Sandra Whittington

Pebbles and Stones Hat

Hi everyone! This pattern is for a hat I like to call “Pebbles and Stones,” due to the use of the rice stitch (resembles pebbles) and the baubles at the top (resemble stones). The first hat I made with this pattern was knit with Shepherd’s Wool, Worsted, in Lakeshore. I bought it at one of my favorite yarn stores… and I am in love! It was $13.50 for 250 yards, but let me tell you - it’s worth it! The yarn is soft and squishy, and I am really excited to give it to my 80 year old Aunt Toddie.

Materials:

• You can use any kind of worsted weight yarn you want, using approximately 160 yards.
• US sz 8 circular, 16 inches
• Stitch marker

Let’s Begin!

1. Cast on 91 sts, join ends together, making sure not to twist. Add placemarker to remind you where the beginning/end of the row is.
2. Work in k1 p1 for 1.5 inches

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[Rice Stitch, see pattern below]

3. knit one row

4. *k1 p1*

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5. Follow rice stitch pattern 1.5 more times.

6. Knit 8 rows

7. Rice stitch 5 times

8. Knit 7 rows

9.Rice stitch 2 times

10. Knit 1 row

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11. Bauble Row:

1. Knit 5
2. YO + k1 THREE TIMES into the next stitch (your one stitch is now six stitches!)
3. Turn, slip first stitch purlwise, purl 5 sts
4. Turn, slip first stitch, knit 5 sts
5. Turn, P2 together 3 times (your six stitches are now three stitches!)
6. Turn, slip first stitch, knit next two stitches
7. Pull the first stitch you slipped from the RIGHT needle over the other stitches. You now have two stitches left.
8. Slip the last two stitches onto the left needle, then knit 2 together.

Repeat the Bauble Pattern all the way around!

12. *Knit 7, k2tog*

13. *k1, p1*

14. *Knit 6, k2tog*

15. knit

~Repeat rows 14 and 15, decreasing by 1 on every decrease row.

16. Make a yarn pom pom, I used Prudent Baby’s tutorial.

Weave in all ends and enjoy!!!

Space Research Assignment

Assignment: You have 5 objects. They must be smaller than a breadbox, and somewhat interesting. You must reconstruct these items with other materials, but you cannot paint or draw on it.

My items:
Wool yarn // handspun magazine yarn

lightbulb // lightbulb made with glue, yarn, and bottlecaps

fake heart // yarn, hot glue, washer, and nail heart

toilet paper roll // receipt toilet paper!

My least favorite…

Goldeneye // lame magazine version. Still to be edited.

Mayday Yarn Bombing!

Mayday Yarn Bombing @ Admiral Way Viewpoint was a blast.  Nice peeps, fun/ knitted/ flowery designs, a beautiful viewpoint, and GORGEOUS weather! What more could we have asked for? As we were installing, people were looking over from their cars, chatting with us, talking about the pretty piece of art, and taking pictures. It looks great, and I’m really glad I was a part of this fun yarn bombing evening!

The official yarncore link to the May Day yarn bomb: http://yarncore.com/2011/05/01/happy-may-day-yarn-bomb/

Two blog posts about the installation (it hasn’t even been 24 hours yet!):

1. http://westseattleblog.com/2011/05/west-seattle-weekend-scenes-new-yarn-bomb-bmxers-on-alki

2. http://blogs.forbes.com/carolinehoward/2011/04/30/names-you-need-to-know-yarn-bombing/

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Picture Time!

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The following pictures weren’t taken by me, but they’re great. So I thought I’d share!

YarnBombing

To keep myself busy, I have been dedicating myself to yarn bombing.  The first yarnbomb is for Chalk the Walk, an event in Mt. Vernon, Iowa (where I went to school until this past December).  While visiting my friends, I went to the new yarn shop called ‘Ben & Flo’s’ (named after the owner’s two cats).  The owner of the store urged me to participate in the yarnbomb, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I don’t even go to school in Iowa… Anyway, so I have been working really hard on those squares for Chalk the Walk, and I will send them tomorrow. I hope they make it in time.  I included my first bits of hand-spun yarn, knitted into little squares for the event. In total, I think there are about 9 squares, ranging in size from 12x9 inches to 2x5 inches. I hope the squares are good enough. Now I just need people to take pictures for me. I’ll post those pics later!

