Yarn deals make me smile

I live very far away from yarn... like reaaaaaly far away from any yarn I like or would use in any project.  We have Wal-Mart, which only carries gigantic balls of crappy quality acrylic in questionable colors.  I've seen other Wal-Mart craft departments that have wonderful selections of many brands and fibers and colors, but our little half aisle of yarn is abysmal.  I obtain most of my yarns by mail order, which isn't really ideal either.

There is just no point in using inferior yarns or ugly colors in anything you have to look at or use for any length of time.  So yesterday, when I had to drive into Utah to catch some back to school sales for the boys, I talked them into stopping at a yarn shop.  I believe there was a bribery of a future steak dinner in there somewhere too.  It's amazing how easy it is to deal with boys/men when you offer them food of some kind.  Daughters are so much harder to bribe effectively.

I had a budget, and promised myself I would only pay in cash just to keep myself from going overboard, plus I gave myself a time limit, and it's a good thing too!  Oh, how I love the feel of yarn... and the colors!!  Mmmmmmm!!!  I could play there all day.

I made my choices and went on up to the checkout counter.  Of course the sales girl was asking about what I was making, and commented on the variety and quantity of yarn I was buying, so I explained to her that I was from out of state and this shop was my closest quality yarn outlet.  Then she tried to set me up on their email list, but I declined, owing to the fact that I rarely come down, and it just makes me sad to see the gatherings and the sales that I can't attend.

Well, right then and there she knocked 15% off my entire purchase.  Wow, really?

Having been in the LYS business previously I know what the markup is on yarn (which makes me crazy paying retail), so I do know this discount really didn't cut into her bottom line so very much, but it was a kind gesture on her part.

Then came the dilemma... this discount would allow me to buy another 3-4 skeins of yarn and still stay under my budget.  So.... do I take advantage of this and walk back and do a grabby hands on some more yarn, or do I smile sweetly and thank her for her generosity and leave.  (sigh)

I did the mature thing and walked away... Regretting every step toward the door, and imagining which colors I would get and what I would make.

The good news is that now I have some colors I truly love and I won't need to go yarn shopping again until after Christmas.... Right?

Playing with Lace

I tend to write out designs that never get made or see the light of day...

On a whim I decided to sign up for a one on one dishcloth swap on Ravelry.  I had planned on sending my partner one of my multitude of already finished cloths, but when she told me her family had allergies I knew I had to buy new yarn, make a new cloth and keep the kitties out of my lap while I made it.  This time I chose 'Creme de la Creme' by Coats.  I've never used it before, but I will use it again.  It's very tightly spun and has way better stitch definition than 'Peaches 'n Cream' or 'Sugar 'n Cream'.  The colors are very crisp and non-muddy.  It knits up a nice firm cloth.

I went hunting through all my notes and patterns in search of something different, when I discovered this doodle page... I had wanted to make an easy to memorize lace pattern (which is what this blog is all about after all!!) that could be made into a small scarf or cowl.  I decided to test knit my design onto a dishcloth for the swap.... On paper it reminded me of snow, made up, it looks more like trees.

So far, I'm liking the rhythm of the design and the look of it.  We'll see how it blocks out and it I take it to the next step and turn it into a real pattern.  So far it's a 'good knit in public' pattern, easy to memorize and keep track of.... Caveat is there is plenty of purling rows.  Even that top garter edge is purled (but it had to be for continuity of design).

This finished (unblocked) cloth looks very much like a watermelon to me.  Very summery and happy.  I like it!

I decided to actually wet block it with wires and pins instead of just laying it out on a towel and patting it a bit like I usually do for gift cloths.  It really defines the lace nicely.

Truth is that I rarely block dishcloths.  I normally just weave the ends in and that's good enough, but I really wanted to see how this pattern looked opened up.

Another test knit?

Just so you don't think I only make dishrags and garter stitch - LOL
Sometimes I do sit on my couch and do fiddly knitting too!

My first foray into test knitting for somebody besides a friend has turned out really great and I had fun doing it (even though it was a mindless car knit pattern).  Last weekend I was a little stressed so I decided to search out something else I might like on the Ravelry forum.  If I am knitting, people leave me alone and that's exactly what I wanted.

I chose another cowl and this one is really pretty... I'm very pleased.  It's called Rose Vines Cowl.  It's a 15x12 repeat that looks cabled, but it's just increases and decreases.

Of course I have to reign in my artsy-fartsy creative side and try not to make major changes to the designers vision.  This is difficult for me and I did make some decisions on this one.  I went with a tonal hand-paint that is the exact same color as my cat!!  Fabulous!!  This yarn is a beautiful "Sweet Georgia Toughlove Sock" in color-way Ginger.

