tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14898383478477564812024-02-07T07:11:18.863-08:00Knit's Enddjmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-40153428962248211962009-07-31T03:32:00.000-07:002009-07-31T04:57:57.172-07:003 Months, 3 Pairs of SocksSpoiler Alert: This post contains spoilers from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.<br /><br /><br />For my OWL this term in the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup, I chose to design and knit sock representing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tonks</span>, Lupin and Teddy.<br />I decided to start with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tonks</span> and Lupin socks, then decide what elements of them I thought they would pass on to Teddy. I started by choosing the yarns. I loved that the colors I chose for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Tonks</span> and Lupin had names that fit <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">perfectly</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Gothic</span> rose for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Tonks</span> and dusky aurora for Lupin. I also chose a bubblegum pink yarn for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Tonks</span>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1PQt0j5BxbkrvxLfwWpBw8xBAYFDoLcv0IsbFGSxQQKCc4oDORna7ZLJBjQj1qUKko_ot3Lulrcsw70CSv-Ab3-vEoR6u8GomiAc7je8EoRwQSID6BwIq6dR-_TcBep-J4pWYZ_qYKk/s1600-h/HPIM4993.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1PQt0j5BxbkrvxLfwWpBw8xBAYFDoLcv0IsbFGSxQQKCc4oDORna7ZLJBjQj1qUKko_ot3Lulrcsw70CSv-Ab3-vEoR6u8GomiAc7je8EoRwQSID6BwIq6dR-_TcBep-J4pWYZ_qYKk/s320/HPIM4993.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364572562894381506" border="0" /></a>Then, I drew sketches of what I wanted the socks to look like. the top one is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Tonks</span>, the bottom, Lupin.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FTNQg7-r12TwAjJ35QCAWM3I9IsNxGFjze9Gp89NlqwD-LEk1enTx67_51kOMlzXq72mpRa1DM7L8A4ZMxu4qNgl_kZZttVGP7E4gPXLX4jhklql-meI7zJUt0WuGfWNL6GYNz7Qm8Q/s1600-h/HPIM5121.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FTNQg7-r12TwAjJ35QCAWM3I9IsNxGFjze9Gp89NlqwD-LEk1enTx67_51kOMlzXq72mpRa1DM7L8A4ZMxu4qNgl_kZZttVGP7E4gPXLX4jhklql-meI7zJUt0WuGfWNL6GYNz7Qm8Q/s320/HPIM5121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364574293347170962" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuMmHgWxxKc-4Kk_-P_pNFG5FeM1d1R53AF18M0yytmrehaEvkr_wE_6csTax04xmKixsnDoXQd3opdElkwi_Ef4QLS9ppvBqSthxDGbnImgdNbhLkAhdMo39GES7eUCOMXnQGNZs_gk/s1600-h/HPIM5122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuMmHgWxxKc-4Kk_-P_pNFG5FeM1d1R53AF18M0yytmrehaEvkr_wE_6csTax04xmKixsnDoXQd3opdElkwi_Ef4QLS9ppvBqSthxDGbnImgdNbhLkAhdMo39GES7eUCOMXnQGNZs_gk/s320/HPIM5122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364574298340017170" border="0" /></a><br />As you can see, I'm not the best artist in the worlds, but it gave me a way to get my thoughts on paper. I wanted to represent their lives from childhood (at the toe) through death (at the top of the cuff).<br />I thought <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Tonks</span> would <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">have</span> had a happy childhood. She was bubbly and was the type of girl to have bubblegum pink hair and make friends quickly. I thought about <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">incorporating</span> an H for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Hufflepuff</span>, because I think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Tonks</span> would be proud to be in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Hufflepuff</span>. I wanted to do the heel in Lupin's color to show him meeting her. Then the leg would be a chaotic cable with lace in the middle, since her life with Lupin was hard and she was very strong, yet feminine.<br />For Lupin, I wanted a light blue toe, with a jagged line when it switched to dark blue, to represent his happy childhood being destroyed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Greyback</span> biting him. Then, four cables representing him, James, Sirius and Peter, followed by a lightning bolt (Harry's attack) and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">chaos</span>. I wanted the heel to be done in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Tonk's</span> color. Then the leg would be a two rope cable (him and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Tonks</span>), becoming a three rope cable (adding Teddy). I think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Tonks</span> gave him structure.<br />The next step was to look in stitch dictionaries to try to find something that looked like my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">sketches</span>. I decided to focus on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Tonks</span> first. I found the perfect stitch for the leg. It didn't have cables, but it looked like it did and it had a lace pattern. So, I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">swatched</span> it. However, my swatch pictures have disappeared. I liked the swatch (both the lace pattern and how the H looked). So I cast on.<br />Everything went great until the heel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfIHtOdT3H0lCrQnTtugDh-cJf4qlYvIuG9OtAalzcc0dfG-Eqlu_0Ev_EQVtpOv7gPICDb1of_rS2BWcFmwKRZJzYwEGs7NXp9Shw4MbAZVryUtQG89zRxS3a_nEj2YFYoajapd-PEQ/s1600-h/HPIM5034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfIHtOdT3H0lCrQnTtugDh-cJf4qlYvIuG9OtAalzcc0dfG-Eqlu_0Ev_EQVtpOv7gPICDb1of_rS2BWcFmwKRZJzYwEGs7NXp9Shw4MbAZVryUtQG89zRxS3a_nEj2YFYoajapd-PEQ/s320/HPIM5034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364582388723495426" border="0" /></a>As you can see, the blue heel looks funny, so I ripped it out and knitted it in pink. As, I knitted them, I decided they were much to busy for the H on the foot. Here are the finished socks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGi7O9dGOpr4B7T0Ou4-IZPaj3i_rcRygoJfWvs8wIjQpbY-ibQjf_iceeVPGPm6RnH56-15xt-9YW9xJt-076YgVuPcR-dRh16l4oNeqdk0-qXldnjm8oxK_ju4BVBB6dPM7WLB8ES4/s1600-h/HPIM5129.