Not So Plain Jane

This baby blanket was a gift for the new baby of a friend. The baby's name, of course, is Jane. I wanted to try this center-out blanket design. It was fun and not too monotonous. The biggest advantage was the ability to control the ending point based on the amount of yarn. I think the edging came out nicely and I liked working with this yarn, Dark Horse Yarns Acrylic.

I have had reports that the blanket is already a favorite. What more can you ask for?

Lucy's Blankie

This blanket was completed a while ago but I didn't want to post it until it had been gifted at the baby shower. The pattern is basically a riff on a pattern from the Lion Brand website called Glamour Baby. I heavily adapted the pattern to fit my yarn, gauge, etc. The main changes I made were to increase the width of the blanket by adding extra repeats and to ignore the instructions for how high to make each repeat. I went by what came out looking square for me which turned out to be 10 stitches x 12 rows.


The Ruffle:


I'm pretty proud of this ruffle. I got loads of help on the Ravelry forums to get the concept right. Basically, I picked up stitches all the way around, then I increased in every stitch on the first round. On the second round I increased every third stitch with an extra increase in each corner to make it full. Then I knitted around until I had just enough yarn left to cast off. The effect was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself :) I think the ruffle added an heirloom quality I was hoping for in this blanket. Thanks Ravelers for all the helpful hints!

Baby Blanket Blues

Here it is, my very first original pattern, free for you! That's right, a FREE PATTERN. I didn't think I would take this step, but here I am. I just wanted to keep this blanket simple and by the time I was done I realized I had made the whole thing up on my own! I was as amazed as you are, dear reader.

This baby blanket was made using a variegated yarn for the body in a simple combination of single, half-double, and double crochet stitches. The border is done in a solid color and forms a little picot edge. Change up the colors and the blanket could easily look very feminine.

So here are the oh so simple instructions for a nice little baby blanket appropriately titled:

Baby Blanket Blues

materials - approx. 600 yards worsted weight yarn in main color, 150 yards worsted weight yarn in contrast color for border. (I used Berella)

hook - size US L/8 mm (I like my projects to zoom along, I thought the fabric was just the right weight for a Texas baby with this hook.)

finished size of my blanket is 29" wide x 27" high, includes border

standard American crochet abbreviations used

all stitches made into both loops after foundation row

Pattern:

ch 75 (or number needed to reach desired width)

Row 1(foundation row)- sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc into each ch across, ch 2

Rows 2 & 3- hdc in each st across, ch 2

Row 4- hdc in each st across, ch1

Row 5- sc in each st across, ch3

Row 6- dc in each st across, ch 1

Row 7- sc in each st across, ch 2

Repeat rows 2-7 until out of yarn, ending on row 5 if possible, fasten off main color.

Border:

Row 1- join contrast color in right corner of last row, 3sc in corner st, sc in each st,3sc in corner st, turn corner, sc in each row, continue around, sl st in beg. sc, make sure all sides have an even number of stitches

Row 2- ch 3 2hdc in corner st.,* ch1 skip 1 sc, hdc in next sc* repeat from * to * across each side, 3hdc in each corner, join with sl st in first hdc

Row 3- ch1, 2sc in corner,* sc in each hdc, sl st in each ch1 sp( ch 4, sc in first ch, of same sp)* repeat from * to * across side, 3sc in each corner, sl st to join first sc, fasten off yarn


So there you have it, a simple but effective baby blanket. Just enough variation to keep you interested, but mindless enough to allow you to watch your favorite television cop show (in my case:).

Please comment here with any errors as this is my first time to write a pattern, who knows what I may have missed :)

Enjoy!

5/10 - hope to have better pictures later in the week

The socks that simply would not knit themselves

Knit and Crochet Projects 8-08 007, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

OK, I know it's a long title, but it felt right. That photo was taken last summer to post to my Ravelry Projects page. It was supposed to be the place holder for my first pair of socks. You can see the lovely Trekking yarn and the pretty Harmony needle, extra long for magic loop. You even get a little shot of the gauge swatch proving what a good little knitter I am. The book was to show you that I was using the Yarn Harlot's basic sock recipe. What a great photo, so full of promise. fast forward to today, about 9 months later and those socks are not gracing my feet, oh no, they are in fact little more than a single inch of ankle ribbing. I have collected sock yarn since then, who hasn't I'd like to know, but to date I have not knitted a single pair of socks, not even a single sock for that matter.
My Ravelry buds jody26 and Tacha have become sock addicts and I still resist. I don't know why I hold back, sometimes I think it's the dreaded heel turn, sometimes it's grafting, sometimes it's those tiny little needles. I'm sure one day I will conquer that first sock. When I do, you all will be the first to know.

