Yesterday I finally came to a firm decision about making some Christmas presents and it looks like there’s going to be quite a few.  I suppose it’s a bit late to be starting, but I have high hopes that things will go well - and they’re not big or terribly complicated things at that.  I just finally realized that I been the recipient of a great deal of kindness this year and need to show my appreciation.

Thank goodness I already have some nice material stashed away.  I would hate to work in what I could afford to buy at this point! LOL.  It’s the Classic Elite Follies I’ve been hoarding.  I had thought I might make a sweater out of all the lovely, companionable colors - but this is more important and will be, I believe, more gratifying.  And I should be an expert splicer by the time I finish these projects! 

These are the colors I have and believe me, they are really, really gorgeous!

There are four women and two men on the list.  For two of the women, I will probably make earrings or maybe little knitted, beaded bags with something fun inside like a chocolate orange - or something like that.  For the other three, the cabled mitts or scarves might be more appropriate.  For the two guys, well, I really haven’t a clue so it will probably be scarves in an acceptable masculine color and non-lacey style :)

So I’m going to be a busy knitter for a while - which is a nice thing.  I tend to like shorter projects and these fit the bill nicely - if I can just get everything done by the middle of next month!

Things have been busy at Casa de Wolfandturtle and the rest of the week isn’t going to be any better than the first of the week was.  Eeep!  I hate running around - I can’t knit while I’m driving!  Oh well, there is at least the possibility of Chinese for lunch today and that makes a lot of things seem better - kinda like brownies but with an accent.  And without the chocolate…

My mind is narrowing down the possibilities for the mohair.  I even swatched for a shawl idea last night but had to frog it when I realized I didn’t have the faintest idea what to do with the sides.  Still, I’m cautiously optimistic as it seems my head is finally coming to some sort of arrangement with that yarn.

I did do an experiment, however, in the interest of future working up and eventual wearing.  I knitted a swatch (my standard swatch - seed stitch edges, stockinette inside).

The label on this stuff says that it’s machine washable, but I have been warned not to believe that.  Hmmm…  So I took this swatch and washed it - not in a machine of course, I’m not running to the laundromat at 11:00 at night to test wash a mohair swatch (and try saying that three times, fast!).  Ran a large bowl of warm water and added a bit of combination shampoo (shampoo and conditioner all together).  I swished, I swirled, I agitated like a maniac.  I twisted, wrung, spindled, folded and mutilated.  When I was done, I rinsed it - first in very hot water and next in ice cold water.  Then I subjected it to more physical torture while getting all the water out of it that it was possible to get.  And then I laid it flat on a towel to dry overnight.

The result?

A cleaner, Früctis scented swatch not one whit smaller than it had been in its pre-washed state.  It was also much softer.  The only thing that happened during the washing test was that it crocked very slightly.  I don’t think I would have a problem washing whatever gets made out of this on a very gentle cycle - but I’d still be chicken to put it in the dryer :)

I started another pair of the crocheted mitts for a special project that I will tell you about later if all goes well.  It’s the yarn here I wanted to discuss - assuming I’m not the last person on Earth to work with it.  Which, of course, is entirely possible :)

It’s Araucania Nature Wool and it’s really nice stuff.  The colors are gorgeous in their slightly mottled and shaded appearance.  I got this at A. C. Moore and while I quailed at the price initially, when I saw that it was a 100 gram/240 yard hank, I realized $7.95 wasn’t so bad.  After I’d worked with the yarn for a bit, I realized it really wasn’t bad :).  I’d have to knit with it before making a fixed decision, but I will definitely be trying this stuff again!

But I’m confused.  The yarn refers to itself as “aran” weight.  To me it seems more like a light worsted.  I thought aran was slightly heavier than worsted - not heavy enough to be called bulky - but heavier than standard worsted.  Of course none of this is an issue so long as you’re careful about gauge.  I’m just terminally curious about terminology and the vocabulary of gauge seems to be a moving target.  Every time I think I understand it, something comes along that throws all my conclusions into a cocked hat :)

Jade was lurking in the hallway this morning.  While it may appear that she is protecting and defending Myria’s pumps, I believe what she’s really doing is waiting for Goldie to move far enough away from the food bowl as to not offend her delicate sensibilities.  HA!  She’s about as delicate as a lead pipe, heheh…she just doesn’t weigh as much, thank goodness!

