Golden Mittens

Another finished project for KnitWits. A pair of children's mittens.

Pattern: Basic Pattern For Childrens Mittens by Elizabeth Durand
Size: 4-6 years old

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Wool
Content: 100% Superwash Wool, worsted weight
Color: Gold

Needles: Circular size 5

Started: February 7, 2018
Finished: May 9, 2018

Comments: I used this free pattern to teach someone how to knit mittens. I thought I ought to try it out to make sure it's a decent pattern so the first mitten got done quickly. This was also one of my take-with-me projects, which I only worked on when out and about-like waiting at the doctors office and stuff like that. That is why it's taken so long to finish the second mitten. The pattern is fine.

This is graduation weekend at the University of Idaho. Our daughter, Ruth, is a senior this year. We're going down there today because Ruth's team has won an award on their Senior Project and we're going to attend the ceremony. I'm excited, and very proud of her. They were working on a device that goes on the arm and keeps track of how much a person does their physical therapy, or something like that. It was a very challenging project.

Unfortunately, daughter Ruth doesn't get to graduate as we'd hoped. Apparently credits expire. So classes she took when she first attended, out of high school, have expired and they're going to make her take those classes again, or at least, that's how I understand the situation. I'm a little pissed off about it. Since when did credits start expiring?

The graduation ceremony is on Saturday and we're going to it even though Ruth isn't graduating because we have 2 nephews who are graduating. We're having a big family party afterwards in celebration. It's going to be a hectic weekend. We'll be making a 2 hour drive down 2 days in a row, and of course 2 hours back home again. Lots of driving. We tried getting a room for the night so we wouldn't have to do all that driving, but they were hard to find. Everyone was booked up very early. The one room we did find wanted an enormous amount of money for it. Price gouging if I've ever seen it. We can buy a lot of gas for what they wanted for that room. So driving it is.

Spring is in it's full glory right now. The flowering plum is blooming and it smells so good. The leaves are coming on the trees, and the turkeys are doing their mating dances. I've dragged the cushions for the deck furniture out of storage and the deck is all set up for knitting and sitting. I love spring. The weather is warmer, and it's supposed to be a beautiful sunny weekend. Yay!

Live long and prosper. \\//

Layette Set #28 And A Story

I have finished Layette Set #28 for KnitWits, also known as the Entrelac set.

My goodness, what a project. It is not for the faint of heart so I'm probably never making another one of these, but it sure turned out cute! Here's the pieces.

The Cardigan

Pattern: Entrelac Baby Set
Size: 0-6 months

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: White

Yarn: Caron One Pound
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 508 Sky Blue

Yarn: Big Twist Value Solids
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 5004 Medium Gray

Needles: Circular size 2 and 6

Started: February 8, 2018
Finished: March 27, 2018

Comments:  There is a lot of detail work that is done in this project. Lots of pieces knit separately and then sewn together. I did use a size 2 instead of the called for size 3 for the welt and cuff ribbing because when I first cast on the welt (this thing is knit from the bottom up) I wasn't home and didn't have a size 3 with me, so I just used the size 2 I did have with me. If I were to do it over, I'd use the 3.

Back

If I were to do this again, I would do the collar different. I would pick up stitches around the neckline, instead of making it a separate piece to sew on cuz sewing on that bugger was not easy.

Here's a detail shot of the stitch pattern.

I decided to go with plain blue buttons because the Entrelac should stand out. I couldn't have found a more perfect blue for them too. That gray band across the bottom of the yoke was constructed in a way I don't run across very often. Lots of hand sewing on that baby.

I'm glad I made it just because I learned a lot doing it, and now I can say I made an Entrelac baby set.

The Hat

Pattern: Entrelac Baby Set
Size: 0-6 months

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: White

Yarn: Caron One Pound
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 508 Sky Blue

Yarn: Big Twist Value Solids
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 5004 Medium Gray

Needles: Circular size 6

Started: March 28, 2018
Finished: April 24, 2018

Comments:  I understand why the Entrelac cuff band was knit flat, but the main part? Nuh uh. I did it in the round instead. One less seam to sew.

