Full Of Knit

Yuletide Round Up: Final Notes

2012-02-02T20:03:00.001-05:00

Finally wrapping up all the handmade holiday gifts. This collection is "Sack Socks" or those weird tubes that corral all your plastic shopping bags.

Yuletide Roundup- Part II

2012-01-12T19:29:00.002-05:00

So many things to post from the holiday crafting...for today we can do tote bags.

Yueltide Roundup- Part I

2012-01-10T21:20:00.001-05:00

With no further ado, seasonal "sock sacks" to tame those pesky plastic bags and seasonal tea towels with crochet tops.

Birthday Tote

2011-06-20T10:21:00.000-04:00

I made this one for my Mum's birthday. Now that she has received it I can post the photos.

Etsy Shoutouts

2011-06-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to highlight some Etsy shops being run by people I know.

First up is my girlfriend's shop: The Purse Pantry. She makes great bags in addition to adorable children's clothes. Her products are also at The Dolphin Store here on base. The Facebook page for her shop is right here.

Next is my sister's shop: Pinx A Slice of Sudz. These soaps are amazing. I have three from the TrueBlood line and will definitely be getting some of the watermelon ones next time I see her. Her Facebook page for the shop is here.

Check these ladies out, you won't be disappointed!

Tote Bags

2011-06-02T20:44:00.000-04:00

I have become a little obsessed with making tote bags. At the rate I am producing them I may need to start selling them just to support the habit!

Mixed Batiks from my Fabric.com grab bag.

Batiks from the grab-bag and Affordable Fabrics.

Koi Bags for my girls.

I have a few more in the works so stay tuned!

Pennant Curtains

2011-05-04T04:00:00.000-04:00

The time had come to take down the snowflake curtains and I wanted something a little different on the front door. I made up these "pennant curtains." Pretty much made it up as I went along and I like how they turned out. they give the door some color and pop but don't obstruct the light or my ability to look outside. I think they may need some embellishment, but all in good time I am sure...

Knitting

2011-05-03T04:00:00.000-04:00

I am still chugging away on the sweater vest, but in the meantime when I need a break I am working on a shawl. The pattern is one I just made up and the yarn is Strawberry Spumoni by Fresh From The Cauldron. Looking very nice and springy.

Making Real Clothes

2011-05-02T12:59:00.000-04:00

I recently ordered Making Children's Clothes by Emma Hardy and I am loving it! I am not usually a pattern person, but these are wonderful and well worth the investment. I like the book because the patterns are clear, easy to use and very intuitive. While you could make these yourself, this way all the math is done for you and you are not left guessing about angles and measurements. My only warnings about the book are that you will have to make your own working patterns since all 25 are overlaid on only two sheets of paper and it pays to be clever about how you draft the patterns. All the patterns are drawn with a labeled fold line under the premise that you will place that on the fold in your fabric and cut away. Of course, this means that each pattern calls for a ton of yardage and there would be tons of scrap. If you just take the time to draw out the "mirror" images then you can cut the pieces as they fit best and I have yet to make an item that took more than a yard of fabric. Basically, if you are willing to take 3 minutes when doing the patterns then you will not fail!

So far I have made:

Hideous PJ pants for Cha Cha. The fabric was her choice, now if only she would wear them!

This adorable top. I added the ruffles on the bottom. This one fits either of the kids.

Sundress for Bitz. I am going to replace the straps with ribbon, but the basic premise is perfect.

Love them all and have plans to make another dress for Cha Cha and about a million of the little shirts. Also on the list is sun hats, cargo capris and tons of little corduroy skirts for the fall.

It Is On!

2011-03-28T08:15:00.000-04:00

I got these in the mail last week and have been busy sewing ever since.

Many projects to come in the next few days. Mostly the hold-up is that I really need to up my game when it comes to taking photos for this place. I am aiming to do a photo-shoot tonight with my most recent projects and hopefully will have lots to share this week.

For now I made a few new pairs of Leg Warmers for the girls. The simple method for making them is in the "Patterns & Tutorials" section of this blog. Bitz loved them so much that all three pairs required immediate wearing. I guess they are a success then!

Gifts

2011-03-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

Confection Baby Shrug for a little girl who will be one soon.

Sushi for my sister. Using this pattern for the actual sushi then "guess as you go " crochet for the wasabi, pickled ginger and bowl of soy sauce.

Sushi Wallet

2011-02-23T04:00:00.000-05:00

I made this little wallet using a kit from One Stick || Two Sticks that I received for Christmas. The project involved felting, which is not my strong point, but it came out great.

Before Felting:

After Felting:

All Sewn Up:

SIL Mittens

2011-02-22T09:32:00.000-05:00

Having delivered these this weekend, I can finally share the cute mittens I made for my SIL. Using Kate Gilbert's Gifted Mitten Pattern and Lambs Pride Bulky these are just the warmest you have ever seen. I love this pattern because you do the thumb as you go, crocheting it up and rejoining it to the rest of the mitten with pout ever breaking your yarn. Genius!

Owl and Pussy Cat Mittens

2011-02-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

Inspired by these Owl Mittens shown on ABDPBT Commodity Fetishism, I set out to make some for Cha Cha. I used Kate Gilbert's "Gifted" mitten pattern and then embellished as needed. For the owl, only work the "first half" of the finger decreased so as to be left with a flap for one half of the fingers. Extend that flap for a few rows of garter then decrease evenly on each side to make a point. When you fold that down, you get the owl face. These mods are far from perfected, but Cha Cha loves them!

Full Of Knit Has Moved

2011-02-10T18:08:00.000-05:00

I have moved the site to a "com" so now you can find us at www.fullofknitcrafts.com. In theory the old address will point to the new one, but please update your bookmarks, blog readers and Full Of Knit buttons accordingly.

Thanks!

PS I have the cutest project in the works...hopefully I can share a finished one tomorrow!

Changing It Up

2011-02-08T19:45:00.000-05:00

I have been making some changes to my crafting stuff. I cleared out my Ravelry stashes and project pages and I am going to start again from scratch there. I need to re-catalog all the yarn and start making better use of Ravelry as the really valuable tool that it is.

I have also added a new page here. I am going to maintain my Crafting For A Cause page so as to track any projects I do for charity this year.

Lastly, I have a few projects in the works right now. One is done but needs to be shared after delivery as a gift, but I am chugging along on these two right now.

Sweater vest done in Plymouth Encore Colorspun using the Ski Lodge Scoop pattern from Twelve Months of Knitting by Joanne Yordanou.

The next is this ongoing pair of socks. Basic toe-up construction. I did figure-8 cast on and will do a gusset heel. Made of Berroco Sox. Also loving my little Hiya Hiya sock needles.

Flash Your Stash

2011-02-04T04:00:00.001-05:00

While there is some debate about when Flash Your Stash Day may be, I participated in the thread on Ravelry the other day. Here it be in all its glory. A pretty good showing and while Chris says I need more yarn, i think I may need to knit this bad boy down a bit before I indulge in anything new.

Dye!

