Saturday, January 29, 2011

Spectacular Sky


I don't often get the opportunity to watch the sun come up.

Yes, I drive to work in the dark and unlock in the dark, but usually, I am so engrossed in email and voicemail that I miss the beauty of a sunrise.

This morning's was especially beautiful. This photo does not do it justice and color correction didn't help.



You're just going to have to imagine it. Sorry.

It looks like it might be a wonderful (snowless) weekend, though I am not holding my breath. There's another storm heading up the coast, scheduled to arrive Tuesday.

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// posted by Ann @ 1/29/2011 07:17:00 AM 2 comments

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Big Foot and Little Foot




Just a little something(s) going in the Valentine's box for TPO and TPT.

Yarn: Moda Dea Washable Wool, Patterns (Big Foot) Nola's Knitted Slippers from the Seaman's Church Institute website, single stranded, size 5 needles, and (Little Foot) booties from Morehouse Farms Merino Knits, Baby Blanket with Booties and Hat, also on size 5 needles.

Quick and easy.

You could whip up a pair for this year's Heet the Feet campaign for Cheyenne River Reservation! Deadline (self-imposed) is February 15.

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// posted by Ann @ 1/25/2011 08:15:00 PM 0 comments

Sunday, January 23, 2011

All Those Ends

One hundred twelve. Ends To Weave In.

Usually, I would weave as I knit, but not this time. Narrow tubes on double pointed needles. Nah. It's hard enough to keep from losing stitches.

All in all, though, a pretty good sweater. It should warm a child nicely. It will go out in the mail on Monday or Tuesday with some other stuff I need to mail.

The particulars: Worsted weight wool odd balls including Patons Classic Wool, Lily Sugar and Cream 100% Wool, and Panda Woolbale. Pattern from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater patterns. Size 30" chest. Size 7 needles.



My concern about the jog at the color changes was (mostly) unfounded.

The purl bumb disguises it somewhat and it's under the arm (down the side), so not "front and center."

I have lots of wooly stuff left, but other deadlines to meet, so this will be my last effort for this campaign. If you have the time, wool, and inclination, won't you consider warming a child you may will never meet?

And now, for something completely different. . . Stay tuned!

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// posted by Ann @ 1/23/2011 08:47:00 AM 2 comments

Friday, January 21, 2011

No Pictures, Some Reviews

Short and to the point:

Movies: Duck Here's what Netlix said: "Esteemed character actor Philip Baker Hall scores a rare star turn as Arthur Pratt, a lonely widower whose life finds renewed purpose when a duckling mistakes him for his mother. Together, this odd couple wanders Los Angeles on foot, searching for a new home." Here's what we thought: 1* (because there isn't anything lower!) Depressing, sad. Old guy adopts cute duckling, gets evicted, lives in the woods. Duck gets big, no longer cute. Maybe it got better, but we bailed after 30 minutes.

Books: Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson. The New York Times said "As “Stones Into Schools” chronicles the institute’s work, it captures the physical and political landscapes of Afghanistan in ways that make it exceptionally timely and compelling." Where's the "agree" button? It's a wonderful follow-up to Three Cups of Tea. Buy it. Read it! Learn from it!!

The weather: No one but me commenting here. Winter sucks! Big time.

That is all.

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// posted by Ann @ 1/21/2011 04:08:00 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Odds and Ends

A call for additional warm woolies (especially sweaters for 7-16 year olds) from A4A prompted me to dig into my wool odd ball bin for some coordinating yarns.

What I found was some well-aged Patons Classic Wool in Evergreen, Navy, and Burgundy, and some slightly less-aged Rich Red.

I teamed those up with some Lily Sugar and Cream 100% wool (talk about well-aged!) in Dark Green, and some Panda Woolbale, also navy.


Next, I dragged out Ann Budd's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns and checked to see how big I could make my sweater with the yarn on hand (30", it turns out, so somewhere about a kid's size 10-12 depending on ease).

Then, I cast on. And you can see where I am going with random stripes on the body. (Click on the picture to make it bigger.) I'm almost ready to bind off the underarms and start the sleeves.


Okay, confession: I started one sleeve and finished the cuff (car knitting) but I still have about 12" of tube to knit and another to make before I join everything and I still need to decide: round yoke or raglan. . .

Here's how I am creating the pattern: using random numbers of rounds of each color, I purl the round when changing colors. I like the purl bump change over. The texture is neat! The only side issue is, well, the side. I haven't figured out a good way to do a jogless jog at the color changes when the stitch is p, not k.

We are experiencing a snow day (or rather an ice day) here in eastern Pennsylvania. The Other Half ventured out to drive to work. I am sitting and knitting because we have a 2 hour delay at my work. It's pretty nasty out there.

Have I ever mentioned how much I despise winter?

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// posted by Ann @ 1/18/2011 07:00:00 AM 0 comments

Sunday, January 16, 2011

And a Hat To Match




Here's Ugly Baby modeling a matching hat for the Rambling Rows Jacket.


I used the pattern found here with the following modifications. Instead of 2 strands of worsted weight and size 11 needles, I used 1 strand and size 7. I made a total of 6 wedges, 2 of each color. Before seaming, I picked up stitches along the bottom edge and knit 3 rows, ending on the wrong side Then I bound off loosely in purl, seamed it carefully and called it a wrap hat.








