Did you know that a US size 1 dpn needle is just the right size to roll under the desktop scanner completely?
Did you know that a sharpened regular ole number 2 lead pencil is just too wide to fit under the aforementioned flatbed scanner to retrieve the dpn needle?
Did you know that dust bunnies can compress themselves to a very teenie tiny size to fit under undisturbed places to hibernate and will immediately upon removal BREATHE into a very large sized bit of dust upon extraction?
Well now you know. smirk
moral of the story? Do all you can to prevent "rolling" not-in-use-at-this-moment-in-time dpns so you don't have to chase them down only to discover compressed dustbunnies, unless of course you *like* to dust.
Have a grand and glorious day all. Please keep those involved in the aftermath in Katrina all through our wonderful country in your prayers. Pictures on tv are nothing compared to seeing that devastation in person. Not my things but in the communities near to me last year.
Needles up! Pockets open for donating to aid in the efforts of recovery.
denise/deBrat aka Grandma Brattie to-be (Dec '05) aka Mom of last-to-graduate high school (May '06) aka Mother-in-law to be (august '06) What a year it will be!
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Monday, August 22, 2005
Mystery Solved!
So much happening these past couple of weeks. I finished my knit exchange bag and mailed it off on Sunday/Monday August 14th/15th and so here are the pictures of the finished bag.
PATTERN: The Sheep Tote/Fiber Trends/Bev Galeskas
YARN: Inspired by Noro Kureyon 149/A (but too expensive to use)
Cascade 220 (9458, 8013, 8012, 4002, 8400)
Held with one strand of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes throughout
Hemp Cord and Wool of the Andes I-Cord for the strap NOT felted
I used nearly all of 4 skeins of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes. A 5th skein was purchased and waiting in the wings and highly recommended you do the same.
NEEDLES: Size 13 29" circular
I would have much prefered to have used a belt around the bag for decoration and then attached straps for carrying but the belt I had was too small and I did not pre-plan the "holes" correctly for that and I prefer NOT to cut the felted bag to add the strap holes to it.
Anyway, it is large enough to carry a 17" needle rollup and the Denise's needles case and some yarn and pattern information. The swatch was used inside to provide a water bottle holder but I did not attach it high enough up to be functional in that manner. sigh
But it is done and I was an interesting knitting experience. The bag went to David Bates as part of the knitexchange bag exchange.
Now I am off for the next project(S).
~Test knitting a sock pattern for Bev Warner
~Designing a lacey beaded scarf for DJKnitters at yahoo groups as a part of a contest I started there
~Continuing on the poncho for Ashley From Viva Poncho at www.knitpicks.com the Greta Poncho in knitpicks yarn Summer Sky Andean Treasure
~So much more but these are at the top of the list right now and will have to do
Have a grand and glorious day of knitting and thanks for reading
Keep your needles sharpened and loaded with yarn!
denise/deBrat
PATTERN: The Sheep Tote/Fiber Trends/Bev Galeskas
YARN: Inspired by Noro Kureyon 149/A (but too expensive to use)
Cascade 220 (9458, 8013, 8012, 4002, 8400)
Held with one strand of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes throughout
Hemp Cord and Wool of the Andes I-Cord for the strap NOT felted
I used nearly all of 4 skeins of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes. A 5th skein was purchased and waiting in the wings and highly recommended you do the same.
NEEDLES: Size 13 29" circular
I would have much prefered to have used a belt around the bag for decoration and then attached straps for carrying but the belt I had was too small and I did not pre-plan the "holes" correctly for that and I prefer NOT to cut the felted bag to add the strap holes to it.
Anyway, it is large enough to carry a 17" needle rollup and the Denise's needles case and some yarn and pattern information. The swatch was used inside to provide a water bottle holder but I did not attach it high enough up to be functional in that manner. sigh
But it is done and I was an interesting knitting experience. The bag went to David Bates as part of the knitexchange bag exchange.
Now I am off for the next project(S).
~Test knitting a sock pattern for Bev Warner
~Designing a lacey beaded scarf for DJKnitters at yahoo groups as a part of a contest I started there
~Continuing on the poncho for Ashley From Viva Poncho at www.knitpicks.com the Greta Poncho in knitpicks yarn Summer Sky Andean Treasure
~So much more but these are at the top of the list right now and will have to do
Have a grand and glorious day of knitting and thanks for reading
Keep your needles sharpened and loaded with yarn!
denise/deBrat
Saturday, August 06, 2005
This and That
Ooooh I have the best SP5 in the whole world! she sent me the most beautiful glass windchimes. And there was a very elegant alpaca flower pin kit to make. A box full of labels to use on things. And a skein of Hand Dyed Prism by Colinette yarn in Blue parrot!
NOw to ponder what to make with the Blue Parrot yarn, where to hang the windchimes and cast on for the flower pin kit. I'm also going to check and see if I can print on the label sheets using my computer. Then I could make some great labels that are very personalized for my correspondence.
That was the THIS part and now for the THAT
The one skein wonder shrug patttern is something I ahve been admiring and lusting for for quite some time. Today I succumbed and ordered it from Glampyre http://glampyreknits.tripod.com/glampyrephotos/id97.html and guess what? It is a .pdf download file so there was INSTANT gratification involved too! AND the needles it calls for were empty and I just happened to have a skein or two of yarn that might make the shrug for me as it is a 6oz skein and not a 4oz one I figure I'm safe from the 1 and HALF skein wonders I have heard of happening happening to me.
well dinner is ready and the movie is over (Home Alone 4 which I did not think was possible to be worse than the Home Alone 3 but it was.... sigh none of them are as good as the original!)
knitting love and hugs
needles clacking!
denise/deBrat
NOw to ponder what to make with the Blue Parrot yarn, where to hang the windchimes and cast on for the flower pin kit. I'm also going to check and see if I can print on the label sheets using my computer. Then I could make some great labels that are very personalized for my correspondence.
That was the THIS part and now for the THAT
The one skein wonder shrug patttern is something I ahve been admiring and lusting for for quite some time. Today I succumbed and ordered it from Glampyre http://glampyreknits.tripod.com/glampyrephotos/id97.html and guess what? It is a .pdf download file so there was INSTANT gratification involved too! AND the needles it calls for were empty and I just happened to have a skein or two of yarn that might make the shrug for me as it is a 6oz skein and not a 4oz one I figure I'm safe from the 1 and HALF skein wonders I have heard of happening happening to me.
well dinner is ready and the movie is over (Home Alone 4 which I did not think was possible to be worse than the Home Alone 3 but it was.... sigh none of them are as good as the original!)
knitting love and hugs
needles clacking!
denise/deBrat
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Pictures galore!!!
So today I will post a whole slew of pictures for your enjoyment. Or rather mine as I appear to be the only one who reads this blog. LOL
so let me see if I can figure out how to put a picture into the CENTER of a post using blogger and not using Hello. Not bloodly likely but I'll give it that old college try.
well shoot I just found a button for inserting an image. well do I feel dumb.
So now I guess i'll go ahead and try posting that picture now. If I postpone it a bit though I will be pospoining my feeling of frustration when it does not work.
Here is a pic of my mom in the vintage capelet http://www.spunmag.com/article/050410vintagecapelet
hmmm ahve tried twice and don't see anymore pictures being added. so back to the publish and write again and then play with the posting times to get them in the right order. sigh that is what i get for getting over confident at finding and pushing the "insert image" button.
so let me see if I can figure out how to put a picture into the CENTER of a post using blogger and not using Hello. Not bloodly likely but I'll give it that old college try.
well shoot I just found a button for inserting an image. well do I feel dumb.
So now I guess i'll go ahead and try posting that picture now. If I postpone it a bit though I will be pospoining my feeling of frustration when it does not work.
Here is a pic of my mom in the vintage capelet http://www.spunmag.com/article/050410vintagecapelet
hmmm it did not end up at the end of the link but at the top of the page. wonder if i can get it to insert in the right spot this time? Isn't this fun? yea, right.
