Kim's Knitting Korner

Purple Turtle Tracks

2012-02-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, I love this pattern. I've made it a few times before. The pattern for these Emilee Dee Mitts can be found on Ravelry; the link is HERE. The lace pattern is called "Turtle Tracks". It looks like cables but there are none. The design is made from yarn overs, k2tog's and ssk's.

I used Berroco Comfort DK yarn in a dark purple; however, in these photos, the yarn looks rather blue, doesn't it!? Funny how that works! If you've never made mitts before, and you like the look of these mitts, I really think you'll enjoy this project. This was the first mitt pattern I ever followed and I keep coming back to make more.

This is my 4th pair of fingerless mitts for a charity called "Mitts of Steel" for dialysis patients who suffer from cold hands. I think I might need to make a pair for me since I like them so much. I had the mitts on as I was taking pictures and I noticed how nice it was to have my fingers free so I could adjust my camera easily.

Frustration... and Another Clapotis

2012-02-25T20:13:00.001-07:00

I started a cute little project last weekend... "Le Weekend Shawlette"... so named because you could start it on a Friday evening and finish by Sunday.

I was cruising along. I finished the lace border several days ago and, on Thursday, I proceeded to the short row shaping so the straight lace border would magically morph into a crescent shaped shawl.

After SEVERAL short rows, it decided to check my work to see if I had essentially the same number of stitches to the right and to the left of the short row shaping... I did NOT! The short rows were shifted to the right... what happened!?

I went back to the pattern and realized I missed about six rows, with oodles of decreases, which should have been completed BETWEEN the lace border and the short row shaping. I did not want to unknit stitch by stitch (lazy me!) so I just started ripping back. UNFORTUNATELY, there weren't ANY rows of stockinette between the short rows and lace, and as I ripped back... I started to lose the lace pattern made up of oodles of yarn overs, ssks, ktogs, and S2KP's. I made several desperate attempts to rip back to a row where I could recapture the 300 plus stitches. Eventually, I just gave up.

Over 6,000 stitches... gone.

For some reason... I just did not have the heart to cast on the same "Le Weekend Shawlette" again.

Meet Clapotis #2... she's looking a little crumpled at the moment, but I am looking forward to wearing this scarf. I seriously did not see myself making another Clapotis EVER especially after I became so bored with Clapotis #1 just a few short weeks ago. But there is something so appealing about the ingenious "fabric" one creates when knitting this project. I am hoping some of the crumpliness will be resolved in blocking. Clapotis #2 will be much smaller than Clapotis #1

(which reminds me.... I really need to post some photos of Clapotis #1).

Mystery KAL is no longer a MYSTERY

2012-02-13T19:50:00.001-07:00

Should you ever have the opportunity to participate in a Knit Along (KAL)... or better yet...
a Mystery KAL... I highly recommend going for it!

Around New Years, I learned about this Mystery KAL on a Ravelry group called "Susanna IC" which is pretty much a fan club for folks who ~~drool over~~ love to make the patterns designed by by Susanna IC. She has beautiful designs. Basically we were told how much yarn we would need, how many beads we would need, what size needles we would need, and in the end...we would have a crescent-shaped shawl. The pattern was given out in the form of "clues"; we received a total of six clues over the course of six weeks. The end result is pictured above.

I love my completed shawl. I loved the mystery of not knowing what the shawl would look like in end. I loved seeing the shawls being knit by others in the group... the yarn choices, the beads, the variations. I must confesss the pattern called for nupps. Nupps are are much like bobbles. To make a five stich nupp, for example, you k1,yo,k1,yo,k1 in one stich (from one stitch you create five stitches). Then on the next row, you purl those five stitches together. Nupps are known to be tricky, especially the part where you purl the five stitches together. I chickened out. I put beads in the place of nupps. I am tempted to cast on another mystery KAL right away, but next time with nupps.

If you are interested in this project, you can find the pattern on Ravelry by clicking HERE. The project can be made in lace yarn, fingering or sock yarn, or worsted weight yarn. Since I participated in the KAL, I got the pattern for free. Many of Susanna IC's patterns are free, but there are several I am tempted to purchase and cast on... right away!

Clapotis Continues

2012-02-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Clapotis

Since I am caught up on my Susanna IC Mystery Knit Along (KAL) shawl with beads, I am spending a lot of time working on my Clapotis (clap-oh-TEE). I just barely started on my second hank of yarn so it looks as if I can make this wrap rather longer than the patter calls for if I so choose. I am still working on the straight rows (where the width of the project remains the same) but I am just about at the point where the pattern calls for the decrease rows. I think I will continue straight for just a bit longer to make a nice generous sized wrap.

I can see why this pattern is so very popular on Ravelry. The pattern is sure genious...so clever! It's easy knitting but interesting enough to keep it fun and keep your brain working. Some folks consider knitting rhythmic or medative. I think this pattern fits that description.

Mystery KAL Continues

2012-02-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

Mystery Knit Along crescent shaped shawl with beads
Designed by Susanna IC

I am having a fun time with my Mystery Shawl Knit Along with the "Susanna IC" Ravelry group.
I am now done with Clue #5; the final clue is expected to be out this weekend. I am little boggled about how to block out the points. Folks on the Ravelry group are blocking their projects in various ways and taking photos. I imagine this time next week, I'll be wearing this lovely wrap. I am looking forward to it!

WIP's (Works In Progress)

2012-01-28T17:15:00.001-07:00

Aside from working on my entrelac scarf this week, I wanted to show you some other WIP's (works in progress).

My first Mystery KAL.
The designer, Susanna IC, tells us how much yarn we need and how many beads we need.
She is sending us a few rows at at time in the form of "Clues".
This is Clue #1 through Clue #3 knit up.
I just received Clue #4 today.
All I know is that I will end up with a crescent shaped shawl in the end.
This is yarn from the Sock Summit 2011 and I am making this project to go with my "little black dress" to wear to a special concert in April 2012. More about that another day!

Silky Soft Socks
Pattern link HERE.
Using Lion Brand Sock Ease yarn in "Cotton Candy" colorway.

Bamboo Socks
Pattern link HERE.
Using Shoppel-Wool Zauberball yarn in a colorway called "Durch die Blumen"
Thanks to many years of studying German,
I know that means "Through the Flowers" (clever girl that I am)!
But when I saw this yarn I saw "watermelon". There is green in there, trust me;
you just can't see it yet! I am purposely making the socks NOT matched... just for fun.

Entrelac

2012-01-28T07:36:00.007-07:00

While in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a few years back on vacation... I bought some expensive Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn on an impulse. I paid nearly $20.00 per skein and I bought two skeins. Eeeee-GADS! That's some expensive souvenir yarn! One of my knitting goals for 2012 is to use this yarn.

With this yarn...
I considered making a Clapotis...
I considered making a Hemlock Ring Doily Throw...
But this yarn WANTS to be entrelac.

I've had a little experience with this design or technique before... a dishcloth, a little bag I made, and a square on my Great American Afghan. After these experiences, I thought I would never make anything entrelac again. It's rather slow going and the backside of the project kind of looks lumpy and bumpy and messy.

But this yarn wants to be ENTRELAC.

I am surprised I am enjoying this project so much. It's almost addictive. I find my self saying, "Okay, just one more row of squares and I'll put this down!" But next thing you know, I can't put it down and I have a few more rows of squares (and triangles done). I am using THIS PATTERN which is free on Ravelry.

My husband and son don't often have much of a reaction to my knitting projects, but my husband always comments that the entrelac projects are especially nice looking. In fact, I think he likes the entrelac square on the GAA the best. In my current entrelac project, my husband and son both think the colors look great. I agree. Noro yarn is not as soft as you would expect (it's rather scratchy), but the colors are amazing!

Entrelac Square in my Great American Afghan

Gingko Shoulderette Shawl is Complete!

2012-01-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

Ginkgo Shoulderette Shawl

This project was a dream to make. The yarn, the pattern, the needles... a match made in heaven!
The pattern link can be found HERE. The yarn contains cashmere and is dreamy soft and drapes so nicely. The yarn is Zen Yarn Garden "Serenity 20" in a colorway called "Butterfly Kisses". It is gorgeous in person but I think the pictures also capture the beautiful colors in the yarn. If you can get your hands on some of this amazing yarn, buy, buy, BUY!

As for me, the yarn was a gift from my good friend, Kerri. Thank you, Kerri! I love, love, LOVE it!

This is a fun pattern. I enjoyed it very much. The lace portion is entirely charted so it was a fun exercise for my brain. In some lace patterns you just purl all the stitches on the wrong or back side of the project, but in this pattern, both the front side and the back side require careful attention to the lace stitches. The lace portion is only 34 rows. The pattern does include instructions for how to make the shawl larger but I did not think I would have enough yarn. Unfortunately, the pattern only gives yarn yardage requirements for the smaller version of the shawl and I did not want to risk running out. I will probably make this pattern again someday... it was that much fun!

Love Letter Larch is Complete!

2012-01-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Love Letter Larch

I struggled with this pattern quite a lot, which surprised me as I expected this to be a rather "straight forward" pattern. I did a lot of un-knitting due to problems along the way, which made me feel as if I should have been done with this days ago. Whatever the case maybe, I am pleased with the finished project and have a recipient in mind (a gal at work who is retiring in February). The yarn is my favorite thing about this project. The yarn, a generous gift from my friend, Kerri, is Miss Babs' Yummy Superwash Sock and Baby yarn. It's a treat to work with. It drapes nicely and knits up nicely. If you ever come across some Miss Babs yarn like this, don't hesitate... buy, buy, buy!

Pattern: Larch by Tinks and Frogs Rue
Yarn: Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sock and Baby Yarn
Colorway: Wool Girl's "Love Letters"...

Love Letter Larch

Love Letter Larch Scarflette

2012-01-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

I had a ridiculous case of Startitis over New Year's Weekend, casting on a total of three shawls. Clapotis, Ginkgo Shoulderette Shawl, and this Larch Scarflette.

I have almost exclusively knit on the latter all week long with some struggles along the way. The pattern for the Larch project can be found HERE. The yarn I am using is fingering weight merino wool by Miss Babs (Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sock and Baby Yarn) in a colorway called "Love Letters". The yarn is nice to work with and I like the colors. It's almost as if someone took creamy white yarn and dipped it in rich, dark red wine... Burgundy, Merlot, Shiraz... some parts of the yarn are darkly stained where as other parts just have a hint of color. I think it's knitting up nicely in the garter stitch body of the shawl. This yarn was also a gift from my good friend, Kerri. Thank you, Kerri! I love it!

The lace border at the edge of the shawl looks very straight forward but I goofed up. As with all charts in knitting, you read the chart from from right to left. I took that literally so when I got to the center stitch on the left hand side of the chart, I started over on the right hand side of the chart so both the right and left hand side of the shawl were identical. I made it all the way through the 24 rows of the lace chart before I realized the error of my ways. What I should have done was knit following the chart from right to left to the center stitch and THEN knit the chart from left to right so that the two halves of the shawl are MIRROR images of one another. Now I get it. I ripped back the 23 or 24 rows today and am now on the right track! A few days of wasted knitting but I learned from my mistake.

Ginkgo Shoulderette Shawl in Progress

2012-01-03T05:33:00.002-07:00

After finishing up my Happy Octopus Hat on New Year's Eve... I was soooo tired... but I got my second wind. I cast on a new project... LIKE I NEED A NEW PROJECT... with some dreamy yarn I received as a gift from my good friend Kerri. The yarn is Zen Yarn Garden "Serenity 20" in an amazing golden yellow color called "Butterfly Kisses". The yarn is scrumptious, yummy, squishy, soft, plump... amazing to work with and the colors in the yarn are very rich. When I saw the pattern called "Ginkgo Shoulderette Shawl" on Ravelry, I knew it would be the perfect project for the yummy yarn I had.

I have an affinity for the Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba) tree. I remember being impressed by them when I read a blurb about them in a Botany class a really long time ago and what I read has stuck with me over the years. The Ginkgo tree is considered a living fossil. I understand that to mean that trees very similar the now existing Ginkgo trees lived on the Earth hundreds of millions of years ago. It is also a unique species of trees, with no close living relatives. You can read more about Ginkgo trees HERE or HERE if you are interested in that sort of thing.

Ginkgo trees are quite ornamental and their leaves have a distinct, graceful shape, as you can see in the photos above. I remember learning that either the male Ginkgo tree or the female Ginkgo tree (I cannot recall WHICH one!) gives off a horrible odor, so if you are interested planting a Ginkgo tree in your yard, be sure to research that. (Yet another odd fact that I remember after all of these years! No wonder I have to write a grocery list if I am shopping for more than three items... my brain is full of random, useless information). Ginkgo may sound familiar to some as it is the source of an herbal remedy which some belive enhances memory, among other things.

I am not sure if the "leaves" in my current knitting project are just like the Ginkgo leaves found on a tree, but whatever the case may be, I think the colors in the yarn are amazing, the yarn is an absolute treat with which to knit, and I think the shawlette will be pretty when it is done.

Happy New Year... Happy Hat

2012-01-02T10:02:00.003-07:00

Look Out! There's an Octopus on Your Head!

Yes, this hat has a story.

In early November 2011, I made a pretty crazy hat. Turns out it was my 50th chemo cap. You can click HERE to see the hat. The hat was based on some design elements & techniques I had learned from making a cap called "A Winter Solstice Hat" (to see that hat, click HERE). The hat called A Winter Solstice was designed by a gal in Colorado who is my good Ravelry email pal, "Colorado Mom". She's a really cool lady.

When I made chemo cap #50, I kept thinking about the crazy fancy cakes you see on programs on the Food Network. Colorful and crazy designs and textures. Good elements for a cap for a kid.

Anyway, I posted my 50th chemo cap on my favorite Ravelry Group called "12 months=24 hats", where the members make it a goal to knit at least two chemo caps per month. One of the group's members commented that my 50th chemo cap sure was a happy hat. Based on her comment, the group's founder "Plynn" decided the group should have a "Happy Hat Contest". How fun is that?! The deadline was midnight on December 31, 2011.

November was a pretty busy month for me... the Hemlock Ring Throw Blanket that was given to my parents for Christmas was pretty much my constant companion, so making a Happy Hat was not high on my list of priorities, yet I had a few ideas swirling around in my head. When I finished up the blanket, I started focusing on some other unfinished objects... the Sockhead Hat, Calabaza Calypso, and Chasing Rainbows blanket. Still no Happy Hat.

Then I got a horrible case of "Startitis" and cast on a Chinook Scarf with beads, a pair of Bamboo Socks, a plain pair of socks, a pair of slipper socks for my son, a pair of fingerless mitts... all while I should have been working on a Happy Hat. What's wrong with me.... seriously, I think I have some sort of affliction.

Last week, another group member sent me a message saying she sure was looking forward to seeing my Happy Hat. Oh yes, I really must do that!!!! So what did I do? I cast on a Clapotis! I tell you... it's an addiction! Either that, or I am a glutton for punishment.

