Knitted Extension Cord

Knitting Faces

I guess I'm not the only one that makes a funny face while knitting.
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I love:
Guardians of Russian Art Museums - Beautiful & interesting photos. Check out the series 'Sentry' also.
Postcards from yo Momma - A repository of modern day maternal correspondence. I'm sharing this in solidarity with all moms.

Free Horizontal Cowl Pattern

Insulation.

Gauge is not critical for this project. This super-bulky yarn, knit in a rib pattern on size 15 needles creates a fairly dense fabric with nice drape that conforms to the neck & shoulders in a flattering way. My finished cowl measures 8.5 x 30.5 inches.

Materials:
1 skein Brown Sheep Burly Spun (132 yards/121 meters)
3 2-inch buttons (my oak tree-branch buttons are from The Hickory Tree)
Straight or circular needles size 15
Large tapestry needle

Always slip the first stitch of each row -

Using the long-tail method, cast on 20 stitches.

Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: sl 1, p 1, Knit 1 into the row below, p1, continue to end of row.

Repeat row 2 until approximately 28" from beginning.

Buttonhole row: Work 4 stitches in pattern, then slip the first stitch on the left needle as if to knit. Move the yarn to the front of the work and leave it there. Slip the next stitch from the left needle to the right needle as if to knit. Pass the first slipped stitch over the second slipped stitch and off the needle. Repeat until you have bound off the number of required stitches for the buttonhole. (I bound off 3 stitches for my 2" buttons) Slip the last stitch from the right needle back to the left needle. Turn. Bring the yarn to the front of the work. At the edge where the buttonhole was begun, cast on the number of stitches you bound off plus one additional stitch.*
Turn. Slip the first stitch from the left needle to the right needle as if to knit. Pass the extra cast on stitch over the next stitch; then slip this stitch back to the left needle.

* a good cast on for the buttonhole: twisted purl cast on

This buttonhole was published in Maggie Righetti's Knitting in Plain English (St. Martin's Press, 1986)

Continue to work in established rib pattern until you run out of yarn. (save a little bit for sewing on the buttons!)

Place 3 buttons as shown in photo. By placing the buttons this way, the cowl can be buttoned a few different ways; up close to your neck, or looser & extending further onto your shoulders. Wrap it around your neck & rock the cold air.

Horizontal Cowl

I just finished making this cozy thing, & I'll post the instructions in the next day or two.

The beautiful spalted oak tree-branch buttons came from The Hickory Tree.

I asked for 3, 2" buttons with two holes & they were created for me that evening & shipped immediately. I used all three buttons for this project, sewn on so that the cowl can be buttoned a few different ways. I adore them!

Crocheted Ripples & Grannies

I'm feeling inspired to begin a large crochet project. I have enough wool.
. Inspiration for my bedroom, 2. babette blanket - finished!, 3. crochet blanket, 4. square corner, 5. halloween 08 055, 6. summer hexagon blanket, 7. Day Two, 8. Ripple Blanket, 9. More Colors: up close

Forest Canopy Over & Over

Pagewood Farms Denali hand dyed sock yarn - merino wool, 'purple haze'
very soft & drapey. I used a US 6 needle.

Araucania Lonco Multy - fingering weight cotton.

I used a US 4 (bamboo) needle. I don't usually favor variegated lace, but it works with this pattern. In fact I'm on a bit of a variegated jag.

Here are two of the three Forest Canopy Shawls I've made. I recommend this pattern to anyone who wants to try knitting lace for the first time. The pattern is easily memorized; no need to refer to charts after the first several rows. There are only eight repeat rows. This pattern is also perfect for using that one skein of special sock yarn - the one that you don't want to hide in your shoes.

I've added two cardigans to my queue!

Featherweight Cardigan - by Hannah Fettig

Liesl - by Ysolda Teague

Spring Knitting

It would appear that I had fallen off the face of the earth, if the earth consisted only of the blogosphere. Instead, I've been busy & have not photographed any of this busyness. I must have photos to blog. It's the only way for me. Today I've got a few images, so blog!

The Lace Ribbon Scarf from Knitty Spring 2008 issue. This is a beautiful scarf when finished & blocked! It took me quite some time to find just the right pattern for this Jade Sapphire Silk & Cashmere loveliness. Unfortunately this is the dullest knit ever. Now the weather is getting warm, further demotivating me on this project.

