A Tribute To The Sock Monkey

I had a request for help with a Sock Monkey cloth. I don't know if this is exactly what she was looking for but this would be my little tribute to the sock monkey. If you were looking for the full body...I'm so sorry. I just did this one really quick and I hope it helps. I didn't have an appropriate color for him so I just changed the color of the photo afterwards to give him more of a sock monkey like color. lol So, here's another little freebie for ya...hope you enjoy him. :)

Sock Monkey Dishcloth
©Copyright 2007
Designed by Melanie Thompson
US Size 7 needles 100% Cotton Yarn

Cast on 43 stitches

Rows 1-4: Knit
Row 5: K4, P35, K4
Row 6 & All Even Rows: Knit
Row 7: K4, P35, K4
Row 9: K4, P12, K11, P12, K4
Row 11: K4, P11, K1, P11, K1, P11, K4
Row 13: K4, P10, K1, P13, K1, P10, K4
Row 15: K4, P9, K1, P15, K1, P9, K4
Row 17: K4, P8, K1, P17, K1, P8, K4
Row 19: K4, P8, K1, P17, K1, P8, K4
Row 21: K4, P8, K1, P1, K15, P1, K1, P8, K4
Row 23: K4, P8, K19, P8, K4
Row 25: K4, P8, K2, P15, K2, P8, K4
Row 27: K4, P8, K1, P17, K1, P8, K4
Row 29: K4, P8, K1, P17, K1, P8, K4
Row 31: K4, P9, K1, P15, K1, P9, K4
Row 33: K4, P9, K2, P3, K1, P5, K1, P3, K2, P9, K4
Row 35: K4, P9, K1, P1, K1, P11, K1, P1, K1, P9, K4
Row 37: K4, P6, K2, P1, K1, P2, K11, P2, K1, P1, K2, P6, K4
Row 39: K4, P5, K1, P2, K2, P15, K2, P2, K1, P5, K4
Row 41: K4, P4, K1, P4, K1, P15, K1, P4, K1, P4, K4
Row 43: K4, P4, K1, P4, K1, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K1, P4, K1, P4, K4
Row 45: K4, P5, K1, P2, K2, P3, K2, P5, K2, P3, K2, P2, K1, P5, K4
Row 47: K4, P6, K2, P1, K1, P1, K1, P4, K1, P1, K1, P4, K1, P1, K1, P1, K2, P6, K4
Row 49: K4, P9, K1, P2, K4, P3, K4, P2, K1, P9, K4
Row 51: K4, P10, K1, P13, K1, P10, K4
Row 53: K4, P11, K1, P11, K1, P11, K4
Row 55: K4, P12, K11, P12, K4
Row 56: Knit
Row 57: K4, P35, K4
Row 58: Knit
Row 59: K4, P35, K4
Row 60: Knit
Rows 61-64: Knit

Bind off and weave in the ends.

*I'm bringing in the new year with a monkey...what does that say about my future? :P

Christmas Knitting Has Begun

Believe it or not, I am getting that early start on Christmas 2008. I just finished my first gift for next Christmas. This is for my cousin. She will be a new Mom this year and little does she know, she will no longer have the time or energy for lots of the everyday things we Mommies used to do...like fixing our hair, going to the potty, eating......lol. She has always liked headbands and bandanas for keeping her long hair pulled back out of the way. I've had my eye on this pattern for a while and thought it would be perfect for her. It knits up fast....my favorite kind....and it fit perfectly. (I tried it on.)

Now, to decide what to do next. I have a purse pattern I found at Chez Plum that is so cute. I think it will be the next project. I'm hoping it will also be a fairly quick knit. If it goes well, I'm thinking of doing a couple of those for gifts. I just hope I can keep this up...next Christmas will be stress free. YAY!

It's A Good Day To Knit

It's a yucky, cold and rainy day. This was earlier this morning but now it is a full blown downpour. It's just not suitable for anything other than staying in under a blanket and knitting. I know we need the rain but...YUCK! and BRRRR!

This is what I will be doing today, other than working on my slowly progressing La Dentelle Belle. This is a headband from Drops Designs. I should have taken a photo of the other side so you could see the texture a little better. Too late now, the batteries died and I had to put them in the charger. I'm using James C Brett Marble...the colorway says MT8..whatever that means. lol If it turns out well, I may make a few of these for Christmas gifts for 2008. Oh yeah, I'm starting on next years gifts now. Knitters always worry about how our hand knits will be received. Some people just don't have an appreciation for them it seems. I personally think that these particular people are very materialistic and don't deserve a gift at all. Thankfully, all my gifts were well received and appreciated...I even got a few requests for more hand knits. YAY ME!!

