I'm sad today... once again...

I started knitting Firestarter socks a day before yesterday. Today I frogged them, because the yarns didn't match as well as I'd hoped. *sigh*
I have ideas - one of the themes for September was Morning Glory - it's a flower, apparently September's flower, pretty. There's some free Morning Glory patterns online, and I had an idea of how to turn those into socks. I knitted the socks for several hours, realized it's not going to work and ripped them too.
I'm really sad that my ideas don't work. I'd need very much an idea that does work, to pick me up. Right now I'm really sad about the fact that I'm poor and cannot buy everything I'd like to and that my hand is so loose that even with 2 mm needles and laceweight yarn I can't make socks with 64 stitches. *sigh*
And I'm also sad that I'm fat and sick, and life is heavy.
I think I'll start a lace shawl that doesn't require any gauge... with lace shawls the looser the hand the bigger and airier the shawl :-D

But - print&pattern is inspiring and Sarah Young is wonderful.

Jewish coasters

This is what I have been doing... anything so that I don't need to actually DO something. Like the dishes. Or the socks. *sigh* Well well...
I was thinking of doing these coasters in crochet... afghan stitch, or colorwork. Would work beautifully in cross stitch too. But one could do them in any way one likes... like knitting color work or use them as base for an afghan - you know, crocheting each "square" in basic granny pattern in these colors (or others if one likes it better that way) and then adding a couple of rows in both ends to get the length/form.
You'll get the picture bigger when clicking on it, and it should be easy to follow the graph. I got the idea from a book, I think it's called "Jewish plastic canvas" or something like that. (I checked it - It's called "Jewish designs for plastic canvas 2") You'll see that the dove, dreidel and shalom hand are almost the same and the wine glass, chanukkiah and chaim heart are heavily influenced, but the pomegranate and tree of life are 100% my own design.

I should be...

I have noticed there's a lot of "I should" in my posts... I would, should, could, but I don't. That bothers me.

Never mind. Today's free patterns are from pieKnits :-) Make your little angels some wings for Yule - it's only 3 months away. Or perhaps black wings and cute skull wristlets to match. The patterns that are not free are quite reasonable in price and you can buy them via Paypal.

I have started my next pair of socks. Firestarter... I'm not quite sure, but... it was the recommended pattern for Trifty Knitters Sock Club, so I'm knitting it. Henric will like them anyway. I'll finish off the ugly orange yarn and if it's not enough, I'll continue with Drops' Fabel 543 - the red orange mix. Yikes...

Now I'll go and buy some milk so I'll get my morning tea... it's already 11 and I have been doing all kinds of things to avoid going to the grocery store... *sigh*

Sad and tired - today, again...

Some free patterns:

Debbie Macomber publishes a free pattern every now and then, limited time only.
Vickie Howell has a "free pattern of the month" thingy going on in her blog. Go to "make this" list on the left column of the blog, and you'll find all of them.
Knit on the net is another ezine.
Here's a list of Harry Potter Knitting Patterns... and The Leaky Cauldron's Harry Potter Crafts list

I'm going to bed.

P.S. I hate knitted/crocheted food...

Update

Lovely 2paw left a comment in my blog yesterday and I paid back the visit - and found Lynette Anderson's Noah's Ark embroidery-a-long :-) (BOM = Block Of the Month). I LOVE projects like this... and the bunny square is absolutely lovely :-D

In the picture - my binder with all the hundreds of free sock patterns I have collected from on-line and from different sock groups, KALs and so on; the socks - the yarn is more pink - and the sock journal :-) I whipped that up yesterday evening. So far it is adequate :-D But see how small it is :-)

I think today I'm going to sew some project bags... I'm going to need zippers, the see-through plastic I already have... *hmm*

-----------------------------------------

Knowing how much yarn you have left?

The WPI/YPP correlation index (wraps per inch / yards per pound) is pretty accurate - accurate enough for scrap yarns.

