Finally, I tried it...

Yes, I finally broke down and created my own pattern. It is just a washcloth, but it's a start. It's a very simple pattern- some of you may recognize it as the "Triforce" from the Zelda Nintendo games. I used Excel to draw out the pattern and then wrote the instructions from that. Then of course, I had to try it out, so here it is in all its glory! Ha ha ha. If you are interested in a copy of the pattern, send me an email with "zelda pattern" in the subject line. I know, I know, the picture is not great...but you get the idea.

11 Balls of Yarn

Yesterday, I knitted this afghan on the size 50 needles. I used up a bunch of yarn- 11 skeins- that had been bought because it was on sale or because I had a purpose for it (at the time). Anyway, I thought it would turn out really ugly because I was just hodge-podgin', but it actually looks kind of nice. It's a good little size for covering up while you're watching a movie from the couch, or curled up in a chair with a good book....etc. I mostly made it to get rid of some of that yarn that I would probably never use for anything else so that I didn't have quite so much to move when I move the yarn over into its new home in the "remodeled" closet.

On the Needles Again...

OK, I haven't really been off the needles, but I have been working on this shawl that is taking me forever because the rows are really long now and they get even longer every fourth one and my shoulders have been bothering me, so I can only sit and do about 4 rows at a time. The good news is there are only 31 rows left...so maybe I'll have it done by the end of August. I have to put on the decorative edging too. It's going to be the purtiest shawl ever when it's done. Anyway, in the meantime, I took a break from the shawl and knitted this cute little round pillow. It turned out very nice. It is a combination of Bernat Softee Chunky and somebody's fun fur stuff that I got for $1 at Big Lots. It's a rather small pillow, just for decoaration. I think I might add a tassel onto each side to spruce it up.

Turtles and Kittens

Here is a little basket-bed that I just made yesterday for my cousin's new little kitten. I put "Fat-Fat" in there to model it! It turned out really cute, and it's nice and thick because I used two super-bulky yarns together.
This is Soapy the Turtle. I got the pattern from Knitting Pattern Central. He was fun to make, and I stuffed him with one of my homemade soaps (that's the plastic wrapper sticking out under his head) and sent it off to my turtle-loving cousin (not the one with the kitten).

Knitting Again...

I've sort of been in a knitting slump (hence the lack of posts)...it's not that I haven't been knitting, it's just that I haven't exactly completed anything I've been knitting. I made a shrug-and have yet to sew it together. I started a baby blanket. Started a bolero vest. Those are still on the needles. But meanwhile, here are 2 washcloths I made using the Log Cabin Knitting technique I learned from the new book I got, Mason-Dixon Knitting. There is a lot of good stuff in that book, so I recommend it. The other book I got, Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, was somewhat of a disappointment. Probably only one or two things in it I would ever consider making. Oh well.

Not your ordinary hat...

Here is little Oliver in the hat I made him for Christmas. Innit cute? Saw the pattern in adult size and smalled it down for him. He just had to have THAT hat. That's his Grandma holding him.

Warm Up America

Last night during the Superbowl, DIY Network had a "Knit-In". They showed Knitty Gritty episodes from 5-11, and encouraged watchers to knit squares to be donated to Warm Up America. Between myself, Mom and Aunt Sandy, we came up with 8 squares! Aren't they lovely? I think this is a really great use for those acrylic yarns that seem to pile up- you know, they get used for one little thing and then sit there. Well, here ya go. If you have an hour or two, you can have a square! Warm Up America puts them together into blankets, which they then donate to people who need them. "These afghans have been donated to victims of natural disasters, battered women's shelters, the homeless, and others in need. These items provide warmth and comfort to people who have lost their homes, fled abusive relations, or are being cared for in hospices, shelters, hospitals, and nursing homes. Agencies to which the Foundation has donated afghans include:
Women's shelters
Nursing homes
Children's hospitals
Hospitals and hospices
Daycare centers
Veterans' homes
Churches
AIDS facilities
Homeless shelters
American Red Cross chapters "

Fifty-Cent Slippers

Delilah was over today, and SINCE I always make her take her shoes off to get on the couch, and SINCE I just got a new tiny-people's slipper pattern, I decided to make her up a pair. So, I knitted while she played on the computer, watched cartoons, ate her lunch and played with some scrap yarn. I got the skein of yarn in the Target Dollar Spot quite some time ago, and I used about half the skein for the slippers- hence the title. They turned out really cute, and she wore them around after they were made until she had to leave. I think I will have to figure out how to adapt this pattern to my size.

Hi, my name is Rachael, and I'm a Yarn-a-holic...

OK, when I keep talking about my huge pile of yarn, this is what I mean. I have been knitting like crazy since about October, and still I have all this. It doesn't get used up as quickly as one might hope. I have made hats (about 18), slippers (2 pair), a shawl, a toddler sweater, an afghan (using 4 skeins and size 50's), and a couple dishcloths and various other things here and there. I've even knitted a few scarves on my fingers! And all that didn't even seem to make a dent in this pile! Ah well, I'll just keep on knitting......

And this- my first "buy the ugly sweater from the thrift store just for the yarn". As you can see it is a lovely hot pink. The yarn is a chenille type-nice and heavy. Not 100% sure what I'm going to do with this just yet, but I have been reading about "recycling" ugly sweaters lately and wanted to try. So far I've got the one sleeve off and started unraveling it- and found that it is actually 2 strands together, so that opens up some different possibilities for the resulting yarn. Hmmm.....

Finally, a Sweater!

Here is a picture of Little Delilah wearing "The sweater that Aunt Rachael sewed for me". And that's her mom with her in the picture. The little sweater turned out cute- a little stretchy, but maybe it'll be better once it gets washed. I made it using Bernat Softee Chunky and size 11 needles and followed a pattern for an infant sweater that called for worsted weight and size 10. The pattern was in the new book I got, One-Skein Wonders. Obviously, I used more than one skein, since I made it bigger and because I had both colors and wanted to use them up. I've been knitting other things too...some slippers, a stuffed piggy, working on yet another blanket. Anything to use up this huge pile of yarn!

Speed Stix

Yesterday, I finally went out and bought myself a pair of size 50 knitting needles. I thought it would help me use up this monstrous pile of yarn more quickly and I was right. I started this afghan about 3:30pm and finished it at about 12:30am, with a few small breaks (you know, dinner and stuff). The Lionbrand website's patterns for Speed Stix afghans were mostly just stockinette stitch, and started with casting on thirty-something stitches. Well, boring! But the number of stitches gave me an idea. I pulled out my "Dischcloths from the Heart" book and picked out a pattern. I chose the seed stitch heart- it might be kinda hard to see in the pic, but it turned out great. The only thing I changed was to add some rows on either end to make it rectangular instead of square. And it used up 4 skeins of yarn!! Hooray!