Felted Christmas Stocking

My first Christmas stocking is finished! I say my first, because I've started another with some more Kureyon that was hanging around. Overall the stocking turned out well. I did forget to add a little loop to hang it. When I felt stocking number two, I'm going to felt an extra i-cord to attach to this stocking.

Project Info
Pattern: based on Rainbow Stocking by Barbara Albright in
Christmas Stockings - 18 Holiday Treasures to Knit
Yarn: Noro Kureyon #80, just over 3 skeins
Needles: addi TURBO -US# 11 / 8.0 mm
Gauge: didn't check gauge
Pre-felting Measurements: 33" long, 10" wide
Final Measurements: 20" long, 7" wide

The main thing I changed on the pattern was the recommended needle size. The pattern suggested a US#8 and that just seemed too small to me. I always knit on larger needles for felted items, so I switched to a US#11. Otherwise the pattern is just a basic sock with a short foot. So I really didn't follow the pattern - but I did get the idea for a felted stocking from the pattern.

The more I look at this color, the more I like it. Although it seems that it is not a color that is available anymore. I only had four skeins. One skein became a square in my afghan and the other 3 became this stocking.

Tile Project Update: The good news is that the project is almost complete. We grouted the tile on Sunday. We are waiting until tomorrow to seal the stone tile and caulk around the edges and then we get to issue a big DONE! stamp to this project. I'll take pictures and post the finished results once we get the sealer finished.

T is for Turtle

I took this picture this fall after a nice rain. Apparently that is the best time to find turtles. This picture is what I believe to be an adult male box turtle. I think he is a "he" because of his coloring and his red eyes. I've red different reports that these little guys can live between 30-100+ years. They also stay in one small area their entire lives. And in fact, if I removed him from his little comfort zone, he would spend all his time trying to find his way back. So here he will stay for as long as he wants. The other turtle fact I did not know is that the box turtle is the official state reptile for North Carolina. I knew about state birds and flowers, but I had no idea we had a state reptile.

He wouldn't come out of his shell while I was around. You can kind of get an idea of his size in this picture. My foot is a size seven.

Tonight makes the beginning of my kitchen tile project. My husband and I are hoping to have the project complete by Sunday. I'll post some updates when I can and of course pictures of the finished project will be up as soon as we finish.

Well this is the day before Thanksgiving - So I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving or if that doesn't apply, I just hope you have a great weekend.

Fiber Friday - More CTH

I got this skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Potluck in blues/purples when I go the Red Hot and Green I posted a several weeks ago. I'm going to knit socks with it of course, when is the question. I love the colors in this skein.

I'm finishing up my second Anastasia sock and have to decide on a pattern to start as soon as those are finished. Earlier this week I ordered Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks for some inspiration on what to knit. I also have a copy of Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns on the way just in case I'm inspired enough to figure out my own sock pattern.

Trying to write up a pattern would be an industrious use of some vacation time I have coming up. Between my vacation days and the days off I get for the holidays, I will be off work three weeks at the end of the year. At least one of those weeks will be filled with family commitments and holiday stuff - but the other two will be all mine and I'm hoping for a lot of knitting time.

One Square at a Time

Well I've started another project. I used the rest of the Kureyon from the stocking project to knit a square for the Lizard Ridge Afghan. I've only done one square so far - but it was fun to knit. It was the first time I did short rows. I don't think I got all the wraps picked up correctly, but I don't see a bunch of holes all over the square. So I guess that is a good thing.

I haven't blocked the square either - I really like the bumpy lumpy texture as it is now. I don't think that will help when seaming blocks together though. I'm not sure how practical a wool afghan is that can't be washed. If it does get finished it will probably be hung on a chair or put in a drawer. It definitely will have to be kept away from Sherman. All his slobber would probably felt the entire thing.

I have no idea how long this will take to finish. I hope my log cabin afghan isn't an indication because I only have one square done for that. I've been thinking about not finishing the log cabin with individual squares, but just building on the one I have done. I'm hoping to work on that when I take some vacation over the holidays.