The Booties

Pattern: Cuffed Cutie Booties by Rosemary Drysdale

Size: 0-6 months

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: White

Yarn: Caron One Pound
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 508 Sky Blue

Yarn: Big Twist Value Solids
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 5004 Medium Gray

Needles: Circular size 6

Started: May 3, 2018
Finished: May 8, 2018

Comments:  I am so glad I found this pattern! I didn't want to make plain booties with this set. It was a nice challenge to work on too. 

Just as a reminder, it's in the book Entrelac 2 by Rosemary Drysdale.

The Blanket

Pattern: One rnd of (sc1, ch1) all the way around, join rnd with sl st, ch3, then one rnd of dc in the back loop of each stitch. Join with sl st and weave in the ends.

Size made: 36 by 30 inches.

Yarn: Red Heart Classic
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: White

Yarn: Big Twist Value Solids
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: 5004 Medium Gray

Crochet Hook: Size G

Started: May 9, 2018
Finished: May 9, 2018

Comment: I love those elephants.

Now, the story part of this post.

Last night I'm sleeping peacefully. Zoey is snoozing on the end of the bed, and the bedroom windows are open cuz it was overly warm in the room. Around 2 am we were awakened by a lone coyote howling "Aroooooooooooo!" Zoey jumped up and started barking and whining and generally doing a very nice rendition of a freak out. 

The coyote howled again "Arooooooooooooo!" Now Zoey is really freaking out and I'm trying to calm her down.

The coyote howled a 3rd time "AROOOOOOOO!" Geez, it sounded close to the house. All of a sudden, Zoey stopped, turned toward the open window and howled very loudly "AROOOOOOOOO!"

The coyote shut up and didn't make another sound the rest of the night. And I'm sitting there on the bed with my mouth hanging open cuz I had no idea Zoey could howl like that.

I had a very hard time getting back to sleep.

Zoey, Queen of the Coyotes

Live long and prosper. \\//

It's Star Wars Day!

Live long and prosper. \\//

I Found One

I found an entrelac baby bootie pattern that works for me. It's in here:

The book arrived yesterday from Amazon. I've already started the first one.

It looks a little weird at the moment, but I assure you, it will look like a bootie when I'm done.

While waiting for the book to arrive, I knit a doll skirt for the JID girls.

In real life, the purple is much darker and the sparkles are green. It will go nicely with the lavender mohair sweater I knit last year and still haven't done anything with it.

I also have finished the 17th character in my Mini Star Trek cross stitch project, the Gorn.

He's so darn cute! I made a change in this pattern. I made the gauntlets a little longer and the hands green instead of brown like the gauntlets, and I made the colors of his outfit closer to what they are in real life.

I only have 2 characters left. The next one will be KHAAAAANN! Heh heh.

Sweet hubby had 3 interviews this week, but no offers, yet. It's been almost 8 months now. It gets discouraging, but he keeps applying for jobs. We can't give up.

The flowering plum is loaded with flower buds. We are having a beautiful day today too. The temperature is a perfect 72 with sunshine and partly cloudy skies. I ate my lunch out on the deck and soaked up some much needed vitamin D. All the flowering trees are blooming in Coeur d'Alene already. We're about 2 weeks behind them. Kind of weird. We're only 17 miles away, but our climate is so different.

Well, that's the news for now.

Live long and prosper. \\//

WIP Wednesday Again

I've got 2 knit projects in the works for this post. First, I've started the second of a pair of gold child's mittens. They'll be size 4-6.

I've also got the knitting done for the matching hat to the entrelac cardigan.

Just needs blocking and sewing together the pieces. Still haven't found a pattern I like for entrelac booties.

This week we are having glorious spring weather. Sunshine, blue sky, and fluffy clouds. It's very warm. I've been opening windows and doors and blowing out the winter staleness.

