2012AdventCalendarScarf Day 8

Hello,

[This post was edited 2012.12.09 with an added stitch tutorial down at the bottom of the post.]

Continuing my countdown to Christmas with the 2012 Advent Calendar Scarf by Kristen, who is wollkistchen in Ravelry.

I started my 2nd skein of yarn with this section. That means that I should use 3+ skeins.  I have 3 and a partial (almost full) which was the one I started with.  I should have enough.  Actually, I had 2 and the partial, so I ran frantically to my LYS, Serial Knitters, and bought 1 more to be safe.  Hope I am safe.  Of course, they said that since Cascade is so safe (it is great living near them), they could get me another skein quickly if I needed one, and the dye lots don't really matter that much since Cascade is pretty consistent.

I actually started this section last night because I wanted to get a bit ahead for today.  Today is my knit-bud GwenS's birthday party.  She is having a get together at her house this afternoon.  I made a treat for her (cooking not knitting), but I  can't say what it is here because she actually reads this blog.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GwenS!

After GwenS's party, I have another party.  This one is on my street.  My street has an annual "progressive dinner" party every year.  For anyone who doesn't know what that is, you start the party at one house with part of the meal, usually appetizers, then move to another house for the next part, and so on until at a final house you have dessert.  We are actually skipping the "dinner" part of the party and just doing appetizers and dessert.  I have been busy this morning making some various appetizers as that is my contribution to the party.  Basically, everyone divided into either appetizer or dessert, then you bring that to the designated hosting houses.  It is a great way to get to know your neighbors.  I really recommend starting one up then doing it annually.  When we had that fire up our hill, I realized how many new neighbors had moved in this year that I had never met.  Hope they all show up at the party.

On to today's lace section.

Today's pattern has another giant hole in it.  This is another double YO with 4 stitches in it on the next row (pkpk).  Kristen gave us the name for the pattern, "Mandelkern," which means Almond.  Ok, it means almond kernel, but no one says that, so "Almond."  I'm guessing it is named for the almond shaped hole (duh).  Very simple and pretty.

Here is the section:

And here is what my scarf/shawl looks like now:

Peace.

Yours,

f1bercat

shaping the planet with Day 8.

December 9, 2012

Added Stitch Tutorial for Double YO

For Day 8, Kristen had a pattern with two Yarn Overs together.  This is a bit of an explanation of how I did this stitch.

YOYO  Double YO or YO 2 times

Yarn over two times

coming back on the wrong side row, 

purl into the first part of the YO but don't take the stitch off the left needle

then knit into the first part of the YO,

and take only the first loop off

then repeat by purling into the second part of the YO without taking the loop off,

and then knitting back into the same YO.

You will have a large YO space with 4 stitches holding the top

This is what it looks like after you have stitched the next row:

In this example, I did one with a single YO (on the right)  and one with a double YO (on the left),

I pkpk'd in both.

As you can see, there is little difference in the final size of the eyelet.

Peace.
f1bercat

Please let me know with a comment if you have any suggestions or corrections. 

Eastside Stitchers Eat Tea

Hello,

Today some of the Eastside Stitchers, the um... unemployed ones, met for afternoon tea at The British Pantry in Redmond, WA.

This is a pretty authentic british pub, restaurant, and shop.

Some of our little group are truly in the know about Great Britain, and explained that not only is this restaurant run by real Brits, but the food uses ingredients FROM Great Britain, so it really tastes right.

We had a cute little room all to ourselves.

Everyone wore something special.
And ok, I'm going to confess right here before I start showing the photos of our knitwear and what we brought to knit during the tea, that all of the photos are horrible.  Apologies to everyone in the group.
And, also to you who are reading this. 

Anyway,
Vanesapolo was wearing an Owls by Kate Davies.

Redbird1 brought her Magic Three-Yarn Scarf & Wrap by Churchmouse Yarn & Teas.