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGi7O9dGOpr4B7T0Ou4-IZPaj3i_rcRygoJfWvs8wIjQpbY-ibQjf_iceeVPGPm6RnH56-15xt-9YW9xJt-076YgVuPcR-dRh16l4oNeqdk0-qXldnjm8oxK_ju4BVBB6dPM7WLB8ES4/s320/HPIM5129.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364584101590971106" border="0" /></a>Even though everyone else who see them, loves them, I don't like these socks. I think they are much to busy.<br />So, I threw out my plans for Lupin and decided to try to tackle less in a sock. I think the essence of Lupin is that he is a simple, straightforward man, who is trying to fit into a society that hates him because of what he is. This makes his life very chaotic. So, I made socks that can "blend in" to the normal world, but they have cables (to represent the twisted path of Lupin's life) and the cables don't travel in a straight line (to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">represent</span> the chaos of Lupin's life). These socks went <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">straight</span> from idea, to chart, to sock. I should have <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">swatched</span> the chart, but my thought was that if I didn't like it, I would just rip out and start again. Here they are.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvgQzXJmI-OZxa_54drcsMCyhgRTKOb8z2SIVFT5hO8Iv3NBr-ZBaM-w2AK9dFL1Z1K81sZF4KS2Ml62n90ZYNbXEfY9-DmFZHIFKXEt-dxErFzTOf8tEEpUUUB8Aad-NcK9IGsCDhu4/s1600-h/HPIM5126.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvgQzXJmI-OZxa_54drcsMCyhgRTKOb8z2SIVFT5hO8Iv3NBr-ZBaM-w2AK9dFL1Z1K81sZF4KS2Ml62n90ZYNbXEfY9-DmFZHIFKXEt-dxErFzTOf8tEEpUUUB8Aad-NcK9IGsCDhu4/s320/HPIM5126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364586556571130994" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJx3YzKgsgsiXE7Egcg20ulCa2BBze-oWqAfGCSRYnkUTqUFMBBNQx0uMxGxBp8GvhItDgix19SmoB0hqOJaVbl8bGuNUnW668Y3zgbws_003cqBXg70MEowNDlOUdSvWHGQbakrzJ9w/s1600-h/HPIM5124.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJx3YzKgsgsiXE7Egcg20ulCa2BBze-oWqAfGCSRYnkUTqUFMBBNQx0uMxGxBp8GvhItDgix19SmoB0hqOJaVbl8bGuNUnW668Y3zgbws_003cqBXg70MEowNDlOUdSvWHGQbakrzJ9w/s320/HPIM5124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364586548763186546" border="0" /></a><br />Then, there were the Teddy socks. In some ways these were the hardest, because we really don't get to know Teddy very well, so I had to think a lot about what I think he's like. I decided that he's a lot like his mom. He can change his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">appearance</span> and he's that type of guy who shows up to see his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">girlfriend</span> off to school, even if he's going to get teased about it. i <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">decided</span> to use Lupin's coloring, but with a light blue added and decided to do the whole thing in stripes. Stripes are fun and Teddy did not have the chaos that his parents had to deal with. I added a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">phoenix</span> on the heel of the sock for two reasons. 1) I think Teddy would be very proud of his parents and would want to show his pride in the Order. 2) Teddy is very much like a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">phoenix</span>, he is something wonderful that comes out of death. If it wasn't for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Voldemort</span> and the death eaters, Lupin and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Tonks</span> might have never met and I definitely think they wouldn't have gotten married. Teddy is the beauty that can come from challenges.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjrvTnyFHUQOk6EiXQziHVuRlO5cHtb5zYb6kC3zhgCAL-Bg_UAki3V-XNTE8sjF0uh99EF1HeLRnn-ztr0ZXfLZB1xb1lA3RtekhdLOD8_WnC0iZu8PsbYYOi4GWZL-uyf39hTDwtRo/s1600-h/HPIM5127.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjrvTnyFHUQOk6EiXQziHVuRlO5cHtb5zYb6kC3zhgCAL-Bg_UAki3V-XNTE8sjF0uh99EF1HeLRnn-ztr0ZXfLZB1xb1lA3RtekhdLOD8_WnC0iZu8PsbYYOi4GWZL-uyf39hTDwtRo/s320/HPIM5127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364591280910825474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9El7u4xv4KqYkUaKG1x8PRYZWpOYdODx5A4HC-XwyAU9pAiO7TVhGOsh8TKeQEAWm93uzREjuqoTVZIMf4jZTTPOvBcAWRQIRbVp7tjzjVGVs3IKc81MvayMBE8OZJZhgtzM1NsPAFkk/s1600-h/HPIM5128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9El7u4xv4KqYkUaKG1x8PRYZWpOYdODx5A4HC-XwyAU9pAiO7TVhGOsh8TKeQEAWm93uzREjuqoTVZIMf4jZTTPOvBcAWRQIRbVp7tjzjVGVs3IKc81MvayMBE8OZJZhgtzM1NsPAFkk/s320/HPIM5128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364591286486051730" border="0" /></a>This was a very fun and challenging assignment and I really learned a lot from it. I;m sure I will be creating more patterns soon. These patterns will be available sometime next month on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Ravelry</span>.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-45583591552167496662009-06-04T05:02:00.000-07:002009-06-04T05:28:44.250-07:00Dyeing with CoffeeFor the Divination class in the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup this month, I am dyeing some roving with coffee, then spinning and knitting it. This is how I dyed it.<br />I started with about 3.5 oz. of plain wool roving. I don't know what breed it is. It's some stuff I forgot I had.