Dragon's Orchid Garden

Cats and yarn.  I usually knit at my kitchen table.  My cats (we have 4), mostly do not bother me when I'm knitting.  Sasha, the youngest at five, has decided that evenings are best spent in my lap.  This never happens if I'm reading the paper.  Or if I'm eating dinner, or if I'm painting at that table.  It only happens if I have needles and yarn in my hands.  She then feels compelled to gradually get as close as she can.  She may try to go for the yarn, but mostly just wants to stop me from knitting.  Or so it seems.

Yesterday it rained here.  That is a gross understatement.  There were tornadoes, one of which passed just a mile or so north of our house at 10 AM.  There was wind which gusted up to 80 mph.  This lasted all day.  By the end of the day, we were very glad we had that diseased oak tree removed a couple of weeks ago.  We had 6.5 inches of rain. It was a good day for knitting.  I took out my current projects and decided which one I needed to finish first.  Mom's 80th birthday is imminent, so the pink and ecru kitty washcloths are first.  I'll include some artisan soap with the gift.  I must make time to work on the sweater for me!  It will be the Hampton Cardigan from New England Knits .  I'm using Berroco Lustra in Teal.  I also have to finish the bookmark I've made for Martha and will bring it to work on Saturday, which is when she usually volunteers at the library. From knitting Today was absolutely gorgeous.  ...

Knitting a ball opens up so many creative possibilities.  It's easier than it looks.  I found this simple pattern, called ' Oh Balls !' on Ravelry  (must be a member) and quickly knit up two of them as cat toys.  They take a tiny bit of worsted weight yarn (I used Lion Brand Wool Ease) and 4 double pointed needles.     I used bits of batting to fill the balls halfway, then poured some catnip in them, then more batting.  In the smaller blue ball, I put a bell.  The larger ball, at about 2.5 inches diameter, was knitted on size 8 bamboo needles and the smaller one, a little less than 2 inches diameter, on size 6 aluminum needles.  I like the bamboo needles better as they're grabbier and will not drop out of the stitches.   Using double pointed needles can be confusing at first.  I suggest searching out YouTube videos and watch how it's done.  It's so worth learning this method!  You can now knit teeny tiny tubes! Now tha...

It took me more time to make the written charted pattern for this bookmark than it did to knit it! I'm still learning how to use Apple's Pages. Just click on the link above for the pattern. It's free to anyone who's interested. I'm still pretty bad at making tassels. I think I may invest in one of those little tassel making tools that they sell at Joann's.  I found the lace pattern for this in Barbara G. Walker's Charted Knitting Designs: a third treasury of knitting patterns . Here's the finished bookmark: From knitting From knitting Enjoy! This pretty little orchid opened this morning. With all the rain we've had, two of the three buds dropped, but at least I have one flower. This is Pot. Burana Beauty. From orchids

Were Decartes a knitter, he would most likely tink.  I just tried to tink, but ended up frogging an entire experimental lace bookmark.  Lace is very hard to tink (knit, backwards) when one has made an error.  Those yarnovers and decreases are difficult to undo properly, even if you have a straight purl side.  Since the bookmark is small, I can reknit quickly.  Took a break to make a couple dozen blueberry muffins from a recipe in Sheila Lukins' USA Cookbook .  Meanwhile, Lenny and Sasha sleep oblivious to the little pile of frogged yarn on the kitchen table. From knitting From The usual suspects From The usual suspects From Blogger Pictures

My first design! With thanks to Barbara G. Walker for her fabulous books, especially Charted Knitting Designs : a third treasury of knitting patterns.  I'm working on another one with a peak and a tassel.  I've made a pattern for this batwing lace bookmark which you can find here .  I've become a bookmark knitting maniac.  Guess what ya'll are getting for Christmas this year, family.  That's right...books.  With a little something to mark your place. I've made 7 bookmarks so far out of one ball of Crystal Palace Yarns Mini Mochi, and still have enough left for at least 3 more.  This pattern is the first lace I've knit where patterned stitches are included on both sides (yarn overs, increases and decreases).  The goal is to become confident enough to knit the Pretty as a Peacock Shawl .

Last summer, I bought some yarn. Some really beautiful yarn. Not very much of it...just two balls. It was expensive at $13.00 for 60 meters. This always happens when I go to my LYS, Fiber Art, Inc . There's a forcefield that draws me first into the Noro room, then into the sock yarn room, then I begin wandering all of the other little rooms becoming more and more indecisive because there are just so many "shiny things", and I end up with an armload of yarns with no definate plans for their use. But they look really nice stacked into my antique cedar armoire and I WILL use them. They're insurance. The yarns and the patterns I've collected (my 3 inch binder is almost full, plus 2 dozen knitting books and this just since I restarted knitting in May 2009 with my sister's shawl as the first project) are and affirmation of life. I intend to use all of them someday, and I'll have to live forever in order to do so. The yarn I selected that day last summer was No...

