yum... hand-dyed indigo yarn

~ before ~

I've been itching to find indigo yarn for a while now, but everything that I came across seemed a bit too 'purple' to me... so I tried my hand at dying my own. All I had access to was some leftover knit picks wool of andes bulky in 'bare', and a bunch of food colouring. So, earlier this week I put it all to good use:

~ after ~



~ during ~

The actual colour of the yarn is closer to indigo than what it shows in the picture, and I love how it turned out. Now I just have to figure out a good pattern to use it all up in! I'lll probably make a cabled scarf of some kind - can't go wrong with scarves, and can't have too many of them either!

kids with unique names

I've been in the ravelry posting forums and etsy chat frequently, and I've noticed lately a lot of people venting about names being given to children; specifically complaining about 'original' and 'unique' names, and how strange they are.

Well, get over it.

I love unique names. In fact, the more unique the better. The idea that kids are going to wind up developing a complex because of their name, is rediculous. If a child is given confidence, it won't make a lick of difference what their name happens to be.

Frequently kids are taught to be unique, to be individuals, and to not fall into peer pressures and follow a crowd. Why does that not apply to their names as well? Why do they have to be one of five Brian's or Shawn's or Kelly's that's in their class?

Quite frankly, I felt bad for kids in my younger classes who had to be refered to as Beth A. and Beth B., or Adam H. and Adam K., because it was tough enough to tell them apart because they were stuck with the same name. Even when I was 17 and spent the summer working up north, there were 4 girls with the same name, who wound up having to go by different names, which was confusing at first for them. Simply because they were stuck with such common names.

Now, truthfully, there's nothing wrong with a common name either. But please, adults, whether you're parents or not, quit bitching about a kid given a name that's not the 'norm'. If that kid is going to develop a complex about their name, it's not because they brought it onto themselves, it's because of people like you weirding them out because they're a bit more unique.

Pick your battles. A kid's name is not that big of a deal. I actually applaud any parent who gives their child any sense of individuality.

loopy cables bottle cozy

Materials: worsted weight yarn, approx 25g; 4mm (US 6) dpn's - set of 5; cable needle; stitch marker

note: use a set of dpn's one size smaller than what's recommended on the label, to make a slightly tighter fabric

Tension (on label-recommended needles) : 20sts = 4"; with 1 size smaller needles needed for this pattern: 22sts = 4" in stockinette stitch

(I used Paton's Classic Wool Tweeds to make my cozy, and tension was based using this yarn)

terms used in this pattern:
k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit two together
k2togtbl - knit two together through back loop
dpn - double pointed needles

Cable Pattern: (worked over 8 sts)

Row 1: p2, place 2 sts on cable needle & hold back, k2, k2 from cable needle, p2

Row 2: p2, k4, p2

Row 3: p1, place 1 st on cable needle & hold back, k2, p1 from cable needle, place next 2 sts on cable needle & hold in front, p1, k2 from cable needle, p1

Row 4: p1, k2, p2, k2, p1

Row 5: place 1 st on cable needle &; hold back, k2, p1 from cable needle,p2, place next 2 sts on cable needle & hold in front, p1, k2 from cable needle

Row 6: k2, p4, k2

Row 7: k2, p4, k2

Row 8: k2, p4, k2

Row 9: place 2 sts on cable needle & hold in front, p1, k2 from cable needle, p2, place 1 st on cable needle & hold back, k2, p1 from cable needle

Row 10: p1, k2, p2, k2, p1

Row 11: p1, place 2 sts on cable needle & hold in front, p1, k2 from cable needle, place 1 st on cable needle & hold back, k2, p1 from cable needle, p1
Row 12: p2, k4, p2

On one dpn, CO 6. *M1, K1* across. (12sts)

Divide between 4 dpn's & knit in the round.

Row 1: *(K1, M1) K1* around.

Row 2: *K2, (K1, M1)* around.

Continue in this fashion, increasing by 1 stitch at the beginning or end of each dpn until you have 48 sts. This forms the bottom of the cozy.

