Dishcloth Explosion!

I've been going crazy with the dishcloth knitting lately! I went to two weddings in the past month and a few were for each gift, plus a few swaps, etc. So here we go...

The bright and sunny yellow petal and tan grandma's favorite were for my friends Laura & Rod's wedding last month (more cool photos from that trip coming soon)

the blue skull was for the skull package I sent out for the All Hallows Eve Dishcloth exchange

Blue grandma's favorite, blue & brown grandma's favorite, matching tribble/scrubbie, and tan petal for my friend Elissa's wedding earlier this month

a lime green petal for the reverse Dish Rag Tag swap

and... the cream of the crop - a Transformers Autobot dishcloth for Trevor's birthday last month! :-D

If you make one, please make note of the correction in the comments - I missed it until I finished the cloth so it has a little imperfection. Oh well.

All Hallow's Eve Package!

Yay, I got my All Hallow's Eve Dishcloth Swap package in the mail today! I box of pumpkiny Halloween goodness. Thanks, Carrie! (Also, Carrie has a gorgeous weimaraner so that's another reason to take a look at her blog if you are a fan of those lovely dogs like I am.)

Here's a look at all the goodies:

peeking into the box...

a pretty wrapped up dishcloth

It's a jack o'lantern!

a nice old fashioned Halloween card
(I'll probably pass this on to my mom for her nifty altering art!)

wonderful pumpkin pie bodywash/shampoo/bubble bath, good enough to eat!

Nifty writing utensils! The crazy pumpkin hand is a pen, the pencil has candy corn all over it, and the skull is an eraser

Ooh, the knitty type goodness. Two skeins of 2nd Time Cotton from Knit One Crochet Too. This beautiful yarn (pink!) is also environmental! It is made from recycled cotton taken from the garment industry (75%) along with a little acrylic (25%). I'm not sure what I'll make with it, but I'm thinking maybe a cowl. I think I'd like one for chilly days at work when a scarf would get in my way. Now to pick the pattern!
And, a package of bent tip needles with the cute little plastic holder. I am always misplacing my (too small and not meant for weaving ends at all) needles so this will be a big help. As long as I put them back in the cute container ;-) but I'm sure I will.

Oh look, a pumpkin! What could be inside?

scrumptious caramels which I *might* be nice and share with my husband. Also a pumpkin pez dispenser!

Thanks again for all the fun stuff, Carrie! Oh, Carrie also has an etsy shop with quilting, stamping, knitting, and clay jewelry and stitch markers! So check it out when you are shopping, the holidays will be here before you know it!

While I'm pimping etsy shops, I can't remember if I showed off my mom and sister's new shop? They are both great artists and crafters and are selling beeswax collage, the cutest clay figures (I am in love with the bunny reading to the baby bunnies), paintings, and much more! Please take a look and consider them for your holiday and other shopping needs as well!

Dish Rag Tag!!!

Thursday night I got home late and the Dish Rag Tag box was waiting for me! Woo, time to get knitting. But first, the box and its contents:

the box

inside the box

the goodies!

The DRT box came to me from Carole (ravelry link), here's what she included! Her completed dishcloth in the official pattern for me to keep, yummy Ghirardelli chocolate, York mints (ooh, something new!), stitch holders, and a bamboo mini crochet hook for emergency stitches and the like! Oh and the cotton for me to make the next dishcloth with. Thanks, Carole! I'm enjoying the chocolate and mints. :-)

So I knitted the dishcloth a little bit Thursday night until I had to turn in for the night, then I spent Friday morning knitting. Luckily it came on the right day - I had Friday off work for working on Saturday. I got it finished and packaged up with new goodies to go off to Katherine around noon and off it went to the post office!

Unfortunately I didn't realize that my camera battery died without saving the last photo so I don't have a good shot of the dishcloth I finished, just this photo trying to get a closeup of the pattern. Oh well.

We only have two team members left after Katherine so I think we are in the running to not finish bad at all! Go Dishy Dozen!