But back to this afghan... I'd like all the square to be different, so I think I'll just do one now and again when I have some Kureyon out for other projects.

Giant Sock

I decided to start a project for the Norovember KAL I signed up for and went looking through my stash for something to start. I had my mind set on a felted bag or starting a square for the Lizard Ridge afghan.

I found four skeins of Noro #80 that I got as part of a Kureyon grab bag I bought on the cheap. I figured I could use one ball for a square for Lizard Ridge - but what to do with the other three skeins. The colors really aren't something I'd want in a bag or anything. But I remembered I had a pattern book that had a felted Christmas stocking. So I decided to start with that.

The pattern I started with was in the Interweave Press book Christmas Stockings - 18 Holiday Treasures to Knit. The pattern itself was called Christmas Rainbow Surprise. The pattern calls for 265 yards - so I figured I had enough to give it a try.

The pattern called for knitting the stocking on US#8 needles,, which seems a little small to me for an item that is supposed to be felted. I decided to use US#11 needles instead. This thing came out BIG! Right now at the longest point it measures 33 inches. We'll have to see how much it shrinks in the washer though. I hope to get it felted this week. Hopefully it will look good enough to hand on the mantle this Christmas.

Fiber Friday - Socks That Rock

Here is the latest addition to the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rocking Sock Club. They are taking sign-ups for the 2007 Club now if you are interested. I've really enjoyed the club this year and plan to participate next year too. I love getting the surprise packages and working with the yarn.

This is a new color called Pink Granite and is the medium weight variety. So far, it is my favorite color of all the ones I have from the club. The pattern that was included is a faux cable design called Marble Arches with a short row heel. The skein is approximately 5.5 ounces/380 yards. Here are the requisite close-up shots.

The skein starts with a nice ivory white color and progresses to a soft dusty pink color.

The pink finally turns into a nice charcoal color.

I hope to cast on with this yarn soon. I'm starting to get that dreaded feeling of being overwhelmed that too many projects are waiting to be finished or even started. I'm going to have to get busy and start knitting.

S is for Stepping Stone

When my relatives came for a visit in September, my grandfather brought some of the materials he used to make stained glass stepping stones for his yard. He wasn't going to make anymore and figured I'd be interested in another project. So, I've given it a shot.

The supplies included two molds, one was a small brick shaped stone and the other was a 14 inch round stone. I selected my patterns and the glass was cut out according to the patterns. My mom volunteered to cut the glass from pieces she had left over in her shop.

Once I had all the pieces, I laid them out on the pattern with the front side up. You cover the face of the pieces with contact paper and lay them front side down in the mold. The mold was coated with vaseline before putting the glass in to help ease the stone out once the concrete set up.

Then you mix up some concrete mix and pour it over the glass to fill up the mold. For the concrete mix that I had, you let it set for about an hour then turn the mold over and press the stone out of the mold.

Once the stone is out of the mold, you have to peel off the contact paper and clean up the stone. There is always a little excess cement that spills out onto the glass and needs to be scraped off. And sometime you end up with little spots between the glass that have to be filled in with a little extra concrete mix.

This first brick is in a fish scale pattern. The glass used was some my mom had left over from a frame she made for one of my wedding invitations. I love the look of the spots in the pattern of the glass. I will place this one on my porch steps that lead to the front door.

This brick has a daisy pattern and it will end up on our back porch steps that lead out into the backyard.

The bricks are about 8x4 inches. All the stones are supposed to cure 28 days before being placed outside and then it is recommend that you seal the cement with sealer to help prevent cracks and crumbling.

I think the idea is that you bring these inside during the winter to avoid the extreme cold and freezing temperatures. But we'll see how that goes. I'm not sure where to store them over the winter. I guess I'll have to find a spot for them in the garage.

I plan on placing the larger round stones in the flower beds around the yard. That way when the deer eat all my flowers again, I will still have something colorful.

