Flagel Knitting Files

During the time away I have given posting a lot of thought.  Pictures have been taken with the hope they would move me to writing.  But I know I am still doing the same old things, knitting socks and beading coverings (ball gowns) for Xmas ornaments.  So I hesitated to write just more of the same.  And then it hit me.  That is really all I even do so why should today be any different. First the sock.  Here it is in a couple of stages of development. As we began.  Note there are two pair of circular needles there Cuff, heel flap and turn, as well as gusset, all done! I will call this one Chili, which is its colour name.  Since I have really only knit four socks from the cuff down I decided to do one more pair before I move into the toe up adventure.  This is an Ann Budd pattern, but I have done two new things for me.  First, I am using two circular needles.  This allows me to knit without any ladders and I am testing the technique because it is the same basic skill needed

Things are complete.  Let me show you what I have been doing. The Clapo-Ktus as a wrap Clapo-Ktus as a scarf This is Clapo-Ktus, designed by  Loredana Gianferri  and found on Ravelry .  I used a yarn called Ares from Yarnia .  The Buktus-part of the pattern allowed me to use up about 95% of the yarn.   The Clapo-Ktus turned out just as well as I hoped it would. The second Viola child-sized sock was also finished using the instructions on the Serenity sock weight band.  And with appropriate attention to matching the two socks are a real pair.  Again, I am pleased they worked out as I had expected. The completed pair of Viola socks Finally, I have been busy using the beads I had accumulated to make two more ball gown ornament covers.  The white beaded cover will be used on the red ornament, but I think I have to find either a white or gold ornament should be used with the good/cooper adornment. The gold and cooper gown The white and red gown There are five

Last week was a creative juggernaut for me.  There was knitting Clapo-Ktus, finishing the Viola socks,  a butterfly cake and a class in beading.  This post is about the beading adventure. Last November Tena and I drove the hour-long trip to Abbotsford to check on Birkeland Brothers Wool.  I was still taking the spinning class and needed some roving.  (Read all about it here .)  I made a purchase, we had a lovely lunch and decided to knock around the quirky little shops in the area.  One of them is a bead shop by the name of Strung Out on Beads just two doors from Birkeland Brothers.  We spent a fair amount of time looking at the array of beads with no real purpose in mind, simply enjoying the sparkle, colour and wide range of bangles.  Just as we were about to go I spotted these beauties. The three Ball Gown ornaments in the back of the stand The store owner calls them Ball Gown ornaments.  Both Tena and I had to stop and ask about them.  The beautiful Victorian look over a s

Perhaps this doesn´t happen to you, but it does to me.  There are times when my creativity runs off the charts.  And these last few days have been filled with doing things that are inspired.  Miss M has been the general muse, but not solely responsible for this rash of activity. First, remember the pathetic example of a butterfly cake I made for Miss M´s second birthday.  If not, click here .  I wanted to do better and found an answer in a local thrift shop.  I stop by this shop about once every couple of weeks looking for a cashmere sweater I can take apart, spin into a thicker ply and recycle for a nice quality scarf or shawl.  So far I have not been lucky enough to find one.  But I keep going back anyway.  While there last week I found this: It is a Stronglite butterfly cake pan, obviously used due to the dents, but for $1.99, I splurged.  On Thursday the Knit Night group was here and it was the perfect time to check out if I could make a decent butterfly.  There was a time

The second of the Viola coloured socks has been all but finished for about five days now.  But I have been on the road and there wasn´t enough knitting left on them to fill our travelling time.  So this latest pair stayed home. Just a few more decreases, the Kitchener stitch and Viola #2 is complete. Seattle was our destination, well really it was about 1.5 hours south of Seattle at a fairgrounds in Chehalis, Washington.  There was a cat show there and it was a good idea to attend.  We are looking for at least one and perhaps two kittens and what better place to meet people face to face, see their breeds and talk to experts.  It was a fruitful trip.   (Paul has bumped into one scammer already trying to sell kittens on the Web, so to see sellers and talk to them seems less risky than relying on the internet alone.) Rather than take a sock that is all but finished on the trip, I looked for a project to use this yarn. The colours are gray, white and black It is called Are

Photo from 2knitlitchicks Knitters have for centuries found ways to be together in a social setting to share.  Elizabeth Zimmerman arguably might have been one of the first in the U.S. to organize an event where knitters paid a fee when she brought knitters together in the wilds of Wisconsin for what she referred to as Retreats.  Things have changed since the 1950's, most LYS have a weekly knit night, regions hold yarn crawls and companies sponsor or organize marketplaces with classes taught by the rock stars of knitting.  Or one can do a knitting cruise or tour of some far off land to visit where the wool is ¨made.¨ Photo from madewithloops.co.uk/ There are many events that take place throughout the year but getting a comprehensive list is difficult.  Most knitters work with a limited budget for such events and knowing the what, where, when and how much of such activities can help an interested party make better informed decisions.  Imagine my satisfaction when I saw

The first Bucky toque I knit was meant all along for my long-time friend Linda. Bucky Toque #1 for Linda She and I both attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, back in the day.  We also graduated with the same major.  At the time we attended the University, it had approximately 50,000 students, but the major we selected drew a very small crowd; in fact, Linda and I made up 66.67% of the graduating class that year.  I wrote about our friendship here and that friendship was strengthened when we travelled through Ireland and Scotland last summer. The Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland.  This one is for you, Linda! Our common link is our alma mater so it was an easy decision to craft one of the Bucky toques for Linda.   That first toque was completed in early October last year and within a week of completing it I had sent it to Linda, who still lives in Wisconsin.  Problem was, though, she had moved within the last year and I had lost my address book.  (I know, I am one of

Here it is January 20 and I have managed to finish a few items for this year. (Two socks, one while I was in WI, now Viola and one pair of fingerless gloves.  I might think I am on a roll.)  One Viola is done, and if I do say so myself, I am rather pleased with how it looks.  Even Paul was impressed how the variegated yarn turned into a rather nice looking sock and he doesn´t always notice such things. There was a problem with the gusset after I bragged last week about having it done.  So I removed it from the circular needle and started again.  All told, I did this three times.  I can´t say what the problem was for sure, but keeping track of rows certainly played a part.  So I put the project on DPNs, got back on track and was able to finish in no time flat. That sideway V is the gusset and see there is no hole in sight! There are two things I am particularly proud of with regard to this sock.  First, there is no hole at the top of the gusset.  (The arrow is pointing in the ge