ChemKnits

Sugarbunny Hat

2012-05-29T13:04:00.000-04:00

The concept of Special Reserve yarn is so enticing... I couldn't resist adding some Sugarbunny yarn to my stash. I have never knit with angora before, and I wanted to see what it was like.

I selected the Amanda Hat for this yarn. I wanted to make a textured hat that would be warm, but wouldn't be as heavy duty as my other hats.

I tested size 8 needles (my first trial of the clear zepher needles) but the gauge was too loose for my liking. I decided to knit the hat on size 7 needles.

The first round of "lace" I was slipping stitches with yarn in front, and this looked really loose. I checked from slipping p wise with yarn in back - to see if it looked better or not. It looked better when I started doing it correctly... but the gaps were so big that I knew the hat wouldn't be as warm as I wanted. I therefore frogged it and started over.

Sugarbunny yarn is so soft that it is amazing to knit with. The fabric has such a nice drape, I would love to use this yarn to make a sweater.

The decreases begin in 7 stitch repeats. Since I cast on 93 stitches, there is a remainder of two stitches. To make things simpler, I decreased two stitches in the first K round of the last garter stitch section (approximately on either side of the hat.) This way, I could start with K5, K2tog across without dealing with remaining stitches.

There were still 26 stitches where the pattern would have me break the yarn and pull through stitches. Instead I:

K 1 round
K2tog across (13 sts)
K 1 round
K2tog across until last stitch, K1 (7 sts)

This is a really nice hat. It is a little shorter than I usually like my hats, but it makes it more of a fashion hat than a keep warm hat. The yarn bled onto my figure while I was knitting, so this isn't a hat I would want to wear in the snow anyway!

This hat only too 1 ball (40 g) of sugarbunny). I still have a ball left... I see mittens in my future!

Test Knit Zombie Sheep

2012-05-26T13:12:00.000-04:00

This is my first test knit ever! When I saw the Zombie Sheep knitting pattern, I knew that it would make a good surprise for Keith.

I knit the Zombie with Wool of the Andes Scraps in multiple colors on size 6 and 8 knitting needles (where directed.) Initially I wanted to make it mini by using fingering weight Palette, but I quickly discovered that I didn't have enough yardage of the handdyed colors.

Notes while knitting Pattern

I knit the sheep’s body with the Bramble and Cobblestone Heathers held double. Gauge on size 8 needles over garter stitch - 16 sts/ 4”. I didn't have enough of the grey yarns to make the whole body, so there are some stripes formed by miscellaneous grey heather WOTA.
1.75” = 10 rows (+ CO edge, so do 11 rows for front legs.)
4” = 24 rows (not including any CO/BO rows)
1.25” of head = 8 rows in green (1 strand)
foot: 6 rows then BO.

There weren't details from how to sew up the body, so I took detailed pictures. The designer even asked me for permission to include these in the final pattern (I gave permission.) How did I do it?

Sew up the inside of the legs with RS facing
Sew up the inside of the head with the WS facing (starting at the nose)
Sew up the body of the body with RS facing, leaving the sheep butt to sew it closed.
I sewed up the butt, and then stitched in a circle and cinched the back closed.

The body looks a bit lumpy, very much like an undead monster!

I got so excited taking pictures of my newly formed sheep body that I almost forgot to knit the ears! I added these before embroidering the face so I could try to make the face as skewed as possible.

Lock your doors. Disable your stairs... There is a zombie Sheep in the house.

INDY, NOOOOOO! Leave it! Run and save yourself!

Oh no, you better click away before they start multiplying... I see ZS (zombie sheep) has his eyes on my entrelac sheep...

Ginkgo Shawl

2012-05-23T23:13:00.018-04:00

I am loving making shawls. This is the Ginkgo Shoulderette in Clover Palette Yarn on size 7 knitting needles. I was almost done binding off when I ran out of wool. The third ball started at 49 g, and was still at 49 g when I was all done. 98 g of yarn were consumed in this shawl. When on Raverly I say that this project used under 2 balls of yarn, I mean that it used under 100g.

In the middle of the bindoff when I ran out of the second ball.

I was rushing to cast on so I could have a project while watching TV shows on my computer with Keith, so I didn't have time to figure something new out! I can understand the cast on directions, but my result was so messy I began this shawl as I did the Rough Sea Shawl (casting on 5 sts with long tail cast on.) Cast on 5 sts with long tail cast on. I can see how the Ginnko directions would look better, but I didn't mind the way it loked on the other shawl and it felt so messy as I was trying to pick up stitches here. Because of this modification I didn't start counting my rows until I was at the RS with 7 sts.

The rough sea shawl had 110 rows before the lace (231 sts), and this shawl has 76 rows (159 sts) before lace. There is more lace on this shawl, but I think I will want to make it bigger before starting the lace. I decided to make the larger version by knitting the stockinette until row 106 and then starting the lace. (I have a third ball of clover so I am not worried about running out of yarn.

In Rough Sea, first ball ran out at row 97. In this project, I ran out in the middle of row 99. It is so nice to see consistency!

By my calculations, I thought (turns out wrongly) that there should be 215 sts after row 106. I appear had 219?!? I thought I had two extra stitches on each side, so I decreased 1 st on each side of the center (P3tog through back loop, p3, P2tog) of row 106. Then I look at the chart closer... the 7*15+2 stitches per side does NOT include the garter stitch border. There is an extra two stitches at the end before the repeats start... So I had to undo those extra decreases. This is why you should always double check the chart!

I did the double decrease as Slip 2, K1, Pass both slipped stitches over (S2KP.) As directed in the pattern, I switched to size 8 needles for row 34 and the bind off:

"k2, insert left needle into front of these 2 sts (leave right needle in position) and k2tog. *One st remaining on right needle. K1, insert left needle into front of these 2 sts (leave right needle in position) and k2tog. Repeat from * until all sts are bound off."

I soaked the shawl for 30 min before blocking. I couldn't wait to see it all pinned out! I'm not sure I love the way I blocked it, but I didn't really have any more space on the blocking board.

The shawl before (left) and after (right) blocking.

The ginkgo leaves.

Luxe Cowl

2012-05-20T15:08:00.010-04:00

When I first saw the Luxe Accessories Kit from KnitPicks, I could barely contain myself. I am on a "yarn diet" where I am trying to use up my stash, but I couldn't resist the yummy fibers and Rebecca colors. I realized that the cowl wasn't purple but a pink before purchasing, but I still really wanted the pattern and it made more sense to buy the kit than to purchase the components separately.

