lookee here

Dollies

2010-09-26T12:32:00.000-05:00

More Wee Wonderfuls kitty and bunny dolls.

Dishcloths!

2010-09-26T12:28:00.001-05:00

Stash busting! Here are some Mason-Dixon Ballband dishcloths made of odds and ends.

Noro Scarf

2010-09-26T12:11:00.002-05:00

My father-in-law has a big birthday coming up in January, so I knit him this Noro Stripes scarf. It's a pattern I've been wanting to make, and I've amazingly never knit with Noro yarn before, although I love its colors!

To decrease itchiness, I chose Chirimen yarn in color 1, which is a yarn made mostly of cotton with some silk and wool. CO 31, size 6 needles.

January Hat

2010-08-01T22:13:00.002-05:00

The yarn is Vintage by Berroco (acrylic/wool/nylon).

Adding to Paul's knitted hat collection, in January 2010 I made a Knotty but Nice hat from knitty.com. Check out the snow! This is a "man's" pattern, but I think it would be equally lovely for women. I made it a bit longer than the pattern called for.

And More . . .

2010-08-01T18:38:00.002-05:00

I made a Mason-Dixon baby kimono for parents who don't like a lot of pink for their little girl, so I added a green silk ribbon. The pink circle on the front is a paper label.

I made sock monkeys for my two toddler friends! They are two years old this year.

Present and Past Projects

2010-08-01T12:06:00.003-05:00

This is a hat I've been slowly working on for a while, the Trilobite pattern from knitty.com:

I recently completed some doll clothes that I cut out in August 2009. These are sleep sacks that tie in the back for 16-inch baby dolls. The flannel fabric was purchased as remnants. Very sweet. The one on top has a baby Strawberry Shortcake print and the bottom one has a bright pink, tiny flower print. I hadn't sewn with bias tape before this project. It was an adventure. They turned out OK, some of the seams are not very sturdy.

This wedding cross stitching project was my big project for five or six months. The pattern is "I Thee Wed" by Blackbird Designs. The thread is hand dyed and the cloth is linen. I had it framed at the Nashville shop where I bought the supplies, The Stitching Post, and they did a great job showing me matting and framing options. The glass is UV protected, so hopefully this project will be displayed for a long time! It is personalized with my and Paul's initials, and the date of our wedding. It was on an easel near the guest book at our wedding!

Toss Another Dishcloth on the Pile

2009-10-24T18:09:00.001-05:00

Mason-Dixon Linoleum Dishcloth.

SHAWL FIN!

2009-10-15T19:19:00.003-05:00

I started knitting this Icarus Shawl in June and finished two nights ago. The bind off row took more than two hours. It needs blocking but is soft and warm. It was great to get it off the needles and see the whole thing spread out. This is probably my favorite big knitting project ever.

I also finished embroidering a sushi design on this canvas grocery bag. The pattern is by Sublime Stitching.

Beret for American Cancer Society Silent Auction

2009-10-02T19:30:00.004-05:00

The fourth and final chart of the Icarus shawl is finished! Now I only have four rows and a bind-off row and I'll be done. The rows will be more than 500 stitches each, so that is still quite a lot of knitting.

Blocking the beret on a dinner plate.

Dodger totally thought this mannequin head was an intruder! He didn't catch on that it was an inanimate object and barked and barked. I used the same slouchy pattern, Meret, as the white beret I made earlier. My mom leant me this head--she bought a hat at an auction or estate sale and the head was included.

My Cousin Susan gave me the yarn I used for the beret, Naturally Tweed by Vero (90% wool, 6% acrylic, 4% viscose). I will enter this hat in my employer's silent auction benefitting the American Cancer Society this Thursday.

FOs

2009-09-16T17:09:00.003-05:00

FO = finished object! Four adorable Wees.

Darlin' bear doll. The chocolately brown fabric has a nice woven texture.

Second hat of the extra cream wool yarn batch. The pattern is Meret. Great for TV-watching knitting! I made this one extra slouchy.

Many projects

2009-09-09T20:05:00.004-05:00

I'm having fun slowly working on these Wees. Here are some embroidered faces.

A second Hermione Hat; this one's for me! I used some Lion Brand Wool-ease that's been hanging around in the stash. It's one of my favorite colors.

Yesterday I prepared some fabric (washed and dried). Almost all of this was bought as remnants, leftover pieces of fabric on sale for 50% off. It's a great deal if you are sewing little things, like toys.

Yet another project I'd like to work on: embroidery projects by Blackbird Designs. I love the old-timey, primative sampler style of their cross-stitch patterns!

Expecting Many Hats

2009-09-05T14:26:00.003-05:00

I bought this ivory and pink yarn long ago, anticipating a baby sweater, but I don't think I had a specific pattern in mind, which is unusual for me, and probably a contributing factor to me never knitting it. I am no longer interested and, anyway, this 100% wool yarn is not washable. What parent wants that?

I have decided to do a few cool worsted-weight hat and beret patterns from ravelry.com. This is the first one, Herminone's Cable and Eyelet Hat. It looks just like the one Emma Watson wore in HP and the Half-blood Prince. I altered it a bit while I knit it, for example, I made the brim shorter (ten rows instead of sixteen).

And Dodger!

Craft Room (Slash Office)

2009-09-03T17:46:00.002-05:00

Paul and I use the second bedroom as an office/craft room. It's great! This weekend he helped me move my very heavy sewing cabinet two feet to the right where it's much more convenient to use, and in celebration I sewed a bunch of already cut-out Wees.

I started to embroider a canvas grocery bag with a sushi pattern and then realized I needed fish-colored yarn. At 37 cents a pop, it's cheap to stock up. I really like these plastic bobbins for winding the thread too.

I finished chart 3 of the Icarus Shawl. I only knit this when I have time and enough concentration. The yarn and pattern are joys.

20-minute Row

2009-08-26T20:28:00.002-05:00

I gave this hanging towel as a house-warming gift.

Newest and greatest M-D dishcloth pattern: the Linoleum Dishcloth.

Here I am, knitting on the couch. Dodger is nearby but not in the picture.