Oh My! When I used the insert image button it went on the left at the beginning. Then I tried again and it went in FRONT of the original picture (mom full in the shot) and centered. then I chose the magical edit html button. Then being the brilliant copy and cut and paste person I am I did just that! THEN oh my THEN I clicked on compose again and lo and behold i can type right next to my mom's picture. Wowzers! And it has only taken me a gadzillion bunch of days and 68 posts to figure that out.
Well let me get even more daring and try to post a picture of a close up of the bintage capelet. By the way, I loved knitting it so much that I bought 2 more skeins of the olive green to make one for me and 4 skeins of the white in the Berroco Softtwist. discontinued I do believe.
Close up time.
Teehee oh that worked too. More Cut and paste going on there. Now I need to remember what other pictures I was going to post today. Oh yea, I have pictures of the capelet blocking, and on the chair and with the lifelines showing. Can you tell I was really in love with this capelet? I could knit a dozen of them! Maybe I'll watch for a sale on the disco'd Berroco SoftTwist and do just that. But in the meantime, I have more pictures for you...... don't I?
hmmm ahve tried twice and don't see anymore pictures being added. so back to the publish and write again and then play with the posting times to get them in the right order. sigh that is what i get for getting over confident at finding and pushing the "insert image" button.
Those pesky missing pictures
Those pesky missing pictures.... hopefully here they are... pushing insert image button. hey! WHERE did the image button go? Oh wait there it is. gosh it moved to the other side of the screen. what goes on here? do I really want to know? I think not. I'll just go with the moving button flow and insert those images now.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Lace Lessons Learned
oh no, the three L's!
So today I have managed to
block the vintage capelet (lovely enough to warrant a phone call to mom to make a lunch date for tomorrow teehee)
finish and felt the knit exchange bag... fuzzy and will need a razoring job but ooooh so nice and perfect for the recipient!
currently blocking the giftie for my sp5
So the Lessons Learned about LACE?
You will always forget at least one end to work in prior to blocking
The foam board (silver sided insulation foam) you have available to use for blocking will never be big enough (even though the vintage capelet had gobs of extra room on it!) for a very small lacey over the shoulders and for just a bit more coverage when wearing something strapless thingie.
Do not raise the blocking board above shoulder height when moving from the living room to the outdoors unless you want the ceiling fan to beat pieces of it off!
You never have enough pins!
1 1/2 hours putting the pins in for blocking of a full sized shawl posted by someone else now sounds "GOOD"!
The camera will not cooperate when you want a before and after shot of blocking (yesterday's post and lifelines)
Watch the skies for rain clouds when blocking an item outside in Florida in the afternoon! (just a precaution as it is sure looking like rain!)
Increasing every row on both ends of the aforementioned small cover up thingie is too much increasing! Note to self: Self, next time increase every other row! or just at the end of rows which will make it every other row. But NOT at both the beginning and ending of each row.... tooo much.
Patterns are not always right. :(
Do NOT lay down your current lace project to do other deadline specific items and expect to be able to figure out just what the heck you were doing! (I even had a check off sheet and a life line and still no clue what the heck I'm doing sigh... it is the mysterystolealong one too) Now that these three things: vintage capelet for mom, lacey small cover up thingie for sp5, and felted project bag for the knit exchange are done I jsut could NOT figure it out.
Lizards will wonder what you are doing on THEIR hammock sunning spot
Dogs will be uninterested
and lastly......
lace is addicting and now I want to cast on for another shrug or capelet
Just a knitting lesson in general. If you finish three projects in less than a 24 hour period you will find you have nothing "easy" to work on when you sit in the chiropractor's office.
well off to shoo the lizards off the hammock and let the dog chase the lizards around the palm trees!
pics to follow after the lacey small cover up thingie is done!
denise/deBRAT
aka grandma brattie-to-be
So today I have managed to
block the vintage capelet (lovely enough to warrant a phone call to mom to make a lunch date for tomorrow teehee)
finish and felt the knit exchange bag... fuzzy and will need a razoring job but ooooh so nice and perfect for the recipient!
currently blocking the giftie for my sp5
So the Lessons Learned about LACE?
You will always forget at least one end to work in prior to blocking
The foam board (silver sided insulation foam) you have available to use for blocking will never be big enough (even though the vintage capelet had gobs of extra room on it!) for a very small lacey over the shoulders and for just a bit more coverage when wearing something strapless thingie.
Do not raise the blocking board above shoulder height when moving from the living room to the outdoors unless you want the ceiling fan to beat pieces of it off!
You never have enough pins!
1 1/2 hours putting the pins in for blocking of a full sized shawl posted by someone else now sounds "GOOD"!
The camera will not cooperate when you want a before and after shot of blocking (yesterday's post and lifelines)
Watch the skies for rain clouds when blocking an item outside in Florida in the afternoon! (just a precaution as it is sure looking like rain!)
Increasing every row on both ends of the aforementioned small cover up thingie is too much increasing! Note to self: Self, next time increase every other row! or just at the end of rows which will make it every other row. But NOT at both the beginning and ending of each row.... tooo much.
Patterns are not always right. :(
Do NOT lay down your current lace project to do other deadline specific items and expect to be able to figure out just what the heck you were doing! (I even had a check off sheet and a life line and still no clue what the heck I'm doing sigh... it is the mysterystolealong one too) Now that these three things: vintage capelet for mom, lacey small cover up thingie for sp5, and felted project bag for the knit exchange are done I jsut could NOT figure it out.
Lizards will wonder what you are doing on THEIR hammock sunning spot
Dogs will be uninterested
and lastly......
lace is addicting and now I want to cast on for another shrug or capelet
Just a knitting lesson in general. If you finish three projects in less than a 24 hour period you will find you have nothing "easy" to work on when you sit in the chiropractor's office.
well off to shoo the lizards off the hammock and let the dog chase the lizards around the palm trees!
pics to follow after the lacey small cover up thingie is done!
denise/deBRAT
aka grandma brattie-to-be
Funny thing happend while gazing at the job classifieds....
I just have to share.... I sent off my resume' to a company I'd adore to work for on Saturday. On Sunday I made mention to my husband while he was reading the paper the name of the company so he would not think it was a "sales" call and hang up on them! horrors!! So helpful man that he is, he hands me this teen tiny piece of the newspaper for me to apply for a marketing director job. "oh honey, I love the marketing department but I'm not qualified for marketing DIRECTOR" he then reads it to me and yes I'd be qualified. Oh, I forgot to mention the opening is at some resort in my area.
so I put this tiny bit of paper off to the side to get lost and later looked for.
dh on the other hand, manages to go on line and check out the site for the resort.
"oh dear? did you go to that C...... resort's website?"
"No dear, why?"
"well, it is a nudist resort"
LOL!!!
Two thoughts come to mind on this.
The first was it is my experience that those that are willing to bare all are generally not worth seeing in their nothing-ness.
Secondly, on an up note, it would sure help on the new wardrobe I would suddenly need if the marketing director also went in the buff, eh?
Oh well, obviously no pictures on this one. Thank goodness. But I thought of a good link that even my very G rated personality can handle. Let me find the link. I promise you it will not embarass you.
http://www.sofoto.com/
hope you enjoyed the story and wish me well as I look for a full-time or a second part-time job. I have a child going off to college don't you know?
knit something fun today. and possibly later I'll have a knitting related post. But this one just HAD to make the memories part of blogging, don't you think?
Oh and if this one does not get any comments I'll just KNOW noone reads my blog.... sigh... are you out there?
denise
so I put this tiny bit of paper off to the side to get lost and later looked for.
dh on the other hand, manages to go on line and check out the site for the resort.
"oh dear? did you go to that C...... resort's website?"
"No dear, why?"
"well, it is a nudist resort"
LOL!!!
Two thoughts come to mind on this.
The first was it is my experience that those that are willing to bare all are generally not worth seeing in their nothing-ness.
Secondly, on an up note, it would sure help on the new wardrobe I would suddenly need if the marketing director also went in the buff, eh?