This is the first of three 14 inch stones that I made and features a dragonfly and a big orange flower. There is a lot of iridized glass including the blue background. You can see a little of that color in the bottom part of the stone. It is kind of hard to get a photo to show it all, but you can get an idea. I'm sure it will really sparkle in the sun.

I also made a crescent moon out of white iridized glass and a deep blue background. There is a star in the same white glass too. And the moon has bright red lips.

And where there is a moon, you need a sun. It is hard to see in the picture, but the yellow glass is iridized. I bought the sheet of yellow glass to use in my kiln, but the high heat took away all the color the iridized coating creates. So it was nice to be able to use the glass in something that would keep the coating intact.

Fiber Friday and Norovember

I joined the Norovember knit along after reading about it on Zonda's blog. I have so much Kureyon stashed away for felting projects and I've been looking to start one - this seemed like a good opportunity. So today, as part of Norovember and Fiber Friday, I'm offering up some shots of the Kureyon that I have stashed away. The photo above is of color #126. I have 6 skeins of this stashed away.

Up next is Kureyon color # 147. I have 13 skeins of this stashed away. I bought it to make a large felted tote bag.

This is color # 164 and I have four skeins stashed away, but no idea what I'm going to do with it.

This is Kureyon color #88 and I have nine skeins. I originally bought it to make a felted bag - but I've been thinking I can only carry so many bags. So maybe it is going to become a felted table runner. I bought all the Kureyon on sale last year after a couple of successful felting projects and I went a little nuts. The store had a good sale and walked out with a large shopping bag.

I'm hoping to start a Noro project this weekend. I also have several odd balls of Kureyon sitting around, so I'm thinking I might start a Lizard Ridge Afghan too. I love the colors of Kureyon and the way it stripes, but it is a little scratchy next to the skin - so I'm not sure how I'd like a whole afghan out of it. But If I made one and didn't like it I could always felt it into a throw rug.

A New DIY Project

My husband and I have done several projects around the house. We did all the interior painting in our house. I posted about the bathroom that I painted rectangles all over the walls. When we built the house my husband and I ran all the structured wiring for the entire house. That includes phone, video, network, security, really everything except the electrical. That was an involved project! A couple of years ago we installed a sprinkler system in the yard. Now we've decided to tile the backsplash in our kitchen.

Here are a couple before pictures of the area we are going to tile. There are two areas that we are going to attempt to tile and this is the largest. The metal piece against the wall on top of the cooktop comes off and will be replaced with a flush fitting piece. My pottery will have to find a new home too. There is a bowl and two plates hanging above the cooktop. I hung that just to add a little interest until we did the tile project. We've been planning on doing the tile since we moved in three years ago but are just getting around to it now.

This is the second area. The only problem here will be the two light switches, the phone jack, and the network jack. But otherwise it should be straight forward. I saw that, but we haven't ever done any tiling projects before. We have read several books and checked out things online and are pretty sure that we can handle it. I do have a wet saw from my glass work - so we shouldn't have any problem cutting tile after we purchase a fresh blade. We are planning on starting the tile work over the Thanksgiving weekend. We each have a couple days off so it seems like a good time to start. My husband thinks we can finish completely over that time. I'm guessing that it will take a little longer than that. Most of our projects do!

It did take us a while to decide on tile. We visited several tile show rooms and the choices are staggering. Not only are the choices staggering, but the prices can be too. It was kind of overwhelming walking in and trying to decide on something. It was a little like walking into a yarn shop for the first time.

But here is the tile we decide to get. The main tile will be a 4 inch square yellow tumbled travertine. It is a natural stone so there will be a lot of variation among the tiles. We picked out two molding pieces. The larger one is for a framed out area above the cooktop. The thinner molding piece will be used to edge out the tile on the larger area where the tile meets wall.

We also picked out a glass accent piece that will primarily be used in the framed area above the cooktop, but will also be scattered in the other areas of the backsplash. We are ordering the tile today and it should be here in a week to ten days.

