My Latest FO

Actually finished this little pretty a few weeks ago. I am so freaking proud of it! It's taken me over 2 years to finish it, not that I've knitted on it exclusively by any stretch of the imagination but it was a pretty complicated knit for me. And I added beads which might not have been the smartest choice. Wish I had a good picture showing the beads.

The pattern is from Victorian Lace Today. Alpine Knit Scarf with Double Rose Leaf Center Pattern and Diamond Border. Whew! I don't think I've ever known the true name of it until now when I looked it up. I always called it the Alpine Shawl. Anyway, that book has the most boring & ridiculous names for such gorgeous shawls/scarves!

I had a few mishaps along the way. But, oh yea...wanted to tell you what yarn I used. Gorgeous stuff. Claudia Handpainted Silk Lace. OMG! This yarn is so gorgeous. The colorway that I bought (at Old Oaks Ranch in like 2008) is called DK Green. Again, a dumb name, imo. The yarn color changes very subtly from a greyish green to a more grey and then back again. Just gorgeous. I don't usually go for handpainted yarns but this one was so subtle that I actually wished for a tiny bit more color change.

Ok...so now to the nitty gritty. The book is lovely. They spent a lot of $ and pages on lovely artwork. They could've spent some of that on better charts & directions. Just my opinion. Or maybe that's just me trying to shift the blame. LOL. Suffice it to say that Chart A is very confusing. Look at my Ravelry page  for my detailed notes.

One bit of advice, if you knit this....after you figure out how to do Chart A, remember what you did on the first edge because you're gonna have to do it again at the other end. Duh!

Free Pattern-Cozy Soft Earwarmer

A few weeks ago I was trying to find a hat that looked good on my little pointy head & would keep my ears warm. Nada. Zip. I look awful in caps & hats. I think it's because of my short hair & my angular face. Anyway, after searching the net for an earwarmer I decided to design my own. I like it & it was a great use for that single skein of Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk Aran that I've had marinating for about 4 years. I'm pleased with the results & thought I'd offer the pattern to anyone else that needs such a thing. Please let me know if you make it & if there are any errors. UPDATE: There was an error on row 1 which I have now corrected. It said c3b & should have been c3b. I'm so sorry!!

Also, here's the link to a downloadable pattern. Earwarmer

Earwarmer

Copyright Beverly Shipley 2012

wendydancer.blogspot.com

Skills:

Advancing beginner

Easy cable stitch

Seaming ends or 3 needle bind off (optional)

Provisional Cast on (optional)

Materials:

 5.5 mm (US 9) needles

1 skein of Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk

1 cable needle

1 darning needle

Gauge:

About 17 sts=4 inches. Not critical.

Abbreviations:

k= knit

p=purl

sts=stitches

c2b=slip next stitch onto cable needle, hold to back of work and knit the next stitch, k the stitch from the cable needle.

c2f=slip the next stitch onto cable needle, hold cable needle to front of work and knit the next stitch, knit the stitch from the cable needle.

Note: You may prefer to use a provisional cast on & then finish the earwarmer with a three needle bind off rather than sewing the ends together.

Pattern:

Row 1: k4, p3, c2b, p1, c2b, p3, k4

Row 2: k4, k3, p2, k1, p2, k3, k4

Row 3: k4, p3, c2f, p1, c2f, p3, k4

Row 4: k4, k3, p2, k1, p2, k3, k4

Directions:

Cast on 19 sts. Pattern is worked keeping the first & last 4 sts on each row in garter stitch. Odd rows are right side, even rows are wrong side. On even rows, knit the knits & purl the purls, except for the 1^st & last 4 sts which are knit on every row.

Begin pattern & work until it is long enough to fit snugly around the head. Cast off & seam ends together or use 3 needle bind off if you began with a provisional cast on.

Change of Title

I've decided to change the title of my blog from Lifestyles of the Knot so Rich & Famous (which I always thought was a very stupid title but couldn't come up with anything better) to a much more suitable one.

Lifestyles of A Selfish Knitter. Because I am. And I'm not ashamed of it. I came across this article recently & I love it. I embrace it!!

I want to share another cool site that I stumbled across recently. Knitting and crochet themed wallpapers for your computer desktop that also include a calendar! How cool is that?

Off to dance this afternoon..........