So here is what I did for the car hat.
With Wool-Ease thick and quick and US 11 needles
with red yarn Cast on 38 sts
rows 1-3 K1 P1*
rows 4-9 K*
rows 10- 18 string car buttons on black yarn and switch to black yarn and knit for 9 rows (dispersing car buttons wherever you think they look cute).
Change to blue yarn and knit for 11 rows.
Kitchener stitch closed.
for the braids cut about 24 inches of yarn in the 3 colors twice and thread through corners of hat. Braid and add a cute car or helmet button about 3 inches from the end then tie a knot .
Done!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Hats in 3 hours or less, and more cookie pics!
OK, so here is a pic of the hats my cousins got.
The car one I got the idea from here. What is really neat about it is that the pattern is called Charlie's Car Cap, which is what that cousin's grandfather's name was (my Uncle Chuck), and he loved cars! So it was perfect.
The cousin that got the pink hat was excited that it was all her favorite colors (pink, blue, and purple). The blue one went to a cousin that couldn't come, so I don't know what she thought yet. So, I am glad that I did make them all hats, as the two at least I know were a hit!
Here is the hat I knit for one of my aunts, but I ripped it out. I didn't like the shaping, and the hole from one of the increases annoyed me. Well, to be honest I could have probably lived with the hole but the hole and the shaping combined was too much, so I ripped it out.
Here is what I used for a rolling pin because my soon to be MIL didn't have one and I did actually consider buying one, but the only ONE rolling pin they had left at target on christmas eve was $20. I thought about it, and then thought how I have 2 sitting in my storage unit (over an hour away) and thought never mind, I'll improvise. So I used a water bottle filled with ice (kind of like using my glass rolling pin). Oh, those little bits of gingerbread dough is all I had left over.
And here are my cookies iced! MMMMMM!
The guy with the purple buttons doesn't look too happy that he's going to be eaten soon.
The car one I got the idea from here. What is really neat about it is that the pattern is called Charlie's Car Cap, which is what that cousin's grandfather's name was (my Uncle Chuck), and he loved cars! So it was perfect.
The cousin that got the pink hat was excited that it was all her favorite colors (pink, blue, and purple). The blue one went to a cousin that couldn't come, so I don't know what she thought yet. So, I am glad that I did make them all hats, as the two at least I know were a hit!
Here is the hat I knit for one of my aunts, but I ripped it out. I didn't like the shaping, and the hole from one of the increases annoyed me. Well, to be honest I could have probably lived with the hole but the hole and the shaping combined was too much, so I ripped it out.
Here is what I used for a rolling pin because my soon to be MIL didn't have one and I did actually consider buying one, but the only ONE rolling pin they had left at target on christmas eve was $20. I thought about it, and then thought how I have 2 sitting in my storage unit (over an hour away) and thought never mind, I'll improvise. So I used a water bottle filled with ice (kind of like using my glass rolling pin). Oh, those little bits of gingerbread dough is all I had left over.
And here are my cookies iced! MMMMMM!
The guy with the purple buttons doesn't look too happy that he's going to be eaten soon.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Christmas Madness!
OK, OK, I know I told my family no one was getting knitted gifts this year, but then a week ago I found some supper cheap yarn, and some of it was this multi pink that was perfect for one of my little cousins (and it was only a dollar a ball!) and I was thinking it's been years since I gave them hats. Hats are really quick! And so the insanity began again.
I kept telling myself, I'll just see how fast I knit the first hat. If I don't get done it's no biggie, I'll just donate it, or wait until next year (ya right). I got the one hat done in about a week, and then Then I had my freak out. I felt guilty that my little cousins would for the first time in years not get anything knitted by me. So One hat is done and I do realize that with only two days until christmas there is no way I'm going to get two more hats done because the only cooking I've accomplished is the cookies (I do still have to ice them though).
Oh! speaking of the cookies! I have made.....
lemon
lavender
lavender lemon
sugar
stained glass
and gingerbread!
Yumm!
I do think the stained glass cookies are better for those who have a massive sweet tooth, are kids, or for hanging in the window. I ate one of them and I swear I could feel my teeth getting cavities!
I still have to make the veggies, veggie roast, cranberry sauce, and stuffing.
So the knitting dellema... I went out and bought super bulky yarn and made a fast hat. I am a slow knitter and it only took me about 3 hours (and I was watching TV which makes it take a little longer but at least I'm amused. It should fit my 10 year old cousin, but does stretch to fit me. Here is what I used:
Lion brand wool-ease thick and quick
US size 11 dp's (I'm also a bit of a loose knitter)
guage in k2 p2 10 sts=3 1/2 inches unstretched or a little over 5 stretched
Cast on 40 sts
k2 p2 for 4 rows
on 5th row k the second stitch then the first stitch (creating a simple cable) p2 for entire row
6th & 7th row k2 p2*
then repeat 5th row, and continue repeating 5-7 until you have about 6 inches ending on row 5.
