knitted-on cast on

Hello, Everyone,

It is a beautiful, clear Monday night.   I'm listening to En Aranjuez con to Amor by Joachin Rodrigo, London Symphony, James Galway, Flute.  So beautiful.  I copied this from the XLNC1 website and it gives me interesting blue bars and boxes I can't make go away.  Hmmmm, I'll push them to the bottom of the page.  No extra charge.

Yesterday I talked about a knitted-on cast on and I got questions about how to do it.  So here is the 411.

Knitted-on cast on: Slide a slip knot on the left hand needle. Insert the right hand needle from heel to tip of the left needle through the loop. Bring the yarn around the needle and pull it through the first loop as if knitting the first stitch. *Do not remove the first stitch, instead, rotate the right hand needle so it lies parallel with the left hand one, heel to heel and tip to tip. Slip the left hand needle through the new loop, so both needles lie heel to heel and tip to tip again. Snug up the yarn around both needles. Draw the yarn between them and draw up a loop as if to knit a stitch. Repeat from * for desired number of stitches. This creates an open, lacy cast on, especially useful for lace work.  

The painter finished today, but he messed up the front door.  I'll have to talk to him. 

Lilo is far away sitting on a gopher hill, I'll see her later when she gets cold.  Interesting, I typed her name and she came inside the car door.  I swear that cat is psychic.  

More tomorrow...

G'night ,
Julie

2 new Omamori covers

Hello, Everyone,

Today is a beautiful, warm, sunny, Friday afternoon.  I feel good.  Flowers are blooming on the hillsides, the Jacaranda trees are crazy purple with blooms everywhere, the birds are twittering in the trees and there is a gentle breeze.  Isn't it great to be alive in San Diego in the spring time?

This is for you, Evelyn:  The other day I finished 2 cute little Omamori Gohonzon covers. These assume that you want to use the steel chain and white case that comes with the Omamori, and just use these covers for protection and cleanliness and to keep the plastic off the skin in the summer heat.  If you wanted to make these into an amulet bag you could add a cord or strap, or you could make the tie 30 inches long, so that even after tying the bow it would be long enough to go around your neck.  I have also done them that way for someone who no longer had the white case.  Just be sure whatever you do is secure and strong.  The long tie should be securely attached to the bag and then the top tied shut with the ends.

The Omamori cover on the right is crocheted with a # 1 hook out of beadspread cotton and the one on the left is knit on size 1 needles out of Skacel lace weight merino wool. Both with beads of course. The knit one looks small, but it really stretches.  I call it an "Omamori sock".   For those who want to make one, here is a "pithy" pattern, as EZ would say.   I have another knit one in work in dark teal, same beads as the white one.

 For the knit one I threaded some #11 randomly mixed brown, peach, gold, and yellow  beads onto a leftover bit of lace weight wool.  Then I CO 10 stitches with #1 needles, did 6 rows garter.  Gauge must be about 10 stitches per inch or a bit tighter.  Then I picked up around the sides and bottom of the garter patch, about 30 stitches total around.  I knit around up about 2 inches, some rows plain garter and some rows K1, P1 ribbing, beads whenever I felt like it.  I kind of mixed it up a bit to get a brambly texture.  Next the Eyelet row: *K1, K2tog, YO, repeat from * around for 10 eyelets.  Then a couple of rows garter and suspended bind off.  Crochet a tie (chain 10 inches and SC)  and lace through the eyelets.  Cute as a bug's ear!


The crochet one is made from bedspread cotton, thread on the beads, chain 17, 16 SC in the top of the chain, 16 SC in the bottom of the chain, in total 32 SC all around.  SC on around for about 2 inches, adding in beads as the spirit moved me. 

The beads will fall to the backside of the work, so either work in the usual way and turn it inside out when you are done, or work it "inside out" by crocheting on the far side of the bag sticking the hook from the inside outward.  Your choice.  

I started out 1 bead every 7 stitches and then beaded more and more frequently, so that I ended up with a bead in every stitch in the last couple of rows.  I was going for an ombre effect on the beads.  

Then 2 rounds plain SC.  1 round DC, end off.  Chain a tie and SC in each stitch, end off.  Thread the tie into the DC row and tie the ends in a bow.  Just for fun I used a different color for the tie, and #20 cotton thread.


Have fun making one...  They're like potato chips... Can't do just one...  I need to get some pink cotton and white pearls to make a girly one for a friend...