I blocked this very aggressively to open up the lace.  I do wish I had made it narrower and longer.  I may make it again, but who knows.

This week I have to FINISH my Dunes de Sable cloths and get them sent off for the swap... deadline approaching fast.

Dunes de Sable revisited

I know plenty of people think dishcloths are for amateurs, but not me -- I think they are the best way ever to test drive new stitch and lace patterns before you commit to a huge scarf or afghan.  It's no secret that I love Danielle Cote's dishcloth designs because they are so full of possibilities for larger projects.  Unfortunately I have recently been unable to access her (disabled in 2012) site via the wayback machine as I usually do.  Their crawler robots seem to be having issues or something.  Thankfully I took screen shots of the patterns I wanted before they shut the whole thing down.

Anyway, I decided to make the pattern "Dunes de Sable" for a Ravelry swap I'm in.  I had previously blogged that this specific pattern was not public knitting friendly, but I have since changed my mind.  I took my cloths on the road this last week and found this pattern to be quite memorizable/intuitive and I was easily knitting along and chatting with relatives as I attended my daughter's college graduation.  My aunt sat with me and I taught her the pattern while we waited for the graduates to march.... 6 knit, 6 purl, 6 knit... and so it goes.  This yarn is called "Sweet Caroline" and I am in love with it.  100% cotton, but soft enough for a baby ensemble - lovely stuff!!  I'm sad Plymouth discontinued it.

Today, I had a Raveler ask me about my project page and as much as I tried to send her a link for the pattern I was unsuccessful, so I'm going to post it here even though this is NOT my pattern and I do not hold any rights to this.  No copyright violation is intended.  It was originally available for free on the website "Knit Dishcloth Corner" and it was designed by Danielle Cote (who has designed many beautiful cloths - I'm a huge fan!)... I take zero credit for this design even though I have modified it several times for my own uses -- it's really lovely - fully reversible too.

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Dunes de Sable or Sand Waves

copyright by Danielle Cote 2004

@ Knit Dishcloth Corner

(translated from French - but it just sounds so much prettier in French!)

(This is a 9in cloth, Sugar n'Cream, US8 needles)

(Click on pattern to see it full sized)

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(this cloth was modified by subtracting half of a repeat - I wanted a perfect 7in cloth for my swap and that's what I ended up with - this is on size 6US needles)

My "Dunes de Sable" project page on Ravelry - opens a new window

Happy knitting!!!

White Mountain Cowl - test

Silly me -- I was headed on a road trip and thought "Wouldn't it be fun to do a test knit for a designer on Ravelry?"  So off I went to the testing forums to find a pair of lace socks to knit up while I was on the road.... Wrong!  I ended up with this bulky yarn cowl to do instead.  Looking back, I'm so glad I didn't go with socks because I got a lot more talking done with the cowl than I ever would have if I had chosen socks to test.

I accidentally had this beautiful tweedy yarn in my stash, a wool & silk blend, so soft.  It's going to be lovely warm this coming winter... I finished it and uploaded the whole thing while I was on the road - imagine the looks I got taking iPhone selfies in a winter wool cowl in the heat of summer --- yeah, it was funny!

I'm hoping the designer makes this pattern a freebie download because I sure would like to teach it.  It looks like garter stitch, it's actually a row of k and a row of p... all done in the round on huge needles with simple increases and decreases.  I think it would be a great first circ project, and it definitely qualifies as a mindless project that can be easily done while in a distractible situation.

After she publishes it, I'll post the link to her pattern... 

White Mountain Cowl

(which may just be a working name - stay tuned)

My project page - Ravelry

Pattern over-confidence

I had company over last night to watch some movies and chat and have some laughs.  Of course I decided to pick up my knitting while the movie was going.  Normally this activity is fine and I knit along and all is well, but not last night.

I'm still working on Hitchhiker scarves for the girls, so I decided I would start #3.  The yarn is a beautiful handpainted wool and silk blend with rich amethyst jewel colors.  It's going to turn out fabulous when it's finished.

I got fairly far last night and was loving the look and drape of this yarn.... THEN I went to pick it up again this morning.... I found this....

What's up with that little half sized baby tooth?  How in the world did this get past me?

I feel so stupid this morning.  I started out ripping it out up to the next correct row, but in the end I just ripped out the whole thing and will start over.  I can't even think about caving in and putting lifelines in this project, but maybe I ought to.

I think my project today will be writing up a spreadsheet of stitch count for myself.

