Earthwhisper Fiber Arts

Irish Hiking Wrist Warmers I made for my sister…obviously it isn’t completed, but I did finish them, made a pair for her to wear and she wore them away before I got a final pic. Maybe she will take a picture and email me?

She visited me for a few days and saw the one I made for my mom and my brother’s girlfriend and wanted a pair. We went yarn shopping. I meant to save the tag of this yarn. It is Prints or something like that. I don’t know.

Next up are the placemats I quilted w/ napkins I sewed. The napkin rings are those wine charms. The quilting was awesome. The binding of the placemats are absolutely horrid. I HATE binding. Seriously. I will cut, piece, quilt to my hearts desire, but nothing destroys my spirit more than binding. Bad binding really has a way of bringing down the quality of your quilting also.

Finally, we have the pair of Irish Hiking Wrist Warmers that I made for my mom. The yarn is Patons SWS.

Truly, this is only a small bit that I have been up to. I am crocheting the Baroque jacket for my mom. I am knitting a cabled pullover for myself. I have been doing some designing again and am realizing the joy it brings me.

There is an amazing feeling that comes from creating without a pattern, just creating organically with how you see the yarn flowing into fabric. I think I need to do more designing because EVERY time I design something I am so amazed at how “easy” and cool it all flowed together. I am not sure why I say “easy” because there is a lot to designing that is not, like sizing and writing down what you do.

The other night I was decreasing a crochet pattern and it just seemed so natural on how to do the decrease. Yet, I could not figure out the best way to write it, obviously it wasn’t a sc2tog type decrease. Instead it was skipping a stitch and the crocheting into the back post of the next stitch.

Sometimes crochet patterns can be way over complicated. Sometimes they are too wordy. Sometimes, they are so over edited that they make absolute no sense and you must learn to read between the lines.

For example, would it be better to write:

Single crochet in each stitch around…

as

Rnd1: sc

Round 1: sc around

Round 1: sc in each st

Round 1: sciestar (single crochet in each stitch around.)

I can’t believe Christmas is almost here and I haven’t sent out my cards…I need to get it together!

I have found knitting to be great for trying to forget pain. Seriously. I just keep knitting and I don’t move from the couch. I knit, knit, knit. The focus helps me rid my brain of the “urgency” and the pain associated with it. Sometimes I doze off for 20 minutes and then go back to knitting. I told Tony that I was lucky to be so into an activity that can take my mind away for hours at a time.

The doctor said what I am going through is normal for some people. Then it occured to me I have smaller than normal plumbing and they probably put normal sized tubes in there and it is no wonder I am hurting. I still have yet to actually talk to my doctor. I will not ever use him as a doctor again. I am going to get through this and never go back to that office. I see him on the 28th and am already starting to prepare words for him.

I did pass a few pieces of “beach sand.” I swear that is what it looks like and how small it is. Well enough of that…

Here is a hat I made for Sierra.

While my camera is better (thank you Tony for my early Christmas gift,) I took this at night and not with a great flash, so the picture isn’t as good as it could be.

This is my latest project that I am working on for myself.  It is the Shaped Ribbed Sweater in Cash Iroha in a really pretty Turquoise blue color that had been discontinued.  I have knit over 13 inches of the back, so have about 10 or so inches to go.

Pattern:  Basic Sock pattern with 2×2 ribbing, short row heel, and a regular decreased toe.  Next time, I am going to try the short row toe.

Yarn:   Trekking XXL in colorway 133

The yarn has been raved about all over the internet, and when I bought it I kind of thought it felt rough and thin.  It doesn’t have the softness that some of the other sock yarns I have used.  However, the thinnes makes these socks great for wearing inside shoes and they really fit my feet like a glove.  I am hoping after their first washing they will soften up a lot.

These socks are pretty basic.  I started them back in August and put them down for awhile as knitting on size 1 needles gets a little boring for me.

I don’t get stuck with having the one sock problem that other people have because after I finish one sock I immediately cast on for the second.  Then, I have been telling myself I can only have one pair of socks going at one time.  Or atleast one pair per needle size.  I am sure as life goes on I will continually make exceptions to my silly rules as I always do.

