SKULL ISLE HATS

I made two versions of the Skull Isle Hat from Son of Stitch 'n Bitch in October. I was trying to make them for my little grandsons, but the first was way too small for anyone.



It didn't even fit baby Tegan


(though Andrew really liked it anyhow).

The second (made while we were visiting in mid-October) fit both Andrew and Daniel, though rather snugly. [Looks like I skipped a row of the pattern, somehow.]


I started a third, slightly larger version, which will probably go went to Daniel (finished before Thanksgiving). I don't have pictures of him wearing it yet, so the pictures are of me wearing it--a bit snug, though. Anne did say he wears it all the time.

FELT BANNER FOR FALL

I was hoping to finish this for the Fair this year... anyway, It's done now. The pattern is in Crafts 'n Things, October, 2003, and designed by Barbara Swanson. The pumpkin is really oranger.

SOS08 OVER

On my feet, but really, too small:


Summer of Socks 2008 has ended. I finished one pair of adult socks a day before the final deadline. I used Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's basic sock pattern, Magic Stripes "Denim stripes" sock yarn (now discontinued), and size 0 double-pointed needles (one sock) plus size 1 circular needles (the second sock).

SOCK ON VACATION

As part of Summer of Socks 08, there was a "Socks on Vacation" competition. I signed up for it, and (while in Tucson and Phoenix) took some pictures of my only SOS08 completed sock having a good time visiting the sights. We were supposed to submit a single picture by Monday, August 18, and the resulting collection of entries would be then voted on. We got home in mid-afternoon and I rushed to the computer to upload and format a suitable picture and send it off to the moderator. Unfortunately, though I saved it as a jpeg and sent it as an attachment, she apparently received it as an "ink" and could not upload it. [I was using Opera as my browser and I should have tried Mozilla, I realize now]. I was (and still am) crushed--I think I had a really good picture to submit. Disqualified by technical difficulties! There was no time to try something different. Maybe next year.

Here are the pictures I took of SOCK ON VACATION:
Sock outside Colossal Cave near Tucson [Sock bunny-eared by my oldest grandchild, Rachel]--this was the one I submitted:


Sock IN Colossal Cave:


Sock at the Phoenix Airport:


Sock at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson:


Sock on Rachel's ballerina-pointed foot (it was really too small for her):

RAVELYMPICS OVER

Ravelympics ended today at 10:59 a.m., DST. I had entered 10 potential medal winners, but only crossed the Finish Line for 6. I ran out of time, so 4 entries were DNF.

Events:
WIPS Wrestling: 2 medals, 1 DNF (1 each for Team Chicago and Team Illinois)
Sock Put: both entries DNF
Scarf Stroke: 2 medals (both for Team Illinois) and 1 DNF
Homeandstuff Hammerthrow: 2 medals (1 each for Team Illinois and Team Chicago)

Now I have to finish my SummerofSocks 2008 entries--1 week to go.

RAVELYMPICS STARTS FRIDAY

Glutton for punishment--that's me! I signed up for The Ravelympics on Ravelry--a challenge to do projects during the Beijing Olympics. For most of the events, you cannot cast on until the Opening Ceremonies and you must finish by the time the torch is put out at the Closing ceremonies. The only exception is the event called WIPs Wrestling which is to finish projects that need finishing, but that have not been worked on recently (since mid-July, at least). I'm on two teams--Team Chicago and Team Illinois and have signed up for 5 projects each--10 in all. Some of this time will be spent traveling to Phoenix/Tucson so I took into account plane/terminal time.

My events are:
WIPs Wrestling--3 projects
Sock Put--2 projects
Scarf Stroke--3 projects
Home-stuff Hammerthrow--2 projects (dishcloths)

I'm currently trying to finish some other projects--my first pair of socks for SOS'08 (I'm closing in on the toe decreases on the first sock), an EZ Surplice Sweater (only buttons left to attach) and a Mystery Blanket (needs edging and it looks like it will be I-cord) for Baby River, and adding the real edging to the Heirloom Pineapple Afghan (this one can wait).

I'm in training now [gathering materials, etc.].

My daughter Karin is also participating for Team Seattle.

RIBBON WINNERS AT KANE COUNTY FAIR

I had entered 18 craft and needlework projects in the Kane County Fair this year, but only completed 15 in time. In fact, I was sewing the strips together for the afghan on the way to the fairgrounds on Tuesday, and crocheting a temporary edging for the top and bottom as well. I finished a few miles from the fair site. Here are pictures of the finished entries with their corresponding ribbons (all items won something):
Tam A (see February 11 entry below):

Tie-Dye t-shirt (this year's project done at the Library):
front



back


Welcome Door hanging--plastic canvas Craft Group project:


Pineapple Afghan from 50 Sensational Crochet Afghans and Throws


Closeup of pattern


Christmas ornament--quilled angel from Quill-a-Way Christmas leaflet:


Magnetic Fridgie--Shoo Fly quilt block:


Beaded Snowflake Earrings from All Info about Jewelrymaking:


String Art Greeting Card:


Knit Vest--Rick Mandragon's Bias Knit Vest pattern (Knitting Universe):
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Christmas ornament--Bargello needlepoint


Christmas ornament--beaded from Mill Hill kit:


Needlepoint picture--"counted canvas" from Cross Stitcher, June, 2006:


Christmas wall hanging:


Christmas ornament--crocheted snowflake:


Christmas ornament--cross stitch patchwork heart:

FINALLY CAST ON FOR SOS08

I finally cast on for my first Summer of Socks '08 project on Sunday night. My original plan was to use 2 circulars, but one of them is currently in use for a baby sweater. I had a set of 5 size 0's double pointed, so I'm using them. I am finding I like 5 easier than 4. The pattern is Yarn Harlot's basic sock pattern and the yarn is Lion Brand's Magic Stripes "Denim Stripe"

SUMMER OF SOCKS 2008 BEGINS

I signed up for Summer of Socks 2008 on Ravelry, hoping to force myself to make a real pair of socks.  Eligible socks were to be cast on no earlier than Saturday, June 21.  However, I still haven't started.  One reason is that Fair entries will have to be priority until mid July.  Then, too, I will need to use my size 0's and and one of my circulars is being used to make a sweater for Baby River--still awaiting his arrival.  I may cast on just to cast on, but I'll have to use (gasp!) double-pointed needles (!).  [I'm trembling.]