I'm half way through chart 3 of 4. It feels like I'm very near the end, except that each 400+ stitch row takes about twenty minutes, and I'm still adding stitches. I'm glad there is no deadline. The feathery pattern is beautiful.

Progress

2009-08-01T21:24:00.004-05:00

I've discovered a new ballband dishcloth outlet--mop covers! I made these for my friends Candyce and Andy.

I've also made a lot of progress on my Icarus Shawl. I started the fifth and last repeat of the first chart. The rows are now so long they take almost fifteen minutes each to complete!

I bought some new circular needles for this project--Addi Lace Turbos. They work great. I am loving the soft Malabrigo yarn too.

Poem

2009-07-08T18:42:00.002-05:00

"Poet Opal Blaisdell Lenox hints at the very real person--all knitters can relate--beneath the idealized veneer of another Victorian knitter:

Milady, at the open window, sits

With countenance serene and look demure,

Her downcast eyes contributing allure.

The blush upon her cheek that glows and flits,

Adds glamour that demoralizes wits;

And waning sun with touch so light and sure,

Makes of her hair a golden halo pure.

But modestly, Milady simply knits,

Intent upon the swiftly rhythmic flash

Of gleaming needles that is never stopped--

While world and I adore her beauty fair.

But now I rise and quickly close the sash,

For I have noted that a stitch is dropped,

And World--you must not hear Milady swear!"

Quoted in Susan M. Strawn, Knitting America: A Glorious Heritage from Warm Socks to High Art (St. Paul: Yoyageur Press, 2007), 26-27.

No fudging

2009-07-05T21:50:00.003-05:00

I've learned the hard way that if I goof on this shawl that I can't just fudge the next row and keep going--the mistake really shows up. After making mistakes two and three, I bit the bullet and unknitted back to the first mistake. It felt like a huge amount of unknitting but was only five or six rows. I just hate UNknitting (or "tinking"; that's "knit" backwards).

However, I am pleased with the results and have pledged to inspect each row after knitting in the hope that I will catch any mistakes before I've knit an additional several rows. So far, so good.

I really love this yarn and the color is kind of washed out by the flash here.

More dishcloths: a reverse miter dishcloth, great for using up half balls of cotton yarn. I almost ran out of binding-off yarn, whoops. The stripey yarn is Peaches N'Cream Fiesta, and seems to be the brights and pastels of Fiestaware.

The ubiquitous ballband dishcloth with green, red, and yellow yarns in the background. Very fun!

Yarn on a plane

2009-07-02T21:19:00.002-05:00

I love to knit during flights, even more than reading. I think it's easier on the eyes in a moving plane than reading and it makes you feel like you're doing something rather than just sitting there.

I made this dishcloth going to and from L.A. On the way back, a woman next to me said she was fascinated by my circular needles (Denise needles) and thought the dishcloth was too beautiful to wash dishes with! She hadn't knit since she was a child and felt inspired to take it up again. I hope she does.

The Icarus wedding shawl is coming along fine. I have made one mistake but I hate tinking lace so much that I think I'll ignore it. Interestingly, this triangular shawl starts with a few stitches but it is not knit bottom-up; the stitches start at the top center of the shawl and you knit down.

Sheldon Fin

2009-06-16T22:24:00.002-05:00

Sheldon is cute and fun to make. And I love that his shell is removable.

Sugar City Quarterly

2009-06-16T19:36:00.003-05:00

Today I received the first quarterly booklet from Sugar City Journal, which is a blog of sewing crafts written by two sisters-in-law. It's such a cute blog, check it out! They craft the most amazing children's clothes.

The booklet has projects and illustrations, stories and musings, about taking life a little slower and using one's imagination--with no ads. Also, it came in a black envelope with silver pen--wonderful to receive in the mail. I believe they are out of copies currently but check back for more.

Cotton Knit-o-rama

2009-06-16T19:28:00.004-05:00

For me, the Ballband Dishcloth by the Mason-Dixon Knitters is the ultimate in fun, easy knitting. The pattern is easy to memorize, the size is very portable, and yet there is enough variety to keep me interested. Clearly, this past weekend I was obsessed. I knit four Friday to Monday!

Mesmerizing close-ups:

I am on the threshold of starting a big project--a shawl--for a special occasion--my wedding! I think that is why I had the burst of easy, mindless knitting. I also want to clean out my stash to make room for yarn for future projects. I'm toying with the idea of knitting fewer, more involved projects. At heart, I'm a bit of a sprinting knitter--I like shortish projects--so we shall see!

June

2009-06-08T19:39:00.001-05:00

Miters are symetrical fun!

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T13:44:00.003-05:00

Hanging Mitered Towel from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines. Needs a button so it can hang off a stove handle or towel rack.

The Dodger!

Stash Documentation

2009-05-23T10:19:00.004-05:00

If you'd like to see my entire yarn stash, become my friend on Ravelry! My name is lookeehere.

I like how you can estimate a percentage of the skein you have left and Ravelry calculates how many yards that is. Very handy if you want to use leftover yarn for a specific project. You can also see what projects other people have made with specific yarns.

The catalog of patterns is incredible and it's so much fun browsing and adding them to my queue to refer to later. I joined Ravelry in August but only recently became active on it.

Baby Merino, Baby

2009-05-17T22:12:00.003-05:00

Thsi weekend I did something I haven't done in a long time--I bought yarn. Hard to believe I've gone a long time without buying any (six months? longer?), but true. This is Malabrigo lace yarn in damask rose, 100% baby merino yarn. It's very soft. The color is very subtly varigated and I think it will make beautiful lace.

On Saturday I went to Haus of Yarn to browse the yarn and say hello to Ann Shayne of Mason-Dixon Knitting who was having a one-woman trunk show and signing her excellent books. I got to chat a little while with Ann. She and Kay are just so down-to-earth and approchable. I also got to finally meet knitting-blog friend, Erin, in person. I've been reading her blog for a couple of years now. Hoorah for new/old knitting friends!