Oh well, obviously no pictures on this one. Thank goodness. But I thought of a good link that even my very G rated personality can handle. Let me find the link. I promise you it will not embarass you.
http://www.sofoto.com/
hope you enjoyed the story and wish me well as I look for a full-time or a second part-time job. I have a child going off to college don't you know?
knit something fun today. and possibly later I'll have a knitting related post. But this one just HAD to make the memories part of blogging, don't you think?
Oh and if this one does not get any comments I'll just KNOW noone reads my blog.... sigh... are you out there?
denise
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Vintage Capelet progress
So today, at 4 pm I finished the Vintage Capelet for my mom! I went to take a picture of it with all the lifelines in it and the battery is "exhausted". That is what the camera screen says. I can't find the spare battery. I can locate both chargers but not the second battery. This is NOT a good thing. I need the battery. In the meantime, as I really want a pic with the lifelines IN it I will pick up the knitexchange bag for David. I was really close to finished on it last weekend when I got this sudden urge to make my mom this capelet for her b'day on Tuesday.
http://www.spunmag.com/article/050410vintagecapelet
I did do the buttonhole option for jsut in case but I really think she should wear it with any one of the many brooches she owns.
Well off to see just where I was on the bag for the exchange..... on a pocket I do believe.
enjoy the rest of your weekend,
denise/deBRAT
http://www.spunmag.com/article/050410vintagecapelet
I did do the buttonhole option for jsut in case but I really think she should wear it with any one of the many brooches she owns.
Well off to see just where I was on the bag for the exchange..... on a pocket I do believe.
enjoy the rest of your weekend,
denise/deBRAT
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Shall we play a game?
And just what COULD this be? Shall we play a guessing game? Not sure enough people read my blog to play a game yet but just in case here it is! Be the first to guess what this actually is and I'll send you a little "treat". Hope this works. I don't know how to answer to people who post to my blog yet so guess I need to figure a way for you to reach me.... hmmmm how about at debrat at tampabay dot rr dot com surely I can't end up with worse emails then I already get without posting my email anywhere, eh? So have a grand and glorious day all I will be! denise/deBRAT aka grandma brattie-to-be
I made 28 stitch markers at Wannabead http://www.mokaglass.com/Location.htm
They look much cooler in person. there is a close up pic below that might show them off better. They are for special extra "thanks for participating" prizes for the lace scarf contest that just ended over on traditionalknitting on yahoo groups. What absolutely gorgeous entries there were.
How is it that I can use the word gorgeous over and over in writing about knitting and not feel too much guilt about overuse of a word in a "paper"? While my writing may not reflect it now, I'm soooo out of practice, I wrote very well back in my high school years. When I was very young, less than six, our neighbor at the time told me I have a very vivid imagination. And I still do!
I really must clean my writing "act" up once more and write more. At one point I wrote quite a bit of poetry. Sure wish I could find that stuff, but I believe it was tossed out in a fit of cleaning one garage-is-too-full day.
So I must do more on the project mentioned in the "contest" as it has a deadline. ooooOOhh was that a hint?
brat!
hugs y'all
denise
Saturday, July 16, 2005
They are done!!
Oh yippeee skippee the pair of birthin' socks is done AND the matching baby booties too! I purchased this yarn last Saturday, Cast on on Sunday, Made the silly mistakes you will see in the pictures below and then on Wednesday morning cast on for the final time for the adult socks. I am modeling them in the picture but they are a bit too long for me. They are very very comfy! Momma and baby should feel good in them. And now the part we all wait for!!!! the pictures!
This is a bunch of cast ons in progress as I worked through the size needles and gauge and number of stitches and yarn combo. the yarn is NOT orange. for some reason the flash was giving me a red creepiness to it. grrr expensive camera and it takes a college course to get it right sometimes!
Top: The first ones cast on using the print off from sock wizard from the LYS. VERY confusing to me and in the size 6 needles which met gauge (at this point I had cast on 3 swatches for gauge) they were too tiny for a mouse! Certainly they were not going to fit the momma to be who's foot is larger than mine
Bottom left: 41 sts cast on with Fizz yarn carried with the Kordall Fancy on size 8 needles. HUGE .... STOP..... REJECT
Bottom Right: size 7 needles 41 sts no open fold over cuff still not what i wanted but getting closer.
FINAL specs
Yarn Kordall Fancy by Laines du Nord in color 1212
needles: size 7 dpns
37 sts
6 rows = 1 "
4.5 sts = 1"
closed cuff
socks are a total combination of the sock wizard pattern printed off for me at the LYS, Fiber Trends house socks pattern by Evelyn A. Clark, and good ole fashion knitting make-it-work-edness! hope you enjoy the pics. I ahve to say this yarn knit up so quickly that I did not mind all the cast ons to get what I wanted. That included 3 cast ons for gauge three additional cast ons for sts count and yarn combination before the 7th cast on resulted in a finished sock! Each sock was knit up through the body of the ankle and some through the heel flap before they were rejected.
Enjoy the pictures! Off to teach quilting class today. Turning 20.
To my viewer they look more mauvey then the peachy tones they truly are. But here are both socks all done! The mommy socks have a semi right and left toe shaping to them. Can't wait to hear from the intendee if it really worked for her feet. they are too long on mine. Good thing too because I might have had to go buy her some pampers or something instead of giving them up!
Thursday, July 14, 2005
How to say this.....
How should I say this? Recently I purchased some Cascade Fixation yarn. I spent quite a bit of knitting time on a Cabled Tube top (pattern by Cascade for Fixation yarn). I just thought you should know, the pattern is not properly written and the yarn did NOT bounce back after being put on. Obviously I cannot send my SP5 the absolutely gorgeous with tons of cables tube top to wear of this as it may be an embarrassment to her in public, IF she even made it out of the house.
So buyer beware of Cascade Fixation Cabled Tube Top pattern and Cascade Fixation yarn.
Yes, I did contact my LYS and no offering was forthcoming to replace the yarn or pattern. I wrote to Cascade and they have not had the courtesy to even acknowledge my complaint.
So now I am feverishly knitting a different giftie for my SP5 and looking at the other project I had cast on for myself and not wanting to put anymore time into that one to have it respond in the same manner as the gift one did--not bouncing back that is.
So now off you go to have a wonderful day. Mine has to go up from here... I've just had a root canal done and that was not fun. Now for a nap so the pain killers can kick in.
knitting forth more cautiously,
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be She's PINK!
So buyer beware of Cascade Fixation Cabled Tube Top pattern and Cascade Fixation yarn.
Yes, I did contact my LYS and no offering was forthcoming to replace the yarn or pattern. I wrote to Cascade and they have not had the courtesy to even acknowledge my complaint.
So now I am feverishly knitting a different giftie for my SP5 and looking at the other project I had cast on for myself and not wanting to put anymore time into that one to have it respond in the same manner as the gift one did--not bouncing back that is.
So now off you go to have a wonderful day. Mine has to go up from here... I've just had a root canal done and that was not fun. Now for a nap so the pain killers can kick in.
knitting forth more cautiously,
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be She's PINK!
Friday, July 08, 2005
Later on more July 8th musings
So I have picked up one of those "gifties" for someone I am making and it dawns on me that I can "air" my feelings regarding this project online here! After all it is MY blog, eh?
I am making the Opera Scarf http://www.blueskyalpacas.com/freepatterns/operascarf.html
I happen to be making it out of Lion Brand's Homespun in sort of a mix of Oatmeal colors as it was clearanced and fit my mood recently. First I made this friend a new purse from it and some Moda Dea. Lovely. I'll post some pictures of it flat later on. Now I am making her a stole to wear when she travels next wednesday to Finland. I figure a Florida gal might need a stole on her shoulders to ward off the weather in Finland which is a wee bit more north than us on the hot weather/globe thingie.
well I cast on 31 stitches. I remember this because I cast on the same number as her age. Got to use every trick you can when knitting with changes so you can recall correctly. Well I started with 31 stitches and nearly 4 feet later I still have 31 stitches. but somewhere along the line I wound up with two of the "gathering areas" not really cables joining and becoming just one gathering area. perhaps in later pics this will make more sense. So how does one start with and still have the same number of pics but wind up with one less gathering area? Now that is a topic of serious contemplation for so late on a Friday night. Good thing I have all weekend to puzzle on it in my mind. Alas, I have only all weekend to get the other 2 feet or so knit on this thing.
