2 posts tagged “potholder”

Last summer, we got a nice set of bowls for my sister-in-law Sarah that match her dishes (Pfaltzgraff's Delicious) and then didn't have a good chance to give it to her until now.  Some white and red knitted things seemed like a nice match!

I had some mis-guesses this time, where I guessed on what I wanted to do and then changed my mind or needed to adjust for what I had.  That was okay, it wasn't hard to switch things out :)

Striped Potholder
Started: April 4, then again that next week
Finished: around April 16
Pattern: Potholder from the Lion Brand site
Using: Lion Cotton in Poppy Red and White, size 7 needles

I had leftover white (from Megan's dishclothes, and mine, too) and a bit of red (from Mom's potholders), and thought I'd be able to get a bit more from the store if I ran out.  I started out using more red, and realized when Joann's didn't have any more red in stock, I ripped it and started again using less red throughout. 

I did a red cast on for a nice stripe - Sarah's dishes have a red ring on some of them - and then a bunch of white.  Then I integrated one strand of red for a few rows (instead of one of the whites), and then two strands of red, and back to one.  That made for a nice center.

9-square Dishcloth
Started: around April 15, then again April 17
Finished: April 18
Pattern: initially, started with this pattern.  Then switched to the Mason-Dixon 9-patch pattern
Using: Lion Cotton in Poppy Red and White, size 7 needles

I was starting out fine with my so-far-normal-pattern (made 3 this way so far).  I was thinking I remembered how to do it without looking :)  And I didn't notice until I was half done that I hadn't done two stitches before the eyelet, and it looked odd to me once I realized.  No worries, I just ripped it out!

So then I was off looking for another pattern, I wanted something a little more interesting.  I found the Mason-Dixon pattern and loved it. Because I didn't have a varigated yarn I liked for the project per the pattern, so I did stripes myself with the red and white.

I worked on this at the knit-in, and the little girls who come were very amused when I had the first 6 squares done - middle and 4 whites around, and then one of the miters - it was shaped like a fish!

This was the first time I'd worked with miters, and it was a delightful technique to learn, very useful.

I had fun putting together a tag for each of them with a title and "love-productions" on it :)  That's been my signature for making paper-crafts for a long time, which is why my domain is love-productions.com!  The potholder and dishcloth also made wonderful packing for between the bowls in the gift!

It's been a while since I've made a knitting post (posts tagged "knitting")!

Recap of 2006: Back at the beginning of November, I had the idea to learn to knit so I'd have something to do when we were driving down to California on our trip.  I started with a long scarf, and knew I wanted to keep learning more.

When I was done with that, I quickly cast on for my next scarf, a softer one out of Lion Brand Homespun in Barrington.  I'm using a pattern from The New Knitting Stitch Library which is *p1, k1*, p1 on right side, and k3, *p3, k3* on the wrong side, using 18 stitches (stitch pattern is 6 stitches plus 3).  It's making long stripes, and with the homespun hides all patterns slightly so I wanted something slightly more interesting to try and show it more, and this works well. 

At the beginning of December, I decided I wanted to try and make some potholders for my mom's Christmas present.  3 is always the perfect number in my head, so I set out to make 3 different colored potholders using the Lion Brand pattern.  I originally got Lion Cotton in Poppy Red, Seaspray, and Sagebrush, but then I wasn't sure this was as much my mom as it could be.  So I decided I could make some for my Mother-in-law, too, and the Seaspray and Sagebrush were much more her.  I found some Sugar n Cream in Black and Americana Ombre for my mom and Seashore, great match for my mother-in-law's other colors. 

As I worked on these, my wrists got sore of pulling hard to work with 3 strands held together at all time, and I started trying out continental and that helps, but slowed me down some!

So I finished my mom's a few days before Christmas, and started in on my Mother-in-law's on Christmas morning.  I ended up finishing them once we were at their house, and telling her what I was doing.

Here's the finished sets, all tied up together with a crocheted chain, folded nicely to almost look like a heart in the center!  You can see them in process here, too (photos tagged "potholder")

That ended out 2006 nicely, with 1 scarf and 6 potholders finished and 1 scarf in process.

Where I'm at now: My scarf in progress is doing VERY well - it's over 60" when I measured it the other day (my first was 99", I'm trying to get to that same goal or somewhere near it.  If I sat down and knitted consistently on it, it would be done, but I'm using it as my fun knitting during TV because I have the pattern so memorized I can do it without thinking!

And then that comes to my newest project.  I really want an afghan.  I have one that's crocheted that a friend made me that is on our couch all the time, but I'd like to make one that I like.  So I figured this would be a good way for me to learn a variety of techniques.  I'm not quite as crazy as to start on Barbara Walker's afghan because 1-I don't like all the old patterns (created in the 70s or 80s) and 2-the squares are much larger than I prefer.   I've been pouring over stitch books like the aforementioned New Knitting Stitch Library, and now the Stitchionary (some of these were on the Lion Brand site to start with, but now I have the real book from the library), and I'm coming up with my own patterns and colors. 

I'll be using Lion Brand's Wool-ease this time.  So far, I have Forest Green Heather, Mushroom, Woods Print (a varigated color), and Dark Rose Heather.  I hope to get Cranberry, Avacado, Rose Heather, maybe Cocoa, maybe Purple (it's a really barney purple, so that doesn't quite match).  I've got 3 1/2 squares done.  First is Forest Green Heather in Small Diamond Brocade, Second is Mushroom in Purl Ridges, third is Woods Print in Simple Basketweave, and the one in process is Dark Rose Heather in Sugar Cubes.

To make it the size I'd like, I need 96 squares that are 6"x6" (which actually doesn't take too long to make depending on the complexity of the pattern).  I'm seeing this as a long-term project, and will always have something going in the background, I think.

My goals for early 2007 include finishing my scarf and continuing work onh my afghan squares, and purchasing the rest of the yarn for that.

I'd also like to make some things for the favorite kids in my life.  I'm not sure what yet, but at least a simple hat for Baby Leonard, and maybe a scarf for Leah.

Later on in 2007, I think I'd like to try socks.  I'm not sure if I'm good enough to do them yet, but I'd like to try.

As well as the actual knitting, I want to keep reading books about knitting and getting inspired.  Our library has a nice collection and I'm alternating my fiction reading with educational books, and I'll keep doing that until I run out.  I'm also enjoying TiVo-ing Knitty Gritty on it's special run on HGTV (We don't have DIY, where it's really from).  That's very inspiring.  Finally, continue growing my bookmarks and feeds for knitting blogs, wow there are some great people out there on the web who knit!

Oh, and blog more about my knitting, it sure is nice for me to see where I've come from and how I'm growing!