Ditto the black Garter Yoke Cardigan which combines simple beauty & everyday wearability. It's almost complete with one sleeve & a bit of the second remaining to knit. The body went very quickly, the sleeves on two circular needles are tedious & slow. Here's what that project looks like:

There's not much to see here either, but for a long term carry around project I've been working on an Elizabeth Zimmerman Stonington Shawl. Two greens, doubled lace weight merino. The edging will be a solid green, one or the other of the two. I've completed about 50% of the center square. I need to figure out how to put progress bars on the sidebar of my blog!

One more WIP - I'm making a Forest Canopy Shawl with this new Auraucania Lonco Multy. I had to find out for myself why this pattern is so popular. Now I know; I memorized the pattern within the first set of eight rows. No chart needed until I reach the edging!

Last but most importantly, I'm doing a major destash. A considerable chunk of my stuff (vague quantity). But really.

Play With Me!

Etsy Front Page

'Muted'

Hello, I'm knitting

Hey! How about a blog post?

I've been almost exclusively knitting in the time I have to make things. It is relaxing & cathartic in a light sense. It is not demanding, unless I let it be. Knitting is my first craft-love.

I joined a group called Vest-uary on Ravelry; members coming together to knit vests in Feb-ruary. This has given me the motivation needed to finish a long-dormant Alieta's Shell. I haven't photographed it yet. I've also made a Vormorgun Létt-Lopavesti which is as Nordic as it sounds. I do have some photos of the yoke to share.

Fire in the wood stove nearby. Cozy!

Build your stash relatively inexpensively

...or How to knit with better yarn than you otherwise might have done.

or, How to support your habit.

A big portion of my stash has not been acquired in the conventional way (walk into the yarn shop & buy). I can't often afford a sweater-quantity of Dream in Color, or Malabrigo Merino. I do have a few tricks that help me to knit with the fiber I want to, while shaving something off of the cost.

1. Purchase yarn from or trade yarn with knitters on Ravelry who have changed their mind about a purchase or have excess yarn.
2. Purchase yarn on ebay from shops like Cucumberpatch UK, ColourmartUK, Catnip yarns, Yarnbow, & Arpat_yarn store for Addi Turbo needles...
3. Purchase or trade for yarn on Etsy.
   



4. Ask for yarn as a gift! Act nonplussed when people question these requests.
5. (With a smile in your heart) purchase nice quality yarns that have been donated at the thrift shop. It's rare, but it does happen. Yarn may benefit by overdyeing. In my own unique value-system, thrifted yarn might be a good thing, while shiny new acrylic yarn is most likely not a good thing.




6. If a member of your local fiber guild has an estate sale, or there is mention of a weaver or knitter liquidating their stash, you've struck gold. Arrive early. Bring cash & be ready to spend it.
   
   
   
7. Wine & dine the local fiber community. joke!
8. If you're a pretty accomplished knitter, offer to knit models for the LYS, or test knit on Ravelry in trade for yarn.




9. To state the obvious, shop sales.
10. Frog & reknit. Yarn may benefit by overdyeing.
11. Deconstruct high quality* sweaters from the thrift shop. A Niddy Noddy comes in handy in this case for calculating yardage. One pass around equals 1 yard. Yarn may benefit by overdyeing.

*cashmere, cashmere & silk blend, Shetland or merino wool fiber.

Be selective. Some of these practices should be undertaken in moderation or you'll lose all sense of proportion.

I told you I'm a scavenger!

Miss Alice slouchy beret

I am in a slouchy hat phase. It has just begun, but I'll have to make at least two before I move on to something else. My first example is this pattern designed by Carrie Strine; Hand-Me-Downs on Etsy. This pattern has the lace-magic thing going. The pattern opens up when the beret is blocked & really looks beautiful! I learned a new little beret blocking trick on Ravelry. Once the wet beret is stretched over a dinner plate, I threaded a string through the knit stitches on the cast on row & cinched the hat in. This just made the finished opening (the ribbed edge) nice & small & perfectly even.
Modeled shot to come.

Botanical Stitch Markers ~

Some new old favorites; soldered sterling silver jump rings, for use with needles up to 6.5mm/ US 10. Lightweight & cheerful :)

Blog Giveaway ~ Scandinavian Mittens

Happy Blogiversary! If you'll leave a comment on this post, in one week I'll draw a name & contact the winner.

This is a special copyright 1948 knitting booklet; Scandinavian Mittens by Kajsa Lindqvist. It contains patterns for all of the designs pictured on the cover - seven patterns for adults, two for children, & two for babies. Complete with graphs and Illustrations.

(First and second annual Mitten Day Celebration)