If you're interested in getting an early start and need a little cheering section to help you along, you might want to check out the Year Long Gift Along. Sign ups are until Jan. 31, 2008.
http://knitallyear.blogspot.com/

This was a gift for my cousin for Christmas. He is a huge fan and so the wonderful Froggie charted it up in a second and sent it my way. The pattern is posted on her site as a free pattern.
Hop on over and enjoy!
http://frogiezplace.blogspot.com/2007/12/her-clothfreebie.html

La Dentell Belle Continues...

With my Christmas gift knitting out of the way, I can now focus on my La Dentelle Belle Scarf KAL. I feel like I've been knitting this forever but it just doesn't seem to be "growing" as fast as it should. I thought I was a fairly fast knitter but I have to keep in mind that this is lace and I haven't knit many lacy things so I won't be zooming through it. At least now it's finally beginning to get a little longer. I used my trusty Christmas tree to hold it for me while I took a few photos.

A little close-up so you can see the colors...keep in mind it's a work in progress and it will look a lot better once it's blocked. I love this scarf...it's a beautiful scarf....but will I EVER be glad to be finished with it! I had considered knitting up another one but I don't think that's going to happen anytime in my near future...unless I can find a yarn I like that is NOT lace weight. I don't think lace weight yarn and I are going to be very close friends. It just takes too long. lol

I got two gift certificates for yarn shopping for Christmas and I can't wait! One is for my LYS (Thanks to my sister) and the other is for Hobby Lobby (Thanks to my oldest daughter). I am planning on taking my sweet time picking out something special that I probably would not otherwise buy because it costs too much for my budget. I may even splurge and get myself a pair of Rosewood needles. I would love to have at least one pair.

Cute Cloth....Weird Moon

This is the new pattern from KnittingKnonsense...it's the Wrapper Cloth. I thought it would be a cute gift for my mail carrier with a little bar of soap tucked inside. Don't look too closely at my bobble...he's a sad excuse for a bobble. I have never done them before and that part of the pattern was confusing to me...I kinda winged it and kept going. If I make more and I probably will, I will try to do a better bobble next time. lol
The pattern is available for free here...http://www.knittingknonsense.com/Wrapper_Cloth.html

Here is...as my Skaterboy would say...some "Moonage" for you. My sister called me on her way home from work yesterday and while we were talking she says that the moon looks really weird. Knowing that I won't pass up an opportunity to take photos, she explains that it looks to her as though there is something hanging down off the moon. So, when we finish talking, I grabbed my trusty little camera and head outside.

I couldn't see anything just looking up at the moon but I figured I would take a few shots anyway and see what happens. These are two of the photos I took last night. I have no idea what the little thing is at the bottom. But now at least I can see what she talking about. I took three photos total and it's there in a different little swirly shape in all three photos. Just a little something strange I thought I would share with you.

I hope you are all having a great holiday. I am now, unfortunately, nursing a yucky old cold. It's driving me nuts. It could be worse though so I won't complain. At least now I can relax and decide what I want to knit next...no pressure...no stress....aaahhhh.

Almost There And Contest Goodies....

I have, at last, a "Hunny Bear" to give my cousin for Christmas. This is thanks to my good friend, Froggie. Thanks so much, girlfriend...I so appreciate this. Not to worry folks, I already sent her a message to post the pattern...please, please, please...it's time to share.

ETA...Froggie has now posted the Hunny Bear Freebie...hop on over and check it out...the button is on my sidebar. :)

This is my second place prize for the Google Christmas Trivia Contest in the gettingtoknowyou dishcloth group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gettingtoknowyoudishclothknitters/
A ball of Sugar & Cream striping yarn in Violet Stripes...so pretty...a ball of Peaches & Cream in Deep Purple...I haven't seen this color around here...YAY...and a really cute little notepad...I love notepads. You just can't have enough little notepads for the desk. I go through them like lightening.

I also managed to get a little knitting time in on my La Dentelle Belle Scarf KAL. I am so far behind, it's just not funny but I will finish....sometime. Poor thing doesn't look much longer than it did before I started knitting last night but it really is a bit longer.

