Hand Warmers

I'm going to try and post a little more frequently than this, but, you know, the life of a SAHM.  It really is amazing how the days just fly by and it feels like I haven't accomplished anything.  Like, for example, that massive pile of laundry that is just waiting to be folded and put away.

Isn't it just so much easier to take the clothes from the pile??

It's such a dreary day outside.  The weather called for freezing rain, but I have yet to see the freezing temperature.  Instead it is just rainy.

Iz is sleeping and J is putting his blocks away.  I swear he spends more time putting the blocks away than he actually does playing with them.  And he makes it fun too.  I'm sitting here laughing at him, encouraging his craziness.

So, I just started this new pillow pattern.  It's pretty simple, and goes pretty fast.  I'm still working on it, and I will post a finished picture and the pattern when I'm done.  It's for a standard 16in. x 16in. pillow. I also have an afghan on the go.  A simple hexagonal afghan that is taking way too long!  I had no idea how much effort was put into these things!  All the ends that have to be woven in, and then all the pieces have to be sewn together.  I am definitely going to appreciate it when it's done!

The pattern is from the OneLoopShort blog.  So far I am loving it.  It's so plain and simple, and the colours I'm using are cozy.  Or, at least they are to me.

So, these hand warmers.  They started out as someone else's hand warmers, but I changed the pattern.  A lot.  So, the only thing that is still from the original pattern is how many stitches to cast on.  I think.

They're made out of the leftover cotton that I have from the face cloth.  I love them!  I already made a second pair for a friend of W's at work.  She loves them too.

Hand Warmers:
Using size 4 dpns CO 36 stitches, dividing evenly 12 stitches between each needle.  Join the round without twisting and place a marker.
Row 1: k1,p1 to marker.
Row 2: k all the way around
Repeat these two rows 2 more times.
Knit until you have the desired wrist length.  If you slide the mitts over your hand they will come up to the bottom of your hand, where your thumb actually starts (the 3rd segment).
K1, M1, k to the marker.  Knit 8 more rows.
K1, place marker, M1, place marker, k to the end of the round.
K a row
K1, M1 at first marker, k1, m1 at second marker, k to the end of the row.
K a row
K1, M1 at first marker, k3, m1 at second marker, k to the end of the row.
K a row.
Continue in this pattern until there are 13 stitches inbetween the markers.  Put these 13 stitches on a stitch holder.
K next round, joining the fingers together.  Knit for 2 inches.
Work the pattern at the beginning, BO after a Row 1 to avoid curling.
Pick up the stitches from the holder and pick up two more stitches from in the corner of the thumb so you don't have a hole.  15 stitches total.
K for an inch and work 2 patterns from the beginning, BO after a Row 1 to avoid curling.

Enjoy!

Dish Cloth

I have about five minutes to write this post - let's see how I do.

It's amazing how time goes out the window while you have kids.  J is napping right now, but as soon as I put J down, Iz woke up.  Figures, eh?  (Yes I'm Canadian)

So Iz is now sitting beside me eating a snack while I frantically try to get this post finished.  I might just have to give him a little more snack to try and get through this post.

I made up (?) a pattern for a dish cloth!  This may be a lie, there may be a dish cloth pattern out there exactly the same, but I promise, I had no idea it existed before I told you that I made this up.

It is a great dish cloth, and you can easily make it any size that you want.  It is extremely bumpy on one side and nice and smooth on the other side.  Would probably even make a good face or wash cloth.

There it is.  It's a thing of beauty.  It's knit in 100% cotton that I found at my local textiles shop.  They make it themselves, so it is extremely cheap.  Lovely when you find deals like that, isn't it?

Getting to the pattern:

Dish/Wash/Face Cloth:
CO however many stitches you want (an odd number) so that your cloth is the size you want.  I used size 4 needles, so I cast on 45 stitches.
Row 1: p1, (k1, p1) repeat until you reach the end. This will be the WS
Row 2: k all the stitches

Repeat these two rows until you are satisfied with your length (I usually try to make it a square but in order to do that you have to actually make it a little longer because the cotton will shrink length-wise)

BO and sew in the ends.

There you have it!  Enjoy!