No knitting for a reason

Grrr. So planned to be finished with my vest and my hubby's sweater by now. I decided to relax and do some reading so haven't knitted much over the last couple of days. I guess for a reason. The sweater FINALLY finished drying, but I notice I knit one sleeve 6 rows longer than the other. Yesterday I ripped back and finished it. Sewed on one sleeve and tried it on. Stupid frickin frackin thing! The weight of the sweater causes the sleeves to grow about 3 inches. Sooooo... I guess I'm ripping the sleeve off, frogging the sleeves and trying once again. frickin frackin flippin floof bag. Maybe today I'll work on it a little bit, maybe not. Maybe I'll set the thing on fire. It isn't like it is going to beat me or anything, but I HATE redoing things. I was tempted to just tell my hubby to fold the sleeves back BUT on a $300 sweater I want it to look perfect. grrrr.

Bad blogger

It's been a week already! Wow, time flies by. Let's see, I worked down at my LYS last week for a day. That's a big no no. Now I have so much on my list to buy. Oh no!!! Sweater didn't make it in yet. Will have to wait another 2 weeks before I can start on Queen Mab. Sad, but I can knock out a few more projects in that waiting time. Cafe Bastille is knit and blocking. Must not have had enough ventilation because it has been blocking for 2 days now. I moved it to the floor to finish blocking with a fan on it. That should do it. Don't want it to mildew!!! I started another project while I am waiting to finish that. I am making Boogie from Knitty.com out of some Reynold's Cabana I had in my stash.

I haven't bought yarn in weeks! Can you believe that? Course that's because my sweater hasn't come in yet. I've been a good widdle girl!

Not much time here. Gonna post pictures of my lovely hubby when the sweater is finished. Will post pictures of Boogie when it is done as well. Should be done on Wednesday. Gotta love fast projects!

Ruffles is done!!!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I finished Ruffles from scarfStyle Friday night. Can you tell I am glad to be done with it? I knit it in Premiere from Classic Elite. Nice and soft around the neck. I did end up only using 3 skeins. I didn't quite get the 86" for the pattern size, but a) it's a scarf and plenty long as is b) it will stretch with wear and c) no sense in using a skein to get another couple inches. So I did the good-girl-no-yarn-hoarding thing and returned the 4th skein. Yeah me! I'm getting better, slowly. Recovery is a long process.

Saturday, I was able to relax and knit for a bit at my LYS. Ahh, so soothing to a mommy's soul. After knitting my baby camel collar to about 3" I realized that it was going to be too wide and since the stitch pattern was stretchier than I thought it would be I ripped it out and started again. I was amazed that such a delicate yarn would withstand that much ripping, but it did. I haven't worked on it that much because...

Saturday night a UFO called to me. Cafe Bastille Cables is a sweater for my lovely hubby. I decided to frog the whole thing. Why? Because it has been in UFO land for over a year and I was worried that my gauge had changed enough to be visible. So I restarted in Saturday night. Isn't it gorgeous? Knit with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky. Yes, it will take some blocking to get the bottom edge even. This bottom portion is knit in the round and then flat from the armhole shaping. I'm a couple of inches past the armhole on the backside now. I'm hoping to have it wearable by Saturday. Wish me luck!

Oh, and we decided to start celebrating Christmas again. It is one of our favorite holidays, but we really felt like our family needed to take a break from it to refocus religiously. Amazing how things change from year to year. I'm really hoping we can get our spending at a reasonable amount this year. Spending $5000 between just Tim and I is ridiculous. But, yeah! I can clear out some stash yarn making Christmas gifts. Hallelujah! S.W.A.K. for now!

Knit What You Got Poncho

My little girl is soooo beautiful!

Ok, so here are some generic directions for the poncho. Knit a swatch. Find your stitch to the inch. Multiply that by 30. Round to the nearest even number. Cast on half that number, pm, cast on the other half, join, pm.
Round 1: knit
Round 2: k1, M1, knit to 1 stitch before marker, M1, k1, slip marker, k1, M1, knit to 1 stitch before marker, M1, k1.
Repeat these two round till desired length or till you run out of yarn. Don't forget to leave 4-5 times your round length for binding off.
Block and enjoy.