Off to finish my last dishcloth...I'm about 2/3 of the way done and will be finished with it tonight. This is a good thing since we're exchanging these gifts tomorrow. lol
Hope you're all having a wonderful holiday!

Dishcloth Dungarees/Bathtime Bloomers

Okay, if you read my post the other day, I mentioned a cute crochet pattern that I really wanted to do but since I don't crochet anything other than a chain...that wasn't happening. So, I have been working on doing it in a knitted version. It's really simple and pretty flexible...you could do any size you want and change it to suit your own taste. You just knit two identical cloths like these. And the cuteness happens when you put them together. And then you have this....

I love these little britches. They're just too darn cute. I don't know who originally came up with this idea and I sure don't take credit for the brilliance that these little buggers are. I'm posting my version...which is just me winging it so feel free to do it your way. I just wanted to share this with everyone since I haven't been able to find a knitted pair anywhere.

I used US Size 8 needles and a ball of Sugar & Cream cotton yarn in Cherry Swirl. I started by Casting On 36 stitches.

Rows 1-4: Knit
Row 5: K1, YO, K2tog to end of row
From here, just continue in garter stitch (knit every row) until you get the just a bit shy of your desired length.
Row of: K1, YO, K2tog to end of row
Knit 4 rows and bind off. Weave in your ends.
You will need some ribbon (your choice...you could also probably just use yarn leftover from the cloths)...using a long piece of ribbon, pull it through the eyelets on the top of the two cloths and tie them together(make a pretty bow)
I didn't have access to much ribbon...yours will most surely look better. It would also be helpful to use a shorter piece of ribbon to tie a little bow at the crotch area of the cloths to hold them together.
Then use two shorter pieces of ribbon through the eyelets on the bottom of each "leg" to give them that puffy look and tie a pretty bow. (Don't tie the bottom pieces together...these are your legs.)

I worked up a little poem to include with them if you wish...you won't hurt my feelings if you don't use it...I'll never know if you don't tell me. lol (Please don't tell me if you don't. :P)
I've named them Dishcloth Dungarees and Bathtime Bloomers depending on the recipient and what they will use them for...you can switch the names in the poem to suit the gift.

These are Dishcloth Dungarees (Bathtime Bloomers),
And here is a little clue...
When you remove the ribbons,
You'll find not one surprise, but two...
A pair of cotton dishcloths (washcloths),
That I hand knit just for you.

For any crocheters out there interested, here's the link to the crochet version...
http://www.jimsyldesign.com/dishbout/cpatterns/kitchenpants.html

Today was the last day of school before the Christmas holiday. Ms Thang gave me this cute little Gingerbread Man she made for me at school. He is so cute and special because he was hand made, too. I hope you're all warm and toasty (no fire going tonight but warm just the same).

Wordless Wednesday...Say Cheese

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The "Awesomeness" That Is.....

The Picot Swirl Dishcloth!

I just cannot say enough good things about this cloth. I love, love, love it!!! Thanks, Toni!!!
This is the perfect cloth to knit if you're in a hurry and you still want something pretty and functional. After I get going, I don't need the pattern and now...in a moment of sheer blonde, I realized that...if I use a stitch marker, I don't even need to think about it at all. No counting...just knitting. I have knit so many of these, you would think I would have figured this out a looong time ago, oh well. Just put the stitch marker at the end of the row when you turn (just before the stitch you're going to stop at on the next row) and keep on going. Did that make sense? I hope so...if you knit one, you'll understand when you get there. lol

This one was done in Sugar & Cream in Country Side Ombre. It was marked down at Hobby Lobby which is sad news for me because I really like the colors. Isn't that how it goes...you find something you like...they stop making it. :P

You can find this awesome pattern here:
http://foothillsofthegreatsmokymountains.blogspot.com/2007/07/picot-swirl-cloth_25.html


I know this doesn't look like much now but I have high hopes for this little thing. I don't want to say too much but there's a pattern I found a while back that was just too cute but it's a crochet pattern. I have searched high and low for a knit version and I can't find it so, I am attempting to do a knitted version myself. I'm pretty sure it will be a super simple pattern that even a beginner can do. It's just knit, purl, yarn over and knit 2 together. As soon as I get it worked out, I will share it...hopefully soon cuz I'm thinking it would be a cute Christmas gift.

Back to knitting like a woman possessed. lol Will the madness never end?

