Beaded Infinity Scarf

Beaded Infinity Scarf





Pattern: BWC Infinity Scarf (Buffalo Wool Company)
Yarn:  "Nimue Sock" from Wooly Wonka Fibers, Colorway "Peacock"
Fiber Content:  50 percent silk/percent Merino wool
Beads: Size 6 seed beads from "Bead Biz", Color "Dark Bronze"
Number of stitches in project including cast on and bind off: 18,480
Number of beads used: 1,056
Number of beads left over: only 9 (that's cutting in close)
Numbers of rounds I knit before realizing I had the stitches twisted and my cowl is now a "double Moebius shape" (if that is a thing): 64 rounds out of 70 rounds.

Yep, I was nearly done with the entire project when I realized I twisted the stitches after I cast on and before I joined to knit in the round.

Number of years I've been knitting (and should have caught that way sooner): 10 stinkin' years.

Despite all that, isn't this lovely!?!  It sure looks nice when I wrapped the scarf (cowl) double and styled it on my mannequin.  I am sure I'll enjoy wearing this despite the HUGE mistake I made.  Oh well.  This is a project I told myself I will make only ONE TIME.  For this design, you do string the beads on ahead of time. This means you are FOREVER pushing beads (over 1,000 beads) out of your way to make yarn available for the rounds you work without beads before you start knitting with beads.  Another tricky thing about this pattern is that you are always looking at the wrong side of your work when you are knitting so when you are adding the beads so that they appear on on the right side of the work, you are constantly counting and flipping your work around to make sure you are getting the beads in the right spot.

While working on this project I was watching a video class about knitting with beads. The website is "Bluprint" (formerly Craftsy) and the instructor was Laura Nelkin.  She was discussing beads and how sometimes beads are rough inside and sometimes they are smooth.  She said this is an important consideration especially if you are stringing your beads onto your yarn before you begin knitting as I did in this project. Just imagine if my beads were rough inside and I kept pushing them down the length of my yarn until I needed to knit with them. This could really tatter your yarn. She suggested buying Japanese beads as they tend to be smoother inside.  I have a lot to learn about knitting with beads.  And apparently, I need some remedial training regarding casting on a large number of stitches and joining to knit in the round WITHOUT twisting my stitches.

Nelkin Designs "Lolatude": Kit #1

Lolatude Kit #1

Back in August, I was looking at knitting designs by Laura Nelkin.  I stumbled across her blog where she was advertising an upcoming event where you could purchase project kits and have them mailed to your home for one, three, or six months.  I decided to treat myself to six months of project kits since my 50th birthday was in September.

I received my first kit in the middle of September. This is what came in the package.

• A Gale's Art Hand Dyed Sock blank (about 33 grams)
• some beautiful beads
• a Japanese bead needle
• some coordinating thread 
• some candy
• a post card with keycode to download the project pattern 

This was a pretty quick knit since it was only about 1/3 the size of a regular sock blank.  The instructions have you knit a boomerang shaped, asymmetrical triangle. You start at the narrow end then and, at the end, you work a number of rows in what's called "linen" stitch.  Finally, you bind off with an "I-cord bind off".  Next you create three tubes out of small (size 6) seed beads using needle and thread.  Thankfully the pattern had a great video link for how to make these Peyote Stitch Tubes.  It was a little tricky at first, but I enjoyed the bead work.  At the end, you sew the tubes to the linen stitch border of the scarf and then you insert the narrowest tip of the scarf through the three Peyote Stitch Tubes.  Each of the tubes is a different size depending upon the number of beads you use when you start the Peyote Stitch Tube.  

Eeeeek!  I made a mistake. I sewed my tubes on in the incorrect order.  I could not insert the narrow end of my scarf in the correct direction so I had to insert it in the opposite direction.  Thankfully it still works, it's just not as the designer intended.  So there you have it... a one of a kind scarf!

Here are some photos to show you what the kit looked like when it arrived.  I am also posting some photos of what the project looked like while in progress. I sure am looking forward to receiving and making my other "Lolatude" projects!

Brickless/Hitchhiker (Hand Dyed Yarn)

Brickless/Hitchhiker

If you've been following along, you will know that I had the opportunity to hand dye some yarn at my local yarn shop (Yarned & Dangerous, Canon City, Colorado), earlier this summer.  Peggy from "The 100th Sheep" was our expert instructor.  This is my third of four hanks of hand dyed yarn and this project is all done.  Just in time for the first day of Autumn.

