Knitting This Week

Woot! I've got two more finished objects!

Fingerless gloves for Missouri

Another gifty-item. Yes, it was made
from the leftover yarn above.

(For now, that's all you get, since it's a present for someone who might be reading this.)

 Originally, I was going to crochet the gloves so that they would get done faster, but that plan failed. It's been so long since I crocheted with any regularity that I was not even remotely happy with the results. The fit was wrong, the fabric was too dense, and my gauge changed from one to the next so while one mitt was almost too tight, the other was far too big. So I tore them out and put them on a circular needle. Anymore, if I have to make two of something I always make it two at a time on a circular needle, just to make sure they're identical.

Now that I've got those off of the needles, it's time to get back to the samples I'm making for CENSORED. I picked up some great yarn a couple of weeks ago when there was a Nano write in held just a few doors down from my favorite yarn shop, but once I got home I realized that it was far too thin. Once I have the funds, I'll go back and grab a second skein of each color so that I can hold it double.

Since most of the CENSORED projects aren't great for taking to and from work, I also pulled some socks out of hibernation. These have been languishing for a couple of weeks while I tried to knock out a few other small projects:

These are made from the toe up, using Serenity Garden--it's actually the same yarn as the fingerless gloves, but a different colorway. I've also got this yarn in pinks and browns; I love working with it.

I made these as a tube, then marked where I wanted the heel to be. Using DPNs, I tore out the provisional stitches and put in an afterthought heel. Now I'm just going to keep knitting until I run out of yarn, and I should have some nice high socks--I'm hoping for knee high, but we'll see.

The downside to all of this productivity is that I had to put the London Calling cardigan back on hold, and after I finally got the new circular needles that I needed for it! Very frustrating. But, it'll still be there after the holidays when I hope to get back to it. Since it's mostly small pieces left now, those will become my knitting to-go once the socks are done.

Just a heads up: after fighting with Blogger for the past two weeks, I've made the decision to change my host. Sometime either this week or next, I'll be moving the whole thing over to Wordpress. URLs will change, and things will look a bit different. I'm not sure how or if the archives will be effected, but I'll let you know so that you can update your bookmarks. Please be patient with me and cross your fingers that I don't accidentally bring the whole thing crashing down!

Shh!!!

You can't tell anyone.

I'm making a present.

I can't tell you who it's for, or what it is yet, because she might be reading this. I don't know.

But oh my god, I love this yarn:

Bernat Mosaic in "Calypso", just for the record.

RAINBOWS!!!

The KnotMagick Post Club

[A bajillion thanks to Rob Bowker, who inspired this]

In the knitting world, we have “yarn clubs,” in which knitters sign up and for a fee every month for a set period of time they are sent a skein or two of yarn, a pattern, and maybe some other extra goodies.

I am borrowing that concept now, and creating the KnotMagick Post Club. This is how it works:

Every month, via email or post (or both) you’ll receive a PDF chapter of an ongoing novel. In addition, depending on your subscription level, you might also receive a typed copy of a short story, an exclusive knitting pattern, or other goodies.

Below, I’ve broken down the 4 subscription levels:

Copper: 3 short stories (1 hand typed*, 2 PDFs via email), delivered over the course of 12 months ($15)

Copper: 2 short stories (1 hand typed*, 1 PDF via email), and monthly installments of the novel (also PDF via email) ($30)

Silver: Welcome packet, monthly installments of the novel, in PDF format (delivered via email), 1 knitting/crochet pattern, and 2 typed short stories over the course of 12 months. ($50)

Gold: Everything in the Silver package, plus an additional swag bag**, short story, and pattern.  ($75)

Platinum: (only 5 slots available) Everything in the Gold Package, plus an additional swag bag and 2 surprises. These might be an extra short story, or another pattern, or a handmade item, or something else altogether. ($100)

Sign ups are open now [all of this information and more can be found on the club page], and will run through the end of February. The first shipment will go out in early March. The club runs from March, 2013-March 2014.

