My free ride is over. It has been nine weeks since Owen was born and the last grandparent on duty has finished his shift. It’s swim or sink now. While the grandparents were here I managed to finish up and do a few crafts. It is not so much that I had the time to do them (I didn’t) it is more that I had to do them to keep my sanity.
The first craft I started late last year. I wanted to make a couple of pairs of gloves. Here is the recipe I decided works best:
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Fingering
Needles: 2.25mm dpn
Size M
Cast on 58 sts
Ribbing (k2p2)* to the top of the wrist
In the last row of ribbing increase the number of stitches to 70 by adding a knitted sts k2 in 2k. (or something, don’t feel like looking up terminology now)
2 rows of k
3rd row k2 m1 (slant backwards) k m1 (slant forwards) k* (this row reverse for the other hand)
2 rows of k
6th row k4 m1 (slant backwards) k m1 (slant forwards) k* (this row reverse for the other hand)
…
last increase row k20 m1 (slant backwards) k m1 (slant forwards) k* (this row reverse for the other hand)
2 rows of k
then put the thumb gusset stitches on the waste thread , cast on seven stitches and continue for two rows in k then decrease the seven stitches with ssk k3 k2tog, two more rows of k, then ssk k1 k2tog, two rows of k, slip1, k2tog, psso. Similar decrease is done on the thumb.
For fingers, knit until you get to the bottom of finger, knit the finger then knit the remaining fingers together until you get to the finger separation. I don’t have a good strategy for fingers yet.
This has been heavily borrowed from Knotty Gloves on Ravelry. I don’t think this is plagiarizing since the pattern used in here does not seem to be too original and I have made enough modifications to make the look and feel of the glove different.
My mom modeling the fancy red gloves
A lesson I learned is to not mess with the yarn. I got a different yarn for my sister’s gloves and the result was disastrous. I still gave her the gloves since I did not have the time to make new ones, but I will never, ever, make such drastic substitutions ever again. Sorry Barbara, I’ll make you something nicer later.
The second craft was a travel bag for my dad. This isn’t really my craft since my dad did all the design and cutting. All I did was sew on the line.
My dad and Trevor testing out the travel bag
This bag is the perfect airplane bag as long as you don’t mind your belongings being banged around. It is the largest allowed size and it weighs next to nothing allowing for maximum capacity. It is also made of sturdy recycled pre-faded fabric. The toddler does not come with it.
The last craft is my needle case (etui for you crosswords solvers). It is smaller version of this pattern except I did not sew the top fold because it would make the cow’s face look funny. I might add some clips to keep it folded properly though.
Next challenge: socks.
well, i for one enjoy the gloves whatever you think they are like. they are just the right amount of warm, and they seem to fit my increasingly blue phase perfectly (when i told you i wanted blue gloves it was jut from the top of my head, i didn’t realize then that that would be my winter 2010 color). and everybody asks me about them, i say you made them, and then i proudly show everyone the right hand one (which fits like a glove ;), and use the opportunity to show everybody some new baby pictures. puse!
p.s. the bag is impressive, but should come with an obligatory white beard clause. which he shaved off 🙁