2KCBWDAY4 Where are They Now

Good morning on day 4 of the blog week thingy.  If I had know what was on for today I would have saved one of my posts I did a little while ago for now but you can check it out here.
My story for today is about an afghan that I made for my Mother over 10 years ago. 

I had made her an afghan in the 1980s that she and I both loved (when I finished, it was so hard to give it away, I liked it so much). It was a crocheted cross stitch and a new learning experience.  It turned out great though.

Around 2000 she moved into a new home and got new furniture and the cross stitch afghan just clashed so bad with the pretty pink, rose and burgundy couch that  I told her  I would make her a new one that matched her new home. 

I knew what I wanted to make but couldn't find just the right pattern so I finally gathered all the patterns, that I had considered, together and took the elements I liked best from each and made up my own.  I used Caron's Simply Soft yarn and it turned out so soft that you just want to wrap it around you and cuddle in it for hours.Mother had no room to keep the cross stitch afghan so she gave it back to me.  I was very pleased to get it because it matched my furniture just fine.  She put her new rose afghan across her couch in her new home and enjoyed it until 2006 when she passed away at 86 years young.  I now have both the afghans but would much rather have her back with us.  I have put the rose afghan in storage and will pass it down to my grand daughter when she is a little older.  I still use the cross stitch afghan and think of Mother every time I wrap up in it.

I have just recently come across these two patterns, one is still in my original note-making hand scribblings and will have to be deciphered and the other is in a typed out form that was given to my by a friend either in the late '70s or very early '80s.  If you are interested in either or both of these patterns you can e-mail me. 

Thanks for reading and leave a comment if you have one, or just click the like/dislike buttons.

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2KCBWDAY3 Day Three: 30th March. Tidy mind, tidy stitches

How do I keep my yarn wrangling organised? 
This morning's blog subject is a very rude awakening to my phsyche.  My mind has always thought I was quite organized.  Why I even have quite a few of my friends believing that, but in the hard light of reality it is not so.  I talk and think a  lot about getting and being organized but have never gotten it all done at one time.
I have a few good organizational tricks to share with you today that are working out great for me.  Although I have to admit that even my organized chaos works for me because I can put my hands on what I am looking for in a minimum of 5 - 30 minutes (well most of the time).

First let me show you some of the chaos and get this mess behind us, so to speak.

My giant bag of yarn stored in one of the

"vacuum out the air bags".  Not too pretty, huh.

My stash of crochet thread in my favorite basket. 

Not quite as bad as the above mess.

Now let me share a couple of my good ideas with you.

                          

These are a couple of my "Grandma Bags"

I call them that because I can stick my

 grands pictures in the outside pockets and show them off.

The bags hold my projects and patterns and all the gadgets I need whether I am sitting by my chair working or have to grab it and take it with me.  I have several because I usually have several projects working at one time.  If I don't have it in one of the "grandma bags" then the project is usually considered a UFO and shoved into a WallyWorld bag and stuffed to the back of the cupboard.

 

This is my gadget bag, which to me is very organized and helpful.

It is just a large zippered bag made very sturdy.  I found it in the school section of WallyWorld and have used it for my gadgets ever since.  It is big enough to hold lots of goodies as you can see but small enough to fit into my "grandma bags", you ought to give it a try if you don't already have something that works for you.

Next I want to share my favorite organizational accomplishment with you.  For years I struggled with my circular needles.  The first time I use a pair I was in love and I hardly ever use anything else now.  But that meant I was collecting all the different sizes and yikes, they were flopping all over the place.  I saw in the catalogs that there were some really nice EXPENSIVE systems for keeping them but at the time that wasn't an option for me.  So I rummaged around until I came up with this.

A three ringed notebook with plastic page protectors w/top flaps (this keeps the needles from sliding out). 

I put a label on each page telling what size, length and how many of each should be in that sleeve.  I suggest you use a large, at least 3" notebook for this so you have plenty of growing room.  It is a very inexpensive way to keep them organized. If you take one out you can slip an index card in saying what project it is with and maybe even the date taken out.

I have done the same thing with my finished project pages that I use while knitting a project.  With the coming of the computer/scanner/printer age I have opted to scan a pattern, put it into a page protector sleeve, and carry that instead of using the original pattern. 

I can then feel free to mark any changes that I make on the copy and when I look back a couple of years later I can see just how I made that sweater and why it is so different looking than the original pattern.  You can also put the yarn label in the sleeve with any extra buttons and the gauge swatch.

This gives you a great final record of a project and also lets you learn from your mistakes if you felt you had made any. 

