What I did on my Christmas Vacation

I made what I am going to call is a ballband envelope clutch. And another machine knit Ballband Washcloth. This one came out great. I was going to make it into a little bag but i was like no let's use this one as an actuall washcloth. It is really puffy. I need to make some more. I haven't really got a [ppattern down. I need a class on gswatch ing. all I do now is take a ball of left over cotton and make an icord( or a cheater icord, cast on 3 sts and knit til the end) Then I casted on 15 eon(just like in the patern can you beleive it!) and the picture you see is what I have. I also took a pic of it in action!

The clutch is pre felted it is felting as I type. It is basic buttonhole stlye. I sacted off one side and worked the other side till it was long enough. Now on the bag the ballband is in ss. But on the flap it is garter. I kinda don't like it. I did not plan it too well maybe the next one if I make a next one! I like the envelope clutch idea just not the ball band.

Getting in as much crafting in as I possibly can!

Ok the TACK x-mas party went well of the four rooms in the house I had three doors open. Much better than the last house. But now that all that cleaning is done and i am on a weeks vacation I am going to get in as much kntting as I possibly can!!!! For starts I made a machine knit ballband washcloth. Things that I learned do not pullit real tight. You see those three rows that are all the same and not offset as it should be. mistake I think not that my friend is a machine knit Baby Genius Burp Cloth!

By the way for Chirstmas I got the Mason Dixon Knitting Book!!!! Oh yeah!!!

Ok I have also made Jewelry. Coleen came over with her fabo wooden bead necklace which reminded me that I had to make one. Then Alexis got some brown shoes that same noght and the light went off make a wooden bead necklace to match my brown shoes. (Really Alexis brown shoes but I am not supposed to be making plans for her stuff.) So I made two the third one is coming but I ran out of toggles and clasps. Who knew? I wore the light brown set today. I plan on wearing the off white set with all black. I should send these pic s to Coleen. Show her what she inspired me to make. Don't they look retro!

Well off I go to get more crafting in. I am going to make a burp cloth!

This Will Blow Your Machine Knitting Mind!!!

Shut your mouth and say it ain't so!!! Can you believe this! I know it is not and exact match to a ball band washcloth but it is close enough. I have got to get me a cool corder. Now I have the manual one but I want the crank one so I can spit out some icord actually I can make icord on the machine as well. Go Bond!!

Do you the implications this has. There are too many to count. I might be able to knit weave the hounds tooth with this method. I am out done. Stick me with a fork!!!!

Knock Off

All I need now is a ttd creations tag. The inspiration piece is a mink pom pom key fob. So I thought hey I could do that with fun fur. So here is my knock off version. it not as round and sheds like the dickens but it is mine. Next time i am going to use wool and funfur then felt it. That way I should have a soild ball with little to no shedding.

Sad Sad Craft Day

Like I was telling Raena if it was raining soup my bowl would be turned over! I cannot win for losing. First the bag was curiling so much I not could sew anything to it so I decided to sew it together then put the lining on it. Then I had to find a needle and thread so that I could sew the lining together then attatch it to the bag but the thread I had was white and I don't want white to show on my bag so then I bought some matching embroidery thread and then last night when I am trying to attach the lining to the fabbric I had the lining turned the wrong way so it ws too short so now I have to start over. Hot Dog!!!!! So here is the new games plan. The bag that is sewn together already attach the sorry sewn together lining to the bag with the purple floss. Soak bag number two and block it. Hopefully this will take out the curl. When dry sew lining to bag and go from there. Barring house work I am going to try and get my sewing machine out and working but we will have to see. I would like to have the side siewn better than they wish me luck.

Machine Knit Freak'em

oh yeah! oh yeah! Ok I made two I got to make one for my baby. I need to make change purses. The next one will have dowel rods for handles. It is going to be real pretty once finished. They were real quick to knit as well. This one is 15" wide and 18" long. So I casted on 53 and knit 99 (100) and viola! Freak 'em Girl! The flower fabric is purple as well as chocolate brown! So you know I need chocolate brown yarn.

Going's On

I am working on my pattern submission. I made a fun fur scarf last night and I used worsted weight yarn and a sport wieght at the end. The sport weight is so much better but I don't know what I did with the sport weight yarn. It is sitting with the other ball of fun fur that I cannot find laughing at me mockingly.

I had plans to create a SS freak'em girl but I did not have time. The scarf took longer than I thought. So I will do it tonight. I took the gauge and eveything I like that knit check.
I am using the purple yarn from a poncho I took down and I will cast on 42 sts and knit 99 rows.