Need a better example? My Recycled Silk poncho is 3.5 stitches to the inch on size 10s. I cast on a total of 104 stitches. I used approximately 278 yards. It definitely would look more like a poncho with more yardage, but it looks like a nice capelet at this length.

Having said all that, I'm gonna frog it. I really don't like this yarn and don't want to wear it as a poncho. You heard me all complaining about it last time I blogged, but I forgot to mention a couple of other things. It smells bad. Like musty old people. And it breaks. Yeah, because it was spun so poorly. One skein broke 5 times while I was knitting it. The other skein only broke once... while I was winding it! So gonna make a bag or something with it instead.

I started a muffler for Pastimes. That is Classic Elite Blythe. Baby camel hair!!! It is very lightweight and soft. You have to be tender with is as it snaps like a brittle twig, but I haven't had any problems with it yet. Ruffles, grrrr, is coming along slowly. I am knitting 10 rows a day on it so I'm slowly making progress. Can't wait to be done with it!!!

Hail me, the Tard Queen!

I was going to say something flattering such as I'm such a good blogger, but I thought I'd be honest. hehe. I did some more improving on the blog. Finally added 3 more patterns. Yeah me! Photo to the left shows my in progress poncho. I'm not sure how the pattern will work out for others, but I guess we'll see as peeps try it out.

Yarn review time! Recycled Sari yarns. Mango Moon is delightful. Soft and magical. Wonderful to wear and work with. Tibet is so scratchy in the hank that I haven't even tried it. It feels like rough rope. I bought some of this recycled silk shown here the other day. Shop owner said that it was much better than Tibet. My only hope is that it will soften greatly after washing, cuz right now... ugh! It has garbage spun into it. Like paper, grass, thread that obviously did NOT come from sari remnants. It is terribly scratchy. As I play with the knitted portion it does feel like it is softening, but hey! Save yourself some agony and go for the good stuff, Mango Moon.

Here is my other WIP. I know, I know. I said I would be done with it by now. It's killing me. It is so. boring. Mind numbing even. I am working a little bit on it each day. I think the pattern maybe a little off though. It already is very long and still have half my 3rd skein left. It calls for 4 skeins. I'm 5'10". 4 skeins and I could wrap it around my neck 3 times and it'll still drag on the floor. Ok, so I don't know that for sure, but it really is long already.

Good news. I haven't purchased any yarn in like 4 days. And I didn't even buy it. LYS gave me a skein of Classic Elite Blythe for writing a pattern for a little collar and knitting one for them. Now if I could only get them to do that with Queen Mab. The scheming begins, lol.

Felted Soap

Felted Soap
worsted weight wool yarn suitable for felting, quantities will vary depending on your soap size
bar of soap
size 11 needles

gauge: 3.5 stitches and 5 rows per inch.

You’ll begin by measuring the complete width of your soap by wrapping the tape measure around the circumference. Referring to the cast-on information, use the closest number to your width by rounding up. Next, measure the height of your soap, only measuring the longest side. Keep these measurements handy.

Cast-on on the number of stitches that corresponds with your width measurement:
2.5"- 11 3"- 14 3.5"- 16 4"- 18 4.5"- 19 5"- 21

If your soap does not fit closely to the above sizes you can determine your cast-on by adding 1 to width measurement and then multiplying that number by 3.5. (width+1) x 3.5= cast-on.

Work in stockinette stitch (knit 1 row, purl 1 row) until 1 inch longer than length of soap, ending with a purl row.

Next row: *k4, k2tog* repeat across. Note: you will most likely end in the middle of the repeat section, this is normal.

Final row: Bind off purlwise.

Finishing
Fold in half. Seam up cast on row and up side leaving bind off edge open. You will now partially felt your sack in your washing machine. Set your washing machine to small load, hot water on a normal cycle. Place in pillow case and small amount of Eucalan woolwash in machine. Start machine. Check every 5 minutes to make sure that your machine does not go into spin cycle, you may need to reset your machine, and also to check sizing. When felt bag is close to soap size you will remove the soap sack. Place soap into sack. Using a new piece of yarn, whip stitch the bag closed. Redampen entire sack. Rub sack vigorously with hands to felt sack to fit around soap. Pay extra attention to whip stitch edge to felt it and blend it with the rest of sack. Once felted to the soap, lightly rinse excess soap out of felt. Allow soap to dry fully. Tip: Wire cookie racks are an excellent place to dry soap as it allows air to circulate around soap.
Enjoy!