So in the evening hours of December 30th, I finally cast on my hat and octopus. I tried to make up on octopus design by myself but failed miserably. Boy, I wasted a lot of time making Octopus #1... it looked more like a flat sprawling jellyfish... like the dead jellyfish you find laying in the sand on the beach. Ick!

I woke up really early on December 31st and found the octopus pattern called "Socktopus" on Ravelry. It took me all freakin' day to make that little octopus... you wouldn't think a little project like that would take SOOO much time, but it does. Eight tentacles!!!!! Why do octopi have EIGHT TENTACLES!!!! After the octopus was done, I knit like mad on the plain rolled brim hat... I used size 5 needles... yep, could have used size 7 and cast on fewer stitches... but no, I opted for 108 stitches per round on small needles! I knit like mad. I almost gave up. My husband said he could not believe I could knit that fast. I was so tired. I was ready to throw in the towel.

Finally, 9:30 pm on New Years Eve... my hat was done... I made the deadline. It wasn't even midnight in New York yet. Phew, what a relief. I was done.

Guess what? I won the Happy Hat contest. And I get a prize. How fun is that? What a nice start to 2012.

Happy New Year... Happy Hat!

Clapotis Finally

2011-12-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

Clapotis (A French word...pronounced clap-oh-tee) is an insanely popular free knitting pattern on http://www.knitty.com/

As of this moment, there are 18,720 Clapotis projects listed on Ravelry. I have had this project in mind for quite some time and tried to make it with some beautiful, colorful Noro yarn I have in my stash. After a false start with the Noro, I have decided the Noro yarn would be better suited for a different pattern. But I remembered some beautiful Cascade Heritage Hand Painted Sock Yarn I bought awhile back and I decided the pattern and yarn were destined for one another. I cast on yesterday and here is my progress so far.

The project is a large parallelogram shaped shawl of sorts. It features rows dropped stitches. I have just completed the increase portion of the project. It starts with 2 stitches and then slowly increases to 107 stitches. Now I am at the straight section of the project where I am staying with 107 stitches and dropping rows of stitches once in awhile. I can now see why this project is so popular; it is a VERY FUN KNIT. It's complicated enough to keep you from getting bored, but not so difficult that you easily lose your place. If you are interested in this project, or have been toying with the idea of making a Clapotis yourself, I highly recommend it. I also recommend joining a Ravelry group called How Do You Pronounce "Clapotis?"
In this group, I found some great tips for this project. I even reached out to a few of the experts in the group (who have made numberous Clapotis) and they've been very responsive and helpful!)

The Knitting pattern link can be found HERE.

The Ravelry pattern link can be found HERE.

Ravelry Group: "12 in 2012"

2011-12-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

A gal on Ravelry who goes by the name "MommyLovesYarn" started a new group on Ravelry a few weeks back. This is how she introduced the group:

"I want to work down the stash and the queue and figured why not get some my my best knitting buds in on the action. Heck, why not everyone. Lets complete 12 full projects in 2012. Not a feat for some but a big challenge for me. We can post pics, ask each other questions, chat or just cheer each other on.
SO who’s with me?"

So of course... I joined.

In case you are not familiar with these Ravelry groups, there are a ton... a group for every interest you could possibly have. And, if you can't find what you are looking for, you can start and moderatie your OWN group. I've talked about my favorite group called "12 months=24 hats" but on Ravelry you'll find...Knit 11 Shawls in 2011, fans of Lucy on the "Attic 24" blog, fans of Harry Potter books and movies, cable lovers, fans of Knit Picks Interchangeable needles, Berroco Lovers, a group where people post what they put in their Crock Pot for the day, fans of designs by Susanna IC, people who are devoted to knitting from their stashes only, people who are all knitting the Multnomah Shawl, fans of Mike Row and the show called "Dirty Jobs"... I could go on and on. New groups are being created all the time. Why, I think I belong to 46 groups but am active in only a few.

Since I joined the "12 in 2012" group a few weeks back, more and more folks are joining in on the fun and there is a lot of discussion about what 12 things folks intend to knit. This has got me to pondering my goals or knitting resolutions for 2012 and this is what I have so far. I am not just planning 12 specific projects, but I am establishing 12 goals for myself to use yarn I already have in my stash.

NOTE: If you have a Ravelry account, you can click on the highlighted portions below to look at both the pattern link and a photo of the yarn I have in mind for each project listed.
(1) An afghan called "Nature in Natural" (a pattern from Lion Brand) using up my Berroco Weekend yarn/color: natural, oatmeal. I may re-purpose this yarn to make a pattern called "Girasole" by Jared Flood. I just can't decide!
(2) A sweater called "Pismo" for me using my Cascade 220 Superwash Wool yarn in a lovely lavender/periwinkle color.
(3) Make something out of my gorgeous two (2) skeins of Noro Silk Garden Sock. This yarn is too beautiful to waste! I just can't decide!
(4) Make an "Annis Shawl" with beads instead of nupps with yarn from the Sock Summit 2011).
(5) Make one (1) shawl (for "Wrapped in Care" group on Ravelry).
(6) Make a "Swallowtail Shawl" in teal Lion Brand Sock Ease yarn.
(7)   Make an "Elizabeth Zimmermann Pi Shawl"-Inspired Christmas Tree skirt out of Mom's Stash Yarn: Schaffhauser Wolle 'Nancy' in an antique/off-white shade.
(8)   Use remaining stashed Berroco Comfort DK yarn for chemo caps.
(9)   Find a good use for Mom's Stash Yarn: 'Lil Grins' (cotton/acrylic blend). May make a little sweater.
(10) Make 12 Christmas Stockings for "Operation Holiday Stockings" (at LEAST 12 stockings in 2012).   (11)   Make 12 of pairs of SOCKS *** OR *** make 12 of projects from book "Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders" (or any combination of the two that adds up to 12).
(12) Try, try, TRY to not buy new yarn for 12 entire months!

I could easily make a goal to make 12 shawls in 2012, as there are so many shawl projects I love. Gail, Haruni, Holden, Clapotis, Bitterroot, Ginkgo, Larch, Multnomah.... just give me a minute... I know I can come up with at LEAST 12 shawl-like patterns I want to make!

Of course, before I start in on these NEW goals, I should probably set a goal for myself to complete some works in progress (WIP's) before now and the end of 2011. Off the top of my head, I would say I would like to complete my "Chasing Rainbows Blanket" by the end of 2011. Now that I have put it in writing, I better get busy! Of course the fact that I have cast on two pairs of socks, a scarf/wrap called "Chinook", and two pairs of fingerless mitts in just the past week or so is not helping me finish my blanket... oh, what's a knitter to do?

Hemlock Ring Blanket... a gift

2011-12-25T16:44:00.002-07:00

Hemlock Ring Blanket for my Mom and Dad for Christmas. The pattern link is HERE. For this gift, I used three skeins of Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool, which is natural Peruvian wool. I used nearly all the yarn I had except for about 1/2 of an ounce. That's cutting it close. The Hemlock Ring Blanket is based on a vintage doily pattern. The pattern was adapted to be a throw or blanket by Jared Flood.

As you might expect, this project was a big deal to block. I soaked it in the sink in the kitchen and attempted to let it drain. I put it on a kitchen towel on the island in the kitchen and the water oozed and oozed. With a river of water on the floor behind me, I raced to the clothes washer, which was just several steps away, and set the blanket and towel on "spin" to use the centrifugal force to remove a good deal of the moisture. I used the futon in the spare room for blocking. The futon mattress was covered with towels and a fitted sheets. Hundred and hundreds of pins did the job!

A few more photos... a photogenic piece of knitting...

One Skein Wonder: Calabaza Calypso Complete

2011-12-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Calabaza Calypso Scarf

I started knitting this project in September, when fall colors were in their full glory here in Colorado. The colors in this yarn had me thinking of autumn leaves and pumpkin patches. I had to take breaks from knitting to go to the kitchen and bake pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread. Yes, I had pumpkin on my brain! I noticed on the can of pumpkin puree that "calabaza" is the Spanish word for pumpkin. The pattern for this scarf is called "Calypso" and it's from the great book "Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders"... so there you have it... Calabaza Calypso.

This is made from one ball of Berroco Sox Metallic (do you see the little flecks of silver metallic thread?). It knit up beautifully... very nice yarn. I wish I had more in my stash! The pattern called for making this project into a much wider stoll. I reduced the number of stitches to 36 for a narrower scarf and I am happy with the results. It's a simple pattern and I like the look of the drop stitches. If you've not made a drop stitch scarf, you should. I think it looks nice in colorful yarn but I think it would also look nice in a solid color. The patter called for beads but I thought the metallic thread was enough bling for me.

Christmas is coming....

2011-12-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Every year, when I decorate my six foot tall Christmas tree, I think to myself... someday I would like to decorate my tree with homemade ornaments only.

That will take a lot of work.

This year, I have a small table top tree with some ornaments I've been working on and I wanted to share.

This little sock is my favorite. I am using up leftover bits of sock yarn.
This is from mittens made earlier in the year.

This is my favorite sweater. It was from a little sample of yarn from the Sock Summit
(sock yarn from Hazel Knit's booth).
The sweater was knit from the top down and the yarn was a dream with which to knit.

The sock on the left is more yarn from Hazel Knits
and the sock on the right is Crazy Zauberball yarn
(leftover from socks I made for my dad).

A little cardigan (needs buttons!)

A pullover...

And another pullover.

I am sure a few more ornaments will find there way on my tree between now and Christmas. I like how making each ornament reminds me of the projects I made with the yarn originally. Little memories... little keepsakes.

Sockhead Hat

2011-12-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

"Sockhead Hat:" a free pattern from Ravelry (click HERE for link)

Super slouchy,
Super stripey,
Super simple...

For this hat, I used Knit Picks Yarn: Felici Sport Self-Striping in the colorway "Alexandrite". A fun use for pretty sock yarn! This would be a good for males or females, depending of course upon which yarn you choose. I have to admit the four inches of knit 2, purl 2 ribbing was a bit tedious... I took lots of breaks... but once I got to the stockinette, it was much faster. This hat calls for nine inches of stockinette, after the four inches of ribbing, before the decreases begin... on tiny US 2 needles. There are 144 stitches per round. That's a lot of little stitches.

Big Boy Socks for my baby boy (Slipper Sock Pattern)

2011-12-04T09:17:00.004-07:00

I really am trying to NOT buy new yarn. I made that goal a year ago (knit from my stash!) and I have really not done well. For some reason, however, I feel a little less guilty about buying new yarn if (1) I have something in mind for the yarn and (2) I cast on right away. That was the case with the yarn I bought in late November 2011. My local yarn shop is one year old now and they were having a sale. I bought two skeins of Bernat Jacquard worsted weight yarn in a colorway called "Jet". I decided the shades of grey and off-white were good colors for a boy.

I love the way my yarn shop organizes things. It works with the way my brain works. From left to right, the yarns are displayed from thinnest to thickest.... on the far left... lace weight, sock and fingering weight yarns... in the center, DK and sportweight, worsted and aran weight yarns... followed by chunky and bulky yarns on the far right. Brilliant!

But for some reason (most likely because it is a "self striping" yarn), the worsted weight Bernat Jacquard yarn was WITH the sock yarn. So it got me to thinking of making socks with heavier, worsted weight yarn. I looked on Ravelry, and I found that lots of folks make socks, mittens, fingerless mitts, and hats with this yarn. I initially was going to use a pattern called "Just Perfectly" which I found on Ravelry. I ended up improvising my own pattern and this is what I came up with. My project notes are far from refined but here they are. The socks are very thick so I cannot picture my son wearing these with shoes, but he loves to wear them around the house. In fact, when I finished the first sock, he insisted on wearing it... just the one. He said he was, "... like Michael Jackson but with his feet!" You know, how Michael Jackson used to wear just ONE white glove!? Hilarious!

This weekend, when I would see my son shuffling around the house with just the one sock on his foot, I would hold up my knitting and say, "Look, I am working on your sock. I am knitting JUST as FAST as I CAN!" Sock #2 finished last night! What a relief!

Big Boy Socks (Slipper Socks)
Size US 5 needles (double pointed needles)
Two (2) skeins of Bernat Jacquards (worsted weight) yarn

Knit the Cuff: Cast on 48 st on size US 5 dpns. Join to knit in the round. Knit in k2,p2 rib for 40 rounds on three needles (you can knit more or fewer rounds depending upon how long or short you want your socks to be).
Knit 1 stitch. Move this one stitch to needle #3. Over the next 24 stitches, knit the heel flap. The remaining 24 stitches (which will become the instep) should be held on another needle (or two), a scrap piece of yarn, or a stitch holder. Knitting the 1 stitch and moving it to needle #3 centers the stitches. That way, when you knit the instep, it is symmetrical. K1,p2,k2,p2... continue in k2,p2, end with a k1. I am a LIBRA... I am all about symmetry!

For the heel flap, I followed instructions I found in a pattern called "Just Perfectly" by Bitta Mikkelborg. The Raverly pattern link can be found HERE. These are socks I definitely plan to make some day in the future.... a very interesting looking sock pattern for worsted weight yarn!

Heel flap:
Working on 24 first stitches only, leaving remaining instep stitches on hold.
Row 1: *With yarn in back Sl 1 knitwise, k1* repeat from * across row.
Row 2: With yarn in front Sl 1 purlwise, purl across row.
Repeat these two rows until you have worked 31 rows, ending with row 1.

Heel turn:
Row 1 (WS): With yarn in front sl 1 purlwise, p 12, p2tog, p1,turn.
Row 2 (RS): With yarn in back sl 1 knitwise, k 3, k2tog tbl, k1, turn.
Row 3 (WS): With yarn in front sl 1 purlwise, p to 1 stitch before gap, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 4 (RS): With yarn in back sl 1 knitwise, k to 1 stitch before gap, k2tog tbl, k1, turn.
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all heel stitches are worked. You now have 14 stitches left on your needle. End on a right side row. Divide these stitches on to 2 needles (needle 1 and 4).

The round now begins under the foot (in the middle of the foot) with needle 1. The thread is now at the end of needle 1. With needle 1, pick up and knit 16 stitches along the heel flap on the right side. Work the stitches on the instep needles (needle 2 and 3), in pattern... k1,p2,k2,p2,k2... end with p2,k1. With a free needle, pick up and knit 16 stitches along the left side of the heel flap. Knit the 7 stitches on needle 4. At this point you should have 23 st on needle 1, 12 stitches on needle 2, 12 stitches on needle 3, and 23 stitches on needle 4.

Gusset Decreases:

Knit round: Knit 1 round, keeping instep stitches in pattern.
Decrease round: Knit stitches on needle 1 until last 3 st; then k2tog, k1. Work stitches on needle 2 and needle 3 (instep) in pattern. On needle 4, k1, ssk, then knit all stitches to end of needle.

Work these two rounds, alternating between knit rounds and decrease rounds, until there are 12 st on eash of the 4 needles (48 stitches total).

