Extra Knitting Done

Okay, the last hat is done. I'm not so happy about it. It's the Republic Hat, and the pattern is incorrect! There was no Knit Even row between the rows of decreases and there really needs to be. So, eventually, I'll have to take it apart and frog down to the last row of even stitching and re-do the decreases. I checked the pattern twice and there are no even rounds. And it knits big in case you ever want to make it.

On the up side, it provided me with the instructions on how to add a flap to something knit in the round. When I was making the Felted Adult Booties, I wondered how one would create a flap to tighten around the ankle. F is very sensitive to cold drafts and wondered if the top of those would be too open. At first I thought it was how these socks are constructed, but it's not as these have the tops knit with the garter stitch going from knee to ankle, while the garter stitch on the Republic goes around with the flap on the side. Small difference in construction, except with the second one there is no binding off and then picking up sts--it's all one piece.


Here's a pic of the finished Sideways Bobble Hat. The flowers are there to cover up the wrong side of the brim turn up. Because I changed colors for every section, there was the dotted line.... So I crocheted flowers to be sewn on and cover up the line. This pattern, too, was off. I had to add an extra panel in order for it to fit my average size head. Hope the recipient doesn't have a big head!


And I finished up a pair of gauntlets that have been taking up space in my room for, like, forever. They'll go into the teacher box of gifts. The school doesn't like us to gift the teachers and so my way of working around that is to provide a gift for all the adults on staff. The first year my grandson was there, we made little tubes of cloth, filled with rice and they were to be used as book weights so one could read and not have to hold the book open. Now I need to find out how many staff members there are and get crackin'!

I'll leave you with this photo taken by indychick_uk at LegoLand Windsor. She has a blog entry about it on Wendy's Woolies.

January 30, 2007

Pirates ashore!

Pirates have landed! Here's the cap I finished for my grandson's birthday in two weeks. I think it looks "piratey" but votes from the household are, "No" and "Piratey enough". Oh well.... I like it and that's all that counts! BTW, if you haven't met her, that is a pic of my eldest grand daughter. She turned six in December and is in Kindegarten at the nearby Waldorf style school I teach knitting classes at on Tuesdays.

Pattern for child size: With WW and size 9 needles CO on 78 sts, join.

K2 P1 ribb for about an inch. K2tog and continue in rounds until it measures about six inches.

Decrease round: *K 5, K2tog* around

K 3 rows even

Decrease round: *K 4, K2tog* around

K 3 rows even

Decrease round: *K 3, K2tog* around

K 3 rows even

Decrease round: *K 2, K2tog* around

K 3 rows even

Decrease round: *K 1, K2tog* around

K3 rows even

Decrease round: K2tog around

K 1 row even. Cut yarn leaving a 6 to 8 inch tail. Weave yarn back through remaining sts, draw tight and weave yarn inside the hat to secure. Add tassel if desired. Hat can be made with stripes or solid color.

Millie Fey is sniffing some gauntlets I'd made last year and put in the Christmas Box. YD wanted them and then promptly lost them. I found them under the car seat yesterday. They are mine now! It's the Old Shale or Feathers and Fan pattern. I just did it flat and seamed them up.

Millie is a nice kitty, but very noisey and demanding. She's also very cautious of anyone but my son and me. She avoids everyone else in the house and only comes down when it's quiet or she has to eat or use the little kittie's room. I think she must have been abused as a kitten as she won't let you get too close to her face, hug her, or in any way move to confine her. She seems to be content, tho, so I guess that's what's important.

And the last cute shot of the day. Chocolate ice cream is so much better if there are no clothes in the way!

Housecleaning extended to the back yard yesterday. We have a lemon and a grapefruit tree. Both have been neglected and overgrown the entire back yard almost. Nice canopy in the summer! However, I need to do some research on when and how to pick the fruit as well as when and how to prune them. My best friend, F, will do it for me, once we find out what we are supposed to do! Anyway, got the leaves and doggy doo all raked up, bagged and carted away. Washed all the throw rugs that'd been tossed outside so they can come back into the house. Brought the area rug back into the living room to cut down on the carpet shedding, too. Productive day, all in all, from pirate hats to clean rugs!

January 23, 2007

More Gauntlets

Didn't get a chance to work on the pinwheel sweater yesterday. My son bugged me about finishing his gauntlets. I got one done and the other about half way. Should be able to finish them today.

Now for our ration of cute for today:

For some reason, GD decided the dog was a good chair. Fortunately her fascination with it didn't last long, and Sugar's patience lasted the same amount of time!

Our snow day yesterday was really a holiday. Didn't get much work around the house done at all. Well, not exactly true... four loads of laundry and one load of dishes.... We watched movies, napped and knitted all day. I had foggy head from my cold, so my drive to do much of anything was gone. Now today we play catch up. And I have class #2 of my infamous knitting class. I'm going to try teaching those still having difficulty with the long tail cast on, the knitted cast on. I realized that if I can teach them that, not only can they cast on but they already know how to knit!

January 23, 2007

More Gauntlets

Didn't get a chance to work on the pinwheel sweater yesterday. My son bugged me about finishing his gauntlets. I got one done and the other about half way. Should be able to finish them today.

