I’ve been having all kinds of not-fun this week. One of the issues interfering the most with my online productivity has been my laptop has been freezing up a lot lately (have been trying different fixes, but it’s over 5 years old now – the far end of the life expectancy). The sinus headache I’ve had all week from the vog (volcanic fog) has not been helping, along with a stack of other events going on right now, so I won’t be doing much beyond the basics online for a bit – if you need to get in touch with me, email is best and it may take me a couple of days to get back to you.
Archive for February, 2008
A little hiatus
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
Anne and the New Orleans Alt Media Expo
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
Pattern: Anne Crochet Lace Scarf
Yarn: Elann Seta Lana, 2 skeins
Hook: US L/8.0 mm
When the New Orleans Craft Mafia put out a request for swag bag contributions for the New Orleans Alt Media Expo, I did a little reformatting of the Anne pattern and sent them 30 printed patterns. The new print shop I switched to did a great job! Unfortunately, when I reformatted the pattern, a line of text disappeared. Aren’t I awesome? Without that line, the first row doesn’t make much sense. Super awesome! *sigh*
Under foundation:
Chain 6. Join with sl st to form ring. Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), work 13 dc into ring.
Anne: Pattern Update
Monday, February 18th, 2008If you purchased the Anne Crochet Lace Scarf pattern between February 08, 2008, and February 18, 2008, you received a version with an error in it. The pattern had been reformatted for a print run, and in the process, a line of text was accidentally deleted. My apologies for any difficulties this may have created in your crocheting! An email with a corrected PDF was sent out; if you did not receive the email, please contact me and I will send you the corrected PDF.
Again, this is only for those who purchased the pattern between February 08, 2008, and February 18, 2008. If you purchased the pattern before February 08, 2008, or after February 18, 2008, you do not need the corrected version.
Top-Down Ribbed Beanie Recipe: Free PDF Download
Friday, February 15th, 2008
Pattern: Top-Down Ribbed Beanie Recipe
Recipe is written to be used with any yarn/needle combination you wish.
Sample in photo above:
Yarn: Noro Kureyon, colorway 164 (worsted/4/medium)
Needles: US 6/4.00 mm
The Top-Down Ribbed Beanie Recipe is now available through Ravelry as a free PDF download. As of June 2009, the PDF is topdownbeanie_v2.pdf – I’ve changed the layout and rephrased some of the directions.
Sometimes love means…
Thursday, February 14th, 2008…cleaning up vomit, monitoring a fever, and making soup while the sick kid camps out on the couch watching TV shows you would prefer to never have to see or hear.
Rip. Repeat. Make cornbread.
Saturday, February 9th, 2008So Sister Super Princess is heading off to Toronto tomorrow and I repurposed one of the Anne Crochet Scarf Kits so I could do a quick, chunky, waffle-knit hat for her.
Cascade 109, waffle knit (aka broken rib) on US 10.5 needles
At the most recent Aloha Knitters meeting, I started thinking it might be too big, and kept on knitting anyway. I got home, got out a measuring tape, and knew that it was too big, so I ripped back. One of the nice things about a top-down hat – I didn’t have to rip the whole thing, just back to the crown and into the increases until it was the right size around.
Cascade 109, waffle knit – reverse side
On my way to and from work today, I kept knitting and stopping to measure the length. While sitting in a parking lot waiting for my Dad, I noted with a bit of annoyance that one skein wasn’t going to be enough, and that I would need to use just a little more yarn to do two more rounds and the bind-off. I bound off on the way home.
Once home, I tried it on. It’s too long. By about two rounds.
I’m going to rip back the bind-off and three rounds (it will ease up a bit when blocked), then wash this and pop it in the oven (yes, it’s another one of those days). Afterwards I might make cornbread.
update: after washing the hat, I ripped out about 8 more rounds. The cornbread is delicious.
Skillet Cornbread
8” cast iron skillet (all iron – will go into oven)
an uncooked strip of bacon, chopped
1 c stoneground cornmeal (1/3 cup in mixing bowl, remaining 2/3 cup in small bowl)
1/2 c boiling water
1/2 c plain yogurt and 1/2 c water blended together with 1 tsp salt
1 lg egg
2 Tbs sugar or 1 Tbs honey
1 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Heat oven to 450 F with skillet (containing bacon) on middle rack.
Blend the 1/3 cup cornmeal and boiling water with a whisk to make a mush. Slowly add yogurt, beat in egg and honey (if using honey). Blend remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. When skillet is very hot, blend dry ingredients into wet just long enough to combine. Pour bacon bits and fat into batter and stir in quickly. Scrape batter into pan and return to oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out onto cooling rack immediately and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
One of these days I’m going to arrange to be at home alone when making this cornbread so I can peel the crusty bottom off and eat it first, while still hot.
Anne: Yarn Costs
Friday, February 8th, 2008
Anne Crochet Lace Scarf Pattern
Elann.com Seta Lana, 50% silk/50% wool, 2 skeins
Hook: L/8.0mm
One of my goals with the Anne scarf pattern was to take something basic and show how different yarn and hook choices can change the look. I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that it can change the cost rather dramatically too. Prices will vary depending on the vendor, cost of shipping if ordered online, etc., and are of course subject to change without notice, so take this list with that in mind. Prices given are for the total number of skeins, not yardage (for example, with the Cascade 109 Chunky it is assumed that you will purchase 2 skeins even if you only use 1.5 skeins). Yarn weight is given as general terms (laceweight, worsted, etc.) and CYCA Yarn Standards (1, 4, etc.).
