Cranky Hats & One Potholder

I just had to crochet this potholder! I was visiting My Boring Life's Blog and I was enticed by all the pretty potholders she has crocheted.

So easy, so simple and I have lots of cotton yarn to choose from.

Pattern with lots of good pictured instructions is here.




Been playing with my new toy here - the Innovations Adult Knitting Machine.




We even started up a group on Ravelry - called Crank Knitters - come join us!

I've been making hats, but they are not really large enough for an adult. Since the machine only has 44 sts, they come out best for infants or small children.

Below is an experiment that I did to make the hat a bit larger/wider.
I knit the tube, took it off the machine, finished one end and then dropped 4 sts evenly spaced around. Probably not a great idea for a single layer hat but with a double layered one - not too bad and it fit my 23" noggin better than the smaller ones.




I used worsted wt from the stash


Picture is of both sides.

The dropped stitch effect is probably better for a scarf and that's what I am working on next!

Still knitting away on those Heet The Feet slippers and booties!

Is The Water Hot Enough?

I don't think the water was hot enough today.
It was a cold last night for So Cal - around 36 degrees.

Threw my socks in the washer with some sweats and a few hand towels.
They took awhile to start felting not as quick as the last time. And this was the same yarn I used on the squares slippers. So I'm blaming it on the water temp.
I even put them in the dryer for a few minutes and that seemed to help shrink them down a little more.

I don't want to stick my foot inside them right now while they are damp so I won't stretch them out too much. I did try both of them on before they went into the dryer and they did fit.
Maybe a smidge too long. The width is just about right, but that is for my wide foot with socks on.




These will be going to the Rez for Heet The Feet as I am sure they will fit some poor swollen feet. There are many who suffer from Diabetes that would love these slippers.

Next time I am going to try less rows - good thing I kept a row count! But since this is a 44 needle machine, I cannot do anything about the width. Maybe a lighter wt wool yarn might work..... back to the drawing board (knitting machine)!

While Others Watched Superbowl

I managed to finish up some WIPs!

Another pair of slippers for Heet The Feet from Ann's recipe.
These look small but garter stitch stretches so they fit me too, but they're going to the Rez :)




Then I cranked out another double sided hat on the machine! Here's a pic of both sides.

Felting Experiment In Progress

So okay - I've played around with knitting up little hats on the machine.
Now to get down to some experimenting.

Why not felted socks? So I used the Fuzzy Feet pattern from Knitty.com as a guidline and knit up this tube. The pattern called for 44 sts to be cast on and the machine has 44 needles.
I used waste yarn at the beginning and end and on 22 needles for the afterthought heel.
The gauge on the machine knit tube with worsted wt wool was 3.5 sts & 5.5 rows to one inch. Found the right needle size to match that and made me a toe and heel!

Just have to finish the 2nd one and toss them into the washer.







Another quick fix project was a pair of crocheted booties.
Found this cute pattern in one of my older books,
Woman's Day Bazaar Best Sellers 1983.

Another little pair for Heet The Feet!




And I finally felted these slippers made from squares.
I started these in November and never got around to felting them.
They're the Easy Felted House Slippers from Craft Magazine.



There is also a very helpful video on YouTube to show you how to fold them up.

Folding The Norwegian House Slippers

A New Toy For Me!

This is what my daughter and family in Colorado gave me for my birthday!

The NSI International Innovations Knitting Machine



It's a 44 needle crank type that can handle worsted wt yarns.

So I've been playing around and making some hats.
Made one simple one, took it off the machine to hand knit the crown and ribbing.
The second one I made a long tube for a double thickness hat.


Having fun and learning - patience is needed!


The two roll brimmed hats below were made with Red Heart sports wt yarn.




In between I managed to make another pair of Little Feet for the challenge.

These are from Bev's Stay On Bootie pattern. I added a little two color knit toe.

More Colorado Knitting

I did finish a few things while in Colorado.

A hat for my daughter which I call Beeni's NY Hat, because she bought the yarn in New York.

Pattern: Alison's Beginner Cap

Yarn: 1 skein of Araucania Magallanes







And the Sponge Bob Hat was completed!



