loop. (I bought two balls of yarn, so, enough leftover yarn for another pair.)
  • Stockinette.
  • 2×2 ribbing for 1.5 inch cuff.
  • Square Toe
  • Sockotta Yarn from The Plymouth Italian Collection. (45% Cotton, 40% Superwash Wool, 15% Nylon)

You know, it should not have taken a whole year to knit these. Even I, the world’s slowest knitter, can knit faster than that…

I think in 2009, I’m going to try out entrelac knitting – and maybe even attempt the Lady Eleanor Shawl.

2-at-a-time Socks

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21x-dcHUuVL2-at-a-Time Socks: Revealed Inside. . . The Secret of Knitting Two at Once on One Circular Needle Works for any Sock Pattern! by Melissa Morgan Oakes is one of the best books on knitting two socks at the same time. The only weakness in my mind is that none of the patterns are toe-up!

Truthfully, I’m incapable of doing one sock at a time anymore. I make too many mistakes with any given pattern and it makes it so much easier to have matching socks when you are knitting both at the same time!

I have knitted the Beloved pattern – mostly without the errata (http://www.storey.com/books/book.php/y/5/p/0/order_no/67691), but they look great anyway! I found Melissa’s Ravelry group after finishing the leg – and I hate to frog anything. Yes, I am a lazy knitter.

Her instructions are very clear with really clear photographs. There are some corrections in the errata (linked above). This is a great book and belongs in any sock knitters library – from beginner to advanced.

2-at-a-time Be Mine Socks Done!

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socks2I will be reviewing the book in the near future, but I finished the first pair of socks I knit from the book, 2-at-a-time Socks by Melissa Morgan Oakes!

I love the Rosehip variegations from Mountain Colors Bearfoot. Despite only having about 350 yards a skein, I managed to have a little yarn left over. Very little, but a little.

Now, I didn’t find the errata until about the time I turned the heel, so the corrected chart only occurs on the foot, but I think they look rather nice. And, my husband likes these socks too!

The instructions were very clear, so I can’t not recommend the book! But, I’ll save my review for May. That way, I have time to knit another pair from the book to give an even better assessment.

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It is kind of hard to see the pattern due to my lack of photography skills, but the pattern does show up on this skein of yarn! Hopefully, the picture to the right gives a better view of the way the pattern shows up. It probably shows up best in a solid, but I seem to have a problem with boredom when dealing with single colors.

Oh, and they are mighty comfy on cold feet! I really liked working with the Bearfoot yarn. That is a yarn, that despite the expense, I will be looking at using again. The spinner and dyer really knows how to make a fun to work with yarn.

Of course, I am thinking of investing in learning to really spin in the near future… If only my husband didn’t insist on a walkway through the house.

Note: My email was unaccessible from Friday till this morning, so I am once again even further behind in certain obligations. Sorry!

Finally Finished – Multi-color Socks!

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The socks are done! Lots of colors in this yarn without much pooling. DH thinks they look like what a harlequin would wear…

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20080222 013I kind of like the way they turned out. Maybe they will bring me luck…

I am of course the world’s slowest knitter so this pair took me three months to knit.

I started a new pair (no picture yet) from the book 2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes called Be Mine in Bearfoot yarn in the color Rose Hip. I think they are going to turn out quite nicely. I started this week and am actually on the second cable pattern repeat on the leg!

Two Socks, Toe Up On A Circular Needle

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To keep my mind off things, I have been slowly knitting 2 socks, toe-up on a single circular needle sans pattern. (Well, I am using a formula I learned, but mostly just making it up as I go.)

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I love the colorway that I got at Hissy Knits in California. I am actually supposed to be working on a sweater – but socks are so nice and small and portable!

It is taking more time to recover from this surgery than I am accustomed to! I shouldn’t be as tired as I have been. Today is my first day back to work, I wonder how it will go?