One to Go

I have one glove done one to go. Good thing I took notes as I made it or it might be hard to duplicate.

Red Black and Blue

Most people that know me know my favorite colors are black, red, and white in that order. So when I finished my husbands hat I had scraps in my favorite colors my brain started to tick what could I make me that wouldn't take much yarn.

I know fingerless wool mitts. OH YEAH!!! Happy dance on my part I knew what I wanted to make I just had to figure out the gusset in crease on the thumb and I was good to go. Did that decided I wanted to leave the white out I will probably make another glove with it but maybe a little different in style. Those that may not know I was a punker, mod, ska, alternative person in high school, junior collage and at the university. Life changed and I had kids and work and my clothes in general had to change to accommodate this part of my life a little. But there are still large amounts of that wardrobe in my wardrobe and they show up in bits in pieces here and there. This would have been a set of gloves I would have loved when I was younger still love them now as a matter of fact I hope they come out like the picture in my head so far so good. I don't have a written pattern for this making it strait out of my head. I will probably make some tall gauntlets as well. These gloves are being made out of cashmere.

If you look close at the top photo you will notice I have a wide array of cabled needles from bamboo to aluminum to the oldest steel with a steel cable. I collect needles from thrift stores a lot so you never know what you will find.

On a side note my daughter ( who is just barely 12 years old) has finished one glove out of her fingerless glove set not bad for her second project the first was a wash cloth. I never posted it, it was just seed stitch an st stitch. She modified the pattern a little bit to add ribbing by the fingers. Her gloves are being made out of dark blue wool.

My Free patterns

I have made most of my Ravelry patterns free. The cape will go back to being for sale the other items will not. They will stay free for those who want to use them.

Tan and Brown

Making another knit hat this time using the deathflake pattern. I am thinking I may have knit it a tiny bit tight will find out when done, it is about 60% there. There will be a ribbing around the bottom to stop the flipping up action that my daughter is holding down for the photo.

My goal in knitting is to make lace thigh high stockings and to be able to reproduce some vintage Nordic sweaters of my Vavo's a, vintage sock made by some nuns for me and my cousins when we where children. I am getting close to being able to do most of those things. Those who are knitters out there how is my progress, if you have been following this I have ( haven't tried lace yet or yo holes for lace) in general, figured out most things pretty well, double point needles and cable and normal needles have all been used not scared of any of them tried different techniques the only one that has given me some real issues is color blocking it makes my fabric pull funny will figure that out later. Sure I tore things out and put them back in several times, but that was a learning curve thing.

I think I am doing pretty good for only 21 days of teaching myself to knit.

items made or making

1. baby jacket
   
2. hat for husband
   
3. hat for a baby
   
4. knit caplet
   
5. socks 1/2 done
   
6. hat for me1/2
   
7. shawl/headscarf ( will probably frog as I like these lacier)
   

yarns used

1. acrylic scrap: hard to work with doesn't slide well but even stitches
   
2. 100% wool: will shrink when washed if not careful easy to work with slides like butter but have to work harder on even stitches
   
3. cotton: soft easy to work with and slides well
   
4. novelty yarn: gives nice texture easy to wash or dry clean
   
5. sock yarn wool: wool but won't shrink and easy to work with as it had a little stretchiness to it to make it fit the feet better
   
6. wool: this wool is meant for felting so will have to be super careful not to toss in washer also this one split easy
   
7. vintage wool: very tiny using size 1 needles and a little scratchy but not much I would be fine wearing it
   

new techniques : there are more things than this I learned but this is the bases of what I learned

1. knit, purl, cast on/off, st stitch, increasing, decreasing
2. intarsia, color blocking, ribbing, Kirchner (sp) stitch double pointed needles with cable needle
   
3. short rows, drafting pattern from finished object
4. design my own simple pattern
5. double pointed needles, turning heel, finishing toe
6. seed stitch, working with two cable needles
   
7. drafting own pattern complex
   

Yoyo tutorial received award

Whip up honored my yoyo tutorial with a best crochet of 2009 award. I am honored and humbled thank you Whip-up.

Crochet Doll

This is the doll I made for my middle daughter she wanted it for Christmas. I wasn't able to get it made before the special day. So under the tree was a box full of supplies to make the doll and thread and other such items to make clothes for the doll. As you can see the doll only has shoes the reason for this is it is my daughter's job to make the clothes and it was mine to make the doll. My daughter's favorite color is blue so this little dollie has blue hair and blue eyes and blue lashes. Of course the first thing she made for her doll was something blue. I think I would have started with the under clothing but she wanted to make shoes. She wants to use some of the patterns later for the mini free spirit doll but for now she is making her own. If you want to make your own doll go to Beth Webber's sight byhookbyhand for her free spirit doll and clothes patterns and many others too. They are on her side bar to make it easy to find them. This doll is still nameless at this point in time.