Happy mid-week everybody!

Happy Monday everyone!  Don’t you hate perky people on Monday morning? Heheh…  Would it help if I told you the cats woke us up a dozen times starting at 5:00 AM either wanting their breakfast (we’re thinking of re-naming them Porky and Petunia) or digging to China (apparently) in their litter box.  It’s a wonder we didn’t have kitty cutlets for breakfast :)

I turned the heel on the second Dad sock and hope to get it finished today or tomorrow.  This turning a heel thing - you know, it’s not so tough.  It’s a series of steps - none of which are difficult - and in the end, you’ve put a 90 degree turn in your tube.  I’m even beginning to think about more socks for me (greedy thing that I am) - socks with cables!  I don’t see myself turning into a sock nut (Welcome to Channel 2 where it’s all socks, all the time!  Today, our Feature presentation is “The Purple Hose of Cairo”), but I am tickled at finally being able to produce them.  It’s like being in on a joke that I never got before.  Cables, cables cables!!!

I got a package in the mail Friday from dear Barb-in East Texas.  Just look at this:

Isn’t it gorgeous?  It’s at least 6 feet long and as soft as a baby’s backside - and it feels even nicer than it looks.  I’m am so looking forward to wearing it!

But that wasn’t all :)  Barb, like me, is an avid coffee fan and she shared one of her favorites:

I broke this open almost immediately because I couldn’t wait to try it! And it was wonderful - smooth and rich. 

Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity, Barb.  I feel blessed to know such a kind person :) 

And they didn’t arrive any too soon either:

We got 4 inches of snow Friday.  Right, I know that’s not much - didn’t even slow the traffic down - but it was only the 12th of November.  The first couple of snows should be a dusting and the ground shouldn’t be cold enough yet for there to be any kind of build-up.  And it shouldn’t happen until after Thanksgiving (Robbyn’s Rules for Snow).  This doesn’t bode well for the rest of the cold weather season.  Oh well -  guess we’ll live with it - kinda have too :)

I searched and searched last night, went over the links you nice folks shared with me, but I couldn’t settle on anything to do with the periwinkle mohair.  Not that I couldn’t find anything nice, just that I couldn’t decide on anything.  Most annoying - but I’m going back to the task today, determined that victory (and a beautiful, new blue-violet something) will be mine!

When it says “Lavold, Lavod, Lavold”
On the label, label, label,
You will like it, like it, like it
For your cable, cable, cable…

Sorry - got a little carried away :)

Of course I didn’t come even close to deciding what to do with the mohair blend.  I looked at all your great suggestions and I guess I have to digest them a bit before I make up what I laughingly refer to as my mind :)  Goodness, there are so many lovely things out there!

It is grey and rather bleak looking here this morning - the kind of day that always makes me wish for a fireplace.  We’re actually seeing a few flakes of snow!  However, it will be perfect for visiting the library as I have several things due and am in need of more reading material.  And besides, there’s something cozy about libraries - all libraries, anywhere.  It’s all that knowledge and entertainment (there is knowledge to be found in good fiction just as there is entertainment to be found in knowledge) cozying up together and whispering meaningful somethings into each others pages :).  I guess I’m feeling a little fanciful this morning!

As I came to no decision about the mohair, I tried something else I’d been thinking about - an Elsebeth Lavold-type cable:

This wasn’t actually the design I set out to do - as you have probably guessed :)  This was what I was trying to “cable-ize” :

It was both easier and harder than I had anticipated - in different ways.  I thought I would have tons of trouble figuring out the left and right leaning increases Lavold has you do at the beginning of the design but that turned out to be a piece of cake (Rum cake made with dark Jamaican rum, topped with butter-rum glaze and crowned with whipped, heavy cream - yes, I am having trouble reining in my imagination this morning :).  But I had seriously underestimated the width required for the desired design and I hadn’t done my math either :)  I guess I had thought it would be obvious, where to start the various components so everything would line up properly.  Ahem…it wasn’t and I should have known that.  So, I need to sit down with paper and pencil and work that out.