For body of the cozy:
Row 1: *k2, p1, work row 7 of cable, p1* around
Row 2: *k2, p1, work row 8 of cable, p1* around

Continue in this fashion, working in pattern and incorprating rows 9-12 of cable pattern, then rows 1-12 twice, then rows 1-6 once more.

first decrease:

next row: *k2tog, p1, work row 7 of cable, p1* around

next row: *k1, p1, work row 8 of cable, p1* around

Continue this last row in pattern and incorporte rows 9-12 respectively.

to finish:

row 1: *k1, p1, k1, p1, place 2 sts on cable needle & hold back, k2, k2 from cable needle, p1, k1, p1* around

row 2: *k1, p1, k1, p1, k4, p1, k1, p1* around

row 3: *k1, p1, k1, place 1 st on cable needle & hold back, k2, p1 from cable needle, place next 2 sts on cable needle & hold in front, p1, k2 from cable needle, k1, p1* around

row 4: *k1, p1, k2tog, k1, p2, k1, k2togtbl, p1* around (36 sts)

rows 5 & 6: *k1, p1, k2, p2, k2, p1* around

Cast off (bind off) loosely in pattern, break yarn, tie and weave in ends.

© 2010 by Sabrina Thompson - original design and pictures. Please do not sell pattern or materials made thereof, or copy my pictures. Pattern cannot be distributed for sale, or as a 'free pattern' promotional tool for selling yarn or knitting supplies. If posting Finished Items on personal blogs, please link back to this blog and pattern, thanks. This pattern is FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. If you have any questions or concerns about this or any other of my patterns, please contact me by posting your questions in the comments, I'll address them a.s.a.p.!

Twisted Ladder Scarf

(pattern free for a limited time)

Materials: 3 skeins of KnitPicks Wool of Andes Bulky, in 'bare'

6mm (US10) straight needles, 2 pairs

a crochet hook, any size

Tension: yarn label shows 12-15sts =4" in stockinette

Size of scarf: approx 67" long after blocking excluding fringe, approx 5.5" wide (I made this length repeating the cable a total of 17 times, but it can be made longer with 3 skeins of this yarn.)

How-to:
Cast on 27sts.
1st Row: K4, p2, k5, p5, k5, p2, k3, slip last stitch.
2nd Row: P4, k2, p5, k5, p5, k2, p3, slip last stitch.
repeat these two rows until 10 rows have been completed.

Pattern for body of scarf:

Row 1: K4, p2, using another ball of yarn and a seperate pair of needles, k5, turn, p5. Work another 12 rows on these 5 sts in stockinette stitch. Place on a stitch holder. Slip next 5 sts on a cable needle & hold back of work. Using another ball of yarn, k5, turn, p5, work another 12 rows in stockinette stitch, then place on a stitch holder. Knot these two strips on stitch holders as follows: put 2nd strip under the 1st then over the 1st. 

K5 stitches from the second strip (which is now the first strip) p5 sts from the cable needle, k5 sts from the next strip, then continue pattern to end of scarf.

Row 2: p4, k2, p5, k5, make 5, k2, p3, slip last stitch.
Rows 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13,: k4, p2, k5, p5, k5, p2, k3, slip last stitch.
Rows 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14,: p4, k2, p5, k5, p5, k2, p3, slip last stitch.

Repeat these 14rows until desired length, then rows 1-11 only. Bind off in pattern.

Cut yarn into fringe strands 14-15" long. I used 18 on each end. Fold in half, and use crochet hook to pass through each end of the scarf, and tie securely. Block as needed.

© 2010 by Sabrina Thompson - original design and pictures. Please do not sell pattern or materials made thereof, or copy my pictures. Pattern cannot be distributed for sale, or as a 'free pattern' promotional tool for selling yarn or knitting supplies. If posting Finished Items on personal blogs, please link back to this blog and pattern, thanks. This pattern is FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. If you have any questions or concerns about this or any other of my patterns, please contact me by posting your questions in the comments, I'll address them a.s.a.p.!

knitting is driving me to drink

Ages ago, I decided to buy someone's Lion Brand Suede that they had listed in their 'destash' pile on ravelry - despite it not being a natural fiber, I like the texture of it and thought it would be fun to make something with it. So, said person happen to have a lot in their stash - a lot of one ball of several colours, and to cut my cost of postage a bit, I bought the whole lot from her.

