A gal in one of my ravelry groups was asking about a Saltire pattern. So, I’ve created a stitch chart for those feeling the Scottish spirit!
Enjoy!
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12-Stitch Argyle Machine Knitting Punch Card Pattern Chart
I will soon be the proud owner of a Studio SK-155 knitting machine. My Bond machine broke a keyplate and it has been unusable since. So, I am investing in a metal machine. I expect to get hours of knitting enjoyment out of my new Studio.
One of the great things about the new machine is that it uses punch cards for patterning. I can’t wait to try some fair isle and punch lace.
I have started designing punch card patterns for the 12-stitch machine – so you can expect to see them here from time to time.
This is my first pattern:
12-Stitch Argyle
PDF:
JPG:
WIP – Pineapple Lace Curtains
This is a sneak peek at my current work in progress. I am making curtains for my kitchen windows. Now that snow is here, we need to retain all the warmth we possibly can and bare windows let out a lot of heat.
I found a simple pineapple lace motif pattern and wanted to do the curtains in this with some sort of sheer panels as a backing. But, sweetie wants me to make solid panels instead. I see his point, solid panels provide more privacy and hold in more warmth.
I started out making simple DC panels, but I soon realized that it would take forever to complete them that way. So, I’ve switched it up with TC. Hopefully that will make it go faster. I will change up with DC, SC and some color.
I’ll use the pineapple lace to make a valance and some long side panels.
This is the motif. Please excuse how messy it looks, it is unblocked.
Now, my kitchen has yellow walls and white cabinets and ceiling. It has blue accents. I thought that including some color would be nice.
Here are my messy Photoshop examples:
I haven’t decided which version I want to go with. No matter which one I choose, it will mean a whole lot of non-stranded color work. That fact alone makes me think that maybe I won’t do color within the motifs. I know that I want to do some blue stripes in the panels and a blue ruffle. Perhaps I’ll just do a blue ruffle on this portion, as well.
To be continued…
Thistle Flower Filet Crochet Panel
I had been wanting to do this project for quite some time. The original pattern is written for the use of thread. But, since I really don’t like working with thread, I decided to use worsted weight yarn instead. I was also thinking that it would end up being a good size to use as a curtain in one of my bathrooms. Well, it ended up being much too long for the window, but it will do for now.
Filet crochet is essentially a DC mesh with blocks of DC creating the picture. It is easy to do and, I must say, quite fun. This is my first filet project and I am quite pleased with how it turned out. Well, besides it being too big for the window.
This is the only photo I took, so it’s hard to tell how big it is. That is my 55mm lens cap sitting in the bottom left. This would almost make a good lap blanket for me. It covers my legs.
It’s worth noting how much yarn this took. I used Red Heart Super Saver for the entire project. The filet portion took one full skein and part of a second. The ruffle took the rest of the second skein and part of a third. Definitely a yarn eater.
Clan MacLean Hunting Tartan Sewing Machine Cover
Ever since I created the Clan MacLean Hunting Tartan chart, I had been itching to make something. I decided to use a portion of the chart and make a sewing machine cover.
This is made by crocheting a DC mesh in your desired colors and then weaving crocheted chains into the mesh. With plaid, the stripes you make in one direction, you copy in the other direction.
This is a photo of the completed square. I didn’t take any in-progress pictures, but if you google “crochet plaid” you will find examples and directions. I would like to link to the page that helped me, but WordPress is being difficult and not allowing me to post links.
This photo was taken to try to give you, my dear readers, some sense of size.
I tied the chains together to secure them and then trimmed their ends. Next, I did a simple, white, single-crochet border on the two sides that were not being sewn together.
I decided which side was the outside, folded it in half inside out and using white yarn, did a single crochet to sew up the sides. This picture shows it sewn up, inside out.
Then, I turned it right side out and placed it over my sewing machine. Voila!
It took me longer than I expected to finish this project. My project notes say 10 days, but I wasn’t working on it every day. I would say that it took me probably 10 hours to finish.
