Turning circles into hexagons

If you want to learn to make a Hexagon from a Circle, you must visit Arlette. 
Beware, though, and make sure you have a sandwich and something to drink BEFORE you go look at her blog!
There is no way you can visit there and stay for a short time.

Arlette is incredibly talented.....and that's putting it mildly.

The tatted Daffodil Doily....

....is blocked and on its way to my mom.

As I tatted around, on Round 4, I realized I would end up with an additional ring.  I read the pattern, again....looked at the sketch...and there it was!  On Round 3, one of the chains should have one less picot.  [You can see the extra ring bottom right]
I challenged myself by making split chains and split rings.  It was invigorating!
This is a lovely doily and I'll be making it again. 

Oh, shoot!  I forgot to measure how wide it blocked out to be!  Another excuse to call my mom.  ;^)

A bag and a purse

I made this bag for a niece who got a job, BEFORE she graduated from College, as a Teacher.  I also added a pocket to the inside.

She has 4 younger sisters so I made them all purses to fit their personalities.  It was a blast!  I only wish I had taken a picture of the other purses!!!

The color is more true in the purse made out of the same cotton fabric.

See!!  I can sew, too!  ;^)

A BSJ for Leo Frank Daniels

From this....



....to This!

 

A BSJ is a Baby Surprise Jacket.  It's a surprise because it looks like the "From this...." picture before you do your magic and make it look like the "....to This" picture.  Pretty cool, Meg Swansen and Elizabeth Zimmermann!

I made this with Dalegarn Baby ULL [100% Merino Wool] in 4 bright colors and a neutral.  The pattern can be found at SchoolHousePress as a paper pattern or on DVD.

I also knit a pair of socks from 'Vogue Knitting Socks Two, on the go'.

If you've knit a BSJ, please put your link in the comment section!

A Moebius for my mom

This Moebius should definitely keep my mom's head and neck warm!  She's in Colorado where it's pretty chilly right now!
It's super lightweight because I used Unspun Icelandic Wool.  That wool is so wonderful to knit with.
The pattern is something I made up and it's in garter.  I knit every row.
If you have 'Knitting Around' by Elizabeth Zimmermann [note the 2 n's in her last name], then you, too, can learn how to knit your own Moebius.
After knitting this for mom, I knew I needed one for myself!

You DO NOT want to miss out on this!!!!

If you love to crochet and you love snowflakes....you'll want to have this!  Please take the time to check out the Snowcatcher blog post about how to get her patterns in PDF format.

A past blog post about my sister, Doris, ties in with Snowcatcher, and her husband, in what they are doing.

Feb 2011 DOM

What is a DOM?  It's Doily of the Month and you can find the link to the pattern there.
This 6" doily was made with Aunt Lydia Extra Fine Crochet Thread in US sz 30 and my trusty US sz 11/12 crochet hook.  The hook really does have that size beat into it!  Must be old.
There's nothing like a blocked doily to bring out all the beauty it deserves.  If I had a Like button, I'd like it myself!

Tatting the Daffodil Doily....

....has been quite an experience for this inexperienced shuttle tatter!
The thread I used was Manuela Color by Stahl Wolle.  I believe it is a sz 10 thread.  I first thought the thread was dirty until I looked at it in better lighting.  The color is variegated and SO subtle....
My, oh, my!  I wanted to have a knotless doily.  Well, I got that by learning to make a split chain AND split ring by Linda Davies YouTube video.  She does such a beautiful job showing you how. 
I have the booklet "Learn to Tat" with interactive dvd by Janette Baker.
The pattern, in my copy, had several errors and omissions for this pattern.  I contacted Ms. Baker to let her know and she graciously gave me a link to a pdf file with the correction on her website.  It's here.
I finished this piece today [picture was taken a few days ago] and I decided to leave it as is with the extra ring.  *sigh*
All in all -- I learned a great deal and am feeling more confident to work on other pieces and learn even more techniques.
Once I get this blocked, I'll post a finished photo.

