Oh Nuts

This is another free pattern that I found on Ravelry that I really like. Though with this pattern I made a few minor changes to it as I was making them. The pattern calls for 14 points and a size 8 needle. After making one or two with 14 points I decided that I didn't like the way that they looked so I now I am only doing 12 points when I make them and I use a size 7 needle instead. made and taken by me As fas as cotton yarns to use for making these I really like using the yarns  Lily Sugar'n Cream Ombres and  Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co. Peaches & Creme Ombres to make them. The washcloths in the picture are made using  Lily Sugar'n Cream Ombres  and the color name is  Azalea . One thing I really like about this pattern is how easy it is to make because you can easily make two, depending on how loose or tight you knit, out of one skein of yarn. Once you have the pattern down it is really easy to watch movies or have conversations while working on...

Back when I first started getting into knitting, I had gotten one of the "I taught myself to Knit" kits that Walmart sells for Christmas one year. Included in the kit was  a stitch counter, which is now somewhere in my knitting supplies, but I haven't ever tried it yet. Instead, I prefer writing down which row or round I am on. I don't remember why I started doing it this way or why. But it comes in handy, especially if the pattern has sections where you are working the same stitch for multiple rows. While I typically don't do many patterns that call for needing to use a stitch counter or the paper and pen/pencil method, I currently have two patterns in progress that have sections that I need to keep track of which row I am on since I am slowly working on them. The first pattern is a shawl pattern from Darn Good Yarn, while I haven't worked on it in a while, I know where I will be in the pattern when I do start working on it again. Because a few years ago I...

This is the first pattern that I ever used when I first learned how to knit. And I am a little surprised that I still had the pattern. Because for a while I didn't know where I had put it and thought that I had thrown it out. But I found it again and it is being stored in my pattern binder along with the rest of them. While it might look a little disheveled now I still have the scarf that I made with this pattern. Although the label is from a Red Heart Super Saver yarn label I made my scarf with Lion Brand Homespun yarn. Even though it is a beginner pattern I thought I would share it here because it knits up really easy and looks pretty, so it will make great Christmas or birthday presents. Red Heart © Super Saver®: 3 ½ ounces 319 Cherry Red Knitting Needles: 5.5mm [US 9] Yarn Needle Gauge: 17 sts = 4"; 25 r = 4" in pattern. Check your gauge. Use any size needles to obtain the gauge. Cast on 22 stitches. K 2 rows. Now work as follows: Rows 1 & 3 (Right Sid...

Back in January of last year one of my cousin's got engaged and I had the idea to make them a blanket, though I didn't know what yarn or pattern I wanted to use for it. Then in the middle of February/beginning of March I was at the library across the street hanging out with the Fiber Arts that meets there every week and one of the ladies there was giving away a bunch of free yarn and in the yarn was a plastic bag with three skeins of Mainstays Home 4-Ply Worsted yarn (colorway: Mountain Top) and I took it home. After having it sit in my room for several months of the yarn sitting in my room collecting dust, I finally found a pattern that I wanted to use the yarn for, along with a skein of white yarn that I had so that it went farther. The pattern that I found was the Log Cabin pattern. It is a really easy pattern to follow and you can do it with any type of yarn. The beginning of June I started working on the blanket with the intent of having it finished by the bridal show...

Remember back in September of 2015 when I shared a post about a ball of scrap yarn that I had started? Well it has grown bigger since then and I started using it for another knitting project. The knitting project that I am working on at the moment is another blanket. Instead of being the traditional style where you work back and forth in rows, the blanket is made in the shape of a square. The pattern I am using is called Ten Stitch Blanket. Taken by me As you have probably already guessed, I found the pattern on Pinterest. I found the pattern a while ago and had printed it out to give it a try, but I go stuck on how you create the first half of the mitered corner so I just gave up. I forget when I found it but I found a video on Youtube that gives good instructions on how to do the mitered corners and joining along the sides. Even though I found the pattern on Pinterest it is on  Ravelry , which has a lot of patterns for knitters and crocheters. Speaking of crocheting, ev...

Last week I shared a pattern for a hat that I have made multiple times before, and mentioned that I was working on another one, this time for a baby. As you can see from the picture, the hat is finished and is adorable!!! Even though the hat is supposed to have a curly edge, I decided to change it a bit and did a different stitch on the bottom of the hat instead. Which I think is what makes the hat even cuter. While I was finishing up the hat Rosy suggested that I add a flower to the hat, so I found a super easy pattern for a flower. Because it is such a simple pattern to follow it is easy to make multiple hats at a time. My mom wants me to make her a hat like the one I just made, though I have to figure out how to do that.

Over a month ago I had gotten several books full of knitting patterns from the library because I wanted to start knitting something again, but needed new ideas. As I was flipping through the books there were some patterns that I wanted to try. A week or two ago I started working on a pattern for an ear-warmer, using the pattern that was in one of the books. Then I decided to also give a pattern for a potholder, that was in one of the other books, a try at the same time. Though I only got as far as casting on the correct number of stitches for the potholder. The reason why I didn't get very far with the potholder pattern is because last week, while I was at Michael's with my two youngest siblings, I came across several balls of this really pretty thick grey variegated yarn and the first idea the popped into my head was to use it and give arm knitting a try. But then I went over to where the knitting needles were hanging and found that they had several pairs of size 19 needles...