Check the wpi and then weigh the left-over yarn. Let's say you have 2 ounces of 14 wpi yarn. 14 wpi yarn is about 1200-1800 yards per pound, so you have 150-225 yards yarn. Not enough for a pair of socks, but enough for main color of stranded socks.

Here's some helpful sites:
Knitfits: yarn size demystified
some tables about WPI, gauge, names and numbers
Floryknits' yarn comparison chart
names of different thickness of yarn in US, UK, NZ and Australia

I'd so much wanna be in a sock club...

But I can't afford it. :´(

So I think I have my own private sock club :-)

First there will be a very cute sock journal... When I was in the craft school, we had a work book where we wrote all the work hours, yarn/thread we used and all the necessary information... It was really fun to look at those work books later, I remembered everything I had made by the tiny bits of yarn and so... So a sock journal.
I wish I had put all the socks I have ever made into a sock journal... with pattern information, yarn (sample and label, WPI), needles, gauge and time it took to make them...
So - in my own one woman's sock club the first gift is a sock journal. :-)
(Kathryn Ivy's Knitting Journal - very pretty and free (printable)...)

I would like to have a pre-printed booklet, but as I don't have access to bookprinters and so, I have to use my own ability to bind books and create the pages myself and bind them into a booklet myself. Then I will decorate the covers :-)

And as I will be the designer too of this sock club, I think I'll have one page for inspiration and design ideas and so on... A little art journaling :-)

*hmm*

My first pattern will be Mercurial Colorbands by Cat Bordhi. I have never done that, so it will be a new technique for me. I am using some odd woolly kind of yarn I have found - no labels. It's weird pinkish reddish orangish color, quite strong, but my hubby thinks it's nice... He has some curious likings every now and then... and I'm going to knit the colorbands with black, white and bright red. These socks will be very interesting LOL

Then I'm going to add a handful of things in my sock club package... like singlepackaged chocolates and so...

Then I'd really need project bags... those see-through zippered bags big enough for the project and sturdy enough for needles... *sigh* I think I just have to sew them myself too.

Then, of course, everything needed for knitting the socks are included... needles (mine are Addis, my first pair :-) I hate how the brass stinks when the needles warm up... ;-))

Ok, what is happening...

Firstly, I'm sick. :-( Again. Autumn has come and flu season. *sigh* So I sleep most of the time. But when I don't sleep - and one cannot do that all the time, unfortunately - I keep doing things.

I made a net bag, and it looks very nice - filled with yarn ;-) - so I'm knitting more of those.

I started doing the Asphyxiation choker, but my neck is like 5 cm high and 40 cm around, regular bulldog neck, not a swan neck, so chokers look more like dog collars than lacy feminine decorations... So I scrapped the project. *sigh* I was planning on having the pretty collar, nice fingerless gloves and a black lace fan. But - collar doesn't suit me, I can't find a pattern for gloves and I suppose there must be something wrong with the fan plan too... *sigh*

Couple of days ago I finished another Yule present, so I won't be posting it here :-)

Alicia Keys' No One is one of the most meaningless, whiny and boring songs ever made. You don't even need to listen to it, just look at the video, mute, and you'll get it... She looks like she's in desperate need of a toilet... *sigh*

Here's today's free patterns; ME did it!.
Ok... here's more. Winter Gifts For Ladies 1848 "Containing the Newest and Most Fashionable Patterns"
Naughty Needles - yes, naughty. So not for children.
Lacy knitting - hats and mittens/gloves

Phew!

No more dancing with Sir Frog-a-lot! The Aran Twist is danced!


And meet Huugo, the book owl :-) (Or owlet book thong, as it is called in the pattern...)

Here's a couple of other owl bookmarks...
paper owl bookmark
very easy paper owl bookmark
flat crocheted bookmark - owl motif
flat owl book thong

I have to apologize...

I think I made it look as if it was the sock designer's fault that I'm having troubles... it really isn't. The problem is that I'm too lazy to check the gauge and knit with way too thick yarn with my loose hand, and that's why I end up with buckets instead of socks. I'm sorry, sock designer.

