Category Archives: Fiber Arts

Exploring Patterns

Posted on February 26, 2015 | 2 comments

A couple of weeks ago I started looking online again for patterns that were either inexpensive or free. I found and made two I have never seen before.

This first one is a Ravelry download called : My Six Row Dishcloth.

I made it using the large cone of Yellow cotton in my stash:

Six-Row-ClothThis was an easy pattern to crochet. I think the fact that it does not lie straight is because I pulled the center yarn too tight.

This next one I found thanks to a Google Alert. The pattern is Dashed Stripe and can be found here on Georgina Giles site.

Dashed-StripeI made this using a cone of Potpourri Ombre made by Lily Sugar’n’Cream. It was easy to knit and has great texture.

The next two cloths are from Dishcloth Diva by Deb Buckingham. The book is available from bookstores, amazon.com or as a Ravelry  download.

They were both easy and pleasant to knit. These are larger cloths and used 1.7 and 1.5 ounces of yarn. I want to make the In Style cloth again using a solid color to show off the pattern.

The last two cloths to show are both made using the pattern My Fave Dishcloth by Kathy North:

The pooling of the cloth made from the Sea Mist is interesting. It just happened that way.

I will be posting more about my Cotton project on the weekend.

May all of you be safe and warm.

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A Word About Yarn

Posted on February 17, 2015 | Comments Off on A Word About Yarn

You will notice that I normally  use  the original Peaches & Creme yarn or Sugar and Cream yarn.  That is because it is primarily what is in my stash. There are a lot of other good  brands of cotton yarns available such as : I Love this Cotton by Hobby Lobby, Sugar and Cream, Knit Picks yarns, Brown Sheep yarns and  many others.

Yarn comes in  different weights such as Aran, DK, Sport and Fingering Weight. If you want more information about yarn weights take a look at the Craft Yarn Council‘s page about Yarn Standards .  I am sure most of you know that yarn weight; hook or needle size and other factors affect gauge. Gauge affects the size of an item you make. Please keep these factors in mind if you use a different yarn than the one recommended by a designer or if you are making something where size is important.

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

 

 

 

 

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Posted in crocheting, Fiber Arts, knitting, Yarn

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New and Old Friends

Posted on February 16, 2015 | Comments Off on New and Old Friends

As I mentioned before, one of the goals of my Cotton Projects is that I use at least one “new to me” pattern a week. The few days  in January were busy. I made four dishcloths and three of the them were from patterns I have never used before.

Here are the cloths I made from patterns I have never tried before.

They were all fun to make and uniquely gorgeous.

The link to Joan Hamer’s e-book is here: Dozen Dishcloths to Knit I made it from a cone of original White Peaches and Creme yarn. I am delighted with this pattern and will be making the remaining eleven from this book.  If you are on Ravelry you might consider taking a look at the other patterns she has designed.

Variable Star is from  Leisure Arts  #5568 Knit Dishcloths by Julie Ray. I used Baby Green from the original Peaches and Creme. In person it is a delicate looking square.

Simple is from Dishcloth Diva by Deb Buckingham. I used  the original  Peaches and Creme Dark Purple Ombre for this cloth. The pattern is lost in the color of the yarn.

I like the amount of texture in each of these patterns and will be using them again.

The one dishcloth I made from a familiar pattern is below:Squishy1b

I used Hills and Valleys which can be found on this blog. It is a favorite of my husband because it is soft.  I like it because it holds its shape and  is squishy. It is also made on the diagonal which allows the size to be changed easily.  The yarn, OD Spice is also one of the softest feeling colorways made by the makers of the original Peaches and Creme.

Please come back as I share my journey of using my cotton yarn stash.

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Grandmother’s Favorite

Posted on February 15, 2015 | Comments Off on Grandmother’s Favorite

I have struggled off and on for years with making the Traditional Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth. I have tried several very well written versions of this with no success despite the patterns being well written.

My latest attempts have been with this very well designed pattern purchased from a wonderful designer on Etsy: Bordered Biased Dishcloth  The pictures she posted on Craftsy look good.

Here is one attempt at following her pattern:

PinkClassic1aIt is not her fault the lower right corner does not look right.