Ugly baby's looks have not improved with age. Just sayin'.





.

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// posted by Ann @ 1/16/2011 05:03:00 AM 0 comments

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Committing

Since I have now committed in public (okay, bloglic) to making 11 sweaters this year from stash, I guess that I had best start figuring out what they will be.

The requested sweaters are a no-brainer.

1) a Wonderful Wallaby (Cottage Creations) in a lovely machine wash woo/bamboo blend in deep purple

2) a summer cardigan in Moda Dea Silk 'n Wool (also purple)

3) February Lady Sweater (this one has been in the planning stages for at least 18 months, possibly longer) in Needful London Tweed in a dusty rose color.

4) simple top-down for A4A using up either Patons Classic Wool odd balls (burgundy, green, rust) or some stuff I kool-aid dyed several years ago (shades of reds, golds, orange)

5) something for TPO

6) something (Rambling Rows?) for TPT


It's a start.

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// posted by Ann @ 1/15/2011 07:40:00 AM 0 comments

Friday, January 14, 2011

Mission Accomplished


Last year's 10 sweaters project was so successful (and helped reduce stash so effectively--not!) that I decided to host a re-do.

This year, I'll call it 11 in 11 and attempt to use stash to make 11 sweaters, (and this is new) at least 5 of them for charity (though a lot of last year's batch were donated.

Here's Number 1--the front.



And the back.

The pattern is Rambling Rows Jacket (Cottage Creations). The yarn is Red Heart Classic leftovers from the 9-patch blankie.

This is easy in-the-car or watching mindless TV mindless knitting once the various sections are set up. It's a relaxing knit.

There will be a hat. And once the hat is finished, the trio will be a Fair Entry. (Yes, I really am starting early this year.)

I have requests (from family--I don't take requests from friends or casual acquaintances) for at least 2 more sweaters, but I'm thinking that Tiny Prince Two/Too might be in line for one of these. His will be washable wool, though.

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// posted by Ann @ 1/14/2011 06:50:00 PM 0 comments

Sunday, January 09, 2011

As Promised

I'll be posting photos and descriptions, etc. for all FOs as I can (and am inclined and they aren't super secret stuff).

This is my first (and likely only) pair of slippers for this year's Heet the Feet for Cheyenne River Reservation.

The pattern can be found at the Seaman's Church Institute website (you'll have to noodle to get to patterns). The pattern is Nola's Knitted Slippers. Two strands of DK weight ack (Paton's Astro and some stuff from Smiley's), size 9 needles. They are a bit small for me, so will likely fit a middle school age child. Using worsted weight (as the pattern directs) will make an "adult medium."

I am stocking up on purchased socks (mostly Fruit of the Loom) and want to buy a couple packs of tube socks at the Mart of K to include in my Heet package.

If cold feet make you sad, consider joining in this campaign.

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// posted by Ann @ 1/09/2011 08:02:00 AM 2 comments

Saturday, January 08, 2011

That Mitered Square Blankie


There was a request for more info, so here it is:

I generally use size 7 needles with worsted weight when I blankie knit.

The squares in the most recent one (eyes left) are based on a 10 edge-stitch module, so, for the small squares, cast on 20, mark the center, and proceed. Bigger squares (the "unbleached muslin" ones) have an edge that is 3 times the small one, so 30 stitches on a side--cast on (or pick up) 60.

You can follow this recipe to make a 4-patch look-alike or to mimic any other quilt pattern (like Lights and Shadows/Around the World) that is based on patched squares. A Google "image" search on quilt patterns (or Around the World quilt pattern) provides lots of inspiration.

You can make the base squares bigger (I don't recommend smaller, even in heavier weight yarn--just too many bulky edges where you join).

I do recommend orienting the squares so that all the diagonals go in the same direction. I like it better that way, but you don't have to do that either.

Knitter's choice!

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// posted by Ann @ 1/08/2011 08:08:00 AM 1 comments

Friday, January 07, 2011

First and Second of the New Year





I hereby resolve to be a better blogger.

I will blog regularly and often.

I will post pictures of Finished Objects even when it's hard to discern what the heck they are. Witness: black wool cap for Ship Support that is my first 2011 FO.


Pattern from One Skein Wonders (the original) edited by Judith Durant. Yarn is Naturally Loyal (dk weight washable New Zealand Merino wool).



Second FO of 2011 is this baby blanket fashioned from leftover odds and ends of Big Box ack. Mitered squares, lots of ends to work in, but no seaming.

If it looks a bit like a nine-patch quilt with a lot of unbleached muslin, well. . .my work here is done.

It will be a fair entry with a baby sweater (Rambling Rows Jacket by Cottage Creations) and some sort of hat in the red, yellow, green, blue and natural.

Lots more in the planning stages. I promise to post them as they are finished.

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// posted by Ann @ 1/07/2011 04:30:00 PM 1 comments

Monday, January 03, 2011

Almost Didn't



I almost didn't get TPT's Christmas stocking finished in time for Santa's visit, but there it is--far right.

I bound off and grafted the toe and seamed the seam right about December 20. That's cutting it kind of close.

We are running out of room!

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// posted by Ann @ 1/03/2011 07:47:00 PM 0 comments

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