Trying Windows Live Writer

This morning I downloaded the Windows Live Writer.  You are supposed to be able to post to your blog from this application.  Always takes a bit to figure things out, but it seems easy.

Here’s a picture of my niece’s daughter wearing a coat I made her out of a recycled sweater.  Looks like she found a piece of something that doesn’t belong. Given that it was about 90 degrees when we tried it on her, she probably wasn’t so happy to be wearing it.

Ok, after a 5 minute trial, I like this so much better than posting from Blogger.  I’m one of those who would rather create a post like you would type in a word processing program.  Don’t need to see the html tags.

I suppose there are lots of other things I can do, but so far so good!  I might even post more often.

If you are interested, here's where to get the program:
http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!D85741BB5E0BE8AA!1533.entry

18" Doll Skirt

My friend Carol lent me her 18” doll so that I could design a shrug for Knitwords to fit her. (If all goes well, the doll and adult shrugs will be in the next issue.) I decided she looked indecent without a skirt, so I whipped one out. When I give her back she will look dressed. Doesn’t she look cute???? She needs a camisole or something for underneath the shrug, but we’ll leave that for another day. Recognize that pink yarn? I rescued it from the waste yarn bin to make the hearts and match the shrug. (I used it to make the shrug "prototype".)

Here’s how I made the skirt.

Machine: Standard gauge
Yarn: Bramwell 4 ply acrylic; small amounts white and pink (many other yarns can achieve this gauge)
Gauge: 7 st x 10 r at T 7
Other: ½ inch elastic, 10”

Directions:
Over 131 needles, cast on with waste yarn and knit a few rows at T 6 1/2. Change to main yarn and knit 5 rows. Use the lace carriage to transfer every other stitch, making the picot edge. (Or, transfer the stitches by hand.) Leave emptied needles in work. Knit 5 rows T 7 and hang a hem. Change to T 10 and knit one row to seal the hem. RC 000. Change back to T 7 and knit 3 rows. Set up the heart pattern and knit it for 3 rows. Knit plain to RC 40. Decrease the stitches by half, either with the lace carriage or by hand. Take off on waste yarn and rehang over every needle. Knit 11 rows T 7, one row T 10 for a turning row, 12 rows T 7. Hang hem, bind off. Thread the elastic through the waistband and sew ends to make a circle. Seam with main yarn to enclose waistband elastic and the back seam. Hide yarn ends.

Even with change of tensions for the hem, it tends to flip up. Steaming it judiciously helps, but acrylic melts so easily you need to be careful.

I could get into this doll clothes thing. The knitting goes really fast and you don't have to worry about her complaints about color, fit or style. She pretty much smiles through it all.

Three More Charity Hats - Easy, free patterns

No big projects this week, but am continuing to work toward my charity hat goal. I'm up to 14 now. Seems like it should be more, but those are the ones I can remember and account for. I thought in case you wanted some really simple patterns, I'd share what I made.

Green and white stripes, top left:
Machine- midgauge
Yarn – any that works with your machine, small amounts of two colors to make stripes
Gauge – depends on the yarn and tension you choose. At Tension 5, with Mary Lou’s Solo, 5.5 st x 7 rows = 1”. Makes a loose knit, but cooler, hat.
Size- mine fits a 3-6 month old. 16” wide x 7” high. You can make one with my dimensions and then adjust if you want a different size.

Directions: Cast on with waste yarn over 90 needles, hang weights, knit a few rows. Ewrap on over the waste yarn with color 1. RC 000. T 2, knit 10 rows for the rolled brim. Change to color 2 and T 5. Knit 8 rows color 2 and 8 rows color 1. Knit 6 rows color 2, 6 rows color 1. Knit 4 rows color 2, 4 rows color 1. Knit 2 rows color 2, 2 rows color 1, 2 rows color 2. Knit 2 rows color 1. (RC 54.) *Decrease by half by putting every other stitch onto its neighbor. Knit one row. Take off on waste yarn, rehang main yarn stitches, knit one row.* Repeat decreases one more time. Knit one row. Cut a matching yarn tail 10” and thread onto sewing needle. Gather up stitches tightly and seam the side.
Note: nice in cotton for a light weight hat.

Pink snowflakes, center:
Machine: Standard gauge with programming capabilities (electronic or punch card)
Yarn: Whatever yarn works for your machine, small amounts pink and white.
Gauge: At Tension 6, with Bramwell 4 ply, 7 st x 10 rows = 1”
Size: 20” wide x 8” high (teen or adult small); you can make one with my dimensions and then adjust if you want a different size. You will want to have a full repeat of the snowflake.

Chart for brim: 24 st x 23 r

Directions:
Cast on with waste yarn over 144 n, hang weights, knit a few rows at T 5. Change to main yarn and knit 24 rows. Change to T 6 and knit one row to set up pattern and then knit the 23 rows of pattern. Hang first row of main yarn to make a hem. Knit one row at T 10. RC 000. Change back to T 6 and knit 54 rows. *Decrease by half by putting every other stitch onto its neighbor. Knit one row. Take off on waste yarn, rehang main yarn stitches. Knit one row.* Repeat decreases one more time. Cut a matching yarn tail 10” and thread onto sewing needle. Gather up stitches tightly and seam the side. Make a pom pom for the top with the two colors. The long floats are nicely hidden inside the band.

Turquoise and white striped jester hat, lower right
Machine: Standard gauge
Yarn: Whatever yarn works for your machine, small amounts turquoise and white.
Gauge: At Tension 7, with Mary Lou’s Solo, 7.5 st x 10 rows = 1”
Size: To fit 6-12 month; 18” wide x 7.5” high; you can make one with my dimensions and then adjust if you want a different size

Directions: Cast on with waste yarn over 136 stitches, hang weights, and knit a few rows at T3. RC 000. E wrap with main yarn and knit 10 rows. Change to T 7 and knit 72 rows alternating 4 rows turquoise, 4 rows white. Knit 2 rows turquoise. (RC 84.) Take off on several rows of waste yarn. With right side facing you, hang ½ of the stitches, fold the knitting over so that right sides are together and hang the other half on top of these stitches. Knit one row and bind off with the latch tool around the gate pegs to make a seam that won’t pucker. Seam the side seam and hide yarn tails. Make a 4 stitch I cord at T10, bind off. Make and attach a tassel to the corner of the hat. Repeat for other side. Easy!

PS---I have about one ounce of that pink yarn left. It is going to waste yarn heaven. Finally!