My creative space

Joining in with the Kirsty at kootoyoo and the other creative spaces for the week, here’s mine.

This week, it’s actually two different spaces.

First, my slouchy cardigan blocking on the floor of the spare room.  I think I’ve only posted about this sweater once, back when I started it oh, a year ago (or, um, maybe a little longer).  Each knitting project has its own challenges and this one has definitely had its fair share.  From the front unraveling on its own for no apparent reason (see that first post), to figuring out how to reverse the shaping for the other front, countless errors in the pattern, and finally, running out of yarn four inches from the top of the sleeves (which had numerous problems all by themselves).  I ended up doing a mad search for my gauge swatch, hoping to find another ball of the yarn I might have randomly misplaced somewhere in my stash (I didn’t find one), and finally undoing the bound off edges of the front and back pieces and ripping out an inch or two on each of them to get enough yarn to finish.  I wasn’t able to find enough yarn to knit the hood the sweater is supposed to have, but I live in Southern California so I think I should be able to manage without one.  After I finish seaming up the whole thing I’ll decide if it needs some kind of collar or something to make the top edge look all right.

Anyways, moving on to my other space.

I was trying to get all of the stacks of paperwork, piles of yarn,  fabric, and books, and general messiness of everything in there right now, but its all pushed along the sides and was rather difficult to get in a photograph (I did try, though).  Right in the middle is the quilt I started binding last night.

(This is just the quilt top, pre-quilting.)  I’ve been taking a machine quilting class at Home Ec (formerly inside Reform School, but last night we met at the brand new space – yay!) with an amazing teacher, Alissa.  As most of you know, I know how to hand piece/quilt/applique, but I’ve had limited experience machine piecing and quilting.  This class was wonderful and if you’re in the area, definitely stop by and check out Jenny’s new shop.

 

A Parade of Dishcloths

For Mother’s Day I whipped out a bunch of dishcloths for my mom and grandmothers.  Here’s the pattern and yarn details:

Waffle knit dishcloth in Peaches & Cream color #170 Winterberry – for my mom

Music notes cloth in Sugar’n Cream color #18083 Cornflower – for my mom (who loves music and plays the piano beautifully)

DW Darrell Waltrip dishcloth in Peaches & Cream color #170 Winterberry – for my mom

Springing up flowers dishcloth in Sugar’n Cream color #18083 Cornflower – for my Grandma Sharon

Waffle knit dishcloth in Sugar’n Cream color #02244 Landscape – for my Grandma Sharon

Ballband dishcloth in Sugar’n Cream color #21705 American Stripes and #00009 Bright Navy – I actually knit this one from the Mason-Dixon Knitting book (which I HIGHLY recommend to any knitter)

I ended up giving one grandmother and my m-i-l (who is not a fan of the knit/crochet dishcloth) different gifts, so the ballband dishcloth is sitting somewhere in my stash.  I haven’t decided yet who to give it to or if I’m going to end up keeping it for myself.

I also knit these two dishcloths to try out the pattern. I decided I don’t like it pattern as much as the waffle knit or DW one as a basic dishcloth pattern.  It’s very easy, but the cloths are small and, honestly, I just prefer the other ones better.  I gave them to people who commented on my sweater issue post/giveaway as thank-you’s.

Grandmother’s favorite dishcloth in Peaches & Cream #207 Bubblegum

 

Two more FOs

One Everlasting Bagstopper.  Knitting finished last fall.  Handles added three months ago.  Pictures taken two months ago.  Blogged about now.  (Yeah, I know, I stink at this.)

I really like this yarn and this color, plus its a great pattern and super functional bag.  I need to put some kind of glue on the back of the ribbon though because I’m afraid I’m going to rip it to pieces.  It’s the kind that has all the little threads going across the back (I think its called jacquard, but I’m not sure).  I’ve had the ribbon in my stash for a couple of years, just waiting for the right project.

I finished this scarf months ago as well.  I posted about my first attempt to use this yarn here and an update on it (right before I finished the thing, actually) along with pattern details here.

This ended up being REALLY short.  As in less than 36-inches.  I figured I’ll save the thing for whenever that ONE (hehe) daughter of mine shows up.  It’ll be the perfect length for her.  Or maybe I’ll figure out something to do with it in the meantime.

This one’s just a gratuitious shot for me.  Scarf sushi rolls, my favorite!

 

Jess’s baby blanket

I have a bunch of knitting FOs to show you all, I just either haven’t been able to post them yet because they’re gifts or, honestly, because I’ve forgotten about them.  So, here’s the first one.

My friend Jessica and I had a conversation about a year ago about how she’s had two babies and has NEVER BEEN GIVEN A KNIT BABY BLANKET.  Or crocheted.  No yarny goodness to wrap her precious newborn in.  I was, of course, shocked and immediately promised to knit her one the next time she had a baby.