Now to other issues. On my morning round I read from Lime and Violet's blog about Monteagle bag - a very interesting net bag to replace the plastic bags we are drowning into - and about Resurrection Fern, a very interesting, nice, beautiful and inspiring blog.

Then there's a Fabergé style egg contest - create an egg and a slideshow/instructable, and you can win great prizes. This lasts 3 1/2 weeks more, so there's plenty of time for you to create the most amazing egg ever. Here's a little inspiration.

Hate it...

I hate it when patterns aren't easily followable. I just finished a doily I had to read from the PICTURE to get, because the pattern wasn't for this specific doily... Now I'm fighting with socks, that are... *sigh*
First, the pattern was written to someone who knits very tight and I don't. So I had to adjust the pattern to my hand.
Then the ribbing... The pattern starts with K2P2 ribbing and then when the cables start, it turns upside down - P2, K2, P2, K6. It should start with K6.
Then comes the twist... "Knit two together, but leave them to left needle and then..." Really complicated and uncomprehensible... to me, that is. It seems to be quite comprehensible to others, who don't seem to have any problems at all with this pattern, and who look at me as if I was an idiot, but - ok, I'm an idiot, but I still don't get it! So I do normal, ordinary, easy 1B1 cables and I'm happy with my twists. This is the way my knitting guide tells me to do twists. And my twists look exactly like the twists in the pattern. So I think that explanation is just another way to confuse stupid little knitters like me.
Now, today I arrived to the heel... and as I had started as a good girl I am, with P2, K2, P2, I had to knit a half round after the ribbing to start twisting, and now I needed to knit a half round to start the heel... you see, the purls are to make nice borders to the top of the foot...
I did that. "knit 2 1/2 inches of heel and pick 18 stitches". Ok... sounds a lot, but, hey, the designer is always right. I tried to count how many rows of the original pattern the heel is - knit in some slipstitch pattern - to find out if it's 1 or 2 needles, but if one is to pick 18 stitches and edge stitches are all knit (yes, KNIT! Not purl, which would create a pretty and easy chain, but knits, which create an interesting twisted edge - at least as I do it) I think it's about the stitches of two needles, so that is what I do. Then I turn the heel with short rows and start gussets and...
You can see the results yourself.

THIS is what I end up ALWAYS with this kind of a heel...

The measure is in cm's, 10 cms is about 4 inches. And that is WAY TOO MUCH FOR A SOCK IN THIS STAGE... *sigh* *sigh* *deepsigh* I SHOULD frog it and start all over again and make the 1 needle heel and end up with a human heel instead of this monstruosity heel for giants... But I have been fighting with these damned socks for days now, and it shouldn't take this long to knit a simple (uhum) pair of socks. It shouldn't! I want my sock knitting points at knitwars!

So I knit bookmarks and try to calm down,
and I knit my horseshoe cardi, and that turns out beautifully :-)

And I suppose I ought to be happy... And I'm not. I so wish I could just take a sock pattern, yarn and needles and follow the pattern and end up with human size socks just as in the pictures that illustrate the patterns... *sigh*

So, I'm going to take another break and knit another bookmark and knit a couple more rows of my cardigan and a couple more rows of the socks (HATEITHATEITHATEIT!!!) and a cute little amigurumi... I have a pattern of a little but ferocious dragon :-) If that doesn't make me forget the socks (HATEITHATEITHATEIT!!!) then nothing will. I might crochet an owl bookmark too. Or make Dobby style bookmark, and take my sock points from that >:->

Procrastinating in the internet... again :-D

This time I started with Mrs. Fife, and Where Is She Now? I think she is fascinating.

From Mrs. Fife's place I got to Crochet Me Blog, and from there to Whedoncraft... I really love Firefly. I read this interview with Heather Hill, and she said: "(The Jayne hat) comes in a cardboard box, packed in straw, with a handwritten note, which is the same as the one that the character Jayne's mom wrote to him in the show." Obviously, in the episode in which Jayne got the rather hideous hat from his mom, it arrived in this manner... My hubby wants one - of course - and I SO would love to be able to get it from Heather... if you want to know why, go and read the open letter for big damn heroes :-)

Another link I had saved was 25 motif challenge and Tatting design challenge... Now, I know how to tat, but... I'm not too fond of it. I like crochet better. And I wonder why is there no 25 motif challenge for crochet or crochet design challenge? Perhaps I should start...
There was this picture of Wendy's collection. Nice, huh? (Look at Wendy's tutorials on the right side column...)

