Home Dec and Swedish Ingenuity

Post surgery knitting is best done on large, long needles which allow you to fake it with the infirm hand. Also stockinette or garter pulls least on the incision. With that in mind, what the @#$ do you make? See below.
A valance for the new bathroom. Yarn from stash (see slightly smug face here). K1C2 Tartelette ribbon, #17 needle, co 80 stitches, four rows garter, then stockinette to length.Here's my coolest discovery about this--I didn't bind off. I just slipped the stitches to a tension rod, tied off the last stitch and hung it. (squint hard at the top right corner and you can just see the effect) I didn't know how much gravity would affect the length, so I have left it easily adjustable. Plus I like how it grows out of the rod rather than is sewn around it.

Next project---lamp shade decor. Steve is beginning to fear I will wrap the entire house. More stash yarn--no label--and merely a #15 needle joined by a #13. I don't know where the second #15 is. This one is bound off and sewn around the lampshade, like a turtleneck. Size??? Didn't bother to plan that. Hey! I'm recovering.


From my surfing and blog reading: You must go look at these pictures.
I was reading Nanette Blanchard's blog and she linked to this Korsnäs Tapestry Crochet site. Wow. This group uses a combination of knitting and tapestry crochet to make gorgeous Scandinavian sweaters. They get the drape of knitting with the ease and sturdiness of the crochet.
Best pictures for me were the sort of "knitting bee" shots. They were knitting the body of the sweater on many dpns, as is traditional, but they sat in a circle and several knit on the same sweater at once. Too clever!

While you are on Nanette's site, go to the Lulu store link. Such beautiful patterns and the download price is to love.

Sock yarn; new stuff at home

It's not Friday, but that is Turtlegirl76's yarn pr0n day. This yarn is sort of her yarn since she made us all aware of it and negotiated a discount for her blog readers. Anyway this is Printed Circuit Board from Yarn Nerd. The yarn is named 900MHz; 100% superwash merino; 420 yards. The best thing about this yarn is the spin. His base yarn is crisp and yet still soft. It's a pleasure to knit.

I am using this yarn for yet another original sock design. I like this one very much. It uses an Estonian stitch that I discovered in an old afghan pattern by Nancy Bush. More later.

Underneath that yarn is my beautiful new floor. The owner who built this floor used yellow pine and then stained it dark, almost walnut. I had selected a slightly lighter stain. When we saw this sanded result, we quickly put a pale golden oak on it. It is rustic but beautiful. Almost beach-like. What a nice surprise.

Bye, bye Basement!!!

My new laundry closet is finished and the appliances are here. So far, I love them. I've washed everything I own. I am now going door to door in the neighborhood asking for extra laundry to do. The washer's handwash setting is perfect for all my handknit sweaters--even wool. Piper washed her cashmere sweater in her washer which is the big brother of mine and it worked beautifully.



My red cotton version of this Stitch Diva pattern is underway. I can't knit it as fast as I would like because my hands are aching a bit and cotton is hard on that. I do like the way they have written the pattern. It is clear and has little helps as you go. I also appreciate that the pattern is in a wide range of sizes. I'm using DK weight instead of worsted and so am knitting a larger size. That is always tricky, but because it is top down, I can try it on a bunch and make corrections as needed. My version won't be quite as young and hip as the picture, but I am looking forward to wearing it.

I've Lost My Mind

I bought furniture on line! Sight unseen, never sat on. I have no idea what the fabric feels like. I only have a computer picture. I don't have patterned fabric anywhere in my house--just solid textures. What was I thinking?

I was thinking that I could save a lot of money($300). I was thinking that my daughter always is pleased by what she buys on overstock.com. I wasn't thinking that she usually buys books. I was thinking that the fabric was a possible room maker--or a room destroyer, but recovering was an easy thing. The shape was right, the size was right, but the final straw that sucked me in was that the shipping was $1.00. A dollar!! Pray for me. Here it is:



Starting an Einstein jacket for 5 year old grandson. Cascade Eco-wool in a dark brown. This is great mindless knitting. I need it for when I knit with Shelly, Jeanmarie and Pat. We laugh so much that I have to pull out most of what I knit. Garter stitch I might can handle.

Still knitting the purple Lavold. Still going well.



Bought a Stitch Diva pattern after seeing the sweater on Turtlegirl76. The neckline is what I wanted. I'll probably alter the sleeves-- shorter, less bell. I think I will make it in a solid. It calls for worsted which I have very little of in my stash. I may play with the math and make it in Classic Elite Provence. Will loose the exotic look which I love but which is a bit much for my plans. It is a top down pattern and I only knit top down for me. It is interesting to see how they structure the sweater as compared to how I do. Maybe I'll learn something neat.