I just crossed a line!!

As I started my new headband,

I realized that I have crossed a line in knitting.

The line is having multiple projects going, without a set finishing date, but a REALLY great reason for having to start them!! 

Up until now I was in control. I had one, maybe two projects going at a time. I would happily interchange working on one or the other. See it through to completion, and then buy yarn and start another project. I didn't "get it" when I read about people who have many projects going at once. Why would you "let yourself go" like that. And now here it sit with my projects and justifications for all.

Really, wouldn't it be wise to create and finish a winter headband before the summer comes? Actually, I was hoping I wouldn't need the headband this March, however, with another impending snow storm at the end of this week, I think I may be sporting the headband well into May!! I might even wear it to the Shepherd's Wool Festival on Mother's Day.

Then there is this lovely Prayer Shawl I stared for kid #4. The only one who does not have a blankie. I think everyone should have a blanket to hide under. One you can dive under when you need a few minutes to collect yourself and to avoid the reality around you!! Kid #4 is in need a such a blanket and, of course, I am the person to provide it!! 

I am still working on my blue cardigan, which I haven't even written about yet!

And then there is the yummy box of fingering wool for the Latvian Mittens I am making for the State Fair in August. Really, I will post those pictures soon. So many possibilities there!

OK, I admitted it, I'm all in, and I am still smiling:)

Review of my 2010 Goals...

OK, it's time to check last years goals. Mainly because I want to set some new ones. Let's see how I did...

1. Finish the Coral Sweater!! Really all I need to do is attach the sleeves!!

Yes, the sleeves are now attached.

 

2. Explore all that Ravelry has to offer. I joined, but have not done more than that!

 I need to keep this one for 2011. I joined, 1/2 way linked my blog, added a few projects, joined a few groups, found 2 friends, and have so much more to learn.

3. Make something to felt.Check:)

4. Try ordering yarn on-line. The prices seem to be great. I want to find out if the colors will be close and the service will be fast.Check, favorite on-line store of the yearn is www.knitpicks.com

5. Visit more local yarn shops.  Yes   www.yarngarage.com, www.3kittensneedlearts.com, www.borialisyarn.com

6. Attend a knitting event this spring. I took my 6 year old to the Shepherds Festival on a very cold day!

7. Make a knitting basket. This one may be the felting project I am looking for.

Does a knitting bag count? Yes! See felted item above.

8. Teach someone how to knit. Yes, I taught my friend Blanch how to knit.

9. Find a nice yarn for knitting dish cloths.  Yes, I found corn yarn.

10. Knit a sweater for me! (I already have the pattern picked out.) I started one...this will have to be continued on the 2011 list;)

OK, now to plan for the rest of 2011....

One more Scarf for my Fabulous Husband

Remember this scarf? Yup, it's the one I knit for my fabulous husband...and now it is gone. We are sure that it is not in our house or car. So, we suspect he lost it at work. We can only hope someone who really needs it is enjoying it!  

So the missing scarf leads to my husband having no scarf and high temperatures of 8 degrees! Yes, a high of 8. Which means that in the morning we are starting out at -8, or so. And a great need for a scarf.

I had been saving this yummy Yukon yarn by Plymouth Yarn, which is 35% Mohair, 35% Wool, and 30% Acrylic, for a scarf for me. If we had :"touch-o-vision" you could feel how rich and soft and thick this yarn really is.

 

  

When I bought this yarn I also bought 2 ribbons of silk. I was thinking about how great weaving these into the camel colored scarf would be. At first I tried weaving the ribbon in a vertical pattern following the natural rows from my knit/purl pattern. It was difficult to see the ribbon in this direction. So, I decided to try a pattern at each end of the scarf.

 A great thing about this yarn, and being creative with the silk ribbons is that you can try something, undo it, and then try something else until you get the look you want. 

