Black and White Plaid

As promised, the finished necklace. It feels so wonderful to be able to bead again. This makes the surgery completely worth it.

Pattern: Squared Hounds Tooth by Bev Baines

Technique: Peyote With a Twist-Not Bead Crochet

Size: 20 inches, plus or minus

Beads: Size 11 Miyuki round beads
Color: Black (401) and White (402)

Started: April 22, 2020
Finished: May 10, 2020

Comments: This is actually a bracelet pattern, but I thought it would look great as a necklace. I am right. I love the way it turned out.

The designer named it Hounds Tooth, but it looks more like Plaid to me.

It was very labor intensive. I think I put at least 60 hours in to it.

I used a silver toggle clasp and bead caps. I made the end caps in peyote stitch.

If you are interested in this pattern, it can be found in the Facebook group Peyote With a Twist-Not Crochet. The pattern for the beaded end caps is there too. The patterns are free. They are only available to group members.

It is raining today, hard. We've had more than half an inch since it started last night. We needed it.

I had a nice Mothers Day. My daughters gave me flowers and chocolates. I spent the day finishing up the above necklace. Most of my time was involved with trying to find something to fill the peyote tube so it wouldn't collapse. I went back and forth to the hardware stores in Rathdrum (we have 2 and I did wear a mask) buying pieces of rope. I got 1/2 inch first. Way too big. Then I tried 3/8th inch but it wasn't quite big enough. So I went back for 7/16 inch, but there was no rope in that size, so I settled for a piece of flexible plastic tubing. It was too big too. I ended up using the 3/8th inch, though I still feel it's just a tad too small.

For dinner, my daughter went to Nadine's and got take out for us. I had the Shepherds Pie and it was divine! It was nice not to have to cook too.

Husband is still working on his thesis, as well as homework. It's finals week, and graduation was going to be next weekend, though they've cancelled it this year because of the virus. He is not done with his thesis yet. They've extended his deadline into June, and would have let him walk in the graduation ceremony if they had one.

Live long and prosper. \\//

Diamond Dog

Zoey has a new sweater! I call this Diamond Dog. I have never seen a dog who loves wearing sweaters as much as she does. She gets so excited when I ask her if she wants to put one on. She'll run to the sweater drawer, I open it, she grabs one and drops it on my feet. Then she hops up on the bed wiggling so hard with excitement that it's all I can do to get it on her. She's such a silly girl.

Pattern: Diamond Dog by me. Not available. I won't be writing up and publishing this pattern because dog sweaters have to be custom made according to your dogs size and I just don't want to deal with it. What I will tell you is I used Patons Basic Coat pattern in size large, customized for Zoey, and knit a fairisle diamond chart I got from a hat pattern.

Size: Large, customized for Zoey.

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

Yarn: Premier Yarns Everyday Worsted Multis and Prints
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color: Winding River

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

Needles: Circular size 5 and 7

Started: March 30, 2020
Finished: May 7, 2020

Comments: I just kind of winged this thing. I didn't even do a test swatch. I just picked the stitch pattern and started knitting. 

Close up of stitch pattern

I changed the foreground color (baby blue and white) at every pattern repeat. The background color is a variegated yarn. 

I did not do this in the round, so I had to sew a seam. Next time, I'll do it in the round.

For the first time ever, I mitered the corners on the back end.

I'm pretty lucky I got gauge, and it turned out good. It fits her perfectly.

More detailed pics. Side.

Back/Top

Bottom/Underside

You'll notice I didn't carry the diamond pattern all the way across. I decided to leave the bottom in one color. I wanted this to be easy peasy. Putting leg holes in fairisle wasn't something I wanted to face.

This is most of what the pictures were like of Zoey. She's a silly girl and very hard to get to sit still long enough to get a decent one. I have a lot of pictures of her back side too, as she suddenly runs away from me.

We had some awesome weather over the last weekend. I got to really enjoy the deck. Today it's dark and threatening. Rain is predicted from this evening through the next weekend. That's a good thing because pollen season has arrived. Yesterday I was sitting at the table and noticed my phone screen getting tiny little yellow dots falling on it.

My trees have started flowering but they are not very good looking. The plum is not only sparsely flowered, but it's sparsely leaved too. I'm a little worried about it. Most of my wild Service Berry bushes had no blooms, nor does it look like the Choke Cherries are going to bloom either. No Choke Cherry jelly this year.

I did not knit much the last few days because I got bit by the beading bug. It is so nice to be able to see my beading now! I got going on that Peytwist necklace and worked on it for hours every day. I bet I've put 60 hours into it. It's done. I finished it yesterday. I'll blog about it tomorrow.

In the meantime...

