Make Reuse Create

Last minute ideas

2011-11-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

So after about five minutes of thought I have decided to make a hat as a gift for my Mom. That’s the time it took me to wind the ball of yarn by the way.

The voice in my head has a few questions though… and my answers were:

What pattern are you going to us? None, I have some ideas though.

Well, when so you need it by? Not soon, just soonish.

It’s nice you want to make a hat for you Mom but how many things do you have on the needles now? Ahh let me think: 2 sets of hand warmers, 6 pairs of socks, 3 shawls and maybe a blanket. That is a lot of projects going.

12 actually but only if the blanket is imaginary.

Though I still grabbed my needles and cast on.

2010-04-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

The eleven has turned into 9, so I have been knitting on my unfinished objects (UFO’s). The only problem is I have all these dream knits circling my brain wanting me to cast them on. I mean who knew there where Star Trek hand warmers how can I not want to make those?

The two that came off the needles though were both for my Mom: a cabled cowl and a sock yarn hat, which I love. With the sock yarn hats the yarn can do all the work for you. A long car ride or in a situation where I know I will be watching cartoons with kids who expect me to pay at least a little attention I pull out one of these, it’s a great project. So much so that I am no longer counting them in my UFO pile because I think I should always have one going.

They are so simple, for a sock hat you just:

*Using a 16 inch circular in a US size 2 or 3 depending on your yarn. You will need DPN’s to close the hat unless you would like to magic the top of the hat closed.

*I cast on 124 or 132 depending on how thin the yarn is. (I like a big hat I have lots of hair). You can always go down, just make sure you have a multiple of 4 for your ribbing.

* Then 1 inch of 2x2 rib.

*Next knit 6 inches from cast on edge.

*Now I like to do 5 decrease points every other row so I either go up or down until I have a multiple of 5. Then I divide the number of stitches in to five sections using makers so I don’t lose my place if I have to put my hat down for any reason. Then knit until two before the first marker and k2tog repeating this 4 more times. Knitting the next row plain.

* Keep up the decrease row and the knit row until your work becomes too small for the circular needles you’re knitting with. For me this will be around 50 stitches. Switch to your choice of ways to close the hat, DPN’s or a magic loop circ.

*Now do the decrease row every row until you have no more that 15 or less than 10 stitches on your needle(s). Pull out a 6 inch tail at least and then take a tapestry needle tread end and run through all unworked loops. Next push needle through center of the hat and weave in all ends.

* Your done!

You can get at least two adult hats out of 400 yards of sock yarn. So all that pretty patterned sock yarn I don’t want to put on you feet I can make a hat. Or the perfect color I have for the friend I really don’t want to spend lots of time knitting socks for make I can them a hat. I think this is so cool.
I know I’m a dork.

How did I do this..

2010-02-22T14:13:00.001-08:00

How did this happen? I had a nice little rule of three! Three knitting projects at a time: one travel, one hard, one TV knitting and to my shame I know have 10 thats right 10 things on the needles. I'm not talking in my head Christmas crazy knitting plans these things are real and casted on.

Let's face it I know how it happend, cast on fever! What is a girl to do though? I could frog 7 and then I'd be at three casted on projects but which ones? I love them all. I casted on each one with the intent to knock it out quickly and it just never worked out that way.

I spent a good few hours updating my Ravelry account and getting some of my stash online too but that my friends is another post. With all my UFO out there for the world to see maybe I'll get my bottom in gear and finish some of them but then again I just got this great new book...

Too long

2009-04-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

It’s been much too long but here I am to give an update. In the time that I’ve been gone I have been busy, well no that busy. Dyeing yarn, working like crazy and frogging every other thing that I’ve started. Let’s see I frogged toe-up Jaywalkers (cast on too many), my first sweater the Clover Cardi (did not fit at all) a pair of legwarmers I was designing (they were eating yarn and at 10 dollars plus a ball we’re talking 70 dollar legwarmers). I cast on a pair of socks in Eco wool and a pair of Fleece Artist socks and the Pom Pom is still on the needles I just need to do the decreasing.

