Christmas Spirit

It is September. That can only mean one thing this year.  That’s right…all Christmas knitting all the time.  I am in the Christmas spirit. I have been working on Christmas dishcloths, Christmas tribbles, Christmas laundry soap, Christmas blankie squares, and a Christmas scarf!  I have gotten a couple more dishcloths done. I have also gotten a couple of tribbles done. These will go in baskets with some “kitchen” goodies (measuring cups, hotpads, etc).  I also found a great recipe for laundry soap, so I have been making batches of that to give away in pint jars!  My laundry soap is 1 Bar of Kirk’s Castille soap finely grated, 2 c. washing soda, 2 c. baking soda, 3 c. Borax, and a small amount of fragrance (about 30 drops).  It smells wonderful and cleans better than anything I have ever tried. It is also diaper safe (a big deal in our house).

In working on the Christmas blankie squares I have learned a new skill.  Cabling.  I haven’t just learned to cable, but I have discovered that I hate cable needles.  I learned to cable without a cable needle!  I feel so daring!  The May square was my first attempt at cabling. I decided that I was not brave enough to cable without a needle.  I fumbled with the needle for two really badly done repeats. I decided that there had to be a better way. I had only ever seen cabling without a needle where you drop the stitches you would normally put on the cable needle, knit the others, and then pick up the dropped stitches. I decided I just wasn’t that daring.  Then I saw some reference to doing it the way that is described in the Confessions of a Knitting Heretic.  Well, I just got the book. I looked up how she did it.  Taking the example of a 4 stitch cable, she takes the first two stitches and slips them to the right hand needle. Then she knits the next two stitches. Then she puts her needle into the two slipped stitches (into the front if the stitches were to be held in front or into the back if they were to be held in back). She then slips all four stitches off of the right needle.  The two slipped stitches are now on the left needle. The other stitches are “dropped”. You then pick them up on the right needle.  They don’t hang out there. They are only off of a needle for a few seconds. That didn’t seem so dangerous.  I tried it out, and discovered that I love to cable that way!  For some reason, it is much neater and easier for me.  Not to mention that I don’t risk losing the cable needle. I ripped the first cables I tried and started over. The square came out great.

I have now done three cabled squares without the cable needle. It is making me feel so clever and daring (and as you know, that always makes me love a technique…when it makes me feel smart)!!  I am so glad I waited to do the May and July squares until after I bought that book.  I am thinking of writing an ode to Annie Modesitt since she has so transformed my knitting (or maybe that would just be weird)!!

I also got a great present in the mail, which made me think it was Christmas for a day!  I got my package for the Reducio 7 swap.  Included were a lovely little Hufflepuff sock, a travelling bag (which is lined and has a little bumblebee sewn into the lining…my pal’s patronus to protect against lost items), a train whistle, and some candy. It also had the Ribbit pattern, yarn, and a tennis ball to make a cute little frog!!  She did such a fantastic job on the package!!

 

Vacation and the aftermath

I just got back from a really wonderful vacation in Wyoming.  Every other year, my family has a family reunion in Wyoming.  The first week was spent at that reunion.  The second week was spent just hanging out with my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephew.  We had a great time.  This is a picture of my boys on our hike to Lake Sherd.

I wore my shawl a lot because the weather was cold.  I also got a lot of crafting done.  I got quite a bit done on my CNE (Christmas n Easter) Scarf for my niece.  I also made three bath puffs while there. I taught my mom how to make them (she taught me to crochet, but I had to teach her all the stitches as she had forgotten).  There are not pictures of the knitting or crochet because I was too busy to get out the camera.

When we got home, DH, both kids and I all had a cold that we got from my brother and his kids.  The kids have a very mild sore throat and cough (although Vicks on their feet one night seems to have gotten rid of their cough). DH and I have serious sore throats, runny noses, terrible coughs, chills, aches, ear aches, etc.  I also got pink eye. CB had it while we were in Wyoming. He got better immediately.  My eye doctor has warned me that I will likely be fighting it for at least a month.