Wold Wide Knit in Public Day 2014

Well I DID TRY to get a WWKIP gathering here... We don't have a yarn shop within 90 miles of here, but I did stop at the quilt shop and ask around a bit, these ladies are about as close to finding local knitters and I'm going to get.  I posted on Ravelry and I posted an event on Facebook, but no interest at all.  I found one crocheter and one loom knitter who might like to join a guild if I start one, but nobody who wanted to sit and knit with me out in the park today... It's very disheartening.  So I decided to just go be a conspicuous knitter all on my own. (my son's are such good sports about their silly mommy!!)

The Freedom Rally (motorcycle club rally) is in town this weekend so I couldn't think of a more interesting place than that to park my housewife self down in the middle of it all and get out my needles.  I'm STILL working on the Hitchhiker scarf... I have not picked it up since last weekend so I am still on tooth 21.  I've got a Pi shawl KAL going on and that has eaten up quite a bit of my knitting time.

Anyway... Here we are at the drag races out at Airport six this afternoon.  Hitchhiker is turning out to be pretty much a perfect knit in public project.  I love it.  It's just as portable as a dishcloth, and just as mindless.  It was chilly and windy out today and my knitting was slow because my hands don't really like the chill, so I didn't get an entire tooth done, but I'm pretty close.

Go put something on your needles - anything at all.  Go forth and knit!

Knitting Cowgirl Style!

I've been working on Martina Behm's Hitchhiker scarf.  I'm using Cascade Handpaint fingering yarn in colorway "fruit salad" on size 3 needles.

I chose this project because I kept hearing people rave about this pattern -- This has the distinction of being the very first pattern I ever bought on Ravelry and I am so glad I did.  I love the look of it, I love the mindlessness of it.  It is a great knitting in public kind of project, but it doesn't seem to get the same kind of attention the little dishcloths get and I don't know why.

Anyway, I took the scarf with me to the rodeo tonight (yes, the RODEO!).  This is the ultimate in Wyoming multitasking - I was able to watch the cowboys, participate in the crowd, and still knit while in the bleachers with dozens of kids running around me.  I finished tooth 19 and half of tooth 20, which I know doesn't sound like much, but I think it was an accomplishment.. Truly!

Little Baskets - a pretty perfect pattern

I am always trying out new designs with the specific intent of finding patterns that can be EASILY knit in public and during group situations without dependence on a pattern.

Little Baskets is absolutely perfect for that purpose.  It's one of the designs that can be  looked at and see where you are without having to memorize an actual pattern.  

It is easy to have a conversation or pay attention to another person while this is knit.  It's fast and it's beautiful.. It's quite squishy and dimensional.  It makes a lovely dishcloth, and if it was expanded it would made a lovely blanket too.
Knits and purls only, no shaping - 9 inch cloth

This pattern used to be on Danielle Côté's website knitdishclothcorner, but the domain has expired and can only be accessed via the wayback machine website.  Those pages often don't load properly and often have broken images so I took a screenshot of her pattern and have decided to post it here and share it with other public knitters -- no copyright infringement intended - this is NOT my pattern, it was designed and copyrighted by Danielle Côté in 2006.  She originally called it "Petit panier 1". (click on the image to make it full sized)

I love Danielle's designs so much and have made several of her cloths.  Most of them translate very well into larger projects with just a little math.  If you can access the archive of her site, please do so, and take a look at all her unique patterns.  I have singled out this basket weave pattern because of it's simplicity and it's ability to be completed in a distracting environment without a pattern.  I promise you'll get compliments.

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Ok, so I'm on a green dishcloth kick - this Peaches 'n Cream ombre compliments my Corelle - (callaway - it's ivy leaves on white), and my table linens pretty well.  It's called key lime pie... I bought a full cone.

My other cloth I made yesterday from Danielle's design is this one...

9 inch square, all knits and purls, no shaping.

This one is called "Dunes de sable" or "Sand waves", copyrighted in 2004.  This is a gorgeous and sturdy cloth, fully reversible, but doesn't really adapt well into public knitting.  I knit this one in front of Netflix and that was OK, but I wouldn't knit it at church.

Summer Dishcloth Swap Project

I decided to participate in an online dishcloth swap - So I needed to step it up a notch and make something unusual...

I once again decided on using the 'Almost Lost' pattern.  It's such a mindless pattern that I find I can easily watch TV or have a conversation while I knit... it always turns out pretty, but I needed to make it somehow different.

