Pretty cool stuff!!!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Whew...what a weekend!!!
Well, I'm home safe after a fabulous weekend away in Vancouver!! On Friday morning at the crack of dawn....Wayne, Brayden and I did a quick trip to Kelowna where I dropped the boys off to pick up Wayne's truck. I then quickly turned around and headed back to Kamloops (after a quick stop and visit at the store in Vernon) where I picked up my GF Lori and we were on our way!! We traversed the Coq and made some decent time, stopping at Ikea in Burnaby to take a quick look around and avoid some rush hour traffic. We then headed over to Richmond to find our hotel and thanks to my iPhone navigation and Lori's fabulous driving...we made it unscathed! :) We took the shuttle to the airport for dinner that night as there really isn't anything around the hotel except for an overpriced restaurant in the hotel, whose menu didn't look promising! (...well that and I refuse to pay $24 for a chicken breast!). Saturday morning we did a little shopping around town and I picked up a cool new gadget for my iPhone that allows me to listen to my music through the stereo in the van. It also charges my phone at the same time - WIN WIN!!! :) Saturday afternoon we attended the Scentsy Convention and learned all about the new products available March 1st. I'm excited to say that I love pretty much everything that's headed down the pike! Lots of fun new goodies are on the way and the "kits" we received were nothing short of amazing!! Definitely worth a LOT more than the $75 we paid to attend the convention!! We wrapped that up at about 5pm and then Lori and I spent a couple hours geocaching in the dark before heading back to the airport for dinner again! :) Caching in the dark has its own challenges and as we didn't know the area (or if it was a rough one) our "geo-senses" were tingling and we decided to call it a night after trying to find a few more caches after dinner. We headed back to the hotel around 11pm and called it a night! This morning we perservered back to a couple of caches that had eluded us the previous night and did manage to find one!! The other one still kept us guessing so we'll have to try that one again next time we're in town! :) We headed back to Ikea and met one of Lori's friends for brunch and then after picking up a few items (read new duvet/pillows and some miscellaneous stuff for the kitchen) we headed home. I arrived in Salmon Arm just before 7pm and enjoyed a cinnamon bun with my boys whilst they told me about their weekend - specifically beating Revelstoke (amazing) and Brayden scoring his first goal of the season!! Yahooo - great weekend all around!! There was a message saying that I have a parcel pick up at the local stationary store and I can only guess that's my new photography light box!! I sure hope so as that means I can photograph my 80+ skeins of yarn this week and get them on my site! :) Looking forward to focussing on my yarn business again and of course I have a couple of other irons in the fire that will need some attention this week! Stay tuned......
I hope you all had a great weekend too ....thanks for stopping by! :)
I hope you all had a great weekend too ....thanks for stopping by! :)
Friday, February 17, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
My very last custom knit.....
Okay - so back in the fall I was approached by a lady that wanted me to knit up some baby stuff for the impending arrival of another grandchild. I accepted the challenge as after all - she didn't need the items till February!!! So what do I do??? Wait until the MIDDLE of February to even get started!! Sheesh...what is WITH that!!! Anyway - here are the items for said baby....and this will be my last custom knit. For whatever reason, I don't like working with a deadline and I don't like "wondering" if a customer will like what I've made. I would rather just make something and throw it up for sale and if someone likes it - voila....SALE! This custom knitting stuff is for the birds. Knitting with a deadline takes all the fun out of it...even if the deadline is 4 months away!!! (insert rolling eyes here!)
Socks!!!
This is taken from a blog post from Susan B. Anderson. I am always looking for a simple Vanilla Sock Pattern and I think this just might fit the bill!! Thank you Susan!!
How I Make My Socks
Written by, Susan B. Anderson
Materials:
Sock/fingering weight yarn
US size 1 double-pointed needles (set of 4)
Yarn needle
Scissors
Tape measure or ruler
Gauge:
I don't worry much about this although I don't recommend not worrying about it. I simply use fingering or sock weight yarn and US size 1 dpns. My gauge varies between 7-8 stitches per inch in stockinette depending on the yarn I use.
Cuff:
Cast on 64 stitches. I use a long-tail cast on (click here for my video tutorial on this cast on). Join to work in the round.
Rnds 1-12: (k2, p2) repeat to the end of the round.
(Sometimes I forget to stop ribbing and then I have more like 15 or 16 rounds of rib, I just match it on the second sock.)
Continue in stockinette stitch (knit all stitches on every round) for 6 inches. This is my cuff length preference. You can make your cuff shorter or longer as you see fit.
Heel Flap:
Divide the stitches as follows:Needle 1: 32 sts (Needle 1 becomes the heel flap)Needles 2 and 3: 16 sts eachWork back and forth only on Needle 1 for the heel flap.Row 1: (slip 1 stitch as if to purl, k1) repeat to the end of Needle 1Row 2: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl to the end of Needle 1Repeat rows 1 and 2, fifteen more times (16 times total). If you count you will have 16 columns of slipped stitches on your heel flap.Repeat Row 1 one more time.
