Little Project Bag-ettes

These two little bags turned out pretty well. They are both about 9 inches tall, but one is a little smaller in diameter than the other. Not by choice. I measured and cut before I measured, measured again, and then cut. (Sigh) You’d think I’d learn after awhile.

This is the smaller of the two, my second attempt. I was going to use it as a lunch bag, but now I think I will use the other one because it’s bigger. I’ll be using this one for my knitting.

And this is the former project bag now promoted to lunch bag. I took off the other drawstrings that I had originally put on and replaced them with bias tape. Then I disassembled some of my jewelry for the beads. The price one pays for creativity…….

I’ll probably make 6 or 7 more of these before my obsession with them finally peaks. Then I’ll be off to something else that catches my fancy.

A Little Breathing Room

I’ve been having a lot of discomfort in my thumbs while knitting my oh-so-loved socks with my oh-so-loved yarn, so decided to put it aside for awhile.

I found this really great yarn on line — at a website called that is called Just Our Yarn — and bought a couple skeins to make a scarf that hopefully won’t make me itch. This is the colorway that I bought — it is Indulgence in magenta, deep forest green and electric blue. Contents are75% Merino/15% Angora/10% Silk. The pattern that I am using is Diagonal Lace Scarf designed by Helena Frank. I found it on Midnight Purls while surfing in the wee hours of the morning a couple weeks ago. Check out her site if you have a few minutes. Lots of great reading and other stuff, like great patterns!!

But anyway…..

I’ve knitted and felted a couple of bags but I don’t like them for carrying my knitting around. They’re great for other things, but not my knitting. Decided to make a drawstring bag from the literally hundreds of pounds of fabric that I have stashed in my closet. It didn’t do much to reduce my stash, but it turned out pretty well. It’s about 9 1/2″ tall with a 6″ x 6″ square bottom. Just big enough for a small project. Now Darling Daughter wants one for her makeup, except she doesn’t want it as tall. I really need to retire so I can stay home and knit and sew all of the projects that I have rattling around in my head.

Spring-Like Dawn Sockie Update (Sigh)

This yarn has made me into a frogging fool.

My first attempt resulted in a sock with ladders (small ones, but ladders just the same) at the junction of the circular needles. Ripped it down to just past the ladders and started again. Mood is still happy. Wouldn’t do to have socks with flaws like that.

Second restart — had maybe 4 rows done on gusset, tried it on and realized that my gauge was off — way off. Ripped it back to the cuff. Mood is on the fence — love the yarn but afraid I won’t be able to see well enough switching to size 1’s.

Third try — bit the bullet and changed to size 1 needles. Almost to the heel and noticed that I had dropped a stitch WAY the heck down the leg. Rats and curses. No way was I going after that with a crochet hook.  Wasn’t happy with a couple of small blemishes either that probably could have been blocked out anyway. Mood has crashed. Chocolate ice cream is not far off.

Today’s version — using size 1 needles. Paying extreme attention to needles and checking every row for dropped stitches. No ladders that I am noticing. Haven’t reached the heel flap yet, but seemed okay around the leg when I tried it on. So far, so good. Mood is optimistic.

If I didn’t love this yarn and colorway so much, this could become unpleasant. Back to the sticks. Film at 11.

Spring-Like Dawn Sockies for Me, Act II

I’m having a very hard time getting anything done in my house. All I can think about is this sock!! The colors are just knocking me out (Seacoast Handpainted Yarns, colorway Lovebird) and I love the diagonal striping. I’ve finished a little more than what this picture shows. And yes, I have actually done a little housework. The yarn is so fine (I think the term is fingering) that I had to pull out my craft eyeglasses with the flat top bifocal — my progressives just weren’t sharp enough. Ah, the trial and tribulations of getting to “that certain age”. Many thanks to a lady at our knitting night at my LYS, Woolworks a couple of weeks ago. She pointed out to me that I was holding my needles in a death grip, and that no matter how tightly I held my needles, I wouldn’t get my project done any sooner. So she gave me a couple of pointers on how to loosen up and enjoy it a little more. Can I tell you how much better my thumbs feel? I am proud to say that I am no longer a “Black Diamond” knitter!!

Sockies for me, Act I

I have been bemoaning the fact to anyone that will listen that I haven’t knitted anything for myself yet, while making all kinds of items for family members. There were 2 scarfs that I made that I had intended to keep, but as soon as my neck started to get warm, it started itching like crazy, so they were passed on to Darling Daughter. Can I tell you how sad for me she was that I wouldn’t be able to wear them?

