~*~*~*~ My Finished KAL (knit-a-long) Photos!! ~*~*~*~

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Progress Pics of Our Monthly Mystery Dishcloth Knit-A-Long

in Rachel's Knitting Room for the Month of April!

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Big Thanks go out to my very dear friend, Marilyn Wallace for creating and designing another great pattern for our group! Here are my daily photos of our last monthly KAL that we did for the month of April :o)

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Day #1 of our KAL! Casted on with variegated Baby Pastels!

Day #2 of our KAL! Ooooo! I got to change colours today!! I chose the Baby Green to match with the variegated Baby Pastels.

Day #3 of our KAL! I can see some letters now....hmmm....

Also, take note of the Change of Knitting Needle...yup, I went and broke another needle, just blew the tip right off of my brand new beautiful purple Lion Brand needle...and this was the second time for that needle...I'm thinking there is a defect in it...they're a funny needle too...they have sort of an inner core to them, much like a carrot has...LOL! Wish I could take them back now, but I've already had them through the pencil sharpener to try and fix them up in a hurry...LOL!

Days #4 and #5 of our KAL! Got too excited...had to do two days in a row! I can see what it says now :o) Love it! Got to change back to the variegated Baby Pastels though, which I thought was looking real good now!

Day #6 of our KAL! Okay, here we are at the end! Now ususally when I post finished pics of my dishcloths, I NEVER post the "before being blocked" pics cuz, well, it's sort of like seeing me without my makeup on in the morning...you can tell what it is, but it looks like it could use some spruce'n up...LOL!
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So I now present you with the finshed product....
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Drum Roll Please....

TaDaaaaa!!!!!!
Pretty nice, ey? I LOVE the finished product! Thank you so much Marilyn for such a cute and versatile pattern! Don't you think this would make a wonderful cloth for babies?...Welcome to the World little one. Or how about a Welcome to the Neighbourhood for a friendly and neighbourly gesture? There are so many wonderful ways to use this pattern! I even had the idea of doing more of our Miniature knitting with pins and crochet cotton thread to make a wonderful little "Welcome" door mat for a little girl's dollhouse...how neat would that be? What are some of your suggestions for this pattern? How would you choose to use it? Drop me a comment and let me know, I'd LOVE to hear all your ideas too!!
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If you think you would be interested in participating in a Group Knit-A-Long with us, please feel free to join us, cuz we'd love to have you!! Our next Mystery Dishcloth Knit-A-Long Begins Monday, May 19, 2008 and it's going to be a GORGEOUS one, just in time for SPRING! I promise, you're gonna LOVE this one! Something different, unique, and very refreshing!
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Click here to visit our Group, Rachel's Knitting Room!

Hugs for a Wonderful Week,
:o)
Rachel

a little something I've been working on......

I decided to do a little crocheting and make some more of my favourite small crocheted doilies/coasters. I crocheted 2 with pink and white crochet cotton thread size 10 and a size 1.15mm steel hook. Then I decided to try the same pattern out using my worsted weight pink and white cotton for dishcloths with a size F Hook and I was really happy with the way they all turned out!

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Here are some pics of the finished doilies. Now I think I'll work with some blue and white next...which would match perfectly in my kitchen! If you are interested in the pattern for this small doily/coaster you can find it here from Jodhi, the PotHolder Lady...it is an archived site and for some reason I haven't had much luck in the last few days viewing it, but if you keep trying it might work...if I find another link that works better for it I will be sure to post it here for you. The pattern calls for beads to be added on the last round, but I find adding a different colour works just as well! Very Pretty Pattern!! Make sure to click on the pics for a bigger and better look at them too :o)

This is the first one done with crochet cotton thread in pink with a white trim.

This is the second one I did with crochet cotton thread in white with a pink trim.


This is the first doily I made using 100% Worsted Weight Cotton and Size F Hook.

And here is the last one I made with the worsted weight cotton.



And of course this is a pic of all the doilies put together so you can see just how much bigger and smaller they are compared to eachother. I just love them!
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Hugs For a Wonderful Weekend,
:o)
Rachel

HOLY SNAPPN' KNITTING NEEDLE ~ PART 2

With a Happy Ending :o)

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I want to give a HUGE Thank You to everyone that responded with offers of their Knitting needles for me to replace my snapped needle from the other day! It was truely overwhelming how many generous people we have here...I was so shocked at the number of offers I received!

