Mason Dixon KAL

2009-12-23T04:21:00.000-08:00

Who cut the cheese?

2008-12-31T14:59:00.012-08:00

Evidently, everyone in Lansing. I spent multiple hours today driving from grocery store to grocery store looking for Gruyere for fondue. And everyone was sold out! What are the chances? Evidently, everyone in the greater Lansing area is also having fondue for New Years Eve. The wonderful deli man at Goodriche's (the most amazing grocery store ever, think home town spartan store meets delicatessen/ gourmet store) cut me a piece of something he said would substitute quite well. I've grated it all in advance, and both cheeses, the Emmenthaler (the substitute) and the Swiss are amazing!

Mr. M and I will be having traditional Swiss fondue and chocolate fondue for dessert tonight while watching movies and drinking champagne. The party that we were planning on attending was canceled last minute and I decided that we should have an even better party at home. Inspired by Ina Garten, I opted for casual with amazing food!

It's been another great year, full of trial and triumph, love and loss and lots of knitting. See you next year, same place.

Who cut the cheese?

2008-12-31T14:59:00.011-08:00

Happy, Merry, Blessed Christmas

2008-12-17T08:28:00.009-08:00

Happy Holidays from The Wagners

The house is decorated, we are getting the gifts ready, and every day is more exciting as we wait for the arrival of the entire family for our Christmas celebration. Libby will be over from West Seattle; Missy, Scott and Meg will be here for SoCal; and Rich and Pam will arrive from Longview. It will be a fun Christmas morning at the Wagner house!

Again, we’ve been busy this year with our regular activities of boating, visitors and church, but we had some highlights. Jim and I went on a wonderful riverboat cruise up and down the Columbia River with friends the Liebmans. We went through 8 locks! Missy and Scott came for our 4th of July picnic again, but this year it was a double celebration. They bought a house on Whidbey Island with the idea to rent it now and be prepared for when they retire. Scott thinks they can spend the summers here and the winters down south. That way he’ll get in the best golf all year round! It’s so much fun to think of having them near by. Our picnic ended up being 24 people! We had lots of visitors and Pam and Rich showed up from Longview. We had several trips out in our boat this past summer. The most exciting was a trip down the Hood Canal. It was very beautiful scenery and lots of fun with our sailing group going along for support and pot lucks. In September we went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Actually we went all over Israel and parts of Palestine. It was an amazing trip, making us very aware of how much we must pray for peace in the Middle East. We learned about the delicate balance they maintain with so many faiths and different attitudes all claiming the same space. It was a trip of a lifetime.

We came back from the Middle East for knee surgery for Virginia to fix some old torn ligaments and scar tissue from her surgery over ten years ago. She’s doing PT now to prepare for our rigorous trips out in the boat next summer and fall. The surgery was just before Thanksgiving and just in time to be healed enough for Jim to make a trip back east to see his buddies from high school. He missed his 50th reunion while we were in Jerusalem and his oldest guy friends gather each year after Thanksgiving. He flew to Philly and then drove to Allentown and did the tour around, eating real hotdogs and real steak sandwiches!

Grandma Wagner is 98 and holding on. She lives in a retirement home in Chino Hills, CA very close to Missy. We try to get down as often as we can, but having Missy there gives us reassurance that things are going well. Grandma loves it when Meg goes over and shows her the latest computer movie Meg has directed and filmed. These films usually star Meg’s friends, the dogs, or anyone else who walks by. They show real talent, and we may have another movie maker in the family. By the way, Brett’s film, Chief, went to the Sundance Film Festival. That means his film can be nominated for an Oscar! Cool!

We wish we had nephew Brett and his wife Katherine with new baby Zoë with us for Christmas, but they are going to New York to celebrate with her mother. Niece Amanda and her husband Toby are busy with Amanda’s residency in vet school, and niece Bridget and her husband Walter are in Germany where Walter has an Air Force assignment.

Our plans for the summer include cruising to the Canadian waters, the Gulf Islands, and up to Desolation Sound. We will have our regular July 4th picnic, but we plan longer cruises and more days on the water. Last summer we didn’t get our 6 weeks or more on the water. In the spring we plan camping trips with friends, the Liebmans; they bought a new trailer and we bought their old 24 ft trailer. We can go 6 miles and be in great campsites around here; we don’t even have to leave the island. It looks like a great year for us. We hope your New Year will be the best!

Blessings and Cheers from the Whidbey Wagners.

Happy, Merry, Blessed Christmas

2008-12-17T08:28:00.008-08:00

Happy, Merry, Blessed Christmas

2008-12-17T08:28:00.007-08:00

Wiggly Bibs

2008-12-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

A Caterpillar of Bibs. See my blog
for details.

catknitz

Log cabin

2008-08-17T12:30:00.003-07:00

I made this for an old friends little girl who is very sick. Lots of stiches = lots of love!

Joseph's Blankie of Many Colors

2008-08-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

At one point there was kits avaiable for this pattern and I was wondering if anyone knew if there still was one avaiable I have not been able to find on.

a long drawn out conclusion

2008-02-11T08:16:00.002-08:00

The Great Mitered Collaboration (2006-2008) between my sister and I is seamed,bordered, completed, packaged and mailed to our parents. Hop over to my blog for more views, the details, & links to entries on the whole looooong story.