I know this isn't a knitting project, but it is something that will definitely take away some knitting time, so I decided to include the process on the blog. Hopefully you'll find it interesting too.

Happy Halloween!

Sherman is all decked out for Halloween in his bee costume. We picked this up at Old Navy last year on clearance. It really is a little small for him. The velcro strap wouldn't fasten around his chest. But he was such a good sport to stay still for a couple of pictures. I think I'd have to make a costume to get one that fit him properly. But for a couple bucks, what can you expect.

Fiber Friday - The Blues

I received three skeins of this Berroco Denim Silk as a gift. This is kind of a tape yarn made up of 20% silk and 80% rayon. Each skein is approximately 50gm/105 yards. I have one of each color and absolutely no idea on what I'll make with it. It is a very soft and drapey yarn.

I was thinking of casting on longways for a scarf and making it striped and using just a plain garter stitch pattern. There isn't really enough to make anything large and the yarn has been discontinued. So there won't be a good way to get any more.

Any ideas on what I should knit with it? Or should I just go with the scarf idea?

Bushel Basket Hat

I made this hat with the skein of Rowan Big Wool that Helen sent to me at the end of the Knitty SP7 round. It is the first time I used any Rowan yarn and it was very nice. We have a couple of cold evenings so I've been wearing my new hat around the house and on trips to take Sherman for his walks. It is so soft and warm; I'll be wearing it all winter.

Pattern: Bushel Basket Bonnet
Designed by Susan Esser
Knitting Pattern-a-Day Calendar, Monday Oct. 9, 2006
Yarn: Rowan Big Wool
Color - 16
Needles: Addi TURBO -US# 10.5/6.5 mm circulars (16")

This is the first thing I've knit from that little calendar of patterns. Most of the patterns haven't been anything I've liked. Sometimes the patterns are good for a chuckle. But there have been a couple that would be interesting to make and it is a nice little diversion to have at my desk to look at each day.

I haven't been knitting much lately. No reason really, just must be a little distracted. Hopefully getting this hat completed will give me a shove in the right direction. I also picked up my Anastasia socks this weekend too. The socks were at a stand still for quite a while. I've finally turned the heel on the first sock and so far so good. Now, I just have to keep it up.

Another Fiber Friday

What we have here is Koigu KPPPM in color P5110. Each skein is 50gm/175 yards. I have two skeins of this stashed away waiting to become something fabulous. I've been thinking about knitting Wendy's Dream Swatch. Of course there is enough for a pair of socks too. None of the local shops carry Koigu anymore - so this is one yarn I buy when I'm out of town visiting other LYS. I love all the colors in this skein. Koigu colors always seem so rich and dense to me. It is one of my favorites.

I've currently got a pair of socks started using a different color of Koigu. The plan is to work on those this weekend.

R is for Rectangle

When we moved into our house a couple years ago we decide to do all the painting in an effort to save some money. We saved money - but definitely not time. It took us three years to get all the painting finished. We did a lot at first, but it quickly just wore us out. So we just picked away on it over time until it was finished.

This is the small guest bathroom on the first floor. I painted the walls using a 6"x8" rectangle pattern and seven different colors of beachy blues and greens. Some of the rectangles in the pictures look white - but they really are a very pale blue.

This room is the smallest in the house, but actually took me the longest to paint. I think in total the project took me a little over a week to complete. I laid out the rectangle pattern on the wall using a pencil, level, and a yard stick. Once all the rectangles were drawn on the wall, I numbered them all from one to seven. I also assigned a number to each color. I didn't want any same color rectangles to touch. The drawing and numbering was finished in an evening.

Once all the rectangles were drawn, I taped off all the squares for one color and painted those with two coats. Once the second coat was one the wall I removed the tape and waited for the paint to dry to tape off the next set of squares. That is what took most of the time. Once a set of squares was taped off, it took no time at all to paint them. Once they were all painted, there was some touch up.

Once the painting was finished I went out and go the shelves, mirror, towel ring, and paper holder. I also added white porcelain outlet and switch covers to coordinate.

