Commissions and Crunches

In addition to knitting projects for my own enjoyment, I completed several commission projects this semester as well.

HeeBee Beret:
One of my Resident Assistants, HeeBee, really liked the berets that I had made for myself. She asked if I could make her one in purples and greys. Berets being nearly as fast as beanies, I agreed. I made it out of KnitPicks Imagination in Arabian Nights. She really liked it, and received a ton of compliments!

Flame Beret {Photo Pending}:
One of the people who really liked HeeBee's beret was her really good friend Flame. Flame asked if I would make her a beret as well. She picked a yarn that I had in the stash. It was a jewel tone variegated Hacho from Mirasol Peru. (The yarn has been discontinued...so I bought scads of it in various colors on clearance at Knit This Purl That...LOVE THIS YARN!!!) Flame is classically beautiful in an old Hollywood sort of way. She looked great in the beret.

Dr. and Mrs. Boss Socks:
As previously blogged, Dr. Boss commissioned a couple of pairs of socks. Things got a little hairy with both pairs because I was using a self striping yarn. I am a little uptight, and had determined that the stripes on both pairs had to match perfectly. It was a bit of a headache, but worth it in the end. Overall Mrs. Dr. Boss's socks were a breeze. Lovely football knitting. Lovely airplane knitting as well. Dr. Boss's socks, on the other hand, not as joyous.(Note to self: Man Socks take FOREVER. I thought I would never finish those boogers.) I was very concerned that I was going to run out of yarn. In the end both pairs turned out beautifully, and were appreciated by their recipients.


A Capella Beanie and Scarf {Photo Pending}:
Sister has a really good friend that I met when I was visiting out there. SNC was heading up to Chicago for a Straight No Chaser concert...I think it is about the 1000th she has gone to. Chicago = Cold. SNC knew I knit (how could she not, I was doing it constantly while I was there) and asked if I could make her a plum hat and scarf. I took a pattern that I have been developing (The Hypothetical Beanie) and converted it into a scarf pattern, and made the matching beanie. I really liked the way they turned out. Hopefully SNC did as well.

A Couple of the projects I made for others can only be called Crunches! They were last minute, looming deadline, oh no I totally need to get these done NOW!!!

Wedding Knitting {No Photo, Cause They Are Gifts}:
BFF's younger sister is getting married this next week. I had asked her months ago what her kitchen colors were so that I could knit her dishcloths. But...then I kept postponing making them. Fast forward to last week. One of my residents goes to church with BFF's parents in Houston, and had agreed to act as my own personal UPS truck. She was going to take BFF's Christmas presents home with her at the end of the semester...WHOOPS! I had less than a week to get the wedding dishcloths done! Ack! Luckily they are quick knits...I made up 2 Movie Theater Dishcloths I...finishing them the night before they had to leave town! That was cutting it a wee bit close. I hope she likes them!

Argyle Beanie:
Argyle, one of my fellow RDs, is spending part of the winter break in Washington, D.C. It gets quite cold there, and Argyle does NOT like being cold. We were standing in the main office discussing holiday plans, when he turned to me and asked me if I had any spare beanies in my gift stash, and if so how much they cost. I told him that I certainly did, and quoted him a price. He pulled out the cash and said he wanted a grey or black one. I took the cash and went back to my apartment, where to my horror I realized that the grey beanie I thought was in the stash had actually been used as an emergency birthday gift a month or so earlier. OH NO! I took money under false pretenses! Luckily for me, I had dark grey yarn languishing in my stash. I cast on a version of the Knox beanie on a Thursday afternoon, and finished it before bed that night. It was a close call though...

Recuperating

Well, I am over my fever...hooray!

I was able to get a little bit of knitting done yesterday afternoon, but it was hard.

I needed a project that required next to no brain cells.

I also wanted to make sure that it was one that was okay to knit while sick...one that would be impervious to germs.

I ended up making a dishcloth. For myself.

