Humble Apologies

I'm so sorry for not being around since January. For a while I just didn't feel like knitting, so what was the point in posting? Then I was in the hospital (I'm ok now, no worries), and then I finally decided to pick up my needles again. So I began to knit. And knit, and knit, and knit. I made hats and headbands and dishcloths and spa sets and a shawl.

To make my absence up to you, I have designed not one, but two patterns for you to enjoy. The first is the Diamond Lace Headband.

Size 7 straight needles

Worsted Weight Yarn (I used Malabrigo Worsted)

Tapestry needle

B3 = K3 sts for border

CO 6

K 20 rows in garter stitch

Increase rows:

1. K3, M1, K3

Row 2 and ever even row during increase section, P

3. K1, M1, K5, M1, K1

Continue to increas after the first stitch and before the last stitch of every odd row until you have 17 sts.

Begin pattern:

1. B3, p2, k2tog,[ki, yo]twice, k1, sl1, psso, p2, B3

2 and every even row:B3, k2, p7, k2, B3

3. B3, P2, k2og, yo, k3, yo, sl1, k1, psso, p2, B3

5. B3, p2, k1, yo, sl1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, p2, B3

7. B3, p2, k2, yo sl1, k2tog, psso, yo, k2, p2, B3

8. As row 2

Repeat these rows six MORE times for a total of seven repeats.

Decrease rows:

1. K1, k2tog, k11, k2tog, k1

2.P

3. K1, k2tog, k9, k2tog, k1

4.P

Continue decreasing in this manner until you have 7 sts

Next row: K2, k2tog, k3

Knit 20 rows of garter stitch.

BO, sew ends of headband together, weave in loose ends.

Next we have the Little Shells Dishcloth:

Size 7 needles
worsted weight cotton
tapestry needle for weaving in ends

B3= K3 for border

CO 43
K 3 rows
1. K across
2. B3, p 37, B3
3. B3, K2 *yo, p1, p3tog, p1, yo, k2* 5 times B3
4. B3, p 37, B3
Repeat rows 1-4 10 more times for a totall of 11 repeats.
K 3 rows
BO
Weave in ends

You know how writers get writer's block? Well, I've got knitter's block. I've got about eight UFO's that I could be working on and a store full of yarn that I could start a new project with, not to mention to commissioned works that need to get done, yet all I can do is stare at my needles and shake my head.



Cany anyone else relate? Man, I want to be knitting, but I'm stumped!

Success!

Wow, it's been a while. Sorry, ladies and gents. Just a quick update to tell you all that I participated in my church Christmas Craft Bazaar this past Saturday and it was a complete success. I got lots of complements, earned quite a bit of money, and got to spend some time with my mom, who came to help me sit my table. I sold over half my hats, half my scarves, all my wool mittens, a hackeysack, and some of the hemp jewelry I also make. I was very excited. Now all I have to do is finih illing a few custom Christmas orders and I'll be all set! Hope you are all doing well and I'll try to update again soon.

Harry Potter, Again

So I'm on another Harry Potter kick, mostly because I finally finished my Quidditch sweater, which I am very proud of. It fits perfectly, is warm and snuggly, and I can just imagine myself out on the Quidditch pitch on a broomstick, looking for the snitch.

I've also made the HP Snitch Dishcloth to stick in a Halloween care package for a young friend of mine who loves Harry Potter as much as I do.



On top of these, I have made an entire set of Weasley sweater ornaments out of Charmed Knits, but I am embarassed to post the pictures of them because I am so bad at duplicate stitch. And I just cast on for the 3-4 year scarf, also from Charmed Knits.

Soon I'll be posting pictures of Christmas gifts, though I have to be careful because my mother finally got on Ravelry and has access to all my pictures and my blog now! (But hooray mom for joining us on Rav!)

New York Sheep and Wool Festival

Yesterday my mother and I drove up to Rhinebeck, NY for the New York Sheep and Wool festival. It was fantastic! The weather was perfect, and I've never seen so much wool in one place! I pet an alpaca, too. They're nice and soft, and I want one (or two, as they're herd animals). I met Melanie Falick, the author of Weekend Knits and Knitting New Scarves and a few others. I brought my books for Stephanie Pearl-McPhee to sign, but she had left by the time we got to the authors' building. Boo for that. But I did get The Prayer Shawl Companion and got it autographed 1.) because I've always wanted a prayer shawl book and 2.) because I opened up to a page and looking back at me was my grandmother's cousin! I had no idea she knit, let alone was good enough to have a prayer shawl featured in a book! I of course bought some yarn while I was there too. Some lovely undyed wool and a grey tweed. Of course neither of them have tags on them so they don't have names or anything. But they are both lovely yarns and I can't wait to wind them and start using them. All in all, it was a wonderful day. Oh, and I met a few people from Ravelry. I even talked to Jess and her brother for a minute. How cool!

The Golden Compass (Lyra's Hood)

Have you seen the movie that came out last holiday season, The Golden Compass? It's based on the trilogy by Phillip Pullman, His Dark Materials. Anyway, the movie contains some gorgeous knitwear, and I decided to write a pattern to reconstruct Lyra's hood, the that she appears in most frequently. And, for you, my friends, I decided to share it!





Lyra's Hood
Yarn: Bernat Camoflauge Desert Sand 2 skeins
Needles: size 11
Notions: tapestry needle, crochet hook
Gauge: 3 sts per inch
Size: Adult

Holding 2 strands together, CO 60
Knit in St St for 10 inches.
BO.
Sew seam up the back.
Cut 12 1-yard lengths of yarn and thread 6 through each front corner. Braid each set of strands for approximately 18 inches. Tie off braid and cut ends evenly. Weave in any loose ends.

Disaster Strikes!

Disaster! Double Disaster! First, I find out that the next Harry Potter movie has been postponed from November 21 to July! I can't wear my Quidditch sweater in JULY! Now I have to come up with something else to knit that I can wear in the middle of the summer for the movie opening. What a tragedy.

Second, and more importantly, THE YARN LOFT IS CLOSING! My yarn store, the one I've worked at, the only one in the whole county, is closing! DISASTER! What will I do for yarn?