Between now and the beginning of March, I’ll be posting teasers of some of the things you can expect to find in the club—blurbs, excepts, pattern photos, etc. Check back here every Monday for a new teaser!

Even if you decide not to sign up, I would appreciate it if you spread the word about my little project, since this is my latest effort to keep a roof over my head and the heat on (you don’t want to know what the temperature in our house is right now. Suffice to say I’m shivering as I write this).

Finished Object Friday

I have just a few things to show you today, a few things I finished up for around the house and as holiday gifts:

In total, I made six or eight of these towels, though a few are still waiting for suitable buttons. They all came from the same package, however, so the patterns are mostly the same.

Speaking of which, if you would like a PDF of the crochet tutorial I posted the other day, it is now available on Ravelry, here. The knitting one should be up shortly after the new year.

This took up most of my knitting/crochet time. I don't crochet much any more because it bothers my wrists, but the recipient of this was instrumental in making our new house livable in a reasonable amount of time, and it was hinted that she would appreciate an afghan. I used six balls of Lion Brand Homespun Chunky for it. It came together much faster than I expected (which NEVER happens!), and is just the right size for lounged on the couch or in bed. It's also super soft.
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If you follow my Twitter, then you know that this year, for the second year running, I made my aunt socks that didn't fit, and she bought me something I'd just gotten for myself, thinking no one would get it for me for Christmas--a subscription to Vogue Knitting. What's more, my mom commented that SHE considered getting me one, too! And here people keep saying I'm hard to shop for....

We've decided that next year, we'll just go shopping together.

A Geeky Yule

Missouri and I usually celebrate winter festivus on Yule for a variety of reasons, primarily that we are impatient and spent Dec. 25th with family. This year, I got spoiled with a variety of geeky treats, hitting all of the things that make me nerd-gasm:

On the first day of Yule, my roommate gave to me: five nail polish dotters, three manga volumes, two tech-savy gloves, one typewriter decal, classic lit in comic book form, a black sheep pin, and some light up knitting needles.
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The winner of the End of the World Giveaway was Richard Polt. He's been notified and his prize will be on it's way soon!

Hope you enjoy whatever form of festivus you celebrate, and I'll see you again on Friday.

Kitchen Towel Tutorial: Knit

Tea Towel: Knit version (makes 2 sets)
 
 Tools and Materials:

• 1 tea towel or kitchen hand towel (you can also use bath and towels, but I like the patterns on the kitchen ones)
• 2 balls of dish cotton to coordinate, like Sugar 'n' Cream (I'm using a cone because I make a lot of these)
• 1 sharp yarn needle (These can be difficult to find. Plastic tapestry needles don't work very well for this; it should be metal with a fairly sharp point and an eye large enough for your yarn)

• Fabric scissors (the sharper the better)
• Knitting needles in your preferred size. I normally use a 5 or 7 for this yarn.

**Hint: If you want to stock up on these to have them handy for housewarming, birthday or last-minute holiday gifts, I've found that white, red, blue, and green are the best colors to use, since they're the most common kitchen colors. Also, white can be bleached without an issue.

To begin:

1. We're going to start off exactly as we did with the crochet version. Open up your pack of towels, and cut along that fold at the top so you end up with something like this:
 
2. Fold down your raw edges, just enough so that they can be held in place (about 1/3-1/2 inch). You might need pins or clips to keep the folds intact, but if you're practiced, you can just use your hand, like so: 
 
3.  Draw your needle and yarn through the corner of the towel, as close to the right side as you can and just below the fold. Pull an arms length or so of yarn through, so that you'll have enough to stitch up the entire top of the towel. Do NOT cut your yarn from the ball. This will be important later. (If you're working from a cone or find that you simply MUST cut your  yarn, measure out a good 12-15 yards first).


4. Loosely whip stitch all the way across the top of the towel. Make sure your stitches don't pucker; LOOSE is the key here! The yarn should merely rest at the top of the fold, not clamp down on it.

