Progress comes slow but sure with 15 minutes at a time.

Yes, 15 minutes at a time.  Things are being finished and without real stress - I like it.  I was looking in my bookcase and came across Nancy Ziemans book "10, 20, 30 Minutes to Sew" and realized my organization lessons were right there.  Nancy breaks down sewing a garment into 10, 20, and 30 minute blocks just as I have been trying to do.  What a great system this is proving to be!

Accomplishments:

Simplicity #2427;  one down, one to go!  Wow, I haven't gathered for a long time and I'm seeing how my eyes and my hands have aged while trying to grab those little threads to pull.  After moaning that my old gathering foot won't fit my newer Bernina sewing machine, and impulsively ordering a ruffling foot to fit off ebay, I went in for one more try and low and behold, a gathering foot appeared!!  There was that beautiful foot #16 just hanging there saying 'why didn't you know I was here'.  Apparently the woman who I bought the machine from had it included in the purchase, and I never noticed.  Now, cheerfully, I can make ruffles to my hearts content. 

The settings:  Stitch length 5, Tension 6  

I'm listing these because I had a hard time finding directions to using this foot and had to find settings by trial and error.  Those worked for me and I think will work for most machines with similar numbers. (oh and by the way, I still have a ruffling foot coming - at least I will be able to make beautiful pleats :-)

Slades Sweater;  I ripped out the ribbed neck and, using a bigger needle and 20 more stitches, redid the neckline and it looks and fits so much better!

After nearly completing one sleeve and frogging it back because it became too big (I am winging my modifications for this pattern) I cut from newspaper a pattern of the sleeve, did calculations from my pre-frogged sleeve/guage swatch, had Pop double check my figures, and started again.  This really is being worked in 15 minute swatches of time.  I am leaving it on the table and when I sit to chat with Pop, or just relax a minute, I pick it up and knit on it.  It's going well and I think will work with the crocheted pattern on the body.  It'll be a patchwork sweater of sorts.

My Knitting Group:

I've started joining some friends who are knitting and crocheting together so I thought I'd share some pictures of how hard we all concentrate and work on our projects.  A couple are just learning to knit, their instructor is knitting a sock, and another is making a beautiful crocheted Lacy Top Cardigan.  I'm working on my Miley Tee and it is seen next to the white Lacy Top Cardigan crocheter. 

  We've all had our tummys filled with Alta's special recipe of 'stir fry' yummy stuff and we are focused!

Here's Alta with her nearly finished Lacy Top Cardigan, and Joanna with her first project - a scarf made from a beautiful spool of ribbony goodness!

And I can't leave out the instructor of 'the girls', Marilyn, working on her yummy sock:

That's it for now!  By next week I should be done with the 2nd gathery/ruffley dress and they should be gifted.  I hope I get a picture of those cute little cousins in their new dresses to show you all.  Look for a new post in 2 weeks with fun new completed UFO's that I'll do in 15 minutes at a time!

15 Minutes a Day!

Who knew - It works!  So the plan:  Check out your projects that you want to finish, but tend to put off.  Break it down into chunks that can reasonably done in 15 minutes.  I wrote my chunks down on paper, it helps.  I'm thinking 3 x 5 cards would work good with room for checking off.  I plan to do that next (I have a lot of projects to perfect this plan on).  So last week I 'announced' I would be working on Lindsey's quilt and Slade's sweater. 

The progress:

Lindsey's quilt:  All the blocks are quilted and the first border is 'Stitch in the Ditch' quilted.  I've started on the outer borders and have one side completed, but I can't do one full side a day as originally thought.  When I went to quilt them, the chalk marking that I finished last fall had worn off enough to need to be remarked.  So, I decided, since I had done so much free motion on the inner blocks, I could free motion quilt around the leaves and grapes.  It's good but it takes more time so I can only do about 1/2 a side per day.  That puts the quilting to be finished around the end of next week.  So far so good!