In the end I took the ribbons out so my husband can go back to being warm. He loved the creativity of the ribbons, but did not think they enhanced his manly appearance:)

A Pair of Felt Clogs for me! Part 2

I just realized we got from Part 1 to Part 2 quickly. Next time I think I will take a few more pictures!!

Here they are...almost ready for felting! I have finished the pink tops and attached the second sole.

Then I secured all the ends...

And now they are awaiting my sisters washing machine for felting.

 

Why am I going to my sisters house for this event?  Well, because I have a front loading washer and have not had good luck felting in it! She has a great big, really old, washing machine that works really well for felting. And I get to catch up with what is happening in her world:)

A Pair of Felt Clogs for me! Part 1

The girls boots (yes I will share the pre and post felting pictures once I figure out where they are!) look so comfy, I decided to make a pair of clogs for myself. Especially since I feel like I live in a snow globe! Really, is it supposed to snow EVERY day in winter?

First I selected my yarn and carefully wound the balls from the skeins. See how nice they look....

 Then along comes...Stella....apparently she had a blast while I was not in the living room....

...Because this is what I picked up off the floor when I returned to the living room!

 So, then I did this...some of the yarn was so twisted. It was easier to cut and then join (see a previous post about joining wool yarn)

 And then it was time to begin. Here is the first of my 4 soles. Each clog has a double sole so they will last a really long time.

 

And all of that took a really long time. Now on the the rest of the clogs!

I hope to be wearing them soon.

The Yarn Comparison...The results!

I started the yarn comparison on January 21, and then gave an update on February 16...see previous posts.

So, now that I am about to throw away this now yukky dishcloth, I thought I should share it with you first....

It actually looks nicer in the picture than it does in real life:) It is dry and almost crusty. I think both yarns, the $1.59 yarn from WalMart, and the $2.59 yarn from the local yarn shop fared equally unwell. While the more expensive yarn started off softer, they both came out stiff in the end. Also, both lost their vibrant color after the same amount of washing tables and being washed.

If you are going to knit cotton dishcloths, I say....go for the inexpensive yarn.

Another scarf completed!

I finished my husband's scarf...thanks to time spent watching the move UP with my kids. I had not seen the move and my kids said, "Mom, you have to see it! It is soooo sweet." It was cute, and I sat still long enough to finish the scarf. It went quickly as it is a bulky wool. And an easy pattern!! Knit 2, Purl 2, Knit 2, Purl 2. It is not the originally requested 7 feet, but 4'3" is working just fine.

What about ME!!

As I started to knit my girls scarves...one at a time...with the remaining yarn lined up ready for casting on...my husband said, "what about me? don't I get a scarf?". Well, of course he does. I moved him to the top of the lineup and this is what I have so far...

It is a nice manly charcoal color:)  He says he would like it to be about 7 feet long! OK, This is an easy one. Now I just need a good movie and I am ready to go.

More on Finger Knitting

Someone saw the blog about my nephew M doing his finger knitting. They emailed me to say that they learned to finger knit through the link on the blog. Congratulations!!

Also, they were wondering if there was anything more than a scarf that they could make with the knitting they had done. Below is a link to making flowers with a finger knitted strand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukywxy19Gk8

I did some searching, but did not come up with much more than flowers. If anyone has any ideas for creations made with finger knitting please let me know so I can share them.


YES!! I did finish knitting my new knitting bag. Next step is to make the handles and then felt it!

My knitted knitting bag is close to the end!

Thanks to swimming lessons for kids #4 and #5(last ones for the winter session!), and a USA vs. Canada Gold metal hockey game:(, I have had some great blocks of solid knitting time! I have reached the part of the instructions that say...forming the base!
I am a bit concerned about the sizing I have created, if that is what you call it. Notice that the part of the bag with the diamonds seems to be knit tighter than the stripped parts of the bag. The directions do not say that it is supposed to look like a funnel! Hopefully this will all come out in the wash...literally! Perhaps the felting process will be forgiving of such mistakes!

