Dress Dishcloth #4

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Pattern: Dishcloth Dress by Knit N Sew Studio
Yarn: Sugar & Cream, Shades of Green
Needles: 5 mm

Look, it's another dress dishcloth! I was not happy with the way I did this one. After making 3 of them, you'd think making a 4th would be a piece of cake. But I botched. I worked up one side of the dress and bound off 4 stitches as directed. But I goofed where I was supposed to work the chain with a crochet hook. Instead, I cut my yarn and threaded it through the last loop after binding off. Oops! As a result, I ended up having to weave in 6 ends, 5 of which were all up there at the top of the dress. It's a bit lumpy back there as a result.

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Accidental Hat #2

Note:
1. More Free Patterns can be seen along the sidebar (on right side),
or you can use the Free Patterns label to view all posts.
2. Free Pseudo-Patterns or Pattern Outlines can be found using the Free Pseudo-Patterns label.

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Here's another hat for Cap Karma, it will become a chemo cap for a local cancer patient. Sorry, the photos don't look very good due to poor nighttime lighting. I'll see if I can take more photos during the daytime.

I made another Accidental Hat. You can read about how this hat came about here. It's interesting to see how differently these two hats came out, both knit with "worsted" weight yarn. Both hats were knit using the same pattern and the sizes came out significantly different. This showed me that you can't get the same results using yarns that are labeled as "worsted" because not all "worsted" weight yarns are alike. The Red/Blue hat was knit with a lighter worsted weight yarn which resulted in a small size hat that fits snugly on my head. The Green hat was knit with a heavier worsted weight yarn which resulted in a larger hat which fit DH's head. Here are the differences:

Red & Blue Hat (Hat #1)

-- Size: Snug Small size
-- Yarn: 12-13 WPI light worsted weight yarn (thinner than the green yarn in hat #2)
-- Needles: 5 mm (US8)
-- Knit at a gauge of around 19.5 sts per 4 inches
-- Length from brim to top is about 8.75 inches

Green Hat (Hat #2)

-- Pattern changes: Knit exactly the same as hat #1, with the exception of 4 rounds of K2P2 ribbing (instead of 5 rounds). Decrease section is knit the same, the only change is alternating colors every 2 rows.
-- Size: Medium/Large size
-- Yarn: 10-11 WPI heavy worsted weight yarn (thicker than the blue/red yarn in hat #1)
-- Needles: 5 mm (US8)
-- Knit at a gauge of around 17 sts per 4 inches
-- Length from brim to top is about 9.25 inches

This photo shows the alternating colors in the decrease. I changed colors every 2 rows. I think these concentric circles make the hat more interesting.

These photos give you a better comparison of size between the two hats. You can see that the pattern shows up better when there is more contrast between the two colors. You can barely see the pattern in the Red/Blue hat.

Here's an outline of how I knit the Accidental Hat:

Using worsted weight yarn and 5mm (US8) needles, cast on 96 stitches with Color 1, join into round.
Knit 5 rounds of K2P2 ribbing.
Work rounds 1 to 28 of the chart (click here to download Accidental Hat Chart from box.net).
Purl 2 rounds with Color 1.

(Decrease in Hat #1 was worked in color 2. Decrease in Hat #1 was worked in Color 1 and Color 2, alternating every 2 rows.)

Work decrease as follows:
K10, K2Tog
Knit
K9, K2Tog
Knit
K8, K2Tog
Knit
K7, K2Tog
Knit
K6, K2Tog
Knit
K5, K2Tog
K4, K2Tog
K3, K2Tog
K2, K2Tog
K1, K2Tog
K2Tog
K2Tog (4 sts)

Cut yarn and thread through remaining stitches. Weave in all ends.

Stitches used in this hat include:
Knit-Two Purl-Two Ribbing, BW1 pg 39
Pattern # 119, KFPL pg 44 & 112.
Reverse Stocknitte Stitch, MT pg 3
Stockinette Stitch, BW1 pg 10

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Winterbourne Scarf

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Note: Photos shows scarf unblocked. I still haven't gotten around to finding some rust-proof pins for blocking.

