I drove up to Eureka yesterday to attend a workshop at the North Coast Knittery with Franklin Habit The Panopticon, on "Photographing Your Fiber". It was a lovely drive and the workshop well worth while. I took with me a couple of projects that have given me a hard time, one way and another, and came home with great new knowledge and some photographs I'm happy with!
We learned basic photography skills, and some cool inexpensive ways to maximize whatever lighting conditions we have to work with.
See! beads! you can actually see the beads on my shawl! I was a little discouraged as I practiced photographing this shawl, but when I got my photos home, and could look at them on the larger display of my computer, there they were....Beads!
If you get an opportunity to take this class with Franklin, I recommend taking it! Franklin is both fun and informative, not to mention nice.
I first came across this slipper pattern, when it was handed out at church for a charity knitting project. I've since lost the original pattern, but I've long since memorized it. I've made a few minor refinements. My hat's off the the original designer of these slippers, they are easy to make, fit most feet, and can be easily adjusted to different sizes, and a fast knit. They can also be a fun way to use odd bits of leftover yarns, to create fun color combinations.
I can't begin to count how many of these I've made over the years, as they are a family favorite. However, I've rarely kept a pair long enough to photograph.
Yarn: any Worsted Weight yarn, held double through out.
Needles: US 10 for a ladies slipper, and US 10.5 for a man's slipper.
Gauge: should be about 3 st /inch, in St St.
Directions:
With yarn held double ( you can work from both ends of the same skein, or from two different skeins), cast on 60 st.
Slipper Sole:
Continuing with both strands, and Working back and forth, Knit 13 rows
Decrease rows:
Place a marker in the center of the row, between stitches 30, and 31.
Slipper Body:
Row 1: (rs) K27 (three st before marker), ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, K2tog, K27 (58 st remain)
Row 2: (ws) P26 (three st before marker), P2tog, P1, slip marker, P1, ssptbl*, P26 (56 st remain)
Row 3: (rs) K to 3 st before center marker, ssk, k1, slip marker, k1, k2tog, k to the end
Row 4: (ws) p to 3 st before center marker, p2tog, p1, slip marker, p1, ssptbl*, p to the end
Repeat Rows 3 and 4 until 30 stitches remain.
Slipper Cuff:
Knit 8 rows,
Bind off loosely, leaving a long tail for seaming. Turn right sides together, and seam heel and sole.
*ssp: slip next two stitches knitwise, insert the right needle through the two back loops, and purl these two stitches together.
OR alternatively, this decrease can be worked this way:
* pssops: Pass Slipped Stitch Over Purl Stitch: purl 1, slip next st knit wise, slip 2 sts back to left needle (maintaining orientation), then pass the slipped stitch over the purled stitch, and slip the decrease back to the right needle.
I find the second option easier to work with the bulky yarns. They both make a left leaning decrease on the right side, and that is what you are looking for.
So my phone rings today, and on the other end is the voice of my Charmaine! She sounds ok, though the call was shorter than I would like. I still have many questions, but... At least she is among the living! and I can sleep tonight.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Missing!
Charmaine Forsythe
This is my daughter Charmaine, she's a beautiful, bright, loving 24 year old girl, mother of two. I last spoke with her on March 31st. She has not answered her phone, or text messages since that night. Their are many good reasons she should be getting in touch with me. And while it is not unusual for her to take a day or two to get back to me, it is not normal for her to go a week or more without talking to me.
She was looking forward to seeing her children Easter week, (as they live with their father) They were broken hearted when she did not call or come by.
Yesterday, the van she was driving was towed from the Flea Market, in Ceres, CA, on Crows Landing and Hackett. She has been more or less living in this van, and it is very disturbing to find the van and not the girl. If anyone has seen her recently, please leave me a comment, or call the Stanislaus County Sheriff at 209-525-7076
Sometimes you never know what a day will bring, or when just around the corner, the unexpected will catch you off guard and bring a smile. Today while leaving the parking lot near my local Trader Joe's, a really odd looking vehicle caught my eye:
It turned out to be the Wienermobile! Right here in Modesto! So I did what any good fan would do, I parked, and got out and took pictures.
And then I posed with it.
Look Ma, It's me and the Wienermobile! This thing is big! I'm glad I'm not the one who has to get it through traffic and into tight places.
Check out the license plate! Does that bring back memories or what...and if you don't know what I mean, go ask your Mom or Dad, or maybe your Grandma. (no, I won't sing it and you can't make me!)
Rain, Rain, what can I say. I know we need the moisture, but do we have to get it all in one week? I think this is a really good day to stay home and knit, don't you?
row 2: slip first stitch, k to end row 3: k 43 stitches, wrap and turn, and knit back row 4: k 41 stitches, wrap and turn, knit back row 5: k 39 stitches, wrap and turn, knit back row 6: k 37 stitches, wrap and turn, knit back row 7: k 35 stitches, wrap and turn, knit back row 8: k 33 stitches, wrap and turn, knit back row 9: k 31 stitches, wrap and turn, knit back
row 10: change colors, and k to end of row, knitting wraps together with the st, they are wrapped around.
Repeat rows 2-10, 11 times more for hat. On last row 10, use same color as cast on section. bind off, and sew seam to close hat.
for a really nice seam, use a provisional cast on, and close with a Kitchener stitch seam.
The first hat I made, I did 12 total repeats, but I think that may be too many. On my next hat I will try 10 repeats and see if that works better. For a larger hat, cast on more stitches, and add a repeat or two of the short row section.