Merry Christmas

Chenille Scarf

I started a hex blanket in chenille in 2007. Never got around to finishing it as the more I worked with it the more I figured it would not hold up well as a blanket. So I removed a few hexes from it and gave the frogged ones to my kids to play with the yarn. What was left was this scarf. So I thought I would post a picture of it.

My Christmas gift to you (free pattern)

I am making this pattern available as a free down load as your holiday gift for reading my blog thank you. This is a limited time offer I will change it back for a purchase item at the end of January.

download cape pattern now
If you down load please let me know what you think thanks and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

On children this is a cape on small to medium adults it is a caplet.

sorry I have no one in a size large to try it on to see how it would work on them but should work just fine if you change the pattern to have 2 chains between v stitches in rows 13 - 31 hook is actually a steel size 2 which is 2.2 mm
an aluminum size B was the closest
8 buttons I used mother of pearl

I used worsted weight cotton yarn use what ever you like.

I am a day late posting this

My husband wouldn't sit for a photo. He was up most of last night working on his computer so finally this morning I was able to get a photo. With his 2 day 5 o'clock shadow and all. But as you can see it fits finally so many jokes about casting on and off at our house at the moment as long as I don't cast off the husband we decided we are good.

To Tight... stretchy bind off

This last time the edge was to tight but the right length, so I had to find a good stretchy bind off. Found this one looks like it should work.

That's one big hat

The hat is done for the second time I didn't show it the first time which was this morning. My husband tried it on and said it was too short. So I had to tear out my cast off and place it back on my needles and make the ribbing longer. This time I have cast off but I didn't cut the thread in case it has to go back on the needles for more length again. Like I said the mannequin head is 22 inches I am 23 and he is 24. As you can see it eats her up whole. Which means it should be a perfect fit for him. I will post a picture of the real McCoy with it on when he comes home. I won't say the hat is perfect but it is warm and should fit and made with love.

Update well guess what I have to put them back on the needles as he wants the last round a little looser and so I have to finish the edge again.

Ribbing

Almost done with the hat. In the process of making this I have come up with lots of hat ideas they may just stay ideas who knows. I don't think my husband wants about 7 hats.

Jolly Roger

This is a hat I am making for my husband it has the jolly roger on it from the pattern We call them pirates. The pattern calls for three rows of skulls but my husband only wants 1 row. I wanted the red added to it for some contrast. Because of the change my husband made it means switching from fair isle knitting to intarsia which I am struggling with I may tear that part out and do it again. I also learned a lot about floats on the back of fair isle knitting they should be a little fat or bowed (humped in other words) so they can give stretch to the hat. I may not have made mine big enough. The mannequin head is 22 inches mine is 23 inches and my husband is 24. So we will see where this hat ends up in the end hubby, me, or who knows where. This is a wool hat the kids have already been warned we better never see it go through the wash.

LAST DAY OF SALE

This is the last day of the sale in my etsy store. Tonight at midnight I take the sale prices off of the items and they go back to their normal prices.

More Sock updates

I am at the toe part have torn it out a dozen times. See my Vavo has a bigger foot than me and she lives in another state so I have to try and work this out without trying it on her. My foot is a size 9 ladies. So this looks real long to me but it isn't it is the right size. There are 18 more rows for the toe shapping then this one is done and one to number two that is the trick to make them match that will be the hard part on the second one.

Apron 10: christmas full apron

This is another one of those thrift aprons. My kids had me buy this one. I wasn't going to get it as it didn't really like it. It was made from a fabric panel and it is real thin fabric so I didn't think it was much use as an apron. The kids wined and I gave in for $0.50. Not a big deal in all. Now that I have it I am glad they had me buy it as I don't have any made from panels in my collection but this one. Of course it is hand made being made from a fabric panel and all. It has a large rounded front pocket. This apron was used right before this post to make caramels so it is a little dirty in this photo sorry.

Christmas cookie train

This holiday the children resided they wanted the gingerbread train kit instead of the house kit. They had fun making it parts of it got eaten before I got around to taking a photo of it. So this it in all of its munched on glory.

My blog is back to posting where people can see it. If you could see me I am doing a little happy dance here by the computer. Thank you hun I love my husband he fixes all kinds of things.