You'll want an odd number of stitches, evenly spaced (or as close to even as you can manage. No one is perfect). For this example, I used 19 stitches and size US 7 needles.

5. When you reach the end, slide the needle back through the stitches you just made for an inch or two, then cut your yarn. Voila, that's your first end woven in already.

6. With the working yarn on your right, insert one of your knitting needles into the stitches you just made, starting on the far left. Just slide it all the way down. If you discover that your stitches were too tight, then just tug on each loop starting at the right and working towards your needle to add extra yarn. If they were too loose, then once your needle in in place you can give them a tug starting on the left and going to the right to tighten them up.

7. Those whip stitches are your cast on row. So, take your other needle, and start knitting! I like to use seed stitch for these towels, but you can also use linen stitch or whatever floats your boat. I don't recommend stockinette, because of the curling issue, or garter stitch, because it stretches.  You might find it easier if you knit the first row before beginning any pattern stitches.

8. Beginning on row two, knit or purl your last two stitches together to form the decrease in pattern.

9. When you have nine stitches left, stop decreasing.

10. After 3-4 inches (your preference), work the first four stitches in pattern, then yarn over, knit two together, and continue in pattern for the rest of the row.

11. Work one more row in pattern.

12. Decrease as before, at the end of each row.

13. With 3 stitches remaining, cast off and weave in ends.

Sew on a button, and there you have it. Use the remaining yarn in your ball for the washcloth. My go-to pattern is usually stockinette with a band 4 stitches/rows wide of seed stitch around the border, but there are other, fancier patterns you can use.

Kitchen Towel Tutorial: Crochet

It's only been what, two years coming? Three? Well, at long last, I finally present the tutorial for my favorite holiday gift to give: Crochet/knit tea towels and washcloths.

Tea Towel: Crochet version (makes 2 sets)
 
 Tools and Materials:

• 1 tea towel or kitchen hand towel (you can also use bath and towels, but I like the patterns on the kitchen ones)
• 2 balls of dish cotton to coordinate, like Sugar 'n' Cream (I'm using a cone because I make a lot of these)
• 1 sharp yarn needle (These can be difficult to find. Plastic tapestry needles don't work very well for this; it should be metal with a fairly sharp point and an eye large enough for your yarn)
• Fabric scissors (the sharper the better)

• 1 crochet hook in your preferred size (For this yarn, I like between an I and K, but choose your hook based on your gauge). 

**Hint: If you want to stock up on these to have them handy for housewarming, birthday or last-minute holiday gifts, I've found that white, red, blue, and green are the best colors to use, since they're the most common kitchen colors. Also, white can be bleached without an issue.

To begin:

 1. Open your package of towels. Notice how they are folded in half? Take your scissors and cut along that line, so that you are left with this:
 
2. Fold down your raw edges, just enough so that they can be held in place (about 1/3-1/2 inch). You might need pins or clips to keep the folds intact, but if you're practiced, you can just use your hand, like so: 
 
3.  Draw your needle and yarn through the corner of the towel, as close to the right side as you can and about 1/4 inch from the top. Pull an arm length or so of yarn through, so that you'll have enough to stitch up the entire top of the towel. Do NOT cut your yarn from the ball. This will be important later. (If you're working from a cone or find that you simply MUST cut your  yarn, measure out a good 12-15 yards first).

 4. We're going to do a blanket stitch along the top. This will keep the towel from coming apart, and give us a base to crochet into to.

Traditional blanket stitch is done from left to right. I always do it from right to left. *shrug* Whatever floats your boat. At any rate, all you have to do is insert the needle into the fabric from the front. When it comes out the other side, make sure the yarn is behind the needle (as shown below). Pull it through, and you should have what looks a bit like a crochet stitch at the top of the fabric.

