very promsing and very disappointing

In the "promising" department: my design of cup holder for the Adirondack chairs that sit on the dock. I am sure these chairs had cup holders in the holes in the arms but likely a storm blew them out. Alas! Where to place my beer? I decided to design a knitted replacement with some left over cotton yarn complete with button attachments. I have not really been taking notes but I borrowed a pattern from this lovely and talented gal and added the necessary straps. Once done I will post.



I tried it out in the chair and found that the top strap just needs a button hole and the bottom strap needs to be bound off. The remaining straps can all be the same length as the one still on the needle.

In the "disappointing" department: my coffee mug cozy for a friend (more specifically a work colleague and long-time friend) with an oddly shaped mug. I decided to wing it with almost no planning on my part. Because I would like to surprise her with it, periodically I have been stealing her mug off her desk taking it home to try on the cozy-in-progress and then returning it to her desk. All this without her noticing. My husband keeps asking me why I don't take measurements. I think I did at one point but then lost them.



Anyway, it appears that despite my best effort this will be frogged. I might give it one more try though because I am high from the promise of my cup holder for the Adirondack chair.



SeyMo says "this sucks - fix it."

9th aniversary

Steve and I have been married for nine years today, 9/9/09. Pretty neat. Too bad we did nothing to celebrate - as usual.

scrub bags for hand made soap

These are not an original idea but I have always wanted to try to make little soap bags to be used as wash cloths with the nice spa type soap inside. After screwing around this is what I came up with.



Cast on 38 stitches with Lion Cotton worsted or similar. I used size 6 straight needles.

Knit 4 rows stockinette.

Then start a stitch pattern that is open and bumpy for the exfoliating effect. I used a bramble pattern in one and an open cross stitch in another so the suds can flow out. Leave a knit st on both sides of the row as selvage for sewing up.

Continue in the pattern for about 3 inches (or enough to cover your soap bar.)

Knit a row.
Purl a row.

Next row: K1, *K1, K2tog, yo. Repeat * to last stitch (ish. doesn't have to be perfect) k1.

Next row purl.
Next row knit.
Next row purl.
Next row cast of with a picot cast off. I used a two stitch picot: Cast on two, bind off four. Repeat.

Sew up the side seam. Sew the bottom seam with the side seam centered in the back of the bag.

I made i-cord with a small US4 double point. I made the cord just long enough to tie around the top of the bag.

lap-ghan

I have wanted to make something from Weekend Knitting for a very long time. This book was one of the first in my knitting library and it was a gift from my mom. When I first got it I could not get over the creativity of the projects and the great photography. It made me want to knit everything. However, I was a new knitter and I could not imagine completing any of the projects save a few.

The lap blanket that is featured in the book is shown in a fabulous shade of green which is what drew me to it along with the fuzzy mohair yarn. I vaguely remember reading the pattern several years ago when I had just learned how to knit and I just didn't get it.

Fast forward a few years and six balls of Jo Sharp rare comfort and one of Rowan Polar later and it was done in no time. I followed the pattern from the book quitting the length when I was down to the last ball of mohair. I also had to buy a very pointy set of wooden size 13 needles in order to knit the mohair. The slippery blunt-ended Addis I tried initially were awful for that yarn.

Great result although I think the Jo Sharp was not as soft as it should have been for a blanket. I made it for my mom who I hope will enjoy it. As soon as she gets it in the mail I will explain to her that I have been trying to make this project for her for five years. I am sure she will get a laugh out of that.