I bought this yarn with a specific pattern in mind for a specific event--the Icarus Shawl for my wedding! (Wedding date to be determined.)

This is Sheldon's shell in progress. Ann Shayne told me she's never knit a toy! Sadly, I didn't think to bring my knitting to the store to work on with Ann and others.

Buttons and Bags

2009-05-13T20:47:00.004-05:00

The last weekend in April I went to a small workshop with my mom on how to make dorset buttons, which are made from thread. This was a cottage industry in the nineteenth century and people made them for men's shirts and other clothing items. I'd like to use them on toys someday.

We learned to make dorset buttons with plastic hoops (the originals would have been made of bone or brass), and also without hoops, just thread! The tiny ones are only made of thread. You wind thread around a knitting needle several times and then pull the thread hoop off and start tying knots around it to make it solid--wild. And so simple! I'm amazed by the ingenuity of crafts.

I was on such a roll sewing old sewing projects that I made a go at the Sock Monkey fabric purse I've been meaning to make for a couple of years. This is the last sewing project for which I already have all the materials.

The pattern is Butterick 4821. The red monkey fabric is the main fabric (pink fabric on the purse the model is holding), and I have some fabric that is printed with bananas on a lime green background for the contrast fabric (stripes) and lining.

?Que es esto?

2009-04-27T21:10:00.000-05:00

A deformed sock? No, it's just Sheldon.

Birdie Sling

2009-04-19T22:39:00.002-05:00

Today I sewed a Birdie Sling by Amy Butler! That's about all I did . . . it was worth it.

I bought the pattern and materials sometime last spring during a Textile Fabrics sale but never got around to actually sewing it. This is my first Amy Butler pattern--maybe I'll do more in the future. The directions were easy--they are almost overexplained, which is OK.

Before sewing I googled the pattern and found that there was errata and I saw what modifications other sew-ers have done, such as adding a magnetic snap, which I did. PatternReview.com is so handy. I highly recommend it.

The mega interfacing called for makes this bag very sturdy, more sturdy than bags I've sewn in the past. Maybe my sewing skills have improved; this purse seemed fairly easy to make. It was still time-consuming. But fun!

For the main section I used "garden maze" pattern fabric, also by Amy Butler. I really love her fabric patterns.

The finished product! This bag holds a lot!

Construction photos (click to enlarge):

Piggy and More

2009-04-18T21:59:00.002-05:00

I'm using yarn from my stash one tiny size-four stitch at a time.

I found these December photos of my Lace Ribbon scarf.

Behold the Christmas piggy, made from knit gloves. Idea from the great book Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori. Not only do they make cute animals but also knit gloves are rather unexpensive materials.

Flying Sontag

2009-04-17T22:59:00.004-05:00

Just kidding. Here's the sontag laid flat for blocking by my mom. It's similar to the Mason-Dixon Knitters' Baby Kimono but no seaming at all.

What if all knitted-gift receivers had to block their own gifts?

Mom's Sontag Fin

2009-04-12T17:27:00.002-05:00

Unexpectedly, I finished mom's sontag before her big historical event this weekend, which was down near Columbia, Tennessee. I wrote out directions for her to block it since she has much more floor space than me.

I think she needs to tug it down around her shoulders more and some in the back.

Oops, looking kind of short in the back there! She added a historically correct button for the closure in the back.

Very warm in April in wool. Mom said the I-cord was "so professional looking!" Heehee.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T10:46:00.003-05:00

From Kitty, Bunny, Bear pattern by wee wonderfuls.

Good Friday

2009-04-10T18:43:00.005-05:00

There have been tornado sirens off and on all day, disturbing Dodger. I'm on holiday from work and indulging my desire to sew, sew, sew!

First, I finished a couple of WIP Wees.

Then I did bunnies for the three babies I know, Clara, Ellen, and Jackson.

Next, I made three tiny Easter lambs. The blue one has tiny lassoing cowboys!

I haven't done much batch sewing before--it really speeds things up! All these patterns are free and I had the materials already on hand. I only embroidered eyes and noses since the intended recipients are way under three years old. Fun!

Sontags everywhere

2009-03-25T21:44:00.001-05:00

Remember that sontag I'm knitting my mom? There is a whole article in the newest Piecework magazine about sontags, complete with photos of women my mom knows.

Commend Me to a Knitting Wife: Knitting during
the American Civil War and A Civil War–Era Sontag to Knit by Colleen Formby

"The author’s research will enlighten anyone interested in re-creating period knitted goods. The sontag was an article of women’s clothing worn for warmth in mid-nineteenth-century America."

El Dodgerino, if you're not into the whole brevity thing

2009-02-04T22:35:00.002-06:00

I just realized I haven't put a picture of Dodger up on this blog in forever!

New Year

2009-01-31T20:57:00.004-06:00

Dear blog readers,

I just turned thirty and I got engaged!

For my thirtieth birthday, I bought myself this cool table top swift and a ball winder. Swift made by Oregon Woodworker and bought online--check them out, they are amazing. The whole thing comes apart, and I store it behind my bed.

Here's his-and-hers scarves by me. I knit the hat too. This was taken on our after Christmas trip to Gatlinburg, where Paul proposed.

Favorite Hat

2008-12-18T22:39:00.002-06:00

I wear this hat just about every day. It's one of my favorite things I've ever made: it's warm, it's pretty, I love the color! The pattern is a free one from knit picks, Georgian Lace Cap. The yarn is Elsebeth Lavold Angora in turquoise (60% angora, 20% wool, 20% polymide). I made two for gifts.

Don't it make my hazel eyes green?

Mom'a Sontag

2008-12-13T19:38:00.003-06:00

My mom's big hobby is Civil War reenacting. She regularly puts on a big ole skirt (that she hand sewed herself). For a while she's wanted me to knit her a sontag. It's a little like a cross between a shawl and a vest. It covers your back and has pieces that cross over your front and tie around your waist.
I was resistant to taking this project on because there is not an exact pattern: like many historical patterns it's more of a sketch of how it's done than something that takes you by the hand, telling you finished measurements and how many stitches you have at all times. Sigh. I have just had to let go and go with things.