(The inquiring minds want to know what to DO with all that, and the romantic minds answer "just things of bliss :-) You DO nothing special, just love :-)")

Anyway, she had some links, and one of the was to Sarah London and her Hawaiian flower afghan (or should I say Ann's Hawaiian flower lap blanket) or her Celtic crochet afghan... (and, no, the Celtic isn't referring to Celtic people but it's a manner of crocheting loops and then interweaving them to create patterns that remind of those in Book of Kells or other Celtic calligraphy. :-D)

Sarah revealed that she hasn't read one Harry Potter book, and lead me to Micky, who lead me to Monster Crochet, vintage chapeau CAL and Snowflake Mondays

Today's free patterns are from Irene... It's up only through wayback machine, so take what you like, because tomorrow it might not be up there anymore... :-( Which is what happened with Potholder Lady... to my big surprise, disappointment and sadness.

Then I'll throw in another free pattern site... Jimmy Beans Wool free patterns - mostly scarfs, but those are needed too :-)

Oh... and I found out about the Turkish Oya lace, which is in practice colorful lace border - sewn, crocheted, tatted... They usually edge scarves with it.

And I found about J.S.Lewis... a new fantasy writer, sounds a bit like Holly Black, Susan Cooper or Alan Garner...

Today's patterns

here's dozens of knitting stitches - and a great idea of what to do with stitch swatches...

Here's the day's small quickie gifts (or at least gifts... not so quickie or small... ;-))
These aren't bad either, and there's some nice things here. These are OK too.
And here's a couple more that might interest you.
Some "Beginners' knitting patterns"

And here's some silly small thingies at Mochimochi blog...

Things happen...

fish bowl :-D
This one is rather big and thin... I was afraid it would melt lopsided in the kiln.

Here's the day's free patterns...

I have been collecting free on-line sock patterns on Wists

I was surfing - I found Strickmühle 2. and Tostetoes... I think it's so inspiring to see others' productivity :-)

Moon and mermaid...

So what have I been doing? I fetched my ceramics from the school today. No more classes :-( Only two years. :-( I really love sculpting :-)

Little bear plaque and bigger wall plate with peacock theme

Then I was thinking about Knitwars... It is created to get us knitting. One of the creators has SSS - second sock syndrome - and she has it bad :-D Nevertheless, one of the things is that finishing an object gives you quite a lot of XPs (experience points)... but in my mind it isn't right. Now... I went to the KnitWarriors group to whine a little and in my mind I got a rather whiny response... and I have been murring about that today. The thing is that she didn't need to take it the way she did nor response the way she did, because
1) I was just expressing my opinion, I didn't expect anyone to do anything about it, because by reading the discussions in the group nothing is nor will be done about the people's opinions, suggestions etc.
2) It has been said rather clearly that how many XPs people take and of what is up to their own conscience - there are possibilities to take 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 1, 1 1/2 and 2 times the XPs for each adventure already put in work in the Knitwars... so she could have reminded me of this, if she had the need to response...

Some lacy bookmarks - quickies to get XPs :-D

On the other hand - we all have bad days. Today was really bad for me.

This is what my horseshoe cardigan looks like right now

But on a positive note... Socktopus accepts Paypal... I almost cried a week ago because I couldn't find any information about that... but she does. :-) She has some amazing yarn... :-)

This is the first of my coven terra cotta

Yarn stores in Stockholm

I have created a Google map about the yarn stores in Stockholm, so if you are coming this way and would like to find some of them...

There's a "new" knitting e-zine around

Knotions magazine. I think this has been around since August this year.

