Oops on the bookmarks

Well, the news from last night is that the bookmarks aren't bookmarks -- they're knitting needle holders. Oops!

Some of the much older wooden needles inherited from a friend's mother earlier this year will be going into them today.

The i-cord trivets went over well, but I forgot to get photos of them before they went out. However, the patterns are available for free on the Lion Brand web site.

Shamrock: http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/BK4K-0603005.html?noImages=0
Celtic Knot: http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/BK4K-0603003.html?noImages=0

For both of these, I simply made a 4-stitch I-cord on size 9 DPs instead of using the spool knitter (or "corking" tool, as it is historically called). The Shamrock was done in 100% cotton yarn, and the Celtic Knot was done in 100% wool in dark and light purple.

It's a bad sign when the cat doesn't trust you with a knife

I haven't cut myself with a knife for over a year. And yet my MIL is convinced that hubby is terrified of me using a knife. She bought me cloth butcher's gloves (the non-commercial kind) because of this supposed fear. Hubby, of course, was nowhere around in order to help me defend myself against the accusation. (I do a lot of defending on my own for 3 months every winter while my MIL is here -- what else can I do when 2 British-Canadians gang up on an American, no matter how non-typical she is?)

Fine. Everything had settled down, and Mum and I were going to have some cheese and crackers for lunch that day. Our male cat Oscar is a lovely, random little boy who feels (and often IS) guilty about a lot of things and will suddenly tear off around the house. I pick up the knife to cut a slice of cheese, an what does Oscar choose to do at that moment? Yup, nails into the carpet, and off goes the grey streak to the other end of the house. What does Mum say?

"It's a bad sign when the cat doesn't trust you with a knife!"

Fortunately, we had a good laugh about it and continued on. Having your MIL living with you for 3 months is not for the faint of heart. This is now the 3rd year of this arrangement (I won't go into the details of why), and we seem to have most of the problems worked out. Granted, I'm running around so much that very little designing is getting done, but when I finally do say that something must be done that isn't on her schedule, I'm allowed time to do it. So it's a matter of putting my foot down at strategic times.

Also in this process, I'm learning how to knit socks! It's using a photocopy Mum has from a 1940s pattern book, and I'm using size 3 needles instead of 2 (because when I was ready to start, I didn't have a set of 2s), so they're a little bigger than they should be, but one sock is done, and the other is ready to have its heel turned. Woohoo!


Oops. Thanks, Zoe. Let's try that again...


Also on the finished project list is a cabled scarf from Big Needle Knitting. This is my first cabled item ever. I've finally figured it out! I've also discovered that I really kinda dislike working on the bigger needles. Go figure!


A couple of fun bits of news. 1) Lulu.com sales continue. (Yay, and thank you, whoever you are!) 2) I'm now on Ravelry! I think there's a sidebar option for that here, so will attempt to add that shortly. Screen name: horsenround.

Well, it's time to go. I'll try not to leave you hanging for another 13 days this time. I have a friend & client coming over to go through web site things this morning. However, before I go, here's a lovely pair of bookmarks from a costumer friend whom I will be visiting tonight...



Aren't they gorgeous???

Little Knit Jingle Bells

Well, from the poll, it appears that out of the 2 votes (thank you two for visiting and voting!!!), both people had heard of Tunisian crochet, hairpin lace, and knitting looms/boards, but no one has yet heard of beadpoint. Looks like I need to do a bit of presenting! Stay tuned for more on beadpoint and a new survey.

As promised, here is my first free pattern!
You can also download this pattern from my site: http://www.horse-round.com/shop/freepatterns.html.


Traditional Jingle Bells
A traditional knitting pattern written by Kathy Kemp (http://www.horse-round.com/)




These adorable bells can be made in nearly any type of yarn. Use them as Christmas ornaments or attach them to packages. You can even use pastel yarn for baby shower gifts or Easter ornaments!

Materials:

• 1 skein of worsted weight yarn, or yarn of choice


• 1 pair of knitting needles in 1 size smaller than recommended for chosen yarn


• Yarn needle


• Scissors

Directions:

Cast on 14 sts.

Row 1 (right side): Knit across.

Row 2 (wrong side): Purl 4 sts; knit 10.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have 46 rows. The edge with the purl stitches will curl slightly on its own.

Bind off, leaving a tail that is long enough to sew up the edge.


Finishing:

1. Fold in half so that the right side is inside. The curling edge should be on one side.
   


2. Sew up the edge. This becomes the side of the bell.


3. Turn right side out. Attach a metal jingle inside and ½ inch loop on the top.

Not another new blog!

Here we go with a brand new blog -- by a Brand New Blogger. In the horse world, they say Green and Green make Black and Blue. I guess I'm about to find out just how dangerous this might get! Fortunately, I have some "on-the-ground" experience, having been a technical writer and graphic designer for almost 15 years. It's just the blogging and yarnwear (yarnware?) that I'm new to.

I decided to start this blog to post little triumphs in life: new knit/crochet/whatever patterns and projects, equine events, and who knows what else. No promises on how often I can update. Life can get really insane, and I thought the year would be slowing down once the summer and show season was done. That has not happened this year!

To kick things off, here's my first attempt at posting a few pictures...

Snowdancer is my first horse, bought with jousting, trails, and general horseback fun in mind. She is a Belgian Draft, purchased at an auction. The other bidder was a meat buyer. (Oh, and the same week I bought her, I started dating the man who is now my husband of almost 5 years. How's that for tracking!)

For the past few years, she has been working on a new hobby -- vaulting!

My second horse, Tempest, was purchased as a yearling who had barely been handled, by all accounts. After several years of trust-building, she has turned into one of the barn's adored love bugs.

That 2nd picture was our 3rd ride, and the first going completely solo. (No holding the lead, no help on, etc.) And for scale, keep in mind that I'm definitely not a small woman -- 5'11 1/2", 34" inseam, etc.

Other than that, I don't have a lot of good photos to post of my crafting, although there are several pictures of things I have for sale on my web site, http://www.horse-round.com/:

Well, that's about it for today. I might rifle through a few other projects and take pictures of what's on the needle (knitting), hook (regular or Tunisian crocheting), fork (harpin lace), wheel/board (loom knitting) or any of the other UFOs. In the meantime, I'll figure out how to add links to some of my favorite blogs, pattern sites, friends' journals, etc.

I'm really good at making lists -- have you noticed?

Happy crafting!