I helped mom choose a beautiful merino Knit Picks DK yarn in hollyberry, with fedora (brown) for the crocheted border. Next, I chose a stitch pattern from Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting called "diagonal weave." This is a slip-stitch pattern that looks a lot more difficult than it is. I expect it will be very warm!

Lace Ribbon Scarf

2008-12-13T19:29:00.003-06:00

I'm blocking my Lace Ribbon Scarf. I knit it very leisurely from April until November on size 3 (size 3!!) needles. It's for me. I can't wait to try it out. It's so long I'm blocking it in two pieces. Here is the first half:

Doggie and Bunny

2008-12-13T19:16:00.002-06:00

These are fast little projects from the book Sock and Glove. They are made from pairs of knit gloves ($1.50 for two pairs at Target), safety eyes, poly stuffing, buttons, and thread.

I think they are a cute size for little kids, though you'd need to make them more child-safe than these. Fun!

Namaste

2008-07-09T18:44:00.002-05:00

I'm thrilled that I finished sewing my yoga mat bag, and I'm thrilled with the results! I used a free Amy Butler pattern. The stiff interfacing makes the bag very thick and durable, and there are long pockets around the bottom that you can't see too well in the picture. Most of the sewing is straight lines, so it's hard to mess up. I'll carry it proudly to yoga class.

Sewing progress

2008-07-07T17:34:00.002-05:00

I'm coming along with my yoga mat bag bag. I used my fancy quilting ruler to mark chalk lines for the pocket seams.

I am alive

2008-07-06T17:13:00.005-05:00

June was a busy month, but not for crafts. I made two Baby Genius burpcloths while traveling to North Carolina, and worked on my Lace Ribbon scarf a little bit, but that was all.

My front-porch Impatiens a month on:

A late-for-the-Fourth patriotic Ballband Dishcloth (click to enlarge the glorious shades):

My Peaches n'Cream yarn haul from Super Wal-mart:

Chad

2008-05-28T21:27:00.004-05:00

My brother-in-law, Chad, is an excellent photographer. I am not photogenic and I blinked in about a third of the photos (no flash! How is that possible?), and I think they turned out excellent! I feel pretty, oh so pretty . . .

Things I did today

2008-05-25T19:37:00.006-05:00

Today I planted Impatiens in the flower box on our porch.

Today I finally did a quick tailoring job on an old Mexican dress of mine. I made it into a tunic. The dress was muumuu like, and I wore it a lot in high school--comfy!

Rainbow Bear

2008-05-25T09:50:00.005-05:00

I made this bear doll for Sophie's older sister, Olivia. All the materials were on hand: fabric scraps, felt, stuffing, thread. Pattern by Hillary Lang. Totally colorful and cute, and the perfect size for a little girl!

Monkey in the backyard

2008-05-21T17:20:00.005-05:00

This monkey is for my friend's little girl, Sophie.

Behold, the noble poodle!

New! New! New!

2008-05-18T22:35:00.006-05:00

This is my beautiful fabric for the yoga mat bag I will sew. I joined the YMCA about a month ago and I go to yoga for relaxation weekly. I bought the fabric at Textile Fabrics in Nashville. The print is called Drawing Room by Free Spirit.

My current knitting project is the Lace Ribbon scarf from knitty, using Palette yarn in Tidepool Heather. The color is beautiful, and although 100% wool, it doesn't feel itchy. I bought fixed wooden size 3 circular needles, also from Knit Picks. They are great! I'm making the scarf for myself, and I feel like I can take my time to leisurely knit it.

I'm beginning a new craft tradition: making a sock monkey for a child's first birthday. I baste with a bright colored yarn and use a stretch stitch on my machine to sew the leg, arm, and tail seams. The rest of the sewing is hand sewing.

My newest craft book purchase is Sew U Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin, which is about sewing stretch fabrics, like knits. I use her first book, Sew U, as a guide when I sew garments. It really helps me remember all the little sewing steps I need to.

Threadfest

2008-05-04T22:54:00.002-05:00

About a month ago, I picked up some fabric scraps at a retirement home--they had received so many yarn and fabric donations over the past year that they had enough to have a big sale and call it Threadfest. Unfortunately, all the yarn nuts got there on Friday, when I had to work. But I like my scraps and I think they would add nice touches to a doll or stuffed animal.

Hat Rehab 2: Black Hat

2008-04-19T07:42:00.003-05:00

Charged with being too wide and swimming around the wearer's head. It must be rehabilitated.

All the colors

2008-04-19T07:36:00.001-05:00

Sunshine shows off yarn best.

Gray hat rehab succeeds

2008-04-17T21:46:00.002-05:00

Fin! I popped the hat on Paul before I began decreasing. I think it fits now!

Great knitting friends let you get in on their yarn orders--thanks for the yarn opportunity, Katie! I bought Palette yarn from Knit Picks to make a Lace Ribbon Scarf from knitty for myself. I also bought pretty, delicate size 3 wooden circular needles.

This Chevron Stripes Hand Towel has been in project purgatory--stuffed in a knitting bag in my closet. I stopped because I didn't think I had enough yarn to make the hand towel rectangular, never mind all the suggested repetitions. What to do now? Give it up and save the leftover yarn for something else? Any ideas?

Hat Rehab 1: Gray Hat

2008-04-15T17:44:00.002-05:00

As soon as I took back two hats of Paul's, the temperature got unseasonably cold in Nashville! This is the first hat I am rehabilitating. It is charged with not fitting over my boyfriend's ears, giving it a rather awkward fit. It fits me pretty well, but I'm not the one with the matching scarf. I had plenty of yarn to make it longer, so I "borrowed" it from Paul.

