Reenie Sweater~

I have been wanting to make myself a sweater from this yarn since Sock Summit (Aug. 08) but could not find a pattern that makes me happy. I am built like I am 5 mos pregnant, but am NOT prego. Wow-- did I just admit that? haha So I am basically stuck between a woman’s XL and plus sizes. The XL are too tight around my middle and the plus sizes too large everywhere else. I am an anomaly. But that is another therapy session entirely. haha.

Knit patterns usually fall in that same conundrum.

So I am designing my own pattern as I go. To flatter those parts I want flattered and mask those that need masked.

This is a top-down raglan sweater, using combined techniques from EZ and BGW and the many patterns I have read. Ravelry Project Link~

Here is a photo of my math and notes...

Gauge is 20 st/ 4 in. and 26 rows/ 4 in. on a sz. 7 needle.

Yarn is Yowza!-Whatta Skein! from MissBabs.com

Colorway is Cadet.

Photo of the front section and the raglan increases~

2/5/10~ Cast on 172 for the neckline. The recommend neck size according to the percentage scale was too tight for my tastes. K2P2 rib for 11 rows (about 1.5 in.)

2/6/10~ did a ton of math and measured a favorite sweater to decide on raglan percentages, etc. Made the back section smaller than the front and am adding short rows to make it longer as I do the raglan decreases. I plan to add about 2 inches in short rows. Today I ripped back to the neck border for the third time and started yet again… all part of the learning process. My short row wraps were making an ugly hole on the right side. I realized the short rows were starting and ending too close to my raglan increases. duh. So I started over and started them 4 stitches from end rather than 2.

2/7/10~ Today I took the time to sit and figured out more detailed math for the yoke. How to space out the short rows, etc. So far so good. knitknitknit.

Photo of the back section (where I am adding the short rows)~

FFfffffphttt...

Did the title make you think about clicking away from this page?

Things have been marginally routine and vanilla around here the past few weeks.
Paul was in NY for a sales meeting and gone for 8 days. I tend to be a bit 'off' when he is gone for a long period of time. Co-dependent? perhaps. whatever, it is what it is....

I did get a ton of site work and updates done while he was gone though...
He came home last weekend just in time for my sinus infection to hit full swing.
So this week has been a decongestant haze.
I finished a knit hat for my baby brother, a late Xmas gift. (more pics at the end of the post)

and I finished swatching for planned sweaters for the girls. More on that later too. Oh and I cleaned. That is kind of a big deal. Cleaned meaning vacuumed and dusted, not just clutter control.

GEESH, why am I even bothering to post? No pics, nothing much to record. No big creative news.

Just life happening. In all of it's boring glory. It can't always be whoohoo... thankfully. haha.

reenieout

Happy Ground Hog / Birthday Day!

Don't know what to make in honor of Ground Hog Day?

Here is your dinner recipe for tonight found here ~

The misspellings make it even funnier. You gotta read it.

Contry-Style Groundhog

1. 1 groundhog
2. 1/2 c. flour
3. 1/4 tsp. salt
4. 1/4 tsp. pepper
5. 1/4 tsp. soda
6. 1/4 c. cooking oil
7. 1/2 tsp. sugar

NOTE:Clean and skin as soon as possible. Remove all sent glands. Cut off head, feet and tail. Cure in cool place by suspending from hook approximately 4 days. When ready to cook, lard according to recipe.

Dress groundhog as for rabbit, removing the small sacs in the back and under the forearm. Soak groundhog overnight in salted water to remove wild flavor. Combine flour, salt, pepper and sada; rub into groundhog pieces. Brown grounhog in hot oil in skillet; sprinkle with sugar. Reduce heat; add 1/2 cup water. Cover; simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Remove cover; cook for 10 minutes longer.

Happy Groundhog Day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND... today our Xena girl turns 4!

A true Ground Dog. (get it? snort)

Such a good girl.

Last night she sang with me as I did my rendition of "My Favorite Things"

(from the Sound of Music).

She knows how to score noms from the dinner table. goodgirl.

