Knitmeter

I just added the gadget "Knitmeter" to my blog. It's going to be fun seeing how many meters I run through in 2010 (if I keep up with it). I'm used to thinking in yards, but I just looked it up and here's the lowdown: 1 meter - 1.0936133 yards. 1:1 is good enough for me. My brain can't wrap around the .0936133.


The bulk of what I've knit this month I haven't put up on the blog because the items are for the summer issue of Knitwords, so you'll have to take my word for it.

One mile = 1,609.34 meters
So, that's another thought provoking thing. I have knit slightly over a mile in 1/2 month.

I'm thinking of knitting Diana Sullivan's round baby blanket as a felted "foot-upon". (As opposed to the famous "sit-upon"s that hunters and people in really cold climates use.) That ought to use up a few meters. Where my husband sits at his computer, the wall and floor are really cold. We had extra insulation put in last summer, but evidently not enough. So, I thought this felted thing could go between the wall and his feet. Good way to use up scraps of wool yarn.

Geewillikers. Knitting machines are cool. It would take a lonnnnnnnnnng time for a hand knitter to get as far as I have in less than a month.

First Machine Knit Charity Hat of 2010

This is a copyrighted pattern, so I can't share it with you, but you can probably figure out how to do it. Wondering if anyone else has done a doubled ski hat. The top seems fine, and I like that the floats are enclosed, but when you get to the rolled up cuff you have 4 layers. I guess for snow sports in climates like MN this is ok. Just seems so bulky to me. The yarn is some mystery stuff I had in my stash. Hopefully some 10-12 year old outdoorsy guy will be able to use it. The pattern is one that is built into my Brother 970. I like it. A few of the gals in my knit guild have made a new year's goal/resolution to make a charity item for every personal item they knit this year. Good idea. I'm going to try to do the same.

The brim is done in 1 x 1 rib. With black, knitting at night, I really couldn't see the stitches and kind of took a leap of faith. When I got it off the machine I saw that one of my needles was tucking every other row!!!!!!! #53 right, to be precise. O maddening. Since I have run out of main bed needles, I'll swap out an end needle with ol' #53. Good to find the bad boy anyway.

American Girl Doll Scarf Pattern

What's nice about retirement is that you can waste time with a minimal amount of guilt. Usually.

I thought the little red coat needed a little red scarf. I machine knit it, but if you have the time and patience, you could hand knit it easily. So, here it is:
Machine: Standard gauge 4.5 mm with ribber
Yarn: Mary Lou's Solo - or similar wt
Gauge: T 5 13 st and 7.5 rows =1"
Finished size: without pom pom's,
1 1/4" wide x 16" long

Ewrap cast on for 2 x 2 rib. Have one stitch both sides on the main bed and 2 x 2 arrangement for the rest. Knit one row T 0/0. Hang 7 wires and med wt. (The knitting is too skinny to add a ribber cast on comb.). Change to T 5/5 and knit 120 rows. Transfer st to main bed and cast off. With the yarn tails fold the ends in half and tack down. Make 2 small pom poms and sew onto the ends.

If knitting by hand, I'd guess you'd use a size 3 needle, cast on and knit 2 x 2 rib for 16", bind off. Make and attach the pom pom the same.

In different proportions, this would make a nice scarf for a little girl. I like the fact that the edges don't roll. Yea, ribber! I'm liking you more every day.

Oops

Have to correct something I said yesterday. I implied that the directions for the coat sleeves didn't match the finished item. Well, to be truthful, it was I who changed the pattern. I forgot! (Old age is full of these little surprises.) I remember thinking the sleeve hem should/could match the bottom of the coat so did fnr. And that's why it flares. But, I think the result is cute. Just had to fess up!

