Knitting & Crochet - Finishing Spree

Today I can pat myself on the back… I went on a little finishing spree and tied the ends into twelve different projects. I did it, while babysitting, during nap time. It only took a few minutes and now a feel a fresh breath of knitting air… not to mention my knitting bags now have ROOM in them again! Yeah me!!! :D

The neighbor girl is modeling for me...


This funky little "Faux" Scarf (Bento by Berroco #255 Design)...


When I was in Pleasanton, CA, last year, I liked the pattern and the yarn. Now that I've made the scarf (eleven months later) I'm not sure why I liked it so much. Hmm. In any case, it was always destined to be a gift since it really is a lightweight little decoration, and here, in Wyoming, we need REAL scarves! If anyone is in love with this, you should let me know... perhaps you'll find it in your mailbox!

I struggled to finish this silly Superman washcloth for MONTHS!


I've decided I should just crochet my dishclothes / washclothes.

I can pump these little coasters (or dishclothes) out SO FAST ... as long as I'm crocheting them.


Actually, while I'm at this Yarn Posting, would you like to know how to make these little crocheted gems? It's really very simple, but I have written it down for you...

Quick Crocheted Coaster
With a bit of scrap cotton and a 6mm (G) hook you can quickly make a pile of coasters for yourself (or, I like to give them as a Hostess Gift).

Approximate Finished Size 4¼" Diameter

1. CH 6.
2. Connect to first chain with CH making a loop.
3. Add SC in back loop (one or two per chain as needed to keep flat).
Make six continuous rounds (like a snail).
4. CH in next SC. Cut a 2” tail and weave into back of coaster.

Here's another knitted cloth... took me FOREVER!


My favorite part of the Red, White, and Blue "Tribble" is the picture with the little hands holding it. I had Jack kneel (he had black fleece pants on today), in the sunlight, and I took a flash-free close up photo with my new camera. I think it's a nice photo! :D

Quilt Design - Cheerful Child, First Draft

I just finished the very first draft of the pattern.

I printed it out (and emailed it to my friend to review) and now I'm taking a break from it. I think I'll cut some fabric and then read and edit it tomorrow, because right now, I'm SICK of looking at it!

Also, I have some work to do for The Pampered Chef. I'd like to set up my website, and write an email and also create a flyer for a show my friend ask me to do on my trip to Arizona.


Right now, it's time to play a game with my boys, then cut fabric, then dinner, then work on Pampered Chef, then work on my Mom's Cornucopia hat, then bed. I've got plenty to do in the next six hours! :P

Knitting Links

Here are some Knitting Links and other pointers I've found to be invaluable:

KnittingHelp.com - My friends tried to teach me to hold the yarn with my right hand and I do better with the left... I figured that out with videos on this site.

Ravelry.com - You need to request membership. It's a WAY cool way to organize your supplies, ideas, and projects and also a great place to surf for ideas. I really like how you can see one project made by so many other people, along with their comments. Anyway, check it out. When you can look, I'm at SiouxzQzz.

Start with a natural fiber (cotton or wool) yarn and bamboo needles. Also, light or medium colored yarns will be easier to see your stitches on than dark colors. Seeing your stitches is helpful when you're learning what to do.

Lovely sets of bamboo needles can be acquired from SusanCraft6798 of SusanCraftDesign on ebay.

Lion Brand Yarn - Nice selection of free patterns, plus e-newsletters, and supplies.

Mary Maxim - good prices on yarn and supplies for all sorts of hand crafts (knitting, crochet, embroidery, etc.)

Manly Scarf Pattern - Free Online - GREAT for beginners, just uses three stitches (slip, knit, and purl). Just using this "basket-weave" idea, you can make each section as wide and tall as you like. Mine are all three stitches wide, but each section is a random number of rows.

Multidirectional Scarf Pattern - Another good beginner project, it had three stitches (increase, knit, and decrease) plus casting on. I think this looks better in a variegated / striped yarn than a solid.

Silver's Sock Class to help "see" how to make socks. This isn't a pattern, so much as detailed instructions for each step of making a pair of socks.

A good beinner sock yarn and pattern are Moda Dea Sassy Stripes Yarn, and the Knitted Socks pattern LM0131 by Grace Alexander.

I'm told that learning to crochet first is easier for most people; knitting first and then crocheting tends to be more difficult. So, if you already can crochet, you're half-way there! If you're new to yarn crafts, try picking up a crochet hook first, and then moving up to knitting.