I am happy to finish them, especially since I haven’t been feeling well lately.  Last night was particularly bad.

Well, I will continue trying to clear my plate of all my WIP’s.  I really don’t have very many left.  Yay!

I finished Creole this weekend. Most of it I did on Friday and today. Although I was able to work on it a little bit on Saturday night.

Pattern: Creole from Berrocco There were some pattern errors (”what from Berrocco??? How could that be?” said in my most sarcastic tone “Why their patterns never have errors…hardy har har…”)

Seriously, what is up with their patterns? This one was obviously a knit translation into crochet as there was a part that says, “Thread end into tapestry needle and draw through all sts on needle” and well when you are hooking you only have one stitch on the hook, so that didn’t make sense. What I did though was sewed through the last stitches in the last row and then cinched them.

Pattern Correction:

Front and Back:

Row 12: wherever it says fpdc it should say bpdc

Row 15: add a fpdc before the last dc so you have 11 stitches….this is my preference to make the thing symetrical on each side.

Gussett:

Option A: If you want your gusset to be all one pattern (the “striped” pattern) then you need to add a row in between Row 11 & 12. I will name it row 11 1/2.

Row 11 1/2: work the pattern as it says in Row 12, but do bpdc instead of fpdc. Then work Row 12 as in the pattern.

Option B: If you want the part where the handle attaches onto the bag to be different than the underside of the bag, do as follows: Work pattern until you are done with Row 14. Add Row 15 as follws:

Row 15: Ch. 1, *bpdc,dc in next st, rep from * 5 times more, bpdc.

This will flip the pattern so the “striped look goes to the opposite side. Then, continue with the pattern and at the very end of the gusset

I added 2 more rows of the pattern so that it was the same length as the other side.

I did Option B on accident and in a way it was nice for two reason.

1. Is that it makes a natural curl so the end wants to curl over the D ring and back onto itself.

2. Is that you won’t need any place markers as you know exactly where the end of the bag is and where the strap part is for your strap.

Hook: Size G

Yarn: Patons Shetland Chunky Tweed - colorway Earthy Brown

**about the yarn…I LOVE it! I love this color. The brown is such a delicious chocolate brown and it has specks of “fall” in it. I wish I had a sweater in it, but chunky yarn on chunky gal…just doesn’t mix.

The strap is a cheap belt I bought at Walmart and cut. Oh…and the bag is rigged right now as I didn’t have D rings, so I used large safety pins and slip stitched it all together for pictures. I am very happy with it. Even though the pattern had some errors it is a nice pattern and I enjoyed it.

Here is a picture of the row counter that Kayt made for me. She used malachite. It is absolutely gorgeous. She has an Etsy store. Thanks Kayt! It is gorgeous!

***All pictures are clickable…

Both…I am fighting a sinus infection. My thyroid still isn’t making enough hormone so I just got a higher dosage and hopefully that will help increase my energy. I am up to 150mcg and that seems like a lot considering I still have a thyroid.

I have made a few things, but can’t show them here…because you know, Christmas is around the corner. If you are part of the Fiber Freaks bulletin board I have been posting pictures there. Anyone who is a knitter, crocheter, weaver, or spinner is welcome to join. Our KAL’s and CAL’s are hopping!






I am almost done with Brea Bag. In fact, I am finished with the knitting, just need a button, a leather strap, and fabric for the lining. This bag really doesn’t need lining, but I think I am going to do it because I am getting better at lining and so the bag will last longer.

I used Cascade Sierra (cotton wool blend) double stranded and size 9 needles.  It was hard to get good pictures of the deep navy blue color and the detailed cable and stitching.  However, this yarn is perfect and the bag turned out way better than I had expected.

I didn’t do the reverse sc as the pattern suggested, instead did regular sc.  I tried the crab stitch, but it didn’t look very good, kind of sloppy with this yarn.  The regular sc border looks very neat.

I really enjoyed the pattern.  It took me 3 days to make it.  One day for each side and one day to knit the gusset, which is roughly 34 inches…or more, I don’t know, didn’t measure the final piece.