5. Repeat this all the way across. Depending on your hook size/intended gauge, you'll want between 15-20 stitches total. For this example, I used a K hook and 17 stitches.  When you reach the end of the fabric, simply slide the needle under the stitches you just made for 2-3 inches. Then pull it out, and trim your yarn. Voila, that's one end you don't have to weave in now. It will be hidden as you crochet.

 6. At this point, you should have something like this:

 7. Now take your crochet hook and insert it into the far right hand stitch, picking up the horizontal bar at the top of the fabric. Single crochet all the way across:

 8. Keep going just like this, but from here on out, don't crochet into the last stitch on each row.
9. When you're down to 7 stitches, stop decreasing.
10. Keep working those 7 stitches until you have a strip about 2 inches long.
11. Now, single crochet into the first three stitches. Chain 1, skipping a stitch, and single crochet into the last 3 stitches.
12. In the same manner as before, decrease until only 3 stitches remain. Cut your yarn, finish your work by drawing the cut end through your last loop, and weave in your ends.

13. Sew a button at the base of that thin little strip. Shank buttons work, but I find that the flat kind with holes work better

 14. Use the remainder of the ball to make the matching washcloth. There are lots of patterns available online, but my standard is to chain 23 stitches and work in single crochet until I run out of yarn.
15. You can now machine wash and dry these, just like any other kitchen towels.
16. Hang it from a kitchen cabinet or your oven door, or give it as a gift. 


And there you have it! Next week I'll come back and show you how to make the knit version, which is quite similar.

Giftmas Knitting Part III: Gifts for Knitters

Do you have a knitter in your life? Stumped on what to get them this holiday season? Afraid you'll disappoint them with your yarn selection? Fear not. Here's the KnotMagick Top 10 list of things to get your friendly neighborhood knitter (even if you know nothing about yarn):

10. Gift cards
While this might seem like a generic, flake-out type of gift, it can be quite thoughtful IF it comes from the right place. While some knitters prefer to buy their yarn from places like Michael's or Joanns, a better option would be to find their shop of choice--be it a local yarn shop or an online retailer. Not all knit shops are created equal, so by purchasing a gift card for their favorite place, you're ensuring they have access tot he supplies they need, rather than cheap stand-ins. Still in doubt? Knitpicks.com, Yarnmarket.com, and JimmyBeansWool.com are all popular sites with knitters.

9. Travel Survival Kit
If your knitter is anything at all like me--or any knitter I've ever met--then she probably has trouble keeping tack of her notions. Stitch markers fall between the couch cushions, the cat makes off with the tape measure, and gnomes steal tapestry needles in the dark of night. Why not get her a cute kit from an Etsy seller, and support small business while you show your appreciation for all of those handmade socks?

8. Blocking tools
In the world of knitting, blocking is frequently one of those little chores many avoid. It's also a place where budget-consious knitters, like myself, can save a few pennies by skipping the fancy tools and McGuyvering a solution--like using old towels or a spare bed as a blocking mat. But when company comes, or the project is just too stubborn for the soft surface or a towel, sometimes something a little fancier is required. Those foam puzzle pieces that are used as floor mats? Great for blocking big projects. Sock blockers help keep socks in shape and give them a longer life. Blocking wires create a nice edge on shawls, and some good T pins are a necessity.

7. A Knitter's care package
Put a basket together with a book of nice patterns, 1-3 balls of yarn, some nice needles and other notions, and maybe some chocolate, a container of tea, and some hand cream. If you're not sure where to start, locate your nearest yarn shop, arm yourself with the recipients favorite colors, yarn brands, fibers, or any fiber allergies, and ask the nice person behind the counter for help in making your selections. Unless they have a severe wool allergy, you can never go wrong with Malibrigo.

6. A yarn club susbcriptionYarn clubs run on 3-12 month cycles, depending on the program, and usually include a specialty yarn, a pattern, and a handful of other goodies that are shipped directly to the knitter on a monthly basis. If you know the knitter's favorite Etsy shop or indie dyer, then this is a great way for her to sample new yarns at relatively low cost, and since packages arrive for several months in a row, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

5. A great knitting bag
Women love bags. Men know this. So why not get her a really nice one that's made with her knitting in mind? Knitpicks has a great selection, but don't forget to check Tom Bihn and Jordana Paige, too.