Overall I was please with the results. It came out about like I expected. I don't think I will ever do this again to an entire room. And now I'm a little tired of the whole thing and I've been thinking of repainting the room.

Fiber Friday - Something from the Stash

This is actually the first yarn I ever stashed away. It is Tahki Yarns - Shannon in color #16. It is worsted wool. Each skein is 50 grams/92 yards. When I saw this at the LYS, I knew I wanted it, but I didn't know what I would make I figured maybe a felted bag of some sort. So I bought ten skeins.

I did use four of these skeins to make a felted bowl. The felted fabric came out with a really neat texture. Now I have six skeins left and have to figure out what to make. I know I still have enough to make a bag - but I can't decide.

Fiber Friday and Sherman the Swift

Another new yarn for the stash! This lovely item is Schaefer Marjaana in the Rosa Parks colorway. Schaefer created a series of colors for memorable women and provide a short biography tag with each color. The yarn is hand painted and 50% merino wool and 50% tussah silk. The skein weighs 8 ounces and is 550 yards. It is extremely soft and luxurious! It did have a vinegar smell when I first got it. Probably just a remnant from setting the dye. I think that will disappear with the first washing.

This picture was taken early afternoon out in the back yard. The yarn does have a lovely sheen to it, but that seemed to be enhanced in the photos because of the sun.

I had company on this photo shoot too. Sherman decided to tag along as I tried different spots in the yard. He was a very attentive helper and even offered to model the skein for me. He does move around a lot though and he even tried to paw the yarn off his neck. I don't think I'll be using him to hold yarn anymore. He's much more suited to modeling completed projects.

I have two skeins of this beauty stashed away waiting to be knitted into something fabulous. I'm thinking it will be my first Clapotis from Knitty or the entrelac Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style. I've wanted to try both patterns for awhile.

I haven't been knitting much the last couple of weeks. Some of my family came for a visit and it is my busiest time of the year at work. We put on a large conference each year at this time and most of my other projects are due at the same time. But the good news is that will be over next week and I can get back to my knitting.

A Nice Thank You Present

My downstream secret pal, Helen (purlpower) sent me a very nice thank you gift for spoiling her during the recent sp round. It was a very nice surprise and very much appreciated. Thank you Helen!

I love the sheep pictured on the note she sent. Looks like he has dreadlocks. She also sent me a lovely ball of Rowan Big Wool in a nice white and beige color that will be knitted up into a cozy hat for the upcoming winter.

She also included me a trial size Marmite that I have promised to try, but have been putting off so far, but I will try it. After all, she tried some of the questionable treats that I sent to her. I sent off some Boston Baked Beans (candy) and some Halloween Peeps. I guess those can be kind of scary if you aren't used to them! She did some wonderful chocolate though - and you can see an empty wrapper in the background. I didn't even wait to take the picture before diving in. I'll let you know what I think about the Marmite.

Q is for Quilt

Actually these rectangles of flannel are waiting to become to rag quilts. You start by taking two pieces of flannel cut the same size and put a piece of batting between to make a sort of fabric sandwich. Then sew across the sandwich in an X shape to secure it all together. Once all the sandwiches have been made, I'll sew the rectangles into rows. Then the rows will be sewed together to create the finished size. When sewing the sandwiches and rows together, the seam allowances will remain visible and on the outside of the quilt, you just have to make sure that they are all on the same side.

Once it is all sewed together, you take little nippers and clip the fabric of the seam allowance into little bits that will fray when washed and create a soft fuzzy edge. You just have to be careful to not actually clip the stitching itself.

These rectangles will actually become two small lap size quilts approximately 58x70 inches each. I'm going to put all the warm colors on one side and use the cool colors on the reverse. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them - maybe pack them away until I'm invited to a baby shower.

The picture to the left shows the first rag quilt I ever completed, and in fact my first sewing project. It was for my sister-in-law when she had her first baby. I used pastel colored flannels in a variety of colors and it turned out really soft. You can see the frayed border around each square. The backside does not have the frayed edges and is much smoother.