The hot tub is leaking yet again. I've told sweet hubby I give up. I'm tired of dealing with it. The damn thing is over 50 years old and it's reached the end of it's life. He's not willing, yet, to let go, so I leave it to him as to what to do next. If we could just figure out where the leaks are, we could probably fix it, but alas.

I had some problems with my new vacuum cleaner over the weekend. It would not suck. I discovered that I've been viciously abusing it. I never read the whole manual that came with it. Just enough to get it together and going. I've found out it has 2 filters in it that need to be cleaned regularly. They were thoroughly plugged up. They were very easy to clean. I had to wait 24 hours to put them back in the machine, but I could live with the big mess Zoey had made on the living room rug (decimated pine cone) for that long. I used a broom to sweep up the worst.

Next day I put the newly cleaned filters in and started her up. She still wasn't sucking. AARRGGH! I did more investigating and discovered the hose was plugged. It was so plugged I couldn't get whatever was in there to even budge. I sought the husband for help. He worked on it and eventually worked out the biggest chunk of felted cat hair and dirt I've ever seen. He said while I continued vacuuming with dirty filters, the dirt was compacting in the hose. I've learned my lesson. I will be cleaning those filters regularly from now on.

My cats are shedding like crazy. Despite my best efforts, I can't keep up with it. I've been brushing them at least once, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. Still, large gray fluffy tumbleweeds drift across the kitchen floor. Balls of matted hair gather on the furniture. It floats in the air landing on everything. It piles up in the corners of the house. It's driving me crazy. Surely they should both be as bald as bowling balls by now judging by the amount I've been scooping up and tossing in the trash can. But no.

I tried one of the attachments on the vacuum cleaner for the first time today called the Pet Turbo Tool.

I used it to vacuum the cat hair off the upholstery of the new couch and love seat. It worked magnificently! Took every bit of hair off the microfiber fabric. I am so happy with this vacuum cleaner.

Live long and prosper. \\//

Yesterday's WIP Wednesday

Intended to post this yesterday, but didn't get it done.

Making more progress on the mini Star Trek. The Squire of  Gothos .

I have just three characters left.

Last night I finished sewing together the Entrelac jacket.

I tried to sew the collar on-ugh. It was awful. In retrospect, I could have picked up stitches and knit it on. Would have been easier, I think. But, oh well. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how to sew it on. My brain just wasn't working for me. So I asked for help in the Knit and Chat group on Facebook. They were so helpful. It all came back to me how to do it and I am quite happy with the results.

I was putting a 1 by 1 rib cast on edge (collar) to a 1 by 1 rib bind off edge. The stitch count is different on the two pieces, so it wasn't a case of matching up perfect. It's pretty thick and bulky for such a small sweater too, so I put the right side of the collar to the wrong side of the jacket and slip stitched the two edges together. It reduced the bulk of the seam allowance perfectly. I'm happy with the result.

Inside, where the right side should be so the collar rolls to the back.

Outside under collar. Collar will fold over and hide allowance.

Today I have Yarnies so I'll work on the matching hat. I already have the brim done. The main body of the hat is next. I have been looking for some Entrelac booties I could do to match, but so far have not found anything I like. I may just do the usual plain booties.

Ta ta for now.

Live long and prosper. \\//

Hats

Just a quick post so you know I'm still alive. I'm using my phone to post this.

I took a break from the entrelac project to knit doll hats. I have seven outfits made for the shop that need them. I've done five.

A sixth is almost done. I'm looking forward to getting them in the shop.

Saw my doctor today. I've been coughing a lot for several weeks now,  and I needed to do something about it. I asked what is causing the cough? He answered "Linda, that is the asthma".  Oh. Oops. The new asthma medication I started in January is not working. So now I'm taking Prednisone for a week and starting yet another new asthma medication. Ugh. I hope it works cuz I'm so tired of coughing.

Had a nice day weather-wise. Warm sunshine for a bit. I opened the back door and let the fresh air in for a couple hours.

We have snow storm warnings starting late tonight until late tomorrow night. What the...?

Live long and prosper. \\//