I decided that I could make the center area very flowery looking by holding a small strand of ombre crochet cotton alongside the worsted cotton for the main knitting, then dropping it for the stitches outside the yarn over.  The two yarns I used are easily seen in this photo (click it for larger image)

Finished cloth - I think they turned out great!!  I'm thinking I will use this technique again and make some red and green cloths for gifts at Christmas (stay tuned)

Co-knitting in church

My daughter was home from college and she took up knitting with me at church today.

I normally like to have at least 3 rows completed on any project I plan to knit during the service.  It makes it less distracting if I already have a foundation and pattern started and I don't have to mess with casting on or counting.  This was not the case today so I had to quickly cast something on and start it before the service started.  My fault for lack of preparation.  It's a good thing I have so many small patterns stuck in my head and can get one on the needles quickly.

I was sort of surprised that my daughter wanted to join me in this activity.  We had a truly peaceful time sitting and knitting and enjoying each other this morning.  I think she's hooked on it now.

Today's knitting for me was The Almost Lost Washcloth, which is a very simple and lovely pattern I have made several times in the past.  I got a good start on mine but didn't get very far today.

This pattern works up a very nice, round cloth, garter stitched short rows with no wrapping.  It's easy to memorize and keep track of but there is a fair amount of turning involved.  Even then, I consider this pattern to be quite portable.  I don't know if I would knit this pattern again at church, but it is a great pattern for other kinds of public knitting like the bus or a waiting room.  The finished cloth is very cute... Everyone I've given them to has loved them.

My daughter worked on and FINISHED her little seed stitch cloth she brought in her bag... very cute.  No pattern required, she just cast on 25 and worked it until it was square.  Perfect for church knitting.  It can be worked without even looking down.  I'm not sure anyone even realized she was knitting.

We had an interesting conversation on the way home about knitting in Victorian times.  It was considered quite a refined art and part of a well-bred lady's skills. In that era, most of the upper class ladies were knitting and carried their knitting with them to social gatherings and sat and knit in groups with their family members and friends.  So, I have no guilt at all in striving to bring this beautiful tradition back.

Tonight I started a sample of a lace cloth that I plan on finishing while we have a girls movie night and the boys are out sitting around the bonfire in the yard. 

Happy Memorial day!!

Squishy Feather Dishcloth / Hot Pad (two ways)

Many years ago, my Aunt Sherry made me this potholder as a wedding (or anniversary?) gift.  It was designed to be folded in half around a hot handle or pan and it works great for that.  It's thick and soft and totally reversible.  It's my go-to pad for when I need something under a hot dish at the table.  It has been washed hundred+ times and it's still fat and squishy and looks good.  (note - the yarn used in this pad in this seems heavier and more firmly wound than the cotton yarn I have used in past years - this may have made a difference in the wear and tear factor - time will tell)

I wanted to make one for my daughter's apartment warming party, so I cornered my aunt one day and asked her for the pattern.  She told me it was a standard Feather & Fan pattern and she couldn't remember it, nor did she have it written down.  She thinks maybe she was just swatching ideas for an afghan and ended up with that potholder, but she never made it again... (sigh)

So I hunted and hunted and hunted for the pattern, but I have not found anything like it online or in a book.  I found dozens of different versions of F&F and Old Shale, nothing seems "standard", and for sure I didn't find anything really reversible like this one is... So I got out my magnifier and my needles and worked the stitch pattern out on my own.

The two following patterns are the results of my playing with this... I have a three fan version and a four fan version and an example of a two color version.  

THIS PATTERN IS SUPER SIMPLE TO MEMORIZE so it is ideal for public, group and portable knitting situations... Spoiler = I also am working on making a version of into a floofy scarf pattern, so watch for that next!! :)

PATTERNS BELOW

(PDF download link available under each pattern)

K = knit

P = Purl

K2tog = Knit 2 stitches together

YO = Yarn over

[repeat] = repeat the previous shaping stitches that are in brackets

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SQUISHY FEATHER HOT PAD (w three fans)

Yarn is worsted 100% Cotton - Lily Sugar'n Cream, Peaches'n Cream, Knit Picks Dishie, Lion Kitchen Cotton - anything like these

Needle size - US 8 (5.0mm) .. The reason for this is because you want a loose knit.. but use what you have, 6,7 or 8 all give good results.

Makes appx 9.5 inch cloth (depending on gauge)

Cast on 42 stitches, loosely

Row 1: K2, [YO, K4, K2tog, K2tog, K4, YO], K1, [repeat], K1, [repeat], K2 

(do yourself a favor and occasionally count your stitches after doing Row 1 to make sure you still have 42)

Row 2: K2, P38, K2

Row 3: K all

Repeat this three row pattern until you have a cloth that is reasonably square.