Slade's sweater:  I hit a block wall.  I stitched the shoulders together as planned.  Cast on the neckline and knitted a ribbing, that I thought was looking great - then after about an inch, I bound off.  I put it over my head to see how it felt and I couldn't get it on!  Yikes.  So I need a looser ribbing and a stretchy bind off.  I saved a video podcast from "Let's Knit Together"  on "Binding off toe-up socks" that gave stretchy bind off instructions for socks so I think I'll have to review that and try again on this neck.  I told my husband, who everyone affectionately calls Pop, that it was going back in the box, I'm done!  And Pop said that's not allowed in the 15 minute/day plan.  Sooo, back to the drawing board and I'll just give it another 15 minutes, or '2'.  Where's my 3 x 5 card ...

I've been able, in between all this to work on a sweater I had recently started.  It's so cute!  It' called "Miley Tee" from c2knits.  I'm making it in a Celery colored 100% cotton by Universal Yarns that I got at our local yarn shop, The Yarn Shoppe.  I'm knitting it after I do my other 15 minutes a day projects. 

Oh, and another sewing project - A friend and I are  making 2 cute little dresses for two friends's girls.  Size 3 and 4. Briana has been taking Fashion and Sewing in High School for a couple of years so she and I are putting her knowledge to use this afternoon and making up Simplicity #2427 with some variations.  Hopefully I'll have pictures to put up in next week's blog.

So, remember, 15 Minutes a Day, you can do anything in 15 minutes a day!

Finished is Better than Perfect!

So that's my new saying - Finished is Better than Perfect! I've been putting off finishing a few projects because I'm a bit insecure about how they'll look when finished. Hearing on my favorite podcasts that this is the year for them to finish - I am announcing to myself, my family and cyberspace that by December 31, I will have finished my UFO's. Ok, so now that that's said, I am going through my box (es) of UFO's (un finished objects) and deciding what is worth finishing. Some are so dated, I am considering my work and trying of things as a class I took and I have samples. Like my Crazy Patchwork 'Quilt as you go' Vest from the late 90's. I think it was dated to begin with but I learned to do Crazy Quilting and thoroughly enjoyed playing with it. So there's one box taken care of.

15 Minutes a Day:

Lindsey's quilt: I love the fabric that she chose for this quilt, I loved designing and putting it together. I was determined to machine quilt this quilt. There is where the postponing came. So now I've set it up, and am giving it 15 minutes a day. I can quilt a block in 15 minutes, so with 8 blocks to go, I can be done in 8 days with that part. Then I'll try to do one side of the border a day, so that adds 4 more days. Now, theoretically I can be done quilting by May 2. Next will be making and applying the binding, which I can devote 1 afternoon to. Next is the part I like. The sitting in the evening doing the hand sewing finish to the binding. So by breaking this project up in pieces, I can comfortably and pleasantly finish this quilt within a month. So that's another box! I'll keep you posted on the progress - hopefully weekly. So this is where I'll be for a few minutes every day:

Crocheted Sweater for Slade: Ok, so last fall I started this Crocheted Mock Cable Sweater from the book Fiber Gathering. I loved the picture and wanted to make it for one of my sons. Slade's the winner (the patient winner). I made the front and the fit was way off, and I had to pull it all out. Then I tried to make the largest size (yes my guage was right) and it was still too short in the arms and too too wide in the neck. So, loving the look of the stitch itself, I started again with my own idea. Now I'm stuck on the sleeves. I've given it a lot of guilty thought, and finally decided it's okay to vary the stitch on the sleeves. I do love the look of the stitch, but I don't like doing the stitch. My wrists start to hurt after a short time of it so I want to make plain sleeves. So now that's my other '15 minutes a day' project. The plan: It'll take 15 minutes to connect the front to the back. I think I'll knit the ribbing on the neck then and I think that will take me 2 sessions, maybe I'll be in the groove and just do it in one. Okay, then the sleeves. I need to plan out the decreases and length - one more 15 min. - then start. I'm thinking I can do the 2 sleeves in a week and put them on. Seeming up the sides, doing the cuffs, adding bottom ribbing should be another 4 or 5 days. That means this will be finished by 3 weeks. It seems the quilt and the sweater should be done about the same time. Looks like a gift day is coming up!

