Heartbreaking

Pat just tried on the finished Oregon Vest.

It's way too small.

I made it to gauge; I thought I was using the right type of yarn, and I made the size for his chest size, but it is way too small. It's probably going to be a vest for one of the grandkids. It certainly won't fit an adult, and it may not fit Reyes.

It's not fair!!!

Oh, well. I've still got the pattern. I'll try again later. AFTER I do the sweater coat for me. I'm not ready to start this one again at this time.

Next Project Is About To Be Started

I know what I will make next. I have always wanted to make a sweater coat. Lion Brand has a pattern called Homespun Flattering Jacket. It comes in both a knitted and a crocheted version.

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/chs-flatteringJacket.html
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/khs-flatteringJacket.html

I tried making the crocheted version when I was in Texas and got bogged down on the directions for the second side panel. I could not get my mind around what they were telling me. I intend to knit the pattern this time. I will do both side panels at the same time on a large circular needle. That way everything should come out even. (Well, the concept almost worked with Pat's vest...)

I'm still stash-busting with this project. Sort 0f. The Homespun I purchased for the first effort turned into an basketweave afghan I gave my grandson. (He still keeps it on his bed). However, I purchased some llama/wool blend from Ann O'Neill at the Emporia Fiber Fest. It's a lovely blue -- a little more blue than teal. It is also wonderful to touch and so far Furball hasn't noticed that it isn't my usual yarn. (Furby wants to live in the alpaca yarn I bought. I have to hide it from her.)

You ask how can I be stash-busting if I bought this yarn a few weeks ago? Well, I'm busting Ann O'Neill's stash!

Now -- to get those last seams finished on Pat's vest so I can get started on this!

Giant Straight Pins

I'm finishing the seams on Pat's Oat Couture "Oregon Vest." I'm very proud that I'm FINISHING SOMETHING that was bigger than 1 skein of yarn.

When I did the left side last night, it was late and I was too lazy to go looking for the right tools to hold the fabric together as I worked the seam. Did you know a knitting needle is a great, over-sized straight pin? I was crocheting the seams together, so the needles that I used to make the vest were just laying there. They held the pieces together, they didn't hurt the yarn, and one needle could "baste" an entire seam prior to stitching it.

I think I'm onto something here!!

Nearly Finished with Oregon Vest

I've nearly finished Pat's vest. Finally. I started it before we left Texas in 2006. When we got here I decided Homespun wasn't the yarn for this pattern, so I frogged the Homespun and put it back in my stash. Months later, while in Lawrence, I found some Bulky Wool-Ease by Lion Brand that seemed perfect for the pattern. I was distracted regularly, so it took about a year to get all three sections made. Whimper! When I went to put it together, each section was a different length! I threw it back in the bottom of the knitting basket and focused on all those socks I had promised the grandkids. Nine or ten months later, I was ready to frog the vest and get back to work. This time I took a page from my sock making: I knitted the left front and the right front at the same time on one large circular needle. What a simple solution! Now all of the sections are the same length! I did find I got confused at some point and knit only on one side and nothing on the other. Fortunately this was after all the decreases and pattern changes had been done. I'm only adding length to reach 23" on each front now. It's time to take them off the circulars and finish each front piece individually. Then -- put them together, finish the collar, add the zipper and it's done!!! I can hardly wait -- I already know what I want to do next.

What, No Dish Cloths?

How did this happen? Making dish cloths is one of my favorite "no brainer" projects. The other day, I went to the dish cloth/tea towel drawer in the kitchen and there wasn't a dish cloth to be found! Have Brownies been here? I found a few in the clothes dryer (affectionately dubbed "the other bureau"). Still -- I used to have so many dish cloths they attacked when you opened the drawer. Looks like it's time to take the socks out of my purse and insert cotton yarn. I'm on a mission to restock! And it lets me stash-bust a few balls of cotton yarn, too. Pat and I drove to Stark, KS today to find an upholsterer who could fix the bucket seat of his pickup. I rode along because he had never been to Stark, and I had been there thanks to library functions in the next town over, Savonburg. (You see, Savonburg is too small to have any eateries, so we would go to Murphy's Merchantile in Stark for sandwiches after visiting the Savonburg library. Ah, the hidden benefits of being a regional library consultant!) We took the long way (via Burlington) so it was about an 80 mile drive out and a 65 mile drive back. I nearly made an entire dish cloth while we traveled. Since we seem to run around a lot (and no place is closer than 45-60 min. away), and since Pat rarely lets me drive, I should get restocked on dish cloths in no time. By the way, if you are trying to get to the dishcloth pattern, click on the highlighted link "Grandma's Dishcloth" in the tag cloud.