2008-01-17T16:07:00.008-08:00

Today is Steve's first day at his now job, and therefore it is the first day of my actually having a husband around in the evenings and on weekends. I cannot begin to put in words how elated I am about this. It's going to be so wonderful for our family! I can't wait to hear about his first day when he gets home tonight!

I have not been feeling very bloggy lately, so I think I'm going to take a break form here for awhile. Any time spent sitting at the computer seems like it could be better used doing other things, specifically sleeping. So, farewell for now!

I'll leave you with a picture of this handsome little devil, who is now the proud owner of six teeth!

2008-01-17T16:07:00.007-08:00

Nina, pretty ballerina...

2008-01-14T20:16:00.001-08:00

...in my Nina Shawl!!

I love this pattern by Phyllis Howe. Not 100% on the colours I chose, but it feels nice to wear.

For more info, specs and a photo of ABBA, check out the blog. And bring your dancing shoes!

mitres square variation

2007-12-23T04:08:00.002-08:00

Finished in time for Christmas, just, is my variation on the mitred square blanket. I think this is referred to as a Taro blankie?? I may just be making this up but here's mines anyway. The idea was to create a throw for the back of Jackies settee, based on her new colour scheme of browns, zingy oranges, vibrant cerises and chrome. I am mighty pleased with the result and am loving it! Giving it away may be a problem. I am posting about it here because I can't on my blog as she reads it and I am dying to share it with anyone.

More info will be posted there after the holidays.

Group of Seven (Mason-Dixon Minis)

2007-11-28T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all:

well, I got lazy and decided to finish with seven, not nine. Here they are, mounted on wee little 4"x4" canvases:

They were all knitted using Stork Svale fingering cotton - on 2.5 mm (US 1 1/2, I think) double pointed needles.

A fun little exercise - my favourite is the Nina shawl, and I will be taking the yarn for a full-sized one abroad with me on my Christmas trip to London, UK and Paris. :-) Also planning to make a full sized Circle of Fun rug sometime early in the new year 2008.

For more information than you likely need and some more photos, feel free to pop on over to the blog.

Cheers,

Kristina

The 49th Dimension (with Mrs. Ogre)
Bespoke By Brouhaha

still more Mason-Dixon miniatures...

2007-11-25T07:18:00.001-08:00

Two more in my series of miniatures based on the MDK book. The first is a baby Baby Moderne, the second a baby Nina Shawl.

For more photos and my "originals" of these miniatures, come on over to my blog.

sweetsouthernknits

2007-11-23T13:21:00.001-08:00

sweetsouthernknits

2007-11-23T11:38:00.001-08:00

more MDK miniatures!

2007-11-23T02:42:00.002-08:00

Hello all:

my series of MDK miniatures is ticking along quite merrily - here are the latest additions:

Three down, six to go...

For more info, have a peek at my blog.

Cheers,

Kristina

World's Smallest Curve of Pursuit?

2007-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all: I've recently started a project on miniatures. In the course of this I decided to try to come up with a mini version of Pat Ashforth's Curve of Pursuit (at p. 66 of the MDK book):

The model is Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald.

Some may or may not recall that I had made a blanket from the full pattern at the beginning of this year. This is a photo of the two together:

The original is 60" x 60", the new one 4" x 4". Cute, eh?

For more info, hop on over to the blog.

Cheers,

Kristina

another log cabin morphing...

2007-11-16T05:44:00.000-08:00

Hi all: another freeform/log cabin swatch piece, the second in my Woman's Work is Never Done series...:

And here's a full shot - it's 18" by 6" or thereabouts...

For more info/pics, feel free to hop on over to the blog: Potscrubber!

Cheers,

Kristina

log cabin plus!!!

2007-11-13T21:55:00.000-08:00

"What on earth is this?", you ask?

I decided to abandon my TTC log cabin as a blanket (got bored with it) and do some stuff with the smaller panels instead. This is one effort:

This is my favourite bit:

For more info, check out my blog: http://brouhahaknits.blogspot.com/2007/11/womans-work-is-never-done.html

versatility of the humble Log Cabin Square...

2007-11-06T06:22:00.000-08:00

These are the heights that just one little log cabin square can attain:
... and this is how it began life.
Intrigued? please feel free to come on over to my blog. Coffee's on... ;-)

cheers,

Kristina

Heartbreakingly Cute Baby in a Kimono

2007-11-02T18:18:00.002-07:00

Pattern: Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono

Yarn: Araucania Nature Cotton in Orange maybe Color RO02 or RO03

Needles: Size 8 Circulars

Mods: None. I wish I used a different yarn to seam up the sides because the Nature Cotton is so bulky and unforgiving but other wise I am really happy with the results!

More details on my blog SpiderWomanKnits

Mitered Square Baby Blanket

2007-10-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

I have finished a baby blanket knit for a co-worker. The backing was the hardest part. I am definitely a knitter and not a sewer:

Link to my web site for more pictures:

http://www.remesnik.com/knit/

Mitered Square Blanket

Two More Warshrags

2007-10-23T06:44:00.001-07:00

Mason Dixon Warshrags
Originally uploaded by PAKnitter

These were requested by a friend of mine after she was helping out here at a party and used my warshrags (voluntarily of course!). Done in Sugar and Cream during the baseball playoffs. Blogged here.

woolly thoughts log cabin project... morphed

2007-10-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hi all: way back when (last year sometime!) I had posted here about starting a project - the Tilting at Windmills afghan by Pat Ashforth at Woolly Thoughts. Some at the time had been interested in seeing the end result.

