Erica's Stitches

I've been using the cardboard case some double pointed needles came in to carry them around.  It's functional but not pretty. So, I started designing some elaborate dpn holders in my head in various techniques.  I was excited about the project but didn't know when I would be able to do it. Finally I decided on something fast and simple.  I found some pretty paper I'd been saving and glued it over the cardboard.  In a matter of minutes I was done.  I liked so much I made another.  Then I ran out of cardboard holders.  If I want more I'll have to buy more needles. I wish every project could be finished as quickly.

I tried something different this week - knitting cables. What fun! I wonder what it was like the first time somebody figured out how to make cables. I can imagine a group of woman sitting around a long time ago oohing and ahhing about the latest development and getting excited about all the possibilities just like I am.

Hopefully I'm going to be using all these mini-balls of yarn. I've been practicing knitting domino potholders all year and I'm now ready to knit a domino scarf. I haven't knitted much yet but it has been fun and addictive.  I'll plan an evening of cross-stitching and the next thing I know I'm knitting.    Luckily, each square goes quickly and then I can move on to my other projects. It's calling my name now.  Must resist!

I've been knitting bunnies! The free pattern can be found  here.   They are fun to knit and will make some great stocking stuffers. It was hard getting them to cooperate for the pictures.  First, it was too cold and they refused to go outside.  So, I set them up next to a sunny window.  Well, it wasn't sunny enough and the flash went off and blinded them.  Bad Move. After a few seconds blinking they scurried off and hid.  I had to round them up again and they were even more uncooperative. They closed their eyes, made faces and then one tried to moon me! They are cute so I have to put up with all their tricks.

Here are some of the potholders I've been working on for the last few months. They are from the book "Domino Knitting".   This batch is all stripey.  For the first two I changed colors by changing the yarn.  For the last one (on the left) I used some self-striping yarn.  The effect was not quite what I was expecting.  I really like the border and I'm going to used it in other projects, I'm sure. But, this washcloth is the way to used self-striping yarn.  It makes the simple design look fancier than it really is.  And, no ends to weave in!

Random Lessons, Part 2 My first lesson randomness occurred at the Great Sand Dunes. My second lesson occurred a few years later when I found "Glorious Knits" by Kaffe Fassett.  This was in the late 1980's. I fell in love with the Toothed Stripe Waistcoat and decided that I had to make one, even though I could barely knit. Both the colors and the teeth are stitched randomly.  A small section of the pattern is charted with some advice on how to keep stitching the design without using the chart. Unike walking randomly, which I found impossible, I found knitting randomly to be easy.  After I had decided the colors for one section, I could think about the next section.  I would have time to change my mind a few times before I had to make another decision.  It turned out that I didn't need a chart. It was great fun to knit the sweater.  I enjoyed using many bright yarns and watching them come together to form a pattern. ...

This is my old knitting needle holder.  It was made by a good friend out of vintage materials.  Actually, it's more for sewing tools  and it doesn't do a good job with the needles.  They all fall out and my smaller things like stitch holders and yarn needles get lost in the big pockets.  It's really pretty on the outside so I decided to make a real knitting needle holder. I found "Sew What! Bags" by Lexie Barnes a while ago and loved the book.  It has an Artist's Roll that is similar. I modified the pattern from the book to make a roll custom for my needles. Best feature - the top folds down so the needles can't escape.  Also, I made the smaller pocket really small so it holds my smaller stuff - including paper clips and safety pins. I was thinking of doing something to mark the pockets with needle sizes. But, I may not always be carrying the same needle size.  I got the idea of sewing in a ribbon so I could hang tags on the ribbon to...

Another finish! This started out as Potholder # 2 from Domino Knitting by Vivian Hoxbro.  I really liked the way the colors worked together and decided to make another one and turn it into a bag. I like bags but making them intimitdates me.  After staring at the parts for a few weeks I finally decided to do it.  I've made my share of errors assembling bags.  I've sewn the pocket in upside down and made the lining too small. This projects first mistake involved the straps.  I remember seeing something somewhere about i-Cords with clothesline on the inside for strength.  That sounded like a good idea.  I knitted the i-Cords and then got some clothesline to stuff inside.  That doesn't work.  Had I done more research I would have learned that you knit the i-Cord around the clothesline (and there are great tutorials out there).  Instead I ended up using a doubled up white shoelace for strength.  It was actually possible to ...

Now that I've started knitting again I'm receiving donations of yarn.  This yarn came with no information about fiber content or guage but there is a small pattern book so I know it is Marnel "Tweedy".  And from the pictures in the book I know it was printed in the 80's.  But, that's about it.  Internet searches provided no help. I cut off a snippet and waved it over a lit match.  It melted and made a horrible stink so it is all or part synthetic.  In some was it acts like wool so I suspect it might include some. I've been knitting potholders and I'm ready to try something else so I've been looking for patterns.  The yarn calls for a delicate, lacey pattern. Every time I'm in the library I check out the new book shelves:  fiction, cooking, self-help, crafts or anything else that catches my eye.  Lately there are tons of knitting books.  This time I picked up Yarn Bombing by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain. ...

Does the "I" stand for infinite? My most recent potholder somehow got bigger than I planned and is going to be come a bag.  So, it needs straps.  Hence the I-Cord. Why is this cord taking so long?  I have other projects I'd like to work on.

I learned to make a knitted picot yesterday but at the time I didn't know what I was doing.  I was struggling to follow instructions that where perfectly clear and yet didn't make sense. The pictured example was small so I wasn't sure what the end result would look like. As I finally "got it" the lady next to me looked at my work and said "a picot".  Then it made sense.  I've done many picots before, just not in knitting. When I think of a picot my definition is "that bumpy thing".  That's not very technical so I just looked it up and the paraphrased definition is an embroidered loop.  That makes more sense than "that bumpy thing". My favorite picot is done using beads.  It makes a great edging. Tatter's do a lot of picots but I don't tat.  The next picot I discovered was in lace making.  They are very small and hard to make and hard to make look even. I didn't make this picot, it is from one of my anti...

While cleaning a while ago I opened a box and found yarn.  I've knitted on and off (mostly off) all my life but never imagined I'd accumulated so much yarn This bunch of yarn was for a sweater and the receipt is clearly dated 4-23-88 (remember when they embossed credit cards).  The contest entry to win a Pearl Necklace was due on July 12, 1987 and the store where I purchased it no longer exists.  I knitted more than one half of the front of the sweater and lost interest.  I think I'll try to turn it into a bag. I have lots of remnants of yarn left over from knitting a Kaffe Fassett sweater.  There were so many color changes it kept my interest going and I finished it and it fit.  I still wear it somethimes.  The only other sweater I finished ended up being too small and I have a few others I started and didn't finish.  But, I have finished lots of hats and scarves. I also have many single skeins of yarn.  They where either on sal...