This cowl is so simple, but stunning. I love the way the two yarns (Capra DK in Regal and Aloft Lace in Fairy Tale) play off of each other. I knit the cowl on size 8 needles. The zigzags are formed by simple increases and decreases.

The final grafting was a little difficult with this project. First, There were only a few rows of Capra in that section, so it made it difficult to see things. I think I ended up pulling the kitchener stitch too tight, so it is almost invisible but thankfully it still LOOKS perfect!

The cowl consumed 18 g of each yarn, which is not what I would have expected! It is worth noting that Aloft comes with 25 g/ball, so there is not quite enough to make another cowl (but can't you envision making one of these cowls using multiple different colors of aloft?)

I spray blocked the cowl. It really didn't require much blocking, but I wanted to give it a little finishing.

Stay tuned for the construction of the other Luxe accessories!

One Skein Patterns: Crochet Made Simple

2012-05-17T09:36:00.001-04:00

I frequently see a beautiful ball of yarn at the yarn store and purchase it without a project in mind. I often don't consider the yardage and that I will need to use it for a small project. (I am getting much better at this now that I have been keeping track of yards consumed in each of my projects!) This is why One Skein knitting books are so important. I have read and reviewed many different one skein knitting and crochet books, but I have never seen a free eBook dedicated to small single skein projects. Imagine my excitement when I was asked to look at the AllFreeCrochet eBook One Skein Patterns: Crochet Made Simple!

Now before I look in this book let me be critical. When I look at one skein patterns, I am hoping to see projects using 50-100g (100-250 yards) of yarn, depending on weight. These are the single skeins that people have laying around that are hard to use up.

The (Full) Patterns Include:

A One Skein Wrap - uses Caron International One Pound (454 g - 812 yds): 1 skein
How to Crochet a Simple Centerpiece - uses Bernat Softee Chunky (100g - 180 yards): 1 Skein
One Skein Wrap (different from A One Skein Wrap above) - uses Caron International One Pound (454 g - 812 yds): 1 skein
Cute Bunny - uses Caron International One Pound (454 g - 812 yds): 1 skein

I started writing up about the Crocheted Scarflette (a very cute pattern but isn't a one skein project as shown due to two colors, but I suppose without the scalloped edge you could complete it in a single skein) and how this pattern isn't in the eBook but is linked to from the eBook when I realized that there are 3 patterns linked to outside sources. These patterns are still free, and only one of them requires an account for you to download the pattern.

Patterns Linked to in this eBook

Crocheted Scarflette - uses Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds (85g/ 123 yards per skein... 150-190 yards used in this project according to Ravelry page.) Available as free Ravelry Download
Asymmetric Scarf Using One Skein - Uses one skein Lion Brand Homespun (approx. 6 oz, 185 yds) - Available for free on FaveCrafts.com
Kid's Earflap Hat - One skein Caron Simply Soft (85 g, 157 yards) Available for free at allicrafts.blogspot.com.

These patterns are very cute, but I am very confused by their inclusion in the eBook. I really like the Asymmetric Scarf Using One Skein. I think that it is a great single skein project and deserves recognition as such. For all of my confusion, I am not complaining about this because this is a free eBook!

Here is my complaint: three of the four full patterns in the eBook require a 1 lb skein of yarn. When you have 1 lb (454 g - 812 yds) of yarn, there are many projects you could complete. Did I enjoy the patterns in this eBook? Absolutely. Are these one skein projects? Yes, they just don't help with the 50-100g single skeins I have in my yarn stash.

Despite my complaint of semantics, I really enjoyed the patterns in this eBook. There are two one skein wraps in this book, A One Skein Wrap and One Skein Wrap. I prefer the "A" pattern because it reminds me a bit of snowflakes. The "A-less" wrap has scalloped pattern that is a little less modern, although still really cute. The Simple Crochet Centerpiece is rustic and ruffled and reminds me of a bit of coral. I know that rustic and ruffles don't usually go together, but you can do a lot with this pattern depending on your yarn choice. The centerpiece pattern is accompanied by two videos. Finally, the Cute Bunny is completely irresistible. There are long floppy ears that go to the bunny's hips. This is so cute that I want to go find a lb of yarn and a crochet hook!

When I finish this book, I am feeling very excited. Sure, I am critical over what I consider a single skein project, but that is because of the way the eBook is titled. If I were to focus on the "Crochet Made Simple" aspect of the title, I now have an arsenal of simple, beautiful crochet patterns that I (a crochet beginner) would feel comfortable beginning. I am very happy to have access to such a cute free eBook!

Get free crochet patterns, ideas & special offers + a FREE ebook, “One Skein Patterns: Crochet Made Simple.”

Lace Alphabets

2012-05-15T20:19:00.009-04:00

Alphabet Knitting Charts are amazing for when you want to work in colorwork, but what happens when you want to spell things out in lace? Unfortunately I have been unable to find any free lace knitting charts, but I did find some patterns for sale that include lace knitting alphabets. (Prices are valid as of 4/1/2012)

Lace Alphabet Scarf - contains uppercase lace letters (the entire alphabet) $8.00 USD
Lullaby Blanket - The blanket says "Sleep Baby Hush Baby" in lace... I'm not sure if other letters are provided so you can use your own message. $6.69 USD
Forever Loved Blanket designed by Elinber has a full lace alphabet (charted) plus special characters - $6.50 USD
Alphabet Blanket - can be found in the book The Baby Knits Book: The Ultimate Collection of Knitwear Designs for Newborns to 3-Year-Olds, which unfortunately appears to be out of print. There are a few copies available on Amazon (as of 4/1) but they are pretty pricey.

Lace alphabets are more complicated than colorwork ones because you have to consider increases and decreases along with YO's that form the letters. There is definitely a market for the design of lace alphabets. Do you know of any patterns that contain lace letters?

9 Easy Knitting Projects for Mom

2012-05-13T09:33:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! I have always believed that handmade crafts and cards are the perfect way to show your mother that you love her. I was thrilled when my friends at Prime Publishing asked me to take a look at AllFreeKnitting's latest eBook, 9 Easy Knitting Projects for Mom.