Mom's Crocheted Shell Edging

The edging above was my Mom's old standby. She used it to put an edging on pillowcases or a handkerchief, even a shawl. I use a variation of it to edge baby blankets made from the Grandma's Dishcloth pattern posted elsewhere on this blog.

If the edging will be on fabric, such as a pillowcase, you will need to lay a foundation row of single crochet around the edge of the fabric. If your crochet hook is too dull to punch through the fabric, use a darning needle to start the opening. Space the stitches evenly. You will want a total number divisible by 5.

Definitions of abbreviations:
sl -- slip stitch
sc -- single crochet
dc -- double crochet
ch -- chain stitch

Openwork foundation:

1st row: * Ch 5. Skip four stitches. Sc in next stitch.* Repeat between ** to end. Adjust stitches at the end to accommodate the pattern. End with sc where first Ch 5 began.
2nd row: Sl 2 *ch5, sc in center of 5-st. chain. ch5* Repeat between ** to end. End with sc at base of first ch5.

Repeat row 2 three to five times, then finish with one of the Shell Rows. The sample used 3 repeats of row 2 and the Ruffled Shell row.

Ruffled shell row: ch3, dc 4 in first sc, ch 1, sc in center of 5-st. chain, *ch1, dc5 in sc, ch1, sc in center of 5-st.chain* Repeat to end.

OR

Flat shell row: ch3, dc 4 in first sc, ch 1, sc in center of 5-st. chain, *ch1, dc5 in center of next 5-st. chain, ch1, sc in center of 5-st.chain* Repeat to end.


If you want a picot in the center of your shell, use this pattern for the shell part:

Picot shell: ch1, dc3, ch 3, sl last chain to loop of last dc (picot is formed), dc3, ch1

Snowflake Detail of Hat

I am pleased how the snowflake worked out on the top of this hat. I graphed the long ends, but didn't really think about how the decreases would look. I placed the decreases to fall at the center of the long and short arms of the snowflake. I love the way the swirl adds an extra dimension to the snowflake.

Fortunately-Unfortunately Hat

It's done! Above is a picture of the Fortunately-Unfortunately, as well as the At Last They Are All Mine Socks that match it. Right after this photo was snapped, I had the Bright Idea to wash the hat and put it back on the mannequin. Perhaps the hat would stretch while it was being blocked.

The technique seems to be working. The hat is dry now, but I haven't taken it off the wig stand yet to try it on my head. I'm afraid it will still be too small for me. I'll try it -- tomorrow -- at Tara. Fortunately/Unfortunately Hat.

Fortunately there was nearly a skein of sock yarn left over to make a hat.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to finish the hat.
Fortunately, I visited Whimsical Wool and Elizabeth found me a white merino to use with the blue-green hand-dyed yarn.
Unfortunately, I had 2/3 of the hat finished and the snowflake design I imagined wasn't working into the crown of the cap as I wanted.
Fortunately, I don't mind frogging.
Unfortunately, I can't count. -- The new snowflake border didn't work, either.
Fortunately, I have graph paper. Several sheets of paper later, I have the border and the big snowflake for the crown graphed so it comes out even. I knit merrily away over the weekend. The hat goes everywhere with me.
Unfortunately, we were traveling when I finished the green section and I didn't have any scissors to cut the yarn to finish with white.
Fortunately, Pat has his handy-dandy Coffey County Library pocket knife that includes a pair of scissors.
Unfortunately, I'm not finished, so I can't tell you how this saga ends, but I'm doing the decreases on the crown and it's looking good. [I finished it at 4:00 AM Thurs. morning. What else do you do when you wake up to go to the Juan and can't get back to sleep?]

AND Fortunately there is enough green left to put a tassle on the top! [The tassle looked wimpy. I removed it.]

Unfortunately -- I'm afraid the hat is knit too tightly to fit any person in the family. Oh, well. Maybe there will be more grandkids -- someday. I can save it for them. [Blocking was the key! I washed the hat and left it on the wig head to dry. When I took it off, it fit! Now my hat will match my socks.]