I think I broke it

My blogger is broken.  Not because I haven't posted in a while.  But because it wont let me leave comments on anyone else's Blogger blog.  After four or five login screens it just tells me I don't have access to view the page.  Hmmm, it has to be something with this laptop, because when I do it on the desktop I don't have that problem.  Trouble is the desktop freezes up after about two minutes, so that wont work either!  So just to let you all know that I have not been ignoring you, Blogger just thinks we're not friends anymore :(.  And if you know how to fix it drop me a line :).

Oh, and about the posting?  Well, I finished the little clutches for my mother's wedding. Then my camera died (I really don't think I broke that) so I took pictures of them with my mother's camera.  Which then went to Hawaii, and is now in the midst of a move from Columbus to Chicago!

But they are so adorably cute (if I do say so myself) that I am thinking about submitting them.  So no pictures, for now, might be a good thing.

Cashmere for Baseball, or...adding a little style in the midst of a lot of dirt.

Little League season has started, and now both kidsters are playing.  Kidster #1 is on an instructional team, Kidster #2 is making his debut in T-ball, and of course Hubster is coaching both teams.  Today was downright cold with gray clouds tumbling in and just enough of a wind to chill you straight through.  So even though it's the end of April I cracked out the winter coat and finished casting off this cashmere cowl.  The yarn is reclaimed from a sweater that met an untimely demise.  I held two strands and knit on size 1's.

I'm not much of a cowl person for a couple of reasons.  First off, I haven't found a yarn soft enough not to be irritating after an hour or so.  And I hate having something too tight around my neck (I almost never wear turtlenecks!), plus there's the messy-hair-putting-it-on factor to deal with.  But I am happy with this one.  It is stretchy enough to avoid the hair issues, and not too loose or too tight on the neck.  The result is just right for tucking behind a coat collar and is super soft on the skin.  

Although I have to say that I won't be sad when the weather warms up enough that I have to put it away for the season!

Little socks

Sock minis?

Sockinis?

Sock midgets?

Gee, I hope that wasn't politically incorrect or anything.

Whatever you want to call them, they are little socks.  From the Ballet School Dropout Sockettes pattern, I knit mine with a shorter heel and the regular (not cleavage) toe. 

I knit them specifically for these shoes.  I would prefer to wear them without socks, but they rub right at the inside of the ball of my foot.  So the socks are getting the job done as far a preventing blisters.

It has occurred to me that if I am going to make socks in the future, I need to stick with a solid or semi-solid color.  Trying to match up the stripes was just that, trying.  And having mismatched stripes?  My brain doesn't work that way.

Shrug it off!

My sweater woes have past. 
Spring has finally sprung (today broke 50 degrees, just barely).
And my Retro Redux Shrug is complete. 

Not perfect, but good enough!

Faux i-cord

My newest pattern has been hibernating since June. I'm not sure why. It was fast, fun, and easy to knit. The pattern probably can fit onto one page. Which reminds me, where are my notes anyway? Darn it, see what happens when things just sit around for ever?

But one part of this new pattern has me pretty excited. For the straps I made an i-cord. But not the traditional kind that takes forever doing three or four stitches, one row at a time, or the kind that hurts your hands from trying to pull that yarn tight in the back.

Ladies, hold onto your needles. Gentlemen too, but I don't think there are any of you out there since I haven't heard from you yet! (Hint, hint.) I am about to present you with a groundbreaking knitting technique. (I checked.)

This is a faux i-cord. I'm sorry to say that it only works if it is felted, but it works like a dream and is so much easier to do!

For this particular one, I cast on about 250 stitches (you don't really need to count) and joined in the round. Keeping the stitches straight for the join is the hardest part, I promise! Then just knit away for 4 rounds or until your work naturally curls back onto itself (I was using worsted weight for this project, you may have to adjust rows depending on your yarn). Bind off.

