Wednesday, December 29, 2010

My new winter scarf

I wanted a new winter scarf. And I wanted it to be hand woven, because hand woven scarves are soooo warm and Beautiful! I have a Cricket Weaving loom, so I bought my yarn, Caron Simply Soft in the color Autumn Red and went to work weaving my scarf. It is 6 1/2 inches wide, 74 inches long, the fringe is 7 inches long, making the whole scarf 81 inches long. So very long that I can wrap it around my neck several ways. I just Love it!!
 

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Another Mystery Knit Along

The yarn Knit Picks palette, the color French Lavender. The beads pink and gold. My camera photographs the purple a blue color. But it really is very purple.

Friday, December 24, 2010

A new hat for my husband


I knit Thorpe for my husband. I knit the largest size. It fits him perfectly! I did not have any chunky yarn, so I held 2 strands of worsted weight yarn together to knit my hat. It is knit from the top down, and has a crochet border, and braid ties. I Love this hat, and the man that wears it! :) the pattern can be found here

List of the books that I have read this year

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
The Devil's Punchbowl By Greg Iles
The Perfect Woman by James Audrus
The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie
The Moonstone A Romance by Wilkie Collins
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Killing Room by John Manning
No Name by Wilike Collins
Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins
Taken From Home by Eric Francis
Breathless by Dean Koontz
The Weight of Shadows by Alison Strob
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
The Girl with Thr Dragon Tatto by Stieg Larson
Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larson
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest by Stieg Larson
Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton
Anna Karenina by Leo Telstoy
Lena Rivers by Mary J Holmes
Thje Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Aurthor Conan Doyle
The Abandonded Room by Charles Wadsworth
Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson
Agatha Webb by Anna Green
At One Thirty by Isabel Ostrander
The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts
Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell  ( I am reading this book now)

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The Mystery is solved

I finished the Mystery Kint Along. The pattern is called Duet. It can be found here . I knit with Caron Simply Soft yarn in the color Persimmon. Size 6 needles.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Agatha Webb by Anna Green

Agatha Webb starts out as a Murder Mystery, but ends up being a Love story.
It was a Good mystery I enjoyed it.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Mystery Knit Along

This is part 2 of the Mystery Knit Along. Can you tell what it is yet?

Saturday, December 11, 2010

At One Thirty by Isabel Ostrander

At One Thirty is a mystery in the style of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, but Better. You see the the Investigator Mr Gaunt is blind. And he still solves the mystery in a very interesting way. Read this book it is a Good one!!!

Slipper Socks

Today is the Perfect day to be talking about crocheting slippers. I live in South Dakota, we are having a blizzard today!!! YIKES!!! I do not like blizzards!!! Anyway here in South Dakota in the winter, I wear slippers all the time. So I need lots of them. I knit slippers so very often. But my first love was crochet. I have been crocheting for 29 years. I taught myself to crochet when I was pregnant with my second child. I was passionate about crochet for years. then one day about 7 years ago I taught myself to knit. I put my crochet hooks away, but I didn't forget about them. I pull them out every so often and crochet a doily, or potholders, and slippers. I crochet so very much faster then I knit. Any way I crocheted a pair of slippers for myself, and a pair fro my Granddaughter. I used Red Heart yarn, because it is acrylic and can be washed, and holds up pretty good in a slipper. This pattern calls for 2 strands of yarn held together which makes the slippers nice and warm. The pattern can be found here  They are quick to crochet and easy as ever to crochet. My feet are toasty warm even though we are having a blizzard outside!!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

10% discount

Use the coupon code HANDSPUN10 to get a 10% discount on any order in my Etsy shop this month.
http://mrae123.etsy.com/

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart

The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart is the funniest mystery that I have ever read! I totally enjoyed this book. I have never read a mystery where I have laughed out loud so very often!! You must read this book. It is a Good One!!!

Seedy Squares Sock designed by Kathleen Taylor

This is an easy pattern to knit. The pattern came from my Favorite sock knitting book The Big Book of Socks written by Kathleen Taylor . The top of the sock features a Picot Hem, it has a Flap and Gusset heel and a seed stitch toe. A great pattern very easy to memorise and to knit. I used Deborah Norville, Serenity Sock yarn, in the color Jasper. I used a size 2 needle.