How is it that when we have a project on the needles in our hands with a deadline all we can think of is the new projects i want to cast on for? I can't wait to cast on for my knit exchange Bag ( I got a guy!) later on this weekend. But first I need to finish this stole.
work a swatch from the sugar n cream and test kool aid dye it.
work on my secret pal 5 giftie for july so it can mail sometime in this month.
Around that I should be working on my eldest son's b'day quilt. But it has been a work in progress for several years now. I am onto the applique part and I just don't love applique at all.
well i have traveled to quilting so it must be time to get off of here.
now to go and post some pics!
more hugs all
denise
I am making the Opera Scarf http://www.blueskyalpacas.com/freepatterns/operascarf.html
I happen to be making it out of Lion Brand's Homespun in sort of a mix of Oatmeal colors as it was clearanced and fit my mood recently. First I made this friend a new purse from it and some Moda Dea. Lovely. I'll post some pictures of it flat later on. Now I am making her a stole to wear when she travels next wednesday to Finland. I figure a Florida gal might need a stole on her shoulders to ward off the weather in Finland which is a wee bit more north than us on the hot weather/globe thingie.
well I cast on 31 stitches. I remember this because I cast on the same number as her age. Got to use every trick you can when knitting with changes so you can recall correctly. Well I started with 31 stitches and nearly 4 feet later I still have 31 stitches. but somewhere along the line I wound up with two of the "gathering areas" not really cables joining and becoming just one gathering area. perhaps in later pics this will make more sense. So how does one start with and still have the same number of pics but wind up with one less gathering area? Now that is a topic of serious contemplation for so late on a Friday night. Good thing I have all weekend to puzzle on it in my mind. Alas, I have only all weekend to get the other 2 feet or so knit on this thing.
How is it that when we have a project on the needles in our hands with a deadline all we can think of is the new projects i want to cast on for? I can't wait to cast on for my knit exchange Bag ( I got a guy!) later on this weekend. But first I need to finish this stole.
work a swatch from the sugar n cream and test kool aid dye it.
work on my secret pal 5 giftie for july so it can mail sometime in this month.
Around that I should be working on my eldest son's b'day quilt. But it has been a work in progress for several years now. I am onto the applique part and I just don't love applique at all.
well i have traveled to quilting so it must be time to get off of here.
now to go and post some pics!
more hugs all
denise
Confused musings...
Today I made a trip to the LYS. I had a lovely time fondling yarns, some multiple times and finally a few decided to come home with me. It dawns on me that I can't post here what I bought as I purchased for:
~my secret pal 5 (my first time in the group and loving it!)
~something to make for someone in my knitting group and she reads this occasionally i think
~something to make for my sister-in-law because it was such a huge splurge it HAS to be a gift for her LOL
~some more little things for my secret pal 5
~one thing for me that is the same as for my sp5 so I can't say I finally even found one of these
~something for my middle son's gf, Ashley and she just might read this. I know the eldest son's gf, Jen reads this.
So what to write about?
The pending hurricane dennis? It will miss us here in the tampa bay area but we will get wet for a few days starting today. I don't think so it is depressing to think of all the stress I was under last year during Hurricane Season. Like it is a fruit and you can pick it teehee
Should I write about the number things I have OTN? well most are gifties.
How about I tell you about our Tuesday knitting group? We meet at a library that is brand new and we just made a donation to the library and our name, Blooming Knitters 2005 will be on the gorgeous heart that will hang in the lobby. I'll try to remember to bring my camera and take a picture of the wall and later of "our" heart hanging there.
This group is also working on a baby afghan to be donated. we will be using sugar n cream yarn and making 9" blocks. If we each make 3 of them we will have enough for a blanket about 40" x 60".
I can tell you I had a chiropractic adjustment today and one of my muscles is protesting big times. So I am in a lot of pain. hoping to be able to sleep tonight and let the muscle get some "down" time.
I found an odd looking spider on my car cover the other day. It's head looks like it is of silver foil, or more like the tin man's head in Wizard of Oz. its body portion is black and silver striped which go "off" of its head not around its body. hmmmm making sense? i could not find it anywhere on line and I am only reminded of it when I look down at the keyboard because it is in a plastic ziplock baggie sitting on the keyboard! I do NOT like spiders and this one was gratefully already dead when I found it on the car cover. I would have smooshed it too hard to be recognizable if it had not been already deceased!
gosh this is so boring without pictures! okay I'm off to watch Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind while i attempt to download a BUNCH of pics from the camera.
thanks for putting up with my drivel. leave a comment and let me know you read this junk? I'm going to come up with some kind of contest but need to come up with the particulars first.
'til later
knit on!
hugs
denise/deBrat
~my secret pal 5 (my first time in the group and loving it!)
~something to make for someone in my knitting group and she reads this occasionally i think
~something to make for my sister-in-law because it was such a huge splurge it HAS to be a gift for her LOL
~some more little things for my secret pal 5
~one thing for me that is the same as for my sp5 so I can't say I finally even found one of these
~something for my middle son's gf, Ashley and she just might read this. I know the eldest son's gf, Jen reads this.
So what to write about?
The pending hurricane dennis? It will miss us here in the tampa bay area but we will get wet for a few days starting today. I don't think so it is depressing to think of all the stress I was under last year during Hurricane Season. Like it is a fruit and you can pick it teehee
Should I write about the number things I have OTN? well most are gifties.
How about I tell you about our Tuesday knitting group? We meet at a library that is brand new and we just made a donation to the library and our name, Blooming Knitters 2005 will be on the gorgeous heart that will hang in the lobby. I'll try to remember to bring my camera and take a picture of the wall and later of "our" heart hanging there.
This group is also working on a baby afghan to be donated. we will be using sugar n cream yarn and making 9" blocks. If we each make 3 of them we will have enough for a blanket about 40" x 60".
I can tell you I had a chiropractic adjustment today and one of my muscles is protesting big times. So I am in a lot of pain. hoping to be able to sleep tonight and let the muscle get some "down" time.
I found an odd looking spider on my car cover the other day. It's head looks like it is of silver foil, or more like the tin man's head in Wizard of Oz. its body portion is black and silver striped which go "off" of its head not around its body. hmmmm making sense? i could not find it anywhere on line and I am only reminded of it when I look down at the keyboard because it is in a plastic ziplock baggie sitting on the keyboard! I do NOT like spiders and this one was gratefully already dead when I found it on the car cover. I would have smooshed it too hard to be recognizable if it had not been already deceased!
gosh this is so boring without pictures! okay I'm off to watch Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind while i attempt to download a BUNCH of pics from the camera.
thanks for putting up with my drivel. leave a comment and let me know you read this junk? I'm going to come up with some kind of contest but need to come up with the particulars first.
'til later
knit on!
hugs
denise/deBrat
Sunday, July 03, 2005
July 3rd ... musing again
Hey all
Today is Sunday, July 3rd. I managed to have a productive and yet relaxing day today. I caught up on some of my email digests this morning. Then I went to my gf's to use her Stretch sewing machine on a Grace table to quilt a quilt for a quilt student turned friend. all went surprisingly well for the first quilt on the machine and I'm maybe going to fall in love with this thing afterall.
Today is the 2nd anniversary of her father's death and they will remember him tonight by dining on lobster. Poppy LOVED lobster so I told her "nice touch" and then proceded to make sure she had some of that bubbly grape stuff from Sam's Club he liked too. Non-alcoholic. I toasted him with his family on the last b'day he celebrated in December of 2002.
I came home soooo hungry. I had only had 3 peanut butter cookies (store bought of course) this morning and so we had a nice chicken dinner dh had cooked. That is why it was nice, because I did not cook it. I'm a terrible cook. I have burned water! And that is the least harmful and smelling thing I've managed to ruin.