Knit the Foot:
Needle 1: Knit
Needle 2 and 3: Work instep stitches in pattern.
Needle 4: Knit
For my son's size 11.5 feet (Holy Cow!), I completed 40 rounds. You could knit more or less of course for shorter or longer socks.

Toe Decreases: When you begin the toe decreases, you stop working the instep stitches in k2,p2 ribbing (For the toe, I did decreases each round until a total of 16 stitches remained).
Needle 1: Knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: K1, ssk, knit to end of needle (no more ribbing)
Needle 3: Knit to last 3 stitches (no more ribbing), k2tog, k1.
Needle 4: K1, ssk, knit to end of needle.
When a total of 16 stitches remain, graft toe using Kitchner Stitch.

Done... except now you have to make the dreaded "Second Sock!"

So there you have it! Slipper Socks done in a jiffy. A great last minute Holiday gift perhaps. Hmmm, maybe I need a pair... my knit shop has just the right yarn...

Grandma Fluck's Anise Molasses Cookies

2011-12-01T05:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I posted about my cookie baking adventures and included a photo of these lovely treats.

I've posted the recipe on my other blog. Click HERE if you'd like to see more...

Finally... GAA on display!

2011-11-30T17:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Christmas to me... I have been wanting to buy a quilt rack for a long time...

I did not have a rabbit motif in mind, but I kind of like it...

It's a shame that something that entailed so many hours of work... was sitting in a bag in a closet for so long...

Finally, my Great American Afghan is on display in my home.
This is not the spot where I planned to keep this quilt rack. Once Christmas is over, the rack and afghan will fill the space currently occupied by our Christmas tree.

No Time to Knit

2011-11-25T15:51:00.032-07:00

No time to knit. The Thanksgiving Weekend has had me too busy. This week, I am off of work Wednesday through Saturday and I am making the most of it. Working like MAD to get things done so that I may relax and enjoy the holiday season. My son drug out the Christmas Tree Box and erected the tree we've used for the past 19 Christmases. After putting up the tree (just the tree!), my son lost interest. He and his Pop went to go play tennis and I stayed home. I strung up the lights and hung the ornaments while they were gone. On the very top of the tree, my favorite ornament! My mom made this (crochet) and it includes a photo of my chubby baby boy, who is now nearly 15 years old and a string bean now in comparison.

I love hanging ornaments. They all have memories for me. When did I get this ornament, what does it mean to me, where did I get it, or who gave this to me? This lovely wooden ornament is a gem. It's just a few inches across but the detail is amazing. A coworker was showing me things he made with his scroll saw; he talked about how his hobby was his sanity... his respite from his crazy, stressful job. I told him I thought a scroll saw would be a very fun hobby and that I could relate to the meaningfulness and importance of a good hobby. He showed me some patterns he was considering and I admired this one in particular. Several weeks (maybe months) later, the coworker gave the ornament to my family for our tree.

So simple! My tree is decorated with a number of these pine cone ornaments. One of our favorite places in Colorado is a little town with a little lake called San Isabel.

We've gone there countless times in the past 19 years we've lived in Colorado. One year, I collected a bunch of pine cones. At home, I sprayed them very lightly with metallic gold paint, affixed some brass wire at the top, and attached narrow red ribbon.

I like these ornaments a lot.

A Thanksgiving Weekend Tradition! I decorated the tree while my Christmas cookies baked (each tray has to be in the oven for about 17 minutes so it's a long process). These German cookies are a family tradition on my husband's side of the family. My mother-in-law taught me how to make them several years ago. Believe it or not, this is just ONE batch of cookie dough (the recipe calls for five cups of flour, so it makes a lot of cookies!) The dough has a million ingredients (some of which are quite unusual), they are very labor intensive, but they are worth the effort. I love having a connection to the past like this. These cookies are made at Thanksgiving time because they actually get better as they sit a few weeks.

A little extra baking! I made these muffins, too. They are super healthy and super good (despite the big mistake I made). I will post about them soon on my other blog. Click HERE for the link.

Oh yeah, it was Thanksgiving so I made a Turkey Dinner, too!
Imagine that! Our Turkey Dinner was a snap thankfully since no one here cares for many of the traditional side dishes. Pumpkin pies, however, are MANDATORY. They are just a memory now...

Finally... on Thanksgiving night, I iced the cookies. I think these cookies are quite photogenic, don't you?

Yay, today I addressed my Christmas cards, too! The boys were up in Colorado Springs for a tennis tournament. I got a lot done while they were gone.

Now... time to put up my feet and KNIT!

From January 14, 2011: Things to do... Update.

2011-11-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

On January 14, 2011, I posted the following about my knitting goals for 2011.
I thought it would be fun to see how close I got to meeting my goals for the year.

Here's what I posted:
***************************************************************************
I have been pondering New Year's Resolutions since mid-December. When I joined the Ravelry group called "12 months=24 hats" it got me to thinking about setting goals for my knitting.

I'd like to make two chemo caps each month for "12 months=24 hats" and Halos of Hope.
I'd like to try to make one Christmas stocking for Operation Holiday Stockings each week so by Thanksgiving time 2011, I'll have 52 stockings ready to mail off.
I'd like to use the baby yarn I have to make as many caps as I can for Caps for Good and One Stitch at a Time.
I'd like to make one shawl for Wrapped in Care.
I'd like to make one baby blanket for Granny Squares for NICU.

With these goals in mind, I've been inventorying my stash of yarn. I have yarn to complete all of my goals and then some! The only exception is yarn suitable for the Wrapped in Care project. I have some yarn in my stash but it might not be suitable. When I did an inventory of my yarn today, I gathered printed patterns and skeins of yarn and made up kits to make the following projects. Drum roll, please... here they are!

Pismo sweater in Cascade 220 Superwash in a lavender color.
Clapotis in Noro Silk Garden (sock weight).
Modern Classics Christmas stockings in blue and white (a kit from Knit Picks)
Point Gammon Pullover in Berroco Weekend in a tan color.
Beaded Scarf in Cascade Ultra Pima Cotton (chocolate brown color with great beads).
Hemlock Ring Throw in Cascade Eco Wool in an off white/natural color.
Enough yarn to make 9 pairs of socks (various brands of sock yarn).
Enough yarn to make 15 chemo caps with Berroco Comfort DK.
A ton of Queensland Bamboo Cotton (am not sure what to do with it).
A ton of Nancy (discontinued) cotton/rayon/acrylic/silk blend yarn (might make a shawl).
A ton of acrylic and acrylic/wool blend yarns (not sure what to do with all of it but some is being knit into stockings for soldiers and some is being knit into hats for babies).
Two kinds of lace yarn in different shades of pink to make a scarf and a shawl (maybe)
Several skeins of Berroco Comfort Chunky in an off-white color (might make Rosamund's Cardigan but I am just not sure?).
Some bright yarn to make these Christmas Ornaments (a crochet project).

Believe it or now, I have much, much more yarn. We'll have to revisit this post in December (and throughout the year) to check on my progress. I am feeling a tad overwhelmed. I better knit faster!

What projects are you planning to make in 2011?
********************************************************************
Update: As of November 21, 2011....
DRUMMMMM ROLLLLLLLLL!

How did I do? I did well on my charity knitting projects. As for the other goals... it's a mixed bag.

Since November 2010, I made and donated 50 chemo caps, five Snuggles (blankets for the Humane Society animals), two blankets and 18 caps for an NICU in Arkansas, one shawl for Wrapped in Care, 32 Christmas stockings for Operation Holiday Stockings, and three pairs of fingerless mitts for Mitts of Steal (and a partridge in a pear tree). Oh, sorry... that's a different list! Ha, ha. I would have liked to have made more stockings for the soldiers (I certainly have the yarn!), but got distracted by some other knit-worthy causes.

As for goals labeled #1 through #14. Well, it seems like most of these things will be on my list for 2012.

No progress on goals #1 through #4.
Goal met! I did complete the beaded scarf #5.
I am just now working on Hemlock Ring Throw #6.
I did not make much progress on #7 sock yarn but am more motivated to do so after perusing the book called "Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders".
I put a good dent in #8 Berroco Comfort DK yarn for chemo caps, but I still have some left (it will NOT go to waste!). I bought more Berroco Comfort yarn throughout the year... doh!
Still contemplating what to do with yarn in #9 and #10.
#11 goal met! I used up a TON of acrylic yarn on the Snuggles project. Yarn goes quickly when you hold two or three strands together at one time.
#12... ugh! Lace. I started and stopped two lacey stolls/scarves/shawls. Another day...
#13... yay! Used up all this yarn on my Wrapped in Care Shawl.
#14... maybe next year.

As the year is coming to a close, I feel so incredibly blessed by a number of things... I have an amazing stash of yarn and so many projects I am excited to make. Making knitted things and giving them away gives me a sense of purpose and a sense of accomplishment. Knitting has also introduced me to a lot of new friends... at my local knit shop and also on Ravelry. My goal through this past year was to NOT buy new yarn. I did not do very well... I fell off the sheep! I acquired quite a bit of yarn this year. For some reason, I felt less guilty about buying new yarn if I cast in on right away. At least I was using it, right?

I am working on my Knitting Goals for 2012. I'll keep you posted.

Operation Holiday Stockings

2011-11-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Operation Holiday Stockings

My stockings for the year (a total of 32). These are for U.S. Soldiers deployed overseas. Last year I made about a dozen stockings. This year my goal was to make 52 stockings (one for each week of the year). I fell short of my goal as I was distracted by so many other knit-worthy and crochet-worthy causes.

The stockings are filled with all sorts of goodies... toothpaste, candy, drink mixes, lip balm, and so on...

Yes, you can fit 32 stockings into a shoe box for a size 11 men's shoe. My baby boy has some big feet!

If you are interested in learning more about Operation Holiday Stockings, the Ravelry link is HERE.
Also, the Operation Holiday Stockings website is HERE.
The pattern I use for stockings can be found HERE.
The stockings are due by Thanksgiving... The project is ongoing. If you are interested, please join us next year!

A Tale of Two Hats

2011-11-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Despite coming down with Startitis recently, I was able to finish up two caps on Sunday and here they are! I don't know the actual name of this hat pattern. I saw this hat pattern in a friend's magazine (the 2011 Holiday Edition of "Love of Knitting") and I quickly jotted the instructions down on a scrap of paper (I feel a bit guilty doing that... I should go out and buy the magazine!!!) The gals at knit shop were Oooohhh and Aaahhhhing over ALL of the projects in the magazine, but I liked this one best. In the magazine photo, the model had long hair and she actually had her hair spouting out of the top of the hat. The hat is basically a tube of k3,p2 ribbing (for about 8 1/2 inches) and then there are some decreases (for the crown), followed by a row of eyelet (where you weave in some ribbon, I-cord, or, as in my project, some braided yarn). After the eyelet, there are some increase rows and then of course you bind off.

I made my version of the cap in Bernat Mosaic yarn in a colorway called Calypso. The yarn is acrylic but very, very soft. I was considering making this for myself, but decided to donate it as a chemo cap (since I recently started making chemo caps for teens and younger children). A very cheerful cap indeed and I can picture a young lady liking the style and the vibrant colors.

I also finished up an Odessa hat (I've made this hat so many times, I've lost track... it's a great pattern). This time, I left off the beads. The yarn is Berroco Comfort DK in my favorite colorway Rosebud. I love how the decreases make a nice swirly design at the top of the cap.

Startitis

2011-11-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

It was just a matter of time I suppose before I came down with the all-too-common affliction: Startitis. Of course “-itis” is a Greek or Latin medical terminology suffix which means “inflammation or infection”… as in tonsillitis or bronchitis. Perhaps you are less familiar with “Startitis”; however, my research on the subject reveals it a terribly common disease among crafty folks and it is highly contagious. The symptoms include the uncontrollable urge to accumulate new yarn, new patterns, and “start” or cast-on new projects when you already have gobs and gobs of projects on the needles.

I am 100 percent certain I contracted my recent case of Startitis at my local yarn shop. Lately, each time I visit Grandma’s Beads and Yarn (in Canon City, Colorado), a group of knitters are gathered at the table in the center of the shop. I may have contracted my case of Startis from one of these folks, but I have read conflicting research which speculates Startitis can also be contracted from handling yarn on the shelves at yarn shops. A few weeks back, I think I was coming down with a case of Startitis, but I was successful in fighting it off when I took the time to organize the space where I keep my current works in progress (the space next to my chair where I knit in my living room). I was determined to keep just a few projects there, but it’s all gone to hell in a hand basket (that’s an odd expression, isn’t it?) and I am currently working on the following projects:

· A pony tail hat in Bernat Mosaic.

· An Odessa Hat in Berroco Comfort DK.

· A Sockhead hat in Knit Picks Felici.

· A Hemlock Ring Throw in Cascade Ecological Wool.

· A drop stitch scarf in Berroco Metallic Sox.

· A pair of baby pants in Lion Brand Sock-Ease.

· A pair of socks for my son in Bernat Jacquards.

· A pair of breasts (yes, you read that right…. more on this in another post).

Of course, there are more works in progress which are sort of hibernating in my closet out of view… a baby sweater, a small blanket, a crochet purse/bag which will be felted… someday.

So there you have it, a full blown case of Startitis. I would say six of the projects listed above have been cast-on in the past 10 to 14 days. I think I need to contact the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to alert them as to my condition, as I seem to have been afflicted with a highly virulent case. Also, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may wish to investigate the possibility of putting warning labels on yarn to caution folks about the highly addictive quality of the product they are about to consume.

Hopefully I will recuperate from my condition soon so that I can finally COMPLETE something… ANYTHING… and I can share it with you here. But in the meantime, be careful out there folks!

Chemo Cap #50

2011-11-03T21:29:00.000-06:00

I started making chemo caps in August 2010. I did so at the urging of a friend, Kerri, who suggested we could make chemo caps as a sort of "Knit Along (KAL)" for an organization such as "Head Huggers". At that time, I knew no one who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Sadly and suddenly, people I knew were diagnosed with breast cancer... the owner of my former local yarn shop, two gals at work, and a family member who is near and dear to me. When folks you know are going through a tough time, sometimes if feels like there is nothing you can do to help, but when you are a knitter and you learn a lady may be going through chemotherapy and may lose her hair... well, you grab yarn and needles and you get busy making caps.

I was excited to realize this week that I was very close to cap #50. I've actually made a lot more than 50 caps since August 2010 (crazy, huh?!), but 50 have been made specifically as chemo caps. The cap pictured above and the cap I posted earlier this week called "A Winter Solstice Hat" are specifically made for children undergoing chemotherapy. Most of my caps have been adult sized, but lately I've been experimenting with new patterns and I had some caps which turned out much smaller than I had hoped. I was frustrated and discouraged by this, but just the other day an e-mail arrived in my "in-box" and I learned about a group called "Kaps for Kendall"... SERENDIPITY... they need caps for children undergoing chemo therapy. That's just how things work for me in my knitting world... I make what I want and then, as if almost by magic, a recipient reveals itself. Small caps... great for children.