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjadnyH_grq0JxcBLlO7UGuO-_PxX8h-Y1_rmgvIUMIlvywx9ll2xgd8vJP_H-nwMueyeSCleau9sZjxCEQzu8Td6NuXc8eOLvU9f3fHUmENjnAMwgOVaGmBp3pgYBCGduHwlTF1an30/s1600-h/HPIM5038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjadnyH_grq0JxcBLlO7UGuO-_PxX8h-Y1_rmgvIUMIlvywx9ll2xgd8vJP_H-nwMueyeSCleau9sZjxCEQzu8Td6NuXc8eOLvU9f3fHUmENjnAMwgOVaGmBp3pgYBCGduHwlTF1an30/s320/HPIM5038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343445452409798274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I made 3 pots of very strong coffee with about 1/4 vinegar mixed in the water. I used some nasty Folgers decaf that I wouldn't ever drink.<br />I poured the coffee in my crockpot. This is my dyeing crockpot, but because coffee is drinkable (well maybe not the Folgers decaf) you could use your normal crockpot. I left the coffee to cool for a couple hours (in order to be close to room temperature).<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqWCGn-YeplmVbUa0ZDKuQbu22uIOGFmomSfOPp0sZAyxBfJ7-c4yf56noAzyd5dXKufNQ5yw6s4N6nbJE3uXQhL6hnC8LFzSptI9CEB_i5jAnczMw1IhUectW3waoSk45VRs1Hw4IH8/s1600-h/HPIM5039.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqWCGn-YeplmVbUa0ZDKuQbu22uIOGFmomSfOPp0sZAyxBfJ7-c4yf56noAzyd5dXKufNQ5yw6s4N6nbJE3uXQhL6hnC8LFzSptI9CEB_i5jAnczMw1IhUectW3waoSk45VRs1Hw4IH8/s320/HPIM5039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343442828604191282" border="0" /></a><br />Then, I carefully added the roving into the pot, pushing it down unitl everything was covered. I could have soaked the roving beforehand to insure a more even dye job, but I like my roving/yarn to be kinda blotchy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4mbui0Pdq6_-h2DfpqhI3EsVgU7Q1QmCJ5DP2sxBdyotQHtsByzUeGbOSSL0X60bGSGOCClB2QtZNpihQsSi1oCQpIy6srs-_o7QAjZZcH9SLsXTkOKdqPY1WBnlTm2yX1-gPn3Ks1E/s1600-h/HPIM5040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4mbui0Pdq6_-h2DfpqhI3EsVgU7Q1QmCJ5DP2sxBdyotQHtsByzUeGbOSSL0X60bGSGOCClB2QtZNpihQsSi1oCQpIy6srs-_o7QAjZZcH9SLsXTkOKdqPY1WBnlTm2yX1-gPn3Ks1E/s320/HPIM5040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343445455670878514" border="0" /></a><br />I cooked the roving on high for about 4 hours, occasionally checking to see if I liked the color and poking it down into the coffee more. I was very surprised that the color in the coffee didin't exhaust the way dye does<br /><br />Then, I carefully pulled it out (with my fingers and a wooden spoon) and set it in the bowl to cool.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_0_xR7PCYeRxTFOf9PGjSoMoKFBSj8UZcLWir-3VXY8ZSwMIicKNuf0f8jzG6VhXKCiw6jKTVN5xQtLsauW4tyBRsiZ2SKUF5_tZlyn_3iiILuyosi98e4J-hoXRtsxIKfk49fmQT7c/s1600-h/HPIM5041.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_0_xR7PCYeRxTFOf9PGjSoMoKFBSj8UZcLWir-3VXY8ZSwMIicKNuf0f8jzG6VhXKCiw6jKTVN5xQtLsauW4tyBRsiZ2SKUF5_tZlyn_3iiILuyosi98e4J-hoXRtsxIKfk49fmQT7c/s320/HPIM5041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343445460293165394" border="0" /></a><br />After it was cool, I filled the sink with room temperature water, carefully put the roving in and squished it around. As you can see, the water turned brown. So, I removed the roving, drained the sink and filled it again. This time the water was clear.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXggVukz2PxR8hm6OuLyanS9jlLhbdEHIEXQ942gLMlfH5rm7wvKtpQbxrMiyAji5-DPVKZxYux3EnYl1ryby5fyeujLDnopjPSBtxceE7E63_ZXJmMeEpJYP3ylfWMQZJUJcj15lWAwY/s1600-h/HPIM5042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXggVukz2PxR8hm6OuLyanS9jlLhbdEHIEXQ942gLMlfH5rm7wvKtpQbxrMiyAji5-DPVKZxYux3EnYl1ryby5fyeujLDnopjPSBtxceE7E63_ZXJmMeEpJYP3ylfWMQZJUJcj15lWAwY/s320/HPIM5042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343445463021622690" border="0" /></a><br />Then, I took the roving out of the sink and carfully squezed (not wrung) it out. Then, I wrapped it in an old bath towel like a roving burrito and walked on it to squeeze mor water out. After that, the roving burrito went in the washing machine on the spin cycle (make sure that it is firmly wrapped in the towel and that the washer is set past the final rinse cycle) The roving is now hanging to dry in my laundry room and should be read to spin in day or two.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmOhkWJ8Zj1nAqQ9qMw8oobgTlbSqQoPdN9JLu334MhszhqSKdntFjoW0nu75K8PnaBeAX4ST0G_8mAIpRZCTlnr8g0rmAeYnj4MJKaZlqhbkELVWplG0oElpNZJQV4txuUWvt_U_rU0/s1600-h/HPIM5043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmOhkWJ8Zj1nAqQ9qMw8oobgTlbSqQoPdN9JLu334MhszhqSKdntFjoW0nu75K8PnaBeAX4ST0G_8mAIpRZCTlnr8g0rmAeYnj4MJKaZlqhbkELVWplG0oElpNZJQV4txuUWvt_U_rU0/s320/HPIM5043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343445467765946338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If you decide to try this, remember to be nice to your wool or else you will have felt. This means no sudden temperature changes, no boiling the dye water, no agitating the wet wool and no pouring water on top of the wool. Enjoy.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-91500621047501185912009-05-06T17:43:00.000-07:002009-05-06T17:56:26.332-07:00Quidditch Crochet WristwarmersWarning-These patterns have not been test crocheted and my crochet skills are not that great, so I'm sure there are mistakes.<br /><br />Option 1<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRFE7Igwhl2BfAQRhCt_p7Fd12gY29Os6DNbUIpx3Ae-beKPosICoHZbcXjPjoE_KwmTh4omnXa7j6th4dXzoC3UGIW4sAdPCYe1hJ_aaPrdYTyxJ4DPLWpYIEzsKfcKzR3WyU5Omn6I/s1600-h/HPIM4998.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRFE7Igwhl2BfAQRhCt_p7Fd12gY29Os6DNbUIpx3Ae-beKPosICoHZbcXjPjoE_KwmTh4omnXa7j6th4dXzoC3UGIW4sAdPCYe1hJ_aaPrdYTyxJ4DPLWpYIEzsKfcKzR3WyU5Omn6I/s320/HPIM4998.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332877060457469938" border="0" /></a>Using worsted weight yarn<br />Chain 30 in blue<br />Join in the round<br />SC 2 rounds<br />Change to silver/bronze<br />SC 4 rounds<br />Change to blue<br />SC 3 rounds<br /><br />Feel free to adjust to use a different weight yarn or to fit your wrist better.<br /><br />Option 2<br />Using fingering weight yarn<br />Chain 50 in blue<br />Join in the round<br />SC 2 rounds<br />Round 3-18 SC 19 SC R chart in silver/bronze SC 19<br />SC 2 rounds in blue.