Mock Cable Pattern

I wanted to add a bit of knitting to a frou frou peach colored scarflette I'm making. So I found a mock cable pattern to try and made a swatch of it in bright white. But although the piece will fit in the space I have for it, the bright white is just too jarring next to the peach  and ivory tones. So I will save that piece for another project and make another one in ivory when I have time again.

Ravelry

I just joined Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/people/knitabitofmagic and I really like it so far. They kept mentioning it on the Knit and Crochet TV series and I finally remembered to go look for it.

Bunny or Bear?

I actually found some nice Caron yarn at the dollar store. So I took the color Mulberry Mist and started knitting a teddy bear. Then I thought that since it's almost Easter I might knit a bunny. I'm starting with the feet and the ears come last so I still have time to mull it over. I'm using a technique with straight needles where you cast on 8 stitches, pull out some yarn from the skein for a butterfly bobbin, and cut the yarn.

Then using the main skein, cast on another 8 stitches. That way you knit both feet at once and they come out even without any guesswork. This technique can be used to make dolls or humanoid forms of teddy bears, bunnies, and so forth. Eventually you join the feet together and knit the torso. Then cast on enough yarn before and after the torso for the arms. Maybe this is hard to visualize but I'll take photos as I go along.

Last year I knitted my grandson a bunny rabbit for Easter. I'm thinking of giving him another one this year and starting a tradition of a new bunny each year.

Update:
I've decided to explore the bunny idea. I'm calling this the All-in-One-Bunny because it's made all in one piece. I didn't invent this techinique. I learned it about 30 years ago. And it was a doll, not a bunny.

Here you see the two feet knitted side by side in garter stitch. (Knit every row).

Keep going with the legs until they are the length you want.

When the legs are long enough, working from the right side, knit straight across to join.

Switch to stockinette stitch and continue with torso.

Here I've worked on the torso and added a few purl stitches to make a belly button. It's almost long enough to add the arms.

'to be continued'

Knitting a Goblin Hat

My hands have been in pain so it's put a serious damper on my knitting. So I've decided to spend some time mentoring new knitters instead of knitting myself. I did do just a bit of knitting on a hat band this morning for a knitted cap I've come to call the Maize Hat. The band is the easy part, so if I can just get through that I'll have a new goblin hat. Yay! It's raining today so it's a good day for knitting.

Mother Bear Project

As soon as I get paid again for something I'm going to send for a knitting teddy bear pattern for the Mother Bear Project. They've given nearly 50,000 teddy bears to children with HIV/Aids in Africa and other places. All bears are made from the same pattern, and either knit or crocheted. I'm just ordering the pattern because I already have yarn and needles. Just the pattern is $5.00. If you need a whole kit, it's $20.00. If you are near Anaheim CA it would be great to have a group gathering for bears. What do you say? http://www.motherbearproject.org/

More Reasons to Knit

Lucky me, I was going through some old magazines, and I just happened upon a Vogue Knitting from winter 2007 that's full of Valentine's Day ideas. So I started straight away knitting a heart motif in black yarn that I will probably put on a T-shirt and let the shirt show through the lace part. And I got that idea from the TV show http://knitandcrochettoday.com/ rerun where they featured circular crocheted motifs around the neckline of a t-shirt. My imagination grabs things like that and just runs to the knitting needle organizer.

In other news, just before Christmas I started knitting my daughter a baby cocoon and a few days ago she called to say she's pregnant with her first child. Now I definitely have to finish that cocoon because they work best for baby photography when the baby is 0 to 3 months old. And I never told her I was making it so it will be a surprise for sure. (Unless she reads my blog). But she's far too busy right now for blog reading.

Drop Spindle Dyeing Wool

I dyed some wool in Kool-Aid and I'm amazed at how vivid the color is. It is harder to spin though. A spinner on Etsy said that when you dye yarn it can compact and be harder to spin. So I think I'm going to spin first and then dye. Does anyone else have thoughts on that?

Drop Spindle Making Yarn

I got to work with the drop spindle I made from a toy car wheel and a dowel. The video I saw on youtube gave me some useful tips, so I was able to make better yarn than I have in the past. I had less breakage and a more consistant size than I used to have when I was using trial and error. And now I know how to ply it and wet it and hang a weight on it to dry, so I can eventually even knit with it. That's where I was stuck. Once I had a bobbin full of single ply yarn that would go to pieces if I let the tension off, I had no idea what to do next. Thanks to all you out there that are making free tutorials for people like me.

This spindle is a top whorl  job. But I also made a bobbin whorl to try next. Then I can dye some roving to make my plied yarn more interesting. Sooner or later I'm going to be able to knit with this stuff. I'm looking forward to that.

Maize Bonnet

First thing this morning I worked on a bonnet I'm knitting. It is a maize colored yarn for the background with a little Fair Isle work on the surface. The white yarn is a bamboo and acrylic blend, and it's been too soft and fussy. I won't try that again. Not all yarns play well together. Used by itself though, it will make the softest pair of baby booties or a baby cocoon. I've been wanting to try a baby cocoon on the Knifty Knitter loom. But I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I need to finish a few other hats I already have started.

Orange and Blue Hand Knitted Hats

I wanted to show off the two hats I just finished. Now I'm working on one that's a spiral design. Each color is six rows wide but I was watching TV while knitting last night and goofed and made one color 8 rows wide. I didn't noticed until I'd knitted about 20 more rows. I ripped it out back to the error, then reknitted about 10 rows and realized I still had one row too many. Rather than rip it out again, I put the project to bed and didn't feel like working on it today either. Maybe tomorrow. But here are the photos. The blue one is already spoken for. I'll put the orange one in my Etsy shop if anyone is interested.

