Thursday, September 25, 2008

Grand Opening Preparations and Changes

Our store officially has it's first stocking on October 7. Hooray! But suddenly I feel under the gun. I have a Turtle Butt I'm almost done with and 3 diapers finished, of which one will be FFS.

So far I have been packaging all my bath products in glass bottles and jars for the reusability and recycling factors. I'm thinking of discontinuing anything in bottles and packaging the other things in plastic ziploc-type bags, or maybe find some type of biodegradable bag to use instead. The glass just makes so many more shipping headaches... they're fragile and heavy. I'm thinking to continue offerring jars and bottles locally but selling on the shop only things that can be packaged differently.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Progress Pics

Now that the kids are napping, I'm posting pictures instead of winding that last skein...
Armless Duster Front
Enjoy!

Finishaphobia

So what's the deal? I am *almost* done with my Tilted Duster (IK Fall 07). I finished the skirt portion and just have to knit the collar, attach buttons, and sew on the sleeves (which are already knit and blocked)... but I started another project. Crazy, I know. But I have to wind another skein of yarn in order to work on that, and the baby is just too clingy today to let me set her down long enough to wind an entire skein into a ball. So I started on the Hoodie Baby Blanket for a friend who is due in about 7 weeks. My mom is making her a sleep sack out of the same yarn so they'll match. Nothing exciting, just Bernat Cottontots. The yarn is really soft. The sleeper is just a really light blue and the blanket I'm making is a variegated yarn - blue, white, yellow, and green - with solid trim. I'm hoping she has extra blue left over from her project that I can use for trim so I don't have to buy another skein. Sneaky, aren't I? Anyway, I'll post a picture of both the sweater and the blanket later. I'm tired of my computer freezing up when I try to upload pictures. Blah.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Reversible Cable Rib Scarf

I am writing up a pattern for a reversible scarf with mini cables on it. I am in need of a couple people to test it, any takers? I'm not at home so I can't post a photo, but it's really pretty easy.

I have a few patterns in my head I want to get out, but with the new congo opening up October 7 I am finding I have little time to knit. Plus I'm trying to finish up the Tilted Duster I started last fall. I'm only a couple repeats on the skirt away from starting the collar, and then I just need to sew on the sleeves. Hooray!

I've sewn 3 diapers already for stocking the store, I think one will be a FFS item and another may end up in a collab with One Bum at a Time. I would have another done probably had I not broken my needle sewing a bag for dh's trip to the Boundary Waters out of his old Carharts. I was doing well until I tried sewing in the drawstring so it didn't come out. That snapped it, and I can't find the ones I just bought, they're probably buried on my sewing desk underneath the fabric scraps I've got there. I'll try to post some pics if I can get my computer to stop freezing every time I try to upload.

Super Duper Raffle

I've been meaning to post this for a week or more... There's a lady on a yarn list I'm on who I hear has fabulous yarns. She's having a raffle on her blog, and you can enter to win a huge slough of yarn. If you have $ in your PayPal... tickets are cheap and would be well worth it!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Cable Rib Dishcloth

Here's an easy pattern for a dishcloth that isn't so boring to knit your eyes cross, yet simple enough to be nearly mindless. :) The pictures aren't that good as it was nearing evening when I took them and we use CFLs and they make for crummy pictures. (I keep having problems getting blogger to upload my pics without freezing, so I'll try again...)


Requirements: Approx 1 oz Worsted Weight Cotton Yarn
Size 7 straight or circular needles
Tapestry Needle

Pattern Notes:

Cable 2 (c2): Skip the first stitch on your left needle and knit into the front of the second stitch. Without dropping it from your needle knit into the front of the first stitch. Let both stitches fall off your needle.

Cable Pattern:
Row 1: k4, (p1, k2) 10 times, p1, k4
Row 2: k4, (k1, p2) 10 times, k5
Row 3: k4, (p1, c2) 10 times, p1, k4
Row 4: k4, (k1, p2) 10 times, k5

Directions:
Cast on 39 sts. You may adjust your stitch count for a larger or smaller cloth as long as it remains a multiple of 3, plus 9 (in this case 10 x 3 = 30 + 9 = 39)
Knit 4 rows garter stitch
Work Cable Pattern 9 times.
Work row 1 of cable pattern once more. Work 4 rows garter stitch and bind off.
Weave in ends.