2011-02-03T08:37:00.000-05:00

I finally finished up dyeing all my yarn blanks. I used some Wilton's Food Dye, some regular food coloring and some Kool-Aid. These are all the skeins:

I tried to use black food coloring to get black in the mix, but it "split" whenever I added the water. However it made some beautiful colors none the less.

Socks

2011-01-11T04:00:00.000-05:00

I got some gorgeous Berroco Vintage Chunky in my stocking, so I decided to whip up some cute slipper socks for myself. I did these toe-up, with a figure 8 cast-on and a gusset heel all while using the five needle method. I am a changed women and will be using this combination of methods forever. I call these "My Personal Growth Socks."

Baby Gifts

2011-01-10T04:00:00.003-05:00

I made these little sweets for a relative's new baby.

A little set of booties and hand "mitties" to keep that little winter bundle warm. The bootie pattern is amazing and can be found right here: Easy Baby Booties.

Set of four cotton baby washcloths. Knit with regular kitchen cotton, just like dishcloths, but smaller and way cuter.

New Skills

2011-01-09T04:00:00.000-05:00

Long story short my girlfriend needed a regular hoodie converted to a zip-up hoodie. It was kind of scary, but it was actually much easier than I anticipated. Having a new, working, sewing machine with a proper zipper-foot probably helped a lot.

Before:

After:

Look at that craftsmanship:

Christmas Crafts- Round IV

2011-01-08T04:00:00.000-05:00

Stadium blanket for a little boy who loves all things NAVY.

"I-Spy" quilt for a darling little girl.

Christmas Crafts- Round III

2011-01-07T04:00:00.003-05:00

Some gifties I made for my friends:

Project bag with notions pouch for Alicen at Sticks and Stitches. I am quite enamored with the process of decorating pre-made bags with totally fabulous fabrics. I can see the embellishment habit becoming an issue...

This is a cute set of lunch-bag sized cloth napkins for my girlfriend in NC. She has a glamorous sales job with Lenovo and now she can have a glamorous lunch too.

Lastly, this bracelet was made from a kit I found at out local bead shop: You Gotta Be Beading. I added some initial beads to customize it for my Mum ("C" and "E" for the granddaughters) and dressed it up with some extra beads that struck my fancy. I am glad I did the kit, not because making bracelets is that hard, but because it introduced me to some findings I had not worked with before. I am now a huge fam of crimping tubes...that is all.

Christmas Crafts- Round II

2011-01-06T04:00:00.001-05:00

Vintage inspired aprons were the next item in production. These are also super easy, and fun to make. (Ruffles! I love ruffles!) Many of these were made with fabrics from my Fabric.com 3lb Remnant Bags. I enjoyed this task because it was kind of a "challenge" to use existing fabrics with a "random" selection to choose sets that worked for different people. Many of these were fabrics that I would not have even considered had I seen them on the bolt in the store, but when they were placed in stash, magic happened and great aprons were produced. I am thinking I should run a "Random Fabric Challenge" here at some time this year...

Anyway, here be the aprons:

For Alicen of Sticks and Stitches:

For my baby sister who loves cupcakes and all things retro:

For my SIL who loves a good vintage inspired treat:

For my littlest sister in honor of her silly black cat. The cat patches that became the pockets have been in my stash forever, desperately begging me to make them into something for Draco and his mommy. This holiday, they got their big break!

Lastly this is a reversible lab apron I made for my BFF Amanda who has the honor of teaching Chemistry to music and arts students here in CT. I love this one so much!

Christmas Crafts- Round I

2011-01-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

Some of my gifts were these knit bags. Made of Lily Sugar and Cream cotton and based on the pattern The Everlasting Bagstopper, they were a big hit.

Barn colors for my Little Sister.

Pink for my other Little Sister...this one is lunchbox/project bag sized.

Red one for my Mum, to match her sweet coat and other project bag.

I also made a purple and green one for my SIL in WA, but I seem to have not photographed that one...

I love them all and I will be making some more, they are so easy and once you get to the "netting" bit, they go so fast.

Wordless Wednesday: Charity Scarves

2010-12-01T04:00:00.000-05:00

These were a pretty easy project. Just some no-sew polar fleece scarves to go to various charities in the area. There were 50 in total.

Curtains

2010-11-27T22:28:00.000-05:00

I have been doing so much crafting lately, but none can be posted until after the holidays. I can, however, show off the major curtain production:

For the kitchen:

For the playroom:

Seasonal valance for the front door:

Seasonal curtains for the living room with matching pillow shams:

I have pretty much decided to just forget having actual decor in the house and instead make cute valances and pillow shams for the holidays/seasons. Why not? Icicle lights year round in the playroom, festive holiday curtains and kids art hung all over. It may not be trendy, but it sure will be fun!

Sippy Cup Straps- Take Two

2010-10-26T20:16:00.001-04:00

I had previously tried to make some sippy cup straps (see the first attempt here) but my lack of rings led some improvising that did work at all as I had intened. Oh well, you live you learn. This time around I rounded up some rings off my daughters' outgrown ribbon belts. Since the ribbon was still in perfect condition, I upcycled them into these new straps. Alicen's design proved to the spot on and these are adorable.

I also finished up the set of little boys hats. One in new baby size and one in two year old size. They are so cute, I may make a set for my girls just because I love the color combination and the feel of the Berocco Comfort DK.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-20T04:00:00.001-04:00

Gutermann 26 Spool Thread Box

Cloth Napkins

2010-10-19T18:21:00.000-04:00

Inspired (as always) by Alicen at Sticks & Stitches I decided to make cloth napkins for the house. These are pretty small, maybe 10 inches x 10 inches, so they fit in my napkin holder and are perfect for daily use. I did mine a cheater way by just cutting the squares, ironing in 1/4 inch hems and zig-zagging them down. I found that if I run along the hem catching the raw edge in the stitch they wash and wear just fine for around the house. I made 16 in total, which seems to be enough if you just keep tossing them in every time you do a load of laundry, though I am planning on making a bunch more because they are so fun. I think we may go totally European and get some sweet napkin rings...bet we can make those too.

A close-up of how I did the edging:

Halloween Costumes

2010-10-18T20:57:00.000-04:00

I made up some costumes for the girls. Cha Cha is going to be a "pirate princess" with a red and white Tu-tu, pirate vest and assorted legging, legwarmers etc.

Lizzie will be some kind of pumpkin themed something. I made her an adorable orange Tu-tu which she can wear with a witch hat or a pumpkin hat assuming I get the pumpkin hat knit in time.

I also made Cha Cha a basic pink Tu-tu for her dance class. Embellished with a cute bow and she is all set to be a ballerina!

Baby Hats

2010-10-14T04:00:00.000-04:00

Nothing fancy, just some cute knit hats for a set of boys in our family. I finished the one for the baby coming in the new year and now have to finish the one for the 2 year old.

I also made a hat and a pair of mittens for our local Knitting Group at the Gales Ferry Library. I did not get pictures before I dropped them off, but I do have pictures of a scarf I am knitting for the same project.

Hooray!

