Holly Tagged Me

Yup pretty much the only reason that I'm post on my much neglected blog is cuz I got tagged, by Holly.

So Now I have to share weird facts about me and tag others.... here goes...

1) I spend an insane amount of time knitting, that's why I don't post here, I'm too busy knitting.

2) I can make my tongue fold into 3 sections.

3) It drives me nuts when people don't open bags of food all the way (like chips and cereal).

4) I read VERY slow, like middle school student speed, I'm dyslexic, but I do comprehend what I read (that's the important part)

5) I can rarely nap and not cuz I have 3 kids, but I rarely am able to go to sleep in the day time.

6) I'm allergic to peaches... yes peaches, I have yet to meet anyone else that is.

7) I don't like the smell of dryer sheet and I'm allergic to fabric softener... I broke out in hives with it when I was pregnant with Tori.. don't really want to test if I will again.

OK so who I will tag...

iheartmystash

Howdovely

farmhousewife

MWhite

Stephanie

knittingguy

Spikey

WOW finding linking 7 people took a while... but there I'm done!

Little Flowers Baby Bonnet

I unvented this pattern...

Little Flower Ruffle Baby Bonnet

You need size 5 needles, size 7 needle (ones for flat and circular knitting) 2 colors in worsted weight yarn.

Gauge 5 stitches per inch with size 7 needles

Cast on 67 using Provisional Cast on with size 5

Eyelet row (if you don't want your ribbon or I-cord to run though the bonnet go straight to ribbing row.) K1 * yo K2tog * repeat across ending with K2

Knit 5 rows of 1x1 ribbing using size 5

Start lace pattern (slip all in pattern as to knit) using size 7 needles

Row 1 K1, *ssk, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1 repeat from * across

Row 2 Purl (wrong side)

Row 3 K1, *yo, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo, k1 repeat from * across

Row 4 Purl

Work in Stockinette stitch for 4 ¼ inches (from beginning) ending on RS row Change to color B. Knit 4 rows in color B. Change back to color A and knit 2 rows.

Change to circular knitting by joining in the round. Use double points, 2 circulars or magic loop, which ever you prefer. Make sure to mark the beginning of your round

Round 1 Knit to last 3 k2tog k1

Round 2 K6, K2tog around

Round 3 and every other odd round Knit

Round 4 K5, K2tog around

Round 6 K4, k2tog around

Round 8 K3, k2tog around

Round 10 K2, k2tog around

Round 12 K1 k2tog around

Round 14 K2tog around

Break yarn leaving tail long enough to thread remaining stitches pull closed and weave in yarn.

Go back to cast on and work ruffle

Row 1 and 2 KFB every stitch

Cast off loosely. I recommend double crochet cast off for this. It was easy to work even with the ruffle. Weave in ends. Add I-cord or ribbon

You can also download it here.... http://www.ravelry.com/dl/dawn-craig-designs/6644?filename=Little_Flower_Ruffle_Baby_Bonnet.pdf and it's on Ravelry

Knitting 2 Socks at once

I read about this when I was making my first sock. Heard about it from a link that someone posted on the KH.com forum (see link to the left). That took me to here.

I read along and it made sense how it work. I understood the concept, but actually doing it was something else. But I have now decided to try doing it.

I'm make a sock for my ds and for one of my closest friend's daughter. They are close in age and both babies so the size should be about the same and being babies makes the socks small and quicker to knit. I wanted that in case I decide that I don't like doing it this way.

The odd thing is that many knitters look for a way to knit 2 socks together because they get second sock syndrome. (For all you non-knitters that where you don't want to make the second sock and you end up with lots of singles) But I don't get this. I LOVE knitting socks, even the second one.

So you might be wondering why in the world would I try something that is this complicated if I don't get second sock syndrome? Well, I guess I'm crazy... but I did it for the challenge.

And now I'm glad I've done it. Honestly I was a little worried about doing in color work but now I'm not at all. Bring on the Fair Isle patterns (as long as I can learn to knit from a chart.)