But the method is fascinating and you get this highly embossed cable that doesn’t squinch your work up.  This is what makes it possible to use it as a design element - really elegant and really cool :)  I have to do more of this!

The twin terrors were just sitting there this morning, so I tried to get a picture of them.  I share it with you so you can see how demented even the nicest cat can look if caught at the wrong moment (heheh…) but I don’t claim it’s a good picture.  Just a fun one!

Happy Friday, all :)

I finished the first Dad sock and brought it over to him to try on so I could see where it might need editing.  Other than going up a needle size and making it a bit longer (oh - and leaving off the bobbles!), I made it exactly the way I made my own .  It fit perfectly!  I think Dad was a bit surprised and I was tickled to death - my first socks for someone else and they fit!  Now I’m working on the mate and considering making him an extra pair, though probably not immediately :)

I did use this Shoe to Sock Size Chart and it was extremely useful indeed.  Thank goodness Dad’s feet are more or less average width!

That periwinkle mohair has been haunting my dreams ever since I brought it home.  It’s such a gorgeous color than I can hardly wait to get my hands on it!  But what to make?  Usually I wait for the yarn to tell me what it wants to be but so far it has remained mum :(  And, of course, I want to work with it now but if I go in with no idea of what I really want to do I’m going to wind up trying, tinking, re-trying, frogging, re-re-trying and tossing.  And I don’t want to do that to this yarn.  Guess I’d better wait a while, hunh?  Sigh….

The next row of the afghan is done.

If any of you have any thoughts on what would be nice for about 1400 yards of periwinkle colored mohair/acrylic - I’d love to hear them :)

Mornin’.

Me name is Raggáh Ris (emphasis on the ‘gáh’).  I’m a barbarian warrior, fightin’ here in the land of Norrath with me companion Myria.  Myria’s a high elf cleric.  Gets to use magic and all.  Between her spells and my brawn, there isn’t a monster in the land that we can’t hand his head :)

I’m not so bright, me, but I’m strong.  Ye’re havin’ a problem wit orcs an’ the like, it’s me double-headed long axe ye’ll be wantin’ t’help yer out.  O’ course I come with the long axe, it don’t work by itself :)

I didn’t set out to be a warrior, wasn’t what I had in mind at all, at all.  I had a husband - bit of a useless lump though, really - and a home.  Didn’t need for much.  But you know for all that, I was still…restless.  Somethin’ was missin’ and, not being’ the sharpest sword in the armory, I couldn’t figure out what it was.  All t’other girls in the village seemed pleased with hearth, husband and home but me?  Seems somethin’ in me wanted more than that - or anyways different.

Well, a while back, up and along comes this High Elf Cleric through the village on her way to the greater world.  Handsome she was, tall and blonde and points on her ears to make your heart melt a bit.  I met her in the market place where she was lookin’ for a haft for her hammer.  She told me about how she was headin’ to this Norrath place because it were bein’ overrun and overtaken by orcs and goblins and all manner of monsters and creepies.  And it were important, she told me, to help people when they needed it - especially when th’inhuman were tryin’ to wipe out the human.

I brought her home wit me to make sure she had a good, hot meal under her belt before she went on her way.  The useless lump wasn’t too happy about havin’ a stranger under the roof and gave her all kinds of grief about makin’ up fanciful stories and such like.  Myria (for so she was) remained polite and pleasant, but left immediately we were finished eatin’ after thankin’ me for my hospitality.

Between the restless part of my soul and fury at the useless lump, I never slept that night at all, at all.  I walked out me front door just before sun-up.  Caught up wit Myria t’next day and here we are.

I wasn’t a fighter before, so I had a lot t’learn - just ta survive.  Then there was the matter of the froggin’ armor.  Certainly it’s useful, but it’s as heavy and awkward as a three-legged bull.  I don’t think it was as hard to learn to use a weapon (any of various sorts) as it was to accustom meself to the ridiculous leggin’s an’ boots an’ gloves an’ such.  Ever now and again I wish I could just go into battle like this:

..but I know I’d probably lose an arm or a leg or somethin’ even more important!