Orange and White Beanie

Last night I started right in with another hat in bright orange and white. Once again I'm chastizing myself knowing that people keep telling me bright colors won't sell and multicolored hats won't sell and I should stick to solid earthtones. I've tried, honest, but solid earthtones bore me to tears. I must have clown DNA. Who wants to wears a depressing color on a foggy winter day? Not I!

Need a Free Hat Pattern?

No time to design your own pattern? Surely you will find a hat you like on this list: HATS TO KNIT

Hat Knitting

Here it is almost 3 AM in Calif. and I surfed onto a knitters website. He makes hats both knitted and crocheted so check him out. I love the way he put together his webpage and I like the idea of secret sales, because you could surf onto the site just for fun and catch something on sale. What a clever way to get people to keep on coming back for more.

As far as hats go I almost have another one finished. I just have to sew in the loose ends and mail it tomorrow. Hats rock.

New Knitters

Yesterday I was at a writer's meeting and mentioned knitting and found out the 2 people sitting next to me had just learned how to knit. I got so excited. Like most beginners they started with a scarf. Oh no! So we are going to get together so I can show them how to knit a hat to go with their scarves. Fun. I wonder if they'll be at the writer's meeting tonight.

To get in the mood for winter I added a snow widget to my blog. It never snows where I live so I have to bring my winter wonderland to my blog instead.

Knitting a Rug

I dragged the rug I'm making into my bedroom so I can knit while various things are uploading. So far it is olive green wool, royal blue, and deep purple. It's amazing how much down time there is on a computer waiting for it to finish this or that funtion.
It's already looking darn and chilly outside. I was going to cut out some aprons on my front porch, but I think I will wait on that until the light is better. My back was sore when I got up this morning so I'm trying to take it easy. Right now I'm getting the afternoon sleepies.
I need to organize my yarn better. I'm not making the best of it. Everything is chaos.
But for the moment there is some pumpkin cheesecake in the fridge that is calling my name.

Knitting By Train

My knitting plans on the train flew out the window on Sunday. The trip is 2 hours by bus and 3 by train. Only the bus was packed, and then so was the train. It looks like many students took the train to Isla Vista for the Halloween party scene, and bought group tickets, because the conductor had a big ole stack of tickets and was checking it with IDs and everyone on my train car seemed to be under 24. I had no elbow room.

However, at the Santa Barbara train station, our train was delayed for an hour and a half. Another train was stuck on the rails, and our train ended up pushing it into town. So for about 45 minutes I got to sit on a bench at the station and knit. That was a great way to spend a block of time I hadn't counted on having. And I felt a bit superior that I was making a project while everyone else was fiddling away their time on their laptops or cellphones. I should finish that hat today and get it into the mail tomorrow. But I have so much work that piled up while I was gone. My daughter is visiting on Nov. 10-13, so I need to get the stuff unpacked and the house put back together. So far today I've done laundry, watered the garden, refilled the hummingbird feeder, and caught up on some of my writing.

Two Hats in the Making

I've gotten requests for two chemo caps this week so I'm going to be doing those on the train tomorrow. I almost have one finished. I'm using Caron Soft yarn because I sure don't want to aggravate sensitive skin. I just want them to be super soft and cozy. I do have some hats already made up for those in a hurry, but if possible I'd like to make the person a special one in their favorite colors if time allows. Then as I make it I can think of the intent of healing and the love that person needs during this trial in their life.

I'm also knitting a rug from a pattern in Oneskein by Leigh Radford. It's full of cool project that take a minimal amount of yarn in assorted colors. I'm going to take that on the train with me as well. So far I've started with a baby blue. The rug is made of a long tube that will be sewn over Wright's Piping Filler Cord  and then sewn into a spiral.

Crafts to do in Front of the Computer Monitor

I really enjoy the rolled brim hats so now I'm making one in shades of pink. I'm about 3" into it. I've been playing the game Evony on line, and knitting while waiting for my troops to storm the castle makes everything so much fun. Otherwise I'd be bored stiff as my little men hammer away at building a new tower. That's one thing I can say about knitting. It goes well with sitting in front of a computer monitor. I'd never be able to paint or sand a drum or plant a garden sitting in front of my monitor (Farmville doesn't count). I have been able to do some hand sewing like quilting in front of the computer. And crochet of course. I don't want to spend all day on line though. And knitting travels just as easily to the library, the patio or the train.

Striped Yellow and Pink Hat

Last night I finished this striped beauty. But I had to wait until daylight to take a photo.
I love these mannequin wig heads I got at the swap meet. They really have personality. I bought 2 out of 3 and I wished I'd bought the third one.

I need to get a male head because I have to have something to put the guy's hats on for an upcoming event. Almost all the customers will be men, so I had to start making more subdued colors. But I couldn't take it anymore and made this striped hat to get the color back into my life. Perfect way to brighten a gloomy day.

The 88 Hat With a Rolled Brim

I just finished my green camo rolled brim hat made of Paton yarn. I love the way it came out. This one is for my shop but the next time I have some money I'll buy more of the same yarn and make me one, only with a long tail I think. I'm calling it the 88 Hat because that's how many stitches I need to cast on for each hat on my 16" DPNs.