Hockey Mom Knits

FO#41 and 42 and 43 (2007) Afghans for Afghan

2009-12-26T05:45:00.001-06:00

Charity knitting with some leftovers.

FO#39 (2007) Lopi Mittens

2009-12-26T05:34:00.001-06:00

One of my first forays into 2 colour knitting.

2008 FO#13 & #14 Geraldine's baby booties

2008-12-28T08:14:00.003-06:00

Some baby sox and the Easy Lace Baby Blanket. Was to be gifted to my daughter's hockey coach...but she never showed up for the year end party. So back into the gift box.

2008 FO#21 The Office Grey Sweater

2008-12-28T08:04:00.003-06:00

Well it never did work out like it was supposed to..but DD didn't notice and loves the sweater anyway. Started one pattern, didn't like the cables, so changed them. Yarn stretched after washing and blocking, so I cut 6" from the bottom and then did a sewn bindoff.

AND THEN THIS WINTER SHE LOST 25LBS AND NOW IT DOESN'T FIT!!!!!!!!

FO#38 (2007) ... #77 Regia 5268

2008-08-09T07:20:00.000-05:00

Another boring pair of plain jane socks from stash. I'm really starting to hate stripes and jacquards.

FO#36 (2007) ... #76 Lang Super Soxx

2008-08-09T07:07:00.002-05:00

I blogged about this yarn from Ram Wools awhile ago. It was marked Super Soxx and was a horrible orange brown stripe. It felt awful to touch and cost me dearly (almost $25) because the books I ordered were out of stock and this was the sale surprise pack that I threw in to make it worthwhile.
I started these and thought I was going to gift them. But I actually started to like the colour. And when washed the first time...what a surprise...they were soft. So I have to eat crow and say...
I'M NOT UNHAPPY WITH THE SURPRISE PACK. But I still don't think they were worth $25.

FO #34 and #35 (2007) Di's baby booties

2008-08-07T06:40:00.000-05:00

BFF Di requested a quick couple of baby socks for another friend's shower. These are such a hit and I get to use up some leftover sock yarn. I usually do these on size 1's and 36 stitches. Bit of ribbing and turn the heel (flap style) and then 3 inches down the foot. Toe close and DONE! So simple that I don't even use a pattern.
Oh and these are finished objects from 2007, that's how far behind I am in my posts. When I upload a bunch of pics to flickr and webshots, I also add posts to my blog list (unedited)...hoping that it will inspire me to add them to my blog and ravelry.
Sure...

Orkney Pie Shawl

2008-06-29T07:41:00.005-05:00

I had some leftover green acrylic from 30? years ago that was supposed to be a sweater. It was actually quite nice for the day, and reasonably soft. I got about 1/3 of the way through the sweater and then it became a UFO. Finally decided to frog the thing.
The EZasPI group was doing and Orkney Pi shawl KAL so I joined in. It actually knit up to a soft lap blanket. It matched my couch, too. Please don't look at the colour in these pics, it is a really nice dark jade green.
Since that time, I've replaced my couch so it sits at the bottom of a basket. MEH.

EZasPI Orkney Pi

Help Me Find This Sweater Pattern, PLEASE!

2008-04-15T04:57:00.004-05:00

DD recently sent me some pictures of a sweater that Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesley on The Office wore. The comment in the show was that her mother made it for her. Well, DD has never asked me to make her anything but the ugly green mittens before. Nor has she ever worn anything that I have made for her (like the Fleece Artist scarf), luckily they are in my closet now.

So I am asking for help. Has anyone seen this sweater pattern? I have checked all the big sites (eg Elann, Webs, Ram Wools etc etc) and Ravelry, so if it's out there it will be a designer pattern or in a book. I would love to make this for her. If I don't come up with anything by the summer I will try to design my own, but frankly I'm not looking forward to it.

Email me at dmaclean3 at yahoo dot ca (change the at to @, and the dot to . - I hate spam.)

Thanks

Donna

Easy Seamless Crochet Preemie Hat

2007-12-09T05:17:00.000-06:00

Several (make that a long time ago) years ago, I was given some patterns for knit and crochet preemie items. A "Guardian Angel" type organization. After making dozens of the little sets, I started to adapt the pattern to make the items seamless (I hate seaming). So the first of my adapted patterns is the crochet hat.

The original size is for 3-5lb babies but this hat is easily changed for different size heads and yarns. And it is so simple it will be easily memorized.

Easy Seamless Crochet Preemie Hat
For 3 - 5 lbs

Materials - baby yarn or fingering yarn
3.5omm crochet hook (US E/4)
needle for weaving in ends

NOTE - Crochet in back loops only, all rows and rounds. Crochet loosely, you want a soft texture, light and airy. My notes are in red.

