Chill'n Out

Since my last post, “Start as Many Things as You Can!” I’ve started 5 items! 4 are knitted gifts - 3 out of 4 of them are already off the needles with the last almost completed too. I guess I still like to finish what’s fun on the needles before picking up an older project.


What started all this was a weekend with the opportunity to knit to my hearts content but I did very little knitting because nothing I had on the needle excited me. Instead we went to an ice sculpture exhibit in Portland ME.

There’s Rachel wearing the hat I knit for her for xmas 07 and she LOVES. Its the most used item I’ve ever knit, at least that’s what she tells her mom.

And all of us in the Yellow Submarine.

Then we went even further north to the camp for snowmobiling. We all had a great time, then sat by the camp fire and watched the ice fishers for a bit, visited with neighbors, and generally had a relaxing time. I think Rachel, up from NYC, certainly needed some down time.

Who thinks we had too many Butter Ball shots?

Butter Balls
Use equal parts of Butter Rum Snapps & Baileys
Mix em up, pour & relax but DON’T DRIVE – even snowmobile!

Makes Sense to me, I think...

Since I finished my latest projects, two Holey Cowls (my first pattern design), two pairs of socks (one for me and one to give away), and another pair of fingerless gloves (Porphyrias) I feel like I’ve nothing fun to knit anymore!

I’ve decided to take the advice of an article I read in the Spring 2009 IK by Vicki Square

Start as Many New Projects as You Can

I’m going to try it anyway and see how it goes….. I shouldnt get bored this way right?

My First Pattern

Holey Cowl

Scarfs can fly away, but a buttoned cowl stays put. This cowl is started on the button hole end, allowing ample time to discover the perfect buttons. The cowl pattern was inspired by a sock design of Lucy Nearby’s.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
5 inches X 26 or desired length

MATERIALS
Any worsted weight yarn will work, pictured in hand dyed Knit Picks Bare Superwash Merino [100% superwash merino wool 100g ball]; 1 ball

US # 7/4.5mm straight or circular needle

4 ¾ Inch Decorative Buttons
Tapestry needle

GAUGE
22 sts / 33 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch using US #7 needles (gauge is not crucial).

Using long tail cast on, CO 44.

Scalloped Edge
ROW 1
Knit all stitches

ROW 2
*K3, slip last stitch knitted from right needle back to left needle, pass the next 6 stitches on left needle (one at a time) over this stitch and off needle lengthening stitch as necessary to accommodate all the stitches, yo, k3 rep from *

ROW 3
*k3, (k1, yo, k1) into yo, k2; rep from *

ROWS 4-6
Knit all stitches

32 stitches

Button Hole Rows
ROW 1
Knit all stitches

ROW 2
k4 *K2, slit last stitch knitted from right needle back to left needle, pull next 5 stitches on left needle, one at a times over this stitch and off the needle lengthening stitch as necessary to accommodate all the stitches yo, k2; repeat from * k4

ROW 3
K6, (k1, yo, k1, yo, k1) into yo, dropping loop from left needle, k3; repeat from * K2.

ROWS 4-6
Knit all stitches

ROW 7
*K2, slit last stitch knitted from right needle back to left needle, pull next 5 stitches on left needle, one at a times over this stitch and off the needle lengthening stitch as necessary to accommodate all the stitches yo, k2; repeat from *

ROW 8
K2, (k1, yo, k1, yo, k1) into yo, dropping loop from left needle, k3; repeat from *K1.

ROWS 9-11
Knit all stitches

Repeat button holes rows 2-11 if desired for additional button hole rows.


Cowl Body
ROW 1
Knit 1, *wyf sl2 one at a time, knit 4* repeat to last stitch, knit1.

ROW 2
Purl 4, *wyb sl2 one at a time, purl 4* repeat to last 4 stitches, wyb sl2 one at a time purl 2.

ROW 3
Knit 3, *wyf sl2 one at a time, knit 4* repeat to last 5 stitches, wyf sl2 one at a time, knit 3.

ROW 4
Purl 2, *wyb sl2 one at a time, purl 4* repeat to last 6 stitches, wyb sl2 one at a time purl 4.

ROW 5
Knit 5, *wyf sl2 one at a time, knit 4* repeat to last 3 stitches, wyf sl2 one at a time, knit 1.

ROW 6
Purl 1, wyb sl1, purl 4, *wyb sl2 one at a time, purl 4* repeat to last 2 stitches, wyb sl1, purl 1.

Repeat the 6 row pattern for 20 inches or desired length. Pattern repeat is worked 5 times in each row with one salvage stitch at beginning and end of every row.

Knit 10 rows of garter stitch & BO all stitches loosely. Weave in ends, lightly block, sew buttons in place.

16 Hours of Knitting

I can’t wait; I just booked my annual seminar at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. Two days of LIHTC Compliance, Sec 42 of the tax code, fair housing & state monitoring rules & regulations. Sounds like HELL huh?


Oh no, no, no, no, no!



I look forward to this each year! This is my fifth year so I have tested out, like many of the attendees. All we need to do is sign in and be in the room and for me - knit. Its two days of knitting (interrupted every 45+/- mins for a coffee/stretch break or lunch). The breaks are routinely spent trying to convince the newbie’s they will recover from the overload. OMG I remember my first year. But for us veterans of the program, it’s two evenings at the bar networking and socializing - not preparing for the test. Another bonus is that’s this is all just a few blocks away from a couple of LYS I’ve never been too.

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/WickedPyssa/celtic-triskele-charts

Last year I made this project/sock bag.

I need to start hunting for a simple two color stranded pattern for socks or should I do another project bag?