Teacher Gifts & A Little Holiday Spirit

I finally got around to finishing the teacher gifts. I am not at all happy with the tops but I am forcing myself to just let it go already. None of them are knitters so I know they won't know any different but it just isn't my best and I can't stand it! I don't realistically have time to change it anyway so why stress about it. Just another reason why I wish I could get the hang of crochet, then I wouldn't have this problem.


I knitted these with Sugar & Cream self striping in Holiday Stripes. They're cute but again, I wish I had done a little better with the trim and "handles" on the top. At least now, I can get on with the rest of my gift knitting and get this stress over and done with. The soaps behind the dresses are part of the gift as well. They're from Bath & Body Works...Sparkling Peach Hand Soap. They smell delicious and we usually have one flavor or another by the kitchen sink (thanks to my awesome sister). If you've never tried them...DO! they are yummy!

If you're a knitting blog junkie like me, you may have already seen this video. I thought it was cute and wanted to share a little holiday spirit with you so here it is. It's Indiana University's men's a cappella group

It's Was A Yucky Day!

No Saturday Sky yesterday...it was too cold and wet to go out and take the picture. lol Saturday kinda went like this...


This has been one cold, rainy, yucky day. At the moment it's 38 degrees and wet. We've had rain all day long and you would think this would be a very productive knitting day but NOT. I don't even have a good excuse. I did finish one of the tops of the teacher's dishcloth dresses and hope to get the other two done when I finish posting. It's just dang cold.

I sent the boys to the barn for wood so we could enjoy this (see photo above). There's nothing better when it's cold outside than a toasty warm fire in the fireplace. I love to hear the wood crackling and the glow....ahhhhh, awesome. It was begging me to take a photograph so of course, I did. I thought I would share with you so it could warm you all a little.

I did however have to do one that just could not wait. Now, normally I wouldn't be bathing the dog on such a cold day but....."Ms Thang" informed that "THE DOG HAS TWO BUGS ON HER!" Sorry for yelling but that's how she said it. lol I checked and sure enough, Ms Diva had a couple of fleas on her. Well, I'm not having no stinking fleas around here so off to the tub we went. Needless to say, Diva was not happy. Since she has very short hair, it wasn't hard to find those little buggers and dispose of them. While the two little ladies warmed up by the fire, I cleaned her crate and made sure there were no more relatives hiding out in there. For all this drama, I think she deserved a treat.

This is your typical "Oh, can I please have the treat now, huh? Please, please...." She will actually stand up on her back legs and dance around for it and I got a photo of her doing this but....her eyes looked so creepy with the flash that I couldn't post it. Just too scary...lol
I'll try again later during the day and maybe get one I can use.

This is what you do when you get your treat. Run like heck to the back of your crate and leave the little dinosaur dude by the door to stand guard so nobody can get their greedy little hands on your doggie treat. She is serious about the treats and not those little wimpy small dog treats. She likes the "big dog" treats. The ones almost the size of her head. No, really....look...it's sticking out the side of her mouth. She got another treat for being such a sport about the pictures.

Now, if I just had a French Vanilla Cappuccino...all would be right with the world. :P

Friendship Award

I just received this Friendship Award Badge from the talented and very sweet Isabelle aka Tricotine
I feel special...I've never received an award badge before. *smiling & blushing*
So, I now and going to pass this award on to some of my friends whose blogs I read religiously.
Cat (a wonderful friend and such a big heart...just wish we lived closer)
Tea (very entertaining...she's got an awesome sense of humor and some nice patterns there)
hakucho (she's always very encouraging and I do appreciate that and patterns here too)
MissMandyGirl (she's just so darn sweet...love this girl)
and last but certainly not least....
Froggie (partner in crime...you hear about the Frog a lot and she's got some awesome freebies)

There are so many more people who deserve this as well but I have to sleep sometime. lol
I love all my online bloggy friends and non-bloggy friends. Thanks to everyone who reads my little 'ole blog and all the wonderful comments...makes a girl feel all sappy and stuff. :)

Big Hugs All Around!! Now, go spread the love!!

A Christmas Surprise & La Dentelle Belle Progress

My daughter has THE BEST interpreter there is...I have proof. Today when "Ms Thang" got home from school, she ripped into her bookbag like a mad woman. She was signing a mile a minute about "V" saying to open this now...DONT wait until Christmas! ("V" is her interpreter.)
She opened the card first...this took a LOT of willpower....inside "V" said that since my dd and I have such a close relationship, she thought we should both have this same gift. How sweet is that? We had identical little wrapped boxes and this is what was inside.....

