Novelty Vintage Neck and Headband

Novelty Vintage Neck and Headband for my niece Melanie. Yarns used, Ella Rae Amity in the colors light green and off white. 

Flower Beanie II in Yellow

Interchangeable The flower is connected with a "push button" to easily be removed and exchanged with another flower. The pattern is so easy and fast to knit. The little flower gives the beanie a special colorful accent. The flower pattern is from the book 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet (page 76) and the beanie pattern called "Helmet Liner" from the April 2010 issue of Knit 'N Style.

Flower Beanie I Green

Interchangeable     flower. Flower is connected with a "push button". 

The flower pattern is from the book; 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet (page 76) and the beanie pattern is called "Helmet Liner" from the April 2010 issue of Knit 'N Style.

Name it a Shawl or a Cowl...

I saw this cowl during a yarn show. I liked the pattern and thought I would copy and knit it. So, I did... I made some changes and added a crochet trim. The colors I used are similar but not the same colors as in the original in picture (1st) below.  

Using up leftover yarns from completed projects.

 This beanie is knitted quickly and easy.

Knitting Charts

As I mentioned in an earlier entrance I found a knitting chart of a cat on Instagram. It looked great and reminded me of my kitty Bobette. The chart was nice and clear, and I used it to knit a beanie with the chart. I used the very same chart and charted it onto a knitting machine punch card and knitted the pattern on a Brother KH 181. Here are the results…

New Toy

I found this website selling inexpensive knitting accessories and knitting "toy's" like this little knitting machine. I have a 20 needle Addi machine and wanted a larger one for beanies. This is the one I chose and so far so good. It looks great and simple enough to use at the spot...

Noro Matsuri Cowl

Noro Matsuri yarn is an excellent choice. DK weighs and is 87% Cotton and 13% Wool. It feels great on your skin and the colors are vibrant. I knitted this cowl while trying not to be a “backseat driver” on our way to visit my uncle and my sister-in-law in Arizona last month. It is such an easy but yet notable project since there is not really a pattern to follow other than the different combinations of knit and purl stitches. 

The pattern is comprised of knit and purl stitches in no particular order but in different combinations. The border around is crochet in a triple double crochet stitch. 

Ready Teddy in a square

Ready Teddies by Marion Starr are not only easy but also are lot's of fun to knit. 

Ready Teddy in a square 8ply wool x 3.75mm needles x 5 colors Square is knitted in garter stitch except for the head which is knitted in stocking stitch.

Color 1. Cast on 30 stitches and knit 4 rows of garter stitch.
Color 2. Knit 20 rows
Color 3. Knit 2 rows.
Color 4. Knit 14 rows.
Color 5. Knit 18 rows in stocking stitch.

Cast off.

Iron edges flat.

1. Turn square to the wrong side and tie off color joins in securing. Pin long sides together in matching colors.

1. Starting at the bottom, sew back stitch seam 2 stitches from the edge.
2. Pin top edges and sews with backstitch seam.
3. Turn to the right side and lift out the top corners, if necessary, with a wool needle for the ear point.
4. Sew running stitch from front and back diagonally for each ear and gather slightly to shape to the front.
5. Fill the tube with fiberfill firming head shape until well filled. Sew across the base of the tube adding extra fiber if necessary.
6. Legs - Stitch from the center front through to the center back to divide the body in half, starting about four rows below the waist.
7. Arms - Stitch arms starting at the waist and sew up to about three rows below the neck.
8. Neck - With head color and starting at the side seam, sew running stitch around the bottom row of head shape and pull two ends together tightly to shape the neck.
9. Tie off and secure. Features - Mark the position of the eyes with pins.
10. Embroider eyes, nose, and mouth with darker wool.
11. Safety - Do not use plastic eyes as children can swallow them. Do not add extra wool around the neck.  

Ready Teddies by Marion Starr
https://aussieknittingthreads.blogspot.com.au/

Fingerless Gloves

I found this cute fingerless gloves original pattern by Cheryl Niamath online. I changed the bind-off border from plain to crochet peacock.

The free pattern can be found here:
https://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html

Stitch 'n Bitch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stitch 'n Bitch is a name that has been used to refer to social knitting groups since at least World War II.[1] Before the slang term "Stitch 'n Bitch" was used, groups of women in the 1940s would join to knit and talk in organized Stitch and Bitch clubs. The term was further used in the 1980s as part of the book Social History of American Knitting by Anne Macdonald.[2] It is partly due to the book's success that the modern day Stitch 'n Bitch knitting groups have emerged in cities around the world. The groups, mainly women, meet to knit, stitch and talk. Typically, attendees knit, though others crochet (they are called 'Happy Hookers'), and still others engage in cross-stitching, embroidery, and other needlecraft. Nowadays, the groups have been analyzed by scholars as expressions of resistance to major political, social and technological change in Western societies. However, political discussion is not unusual at these events, and at least some participants are proponents of progressive, liberal, and/or leftist social and political change. Furthermore, the term Stitch 'n Bitch is now used by women from across the globe to connect with others in the virtual space seeing as the term has re-emerged in a world where the public sphere is the cyberspace.

