Clapotis I

I am so determined to finish Clapotis II in time to post about it tomorrow that I'm posting about Clapotis I today. She is my white clapotis. She was made quite awhile ago, during the Clapotis Knitalong on Craftster. She is acrylic, made from Bernat Baby, Sportweight. She is long.... 7 feet! I used #10 US needles, which, together with the sportweight, accounts for the size. The yarn is crinkly and wrapped with nylon, which made delightful-looking ladders. The pictures don't really show it, but the yarn is a dazzling bright white. I think she is quite elegant.

Random Musings

Clapotis II update: Three more decrease rows and the finish-up part and it will be done!! Any day now ~ really!

After some reassurance on Craftster that the Creatures of the Reef shawl is in fact do-able, I've decided to give it a whirl. But first I'm going to get serious and finish up these WIP's lying around. I've been working on Clapotis II every day to get that done, and then will turn my attention to the zebra.

I frogged the sock. Well, the tiny little ring of sock cuff. It was my first attempt at a sock, and after weeks of being stuck on the directions about the heel, I admitted that socks are just not my thing. Yet. Maybe later, who knows. The new plans for the lavendar sock yarn are this cute little BUNNY. I can still get practice with the dpn's!

I also frogged Swatch 5. I have some green yarn on order that's better suited to the Dragon pattern and now the Lorna's Laces can all go to the spring shawl for which it was intended. We usually go to the Greek festival in March for the marvelous spanikopita and Greek salad, I hope to wear it there. I haven't decided on a pattern. I was originally thinking Clapotis III, but do I want to do ANOTHER one?! (Yeah, probably... :)

Yarn Inventory

OK, I finally took a yarn inventory so I will know what I have and be able to plan projects accordingly.

Current Stash:
2 skeins lavendar sock (socks in progress)
3/4 jumbo skein black Caron acrylic and
1/2 jumbo skein white Caron acrylic (zebra in progress)
1 skein RedHeart variegated (snake in progress)
1 cone of lavendar sport (Ladies Baroque Jacket in progress)
small skein laceweight wool in blue purple (small scarf planned)
4 skeins Lornas Laces sport (spring shawl planned)
1 skein RedHeart Monet variegated (bunny planned)
1 1/2 skein handpainted worsted wool, pink purple vrg.
1/2 skein handpainted worsted wool, blue purple vrg.
small partial balls of eyelash trim: rust, pink, bluegreen, and bluepurple
1/4 skein white Bernat sport acrylic leftover from Clapotis I
1 large ziploc of partial balls of leftover acrylic in white, blue, beige
1 large ziploc of partial balls of koolaid dyed fisherman worsted wool, various colors
2 large ziplocs of roving for spinning
3 partial balls of Sugar n Cream crochet cotton in tangerine, lemon, and lime
1/2 jumbo skein pink Caron acrylic

Recently Used Up (since joining YU ;) )
skein of brown acrylic
skein of beige acrylic
1/2 of the pink Caron
1/2 of the white Caron
2 skeins of wool green sock
2 skeins of handpainted brown/green vrg. wool sock

Just ordered:
1 ball of teal Madil Silky (for Dragon Skin stitch)
1 skein each of Eco-Wool in Natural and Latte (for dyeing, Branching Out, and monkey)
1 skein Kureyon (for felting)

Can I still keep my Cotton button for the YU ring??...lol.... I think I've used up more than I've bought. Looking at this, though, I see I have more WIP's than I quite realized. I must get over the sock phobia and try to figure out how to turn a heel. You know, .... right after I finish the zebra.

Tranquili-Tea

Illustration Friday's theme was Tranquility:

Swatch 5

Swatch 5: Because I just can't let it go.

Thomasina ~ who made the beautiful facecloth I linked to yesterday ~ left me some tips in the Comments yesterday. She steered me back to the Make One increase, so I made yet another swatch. Only this time I used the good stuff. Yes ~ my precious Lorna's Laces. I figured I could always frog it after I figured out what in the world I was doing.

I learned that:
a. doing make one increases with quality wool & light needles is a million times easier than with cheap crochet cotton & heavy needles.
b. doing make one increases in a variegated yarn is a million times easier than a solid color. It was interesting to learn that, if I had purple stitches on my needle with a row of yellow just below, that my new stitch was also purple and blended right in. Good to know.

Swatch 5 is not big enough to photograph yet, but it is a pretty pretty thing. So pretty that I'm toying with the idea of letting it have the reins and seeing what it turns into.