Although I have not been with Raverly for very long I can really see the benifits of the organization that they have brought to us "yarneys"  I think it has motivated me to get my Workbasket Magazines indexed and also in the near future figure out how to organize my yarn stash.

My DPNs and my Straight needles are at the moment residing with my partially indexed Workbaskets (a major WIP).

I hope this little bit of info has helped your organiztional skills, even if it infulenced you to find a better way than my way, lol.

I would love to hear your opinions so please leave a comment below or just click the like/dislike button.

Thanks for reading

>^..^<

2KCBWDAY2 Day Two: 29th March. Skill + 1UP

Today's topic is easy for me to put into words because there is nothing I love better than to learn something new.  I have been knitting and crocheting for close to 50 years so you betcha I have learned a thing or two.  The lesson I have learned best is to learn from my mistakes.  Another lesson I have learned is to never stop learning something new. 

 

It is sort of rough sometimes learning from your mistakes so lets concentrate on how I learn something new first.

 

As I have mentioned in a previous post that I love, love, love, free patterns or any patterns for that matter.  They are my text books for learning new stitches and techniques.  I really can't say that I am an expert at knitting or crocheting although I have sailed through patterns that have touted they are "advanced" and thought they were easy.  I have also stumbled and and strained my brain to get through patterns that were labeled "easy" and was humbled back to thinking that I knew so little and wanted to learn more of this wonderful craft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year I came across the Leisure Arts pattern booklet Nifty Knits DISHCLOTHS and decided that I could learn a lot of different stitches by making these 16 different dishcloths.  The picture above is pattern #1 and on the right is pattern #14.

 

I can't explain how much I enjoyed learning all these different stitches and yet I had a great finished project at the end of each one.  I love to make dishcloths because they are quick and easy to store so that when I need a gift to give unexpectedly, I have one. I also use them myself for dishes and facecloths.  I have taken the knowlege of the new stitches and incorperated them into baby blankets, and sweater patterns and even doggie sweaters, it is endless how this new knowlege can be used.

 

Now here is an example of learning from my mistakes.  I wanted to make another dishcloth but had run out of the cotton traditionally used so I picked up a leftover ball of acrylic yarn and used it.  It knitted up great and really looked great too but when I tried to use it for a dishcloth it didn't ring out well so every time I wiped the table or counter off it left a very wet streak.  I did learn however not to throw it away because it worked great for washing the car and removing the bugs (we in FL have something called the "lovebug" that will ruin a car's finish and paint if not removed quickly enough).  I now make one or two a year in the acrylic yarn just for the purpose of scrubbing the tough stuff (they last forever with acrylic yarn).

 

I am probably not alone in sharing the fact that the most valuable lesson learned is to ALWAYS CHECK YOUR GAUGE before you cast on your project.

I think I have finally learned this lesson even though it took me years of work pulled out and started over.  There is a meter gadget that measures how many miles of yarn you knit, I would hate to know how many miles of yarn I have pulled out, lol, because I didn't check my GAUGE first.

 

My advice to anyone that is eager to learn any craft is to go out there and just do it.  You will be amazed at what you will learn just by trying and so what if you make a mistake, that is a learning experience also.

There are so many sites on the web now that you can get help from and videos that will show you "how-to" almost anything.  Take advantage of all this wonderful information.  I have just a few noted on my side bar under Knitting Help and Info.  There are also some video strips at the bottom of the page that are great learning tools, have a look.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I would love for you to comment or click the like - dislike buttons below and let me know you were here.

 

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A Tale of Two Yarns – 2KCBWDAY1

There are yarns and then there are YARNS... this is a yarn about YARN.
I tend to gravitate towards cotton type and acrylic type yarns simply because I live in FL where even in the winter you can wear your summer clothes but your winter clothes can not be worn in the summer.  Even if you get to wear a nice heavy sweater it will only be worn once or twice that year because it just isn't needed unless you were to spend the whole time out in the elements and not inside with central heat. Therefore my reason to go for a cooler and lighter weight yarn when knitting for myself.

I will start my little yarn about the differences of 2 very simular yarns but they work up very different indeed.  Even while it is still in it's ball/skein stage it has a different look and feel.  The only difference is Nylon, one has it and the other doesn't and of course they are made by different companies.  I am speaking of Little Lehigh by Kraemer Yarns and Wildflower DK Fancy by Plymouth Yarn.

Little Lehigh by Kraemer Yarns is a DK weight of 45% cotton and 55% Acriylic.  It is soft to the touch from the get go and when finished has a wonderful feel and nice drape.  I used it in a project that I have finished off just in the past few months.