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When I shared my story with you all, it was merely a sad story to share with ou all, it wasn't at all a sympathy cry for offers...you guys are all just so wonderful though and you all have HUGE hearts...willing to give up some of your own needles to provide some happiness for me.

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So I thank you so much, but I am sooooooooo happy to tell you all, that my knitting needle has been resurrected...hubby has breathed new life into the poor old girl! Would you believe that he had the brain fart to use our pencil sharpener on it?? And it actually worked!! Really well too!! He stuck the broken needle in the sharpener and made the tip a little bit pointy and then with some sand paper, he made it PERFECT!! I can't tell the difference...it looks just like the good needle! I really can't believe it! I thought she was a gonner, but she's back and ready to start clicking and smoking! I am just so happy and relieved to have my old reliable needles back!

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Thanks again guys, you're the best!

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Big Greatful Hugs,

:o)

Rachel

HOLY SNAPPN' KNITTING NEEDLE!!!!!!!!!

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There I was yesterday afternoon, just casted on some stitches with some beautiful Purple Cotton, knit a few rows, and SNAP!!! There went my very favourite knitting needle!! I couldn't believe it! My heart nearly broke in half with it! I am just so sad over the loss of this needle! This isn't just any knitting needle either...I got them handed down to me from Hubby's late Mother...they are really nice and flexible(well, I thought they were until they broke on me...LOL!), they have the UK sizes on them and this is my ONLY size 8(otherwise known as 4mm or US 6). So I had to resort to trying another kind of needle out to finish my project...I'm using my bamboo needles but they just aren't the same.

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I don't like trying new things...I just like the old faithful things...if it ain't broke, don't fix it...but in my case, it IS broke and I CAN'T fix it!!!!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! I WANT MY NEEDLE BACK!!!

(sung to this tune by Billy Ray Cyrus...I Want My Mullet Back!!!)

If you haven't heard this song yet...ya gotta have a listen, click on the link above...I LOVE it, and everytime I hear it, it gets stuck in my head and I find myself humming and singing all day long...such a good song...and I don't like country!!

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Anyway, now that my heart is broken along with my favourite knitting needle, Hubby has gone on a mission trying to find these needles online somewhere, but it doesn't seem like they are available...I think they're pretty old, so I think we'll have to check out EBAY or something to see what we can come up with! I sure hope we can find these needles somewhere...if not, I don't know what I'll do!!!

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I am an extremely tight knitter and I guess it was just too much for this old needle to handle!

Holy Snappn' Needle!!

A HUGE OVERDUE THANK YOU TO MY FRIEND, JAN!

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There is a HUGE overdue thank you in order for a wonderful gal! My friend Jan Hogan who belongs to Rachel's Knititng Room asked me for my mailing addie a while back, saying that she wanted to send me a little something to show her appreciation for all the things I do for our great group. Well, "a little something" turned out to be "a WHOLE LOT of something"!!! This girl is so very generous to send me all the yarn she did...I was so blown away by the size of the package when I picked it up from our Post Office! Thank you, thank you Jan!! This was such a beautiful gift full of some REALLY wonderful yarn...now I just have to find the time to sit and knit something from all this beautiful yarn!

Big Hugs go out to you, Jan...You're a great gal!

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Look at all this yummy yarn!!


And here is the beautiful little note card Jan sent with my parcel! What a sweetie!

There's No Place Like Home...There's No Place Like Home...There's No Place Like Home...