This project was simple, but oh-so tedious. One of the reasons it took me so long to finish is because I kept procrastinating. I would like to make an afghan, but I would seriously have to mentally prepare for it. Overall, I like the results, but I really didn’t enjoy the process.
Rest in Peace
I haven’t felt much like blogging in the last month.
I lost my job at the end of September, which has been a mixed blessing. It seems that The Universe always has me unemployed when I need to be home. The first time, James had a heart attack. The second time, we got our new house. This time, James’ mom passed away.
Georgia’s death hit me hard. She was the best mother in law that I’ve had. She was a sweet, sweet lady with a great sense of humor and a smile that lit up the room. She had a big heart and she is greatly missed. Her death was like my own mother dying all over again. I bawled like a baby.
Her service is being held in about a week and a half.
I have a few projects to share and I will do them in separate posts. That way I can link them to my ravelry project pages.
Nottawholelotta
Hello All!
I know I’ve been absent for quite a while. But, I haven’t had much to report…
I got a new sewing machine for my birthday. It’s a Singer Heavy Duty 4423 and I love it! I haven’t tried sewing anything thick with it yet, but I did test it on Rayon. I figured that if anything, a heavy-duty machine would have the hardest time with thin fabric. It didn’t have any problem at all. I was quite impressed! It fed the slippery stuff without any issues and not once did it try to eat the fabric. It has a drop-in bobbin and I’m loving that, as well.
Ironically, a few weeks before I got my new machine, I signed up for a sewing class. Since the only working machine I had at the time was my little Brother, I had to order the (very expensive!) walking foot for it. The class was a week after my birthday. So, I took the Brother – determined to get SOME action from that special foot. The class was for learning to make a chenille scarf. Basically, you take layers of a woven fabric cut on the bias (I used a very thin flannel, but non-flannel fabric works well too), sew lines, cut the fabric (all but the base layer) between the sewn lines and wash. This makes all those cut places fluff up. It took me about 4 hours and I am quite pleased with the result:
Next on my list has been a Clan MacLean tartan project. It’s still a work in progress, so I’ve no pictures yet. This will be a crocheted tartan panel that will be made into a cover for my new sewing machine. It is made by first creating a mesh and then using strips of chain woven into the mesh. I’m about 2/3 of the way finished; so, to be continued!
Other than that, friends, there really isn’t anything to report. Life has been blissfully mundane here in our neck of the woods!
Update
Hello!
I thought I needed to jump on here real quick to say “Hi!”
My neighbor – a rabbit breeder – gave me a bag of angora fur from one of her bunnies.
I washed it three times in the kitchen sink. I used hot hot water and dish soap.
Then I laid it out in the bathroom to dry overnight.
This is absolutely the softest fiber I’ve ever felt. It’s like touching clouds. It was amazingly well behaved. It appeared to felt a bit, but the mats just pulled right apart. I attempted to card it, but found that it wasn’t necessary. I could actually spin it, just the way it is.
The plan is to add the angora to the mohair that I got from the boys. Sweetie is going to set up a second washing machine for me to use to wash the boys’ fur. Thankfully we have a spigot on our water heater, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
He also got the nails and wood to make me a hackle (link goes to google image search results.) Basically, a hackle is a very scary tool used to blend fibers. It is a piece of wood with long nails sticking up out of it. Heaven forbid it should be fallen upon! This tool will make it very easy for me to blend the angora and mohair.
Random picture of my cat, Abby, having fun with the fish…
In other news… I’ve had a keen interest in sewing, of late. I found a gal on craigslist selling an old (in good working order) Singer Stylist sewing machine – with cabinet! I’m picking it up tomorrow and am very excited to get started.
I am planning on completing this Sewing 101 course. I’ve wanted to learn to sew for many years, but I don’t have anyone to teach me. I was very happy to find Raechel’s course. I have a lot of clothes that I want to alter and I really want to learn to make dresses and skirts. I’ve found a few other Sewing 101 courses that I will probably complete as well.
