tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73644443130313661352024-03-18T22:45:24.921-07:00Taking The Long Way Homelife on the oregon coast, knitting, airbnb hosting, grandmotherhood, vegan cooking, and...Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.comBlogger632125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-77547959147575829932020-06-07T08:02:00.003-07:002020-06-07T08:02:53.792-07:00Visit the Mask Shop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’ve been making face masks for a while now. In fact, I’ve made almost 800 of them since mid-March. I gave away over 400 before I realized the materials were getting expensive, and it was time to start selling some. So I opened a little Shopify store to make it easy for all of us. Visit me, and buy a mask or two, at <a href="https://kim-miles-handmade.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">KimMilesHandmade</a>.<br />
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I’ve put a lot of care into creating a mask design that’s comfortable, washable, durable, and functional. They’re all made of 100% cotton fabric, double-layered, with a filter pocket. They have a fabric-wrapped double-wire shaper stitched into the top, so you can fit it properly around your nose. They also have adjustable elastic ear loops, for even more custom fit. I’m proud of my masks, and I have a wall of thank-you notes in my little sewing room, telling me how much people like them.<br />
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As we open up the country, we’re all going to need masks. It’s the right thing to do for each other. I think of them as kind of a fashion statement too, like scarves and ties. We’re going to need a wardrobe of them. If you’re a DIY kind of person, I’ve shared the basic instructions for my masks in another post: <a href="https://www.longwayhomeblog.com/2020/04/diy-face-mask-with-ear-loops-nose-wire.html" target="_blank">DIY Masks</a>. I’ve made some changes to the design since then, but it will get you started. And if sewing isn’t your thing, <a href="https://kim-miles-handmade.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">check out my shop</a>. I’ll help you mask up in style.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mask Up - It’s What Good Humans Do For Each Other</td></tr>
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<br />Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-36390673341343573672020-04-11T11:46:00.003-07:002020-04-21T09:24:15.257-07:00A Gift Of Yarn and Knitting A Story<br />
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A few weeks ago, before the world went insane, I was contacted by the lovely people at <a href="https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/" target="_blank">LoveCrafts</a>, asking me if I’d like to have some free yarn to play with. Would anyone say no to that? Well, not me! The “rules” to the game were simple: Choose from a really nice selection of yarn, choose one of their <a href="https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/l/knitting/knitting-patterns/free-knitting-patterns" target="_blank">free patterns</a> to go with it, and post a link after I was finished. Count me in!<br />
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It took me about a week to decide what to make, but knowing that I had a trip to Seattle coming up, I wanted something simple-yet-interesting, and also not too bulky, so it would pack and travel easily. I settled on the <a href="https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/twinette-knitting-pattern-by-taiga-hilliard-designs" target="_blank">Twinette shawl</a> and <a href="https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/millamia-naturally-soft-merino" target="_blank">MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino</a> yarn in Cloud Grey.<br />
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I’d ordered from LoveCrafts before. Their prices and sales are great, shipping is always quick, and packaging is beautiful. My yarn arrived in time for me to get started before hopping on the train to Seattle. I got right into it, and found the pattern fun to make, easy to memorize, and interesting enough without being fiddly. It was good train knitting. It was also good visiting knitting and watching tv knitting. Nothing is good hanging-out-with-an-18-month-old knitting, but I already knew that.<br />
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I’m not a fast knitter, but I got quite a lot done in the two weeks I was there. Shortly into my visit, stay at home suggestions, and then orders, were starting to happen. I wasn’t totally sure I’d be able to go home to Oregon as scheduled. I was more and more sure I wouldn’t want to take the train. As the stress built, and the reality of the Coronavirus situation sank in, I was glad to have some friendly knitting to focus on.<br />
