Made It

I completed all my projects by the 23rd! Merry Christmas!

Countdown

Okay, I had plans...let's say delusions of posting daily here as I knit my way to Christmas. Obviously that did not happen...how about an update as I and many of us while enjoying the holiday season find it hard to find time to fit it all in. Here is my knit gift list progress to date. Two older nieces: one wrapped, one needing to be assembled and wrapped...an hour probably to complete. Two nephews: one hat done and unwrapped, one on the needles. Little niece, and my Mom: done and wrapped. My aunt: done but unwrapped. My uncle I purchase a gift...cheated. My 2 sisters: one completed and mailed...I rock...and one on needles...she is coming here for Christmas so that buys me some extra time. My Dad...the man you can't buy for but you can make for...it is the oh my child made me a gift still works with him despite my advanced age...I will let you fill in the age...not even started. In addition I made a MaryJayne doll for one of my daughter's friends. While things haven't gone exactly as planned with 4 qdays to go I think I will actually make it!

Counting Down

With 27 days until Christmas, I am counting down. I have to mail just one of my handknit gifts.  I have one poncho done for my nieces and a second on its way.  That leaves 10 to go!

Christmas Knitting

I have decided to undertake a task that knitters should not undertake.  I have decided to knit most of my Christmas gifts.  Notice, I did not say all, but most.  I am knitting for my two sisters (gift undecided), an aunt--project in the works, my dad and uncle, three nieces, and two nephews.  That leaves a lot of people on my Christmas list with nonknitted gifts.  But I will be documenting my progress through probably December 24th.  We'll see how my knitting Christmas goes.
At the moment I have started a pillow for my aunt...but it is on hold, as I started a poncho for one of my nieces.  I don't think she follows my blog, so I will submit pictures as soon as I finish it.  I have about 1/3 done to date. Let the knitting frenzy begin!

Fall is almost here

It never fails.  October arrives where I live and things cool off....for a few days...before it goes back to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.  I start to pull out jackets and my hand knit scarves only to return them to the closet a few days later.  This little hint of Fall, however, stirs my urge to knit.  I hopped on Ravelry the other day and found 4000 Ravelers on-line!  I am apparently not the only one who gets the urge to knit when Fall arrives.  So if there is a nip in the air where you live, whether the nip lasts a few days or you are already preparing for snow, grab those knitting needles and find a fun project.  Knitting season is here!

Doll Hair Instructions

To create hair on knit doll, here is my recommend method.
Step 1:  Pick yarn of your choice and wrap around a paperback book.  Make sure the hair will be long enough to cover the head.  To ensure head coverage the length of one full circle of the wrap must reach from chin to chin.  By this  I mean the length of the yarn wrapped once around the book must be at least long enough to go from one side of the doll's chin, over the head and to the other side of the doll's chin.   If you want the doll to have long hair I suggest shoulder to shoulder. 
Wrap the yarn around the book until the wrapped hair equals the distance from the doll's forehead to the nape of her neck.  You want to have enough hair to cover the head from the forehead, over the top of the head and down the back of the head. 

Step 2:  Run a piece of scotch tape down the center of the wrapped yarn...horizontally based on the photo above.  Then turn the book over and cut the yarn down the middle of the book.  This will leave you with many individually cut pieces of hair held in place only by a piece of scotch tape.



Step 3:  I recommend using a sewing machine for this task, but it can be done by hand...sew the hair together by sewing down the middle of the tape. Make sure the sticky side of the tape is down or it will stick on the sewing machine needle.  Use thread a similar color to the hair to help it blend.  The stitching gives your doll's hair a part of sorts. 
Step 4:  Place hair on the dolls head.  Stitch down the part and attach to the sides of the head.  Use the same yarn you used for the hair and it will blend right in.  Tack down the hair on the sides and back of the head.

Step 5:  Repeat the yarn wrapping process around a book, tape down the middle, cut it in half opposite the tape and stitch it together.  Place the second layer of hair on the head and stitch in place at the part and as needed around the head.

Step 6:  Cut the hair and style.  For one doll I simply did a ponytail, and if you aren't good at hair styling I found this to be a very forgiving hair style. 

Happy Hair Making!