After dinner I went outside to make a cell phone call hoping to chat with my sister in upstate NY but alas they were not home yet. So I went floating in the pool. Well the float is busted so I hugged the pillow insert from the float and sort of ran around the perimeter of the pool chasing whatever bugs managed to kamakazie (sp?) in to making them go into the skimmer. We have an above ground 24 foot across pool. It has served us well.
The neighbor is putting up a screen room on his back cement patio. Perhaps he finds he needs a screen room to PROTECT his patio from my dh and ds as they spent about 1/2 an hour standing there last week when they got caught in the pouring down rain while replacing the fencing between our two yards. Now there is only a small section that has not been replaced yet. Just in time for the Hurricane season to come and try to ripped it all down again.
And now I am sitting here watching some dumb movie requiring no thought processes and updating my blog and knitting on a test bag for the August laptop bag pattern at bag_a_holics@yahoogroups.com this will be really really cute. It is for Jen, my eldest ds's gf. Her b'day is August 1st and I hope to finish it early enough to mail it to her. She loves pink and orange so it is just that LOTS of pink with orange accents.
well again i have no pictures so this is going to bore you to death. I have a LOT of pictures in the digital but that will take me a long long time to download and rename and file appropriately. Maybe tomorrow. we don't leave for the BBQ at Gary's until 3:30pm Sounds like a plan.
Have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July!
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be who found out on Thursday there is a possiblity of twins!
Today is Sunday, July 3rd. I managed to have a productive and yet relaxing day today. I caught up on some of my email digests this morning. Then I went to my gf's to use her Stretch sewing machine on a Grace table to quilt a quilt for a quilt student turned friend. all went surprisingly well for the first quilt on the machine and I'm maybe going to fall in love with this thing afterall.
Today is the 2nd anniversary of her father's death and they will remember him tonight by dining on lobster. Poppy LOVED lobster so I told her "nice touch" and then proceded to make sure she had some of that bubbly grape stuff from Sam's Club he liked too. Non-alcoholic. I toasted him with his family on the last b'day he celebrated in December of 2002.
I came home soooo hungry. I had only had 3 peanut butter cookies (store bought of course) this morning and so we had a nice chicken dinner dh had cooked. That is why it was nice, because I did not cook it. I'm a terrible cook. I have burned water! And that is the least harmful and smelling thing I've managed to ruin.
After dinner I went outside to make a cell phone call hoping to chat with my sister in upstate NY but alas they were not home yet. So I went floating in the pool. Well the float is busted so I hugged the pillow insert from the float and sort of ran around the perimeter of the pool chasing whatever bugs managed to kamakazie (sp?) in to making them go into the skimmer. We have an above ground 24 foot across pool. It has served us well.
The neighbor is putting up a screen room on his back cement patio. Perhaps he finds he needs a screen room to PROTECT his patio from my dh and ds as they spent about 1/2 an hour standing there last week when they got caught in the pouring down rain while replacing the fencing between our two yards. Now there is only a small section that has not been replaced yet. Just in time for the Hurricane season to come and try to ripped it all down again.
And now I am sitting here watching some dumb movie requiring no thought processes and updating my blog and knitting on a test bag for the August laptop bag pattern at bag_a_holics@yahoogroups.com this will be really really cute. It is for Jen, my eldest ds's gf. Her b'day is August 1st and I hope to finish it early enough to mail it to her. She loves pink and orange so it is just that LOTS of pink with orange accents.
well again i have no pictures so this is going to bore you to death. I have a LOT of pictures in the digital but that will take me a long long time to download and rename and file appropriately. Maybe tomorrow. we don't leave for the BBQ at Gary's until 3:30pm Sounds like a plan.
Have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July!
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be who found out on Thursday there is a possiblity of twins!
Monday, June 27, 2005
Blog frustrations....
So here I sit surfing the list of blog sites of the secret pal 5 participants and occassionally I come across a blog I'd like to visit again. But alas, I do not know how to put a link on the side bar of my blog like I see at other blogs. See then this old brain would only have to remember how to get to my own blog and could click on the link.
You may laugh but ummmm it is true. Sometimes in order to view my blog I have to go to my email signature block and click on the link there! Sad sad sad.
I highly doubt anyone actually reads this thing but if you do and you know how to add my blog links I want to keep to the side bar please feel free to speak up. Remember to use not-too-brilliant-at-blogging and been-a-long-time-since-I-wrote-any-coding language, okay?
Well back to the laptop bag testing for Chappy who will be posting her free bag pattern at bag_a_holic@yahoogroups.com in the month of August. So far I have 6 1/2 rows done. Got a lot of knitting to do yet if it will fit the standard laptop after felting.
It would help if I did not get sidetracked by signing up for a knittting exchange bag at knitexchange@yahoogroups.com and work on my first ever lace project at the mysterystolealong@yahoogroups.com and try to finish the winter white stole for my eldest son's gf for their caribbean cruise end of July and have to ready several class samples for the quilt shop where I work two days a week and teach as often as possible...... you get the idea.
I tried not to allow happen to my knitting what happened with my quilting.... I refer to how it took over the house! But alas, after only knitting since November/Dec of 2004 I have already amassed quite the stash of yarns. And HOW is it that each time I think of something new to make late at night, I do not have the proper yarn? Must work on the stash.
I do have some lovely yarns in my stash already but really and truly they are meant for specific projects and all I have is some leftovers in the felting type yarn department that count as stash. And I have a couple of skeins of Magic Stripes yarn that I bought before I discovered Opal yarn for socks! www.ptyarns.com
go there and take a gander at yarns that will make you drool! at the home page you can click on the preview button and see the collection coming out this Fall..... dah rule dah rule in my best daffy duck voice.
Well there are no pictures for loading today so I best get outta here before I bore you to sleep!
have a knitty day and lacking that have a good non-knitty day
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be
You may laugh but ummmm it is true. Sometimes in order to view my blog I have to go to my email signature block and click on the link there! Sad sad sad.
I highly doubt anyone actually reads this thing but if you do and you know how to add my blog links I want to keep to the side bar please feel free to speak up. Remember to use not-too-brilliant-at-blogging and been-a-long-time-since-I-wrote-any-coding language, okay?
Well back to the laptop bag testing for Chappy who will be posting her free bag pattern at bag_a_holic@yahoogroups.com in the month of August. So far I have 6 1/2 rows done. Got a lot of knitting to do yet if it will fit the standard laptop after felting.
It would help if I did not get sidetracked by signing up for a knittting exchange bag at knitexchange@yahoogroups.com and work on my first ever lace project at the mysterystolealong@yahoogroups.com and try to finish the winter white stole for my eldest son's gf for their caribbean cruise end of July and have to ready several class samples for the quilt shop where I work two days a week and teach as often as possible...... you get the idea.
I tried not to allow happen to my knitting what happened with my quilting.... I refer to how it took over the house! But alas, after only knitting since November/Dec of 2004 I have already amassed quite the stash of yarns. And HOW is it that each time I think of something new to make late at night, I do not have the proper yarn? Must work on the stash.
I do have some lovely yarns in my stash already but really and truly they are meant for specific projects and all I have is some leftovers in the felting type yarn department that count as stash. And I have a couple of skeins of Magic Stripes yarn that I bought before I discovered Opal yarn for socks! www.ptyarns.com
go there and take a gander at yarns that will make you drool! at the home page you can click on the preview button and see the collection coming out this Fall..... dah rule dah rule in my best daffy duck voice.
Well there are no pictures for loading today so I best get outta here before I bore you to sleep!
have a knitty day and lacking that have a good non-knitty day
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Sunday Morning Musings..or lazy lazy morning
how is it that I manage to find myself with nothing to watch on tv on a consistent basis? Here it is Sunday morning and I am reading emails and visiting various spinning sites and I had to settle for Red Water on TBS. Well, actually I settled for Red Water because following that one is Deep Blue Sea and as stupid as that movie was when I first saw it I can watch Deep Blue Sea over and over and over again. And No, I have not succumbed to actually purchasing the video or the DVD of it yet. But perhaps Santa will tuck it in my stocking for me.
