Category / yarn

by princesshotflash

I’ve been away so long

I didn’t realize that it was April 25 when I last wrote. Well, I started a draft and kept adding and editing it. Today I decided to dump it and start all over. Like in knitting, I frogged it. haha.

I decided this would be a crocheting, knitting, and quilting update. Here’s what I’ve been up to.

Project 1

A secret gift.

The beginning

I found this pattern, Windowpane scarf by Adrienne Lash. I liked how the pattern looked on people in the finished projects section of the pattern on Ravelry. It has a great structure to it and very easy pattern to follow that you can pick and put it down and still know where you left off.

I’m trying to let go my love of wool and thought buying a bunch of cotton/linen blends would do the trick. I bought this variegated Bella Lino from Classic Elite. It’s a linen/viscose/cotton blend of blue/green/stone. It’s discontinued and I got it on sale at WEBS.

Almost done, less than a quarter skein left.
Trying to weave in my ends. Guess who thought it would be nice place to nap.

Project 2

I got me 6 skiens Zooey from Juniper Moon Farms in 2 colorways: taro and artic blue–3 each. I wasn’t totally sure what I was going to do it them.

My first thought was market bags but how many market bags can I knit or crochet before I get bored? I did find a few that had an interesting bottom or interesting netting pattern for the main area. Here are two links to market bags that I’d like to try:

https://www.twoofwands.com/blog/french-market-bag
I like this because of the handle on it. More elegant than the pattern I previously used.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hiroba
Found this on Ravelry. It has an interesting closed pattern on the body of the bag.

Several people from my knitting group were knitting an interesting scarf pattern that they said wasn’t too hard. I resisted for a while. I don’t like making scarves. so repetitive. But I got sucked into it and I gave it a try. Kureopatora’s Snake Scarf and this is how far as I got. Love this colorway.

Looking sad from neglect

Project 3

My knitting group decided to do a toe-up, two at time, Judy’s magic cast-on as knit-a-long. I had just got a great Saver’s run with tons of wool. Yes, wool. The fiber I’m trying not to buy. haha. I’m hopeless

Saver’s stash! Nice!

I decided to use the gray and pink super wash from my Saver’s run to make a pair hiking socks for my trip at the end of September. I found a simple sock pattern I wouldn’t give up in the middle of the sock, Trusty toe up sock by Tanis Lavellee.

The beginning

After three attempt and one adjustment–picked a too big size, cast on the wrong number of stitches twice, and too out increases to get the right ease (tightness) on my socks.

Added a lifeline to rip out some rows for my ease adjustment
Left the lifeline in after I adjustment was made to remember what I did.

Project 4

My Hawaiian quilt project with instruction from quilting master Kay from my knitting group. It’s sadly sitting in my quilting back waiting to be picked up again. Weather has turned hot and I haven’t been to the monthly quilting bee (no ac). I have a couple of other projects in my queue that have higher priority so I’ll wait till the weather turns a little cooler or finish the higher queued projects to pick these up again.

Pineapples positive pattern, all stitch down
Pineapple negative pattern: about half stitched down

I did find a partially finish Hawaiian quilt project I started many moons ago I guess that get put in the queue after the pineapples. I can’t even remember when I started it.

found project: anthurium quilting stage

Not too bad but not as good as the ones done under the supervision from Quilt Master Kay.

I have more to post about the going-ons of my life. I need to stop talking so much. haha.

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by princesshotflash

Repurpose, Restart, Happy New Year!

Decided to frog (rip apart–knitting term) the first sweater I ever made. It was for Oat and made with 2 strand of super soft merino wool from Morehouse Farm in NY. I decided to make a throw for my dad who is always cold in Hawaii.

2691399216_bca0487d38_oHere’s Oat wearing the sweater in Prague in 2008. This is the beginning of my Mr. Handmade.

My little Orange loved helping me with frogging the sweater.

He’s exhausted from all his hard work.

Ollie knows better to get involved with the yarn. Sleeping on my leg is his job.

This is what I’ve been doing. Trying to repurpose things that meant something to Oat. Repurposing his knit hats into shawls and wraps for Wrapped in Love. Hawaiian shirts will be turned into a patchwork quilt. And hopefully I can turn his old jean into an interesting project.

I hope this help me with a restart in 2018. Lots of changes and more to come.

Happy New Year to everyone! Hope it is good one for everyone.

by princesshotflash

OMG! Look what I got!

