That title really sounds like it could be the beginning of a love story or something. Herbivore and Ishbel had similar backgrounds, but where herbivore chose to be more solid, Ishbel went the more fanciful route. Ok, I'll stop, I swear.
Anyways, I finished Herbivore yesterday and I will do the blocking of it once DF wakes up and I can use his bed to pin out the shawlette. Here it is, pre-blocking:As soon as Herbivore was off the needles, I cast on for Ishbel. I must be on a shawlette kick right now, but it's what I want to make at the moment. I packed up all my other shawls this week in the big suitcase, so if I want something to take to Bali with me next week, it'll be one of these two shawlettes. I'm hoping to be through the stockinette portion of Ishbel by the end of the day today. Here's my progress so far:It's coming right along.
I always liked the Magic card Wood Elves. A 2/3 for 2 green mana always seemed pretty good to me and it's a little harder to kill than the other 2/2's you usually get for the same mana cost. Now that I've lost all you knitters out there with Magic talk, I'll bring it back. The reason I bring up Wood Elves is because the shawl I'm making now is made from that colorway from Enchanted Knoll.
I'm making Herbivore by Stephen West. It's a very easy knit and it's pretty mindless, which I like right now. I should be done with it by this weekend I think. I've got 8 of the 12 inches knit on the body now. And, so you can see why the colorway is called wood elves, here's a picture:It just seemed fitting to knit a project called Herbivore out of a greenish colorway.
So last night, DF and I celebrated our anniversary by having pizza and an ice cream cake from Coldstone. It was yummy and made for a nice evening. Also, for some reason they gave DF candles when he bought the cake, so we had to light them up :oPI had given DF his present yesterday, which included some of my favorite pictures of us. Like, our pictures with Hal Sparks, at the DMZ, in Japan, etc. DF gave me my presents yesterday and they cracked me up. First, he got me an eye mask for the vacation we're about to take and then the long trip back home.The second thing he got me is going to crack me up every time I see it. It's a little doll that says Breast Moppet on it. From some discussion among FB people, I think it was supposed to mean baby child, but the translation went horribly, horribly wrong.And I'll leave you for the day to ponder how it went wrong and became a disturbing baby doll sitting in a bucket :oP
I had 5 skeins of yarn left from my Vivian cardigan, so I knew I wanted to use it. The yarn is so nice to work with, and it wasn't too much leftover, so I wanted something small, quick, and fairly easy. I flipped through my notebook with patterns already printed out and came across the Brea Bag by Norah. I knew it would be cutting it close with the yardage, but I decided to go for it anyways.
A few hours later, I had this:I threw a few things in it to see how it looks and I decided that I definitely want to line the bag when I get back to the US. I'm thinking some hot pink fabric to match the button. And maybe a zipper to give the bag a little more security.
Here it is when not being supported by my hand:Another reason I think it needs to be lined. Lining will offer it some stability so it doesn't stretch out.
Also, I really like the purse handle that I had for this bag. I bought two of these handles the last time I was in Seoul and I wish I would have bought more in the different colors they had. They're really quite nice and the picture doesn't do it justice:And up next on the needles will be Herbivore. I'm ripping out the jaywalker sock I started with the Wood Elves sock yarn and will make that instead. I think I'll be happier with the yarn draped over me than on my feet.
Ok, before I make a separate post about life and knitting, I wanted to post a couple of free patterns up here for you all. Both patterns are going to be available as a PDF on Ravelry as well, so clicky for that link.
These two dishcloths came out of my design process while working on something completely different.While they were not chosen to be the patterns used for the other project, I thought that you all might enjoy having them anyways.So, here are some free patterns for you all and I hope that you will enjoy knitting them and using the scrubby cloths!If anyone has charting software and wanted to make a chart for the cable pattern on the Fishy Dishcloth, please go ahead and do so.I did not have access to any charting software at the time of this pattern’s publishing.
Materials:
Worsted weight dishcloth cotton.One ball of Sugar and Cream should make 2 dishcloths.
US Size 8 Needles, straight or circular
Gauge: not too important.Just make it so it’s a density you’re happy with.
Flowerbasket Dishcloth:
Cast on 34 stitches.Work in Seed Stitch for 9 rows.Row 10: Work 9 stitches in seed stitch, place marker, work 16 stitches from flower pattern, place marker, work 9 stitches in seed stitch.Continue working in established pattern until flower pattern is completed twice.Next row, work all stitches in seed stitch, removing markers as you come to them.Work 8 more rows in seed stitch, then bind off.