2010-10-13T11:37:00.000-04:00

Lots of crafting being done! For starters I got a new sewing machine and immediately used it to make some sippy cup straps. Lil'bitz loves to toss everything overboard so these will make life much easier. I used the basic directions here at Sticks and Stitches (Thanks Alicen) though I cheated and just added and elastic panel and some more Velcro because I did not have any rings for this project. They work great so I think I may need to make a few more. (It took maybe 45 minutes to make these two so this is a great project.)

The Craft Is In The Mail!

2010-09-29T19:17:00.000-04:00

No, seriously, I have been crafting. Altering curtains, making new curtains, making cloth napkins, knitting for charity, doing dishcloths for a housewarming gift...all of it. I just have yet to write about any of it, or take the pictures, or get motivated about posting it here at all. It seems like when I am in a high production mode with the crafting, my blogging motivation tanks...only so many hours in the day I guess.

Anyway, I promise to post some pictures soon and in the meantime, just enjoy this:

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-22T10:27:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-04T08:49:00.002-04:00

Tote Bags

2010-07-31T04:00:00.000-04:00

Having remembered how useful the iron on properties of Heat-n-Bond are, I decided to get started on the tote bags my sister sent me for my birthday. So far I have only done names for the girls, and those will be getting some embellishments as soon as we decide what they want their bags to look like.

I did make this last one to be my knitting bag. I love how it came out and it was so easy since all I had to do was make the shapes and iron them on.

While this process is super easy, here is how I did it:

Ironed the heat and bond onto fabric scraps.
Used Cha Cha's foam bath letters to draw letter outlines on the paper "backing" that was created by step one. (Make sure to do the letters reversed so they will be properly oriented when ironed on,)
Cut out the letters.
Peel off the paper backing and iron on to the bag.

I only mention the process because I was considering cutting out the fabric letters first then putting Heat-n-Bond on them, but I realized just how bad an idea that would be. Having had good luck with this process I am thinking that I will put this technique to good use when we decorate the girls new rooms!

Diaper Clutch

2010-07-30T13:07:00.000-04:00

Inspired by this tutorial over at Stick and Stitches I decided to upgrade my diaper bags. I keep a mini-kit of diapers, wipes and hand sanitizer in my car and in the stroller so I always have back-up and so if we are just running out quick I don't need to lug the whole big bag. Formerly they were in Ziploc bags, but clearly these were a much prettier choice.

I used Alicen's basic method but just made large fabric rectangles instead of her cool leathery one. I did add a little pocket to the outside for the little bottles of hand sanitizer, chaptick, diaper cream whatever. I like how these came out, but I am not sure that my decision to change it up was worth the aggrivation. I love these, but really, if you want to make one, jus stick with Alicen's directions for the same product in a fraction of the time!

One for the car :

One for the diaper bag:

One for the stroller:

Quilting

2010-07-27T04:00:00.000-04:00

I finally finished the piecework for a quilt that has been in the works for more than three years now. The blocks are pieced using a variation the the Stack The Deck method, but you know, using an actual understanding of geometry and how quilts are made. Heidi at The Maxwell's Craft Room does a good job of explaining the process here. In a nutshell you stack up your fabrics and through a series of single cuts, sewing straight lines and shuffling the fabrics you create a complicated looking piece with ease. This is pretty much the only way I make quilts now ever since my Mom and I worked out the formula five years ago with some Halloween fabric bundles. I am forming the whole quilt with 20 solid squares, 40 squares that are "four patch" (two permutations of the method) and 40 squares that are "six patch" (three permutations of the method.) I made all the squares using random sets of quartered fat quarters so each finished "mini quilt" is 8.5 inches by 7.5 inches. I still need to lay them out, sew up the tops and do borders and backing, but I am not sure yet if it will be one big quilt for my bed or two little quilts for my girls.

Sewing For Kids

2010-07-25T12:57:00.000-04:00

Cha Cha has a most sacred lovie: Yertle the Turtle. He is used in place of a baby doll with all her play baby gear and he needed some new diapers. I drew a quick pattern off a diaper that I knew kind of fit him then drew in the needed alterations. Add in some scrap baby fabric, a bit of Velcro and a touch of elastic: Tah Dah! Yertle diaper. I also made some wipes by just cutting squares of the same fabric and zig-zagging the edges. These are stored in an up-cycled plastic container with a hole cut in the lid so they can be pulled out one by one, just like the real thing. So cute!

Fabric Surprise

2010-07-23T12:48:00.000-04:00

Last time I placed a Fabric.com order, I got one of their Three Pound Cotton Remnant bags. I figured for the price I would get a handful of good bit and the rest would surely find homes. When it arrives I was amazed. All the pieces are fat quarters or larger so you can really do projects with them and they seem to have made some attempt at keeping sets together. While I got a few yards of random, though nice, fabrics the bulk of it was runs from a line of designs.

There is definitely all the making of Valentine 's Day projects for the girls and this run of batiks that are just amazing and worth well more than the price of the whole assortment. If you love bargain fabric and are up for a little mystery in your life, order one of these, you will not be disappointed!

Uninteresting…Yet Brilliant

2010-07-22T04:00:00.000-04:00

The whole crazy story goes like this: Read this article on baby gear that is stupid, found this time-out mat that tons of people think is the awesome (and are thus, weeping from said awesome). That search led me to this, which is the same idea, only this one is portable so you can execute an effective time-out anywhere you go. I was seriously considering getting one (I know, it is an illness) when I realized: "oh wait, I have the skills required to make something that would do the trick." So now I present to you, Portable Time Out Mats. Basically two fat quarters, sew right sides together, turn right sides out, press and topstitch. I made two, one for the house and one to keep in my bag. So easy, so obvious, so clearly the smartest thing ever!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T04:00:00.000-04:00

Produce Bags

2010-07-12T04:00:00.001-04:00

I have been looking for some re-usable produce bags for a while. I liked many out there, but some seemed a bit too big and a bit too "process oriented" involving certain ones for storing certain produce what not. The ones I liked best were these: Flip and Tumble Produce Bags. The only hitch was that I figured I would want quite a few so there could be some for storage, some in the wash and some in the shopping bags in the car/stroller. This meant a decently sized investment in bags, and well, I want to be green, but I am also not sure that I need $30 worth of bags just to lug some tomatoes around. Thankfully, I have the mad crafty skills to make my own.

I used nylon netting ($.65 a yard at Fabric.com), made basic drawstring bags and used some scrap acrylic yarn to make cords of chains of single crochet. Tah-dah. I bought 4 yards of netting and made 12 bags. I found that cutting the netting (doubled for strength) into rectangles 12inches wide and 32 inches long allowed me to fold over simple casing tops for the drawstrings and then sew up the sides to make bags that are roughly 12x12 when finished. So, for $2.60 "out of pocket" since the cords were scrap and thread/labor is "free" I have a dozen produce bags ready to go.

I am also hypothesizing that these will be great since I can take them to the store, store the produce right in them in the fridge, wash the loose produce in the bags like a built in colander, then hang them to dry/run them through with the next load of wash and be all set to go. I will let you all know how it goes.

