Ooooh I finally got it to work

I have seen some really nice plaid patterns come from varigated yarn that is knitted, so I decided to give it a go with crocheting to see if I can get it going. Normally I can't do it ... normally it just ends up muddled and scattered.

But I finally did it -- I worked the third block (clustered stitch) of The Fisherman's Sampler Afghan from Lion Brand ... only using clusters of 5 instead of 3 ... and I finally got it to plaid .. well kind of ...

Here it is:

Free Patterns

An on-going list of Free patterns that can be found on line.

This is a 'Living List' ... like the American Constitution ... which can change ....
so don't panic if you don't see a link for your favorite spot or nothing in any particular craft - i will get to it.

Knit
Interweave Magazine Free Patterns

Crochet

Polymer Clay

Cross-Stitch

Liquid Embroidery

Machine Embroidery (.sew format only at this point)

Jewelry/Beading

Other

Decent news

okay I had 12 1/2 wraps at about 12 sts a wrap ... that is 150 stitches.
the other is 24 wraps at 12 sts ... that is 288 stitches

that will be 214 sts at most shy of what I will need for the next part ... but with the extra yarn I was saving for the toes -- I have a feeling I will have more than enough to do what I want. but I've got another 10gr to add on.

Whew!

So cool

Okay so I just heard back from Knit Picks on their policies concerning .pdf patterns for sale. I asked how many copies of a pattern I could print up from a purchased .pdf pattern -- after all I don't want to cause any issues with copyright.

The answer back was that I could print up as many as the program would let me as long as I did not make any money from them (they didn't not specify if this meant that I couldn't make up the item and sell it ... but then that isn't really going to be an issue for me).

But it would be nice if I buy one for my partner if I could keep one copy for myself just in case the package goes awry with the mail -- okay, I'll be honest .... I want to keep a copy for myself, because the one I'm thinking of if really really cute - but it will all depend on my partners tastes.

After all if she turns out to be a he it won't work ... or if she is 56 yrs old, it won't work for her either as it is really a rather 'young' pattern (although I'm not all that young, I know hubby would love them on me - I'm so naughty)

But like I said - its not a pattern for everyone so I will have to see.

I will probably get a pattern from KnitPicks though ... I like their instant download idea. I only wish that iPods could show .pdf files so I could take them with me. BUT like I said, I will have to see who my partner is.

Time to create

Okay -- I have got to take a break from my tatting to make a quick gift for my brother's live-in girlfriend ... rather ironic, my other brother's live-in girlfriend I have always referred to as Aunt ### but this one I just can not bring myself to call her Aunt### to my kids, she is just "###" .... don't know what that's all about .... I like her, but it just doesn't 'feel right' to refer to her as a member of the family.

Anyways .... so we are celebrating March birthdays Sunday as long as everyone is together and BAM my dad tells me that she has a birthday this month as well and if they show up it would be nice if I had something for her. Great. No time for shopping -- plus I'm not sure of her tastes.

So its time to dig into the stash and make something in 2 days. So its Shawl-Time!!

I can whip one of those out. I have the perfect ladder/ribbon yarn to do it in .... I've been dieing to try it out. But I lost the pattern I had in mind for it .... and I can't find the other pattern I thought would look great.

So now what?

Why, do what I do best --- design my own!!! So look for a new pattern and progress photos to come.

You will need some balls of Dazzle ladder yarn
P hook
and quick fingers.

New post to come with the actual pattern

Yippee!! I finally got to open it up!

Okay so I finally got to open the package sent by my partner Cliodna Kettleburn....all I can say is...WOW.

Minimum req for the package was a pair of socks, a set of sock needles, and stitch markers--boy did she go above and beyond!

So what all did she send? 1 pair of fantastic socks! They are thick enough so they will keep my tootsies warm even in this brick refridgerator I live in....2 sets of Brittany sock needles, size 1, so I can do both socks at the same time--what a concept! Some heart shaped stitch markers that will be perfect for using on the smaller needles (they didn't photo well...they are on the needle that is stretched between the S & G pads)....oh, some post-it type notes shaped like a G (for Ginger) and an S (for Slytherin)....A bar of handmade soap in Ylang-ylang scent...a chinese bookmark....a chocolate frog--nope haven't eaten it yet.....and a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (okay I looked at the flavors--these I will be sure to share with the kids, after everyone gets over the crud). Did I forget anything?

Despite the problems this was really really fun! Her stitching is wonderful--I can't believe she has only been knitting since Feb! WOW....I really hunkered down and started getting serius about this last summer and her stitches are so much better than mine--I'm almost embarrassed now.

