FYI

It takes me approximately 1.5 episodes of NCIS (on DVD/commercial free) to knit a coffee cup cozy.

Expanding Clientele

Miss-A and I went to Starbucks this afternoon. (I know. What a shocker!)

While we were waiting for our drinks Red, the barista working the beverage line, asked Miss-A if she had made Bubbly's coffee cup cozy. Miss-A, being an honest soul, said it had been me.

Red turned to me, squealed, and started raving about how adorable it was. She said that Bubbly told her I made them for people.

I said I did, but quoted her my price. I was hesitant. It isn't a lot of money, but it isn't exactly cheap either. Would the fact that I charge be a deterrent?

Red said that the cost was not a problem. The cozy was reusable, and totally worth it. Besides, it would inspire jealousy in all who saw it.

I asked her what color she wanted. She thought for a minute, and requested oranges or rusts. She said she didn't mind a variegated cozy, but she really liked orange.

Wow. Orange. THAT is going to be SOOOO hard to find in my stash!

I found out her work schedule, and we arranged a delivery date. She offered to pay in advance, but I said she could pay when I brought it in, just in case she didn't like the color.

See! I knew this would happen! By making Bubbly a cozy, and comping it for her, I received free advertising and a whole new venue/clientele. First the baristas will buy, then maybe eventually the customers! Woo-hoo!

Be Kind To Your Barista Day

...actually, I have no idea if there already is such a holiday...but I am proclaiming that yesterday was "International Treat Your Starbucks Barista To A Really Nice Gift Day"!

Every time Miss-A and I walk over to the Starbucks near the library (which would be daily), the baristas comment on our lovely hand knit and felted coffee cup cozies. (You may recall the insane knit-one-for-every-coworker jag I went on last Christmas...that lasted till MLK Jr. Day?)

One barista in particular, Bubbly, has gone beyond commenting to coveting.

So, I asked her what her favorite color was.

She didn't have one, she apparently loves ALL colors.

I asked what type of colors she preferred...jewel tones, brights, rainbows, autumn.

She answered yes.

So, I just found some colorful Noro that was sitting in my coffee cup cozy scrap wool bag and knit her up a cozy.

...she offered to pay for it...but I said this first one was on me...

...she said I made her day.

In the end, isn't that what knitting is all about? Spreading warmth and joy to the masses?

Innovation on the Fly

I had some yarn left over from Jester's latest beret. Since it was Cascade 220, and therefore feltable, I thought about using it to crank out a couple of coffee cup cozies.

It was very pretty yarn, with various colored plies twisted together.

I got ready to cast on my coffee cup cozy, and then my mind wandered...

...what would happen if I cast on an oversized coffee cup cozy and made it into a hat?

And thus the Java Beanie was born.

Because the stitch pattern I use on the coffee cup cozies is an offset rib, it made the decreases on this hat, well, a wee bit interesting. I actually did quite a bit of tinking and frogging as I worked on it.

Also, that very pretty yarn didn't exactly show up the actual pattern at all.

Still, it is a nice hat. And it fits well. I may try again with a solid yarn and see if I can refine the decrease process a bit. The other option would be to *gasp* try a top down hat.

MLK Gifts

I love my coworkers.

I love Christmas.

I love giving gifts.

There was no way on earth that I was going to be able to give my coworkers Christmas gifts. The Christmas queue...alas...I was just not up to it.

Also, since I work at the library, we tend to celebrate non-controversial, not at all associated with any religion, government ordained, holidays.

So...I decided to make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day gifts for everyone.

What to make was obvious...since we walk to Starbucks almost everyday...

Happy MLK, Jr. Day San Ramon Library Employees!

Finally Feeling Festive

Yesterday, my day off, I put up all of my Christmas decorations: the garlands, the wreaths, the tree!

(In order to do so, I had to rearrange ALL of the furniture in the living room...I actually like it better this way, so I will probably leave it like this...the fact that my couch is REALLY heavy has nothing to do with it!)

So, tonight I am sitting here knitting in my muck luck slipper socks and snowflake pj pants. My Christmas tree lights are twinkling, Karen Carpenter's voice is singing, and a mug of peppermint hot chocolate sits at my elbow (with marshmallows)...I finally feel festive! I might just put on the Muppet Christmas Special when the CD ends.

Part of my joyous mood might also stem from the fact that I am 3/4's done with my Christmas Queue! And that includes the crazy commissions I have taken on!

Pumpkin Toilet Paper Cozy

Nothing is sadder than a naked roll of toilet paper sitting on the toilet tank. To solve this problem, dress your TP in it's autumnal best! The ribs in the cozy imitate the ridges in a standard pumpkin.