This is "Ms Thang's" necklace. Oh yeah, we put them on immediately! Her chain is just a tad bit shorter than mine. They are so much prettier than the photos show. The reflections of colors and lights in the room distort the finish in the photos.

This is mine. I took it off hoping I could get a better photo. This is not quite as bad as the other with the colors reflecting on the necklace but it still just doesn't compare to the real thing. They're just dainty little things but the detail is pretty good. I just wish I could have gotten a better shot.

It was a really nice early Christmas surprise. "V" always gives dd a little something but I was totally not expecting a gift for me. She is awesome!

Now, the La Dentelle Belle progress...well, it's not so much progress but I will get there. I've had to set this aside to get those teacher gifts finished and they almost are...YAY ME! I love this yarn and even though I wasn't too thrilled with the colorway, I am more than happy with it now that's taking shape. I don't normally buy bright colors but this was a super good deal. I have another hank and I'm already trying to decide what else I can knit up with this. I may even make a scarf for myself with this. If my sister is reading this, don't worry, this one is yours. I promise.


I have two dishcloth dresses done and just waiting on the crochet edging at the top and another just OTN. It will done tomorrow, I hope. I'm using the Sugar & Cream striping yarn in the Holiday Stripes. So far, the first two have been a pleasant surprise in the way the striping has worked out. You know you're gonna get photos.

A Tree, Some Dishcloths And Honest Abe.

I thought I would post a photo of the decorated tree since there are some who wouldn't believe it without proof...it took forever to get around to adding the ornaments. I think the tree was up for two weeks just waiting on the final additions. I got tired of it giving me dirty looks so here he is in all his glory. (covered in little snowmen) There's even a little snowman standing just underneath the edge of the tree but you can't see him in this photo. He's in my profile picture right now though.

This is a Christmas gift for one of my neighbors. He owns a few horses and has let my kids ride them. Froggie designed this one and I thought it was perfect for him. This pattern is available on her blog. http://frogiezplace.blogspot.com/
I knitted him with Sugar & Cream in brown...not sure of the actual color name on the wrapper. The wrapper has long since gone MIA. I used a US size 7 needle...not sure of the size on the pattern. Hop over to Frogiez Place and look for Giddy-Up.

This one is for my cousin who is a big kid regardless of his age...which is in his 20's. He has always loved a certain comic book super hero. The cloth is a much prettier, brighter shade of blue. I was apparently having a "crappy picture day" as you can tell by this series of photos and YES! it's driving me insane but I will deal with it. :P Anyway, I think he will be very happy with this one.

I finally feel as though I'm making progress with all this Christmas gift knitting. I got these two finished, have a Nubbins OTN and two more dishcloth dresses OTN for my daughter's teachers. Now I just have to pick out a nice one for her interpreter...I realized that these 3 cloths need to be done first (as in now) because school is out for the holiday next Wednesday. I have until Christmas Eve to finish everyone else's.

I just check with Froggie and this one (My Hero) will be posted soon. Just check back on her blog...hopefully tomorrow and it should be there.

Now, the finale. I would like for you all to meet Abe Lincoln the sock puppet. Isn't he a handsome fella? lol My oldest daughter had to do this as a project for school. She's in high school no less, go figure. His mouth does open but you can't tell it in the photo. Her hand was tired....read A LOT of whining in that last sentence. I think we did an awesome job. Credit for the face goes to my youngest son, Skaterboy the artist. He's a talented kid if I say so myself. I can't wait to see what kind of grade she gets for this one. lol He really is very dignified in the photo. Always a proper gentleman. Honest.

Okay, I "talked" your ears off. You must be tired so I will shut up for now. Don't get comfortable because I will be back.

Wordless Wednesday

Pay It Forward

I have seen a this a few times while blog hopping but I guess the holidays really make you think about being thankful and doing things for others more than any other time of the year. So, in the spirit of Christmas, I have decided to Pay It Forward. I signed after reading a post on Cat's blog

http://craftyncer.typepad.com/cats_crafty_corner/

This is how it works...."I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."

If you'd like to join and do something nice and sort of unexpected (they won't know when they get it or what it is), just be one of the first 3 to leave a comment on this post and make this promise on your blog. Come on, it's Christmas after all, Pay It Forward.

