Yesterdays Adventures in knitting

My good friend commissioned a doggy sweater for her little Chihuahua last year! I made one, but forgot the hole for the leash. Then I got fancy and made a cabled version, but I never finished that one because I messed up at the beginning and didn't notice until the end and just couldn't bring myself to frog such a fancy cable! It went on the back burner...

Flash forward to the day before yesterday. This same friend calls and wants to stop by for lunch. I hardly ever get to see her and really enjoy her company. (So refreshing to be around people with a sense of humour!) I think about the doggy sweater with a pang of guilt. It's getting colder by the day and I can just see the poor little rat (I mean dog) shivering in the impending snow. I opened a drawer and saw the almost-done doggy sweater, a gorgeous celtic knot cabled thing in fisherman's wool. . . but I think she wanted it in red. I glance at my stash. Some red red Patons meriono dangles over the edge of the shelf as if to say "pick me, pick me!" I hate guilt. I hunt down the pattern. Can't find it. Ok, np, just copy this one. I cast on. Get the collar done, start a few cables, don't forget the button hole this time. But it's taking forever. . . maybe a simpler cable, after all I only have one day. . .

I frog it. Cast on again, get a few rounds done. Now I'm being interrupted again by the girls. They have friends over and it seems to be this constant game of big kids vs little kids. (Sigh.) I get back to my knitting after lunch and mopping up the spilled gallon of milk. The phone. Now I can knit and talk on the phone. But complex cables... The person on the other end doesn't usually like my silence. I finally get back to my knitting at around 4pm. I click away frantically until about 1 am. The back is done, and half of the front. I can finish that much in the morning. I go to bed.

Next day (yesterday.) I get up, rush through my morning routine, (ok I skipped some of it altogether) and knit. The kids can get their own damned breakfast. I knit. Done. I hate sewing seams. Add the little doggy arms, on 4 needles, why does that take so much longer? Ooh it's so cute!
We had a loverly visit. And then...

SHE LEFT IT!!!

As I laughed maniacally, my children came running to see if I had, indeed finally gone mad... little do they know...

It's in the mail.

Ravelry

I just got invited to join Ravelry.com. I signed up for the waiting list so long ago that I had forgotten all about it. I have spend the last few hours trying to figure out the ropes. I uploaded my fingerless mitt pattern, I think. I couldn't find it again and couldn't edit it, I forgot a picture and needed to make changes. Ugh. I hate these learning curves. So far I think the site has great potential.

It could be a useful place for me to keep track of needles. But my stash, it's way too big. It would take me a month just to upload and since I'm missing the little paper wrappers on half of it... My Rowan went through a faze of ripping all the wrappers off of my yarn, the little...

Hmmm, this is some kind of acrylic... this is wool... aaah Malabrigo... PASA cotton... this is a weird blend...this is *gasp* red heart, (I keep meaning to give that away)!

The library feature is nice too, and will be better I'm sure. Most of my books are pretty obscure, and so aren't in their database.

Free Pattern: Fingerless Mitts, Crochet

My kiddos didn't want to share the computer today, and I was too busy re-working "Liv" for the umpteenth time to care. So, sorry for those of you who might have been waiting for this with baited breath! I think there might actually be two of you out there who read this blog!

When I posted about the fingerless mitts on an Etsy chat, there was a disappointed person (who's name escapes me, or I'd mention him/her here) who wanted a crocheted pattern. Well, I got right on it. So... drum roll please, introducing, by popular demand...

The Super Simple Customizable Crocheted Fingerless Mitts with a really long name...

This pattern can be adapted to fit any hand. It is basically a rectangular swatch of single crochet that you fold in half and add a tube of double crochet for the cuff and a tube of single crochet for the thumb. It only requires simple single crochet and double crochet. I have created a cheat sheet for you to write your measurements on so that you (hopefully) have two matching mitts. Print out this customizable pattern here!

Thank you, thank you, your response is overwhelming. (CozyColeman bows.)

Free Patterm: Alternate Head Hat

The other night I went to a lovely pot-luck dinner with several sweet, charming and demure homeschooling mothers. We were knitting and chatting and eating wonderful food and having a lovely time when one of them chimes up with...

"Have you seen Prime, with Meryl Streep?" (Well, she couldn't remember the names, but Google remedied that for this blog.)

...So, she starts going on about this one scene where the girl is describing her boyfriend's little doo da and saying how amazing it is and that it's "...so beautiful (she) could just knit it a little hat!" and as this mother was watching the movie, knitting and laughing hysterically, her husband wanted to know what was so funny.

... Apparently, he now wants a hat! But she needs a pattern. Hey! I make patterns... an itty bitty hat pattern....

How many stitches should you cast on for your husband? you ask. Well, I cast on 160 in lace weight. I'm sure your husband will have a suggestion or two on how you should measure, but beware, men notoriously over-estimate size (and under-estimate time)!


Or perhaps something with a bit of a stretch, so one size fits most! Self-Striping Sock yarn with a tassel, of course! Something nice and soft so you want to stroke it!

One mom is selling her hats locally and has sold several at her husband's work, so I'm sure the orders will be rolling in for "smaller" hats. At $20 and an hour to knit up, she'll make a killing! Of course some of those men will be thinking that a normal size hat will fit their other head!