Hope they have a third exchange....this time I will have to start with things ahead of time--use the toe up pattern where I can handle the cuffs better, especially now that I know how to bind them off!

Squeeeeeeee!!!!

I am so happy! I was in tears yesterday--literally! Hubby couldn't believe that I was bawling like a baby over a sock.

The first sock I did from the top down so the only thing I had to do was a three needle bind off at the end....love the 3 needle bind off....but I have the small tag of yarn at the top of the sock to take care of yet.

The second sock I decided to do it from toe up....I hadn't done a toe-up before so I wanted a challenge--WHY???? Actually I like the toe up sock a lot---since the biggest down fall for me are cuffs (to much messing with keeping the cast on straight and then trying to work those spider-legs without much to keep them stable)....so the toe up sock gives the needles enough stability to make doing the cuffs much more statisfying--love them, the toe ups!

But when I got all the way to the end---my cast off was way too tight! I couldn't even get it over my heel (my partner and I have simular sized feet) so I know there was no way it would fit her...the other sock went on fine.

Boy did the tears of fustration fly! Funny part (?) is that while I was doing the bindoff I thought "watch it won't be stretchy enough"...pshhh....should have kept the negativity out of it....it is actually a good thing I tried it on--I was going to just wash them up and send them out since I was so excited about getting them done and I am so far behind schedule.

Oh my poor partner! I hope she likes the things I have put together for her package....I still haven't opened the one she sent me--won't do it until after I get her's into the mail---it only seems fair.

Yes they are done! Now I just have to do one more thing to the top---but its a surprise and I know it will have the elasticity to make it work...heeeheeeheee.

I must remember to send extra yarn with the socks in case she needs to do any darning months from now.

I love these socks though--it will be hard to give them up!

Twinkle Toes update 2

OMGs! I can not believe how quickly this toe-up pattern is going....I've been working on this sock for less than a day and I'm almost done with the foot!

If it goes this fast then I think what I will do is start on the second sock for my daughter and use it to practice the heel turn before I try it on my partners sock--that way any little mistakes will be forgiven.

Then too I will have a sock ready to practice the cast off with as well.

I am so used to doing a three needle bind-off at the toe that I am sure I will have some troubles with the cast-offs I've seen connected with toe-up socks.

Well off to do the last two rnds of my foot section and then get ready to make the heel....if I can figure it out that is.

Twinkle Toes update

well I have inc the number of sts needed for my partners foot....actually I'm not doing the Twinkle Toes pattern, just using it as a guideline....but I should have probably inc the number of cast ons to 12 (total) and worked 2 inc rows before moving onto the inc row/k row combination.

Also I waited until I had 32 sts on the two needles before splitting the stitches onto the 4 needles....I found this gave a better base to the sock and helped to prevent the needles from twisting backward--I actually got stitching and found that one of the needles had twisted around making a very ugly pucker...had I been working a cable st it would have been different, but it would have been very uncomfortable on the bottom of the foot....or on the top of the foot for that matter.

These are going to be some very interesting socks--not only am I using different tachniques for each of them....I did decide to use different needle sizes. This means that one sock will be just that much bulkier than the other...but hopefully not so much as to cause a real problem...I really like the concept.

The only thing the socks will have in common is the yarn, but even it will be slightly different due to pooling effects. I loved the way it ringed around the toe area! I wish it would do the same all the way up, but it has already gone to the single row of a single color...although it does change a little sooner than before so I'm hoping it will start to swirl around.

Now to prevent having to over frog I have inserted a peice of emb floss thru the stitches/loops of the last reg row for the toe---just incase I go on and find that I do not have enough stitches I will be able to stop the unraveling and easily find the stitches to simply pick them up and replace them onto the needles.

If I do not need to frog then I can simply pull the floss out later without having to pick it out--just so long as I did not split the floss at any point without realizing it.

I will more than likely do this every few rounds just to save myself some work--by doing a little more work now---should a problem arise like a dropped needle, a dropped stitch, a picked up stitch, etc.

This technique will come especially handy when I get to the heel flap/gusset.

Because I have never done a toe-up sock before I am anticipating a lot of issues with the "wrap, turns" on the short rows. I will check out knittinghelp.com as well for a video of the procedure but I want a stand by just in case as well.

If I run into too many troubles I can always contact one of these sock groups on Yahoo groups that I belong to:

T_Socks_KAL:Townsend Current Knit A Long
TownsendSocksKnitAlong:T-Knit A Long (I love the current group photo!!)