Then k2 p2tog* 30sts
next row k2 p1*
k the second stitch then the first stitch (creating a simple cable) p1*
k2 p1*
then ssk p1* 20sts
k1 p1*
ssk* 10 sts
ssk* 5sts
break yarn thread through last sts and pull knot and weave in ends.
Oh, I don't know if it makes any difference but I am a left handed eastern knitter so if the cables are difficult just do it however you do simple cables.
So what else have I been doing? I've been knitting a stuffed cat, and made a cozy for my shifter on my truck. You may be asking why on earth would I knit a cozy for my shifter??? Well, let me explain. The center button that shows where the gears are is loose and it rattles, which is annoying so I kept taping it with whatever I had on hand (scotch tape, a band-aid, etc.), and it wouldn't last for long, it would wear out, and then I'd have tape goo on my hand whenever I shifted gears which is also annoying. So this time I used packing tape which lasts longer, but also has scratchy edges.
So I knitted a cozy so I don't have to feel the sharp edges, and when it also finally wears out, no sticky goo on my hand. I think I need to rip it out and reknit it smaller (I didn't measure anything and was totally guessing on size), but it will have to wait a little while. Here are some pics....
This is the cat, I know it doesn't look like one yet, but eventually when it is done it will. Oh, I changed the pattern a little because I will be felting it, but I got it from knitty here.
I kept telling myself, I'll just see how fast I knit the first hat. If I don't get done it's no biggie, I'll just donate it, or wait until next year (ya right). I got the one hat done in about a week, and then Then I had my freak out. I felt guilty that my little cousins would for the first time in years not get anything knitted by me. So One hat is done and I do realize that with only two days until christmas there is no way I'm going to get two more hats done because the only cooking I've accomplished is the cookies (I do still have to ice them though).
Oh! speaking of the cookies! I have made.....
lemon
lavender
lavender lemon
sugar
stained glass
and gingerbread!
Yumm!
I do think the stained glass cookies are better for those who have a massive sweet tooth, are kids, or for hanging in the window. I ate one of them and I swear I could feel my teeth getting cavities!
I still have to make the veggies, veggie roast, cranberry sauce, and stuffing.
So the knitting dellema... I went out and bought super bulky yarn and made a fast hat. I am a slow knitter and it only took me about 3 hours (and I was watching TV which makes it take a little longer but at least I'm amused. It should fit my 10 year old cousin, but does stretch to fit me. Here is what I used:
Lion brand wool-ease thick and quick
US size 11 dp's (I'm also a bit of a loose knitter)
guage in k2 p2 10 sts=3 1/2 inches unstretched or a little over 5 stretched
Cast on 40 sts
k2 p2 for 4 rows
on 5th row k the second stitch then the first stitch (creating a simple cable) p2 for entire row
6th & 7th row k2 p2*
then repeat 5th row, and continue repeating 5-7 until you have about 6 inches ending on row 5.
Then k2 p2tog* 30sts
next row k2 p1*
k the second stitch then the first stitch (creating a simple cable) p1*
k2 p1*
then ssk p1* 20sts
k1 p1*
ssk* 10 sts
ssk* 5sts
break yarn thread through last sts and pull knot and weave in ends.
Oh, I don't know if it makes any difference but I am a left handed eastern knitter so if the cables are difficult just do it however you do simple cables.
So what else have I been doing? I've been knitting a stuffed cat, and made a cozy for my shifter on my truck. You may be asking why on earth would I knit a cozy for my shifter??? Well, let me explain. The center button that shows where the gears are is loose and it rattles, which is annoying so I kept taping it with whatever I had on hand (scotch tape, a band-aid, etc.), and it wouldn't last for long, it would wear out, and then I'd have tape goo on my hand whenever I shifted gears which is also annoying. So this time I used packing tape which lasts longer, but also has scratchy edges.
So I knitted a cozy so I don't have to feel the sharp edges, and when it also finally wears out, no sticky goo on my hand. I think I need to rip it out and reknit it smaller (I didn't measure anything and was totally guessing on size), but it will have to wait a little while. Here are some pics....