And Skeinherder had on a cowl, called Pretty Thing,  from a pattern by the Yarn Harlot.

We ordered, and the very nice waitress brought us our Teapot. (Love the cozy.)

And a pot of jam.

I had "Afternoon Tea."  Which consisted of cucumber sandwiches (yes!  just like in my favorite Oscar Wilde play, The Importance of Being Earnest), fresh fruit, a scone and a tea cake.

Skeinherder, who had not had lunch, had the "Emperor Tea."  Much the same as mine, but with a ham quiche instead of the cucumber sandwiches.

While we ate our tea, we....
knitted, of course.

(And this is where the really bad photos come in.)

Vanesapolo was working on her newest design.  I am not allowed to post a photo yet, but I can give you a link to the newest one she has posted on Ravelry, a really cute Garter Stitch Keyhole Scarf.

Skeinherder was working on some Turkish Bed Socks by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas.  They are "lemon-ginger tea colored."  Honestly.

Redbird1 brought her Linen Stitch scarf also by Churchmouse Yarns. 

Anerenbe was starting on some amazing mittens.  The pattern is Phenomenon, by Carine Ancel.

After we finished eating (and drinking) our tea, we looked around the shop at all of the very British things.

We shall definitely have to do it again. As Paul McCartney sang,

Would you care to sit with me
For a cup of English tea
Very twee, very me
Any sunny morning

What a pleasure it would be
Chatting so delightfully
Nanny bakes, fairy cakes
Every Sunday morning

Stay safe and well.
Yours,

f1bercat
shaping the planet in a very civilized manner.

Cerritos Heritage Park and Walt Disney Studios

Hello!

Life

Continuing my California Diaries...

On Tuesday, August 14, after we had visited my Godchildren in Santa Monica, we headed over the Hollywood Hills to Burbank to meet my nephew's new bride, S, who works for ABC and Disney Studios.  She took us on a fun tour of the facility.

The old Walt Disney Studios is a beautiful lot full of original office buildings and sound stages.

Of course, there are some new additions to the studios.

One thing that doesn't change, is Walt Disney's Corner Office.

It was a wonderful tour.  Thank you, S!

For a completely different day, yesterday, my sister, S, and I took her grandson and my brother's daughter to meet with some friends at Heritage Park in the city of Cerritos, California.

The park has a pond with an island in the center.  On the island are play houses and climbing structures built to look like Boston during the American Revolution.

There is a covered bridge to cross the water which forms sort of a moat around the town.

 On the island are the buildings, just like Old Boston.

They are labeled so kids can get a sense of what types of businesses and shops were in a typical colonial village.

One thing that is NOT typical to a real colonial village is the slide out of the houses!

There were ducks to be fed,

Turtles sunning near the moat,

And, of course, ice cream!

Knitting


I brought my Capricious Cowl to the park because we sat on the grass and chatted while the kids played on the structures, and I didn't want to have to pay attention to a pattern.

I have made huge progress on this cowl because I keep going places where I cannot concentrate, so I can't work on the other WIP's I have going which include my Thistle Hat by Liz Marino, and the Echo Flower Shawl I am making for my mom.

HPKCHC

One other thing I wanted to mention is that today is Sorting Day!  in the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup Group (HPKCHC) on Ravelry.   I hope to do some posts about the sorting process, and a bit on how the group/game is run next week.  I am both excited and nervous to be sorted.  Not about which house, though.  One thing I learned this "term" (4 month period) is that all of the houses are full of nice, supportive, fun stitchers.  I am just hoping that I will be a credit to my House!

Where in the World is f1bercat?

Still no real exercise.  I keep telling myself to walk around my brother's block.  He lives on a pretty steep hill, so it would be pretty good exercise.  But then, I don't.  I hope I can get back into the regular exercise thing when I go home in September.

Stay safe and well.
Yours,
f1bercat
Shaping the planet from Sunny Southern California