Turn the Heel:
abbreviations:
p2tog - purl 2 stitches together
k2tog - knit 2 stitches together
Now, continue to work back and forth on Needle 1 only. You’ve just completed a right side row. Turn and work back on a wrong side row as follows:Row 1: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl 17 stitches, p2tog, purl 1 stitch, turn to go work back in the other direction.Row 2: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, knit 5 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitch, turn to work back in the other direction.Row 3: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl to 1 stitch before the gap (look and you’ll see the gap where you turned on the row before), p2tog, p1, turn to work back in the other direction.Row 4: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, knit to 1 stitch before the gap, k2tog, k1, turn to work back in the other direction.Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all of the stitches have been worked. Your last row should be a row 4 so you are at the end of a knit row. On the last 2 rows you work, you will end the rows with a p2tog and a k2tog.You will have 18 stitches remaining on Needle 1.
Gusset:
First:Continue on with the working yarn to pick up stitches going down the side of the heel flap using the free dpn to pick up the stitches. Pick up 16 stitches, (pick up one stitch in each of the slipped stitches).
Second:Now place all of the stitches on Needle 3 onto Needle 2. Needle 2 now has 32 stitches. Knit across Needle 2, which is now the top of the foot on your sock.
Third:Continue on with the working yarn to pick up 16 stitches going up the other side of the heel flap, picking up 1 stitch in each of the slipped stitches. This is Needle 3.
Fourth:Continue working onto the same needle (Needle 3) and knit 9 stitches from the heel turn. Place the remaining 9 stitches onto what is now Needle 1.
New stitch count:Needle 1: 25 stitchesNeedle 2: 32 stitchesNeedle 3: 25 stitches
Decrease rounds for the gusset:
Rnd 1: knit all stitchesRnd 2: Needle 1: knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 2: knitNeedle 3: knit 1 stitch, ssk, knit to the end of the needleabbreviation:
ssk – slip 2 stitches separately as if to knit, knit the slipped stitches together through the back loops
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until there are 16 stitches on each of Needles 1 and 3, and 32 stitches still remain on Needle 2.
Foot:
Knit every round until the foot measures (from the back of the heel to the stitches on the needles) 2-inches shorter than your desired total foot length.
For example, my foot measures 9 1/2 inches from the back of my heel to the end of my toes. I work my foot to 7 1/2 inches before I start the toe decreases. My shoe size is a US women's 7.5, I wear a 38 in Birkenstocks. I have a 9-inch foot circumference at the ball of my foot.
Toe:Rnd 1: knit all stitchesRnd 2:Needle 1: knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 2: knit 1 stitch, ssk, knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 3: k1, ssk, knit to the end of the needleRepeat rounds 1 and 2 until you have 6 stitches remaining on Needles 1 and 3, and 12 stitches on Needle 2.Now place the 6 stitches from Needle 3 onto Needle 1. You now have 2 needles with 12 stitches each.Cut the yarn leaving a 10 inch end. Place the end on a yarn needle. Use the Kitchener stitch to close the toe.
There you have it - now if you want to try and knit a sock....you CAN!!! :)
How I Make My Socks
Written by, Susan B. Anderson
Materials:
Sock/fingering weight yarn
US size 1 double-pointed needles (set of 4)
Yarn needle
Scissors
Tape measure or ruler
Gauge:
I don't worry much about this although I don't recommend not worrying about it. I simply use fingering or sock weight yarn and US size 1 dpns. My gauge varies between 7-8 stitches per inch in stockinette depending on the yarn I use.
Cuff:
Cast on 64 stitches. I use a long-tail cast on (click here for my video tutorial on this cast on). Join to work in the round.
Rnds 1-12: (k2, p2) repeat to the end of the round.
(Sometimes I forget to stop ribbing and then I have more like 15 or 16 rounds of rib, I just match it on the second sock.)
Continue in stockinette stitch (knit all stitches on every round) for 6 inches. This is my cuff length preference. You can make your cuff shorter or longer as you see fit.
Heel Flap:
Divide the stitches as follows:Needle 1: 32 sts (Needle 1 becomes the heel flap)Needles 2 and 3: 16 sts eachWork back and forth only on Needle 1 for the heel flap.Row 1: (slip 1 stitch as if to purl, k1) repeat to the end of Needle 1Row 2: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl to the end of Needle 1Repeat rows 1 and 2, fifteen more times (16 times total). If you count you will have 16 columns of slipped stitches on your heel flap.Repeat Row 1 one more time.