The workman is busy painting the house, making all kinds of banging noises, so Lilo is nowhere to be seen.  She'll turn up later after he leaves.


Gotta run.  Heading up to Orange County to see the grandson this afternoon.  Lucky me.

Love,
Julie

Bridal Shawl pattern, Part II

Hello, Everyone,

Today was a cool and sunny Friday. I'm at home in San Diego listening to Lena Horne's greatest hits.   It's late now, and I'm tired, so I'll just add a bit to the Bridal Shawl pattern

 Now we are going to decrease 2 stitches at the beginning and end of each right side row. Continue like this until about 48 or so stitches remain.  Try to end at the end of a repeat.   If you like a pointier bottom edge, continue to a smaller number.  48 will give you a rounded bottom edge for a semi-circle effect.  Next we do 8 rows in garter stitch. The center section is done. Do not bind off, as you be using these stitches for the lace edging.

Transition rows:  Pick up along the garter edge 1 stitch per row (1 in the "bee's knees" and one in the "Valley") then make 1 stitch with a backwards loop.  You are picking up 3 stitches for every 2 rows.  Continue until you reach the safety pin.

Now pick up along the garter edge 1 stitch per row (1 in the "bee's knees" and one in the "Valley").  You are picking up 2 stitches for every 2 rows.

When you come to the top edge, place a marker and begin picking up 1 stitch for each cast on stitch, adding in about 20 extra stitches for ease.

At the end of the straight edge, place a marker and pick up 2 stitches for every 2 rows as above until the safety pin.  After the safety pin, pick up 3 stitches for every 2 rows as above.

Work 4 rows garter stitch in the round (knit 1 round, purl 1 round).  Work 2 rows stockinette stitch in the round (knit both rows).

I wrote up the complete pattern nicely and it is available on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search?query=Julie+Lanner

Tomorrow we will talk about the lace edge.

Lilo is napping by my side.

G'nite,
Julie

Bridal Shawl pattern, Part I

Hi, Everyone,

It's a cool Thursday evening in San Diego, too cool for spring, and I'm at home keeping warm, drinking herbal tea and waiting for my potatoes au gratin to come out of the oven.  Rossini's clarinet variations are playing on XLNC.com.  I went swimming with Heather today so I got a chance to move all my joints and I feel good.  I'm knitting on a pair of socks for Heather.  Dan says I have a sign on my forehead that reads, "Will knit for food", LOL.  You guys know me by now that I'm always knitting something, unless of course, I'm crocheting or blogging.

Ok, now that all the excitement over the shawl has stepped down a notch to a low roar, I need to write up the pattern for the bridal shawl so you can all knit one!  Needles to the ready position, get set, GO!

Shannon's Bridal Shawl

This shawl is a semi-circle of Lily of the Valley lace with an edging of hearts and simple points.    When knitting the center portion, the edges have a 4 stitch (8 row) garter edging.     The "extra" first and last K2tog are for the shaping of the shawl.    Every right side row will decrease by 2 until row 148, then each right side row will decrease by 4 until about 48 stitches remain.    The ending border is knit 8 rows garter.    The outer pointed edge is picked up from the garter edges and knit outward in 2 sections, the straight edge first and then the curved edge.   The corners are mitered.   The bind off uses a doubled thread for strength during blocking.    Beads are attached to the points during the bind off row.    The shawl is wet blocked severely.    After blocking and then stitching the corner seams first, bead tassels are added to the 2 end points.   The weight of the beads holds the feathery lace down in position when worn.    Otherwise it floats about in the air as it pleases, as the shawl weighs next to nothing.  I drew the finished shawl, beads and all, through my wedding ring, the traditional test of fineness in a wedding shawl.

Materials:

1 ball white 100 % wool very fine lace weight, I used Skacel's Merino Lace, 100 g, 1375 yards (!).   If you decide to use non-wool, make sure it will block out nicely, swatching is your very best friend.   Some synthetics do not block out.

1  40 inch size 4 circular needle, I used an Addi Turbo Lace, sharp points a must for nupps!  Crystal Palace also has very long sharp points.

about 25 markers, I used safety pins without coils

beads as desired to decorate the points of the lace

large eyed needle to sew the little corner seams and attach the tassels 

The circular needle is to accommodate the large number of stitches, we will be knitting flat, back and forth.

