What's on Yer Knittin' Sticks?

As some of you may remember, I love to knit!  It's what kept me busy in Montana, and it's what I try to fit in, in the evenings, now that I'm a full time, outside the home, working woman.

This is what I've been knitting lately....

These are simple handwarmers..... 

I made these for The Youngun in her favorite color of purple.....

Then she requested a cable knit scarf to go with them.....

But I'm taking a break on the scarf to make a set of the handwarmers for my sister...

She requested them in black......

This is my work basket, where I keep my current projects.  

When I'm knitting this sets beside my chair and holds the skein of yarn I'm working with, my stitch markers, and tape measure.  It also has another project that I've got on the needles, a pencil, and some scissors.....

Now for the funny stuff..........this was supposed to be a cowl....but it didn't turn out exactly right.  However it really works very well as a neck warmer to wear under a heavy coat.  It's fantastic for keeping your neck and shoulders warm....

I also feel like it would make a FANTASTIC hat!  HAAAA!!

So that's what I've got on my knitting sticks at the moment!  As soon as the handwarmers for my sister and the scarf for The Youngun are done, I'm getting started on a mushroom hat for me.

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands

Proverbs 31:13

Happy knitting til next time.....

Hmmmm, Methinks My Sweater Is an F+++...........

Ok, so I tried to knit my first sweater.  That kooky gal over at The Young Dairy Farmer's Wife knitted herself a coupla sweaters and I thought, well heck maybe I can do that.....well well well, lets just say it didn't go well. 

Here I am industriously knitting away on a sleeve........at this point I was not aware of the hideous-ness of my lovingly hand knitted garment...........ahh the bliss of ignorance!

I'm a big gal and so I was worried about it not fitting me; therefore I made it the largest size possible.  I'm also a very tight knitter, so in order to get the gauge correct, I had to use needles that were about 3 sizes bigger than the pattern called for, AND again because I was worried it wouldn't fit, I made sure to knit as loose as I could.  To continue with my list of woes, because the stitches were so loose, when I seamed it up it is atrocious......plus I mattress stitched the seams and I did them backward, so the nice smooth side is inside!

Now, before I show you the picture of my sweater, please remember I said it was my very first sweater as well as all the intel I gave you in paragraph two...........also, there is a light at the end of this sweatery tunnel, I already had the yarn in my stash, so I'm not out any cash!

K, if you think you are ready, here goes............feel free to laugh yourself silly, but if you pee your pants don't expect any sympathy from me!

I'm moving on to socks.........maybe next winter I'll try a sweater again!

God Bless.................

The Gift Baskets are Done..... and Remember Those Taters?

Today I got the last dish rag knitted up and the gift baskets all put together. 

Each basket has a soup in a jar, chocolate chip banana bread in a jar, a mini candle, a dish towel, and of course both jar gifts are topped with a knitted dish rag.  They also have a can of tomatoes because the soup in a jar calls for tomatoes.

We are having a brunch for Christmas with The In-Laws, so I baked a Blueberry Crunch Coffee Cake and still have to make up a cheeseball.  I'll post the recipe for the cake next week.  It's really good!

Remember this post?  In that post I talked about canning taters.  It was the first time I'd canned them and I wasn't too sure how they would turn out.  I was concerned that they might get starchy tasting or turn dark.  I used a jar of them last night.  The Man loves fried 'taters and onions with polish sausage.  I needed to get supper in a hurry so I decided to use a jar of those canned 'taters.  I put a dab of lard in my biggest cast iron skillet, sliced up the sausage and tossed it in, dumped those taters in and then added some sliced onion.  A little seasoned salt and we were good to go.  They were delish and oh so easy. 

 

Our 'tater crop wasn't very good this past year and we used up all our spuds without needing to can any.  I'm hopeful for a better crop this year so I can can some more 'taters!

Things are good 'round here.  I'm planning my chicken order and the seed catalogs are coming.  Tomorrow is January 1st, that means spring is right around the corner!  ;0)  A girl can dream right? 

God Bless......................

Fellow Blogger Contest...........and My Current Projects......