Turn the Heel:
abbreviations:
p2tog - purl 2 stitches together
k2tog - knit 2 stitches together
Now, continue to work back and forth on Needle 1 only. You’ve just completed a right side row. Turn and work back on a wrong side row as follows:Row 1: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl 17 stitches, p2tog, purl 1 stitch, turn to go work back in the other direction.Row 2: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, knit 5 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitch, turn to work back in the other direction.Row 3: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, purl to 1 stitch before the gap (look and you’ll see the gap where you turned on the row before), p2tog, p1, turn to work back in the other direction.Row 4: slip 1 stitch as if to purl, knit to 1 stitch before the gap, k2tog, k1, turn to work back in the other direction.Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all of the stitches have been worked. Your last row should be a row 4 so you are at the end of a knit row. On the last 2 rows you work, you will end the rows with a p2tog and a k2tog.You will have 18 stitches remaining on Needle 1.
Gusset:
First:Continue on with the working yarn to pick up stitches going down the side of the heel flap using the free dpn to pick up the stitches. Pick up 16 stitches, (pick up one stitch in each of the slipped stitches).
Second:Now place all of the stitches on Needle 3 onto Needle 2. Needle 2 now has 32 stitches. Knit across Needle 2, which is now the top of the foot on your sock.
Third:Continue on with the working yarn to pick up 16 stitches going up the other side of the heel flap, picking up 1 stitch in each of the slipped stitches. This is Needle 3.
Fourth:Continue working onto the same needle (Needle 3) and knit 9 stitches from the heel turn. Place the remaining 9 stitches onto what is now Needle 1.
New stitch count:Needle 1: 25 stitchesNeedle 2: 32 stitchesNeedle 3: 25 stitches
Decrease rounds for the gusset:
Rnd 1: knit all stitchesRnd 2: Needle 1: knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 2: knitNeedle 3: knit 1 stitch, ssk, knit to the end of the needleabbreviation:
ssk – slip 2 stitches separately as if to knit, knit the slipped stitches together through the back loops
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until there are 16 stitches on each of Needles 1 and 3, and 32 stitches still remain on Needle 2.
Foot:
Knit every round until the foot measures (from the back of the heel to the stitches on the needles) 2-inches shorter than your desired total foot length.
For example, my foot measures 9 1/2 inches from the back of my heel to the end of my toes. I work my foot to 7 1/2 inches before I start the toe decreases. My shoe size is a US women's 7.5, I wear a 38 in Birkenstocks. I have a 9-inch foot circumference at the ball of my foot.
Toe:Rnd 1: knit all stitchesRnd 2:Needle 1: knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 2: knit 1 stitch, ssk, knit to the last 3 stitches, k2tog, knit 1 stitchNeedle 3: k1, ssk, knit to the end of the needleRepeat rounds 1 and 2 until you have 6 stitches remaining on Needles 1 and 3, and 12 stitches on Needle 2.Now place the 6 stitches from Needle 3 onto Needle 1. You now have 2 needles with 12 stitches each.Cut the yarn leaving a 10 inch end. Place the end on a yarn needle. Use the Kitchener stitch to close the toe.
There you have it - now if you want to try and knit a sock....you CAN!!! :)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Holy Crap!!! (..as said in my best Peter Boyle voice)
What happened to the last couple of weeks???? Sheesh - hard to believe we're already 10 days into February!! I'm surprised I haven't received the "update your blog" phone call yet!!! :)
Well, the store has been keeping me horrifically busy!!! ...and by busy, I mean BUSY!!! Loading tons of new goodies online every day and trying to maintain a presence in the store two days a week is fun, but exhausting!! We are still busy with hockey and have some back-to-back games this weekend (thankfully in Salmon Arm). I'll be teaching a layout class at the store this weekend and hope to have fun with a few ladies getting all inky and messy!!
I will also be loading some new yarn into my Etsy store this weekend. I had planned to open up a little "yarn corner" in the scrapbooking store......but I think I'm just going to shelve those plans - for now anyway. I'm just so busy already...do I really need to add "one more thing" to the pile?? I think not!!
Looking forward to Wayne getting home today. In fact, I think he'll be home in time to take me for lunch! :) BONUS!! I always love it when he gets home a little bit early!
Well, have a great weekend everyone! Hope to get some time on the needles this weekend - its been far too long! :)
Thanks for stopping by.....
Well, the store has been keeping me horrifically busy!!! ...and by busy, I mean BUSY!!! Loading tons of new goodies online every day and trying to maintain a presence in the store two days a week is fun, but exhausting!! We are still busy with hockey and have some back-to-back games this weekend (thankfully in Salmon Arm). I'll be teaching a layout class at the store this weekend and hope to have fun with a few ladies getting all inky and messy!!
I will also be loading some new yarn into my Etsy store this weekend. I had planned to open up a little "yarn corner" in the scrapbooking store......but I think I'm just going to shelve those plans - for now anyway. I'm just so busy already...do I really need to add "one more thing" to the pile?? I think not!!
Looking forward to Wayne getting home today. In fact, I think he'll be home in time to take me for lunch! :) BONUS!! I always love it when he gets home a little bit early!
Well, have a great weekend everyone! Hope to get some time on the needles this weekend - its been far too long! :)
Thanks for stopping by.....
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