Flower pattern:
Row 1: K all stitches
Row 2: Purl all stitches
Row 3: K all stitches
Row 4: P3, K3, P4, K3, P3
Row 5: K3, P4, K2, P4, K3
Row 6: P3, K4, P2, K4, P3
Row 7: K4, P3, K2, P3, K4
Row 8: P7, K2, P7
Row 9: K7, P2, K7
Row 10: P4, K3, P2, K3, P4
Row 11: K3, P4, K2, P4, K3
Row 12: P3, K4, P2, K4, P3
Row 13: K3, P3, K4, P3, K3
Row 14: Purl all stitches
Row 15: Knit all stitches
Row 16: Purl all stitches
Repeat these 16 rows for pattern
Seed Stitch:
Row 1: K1, P1 to end
Row 2: P1, K1 to end
Repeat these 2 rows, making sure to knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches to form the bumpy texture
Fishy Dishcloth:
Cast on 35 stitches.Work 12 rows in seed stitch.Next row, work 4 stitches in seed stitch, place marker, work chart 1, place marker, work 4 stitches in seed stitch.Continue this way until chart 1 is complete.Work 12 rows of seed stitch, removing markers as you come to them.Bind off.
RBC: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in back. P1, then slip the knit stitch from cable needle back to left hand needle.Knit it, then p1 from cable needle
RFC: slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front. P1, then slip the knit stitch from cable needle back to left hand needle.Knit it, then p1 from cable needle.
BC: Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold in back. K2, p1 from cable needle.
FC: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front.P1, K2 from cable needle.
Hope that you all enjoy the patterns. Let me know if there are any corrections that need to be made! Knit on...
Today marks 7 years since DF and I went on our first date. It's hard to believe that we've been together for 7 years now. So in celebration of our anniversary, I'm going to tell a short story about a sweater and give you a free dishcloth pattern that came out of some of the design work I've been doing, but will not be used for the final project. Still, it's pretty and I thought some of you may want it.
The sweater I am referring to is this one:The reason I'm mentioning this is that the sweater actually worked its way into conversation last night and both DF and I ended up laughing. In fact, this sweater cracks us both up each time we think about it.
I made this sweater when I was still a fairly new knitter. I wanted to make something nice for DF, so I decided to make the unisex pullover pattern from Lion Brand. I made it out of wool ease.
First, the yarn was bad. Wool-ease has gotten better in recent years I feel, but a few years back, not so good. Second, I didn't really know what the hell I was doing when it came to the neck shaping. Heck, I had to make it twice since the first neck wouldn't go over my head when I tried it on to see how it fit on me.
But DF is a good man. He complimented me on it, even though I knew he didn't really like it much. He wore it to church the next Sunday, and I swear he told everyone around us that I had knit that. Now, I tell him not to tell people that I made the horrid, itchy, mal-shaped sweater. I even told him to get rid of the thing.
Nope, he's still got it. He says that it's special to him because I made it. Also, he'll use it as blackmail against me if I get out of line :oP
I found the picture of this sweater last week when I was putting together a small gift for DF for the anniversary. It was a book of pictures from the 7 years we've been together. I had the sweater picture printed, and today when he gets home from work, I'm going to give him a 4x6 picture of the horrid thing, just so we can both share a laugh.
DF, since I know you read this, I love you. Even if you do now laugh at the ugly sweaters I have made for you :oP I laugh too, which is what I love most about being with you.
And now, if you're still reading, here's a free pattern. I'm calling it the Fireflowers Dishcloth.Click on the pattern title to go to the Ravelry Download page for an easy-to-print PDF File Fireflowers Dishcloth
Materials: Worsted weight dishcloth cotton in two contrasting colors. One ball each color will make at least 2 dishcloths. US Size 8 Needles, straight or circulars Gauge: Not really too important, but if you are a super tight knitter, you'll want to go up to at least a 9 needle so your slipped stitches are not too tight.
Note: All stitches are slipped purl-wise unless otherwise noted.
Instructions:Cast on 33 stitches in color A (lighter of the two colors, in my case, cream). Work 5 repeats of fireflower pattern. On last row (row 8 of pattern), knit all stitches instead of patterned row. Bind of.
