WIP: A Stashbusting Lap-ghan

I have started the prototype for another lap-ghan pattern.  This one is made with leftover balls of yarn from various projects and our local thrift store.  The stitches are so big, that the pattern repeat is huge, and it's hard to get the width of the 'ghan right... either too wide or not wide enough.  What you see above is wider than I'd like, almost 4 feet, but it might be acceptable when it's finished.

UPDATE:  The free pattern is up now: Scrappy Lap-ghan.

You can find more WIPs (works-in-progress) online here.

FO Friday: A Funny Witch Hat

I got this hat done, and it's the final prototype for The Whimsical Witch-Hat, a free pattern which will be done in a day or two.  I just need to make the Small size to get the yardage and dimensions... Medium and Large are done.  The pattern document and schematic are pretty much done, also.

In the photo, I'm also wearing the neckwarmer from the Witch Warmers pattern.

WIP Wednesday: Halloween Treat-Socks

It's WIP Wednesday, and I have just started a Halloween sock. The yarn is "Halloween Treats," the sock of the month yarn from Tami (Candy Skein).

This is my basic sock design, which I have not yet published as a pattern. I think Tami's colorway is coming out like a nice, Halloween tweed. It would even be good for a man's sock. Oh boy, I'd love to have a sweater like this!

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Fortune-Teller Turban

It's WIP Wednesday again, and I just got my skein of worsted weight yarn in the mail from Tami (Candy Skein). This one is called "Milk Chocolate," and I am going to make a Fortune-Teller Turban with it. I tore open the package a couple of hours ago, and whipped up the gauge swatch.

I have just revised the knitted Fortune-Teller Turban pattern to be more clear and easy to use, and it's being tested right now. If you'd like to be a tester, just send me your email address, and I'll get a free pattern out to you.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Crocheted Halloween Treat-Warmers

It's WIP Wednesday again, and I have started the crochet version of our Halloween Treat wristwarmers, using the Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern. Tami (of Candy Skein) has designed a special colorway for the Witch Warmers patterns, called "Halloween Treat."

(The loops aren’t really as loose as the bottom edge looks… I had just frogged a row.)

Like the knit version using this yarn, a few minor modifications are needed to accommodate the skinnier yarn. I will post them on Friday with the FO.

If you haven't seen the knit version of this, check here.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Halloween Treatwarmers!!

I'm so excited!! Tami (of Candy Skein) has designed a special colorway for my Halloween pattern, Witch Warmers.* The colorway is called "Halloween Treats." Isn't it gorgeous?

Here's the start of a wristwarmer from the pattern, made up in this yummy yarn. The yarn is fingering weight, and the pattern calls for sportweight, so I figured out a couple of minor modifications to accommodate the skinnier yarn:

1. Use one size larger than the pattern's arm/leg/neck measurements call for. Your gauge swatch will come out to around 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) instead of 4" x 4" (10.5cm x 10.5 cm).

2. Bind off with a size 5 (3.75mm) needle--one size larger than the rest of the knitting.

*There is also a Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern, which I will work up with this yarn to get the modifications... stay tuned.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Black Fingerless

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and this is my WIP that's been waiting patiently for months. I took a break from this project to work on variations for the Tarnation pattern. That's all done now, so I can get on with the gloves!

As you can see, this left glove only needs the pinkie and a bit of finishing, and she's done.

I love fingerless gloves. This one-soon-to-be-two is for a friend, who fell in love with the pair I keep in my coat pockets. I offered to knit some for her, and she asked for black. I'm loving the way it's working up. Might have to make a black pair for myself next.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Plarn Tarnation

It's the first anniversary of Work-In-Progress Wednesday, hosted by TamisAmis!! Congratulations, Tami!

This WIP is probably the last variation on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug. From the beginning, I have wanted to try this pattern in plarn (PLastic yARN) made from cut-up grocery bags. It's working up very nicely, although this rug will not be machine-dryable, because plarn melts in the dryer.

Instructions for making plarn are here: How to Make Plarn.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: A Rug for Line-Drying

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and I have started a new variation on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug. When I realized that the pattern produces a rug that has to be machine-dried after laundering, I decided to try the pattern with all sc instead of sc-bl. I still like the sc-bl version better, because it's softer and the color changes aren't as "toothy," but this one promises to be good in other ways.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: A New Rug

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and I have started a new tarn (t-shirt yarn) rug for the test phase of my pattern, Tarnation Rectangle Rug. I'm using a regular store-boughten crochet hook instead of my grandmother's handmade wooden hook, to be sure I've got the size right on the pattern.

