aquadshotyarn

Sunshine, isn't it lovely

2010-02-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Paula, over at Crochet Pattern Slut, has so nicely passed this Sunshine Award along to 12 lucky people, I can't believe I was one of the 12 I get to pass it on to 12 other great blogs. Here is my list and some of the guidelines that you need to do when you accept this award.

The Sunshine Blog Award is awarded to bloggers whose positive and creativity inspires others in the blog world. The rules for accepting the award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or within your post.

2. Pass the award to 12 bloggers.

3. Link the nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

1- Anne @ Bananer Knits

2-Mary Anne @ Ms. Woolly Knits

3-Bev @ Bev's Journeyings

I'm going to add more :)

Knitting Olympics or I love pressure

2010-02-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

Ever late as usual I'm finally getting a chance to finish this post that has been in draft for over a week. I decided to sign up for the Knitting Olympics or "Ravelympics" for anyone on Ravelry.com The concept of the Ravelympics is...

Challenge yourself by starting and finishing projects during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

What will be a stretch for you: a new technique, that first sweater or pair of socks, something massive, something delicate, finishing that monster in the closet? The goal of the Ravelympics is to support you in expanding your knitting/crocheting horizons. Just remember the one rule: Challenge yourself!

This is my first Ravelympics but I'm jumping in deep. I've committed to four projects/teams. "Freedance", "Sock Hockey", Mitten Moguls" and "Short Track Shawls".

I have a terrible time committing to projects/schedules so signing up for the ravelympics was a big deal in of itself. Normally I just do whatever my mood tells me. I hopped on Freedance as kind of way to give myself some leeway in my projects.

Socks have always been a big deal for me. I have two half completed pairs sitting in storage as I type this; I just couldn't get past the toes. So that was my first challenge, complete a pair of socks.

Second challenge, a lace shawl. I'm a worsted weight freak, I adore ww, I loath thin yarn, it slows me up big time.So i decided to do a lace weight shawl using my Hinterland Shawlette pattern

I wanted to tackle cables, another technique I've avoided for years; so I decided to do another pair of mittens with cables...

So how any I doing? Well, 6 days left of the Olympics and I've completed two challenges.

First up, my first pair of official socks, for completed with kitchner graft toe. WooHoo!

My design too, with ~~cables~~ faux cables, probably my fav in the whole wide world.

Wool Ease yarn, size 5 needles. Thick and toasty, my kind of socks! Gold Medal for moi! Pattern details coming later.

Next up. My Sweeden Opening Ceremony Beanie, Freedance category. I loved the beanie the women from Sweeden wore during the opening ceremonies, the next day I went looking for blue and yellow yarn. I'm not a "blue" person, pretty the only blue I own is my blue jeans. But I loved that hat.

I've got a ton of details to share on this beanie but none I can get to from where I'm at, so I'll share later. Freedance category completed, another gold medal for me, woohoo.

Now the real test is can I complete lace shawl and mittens between now and closing ceremonies? My hands are probably going to cramp up and fall off....

The Challenge is On! You can vote

2010-02-11T12:05:00.000-05:00

I'm a proud member of the Etsy Hookers Team. Every month there is a new group challenge, for February the challenge was projects using variegated yarn. I entered my Rainbow Baby Blanket

The Voting Polls are now open, so head on over and check out the Challenge Entries and vote for your favorite.

Scaredy Cat Mittens

2010-02-10T18:00:00.006-05:00

I’ve always been scared to attempt mittens; even though I adore dpns, the thought of doing a thumb on dpns just plain scared me. We're experiencing back to back blizzards this year. While trying to dig my
car out after the last big blizzard with store bought acrylic gloves that got soaked and froze my hands, I changed my mind. I dug into the stash for some 100% wool and cast on that night.

Now there are a million different mitten patterns out there and these notes and the mittens that resulted are certainly not the most attractive mittens out there but they tickled me to have completed them, and are they are very warm, which was all I was really concerned with.

These are a result of me browsing several different patterns for the basics and my usual "winging it". The tops of these mittens are a result of finishing at nearly midnight, wanting to finish the mitten and having zero energy to google mitten finishing; I just "winged it".