This free eBook contains adult knitting patterns that would be perfect to cast on for your mother. The 9 patterns include three scarves, one shawl, two clutches, a hat, a pair of socks and a pair of legwarmers. The Sashay Awhile Scarf is a romantic ruffle scarf - a perfect warm weather knit. This is also a good opportunity to try out the popular ribbon yarns that are hitting the scene. The One Shoulder Shawl is a simple lace patternt aht would be great for beginners. Try using luxury yarns to dress it up, or if your mom is more casual then it would work great more of a workhorse yarn for daily use. The Entrelac Clutch is darling, and a stashbuster, too! The yoga socks weren't what I expected, as they are socks without a heal or a toe. If you like the pattern and wanted to adapt them to classic socks it wouldn't be yard, but these look super cozy.

There are many Mother's Day knitting patterns out there, but I think that "9 Easy Knitting Projects for Mom" will have a lasting place in my virtual knitting library. Don't forget to call your mom today!

Get free knitting patterns, ideas & special offers + a FREE ebook, “9 Easy Knitting Projects for Mom.”

Dressed Up Elly

2012-05-11T13:12:00.000-04:00

I have fallen in love with knitting shawls. I have joined the Ravelry group 12 Shawls in 2012, so I now have a new goal! When I saw the Elly Dressed Up shawl pattern I knew that it would go perfectly with some yarn and beads that I had in my stash.

I knit this shawl with size 7 knitting needles (using plastic round needles that I inherited from my grandma.) The project consumed 68 g of Navy Palette (fingering weight) yarn.

I wasn't sure if I had enough beads, since the pattern specifes the number and beads are purchased by weight. According to beadstuff, are ~12 size 6/0 beads per gram, making my 3/4 oz (21.27 g) package having over 200 beads. Perfect!

Notes while knitting the pattern

I used the twisted loop cast on method and then added a purl row before starting the lace chart. This is a super stretchy cast on and it will help me conserve yarn.
After beads inserted on WS rows, I did a centered double decrease rather than the S1, K2tog, PSSO was written. This way the bead is centered. (I walso use a P sttich to insert the bead on WS rows.)
After the 24 lace rows I have 60 g of wool left.
I did the short rows without adding wraps.
Instead of having 1 sts at the end on each side after short rows, there are 2 sts remaining at each end. On the K round I knit to the end of the row to include those 2 sts, slipped the first stitch and purled back to finish the short rows (this way nothing was left hanging.) Then I could bind off.

I really need a larger blocking board. It was a bit cramped when I tried to block this shawlette. It would help if I could stagger the blocks some, but the way the corners fit together prevent this.

I will never change balls of yarn in the middle of a shawl ever again. I didn't show a picture, but if you hold the shawl up to the light you can see the woven ends through the cloth. Thankfully you do not see this when wearing the shawl!

Knit Your Own Dog

2012-05-08T11:39:00.006-04:00

Knit Your Own Dog: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 25 Pedigree Pooches by Sally Muir is just what the Doctor ordered... for a dog lover. The designs in this book are meant to be as realistic as possible. They weren't designed with the intention of being toys, but I see no reason why they couldn't be toys.

When special yarns are used, the book specifies the type so you would be able to make suitable substitutions. This is important, because many of the breed characteristics are formed by these specialty yarns. The book is very user friendly, but is not meant for beginner knitters (the book is lacking a how-to-knit section.)

There is a great loopy stitch used for long haired dogs. The English bulldog is fantastic with the wrinkles. I also love choice for Portuguese Water Dog with boucle yarn. Unfortunately, there is no American Eskimo, but there are other long haired breeds and a Siberian Husky so I should be able to create one myself.

These dog parts are all knit as separate pieces flat and then seamed together. So if you dislike sewing then you are out of luck. This does allow for some very realistic shapes, but I prefer to knit round things in the round!

There is a great index of dogs where you can see thumbnails of all of them. This way, you can pick the one that looks most like your beloved pooch. What are the breeds?

Afghan Hound
Basset Hound
Border Collie
Cocker Spaniel
Corgi
Dachshund
Dalmation
English Bulldog
English Bull Terrier
French Bulldog
German Shepherd
Jack Russel
Labrador
Miniature Schnauzer
Old English Shepherd
Poodle
Portuguese Water Dug
Pug
Red Setter
Rough Collie
Scottie Terrier
Siberian Husky
West Highland Terrier
Whippet
Wire-haired Fox Terrier

I would love to see a second edition featuring Golden Retrievers, Newfoundlands, American Eskimos, Australian Shepherds and more.

Would you believe it? Knit Your Own Cat is now available! I will have to find this at the library to review it at a later date.

Second Spinning Attempt

2012-05-05T08:57:00.014-04:00

If you look at the yarns I want, you will notice that there are some stunning handspun examples. I love dyeing my own yarn, but the depth of color you can get from spinning the yarn yourself is amazing.

I tried spinning my first yarn and got about 3-10 yards of super bulky 2 ply. What I had not been able to do is figure out how to draft. I'm realizing that the thinner the yarn is that you're dealing with, the easier it is for the drop spindle to spin. I pre-draft the yarn (much thinner than I would have thought to do last time), but as I work on this purple wool, I am realizing that I am more and more able to draft as I spin.

The way I see it, if I am able to spin, and knit with what I spin, then I should be able to get a spinning wheel. There is no point in investing in a piece of equiptment 1) before I can afford it and 2) before I know that I like the process. This time, rather than being stressful I am finding the spinning very relaxing.

I'm still not sure what helped make the process click. Maybe I've watched so many videos over these last few years that it made an impression in my brain.

When I wound the yarn around a tuperware (to wash and set it) it broke a few times. It always broke in the thicker, less spun places. These brakes occurred much more frequently when I moved towards the beginning of my spinning. I'm improving as I move along!

The tupperware container is about 2 feet around. Therefore (from counting the number of wraps, I have spun 110 wraps = 220 feet = ~73 yards!! All of this in a few hours. This means that it would be possible to spin a reasonable amount of yarn in a day (someday when I'm good.)

I wet the yarn and let it dry to set the spin. We'll see how well this works! (I wet the yarn with the sprayer in the sink. I used warm water. We'll see!)

I couldn't weigh the yarn while it was wet, but I could way another (batt? top?) that came in the kit. That weighed 37 g. I really need a WPI (wraps per inch) stick so I can estimate the weight of the yarn better. It looks like it may be around a DK...

