Budget Earrings

I've branched out a little bit.

My mother is an avid bead collector and makes quirky earrings, so I've been staying away from the realm of beading since I was a kid. Didn't want to step on her toes, and all that.

But I got a craving, so I went to the local craft store and dropped too much money, and obsessively made earrings for a little bit.

I don't think they turned out too bad!

It took a couple of pairs to get the technique back, again, but it turned out to be a little bit like bike riding. Once I started, it all came back.

Enjoy!

I ran out of ear wires part way in, so some of them are still lacking those, but I'm quite proud of the results. I see more beading in my future.

Purple Little Valentine's Heart

Valentine's Day! Hallmark Day! Single's Awareness Day!

Whatever you want to call it, I had someone special to share it with this year!

I got him a nice card, spared him the big "L" word (it's way too soon), and made us a lovely steak dinner. He devoured it, and it's always nice to see someone enjoy your cooking.

We kept it low-key, though. He got me a tiny chocolate, and I crafted him a little heart pillow.

Pattern: Little Hearts by Teresa Fox

It is the smallest thing I have ever made, and I did it on double-pointed needles, my greatest fear!

It used a figure-eight cast on (I had no problem with that), shaped the body of the heart with simple increases, and then, well, I forgot to do a plain knit round before starting the decreases to shape the two tops, so when I stuffed it and sewed it up, it looked more like a little purple puff than a heart.

He appreciated it, though, and really seemed to like it.

I used yarn from my stash. I think the pattern called for worsted, but the only double pointed needles I could find were Size US 4, so when I tried the first increase with a nice, stash-found, dark dark purple-brown chenille, the yarn broke.

Back to the stash bin...

I found a forlorn ball of purple and pink variegated sock yarn, and that did the trick.

But between US 4s instead of 9s, and sock instead of worsted, I dare say my heart was likely half the size of the spec.

I also did a three needle bind off for the crowns of the heart instead of kitchener stitch (I'm lazy), and did a horrible job seaming it up (I did it in a rush), so..... this project was full of troubles.

Still, the recipient liked it, and that's what matters!

Hope you had a lovely hearts day, no matter how, where, or with who you celebrated!

Enjoy the pics!

Size US 4 double-pointed needles, a minuscule amount of leftover pink and purple variegated sock yarn, poly-fill.

Cozy Wool Mount Canada

A friend of mine has a lovely fair isle cowl from Poland, and was looking for a hat to compliment it. I've mostly been working in bulky lately, so found this pattern and thought it would look nice with it!

There's no sizing on the hat, so I decided to actually check my gauge. Good thing I did, because it was way off!

The pattern called for size US 10 needles. My four inch swatch was only three inches. So I tried size US 11 needles. My swatch was four inches wide, but way too tall. US 10.5 was just about right, four inches wide, and only one row over on the height. I NEVER check my gauge. Maybe I should try to do that more often..... I know I have a sweater project coming up (just bought some lovely yarn), so I'll definitely swatch that. How much would it stink to get through a whole sweater and not have it fit!

Knit this flat, because that seemed to be what the pattern called for, and when you knit fair isle in the round, there's always that weird place where the pattern doesn't quite meet up.

I hadn't knit fair isle in a long time, so that was another reason it was good to swatch. Got me back into the swing of two-stranded knitting.

Knit with Size US 10.5 needles and Loops & Threads Cozy Wool, MC Black, Color A Claret, Color B Fleece.

 

 

Mizrahi V Shawl

This is a Christmas stashbuster. Using up some yarn AND taking care of a friend's Christmas present.

I thought the V Shawl pattern by Lionbrand looked cute, so I looked through my stash for something to use. Actually, more accurately, I saw two skeins of Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Craft Lexington in Gramercy Park sitting on top of my one of my stash bins, and decided to use it.

I wanted more of a V Scarf instead of a V Shawl, though, and also didn't have much yarn, so initially cast on 36 stitches. I decided that was too wide, ripped it out, and started again with 20.