So, a few months ago she had a beautiful baby girl, and I sent her her first knit blanket.  A little bit late, but that’s not my fault.  That baby just wanted to get here early!

 

Back on dry land

Hey everybody!  We’re home.  We had a great time on our cruise.  It was a little cold the first few days and I got a little sick.  Not seasick, though, just a bad sore throat and a little sinus infection, although I did lose my voice at the end of the trip (first time in years).  Then I got really sick when we got home.  Lots of coughing, no fun.

I don’t want to do a full cruise post until I talk to our friends and make sure they’re OK with me putting their pictures on the internet.  Just in case they care about that kind of thing.  I do have a bunch of crafty finished objects to post about, though.  To break it up a little bit and make it easier to read, I’m going to do the knitting in this post and everything else in the next post (all today, though).

So, I knit these slippers for my Grandma ages ago.  Like, um, they were supposed to be her Mother’s Day present.  She saw them on Mother’s Day, with one needing the white i-cord trim and both needing straps (or so I thought).  I finished up the i-cord trim a few days later and then they sat in my knitting basket, waiting for me to take them over to her house to ask her where she wanted the Mary Jane-style strap to go.  Finally, at Christmas, I throw them in my bag to take to Idaho, knowing I’ll see her then.  Turns out she didn’t want straps at all.  Sheesh.

Maine Morning Mitts, or “the post-Sadie’s blanket recovery project.”  Great pattern, quick knit, love them.  I made them out of Silk Garden instead of Kureyon.  It was the yarn from the Noro striped scarf project (not really failed, per se, I ripped out the couple rows I had before I really got started).  I thought the silk in it would feel better than the pure wool on my hands.

Mitts in action.  Sorry it’s a night shot – I had to wait until Aaron was home.

I’ve been trying to find a pattern for this yarn (Misti Alpaca Worsted) for ages (see the failed Koolhaas hat attempt). The pattern is My So Called Scarf, which was a little tricky at first.  I figured it out, though, after watching a YouTube video I found through Ravelry (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKpuUxVbQtc). from a year ago).  This seems to be working out, though.  I like the zig-zag its doing all by itself.  This is my whenever project, as in “whenever I’m not doing something else.”

All right, no new knitting other than the Misti scarf.  I have a couple unfinished sweaters I need to pick up before it gets too warm to work on them again.  Oh yeah, and a couple baby blankets to start soon!

 

Oh thank goodness, I’m done

The never ending baby blanket (otherwise known as the Stripey Travel Rug) is finished.

Done

Finito

This thing was supposed to take 3 weeks, not 3 months. I used to be fond of garter stitch. Now, not so much. I have learned my lesson.

All that’s left to do is give it to my niece. I started something new to take it’s place and, a week later, I’m already done. Now that’s what I’m talking about.

 

Insert good post title here

I was going to write a post about how I couldn’t find my stapler and I was getting really annoyed.  Then I found it.  On a stack of fabric.  Pretty boring post, right?  That’s life right now, pretty boring.  Busy, but not a lot of fun/interesting/entertaining stuff going on.

Most of my knitting time has been spent on what seems to be a never-ending baby blanket for my niece Sadie.  (I think I mentioned it in an earlier post.  It’s the Stripey Travel Rug).

I am insanely bored.  Hours and hours of mind numbing garter stitch.  With no end in sight.  What was I thinking?!  This kid is a month old and it doesn’t look like I’m finishing any time soon.  Jeesh.

I’ve been trying to start a scarf project to take the edge off of the blanket madness.  “Trying” being the operative word.  I started the Noro striped scarf (just like every other knitter out there, it seems – call me a Harlot lemming) but it isn’t working out too well.

I’ve had to rip it out numerous times and start over – problems with hiding/carrying the yarn up the side.  I’m also a little concerned with how well these two colorways will work together.  What do you think?  Good or bad?  I asked Aaron, but if you’ve seen his haircut, you know his opinion of what looks good and what doesn’t counts for very little right now.

I also whipped out a little flannel quilt saver/roll/fold-up thingy to carry my quilt block pieces in.

A lady at my hand quilting class suggested it.  I think she was a little concerned, and rightly so, about my pieces getting all mixed up.  Now I can just unfold the flannel and all my pieces are laid out correctly, just like I left them (I used to just stack them up and through them in my bag).

My Card Tricks block is coming along rather slowly.

I’ve got all of the triangles pieced into blocks and now just need to piece those 9 blocks together. My goal is to finish the piecing and get it quilted before class starts again in January.  Lofty ambitions, huh?

BTW, I’ve been saving all of the great free holiday printables (mostly tags) that I’ve come across and am putting together a post to share them with ya’ll.  I’m grateful that those with the talents I don’t have are so willing to share them.  Also, how do you come up with post titles?  I’m stuck.