I will at least have the piece tomorrow. I don't know what fabric but I am using those bamboo handles if the bag is big enough.

Come KAL

at http://ttdcreations.blogspot.com/ Make a freak'em girl with me. let's share our struggles and success'. We can do it.

My first pattern submisson begins!

Ok I got a swap pal. Who even after the swap we talk like we have known each other for ten years. She is submitting a bag and have inspired me to do so as well.

So I got the yarn yesterday. Here is my sad problem I only have one set of needles which can be easily solved I know. I only have one more washcloth to go for my xmas gift but I want to start my bag.

Ok here is what I was thinking. A houndstooth tote/clutch. I was going to do a clutch on the machine but just thinking about pulling out those neeldes I was like no. I had a pattern for handknit houndstooth that sounds really simple so I said why not.

Finally

Pics of my felted bags. DKNY is my first attempt at intarsia not bad if I say so myself.

Now this bag needs it own paragraph. This is my first buttonhole bag. I got a pic somewhere of it before it was felted and after i hand felted it. See I just moved into a house. And I have had my washing maching for three years now. Since Lela was born. and the hot water did not work on the washing machine. So I learned how to felt by hand. I thought I was doing something! Honey when I moved into the house, Leon brought the washer and dryer down a flight of steps plus got into the laundry room all by hisself, I hooked it up and I had never did that before and point being I checked to make sure I connected it correctly and I had hot water! Shut your mouth and say it ain't so!. First thing I did was find my buttonhole bags and put them in the washing machine. A little more back story. When I first felted my buttonhle bag I thought I was done the bag still had holes in it. I actually lost a crochet hook I had put into it one day. But I figured that hey it was my first try not bad. Oh No!. I put that puppy in the washing machine and after two washes the pic above is what you got. Why is it as small as my mini buttonhole bag?

Mini, micro, and nano the threebags pictured. Cruising the mason dixon kal blog like I do everyday all day. I come across the mini buttonhole bag. So i make one it goes so fast I make another but the color combo will be differnt however i have less yarn. Ok lets jst use less rows even faster so i make another one but with less yarn. and there you have the mini, micro and the nano. Man I need more wool.

pedicure sock

ok here is my first attemp at a pedicure sock. You can get the actual pattern at Knitty.com I got the idea from Raena. I made this on Monday. Off bat it is too big. I use red heart soft. That is a great yarn. And I use GIna Ahren's Ankle Sock For the Whole Family patern as usual! I put too many rows of ribbing at the bottom. It calls for 32 rows for the foot and I did 16 and ribbed the last sixteen rows. Like I said too many. Next time I will do only 5-6 rows. So this means I need to do the medium for me and the small for everyone else no larges.
I had not machine knitted in a while so it felt good to get a sock off the machine in an hour and a half. I was tired too but i wanted to see that sock. I was going to do it on Sun but could find the patern to save my tail. You know I found it I want to say yesterday or this morning. Still did me no good. so my next attempt will be with the same yarn and just one size smaller.

Mini Ballband Christmas

On the Mason Dixon KAL blog someone posted pic of the ballband gifts she was giving. I decided to follow suit with miniballbands. i have two complete I am working on the third. I have six planned out hopfully I don't run out of yarn. I found a big ball of ecru so I am good there. Thses are for Ms. Mary's Kitchen she changed her whole house form red to sage grenn so fast it looked easy! I love my blue so I am good I just try and follow her lead but with blue. I hope she likes them. I made her some little britches but she never used them she hung them up like decoration. I was thinking abou tmakeing her some of those but I am too far into the ball bands. I thought about making myself some I am probably going to use them as decoration as well.

What a response!!!!

I got the neatest puffy from Toni,markers, a counting bracelet,extra
beads a great holiday cake recipe and an envelop clutch with a
crocheted flower Everything co-ordinated in black and white -So shiek.
Thanks so much.
Joye


Hers was the one I decided to carry the color all the way through. I should continue. That mean I need to get some more beads. With Joye's set I had a value pack of beads.
Point being I am glad she enjoyed her puffy.

I Did It!

Oh yeah I did it! I kept at the pattern all day and I made my earrings! Oh yeah I did it! Will post a pattern later. And this is my first hand knit pattern. Raena and I are talking about submitting a purse pattern to knitted wisdom.com and I got two ideas a houndstooth clutch or a ballband clutch. Houndstooth I am going to do on the machine fairisle and of course the ball band by hand.

Thank You Joye

Joye sent me all these nice things see how she covered two hoildays! Go Joye! Go Joye!Go Joye!Go Joye!

