giveaway::: ruffles, ruffles, and more ruffles

 

about this time last year i helped teach how to knit ruffle scarfs to our relief society sisters.  i went out and bought 2 skeins of ruffle yarn to make a scarf and told myself i'm not going to get any more of this yarn and will not be making a bunch of scarfs.  then i needed to go back to michael's and pick up a few skeins for others at the activity. 

 

 

well, they were on sale so i bought a few extra because i didn't want to frog the scarf i made to show how to make one and a few sisters said they wanted to make scarfs but wouldn't be able to make the activity.  so we made plans to get together later that month and i needed a couple skeins for that. now i had several skeins of ruffle yarn in my stash. 

 

then there was a really good sale where they were 80% off.  i couldn't resist, though i should have.  now i have more than i care to admit in my stash.

 

 

the other day i was helping a friend figure out how to crochet a ruffle scarf. when we were finished with her scarfs i pulled out my stash thinking i need to do something with my stash of ruffle yarn.  i put on season 1 of downton abbey, started knitting, and by the time i got to season 2 i had quite a few scarfs made.

 

 

giveaway:::  if would like a ruffle scarf leave a comment and i will randomly pick a winner early next week.  don't forget to let me know which one is your favorite. 

 

ohhhh and if you leave me a link to a cute project made with ruffle yarn i will put your name in 2x for the drawing.  there has to be something different to make with this yarn!

 

stash busting ~ a bit of this and that

This is what I've been working on this week.

I finished up some flannel wash cloths that have been half finished for over a month and crocheted an edge on the wash cloths from last week.

I found 6 skeins of Patons Be Mine in Fuzzy Yellow, 2 skeins of Red Heart Hunny in Sunny, and Bernat Softee Baby in White stashed away and decided it was going to be my next stash busting project.  Three skeins of Be Mine were from the same dye lot so I decided to make a simple knitted baby blanket.  I cast on 60 using 10mm needles and knit every row until it was 40inches long.  Then using a K hook, put a single crochet edge on it.  The blanket turned out so soft and fluffy.

I'm working on baby hats with the yarn that doesn't match up in dye lots. 

This was the favorite pattern of the week at my house and a request went out for one that would fit my girlie.  She also asked if I would make her a bumble beehive hat in black and yellow.  That's what she is calling it...the bumble beehive hat.

child size bumble beehive hat

Using 5 8mm dpn needles cast on 80; 20 stitches on 4 needles using Bernat Softee Baby White. Use a place marker to mark the beginning of the row. Pearl the first row, knit the next 4 rows.  Switching to Pattons Be Mine Fuzzy Yellow pearl the next 2 rows. Knit the next 5 rows with white, pearl the next 2 rows with yellow. Repeat the knit 5 rows, pearl 2 rows  pattern until it measures about 7 inches ending on the pearl 2 rows part of the pattern.

Decrease: Knit rows are with white, pearl rows are with yellow.  Knit 6, knit 2 together around. Knit the next 2 rows. Knit 5, knit 2 together around. Knit 1 row. Pearl 1 row. Pearl 4, pearl 2 together around.  Knit the next 2 rows. Knit 3, knit 2 together around. Knit 2 rows.  Pearl 2, pearl 2 together around. Pearl 1 row.  Knit 1, knit 2 together around..  Knit 2 together around.  Cut leaving a long tail. Using a tapestry needle sew through the loops and finish off.

I'm thinking of making some booties to match the little hats to keep up with the stash busting.

Ohhh, maybe little flowers to attach to the hats too?

stash busting ~ washcloths

Nothing cute about this project.  Though the yarn is amazingly soft.  It is wonderful for baby items and washcloths.  And baby items and washcloths are good stash busters.  Stash busting is good for making room for more great yarn finds.