Procrastinating on the Corn Wash Cloth!

OK, this is a problem. The longer I ignore the rolled up edges on the wash cloth I made from the corn yarn, the more rolled up they get!

My research for tonight is going to be reading up on what do people really do with items made out of corn? The texture is very soft and the look is similar to 100% cotton yarns.

I love the colors and the feel, I'm just not sure in the purpose of this one. Corn generally does not seem to be a high maintenance item! It is used in so many everyday items like food and fuel. Why not wear it? Because it rolls up to half its original size.

I'll keep you posted!

If anyone has some great ideas for me please share!!

Dishcloth yarns comparison

Here is the latest picture of my combination dishcloth. At this point I would say they are wearing about equally. They appear to be fading at about the same rate. The texture of the two is also equal. I'll keep using it and keep you posted on the progress.

A few notes to self. The judge at the Minnesota State Fair made a great and honest observation. My casting off is a bit tight. Can't hide from that one! Also, I need to do a better job of sewing in my yarn ends.

On another note, I am half way through the diamonds on my knitting bag!! Yeah!!

Felted Knitting Bag Update

Valentine's Day is pretty low key at our house. We started the day with pink pancakes and Valentine cards for all. Then in the afternoon kid #5 and I made and decorated valentine cakes for everyone for dinner. That left plenty of couch time for knitting by the fire.

I did it! I made it to the top of the diamonds. Now my progress is quite slow while I figure out how to wrap the two colors as I knit. I am getting the hang of it. Row 2 of the diamonds has gone faster than row 1. Once I finish the diamonds I am home free!! Remember I started knitting at the top of the bag and I am working toward the bottom. I keep reminding myself of this too.

Here is a picture of what the pattern shows for the finished product. I changed the stripping pattern a little bit. My confidence is growing as I feel like the bag is still going to look great and I did not have to be a literalist for this one!

Knitting with Corn

I finished knitting a piece with my corn yarn. I started with the hank above and then started knitting...


I started knitting with my favorite size 9 bamboo needles. The knit is a bit too loose, so this was ripped out. I began again with size 7 needles...
Here it is on my ironing board. I will need to figure out how to block it. I know that blocking can be important...just not sure exactly how to approach this one. Laura, from 3 Kittens told me that one of her customers said that her project melted on the edges when she ironed it!! I didn't know corn could melt. Did it smell like popcorn?

Anyway, the feel of this piece seems more appropriate for a wash cloth than a dish cloth. The curly edges are bugging me, so I will need to look into this one!

It's time for a Knitting Bag

When I knit I have gotten into the habit of using the bag the yarn came in to hold it. Usually, not the best choice! A. It is so full there is no wiggle room to grab a color from the bottom. B. The scissors and stitch markers get lost in the shuffle. C. The needle points poke through the bag. Can you see the rip in the really thin plastic? I'm not sure that this bag will make it through the project. I am posting a challenge to myself to see how far I can get by Friday...I'll share with you on Friday. What I didn't realize when I started this project is that I am knitting the bag from the top down. Here is what I have so far...

This looks like a huge bag. The last step is to felt it. Ok, I must start knitting to see how far I can get my Friday!

Yarn Made from corn? Yup, I have some!

Today I went to one of my favorite local yarn shops, www.3kittensneedlearts.com to follow up on Laura's recommendation of the linen yarn for dish cloths. I looked through the colors and decided on a cantaloupe colored hank. The linen feels very stiff. Apparently after it is washed it becomes very soft.

While I was browsing I found a pretty apple green colored yarn. When I touched it the softness was surprising after handling the linen yarn. The most surprising thing to me was the fiber content. It is 100% corn! I can't even begin to imagine how some kernels of corn get transformed into this...



We will be getting more dish cloths soon!!

Knitted Dish Cloths are the greatest!