My Tatting Press!!

Isn't it cute?!  I love it!
If you tat, you will want one of these.  Now I can take my tatting with me and not worry about it getting all tangled or snagged by my shuttle(s) with their little hooks!
This wonderful pattern is graciously given by Ann.  Scroll down a bit and find the pattern listed on the Left of her blog.
Thank you, Ann, for my gift!

I-Cord Gloves



I-Cord Gloves by Meg Swansen

I finally made myself some gloves.....not just any gloves.  These quick [and very fun gloves] are an unvention of Meg Swansen's and can be found in her book "Handknitting with Meg Swansen".
I had this wonderful, warm stuff called Furlana.  Oh boy!  It's 80% Merino Wool and 20% Possum fur by Sherwood Exports Ltd., New Zealand.
Believe it or not, my LYS had it in stock. 
I went back to purchase all she had but it was already all gone.  :(
I was SOOOO wrong when I thought 5 sts/1" wouldn't keep my hands warm!

The unfinished sweater, in the background, is a Top-Down Yoke Sweater I'm knitting with Andean Silk [by KnitPicks] in the color Cornflower.  More on that in another post.

Just for fun Doily & Coaster

This little doily crocheted up quite quickly.  You can find the pattern here. 
I used sz 10 crochet thread and a US sz 7 hook.  Mine measured out at 5 1/2" wide. 
I love it!

A Lace Shawl......

.....knit to perfection!
It all started out as a shawl to take with me on my plane ride.  You know how you will "hurry up and wait" at an airport...well, I remembered reading EZ saying about knitting a shawl while traveling "it is a perfect travel-knitting".  And it is.
I cast on, at home, to get a good start and to where I would be able to knit round and round on a 29" circular needle.
Only thing was the tips of the diamonds were staring at me with unhappiness.  Why?  Because they were not "centered".  Ugh!  When I got home, I ripped [also known as frogged] back and started over. 
As I got to the points....I stopped.  I took a rest and watched my newly acquired DVD called "Knitting Lace with Meg Swansen".  Ah, ha!  There it was!  Just what I needed!  A centered eyelet by Amy Detjen and demonstrated by Meg!
My fingers moved stealthily along, making all the points "perfect"! 
I am knitting and doing the Happy Dance [in my mind].  I look forward to finishing up, blocking and wearing my lovely shawl.
NOTE:  The yarn I am using is Burgandy 4-ply 70% Wool/30% Silk from Little Wool Company and made in New Zealand.  It came in 1000 yards at 200 grams.  I'm knitting with a US sz 10 circular needle.

Leaving for a week!

I hope you don't mind if I leave for a week....:)

I'm going to spend some, very much, needed time with my son and extended family in sunny Arizona...

What am I going to knit on the way there, you ask?  Why, Elizabeth Zimmermann's 72" circular shawl in New Zealand lace-weight Wool/Silk.

I look forward to posting finished items when I get back.  Until then...

A knitted Tam for me and something else

Ever since I got to know Elizabeth Zimmermann and Meg Swansen, I have been wanting to knit a Tam.
It's easy when you use EZ's math.
This one is knit with Un-Spun Icelandic  that you can purchase at School House Press.  It was super fast to knit and I did it the EZ way....no pattern!

The sweatband pattern [which is FREE!] can be found at the yahoo group called Holiday Mystery Gift Along.  It's not too late to join in the fun! 

Good knitting to all!

Knitted House Slippers

The greenish & brown pair are for my son. The purple & black pair are for Laundon.

Both are in college and both needed house slippers to keep warm. :)

Armed with Megan Mills' pattern called Garter Stitch Slippers, I used Cascade 220 Superwash and US sz 7 needles and knit them up super quick!

The only thing I added was the crocheted chain so they could tighten up around the ankle to keep the footies on.

