My Finished KAL ~ Rachel's Knitting Room!

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Well, here is my finished KAL(knit~a~long) ~ Luv Bug, done with Bernat Handicrafter Cotton (Hot Orange) and size 4mm knitting needles.

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For this KAL, we decided that some of us would try knitting a "mini" to go with our regular cloth. For my "mini" I used size 10 crochet cotton thread and size .5mm dollmaking darning needles...the finished square was a little to tight for my liking probably because of the size of cotton used, so next one I make I will be trying a smaller cotton...perhaps size 20 or 30. Isn't it cute though?

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And here they are together so you can get some kind of idea just how small the mini really is...it actually measures 3 1/8" x 2 3/4". I love the idea of mini knitting...it was definitely someting fun and different to try, but I have to admit that my fingers and eyes are so ready to take a little break from it for a while! .

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:o)

Rach

More Miniature Knitting in Rachel's Knitting Room!

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Insane?...I'll let you be the judge of that...

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~click photos for bigger view~

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Well, here is the "mini" mystery KAL (knit~a~long) that I've been hosting in Rachel's Knitting Room! I think we've all gone MAD!!! We've all been trying different sizes of needles and types of yarn for our minis. I've discovered through trial and error that I HATE using the embroidery floss, but I LOVE using the crochet cotton thread...I've been using size 10 but I think I've got to go smaller with these needles (in photo) that dear hubby purchased for me the other day! They are darning needles for "doll making" I believe...but they work real well, they're the perfect length for what we've been doing here lately. Can you tell what the picture will be in the mini? It's a mystery...we're all knitting a regular one as well with our regular needles and yarn...so I guess it's safe to say, we haven't completely lost it!! I can't wait to see ALL the finished KALs, both regular and mini!!

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:o)

Rach

Miniature Knitting in "Rachel's Knitting Room"!

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~Click for bigger view~

I was recently inspired by all the miniature knitting on "Knit one, Purr... too's" Blog:

http://lluest.blogspot.com/2007/01/lets-knit-shall-we.html

I tried it out for myself with 1mm needles and embroidery thread. I created this cute little pattern called, "Diamond in a Square" and it can be found in Rachel's Knitting Room. There are a lot of our members trying to challenge themselves with this adorable type of knitting now! It's really kinda fun! So go on and give it a whirl...use anything you have on hand...pins, needles, toothpicks...whatever does the trick!

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Rachel’s Mini Knitting ~ “Diamond in a Square”

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Materials:

Embroidery thread

Darning Needle

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Measurements:

1 7/16” x 1 3/16”

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Instructions:

Cast on 20 sts.

Row 1 – 3: knit across.

Row 4: k3, p14, k3

Row 5 and all odd rows: knit across.

Row 6: k3, p2, (k2, p2)x3, k3.

Row 8: k3, p2, k1, p2, k4, p2, k1, p2, k3.

Row 10: k3, p4, k6, p4, k3.

Row 12: k3, p3, k8, p3, k3.

Row 14: k3, p2, k10, p2, k3.

Row 16: k3, p3, k8, p3, k3.

Row 18: k3, p4, k6, p4, k3.

Row 20: k3, p2, k1, p2, k4, p2, k1, p2, k3.

Row 22: k3, p2, (k2, p2)x3, k3.

Row 24: k3, p14, k3.

Rows 25, 26, & 27: knit across.

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Cast off and Weave in your ends!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!!
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Here are some Valentine dishcloths that I have been working on. I did a little experimenting with some of them, using different colours for the borders and such! I even did a little crocheted heart dishcloth...it's a little too stiff for my liking though, so I think I will use it as a hot pad or potholder.

My finished Valentine Theme Dishcloths!

