Wednesday, December 30, 2009

patterns revisited


This year I remade a few patterns I had written in the past.
One to fix the pattern itself http://barbsz-lifeisgood.blogspot.com/2008/11/mens-triangular-wrist-warmers.html It should be "right" now. Thanks again everyone :)
Dad loved them, he said he would wear them when he rides his bike. I made them in cotton this time, worked well. What didn't work was the photo. I can't seem to get a good photo of anything made out of black yarn :(
The other pattern I remade was the hat above. I used my http://barbsz-lifeisgood.blogspot.com/2009/06/mens-basic-relaxed-fit-hat-with.html hat for men downsized a bit. Mom had wanted a hat like the ones I've been making for the guys. I made it more frilly by using eyelash yarn around the edge and white cotton with gold metallic thread running thought it.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Penguin Can Cover / Wrist Warmer










Penguin Can Cover / Wrist Warmer


This pattern assumes some knowledge of stranded and intarsia knitting.
The penguin is knit flat and seamed up the back later, with tail knit on after seaming. The wings and beak are knit up with the pattern by turning your work.
I used stranded knitting with the center ( white and yellow ), and intarsia with the black areas ( so I used two bobbins of black instead of carrying the black behind the white yarn. )
Size 6 US needles
29 yards worsted weight black cotton yarn
4 yards worsted weight white cotton yarn
2 yards worsted weight yellow cotton yarn
1 yards worsted weight blue cotton yarn
Gauge 4 sts by 6 rows
Kf/b = knit into the front and back of the next stitch
K = knit
K2tog = knit 2 stitches together
P = purl
P2tog = purl 2 stitches together
W = use white yarn to those stitches
Y = use yellow yarn to those stitches
Bk = use black yarn to those stitches
Bl = use blue yarn to those stitches
 
pattern on
Ravelry

Monday, December 21, 2009

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Knit and Cable Hand Bag

I came across this cable pattern in a Harmony Guide, and wanted to give it a try.




Knit and Cable Hand Bag
Knit flat, seamed up the sides with cabled flap. Hooks or snaps hold closed, with ornamental button.
5 ½ by 9 inches
Size 6 US needles
Cable needle
Yarn needle for seaming
105 yards worsted weight yarn ( pictured in Real Teal by Redheart )
Two snaps or hooks
1 button ( optional )
Exact gauge is not essential to this project
Stitches
C4f = slide 2 stitches onto cable needle hold on front side of work, knit 2 stitches then knit the 2 stitches on cable needle
C4b = slide 2 stitches onto cable needle hold on back side of work, knit 2 stitches then knit the 2 stitches on cable needle
K = knit
P = purl
T3b = slip one stitch onto cable needle hold in back, knit the next 2 stitches, purl the stitch off the cable needle, for a twist to the right.
T3f = slip two stitches onto cable needle hold in front, purl the next stitch, knit the 2 stitches off the cable needle, for a twist to the left.
( )x = repeat directions inside brackets as many times as indicated
 
Cast on 36 stitches
1) purl
2) knit
3) p10, ( c4f, p2 )x 2, c4f, p10
4) k10, ( p4, k2 )x 2, p4, k10
5) p9, ( t3b, t3f )x 3, p9
6) k9, p2, ( k2, p4 )x 2, k2, p2, k9
7) p8, t3b, ( p2, c4b )x 2, p2, t3f, p8
8) k8, p2, k3, p4, k2, p4, k3, p2, k8
9) p7, t3b, p2, ( t3b, t3f )x 2, p2, t3f, p7
10) k7, p2, k3, p2, k2, p4, k2, p2, k3, p2, k7
11) p6, ( t3b, p2 )x 2, c4f, ( p2, t3f )x 2, p6
12) k6, ( p2, k3 )x 2, p4, ( k3, p2 )x 2, k6
13) p5, ( t3b, p2 )x 2, t3b, ( t3f, p2 )x 2, t3f, p5
14) k5, ( p2, k3 )x 2, p2, k2, ( p2, k3 )x 2, p2, k5
15) p5, ( k2, p3 )x 2, k2, p2, ( k2, p3 )x 2, k2, p5
16) k5, ( p2, k3 )x 2, p2, k2, ( p2, k3 )x 2, p2, k5
17) p5, ( t3f, p2 )x 2, t3f, ( t3b, p2 )x 2, t3b, p5
18) k6, ( p2, k3 )x 2, p4, ( k3, p2 )x 2, k6
19) p6, ( t3f, p2 )x 2, c4f, ( p2, t3b )x 2, p6
20) k7, p2, k3, p2, k2, p4, k2, p2, k3, p2, k7
21) p5, ( p2, t3f )x 2, t3b, t3f, ( t3b, p2 )x 2, p5
22) k8, p2, k3, p4, k2, p4, k3, p2, k8
23) p8, t3f, ( p2, c4b )x 2, p2, t3b, p8
24) k9, p2, ( k2, p4 )x 2, k2, p2, k9
25) p9, ( t3f, t3b )x 3, p9
26) k10, ( p4, k2 )x 2, p4, k10
27) purl
28) knit for 9 ½ inches, or until you can fold in thirds.
29) ( k2, p2 ) to end
30) ( p2, k2 ) to end
Bind off.
Fold in thirds seaming up the knit section sides, leaving the cable for the flap.
Weave in ends.
Add hooks or snaps to the corners of the flap and corresponding areas on the bag. Not pulling to tight as to disrupt stocking stitch roll of flap.
Button on center cable flap is ornamental and as such is
optional.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Cloth # 5 ( x-mas tree )