Live long and prosper. \\//

What I Did During The Great Pandemic Of 2020-April 1

Not doing any April Fools jokes. Never liked this day. Probably because I have memories of so many bowls of morning cereal ruined by Mom's putting salt in the sugar bowl. Ugh.

It is WIP Wednesday. So here's a couple WIPs for ya.

I've finished the knitting of the cowl, and I blocked it.

First half

I had to block it in two stages because it's longer than my blocking board.

Second Half

The middle of this thing is most visible in the second picture. It's the pattern next to the words printed on the blocking board near the bottom of the pic. This thing is turning out gorgeous. I hope I can do justice to the grafting of the two ends together that it deserves.

I am making good progress on the Kep. It's almost done.

Kind of a strange looking thing at the moment. There is a fairisle cuff that will fold over the ribbing, hiding it from view when worn. I'm not real happy with the color choices. Oh well.

Our weather turned cold and snowy. No deck knitting yet. Supposed to stay that way for at least another week. Getting lots of rain between the snow. I've definitely got spring fever.

I've started a new sweater for Zoey. Pictures later.

I was going to get up early today to go food foraging, but after I woke up, I had a big panic attack and went back to bed. I am one of the more vulnerable people. Over 60 and my lungs are already compromised, but we need food. I wish someone else would do this for me. I will give it a try again tomorrow. I need to go out, if for nothing else, refills for my drug prescriptions so I can keep breathing.

I am extremely upset with how our President has handled the Covid 19 situation. I don't think he possibly could have done worse. Thousands of people in this country are going to die because he didn't listen to the professionals and take it seriously. And then there's the dismantling of our pandemic response  department after Trump took office. So much ineptness, stupidity, lies, and the total lack of empathy or care! I hope I'm not one of the ones he kills.

Live long and prosper. \\//

What I Did During The Great Pandemic Of 2020

So, here we are. Cooped up in our homes for an unknown length of time. I had hoped nothing like this would happen in my lifetime. It's all very scary for me. The first three days of staying home and watching all of my knitting group meetings being cancelled was pretty traumatic. I was an anxiety/panic attack basket case. I couldn't even knit. So I played games on my phone, cried a lot, and felt miserable. Eventually, though, I started to climb out of the black hole.

What am I doing during this dangerous and trying time now? Knitting. What else. And missing my knitting friends.

I've finished the knitting on the Crazed Scandinavian Cowl.

It's still on the needles because the instructions say leave it on while I work in ends, and steam block. Then I will be grafting the two ends together. I like it. It's a bit heavier than I expected, but that just means it will be nice and warm.

I made some progress on the mitten. I did this over the weekend outside. It was warm and sunny and perfect knitting weather. I put a chaise lounge out on the lawn and sat there instead of on the deck because the deck still had a huge amount of snow on it, which made sitting chilly-sunshine or not. The snow is officially melted off today, but the temperature out is considerably lower. It's cloudy and getting cloudier. Rain and snow are on the way.

Last night, I started my first Kep, which is a traditional hat from the Fair-isle Islands.

I don't think I've mentioned this here. A few weeks ago I discovered a group on Facebook, The Fair Isle Fisherman's Kep Page. This groups sole purpose is devoted to the above pattern, written by Anne Sinclair, which can be purchased only through the group. The pattern sales go toward the George Waterston Memorial Centre and Museum in Fair Isle, Shetland. I repeat, it can only be purchased via the Facebook group. You can't even purchase it directly from the museums web site.

Now, I would think having this pattern for sale in Ravelry and other places on the internet would be much more profitable, so having to join this group in order to purchase the pattern kind of mystifies me. It's the way they've got it set up though. If you want to join the group, you will be required to answer three questions and then read the rules if membership is approved. Then you can order the pattern, which is a bit of a process also, but not too bad. I got my pattern last month. I wanted to finish the cowl knitting before I started it.

I decided to use leftover Palette yarn from the Harriet's hat I made last month. I traded out the bright pink for some lime green though. Daughter Ruth just happened to have some. It's going to be a fun knit.

I had to do a bit of figuring because the pattern comes with several different charts to use. You have to plan out your hat. After I got done planning, I cast on. I did the first 5 rows, then took the above picture to post in the group. I couldn't sleep last night, so I knit in bed until 3 am. So there's a few more rows done. I plan to work on it tonight.

I don't know when I'll steam the cowl. Some time in the next few days, I suppose. Gotta clean a bunch of stuff off the dining room/crafting table to make room for the blocking board.

In the meantime, if sweet hubby and I don't kill each other during this time of house arrest, I'll be surprised. Just sayin'.

Live long and prosper. \\//   And stay well.