I own very few VHS tapes and even Fewer DVDs of movies. I'm not sure why. Could be the expense. Could be the commitment I'll feel to watch something over and over again. Could be the money involved. Oh, I said that already LOL
Currently in the collection that I watch over and over again:
Jurassic Park (I love that one)
Jurassic Park III (taped from tv)
MIB
Home Alone (taped from tv)
Armededdon
and the ones i watch rarely:
Face/Off
The mummy
You've got mail
Sliding Doors (interestingly weird by the way)
Deep Impact
Airforce One
Twilight
The Mask of Zorro
My best Friend's Wedding (had real issues with that one the first time I saw it)
Forces of Nature
Wizard of Oz (rarely watched anymore sigh)
Mission Impossible
Hope Floats
Titanic (waste of money, without the big screen effect this one I don't care for)
How To Make an American Quilt (courtesy of my last secret pal on the dj retreats list a yahoo groups list an off-shoot of the dear jane quilt ( www.dearjane.com )
DVD's in no particular order
MIBII
Godzilla
An american President (free with laptop years ago)
Castaway
MI:2
City of Angels
The Perfect Storm
The Sixth Sense
Mona Lisa Smile
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 3
8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (Easter basket present for my son but I watch it more)
These do not include the VHS or DVD's that my husband and son have and combined they may have as many as i just listed. i guess it is a lot but does not feel like it.
I don't even know if you can see a "trend" in the listings provided.
Well enough ramblings on that.
We returned home from a vacation late Friday Afternoon. I'll post just a couple of pics on this blog but the rest will go on the family blog. someone mentioned I have a lot of blogs. Well I have a lot of things going in my life and I like to categorize things. So thus I have a knitting blog (the start of blogging!) a quilting blog (non-existent right now as I have a website for professional things on quilting www.debratdesigns.com still under construction) and a family blog, created so the family members can read all about the happenings in our household complete with tons of pictures but not get lost in all my crafty ramblings. They are, of course, invited to view the crafty blogs too.
hmmm started to give the whole vacation "thing" here so I am going to cut and paste it on the family blog.... see you there :)
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be
I own very few VHS tapes and even Fewer DVDs of movies. I'm not sure why. Could be the expense. Could be the commitment I'll feel to watch something over and over again. Could be the money involved. Oh, I said that already LOL
Currently in the collection that I watch over and over again:
Jurassic Park (I love that one)
Jurassic Park III (taped from tv)
MIB
Home Alone (taped from tv)
Armededdon
and the ones i watch rarely:
Face/Off
The mummy
You've got mail
Sliding Doors (interestingly weird by the way)
Deep Impact
Airforce One
Twilight
The Mask of Zorro
My best Friend's Wedding (had real issues with that one the first time I saw it)
Forces of Nature
Wizard of Oz (rarely watched anymore sigh)
Mission Impossible
Hope Floats
Titanic (waste of money, without the big screen effect this one I don't care for)
How To Make an American Quilt (courtesy of my last secret pal on the dj retreats list a yahoo groups list an off-shoot of the dear jane quilt ( www.dearjane.com )
DVD's in no particular order
MIBII
Godzilla
An american President (free with laptop years ago)
Castaway
MI:2
City of Angels
The Perfect Storm
The Sixth Sense
Mona Lisa Smile
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 3
8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (Easter basket present for my son but I watch it more)
These do not include the VHS or DVD's that my husband and son have and combined they may have as many as i just listed. i guess it is a lot but does not feel like it.
I don't even know if you can see a "trend" in the listings provided.
Well enough ramblings on that.
We returned home from a vacation late Friday Afternoon. I'll post just a couple of pics on this blog but the rest will go on the family blog. someone mentioned I have a lot of blogs. Well I have a lot of things going in my life and I like to categorize things. So thus I have a knitting blog (the start of blogging!) a quilting blog (non-existent right now as I have a website for professional things on quilting www.debratdesigns.com still under construction) and a family blog, created so the family members can read all about the happenings in our household complete with tons of pictures but not get lost in all my crafty ramblings. They are, of course, invited to view the crafty blogs too.
hmmm started to give the whole vacation "thing" here so I am going to cut and paste it on the family blog.... see you there :)
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Continental Knitting and Purling the deBrat way?
okay so I'm not sure I do this "correctly" but I get the proper results so far so going with it. Video is courtesy of my 17 yo (see debratsfamily blog) and not sure how this will work out on a "blog" but I'll try it.
wish me luck!
denise/deBRAT
wish me luck!
denise/deBRAT
Monday, May 23, 2005
Sunday, May 22, 2005
It is done and not a moment too soon!
I have finished the Entrelac test bag for the bag_a_holic list at yahoo groups' November, or is it October bag? Having never done Entrelac before I was a perfect tester for this bag LOL But who knew how long it would take me? It took over 4 hours (closer to 5 on most rounds) to do each different colored round of diamonds on this bag. I am a sloooow knitter.
So now that I have gotten this bag done and felted I am moving on to another project. One that may take as long to do but is just plain ole knitting! It is a shawl in Berocco Chinchilla cream. At first I meant to make the #5 project in the berocco booklet with the hairpin lace featured on the front... but i did not like it done that way and decided to just knit and knit and knit 45 stitches on size 8 needles until I get the length I like or run out of yarn. But this yarn is sooo hard to work with. One of the ladies in my Tuesday night group, Sonya I think, mentioned it was hard to work with and she was right. If I had to actually count anything I would never be able to "see" it.
Okay now the details on the bag and the attempts to post the pictures while writing about it. sigh this blogging is an ongoing learning experience.
humpf i have to go back to the other way so I will post this and then try to order my "posts" by changing the time of posting later on to see if I can "re-order" them properly that way.
see you soon after posting!
denise aka grandma brattie-to-be
So now that I have gotten this bag done and felted I am moving on to another project. One that may take as long to do but is just plain ole knitting! It is a shawl in Berocco Chinchilla cream. At first I meant to make the #5 project in the berocco booklet with the hairpin lace featured on the front... but i did not like it done that way and decided to just knit and knit and knit 45 stitches on size 8 needles until I get the length I like or run out of yarn. But this yarn is sooo hard to work with. One of the ladies in my Tuesday night group, Sonya I think, mentioned it was hard to work with and she was right. If I had to actually count anything I would never be able to "see" it.
Okay now the details on the bag and the attempts to post the pictures while writing about it. sigh this blogging is an ongoing learning experience.
humpf i have to go back to the other way so I will post this and then try to order my "posts" by changing the time of posting later on to see if I can "re-order" them properly that way.
see you soon after posting!
denise aka grandma brattie-to-be
This is a terrible picture of it but it is hanging in the bathroom after felting and it is stuffed with a bunch of plastic grocery bags and one plastic hanger. I have not measured it after felting yet that will come tomorrow I think. It is an "interesting" bag. I don't care for how wide it is but I enjoyed making it and learning a new technique to do so. I dream of a similarly koolaid dyed entrelac sleeveless shell and then some very light weight and billowy sheer skirt to wear them both with! Perhaps a very long chiffon scarf that has been hand dyed to match too just blowing in the wind! Now that is a lovely "picture" but in reality I'd be tripping on said chiffon scarf or it would manage to strangle me in the wind! hope you enjoyed this bag and to get the pattern you will need to join Bag_A_holics on yahoo groups before October or is it November? LOL Happy knitting all and now back to Star Wars episode II which is truly the 4th released and more knitting on the shawl. ~denise aka grandma brattie-to-be
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Life is a Beach Bag!
the Life is a Beach Bag (designed by KyleAnn Williams of KyleannsKreations.com
The basketball is in the picture to show just how big this bag is! I will hold a lot of good stuff for the beach or it will hold a large knitting project. After realising that it was too big to gift to my mother in law for mother's day (see below for what she did get) I had procrastinated on finishing the cording for the handles.
