trishknits.com--yet another knitting blog

November 24, 2005

Thanksgiving Hat

Diana's hat completed with cabled hatband and butterfly pinWell, here it is... Diana's felted hat completed. It has a zigzag cabled hat band and a butterfly pin that I found at Gracemate Jewelry. I hope Diana likes it! She's at my mom's house, helping with preparations for the Thanksgiving feast, so I'm planning to bring it over and surprise her with it. I may even cast on for my next hat before leaving for my mom's house, so I'll have a project to work on while there. Can't decide whether it's going to be another felted hat (I have a long list of family and friends who now want one) or the KnitPicks Long Winter's Nap hat for me. Guess I'd better decide quickly, as we'll be leaving pretty soon! Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate, and may you have many things to be thankful for.


November 16, 2005

Before...

Diana models oversized hat before feltingYay! I finally finished the felted hat for Diana! She's home with a sinus infection today so she was really happy to model the hat without having to show her face!! I started by looking at the Fiber Trends AC-1 Felted Hat for reference, but in the end I deviated quite a bit to get sizing that was appropriate for a 9-year-old girl! I'm actually proud of myself that I'm getting to know enough about hats by now that I could figure this out pretty much by myself! I'm looking forward to the day that Diana will be able to wear this cute little hat! Plus, it was good to get back to making one of my favorite things, to offset the ongoing nature of some longer-term projects.


and After

Diana's flat topped rolled brim hat after feltingAnd here's the hat after felting! Isn't it cute? This was the first felting test for my new Kenmore front loader washer (nearly identical to the Whirlpool Duet) and I am happy with the results! Since my old front loader usually took three cycles to achieve a desired size, I decided to live dangerously so we set the washer on the "Sanitary" setting with a "No Spin" on the rinse cycle. I was so nervous when it came out of the wash; it looked like a tight little ball and smelled something like a wet dog! (wet sheep?) But with rigorous stretching and kneading, it took a nice shape fairly quickly. There's a Gladware bowl underneath the hat for now as it dries, which happens to have the same diameter as my lovely child's skull. I've been smoothing it every so often, and it feels a bit like working with dough!

So this was my first experience felting with KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, and I do have to say that so far I am pleased! This is a nice yarn to felt with and very inexpensive, too. Where it used to cost me about $30 to make this hat, I can now do it for about $10. I am still working on a garter stitch hat band, which will be embellished with a rainbow-colored butterfly pin. I'm sure this hat will be gorgeous! I'm doin' the happy dance!


November 15, 2005

Lots of Knitting, But No Posting

carrie modeling scarfWell, hello all... sorry I haven't written in weeks but I vowed this morning not to let a whole month go by, so here I am! Let's see if I can get caught up on all that is happening in my knitting world.

First, as you can see, I did finish the scarf for my friend Carrie, and in the nick of time! I think I wove in the last end just an hour prior to her arrival. It's made from purple shades of Lion Brand Suede and Lion Brand Color Waves, and overall, I'm happy with the results! I'm still not a fluffy-scarf-on-big-needles girl, but once in a while, a quick project is a good thing!


The Best Bag Ever

black leather bagA few weeks ago there was a lovely woman setting up a vending table in the lobby of my office building and she was setting out purses galore. I had my eye on a hot pink handbag for some reason, and was sorely tempted for a brief few minutes. (Who, me? I don't carry a purse, really.) And then she brought out... THIS... BAG. Since I happened to be carrying along a big project that day, jammed into a too-small tote, I saw the possibilities immediately. It's leather, lined on the inside, and unbelievably roomy!! My projects fit in it very nicely! It even has zippered pockets on the sides for smaller doo-dads so they don't get lost, and a zippered closure at the top, which is good since I'm prone to dumping my project bag on a regular basis. And the price was great too! Yes, this is bag nirvana.


