At my job outside the home, they do a Christmas swap.
You purchase an item for the name you draw, luckily for me the name I picked belongs to a really nice young man who’s very crochet /knit worthy… so along with the prepaid visa card that he can use wherever he likes (he has a wife, and a little baby, so I’m sure he can use the money for his family — if he chooses to do so) I’ve decided to knit him something. The thing is, I’m not sure what the ‘something’ will be… but I’m leaning towards a scarf or mittens, or perhaps both! We’re supposed to get a lot of snow this winter. I’ve made all my Christmas handcrafted items already so I’ll have plenty of time to work on whatever I make for him. The party isn’t scheduled until mid December.
In other knitting news…
I finally got around to making my daughter the fingerless gloves she loves so much. I made one for her last night while we watching the Monster High: Ghoul’s Rule movie. I’ll knit the other this evening. Hopefully I’ll be able to post pictures this weekend.
Earlier today, I took my daughter to A.C. Moore so she could select a Springfield doll. She wasn’t expecting the doll, and was thrilled when we went to the doll section and I told her to choose a doll.
For those familiar with American Girls doll. The Springfield dolls look a lot like the American Girl dolls, but instead of paying over $100, you can purchase Springfield dolls for a little over $20.00. You can purchase Springfield dolls at AC Moore, JoAnn Fabrics, and Michaels department stores. If you have a 50% off coupon, you can get them even cheaper. You can use AC Moore, JoAnn Fabrics, and Michaels stores coupons at each others stores. Perfect for when you want to take advantage of a 50% coupon. I’ve noticed that AC Moore seems to offer those coupons more than the other two stores. So use the highest coupon when you visit the other craft store!
I’m loving these colors…
Since we were there, I decided to check to see their selection of wool, and I came home with three skeins of Patons Classic Wool. It was on sale for $3.99 per skein. I’ve never used Patons before, but I’ve been wanting to make some felted projects for a few gifts and I’d read that this brand felts well.
The above color is Kimono, and I already have ideas of what I’ll be making with this yarn. I did notice that my local A.C. Moore has remodeled their yarn section. There seems to be a lot more yarn too. It looks really nice. Hmm… I just might have to add A.C. Moore onto my yarn stash list.
Besides knitted hats, I don’t think I’ve knitted any clothing for an infant. Sure I’ve made numerous sewn and crocheted items… but that’s not knitting. It’s time that I change that, right?
This knitted infant top is a quick knit of ribbed and stockinette stitch.
This is a quick knit, and I still have some work to complete but for the most part it’s finished. I’ll be adding a few cutesy adornments to this knit. Because of course, if I pick up stitches, I can always knit some ruffles. And to make it extra special, this could easily be turned into a ‘set’ by making a matching hat, mittens, and tiny booties too.
Some nights, when I can’t sleep you’ll find me reading or working on some craft… like knitting.
The first time I heard this song, I instantly thought of the band Queen, I definitely here similarities of Queen in this song, love it!
FUN: Some Nights
Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck
Some nights, I call it a draw
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they’d just fall off
But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I’m still not sure what I stand for oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don’t know anymore…
oh woah, oh woah, oh woah oh oh
oh woah, oh woah, oh woah oh oh
This is it, boys, this is war – what are we waiting for?
Why don’t we break the rules already?
I was never one to believe the hype – save that for the black and white
I try twice as hard and I’m half as liked, but here they come again to jack my style
And that’s alright; I found a martyr in my bed tonight
She stops my bones from wondering just who I am, who I am, who I am
Oh, who am I? Oh, who am I? mmm… mmm…
Well, some nights, I wish that this all would end
Cause I could use some friends for a change
And some nights, I’m scared you’ll forget me again
Some nights, I always win, I always win…
But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I’m still not sure what I stand for, oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don’t know… (come on)
So this is it? I sold my soul for this?
Washed my hands of that for this?
I miss my mom and dad for this?
No. When I see stars, when I see, when I see stars, that’s all they are
When I hear songs, they sound like this one, so come on
Oh, come on. Oh, come on, OH COME ON!
Well, this is it guys, that is all – five minutes in and I’m bored again
Ten years of this, I’m not sure if anybody understands
This one is not for the folks at home; Sorry to leave, mom, I had to go
Who the fuck wants to die alone all dried up in the desert sun?