All Hallow's Eve Dishcloth Swap!

Vampire Pumpkin, originally uploaded by Alissao.

Yay, another seasonal dishcloth swap is coming up! There's only a few days to sign up if you're interested...

Here's my questionnaire that needs to be posted before the end of registration:

Knotting Yarn
1. Do you knit or crochet? For how long?
knit; a little over a year (I do know how to crochet but don't do it actively right now)

2. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using the most? Are there some you've been dying to try out and haven't?
I have just about every different kind of needle, and enjoy them all for different types of projects.

3. What kind of projects do you most enjoy? Small things you can take with you, or big complex ones that are just gorgeous when they're done?
both!

4. List one pattern for a dishcloth that you love to make, or just tell us about one you've made or received that you loved.
I'm a big fan of the "petal" dishcloth pattern, and I also like the ones that make different pictures in the center.

5. What are your 'must have' notions? Are there any notions you need or can never have enough of? Any that might make you cry if you owned more?
hmm, stitch markers? I've been doing a few projects lately that need them. I can't think of anything I have too much of...

Petting Yarn
6. What are your favorite yarns to work with? Any you hate or are allergic to?
cottons and intriguing cotton blends (cotton with linen or silk, etc.). I am allergic to wool, even a small amount in a blend. Not only can't I wear it but I get rashes when I work with it!

7. What colors do you like to use in projects? Any we'd never catch on your needles?
I am partial to pinks. I can't think of any absolutely hated colors, just depends on the project.

8. Any cottons you'd like to try you can't find by you, or just haven't gotten around to getting?
Nothing specific I can think of.

Halloween, Fall, and General Stuff
9. Do you like to use bar soap or shower gel more? What kinds of scents do you love? What kind do you hate?
Shower gel! I'm not a bar soap person. I love food scents (fruit, baked things, pumpkin, etc.). I don't like vanilla (yeah, that's a food scent but the one I don't like!)

10. What's more 'Halloweeny' - Ghosts, Pumpkins, or Witches?
I'd say all are equally Halloweeny but I guess I'm partial to pumpkins of the bunch.

11. What's your favorite Treat to get? Sweet or Salty? Anything you're allergic to or just hate?
chocolate! sweet and salty is the best combination! I'm not a fan of nuts unless they're ground like peanut butter.

12. What was your favorite Halloween Costume as a kid? As an adult??
hmm. When I was in kindergarten I was a nurse with a coffee filter cap... I don't think I've had any costumes as an adult? My usual halloween gig these days is the Target halloween tshirt of the year with goofy socks and the like.

13. Are you on Ravelry? What's your ID?
yup. yarnlibrarian surprisingly enough ;-)

14. Anything else you'd like to be sure your pal knows?
um, can't think of anything?

A bit of knitting...

Like I said last time, most of the knitting I have finished recently are gifts I can't show yet. But here are a few things I can share... (Amy - when you read this don't let Lily know because there's something for her!)

A few weeks ago the owner of a LYS did a beginning knitting class for me at my library. To thank her (she did it for free!), I did a quickie dish/face cloth. (of course I got this idea the day before the class so it definitely had to be quick!)


I packaged it up in a take-out style container with two pretty face soaps and there you go.


One of my coworkers is on a Conference committee and they are looking for prizes for next year's conference. She asked if I'd knit something and I said "a baby hat???" ;-) The conference theme is red, white, & blue so I did stripes. This is KnitPicks Shine Worsted in Sailor, Cream, and Hollyberry and I love the muted old fashioned tones so I call this Colonial Colors. The top doesn't show well but it is i-cord that is tied in a cute little knot.


The last thing I have is a Christmas present but since she's 3, I think we can manage to keep it from her! ;-) For my niece, we have Finger Puppers! A tiger, a pig, an elephant, a rabbit, and a bear (or a dog, Trevor thinks it is a dog, so whatever she wants it to be). These are very quick, very cute, and only use scraps (of baby hat yarn coincidentally enough). So I think I might make more... we just got an invite for a 2nd birthday party that I don't think we can make but these would go in the mail no problem.