Well, it went into abeyance shortly after I started as I started getting into different stuff. However, I resurrected the part I had finished recently and it has now morphed into this:

This piece combines knitting and mosaic (as opposed to "mosaic knitting!" LOL) The detail photo shows the knitting component more clearly, I think:

More info and specs on my blog. The TTC log cabin (commuter log cabin made using swatches) is still in progress as well.

Booties - oops

2007-10-19T18:15:00.006-07:00

Sorry, everyone. I've been having huge issues with blogger and a post for my personal blog ended up here. I have no clue why.

Anyway, it was a post about booties - completely unrelated to MDK. But I'll go ahead and edit this post to talk about the yarn I used b/c I think it would be great for MDK projects.

The yarn I'm using for these booties (obviously unfinished) is Classic Elite Yarns, Four Seasons, in Dark Blue Print and Green. Composed of 70% cotton and 30% wool. It's very soft! It would make a gorgeous baby kimono or log cabin blanket, for sure. The yarn comes in lots of great colors - pink, orange, purple, a lighter blue, khaki and more.

By the way, anyone else having Blogger issues? I keep getting server error messages and it's driving me nuts. It's taken me 15 minutes just to edit this post and I'm crossing my fingers that it will actually post. :)

Mitered Blankie - finished!

2007-10-12T04:17:00.002-07:00

At long last it's done!

I chose to do the knitted i cord edging and it took FOR EVER!

You forget just how long it takes to put together a blanket of this size (Single bed size!) AND do the edging.

Completed Knit Report

Name: Mitered Square blanket

Pattern:Mason Dixon Knitting

Yarn: Patons 100% cotton DK

Pattern Problems: None, it was a pleasure to knit

Pattern Modifications:None, did exactly as stated in the book

Washing and Wearing:Have done none of these yet but I’ll let you know how it goes

Knit It Again???:I think I will. Those little squares are mighty addictive

Difficulty; Easy peasy lemon squeezy

Rating: 5/5 .. i totally love how this blanket came together

Other Postings Relating To This One: see my blog http://minxxy.typepad.com/ and search the archives

Top tips : block as you go along. I knitted 8 squares (2 large ones when put together) then blocked them as I knit the next 8. Saves on all all that pinning out at one time. Easier on the back and old knees!

Felted Boxes Made Wonderful

2007-09-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for an alternative to
felting your Mason Dixon Felted Boxes in your front loading machine or even your
top loading machine, try the Wonder
Washer

It works wonders!
C atKnitz

Baby Kimono sleeve-widening suggestion

2007-09-16T18:11:00.002-07:00

Hi, all

Since a couple of people commented on my last post that they liked the idea of having wider sleeves/cuffs on the baby kimonos, I thought I'd share two different ways I've achieved that.

1) I knit the "straight" part of the sleeves (where you've finished increasing out to the length of the cuff and are working on the part that will actually become the cuff width) to 6" wide instead of 4". This means the cuff ends will be 3" wide when finished instead of only 2", which seems to me to give the baby a lot more room to grow. It also means the v-neck is less deep and the overlap is a lot wider than with the narrower cuffs, so again the baby can get chubbier without suddenly finding the v-neck at its navel and nothing covering its little chest.

However, if you haven't planned in advance (one comment on my prior post mentioned a grandbaby due in a week), here's another way around the problem:

2) Don't seam up the underarms of the kimono all the way down to the ends of the cuffs. Leave about the last inch or two unseamed, so the cuff can "expand" as necessary for the little hand. It looks cute folded back this way, too. If you're concerned that the cuff might be too short to be folded back, you can always add a knitted or crocheted border.

I hope those suggestions help anyone else who feels, as I do, that a 2" cuff is just too tiny, even for a newborn. :)

Baby Kimono

2007-09-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

Here's my completed baby kimono in two heathered shades of Knitpicks Swish superwash: Indigo (body) and Lemongrass (trim). I widened the sleeves a couple of inches so the cuffs wouldn't be so very narrow, and overall I like the way it turned out. I think it gives the baby a little more room to grow without making it too large for a newborn. Now I need to make a pair of Baby Longhies (from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac) in matching colors....

swatchapalooza!!!

2007-09-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

...aka the TTC Log Cabin Update! (which may become the TTC Winter Coat update given that they are raising the Metropass charge by $9.25 and I may well have to sell my winter coat to afford going to work! grr)

Most recent future additions and square in progress respecting the future swatch-centred log cabin style blankie:

This is my favourite swatch (which I made before starting my Rainbow Dress - a panoply of Fleece Artist, Handmaiden and other silks):

... and this is probably misnamed as a swatch... but when stashhunting for the blanket this morning I came across this long-abandoned log cabin (great colours, but terrible-to-work-with vintage acrylic yarn that kept breaking). I'm going to find a way to incorporate it, maybe chopping it into pieces.