Clockwise from the top centre:

Carol's Hearts: Big and Small

Emily Jagos' Heart Dishcloth

Rhonda's Nine-o-Hearts Knitted Cloth

Priscilla Hewitt's Textured Heart Kitchen Set

S.M. Kahn's Heart Lace Cloth

I came across this "4 Corners Dishcloth" pattern on Abigail's site a while back and ever since, I can't stop making them! They are so quick and easy to do! They make any variagated cotton look beautiful! I actually tried experimenting using two different colours in a couple of them. Casting on was the only difficult part of this pattern...it calls for an invisible cast on. I tried watching the video from knitting help.com, but it just wasn't working for me, so I searched other sites for info on the invisible cast on, and came across this page. It was great, because it was a whole different method and a whole lot easier too! You use a crochet hook to chain and then pick~up your stitches from the chain onto your knitting needle, and when you are ready to "graft" your dishcloth, all you do is pull the chain to reveal your "live" stitches. Speaking of grafting, here is the site that I used to graft my dishcloths. Anyway, here are my finished dishcloths...go on...gather up all your variagated cotton and give them a try!

My very first 4 Corners Dishcloth done up in "Patio Pinks".

My second 4 Corners Dishcloth done up in "Lavender Ice".

My third 4 Corners Dischloth done up in "Lazy Daisy".

My fourth 4 Corners Dishcloth done up

in "Faded Denim" and "White" for the sides.

And my last 4 Corners Dishcloth done up

in "Blue Grass" and "Pale Yellow" for the corners.

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Oh and by the way, Abigail is having a contest for these dishcloths.
If you knit a dishcloth, take a picture of it and send it to her.
The person who sends in the 100th dishcloth will win.
There is more info about it on her blog.
Scroll down to where it says, "Stop the Presses!".

Baby Sweater in Progress.

Swish With A Twist Dishcloth.

This pattern can be found at the "Creative Knitting Magazine" site.

Love Dishcloth.

This pattern can be found at Rhonda's site, "Knitting Knonsense".

Butterfly Dishcloth.

This beautiful pattern can be found at Carol's group,

"The Knitted Kitty".

A Dog "theme" Dishcloth.

This one can be found at Carol's Group, "The Knitted Kitty".

Another Dog "theme" Dischloth.

This one can be found at "Knit Dishcloth Corner".

Kayleen Tagged Me!!!

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things a s well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

6 Weird things about me:

1. I love anything that is free! I don't care what it is, if it is free I will take it! Free books, magazines, catalogues, calendars, clothes, dishes, free samples at the grocery store, toothbrush and toothpaste at the dentist office, recipes ripped out from magazines in waiting rooms, knitting and crocheting patterns on the internet, my blog....I could go on forever!!

2. I'm a bag~freak! I love bags! I love paper bags, plastic bags, fabric bags. Bags can be very useful! I always seem to pick up extra grocery bags when we are at the SuperStore because they always come in handy. I really love zip~loc bags...the little snack bags, the sandwich bags and the freezer bags. If we go somewhere special, I always try to get a bag from there as a little souvenir.

3. I love RubberMaid! I love all RubberMaid products! I love thier sandwich keepers, snack keepers, baking bins, cereal dispensers, drying racks, closet organizers, laundry baskets. I love all their tote boxes because they come in all sizes....great for storage! When we move from one house to another, we don't use cardboard boxes, we use RubberMaid Tote Boxes...they are wonderful because they are stackable and you can label them and best of all, they all match! My husband has even called me his "RubberMaiden"!

4. Must eat my sandwiches a certain way! Mayo smothered on both pieces of bread, mustard and bologna on the bottom and then cheese on the top. When I eat it, it must be bologna side down, otherwise it tastes totally different...I hate eating it with the cheese side down!

5. Public washrooms! I hate having to use them, but when you got to pee, you got to go! For some reason though, I always seem to find the one washroom that is the most disgusting! Do people not have any class anymore? Or is it that people don't know how to clean a washroom anymore? I can't stand it! I feel like bringing my own toilet seat! I can't stand the sight of someone else's hair and "fluids" on the toilet seat or anywhere near the seat....it's so gross! I never touch the "flusher" with my hands, it's always my foot! What's wrong with people these days? YUK!

