A Lot of Things Different

So yesterday I went on...and on...about trying some new things. I was going to do the yarn dyeing and I was going to try my hand again at making stitchmarkers this time making them with Mr. Honey because he likes that kind of thing.

Well, maybe he doesn't. I'll tell you all about it right after this photo of the end results:


It started out innocently enough. I made a very good dinner and asked him if he wanted to see the idea of the stitchmarkers I had and he came back with 'sure.' So, I showed him and showed him the part I needed his help on. He made one and looked as if he wasn't happy with it and then I asked him: "Would you like to see the written instructions?" Oh, the look.

What? I didn't mention there were written instructions?

I printed them out and he read them over and made some grunts and noises and we put together a couple of markers he announced it was frustrating and since this was 'my thing' it wasn't a frustration he needed.

How could I have been so wrong? Perhaps, I wasn't. Read on.

I certainly understood the frustration and so I asked him to just talk me through it and I would learn the part that was giving me fits.
He did that....after making about four more markers.

Huh?

Mr. Honey (and other Mr. Honeys around the globe, I suspect) has this habit of making noise about something being frustrating or hard or something other than the easiest thing in the world and when given the choice to leave it alone, will not leave it alone less their card and membership from the Testosterone Club for Real Men be revoked. When I reached for the tools he moved them away from me and gave the gruff order for me to 'start lining up words.'

Of course I did what I was told and it was maybe twenty minutes later he showed me his tricks and left me with the instructions to do ten more before I came to bed.

I did my before bed homework and when I came downstairs, he was at the table tidying up those that I left imperfect. He had split the pile in two: acceptable and not so much and declared when he went to the Testosterone Temple (Menards) on the morrow, he would get me a set of the proper tools I needed and one of those trays where I could keep my beads and supplies in order.

So what will happen with the completed stitchmarkers? The ones declared really good will go on sale in the shop. The ones that are flawed will go on sale in the shop as flawed with a price reduction - because Mr. Honey's definition of flaw means he didn't do it himself and he could tell mine from his. My definition is: None of them will snag yarn, they are fully functional, the wire is not as pretty. And they will be called Mr. Honey Stitchmarkers. He got a kick outta that. Get this, he thinks we should offer to personalize them.hu

Do I know my Mr. Honey or what?12804

Mad Hatting

I took a peek at the calendar. Christmas is next week. It is next Thursday. We celebrate with HB's familia on Christmas Eve. I go to my own church and join them at about 9:30pm. They've already eaten and they are waiting for me to come. I will arrive and I will eat a quick dinner and then Santa will arrive and we will pass out presents.

My mother-in-law was a knitter and crocheter and she made booties. At the Thanksgiving dinner at my B-I-L's house, he said I should pick up the tradition of making booties for everyone.

That is so not going to happen. I don't knit booties or socks. Haven't tried them. Have no urge to try them. Never been tempted to review a pattern. I don't even think long enough about making them to reject the idea of making them.

However, one week out of the family get together, I have the urge to make hats for everyone...and get this; I'm thinking of color-coding:
Purple for Joe & me (2)
Green for his sister and her family (8 - doesn't include the grandchildren)
Blue for his brother and his family (9 - doesn't include the grandchildren)
Yes, I am thinking I will actually begin to knit 20 hats and have them done by next week.

I am thinking a quick pattern with a simple stitch. I am actually thinking of reviewing hat patterns and getting started this evening and working on nothing else until they are all done so I can wrap them and the HB can take them to the gathering.

I'm not currently on medication, but I'm thinking I should start taking...something.
Mad-Hatting...it's a new disease and I fear I may have it. Go ask Alice.
Talk me out of this!

The Craze Phase

So, what's up with me having seven projects on the needles? This is what used to happen then I switched to working on one project at a time and now I have come back to multiple projects.

There is a method to the madness....

I have a ton of tote bags - I love tote bags. Don't ask why; I've learned to accept it. I went to a library convention last year and collected about 15 tote bags and I've received three from people in my sister's Baha'i choir this year and last year, plus all the others.

Here comes the logic....

I have two tons of yarn all through the house. The only rooms in the house that do not have yarn is the kitchen and the bathroom. And that's because the hubby-bubby moved the yarn out of the kitchen last night.

Do you see it coming.....

I have two sales coming up. One day in November and a week in December. I always worry that we won't have enough even though we do sell a great deal, we always come back with boxes of stuff, but the fear gets the needles clacking.

Now it all comes together.