This was made from Lion Brand Microspun Leaf-Pattern Tunic, pattern number 873.  I had the Little Lehigh yarn in my stash already so used it instead of Lion Brand's suggested yarn.  I was very pleased with the outcome of this sweater and I enjoy it's softness. 

The Wildflower DK Fancy by Plymouth Yarn is also a cotton blend of 43% cotton and 53% acrylic with 4% nylon.  It is quite nice to work with but isn't quite as soft to the touch.  I have made several things from it and it works up very nice.  I made a dress for my grand daughter when she was a baby and have also made socks from it.  It works up very nice but just doesn't have that same drapey softness too it.  I may be wrong but I think it is because of the nylon that is in the mix. 



I have really enjoyed the socks I made from it they are cool and comfortable yet they have lasted better than my other socks, store or hand knit.  I am very hard on the heals of socks and have had to learn to darn in order to keep wearing them.  So far I haven't had to make any repairs at all on the Wildflower DK Fancy yarn.

As I weave the yarn end into the finished project of this tale of two yarns I have to say that I really enjoyed working with both yarns and it is like comparing apples and oranges (I love both of them also). If I have to compare them I would say that Little Lehigh by Kraemer Yarns has a softer feel and better drapability than Wildflower DK Fancy by Plymouth Yarn, sort of like Caron Simply Soft being an acrylic worsted has a softer hand than Red Heart Classic acrylic worsted.

I hope you have enjoyed this little tale and I would love to hear your opinions so please leave a comment below.

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Amigurumi Toys

I can't put into words the wonder and excitement that comes into a little ones eyes when they are given a new toy.  That also goes for furry little ones as well as human little ones.  Today I finished a new toy for my little furbaby Tuffy.  He knew it was for him and could hardly sit still while I put the final stitches in to secure the last tusk.  Yes I said tusk.  The toy is a walrus.

Tuffy and I call him Wally Walrus.  He is about 8 inches long and has a squeaker in him as do most of Tuffy's toys.  Tuffy has over a dozen toys and all but a few have squeakers in them. I have made several Amigurumi toys for him and they seem to be just the right size for him.  I use the patterns in Vanna's Choice Easy Crochet CRITTERS.  It has 10 amigurumi designs in it that feature Vanna's Choice yarns by Lion Brand Yarns.  The pattern book is put out by Leisure Arts.

I love to knit or crochet doll clothes and stuffed toys/dolls and have made many through the years.  I wish I had taken pictures of all that I did but unfortunately didn't think to do so until recently.  Here is a picture of a couple of toys I made for Tuffy last year and you can see they are well loved and played with but it gives you an idea of how well the patterns from the above book work for dog toys. 

If you can't tell it is the monkey and the alligator from the above book.  I didn't think that the toys would make it more than a week or two but they have lasted about 9 months so far.  They get lots of wear and tear even though I continually remind certain persons that they weren't made as a tuggy toy (and I had to sew a new ear back on monkey, also gator doesn't have bumps on his back anymore, lol).  As I stuff the critters I also put in a squeaker which comes in a package of several that are made by KONG as replacement squeakers.  I found mine at PetSmart.  The squeakers really hold up well chew after chew.  The eyes and noses I have put on with a sharpie permanent marker because I fear that Tuffy might hurt himself on any plastic kind of eye/nose and if I would stitch it on it wouldn't stay long at all because he likes to pull at any thing like that.  I have also washed all his toys in the washing machine and dried them in the dryer with no ill effects to the squeaker or the toy.

Believe it or not these little amigurumi toys are perfect for giving for baby showers or anytime.  Think how cute they would be in an Easter basket.  They are small enough that they might fit into one of the really big plastic eggs that are on the market today.  I really have fun making them and giving them as gifts to all my favorite little ones.

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Of Mice and Men

My oldest grandson has turned 18, and I can't figure out where the time went.  I was looking through the old pictures of him when he was little and came across this picture of his 7th birthday.

  OMG Isn't he just the cutest little guy!!!   Okay I got it out of my system now, I won't bore you with anymore adoring grandma talk.

I really am trying to draw your attention to the cute little mouse he is holding. 

The story is that he and I went to see the movie Stuart Little and I wanted to give him something very special for his birthday. I was looking through all my old WorkBasket magazines to find a sweater to make him and I saw a pattern for a mouse that really resembled Stuart Little. The light bulb went on and I decided that this was something I could make him that would always remind him of the fun we had that day at the movie.

The pattern was in the the August 1987 Workbasket magazine on page 12 and was called Mr. and Mrs. Mouse.