My fellow blogger Jennifer over at Our Little Farm is havin' a contest.  She's got the cutest little pot belly pig named Porkchop and she's havin' a Guess Porkchop's Weight contest. 

You all should go check it out!  The only rules are that you must be a follower of her blog (which you should be anyway, cuz she's super cool) and you can only enter once. 

Now on to my current project news......

Right  now I'm working on a skinny scarf.........

The picture above shows the texture really well, and the picture below is a better representation of the actual color.

The pattern for this scarf is textured stripes and I like it a lot.  I'll be adding some nice fringe to it when it's done, but I had to stop working on it to work on these.........

Jar gifts for Christmas with The Man's family which is this coming weekend. 

I've still got to get two dish rags knitted up for it, and this is the one I'm working on now.  It's the little shells pattern, the first time I'm using it for a dishrag. 

I've got 8 jar gifts to make, 2 for each family.  One is a soup in a jar, and the other will be a quick bread in a jar.  The soups will have the dishrag toppers and I'm thinking I'll just do a fabric topper for the bread jars, unless I have time to knit rags for them as well.  I'm going to have to run to Salvation Army to find 4 baskets to put the jars in.  S/A is a GREAT place to buy baskets.  They are only a buck a piece and you can find some really cute ones.

Anywho, go on over there and follow Jennifer's blog and enter the contest!  WAIT!!  Don't....... cuz I really want to win!  ;0)

God Bless..............

My Latest Projects..........

After finishing up my felted purses, I started this Basketweave baby afghan. 

This photo shows the texture really well..........

But this picture shows the color more accurately.

It measures 39.5"x26" and is made of Red Heart worsted acrylic yarn in country blue.  The accent color is a blue multi, but I don't remember what it is called.

I've no clue what I'm going to do with it.  Perhaps I'll just put it in the trunk until I find a recipient for it!

Then I knitted up this scarf.  It's made with wool ease thick and quick yarn in two lovely shades of blue and I used the little shells pattern, although about halfway through the scarf I figured out I messed up the pattern!  I forgot an entire row in the pattern sequence but figured as long as I did the whole thing that way I'd be good and it worked out ok.  LOL!

I'm going to give it to one of my Darling Aunties, Darling Youngest Auntie to be exact.  I was working on it at her house on Saturday and she said it would match her school colors (she's a teacher).  So I'm going to get it in the mail to her tomorrow.  I just finished it last night.

Now I've got to go through the yarn stash and figure out my next project!

God Bless................

Another Felted Purse...........

How does a mediocre knitter make a felted purse that looks fabulous?  Well just take a walk with me and I'll show you!

This is the knitted piece.  It is just a rectangle, and I used my dishrag pattern to knit it.  I forgot to measure it for you!

Here it is with the bottom folded up part way, to form the pocket for the purse.   You will need a yarn needle to stitch the sides closed.  In this picture I have it folded up the wrong way.  You want to fold it so that it's inside out, just like sewing a garment right sides together.

Now I've stitched the sides closed and folded the top down for the flap.

In the picture below you see the handle that I knitted for it, and the flap is open again.

Now I've sewed the handle on and I have the flap closed so you can see what the purse looks like before felting.  To sew the handle on, you just hold it in the position you want it to be and sew it on with yarn and your yarn needle.  Then go sew the other side on.

This is during the felting process.  It's been in the washer for 5 minutes.  The water wasn't nearly hot enough so I boiled several kettles of water on the stove and added it in.  That makes the felting process work!

Now we're getting there............ 

And we're there!  It took quite awhile.  Probably at least 40 minutes, but I didn't really time it.

And here is the purse after felting!  It is still wet right now and I've stuffed it with newspaper to give it the proper shape.

And here it is being modeled by my lovely girl!

I've got to figure out a closure for it, but I think it's pretty cute.  Sorry about the differences in the colors.  The picture with The Youngun is a good representative of the actual color. 

And there you have it.  The secrets of a mediocre knitter!  And don't forget to go visit The Youngun Draws!  

God Bless...........

Felted Purse.........