I spun the multicolored roving, and then I had to stop. I just went through 3-4 constant hours of spinning, and I think that is enough for one day! I didn't look at the clock, but I think I spent 2-3 hours spinning the blue/green multi. I am going to have to stop for the day because my hands hurt! (Plus I only have one more batch of roving left.) The multicolored yarn looks to be more of a fingering weight than the purple. 97 wraps = 194 feed = ~65 yards.

I took the skein off of the tuperware before it was completely dry to try to aviod ridges in the skein (not that this would hurt a knitting project, just for aesthetic value.) Unfortunately some of the more tightly twisted pieces bunched up. Oh well, this will add character to my project!

Watching this video made me realize why my twist isn't consistent. While spinning, I let the twist into large regions at once, making the twist uneven. I will try to slide my hand to release yarn into the spin, but this is difficult when I am also holding the yarn up. I think this is something I could manage easier with a wheel.

I started the dark Blue (Saphire) a little differently. I did a lot less predrafting and more drafting while I was spinning. I had some difficuly with this one, and with parts spillting as I took it off the spindle. I had some issues with directionality, and keeping track of which way I was spinning it. I'm not sure what I did, but the yarn is still pretty!

91 Wraps = 182 feet = 60 yards.

This morning I told Keith I wanted a spinning wheel for my 30th birthday.... but I don't think I could wait over a year and a half! I have no idea what kind of wheel I want, and I know I am going to have to test out a bunch of different models before I decide. There are some great articles on how to choose your first spinning wheel, but I would appreciate any advice from you, too!

Hand Felt Your Knitting in a Sink

2012-05-01T21:39:00.005-04:00

While I was knitting Indy's toy ball, I created a video tutorial on how to felt your knitting in a sink. This is my favorite felting technique, especially when I am making small things like toys and balls. I wrote an accompanying hand felting tutorial which is on AllFreeKnitting.com. Make to check it out!

Hand Felt Your Knitting in a Sink:

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Keith's Ombré

2012-04-28T12:38:00.014-04:00

I love my knit Ombré hat so much. It is a great project for using up remnants of worsted weight wool. I haven't had enough close colors to make a TRUE Ombré type gradient... that is until now.

This is a mixture of greys and browns, but there is a nice dark to light transition as you approach the crown of the hat.

Colors for Keith's Ombré and grams of wool consumed (KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Worsted Weight Yarn):

A - Bittersweet Heather; 13g

B - Fedora; 8 g

C - Chocolate; 8 g

D - Mist; 9 g

E - Cobblestone Heather; 9 g

F - Bramble Heather; 9 g

G - Mink Heather; 6 g

H/I - Dove Heather; 7 g

Of these 8 colors (not 9 as are in the pattern, but I'm just omitting the last one), there are 5 browns and 3 grays. (ABCFG are brown, DEH are gray.) If I were using new yarns, not ones in my stash I would have selected colors that are all of the exact same hue.

There are a lot of loose ends to weave in. I decided to try something I saw on the KnitPicks Blog to deal with these ends, braiding them. I kept the ends longer than normal, and the wove them enough to make them in a vertical column.

This hat is bigger than mine, but Keith's head is also bigger than mine. I think this one is bigger/longer than the first ombre hat that I made... My gauge was 10 sts/inch rather than 11 sts/inch. Make sure to check your gauge! (I did want this one bigger, so I wasn't too concerned when I realized my gauge was a bit off.)

Keith likes this hat so much that it has replaced the K1B hat I made him ages ago. It is a warmer hat, perfect for Evanston winters. Now my husband and I match as we walk down the street!

Another Skullcap

2012-04-25T16:25:00.001-04:00

Here is another variation of my generic skullcap knitting pattern.... with stripes! I knit this hat as a Christmas present for a member of the family.

Do you want to replicate the striping pattern? Knit the 8 ribbing rounds as directed. Then:

K3 rounds MC
K2 rounds CC
K3 rounds MC
K2 rounds CC
K3 rounds MC
K2 rounds CC

This takes up 15 of the 33 stockinette rows. Knit 18 more rounds and finish up the hat as directed in the pattern.

The hat required 45g of MC (Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool Yarn) and 7 g of CC (KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Worsted, Mink Heather).

Vogue Drop Stitch Scarf

2012-04-22T10:21:00.015-04:00

The moment I saw the #26 Drop Stitch Scarf by Karen Wessel from the Vogue Knitting Spring Summer 2010 I was enamored. I knew that this was something I had to knit.

I choose KnitPicks Shimmer Lace yarn in Bayu (2 skeins held double) on size 3 knitting needles.

The knitting is a bit finicky to get used to. There is ribbing, casting on, dropped stitch and binding off and twisted stitches. Once you get into the rhythm, it is really easy and satisfying to knit. I would definitely make another one.

I was concerned that this was going to take 3 years like my last lace weight scarf, but it turns out that it only took me just over a week! The scarf consumed 73 g of wool with 22 g remaining (9 g in one ball, 13 g in the other).

Since the scarf was knit in ribbing it has a lot of room to grow. It measured 4.5" at the widest point 65" long before blocking, 8" wide and 68" long after blocking.

When I wore this scarf at a party, I received tons of complements on it. I wish I had selected a brighter color so it would work well with sweaters. It looks great with paler colors, but there is not enough contrast with a lot of the other colors that I wear. I suppose I'll just have to make myself another one!

Dan's BC Hat

2012-04-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

I love knitting hats. They are a great project to use to experiment with different techniques. It was a lot of fun to search through different hat patterns using worsted weight yarn as Keith and I attempted to find a hat pattern for everyone on our Christmas list.

Dan has many associations with Boston College. I forget how many of the BC associated schools he attended, but it has been part of his life from childhood- college. I do know that Dan goes to many BC football games, and that the weather can get quite chilly in Massachusetts. Therefore I wanted to make him a hat that would celebrate BC.

I used KnitPick Wool of the Andes (worsted weight) in currant and daffodil; 32 g and 18 grams were consumed of the maroon and gold, respectively. I used size 6 knitting needles. I selected the Turn a Square hat pattern which is a great variation of a striped skullcap. Looking down at the top of the hat, you will see squares rather than circles.

I knit 7 rows of the K2, P2 ribbing. I started the decreases after the 6th gold stripe (the first maroon row after that was the setting up the markers round.)

I was reading about the joggless stripe technique when I had a revelation. All I am doing is making a K1B stitch under the first stitch of the new color. Sure, this still moves the "seam" (or beginning of the round) in a diagonal, but it is nearly invisible!