Diana's New Hat

Diana with knitting project on her headMy lovely daughter, Diana, decided last year that she wanted a "grown up" hat made from my favorite pattern, Fiber Trends AC-1. I love this pattern because it goes quickly and looks like a lot of work when it isn't!! I'm making it with KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, which I've never done before, so I guess I'll find out soon how well it felts! When finished I will also add a light pink hat band and finish it off with a lovely multi-colored butterfly pin. Yes, I'm hoping this will be a thing of beauty. It was Diana's idea, by the way, to "model" the hat for the picture... I'm glad she's getting our own warped sense of humor at such an early age!


The hat in progressAnd here is a photo of the hat in progress as of this morning. I have futzed with the size and numbers of stitches called for in the pattern since the full-sized adult hat is a wee bit big for Diana yet. So far I think the shaping is nice and I'm hopeful that if it does felt well, we'll have a lovely new hat! Wish me luck!

By the way, for those of you who might be wondering, I decided not to post a photo of the poncho in progress this time, because despite the fact that I am still busily working on it, it still looks very much the same in all of its pictures. Maybe by the end of the week there will be enough of a difference to post about.

Knitting Resources

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Work in Progress: Aran Sampler Rainbow Blankie - Click this page to see all the cool designs that are going into this project!

Finished Object Gallery - This page doesn't have a lot on it! I'm notorious for not finishing projects. But check back from time to time as I just might surprise myself!

Trish's Knitting Library - This is an assortment of knitting books and related materials that I've enjoyed, so I thought I would share them with you.

Trish's Knitting Links - I surf a lot for knitting resources so I thought I'd start compiling my discoveries here. Check back often!

The KnitList - This is probably one of the oldest and most comprehensive knitting resources on the Web. There are literally thousands of members, and people are always ready to provide information and help.

KnitTalk - and if you're sick of the Knitlist and just want a warm fuzzy place to chat about knitting, try this group on for size.

KnitHatsNow - A mailing list devoted to people who love to knit hats! We maintain an always-growing list of free hat patterns available on the web.

KnittingScarves - A mailing list devoted to people who love to knit scarves! We maintain an always-growing list of scarf patterns available on the web. Crocheters are welcome, too.

Knitty - Very creative online knitting magazine. Great patterns and really great articles. Best of all, it's FREE.

Trish's Knitting Tips

Knitting Small Round Objects Without Double Pointed Needles (a.k.a., "The Magic Loop") - Learning this technique revolutionized the way I knit! The booklet which describes the technique in detail is published by Fiber Trends and is available through a huge variety of knitting retailers. I also found that I learned the technique on my own pretty well visiting this website: How to Knit Small Circumferences Using One Long Circular Needle.

Recently, I've found a website called Knitting Help.com where the Magic Loop technique is demonstrated. Click on the Advanced Techniques page to find the video.

My Own Patterns

Cables and Eyelets Scarf -- I put this pattern together and I'm enjoying it a lot so far! Of course, my sample is still in the UFO pile, but the pattern is a lot of fun to knit.

Fancy Cabled Braided Scarf -- My first pattern! I love cables, and I love this scarf. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Commercial Knitting Resources

The Yarn Market - My current favorite yarn store. A wide selection of beautiful and fun yarns.

Knitpicks - My other favorite yarn store. This one carries tons of accessories and doo-dads I can't live without! Recently, Knitpicks has begun carrying their own house-brand yarn. The reviews are good and the prices can't be beat! Be sure to check them out.

Denise Interchangeable Needles - I love these needles and I use them exclusively. I have two sets! The needle sizes range from 5-15, and the cables can be combined to make almost any length. I find these needles lightweight and easy to work with.

Favorite Knitting Blogs

WendyKnits - This one is a hoot to read and contains lots of info on really interesting projects! But, Kudos to Wendy's tip on Cabling Without a Cable Needle. I've read many directions before, but this one was the one that caused my "light bulb" to go off.

yarnstorm

JoanKnits

String or Nothing

Yarn Boy

Scarf Style Knitalong Blog


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"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." --Audre Lorde

©2004 Patricia Day; All Rights Reserved.
E-mail Trish: Trish@trishday.com