I can knit socks and so can you!

Wow, it has been so much fun making socks. I've talked about this before, but making socks has become my 'go to ' project'. When I had to wait in the hospital with my Dad (he had a stroke and is recovering well), or taking my turn at waiting at physical therapy, I got really comfortable to take my current sock out of my purse and work away on it. I met one man I had formerly met waiting for Dad and he said, "You're the one that knits, right?" and yes, that was me! The sock knitter. It was fun sharing about how his wife is now taking knitting lessons at our LYS (local yarn shop).

Anyway, I want to share how easy it is to make socks- for those that were timid like me to try it. I will tell you what it took for me to do it, but you can find your own way, too.

I've said before that I've tried to learn to knit, but despite 2 excellent teachers, felt I couldn't relax and just knit. The yarn I had bought apparently was a '2nd'. It kept breaking and I now know that it was the yarn and not me. So get some good quality yarn.

My Yarn: I started with a good quality, DK weight yarn. It was self striping, Crofter's I believe, and easy to use. Since I have used good fingering weight, but my favorite is the DK weight. But the important part is that it is a GOOD yarn. For your first pair of socks, be a yarn snob!

My Tools: I used a Size 4, 9" circular made by HiyaHiya. Yes, it is small. I watched it being used and decided it looked easy so I tried it. DPN's always look scary to me. I think I could use them now, but why, when I have my fun little circular. It is stainless steel, so it slides along nicely.

My Pattern: I don't really have a pattern. I know, that's amazing since I hadn't done this before. I just filed what the gal from The Fiber Factory at Stitch and Pitch said; Just do some knit 2 pearl 2 ribbing for an inch or 2, then just knit. So that's what I do. I cast on, knit 2 pearl 2 in circles (yes I mark my first stitch so I can make sure I didn't mess up in my count), then I knit in circles till the sock is about 6". Then the heel. Heel flaps scare me. I watched several YouTube videos and decided I could do a short row heel without using a 2nd needle (at first I only had one so that was why I did it this way). After the heel, I continue knitting in circles till it's about 2" before the length of my foot (or whoever's foot I'm doing) then do the toe just like the heel and sew it off with the Kitchener Stitch.

The Videos: I'll try and link the videos I used. First I watched several 'cast-on' videos. I had been shown and tried it, but each time I tried it on my own I got stuck. These are the 2 that I look back at when I need to. Long Tail Cast on is what I use most often:

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=8wUPQDYtoy0

When I decided I wanted to try from the toe up, I used this cast on by Cat Bordhi. This one is done when you use 2 circulars, then go back to one when you've increased to the number of stitches you need:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhBIS0AhhQY

It's a bit corny, but it gets into your brain. To decide how many to start with, divide the number of stitches you need by 2, then that number by 3 (eg. for my husbands socks with fingering weight yarn, I needed 72 stitches to work with. I started with this toe up method at 12 stitches on size 2, 32" circular).

Cat Bordhi has also been my go to helper for the heel. I like a short row heel. It looks a bit funny, but is very comfortable and if you follow her advice, you'll like the way it turns out. Don't worry, your first one will look funny and maybe have a few holes, but it's inside a shoe, who'll see it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yVikAvPuE4

She shows this 'heel' with 12 stitches, but you will use the number of stitches that is half the stitches you are using, then follow her numbers till you get down to 1/3 of your stitches. (eg. for socks for me, I start with 44, so I hold back 22 and start the short row heel with 22 and stop when I have 8 unwrapped and start 'unwrapping' my way back). I would suggest watching a few short row heel videos. The Lifestyle Sock is another great video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu5YAKsAEpY

For closing up the toe in my traditional cuff down socks I use the Kitchener stitch. I actually like doing this, I get into a rhythm and it's a very rewarding finish to a sock project:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYEaM6g4NBc

Whew, that's a lot of videos! But think of it as taking a class. I think you, too, will love to make socks. I've discovered I like doing the magic loop method, too. But I don't really like size 1 needles. I feel like I'm knitting with toothpicks, but that's just my opinion. Maybe I'll change my mind on that, too, as I get more experienced.