Showing how the start of the round shifted in a diagonally.

This was a really fun project. I would love to make this hat again with variegated yarns.

Herringbone Cowl

2012-04-16T21:39:00.008-04:00

I had a single skein of Lion Brand Amazing, but had no idea what I should make with it. The yarn was an impulse purchase while I was at Michaels last Thanksgiving, but I don't have enough yardage for many types of projects. (And I don't feel like making another hat.) When I saw the Herringbone Cowl knitting pattern, I was immediately attracted to the texture. I also could see that I would be able to knit until I was out of yarn, allowing me to showcase the entire colorway.

Boooo... there was a knot in the yarn. Thankfully this wasn't noticeable in the knit project, but I was still disappointed by the disruption in the colorway.

Finished size - 21" around (or just over), 6.5 inches wide. I used 47g of yarn, knit with size 9 knitting needles. There really wasn't much left:

I plan to make another cowl, or at least use this stitch pattern again on another project in the future. It is just so lovely!

Rough Sea Shawl

2012-04-13T17:01:00.008-04:00

Rough Sea Shawl requires 360-440 yards of fingering weight yarn. I have 462 yards, assuming that I have 50g in each ball of palette. I have 99 g between the two balls, rather than 100g.. but this should still be enough. (I'm kept my fingers crossed!)

This is my first triangular shawl. I knit the shawl on size 7 needles. In the end, I used 86 g of wool for this project (you can see my notes as I kept weighing what I had left as I knit below.)

I finished the first ball of palette on row 97 (out of 110 before beginning the lace edge)- I am only a tiny bit worried about running out of yarn. However, this is the K2, YO row, and I didn't want to start a new skein of yarn on a YO. Therefore, I made a K2tog with two strands held together to help make the change secure.

After row 110, 35 g remain. I was starting to get concerned that I would run out of yarn, but I knew I could just do two repeats of the lace not three like Remcat put in her chart.
After the first 8 lace rows (repeat #1) - 27 g remain.
After 16 lace rows (repeat #2) - 18 g remaining
Although I had plenty of yarn left to do a third repeat, I decided to just repeat row 1 (or really row 17 of Remcat's chart), do a WS row and then bind off. Looking at pictures of these projects, I like the way the 2 repeats looks a bit better.

Now came the next dillema, how to bind off. In the Polaris shawl, the bind off needed to be tight to provide structure for the shawl, so this wasn't a concern. I therefore decided to do a crochet bind off where I would chain 1 in between each stitch. (I don't really know crochet nomenclature, so this is the best description I can give to what I did!) I used a size H (5mm) hook.

I used my grandma's knitting needles for this project. I have been using these needles for a lot of projects lately because I like feeling like I am holding her hand as I use a tool she also used for so many hours.

One thing I love about knit shawls is that you cannot find them in stores. There are many fantastic knit scarves you can find, but knit lace shawls are so unique that they are bound to be a conversation piece.

Hexipuff Update

2012-04-11T10:55:00.014-04:00

The hexipuffs continue! I seem to use between 12-14 yards per hexipuff (with fingering weight.) At this point I have mostly unique hexagons, I have not yet started creating duplicates (with one exception - I made two out of a self striping sock yarn.)

First symmetric unit

All about lace. I was looking at my leftover lace, wondering what I could do with it. Of course there are doilys and even a remnant lace scarf (I'm thinking of using mostly scraps for an advent scarf.) But then I realized that lace held double is bascially fingering weight. Horray for some lace hexipuffs!

I wanted to join the Mini Skein Mania, so I purchased some hand dyed miniskeins from Mermaid Knitting. My set had 9 colors in it, 6 of the 9 skeins pictured below (but 9 hexipuffs.) There is enough yarn that I should be able to make two hexipuffs from each miniskein, I expect to get 18 hexipuffs total out of this lot

At this rate it is going to take me years to finish this quilt, but didn't I expect that from the beginning? If you want the most up to date information on this project, check out my BeeKeeper's Quilt Ravelry page. I am trying to keep track of the yarns used and yardage consumed. Happy Knitting!

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P.S. Don't forget about the Knitting Project of the Day Submission contest running through April 17. Enter for your chance to win a free copy of the Anemone Coat Check Scarf pattern pdf.

Hermes Winged Baby Socks

2012-04-09T13:57:00.012-04:00

The Greek god Hermes is famous for his winged sandals. I thought that that it would be cute to adapt this image into some baby socks!

The socks are a fast knit, and you can put either one or two wings on each sock to make your favorite baby fly!

Materials

Shine Sport (or other sport weight yarn) in White and Yellow (Cream and Butter were the color names.) This project consumed: 28 g yellow (~62 yards), 15 g white (~33 yards) making two socks and four wings.
Needles -size 2 (2.75 mm) double pointed knitting needles (or round sufficient for magic loop)
Yarn needle for weaving in loose ends
Sewing thread and needle (optional)
Gauge (of sock): 13 sts/2 inches; 17 rows/2 inches over stockinette.
Finished Size - Width: 2.25 inches, toe to heel: 4.5 inches. (Should fit a 3-6 month baby.)

The Pattern for the Baby Socks (Make 2)

The Cuff

Cast on 33 sts. Join to knit in the round.
Knit in 2x1 ribbing (K2, P1 across) for 10 Rounds.
Next Round: K31 sts, SSK (32 sts)
K 14 rounds of stockinette (K all stitches.) A total of 25 rows have been knit at this point.

Short Row Heel - Note: The heel is knit flat in short rows across a total of 16 stitches.

Heel Round 1: K 15, turn (16 sts on the needle - one is left unknit on the needle.)
Heel Round 2: YO, P 14, turn (17 sts)
Heel Round 3: YO, K13, turn (18 sts)
Heel Round 4: YO, P12, turn (19 sts)
Heel Round 5: YO, K11, Turn (20 sts)
Heel Round 6: YO, P10, turn (21 sts)
Heel Round 7: YO, K9, turn (22 sts)
Heel Round 8: YO, P8, turn (23 sts)
Heel Round 9: YO, K7, turn (24 sts)
Heel Round 10: YO, P 6, turn (25 sts)
Heel Round 11: YO, K6, K2tog, turn (25 sts)
Heel Round 12: YO, P7, SSP, Turn (25 sts)

Heel Round 13: YO, K8, K3tog, turn (24 sts)
Heel Round 14: YO, P9, SSSP, turn (23 sts)
Heel Round 15: YO, K 10, K3tog, Turn (22 sts)
Heel Round 16: YO, P11, SSSP, turn (21 sts)
Heel Round 17: YO, K 12, K3tog, turn (20 sts)
Heel Round 18: YO, P 13, SSSP, turn (19 sts)
Heel Round 19: YO, K 14, K3tog, turn (18 sts)
Heel Round 20: S1, P14, SSSP, Turn (16 sts)

Body of the Foot

Next Round: S1, K 14, [S1, M1 stitch from instep, PSSO], K 16 (32 sts)
Next Round: Pick up (but don't knit) one stitch from instep, K2tog with first stitch of the round, K 31. (32 sts)
K 15 rounds.