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Jh4dyudz0lIzN8NwgBzn-XpV4Y_WA40LCWiFThJI4vqxGWqzUgApBh57uamRb79pbPcIYxyDUI0SPFHp0K-pAYIXDyA1FL27gOJ3ZW3Sw1gVcNhckmr17I0RO8lXuUoq-62EpG6p3-c/s1600-h/R+Chart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Jh4dyudz0lIzN8NwgBzn-XpV4Y_WA40LCWiFThJI4vqxGWqzUgApBh57uamRb79pbPcIYxyDUI0SPFHp0K-pAYIXDyA1FL27gOJ3ZW3Sw1gVcNhckmr17I0RO8lXuUoq-62EpG6p3-c/s320/R+Chart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332879131670423570" border="0" /></a>Feel free to adjust for different size yarn or to fit your wrist better.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-45817880848837227402009-05-06T04:00:00.000-07:002009-05-06T04:13:55.495-07:00Quidditch WristwarmerWarning--This pattern is completely untested and is being written while I am half asleep. The are mistakes somewhere.<br /><br />Special thank you to Karen (Lykkefanten on Ravelry) for letting me use her R chart.<br /><br />Yarn should be worsted weight. Gauge should be apx. 5 spi in stockinette<br /><br />CO 40 sts with blue yarn<br />Rounds 1-5 [k2,p2] till end<br />Rounds 6-23 Knit<br />Rounds 24-29 [k2,p2] till end<br />BO in pattern<br /><br />Using sliver/bronze yarn, duplicate stitch R chart onto the stockinette section.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmHcMb8Pp3Y2-Frem3e_hzMb5m5PRds-Rtpn5eE0inPYAcTWoPz08ckNZ86I0FHzEscdumJhx2r1SgaDhq1OJqFhcLoHFBlsdzMl14sbDXJ77g0jPzs-xO0Xt_XxlRqXrCx9cazpHGCc/s1600-h/R+Chart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmHcMb8Pp3Y2-Frem3e_hzMb5m5PRds-Rtpn5eE0inPYAcTWoPz08ckNZ86I0FHzEscdumJhx2r1SgaDhq1OJqFhcLoHFBlsdzMl14sbDXJ77g0jPzs-xO0Xt_XxlRqXrCx9cazpHGCc/s400/R+Chart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332667150379211506" border="0" /></a>Feel free to do chart in intarsia instead of duplicate stitch and to adjust pattern to fit your wrist better or change the size of yarn.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-89388240502776600392009-05-06T03:30:00.000-07:002009-05-06T04:27:42.552-07:00Quidditch Gloves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ35Ng3O4OH_UDTs816r2KD9rAPO3hKz83Gx0sYCMG26UuLo-xzhmZBYXCeh98QzZncDb9n2ceampd-GxPChZr8HVmRNP0PG8UKQErnK9Km9eKmbR-L8r7BqXmTV_80Dxd2RQz8hBXzEo/s1600-h/HPIM4995.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ35Ng3O4OH_UDTs816r2KD9rAPO3hKz83Gx0sYCMG26UuLo-xzhmZBYXCeh98QzZncDb9n2ceampd-GxPChZr8HVmRNP0PG8UKQErnK9Km9eKmbR-L8r7BqXmTV_80Dxd2RQz8hBXzEo/s320/HPIM4995.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332670904818001874" border="0" /></a><br />Warning-This pattern has not been tested and has been tweaked slightly since I knit it. This is the first pattern I have written. I started writing it yesterday around 11 PM. So, I guarantee it has mistakes somewhere. I knit mine out of fingering weight yarn on US size 0 needles, but I knit loosely, so that is about a 1 or 1 1/2 for "normal" knitters. Due to the ribbing, it should fit just about anyone if done in a fingering or sport weight yarn on a size 1 to 3 US.<br /><br />Click on the charts to enlarge them.<br /><br />If you are knitting this for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team you can either knit the entire pattern in a variegated yarn that contains both house colors or knit chart A in silver/bronze and all other charts in blue.<br /><br />CO 62 sts<br />Join being careful not to twist<br />Knit Chart A<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqrAjAgbZ_kuVlmQAVdbJ-c5-BdaYp6C1XsRawMM4b15MlZLldQ_T4ex2TlT_vL2foXYIdKG44fzlMBgZnOQL3RjdmYNzDCg58f_YRWhUTMIf81NmhMVc_GK2NqHKvSI_JlCgSkDEDVY/s1600-h/chart+a.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 561px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqrAjAgbZ_kuVlmQAVdbJ-c5-BdaYp6C1XsRawMM4b15MlZLldQ_T4ex2TlT_vL2foXYIdKG44fzlMBgZnOQL3RjdmYNzDCg58f_YRWhUTMIf81NmhMVc_GK2NqHKvSI_JlCgSkDEDVY/s400/chart+a.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332657921168032866" border="0" /></a>Knit Chart B 4 or 5 times depending on the length you want your gloves.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuD4_dcygT_VsyNALB0hPK5TXUnxXNz9YoTce7Q-KnZG-n8HdnB-tpxvU26LnUN_eCq-VpVIkre8VcJJelorgnVuWBaeZ8aIAOYTxdvYzfqQTOeEiaz2OpiIQrbC6h-P7njJGR2dNrmQ/s1600-h/chart+b.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 538px; height: 141px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuD4_dcygT_VsyNALB0hPK5TXUnxXNz9YoTce7Q-KnZG-n8HdnB-tpxvU26LnUN_eCq-VpVIkre8VcJJelorgnVuWBaeZ8aIAOYTxdvYzfqQTOeEiaz2OpiIQrbC6h-P7njJGR2dNrmQ/s400/chart+b.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332660116034060978" border="0" /></a>For Right hand glove, Knit Chart C<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HfnkCz0MwvMc_PHK78kdir5ypg425L0xIU83tVhqGg2td-24MwxOa0bq_YoXOFkN1dhoqNQFmRY9Xaha9VdBSPNuJ0qEWqTkYAKNyRnmM2Up22AtGpTUgzstla-2R2e8Oil-cbmcWik/s1600-h/chart+c.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 520px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HfnkCz0MwvMc_PHK78kdir5ypg425L0xIU83tVhqGg2td-24MwxOa0bq_YoXOFkN1dhoqNQFmRY9Xaha9VdBSPNuJ0qEWqTkYAKNyRnmM2Up22AtGpTUgzstla-2R2e8Oil-cbmcWik/s400/chart+c.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332660847702790354" border="0" /></a>For Left hand glove, Knit Chart D<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCC8Ddd2Ze-tdd9zWVf2uDKbQps82Zx-Y7Sqll0SsY5QDPaZj5IFE7y6FR65D2P-o5CjUWJl-jEeE2EeRVekcnSqxg4fLQYOpSTFV1SqSTXxxMmARgaxIM2JbcOTfTeERg6jeh21dkB8k/s1600-h/chart+d.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 564px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCC8Ddd2Ze-tdd9zWVf2uDKbQps82Zx-Y7Sqll0SsY5QDPaZj5IFE7y6FR65D2P-o5CjUWJl-jEeE2EeRVekcnSqxg4fLQYOpSTFV1SqSTXxxMmARgaxIM2JbcOTfTeERg6jeh21dkB8k/s400/chart+d.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332661509413713442" border="0" /></a>Note on Charts C and D, where the * appears, knit 9 sts onto waste yarn. Slip those 9 sts back onto the left needle. Knit those 9 sts normally.