ripples,

well, I had to frog the ripple #1 . Turns out my gauge was slowly relaxing as I worked on it. I didn't notice untill I liad it out flat ,so I could measure it. It would have been a lovely rainbow shape if I had kept going. My chain row or first row of crochet was super tight because I was struggling to get it right when I first started but then as I became more comfortable It became loose and relaxed. Not a good thing for a blanket. So I took it apart. It's so sad how quickly you can take apart something that took so long to make. I restarted it this morning.

what a difference the yarn makes

This is the original Ripple . Ripple #1 I'm using red heart soft and a size j hook. It's about 20 inches wide and 55inches long. Or maybe I should say 20 inches long and 55 inches wide ?? And a close up. It's not laying flat on the table it's all bunched up. That's why the rows look uneven. The colors are not looking too good in this photo either.

This is Ripple #2 I'm using Manos del Uraguay and a 10mm addi hook. I think that's a N. This yarn has thick and thin sections and so it changes the over all look of the blanket. The hook size makes it a faster project but the variation in yarn thickness makes it harder to see the stitches and eisier to make a mistake.

The yarns are hand dyed so you also have variations in the colors on the yarn. The dark green band that is between the light green and ecru is a varigated green blue color combo.

Then #3 I started because I was teaching someone how to make a ripple and it was eaisier to just start from the beginning. This is a cotton poly yarn with alot of stretch to it, very very soft. It's called schulana super cotton ( I think) If I keep going on this one it will be a scrap aphgan. I

don't think I'd be able to find enough of this yarn to make a whole one. I don't think I'd want to spend the money to even try. I haven't seen very many ripples that use a variety of yarn types. I'm wondering if I can very the yarn gauge slightly without to much trouble. This yarn is a thick worsted. I'm using a 7 mm addi hook ( K )

And I finally made a decision ( I think) It's going to be green gable next. using cotton fleece The color is Nymph.

G and I have been trying to put together out LOST puzzle but we keep running into a challenge.

He hides pieces too. This puxxle is one of the 4 that came oout for last season. I got them for $1 at Barnes and Noble after Christmas. I only bought two but wish I had bought all 4 because after you put the puzlle together you put all f together and flip them over to see a map on the back. That's probably only cool to people who are into LOST.

I'm so far behind

I am so very far behind on everything. I am so far behind that I just finished listening to Inspirational wed and its FRIDAY. I spent all day doing laundry so that my child doesn't have to spend the weekend in her PJ's and I finially made it to the store so that we don't have to have dry cereal for dinner. I am so looking forward to monday and a day off I can't even tell you how happy I am. I did something stupid this week and injured my shoulder so I'm trying to be carefull with it. I think I probably just pulled a muscle and it will be fine after a few days. My family is yelling at me to go to the doctor but I am not about to spend the money to have some one take a quick look and then tell me I pulled a muscle and should take some tylenol and let it heal. I can spend the money at the yarn store and tell myself to take some tylenol and let it heal.
If it still hurts next Tuesday I'll make an appointment.
Knitting: I' was thinking about starting the boatneck cardigan from fitted knits but then after seeing all the cute summer tanks out now I may start one of thoes instead. I also really like the green gable that adrienne just finished.
Crocheting: I have been working away on my ripple I also started another one in Manos de uraguay (all wool) it's a thick and thin hand dyed yarn. It's a non proft organization that helps to bring opportunities to rural women. I'll check and see if they have a website for more info. I bought it at my LYS.
Srapping: I found some basic grey paper packs on clearence and had to buy them also a pack of Amy butler and wild asaragus. Hopefully I will be inspired to get some work done.

Hopefully there will be a sewing post comming very soon. HAppy weekend!!

Where have I been?

I know it's been forever since my last post. I have been really really busy this week. Working mostly. I also got my teaching assignment for summer school and it's gonna be a challenge this year. I have a combo class 2nd through 5th grade. That's such a huge range of ages. and I'm expecting a large class about 36 students. I still have my other teaching job in the evenings as well. Ok enough about that. I'm rippling although I've done as much RIPPING as I have rippling it seems. It's still fun though. I'll try to get some pict's up soon. I cut out a skirt for SWAP but haven't had anytime to sew it. I think it's 4695 simplicity.

Inspirational wed had some great free pattern listed this week if you want to knit up a summer tank go look. I do not need to start any new projects. thank you very much. will see how long I can hold out before picking one and ordering yarn.

New McCalls patterns are out. That's all the news I've got for today.

Happy Mothers Day

So what am I doing on Mothers day? Eating cake for lunch and helping my DD build a model of a ship for her history project. I'm also searching all the cats hiding places for my crochet hook that went missing sometime this morning. Strange cat!
I am still hoping to get some sewing in today.

Friday

I got an email today from Anthropologie and I love this bag. I wonder how hard it would be to make something similiar.

I'm glad it's friday, although I have to work today and tommorow so I won't actually get to enjoy any freetime untill Sunday. I've been doing laundry every night after work so that I don't have to spend mothers day doing it. I'd like to do some sewing but will see.

I will be really surprised if my family remmembers it's mothers day.

Fabrics, inspiration and ripples

Swap fabrics: Left to right, Black denim, Charcoal cotton twill, this next one is a print from Georgous things, it's actuall black with a pale blue swirl, ( this is a maybe) next is a rayon black with white poka dots, White eyelet and a solid white cotton for linning ( not shown) the last is a black rayon linning ( I might need it with the poka dot) I also have a black linene with a white embroidered print in the wash. And somewhere I have a black knit fabric ( poly rayon spndex) I think.