I've found that being able to click or look at video or pictures over and over is really helping me along with knitting. I've also discovered that the natural fibers (wool/cotton) and needles (bamboo) are really big helps for beginning knitters! I hope these links help you as much as they've helped me!

Felted Wool Cornucopia Birthday Hat

In October I was working on some crocheted wool Candy Corn bags. The entire time I was working on them, I was thinking my Mom’s Costume at the Arizona Renaissance Festival.

My Mom wears a Wicker Cornucopia on her head, as a hat, with a carrot dangling off the tip of it, right in front of her nose. It’s actually become her trademark to where another actor tried to wear a Cornucopia and the Management made them stop. I thought it would be great to make her a brown wool cornucopia, complete with wool carrot, and send it for her birthday (January 20th) which is just two weeks before the Faire Opens.


Yesterday I started working on my design. Ripping it out twice before really “getting into a groove”. Today, I wanted to make good progress and hopefully finish it tomorrow. I’ve made progress, but I’ve also realized I’m going to run out of brown… and I only have the one skein.


So. Here are The Options for Mom:

1. Do you want it finished for your birthday, with another color around the brim? If so, what color(s) do you prefer? (I have scraps from the candy corn bags.)
   
2. Do you want me to order some yarn online (same color, but different dye lot, so probably a different shade of brown) and have the hat around beginning of Faire?
3. Do you want me to try to contact some other people who have the EXACT same Dye Lot in their Ravelry Stash, and beg them to sell it to me (which some people will do)? This option could take the longest but be the “most perfect”.
4. Oh yes, I could finish it in another color and then it could be over dyed... or I could even try to dye the white, but with our current temperatures I just don't know how I'd dry the wool without felting it, so, you'd probably have to try and dye it later.
   
5. I guess I could also start all over in a totally new yarn that I’d go out and buy (my least favorite idea).

What do you say, Mom?

PS: How big around would you *like* this to be? I'm not sure about my FELTING skills, but I'll try!

UPDATE: 15 Jan 09: Mom "choose" number 3 and one of the people on Ravelry was more than willing to share from his stash! (I'm still hoping for a third skein, but the second will be wonderful!) I should be completing the transaction and moving along toward finishing the hat soon! YEAH for generous people!!! :D

Knit & Crochet - Scarves

This evening I finished up two scarves. I've had them both done for weeks (or months) now, with just the ends to tie in. I needed a break tonight and sat down and did this.

The first I started last November and is my First "Successful" Knitting Project. Two years ago, my friends from the XRC in Arizona, tried to teach several of us to knit. I had trouble because of several things...

1. I was using aluminum needles.
2. I was using Fancy Fur type yarn.
3. I was using the American, Right-Handed Method of Knitting.

So, last Fall, I went to the local Craft shop and explained this to them. They had a scarf sample that I liked. They recommended I use a more natural fiber and bamboo needles. I bought some supplies and then found KnittingHelp.com - which has great online videos. In May, I finally completed my scarf:


I made it using Karen Baumer's Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf pattern. I used a cotton yarn (Kraemer Yarns Tatamy Tweed DK) in blue and red. I started with the blue, but switched to the red at the mid-way point upon the suggestion of a knitting circle I'd been going to most weeks during the Winter and Spring. I like the variety changing the colors added and think it would be fun to do this pattern alternating colors... it's made up of triangles like the blue one you see, so, different colors for each triangle could be fun. For more info about this scarf, and to see HUNDREDS more samples, look on my site on Ravelry.com.

The second scarf I finished today is a crocheted one of my own design. I made this one to match the fleece hat I enjoyed so much last year. I'm looking forward to being a little more coordinated this winter. :D


This is the third such scarf I've made (one for me, one for Auntie, and another for me). I plan to make SEVERAL more of this exact pattern in different color ways. It's a lovely soft, warm-but-not-hot, scarf. I wore the first one a lot last winter, and kept wishing for other colors.

I use Lion Brand Yarns... Tiffany and MicroSpun Yarns. The microspun is soft and "squishy" and the Tiffany is a super-sensual fake fur type. Together they look like a fuzzy-caterpillar in the making! Certainly not the right mental image for how incredible they feel together!

I now have the yarn, and just need to get busy making them. I made my Aunt's in four (dedicated) days, so, I really could have a pile for myself by the fall.

Anyway, I was glad to finish these two projects off (funny how they've been sitting around all Summer, and a little bit of cold inspired me to get them ready to wear by weaving in the ends!)