Just in time Knitting

I hadn't realized how fast my knitting had gotten until I turned out both these items in just a few days. Now, I'll admit, they aren't the most complicated items in the world, but I am still pretty proud of getting them both done in about 4 days.

My DH (modeling) bikes to work most days and was having some trouble with colder weather. He was pondering what items he could add to his wardrobe that would be bike safe. I had been on a neck warmer/cowl kick lately so I found a manly pattern and got to work. This pattern is very easy but the ribbing and short row shaping make it interesting enough to forestall boredom.




The hat (ravelry link) worked up much more quickly than I expected, though the fabric did not end up being as dense as I was hoping. DH still insists it 's warmer than the Cousteau hat (ravelry link) I made him last year, so I guess that's all the matters. I am just pleased that I was able to get these out quickly enough to be useful. I guess I am also tickled that he matches now too :)



The yarn is Bernat Cashmere (ravelry link) something, it's a blend and DH says it feels good on the skin. Sorry most of the links are Ravelry this time, some of the items can only be found there.

When Knitting Speaks

Maybe this will make me sound like a crackpot or like someone who's been sniffing the cashmere again, but I think knitting can speak to me sometimes. In this case a lovely skein of Misti Alpaca Chunky ,that called to me siren-like at my LYS, had convinced me it wanted to be something just for me, for a change. Alas, when this same skein of yarn was actually knit up it declared something else altogther. This lovely bit of knitting and the yarn it came from now reside in Maryland with one of my best friends.



Just as I was finishing this piece it began to speak to me: "I'm not really for you, you know?" , "Did you really think you could keep me?", "Did you forget you don't have enough neck to wear a cowl?". I never said my knitting spoke to me politely or even kindly, just that it spoke. So there you have it, another item that started out being for me is now snuggly around someone else's neck, oh well, the knitting was right anyway, I don't have enough neck for that pattern.



The details:
Cherry Garcia Cowl knit in the round on size 11's

Philosophers Afghan

Philosophers Afghan 015, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

So I have this professor....no this is not a three guys in a bar joke....anyway, this professor always requires an arts based element with any research paper. This particular class, with this particular professor, was Philosophy of Education. The final paper was to write your philosophy of education and cite the philosophers that influenced you, oh yeah, and do something arty that ties in. So, I came up with the idea of this afghan. Each block represents one of the philosophers that influenced my personal philosophy. Pretty cool huh? It seemed a lot cooler before I put umpteen hours into it right when I had final papers in both classes due. It got done though and I think it's pretty cool. My eldest daughter was trying to lay claim before it was even pieced all the way together.

Knitting Knotecards

These are from a series of photos I took of my own knitting projects and stash. I fiddled with the photos, cropped, played with effects, etc. The results I had printed, then I applied them to blank note cards.

I sent them off as a gift to a dear Ravelry friend. I was delighted to discover that she thought I had bought them for her, until she recognized one of my projects :) I love it when that kind of thing happens. Aforementioned friend was kind enough to take a lovely photo as well (the other items in the photo are also made by me).

Someone else on Ravelry was kind enough to wonder if I sell these cards. All this praise could certainly make a girl blush.

Needle Felting, aha!

I have seen the adorable figures that others have made. I have oohed and aahed over these tiny soft sculptures. I have steadfastly resisted getting the equipment to make such things. I have resisted and resisted. Then, when I was out of town, my DH took the kids to the Maker Faire and bought a kit. He and the oldest DD got hooked immediately. Then I came home and I oohed and aahed over their creations, still resisting temptation. I was happy to let them have this craft, after all I have knitting and crochet, right? I'm sure you can see where this is going now.

I resisted and resisted, then one day my DD left the stuff out and it was just sitting there, pretty and fluffy and calling my name. So I gave in and starting stabbing that little needle into that fluffy wool. These little kitties are the fruits of those first efforts. It's definitely addicting. I've never had much luck with clay sculpture, so I didn't know what to expect from this. I have a long way to go, but I think these little kitties are a good start.