Yarn in tote bags are WIPs which means less yarn cluttering around. The project goes into a tote bag which goes into a newly cleared shelf in the lawyers bookcase. The projects won't all be done for the sale in November, but there should be 1/3 to 1/2 of the seven done in time for the December sale.

So to conclude the logic end of our journey...

The house is less cluttered. More items are available for the sale. I actually use the tote bag collection and I have variety and diversity in knitting.

See?

On the other hand, I usually have more than one project going when I feel things are a little out of control. Now that the funk is clearing away, I will probably work on one project a day and alternate the WIPs. But it's good to have an explanation ready.

Sit & Knit Pattern 2: Crochet Hats

These patterns came from Bev's County Cottage (no relation!) Her site is full of patterns intended to be used for mission knitting and since we are doing a Sit & Knit, we qualify.

We will use the patterns for the adult/teen hat and bev's scrap hat. Visit the website for the actual patterns and pictures. I don't crochet (I know how, I just don't) and these seem easy enough for beginners on up.

Information about the Sit & Knit and the registration form can be found here.

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The Soho Scarf - Exquisite Little Knits

So I've made another scarf. That's ok. Scarves are good for the craft sale and they are good for donations. Scarves serve many purposes.

This scarf was done in my favorite yarn, Caron By The Pound, knit on size eight circular needles. I think it took two days to knit. What makes this scarf so much fun is that it is made of three panels; two are vertical and the one in middle is horizontal and it is knit all in one piece. The technique involves adding on stitches, binding off, and picking up stitches. The reason it's on circular needles is because it requires two hundred stitches. It is a reversible scarf though one side has a little more texture than the other.

You can find the complete pattern in Exquisite Little Knits by Iris Schreier & Laurie J. Kimmelstiel.

I would love to see this yarn done with self striping yarn, as opposed to variegated yarn. I would love to see what the yarn does when it moves the horizontal to the vertical strip and back again.

The Debbie Macomber Scarf - almost

So, after the nine day afghan (that took 20 days) I needed to do something simple. The next book on the shelf was Knit With Debbie Macomber. The first pattern in the book is a pattern for making seven variations of a scarf. A scarf! Now that is simple, indeed. So, I thought I would make her scarf - only different. This scarf is headed for the Head2Toe Project. We're planning a Sit & Knit in May! Watch for more info.

The pattern called for chunky weight yarn - so far so good. I now have a bunch of chunky weight yarn in the stash. But I didn't have the speckled kind the first pattern called for, but the second one was a solid color.

I had a solid color!! It's Lion Brand Jiffy. I used it to make my brother in law's scarf for Christmas as well as the Nomad Hat/Scarf I made for myself. I still had a lot of it left over; certainly enough to make a scarf.

The pattern called for size 13 needles. Well, I used size 10 because that's the one the yarn suggested. I have nothing against size 13 needles - it just didn't feel right for the yarn- and since it's a scarf, gauge doesn't really matter much.

The pattern called for 17 stitches - that was a little narrow for me (probably because I used smaller needles) so I cast on 21 and that seemed just right.

The pattern said to make it 62 inches or the desired length. I chose the desired length. There was no fringe in the pattern - I felt like adding fringe.

Other than that, I followed the pattern to the letter!

Nine Day Afghan - Day 2

Hmmm. The second strip isn't complete. It's about 2/3 through and I would have to stay up way past my already late bedtime. So, the nine day afghan is probably now a ten day afghan.

It probably wouldn't have been so bad cuz I started the strip yesterday and then had to go to church and today I had to walk a dog this morning.
I must admit I do like the strips better than the other ones and this is just the second strip. I am following the pattern more closely.

We'll see how it goes...

We're Open For Business!

This is the first day of The Knitter's Restaurant blog! This is a place to share what's on your needles as well as what's on your mind.
I learned to knit way back in the 7th grade and hadn't touched it again until two years ago when a friend and I decided to start a knitting group at our church. At first, it didn't seem as if it was going to fly, but at the end of this year, we have sold more than $1000 of knitted, crochet, and woven crafts. The money goes to buy more yarn (of course!) but also to some of our programs of knitting comfort items for our congregation and members of the community.

So, what's on your needles? Currently, I have three projects going: two afghans from The Little Box of Knitted Throws - Garden Gate and the Aran Squares, and a scarf from a pattern found on the web. The afghans will go to the programs while the scarf is a Christmas present. I'll post photos as soon as they're done.

What about you? What are you working on?