There should be newest Knitty up soon.

There's obviously another new kid in the block - Popknits. First issue is only a week old.

Doily and robin

I have been crocheting this doily for three months now... One round every now and then. It is Patricia Kristoffersen's Pineapple Song, and it's full of "weird" stitches - popcorns, stitches reaching a couple of rows below... it's very structured, and I think that's what's special for Patricia Kristoffersen. The doily is really pretty :-)


And this little fellow... I planned on doing it for Yule, but Boris (the dog) decided otherwise... he got himself a new toy. He loves teddies and toys. He doesn't destroy them, he just carries them around in his mouth. He is 4 1/2 and has a tiger he has had all his life, and that tiger is well loved... He has licked the tiger's fur off in certain places, and every now and then a limb falls off, but I'll just sew it on place - the dog sitting by me and WATCHING very carefully what I do.
He's really nice dog, he doesn't try to take his toy from my hands before I say it's ok, but his facial expression is like on a little boy; "Mommy, tiger's hand fell off! Can you fix it? Does it hurt Tiger?"

P.S: Now I have finished two things I have been doing for a longer time - the PK doily and the two socks in one... may I start the cardigan now?

Teddybears and -tigers need sweaters too...

And here's the list of free teddybear sweaters and teddybears you can knit :-)

More on what to do with doilies

Stephani Martinez' lace installation

My first posts on the issue: Doilies and I've been a bad, bad girl...
decor8: doilylove
the future girl: rocking the doily
citified: laced with style
Country Living: Delightful Way With Doilies

Scrumdillydilly has a tutorial on dilly doily bag

Pictures from Suuri Käsityölehti 3/2005
- use lace scraps to decorate your t-shirt, make pockets out of doilies, or use a doily as a "picture" in your shirt
(Themachinestops uses dyed doilies to decorate simple dresses and stuff... very pretty.)
Decorate pillows with doilies, (here a very classy version) make a bag out of a square doily by lining it, make a hanging flower pot basket out of a doily, make a lamp shade or a lacy tablecloth with doily intarsia.

I saw a rather interesting Russian crochet top, using 2 large doilies as the pattern for the hem - the top had been crocheted up from the doily to cover the torso.
Make a bohemian skirt by sewing doilies together into fabric.
Use doily as a pretty lace "undershirt"
More applications
Very pretty ruffly doily scarf

A round doily becomes a very pretty round handbag.
Sew two little doilies together and line with pretty silk, and you have a lacy purse.
You can also make a little reticule the same way as the hanging flower pot basket...
You can also use the doily as the bottom of a net bag.

The Magnolia Project
Doily art
Doilies as snowflakes as Christmas decoration

There's nothing to stop you from starching the doilies hard and use them as paper doilies.
You could also make most of these hats with the help of starched doilies.

Joana Vasconcelos

What about hanging them on a line as a lacy bohemian café curtain? These doily and lace lampshades would fit the style :-) And what about a tablecloth like this?

Sofa decorated with doilies - actually, patched with doilies, but the idea is nice :-D (A little bit the same idea here or here, using paperdoilies)
You could sew the doilies together and make a fitted armchair cover. You can cover a simple stool easily with a doily.

Here's a lace sun chair and a little lace table... I wonder if one can starch a thread doily this hard? You can always make it with clear acrylic resin...
I'm planning on making a doily cake stand...

You can use doilies as painting aid, or as help to decorate cakes or as stamps for your pottery.

Two antique beaded holders (for what?) and a beaded tablemat

- insert the doily on felt and get a pretty tablemat.

You know, it's no shame to cut these pretties up and take only what you want... cut them, paint them, dye them, make jewelry out of them, use them in scrap booking, collages, art journaling... the options are endless :-) Only your imagination sets limits...

Hello Kitty and Chococat!