This project is actually a mash up of two patterns by Martina Behm and the patterns are called "Brickless" and "Hitchhiker".  I've knit both patterns before.  I started out with the "Brickless" pattern which has three design elements: Net Lace Part, Garter Stitch Part, and Ribbed Part.  It's nice to have the three parts so you don't get bored but, at the same time, I sometimes just want to knit and don't want to have to follow the pattern on paper so closely.  Also sometimes the Net Lace and Ribbed Parts just slowed me down so much that I did not enjoy knitting them.  So I decided to stop work on the Brickless pattern and switch to Hitchhiker.  The Hitchhiker pattern is garter stitch with the occasional bind off of five or six stitches to create the teeth you see along the one of the shawl.  I have seen other completed Hitchhikers where knitters have inserted rows of eyelet on the same rows as the bind off stitches to create the teeth, so I decided to add in the eyelet rows so that the latter Hitchhiker portion of the shawl would have some lace elements just like the beginning Brickless portion of the shawl.

Below you can see all of my hanks of hand dyed yarn as well as a few more photos of my Brickless/Hitchhiker.

















I am off to the knit shop to teach class (Building Blocks) and I get to wear my new shawl. Yay!  Today is also Part II of a Felted Slipper class I am taking at Yarned & Dangerous.  Robbie is our instructor and we are going to her house to felt our slippers.  I'll share some photos of the completed slippers soon!

Happy Fall!

More Fun with Felting... Slippers

Slippers



Look, I made myself some slippers!  Looks like I have a problem with my gauge and sizing, doesn't it?



No worries! This is a pair of slipper which will be felted.

This pattern is called "Mohair Ballet Slippers".  Robbie taught a class covering this pattern last Saturday at my local yarn shop (Yarned and Dangerous in Canon City, Colorado).  It was a fantastic class.  Robbie is an amazing instructor!

The yarn I used in my slippers is called "Lamb's Pride" from Brown Sheep.  I also used some novelty "ladder yarn" called "City Life" from Premier Yarns.  The construction of these slippers is so unlike what you might expect and so very clever. This is the kind of pattern that really makes me wonder about the person who designed the pattern... what made this person think to make the slippers this way?!?

The pattern starts out with 59 stitches (for the largest Adult size); you cast on while holding 2 strands of worsted weight wool yarn together.  You work back and forth on these stitches with regular increases, some wrapping and turning, short rows, etc., and then you wind up with 79 stitches and something that looks like what you see in the photo below. This will eventually become the sole of the slipper.  You cut one strand of the worsted weight yarn and then you resume knitting with one strand of the worsted weight wool yarn and one strand of mohair yarn or some kind of novelty yarn (ladder yarn, fun fur, etc.).

Below you can see a side profile of the slipper which was worked with the wool yarn and the novelty yarn at the same time. To finish off the top of the slipper, you drop the novelty yarn and you knit and purl some rows and then you make a really clever rolled hem.  To make the rolled hem, you pick up stitches inside the slipper with a spare needle and then you complete a three needle bind off for a great finished edge.

After you finish slipper, you actually make a second sole for the slipper (in the same manner you made the first sole at the beginning of the pattern, holding two stands of worsted weight yarn together). In the photo below you can see I've picked up stitches along the edge of the completed slipper and I am working on merging the two soles together with another three needle bind off.



Below is another shot of the three needle bind off in progress to attach the second sole to the bottow of the slipper.



Below... the bottom of the slippers. Looks funny and quite messy.  Perhaps you can see that I need to make a seam down the center of the first sole and then I need to make another seam down the center of the second sole.  It's kind of hard to picture.



Below you can see the first center seam is done and next I need to sew a seam down the center to close up the second sole.



And below you can see both slippers, side by side of course, with the center seams all sewn up.



This weekend we are meeting up at the yarn shop and then travelling to Robbie's home so we can all felt our slippers together.  This is really thoughtful of Robbie.  She understands that not all folks have a suitable washer for felting.  A top loading washer with an agitator is best. Apparently she had a family member who was selling their motorhome and she asked them if she could have the washing machine of the motorhome. It's smaller in size and apparently will be perfect for us to felt our slippers.

Of course, I'll share some AFTER photos when my slippers are complete.

Another Bunny

Another Bunny...




I've made this pattern a number of times.  This is a stuffed bunny pattern called "Bonbon".  It's available for purchase on Ravelry.  I believe I started this bunny way back in November and it's been sitting in a bag.  I am buckling down and finishing up things that have been lingering.

In the photo above (at the very beginning of the post), bunny is chillin' out in yet another knit project.  I'll be sharing more about that project soon!