I quickly discovered that two skeins wasn't going to go anywhere near as far as I wanted it to, so, after finishing the first skein of Mizrahi, switched to an orange ball of Big Twist Yarns Natural Blend Solids. I picked a bunch of this up on sale, so it's just laying around everywhere. I think that's why I'm having such a run of bulky projects with it right now.... Makes sense, right?

I realized about a foot and a half in that I had royally messed up the slipped stitches (I know how to slip stitches! How did this happen?). The friend I knit with hates seeing me tear stuff out, so convinced me to just keep going. So I shall be intentionally making the same mistake over and over again for many more feet......

Before I ran out of the first skein of Mizrahi, I made a tassle and attached it to the point. I'll do the same with the second skein once the sides are the same length.

Once I got a ways into the scarf, I decided I liked the look of the bias and would just knit it straight without the V, and leave it as a straight scarf. So I didn't really follow the pattern.... More borrowed from it.... What with my mistake..... And not reversing the direction. Oh well. I think it turned out nice. And then I put it down for a while, picked it up again, read my stitches wrong, and started on the V after all! Oh well!

Hopefully friendly friend likes it!

Knit with Size US 15, 2 skeins of Premier Yarns Isaac Mizrahi Craft Lexington in colorway Gramercy Park, and 0.5 skein of Big Twist Yarns Natural Blend Solids in orange (don't know the exact name of the colorway!). 31 inches from end to end.

"Seamless" Super Nova Ribbed Cowl

This was a quick, easy project, just 26 stitches in a 1x1 rib. I think my needles were a little too big because the ribbing was a little loose. I have another skein of the yarn in another colorway, so I'll go down a needle size or two on the next one.

The width is about right, but if I'm using smaller needles I might make the next one a bit wider.

I used a provisional cast on and a ribbed three needle bind off. I was going to use ribbed kitchener stitch, but I got intimidated by the directions, and got sick of the project sitting unfinished on my coffee table.

I think my length might be a little long on this one. It doesn't snug up to the neck the way I want it to. I will have to ponder over this.

I also took a chance and did the bind off with US 10.5 needles, because the weave was so stretchy and loose. Seems to have worked.

Next time, I will also make it taller so that it can double as a hood.

This cowl was knit on size 11 needles, bound off with 10.5 and used a full skein of Red Heart Stellar in colorway Nova. The finished measurements are 28" circumference by 10" tall.

Languid Trails Slouchy Hat Prototype

A handful of years ago, I went through a hat making phase. I made so many hats! As things go, my craze died off, but it left me with some good patterns. That I then misplaced.

So now the craze is back!

I think slouchy hats are super cute, and I'm intrigued by a line of knit traveling across a purl background. I've made a number of cowls with that design, and wanted a hat. So I grabbed some of this lovely bulky out of my stash, and cast on.

I named it Languid Trails in honor of lazy hiking trails in the autumn.

Attempt #1 had to be ripped out. I dove in with no planning, and once I got through the ribbing, I ran into troubles. The friend hanging out with me couldn't understand how I could be so calm about tearing out inches of work, but we all know it's better to tear out sooner than later! I just was not happy with the transition from the ribbing to the body, so I would have done it at some point, so it might as well fall with the sooner!

So I sat through my overnight shift and planned this sweetie out, wishing I had brought the yarn and needles for it with me so I could dive right back in.

A quick, easy knit.

I need to knit this a second time to work out the increases a bit better, and I think the section before the decreases start needs to be longer, but then a pattern shall follow!

UPDATE: In the end, I wasn't super happy with my "prototype." I don't think I made the hat body long enough before starting the decreases, and I think the decrease section is too long. Put two rows of pattern between each row of decrease. Will try one row between each row of decrease next time.

Also, I think I decreased one time too many before pulling the center of the hat together, so it looks messy. That, or it's just the downfall of knitting hats in super bulky weight yarn. Might have just enough yarn left over to make a pompom to doctor it up (I totally did!).