In other yarnbombing news, I am now a part of the YarnCore Yarnbombing Squad! The leader of the group is known for her colorful displays in West Seattle. Here is some of her stuff:

JC, the leader, has been featured and mentioned in many blogs for her yarnbombing work. And even though she’s new to this yarn-graffitti, her work has gotten lots of attention and seems to make people very happy. I am honored and excited to be knitting with her!

Our display will be to celebrate spring. No more hints at what it is… But I want to show you some of the things I’ve knitted for this project so far. I still need to knit lots of leaves, though.

So, when we get the piece up, I will take pictures with my good camera, not my cell phone. 

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In other news, the rats are doing well. Ducky actually lets me pet her now. Shebear is…. so…. smart. How did she get to the top shelf in my closet? I see no way in hell she achieved this feat. No way.

Sam got into Vanderbilt! I am so proud of him. So very proud.

Easter is coming up!  I’m 20 and I still get an Easter basket. And I don’t mind. :)

That’s about it. I need friends here in Seattle/Tacoma, so I have put out craigslist listings. That’s gone fine and I’ve been communicating with some people, but it all just feels so contrived… and I hate that feeling.  By the time I DO make friends/find a job, I will be off to Virginia soon. At least I get to visit Lilly in Bellingham next weekend, I don’t mind the two hour drive.

My hand dyed yarn turned into… another hat!

=

Felted Wool Scraps Scarf

Do you like felting?  Do you have lots of little scraps of that gorgeous wool you can’t seem to part with? Sad thing is, we all have some wool that we can’t seem to let go of, but there are only so many little things you can make with it. I went through a flower phase, I went through a bracelet phase, and I went through a headband phase for my scraps… Now, I see a higher purpose for scrappy wool – felting!

            With this pattern we will make a scarf that is fun, funky, soft, super warm, and really creative! I have made a few “scrap scarves,” (my favorite one is from this pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sock-remnant-scarf by Nancy Nagle), but like I said before… felting is my new thing.

            I will teach you how to felt (so if you know how, you can skip that part), what size to use for what weight yarn, and everything else you need to know (exceeeept how to use a sewing machine or needle and thread. Sorry, folks!). Please keep in mind that is it a very good idea to use all the same weight yarn for this project. So, if you have some chunky wool, but more than enough worsted wool, just stick to the worsted and use that chunky funky stuff another time. This will make your life much easier, I promise!

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Materials: 

1.      NEEDLES (all US sizes):

-          Sock: sz 6

-          Worsted /aran:sz 8

-          Bulky/chunky: sz 10

2.      Scrap wool:

-          NOT SUPERWASH! (Superwash means it won’t felt!)

-          All the same size!

3.      Washing machine (also detergent, if you have it).

4.      Sewing machine or needle and thread.

5.      Scissors.

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Pattern for this awesome scarf:

Notes:  

-          Decide beforehand how many stitches you want to cast on. The more stitches, the wider the scarf. Choose a good number because you’ll be casting on the same amount every time!

-          The squares will shrink after felting – not width wise (co stitches) but it will shrink lengthwise.

-          If you want all your felted squares to be the same size, keep track of your cast on # and how many rows you knit. Also, please remember to always use the same size needles! J 

-          If you want a funkier look, make the squares different lengths, but make sure the cast on is the same. 

-          Remember, if you need to trim the felted squares at the end, you can! No need to worry if one of the squares is a little differently sized. Trim it up, trim it up.

1.      Cast on your chosen number of stitches. For my worsted weight wool + sz 8 needles, I casted on 20 stitches. Easy number to remember, not too wide, not too narrow… But you can choose whatever you want!

2.      Follow this pattern for your squares:

-          Row 1: Knit.

-          Row 2: Knit first 3 sts, purl until last 3, knit the rest.

-          Repeat 1 and 2 until the square is as long as you want.

-          Bind off on a knit row.