I finally got cabling out of my system and was ready to do some simple knit/purl knitting. I've always been drawn to stitch patterns with seed stitch or moss stitch in them because they look so nice, despite how tedious it can be to work them. So when I saw the Square Lattice pattern from Barbara Walker Treasury #2 several years ago, I knew I had to do something with it. Well, I finally sat down and knitted it. And I was pleased with the results too. There have been times when I would see a stitch pattern in a book that looked nice on paper but I didn't quite work up after I knitted it up, so it's always a pleasant surprise when a pattern works up well in actual knitting. This pattern is not reversible, however the back side is not unattractive either, it just looks like seed stitch squares without the lattice you see on the front side

The stitch pattern in BW2 is given in row-by-row instructions. I translated this into a chart and used this to create it. The chart below is not for the scarf you see here; I created the chart a long time ago back when I was knitting the scarf with a different lighter/thinner yarn. So this chart is designed for a 54 stitch wide scarf, not the 40 stitch wide scarf you see in the photos. The chart also shows 6 rows of top/bottom seed stitch border instead of the 7 rows you see in the scarf above. Both versions have a 5-stitch seed stitch side border; I chose 5 stitches to match the 5-stitch wide seed stitch squares in the main pattern. I'm leaving this chart here for anyone who is interested, and I plan on re-doing a new chart for the 40 stitch wide scarf when I have more free time.

This scarf was knit in Elann's Superwash Merino DK, 4 balls. My unblocked scarf is 8.5 inches wide and 5 feet long. I used most of the 4th ball, so a 5th ball would be needed for a much longer scarf. This yarn is pretty soft for a machine washable yarn. I think the softness varies between the colors. The Capri Blue color which I used in my Bernadette Scarf was the softest. Then it's a toss up between the Tapestry Blue color I used in this Winterbourne Scarf and the Regency Rose color I used for my Regina Scarf. I have a few more other colors of this yarn, it will be interesting to see how soft those ones are.

I know, my last 3 scarves were knit in the same yarn, Elann Superwash Merino. You might even start to suspect I'm in a yarn rut. But I must tell you that this is not completely true. I originally started this scarf with some Elann Baby Cashmere fingerling weight yarn (also in Tapestry Blue color) in an attempt to find a non-lace application for this specific yarn (which I have tons of). I worked it up a bit and did not like the results. I have tons of Baby Cashmere and I'm afraid I will have to use it for lace-only applications.

I think this pattern would make a lovely baby blanket. I can imagine knitting one, however I am smart enough to know I should not start any big projects like that since I am still not finished with the baby blanket I started over 2 years ago; I've added about 5 to 6 rows since the photo here.

Stitches used in this pattern include:
Seed Stitch, BW1 pg 11
Square Lattice, BW2 pg 7

Winterbourne Scarf pattern is given below in row-by-row instructions; this is the 40-stitch scarf you see in the photos. There are two chart links below, one for the wider 54-stitch scarf (the scarf I started out with but never completed because I didn't like how it worked up in the yarn I used) and the other for the 40-stitch scarf (the scarf you see in the photos).


Winterbourne Scarf Pattern:
Winterbourne Scarf Pattern from Box.com (no registration required, just click on link & save file)

Click here to download 40-stitch wide Winterbourne Scarf Chart.
Click here to download 54-stitch wide Winterbourne Scarf Chart.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE 40-STITCH WIDE CHART:

• Even numbered rows are RS rows, they are read from right-to-left.
• Odd numbered rows are WS rows, they are read from left-to-right.
• Blank squares mean Knit on RS rows, Purl on WS rows.
• Dot squares mean Purl on RS rows, Knit on WS rows.
• Cast on 40 stitches. Work rows 1 to 7. Repeat rows 8 to 25 for pattern, knit until desired length, ending with row 23. Then work rows 26 to 32.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE 54-STITCH WIDE CHART:

• Odd numbered rows are RS rows, they are read from right-to-left.
• Even numbered rows are WS rows, they are read from left-to-right.
• Blank squares mean Knit on RS rows, Purl on WS rows.
• Dot squares mean Purl on RS rows, Knit on WS rows.
• Cast on 54 stitches. Work rows 1 to 6. Repeat rows 7 to 24 for pattern, knit until desired length, ending with row 22. Then work rows 25 to 30.

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Christmas Ramblings

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I know I mentioned some yarn color possibilities for a Doctor Who Scarf in this post. Someone kindly commented with a place where I could get all the colors in the suggest yarn. Woo hoo! And I notice that the site also sells these "Rainbow Pride" yarn packs which look pretty cool for anyone who needs those combination of colors. So now I have to decide whether I want to use the suggested yarn for the pattern, or to try Elann's sport weight yarn.



I've since discovered that there is a new Doctor Who Scarf, worn by David Tennant. Bets mentioned seeing it a while back. I haven't seen it yet as I don't have the BBC cable channel and have to wait for it to show up on the regular SciFi channel. I couldn't find much info on the internet. No mention of the scarf, with photos. No knitting patterns for the new scarf. I only found the photo above and I assume this is the scarf Bets was referring to. OH MY! Look at how much striping is involved in this scarf!!! Imagine all the ends to weave in after it's finished!!!