Also with the change of season I’m going to actually try and garden this year but not just for the squirrels this time. We got few large containers to plant this season hopefully I can keep the squirrels away.

Last year I was seeing all these squirrels with these little green balls and I was like what so they have where are they getting those from and then I saw my tomato plants poor things with the stems all striped and one little tomato left. Not this year! It’s me vs the fuzzy tailed rats, wish me luck.

I have no idea

2008-11-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

I have know idea what happened, I have so many projects on the needles. It’s like … I don’t even know lets count:
1. Headband
2. Porom hat
3. First socks (I lost them for about a year)
4. Toe-up jaywalkers
5. Clover Cardi
6. Aunt C’s hat
7. Armless hoodie (hold)
8. Legwarmers
Okay that’s eight and way to many considering that I need to work on my Holiday stuff:
M = Hat and fingerless gloves
S = Hat and fingerless gloves
M1 = Scarf
M2 = Jayne hat
Mom = Hat and scarf
CP = Handspun scarf
Oh and I’ve singed on for a color work class. I have gone insane or I will be very soon! What was I thinking?

On a side note I think I and a little done with the center pull balls because they keep exploding on me check this out (look up) it my very lovely Porom hat that has been sitting for about three weeks because the center pull ball sort of exploded and I just don’t want to deal.

The Box that wasn't there...

2008-11-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Alright my swap pal is the best not just because she sends great stuff but also because she sent a line saying when the package was coming and when I didn’t post anything about it she hit me up again and asked it I got it. After some checking (the post office, mom and then the very attractive but not too smart mailman) I found it to be sitting at the house of the next door neighbor who had plans of bringing it to me at some time I don’t know before the end of the year.

So here it is the box:

I love the stickers, the Post its and look at that yarn I’m thinking hat! It’s like she knows me! Thank you, so much and I’m sorry it to me so long to post but because of you I bought a brand new toy and FinePix s700 and I so love it. It seemed my last camera may have meet an Office Space kind of end when it didn’t load my pictures and then wouldn’t take the brand new 1 gig sd card I bought because it only likes sd cards 516mb or lower. They don’t even make those any more!

Because I think he's right

2008-10-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning (everyone should read)
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein

Cheating

2008-10-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

I’ve been cheating…I know it wrong and I should be ashamed of myself but I’m not and I can’t find it in me to be either. What can I say I’ve tried every couple of days I cast on something new to bring back the knitting mojo but I keep coming back to her. At night I dream of a little farm house where I can raise my own sheep (and pay a very handsome well built farm boy to take care of them, I’m a Wesley Princess Bride type boy). Enough talk let me introduce you, this is Lulu:

Lulu the lady bug and I love her! I got her in May and we have slowly been becoming friends but somewhere along the way everything clicked and now I’m avoiding knitting, I’m checking out audio books from the library re-watching movies I know by heart all with hopes of spending more time with her.

Be jealous!

Good mail...

2008-09-29T09:13:00.001-07:00

The falling for ewe swap is on and my first box is off and on it's way. Now did you see the wonderful things that came in the mail for me.

I have been a little under the weather so last weeks question for the swap was: What meals or foods mean ‘Fall’ to you? That would be Chili which I made this weekend. The great thing is when you tired of chili the you can make nachos (yum yum)!

Thank you very much swap pal I love the hand made cards, yarn metal letters and candy. You Rock!

Trun of the screw...

2008-09-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

I have been running around all week the angry Ike was not good for us like a lot of people I got water in the basement which was just redone and is where I live!

Anyways I hope to be back to my at least twice a week posting starting Monday and I’ve got stuff off the needles and stuff I’ve started, froged and other crafty ideas that have to documented.

But what I really need do is answer the question of the week: What ‘cold weather’ project are you looking forward to making the most the autumn?
That would be the Lady February Sweater, getting my blog up and running with three posts a week, organizing my craft area so I can see everything and completing the Artist way. Oh and I want to build raised beds and a compost bin in the back yard for next spring.

On another note I just finished listening to Turn of the Screw and all I can so is what the …. If you haven’t listened to the Craftlit pod cast you should. You can knit and listen to a great book at the same time I’m only on episode 39 and there are more than 100 and I love them!