I usually make a pair for my son every year.....and some of his friends, too. ;)

Wishbone Sweater for my son

This is the nicest sweater to knit up when you are in a hurry to send something warm to your grown child.

I used Sheepsdown wool [from School House Press], knitting needles for MY gauge and my knitting bible - Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac.

The finished sweater weighs only 2.53 pounds. Details on how to knit this wonderful sweater is in the Knitter's Almanac.

Do you see my personal message in the hem at the back? Once again, I used wool...

I wish everyone could have a sweater like this to wrap themselves up in because it's like a big hug!

Thank you to the readers of my blog....

It's the little things that make me smile......my readers....and when I see a comment, that REALLY makes me smile. Someone, out there, thinks enough about me to do that.
Bless each and every one of you. You just don't know when your comment will make a difference in someones life.

Pondering.....

Remember hearing this.......You treat people like you want to be treated.
What do you do when you've done that, to people that matter to you, and they still treat you like you don't matter?

It saddens me to no end. My heart aches and the corners of my mouth are catching up to the edge of my jaw. I find myself alone and pulling away from friends and family because I can't put my happy face on and pretend.......I just can't.

The very hard part is treating them like they treat me. I have to fight the urge to be nice to them. It breaks my heart, each time, because that is not who I am.

The finishing touch to my Spiral Yoke Sweater

Here is my personal message in the hem of my sweater. I knit with 2 different colors of Icelandic wool in pencil like roving.

Now I will always know what the name of the sweater is..........and when I knit it!

Spiral Yoke Sweater finished!

The hem is sewn down and it's ready to soak and block! This photo shows the pre-blocked state. Notice the back of the neck is taller and the back of the hem is longer. Thanks to Meg and EZ, I won't have the front of the neck strangling me or the back of the sweater riding up!

Dalaukala left a comment on my previous post with a very interesting question. The question? Why am I knitting the sweater so fast......I have started so many projects, got bored, put them to the side and then tried to remember how to finish them much, much later.

I had always wondered how long it would take me to actually work on just one project and finish it. I knit an Orenburg shawl many moons ago, by Galina, and kept track of how many hours/minutes it took me to knit it.....a little over 87 hours!

So here I am knitting a sweater, for me, for THIS winter......and I was very curious how soon I could get it done. I am a quick knitter to begin with.....and soooo.....now I know that I can knit a 42" sweater in 7 days!

Marathon knitting-Day 7 [Today!]

Every Tuesday, through October, is Farmer's Market Day so I put off my sweater knitting to buy some fresh vegetables and fruit. Then I went to the fabric store [Billie's Designs] and bought more fabric and notions.



Here is where I'm at right now as I post this! I have one side of the underarm stitches on dpn's to Kitchener the stitches while the other side still waits on pieces of wool.
The neck is ready for me to do the EZ's sewn cast-off [the best cast off so you can still get that neck, of the sweater, over your head!].
I forgot to mention that this sweater is for me AND it's 42" around....exactly what I swatched!
I'll close so I can do those things and knit my hem to stop it from rolling. :)

Marathon knitting-Day 5

...AND my gauge is still on track!

The spiral yoke is going up, up and around very smoothly!

I'd like to point out the phoney seam on the right sleeve. That seam is also on the other sleeve and on both sides of my sweater. This will help me in blocking so I won't have to figure out the exact side stitches.

Do you notice the gold colored yarn? My underarm stitches are on them and waiting patiently to be grafted, hence making this sweater "seamless". Thank you Meg Swansen and Elizabeth Zimmermann!

The rolled edge will be taking care of when I knit a hem....more of that when I am finished with the yoke.

Marathon knitting!

I started this sweater on the afternoon of September 15th [yes...this year..:)...].

I hope to finish it within a week of marathon knitting!

I'm using my gauge needle for Briggs & Little 2-ply in natural. The spiral yoke design is on a DVD from Meg Swansen at School House Press as well as the wool. I've watched the DVD so many times.....not only to see what to do but to enjoy listening to Meg.