Yes, that's it. Do not weave in yarn tails! Do not sew tube closed! Throw it in your washing machine and give it a nice strong tug when it comes out. When it's dry and you are ready to use it, cut it to the length(s) needed!

I'm starting a search party for the missing notes so I can finally get the pattern out. Soon!

Edit:
I have been asked a few times about making this on straight needles.  Yes, you can! 
There are two reasons why I didn't.  First, I wanted to get as many stitches as possible on the needles and the best way (for me) to accomplish this was to use a circular needle.  And the second reason is that if you work in the round, there is no purling!  Yay!

Are you sensing a theme here?

My friend (husband's cousin's wife...yeah, easier to say friend) and I got our boys together last week.  We were getting ready to leave when she saw the bee mittens and went crazy.  If you're new to my backyard then you may not know that I made them two years ago.  They were originally made for Kidster #1 and have since been very happily inherited and now loved even more by Kidster #2. They've been shaved more times than my legs (Ha! Just kidding, I wanted to see if you were paying attention!) and the eyes have been replaced but they are a getting dressed for outside staple.

Nov 2008, Kidster #1 and his new bees

Anyway, I noticed that my friend's DD had the cutest little black coat with a gray checkered lining and little red turn back cuffs. The idea for these came to mind almost immediately.  I think she'll like them. We're getting together next week. 

Now as much as I love people fawning all over my kids' knits, I hope they don't bother me for a while.  I am trying to work on some selfish knitting. 

It could be a mitten?

iPod mitten.

Or iPod Sweater (kidster #1 giggles at this).

Or iPod Cozy for you more conventional types.

(Friday night post-beer prose deleted. Post is self explanatory, no?)

More mittens...

This week I finished a pair of super cute mittens, if I do say so myself!

A friend asked me to make mittens for her 5 year old son, a friend and classmate of kidster #2. She wanted something that could go with his two winter coats, one blue and one brown. He asked for either Santa, reindeer, or a snowman. At first I thought about making these Cabled Snowman Mittens which I think are adorable (and will make for someone in the future!). While searching the Ravelry project pages, I came across these made by fellow raveler ironknitter and then I had my aha moment.

I am pretty proud of them and they even turned out just like I had imagined. They got thumbs up approval from both of my boys, and the look on Sam's face when he put them on was totally worth it. His mom approved too!

Retrofit knit

Do you remember these mittens from last January?

Well I liked the idea of them well enough but I didn't really wear them too often. So I retro-knit them and now they are great!

Problem #1: Mittens are not supposed to be drafty!

I picked up stitches along the bottom opening and knit about another inch. I sewed the sides of the new flap to the inside. No more drafts, and the opening is still very accessible.

Problem #2: Sock top.

The original mittens had sock type decreases. I'm sure there's some technical knitting name for it, but I don't know what that is. Anyway, I much prefer the new rounded top.

Problem #3: Try to do anything with only your fingers.

I took out the bind off of the thumbs and added about an inch, then ribbing for an inch. Because they are longer than my thumbs they are perfectly warm. But when I need my thumbs, they are super easy to scrunch down or they can be turned down like a cuff for extended periods. Now I can tie skate laces and snap coats without taking off my mittens.

Ok, I'll be honest, I really needed my thumbs for texting and playing on our new iPod!

The Good, the Bad, and the Party...in reverse

The Party:
We had a family party to go to and my friend is one of those people who prefers that people remove their shoes when inside the house. I don't mind doing that but her floors are all tile or hardwood and my feet are always freezing there. I started thinking about making slippers. If you've been with me for a while, you might remember that last year I made two pairs of French Press Slippers for Christmas presents. I thought about making another pair for a few days, but by the time I was ready to knit them I knew I wouldn't have enough time to knit all the pieces, sew them together, felt them, wait for them to dry, sew them again...ugh. I think Freud may have been working in the back of my mind.

Do you get where I'm going with this?