Next up...

2008-09-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Today I got my baby surprise done and I put in no buttons holes (Ha Ha), instead I’m putting in snaps as soon as I get a hammer. So go me! I still have the Clover Cardi on the needles and I’m working on that alone. I’m so close to getting done that it’s almost sham that I haven’t finished yet. It is helping that it’s getting cold so I have more incentive to get done.

The next cast on will be leg warmers (my own design) I think or maybe toe-up Jaywalkers, either or both would be great. While I was waiting I fell down again on my craft buying this time though I got double of my sock needles and this really cool bag that was on sale so I don’t feel so bad.

What I really want to do is get my swap partners stuff ready to go so that she can have it by next week I have a few ideas but haven’t decide yet.

Questions of the week...

2008-09-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Falling for Ewe Swap Question of the week: What is your favorite thing about Autumn?
The best thing about fall is the cooler weather and the trees putting on a show for us. I seem to live outside a lot during this time, especially after the first frost and the bugs drop off. Take today though it’s still summer its starting to cool off and I got to sleep with the window up and this morning I had my coffee outside on the back patio I’m thinking about taking my wheel outside and spinning some.
Fall also means that the kids are back in school and since I work at a book store with a children’s section that is always getting trashed, I’m so thumbs up with that.

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My swap pals questions:
What are your favorite colors? (any colors you hate?) I like orange, pink, blue, green, red …okay I don’t like bite red or purple too much other than that I’m good

What types of materials do you like for scrapbooking/card making, and are there any things you've not used but want to? Like all those do-jiggy things or pretty papers or stickers or hand-made embellishments? I’m into rub-ons right know and paint I’ve stared art journaling which is way more fun than I thought it would be. I’ve pulled out all of my stamps and inks too!

How much do you like Halloween and Halloween-themed things (both pretty little non-functional things, and functional things in Halloween designs)? (I ask this one because I'm kind of nuts for Halloween, and love to buy and give pumpkin-shaped things, etc, but not everyone likes or has use for random pumpkins) I love all things Halloween I tend to gravitate to the cute type of things less with the scary. I’d love to get some paper type crafty stuff.

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Hows the artist way going?
I’ve been waiting to start doing the artist’s way because one of my friends said she wanted to do it to and we start Sunday. So wish us luck. I’ll keep you guys updated.

For the Silver

2008-09-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

So Knitting Olympics yeah not so much. The poor poor vest that I started no less than twice is still sitting waiting to froged and stared yet again due to a fatal error in the wrap and turn of the color change on each side.

How may you ask does this get me a Silver well, if I didn’t tell you before it was my ideal to host a local KO and four or five days before the end of the Olympics I get a frantic call “Can you sew in a circle, I’m very serious can you leave work early?” Which then leads me to spending a day sewing little pin cushions to be handed out as awards. So when you are one of the people who have helped make the actual medals that get you silver, even though my project is now on hold.

Besides during the KO I was cheating the entire time with Lulu the ladybug. I just wanted to spend all the time I could with her so much so that I hit ebay for at least 4 roving purchases. I have dreamy plans of a hey teach sweater out of my own hand spun. Launch the lights and wavy lines because 1 pound of oatmeal roving is on its way to me.

My Hands

2008-08-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

I've gone crazy and my hands they hurt...darn this vest! I will finish knitting you!

Most likely not by Sunday.

I still have time

2008-08-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

Okay so I am so far behind on my Knitting Olympics project it laughable at this point. I have I think maybe 3 inches of the back done. The thing is I was the one who said hey Thi lets do a Knitting Olympics knit along and give out prizes. The best laid plans of knitters and supper villains.

Its not like I’m not trying I just keep getting distracted. With what you say: cleaning, Dr. Horrible, and for those who know me in real life Rain. I know I should be knitting or at least watching the Olympics but I just keep surfing youtube for Rain videos and videos on spinning yarn.

Alright I can hear my friend Eileen’s voice now “Just knit it!” Okay, okay I’m going to knit or maybe I’ll just watch the last episode of Dr. Horrible one more time. The last time promise…well until tomorrow, I wouldn’t want to lie. Right?