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It was finally decided that Rick would drive up from Seaside to pick me up. By this point it was clear that he would have to keep a safe distance from the kids and grand babies, and that we would turn right around and go home the same day. It was a long day for him, and a sad day for me, leaving loved ones, not knowing when it would be safe to hug them again. It’s hard to knit and cry at the same time, but I did that on the way home.<br />
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We decided to self quarantine for two weeks, knowing we could be putting each other at risk, but not having an alternative. Nobody was doing that yet in our town, and friends thought we were crazy. Now, of course, we’re all staying clear of each other, and our sanity is no longer under scrutiny - at least not for that.<br />
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I finished my shawl under quarantine. I used 5 balls of yarn, and it came out nice and big. The perfect size to wear either as a scarf or a shawl. I still had one ball of yarn left, so I decided to add crocheted fringe. I loved it pre-fringe, but now I absolutely adore it.<br />
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Every project I make has something of a question mark in it. Will I keep it, or give it away? I never know until it’s finished. This one, which I will forever think of as the Quarantine Shawl, has so much emotion and story knitted into the stitches. In the month or so that I worked on it, the whole world changed. And yet, along the way, I was still able to create something beautiful, lasting, comforting, and even playful. It holds memories of a time we will talk about for the rest of our lives. It’s definitely a keeper.<br />
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Many thanks to LoveCrafts for their generosity, for giving me room to create, and for understanding my lateness in getting this post written (face masks have had my complete attention). If you’re looking for something to help hold your feet to the ground these days, take a look at what LoveCrafts has to offer. It’s a good time to knit a story of your own.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-31881451455481520712020-04-05T11:48:00.001-07:002020-04-21T09:18:51.719-07:00DIY Face Mask with Ear Loops, Nose Wire, and Filter Pocket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you probably know I’ve been making face masks lately. It’s a labor of love, as sewing is not really a thing I gravitate to. I’m surprised though at how much better I’m getting at it, and that I even sort of enjoy having my little makeshift sewing room to hang out in each day. It gives Rick and me a bit of perceived separate space while sharing a 600 square foot house. I wonder how true Tiny House dwellers are managing these days...</div>
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A lot of friends are asking me which of the many online patterns I’m using. The truth is, I’ve sort of combined a few favorites into a hybrid pattern that’s easy for me to sew, and is approved by my official mask testers - a friend who works in the local liquor store, and my sister, who does home health care as an occupational therapist. Fit and comfort are top priority. With their guidance, I think I have it sorted out.</div>
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These masks are made of woven cotton. They have a pipe cleaner (or other flexible wire) stitched in at the top edge for a custom fit around the nose. They wrap well under the chin. Soft elastic, which at the moment I’m making by cutting up stretchy tights and leggings, makes comfortable ear loops. And while the masks are two layers thick, they also have a pocket hidden within the folds, so an extra filter layer can be added by the wearer.</div>
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Please do your own research on appropriate filter material, as well as proper fitting, handling, and washing of homemade face masks. Share this information with friends and family you give these to. And do remind folks that wearing a mask does not eliminate the need for social distancing. Even with masks, our best practice is still to stay home!</div>
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I’ve chosen to do this tutorial in photos, as I really didn’t like trying to follow a video when I was learning to make these things. I hope it works to put it together on my iPad, as I’m doing now. Normally I like to create posts on my computer, but ever since I had a new hard drive put in, it’s been practicing social distancing from my iPad and phone, so photos are a big problem. </div>
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Please feel free to use this design all you like for masks you intend to give away. I donate them freely to family and friends. I’d prefer you do the same. I do accept donations for supplies, as well as actual supplies from people I know. See if that can work for you too. </div>
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<b>DIY Pleated Face Masks with Ear Loops, Nose Wire, and Filter Pocket</b></div>
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Materials:</div>