3.      Get ready for felting! (Might as well just do all the squares at once, but if you get antsy, you can do a few at a time to see what it looks like.)

 - Set your machine settings to the warmest cycle with the MOST agitation. Agitation is the KEY to getting your squares thoroughly felted. I usually put my stuff in for about 45 mins on high heat and heavy duty wash.

  - Put a lotta soap in the washer. We don’t want a bubble explosion, but add soap. Keep this in mind: if the squares were clothing, add a little bit more than you normally would to a load that size. Soap does help, but you can felt without it.

 - Start the machine, and check progress every 10 – 15 minutes.Really, nothing bad can happen, so you’re just checking because it’s fun and the anticipation is too great to wait (that’s why I check…).

 - When the squares are felted to perfection, put them in the dryer. Because felted items are so dense, they’ll take a while to dry. I suggest putting them in on high heat a few times with other clothes you’re drying, ‘cause chances are, one time won’t be enough.

 - When everything is dry, it’s time to trim. If you really need the squares to all  be the same or if you want to cut some shapes, now is the time; just use your scissors and trim away. Don’t worry, though! Felted items won’t unravel, so cutting isn’t an issue. It will be obvious where you’re trimmed, so if you don’t want that to be the case, throw the newly trimmed squares in the washer or dryer again for only a few minutes. That will clean things up quickly.

 - Sewing time! You can do this part pretty easily. So… you choose how you want the squares arranged and either use a sewing machine or sew by hand. Obviously, the machine will give it a more professionally finished look, whereas sewing by hand (unless you’re a sewing master), will give it a more “homemade” feel.

You’re done! If you want to be extra warm, add a fleece lining to one side. If you don’t add a lining, the scarf will be reversible.

I hope you enjoyed this pattern. Please make scarves and post pictures, I would love to see them!

-          Sandy Whittington

My hand dyed yarn turned into … a hat!

 turns into =

Aunt Cissi’s Caribbean Scarf

This is my first pattern, so here goes.

This is called the “Caribben Scarf” because:

1. The person I originally made it for LOVES the Caribbean (and the colors of the ocean… in the Caribbean).
2. This scarf is lightweight and hole-y, so you can actually wear it in warm places on those chilly nights.

Materials:

• Size 17 needles. (Very big, but very cheap. You can get them at a local Michael’s or WalMart for less than $10).
• approx 218 yards of Bulky yarn. I used Charisma by Loops & Threads, which worked really well. This yarn is cheap and acrylic (two things I hate about yarn, haha, BUT the colors are very pretty and knit up very well!)

 - Note: I am sure you can use worsted weight yarn, but the holes will be bigger, much bigger.

Pattern for this awesome scarf:

1. With your big needles, cast on 24 stitches (any even number is fine, I used 24).
2. Knit four rows.
3. *yo, k2tog* until the end of row. Please note, you will be beginning the row with a yo. This may take some practice because it’s a wee bit confusing at first!
4. knit 
5. Repeat rows 3 and four until the scarf is the length you want. Then, knit the last four rows. DO NOT WEAVE IN ENDS YET!

Block the scarf:

1. Obtain an ironing board. The bigger the better. I borrowed one from the same person I made it for - Aunt Cissi. 
2. Get the scarf really wet. Wring it out some, so you don’t make a huge puddle on the floor. 
3. Lay the scarf across the ironing board. If the scarf is really long, you may have to do this in 2 or 3 segments.
4. Streeeetch the scarf and pin the edges when it’s as wide as you like. In this case, the wider the better, simply because once the scarf is dry, it will shrink back up some. [To pin it, I used large safety pins. Be careful, though! If you’re not careful, the edges of the safety pins can pull the scarf and make little pull-y things… that look weird.]
5. Let the wet part dry overnight. To help this process along, I turn on a fan or leave the piece by an open window.
6. If you didn’t get all the scarf blocked the first time, do steps 1-5 again.

Now you can weave in the ends and ENJOY!

can’t sleep.

