Homespun scarf

Christmas is over!!! This is my final project for Christmas. I have a couple of birthday presents to complete tomorrow and then I should be able to work on projects for me!! I don't really have a list too long....just a sweater, a scarf or two, and some dish clothes.

Haha ANYWAY!! The while reason I'm posting is to share a new scarf pattern I'm trying out. I've written it myself although its not real complicated. I'm using size 17 circular needles. I cast on 120 stitches and knitting until it's as wide as I want it. I'm crocheting a matching hat and to make it look manly I put some charcoal grey and blue in it. The scarf has one stripe of grey so far it will have a blue stripe soon which should match the hat nicely.

For a more specific pattern:
Using doubled up homespun yarn and size 17 circular needles (29 in. long)
CO 120
With main color knit 4 rows
With contrasting color #1 knit 2 rows
With main color knit 4 rows
With contrasting color #2 knit 2 rows
With main color knit 4 rows
BO

Here's the picture of what it looks like 1/2 way through.

Since you are working on circular knitting needles it would be very easy to convert this into an infinity scarf pattern just join into a circle and knit your heart out.

Sewing sewing and more sewing

I panicked earlier this week thinking my $5 quilt block was due this weekend. A few days after I finished it I realized it was due the following weekend. I normally cut it out one day and sew it the next or the following week. I decided to cram it all in one day. 4.5 hours after I started I finished the block. It normally takes me about 45 minutes to cut and about an hour to sew... This was the hardest block I have done so far!!!! I'm not completely sure why either..... The part that confused me were the corners ( if you look in the picture it would be the pink and white triangles and sunset cloud square) they all mirror each other and aren't sewn the same way. I was very happy to be done.
Written in September forgot to upload.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!!

I love fall! Fall means I get to start working on Christmas gifts. I've bought yarn for a gift for my dad and I'm still stumped on what to make my mom. I just finished her hat. It turned out really well. She wanted it doubled up to be super warm. The picture if it will be on the bottom. I finished a scarf for a friend but don't have a picture of it. I'm pretty much stumped on what else to make I just know I'm excited for Christmas.
I think birthday season is coming to a close finally. I've lost track how many birthdays have been going on but my favorite gift I gave was a small origami purse I made. It turned our awesome. Unfortunately I completely forgot to take a picture of it. With origami the paper is almost always two different colors on each side so to create the same idea I sewed two pieces of fabric together in a square. Then I folded it just like the directions said using lots of pins I was able to tack all the corners so it would keep its shape. It is by far one of the cutest purses I've ever made.
The project I've made the most of lately is a casserole carrier. It's hard to describe so I will post a picture of it too.

Well until next time.

Promise Blanket for Mary Elizabeth Home

DISCLAIMER: These patterns are not to be used for any other project besides this one. This is for charity not for sale. 

We have purchased yarn for the blanket already. please come to Knitervetion to get the yarn for the block you would like to make. Instructions: If you want a paper copy of the pattern let me know.  Please don't reproduce these patterns I just wanted the patterns to be easier to access for people on smart phones or tablets. If you are a blog follower and you'd like to participate e-mail me and I'll get you all of the specifics. Thank You for your time!

BASIC ABRIVATIONS:
K=knit
P=purl
st=stitch
sts=stiches
alt=alternate
CO=cast on
BO=Bind off
rep=repeat
YO=Yarn Over
psso=pass slipped stitch over
ssk=slip slip knit
k2tog=knit 2 together
RS=Right Side (or good side)


Block 1 [Rainbow]
Reversed Heart
Cast On 33 stitches and follow the chart starting at the bottom right hand corner.
If you would like me to post the pattern written out let me know.

Block 2 [Red]

Ridged Columns

Row  1 and every alternate row (RS) K1, P1, *K5 P2; rep from * to last 7 sts, K5, P1, K1

Row  2 K9, *P5, K9; rep from * to end

Row  4 K2, *P5, K2; rep from * to end

Row  6 K2, P5, *K9, P5; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2.

Row  8 K2, *P5, K2; rep from * to end

---

Repeat Rows 1-8 four times more ending with row 8. Rep. rows 1 and 2 once more. Bind off. 

Block 3 (Yellow)

Diamond Eyelets

CO 33 sts and K 2 rows

Row 1: (RS) Knit

Row 2: AND EVERY ALT ROW: K1, P to last st. K1

Row 3: K4, YO, sl 1, psso, K6, rep from * to last 5 sts, YO, sl 1, psso, K3.

Row 5: K3, *YO, sl1, K2Tog, psso, YO, K5, rep from * to last 6 sts, YO sl 1, K2tog, psso, YO, K3.

Row 7: K4, YO, sl 1, psso, K6, rep from * to last 5 sts, YO, sl 1, psso, K3.

Row 9: Knit

Row 11: K8, *YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K6, rep from * to last st, K1.

Row 13: K7, *YO, sl 1 K2tog, psso, YO, K5; rep from * to last 2 sts, K2.

Row 15: K8, *YO, sl 1, K1, psso, K6, rep from * to last st, K1.

Row 16: K1, P to last st, K1.

Repeat Rows 1-16 once more, ending with a Row 16. Rep Rows 1-10 once more. BO

Yes it's upside down, but it's still the Diamond Eyelets Block

Block 4 [Green]
Squares
CO 36
K6, P6 for 6 rows
P6, k6 for 6 rows
Repeat 2 more times (6 squares across and 6 up)
Do one more square
BO.

Block 5 [Blue]

Alternate Eyelets

this block only happens 4 times in the blanket and I think they are done. If I find out differently I'll post the pattern. 