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Tightly woven cotton fabric, washed</div>
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Pipe Cleaners or other flexible wire</div>
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Stretchy nylon/spandex tights or leggings</div>
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Sewing machine and thread</div>
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Steam iron</div>
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Prep:</div>
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Cut fabric into 15” X 8” rectangles.</div>
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I rip mine into long, 8” wide strips, and then use a rotary cutter to make 15” lengths.</div>
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Cut 12” pipe cleaners in half, and curl the ends in with needles nose pliers, so they aren’t sharp.</div>
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Cut the legs of your tights into 1” wide rounds, and give them a good stretch, so the edges curl in. Then cut those open, and into 7” lengths. (If you have 1/4 inch elastic, use it! It’s more elusive than toilet paper these days.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpoEJ1FdFTHKazIEDr7ExDT7q8u6Kdou_Lu6mG-bwPb3Z5_WgbLNz-4oHoxPuSB0qxcbYuOwgYL0AoGNX_h5SUja3cBhGoJ6gE0ajVXT-IXzmizFOWfLi1MZL_WOyIicK5DPXL6z1J5Y/s1600/BEC6E34B-6577-4872-B5A3-17AC3FF2AB53.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpoEJ1FdFTHKazIEDr7ExDT7q8u6Kdou_Lu6mG-bwPb3Z5_WgbLNz-4oHoxPuSB0qxcbYuOwgYL0AoGNX_h5SUja3cBhGoJ6gE0ajVXT-IXzmizFOWfLi1MZL_WOyIicK5DPXL6z1J5Y/s640/BEC6E34B-6577-4872-B5A3-17AC3FF2AB53.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQGM8FwjtMFtNXQHog3_Ipc63wEpvLvF3pKe69TEzpwzEdW-5soBPz9zrBIH-W6xp7UxYekTHaAbscivaR8GqwR9OwtSJHOGIDGZ76JfahsQokiuNsHctWaWAPUblMhHywoVme8NHhlg/s1600/E1780EFE-8A09-47B1-8303-52DB1F9B638C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQGM8FwjtMFtNXQHog3_Ipc63wEpvLvF3pKe69TEzpwzEdW-5soBPz9zrBIH-W6xp7UxYekTHaAbscivaR8GqwR9OwtSJHOGIDGZ76JfahsQokiuNsHctWaWAPUblMhHywoVme8NHhlg/s640/E1780EFE-8A09-47B1-8303-52DB1F9B638C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Iron your fabric. You’ll be doing lots of ironing, but little or no pinning for these. </div>
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Next, run some sort of zigzag stitch alone both of the short sides of the rectangle. These will form the pocket later. I like to use stitch “4” in the picture.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pzPY2s-4hyEA5y1b0BI5qcGGu1bOKokZ3ZXgq6DbhU_BK1egc_ZIoax-QmgsUtiIZP7S6CTB8RASDJx2zMTGAuUE30ih5wG9qchsEL6tpv9woc0vLwWqaBe5US5v_i29sWdmh4-lStE/s1600/0BC90E08-A8A6-4F30-AD86-B2BB55896B28.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pzPY2s-4hyEA5y1b0BI5qcGGu1bOKokZ3ZXgq6DbhU_BK1egc_ZIoax-QmgsUtiIZP7S6CTB8RASDJx2zMTGAuUE30ih5wG9qchsEL6tpv9woc0vLwWqaBe5US5v_i29sWdmh4-lStE/s640/0BC90E08-A8A6-4F30-AD86-B2BB55896B28.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uaqQzGLWqzI7LPwrZLtbD5QVoLsGVwdcHAmltxy_s4GRiHt1wzAuQW1Jv4-NZQQhtG4aTQ2qD80u2774CzEYINQ17HvGxXpihqvWV8YLWDlgTClhV7AiL5MtiyHkHtGDZPyFLECneSk/s1600/298F090C-165A-462B-9366-885408898D3C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uaqQzGLWqzI7LPwrZLtbD5QVoLsGVwdcHAmltxy_s4GRiHt1wzAuQW1Jv4-NZQQhtG4aTQ2qD80u2774CzEYINQ17HvGxXpihqvWV8YLWDlgTClhV7AiL5MtiyHkHtGDZPyFLECneSk/s640/298F090C-165A-462B-9366-885408898D3C.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now fold the fabric in half, right sides together, with the stitched edges at the top, and mark 1 1/2” in from each of the top side edges. Stitch only that 1 1/2” on each side across the top, leaving an open gap in between.</div>
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Turn the fabric right side out, with the seam centered and facing you. Iron in place, flattening the seam open. There will be a gap for the pocket.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXaL9PRDSFrwIgFG-KkabY_1rJQLwovsR8PDHRLjuRZ5gWHo5pIkP6wuvKIff0-UDc9wSofveLAC9VgtrabDBHcTcGPqh8K1I3tSweWIw6WT6AySTEacGHdqN8rL_FjHSA_sXppzePUMs/s1600/69CA05DB-2C79-4578-8D40-81BAD32CE9F2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXaL9PRDSFrwIgFG-KkabY_1rJQLwovsR8PDHRLjuRZ5gWHo5pIkP6wuvKIff0-UDc9wSofveLAC9VgtrabDBHcTcGPqh8K1I3tSweWIw6WT6AySTEacGHdqN8rL_FjHSA_sXppzePUMs/s640/69CA05DB-2C79-4578-8D40-81BAD32CE9F2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgGLS83m6Z693fj8-Zrwkky03cXyfsr0ESV226JaF8FvLSrujQC0dyRXDOsrhbvbKSQJVoAcv1QmpKBbO9XNJqSch96lDywpTm_ZX1j3GbEzUhDoJw2tW_PDybsMAFeHXIKFGSvzT7ek/s1600/D4C50C15-6EC7-4F56-B8DC-877C5910AA16.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgGLS83m6Z693fj8-Zrwkky03cXyfsr0ESV226JaF8FvLSrujQC0dyRXDOsrhbvbKSQJVoAcv1QmpKBbO9XNJqSch96lDywpTm_ZX1j3GbEzUhDoJw2tW_PDybsMAFeHXIKFGSvzT7ek/s640/D4C50C15-6EC7-4F56-B8DC-877C5910AA16.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Place one piece of elastic inside the mask, with just a tiny bit peeking out at the top right corner. Stitch this firmly in place, and continue the side seam to just past the center pocket seam. Then pull the other end of the elastic from inside the mask, out the bottom corner, and continue stitching the rest of the side seam, securing the elastic in place. There will be a loop of elastic inside the mask now, and the side seam will pucker a little bit. </div>
