I keep screwing this up

This is supposed to be the easiest project in the world. Its my own free flowing version of the Modern Log Cabin Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting. I don't remember the project description exactly but I could have sworn there was something in there about mindless knitting or possibly knitting you can do while drinking.

Never the less, I have managed to screw this up by trying to be clever. The details of my cleverness are too embarrassing to reveal. I was just hoping the "mindless" meant "without paying any attention to what you are doing." Now I have to frog back a couple of rows. I have already done this several times. And its too bad its along the nearly full 3 foot wide edge. And its too bad I knit with this bamboo yarn that is insanely slippery (Bernat Bamboo Natural Blend is very attractive, however. Nice shine). This f-ing afghan has been in my basket for over two years. And now I know why. It's a pain. And it's boring. But giftmas is coming and I want to get it out of the basket and into a gift box for my sister. At this rate it might be next year.

details on the alpaca afghan

So this was a long slow burn of a project but the end result was worth it.

I bought this expensive awesome yarn at Loopy Yarns in Chicago to celebrate our new beach house. The colors reminded my of the living room and the water. Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky is a pleasure to knit. Yummy all around.

After a bunch of swatching from a stitchionary, I found the bamboo stitch pattern complimented the quick color change of the yarn. And the wrong side looked fairly reasonable for an afghan.

Loopy Yarns saved the day for me too. I started knitting and realized that I needed at least 10 skeins rather than the nine that I bought in the shop. All it took was a quick phone call and they quickly sent me the last two skeins they had (same lot number too). Yeah!

With a critical eye I would say that I bound off the bottom too tightly because it does not match the tension of the very loose cable cast-on that I used. I bound off in purl on the front side in order to get a similar look as the cable cast-on. That worked well but I bound off too tightly because I was running low on yarn. Blocking was fairly helpful in tweaking this but not a cure.

Here's the right side - nice colors!:


Here is the wrong side which is attractive,too:



You can see from the picture below that the final afghan is a pretty good length and width. I didn't bother to measure the final dimensions. I don't care at this point. Its big enough and I am not reworking it. Best not to block on the bed without shutting the door to keep Seymore out.

My design, if you will:

Materials: 11 skeins of Misti Alpaca Chunky Handpaints in CP05 Havasu. Size 10US needles

Gage: 8 rows = 1.57 inches, 13 sts = 4 inches

Instructions:

Cable cast-on 155 stitches. Based on my gage swatch this would be approximately 46.5 inches wide. [This yields 3 sts for Garter boarder on each side (6 sts total) plus 140 +9 stitches for the Bamboo stitch patterned panel.]

Knit 4 rows in garter (2 ridges)

Next row: Knit 3 sts for Garter boarder. Continue in bamboo pattern until the last 3 stitches. Knit the last 3 sts for the garter boarder.

Bamboo pattern (8 row repeat, 14 sts +9 for pattern repeat; from The Harmony Guides, Knit and Purl : 250 Stitches to Knit, edited by Erika Knight)

Row 1 and every odd row (right side): P2, *k5, p2; repeat from * to end
Row 2: K9, *p5, k9; repeat from * to end
Row 4 and 8: K2, *p5, k2; repeat from * to end
Row 6: K2, p5, *K9, p5; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2

Repeat these 8 rows including the 3 st garter boarder on each side (knit beginning and end 3 sts all rows) until you have run through 3/4th of the last skein of yarn. This is an estimate – double check using a measured length of yarn or weight of yarn. Knit 4 rows garter. Cast-off.

finally done!

Details to come.....but yeah!

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.