Month: May 2007

Knitting Gauges Galore

Marie Haigh4 Comments

Before I rant about all the gauges I knit today, I first want to thank Anastacia for featuring my “Ode to Quilting” afghan on her blog. I’m truly enjoying designing this afghan, but I’m more excited that others have enjoyed it too. Thank you!

About those gauges … I knit 3 different versions. To refresh you, this pattern will be the lace sections within the Barbie Shawl. Note that this pattern needs to complement – not upstage – the stocking stich knitting.

Option #1
Mermaid Mesh from Barbara Walker’s 2nd book


Option #2
Mermaid Mesh revised (basically, I removed all the double yarn overs to make it easier to knit)


I think it suffered for it. You can no longer see the diamon pattern.

Option #3
Diamond Mesh by me
It consists of 2 different types of diamonds, one which leans to the left and another which leans to the right.


Bias aside, I think I like #3 best. It is subtle enough to complement a stocking stitch, yet fancy enough to hold its own in a shawl.

What do you think?

On a side note, I have found another reason I need to learn how to spin. White Starr Shop is giving away Suri Alpaca fleece. I can’t put my name into the hat for fear I would actually end up with the fleece. Then, it would sit in my cedar closet for 3 years the way my sheep’s fleece has. I must learn to spin. I must.

I can’t wait for the weekend. I have so many gardening projects.
1. Plant mint seeds
2. Plant anise seeds (they say anise helps repel mosquitoes … I’m willing to try anything! Plus, I use anise in my christmas cookies every year).
3. Transplant Mr. Bunny (a bush that is being suffocated by Cartman, the fat pine tree … doesn’t everybody name their plants??)
4. Trim the hedges behind the shed

Oh, I almost forgot. I have one more pic to share with you. It’s another square in the upcoming 9-patch block.

Gauge Woes

Marie Haigh1 Comment

As you know, I am knitting an adult size version of the Barbie shawl. As knitting rules state, one must knit a gauge first. For me, it’s especially imperitive in order to write the accompanying pattern. However, after tinkering with the mesh pattern yesterday, I am still unhappy with the outcome. The whole pattern leans to the left. (I ripped it out to save the yarn .. and plum forgot to take a pic first. I was too frustrated to see beyond the end of my nose!)

I have once again tinkered with the pattern. Today, I will knit up two version of the pattern. Here’s hoping at least one provides me with the results I am looking for. (This time I’ll be sure to take pics so you can help me decide which is the best choice).

So, as you might guess, yesterday afternoon ended on a sour note.

But, to cheer my day, I recieved a package from Laurel. It was filled with the paper I had requeseted from her destashing efforts. Along with all the paper, she even included a book: Instant Gratification Cards by Sterbenzes. It made my day! Here’s a pic of it all.

I’ll post a picture of the first card I make from this stash later this week. I’ve already laid the materials out. It will be a Hippo card. Just what everybody needs. =)

After opening up this package, I decided to tackle my hedges by the lamp post. Some of the bushes had grown over the top of the post! Enough was enough.

I believe I won the battle!

Then, just to make sure today started off on the right foot, I baked up a Berry Coffee Cake.


I think it helped. Here’s the beginnings of my next block in the “Ode to Quilting” afghan. It is one square in what will be a 9-patch block.


It looks dreadfully boring right now, but just wait.

St. Louis Block Finished

Marie Haigh4 Comments

I finished the St. Louis block five minutes ago. I couldn’t wait to share it!

(For the free pattern, please see yesterday’s post: http://knittedgems.blogspot.com/2007/05/st-louis-block.html)

Here it is:

I even took the time to weave in all the loose strands (35 of them!).

The back side:

My thanks to Noricum for featuring me in her blog today (http://noricum.blogspot.com/2007/05/found-on-flickr_08.html)! I am honored.

Well, the sheer fact that I haven’t started on my gauge for the Barbie shawl means that I can’t sit and chat today. Duty calls.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more knitting news.

Until Then.

St. Louis Block

Marie HaighLeave a comment

My hope was to showcase the completed St. Louis block.

Can we just say that close counts in hand grenades, horseshoes and knitted afghan blocks?

Pattern for St. Louis Block (the first block in my “Ode to Quilting” afghan)

Recommended Knitting skill level: Easy

Yarn: Lion’s Wool by Lion Brand (see my links to the right for Lion Brand’s website) or substitute any wool yarn from your stash

Gauge: 4 stitches and 6 rows is 1 inch in Stocking Stitch
4 stitches and 6 rows is 1 inch in Moss Stitch
3.5 stitches and 6 rows is 1 inch in Seed Stitch

Stocking Stitch: Knit all stitches on RS (Right Side); Purl all stitches on WS (Wrong Side)

Moss Stitch: Row 1: (K1, P1) repeat to end on RS; Row 2: Knit the K stitches and Purl the P stitches. Row 3: (P1, K1) repeat to end. Row 4: Repeat Row 2.