 

Crafty update

Numero Uno:

Finished my hand pieced and quilted pillow

Numero Dos:

A housewarming present dishcloth.  Chinese Waves pattern.  Took almost a full ball of Lily Sugar n Cream yarn in Mint & Chocolate (I think they discontinued this color).  I think this pattern would look great in the Tumbleweed color (note to self).

Other side.

Close up view.

Numero Tres:  My current knitting project is the Stripey Travel Rug for my new niece.  If I followed the pattern the width would only be 15″, so I doubled the cast on stitches (which more than doubles the finished size) and it’s taking about 5 times longer than I thought it would.  So bored but have to get it finished.  No pics due to the wonderful but bad for photos cloudy weather.

Numero Quatro: Current hand quilting project.

Card Tricks block.

Example block.

My fabrics.

Numero Cinco:  Beaded ornaments for the kids at church to do.

Numeros Seis, Siete, Ocho, etc…:  Miscellaneous nursing covers, aprons, diaper cases, and lots of other stuff.

Sorry this is so choppy and succinct.  Life is a little overwhelming right now.  I’m sure ya’ll understand, right?  Hopefully.

 

A few finished objects

First up, some nursing covers (or Hooter Hiders, if you will).

I made these for a some friends of mine. Two were in the scroll work print (one with extra wide boning in it for twins).

And one in the poppy print.

(I included this photo because I think the colors and print show up better with the flash.)

Both fabrics are from Amy Butler. Thanks Mavis for the great tutorial (only a few little modifications made). I really enjoy he blog, plus it has a great name (imustnotthinkbadthoughts). Almost as good as I May Be Knitting A Ranch House. Man, I wish I had come up with that one first. (P.S. Name that movie, if you can.)

I also finished the Slant Pocket Messenger Bag. Yarn is Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Dusty Olive (loved both the yarn and the color). This was both an easy and difficult project at the same time. The knitting was fairly easy, but the pattern dissection and seaming up were a little difficult. It turned out all right, though. I made it to hold my scriptures, which I am happy to say it does very nicely. (Picture of bag with scriptures in it later, if I remember.)

I’ve been working on the Plain Vanilla socks as well. I’ve finished the leg, heel flap, etc. all the way to the foot, which I’m about halfway through. Picture when I finish the first sock.

While I’m thinking about it, here are the links and info for the Mother’s Day projects.

Kim’s potholder: Rodney the Rooster pattern, Lily Sugar ‘n Cream Solid yarn in Red and Cream

Grandma’s dishcloth: Quilted Heart Dishcloth pattern, Lily Sugar ‘n Cream Solid yarn in Cornflower

 

What’s going on

I’ve had a lot to post about, just not a lot of time to do it. Not if my house is ever going to get clean (which I’m giving up on, or else this blog would definitely shut down).

So, what’s been going on. First off, some finished objects from Mother’s Day.

A dishcloth for my grandma:

And a Rooster Potholder for my MIL:

I made this one by knitting two identical dishcloths, one in cream and one in red, then whipstitching the two together. It turned out pretty well and I’m planning on using this technique again later on.

(Links and pattern info are falling into the same category as the house cleaning: “Stuff I’ll do later or else I’d never blog.”)

I have one more Mother’s Day present I’ve been trying to finish up that I’ll post about later.  I know, I know, Mother’s Day was weeks ago. Luckily, this grandma has been out of town and I’ve been given a slight reprieve.

I’ve also been knitting a Plain Vanilla pair of socks with my Scout’s Swag sock club yarn.

This is not a colorway I would normally pick out on my own, but I’m totally loving it. Very spring.  Good benefit of a being in a sock club, getting colors you wouldn’t choose yourself. Thanks Scout!

I took this picture and then frogged the sock as it was entirely too big (even for Aaron, but he wouldn’t wear them even if they did fit, way too “girly” colors). I’m using the Yarn Harlot’s basic sock recipe for the first time, plus these are also the first socks I’ve knit on my own, without any help, and its the first time I’ve used sock weight (or fingering) yarn for socks, so I’m learning a lot as I go along. I’ve since restarted with 16 fewer cast on stitches and they look like they will fit. I also switched to 3 dpns when I started over and started getting ladders, so I switched back to 4 dpns and that seems to have fixed the problem. In the next picture I take and post I’ll point out what I’m talking about. So far, reasonably good, though.

I have a whole Memorial Day story to tell y’all, but I really need to get working on the house. Plus, we’re going to “the river” (the Colorado for anyone who cares) tomorrow and I haven’t even started packing or getting food and gear together. Someone needs to come over to my house and kick me in the rear. Well, at least I got a blog post done. That’s something, right!