Perhaps one with a smiley face... stripes are a must.... ooh, a little aran cable hat...

Mohair with ear flaps, for the masochist who likes a good scratchy wool... a whole calendar of hats. I've had several volunteers to model them, but none that I'm willing to take pictures of! (Shown here with a volunteer vegetable.)
Visit my shop for the pattern or request one custom made.

Free Pattern: Fingerless Mitts, Knit

K.I.S.S (Keep it simple, silly!)
Fingerless Mitts
... a free pattern for you.

The goal was a super easy pattern for fingerless mitts. Just 2 needles, no ribbing, no fancy footwork! These mitts are so easy. They are a big hit. I have already made 7 pairs! They knit up that quickly!

All you need to know is basic knit and purl. If you want stripes you need to know how to do that as well. I looked and found a disturbing shortage of tutorials for a basic stripe. I will have to remedy that soon.

The pattern looks complicated with all the different sizes, so if you want it simplified, you can download the .pdf files in individual sizes.

K.I.S.S (Keep it simple, silly!)
Fingerless Mitts

DIFFICULTY Super Easy
SIZES (shown in size Child’s Small)

• Toddler fits 2T to age 4
• Child’s Small fits age 4 to age 6
• Child’s Medium fits age 6 to age 10
  
• Small fits age 11 to small ladies
  
• Medium fits medium ladies
  
• Large is for large ladies or small men’s.
• For .pdf of ALL SIZES click here.

MATERIALS
Any chunky weight yarn, I used Encore Chunky in and 2 strands of Caron Simply Soft.
1 set of US #10.5/6.5 mm knitting needles
1 tapestry/darning needle

GAUGE
13 sts = 4 inches/10 cms
20 rows = 4 inches/10 cms

PATTERN NOTES
Optional Stripes: Work as many (even) rows as you like of color A, then at the beginning of a knit row, switch to color B, wrap the ends over the working yarn for each of the next few stitches, this weaves the ends in as you go. If you don't know how to do this, come back soon for a tutorial.

PATTERN
Cast on 12[16, 19, 21, 24, 26] sts.
Row 1: Knit 2[2, 3, 3, 3, 4] sts, Purl to last 4[5, 5, 6, 6, 7] sts, knit to end
Row 2: Knit.
Repeat these last two rows for 24[28, 32, 36, 38, 40] rows.
Fasten off.

FINISHING
Fold in half matching cast on edge with cast off edge. Sew top 2[4, 4, 5, 5.5, 6] cms.
Sew bottom 4[5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7]cms. Leave center of seam open for thumb hole.
Weave in ends. You can embroider a lazy daisy if you like.

Princess Mehetabel

I just couldn't wait on this one! I think only those that love her could possibly want this image. I may incorporate it into a larger painting. I just can't decide what.

What's in a name...

Almost all of my patterns are designed for people I love. I have decided to name them accordingly. I like the way it feels. It's simple. I've changed the name of the fingerless mitts on Etsy accordingly they are now "Joy". They are for a young fashion-conscious friend of mine who suits her name and I hope the gift brings her as much as she brings me.

I got distracted from "Liv" (which will have a cross), by "Ellie" who wants striped and cabled mitts, but then that led to...

"KISS" (Keep it Simple Stupid) mitts. The goal is to make a simple striped pattern that even a cavewoman could do (or at least a brand new knitter). Mimi taught me to knit when I was 7 years old (I've been knitting for 30 years now!! When did I get so old?), so I just don't remember... I think casting on was hard... and knit stitches... oh purl was tricky too... stripes forget it! a feat I couldn't possibly attempt...

I just tied the yarn together to make the stripes, I was hoping to incorporate the knots as part of the design, but so far I just don't like the way they look. Too Sloppy.

Midnight Musing...

I was up to 3 am last night (well, this morning really as my literalist son would point out.) I just couldn't sleep last night, too many ideas running through my head. Designs and paintings I only wish I could execute as they appear in my mind's eye.

...Like that skinny Candy Apple Chic with pink pigtails and red striped stockings at the Woodstock Fair...

...and that last evening, just as the fair was closing with a hint of dusk and the hot air Balloons Over the Fairgrounds...

...or Rapunzel's tower that was left standing when the old mill building was being torn down...

So many projects floating around in my head...

...the picture of Princess Mehetabel. I simply must paint it..

I just couldn't wait on that one!

...Oh and Liv's Cross Mittens (she wants her fingers covered!) payment for modeling and because I'm just so fond of her. I think acrylic, washable and the wool was too itchy. Comfort over fashion for her, smart chicky. ...

Ellie wants some too, with Pink and Purple and Teal stripes. I think a worsted weight for her and candy stripes. Vertical, not horizontal. A nice soft wool, the other was too itchy.

Then there's Tiny's Sweater I never did finish. I need to remake it, forgot the leash hole and I vaguely remember Tangy wanted it in Red! If I keep it simple I can get it don fast.

Oh yes, this morning the Press-Pot cozy was a priority.

Then there's the hat that goes with "Joy" the Little Star Mitts it needs a visor and it would be so darn cute. I want it stiff and washable, so cardboard is out, maybe a recycled milk carton. I see experiments on the horizon.