Then I stumbled upon the pattern for Duffers (non-Ravelry link here). Can I tell you how much I love this pattern? It is so easy. The fit is fantastic and there is only one seam to sew up. Can you say 5 minutes? Seriously! And it's free, too. While I still like the French Press pattern, now that I have tried this new pattern I will not turn back.

The Bad:
I had the strange notion that making them with some of the half-boatload of Lopi I have in my stash would be a good idea. Um, no. I feel like I need to drag my vacuum around behind me when I wear them.
The Good:
Luckily I still had one more day before the party. I made these in three hours. That's like instant knitting for some of you high speed knitters out there (and you know who you are)!
The pattern is so addictive I want to make these for everyone!

So about the Lopi, you ask? Before you get all defensive on me, I know that every knitter has their own feelings about certain kinds of yarns. I get that. I have discovered that I dislike Lopi. Very much.

But if you like it and you want my Lopi slippers, or my Lopi stash, just let me know. Merry Christmas, it's yours. Seriously.

Done, and in time too!

Picture courtesy of 6 year old kidster #1. Enough said.

Details here.

Crafty or Thrifty?

Either way, I'm going to tell you how I saved myself $105 in about two hours.

Last night I was working on my latest knitting project and I hit a wall. Not a knitting wall, but a tolerance-for-my-cheap-plastic-ring-markers kind of wall. I had just sent one of them flying, again. This time right down through the cushions and all the way to the floor. While I was rummaging around for another I decided right then and there I was going to get myself some of those fancy beaded blingy type markers that have a little weight to them. I went on Etsy and looked around. Saw quite a few that I almost bought, too. Instead, when I was out getting some essentials, I got myself the materials to make my own. So here are my new $3.00 stitch markers that took me all of 30 minutes to make, and I couldn't be happier with them. (And there are tons more beads, so if I make more then they would become even cheaper!) Money saved? I'm figuring about $10.00.

Yesterday I was at the thrift store. I'd been keeping an eye open for winter boots for Kidster #1 since the summer. Because you know, it's October up here in New England, which means the snow is imminent. This trip I found a pair of L.L. Bean kids boots that look like they have never been worn. Normal retail $49.50, I paid $5. Add another $44.50 to the tally.

During the same trip my eye was drawn to this green handbag. I was not in the hunting for a new bag, but you know when you see something you like...? Ya, you do. As you may remember I am a fan of green. And I like the idea of a green handbag that can go with tan, brown, black, or just about any other color of shoe! See, I have this problem that I inherited from my mother. It is the black shoes must have a black purse, brown shoes must have a brown purse, and heaven forbid, never ever wear white shoes after Labor Day syndrome!

But I digress...my "new" bag $6. Estimated savings? Hard to tell, but I'll say $34 only because I wouldn't spend more than $40 on a purse. Which I don't because I can get them for $6. Ha!

While I love this new purse, it does have one problem that needed addressing. The interior is one large compartment with only a tiny zipper on the side for keys. I had to figure out how to adjust from my current bag that has a nice big zipper divider in the middle that makes a nice compartment on either side. I remembered seeing those purse inserts online and dug a little deeper. Found a great tutorial here on how to make your own. I made mine a little smaller, at 20" instead of 26" because I only want to fold mine in half instead of rolling it all up. I also added a loop to attach my keys. Start to finish, including waiting for the iron to heat up it took an hour. Cost $3.50, online (Etsy) it would cost about $20. Savings of $16.50.

Isn't she so cute?

There it is. I managed to save myself $105 in less than two hours. If only that money would appear in my wallet like magic.

Oh well. The kidsters are finally quiet and I'm headed downstairs to fill my new organizer! Yeah, with a beer. Happy Saturday!

A math riddle

In honor of back to school I present you with a math riddle!

I bet you are thinking the riddle goes like this:
1 Hubster back to work + 1 kidster in 1st grade + 1 kidster in Preschool = mother with more time. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get that math to work out right. But I'm working on it...