This warrioring business ain’t so bad otherwise.  The work is long an’ hard an’ meals and rest are slim an’ seldom.  But you know?  There’s somethin’ very satisfyin’ about helpin’ to make the land safe.  Better, anyways, than growin’ potatoes for the useless lump. 

Oh I was awful green at first not havin’ ever held anythin’ in my hand sharper than a potato peeler before.  I fell as much as I walked and I’m embarassed ta tell ye, Myria even had to ressurect me a time or two.  And I’m always setting me arse on fire!  But I’m learnin’ new things and that’s almost as good as the fightin’ and the fightin’ improves me skills.  I get stronger every day.  Feel like I’m making a contribution, I do!

I’ve even started a little goblin-head necklace - a work in progress, ta be sure :)

Ye can find out about our adventures - and have some of your own as well (bring your friends - Norrath always needs more champions) in this:

I can hear the sounds of things getting under way so I had better be off.  Catapults and trebuchets ta blow up and bad-nasties ta teach lessons to.

It’s loud, cold, dirty and messy - but it beats the shizzbot outta peelin’ potatoes!

Last week, Dawn from Wild Yarn mentioned that she liked the mitts, but she didn’t knit herself.  She’s a crocheter.

For many, many years, I was too.  Well, I still am but I’ve learned a few additional tricks as well :)  And I was thinking over the weekend that it would be nice to put up a crochet mitt pattern to go with the knit mitts.  I’m in full agreement with Bron over at Bron’s Blog II - cables belong in knitted items.  To me, crocheted cables always look fake and “wannabe” so I don’t do them.  Besides, I wanted this to be crochet crochet, not fake-knitting crochet, if you see what I mean?  So, without further ado…

This couldn’t be simpler.  Basically, using worsted weight yarn and a size G hook, make a chain that’s just a little longer than you want the length of your mitt to be.  Then hdc back and forth until the piece is wide enough to go around your hand and forearm and sew up the side seam.

Note: I did consider making this in the round to eliminate the seam, but I liked the look of the chains going up the length of the mitt.  So that’s the way I made it.  Experimenting with doing it in rounds though, might be interesting…  Hmmm….

This is a technique I played with a long time ago.  I haven’t seen it anywhere else, but I certainly don’t think I’m the only one to have figured it out.  It isn’t difficult at all.  What it does is give the finished material a very gentle elasticity and it creates the long, vertical lines of chains.

Because I don’t trust my ability to explain this clearly, I enlisted the aid of Myria’s excellent camera and photographic skills to help me out.

O-kay.  Just to get the idea, grab some worsted weight yarn and a “G” hook and chain 12.  Hdc in 4th chain from hook and in each chain across - 10 sts.  Chain 3 and turn.

Turn your work so you’re looking down at the top edge of it.  See that line of chains?  We’re going to displace it so that it runs up the length of our work.  Since these chains are normally the stitches into which we would work the next row, we’re going to have to do something different.

The circle in the picture above highlights the hdc as it appears after you’ve turned you work.  The horizontal thread at the top is one side of our chain stitch.  See those two diagonal threads just below?  That’s where we’re aiming - we’re going to crochet into the top diagonal thread.

That’s exactly all there is to it.  Instead of crocheting into the front or back (or both) loops of the top of the stitch, you’re crocheting into the diagonal thread just beneath it.  Keep your tension relaxed and just continue to do that on both sides of the work until the piece is the size you want.  Simple, eh?

This makes a reversible fabric.  The chains are offset one row from one another on the front and reverse sides, but if you’re careful with sewing up and weaving in yarn ends, you can make reversible mitts :)

So for the mitt as I made it:

Materials

Worsted weight yarn (I used Red Heart Super Saver in “Art Print”)
“G” crochet hook
Tapestry needle for sewing seam

Methods

Chain 38.

Hdc in 3rd chain from hook and in each chain across - 36 sts.  Chain 2, turn.

Hdc in the diagonal thread just below the 2nd stitch (in other words, the “chain 3” counts as the first hdc) and continue this way across the work; 1 hdc in turning chain - 36 sts.

Repeat row 2 until work is as wide as you’d like.

Sew seam up to where you want your thumb hole to be.  Run your thread under a few stitches (for length of thumbhole) and finish stitching on the other side.  And enjoy!