Oh My Good Lord!
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This morning started out like all the rest, wake up, make breakfast, make the lunches, get hubby off to work and get the kiddies off to school. I got the kids all bundled up in their winter gear to put them on the bus, opened the door to go outside and then pulled the door shut...only thing, this time, my beautiful door handle came off with my hand!!! What the heck??
I started to panic right away because I couldn't open the door and nobody was inside! My kids got upset right away thinking that mama would be out in the snow all day long!
When our wonderful bus driver picked them up, I asked if she could radio the bus company to phone my husband's cell phone to let him know I was stuck outside in the cold and snow! So the bus drove away and I thought instead of just standing around waiting for hubby to get home which probably would have taken 40 minutes from town, I decided to check all the windows and they were all locked except for our teeny tiny little bathroom window. I thought come hell or high water, I'll get in that little window somehow!!!
I walked around the yard to find hubby's horse(step ladder), then I walked through all the snow and plunked it in front of the bathroom window. But when I climbed up to the window I quickly realized that it was not going to be easy getting in there. I tried every kind of position to get in that window, I knew that I was going to fit, but how the heck was I going to land when I got inside?
I tried feet first, that didn't work, I tried head first but was afraid to fall on my head. Then in all my desperation, I started grabbing at all sorts of things inside the bathroom through the window to make some kind of a landing strip for me...wicker hampers, brand new 24 pack of toilet paper...oh yeah, I really was making a mess of the bathroom! But guess what? After trying 5 times to get in there, I did it!!! And I only have some minor scrapes and sore armpits and chest. As I fell on top of all the toilet paper and wicker hampers and baskets, I heard a knock on my door(the one with the broken knob now)...it was a neighbour from down the road...I guess the bus driver told him there was a damsel in distress up the road that needed rescuing real bad! He was shocked that I got in all by myself through the bathroom window! And go figure, I had no makeup on and my hair was just thrown together in a big old sloppy braid...thank gosh my teeth were brushed at least!!
So I phoned the school right away to ask if they could releive my children's worry about their mother, and then my prince charming of a husband drove in the driveway and I was so overwhelmed and emotional that I started to cry! Ever stupid hey? Such a "girl" thing to do...I was trying to be stong and it just back fired on me!!
Oh well, I'm in my cozy house now...my hair is done and my make up is on, so all is good now! Now it's time for me to get you all your daily links and such!
Holy Crumbs! What a morning! Just had to share it with you all! I have learned a very good lesson in all this though...keep a spare key with me for our other door just in case...who would ever think of their door knob coming right off with them? I know I sure didn't! Geesh!

Rachel's Knitting Room ~ February KAL!

Love Dishcloth ~ Garter Stitch Borders

by Susan Mrenna

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Big Thanks go out to Susan Mrenna of Knit A Little for providing Rachel's Knitting Room Yahoo Group with a wonderful design! I really enjoyed this one...I experimented with the border a bit by using a different colour. I used Peppermint for the boder and Baby Pink for the inside and I LOVE it! Thanks big whole bunches Susan!

** A Big Thank You!! **

Well, I would like to send out a HUGE Thank You to EVERYONE for ALL the WONDERFUL Birthday Wishes I have received and continue to receive! I have NEVER had so many Birthday Greetings in all my life! There are just SO MANY, I couldn't even count them up!! So I thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I am truly blessed to know such wonderful people...so caring, thoughtful and generous! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for making my Special day that more Special! I had a wonderful day with my family...I got to eats LOTS of yummy food which included a deep dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate icing and Chocolate ice cream on the side! I was in Heaven! Thanks so much for ALL you do! ALL your generosity is GREATLY appreciated!!
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Big Hugs,
:o)
Rachel

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well, today is my Birthday...I am now 32 years old...good greif Charlie Brown...where has the time gone? Honestly, I couldn't remember if I was turning 31 or 32 this year...had to ask my son who's 8...he knew right off the top of his head...as he replied, "Helllllloooooo, you're gonna be 32 Mom!!!" in a cheeky sort of tone as if to say, "like how could you forget how old you are?".

Now, for this past week I really haven't been in the best of moods...don't know why exactly, but just having one of those "off" weeks I guess...my little guy has brought home a cold/flu from school...he's been home for two days now with it and now I'm getting it...so it's only a matter of time before my little girl gets it and hubby too. I hate being sick and I'm sure that has played a huge role in my yucky mood lately.

Anyway, this morning I woke up to a kiss and a "Happy Birthday Honey Bunny" from dear hubby and my adorable kiddies standing at my bedroom door with a card in their hands. Now usually, Mama gets homemade cards and gifts, so this took me by surprise a bit, because I could tell from the envelope, that it was a purchased card of some sort. I hadn't even made it out of the bed yet...still half asleep really, but they had that look on their face like they were up to something. So I open my card to find all of the Rugrats on the cover and inside it wrote: "Wishing you a birthday filled with the most beautifullest things because you're the nicest mom ever!". Well, I was so happy with that just by itself, but I could tell there was more to come with the way they had their hands behind their backs.