If you aren't familiar with Jeannie Townsend, that's okay...I didn't know about her until I started looking for sock groups either...if you decide to join check out the groups files---she offers tons of free patterns there, all of her own design! Some of the members have posted their own patterns up there as well. She is very talented, I don't know why she hasn't sold any of her patterns...although she did say once that the purposes of the group was to build internet buddies not make money....so its probably because she just has a really big heart!!

If you are interested she also has a blog:

Just Jeannie

Errata: Twinkle Toes Socks by Cookie A, on Knitty Gritty

Okay so I finally got things going right when I found an error in the pattern--only the one so far:Knitty Gritty:Twinkle Toes Socks by Cookie A

The pattern reads:

"...Increase round: [K1, m1, k to 1 st before end of needle, m1, k1] twice.
Divide 20 sts evenly among 4 needles (figure B). Work Increase round every other round until there are 48 sts. ..."

It should say that after you split the 20sts you should only work the increases at the beginning of needles 1 & 3 and at the end of needles 2 & 4--keeping only 4 inc per inc row, instead of the 8 that are implied.

Thought someone should put it out there for people to see.

Banging my Head against the Wall now

UUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!! I'm so frustrated....can you tell?

I didn't get a chance to go to the coffee shop with the other Scout Mom's this weekend as I had hoped because it was cancelled due to lack of interest. If hubby hadn't answered the phone I would have pretended that everything was honky doory and talked the oldest daughter, gimpy and all, to come with me and we could have spent the entire time knitting and talking and sipping coffee and tea--she says they have tea, it would have only been my second time there and the first time I got away without ordering anything---but no, hubby answered and I didn't think fast enough on my toes.....so I didn't get any knitting done yesterday.

Instead I spent the afternoon cleaning the kitchen....especially the stovetop. This is the first summer that my oldest has been on his own while we went out of town--his favorite thing to do was use the deep fryer (and leave me the mess)....because I hate the dripping of the oil I have it on a sheet pan that's lined with foil for easy cleanup.

As it turned out 18 yr olds have no sense of oil life---I thought he had changed the oil at least once over the summer--he hadn't. Oil in a fryer, I'm told, needs to be changed at least every 3 months depending what you've cook in it...if you've done any sort of meat it needs to be changed sooner. Anyways, I never really thought much of the stove--I don't usually use it....I either use the oven (they are seperate units) or the microwave, the stove is mostly used when I want popcorn or fried eggs.....mostly its just the place I put the cookie sheets or roaster when they come out of the oven.

So I had been keeping the top of the burner cleaned up okay....but when I pulled out the burner trays to clean---OMGs---he must have spilled the fryer or something and wiped it up without thinking of cleaning under the spill-pan. I had sticky "dried" oil all underneath the dials, under the dial plate and the rubber gasket that holds the plate in place. He had switched the burner grate with the one from the other side knowing that I tend to put the big tea kettle & the Splatter Blue camper coffee pot there so you can't see it.....gaaaawwwwwkkkkkk. And only one single--just one--S.O.S. pad left to do it.....it died after I finished both drip pans, the dials, the dial plate, the gasket, the stove top, one grate....but it didn't make it thru the really ucky one.

I could have killed him, but you know he's a kid (at least to me) so I turned on the football game in the kitchen and started cleaning it up---everytime our team made a TD he'd say "did you see that?" or "Look at that, that's amazing" and I'd answer with "I didn't see anything, I'm too busy cleaning someone else's mess" or "no I was busy scrubbing this ____".....I think he got the point though because one time when our team made a TD he used it as an excuse to give me a great big hug....he NEVER hugs--"I love you" gets answered with "yup" or "huh?".

So I will have to wait until the next time I can talk hubby into taking me to the regular store to get some more and really pound it....MIL says she used to put them in a black plastic bag with a bottles worth of amonia, tie it shut and then put the whole thing out on the front lawn in the bright sun and it would just eat off the grease. It might be worth the try--except I have a hard enough time not getting sick from the smell of Moth balls, I can't imagine what the smell of amonia would do to me.

Anyhow, back to my knitting.

As it turns out not knitting yesterday would probably have been a good thing---because I got done with the first part of the second socks ribbing and found that --shit!--the guage is off again! I measured really carefully too--but the sock was WAY too big....I hadn't noticed it while knitting because I tend to keep the stitches bunched so quick work, but damn!

So now I've had to frog and now its back to the drawing board....so I like the simplicity of the pattern but the colorworks is driving me nuts....it is not working out the way I thought it would. One row one color, one row the next....no pooling!

{sigh} well I've got to get back to the needles---I have to get these to my partner by Halloween and hubby is taking three days off this week so I don't think there will be much knitthing going on then. He seems to get jealous of it....what he doesn't realize is that there are days that my crafting is the only thing that keeps me from-=-=-=-sending him back to work!!!