La Dentelle Belle Scarf KAL

I know everyone is probably so much farther along than me but I was just proud to make it through the first 13 row repeat. lol This scarf made a very valiant attempt at kicking my behind. We finally called a truce and this is my first day of knitting. I frogged only once...cuz I missed one stupid stitch at the stupid beginning and had to frog the stupid thing and start over.
I decided to go up a needle size for the cast on (US size 6) and then intended to go back to the size 5 but I like the look of the 6's so much I just kept on knitting. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the look of the scarf on 5's anyway and I have to say...I like this look much better.

I'm using KnitPicks Gossamer in Sunrise. This is the first time I have knitted with a lace weight yarn and it took me a little getting used to...I think I have the hang of it now. Let's hope so anyway. lol
This is my youngest daughter, "Ms Thang" trying her best to make me want to take the kitty home. Two little kittens have taken up residence at my sister's house and being the animal lover she is, my daugther carried this kitty around all afternoon except for the time she spent playing with my nephew or the dog. Yeah, the kitty is cute but we have so many animals already. I'll keep you posted...we seem to have a habit of taking in animals.

ILOVEKANDCALONGS Update

I wanted to pass along some information for anyone who was a member of the SASE group which has been deleted without any warning whatsoever. There was a KAL planned (The Icelandic Shawl) and kits ordered and then the group just mysteriously disappeared so...our wonderful Cat has re-opened the ILOVEKANDCALONGS group for anyone who wants to re-join. This group was closed when SASE supposedly resumed out of respect for the owner. We are back up and running with the Icelandic KAL scheduled for January and a beautiful scarf KAL that starts Friday (tomorrow). Please feel free to join us...Cat has tried very hard to send invites to anyone who was a member before and to other SASE members as well. If you didn't receive an invite, please don't think that you were forgotten or ignored. All the information in the SASE went POOF along with the group itself. We do want you to join and hope you come with us. If you were not a member of either group, that's okay, too. Come on over and join in, we'd love to have you there. The more, the merrier!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ILoveKandCAlongs/

I'm A Snowman....I mean person

You Are a Snowman

Friendly and fun, you enjoy bringing holiday cheer to everyone you know!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

I saw this cute little quiz on Isabelle's site ( http://tricotine.typepad.com/) and thought I would give it a try and.....YAY ME! I'm a snowman...no, wait, snowperson. Snowmen are my favorite! I have a select few up in my house all year round. Go ahead, see which ornament you are...you know you wanna. lol :)

Rose Dishcloth.....Free Pattern

Okay, Korin, you talked me into it. I tried to find an email address to let you know I was posting the pattern but I couldn't find one so I hope you check back soon. :)

Rose Dishcloth
Designed by Amy-lynne Mitchell
©Copyright 2007
US Size 7 needle 100% Cotton Yarn

Cast on 47 stitches

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: K3, P41, K3
Row 6 & all even rows: Knit
Row 7: K3, P41, K3
Row 9: K3, P18, K6, P17, K3
Row 11: K3, P17, K6, P18, K3
Row 13: K3, P16, K7, P18, K3
Row 15: K3, P15, K7, P19, K3
Row 17: K3, P1, K8, P6, K7, P3, K2, P14, K3
Row 19: K3, P2, K13, P3, K3, P4, K2, P14, K3
Row 21: K3, P10, K7, P6, K4, P4, K4, P6, K3
Row 23: K3, P11, K1, P3, K5, P3, K4, P2, K7, P5, K3
Row 25: K3, P11, K4, P3, K3, P2, K3, P3, K8, P4, K3
Row 27: K3, P11, K5, P4, K5, P1, K3, P3, K7, P2, K3
Row 29: K3, P11, K6, P5, K2, P1, K6, P2, K6, P2, K3
Row 31: K3, P11, K6, P6, K1, P1, K6, P5, K3, P2, K3
Row 33: K3, P11, K6, P6, K1, P1, K2, P4, K5, P1, K2, P2, K3
Row 35: K3, P12, K5, P5, K2, P1, K1, P1, K1, P2, K3, P4, K2, P2, K3
Row 37: K3, P13, K4, P5, K2, P2, K4, P4, K2, P5, K3
Row 39: K3, P15, K2, P5, K2, P2, K3, P1, K3, P1, K3, P1, K1, P2, K3
Row 41: K3, P21, K4, P1, K2, P2, K1, P1, K1, P1, K3, P1, K2, P1, K3
Row 43: K3, P21, K5, P1, K1, P1, K2, P1, K1, P1, K2, P1, K3, P1, K3
Row 45: K3, P21, K5, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, K4, P1, K3
Row 47: K3, P22, K5, P2, K6, P1, K3, P2, K3
Row 49: K3, P22, K5, P2, K5, P2, K2, P3, K3
Row 51: K3, P23, K5, P1, K1, P4, K2, P5, K3
Row 53: K3, P25, K4, P1, K6, P5, K3
Row 55: K3, P26, K3, P2, K4, P6, K3
Row 57: K3, P41, K3
Row 58: Knit
Row 59: K3, P41, K3
Row 60: Knit
Row 61: Knit
Row 62: Knit