Too Big

Ok my birthday was tuesday 11/28. The guys at my job gave me some money and Leon gave me some money in addtion to my other b-day gifts. I had my 40% off coupon ready to go get my sock needles. Why did I walk out of the door without it? So tired of waiting I bought them full price. I also bought some tightly woven yarn(Senso cotton) and the french back earring hooks. I had plans on wearing them today that is why I wore red and black. To make a long story short I made one earring (the one pictured) and it came out too big? First I don't know which set of needles are the 000 ones so I picked the smallest or at least what I thought was the smallest set. I am sure my yarn is right. I used some old sock yarn I had from my first and only pair of socks that I made and the Senso cotton is thinner than the sock yarn. I should have bought a needle gauge. I will today. I thought about when I open the pack and discovered that the numbers are not on the needle. I emailed the pattern writer to see if she had a clue as to why they came out so big. I am going to email Kay or Ann to see if they can explain the 6+3 thing in reference to the ball band washcloth.

Ballband Fever

I got the fever again. Someone posted a apttern for miniball bands and I just had to have one i got half one already made it only rtook me an hour. I would have had all 8 rows of ricks done but i took it done because I thought i could do the pattern by heart. No. it will be finished tomorrow so I will have a pic then.

More Felting

Ok these are prefelted needle rolls. I got the pattern from Berrocco. One is knitted and one is crocheted. I just finished the knitted one. So I will probably felt them tonight. I got my last swap apl. She knits mostly socks. Last night I bought some real small jump rings now I have a great use for them. I would like to make some needles as well. I will work on that. And I bought two small xmas trees and I put them in the milk glass urns. So far they are very cute I have to buy some lights. They had some small lighted x-mas tresses but they were like 10.00. I know I can buy some lights for $1 at the dollare tree so I got the $1 tree. Now for ornaments. I was thinking ballband earrings.

New Jewelry Addition

If you did not know I am a novice jewelry maker. Can you believe I made this! I am very proud of myself. I was supposed to be making my swap pal stitchmarkers But this necklace(and cute bracelet as you can see) was calling my name. I did make her stitch markers though. I had to do those first because I had to wait until the little one went to bed. All I need are her extras and hers will be in the mail fairly quick. I have planned her extras as well. I found that picking a theme early helps a lot. I cannot find my box of findings so begrudingly I am going to have to buy some more. Thank you God they only costs .99. I need French back hooks monofilament and jump rings. So back to AC Moore.

Swaps recieved

I got these swaps a while back just wanted to post some pics. Lela already ate the candy in one packages so I could not photograph that. But they are great packages I have alredy begun using them. I am almost done with my Santa Swap.

Yep another washcloth

Two ladies at work have told me that I am addicted. And like a true addict I replied, "I can stop when ever I want to." I have begun the petal washcloth. And I thought the ballband was easy no this one is so easy. I get mad when I do a point wrong. As always I need total concentration. I am sure the better I become at knitting the less concentration I will need. I get kinda of perturbed (A true addict I know) when people ask me what I am knitting or just strike up a conversation with me while I am knitting. "Don't I look busy to you!" of course you can't say that so I stop knitting to listen or talk. Because the last few times I have attemped to knit and hold a conversation I have to frog the point. And I am tired of frogging! I was switching cars with Leon and it is about a ten minute ride to his job. I did a whole point. That's how I know it is not me! but I digress.

Complete Garterlac 2

I have completed my second garterlac. I did it with two colors. I read a blog where a lady did hers with two colors and she said she would not do it again. I concur. I only did it to see if I could. Ok I can so no need to do it again. This one is for my swap pal Stephanie. I hope she likes it.

Another Garterlac washcloth

I have started another garterlac a bit more ambitious this time. Two colors. I am interested in making a baby blanket in garterlac. I need some circular needles. I think this will speed up wash cloth production. Although my pace is not that great of a problem. Since I make for myself and my own enjoyment. I will be done this Sunday with my Sept-Oct swap. Actually with all my swaps except my Santa one because we haven't decide what we want for Christmas. We are kids in a candy store I will know after Sunday. Why Sunday Because AC Moore is having a moonlight madness Sale. Everything is 25% off. this is a good time to pick up the small things. I generally use my 40%-50% off coupons on things that cost $10 or more dollars. Like the pack of sock needles I want. I have not given up on my ballband earrings. I am making a cable clutch tonight on the machine. Yes I am going to sit at my machine. My santa swap apl makes lovely purses she showed me this cute red cabled bag i got to make. I have writtne a pattern and eveything. Now were supposed to pakc tonight but when we stop I am on the machine!It is a simple strip you fold in half. sew the sides and keep stepping. The author of the pattern sharpened two dowels like large eyeliner pencils and sewed them to her bag! oh but the pretty bow she used. Simple ribbon weaved through the bag and tied in the front. My swap likes blue just like me. I have some great blue left over form Elijah's sweater i saw last night. That and Lela's white ribbon her grandmother bought her. Oh! I need to put some in Lela's hair it would be cut with her hair do right now.