As a result, my return home was not happy.  Fortunately, two things greeted me to make me feel better. First, MIL cleaned our whole house for our anniversary (we celebrated our 9th while in Wyoming…where we were married).  She didn’t just clean…she CLEANED (in all caps).  She washed my windows, washed and put away every stitch of clothing in the house, mopped all the floors, washed the bathrooms, cleaned out the fridge and freezer, took out all the trash, washed the baseboards, vacuumed all carpets, washed all throw rugs, etc.  She is really, really awesome. It was better than any gift she could have bought.

The second thing that greeted me and cheered me was my second Flat Rate Box Swap box.  My swap pal is really, really awesome.  The theme this time was a project for you. The idea was to get everything needed for a single project in your pal’s queue.  My pal chose the Chinook Shawl in mine. She got me the Riverstone colorway.  She also got size 8 harmony needle tips.  Also included was the Mason-Dixon Knitting Book (which I have been really, really wanting) and some Louet Euroflax so that I could make something from it.   There are also several mini-skeins for my sock blankie, a crocheted project bag, mini-highlighter, pencils, mini-post-its, a small pen, a mini clip-on calculator, a magnetic tape measure, a mini-digital camera, an album, a stress ball, Goon n Plenty, hand lotion, and a little sheep.  This is truely a remarkable swap package!!  I was so excited.  I love absolutely everything in it.

 

Toeing the line

I finally got a picture of the toes of DH’s socks.  I am really enjoying doing two at a time. I keep thinking that I need to keep track of rows and such. Then I remember that I am already working on the second sock. It is very liberating!  I think that I am going to look for a more rounded toe for the future.  I think this toe is a bit pointy, but I am not starting over!  DH will be fine as his own toes are pointy.

I also have been doing more sewing. I have done a secret sewing project for a swap pal. I also made a blouse out of the sheet fabric.  I used McCall’s Easy Stitch n’ Save M5451. I used fold over elastic at the neck and arms.  I didn’t hem it, but used bias tape.  I think that the shirt would be too short otherwise.  It is a nice summery top.  I like this pattern, but wish it was a bit longer.  I will lenthen it next time.

 

Why I shouldn’t be allowed to play with scissors!

I have had a busy day today. I decided to go to the thrift store this morning to look for sheets. I saw a really cute skirt tutorial where the skirt is made from a sheet. The biggest bonus…no hemming!  I knew I had to make this skirt.  I managed to find two sheets. One is a blue floral. The other is a yellow and white check.  It already had a ruffle on it!  I knew it would make a really cute skirt.

When I got home, my 2-at-a-Time Socks book was in the mail.  I quickly read it. I then printed out the Judy’s Magic Cast on Tutorial.  I cast on immediately.  I had decided to take the Panopticon yarn from the failed Monkeymen and do a toe up 3×1 rib sock for DH.  Right now, I am about halfway done with the toe increases. This method is really clever. I also like that both socks will be done at the same time. I don’t mind the second sock when I am making socks for me, but a second sock for DH is too much!  I do think that I will still use DPNs in the future, but I also love this method.  I will post a picture later. I just couldn’t get a good one today!

After the boys went to bed, I got to work on my skirt.  I was just finishing the waist elastic, when I cut my finger. It is a pretty deep cut.  I was cutting through the elastic when the tips of my scissors caught my index finger on my left hand. I managed not to bleed on my project (only my white carpet suffered). After performing the necessary first aid, I finished the skirt.  It is so cute! I can’t wait to wear it (of course, I will need a white slip before I can, but that is a problem for another day).  After I cut my finger, DH took the scissors and told me that I couldn’t sew anymore tonight.  I picked up my knitting, but am finding that holding the yarn is a bit strange.  I may just read for a while.   I am still proud of how much I have managed to get done today.  I also think that I will be able to get a blouse out of the rest of the sheet (and probably some sleep shorts for the boys).

Besides all the crafty stuff, I have been learning my new phone too.  I got an HTC Touch Pro. I love it.  I can check my email, Twitter, keep track of all my contacts, keep track of my calendar, and play games (all from anywhere…even court).  There is a lot the phone can do that I haven’t figured out yet, but I am getting there!