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Repeat for the other side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OzP0YZf5mzStFIqOm6NJlUaQviNL6SOBY9xz6GLqrTX2Rlgz5BDSvkRQ_Fbf2Xg12hk2YneI3l0R3_G6jykDv3yopGfykO9zv4p-dW7b34-GzvJyGsFDKIMAfIa68EGr06YHCsUkOSs/s1600/2F8D9F6A-5389-4691-B786-86D796743F44.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OzP0YZf5mzStFIqOm6NJlUaQviNL6SOBY9xz6GLqrTX2Rlgz5BDSvkRQ_Fbf2Xg12hk2YneI3l0R3_G6jykDv3yopGfykO9zv4p-dW7b34-GzvJyGsFDKIMAfIa68EGr06YHCsUkOSs/s640/2F8D9F6A-5389-4691-B786-86D796743F44.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCp1dqjZ1G8wE20xsbyGnzpbLMwKvxrEWTSFER4s-T0W_VO3_zvrfbA-bAwuYnWxfJQ7mqMEH7oLS1C4ftsbBfa0AVTVhyphenhyphenXICVpNXDr75o-4k18MQwDKnTr2kPHGhNlmR3fNh_jbiql7A/s1600/22976AFF-D510-49D3-A9D1-D5B81299BF0D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCp1dqjZ1G8wE20xsbyGnzpbLMwKvxrEWTSFER4s-T0W_VO3_zvrfbA-bAwuYnWxfJQ7mqMEH7oLS1C4ftsbBfa0AVTVhyphenhyphenXICVpNXDr75o-4k18MQwDKnTr2kPHGhNlmR3fNh_jbiql7A/s640/22976AFF-D510-49D3-A9D1-D5B81299BF0D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Turn the mask right side out and iron. Be careful NOT to iron the ear loops! They’ll melt!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmYAs-q-YgD0MpK1BrbpM7sKye_D1oR3ZIwB4AWdB116rLBaHMBkBuD4uCgdtVFCHqqPwqsw8OGJlpCiS8wUV-bAVcXX04qn_r9c4HrUvtMEbtCJryRjhgDHhWdphJHFGTOUWraGPIEQ/s1600/2C0AA183-4A71-44CB-A77F-0EC2DA7FC7DE.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmYAs-q-YgD0MpK1BrbpM7sKye_D1oR3ZIwB4AWdB116rLBaHMBkBuD4uCgdtVFCHqqPwqsw8OGJlpCiS8wUV-bAVcXX04qn_r9c4HrUvtMEbtCJryRjhgDHhWdphJHFGTOUWraGPIEQ/s640/2C0AA183-4A71-44CB-A77F-0EC2DA7FC7DE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now measure for the pleats. Turn the mask so the ear loop edges (side edges) are at the top and bottom, and the pocket opening (inside of mask) is facing you. Measuring along one ear loop edge, mark 1 1/4”, 1”, 3/4”, 1”, 3/4”, 1”. Six little marking in total. Do the same on the other ear loop edge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQzJpUb9YMKb4AZqGmrxBT-bU8uBFXnCehrDvFB2AMisnoE4puUqXEqZTxicLlP42oGNXDno-cqwpfhLyAx-kMSOkE5ZelNDp_BZ0FTb7cmnbdIpJwhAI7sVfO7uyfMsFFDpnDvOgnXY/s1600/4C308BD2-A6E2-417F-B887-F3B143950F75.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQzJpUb9YMKb4AZqGmrxBT-bU8uBFXnCehrDvFB2AMisnoE4puUqXEqZTxicLlP42oGNXDno-cqwpfhLyAx-kMSOkE5ZelNDp_BZ0FTb7cmnbdIpJwhAI7sVfO7uyfMsFFDpnDvOgnXY/s640/4C308BD2-A6E2-417F-B887-F3B143950F75.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFV4WD0BT5e4fz25P_EjefuQiUnQ7QgN31FJdm93-NEQRetuQvUXo3LatfUxJqNP871hZ60FkyfK4MWiKWBtOXt46S936oozKnu0-YbhWjgSbdUK74yXzvXTDJ1JXflz8WoqvOlXLv-8/s1600/4A120290-E3F6-4B59-9E78-32BAFEE15D72.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFV4WD0BT5e4fz25P_EjefuQiUnQ7QgN31FJdm93-NEQRetuQvUXo3LatfUxJqNP871hZ60FkyfK4MWiKWBtOXt46S936oozKnu0-YbhWjgSbdUK74yXzvXTDJ1JXflz8WoqvOlXLv-8/s640/4A120290-E3F6-4B59-9E78-32BAFEE15D72.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Turn the mask so the ear loops are now on the sides. Fold and iron the first pleat by bringing the second marking up to the first.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1f3HNFjamfFr0tZW9NUgPc7b2J1U6kRZW2taP0haR2zwsHNpZhyphenhyphen4oz2ZSVS6JJOi-yPhjwrR7PPM_IEGbTPvzYc2Duweydpyfw6m_BSKXcU6LNILm8JZV5ux3rVUHNoIAxVXV9ODojs/s1600/169C4903-647A-4D6E-83DF-157A1E17329E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1f3HNFjamfFr0tZW9NUgPc7b2J1U6kRZW2taP0haR2zwsHNpZhyphenhyphen4oz2ZSVS6JJOi-yPhjwrR7PPM_IEGbTPvzYc2Duweydpyfw6m_BSKXcU6LNILm8JZV5ux3rVUHNoIAxVXV9ODojs/s640/169C4903-647A-4D6E-83DF-157A1E17329E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now only 4 makings show. Again, bring the second marking up to the first, and iron in place. Repeat one more time for the third pleat. The inside of your mask will look like this.</div>
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The front of the mask looks like this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQyoupJpkLwSbxnW2xGaDA9XZqXGP_0oFRSJe-A5wucsmGPVykt-mEMn5yXzaPFMjY06nRN7XE0YN1Kf6iixb-qt_IrOShpftqnt4s-2fGavrpDTPsOaq6Vvkviq94vD9uygb5pzrvSQ/s1600/FE8D56AA-7ACF-4AA8-9002-7BAA8BB81F49.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQyoupJpkLwSbxnW2xGaDA9XZqXGP_0oFRSJe-A5wucsmGPVykt-mEMn5yXzaPFMjY06nRN7XE0YN1Kf6iixb-qt_IrOShpftqnt4s-2fGavrpDTPsOaq6Vvkviq94vD9uygb5pzrvSQ/s640/FE8D56AA-7ACF-4AA8-9002-7BAA8BB81F49.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stitch the pleats into place, close to the edge, and securing the elastic again as you go. You can pin or clip it if you like, but I’ve found that if I’m careful, I can hold the pleats in place with my hand. One edge is easier for me to do than the other, but it works out.</div>
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Top stitch the bottom edge of the mask for stability.</div>
