Monday, September 29, 2008

Getting Back To Other Projects

Rita's House Socks are done! The garter stitch sole worked out great.
I worked the afterthought heel on 20 sts, leaving 16 for the instep.
Hope they fit!



Here's the start of the Juliet Cardigan that I am knitting for my sis, Rita.
She saw the pattern knit up at her local yarn shop.
It calls for a gauge of 14sts per inch. Caron One Pound yarn and size 8 needles gave me the right gauge.


I spend yesterday catching up on some Tivo'd shows and working on putting together the small granny square baby-ghan.
I'll have pictures soon.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Keeping Track Of Hatz

And so I said I was going to go thru my knitting projects yesterday...
Guess what I found? Hatz! I had stored them away somewhere different from where I usually keep them.

So now I have all my hats to take pictures and I had a picture that included the 6 hats I mailed out last Friday.
I went back and looked at all my posts and photos in my computer and I've found out I have made a total of 44 hats since Jan 2008.
38 of these I've made for the Rez.

But wait! My sidebar says 22....
Looking back at my posts I see that I started counting for a Hat Blitz I thought was going to start soon.
I started with the yellow butterfly hat as #1

So thanks to BigHugeLabs, I made this mosaic of all my hats from 1-22



I think I'll take Lizzie's advice and bring down my finished hats to the computer area and COUNT them!

Meanwhile here are some pics of the latest hatz.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A Pair of Socks and Some Answers

Here's the house socks I've been working on. As you can see I've knit the place for the afterthought heel with black waste yarn.

Now to take care of the "I Love Your Blog" Award answers

I'm supposed to answer with one word whatever comes to mind first so here goes:

The questions are as follows:

1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Where is your significant other? Recliner
3. Your hair color? Brownish
4. Your mother? Deceased
5. Your father? Deceased
6. Your favorite thing? Knitting
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your dream/goal? Many
9. The room you’re in? Small
10. Your hobby? Numerous
11. Your fear? Seldom
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Alive
13. Where were you last night? Bed
14. What you’re not? Slender
15. One of your wish-list items? HDTV
16. Where you grew up? California
17. The last thing you did? Knit
18. What are you wearing? Cothes
19. Your TV? Off
20. Your pet? Neutered
21. Your computer? On
22. Your mood? Impatient
23. Missing someone? Yeah
24. Your car? Red
25. Something you’re not wearing? Socks
26. Favorite store? Home Depot
27. Your summer? Fun!
28. Love someone? Yes!
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When is the last time you laughed? 10:58
31. Last time you cried? Forgot

And that's it for today because as you noticed, my mood is impatient!


Saturday, September 20, 2008

Square-Mania

I've been crocheting and knitting up 9" squares and now I have a little leaning tower of squares! They're waiting for company - more squares from our group.

The top square is the basics solid granny square pattern I use.
There is a YouTube video that shows how here.




Now Lizzie has made quite a few blankets already and she just finished a crocheted Box Stitch Diagonal one.

The other day at the LA County Fair, I saw a lapghan crocheted in Box Stitch Diagonal. It was just odds and ends with black sc around the edges.

So I've decided to try my hand at this stitch. Funny thing is that I've made an afghan or two using this stitch, but many, many years ago. So I am glad there are tutorials to help refresh my memory.

I decided to just make a 9" square for practice because I do not have enough yarn for a lapghan or baby blanket.






Rita's Slippers Are Done!

PDF Pattern: Mountain Form Slippers
Yarn: Worsted wt stash odds and ends

These were fun to make, but I am not sure I like the ribbing part. I suppose it holds the slipper snug to the foot. I'll have to ask Rita how they wear.
I was thinking next time I could just do them on straight needles and crochet the seam closed on top, like a planned embellishment.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Changing Gears

Update On The Blanket Blitz

Now through January 15, 2009, our Yahoo NAS Group will be making

4" knit or crochet squares in BABY COLORS ONLY, sport or worsted acrylic yarn

and/or

9" knit or crochet squares, any colors, worsted acrylic yarn

We will be sending all squares to:

NAS Blanket Blitz
19510 Van Buren Blvd.
F3-361
Riverside, Ca. 92508


I will be one of the "assemblers" having fun joining up all the squares to make blankets.