Add free pdf now for purchase on  my ravelry store



Unblocked in photo
Cloth #5
This pattern assumes some knowledge of stranded and intarsia knitting.
I used stranded knitting with the bottom center of tree as well as the top. Intarsia with the white areas and boarders.

Size 6 US needles
25 yards worsted weight Christmas colors cotton yarn
21 yards worsted weight white cotton yarn
4 yards worsted weight green cotton yarn
1 yards worsted weight yellow cotton yarn
Exact gauge is not essential to this project
Stitches
k = knit
p = purl
g = use green yarn to those stitches
w = use white yarn to those stitches
y = use yellow yarn to those stitches
xmas = use multi colored Christmas yarn

Cast on 35 stitches with xmas colored yarn.
Knit 7 rows with xmas
8) k5 xmas, k25 w, k5 xmas
9) k5 xmas, p25 w, k5 xmas
10) k5 xmas, k25 w, k5 xmas
11) k5 xmas, p25 w, k5 xmas
12) k5 xmas, k12 w, k1 g, k12 w, k5 xmas
13) k5 xmas, p12 w, p1 g, p12 w, k5 xmas
14) k5 xmas, k12 w, k1 g ( carry green yarn behind white 2 stitches, for proper placement in next row), k12 w, k5 xmas
15) k5 xmas, p9 w, p7 g, adding new bobbin of white p9 w, k5 xmas
16) k5 xmas, k8 w, k9 g, k8 w, k5 xmas
17) k5 xmas, p7 w, p11 g, p7 w, k5 xmas
18) k5 xmas, k8 w, k9 g, k8 w, k5 xmas
19) k5 xmas, p9 w, p7 g, p9 w, k5 xmas
20) k5 xmas, k8 w, k9 g, k8 w, k5 xmas
21) k5 xmas, p7 w, p11 g, p7 w, k5 xmas
22) k5 xmas, k8 w, k9 g, k8 w, k5 xmas
23) k5 xmas, p9 w, p7 g, p9 w, k5 xmas
24) k5 xmas, k8 w, k9 g, k8 w, k5 xmas
25) k5 xmas, p9 w, p7 g, p9 w, k5 xmas
26) k5 xmas, k10 w, k5 g, k10 w, k5 xmas
27) k5 xmas, p8 w, p9 g, p8 w, k5 xmas
28) k5 xmas, k9 w, k7 g, k9 w, k5 xmas
29) k5 xmas, p10 w, p5 g, p10 w, k5 xmas
30) k5 xmas, k9 w, k7 g, k9 w, k5 xmas
31) k5 xmas, p10 w, p5 g, p10 w, k5 xmas
32) k5 xmas, k11 w, k3 g, k11 w, k5 xmas
33) k5 xmas, p10 w, p5 g, p10 w, k5 xmas
34) k5 xmas, k11 w, k3 g, k11 w, k5 xmas
35) k5 xmas, p10 w, p1 y, p1 w, p1 g, p1 w, p1 y, p10 w, k5 xmas
36) k5 xmas, k11 w, k1 y, k1 g, k1 y, k11 w, k5 xmas
37) k5 xmas, p12 w, p1 y, p12 w, k5 xmas
38) k5 xmas, k11 w, k1 y, k1 w, k1 y, k11 w, k5 xmas
39) k5 xmas, p10 w, p1 y, p3 w, p1 y, p10 w, k5 xmas
40) k5 xmas, k25 w, k5 xmas
41) k5 xmas, p25 w, k5 xmas
42) k5 xmas, k25 w, k5 xmas
43) k5 xmas, p25 w, k5 xmas
Knit 7 rows in xmas color.
Bind off, weave in ends.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Inside Out Scrap Yarn Can Cover/Wrist Warmer

So I'll admit it, I hate to throw anything "useful" away. By useful I mean "by your wildest imagination some day you might have a need for it".