Today I went back to work, and am doing MUCH better. So, tonight I jumped back on my Christmas queue...actually finished one project that I had started last week, and did a second one start to finish. Unfortunately, these are not bloggable since they are gifts...

Productivity. It's a beautiful thing.

Spur Of The Moment

When I moved down here from WA, as previously mentioned, the church I attended gave me lovely parting gifts. In that basket, there were 2 skeins of orange Cascade Sierra Quatro [191 yds; 80% Cotton, 20% Merino].

These were causing me a bit of a dilemma because:
1. They were skeins and my swift was packed in storage.
2. There were two of them...which is too much for a scarf, and not enough for a sweater.
3. They were cotton, and the only things I ever make out of cotton are dishcloths and burp rags.

Last weekend, my nostepinde, swift, and I were able to take care of dilemma #1...leaving #2 and #3.

Fine, I thought. I will knit a set of dishcloths for myself. I should be able to get 5 or 6, and can try out some new patterns. (I also figured I would make new samples of Movie Theater Dishcloths I, II, and III that matched the blog colors better.)

I cast on Movie Theater Dishcloth I.

I started knitting.

I got to the point where I was supposed to start decreasing, and looked at what I had. It was a miniature kerchief. I had a spur of the moment thought:

What if I just kept increasing until I ran out of yarn...

...well, it turns out you get a pretty nifty shawl!

(When I decided to switch over to a shawl, I ripped it out and recast on with some changes to the cast on, needle size, etc. I will write it up with adjustments and post it next time!)

Winning Them Over...One Dishcloth at a Time!

I have a co-worker, Candid, whom I adore, who can be...well...a wee bit snarky...which might be why I enjoy her so much. She says what she thinks, bluntly and honestly...if you ask her opinion, you have to be sure you want it because there will be no sugar coating.

She has been quite honest with me about my knitting. She thinks it is perfectly ridiculous for someone young, such as myself, to sit at home knitting and watching movies. She is not exactly a knitting nay-sayer, because she thinks it is fine that I know how to knit, and has even admired things that I have made...she mostly just objects to the frequency of my knitting.

Candid once commented that she didn't understand my dishcloths. She is a sponge sort of gal. She thought they were too pretty to use, and frankly a waste of time. I assured her they were quite utilitarian, more sanitary than a sponge, and completely washable. Then I asked her what color her kitchen things were.

I made her a quick dishcloth out of tan cotton in the Movie Theater I pattern. She took it home, washed some dishes, came back, and agreed that it did work...but that she was reserving judgment until she had washed it.

Now she can't stop RAVING about how wonderful it is. Not only does it wash, it actually works better now that it has been washed a time or two. She can't imagine why she ever used a sponge.

Another knitting nay-sayer won over! (2.3 billion left to go!)

Supersonic Superknitter!

Today was the last day of camp. Which was kind of sad. I had a great, albeit exhausting, time.

However...camp ending doesn't mean that counselors can just skedaddle. No! We have end of camp duties, like cabin checks, and camper checks, etc. Which would be fine if that was all I had to do today.

But it wasn't.

Immediately following camp, I had to (without breaking the law) speed home, shower (cause I was dirty having spent a week at camp), and then continue down the freeway to a wedding. (It was a nice wedding too, not one of those backyard flip flop affairs...I had to put some effort into my appearance!)

I made it though, and the wedding was lovely. The bride was beautiful.

But, you may be wondering, what does all this have to do with knitting? Isn't this a knitting blog?

Well, of course it is. The bride, Starlet, and groom are now the proud owners of a set of 4 dishcloths. (Along with coordinating fancy schmancy dish soap and a pair of rubber gloves...I am all about coordinating gifts!)

(To further complain...I went straight from the wedding to Brother and Sis-In-Law's house. Any excuse to get out of doing camp laundry!)

The Camp Dilemma

I am, as of 6:00 pm yesterday, on vacation until 9:00 am on July 16th.