We have a blog too, showcasing blankets, squares, tips, etc.
Native American Support Blanket Blitz

If you prefer to make a complete blanket, afghan, quilt, laprobe - that's great!

February 1, 2009 is the final date to send completed afghans, quilts and blankets for babies through adults, knitter's choice (please label all wool blankets).

Send the completed blankets to the "Main"

Julie Garreau-Project Director
Billy Mills Youth Center (The Main)
8200 East Lincoln Street
P O Box 410
Eagle Butte, SD 57625


I've been working on several blankets and lots of squares. One of my projects is a hexagon blanket. I've even got my sis Rita, crocheting little hexagons for me.
Here's a big shoebox full that she sent.
The plan, once we coordinated our finished hexagon diameter, is to connect them with white. That should be a pretty colorful blanket.
When I get around to joining them, I'll post the progress and some links on how to join.


Mittenz

I've finished my last pair and have to take pics, finish filling the box and pack and ship. It really does give me a very happy feeling to know that there will be more warm hands and heads at the Rez this winter.

Other Projects
I finished that small baby hat and it is small - infant sized.
Lizzie said I should have cast on 80 sts and next time I am going to do just that!

One pair of slipper socks are finished and I'm doing great on the other pair on two circs.

That's all for today as I am resting up from all the walking I did yesterday.
We went to the LA County Fair. Fun, but oh so tiring....

Monday, September 15, 2008

No Blogging - Lots of Knitting

No Blogging lately - what's wrong with me?
I've been real busy tending to the forgotten backyard. It was a jungle back there but I've now gotten it manageable again.

My computer was having problems, my hard drive died. Put in another one and now I have to install all my programs again. I'm still not finished and now my photo editing software is not working for me.
I decided to use Flickr's Picnik program. So far it's OK.

My sis Rita sent me her favorite slipper socks to mend. I usually do afterthought heels and tell her to not throw them away when she wears a hole in the heel.
I can fix them! I did fix them and decided to knit her up a few more pairs.


Some nice reddish ones.
Yarn: TLC Essential Multi - Sedona colorway
Size 4 needles - working both socks at the same time.
Pattern: Melanie's House Socks
I've made a pair of these before and really liked the garter stitch sole.
With this pair I am going to work an afterthought heel instead and still keep the sole in garter stitch.


Here is another pair I'm making using up all the bright bits of yarn.


PDF pattern: Mountain Form Slippers

Mittenz Update
Time is quickly approaching the mail date! I have about 72 pairs of mittens made.
I was saying I was trying to knit up 100 and I will for the year of 2008, just not for the current Blitz. Besides my mitten box is almost full.....

I've got a few more photos but I'll save them for tomorrow.

Oh and Linda nominated me for "I Love Your Blog Award" Thanks!
I'll see what I can do about answers......

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

The Knitting Factory Is Open

I knit up this car seat blanket so fast, I amazed myself! Of course it is only about 24"x31" - but still, you know how slow I go on blankets in the summer...

I used Mason Dixon's Moderne Baby Blanket but cast on fewer stitches and added a few more strips.
This will be for Little Lissie - matches her little hat :)
Yarn is Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn.






WIPs
I like to clean up my craft room when I go away, so I tend to shove all the WIPs here and there - out of sight. Now that I am back, I am having fun searching for them because I forgot where the heck I hid them!

Found the Telemark Sweater and finished it in no time. This one is destined for the Rez for the coming winter.


Pattern: Telemark Sweater (Free Ravelry Download)
Needles: #7's
Yarn: Thrift Shop


Now to hunt around for more FO's and those mittens I left to be finished.
Yes, I am back to knitting even more mittens! Maybe I can reach 100 pairs before the end of Sept? Nahhhh...... not even if I knit in my sleep :)