Uncle Jim

My uncle Jim passed away a couple of months ago. My dad and I went to northern CA for the memorial service. Though a sad event, I hadn't seen that side of my family for a while, and I learned things about my uncle I didn't know before. It was also a chance to see all the sheep that my aunt and uncle were raising.

The first picture shows a lot of pregnant sheep. Over 100 lambs were born this year.

The second picture is of my dad (left) and uncle (right) when they were young.

The third picture is a more recent picture of my uncle Jim. He was a pretty happy guy.

Finally, a picture of one of the dogs on the ranch and a feral chicken, coexisting in peace.

Garter Stitch Rug

I knit this rug for my bathroom. Using two strands of thick yarn made it a very quick project. The off-white yarn was chunky Wool-Ease, with a couple of stripes of varigated yarn (can't remember what brand that was).

Water bottle holder

In need of summer-time knitting projects, I decided to try some water bottle holders. First I knit one in maroon cotton yarn with a very basic lace stitch. It looked good, but the strap stretched out with that cotton yarn.

So I decided to try making a felted version. The one pictured here is my first effort - Yarn is Cascade 220. I like it, except that it's a little too loose at the top, so the next one I made (sent to my dad), I put some decreases in the last circular rows, and it turned out better.

Bead necklace

The local library is hosting some craft classes for adults. I went to one last week and made this cool necklace. First we learned to crochet with thin wire. Then we strung the beads onto some fresh wire, and started crocheting that wire, incorporating the beads as we went along. Then we cut the wire, added a clasp, and the necklace was done.

Log cabin test

The log cabin technique allow you to knit in blocks, by finishing one block then picking up stitches along one side of the finished block and starting the next one. This is a test of that technique that ended up as a washcloth. It's hard to see the blocks here, since I mostly used the same color, but you can see how the garter stitches change direction. Yarn: 100% cotton, Sugar and Cream.

Third hat

The swirl hat idea didn't work out. Maybe I'll try it again sometime. In the meantime, second hat has been sent to its new owner, and third hat has been born.

Second hat

Gave the first hat away before taking a picture, but both hats are very similar, based on a pattern in the book "Fashionable Projects for the New Knitter", by Alison Barlow. I have an idea for a swirl hat - that's next on the knitting agenda. Hats are really fast from start to finish - they let you try design or color ideas without a big time commitment.