Plans for the Dog

He looks so forlorn. Poor Sam, I made him a jacket.

Before Christmas I pulled out some fleece and did something I have been meaning to get to for a while. I made my dog a new jacket. To some this may sound ridiculous, or crazy. "But why would a dog that size need a jacket" or "You didn't knit him a sweater?"
To answer these unspoken but possibly considered responses; my dog Sam is a German Short haired Pointer they are a good sized dog, but lean. In Sam's case quite lean, we can't seem to get much fat on that little body. So he, hates to get wet, loves the snow and really can get cold. Knitting him a sweater is something I may consider once I finish my goals this year (another post to come). Right now I just want  a sweater for me done! LOL

Anyhow, the jacket we purchased for him is too small this year. He may be lean, but he has a broader chest than he did at 1 year old. I found a pattern in a fleece sewing book that I thought was genius. Then I cut it out....

and realised quite quickly that with his lean little frame, Sam would swim in it!So I modified it very heavily using the old jacket as a base. Snaps along the little base strap and Velcro and snaps to the front, and Voila!

This okay jacket that I know I can make work for my dog better. There are a few things about this jacket that I don't really like, so when I have made a superior jacket I will share how I did it with you. I learn best when I make mistakes. That is why knitting is such a good hobby for me. I am on the third incarnation of fingerless gloves for my husband! Hope these ones are the winners!
I mentioned above that I finally mad a bit of time to sit down and consider goals for this new year. I have 12. I will post about that when I have considered how to word that post. I think this week. I have somethings going on, but I really want to share it. Hope your crafting is going well this week. I know someone who has committed to finish over 100 projects this year! Go Toni! I have committed to 100 balls of yarn used up for sure, but other than that.... next post! I swear! LOL 

Completed

Well, the stocking went well. I have been given rave reviews and lavish praise, which is great for my ego, but honestly I am just glad that my sister liked it. My niece won't care for a few years yet.

I guess I just want what all aunties and knitters who create things for children want. To create something that a child feels is special. Maybe they drag the blanket you knit around forever, or maybe the toy you make is the one that makes car rides go smoothly. To knit comfort into an object. In a way I have jumped that hurdle with this project and again in the new year when I knit the matching one for my nephew. It's a Christmas stocking, you only get one, and you know what it means when every year it gets pulled out of the decoration box. On that thought, I guess I should give her something to keep critters away. I would hate to see it ruined by little moth mouths.

A note on the pattern. The toe notes I found on ravelry I mentioned last post, but I didn't see any notes on the finishing method. This pattern calls for a turnover row and hem edge. Not a problem, except it wants you to continue in the box colours so there is a bit of a scalloped effect if you are not careful (I thought I was, but apparently not enough) and it asks that you fold it inside and tack down the live stitches. Not really possible using DPN's. So I turned the stocking out and tacked down the stitches that way. I felt that this was a good solution to the finishing, but that tacking down live stitches left a bit of waver in the end result...... so I may try to cast off then tack next time, that way I can pin it into position and hopefully eliminate any bunching.

 I don't think the scalloping of the edge is really any worry, at least not for me, I like it. If I hadn't told you it was an oops, the only way to know would be to find other projects. Any how, to finish it off before I gave it away, I rolled up a towel, stuffed it inside and gave it a good steaming with my iron. Worked like a charm. Hope your Christmas projects turned out well. I will have more next post. Happy New Year!

New Traditions

Last week saw me begin a new project. The first of two for sure……………Fireside Stocking (by Kate Gilbert) for my niece and nephew. Kettle dyed purple yarn, done with Wilton food dye, and white Patons Classic Merino Wool.

Any Knit Wits listeners can be assured that so far this stocking experience is not a pain in the behind (this is not a DREAD stocking), but it did start out a bit rough. I began this little number about six times. I had real problems with the toe chart. As soon as I was four or five rows in, the stitches began lining up oddly and the white/ purple dispersion was all wrong. Thanks to some helpful Ravelry folks I got around the problem. In the toe chart the increased stitches are marked on their respective rows. For the toe, an “M1” box in the pattern grid means the made stitch only, not a knit stitch plus a made stitch. Thank you aufildesjours for this notation.






That note on Ravelry saved this project. I seriously love the notes that people leave. Thanks for all the help you give when you make detailed notes!
I have liked this pattern since I picked up the Interweave Holiday Knits 2007, I am pretty sure it was the “tipping point pattern” that sealed the deal on my purchase of this magazine. I try not to buy magazines or books if I won’t make more than one pattern from them. I want value for my money! So naturally when my sister asked if I would be interested in knitting the Christmas Stockings for her kids I thought of this pattern. It means a lot to me that she asked me to make them. My sister has always been knitworthy. She always asks about care of gifts, and to my knowledge she uses what I give her and my niece all the time. My BIL I am unsure of, but he got a hat I was pretty proud of last year. So when a knitworthy family member asks for a knit item, I do my best to get it done for them. Stockings are a big deal. They have always held a special place in my heart and I think my siblings hearts too.

When we were kids, it was the only thing we were allowed to open at whatever crazy time we got up. Santa is an amazing stocking filler. Even now, if we are good we get a stocking filled. So to be part of Christmas memories from the beginning, to create something that will be part of the magic for years to come…… awesome.
I hope she likes it.