Ok, now I'll try to give you a my pattern:


Basic Socks Recipe


Ingredients:

350 yards DK weight yarn (approximate yardage)
Size 4, 9" circular needle
2 Stitch markers
Tapestry needle for closing toe

Cast 44 stitches on your circular size 4 needle. Make sure the stitches aren't twisted and join together. Mark your first stitch.

K2 P2 around and around until you have between 1 and 2 inches. Do what looks right to you and just make sure the 2nd sock matches.

Now, start knitting. Just knit around and around, moving your marker over at the start of each round. Knit until the sock measures 6".

Short Row Heel: Knit 22 stitches (that's half) Place Marker. Start your short row heel as in the Lifestyle socks video, decreasing by wrapping and turning one each knit row and one each purl row, as in Cat Bordhi's You Tube video the next 22 stitches (just keep the other 22 on the needle, you'll come back to these. Continue decreasing in this way until you have 8 un wrapped stitches. Now start your increasing by unwrapping one each row, unwrapping as in the cat's video.

When you have finished unwrapping all, go back to knitting in the round all 44 stitches. I like to leave both markers so I do the short row toe at the same spot.

Keep knitting in the round until the sock is 2 inches shorter than your foot.

Now start the toe exactly the same as you did the heel. When you have 'unwrapped' all the stitches and have 22 stitches on hold and 22 that you just finished working with, slide them so 22 are at each needle end, with the marker dividing the two on the circular. Cut the end with a long tail for weaving back and forth and begin the Kitchener stitch.

When finished, weave in the ends and start on the 2nd sock. As you are knitting the 2nd sock, make sure it matches the first in the cuff and heel and toe placement and you'll have a perfect match!

This 'recipe' fits most women. For men, using DK weight, I'm told 48 stitches is good, and for a larger size (like my size 13 footed husband), 52. Just stay with something divisible by 4. I used this 'recipe' for my 4 yr. old grandson and started with 32 stitches. It was good but a bit of a stretch on the 9" circular so I switched to the magic loop method and used my size 4 32" circular. Look up magic loop on YouTube and you should be fine.

I love my little 9" circulars and I think you will too!

Traveling with pegs and needles!

Isn't traveling fun! I have done a lot of traveling this summer and fall (hence no blog updates) and have made many wonderful memories. So I'll start with Paris.

Ahh, Paris - (add music in your head): I love Paris in the Springtime ... I love Paris in the fall... and I never knew how much that song would be true for me. The quaintness of the little streets, the flower shops, the bakerys ... and yes, the closed for the summer yarn shops - ahh Paris - sighing with a smile of memories. We saw the typical sights, but Monet's gardens and house stand out with inspiration for me. Yes, I felt inspired! I had many plans to come home and garden. everywhere. at work, in the backyard, in the front yard, with friends. But let me remind you, we live in the Mohave desert and, until last week, the temp has been well over 100 and the flowers that I did have in had scorched by the time we got back. So reality set in upon arriving home. Anyway, back to topic.

Yarn shops - my husband was so happy to come tell me he had found a yarn shop right down the street from our little condo we were sharing for the week with friends. It was closed, but it was Sunday so it should be open tomorrow. Monday - stopped by, still closed. Tuesday, stopped by, still closed, oh, but looking in the window made me drool! So full of yummy stuff! Wednesday, sadly the baker next door told Pop they were closed for their summer holiday.