Here is the gray hat at top, with the new hat begun in leftover yarn:

I unravelled the old hat, which was a bit more time-consuming than I had imagined. I wound the yarn around a bucket, so I could slip it off and make skeins. Those skeins were notched from being a hat for a few months, so I dunked them in water (in the bucket!) and they came out smooth, if drenched with water. This yarn is Swish Superwash wool, so It was easy to wet it without felting it. Here are the skeins drying:

And this is Dodger posing with a center-pull ball of rehabbed wool:

My flash is very bright

2008-04-09T22:41:00.002-05:00

Me and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, AKA Yarn Harlot

Baby Love

2008-04-06T13:44:00.006-05:00

I recently did a bunch of secret gift knitting for my friend Candyce, who's having her first baby! I hadn't done much baby knitting before.

Cones of cotton yarn gave me a lot to work with. I also used various colors of Sugar n'Cream Stripes. The labels are from Michael's Martha Stewart collection.

Dishcloths for the father-to-be, Andy, (his faves):

Baby washcloths:

Mucho burp cloths:

Sweet baby kimono in cotton yarn and silk ribbon from Textile Fabrics.

Greens

2008-03-26T19:53:00.008-05:00

Last week I went through my yarn stash for the first time in a long while. I don't think I have a very big yarn stash, so what's to see? Ya know? I found two leftovers of Euroflax yarn, 100% linen. It's too pretty (and pricey) to throw away. So I decided to make a beautiful facecloth for myself (see pattern at bottom). However, I overestimated the amount of yarn I had and it began to look more like a swatch than a washcloth to me. Then I didn't have enough to make a square, so now it is a pentagon-shaped coaster on my dresser. Hey, it has a purpose.

I organized the yarns by acrylic and acrylic-like, cotton and cotton-like (linen, bamboo), and wool and wool-like (alpaca, mohair). It's mostly leftovers because I rarely buy yarn without a project in mind.

Sunday I ironed this green, 100% cotton fabric (from the Hobby Lobby clearance bin--I couldn't resist) and cut out a dress. Man, it took forever. Three hours or something? I mispinned a few times. Luckily I caught it before I cut.

Sometimes (usually) sewing just exhausts me. First of all, there can be a lot of moving around from the sewing machine to the ironing board, then there is the hunching over. I'm not an experienced sewer, so I really have to concentrate and remember to pin right sides together, etc. It's much more involved for me than knitting.

I'm making a Built by Wendy dress, the blue version. What I would like to do is perhaps work on this dress in many increments instead of wearing myself out marathon sewing. It should be fun, right? If only I had a sewing room where everything was set out for me instead of tucked away to save room. Sigh!

Eyelet Washcloth
Based on Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas

Yarn: Lion Brand cotton
Needles: size 7

Increasing:
CO 4 sts. Knit one row. Second row, k2, yo, knit to end. Repeat second row until there are 40 sts. (Or desired width.)

Decreasing:
K 1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, knit to end. Repeat this row until there are only 7 sts.

Row 1: k2, slip 1, k2tog, passo, k2.
Row 2: k2, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 3: Bind off all sts. Leave a long tail and crochet a chain. Sew the chain to make a loop to hang the cloth.

This can be a larger adult washcloth, or even a baby blanket.

Out of the kitchen, into the yard

2008-03-17T18:04:00.003-05:00

Ultra bright dishcloths, the completed series:

Switching palettes to peachy Sugar n'Cream Natural Stripes:

Still life with flowers and dishcloth

2008-03-11T17:52:00.002-05:00

Wal-mart finally came through with beautiful colors of Peaches & Cream yarn!

Fin

2008-02-28T22:14:00.004-06:00

The Quilting Bee project is finished and ready to give to my mom. Last weekend I bought a mounting board for embroidery projects (thick and sturdy, with one sticky side) and a clearance frame--a good thing, too, since this project didn't take long at all.

I wrote my name and the year in pencil and embroidered it--I like that it is my handwriting!

Quick notes

2008-02-26T17:54:00.001-06:00

My quilting bee project is coming along:

A better picture of the vintage dress:

Thrift store find

2008-02-24T22:14:00.001-06:00

A bit of spring's hanging on my closet door!

Honestly, this dress doesn't fit me around the hips. I want to chop it and make it into a top. Lovely!

Not junk mail

2008-02-21T20:39:00.005-06:00

Hoorah! Today I got my Quilting Bee embroidery pattern! I'd like to embroider and frame it for my mom. I think it would look good on a canvas shopping bag too.

Ariel shot of Dodger:

Stitchwatch

2008-02-20T22:12:00.001-06:00

This is my new favorite knitting gadget! It's more convenient than the row counters that fit on needles. I use circulars pretty much exclusively, so my old, roundish row counters were easily misplaced.

Ballband, au naturale

2008-02-17T22:27:00.001-06:00

Owlie

2008-02-03T20:20:00.000-06:00

This was a super fast, secret hand-sewing project for my roomie's birthday. She likes owls.

I faked the pattern after looking at this tutorial, which was linked on the Mason-Dixon website. I made it with scrap cotton fabric, polyester craft felt, stuffing, buttons, embroidery thread, and I put a circle of cardboard in the bottom to help it sit up.

Shopping bag

2008-02-01T18:48:00.000-06:00

This was a fun little project, using the Sublime Stitching pattern I got for Christmas, Krazy Kitchen (thanks, Leslie!). The canvas bag was 50% off at Hobby Lobby, making it a very affordable $2.50, and is a nice size for grocery shopping or any kind of shopping. I will use it soon!

The large weave of the canvas was easy to stitch.

Click on this picture to see the bag bigger.

My cleaned-up embroidery thread caddy. Oh, the colors!

Spoolin' around

2008-01-27T20:49:00.000-06:00

I found another use for a spool of Lion Brand cotton yarn: to hold embroidery thread as I wind it on plastic spools! Very fast and handy. Newly groomed Dodger is an aluring background to yarn.

Here's a peek at my snazzy canvas shopping bag project:

California hat

2008-01-22T19:30:00.000-06:00

I knit most of this hat on the four-hour flight to Los Angeles around Christmas. While I was there, a Californian asked me if we needed winter hats in Tennessee. Yes, it gets cold.