In Hello Kitty's Xmas Book there are some patterns for boys and among them is a sweater with Hello Kitty chart - this is a modified version of that chart with Chococat - I don't like Hello Kitty, but I like Chococat. If you want, you can embroider his nose chocolate brown, his ears pale orangish pink and his collar light blue.
The chart for the scarf is 25 stitches wide and the pattern repeat for the sweater is 20 + 5


THIS IS THE HELLO KITTY GRANNY SQUARE
FROM "HELLO KITTY KNITWEAR AND GOODS" AND IT IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, SO DON'T SELL ANYTHING YOU MAKE WITH THIS PATTERN.

(face oval)
With white, ch 6
1. sc in 2nd ch from the hook and then in following 3ch - back loop only, 3 sc in the next ch. Rotate the piece so that the worked sc's are downwards and crochet back - 1 sc in front loop of the next 4 ch, 2sc in the 5th. Join with sl st to the 6th ch.
2. ch, 2 sc in the same sc, 1 sc in the following 3 sc, 2 sc in the next sc, 1 sc in the corner sc, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in the next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc and 1 sc in the beginnign end of the oval. Join with sl st to the first ch.
3. ch, 2 sc in the same sc, *1 sc in next sc* 5 times, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in the end sc, 2 sc in next, *1 sc in next sc* 5 times, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in the end sc, join with sl st to the beginning ch.
4. ch, sc in the same sc. 2 sc in next sc. *1 sc in next sc* 5 times, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in the end sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, *1 sc in next sc* 5 times, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in the end sc, join with sl st to beginning ch.
5. ch, 2 sc in the same sc. 1 sc in next sc. 2 sc in next sc. *1 sc in next sc* 5 times, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc (this was the other end of the oval), 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, *1 sc in next sc* 5 times, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, join with sl st to the beginning ch.

(ear)
6.ch, 1 sc in the same sc, *1 sc in the next sc* 3 times. Turn.
7. 1 ch, *sc next 2 sc tog* twice. Turn.
8. ch. sc next 2 sc tog. FO.

(the other ear)
Have the work right side up, the finished ear should be on right.
Count 7 sc from the left base stitch of the ear - you should end up with the third increase of the last round of the oval, the 12th sc of row 5. Join the yarn in this second increase sc and repeat from row 6.

9. Join dark pink in the next sc from the left ear.
ch 1, 1 sc in the same sc as the beginning ch, 2 sc in the next sc, *1 sc in the next sc* 15 times, 2 sc in the next sc, 1 sc in the next sc, 3 sc's on the right edge of the right ear, 2 sc in the last sc of the right ear, 4 sc's on the left edge of the right ear, *1 sc in next sc* 4 times, 4 sc's on the right edge of the left ear, 2 sc in the last sc of the left ear, 3 sc's on the left edge of the left ear, join with sl st to the beginning ch and FO.

10. Join light pink in the next sc - that is, not the one that began the round 9, but 2nd sc on round 9.
ch2, hdc in the same sc, sk 1 sc, 2 hdc in next sc, ch1, sk 1 sc, 2 dc, 3 sc, 2 trc in next sc, sk 1 sc, 2 dc in next sc, sk 1 sc, 2 dc in next sc, 1 ch, sk 1 sc, 2 dc in next sc, sk 1 sc, 2 dc in next sc, sk 1 sc, 2 trc, 3 ch, 2 dc in next sc, 1ch, *sk 1 sc, 2 hdc in next sc* 3 times, *1 sc in next sc* twice, 2 hdc in next sc, ch 3, 2 hdc in next sc (you should be on top of the right ear now), sk 2 sc, 2 dc in next sc, 2 dc in the space between next sc's, ch 1, sk 1 sc, 2 dc in the space between next sc's (there should be two sc's between these pairs of dc's), sk 1 sc, 2 dc in next sc, sk 2 sc, 2 hdc in next sc, ch 3, 2 hdc in next sc (and here you should be on top of the left ear), *1 sc in next sc* twice, 2 hdc in next sc, sl st to 2nd ch of the beginning chains.
11. ch1, sc in the same stitch, 1 sc in each of the stitches. FO.

Weave in ends. Embroider the cat's eyes, nose and whiskers. Decorate as you wish, for example, add the bow to Hello Kitty, or crochet a tiny flower and sew it on.

