NorthThirty-Fourth

2012-11-14T15:30:00.003-06:00

Does anyone else's dog like to model as much as mine does. Seriously. He's a diva.

Recent FOs

2012-08-12T19:48:00.001-05:00

Mock rib watchman's cap

Yarn: gift from etsy

My kind of town cowl

Yarn: cozy wool

FO: Aviatrix

2012-02-28T08:59:00.002-06:00

I haven't been knitting much lately. The weather has been unseasonably warm, so that means I daydream about sundresses, bikinis, and kayaking instead of cowls, fair isle, and double-points. However, I have been working on a few projects and finished one last night.

My parents have some friends in China that just had a baby. Babies are good knitting inspiration. I love making tiny hats, booties, and sweaters. Everything is cuter when it's tiny :)

Pattern: Aviatrix

Size: Worsted Newborn

Needles: Sz 8 straights

Yarn: 1/2 a skein left over from a friend's project.

It's been a while...

2012-01-15T11:03:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've been on the blog -- that's about to change.

Having a full time job leaves me with less time for blogging, but I LOVE what I do.

I'll be blogging more about my knitting projects and new patterns. I'll even start blogging more about my life :).

You can find me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/north34th/

and Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/North34thKnits

I Need Your Help!

2011-04-01T10:38:00.000-05:00

I need your help! I'm about to finish up a project (yay!), but I can't decide what project to start next.

I LOVE this sweater, but I would be pretty much limited to wearing it only in the spring/summer.

Drops Sweater

I also LOVE this sweater and it's been in my faves forever. I could wear it pretty much year round because it would be great for layering.

Shawl Collar Sweater

I have enough Berroco Vintage DK in Chana Dal to make either of these sweaters

Right now I'm leaning towards the shawl collar sweater, but my mind changes by the minute!

What I'm Craving

2011-03-17T12:05:00.003-05:00

Ravelry: Off-the-Shoulder Pullover pattern by Vladimir Teriokhin

ravelry.com

Ravelry: 130-5 Sweater with breast pocket and sleeve flaps in ”Cotton...

ravelry.com

Ravelry: Amber pattern by Lisa Richardson

ravelry.com

Ravelry: Mily cardigan pattern by Che

ravelry.com

Ravelry: Summer Vest pattern by Julie Beatty

ravelry.com

Ravelry: Gray Lace Cowl pattern by Lion Brand Yarn

ravelry.com

Ravelry: Canaletto Cowl pattern by Megan Goodacre

ravelry.com

Spring is here at NorthThirty-Fourth and I'm craving effortless pieces that will transition into summer. I need to finish what's currently on my needles so I can dive into these projects. The best part is that all these patterns are FREE on ravelry.

What patterns are you drooling over on ravlery?

All Wrapped Up -- Bow Headband

2011-02-03T11:18:00.009-06:00

All of the snow we've been getting lately has inspired me to write a new pattern. I can't have enough headbands -- and this one has a bow!

Description:

A headband/earwarmer worked flat using short rows to accomplish shaping. NOTE: wrap stitches if you want to avoid holes in your knitting that come from knitting short rows.

Materials:

Worsted weight yarn, approximately 150 yards.

Needles:

Size 8 straight needles

Ravelry Link to Project

Headwrap:

CO 80 stitches (cable cast on if you have a loose gauge like me)

Work in a 1x1 rib for 4 rows

Row 5: knit

Row 6: purl until 5 stitches remain, turn

Row 7: knit until 5 stitches remain, turn
Row 8: purl until 7 stitches remain, turn

Row 9: knit until 7 stitches remain, turn

Row 10: purl until 9 stitches remain, turn

Row 11: knit until 9 stitches remain, turn

Row 12: purl until 11 stitches remain, turn

Row 13: Knit until 11 stitches remain, turn

Row 14: Purl until 9 stitches remain, turn

Row 15: knit until 9 stitches remain, turn

Row 16: purl until 7 stitches remain, turn

Row 17: knit until 7 stitches remain, turn

Row 18: purl until 5 stitches remain, turn

Row 19: knit until 5 stitches remain, turn

Row 20: purl to end

Row 21: knit to end

Work in a 1x1 rib for 4 rows

Bind off loosely
Mattress stitch sides together

Bow:

CO 15 stitches

Work in St st until piece measures 8 inches

BO
Seam BO edge to CO edge

Wrap with yarn to create bow and sew to the smallest portion of the headwrap. Weave in all ends.

Happy Knitting!

Snow Day!

2011-02-01T14:39:00.000-06:00

We are snowed in here at North Thirty-Fourth! We've experienced record setting snowfall and it's still coming down!

I love knitting and drinking coffee while it snows. It's so appropriate.

Here are some of my latest FOs:

A cowl for a friend:

Americano Vest:

Both projects took way too long to finish. I needed a break after my marathon knitting before Christmas.

Snow Pic:

Yes, the snow is about halfway up our fence!

Stay warm!

Project Preview!

2011-01-26T10:46:00.000-06:00

Here's a preview of my latest FO.

More to come later.

Life Changing

2011-01-17T10:57:00.000-06:00

This is one of the most amazing gifts I got for Christmas. I've wanted a yarn bowl for a while, but it's something I wouldn't buy for myself. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law picked this out for me. Such an amazing and thoughtful gift, especially from non-knitters.

This is life changing! I knit nearly everyday and it's made my knitting so much smoother.

