Cheeky Kittens

My DD got a new kitten a few weeks ago, mostly to be a mouser and an outdoor cat since I am allergic to cats. She flew off to Costa Rica (back tonight), leaving the kitten here with us. The kitten can't go outside since she was spayed two weeks ago. DD named her Chiquita. but I'm calling her Cheeky, and she has lived up to her name. Over the weekend, Cheeky was transitioned from DD's bedroom to the garage. She slept in the garage at night and spent the day inside the house, exploring and playing with her toys and ours. She really likes the computer. Note to self: don't wear shorts with a kitty around. I was very careful to wash my hands after touching her and managed to keep the allergies at bay. Today was her first day in the garage during the day. I let her in when I came home at 3: 30 and she seemed fine, but she promptly did a number on DD's bed (misplaced anger?). The quilt is now in the washing machine and Cheeky is in the garage/aka doghouse.

She also managed to hit some hot key on my new computer and started downloading all of my saved emails, which I had been keeping on the ISP's site.

Even though Cheeky loved to bat the moving yarn, so I had to put away the knitting when she was around, I was able to finish my socks for the Sock Museum, as well as a matching mini sock for my sock blocker keychain. This is the Mermaid Sock design by Lucy Neatby, from Cool Socks, Warm Feet. The Sock Summit is only a month away, and I'm getting excited.

Thistle Lace Socks

As part of the Socks Knitters Anonymous Ravelry group's Design Your Own Sock June challenge, I've been busy designing a new sock and writing up the pattern. It's now available on the sidebar and on Ravelry.

I'm using a solid color Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in a mauvey cocoa brown color. I used a lace pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury and charted it out to be knit in the round using a wonderful little app I found on the web. It's knit toe up, with a reverse Dutch heel and seed stitch side panels (or you could use ribbing) to customize the fit.

65 Questions (what happened to only 20?)

Aren't gardens wonderful? This gladiola spike was 5 feet tall.


1. First thing you wash in the shower? under my arms
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? navy blue velour (my only hoodie)
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? of course
4. Do you plan outfits? occasionally
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? achy and in pain
6. What is the closest thing to you that’s red? the light on my mouse
7. Describe the last dream you remember having? It was about work, so I don't want to think about it any more
8. Did you meet anybody new today? only online
9. What are you craving right now? Dinner
10. Do you floss? Nowhere near as often as I should.
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? corned beef
12. Are you emotional? I cry at sentimental movies (and even books I'm reading)
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? Only in Spanish
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? I almost always bite, until it's all melted in the bowl or the cone
15. Do you like your hair? Most of the time
16. Do you like yourself? Usually, but there's room for improvement
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? not in a million years, unless I got paid a million $.
18. What are you listening to right now? America's Funniest Home Videos
19. Are your parents strict? They weren't that strict, but we did have the wooden spoon and the belt as a last resort
20. Would you go sky diving? No, but I would go para sailing
21. Do you like cottage cheese? My favorite way is spread on toast, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and broiled until it melts. YUMM!
22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Jane Fonda taught a seminar at my college and ate in the cafeteria during a regular meal period.
23. Do you rent movies often? Just Netflix (4 at a time)
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you are in? My stained glass lamp
25. How many countries have you visited? Ten
26. Have you made a prank phone call? I may have when I was young and foolish
27. Ever been on a train? I rode one into New York City to go to a Broadway show once.
28. Brown or white eggs? Brown
29. Do you have a cell-phone? Yes
30. Do you use chap stick? I like the flavored stuff
31. Do you own a gun? No
32. Can you use chop sticks? Yes, but not as well as most folks.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Hubbie, DD, online friends
34. Are you too forgiving? It depends on how upset I am.
35. Ever been in love? Yes
36. What is/are your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? Working in my LYS (yes, you, Marina)
37. Ever have cream puffs? My absolute favorite dessert
38. Last time you cried? When my DD got angry and yelled at me
39. What was the last question you asked? What do you mean?
40. Favorite time of the year? Spring
41. Do you have any tattoos? No, and never
42. Are you sarcastic? Not usually
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? No
44. Ever walked into a wall? Once
45. Favorite color? Blue green (teal)
46. Have you ever slapped someone? I vaguely recall doing it once
47. Is your hair curly? My hair is wavy at the ends, and would like to be curly if I cut it
48. What was the last CD you bought? probably Jimmy Buffet, but I also remember buying a Simon and Garfunkel boxed set
49. Do looks matter? To a certain extent
51. Is your phone bill sky high? No
52. Do you like your life right now? mostly, except for my job
53. Do you sleep with the TV on? Only if I fall asleep watching it in the living room, but I have done that.
54. Can you handle the truth? Yes
55. Do you have good vision? Better than I used to
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Not right now
57. How often do you talk on the phone? not that often
58. The last person you held hands with? my 6 year old niece
59. What are you wearing? Khaki jeans, sandals and a t-shirt
60. What is your favorite animal? puppies
61. Where was your default picture taken? At my 7th birthday party
62. Can you hula hoop? Barely
63. Do you have a job? Yes
64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Yarn and clothes
65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Once

My Secret Garden

Mystery Flowers

As if my obsession with Ravelry wasn't enough, some of my friends on that site just introduced me to a new website for gardeners, Folia. This flower has been in my garden since we bought the house. We've dug the bulbs up every fall and replanted them, given them away, and still don't know what this plant is. Someone told me it was a Madeira Lily, but it doesn't look like the Madeira lilies I found online. It's tall, with dark reddish green foliage, & lots of flowers on each stalk. The corms are smallish, rust colored, cushion shaped and hairy. Any ideas would be appreciated.

