Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts Lacy Crochet

I recieved my Lacy Crochet book this week and I wanted to share some of the beautiful pictures and projects that are in the book. This book has 26 projects all small and easy to do. Most are done in a thread crochet, but I think you could easily adapt these to fingering or lace weight yarns.

All the projects are very easy to follow and they are charted, not written out. In addition, this book includes a tutorial on how to read the charts and how to work with from the charts with very clear pictures and drawings. With this book, you can learn how to work any Japanese crochet project that is charted and not have to be concerned that you cannot read Japanese!

This is just some eye candy from the book:





My first project is going to be the lacy basket and I think the coin purse is just adorable with the little leaves on it.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to everyone!!
I've been working along on my projects. I've also updated my Ravelry site with these pictures as well. The entrelac socks are working up great! I've completed one, and I'm almost up to the heel on number 2. I was knitting them at my daughter's softball games (about 3 a week) so they were really working up fast. Now that softball is over, I am working on them whenever I can.


I've also sewn together the first block of my mitered afghan. It like the way it looks. Sorry the picture isn't great on this one. The block is about 24" by 24," so I will need to make about 6 of these. I'm working on a better way to join the squares because I really hate sewing all the smaller blocks together.


Enjoy the weeken and Be Safe

Mitered Square Striped Afghan

I've started a new project to use up some of the inherited acrylic yarn I just couldn't get rid of. A Friend of my parents mother died and she had about 5 garbage bags of yarn that was going to be thrown out. So I took it. I went through it all and yes, it was all Acrylic. I kept some select skeins, but I found a lady who makes makes afghans for homeless shelters, so she got most if it.

I found some mice brushed acrylic ( Red Heart Symphony) at Michaels on clearance for 2.00/skein in a purple/black colorway. I've been wanting to make a purple-ish afghan for the house so I bought some up. I figured I could do something with is. So I started mixing it with different colors of the acrylic and settled on mitered squares. I don't like the look of just miters in a blanket so I am breaking them up with striped squares to make a larger block, sort of quilt-like.

Here it is in Progress:


It is going really fast because it is doubled yarn, and I'm knitting it on size 13 needles. And the brushed acrylic makes it really soft.

I'm planning on writing up this pattern and posting it on Ravelry when I am finished or nearly finished.

My Store is Up on Ravelry

I've got my store up on Ravelry. The Izzy Socks are now available via the side bar on this blog or on Ravelry for Free. Let me know what you think of them. I've had a few people that I have sent the pattern to who have sent back pictures of their versions. I love seeing all the different colorways people choose. I will add the pictures to the pattern page but I need to go back and find them in my emails.
Keep up the good knitting!!

Update on Knitting Projects and Trying to Post Izzy Sock Pattern on Ravelry

I'm trying to post the Izzy's sock pattern (.pdf file) to Ravelry. I'm just waiting for them to approve me. Hopefully this won't take too long. I have the .pdf file just waiting to be downloaded.

I've been very busy crocheting and knitting away. I will be posting all the latest and greatest pictures this weekend.
I've completed the following:
Amigurumi Mouse from Roxy Crafts



Summer bathing suit coverup (my own pattern). It's just a simple open weave pattern in an unmercentized cotton to help absorb water after I swim.


Bonsai Tunic vest (Interweave Knits)



In Progress:
Entrelac socks (Interweave Knits Spring 2007)



Crocheted Rug Knit Simple


I will try to update my Ravelry soon.

I'd rather be Knitting!!

Crochet and Knit Giveaway Winner Announcement

I want to thank everyone who left a comment on my blog for the Crochet and Knit Giveaway. I know that was the most comments I've ever gotten! The Winner was:

Katie O

Let's give her a congrats on her blog! Everyone likes comments!!

Instant Gratification...It's not all that it's cracked up to be

The Yarn Harlot's new book (Things I've Learned from Knitting Whether I wanted to or Not)sounds great. I do love her writings. She reminds me of Erma Bombeck.......For those too young to remember her, she writes about life with in a typical American Family. Hilarious Stuff!!!

Anyway....I was listening to Stash and Burn Podcast Episode 53: Wooly Spring. And Nicole and Jenny were talking about all the comments on their site about what others have learned from knitting. It really made me think about what knitting has taught me.

I'm an impatient sort of person. I like things to get done quickly. I love doing big projects but I think I should be able to get them done in a week or so. I once thought I could crochet an entire Queen size bedspread in size 10 crochet cotton in a few weeks. Ha!!!!! This is my neurosis. I constantly have to work to keep this in check, and I am not always very good at it.