Is it too late?

2008-08-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Oh the Knitting Olympics what shall I do? I could go the easy route and do leg warmers which won’t be easy because I want to put a wicked cable down each side but the vest from the Knitting Man(ual) is not going well. I am right now recasting on for the third time. Now with the vest I would learn a lot of new stuff: a little two color work, seaming and putting on a hood, but the leg warmers would be cool.

Now it is true that with the leg warmers I have a better chance of finishing but it would still be a challenge? Right? In my heart I know that it’s the hoodie I should make but my head says take the easy one because it’s easy (well duh!)!

Darn it! I want this to be a challenge so it’s the hoodie so back to the swathing and pattern adjustments.

Wait where my dog? “Here Gucci wouldn’t you like a nice small dog sweater?” Now there’s and idea.

Wanna Trade?

2008-08-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

I've joined a few swaps and you need to know some things about me so here you go!

Swap Info:
1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft? I can do both, crochet since I was little knitting 2+ years.
2. Do you spin? What type of spinning do you do? I just started I got a little ladybug her name is Lulu.
3. Are there any other crafts that you participate in? I scrapbook and I love making ATC’s, cards and art journaling.
4. What are your favorite yarns/fibers? Wool and who doesn't love alpaca.
5. What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers? Cotton.
6. Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven't gotten a chance? Camel fiber.
7. What are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet? Socks, legwarmers sweaters, hats, scarf's …
8. What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to start this autumn? I'm going to cast on a EZ pie shawl and Jayne hat or three.
9. What is your favorite FO? (Please, post a picture if you would like.) My First sweater I'm sure it will change.
10. What is your oldest UFO? I just finished the socks of death which took almost two years.
11. Are their any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn? Toe up socks two at a time on one circ.
12. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes I have knit one pair of socks. I have very wide feet like 10.5 around, but at least they’re short.
13. Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift? Yep, have both made the swift myself.
14. Where/how to you keep you needles/hooks? In a jar and these cute little tea tins.
15. Do you collect anything? Yarn, books art supplies and purses.
16. What is your favorite type of music? Are you MP3 ready? I love all music except hard rock or rap…I'm in love with Rob Thomas I plain to marry him. I take my I pod with me everywhere!
17. Do you like sweets? What are your favorites? Big head nod YES. Kisses, caramel kisses and gummy bears.
18. What is your living situation like? Any pets? Children? A pet that's more like a child a spoiled little dog named Gucci. I know I was asking for it.
19. Are you allergic to anything? Just spiders…ewwww!
20. Do you have an online wish list (Amazon, Etsy, Loopy Ewe, etc.)? Please include links for your swap pal. Etsy (yessire01) .
21. Are you having a birthday during this swap? November 11th.
22. What is your Ravelry ID? Yessire.

Finding my people

2008-05-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well it happened in November of last year I found my people it was quite by chance I was looking around on Revelry in my local area and it said that new knitting store opened up, with a quick check of Google maps I found that it was five minutes from my house. I was in the car the next day no matter that I had a fever and was sick as all get out (I mean I couldn’t breathe through my nose because it was so stuffed up). People keep asking ‘are you okay’ and the ever popular ‘you don’t look okay’ but I knit away. Looking back that may not have been good for my new friends, oh well.

Over the next few weeks they took me from knitting scarf to actually making a hat then two more hats and now I’m making a sweater. Now I’ve always been kind of crafty so the other owner and employees seem to feed my creative brain. Just sitting in the store is like increasing my IQ, there’s a book club for heaven sakes. Though just listing to people talk knitting helps me understand those strange directions like SSK or K2TOG. Not to mention the owner is always say really cool things like just remember that you SSK first, of course that means nothing to you unless you are knitting the toe of a sock.

Anyways to say that I love this place is an understatement, there is a always room for you even if you want to sit outside with your puppy and knit at the outside table. So I guess I’ll clue you in the store is called Knitty Couture and get this one door down there’s a pizza place that severs drinks, two doors down is the best noodle place ever. Yarn, drinks, egg rolls and an outside table I can sit at with my dog is there anything else I could want in life?