My heart is breaking for my sister and the con that she call “love”
But when I look into my nephew’s eyes…
Man, you wouldn’t believe the most amazing things that can come from…
Some terrible nights…ahhh…
The other night, you wouldn’t believe the dream I just had about you and me
I called you up, but we’d both agree
It’s for the best you didn’t listen
It’s for the best we get our distance… oh…
It’s for the best you didn’t listen
It’s for the best we get our distance… oh…
The past few days I’ve been working on tiny knits. During my down time, I’ve been so busy hanging with my daughter — and squeezing in knitting. That I’ve completely forgotten to take pictures, I must change that.
Of course my daughter has reaped the benefits since the completed items were gifted to her dolls. It’s all part of using magic loop to it’s fullest. I’ve been good, and haven’t touched my DPN’s at all — although I’ve looked at them longingly. Since I have the simple knitted doll items nailed down, I think it’s high time that I add something more challenging to the mix, and so I’m looking at sweaters and knitted jackets/skirt combinations, all in miniature of course.
Naturally, this means I’ll need to purchase smaller knitting needles. I believe my smallest knitting needle size is either 0 (2.0mm) or 1 (2.5mm), but I’ve seen them go down to 000 (1.5mm.) Naturally Althea Crome came to mind, since she’s the miniature queen — in the knitting world.
I already posted the above video before, when I wrote about crocheting my first ‘Coraline doll‘ but I had to post it once more. The detail in her miniature outfits are amazing.
You want to know something? I find it much easier to make miniature knitted items than crochet. Perhaps its because I’ve knitted longer. I’ll be sure to post photos of some of my knitted creations within the next few days.
Which reminds me… I need to purchase appropriate purchase lace weight yarn for these upcoming projects. My birthday is right around the corner, and my gift to myself is another set of circular needles, yarn, card stock, and stamps. I might purchase some more fabric too.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, it happens in fall (which is one of my favorite seasons.)
Teeny tiny knitted skull. This one is about the size of a quarter.
This past weekend I decided to knit a few cute items for the upcoming holiday, such as the cute little skull featured here. This skull is tiny, about the size of a quarter, and was knitted in the round on my size 4 Knit Picks options circular interchangeable needles.
For my daughter’s fourth grade class, I’m making trick or treat bags out of muslin, it’ll be much easier to sew than knit 15 bags. I’ll then stuff the bags with all sorts of yummy treats.
This past December, when I learned to crochet, I purchased cheap Red Heart Super Saver yarn from a few big box stores; Wal Mart and Michaels. The only downside to working with this fiber was that some of the skeins were scratchy. The scratchy factor isn’t reserved to acrylics, since I’ve encountered some animal fibers (mainly wool) that were super scratchy too.
Skeins of acrylic yarn, ready to be washed. Don’t forget to remove the yarn labels!
I don’t like working with scratchy yarn… I knew that many finished objects made with acrylic yarn, soften after they’ve been washed, but I decided to experiment and wash the entire skein before using them.
Red Heart yarn skeins, zipped in the mesh laundry bag and ready to go through the wash cycle!
What you need
Mesh laundry bag aka lingerie bag for washing hosiery or delicate clothing
Optional; Cover skeins of yarn with nylon stockings that have been cut into skein sized tubes. Think of it as a jacket for your yarn skeins. I find when I do this the loose yarn ends don’t wander…which could unravel the yarn a tiny bit. I don’t always use nylon tubes.
Yarn skeins in nylon tubes, reduce tangles. You can cut up nylon stockings to make these tubes.
Directions on washing your acrylic yarn skeins
If you’re unsure about the results, just test one acrylic yarn skein.
Remove the yarn label, you don’t want that going into the washing machine! If you want to identify the yarn color later, hold onto the label to place on after it’s been washed and dried, or make your own cute labels.
Place yarn in mesh wash bag. I usually loop scrap yarn through the zipper hole and one of the mesh holes and tie. Since occasionally my lingerie bag will open during the wash cycle.
Place yarn filled bag into the washing machine.
Add detergent, instead of fabric softener I use vinegar
Wash on warm setting, since washing acrylics at hot temperatures can damage the yarn.
Once the cycle is complete, place the skeins (still in the mesh bag) into the dryer.
Dry on warm setting. Too much heat can damage acrylic.
Enjoy your softer yarn.
Tips and Warnings
Don’t overload your washing machine. You don’t want it to become unbalanced, or potentially burn the motor. When I first started washing my acrylic yarn skeins, I sat near the machine to make sure everything was fine.