I'm up so I might as well update my blog :)
Things have been crazy the past few months....June and July just flew by and August is almost half over. I am greatly anticipating fall. I'm hoping things slow down some before Christmas projects begin. I think I have most of my presents figured out though. This video is one of my ideas for friends. I plan on making a hand full of these for parties I'm going to and stuff like that. I'll probably put something inside too, but I haven't gotten that far....after all it's only August. This was my latest adventure. One of my church gals is getting married, and since I've known her for so long pretty much all that I normally do for weddings she already has so I had to get creative. and Thanks to Crafty Gemini for saving the day! I went overboard and spent some time at a stitch lounge using an embroidery machine....AAAAMAZING! I had way too much fun.
 I'm most excited about this project.... I'm making this for most of my close friends and family aka my mom, my sister, sis-in-law, and my mom-in-law, and possibly Aunts on my hubby's side....depends on time and budget ;-)

Also going on is a project a friend and I started back in January that we haven't gotten very far on that we call our promise blanket. I'll share more about that in a later post.

on to the next project

Random Update.....I have too many projects going.

I recently went through my ravelry projects and realized I have a lot of projects going. I have 6 going on ravelry not to mention the other projects going that don't have patterns.  The project I'm most excited about though is a project a friend and I are doing together hoping to get people from our church involved.  It's called a promise blanket, based off of different promises from God. The coloration is rainbow which is a symbol of one of God's promises that he would never again flood the entire world at the same time.  It's exciting.  My friend picket out different block patterns and we are making different blocks and will sew them together when we get it done.


I also will be starting a new group called Knittervention.  I got the idea for this group from a wonderful yarn shop up in Grand Rapids, Minnesota called the Yarn Gallery.  I was able to go to one meeting and fell in love with the idea....lots of people around my age sitting around knitting, working on modern patterns or designing new ones trying to come up with names for them.  It was a blast!! so I hope to start my own extension of their group Knittervention.  My first meeting will be this Sunday at 9:00am and we will mainly be meeting to discuss when to meet permanently.  You can check it out on my facebook page.

MISC Projects

haha woops been a while since I posted last....I've done lots of projects in the mean time though so no worries on that one! to get you up to speed I think i've made 2 baby blankets (doubled up yarn and size 13 needles...super fast and easy) several hats, dish clothes and other kitchen items. I've also been sewing a bit, but not a whole lot. my most recent attempt to follow a patter ended up being a major flop. Smart me realizes I hadn't checked the gage as I'm starting my 3rd skein of yarn. aka I'm, thankfully, obly1/2 way done with the project but about to start my last skein of yarn. Thinking just before I start my last skein "this sure it taking a lot of yarn and time" yep....so I'll have to figure something out with that pattern since I can't find what I want on the internet.  I did like the hat pattern though....go figure right another hat.

for the hat patern you can find it here

I really like how the hat turned out for it being my first attempt I will be adding a flower to it, but I really like the angling of the stitches. I just wish the cowl from the same pattern would have turned out as cool as the hat did.

I also have been on a few trips since my last post too. In the first part of May my husband and I took a trip out to Colorado...since it was only 4.5-5 hours away. This past week we went up to Northern Minnesota to visit family.  While up there I discovered one of the friendliest yarn stores I've ever been into. I instantly connected with the owner and made several visits during my stay.  I was also able to make it to one of their weekly meetings called Knitervention. I was completely blown away by how many ladies that were there and they all were working on a project. What made it so cool was they were all different ages and I don't think I was the youngest one there, but if I was it was only by a few years. Oh the name of the store.... I'm glad you asked! It was called The Yarn Gallery in Grand Rapids, MN.  If you are ever in that area you won't want to miss out on some real small town hospitality. Oh and if any of you from TYG are reading this I want to know what you named the "Shallancho" or "Ponshall" and when you will be posting it on revelry. I should have just gotten the pattern from you while I was there, but I didn't think I would be needing it....

Oh on the trip back from MN I somewhat developed a more uniform looking soap scrubby. it's still in the makings right now so I'm not completely sure it's going to work out. so far it's been ripped out 2-3 times...i lost count. Well it's past midnight...yet again thanks to a pepsi at 3:00 in the afternoon. you'd think i'd learn.....off to bed now

This is the start of my soap cozy...attempting to
put a cable in it, but we'll see how it works out.

hat project

I have noticed that i make a lot of hats.  They are so much fun to make.  There's so much technique that can go into one simple hat yet it doesn't take forever like sweaters or ponchos do.  They also make great gifts, not to mention I love to wear them too....and most of the patterns I give as gifts I have made one for myself first :-)

The hat that I am posting about today is one I actually finished a while ago and have been sporting around for the past several months.  I call it my warm hat.  I mixed a wool blend with an extremely soft acrylic yarn to make probably one of my favorite hats yet.  I've been looking for a flower to make it look a little more girly, but not a huge fru fru one.  I finally found one that is very easy to make yet quite original looking.  It will go with the style of hat quite well I think I'm pretty excited about it. I found the pattern for it on ravelry of corse, here it is.
Flower:

With double-pointed needles, CO 68 stitches in pink (color B). Join carefully to work in round, being careful to avoid twisting. Work in stockinette (all knit) until work measures 1.5 inches. K2tog across round, break yarn, and thread through all stitches. Pull to draw together, but leave a big enough hole in the middle to fit around your button. Knot yarn to keep from loosening up again, weave in ends and block.


I will have to post pictures when I have it finished. now on to picking out the yarn for the flower....tuff choices!