emergency swift + ball winder

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Last night I was knitting while watching a movie and didn’t pay too much attention to my yarn. Today when I pulled my project out at soccer practice, I found I only had a tiny ball left. Luckily, I had a second hank in my bag, but it needed to be wound before I could use it.

I learned this trick from a fellow knitter, and it works like a charm. Untwist the hank and put it around your neck like a necklace. Untie the threads holding it together and find the end. Start winding it into a ball, unlooping around your neck as you go. There may be times where it feels tangled up, but don’t take it off your neck. Just keep winding and unlooping until you’re finished.

I can’t tell you how many times this little trick has helped me. I hope someday it will be helpful to you, too!

unblocked crochet projects

unblocked crochet projects

I’ve been hooking up a storm lately. I finished this scarf and I’m using up the extra bits to make a bookmark. I’ve also started a new scarf that’s almost done. I’m not sure what’s gotten into me. Maybe it’s the cool Autumn weather?

I can’t wait to block the scarf for a final reveal. It’s going to be so beautiful!

What are you working on this week?

my creative space

In my creative space today I’m untangling this beautiful mess of yarn. It’s not as bad as it looks, at least I hope it’s not. There are three hanks that are loosely tied. If I can get them on the swift properly, it should be smooth sailing.

thrifted yarn

Where did I get such interesting yarn? I got a phone call yesterday while I was shopping for groceries.

kelly: I’m at the thrift store and there are huge tubs of beautiful yarn that are only 99 cents each.
me: Thanks for thinking of me, but I have so much yarn.
kelly: Yes, but some of this stuff looks hand dyed. It’s really beautiful.
me: Can you send a picture?

thrifted yarn

I think she sent four pictures, actually. One of those “tubs” was a large bin on wheels. I felt weak. A little defeated by my desire for pretty yarn that I really don’t need. I drove up to the store.

thrifted yarn

I exercised tremendous restraint and bought only six skeins. The pink/purple/blue skein is for my daughter. I let her pick out one because she was so patient while I dug through that big bin. I also bought her some stickers.

I’m a little early posting my creative space today. Make sure you check out Kirsty’s blog later today for more spaces.

can’t wait to unravel this sweater

cotton sweater for unraveling

I think my exact quote for the morning was, “You are not allowed to buy any more sewing machines and I am not allowed to buy anymore sweaters for unraveling.” But when my friend and I got separated at a street filled with garage sales, I had no one to help me with my will power. This sweater is so soft. The colors will look great in my house. I’m thinking join-as-you-go granny square lap blanket.

recycle: “…to take an unloved garment, destined for the landfill, salvage the wool, and give it a brand-new start as a beautiful knit gift; it’s sure to be appreciated by any recipient who loves the planet.” Lee Meredith

how to: crochet or knit single row stripes

I first heard about this at knitting retreat. It’s a really simple idea and I can’t believe it has never occurred to me on my own. I love skinny stripes, but breaking yarn at each row leaves too many ends to weave. I always figured that I’d have to do two rows of each color in order to carry the yarn. But, if you do three colors, there’s yarn at the end of every row just waiting to be carried up. So simple! So cool!

how to: crochet or knit single row stripes

This works for both knitting and crochet. I’ll show you what I mean on my dishcloth in progress, which happens to be crochet. (Knitters, ignore the chain row and cast on with Color A. Row 1 begins with Color B, etc.)

how to: crochet or knit single row stripes

Chain your number of stitches in Color A (navy).
R1: DC across in Color A (navy).
R2: Join in Color B (tan) and DC across.
R3: Join in Color C (light blue) and DC across.
R4: Carry up Color A and DC across.
R5: Carry up Color B and DC across.
R6: Carry up Color C and DC across.
repeat rows 4-6 until finished.

When you carry up the yarn, your edges will look like this.

how to: crochet or knit single row stripes

I know some crocheters like to incorporate the transition from one yarn to the other in their chain stitches, but I prefer to start my rows with the faux double crochet, so here’s how I catch the yarn on the way up. I assume you know how to do a double crochet, so I’m not including pics of all the stitch steps, just the ones that are different.

how to: crochet or knit single row stripes

Work across until you have one stitch left. Bring the next yarn up and over your working yarn.

how to: crochet or knit single row stripes

Continue on as usual with the working yarn. See how the carried yarn is getting tucked neatly in the work?

how to: crochet or knit single row stripes

When you have two loops left on your hook, drop the working yarn and pick up the new yarn. Yarn over and pull through the last too loops.

how to: crochet or knit single row stripes

Look at that! Now you are ready to turn your work and start the next row with the new yarn!

stash: This is an awesome stash busting idea. Imagine how many more odds and ends you can use up with this method!

my creative space

blue chromium star blanket

I delivered the Chromium Star baby blanket tonight. I am in love and it was hard parting with it. The pic is before I put it in the wash. It looks even more beautiful once blocked. Would it be weird to make one for myself? I think just a little bit.

I think I can officially say that crochet is faster than knit for me. I finished this in 10 days without really trying too hard. I’m getting ready to start another little blanket, also from a sweater. I’ll have some before pics soon!

recycled: This blanket used to be a sweater. I happened to know the knitter, so I can tell you that the yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. It washes (gentle cycle in cold) and dries (on low) beautifully.

Don’t forget to visit Kirsty’s blog to see what all the crafty peeps have going on in their spaces.

review: natural dyeing by jackie crook

natural dyeing jackie crook

This book has been on my mind on and off for the past year, but I’m working on so many different things. When would I ever find time to try something new? Last Wednesday at knitting group I spotted a copy in the Barnes and Noble sale bin and figured it was time to come home with me.

I already have plenty things to dye with in my pantry: tea, henna and lots of turmeric. I’m also itching to try red cabbage, onion skin and avocado skin. Don’t think I’ll ever be able to dye with blackberries. though. They’d be gone from the refrigerator too fast!

The steps are well illustrated and the photography is beautiful, but I’m disappointed in the choice of mordants. They are all toxic metals and definitely not something I can pick up locally. Plus, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable playing around with that stuff while I’ve got a curious little girl one step behind me in the kitchen. Right now I’m at the “add a glug of vinegar to the slow cooker” stage.

I’ll definitely be keeping my copy, though. Like I said, the photography is beautiful. I’m sure it will be a starting point for many ideas. At least I’ll be able to do something with all of my turmeric!

review: Natural Dyeing by Jackie Cook isn’t on sale anywhere else that I can find. It must have been because the cover of my book was a little worn.

thrifty thursday

I was all ready to post about something else when this sweater literally came over to my house and never left. My friend Tana is destashing some of her hand knit sweaters. I told her I’d be interested in the cardigans and she stopped by this afternoon with them. There were a couple of pullovers in the bag, but I’m constantly hot/cold/hot/cold/etc. and don’t wear them much anymore.

blue sweater unravel

I couldn’t stop looking at this one, though. It was such a lovely color blue. I loved the gray accent. I didn’t think I’d ever wear it, but Tana said I could do what ever I wanted with it, so you know what happened next, right?

blue sweater unravel

I’ve abandoned that silly vintage wool for now and have started making the Chromium Star blanket out of this yarn instead. It is already turning out much better than I had even imagined. Thanks for the two fabulous cardigans and this wonderful yarn, Tana!

reuse: Hand knit sweaters are such a joy to unravel. They are always seamed together with such care. I wish all sweaters unraveled this nicely. I didn’t lose one bit of yarn!