Conductive Mitt

I have finished the model for the gloves class.

Palm

Conductive Mitt

Pattern: Flashy Fingers Gloves by Shelley Mackie. (Made for Knit-n-Crochet)

Size: Medium

Yarn:  Schachenmayr nomotta Bravo Color in Madrid Print
Content: 100% Acrylic, sport weight

Yarn:  Conductive Thread

Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in size 3.

Cast on: October 10, 2012
Bound off: October 15, 2012

Comments: I love the yarn. I had not used it before. It feels wonderful and is extremely nice to work with. One of the best quality acrylics I've come across. I hope to see more of this yarn in my future.

The pattern is okay. It runs a little on the snug side. Increasing a needle size should fix that.

I also found errors in the size medium, the size I knit. It was easy to fix. I don't want to go into details here. (You can find that info in my Ravelry notebook entry.) I added the conductive thread in at the last half inch of the index finger. Would have done all of the fingers and thumb that way but didn't have enough thread. It takes about a yard per finger. One finger is sufficient for a class model.

Back

I added the conductive thread in at the last half inch of the index finger. Would have done all of the fingers and thumb that way but didn't have enough thread. It takes about a yard per finger. One finger is sufficient for a class model.

Have I mentioned that we got something from our garden after all? I planted it late because we had such a cold and wet spring. I planted carrots, beets, corn, sunflowers, bachelor buttons, zinnias, and acorn squash. I did get some flowers from it in August. The corn grew about 18 inches tall, bloomed, then died. It never had any ears. The sun flowers got about 6 feet tall, then frosted to death. The squash never sprouted. The beets sprouted and then died. That is how my garden went this year. I actually gave up on the thing around the end of August.

Last weekend Sweet Hubby decided to roto-till everything under for the winter. He discovered the row of carrots actually had carrots in it! I pulled them all up. Got about a gallon of them. Most were fairly small, but oh so sweet! We've been eating them ever since. I should  have taken a picture of them right after I washed them all. Not many left now. I plan to make a carrot cake tomorrow.

We weighed the kittens today. Merino is 5lb 6oz and Cashmere is 4lb 9oz. They sure are growing fast!

Live long and prosper. \\//

Yellow Fuzzy Baby Hoodie

It's yellow and fuzzy.

Yellow Fuzzy Baby Hoodie

Pattern: Baby Yeti by the Berroco Design Team. (Made for Knit Wits)

Size: Newborn/3 Months

Yarn: Aldemir Yumos
Content: 100% Polyester, bulky weight

Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in size 11.

Cast on: July 11, 2012
Bound off: August 14, 2012

Blocked and Assembled: October 14, 2012

Comments: This is actually a very fast knit. I just took my darn sweet time on it. The pattern calls for Berroco Plush. I substituted the Aldemir Yumos, which is very similar in weight and used one size larger needles. I had no problem getting gauge. There's a lot of sewing involved, but it doesn't take long. I steam blocked it just like I usually do.

Someones baby is gonna be warm this winter.

All in all, I'd say it was a productive weekend.

We got some RAIN yesterday. Just over half an inch! It cleaned all that smoke and dust out of the air. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow, then clear up. I can live with that.

I just looked back over last week's posts and it seems I've not mentioned the glove. Last Wednesday I got a call from the Knit-n-Crochet shop in Coeur d'Alene. They wanted to know if I would be interested in teaching a class on knitted gloves. Well, heck yes, I'm interested! I love to teach knitting. I drove into the shop to meet with the owner and figure out what I'm doing. She has some of the new conductive thread in stock and wants me to teach a class on making gloves using the thread in the fingertips so one can use their Ipad or smart phone without taking the gloves off. We decided what pattern to use, she gave me a skein of yarn and a little bit of the conductive thread and I've been working on a glove model for the class a bit each day. I've only got the thumb left, which I plan to do tonight. I only had enough thread to do one finger, so I used it on the index finger. I am looking forward to teaching the class. We'll figure out the date after I get the model done.

Knit-n-Crochet was Harmony Yarns until this year. It has a new owner and a new name now. The inside was completely redecorated and rearranged  They have a lot of awesome new yarns. I really like what the new owner has done to the place.

Today I started a batch of peach liqueur. I put it in the closet to age for 2 weeks. Then it's sugar adding time. I've done something different. I left out the cinnamon and added real vanilla extract instead. I'm looking forward to tasting it when it's done.