First Shawl

2010-07-10T19:02:00.000-04:00

I am currently working on my first ever shawl project. Well, I have made shawls and wraps before, but never in anything that approached an actual lace pattern one, or one from any pattern for that matter! This one is called Gabriel's Wings and it is quite easy, but looks so pretty. It is hard to see the details as it sits in progress and unblocked, but trust me it is quite lovely. The yarn is some KnitPicks Bare in sock weight I dyed with Kool-Aid.

BB Halce: Inauthentically Vintage

2010-07-08T21:18:00.000-04:00

Shamelessly plugging these cool bracelets my Mum and sister make. Their Etsy Shop BBHalce has a lovely selection of bracelets. They are so cute and absolutely addictive. I have these two and may be begging for more!

Birthday Squeeeeeee!

2010-07-08T21:15:00.000-04:00

Apparently word got out that I love me some crafting! I now have so many lovelies in my collection.

Yarn from my girlfriend Alicen at Sticks and Stitches & My Culinary Adventures.

Yarn from my sister. This is a From the Cauldron sock yarn. These are amazing and available (again in Late July) in the Etsy shop HERE.

Scissors for sewing and my knitting kit plus a sweet little fabric cutting kit. Perfect for some upcoming projects I have planned. My Mum and Dad sent these.

Tote bag kit from my littlest sister. I am thinking that I will make one for each of the girls so we can do easy packing for all our day trips.

Lucky Me!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-30T13:24:00.000-04:00

Wool Soakers

2010-06-26T16:30:00.001-04:00

Prior to my discover that Target Generic Diapers are the greatest thing ever (they are super soft and absorbent for a much nicer price) I had made these some-what felted soakers. Inspired by Heidi @ The Maxwell's Craft Room, I gently felted some old wool sweaters in the washer and dryer then made these using the basic pattern provided at: Katrina's Quick Sew Diaper Patterns. They are adorable. For the striped one I just used the sleeve cuffs for the legs and folded over the waistline of the sweater for an easy waistband on the soaker. The grey one is made almost totally to spec, though I just cut the torso bit longer and folded it over to make a waistband made with elastic running through it. I made that change after discovering that while the soakers fit great everywhere else, the waists were too big for Cha Cha, but some elastic took care of that.

I lanolized them using this method at Green Mountain Diapers. I subbed in baby shampoo for the Eucalan because that it what I had on hand. It worked great and was super easy.

So far the project was a roaring success, but then we encountered the "three-year-old-factor." Basically she threw a huge fit and refused to wear them claiming they were "too itchy." They are not, they are lovely and frankly, I would wear wool undies if they were this soft and nice! Thankfully the change in diaper brand seems to have eliminated the over-night leaking problem, so I guess it is a moot point now...

Long story short, they are made and ready for use. They are size L/XL, theoretically lanolized and ready to go, though I never had the chance to test that theory. The craftsmanship on them is less than perfect, but they are fully functional for the job at hand! Does anyone out there want them, or know someone who can use them? Just let me know and I will gladly put them in the mail for ya.

Happy Crafting!

Mitered Square Formula

2010-06-24T04:00:00.000-04:00

After perusing a million patterns for mitered squares, and not really getting any of them, I have finally compiled all the data and cracked the code.

Knit Mitered Square

This is a basic formula to make mitered squares. You can do this with any yarn/needle combo and the uses for the squares once made are endless!

Supplies:

Yarn -Any weight , small amount

Needles Appropriate to Yarn

Usual notions: scissors, darning needle etc.

The Process: A Bit O' Math:

Pick a nice even number where each side of your square will be half that many stitches. We will call this number X. (Here it helps to have an idea of the desired size and an estimate of your gauge for your needle/yarn combination. If you have stitches per inch and a desired number of inches then getting a square of any size is easy.)

Cast on X+1 stitches.

Knit this first row. (WS)

(RS) Knit ½ X-1 stitches, knit three together, knit to the end. (Here any double decrease will work, I like to knit 3 together into the back of the stitches, but it really doesn't matter as long as you always use the same method.)

Knit a row.

Knit ½ X-2 stitches, knit 3 together, knit to end

Knit a row.

Repeat in this manner doing a double decrease around the center stitch on each RS row and knitting all WS rows.

When you are down to five stitches: S1, K1, PSSO, K1, K2Tog then cut your working yarn and thread it through the remaining three stitches and pull tight/tie off.

Finish as desired.

Once you get going it become quite easy to tell where to do the decreases, but for an example of the math I use worsted weight yarn with size 8 needles: Cast on 37 stitches, knit the first row, knit 17 stitches, K3tog, knit to end, knit the next row, knit 16 stitches, K3tog, knit to end…you get the idea. This gives me a 4 inch square.

Get the PDF

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T04:00:00.003-04:00

Basic formula for these coming soon to a Full of Knit near you!

Short Row Heel!

2010-06-16T15:33:00.000-04:00

I was able to get my short-row heel to work, it was pretty cool, now just to make the leg of the sock...and its mate too!

WWKIP Day!

2010-06-16T15:14:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday the baby and I went to World Wide Knit In Public Day at D'Art center, hosted by the Tidewater Knitting Guild of Virginia. It was great fun. We got this sweet goody bag with lots of treats:

And won a great door prize:

I met a bunch of cool people, got so many ideas for projects I want to do (mitered square blanket, i am talking to you!) and had a very nice time in the company of other fiber people.

Many thanks to all the people who worked so hard to run this event.

Tidewater Knitting Guild of Virginia	www.tkgv.blogspot.com
D'Art Center	www.d-artcenter.org
Knitting Corner	www.theknittingcorner.com
Knit Wits	www.knitwitsyarn.com
Coordinated Colors	www.coordinatedcolors.com
Knitting Sisters	www.knittingsisters.com
Cornerstone Alpaca Farm	www.cornerstonefarmalpacas.com
Tasha's Own Farm	www.tashasown.blogspot.com
Solitude	www.solitudewool.com
Just Our Yarn	www.justouryarn.com
Lion Brand Yarn	www.lionbrand.com
Webs	www.yarn.com
Green Mountain Spinnery	www.spinnery.com
XRX Incorporated Knitters Magazine	www.knittinguniverse.com
Miss Babs Hand Dyed Yarn and Fibers	www.missbabs.com

Also needing thanks for their support: CCCreations Stitch Markers, Linda Johnson-Wallis Knits Patterns, Sally Cox and Buttons by Babara Bloom

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T04:00:00.000-04:00

Fabric Stash: Sorted and Looking to be Expanded...

Socks

2010-06-04T13:33:00.000-04:00

I finally finished the Kaffe Fassette socks, and they are just lovely. Now I know why people spend the money on good sock yarn!

Having managed to finish off one pair, I started enough another with some beautiful Berroco Sox yarn. These are also my first pair of toe up socks. I have never done these before since I cannot seem to get a handle on short rows. Thankfully, I was able to find these directions and do them without short-rows. Just how I am going to do the heel, or if I will do one at all, remains a mystery, but we can worry about that when we get there. Tube socks are nice right?