The pattern test is in full swing now, and if you'd like to be a tester, just let me know and I'll email a .pdf of the pattern to you. Instructions for making tarn are included.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Sneak Peek... Tarnation Rectangle Rug

My work-in-progress for today is the pattern for this rug made out of tarn (t-shirt yarn)! I've just finished the first draft of the .pdf, and it's ready to be tested. When the test is over, the final version will be offered as a free download here and on Ravelry.

If you'd like to be a tester, please let me know and I'll email you the pattern. It's easy to make, and it takes about 5-10 t-shirts. Directions for making tarn are included in the pattern.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Turned Tarn Rug

This rug is still a work-in-progress. I'm now far enough along to realize that if I use all of my shirts in this fabric for this rug, it will come out square, and I prefer rectangular rugs. So I turned it (conceptually) 90 degrees, and I'll add maybe 1-1/2 more shirts: the rest of the white, plus a navy blue shirt. Then I'll have 4 more shirts left to make a little oval rug out of: pink, red, gray, white. Okay, I can live with that.

You can download a free pattern for this rug from here:
Tarnation Rectangle Rug.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Tarn Rug

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and I've been working on this t-shirt yarn rug for the past week. At the moment, it has about 3-1/2 turtleneck shirts crocheted into it, with probably 5 more to go. It's 32" wide and 13" long. I hope it doesn't turn out to be too big for frequent washing and drying. I might have to rethink the dimensions for easier washing--maybe rotate it, so the 32" is the length, and keep going until it's just 24" long. Have to think about it.

Last week I posted some notes on how I'm making it.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

UPDATE: After looking at this photo, I realized that there was a mistake about halfway up. Most of the time, I just keep going after a mistake because it doesn't usually show. However, this one is on the edge (left edge stairstep from forgetting the ch1 at the start of the row). It would always show and always bother me, so I frogged back. Now I will be more careful. Argh.

Evolution of a Rug

Check out my grandmother's hand-hewn crochet hook, upper left.
It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and I'm back! In December, we bought a new house in a new town, and I have been up to my eyeballs in boxes, packing materials, and stuff. For the last few months, my time has been mostly spent unpacking and selling-off zillions of items from three households (mine, my husband's, and a friend who passed away).

We have a very old cat--adopted him from our departed friend. He is becoming incontinent, and he usually makes it to the vicinity of the catbox, but... well... let's just say the floor of the utility room is getting cleaned A LOT. I put my little t-shirt yarn rug there, and it's working well because it's so easy to wash. It grabs and holds the puddles instead of having the grout lines become little yellow rivers. So I desperately need a second tarn (t-shirt yarn) rug, to switch out with during the laundering process.

This one is made of a bunch of old turtlenecks of mine. I had a collection of many colors, all in the same style and fabric. They are out of style now, and I have others that I like way better, so it's time to crochet a rug!

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

UPDATE: Since instructions for this rug have been requested, I'm going to try to tell you how I made this... haven't created a pattern yet... maybe a free one someday soon.

ANOTHER UPDATE: The pattern has now been produced and tested, and it's available as a free download. Tarnation Rectangle Rug

WIP Wednesday: Ice Queen Warmers

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday again! This is a legwarmer I'm making, which is a variation on the Witch Warmers pattern. These will be fairly ugly, if I don't get the after-knitting embroidery to work out right. The plan is to use duplicate-stitch to make a sort of drippy icicle-effect coming down off each stripe. Hooboy, I hope it works.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Peppermint Warmers

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday again! This is a wristwarmer I'm making, which is a variation on the Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern. The unusual thing about this variation is that the stripes are not the same width... fat white ones, thin red ones. It's been fun to try to get the striping right and still have the ruffle and increases work out.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: A Necktie

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday again! This is a necktie I'm making as an add-on to the neckwarmer in the Wizard Warmers pattern. It just got published on Ravelry.

The plan is to add a tie to the Gryffindor neckwarmer... hope it works out. This one is knitted with the linen stitch, and I don't know which side, bumpy or smooth, will look best.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Ravenclaw Neckwarmer

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday! Today I'm almost finished with my fourth neckwarmer, using the Wizard Warmers pattern, which is about to be published on Ravelry. This one just needs the buttons and the ends worked-in.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Wizard Neckwarmer

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday! Today I'm working on my third neckwarmer, using the Wizard Warmers pattern, which is still in the test phase. There are four size options for the neckwarmer, so I'm trying to make one in each size during the test phase. I have already made one in Gryffindor house colors, and this one will be for Slytherin.

You can still be a tester for this pattern, if you're interested, so let me know and I'll send you a free copy... plus updates.

For more WIP Wednesday blog posts, check here.