I will spend the majority of this vacation as a counselor at the Northern California Florida College Booster Camp in Felton, CA. I am VERY excited. This is my first time ever being a counselor, and I am also going to be one of four team leaders for sports! (I know, that is totally out of character...athletics are not my strong point...but Director says I only have to cheer/coordinate kids, not actually participate!)

The camp dilemma is...knitting.

The issue isn't whether or not I will knit. I don't think I could actually make it the whole week without knitting. The issues are what I will be knitting and how many projects I should take.

I had planned on taking Blondie's graduation/going away present to work on, but that may get a little large for carting around to sports fields. I also thought I would take a pair of socks, of the plain boring brain-free variety, which would be smaller. Still, neither one is very good for the possibly dirty/dusty conditions. Also, well, I know me. If people see me knitting (which they will), and want to try, I will have to teach. There may be dozens of young folk just begging to be taught. I can't teach them on a sock. I can't let newbies work on Blondie's present. What to do?

I guess I can take several spare sets of size 6 and 7 needles and a bag of dishcloth yarn. It would be cheap, and a dishcloth could feasibly be doable for a kid in a week.

If I take too much yarn I won't have room for clothes. This could be a problem.

(Another problem may be blogging...not sure how that will work out without a computer...although I will have my iphone...maybe we will just have VERY brief entries!)

Movie Theater Dishcloth III

This is yet another easy dishcloth pattern for great brain-free movie theater knitting. It is definitely more complex than the other two, and should absolutely be cast on before the lights dim. However, unlike Movie Theater Dishcloth II, you don't need to know which row you are on since every row is the same. (And, like all dishcloths, this makes a great gift!)



Movie Theater Dishcloth III

Finished Size: 8"x8"

1 - 2 oz ball of 100% cotton worsted weight (Another great use of self striping yarn!)
1 - US size 7 circular needle (I recommend using at least a 16" since it starts out fairly long. You can switch to a shorter circular or even straights toward the end if you like.)
3 - stitch markers or bits of scrap yarn

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch

Cast on 40 stitches. Place marker. Cast on an additional 40 stitches. Place marker. Cast on an additional 40 stitches. Place marker.Cast on an additional 40 stitches. (160 stitches total, 3 markers total.)
Every Row: [K1, K2Tog, YO, K2Tog, Knit to Marker, Slip Marker.]Repeat to end of row.
Repeat this row until there are only 4 stitches between the markers.
Finishing Row 1: [K2Tog, K2 Tog, Remove Marker.] Repeat to end of row.
Finishing Row 2: [K2 Tog.] Repeat to end of row.
Trim yarn to 12". Thread through live stitches and pull tight.
Use remaining tail to seam up the diagonal edge.
Weave in ends, block if desired, clean dirty dishes.

(This pattern is original with me, in that I haven't seen it anywhere else! It came about when I was trying to complete a set for a wedding present. I had a self striping yarn and was trying to show off the striping differently in each cloth. I had one that was diagonal, one that was mitered, one that was straight, and then tried to figure out how to do this box style!)

Movie Theater Dishcloth II

This is another pattern for a simple dishcloth that also makes for great brain-free knitting at a movie theater. This one is a little more complex, in that you have to quasi-pay attention to whether you are on an odd or even row. Also, unlike Movie Theater Dishcloth I, it is probably best to cast this one on before the lights dim since you need to count and accurately place the marker!I just look at where my cast on tail is though to keep it straight...still really easy. (Also, again, makes a great gift!)



Movie Theater Dishcloth II

Finished Size: 8"x8"

1 - 2 oz ball of 100% cotton worsted weight (Another great use of self striping yarn!)
1 - pair US size 7 straight needles
1 - stitch marker or bit of scrap yarn

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch

Cast on 40 stitches. Place marker. Cast on an additional 40 stitches. (80 stitches total)
Row 1 (and every odd row): Knit to marker. Slip marker. Knit to end
Row 2 (and every even row): Knit until 2 before marker. K2Tog. Slip marker. K2Tog. Knit to end.
Repeat until there are 4 stitches on the needle.
K2Tog. Remove Marker. K2Tog.
K2Tog. Trim yarn. Thread tail through remaining stitch. Pull tight.

