Monday, December 22, 2008

Lavender Sachet - Free Pattern!

Here it is, the quick and easy Lavender Sachet!Finished size:
approx 3" wide by 4" tall

Materials:
Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Prairie Lupine (or any other worsted weight yarn you'd like) I don't know exactly what yardage, but it's not a whole lot.
Size US 6/4.0mm DPNs
Yarn needle
Stitch marker (or keep track of which DPN you're on)a
About 1 yard/meter of matching or contrasting ribbon
Two 8"x8" squares of tulle to match the ribbon
About 1/4 cup of dried lavender flowers

Pattern:

CO 42 sts using backward loop method, place marker and join for working in the round

Rounds 1-3: Knit all sts
Round 4: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * around
Rounds 5-7: Knit all sts
Round 8: Fold work in half, knit side out, *pick up one loop from cast on edge and knit it together with one stitch on needle, repeat from * around (this creates the picot edging!)
Round 9: *K2tog, YO, repeat from * around

Work in stockinette until piece measures approximately 4" tall.
Two ways to finish it off:
1) Transfer sts evenly between two DPNs and graft them together using the kitchener stitch.
OR
2) Turn work inside-out, transfer sts evenly between two DPNs and close it off using a three needle bind-off.

I used the second method, as I'm a bit lazy.
Weave in the loose yarn ends with a yarn needle and you're done with the knit part.

Now make it pretty!
Lay out the two tulle squares, one on top of the other, put the lavender in the middle and tie it up in a little pouch. Stuff it inside the knit pouch.
Fold the ribbon in half and tie off a 3-4 inch loop. Use a yarn needle to weave ribbon through the eyelet row of the knit pouch with loop in the center back. Pull loosely and tie in a pretty bow with ends hanging down and tulle sticking out the top.
Wa-La, there you have it.
(yes, that was intentional, i know it's voila)

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Happy Solstice!

A happy day, indeed! Time for the days to start getting longer. Busy busy weekend around here. Friday night was a (mostly) fun gathering with friends. The hubby ate something that didn't agree with him and got sick, no fun.
Saturday we headed over to my dad's house and had a family picture followed by extended family gathering and gift exchange. Whew. It's amazing how something that's not really much work can leave you so tired.
Bringing us to tonight! A lovely mellow evening at my mom's house, tasty dinner and cocktails. My mom had commented on the rainbow hat a while ago when she was over visiting, so I finished it and gave it to her. I like how it turned out and she seems to like it too!I finished off the top with a three-point bind off, I don't know if there's a name for that...anyone? I had to add the pom-poms! I'm sure my mom would have been fine without them, but really...pom-poms! They had to be added.
I think this turned out pretty nice, and I think it would look pretty nifty as a double-knit too. Too bad double knitting drives me crazy.
Speaking of that, the Skarf is coming along nicely! It looks exactly like I was hoping. I'd post another picture, but damn the hubby, he actually read my blog and saw the last one! Still think he's going to love it. So, when it's done and around his neck (noose or not) there will be a picture...and a pattern.
One more new project! For the crazy extended family gift exchange, I made some cute little lavender sachets. Super fast and easy, I think I managed to make two in three hours while also dealing with a needy toddler. "I want something to eat" "Let's read this book!" "I want to sit with you"
So, you know, easy...fast. Pattern next post!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Not just Socktopus, Socktopi!

This is so cool! There are already Socktopi being made, with pictures on Ravelry, and the response to the pattern has been so awesome!
So, there have been a couple additions to the Socktopus family in our home already.
A slightly smaller orange Socktopus, commissioned by my aunt for a friend's baby.I also just finished a Giganto-Socktopus! Shown with original Socktopus for visual comparison.
Same pattern with size 11 needles and bulky yarn.
Hooray! Thanks to everyone for the encouraging and sweet comments!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

SOCKTOPUS!!!


My face is still numb and I'm a little nauseous from the dentist visit this morning, but who cares! It's here, the new Knitty! Featuring my darling creation and my darling kiddo!
I'm so very excited and I'm sure half of my face is smiling just fine!
SOCKTOPUS, people!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Approaching Maximum Hideosity

So, the nights are getting longer. Today, the official sunrise was 9:52, sunset 3:43. Sure, there's some residual light, but it can get to me. What do I do to cope? Get a fabulous purse that puts off it's own glow!I get the range of reactions to this. I have the ever tactful, "Oh, it's...nice!" The friends who know me well enough to know I don't care that they say, "That thing is HIDEOUS!" And one or two friends who actually have the same taste as me and think it's wonderful.
Here's the fun part: The way the purse is constructed, the two outside pockets (which both have zippered pockets attached) are only half the depth of the middle. This means that I'm not losing my keys/wallet/pen/whatever in the depths of side pockets aaaaaand the deep middle pocket is big enough for one medium or two small sized knitting projects!!!

Sheer sequined awesomeness!
So, you see the rainbow hat is one of the projects in there. The other is the Skarf. It's horribly slow going, I'm far enough along that I refuse to rip it, but every time I work on it, I swear I will never double knit again. I took this picture of it a few days ago, there's a bit more progress, but this is the start.I'm pretty sure the hubby doesn't even look at this, so it's safe to post the picture.
I got to proofread my pattern for Knitty and the anticipation of go-live is killing me! I'm really psyched about it. Not saying anything before it's actually out is the biggest secret I've kept in a long time. I obsessively check the site a few times a day since I proofed the pattern.
I'm out of steam for tonight. I think I'm going to slip into my new footie jammies (the kiddo likes it when the whole family wears them) and spend a calm evening in.