Then while on the phone with my ds (dear sister) she mentioned that she likes her bags big because her knitting projects are large items. Bingo! A home for said bag. So I will be sending it up to her for all the wonderful things she has been doing for me while I get started in knitting and spinning! now if she is reading this then the surprise will be gone but the bag is so lovely that it will still be a surprise in some form.
knitting hugs
denise/debrat
aka Grandma Brattie-to-be
A close up of the heathering from stranding one cream and one lavender cascade 220. You can also see a close up of the NOT felted handles made with Embellish Knit! Purchased at JoAnn's with my 40% off coupon making it worth a try. It does make cording worthy of replacing the labor intensive I-cord but you must be cautious as you make it.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Kool Aid Dyeing Yarn Adventure
Okay, so my knitpicks wool of the andes arrived late yesterday afternoon but dh was home so could not play with it until this morning. Many lessons learned about Kool Aid dyeing yarn today. Tyring to put it in a nutshell so we can get to the eye-candy!
~ when sending 17 yo son to store for vinegar be VERY clear what you are saying. Mom saying "get the one that is less per ounce" seems to have equated to get less ounces than a gallon! LOL It worked out in the end and I think it is funny but he still does not "get" it. Oh and before you get too excited about his side of things thinking he was soooo nice to drive to the grocery store for the vinegar and kool aid do realise that he got to drive the Miata when he went.
~Kool aid dyeing needs more than one package per skein but I am happy with the color I got using just one package of kool aid as ds (dear son) had already gone to the store when I found the online site that mentioned using 4 packages per skein! eeeks that is a ton of kool aid.
~Kool aid dyeing of yarn is much different then dyeing fabric with procion dyes! MUCH different. Less mess. less staining of my fingers/hands. and TONS less rinsing of the yarn! With fabric it could take what felt like forever to do the rinseing only part.
~Kool aid dyeing of yarn takes much less TIME then dyeing fabric.
-It took me 30 minutes to mix the vinegar and the powder in ziplock bags and stuffing the yarn in and making sure it was covered and soaked well with a spaghetti grabber spoon. Fabric can take you for ever to mix the dye baths.
-I let the plastic bags sit in the sun for about 2 1/2 hours but only because I was doing other things and loss track of time. the water that was left in the bag was clear before I left them in the sun!
-Rinsing took so little time that if I was experience at this I could have had the yarn arrive at the house at 4 pm and had the stuff all laid out to dry by 6 pm when dh (dear husband) got home.
~Kool aid DRYING of yarn takes a bit longer as I can't just stuff it in the dryer or I'll have a very long time of UNtangling the mess that will exit the dryer. But that is okay. I can see it outside my window as I type this.
So the only two negatives I can come with are:
1) I have to look at it out the window to make sure the nesting blue jays don't decide it will make a nice perch as it is drying on their favorite chairs and looking mighty colorful and tempting too!
2) I may not have the same color control over the mixing of colors that I always had when working with the procions but I can always drag those out to use but I suspect that I have enough Kool Aid colors to get along jsut fine without messing with the chemicals.
bonus negative? I realise that the 11 skeins of wool of the andes was not near enough and I wish I had ordered a LOT more.
The other 4 skeins are for playing with color striping and the next order will be lots of the 220 wool and a couple of skeins of the sock weight yarn too!
oh dear we have created a monster!
okay now for the pics! enjoy and do try the kool aid dyeing OH and I have a color you can't get Scary Blackberry which is very old leftover seasonal koolaid i found in the cupboard that i thought i had thrown away.
NOW I'm off to load the pics!
happy knitting
denise aka grandma brattie to be
PS if i did this right, this should now post on top of the photos which are in the order I want them (backwards to post remember) but i have not yet gotten used to writing them backwards. So the first pic of the three bags says "more colors" LOL and they are the first picture of the close up bags.... sigh.... maybe some day... but then I have had a cell phone for over 10 years and I can't put a new number into my address book very easily and I did not get my first text message to "go" yesterday when I needed it to reach my son..... more sighing... and I think of myself as a "young" grandma Ha!
~ when sending 17 yo son to store for vinegar be VERY clear what you are saying. Mom saying "get the one that is less per ounce" seems to have equated to get less ounces than a gallon! LOL It worked out in the end and I think it is funny but he still does not "get" it. Oh and before you get too excited about his side of things thinking he was soooo nice to drive to the grocery store for the vinegar and kool aid do realise that he got to drive the Miata when he went.
~Kool aid dyeing needs more than one package per skein but I am happy with the color I got using just one package of kool aid as ds (dear son) had already gone to the store when I found the online site that mentioned using 4 packages per skein! eeeks that is a ton of kool aid.
~Kool aid dyeing of yarn is much different then dyeing fabric with procion dyes! MUCH different. Less mess. less staining of my fingers/hands. and TONS less rinsing of the yarn! With fabric it could take what felt like forever to do the rinseing only part.
~Kool aid dyeing of yarn takes much less TIME then dyeing fabric.
-It took me 30 minutes to mix the vinegar and the powder in ziplock bags and stuffing the yarn in and making sure it was covered and soaked well with a spaghetti grabber spoon. Fabric can take you for ever to mix the dye baths.
-I let the plastic bags sit in the sun for about 2 1/2 hours but only because I was doing other things and loss track of time. the water that was left in the bag was clear before I left them in the sun!
-Rinsing took so little time that if I was experience at this I could have had the yarn arrive at the house at 4 pm and had the stuff all laid out to dry by 6 pm when dh (dear husband) got home.
~Kool aid DRYING of yarn takes a bit longer as I can't just stuff it in the dryer or I'll have a very long time of UNtangling the mess that will exit the dryer. But that is okay. I can see it outside my window as I type this.
So the only two negatives I can come with are:
1) I have to look at it out the window to make sure the nesting blue jays don't decide it will make a nice perch as it is drying on their favorite chairs and looking mighty colorful and tempting too!
2) I may not have the same color control over the mixing of colors that I always had when working with the procions but I can always drag those out to use but I suspect that I have enough Kool Aid colors to get along jsut fine without messing with the chemicals.
bonus negative? I realise that the 11 skeins of wool of the andes was not near enough and I wish I had ordered a LOT more.
The other 4 skeins are for playing with color striping and the next order will be lots of the 220 wool and a couple of skeins of the sock weight yarn too!
oh dear we have created a monster!
okay now for the pics! enjoy and do try the kool aid dyeing OH and I have a color you can't get Scary Blackberry which is very old leftover seasonal koolaid i found in the cupboard that i thought i had thrown away.
NOW I'm off to load the pics!
happy knitting
denise aka grandma brattie to be
PS if i did this right, this should now post on top of the photos which are in the order I want them (backwards to post remember) but i have not yet gotten used to writing them backwards. So the first pic of the three bags says "more colors" LOL and they are the first picture of the close up bags.... sigh.... maybe some day... but then I have had a cell phone for over 10 years and I can't put a new number into my address book very easily and I did not get my first text message to "go" yesterday when I needed it to reach my son..... more sighing... and I think of myself as a "young" grandma Ha!
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
And then the REAL order of things
Okay so below you will see that my if, then theory is correct but uncorrectable! So let me give you all the stuff about what you are about to view below and then tell me if you agree with me or not....
Mother in Law's Mother's Day gift details:
PATTERN Sophie bag by Julie Anderson for Black Sheep Bags www.magknits.com/warm04/patterns/sophie.htm
YARNS
Cascade 220 9408
http://www.cascadeyarn.com/cascade-220.asp
Melissa 10
http://www.ericas.com/yarn/melissa.htm
HANDLES
Clover Bag's & Tote's HandlesU-shaped marble (brown) Art no 6335
http://www.fabricsunlimited.net/batouhabycl.html
All purchased from Knit 'n Knibble in Tampa Florida
www.knitnknibble.com
NEEDLES
size 10 1/2" 16" circulars (Denise's literally)
MARKERS/COUNTERS
bits of leftover bright pink cascade and one row counter
Here are the differences from the pattern as posted at
www.magknits.com/warm04/patterns/sophie.htm
I started to decrease earlier as someone on one of my knitting lists mentioned they did that and liked it better. I could not put my hands on the print out of that woman's email so I just decreased at rows: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 50
[Note: I added the Melissa in at rwo 43 after the decrease at row 42.]