<br /><br />Knit Chart A<br /><br />BO in pattern<br /><br />For thumb, unravel waste yarn putting live sts onto 2 dpns. Knit across 1st needle. Pick up 2 sts. Knit across 2nd needle. Pick up 2 sts.<br />Knit 5 rounds.<br />BO loosely.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-651320529049598662009-01-01T04:18:00.000-08:002009-01-01T04:27:21.393-08:00Happy New YearNormally, I don't really do the whole New Year's resolution thing, but I have a couple things for this year. I joined a group of people on Ravelry who are all trying to read/listen to at least 52 books this year. I used to read far more than that, but now knit and read blogs. So, I'm giving it a shot. I'm going to try to finish 52 books this year. I'm partway into 1 book and 3 audio books and I want those to count.<br /><br />I'm also going to try to blog more and let my long distance friends know that I have a blog, so they will quit wondering if I fell off the face of the earth.<br /><br />I'm going to keep track of how much yarn I knit this year. This isn't a goal, it just sound like something fun to do.<br /><br />We will be doing another no spend period of time and I will be getting back on the fly lady wagon soon, but Christmas isn't over until I visit my family next week and I can't try to put my house back together until after Christmas is over. There are still 3 presents left to finish, plus wrapping and packing.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-61648073849994249732008-12-19T05:20:00.000-08:002008-12-19T05:37:13.989-08:00My Wonderful Husband<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlTJP49yD5Rg98Py6RnccwZ0y4S0gkEUqAdQleUMEuthZPj2ex1XkwbAV1tavQnp0J4Pam2S1ugqGtc76eKEWqD15VTZqstr_ub5NeCr2X43sAf0LZexX3jjBzJ4j5SFc410bGohiMrw/s1600-h/HPIM4570.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlTJP49yD5Rg98Py6RnccwZ0y4S0gkEUqAdQleUMEuthZPj2ex1XkwbAV1tavQnp0J4Pam2S1ugqGtc76eKEWqD15VTZqstr_ub5NeCr2X43sAf0LZexX3jjBzJ4j5SFc410bGohiMrw/s320/HPIM4570.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281491992772773666" border="0" /></a><br />See that beautiful yarn. It is my Christmas present from Darren. He is such a sweet husband. I saw this yarn last Saturday at <a href="http://www.ancientpathways.net/">Ancient Pathways</a>, while we were there knitting and fell in love with it. It is 880 yards of lace weight wool, hand dyed by Meg (the owner of Ancient Pathways). The picture doesn't do the yarn justice. It is very dark purple and black and will make a beautiful shawl. Anyway, I told Darren I loved the yarn and I thought about buying it, but was good and put it back. That night, he sent Meg a PM to have her hold it for him, so he could pick it up on Tuesday. He gave it to me Tuesday night because he was afraid that someone would mention that he had been in the store without me. Isn't he the sweetest thing. This was after I thought we had agreed that my Christmas present was going to be the much more practical bamboo needle set on Ebay. He told me to go ahead and buy the needles for him for Christmas, even though he is getting a pair of socks (which will be knitted by spring.) Isn't he the best.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-8049715107454100992008-12-17T03:28:00.000-08:002008-12-17T03:35:42.358-08:00No More White StockinettteI'm knitting <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/PATTbaseball.html">a sweater</a> for Dad for Christmas/his birthday. The main portion of the sweater is white stockinette. This is my first adult sized sweater, so I had no clue how mind numbing it is to knit that much with no pattern and no color. To make it worse, gauge swatches lie, so even though I made a gauge swatch, my gauge was wrong. Being the stubborn person I am, I refused to accept that it was too big until I had knit almost the entire back, meaning that I have knit almost 2 backs (one was frogged) and 1 front. I am done. Happy dances were danced, along with some woohoos. No more white stockinette for me.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-64379986675625674322008-11-10T02:05:00.000-08:002008-11-10T02:20:30.452-08:00Bad Blogger, No CookieOk, so I really am not the kind of person who blogs regularly. I knew this when I started. I will start blogging regularly soon, because I am doing a swap that requires blogging. It is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/hogwarts-little-bit-of-everything-swap">Hogwarts Little bit of Everything Swap</a>. So far, I'm fairly clueless, because I have never been involved in a swap that required more than just posting a list of stuff you like and picking out/making stuff your partner likes. Being clueless is quite interesting, because I'm suppose to be leading the dueling. I'm learning a lot as I go and am quite excited.<br /><br />Well, it is now November, and I'm sure you are dying to know how the no spend month went. We ended up breaking the rules and going out to eat at the end of the month, but we learned so much about what is important to us financially that I think it was a success. We are currently just working off a budget and doing Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, baby step one, but I think we might institure a short no buy for the next couple weeks. Having some no buy time helps us to stay focused.<br /><br />The past 10 days, we have bought a lot more than we usually buy at one time, but only one yarn purchase was a frivilous purchase. We are keeping our house a lot colder this winter (I don't feel like paying for heat since I pay so much for AC) which meant that I needed some warmer clothes. The $50 spent on clothes and $30 spent on an electric blanket will be much cheaper than the heating bills. Then, our crockpot died. Crockpots are a neccessity for cheap, easy winter meals. So, we got a new one. Darren also got some new shirts, because his are starting to disinigrate. All of this was important, but we need to regroup from it.