Sockity Socks

Here's what staying up late at night until 2am with a pair of #2's and some 100% merino sock yarn from A Swell Yarn Shop will get ya---me and my dear friend, J, treat ourselves to a craft classes for our birthdays. Since it was my birthday last, i choose the Toe Up Sock Class with the Magic Loop Cast On (all this taught in 4 hours of class time over the period of a week) at our local yarn shop, Renaissance Yarns. Oy vey! What a challenge! However, the sock looks pritty darn spiffy for a beginner, if i do say so myself. I think the work's good enough it could pass QC #18 when i have to work in a sweatshop once China takes us over; i just need to knit faster if i want to make more than 2 cents a day. :o)

Still need to finish the cuff today and tonight at our final class we are going to construct the "afterthought heel". I'll place a photo once we get that done. Then i have to figure out when i am going to have time to finish the poor lonely sock's mate. :o) LOL

Starting this blog...

In starting this blog, i hope that it can serve as a journal of inspiration for me. To serve as "2-d" evidence of what i have done, to challenge me to finish what i haven't, and as a place for documenting cool finds.

This year, i would really like to focus on homemaking. Some of the old fashioned kind with new era ideas. Just to help bless my family and find peace in the responsibility that i have accepted.

And, since i manage two blogs (one, for the family about family and this one for the average everyday interests of mine) it might be a little hit or miss, but i hope to create something that might inspire others or at least bring a smile.

Amen! A Bear Dishcloth--tweaking--pls don't knit this

Knitters of kitchy dishcloths, REJOICE, and pick up a pair of needles.

I had found frustration, also, in the lack of a decent bear patterned dc that wasn't a teddy bear or wasn't free. Here is my contribution to the free pattern effort: a dc inspired by my daughter's love of the polar bear.

And since i am trying to revolt against the Made In (fill in the blank with country other than US) as much as i can, i figured i could knit my new washcloths for the bathroom this year with MADE IN THE *USA* yarns, eh? All i needed was the pattern and here is what a Sunday's worth of effort will get ya.

Come and knit along with me, the best bear dishcloth is yet to be.


Cast on 42

rows 1 - 5: knit across

6 and all other even numbered rows: K4, P34, K4

7 K across

9: K11, P6, K9, P7, K9

11: K11, P7, K8, P8, K8

13: K12, P7, K8, P8, K8

15: K12, P6, K9, P7, K8

17: K13, P5, K10, P7, K7

19: K13, P5, K7, P2, K1, P7, K7

21: K13, P5, K6, P2, K1, P8, K7

23: K13, P6, K5, P1, K1, P9, K7

25: K13, P6, K5, P1, K1, P9, K7

27: K13, P6, K4, P2, K1, P10, K6

29: K6, P2, K4, P13, K1, P10, K6

31: K5, P1, K1, P2, K3 , P13, K1, P10, K6

33: K5, P5, K2, P13, K1, P10, K6

35: K5, P20, K1, P10, K6

37: K5, P20 , K1, P10, K6

39: K5, P21, K1, P9, K6

41: K5, P22, K1, P8, K6

43: K5, P2, K1, P19, K1, P8, K6

45: K5, P23, K1, P7,K6

47: K5, P24, K1, P7, K5

49: K5, P4, K1, P20, K1, P6, K5

51: K5, P3, K2, P27, K5

53: K6, P30, K6

55: K6, P30, K6

57: K7, P29, K6

59: K7, P28, K7

61: K8, P27, K7

63: K8, P26, K8

65: K9, P25, K8

67: K10, P23, K9

69: K12, P20, K10

71: K across

73-77: knit across

this is going to knit up a little bigger than your average dishcloth because this is my first time designing something and i made a few mistakes while teaching myself the designing process. ;o)

couple things i learned i'd like to share with someone incase they are going to start designing their dream dishcloth of a wooly mammoth (or something like that):

1. before drawing your design on your graph chart, make sure you mark out your borders you want (if you want a specific size dc) as then you will know the EXACT space you'll have to work with.

2. next time i think i would try to design the outline of the object first, write down the coordinates, then fill in the object and write the coordinates--then you'd have a "two fer" for all your hard work!! :o)

I'll post a picture as soon as i get my cloth finished. If you use this pattern, please use it only for the purposes intended--for making yourself a nice bear cloth from a free pattern and not for submitting to a publication. Thanks!