It is crocheted with worsted weight yarn and the pattern says that it is about 14" tall.  I don't think mine turned out quite that big but I may have shortened him somewhere, I don't remember how much I strayed from the pattern.

He really turned out great but even though I searched for weeks, I was never able to find a little red race car to set him in.



Here is Stuart Little today and oh yeah that other guy is my incredibly handsom grandson!!!!  Sorry that just slipped out.

If you would like anymore information about this pattern you can email me and I will be glad to help if I can.

Happy Crafting!

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Knitting and Crocheting isn't just for us Grandmas

I just couldn't resist sharing these videos with you.  I now have proof to show my dear Hubby that I really should be knitting instead of doing housework!!
Sorry you will have to sit through some advertising before it gets to the video but be paitient it is worth it.

This video is quite cute too. 

Project Finished!

It is always so gratifying to finish a project, especially one that you thought would take you months to do.  It makes one want to jump up and crow so stand back 'cause I'm gonna jump and crow now.

A few posts ago I showed you my WIP afghan and today I am showing the finished project.

All done and in record time for me.  I don't remember exactly when I started it but I think it was about the 1st of March and yes that was this year 2011.  It went so fast I couldn't believe it.  I used  the Red Heart Super Saver yarns in coffee. burgundy, gold and buff colors and a very simple pattern that I got from Bernat that is called Bernat Super Value Granny Blanket (to crochet).
I believe you have to sign up for their free patterns but it is free and a great source for patterns.  The Bernat yarn is also very good yarn, I just already had the Red Heart and was trying to use from my stash.  I wandered a little bit from the pattern as I usually do on anything I make, by not making it as large as the pattern called for (of course that made it a faster finish) and I also added my own edging.  I really didn't want a very large afghan as I already have one, and the added edge just seemed to finish it off just right.
The edging was very simple.  I started at a corner space by chaining 3 and 4 dc, then made a chain 3 picot, then dc five more times with a total of 10 dc in the corner space with the little picot in the middle. I sc in the next space and then 7 dc in the next space, repeating around and doing all the corner spaces the same.  Here is a close up so you can see how it turned out.

I am very happy how it turned out and will try it out this evening.  I have washed it and dried it in the dryer and it is soooo soft now.  I will have to fight with little Tuffy for it if I don't make him a matching little seat size one soon.

Now to get back to my other WIP oh and I also found a UFO lurking way back in the cupboard that I have to finish too!

Have a yarny day,

                                 =^..^=

PS:  A UFO, if you were wondering, is an Un-finished Object.

 

A really GREAT Story

This story has a wonderful smack u in the face reality to it.  It is a must read for all.  Please share and comment on it.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Kandahar's Combat Knitters use yarn and needles as weapons of self-preservation

WIPs

I have been busy this week trying to finish an afghan and also a sweater.  In other words my Works In Progress.  I almost always have at least two going at once because if it is a large project like an afghan I tend to get burnt out on it if I don't set it aside and pick up something else for a few hours.  Usually I mix a crochet project with a knitting project to break up the hand movements that can sometime get painful if I work too long at one thing.  I find that crocheting will get to my hands quicker than knitting.  With knitting it gets to my shoulders and neck quicker.  Such is life in the older years.  I just praise the Lord that I can still see well enough to do the things I love. 

My afghan I am making with just the simple granny square rectangle that just keeps getting larger and larger.  I am using the Red Heart Super Saver yarns in coffee. burgundy, gold and buff colors.

The colors aren't that good in this picture but I promise when I finish it I will take a better picture for you.  I am probably 3/4 of the way finished with it.  In fact I wasn't going to make it much bigger but when I laid it over myself in the recliner my feet stuck out, lol, so I have to make it longer, which in turn makes it wider. 

My feet are always cold, even in the summer I will wear my hand knit wool socks.  But that is a whole other topic that I will post on and share a pattern or two with you at a later. 

My other WIP is my sweater.  I am using an Ella Rae Phoenix Sweater pattern by Knitting Fever .  I am using Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Lt. Blue.  The main needle size is US 9 and is going really fast even with the bobbles.

  

                                           

I use circular needles whether I am knitting in the round or not, it is just easier for me and travels better when you don't have to worry about your needles poking out of your bag.

It may seem like the only yarn I use is Red Heart, but not true.  I have in the past used lots of different yarns and really enjoy the different types.  My whole reason for starting these two projects was to use up some yarn in my stash.  I was trying to not buy anymore yarn till I got some of the stash used down.  Of course the afghan is taking more of the brown than I had so had to buy more of that.  I had made baby blankets for twin boys with the blue and ended up with enough of it left to make the whole sweater without buying more though.

