Dishcloth Diva
November 5, 2008|Comments (20)
Knitting and crocheting dishcloths is one of my favorite activities. I don’t often use patterns because I much prefer knitting to be a “coloring outside of the box” experience. That and I have trouble following patterns which require a great deal of counting or fancy footwork…er… handwork. I try them and then lose interest about halfway through because they take away from the therapeutic quality of knitting or crocheting. So, I just try to make sure that a few elements are in place: good ribbing for scrubbing, uncomplicated design, and natural fibers.
As the leaves change and I find myself reaching for snugly blankets, my knitting interests have been rekindled and now I’ve decided to make extra dishcloths to give as Christmas gifts. It was while I was sitting on the front porch this morning knitting on my latest dishcloth that a cartoon light bulb appeared over my head and I thought, “Gee whiz, my blogging friends might like to make dishcloths for their friends and family, too.” I’m a bona fide genius. Bona fide.
All Knitting Chinese Waves pattern:
Materials: 100% cotton yarn, such as Sugar ‘n Cream and #7 needles.
Cast on 45 stitches (Any odd number of stitches will do.)
Row 1: Knit across (this is the right side)
Row 2: *K1, Slip 1* repeat between * across, ending K1.
Row 3: Knit across
Row 4: K2, *Slip 1, K1* repeat between * across, ending K1.
Keep working in pattern until piece is square, finishing with a wrong side row. Bind off in knitting on the right side.
Diamond Pattern Dishcloth:
Materials:
Worsted weight cotton dish cloth yarn (Sugar ‘N Cream, Lion Cotton, Bernat Handicraft)
Needles appropriate to yarn (about size 8 US or 5 mm)
Gauge:Not vital
Instructions:
Note: Knit the first and last 3 sts of every row. CO 31 sts. Knit four rows.
Row 1 (RS): k1, *p1, k9, p1, k1; rep from *
Row 2: k1, *p1, k1, p7, k1, p1, k1; rep from *
Row 3: k1, *p1, k1, p1, k5 (p1, k1) twice; rep from *
Row 4: p1, * (p1, k1) twice, p3, k1, p1, k1, p2; rep from *
Row 5: k1, *k2, (p1, k1) 3 times, p1, k3; rep from *
Row 6: p1, *p3, (k1, p1) twice, k1, p4; rep from *
Row 7: k1, *k4, p1, k1, p1, k5; rep from *
Row 8: Rep Row 6
Row 9: Rep Row 5
Row 10: Rep Row 4
Row 11: Rep Row 3
Row 12: Rep Row 2
Rep Rows 1-12 until about 8-10 inches.
Knit four rows. BO.
Have you seen what else is new on our site? Check out our blondes in the buff, simple living confessions, nordic braided bread, green manure groundcovers, and a lullaby for a stormy night. If that’s not enough then you’ll just have to wander through our Best Of section for more goodies. Email us with questions: lacy@razorfamilyfams.com or leave comments. We love to hear from you!
Halloween Handwork
October 31, 2008|Comments (12)
Tipper, of Blind Pig & Acorn, sent me this wonderfully festive crocheted spider web made by Granny. Tipper didn’t know that I’d actually found a pattern for this very web the other week and planned to make it. How about that? Isn’t Tipper amazing? She’s a mind reader, I tell you. Goodness, I’m glad she’s my blogging friend!
Anyway, should you decide that you want to make one of your very own, I’m posting the pattern which I did not create but rather found in one of my aunt’s craft books.
Materials:
size 1.50 mm hook
size 10 thread (black)
Rnd 1: ch 4 ,sl st in first st to form a ring. ch 6 (counts as tr + 2),
*(tr , ch 2) rep from * 15 times, join with sl st to 4th ch of first st.
(16 tr, 16 ch-2 sp)
Rnd 2: ch 7, (counts as first tr + ch 3) , *(tr in next tr, ch 3) rep from * around.
Join with sl st to 4th ch of first st.
Rnd 3: ch 8, (counts as first tr + ch 4) , *(tr in next tr, ch 4) rep from * around.
Join with sl st to 4th ch of first st.
Rnd 4: ch 9, (counts as first tr + ch 5) , *(tr in next tr, ch 5) rep from * around.
Join with sl st to 4th ch of first st.
Rnd 5: ch 10, (counts as first tr + ch 6) , *(tr in next tr, ch 6) rep from * around.
Join with sl st to 4th ch of first st.
Rnd 6: ch 12, (counts as first tr + ch 8 ) , *(sc in next tr, ch 8 ,tr in next tr, ch 8 )
rep from * 7 times, sc in next tr, ch 8. Join with sl st to 4th ch of first tr.
Fasten off.
Web
Materials:
Starch according to instructions on craft starch making sure to pull the tr in
Rnd 6 to a point to make the outer web shape.
Spider
Materials:
Body
small amount sportweight cotton (black)
hook 2.50 mm
DO NOT JOIN RNDS UNLESS INDICTED.
