Life is Sweet

Life with Abby

New WIP

Despite the heat, I am still knitting away. I am blessed with a finished basement that stays very cool even on the hottest of days.

Like many knitters I know, I like to work on socks in the summer. These here are intended to be a Christmas gift for a friend. I dyed the yarn myself. Thanks to Caryn, who gave me the yarn to dye (as well as the dyes, the space to dye, and everything else that went into it). The yarn is a wool/bamboo blend from Southwest Trading. It is absolutely wonderful! The bamboo gives it a lovely sheen. And it has one of the nicest hands of any sock yarn I’ve used. I think the recipient will love these socks.

If you’re interested in dyeing your own yarn, or obtaining some of this yarn, be sure to check out Caryn’s site – she has both dye classes as well as the yarn for sale.

The Artists Coat

Ta-da! It’s finished. Still looking a little lumpy, since I haven’t blocked it yet. And I, of course, am looking very red in the face because it was about 95 degrees in our house as I was modeling the jacket. I really have a knack for timing when it comes to knitting! At least it’s made of cotton and silk.

I am a little terrified to block it for fear that it will streeeeeetch way out of shape. It fits me perfectly right now. I purposely made the sleeves a little short, figuring they would stretch for sure.

Time taken from start to finish: 5 months.

Tussock Purse

Sorry there is no picture to accompany this pattern. You’ll just have to take my word for it that it’s super cute! Perfect for a little girl who really wants her own purse. Enjoy!

Materials
* 1 skein of “Tussock” by Naturally New Zealand Yarns (pattern uses about 150 yards of worsted-weight wool that will felt)
* Needle size 10.5 (us) in 16″ circular or DPNs and 2 double-pointed needles for handle
* Tapestry needle or crochet hook for securing ends.

Gauge: (Pre-felted) 14 stitches = 4″

Pre-felted measurements: 8″ width at bottom x 8″ height (6.5″ width at top)
After felting measurements: 6.5″ width at bottom x 5.5″ height (5″ width at top)

Abbreviations:
PM=Place Marker
K2tog=Knit two stitches together
K2togTBL = Knit two stitches together through the back loops
BO=Bind off

Pattern
Cast on 60 stitches. PM, join into round, being careful not to twist stitches. Knit even in rounds for 5″.

Begin decrease rounds as follows.

Round 1: *K2tog, K26, K2tog, repeat from *
Rounds 2-4: Knit even
Round 5: *K2tog, K24, K2tog, repeat from *
Rounds 6-8: Knit even
Round 9: *K2tog, K22, K2tog, repeat from *
Rounds 10-13: Knit even

Begin applied I-cord for top edging:
Cast on 3 stitches at beginning of next round. (New stitches should be on the left needle tip.)

*Knit 2, K2tog TBL. Slide three stitches from right needle back to the left needle tip and repeat from beginning *.

When only three stitches remain, bind off as normal. Darn in ends.

Make strap: Cast on 4 stitches to double-pointed needle. Work 4-stitch I-cord until strap is about 24″ long. Sew handle to bag before felting using the Tussock yarn.

Making I-Cord:
Instead of knitting into the first stitch on the needle like you normally would, slide the stitches to the other end of the needle and knit, pulling working yarn from opposite end of the needle along the back.

Repeat this for every row, so you are always pulling the working yarn from the opposite end of the needle on the first stitch.

Finishing/Felting
Be sure to weave in any loose ends before felting. Following are my tried and trued rules for felting.

Place your purse in a laundry bag or zippered pillow case. Put in washing machine with a pair of old jeans, or something similarly sturdy (not towels, as the fibers will shed onto your felted object). Set water temperature on hottest setting. Add just a small amount (like a teaspoon) of wool wash or gentle laundry soap. Set agitation setting to highest available.

Begin cycle, stopping after first five minutes to check progress. (Shrink to desired size or until stitches are no longer visible.) You may need to set the machine back to an agitation cycle until object is desired size.

Before the machine goes to the rinse cycle, remove the felted object from the washer. Rinse by hand under cold water. Gently ring out excess water. Roll in dry towels to remove water. Set object on a bed of towels to allow it to dry.

A note about front loading machines: One of the beautiful things about front loaders is that they are very gentle on your laundry. Unfortunately, this is the exact opposite of what you want to felt something. Agitation is very important in the felting process. I’ve heard that putting tennis balls, or a tennis shoe, in the front loader will help things to felt. Feel free to try what you will, but realize that it will take a lot longer to achieve the desired effect in a front loader. If you can, use the top-loading machine of a friend or family member.

Download a printable version of this pattern [Microsoft Word doc]

Evan the Terrible

Two Thumbs Down :: No big surprise, as all of the “real” critics agree, this movie was a huge waste of time and money. I am a self-professed Steve Carell nut, and I have to say, I felt embarrassed for him as I watched him flail and scream through this total lack of creative effort.

It started rough. But I was willing to suspend disbelief for awhile – I mean, a newly-elected congressman making so much money he could buy a million dollar house and a hummer. Okay, this is a movie where the suspension of disbelief is key to getting through the plot. But it just gets unbearable.

I don’t want to include spoilers here so I won’t go into further details. All I can say is, save your money. If you must, wait for the DVD. Even that will be too much to pay for this humorless joke of a film.