Instead of white, use black for Chococat, or which ever color cat you want to make.
Instead of dark pink, use any color of your choice other than the cat you are making.
Instead of light pink, use any color you want to use as the background color.

What to do with this?

Crochet a whole pile and make an afghan out of them. Crochet two, sew them together, add a strap and you have a cute little pocket. You can continue crocheting sc's from bottom end of the square and make the back of the bag of them, or continue crocheting sc's or dc's as you wish from the top end of the square and make a scarf. Finish with another Kitty square. You can also make simple granny squares or flower squares of the same size and use them to make the scarf, or the afghan. You can use these as pockets in a cardigan or a sweater, use them as a border of a hat, or a decorative "stripe" in a sweater or cardigan, or a bag. Make nine patch pillow.

You can use ANY granny squares the same way, and there are a lot of free granny square patterns on-line.

Bev's groovy 70's granny square hat
granny square spring hat
child's granny square hat and scarf
granny square drawstring purse
granny square pucker purse
very granny gift bag
granny square bag
granny squares handbag
granny square tote
granny square headband
granny top cap
granny square slippers I
granny square slippers II
granny square Christmas stocking
granny square shawl
granny square jacket
granny square jacket II
girl's tank top with granny squares

other granny square projects
grannyalong blog - place for granny squares and projects

I should be cleaning now...

or finishing my projects. I'm not. I'm surfing and procrastinating and getting ideas.

Shalom cardigan (though it's more like a vest, I think)

I think it's Kaffe Fasset, Lucy Neatby and a couple from blogs... I think.

Then I saw some cute and funny hippo pillows and in the same book was some hens... so I got an idea of a henhouse for Easter breakfast - or brunch. With rooster as the teapot cozy, a couple of hens to keep the breakfast rolls and boiled eggs warm and some chicks for egg cozies. My sister would squeal :-D Frankly, I'd love these too...
















You remember the Elvish Leaves dishcloth I knitted a couple of days ago? I found the Totally Autumn throw, and if you take two pattern repeats, you have yourself a dishcloth. Knit as long as you want and finish with garter stitches.

I like Due South, Paul Gross and Mounties too... and Dr.Who... I suppose I should make myself some dolls... but on the other hand... I don't play with dolls! These would be just in the corner collecting dust and moths and cause me anxiety, because I couldn't possibly give these babies to babies in need of toys... *sigh*

Edgar Allan Poe doll, bottle fisherman and tattooed doll. And I don't know who dunnit.

Today's patterns are from Inner Child :-) I LOVE her toys!
Crochet Today's free patterns - you might find something quick and easy there :-)
Lynn's Original Patterns - without pics - from 2005. I think she's into scrapbooking now...
Fable crafting
Cat toy fishes - perfect for little scraps of yarn
Crochet Style etc. - scroll down to free patterns

DA-DAA!

FINALLY they are done! These are done in double-knitting... the Kory Stamper's Extreme sock knitting two-in-one a la Tolstoi... do you see the intricate decreases in the ankle and the beautiful braiding on foot? All done in double-knitting!
I think I should actually deserve some extra XPs for these socks. But, I'm modest and honest and stupid and will take only the points I think I can. Nevertheless, I'm on the second place at Lime&Violet party's weekly list... Not bad :-)

Sorry about the red pic... my hubby insisted on wearing them and going to bed with them on, and I janked up the duvet to photograph the socks :-D Later perhaps a better picture - to better show off the finesses of these socks ;-)

Today's links:
Little Cotton Rabbit's free patterns
frugal knitting house: free patterns

Something finished...

My version of Elvish Leaves... Too loose, I'd say. It was supposed to have a nice 3D feeling to it. Yes, sure, it's 3D - every object in this world is 3D, but you know what I mean. Strong structure is what I mean. Mine is flat and - sure - pretty, but not what I expected. :-(

But it was a nice little "refreshment". Now I'll go back to crochet my doily and knit my socks. *sigh*

BTW, someone said a pattern has to be published if it is to be accepted as a pattern to get points for at KnitWars... So

Net cap
I don't care about cauge, yarn, needles and such. Use what works for you. You'll need yarn and crochet hook ;-)
The clay head is about half the size of an actual head, so don't think this is a bell hat. This is like a Juliet cap or a kippah.