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Insert the pipe cleaner into the pocket opening, and line it up at the top edge of the mask. Holding the wire in place, sew a narrow casing around it.</div>
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Your mask is finished! Iron it once more, with lots of steam, and celebrate with a cuppa something good. Then make more!</div>
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The masks at the top and bottom here are made from a duvet cover we probably won’t need for our Airbnb rental any time soon. The center mask is fabric from the curtains in my bedroom when I was in high school. My dad kept the curtains when he decided to repaint my old room from red (!) to white, and I couldn’t bear to send them to the Goodwill. I wasn’t sure why at the time, but now I’m glad I kept them.</div>
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Keep sewing, all you mask makers out there! You’re doing noble work. ❤️</div>
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Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-25534537688222758152020-01-31T15:31:00.000-08:002020-01-31T15:31:17.560-08:00the Sisters Hat<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7364444313031366135" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7364444313031366135" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7364444313031366135" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-size: 11px;">I don't really think of myself as a designer, but I do like to invent simple patterns from time to time. It's a fun exercise to write them up and share them here. At the very least, I'll know where they are if I should ever misplace my scribbled notebook. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-size: 11px;">This pattern for the Sisters Hat has been test-knitted and proofread for clarity and typos by my cousin, Mitzi Miles-Kubota, who is a fine knitter, a self described "word nerd," and a mega-talented fine artist and crafter. She does it all, and she gave this the thumbs up.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><span style="font-size: 11px;">I wish you happy hat-making.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Sisters Hat</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Knit from the bottom up, in the round, this is a fast and easy hat that works up in just a few hours. I designed it on a fun weekend spent with my two sisters, planning baby sis’s wedding. The hat fits my approximately 22 inch head on a very curly day. Check your gauge, measure your head, make adjustments as needed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Stitches used:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">K = Knit</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">P = Purl</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">K2tog = Knit 2 together</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>You will need:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yarn, 1 skein of about 100 yards (Hikoo Zumie, Lion Brand Quick & Thick, or other #6 super bulky yarn)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Size 11 needles (I like to use 16” circulars for most of the hat, switching to DPNs for top decreases, or a longer cable for a magic loop decrease)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Size 10 needles (16 inch circular), optional, for brim</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Scissors</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Yarn needle</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Stitch markers</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Pompom maker (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Directions:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">CO 46 on size 11 needles (or size 10 if you want a little more squeeze around the brim), and join to knit in the round, using your favorite method. (46 stitches on the needles)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">1x1 ribbing (knit 1, purl 1) 5 rounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"> Purl 5 rounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Knit 5 rounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"> Purl 5 rounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Knit 5 rounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"> Purl 5 rounds</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Decrease only one stitch, knit around (45 stitches)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Top decreases:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 1: *K7, K2tog* around, placing markers after each K2tog</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 2: K</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 3: *K6, K2tog* around</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 4: K</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 5: *K5, K2tog* around</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 6: K</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 7: *K4, K2tog* around</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 8: K</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 9: *K3, K2tog* around</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 10: *K2, K2tog* around</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Round 11: *K1, K2tog* around</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">10 stitches remain</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Finishing:</b></span></div>