Doll Hair

Doll Hair.  This was a bit of a daunting task for me.  If you are new to my blog, I recently completed  a pattern for a doll, MaryJayne.  The pattern is available under the dolls tab.  As I created my doll pattern I experimented a bit with hair placement after researching a bit on line, but many of my dolls remained bald as I tried to find the right method for creating the perfect hair piece. 

I eventually found a blog with instructions and photos of the desired look I hoped for in my doll hair.  The Waldorf Doll Hair Tutorial (http://starrysheep.com/crafty/?p=103) saved poor MaryJayne from a life of bad hair days.  I'm not saying I have mastered any of the techniques necessary for doll hair, but I learned enough through trial and error to produce a couple of cute dos if I do say so myself. 

 



The method I opted for as outlined in the blog mentioned above didn't require that I stitch row after row of hair across the back of the head to keep the doll's head from being bald.  (I did try that method and found it very time consuming and the poor doll's head was so heavy with so much hair it sagged.)  Some of the methods I couldn't even follow.  My method of choice required that I simply stitched down layer one and then added a top layer to create the "style."  Tomorrow I will have step-by-step instructions on the technique. 

Designing One Pattern Leads to Another

While working on MaryJayne, (I promise to discuss something other than MaryJayne before Christmas) I had a wonderful time designing her clothes.  As her inspiration was my two grandmothers and one is very fashionable, it makes sense that her clothes were an important aspect of the design.  My first "dress" I simply cast-on and started to knit.  I had no idea what type of clothing I was designing for this poor little doll.  It turned into a coat very quickly.  As I knit I developed MaryJayne's swing coat.  (The pattern will be out in the next month or so for the coat.) The coat grew from a few garter stitch rows to include bell arms and quite a flare in the body.  I love the coat so much, as do others who have seen it, that I have decided to write the pattern for the MaryJayne's Swing Coat for children and adults too.  I guess knitting the coat for the doll didn't lead to an entirely new pattern, but it lead to a new idea...designing the outfit for life sized people.  I just love how knitting opens doors you don't expect when you cast on....

Knitting in the round or with a seam?

While working on the MaryJayne pattern, see Dolls tab for information on purchasing the MaryJayne pattern, I tried to knit the arms and legs of the doll both flat and in the round. When I first started knitting anything knit in the round scared me...and as my previous blog post discusses, knitting with double pointed needles simply takes practice.  As I tried both, however, I found the seam up the side or back of the arms just didn't look right.  On the legs I preferred not to have the seam (this may be due in part to my poor seaming skills, too), but the seam up the back didn't bother me too much.  Therefore, the MaryJayne pattern requires that the arms be knit in the round and the legs can be done either way.  My final determination simply came down to whether or not the seam bothered me.  I would love to know your thoughts on knitting the round versus seaming.

How to use the Checklist

I introduced with the MaryJayne pattern a little cheat sheet if you will, that I have been creating and using myself with patterns.  I often find I am either marking all over a pattern or keeping a piece of scrap paper with notes on the steps I have completed, unless I create one of these nifty little checklists.  The checklist is not the pattern, it is simply an abbreivated list of instructions with a place to check off the row or round after completed or tally up K12 rows....in case someone calls you and you come back to find you can't remember if you were on row 5 or 7. 
My abbreviated instructions may not make sense to everyone, and I encourage you to write in your own little notes.  Hopefully, however, it will help you keep track of where you are in the pattern.  If you have any questions on the checklist, please let me know.

Using Double Pointed Needles

If you are like me, the thought of using double pointed needles scared me a bit at first.  After a few projects I became more comfortable with them, and now I often prefer them to joined/connected needles because it allows the size of my project to change in circumfrance greatly as I knit.  The best tip I found on using double needles is simply to practice.  Do be careful not to lose your knitting off one end or the other.  (Those little tip guards can be a lifesaver if you have to put down your project.)  When using markers make sure they are not located at the end of a needle or they will fall off.  And again, practice.  If you learn to use them a whole new world of patterns will open up to you.

Introducing MaryJayne

Meet MaryJayne!

Inspired by my grandmother Jayne's love of dolls and my grandmother Mary's fashion sense, MaryJayne would love to have a tea party with you!

Additional clothing patterns will be on the way very shortly!  I am having almost as much fun designing her clothes as I did designing her.  The pattern includes the doll, her pink dress and of course her Mary Jane shoes.  I will be posting design tips over the next couple weeks and sharing the things I learned along the way making her. 