Dragon Scales

The quest for the Dragon Skin Stitch continues. Here are the links I've been poring over trying to figure it out:
Photo (click it to enlarge)
Make One version
Yarn Over version

I made some swatches in cotton Sugar n' Cream.
Swatch 1: tried the version using make one increases....... frogged it.
Swatch 2: tried the version using the yarn overs, and knitting all odd rows, as per beginning instructions. Interesting texture, but not dragon scales. Tossed it in the sink to use as a dishcloth.
Swatch 3: tried the yarn over version again, but purling all odd rows, as per note at end of instructions. Now we're getting somewhere! The right texture, yes, but also really big holes. Must've been my size 10 needles, or this cotton yarn.
Swatch 4: tried to make something up using kfb's. Let's just say that ended up in the frog pond too.

So.......... I evidently need:
a. The version with the yo's
b. To purl all odd rows
c. Another kind of yarn
d. Smaller needle size.
(maybe also try the make one version with the purling? See why I had to write all this down??)

The facecloth that woman made of Euroflax linen is gorgeous, but that EL is so expensive. It sure showed off the stitches beautifully, though, didn't it?

(As an aside, my litte swatch dish scrubber is working really well...... I'm thinking that in the interest of using up these 3 balls of S&C anytime I'm working out a new stitch, I will make the swatch out of this, and some of them can become dishcloths. Reduce the stash and save money at the same time, lol)

I will keep trying!

Butterflies

I received my cards from the Butterfly ATC swap and they are all so gorgeous .... but I don't think I can post a pic of other people's cards. So here at least are the ones I sent. They're 3-D if you fold the wings out. I enjoyed using the brightly colored posterboard, I almost needed sunglasses, lol. I like doing these swaps, but the cards take a lot of time to make, I already missed this month's Bronze, but still might manage August's Time.

Knitting Knews: I am still working on Clapotis II, but have wandered off for a minute to try making a stitch called Dragon Skin. Neither of my swatches turned out looking like the photo, though, so I will have to make more swatches until I find a yarn that shows off the pattern. At least it is easier to make than Branching Out.

Tea Bread

Oh My Gosh ~ folks ~ this one's a keeper!
I made these yesterday:



following this wonderful recipe I found on the net: HERE
I used two 8x4 inch loaf pans (the foil kind from the store) and only baked them for 35 minutes. And I used Daisy sour cream, which is my favorite. This recipe is SO GOOD ....... we all ate the first loaf warm from the oven, the other one's in the fridge for tomorrow. I love the combination of sour cream and vanilla, it's just velvety and fragrant.

Now I'm going to scout around on that amazing blog for something else to try!

Knitted Kitty

Knitted Kitty
Originally uploaded by Horse Power.

Finished up one of my little WIP's... I think he turned out really cute!!

Cat Blankets

Cat Blankets
Originally uploaded by Horse Power.

I finished five cat blankets and took them to the shelter this morning. It's kind of funny, because I had several blankets going at once they all somehow came to have names, they are: Cream Pie, Bit of Lace, Flower, the Meditation Mat, and the Sea Anemone.

The first three are crocheted with this fantastic pattern I found on the net: HERE
and the other two are knitted. (well, the sea anemone has a crocheted border because the k2p2 ribbing turned out narrower than I expected. That made it all ruffly, hence the name.)

They're all about 12 x 14 inches, but the next ones I do will be made to fit a cat carrier, since that is what the lady there mentioned they would use them for.

I don't know why I didn't start doing this sooner - I'm sometimes so intimidated by trying new things, but now I've done it and I just want to make stacks and stacks of cat blankets.

This is the same shelter, by the way, where I adopted my dear sweet wonderful dog three years ago. *pauses typing to go kiss dog*

Be kind to the animals!

Herbology

Please meet my basil plant, of whom I am quite proud. I purchased this at Home Depot in the Spring when it was tiny and it is now huge and flowering. It has a wonderful fragrance, which really became noticeable when I brought it into the house to take the photos.


And while I'm on the subject of herbs ~ I tried Carr's Rosemary Crackers and loved them! I just purchased another box ... they are so good, either plain by themselves, or with a jar of Kraft Old English cheese spread.

Lorna's Laces

It came!!! It came!!!



Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in the Happy Valley colorway! Isn't it exquisite? I've never bought LL before..... I always wanted to try it. This purchase was actually my bribe for signing back up for college, when I found it on sale I told myself I would buy some if I actually went in and started the school paperwork. So ~ now I'm a college student who owns four skeins of really glorious yarn. It is going to be Clapotis III eventually.

Happy.

Visiting Friend

My friend Mike came to visit today, we made mosaics. Here is a picture of his frame, "Citrus China Window". I thought this was a fantastic first project, and now that he knows how I hope he makes more!


I made this little dish:

It was good to mosaic again, I haven't made one in awhile, I've been focusing so much on the knitting.

So we had a great visit. While we were sitting in the back yard, a small orange and white cat dropped by to say hi, too. He must be a new neighbor's pet, he's very friendly, young, and has beautiful orange eyes. He checked out all the plants and came over for a pat on the head. I wonder what Lily will think of him!

