I am a pattern tester!

I came upon an interesting group in Ravelry whose purpose it to put designers and knitters together to test designs. I have browsed the site often in the last few weeks and followed some of the pattern tests. Some I would have really liked to join in, but they fill up quite quickly it seems. Saturday a new pattern was released for testing, and it was just what I have been looking for. I needed to check my yarn stash first before committing to it however (I did manage to build up quite a stockpile in the Mary Maxim sale and really should deplete it somewhat before heading off to a yarn store again). Luckily, I found 3 skeins of Vanna's Choice in a variegated colour, which is what the pattern was designed for. I checked the thread again, and was lucky to see that she still needed another test knitter for the larger shawl, which is what I wanted to make. I was accepted as a tester!

This morning I dutifully made the test swatch, but discovered that I must be a tight knitter, or perhaps my yarn is a lighter weight than she had in mind (although it is classed as the weight she described). I will tear out the first swatch and redo it in 6.5 mm needles to see if that is closer to the correct gauge for me. Might have to go and buy longer circular needles for this, but want to make sure of the needle size first. I am excited to be part of this test!

 

Swatch trials

New shawl in progress October 10

I have finished to row 43 and have found a few things that need to be clarified. Although it is going well, I am not impressed with the way this colour knits up. It has a camouflage look to it. The yarn itself is nice to work with. I am going to tear it out and start again in Caron Simply Soft Shadows in colour Opal Twist. It is primarily black with a white or brown contrast thread wound through it. It would also make the pattern stand Oct 25 so I have some time to play with still.

October 16 The shawl is done! It is a really nice mix of lace and knitting .... feminine but not overly frilly. It took about 2 1/2 balls of the Simply Soft yarn. If it was not part of the pattern test, I would have made it longer to use the yarn, but it is fine as it is. I will block it tomorrow and see what the finished dimensions are. Right now it is 18.5 inches X 40 inches. I think it will be a warm, cuddly addition! Final pictures to come in a few days.

Definitely Not to be Eaten but Really Cute Food

In keeping with Thanksgiving, I decided to give crochet food a try. These were made using a pattern from the Lion Brand free pattern site. Lion Brand Cornucopia

First to be finished was a small pumpkin, followed by an apple (which also passes as a red pepper), then a cob of corn (so cute!), a summer squash, and finally an eggplant. They needed something to rest in, and so a small horn of plenty was made. They don't all fit in the horn, but that is fine as they are supposed to spill out. More food may be appearing as it is so cute and fun to make!

I also made several turkeys to decorate our dinner table for our feast. Also cute little things! They are also a free pattern. Thanksgiving Turkey to crochet

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, my Canadian friends! This holiday is celebrated on the second Monday of the month here, while our friends to the south celebrate it later in November.

It Might be ...Raining Cats and Dogs!

The last week I was busy creating some kitty cats and then a few dogs. I still plan on making more dogs, but have taken a break from them for another project that involves Thanksgiving, which is fast approaching here in Canada.

The original cat is the multi coloured little girl on the green cushion. She was made using a Jean Greenhowe pattern from the Animals pattern book. I wanted to make this one for several months but got busy with other things, so when I realized I had nothing on the go at present, this is the project I headed for! I used size 3 mm needles for her, as the pattern called for. The yarn was some left over Bernat Softee Chunkee from the poncho that Audrey made.

All the cats resting on their cushion or blankets

The first 2 cats are having a nap, as given in the directions, but the next 2 wanted to be awake and at play!

 I wanted a slightly larger cat, so the next one was created with size 4 mm needles and double strands of yarn. These were just in my yarn stash as bits left from other things so I have no idea what they are, but one seemed to be a worsted weight and one was some kind of brushed yarn. I had hoped that it would end up fluffier, but it has just a slight nap to it. The colour is unique though. She also got a rose blanket/rug for her resting comfort! The grey and white cat came next, and she was made combining a light grey yarn with a much thinner white yarn. I made a little blue blanket/rug for this one. The last cat is the black and white one. I wanted more of a tuxedo cat but I don't think I used enough white to actually call it one. She also got a little cushion to rest on. The cats were all knitted.

The Corgi borrowing one of the cushions from the cats.

The dogs and cats all get along just fine in my house :D

The dogs are crochet creations. The Corgi was the first attempt, using the pattern for the monthly CAL for one of the Ravelry groups I am in. The ears were huge at first so I did an alteration on them to make them more in scale to the dog. Her little legs are so short that her belly rests on the surface she is sitting on too. So, the next dog got longer legs and a modified version of the ears. He looks somewhat like a fox hound or some kind of terrier, to me! I think I will make the dogs a toy to play with when I go back to them. I would like to get another 2 dogs for the collection.  For now, I return to my Thanksgiving projects. More on that after the fact I think!

What is a mobius? This is not really one!

At the Mary Maxim tent sale, a lovely skein of yarn caught my eye. It was the only one in this colour, and it really appealed to me. I do not normally work with fine yarns, or fancy yarns, or mohair! And this one was all of the above.  I bought it anyway. It is called Mohair Glitter, by Mary Maxim, and the colour is seapray. It was 100 g, and 550 m. It is 59 % acrylic, 17 % wool, 15 % mohair, and 9 % metallic. Hand wash in cool and lay flat to dry. Above the bin full of yarn, there were some patterns written just for this yarn, and so I also picked up one of those. It was called Knit Mobius pamphlet 99392N, and it required only 1 skein so I thought it would be perfect!