Bind off and weave in the ends....  Ta-Da!!  So soft! 

If you decide to give this cloth as a gift PLEASE take the time to gently block it and make it look pretty

Download and print - Squishy Feather Hotpad PDF

Ravelry page - Squishy Feathers Hot Pad (w three fans)
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SQUISHY FEATHER DISHCLOTH (w four fans)

Yarn is worsted 100% Cotton - Lily Sugar'n Cream, Peaches'n Cream, Knit Picks Dishie, Lion Kitchen Cotton - anything like these

Needle size - US 6 (4.0mm) .. You want a loose but firm knit.  Larger needles will give a bigger than average cloth... but use what you have, 6,7 or 8 all give good results.

Makes appx 10 inch cloth (depending on gauge)

Cast on 47 stitches, loosely

Row 1: K2, [YO, K3, K2tog, K2tog, K3, YO], K1, [repeat], K1, [repeat], K1, [repeat], K2 

(do yourself a favor and occasionally count your stitches after doing Row 1 to make sure you still have 47)

Row 2: K2, P43, K2

Row 3: K all

Repeat this three row pattern until you have a cloth that is reasonably square.

Bind off and weave in the ends....  Ta-Da!!  Beautiful!

If you decide to give this cloth as a gift PLEASE take the time to gently block it and make it look pretty

Download and print - Squishy Feathers Dishcloth PDF

Ravelry page - Squishy Feathers Dishcloth (w four fans)
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The size difference between the two cloths is not really so much, maybe an inch, not as much as you might imagine them to be.  As you can see, they are pretty similar, but the three fan version is much squishier and thicker.

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Experiment #3 --- Two colors

My son wanted me to make a cloth for him that matched his dishes and this is what I came up with.  I started out by doing 3 rows of black and three rows of the white/black speckle, but ended up with too many ends to weave in and I hate that, so that project was scrapped even though the shadow effect was very pretty... 

My second attempt was 6 rows black and 6 rows white speckle with the yarn carried neatly up the side.  The front of the cloth is stunning, but the back leaves a lot to be desired.  I won't be making any two color variations again. (BTW - these photos are not black and white even though they look that way.  That yarn is really that color and it is quite pretty made up - my bad for wearing grey pants)

Grandma's Makeup Remover pads

My daughters and I are trying to go as natural as possible, so I have been making assorted reusable and "green" hygiene items for quite awhile. We use these makeup remover pads all the time. 

To use, we store them wet and ready to use in a lidded, airtight container with a small amount of alcohol free witch hazel (alcohol free is IMPORTANT! Get the best brand you can).  You can also add things like pure aloe gel or olive oil to your mix - There are plenty of DIY remover recipes available online. I have had the best luck with plain old witch hazel.

After these pads get used/ dirty, we collect them into a mesh lingerie bag I have hanging near the tub.  This is so none get lost in the wash.

I can get 11-12 pads made from one ball of the solid yarn. I normally make white or ecru, but my daughters prefer the colors. These can be made from dishcloth leftover yarn bits and are a great portable project.

They also make a great gift for environmentally conscience friends. 

Pattern as follows.. 

(PDF download is at the bottom of the post)

This pattern is modified from the traditional Grandmothers Favorite Dishcloth - It makes a 2.5 to 3 inch square pad that fits very nicely in a snap-lock container… Your results may vary depending on how tight you knit and what size needles you use.

Yarn is worsted 100% Cotton - Lily Sugar'n Cream, Peaches'n Cream, Knit Picks Dishie, Lion Kitchen Cotton - anything like these

Needle size - US 6 (4.0mm) .. Note: I have made lots of these pads and I wouldn't substitute needles any larger than US 8 or smaller than US 6 if you want good results

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Grandma's Favorite Makeup Remover Pads

Long Tail Cast on 4 stitches

Row 1: Knit 2, YO, knit across
Repeat this increase row until you have 18 stitches on your needle

(I have also made these with 16 stitches.. I think those are too small for my use, but if you want a tinier cloth, try that)

Row 2: Knit 1, K2 tog, YO, K2 tog, knit across
Repeat this decrease row until you have 4 stitches on the needle
Bind off and weave in the ends

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Please WASH your little pads before you use them for the first time!!  These pads can handle a very hot, sanitizing wash.  Expect them to shrink up a bit and give a nice, square, scrubby surface.

Find on Ravelry - Grandma's Makeup Remover Pads (opens new window)

Download PDF file - Makeup remover pads PDF