Of course, the thought of a child being diagnosed with a disease such as cancer makes me sad, but making these caps specifically for children this week has been very fun. I can picture a girl maybe 10 or 12 years old seeing his cap and finding it special. I tried so hard to make it one-of-kind, funky, cheerful, cool, and colorful. When I was making this cap, I thought of the really fancy fondant decorated cakes you see on programs on the Food Network. Wild, fun, wonky layered birthday cakes.

I learned so much making the cap called "A Winter Solstice Hat"... my first real effort at stranded color work. I used what I learned from that pattern and just went crazy from there, adding bobbles, and bold stripes. I was also inspired by some of the caps I've seen by Susan B. Anderson... she makes great stuff for kids. Everything she makes is adorable!

So I share with you today... Chemo Cap #50! Yay, I just did a little cartwheel in my heart!

October is my Knitting Anniversary

2011-11-02T15:44:00.000-06:00

The first thing I ever knit...

Is it funny that I can tell you the exact day I "became a knitter?" I can.

October 18, 2008.

It's a long story and I like to tell it so I guess I'll back up a bit

I took two trips out to visit my Mom and Dad over two subsequent summers (it must have been during the Summer of 2007 and the Summer of 2008) and my mom kept TRYING to show me how to knit.  During the lesson in 2007, Mom showed me the knit stitch… I just did not get it. It was awkward, I was all thumbs, I thought I'd NEVER get it, I was not all that interested, and I never thought knitting would be "my thing".

During the second session in 2008, Mom showed me the knit stitch and the purl stitch. This time around, I was a little more intrigued and interested; she gave me a kit to make a scarf which included some plastic/acrylic needles and yarn, as well as a pattern. I remember jotting some verbal cues on a scrap of paper to help me to remember where to insert the needle (if knitting or purling), when to have the yarn in the front or the back, etc., but it was just so awkward. My mom is left handed but she does lots of things right handed. She was teaching me to knit with the yarn in my right hand and the motion of wrapping the yarn around the left needle with my right hand seemed ridiculously cumbersome to me. I felt like each time I went to wrap the yarn, I had to shift my hands all around, resulting in lots of fumbling and no good tension on the work. I also remember having the hardest time pushing my work up the needles as I got farther into the row. It was a struggle, but I was determined to give it an effort because... after all... my mom had given me the kit to make an actual project! I had everything I needed in my great kit!

My folks dropped me off at the airport after our visit and, as I was waiting for the plane, I sat there trying like mad to remember what she had JUST taught me. I really struggled. I could look at the basic knitting instructions in the pattern, but the two dimensional drawings just did not bring it to life for me. No help!

Several weeks later (October 18, 2008), I was at my son's football game; a beautiful Autumn day in Colorado! Another family we knew showed up to watch a later game, and Dawn parked herself next to me in a lawn chair and proceeded to cast on the cutest baby sweater in a fine, soft white yarn - a gift for someone who was expecting. I sat there mesmerized as I watched Dawn cast on using the long tail cast on method! I was captivated... I had to ask,"What is that?"; I had NEVER seen anything like THAT before. It was this amazing cast on technique. I was sold. I said to myself, "I have GOT to learn how to do THAT?"

October 18, 2008, was memorable for another reason. Within about an our of Dawn sitting down next to me and casting on the baby sweater, one of my son's team mates was seriously injured when he was tackled in the football game. Initially it seemed like he was okay but he began to have a seizure on the sidelines. He was rushed to a local hospital and then later rushed by helicopter to a hospital in Denver for emergency neurosurgery (bleeding in the brain, severe swelling and trauma). It was an incredibly scary time for the family. The other families on the football team rallied together, providing meals for the family, providing transportation for the family... we had bake sales, pizza party fundraisers at the middle school, a sloppy joe supper at the Elks Lodge. One family on the team had us come to their house to harvest their wine grapes and all the proceeds went to help the family of the injured boy. Never in all my life had I felt such a strong sense of community and unity... it was small town living in America at it's very best. Thankfully the injured boy recovered; he's still one of my son's classmates and all is well. So my desire to learn to knit and this scary incident will forever be linked.

After this big day in October 2008, I remembered my mom had given me another knitting instructional kit years prior (I did not even have a DVD player at the time). This kit contained two DVDs of video knitting instruction. I sat down with my yarn and needles in front of the computer... play, pause, rewind, play, pause, rewind... over and over.   I was hooked! I haven’t stopped knitting ever since. Look what you started, Mom! See… Mothers do know best!

The videos helped me learn the long tail cast on... so very cool! I still find the look of the long tail cast on to be rather hypnotic. The lady in the video taught knitting using the Continental method where you hold the yarn in your left hand (if you are right handed). I never did figure out how to wrap the yarn around the fingers on my left hand, as traditional Continental knitters do, but having been a crocheter for years, I found myself throwing the yarn over the right needle with my left hand just like I throw the yarn over a crochet hook when crocheting. It's all wrong but it works! Through October and November 2008, our family was busy with fund raisers for the injured boy's family, but when I went to football practice or otherwise had some time to relax, I sat there with my yarn and needles and eventually ended up with a scarf-shaped object. I stopped when when I ran out of yarn. The scarf rolled something awful when it was done; I crocheted a border in single crochet around the perimeter of the project.

So there you have it... the story of how I became a knitter three years ago. And I don't think I'll ever stop. More than any other hobby I've ever had, it feels to me as if knitting is endless.  I never stop learning new things in my knitting and I continue to find new things I love about knitting. I had a brief, fleeting moment just a few weeks ago where, for the first time, I recall getting the slightest bit frustrated and... dare I say... disenchanted! with my knitting... but for the life of me, I can't now remember why that was. I love knitting... I love everything about it. So many great patterns, so many beautiful yarns, so many things I want to make, so many challenges ahead... and I will continue to share it all with you right here.

Thank you for joining me on my ~~journey~~ ADVENTURE!

A Winter Solstice Hat

2011-11-01T19:00:00.000-06:00

Cap modeled on a butter nut squash... hee, hee.

A Winter Solstice Hat is a design by my friend "Colorado Mom" on Ravelry. The designer's version is made with black, cream, sage green, and red, but I used dark brown, pale blue, and red since I had leftover yarn in these colors (Berroco Comfort). This is my first real attempt at a stranded color work and it turned out pretty good (if I can say so myself!) The pattern link can be found HERE and this is a free pattern.

I was a few rows into this pattern before I realized I was supposed to be knitting flat! Duh! I was knitting in the round! I carried on in the round and altered the pattern a bit as I went (I changed the decreases since I was knitting in the round and added an i-cord at the end instead of a pom pom). This is a great pattern and I am thinking I might just have enough yarn left over to make another cap, altering the color combination here and there. This cap is for "Kaps for Kendall"... a knit-worthy cause I recently discovered.

Another cap and something besides a cap... believe it or NOT!

2011-10-29T14:00:00.001-06:00

CAUTION!!!
Don't fall off your chair as you read this!
I actually cast on something aside from a cap! Wooo Hoooo!

I could not resist buying this Lion Brand Sock Yarn in a colorway called "Cotton Candy" because it is the EXACT SAME YARN used to make a pattern called "Baby Bright Tights" in my book entitled Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders.

Of course, as I am knitting these, I am wondering what the heck I am going to do with them once I am finished with them. Knit wool pants for a baby! I do know a gal who is expecting a granddaughter and they do live in Indiana... and it IS rather cold and snowy in Indiana. Hmmmm, decisions, decisions. Whatever the case may be, I will knit on.

But it just doesn't seem like a post from me if I did not show you another hat!

Yes, you are seeing double. I made another Asymmetrical Cloche with the lovely peachy pink Rowan All Seasons Cotton from my Mom's stash. See Mom, I told you I would find a good use for this lovely yarn!

Teriffic but Tiny Textured Tam

2011-10-29T08:48:00.000-06:00

Textured Tam

Are you getting tired of me posting about hats? Here's another.

This is from the book "60 Quick Knits": a collection of patterns for Cascade 220 Wool or Superwash Wool. I used Berroco Comfort in worsted weight in this pretty cranberry color and made pattern #35 called "Textured Tam".

Some folks commented on Ravelry that this cap came out small, so some recommended going up in needle size for the top portion. I used size US 7 needles for the brim (as recommended) and went up to size US 9 for the remainder of the cap. I also tried out a twisted rib for the ribbing and really like the look (p1,k1tbl instead of just p1,k1). Despite the change in needle size, the cap is still tiny. I am sure it will find a good home... so no worries. A wise knitter pointed out to me that this pattern is designed for wool yarn; had I used wool or some other fiber that blocked better, I could have resized this hat to the size I desired. That makes sense. Always learning new things... I love that about knitting.

These pictures don't really do the cap justice. It's even prettier in person.

Apple Blossom Asymmetrical Cloche

2011-10-28T06:45:00.000-06:00

Apple Blossom Asymmetrical Cloche

I made this cap this week. I made a weird mistake on the 3rd or 4th row so I made a little flower to tack to the brim of the hat to disguise the flaw. The flower reminds me of an apple blossom. The free cap pattern I followed can be found HERE and is called "Asymmetrical Cloche" by Mary Keenan. She has a lot of really nice cap patterns. I enjoyed making this cap so much I cast on another one right away. The yarn I used is from my Mom's stash (Thanks, Mom!). She had about 2 1/2 balls of this peachy pink Rowan All Seasons Cotton. Very nice yarn! I am trying to get over my fear of making caps out of cotton. I worry projects made with cotton will get stretched out and baggy and un-wearable. This yarn is part cotton and part acrylic, so perhaps this will be better than an all cotton cap.

I had a weird problem when I made this cap. I ended up with the wrong number of stitches after rows 8 and 9. I ended up with 72 stitches, not 63. As a result, for the decrease rounds, I k7, k2tog around and then followed the decrease instructions from there... k6, k2tog... and so on.

I had a few of the gals at my local knit shop try on my caps on Thursday. They really liked this cute cap. I was getting a little worried about my cap making lately. Some hats were turning out so big and some caps seemed too small. I was tickled that each hat looked good on someone. My confidence restored, I knit on!

Super Slouchy Star Beret

2011-10-24T21:57:00.000-06:00

I took inspiration from two hats I recently completed (Click HERE and HERE to see those two hats) and came up with this hat. It's a super slouchy beret in an orangey-red yarn (Berroco Comfort Worsted Weight). I am looking forward to bringing this to my local knit shop sometime soon to have some of the ladies try on this cap (and some others). Since I've been trying so many new patterns, I feel like I am getting mixed results with caps and the way they fit! It's taking the wind out my sails a bit unfortunately.

I showed my husband this hat and he was alarmed when he said, "Oh!!! It looks like there's a hole in it!!!"

Ummmm, that would be the decorative eyelet... funny!

Experimenting with Cables in Caps

2011-10-22T08:40:00.001-06:00

I've been experimenting with cables in caps this week.

Here are my results:

The blue hat turned out a little too short but actually looks quite nice on Miss Wiggy. The yarn is Berroco Comfort DK. I will try this cap again and will make it a tad longer.

The pink hat (also made in Berroco Comfort DK) turned out a little too long. I may undo the top of the cap and try again, although I do like how that decreases made a "flower" sort of design. This hat is what I am calling a "Lazy Cable Cap". It starts out following a pattern called "3AM Cable Hat" (a hat I have made numerous times), but I stop doing the cables after the first repeat and then complete the cap in k2,p2 ribbing. I made this modified version one other time and was not happy with the decrease portion of the cap. Maybe the 3rd time will be the charm!

My plan is to take my caps to my local knit shop today, where there always seems to be a gathering of friends knitting... I'll let them try on these caps and get their opinions before I undo anything. I really don't like to frog things... Ugh!

Finally... Mystery Solved! & KNIT PICKS ROCKS!

2011-10-18T19:09:00.000-06:00

I have had this set of double pointed needles from Knit Picks for over two years... I think! These are actual e-mails between me and Knit Picks customer service after my alarming discovery the other night (Sunday)

Original E-mail:
FROM: Kim Fluck

DATE: 10/16/2011 06:25 PM
SUBJECT: Problem with an order
PRODUCT No: ?
Hello Wonderful Knit Picks Person:

I've had my set of 6" double pointed sock needles set for quite some time and I just realized my set came with two pairs of size 3.00 mm (instead of just one pair). The size that is missing is 2.50 mm. Some times I'll knit a pair of socks on two sets of dpns. I was using my 2.75 mm bamboo needles and what I thought were my Harmony 2.75 mm needles... no wonder that one sock turned out bigger!!!! It was not just my imagination. Can you please help me resolve this? I am sorry I did not realize the discrepancy in my set sooner. I look forward to hearing back. Your loyal customer, Kim Fluck
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right away, I received a computer generated reply indicating they had received my e-mail and would get back with me very soon. If for some reason I did not hear back, I was encouraged to call their toll-free number.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today... I received this reply from Knit Picks:

Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:37:49 -0700
From: customerservice@knitpicks.com
To: Kim Fluck
Subject: RE: Problem with an order

Dear Kim Fluck,

I am sorry to hear that your 6" DPN Set was incomplete. I can send you a replacement set of 2.5mm. Should I ship to: (my address)

Please get back to me at your earliest convenience. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Amber
Knit Picks Customer Service
----------------------------------------------------------------
My reply on Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Hi Amber!

Yes, that's great! Thank you so much! The size is correct and the address is correct. Thank you so much. I will continue to tell folks I know and new knitters I meet... how wonderful a company Knit Picks is.

Sincerely... from a happy and satisfied customer...

Kim :)
***********************************************************
Well, there you have it! In case you did not already know, Knit Picks rocks!

From Knits Picks, I have purchased:

sock needle set (pictured above)
lots of double pointed needles (my mom got me the set of interchangeable needles with cables)
sock kits (yarn and patterns)
kits to make Christmas stockings (yarn and patterns)
books, book, books
Oh, I know there is more... but I can't think of it all right now, but all of it has been great!

So here is my promise to Knit Picks... to tell you all how great they are.

Side note: Do you have the wooden Harmony needles from Knit Picks (set of interchangeable needles) like I do? I've known knitters whose needles have broken and they've called customer service at Knit Picks. And in all instances, I have been told, the knitter was mailed replacement needle(s) without sending in the broken needle(s) for proof. So there you go.... KNIT PICKS ROCKS!

Gilda's Club Chemo Cap

2011-10-16T18:23:00.001-06:00

I was not sure if I was happy with this cap until I saw it modeled on Miss Wiggy. She looks lovely in Robin's Egg Blue (Berroco Comfort Worsted Weight yarn). This pattern is called Gilda's Club Chemo Cap (Gilda... as in Gilda Radner, the comedian. Sadly she died of Ovarian Cancer in 1989). The PDF pattern link is HERE.