Planning for a Bounty.

Last year my parents' apple trees were overflowing with apples. My Dad made pies, but eventually ran out of things to do with them. This year in preperation for another large  harvest I began looking over my preserving books ernestly in the summer to decide what we would most likely eat and what I could do with a bounty of apples.

This year there was no apples. That sounds dramatic, there were a few apples but not nearly as many as last year. After the 2010 Winter Olympics we had a cold snap! LOL and alot of plants and trees that were budding early due to the lovely weather in Feburary, lost buds to the cold. Simple as that. 

What is a girl with apple plans to do?

Buy a box of apples from a school fundraiser of course! LOL

Here they are sitting in our cold room. 

And here is what I got up to today.

Apple pear crumble

and apple chips.

Yummy. It`s sad but I am unsure what apples I purchased. I am about 90% sure it was Gala apples. But honestly it could have been another type. They have been the same colour the whole time.
So I still have more apples, I will be making more ships, and I think I will have to make more crumbles, as I already have 3 places that I am taking a desert, and I only made 5 of the little guys! That will be great and I have not decided about apple butter or a apple pie filling. I was certian that I wanted to do canning, but I really don't know anymore. I hesitate as I have not tested a recipe for either I hate to waste my apples.

More on other parts of my weekend later. Hope you had a good one!

Now that the whirwind is done....

I can tell you that Yarn Harvest Yarn Crawl was great!
A Blast! Thanks so much to Anna and Catlin for hosting me at Baaad Anna's!

We had a busy and exhausting day. It was great! I bought nothing! How crazy is that!?

Find out more at the Fraser Valley Knitting Guild Blog

On a personal note..... I finished a few things. YAY!

My Old man of Storr, I knit it in Unwind Yarns in Licorice Alsorts so I call it my Treat of Storr. Came out really well and I really like the pattern!

This may seem wild, but the colour is true. I love it! How could I hide it in shoes? The pattern was easy and intuitive, once you got it..... no worries, you could pretty much pick it up and put it down. Fantastic.

I also completed another shawl, this one in Silk Crush by Sweet Georgia. I love the colour, it's called Saltwater! The pattern is Travelling woman, and I used the whole skein. I did make the centre section a bit wide and had to stop before the final lace chart was done (I wouldn't do that again) but, it's cozy and colourful. I wear it out and the Silk Crush is just fabulous.

Finally I am completing some little hats. There is a call out in the Lower Mainland for purple baby hats, so I have made a few, and will continue until the deadline, or my Guild meeting... whichever. LOL

They work up so quick that I have made a few for the little people in my life too.

Oh and the Bitterroot shawl is progressing quite well. The pattern seems daunting, but it's really straightforward. I can get through a chart in a hour or so. That being said, it's more than 300 stitches wide now and the chart I just began is the one where the beads begin too. I am not sure I will be whipping through it so fast now. The other reason or two that it may not be progressing as quick is that I have both made progress on other projects and I am beginning a KAL with some friends for the Tibetan Clouds Beaded Stole. It will be so pretty! I am using laceweight malabrigo in Polar Morn. Pictures of that when you can actually see something more than squished up stitches! LOL

Hope that Thanksgiving was good to you all and that your projects progress well! Talk at you soon. Tell me what you think.

New goodies to show off.

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I have been planning a Yarn Crawl called Yarn Harvest in the Fraser Valley. It is now available for viewing in detail on the Fraser Valley Knitting Guild Blog sweet! Pop over, join up... it's this weekend and it is shaping up to be a blast!

On a trip to stop at the shops, we did a bit of yarn shopping. (oops)
Since I will be staying at Baaad Anna's  most of the day... I won't really be shopping, but hay... Yarn Crawl!
Anyhow... this was what I got on my mini crawl. "Research"

A lovely skein of Fleece Artist Nyoni. I love this colour. Picked it up at Gina Brown's in Vancouver.

Organic and low impact dyed cotton from Plum Project Studios..... can you believe that this is over 800 meters! I so have plans for this!

A Yummy skein of lace weight baby Alapaca By Diamond. Picked up at my weekend host Baaad Anna's. I just love this colour, and it was so soft...... I was powerless. Mine now.

And last but not least, from the fantastic sale at Three Bags Full........

Beautiful Kauni. The colourway is ET. It is fantastic..... and yes I have plans for it. In fact as I confessed to my companions that day, I have been planning this purchase for a while. I have to say, checking out the colours on the site ELC is looking pretty appealing too! Well, I can always have more plans! LOL.

We actually hit two other yarn shops that day, and I did not buy anything. One was rude..... well chilly in their reception and the other..... I didn't see anything that made me take it home, but I think I was just scared to start shopping because they had some lovely stuff! Woo!

So, nest post a few projects that I have been working on...  some Bitterroot progress, and two other shawl/stoles that take up my time... but are sooooo worth it! I finally knit with my Sweet Georgia Silk Crush Yarn that I picked up at Fibres West in um..... March? Yikes!  Wait to see what I made, I love it! Have a great week. Hope to see you yarn crawling Vancouver and the Fraser Valley!