New Year, New Resolutions

2011-01-04T09:48:00.000-06:00

I love New Years. It's one of my favorite holidays. I think this is because I'm a very goal oriented person. I love making goals and accomplishing them. I've never understood the people that don't make New Year's resolutions. It's a time when you can take an honest look at your life, habits, and goals. A time to reflect on the past and change yourself for the better.

I only make one resolution per year, but I keep it. No matter how hard it is to keep my resolution, I do it. Last year my resolution was to cut out fast food. I did allow Chick-fil-a as an exception -- it's just too good. I completed my goal and I will never go back to eating fast food. This also inspired me to take a better look at my diet. I'm not perfect in this regard, but I have made serious changes towards becoming the health nut that I've always wanted to be.

I pick resolutions that I want to make lifelong habits. This year my resolution is to workout at least three times a week. This goal is realistic enough that I can maintain it throughout the year.

Happy 2011!

It's better to give

2010-12-22T17:54:00.000-06:00

I'm finally done with all of my Christmas gifts. I can't say with certainty that I'll knit Christmas gifts ever again, but I really enjoyed it this year. I scouted ravelry searching for the perfect pattern for everyone on my list. I hope everyone gets as much joy out of the gifts as I got from knitting them.

These mittens were the last gift that I knitted up. They are my favorite. I love the pale grey tweed, the seed stitch straps, and the adorable red buttons. I know my sister-in-law will just love them.

My hopes for Christmas:

- Relax with family

- Spend time with my husband

- Not think about my thesis for two whole days :)

Sneak Peek

2010-12-14T23:07:00.000-06:00

Here's a little preview of my Christmas knitting:

15 projects complete and 5 to go.

Christmastime is here:

2010-12-05T22:17:00.000-06:00

We are sprucing up NorthThirty-Fourth and pulling out all of our Christmas gear. This year we are getting a real tree. I haven't had a real tree since I was a kid. Although we haven't gotten the tree yet, I made a skirt for it. The materials were less than five dollars! Here's the tutorial:

Materials:

1.5 Yards of Fabric

Ribbon

Remnant Fabric (optional)

I should preface this post, I'm a knitter not a sewer.

Step One: Cut a 37 inch diameter circle

Step Two: Cut a 6 inch diameter circle in the middle of your fabric

Step Three: Cut a straight line from the inner circle to the edge of your fabric and pin a 1/2 inch seam

Step Four: Cut four 15 inch strips of ribbon. Pin one set 1/3 of the way up the opening and pin the second set 2/3 up the opening.

Step Five: Sew your 1/2 inch seam

Seams and Ribbons

Finished Product: Front. I added a snowflake to give the skirt some character.

Finished Product: Ribbon Closure

If you don't have a sewing machine you can still make this skirt. Get some embroidery floss and do a blanket stitch around the edge. Sew on the ribbons by hand, and embellish as you like.

20 Days 'til Christmas

Weekend Knitting

2010-11-27T23:06:00.001-06:00

Today I cast on for Abalone. My LYS has a sample knitted up in their store. I fell in love with this pattern instantly, but I thought with all my Christmas knitting that I'd have to wait to cast on. However, I checked out my FO basket yesterday and realized that I'm nearly done with all my Christmas gifts! With the semester ending this upcoming week I decided to give abalone a go.

The pattern involves a little bit of math. I'm a math whiz so I didn't have any problems with it. If any of you have problems with the math just let me know and I can work it out for you. I'm using Berroco Vintage worsted weight yarn...again. I absolutely love the drape of this yarn, the color selection, and the price! I purchased three skeins in the sloe berry shade. I hope to finish by Christmas.

Happy Knitting and Boomer Sooner!

Gap Cowl Scarf Pattern

2010-11-22T13:20:00.000-06:00

I love Gap's cowl scarf:

image

It seems like the rest of America loves it too because it's sold out. I wanted a simple cowl like this but in a bright color.

So I wrote an easy pattern.

Supplies:

Needles: Size 13

Yarn: Any bulky weight, 200 yards

Crochet Hook: optional for border

Needle to weave in ends

With waste yarn and provisional cast on method, cast on 15 Stitches

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Purl

Rows 3-177: Work in Seed stitch, *k1 p1, repeat from * to end

Row 178: Purl

Row 179: Knit

Undo the provisional cast on and Kitchener stitch ends together.

An optional crochet border can be added.

Finished Product:

Kitchener Stitch:

This is the perfect cowl to keep you warm over the holidays.

I've Never Been to Heaven

2010-11-16T18:43:00.000-06:00

...But I've been to Oklahoma.

Here are some pictures from my fieldwork in the Ouachita Mountains.

The Ouachitas were beautifully dotted with green, yellow, orange, and red trees.

The weekend away gave me time to finish a cowl scarf. It's a knock off of the Gap Cowl Scarf. I'll post a pattern soon.

Now back to my Christmas knitting...sigh.

An Introduction

2010-11-11T08:33:00.000-06:00

NorthThirty-Fourth is my home. A nice little place somewhere between the city and the country where I relax and create with friends and family. I love that when I drive to school or work I pass open fields full of cattle and wildflowers. My sleepy little town in the mid-west is just what I need to bring simplicity to my chaotic life.

This is my favorite room. It's where I read, create, work, and relax. It's vibrant enough to stimulate my creativity, but serene enough to not interfere.

Hopes for this blog:

-To inspire creativity

-To demonstrate the simple life

-To share my passions