I really struggled to complete this cap. I started this pattern in early July and lost my interest in the pattern. There is nothing difficult about the cap. The textured nature of the cap just calls for paying attention (each row in the pattern repeat is different) and the stitches are not "intuitive." That is, you can't just look at the previous row to know if your stitches are correct or not. If I were smarter, I would have used 11 stitch markers (as the pattern recommends... Doh!), so each time a 10 stitch pattern repeat started and ended, the markers would have let me known I was on the right track. The bow on the brim was a bit fiddly to make it look just right. The bow stitches start on the brim of the cap when the rest of the cap has been completed. You pick up and knit 10 stitches and then knit the bow back and forth (in the same textured pattern) until it is long enough and then tack the bow down where the ribbing portion of the cap meets the textured portion of the cap. You then knit a little "bow sash" in garter to pull the bow together in the center. A roomy, slouchy, stylish cap. This cap reminds me a bit of the "Bow Tie Cloche"... which also was a lot of work.

One-Skein Wonder Project #5: Calabaza Calypso in Progress

2011-10-15T18:21:00.000-06:00

Today... I had to take a break from making this...

... to make this...

The colors in this yarn are the colors of a pumpkin patch. Orange pumpkins, green vines, shade of brown soil. The entire time I've been working on this scarf, I have been thinking of Autumn, corn mazes, pumpkins in pumpkin patches, hot apple cider, hay bales, pumpkins and yummy things one can make with pumpkin. So I made a pie and two loaves of pumpkin bread today.

Do you like my stash of pumpkin? I heard through the grape vine that there MAY be a pumpkin shortage again this year due to crop damage resulting from Hurricane Irene. I am not going to have a repeat of the Pumpkin Fiasco of February 2011 (I had to go to five stores to find canned pumpkin to make my son's birthday pumpkin pies!!!) This year I am prepared.

I am learning a lot of Spanish words since more and more food labels are in both Spanish and English. I've learned "calabaza" is the word for pumpkin. This scarf pattern is called "Calypso" and is yet another project from my "Sock Yarn One Skein Wonder" book. I am calling this scarf "Calabaza Calypso". The pattern calls for casting on 76 stitches, but I cast on only 36 stitches for a scarf (instead of a stoll or shrug). The yarn is Berroco Sox Metallic (it has flecks of silver metallic thread) in a color way called "Tangelo". I guess "Tangelo" is also a pretty good name for this yarn, but I think "Pumpkin Patch" would have been better!

A little time to organize

2011-10-14T15:54:00.000-06:00

My knitting corner is the space between my chair and the window in our great room. My chair faces the TV of course (the computer desk and dining room table are behind me). I have nice light to my left (which is good because I am right handed) and I have a nice view of the backyard from my window. My knitting corner gets out of control really fast. What can I say... I am just so enthusiastic to start new projects that I am forever matching up yarn and patterns and depositing them together in gallon sized plastic bags in preparation to start them some time very, VERY soon. Today I decided to go spend some time at my local knit shop to knit with the girls and it took me forever just to sort though through all the mess just to decide what to bring. It was ridiculous and out of control... so many bags... too many works in progress... needles and cables pigeon holed here and there... finished projects mixed in....miscellaneous knitting books... pages of patterns printed from the Internet...chaos!

When when I got home this afternoon, I got it organized and narrowed things down to projects I need to focus on and the remainder of the project kits (things I had not even started yet) went back into the big plastic bins in the master bedroom closet. The cradle is holding all my needles, hooks, notions, a few works in progress, and my "Sock Yarn One Skein Wonder Book". The bag tucked behind the cradle is holding a few more works in progress. I can't wait to sit in my newly spruced up area and work on a project... or two or three. I will resist the temptation to go into the closet and bring out more projects. I'll have to keep you posted on my progress.

1SW Project #4: Emma's Star

2011-10-14T08:32:00.000-06:00

Emma's Star

Here's my latest project from "Sock Yarn One Skein Wonder". The hat pattern is called "Emma's Star". I cast on Thursday night and had it finished on Friday night. I live such an exciting life! I had a difficult time putting this project down as it is a very fun knit. Again, I used Berroco Comfort DK in "Rosebud". The entire time I was working on this, I had a hunch this cap was going to be very small. It looks okay on "Miss Wiggy" (my hat stand) but it is a very small cap. I also looked at a number of completed caps on Ravelry; several were modeled on children and those caps looked small as well. I considered giving this cap to a coworker (turns out I have two coworkers who have kindergartenen aged girls), but then I remembered a cap project for a summer camp for kids with cancer called "Camp Happy Times". I am looking forward to making this cap again with a heavier weight yarn for a larger cap. I have some nice pale peachy pink yarn called Rowan Calmer (from my Mom's Stash... Thanks, Mom!). I think it will be perfect for this pretty cap.

More Fingerless Mitts...

2011-10-13T15:54:00.000-06:00

Another pair of fingerless mitts for Mitts of Steal. This time I used Berroco Comfort DK yarn in the colorway "rosebud". You will being seeing a LOT of this yarn... I bought an entire bag to make chemo caps, but it's also a nice choice for fingerless mitts. This is a pattern called Four Rib Braid Cable Mitts and the pattern can be found HERE (it is a free pattern). Despite the fancy looking cables, these mitts are not too difficult. These mitts turned out rather small but I had a few friends (with small hands) try them on and they fit well according my ~~guinea pigs~~ test models.

I am knitting another hat right now out of my "One Skein Wonder Book" (with more Berroco Comfort DK yarn in "rosebud"... SURPRISE!) and should have it done soon... stay tuned!

Horizontal Rib Hat: One-Skein Wonder Project #3

2011-10-10T07:27:00.001-06:00

Another project completed using my "Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders" book. This pattern,"Horizontal Rib Hat," calls for holding two strands of sock yarn together as you knit the cap from the brim to the crown. As a result, it's a very quick knit. On Ravelry, I saw a variety of completed caps and some commented that the cap was too short. I opted to add to add an extra pattern repeat (the pattern calls for repeating rows 12 to 20 two more times, so I repeated rows 12 to 20 three more times). I think it's a nice cap which would cover one's ears and stay on nicely. The yarn I used is Knit Pick's Essential Sock Yarn in a colorway called "Plum Tweed". It's sock yarn I purchased a few years back (a sock kit) when I first learned to knit socks. The pattern recommends self-striping sock yarn for a cool stripe effect, which I think would also be really nice. All in all, I am pretty happy with this hat!

One-Skein Wonder Project #2... Shibui Baby Socks

2011-10-10T06:50:00.000-06:00

Remember this yarn...? I just used it for some mittens. It was the last of a partial skein of yarn from my Mom's stash. (Thanks, Mom!!!) It's Bernat Sox (acrylic/nylon blend) in a colorway called "Crazy Hot". I tell you, I cut it close... again. I had just a few feet of this yarn left when I grafted the toe on sock #2... too close for comfort. This is another pattern from the "Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonder" book I am enjoying so much. The pattern called "Shibui Baby Hat and Socks"... I did not make the hat as I did not have enough yarn after making the mittens, but I sure enjoyed making up these little socks. A very quick knit! The pattern link and information about the "Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders" book is here. Sorry it's not a free pattern, but I highly recommend the book. I am getting my money's worth out of it... for sure!

Right now I am making another pattern from the book called "Horizontal Rib Hat" and I am using sock yarn from Knit Picks (Knit Picks Essential) in a colorway called "Plum Tweed". It's another quick and fun knit. More information about this pattern can be found here.

More Mittens... One-Skein Wonder Project #1a

2011-10-08T07:43:00.002-06:00

A pair of mittens for my good friend, Tracy. She and her Boston Terriers (Freckles and Leila) go for walks nearly every day at a great park just outside of town. She'll need these to keep her hands toasty warm, as the weather is now turning cold. I join the trio on Fridays when school is in session. It's great fun!

I used the pattern from my book "Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders". This is the same pattern I used a few weeks ago with some modifications. The pattern is called "Handful-of-Color Mittens" (pattern information HERE: Not a free pattern, sorry!). The original pattern calls for a sort-of rolled cuff. In this pair, I completed 15 rounds of knit2, purl2 ribbing and then I completed 15 rounds of stockinette before starting the gusset increases. This mittens are roomy and long. I like long cuffs on mittens so you can tuck them into the sleeves of your jacket without any gaps for cold air to sneak in. When I make this pattern again, I might consider using smaller needles for the cuff portion.

This colorful yarn comes from my Mom's stash... Thanks, Mom! It was a partial skein and to me it appears to be Bernat Sox in a colorway called "Crazy Hot" (a nylon/acrylic blend). I do love Bernat yarns!

The Internet is an AMAZING thing...

2011-10-03T17:01:00.001-06:00

I've raved and raved about Ravelry since I've joined. For those of you NOT familiar with Ravelry, I think of it as FACEBOOK for people who like to knit and crochet. You can find all kinds of patterns for free and for purchase. You can connect with others who share your fiber-related addiction(s). You can search for project ideas based upon what kind of yarn you have, you can see photos of projects completed using patterns you might be considering making, you can keep track of your yarn stash... it just goes on and on.

Over the past year, I've joined a number of groups... people who want to make projects for charity, people who have made a goal to knit from their stash only, people who are making projects from a particular book... the groups go on and on, too. My favorite group is called "12 months = 24 hats"; in this group, we have a shared goal to make at least two chemo caps for charity each month. The other day, I made up a new pattern (quite by accident... I was so full of myself I thought I had a pattern memorized... several rows into the ribbing I realized my mistake - 8 stitches too many - and I decided to improvise a new design instead of ripping it out to start over). A happy accident... a new cap design. I posted a photo of my finished result on the Ravelry "12 months = 24 hats" and, right away, I received a number of requests for the pattern. I did a pretty good job of keeping notes as I was knitting the hat, so I typed it up and posted the pattern PDF on Ravelry. I was so anxious to post the pattern (how fun!) but at the same time I kept wondering if maybe I should make the cap JUST ONE MORE time to double check for errors, changes, whatever.

Would you believe in the matter of about 48 hours, I've had 137 Ravelers add my hat to their list of "favorite" patterns and eight people wrote to me to thank me for the pattern. About 20 people have the hat in their "queues" of things to make and two more folks indicate they have already cast-on! I was looking at my blog statistics today and found a number of folks looking at my blog after visiting another blog in Denmark. This blogger added my hat to her blog and called my pattern "the hat of the day". The blog from the lady in Denmark can be seen here: http://christunte.blogspot.com/2011/10/kemo-hue-chemo-cap.html

I just wanted to share my excitement about this with all of you. It's like my little hat went around the World a few times in just a day or so. This definitely encourages me to come up with more designs and share my ideas through Ravelry. A number of folks who wrote me notes about my cap said they especially appreciated me making the pattern available for FREE. But of course... I love FREE patterns, too! If we use FREE patterns, then we have more money to buy YARN, right?!

Of course, now that my pattern is out there, I do have a little angst... what if someone makes it and doesn't like how it turns out, what if my instructions are confusing, what if someone doesn't like the decrease portion of the hat at the end (I had a tough time with that!)? I kept thinking maybe I should not post the pattern until I had the pattern just right, but then again... maybe I would never have it just right. Despite my angst or concerns, it's been incredibly heart warming to have folks reach out like they have and say, "I like your hat, I like what you've done, it's pretty... Thank you for sharing... I'd like to make this cap, too!"

If you are interested, you can find my pattern here on my blog up on the top, right hand corner listed under FREE: Ribbons of Hope Hat Pattern. You can also find the pattern in a nice printable PDF Format on Ravelry by clicking HERE. If you do make this pattern and have any feedback (positive, negative, or constructive), I would love to hear from you.... seriously. Enjoy and Happy Knitting!

Tango Hat

2011-10-03T07:49:00.000-06:00

I am ready for Fall. I am ready for long walks on cool sunny days with crunchy golden leaves under my feet and and white puffy clouds in a bright blue sky over my head. Oh, I love Fall in Colorado!

I'll be wearing my new cap. It's made from Tahki Yarns "Tango" (a wool/acrylic/nylon blend). Since the yarn is bulky weight, it knit up quickly. I tried to make a pattern called "Heidi Hat" (it had cables in it) but ran out of yarn so I started over on size US 8 dpn needles.

Cast on 72 stitches and completed k2,p2 rib for six rounds. Then I switched to size US 9 dpn needles and knit in stockinette until the hat was a nice height (and I was worried I would run out of yarn). I completed the decrease rounds with no plain rows in between (k10,k2tog, followed buy k9,k2tog, and so) until I had just a few stitches left. All that remained was about 12 inches of yarn! Now that's calling it close.

Happy Fall to you!

PINKtober!

2011-09-30T16:57:00.003-06:00

The challenge is on... it's "PINKtober!" The gals on my Ravelry group called "12 months = 24 hats" (where our goal is to make at least two hats for chemo patients each month) is encouraging folks to make pink projects during October 2011 as it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I've got a head start:

I came up with this pattern on my own. I started out intending to make a different pattern, got a little full of myself and did not consult the pattern, and then, several rows into the cap, I realized I had too many stitches. Duh! I couldn't bear to frog it, so.... Ta-Dah! A new design! Yarn is Berroco Comfort DK in "rosebud". Hat will go to "Halos of Hope" (caps for chemo patients).

The pattern link here on this blog can be found here: Ribbons of Hope Hat
For the pattern link (PDF printable format) on Ravelry, click HERE.

Also making this pretty cabled mitts for Mitts of Steal (fingerless mitts for dialysis patients with cold hands).

Do you ever have one of THOSE days!?...

2011-09-26T07:06:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite books as a kid was "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". I checked out this book so many times from the library and my Mom read it to me over and over (Thanks, Mom!).

For Alexander, it goes like this:

***
He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair. When he got out of bed, he tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Nothing at all was right. Everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper and kissing on TV.

What do you do on a day like that? Well, you may think about going to Australia. You may also be glad to find that some days are like that for other people too.
****

I've felt as if I could relate to Alexander the past several days. Today, I took the time to make myself some poached eggs in the new "Poach Pods" I splurged on for my birthday. The very first bite I took, while I was still standing in the kitchen... it tumbled down the front of my shirt and landed on my left foot. I guess it could have been worse; I could have been dressed for work and I could have been standing over carpet.

Yesterday, I took the time to make a pot of coffee before making my way to work (to get there at 6:00 am on my birthday). I topped off my coffee mug on my way out the door. As I was putting my shoes on in the garage, I noticed a moth fluttering about. Sure enough, by the time I had both shoes on, the moth had taken a plunge in my hot, hot coffee and was floating there... dead.

I was tucking my son in the other night. (Yep, he's 14 but still loves for me to tuck him in each night). He decided to put his head and pillow at the foot of the bed which allowed me to step in extra close to give him a hug. I forgot the steel bed frame has legs and casters (wheels) and I stubbed my toes... really bad. They hurt for days.