Moving on — I decided that socks in luscious Spring like colors would be great for me (and will look SOOOOO nice with my black dress slacks that I wear to work, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) — periwinkle, peach, lavender, mint green — and very unlike me, I ordered the yarn on line at a lovely little place called The Loopy Ewe. And from which I will definitely order from again, because I am a sucker for anyplace that sends me any kind of freebie. All it took was a piece of cardboard to keep track of DPN’s, which I don’t even use anymore, and I was a goner. Just look at the colors of this yarn. Positively yummy. My mouth doth water. It’s Seacoast HandpaintedYarn Superwash in color Lovebird. You can check it out here.

So — since this yarn is a little pricier than I usually use (but after all, I am worth it, eh?) I am being a good little knitter this time and swatching to make sure my gauge is correct. The yarn is just about fingering weight, very thin and size one needles. Well, size one for the cuff, then size two for the rest. For sure I don’t want to get part of a sock done, realize the size is wrong and then have to frog it all out again and possibly ruin the yarn in the process. That would certainly make for a very bad day. More later. Swatching awaits.

SIL’s Sockies Finished

SIL’s Sockies Finished

Originally uploaded by mlm7154

Not blocked, but finished. SIL tried them on tonight when he picked up GrandDolly and they fit great. I had made them a bit bigger so that he could wear a lighter pair underneath. He’ll be using these just for house socks, not wearing them with his boots. The heel looks a little flat but it’s just because they’re not blocked. A nice beginning to Finished Objects for 2008!!

Socks for Son-in-Law

He said that he wanted orange and green yarn for his socks, and that’s what I found for him. I had him try on the cuff just before I started the heel flap and he liked how they felt on his skin. He has sensitive skin, doesn’t like itchy or tickly anything. I’m using Plymouth Yarn’s Galway Paint color 805. Usually one skein will make a pair of socks, but he wanted a higher than usual cuff so it will take more. Just a couple more chores around the house and I can sit down for awhile and perhaps even finish this one. Although it’s nice enough outside right now, we are in for a “weather event”.  How big and how much is anyone’s guess.

Another Good Piece of Advice for Novice Knitters

I learned this the hard way — monetarily speaking, of course. Buy the absolutely most expensive circular needles that you can afford — even if it’s only one pair at a time. I have been buying mine sometimes using the inexpensive needles and other times buying the most expensive needles. Pay attention here…..

THE LESS EXPENSIVE NEEDLES WILL NOT HOLD UP!!!

I just finished a pair of socks with less expensive needles, and the tips are all pitted and do not slide smoothly. Needless to say, I have already bitten the bullet and bought another pair that are the most expensive. Don’t waste your money on cheaper ones. You can buy Addi Turbos on ebay at a decent price. You really do get what you pay for.

My Pretty Knitting Markers

As handy as most knitting markers are, most of them are plain and boring. I saw a few of these on Etsy and said “hmmmmmm I could do this.” So I did. And this is it. I seem to have a thing for blue…..

Darling Daughter’s Putt Putts

I’m not sure of the origination of the name putt putts, but that’s what they are called in this corner of Connecticut. I’m not even sure if I spelled it correctly. The carpeting in our house is a Berber off white with flecks of colors (oy, what were we thinking? ) so I decided that I could probably make these for my daughter and son in law when they come over to visit. One pair down, one to go. I used Red Heart yarn — it’s a little less pricey and will still stand up to alot of wear.

This is the pattern that I got from my friend Kimmie, who got it from her Memere. I haven’t been able to find one on line or in Ravelry, (I’m probably not looking in the right place) so I thought I would write it down in case someone else is looking for it.

Kimmie’s Memere’s Knitted Putt Putts (Slippers)

#10 needles

Worsted weight yarn, using 2 strands at a time or bulky yarn, single strand. I used just about one skein of Red Heart Super Saver yarn (5 oz skein)

Cast on 41 stitches

Row one - K5, P1, K29, P1, K5

Row two - K15, P1, K9, P1, K15

Repeat these two rows until you have 13 ridges for an adult and 9 ridges for a child

For the next two rows, bind off 6 sts at the beginning of each row, then continue across in pattern.

You will have 29 stitches on your needle.

Row one - K1, P1 across, ending K1.

Row two - P1, K1 across, ending P1

Repeat these two rows until you are 1/2″ from what you would like the finished length to be.

For the next two rows, K2 together across row. There will be 7 stitches (+ or -, don’t sweat it). Cut a 12″ strand of yarn and thread it through a needle. Run your yarn through the stitches of the toe and pull tight. Run it through again for good measure. Continue sewing up the instep of the slipper.

Sew up the back.

Voila! A slipper! Now cast on for the other one!!