Bind off and weave in the ends

I just tweaked it a little….Thanks a bunch, girlfriend. It is just what I needed. :) Mel

Wordless Wednesday

Rose Washcloth

I had to share this latest design with you. It was done by my wonderful, talented friend, Froggie. She is really a very talented designer but I need to get her confidence boosted so she will let loose with the designing and sharing. I needed a Rose design for my cousin for a Christmas gift but couldn't find one I liked online anywhere. So I tapped into the Frog brain and this is what came out. I love it! It's a quick knit since it is just knit every other row.

I'm not sure yet how this one is going to be available. It could end up being a freebie (read..probably be a freebie)...maybe as soon as later tonight. lol Thanks so much, Froggie. I am forever grateful for this easy but so pretty cloth. I know my cousin is going to love it.

You can find Froggie here.... http://frogiezplace.blogspot.com/
She has another new design posted there as well.

Green Ogre

I have had positive comments on the Ogre so I thought I would go ahead and post the pattern as is...it will be a while before I can do the tweaking...I actually worked on it a little but can't seem to change it to my liking so I'm going to leave well enough alone for now. So, here he is and I hope you enjoy him. :)

Green Ogre

Designed by Melanie Thompson 2007
Test knitted by Shirley Smith
US Size 6 Needle 100% Cotton Yarn

Cast on 46 stitches

Row 1-6: Knit

Row 7: K4, P38, K4

Row 8: Knit

Row 9: K4, P38, K4

Row 10: K13, P20, K13

Row 11: K4, P8, K2, P18, K2, P8, K4

Row 12: K11, P2, K20, P2, K11

Row 13: K4, P6, K2, P22, K2, P6, K4

Row 14: K10, P2, K22, P2, K10

Row 15: K4, P5, K2, P24, K2, P5, K4

Row 16: K9, P2, K24, P2, K9

Row 17: K4, P5, K2, P24, K2, P5, K4

Row 18: K9, P2, K24, P2, K9

Row 19: K4, P5, K2, P24, K2, P5, K4

Row 20: K9, P2, K24, P2, K9

Row 21: K4, P5, K2, P24, K2, P5, K4

Row 22: K9, P2, K4, P1, K14, P1, K4, P2, K9

Row 23: K4, P5, K2, P5, K1, P12, K1, P5, K2, P5, K4

Row 24: K9, P2, K6, P1, K2, P6, K2, P1, K6, P2, K9

Row 25: K4, P5, K2, P3, K1, P3, K1, P8, K1, P3, K1, P3, K2, P5, K4

Row 26: K9, P2, K4, P1, K3, P8, K3, P1, K4, P2, K9

Row 27: K4, P5, K2, P5, K1, P12, K1, P5, K2, P5, K4

Row 28: K9, P2, K10, P4, K10, P2, K9

Row 29: K4, P5, K2, P7, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P2, K1, P7, K2, P5, K4

Row 30: K10, P2, K5, P1, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P1, K5, P2, K10

