Free Dishcloth Pattern

Posted on October 9, 2012 by atangledyarn84

Hello, my name is Rachelle and I am a knitter who needs instant gratification.

I absolutely love the feeling of finishing a project. I a list maker who enjoys crossing off completed tasks. Therefore I have always gravitated to short one or two skein projects. And I almost always have several items in the works. I am NOT a monogamous knitter, lol.

Currently in my needles I have:
1. Stockinette shrug
2. Bulky boot toppers and skinny scarf set
3. Berry Basket Dishcloth
4. One Row baby blanket
5. Hanging kitchen towel
6. Sashay ruffle scarf
I prefer to work on a project that speaks to me at that moment. Depending on my mood that may be any of the above! I know, I know I will never break any knitting speed records this way, but it makes me happy. And isn’t that what knitting all about?

So I would like to share a dishcloth pattern I wrote this year! It’s a simple garter stitch that’s worked corner to corner with an eyelet/lace border. You can find the free Ravelry download here! I love love love working this pattern with Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton. It yields a deliciously soft cloth that’s very durable. I think it’s perfect for new baby washcloths or a face wash cloth because it is so soft and smooth.

I can whip out two or three of these babies in an evening of TV watching! They make great gift for the upcoming holidays. Enjoy this pattern and I’d love to see your finished works on Ravelry if you get a chance! Here are a couple shots of my finished works 🙂

Happy Knitting!!

Grumpapatimas

Posted on October 5, 2012 by atangledyarn84

I was a major grumpapatimas yesterday…(learned that term from Archie, Jo’s son in The Beach Street Knitting and Yarn Society)

The weather was gloomy and turned quite cold all of a sudden. My reports at work weren’t balancing and I had a stiff neck from hunching over them. My schedule has been brutal lately and I’m just overwhelmed and exhausted.

I decided i was tired of being grumpy, so I decided to do something about it! First, I called my Grandma Genevieve as soon as I got home from work. She is an amazing woman and such a big part of my life that a thousand blog posts couldn’t even begin to cover my feelings about her! She listens to my troubles, applauds my accomplishments, and loves me for who I am.

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(This was 10 years ago when I graduated and she is still just as gorgeous!)

After 45 minutes on the phone with her I could start to feel the grump fall off. Next, I wrapped myself in something hand knit! I splurged on some expensive alpaca yarn last year and knit myself a Honey Cowl by Madelintosh. Nothing soothes the soul like luxurious soft hand knits on a cold gloomy day. I mean that’s why we all knit right? This pattern was easy yet interesting and really fun to make.

After wrapping up to ward off the chill, I packed up the pooches and headed off to the park for some frisbee with my beloved!

After a few good chucks of the disc both the hubby and I felt a lot better! And we wore out our energizer bunny of a lab.

I guess the morale of my story is that no bad day can withstand the power of family, good knitting, and puppy love. Seriously, how can you be grumpy around this face?

TGIF and Happy Knitting!

P.S. FO alert
I finished the boot cuffs for my boots and started the scarf today. Here’s a sneak peek!

WIP Wednesday

Posted on October 4, 2012 by atangledyarn84

Yes, yes I know it’s Thursday. I can’t for the life of me figure out where yesterday went!

Anyway, back to the knitting! I picked up a super adorable baby doll dress at a local thrift store last week. It’s a simple white scoop neck bodice with black baby doll skirt. I just had to have it to wear with my black boots the hubby got for me last year on my birthday! It was a steal at $7!

It just needs a little pizzaz! So after perusing Ravelry for some boot toppers/boot cuffs, I decided to use Ravelry as my inspiration and improvise my own! Mostly because I wanted to make them out of some Deborah Norville Serenity Chunky I had in my stash in a lovely shade of deep red.

So I pulled out my US size 11 circs (size recommended for this yarn) and cast on 44 sts using long tail cast on method and placed a marker. I prefer to knit in the round rather than with dpns because I am not careful enough to travel with work on dpns and not mess it up hopelessly!

I knit the first round then transitioned to K1, P1 ribbing so that the cuff with expand and contact with the contours if my leg and boot.

I plan to work the cuff for 7-8 inches in rib and cast off with a stretchy cast off. Of course then I will move on to the second cuff and I should have enough yarn for a skinny ribbed scarf to accent my black and white dress.

Follow my project on Ravelry!

I like to use affordable, easy to find acrylic when I am inventing a pattern for a few reasons:
A) It’s cheap
B) Its easy to find in stores and with matching dye lots
C) It stands up well to frogging if I don’t like the pattern
D) It’s almost always washable

If I like pattern and the FO, then I will fork over the dough and get quality natural fibers to make the next set. I can conserve my funds and manage my stash at the same time!

I hope to have this finished this weekend and have the hubby help me take photos!

Happy Knitting!

Review: Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil

Posted on October 3, 2012 by atangledyarn84

I finished the second novel in the Jo Mackenzie knitting series by Gil McNei. I very much enjoyed getting to know Jo and her seaside knit shop, McKnits. I went into this book with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised! I normally find companion pieces to be flat and repetitive.

