That candy cane!

The candy cane and the name are supposed to be knitted in or duplicate stitched later. Duplicate is NOT working! I think I'm going to cross stitch both on.

Last night I knitted a a strip three stitches wide, alternating the green and white as the candy cane requires and I could sew that on. I also thought about making it out of felt and sewing it on. Either option still would not address the name issue. I like the idea that the candy cane and the name are made in the same way for continuity of the project.

There are supposed to be some felt holly leave on this somewhere but I don't think I'm going to put those on. I could decorate the tree with French knots maybe.

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Candy cane - what to do?

One side of the stocking has a tree; the other side has a candy cane. The tree lends itself nicely to intarsia but the candy cane is only 2 stitches wide in most places and striped at that.

I could (if I had done it earlier) purl the stitches of the cane and duplicate stitch them after. Or I could duplicate stitch then on knit. Or I could crochet them either way. Ot I could make the candy cane and then sew it on. Hmmmm....

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Starting over

I couldn't stand the Red Heart any longer. I wasn't getting anywhere with the project because I couldn't stand the feel of the yarn. Vilevilevilevile!!!!

I changed to Plymouth Encore. Now it's never going to be my favorite yarn; however I like it for projects like the Christmas stockings and for afghans, children's sweaters, things I know are going to require ease in washing and drying.

It's going much better!

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Ugh!

Ripping out! I was counting stitches last night. There should be an uneven number of stitches in the Christmas tree. There were not. Several rows back I didn't increase on the one side. Ripping back tonight!

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Christmas stocking

I found the pattern. It was in the file so that's settled. I did the ribbing and the band. Now I'm ready to start the tree. I emailed Eileen to ask some details like the names and where does the holly go. She's going to cut out the holly and sew it on.

I wasn't sure about the placement of the names on the top but she was able to answer that for me. I was deciding whether to do the tree in duplicate or Intarsia. I thin k Intarsia will be best but the candy cane and the names are duplicate stitch.

The yarn is VILE!

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Crap, crap, crap!

I totally forgot I'm supposed to make two Christmas stockings for a woman I used to work with. With the move and all I gave the stocking back that she loaned me. I did not want to lose that, I can tell you! It was one that was made for her daughter when her daughter was a young girl. I know how I would feel if the one mom sewed for me was lost!

Problem: where in the world did I put the pattern??? I saw it not long ago but did I put it with the yarn? Nooooooooo! Of course not! Worst case I call the woman and ask for a copy of the original - which I gave back with the stocking.

I think I know where it is. I look this morning in the folding file where I have a bunch of patterns I need to put in page savers. Then I have to put then in my pattern notbook. Of course because I was so sure the pattern was in there - it wasn't.

Next stop - my file drawer. Now I'm certain that's where I last saw the pattern. Uh huh. We'll see tonight when I actually find the pattern. not finding it is really not an option. (It is but it isn't.)

If I sit down and just do them I can probably have both finished next week.

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Ripping back and starting again

That's exactly what I did. The twists where the cable join were not coming out clearly.



I'm going to put two purl stitches in the center to see if that gives a little more definition. I also have to make just one twist instead of two. That's the problem with variegated yarn.

So here's where it is now

That's better. Happier me!

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Gloves and cables

I decided to put a cable on the gloves. Two actually. I have one on each side of the wrist. Every two rows I cross a stitch in on both sides. A purl on the outside of the cable makes the cable stand out better than if I knit. 

The inside of the "diamond"  is seed stitch. Every other row is a pattern row. The row in between is a plain row with seed stitch only in the center of the diamond. 

I think I'll do a double twist where the sides of the diamonds meet.     

  

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Socks? Gloves?

I decided I have to have a knitting project going. It's not as though I don't have plenty of projects going now but I feel the need to work on something new.

I got my needles out and my sock yarn and it's gloves! I decided I want to make some nice, long gauntlet gloves. I checked by sticking a pair of socks on my arms and I discovered that the length should be about the length of the leg or perhaps a little longer. I can actually use the same number of stitches to start. The hand and foot area should take about the same amount of yarn since my hand is smaller than my foot. Even if it takes more I should have enough yarn. When I make socks I usually have enough left over to make a pair of "golf socks." I'm almost done with the ribbing so it's decision time. Make a plain arm or make a cable. Hmmm....

I'm still winding out a warp for the loom. I can't seem to get motivated at stand at the loom after a long day at work. The weekends have been a little hectic too. I'm trying to make the best of the good weather because I know it won't last forever. Then in the evening I veg out in front of the computer or the TV. Usually with a cat needing and deserving attention while she sleeps.

Iggy does try to help out. In order to keep me from vegging in front of the computer, she jumps up on the chair for a snooze until I'm settled somewhere else. There's something about claiming "my spot" as "her spot." Typical kitty behavior.

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