Karma Kitty

Illustration Friday's theme was Karma. I drew this. I have determined that the cat's name is Percival.


Closeup of Mouse.

First Day of School

I did it! Today was my first college class, Chapter One of WindowsXP finished! I've been so freaked out by all this going back to school business, all the paperwork, and re-admitting, and decisions, and questions, and errands, and worrying about the first day, and so forth and on and on. I was so relieved to actually get started and hand something in this morning. Whoo!!

This afternoon I am going to eat chocolate and knit until I am nice and calm again. Clapotis continues on.... as long as I get her done before the new Harry Potter movie comes out I'm happy. I'm also working on my fourth kitty blanket, if I can finish that this weekend I might take all four blankets by on Monday, along with some dry food.

This week's Illustration Friday theme is "Karma". Interesting. I said I was going to do something with the mysterious yellow cat in my previous drawing, and so I will, but I'm not sure what yet. Hmmm....

Floyd Flowers!

It’s been a busy start to the week! Lots of errands and getting things caught up around the home and office. I am going back to college this week with the goal of finishing an accounting program I started a few years ago.

So this morning it’s back to the library, then Staples (for school supplies ) and the grocery store and then I can KNIT. I have 5 WIPS at the moment and I want to advance somebody along.

This is our bromeliad, Floyd. I purchased Floyd believing he was already in flower, you know, the pink fan, but then when I went out to water him this morning, I found a tiny purple flower emerging from the pink fan. Obviously I have a lot to learn about the intricacies of the bromeliad family. Isn’t he impressive?

The Cat

I thought it was time to introduce the Kitty ~ this is Lily. She is about 16 years old, and a very sweet cat. She is in charge of Quality Control for all crocheted and knitted items. ;)

Metro Pigeons

"Metro Pigeons on Windowsill"

OK, here it is: the picture for Illustration Friday's Metropolitan theme. I came up with pigeons, eating seeds on a windowsill. See the little orange triangle? That's a cat ear. But don't worry, he's inside, so everybody's safe. ;) I fiddled around with this one in Paint a bit. I'm curious about that cat, now. Who is he? What does he look like? I think that I will feature him in next week's Illustration.

Friday Update

I finished Chamber of Secrets. It is so nice to be reading fiction again, and so nice that these books are in Large Print.

The only thing I'm knitting right now is Clapotis II, and I don't want to post a pic until she's finished because the color choices are kind of...um.... interesting.... and you'll need to see the whole thing to get the full effect. 80% of the time I think it's the coolest thing ever, and the other 20% I'm thinking "Frog! Frog now before you go any farther!" But I've gone too far to stop now. And besides, I really am starting to think I love it. She's made entirely from yarn I already owned, and will have 2 long tassels. There might be a few more embellishments if I can find a few items in the craft closet.

The Illustration Friday theme this week is "Metropolitan". This is even harder than last week's "Sport" since I mostly like to draw plants and animals, but I will try to come up with something.

On a drive, I noticed that they've torn down another area for construction. It used to be dense and green with beautiful old oak trees. Now it's mostly an expanse of sand. There is a sign out front proclaiming that there is a new subdivision coming. The name of the subdivision..... and I swear I'm not making this up........will be "Oak Forest." *Sigh.*

Felted Crochet Bag

Made another library run this morning, picked up Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets and a crochet book. The felted library tote I made is proving useful! It's Koolaid dyed Lionbrand Fishermen's Wool, and both the bag and the flower are crocheted. (the flower petals aren't felted, I liked it plain) The Koolaid colors are Watermelon Cherry, Orange, Lemonade, and Magic Twist Changin' Cherry (the turquoise-y color).

Springy

"Springy"

I decided to try drawing a picture for Illustration Friday. This week's theme is "Sport".

Greetings

Happy Birthday Mike!

Window Shopping

Here's some neat knitterly stuff I found while roaming the 'net. I'm not buying any of it, I just like to visit it now and then. Or is doing that on the computer called "Windows" shopping? lol.

A puzzle called Knitter's Stash

A Knitting Sheep magnet

Artyarns ultramerino 8 (I like the Colorway UM127 ... the pink and green)

Alchemy Bamboo Yarn

Southwest Trading Co. Bamboo Yarn (I like Sahara, Azul, & Butter)

More SWTC Bamboo (click on pics for closeup of texture)

Fiddlesticks Yarn (I like the colorways Loden, Rose Garden, Marrakesh, & Seafoam )

Lotus Shawl pattern (uses the razor shell on part of it, one of my favorite patterns!)

Counting Sheep stitch markers

And a partridge in a pear tree!

So that's the current list. I feel better now. :)