I harvested and dried a bunch of comfrey. I plan to powder it and store it as a medicinal. I can use it to make salves and teas. I’m so glad that my herbal medicine skills are getting better.
So, not a whole lot going on around here… Just a few fun things.
Flowers!
Sweetie had to have an injection in his spine yesterday. We had to travel to the VA hospital in Portland (about a 4-5 hour drive in one direction). I took the day off yesterday to drive him and I took today off, to help him if needed. Thankfully, he was doing okay today, so I had time to do some stuff that I needed to get done.
On our way home, we stopped at our favorite nursery and picked up some plants. Sweetie got some tomatoes, cabbage and lovage. I got one medicinal plant – Echinacea, some strawberries (everyone within a 50-mile radius from us is out of them – yes, everyone) and some flowers. It really was a lot of fun. I just love shopping for flowers!
I got this Black Eyed Susan vine. Those little black-eyed flowers were so charming, I couldn’t resist! I have a little metal, four-sided trellis that will be perfect for these.
These pretty yellow daisies caught my eye. We have several wild Shasta daisies already and I think these yellow ones will look very nice mixed in with them.
I think these Gaillardia are just so pretty! Such colorful, happy flowers!
This watering can arrangement was a complete impulse buy. But it was so cute, I couldn’t help myself! I love geraniums and wish they would grow here. Actually, nothing in this planter will survive. But, it has holes in the bottom and everything, so I’ll be able to use it again and again.
In addition to the above, I got two rosebushes and four lavender plants. The lavender is a working plant. In addition to being somewhat medicinal, its main purpose is to draw pollinators. So, they will live near the greenhouse.
Speaking of the greenhouse… I thought you might like to see a couple of pictures.
It is an old carport that has been repurposed. Sweetie took corrugated polycarbonate panels and screwed them onto lats. Then, he took those panels and secured them to the metal carport frame using U-bolts. Having the panels hung on the lats will make them easy to remove for storage, at the end of the season. Using the U-bolts gives them a sort of hinge system so they can be propped open, when the weather turns hot. This is MUCH better than the plastic sheeting he has used in years past and will last much longer.
This is the inside of the greenhouse. There are tomatoes, peppers, a watermelon and the lavender. Himself wants to get some winter squashes, beans and a pie pumpkin to put in here, too. We aren’t doing corn this year. That back wall will be a set of bat-wing doors made from the polycarb panels.
He has done a terrific job on getting it put together. It took him several days, because of his pain issues. But it really looks nice. I’m quite proud of him.
Picking Wool… Er, Mohair…
I had a lovely evening tonight…
I came home and finished reading a book. I enjoyed relaxing on the sofa for a little while.
Then, sweetie and I went and looked at his progress on the greenhouse. It’s coming along great – if it is a bit late in the season. He is using clear, corrugated polycarbonate panels that are rated for greenhouses. It will be very nice when he’s finished. So much better than the sheet plastic!
When I got home from work, I noticed that Ray was a lot skinnier than he had been. Then, I looked across the yard and saw a big pile of fleece laying on the ground. Darling sweetie had removed Ray’s fleece!
I picked up the fleeces and brought them to the porch to examine them and begin removing the vm (vegetable matter). I praised J on the great job that he did in cutting the fleece off Ray. He said that he didn’t cut it, it just pulled right off! He also thought it was terribly felted – but it isn’t.
I have a fairly sizable amount of fleece to go through and he still needs to get Frank’s coat off! The fleece is just lovely and I can’t wait to see how it washes up. Sweetie wants me to send it out for processing, because he thinks it’s a project that I’ll start and never finish… Yes, yes, I have second-sock syndrome, it’s true. But I am determined to process this mohair myself.
That reminds me… I need to get some hand carders!
This is going to be so much fun!!!
Goats and Hounds! 