Still Trying My Hand at Yarn Dyeing

Yes, I’m still dyeing some yarn.  At least experimenting.  I’ve done the koolaid dyeing and that was easy.  I’ve even used Rit dye and that was fairly easy.  So I progressed to using spices….at least one spice, Turmeric.

The result is a beautiful golden rod/marigold yellow.  BUT, the smell during the process was AWFUL!   I guess I just don’t like the smell of Turmeric…at least in the amounts needed to dye yarn. 

I used at least half a small container of Turmeric, plus vinegar and hot water to dye the yarn and the smell stayed with me for over 24 hours.  Everything smelled like Turmeric.  Next time I’ll wear a mask.

Crochet Mittens Tutorial

I usually prefer to knit, but a friend, Donna, who recently learned to crochet, wanted to learn how to crochet mittens.  She has done so well, absorbing all kinds of techniques in the field of crochet.  It’s amazing that only a few weeks ago, she never held a crochet hook in her hands.  She is learning at a phenominal rate.

So Donna, this is for you.

How to Crochet Mittens

Materials list:

4 ounces of sock/fingering yarn

G hook

measuring tape/ruler

yarn needle

scissors

You will need three (3) measurements.  (1) Measure around your wrist.  (2) Measure from your wrist to your thumb joint, actually, the space between your index finger and your thumb.  (3) And measure from your thumb joint to the tip of your middle finger.

We will begin with the cuff.  With your G hook, chain 11.

SC (single crochet) in second chain from hook and in the remaining chains.

Chain 1 and turn.  SC in the BACK  loop of the last SC made and in each chain across (10 SC).  This will give a ridged/ribbed  look to your cuff.  Be careful.  It is easy to miss that first SC each time you turn to do your next row.  Count your stitches.  There should always be 10 SC.

Continue in this manner until your cuff reaches your wrist measurement. 

Now bring the short ends up to meet each other.  Slip stitch them together.  If you wish to change colors, then cut the yarn and attach your new color.  If not, then continue on with the same color.  I changed colors so that it would be easier to see how the mitten is done.

I also used scrap yarn to mark the spot where each new round begins which you will notice in one of the pics below.  Join your new color or continue with your same color.  SC in each space BEFORE AND AFTER each ridge.  So there will be 2 SC between each ridge.

Do Not join in the usual manner.  You will continue with SC around as in a spiral.  This round will also be your increase round.  SC twice in the first SC of previous round, then SC once in each of the next 8 SC.  Then SC twice in the next stitch, and SC once in each of the next 8 stitches.  Continue in this manner until you have come back around to your marker.

SC in each stitch around continuously until your mitten has reached your wrist to thumb joint measurement.

To create the thumb opening, you will chain 4 or 5, maybe even 6, depending on the size of your thumb.  Skip 4 or 5 or 6 SC in the previous round, and SC in the next stitch.  (I chained 4 as I have small hands.)  If in doubt as to the size of your thumb, stick it in the opening to see how it fits.

Continue to SC in each stitch around until the piece reaches from your thumb joint to just within 1/2 inch or less  of your middle finger.  If you want very roomy mittens, continue around until the piece equals your 3rd measurement from the thumb joint to tip of middle finger.

Now it is time to begin your decreases.  Keep in mind where your yarn marker is as you do each round.

To decrease, insert hook into next stitch and draw up a loop.  Then insert your hook in the NEXT stitch and draw up another loop.  You will have 3 loops on your hook.   Bring your yarn over the hook and pull it through all 3 loops.  You have just made 1 decrease.

SC in each of the next 8 stitches.  Decrease again as described above.  Continue around in this manner until you have come back around to your marker.

Do the next round even…No decreases.

At the beginning of the next round, Decrease, then SC in each of the next 7 stitches.  Continue this around until you have reached your marker.  Do the next round even.

Decrease, then SC in the next stitch.  Decrease, then SC in the next stitch.  Repeat this around to marker.  This will make your opening at the top of the mitten small, about finger size.

Cut the yarn and thread it into your yarn needle.  Slip the threaded needle through the stitches around and pull tight.  Secure the thread by going through several of these tightly pulled stitches.  Then slip it down through the center of the stitches and secure on the inside of your mitten.  Yes, you will have to turn it inside out to do this.  Cut the yarn leaving approximately 1 inch on the inside of your mitten.  Turn your mitten right side out.

Now it is time to do the Thumb.

Attach your yarn to the bottom stitches.  SC in each stitch.  Make two (2) SC in the corner.  SC in each of the top stitches. Make two (2) SC in the next corner. 

SC around in a spiral as you did for the hand part of the mitten until the piece reaches the tip of your thumb.

Decrease in the next stitch.  SC in the next one.  Repeat around.  Finish as for top of mitten.  You know, cut your yarn, thread your needle, etc.  Secure both on right side and wrong side.  Weave in any loose ends.

This mitten can be used for either hand by “rolling” the mitten between your hands to adjust where the thumb placement is.

Make your second mitten.

I hope I have not thoroughly confused you.

Crochet Flower Tutorial for Donna and Friends

Okay. Let’s see if I can explain this the way I learned.
First keep in mind that I used a THIN yarn and a G hook. This will look better with a Thicker yarn.

Chain 3. Make 9 double crochets in 3rd chain from hook.

 

Join to top of begining chain with a slip stitch and fasten off.

 

Join second color yarn with a slip stitch.