I knit an all-ribbed hat in this yarn for a Christmas present for my sister Anna, and learned the lesson that one ball of yarn is not always enough for a hat. There was a four-inch gap at the top of the unfinished hat. I had to go to multiple Joann's to track down the yarn again. I think it was a seasonal yarn, Reminiscence by Debbie Mumm in the color Carnival. It has dull colors in the wool (50%) and bright, shiny colors in acrylic (50%).

I have a knack for knitting hats a little big, and I did it again. Whoops.

January Knitting

2008-01-21T16:01:00.000-06:00

I've got a couple of WIPs, a hat and the Chevron Hand Towel. I would like to knit Paul a hat to match his gray scarf, but the caculations have made me procrastinate so far.

More secret projects in the works, and I bought yarn at Michael's yesterday. This is Tweedle Dee by Moda Dea in the color Surf and Turf.

Sock elephant

2008-01-06T22:02:00.000-06:00

I was not going to knit or make any gifts for Christmas, but then my sister Anna requested a sock elephant, and Anna means business. She even gave me a package of Original Rockford Red Heel Socks (sock monkey and elephant instructions always included), and specified that although she would not mind an Indian-decorated elephant, under no condition was I to make a cruel, circus-decorated elephant.

I bought a Indian-looking napkin at Target and made the blanket and headdress. I made the tassel out of gold jeans thread, and used ribbon in my stash to tie on the outfit. When I started making the sock elephant it looked extremely odd to me, like a bizarre sock monkey, but I think it turned out alright in the end! Anna was pleased.

2007-12-23T23:42:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays

Happy New Year

Can't catch me

2007-12-17T20:58:00.000-06:00

Doggit

Emilio and Alfred

Cliff and Bernard
Here's some Christmas crafting I spontaneously picked up one Saturday after being inspired by My Paper Crane's (scroll down). I named them alphabetically as I made them, and made them all different, mostly by changing the mouth. I think the gingerbread men make cute little gifts.

Materials: pencil, scissors for paper, scissors for cloth, tracing paper, pins, brown felt (I got the wooliest kind I could find, i.e., not 100% polyester), teeny rick-rack, white hand quilting thread, brown hand quilting thread (you could use embriodery thread, but I think the hand quilting thread is easier and sturdier), red pom poms, black marker, 12mm googly eyes, pink embroidery thread, hot glue gun, embroidery needles, polyester stuffing (polyfill).

Draw a gingerbread shape on tracing paper, cut out, pin to felt that's folded so you're cutting out two shapes at once, cut out felt.

On one piece of felt, use a needle and white hand quilting thread to tack on the rick-rack. Sew every three or four bumps. Sew on the pom poms. Next, plug in ye old hot glue gun. Decide placement of googly eyes, dot the fabric with a marker. Glue the eyes to desired location. Embroider mouth--I used undivided embroidery thread.

Ta-dah! A gingerbread personality!

Now pin together the front and back of the gingerbread man, leaving the face where you can see it--there's no turning in this pattern. Whip stitch around the edges of the arms and legs with brown hand quilting thread. Before sewing up the head, stuff the arms and legs with polyfill. I used a pencil to get the stuffing all the way in there. I didn't stuff them as much as possible, just enough to give them a third dimension.

Whip stitch most of the head, leaving a small gap for more polyfill. Add more stuffing to the body. Now finish up the whip stitching. You have a gingerbread man!

M-D washcloth

2007-12-02T12:17:00.001-06:00

I really like this striped version of Sugar n' Cream yarn. Color: Country Stripes.

Link-a-dees

2007-11-18T21:57:00.000-06:00

This weekend I found quirky free knitting patterns and an abundance of craft inspiration.

I'm in the mood to knit another stuffed toy, perhaps some knitty creatures? Woodkins or a turtle?

I also love Hilary Lang's gnome sewing pattern. My friend Candyce sent me the link to this cool embroidery store, and I'd like to make their free stuffed lamb pattern. Very sweet!

More blue and green

2007-11-18T12:04:00.000-06:00

This is my fourth Kate, this time with Wool-ease on size 6 dpns. I really like this avacado color! If I may be an art nerd for a moment, I also think this color combination works well because there is a very dark color, light color, and medium color. The darkest color is next to the lightest color, bringing out the contrast. Let's look at a black and white picture:

Took Dodger on a long walk before lunch and threw my outerwear on the bed in the rush to fix lunch. Later I caught him enjoying the wooly warmth!

Doing math

2007-11-17T13:47:00.000-06:00

I cast on the prescribed 87 stitches, but it felt all wrong knitting this hand towel. There was no eratta that corrected the number of stitches. I counted the stitches in the pattern repeat and figured the pattern repeat was 8 stitches long, with two 5-stitch borders. So the CO stitches should be a multiple of 8 plus 10, right? That would make the number of stitches 82 (72 + 10) or 90 (80 + 10), not 87! I cast on 90, put markers between the pattern repeats and it's been happy knitting ever since.

This is my first time using Knit Picks CotLin.

On Jennifer and Vanna's behalf

2007-11-13T21:30:00.000-06:00

Even though it's all acrylic, I say this yarn is just fine.

And it comes in 23 colors! I would definitely make an afghan with this if I thought I would complete an afghan at this time.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

2007-11-11T20:41:00.000-06:00

After I had finished sewing the sleeve seams and weaving in the ends of my Retro Redux Shrug, I realized I had sewn completely wrong, and I knew exactly what I'd done wrong and what I should have been doing. Worse, I realized I'd made this mistake and let it pass on other projects!

I ripped out the sewing and got these good, flat seams. Learning continues. . . .

Model dog

2007-10-30T22:08:00.000-05:00

Paul's scarf is grey like the Dodgeman.

Across the Universe

2007-10-28T20:09:00.001-05:00

I saw Across the Universe this weekend and really enjoyed it! There was a song or two I probably would have edited out, but if you love weird movies and Beatles songs, you'll enjoy this movie!

Scary cute

2007-10-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

Last week I visited my sister Abby and bro-in-law, Chad, in Chicago. Abby and I went to a pumpkin-carving party and carved this kitty pumpkin.