While I was searchingf in my STASH for my missing black fabric and something for a jacket I can across several solid cottons. I pulled out these. There just sitting on my desk for now. Inspiration, maybe.

Here is the Ripple, 6 colors down. Just out of curiousity I was wondering if I could knit a ripple faster then I can crochet one. I had some NORO kereyon leftover from a felted bag I made a couple years ago so I cast on using this pattern "frangipani" page 116 of the ripple pattern book.

I think this is a size 10 needle., Maybe a 32 inch. I need a longer one

you can see how squished the stitches are right now. I have only done 2 rows. If I decide I like it I'll get a longer needle a 47 would be nice. I don't think Knit picks makes them that long but I know addi does.

Yes, I did a swatch first!!

Remember this yarn ? The green and blue ones.

Well, I held then together to make this. It's the Carrie cropped cardigan from fitted knits pg 55
I just tried it on. ( haven't started the sleeves)

Isn't the yarn pretty??

I thought so. Guess what ? it doesn't fit. So it now looks like that first picture except the two yarns are rolled together in one ball.

So now what?

I could knit it in a larger size or I could pick another pattern or I could leave it in the bag and do something else. I'll have to think on it.

Blanket making

I have been working away on my Ripple. Here is a picture from saturday. I have 2 more colors added as of today. I'm using red heart soft. Usually I cringe at the thought of red heart but this is really soft stuff. It's also really cheap and washable. Perfect for a couch blanket. I had a really tuff time getting started on this but now I have it down ( I think).

Here is my pile of yarn before I started crocheting. Don't you love yarn

piles!! I do.
This reminded me of the other blanket I tried to make. Last year I became totally obsessed with knitting mitered squares for the mitered square blanket from Mason Dixon. I stayed up late, ignored all other projects and made squares. Here is an old picure I took of the first two I made.

Hmm, what happen to that project. Oh yes I remmember I got really tired of knitting squares. I have a pile of them and a pile of left over cotton classic in a drawer somewhere. I bet you would even find a half finished square on the needles and even the book in there as well.

I think I made maybe 13 or so.

Hmmm. now that I think about it, there was a knitted blanket in cascade 100% wool. It was made up of large squares each square was a different pattern. It's in browns and blues maybe some green. I think I finished 1/2 of that one.

So what happens with all these blankets? It would apper that I started all of them during the cold season and then it gets HOT. Who wants to knit a blanket when its HOT. A smart person would pull out the previously started blanket and finish it the following year.

That doesn't sound like as much fun as starting something new does.

So,, I'm thinking I'd better crochet that ripple pretty darn fast because it was 90 today. That's kinda HOT.

Swap

I have started a rough plan of what I will be doing for Swap.

I'm thinking about this vogue jacket as a maybe. Or I may use simplicity 4695 or I may keep looking.

This bottom vogue pattern will be one of the tops and a skirt. ( see the green outfit on the pattern)I will shorten the skirt. I want to make them in a print so that worn together they look like a dress but then they can be worn apart. This may not make it into the final swap, depends on what fabric I find and if it will go with the other pieces.

This is going to be cut out first. I have a dark charcoal cotton twill, pretty light weight. I plan to make the sleeveless version.

This one I have the white cotton eyelet and a white cotton linning for. I am making the white sleeveless dress on the cover. I also have plans to make a contrast color tie but I need to look at my other swap colors first.

In the prevous swap post you see two simplicity patterns: 4695 and 4194 they will be used.

here is a very rough draft for my Swap :
I plan on making three dresses:
1. Butterick 4386 in a charcoal black light weight twill
2. Simplicity 3877 in white eyelet view c
3. not sure yet possible kwik sew 3520 or 3521
4 tops:
1. Simplicity 4589
2. Simplicity 4695\
3. Vogue 8209
4. New look 6677 maybe

3 Bottoms:
skirt Vogue 8209
Skirt Simplicity 4695 in black denim
shorts simplicity 4194

1 jacket
I'm not sure yet maybe simplicity 4695 or 4194 or vogue 2942
I should also make a shrug or cardigan to go with all these sleeveless tops and dresses.

looking for something

While I was out of town last weekend I went in a Joanns and while I was there I looked through the scrapbook department. They had a kit for making a recipe box in the scrapbook style. I did'nt buy it because it was $20 .
The more I think about it the more I think I would like to make one for my daughter, She took home ec last year and has really started to get interesed in cooking. I would like to include all the receipes that my family makes. Especially now that I have lost two Grandparents I feel like I need to hold on to the receipes and pass them on.
I was then thinking that it might also be a nice gift for my cousin who is getting married.
The thing is I really wish I could find a picture of what the kit looked like. Or a picture of a similiar idea. I wish I had a Joanns around here so I could go look it over again.
I have been trying to find it on the website but I can't seem to find it.

What I learned this week

I learned a few things this week:

Working extra hours is good once in awhile
Working extra hours everday is not so good.

Going to work early to help your coworkers get the work done is ok.
Going to work early so your coworkers can goof off while you do all the work SUCKS.

Working on your Ripple blanket while listening to an podcast is great.
Working on you Ripple while watching LOST is BAD, very very BAD.

I had to start over AGAIN. I think I've got it now though.