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<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Cut the yarn, leaving a 12 inch tail. Using a yarn needle, thread the tail through remaining stitches, removing stitch markers as you go. Gently pull the top of the hat closed, then run the yarn </span>needle through each of the top stitches once more. Push the yarn needle through the top of the hat to the inside. Tie off and weave in the tail.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Weave in the beginning tail on the inside of the cuff.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">Add a pompom if desired.</span></div>
Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-9437060565789654242019-06-17T00:30:00.000-07:002019-06-17T00:30:03.970-07:00really easy crochet shawl pattern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I learned to crochet when I was ten. Even though I think of myself as more of a knitter now, I also still love to crochet. I think it's the easiest place for the newly yarn-smitten to begin, and for me, it's always a calm and quiet place to go back to when I need something more meditative for my busy hands and mind.<br />
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My friend Denise asked me to teach her how to make a simple triangle shawl last week, and although she understood what I showed her, she knew she might forget once she got home. She asked me to write it out for her, and I thought I might as well share it here too.</div>
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This pattern has only been proofed by me, so you are my test crocheters. If you catch any mistakes, please let me know Your gentle feedback regarding clarity will also be appreciated. Once I know it's all okay, I'll post a printer friendly version on Ravelry for you. For now, here you go!</div>
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This is a super simple granny triangle with some extra increases to make it nice and wide.<br />
After the third row, it’s just a one-row repeat, making it easy to memorize.<br />
This is a great project for beginners, or for anyone who wants an uncomplicated piece to work on almost anywhere. It makes a great comfort/prayer shawl.<br />
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<b>Denise's Shawl</b><br />
(Easy Wide Wingspan Crochet Shawl)<br />
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Worsted Weight (#4) yarn, about 600-800 yards<br />
Size J (6mm) crochet hook<br />
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The pattern is written in US terms.<br />
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Abbreviations:<br />
Slip Knot<br />
Stitch (st)<br />
Slip Stitch (ss)<br />
Chain (ch)<br />
Double Crochet (dc)<br />
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Note:<br />
All stitches are made along the two bottom edges of the triangle. Place a stitch marker or scrap of contrasting yarn in the top edge, to help you remember <i>not</i> to crochet along that side.<br />
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Set-up: <br />
make a slip knot, ch4, join with ss in first ch, to form a ring<br />
ch5, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) all in ring</div>
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ch5, turn</div>
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Row 1:<br />
3dc in first stitch (at base of ch5)<br />
ch1, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in ch3 sp (this is the bottom corner of the triangle)<br />
ch1, 3dc in ch5 sp at the end of the row<br />
ch5, turn</div>
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Row 2:<br />
3dc in first st<br />
ch1, 3dc in next ch1 sp, ch1<br />
(3dc, ch3, 3dc) in ch3 sp<br />
ch1, 3dc in next ch1 sp<br />
ch1, 3dc in ch5 sp<br />
ch5, turn</div>
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Row 3:<br />
3dc in first st<br />
(ch1, 3dc in each ch1 sp) to bottom corner<br />
ch1, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in ch3 sp<br />
(ch1, 3dc in each ch1 sp) to last 3 dc<br />
ch1, 3dc in ch5 sp<br />
ch5, turn</div>
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Repeat Row 3 until shawl is desired size. Finish by just stopping after a completed row, or save enough yarn to add a fancy border or fringe. <br />
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That's it!<br />
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I made the shawl below (also shown at the top of the page) with a plain edge, meaning I worked the pattern without any changes until I ran out of yarn. No fancy edging on this one. The yarn here is Lyon Brand's Ferris Wheel, in Cherry On Top. I used three balls, totaling 810 yards.<br />