Ch 4 and join to first ch with a sl st to form a ring.
1st round: Ch 7, *dc in ring, ch 4* 4 times, dc, ch 2, hdc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
You should have 6 dc and 6 ch4 spaces.
2nd round: ch 7, *dc, ch 4, dc, ch 4* in each of the six ch4 spaces. Instead of last ch4, ch 2, hdc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
You should have 12 dc and 12 ch4 spaces.
3rd round: ch 7, *dc, ch5* in each of the 12 ch4 spaces. Instead of last ch5, ch2, dc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
You have 12 dc and 12 ch5 spaces.
4th round: ch 6, *dc, ch 3, dc, ch 3* in each of the 12 ch5 spaces. Instead of last ch3, ch 1, hdc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
24 dcs and ch3 spaces.
8th round: ch 6, *dc, ch3* in each of the 24 ch3 spaces. Instead of last ch3, ch1, hdc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
24 dcs and ch3 spaces.
9th round: ch 6, *dc, ch3* in each of the 24 ch3 spaces. Instead of last ch3, ch1, hdc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
24 dcs and ch3 spaces.
10th round: ch 7, *dc, ch4* in each of the 24 ch3 spaces. Instead of last ch4, ch2, hdc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
24 dcs and ch4 spaces.
11th round: ch 7, *dc, ch4* in each of the 24 ch3 spaces. Instead of last ch4, ch2, hdc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
24 dcs and ch4 spaces.
12th round: ch 7, *dc, ch4* in each of the 24 ch3 spaces. Instead of last ch4, ch2, hdc in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
24 dcs and ch4 spaces.
13th round: ch 3, dc in every ch and dc around, sl st in 3rd ch of the beginning chain.
14th round: ch4, skip 1 dc, dc in next dc, continue around. Sl st in 3rd ch of the beginning ch. Fasten off.

If the cap is too big - ch3 instead of ch4 in the last 3 rounds. If the cap is too small, ch5 instead of ch4.

P.S. Today's link is Marjorie Crochets! Some of the cutest amigurumis (crocheted or knitted toys) I've seen! And some other things too ;-)

For The Love of Yarn

Ok... For The Love of Yarn

I wasn't supposed to do this today... I was supposed to go to the library and fetch two knitting books I have ordered from the library. Meg Swansen's lace knitting book, and a German mitten knitting book. I have also a pile of knitting books I have already borrowed from the library waiting for me to read them, take what I want and use them as inspiration for my own designs and spin-offs... But here I am. Writing my block. Surfing.

I went through my papers and wrote a to do list for the four months before Christmas. I was reminded that I need to go and print out the article about Estonian lace knitting, and that lead me to another place and so on... and finally For The Love of Yarn... and then I couldn't resist coming here and sharing the link with all of you :-)

Shall I trace my steps?

Snail pattern - suggested by Fleegle as a "refreshener" (along with Roman Sock's small amigurumis). Fleegle's blog I found because of "nupps" - nypyt suomeksi. (I didn't have any problems with nupps... I think it's really cute they are called nupps :-D
I also found Lacefreak's blog and had a very interesting, wonderful, aweful and humbling experience with watching Amanda comb wool... That someone does that still today with all the machines and factories... and then she'll spin it, and will spin enough laceweight yarn for a shawl... how much time that will take, how much patience, peace... Uh... Oh... I am at awe... (Yes, aweful, not awful ;-))
Also Bad Cat Designs and Summer Lace Samples Wrap project.
And here's "Encyclopedia of Knitting"

Now I'm going to check the Crochet Gatherings CALs for September and the Haybarn for sock harvest, and then I'll vanish back into my bed to do what I'm supposed to be doing :-D (That is - knitting socks)