So anyway here is my progress. I'm working on the first set. I'm making 2 pairs, one from each pair both times. This makes it easier because the socks are different colors and I can see where I have crossed them.

I have now gotten to the heel flap .

Here are some pictures so far....

This is my cast on... I cheated.... I cast on 2 seperate needles and then put all the stitches on this needle.

This after I had started, just have a little bit done here. By this time the concept made more sense and I could see what my knitting was doing. (All newbies the faster you learn to see what your knitting is doing the better). But I didn't quite have a flow down yet....



Both of these show how one sock is inside of another....

This shows the cuff, leg, and the start of the heel flap. I did have a little bit of trouble going from doing this in the round to flat when I started the heel flap. But after about 2 rows it started to make more sense and is now going easier.

The pink is knit on the inside so that is showing the inside of the heel flap so it is reverse stocking stitch.



These two pictures show how I'm holding the yarn when I knit it. I have put a little hair tie (that I have now lost) in between them. It does help to keep the separated. I plan on taking a video of me doing this and positing it online. So you can see that if that will help.

So that's where I'm at now... going to keep at it and will post more when I get farther along.

I hope this helps someone out there...

My poor neglected blog....

Well I did finish those slipper socks. And the fit great! FIL loves them... LOVE YOU POP! Going to posts pics of them here... MIL took them for me (thank you!) I did mess up on one of the toes, but he says that he doesn't notice a difference, so that's the important part.

I loved doing these. So much so that I started another pair of socks. Not the same pattern. (Although I do love that pattern) I'm using sock yarn and knitting with size 1 needles! They are soooo little! This pair is for me... :)

I also have started trying to make 2 socks at once in double points. One is knit inside of the other. I'm making one of these for my son and the other for my dear friends' daughter.

I have also finished a few other items since I finished the sock. Did a headband for my MIL, hat for dh, set of twin booties (like socks better) for friends new babies, and a bonnet for another friend's baby.

I have lots in my head that I want to knit too. So that's an update... Maybe I'll keep this updated a little better (at least for a little while).... ;)

Adventures in Sock knitting... Moving right along

Well, I am getting there! The second sock is more than half done. I've started the gusset. This is the hardest part for me. Needle one and four are always so tight at first. But in a few rounds it will get easier. Also when I usually knit on double points I usually move the stitches so they aren't on the same needle all the time. This helps with loose stitches between needles. But I wasn't able to do this with the first sock because of the decreases at the gusset. But I think I figured something out for that... So maybe this will help with needles 1 and 4 being tight.

I'll post how that worked after I finish it.

Adventures in Sock knitting... The Bear Store

Why the bear store you may be wondering... well When I was a kid and we were going to Ma and Pa's house (my grandparents) there was the store with a bear on top of it and we all knew that it was the halfway point. Meant we were halfway there. So yes I'm half way there, well actually a little more than halfway...

I finished the first sock and have started the second. Yes I have now knitted a heel cuff, turned the heel, picked up and knitted, worked the gusset, the rest of the foot and did the toe and the Kitchener stitch. The gusset, picking up and knitting, and the Kitchener stitch were all new to me so it was great learning how to do that. I used Knittinghelp.com a lot for that.

The toe is off... I didn't line up the stitches right and so the decreases are in the wrong place. But it will work. Learned from it! And so now I know to look more forward in the pattern.

Adventures in Sock knitting... A Trip to the Frog Pond

Yup that's right... last night I was at the frog pond. So you may be wondering what happened...

Well I messed up when I was picking up for the gusset. My stitches were all on the wrong needles and I just didn't know how to fix it. So I tried to frog just the gusset, but I ended up with all the stitches from the cuff on ONE needle. Yup, now that's talent (just not the talent that makes good socks.). Not sure how I managed that one, but I did.

So I frogged back to the cuff, I'm hoping to get the heel flap reknit today. That way I won't loose that much time. Sigh... going to get this right.