Garterlac Complete

It is finished. I had to frog it about 17 times but I got it! I feel good completeing this I learned how to SKP. When The many helpful people on the Monthly dishcloth KAl told me what to do I felt silly. Like that's all. I was on halt for three days because I did not know what to do. Well another is going on the needles. Now let's see how long this one takes me. After this one a petal one is in line. The yarn I used for the Gaterlac was given to me by Linda my MD washcloth swap pal. I will be using the green she gave me for the petal washcloth.

Look at what I got!!!

Lunabud sent me these lovely items. Do you see that washcloths. I was going to send a simple round nine patch I see now I got to step it up. I will send a garterlac because I am almost finish with mine and I feel another one before I start on my petal one. Everything she sent was beautiful including the card. So I got to step it up there as well. If she reads this Thank you again. Oh the stichmakers I think are glass in my favorite color blue. And I think she made the candy corn so she sent me two sets of stitch markers. I should return the favor. I got the rest of the findings for the other stitch markers. Awaiting instuctions for my little skein of yarn. and then I think I will be done. I am thinking that I should buy another bracelet and then give them four of the same with one unique one. Then I will be done and noone has to wait. But I still need to do my washcloths. Part two of the washcloths swap will start soon so I need to move before I get backed up. So off I go.

Stitchmarker Swap

I have begun. I have half of one each set. I have three swap partners. I am only doing four per set. Sorry. Homecoming is in the same month. I am including something in hte puffy outside the stitch markers.

Heroes

I have found me a new show and it comes on the same time girlfriends used to come on. So it works out. Check it out it comes on Mondays at 9 pm on NBC.

Whew!

She got her package thank you Jesus!

Here is her reply:
Hi Toni!

I haven't had a chance to let you know that I got your package!!! I actually got it two or three days ago, but have been busy and haven't been able to email you and say THANK YOU! Holy cow, you must have been knitting a ton to knit me all those washcloths! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the 9patchers! As did my girls who claimed "THESE ARE MINE!" I told them I'd love to share, but that they couldn't have those ones, because they were MINE MINE MINE! Then they wanted the bracelette you sent, so we all have to share that. And the stitch markers? How could you have known that I NEEDED NEW ONES? I love them! And of course, in my fave colors, couldn't get any better than that! Pink and purple are the best colors on the planet after all :)
Thank you so much, I am so excited that I got to be your pal, you did a great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again, sorry for having taken so long to respond to you. It's been crazy around casa de Tracey lately with school, soccer stuff, home stuff, church stuff, etc!

Have a great week!
Tracey

I am getting worried

I sent my swap pals gift Monday the 18th first thing that morning. It is day four and I don't know if she got it or not. It should not take that long from NC to OR. I know I can get things in three days from CA. I pray she got it.

She rocks!

I got my swap cloth package today. She sent me two washcloths two balls of yarn and a box of Chocolate!!! She rocks!

Did you know

I have been blogging for a year. New to me too. I have not crafted in a while since I hurt my shoulder felting. tragic craft incident. I got some great directions on to line my buttonhole bags. Can't wait to get to it. I looked at the red one and it looked like it was felted enough. But nah! Let my arm heal. I want to tackel the gaterlac wash cloth next. I am going to combine my bernat cotton tots to see how soft the washcloth will be. I have yet to come across my one lonely skein of baby terri I know I have in the house somewhere. Once I find that I think I will have the utlimate soft washcloth. Cuz microspun did not do it. Ihave done nothing with my Noni bag. Yes I am ashamed. I am ready to send my swap pal her stuff. Just need to clean up the edges and I am done. Lord please let me remeber to take a picture. You know I seen another felted bag I want to make. The Marsupial tote. I like the little change purse inside. I got a pattern for some bobbles I amight try my hand at the bobble bag. My idea is all felted bag are modified buttonhole bags. Make a straight buttonhole bag add bobble you got the bobble bag. Leave off the bottonhole handles and add the black lacquer one. How cute would it be if I left the buttonhole hande. Oh I see one lady do a decorative edge on her buttonhole bag. It was real cute. What about a ball band butoonhole bag. That would give me a chech look when felted. Especiallly if you do red and black. Can I do that in a circular pattern?