Chain 5, skip one stitch and join with a slip stitch in next stitch of yellow center.

Chain 5, skip one stitch and join with a slip stitch in next stitch of yellow center. Repeat around until you have 5 loops and you are back at your beginning point.

Now when you make each petal, the chain will be covered.

The chain will be referred to as a loop.

In the next loop (right next to your crochet hook), single crochet one time, then do a half double crochet TWICE. A half double crochet is made by bringing the yarn over the hook, go under the loop, grab the yarn with your hook. Then go over the loop and grab the yarn again and pull it through ALL the little loops on your hook (should be 3 loops on your hook).

Then do 1 double crochet, 2 half double crochets and then one single crochet.

Repeat in the next loop and in the remaining loops.
1 sc (single crochet), 2 hdc (half double crochets), 1 dc (double crochet), 2 hdc, 1 sc.

Now this is where it gets a little tricky. Because you are now going to work on the BACK of the flower.

Work your crochet hook through the base of the blue chain and slip stitch to join. Sometimes this can be a little hard depending on how tight you crochet.

Chain 5, slip stitch into the next base. Repeat around until you have 5 loops on the back of the flower.

You have made 5 loops on the back of the flower.

I usually hold the front petals down out of my way when doing the 2nd set of petals.

Create your petal: 1 sc, 3 hdc, 2 dc, 3 hdc, 1 sc in each loop around.

 

Join with a slip stich to first petal base and fasten off. You can weave all of your loose ends in and/or use one or two to attach your flower to your scarf, hat, purse, etc.

As you can see, my flower is a little “open” because of the thin yarn I used. Play around with different types of yarns and different size hooks.

If you don’t like your end result, you can always frog it. (ribbet, ribbet, rip it, rip it out) .

There you go, Donna.  For you and your crocheting friends.

My Knitting Library

I have an extensive knitting library and I do mean extensive!   Every knitter has at least a few books on his/her favorite subject.    They are my reference materials, idea books and my “I’m gonna make this someday” books. 

I also have lots of knitting magazines.  My favorites are Knitters and Vogue.  I have a few others that I’ve collected over the years but only have subscriptions to those two.

I even have some books and magazines from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.  Knitting has certainly changed over the years.  But it is fun to look at the old patterns and try to figure out how to do one with today’s standards, yarn and knitting needles.

Here are just a few pictures of my collection:

Addiction to Yarn, Yarn Stashes and UFO’s

Anyone who knits or crochets knows what an addiction yarn can be.  We don’t buy yarn specific to a  particular project.  We buy yarn, and later we decide what we are going to make with it. 

We love the feel of it, the way it move between our fingers, how soft it is against our skin.  When we use some of it in a project, we think, “OMG, I’ve depleted my yarn stash! I have to get more!”  And, we do get more.  It doesn’t matter that we have every nook and cranny stuffed with yarn throughout the house.  We just have to get more. 

We have all kinds of yarn projects running around in our heads.  The new sweater pattern we want to try or the new sock pattern or purse pattern are just some of the things we think about.  There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t think of some yarn project we are going to try.  This leads to UFO’s….Un-Finished Objects!  Yes, we have many UFO’s around the house, but eventually we do get them done.    Sometimes we are in the middle of a project when we hear of someone needing a pair of socks, or there’s a baby shower to go to, etc.  So we stop our current project and start a new one. 

But we love what we do with yarn, so we know eventually we will get all the projects done and there will be more UFO’s started.  It’s a fact of life if you are a yarn lover.

So exactly how much yarn do I have?   I really don’t know.  I do know you can probably find yarn in every room of my house, except the bathrooms.

Mardi Gras! What Is It?

Mardi Gras is carnival time along the Gulf Coast.  It is not only celebrated in New Orleans, but also Mobile and Pensacola and most towns in between. 

It begins 12 days after Christmas and ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.    It is celebrated in many ways, from extravagant costume parties and balls, to small family and friends get togethers.    Many groups of revelers called “krewes” decorate and man floats in local parades.  They throw beads, moonpies, even crawfish to the crowds lining the streets. 

One of the traditional food items common this time of year is the King Cake, a cinnamon roll type cake decorated with icing and green, gold and purple colored sugar.

The History Behind Mardi Gras King Cakes

The King Cake is believed to have originated in France around th 12th Century.  These early Europeans celebrated the comming of the Three Wise Men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas calling it the Feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night or King’s Day.

The main part of the celebration was the baking of a King Cake to honor the three Kings.  The cakes were made circular to portray the circular route used by the Kings to get to the Christ Child and confuse King Herod, who was trying to follow the wise men so he could kill the Christ Child.  In these early King Cakes, a bean, a pea or a coin was hidden inside the cake.  The person who got the hidden piece was declared King for the day, or was said to have good luck in the comming year.

In Louisiana, Twelfth Night also signifies the beginning of the carnival season, which ends on Mardi Gras Day.  The beans, peas and coins have been replaced by a small plastic baby to symbolize the Christ Child.  The person who gets the baby is expected to carry on the carnival festivities by hosting the next King Cake Party.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

Pink Baby Socks

Here I go again, making baby socks.  But they’re so easy and quick! 

I used a 100% wool fingering weight yarn for these little darlings.   And they are super next to skin soft for little baby feet.

I decorated them with some itty bitty plastic safety pin buttons.

They make cute little gifts for the new baby.  New moms and soon to be moms will love them.