On to Vienna. I looked online for yarn shops and found 6 recommended, with directions. A couple were in the main shopping district so we thought that would be fun. We take a cab to Mariahhilfer and start walking. Yes, we were easily distracted but the numbers were clear so we came to an 'alley' of sorts with the range of numbers we wanted and right there was a simple little shop with this sign:

Now who wouldn't know that was a yarn shop :-)

They had a wonderful sales bin out front with yarn for 1 euro each, and I got some for my dil, and me. My friend also got some for a crochet buddy and we had a wonderful time. Did you know that yarn from Turkey - which here I spent $11.50 a 'spool' for just before I left, is much much cheaper there. I assume because it doesn't travel so far. I tried to buy some Austrian spun yarn, but with the language barrier, it was a bit hard. I did end up with some treasures, though and I love looking at my goodies, I just haven't decided what wonderful things to make from them! (If you have any ideas, leave me a thought in the comments) Here is my 'booty':

I have enough for 2 sweaters and a scarf - or I could break it down even more! How's that for 50euro? (Lot's of other Vienna memories - convention, meeting people, etc - but that's way off topic :-)

Back Home to Stitch and Pitch with the D'backs! My first MLB baseball game and I loved it. It had the added feature of Yarn and vendors and crocheters and knitters - how could we go wrong! Oh, and it was in Phoenix, AZ and we were with our kids - just perfect! My son, Ben, knew how much I wanted to go to a game and to go to Stitch and Pitch, so he got us great tickets and great seats, really close to the action! But, he didn't know that to get the free D'backs bag, you had to have the special 'Stitch and Pitch' ticket - which was way up in the nosebleed section. He was so nice that he stood in line for about 20 minutes when we got there and bought a 'special' ticket for 3yr old Kyler, just so I could have a bag! Isn't that sweet! But there's more! Of course, Lindsey, too, wished for a bag, sooo about an hour into the game, Ben took off and showed up with a bag for Lindsey! Yes, he went and bought yet another ticket so she could have one. Now that's a great guy!

It was fun looking through the vendor section and I bought, yet again, another new project. The girls from the Fiber Factory in Mesa, AZ were demonstrating knitting socks on a 9" circular needle from HiyaHiya. As you know from my continuing sock saga (Next blog will expand on that) I really want to make socks. So, I did have to buy it, and the same yarn she was using. It looked like something I can do, so I'm willing to give it a try. How could you go to a vendor section and not buy anything? [rhetorical question]

If you go to Ravely (www.ravelry.com if you're not a member, join, it's great!), there are more D'backs Stitch and Pitch pictures posted in the group Arizona Knitters, under the forum discussion 'Stich and Pitch'. They are great!

Now, last but not least Canada! We had a wonderful time using up our expiring timeshare in Camore, Alberta, Canada. We met our daughter, Tesia, and her husband, Jeremy, there and thoroughly enjoyed the Beautiful scenery of Banff and Canmore - and I could do another blog about that, but, again, it's off topic. Here we found the well stocked Knit & Caboodle yarn shop. (there should be a picture here of Knit & Caboodle's shop, but Tesia has it on her camera) Tesia and I had so much fun looking through the bins and asking questions - it was a perfect mother/daughter time. Tesia had said on the phone that she wanted to learn to crochet, so I brought all the goodies to teach her, but when she saw me knitting my 2nd sock on the little HiyaHiya needle, she decided that's what she wanted to learn. So we went to the shop, hoping to get her a needle and some yarn so she could be on her way. Well, they didn't have that size, so I ended up giving her mine and showing her on that (futher explained in the upcoming next blog). I, however did get some yummy Canadian spun and hand painted yarn to make my husband, Pop, a pair of socks. Tesia and I also got some beautiful DK weight yarn for more socks and I can't wait to get started on them! Hopefully before the next sock saga blog. Oh, and since she went home with my HiyaHiya 9", I'll have to find another one for that project. Anyway, here's my Canadian booty (with my finished pair of Pop's 'Canada, Eh' socks in the pile):

Well, my traveling's done for a long time, and now I get to enjoy all my 'booty' for a long time to come! Oh, and if you are flying, it doesn't matter if you have measured and they are okay, put your scissors in your checked luggage. Right away in the Phoenix airport, that girl checking us in asked if I had scissors, etc. I said yes, but they are the right size and she advised that when traveling in Europe, they will need to be checked. My crochet hook was fine on the plane. I complied and took them out of my carryon and stuck them in the checked luggage and had no problem. Going to Canada, I had my little HiyaHiya needle with me (no scissors) and was never questioned. The needles on that circular are very small, so I didn't worry. Also, the flight home, I was using my new Addi turbo 32" circulars, and they were fine, too.