Nerves acting up now

Okay so I got an email from the HSS (Hogwarts Sock Swap) yesterday.

Good news is my partner is still interested in doing the swap with me...yea!
Bad news is she asked for my snail mail address--I'm afraid this means that my partner is ready to send...but since I was waiting for the single measurement for my partner and couldn't go any farther without it I'm way way way behind.

I've only reached the heel flap...time to dig in and knit!!

I like the simple pattern I've chosen....its real simple. Its kind of tough to see with the varigated yarn BUT you can see that there is a change.

I'm thinking about doing the second sock in a larger or smaller needle....same yarn, same pattern just a different size so they can be mismatched but still matched.

Does that make sense? It will change how the color works up too so the pattern will be the real tie into each other.

Follow the Spiders? Why can't it ever be "Follow the Butterflies"?

I agree with Ron, why can't it ever be Follow the Butterflies?? So to help Ron (& Harry) clean up that little spider problem I have created a pattern for the:

Follow-the-Butterflies washcloth--Basic version
materials:
Worsted Weight Cotton yarn (I used Bernat Cot'n Soft "Pastel Print"
size "F" crochet hook, a larger hook will give you a looser cloth...I like mine rather stiff.

Pattern Rows
The pattern stitch is actually 4 rows worked in and out of sequence, please follow the main pattern inserting the proper pattern row (sts refers to the sc of the previous row)

Row A: ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in each of the next two sts;

Row B: ch 4, sc in each of the next 2 sts;

Row C: ch 3, sc in each of the next 2 sts;

Row D: ch 2, sc around all ch spaces of previous rows keeping this sc as tight as possible, ch 2, sc in each of the next 2 sts.

The Washcloth pattern

row 1: ch 27, sc in 2 ch from hook and in each ch across; ch 1, turn. (26 sc)

row 2: sc in each st across; ch 1, turn (26 sc)

row 3: sc in next 2 sts, repeat patt row A across row; ch 1, turn (4 ch sps)

row 4: sc in next 2 sts, repeat patt row B across row; ch 1, turn (4 ch sps)

row 5: sc in next 2 sts, repeat patt row C across row; ch 1, turn (4 ch sps)

row 6: repeat row 4.

row 7: sc in next 2 sts, repeat patt row D across row; ch1, turn (4 butterflies made)

row 8: sc in next 2 sts, *ch 4, skip next st (center of butterfly), 2 sc in next 2 sts*, rep between ** across; ch1, turn (4 ch sps)

row 9: sc in next 2 sts, 3 sc around ch sp, *ch 5, 2 sc around next ch sp*, repeat to last ch sp, in last ch sp work one more sc (total of 3 sc), sc in next 2 sts; ch 1, turn. (3 ch sps)

row 10: sc in next 5 sts, repeat patt row B across, sc in last 3 sts; ch 1, turn (3 ch sps)

row 11: sc in next 5 sts, repeat patt row C across, sc in last 3 sts; ch 1, turn (3 ch sps)

row 12: repeat row 10

Row 13: sc in next 5 sts, repeat patt row D across, sc in last 3 sts; ch 1, turn (3 butterflies made)

row 14: sc in next 5 sts, *ch 4, sk next st (center of butterfly), sc in next two stitches*, repeat between ** across, sc in lst 3 sts; ch 1, turn (3 ch sps)

row 15: sc in eac of next 2 sts, *ch 5, sc around next ch loop*, repeat between ** across, sk next 3 sts, sc in last 2 sts; ch 1, turn.

row 16: repeat row 4

row 17: repeat row 5

row 18: repeat row 4

row 19: repeat row 7

row 20: repeat row 8

row 21: sc in next 2 sts, *4 sc around ch loop, sc in next 2 sts* repeat between ** across; ch 1, turn. (26 scs)

row 22: sc in each st across. Cut and bind off.

Now hide in your yarn tails.

The Basic version is done.

I have worked out a couple of versions of this pattern and may put them up later, but this is a good start for now.

If you would like to make more butterflies in your rows, increase your working ch by 6 sts per butterfly; you will also have to increase the repeats of the washcloth rows, each additional row of butterflies will add 6 additional washcloth rows starting on row 8 (row 20);
Edges on this pattern are not finished because I don't think a tigher crocheted cloth really needs it; if you wish you may use your favorite edging.

Copyright 2007 Maggie the Crochet-a-Holic, including all nom de plumes, and a.k.a's, and aliases.

this pattern has NOT been checked for accuracy; not responsible for errors or inaccuracies but I would love to hear of them so I can fix them.