One last thing, I realize that the last post seemed a bit scattered. I was going to go back and fix it, but decided against it.  LB had been having some health issues.  He had toxic synovitis (an inflamation in his hips following a viral infection). He has been in a lot of pain.  On Monday night (when I wrote the post), he was supposed to be sleeping. The pain was keeping him awake. He was crying every few minutes. It made it a bit hard to concentrate.  I ended up taking him to the doctor on Tuesday, where he had x-rays and blood work.   He is doing better now, although he still has times when he is pretty sore. They say that it will last for up to two weeks and will return anytime that he gets a viral infection in the future. It is pretty yucky stuff.

 

Sew busy!

I have been wanting to do more sewing. For some reason, sewing intimidates me.  After listening to Megan from Stitch It and Nicole and Jenny from Stash and Burn talking about sewing, I got inspired.  I had a bunch of flannel that I bought a while ago to make cloth wipes.  I never got around it (we just use baby washcloths for wipes).  I took the Little Mermaid flannel with Flounder on it and made sleep shorts for both boys.  I got this fabric for a dollar!  I used just about every bit of it in the shorts.  I just made a template from shorts that fit the boys. I traced the shorts onto tissue paper to make a pattern. I sewed them as shown in this tutorial.  The only difference is that I used Fold Over Elastic for the waist.  I was going to do a pretty blind hem, but decided to fold over the hem and topstitch because I was feeling lazy (and they are just for sleep). They came out really cute. The boys love them. I have a bunch of sock monkey flannel that will soon become sleep shorts for the boys!

On Stash and Burn, they were talking about a 5 minute skirt. I decided that I could do that!  I seemed easy.  I had 2 1/2 yards of some pretty woven cotton fabric that would be perfect.  I followed the tutorial with the exception of the hem. My serger is not working (it is in the shop).  I just folded the hem and topstitched.  I was going to do a pretty blind hem on this too, but got lazy again.  I really like this skirt. The only things I would do differently are make it a bit longer and make the hem more curved in front (without the curve in front, it makes the side seams pointy).  I do love the skirt despite it being a bit shorter than I would normally wear (it still hits my knee…just above it).  I think it took me a bit longer than 5 minutes, but that is my fault for not serging the hem.  I can’t wait for my serger to be fixed!  I really love this pattern. It is such a flattering shape.  I will likely make more of these!

Besides sewing, I have also been getting some knitting done. I have been working on my shawl. I am working on the ruffle part. It is coming along very nicely. I can’t wait to wear it!

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

Valentine puff

Originally uploaded by Knitting Gnome

DH and I aren’t really celebrating today. We don’t have a sitter. We have postponed to next week. That being said, we did exchange cards. DH got me flowers. I made him a new bath puff! After the one I made my mom, he has been hinting about wanting a new one. I love these things. So quick and easy!

 

Mom’s birthday stuff

Friday, I had to take the kids to the doctor (just their well checks).  Afterwards, we went to Jo-Ann’s. I needed some cord and a cord stop for my little bag that I made. I also decided to get more fabric since they were having a big sale.  More bags for more WIPs!

After that, we went to Hanks to meet Hank and pick up some soap. My mom’s birthday is today and she loves the handmade soap from Hanks. LB was fascinated by Hank. He talked about him all the way home.  I put the soap in my purse, and now my purse smells lovely!!

When I got home, I decided to make my mom a bath puff.  I had looked at some of the patterns, but hadn’t done one because my crochet is not so advanced.  I finally took a good look at a pattern and realized how easy they are.  I used the Pricilla’’s Crochet pattern.  It took me about 3 hours to do.  It would have gone faster if I could keep count.  It would also have gone faster if I didn’t have to keep setting it down (kids…they can really interrupt a lot, even after they are supposed to be in bed).  I love this bath puff!  It is so soft!  I also love that it is quick, easy, and inexpensive to make.  Even greater, it is machine washable.  DH is begging for one in “man colors” now.