As for my knitting, it was just as bad. I decided to try out a few patterns out of my book "Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders". The socks I want to make with the cable that runs down to the big toe... it calls for casting on 72 stitches on size 1 needles. I have been working on the socks FOREVER and am still on the ribbing. I keep asking the boys... what is 72 times 9? What is 72 times 13? I've completed a ridiculous number of stitches and I am STILL on the ribbing. The sock will be frogged and I will start over on larger needles with 52 stitches in each round. At the rate I was going, sock #1 would never get done, let alone sock #2.

I cast on a drop stitch scarf with sock yarn too. The pattern calls for a huge # of stitches and makes a squarish wrapl, but I opted to make a longer and narrower scarf. I got several rows into it and decided it's still too wide. Time to frog!

I made a fingerless mitt with an elaborate cable; I finished it yesterday. I cast on with the same number of stitches as the other fingerless mitts I've made recently but I used even larger needles to account for the cable pulling things together. Yep, the fingerless mitt is really narrow and really tight. I need to find someone with really small hands.

Yep, it's been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad few days. I am not yet contemplating moving to Australia. Well, maybe...

Fruit Stripe Fingerless Mitts

2011-09-23T08:48:00.000-06:00

Fruit Stripe Mitts

I used leftover Berroco Comfort DK yarn (from chemo caps) to make another pair of fingerless mitts (for a charity called Mitts of Steal... dialysis patients who suffer from cold hands). I used the same pattern from a few weeks ago ("Emilee Dee Mitts" the pattern link is HERE); only this time I eliminated the lace and just knit in stockinette.

I am calling these mitts "Fruit Stripe Mitts" because the colors remind me of fruit... the bottom blue reminds me of blueberries; the middle green reminds me of kiwis or granny smith apples, and the top purple reminds me of concord grapes. Why is it that yarn reminds me of food... silly girl.

Smitten with my Mittens (One Skein Wonder Project #1)

2011-09-18T19:17:00.001-06:00

I am smitten with my mittens!

This is Project #1 from my quest to make lots of projects from the book entitled "Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders". These mittens are made from two balls of wool in a self-patterning yarn called "Abiente" from the manufacture Schoppel Wolle in a color called "Heckenrosen". Since this German yarn had an interesting name, I had to try to figure out the English translation. I know "rosen" to translate to "roses" (plural) in German thanks to my many, many years of studying German. I Googled "heckenrosen" and found beautiful blossoms which looked like apple blossoms. I found a Wikipedia article and wouldn't you know... it was in German. My best guess is that "heckenrosen" translates to "wild roses". If I am wrong and you know differently, please let me know... I'd be curious to know!

I worked really hard to make these match!

I used this type of yarn (in a different colorway) for a pair of socks for my sister.
Turns out this yarn, is actually sportweight and not sock weight.
I did not notice that until I was typing in my project on my Ravelry. Duh!
Makes for some nice thick mittens (or socks).

Citron on the Blocking Mats... Mittens in Progress

2011-09-16T19:11:00.001-06:00

Having a good time working on my knitting projects this weekend. My Citron is on the blocking mats. Had ~~a bit~~ a RIDICULOUS amount of frustration working on this last night. At my knitting group yesterday afternoon, I knew I could only get part way through the ruffle border before I was destined to run out of yarn. I talked to Marilyn, my shop's knitting guru, and we figured at least 10 yards of yarn should be an ample amount to reserve for the cast off row... ummm, the last row has 540 stitches, just so you know. I reserved what I thought was WAY MORE than 10 yards and confidently set out to cast off. Wouldn't you know, just about 1/2 way through the cast off, I ran out of yarn. I was doing a stretchy sort of bind off I've learned and I wondered if the bind off was eating up my yarn more quickly than I anticipated. Discouraged and anxious to finish this project, I set out to undo the bind off and also undid the prior row to free up some yarn. Ugh. It was tedious and time consuming and I kept dropping stitches because the yarn is just fuzzy enough to catch on itself. So by the time I unknit all those stitches, picked up a lot of dropped stitches, and then set out to AGAIN bind off all those stitches (did I tell you, there are 540 stitches in the last row?)... well, let's just say I was really REALLY happy to be done.

No beauty shots of this lovely wrap just yet but here's a sneak peek of how this looks blocked. I do have to say I am much more happy with this shawlette now that it's been blocked. A lot of the m1 increases made the stockinette sections look kind of sloppy, but the blocking straightened out things nicely. I wish I would have had more yarn for more ruffle rows at the end. But overall, I am liking this.

Don't you just love self-striping yarn like this!?

And I am smitten with my mittens... they are a blast to make!

I started these last Sunday and they are

my first official project from my mission to make

many, many projects from the book entitled

"Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders"

What's knitting...

2011-09-15T09:28:00.001-06:00

The view from my knitting korner is quite soggy this morning...

We live in Southern Colorado and we've been experiencing quite a drought this year.
We only get an average of 12 to 13 inches of rain each year so this rain was very, very welcome! It was pouring down rain on my drive home from work... it was pouring down rain when we ate dinner... it was raining on and off all evening... and when I awoke at 3:00 am this morning, it was still raining.

Homemade applesauce with a little sugar and a lot of cinnamon is simmering away in the Crock Pot.
The house should be smelling terriffic in a matter of a few hours. The leftover chili will make a perfect lunch before I am off to my Thursday Knitting Group at my local yarn shop.

My latest shawl project "Citron" is the perfect project on which to knit
on this cloudy, rainy day.

The yarn is Zauberball and the colorway is "Fuschienbeet" (Yarn manufactured in Germany from my good friend KLAK).

Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders

2011-09-12T16:54:00.002-06:00

Several months ago, I found a great book on the shelves at Barnes & Noble Bookstore. It's called "One- Skein Wonders: 101 Patterns That Go Way Beyond Socks!" There are a few other "One-Skein Wonder" books out there in case the book sounds familiar and these books include "Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Small Indulgences" and "101 Designer One-Skein Wonders: A World of Possibilities Inspired by Just One Skein". The books are by Judith Durant and you can see more about these books on Amazon if you click HERE.

I bought the book because I liked the looks of so many of the projects. Sadly, I've not yet made any of them. I am the same way with cook books; I am inspired by the recipes and the photos on the pages, but rarely actually make the recipes. I was reminded of the book recently because someone on Ravelry recommended the book for it's fingerless mitts patterns. Hey, I have that book and boy-oh-boy, do I have sock yarn!!!! Since then, I've been combing the pages of the book, keeping in mind the yarn I have in my stash, and I couldn't believe how many of the projects I would really like to make AND I already have the perfect yarn for several of the projects. I thought to myself... maybe I should try to make as many of these patterns as possible; that would be a fun goal.

I looked on Ravelry to see if there is a group and sure enough there is a group called "One Skein Wonders". (The folks in the group chat about the projects they are making from the One-Skein Wonders books). You can see more about the group by clicking HERE. Wouldn't you know, on the Ravelry "One Skein Wonders" forum, I found a lady who is making all the patterns in the Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders book. She is calling herself the "Oneskeinwonderwoman" and her blog can be found HERE. I've been looking through her blog and her completed projects are gorgeous... and, in my opinion, many of her completed projects are even nicer looking than the projects in the photos in the book. In fact, some projects did not appeal to me that much until I saw the Oneskeinwonderwoman's workmanship and yarn choice. I am sold... I am on a mission. I am making a goal to make as many of these projects as I can. Already I have about a dozen projects in mind with the yarn I have on hand.

So far, I've cast on a pair of mittens with some self-patterning sock yarn. So far, so good. I can't wait to share the results with you here!

Happy Knitting!

Where were you...

2011-09-11T13:00:00.001-06:00

Like most folks in America I imagine, I couldn't help but reflect on the events which occurred on September 11, 2001. Where were you? What were you doing at the time you heard the news? And who were you with as the events of the day unfolded? Who did you call on the phone just to tell them... "I love you!"

A country song by Alan Jackson has been playing over and over in my head today. Perhaps you know the song... here are the lyrics (it's a very nice song and Alan Jackson has a very nice, melodic voice):

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"
Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

[Chorus:]
I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

[Repeat Chorus 2x]
And the greatest is love.
And the greatest is love.

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?

***********
As for me, I was just driving into the parking lot at work when I heard the announcement on the radio that one plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I quickly recalled a story about a very small plane flying into the Empire State Building decades before. That's what I imagined it was... a small plane, an accident... you know, a small plane barely clipping the building? An accident... certainly it had to be something like that.

I was with coworkers that day; I was upset that my husband and son were several states away, staying in a hotel while visiting my husband's dying grandfather. I remembered how I had hated being alone when the Oklahoma Federal Buidling tragedy occurred in 1995 (my husband was working swing shift then). I knew that on September 11th, I did not want to go home, to an empty house, and just sob in front of the TV. Instead, after work, I went to WalMart to buy fabric for my young son's Halloween costume. I did not mind waiting for the lady in the fabric department to assist me; I was extra patient and I thanked her profusely for taking the time to help me like she had. I chatted with the other ladies in the fabric department; it just seemed like strangers wanted to relate and talk with one another. Ordinarily, I would have been in a hurry or frustrated to have to wait. I went to the check-out line. People just kept talking to one another; I did not mind that my frozen items were thawing... it did not seem to matter. The cashier said something about our country declaring war, a lady in line mentioned a grandchild who served in the National Guard and she was worried for his or her safety. No one was in a hurry, we all just listened to one another as we all suddenly had so much in common.

I went home and worked and worked and WORKED on that Halloween costume. I remember I stayed up really, REALLY late. The costume was a Pokemon character called Charzar; a full body costume with a big zipper down the back. There was a head covering, mitts for the hands and shoe covers for the feet. The hands and feet had triangular shaped claws made out felt, all carefully stitched on. The back of the costume had a big, stuffed tail and wings. I used red and gold lame fabric so it looked like there was a little fire shooting out of the creature's tail. Somehow I used some fishing line and safety pins to make the wings hold up (as opposed to draping like a cape). It was quite elaborate for sure. I think at one point I figured I spent about 10 hours working on the costume for every 1 hour my son actually wore it.

I remember my drive to work on September 12th. As I backed out of my drive way, I noticed my next-door neighbor, Louis, had his American flag on display on the front of his home. Ordinarily, Louis only put out the flag on the Fourth of July and Flag Day (maybe Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, too). And as I drove by more and more homes on my drive to work, I noticed more and more flags flying... such a quiet but BIG statement. Seeing the flags made me cry and I remember never feeling more proud to be an American than I was at that very moment.

I remembering worrying about my husband and son returning from their trip to see family. I remember on the news, there were people lining up to get gasoline for their cars, concerned the gas would run out. I remember being relieved when my husband and son made it home.

For a number of weeks in September 2001, I remember bright blue skies on sunny days with no jet trails criss-crossing the sky to fly over the Sangre de Cristo and Rocky Mountains to the west of us. I remember the sunny day in mid-September when husband and I were playing tennis. Finally, the first jet we had seen in weeks flew over head and we stopped to watch go by.

I imagine today you are remembering, too. Rembering where you were, how it made you feel, who you were with... memories we will carry inside us for the rest of our days.

My first pair of fingerless gloves... Done!

2011-09-05T12:45:00.000-06:00

Pattern: Emilee Dee Mitts (Pattern link can be found HERE)
Yarn: Berroco Comfort DK in a sage green color. Great for hats and mitts!

My first pair of mitts or fingerless gloves. I don't know what to call them. I've always thought it would be fun to make a pair of these but never have since I could not see myself wearing them, nor did I have a friend or family member in mind who I thought would use or enjoy a pair. But... several months ago, on Ravelry, I stumbled across a group called "Mitts of Steal". The group link can be found HERE if you'd like more information. It's a group which makes mitts like these for dialysis patients who suffer from cold hands. I did not know that dialysis patients suffered from cold hands. I am making a goal for myself to make four pairs. I really like the lace pattern in this project and plan to use this pattern in a pair of socks sometime soon. It looks like cable stitches to me, but the lace portion only calls for yarn overs, ssk's, and k2tog's. Nice ribbed effect and nice eyelet.

Hitchhiker... It's a wrap!

2011-09-04T07:46:00.000-06:00

What is it?

It's a bird?

It's a plane?

Huh?

(Not a great photo... sorry. The t-shirt is my favorite... "Chillin' with my Peeps")

It's my "Hitchhiker" and it's done! Yay!

Finished two projects (two... count them... TWO projects) in ONE weekend!

Pattern: Hitchhiker by Martina Behm (pattern link is HERE).

Yarn: Nymph Hand Paint by Flydesigns (link HERE).

My mom and I went to the Sock Summit in Portland, Oregon, in July 2011. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the gorgeous yarn on display. I was there for a few hours before I actually picked out a skein of yarn to purchase. The colors in this yarn really caught my eye... vibrant blue, bright yellow, and fresh green. The yarn is part merino wool and part tencel (made from wood pulp). I noticed the yarns containing tencel seem to have a very nice shine to them. Of course once I bought this skein of yarn, my purse strings loosened up a bit and I bought some more yarn after that. But this was my first Sock Summit purchase and it's finally been knit up. The yarn was a dream to work with. I did not block my project and it drapes and feels so nice.

On my plane ride home from the Sock Summit, I sat by another knitter who was returning to Denver, Colorado (she had attended the Sock Summit as well). On the plane, she was knitting this great "Hitchhiker" pattern in some Wollmeise yarn. Since my return home, I have not stopped thinking about this pattern. I finally broke down and purchased the pattern off of Ravelry a few weekends ago (it was less than five bucks and purchasing patterns on-line is really quick and simple... I just tend to avoid such since there are so many great FREE patterns out there).

I am glad I purchased the pattern and this yarn. I am happy with my Hitchhiker. I think it will be great to wear in the fall as the temperatures begin to dip.

I enjoyed the pattern description on Ravelry; here it is:

Garter stitch. It‘s simple, its warm and squishy, stretchy and reversible and it makes any variegated, hand-dyed sockyarn really shine. So here‘s Hitchhiker: It is a narrow, slightly asymmetrically shaped triangular shawlette that can be wrapped around the neck several times. The ends are long enough to tie it with a knot. One of the short sides of the triangle features a saw-tooth border that evolves naturally during the knitting and gives the shawl its unusual shape. Because the knitting starts at one end, you can stop anytime, bind off and end up with a useful neckerchief, shawlette or shawl. A perfect project to relax in between more complicated ones, also very suitable for beginners and young knitters.

The name? Well, if you use a 150 g skein of Wollmeise 100% Merino for this, you can make how many teeth? That‘s right, 42. The answer to the question about the universe and everything, according to Douglas Adams' wonderful book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy“. So don‘t forget your towel, and happy knitting!

*************
My project contains only 37 teeth but it is a nice sized wrap (I used nearly all of my 470 yards of yarn... on size US 4 needles... yep, that's a lot of stitches!). I've heard of this book before and now I am very curious to read it. What is the significance of 42 teeth and why do I need to remember my towel? If anyone knows, let me know in the comments section. Maybe I just need to read the book... while I wear my "Hitchhiker"...

Blueberry Pancakes and Potato Chips

2011-09-02T10:36:00.005-06:00

I tought that post title might catch your attention.