As for meeting her namesakes....So far Jayne loves her, and Mary has yet to meet her.  I'll report back on their first meeting.  

Supporting a Knit Doll's Neck

In my design process I searched various web sites looking for a way to support MaryJayne's neck.  Without support her head just flops right over with the weight of her hair.  Some web sites suggested elaborate metal spines.  I found the most practical option to be a Q-tip.  Yes, a Q-tip.  Take a Q-tip, wrap it in light colored fabric to the width of the neck.  After you stuff the head, insert the Q-tip and fabric support...stuff the body and you have a supported head that will stay upright.  I did find that stuffing the head, inserting the support and then stuffing around the support a bit was helpful.  Hope that helps when you get ready to make your MaryJayne.  More doll tips to come...stay tuned!

Dolls in Progress

Keep in mind the bald dolls and those lacking clothing are incomplete.  This photo shows my progress on shaping MaryJayne.  I am having a blast, but again creating quite a doll collection.

MaryJayne

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I am currently designing a doll.  The concept for this project came primarily from my grandmothers.  One loves dolls and the other has a wonderful sense of style.  I wanted to combine those two elements and create a stylish doll incorporating the work ethic and appreciation for handmade items I believe were valued while my grandmothers were growing in during the Great Depression.  I have loved every minute of this project and have admittedly been a bit obsessed from the moment I put pen to paper and yarn to needle.  My lovely doll has a growing wardrobe, several hairstyle options, and her various shapes and the techniques used to create those shapes have created to a growing pile of dolls my daughters are coveting.  I plan to “release” her to the world in late September, and I have of course named her after my grandmothers, Mary and Jayne. 

Changes in Yarn Weight and Needle Size

I am designing my first doll.  I have found a basic shape I like, and while looking for the perfect shape I have been experimenting with yarn weight and needle size.  I love how the change in needle size or the change in yarn alters the finished project.  By the time I’m done I will have a sizeable doll collection.  If you know anyone who needs a hand knit doll, please let me know. 

New Projects

Where to begin.  I have two new patterns I am working on at once.  Both have been in my idea book and floating in my head for quite some time.  One is a pillow incorporating not quite intarsia and change in stitch to add texture to present the design.  The second is a doll, named after my grandmothers MaryJayne.  I have two complete early versions and at least two in the works still with alterations to the pattern.  I have been knitting to the point where I expect my needles to go up in flames at any moment.  More on the fun design process of these two projects to come.

Nothing on my Needles!

I just finished two projects almost at the same time, and very oddly I don't have a single project on my needles at the moment.  To keep from going off the deep end I am grabbing yarn at random and making quick dish cloths while I prepare for my next project.  I need to hurry up and get my next knitting adventure started or the dish cloths will take over.

My First Lace Pattern is Here

I finally finished not only the knitting but the pattern write up for my first lace pattern!  I posted it this evening on Ravelry, and I have already sold one copy of the pattern!  I love the way it turned out, and I hope you all agree! 

Great as a Wrap

Great as a Table Runner

The Pattern is Available Under Shawls.

Time Flies

Well summer is over in my neck of the woods.  Kids are back to school, and I realized it has been over a month since I posted.  I almost made my end of July deadline on the yellow lace.  But those last finishing touches such as blocking and photographing and finishing the pattern write up are still in process.  I do have a little tease of the blocking however....

I have this wonderful new blocking tool, knitters block by cocoknits.com.  Individual squares hook together to the necessary shape and you simply wet and pin your knitting into place and shape.  My only problem was that I didn't have enough blocks for the entire piece as it is quite long.  I may need another set of squares.  Pattern for the yellow lace is on the way!



Can I charge my hourly rate to knit?