Size: 8 feet long and 32 inches wide at the widest point.

Gauge: 4 stitches to the inch after blocking.  Making a small swatch of the pattern stitch and then wet blocking it is a good idea. You will be able to practice a few nupps before beginning the actual shawl and you can adjust needle size if needed to produce the right size shawl. 

I finished writing up the pattern in a more proper form and now offer it on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search?query=Julie+Lanner

Let's talk about the next part tomorrow.  This is making me tired.  Even Lilo is yawning.  She approves of pure white bridal lace shawls, BTW, being a specialist in the area of pure, white lovely-ness herself.

This blog editor is running amuck, putting things from the end of the sentences to the beginning of the line without me asking.   Wacky time.   Ok, all fixed, sigh, time to turn in.

G'nite

Julie

    

Claire's, a Point Protector Keeper and garlic

Hello, Folks,
What a beautiful warm spring day we had today!  It's Friday evening and Dan is busy at the KMCC, so I actually get the computer without having to ask him to give me a turn. Yeah!

He and I just about came to "words" today.  He saw a new version of Palm software on the Palm website and wanted to upgrade my phone.  I explained that he needed to wait until Verizon released their version or it would just mess up my phone.  I went  to bed.  Male with itchy upgrade finger could not resist the siren call of technology and tried the upgrade anyway, which bombed and wiped out my database.   Heh, you no touch-a my phone again or I break-a you fin-ger.   He spent several hours on the phone with Verizon and Palm and finally got it all put back together, including an intact database, back on the original version.  He now understands that we will have to wait until Verizon is ready for the upgrade.  Uh-Huh.  But could not believe his wife.  Uh-huh.  Oh, well, I guess I'm over it as he manfully strove all day long and finally was successful at restoring my data.

We had lunch in Solana Beach with Anita and Heather (number 2 sister)  today.  On the drive up the freeway embankments were so beautiful.   The deep purple lupine flowers were so beautiful, and the red and pink freeway portulacca, too.  Some call it Moss Rose.  We ate at Claire's,  http://clairesoncedros.com/.



Great food!  Everything very fresh.  Duck salad was awesome.  Other Salads great, too.  I enjoyed a yummy omelet.  My roasted potatoes were too greasy though.  I shuda had the sweet potato fries that Dan had with onions and cheddar cheese on top.  Those were crazy good.  Great bakery, too.  The lemon bars are heavenly.  Nice service.   Over lunch I gave Anita a pretty necklace I made at the beading class.  I blogged about it earlier.  Then she gave me one, too, LOL.  Great minds think alike. I left Heather and Anita planning colors for a reversible hat Heather is making.

Today I invented something.  When I work on delicate lace knitting, I like to use a point protector, so the the sharp points of the lace needles do not snag the lace when it is riding along in my bag.  But... there is a fly in the ointment.  I take off the point protectors and then have to find a place to put them where I will not lose them, drop them in the car, under the table where they roll into that back corner that is hard to reach, etc.  As you can imagine, I tend to lose them.  That must be why they sell them 4 at a time, instead of 2.  I thought of piercing the tips with a needle, installing a jump link  and attaching a chain.  The the chain could be clipped into one of  the many stitch markers I use for lace (25 stitch markers in this piece).  But, this sounds like some considerable work.  Then my mother-in-law suggested making a tiny bag to attach to my knitting instead.  Probably much easier, and it involved knitting something.  So, Ta-DA, here I give you a free pattern for a:

Point Protector Keeper.



Worsted weight scrap yarn, I used bright purple so it would be easy to find against the white lace.
size 8 knitting needles and crochet hook to match

Cast on 16. Knit 10 rows. Slip 8 sts onto the spare needle.  Fold the work in the middle. Russian join from the middle to the edges.  Pull the live tail through the last loop.  Crochet the edges together with slip stitch.  SC around the top to strengthen, chain a few and end off.  Put your point protectors inside and pin to work across the  top, or use the end chain to attach.  That way the lil' buggers can't jump out and escape.  You could sew a button on, of course.  But wouldn't that be kind of, well, conventional?

Thanks to Heather Walkabout Knitter for the Russian join instruction.  http://walkaboutknitter.blogspot.com/   

I use that method all the time now, as it is less bulky than a 3-needle bind off.  You just have to think a bit.  It goes in the opposite direction - from the middle toward the live yarn tail, as opposed to the 3-needle bind off, which begins with the live yarn and goes to the middle. 