The socks are knit with Patons SWS in natural earth colorway.   I really liked the socks that AJ made and so decided to make myself a pair.  I used this pattern (warning, pdf) Easy Worsted Weight Socks.  I used size 8 dpn’s.

The socks are a bit big, but I think of them as “slipper socks.”  They will be perfect when I go visit my parents at the coast and need a warm fuzz pair of socks to put on.  They are thick enough where walking around the house with them on will not put holes in them.

I am still trying to finish my Trekking socks, a drop stitched scarf and a few other random projects.

Pattern: Angelica Sweater
Yarn: Berrocco Cotton Twist
Overall I am happy. It is a bit heavy, but not bad, really. The yarn has a fancy shine to it that is really nice. It was a pain in the but to work with as it splits and the rayon is just very plasticy. I don’t know if that is the right word. I don’t think I will use this yarn again, not sure. I think my body would look better in something not variegated. I have made note of that for any future projects. The low v-neckline actually looks good on me. I don’t know if I like the arms. I love how they bell by the wrist, but I don’t like the bagginess under the armpits. I have looked at the picture of the original pattern and it looks like that is part of the style.

In the future, if I ever decide to make this again, I am going to make a longer waist and modify it so that the armpit isn’t baggy. I love the detail around the keyhole neck. This is the first top I have made for myself. Most all of my knitted and crocheted stuff is always for my kids. I am pretty happy with it. To think I learned to knit a little over a year ago. I am proud of myself. Hopefully I don’t end up being on some “fug board.” I love the Orange and think it is perfect for October-wear.

The first one is Knitty’s Anouk. It is done in Cotton-ease. You have seen the pics before, just finally found the perfect buttons for it, at Walmart of all places. I have realized there are not a lot of places in my area that sales buttons.

There are some imperfections, but overall I am happy with it. As much as I love cotton-ease (and am excited about its come-back,) I have realized it isn’t very forgiving. It splits easily and when you mess with it it doesn’t spring back.
This next finished project is one you didn’t even know I started, because I am shameful and pretty much broke my September challenge rule. Yes, I lied to you all, but not intentionally. I was crocheting this scarf thinking it would make for a fun beginner’s project for my classes. The first row wasn’t too bad, but the second row took me a couple of nights of crocheting…so it isn’t a 2 hour project to say the least. It was fun, though and makes for a very pretty scarf. It is Patons Curly Q Scarf. It took almost 4 balls of Patons SWS with a size K hook. The pattern calls for an L hook, which I don’t have, so I figured K is next best and would use less yarn.

This next project is one that will be in my beginner’s crochet class. It is a credit card/cash wallet. It is made with Patons Classic Merino with a size H hook. It is very easy. I still wonder if this is pushing it for a 2 hour class, but if I can get them past the button hole then I think it won’t be too bad.
Oh, and too my friend Amy, mentioned I am doing well. I am.! I have lost 10 pounds since I started my vegetarian diet. That isn’t a lot, but it is better than nothing. Tony has lost a lot more than me. My back has been killing me, but I noticed it goes in waves and is because I do things like carry Madeleine on my back and wrestle with the kids.

Dropping that class has made my stress go from a 10 to a 2. Seriously, I didn’t even realized I was that frazzled until in retrospect looking back. I think everyone around me knew it though.

Sierra is doing well, too. She has a “boyfriend” at school and kissed him on the cheek. I told her not to, but she told me she wasn’t in school, so it was okay (we were walking to the truck.) Sigh… He was nice and told me, “it is okay, I like it.” In school she is doing better. Her homework is coming back just fine. She isn’t crying after school and I think overall the teacher and her are communicating better. Either that or she is preoccupied with her “boyfriend” and so isn’t getting upset over the other stuff, I don’t know.

Madeleine has been “rough and tumble” lately. She is skinned up on her knees, on her chin, and has a bruise on her head. She is a little daredevil and is also sometimes clumsy. She is very much a comedian, always looking for a laugh.

She is talking more, full sentences. Though really only Sierra and I understand her. Tony doesn’t. She leaves the ends of words off, still and I am trying to work with her on it. Sometimes she says something to me and I don’t know what she is saying and it is frusterating to both of us. Also, I guess and she acts like I guessed right, but I wonder if she is just faking that and just being happy that I am giving her something.