Knitting projects update: the weather suddenly turned fall cool this week, and I thought I'd better get started on Paul's scarf, since the Red Scarf Project took me a lot longer than I expected. I'm doing the same Yarn Harlot pattern, but with four fewer stitches--this seems to make the knitting go more quickly!

I'm knitting the second cuff of the Retro Redux shrug (you knit cuff to cuff, then pick up stitches for the collar and body). I took this project to Chicago, but failed to pack a second ball of yarn--I had knit all the yarn I brought the first night--and sadly I didn't take anything else to work on.

Instead I read a lot in Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen Abbott, which was just the nonfiction, salacious, Chicago read I desired for my trip. I had a great time!

Guest bloggers: Red Scarf Project

2007-10-16T18:31:00.000-05:00

Susan C.

Scarf 1
Yarn: Lion Brand / Vanna's Choice / 100% acrylic
Color: Brick
How much: approx. 250 yards
Hook Size: U.S. K
Pattern: 20 stitches wide in a single crochet
Finished dimensions: 7 inches by 60 inches

Scarf 2
Yarn: Lion Brand / Vanna's Choice / 100% acrylic
Color: Dusty Green
How much: approx. 250 yards
Hook Size: U.S. K
Pattern: 20 stitches wide in a double crochet
Finished dimensions: 7 inches by 60 inches

Notes/thoughts:

These were really easy to make and went by really quickly. I'll have to make some more. Even though the yarn is acrylic, it is super soft. I normally avoid all things acrylic because I find it too itchy, but I will be making one of these for myself. I think my favorite is the double crochet. It's more lacy (but not necessarily feminine), and I love the green color. On a different note, I love to think that my scarves will help keep someone warm whom I have never met. Something about that just gives me a warm fuzzy. :-) I hope he or she enjoys it.

Leslie H.

Yarn: Patons / SWS / 70% wool & 30% soy
Color: Berry
How much: approx. 330 yards
Needle Size: U.S. 9
Pattern: 26 stitches wide in 2 X 2 rib

Sarah H.

Yarn: Knitpicks / Swish Superwash Worsted / 100% superwash merino wool
Color: Red Pepper
How much: approx. 375 yards
Needle Size: U.S. 7
Pattern: 34 stitches wide in Yarn Harlot's pattern (*K2, ktbl, P1, repeat to end, K2)
Finished dimensions: 6 inches by 63 inches

Notes/thoughts:

I love this yarn. I wove in the yarn ends and threw the scarf in the wash because I had been sick while knitting part of it. I didn't want to give a germy scarf! It did not shrink or felt in the wash, but came out softer and lovely. I ordered this yarn online and was surprised by how bright red it is! I hadn't knit a scarf in a year or so--I forgot how time-consuming it can be. I got a little bored near the very end, but knitting for the Orphan Foundation was inspiring. I'd like to do it again next year.
Doesn't Dodger look demure?

What now?

2007-10-10T21:28:00.000-05:00

I've been working along my bulky poncho, making pretty good progress, although a week ago I read the cable pattern backwards and had to spend what felt like two hours tinking back the stitches.

But now something truly bad has happened--my beloved Denise needle broke! Now that the poncho is longer, it is very heavy, and my hands get quite a work out when knitting it; I'm sure there was a lot of pressure on the needles. Maybe the cord was twisting and I didn't realize it? It just popped as I was knitting.

I am a devotee of Denise interchangeable needles and use them almost exclusively for everything I knit. Luckily, I can order a new cord. I guess that's all there is to do? Order a new cord and transfer the knitting to it? It's a very long length and I had to connect two cords together to make it; I don't have another laying around!

What I'll probably do very soon is start a new project.

Lost in the shuffle

2007-10-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

Here are some things I made in July as presents for my friends. I just realized I never blogged about them. The first is a bunny that I made for a care package I sent my friend Leslie when she moved from Memphis, Tennessee, to Mountain View, California.

The set of four napkins were for my friend Andy, and I hope they are a bit of payment for all the help he and my very good friend Candyce, his wife, gave me when I moved this summer! Moving my half ton of stuff in extreme heat was no easy task, and I owe everyone big time.

Click on the napkins to see a larger image. The embroidery patterns are from Sublime Stitching.

Gettin' tired

2007-10-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

I'm excited about participating in the Red Scarf Project this year. But I have scarf fatigue! When will the scarf end?!

FO and WIP

2007-10-01T21:03:00.001-05:00

Cabled Poncho in progress, and a Nautie for Paul all wrapped up (or should that be woven in?). I'm finally using that bulky green yarn! I think the nautilus should be suspended from a ceiling with fishing line.

Ponchorama

2007-09-24T20:31:00.000-05:00

Here's the poncho I'm working on, from Cables Untangled.

I don't have strep throat; it's some sort of bizarre virus. I feel better!

Getting better

2007-09-23T21:08:00.000-05:00

I'm sure when I go to the doctor tomorrow he or she will tell me I have strep throat. Friday I was too sick and feverish to do anything but wallow in my own sweat in bed. All day. It was not pretty. I was also too sick to even think about knitting all the great projects I have lined up, which made me a little sad.

I am feeling better! I made a lot of progress on my Red Scarf, because the rest of the weekend I've been feeling well enough to knit, but not well enough to drive anywhere--sort of voluntarily housebound.

I found these great knitting backgrounds tonight: Potter Craft backgrounds.

Stash enhancement

2007-09-19T19:29:00.000-05:00

I got my KnitPicks yarn today! Bunches of Swish Superwash to make: a Red Scarf Project scarf, a scarf and possibly a hat for Paul, a Retro Redux Shrug for me, and some CotLin for a Mason-Dixon Chevron Stripes Hand Towel, probably.

I also indulged in a trip to Hobby Lobby last weekend and bought some Sugar n' Cream and some Caron Simply Soft for Paul's Nautie, which is almost done!

K.I.P.

2007-09-18T19:54:00.000-05:00

I felt a bit self-conscious knitting this in the cafeteria at work today. Someone asked me if I was making a sock, but otherwise I didn't notice any dirty looks. Heehee! It is Paul's Nautie.