Clean clean purge purge purge

Phew!

I am so tired.

Been listing things in my new Stash Purge page like CRAZY!

I have so much stuff. And a lot of it I moved from PA with me, over TWO years ago.

We have been looking at houses, to buy, and the thought of moving this stuff again>?

sigh.

So... it's TIME to move things to new homes.

Please keep an eye on my Purge Page.

There are some great deals going on!

Undyed yarns (that I intended to dye...someday... time to let them go)

Fibers (I have WAY too much fiber)

Yarn (discounted hand dyed skeins!)

Books & Doodads & Accessories

Handmade Stuff!

Embellishments (FOOZLES!)

tacky tacky tacky stuff... heehee

I am having a blast... and things are going fast!

So GO... shop, and save!

xo

reenie

Wrist Wruffles for Haiti~

Wrist Wruffles Haiti Fundraiser Pattern PDF

Designed by Angela Place! This pattern is available for purchase for JUST $2.50! Now through February 28, 2010 ALL of the proceeds will go to The Red Cross Haitian Relief Fund. Click here to go purchase .. and YES, you can buy more than one! Materials: ~ Fingering / 4 ply (14 wpi) 120-200 yards ~ US Sz. 2 double point needles Available sizes: S[M, L]; Stretches to fit: 6-7[7-8, 8-9] inch wrist Gauge: 28 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch (gauge is not critical) The perfect fun and flirty transition piece as we go from winter to spring and a great way to use up extra sock yarn or leftovers from a fingering weight project. The wruffles look good in a solid, variegated or self-striping yarn and do a great job of keeping the spring breezes from chasing up your sleeves, especially when knit in a scrumptious fiber like alpaca. Read more about the Haiti donation in Angela's Blog... The Happy Needle Notebook

Scheduled?

Back into the studio... !

After three weeks of holiday festivities and family visits.

I did not knit all that much, but I DID work on my journal from the online class I have been taking,

"Remains of the Day" taught by the spectacular Maryann Moss.

SO MUCH FUN!

I spent days and days making it and playing with it... to the point of

obsessive. (go figure)

Here are a few shots of the pages.

You can see more of them in my Art Journal flickr album.

There are layers and layers of meaning (to me) in just the pages and the images I collaged/sewn.

Now I am adding my 2010~ 365 images as I go and will (write)

journal along with that.

Signature #1 tied into the cover~

A base page about my great gram~

A base page with my CT scan (my heart)~

Base page~

First 365 images entered~

I have a rudimentary basic daily-ish schedule all formed in my

head.

I think it's time to write it out a bit to keep things manageable.

Easier said than done.

I am usually just happy if we are all alive and fed and the house has

some semblance of order and I am finding time to create.

Been taking a bit of time each day to paint.

No pre-thinking, just some put some music on and paint for some time.

Intuitional-ficated painting. Feels really really good.

Today's progress:

Working on a new business plan for MW, just need to process a pile of things before announcing anything.

For now?

That is it. Getting back in to the swing of things...

reenieout

Baby Pip Hat REVISION~

Finally!

The LONG awaited and highly anticipated

Baby Pip Hat Pattern Revision!

Working on some more prototypes and variations... will add pictures here as they are completed.

Baby Pip Hat

by Reenie Hanlin

Gauge is 5 st/in in K1P1 pattern~

With a worsted weight yarn...

~ Size 8 dpn (or whatever size you need to obtain gauge)

~ Cast on 40 (preemie) (56 (newborn) or 60 (infant)) stitches and divide evenly between needles.

~ Connect and begin working in the round in K1P1 until hat measures 4 (4.5, 5) inches from cast on edge.

~ Divide stitches evenly on to two needles and bind off using three needle bind off.

~ Flip hat inside out so the bind off sea is on the inside.

Three needle bind off~

Knit 1st stitch from both front and back needle together

repeat and pass 1st st over 2nd st and drop off.

Repeat this pattern until seam is completed.

End and weave in ends.

Embellish the corners of the hat with pom-poms, tassels or ears.

www.MaterialWhirled.com