Weave in ends, block if desired, clean dirty dishes.

(This pattern is sort of original with me, since I don't remember seeing it anywhere else as a dishcloth. However, mitered squares are, again, common patterns, so I still can't really take credit for it!)

Movie Theater Dishcloth I

This is a pattern for a simple dishcloth that is great brain-free knitting at a movie theater. Not only is it an easy pattern, but it is small enough to stash in your purse! They are fast knits too! I finished 3/4 of one of these during Up on Sunday night. (Great gift idea!)



Movie Theater Dishcloth I

Finished Size: 8"x8"

1 - 2 oz ball of 100% cotton worsted weight (Such as Sugar'n Cream...it is especially fun to use a self-striping yarn like I did in the sample!)
1 - pair US size 7 straight needles

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch

Cast on 4 stitches
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: K2, YO, K2
Row 3: K2, YO, K to end.
Repeat Row 3 until there are 56 stitches on the needle (53 rows)
Row 54: K1, K2Tog, YO, K2Tog, K to end
Repeat Row 54 until there are 4 stitches on the needle.
Knit one row
Cast off 4 stitches

Weave in ends, block if desired, clean dirty dishes.

(This pattern is not original with me, but I don't remember where I first saw it. It is a common pattern...kind of like a garter stitch scarf, so no one can really take credit for it!)

Swamped

I had 27 people show up to the knitting program at the library Wednesday night.

Let me repeat that:

27 PEOPLE

And not just 27 knitters to sit around and chat and knit. No.

I had 27 brand spanking new beginners who could barely tell the needles from the yarn!

This was unexpected.

27 knitters...and me. (And a lovely teen volunteer who happened to know how to knit and was a good sport about helping me at the last minute...I totally owe her a coffee cup cozy!)

We knew there was going to be a big turn out based on the PR and the amount of response we had been getting. (And the number of supply sheets I had to print out!) Yet, I did not freak out. I did not have a panic attack...

Until the power point projector did not recognize that my laptop was connected to it even though clearly it was...I thought it might be the type of cable I was using, so I rushed home (mercifully without getting a ticket for breaking the sound barrier) and grabbed every single connector that I owned. I got back 10 minutes before I was supposed to start. It didn't matter. Nothing worked.

That's ok. I took a deep breath and decided to pretend that I don't have a diagnosed stress disorder for which I have been medicated in the past. I pasted a smile on my face, pulled out my wonking huge demonstration needles, and went to work.

By the end of the evening, we had all made great progress...and everyone was knitting:



(The real shame is that I spent 5-6 hours working on that power point presentation...I even had NorCalGal email me a photo of her first dishcloth to include in it...that slide show was a thing of beauty I assure you! I am tempted to go ahead and post it here in the next week or so...I would just need to record the voiceovers...We'll see...)

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.

Knitting + Beer Bread = Bliss

Tonight Broseph came over to help me finish with the move. But, since Twilight had been over on Thursday and today was my day off, I was pretty much finished. All that was left to do was hang artwork. After being surprised at how MUCH artwork I had, there wasn't a whole lot for Broseph to do. (Although, I did ask him to open a pickle jar that I had been trying to open all week...there are some things you just need a guy for...)

Once we had all the stuff on the walls, and had eaten some pizza, we decided to watch Music and Lyrics and decompress. I put some beer bread in the over and sat down to...KNIT!!!

It was glorious.

I wove the ends into 2 dishcloths that are samples for library programs:



I wove the ends into the 2 commissioned baby burp rags:



I wove the end into the first bunny burp buddy:



...and then I finished the second bunny burp buddy:



And then I ate some beer bread. Warm. With Butter. And Honey.