Edited to add an updated photo of the Tiger! Pattern note, I realized that the Tiger has a tail in the photo but there isn't one in the pattern. So I used the elephant trunk pattern except in stockinette instead of garter...

Tag, you're it!!

I'm way behind on everything, both in life and in blogging but I wanted to get this one out there:

Sign-up for this year's Dish Rag Tag is today! And I got in!! woo! The thrill of competition... :-) The wonderful Emily at Yarnmiracle started this last year and it was fun just watching so I'm excited to participate this year. Basically, she creates teams and each team starts with a box - ball of dishcloth cotton, a small goodie, the pattern, and a completed dishcloth. You log in to the super agent dishrag software and strategically determine which team member to send to next in order to attempt to be the first team to get the box back to Emily. When you get the box you keep the completed dishcloth and the treat, use the cotton to make a new dishcloth, and put in a new ball of cotton and treat along with the completed dishcloth. Then it goes on to the next team member. A few things are different this year, such as there is an official pattern that must be used instead of using your choice to make it more even among competitors. Emily keeps track of finishing places and there are prizes.

If anyone wants to try and get in, this is the sign-up page, and this has more info. I'll be putting the button up on the sidebar at some point or other.

A long overdue FO

I started this Ballband dishcloth way back in July and then it got set on the back burner. I lurve this pattern and I lurve the way it looks in my favorites pink and green. I'm thinking about making a bag out of the pattern (sometime, down the line) - I saw somebody on ravelry who did one but that one was felted. I'm thinking of just two rectangles seamed up for the sides and a smaller rectangle for the bottom...


In other FO news, I have something very cute done but it is a secret and I can't show it off just yet.

And, one more thing that's a wip, and will be for quite some time I think. An entrelac scarf! I did take that short little entrelac class a few weeks ago. It was o.k., but the class was too large so a few of us got forgotten a few times and I made mistakes. I was a bit unhappy after the class, then a few friends said how easy Danica is. Well, I thought either I'm kinda dumb about these things or maybe, just maybe (there'll be fruit pie!) this is a screwed up pattern. So I frogged the little bit I had and started over. Bingo, I haven't had any problems since I switched to Danica!
There is a long way to go to turn this into a scarf especially since I am working on it a bit here and there in between other projects. But I like it. The edges are straight but the needle pulls it a bit and it will need a smidge of blocking (not too much, or it depuffs the squares too much). The yarn is the Cherry Tree Hill North Country Cotton that I got in the No Sheep for You swap a while back.

Secret stuff

100_3694, originally uploaded by Alissao.

I sent out my Defeat the Winter Doldrums swap package yesterday! This is the petal dishcloth I made for my swap recipient. It was supposed to be coral, I swear it looked coral under the lights in the store, but it is really a bit paler. Oh well, it was the closest I could come. Hopefully she likes the goodies I sent her!

So that's one thing down from the "on the needles" list. ;-) But then I had to cast on for Trevor's Dashing gloves instead of finishing another wip. I really did have to, since they are only 6 weeks late.

edited to add the links since I did it direct from flickr the first time

Defeat the Winter Doldrums!

Remember the Fall into Autumn dishcloth swap I did? Well it is now time for the Defeat the Winter Doldrums swap! Registration starts on January 11th.

These are the swap requirements:

• You must have a blog.
• You must post regularly - no less than once weekly.
• You can't have flaked or been AWOL in previous swaps from that group, in the Tea Swap, or in KVVS
  
• Package Requirements:
• $20US Minimum Spend Requirement
• Knit or Crochet Dishcloth(s)
• Yarn for your pal - at least enough for a small project (100g or more recommended)
• Some sort of yummy soap - there are links to some handmades in the sidebar (of the dishcloth swap blog), and any kind that's not your average Dial or Lever 2000 is welcome!
• Any other treats that you think will brighten your pal's winter - Edible treats or notions for Knit or Crochet are great things to include.