In other knitting news, charity hats are in the mail and I am working on a few for this month using a cute method my Mum came up with. I also had to frog a project because I had left it on the needles for so long, the baby outgrew the size I was knitting! Kind of pathetic really...oh well.

Beading

2010-06-04T13:23:00.000-04:00

Cha Cha was stringing her pony beads so I decided to get in on that action and bust out my beading stuff. I made a little blue bracelet for Cha Cha. Predictably after she whined for it, picked out the beads and drove me batty "helping," she them refuses to wear it. The bigger one is an anklet for me. Perfect for summer and dressing up my frumpy Birkies.

Hamsterbeans

2010-05-29T20:28:00.000-04:00

My sister (LadyPinky on Ravelry) pointed me to these and well, once Cha Cha saw them she wanted one. Now! She chose a blue one with purple eyes, ears, feet and tail. The pattern is so cute, easy and fast. I think we may need a whole herd of these. Ah, the trouble with ~~tribbles~~ hamsterbeans.

Charity Hats

2010-05-29T19:50:00.000-04:00

Twelve more hats for Hot Heads Happy Hearts. With all the other stuff going on, I may not be able to pledge hats for a couple of months, but hey, every hat I do send in is one more warm baby! These were a fun project since my theme this month was "scrap busting." They are made with a great assortment of wonderful yarns that I had collected. I am pretty pleased with how they came out.

Here Come the PDFs

2010-05-26T16:47:00.000-04:00

I did finally manage to get my existing patterns/tutorials into PDF form and get them linked up. No, this is not a hard process...but it sure stymied me! Anyway, anything I had posted in this category is now available in said PDF form on my Patterns and Tutorials page. Hooray for technology! Stay tuned since I am now inspired to make up the posts about the scrappy wallets and how to make the knit/crocheted food. Stay tuned...

Tawashi Tutorial

2010-05-24T19:24:00.002-04:00

Forever and a day ago I mentioned my tawashi love (a love that has not diminished with time at all) and promised a tutorial on how to make a super easy one. I finally got it posted! Enjoy.

Supplies:

Yarn (any flavor depending on planned use)
Appropriate crochet hook for said yarn.
Scissors
Darning Needle

Here it is worth noting that you can do this with any yarn that works for the intended purpose. Cotton is great for bodies and faces while I find acrylic is a bit hardier for pots and pans. Just match your use with an appropriate fiber, grab the hook needed for that yarn (gauge doesn't matter so just use whatever looks right) and have at it. For this model I used some Red Heart Fiesta and an H/8 hook.

What follows is a basic outline of roughly how to do this. This is by no means an exact science, so feel free to "crochet until it looks right" as needed.

Make a chain of four stitches and make a loop/ring by doing a slip stitch into the first stitch of the chain.
Chain three then, into the center of that loop, do as many double crochets as seem to fit. I am never too specific about the number, it is really not a deal breaker. When you are done with that "round" close up the ring by doing a slip stitch into the first double crochet.

The Magic Ring Method if that tickles your fancy.**

For the next round chain three, do a double crochet into the first stitch that is also kind of being used by the slip stitch, then do two double crochet into each stitch. Join up your ring as before.
This round chain three, do two double crochet into the next stitch, then one double crochet into the third stitch. Continue this round by alternating two double crochet into one stitch then one double crochet into the next. Slip to join. (Depending on your initial number of stitches the math may not be perfect so just fudge the last few stitches before the join if needed. This will be true of any subsequent rounds, don't worry about it, just crochet until it looks good.)

**By now you should be seeing the basic premise here.**

Continue for as many rounds as needed to make the tawashi the desired size. the following rounds will go:
- Double crochet into next stitch, double crochet into next stitch, two double crochet into third stitch...repeat for the full round.
- Double crochet into next stitch, double crochet into next stitch, double crochet into next stitch, two double crochet into fourth stitch...repeat for the full round.
**Continue for as many rounds as desired just increasing the number of times your do one double crochet into each stitch by one for each subsequent round.**
I like to finish off the tawashi by doing a final round of one single chrochet into each stitch. I feel this gives a nice edge.
Weave in and trim off your ends. And now you have a tawashi.

Really you can do this with any stitch too. I like double crochet since it makes the tawashi nice and flexible, but not too "holey," though depending on how tightly you crochet and/or the intended use, do whatever stitch makes you happy. The math is the same.

Hopefully this all makes sense and will help you make some cute, and so easy, tawashis. Let me know if any of it is unclear, or just plain wrong, my crochet skills are based on very little technical knowledge and a lot of trial and error!

Get The PDF

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T04:00:00.000-04:00

Quick and Easy Craft

2010-05-13T04:00:00.002-04:00

These are just a little dose of happy for your day. Embellished match boxes. Just get some cheapo matches (mine are $1 for a little pack of ten) and dress them up with scrap craft paper, stickers, stamps, whatever tickles your fancy. They seem kind of silly, but they are actually pretty fun to do.

They are great for:

Brightening up an otherwise dull day.
Using up scrap paper that you don't have the heart to throw out.
Great additions to gifts of candles or incense.
Scenic if you want to leave matches out with candles in guest rooms, bathroom etc.
Fun for kids. Pull the matches out of the equation and make little "treasure boxes."
Make a great addition to the DIY Decorating Project featured today on The Well-Read Mom.

All I know is that I spent a lovely hour playing with my fancy papers and stickers to get these. A much better use of my time than that pesky housework that needs to be done!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T04:00:00.001-04:00

Sewing and Knittig...Hooray!

2010-05-11T12:17:00.002-04:00

I finally got the sewing done on my Hot Heads Happy Hearts May KAL Prize. The prize pack will be a skein of Yarn Gang yarn (perfect for baby hats), a set of blue and brown stitch markers and a little "notions" wallet. The wallet has pockets for all the odds and ends you need to take your knitting on the go: scissors, darning needle, tape measure etc. I put in some flaps over the openings to the pockets just to ensure that nothing escapes!

I also did a few more hats for the May KAL. My goal for the month was 10 hats and I have 9 done. This will also put me a mere 5 items away from completing my goal of 25 charity items in 2010. Since I plan to keep knitting for various Ravelry charity groups, I think I may well surpass 25 by year's end!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-05T04:00:00.001-04:00

The start of my Hot Heads Happy Hearts May KAL Prize Pack...just need to do the sewing!

More Scrappy Wallets

2010-05-04T20:11:00.000-04:00

Two more of my Scrappy Wallets made and ready to be put in the mail to new homes. I have a new one in the making with a modified design. I am aiming to make cute "notions wallets" for knitting supplies. (Or crocheting supplies, needle work supplies...pretty much anything really!) The prototype will be part of a prize pack I am making for the Hot Heads Happy Hearts May KAL on Ravelry. Pictures of that one, in progress, tomorrow.

Also made three more hats for said KAL with a fourth on the needles.