Also, didn't pull all of my stitches tight enough. So the three stitch decrease at the end of the ribbing is a bit loose, and some of the transitions after the knit lines back to purl are a bit loose. Will have to work on that with the next one.

Right now it's just really big and round and floppy. I don't like it!

Knit on Size US 11 ciruclars. One skein of Big Twist Yarns Natural Blends Solids, 98 yards, in colorway Aged Brass.

Hidden Highway "Slouchy" Hat

After the travesty of the last hat, Languid Trails Prototype (post pending blocking), I decided to give it another whack.

This one is Hidden Highway, because it's a strand of three knit stitches traveling up a reverse stockinette background. More of a highway than a trail.

It was supposed to be a slouchy hat, but it's more of a beanie. And it's a bit large through the hat band. And it's a bit too short.

I did about 6 rows of repeats in pattern after the increases after the hat band, or 1.5 inches, but I probably should have done 2 to 2.5 inches. Then I could have stretched it over a plate or balloon to make it really slouchy. As it is, I'm not going to block it, and I'm going to give it to a big headed friend. He gets most of my hat prototypes. He doesn't seem to mind.

I cast 64 stitches on for the hat brim, and increased to 80 for the hat body. I need to redo my math and cast on around 50, maybe, for the next hat.

I like how the decreases at the crown turned out on this one. On the last hat, Languid Trails, I decreased too many times on the crown and it ended up looking a bit odd. On Hidden Highway, I decreased the reverse stockinette sections down to 1 stitch (on Languid Trails I decreased down to 8 stitches), and used s2kp2 on the 3 stitch wide knit sections, bringing the final stitch count on the crown down to 16, before I threaded the tail through the remaining stitches and pulled the crown tight. I worked one row in pattern between each decrease row. 

Size US 11 needles, 0.8 skeins Big Twist Natural Blend Solids (approx. 80 yards) in colorway Light Gray.

Falling Leaves Cowl

This was another mindless knit. I needed something easy for my overnight job, and thought plain garter stitch would show off the texture of the yarn well.

It's been a long time since I did anything in straight garter, and it was kind of a relief.

This piece is 30 stitches of garter on size 11 needles. It's a bit too wide. I will probably make the next one a bit more narrow. Have another skein in another colorway, equally mish-mashy of colors, a bit more primary.

The buttonhole row knits as follows: k5, (k2tog, yo2, ssk, k4) x 3, k1. There was too much fabric on either side of the outside buttonholes. Live and learn.

This is one skein of Loops & Threads Country Loom in colorway Falling Leaves, all but a few yards, knit on size 11 needles.

Button Loot!

I figured, since I have numerous projects that need buttons, I would pack them all into a bag and carry them off to the local craft store to find some. That way I can make sure I find the perfect buttons that not only look good, but also fit through, and stay through, my lovely little button holes.

I may love buttons, but I never seem to actually sew them on. So here's to changing that.

See some button love, below, with finished project posts to follow!

Edit: I started sewing buttons on before I took a picture of them, so just keep an eye out for finished projects...

Mitered Hanging Towel

I definitely enjoyed this pattern, the Mitered Hanging Towel.

I've been knitting for long enough that I can whip through most small patterns, but have had a limited diversity in my projects, so still find novelty in simple things.

I had never done a miter before! I definitely enjoyed watching the shape take form. This project is quick, even if it's not as quick as the Grandmother's Favorites I've been making for years and recently abandoned.

I do have one gripe, though. And it's my own mistake

Has anyone else fallen out of love with the longtail cast on for flat projects? Always stuck with a purl row already on your needles?

I've been rethinking my obsession with this particular cast on, so decided to utilize a cable cast on for this project.

I wish I had stuck with the longtail.

This pattern is designed to be made with a longtail cast on. The pattern is written so that the initial border will only be complete if you use it. I didn't, so my first garter ridge section is one ridge short.

Whoops.

The dishcloth was also way bigger than I was expecting!

Will make again, next time with one needle size down (because I knit loose, so the fabric on mine came out a little thin), and with a longtail cast on.