MARK ENDS OF RNDS WITH MARKER.
dec: decrease – (insert hook in next st, yo, pull through st) 2 times,
yo pull through all 3 lps on hook.
Rnd 1:ch 2, work 4 sc in second ch from hook, place marker.
Rnd 2: work 2 sc in each st around, place marker. (8 sts)
Rnd 3: work 2 sc in first st, sc in next st, *(2 sc in next st,
sc in next st) rep from * around, place marker. (12 sts)
Rnd 4: 2 sc in first st, sc in next 2 sts, *(2 sc in next st, sc in next
2 sts.) rep from * around , place marker.(16)
Rnd 5: sc in each st around, place marker.(16 sts)
Rnd 6: (dec, sc in next 2 sts) rep from * around, place marker.
Rnd 7: (dec) around, break thread leaving an 8″ tail.
Place a small amount of stuffing inside body, weave tail through
remaining sts of Rnd 8 and pull tight. Weave in ends.
Legs
Materials:
Black pipe cleaners
Glue Gun
Cut 8 legs by cutting black pipe cleaners into 2 ” lengths.
Glue to body (4 on each side).making sure to bend them into the
shape of a spider’s legs.
Finishing
Attach spider with small amount of glue to web. Or not. Whatever you want to do. Have fun but most of all — have a happy Halloween!
Want to see more totally cool craft activities? Check out all of our craft posts at RazorFamilyFarms.com/crafts and find out everything from how to darn your socks to how on earth you render fat to make soap. Or if you just want to watch someone else do it… that’s okay, too. 
Spin Class — No Sweat!
September 25, 2008|Comments (13)
Oh, how I love good yarn! I crave it. I need it. It speaks to my inner pioneer and that’s a very dangerous thing. The only trouble with yarn (and particularly good yarn) is that it is not in my budget. Nope. But there is hope in this financial buzz-kill: drop spindles, hand cards, lukewarm soapy water, and raw wool.
Some of you have already packed your bags for better blogs. Come back! I haven’t completely parted from suburbia… do you see any sheep in my yard? Not yet, anyway. **cackling loudly and slapping knee repeatedly** Here’s the washed and picked wool now. See? That wasn’t so bad!
When I randomly come across some raw wool, I get to hand pick the burs and briers out myself. I am a wool picker that is wanting to adopt nose-pickers. LOL! Then I get to hand card it — the wool. I will probably do a post on the entire process for you at some point but not until I’ve finished canning pears. First things first. Back to hand carding. Goodness it that ever fun at first. At the very first… like in the first ten minutes… until I realize that I still have a mountain of wool to go and I’m not even finished.
Hand carders are cheap enough to make. I found mine in the form of wire dog brushes and then just added wooden handles (the dog brushes had a broken hand strap and were a Dollar Store find). They work just fine. Fiber artists the world over just cringed at my cheapy hand carders. I take comfort in that knowledge as I sandwich the washed and picked wool in between the combs and begin pulling the fiber through over and over again.
That hand carding left me with something that spinners and fiber artists call “rolags” a roll/rag hybrid. Actually, I have no idea how they got that name but they are pictured above for your viewing pleasure. Mine are imperfect but since I have no fiber professionals to consult — we’re going to call them words like: breathtaking, outstanding, incredible, and genius. Well, I will anyway. Just try and stop me.
In order to make my drop spindle, I used a wooden toy wheel from Hobby Lobby and a sharpened rod pushed through the center. Because I ended up with a nice long dowel rod (READ: double pointed bamboo knitting needle that I found under the couch and cannot for the life of me find the mate to), I could also use mine as a supportive spindle — thus I could spin with it sitting beside me in the couch while I pretend to watch television with Josh.
To get started, I wrap commercial yarn around the base and tie onto my raw wool leader which is a strip of twisted wool. I then (holding a rolag in my left hand) begin twisting the wool on the rod with the wheel and sharp point on the couch cushion to my right side. After a few wobbly tries, I produced a lumpy and uneven yarn of which I was incredibly proud. After a few tries, I discovered that I wasn’t half bad at spinning and felt very close to my pioneering brethren. Again… a dangerous thing. Why? Because when I start to picture myself on a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail — I forget all about the cholera, mountain fever, pneumonia, diphtheria, typhoid, and weeks of staring at the backside of an oxen team. My brain is sent straight to campfires under starlit skies, views uninterrupted by housing and power lines, and the joys of settling a homestead with my husband. **sigh**
Now ask me if I’ve finished those socks I started. (No, actually, please don’t!)
Anyway, to use my little supportive spindle into a drop spindle, I simply need to have my darling husband install a hook at the end. Since I am doing just fine with my little supportive needle and don’t want to transition to anything else, I found a video to show you the whole drop spindle thing. The lady is a real pro. Not like me. Even though my rolags are stunning, spectacular, and amazing.
Goodness, I hope that you are as fascinated by spinning as I am. Otherwise, I may have just bored you to bits. My question? How long do you think it will be before Josh and I get alpacas now that I’m obsessed with spinning?