The pattern... Potato Chip Scarf. Ravelry pattern link is HERE.
The yarn... Crystal Palace's Mini Mochi in a colorway called "Blueberry Pancakes"

For my scarf (a Christmas present), the yarn is fingering weight, I used needle size US Size 7 (I used DPN's) and the pattern couldn't be simpler. I used two balls of Mini Mochi and each ball contains 195 yards. You can make the scarf on larger needles with one ball of yarn, but I like longer scarves. You can use a variety of yarn types and weights for this scarf but I think this pattern and the Mini Mochi look great together because of the long color changes. I also like the look of the scarf on the size 7 needles because I like the tighter spiral. Scarves made on larger needles are floppier for a very different effect. I read a pattern note saying this pattern is called Potato Chip Scarf because... you can't eat just one potato chip and you can't make just one Potato Chip Scarf. As for me, I was pretty tired of the pattern by the time I finished this yesterday. But then again, I am pretty excited to be on to my next projects. This pattern also reminds me of the curly fries you can get at fairs and festivals.

Cast on 20 stitches.
Row 1: Knit 8 stitches, turn.
Row 2: Knit 8 stitches, turn.
Row 3: Knit 6 stitches, turn.
Row 4: Knit 6 stitches, turn.
Row 5: Knit 4 stitches, turn.
Row 6: Knit 4 stitches, turn.
Row 7: Knit 20 stitches, turn.
Repeat rows 1 - 7 until you run out of yarn and bind off.

The pattern is such that you work or make short rows back and forth on one side of the scarf only for the first six rows, then you knit across all 20 stitches on the needle (Row 7). When you start Row 1 for the second time, you are working on the opposite side of the scarf for six rows until you knit acros all 20 stitches (Row 7) again. The result is sort of triangular wedges which create ruffles along both sides of the scarf that eventually begin to spiral.
The construction of the scarf is such that the beginning and the end of the scarf are "forked" like a snake's tongue. Weird... I know! You can stitch up the fork or you can leave the fork open. I stitched mine shut.

Milestone: This blog is two years old!

2011-08-26T05:55:00.002-06:00

It occurred to me that this blog celebrated it's 2nd anniversary (blog-a-versary) on August 23rd. I started this blog when I was about to embark on my Great American Afghan Adventure and I had been knitting for about nine months. I took a little walk down memory lane and found some interesting statistics.

This post #284.
There have been a total of 7,974 page views.
Visitors have come from the U.S., but also Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Russia, France, India, Ireland, The Netherlands, Malaysia, The Philippines, Turkey, Spain, and New Zealand.
Most frequently viewed post: Marilyn's Mobius Wrap (129 page views).
Second most frequently viewed post: Foaming Waves Chemo Cap (105 page views).
Since I started my blog, I've made one dozen pairs of socks, one adult-sized sweater, one baby-sized sweater, 17 dish cloths, and a dozen shawls/wraps/scarves, and I've also made about 60 hats (that includes a lot of chemo caps and also 18 caps for newborns). I also finished my Great American Afghan.
And I've made one mitten... not a pair of mittens... one solitary mitten.
And NO, I am not yet growing tired of knitting... if anything, my obsession grows.

I have a few works in progress right now (who am I kidding... I have a ton of works in progress right now, but I am actively working on a few). My goal is to finish two projects (or more this weekend) so I'll have SOMETHING to share soon. I finally broke down and purchased a pattern on Ravelry. It's a wrap/scawl/scarf called Hitchhiker and I am using some of the yarn from the Sock Summit in Portland, Oregon, in July. Here's a little peek. I am in love with both yarn and pattern:

Coffee in hand, it's still dark outside (not quite 6:00 am yet), the house is quiet... time to knit!

Thanks for sharing in my knitting adventures over the past two years! I appreciate your comments when you stop by.

198 Yards of Heaven: A Shawlette

2011-08-20T10:01:00.000-06:00

Isn't she lovely? This is a rather small shawl (or shawlette) intended to be worn like a neckerchief.

The pattern called "198 Yards of Heaven" can be found HERE and is designed to use 198 yards of worsted or aran weight yarn. For my project, I used one ball of Crystal Palace's Mini Mochi yarn (contains 195 yards). I love the colors in this yarn (called "Rainbow Trout"). I've used Mini Mochi before in a number of scarves... I love this fingering weight yarn. It's quite splity, so it's difficult to knit with fine, sharp pointed needles, but in this project I used US 7 needles and the splity-ness was not too much of a problem. I have two more skeins of Mini Mochi yarn in a colorway called "Crayon Box". I am considering making this pattern again so it will be closer to "400 yards of Heaven". This project was so fun to make. Some lace patterns are so troublesome, but this pattern was just plain fun.

I was surprised when I got to the lace border of the shawl. The body of the shawl is more like stockinette but the border is primarily garter stitch. If I make this pattern again, I might try to modify the lace border. From looking at other projects on Ravelry completed with this pattern, it looks as if others may have modified the lace border in this manner. Whatever the case may be, I am loving knitting shawls. Not exactly sure what I'll do with this shawl... maybe a gift, maybe for me. Decisions, decisions...

Pink Camouflage Socks: Take 2

2011-08-20T09:38:00.000-06:00

Not much to say about these socks. Used Bernat Sox yarn in "pink camouflage" for this pair. I cast them on a few months back after I completed another pair of socks using the same ball of yarn.... yes, two pairs of socks from one skein. I modified my friend's (Marilyn) "Simple Sock" pattern. I cast on 50 stitches so I could use a k3,p2 ribbing for the cuff and then I added 2 stitches and completed the rest of the sock. I am forever on a quest for a perfect fitting sock. Ordinarily, I find socks are too slouchy for my liking. I worry this pair is too tight. I wanted to give these socks to a friend as a gift but am now worried to give them away because (1) I am worried they might be too snug and (2) when the socks were all done, it totally looked as if one sock was slightly larger than the other. How did that happen? I might have miscounted the number of rounds in the cuff, but I also wonder if I knit more tightly on one sock as compared to the other. Dang it. The socks are just sort of hang out at my house until I decide what to do with them. They are too small for me to keep for myself. I made them a smaller size for the friend I had in mind... *** sigh! ***

Special Delivery... a new addition to my knitting corner...

2011-08-12T10:23:00.001-06:00

There's a lovely new addition to my knitting corner...

It's a handmade cradle. It was made by my grandfather (my dad's dad) in the mid-1920's. He made it for his children. Heart cut-outs, hand painted flowers, no screws or nails. Fashioned out of modest pine wood with carved square pegs holding it all together.

My grandfather and grandmother came to the United States from Switzerland in the mid-1920's (corrected 09-07-2011... thanks, Dad! I was off initially by over a decade... Eeek!). They lived in New York... first in Brooklyn, and later on Long Island. I am not the best family historian so I don't have a lot of details. Sadly, I never got to meet my grandpa, but did get to know my grandma better after she moved to Oregon when she could no longer live independently on Long Island. Over the years, I've heard stories about my grandfather, but there are several things represented in this special cradle which make it such a special heirloom to have in my home.

My grandfather worked with his hands. His hands were strong, but he crafted delicate beautiful things. He enjoyed gardening and painting. I grew up with a few of my grandfather's oil paintings on the walls in our family home. One painting of The Matterhorn in Switzerland is etched in my mind. I heard stories of how his home garden on Long Island was quite spectacular and even included fish ponds.

The four cradle-legs have since fallen off, but I still think this piece is precious. When my dad offered to mail it to me, I told him I had a special spot and a special purpose in mind. The cradle now sits by feet in my knitting corner between my comfy chair and the window with a nice view of my back yard. It holds my collection of needles and knitting work(s) in progress. My grandfather worked in textiles. He created the designs for garments (such as neck ties) so that the designs could be woven into fabric. I hope that he would have approved of how I am now using the cradle he crafted so many years ago...

"Socks a la Carte": A new book...

2011-08-12T09:40:00.001-06:00

I was excited to find this book 1/2 price at the Sock Summit a few weeks back.

I've been on a mission for the past several months to figure out
how to knit a good looking short row heel (with no holes or big gaps).

After countless hours of scouring the Internet for tutorials
and several failed attempts at short row heels
... at last, a great looking
SHORT ROW HEEL....
thanks to the instructions in my new book!

The end of the book is quite fun. The last several pages are split into thirds so you can mix and match the cuffs, legs, heels & toes. Fun!

This is the sock I want to make...
k1p1 rib,
Surfin' Leg,
short row heel,
round toe.

The tricky thing about this method of heel is that there are some "k3togethers" as well as some "purl3together through the back loop", with the latter being even tricker than the former. Most of the patterns in the book call for casting on 64 stitches, which I find to be a rather large sock, even on really small needles. The patterns in the book are designed to a sock yarn called Tofutsies, which is rather light weight it seems. I think I'll have to alter the patterns a bit to use the yarn I have on hand, but I am excited to have added this book to my collection.

Two-Toed Socks are Complete!

2011-08-11T19:41:00.000-06:00

Well, this must be a record... three posts in one day!

...ZEBRA MEETS HOT PINK LIPSTICK...

Today I madly worked on my Two-Toed Socks (link for pattern is HERE).

I was on a mission. I told myself I could not start any new projects until I finished up these funky socks. I am wearing them now and they are super comfy. For these socks, I used US Size 4 double pointed needles. I cast on the number of stitches recommended in the pattern and knit in a k2 p2 rib. I maintained the rib pattern in the instep but the bottom of the sock is in stockinette. I knit 50 rounds for the cuff (fewer rounds than recommended in the pattern) and I knit 50 rounds for the foot (more rounds than recommended in the pattern since I have pretty big feet). For the toe, I did fewer decrease rounds than recommended. That was a mistake but I am happy with how the toe turned out.

On my needles now... another pair of socks which were started a few months back. Using Bernat brand pink and green camouflage yarn (used the other half of the skein for a pair of socks awhile back). Almost done with sock #1. Will continue to work on the socks while I ponder what is next!

Decisions, decisions... I just can't decide...

Two-Toed Socks with Cascade Fixation Yarn

2011-08-11T10:02:00.001-06:00

I am making some super funky Two-Toed Socks with Cascade Fixation. The yarn contains some elastic so I went to Cascade's website to find patterns to make sure I was knitting the yarn in the correct fashion. The gals at my knit shop had me a bit boggled about using this yarn... "you have to be relaxed," they said... or else you mess up the yarn's elastic quality. Something like that.

The sock incorporates an "afterthought" heel. You knit the cuff from the top down. Then you stitch in a scrap of yarn over half of the stitches (the pink stripe is the scrap of yarn). You resume knitting "the tube" and then knit the toe. After grafting the toe, you go back to the scrap of yarn, remove it, and catch the live stitches. Then you knit another toe to create the heel. Pretty clever, huh?

I really like this method although I had a hard time figuring out how long I wanted to make both the cuff and the foot with no heel in place for reference. I have some pretty big feet (size 8 1/2 to 9 depending on brand of shoe... and I often buy wide shoes). For the cuff, I knit 50 rounds, then I inserted the scrap of yarn, and then I knit another 50 rounds for the foot before beginning the toe. I could have made the cuff longer but I am happy with the one sock which is complete.

The sock is super comfortable and thick. I think it will make a great slipper sock for wearing around the house but I am not sure if I would wear these socks in shoes as they are so think.

One sock down; one to go!
Do you like the color combination?
I am thinking Zebra Meets Lipstick Pink!
Definitely "one of a kind" socks!

I found this FREE pattern for two-toed socks on the Cascade Yarns website. The pattern link can be found HERE.

Sock Summit 2011 in Portland, Oregon

2011-08-11T09:25:00.002-06:00

I have been so busy for the past few weeks, that I can hardly catch my breath. I went to visit my parents, who live near Portland, Oregon, the last week of July. It was great to see them. We visited some of my favorite places:

Had to take a photo of my Dad and Mom posing under the sign at Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukee, Oregon. My Dad enjoys the fact that he looks like Bob! The store is a beautiful red barn looking building with a water mill, gardens, fountains and ponds. You can buy lots of wonderful whole grain food goods in the store, but we enjoyed lunch at the restaurant.

I put the finishing touches on one of my caps and donated 23 caps to a chemo treatment center near
St. Vincent's Hospital in Southwest Portland near Beaverton, Oregon. My Mom retired from St. Vincent's Hospital a number of years ago and I worked there as a Junior Volunteer for many summers while in school.

On another day, my Mom and I rode the Max light rail train to Portland's Oregon Convention Center...

FOR THE SOCK SUMMIT!!!!! The Market Place was our destination, although several classes were offered. It was great to take in all the sights. I enjoyed watching the people too. Of course, lots of folks were wearing hand knit items... socks and shawls.

In the center of the Market Place, there was a Sock Museum. There were itty bitty socks...

There were really BIG socks...

There all kinds of socks...

And of course, in the Market Place... there was lots of gorgeous yarn.
Not just sock yarn.... all kinds of yarn.
You could also buy the un-spun fiber for those who want to spin their own yarn.

After spending hours browsing and shopping in the Market Place, we rested our feet and knit for a spell on the World's Largest Sock. Apparently, the sock was cast on in England and then shipped to American. It's been travelling around the United States for various fiber events and at each stop, more rows are added. If I recall, there are 20 pairs of circular needles around the perimeter of the sock. We were told the sock is so heavy now, it can't be shipped back to England.

Ladies working on the sock...

More socks from the Sock Museum

Snap shots of the Market Place just so you can get an idea of how BIG this event was...

I really liked the hand-dyed yarns at Hazel Knits. The vendors gave away these kits with yarn and pattern to make a Tiny Leaves Sock. I intended to make the sock as directed but when I attempted the knit3together on size 0 needles (eeeekkk!), I opted for a plain sock. The yarn is gorgeous!

At a booth, I won this kit to make Sophie's Toes Sock Yarn Mini-Cardigan. Too cute! The kit included the yarn, a tiny hanger, the pattern, and some contrasting pale pink yarn to make French Knot buttons on the sweater front. I think I may add some beads for buttons.

With the leftover yarn from the kit and with the what I learned from making the cardigan, I set out to make a pullover (using some scraps of yarn I had at home).
The sweater is knit from the top-down (no sewing!)... my favorite!

After spending time with my folks, I spent a day and a half with an old friend, Kerri
(I am on the left and Kerri is on the right).
We've known each other since 4th grade and
had not seen one another in probably 20 years.
It was great to see her and it was great to knit with her!
Yep, she's a knitter, too! How about that!

Some funky socks in the Sock Museum..

Button-Tab Hat

2011-07-26T07:09:00.001-06:00

Button-Tab Hat

Another quick cap before I make my donation to the chemo-treatment center. This is a Button-Tab Hat and the pattern link can be found HERE. The yarn is Berroco Comfort in a nice rich brown which reminds me of roasted coffee beans. I made a special trip to my yarn shop in search of a perfect button and fell in love with this faux turquoise triangular-shaped button. I love the combination of these two colors.