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If you make one, I'd love to know how it turns out. Enjoy!<br />
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xo Kim</div>
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Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-54096614866326600322019-06-10T10:27:00.001-07:002019-06-10T10:27:50.859-07:00a special sweater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It all started with a picture. A few months ago, my grandson’s great grandfather on his dad’s side gave me this picture of himself wearing a beautiful hand knit Cowichan sweater that his mother had made for him. The photo was taken in 1979, in Tallinn, Estonia, where he was practicing for the Olympics. They are a family of sailors who have been competing - and winning - for three generations that I know of. </div>
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Grandpa Bill was well known for his sweaters. He told me that when his competitors saw him in one of these bulky, hand knit, water-holding beauties, they knew they were in trouble because the extra weight from a wet sweater gave him an advantage.</div>
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I know next to nothing about racing sailboats, but I do know a little bit about knitting. When Bill learned this, we made a nice connection and he told me stories of his mother and of his family history. When he gave me this picture, I knew I wanted to try to recreate his sweater for his great grandson.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEGlPnVnSFjS6CHSqIsN6rq99Xg2yrJpsHGyRywf34NjGQeIPQWTdmgqaQ1BAl0w_bR1PdGk7XtUZXseSsfsQ7uOIQHowC_eSBkLPyiqOpjtzpT413UfKlW6hCoXiQrTjBpgL565C8gg/s1600/IMG_2058.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEGlPnVnSFjS6CHSqIsN6rq99Xg2yrJpsHGyRywf34NjGQeIPQWTdmgqaQ1BAl0w_bR1PdGk7XtUZXseSsfsQ7uOIQHowC_eSBkLPyiqOpjtzpT413UfKlW6hCoXiQrTjBpgL565C8gg/s640/IMG_2058.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Without telling anyone in the family what I was doing, I got out some graph paper, and peered through a magnifying glass at the picture, counting stitches and creating a chart to match the design. Once I had that in place, I ordered yarn, watched a few YouTubes, consulted knitting friends, and taught myself how to do this style of color work the best I could.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrMfqYAeTJm12YUOADLGUPPmtdlIU5xdThp3cl2ifMR_R8qhDXo-HeY0NEd6vviEoD2PKiWyEPVIu6WpJgpGqF3SjLhceYM7IulEXDajVblggkCwkwv45nCJ6ke476p1Rdgqfg0_x1o8/s1600/IMG_2088.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrMfqYAeTJm12YUOADLGUPPmtdlIU5xdThp3cl2ifMR_R8qhDXo-HeY0NEd6vviEoD2PKiWyEPVIu6WpJgpGqF3SjLhceYM7IulEXDajVblggkCwkwv45nCJ6ke476p1Rdgqfg0_x1o8/s640/IMG_2088.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My first attempt at the yoke was not very good. The pattern didn’t match up and I wasn’t sure how to maintain the design while adding the corner increases. I tried to convince myself that it was good enough, but eventually ripped it out and started over. A lot of math, and some re-charting later, I began again, this time with much better results. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpkSSACACitTVbBwbYceYqGLSctDK1EIV2LQn0fLxTo45hPkZbCoMbhoWUe7IJ6-4cVvOs8E9PpC2yryqHbIh6nmKJzCI0Jl-HHqjpN4AxqvUT83bRltScYWsOQI26eOICZdT__BS5E4/s1600/IMG_2108.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpkSSACACitTVbBwbYceYqGLSctDK1EIV2LQn0fLxTo45hPkZbCoMbhoWUe7IJ6-4cVvOs8E9PpC2yryqHbIh6nmKJzCI0Jl-HHqjpN4AxqvUT83bRltScYWsOQI26eOICZdT__BS5E4/s640/IMG_2108.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The yarn I used was not the traditional handspun wool used in real Cowichan sweaters. I ordered <a href="https://www.yarn.com/products/tahki-yarns-arlington?sku=TAH-ARLING-01" target="_blank">Tahki Yarns Arlington</a> in the colors 01-white, and 03-chocolate. It's a soft, bulky blend of merino, alpaca, and acrylic. The pattern is adapted from <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stripes-just-for-me-601" target="_blank">Stripes Just For Me</a>, by Deb Gemmell and Lynda Gemmell.</div>
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Finishing the yoke was the scariest part. Once I got through that, I knew I could manage the rest of it. The sleeves were a little tricky, because I wanted to knit them in the round, but not on <a href="https://www.purlsoho.com/create/double-pointed-needles/" target="_blank">DPNs</a> or <a href="https://blog.tincanknits.com/2013/10/03/magic-loop/" target="_blank">magic loop</a>. The color work was tricky enough for me as a first-timer. I just didn't want to wrangle extra needles and cables. I finally found a set of interchangeable circular needles in the right size, and with a nice short, sleeve-size 9 inch cable from <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5C446T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Love2Knit</a> on Amazon. (There are no affiliate links in this post.