4. Classes
Every knitter has a skill she or he would like to expand on, so why not help them do that? Pick up a class schedule from the local yarn shop, and go over it with your knitter. Do they want to start knitting with beads, or just learn to tackle a sweater? What about dying? Spinning? Cover the cost of the class and, if possible, materials. Your knitter will tank you. 

3. Swift and ball winder
How about an umbrella swift? These save time and hassle when winding a hank of yarn into a ball, but can be a little pricey for the broke knitter.


Ball winders also save a lot of time and headaches, but if you have to choose just one, I'd go with the swift.

2. Spa day
This doesn't have to be expensive, though a day at the local spa would be nice. It could be something as simple as a night off, a nice shoulder massage and some aromatherapy. Knitting can be hard on shoulders and wrists, so those are key areas for massages. Alternatively, manicures--be they professional or just mother and daughter at home on the couch--are always appreciated.

1. Uninterrupted knitting time
Take a page out of the kid's book and put together some coupons, good for things like shoulder rubs, or blocks of uninterrupted knitting time--not less than 2 hours. No cooking, no cleaning, no childcare--just time to sit back and relax with a ball of yarn.

Hope that helps with some of your gift-giving worries. If you have any other suggestions, leave a comment below. :)

Giftmas Knitting Part II: Project ideas

For those keeping track, Kwanza begins in 47 days, Christmas is in 45, Yule is 6 weeks from today and Hanukkah is one month and one day away. If you're a knitter, now might be a good time to start panicking if you haven't finished at least one of your holiday gifts yet.

Never fear, there are still plenty of great gifts that you can make in plenty of time. I won't link to specific patterns, but here's a roundup to give you a few ideas:

1.  Fingerless Gloves
Great for:  teenagers, office workers, and anyone with cold hands
Estimated stash usage: 50g is enough for a pair ranging in fingering to worsted weight yarn. If you're leaning more to the worsted end of the spectrum, then I recommend a more open pattern, and gearing more towards hand warmers (which end at the wrist) rather than arm warmers (which go closer to the elbow).

2. Cowels
Great for: the stylish lady, the outdoorsy type, and the hard-to-shop-for manly man.
Estimated stash usage: depending on the pattern, 50-100g
Cowels are fabulous gifts. A lace pattern done in malibrigo or a mohair is great for moms, aunts, or any female relation. Switch to a sport weight yarn in a bright color, and it's great for the jogger or otherwise active person who enjoys spending time outside during cold weather. Make it a warm, bulky yarn in dark or neutral colors with a plain stitch pattern, and Dad will be able to safely keep his neck warm while he clears snow from the driveway or fixes those little winter emergencies where a scarf might not be a good idea.

3. Basic Beanies
Great for: anyone
Estimated stash usage: about 50g, maybe a bit more.
It's cold. Everyone needs a hat. Use a navy blue and a plain ribbed pattern and Dad can wear it with his cowel. Stick with stockinette and add some colorwork, and it matches your 14 year old cousin's favorite outfit. Put a pompom on top and it's great for the toddler.

4. Berets/slouchy hats
Great for: Any female relations or friends
Estimated stash usage: 50g
My favorite slouchy hat is openwork, and can be worn as a beret or pinned in my hair as a snood.

5. Drawstring pouches
Great for: gamer geeks, other knitters, anyone with collections of small objects to organize
Estimated stash usage: depending on the size, you can get 1-3 bags out of a 50g ball.
Great for storing dice for tabletop gaming, being used as a small project bag to carry in your purse, keeping notions or small office supplies handy, or really anything you want.