Now before I tell you what they surprised me with, I'll let you know that for the past couple of weeks my kids have been talking about the WEBKINZ...they've been around for a while, but with all the virtual pets they already have, we figured there was no sense to them having anymore...but somehow they talked us into it and dear hubby went down and purchased a few for the kids. They loved them so much, and I really fell inlove with them as well, they really are adorable. If you are not familiar with them, they are basically a stuffed animal of your choice that come with codes which you log into the computer on their site and you can see your pet on the screen and buy things for it, play games with it, chat and play with others as well...there's a ton things you can do with them on there. Kailey decided on the yellow lab and Luke decided on the husky and the bull dog. I really fell in love with the little pug (always wanted a real one of my own) and the chocolate lab, not thinking that I would ever get them or even need them for that matter. But I guess the family thought that Mama should have some WEBKINZ of her own because that's what was behind their backs this morning...One Chocolate Lab and One Pug!! My heart just melted...these little creatures are so cute.

So, I would like you all to meet my little cuties...Here is "Lola" my pug:
And "Turtles" my chocolate lab (named after my favourite chocolates of course!):
Then, if this wasn't enough...hubby gave me a "purchased" card (and he's not really a "card-buying" kinda guy...so I knew he made a LOT of effort). I opened the card to find the most beautiful card he had EVER gotten me...it was gorgeous and it said ALL the right things, so I know he shopped around looking for the one that said just the perfect stuff. I started bawling right away because it just meant so much to me. I've been feeling so "blah" lately...can't really explain it but that's the only word that comes to mind, "blah"...I'm sure someone else can relate.

So anyway, needless to say, I am in high spirits today, I'm feeling so special and appreciated by my family which means a great deal to me. Hubby is bringing me home my favourite today...Chinese Food...Oh yum...I can't wait to dig in! For now, I think I'll go relax in a nice hot bath and perhaps start a knitting project just for me, just for the heck of it, just cuz I can, cuz it's MY special day!
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Hugs,
:o)
Rachel

Blogiversary & My Favourite Bolognese Sauce Recipe!

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(ALL PHOTOS ARE CLICKABLE FOR A LARGER VIEW!)

Well, today, my blog turned 1 year old! Yayyyyy! Happy Blogiversary! Wow, how time flies! Anyway, thought I would invite you into my kitchen today and share another one of my passions besides knitting.....food! I love to make and eat food! This is my favourite dish to make and eat at home! It is my version of a Bolognese Sauce. I love to make this because it doesn't call for a whole pile of ingredients that aren't in my pantry already. It's just a few simple veggies, some ground beef, and a few cans of tomatoes, some milk and water, a little salt and pepper, and you're good to go. So many simple ingredients that most people have on hand all the time, and together they produce an explosion of flavour!

Ingredients:
Carrots

Celery

Onions

Vegetable Oil
Ground Beef
Water

Milk

Salt & Pepper
Canned Tomatoes ~ crushed or diced

Tomato Paste

First I start with the veggies: celery, carrots, and onions, also known as "the holy trinity" of cooking! Peel, wash and dice them.

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Then they go into the frying pan with a little bit of vegetable oil(just enough so that they don't burn and stick to the bottom of the pan).Don't they all look so pretty together?

Now they get all mixed up and cooked on a medium to high heat, making sure to stir them so they don't scorch.

Cook them until they become nice and soft.

When they veggies are all nice and soft(only about 10 minutes), then the ground beef(about 1 1/2 lbs.) gets added to the pan. Break up the meat and stir into the veggies. Cook this until the meat is no longer pink.

Now the grease has to all be drained from this, and what I usually do is put the meat/veggie mixture in a large colander and pour a little bit of really hot water over it to really rinse the grease off, and also wiping out the excess grease from the pan with a paper towel...I hate a greasy sauce!

Now the meat & veggies get added back to the pan and fill with water to the top of them. Cook this on medium to high heat stirring occasionally until the liquid is evaporated.

This is the time when I open all my cans of tomatoes(4 cans) and tomato paste and warm them up in a large pot. I used diced tomatoes but I have to puree them because I have 2 kiddies that don't like chunky tomatoes!

