Thursday, July 10, 2008

Patterns created

I am working on publishing some knit patterns that I have created in the past couple of years. A couple of years ago I designed and knitted a headband for my sister Heidi. I have knitted another head band and have created a matching pair of hand warmers and scarf as well. I am putting them on Ravelry and hope that everyone likes them. These are quick and easy patterns to knit using a worsted weight yarn.

The hand warmers and headband ear warmer are the same yarn, the pictures do seem to look different. I will have pictures of the scarf soon, I am finishing up knitting that one.

I am in the process of adding them to Ravelry, this is a new process for me so... hopefully I will be finished soon.












Now back to the Linden Hill Yarns Hundertwasser knit along, One hand warmer complete, the second one is on needles and coming along nicely.

They will not quite match in color pattern, because I did not pull the yarn up to the same starting pint as the first one. I like the changes in the coloring of the yarn.

I am truley not the best photographer and have so much to learn, but still you are able to see abit of the patterning and the color changes.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

projects and family

The fourth was hard on Sadie, my little poodle. All those fireworks made her tremble until they were over; she tried to become more a part of me than usual during the noise. As soon as the fireworks were over, she decided it was time to go out.

I did not hear as many fireworks around the neighborhood, like as in years past. There were many festivities in Richfield for the Fourth of July, including a Veterans memorial dedication at Soldiers Field.

I am working on a lace pattern for a matching headband, scarf and hand warmers, which I would like to put on Ravelry. I need to finish the scarf and convert the pattern into PDF format for publishing. I created the headband pattern a couple of years ago for as a Christmas gift for one of my sisters;I have added the matching pair of hand warmers and scarf. I have pictures of the head band, but need pictures of the other pieces. The other pattern I am working on getting on Ravelry is a baby doll top and pantie set I made for Sadie, I have pictures of that now, so I just need to put it into PDF format.

My latest finished object is a pair
of lace hand warmers; which is a collaborative with Tamara of DelSonno Enterprises, to be sold on the clickity sticks website. They hand warmers do need to be blocked, but are still pretty. Perhaps a head band to go with them (like I need another project), hmmm, I don't think I have enough yarn, but if I do I will publish it.










I have been trying to work a couple of rows on each project
that I have going, each day as well as applying a bit more focus on one of them. Hopefully this will help me make progress and finish a few things I have on needles.


I joined the Hunderwasser knit along at Linden Hills Yarn & Textile Design Ltd. You can make whatever you want, using the Opal yarn Hundertwasser colorway called Road to Socialism. Being a Socialist is not a requisite, you just need to use the colorway mentioned in the sock yarn. The project needs to be finished by the end of the 2008 olympics to have your name entered in the drawing. I had a crisis of faith with the pattern I am using, but I did get over it and move forward. I am on the wrist of the first hand warmer (definitely a pattern here)and the colorway is turning out like a happy walk through bright colors. I should keep these, they will be cheerful this winter.
the unevenness of the lines as they are coming our in the fabric, lovely and unique. I am looking forward to the finished pair. A cool scarf to go with them would be fun, I wonder if the colorway will ever be made in a heavier weight yarn?

I have been thinking of my Dad and missing him a lot again, I don't stop missing him, the feeling comes in heavier waves from time to time. This was the time of year he would start water fights with us, he was very spontaneous with things like that. He would begin with a sneak attack using a little water gun, which would progress and escalate into a full fledged drenching of each other and the water hose. He was a funny guy, one time he dropped against the kitchen door frame at grandpa and grandmas, and began to talk the words to bullet in my shoulder, one of his sisters was mad at him.

Like many in he and his parents generations, he used to say "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing well." I remember his dad saying that as well.

When we were little, our families would go to my dad's parent's house to celebrate the Fourth of July, we would have sparklers and the adults would light firecrackers, have a picnic and watch fireworks at the lake. I remember sitting on blankets watching fireworks across the lake, those night were lovely and simple, not complicated by adulthood and life.

Funny memory of my grandfather, when I was young our house caught fire, my family was split up a bit during the renovations and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. one night I remember him sitting at the dining room table; this was where he sat and drank coffee, which was a beverage he drank throughout the day. Grandpa had a teaspoon and a bottle of ketchup; he filled the teaspoon with ketchup and ate it. I had never seen anyone do that, so I asked him what he was doing, he said, "eating ketchup" and offered me some. This habit was not for me, I declined not seeing any reason to eat plain ketchup. He was probably teasing me, like our uncle did with snuff, only that was worse. I had seen my Dad's brother in law uncle Bill, chew snuff and spit it out, eew. I witnessed him offer the substance to kids, everyone fell for it. When asked, he would say he was chewing candy and offer the asking child a bit of it from the tin, the offending substance was always spit back out right away. It was awful, what was the point, why chew something that tasted so bad? He did eventually drop the habit of chewing snuff, as well as offering it to kids; I think he got into a bit of trouble offering it to kids.

My Dad's mom used to knit, although she did not teach us how, I remember she knitted some sweaters. My Dad's sister Zelma crochets, she sewed and quilted as well; I do not know if she ever knitted. I would go to visit her and stitched while visiting, I enjoyed it a lot.

Here's to project completion.