Cabled Silk Scarf

Cabled Silk Scarf
330 yards worsted weight yarn or 3 skeins of Noro Silk Garden
size 11 needles
cabled needle

gauge: 3.5 stitches per inch

size: 7 inches wide by 86 inches long, relaxed

C6F: Place next 3 stitches on cable needle. Bring cable needle to the front and knit next 3 stitches on left needle. Knit 3 stitches from cable needle.

Cast on 26 stitches.
Row 1: p2, k6, p2, k6, p2, k6, p2
Row 2: k2, p6, k2, p6, k2, p6, k2
Row 3: p2, k6, p2, k6, p2, k6, p2
Row 4: k2, p6, k2, p6, k2, p6, k2
Row 5: p2, C6F, p2, C6F, p2, C6F, p2

Repeat Row 1 and Row 2 placing a cable row (as in Row 5) every 10th row. Knit until 86 inches or desired length. Bind off.

Crochet Bauble Pillow

Crochet Bauble Pillow
530 yards worsted weight yarn*
4 buttons
16" pillow
size H hook

gauge: 3 stitches by 3 rows per inch in non-bauble pattern

bauble stitch: Worked on WS rows, *yo, insert hook into next stitch, yo, pull through, yo and pull through 2 stitches on hook* repeat 4 more times working in the same stitch. 6 stitches on hook. Yo and pull through all stitches.

Chain 52 loosely.
Row 1: sc in 2nd chain from hook, *dc, sc* across. turn. 51 sts
Row 2: (RS) chain 3 (counts as first dc), skip next stitch, *sc, dc* across. turn. 51 sts.
Row 3: chain 1, *sc, dc* across, sc. turn.

Repeat rows 2-3 until piece measures 2 inches ending with row 2.

Row 4: Chain 1, *sc, bauble, sc, dc* across to last 3 stitches, sc, bauble, sc. turn. 51 sts.
Row 5: same as row 2
Row 6: chain 1, *sc, dc, sc, bauble* across to last 3 stitches, sc, dc, sc. turn. 51 sts.
Row 7: same as row 2

Repeat rows 4-7 until measures 12 inches ending with a WS row.

Row 8: same as row 2
Row 9: same as row 3

Repeat rows 8-9 until piece measures 33 inches.

Buttonhole row
Continuing in pattern work 10 sts, *chain 1, skip next stitch, work 9 stitches* repeat 2 more times, chain 1, skip next stitch, work across.

Work across next row working 1 stitch in each chain 1 space.

Continue to work rows 8-9 until piece measures 34 inches. Fasten off. Block to 16 inches by 34 inches. Measuring on long sides, place markers at 12 inches and at 28 inches from chain row. The first 2 inches and last 2 inches overlap for the button band. Refer to the pictures if you need to. Where pillow is marked with pins are the fold lines for the pillow. Fold pillow WS out and pin into place. Where the button band is created there will be 3 layers thick. Seam using whip stitch. Turn to the RS, sew on buttons and voila!

Please let me know if you have any troubles with this or if you find errors in the pattern.

*I used Red Heart Super Saver Aran Fleck. I hate it. Can't stand acrylic. However I am determined to finish a throw and I decided to make it smaller with a coordinating pillow. I highly recommend working with higher quality yarns. If price is prohibitive, Cascade 220 would work well. Cascade even has a Tweed that looks almost exactly like this yarn if you like this look. When I make this again I think I will try a Rowan Tweed. Just a suggestion. :)