6. Scarves/neck warmers
Great for:Almost anyone
Estimated stash usage: 100-200g
Try thinking outside the box on this one--a short neck warmer that is fastened with a button, or a scarf with pockets to keep your hands warm.

7. Socks
Great for: Almost anyone
Estimated stash usage: ranges from 2-3 pairs of baby socks per 50g ball to 100g for a pair of ladies knee highs.
I wouldn't reccomend socks as a go-to project for Giftmas, just because not everyone likes handknit socks (It took me a while to get used to them, and I make them!). For a beginner, this can also be quite an ambitious project. So make sure that you are using materials and a pattern that you are comfortable with.

In addition, you could start from the toe up and just make ankle-high slipper socks by squeezing some puff paint in a fun design on the sole.

8. Washcloths and hand towels
Great for: any household
Estimated stash usage: 1 50g ball is enough for one crochet-top hand towel and a dish cloth.

Two things I've discovered are very popular with my family members are handmade dish cloths and the tea or hand towels with the crocheted tops. When I need a pallet cleanser between projects, I pull out some crochet cotton and make a dishcloth, then set it aside in the bin. These are great for Christmas, housewarming, and even birthdays. Natural, red, and blue seem to the be the most popular colors for kitchens that I've seen, while white can easily be bleached. They're pretty inexpensive, too--a cone of cotton yarn is about $10 at Walmart, and can make upwards of a dozen washcloths. The towels can be found for $1-2, sometimes for a multipack, and cutting them in half means you get two for the price of one.

I know I said *cough*years*cough* ago that I would make a tutorial for those towels, and I will...eventually. Maybe this year. Maybe not.

So that's my rundown of eight last minute items you can knit or crochet for the holidays. What are your go-to gifts? 

A Small Celebration

I'm not much of a video person, so I took this photo this morning to celebrate International Typewriter day. I wanted to have a typecast to share, but really, haven't had much of interest to say.

I did however, figure that it was high time I added in some of that knitting I mentioned in the new blog tagline, especially since I finished up that baby sweater this week. Originally, I was using Debbie Bliss' Lace Edge Cardigan pattern, but really, this sweater is about as divorced from the original as it is possible to get. Due to gauge, I cast on about 50% of the recommended stitches (I used a worsted yarn, I think, rather than a light fingering. The name escapes me, but it's eco-cotton or something, available at Joann Fabrics), and due to time I went with a scalloped crocheted edging rather than the lace because it would have taken me forever to figure out how to alter it to the size I needed (I also had to scale the pattern itself down ever so slightly to get a newborn to 3 month size sweater versus the 3-6 months which was the smallest size in the book, Simply Baby.

The sweater will go to the new mama tomorrow, just before I have a celebration of my own: my birthday is tomorrow, so I'll be having a couple of friends over for dinner. Between now and then, I've got a lot of work to do, especially since this is my last week at my current job before starting the new one. Got my hours today, very exciting. And now I must get back to work! No more internet slacking!

Ahem.

Okay. So I'm not really keeping that promise to myself to update more in the month of December.

I finally took pictures of some of the Christmas presents I've been making. Franklin Habbit, I am not. For one thing, I don't care much for studio-style photography (at least, not when I have to take it myself). This is probably one of the reasons I'm so bad at it.



I've made seven of these so far, each with a matching wash cloth. There's one set each for my mom, my aunt, grandma, and cousin. I also made a set for my boss and her mother, after we got to talking and she mentioned that she and her mom were down to the last sets that her grandmother made before she passed away. Neither of them crochet, so I made each of them a towel and wash cloth as a surprise. I thought she was going to cry, and then I nearly started crying, because I started thinking about my grandma, an avid knitter/crocheter/sewer who passed away when I was fifteen, before I really learned enough French to talk to her or before I knew how to knit, or really started sewing. If I could have one day with a dead person, she'd be it.

Shit, now I really am crying.

Anyway. My next post will be a tutorial on how to make the hand towels. If you're interested in my method of making the dishcloths, leave a comment to let me know.