Birthday Cowl

This was a little cowl I whipped up for my SIL's birthday. It was a great pattern called the Quicki Cowl and it really was quick. I enjoyed the easy to memorize pattern and this yarn (Debbie Mumm Traditions) was a pleasant surprise. I had seen this yarn at JoAnn's when it first came out and loved the colors but they ran out fast and then I kind of forgot about it. Anyway, when this project came up I thought the color changes would lend themselves to the pattern nicely. The yarn turned out to be really nice to work with too. My SIL enjoyed the gift and even came up with a use for it I had not thought of, headband. I assumed scarf and hood were the limits :) The model here is my littlest one, helping Mama.

Books & More Swap 2

101_3694, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

Swapping is so much fun! You get to stalk someone for awhile, read their blog or their posts on Ravelry, shop for things you would never buy, make a new friend.

This is my third swap, my second to moderate and I just love it. I have made new friends every time and had tons of fun picking out things I thought my intended spoilee would enjoy. I have also received marvelous packages along the way. This photo is of my most recent package from my new Ravelry friend Carbby64.

One of the best things about receiving a swap package, for me, is that a thoughtful swapper manages to get you things that you might never have picked for yourself but you nonetheless love.

Thanks again Carbby64!

Kitty Pi

Kitty Pi 002, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

As you can see this project had a recipient in mind from the beginning. We acquired a new family member this summer from our local animal shelter. Zissou is a tortie point Siamese, possibly a mix. She is only 5 months old. We have all had a great time getting to know her and playing kitty games. She is definitely Siamese in personality though, note the look of disdain aimed at the camera :)

Zissou is modeling my latest felting effort. This is a free pattern called the Kitty Pi bed made from Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool I dyed myself with Kool-Aid to match the Lion Brand Fun Fur I had chosen. Luckily for me Zissou took to her new bed immediately, very gratifying.

This was a really quick and fun knit and it felted up beautifully. I think some folks will be receiving cat beds for Christmas!

Swiftly my Love

Swiftly my Love, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather when my DH presented me with this for Valentine's Day this year. I had sent him this link several months ago then completely forgotten about the whole thing. Luckily, my dearest love had not forgotten and he crafted this handsome swift for little ol' me :)

For the uninitiated this is a yarn swift. It holds the skein of yarn so you don't need your DH or small child to stand for 20 minutes with arms outstretched while you wind your new yarn into a ball. The upright dowels you see can be moved to different holes to accommodate different sizes of yarn, yippee!

One of the coolest things about this model is that you can take it apart and store it in a bag or other container when not in use.

I have to say that this is a sign of true love indeed!

Trash or Treasure

Trash or Treasure, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

Today the weather was beautiful and treasure hunting was in the air. My neighbors were all busy putting things to the curb for bulky pick-up tomorrow. What was I doing? Shopping their junk, of course.

I came across this cute little table a few doors down and had to have it. I made my DH trudge down the road with me and tote it home. I'm sure we made quite a sight since my littlest one and the dog all decided to come along too.

Basically I just gave this little table a really good bath. I had to refresh my bowl of Murphy's Oil Soap and warm water about 4 times! Then for the final wash I scrubbed the neck out o fit with a really gentle scrubber. I think the top may be leather so I was pretty gentle with that and I didn't oil it with the furniture oil.

The final step was some Old English furniture oil and a good buffing. I think it turned out great, though I failed to take a before picture. Just imagine four big bowls of brown water, yuck!

I had never seen a drop-leaf coffee table before so I was intrigued and I am very pleased with the results of my elbow grease. The next step will be to stain the areas with missing veneer to match the rest.

Felted Denise Needle Bag

Denise Bag - Front, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

This is the bag I made from Cat Bordhi's free pattern to carry my Denise needles around. I love how this bag came out even if it is a little too big. I am especially proud of the pockets because I had never really done zippers before. Cat's instructions made it pretty easy though.

The yarn is a strand of Manos del Uruguay held with a strand of Cascade 220. I think they felted together beautifully. Hand-sewing in the zippers and pocket lining actually took almost as long as knitting the whole thing.