Stay tuned... this may well be the mother of all log cabins at the rate it's going!

Moderne Baby blanket finally finished

2007-09-09T11:07:00.003-07:00

After four months, I finally finished the Moderne Baby Blanket. The border didn't take me long to knit but sewing the ends took quite a bit of time. I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Ravenswood, Violet, Douglas Fir, Cranberry and Blackberry with size 9 needles. I knew it would be a bit larger than the one in the book but I had no idea that that finished size would be 45 inches by 49 inches. No wonder those last several blocks seemed to take forever. I made a few minor adjustments to the pattern for blanket just to try to make it a bit more interesting. Overall, I'm very pleased with the blanket and can't wait to hear from the mother and baby I'm sending it to.

Details:
pattern: Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting
yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Ravenswood, Violet, Douglas Fir, Cranberry and Blackberry
needles: size 9 Knit Picks Options
started: April 8, 2007
finished knitting blanket: August 2, 2007
knitted border: August 2-22, 2007
Finished size: 45"x49"

Acrobats and Puppy Dogs

2007-09-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

"Unruly"Acrobats
and Puppy Dogs from Mosaic
Knitting . I'm trying to figure out what to do with the "wavy"
sides of the bib. Any suggestions?

See my blog
post for details.

C atknitz

Well. Used. Handknits.

2007-09-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

These are some warshcloths I made last year. The picture in front is how they looked when I finished them. The big picture is how they look now. More about them on my blog.

Can't Stop Knitting Those Baby Blankets

2007-09-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

I've finished five modern baby blankets and I am sure there will be more on the way.

Now, I've started with the miters.

In addition, you can see some half-finished socks and a different kind of baby blanket (with a free pattern!!) at my site here.

Variations on a Theme

2007-09-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

My friends keep having
babies and I keep looking for ways to incorporate slipped
stitches
into bib designs. Let's just face it: I love creating geometric designs with
solid colors!

A quick photo of Aili's
bib before shipping. Garter ribs, stockinette, slipped stitches and garter
mosaic, all with a garter rib edge to keep it flat.

(Photo would have
looked a little better if I had washed the bib before shooting, but I was out of
time...)

Details for the
straps and garter mosaic here.
CatKnitz

Nina Shawl

2007-08-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to knit the Nina Shawl since I first got the Mason Dixon book. I started the shawl in July and finally finished this weekend. I used King Tut cotton and increased the length of the finished shawl to 68 inches by adding some additional stripes. I'm looking forward to cook weather and being able to use this shawl. there are more pictures and details on my blog.

Dishrag in Action!

2007-08-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

My fiancé and I just returned from a lovely vacation in western North Carolina. We stayed at a 19th-century farmhouse, and I whipped up a couple of dishrags as a thank-you gift. This one was put into service almost immediately!

Mitered Blanket finished!

2007-08-19T11:55:00.002-07:00

Here it is at last. And also a few dishrags. I accidentally deleted the pictures from my last post.

remembrance of projects past...

2007-08-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is the new log cabin I've started to work on. It will be knitted in pieces, each piece centred by a swatch. All yarns used will be remnants from my stash:

I thought of this as a way to take a blanket onto the TTC and work on it!

For more pics, see my blog.

Log cabin baby blanket

2007-08-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

This was done in cotton ease for a baby due in Sept.

www.homeschoolblogger.com/rohanknitter

Calamari Knitting

2007-08-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

I've been busy knitting plastic grocery bags! I was inspired to make the bags after reading about calamari knitting in the Mason-Dixon Knitting book. You just need lots of those plastic bags from the grocery store. This is a great way to use up all those plastic bags that we all accumulate. I wrote a free pattern which is actually a modified version of Maia's felted bag pattern.
Please visit my blog to read more about it and get the free pattern!

happy knitting :)
hakucho
http://hakucho.blogspot.com/

Mason Dixon Knitters on Facebook

2007-08-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Mason Dixon KAL-ers!

If you have an account on Facebook please search for a new group I’ve created called Mason Dixon Knitters.
Join in!

Mitred Square Bag

2007-08-06T06:58:00.001-07:00

I had started a mitred square blanket last year and wasn't happy with the way the wool seemed to be felting BEFORE I had even washed it, so it was chucked into the "to do" box

This summer, I have started another blanket in Cotton and found the original squares, along with some mini ones. Rather than waste them , I have sewn them together, used the little ones to form a strap, crocheted the edges together with a length of canvas strapping inside to give it strength et viola!!! a mitred bag!

I have still to line it with some kind of funky material as it is waaaaaay too stretchy on it's own then decide what to use as fasteners but so far I am well pleased. I seem to be gathering a lot of Mason-Dixon finished articles that are not what they are meant to be but are the inspiration for other things.

Thanks Guys!

http://minxxy.typepad.com/

A question

2007-08-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

Has anyone made the nightie? I was wondering if it would work to knit it in the round? Or, do you think it 'needs' the side seaming for proper drape/fit? I really don't like seaming things and would like to avoid it if I can ... any thoughts?

Buttons for bibs

2007-07-31T13:56:00.000-07:00

I had a website that had all sorts of buttons but I can't seem to find the paper I wrote it down on. Can anyone help me? My cousin is having a baby in February and I want to do some holiday bibs for her newbie and can't find buttons I like but I remember I had written down somewhere a website that you can buy from. Thanks a lot.