Mystery Knit Along

I am taking part in a Mystery Knit Along on Ravelry.
This is a pic of Part 1
I am using size 6 knitting needles, and Caron Simply Soft yarn in the color Persimmon.

Tips for Knitting Fair Isle Mittens

Caring for your mittens Hand wash mittens in cool water with gentle wool wash. Do not rub or wring. Squeeze out excess water, then spin in washing machine or roll in towels to remove rest of water. Lay garment flat to dry out of direct sunlight and shape to original measurements.




Knitting Tips



Fair Isle mittens are funtional as well as warm, and beautiful.



Try using wooden needles instead of metal. Wooden needles are less slipery, the wooden needles will grip your stitches better.



You can bind off Fair Isle mittens with a 3 needle bind off from the inside.



The easiest way to knit Fair Isle mittens is to use 4 needles, and devide your stitches evenly onto 4 needles.



Using 5 DPN's will help to avoid ladders.



When choosing colors for your mittens, make sure that there's enough contrast between the background colors and the pattern color so the pattern doesn't get lost.



Carry the strands of unused color loosely in the back of the project.



If you carry the yarn, that is not in use to tightly, you will have puckers.



Loose stitches can be tightened, but it is almost impossible to loosen stitches that are to tight, and they will cause puckering on the right side of your project, and may even affect the fit.



To help you keep your place on the chart, use a magnetic board or a piece of sticky note paper to mark the row you're working, This makes it easier to follow the chart. You can move it up as you finish each row. The reason for placing the marker above the row you are working on, is so that you can see how it fits with with what you have already knit.



You can also make a working copy of your chart and inlarge it, so you can make your own personal notes on the pattern, this will alo help you follow along better.



The key to organizing your yarn, is to keep one ball on your right side, and the other color on your left side. You should hold the main color in which ever hand you feel the most comfortable.



Putting your ball of yarn in a bowl, so that it can roll around in the bowl, may prevent twisting of your yarn.



I like to use a ribbed cuff on my mittens, because the rib is more snug, and very elastic. Your ribbing can be shortened or lengthened, to make the mitten perfect for you.



If your mitten does not fit perfectly, washing and blocking the mitten can change the size. I always block my wool Folk mittens.



Felted wool is warmer, and more water repellent.



Kitchener Stitch I use the Kitchener Stitch to graft the lives stitches together in my Folk Mitten Patterns.

Using the Kitchener Stitch, you will be able to seam the live stitches together invisibly.

You need to make sure that the two pieces you are grafting together have the same number of stitches. Then you will

create a row of stitches with your sewing needle.

1) Draw your yarn through the very first stitch on the front needle as if to purl, and leave it on the needle.

2) Draw your yarn through the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit, and leave it on the needle.

These first 2 steps are only done once.

3) Pull the yarn through the first stitch on the front needle, as if to knit, and slip it off of the end of the needle.

4) Pull the yarn through the next stitch on the front needle as if to purl and leave the stitch on the needle.

5) Pull the yarn through the first stitch on the back needle as if to purl, and slip it off of the needle.

6) Pull the yarn through the second stitch on the back needle as if to knit, and leave this stitch on the needle.

Repeat rows 3 through 6 until you have all of your stitches grafted together. Then weave in your yarn ends on the inside of your mitten.

Just remember Knit, Purl, Purl, Knit while grafting the stitches on your mitten, and you will have a beautifully finished mitten.



Blocking Folk Mittens

Either water or steam is used in the blocking process. Once your mitten is completed, the blocking is done. Blocking will help adjust, and reshape both the length and width of your mitten. Both of your mittens should be identical. Blocking will ensure proper size and fit of your mitten.



Your mitten can be dunked in cool water until completely saturated before shaping. Steam can also be used by pinning the mitten to the correct measurements, then using a steam iron held above the mitten to steam it into shape. Don't let the iron touch your mitten because the natural fibers can be scorched, and man made fibers will be ruined.

Which ever method you decide to use, it is important that the mitten should dry completely.



After blocking your mitten it should still have texture, and life. It should not be blocked to the point where the stitches are lifeless and flat.

Friday, December 3, 2010

10% discount

Use the coupon code HANDSPUN10 to get a 10% discount on any order in my Etsy shop this month.
http://mrae123.etsy.com/

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Lena Rivers by Mary J Holmes

Lena Rivers is very much a Cinderella like story. An easy, delightful read. I enjoyed the book.