This is a very simple project that even a beginner can sew. In fact - it is the only type of sewing project I have ever finished. I've made several for gifts. One year I used red, green, and plaid flannel and created a tree shape in the middle for Christmas presents. My husband got one that looks like it is made out of old flannel shirts. I even made a really large one that looks like an American Flag.

My mom is a quilter and several years ago she sent me a sewing machine at Christmas. I had aspirations of making beautiful quilts like she does. But these rag quilts are all I ever completed. Another attempted hobby that bit the dust.

I did start two other quilt tops but never got them finished. My mom was visiting last week and took them both home to finish up for me. One of the tops is in all reds and purples and the other has a cat motif and is made up of batik fabric. The block above was my first attempt at one of the squares for the cat quilt. I ended up changing the pattern and changed the cat shape so the cat tail curls down and into a tail of a cat below it. I have no idea how long it will take her to finish the quilts - but I'm certainly not expecting them anytime in the near future. I'll take pictures and post them when they are complete.

Fiber Friday

I've been on a sock yarn binge lately. So I've decided to share a couple of my new skeins. This first skein in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Potluck. The color is Red Hot and Green. I love the combination of red and lime green. There aren't too many things that I would wear with that color combination - but I figured a pair of socks would be great. I've not used this yarn before, but it seems nice and soft. I'm looking forward to knitting it. Add another project to the list!

I haven't picked a pattern yet. When I ordered the yarn (it was part of a larger order from Little Knits) I got a couple free patterns. They appear to be simple and would probably work well with this variegated yarn.

Red seems to be a very hard color for me to photograph and get a close representation of the real color. It didn't help that I didn't start taking pictures until last night after work. The natural light was declining and I only had a limited amount of time to get a good picture. I'll have to start earlier to get the shots for next week.

The second skein I shot was my new Rocking' Sock Club installment called Titania. This is my fourth shipment and so far it is my favorite. I love the darker rich colors for fall. I was able to get almost all the colors in the skein in this picture. There is a little more purple between the blues than actually shows up here. You can see a little of it peaking through at the edge of the lighter periwinkle/blue color

I was able to get almost all the colors in the skein in this picture. There is a little more purple between the blues than actually shows up here. This skein came with two great patterns - so it will be hard to choose which to do first. The first pattern is called Titania's Revenge by Cookie A. Check out the pictures on her blog. I love this pattern, but it looks a little more intricate than anything I've done before. The leg of the pattern features a lace pattern and the foot has a faux cable. I'll definitely be giving this one a try. The other pattern is called Central Air by Tanya Bachman. It's a great pattern with lace ribbing. I know I have some yarn in my stash that will be great with the pattern. Check back next Friday for more fiber goodness!

Travels of a Dishcloth

This story began over at Trek Casts On. Trek posted several tales of her dishcloths and their adventures at work. In August I read the story of her southern Redneck Rag. I didn't know if you could really find a true southern made redneck rag in New Jersey, so I sent her one that I made in North Carolina. The humble little cloth had a starring role in a post entitled North Meets South on Trek's blog. Well, I think the Dixie Dishcloth I made got attached to big city living and decided not to come home.

Check out what Trek sent to me to let me know that Dixie was doing all right. It's a garterlac potholder! I've wanted to try this technique - and plan to as soon as my current working list gets whittled down a little bit. You can see the tale of this potholder, One is the Loneliest Number, on Trek's blog. I've had that song in my head since I originally read the post.

The potholder is blue on one side and a bright sunny yellow on the reverse. It is two dishcloths sewn together and there is a hanging loop that is half yellow and half blue too. I know she stitched these together somehow - but she did such a great job you can't see the stitches.

Take a look at the close up of the garterlac. I think it will look good in some of the variegated colors too. I am sorry to say I have no cool action shots of the potholder actually working yet. The weather has been nice and I haven't handled a hot pot all week. But it is sitting on the kitchen counter at the ready. Thanks Trek!