It was easier to knit the body of the hat and harder to make all the parts!

Has The Dust Settled?

Whew! I've been back home since Jan 23rd and I am busier than ever. Lots of catching up here at home with chores and mail.
And my Wips? I've forgotten where I was on some of my projects. Forgot the rows, the pattern... So I settled on working on the easy ones to get back in the groove so to speak!

Last post was a picture of a beautiful Colorado sunset where you can see a bit of snow on the ground.

Today's picture is a beautiful view of the mountains from Baseline Rd and the 15 Freeway near my house. Who says we don't have snow here in Southern Calif!





Now for some knitting pictures.


Trails & Ditches Hoodie An FO - In 7 days!



I knitted and knitted and knitted and finished this in time for grandson to wear.



I think he likes it!




Yarn is "I Love This Yarn" from Hobby Lobby.
Pattern is from Brown Sheep Company and I used one needle size larger.
I also made the neck opening bigger than the pattern so he would not have any
trouble putting it on.

WIP's

I've got to find them first!

Be Back In A Few Days!

I'm still here in Morrison Colorado visiting my daughter and family.
Sure is beautiful with all the snow - not alot of snow, but just enough to create some lovely views.

And I celebrated my 62nd birthday complete with birthday cake and a Moraccan lamb dinner. I took pictures - will post later.

Earlier in the week I visited a very nice yarn shop in Littleton Colorado - Cottage Yarns - and found this really cute pattern. Trails & Ditches Hoodie by Brown Sheep Yarn Company.



Knitting it up for my grandson but making it slightly larger because it only goes up to size 6. Making it up larger would make it last at least one more season, I hope :)




Be back on the 23rd with more news. I left my Heet The Feet slippers behind and I sure want to finish them!

A New Challenge

There is a new challenge up for our Native American Support group on Yahoo.

It's the Heet The Feet 2008 Challenge. You can read all about it on
Ann's blog.

When you get to Ann's blog you will see the cute little Baby Mocs she made from a pattern she purchased that is now no longer available. At least I could not find a copy.

So I made up my own little mocs that are "knock offs" of Ann's pattern.




These little guys measure about 4-4.5 inches long and are knit with odds and ends of worsted wt yarn on size 4 needles.

A good pattern to modify is Bev's Stay On Booties

Checking back on Ann's blog - I see she is having a little KAL for a recipe to create your own mocs! Yeah!!!!

For the Challenge, I've already got lots of slipper patterns queued up on Ravelry :)



Now for more FO's

The Golden Compass Hat is done! Really easy and I'll have to make more after the slipper challenge is over.






And a hat for moi! Did I mention I was going to Morrison Colorado in a few days?
It's cold and snowy there so I want to be prepared.



Just your basic 2x2 rib with a face opening.

Last Year's FO's

And a look back at last year's resolutions.

1. Knit From My Stash - yup! I did that and limited my new yarn purchases.

2. Reduce my pattern library by 1/3. Did that too - gave away lots of magazines and books.

3. Finish the WIPs - uhhh.... didn't even make a dent but I did finish some :)

4. Work on 2 projects at a time before starting a new one - HA HA HA- I knew I would not keep that one!


Now For The FO's of 2007

50 Hats
27 Mittens
23 Small Sweaters
14 Blankets/Lapghans
13 Pairs of Booties
12 Pairs of Slippers
8 Scarves
8 Pairs of Wristers
5 Pairs of Socks
3 Ponchos/shawls
1 Pair of Legwarmers
1 Crochet Purse

For A Grand Total of 165 Handmade Items!


So what have I resolved to do this year?

Probably the same as last year but with focus on finishing those aging WIPs!


See what I found while searching for some yarn? A little blue sweater that just needed the button bands and the buttons. UFO to FO!



Pattern - I don't remember
Yarn - probably Red Heart

Welcome 2008!

Lots of pictures today!

Here's the last FO for 2007 - another Thorpe Hat.


Size 7 & 8 needles, Bernat Softee Chunky purchased at Smiley's.


Now for 2008's FO's

These are Basic Fingerless Mittens - pattern from Crochet Me site.