Row 31: K4, P6, K2, P5, K1, P10, K1, P5, K2, P6, K4

Row 32: K11, P2, K4, P2, K8, P2, K4, P2, K11

Row 33: K4, P7, K2, P5, K2, P6, K2, P5, K2, P7, K4

Row 34: K11, P2, K6, P8, K6, P2, K11

Row 35: K4, P8, K2, P18, K2, P8, K4

Row 36: K12, P2, K3, P4, K4, P4, K3, P2, K12

Row 37: K4, P8, K2, P2, K1, P1, K4, P2, K1, P1, K4, P2, K2, P8, K4

Row 38: K13, P2, K2, P2, K1, P1, K4, P2, K1, P1, K2, P2, K13

Row 39: K4, P9, K2, P3, K2, P1, K1, P2, K1, P1, K2, P3, K2, P9, K4

Row 40: K14, P2, K4, P1, K4, P1, K4, P2, K14

Row 41: K4, P9, K1, P1, K2, P1, K2, P6, K2, P1, K2, P1, K1, P9, K4

Row 42: K12, P1, K2, P2, K12, P2, K2, P1, K12

Row 43: K4, P7, K1, P2, K1, P1, K2, P10, K2, P1, K1, P2, K1, P7, K4

Row 44: K8, P3, K1, P2, K3, P2, K8, P2, K3, P2, K1 P3, K8

Row 45: K4, P4, K1, P2, K1, P6, K2, P6, K2, P6, K1, P2, K1, P4, K4

Row 46: K9, P1, K1, P1, K7, P8, K7, P1, K1, P1, K9

Row 47: K4, P6, K2, P22, K2, P6, K4

Row 48: Knit

Row 49: K4, P38, K4

Row 50: Knit

Row 51: K4, P38, K4

Rows 52-56: Knit

Bind off and weave in the ends.

Big Thank You to my dear friend, Shirley, who has lightening fast needles.

Yes Yarn!

Today was a very good day. We have (for the first time that I can remember) a LYS! To be honest, I'm unsure of how long she has been open but I found out about the shop on Ravelry recently. I finally got the time to go find it and check it out today. It's called YES YARN and is located inside the quilt shop in town. (In the back and up the stairs.) It was my first time visiting an actual yarn shop. I have had to do all my yarn shopping at either Hobby Lobby or Michael's or order online. This was a new thing for me and I have to say....I LIKE IT! The owner's name is Margaret and she is such a sweet, welcoming person. I really enjoyed my visit and I wanted at least one of everything but you know how that goes. You have to pick something.

This was my indulgent splurge. I have never seen nor heard of this particular yarn but the colors were awesome and I "needed" it. lol It's Ranco Multy...hand dyed in Chile by Araucania Yarns. It's a wool/nylon blend (75%/25%). I instantly saw a stole or wrap when I picked this one up. I will have to find the perfect pattern for this one.

This one looked like a nice hat to me. The picture doesn't do the colors any justice but as you can guess...very earthy...lots of brown tones. My intention was a hat for me but once I picked up Ms. Thang from school...she wasted no time calling "dibs" on this skein. She wants a hat...imagine that. I ordered her a book yesterday...a how-to knitting book geared towards kids...she tries so hard to knit but it hasn't clicked just yet. I'm hoping this book with it's clear illustrations and kid friendly explanations will be more help to her than I apparently am. lol

My other purchase was this one. Galway Paint by Plymouth Yarns...100% wool. Yeah, it's kinda brown, too. I bet you are just sick of the brown already. lol Sorry, I couldn't resist. I am so looking forward to going back again and getting more yarn.

She had some nice sock yarns and will be having a sock class...YAY ME!
I signed up for her newsletter since she will also be having crochet classes...YAY ME AGAIN!
and is planning a class for the BSJ. I would love to make one for my expecting cousin and this would be perfect. The instructor is going to give the option of doing a BSJ or an adult sized one. Since this will be my first actual garment, I think I will stick to the baby size. I'm ambitious but not insane. Really, I'm not.

Wordless Wednesday

Slowly but surely....

Slowly but surely, I am getting my Christmas knitting done. I know, by the looks of this pile you would think I have nothing to worry about....these aren't all for gifts. Some of them are test knitted designs that may be given and maybe not. I want to give everyone at least two cloths each so I do still have a bit more knitting to do.

This is the awesome "Nubbins" cloth by Vyvyan of http://inahappycamper.eponym.com/blog
She has some wonderful patterns on her blog, you should check them out if you haven't already. I have been wanting to knit this one for a while and thought this would be a perfect cloth to do for my gifts. It's a good stress free knit and I can use my tons of variegated cotton that I have in my stash. There will probably be more of these to come since there is no complicated pattern to remember and it goes pretty quickly. For this one, I used Sugar & Cream in Summerset.

This is hopefully the last dress I have to do for a while...yeah, right. This (when finished) will go to my other neighbor in her Christmas basket. I just have to do the crochet at the top to finish it off. I used the Sugar & Cream self striping in Country Stripes. I really like the colors and might use the leftover (there was a lot) to make another soda can cozy. Now, do I want to do another Nubbins or what to do next? Maybe another Nubbins and something else...you can't have just one OTN at a time.