This stems from every time I do toss something I will need it days later, no matter how long I kept it around before hand.


This holds true for yarn as well. When I first started to knit, I ran across a site ( wish I would have bookmarked it ) where the person was talking about using their smaller scraps of yarn to make dog blankets out of. Just knotted the pieces together and knitted away. No photos, but it sounded cool.


Well turns out my dogs don't like knitted blankets, sweaters sure, but not blankets. The stitches catch on their nails.
No sooner had I gotten done with making a wrap

out of all my scraps last year ( saved them for more then a year ) when I started to make wrist warmers with after thought thumbs...... yeah, not one piece of scrap yarn to be had lol.


So here I am with a good size bag of scrap yarn again, when it hits me I want a fuzzy, knotted up can cover ( don't ask why, no clue ). I could use some and still have enough left over in case something comes up :)

Inside Out Scrap Yarn Can Cover/Wrist Warmer


So I took some scrap cotton and tied them together, leaving small tails I could brush out later. I used size 6 US dpns this time to tighten them up a bit. I tend to knit a little looser with all the knots and didn't want it to slide off.
Cast on 32 stitches, 2 by 2 ribbing for 20 rounds. Can be used either side out. The extra yarn of the tails really add to the coziness factor, and no weaving in the ends :) lol

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Raven Tarot Bag






The Raven Tarot Bag is knit in one piece, no seams. It is started using the Eastern cast on ( optional ), then knit in the round until the cabled flap which is knit flat.

It's about 5 by 6 inches, fits my larger cards while wrapped in their cloth nicely.
I used size 6 US dpns ( set of five ), I've read that this cast on is easier with circular needles, I did not find it to be the case. I'm sure other toe-up cast-on's would work as well, I just find this one suites me. You could also seam the the bottom.

Cable needle
Gauge 4 ½ stitches by 7 rows per one inch
57 yards of worsted weight yarn

3 buttons, 2 smaller about ½ inch, 1 larger about 1 inch
Stitches that are used
I made this bag some time ago, I could not tell you how many photos were taken before we got some we could use ;)
buy now

 

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Okay this is getting old

Last night as we were in the kitchen getting dinner ready, a few more odd things happened. Pans fell for no reason ( went quite far across the floor, 3 of us saw it ), things popping off shelves at DS#2, and while we were standing there talking DH got splashed with water, no one was near him or the sink. He was clearly wet across his face. This needs to stop.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

odd

So yesterday was a little odd, yeah I know again.
My sisters van broke down, yeah I know again lol, anyhow while she was here....
sitting in my living room chatting with her and my sons, out of the corner of my eye I see something dark poke DS#1 on the back, he jumped, my sister saw it and wanted to know what that grayish thing was. I have no clue, but it's got to go. Any ideas????

Tuesday, December 8, 2009


All their lives we've heard "are they twins".
Until this photo we never saw it.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Snow in Las Cruces???

I've said this before.. I don't like cold..... not in the least little bit. So we move to one of the sunniest places we could find and not be cooked alive ( lived in southern Nevada for a while ).
Hey for a few years ( 20+ ) it worked out just fine. Didn't even wear a sweater for the first 5 years!


This was a few days ago, now you can't even see the mountains. Even though we live pretty far up the side of the Organs we never get snow that lasts for more then a few hours if that long, and never sticks around over night, oh yeah right "never say never" ( knock, knock, knock )

Sure it's pretty and all, for a few minutes. ( That had been really working out well for us ; ) )
Right now our water pipes are frozen and my herbs don't look very happy : (
I must say the other morning as I was rushing to the hospital with a kidney stone, the mountains were so beautiful. DH didn't want to stop for a photo, he's so sweet : )

Speaking of DH, he got promoted at work YIPPEE full time hours and health coverage again. It's been a tight year. Still we're fairing better than some, my best and warmest wishes to all of you this cold season.