So, I can’t sleep. What else is new? It’s 4:40 in the morning, and here I am, on tumblr. Ducky is in my lap - she’s too scared to roam freely like Shebear is doing now. I just officially introduced the two yesterday, and Shebear showed some dominance over Ducky, which is normal; a scratch here, a bite there, just to show the new guy who’s boss. Unfortunately, Ducky is half naked rat, so these little bites are really obvious. No worries, she’s fine, but I do feel bad… Mainly because I’m pretty sure Ducky thinks Shebear is her mommy (she’s half Shebear’s size), and Shebear is like, “WTF is this little, whiny naked thing?” 

Ducky is so sweet, like a little shy baby. She is quiet, sensitive, and teeny (for those of you out there that have never owned a rat, yes they do have feelings and very unique personalities!) For example, Shebear is a curious, confident rat. She can be timid at times, but for the most part she is gregarious, friendly, and self-assured (she also loves to steal sips of alcohol - especially cheap beer!). Ducky, on the other hand, is painfully shy and sensitive. I’m sure she’ll get more confident and savvy with age, though. :)

I would love to breed rats. They come in so many varieties, colors, personalities, etc… Ooop, hold on, Shebear is climbing into the treats… Now up the blinds…. Okay, she fell on the desk. Anyway - yeah, breeding rats would be fun, but I would only want one or two breeding pairs, so my life doesn’t get too complicated with breeding and ratbabies and such. For now, however, I’m content with the two I have. 

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Off the subject of rats.

I have been feeling really inspired lately - but not in a way I usually would be. Sadly, I haven’t been inspired to exercise every day like I promised myself I would (but I have been eating well - meat free for 3 weeks now!), but I have been dyeing yarn a lot. I really like it, it’s like painting something you can make a solid object out of (sorry if that doesn’t make sense). I would love to dye lots of yarn and sell it. The only problem is the cost. You see, white wool costs $10 at Michael’s for 226 yards. Then dye [per skein] can cost anywhere from $2-4, for a grand total of $14. To make any money, I would need to at least double that price, banging it up to $28. Is that reasonable? Yeah, lots of people who dye their own yarn sell it for that much, but would anyone buy it? The economy is pretty messed up these days, a lot of people don’t even have jobs, let alone the extra money to pay for my hand-dyed yarn. To make matters worse, if I sold through a LYS (Local Yarn Store), then the owner and I would both need to make money, so the markup would be around 200%, which is insane! Therefore, etsy seems to be the best solution for me (at least), but etsy is very competitive. I’m new to the game, so I doubt anyone would really notice - unless I get my viewership up through facebook, family, and friends, …. then, yeah, I can see it.

Damn, that coffee ice cream must be what’s keeping me up tonight. I also just think so much better at night - I have always been that way. I am a true night owl, who occasionally loves getting up at the butt-crack of dawn. If I could, I would stay up late, and get up early every day and have the best of both worlds. That would be perfect, in my opinion. 

I need to send Gabby the hat I made. I put her in front of the line of all things I need to make for people because her dad (my Uncle Ray) died less than three months ago. She’s only seventeen, and she’s great. I really feel like I have most in common with her than I do with anyone else on my dad’s side of the family… Therefore, I decided making her a hat was more important than other things. If you wanna see the hat, click here. I need to finish Sarah’s hat, Sam’s scarf, and do what feels like 8 zillion other things, like apply to more jobs, get groceries, apply to more schools, etc. I will get it done, or I’ll go crazy.

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RAT STORY:

I have two dogs who are very interested in Shebear. Therefore, when Shebear runs around my room, I stuff a towel under the door so she can’t sneak out and be “played with” by Lucky and Maggy. As I was typing this, I heard Lucky jump out of the chair, hop around excitedly, and pause. I immediately thought, OH SHIT!, and quickly got up to rescue Shebear, when in she came, running under the door… looking like she wanted to shit herself. Now she’s cowering in the closet, which she’ll do for a while, until she gets over the traumatic experience. That’ll teach her to be so confident (but I am really relieved she’s okay)!

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I don’t know what else to say, so I’ll conclude with these points:

1. Do you see that little rotating globe to the left? That shows who has visited my site and where they are located!
2. You  can now comment on my posts! So… comment if you want!

This little redhead is off.