Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Socks and Table



Been making some socks. Just my basic house sock.

I love them. Cheap yarn means I can be just as hard on them as I want. No hand washing, or flat drying for these, and yep right through the desert sand no problem ;)

Don't you just love quick knits that are so useful and fun :D



Went to El Paso a few days back. Still looking for that just right pair of boots for Jorden. Stopped at our favorite burger place :D Had a great time even found a good pair of boots :D



Our new reiki table

It took a couple of weeks to get here, but was well worth the wait. It's about 50 lbs. Came with a case and head rest as well as arm rests. Very sturdy, 3 inch thick foam, with adjustable back. It's great :D no more bending over a chair or couch :D





Tuesday, March 23, 2010

King Charles Brocade Cowl

Spring time is here :D and with the warmer weather comes our winds.
I needed something to wear over my hair that would be easy to pop on and off, that the wind didn't take off for me ;)
I wanted to be able to wear it laying smooth as well as up, so I went with buttons and quick yarn over button holes.
This is a loose knit, so it's perfect for this in between kind of weather. Quick and easy to knit.




King Charles Brocade Cowl
Size 8 US needles
120 yards worsted yarn, shown in Preaches & Crème’s Sage
Gauge 4 sts by 5 ½ rows per inch
27” long by 8” wide ( approximately )
Three ¾” buttons

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Basic Cloth


We all had to go to the dentist the other day. The dentist had all four of us set for the same time, and who know how many others :( It was over a hour before one of us was called in :(
I am sure everyone out there has come across this pattern in one form or other it is very basic, however I didn't realise how much I had evolved this pattern to fit my needs. So I thought I'd share mine with you all :)

I started this one at the dentist office and finished it there too ;) it is a very fast knit, but I had way more time than I needed :(

I often use these as a hot pad as well, so I place the yarn overs close to the edge. I like the speed of a yarn over to most other increases, but you can use any increase you like, knitting into the back loop works well :)
I really don't like large sized kitchen cloths. When I use them as hot pads I always mange to get them in the food ;(

I am a very messy cook, I swear I can't even open a can without making a mess, let alone cook lol. I try, but you know somethings just can't be helped ;) ... no this has nothing to do with why I cook outside so much ;) lol

I add a little chain loop on the end so I could hang them on the cabinets for easy reaching.

I use a size 6US needle, as I find they give me a nice and tight stitch for use as a hot pad, but still knit up fast.
If using as a hot pad always use yarn that can take the heat. I always use 100% cotton in worsted weight, and be sure to keep your stitches on the tight side or go to a smaller needle. As well as keeping to the knit stitch for thickness. As always be careful with anything hot :)
I don't like the way it hangs if knit into a square, the sides kind of fold in :( so I don't make mine square. They are also great for using up bits of cotton.

Mine are "work" cloths so I use whatever colors I have around :)

Cast on 6
k1, yo, k to end.
repeat until you have the size you want ( I go anywhere from 35 to 45 stitches across )
k1, yo, k2tog, k to end
repeat 5 times
k1, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog, k to end
repeat until you have around 15 stitches
k1, yo, *k2tog, * to end, knitting the last stitch if need be ( the k2tog's give a slight curve to the cloth that makes hanging them easier )
Bind off, leaving tail long enough to make loop for hanging.
I use whatever size crochet hook I have around, making about a dozen chain stitches, join loop by weaving in end.
This style cloth can be changed up in so many ways. Go with what you like :)
The next time you find yourself sitting at the dentist office without a pattern give it a try :)