ETA: Success! It's a Watsonia variety.

This one is supposed to be Ranunclulus Tecolote, but it also doesn't look like anything I found online. That's a Meyer Lemon in the background of the second picture.

Next comes this iris rhizome I've been moving from house to house for almost 30 years. It's a tall bearded iris, with a golden throat and shaded purple petals. We moved the planting this year and the iris is in heaven, blooming at least a month earlier than it usually does.

Eyelet Scarf Pattern

My blog has been sadly neglected while I spent time dealing with life, knitting and browsing & editing on Ravelry.

I have learned a few new things, one of which being how to make a PDF and link PDF patterns to the blog.

Here's a new scarf pattern I came up with today while in a stash busting mood. If you want a printable version, please click on the PDF link.

Direct download: PDF pattern link

Suri Eyelet Scarf

Materials:
Knit Picks Suri Dream Hand-Dyed, 50 gram skein, 145 yds., 1 skein
Classic Elite Inca Alpaca, 50 gram skein, 115 yds., 1 skein

Size 17 US needles

Gauge: Not important, just make sure it's loose

Cast on 15 stitches, holding both yarns together as one

Knit one row

Pattern Stitch:
Row 1: Knit across
Row 2: K1,*K2 TOG, YO*, repeat between *'s across, end K2

Knit in pattern stitch until the Inca alpaca solid is almost gone. Bind off loosely. Add fringe if desired using the Suri alpaca. Weave in loose ends, wear happily.

Note: You can use any fluffy multicolored yarn with a solid in a DK or sport weight to make this scarf. Try out different combinations and different gauges. I was trying to use up some stash and came up with this combination and stitch pattern. Approx. 115 yds. of each yarn should make a scarf without fringe.

Copyright © 2009 by Margie Dougherty, Half Moon Bay Knits

You are welcome to share this pattern with friends as long as my name and this copyright notice remains attached.

Crocheted Juliet Cap

Shades of the Sixties!

Better late than never, here is a pattern in honor of Pete Seeger, whose birthday was May 3rd.

Juliet Cap

Approximately 60 grams (100 yards) worsted weight yarn

For the original hat, I used Passport Yarns London, a discontinued yarn sold at Michael's, but you can use any worsted weight yarn you have on hand. The cap pictured was crocheted using a vintage mercerized cotton yarn: Brunswick Moonbeams. Try using a different color in each round. I made a granny square stitch poncho using up all of my mom's leftover wool yarns and a similar stitch when I first learned to crochet.

Size H crochet hook

Gauge is not critical

Round 1: Chain 6, join into a ring using a slip stitch

Round 2: Chain 3, make 15 DC into ring, join with a slip stitch to top of chain 3 (16 DC)

Round 3: Chain 3, DC into 1^st stitch, 2 DC in every stitch around (Cluster), join with a slip stitch to top of chain 3 (32 DC)

Round 4: Chain 3, DC into 1^st stitch, *skip one stitch, Ch 1, 2 DC cluster in next stitch*, repeat between *’s around, end with Ch 1, skip 1 stitch, join with a slip stitch to top of chain 3 (16 Cluster stitches, 32 DC)

Round 5 (Increase Round): Slip stitch into top of next DC, slip stitch into space between next Cluster, Chain 3, DC into 1^st space, Chain 1, *2 DC in space between next set of stitches (Cluster stitch), Ch 1, Cluster in same space, Cluster in next space, Ch 1*, repeat between *’s around, join with a slip stitch to top of chain 3 (24 Cluster stitches)

Round 6: Slip stitch into top of next DC, slip stitch into space between next Cluster, Chain 3, DC into 1^st space, Chain 1, *2 DC in space between next set of stitches (Cluster stitch), Ch 1*, repeat between *’s around, join with a slip stitch to top of chain 3 (24 Cluster stitches)

Round 7 (Increase Round): Slip stitch into top of next DC, slip stitch into space between next Cluster, Chain 3, DC into 1^st space, Chain 1, *2 DC in space between next set of stitches (Cluster stitch), Ch 1, Cluster in same space, Cluster in next space, Ch 1, Cluster in next space, Ch 1*, repeat between *’s around, join with a slip stitch to top of chain 3 (32 Cluster stitches)

Repeat Round 6 until cap measures about 9" in length

Cap will start to shape into cup shape after the increases are finished. If you have a larger head, repeat Round 7 (Increase Round) before beginning round 8.

Finish with a round of SC or crab stitch and weave in ends.

Pinwheel Beret Pattern

Happy Daylight Savings Time, America!