Does anyone know where to find the knitting pattern for this new Doctor Who Scarf?

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I just thought I'd share some book related sites I have bookmarked, which may be of interest if you're, especially if you're into mysteries.

Stop, You're Killing Me!

Liturature Map - This is kinda neato mosquito to play around with. I've seen something similar for music.

What's Next Database - This is a handy tool to find out the order of books in a series.

Euro Crime.

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We were having a nice quiet Christmas at home today, until I discovered what happened at the SF Zoo today. Very sad news indeed, and nearly a year after previous mauling at the zoo. Now I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about taking Miss M to the zoo.

I made some Russian Tea Cakes, one of my favorite things to bake. They're also called Mexican Wedding Cakes and Swedish Tea Cakes. I don't care what you call them, they're still yummy goodness.

Miss M has caught on to what Christmas is about. Presents! She enjoyed opening her gifts, and helping to open everyone else's gifts too. She got the hang of ripping the wrapping paper, unlike the previous 2 years where it was slow going. She will be warm this winter with the purple (her favorite color) coat and pink vest from the inlaws. They also got her Christmas themed bowls, utensils, and bib. Mommy & Daddy got her a giant Pooh Bear that is nearly as large as her!

Santa got her the Lego Doll House set, which she really liked! I don't blame her, I wish I had Legos when I was a kid. Grandma got her a Tickle Me Elmo. She kept saying, "Elmo!" the entire time she was ripping off the wrapping. I think the moving Elmo disturbed her a bit. She kept saying, "it's too loud." She had no qualms about hugging Elmo though. I think it'll take her a little time to warm up to the talking/moving part.



Miss M & I went shopping one day, a couple weeks back, and I let her choose a Christmas ornament. The photo above shows what she chose. I think I'll start a holiday tradition of letting her choose a new ornament each year.

We thought we'd have dim sum somewhere in/around Sunnyvale, but the only place we knew of, Bamboo Garden, has disappeared. I don't know if it's temporary due to the construction around the Caltrain station. There was no forwarding info on their door, so it doesn't look like they moved to another location. :-(

I'm sure there were some other things I wanted to mention, I just can't remember what they were. I suffer from CRS, and lately I haven't really felt "awake" during the daytime.

Must go shopping tomorrow. Not for the after Christmas sales, but rather for a much more important purpose. Must pick up pull-up diapers for Miss M! The potty training is hit or miss. It will be nice to be totally free of diapers, but of course that means new challenges when we go out...

Tired now. Time for bed...

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Knitting Resolutions for 2008

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I was looking back at my list of Knitting Resolutions from last year to see how well I did this year.

Weaving in ends immediately after finishing? Sometimes. Not consistent enough to say it was a success.

Learn something new? I learned how to make earflaps and a pompom(pdf) for my Jayne Cobb Hat. Does knitting my very first shawl count?

Get an early start on Christmas gifts? I suppose I did ok in that I'm not making a mad rush to finish something off on Christmas day, like I did in 2004. But I'm still not done knitting for this year. Hey, I still have a few days left before Christmas...

Get an early start on Cap Karma chemo caps? Nope. I did not do as well as last year. This year I've only managed to make one so far. I'm hoping it'll pick up after the new year.

Not great, but not terrible either. I'll just have to make a shorter list for 2008 Knitting Resolutions. Here's what I'm thinking about for 2008:

-- Shop from my Stash.
I can't can't can't buy more yarn. My stash has increased by about 1620 balls of yarn in 2007, and that's just the yarn from Elann. This is not good for someone with no income. And this doesn't count the odd balls from Jo-Ann, Michael's, or Art Fibers. For those who are planning on knitting from your stash in 2008, you might want to check out the Stash Knit Down 2008 group in Ravelry. I seem to have joined quite a number of groups in Ravelry, but never have time to read the discussions there. :-(

-- Read (catch up with) one blog per day.
This will be my FlyLady approach to keeping up with blog reading. I can't say that I'm very good with FlyLady house keeping, putting a load in the wash each morning is my one and only FlyLady success. My Google Reader tells me I have thousands of unread blog posts. How to tackle this? Baby steps. I don't have much time for blog reading, but I'm hoping that I can make this more manageable by catching up with one blog per day. Right now my blog reading method comes in spurts, so I end up reading posts from months ago.

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