Toe Decreases

Decrease Round 1: K1, SSK, K10, K2tog, K2, SSK, K10, K2tog, K1 (28 sts)
Decrease Round 2: K across
Decrease Round 3: K1, SSK, K8, K2tog, K2, SSK, K8, K2tog, K1 (24 sts)
Decrease Round 4: K across
Continue pattern as established, decreasing 4 sts in pattern on odd rows, knitting across on even rows until 12 stitches remain. (End on an odd row)
Graft the final stitches together using the Kitchener Stitch.

The Pattern for the Wings - Worked Flat (Make either 2 or 4, depending on how many wings you want on each sock.) You can also refer to the chart below these written instructions.

1. CO 19 stitches.
2. K1, SSK, K15, M1, K1 (19 sts)
3. K1, M1, K18 (20 sts)
4. K1, SSK, K16, M1, K1 (20 sts)
5. K20
6. K17, K2tog, K1 (19 sts)
7. K1, SSK, K13, K2tog, K1 (17 sts)
8. K14, K2tog, K1 (16 sts)
9. K1, SSK, K13 (15 sts)
10. K1, SSK, K11, M1, K1 (15 sts)
11. K1, M1, K1, M1, K13 (17 sts)
12. K1, SSK, K13, M1, K1 (17 sts)
13. K1, M1, K16 (18 sts)
14. K1, SSK, K14, M1, K1 (18 sts)
15. K18
16. K1, SSK, K12, K2tog, K1 (16 sts)
17. K1, SSK, K13 (15 sts)
18. K1, SSK, K9, K2tog, K1 (13 sts)
19. K1, SSK, K10 (12 sts)
20. K1, SSK, K8, M1, K1 (12 sts)
21. K1, M1, K8, K2tog, K1 (12 sts)
22. K1, SSK, K8, M1, K1 (12 sts)
23. K1, M1, K8, K2tog, K1 (12 sts)
24. K1, SSK, K8, M1, K1 (12 sts)
25. K9, K2tog, K1 (11 sts)
26. K1, SSK, K5, K2tog, K1 (9 sts)
27. K1, SSK, K2, K3tog, K1 (6 sts)
28. SSK, K2tog, K2tog (3 sts)
29. K3tog (1 sts)
Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.

The chart summarizes all rows of the wings.

Chart key

Finishing
With yarn needle and yarn (or sewing needle and thread, whatever is your preference, sew the wings onto the socks. I decided the placement of the first wing by pinning the wing on while the sock was stuffed, and then using that placement as a guide for the other sock.

If you are making the two wing version of the socks, make sure you attach the wings to opposite sides of each sock. (you don't want one wing on the outside of the foot, and the other wing on the inside of the other foot!)

Tip: So your little one doesn't actually start flying across wooden floors, make the soles non-stick with puffy paint.

Other Pictures from Construction of the Wings

My initial sketch of the wing.

The graph paper doesn't have the correct gauge for the wings, but I wanted to get a sense of the size relative to the sock.

My attempt of a stockinette wing - it was turning out too large so I adjusted the design to fit the sock better.

The wing pinned onto the sock.

I do not have a model available to show you how these socks fit on a baby. I would love to see pictures!

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Abbreviations Used in this pattern:

WS - Wrong side of the fabric

RS - Right side of the fabric (the side of the project that you will see in the end)

S1 - slip one stitch purlwise
Kfb - increase by knitting into the front and back of a single stitch.
M1 (Make 1)- increase stitch by picking up yarn between two stitches, twisting and knitting.K - knit
P - purl
I-cord - knit stitches on dpn's without ever turning the needle (effectively knitting in the round with a small number of stitches.)
SSK - decrease by slipping two stitches then knitting them together. Alternatively, you could slip one stitch, knit one stitch and pass slipped stitch over.

SSP - Slip two stitches as if to knit, transfer back to the left hand needle. Purl the two slipped stitches together through the back loop.

SSSP - Slip three stitches as if to knit, transfer back to the left hand needle. Purl these three slipped stitches together through the back loop.
K2tog - decrease by knitting two stitches together.

K3tog - decrease by knitting three stitches together. (2 stitches decreased)

Kitchener stitch - a method of grafting live stitches together to make an invisible seam.

Snowflake Hat

2012-04-07T16:19:00.005-04:00

I love the stranded mittens I made from SELBUVOTTER: Biography of a Knitting Tradition with my koolaid dyed yarn. The problem is that these mittens don't really go with any of my hats. I wanted to make a hat to "match" (in color if not pattern.) When I came across the picot hem snowflake hat pattern I thought it was stunning and couldn't wait to cast on.

I knit this hat on size 1 (2.5 mm) knitting needles with KnitPicks Palette yarn. The hat consumed 25 g of the black yarn, and 17 g of my hand dyed yarn. You cannot really tell from this picture, but my stranded knitting was MUCH tighter when I first knit those mittens. (I used the same size needles for both projects.) I'm not sure which I like better, but I will need to pay attention when I begin my first fair isle sweater.

There are two versions of the chart for this hat. The longer version is for 8 rows/inch, but my gauge is closer to 7/7.5 rows per inch. I would rather the hat be too long than too short, but I knew I was going to have to keep a close eye on the length as I went along. When I got to the crown decreases, I followed the revised longer chart until the hat was an appropriate size for my head. I then sped up the decreases (decreasing every round, alternating from the separation pattern and main pattern sections.)

I only made one minor modification to the revised chart (besides the alternate decreases.) I liked the 4 stitch stars on either side of the snowflake from the original chart, so I included those in my hat.