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-31409323958716892332008-10-12T03:26:00.000-07:002008-10-12T04:18:27.003-07:00What we Have Learned so FarWe are over a third of the way through our no spend month. We have learned a lot about ourselves already.<br /><br /><ul><li>No spend is easier to stick to than a budget or minimal spend and much easier than we thought it was going to be.</li><li>Eating out must have been really bad for us, because I now want to be cheddar cheese on everything. I think my body is trying to make up for all of the grease.</li><li>Even if I do put cheddar cheese on everything, it's still healthier than eating at Denny's</li><li>I am forming a new outlook on the stuff in my house. I'm longing to declutter my house. I don't as much of a need to hold onto stuff. I thought that the opposite would happen, but I think I'm figuring out what I really value and don't want the rest invading that space.</li><li>Darren has given up soda at work. He told me that no spend is no spend and that should include soda. He is now drinking one cup of coffee on his way to work. That is a lot fewer empty calories.</li><li>I'm thinking a lot more about where I spend my money. It's starting to seem worth it to support stores with my purchases rather than just buy things cheaply.</li><li>Part of me wants to knit every yarn in my stash before buying new yarn. This scares me, but it's an interesting idea.<br /></li></ul>djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-58372705205882781782008-10-10T03:14:00.000-07:002008-10-10T05:43:24.177-07:00On and Off My NeedlesSo far, I haven't really talked about my knitting. I knit all the time. I take it with me everywhere and do it whenever I get a spare moment.<br /><br />Most of my knitting right now is for the <a href="http://knitcrochethogwartshousecup.blogspot.com/">Harry</a><a href="http://knitcrochethogwartshousecup.blogspot.com/"> Potter Knitting </a><a href="http://knitcrochethogwartshousecup.blogspot.com/">and Crochet House Cup</a> and Christmas presents. Mostly, they are overlapping.<br /><br />The Charms assignment was to knit something to make someone else happy. I started making my mom's Christmas present.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UXa6rQbnuhteBFwiL826gwVGvpV-ScrESoscd9Q6jgE4IE_sRoQVwiDqURfmyhVntARQIGiwOLCDVep-PzctkS3gx1vaDqkEWhujk_jJYbHSMaNUBhjEk-qHGW8VajW8QXBJAFE8rw0/s1600-h/HPIM4496.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UXa6rQbnuhteBFwiL826gwVGvpV-ScrESoscd9Q6jgE4IE_sRoQVwiDqURfmyhVntARQIGiwOLCDVep-PzctkS3gx1vaDqkEWhujk_jJYbHSMaNUBhjEk-qHGW8VajW8QXBJAFE8rw0/s320/HPIM4496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255504529846423346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />He is a little elephant made out of the fist yarn that I spun on my drop spindle. I spun it from roving that I dyed with Easter egg dyes.<br /><br />Here is the yarn:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhbYKu6YEPsKrXDpUyeZQRzOu2hWkcrHGZ0yzBEVMpdritmFvy1EeoInvoEV4S7qfAcnSua6dbrEaCbB9wP7g5RfkeACOW2vQEYP6j5dFsifl7W46LFio-_1KYmsXqd8V_1lzj7asS7A/s1600-h/HPIM4483.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhbYKu6YEPsKrXDpUyeZQRzOu2hWkcrHGZ0yzBEVMpdritmFvy1EeoInvoEV4S7qfAcnSua6dbrEaCbB9wP7g5RfkeACOW2vQEYP6j5dFsifl7W46LFio-_1KYmsXqd8V_1lzj7asS7A/s320/HPIM4483.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255497147643966370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was made from this roving:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLx7epVVZdB-p9iWPcPWiGDhHo8wJ5TivITjSLS22l9F9MeSMmtPzXoqy5ViSpeGOuEICARfjzA8w1sqJWxp1KpfrKLg6_zvWJTLnNrm6eBasfQMuQzrtKScHaznKy5U91yGr4W9M-xE/s1600-h/HPIM4031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWLx7epVVZdB-p9iWPcPWiGDhHo8wJ5TivITjSLS22l9F9MeSMmtPzXoqy5ViSpeGOuEICARfjzA8w1sqJWxp1KpfrKLg6_zvWJTLnNrm6eBasfQMuQzrtKScHaznKy5U91yGr4W9M-xE/s320/HPIM4031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255503860490673570" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After starting it, I found out that out that one of the other students (in the Harry Potter competition) had her house burn down. I couldn't do much for her, but I could pray for her and knit her this scarf.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iyYXu9ZIGafyi2e1hO9bnSEPSuTy7tm2dqsmUcCW_9V2CulHm106qeF82SeU51dyn_42889_iIfjqJANx1vzGYaHzX2UhjdDQsiq6OddcdYp8-T39E9pn-o2qUrGRM73PyW6motfYBY/s1600-h/HPIM4497.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iyYXu9ZIGafyi2e1hO9bnSEPSuTy7tm2dqsmUcCW_9V2CulHm106qeF82SeU51dyn_42889_iIfjqJANx1vzGYaHzX2UhjdDQsiq6OddcdYp8-T39E9pn-o2qUrGRM73PyW6motfYBY/s320/HPIM4497.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255502587441677922" border="0" /></a> When bad things happen I'm always cold, so I thought a scarf would be appropriate.<br /><br /><br />The Transfiguration assignment is to felt something. I've never felted something before, so this is quite exciting. I'm making slippers for Darren's mom for Christmas. Here they are prior to felting with a slipper sock for size comparison. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9SQQ9nu3XF-iRV1GaVYhyphenhyphenplD0b9WP64TTcGLz2Rvfk53Fg86VYy0CUGf95xrxHEHpPWhiN_WHGF4_ddlt1h5bC3BENqo7rTbYVg8b0ZZJjR7l28UdEd_6xkLuCVnOn9RsvadBp7i1uk/s1600-h/HPIM4494.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9SQQ9nu3XF-iRV1GaVYhyphenhyphenplD0b9WP64TTcGLz2Rvfk53Fg86VYy0CUGf95xrxHEHpPWhiN_WHGF4_ddlt1h5bC3BENqo7rTbYVg8b0ZZJjR7l28UdEd_6xkLuCVnOn9RsvadBp7i1uk/s320/HPIM4494.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255502573663616354" border="0" /></a>These things are huge. I'm going to felt them this weekend while washing laundry.<br /><br />The Potions assignment is to make something out of a lot of different yarns. I'm using this opportunity to use up the leftovers from making longies. I'm making Darren a project bag for his crochet. It's going to be felted too. I'm using a lot of different colors, then I'm going to overdye it blue. This should give all of the colors a blueish hue, so they all go together nicely. I've never overdyed before this, so I'm excited about this project too. Here's the bag so far. The long piece is the bottom.