It took just one skein of kitchen cotton to make a puff the same size as the 99 cent ones at Wal-Mart.  Of course, this puff is nicer and won’t fall apart in a month (and it can go in the washing machine).  The color in the picture isn’t very true, but that is what happens when you take pictures at night. The color is actually a deep wine color.  I can’t wait to get it sent out to mom.

I am thinking I am going to whip a bunch of these up for birthdays for my secretaries this year.  I may also make up some homemade shower gel to go with them (still deciding on making it or just buying).

 

What happens when you have mulitple WIPs?

You need something to hold them all!!!!

I have a big knitting bag (a tote that I got on clearance). I have a sock project bag (which currently houses my shawl since I don’t have a sock on the needles now).  The other projects are all just mixed up in my knitting bag. My scarf kept getting tangled with my dishcloth.  I decided I had to have a few more small project bags to stop that.

I found some fabric scraps (although none matched, so I had to find a big enough piece to do a whole bag in one fabric instead of coordinating fabrics).  I then went hunting for a pattern I liked.  I found a great tutorial for making a drawstring bag from Yarnmonster.  I love it!! I made the smaller size.

It took about 2 hours to make from cutting to finishing. I need to get a nicer cord and a drawstring stopper (can’t think of what they are really called). I also could have done a neater sewing job (it has been a long time…I haven’t gotten the sewing machine out for the last two and half years when I made some diapers).

Here are a few more pictures, including one which shows my scarf in progress in it.  That is a ball of Trekking XXL, half of a scarf, and circulars (size 7).

Next time I go to Wal-Mart, I am picking up some of the fabric scraps and making a few more!  I love this little bag!

 

Bits and Pieces

A week or so ago, I started having a computer problem. DH is a computer guy, so this isn’t usually a problem. He instructed me to do a flash BIOS update. I did. It fixed the problem, but it also created a new problem. My screensaver and power save options stopped working. To fix it, DH decided it was necessary to format my hard drive. We did that on Friday. It took me a day or so to get it up and running. The format didn’t work (it is a hardware issue). Needless to say, I have had limited access to computers. I am a bit behind.

On Friday, I got my package for the May Wee Tiny Sock Swap. There is a little sock made of Lorna’ s Laces, a tea (Stash tea…how appropriate), a bit of chocolate, and two small charms. I am probably going to use the charms to make some stitch markers.

Speaking of stitch markers, I made some for my Reducio Sock Swap Pal. They came out really well. I used little glass heart charms. Two blue and a bronze (well…it is supposed to be…looks a bit purple). I like how they came out. I am going to make some for myself as well.

 

A gnome by any other name…

Surf Colors Sock
Originally uploaded by Knitting Gnome

I gave Little Bug his gnome last night. He has been dubbed “Gnomie”. LB was so excited. Gnomie was his “baby” while Mommy took care of CB. Gnomie got to play in the Jumperoo, then he was “swaddled” and put in the bouncy seat. LB loves him.

I started new socks for LB yesterday using the Regia. I love, love, love this yarn. I expected it to feel like dishcloth cotton. It doesn’t. It is softer (although not as soft as just wool would be). What I really love is the striping and coloring of the yarn. I was fascinated by it! I just couldn’t put it down. I cast on yesterday. The photo was taken last night (heel flap is done and heel is ready to be turned). This morning, I couldn’t help myself. I turned the heel! I used the Heels By The Numbers page to do the “Rounder Heel”. I like the look of that heel better. I think I will use it more.

I was a little worried about doing a heel flap and gusset with the striping yarn. I was worried it would look funny. I decided just to relax and do it. It is going to be in LB’s shoes most of the time anyway. I really like how it is coming out. It interrupted the striping pattern a little bit, but you can’t tell (unless you are a bit OCD like I am…rest assured that LB is not).

BTW-the needle caps are new. I made them just like the others, but put a few beads on them. I really like how they turned out!

More exciting news, I have joined a swap! It is the Wee Tiny Sock Swap. It seems easy and low-key. Just my kind of fun! I will probably make my wee tiny sock out of the scraps from my Valentine’s socks or the boys’ socks depending on color preference of my swap partner!