Here's what we had for dinner tonight.  I noticed that the braided string of  Garlic I have hanging on the kitchen wall knows that it is spring, too, and it is starting to sprout.  So I decided to use as much garlic as possible for the next few days and use it up.  Look out , World!  Here comes garlic breath.  But you know I love it.

Julie's Easy 40 clove garlic Chicken recipe.

Into a slow cooker put:
10 chicken thighs
40 cloves of garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp red pepper (the kind from the pizza place)
black pepper to taste
salt
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
toast triangles

Notice that no liquid is added.  This gives more of a roasted effect, rather than boiled.  The original French version is baked in a sealed casserole, but I like the ease of use of a slow cooker.

Leave it on low for 5+ hours.  The smell is unbelievable.  If you love garlic, you'll love this.  The garlic is as soft as butter, so serve with toast .  Spread the soft garlic on the toast and dunk it in the rich pan sauce.  Enjoy!  Just make sure your spouse has some, too!

Lilo sez, Yuck, stinky garlic smell all over the house!  I'm loving it, of course.  Hmmm, maybe there is a reason I have the house to myself tonight...

Bye,
Julie, aka garlic breath

• Location:at home in San Diego
• Music:Oh, Brother

How to make juzu for Preeti

• Feb. 27th, 2010 at 5:08 PM

Hi, Preeti,

It's a cold, dark, rainy afternoon , what we call winter in San Diego.

I'm so glad to hear from you that  you liked my juzu.  Are you an SGI member?  There are many active SGI groups in India, I have a friend in Mumbai who is a member. 
 
Here are some recently finished items.  2 more sets of juzu, a necklace with a diachrotic glass disc, 3 beaded Turkish crochet bracelets with button closure.  All resting on a grape Alpaca Kiri shawl with burnished gold beads placed in the knitting by the crochet hook method.  Size 9 needles.


I made my juzu by making a bead by bead copy of one I have.  If you do not have an old one to copy, I will try and explain.  There are great pictures at http://www.bodhisattvabeads.com/   I hope I can explain clearly enough.  I am not an expert at bead stringing, not an expert of Buddhist juzu bead stringing.  I am just a crafty chanter who wanted "self-made" beads and I hope I am getting this right.  No one taught me, aI just experimented until I liked the results.

I used the plastic coated metal strand cord so that they will last a long time with vigorous use.  I needed 6 crimp beads. Pliers to crimp.   I used a tray with channels in it to lay these all out before starting.  I recommend that.

The two largest beads at the ends of the loop are the mother and father bead.  Pick those out first. It is easiest to make when these are drilled with an extra hole so that there are 3 holes, but it is not essential.   You can do it with a bead that is drilled for 2 holes. Pick pretty ones as these show the most. You will also need one medium bead that fits right under the father bead, the wisdom bead.

Tassels: Then you will need 5 large beads to represent the tassels and 4 about the same size to become your benefit jugs.  5 small beads to allow the crimp bead at the end to seat correctly. 10 medium beads to form the counting abacus on the 5th tassel.    ( 4 of your tassels have jugs and the fifth one has the counting strand.)
10 medium beads and 1 larger to form the harness for the 2 strand end. The one larger can be replaced by a knot if preferred. 20 very small beads for the string harness at the other end (optional, sometimes omitted).
5 medium beads above each jug (20 total)
32 very small beads to from the strings between the tassels and the jugs ( 4 at 8 each)

Loop: You will need 108 medium beads for the earthly desires and 4 slightly smaller, different ones for the 4 Bodhisattvas.  If your beads are too small and your loop is uncomfortably short to hold when chanting you can either switch to a larger bead for the 108 or put 10 very small beads at each end as spacers. (40 total)  The ones I showed you on my blog have spacers.  You will string 7 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 14 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 33 desires (54 on each side of the loop between the mother and father beads).  108 total classifications of human desire pus the 4 Bodhisattvas form the main loop.