You might need to secure the zipper on your mesh laundry bag. I found my bag would come open during the wash cycle. I found looping yarn through the zipper hole and through the mesh and then tying it closed solved this issue. Some machine wash bags don’t have large mesh holes, in this case you could thread a needle with regular sewing thread or embroidery floss and do the same thing.
Make sure the yarn skeins are dry before putting it in bag or storage containers, you don’t want your yarn to get mildew.
Washed and dried acrylic yarn. The texture of this Red Heart super saver yarn has changed tremendously, it’s now squishy soft!
Over the past several months I’ve been gifted with acrylic yarns for the various ministries where I crochet and knit things; The Mother Bear Project, and making chemo and preemie hats for a local hospital. The organizations where I donate items request that crocheters and knitters use acrylic yarn. I’ll also use acrylics or washable yarn for people that don’t want to be bothered with hand-washing.
I must say now that I soften the skeins before working on a project, I don’t mind working with acrylic yarn!
I love the color of this yarn, and since the acrylic skein has been softened by washing, I can now make some lovely preemie hats!
Sometimes I wash my acrylic yarn skeins more than once, I just make sure I use a warm setting if I’m washing with like colors. The beauty of the acrylic yarns that I use, is the yarn tends to get softer with each wash.
I mainly use non-acrylic yarn, but if I must use acrylic, Red Heart super saver is usually my “Go To” yarn. RHSS have a variety of colors that I adore, so I make sure that I soften the skeins first before working with it. If you have acrylic yarns that you aren’t using, because they’re too scratchy, try it out.
But back to this lovely knitted quilt. It’s made by knitting hundreds of honeycomb shapes aka hexipuffs. I’m planning on making at least a queen size quilt… think about that, I’ll be turning yarn into honeycombs, which will then be joined to create a queen size quilt. That will take some time. This is an item that will be passed onto my daughter. The beauty of it is; she’ll be able to watch some of the process. I plan to start on knitting this quilt this Fall.
To take my mind off that quilt, I’ve done a few more rows of my lacy fern afghan, and while it’s coming along quite nicely, I really wanted to make something that would be thicker and warmer. More like a quilt you know? Well, I’m now knitting a Beekeepers quilt (I’ve also heard it called the hexipuff quilt) and before long I’d knitted 1.5 hexagons.
My first hexipuffs, ready to be stuffed with fiberfill and bound…
I wanted to finish the second hexipuff, but it was late and I was extremely tired. So the work in progress puff was tucked into my project bag to be completed sometime today. I’m really enjoying these cute little puffs, so it’s safe to say that I’m officially working on my knitted quilt.
I don’t think I’ll be knitting the lacy fern afghan for a while, the time spent on that will be focused on my knitted quilt.
As usual I’m not following the pattern exactly
I’m using worsted weight yarn instead of the sock or 4 ply yarn
I’m casting on more stitches
How I attach the hexipuffs will be different
To be honest, the pattern is quite easy to figure on your own, in fact I made my own knitted hexagons, squares, circles, and other shapes years before I purchased this pattern. But, I purchased the pattern, since I like supporting other designers. Since most animal fibers make me itch,the yarn used is 100% cotton.
How many puffs needed for my quilt?
Judging by the hexagon calculator, I’ll need at least 187 348 hexipuffs and 19 half hexipuffs to turn all the little puffs into a quilt, so this project will keep me busy for some time.
I’ve seen a few people comment on why people don’t join the hexagons as they go, and I can’t help but think that perhaps some of them are like myself…. I’ll be using a lot of colors and won’t know how they’ll look together until I’ve finished all the hexagons, so for me (and I imagine others) it makes sense to save the sewing together of all those hexagons (to form a quilt) until the end.
I’m feeling sad that I’ve sworn off my DPNs for a while, but I’m consoling myself by thinking that I’ll have plenty of hexipuffs to make when I lift the DPN restriction. However knitting in the round with my interchangeable circular needles is not bad, and making these tiny hexipuffs gives me the chance to use magic loop every single day.
My daughter loves the hexagons, and so I imagine I’ll be taking a detour to make a miniature beekeepers quilt for her Monster High dolls.
If you want to make your own Beekepers quilt, you can purchase your own pattern at Tiny Owl Knits website for $5.50, but if you’re a Ravelrer why not purchase and download it through Ravelry? In doing so, you can upload the Beekeepers quilt pattern to your queue.
aka lingerie bag for washing hosiery or delicate clothing
