Sunday, November 11, 2012

MMario Autumnal 2012 Mystery Shawl KAL

I finished my shawl on Thursday and blocked it yesterday. This is the first MMario Mystery shawl I've finished (I still have 5 in progress)! I used a size 8 circular needle and the yarn from a recycled thrift-shop sweater--a wool medium v-neck, sport/dk weight.
There were 6 clues for six weeks starting the Labor Day weekend. The idea was a "Make Your Own Recipe Pi Shawl". It could be a full circle, a 3/4 circle or a half circle. I chose to do a 3/4 circle. Suggestions for lace patterns were presented and they could be combined or used as is. Everyone did the ist week's pattern the same, but then the selections available meant everyone's is different. Beads were optional. I like beads, so I used them. Clue 1:
Clue 2: Helix
Clue 3: Balanced Bruce
Clue 4: Mrs. Montegue and Lesser Montegue
Clue 5: "K" and "L", split
Clue 6: 6 rows of "Q"--ran out of yarn.
It is HUGE, with the radius 38-40". It didn't fit completely on our double bed, so part was blocked over the edge. Unblocked
blocked
If I'd completely finished clue 6, it would probably been a foot bigger. I love it.

Saturday, September 01, 2012

AUGUST YARN DYEING CHALLENGE pt 2

This time I used I Love This Wool in "cream". I made a long skein, then tied yarn around a whole section or around just a few strands at a time, kind of randomly.
I did a first dyeing with Peach Mango Kool Aid.
Then I undid some ties and retied or added other ties and dyed the skein again with orange Kool Aid.
For the third dye bath, I redid it again only using Wilton's copper and brown. The color didn't change enough, though, so I did a fourth round (retying etc.) with Wilton's Kelly Green.
I was trying for sort of flecks of lighter colors and I think I succeeded. To me it looks like fireflies or sunlight filtering through tree branches on a leaf covered forest floor. It, too, will probably become a hat (or a scarf).

Thursday, August 30, 2012

AUGUST YARN DYEING CHALLENGE: RESISTS, pt 1

This month's Ravelry What a Kool Way to Dye group challenge was to deliberately keep some parts of the yarn free from dye. The first version I did was using a sleeve from a thrift-shop sweater--white 50% wool, 50% acrylic.
I tied bulls-eyes with rubber bands, like in tie-dyeing, and did the first dyeing with Kool Aid Peach Mango.
I added more rubber bamd ties and took a few away and dyed again with Lemon Lime Kool Aid. Last I added more ties and took a few away again and redyed with Mixed Berries KA.
Unraveled and wound, the yarn is more pastel looking because of the white left because it was already knit. It will probably become a hat.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

CROSS STITCH EYEGLASSES CASE

I got this kit at a sale and it's just been sitting around. I was kind of burned out from all the knitting and crocheting I've been doing and wanted to do some counted cross stitch to give my hands a rest--and I need another glasses case. this was a good do-some-every-day type of project and there was no deadline. I used three strands instead of two and like the way it looks very much. Now I want to add a lining and it'll be good to go.

Friday, July 27, 2012

RAVELLENIC GAMES 2012

The Ravellenic Games start today at 3 p.m. CDT. I'm on 2 teams: Team Tardis and Team Crochet. We'll see how many projects I can get finished by the final day of the 2012 London Olympic Games. This is my Ravatar for the games--so far.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

EVENING CRAFTERS JANUARY FEBRUARY 2012 PROJECT

Finally got the applique pieces sewn on. Really cute.



Pattern from Crochet Today!, 2011, called "Spring Awakening".

Sunday, January 22, 2012

SNOW DAY YARN DYEING

Friday was a very snowy day--2-4 (or 6) inches of snow. Neither Rudy nor I had to go anywhere, so we just sat around and did our own thing. [In fact, I never got dressed at all, just stayed warm in my fuzzy jammies and robe.] I mostly knit and crocheted all day, but I also dyed a skein of yarn (I Love This Wool "Cream") using some of the techniques from the Dyepot Confidential video--though I used Kool Aid and Wiltons food coloring gels. After soaking the skeined yarn and then squeezing out the water , I twisted the skein loosely and microwaved it using Wilton's Lemon Yellow and Golden Yellow. After it cooled enough that I could handle it with bare hands ( c. 1 hour), I retwisted the skein and microwaved it using 2 packages of cherry Kool Aid. After this round cooled enough, I made two overhand knots in the untwisted skein, and microwaved it a third time with 2 packages of Berry Blue Kool Aid. Here's how it looked then.
I did a 4th round using Wilton's Sky Blue and only one knot. Here's how the skein turned out (I think it's gorgeous!).
Here's how it looks wound into a ball.

I also managed to make bread (using my bread machine) as well. A productive day.