This is the cat, I know it doesn't look like one yet, but eventually when it is done it will. Oh, I changed the pattern a little because I will be felting it, but I got it from knitty here.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Ice Day
Well, I had the day off today which is good and bad. Bad because our wedding is the day before the last day of school (providing we don't use any snow days). So I've been hoping that we don't use any snow days. It didn't snow, but we had freezing rain so they canceled school today. On the bright side I was exhausted this morning and was glad I could go back to sleep. I was also thinking about all the stuff I could accomplish with this extra day. Unfortunately, I didn't get nearly everything I wanted to done. I did at least get some mending done.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Better
Well, I am feeling better. For awhile there it felt like my sinuses were going to explode. I can now almost breathe normally. I am still taking meds for it though. I only managed to knit a few more rows so the veil doesn't really look too different. Unfortunately now Adam is sick. Poor guy, he went in to work today came home and went straight to bed, which is what I did Monday so I know how he feels. He seems to have been hit with it harder than I was though, as his stomach is bothering him so much that even taking medicine bothers him. He is seeing the doctor on Monday. I hope he feels better soon. It looks like this will be a very early night for us, as he is already out, and I'm a bit tired myself. I'm hoping to get at least one row done tonight, and hopefully will post another picture soon. I am adding a picture of my veil from when I had only knit for 2 days. What a huge difference!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Yaaaaa! I'm so excited!
I finally got my veil to where I can put it on my circular needles! Now I don't have to be in constant fear of it sliding off my dpns! Really, I was terrified of that. I was convinced that if I breathed too hard while knitting it was just going to fly right off. Yes, I know that sounds crazy now. I did get a little upset (read: my heart stopped beating for a second) when I went back to count my stitches and found I was missing one. I haven't explained about my veil yet so it's being knit on size 4us/ 3.5mm needles with a lace/cobweb weight mohair and silk blend. So you can understand the fear of having to rip anything out. As it turned out I had just miscounted on that section, but did find where I had forgotten to psso on another part which is easy to fix. So yaaaaaa! It should be a little less nerve racking to knit now. So here is a picture of it.
Unfortunately my nose is acting up, and I think I'm getting a cold. So I don't know how much more I'm going to feel like knitting. But I did get some cold meds, so hopefully I'll feel better soon, and wont need to take off tomorrow, because I hate missing work. Oh, I'm an art teacher and I'm finally not teaching in the inner city so I am a lot less stressed out this year. I actually miss a lot of the kids that I taught last year, and wish I could have made more of a difference, but the stress was beginning to affect my heath so I had to look somewhere else to teach. Maybe if the administration would listen to the teachers (and studies for that matter) more the kids in the inner cities would get a better education. Instead they insist on stuffing 30 or more kids in a class when what they really need is smaller classes so they can get more of the attention that they need. OK that is the end of my little soap box. Maybe I'll take a nap.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
A little about me
OK, well I'm a procrastinator, and tend not to keep up on stuff I start, I've never updated my Myspace (except for adding a few pictures) since I created it so lets see how this goes. I've been thinking about blogging for awhile now so I hope I will update this at least occasionally, and figured if nothing else I can just put up pictures of my knitting for anyone else who is obsessed with it (knitting in general, not just mine) and is always looking for new interesting patterns. I guess I should tell you a little about me then.
So yes, I knit, and spin, and do yoga (even if I only have time for 10 minutes a day most of the time), love to cook (pretty much no time for that right now), I prefer my hand spindle for it's portability, that and my wheel needs fixed (bad buy on Ebay maybe I'll complain about that later), oh and my spindle was always allowed on the planes, thank god! because otherwise I would have gone nuts. I tend to need more than one thing to do and will switch between knitting, reading, and spinning if it's a long plane ride. I can spin in a small space, and can even do it in the car. Don't worry only as a passenger! I'm also getting married in about 6 months and have decided it's a wonderful idea to knit my own veil, sew my own dress, and make our wedding bands. Yes, I think I am insane and know I don't always have a grip on time reality. I do have a backup for the wedding bands. A friend of mine gave me the name of an artist that made her wedding bands, so I figured if I have a total meltdown (and yes I can totally see that), then I will ask him if he can do it.
So why have I decided to add all this extra stress, because you know, planning a wedding isn't stressful or anything. Because once I get an idea in my head I tend to not be happy with anything else. I know what I want my dress to look like and no one makes it, I know how to sew, so why not make it myself? I also like the idea of knitting my own veil so sure I can do that too, and since I've taken some jewelry classes before and would like to some day get my masters in it why not make the bands that much more personal and create them myself (that and I know what I want them to look like and again have not found the design I want anywhere). Yes, I can see it, I can visualize the meltdown happening and me walking down the aisle as I'm trying to finish knitting my veil while it's on my head and exchanging over worked sloppily made bands. I can totally can see this.
