Sunday Thoughts

It is a gorgeous sunny, not too chilly Sunday and though I'm kind of sleepy, I'm very content and making some progress on a couple of projects while I work on clearing off one of my PVRs to ready it for an upgrade.

I have found I do best when I have 3 or 4 projects going at once. I'm sure I'm not the first person to make this discovery... I'm just pleased at how well it works. I am still knitting all of the time but I switch it up a couple times an day.

I'm really enjoying the Fake Isle Hat, it is easy as pie but because it is my first time doing any type of fair isle I have to concentrate on what I'm doing. Oddly I am finding the Lizard Ridge Blanket squares less fun because they require more concentration than I usually give to knitting. There is a nice feeling of achievement for keeping the count right though LOL

I have yet to start the Shawl for my mom but I am kind of intimidated by it while still being excited. I will start it at some point very soon. I should start by planning my striping and lettering the yarn colours and copying a workable version out of the book. I wonder if my mom realizes she was finishing the last colour choice for her own gift, it did make things easier. I told her it was for a high end throw...

I also need to get more of my socks done. I can't keep wearing the same pair of my heavy socks or I'll wear them out quickly. I'm at least working on my Christmas socks.

Christmas Present Prep

Well the decisions have been made, a lot of the yarn has been bought and the knitting for Christmas has begun. Now I just need to focus.

True Blood is keeping me far more distracted than it should.... I'm obsessed...

Life Goes On

Well it took me almost 20 extra days but I finally finished the sun hat and boy I am disappointed in how it turned out. Because of some mistakes on the cast off my tube didn't turn out proper all the way around and thus has incredible trouble getting the cord threaded through. The hat looks really cute when it's in blocking position, sitting on a flat spot with the brim spread nicely....

But because I had to pull the cord out of the tube and then decided to wrap yarn around the cord instead, the cord wasn't pulled taught and the whole edged became heavy and VERY rippled. Even with a lot of starch and some ironing, the hat looks more like a bonnet then a sunhat.

I make a second attempt at the hat after Christmas and this time REALLY concentrate on the bind off, not try to do most of it while keeping watch over a franchisee removal.

But yes, life goes on...

I am working on a plan for a messenger type bag. It will be a combo of so far three patterns.

I have also finally found the yarn for my mom's shawl!! It was very exciting! I just have to plan the stripe pattern or get another colour so I can follow the pattern better.

Not bad for a day of travelling!

July Assignments

My own record of finished assignments for my July HPKCHC classes...

Astronomy: Handed in!

Herbology Complete as well! Well actually it is counted as started only. I need to spin more and if I feel up to it I'll knit something for it as well.

Potions: My tiny little good luck charm bag is done and handed in now too!

Charms: Duplicate bookmarks handed in!

First Spin

My hands, arms and thighs are still sore and I'm exhausted. I need to practice more!

But all in all I'm rather pleased with my progress at spinning for the first time. I'd have been better off just working with the roving that came with my spindle and learn to spin kit but I wanted to try for a colour mix so I ended up with two different textures of roving and trying to learn to blend and such on my first attempt was a mistake. But I am hopeful it will get me full marks in my Herbology assignment.

Hard work though. I'm not totally disheartened and will try again. I think it's good I didn't try dyeing too LOL I'd probably have shot myself by now!

I suppose I'm not helped along by my need to be perfect and seeing that my yarn looks too tight in some places, way too loose in others and goes from near thread weight to super bulky has me a bit twitchy but I'm being good and not giving up or unraveling it and/or pitching it out. It's like therapy!

HPKCHC July Classes

Not a good sign that I still have 7 of the 10 socks to knit for my OWL project due the end of this month but I did finally get my Quidditch Wristies done!

I also frogged the 1/3 of a panel for my bag because i decided I want to to that trick of slipping the first stitch of each row to make a nice edge to be able to sew up the seam easier, perhaps with a fancy edge in a contrasting colour.

I need to stick to smaller projects this month, I think. Steph gave me a WICKED idea for Muggle Studies!

So here goes the planning!

Muggle Studies: A neck tie and collar for Buddy and his daddy to wear on their Muggle outings

Charms: A pair of identical bookmarks

DADA: WOW a Brain wave just as I was typing this (oddly a deja vu too) a sun hat in Lavender and Brown stripes!

Potions: I plan to make a small drawstring bag of sorts with a sparkly yarn

Astronomy: Will will be making a hair-band either another sparkly yarn or perhaps a beaded or sparkly boucle yarn

Herbology: I'm not sure what to do for this. My wand is solid bloodwood with an essence of Phoenix ash. I do have that roving that is brownish grey with a hint of blue that I could add some colour too. Some maroon and some orange then spin it!

OK So That is pretty good planning there! Now to get going! It is going to be a busy month!

Simple Soap Sock

While working on something for my mom I inadvertently created something quick and easy and fairly pretty, if I may say so myself.

I haven't found one on Ravelry to match persay so maybe I can have my first pattern available on their!

Here's the fab creation, and it only took me about 2 hours with various phone calls and work emails mixed in...


Simple Soap Sack

I used an Ivory Beauty bar as the soap but any bar of soap you prefer.
US #7 DPN
Mission Falls 1824 Cotton in Maize with a hint of Lichen for the cords
Tapestry Needle for weaving in ends

Abbreviations"
yo - Yarn Over to increase
k2tog - Knit 2 stitches together to decrease

CO 30 and join in the round
Knit even for 5 rounds
Rnd 6: *yo, k2tog* repeat between * to end (drawstring row)
Knit even for 7 rounds
Rnd 14: *yo, k2tog* repeat between * to end
Rnd 15: knit even
Rnd 16: *k2tog, yo* repeat between * to end
Rnd 17: knit even
Rnd 18: *yo, k2tog* repeat between * to end
Knit even for 5 rounds
Rnd 24: *yo, k2tog* repeat between * to end
Rnd 25: knit even
Rnd 26: *k2tog, yo* repeat between * to end
Rnd 27: knit even
Rnd 28: *yo, k2tog* repeat between * to end
Knit even for 7
Rnd 35: *yo, k2tog* repeat between * to end (drawstring row)
Knit even for 5 rounds
Bind off all stitches

Make 3 cords 12" long. I chose to braid contrasting coloured yarn.

Weave one cord at either end of sock with soap bar inside and use the third cord to make a loop for hanging sock and soap to dry after use.

I think it goes really well with the Flower Power Wash Cloth I whipped up the other night.
































This is my first improvised pattern so please be kind if you find faults in it. That said, I'm open to constructive criticism ;-)