This weekend was a relaxed one, full of knitting by the fire. 

My friend Rhonda is a very accomplished spinner and she has sent me some of the most beautiful yarn.  I'm always looking for something to do with it, but I'm cautious because it's so beautiful and I don't want to mess it up!  A couple years ago I made this hat with the first yarn she sent me. 

I'm not a very good knitter and knitting patterns (much like sewing patterns) cornfuze me!  I made this hat up myself and I really like it.  I wear it all the time and get lots of compliments on it. 

Rhonda sent me two other colors of her wonderful yarn and I've been hoarding it because I was waiting for the most perfect project.  I decided to make a felted purse and just made it up as I went along. 

Here it is before felting........

And here it is after felting..........

This picture is a true representation of the colors.  The before felting picture is taken in a different place and the colors don't look true.  I'm really happy with this purse, especially since I had no pattern and had to make it up as I went along.  My dad is going to make me a bone button to use as a closure for this purse.  I can't wait to get it put on so I can start to use it. 

I'm working on another, different style right now.  I'm excited to see it felted down. 

If you can knit or crochet, I highly recommend that you give felting a try.  It's such fun!

God Bless..............

Washing Dishes, and Other Necessary Evils.....

I confess, I wash my dishes by hand.  I have a dishwasher but I don't use it.  I actually hate the silly thing and would rather have the cabinet space!  It doesn't get the dishes clean and it doesn't put the dishes away, so what's the point? 

I do have a top secret device that makes it more enjoyable...........what's that?  You want to know what it is?  What's that?  No, no I don't make The Man or The Youngun do them.  It does however involve sticks of steel (or wood, or plastic) and cotton balls.  Or wait, is it bolls?  Are you ready?  Ok........here goes.

Yup, hand knit cotton dish rags.  The psyche is an amazing thing and when I'm washing dishes with one of these they just don't seem as bad! 

Would you like to have the pattern?  Well good, cause I'm gonna give it to you right now!  I'm not a very talented knitter so I know you can do these.  I'd love to be able to make socks and mittens and sweaters and such, but I just can't figure out how to do them so I make dish rags.....lots and lots of dish rags!  LOL! 

Oh yeah, were you wondering what the other necesary evils are that I referred to in the title?  Well, having the house on the market means one thing and one thing only.......CLEANLINESS!  My house is cleaner than it's ever been.  This isn't a bad thing mind you, I love having a nice clean house and it's so much easier when you keep up with it.  Putting your house up for sale is a GREAT motivator for keeping things spic and span! 

Anyway, here's the pattern for the dish rags.  I use Peaches and Cream cotton thread.  You can sometimes get good deals on it at Wal-Mart.  Happy Knitting!

Knit Dish Rags

These are worked with two colors, referred to as Color A and Color B.  When asked to slip stitches, do so purlwise.

Using a #9 needle (I sometimes use a #8) cast on 45 stitches with color A

Row 1 - (color A) Knit

Row 2 - (color A) Purl

Row 3 - (color B) K4, slip 1 *K5, slip 1* K4

Row 4- (color B) K4, YF, slip 1, YB *K5, YF slip 1, YB* K4

Row 5 - (color B) P4, YB, slip 1, YF * P5, YB, slip 1, YF* P4

Row 6 - (color B) K4, YF, slip 1, YB * K5, YF, slip 1, YB* K4

Row 7 - (color A) Knit

Row 8 - (color A) Purl

Row 9 - (color B) K1, slip 1 *K5, slip 1* K1

Row 10 - (color B) K1, YF, slip 1, YB *K5, YF, slip 1, YB* K1

Row 11 - (color B) P1, YB, slip 1, YF * P5, YB, slip 1, YF* P1

Row 12 - (color B) K1, YF, slip 1, YB * K5, YF, slip 1, YB* K1

Repeat to desired length, finishing with rows 1 and 2.  Bind off loosely and tuck in stray ends. 

I like to use the same colors, but switch the order (ie. color A becomes color B).  Have fun and I hope you try these.  If you have a favorite dish rag knit pattern please share it!  Til next time..........God Bless!