Tattoos and Yarn

We'll try this again after I lost my last post, grrr...
MMMmmm, what could be better than tattoos and yarn? My friend, Sarah, came for a visit from Texas this last week. She arrived at our house Tuesday night. We stayed up and chatted till 3 a.m. Bright and early the next morning we headed out the door for what we thought would be yarn shop hopping and tattoos. Part of that is true. Our first yarn shop was the ever lovely and glorious Pastimes. By far my favorite store. If only they'd carry everything I love... sadly, no store exists. Anyway, we then went to Fiber Gallery. A nice little shop with some yarns not found anywhere else locally. I picked up some Recycled Silk for a poncho. I'll post the pattern here when said and done. I'm thinking of writing a pattern that will work with whatever yarn you have, needle you have and whatever yardage you have. That's what I'm thinking at least. We also made it to Seattle Yarn Gallery where Red Heart sits next to Reynolds... I joke you not! We ended our yarn shops early with Hilltop Yarns. I found the worst yarn ever!!! Handmaiden's silk blend. Why you ask? It reeks! I'd take a poopy diaper over this yarn. I ACTUALLY threw the yarn down. Yup, that gross. Anyway, tattoos enter here...

Last Saturday I checked out a new tattoo parlor near me. I wanted to make sure it was clean, check out artists' past work, and pricing. Everything looked great. I try to set up an appointment, but they only take cash of which I don't have any. The artist tells me not to worry about it as there won't be a problem getting us in. After Hilltop Yarns we call the shop to check to see if we are still ok. We then leave Seattle earlier than we had planned to so that we could get to the parlor in time. Guess what?!! A problem. He is now booked for the day. Not only that, but he can't get us in till Friday afternoon. Sarah was leaving Friday morning. Grrrr. I was so mad. Why tell a customer it won't be a problem and, and, and... grrrr... So after calling around for 30 minutes it was clear we weren't getting tattoos on Wednesday. My ever sweetest, darling, wonderful husband called and got us appointments at Mark of the Vampire Thursday evening. Isn't that a cool name? Anyway, the above photo is my first tattoo on my lower back. Got that one 7 years ago. The second photo shows my wrist tattoos. I had Carpe Diem touched up after my shoulder tattoo. I think I shall get a lovely little Celtic knot between Carpe Diem and my palm. Lovely little place for one, right? Finally is my latest tattoo. A Celtic phoenix. Isn't it the coolest? I so looooove it! Back to yarn...

Thursday we went back to Pastimes, drug dealers that they are. Went to the Knittery next. I swear wenches shouldn't be in business, let alone musty, old, dilapidated ones. Then Nancy's Knits. Old lady there was very nice, but... I didn't know there was such a yucky yarn store in existence. And finally we went to Hilltop East which was Skeins. Very nice. They really turned the store around. Not as nice as Pastimes, but oh so much better than it used to be. PF Changs for lunch. yummy. Insert tattoos here. During Sarah's last visit I taught her to knit. Very condensed lesson. This time I got in a condensed lesson on cables and lace. Even wrote a small lace pattern for her to use. Difficult to do at 2 a.m., even with Irish Cream. hehehe. Now back to my boring little life. :)

Just Checking In

I am so excited! My friend, Sarah, flew in from Texas yesterday. She's spending tonight, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning with me. We're getting tattoos and yarn shop hopping. Oh. My. Goodness. I knew we had a lot of yarn shops in this area, but over 25 within an hour of me... How do you choose which ones to go to? hehehe. I found a new tattoo parlor near me. Now I just have to decide which one to get. A friend loaned me a Celtic design book full of animorphs. I can't for the life of me find a Celtic phoenix design. That's what I really want. Although I found a traditional phoenix that I adore. I'm going with an animorph this time though. Oh, and I'm getting another one touched up. I'll show pictures afterwards. Woo hoo!

I finished the crochet pillow. Hopefully will post pictures and pattern before Monday. As soon as I get my laptop back I will post a couple other patterns as well. Slowly hacking away at Ruffles. Problem is that my house is bothering me. We don't even have an average amount of clutter, but I can't stand even a little bit! I cleared out some clutter from my bedroom, bathroom and Timothy's room yesterday. I bagged up a whole garbage bag of my clothes and another one of the younger kids' toys. Anna and Madalyn are fearfully awaiting their bedroom hack jobs.

Well, Mr. Kissyface, Rowan, has tired of kissing me and is ferociously started attacking the keyboard so I will say adios for today.