If you ask me to which profession I belong I’d like to tell you I’m a stand-up comedian or a race car driver.  (As you will see stand-up comedian has never been and is not now an option.  Race car driver just sounds fun, but it isn’t very practical.)  My honest answer, however, is attorney.  I have my own practice and work around my family and knitting.  I’ve started a knitting blog and writing knitting patterns.  These activities fill me with pride and joy.  I’m not complaining about my profession (insert your favorite lawyer joke here).  I enjoy work most days, and the flexibility it has given me with my family is a gift I never imagined.  That being said, a couple of years ago I discovered my “passion.”  I’ve always been envious of those who have known since their youth the career path they wished to pursue.  I admittedly went to law school because I had no plans for my life after college.  The wonderful education I obtained gave me a wonderful career.  A career I enjoy, but not a career that is my passion.  The envious path few people have from their youth to pursue.  My career and my passion need not be the same things.  Some might argue that turning a hobby into a job makes the hobby feel like a job and no longer a hobby.  That said, I’ve started my knitting blog and writing patterns to share free and patterns I’m willing to share for a price.  That brings us to the title of this article; can I charge my hourly rate for knitting?  As an attorney, people don’t bat an eye if I indicate I charge an hourly rate of $150 or $200 or more.  I did spend three years obtaining a juris doctorate and have accumulated more than a few year of experience in my profession, none of which apply to my knitting.  However, as I have accumulated birthdays (and unfortunately not an equivalent amount of wisdom) I begin to think charging my hourly rate for whatever task I undertake seems reasonable?  Or prudent?  Or logical?  Or wishful thinking.  As we age, we learn the value of time or at least increate our appreciation for the value of time.  The joy I find in following my passion exceeds my hourly rate in dollar terms.  Maybe someday my knitting expertise and insight will be worth $200 an hour.  Until then I’ll follow my passion and continue to enjoy my career.  When I can charge others my hourly rate for my passion, I’ll let you know. 

Time filies when you are working

Well, I have been busy working at my paid job.  It unfortuantely cuts into my knitting time!  The lace project is taking longer than I would have guessed, and I have finished one sweater and started a second in the meantime. 

I have set a goal to have my lace project finished by the end of this month!  We'll see if I succeed.  Lastly, I have decided you my dedicated blog followers will have access to the discounts on my pattern sales.  I will post the discount in the sale section along with a coupon code.  Enter the coupon code at check-out to get the deal!  Next month hopefully it will be a deal on the lace project!

Lace, Lace, Lace

I have the promised pictures of my first lace pattern.  It is coming along slowly but surely. 

Of course my beloved stitch markers are keeping me company as I go!

Pattern Sales and Promotions

First a big thank you to all of you following my blog.  I try to post approximately weekly so there isn't too much to read, but enough I hope to keep it interesting.  This post is purely functional, but I will have pictures of my work in progress yellow lace later this week.  Thank you also for all the comments you have made on my blog posts.  I don't feel as if I am posting to a black hole when I hear your thoughts, and I love to hear your thoughts! 
A little note on my Pattern Sales and Promotions.  On the left side of the blog under the photos and archives you will find a sale section.  I change this monthly and put up a promotion for my patterns.  It may be buy two get one free, as I am doing for June or 50% off as I did for one pattern in May.  The only place I am advertising these deals is the blog, so please watch for a deal that may fit your interests and needs. 

Pattern Brainstorming

How do patterns emerge?  Mine have come about from a variety of inspirations.  Some patterns come from practical needs.  I needed a new kitchen rug, hence the striped kitchen rug was born.  The perfect dishcloth came about through trial and error as I made dishcloths to fill my needs.  The car and duck washcloths started as baby gifts, and my current lace shawl/table runner (still in production) started with my desire to work on lace and my love of the color yellow for spring.  While working on my current pattern (the yellow lace) I have let my mind wander and the idea of a fleur de lis lace shawl is emerging and a simple lace shawl in a wonderful pink novelty yarn is forming.  My mind and design notebook are full of ideas, and I only hope to have time to get to at least most of my ideas.  Where do find inspiration for your knitting?

Musings on Knitting inspired by For the Love of Knitting

I have just finished reading my first book about knitting.  Not a pattern book or an instructional book, but a book about the love and joy of knitting.  Kari Cornell appropriately titles it For the Love of Knitting.  It is a compilation of essays on knitting:  learning to knit, projects lovingly made for others, knitting as an art and Elizabeth Zimmerman.  (I have seen Elizabeth’s name in numerous places related to knitting, but this book explained more clearly who she was, and gave my a new book to hunt down and read…Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman.)  Throughout the book I jotted down ideas for my blog and thought about why I knit and why I love knitting.  It reminded me that we knit for many reasons.  I started to knit as an adult as a way to be productive while waiting for my children at various practices and activities.  I love the feeling of being productive while I wait.  I also started knitting as a way to release stress.  I kept knitting because it was a true passion.  I love the creative expression it offers, the practical garments and items it produces, the opportunity it provides to work with my hands, and the chance it gives me to express love and appreciation to family and friends through a handmade gift. 