Say cheese

2007-09-16T21:11:00.000-05:00

Today I delivered this cute mousy pair to my sister Anna who's just started college. She loved them! They are "Mel's Mouse" from the book Knit 2 Together.

I altered the dress pattern. Here it is, my knitting friends!

Mouse Dress

Worsted yarn, size 6 needles. This is an adaption of the pattern in Knit 2 Together by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark. Their dress is more of a pencil skirt instead of a full skirt.

CO 40.
Beginning with a knit row, work in St st for 13 rows.

Shape armholes:

Left back (RS)
Row 1: k 12. Move rest of stitches to a stitch holder.
Row 2: p 12
Row 3: k1, yo, k2tog, k9
Work in St st for 3 rows. BO.

Front (RS)
Rejoin yarn, k 16. Move rest of stitches to a stitch holder.
Rows 2-4: work in St st
Row 5: p 2, BO 12, p 2
Rows 6-7: work in St st. BO.

Right Back (RS)
Rejoin yarn. Work in St st for 7 rows. BO.

Sew shoulder seams. Sew back seam halfway up, starting from waist.

Skirt:

Using assorted size 6 circular needles.

Pick up 40 stitches from RS.
Inc row 1: k, kfb (repeat to end)
Knit for one inch.
Inc row 2: k 4, kfb (repeat to end)
Knit for one inch.
Inc row 3: k 5, kfb (repeat to end)
Knit until skirt is 4 inches long.

Skirt ruffle:

Row 1: kfb (repeat to end)
Rows 2-3: knit.
Row 4: BO.

Finishing:

Add a 3/8" ribbon belt (I bought a yard and had enough for a headband too). Use embroidery thread and needle to make belt loopholes in the center back and sides of waist. Add a 1/2" button at the top back of the dress. Weave in all ends.

I also altered the "Art School Mouse" Jacket, to make a shorter, three-quarter-sleeved, girly jacket.

Girl Mouse Jacket

Worsted weight yarn, size 6 needles.

CO 45 sts.
Starting with a knit row, work in St st for 4 rows.
Row 5 (RS): Work to last three sts, yo, k2tog, k 1.
Rows 6-7: St st.

Left Front (WS)
p 13, turn; place remaining 32 sts on holder for back and right front.
Work even for 11 rows.

(WS) Bind off 7 sts purlwise, purl to end—6 sts remain.

Knit 1 row.

(WS) BO purlwise.

Back (WS)
Rejoin yarn and purl across 19 sts from holder; leave remaining 13 sts on holder for right front.

Work even for 13 rows. BO knitwise.

Right Front (WS)
Rejoin yarn and work across remaining 13 sts from holder.
Work even for 12 rows.
(RS) Bind off 7 sts knitwise, work to end—6 sts remain.
Purl 1 row.
(RS) BO knitwise.

Jacket Sleeves:

CO 23 sts.
Beginning with a knit row, work even 10 rows in St st.
Work moss stitch (k1, p1) for 2 rows.
BO in moss pattern.

Finishing:

Sew shoulder seams. Sew sleeve seams. Set sleeves into jacket body and sew seams. Add 1/2" button to jacket front. Weave in all ends.

Hello!

2007-09-15T10:08:00.000-05:00

250th Post

2007-09-10T20:13:00.000-05:00

Big Elvis Update

2007-09-09T22:15:00.000-05:00

Very briefly, I met Elvis Costello tonight!! Paul and I were walking on the side of the symphony building when I saw someone get out of a car who I thought I recognized as Steve Nieve, who has played piano with Elvis since the beginning. And then we saw Elvis.

About four people hightailed it over with albums and papers for him to sign. Someone got their picture taken. Paul, noticing that I was getting no attention, told Elvis, "She's got posters of you all over her house!" Elvis looked over with a "huh?" expression. After he was done signing, I asked, "Can I shake your hand?" He shifted his suit jacket from his right arm to his left and shook my hand and smiled. Awesome.

The concert was really good. Elvis was really belting them out. He sounded operatic with the symphony. The first half began with Il Sogno Suite, a classical piece he wrote based on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Then he sang with the symphony.

Sometimes I drive myself crazy trying to recall exact songs that were sung at concerts, so in the calmer symphony setting, I wrote 'em down this time. Some were orchestra-esque and others jazzy. The songs he sang were:

All This Useless Beauty
Still Too Soon to Know
The Girl in the Other Room
The Birds Will Still Be Singing
Still
Green Shirt
Shipbuilding
Veronica
Watching the Detectives
My Flame Burns Blue
She
God Give Me Strength
I Still Have That Other Girl
Accidents Will Happen
Scarlet Tide
Couldn't Call It Unexpected no. 4 (without mike)

Gray Mouse

2007-09-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

Tiny buttons completed the jacket. All clothes are removeable. Gray Mouse and Brown Mouse may be gifts for my sister who just started college.

The garter stitch scarf was knit from a scrap of wool yarn.

Elvis

2007-09-05T21:21:00.000-05:00

Elvis Costello's playing with the Nashville Symphony this Sunday! I love the symphony, the symphony hall, and even more, I love Elvis C.!! My fantastic boyfriend got us tickets. Thanks, Paul! I am so looking forward to a wonderful evening.

Here's Dodger while I knit on the couch and watched terrible daytime courtroom shows on Labor Day. Somehow this is a relaxing position.

Happy Labor Day

2007-09-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

Brown mouse in her skivvies.

Sun and flowers

2007-08-25T16:24:00.000-05:00

Another Lacy Squares dishcloth of leftover yarn.

"His" backyard

2007-08-18T17:50:00.001-05:00

Mel's Mouse

2007-08-15T20:54:00.000-05:00

Getting right back into crafting in the new place! This pattern is from Knit 2 Together by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark.

I didn't like everything about the pattern, so I made some adjustments. The skinny arms and tail are supposed to be knit flat and sewn together, but I knit them in the round.

The face and butt use short-row shaping, which I haven't used much, so it was good practice for me. He's cute! Next I want to knit some pants, jacket, and scarf for him (patterns are in the book too).

This project continues my mission to knit with yarn I have on hand.