Fireflower pattern: Row 1: Using A: k2, *(k1, yo, k1) in next stitch, k3* repeat from * to last 2 stitches. End k2
Row 2: Using B: P2, *Slip next 3 stitches with yarn held in front, P3* repeat from * to last two stitches. End P2
Row3: Using B: K1, *K2tog, slip 1 with yarn in back, ssk, K1* repeat from * to last stitch. End K1 Row 4: Using A: P4, *Slip 1 with yarn in front, P3* repeat from * to last stitch. End P1
Row 5: Using A: K4, *(k1, yo, k1) in next stitch, K3* repeat to last stitch. End K1
Row 6: Using B: P4, *Slip next 3 stitches with yarn held in front, P3* repeat from * to last stitch. End P1 Row 7: Using B: K3, *K2tog, Slip 1 with yarn in back, ssk, K1* repeat from * to last 2 stitches. End K2
Row 8: Using A: P2, *Slip 1 with yarn in front, P3* repeat from * to last 2 stitches. End P2.
Repeat these 8 rows for pattern. k=Knit P=Purl k2tog= knit 2 stitches together ssk= slip, slip, knit yo= yarn over
Sorry that I've been gone for a while. I've been taking some tours of things over here while I'm still in the country, and I've been knitting like a mad woman. Most of what I've been knitting, I can't show you, but I can show you the main thing I finished over a week ago. Vivian is done, well, it still needs a zipper, but it's done other than that. Here I am doing my best model pose:And here's the back of the cardigan:All I can say is that I love this cardigan. I made the size 38 chest measurement and it is nicely fitted, but has enough room that I can have winter items underneath of it. And since I heard so many people saying that the Vivian cardigan looks good on any body type, DF and I decided that we would find out:Sexy, baby!
Yep, I cast on Vivian once I finished the hat the other day. I've been wanting to knit this cardigan ever since I first saw it in Twist Collective, but at the time, I was in the process of still losing weight. Now that I'm in the process of maintaining my weight, I decided it was time to make the super cabled sweater.
I cast on the sweater on Monday. I'm now on the fifth ball and 69 rows into the back of the sweater. It's flying off my needles right now and it made me remember how much cables are like potato chips...you can't just make one. Every time I finish a twist row, I think, ah, I can do one more cable repeat, right? I'm about a third of the way done with the back now and I can't wait to work on it again. Here's what it looks like so far:I'm in love with the pattern, the cables, and the yarn. Yarn is Lana Gatto English Tweed in a denim blue colorway. The tweedy specks are all ranges of colors, which I also like. It adds some textural interest in there other than the massive amount of cabling and seed stitch.
That's it for today. I want to get back to knitting the sweater :oP
Well, make a hat! When I had the full ball of cashmere leftover, I was surprised. I asked DF if he would be interested in the matching hat from the Windschief pattern, and he said that he doesn't wear hats much anyways, so I should probably find something for me if I wanted to make a hat out of the cashmere remaining.
Well, I liked the Windschief pattern for the hat and I knew I had enough yarn for that, so, I made it for myself. Only takes about a day and it's soft and warm on my head, which is why it's being packed away for winter right now since it's 95 degrees today...
Anyways, here's the hat on yours truly:I also cast on for Vivian yesterday, but there's so much going on with all the cables, that I can't work on it and talk at the same time. So this sweater is going to be my silence knitting until it's done. Hopefully I can make good progress on it while I'm still in Korea (even better if I can finish it here), so that I won't need much silent knitting at home.
Yep, it's hard to believe that July is here and upon us already. It doesn't seem like it's been over a month since I finished my job and have been able to focus on writing and knitting design. It does however seem like July, if for nothing else than the weather.
Which is why I'm knitting with cashmere yarn of course :oP I've never worked with cashmere before, so when I went to Seoul a couple of weeks ago, I picked up two balls of Anny Blatt cashmere blend yarn to make a cowl for DF. I had picked up the pattern for Windschief by Stephen West about a month ago and I wanted to get a nice yarn for the neck warmer so that it would be nice and soft when DF is riding his motorcycle.
So, here he is, modeling his finished cowl:He says that he really likes it and will use it this fall and winter when it gets cold again. Meanwhile, we're melting with the heat and humidity.
Oh, and did I mention that the cowl only took one ball of yarn? So, tomorrow I'll show you what I did with the second ball of yarn!
As soon as Herbivore was off the needles, I cast on for Ishbel. I must be on a shawlette kick right now, but it's what I want to make at the moment. I packed up all my other shawls this week in the big suitcase, so if I want something to take to Bali with me next week, it'll be one of these two shawlettes. I'm hoping to be through the stockinette portion of Ishbel by the end of the day today. Here's my progress so far:
It's coming right along.