I used an F crochet hook for my gauge and some aged Columbia Minerva Shannon.
This was a really easy, easy pattern!





So easy that it led me to improvise and turn them into mittens!
Same F hook and some aged Bernat's Soft n' Cozy yarn.



I just continued after the 7th row and started decreasing by 4 every other row until 8 sts.
About the same with the thumb, only I picked up 14 sts and crochet until 2 rows less desired length, then I started sc 2 together until 6 sts were left.




And another earflap hat - this time EZ's Maltese Fisherman's Hat with two strands of knitting worsted and #11 needles.




WIP's

Still have some 2007 Wips and some new ones.

A Hooded Baby Poncho from Lion Brand

The Golden Compass Hat from Froggie Meanie

A Sponge Bob Hat from Kody May Knits

And a few others that are hibernating for now.

Hey! It's An FO!

I had this Stockinette BSJ on the sidelines and I finally finished it!





Mods can be found at Panda Man's Knitting Corner

It helps to have knit a Baby Surprise Jacket before and I've knit dozens so I found this easy.

The only thing I did not like were MY increases and decreases. I think I was doing it wrong or else they just do not look as good in the stockinette. If you look at Panda Man's BSJ, you will see a much neater line.

I plan to knit up another and try again to see if I can improve the increase/decrease lines.

You have to have the original Baby Surprise Jacket pattern by Elizabeth Zimmermann to make this stockinette pattern. Go see his page for more details!


Here's a picture at the halfway point.






Sapatinho experimenting still going on and I just have to seam those little guys up.

Will post the results next, but I am leaning toward the 2nd pair I made with the garter stitch bottom. Easy to seam!

Another Red Hat

A very bright red!




Pattern can be found here

Back to finishing WIPs .....

More Knitted Cuteness

Cutie Patooties! These took only 1oz of worsted wt yarn. I used #6 needles. See the ones on the bottom? I seamed up the whole cuff and folded it down, but I think I like the open cuff best.



And another hat is done! Nope - it's not fair isle. It's just a combination of varigated brown yarn with solid brown yarn.



Several other Wips in line;
Curve of Pursuit
Ripple Scarf
Taptestry Crochet Kitty Bag
Cold Shoulder's Capelet from The Happy Hooker
Some slippers and another hat.
Oh yeah - Mittenz! Deadline is almost here!

Little Knitting

Not too much knitting going on with the bigger projects. They're on hold for now - too hot!

Finished those Little Kid Socks and they are really easy to knit up. The only thing I changed was to slip the first stitch of each row. The pink pair was without slipping and the seaming is not great, especially the back part. The varigated pair came out better, but seaming that back heel needs to be neater. Perhaps with a fluffy yarn the seams would be hidden or maybe omit the bind off and place the back parts on holders to weave in later?
Or maybe my seaming skills will improve :)





AND - I found another pattern!

Bernat's Organic Cotton Knit Booties



You have to sign in / register to access their free patterns.

Another two needle quicky, but I am thinking that the opening might be too loose to stay on.
Maybe go down a needle size for the cuff. Already on my next pair, so I'll be experimenting - again :)

Thanks for all the compliments! Keeps me knitting and knitting for charity!

Who Said I Don't Knit Socks?

Here is a cute pair. The pattern call for fluffy angora,
hence the name "Angel Booties"

When you use sport wt yarn, you get socks.




These knit up quickly, but those little #3 dps are a pain to maneuver around and I've tried the "Magic Loop" - don't really like it. I get the concept and can do it, but somehow I don't enjoy the part where you slide the loop.

Now For A Two Needle Pattern

Thanks to a fellow NAS member that posted the link to this pattern for
Little Kid Socks . I like these better as they are knit on two needles.




I'll be finished with these soon, but I am getting ideas as I knit along to "marry" both patterns.

Meanwhile a few more hats have been done!



Standard 2x2 rib with combined smaller weight yarns.



Another of Tammy's Flap Hats.



The "Jos" hat. Pattern no longer on the www, at least I can't find it.

The two hats above were knit with the same yarn combination but my camera did not capture the correct color on the Jos hat.




Child's Earflap Cap by Robin Hansen from IK Spring 1999