The best compliment I received on this bag was from a male cousin who knows nothing about knitting, he said that it was a waste to put knitting needles in it. :D

Confessions of my Childhood

I have to confess that as a child I was not much of a crafter. My early forays into the world of crafting were largely kits that someone gave me as a gift. One of these that I remember really fondly was shrinky dinks. Now, I admit, I don't remember having this exact kit, but I loved the Smurfs too, so why not?

As a teen I got into the idea of making gifts for family and friend and that was also when I discovered the glory of the glue gun. I can remember many gifts for m y mother or grandmother that involved gluing ribbon onto little wreaths or bears or whatever.

Sometimes I cringe when I remember my early efforts in the world of crafting, but I guess every great artist needs to start somewhere.

Mosaic Mania Continued

I ran across this picture in my files. This is a little doll/toy bench that we (my hubby and me) refinished and then I mosaiced the top. My mom had this sitting in her garage for a long time so I got the idea to do this for her as a secret project while we were visitng her last summer (2006).

She has a bear collection and several of them make their home on this little bench now.

I'm not sure you can tell from this pic, but I actually painted the main tiles as a scene that spanned 6 tiles. Then I used broken tiles to fill in the sides. My DH built a new lid for this that could support the weight of the tiles, grout, etc.

*Warning* Non-Craft Post *Warning*

Self-portrait2, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

I had a chance to get away from it all (read: the kids) and go to San Francisco with my husband for a few days. While he toiled away learning something in a seminar I explored the wonderful city by the sea.

I rambled around on foot mostly and took advantage of an awesome public transportation system. I have tons of pictures and am not sure which ones are the best to share here, but I'll try. I plan to make at least two other posts about the trip because it was just so wonderful.

The city itself was beautiful with lots of interesting architecture. One thing I found fascinating was the number of buildings at odd corners that were triangular. There are so many diagonal streets in SF that I guess it was necessary.

I also got a huge kick out of Chinatown. I have made a brief visit to Chinatown in NYC but this was something completely different. This was like stepping off the train in another country almost. Once you left the main tourist street, Grant, it was a totally different place. Many stores didn't even bother with signs in English. Every conversation I passed was in Chinese, at least I think it was :) . The buildings were all packed together and yet each one had it's own color scheme and decorations. It was very cool.

(More pics coming to this post soon)

Ravelry Rocks! (Part 1)

I have found knitting Nirvana. Now, this may seem like an exaggeration to some, but I mean it. Knitting Utopia is now mine!

Ravelry.com is still in beta testing so you have to get on a waiting list and get invited to join. Trust me, this is totally worth it!

I'm not sure I can even describe for you in words how cool this website is. First there are the Forums. In the forums you can post a question, comment, concern about anything at all fiber/knitting/crochet/weaving/spinning/etc. related and usually receive an answer/response within minutes. I have literally had a technical issue solved for me within five minutes so I could continue knitting. You can also find reviews, usually with at least 2 points of view :), of almost any product you could want. Certainly there are people offering opinions on every yarn you never heard of and also the ones you have. I feel like I am always in the loop in the knitting world because my friendly neighborhood Ravelers (ravelry members) post about everything I need to know.

Well folks, since I am trying to blog every day this month, or at least 30 times I am going to make this a multi-parter since I have so much to say about the glory that is Ravelry!

In upcoming episodes we will address the My Notebook section, the Pattern and Yarn sections and of course the De-stash group. Stay tuned.

My First Crochet Project

Lion Cotton Tote, originally uploaded by tanyalizbeth.

I guess I should qualify the statement in the title with the word successful. This is my first successful crochet project. Several years ago I tried to make a crochet afghan with dismal results. A friend of mine actually ended up finishing the thing for me, nice person that she is. I could not make the edges straight to save my life so I gave up in frustration.

It just so happened that a few months after I took up knitting another friend of mine wanted to take a class at the local Michael's store to freshen-up her crochet skills and she wanted me to go with her. Now, the teacher of the class would have done knitting with me but I thought it would be easier if we all worked on the same project. We decided on this free pattern from Lion Brand, the All-Occasion Tote (you will probably have to log-in to access this pattern, but it's free).

And the result is this tote bag. The funny part is that my friend never made it past the first few inches of her bag before putting it at the back of her work basket :) I guess I'll have to finish it for her and complete this karmic circle.

I will say that I have no plans to do this puff stitch anytime in the near future,the yarn-overs were a real b*tch, but otherwise I think it turned out pretty great.