American Girl Doll's Little Red Coat

So, this is how I occupied my time today. My sister-in-law asked me to make some clothes for her significant other's grand daughter's new doll. I used Charlene Schafer's "Complete Wardrobe for American Girl Dolls". There are some cute items in it. I have to say, though, that Charlene could use a proof reader. The book contains some funny little typos, like the instruction to make 3 button holes and sew on 4 buttons. Not so funny, giving two different tensions for the same operation. She has you making a full needle rib hems, which inevitably flip up. Much fiddling with less than good results, in my opinion. I thought it would be better to do a hung hem, just stockinette. If you did the outside at a slightly larger tension or with one more row than the inside of the hem, it would look good. The sleeves aren't supposed to flare out in the pattern, but changing from fnr to 2 x 2 rib makes them look ruffled. Cute, but I don't think the picture of the completed coat looks the same. I'll have to double check that.

What I do like is the bodice. Red is hard to photograph, but changing to 2 x 2 rib makes it pull in for a more fitted look. A little beret matches the coat, which I haven't knit yet. Well, I hope she likes it. Here are some more views:

Maybe I'll make her a 2 x 2 ribbed scarf. That would be easy enough to do.

Puppy Paw Preservers

PPP'ers (Puppy Paw Preservers)

By Mar Heck ©2010

Never thought I'd find myself doing such an odd thing, but here they are. Our Keeshond, our third child, loves the cold weather. The colder, the better. We've been experiencing 17-20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit this winter. Never mind the wind chill. She runs outside, does her biz, rolls in the snow a bunch of times, then spreads herself full length on the iciest spot she can find. She doesn't know when to quit and her paws are suffering. So--------I thought I'd make her some pittens (mittens for her paws) or PPP'ers (can't decide which name I like better) and learn some more about my Silver Reed 860 midgauge at the same time. I started with the cuff, made some eyelets so I could have a drawstring to keep them on her legs, then knit the mitten part circular, decreasing for the tip.

This is Gertie---the cold loving Keeshond. I guess with all that fur, you can see why she doesn't mind our Arctic weather. The pads of her paws are another story, however. Here's the pattern.

Machine: Silver Reed 860 midgauge with ribber

Yarn: Mary Lou's Schuss Plus, 100% wool, a light worsted weight about 150 grams

Gauge: At T 6/6 for mitt, 6 st and7 rows to one inch

Finished size: 6.5" long and 3.5 inches wide including ribbing. Gertie is a 40 lb mid sized dog. (Not as big as she looks under all that fur.) You may need to adjust up or down for your pooch.

Directions:

Cuff---ewrap cast on for 1 x 1 rib (or use your manual's cast on) and knit 16 rows of ribbing at T 3/3 over Left 21-Right 20 on main bed. Transfer rib stitches to main bed, knit 2 rows with regular carriage. Transfer every other stitch to neighboring needle to make eyelets. Keep emptied needles in work, knit 2 rows. Put half the stitches on hold, machine to hold, take other half off on waste yarn. Change to T 6/6. Don't cut yarn.

Mitt---Set your machine to knit circularly. (Consult your manual.) Carriage will be on the right. Do a free pass to get it to the left where the yarn end will end up. Fold the cuff so that you can hang the half on waste yarn onto the ribber. RC 000, Knit 33 rows. Decrease one stitch each side, both beds with a 2 prong tool. (Move one stitch over, keeping the edge stitch the same.) Decrease down to 8 stitches on main bed. Cut main yarn with a 10" tail for seaming. Keeping the circular settings, knit 18 rows waste yarn. Remove from machine and kitchener stitch the toe stitches shut. Hide yarn end. Seam the side of the cuff with a mattress stitch.

I Cord--- Cast on 3 stitches with contrasting yarn (just for fun), set machine to knit one way and slip the other. Knit 260 rows. Bind off. Tie a knot in one end and weave it in and out of the eyelet rows. Tie a knot in the other end and make a nice bow. Your dog will be grateful, just as the gorgeous Gert is.

Snowy times

Due to flu/bronchitis/colds at our house, I've been awol from the blog and most other things too! We had a fairly substantial snow storm, guaranteeing a white Christmas. Here's the view out our front door:

What we see out the back:

And the back deck:




The pictures don't make it look as fierce as it is. When we knew the storm was coming, we stocked up on provisions. Basically we stayed inside for 5 days and had some good times together as a family.

Now that I'm pretty much back to health, I'll be knitting again. Here is wishing a Happy New Year to you. Hope there is lots of knitting for you in 2010!