So, when it came to making socks, a tiny project in my mind, I felt I should be able to complete a drawer full in a couple weeks. I was a bit frustrated when it took me 3 days to make it to the heel of my first sock. Nevermind that this was my first sock, and I was knitting with Fingering weight yarn on size 1 needles. Hey, I was only doing the sock in Stockinette (2 socks in 2 days, right? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA....) Well, as you can imagine, the senario in my mind did not actually occur as I had envisioned it. But, I was learning that if i just keep going, 1 stitch at a time, keep going, keep going. I will finish a sock and then the draw full of socks.

I think in the world today, so many people do not ever "DO" anything because they don't have to. Everything is so readily done for them, Everything is already made and can be purchased. Viola....Instant Gratification! Well, I'm learning that Instant Gratification isn't all it's cracked up to be. I think I'll just keep knitting.

Crochet and Knit Giveaway

I love the idea that Brianna and Marly had about a centralized blog to post giveaways. I'm joining in.
Giveaway Item(s):




This is some of my early handspun yarn (Corridale, of course). It is a heavy worsted weight (to slightly bulky). It is a 2 ply yarn that is spun fairly tightly. I did it on a hand spindle, not a wheel. There is about 150 yards total - 75 to 100 yds in each (1 skein, 1 ball). In addition, I am included some left over Classic Elite Miracle yarn (did I mention this yarn is soft as butter.) There is only about 25 yds of the Miracle, but I thought it would be a nice edging for something knit with his handspun.


How the winner will be chosen: www.random.org/integers/

Giveaway Begins: May 9, 2008 Time: As soon as I get this post up.

Giveaway Ends: May 25,2008 8:00 PM

Winner will be notified by: May 27, 2008 - via e-mail & post on my blog. I will also attempt to comment on your blog

Rules: No duplicate entries/comments. No spamming. Giveaway is open to everyone. Winner MUST respond within five days, otherwise they forfeit their winnings, and a new winner will be announced. This giveaway is restricted to US participants only. I'm just not sure how the shipping would work out if I had to send it overseas.

How to Enter: Leave me a comment about your spinning experiences. Do you use a drop spindle or wheel. What got you into it? Do you like it better than knitting? How do you fit it into your knitting time.

I'm asking these questions because I spun this yarn on a drop spindle, and plyed it on my drop spindle. I liked doing very much but I haven't really gone back to it. I'm not sure why. I wouldn't say it was hard or even awkward. It seemed to come very naturally to me. So I don't think that's it. I'm just curious if others have had this experience. I think I just like knitting so much that I'm just not ready to put it down for something else yet.

Also, I completed a hat in this yarn and I think it knits up well. It always helps me to see something knit with the yarn I am looking at. (Sorry, Hat not included in the Giveaway)


I did not use the Classic Elite in this hat. I used some other handspun in cream, but I did not have any left to include in this giveaway.

Happy Knitting

Happy Holidays

I wanted to be sure I wished everyone who reads my blog a Happy Holidays. I hope everyone has a wonderful time with the ones they love.

I've been spending time with my extended Family and many friends. I have been fortunate this year to meet new people via this Blog, Ravelry, and Knitting KAL's that I am very grateful for. I appreciate all the help, words of encouragement and support that everyone has shown me.

Have a save and Joyous Holiday season!!!
Jude

The Holiday Rush is On

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted. I am amazed at how quickly time is flying as we approach the Holidays. I have been very productive on my knitting until about a week ago. I finished the Candy Corn sweater. I've posted the pictures on Ravelry, But here is the one of me wearing it. It fits very nice.

I also finished 2 pair of fetching fingerless mitts for Christmas presents for some friends.


And 1 of the dresser scarves for my bedroom side tables. I found some variegated muted blues in Sugar-N-Cream cotton. It worked up very nice in the feather-n-fan Lace pattern.

Fall update

I took a slight break this weekend from sweater knitting because I really wanted to try knitting with my first handspun yarn. I made this hat. It is the Vita Hat from Hip knit Hats. I added the fair isle for just a little pizazz. I loved how the handspun knitted up. I actually knitted this about 3 times because I kept making it too big. But I enjoyed knitting with my yarn so much I didn't mind tearing back to make it smaller.





I worked on my Candy Corn last week. I'm still about 1/2 a sleeve to go.


I've tried it on a couple of time. I think it looks better on than it does lying flat.

Ute socks completed

I finished the Ute socks. I have to say that I really like Fair Isle knitting. By the end of the second sock, my tension was really very good. I like it!!


