Last Post of 2016!

Been busy cooking.  Always starting new project and trying to finish projects too.  I also won a $100 gift certificate giveaway by Backyard Fiberworks on Instagram!  I can't wait to get the yarn.

My last handspun yarn for the year.  I won't start another one till Jan 2017.

I love this pattern for wash clothes.  This is my second one and I have yarn enough for 2 more.  Great use of the cotton bon bons I got last Christmas.

Another Christmas ornament that uses the bon bon yarns.  Great small free pattern.

My hat.  I need to finish it before its 2017.  My third one from the same pattern.

My felted slippers!  I have to knit another pair for my daughter and then I hope I don't have to knit it again for a while.

My husband likes slippers.  This is his third pair.  Just in time since the last one had a hole that I covered and then the other slipper developed a hole too!

It Only took 3 years

I finally finished these gloves!  I started these when I started working at Jo Ann.  They are made with Patons North America Silk Bamboo.  I didn't like the amount of knots in the yarn.  It's only 102 yards per skein but there would be at least 3 knots.  These took forever because while I was working there wasn't much time to knit.  Cables aren't hard but they take time and some concentration to make them right.  I am really glad though to finished them finally.  I'm trying really hard this year to finish up some of my long lasting projects (ones that are 2 years old and still not done).  Pattern:   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sweet-partings

Same Old Same Old

I'm still working on washing all my handspun yarn.  I had a big bag and probably have 2 more washes to do.  I do about 6 yarns at one time so that is about 24 skeins to wash.  I haven't taken on any more new projects because I have SO many WIP that I need to finish.  I have a couple of Christmas gifts and would love to finish this shark scarf so hubby can wear it this fall/winter.

Needle: Size 4 Circular
Yarn:  Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids and Quatro Colors in Steel and Marine
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/save-the-sharks-argyle-scarf

I'm almost done these socks for hubby too.  Good thing he doesn't like long cuffs (not like my Father-In-Laws 7" of cuff Christmas socks).

Needles:  Size 2 circular
Yarn:   The Verdant Gryphon Bugga! in Western Corsair?
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/golly-2

Can't Help It!

I really need to be finishing up projects and not starting new ones.  I found this free pattern that would be great for my luxury handspun yarn that is 200 yards or less.  It's hard to find a nice pattern that needs less then 400 yards for a shawl.  I don't care for shawlettes.  I do so love knitting with my handspun.

Needle:  Size 6 circular
Yarn:  PS baby alpaca/superfine merino roving TLS ROSE HIP JELLY, PS BFL Silk Bellissima, JulieSpins Roving: 80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon Silver Maple and  

PS handcarded mixed fibre batts Bella
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/diving-in-recipe

 

 

 

Heels Turned

I got around to turning the heels on my 2 pair of socks.  They will make great travelling knitting.  The complicated part is turn the heel after that its easy.  I don't mind shawls but most of my WIP are full of charts (which are not easy to do while travelling).  I have a double knit that isn't too hard but trying to keep to yarn cakes from tangling isn't a good thing while travelling either.

Needles:  Size 2 circular
Yarn:   The Verdant Gryphon Bugga! in Western Corsair?
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/golly-2

Needles:  Size 0 circulars
Yarn:  JulieSpins MN400 Merino/Nylon in Cherry with Sprinkles
Pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sprucey-lucy

Hubby's Shark Scarf

This is my first double knit project that I started May 2014 and I hope to finish before winter 2015.  My hubby loves sharks so he is excited to get this scarf.  The problem is that in an hour I might get 3 rows done.  The pattern is very well written and once I wrote out the pattern for the repeat argyle pattern it went faster.  You have to knit the first stitch and then purl in the other color.  It gets more complicated when I get to end when it will say the same phrases in Chinese.

Pattern:   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/save-the-sharks-argyle-scarf

Yarn:  Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro Colors in Steel and Marine

Now I Have a Horse Request!

It took me an hour to make this last night.  Good thing I know about how a shark looks to put the fins right.  I think the designer meant them to be knitted in the row but the instructions weren't clear.  I would have stuffed it earlier but was waiting for the instructions to say when.  I managed to stuff it while I still had 3 stitches on the needle.  It's done in size 6 with worsted weight.  Pattern is here:  http://mimulusknit.blogspot.com/2009/12/im-dreaming-of-great-white-christmas.html  I've been asked to do a horse next.  Off to search Ravelry for a pattern!

My First Felted Project!

They are still big but then again hubby has big feet.  I had to look up instructions on the Internet for how to felt in a front load washer.  I could do it by hand but it sound like a lot of work.  The key was hot/cold cycle.  I don't know if I would do the same cycle.  It said it was 99 min.  It was washing for a good 30+ min at least.  I might try a different cycle but change the spin and water type.  It's pretty felted with very little definition of the stitches.  Now for hubby to try them on and see what he thinks.  Again here is the pattern:  http://pilgrimpurse.blogspot.com/2011/12/knit-felt-slippers-for-adults.html

Finally Finished the Last of Christmas Knitting!

 

 

These still need to be felted.  It will be interesting since I have a front load washer.  I will have to do some research or figure out how to hand felt them.  Here is the pattern:  http://pilgrimpurse.blogspot.com/2011/12/knit-felt-slippers-for-adults.html

 



 

This just needs to be washed and blocked.  Here is the pattern for it:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/20-cornucopias-shawlette-or-scarf

Now to see how many of the 15 WIP I can finished before the end of the year!

Knitting Process

I have a tendency to use a lot of index cards.  Lost of times there is no need to print out a pattern.  If its short I can just write it out on an index card which goes right into the project bag.  Here is one.  I write the needle size so I can remember where to return it.  Some are so well used that the needles doesn't have the size on it any more.  I also write down how many rows and any changes so I can note it down on my Ravelry project page.  I helps me if I do the same pattern and a few people have found it helpful seeing my notes.  This pattern didn't tell me how many decrease rows so I wrote it down.  I also noted the hours so I can figure out my rate to price my handknits.  Here is the finally project.

Here is my project page:  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/AtPlayWithFiber/blank-canvas
Here is the pattern:  http://emmasanimalcreations.weebly.com/1/post/2014/05/free-pattern-blank-canvas.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is a link to some great fiber/pattern sales for the weekend:  http://www.marlybird.com/black-friday-cyber-monday-deals-2/

By the way here is the pattern for the turkey:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tiny-turkey

Squirrel!! By That I Mean Distractions

"Squirrel!" gets yelled out at our house.  It refers to Dug the dog in the movie "Up".  He's a dog and squirrels distract him.  I'm very much like Dug when it comes to crafting (or my husband would say "life in general").  I should be focusing on finishing Christmas gifts as I have probably said in the last few posts.  I also spend too much time on Ravelry.  Anyway, one of my favorite publishers Cooperative Press is doing a KAL (knit-a-long).  http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/cooperative-press/3078452/1-25#19

She has a free pattern up and the deal is that its basically a pattern for a scarf.  Free pattern here:   http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/icehouse

Now she would like people to knit it up but you can knit it up as a cowl, hat, double knit or any way you like.  A shawl came to my mind and below is my idea and a page of the pattern (its like 3 or 4 pages long!).