Pumpkin Toilet Paper Cozy Pattern


Finished Size: Fits Standard Toilet Paper Roll

1 - 2 oz ball of orange 100% cotton worsted weight [MC]
Small amount of green worsted weight [CC]
1 - 16" circular US size 6 needle
1 - 16" circular US size 6 needle, or 1 set of double points when needed.

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch

Cast on 70 stitches onto circular needle, join for working in the round
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: K5, P2* (Repeat to end of round)
Repeat Row 6 until cozy measures 4.75" from cast on edge, or try it on a roll of toilet paper, knitting should equal the roll width

Begin decreases, switching to two circulars or double points when necessary

Row 1: K2tog, K3, P2* Repeat to end of round
Row 2: K4, P2* Repeat to end of round
Row 3: K2, SSK, P2* Repeat to end of round
Row 4: K3, P2* Repeat to end of round
Row 5: K2tog, K1, P2* Repeat to end of round
Row 6: K2, P2* Repeat to end of round
Row 7: K2, P2tog* Repeat to end of round
Row 8: K2, P1* Repeat to end of round
Row 9: K2tog, P1* Repeat to end of round (14 Stitches remain)
Change to CC
Knit even for 6 rows
Decrease Row: K2tog* Repeat to end of round (7 stitches)
Decrease Row: K1, K2tog, K1, K2 tog, K1 (5 stitches)

Cut off yarn, and use a darning needle to thread tail through live stitches, pull tight.

Weave in ends. Block on roll of toilet paper overnight to acheive proper shape.

Enjoy!

Colors: I used Peaches & Creme #11 Sunburst and #53 Verde Green

Broken Heaters

I got a text message from Vodka last week.

This is not unusual. We text a lot.

This particular message had the basics: she misses me, how is my life, we need to get together...

It also gave the interesting update that she loves her new job in Berkeley, but that the heater in her office building is broken.

The poor thing is freezing.

(Not to mention the fact that she has to take BART into work, and BART stations and trains are COLD!)

She needed wrist warmers. So, I obliged! (Actually, this was my ultimate frisbee project.)

We decided on olive green, since it goes with just about every other color. It wouldn't show BART dirt and grime as much as some colors. And finally, it just seems to be a good serviceable color that won't fade out! Why else is it used in so many military uniforms?

Depending on how this pair works out for her, and how soon they fix the heat at her work, I may be making more!

The Wearing of Handknits Begets the Wanting of Handknits

I loaned JoNo my handknit wrist warmer gauntlets during my brother's Halloween party for his rock star costume...the black ones that go all the way up to my elbows. As the evening wore on, a lot of us ended up around the fire pit in the back yard. I was in a toga, and therefore cold. JoNo, the epitome of a gentleman, gave me my gauntlets back to keep my arms warm.

Tenn was also out at the fire pit, and also dressed as a rock star. She was wearing black STORE BOUGHT wrist warmers that barely covered her wrists. We started talking about how much we liked wrist warmers. Both of us tend to get very cold, and the wrist warmers allow us to stay warm but still work/type/knit. The next day, as we were both shivering in the back of Brother's car, wrist warmers came up again. She asked about commissioning a pair, I quoted her a price, she accepted it, and we settled on a color. We also discovered that our hands/arms are the same size, so I didn't need to take measurements.

I delivered the wrist warmers stayed with Tenn last weekend when I was in town for the ultimate frisbee tournament (cheering/knitting...not participating...see the previous post). They are a lovely shade of dove grey. I think she was pleased, considering that she didn't want to take them off!

(Unfortunately, in all the weekend hubbub, I did not get a picture of her wearing them...)

It strikes me that had I not been wearing the wrist warmers on Halloween, Tenn would never have known about them, and never have asked for a set, and I would not have the commission fee to put toward stash building. (Especially since *GASP* I did not knit at all at the Halloween party...I know, the mind reels! How was that even possible?)

Conclusion: The wearing of handknits begets the wanting of handknits...sometimes my best advertising is me!

Interlude of Supreme Silliness

What do you give the woman who has everything?



A knitted sushi toilet paper roll cozy of course!



Happy Birthday Mama L!

Testing the Appliances

I have, in the past week, knit 4 coffee cup cozies.

I know.

I'm crazy.

Or at least, I have way too much free time on my hands.

Personally, I blame the knee injury. I have no choice but to sit on my couch and knit while Fred and Ginger dance across my television screen.

Still, I figured that this was a good opportunity to test out the felting abilities of my new apartment's washer and dryer.

And the gift stash rejoices!