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqE6343gp4yah9q3xL7c3TaYaIjqMGIs84J7598p0Qw5jtwI30Nbr0F88_7Wx4p1C2YtuYajE-Lc5Wy6kavOMtjc1vP_4h-jnPj9d3zKf5bl1zi6Fq2vNwnzkswvSFtNFs0mt4d-hyh0o/s1600-h/HPIM4493.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqE6343gp4yah9q3xL7c3TaYaIjqMGIs84J7598p0Qw5jtwI30Nbr0F88_7Wx4p1C2YtuYajE-Lc5Wy6kavOMtjc1vP_4h-jnPj9d3zKf5bl1zi6Fq2vNwnzkswvSFtNFs0mt4d-hyh0o/s320/HPIM4493.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255502566971517026" border="0" /></a><br />The Herbology assignment is to dye yarn using plants or fungi. I used ivy to dye the handspun that was on the boobins of the spinning wheel. It was a very interesting a stinky project. If you choose to dye with plants, do it outside, or else your livingroom will smell really bad. I put a bunch of ivy leaves in my new dyeing crockpot with some water. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpClOYUHTQ-QWKpk3nunB1l9j40Zoxt9x3C_fcmblrDSUiVah7fEWpg7NCtTR5KnfxAp4IrFWAKkGdcmr-6tq-tGruBkatakS268Kfj524T7VEzWPJx5WkuMLlF9mWfb_bp6TzkJII7I/s1600-h/HPIM4485.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpClOYUHTQ-QWKpk3nunB1l9j40Zoxt9x3C_fcmblrDSUiVah7fEWpg7NCtTR5KnfxAp4IrFWAKkGdcmr-6tq-tGruBkatakS268Kfj524T7VEzWPJx5WkuMLlF9mWfb_bp6TzkJII7I/s320/HPIM4485.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255497136313122258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I cooked the leaves until the water turned green. Then I threw the yarn in. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't throw wool yarn into hot water unless the yarn is already hot. It will felt.</span> I didn't care to much about this yarn (it was really poorly spun), so I didn't pay much attention to the whole felting thing. I cooked the yarn (while in the other room the other room) unitl Darren went down the hall and commented on the smell. I went to check on it and ventilate the house. The yarn was green and the water was mostly clear.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcDF3niyOlXSMHXxbM6fEly9RN7K2ZR-wxK93AcMDWZHJqPBBH_NZrdcval8T_6HjIusCZg46i31Pmc4vYeuKTX3LKAhzJYKe_k5Q2zLdG049Ku3e_q92GMNHCByhijU53ri_FC8mWsk/s1600-h/HPIM4488.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcDF3niyOlXSMHXxbM6fEly9RN7K2ZR-wxK93AcMDWZHJqPBBH_NZrdcval8T_6HjIusCZg46i31Pmc4vYeuKTX3LKAhzJYKe_k5Q2zLdG049Ku3e_q92GMNHCByhijU53ri_FC8mWsk/s320/HPIM4488.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255497142191010194" border="0" /></a><br />So I dumped the whole thing into the sink to wash and rinse. Using cold water to wash and rinse felted the yarn more than it had already felted. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Don't put hot yarn into cold water.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">It will felt.</span><br />Here is how it turned out:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTFUuXh9GGae2zW9iQicPDC4Q0UqHDcBpxP7SoGMglOdOy5k1M3k21iyRK8a2D5se3ZwHvsdO6GBZzwJ_05LzHw4Fk3P52Cf7at3MXuIz1E5HW5q4f_RgfnK07QprUcpb6K9YtYEbRF8/s1600-h/HPIM4492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTFUuXh9GGae2zW9iQicPDC4Q0UqHDcBpxP7SoGMglOdOy5k1M3k21iyRK8a2D5se3ZwHvsdO6GBZzwJ_05LzHw4Fk3P52Cf7at3MXuIz1E5HW5q4f_RgfnK07QprUcpb6K9YtYEbRF8/s320/HPIM4492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255497145202695122" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm debating whether to throw it out or make a pot holder out of it. Since, I can't throw away yarn, it probably will become a pot holder.<br /><br />I have a few other projects on my needles, but I'm not working on them right now, so I'll talk about them later.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-35207021999903843272008-10-06T18:58:00.000-07:002008-10-06T19:36:52.197-07:00Our Surprise Package and A Little SpendingFirst off, confession time. Darren always has soda (when did I start calling pop "soda"?) everyday at work. Normally, we get Starbucks or something similar on the way to our SnB on Saturdays. Since we didn't today, poor Darren was falling asleep while crocheting. So, I sent him to the bakery next door to get caffeine. We will plan better next week. We bought tea bags at the grocery store and will be drinking tea instead of water.<br /><br />Confession number two: I don't even know if this is allowed spending or not. We have a moth problem this time of year (the kind that likes dried goods, not wool). Most of our dried goods were already in good containers, but we didn't have any for brown sugar, powdered sugar or powdered milk. We bought some.<br /><br />Now the exciting news. Thursday night, Darren told me there was a package our back patio from UPS. I figured it could be one of two things; the yarn I ordered through a co-op in June or the used crockpot my mom said she would send me for dyeing yarn/roving in. I told him to bring it in and he said it was too big. So we go outside. The box says it's from my mom, but it is huge, so we open it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIGGgae2WSKQd9-wEUReeclhTqb4Zz1uvcgwfxHVSS8DR-ZmXHo0Rgv1qkeesMfZPLi23Z7w9nYrCeLAoOSTVKwoBGUGK5oUL13PT-cX1zzJWrFIQXEOEbwqBwAHONCJcCXVFqXIt1as/s1600-h/HPIM4479.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIGGgae2WSKQd9-wEUReeclhTqb4Zz1uvcgwfxHVSS8DR-ZmXHo0Rgv1qkeesMfZPLi23Z7w9nYrCeLAoOSTVKwoBGUGK5oUL13PT-cX1zzJWrFIQXEOEbwqBwAHONCJcCXVFqXIt1as/s320/HPIM4479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254230832358672770" border="0" /></a>That's not a crockpot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT16D7-b-KaQ_WTqORzGMuwXJyBKkR2V-QDswOCgHtu1ri8LD1SGCkzImFRaswtlddUxIQEZ6v4yURPg9sKRjn7oKaZYfBorPqqFUVrRyHBlL-3dd9BqTvCAz8fMGe7zpUjgTsKgxo6uA/s1600-h/HPIM4482.