And you can go here for more information and to sign up starting January 11th.

First batch of finished Christmas gifts

This one is a scrubby washcloth from a pattern by my very own friend, Amelia. You work tulle along with the cotton to make it scrubby...
This one is another cat like the one I made earlier, this one is orange so I named it Butternut ;-). Note: the patterns call for size 6 needles for these, I did my first couple like that but it is hard working with the cotton on that size needle and it hurts my hand so I've gone up to either a 7 or 8, whatever is handy. It works fine and you can still see the pictures, they just come out a little looser.
Here we have a nascar washcloth for my grandmother of all people. ;-) This is a Mark Martin cloth since I'm working on 2008 numbers and he's switching next year. Excuse Trevor's arm/leg in the photo, I'm on a computer without photo editing software at the moment.

Here we have another nascar cloth - I could not get a good picture of this one no matter how many I tried! It actually does say 88 so this is Dale Jr. for next year. This one was for my father-in-law.
This one is also nascar related in a humorous way - it isn't a number pattern obviously but the stitch pattern is double woven. The cloth designer is a nascar fan and DW made her think of Darryl Waltrip so that's what she named the cloth. This was for my father-in-law.
please note that I am not a nascar fan but after being married to one for three years, plus a father-in-law, a grandmother, and a friend - you pick up a bit of knowledge. ;-)

I'm back!

Sorry for the hiatus, I have been getting ready for the new job, starting the new job, smushing my car and needing to buy a new one, and getting a new cat. sheesh. But I have also been knitting! I have an hour lunch and usually stay in so I have at least a half hour of dedicated knitting and podcast time each day, which is lovely.

I have one Dashing off the needles and the second one just started. These are a Christmas present, hopefully for my brother but I'm a little nervous... he's a rather no-frills kind of guy and I'm a little afraid he won't wear them. For some reason the pattern gave me a little trouble on the first one so I have a bit of time invested and don't want them to just sit in his drawer. I'd rather have somebody wear them than I mind having my feelings hurt so I'm considering asking him honestly when I give them to him if he'll wear them and telling him I"ll make him something else if he wouldn't. Unless I can come up with a more espionage way of figuring it out...

Modeled by Trevor who wants his one snazzy pair at some point - his comment? "They're gauntlets!!" in a positive way. ;-)

I have one Fetching for me done, I cheated and snuck it in among the Christmas knitting. Why I'm not sure since they don't do me any good until the second one is done. ;-) These are made from Rowan Summer Tweed which is gooooorrrrgeous. You may remember it as a gifty from my Fall dishcloth swap from Jenna. It is 70% silk and 30% cotton and wonderfully soft and squishy. Neither silk or cotton has much give so it is a little hard on the hands to knit with (especially the cables) but the result is very nice so it is worth it. This one is on the wrong hand (the cables twist the wrong way) because I can't take a picture with my left hand and the husband was sleeping. :-) This yarn looks so nice worked up that I ordered some in another color for a gift Fetching (No, I'm still not done with these things) and a Dashing.

And then in progress I have three dishcloths: a Grandma, a Feather & Fan, and a DW, I'll save the photos until they are done. Dishcloths are boring enough without seeing half finished ones. (Well, I don't find them boring but many people do - did you know there's a whole dishcloth hating group on Ravelry? Where's the love people - can't we all just knit different things and get along?)

Coming soon: an update on the completely unrealistic Christmas knitting list and a foody post of Halloween & Thanksgiving goodies (I know, very late)

I can't think

of a clever title using the word dishcloth. So here you go, the petal* dishcloths I mentioned the other day, plus a "grandma's favorite"* type (this pattern is all over the place, this is just one version)... Next on the needles is a Feather & Fan dishcloth. I can't wait until Ravelry is open so I can just link to patterns there!