As promised, here is the beret pattern that I developed from the Pinwheel sweater designed by Shelly Mackie for elann.com. I seem to be on a spiral kick recently. I just finished these easy spiral socks (a free pattern designed by Sandi Rosner) as well as the beret and the pinwheel sweater. I wear this beret almost every day. It looks great on my head, with just enough slouch. This hat is designed to fit an average adult female's head, 20-21" around. A great resource for making a similar hat using any weight yarn and gauge is on Kirsten Kapur's blog, which I just discovered tonight through Ravelry. Some other great hat patterns are on her blog as well as gloves, scarves, etc. I also found a very similar pattern this morning on Amy (Java Twist's) blog. Great minds think alike.

I used less than 2 skeins of Stahl Limbo Color, a superwash DK weight, self striping yarn with a subtle color variegation, 135 yds. per 50 gram skein. You could use a solid color, a tweed or heather, or use up leftover yarn and stripe the beret. Worsted weight yarn should also work.

I'm making one using rose pink Malabrigo worsted (aran weight) on size 8 needles right now, at a larger gauge, so I'll knit fewer increase rounds before decreasing for the bottom of the beret. It looks like it will need 20 stitches in each section, 160 total, to make a 12" diameter circle before decreasing. I think I'll call this one the Raspberry Beret, or maybe the Red Beret? I stayed up way too late last knit knitting this one. Hopefully my DD won't steal it out of hands as soon as it's finished.

Gauge for the heavier weight yarn : 18 st/24 rounds over 4 inches

Direct PDF link for the Raspberry Beret pattern

There was a wonderful documentary about Pete Seeger on PBS that I had to finish watching. I had tears in my eyes when he sang Guantanamera with Arlo Guthrie and his own grandson, Tao Rodríguez- Seeger. Pete and I share a birthday. I think I'll have to design a pattern to honor him that day. He'll be 89 and I'll be ... ahem, not that old.

4.5 mm (US 7) 16" circular needle
4.5 mm (US 7) set of five double pointed needles (DPN's)

You will also need a set of smaller (4 mm, US 6) DPN's or 16" circular to knit the ribbing (optional).

If you prefer, use the two circular or magic loop methods to knit this hat. The first few rounds are tricky, so I like to use wooden double points that the yarn will stick to.

Gauge: 22 stitches and 28 rounds over 4 inches/10 cm on size 7 US (4.5mm) needles

Using the 4.5mm double-pointed needles, cast on 4 stitches. Place 1 stitch on each needle.

Round 1: Join into a round, being careful not to twist the stitches. Knit into the front and the back of each stitch - 8 stitches in this round.

Mark the beginning of the round with a stitch marker and move this marker up every round.

Round 2 and all even numbered rounds: Knit.
Round 3: *K1 , YO*, repeat between *'s to end of round, making sure you make your last yo on each needle or beginning of the new needle. 4 sts on each needle, 16 total stitches
Round 5: *K2, YO*, repeat between *'s to end of round. (6 sts on each needle)
Round 7: *K3, YO*, repeat between *'s to end of round. (8 sts on each needle)
Round 9: *K4, YO*, repeat between *'s to end of round. (10 sts on each needle)
Round 11: *K5, YO*, repeat between *'s to end of round. (12 sts on each needle)
Round 13: *K6, YO*, repeat between *'s to end of round. (14 sts on each needle, 56 total stitches)

Switch to knitting on the 16" circular needle whenever you have enough stitches to knit comfortably, or use two longer circulars or magic loop from the beginning.

Continue increasing in this manner, changing to the circular needle when possible, until you have 21 stitches between increases (176 stitches total). Beret should measure about 12" across at this point. I inserted an attempt at a pattern stitch, which will be the rolled edge of the beret and looks very pretty. Some easy one round stitch pattern suggestions:

Round 1: *YO, SL 1, K2 TOG, PSSO, YO, K2*, repeat between *'s to end of round.
Rounds 2 & 4: Knit around
Round 3: *K2, YO, SL 1, K2 TOG, PSSO, YO*, repeat between *'s to end of round.

OR: The 4 round lace/texture pattern of your choice. Maybe a bobble pattern? I'm going to try a stranded or slip stitch design using some leftover Malabrigo in a different color.

After four rounds of pattern stitch (or just 4 plain knitting rounds), begin decreasing for the brim of the hat.

1st decrease round: *Knit 6, K2 TOG*, repeat between *'s to end of round (154 stitches)
Rounds 2-3: Knit around
2nd decrease round: *Knit 5, K2 TOG*, repeat between *'s to end of round (132 stitches)
Rounds 5-6: Knit around
3rd decrease round: *Knit 4, K2 TOG*, repeat between *'s to end of round, (110 stitches)
Rounds 8-9: Knit around
4th decrease round: *Knit 3, K2 TOG*, repeat between *'s to end of round, (88 stitches)

Switch to the smaller needles at this point (or not) and begin ribbing pattern.

Ribbing Pattern: *K2, P2*, repeat between *'s to end of round

Repeat the last round of ribbing for 8-10 rounds. Bind off in pattern. Weave in ends, block using a large plate as a form. and wear with pride.