Stringing:
The order of stringing the first side is as follows: start at the end of the tassel, string crimp bead (but do not crimp it now), small bead, through the first tassel bead, 8 very small beads, jug bead, 5 medium beads, 1 larger harness bead (or optionally a knot), 5 medium beads, wisdom bead, father bead,  (into the loop now), 10 very small spacers (if you are using spacers) 7 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 14 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 33 desires, 10 very small spacers, mother bead, 10 very small beads (optionally may be done as a space of free string and 2 crimps to hold the place, crimp them later), 5 medium beads, jug bead, 8 very small beads, second tassel bead, small bead, crimp bead.  Slip the last crimp bead to the very end of the string and crimp it.  Adjust tension along all segments (it needs to be a little loose or you can't hold them comfortably when chanting) and crimp the first crimp bead.  Cut the string.
For the other side: start at the end of the tassel, string crimp bead (but do not crimp it now), small bead, through the third tassel bead, 8 very small beads, jug bead, 5 medium beads, through the same larger harness bead on the first side (or optionally a knot), 5 medium beads, the same wisdom bead as on the first side, same father bead,  (into the loop now) 10 very small spacers,  7 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 14 desires, 1 smaller Bodhisattva bead, 33 desires,  10 very small spacers, same mother bead, 10 very small beads (optionally may be done as a space of free string and 2 crimps to hold the place, crimp them later), 5 medium beads, 4th jug bead, 8 very small beads, 4th tassel bead, small bead crimp bead.  Slip the last crimp bead to the very end of the string and crimp it.  Adjust tension along all segments (it needs to be a little loose or you can't hold them comfortably when chanting) and crimp the first crimp bead.  Cut the string.
Counting strand: start at the end of the tassel, string crimp bead (but do not crimp it now), small bead, through the fifth tassel bead, 10 medium beads, through a crimp bead, thread around the top of the 4th tassel, under the mother bead. Back through the crimp bead, back through the ten medium counting beads, back through the fifth tassel bead, the small bead and the crimp bead.  Adjust tension so that the crimp bead at the base of the mother bead is tight against the main string to hold all in place and the 10 counting beads have enough slack to slide back and forth to count. Crimp both beads when it is right. Cut string.
Make sure all crimps are solid, re-crimping if needed.

Good luck, Preeti.  I hope yours some out great.
Julie and Lilo, who is complaining loudly that she hates rain, and will I please make it go away, right now

• Location: at home in San Diego
  
• Mood: calm
• Music:Brad Mehlda

Hat to match the Smores scarf and bright slippers

Hello,

It's a cool clear Wed. evening in San Diego, about 54F.  The bronchitis is back, so I have no energy and have been sleeping a lot.  Loooong nap today.

I just got home from the knitting guild meeting at the La Jolla JCC.  It was a lot of fun.  Amy Singer was there.  She has a new book out and we were part of her book tour. 

I took a few items that I have finished for show and share.  Some of the girls wanted patterns for the stuff where I was just doodling with yarn and needles.  So as I finish writing them up I'll put the patterns here on the blog.  One of the requested ones is this hat below. 

Here's the hat to match the Smores scarf I blogged recently. Feather and fan.


Soft Little Feather and Fan hat pattern.

100% wool sock yarn from Knitpicks, color shown is discontinued, Smores.
Size 8 needles.
Gauge: 4 st/in
Knit flat and seamed.  Could be done in the round if you prefer... I happened to have straight needles handy.
I did the M1 as a backwards-e.
Cast on 7.
Row 1:*K1, M1 across, end K1. = 13 sts
Row 2 and all even rows in this section: K all.
Row 3: K1,* M1, K2. Repeat from * to end. =19 sts
Row 5:K1, *M1, K3. Repeat from * to end. = 25 sts
Row 7:K1, *M1, K4. Repeat from * to end. = 31 sts
Row 9:K1, *M1, K5. Repeat from * to end. = 37 sts
Row 11:K1, *M1, K6. Repeat from * to end. = 43 sts
Row 13:K1, *M1, K7. Repeat from * to end. = 49 sts
Row 15:K1, *M1, K8. Repeat from * to end. = 55 sts
Row 17:K1, *M1, K9. Repeat from * to end. = 61 sts
Row 19:K1, *M1, K10. Repeat from * to end. = 67 sts
Row 21:K1, *M1, K11. Repeat from * to end. = 73 sts
Row 23:K1, *M1, K12. Repeat from * to end. = 79 sts
Row 24: K all
Row  25: K2, *YO, K1, YO, K4, (K2tog X4), K4, YO, k1, YO, K1. Repeat from * , end K1.
Row 26: Purl all.
Row 27: Knit all
Row 28 : Knit all.  (Raises garter ridge.)
Repeat rows 25-28 8 more times.
Knit 4 rows.
Suspended bind off. leaving long tail.  Sew or crochet  side seam. ( I crocheted mine.)  Using soft sock yarn makes a wonderfully soft hat. 