I have lots of small amounts of left over sock yarn. Now I know what to do with it.
I'm posting these on another blog Scrap Sock KAL which has some of the most lovely Fair isle socks I have ever seen.

Now back to my Candy Corn sweater. Almost done with it too.....Half a sleeve and the collar.

Obsession with my Candy Corn Sweater

I am obsessed with finishing my Candy Corn Sweater. Also, I have to say that I'm not sure why I called it a Candy Corn sweater. I originally thought that the stitch pattern I was using was called Candy Corn, but it is really called Indian Corn. So I was going to change the name, but Candy Corn kind of stuck. So the name has nothing to do with the sweater other than I am making it over Halloween - well that's good enough for me.

Anyway, I took this picture on Tuesday and since yesterday I almost have the first sleeve completed. I'm hoping to complete it by next weekend.

I tried it on and it is looking pretty good on. I wasn't sure how the bulkier yarn would feel and the stitch pattern is kind of dense too, but I have to say, I think I am liking it.

I'm trying to finish this sweater and my Ute socks:

(Which are now almost up to the toe on the second sock) before I start my handspun hat.

Also, just an aside, I had a little alien visitor last weekend. So cool!!! She wasn't afraid of me handling her. I put her in my plant where a bird couldn't find her.

Have a great week!

Candy Corn Geurnsey

I've been working on my Candy Corn Guernsey. I'm about 1/2 way done.

In this picture it looks like a skirt, but I tried it on and I think it will make a nice tunic style sweater. The bottom part is a K2 with 10 stitches of moss stitch in between. This yarn shows of the moss stitching very well.
I've just finished the garter stitch band and I am going to start on the Indian Corn stitch for the top portion. This stitch was explained in the Holiday issue of Vogue Knitting. I thought it gave the knit fabric a really interesting texture. It inspired me to add it to the top and sleeve portion of this sweater.

by the way, the yarn is an ebay purchase of some Mull Spun Wool from a Connecticut Farm. The yarn has a nice heathery look.

Spinning:
Still have not purchased a wheel. I'm more "not yet" than "gotta have it!"



I finished another 80 yard or so of the Fern Color roving. I am planning on using this for a hat for myself. I think I will likely start that as soon as I get to the sleeves of my sweater. I'm anxious to see how my yarn will knit up. I am hopefully that it is fairly balanced. But maybe for a hat that will not matter too much. We'll see.

Happy knitting!!

Come Find Me in Ravelry

For everyone who wants to meet up in Ravelry, my name is Judeh22. I thought of coming up with something clever or using my yarn formulator name, but Judeh22 is so much easier to remember and type!!

Come meet up with me! But bear with me I am still learning how to get around and what/where everything is in the site. I haven't had a chance this week to spend more time there. Darn work!!

The RAVELRY invite finally came!!

First I have to say:

I GOT MY RAVELRY INVITE!!!!
I have only set up my profile; I can tell I will be spending some time in there.

Also, I wanted to thank everyone for the comments and encouragement. It really means alot to me that you all are checking into my blog.

Please, if you stop by, just leave a hello in my comments.

Happy Knitting and Spinning and pray for that cold front to come through Cincinnati before we all melt!

Spinning-First Hand Experience is Invaluable

I wanted to post an update of my spinning progress. I have to say the spinning was great. I do enjoy it, but I had a near disaster trying to remove the single from the spindle.
I had a pretty full spindle of the Fern Colored BFL, and so I thought it was time to wind it up into a ball. I was originally thinking I would spin another spindle full and ply the 2 singles together. I do not have a nostepinne but I had seen a Youtube Video on how you can wind a ball straight off the spindle with a ball winder. I had done this with my first attempt, and it went pretty well. The Fern BFL was another story!!!
I started to wind the ball and about 20 yards into it I got the yarn all snagged up. I had a loose end at the bottom of the cop and it had tangled with the yarn attached to the winder. UGH!!!!! I am a very patient person. I thought, I can work this out.... just go slow, and work the tangle out.
Well, after about 15 minutes, it was clear that I was not going to work this snag out. At this point, I had a complete Brain Fart. I thought if I slide the cop off the spindle, I can start winding from inside the ball. In my defense of this completely stupid idea, I was thinking of what I had read in the book "High Whorl", where Priscilla recommended that you could ply directly off a nostepinne (using the yarn from inside the ball and from the outside of the ball). First of all, I found out the Spindle shaft is not a nostepinne and second the you cannot slide the cop off my Spindle.