Oh Baby, what a bother

2007-07-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

This is my second MD sweater. I thought I was so smart this time adding extra inches so I would get a nicer cross over. I read the directions but apparently not very closely. I missed the line that said to start increasing at the neck edge and instead knit straight until the sleeve was four inches and it was time to starte decreasing at the arm hole edge. Of course I didn't figure out my mistake when the cross overs came up short. Instead, I frogged back half way and started adding two stitches per row. I didn't realize what I'd done wrong until I was half way through the next side! By then, it was too late to go back. I managed to save the project with a crochet border that made up for the heighth. It looks like it will fit (fingers crossed).

'Notha Log Cabin:)

2007-07-29T12:02:00.001-07:00

Here is the first of four log cabin motifs I'm using for a baby blanket for a new niece or nephew - not sure which one yet! I just love this pattern. It is obviously the simplest stitch, but not so mindless you lose what little mind you have left - and there are so many options with colors. This one is on the cool side of the spectrum as any great niece or nephew from our family would be LOL! Well three more to go - how bad can that be? (better not say that...):)

Working on a miter!

2007-07-29T11:41:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a Mitered square baby blanket! I've only got 8 more miters to go! You can see the progress in my blog post!

Working on a miter!

2007-07-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a Mitered square baby blanket! I've only got 8 more miters to go! You can see the progress in my blog post!

Ballbands & Baby Genius Cloths

2007-07-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

As a wedding present for a girlfriend of mine, I made her a basket of handmade dishcloths.

Two of the cloths are the Ballband cloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting, one is the DW Cloth, and the others are just stitch patterns from Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns. I also made a hand towel (far right) using the pattern for the Baby Genius Burp Cloth from Mason Dixon Knitting.

I know that we've all seen nearly every color variation possible of the ballbands, but I just wanted to add mine to the group!

If you want to see more details, you can go to my blog.

Button Knot Bib or Dish Cloth?

2007-07-21T21:52:00.001-07:00

Button
Knot Bib or Dish Cloth?

You
decide!!

I've
been thinking about how to make the basic bib more basic. The
challenge then was how to sit down, finish the bib and not have to go hunting
for buttons or decide what color buttons would look best, sewing that button on
the bib, and, in the end, how to put a little more LIFE into my bibs. I can't be
the only one who has noticed it's similarity to the humble cloth used in either
the kitchen or bath. With this twist on the design, I think I may have come up
with a solution: Details on my blog
where there are instructions and a free
pattern. CatKnitz.

New stuff

2007-07-20T06:40:00.001-07:00

Here is my mitered blankie in progress! I'm so close I can almost taste it. Only 7 squares left. Also, a few warshrags to show what you can do when you're tired of the project at hand. Enjoy!

Mitered Baby Blanket

2007-07-18T17:24:00.002-07:00

It's finally finished! More pics and details on my blog.

Sorry!

2007-07-09T19:21:00.001-07:00

Posted to No Sheep for You KAL and Mason-Dixon Knitting KAL and my blogs:Hello everybody! Please accept my apologies. I tried to import all my postings on the various blogs and KALs I belong to onto my wordpress blog. What happened was that all the entries posted by all of you wonderful people ended up looking like I had posted them (DOH!!!). At first I thought it might be OK to post a disclaimer, but I began to feel more and more like a thief and had determined that I would remove those entries. Then I got an e-mail from one of our list managers indicating that a bunch of you had seen what had happened and were concerned (or maybe even - understandably - confused, or even angry! Well, I am very very sorry - and I have removed those entries. There may be a few more left from another KAL, which I am also working on removing (I have to do them one at a time and there are thousands). In the meantime, should you come upon anything that I've missed in the deletion process, please feel free to comment here or on my blog and I will correct the situation immediately.Again, my sincere apologies.Still working on Cables and Os - but have to finish another item for which I have a bit of a deadline!Happy Knitting everyone and thanks to you all for your patience,Joan a/k/a fuguestateknitshttp://fuguestateknits.blogspot.com http://fuguestateknits.wordpress.com+

Bubbly!

2007-06-13T19:15:00.004-07:00

Months after I put my Bubbly curtain aside, I finally picked it up again and did the piddly finishing work -- weaving in the ends, blocking, making the hanging cord -- and now it's hanging in my kitchen window and it's BEAUTIFUL!

Now I only need two more for the bathroom windows....

Rounding the Bend

2007-06-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

I'm 10 miters away from being done with my blanket! Boy, am I excited to see it all done, blindingly stripy in all it's glory. I really want to back it with some nice cotton, has anyone backed theirs before? I've got the sewing skills, can you explain how you did yours please? Thank you!
Oh boy oh boy oh boy, I'm one EXCITED girl!

My first ballband!

2007-06-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

My very first! It's for my sister. She asked me to make her some kitchen washrags months ago and gave me this yarn to work with. It's been so long I can't remember the brand but I'm pretty sure it was Peaches and Cream. I only did one color since the yarn itself was multicolored. I also made it shorter than the pattern says to. I don't like big washrags and this was the perfect size (11 ball band strips as opposed to 13). I did it on 8's too since I didn't want to find my 7's. :) I have enough to make one more with a strip of solid red in the center. I can't wait!