Lastly, I made a great ring sling for when the new baby was born, but she quickly outgrew the size of the scarf I used. Not worry, used a larger shawl/scarf I purchased for a recent wedding to make a bigger one. Re-used the rings, got two uses out of a $12 scarf...pretty nifty!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T04:00:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-21T04:00:00.001-04:00

Flash Your Stash 2010

2010-04-19T21:07:00.000-04:00

I did this last year as part of a Ravelry thread, and so here is this year's edition. The stash has been well used, though it remains roughly the same size. Apparently I am buying it at a rate that creates yarn parity! It still contains a bit of everything...acrylic for amigurumi, cotton for dishcloths, sock yarn, wool of all descriptions. No yarn snobbery here my friends, every yarn has a perfect job, we just need to find it.

If anyone else wants to play, comment here and let me know. I can link you all up for a nice Flash Your Stash 2010 Party!

More Sewing

2010-04-19T20:56:00.000-04:00

Two more aprons, one in a some fabulous moon fabric that had been waiting two years for the right project to come along and one for my Mum.

Also made another little wallet to go with Mum's apron...why one needs a matching wallet/apron set, I am not sure, but they sure are cute.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T04:00:00.000-04:00

Hot Heads, Happy Hearts

Hats for Babies in Rwanda Through Partners in Health

Sewing!

2010-04-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

I have actually been doing some sewing. I currently so into making aprons...after all, an obsession with making vintage inspired aprons is a great use of my time! They are adorable though. I made this one using the Bari J. Keeping It Real Apron Tutorial. (Part 1 and Part 2...both in pdf.) I used the pattern exactly as written except I used the full width of my fabric instead of cutting down the base pieces to size (one 14 inch bit cut from edge to edge of a 42 inch bolt makes two 14 inch x 21 inch bits to be the front and the back) and I put my waistband on differenctly, mostly because I couldn't figure out the directions for that bit...

I also found a million other patterns to try. Two great lists can be found here and here.

My other projects were scrappy wallets. There are a million tutorials out there for how to do this, but I just made these using what I figured was the easiest possible method. I am working on a tutorial, but I am really hoping to get all my patterns and tutorials into pdf form, so it may be a while. In the meantime, check out these little guys.

Last up is my freshly dyed yarn. This was made with the leftover Easter Egg dye and I love it. The colors are so bright and springy!

Easter Egg Yarn

2010-04-03T14:49:00.000-04:00

Used the leftover egg dye from our Easter/Late Ostara eggs to dye another one of my yarn blanks. It is pretty tie-dye-like so I am jazzed to make some crazy hats and mittens for the girls.

Pictures of the finished product when it is dry and ready to wind up for knitting.

This Could Be A Problem...

2010-04-03T09:50:00.000-04:00

I needed some fabric for a few projects I have in mind for upcoming birthdays, and since our fabric stores are all a good 20 minutes away I hit the internet in search of a better, more convenient option. I soon discovered Fabric.com and well, it is my new favorite place in the world! They have over 500,000 fabrics in stock along with notions, some knitting/crochet stuff, patterns, batting etc. The selection is great, the prices are quite competitive given that most of it is "designer" fabric (Michael Miller, Amy Butler and so on), plus they have a huge clearance section for 20%-50% off and FREE shipping on orders over $35. Long story short: I got all this delivered to my house for $36. It is a total of 6 yards of fabric and a 1200 yard cone of thread...that works out to a mere $5 bucks a yard for fabrics that generally retail for $9.99 a yard. I could probably do better in store somewhere by using coupons, sales etc., but the convenience factor is worth a lot too.

The real "problem" is that this came in the package. That's right, a coupon for $5 off your order of $20 or more, so now I am figuring I can get $35 worth of fabric delivered to my door for only $30. Yeah, this is going to get way out of hand!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T04:00:00.001-04:00

Cute Knit Set

2010-03-26T14:42:00.001-04:00

Hat and Shruggie set. The hat is Poppy by Justine Turner, you can find it on Ravelry right here. The cardigan/shrug is Boheme by Allegra Wertmuth, also on Ravelry here. For the sweater I followed the pattern until the body, then just did stockinette with a garter stitch border since I knew I would be embellishing. As you can see, she is much bigger than I anticipated, so I am planning to add onto the outfit with some ruffles and a new button band. These were both very easy, and quick, knits that are so adorable and a bit different from the usual baby fare. Embellishments are just some crochet bits.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

Yoga Socks

2010-03-16T13:57:00.000-04:00

Super easy since they are socks without the fussy bits like heels and toes. These are just some nice soft cotton blend that I have tried to make other socks with, but this yard did not want to be normal socks, so now it will be special socks.

Just cast on your stitches to fit your ankle, knit until you would start the heel, then just cast off half the stitches. On the next round cast them back on so now you have your tube again, then just knit until the foot part is as long as you like it. Now your heels and toes are out so no slipping on mats, but you can keep your feet warm and stylish!

Done and Done

2010-03-13T22:33:00.000-05:00

I did it. I crafted and now I am blogging about it. The tea cozy is done, the sewing is done as well. I turned some outgrown receiving blankets into two changing pads for the bed that is currently doubling as our changing table and some burp cloths...you can never have too many!

I also managed to add a layer of ruffles to four skirts so now we can get another season of use out of them. I also whipped up another skirt from two fat quarters, though the waist is too big so that will need a quick tuck, hence bringing our summer skirt total to six. I reckon some t-shirts and we are good to go!

The yoga socks are also in progress...pictures of them soon. Now to decide my crafting goals for next weeks since I will have three evenings all to myself as DH travels, yet again, for work. My new mantra: at least it is not a deployment.

Tea Cozy

2010-03-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

I have actually managed to get many of this week's goals accomplished. The skirts are lengthened, the yoga socks are started, the burp cloths/pads are mostly done, only two more to sew and eight little ones to top stitch and last, but not least, the tea cozy is done. Here it be:

The cozy is cabled on the front, basic stockinette on the back and embelished with some crocheted flowers on top. It was designed to fit this little guy: My Mini Le Crueset Tea Pot to match my mini-kettle and big dutch oven.

Progress on Craft Plan

2010-03-10T19:57:00.000-05:00

So far I have managed:

A bit of work on the tea cozy.

Getting all the fabric cut, ironed and pinned for the skirts and receiving blanket up-cycling.

Putting some i-cord on this sweater. BB knit the sweater, but I applied the i-cord. Its knitting and I helped!

Craft Plan

2010-03-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

This week I will craft...and blog about it!

I did just finish up some crocheted play food for a kids party we have coming up, so there will be pictures of that soon. This week I have a few goals:

Add a layer of ruffles to my daughters skirts. These skirts still fit in the waist, but have become too short, so another layer should do the trick.
Turn all these outgrown recieving blankets into burp cloths and/or "pads" for changing, lining the crib etc.
Finish the little tea cozy I started for my new little tea pot.
Start some yoga socks since I now try and hit a yoga class twice a week, they would actually come in handy. Rumor has it they wouls also be good for my Wii Fit.

Lets just hope it all works out, and by that I mean the house magically learns to keep itself, my children magically become wholly independent and the kids actually decide to take some naps...keep your fingers crossed.

Dye Your Own Yarn With Stuff You Probably Already Have

2010-03-05T20:31:00.001-05:00

Here is an easy way to dye your own yarn using supplies you probably already have in your kitchen.