Needles and Pearls picks up where the first left off. Jo had just managed to get her feet under her and just like that the author throws another twist in. (Don’t worry no spoilers!)

All the familiar characters are here plus more new ones to get know. I must say Elsie the “shop matron” is my favorite despite her best efforts to meddle in Jo’s world. The author uses an excellent imagery and I love that its written in British syntax. I find myself using a few British turn of phrase in my everyday life. Which is totally awkward mostly because I live in the middle of the Midwest, USA.

As a companion to The Beach Street Knitting and Yarn Society I find this novel delightful and fresh. I highly recommend this book to all knit lovers and avid readers.

I’ll be starting the third installment Knit One, Pearl One soon. I have grown fond of these characters so I imagine it won’t be long before I have a review. I can’t wait to get started!

Happy Knitting

Resourcefulness!

Posted on September 28, 2012 by atangledyarn84

I am finally getting back into the swing of knitting mostly because my busy schedule has slowed down.

I have made progress on my knit shrug, about another 3 inches. I have also knocked out a handful of kitchen scrubbies for my mom’s craft fair next Tuesday. Both of which I have packed for our weekend travels!

(100% cotton worsted and tulle cut into strips knit together on US 8s with a seed stitch design)

We are headed to the husband’s 10 yr high school reunion, Go Bears!! I finished two scrubbies in the car when I realized I didn’t have a tapestry needle!! A search of my bag was fruitless, all I found was a bobby pin. So I improvised…

A bobby pin makes a needle in a pinch if your price is “open” enough (which mine was). And tah Dah!

I’ll be busy most of the weekend, so ill see everyone on the other side! I finished Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil this week and hope to have a review up next week!

Happy Knitting!

Books about knitting: The Knitting Circle

Posted on September 24, 2012 by atangledyarn84

I love to knit and I love all kinds of books about knitting. Due to my recent busy schedule I haven’t gotten much knitting done, so I settled for reading about it.

I recently picked up The Knitting Circle on Amazon. This delightful book was written by Ann Hood. It’s a book about loss and the power if knitting. Though the book caries a sad theme, if you read deep enough you can see how the rhythmic process of knitting can help to heal all kinds of wounds. Not to mention having a great group of friends to lean on!

I read that in 2011 this book was rumored to be in production with Katherine Heigl to be a movie. I would be first in line to see that movie if it ever gets made!

I highly recommend this book to knitters if all ages, genders, races, and skill levels! This is a book that will definitely stay on my shelf!!

I have moved on to my next book, The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil.

And yes, I realize that I accidentally color coordinated my current baby blanket with this book, ha!

Happy Knitting!! (And reading)

Rhythm of the needles

Posted on September 13, 2012 by atangledyarn84

There is something so special about the rhythm of your knitting needles as the form row after row of neat stitches. This is compounded by the sound of gentle rain against the house. After a long day of work I can literally feel the stress release with every relaxing stitch.

Who can argue with this view? And not to mention finally some rain to ease the drought we’ve been having!

Tonight is for quality movie time with the hubs and leftovers from last nights cooking adventure. Ok and maybe some or a lot of knitting 🙂

However not all members of our house are as excited about the rain….

No trips to the park today buddy, maybe tomorrow.

FO – Frilly Knit Scarf

Posted on August 31, 2012 by atangledyarn84

Just a little FO this Friday. I had a three hour car ride to kick off my labor day weekend. Only took me 2 hours to complete (in between chatting with the hubby)!

It’s Frilly Knit Scarf by Red Heart made with Red Hearts’ Boutique Sashay in Salsa. I made one small change to the pattern, I only cast on five stitches instead of six. I wanted a little more length and it doesn’t change the look of the scarf very much.

Meet Chloe

Posted on August 29, 2012 by atangledyarn84

I’d like you to meet Chloe! She is a 4 year old Cavalier Spaniel who snores like a grizzly bear and wants to be friends with everyone she meets. She is my sometimes knitting companion when she isn’t too hot to sit next to me. I believe she gets jealous of my knitting because it doesn’t always leave room in my lap for her!
My husband and I rescued her from a very nice lady who succumbed to cancer. She can be stubborn and naughty but we have never regretted a minute of it. She can cure my foulest of moods with a simple snuggle and quick kiss. She waits for me everyday in our bay window when I get off work.
So here she is and she is pleased to meet you. Chloe will most definitely be part of my future knitting adventures!

Hello world!

Posted on August 28, 2012 by atangledyarn84

I have put down the needles tonight to begin my blogging adventure! I have many hobbies including knitting, theatre, volleyball, sewing, and much much more. But I find myself always drawn back to knitting. The simple clickity clack of the needles is deeply soothing and the sense of accomplishment when gazing upon a finished object is beyond compare! So with blog I want to bring you along on the ups and downs of knitting adventures with a few stories of my other hobbies thrown in.

Here we go!

My Tangled Yarn Knitting Adventures

Ramblings from an obsessed knitter

Tag Archives: knitting