6. I believe I am becoming "Hermit~ized"! Slowly, but surely I am becoming a hermit! I hate to go anywhere. I love my house in the country! I hate having to go to town for groceries and whatever else. I don't mind hubby treating me to lunch....that's always nice, but all the driving around and walking around the stores, that's not for me! I love being at home with my husband and kids. I would much rather entertain friends and family here at home than go out anywhere to do our socializing. There have actually been times where I haven't gone to town for 2 whole months! I just like to be home!

Okay, now it's my turn to tag! I am choosing to tag:

Mary Anne form Miss Woolly Knits!

Marilyn from Marilyn's Knitting Heaven On Earth!

KnottyKitty from Knottykittyknits!

Tina from tmarieknits!

I am so happy that all the holiday hub bub is done! It was definitely a crazy stressful one this year! I always have good intentions of getting everything done on time for Christmas, but somehow, every year I always find myself running out of time. How does that happen? I'd like to say that I will start my Christmas knitting now for next year but to tell you the truth, I can't look at another dishcloth. I am so ready for something new! I have recently inherited a bin of baby wool, and it has totally inspired me to do up some baby outfits! I'm so excited for the change. So while I was hunting for the perfect little baby outfit to start, I had a difficult time deciding which one to do. I came up with a lot of patterns, and thought I would share them with everyone on my blog. No sense in finding all these wonderful patterns and not sharing them with others to enjoy! So here is the list of baby outfits that I came up with, I hope you enjoy! Happy knitting and crocheting to all!

Knit & Crochet Patterns for Baby Outfits

4 Piece Baby Set(c)

5 Hour Baby Sweater, bonnet, & Blanket(k)

Apple Baby Sleeping Bag(k)

Baby Dress/Christening Gown(k)

Baby Girl Sleeper Set(c)

Baby Sacque & Cap(c)

Baby Set to fit 4~5lb Baby(k)

Baby Set with Basket(c)

Baby's Rippled Sweater Set(c)

Baby's Smock and Cap Set(c)

Baby'summer Dress & Hat(c)

Baby Sweater Hat & Booties(c)

Baby Sweater & Hat ~ Scroll Down(k)

Baby Sweetness Set(c)

Buttery Soft Baby Set(k)

Cardigan, bonnet and socks(k)

Cardigan, bonnet and socks(k)

Cardigan, hat and shoes(c)

Christening gown, bonnet and trousers(k)

Crocheted Baby Layette(c)

Crochet Baby Sweater & Hat(c)

Doreen Baby Set(c)

Dress, bonnet & socks(k)

Fairy Princess Baby Ensemble(c)

Free Vintage Patterns(k&c)~Scroll Down

Gorgeous Baby Outfit(c)

Happy Baby Outfit(k)

Heirloom Baby Set(c)

Hooded Knit Cover~Up(k)

Houndstooth Baby Set(c)~Click for photo

Jacket, bonnet and socks(k)

Jacket, hat, mittens, socks & blanket(k)

Jacket, socks & bonnet(k)

Jacket, trousers & bonnet(k)

Jacket,trousers,bonnet,socks&blanket(k)

Jacket, trousers/jumpsuit and hat(k)

Jacket with raglan sleeves,hat and socks(k)

Lace Baby Set(k) ~ Click for photo

Love and Kisses Christening Gown(k)

Old~Fashioned Baby Set(c)

Pastel Baby Set(k)

Pink & White 4 Piece Baby Set(c)

Prince of Whales Feathers Set(k)

Quickie Baby Sweater(k)

Ruffled Baby Dress(c)

Ruth's Crochet Baby Sweater(c)~Click on Ruth's Crochet Baby Sweater

Sacque, Booties, Cap, Sweater & Mittens(c)

Shells and Columns Baby Set(k)