I have very small hands, so someone with average sized hands would probably need to start with CO32 or 36 sts. Start the mitten top decreasing about 1 inch from the end of your fingertips. Increase the thumb gusset to 15st wide.

I adore the Beatrice yarn, it's soft, thick, and warm. Any yarn that gives you guage would world. I think Beatrice is a heavy worsted or chunky yarn.

My scribbled notes.(literally)

Yarn- Classic Elite Yarns "Beatrice" (discontinued)

Needles- Size 10/6.0mm

guage - 4st = 1in

ETA: stitch guide
CO- cast on
k - knit
pm - place marker
m -marker
inc - increase
dec - decrease
k2tog- knit 2 stitches together
st - stitches
st st stockinette stitch
dpn-double point needles

CO28 onto three dpns
12 rounds 2x2 ribbing
2 rounds st st after 2x2

begin thumb gusset:

k16, pm, inc 1, k1, inc 1, pm , k to end
row1-k
row2-k
row3-k to m, inc 1, k to m, inc 1, k to end
k till 13 st inbetween m's
next row, k, slipping thumb sts to waste yarn, k to end
k till mitt measure 6” from end of cuff

begin dec

1-k4, k2tog, repeat
2-k
3-k3, k 2tog, repeat
4-k
5-k3, k 2tog, repeat
6-k
repeated 5 and 6 till 9st remain
thread yarn and pull thru sts, close up

thumb- pick up three st
(mental note- after row 2, take new picked up yarn and weave over the holes that picking up sts created, much easier than doing it after the thumb is complete and trying to work in a tiny thumb hole)
row 3- k2 tog once
row 4 - k2 tog once
row 10-k2tog three dif times
row 12- k2tog two dif times

thread yarn and pull thru sts, close up

And this is all the yarn I had left from two balls of yarn when both mittens were complete.

Although I swear I still have two or three balls left in the stash...but we'll pretend I don't.

ETA: I adore the purlbee's tip on avoiding ladders when using dpns, double-pointed-needles-tutorial

These pattern notes are provided for personal/charity use only, please don't sell items made using it or sell this pattern.

Rainbow Baby Blanket

2010-01-31T16:50:00.001-05:00

Rainbow Baby Blanket
Originally uploaded by quadshotyarn

Now in the shop :)

My 30 Minute Preemie Hat to Crochet

2010-01-27T10:06:00.007-05:00

Just so I don't loose it, here it is again....

After trying Teresa's 10 minute preemie hat and having problems and ripping it twice, I modified it to get it to work for me, this is my modified version of Teresa's 10 minute preemie hat. This version (should) fit a large preemie.

My version takes me about 30 minutes, which is fast for me to make a hat.

Materials; 2 strands of baby yarn held together(such as Softee Baby or Baby Soft), G hook. (1 strand will make a slightly smaller preemie size)

Ch 3
Rnd 1: 12 dc in 3rd chain from the hook, join with a sl st to beginning ch 3.

Rnd 2: Ch 2, dc in same stitch as ch 2, 2 dc in each stitch around, join with sl st to beginning ch 2.

Rnd 3: Ch 2, dc in same stitch as ch 2, *1 dc in next stitch, 2 dc in next stitch*, repeat around, join with sl st to beginning ch 2.

Rnd 4-7: Ch 2, dc in each dc around, join with sl st to beginning ch 2.

Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in each dc around, join with sl st to beginning ch 1, fasten off. Weave in ends.

Teresa's original version is here: www.bevscountrycottage.com/teresa-hat.html

Please be sure to make one for charity.

Yep I'm still around.

2010-01-26T13:34:00.006-05:00

It's amazing how fast life moves. I have so many things I want to do and no time to complete them all...I'm working on personal items like baby shower items since I'm waiting on another grand baby to arrive in July. My kids aren't wasting any time :) ...and stuff for my shop.

Patterns for my Yvonne neck Warmer and

Doughboy Slouch Hat are available for purchase on the sidebar and on Etsy

And on Ravelry.com -username-quadshotyarn

just going to admit it

2009-06-30T11:37:00.003-04:00

Despite my lack of activity I'm still around and very busy. I don't have the free time that I used to and I may not be posting here as often. I purged everything I had here prior, just to clean things up.

I'm still my my photo blog. I'll still be updating flickr and of course I'll still be on ravelry and Etsy of course.