No, here's our riddle for today:

2 boys + 1 old metal stool + new bathroom = n

So what does n equal?

A nervous (and somewhat poorer) knitter who knows how to make a cozy! Details on Ravelry, in case you haven't seen it already!

I do nothing but eat bon-bons all day.

And if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you. Yeah, nice and cheap!

I realize I've been a little quiet this summer, but that's how it goes. I thought it best to let the blog get a little rest rather than slipping away to write posts and let world war 3 erupt in my living room. Besides, I only really had two projects for the whole summer. Snoopy, which you saw last post. And my bathroom. No, I didn't knit a bathroom (although that gives me an idea...). But I did manage to rip our old one apart and put in a new one!

I took advantage of some of the days the kidsters were at Grandma & Papa's and proceeded to bang, smash, rip, and tear the old ugly beige tile off the walls.

Next I ripped out the nasty floor followed by a little more demolition of the built-when-the-house-was-built vanity and medicine cabinet. Then I put in a new floor. A nice fresh new-fangled fiberglass backed sheet of vinyl. My bathroom is only about six feet by 12 feet, so it couldn't be that hard, right? And I've ceramic tiled my 20' x 10' kitchen, which wasn't too bad.

Yeah right.

I have to say it was the hardest thing I have ever done IN MY LIFE. It took me 8 straight hours of hard sweaty labor (the kind without an epidural). And with all that bending, squatting, and kneeling I could barely move the next day and was sore for a week! Now I know why floor installers get $350.00 to put one in.
Come on, scroll back up and compare the before and after again, will ya?

There was a little more work putting the other new stuff back in, but that was a piece of cake (other than the not being able to move part). There is one more thing left to do-a new shower door. But I will save that one for a rainy day when the kids are in school. Soon. Can't be too hard, right?
So when someone asks me what I did all summer with a raised eyebrow (expecting me to say "oh, just swam in the pool with the kids") they better watch out that they don't get a smack. :)

A cozy, of the most lovable kind

As the only girl around here, I try to temper the sports, truck crashes, sword fights, and wrestling matches with the softer, kinder, and gentler things whenever I can. One of the things my boys like is having their "friends" close by. Kidster #1 's friends all stay on his bed, and he will choose one to sleep with depending on the day.

Kidster #2 has a few friends on his bed too, but Baby Bear is his love and will sometimes come along with him for the first hour of the day, or make an appearance before bed during our book time.

And then there's Snoopy.

As the youngest of seven children, Hubster was very attached to his Snoopy and treated him very much like how Baby Bear is treated today. He has been through his fair share of tug of wars and even had his arm torn off. Once we had kids, Snoopy reappeared from Grandma's basement and has been enjoying a (slightly) less stressful life here with the boys. However, being 40 years old he is not without some medical conditions.Every time I would try to patch a hole to keep the stuffing from falling out, a new hole would be created. The fabric just wasn't holding anymore. Faced with the possibility of putting Snoops out of reach on a shelf, Hubster asked me to save him. And since Hubster never asks for anything, I knew I had to at least try.

For details on how I did it, see Snoopy's Ravelry page!

I've been avoiding the subject.

Here is my spring hoodie. It is an Ugh.

The pattern has a few errors. The hood does not make a hood, it makes a flap. You know, like a big sailor collar. Yeah, not attractive. And the yardage requirement is way off. I should have known that 750 yards for a hoodie sweater was not going to cut it, but I was wearing my rose colored glasses. So I now have a pointy hooded vest. And if you would like to have a pointy hooded vest, just let me know!

Another cat in the house

This little guy is the latest off my needles. I needed something small and portable to take with me on my trip to Ohio. It had just so happened that my friend Anita, of The Pattern Box, was asking for test knitters for her two new designs in our Ravelry group. I knew the cat would be perfect since I did owe kidster #2 a knitted toy. Back when his brother got the ninja turtle I had asked him what he would like and he said a cat. I searched around but never settled on a pattern that I liked. In fact, the only pattern that I even considered was another of Anita's, the Scaredy Cat.