Absorba the Colorful

2007-06-06T17:54:00.001-07:00

I finally made my long-planned kitchen Absorba in a rainbow of colors. I used two strands of the double-worsted Peaches & Creme that I ordered way back in April when I found out that you could order online direct from Elmore-Pisgah.

Chevron Stripes -- help?

2007-06-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hi there,
So, I've tried the chevron stripe towel, using the corrected instructions (with the repeat being k2tog, k2, kfb in next 2, SKP), but I'm still having trouble: I'm ending up a few stitches short to finish the last repeat before knitting the last 5 stitches. Has anyone else had trouble with this? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Hrm . . .

2007-06-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

I still don't feel like knitting those hats.

So I'm not gunna.

Not.

Not.

Not.

(At least, not before this year's Dulaan deadline. They'll get done . . . eventually.)

Big Dotty Pillow

2007-06-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Big Dotty Cushion from Mason Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne
Yarn: Rowan Handknit Cotton in 205 (Linen), 239 (Ice water), 253(Tope), and 315 (Double chocolate).
Needles: Size 6 clover circulars.
Timeline: A month?

I gave this to my brother for Christmas. Of course, it was still on the needles... I finished it up a few days afterwards, and my mom sewed it up with a denim fabric back that closes with velcro. This pattern was so much fun! It is amazing what slipped stitches can do. It looks much harder than it actually was...

This is cross-posted on my blog.

Baby Halter Tops

2007-05-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

While this isn't MDK knitting, it's certainly MDK inspired:

Both are knitted with cotton and also inspired by the Katja baby halter top on Knitty. I just wanted to play with the pattern.

The top halter is sized for an 18 month old. The bottom is for a 3 month old and I wrote out the pattern for it.

If there is interest, I could write out the pattern for the top one, too.

Blanket, Book, Bag, and Breasts!

2007-05-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I am very close to finishing a Moderne Baby Blanket so I thought I would post it:
I'm using Knit Picks Swish Superwash and recommend it!

I'm also trying to raise money for the Breast Cancer 3 Day - this will be my second year walking 60 miles in 3 days and raising funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. (Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a new name for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation - they are celebrating their 25th year this year. See this press release for more info.)

I also have a couple of auctions going on via eBay. (Last year, Ann and Kay autographed a copy of "MDK" for an auction.) This year, Alison Hansel has autographed a copy of "Charmed Knits" and it's up for auction now. Also, a member of my knitting circle designed a pink-ribbon themed bag for me to auction. You can find that auction via this link. Please consider making a bid! I will pay for the shipping if you live in the U.S. :)

Finally, if you'd like to donate to my fundraising efforts, please see my personal donation page. I walk to honor those with breast cancer, and also to honor those people who have any type of cancer. I'm not a doctor so I can't provide a cure, but I can walk 60 miles and raise money for research and education.

Thank you,

Emily
P.S. If you have questions about any of this, please leave a comment. I will check back. :)

Another dishtowel....

2007-05-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

I think I did it over 93 stitches, not sure and I'm not in the mood to go back to count...

One more bib!!

2007-05-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

This is my latest bib. I added a second color and made a k2tog-yo row to weave the ribbon into. The ribbon says "It's a girl." My daughter took it to a baby shower with a pair of bootees I made. She said everyone went nuts over the bib, not the bootees!!! You can see the bootees here. Sherry

update on my Moderne baby blanket

2007-05-22T07:50:00.001-07:00

Somehow this blanket is taking less time than my last log cabin blanket, but it's larger. I would like to think that I'm even more motivated to get it done so that I can start on the Flying Geese blanket and to finish it before the horrible heat of June arrives.

I've modified this blanket to work with the yarn that I'm using and to make it a bit different than the pattern calls for. I just felt like it needed another band at the bottom than the two large blocks, so I added the lighter purple block before doing the two large blocks.

yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Ravenswood, Violet, Douglas Fir, Cranberry and Blackberry

erica

Scribble Scarf Glory!

2007-05-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

Finished my Scribble scarf and absolutely love it! Been having people stop me to ask about the scarf and several are amazed when I tell them I knitted it. If you are thinking about doing one, go for it and you will be glad you did! More info on GottaKnit!

Debbie

That time of year!!

2007-05-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

I love knitting dishcloths and do so all year long but there is something about this time of year that gets me in the mood to knit household items.. Last week I knit 4 dishcloths and started the chevron handtowel. I have wanted to knit one for a long time. I bartered with someone for some bamboo yarn- a linen like sheen and soooo soft.

Log Cabin Completion

2007-05-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

Argggg!!!!! @$?$%blogger!!!! My sister Joy, who is also a member of this KAL, is having trouble posting now that they have made us changeover.

This is what she says about her latest masterpiece:

"just finished my third log-cabin blankie! whew! i love them, but three is enough.
the first one was for me, and the other two were for my daughters. "

Log Cabin Completion

2007-05-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

My sister Joy, a KAL member who still cannot log onto Blogger after they made us changeover, just finished her Log Cabin Blankie. She asked me to post it for her:

"just finished my third log-cabin blankie! whew! i love them, but three is enough.
the first one was for me, and the other two were for my daughters. "

If anyone can stand another Ballband cloth...