I made some more bright slippers from the 1960's yarn. My camera does not want to give them to livejournal.  Maybe next time.

Lilo stopped by to say good night.  Good night, Lilo.

Bye,
Julie

• Location:home in San Diego
• Music:Debussy

Leggings to match the BSJ

Hello, Friends far and near,

You think you have Too Many Projects on the needles?  I tried to count my WIP's once, and stopped counting at fifty.  It's no wonder that after 40 years of knitting, I am still buying new needles all the time.  LOL.   I need to find a way to finish more than I cast on.  Casting on is so much fun...

I love to make Baby Surprise Jackets, the "geometric progression" baby sweater from Elizabeth Zimmerman, aka the "BSJ". The pattern is available from her daughter, Meg, at www.schoolhousepress.com.   Easy and fun.  They're like potato chips, bet you can't make just one.   I have even done them in my size, the ASJ.  Go buy the pattern, it's the best deal in the Internet.

Marilyn, one of the moderators of the "knitbabysurprise" group on Yahoo, mentioned that she had once made leggings that use the same method of double increasing as the BSJ, resulting in leggings that look matching.   I think this is a great idea, as I always wanted a matching legging to use when I want to give a baby set that looks good and matches.

I googled for the free pattern she mentioned, but I could not find her  "BSJ-esque" legging pattern, so after much googling around, I gave up and started experimenting based on Marilyn's recollections of knitting them.   I just finished them and they're cute and "go with" the BSJ.



Free Baby Leggings Pattern to match EZ's BSJ

The beginning is the grey part in the crotch and them the increases create the rest from there.  Same geometric progression idea as the BSJ. Fun to knit.  This is what I did to make them. Using a circ, I cast on 8, knit them, pulled the left hand needle out and picked up 8 stitches from the underside of the cast on. Now I am going round in a circle, much like the toe-up cast on of a sock. Knit front and back each stitch around.  Knit one round even.  Using 8 markers I set up to inc 2 (one each side of the marker) at each of the 8 points every other row. Just like the second half of the BSJ, but more so since it's 8 inc points.

I kept going until one side of the octagon (between any 2 markers) was 10 inches, since I wanted a 20 inch waist to fit my niece.  You can pick your own side length depending on the size waist desired. One side of the octagon is equal to one half of the waist measurement.  It's all proportional.   As EZ said, "babies are square."   Don't worry about the leg length, that is adjusted at the end.

Now comes the hard to describe part. I decided which segment was the back waist and short rowed a bit to give some diaper room. (5 pairs of short rows, if you catch my drift) This is optional if you do not enjoy short rows.  See the picture below.

Then I knit down one segment (to become the side seam of the leg later).
If you want to lengthen the leg, this is the place.  You can add as many rows as desired here to the next segment.  I decided the cuff was enough and did not add any more. 
Then I knit a 3 inch CUFF in K1, P1 ribbing, bound it off but did not break the thread.
I crocheted the sides of the ribbing together and then did 3 needle bind off until I had attached the 2 leg-side segments together and my live stitch was back at the waistband.
Put the live stitch on the right hand needle and knit across the next segment (front waist band), knit down the next segment (leg side seam again), another rib cuff, another 3 needle bind off.
Last stitch on the right hand needle.
Now I have only the 2 waistband segments on the needles plus 2 stitches.
I did 3 rows K2, p2 ribbing, one row with holes for the lacing (k2, yo, p2tog).
Two more rows ribbing and a suspended bind off. Thread in a lacing. All done.

The tie is a boot lace from the 99 cent store.   Ribbon is more "girly", but I like the rugged looking boot  tie against the rough texture of the garter stitch.

I alternated the colors every 2 rows to be able to see the construction, but I might not do that again. Kind of fugly in these strong colors. The yarn is from the sixties, acquired at a yard sale.  One of the ball bands actually had a date in 1961 stamped on it.

The back photo shows the 5 pair of short rows added for more diaper room.



Now I'm trying to catch up to the others on the KAL on the on the matching BSJ.  I will be able to catch up because in order to use this yarn and needles and end up with the size I want, it's cast on 120, knit 25, ddec, etc. The bulky BSJ. So it'll go real fast.  (The normal is 160, right?)  About half as much work.