Then I knit one more row and used an I-cord bind off
Don't know how to tell you the "number" of stitches but I knit 3 then knit 2 together and then slip the stitches back on to the left needle and knit 3 together and knit 2 together and so on and so on.
Sorry don't know of a link for that one I use a combination of the actual I-cord instructions found here
http://knitting.about.com/library/blicord.htm
and the I-cord bind off directions in a hand out pattern at Knit 'n Knibble (Autumn Tote) that I did not understand without the online directions... makes no sense but if you think of it I-cord is soooo confusing until you "get" it smirk
No one can tell me what to do when I get to the end of my I-cord bind off so when I can no longer knit in the pattern (in the above case I'm down to just 4 stitches) I then knit 2 stitches then slip the first stitch on the right needle over the 2nd stitch. then knit another stitch and now slip again until left with one stitch. cut yarn leaving about 8" of yarn. Pull through loop on needle. The 8" of yarn leaves you plenty to attach the bound off edge to the start of your I-cord bind off and work in the tails.
The pre-felting measurements are in one of the "ordered" posts below as are the after felting measurements. What I forgot to say in one of them is that when it was all felted it had a "waistline" better than I've ever seen on this body and it just begged to be folded down over the bag! That made it just right and I could not have been more pleased with the finished bag.
The brown cascade 220 has a slight heathering look to it that does not show up much in as you work with it but it showed up NICELY in the felted bag! What a bonus that turned out to be.
FELTING
12 minutes in a pillowcase and nothing else in the washer on hot with one pot of hot boiling water added to the water and a bit of Dawn detergent. ummm that gave me a scare because I had not added that before and it looked like I would become a suds action disaster in my garage!
rinsed
6 minutes again all alone in the washer and it was just right for my tastes.
It is now stuffed with plastic Winn Dixie bags and upside down on a canning jar on my dining table drying! I'll add the handles after it is dry and make a final decision as to whether or not to add a decorative button or beads on the folded down area of the bag. I think a trip to Wannabead Tampa Florida (conveniently located near Heritage Quilt and Needlework where I work and teach) to test lay out some stones/beads on it.
so now.... on to the pictures and the writings.
have a marvelous day filled with God's Blessings
denise aka grandma brattie-to-be
Mother in Law's Mother's Day gift details:
PATTERN Sophie bag by Julie Anderson for Black Sheep Bags www.magknits.com/warm04/patterns/sophie.htm
YARNS
Cascade 220 9408
http://www.cascadeyarn.com/cascade-220.asp
Melissa 10
http://www.ericas.com/yarn/melissa.htm
HANDLES
Clover Bag's & Tote's HandlesU-shaped marble (brown) Art no 6335
http://www.fabricsunlimited.net/batouhabycl.html
All purchased from Knit 'n Knibble in Tampa Florida
www.knitnknibble.com
NEEDLES
size 10 1/2" 16" circulars (Denise's literally)
MARKERS/COUNTERS
bits of leftover bright pink cascade and one row counter
Here are the differences from the pattern as posted at
www.magknits.com/warm04/patterns/sophie.htm
I started to decrease earlier as someone on one of my knitting lists mentioned they did that and liked it better. I could not put my hands on the print out of that woman's email so I just decreased at rows: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 50
[Note: I added the Melissa in at rwo 43 after the decrease at row 42.]
Then I knit one more row and used an I-cord bind off
Don't know how to tell you the "number" of stitches but I knit 3 then knit 2 together and then slip the stitches back on to the left needle and knit 3 together and knit 2 together and so on and so on.
Sorry don't know of a link for that one I use a combination of the actual I-cord instructions found here
http://knitting.about.com/library/blicord.htm
and the I-cord bind off directions in a hand out pattern at Knit 'n Knibble (Autumn Tote) that I did not understand without the online directions... makes no sense but if you think of it I-cord is soooo confusing until you "get" it smirk
No one can tell me what to do when I get to the end of my I-cord bind off so when I can no longer knit in the pattern (in the above case I'm down to just 4 stitches) I then knit 2 stitches then slip the first stitch on the right needle over the 2nd stitch. then knit another stitch and now slip again until left with one stitch. cut yarn leaving about 8" of yarn. Pull through loop on needle. The 8" of yarn leaves you plenty to attach the bound off edge to the start of your I-cord bind off and work in the tails.
The pre-felting measurements are in one of the "ordered" posts below as are the after felting measurements. What I forgot to say in one of them is that when it was all felted it had a "waistline" better than I've ever seen on this body and it just begged to be folded down over the bag! That made it just right and I could not have been more pleased with the finished bag.
The brown cascade 220 has a slight heathering look to it that does not show up much in as you work with it but it showed up NICELY in the felted bag! What a bonus that turned out to be.
FELTING
12 minutes in a pillowcase and nothing else in the washer on hot with one pot of hot boiling water added to the water and a bit of Dawn detergent. ummm that gave me a scare because I had not added that before and it looked like I would become a suds action disaster in my garage!
rinsed
6 minutes again all alone in the washer and it was just right for my tastes.
It is now stuffed with plastic Winn Dixie bags and upside down on a canning jar on my dining table drying! I'll add the handles after it is dry and make a final decision as to whether or not to add a decorative button or beads on the folded down area of the bag. I think a trip to Wannabead Tampa Florida (conveniently located near Heritage Quilt and Needlework where I work and teach) to test lay out some stones/beads on it.
so now.... on to the pictures and the writings.
have a marvelous day filled with God's Blessings
denise aka grandma brattie-to-be
Mother in Law's Mother's Day present felted bag
And now ...drum roll please.... this post to enable the last post to show up! It has also come to my attention that when i post a series of things using Hello from Picasa I end up missing the last thing I posted (which would be the TOP thing) so I am posting this comment to make sure my other "last" post shows up! And now that i have put this in writing like this of course this post will show up.... don't you think?
hmmm have to figure out how to upload these from the camera AND turn them so they are right side up in the blog... you canNOT teach an old grandma-to-be new tricks it appears. this is a pic of the bag before felting. it measures approximately 8" across at the top of the bag; 14" wide at the widest part of the bag; and 15" tall. I actually made this bag TWICE already as I ripped this one bag after finding more than one hole-making-mistake in it!
close up of the finished felting with the mixed yarns. nice in person, sucky picture, and this is from a $1,000 camera? eeeek! of course they would blame that on operator error. who me? surely not me who messed up this shot. but of course I am posting this before the ones you have already read and two of those are "golden" to say the least in their hue.... sigh.... not a good technical week....i'll just blame it all on becoming a grandma to be! teehee
Trying to get the pictures in a LOGICAL order here. According to my previous results if we read from top to bottom.. but it posts from bottom to top.... then (Gosh this sounds like an if then theory and that sounds like school!) then I need to post the last thing first and the first thing last so it reads logically.... ummmm sure sounds right to me....
Monday, May 02, 2005
Monday, April 25, 2005
Woohoo! I'm going to be a grandma! And these are the first booties I'm knitting for dear grandchild due 11/28. I am so excited. Can you tell? This is the tiniest project I have ever knit. I don't know if I can make it through a whole pair of these so small things. Too small needles, too small yarn and too few stitch count. But for this first grandchild anything is possible. I wish for you dear little one to be, the moon the stars and everything for thee. - love grandma brattie
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Recently I mentioned on several of my lists that I was making belts for my sister in law. Here is a pick of the 4 I sent. Top is made from Noro Kureyon. It is a horseshoe cable. I did not care to work with this yarn. It felt nasty and did not felt up as nicely as the Cascade did, though I have to take part of that blame on me for not making it "loose" enough to cause friction and to shrink. Of the four it is the one my dsil likes 2nd best. next down is a gorgeous scarf/belt made from Eros Glitz. It is soooo 70's LOL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)