2007-05-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Spring has put me in the mood for bright and happy colors! :)

Froggin' Knit Up

If anyone can stand another Ballband cloth...

2007-05-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Spring has put me in the mood for bright and happy colors! :)

Froggin' Knit Up

Sugar 'n Cream upsized

2007-05-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

I was at Michaels yesterday and they had super-huge skeins of worsted weight Sugar 'n Cream in lots of good colors. I'm glad because when I want to buy large quantities, I'm limited to the cones, and the stores around here carry 2 colors in the cones, maybe 3.

Teacher Gifts

2007-05-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

Pattern: MDK Ballband Warshrag
Yarn: SnC, Hot Pink & Hot Green
Soap: Bath & Body Works Anti-bacterial Foam Soap (Country Apple)

Dishcoths were a big hit with the teachers this year for Christmas so I've decided to give them Dishwashing Diva's this year.

There's a great deal right now at B&BW (NAYY):

Bath & Body Works has 4-packs of their Anti-Bacterial Collection Soap, Hand Gels, and Lotions on sale for $10 each. Buy three 4-packs and use coupon code LUXURY10 to get twelve items for $20 + $7 Shipping. Alternatively, use the $10 off $30 printable coupon at a Bath & Body Works store to buy 12 for $20. (Good till May 14th)

another little heartbreaker

2007-05-06T16:13:00.001-07:00

It's a modified Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono, based on the changes described here. I added a little bit of garter stitch at the cuffs because I didn't like the way the ones on my first kimono came out. It took an evening and a half to knit and when I bound off there was just enough yarn left in the skein to sew up the seams. I still can't believe I didn't run out.

More details on my blog.

Katherine

2007-05-06T15:23:00.001-07:00

May strong spunky women continue to knit for many years to come.

The Mason Dixon Amazing Technicolor Dish Towel

2007-05-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a dish towel based on the ever popular Ball Band dishcloth. I had all these small left overs of cotton yarn that would not make a whole dishcloth so I thought I would de-stash the the odd bits with a towel. The de-stashing worked a bit- but then I had to buy more colors to fill out some of my color scheme.
This caught Ann's eye while I was working on it when she and Kay visited Abundant Yarn and Dye Works in Portland, Oregon. Ann said "I've never seen one in so many colors." Is that good or bad?
Anyway it's very cheerful and I like it well enough that I actually hesitate to use it.
Thanks for looking.

Mitered Purse

2007-05-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

Last summer, I was inspired to make a mitered-square tote bag - a panel of 4 squares on each side. And I wanted it to be in those crazy colors that I remember from those 90s windbreaker suits. I started running out of yarn, so it became a clutch.

I knit these squares off-and-on throughout 2006. (One was created on a road trip to Atlanta.)

Basically I seamed together 4 mitered squares, then mattress-stitched them up the sides. I picked up 6 stitches along one edge, knit a garter stitch strap, bound off the strap and then stitched it to the other side.

I'm toying with the idea of felting it. Anyone have an opinion on that?

I'll add a liner when it's all said and done so that it won't buckle when I carry it. Maybe it needs a zipper, too...

I enjoyed doing the miters but I don't know if I have the stamina for a full-blown blanket. So much work and time, and my perfectionist-nature won't let me fudge on the seaming - I know I'd agonize over making those stripes line up! I really respect those of you who have taken on the blanket.

Details: Cascade 220, colors... um, I forgot

ONE DOWN!!

2007-05-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist posting a photo of MY FIRST MITER!!!!! Whoooohoooo one down...a billion katrillion to go.

Kimono of Many Colors

2007-04-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days ago now that I posted my finished log cabin baby blankie with the triangle points on it, and now I wanted to post the kimono I just finished to go with it. I also added a pair of booties just to round out the set and make it a little layette. I think it's a bright fun little baby set for a boy, and a nice alternative to the ordinary blue that we all usually think of in terms of for baby boys. It was fun to use all this color. It sort of reminds me of a box of crayons. I did my kimono a little differently, but we all seem to put our own spins on patterns anyway. That's what makes knitting so much fun, right?

Finished Log Cabin Blanket

2007-04-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my log cabin - took a little over a year to complete.

Details of the blanket are posted on my blog.

Happy Knitting!

Karen

http://theknittingpatch.blogspot.com

Moderne-o-Rama

2007-04-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

Stash-busting for charity! This Moderne Baby Blanket is being made for Afghans for Afghans. My goal is to finish it in time for the Mother's Day shipment to Afghanistan. I'm using Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool and Patons Classic Wool.

Here's a tip: if the sheer number of rows you have to knit seems endless, set your row counter so the numbers go down, not up. It's a morale boost.

(Cross-posted on Ann's wonderfully named Slogalong.)

Finished Nina shawl !!

2007-04-25T11:51:00.001-07:00

I finished the Nina shawl in just over 3 weeks! I had to work really hard. It was a gift for my son's girl friend. I used Berrocco Touche. It's very soft 1/2 cotton and 1/2 modal. I did have to add about 10 -12 inches to make it come out to 60 inches long! Everything else seemed to be in the correct gauge, although I have to confess I didn't swatch. I think it came out very well.

Baby bibs of....

2007-04-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

...mediocrity?