Shell Stitch Baby Set(c) ~ Click for photo

Cape, Jacket, Beret, cap & afghan(c)

Spring Baby Outfit(c)

Sweet Baby Layette(c)

Woven Baby Set(k)

Wish I had a magic wand so I could wave it and have all my Christmas duties magically done for me! Wouldn't that be nice? I've been busy knitting dishcloths and crocheting these beautiful coasters for Christmas gifts. These coasters are my ultimate favourite coaster pattern, not only because they are extremely fast and easy to do up, but because they are so pretty! I think they are nice enough to also be a little doily. The original pattern is from Jodhi, the Potholder Lady. In her version she has beads on the edge of them, but I'm a little intimidated by the whole "beading" thing, so I just chose to change the colour of the thread to accent the edge. I'm so happy with the way they turned out with the Christmas colours, I will be doing more for sure. I think that they would make a nice little coaster gift set for the teachers this year. The photos of my finished Christmas coasters/small doilies are below.

These are my ultimate favourite coasters to crochet, the pattern for these and more can be found here at The PotHolder Lady. It is an archived site, so be patient, it tends to take a little time and not all the photos load properly. Enjoy!

A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a "Christmas Pickle" contest hosted by Marilyn of "Marilyn's Knitting Heaven On Earth". She gave instructions to knit up her "Christmas Pickle" dishcloth, take a picture of it and email it to her. The first person to do this would be awarded with a knitting~related prize. I wasn't the first to enter my picture but I was a close second, and Marilyn decided to award me with a prize as well. What a wonderful woman! I was so happy, as I never win anything! Thank you Marilyn! Anyway, I just received my prize in the mail (a beautiful pattern book full of fun kids afghans and stuffed animals to do up). So thanks again!! I've posted the picture below of my winning (2nd place) "Christmas Pickle" dishcloth. I wasn't so thrilled with my colour choice, but that was the closest thing to "green" I could find!

My Finished Christmas Pickle Dishcloth!

Well, it's been a long two weeks. Still have that rotten cold, can't seem to shake it!! So not much energy lately! We celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend, and I don't think I can handle any more turkey!! I'm all turkeyed~out!! I haven't done much knitting lately either, just a couple of dishcloths...one being the monthly knit~a~long, and the other being a dog dishcloth from Danielle Cote's site. I've been teaching my 8 year old how to knit. She's doing real well too! I'm surprised! She has completed a few projects already...she's real happy with herself! She just finished a little dishcloth the other day, now she's asked me to give her a "mystery" pattern to try. I think it's funny, she's like my little apprentice. Anyway, I've posted a picture of my finished October Knit~A~Long below....a kitty dishcloth! Kids will be home from school soon, so I should get my but in gear here, they will be starving!

My finished October Knit~A~Long!!!

Well, don't feel like doing much of anything today, still have the cold....kind of feel like just staying in my PJ's all day and curling up on the couch. I hate being sick! But instead of doing that, I decided to go on Danielle Cote's site, Knit Dishcloth Corner to try out some of those dishcloths I was talking about the other day, and to my surprise, the "Victoria" pattern had been translated, (which is what I was waiting for), so I got right to work, picking out the colours to use for it. I chose "white" and "faded denim" which is a verigated blue. I changed mine up a bit...instead of just using the white for the border and the middle garter stripe, I wanted to see what it would look like with all the garter stripes white. And I'm happy with my choice, I think it looks real nice. It's such an easy pattern that I'm going to try some more using different colour combinations. I love this one!! Anyway, got to go blow my nose again, here is the picture of my completed "Victoria" dishcloth!!

Here is my finished "Victoria" Dishcloth!!!