I started to work on it about a month ago while Vince was in the hospital. That was perhaps a mistake as I just plunged into working on it while I was sitting and waiting or visiting and I did not check the gauge right away. It was a nightmare to tear out, as I discovered when I made a small mistake and went to correct it. I was either committed to finish it or cut the yarn where I was and throw the part I had finished away.I also found the directions for the real mobius to be very confusing and did not have the internet available to look up some kind of tutorial, so I opted for the single row on the circular needle method. I kept at it for a few weeks, and when it was about half done I had to take a break from it as I did not enjoy working with the yarn and the rows were sooooo long. I knew the mobius was longer than it was supposed to be when it was about half finished, but hoped for the best.

It is finished now, and I was right. It is, in truth, about twice as long as it is supposed to be in the pattern. Yet I used the size of needle they called for, and the pattern looks just as it should in the finished picture and pictures of others who have also made it. I am not sure where exactly it went wrong. I considered keeping it to use as a scarf. I have so many scarves already that I really don't need one. I wanted it to be like a shawl. But it is too narrow for a shawl, since I realized I had to stop working the pattern well before the stated 10 inches. The yarn was getting dangerously close to the end. As it turned out, I have just a tiny ball of leftover yarn now so it was good that I stopped without trying to squeeze another pattern set out of it.

Front view 1, with the mobius twist.

Alternate front, or the back, overlapped and sewn together. It was so long I had to do something to control it.

Back view with the mobius fold over on the back.

I digress ..... I played around with different ways of shaping it to be something useful for a few hours after supper. I used some scrap yarn of a different colour to sew it in some new configurations. I came up with a kind of a mobius, I guess. The back is longer than it should be in the original, and it has the same shape as the front, which will make it warm to wear. I am not sure if I am really happy with it, but I am not unhappy with it either. I think it will prove to be useful in the winter when there is a chill in the air. I hope I will find it useful. It has more value in the time invested in making it than the cost of the yarn itself as it was half price at the sale. I think I will try a real shawl next time. I am not sure why  I have the urge to make shawls, but I do! I have my eye on a few nice ones ....

An extra picture ... Audrey made one of the poncho's with the Bernat Softee Chunky as well, and this is the result! She likes darker colours and I like almost every colour, and I do like this shade and so ..... we switched ponchos!  She did a GREAT job as she has just gotten back to knitting! Thank you Audrey! I will wear it with pride!

Desmond Dinosaur Drops from the needles!

Welcome Desmond to the stuffed toy collection!

He is made using the same body, head and legs as the giraffe. (Except I did not put as much of the contrast colour on the feet). Instead of a mane, Desmond got spikes along his back, and his tail is a very large knitted triangular invention. His underbelly needed a splash of colour so he got an orange patch. I am not sure of the main colour as it was some yarn that I had in my box and it did not have a label, but the contrast is Carrot and it is a Bernat SuperValue. I used a smaller size needle (4.5 mm) to  make him, as the yarn was not as thick so the resulting toy is a little smaller as well. Overall pleased with him! He is wide awake and ready for play. (I think it is the sleepy eyes that make the giraffe so cute.)

More Cats to add to the toy collection!

Yet another monthly challenge in another group. I find so many interesting patterns this way! We had a choice of a knitted cat or a crocheted dog for September in this one. I intend to make the dog as well but have to enlarge the written pattern so I can read it. Group info is here Amigurumi Addicts Group

I have 2 cats done, complete with little clothes. They are a little large to call amigurumi, I think, but perhaps there is no real size requirement for them. They are surprisingly light, because the pattern is such that it is almost a flat toy. This would be a great pocket doll to carry around for those reasons. In any case, I present to you Kate and Karl Kat as they inspect a tent for a future camping trip!

Kate is wearing a pink and rose dress with a touch of lace near the waistline, while Karl is sporting a raglan sleeve sweater and tweedy green pants with red waistband and cuff detail.

They have cute little tails! Karl is a little larger as he was created with a heavier weight of yarn, while Kate was created with baby sport yarn.

Some other people have used button eyes, which may be fine for these as they do not seem to be for young children, due to the removable clothing. 

This is grisig the cat, by Julia Weiss posted in Revelry. Here is Grisig


This is the link to see the other gnomes that have been finished, if you have been following Gharry in his travels. Travelling Gnome group

Gharry the Travelling Gnome

One of the groups I have joined in Ravelry has a fun project each month. This month everyone is making a gnome, and then taking pictures of him or her in different places. And so, I introduce you to Gharry, my gnome. There are a surprising number of free gnome patterns available, and I started with one, but as I worked on the hat I found I did not really like the pattern, so I just created as I crocheted. Just a fun little project. I may set him free to continue his travels in a few weeks so he will really be a traveling Gnome..... If you see him, please welcome him into your home for a while!

Gharry did not believe I still have strawberries growing. He really liked the smell of the verbena he was sitting in. 

Enjoying the sun in the garden. 

Daphne and Gharry share a laugh 

A walk among the flowers 

Tree climbing proved to be good exercise and provided a great view 

He helped harvest the daily tomato crop, still a few left to ripen.

Gharry went to dialysis one night to keep Vince 

 company. 

The dialysis machines are state of the art.