Here is the ball after felting. It is true that polyfill won’t felt. Michael’s doesn’t sell wool filling, that I know of so I am just going with what they have.

This isn’t a beginner’s crochet class.  It was suggested to me that I start off with beginner’s classes for the month of October.  Then in November to add a more advanced class so that people who took the beginning class would want to take another class of mine and learn more skills.  Maybe it will end up that people will only want to take beginning classes or maybe they will want to take more intermediate ones, I don’t know.  Teaching is so new to me and I am just treating it like a journey.

I would appreciate any advice out there about teaching knitting and crochet and if you have any short/small easy projects you can share with me, that would be great too!

Here is my Anouk, without buttons. I still didn’t buy any today.

My latest finished project is a Crocheted Ball. It is made with Patons Classic Wool. It will be one of my teaching projects at Michaels in November. I felted the ball (these are pictures Before.) It didn’t felt as much as I had thought it would, but now in retrospect I remember that single crochet doesn’t felt as well as hdc and dc. Just my opinion. It is still a really cute ball. I stuffed it with polyfill. I think it would make for some cute ornaments.

Oh, and Madeleine was eyeing my ball tonight, so I hope I can get an After photo, but if not it is because she took it.  As I was taking the Before photo, she was hovering over the ball, ready to pounce on it.  I tried to take a photo of her, but her batteries died, so they are charging.

Yesterday I made a Garterlac Dishcloth. It was a fun pattern, just don’t work on it when you are tired as it is easy to confuse yourself.

As part of my September challenge to not start new projects , I am pretty much finished with Anouk. I just need to buy buttons and sew them on. I know the ball and dishcloth are new projects, but the dishcloth is part of the KAL at Fiber Freaks. Fiber Freaks, by the way is doing really well. We have almost 90 members, are averaging 100 posts a day, and have active CAL’s and KAL’s. Tomorrow I am going to finish Anouk completely and start on my second Angelica sleeve. It is about time I finished that!

Oh, and I did the wrong decrease throughout Anouk. Atleast I was consistent, though. I was doing a SKP instead of a SSK. I know the difference, and hey…I never said I was perfect. Atleast it is slanting the correct direction. Also, the person who will be getting this won’t know the difference. I will post a picture when I get the buttons sewn on.

Okay…some non-crafty stuff…

Tony and I gave blood today. The lady poked me real hard and it hurt real bad the whole time. Squeezing the ball was difficult to do. I couldn’t straighten my arm afterwards and 12 hours later that still hurts. I have never experienced this much pain associated with a blood draw. I wonder if she somehow hit a nerve or something. I am sure tomorrow I will be better. All I know is don’t mess with a knitter’s/crocheter’s arm! Tony warned me I should have had them do my left arm. It was all for a good cause, though. They called twice this morning and really were in need of blood.

We also didn’t eat too healthy the past two days and I am telling you we both can “feel” it. Tony was craving a hamburger and bought us In and Out and after eating it we just about died. We felt so run down and gross and ick. Tonight the kids drank apple juice and it made them bounce off the walls and get really upset, etc. They aren’t use to all of the sugar. I am looking forward to buying some fruit and veggies tomorrow and planning out next week’s meals.

Spam me a recipe if you have one that is mostly veggie related!

Thanks everyone who posted a commented about me dropping that class. You are all right. I need to give myself a break. It is okay to admit that I can enjoy being just a mom and don’t need to rush into going back to school. If it isn’t going to work and makes me unhealthy or causes me to miss crucial parts of my kids young lives, then it isn’t worth it. These times are precious and this is such a developmental time for Madeleine that I really need to take my time with her and enjoy her before she is “grown up” like Sierra (or so she thinks.) I am still taking an online class and so will remain in the school’s system. We will see what happens this Spring.

Madeleine, it isn’t Halloween yet!  There goes all the toothpaste.  Atleast you know who got the creative genes.

Paton’s One Skein Patons Classic Wool Merino - Leaf Green I made this scarf for the Michael’s class I will be teaching in October. It will be for the display. I did want it to be like the on in the pattern, same color and all.