My attempt to slide my cop off the shaft caused the most God Awful mess of twisted yarn I have ever seen. The outer part of the cop slide off the shaft and the tightly wound center of the cop stayed at the top of the shaft by the whorl. Not to mention that as the yarn slide off, some of it got hooked onto the the groove that my shaft has at the end of the shaft (I have a Schacht Hi low spindle) I was certain that I was going to have to cut this off the spindle and start over. I should have taken a picture, but I was having a nervous break down at the time, and the thought that this will somehow work out just did not enter my brain at that time.

To the rescue: My daughter arrived home from Soccer practice at this time and thankfully jumped in to help me. Having 2 hands to keep the single from plying back on itself as I tried to work out the snarls was incredibly helpful!! It took a while but we were able to save the yarn!! I got it wound onto the ball winder and left it there for about 2 days because, I have to say, I was terrified to move it. Last night I overcame my fear of the ball of Fern Colored BFL single and tried to ply it. Let's just say that went a whole lot better!




Oh, what we learn from first hand experience that just cannot be taught in a book!

I Got a New Toy for my Birthday

I know I haven't been writing much but that is because I got my new drop spindle and fiber (BFL) in the mail early this week. (Yeah Hoo!!!)


I got started with the natural, just in case I was really bad at this. But it turns out, I could draft a fairly consistent yarn. At least better than I though I'd do.



So this is my first ball of handspun. It was really fun and relaxing to make!!!

I started to spin up the Fern color. I bought this color to make myself a hat for this winter. The practice on the natural color has helped to even out my yarn even more. I'm already thinking about how I should ply it.


The other project I've been trying to finish is the vintage gloves
I added a ribbing to the wrist. I like my gloves to be snug around my wrist.
They took almost exactly 1 skein of this wonderful handspun alpaca. I'm not sure what I will do with the other skein. Maybe a matching hat or scarf???


Have a great weekend

Thoughts on Izzy's

The Izzy Sock Pattern was born out of my love of Fair Isle, my need for mindless patterns, and my curse of a tight hand. These factors do not mix when it comes to sock knitting!!!

I love to work with color. I’m always surprised to see how colors interact in my knitting. But even more, I love mindless knitting. Following a Fair Isle pattern is not what I call Mindless knitting. I find that sock patterns with easy to memorize repeats of lace or cable patterns, are my favorite. I can work on them anywhere, put them down and pick them up, without skipping a beat. That is my kind of knitting!!!

Then, there is my Curse. I am a tight knitter. So I really have to pay attention when doing work that requires me to carry strands of yarn along my work (ala Fair Isle). My Fair Isle work does not stretch, at all. This isn’t exactly great for sock knitting.

So I tried to come up with a pattern to do color work where I carry the yarn behind the front of the work but would also be stretchy enough so that I could get the sock on my foot.
The pattern is a simple K2 P2 rib all the way to the toe. So the stretch is great on these socks. And the 2 color work is completely mindless. You really don’t even need the pattern if you follow this simple recipe.

Stitch pattern:
Always K in Knit stitches and P in Purl Sts.
Carry the non-working yarn behind your work throughout the sock.

Color pattern
The color pattern is a 2 row repeat, so every 2 rows the color pattern will change.
The color work rows are :
1st 2 rows: 2 color work
2nd 2 rows: single color work
Repeat.

The Single color rows are alternating main color (MC) and Complementary Color (CC) color.. So it goes 2 rows of MC, 2 rows of color work, 2 rows of CC, 2 rows of color work, back to 2 rows of MC, etc.
The 2 color rows are worked thus, always work the Knit sts in the opposite color of the previous solid color row and the purl sts in same color as the previously completed solid color row. For example, you have just finished 2 MC rows, the next row you start by K2 st in CC, P2 in MC, repeating around for 2 rows.
After you finish these 2 rows you go back to the single color row instruction. Since your last single color rows were in MC, you do the next 2 rows in CC. And so on. Really, once you do about 8 rounds (1 full repeat) the pattern is stuck in your head.

If you are the kind of person who needs a line by line pattern. Just leave a comment, and I will email it to you.

Summer of Socks 2007 ending

Well, if any of you follow the summer of socks, you know I did not win. Boooooo. But Yea for Ina!! Her pattern was really pretty and I am excited to try it myself. I thought about submitting this one to Knitty but I think it is disqualified because I've posted pictures on my blog. So if anyone is interested, I can email them the word (.doc)or the works (.wps) file. Also I may post it in the text of my blog, but that makes it difficult to print. Leave me a comment if you want the Izzy socks pattern sent to you with your email or drop me a personal email at jhollingshead@cinci.rr.com.