I enjoyed reading the section of the book discussing knitting as art.  While I have enjoyed various crafting endeavors throughout my life, I have never thought about the finished project from knitting as art.  I think of weaving as art, but I believe I relegated knitting to a craft because of its practical applications.  I have never seen a knit piece on the wall of an art gallery; or thought to knit a piece as art.  I have always considered the skill of knitting an art, but the finished project I thought of practically.  Extending this thought process beyond knitting you really can find art in many practical things we do daily.  Cooking can be an art; surgery is an art; drafting a winning legal brief is art.  It reminded me that art is all around us in the world in our everyday experiences.  Furthermore, it challenged me to expand my notion of knitting and see the “art” not just in the process but also in the finished project.  My yellow-cabled sweater truly is a piece of art.

I share with many knitters a stash of yarn to rival a small yarn store.  I particularly enjoyed Lily Chin’s Top 10 Ways to Hide the Stash in For the Love of Knitting.  I haven’t gotten to the point where I need to replace my sofa cushions with yarn to hold my stash, but I will let you all know when I do.  Each skein and ball of yarn in my stash of course has a project attached to it.  One that most likely will never come to fruition, but a plan for the skein nonetheless.  I often have so many plans for things I want to create via knitting, I find myself making lists of projects to start.  (I am a list person.)  My stash is helpful when I come up with a new project, decide to start it immediately and need yarn.  I may not ever get to that cute little gray skirt, but the skein takes new life in my current project.  Worst-case scenario, I can open up a yarn shop someday.  At least knitters won’t find it odd to be purchasing yarn out of soup tureens.  (Again, see Lily Chin’s list to understand the reference.) 

Knitting as art has been handed down through the ages.  I was fortunate enough to first learn from my mother, a way of learning that is quickly becoming extinct.  I hope my children find joy in knitting, to whatever extent suits them.  For me, knitting has been the discovery of a passion.  What further roads it offers me for exploration will be a pleasure to roam. 

My First Lace Pattern

I have begun designing my first project in "lace." I picked a border that I liked and a simple lace stitch and put the two together.  So far so good.  My first glitch, however, (okay my second, I did have to rip out and start over when my edging on one side was not coming out correctly and I figured out I needed to make sure I was doing the right stitches on the Right side and wrong side of the finished piece and adjusted the pattern accordingly) is deciding as I work the project, do I add a different lace pattern in middle of the project to simply change things up, or do I Keep It Simple?  Keep it simple is a good motto with most craft projects, but with lace is simple good or maybe not so good.  I will probably just keep it simple, because as I stated, this is my first lace pattern.  But the urge to add more is one I constantly try to decipher.  To add more or keep it simple?  If anyone has the answer to this age old dilemma, please let me know.

I've Made Another Discovery

I’ve made another discovery!  One that I am sure someone else made ages ago, but once again forgot to tell me.  I wonder if it was made by the same person who discovered the perfect dishcloth but forgot to tell me?  My big current revelation is a garter stitch scarf knit from stretchy sock yarn.  I know…huge discovery!  I’m using Pattons Stretch Socks a superfine yarn made from 41% cotton, 39%wool, 13% nylon and 7% elastic.  Elastic is great!  On my size four needles this is not a “quick” scarf.  I feel as if I’ve been working on it for ages truth be told, but it keeps me busy and has made a great grab and go project.  (See The Simple Joy of the Garter Stitch Scarf posted April 13, 2011.) 

The ah-ha for me with this project is multifaceted.  First as I just stated it has kept me busy for quite some time (both a good and a bad thing).  Second the stretch and drape of the fabric I’m creating is just luscious in my opinion.  Third, it creates a scarf that works well in warmer limits and feels more sophisticated than a bulky winter scarf.  If you are a scarf knitter, and if you knit, who doesn’t knit a scarf now and then, I strongly recommend grabbing some stretch fine sock yarn on your next trip to the yarn or craft store.  Grab thus smaller needles and make this light weight wonderfully draping scarf.  And if you find out who discovered this gem before I did, please let me know.  I am sure he or she could save me some time by revealing his or her treasure trove of discoveries and save me the time and aggravation of finding them myself. 