I have also started beading a bracelet. It starts with Right Angle Weave. When it's done it will be a rather lacy affair. This is how far I am so far. Barely put a dent in it.

The pattern is in French, so I see some time with Google Translator in my future. As you can see, I finally got away from blue. Heh heh.

Live long and prosper. \\//

Rainbow Cats Paw

Yesterday I blocked the Cats Paw scarf. It's all done now.

Rainbow Cats Paw Scarf

Pattern: Cats Paw Scarf by Elizabeth Lovick

Size: 70 inches by 10 inches

Yarn: Mini Mochi by Crystal Palace Yarns
Content: 80% superwash merino wool/20% nylon, worsted weight

Needles: Addi Turbo Circulars in size 10.

Cast on: October 1, 2012
Bound off: October 10, 2012

Comments: This is a very fast and easy knit. I'd recommend it for beginning lace knitters for certain. I love the way this stitch pattern looks in this yarn. I'd originally intended to use the yarn for and entrelac project. I like this better. It's going to be a gift. I sure hope the recipient likes it.

There is a randomness in the yarn as to what color came next as I was knitting. It made it extra interesting to work on.

Live long and prosper. \\//

P.S. It's raining! Hurray!

It's Caturday

Caturday 10/13/2012

Yesterday morning there was a regular ol' house fly buzzing around the living room window. It caught the attention of 2 very rascally kittens.

Hey Mom! Come see what we've found!

They stared at it for a long time, wishing they could get their little paws on it, but it was so high up. Further than they could reach!

Looking for the fly.

Merino couldn't stand it any longer. He had to get. that. fly! He came up with a 'solution'.

The daring young cat on the window edge.

The only problem was, he was standing on such a narrow edge that if he lifted one paw he would lose his balance, so he couldn't catch the fly. He could only stare at it longingly. He finally gave up and jumped down. The fly got away this time.

Love cats? Care to join in the fun? Go here: Tanya's Caturday

Live long and prosper. \\//

The Rose Quartz Cabochon

Click on the pics to embiggen.


I've had this rose quartz cabochon for several years.

It was given to me by the gal who taught me how to bead.

I've always considered it kind of a blah sort of cab so I decided it needed some serious embellishment to brighten it up a bit. I was inspired by 2 things. One is Jamie Cloud Eakins book Dimensional Bead Embroidery: A Reference Guide to Techniques. The other was a photo I saw here on the internet some years ago of a similarly treated cab. Unfortunately, I can't find that photo to link to now. The web site is gone.

After embroidering around it with some seed beads, I made a peyote ribbon.

I affixed the ribbon to one side of the cab twisting it around as I went, then added some bling. This is the top view.

This is the side view. I've used an assortment of pink, white, and blue beads, crystals,

and small rice pearls. This is the bottom view.

I finished it off by attaching a spiral rope stitch necklace and the toggle clasp I made last weekend.

I am very very pleased with myself. I made that blah cabochon downright exciting.

Now I need to get something to wear it with.

Live long and prosper. \\//

A Toggle Clasp

This is what I worked on yesterday, and this morning. I've decided I prefer making toggle clasps as opposed to using pre-made ones.

I am getting closer to completing the necklace I've been working on. All that's left to do is finish the spiral rope part and attach this clasp. I looked it up and I started this necklace in the fall of 2007. I got this far before I quit working on it.

I wanted to sit out on the deck in the sunshine today but it was too darn cold, even in the sun. Not looking forward to winter. However, in the end of January I will get a brief respite from the winter weather for we have booked a cruise in the Caribbean. We'll be on a Carnival ship this time called The Dream. My husband and I, his twin brother Dan, and Dan's wife are going together, just the 4 of us. We're leaving the kids home. I can hardly wait!

I'm gonna go knit now. Gotta get that scarf done! I leave you with this.

Live long and prosper. \\//

The Orphan

Parktoberfest was fun, as usual. Not as many people this year-mostly family members  and the games were virtually ignored by all. I think too many of us are getting too old to toss a caber. It's more fun to sit around chatting, eating, and drinking. Less likely to hurt the back too. There was lots of very very very good food. We ate heartily. Somehow I managed to stay sober though.

One of the many conversations I had last night was with my sis-in-law about the orphan moose that has been hanging around the creek that runs behind their house. Brother-in-law has been working on cleaning out portions of the creek where it has become clogged with dead trees and vegetation causing it to flood in places it shouldn't. Several animals have been bedding down in the tall grass where he's been working, including the orphan moose.