I made this one black to resemble our big black cat Zoey. I didn't do a face...and I probably wont. I like that our Mini Zoey can feel however Kidster wants him to (that, and I'm not good at embroidering)!


I'll let you all know when Anita releases the pattern! In the meantime, here's my Ravelry project page.

My second First

In my last post I showed you my first sweater, the one I made 17 years ago. Besides the 13 year hiatus from knitting in general, it has been all of those 17 years since I knit another sweater. Enough time, I think, to say that whatever I learned the first time has long since been driven from my brain by the tolls of motherhood!

So it was with an abundance of cheap acrylic yarn lying around that I thought, "why not make another sweater, I mean what else am I going to do with it?"! That wasn't actually my thought process, but we'll go with it because it doesn't contain any profanity.

I made the Nimbus sweater by Berroco. My only change was to knit longer sleeves instead of the short sleeves in the pattern. (Edit: I actually made another change, the garter bands are 3" instead of 4. I forgot about that one.)

On the bad side, it's acrylic. I can practically hear it pilling. And something is going on with the wider than expected collar. Not at all what it appears to be in the pattern. It's not too bad, but remember, tiny head syndrome :).

On the good side, it fits. I made it 5" longer than called for; I probably could have gone another inch but it works. It was inexpensive, downright cheap. To make this in wool would have cost me more than I can afford. Luckily Hubster got me one of those nifty clothes shavers!

Life sorted out

I've been gone for a few weeks, I know. First it was school vacation week with everyone home all the time. There was no time to sneak away and get lost at the computer! Then both kidsters and Hubster had a turn playing with Norovirus. It even managed to work its way through the grandparents but for some reason I was spared. And I was very worried. There is only so much you can avoid when you are cleaning up every half hour and your three year old needs you to be his pillow for 10 hours straight. I think it was Mother Nature's way of making sure everyone else was going to be taken care of!

On the knitting front I do have a few things to report. My socks are done. They fit ok, but I've learned how to make them fit better for the next time. I finished my sweater also, but don't have a good modeled shot of it to show you, so that will have to be another post. I only managed to make one more heart. Valentines Day came and went, so the desire to make more has faded. But I love this pattern and I'll be making more for next year. I officially frogged the Auntie Mitts. That left me with an empty knitting bag. Instead of casting on something new (gasp) I needed to clear out the spare room. I have made it through most of the Aunt Rita yarn and have quite a bit to find a new home for. I have two more big bins to go through so I am sure this pile will only grow!

The redirect

Have you ever started a project and got about halfway through when you thought to yourself "this would look so much better as ...."? It doesn't usually happen to me because I tend to plan ahead and deliberate about the next project while I work on the current one (or as of late, four). Well, it happened to me this week. I had about ten minutes to kill off in between kidster taxiing so I sat down with my socks. I had the weather channel on (Why? They never get it right.) and was listening to the forecast of teens and negative degree wind chills. I happened to put my feet up and this was the view.

Normally I take my shoes off the second I come in the door, but like I said, I knew I was leaving again in a quick 10. I thought how funny it was that this yarn that I seemed to have no use for matched my sneakers. Then I thought about how I don't have any mittens. I have thin fleece gloves for driving and thick insulated gloves for snow, but no mittens. So the socks were redirected. I've had the peekaboo mittens pattern queued for about as long as I've been queueing in Ravelry, and what I had so far was perfect for changing over. Here are my mittens, that are just as good as gloves but better! The cuffs are a little long since I decided not to rip back the progress I had made on them as socks, but rolled up they fit just fine, perfect actually! And just in time too, it is 18 degrees with a -5 windchill today! I guess they got this one right.