While I was at the shop (I am never at the shop on Mondays), the owner of my old knit shop (Anne's Knits and Such) showed up. Anne had the knit shop next door to my new knit shop. When Anne's place closed down, one of the employees, Michelle, opened up my new shop called Grandma's Beads and Yarn right next door. Grandma's is in the back half of a Christian Bookstore and Gift Shop. I am so lucky to have these shops nearby and so lucky to have these folks in my life!

Lazy Cable Cap (modified 3AM Cable Hat)

2011-07-25T07:02:00.000-06:00

Lazy Cable Cap (3AM Cable Hat - modified)

I have made this cap at least three other times that I can recall; all with very different results. The pattern link can be found HERE.

Here are links to the other caps I've made using this pattern; you can see they are all very different:

Cap #1 (made with worsted weight Plymouth Encore acrylic wool blend yarn)

Cap #2 (made with worsted weight Plymouth Encore acrylic wool blend yarn)

Cap #3 (made with Berroco Comfort DK acrylic nylon blend yarn)

The cap above is made with Berroco Comfort DK yarn in a color called "Sprig Green". I had every intention of following the pattern when I cast it on Friday night before I went to bed. When I woke up in the wee hours (before 3AM) and couldn't fall back to sleep, I crawled out of bed, made coffee, and starting working on this. After the second cable row, I got tired of cables. I guess moving the post-it note to help me keep track of the rows was a just a bit too taxing considering my lack of sleep. It occurred to me I could switch to a k2,p2 rib for the remainder of the cap. As I knit away mindlessly through the day, I started to daydream about how I could complete the decreases at the top of that hat. I ended up winging it when the time came but did write it down just in case it was awesome. Turns out I am not totally thrilled with the top portion of the hat; I think I decreased too quickly. Whatever the case may be, I think I am pretty happy with my modified 3AM Cable Hat. I will be trying this again with even more modifications.

The pattern calls for casting on 108 stitches. When I made this cap once before in Berroco Comfort DK, I thought it was a bit small. This time I added an extra cable by casting on 12 extra stitches for a total of 120 stitches. I think the size is just right. It's a very stretchy hat.

Pretty Pink Hat #4

2011-07-22T20:38:00.000-06:00

Hermione Hearts Ron

This cap may look familiar. I've made it four times now... same yarn, same pattern. I love how it turns out! The yarn is Berroco Comfort DK in a color called "Rosebud." The pattern is called "Hermione Hearts Ron" (which will mean something to you if you are a fan of Harry Potter books and/or movies). The hat pattern link can be found HERE. As this was my last skein of Rosebud, I sent an e-mail message to Michelle, the owner of my local yarn shop called "Grandma's Beads and Yarn" in Canon City, Colorado. I asked her to order more of the yarn for me, which I figured would be 10 to 12 skeins. Each skein makes one cap using this pattern. I told Michelle I'd be happy to buy the entire bag since she was special ordering for me. I told her it was no hurry or anything, but if she could just order the yarn for me the next time she was placing an order with Berroco, I'd sure appreciate it. She wrote back right away, she ordered it for me right away, and it was mine at a 15% discount since it was for a good cause. Michelle is very good to me and I am so fortunate to have such a great local yarn shop!

Yarn and beads and great friends all in one spot.

Double Bump Dish Cloth & Random Mitred Squares

2011-07-21T07:27:00.001-06:00

Using some Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn for some textured dish or face cloths... for a gift for a friend.

A fun break from caps.

The Double Bump Dish Cloth pattern (pictured below in bright, bright green)

is fun and easily memorized.

I found the pattern HERE.

Who? A dozen little WHAT??? Do you see them???

2011-07-18T22:59:00.001-06:00

Please tell me you see them? They are there... I see them... do you?

I asked the boys what they thought they were?

"A sphinx... you know... like in Egypt!" remarked my husband.

"Cactus!" remarked my son.

"No!", my son changed his mind... "They are rabbits covering their privates... on a pogo stick!"

Oh goodness, please tell me... what do you see? I think it's so plainly clear.... they are!!!! THEY ARE...

Owls! A dozen little owls. I've been admiring this pattern since October. I am proud of this little cap since I figured out how to convert this pattern to use DK weight yarn on size 2 and 3 needles. The original pattern calls for Worsted Weight yarn and larger needles (size 6). I added one extra owl to make the numbers work out. I struggle with math, so it was an accomplishment for me to get the numbers to all work out. In case you are wondering, I will be adding some buttons to make the owls eyes more prominent. I will probably add eyes to one or three owls. I'll post another photo when I sew on the eyes, but for now... I was just so excited to show you all my latest cap!

The original pattern link can be found here on Sara's "Penguin Purls" blog (Click HERE).
My pattern modifications can be found on Ravelry (Click HERE).

Odessa in Fuchsia

2011-07-10T20:08:00.001-06:00

Odessa in Fuchsia

I've made this pattern a number of times now; it's an enjoyable knit... with or without beads. This time, as you can see, there are no beads. The cap knit up a bit larger as I am using Filatura Lanarota Cool Cotton instead of my normal Berroco Comfort DK. The Odessa pattern link can be found HERE.

Blue-tee-ful Cap

2011-07-07T12:58:00.000-06:00

Lace Trim Cap
in Plymouth Dreambaby DK
Pattern link: HERE

It looks like I am in a "blue period"... with my caps being shades of blue and purple lately.
I can't decide what color this is? Cookie Monster Blue, Pillsbury Blue, or Cobalt Blue. It's quite bright but I think someone will like it.

Another cap...

2011-07-04T18:31:00.000-06:00

Pattern: Lace-Edged Women's Cap
Pattern link is HERE.
Yarn: Berroco Comfort DK in dark purple (like grape jelly)
Photo does not show the color well.

I've made this pattern quite a few times, but it's a fun, quick knit!

Beaufort Hat in Blue

2011-07-03T12:53:00.000-06:00

Beaufort Hat
Pattern link can be found HERE.
Knit in Berroco Comfort Worsted Weight in a color that reminds me of a Robin's egg.

Cutest Hat... EVER! Bow Tie Cloche/Chemo Cap

2011-07-02T13:22:00.000-06:00

Tah-Dah!

Design: Bow Tie Cloche/Chemo Cap by "The Bell Sisters (Ding and Dong)"
Pattern link can be found HERE.
Yarns used: Cascade Fixation in Hot Pink & Plymouth Yarn Jeannee DK in White.

Hat is bigger than I hoped but I'll be making this pattern again. Just need to tweak my knitting a bit. Used size 2 and 3 circular needles. Need to invest in a size 1 needle. Cascade Fixation yarn contains elastic and I struggled figuring out how loosely/how tightly to knit with it. I knit too loosely and used size 2 needles (when the pattern called for size 1). This hat is a lot of knitting but so worth it. I can see me adding bows to other plainer hats in the future.

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Two old patterns... Two new caps!

2011-06-30T22:55:00.000-06:00

Hurricane Hat
Pattern link can be found here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hurricane-hat
Yarn: Berroco Comfort Worsted in "Maine Woods" (Link)

Lace Trim Chemo Cap in Fuchsia.
Pattern link can be found here:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-trim-chemo-cap or
http://www.knitmichigan.com/comfort2.html
Yarn: Cool Cotton (Link)

Fashionable Flapper Cap

2011-06-24T08:53:00.001-06:00

Marilyn looking sylish in the "Fashionable Flapper Cap"

A crochet pattern called "Fashionable Flapper Cap". Link may be found HERE.

I struggled with this pattern. The cap is rather snug and I made the medium size. The flap is crocheted on after the top of the hat is done. The instructions confused me. I wish the pattern included the number of stitches in each row. I brought the cap my Thursday knitting group to get the opinion of my knitting gal pals. It looked so cute on Marilyn I gave it to her. She picked out the button. I made the medium size and used the recommended hook size. Next time I need to make this larger. I used Berroco Comfort yarn in worsted weight for this cap. Will trying this pattern again!

Scalloped Edged Beanie Revisited

2011-06-24T08:36:00.000-06:00

In my last post, I showed you a cap from a book called "60 Quick Knits"; the pattern is called "Scalloped- Edge Beanie". I enjoyed making it so much, I made it again, but with a few modifications.

Cap #1 is on the left and has more lace rows. Cap #2 is on right. It has three rows of garter stitch before the lace portions starts (to keep the lace from rolling up). I also completed fewer lace rows in cap #2. Colors are a bit inaccurate in this photo.

As you can tell, I really like this pattern! There are a few other patterns in the "60 Quick Knits" that I find really appealing. I am looking forward to trying them.

Back to Chemo Caps

2011-06-23T21:57:00.000-06:00

Scalloped Edge-Beanie in Berroco Comfort. Pattern link can be found HERE.

I really like this pattern.

Vacation Knitting

2011-06-18T12:00:00.000-06:00

A little break from my ongoing "travelogue" to show you what I've been knitting. This is a knitting blog after all! My goal for my recent trip out of town was to make as many stockings for Operation Holiday Stockings as possible. It made for simple packing of knitting supplies since I was essentially only bringing one project on which to work. I did not finish as many stockings as I hoped; I guess that means I was too busy enjoying the sites in unfamiliar places.

I made four of these stockings on our recent trip and only started the fifth one in the airport in New Orleans on the way home to Colorado.

I am calling this cap "Rain Forrest Ripple"

Same yarn as some of the stockings above (Berroco Comfort Worsted Weight Yarn...
(Ripple Eyelet Cap instructions to knit in the round can be found on Ravelry HERE).

I got in an organizing kind of mood yesterday. I have a bad habit of printing off patterns, but have no organizational system to keep them straight. The end result is that when I am looking for a pattern, I go back to the computer and printing off the pattern again. A waste of paper and expensive ink! I bit the bullet yesterday and started organizing. I threw out lots of duplicates as well. Now, if I can just get in the habit of putting new patterns in the binders when I print them off!

I used "Post-It" notes for labels. Very simple and easy.

I also organized some of my kitchen cabinets yesterday. I was on a roll. I love days like that!

Back from Vacation: Post #2

2011-06-16T19:19:00.002-06:00

CLICK on each photo for an enlarged view...

Whoops! Photo is sideways, but this way... you can read it just fine!

When we got our rental car near the New Orleans Airport, the lady helping us was very helpful and excited to tell us great things to see and do while we visited New Orleans. She recommended places for Swamp Tours and also the National World War II Museum. We checked out the museum on our second day in New Orleans after having beignets and coffee at the Cafe du Monde. The museum was well worth the trip. My husband is quite the WWII History buff. He could walk up to pretty much each exhibit and give us a spiel about what everything was. He was quite the tour guide.

One day, we also ventured out of New Orleans and went for a swamp tour on a boat. Getting there was quite an adventure. We got horribly lost despite using my son's Blackberry Phone and Mapquest on the Internet. The boat tour facility was about 30 minutes from our hotel... it took us nearly two hours to find the darn place. The boat tour was GREAT! They had smaller, fast speed boats, but we got boats on a larger, 16-passenger boat. The fast boats were sold out. The larger boat went plenty fast. Besides that, the tour guide stopped frequently so we could watch the alligators and so he could tell us all about bayous, canals, brackish water, alligators, and his Cajun family history in New Orleans.

In the brackish water...

Big 'gator in the canal...

A canopy of Spanish Moss over the bayou...

A small alligator sunning on a discarded plank of wood...

A quick video to show you what the Swamp Boat tour was like.

I think our tour guide, Ernie, had these alligators rather conditioned. As we rode down one canal, the alligators started to swim up to the boat and Ernie brought out his big bag of marshmallows! The alligators loved them it seemed. Ernie said the alligators could not really taste them, but the alligators could easily see them due to the contrast between the dark water and light colored treat.
*****
I was inspired to try some new dishes in my kitchen after returning from vacation. Check it out HERE on my cooking blog.

Back from Vacation: Post #1

2011-06-15T13:33:00.000-06:00

Could you guess from the previous post where we've been?

New Orleans, Louisiana!

That was the first leg of our trip.

I've got so much to share,

I've decided to stretch this out over a few posts.

While in New Orleans, I knew the one place we had to go was The Cafe Du Monde for beignets and hot coffee. Yep, it's pretty much fried dough with a pile of powdered sugar on top. It's a mess to eat as you can tell from the photo.

This park was not too far from the Cafe Du Monde... beautiful cathedral in the French Quarter.

Another beautiful building in the French Quarter.

In the evening, we enjoyed walking up and down the streets in the French Quarter. I loved the architecture. The balconies with beautiful flowers, the old brick structures with the wodden shutters... I found it all quite appealing.

We passed by this one home quite a few times. Can you believe all the flowers on this balcony? Gorgeous!

The Riverboat Natchez on the Mississippi River. It's a real steam powered riverboat.

We took a ride on this boat on our vacation. More about that in a separate post.

We stayed at the J.W. Marriot right on Canal Street. A nice place to rest after all of our touring about.

You just walk across Canal Street and you are in the French Quarter from this hotel.

We stayed on the 17th floor and had a great view of Canal Street. Like I said, the French Quarter is just across the street.

Another view from the hotel, looking down into the French Quarter.

In the French Quarter one evening, I did stumble across a yarn shop! Unfortunately, it was closed, but I did peek in the window for awhile. I had hoped to make it back to the shop before we left New Orleans, but never did. We just had too many other things to see and do.

Back from vacation... there's no place like home!

2011-06-14T22:08:00.000-06:00

We've been out of town and on vacation the past 10 or so days. It's so good to be home and I have so much to share! We just got home at 9:00 pm tonight. Here's a teaser... the photo above is a clue as to where we spent part of our vacation. Any guesses where we went???

Stockings, Stockings, Stockings...

2011-06-04T16:41:00.000-06:00

Do you recognize the yarn? Bernat Camouflage Yarn. I love working with this stuff. This is the last of it, but I like how these stockings turned out.

This week's knitting has pretty much been dedicated to making stockings for Operation Holiday Stockings. I've been having fun and I love the sense of accomplishment from finishing a project nearly every day. I think I made five more stockings this week. My good friend "K2" commented about my stockings last week (apparently she has the perfect yarn in her stash for some Christmas stockings) and asked that I write up the pattern. If I can direct your attention to the upper right hand side of your screen, you'll see a new area called "Pages" and there you'll find an item listed as "FREE: Operation Holiday Stockings Pattern". This is the pattern I've been tweaking since last year and it pretty much sums up how I now make these stockings. I've tried the short row heel method, but for now I am still using the method with heel flap, heel turn and gusset, as I am finding this method to be more consistent for me. Some day I'll master the short row heel.

Whatever the case may be, I invite you to check out this pattern if you'd like. Seriously, I KNOW it's just JUNE, but Christmas will be here before you know it. If you give this pattern a try and like it, I'd love to hear about it. If you try it and my instructions confuse the heck out of you, well... I'd like to hear about that just the same. I welcome feedback of any sort. Maybe if I come up with another pattern someday, I can have a whole gob of free patterns listed here. That would be pretty cool, dontcha think!?