It was AMAZING: spending time with a friend, on my orange couch, knitting lots, eating fresh baked bread, in my own apartment, with my own pictures smiling down from the walls. Life is good.

Withdrawal

I have knit a total of 10 rows of one dishcloth since I moved.

I did reorganize the craft closet, but have just had too much to do around the apartment to find even 15 minutes in which to knit.

The 10 rows I did get done only got done because I happened to have the dishcloth in my desk at work, and things quieted down enough for me to actually take my break.

I need to knit.

I am going through withdrawal.

...maybe tonight?

Dishcloths, Dishcloths, Dishcloths

The adult services librarian at work has asked me to plan an adult version of my Get Knittin'@The Library Teen Program since so many adults were disappointed to learn they weren't welcome at the teen one. (Well, of course you're not...what fun would that be for teens if old people showed up? Hence the title: Teen Program! Anyway...)

I agreed, and we chose a night in June. I have made up the flyers and supply sheets. Since it is the summer, I thought that a scarf would not really be appealing. Instead, we are going with my old standby: the dishcloth. Fast, fun, AND functional. What more could you want?

While I have several in the gift stash that I could have used as samples, I realized that most of them were stitch pattern swatches. Since I am only having the ladies garter stitch, these could have been construed as false advertising. (distraught student: but I thought my dishcloth was going to be lacy/multicolored/heavily textured. sheepish teacher: nope...I was just too lazy to make a proper class sample.)

So, now I have yet another project to add to the queue. Luckily, I have plenty of yarn just lying around. At least when I get these finished I will be able to toss them into the gift stash. Or, now that I think about it, if I make them the right color, they can be my wedding gift for DEA and Songbird! Hooray for multi-purposing!

If Only I Had Some Cotton...

I was sorting my stash during a school lecture today, so that I could take a chunk of it back to the storage unit.

While sorting I came across enough cotton to make dishcloths for an entire subdivision and burp rags for an entire maternity ward:



I think I can put the kibosh on cotton purchases for a good long while.

On the other hand, I am teaching another knitting class at the library in June. This time it is for adults, and this time we are making dishcloths. So, see? These aren't impulse buys, these are work related purchases! (Isn't justification a wonderful thing!?!)

Stash

I have a sizable yarn collection.

Not necessarily enough to open my own shop...but enough.

Every trunk, basket, and purse-not-currently-in-use has yarn in it. I also have several (smallish) tubs in my craft room closet.

But it is not my yarn stash that I am most proud of...it is my secret shelf stash of completed projects.

There are times, such as during movies or grad school lectures, when I want to knit but need to not be thinking about my knitting. At these times, I resort to a simple scarf, dishcloth, or coffee cup cozy. As a result, I have a surplus of scarves, dishcloths, and coffee cup cozies. These are all placed on the bottom shelf of the lawyer's bookcase in my bedroom. I have tissue paper affixed to the inside of the glass door so nosy visitors can't see in. This way when a gift giving occasion arises, I can go "shopping" in the stash!

One would think that this would cut down on the yarn and projects I purchase. But that is not the case. The downfall in the system is that if I remember that a gift giving occasion is on the way, I plan a special project and shop for it before I shop the stash.

Still, the stash has gotten me out of more than one jam...like when someone gives me something for Christmas when I hadn't realized we had reached the gift-exchange level in the friendship...

I highly recommend the stash...

...it goes perfectly with my enormous greeting card cache!

Gauge

I am having gauge issues on a scarf I am designing. I know what I want the basic pattern to be, but am having a tough time making it mathematically work out to the correct dimensions.

Frustration.

There are reasons I was an English major. Its not that I can't do math...I just prefer not to.

If I knit the scarf the way I have it written, it will be very pretty, but very short! More an elongated dishcloth than a scarf.

So...back to the drawing board.

Does anybody have a calculator?