I basted the picot hem under before stitching it to the hat. I wanted to make sure things lined up correctly.

I am in love with this hat. It is a good hat to wear when I don't want to end up with a crease in my hair (and for when I want to coordinate with my favorite mittens!)

Baby Love: 25 Knit & Crochet Projects for Baby

2012-04-05T07:28:00.000-04:00

Baby Love: 25 Knit & Crochet Projects for Baby is the second eBook I was asked to review by FaveCrafts.com. Baby knits and crochets are fun projects because they are fast to complete and are always appreciated by expecting moms. It is always nice to have some fun patterns in your back pocket for when you get a last minute invite to a baby shower!

The patterns in this free eBook include:

Crochet Blankets: 8
Knit Blankets: 3
Toys: 2 (1 knit, 1 crochet)
Hats: 6 (3 knit, 3 crochet)
Booties: 1 crochet
Miscellaneous Baby Items: 5 (3 crochet, 2 knit)

The miscellaneous baby items include a coccon, some soakers and some sweaters. The patterns in this bookk come with charts (where applicable) in addition to written instructions.

This eBook contains a full page ad in the middle of the patterns for the Broomstick Lace (Crochet) Baby Blanket, a darling blanket that is unfortunately not included in this ebook. Thankfully this pattern is still available for free, just through the RedHeart website. I did not include this in my pattern count above.

Overall I think this book has a good balance between knit and crochet baby items. In the last eBook I reviewed, the knit/crochet balance swung heavily to crochet patterns. What about the balance in this book? 16 crochet baby patterns and 9 knit baby patterns. In only one instance (the Cupcake Hats) is there a pattern shown twice, once with knitting and once with crochet instructions. The patterns in the Baby Love eBook are very simple and classic, and many are appropriate for beginners. I think this is a great place to start when you need to knit (or crochet) for a new baby.

Get free craft projects, ideas & special offers + a FREE ebook, “Baby Love: 25 Knit & Crochet Projects for Baby."

Knit a ChemKnits Logo!

2012-04-03T22:36:00.007-04:00

Do you love the new design of ChemKnits as much as I do? Well now you can knit your own ChemKnits logo!

Chart - 49 sts x 10 rows

The Pattern

Caston 59 stitches
Knit in stockinette for 4 rows (K right side rows, P wrong side rows)
Knit 5 stitches, work 49 sts of the first row of the chart, K 5 stitches (The chart is worked from bottom up, right to left on right side rows, left to right on wrong side rows)
P 5 sts, work the second row of the chart, P 5 stiches
Continue until all 10 rows of the chart have been knit.
Knit 4 rows of stockinette. (K right side rows, P wrong side rows)
Bind off K wise.

I hope that you like the new design of the site! There are a few other components (such as the Free Patterns by ChemKnits button) that still need to be redone, but I know I like the new look!

Thank you Little Cotton Rabbits for the C and K of the logo.

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Abbreviations Used in this pattern:
Kfb - increase by knitting into the front and back of a single stitch.
M1 (Make 1)- increase stitch by picking up yarn between two stitches, twisting and knitting.K - knit
P - purl
I-cord - knit stitches on dpn's without ever turning the needle (effectively knitting in the round with a small number of stitches.)
SSK - decrease by slipping two stitches then knitting them together. Alternatively, you could slip one stitch, knit one stitch and pass slipped stitch over.
K2tog - decrease by knitting two stitches together.

KPOTD Submission Contest

2012-04-01T08:25:00.000-04:00

Today Knitting Project of the Day has begun the second year of continuous daily posts. To celebrate this anniversary KPOTD is running a contest! The prize? A digital copy of the Anemone Coat Check Scarf knitting pattern (a $2.50 value).

Anemone Coat Check Scarf

How do you enter? Between today (April 1) and April 17, 2012 nominate a knitting project of the day. What kinds of things should you nominate? It could be a knitting pattern, blog post, yarn, Flickr picture, knitting book, Ravelry project page... the possibilities are endless! Just fill out the nomination form with your name, email, the URL of the project and a brief description of why you think that project deserves to be KPOTD to be entered for a chance to win. You can nominate as many knitting projects as you like, but you will only get one entry into the contest.

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One winner of the KPOTD submission contest will receive the Anemone Coat Check Scarf Knitting Pattern ($2.50 value) for free. Pattern will be delivered through Ravlery to the email address provided on the submission form. This prize is non-transferable. Valid email address and short description of why nominated URL should be featured on KPOTD are required for entry between April 1 and April 17, 2012. No purchase necessary. While multiple KPOTD nominations are encouraged, only one submission will be considered for entry to the contest. The Anemone Coat Check Scarf pattern is © ChemKnits and is intended for personal use. You are not to copy or distribute the pattern without permission from ChemKnits. Winners will be selected with a random number generator. Every entry will be considered for inclusion on Knitting Project of the Day.

January Mystery KAL (Knit-a-long)

2012-03-29T16:10:00.044-04:00

I had so much fun with the Polaris shawl that I decided to join into Susana IC's January mystery knit along. She released the first clue on Jan 8, and I joined in on Jan 11 (plenty of time to finish before the second clue!)

I had two tubes of Toho Round Seed Beads 6/0 'Transparent Rainbow Crystal' 8 Gram (this is my best guess at the color since the label isn't clear), so I figured that this should be enough beads for the project. The transparent crystal color looks great with the yarn. KnitPicks Shadow Kettle Dyed in Altitude (this version of Shadow lace yarn is discontinued.) I was initially going to use a white/pearl colored bead, but since this pattern is a mystery I didn't know how many beads I would need to finish the project.

I think I started with 49 (48 g maybe) of wool. I know that the ball was only a little short but I forget to write down the final number. I will assume 49 g when I do my final yardage calculations.

Clue 1: I finished the first clue the same day that I purchased the pattern. This isn't so surprising since there are only 6 rows of the lace released. I was a little concerned about "nupps"" until I realized that they are just bobbles.

Susana IC designed the first shawl that I made. So far, the major difference between the two is that some of the shape of the hem is apparent from the knitting, where in Polaris it came more from the blocking. 43 g of wool left (*Note that I had gotten 2 sections into row 7 when I remembered to weigh the wool.)

The end of clue 1.

Clue 2: Two minor disappointments from my first impression of clue 2. 1) I only get 8 more rows of the lace pattern, I was hoping that I would get more to work on. (This is what I get for doing a mystery project!) 2) There aren't any more beads in these rows. I love the beads I chose for this project, but if there were only going to be beads on the very edge, then I would have had enough of the white pearl ones.