How do I see this coming and continue you may ask? Because it's similar to what I do every christmas. My family laughs about my insanity every year. I typically stay up all night finishing hand made presents and do not get any, or maybe 2-3 hours of sleep on christmas eve. Last year I didn't sleep at all, but managed to make and can pumpkin butter (yes I canned it on christmas eve), for my entire family as presents (pumpkin was requested by one member as I tend to give a jar of some kind of jam to each family group every year), and knitted 3 ear warmers for my little cousins, although the last one was finished after she got to my Dad's house, but before the presents were opened, so I slipped it into her bag and in my book that counts as done in time) I also knitted a first cousin, my Mom, and a friends girlfriend a scarf.
I tend to knit something for my 3 little cousins every year (I guess they are second cousins I'm not sure how that really works, they are my cousins kids), although this year in a brilliant flash of insight I told everyone that no one would get knitted gifts this year because I don't have the time. But I've been thinking maybe I could just do a little hat for just my 3 little cousins instead of the poncho's and cardigan I was planning, they are quick right!? Yes, I have no concept of time, but I am now finally beginning to realize this at least.
Wait, so if I keep making all these comments about not enough time (would I love a 30 hour day!) why am I blogging? I don't know. It could be because I just want to talk, or share pictures, or maybe, as I may have been told before, because I feel the need to do too much (thanks Mom). Oh yes, I grew up with a super overachieving mom. Yes, yes, I know a lot of you are thinking so did I. But when you went on vacation did your mom hand you an itinerary? By half hour increments? And free time was scheduled?! I vividly remember one vacation where my mom was so proud because we actually had ONE half hour increment of free time scheduled. Let me say this again, this was a week long vacation, which is 168 hours, or 336 half hours and in all that time she had scheduled and one of those half hours for free time. You can not believe how proud of it she was either, we could do whatever we wanted! Read! Lay by the pool! Swim! Take a nap! BTW just for a little more clarification this was a driving trip about halfway across the country from IL to Philly and back. We did get to do a lot, we made pretzels, went to Hersey's, saw an Amish town and farm, saw all the historic sights in Philly and I distinctly remember Chinatown (probably because the dead goat hanging in one of the shop windows completely freaked me, the vegetarian, out, that and at first glance I swore it was a dog). So it was a fun, educational, and did I mention an exhausting trip. Oh, and since I was 15 and was soon to get my license I had to log 50 hours with my mom (this was her rule not the states) before she would let me get my license. I thought I was going to kill us all when she insisted that I drive on a mountain, during construction and it was night time, because she insisted I needed more practice and experience. I do think her making me drive in all conditions did help to make me a better driver, and now that I'm older and out of the speeding like a banshee stage (or maybe I inherited it from my father) I'm glad she made me be a better driver. Another proof of my Mom's insane energy (I would be so rich if I could bottle it and sell it). My mom would call one of my Aunt's up on a Saturday around 10 am to see what she was up to and my Aunt would tell he that she had just gotten up and was drinking her coffee. My mom would then tell my Auntie M all the stuff she had already accomplished by that time, breakfast, laundry, cleaned the house, and possibly canned something from the garden, or had sewn my brother and myself a new outfit. I think my Aunt was annoyed by this list, just a little.
OK, so I am planning on posting how my veil is coming, I've decided to splice two doily patterns together so we will see how this works. Oh, I've never knitted a doily in my life and have only knitted some simple lace a few times before. If you want to see the patterns I'm using go to Yarnover's site and look at the Egeblad pattern, and for the second part I'm planning on doing the leaves from the Rose of England design from the Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting. I chose Egeblad because it reminds me of a lilac flower, my favorite flower, and it's what I plan on holding as I walk down the aisle and the Rose of England because I'm planning on putting vines on my wedding dress though I'm not sure yet if it will be embroidered or appliquéd on. So we will see if I can keep this up, at least post occasionally.
So yes, I knit, and spin, and do yoga (even if I only have time for 10 minutes a day most of the time), love to cook (pretty much no time for that right now), I prefer my hand spindle for it's portability, that and my wheel needs fixed (bad buy on Ebay maybe I'll complain about that later), oh and my spindle was always allowed on the planes, thank god! because otherwise I would have gone nuts. I tend to need more than one thing to do and will switch between knitting, reading, and spinning if it's a long plane ride. I can spin in a small space, and can even do it in the car. Don't worry only as a passenger! I'm also getting married in about 6 months and have decided it's a wonderful idea to knit my own veil, sew my own dress, and make our wedding bands. Yes, I think I am insane and know I don't always have a grip on time reality. I do have a backup for the wedding bands. A friend of mine gave me the name of an artist that made her wedding bands, so I figured if I have a total meltdown (and yes I can totally see that), then I will ask him if he can do it.