This dishcloth was knit on size 7 needles with just over half a skein of Lily Sugar'n Cream Twists in Green and half a skein of Lily Sugar'n Cream Solids & Denims in an unknown colorway because I lost the label.

Bernat Pop! Here Be Water Dragons

My sweetie of a mum gifted me some acrylic Bernat Pop! in Blue Blaze. It's a lovely mix of blues, but I don't usually like self striping yarns, though I have been knitting with more acrylic as of late.

I didn't tell her about the self-striping part, but did tell her I would make her a scarf.

So I'm making this lovely doodle, the Here Be Water Dragons. I think the long color changes will look good in this pattern.

I've already had a little trouble with needles size. The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, and this one is aran weight, so, when I started it initially on size 10 needles (like the pattern called for), I thought the fabric might be a bit dense.

So I ripped it out and started again on 11s! Well, I'm pretty sure the fabric was too loose on 11s, so I've ripped it out again, and gone back to 10s, and I'm going to stick with the 10s.

I'm planning on steam blocking this when I'm done, so I'm sure once I've "killed" my acrylic, the fabric will be plenty drape-y.

Problem.

Bernat Pop! only has 280 yards, while the pattern calls for 350-380 yards.

This means I'll have to do less repeats in the center section of the scarf. To make sure I have enough yarn for the third section, the narrowing section of the scarf, I'm going to weigh the yarn ball when I finish Section 1, do as many center repeats as I can, and then start decreasing when the amount of yarn left matches how much it took to do the increases.

That should work, right?

I'm pretty sure it will.

Also, hopefully my mum will actually wear this scarf. The last time I made her something fancy (a Nikolai crescent shawl in Cascade 220), she ferreted it away in a drawer and never wore it because it was "too nice." Fingers crossed.

EDIT: I've frogged this.

Super Bulky Market-Side Bag Pattern

Years ago, I took a knitting class and the teacher handed out a pattern for a very simple string bag. I made one at the time, and thought it was the bee's knees.

I haven't been able to find the pattern again, anywhere.

So here is a modified version done in super bulky yarn.

It has short, soft, garter stitch handles for easy carrying, a stretchy, open-weave body for carrying capacity, a band of garter around the base to keep things from falling out, and a square base.

Needle size: US 10.5
Yarn: 1 skein Big Twist Yarns Natural Blend Solids
Skills needed: longtail cast on, cable cast on, knit (k), purl (p), yarn over (YO), knit two together (k2to), kitchener stitch

Instructions:
CO 60 with longtail cast on.
Join in round and place marker.

Handles
1. Purl.
2. Knit.
3. Purl.
4. Knit 7 stitches. BO 15. Knit 15 stitches. BO 15. Knit to end of round.
5. Purl to bound off stitches. CO 10 stitches using cable cast on. Purl to bound off stitches CO 10 stitches using cable cast on. Purl to marker. (50 stitches)
6 - 9. Work in garter stitch.


Body
1. Knit
2. YO, k2to. Repeat to marker.
Repeat Row 1 & 2 until YO section measures 6 inches.

Base
1 - 8. Work in garter stitch.
9. Knit.
10. Remove marker. Turn work. K1. Place marker. K13. Place marker. K2to.
11. Turn work. K1. Slip marker. K13. Slip marker. K2to.
12 - 20. Repeat Row 11.

Finishing
Kitchener stitch remaining stitches.

Enjoy!

Last Grandmother's Favorite

For years I have been obsessing about perfecting my execution of the classic, Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth.

I've come to the conclusion that this might be impossible.

While my dishcloths are no longer oblong as they once were and now come out mostly square-like, I think it may not be possible to get the eyelet sizes to match perfectly on the increases and decreases. Also, a slight ridge is formed in the border, a result of the decreases.

So I shall begin obsessing about other projects now, and leave this vintage little pattern in the past.

Next up, Mitered Hanging Towel.

This dishcloth was knit on size 4 needles and used approximately half a skein of Lily Sugar'n Twists in Green.