We are back into knitted dish cloth mode at our house! I knitted several over the weekend. One (the blue one) during the very fun but disappointing in the end, Viking Game. The top one I started while getting the oil changed and finished in the carpool line. No I do not knit and drive! The carpool line is full of great pauses. It sure does take the kids a long time to get into a car with all their snow gear! The fall and spring line do not pause enough for me to knit. So, hey, take advantage of the time given!

My experimental dish cloth, the blue and mango stripped one has been through one use and wash. I will keep you all posted as the wear develops. If you are new, I am watching the wear progress of two different yarns knitted into one dish cloth.

My latest accomplishment is that I have loosened up on my casting off! Remember, the Minnesota State Fair judging sheet said that my casting off was a bit tight. This is true of the blue/mango dish cloth above. Note the blue edge on the right. So, being very aware of this I think I am improving as you can see in the variegated dish cloth above.

Yarn Comparisons with a Knitted Dish Cloth

I have been very busy making dish cloths. Making dish cloths goes quickly and we really needed some! I started to think about the quality of my dishcloths.

As I shopped for yarn the thrifty side of me bought Sugar and Cream yarn at Wal-Mart for 1.59 for 50g ball of cotton yarn. Then I went to The Three Kittens yarn shop in Mendota Heights, MN www.3kittensneedlearts.com. They are my favorite goto yarn shop for knitting help in the afternoons, and for a beautiful selection of yarns. I asked Laura about dish cloth yarns and did they have something a step up from the Sugar and Cream. She showed me a great color selection from CoolSpun Cotton. It cost 2.75 for a 50g ball of yarn. I selected a pretty sky blue and a great spring colored variegated ball.

Next I came home and knit this dish cloth.


The feel of the two yarns the mango(Sugar and Cream) vs. the blue (CoolSpun Cotton) was very similar. I was curious about how each yarn would hold up after cleaning a kitchen used by 7 people and lots of washing. Today I will weave in the loose ends and then put it to use with our chicken with oriental vegetables dinner.

One other yarn that Laura showed me was a beautiful 100% Linen hank of yarn. Wow! It looked beautiful! Once I complete this project I may just splurge on the $24.00 yarn and see how the linen looks (I'm sure it will be beautiful) and holds up in the laundry.

I found the yarn for the knitting bag!

Once I found the pattern for my knitting bag it did not take too long for me to find the yarn I wanted.

The pattern called for Patons Classic Wool 100g. Of course it did! The pattern was created by Patons. However, being the thrifty woman that I am I looked around the Internet to find a good deal. When I looked on Patons the classic wool was not on sale. So, I browsed around several on line yarn stores. I found what I was looking for on www.knitpicks.com. I enjoyed the easy browsing feature and the sale on 100% Peruvian Highland Wool.

I redesigned the colors of the bag. I went with my personal favorite combination of navy blue, yellow, green, and white.

When the yarn arrives I will share the colors I selected. I am curious to see how close the color swatches on my monitor compare with the actual colors.

I need a new Knitting Bag!

As you can see from the photo, I am in need of a new knitting bag.!

I'm not even sure where this cute paper bag with ribbon handles came from. I love the rectangle shape. It can hold a few small projects at the same time, yet is shallow enough that there is not too much hiding on the bottom of the bag. However, the paper is not holding up well, and I have lost a few items out of the bottom corner...

So, my search began. Of course the thrifty side of me started by looking for a free pattern. BINGO! I found one. It is unbelievable how many free patterns are out there! The trick of course is can you follow the instructions??? That is a post for another day.

I started by googling felted knitting bags. You could spend a whole day, maybe even a whole weekend looking through all the patterns. I finally found one that I liked through the ravelry.com web site.

This was found at www.patonsyarns.com, via the Ravelry web site. The things I like about this bag are the big opening at the top, the attached handles, and the ability I have to make it a bit shorter so it is more of a rectangle. Also, this will help me to achieve another of my goals for 2010, felting something.

Next, finding the yarn for the project...