With over 1460 registered Stitch 'n Bitch groups in 289 cities worldwide, the social knitting movement has demarked itself as a popular social gathering for avid knitters.[3]

Knitting groups[edit]

Stitch 'n Bitch is a name used by knitting groups that meet on a weekly or monthly basis at locations throughout the world. This use of the term originates as early as the Second World War.[1][4] In 1999, Debbie Stoller started a Stitch 'n Bitch group in NYC's East Village, which was open to anyone who wanted to come to knit along or learn to knit.[citation needed] In 2000, she wrote about her groups in BUST magazine, of which she is the editor-in-chief. Brenda Janish read the article and started the Chicago Stitch 'n Bitch group.[citation needed] That article inspired Vickie Howell to start the Los Angeles Stitch 'n Bitch group and later the Austin Stitch 'n Bitch group.[5] Like Stoller's original group, today's Stitch 'n Bitch clubs are generally casual groups of knitters who meet in public spaces such as bars or cafes for socializing and sharing knitting advice. These groups are free or small fee required memberships and open to the public, and are listed in a directory of worldwide knitting groups that was started by Janish and today is maintained by Stoller: Official Home of Stitch 'n Bitch. As of 2010, the site lists over 700 such groups.

Book series and legal actions

A book series by Debbie Stoller includes Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook, Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker, and other titles.[6]

From 2005 to 2008, Stitch 'n Bitch was the focus of a trademark dispute. In June 2005, the company Sew Fast Sew Easy filed a trademark application for Stitch & Bitch to designate a line of knitting and sewing supplies. As of 2007 this application was suspended.[7] In fall 2005, due to letters claiming trademark infringement from Sew Fast/Sew Easy's lawyers, knitting groups that had accounts with CafePress were forced to remove all items featuring the phrase "Stitch 'n Bitch". Local groups that communicated with each other through Yahoo! Groups were similarly forced to remove "Stitch 'n Bitch" from the name and description of their group.[8] Some groups were deleted, but most groups were able to change their name on Yahoo! to SNB.[9] In 2008, Sew Fast Sew Easy and Debbie Stoller reached a settlement in which Debbie Stoller retained the use of the mark in knitting while Sew Fast Sew Easy retained the use for sewing. Since then all four of Stoller's trademarks have now been registered. The Sew Fast Sew Easy store closed in 2012.
Social implications[edit]

In recent years, the Stitch 'n Bitch movement has been considered as a means of reclaiming women's domestic work in feminist circles. Not only have groups officially been formed through website use, but groups of women on university campuses have also followed the trends in order to resist the taboo representation of the traditional woman.

Dr. Beth Ann Pentney, writing in Thirdspace journal, credited Stoller's publications with the rise of feminist knitting. Stoller introduced this approach to feminism to merge political involvement with a women's community-building activity set in a Do-It-Yourself culture.[10] As a response to Stoller, much scrutiny on the effectiveness of the reclamation of domestic arts as a political feminist act has been done. Some say that the reason of the reintroduction of knitting in modern social gatherings is mainly due to the increase in the search for individualism and the anti-consumerism attitude of our generation.[10] With this said, it is important to denote the implication of technologies in the emergence of a "fabric culture" based on the reclamation of domestic arts and crafts.[11] With the internet accessibility of online information and tips and tricks for knitters and crocheters, the traditionally personal practice of knitting can now be shared easily among strangers, and is open to public discussion and new ideas. These webs of knitters worldwide find affinities via a very modern technology opposing the traditional DIY nature of knitting.

Interesting Tips - Kool-Aid Yarn Dye

While you may not have the resources to spin your own yarn, you can dye your own animal fibers with Kool-Aid. Mix one packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid mix with 1 cup (8 oz.) of lukewarm water. Wind your yarn into hanks (if they’re wound in balls, the middle won’t get the color, duh), and soak in room-temperature water for 20 minutes. Remove the hanks and place them in a microwave-safe casserole dish and pour the Kool-Aid over them, making sure the yarn gets coated evenly. (You can, of course, mix more Kool-Aid if you need to.) Microwave on high for 2 to 4 minutes (or until the water is clear). Rinse in a sink full of lukewarm water and hang to dry overnight.

https://www.fiberartsy.com/how-to-dye-yarn-with-kool-aid/

Picture (above) by missmake.blogspot.com/

picture by Naztazia.com

A Stitch In Time

The first known knitting guild was the Guild of St. Fiacra (est. in Paris in 1527), which regulated the production of knitted caps. St. Fiacra was the patron saint of cap makers, probably chosen under the mistaken belief that he was Scottish (he was, in fact, Irish) and that knitting had made its way to France from Scotland. In Barcelona, the woolen-stocking knitters were protected by St. Sebastian, perhaps because his arrows were reminiscent of knitting needles.

Images taken from Google search engine

I found this pattern of a cat on Instagram, it was already charted. I printed the chart and knitted this beanie.

Mystery Yarn Bag from Knitting Fever International (KFI)

Mystery yarn bags filled with skeins of yarn of mixed colors, and different fibers. Cotton, Llama, merino, and or sheep wool, cotton, and other mixed acrylic fiber. The bags come in three price ranges and # of skeins. I purchased twenty skeins the largest of the three sizes, and according to the description the yarn is double in price when purchased at a yarn shop. I thought it was worth trying... I can be incredibly happy with this mystery yarn bag, or I can be disappointed if the yarn is not what I expected.

The yarn is nice, high quality but there are also yarns included (in the second picture) I would not even look at when yarn shopping. These skeins can make lovely gifts for knitters and crocheters who like this type of yarn. Overall, I am happy with what I received in my mystery yarn bag.

Hand Knitted Socks

 My uncle loves hand knitted socks...