I am one of those people who cannot seem to stand only having one project being worked on at one time. In typical fashion, I have another scarf for the Red Scarf Project on the needles.
This is one of the softest scarves I have ever made. I am using Caron Simply Soft White and Yarn Bee Infatuation in Rouge. There are 20 stitches on # 15 needles and is 6 3/4 inches wide. These yarns are a good combination. The next scarf will have fewer stitches to make it less wide.
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Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Good Causes, Knitting, Red Scarf Project
Yeah!! I did it!!! I learned how to add buttons to the sidebar of this blog. I am super excited. There is now a “Knit From Your Stash” button on the sidebar. It took a bit of playing around and checking out the code from one of my older blogs. Thanks to the forums at WordPress and Lisa from Calming Seas ( who showed me months ago how to do the same on another blog).
For those of you who have been doing this for a while it is probably not a big accomplishement. Right now for me it is a big accomplishment. The next time it won’t be nearly as much of a challenge.
The best part of this experience is that I now have more freedom to customize all of my blogs.
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Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Blogging, Buttons, Calming Seas, Knit From Your Stash, Knitting, Word Press
Today was fun. I am more excited tonight ( by now it is really morning ) than I have been in a long time. DH and I decided to get me a digital camera today while we were running some errands. I found one I liked at the first store we went to but In typical fashion thought it best to check out some other stores in our area. We did and learned that the first place we went to had the best buy for our money.
I have spent much of the past several hours learning to use the camera and taking pictures of some knitting and crocheting projects. Below is a picture of the scarf I am knitting for the Red Scarf Project.
It is being made of 2 strands of worsted wt. acrylic yarn on # 15 needles. I cast on 24 stitches and used the knit stitch on the first two rows. The rest of the scarf is being made in a 3 by 3 rib. I will probably knit the last two rows before binding it off. This scarf is working up quickly and easily.
I have been thinking about my goals related to knitting and crocheting for the upcoming year. This includes projects to finish and do; books and other items to buy; changes to make to my blogs; and new yarns/threads to try.
I would like to finish:
Some items I would like to buy are:
Here is a list of books I want to add to my collection of fiber related books:
Most of the fiber related tools and books will come from a favorite LYS or nearby bookstore.
I want to try out some of the novelty yarns that I have not been able to purchase while I was not working. The list is long and will change as I explore some LYS’s and other places.
Another goal is to post to all of my blogs more regularly and often. Purchasing a digital camera will make it possible to post pictures of projects while making them and once they are done.
Some of the items I want to make this year are:
This list does not include other items made that go to charities. My philosophy is to keep charity giving a private matter, with two exceptions. The first is my support of the Red Scarf project. The second is that I will discuss it with a charity related online group to which I belong.
Some techniques I would like to learn or improve my skills with are:
The year 2007 promises to be a very busy people and fiber filled year. It sounds like fun. :)
What about yours?
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Tagged Blogging, Crochet, Crocheting, Good Causes, Knitting
I have been thinking about this past year this week. It has been a busy exciting year full of changes. Some of the changes include:
It has been a most unique year in many ways. One of my hopes and prayers is that life can settle down a bit in 2007.
Life has been very busy in the past month. Some of the things that have happened are:
This doesn’t sound like a lot until homeschooling, keeping up with a household and trying to answer email are added to the mix. It has kept me very busy.
I allowed myself the supreme treat of starting another dishcloth today. I am making it in red and green worsted weight cotton yarn using the Ball Band Pattern found in the Mason Dixon Book. It is my all time favorite pattern because of its ability to pick up crumbs from my table and counters.
This is not the most exciting project to work on, but it is enjoyable. There is a special rhythm in the pattern and color changes. It is fun to watch it take shape and to see the yarn be transformed into an object of beauty and usefulness.
This one will be a welcome addition to a growing collection in my kitchen.
I just realized that it has been almost two months since I wrote anything here at all. They have been busy, though not exciting months.
I now have new glasses which I hate. They are bifocals to be used for both near and far vision. The division between the near and far vision is placed according to my specifications and the frames look nice. The problem is that I simply do not like bifocals. The first time I wore them was many years ago before technology was as advanced as it is today. I hated them then and I still hate them. People say things like “you have to get used to them”. They are right, but some things push my limits, like these blasted things. I wear them for driving and will carry them with me for work so I can wear them when I cannot see to safely work. Other than that they live in their case. Once we can afford it I will get a pair for driving and another pair for for everything else. I know that in the scope of life this is a minor issue, but having worn glasses for most ofmy life, this is an issue about which I have strong feelings.
Since the new glasses arrived about two and half weeks ago much of my focus has been on job hunting. The search is now over and I start a new job next Monday. Technically it took a little over two months to find work, if you count the time I was without work, but actually it only took about two weeks. Working without glasses is not a choice.
This week is being spent meeting some family commitments and completing some projects around the house. It is nothing exciting: catching up on laundry; getting homeschool lessons planned for at least the next week or two; completing a couple of knitting projects, starting another project or two and having time to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family.
This is proving to be a busy week in my house. I am still working on the red and blue scarf from several days ago. It is more than halfway finished. It is turning out quite nicely. The credit for using a lighter weight yarn and a heavier weight one goes to Bev for making the Blog Scarf . I don’t have any sock yarn in my stash but there is plenty of sport yarn. This yarn is doing a fine job by adding a little extra bulk and color to the scarf. it is a technique I will be using frequently in the future. My original goal was to have it done before now, but life got in the way.
I am spending a lot of time this week job hunting which is cutting into knitting and computer time a lot. I have an idea in my brain for a dishcloth design, but won’t have the time to work on it until the week end. Adding links and making some changes here will also have to wait a couple of more days.
My latest project is making some scarves for the Orphan Foundation of America. I learned about their Red Scarf Project so late last year that there was only enough time to make a few scarves. My original plan was make several scarves for them this year. I also wanted to use better yarn than the acrylic that is in my stash. It is now November. I am not working. There is no money for additional yarn. There are no scarves made for this project at the moment.
What’s a lady to do??? I could rob a bank; steal yarn from an LYS ; refuse to make any scarves; beg for yarn ; or buy yarn with bill and grocery money. Those just don’t sound like such good ideas.
Instead, my choice was to make a scarf using acrylic yarn in my stash. This scarf needs to be unisex, bright and cheerful; nice looking but utilitarian; quite washable and soft; and mostly comfortable. The choice of yarn was easy. I picked out a skein of red worsted weight yarn and a skein of blue sport weight yarn from the bins in the basement. These will work quite nicely for what I have in mind.
The pattern had been chosen before the yarn. It is called the Easy Scarf and is positively beautiful. The designer of the pattern used yarn I can only dream I own at this time. Maybe next year this yarn can be used. Right now I am making due with what is on hand. Generations of women have done that before me and will most likely do it after me.
I chose my trusty Size 15 straight Boye needles. It took a bit of trial and error to determine the correct number of stitches to give me the desired width of approximately 7-8 inches. Eventually 24 stitches were cast on using one strand each of the red and blue, to give a width of 7 1/2 inches. That is close enough. The first four rows were done in the garter stitch. This has been followed by pattern as written by the designer. There are 3.2 stitches per inch and 3 rows per inch done in pattern.
What a great pattern!! It is working up quickly and easily. It is also making a soft squishy fabric.
This is a great project to do when I am talking with my family or in the car as a passenger. It is also good to work on in those rare moments of television watching.
I realize my version is probably not what the designer had in mind. But it is working and will give some deserving student a scarf that says ” I care.” That is what the Orphan Foundation of America wants to accomplish.