Now pour in enough milk to cover the top of the meat and veggies. This is when I add the salt and pepper...it's really up to you how much you put in. Cook this on a medium to high heat also, but you'll need to stir more often, keeping a close eye on it so the milk does boil too hard and curdle. Cook this until almost all of the liquid is evaporated.

When almost all of the liquid is evaporated, transfer the mixture into the large pot of warm tomatoes and stir. It will look really runny right now, but after a few hours on medium heat, stirring occasionally, it'll get really nice and thick. While it's "stewing", I usually keep the lid half on my pot(mainly to contain the mess as it bubbles away).

When the sauce is thick enough for your liking, serve it over your favourite pasta and enjoy! I was going to take a picture of the finished product, all ready to eat, but the camera just died on me! Grrrrrrrrr!!! Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed seeing how I like to make my favourite pasta sauce...I hope I can inspire you to try it for yourself...you won't be disappointed...I promise!

:o)

Rach

More Knitting with Bernat Handicrafter "STRIPES"

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"Two~way" Dishcloth done with "Tie Dye Stripes"

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This "two~way" cloth pattern can be found here at "Strings and Sealing Wax"
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Here is my "Scallop Pattern" cloth that I did using "Country Stripes".
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This pretty pattern can be found here ...it only has the "pattern" instructions written out, so you need to add the stitches for your border on the sides and do extra rows for the top and bottom border...I just added 6 stitches...3 for each side and I knit 3 extra rows top and bottom for the border. This is a really pretty pattern and a simple one to follow.
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And here is the "feather & fan" cloth that my dear daughter Kailey Marie(9yrs.old) knit up with Mary Anne's variatioin using her "Pinky Stripes". This is one of our favourite patterns to do up...looks soooooo pretty with the self~striping cotton!
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If you happen to be a "fan" like me of the "feather & fan" stitch, here are more patterns using the stitch:

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Traditional Feather & Fan Ensemble

Feather and Fan Scarf

Another Feather & Fan Scarf

Merino Stripes Feather & Fan Throw

Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket

Feather and Fan Dishcloth

The feather and Fan Comfort Shawl

Feather and Fan Stitch

Feather and Fan Baby Bonnet

Fan and Feather Hat

Feather and Fan Socks

Feather and Fan Baby Afghan

Feather and Fan Baby Blanket or Lap Robe

Old Fashioned Shell Tidy
Fan and Feather Baby Hat and Booties

Tina's Knit Dishcloth Angel
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Enjoy!

:o)

Rach

Elvis Presley ~ 30th Anniversary

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Today marks the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.

This awesome cloth above was designed and knit by my dear friend Marilyn. You can find this pattern at Marilyn's Knitting Heaven on Earth and you can also find a freebie cloth that she has done with the name "Elvis" on it, on her other site: Knitting Heaven on Earth.

Thank you Marilyn for this wonderful design!

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:o)

Rach

Knitting with Bernat Cotton Stripes & Cotton Twists

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Here is the "Baby Fern" cloth I did using my new Self Striping Cotton.

I think this Baby Fern pattern with this cotton stripes yarn would make some nice baby washcloths...I love these soft colours together in the cloth!
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Here is a list of other patterns that I would like to try with the cotton stripes:
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~Scallop Pattern
~Two-Way Dishcloth
~Feather & Fan (purling on row 7 instead of knitting though)
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Here is my Pretty Pink Pineapple that I did using my new Cotton Twists.


This pretty crocheted Pineapple dishcloth pattern can be found here.
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If you enjoy working with Pineapples, here is a list of some other really pretty pineapple patterns for you to check out:

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~Elegant Pineapple Bookmark
~Pineapple Barbie Dress
~Pineapple Bonnet Needlecraft April 1925
~Pineapple Print Doily
~Pineapple Crinoline Lady Pattern($)
~Easy Pineapple Doily
~Flat Pineapple Angel
~Petite Pineapple Doily
~Pineapple & Ribbon Bookmark
~Pineapple Bookmark
~Starfish Pineapple Doily
~Soft Pineapple Soap Holder(very pretty)
~Pretty Pineapples Bookmark
~Pineapple Potholder
~Pineapple Swirls
~Pretty Pink Pineapples

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Enjoy!

:o)

Rach

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!