Supplies

"Blank" yarn
White Vinegar
Food coloring
Assorted glass and/or plastic jars and containers (no metal since that can react with some dyes)

Procedure

Prepare your wool. I like KnitPicks Bare, but any wool will do.

During this step you can try and organize how long you want your repeats to be. I wanted mine to be pretty long so I did this crazy maneuver to make a long skein.

Just make sure you tie the skein in a ton of places so it won't get too tangled during the process.
Pre-soak the wool. Using tepid to cool water mixed with "some" vinegar (I used maybe a cup for a wash basin, this need not be an exact science) and let the wool soak for 10-15 minutes until saturated.
Prepare your dye. While the yarn soak mix up your colors. I used gel food coloring and mixed roughly a tablespoon of dye to 1/3 cup vinegar then topped the containers up with water from the wool pre-soak bin until they were full enough to soak the yarn. Mix the colors as you wish, I did straight green, straight blue and a "custom" mixed purple.
Set the wool in the dye baths. Pull the wool out of the vinegar soak and gently wring out as much of the water as you can. Now just place the wool into the containers in whatever order/pattern you desire.
Wait it out. Just let the wool sit in the baths until the color looks good and/or all the dye has been pulled out of the water. With some colors the water will actually be clear with all the color having moved into the wool, but just use your best judgement.
Rinse the wool Pull the skein out of the colors and rinse with cool water until it runs clear then gently wring it out as much as you can. Hang it up to dye and when it is dry, it is all set to use.

I found this made a very nice product with very "true" colors and the colors held well when washed. It is worth noting that I wash my hand-knit socks in washing machine with my darks in cold water and air dye them. This works fine for me and proves that this dye method will hold pretty well.

Enjoy the dyeing and hook me up with pictures if you try it out!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Umm...yeah so that is a whole week I managed to not update this blog...awesome.

Consider this a promise that a tutorial on doing custome dyed wool with food coloring will be posted soon!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Paper Crafts

2010-02-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

Two Aunties have birthdays coming up (three actually and Daddy too) so I made up some cute cards to send off with their gifts. These were very easy since they used all pre-done stuff. The cards, stickers, die-cuts etc were all pre-made so I just needed to mix and match until I liked the look and glue them on. The bows were hand done from some craft ribbon and the metallic details were added with my cool metallic ink pens. I was pretty pleased with them and now have the itch to make more!

Recent Projects

2010-02-14T23:16:00.000-05:00

I made up leg warmers with the socks I mentioned in my previous post. I just hammered them out factory style and all together it really only too about half an hour to cut them, line them up and sew them. Not a bad investment of time for 5 pairs of leg warmers.

This sock, soon to be socks when I get off my butt and cast on the second one, is made with my most recent batch of hand-dyed yarn. I did this with food coloring on KnitPicks Bare Worsted Weight Wool. I have pictures of, and directions for, the dyeing process so I will work that up soon... I made this yarn with a nice long repeat since it was initially destined to be a hat with a stained glass effect, but when knit as socks, it made perfect stripes. I did the cuffs, heels and toes in a coordinating royal that was in my Christmas stocking and I really like the look. This way I will also have enough left over to make coordinating fingerless mitts, or somethin... Love it!

This other pair of socks, also on the needles, is made with some Jawoll sock yarn designed by Kaffe Fasset. So pretty! Right now I am getting to the point where I wear mostly hand knit socks. I know it it such a cliche, but I love how they look and feel with my Crocs or my Birkies.

Pillowcase and HOT Crafty Mommy Tip!

2010-02-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

Final bit of the birthday trio for our little friend. A pretty princess pillowcase. I made it using the same basic method in my Pillowcase How To though I did some striping to make it very fancy!

The hot tip for today is that Target (how I love thee) has knee socks in for the spring at $2 a pair. I got these five pairs (since they were the only ones left at the Norfolk Target, off to Chesapeake and VB soon...) and these will make five pairs of leg warmers for the price of one pair of BabyLegs. Pretty jazzed about this all together...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-10T10:10:00.001-05:00

White Chocolate Spumoni by Fresh From The Cauldron

Fancy Leg Warmers

2010-02-09T21:42:00.000-05:00

Made these to finish off the gifts for a little friend of my daughter's. I made the leg warmers using the same method outlined in my Leg Warmers in 6 Easy Steps tutorial and added some crocheted embellishments to the "plain Jane" beige pair. I am glad my Mum suggested this since often the three-packs of knee-socks that work so well for this task contain one "boring" solid pair. They are not boring anymore!

Knit Sweet Treats

2010-02-01T19:06:00.001-05:00

These will be part of a birthday gift for one of Cha Cha's little friends. These were made with all the new Red Heart. The cupcake was mostly improvised as I went since I know how to "crochet until it looks right" but not really how to read or write patterns in that language. As for the lollipop I have a rough outline of that process in the works and I am working on a proper pattern for the ice cream cone. Check back for those soon as well as my latest batch of hand-dyed yarn that is currently knitting into a beautiful Drop Stitch Scarf.

Yarny Goodness

2010-01-23T14:56:00.002-05:00

WARNING: The following can be considered "yarn porn" and is not recommended for crafters who are weak of heart...or who dislike acrylic (crazy haters).

Arrived home from errands to see a box from Jo-Anne's by my door. The back story is that I mentioned how much I had always wanted to have a rainbow of crafting yarn so that when I saw a pattern for a cool toy, or tawashi, or whatever, I would have all the basic colors on hand. Being wonderfully indulgent, DH pointed out that such a collection of yarn wouldn't exactly break the bank and that I should just go ahead and do it. (I know, he is a keeper!) As luck would have it Jo-Anne Fabrics had Red Heart Super Savers on sale so I was able to get the big skeins (364 yards) in each color and stay in budget. Placing that order made me a super happy girl!

Here is the grand unveiling, shown step by step so as to extend the thrill for all you dear readers.

Open up the box...

Look at them all in the plastic bags...

Line them up and let the baby roll in them which is just what I would have done were size not a limitation.

Build my rainbow pyramid of wonderfullness...

Life is good. I have some plans for toys, mainly knit/crocheted food, that I am going to try out so I will post directions for those if I get them figured out.

"This Hat Used To Be a Onesie" Tutorial

2010-01-20T20:39:00.009-05:00

Another quick and easy baby craft. Again this was mostly improvised, so the pictures tell the tale. Feel free to alter as needed.

Supplies: Sewing machine, pins (yup, even used 'em), scissors, rotary cutter with mat and ruler (these are optional, but I like them for straight lines) and outgrown onesies. I found that the last outgrown set fit her head pretty well, though your mileage may vary.
Step 1: Turn the onesie inside out and cut straight across the bottom just above where the crotch bit starts.
Step 2: Fold the onesie in half the "long" way and cut an arch just below the neck and sleeve seams. Here you can make it as "slopey" or as "flat" as you want depending on what style of hat you desire. If you are quite clever and measured you little one's head, you could cut inside the side seams to make the hat narrower if needed.
Step 3: Sew around the top curve. I did a straight stitch about a 1/4 inch in and then did the raw edges with a zig-zag stitch. The edges don't need to be finished, but it makes it all a little neater. If you cut the hat down to size, obviously just sew around any "open edges" in this manner.