I find great deals on yarn that I can't pass by.  I got this yarn about 8 years ago in the clearance bin for 50 cents a skein.  For that price it all came home with me; 20 skeins of various colors.   This is how my stash has been growing out of control.  Last year I put a hold on buying new yarn and I did better with it than I thought I would. Except for the great deal withdrawals.  There is something exciting and addicting about great deals!  I need to come up with a new plan soon because I saw a gorgeous bamboo silk blend the other day.  It was an amazing deal and now I'm kicking myself for passing it by.

somebunny

decided it was time to make a post. 

I made this little bunny the other day with some leftover yarn from the baby blueberries hats I made last year.  This has been my favorite spring bunny to make for about 10 years.  It is all about how you fold and sew it.  Because to make it you knit a square, ears and make a pompom tail.  The bunny pattern can be found here.

hello my name...

...is Jess and I'm a yarn addict.  I use to buy yarn when I had a project and then stash away the leftovers Then I started to get yarn for near future projects... and stash it away.  I progressed onto getting yarn for projects I wanted to do someday... and would stash it away.  For years now I've been getting yarn without any project in mind... and stashing it away.

A few years ago I started thinking that I need to stop buying yarn and get some of those "someday" projects done... I didn't notice my stash getting smaller.  See I was getting some of those projects done but still stashing away lovely new yarn that I just had to have.  So the next year came with a phrase/question to ask myself when I was looking at new yarn... "don't you have something like that at home?"  I even taught it to my Littles and asked them to parrot it back to me when I was looking at yarn.  That became the year that my stash of interesting/unusual yarn grew...I didn't already have it at home.

Last year I decided to I wouldn't get yarn unless it was for a specific project. Now I did do a lot of projects from my stash but I still found reasons to get more yarn... that specific project clause. 

This year I told myself I am not going to get any new yarn at all.  I told my Hubby and  Littles... they laughed at me.  That made me more determined to make it happen... a reward should keep me on track.  If I manage to stick to not getting new yarn all year in January I can indulge in new yarn.  I thought it would be difficult but it wasn't I've managed to not add to my stash... until last week.

I started making hats with some leftovers.

See the hat that doesn't have noodles on top yet?  And that bit of green on the band?  I didn't realize it was the last of the green.  I thought I had some more and cast on this hat next....

Yep, you notice how it has a green stem and leafs... I looked for something from my stash...I really did... a different shade of green... another color... type of yarn.  Nope, it wasn't going to work.  I really wanted that particular green.  I thought of waiting to finish it until next year.  NOWAY! I'm not going to procrastinate.  I don't want another unfinished project in my life.  I'm going to finish it now.  I broke down and got my first skein of yarn this year with  less then 4 months to go on my year of not getting new yarn. 

So here is my thought... If I keep this yarn on my needles and use it all up on projects for others before the end of the year it's like I never got it...right?

blue, purple and green....oh my

I questioned one of my little's fiber choices when asked to make this hat.  Now I'm thinking of keeping borrowing it; which is kinda odd because I've never felt the urge to wear this shade of green or color combo before.

prism merino mia alpine and katia ingenua 15

alchemy al kozmos scarf

baby blueberries

purple bamboo blend

I cast on another purple bamboo blend hat that I hope to finish this weekend.

fibers on friday on monday

I finished the set and found my pashmina shawl. 

I'm definitely going to use bamboo blended yarn again.  In fact I've already started another hat with the same yarn and color.  Senior Chief asked me to make one for his Mom when I showed him the set; purple is her favorite color.

echinacea

I found a beautiful bamboo, wool, and angora blended yarn in echinacea.  So, my sushi is now on hold while I knit up a hat and fingerless mitt set.  The hat is done and I'm almost finished with the first fingerless mitt.  I think it's time for me to take a break from knitting and dig through my closet in search of a lost pashmina shawl that might match the set.

two toppers

moonlight mohair ~ everglades

I have quite a bit of this yarn bought on sale a few years back.  It was one of those buys that couldn't be passed up and then just sits in the stash.  I have used up several colors bought at that sale.  One of my favorites is the Tundra.  I have one skein left and was thinking of making a headscarf with it. 