Apron 9 : hand made

This apron is one I made right before I stopped being a florist the last time. I had an apron at work and I liked the pattern so I brought it home and copied the pattern before I wouldn't have the apron any more. You can see a few photos of the original apron in this post from my last week at work plus my old friends too. I like the original one better the colors and image are nicer. But this was never meant to be that apron just a quick knock out of the apron pattern for alter use. This version is made using vintage fabric and antique seam binding. I noticed that one of the bindings has come undone and needs to be fixed before it has major issues you can see it in the photo. It ties in the back and has a long neck strap that is just seam binding too and one large pocket. That is how the original was too.

Apron 8 : Floral work

Sorry the server is having an issue we are trying to fix it so you won't see this post till after we have fixed the issue with our provider. For those reading this on face book this is my blogs feed as are all the the notes posted in my facebook pages.

This is my old floral work apron. This apron saw lots of work as you can tell from the stains and some really late night hours. May not seem that special to most people to me it represents friends I use to see every day and now I don't see much at all. I wish them well.

Sock update

I have decided this first set of socks if for my Vavo. She is 95 years old and has a very old house with drafty windows and her feet get cold. I asked her if she wanted these when done her responce made me smile. " It isn't a matter of do I want them I need them". So because she needs them they are happily hers when I finish them. I hope she likes them. I am about half way done with the first sock these are going to be anklets as she has really never liked socks as they hit funny on her legs so these won't hit her legs and should be good that way. I think the hard part on this sock is done took me a while to figure out the heel as the pattern had a few details missing that it assumed you knew and now I do a the hard way terring out and reknitting several times for 3 hours solid till I figured it out. The next one should be a ton easier.

The start of socks

I have wanted to make knitted socks for years. Actually I want to make over the knee socks and lace knitted tights. I figure those will have to wait till I know the basics of sock. As I assume there is tons of shaping that has to be learned with making tights and socks that go over the knee. So for starters here I am 5 needles cast on and most of the ribbing done on one sock. You know the problem when I teach myself something new is that I go full out on it for awhile so I can get the hang of it so expect to see a lot of knitting for a little while. But I do all things in phases I like something for a while then I get board of it and go to something a else and so on till I make a full circle. This morning I taught my self how to cast on to 4 double pointed needles and then I taught myself how to use that mass of needles to actually knit. I called this mass of needles the scarey looking torture device this morning. Seriously that thing can cause some serious damage if it wanted too. The next project after these is a hat for my husband that has Jolly Rogers all over it.

Beaded Purse help wanted

This was given to me a few years ago in a swap. I now that I am teaching myself how to knit does anyone know where I can find a pattern similar to this. Looks pretty simple just knit stitch with beads strung on before hand. I want to make a little one so I can figure it out then make a larger one to actually use as a small evening bag just large enough to hold chap-stick, money, id. and keys. Mine of course would be lined.

UPDATE

In case someone else wants to try this I have posted a few of the links I have found below

1. a few little bags
2. another one
3. vintage pattern

Apron 7 : From Central America

This as a thrift store find too for $1.00. I have never been to El Salvador Central America. I like the image printed on this and that it goes all the way around the body. This apron is mainly used by my children as a craft apron so they don't get their clothes dirty. The only thing I wish was that this apron was embroidered instead of a silk screen print. Has ties on both sides so that is can be easily dropped over the head. This is more of a smock style. I like the detail of the seam binding to hold it together and to give it an extra added detail. This is not home made which is easy to tell as it looks to be made for the tourist trade.

Apron 6 : Half Apron for gathering

This is another thrift store find ($.50). I call it a gathering apron, because it has big pockets to place items in. If you run out of room in those pockets the bottom flips up and buttons to give you yet another larger pocket. It is to bad that the original maker didn't line this or make it double sided because when the pocket is buttoned up you see the backside or the fabric and another fabric would have been a cute detail instead.

Good for gathering fruit as long as the buttons are sewn on well with strong thread to hold the weight. This is definitely a hand made apron nothing about it reads store bought. To begin with it has rick rack as detailing and large green buttons. The tie can be worn in the front if you have a waist that is 26 inches if not they tie in the back.

It has the look of a vintage apron but it uses reproduction fabric and is not true old fabric.

Knitted Caplet

New in the shop today. I hand knit this used four different sizes of knitting needles and one crochet hook. The fake fur edging is crocheted around the edge of the cape the rest is knit. There is a black glass button with an anchor detail as a closure on the collar of the cape.