Cuff:
Chain 17.

(this can be wider by adding more stitches, or narrower by less stitches.)

Row 1 - 1 sc in 2nd chain from hook, sc to end, turn.
Row 2 - ch 1, sc to end.

(Remember to sc in back loops only.)

Continue till piece measures 8 1/2 inches.

(I usually do about 40 rows or any even number)

Fold cuff over so that starting row is lined up with last row, and the starting thread is on my left and my hook and working thread is on the right. This saves weaving in ends in a minute. Pick up 1 loop from each start and end rows and slip stitch up the seam.

(I'm sorry I have brain fade right now due to an income tax course I am taking and I can't verbalize what I'm seeing in my mind....you are going to close the cuff into a circle and just pick up 1 thread from the front and 1 from the back....email me or I'll try to redo this part later.)

When you get to the end of the seam, chain 1 and turn work.

(on the next row, which is the pick up row, crochet over that starting thread...see, no ends to weave in!)

Sc 40 stitches evenly around cuff. Join with slip st. Do not turn, you are working in the round.
Row 2 - ch 2, dc to end, join with sl st.
Row 3 - ch 1, sc to end, join with sl st.
Row 4 - ch 2, dc to end, join with sl st.
Row 5 - ch 1, sc to end, join with sl st.
Row 6 - ch 2, dc to end, join with sl st.
Row 7 - ch 1, (sc 3, sc 2tog) repeat to end, join with sl st.
Row 8 - ch 2, (dc1, dc 2tog) repeat to end, join with sl st.
Row 9 - ch 1, (sc 1, sc 2 tog) repeat to end, join with sl st.

There should be about 10 stitches left now, break yarn, thread through the back loop of those 10 stitches and pull tightly to close. Fasten off. This is normally the only thread I have to weave in if my cuff threads work out properly.

After you have made one, you will be able to see how to adjust this for a variety of sizes and yarns.
First match yarn to hook, a loose light fabric is wanted.
The original makes a hat for about a 10" head size. I make hats in 6, 8, 10, and 12 inch cuffs. There are some very small preemies and a full term would be the 12" size.
When you pick up the first row for the crown of the hat, I just match the number of stitches to the cuff eg. 40 stitches to 40 rows. This is not critical. If I wind up with an odd number of stitches I just add an extra stitch at the end of the row. Especially the decrease rows, sometimes I lose or gain a stitch. But nothing is set in stone. By the time it is finished, you will not be able to see that extra stitch. I hope this is clear enough to understand. I never realized how hard it is to write a pattern out.

Booties to match soon. These are seamless, too. Maybe next week after my final exams.

FO#37 Babette Blanket Times Two

2007-11-26T06:35:00.001-06:00

I finally got finished sewing the Babette squares together. It seems like it took twice as long to sew together as to crochet all those blocks. Now, I didn't do it in the sock yarn weight it called for. I dragged every blue and grey worsted weight acrylic yarn from my stash and hooked away. I think I bought one extra ball of navy when I ran out. And unfortunately I didn't keep track of how much of each, because there were so many odd balls in this thing.

It wound up being so big that I actually made 2 of them. (And I still have a few leftover squares.) I really wanted to do a good job on the joins and corners, so I chose a mattress stitch that actually made this reversible. So even though my seams and corners are perfect it still goes a bit misshapen. So I give up. Next blanket with seaming involved gets a hooked or whipstitch joining.

Warm and Wonderful Mitts

2007-10-22T05:31:00.000-05:00

Kelly's Mittens

I had just 100 grams of this lovely soft 2 ply handspun. It is wool and mohair from "Warm and Wonderful". This is the link http://www.warmandwonderful.com/ but it seems to be temporarily down.
Her mittens were stiff and scratchy but the yarn was so nice that I bought it anyway. I thought it might be a gauge thing and I was right. As soon as I loosened the gauge up, the soft fuzzy nature of the yarn came out.
So here is my adjusted pattern. I took this from several sources...combined to make it my own.

"Warm and Wonderful" No Ribbing Bulky Mitts

Needles - 5mm
Gauge - 13 stitches to 4 inches/10cm, 16 rows to 4 inches/10 cm.

Right Mitten

CO24 stitches.

I used a long tail cast on to give it a bit of a chain look at bottom. Join in the round and place a marker to show beginning of round.

Knit 12 rows.