Blanket One has landed with bunch of goodies for me.

infinity cowl in superwash wool

more goodies

Downton Abby Tea (black tea infused with honey), silly putty, and a groovy pattern–oh wait–it’s a notebook. Thank goodness, there would have been major alterations to the pattern. I’m not my 1970’s figure anymore. Haha!

Now for the best part of the box…

Blanket One

A beautiful light blue cotton/microfiber lap blanket courtesy of my sister, Corinne, who is an awesome knitter. One of her projects that came out of hibernation.

I’ll be taking this to Wrapped in Love Knit Night along with my gray bulky garter/stockinette blanket. I hope whoever gets Blank One from Wrapped in Love will loves it as much as I do. I know Oat would love. He would want it for himself, he is really Mister Handmade.

by princesshotflash

Oat’s Knit-A-Long

UPDATE: If you are mailing your finished piece, here’s my address: 6 Edgebrook Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.

I finally got out to Wrapped in Love Knit Night last Tuesday. Wrapped in Love is a group that crochet and knit wraps and shawls for donor family of the NJ Sharing Network. A friend shared with me a post from Facebook about this group. NJ Sharing Network handled the Oat’s tissue donation and I decided to that I wanted to stay involved with the group in some way.

At this knit night, there were 9 knitters and crocheter at all different levels. Lisa the coordinator of the Knit Night told us about the Wrapped in Love group. Their goal is to send a handmade shawl or wrap to a donor family on their 2 year anniversary with note to thank them and tell them that they are in NJ Sharing Network’s thoughts. She mentioned they were presently behind by 100+.

I wasn’t sure of having a knit-a-long, I thought I’d just go to their knit nights. But when Lisa said they were behind, I’d thought I’d could help by asking my knit/crochet friends if they wanted to join in to knit a shawl, wrap or lap blanket for the Wrapped in Love group.

Oat’s Knit-a-Long

I’m calling Oat’s Knit-a-Long. He would want everyone shawl, wrap or blanket for himself as he loved handmade items. I called him Mr. Handmade because he would wear so many handmade piece at one time during the winter.

The specs

The shawl, wrap or lap blanket doesn’t have to be any specific size, pattern or yarn. It’s needs to be handmade to honor the donor family for the generous gift they have made. There is no special date that needs to be meet as I know everyone is busy. You can send me your finish piece and I’ll delivery it to one of the knit nights I attend. Just let me know the fiber content and I’ll added it to the tag with your name and our knit-a-long.

Please let me know if you will be joining me in knit-a-long. It will help me keep track. You can comment on this post or comment on my FB page.

What am I knitting

I have couple of items I want to get done for Wrapped in Love. Two are works in progress and the other two are just an ideas at the moment.

  • I’m still working on my feather and fan pattern with the beautiful yarn from Megan. The color way is playing out well and it will be a beautiful piece to honor a donor family.

This color way is so beautiful!

  • I’ve also started a simple garter stitch lap wrap gray bulky yarn. I love the simplicity of garter stitch and bulky yarn. And it is so soft!!!

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It’s mindless knitting that I can do at night to relax

  • I frogged (ripped out) 4 of Oat’s hat that I’d like to combine to make a shawl or wrap. These hat had too many moth holes to give a way. They were all made by me for Mr. Handmade who love to have stuff made for him.

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all wool, the bottom 3 are all NJ and NY sourced.

  • And I have some really silky yarn that I want to knit a shawlette pattern that I knitted a while back that was quick and easy.

Oh!

  • I wanted to show you a picture of the baby blanket I finished for a friend. Cute baby always makes your finished piece look better.

  • I also finished up a couple of pussy hats that that I’ve been working on for a friend. I promised to make an egg apron with the leftover hat yarn for him. I think it’s going to look great. I’ll start it after I finish up the gray lap blanket. The pattern looks like pretty easy night time crocheting pattern.

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2 hat–top with stripped stockinette crown; bottom with solid seed stitch

  • M, a regular customer of the restaurant, came by and asked me if I would teacher her how to knit. She had broken her foot and was house bounded for the at least 6 weeks and needed something keep her occupied. So I’m teaching her to knit, every Saturday at the restaurant. She made a gater stitch rectangle so far that we are turning into to make a teddy bar for her granddaughter. She’s picks up really fast and her stitches are a really even for a beginner. She knows how to knit, cast on, bind off and rip apart (frog).

stitches are even just some dropping stitches, easy to fix

I hope people can join my knit-a-long. Remember just let me know if you are doing it. Thank you, I really appreciate it.