My attempt at a Row Counter Bracelet

Something about mine is not right. When I got out of the car this morning it fell off. Too big not rocket science I know but. I wanted to post a pic for those out there that make these all the time to tell me how to fix it. How can I make these for the masses? I may attempt to make one with a chain so that it is adjustable unless someone has better suggestions.

Mini, Micro, and Nano Buttonhole bags (Pre Felted)

I have made three buttonhole bags in like two days. I was attemping to make the mini buttonhole bag and I got three different versions. Will post pics later. The red one I call the mini i ended up picking up 28 sts on each side instead of 22 and the blue and grey I picked up the right amount (22) and the third one I picked up 24 sts don't ask me how. I want to teach a class on how to make these but I need a class first! The nano is because i did not have enough yarn left so I only did 5 rows instead of ten. They are not felted yet got to take pictures first. I am worried about the nano felting down into something I will not be able to use and being a waste of wool. I have a great idea tyo teach knititng classes using free patterns and the cost only a ball of yarn. Thsi way I teach others and my yarn stash grows. I can definitley teach a washcloth class. Buttonhole like I said I am a little sketchy. We will see. I can supply stich markers and row counter braclet as a parting gift.
Now that I have a picture I can felt them tonight.

The Creativity it causes is addicting!

Well I have made one buttonhole bag and I am making another one. I made a red and cream and now a blue and grey. I really like the blue and grey one. I am making mini ones, so they are going real fast. Man I wish I could find that other ball of purple. Then I could make a mini purple one. I can see the blue and grey one with some jeans. I may try and rock a buttonhole with every outfit this homecoming. I got to catch wool on sale a coupon or something. I want some solid ones. All black all red all blue then I could use the scraps to make even more. But my new thing is polymer clay. I want to make my own beads. Sculpey has mold that I can use to make things like turkey stitch markers all kinds of things and I may have to wait until next month but I cannot wait. I want to also make some transfers or put pictures onto beads.

An Eye Opening Experience. Stitch Markers

I am trying (or so I think)to be the first on the block with a nine patch ballband dishcolth. I got the first three. I thought it was going to be a simple mitered ball band in the corners NOT. So I skipped it. I am not sure how to do the corners. I looked at the mitered ballband pattern and it said SSK slip marker. When it called for markers in the pass and I have only hand knitted 1 thing (the buttonhole bag) that call for markers. Now I am a crocheter. When ever the pattern called for a marker I only used a contrasting piece of yarn. I thought the same would work for handknitting. Well if you look at my buttonhole bag you can see the answer is no. My handles do not match. It is on. I am going to make another bag using my ghetto fab stitch markers.

Ghetto Fabulous Stitch Markers

Tomorrow I will have like a whole tutorial on how to create your own ghetto fab stitch markers. These work fine for my 5.5 needles but I will need bigger ones for my size 15 circular needles. And I forgot to bring my baby's stitch markers. She thought the paper clips were the stitch markers. I love crafting with her. She had about 6 beads on her first one it is so cute.

Mason Dixon Swap Cloth

I have joined the swap and i am almost done with my first cloth. If I have enough microspun I want to make her one out of that. She siad hers are for the kithchen but I thought I would make one for her.

What I would like to make next

I want to make this after my cloth swap is over. I am going to use my 40% off coupon to buy some #10.5 needles and I already have the size 15 circular needles.
The pattern calls for Lion Brand fisherman's wool but the one I saw in AC Moore last weekend was made out of red heart. Now I don't like camouflage but I seen it in blue camouflage(the shrug)and I got to have it.
I think I ma going to make my shrug in either cream or black. I could sell theses at homecoming!I wonder how easy they are to make? We will see.

Lately

Lately I have been on the ball band dishcolths. I have made four. I want two more solid ones then i want some more cotton yarn in many great and wonderful colors. I will post pics once I locate my camera.

Look what I found

These are not my washcloths I got this pic off Mason Dixon KAL I wanted a pic that was better than the website.
Please click on the title. This the ball band dishcloth pattern . The same one in the Mason Dixon Knitting book!!!! Now the picture is Sorry go to the Mason Dixon KAL site and you will see many many examples. oh yeah! oh yeah! oh yeah!

Why

Why did it come out round. 1 because i did not follow directions. But it was so nice for Kay to email me back so soon and give me an idea.
Hi, I think you did your decreases on EVERY row, right? You are only supposed to do them on the Right Side rows, therefore, every other row. I'm not sure that's it, but that's my best guess.

But it looks so cool round! I love the picture.

You don't have to re-knit the whole cloth, just pull out the miters and do them again. But if it were me I'd keep the cool round dishcloth!


xox Kay