Increases for thumb.
Row 1 - K2, place marker, M1, K2, M1, place marker, knit to end of round. (26 stitches).
Row 2/4/6/8/10- knit
Row 3 - K2, slip marker, M1, K4, M1, slip marker, knit to end of round. (28 stitches).
Row 5 - K2, slip marker, M1, K6, M1, slip marker, knit to end of round. (30 stitches).
Row 7 - K2, slip marker, M1, K8, M1, slip marker, knit to end of round. (32 stitches).
Row 9 - K2, slip marker, M1, K10, M1, slip marker, knit to end of round. (34 stitches).

Row 11 - K2, remove marker and put 12 thumb stitches on waste yarn or stitch holder. CO 2 stitches on right needle using backward loop method (as in Elizabeth Zimmerman style cast on).
Knit to end of round.

Knit 12 rounds plain.

And somewhere in this section I added another marker at exactly 12 stitches from the one marking the beginning of the round. So I would line up the finger tip decreases. This also brought the mitt to the end of the pinky finger.

Fingertip decreases -
Row 1 - k1, ssk, k6, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, k6, k2tog, k1. (20 stitches)
Row 2 - knit plain
Row 3 - k1, ssk, k4, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, k4, k2tog, k1. (16 stitches)
Row 4 - knit plain
Row 5 - k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, k2, k2tog, k1. (12 stitches)
Row 6 - k1, ssk, k2tog, k1, slip marker, k1, ssk, k2tog, k1. (6 stitches)

This is just a basic decrease method that I use for mittens and socks. Feel free to substitute your favorite decreases.

Cut yarn and thread through the remaining 6 stitches, tighten up hole and fasten off.

Thumb
Replace 10 thumb stitches to needles and pick up 2 stitches from CO2 stitches. Place marker.
( I actually picked up 1 extra from a holey area so I wouldn't have holes. Then I got rid of the extra stitch next round.)
Knit 5 rounds.
Round 6 - *k2tog, k1* to end of round. (8 stitches).
Round 7 - *k2 tog, k1* to end of round. (4 stitches).
Cut yarn and thread through the 4 stitches. Tighten hole and fasten off.

Left mitten

CO 24 stitches and knit 12 rounds.

Increases for thumb.
Row 1 - K20, place marker, M1, K2, M1, place marker, k2. (26 stitches).
Row 2/4/6/8/10- knit
Row 3 - K20, slip marker, M1, K4, M1, slip marker, k2. (28 stitches).
Row 5 - K20, slip marker, M1, K6, M1, slip marker, k2. (30 stitches). Row 7 - K20, slip marker, M1, K8, M1, slip marker, k2. (32 stitches).
Row 9 - K20, slip marker, M1, K10, M1, slip marker, k2. (34 stitches).

Knit 12 rounds plain and finish as per right mitten.

I know this is just a basic mitten. But I couldn't find one exactly as I had it in my head with the numbers I needed. So here is my offering to the knitting cyber space.

I've checked it over a few times and can't seem to find any mistakes. If you have problems or corrections, contact me.

Enjoy

More finished objects

2007-10-02T05:38:00.001-05:00

Some finished objects and some new yarns.

Lang Super Sox

Col # 630.0080

100g=420m

I really like the blues, grays and rusts. I already blogged about a really icky surprise ball from Ram Wools. It was in oranges, beige and browns. And I guess I can eat my words. The yarn is actually quite nice and I am starting to like the colours. I still don't like the price (with shipping it was almost $25...books were out of stock). This yarn was 100g for $15. I can live with that price for a pair of plain vanilla socks.

Colinette Jitterbug

Col #48 Florentina

100g=267m Love the purples.

Katia Mexico

Col #5852

50g=98yds x2balls

Now this one was a bit weird. I had all intentions of making this into mittens for Kelly but I knit 1 mitten up and it had really wide stripes, some almost 2 inches long. I started the other mitten with the other ball (didn't necessarily want them to be exact but at least fraternal). Stripes turned out to be narrow, none more than 2 rows wide. Now that isn't even close to fraternal as far as I'm concerned. Should have taken pics before I ripped them out in disgust. So now it's back in the stash bins. I'm not sure what I will do with it yet. Maybe I'll try a toddler hat and mittens, something that I can use the wide and narrow striping on. Bought at a close out sale and of course, no refunds.

FO#30

Multidirectional Scarf

Done with some Red Heart Shetland Chunky in Blue Jean

Variegated. I'm sorry but I like this yarn and this colour. I had another scarf that I had done in Tunisian Crochet years ago that I really liked. When I found a couple of leftover balls in my stash, I just knew that I need to make another one. Found this pattern to show off the variegation.