So why have I decided to add all this extra stress, because you know, planning a wedding isn't stressful or anything. Because once I get an idea in my head I tend to not be happy with anything else. I know what I want my dress to look like and no one makes it, I know how to sew, so why not make it myself? I also like the idea of knitting my own veil so sure I can do that too, and since I've taken some jewelry classes before and would like to some day get my masters in it why not make the bands that much more personal and create them myself (that and I know what I want them to look like and again have not found the design I want anywhere). Yes, I can see it, I can visualize the meltdown happening and me walking down the aisle as I'm trying to finish knitting my veil while it's on my head and exchanging over worked sloppily made bands. I can totally can see this.
How do I see this coming and continue you may ask? Because it's similar to what I do every christmas. My family laughs about my insanity every year. I typically stay up all night finishing hand made presents and do not get any, or maybe 2-3 hours of sleep on christmas eve. Last year I didn't sleep at all, but managed to make and can pumpkin butter (yes I canned it on christmas eve), for my entire family as presents (pumpkin was requested by one member as I tend to give a jar of some kind of jam to each family group every year), and knitted 3 ear warmers for my little cousins, although the last one was finished after she got to my Dad's house, but before the presents were opened, so I slipped it into her bag and in my book that counts as done in time) I also knitted a first cousin, my Mom, and a friends girlfriend a scarf.
I tend to knit something for my 3 little cousins every year (I guess they are second cousins I'm not sure how that really works, they are my cousins kids), although this year in a brilliant flash of insight I told everyone that no one would get knitted gifts this year because I don't have the time. But I've been thinking maybe I could just do a little hat for just my 3 little cousins instead of the poncho's and cardigan I was planning, they are quick right!? Yes, I have no concept of time, but I am now finally beginning to realize this at least.
Wait, so if I keep making all these comments about not enough time (would I love a 30 hour day!) why am I blogging? I don't know. It could be because I just want to talk, or share pictures, or maybe, as I may have been told before, because I feel the need to do too much (thanks Mom). Oh yes, I grew up with a super overachieving mom. Yes, yes, I know a lot of you are thinking so did I. But when you went on vacation did your mom hand you an itinerary? By half hour increments? And free time was scheduled?! I vividly remember one vacation where my mom was so proud because we actually had ONE half hour increment of free time scheduled. Let me say this again, this was a week long vacation, which is 168 hours, or 336 half hours and in all that time she had scheduled and one of those half hours for free time. You can not believe how proud of it she was either, we could do whatever we wanted! Read! Lay by the pool! Swim! Take a nap! BTW just for a little more clarification this was a driving trip about halfway across the country from IL to Philly and back. We did get to do a lot, we made pretzels, went to Hersey's, saw an Amish town and farm, saw all the historic sights in Philly and I distinctly remember Chinatown (probably because the dead goat hanging in one of the shop windows completely freaked me, the vegetarian, out, that and at first glance I swore it was a dog). So it was a fun, educational, and did I mention an exhausting trip. Oh, and since I was 15 and was soon to get my license I had to log 50 hours with my mom (this was her rule not the states) before she would let me get my license. I thought I was going to kill us all when she insisted that I drive on a mountain, during construction and it was night time, because she insisted I needed more practice and experience. I do think her making me drive in all conditions did help to make me a better driver, and now that I'm older and out of the speeding like a banshee stage (or maybe I inherited it from my father) I'm glad she made me be a better driver. Another proof of my Mom's insane energy (I would be so rich if I could bottle it and sell it). My mom would call one of my Aunt's up on a Saturday around 10 am to see what she was up to and my Aunt would tell he that she had just gotten up and was drinking her coffee. My mom would then tell my Auntie M all the stuff she had already accomplished by that time, breakfast, laundry, cleaned the house, and possibly canned something from the garden, or had sewn my brother and myself a new outfit. I think my Aunt was annoyed by this list, just a little.
OK, so I am planning on posting how my veil is coming, I've decided to splice two doily patterns together so we will see how this works. Oh, I've never knitted a doily in my life and have only knitted some simple lace a few times before. If you want to see the patterns I'm using go to Yarnover's site and look at the Egeblad pattern, and for the second part I'm planning on doing the leaves from the Rose of England design from the Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting. I chose Egeblad because it reminds me of a lilac flower, my favorite flower, and it's what I plan on holding as I walk down the aisle and the Rose of England because I'm planning on putting vines on my wedding dress though I'm not sure yet if it will be embroidered or appliquéd on. So we will see if I can keep this up, at least post occasionally.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)