Step 4: Fold the hat right side out and fold up the bottom edge roughly 1/4 inch, pin in place then sew around with a zig-zag stitch making sure to catch the raw edge as you go around.

Step 5: Roll up the hem as desired and tah-dah, its a hat...for your head!
I made two to go with the T-shirts also crafted out of the outgrown onsies. Just cut off the crotch bits and finish the edges with an overlock or zig-zag stitch.

My adorable little model showing one off:

Little Leg Warmers in Six Easy Steps

2010-01-05T14:08:00.008-05:00

These are actually quite simple to make and only require one "line" of sewing. The pictures pretty much explain it all, but I will fill in the details too.

Supplies: Sewing machine, scissors, pins (if you are into that) and sets of knee socks.

I find the adult socks make good baby/toddler ones and the child-sized socks make good newborn/infant ones. I got mine at Target, on sale so a whopping $5 made 6 pairs of leg warmer when all was said and done.

Step 1. Cut your knee socks at three points. Once right before the heel "turns" to make a long top bit that will be the legwarmer and then two cuts to chop out the "straight" bit of the foot. This little tube will become the sewn on cuff.
Step 2. Turn the big tubes inside out in preparation to sew on the cuffs.
Step 3. Fold the little tubes onto themselves, right sides out, so they make cuffs. I am not sure how to better explain that, but make them look like the picture mmmmkay?
Step 4. Put the cuffs inside the big tubes with all the raw edged lined up. This is the bit where precision does matter, the better the edges are lined up, the neater the cuffs will be and the less likely you will be to "miss" some cuff and get holes. (Ask me how I know this...) I have heard of people using these items called pins, I am lazy and rarely use them, but they would be useful here.
Step 5. Carefully sew around the base of the legwarmer making sure to catch both layers of the cuff and the layer of the big tube. Here a serger would be ideal, but any basic overlock or zig-zag stitch on a sewing machine will do the trick. I used a medium to long width zig-zag with good results.

Step 6. Now just trim up the threads and turn that bad boy right side out. They should look like variations of these when completed.
The leg warmers are great under pants, in lieu of pants (especially when potty training), as arm warmers and, as I just found out, they work great for adults too. I used them with my capri work out pants to keep my legs warms until I got going, then they just scrunch down to your ankles when you get going and need to ventilate.

Enjoy and send pictures of what you all make plus any tips on where to find cute socks to use.

Some Mild Knitting

2010-01-05T14:05:00.003-05:00

To help fulfill the urge to knit while balancing the fact that I lack the time and/or inclination to do elaborate projects, I have taken up knitting dishcloths. As it turns out it is a very pleasing habit and now, I have a kitchen drawer full of nice new cloths.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-25T13:16:00.002-05:00

Sorry no updates in so long, but with the new baby, not much time to play on the computer. More specifically my blogging time better be spent updating pics of the granddaughters lest I incur the wrath of the loving Grandparents, Aunties and Uncles.

Crafting has been getting done, much of it being gifts. Sadly, no pics of that stuff, but I did want to post a picture of some of my gifts from my DH and daughters. He knows me all too well. My sister also sent some beautiful yarn too, but that will need its own post soon since the dyer is on Etsy and I must give her proper highlighting!

Campfire Hat

2009-11-03T18:52:00.003-05:00

Made up my own pattern, drew the chart to approximate flames, did the color work, even used bobbins. I am considering going in with my Bernat Glow in the Dark Yarn, in yellow, and adding duplicate stitch details, but then again, maybe not. In a nut shell, it was a total pain the ass. The icing on the cake? the won't wear it for anything. Oh well, it fits me so maybe I just have a new hat. It is, however, my first project with my hand-dyed Cascade 200, so that is pretty cool.

Also cast on for my Fake Isle Hat. Pics of that soon! I am using the rest of the Cascade 220 in black featured above and a skein of Wisdom Yarn Poems, a nice Noro facsimile minus the skin crawling feeling and bits of hay.

Dye Experiment

2009-10-30T19:37:00.007-04:00

Having some white Cascade 22o floating around while concurrently discovering a forgotten Easter egg kit in the toddlers art box, I decided to give dyeing some yarn a try.

I used the directions found here at WoolFestival.com and it was super easy. The supplies included the egg kit, some vinegar and assorted containers and spoons for mixing, soaking etc. (Sippy cup optional, but useful if, like me, your toddler has come on in to help. she really liked this project a LOT!) Here you can see the yarn doing a pre-soak in some cool water with a slosh of vinegar.

The nest step was to mix the dye according to the package directions. Here an interesting thing happened in that the red did not color the water. It all eventually dissolved but no red dye was created. Very odd, but thus, the yarn was to be blue and yellow.
Using my trusty Pyrex measuring cups I set up the yarn in a basic half-yellow, half-blue dye bath and did some wiggling during the process to try and get all the yarn in the middle bits covered.
The directions said that the yarn would be done when the wool had pulled all the colour out of the liquid. I was skeptical that this would happen, but as you can see, the water is clear and all the dye is now in the yarn.

Once rinsed I laid it out to dry and there you have it.

This is what it looks like all made up into a littl yarn cake. I am excited to see how it knits up. Granted there is not much of it, so I should probably weight it so I can puck an appropriate project...

Once the egg dye was successful, I decided to experiment a bit. I knit what was left of the white Cascade 220 into a "blank" then mixed up red, yellow and orange dye using the same basic method, but with food coloring in place of the egg dye. I then spooned it onto the blank and let it sit for a few hours.

This is the yarn rinsed, dried and wound into a cake.

The yarn came out quite nicely and since my toddler dubbed it "campfire" I am using it to do some color work along with Black Cascade 200 to make a Campfire Hat (A-C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song, it will help if you just sing along...). Pictures of that to follow soon.

Baby Crafts...For The Most Part

2009-10-14T12:18:00.005-04:00

As luck would have it, I am not dead, just slacking on posting here for a bit. Despite my absence crafting is getting done. These photos will highlight some of my work and the work of many other talented crafters. So many lovely items have recently graced my home in preparation for the new baby I just had to share them.

These are my black and grey tube socks. Best sleeping socks ever!
I call these my Pumpkin Patch Socks. They rock.

These are the mittens I am making for my 2.5 year old who has already expressed that she likes them, but may not want to wear them. and so it begins already...

BB (My Mum) arrived with many lovely things in tow. This quilt is in a cupcake theme and matches the bassinet.

Also by BB: a Sock Monkey Stroller Quilt.

BB's cabled baby blanket.

Fabulous star blanket crocheted by fellow crafter Peg (That's Queen Bee to you madame!)

Also by Peg, teal baby blanket with adorable hood.

BB created these fabulous bibs and burp cloths. This baby will be so trendy!

Watermelon Hat!

And last, but certainly not least, fabulous shoes made by my girlfriend Alicen, Overachiever alert!