Here is my latest attempt:Y&W-1aIt looks a bit better. Any flaws in it are not the designer’s fault but are mine.  I think I will try it again in a couple of weeks. For now there are other patterns to use.

8-10-2019: I  have attempted to update the link to this pattern and have  not  been able to find it. If and when it is found, I will add the current link to the pattern to this page.

It is my prayer that you be safe today!

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Cotton Yarn Project Beginning

Posted on January 18, 2015 | Comments Off on Cotton Yarn Project Beginning

In the past several years my stash of 100% cotton yarn has become huge. One of my goals for this year is to use as much of it as possible.  In order to accomplish this is I am going to try and make at least one project a week using this yarn.  I do more if time allows.  I will  not to buy any more cotton yarn unless it is absolutely necessary to finish a project.

As part of this project I am also going to make an effort to use at least one dishcloth or other pattern a week that I have never used before. There will be fun because there are so many to choose from.  I have also decided to  include links to the pattern sources when pictures are posted.

I will do my best to post here at least once a week.

Here are the dishcloths I have made so far this year.

The first four dishcloths are made from the   Hole-less ( Reverse Miter Cloth pattern available on Ravelry.

The All Washed Up Cloth pattern is also available from Ravelry.

The pattern for Classic and Pinks is available from Craftsy Bordered Biased Knitted Dishcloth I had a problem making the end corner look as neat as the designer did. The next time I make it I will try using a smaller needle.

Wonderfully Textured is made from the Wash Cloth Knitting Pattern

 

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End of Slump

Posted on February 15, 2012 | Comments Off on End of Slump

The knitting and crochet slump has finally ended! A slipper that had been on my needles for the past few months came off this past Saturday. Another pair has been started using yarn from my stash.

I will get some pictures taken and posted in the next couple of days. They would be taken today but it is a cloudy overcast day that makes photography difficult.

 

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Yarn U iPad App

Posted on August 11, 2011 | Comments Off on Yarn U iPad App

This is a wonderful and information packed app.  The first thing I noticed after opening it on iPad was the large number of yarns available for review.  There are options to sort by name and fiber type. You can also sort by  yarn  weight.  There are links in every yarn description to the stores that carry the yarn or free patterns. There are pictures on every page.  This is an app that will be used  often and for a  long time.

 

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Posted in Fiber Arts, iPad, Yarn

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Updating

Posted on August 5, 2011 | 2 comments

I am making some major design changes here for the next few days. There will be several items either missing or being moved around during this process. Please be patient while I juggle other responsibilities and activities while doing this.


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Posted in Fiber Arts

End of Heat Wave

Posted on August 4, 2011 | Comments Off on End of Heat Wave

This has been a hot humid summer in my part of the Midwest. Temperatures have been in the 90’s to low 100’s range.  The humidity has made it feel even hotter. It has been miserable. Knitting needles and crochet hooks along with a healthy stash of yarn and projects have remained untouched.  Household tasks such as laundry and dishes have been done in the very early hours of the morning or possibly very late at night.

According to the weather forecast for the next ten days the worst of the heat is over for a while.  This is great news!  For the first time in weeks I will spend some time knitting. It will be a delightful and welcome treat.  There are two slippers that are only a few rows from being completely finished. They will be done today.  I will post pictures later this week.

 

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Posted in Fiber Arts, Stash, Yarn

Pet Peeve

Posted on July 7, 2011 | Comments Off on Pet Peeve

One of my pet peeves in life is being called “Honey” by those who do not have the right to do so. It is not my name. It is condescending and reeks of ageism, especially when spoken by store clerks or others performing a service; such as staff in a Dr’s office.  I have had to bite my tongue and rein in my Irish temper several times when a store employee or the staff of a medical office use  the term “Honey” when addressing me.

There are others who are welcome to call me  by this name. Included in this list are: my husband;  close relatives; friends and colleagues as well as some of the staff  with whom I interact at work. The difference is the relationship I have with these people.  We know and respect each other, either personally or professionally.

I do admit to being over 40, being short and having white hair. My hair has been white for almost half of my life. it is genetic. Sometimes I wonder if people think it is acceptable to call me this because of my hair  color and the fact that I don’t look quite as young as I did twenty years ago. If so, that is wrong. It is disrespectful and not acceptable.

 

 

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