Pattern can be found at

http://douma.net/Karen/knitting/Accessory-Scarves/Multidirectional_Diagonal_Scarf.htm

FO#32
Felted Stadium Seat Cover

This blanket started out as one from the Classic Elite website. The pattern is no longer there (I emailed them, the yarn was discontinued). It was originally done in 2 colours, alternating stripes. I had a bunch of leftover Briggs and Little 2 ply wool that I wanted to use up. I wasn't fussy about the feel of this yarn for hats and socks and mittens. I know a lot of people like it but it felt coarse to me. So I randomly striped everything I wanted to get rid of. It was just 50 stitches on size 8mm needles. A 4' icord was also made for the roll tie. I knitted everything I had and wound up with about 24" x 65". Felted it came out a perfect seat size. 18" x 48". Just right for 2 people on a cold bench.

FO#26

Easy Lace Baby Blanket

From this site

http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2006/04/15/easy_baby_blanket_with_lace_feature.shtml

I love simple garter stitch for watching hockey games or driving in the car and this pattern fit the bill. I used 4 balls of Bernat Lollipop Ombre Col #3088, that I had bought at a closeout sale at Lens Mills. 3.5mm needles.

The lace edging was to be knit and then sewn on, but I dislike seaming. Pick up stitches all the way around blanket. And then attach one live blanket stitch to each edging stitch. I think I actually did 1 live blanket stitch to 1 row edging, then 2 live blanket stitches to 1 edging so it would lay flatter. As it got closer to the corners, I did a few short rows to get 1 extra repeat on each side of the corner and make it lay flat as it turned. Not sure if this makes sense.

FO#27
#69 Pink and Red Kroy socks

Some "Fancy Free" from my stash. Just basic thick warm socks. I love this Kroy for my arena socks. It's really warm without it being boot socks. And thin enough to fit in my shoes or Berks.

FO#28

#72 Monkey socks

Done with Opal handpainted using a picot edge.

FO#29
#74 Black Fortissima socks

'Nuther basic boring sock to give away for Christmas. It actually looks nicer in real life. The blacks and blues will make nice jean socks.

I actually did up my stast totals and I am at 95.6% of my original stash. My sock yarn is higher (couldn't resist some new sock yarns on line). But I got rid of a lot of boring stuff with the felted blanket. So

New stash totals

114086.47 yds /35159 grams

Sock yarn included in above totals

21511.03 yds (12.22 miles) / 5201g (11.45 lbs)

I think I will have to relook at my sock stash totals. If the average ball is 100g, this says I have 52 pairs worth. No way do I have that much sock yarn in 2 boxes. So back to recheck my totals.

Ciao

Easy Lace Stashbuster Scarf!

2007-08-11T07:34:00.000-05:00

I'm getting a birthday bouquet for Grandma, sent to her from http://yarngiftbouquets.com/. Roxanne and I are taking one of the sock kits and turning it into a scarf kit. Grandma knits but hasn't picked up the needles in awhile. And what do you get someone who's turning 80 and has everything. Some gorgeous yarn and needles, oh yeah.

But we need a pattern for a really simple scarf. I always liked this pattern and I have no clue where it came from. I believe it came from a stitch guide. It is so simple and once you get the hang of it you don't need a hard copy. So I have used it for years to use up those pesky part balls of yarn in my stash. Sometimes long ones, sometimes a neckwarmer scarf to tuck in your coat.

Easy Lace Stashbuster Scarf

Yarn - anything you have (this was a fuzzy sport weight acrylic in my stash) less than 200 yards.
Needles - large (this scarf 8mm)
Size - (this scarf 8" wide by 40" long)

Pattern

Cast On 26 stitches.

Knit 6 rows garter stitch for bottom border.

Row 1 - K3, *(k2tog, yo)* repeat till last 3 stitches, K3
Row 2 - K3, purl to last 3 stitches, K3
Row 3 - K3, *(yo, k2tog)* repeat till last 3 stitches, K3
Row 4 - K3, purl to last 3 stitches, K3.

Repeat rows 1 - 4 until scarf is as long as you like or you run out of yarn. But leave yourself enough to finish another border.

Knit 6 rows garter stitch for top border.

This pattern can be varied by size of yarn, size of needle and number of stitches. It is a multiple of 2 stitches so you can make it as wide as you want. Anything you want. Gets rid of those part balls of yarn in your stash.

Enjoy.

2007-07-15T09:19:00.001-05:00

Stash is up...too bad the paycheck isn't....
I was trying so hard to stay on my yarn diet. I finished up some projects in "old yarn" and was working on others. Then I succumbed. Bought some more and actually upped the stash again. Just like falling off a real diet.