You can knit a tail for bunny but I like to make little white fluffy pom pom tails for my bunnies.








I'll be back soon with some more completed projects! Woo hoo!  I am on a roll...

Felted Bag with Flowers

Felted Tote with Flowers



More than two years ago, I took a class at my local yarn shop to make this felted tote.  The class primarily focused on making flowers and leaves and other embellishments to decorate the tote.  I quickly feel out of love with the project. I had the tote about half done and the only flowers I made were the flowers I made in class.

Fast forward about two years.  I had signed up for a class to make felted slippers on September 15, 2018, with the same instructor and I still had not finished the project from the last class she taught more than two years prior. I considered ripping apart the bag and using the wool from the bag for the slippers.  It turns out the yarn I needed for the slippers is worsted weight and the yarn I used in the tote is chunky weight.  So I guess this was the Universe's way of telling me to finish the tote.

So this week I madly worked on the bag and finished it up.  I made a few flowers, too.  Finally... this project is complete.

Here are some photos to show you the completed tote and some other photos which show what the photo looked like while in progress.  The finished bay is about 11 inches tall.  It is about 16 inches wide and about 5 inches deep. The bottom of the bag is rectangular in shape.  To give you an idea how much this bag shrank when felted, the bag was about 23 inches tall prior to felting.  I felted the heck out of this bag!




I love the fabric I used for lining.  I was contemplating shopping for special fabric to line the bag but I looked across my craft room and noticed this plaid flannel sitting on the shelves.  I actually used the wrong side of the flannel for the lining so it looks like cotton (not flannel).  If I am not mistaken, this is fabric I got from my mom.  Thanks, Mom!





In the bottom of the bag, I used a piece of foam poster board from the craft section of the store; you can also find foam poster board in office supply stores.  I cut the foam poster board to size and then made a little fabric pillow case for the foam poster board.  I sewed shut the pillow case to complete enclose the board in fabric.  It's nice to have a little rigidity at the bottom of the bag I think.



Here's a photo I snapped just prior to felting.



This is what the flowers looked like after felting; I just ended up using three of the flowers.



Here is a photo of the bag while I am knitting it.  The green is my t-shirt,the blue is my shorts, and you can see that the bag goes all the way from my hips to below my knee.  You can also see the stitch definition in the knitting.  All of the stitches disappear in the felting process.  It's amazing!

Today (9-15-18) I took the felted slipper class and I already have one slipper nearly completed.  We are finishing the slippers over the course of the next week and then next Saturday we will go to the instructor's home and we will all felt our slippers together.  Phew! So glad it's NOT going to take me two plus years to complete this project!

Other miscellaneous information:

Yarn used for the tote is Kraemer Mauch Chunky in the "Eggplant" color way.
Flowers were crocheted in Plymouth Gina.

Pattern link (tote)... Montana Felted Eco-Tote click HERE.
Pattern link (flowers used on my bag)... click HERE.

Hitchhiker Beyond

Hitchhiker Beyond



In the above photo, you can see two shawls pictured.  The shawl at the top of the photo is called "Hitchhiker Beyond" and the shawl at the bottom of the photo is called "Hitchhiker". They are patterns from Martina Behm and both are available for purchase on Ravelry.  I've made the Hitchhiker pattern at least five times; I love it! I figured it was about time I tried out the "Hitchhiker Beyond" pattern. 

I wore my new Hitchhiker Beyond to the Salida Fiber Festival this past weekend and I got a lot of nice compliments about it!  A few folks recognized the design as looking like a Hitchhiker and I mentioned that it was actually the Hitchhiker Beyond. So of course folks asked, "What's the difference?"  You can see that above; the shape.  You can see the direction of the knitting if you look from right to left above. With the Hitchhiker pattern, you start out with just a few stitches and then slowly increase until you are nearly out of yarn and then you bind off.  This creates an asymmetrical triangle.

In the Hitchhiker Beyond, the knitting starts in the very same manner as the Hitchhiker, but once you've worked 1/3 of your yarn, the pattern changes and includes increases and decreases. Ultimately you end up with a more symmetrical shape as you can see above.

I love knitting both designs and find them to be very wearable.

I am especially loving my Hitchhiker Beyond because it's made with yarn I dyed myself.  Earlier this summer, I participated in a workshop at my local yarn shop (Yarned and Dangerous, Canon City, Colorado).  Peggy Doney from "The 100th Sheep" was our instructor.  It was such a fun day.  Below you can see photos of my hand dyed yarn.  I am working on projects with the remaining yarn at this time.