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, I have been working on knitting a pillowcase and that I got the idea for it off of Pinterest. Well I have finished kitting the case and sewn it together already. If you want to get technical about it I actually crocheted the sides together. I did that because in the pattern that I followed it said that crocheting the edges together gives it a cleaner look than sewing it together. So I figured that I would give it a try since I had taught my self how to crochet several months ago. While the edges might not have turned out to be the straightest I still think that crocheting the sides together was a lot better than sewing them. So now that I am finished knitting and sewing it together I just need the pillow that will be going inside. Now that I am done crocheting the pillowcase I could just go back to working on a blanket that I started knitting two years ago and never finished, but I decided to start working on another pillowcase. This o...

Back in November I mentioned that I was going to be making a hat for myself. The pattern that I used can be found here . This time I remembered to take a few in progress pictures while I was making it.  I don't know if anyone else does this, but I find it easier, especially for larger projects like the blanket that I am still working on, to keep track of how many rows that you have to do. The two tops rows were for keeping track of the all the rows of ribbing that I had to do for the bottom of the hat. The row and a half were for when I did hte body of the hat. The finished product

--- 1 --- Last week on Saturday four out of six siblings had rehearsal all day for their upcoming Christmas play "The Conversion of Scrooge,"and Aaliyah was helping out at a food pantry in the morning. So it was just me, my mom and Amanda at home, so we decided to stop over at Hobby Lobby to do some shopping. --- 2 --- Even though I usually don't like to start my Christmas shopping until after Thanksgiving I found some crafts to add to presents. For the three kids that I nanny I got them each an ornament that you could color, though I already did that. For the oldest girl that I nanny as part of her Christmas present from me I got a canvas bag and decorated it. But now that Thanksgiving is over I can start looking for the rest of the presents that I need. --- 3 --- At the end of August we started doing a clean eating plan thing and one of the smoothie recipes that you get with it is a peanut butter smoothie and I really like it so I decided to share it here ...

--- 1 --- I got to watch the second episode of Sherlock again on Sunday and I enjoyed it more the second time around since I was able to watch it all of the way through instead of having to do it in pieces. It is still my favorite Sherlock episode out of all three seasons :) --- 2 --- My mother, Yavi and Amanda started watching Downton Abbey season 4 on Sunday. I am only really watching it for the grandma because she is my favorite character. --- 3 --- On Monday the college that Yavi, Amanda and I go to had a snow day because it was incredibly cold (-2 degrees during the day and -17 in the evening) and windy. This is what it said on the Weather Channel about Monday: " Bitterly cold. Partly cloudy skies with gusty winds. Dangerous wind chills as low as -25F. High -2F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph." Tuesday was a snow day as well because it was still really cold, though not quite as cold as Monday was. --- 4 --- Anyone remember the blanket that I had said that I ...

--- 1 --- As you have probably seen already from the posts that I did I have been in a knitting mood for several weeks now. I am working on two knitting projects right now, though the hat I am working on is on hold at the moment because I started making a pair of leg warmers this past Saturday as a present. The yarn I'm using for the leg warmers is fall colors :) When they are finished I am making sure that I take pictures of them before they are wrapped up and given away. --- 2 --- To continue on with the subject of knitting I have decided to make an afghan as well. The story behind that will be in number 3 of this week's quick takes. Instead of getting yarn from the store to make it I am reusing the yarn from this blanket/afghan that I made a couple years ago but never used: I spent part of Sunday afternoon and evening pulling out the seams and since the yarn that I used to sew the squares together was still in good shape I will be including that as well :) But...

Last week Rosalind reminded me that a friend of ours had a birthday coming up so I decided to make her a present. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of my project before wrapping it. Since our friend's favorite colors are pink and blue I was able to buy a skein of yarn with those colors in it and I started looking for patterns for fingerless gloves since its starting to get chilly out now and the only pattern that I found and that I liked was the pattern for close-fitting fingerless gloves. My mom said that they could easily be turned into mittens as well. You can find pictures that follow along with the pattern here , if you need to jog your memory in case you don't remember a step. There are a couple steps that I didn't use but that you can find on the website . Even though I don't have a picture of the finished product you can see what the yarn that I used looks like here . you will need the following supplies: 1 pair size 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles.  (Siz...

Here is the pattern for the backpack that I made a couple of weeks ago! I had fun making it :) (I didn't use the yarn suggested in the pattern) The pattern is from the book  Kids Knitting: Projects For Kids of All Ages by Melanie Falick. Materials Needed: Approximately 22 yards bulky yarn, such as Rowan Recycled Chunky or Chunky Tweed. Approximately 110 yards bulky yarn, such as Rowan Recycled Chunky or Chunky Tweed, in a contrasting color. 1 size 9 24-inch circular needle (or whatever size 24-inch circular needle feels comfortable) 3 buttons, each approximately 1 inch in diameter 1 wooden bead or ring with a hole large enough for both cords to fit though snugly (hole should be approximately 5/8 inch), for back pack (available at arts and crafts stores; if you cannot find a bead you like, make one with polymer clay) Stitch marker Yarn needle Knitting spool or 2 double pointed needles to make the cord for the backpack. Scrap Yarn or safety pin To make the bottom...

--- 1 --- I know that last week I said that this weeks 7 quick takes would just be the pattern that I used to make the backpack. Well I decided to not do that because it sounded kind of boring to me.  --- 2 --- This past Saturday, Yavi had a small dance performance at our church. Though my family and I had seen the dance they were performing already we still went. Yavi wanted me to video the dance on my camera, since we had't gotten the entire dance on video the first time they did it, but I forgot to grab my camera before we left and didn't remember until we got to the church. But someone else was videoing it instead. Afterwards we all went out for ice cream at Culver's. The dance that they did was based on the story of The Prodigal Son  (Luke 15: 11-32), though they changed it to The Prodigal Daughter  since all of the dancers doing it were girls. --- 3 --- A friend of ours who hadn't been able to see the dance before came over to my house and we spent ...