Have fun with your leggings.  You're welcome.

See you soon,
Julie

• Location:home
• Mood: pleased
• Music:Enya

A scarf for Zee, back story, beads

Hi,
My friend Zee was in the hospital, so I knit her a silly lime green scarf in an easy lace stitch.  Hope it cheers her up.

Here's the free pattern.

Easy lacy scarf
Cast on an even number of stitches and knit 1 row.  (I used 22)
Row 1: K2, *K2tog, YO. Repeat from * to last 2 stitches,  K2. Don't forget the last YO before the final K2.
Repeat Row 1 to desired length.  If you work loosely, it will go faster.
Knit 1 row and bind off in knit.

Then I made a couple more since they are fun to make, like potato chips, you can't make just one.  Here's a picture of one of them, a skinny one made with 12 stitches. 



Can you see the pink miniature roses blooming behind?  They are just starting this year.
I strung a necklace to wear on the cruise this afternoon.







I had a massage the other day and my massage therapist, Wendy, was talking about my back issues.  I told her this story.

Around 2000 there was a weekend Buddhist study conference in the San Francisco Bay area.  Dan and I signed up and bought our airline tickets using some coupons we got when an earlier flight messed up.  The week before the trip, I hurt my back by reaching deep into the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to pull out a big bowl of homemade ravioli for a party.  As I dropped the ravioli into boiling water to finish them, my back was popping and extreeeemely painful.  I went to the Chiro twice before the trip and he did his best, but my back was really messed up.  I was walking so funny everyone was asking me what happened.  I got tired of the ravioli story, so I started telling them it was the work of my new 26 year old Brazilian lover.  Ha!

We packed for the trip and were waiting for the taxi to take us to the airport when I figured out I had forgotten to cook the salmon I bought for dinner the night before.  So, I quickly seared the salmon on the grill pan and put it into buns with lettuce and tartar sauce.  I zippy bagged them, dropped them into my carry on and dashed out to catch the cab. 

The bay area was fogged in and our flight was delayed.  I knitted and did not mind the wait, as we would not be late for the conference.  We were traveling the day before to allow us time to enjoy the trip.   We ate the salmon for lunch and everyone asked us where to get one like it.  Better than airport food.   We finally were put on a flight to LA, with the idea we would transfer to a flight to Oakland from LA.  Sorry, homemade.  But SAn Francisco was still fogged in.  A couple flights were going thru to Oakland and the airlines offered me a bunch of freeebie coupons if I would give up my seat for some folks who just had to be there today.  Ok, we're in no hurry.  After an hour they did the same with the next flight, more coupons.   Dinner time came and the airline sent us to Wolfgang Puck's on their dime.  We eventually got to Oakland later that evening, on time for our conference the next day.

Meanwhile, my back is still out.  It was difficult attending the conference and sitting on the hard chairs for an hour at a time.  So another attendee, a Chinese lady named Ellen, asked me if she could help.  She did some kind of body work for a living, I did not recognize the name of the practice.  She asked me to lie down on the carpeted floor of the lobby.  I feared the hotel would object, but she said we would be done before they noticed.  She chanted Nam Myoho Renge Kyo three times in unison with me to get us synched up.  Then she walked around me looking intently.  From time to time she would stop and poke my shoulder, or hip, or back.  Not a big movement like a chiro adjustment, just a nudge.  Then she said I could get up.  I was astounded.  My back was fine.  I enjoyed the rest of the conference.  I asked her for her card, since I wanted to see her again.  It would be worth the flight.  She refused.  She said if she gave me her card, I would be her client and she would have to charge me.  Since this was a freeebie she could not give me her card.  She had some strange logic.  She had a big problem with spiders in her house.  She was constantly being bit by spiders, but she would not spray.  She had decided they were her reincarnated ancestors who had done such bad things they had to come back as spiders, so she could not kill them.  This is not standard Buddhist doctrine.  Her Buddhist leaders tried to convince her to do something about them, but she was adamant.

When I got back to San Diego, I kept my Monday appointment with my chiro and he was amazed.  My back was perfect.   He wanted her card so he could fly to Oakland and take a master class from her.  He was astounded that she had refused to give it to me.  A couple of years later I heard from a mutual friend that she had died of cancer.  I will always remember her body work. 

Good night,

Julie

• Location:home
• Mood: hungry
• Music:SGI Video