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT16D7-b-KaQ_WTqORzGMuwXJyBKkR2V-QDswOCgHtu1ri8LD1SGCkzImFRaswtlddUxIQEZ6v4yURPg9sKRjn7oKaZYfBorPqqFUVrRyHBlL-3dd9BqTvCAz8fMGe7zpUjgTsKgxo6uA/s320/HPIM4482.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254232834186806434" border="0" /></a><br />Darren and Minerva modeled the pieces. The thing in Darren's hand is the crockpot Mom promised.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhict38K7V4kF6fZmEtbgi5W7Yphq5AnojFf4TX9X1RbDiRv86QmDZ0cXY3uVAdKX2Jv2-FG9xJk1hgkGZ4dZgtLSEGBlLqpr5TXGzWtnFdUUckrS1Cic3-BBjx0AIww2NxYq3451-QPT8/s1600-h/HPIM4491.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhict38K7V4kF6fZmEtbgi5W7Yphq5AnojFf4TX9X1RbDiRv86QmDZ0cXY3uVAdKX2Jv2-FG9xJk1hgkGZ4dZgtLSEGBlLqpr5TXGzWtnFdUUckrS1Cic3-BBjx0AIww2NxYq3451-QPT8/s320/HPIM4491.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254233683539008130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />All put together inside the house. It is a Country Craftsman, which is a better wheel than we were going to ask for for Christmas. My parents found it at a garage sale, so they bought it for us.<br />It needs a new fly whorl and drive band.<br /><br />Confession number 3: We are buying the parts now. We have two justifications for this:<br />1. We are fixing something used, which isn't the same thing as buying something new. (Darren's excuse)<br />2. This wheel is no longer being made, so there is no telling how long the parts will be available. (my excuse)<br /><br />Darren has asked for a spinning class and roving for his birthday. I think that's pretty darn cool.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-1333357115730510472008-10-03T19:20:00.000-07:002008-10-03T19:51:16.838-07:00Our First big ChallengeOf coarse, as soon as you decided to do a no buy month, something comes up. In our case, it was a knitting competition and Christmas. <br />I have been participating in the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/hp-knitting-crochet-house-cup">Ravelry</a>. One of the classes(challenges worth points) this month was to felt something. I have been debating on doing socks or felted slippers for Darren's Mom for Christmas. So, I happily signed up for the class, planning on doing slippers. I have plenty of wool around here, because of <a href="http://hyenacart.com/onestore.php?vid=2064&category=12">the store</a>. <br />Everything was great until I looked at <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTfuzzyfeet.html">the pattern </a>It calls for needles that I don't have. I didn't think this was possible. I have a lot of needles. Darren made the ruling that I could buy them because they are for a present and a competition, but I didn't go for it. I first asked about borrowing them from someone <a href="http://www.ancientpathways.net/">at my local SnB</a>. One person had some, but they were on loan to someone else. So, I posted on <a href="http://diaperdivas.proboards57.com/index.cgi">DSD</a> about doing a trade, thinking that noone in there right mind would trade away needles. (I have a thing for needles.) I went off to think about alternatives. I decided to make Darren a project bag out of scrap yarn for the competition and either knit Mom the socks or put it off 'til November when I can buy the needles. I came back to check DSD and did a happy dance. Kathy wants to trade. So, in the morning, the mailman will be taking away some sock yarn that I didn't really like. Sometime soon, the mailman will be bringing me needles. How exciting.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-65351401196064299932008-09-30T07:07:00.000-07:002008-09-30T07:28:44.392-07:00No Spend OctoberAfter hearing about <a href="http://happilyfrugal.com/">Dawn's</a> no spend year, we decided to do something similar. We are planning on doing a minimal spending year, but need to take some time to iron out the details, so we are doing a no spend month in October. We still have a few details to decide on, but here are the basics.<br /><br /><br />The only things we can buy in October are:<br /><br />Food-The kind found at the grocery store, not the kind found at restaurants.<br /><br />Food Prep Items-Anything that we truly need to prepare food. (I doubt we will be buying out of this category this month) <br /><br />Personal Care Items-Shampoo, deodorant, etc. <br /><br />Medicine- I hope we won't need any, but we might<br /><br />Gas<br /><br />Tires for Darren's car- it needs them badly<br /><br />Pet Care- They have to eat too. They will not be getting any toys this month though. I haven't told them yet. They will be sad.<br /><br />We might be buying train tickets this month, because I need to see my family and if we buy them now, it will be cheaper.<br /><br />We will also have to pay our bills. We are keeping internet service and Netflix. We still need to figure out Darren's soda situation. He buys at least one soda a day ( in his refillable cup). This is food, and is going to be allowed (I don't want to see him without caffeine). However, I need to figure out if it is cheaper from the grocery store.<br /><br />If everything works out this month, we will start a minimal spending year in November (yarn is a necessity and I have a tiny stash).djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1489838347847756481.post-7569949556492011412008-09-30T06:57:00.000-07:002008-09-30T07:07:09.476-07:00Reasons Why Am I Writing a Blog1. Everyone else is doing it and apparently, I like bandwagons.<br />2. I spend way to much time talking about knitting(often to myself), so I decided to write about it.<br />3. I am horrible at staying in touch with people, so this allows me to do it all at once.<br />4. We are doing a no-spend month, in preparation for a minimal spending year. This should prove interesting.<br />5. I want a laptop (after next year of course) and so I need to spend enough time on the computer to make a laptop seem necessary.djmeurerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03108266069776652142noreply@blogger.com0