Seed Stitch: (K1, P1) to end on all rows

Pattern: In Color A (shown in variegated yarn), cast on 10 stitches.
Row 1: Knit all stitches.
Row 2: K1, Purl to 2nd to the last stitch, K1.
Repeat these rows until 36 rows have been knit or until piece measures 6″.
Bind off.
Make 4 such knitted strips in Color A.

In Color B (shown in Pink yarn), cast on 9 stitches.
All rows: K2, (P1, K1) twice, P1, K2.
Repeat this row until 36 rows have been knit or until piece measures 6 inches.
Bind off.
Make 4 such knitted strips in Color B.

In Color C (show in Yellow yarn), cast on 10 stitches.
Row 1: K2, (P1, K1) thrice, P1, K1.
Row 2: K1, (P1, K1) 4 times, K1.
Row 3: Repeat Row 2.
Row 4: Repeat Row 1.
Repeat these 4 rows until 36 rows have been knit or until piece measures 6 inches.
Bind off.
Make 4 such knitted strips in Color C.

Arrange the pieces like so.

Or in whatever color combination you prefer.

Seam the long sides together, giving care to keep the ends even. (Remember: safety pins are your friend!)

Repeat this step 3 more times until you have four sets of 3-strip blocks.

Then, arrange your sets so that they look like the first picture.

Seam the block together, one side at a time. Below is a pic of the right side of my St. Louis block, seamed together.


Once finished, you will have the first block of the “Ode to Quilting” afghan completed. I will post a new block every Monday. I would love to have you knit along with me! Be sure to share your pics.

On other news, I have uploaded several gardening pictures on my Flickr account (see my link to the left). Mainly, I took pics of my favorite plants plus my new tomatoes that I planted this weekend. Hopefully, this year will be better than last year. I planted twice as many tomato plants just to be sure I will have enough to can. The herbs haven’t gone into the pots yet. Tonight is supposed to drop down to the 30s, so I’ll hold off until later this week.

Well, I’m off to dig a hole in my garden. (I’m transplanting yet another plant). Although, I am fortunate to have inherited such a large garden and truly, I shouldn’t complain. …. But, all the plants are crowded together and showing signs of strain from lack of space to lack of sun. I have a long list of plants that need to be moved or ripped out altogether. Hopefully, this year I will grab the biggest offenders and relocate them. Wish me luck!

Have a wonderful day!

Excuses for not Knitting

Marie Haigh2 Comments

Yesterday was Jake’s 4th birthday. Here he is eating his birthday treat, a greenie.


I don’t think he knew it was his birthday, but he did like the extra treats!

Oh, I have to share my funny story about Jake. On Sunday, while out on our daily walk, he caught a squirrel! Now we chase the squirrels at every opportunity, but I didn’t think he would ever catch one! I’m not sure who was more surprised – Jake or me.

Back to the story: Jake was concerned about the dogs barking at him two doors down (not wanting to share his booty), so we back tracked a few paces. All the while, Jake is carrying the squirrel in his mouth. The poor squirrel is squirming around trying to get out of Jake’s grasp and squeaking up a storm. Once Jake was comfortable, he laid the squirrel down ever so gently. Well, the squirrel tried to make a dash for safety. Jake nimbly snatched the squirrel back up in his mouth. He then looked to me for some assistance (as if I was going to help him keep this squirrel as a play thing!). Getting none, he laid the squirrel back down. This time, I convinced Jake to let the squirrel run away (a quick command and no leash freedom did the trick). Afterwards, I called my husband to brag about Jake’s hunting skills. He’s a true blooded retriever after all. Truth be told, the squirrel was a little baby. I don’t s/he had learned to be scared of dogs yet. Well, I am proud to say Jake nailed that lesson home!

So, I hate to blame Jake on why I didn’t get a lot of knitting done yesterday.

I have another excuse!

Homemade sticky buns! My husband and I had them for breakfast this morning. They were a sticky, gooey mess, but oh, so good.

I did manage to find enough time to knit a gauge for the upcoming “Ode to Quilting” afghan. Being a habitually loose knitter, I always look at the guide on the back of the yarn label and subtract 2 sizes from the needle size they recommend. It almost always works. This time, I only went down one size in needles when knitting the gauge of Lion Brand’s Lion Wool (mainly because I wanted to use my favorite needles). I am stunned and shocked that my gauge is a bit too tight and that I need to knit the wool using the EXACT same size of needles that Lion Brand recommended. This has never happened to me. Either my knitting has altered over the year or Lion Brand finally has a knitter who knits like me. I’m going to assume the latter.

I also finished seaming the left sleeve to the body of the striped sweater. I’m afraid it looks about the same, just minus the safety pins, so I refrained from taking yet another pic of it.

The business cards were finished yesterday morning. I picked them up in the afternoon. Thankfully, it was only a light rain that I got caught in while I was out picking them up. (My main form of transportation is my trusty, Gary Fisher bicycle). Check them out.

They were done by my local print shop, McKinney’s Design & Print. I think they did a great job.

Well, that’s all for now. I am off to knit more (I’ll be better today, I swear!).

Happy Knitting!