I absolutely LOVE the duck buttons. They are adorable. But the Sugar 'N' Cream variagated yarn? Not so much.

The first bib is made from variagated yarn. I used the left over bit on the second one.

My first question is this: If I didn't like it on the first one, why on earth did I add it to the second one? I like the second one otherwise. And look at that duckie? AWWWWW!!

You know, I don't even have a kid. So my last question is: Why did I even make either of them? Oh, yeah. As an excuse to use the duck buttons. Right.

Baby log cabin blankie

2007-04-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

I started this blanket last summer when I got the book. I joined the kal, and started my own blog and have met some really great friends online. I've gotten a lot of inspiration, and wonderful pattern ideas, and am in awe in general at how wonderful the knitting community is.

This particular little log cabin sat untouched for quite some time while I worked on various other projects, until I had a good reason to finish it. A good friend of mine is expecting her fourth baby this summer (a boy). On May 12th they are having a welcoming dinner, and this will be our gift to the new baby. I may make a kimono if I have the time. I did try to put a fleece backing on this blankie, but all my attempts were unsatisfying to me. So I left the back as is.

I do have a couple of questions for all of you out there on the kal: Has anyone ever attached a fabric backing to a log cabin blanket, and if so what method did you use? Thanks.

Moderne in progress

2007-04-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

I started a Moderne Baby blanket about two weeks ago and it's coming along beautifully. I'm using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in four solid colors (Violet, Douglas Fir, Cranberry and Blackberry) and Ravenswood hand-painted, which is only going to be the "middle" square and the border. This is going so much faster than the Log Cabin I made last year, the blocks are larger and it just seems to be going more smoothly.

erica

2007-04-23T13:36:00.001-07:00

I knit 20 dishcloths, all a different color for friends who were getting apartments next year. I love them so much that it'll be hard to part with them - especially since they all look so nice with each other...

Click the photo to see my photo stream and more photos or check out my blog....

http://allbuttonedup.wordpress.com

Thanks! -Nicole-

2007-04-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

Valley Log Cabin Blanket

2007-04-21T08:51:00.001-07:00

I'm still not tired of log cabin knitting. Here's my second blanket, this time with Valley Yarns Valley Superwash in seven lovely colors: colonial blue, forest, grass, ice blue, natural, spring leaf, and my personal favorite, teal. It's baby size. I started more log cabin knitting the same day that I finished the blanket. I think I'm addicted.

More details on my blog.

Moss Grid Handtowels

2007-04-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here's my Moss Grid Handtowels, just gifted for some friends' anniversary party. They were a great simple and reasonably quick knit. I used Knit Picks Cotlin in Moroccan Red, Nightfall, and Key Lime on size 5 needles. They took just more than 1 and 1/2 balls each so I'll have to come up with something interesting for the scraps. Maybe a matching mini chevron towel.

Moderne in Progress

2007-04-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Ann setting up the slogalong, I've picked this up again. The yarn is the same as the book, in different colours, in case it doesn't appear true on screen, it is a wheat, a chocolate brown, a light blue and a navy, I have the ball bands if anyone wants the numbers. I'm using size 6 circs and about to change to my knitpicks options for the next strip as it is getting wider. I love the colours together and I really love this yarn, though it is a bit pricey, so look for sales on WEBS or somewhere else. It is warm and really light and very easy to knit with, though I need to have some quality time to get through more than 2 rows (or boring tv with my husband). Hopefully it will be done before next winter!!!!!

moderne log cabins

2007-04-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

2 more of the log cabin moderne baby blankets i made (crappy photos, sorry). both made from brown sheep cotton fleece (2 skeins of each color), size US 6 needles. i'm working on a third as well. oddly enough, 3 of my knitting group gals are all having babies within 3 months of each other-- so i thought it was fitting to have a theme.

check out more blanket madness at my blog.

My first baby kimono

2007-04-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

The baby kimono is finished, and heartbreakingly cute as well. It's in Rowan Handknit Cotton, which has a lovely feel to it (though the guy who rang me out at the vacuum/yarn store down the street commented, "That's a lot of money for blue string"). The buttons were unfortunately washed out in every photo I took, but they are bunnies. I used a ribbon tie on the inside flap. Tomorrow it's off to the baby shower.

Chevron

2007-04-12T14:10:00.002-07:00

Here's my chevron hand towel with some chevron inspired warsh cloths.

I used Elann.com Sonata for the hand towel and stopped at 14 stripes as I ran out of yarn. The warsh cloths are made from standard SnC cotton.

Chevron

2007-04-12T14:10:00.001-07:00

Here's my chevron hand towel with some chevron inspired warsh cloths.

I used Elann.com Sonata for the hand towel and stopped at 14 stripes as I ran out of yarn. The warsh cloths are made from standard SnC cotton.

Chevron

2007-04-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here's my chevron hand towel with some chevron inspired warsh cloths.

I used Elann.com Sonata for the hand towel and stopped at 14 stripes as I ran out of yarn. The warsh cloths are made from standard SnC cotton.

Building my Log Cabin

2007-04-11T05:30:00.002-07:00

Here's my Log Cabin blanket in progress. Thanks to Emily who posted this...it influenced my stripey design choice. A little more info can be found at my blog.