Sugar'n Cream Hot Pink

Sugar'n Cream Stripes Natural


Sugar'n Cream Stripes Lime

* Dishcloth Boutique seems to be gone, at least at the moment so the links goes to cached pages

Update: According to a post I found on a Dishcloth Boutique Message Board the website is permanently gone do to an illness in the host's family. So if you have any favorites from them and can still find cached versions print them now!

A few miscellaneous good things

1. More on The Loopy Ewe - I'm set up with them as referring friends so if you don't have an account with them yet and decide you want to order - click through my link on the side! If you do, I get a $5 credit. :-) (shameless request for free stuff now over
2. I am on a dishcloth craze! (which is good considering the number I need done for Christmas) I became obsessed with the petal dishcloth Jenna sent me so I had to tackle that pattern. I made two so far this week and also have a "grandma's favorite" on the needles right now (the striping cotton!) Photos coming soon, I'm not on my own computer at the moment.
3. I have a new job! Only 4 years after Grad School I have a full time job. ;-) And it is even the kind of job I have been wanting. I start November 12th. :-D Unfortunately this working full time thing is coming at the wrong time considering my holiday knitting list to finish. ;-) Hopefully it isn't too cold in there since I won't be able to make my own fetching or dashing until the holiday knitting is done.
   
4. I've also been working on the Tiger Lily socks. I love this color!
   

that's it for now!

p.s. I have a shiny green new ipod nano - does anybody have one and can suggest a case or cover that you like? I'm not sure what kind of thing I want for this one. It is so tiny and delicate seeming compared to my old ipod.

Fall Into Autumn Questionnaire

I just joined this swap! So here are my questionnaire answers for my future swap-ee:

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been doing it?
Both, but I prefer knitting at this point. I have been crocheting for two years and knitting for four months.

2. Have you made dishcloths before? Do you use them yourself, give them as gifts, or both?
Yes. Both.

3. What's your favorite cotton to make cloths from? What cotton would you like to try that you haven't before ?
Any cotton really! I frequently use Sugar 'n Cream or Peaches 'n Cream. Sometimes I make decadent ones using Blue Sky Cotton.

4. If you knit, do you prefer circular or straight needles? For all, do you prefer wooden, metal, or plastic needles?
Usually straight but I use circular some too. Wooden/bamboo is my favorite, plastic is o.k., I am horrible with metal needles. The stitches just jump off!

5. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you don't like much?
Pink is a favorite. I can't think of any colors I don't like, really.

6. What do you like best about Autumn?
Going apple picking, pumpkin picking and carving, halloween decorations, baking, cool but not too cold weather, leaves changing...

7. Pies: Pumpkin? Apple? Pecan? All of em? or No Thanks!
Apple - yes Pumpkin - yes Pecan - no thanks!

8. When you were a kid, were you the one who couldn't wait to get started with school , or the one who overslept on the 1st day?
Hmm. I think I was excited about school for the first day (but still didn't want summer to end) then didn't like it after that.

9. Do you celebrate Halloween? (The real key here guys is especially knowing if you have an aversion to the holiday or little goodies/decorations associated with it, given the timeframe of the swap)
yes

10. If you had to choose just 3 edible 'goodies' to eat for a full year, what 3 would you choose?
chocolate. Just chocolate. Of any kind unless nuts are involved. ;-) Also, fruit, and... more chocolate I guess.

11. Do you have any pets? Kids? Husbands who seem like kids? ;)
Yes (two cats); No; You could say that ;-)

12. If you were to describe a particular yarn that shares traits of your personality, what would it be and why?
Pass? I'm just not good at that sort of thing. I don't know what kind of animal or tree I'd be either.

13. Do you use your cloths mostly for dishcloths, or as facecloths?
dishcloths

14. Favorite Fall Holiday: Halloween or Thanksgiving and why? (Feel free to share another fall memory if you do not celebrate either of these holidays)
Probably Halloween for the fun and the fun decorations. Although Thanksgiving used to be a favorite when I was doing the cooking and spending the day with my family.

15. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should know about?
Wool! That's it really. I'm good with other animal fibers like alpaca. Not allergic to any foods etc.