Sock Update

They didn't fit my large footed friend. *sigh*

I'll make another pair based on Graciela's pattern. I just won't add the extra rows.

WAH!

THis is a cool idea: Felted Soaps

Ahhhh, a melding of two of my crafts: soaps and yarn.

9. felted soaps
Posted by: "Lisa Ross" moonlightlisa@look.ca moonlight_lisa
Date: Sat Jan 6, 2007 9:47 am ((PST))

These make a nice, easy craft and are good to give as gifts. The wool surrounding the soap makes the soap last longer and will lather up immediately when it gets wet, so it's soap and wash cloth in one.

For one soap, you need a large handful of carded wool. The kind sold for needle felting would be ideal. Use two or three different colours overlayed toget a nice marbly efffect. Set out the wool so it lies flat, with the fibers going in two different directions. Wrap thoroughly around the soap. If you use the right kind of wool it should cling together pretty well just from shaping it with your hands. Wrap the other colours of wool around the first to make bands of different colours, being sure to wrap them all the way around the cake of soap.

Fill a bowl with hot water. With your hand, dribble some hot water on the wool and gently pat it in. Do this a few more times until the whole thing is wet. Keep patting all over and in a minute or so you will notice the wool getting a little tighter and holding its shape around the soap.

At this point you can start rubbing instead of patting. Rub it all over vigorously to felt the fibers. It takes about ten minutes to felt it. You'll know when you have a cohesive mass that holds its shape and has no excess fibers sticking out.

At that point, rinse it under cold water to get the lather off and mat the fibers further, then set it on a towel to dry for a few hours. The first time you use it it takes a few moments to work up a lather, but ever after it will lather up right away because the lather stays in the wool.

Sparky's shawl and my sock

OK, so white wool for a 6yo is, well, ill-advised, stilly, stoopid? At least I was able to talk him down to a shawl intead of a poncho. The poncho would go outside and be a wreck. Or I would be a wreck if it went outside.

I finished the one panel and asked Sparky to let me measure it on him. Then, I started in on how if it was a shawl, I could finish it in five minutes and he could have it. (Am I evil to prey upon the 6yo's "immediate gratification" nerve?)

Anyway, I am happy with it. Paton's Merino wool in a garter stitch on the yellow KK. The only thing I would gritch about is the final cast off stitch is a little tight and makes one end crinkle. Oh, and the poorly concealed yarn add-ons. But those are things I notice. And another knitter. But you all are so forgiving. Right?


And now I WILL make myself some socks. It's an online pattern using an ankle to toe direction. Unlike Graciela's Toe-up socks. I was able to use Graciela's "move the dash to another peg" instructions to close up the holes in the heel of the sock. And I've already tried this one on. It *will* fit.

And you can see my yarn already tangled up at the top of the photo. *sigh*

What's next? The cable shawl pattern. I've written the pattern up, but want to make the shawl again so I can take pictures. I frogged the first one beucase I messed up adding yard and dropped way too many stitches to receover with my sanity intact.

Then I must sew. The 200 pounds of fabric waiting to be cut is hurting my eyes.

The Girl's Poncho

What a sassy looking girl.

Anyway, this is the Girl's poncho. Made with Paton's CiCi yarn. The color is called Carneval. It is definitely a novelty yarn. Every inch and a half or so,there's a tuftof fibers. It makes the garment soft, true, but IU had to pay attention while knitting to make sure the tuft placement was such that it didn't make for tight stitches.

Used the KK purple double rake, but as a single rake. Cast on all the pegs. I also used teh Moch Crochet Stitch. With this yar, the stitch doesn't show as well as a smoother yarn would.

I knitted it in two panels, sewing up the front and back part way.

I'll start Sparky's framed shawl using wool. That should knit up quickly. Then onto the cable knit shawl, so I'll have pictures to submit with the pattern.