Yarn is not as easy to find in FL as it is up north and I have a double whammy because I live out in the woods and not close to any city and only one specialty yarn shop in the Ocala area that I have come across. I have seen ads for one in Gainesville and also Lady Lake but haven't gotten to them yet.  I have succumbed to buying yarn online, but it takes a lot of the joy out of the touching and feeling and judging color.  I haven't been too disappointed though with what I have gotten online.  I can only think of one time I thought the yarn was not what it should have been.  That was the yarn that came in the Alligator Scarf Kit that is mentioned in a previous post.  I did love love love that pattern though.  And so did the grandkids!  I ended up making 5 or 6 that year and sent them all for Christmas.  I used camoflauge (Red Heart) yarn for most of them and they turned out great.  I really do like Red Heart for it's durability when making for the G kids. 

The night is getting short and I will say good night, and God bless. 

                                   

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Favorite Sweater Pattern

I have been knitting and crocheting for about 45 years and I have made many things in that time.  I will admit that most of the things that I have made went as gifts or to charities but I have kept and worn some myself.  Some of the things like sweaters and hats don't get worn very often simply because of the climate here in FL.  I am thankful for them when I have to travel northward in the winter time though.

I have made a few sweaters that were said to be for spring or summer, but they are really only wearable in the fall and winter down here. One of them is a sleeveless pattern made with a cotton DK weight yarn and still is uncomfortably warm if the temperature gets above 78 degrees so of course I don't wear it much.  

There is however one sweater that I made in the last couple of years that I have worn more than anything I ever made for myself.  I would like to share it with you today so here it is.

I love the neckline and also how feminine it looks.  I have never worn it without someone complimenting on how pretty it is. 

The pattern is from the September 2009 edition of Creative Knitting Magazine page 28, and was designed by Ann E. Smith.  It is called Lacy Denim Cardigan.

I used Bernat Baby Sport yarn in soft yellow.  It is 100% acrylic and machine washable and dryable which is always a plus for me.

I really don't know if it is the pattern or the yarn that makes it so comfortable to wear or the combination of the two but I do love it and just had to share it.

Have a great day and Yarn On!!

                                                   =^..^=

So many projects, so little time...

I have so many projects that I want to do.  I am like a kid in a toy store whenever I see the words "FREE PATTERNS".  I can't resist clicking on the link and looking at every pattern, and of course then I have to view the yarn that it recommends.  How will I ever do all the projects I would love to do????  And the next question is what will I do with all the projects I want to do if I ever do them?  For example, I love to make baby things, blankets, booties, sweaters... but I don't have any more grand kids that are babies or know anyone likely to have babies... oh wait, my oldest grandson just turned 18 today.  Gee I could make a hope chest up for when he gets married and has kids (uhh, I really don't want to rush him, he really needs to wait a few lot more years to do all that). 
I also love to make things for my little dog, Tuffy, but how many sweaters can a little dog wear in FL?  I have knitted him a bed also but I think my next project for him is a sofa seat, kinda like a little square afghan for him (we have fairly new furniture and we prefer it to stay that way so for now I lay a towel down so he can be up beside me on the love seat).  He just loves anything "yarny" so he will enjoy a little afghan all his own to lay on and it will also match and look nice with the furniture. 
See there I go again.  I am currently making 2 different things (yes, I have to have more than one thing to work on at a time).  I am knitting a quick and easy sweater, and crocheting an afghan for the living room.  I also have one UFO to finish.  A UFO is an unfinished project if you are wondering.  Yet I am dreaming about what stitch to make Tuffy's afghan with and also searching for just the right shade of green to make me another sweater to wear with a certain skirt, and oh that was the cutest baby pattern that I downloaded from Knitting Fever.com. 
What do I do so I don't lose all the great patterns and projects for future use?
If I really love the pattern I download and print it out and put it into my TO DO Binder.  I bought a big 3" binder and page protectors to slip the patterns into.  Then I divided them up into sections like baby, socks, toys, sweaters etc...
Then when I need a new project to start I can flip through it and quickly find something.  I find it much easier than trying to remember where I saw that cute pattern last month.  I also bookmark all my favorite websites that have great free patterns.  I will attempt to share these with you in the PATTERNS AND YARN LINKS on the side of this page.
Oh if you want to see the baby pattern I was referring to from Knitting Fever Inc.  

the pattern can be found at http://www.knittingfever.com/c/leaflet/10173/.