A while ago, I downloaded a free font program to chart knitting patterns called Knitting Symbols by CET V2.00 . I've run across a couple of lace patterns I really like and just finished a dishcloth pattern I found on Ravelry . It's called Elvish Leaves. The first time I started knitting it, I frogged it after 20 or so rows because I ended up with 45 stitches on my needle when I should have had 39! I need pictures. Charts speak to me. I can follow them. So I made one for this really nice lace pattern created by Kelley's Yarns . I hope it links correctly here. Please let me know if you cannot access the file. I'll make more of these cloths. It was really fun to knit.  This  link should take you to a pdf file for the chart.   Updated document on 1/31/10 to correct row 7, which should be k3, purl 33, k3.

After spending hours of my vacation knitting a gift for my cats, it was finished. I staged a picture of the finished Mouse Mat by putting Sasha on it. She obliged and lay down. For two seconds. Long enough to snap a picture. I've put it various places around the house to no effect. Except for Knucklehead, who did lay on it once, they've ignored it. I want to make several of the mats and replace the crappy Petsmart cat beds, which, once imbedded with fur, do not ever get clean again no matter how many times you toss them in the washer and dryer. So...I put the mouse mat on the table in front of the window where they all hang out, removing one of the three crappy beds. Later, I walked into the room to see three cats in two beds and the mouse mat forlornly empty. Sasha and Lenny were squished into one bed. Which is weird, because Lenny doesn't usually tolerate Sasha being that close to him. Got a picture of that, too. I think Sasha must have sensed that my feelings were hurt, ...

I’m beginning to realize that creating a pleasing color-coordinated and uncluttered environment for my knitting time is almost as important to me as the act of knitting itself. I find myself clearing the kitchen table, my favorite knitting spot where I can interact with my husband and watch TV with him, of all newspapers and books. We have a collection of antique Hull pottery . I’ll select a piece of pottery that coordinates with the yarn I’m using and with the place mats on the table. The lovely pottery bowl, which matches the yarn I’m using, makes me happy and I can sit for hours stitching away. The vessel also serves to corral the ball of yarn and hold the work when I need to get up from the table. I’m happiest knitting in my kitchen, but I can knit almost anywhere. Except at work. I tried that during my lunch hour, and found that I will not be left alone to complete even one row without having to sign something or find something or show a new volunteer something. I wonder if this n...

Since David told me what he wanted and what color, the xmas gift will not be a surprise. So I can show the wavy scarf I’m making my much-loved stepson. The challenge has been to find a pattern for mittens to go with and maybe a hat if I have the knitting time before the holiday. I found the pattern for his scarf at Joanns . It’s free pattern number 90197AD, Wave Rib Scarf. I’m using US size 7 needles instead of 6, because I wanted it wider than the pattern called for, and lovely Berroco Vintage Wool yarn in color 5147 - Coriander. I think I found sort of what I want for mittens in Michael del Vecchio’s Knitting with Balls . On page 74, the Medallion Mitts would look nice in the green yarn, and the wavy cable would go with pretty well. I’d only change the finger ends so that the fabric doesn’t curl. A couple rounds of garter stitch should work. If I could figure out how to make covers for the fingers that could be sort of hinged to make regular mittens for finger warmth, or folded back...

When I was about 10 years old, my Aunt Irene taught me how to knit. I remember a really ugly scratchy olive green yarn and a hideous unfinished sweater. I didn't knit again until I was in my twenties, and then strayed quickly into crochet because it was faster and easier. Now I am considerably older, and have discovered the zen of knitting, with the exception of socks. Last night, I decided to start knitting socks. I started 3 times. I frogged three times. I'm using fingering weight superwash wool and #1 dpns. With a toe up pattern, I made it to the point (or lots of pointy points) of joining the stitches. I ended up putting the needles and yarn in yet another canvas bag and into the cedar armoire, taking out my trusty cotton yarn and an unfinished xmas gift. Christmas is less than 4 months away, after all, and I'd better get busy on all of those easy (description deleted to preserve the surprise). The socks will come as socks tend to do.

I finished the last two rows Sunday night while dear hubby channel surfed as is his SOP. I worked last night (Monday), so didn't have a chance to finish. The pattern calls for a Russian bind off, and gave directions, but I wanted to see how it's done and turned to trusty YouTube for a video demonstration. After watching, I feel much more confident. I stopped at Michael's after work today and picked up blocking pins (I hope 120 will be enough). I have a door sized piece of cardboard covered with a flannel sheet on which to block the shawl. It will have to be in the garage, as I can't trust my four cats not to mess with it! I've been careful not to let them near it as my sister is allergic to cats. This video is the first time I've seen the continental method of knitting used in action. I've read that it's much faster. Maybe I can get my clumsy American fingers to do it if I practice. Pictures of the finished shawl should be ready tomorrow or Thursday.

Instead, I'm making this blog. I have two loooong rows left on the shawl I began in early June. The plan was to finish it in time for my sister's 50th birthday. That day came and went July 15th. The shawl is a pattern called Tuscany from No Sheep For You by Amy R. Singer. I'm using Gatsby Lux rayon yard from Katia, purchased at Fiber Art, Inc . in Odessa. It's been a lot of fun knitting. When it's finished, I'll post a picture. In the meantime, here's a picture of a ball of the beautiful yarn.