 I'm also reading overdue books and books for Summer Reading at 3 libraries, learning how to make computer games using Game Maker and Scratch (for a potential teen program at the library), and working more hours.  AND, our air conditioning is still non-functional (all the coolant had leaked out and the "hole" is still present and possibly not fixable).

I did roll up my yarn--Magic Stripes' "Denim Stripes"--into 2 balls.



We sent in our Kane County Fair entry forms today.  I listed 18 crafts and 17 food entries.  We'll see what I get done by July 15.

SUMMER HAIKUS FOR WENDY J.

Wendy Johnson has set up a challenge contest asking that commenters to her blog write a haiku about summer.  [She had 428 comments as of today!]  The one I submitted was this:

Black monsoon curtains
dust devils spin to escape
enfolded, drenched, gone

Some of the others I came up with were:

Dust devils race by
black monsoon curtains roll down
exterminated

Dervish dust devils
black monsoon curtains race them
obliterate all

Promise of summer
warm fragrant breezes caress
strawberry flowers

For some reason, I forgot 5-7-5 and did some 3-7-3 and 3-7-4, etc.:
Deadline looms
fair entries still not finished
weave in ends

County Fair
dust heat racing pigs 4H
blue ribbons

Every time I visit
Tucson monsoon rains pour down
still too hot

SRPs
tie-dyed hands recording sheets
BBQ's

Monsoon rains
eradicating dust devils
withering thirsty still

SRP
tie-dyed t-shirt time again
where's my prize?

Obviously, I won't be publishing a book of poetry anytime soon.  It was fun,though.

THREE TAMS--TAM B

I actually finished this one in less than one week in February.  I ran out of the ombre yarn and had to finish with a blue that was very close.  Still not  as tam-ish as I had expected.  Pretty, though.

Side view


Top view:


The ombre yarn--greens, blues, purples


Worn with ribbing rolled up


Inside the tam (neat, huh?):


Worn as a tam (sort of):


 I started Tam C, but got bogged down in the currogated ribbing--tedious.

THREE TAMS--TAM A

I had been working on a vest made with Red Heart's "Gemstone", but discovered that my second (and third) skeins had a very different colorway than my first had--same color name, different dye lots. The one I had used for the vest back had navy blue, and darker colors than the other skeins, which had no navy at all. You can kind of see the difference in this picture:


So, I had to stop work on it until I could find more yarn closer to my original (which I did find on Friday at Michaels). Anyhow, I wanted to knit something small, and remembered the tams in the new Winter issue of Knitty, which fortuitously used small amounts of ombre-type yarns. I have several orphan multicolored yarns in small amounts. I started one with size one needles for the ribbing (I have to go down 2-3 sizes to get guage) and a grey-white-green-rust kind of yarn with an off white; the ribbing seemed too tight and the white in the ombre got lost in the white of the background. I frogged it and started another using size 2 for the ribbing and size 3 for the main part and found a small ball of this multi


with an ecru-ish main color. The colors look great together:


It took about a week of obsessive knitting, but I finished it Sunday.
The hat from the side, stretched:


The top of the hat:


Since it is acrylic, not wool, I can't really block it. Here's how it looks on me as a tam:




If I pull it down like a cap, it goes down to my nose! Though I could fold the ribbing up.

BEDROOM SHAWL

Last winter I started to make an Elizabeth Zimmermann "Ribwarmer" vest (from The Knitting Workshop) with this nice grey yarn I had in my stash. I loved the way it felt--even though it's acrylic--but I ran out and couldn't find any more, not even another in a close shade. I had been doing a bit of nightly knitting before going to bed, sitting up in bed propped up with pillows, but my shoulders were chilly. So I decided to use that yarn and make a simple triangle shawl with the grey yarn--essentially a garter stitch washcloth pattern (k1, kfb, k to end) until I ran out of yarn. I got to 150 stitches across and bound off. It was nice and warm, but a teensy bit smallish.

Inspired by the way Wendy Johnson had added the lace edging to her Pinwheel Sweater, I thought I could add a lace edging to make it a bit larger while also learning how to attach lace and do more lacework. I looked through a lot of books and online, with limited luck in finding an edging that you attach as you go and that turned a sharp corner. Then I took A Gathering of Lace out again and found an edging (Shaped Triangle) that looked like it would work--though I had to adjust a bit for the much smaller number of rows (and a number that did not divide appropriately)--lots of graphing! I didn't have any other grey to even come close in color, so I first tried a very light,clay-ish shade. I got one side done--and ran out of yarn and didn't have any more.



Frog time!. Then I thought I'd try a pink (didn't like any of the colors I had) or a blue--and found this one skein of turquoise acrylic yarn, a bit fuzzy and very soft. After much ripping out at the start, I got into the rhythm--and remembered to use life lines. I finished it today--with one inch left over after binding off. I had tried putting on the top edging (with a slightly darker turquoise yarn), but didn't like the way it was coming out. It is not meant to wear in public, just at home.