Next blog will be on my continuing sock saga ... so until then Keep on pegs and needles!

Book Review: Everyday Crochet by Doris Chan

I love this book! Oh, do I start a book review like that? Well, it just burst out of me. What do you say about a book, or a designer, that changed the focus of your craft?
The book itself invites, "Whether you're a crochet newbie seeking inspiration or an old pro looking for a new take on this fun craft, Everyday Crochet is packed full of innovative designs for stylish, up-tp-the-minute crochet clothing and accessories." I fall somewhere in between a 'crochet newbie' and 'an old pro' and this is absolutely true! This book really inspired me.

I found when I was browsing around for patterns to start doing clothing, most often the ones I liked that others had done were from this book. So I had to get it. My first impression was, "I can't do that!" "That's too advanced!" Then I thought, I know how to read directions so I got a cup of coffee, sat down and just read it.

Wow, how did I crochet all these years and never know that I could make these beautiful things. Doris Chan explains a solid way to start a project with her 'Base CH/SC', with clearly illustrated how-to's on page 139. Her patterns all start with a base design and the garments take on their individual personality from there. If you are a garment seamstress you've seen the spot on paper patterns that say "lengthen or shorten here", well in Ms. Chan's patterns there's clear direction on adding 'short rows' for fuller bust, wider hips, etc. Very innovative as the book cover says.

Let me tell you another wonderful thing about these beautiful sweaters - they all start from the top down and there's no seaming. You try on as you go along, so it does fit! When you're done, you either already have an attractive, solid tie attached, or have the option to add her In-Line Links shown on page 137. Beautiful button closures that, to my surprise, made up in about 10 minutes and really add to the look of your design.

Don't hesitate to advance your crochet. Stop wishing you could knit - you can CROCHET beautiful sweaters that people will stop you on the street and ask, 'Where did you get that?"'!

What have I made from the book:


LINDSEY'S 'MEI-MEI'

The cover picture is a cute shrug called the Mei-Mei. My daughter in Law loves shrugs and looks so cute in them that I thought this was the perfect gift for her. Pink is also her favorite color, so it had to be pink. I made the extra small, using a J hook, but it came out more like a size 8, I would say. I made my sample for guage but I think I loosened up a bit as I went along. But the nice thing about this project is it has a SC border that the pattern suggests you do in a smaller hook, that snugs it up a bit. I could've 'snugged it up' a bit more for Lindsey, but it was a surprise and I didn't have her as my model. She says it still fits her and claims to love it so I'm happy. I started it about noon one day, and it was done about 7pm. Of course, I'm not really addicted to crochet (she says sheepishly) so I actually did get up a time or two in that 7 hour period. One thing I do wish about this project. I wish I had spent more on the yarn and gotten a mohair, or something with a natural fiber that would have allowed better blocking and shaping. What I did use was still a pleasure to work with, it's just all acrylic so it's limiting in the shaping department.


Oh, and I did make the button closure. I forgot to leave a spot for a buttonhole so I did attach the buttons, but still followed the elastic beaded closure that Ms. Chan describes. It was so easy and made it all look so pretty!

I have also started another project from the book. At this point it's still a "Jewel", but from here I can decide to make a "Runaround" or a "No Sweat" or a combination of all of them.

Don't be intimidated by the beauty of the designs in this well made book. You CAN do it! If you are like me, you will really love this book!

Taking a Break from Everything!

Have Fun! If you enjoyed this game, let me know by leaving a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

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