I got to thinking, hmm, what if the body/arms end up being too short or too long. No problem! My solution would be to snip above the increases and short rows and ravel or knit more.

With that all said, I am headed back to my chair to knit feverishly on the second sleeve so I can do the fun yoke pattern! Ta, ta!!!

Christmas starts in 3 days!!!!!!

The 4th annual Holiday Mystery Gifts Knit Crochet Along event will begin on Saturday September 18th 2010!

I am among over 3200 people, around the world, who look forward to this early Christmas. There would be more if they only knew the treasures and fun to be had there!

Sunnyside Doily

in black. I used sz 10 Royale Classic Crochet Thread and a US sz 6 steel hook.

Blocking this guy was not fun as the heavy looking loops wanted to overlap each other. I put this off as long as I could stand it.....but finally finished it and even took a photo!

This pattern is in Magic Crochet Number 100, Feb. 1996. They used white sz 40 thread and it finished 10 1/2". Mine finished up at a whopping 14 1/2"!

I love doilies in black. They look so elegant.

From yarn to socks...

Armed with US sz 1 dpn's, Lana Grossa Fantasy yarn [Farbe 4760; Partie 24588] and my son's traced foot - I came up with these!

My gauge was 7 sts/inch and I'm super fussy when it comes to the pattern continuing down the front of the foot. What do I do to make sure that happens, you ask? ;o)

When I knit the heel flap I use the other end of the skein leaving the yarn hanging there waiting to be used again. Once the gusset stitches are picked up and ready to be knit round and round, I abandon [break off] that end of the skein and pick up the lonely yarn that has been waiting patiently to be put to use again.

The pattern is simple, K2, P2 rib with 64 sts; half of them for the heel flap; K2, P2 down the front of the foot and finish off with a stocking st toe until there are 20 stitches to do the Kitch with.

They took me around 3 days to knit. I sent them off to his college, he got them......and.....and........they fit! Woo, hoo! [NOTE TO SELF: Make the leg 7 inches next time] :)

14" Round Doily

This doily was crocheted with Royale Classic Crochet Thread sz 10, in Burgundy, and a US sz 6 hook. The pattern suggests using a sz 7 but for some reason, I am a tight crocheter. I may be a loose knitter but not so when I crochet. Hmmm? It still only measures 13 3/8" across...

The pattern can be found at ThreadAddicts under Files/CrochetAlongs-Monthly/2010 CAL/04-April. There is a rich assortment of doilies to make and with lots of friendship....and help, too, when needed.

I really enjoyed making this. :)

Special Tatting Shuttles

Oh, oh, oh!! I say that 3 times because I have 3 gorgeous shuttles!

I received them in June but was so busy driving around town showing them off! I opened the package at the post office and showed them to the ladies there, then off to the public library for those ladies to see them and lastly to the local yarn shop where the owner drooled over them. Too bad she is a needle tatter! She is missing out!

I love, love, love them and started tatting with them right off! They tat lovely work! :) better than the regular, flat looking ones!

Where can you get yours, you ask? You can have a beautiful shuttle, or two, at Lacossette. The owner and I were emailing back and forth when she noticed two shuttles sold. I had to hurry and buy mine or I would have lost them TOO!

You will also be able to see better photos of them than what I took of mine.
Thank you, Joëlle, for my shuttles!

A crocheted wedding gift

This little beauty is out of the American School of Needlework 'Pineapple Parade' by Yalanda Wiese. It came out to 22" across. Well, I guess it's not THAT little. :)

My friend, Nancy V. in Oregon, is getting this (1 of 2) as a 'late' wedding gift.

The BIGGEST sin of all......

This has GOT to be the biggest sin of all.....and it can't just affect me!
I can't be the only one that has fallen to it's beckoning call. If it's already in your house, it whispers for you to come visit. Ugh!!!!

One try and I was hooked. It's bad.....it's really bad!


It's the worst drug of all...........