This is something I won't be frogging because I don't like to take out anything knit with mohair.  It knots up, tangles, breaks, basically it is a pain.  If it ends up surviving the frogging; the yarn is never the same the second time it's knit up. 

So, I swatched it.

I checked it for stitches per inch.



I stretched it a bit because this headscarf is held on by stretch alone.

Then I did the math, subtracted a whole inch worth of stitches, and used one size smaller of needles; being cautious of it being too big.  And what happens.....

It ended up bit bigger then I wanted it to be.  It will still fit someone with a head of about 22"; too big for me.  I am glad that used one of the 8 Everglades skeins and not the 1 Tundra that is left in my stash.



third time around...

... with a wool, mohair, and silk blend.

I definitely like this blend and see a couple of hats being made with it for winter. 



frogged and cast-on again

With fewer stitches cast-on, smaller needles, and a couple pattern adjustments...a new head-scarf is finished.

This one isn't belt sized and actually fits onto a cute little head. It also stretches to fit on mine without looking stretched out.  There are no pictures to prove that true.  My camera battery died.  It is doing that a lot lately.  I am going to have to get a new one soon.

Now that I understand this particular wool a little better I don't think it is right for this project.  Though there will be no frogging of this head-scarf; it will hold up just fine and keep some ears warm.  I think I'll try a mohair/silk blend or an alpaca or an alpaca/silk/wool blend. 

So now it is time to find a new yarn (hopefully from my stash). But first I'll find out if my camera battery can be ordered.  Fingers crossed it isn't discontinued; I like my little camera.

fibers on friday ~ two more...

...projects are finished up. 

My girlies fingerless gloves to match her ponytail hat.

I started a head scarf inspired by this; which didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to. I tried a new yarn which is really stretchy. So stretchy that it is being used as a belt right now.

I am casting on another one tonight and hope I get it right this time.

catching up ~ six

I finished off some more knitting projects that were collecting dust. 

Including the scratchy scrubby.



catching up ~ two

I finished a ponytail hat.

fibers on friday ~ 0400,45,45,50,0700,0515,0901,81,140,80,09

I have been able to get a lot of knitting done this week. I get to knit during the 45 minute drive taking Senior Chief to work. Then I get a break from knitting while I drive, but not home; to early morning seminary. I get another 50 minutes of knitting while my oldest attends his class. Then back home by 7am. and on with the day.


I will get about double the time knitting in the evening when I pick him up due to traffic. But I have been blessed to not have to do that trip much. Senior Chief has been lucky to get a ride home most days. I will be so happy when his transmission is fixed on his car and I get to sleep in to 5:15 am!

Now on to all the numbers in the post title:

0400   the hour I am waking these days
45       minutes of knitting
45       minutes of driving
50       minutes of knitting
0700   I return home
0515   the time I look forward to waking up soon
0901   at 9:01 this morning
81       it was 81 degrees F outside (it's supposed to be autumn, right?)
140     inch scarf
80       inch scarf
09       inches on a pair of fingerless gloves
 

My son pointed out the time and temperature when I asked him to wear the scarves for a photo.  Then I had him stand where the sun was in his eyes.  Always willing to help me with whatever I ask of him; sometimes with a grin, chuckle and a roll of the eyes (though not in a disrespectful way.)  Kind of like a "you are silly but I will do it anyway." 

 



fibers on friday ~ scarf

I am working on a scarf to go with the hat I knitted up last week.  After the scarf some fingerless mitts to match might be cast on; since there is about 2,500 yards of this unknown fiber in my basket to use up.  If I had to guess what the fiber is I would say it is an acrylic. 



I still haven't picked up the scrubbie that was started a couple weeks ago. I am just not interested in the feel of it.  Perhaps a deal with myself will motivate me.  When it is finished I will get some silk to work with.  No, not going to work today.  The guilt of not finishing it off will hit me one day, but I am not there yet.