Now for our ration of cute for today:

For some reason, GD decided the dog was a good chair. Fortunately her fascination with it didn't last long, and Sugar's patience lasted the same amount of time!

Our snow day yesterday was really a holiday. Didn't get much work around the house done at all. Well, not exactly true... four loads of laundry and one load of dishes.... We watched movies, napped and knitted all day. I had foggy head from my cold, so my drive to do much of anything was gone. Now today we play catch up. And I have class #2 of my infamous knitting class. I'm going to try teaching those still having difficulty with the long tail cast on, the knitted cast on. I realized that if I can teach them that, not only can they cast on but they already know how to knit!

January 20, 2007

The Woman in Black

Last night, my friend F and his husband B, gave me my Christmas present. We went to go see The Woman in Black in a local production with a mutual friend of ours, David Alexander Johnson (r) playing the part of The Actor. It is a two man play, was very well done, and really is scary in parts. Of course we were in the front row and just feet away from the action. I crunched up my water bottle more than once!

I spent the afternoon with F, too, and managed to get quite a bit done and very little frogging on the Pinwheel sweater. Pic is on previous post to this one. Goddess willing and creek don't rise, I should be able to get most of the rest of it done this weekend.

I've put the gauntlets for N on hold until he comes over tomorrow night so I can make sure they are the right size. That leaves my ever continuing other projects: Grey Scarf, Strawberry Pie Shawl, and the Log Cabin scrapghan.

January 18, 2007

[ whine ]Does anyone know how to put pictures here in the text of the blog? Like the smiliesappear here? I've asked at the question place and they tell me how to put in the picture at the top, but no one seems to be able to tell me the html tag needed to put pics in the middle of text! I hate being able to only put in one pic a day. [ /whine ] Now back to your regular reading pleasure.

I went to visit F yesterday for a couple hours. I had to completely frog the Pinwheel Sweater I started and begin again, and again..... I couldn't get it started again. Finally after about six tries I got going again and am just about as far as I was when I discovered the original mistake.

F, on the other hand, sat there at the table, and with some difficulty managed to follow the directions on the pattern and got about 3 rounds done. As far as I'm concerned he's definitely over the hard part. Now it just requires counting accurately and knitting until it's time to do the arm holes.

My youngest son, N, 14, asked me to make him a pair of gauntlets. I was astounded. So we went through the stash and found the colors he wants, black and grey, and I'll CO them on today hopefully.

The pic is my version of the Strawberry Pie Shawl without the strawberries(detailed pic in my photos). It's recycled yarn from a shrug I'd made several years ago that just didn't do the job. It's the same pattern as the Pinwheel Sweater knitted flat. Minus sleeves, etc. That's why I was able to use the start for shawl for the pinwheel.

That will make five projects currently OTN: Strawberry Pie Shawl, Pinwheel Sweater, Grey Scarf, Log Cabin type afghan (inspired by Mason-Dixon Knitting), and the Gauntlets.

January 12, 2007

Here's a pic of the child's gauntlets I made for EGD. There were made with Red Heart Strata self-striping yarn.

I'm teaching a knitting class at my EGD's school next week. Hopefully it will become a knitting group eventually. Several people have asked if we can make the gauntlets. Although I don't plan that as a first project because I don't plan on teaching purling right away, it's definately on the burner for being a future project!

I started a new project last night.... I have so many small balls of left overs from my Christmas knitting, so I decided to make a log cabin blanket/afghan....big thing. We'll see how long my resolve lasts on making a large project. I don't expect it to be done till next winter as I know how boring it'll be, but it's a great project for when I want, what I call, no-brainer knitting. I do them when visiting with friends, watching TV, at the movies, traveling, etc. My Strawberry Shawl without the strawberries falls in that category.

I'm thinking of making knitting needles for the participants of the class. If I have time today to go get wooden dowels, I'll do it. Otherwise, as I'm without a car all weekend, it'll be too late to do it. They won't be as fancy as the ones Dawn made on her site, but..... it's the thought that counts, right?

Thursday January 11, 2007

Originally published on Yahoo 360

Here's my Youngest Granddaughter (1) in the Cupcake Hat I made her right before we went on vacation. I had a bit of trouble with the nubbles, so I just eliminated them! Creative license. Anyway, ain't she a cutie? It's very easy to make and has gotten lots of rave reviews from the parents at Oldest Granddaughter's school.

I also made Oldest Granddaughter (6) a pair of Gauntlets yesterday. She was so impressed with the ones I made her mother, she had to have some. They weren't done in the round, although they could have been.

With #7 needles and Red Heart WW Strata, CO 30

K2 P1 rib for 6 rows

K for 2 rows

St st for 3 inches

K2 P1 Rib for 6 rows ending on WS

Then K2tog P1 across

CO, sew up sides leaving opening for thumb.

Oldest Granddaughter wore them all evening and put them on first thing this morning and wore them while eating breakfast. I'd say they were a hit!

Haven't decided what I'll CO next. Things I could work on, but somehow they are never as much fun as starting something new.