What's on the needles....
Monkey Socks in Opal Handpainted. Done as per pattern and a little too tight for me. Will probably be a gift for Christmas 2007.

FO #23 couple of pics...right picture is closer to original color. Garter lace shawl for Grandma.

FO #25 Tidal Wave Socks
probably will be gift Christmas 2007.

FO #24
North Iceland Mitts...slight colour modification because I didn't like the wide band with no colour patterning. My size but might gift them.

New Yarns....yummy ones at that....

Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome "Java" and Dream in Color Smooshy "Nightwatch"

Regia Bamboo Color 1065 and Shaefer Anne "Blue 2"

2007-06-18T05:22:00.000-05:00

Lots of stuff.....

Frogged. I took the EZasPi "Bugs in the Garden" blanket and frogged it. The yarn just wasn't working for me. The patterns weren't showing up and the colours were icky. Started a basic garter stitch square on the diagonal which I plan to add a lacy edging to. The colours are showing up much better. And it is so boring, I can read emails and work on it.

Babette Blanket...I couldn't wait any longer (I was going to finish up some other projects first). So I dug up some blues and greys from my stash, just acrylics. Threw a few back in the pool that didn't work together and came up with this combo. I like it. And now I have some crochet stuff to work on.

Finished another pet blanket for the local pet shelter.

FO#22

Purchases....

Warm and Wonderful Mohair

100g white and green

130g red and white

$19.75 total...this was half price...future mittens for Kelly and Kahla.

Tunisian CAL Swatches

Over at http://iamintheloop.com/blog/2007/06/13/tunisian-swatch-along/

she's doing some texture swatchs. I can't upload mine to the Flickr group till July sometime.

Mine are done in Bernat handicrafter.

Tidal Wave Socks for MIL.

Sock yarn bought at Knitters Fair. From stash.

(no pic yet)

FO #23

Garter Stitch Lace Triangle from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls from Martha Waterman. It will be gifted to MIL for her birthday in August.

2007-05-14T07:23:00.001-05:00

The Baby "Bugs in My Garden" Shawl

From the EzasPi knitters group. Picture was taken after Clue 2.

I am using some Bernat Lollipop Ombre called Baby's Delight (white with pink and blue)...baby weight acrylic from my stash. I don't think they make it anymore but it is about 200 yards in a 1 3/4oz ball. I used a 3.5mm needle, ball band suggest a 3.25mm. I did the last one (Christening Chrysallis with same weight same needle and I loved how it felt after the first washing).

The clues I picked...
Plain rows till 72 stitches on needle.
Clue 1 - 12 row selection A1 Framed Flower
Clue 2 - Selection B Dragon Fly Aworking on Clue 3 selection C

My YO's are looking a little wonky on the dragonflies, could be the way I stretched it. It's acrylic and will be just washed up like a regular blanket so I'm not too worried.

On this type of project for me (using up stash yarn for a baby blanket) I like to remember the famous words of my Dear Jane quilting group..."Finished is better than Perfect"... (the reproduction quilt had 200+ blocks, 4.5" finished, all different).

I'm bad, bought more yarn....

2007-05-05T09:35:00.000-05:00

Two finished objects these past few weeks and another almost completed. It would have brought the stash down big time...but I went and added a few balls of stuff that I just couldn't go without. Isn't that always the way? But at least it didn't make my numbers go up.

So I finished

#18 The Blue Baby Blanket knit in the round. I had to rip back the edging and make it narrower because I ran out a few repeats from the end. So instead of a 15 stitch point I wound up with about a 10 stitch point.

#19 Knitpicks Dancing cotton sock yarn basic socks.

Some more preemie baby stuff.

And I bought ..... 5 skeins of Bernat Satin Sport in Wine. This stuff was so incredibly soft and the wine colour is perfect for MIL' s Christmas shawl. Cat from LetsKnitTogether vidcasts had one done in a variegated silk yarn with an edging (pattern was from Traditional Shawls). I searched for some fingering weight variegated yarn but nothing spoke to me. And then at Len's Mills I spotted this wine colour and knew it was for her. It will be warm, soft and easy to keep clean (as in washable). I was considering wool, wool-silk combos but changed my mind after seeing the pile of hand knit socks that she had felted up with washing and drying in the machine. I know she still wears them and loves them but I am not going to put this much effort into a project and have it destroyed. Socks okay but not a shawl.

And this came from Ram wools. And that is another story in itself.

Soft Cotton with lycra for some summer socks

And scrapped a bunch of yarn...