Feeling kind of tired today, not much energy, my kids have given me their cold!! Aren't mother's lucky?? I'm getting a little bored waiting for the next Knit~A~Long to begin, so I had a gander at the Knit Dishcloth Corner for a new pattern to do up. This is a French site with most of their patterns translated into English. It has to be one of the hardest sites to get into, I swear. It's obviously a very busy site!! But it has really nice patterns in it. When I finally was able to get into it, I found a lovely pattern called "Autumn" which I decided to do with my geranium cotton from the last KAL. It turned out alright, but it kind of took on an odd shape towards the end of the pattern. I don't know if it was the size of my needles or what, but I had to really work with it for the picture so it would look pretty. Maybe next time I will use bigger needles to give it a little more "give". Anyway, here is the picture of the dishcloth, the next couple from that site I would like to do are the "candles" and the "vineyard", I think they are both so pretty!!

My Finished Autumn Dishcloth
Done with Bernat Handicrafter Cotton (Geranium)

Thank you to everyone for all their wonderful compliments on my dishcloths and my blog!! I'm new to the whole "blogging" thing, so it's nice to get a little recognition!! I appreciate it!! To be quite honest, I'm really enjoying this. It's actually inspiring me to do more knitting. The Knit~A~Long that I participated in was fun, and I'm looking forward to the next one in October...perhaps a halloween theme?? Anyway, I have posted some more pictures of dishcloths I did up with little houses in it from the Dishcloth Boutique. I really like the "house" theme when it comes to dishcloths, I'm always looking for new "house" patterns to incorporate into dishcloths. I have only found a few, but they're just not what I'm looking for...perhaps I just have to come up with my own creation!! So far my favourite out of the bunch is this one found at the Dishcloth Boutique, but there is another one here at Melissa's Knit Dishcloth Patterns Page, and then there is an afghan square that I was thinking of creating a dishcloth out of here at Knitting-and.com. The three that I did up below here have a bigger border than the original one, which I put at the bottom so you could see the difference. I like a bigger border because I think it looks prettier and I also like a bigger cloth altogether because when they get washed and dried, they tend to shrink. I'd like to hear if anyone has any suggestions on any other "house" patterns that could be used for a dishcloth, as I'm always looking. Anyway, should get going, here are the photos of my "little houses" dishcloths.
And to the Knotty Kitty (you know who you are), I checked out your blog, glad it worked out for you, no thanks necessary! Thanks for the lovely referral!

Little Houses Dishcloth ~ Bigger Border (white)
Little Houses Dishcloth ~ Bigger Border (pink)
Little Houses Dishcloth ~ Bigger Border (burgandy)

This is the origianl pattern from the Dishcloth Boutique .

I'm doing some more babysitting today, so again...not much time to do anything. I did get my very first dishcloth Knit~A~Long finished this morning though! I put a hanging loop on mine just for fun! I'm real happy with the pattern though, I think I will make more for sure...perhaps a set of them for someone for Christmas! Anyway, got to go, baby's waking up from her nap, thanks to the Monthy Dishcloths Knit~A~Long for the wonderful pattern, I enjoyed it! Here is the photo of my finished mid~September dishcloth!

My Very First Dishcloth Knit~A~Long Completed!

(Made with Bernat Handicrafter Cotton)

I have a little more time on my hands today...no babysitting and the kiddies are in school, so I was able to complete day #5 of my dishcloth Knit~A~Long, getting real close now! I was also able to post the photos of my latest finished project...Sunbonnet Sue Potholder that you can find at Carol's site. I'm so happy, it turned out real nice. Now she just needs her buddy, Sam! I couldn't seem to find any blue kitchen cotton, so he'll have to wait! I think that this double knitting technique is wonderful because it's like you are knitting two things up at the same time! If anyone is interested in this technique, there is a great tutorial video of it at Knitting Help.com . It's kind of awkward at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's wonderful! There are a few sites out there with double~knit patterns, such as Country Doubles , Stitch Diva , and there's even a Double Knitting Group you can join if you'd like. Anyway, I should go do some housework now, here are the pictures of my finished Sunbonnet Sue Potholder!

The front of my Sunbonnet Sue Potholder

The back of my Sunbonnet Sue Potholder