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton
1 skein = 150 yds, worsted weight/4, G/4.0mm hook: $8.50 – $10
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Suri
1 skein = 142 yds, fingering/1, K/6.5mm hook: $11.00 – $12.00
Elann Super Kydd
1 skein = 259 yds, laceweight/0, K hook/6.5mm: $2.25 (can make 2 scarves from one skein)
Elann Silken Kydd
1 skein = 232 yds, laceweight/0, K hook/6,5mm: $3.25 (can make 2 scarves from one skein)
Elann Seta Lana
2 skeins, 76 yds each = 152 yds total, bulky/5, K – L hook: $8.96
Cascade 109 Chunky
2 skeins = 109 yds each, 160 – 218 yds total, bulky/ 5, K – L hook, $13.00 – $14.00
Malabrigo Chunky
2 skeins, 104 yds each = 208 yds total, bulky/5, K – L hook: $24.00 – $27.00
Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky
2 skeins = 153 yds each, 230 – 306 yds total, bulky/5, L/8.0mm hook: $10.00 – $12.00
Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Chunky
2 skeins, 125 yds each, bulky/5, K – L hook = 250 yds total, $15.00 – $17.00
I wanted the pattern to be possible as a one-skein project, and if you use the Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton called for in the pattern, it is. Turns out it can even be a less-than-one-skein project with the Elann Super Kydd.
The crochet pattern (with full written instructions and a symbol chart) can be purchased as an instant PDF download for $5.50 (USD) through Ravelry with a PayPal account, credit card, or debit card (please note that eCheck payments take 3 – 7 days to clear, and the download will not be sent until payment clears). If you’d prefer, the PDF downloads are also available through my Etsy shop (mkcarroll.etsy.com) – download link will be emailed within 24 hours of payment clearing. If you’d prefer a finished item, check the Sample Sale section of my Etsy shop.
Error Alert! Matilda & Tillie (or, pass the humble pie again please)
Friday, February 8th, 2008One more time! The rate of increases for the Tillie brim was off by one stitch. Should read:
Rows 3 – 12 (12, 14, 14, 16): repeat rows 1 and 2
Row 13 (13, 15, 15, 17): repeat row 1 [end with 17 (17, 19, 19, 21, 21) sts]
If you purchased the pattern through my blog, Etsy shop, or eBay
store, the download link you were emailed will now take you to the updated download (if you got a PDF as an attachment, you may prefer to download the newest corrections). I did
get some delivery failures, and some of you have purchased paper
patterns from Tangle, Granola Yarn, and Pollywogs
(they will be getting reprints of pages 5 and 6 in the mail; if you
purchased from the brick-and-mortar shop you may be able to pick up a
free, corrected printout of pages 5 and 6), so I’ve set up a free
download of the corrected pages. If you purchased a pattern after February 07, 2008, you have the most up-to-date version of the pattern
and do not need the corrected pages.
You may download the corrected pages for free using the Add to
Cart button below. You will be asked for a first name, last name, and
email address (information will not be sold or given out; will be used
for any future updates necessary). If you do not wish to give the
information, you will still be able to download the update; just type
in something like "No Name" for first and last name and
"noemail@noemail.com" for email address.
Because I couldn’t resist a political post.
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
Children’s Poncho (Peace Fleece)
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
I wanted to show this to you in all its pre-blocked glory (click on the photo to go to the Flickr page where you can read all the notes detailing where stuff is going to be neatened up with blocking).
Pattern: Knitting Pure & Simple Children’s Poncho #243
Size: 6 – 8
Yarn: Peace Fleece Worsted, Patience Blue (2 skeins), Hemlock Green (25 yds?), Shaba Green (1 mini-skein) and Zarya Fog (10 yds?)
Needles: US 8/5.0 mm
Modifications:
* worked the first several rows flat instead of in the round for a split neckline
* worked increases 2 sts apart (this threw off the "v" shape of the stripes, though)
* added stripes of color – note to self, next time start new color at back (same note to self made the first time I knit this pattern)
* 3 rounds of reverse stockinette instead of garter hem – 2 rounds probably would have been enough
* 2 rounds of single crochet edging around neckline
* no hood or fringe (ran out of yarn – I have been stashbusting)
The inside – all ends woven in and waiting to be snipped. There were a lot of ends; I wound up frogging the Tillie sample and using all the little oddballs I had left over from that.
I am ever so far behind on getting this done and sending it out.
This is the first poncho I made from this pattern, shown here running around Sauvie Island back in September of 2006. It was too small for this young man back then – it is now MUCH too small. I got carried away with ideas about how to modify the pattern and got bogged down in details. I have a few inches of neck and shoulder shaping hibernating on needles; I think I can now safely frog that and use the yarn for something else, perhaps a hooded jacket for the young mister? Off to search Ravelry!
Get Around