Weirdest Request Ever

I meant to post this eons ago...but I never got the pictures. I am tired of waiting, and at camp, and too tired to write a new post, so here you go:

The Friday before Christmas, at an ornament exchange for church, my friend Psych came up to me and made a request. I had given her an IOU for a handknit on her birthday, and she had finally decided what she wanted. It was the strangest, and most fun-to-execute, request that I have ever received.

It seems that her husband, Preacher, has an insanely disgusting big toe on one foot from years of playing soccer. I have never seen the toe in all its glory, but apparently it can make small children cry. While sitting on the couch together, Preacher jokingly told Psych that he should have me knit him a cozy for his toe. (This makes sense in light of that fact that whenever I am at their house...which is often (Monday night bible studies, Tuesday night American Idol, random game nights, movie nights, holiday parties, etc)...I am knitting something. They both thought this was funny. Psych decided to act on it.

She wondered if I could knit a cozy for his toe in time for her to stick it in his Christmas Stocking. I said sure...how long could it take? I actually got it done in time to slip it to her at church on Sunday. It was actually REALLY easy. I basically just made a teeny tiny elongated hat. I even got fancy and put rugby stripes on it for that manly edge.

Apparently it was a hit! Preacher said I should try marketing them to soccer players, because most of the ones he knows also have nasty toes. (Maybe ballerinas, too.) I could start a whole line of toe cozies that would enable people everywhere to continue to wear flip-flops without the nerdiness or overly-warm nature of a full sock/sandal combo!

Samples Samples Samples

I have been working hard to have a respectable number of dishcloth samples for my program tonight. I have 2 that are actually the pattern I am teaching them, and then two that require knowledge of a YO and a K2TOG.

Had this been a year ago...or better yet the day before the 2007 company Christmas gift exchange...I would have had SCADS to show the students from my gift stash. Sadly, having most of my stuff in storage, in combination with the deluge of incoming babies, has totally depleted the stash.

So, instead of going to my handy dandy shelf, I have been scrounging in my kitchen drawers for examples that are not TOO TOO grungy. I also have decided out of desperation to take along a couple of burp rags...they are essentially the same thing anyway.

This whole adventure has led me to two conclusions:
1. I really need to work on beefing up the gift stash again...I mean seriously...there is only ONE coffee cup cozy in there.
2. I am in dire need of some new dishcloths for my own use. Honestly, some of these are shameful.

I Love To Felt!

Tonight I finally buckled down and made up the two purses I had waiting, and wove the ends into a couple of coffee cup cozies!

That means just one thing...

FELTING TIME!!!

I love doing this!

The Scarf That Went With Everything!

I needed to knit something for myself. I know that this sounds horribly selfish, but every now and then it's true.

I spend so much time knitting for other people, and gladly doing so, that sometimes I neglect my own warmth needs. (The exception here is socks. With very few exceptions, socks are ALWAYS for me.) Still, it is like the old saying about the cobbler's children going barefoot. I get cold, and have nothing with which to wrap my neck. At this statement I fully expect everyone I know who has seen the bin-o-scarves to burst into uncontrolled laughter...the thing is that the bin has a lot of scarves, but they are all very outfit specific. I don't have just a good go with everything scarf.

Or at least I didn't...until now.

I was reading "The Blog" back in November and, since the Yarn Harlot is essentially the mother ship/inspiration for all knitting bloggers/She-Who-Is-Without-Equal/my knitting idol, fell in love with the scarf she was making. Granted, she called it a fad from a year ago, but I must have had my head in the proverbial sand when it was going around (or just been totally caught up with moving to CA).

I went to my LYS and picked up some Noro.

I started the scarf.(Pattern is available here. Misplaced the ball bands, so am not 100% sure, but I think I used #08 and #284.)

Other projects got in the way, but I continued to work on the scarf. It was fun, not knowing what color was going to pop up next. I only had to break the yarn once due to the stripes bleeding together too much.

It was even the project I was working on at New Years.

Well, I finally finished it. And just in time, too, for my trip to Washington DC. I wore it with pride all day on Saturday, and have worn it several times since I got back. It is amazing. It literally goes with EVERYTHING I own. It has every color in it, and can work with the brown neutrals or the grey neutrals. It can look dressy enough with a sweater for church on Sunday morning, and at the same time is casualy enough to go with jeans and sneakers for walking around. I LOVE IT. I am thinking of making a beanie out of the left overs.

In my head I have already knit several more of these lovely things in my head, including a very masculine one for one of the guys in my family. (Now I just have to get through a few more stash projects so I can justify purchasing the yarn for said scarves. They are addictive!)