I think the orphan moose has had enough of it because it showed up over here in my yard this morning, and it won't go away. Click on pics to embiggen.

It's way too young to be away from it's mother, so we think something happened to her. Maybe the coyotes got her or something.

It's enjoying the leaves of the flowering plum. Since the leaves have been falling off anyway, I haven't objected to it.

But I draw the line at my rose bushes. All morning it has been trying to eat the rose bush just below the living room window I took these pictures from.

In an effort to make it go away, I let Cable out to bark and chase. No go. The orphan acts like she's not even there, so Cable came back into the house in disgust. Since then,  I've been squirting orphan in the face with water (from inside the window) when it comes near the bush. It doesn't like that. It's a bit frustrated.

As I write this, the little pest is laying down by the trailer at the side of the house. It probably thinks  I will get tired and go away so then it can molest my rose bush at will.

I have a broom. I might have to use it.

Life on the Parkarosa. Never a dull moment.

Live long and prosper. \\//

It's Caturday!

Caturday 10/6/2012

Probably planning something naughty.

HEY! WHAT ABOUT ME????

Love cats? Care to join in the fun? Go here: Tanya's Caturday

Live long and prosper. \\//

Azure Double Spiral

Wow! The week just flew by! I can't believe it's Friday already.

This months Seedbeaderster group challenge is spiral rope stitch. I started this bracelet quite some time ago, then kind of lost interest. It was one of this years 'blue period' pieces  I decided to finish it for the challenge.

It's for me. I made it a bangle. I finished it, tried it on, it was about an inch too big, so I removed some of it and finished it up again. Now it fits perfect. I have such a hard time figuring out how long to make a bracelet for a bangle to fit my hand. It's wider than the average, but not as wide as I tend to think it is. Note to self: 8.25 inches is good.

I stitched it all with 6lb crystal Fireline thread. I've used white size 8 seed beads for the core. I also used size 11 seed beads in matte blue and blue lined transparent clear, 4mm fire-polish crystals in pale blue, and 4mm round Sodalite beads.

It fits in my wardrobe nicely.

The weather has turned colder quite suddenly. Still sunny, but the temps are lower. Today the high has been 57F. We also got a very small bit of rain a couple nights ago so the air is nice and clear again. I can breath and the eyes are feeling so much better!

Tomorrow is the annual Parktoberfest. I am going to make a huge pan of Spaghetti Pie. I went ahead and bought a cordless warming tray so I can keep it warm during the party. I don't know why I didn't get one of these years ago! It's wonderful. You plug it in for 8 minutes to warm it up, then unplug it and remove the cord. Place the food dishes on it and voila!

I am about 2/3rds done with the rainbow colored lace scarf. With any luck maybe I'll get it done this weekend. I plan on taking it to Parktoberfest with me.

Right now I've got a pot roast in the crockpot. I'm trying a new recipe because I didn't have a package of onion soup mix. I wanted to do the quick and easy 'mix a can of cream of mushroom soup and a package of onion soup mix together and pour it over the roast and simmer all day' thing.  I have substituted the onion soup mix with the ingredients for onion soup from scratch-including half a cup of vermouth. It sure is smelling good. I bet the gravy is gonna be awesome!

Live long and prosper. \\//

WIP Wednesday 10/3/2012

Todays featured WIPs.

The Chevron sweater back is done and I've started the front.

I took some measurements and I'm exactly on gauge. Hooray!!!

Here's where I am on the first Argyle sock.

2 shades of blue and white are the colors I settled with. The medium blue is a variegated tweed with long color repeats. I have to tink the last 2 rows because I've made a mistake. Urg.

However, all knitting has been put on hold while I work madly on this cuz I've got a two week deadline for it: Lace scarf.

Making this for a gift. It's one of those "Sheesh! I almost forgot I need to do this" projects. The yarn is Mini Mochi which is perfect for this project. Fortunately, it's knit on size 10 needles and the stitch pattern is super easy so it's going fast.

I'm super busy this week, being the first week of the month of October, so I'll leave you with this pic of Cashmere.

The kittens are having a ball with my laundry basket. Everything is a toy when you're a kitten.

If you're interested in participating in WIP Wednesday, please join us.

Live long and prosper. \\//