As it turns out, and I didn't find this out until after I had received the yarn, that she originally made granny squares out of this yarn, which meant that she crocheted one row, cut the yarn, used anothe colour for the next row etc, and the skeins she sent me was in fact frogged granny squares. The yarn had been cut to peices, and despite my best efforts to try to get my money back, I had no luck.

I've had this bag of pretty much shredded yarn for a while, and not sure what to make with it, and I hate to have to throw it away. I finally figured a good use for some of it: I knit this whiskey bottle from Son of Stitch & Bitch - Projects to Knit and Crochet which I plan to pass on to my brother for his birthday.

The embroidery was a bit of a pain but overall it looks alright. The white parts are knit with Paton's Shetland Chunky that I had left over from the vest I knit my dad a while back

friday the thirteenth

There's apparently only one friday the thirteenth this year, and this is it.

Hubby was out doing service calls, and he happened to drive through Port Dover, where all the bikers are gathered today. It's the 30th year of them gathering there, and the 50th anniversary as well. I wonder what the origin is, of bikers and Port Dover and friday the 13th?

hearts revised

I'm destined to not make the same pattern twice, I think. I've started knitting a hearts blanket from some worsted yarn I found in my office - as an effort to destash what I have - it's the pattern I used to knit a baby blanket for my cousin over a year ago. I got about 3 rows done of the large size and just got SO tired of it. So, I redesigned the actual heart part of it, so the actual heart is about 4 stitches wider and 4 rows longer; the entire pattern repeat is now 8 rows longer. In the end I've cast on 6 fewer stitche for the blanket, and with the new heart pattern it's now 7 hearts across instead of 9.

(picture shows original pattern on left, and my revised version on the right, which I think looks much better)

stash busting - turtle style!

Ok, I know - lame Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reference. Had to be done.

I just finished knitting knitty's sheldon - I wound up using almost half a skein's worth of Red Heart Super Soft yarn, between 2 colours. My cousin's having a birthday party for her one year old son on Saturday, where this guy will be gifted.

Not a huge fan of the pattern, although the end result is adorable. It's just in way too many peices, and I hate sewing. But, done nonetheless, and a relatively quick knit.

Baby Items

Well, I didn't use some of the yarn that I said I would to knit these baby items, but I was able to make them anyway. I used a yarn called Robin Aran 400, of which I have a 334 gram skein left. I obtained 2 skeins of it when my MIL came back from Ireland, and I used up all of it to knit DH's aran sweater, but I fell a bit short and was able to find a skein from someone's stash on ravelry. But, I have quite a bit of it left. So, baby items it was.

The soaker pattern is a free ravelry download (I made the small version); the hat is from Stitch & Bitch by Debbie Stoller; and the mittens are available free online (liked via ravelry).

The Great Destash 2010

Ugh, you have no idea how badly I need to destash the yarn that I have. I must have a zillion partial balls of EVERYTHING, and they've just been laying around. And, I feel so bad when going to my LYS to pick up some more to start a new project, when I know I've got so much just laying around.

So, my goal this summer is to not aquire any new yarn until I've knit up at least 1 kg of the yarn I already have. And yes, I'm going to have to use up as much of those partial skeins as I possibly can.

It's quite convenient that I just found out that a friend of mine is pregnant with her second child... so a lot of my stashbusting knitting will go to her. Partial skeins are going to make ideal baby booties and hats. She's not due until January 7th, so hopefully this will be more of a new year's baby than a christmas baby... assuming it doesn't arrive early!

I'm currently working on a pair of baby booties made from Louet Gems yarn - of which I'll make a 3 month old size, and a 6 month old size; I've got a baby sweater in transition (just needs sleeves!) which I'm making out of Yarn Bee Luscious yarn, which will wind up being a 12 month old size.