Thursday, December 30, 2010

can you believe it is almost a new year? i shudder to think of all of the projects i started this year that i have yet to complete, all of the promises i have yet to keep, all of the things i wanted to do and all of the sudden it’s time to make new commitments for next year-

a few of my completed project for 2011 that I have not shared...

my "i hate socks" socks. my most frogged item is by far is the sock. the day i started to give them another try i attempted 3 patterns and frogged them all. i like this one~ cant you tell by the name i gave them? at least it was easy to see where you are in the pattern and very easy to keep up with. my goal was to give socks for christmas this year.

i started them in july.

i did not give socks for christmas this year.

true pattern name: blueberry waffle socks by sandy turner
needles: us 5 
yarn: 2 skeins reynolds soft sea wool purchased from black sheep wool company
pattern notes:
1) 12 rows of rib
2) 8 pattern repeats before beginning heel
3) (oops) instead of decreasing every other round after picking up heel side stitches i decreased every round~ too far along to go back, will just have to make the second the same and hope they don't look like rejects.….
4) ended with 20 total pattern repeats before shaping for toe

what i actually gave for christmas this year was my 2010 cable and lace ornaments. knitting in the round, very much like a sock (small pat on the back) but without the dreaded gusset, heal flaps and other crazy unnatural knitting techniques and terms that sock knitters use. the pattern 'cables and lace christmas balls' came from patty mccallister.


i used louisa harding’s glisten in these beautiful jewel tones and plain 3.5in glass christmas ornaments.

i c/o 42 stitched and worked 4 cables with an additional 4 rows worked before the two decrease rows. they fit perfect, no need to measure anyone's feet.

i could not find a christmas red in glisten so found a substitute in berlinis new bejewel (looks exactly the same only a heavier weight). the red is beautiful and the ornaments cable details show up better with this yarn but on the first ornament into the skein i have found 3 knots and about 8 inches of frayed unusable yarn mid way through. because the gauge is different i kept the needle size the same and knit 4 cables and then jumped right into the decrease rows.



note if your interested in the yardage for purchase~ one skein bejewel makes 2 ornaments.
one skein glisten makes 2.5 ornaments

the newest project on my needles is to make a cosy for the beautiful tea pot leigh gave me for christmas. i have never knit a tea cosy but this little guy is small enough that i am pretty sure it wont be too painful to design one through trial and error. i am using shibui knits sock yarn (in seaweed) and us size 2 needles. when i get it worked out i will post the pattern. 

happy new year everyone!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

miss scarlett's new party frock


the pattern is "party dress by judith swartz published in dogs in knits.


the goods: 2 skeins louisa harding kimono angora pure.
us needle 4 & 6

here goes the story... well i thought i was off to a good start. little miss scarlett is nothing more than a peanut and i thought i would need to modify the smallest size (even though she has a healthy appetite and keeps a nice belly).

so i started off only casting on 183 stitches. when i was done with the dinner bell ruffle i went ahead and put it on her and it “looked” way huge. so i decreased the first round of garter stitch at every ruffle by one leaving me with 57 stitches (not working in the round).


when i got to the front leg opening i realized it was going to be too tight and decided to add the chest stitches and begin knitting in the round.. what a mess.

ended up knitting the ruffle around the bottom and increasing the front leg pick up stitches to 32 around the leg opening.

she loves it.

(showing off her belly)
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Saturday, December 04, 2010

my ravelry stitch marker swap japanese furoshiki/hello kitty



 the rules:
1. make 5 stitch markers reflecting any theme you choose.
2. one handmade furoshiki. size may vary.
3. a heart as part of the project

i chose a beautiful traditional silk fabric for my furoshiki and made it a 22" square with a finished edging. for my stitch markers i used 5 porcelain hello kitty beads each with 2 sterling silver beads on each side and a silver closed jump ring and long sterling head pins.


a picture of all my findings. and the finished furoshiki.


i hope my swap partner enjoys them!


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