Don't get me wrong, I still love this project. The suspense of working on it a little bit at a time keeps it fresh and exciting. The nupps are going to look fantastic when it is stretched out and blocked. 37 g remain after this clue has been completed.

Clue 3: Only 8 more lace rows. No more beads or nupps for these new rows. I read on one of the message boards that there are 100 beads (if you leave nupps as they are) required for this project. I am making the medium size, so I've only used 39 beads thus far. There will be some more beads coming up!

31 g remain after clue 3 is complete. Yikes!!!

Clue 4: 14 new rows, wahoo! These rows basically repeat some rows we had previously (not a complaint, just an observation.) There were no more beads or nupps, so maybe they are along the bindoff edge like in Polairs? 24g of wool remaining at the end of this clue.

Clue 5: It is time for short rows! This is the first clue that I didn't start and complete on the day I received it. I was working on another shawlette, and I was almost done with the short rows. I decided that I should finish that project before working on clue 5.

I have been looking at the spoiler thread to try to decide if I want to use beads or nupps on the short rows. I know that there will be beads at the end, and it would be nice to have some in the middle, too. I am going to try alternating beads and nupps, even though I have not seen a photo of this yet. The center nupp (the first one in short rows) will be a bead. Each nupp row had one nupp and one bead (i.e. row 5 the first was a nupp, the second a bead to keep up with the alternating..

When I made my last nupp on either end 3 stitches remained on each side. I did two more rows so I could complete the nupp on the purl side.

14 g remain at the end of clue 5. I will have no problems with yardage on this project! I just hope the shawl will be large enough.

Clue 6: The end! 12 g remain. 37 g (or ~325 yards) were consumed in this project. I used less than one tube of beads (maybe 50/60% of one tube.)

I think I could have made the large version with the amount of yarn I have left. I prefer the size of my polairs to this shawl, but I have not blocked it yet. I know it will grow with blcoking, but the bind off is tight (per pattern instructions) so that won't grow too much. I expected to have a lot less yarn left over....

Unblocked (but stretched with my feet) the bind off edge (no sides included) is 34 inches.

Finishing: This time I remembered to weave in my loose ends before blocking. Once the shawl was blocked, I was no longer concerned about the size. Sure, a little larger would be nice, but it is definitely not too small to be useful.

I wasn't sure how I liked the top edging. I liked the simple beads, but I thought the K and P rows were asymmetric in respect to the beads. Once the shawl was blocked, this was no longer an issue and I am so happy I followed the pattern instructions!

The top edge of the shawl unblocked (left) and blocked (right). The beads are really subtle.

This shawl is stunning. I had some slight doubts about the design while I was knitting, but once it was blocked I fell completely in love. (The doubts weren't about the beauty of the shawl, but more about whether or not it was my taste.) I still don't know the name, but it reminds me of spring and tulips.

What are the benefits of a mystery KAL? (Besides the fact that it is fun!) You get the pattern at a reduced price. The pace is slow so you don't get frustrated by a project, and are able to work on other things in between. I would definitely make this shawl again, and I hope there is another mystery KAL soon!

Polaris

2012-03-26T11:01:00.000-04:00

The feather and fan scarf took me three years to complete. I was hesitant to start another lace project, but I am so attracted to many lace patterns that I knew I should just bite the bullet and get started. (I also had a positive experience when I knit a lace doily.)

For my first lace shawl, I selected Polaris designed by Susanna IC. I had a skein of Knitpicks Shadow Lace Atlantic Kettle-Dyed and 6/0 Czech Glass beads in Hematite. I started with a 24g of beads and I used over 75% of them.

My ball of yarn was short (I forgot to record the starting number, but I think it was around 47 g) so I was very concerned about running out of yarn. My gauge was a little small, but given my yardage concerns I decided to proceed. I used the twisted loop cast on method onto size 10 needles and then purled 1 row (with size 7 needles) before starting the charts.

Some notes from while I was knitting

Before starting row 25 of the chart I only have 27 g of wool left... I'm getting a little nervous that I may run out of yarn. since I am not close to 50% done with theproject.
After the lace chart (before the short rows), I had only 13 g of wool remaining, so I decided that I needed to make some modifications to reduce the amount of yarn I would need for the rest of the project. On Row 44 I added a double decrease to each repeat. (reducing 30 sts) Just in case this didn't work out well, I put a safety line in so I could frog the project without redoing all of the lace. Unfortunately, I forgot about the markers as I added the safety line, so the markers I started out with ended up attached to the safety line, too.
I did some calculations on how to do the short rows, and I ended up with: K111, turn. P 11, turn. K10, ssk, K5 turn. etc. (adding 5 on each round)
I was going to end up decreasing too many stitches (even with my careful calculations), so when there were 46 sts left to go on each side of the short row, I knit 7 past the ssk or p2tog. I ended up with the same number of stitches at the end of the short rows as was indicated in the pattern.
After the short rows, I had 7 g left.
After top lace chart, 4 g
After bind off 3 g. Could I have made it? Maybe, but I really like the way the shawl came out. It is pretty small right now, but I haven't blocked it yet.

Blocking is definitely necessary for this project. As you can see from the following pictures, this doesn't look very delicate yet!

I used my grandmother's point protecters to keep the stitches from slipping off when I wasn't working on the project. The rhythm of the lace pattern was really easy to find, and it went really fast. The slowest part about the lace was adding the beads individually. Once I started the short rows, the project sped up considerably.

I forgot to weave in the loose ends before blocking (because I was so excited to stretch it out.) It ended up not being a problem this time, but next time I will make sure I don't forget to take care of this important detail first!

I need to get a non-clear ruler so you can see it better next to projects to get a sense of scale. You can barely see the ruler on the rug above the top edge of the scarf below. You cannot really see it at all on the above picture when it is on top of the shawl.

It is STUNNING! I could not be happier with how this shawl came out, and I cannot wait to start my next lace project.

P.S. I have a funny story about this shawl. I wore it to a bar for my friend Andy's 30th birthday party, and a stranger stopped me on the way to the bathroom. She pulled me aside to ask if I knit the shawl myself. When I replied that I had, she got all excited and was complementing the bead work. I was able to give her some pointers, and then we went on our way. This is the first time I have been pulled aside about something that I made myself!