A Ravelry Posting of One of My Patterns

I just logged onto Ravelry and had a wonderful surprise.  A fellow knitter made her own version of my stripped kitchen rug.  The thrill of seeing someone complete a pattern I wrote is exhilarating.  I am so proud.  It is fun to see it in other colors and see someone else’s interpretation of a concept I created.  My patterns have been favorited and queued, but this is the first project someone has taken the time to post.  Thank you fellow raveler.  If you have completed any of the patterns I have posted, please share!  I would love to hear what you thought of the pattern.  Check out the second ever Stripped Kitchen Rug.

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/leighellen/striped-kitchen-rug

I am enjoying it!  

The Simple Joy of the Garter Stitch Scarf

I have a wonderful yellow cabled sweater that I adore.  I enjoyed knitting it, sliding the stitch markers as I followed the pattern repeat and carefully working with my cable needle to create a masterpiece.  I wear my sweater with pride and receive plenty of compliments when I take it out for a spin.  I’ve made sweaters, skirts, dresses and toys for my children.  The patterns range from relatively easy to complex and from patterns I’ve written myself to patterns pulled from my favorite books, magazines and on-line sources.  As much as I enjoy these projects, I always have a simple garter stitch scarf on a set of my knitting needles.  It is the project I can throw in my purse and take anywhere.  Never too bulky to take out and about with me, the scarf never requires me to remember what stitch should come next or what row I have just completed.  It doesn’t require a pattern, my adored stitch markers or paper and pen to keep track of my progress.  It doesn’t require a great deal or sometimes any thought at all to click off the stitches.  One size fits all; it is gender neutral (color of course may change this), and everyone can use one.  If you are like many knitters the garter stitch scarf is likely the first project you completed; it may be how you learned to knit.  By changing the yarn, width and length you have almost limitless possibilities in your finished product. Almost of all of my family members and friends have received or will receive a simple garter stitch scarf from me as a gift at some point.  While I enjoy the challenges a new complex pattern presents and enjoy the challenge of learning new knitting techniques, the garter stitch scarf will always have a special place in my heart and on my knitting needles. 

Wrapped in Love

Wrapped in Love

You pick up the needles and a wonderful lucious yarn and begin to click away as you create a masterpiece for a beloved friend or family member.  What thoughts go through your head?  I think about the person for whom I am making the gift.   Two years ago I made my children blankets for Christmas.  I picked colors that represented them and adjusted the size for each of them based on their age and height.  They sleep under those blankets everynight and call them their “Mommy Blankets.”  When I tuck them in at night I feel they are wrapped in a hug from me.  I had made items for others before these blankets, and I enjoyed thinking about the indivudal recepient as I made the gift.  With the blankets, however, I had the joy of not only thinking about my children as I made the gifts, but I see the warm glow on their faces as I wrap them in love with a hug from me every night. 

The Perfect Dish Cloth has been Found

I have done it!  I have found the perfect combination and created the perfect pattern for the handknit dish cloth.  In my opinion (and the opinions of others who sell hand knit dish cloths), nothing beats a handknit dish cloth.  My new combination (somebody else has probably already found it, but failed to tell me) uses a strand of cotton yarn and a strand of acrylic yarn to maximize absorbancy and scrubbing power.  What more could you ask for in a dish cloth?  I like my dish cloths fairly small, but you could of course increase the size if you like a large towel size to do your dishes.  When it gets dirty you stick it in the wash and it comes out looking like new (until you have washed it so many times and used it so many times it shreds and falls apart…then knit a new one).  Enjoy my great revelation, and happy dish washing!  The pattern is available for free below or on Ravelry.  
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-perfect-dish-cloth

Getting Started

Welcome to my Blog.  I am a knitter diving into the world of knitting design.  I have posted three patterns to date.  They can be found on Ravelry.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/be-happy-knits
Knitting has been my go-to project for creative expression and sanity salvation for a couple of years.  I look forward to sharing my love of knitting with others.