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhyYlnr6NoxSzXIj90085aPSEeBNitay6nhQO2E460g5j-f0-ThHYAo-YNFA4q1sF9g3BdbdQpi7h2V-8RCE3cDNjDnYAz5Hxr-K70BoRgjB6LG73X-FYDuSQhqqXisFBnWij8baSV-0/s1600/IMG_2425.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhyYlnr6NoxSzXIj90085aPSEeBNitay6nhQO2E460g5j-f0-ThHYAo-YNFA4q1sF9g3BdbdQpi7h2V-8RCE3cDNjDnYAz5Hxr-K70BoRgjB6LG73X-FYDuSQhqqXisFBnWij8baSV-0/s640/IMG_2425.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I finished it, and showed it off to friends (and strangers) here at home, but still kept it a secret from my daughter and her inlaws. I wanted to give it to Miles, as a first birthday present, at a big family party in early June. It was torture keeping my mouth shut about it, but I'm good at keeping secrets - even my own.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEZ8F0HaDIANYlbCW1BkEUT931V8gvIRPoZCXYI9fb6FfD_IaITPdFO9X-xyJo9frgykSBaHcu5PPV8wnRoq_Slh6Kc0_8Cyvys20l77_PjYx0bEuucKuZWwPRACwBxMG491FonILFN0/s1600/IMG_2478.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEZ8F0HaDIANYlbCW1BkEUT931V8gvIRPoZCXYI9fb6FfD_IaITPdFO9X-xyJo9frgykSBaHcu5PPV8wnRoq_Slh6Kc0_8Cyvys20l77_PjYx0bEuucKuZWwPRACwBxMG491FonILFN0/s640/IMG_2478.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Since I finished it a full month before the party, I decided to also make some hats to match. One for Miles, one for his cousin, Connor, and one, of course, for Grandpa Bill. These were easy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthOR7XsLbgeqs-6M_ZlWBuuIJ19_cLvLyNRo2EaxsuuK5opBw3T1JIkah5UdAG7vw-jKzF5ST6tawRNkdwjpa5x7K8oUtD6GSFKO4PvaGs00KQvqzUUn9Kj7-UoFDMrhO6XTBmuOyOUU/s1600/IMG_2409.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthOR7XsLbgeqs-6M_ZlWBuuIJ19_cLvLyNRo2EaxsuuK5opBw3T1JIkah5UdAG7vw-jKzF5ST6tawRNkdwjpa5x7K8oUtD6GSFKO4PvaGs00KQvqzUUn9Kj7-UoFDMrhO6XTBmuOyOUU/s640/IMG_2409.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Party day finally arrived last weekend, much to my relief. I waited until everyone was there, and then got some help rounding up the key people. As my daughter helped Miles open the sweater, her look of surprise made all the secret-keeping worth it. There were some exclamations of, "You made that???" - which always kind of annoys me - and Grandpa Bill gave me a look from across the table that melted my heart. Success! I did it! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyjvJ8FHXapjBzD9mrxK_Eg5m3F8elAumUB0dpAJl4GTXrLmT7P0I8QI3I4mrq3LapTzDAreYxA9k9xLrEuW9TLMmsLShVbE8Bo4YerzReTfF4XzYR8FSu6WxE0SJ74LE1Q55RbWdkVU/s1600/IMG_2859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyjvJ8FHXapjBzD9mrxK_Eg5m3F8elAumUB0dpAJl4GTXrLmT7P0I8QI3I4mrq3LapTzDAreYxA9k9xLrEuW9TLMmsLShVbE8Bo4YerzReTfF4XzYR8FSu6WxE0SJ74LE1Q55RbWdkVU/s640/IMG_2859.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was also glad to see that I'd made the sweater too-big enough that it will probably get two winters of use. This year it will be super big, but cuddly and warm. And next year, it might fit him just right. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkPPG1MkQM6hFhByw5J8xDCtX158IjeM2254dhlbYP1yOHiA8eQCygkSminFSJSWwKRRUni0O_LscYxoU1DmMaGXGXASxZnRhdnQIoR0JATxg1SYIWMHs7FAdKyYWhoyPSwY0Eeue9lw/s1600/IMG_2933.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkPPG1MkQM6hFhByw5J8xDCtX158IjeM2254dhlbYP1yOHiA8eQCygkSminFSJSWwKRRUni0O_LscYxoU1DmMaGXGXASxZnRhdnQIoR0JATxg1SYIWMHs7FAdKyYWhoyPSwY0Eeue9lw/s640/IMG_2933.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Project completed, mission accomplished, and moving on. A family tradition continues, even if I never knit another one of these. To be honest, I don't really plan to. But I'm so glad I took my friend's words to heart when she told me of something difficult she had managed to do without really knowing how. She said, "I didn't know I couldn't." Now there's a quote to hang on the wall.</div>
Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-14411789649089700112019-05-22T00:30:00.000-07:002019-05-22T00:30:07.741-07:00slow downWhen I have a lot to do, I seem to get more done, in less time, if I slow down a little bit. It's kind of like thrashing around in the water vs. relaxing and going with the current.<br />
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It's been that kind of week for me. I'm here by myself for a few more days, and I've had a steady stream of projects in the works. I've been following my interest wherever it leads, jumping from one thing to the next, wandering back, finishing, starting, finishing another. I'm really enjoying this organic flow of creativity.<br />
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Here's what I've finished in the past week...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4xBAJpyRcCqhhh72-A-LfQXcr9lKZwCXox6txTC5rjt6XjDW5TCMbsey8fi1VUXVJ674LMU3E1KUI5W_7nngC9a_GNZCWIUzMVKjk-R6zFb762hh-7N7cVCEPaPkBS5zXykGpnFtHXk/s1600/IMG_2699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4xBAJpyRcCqhhh72-A-LfQXcr9lKZwCXox6txTC5rjt6XjDW5TCMbsey8fi1VUXVJ674LMU3E1KUI5W_7nngC9a_GNZCWIUzMVKjk-R6zFb762hh-7N7cVCEPaPkBS5zXykGpnFtHXk/s640/IMG_2699.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr04HZciicgZ2kqEp0SQ8CZW2jWxnvMQOPeclrbFyJJIuDTcwApSWNuDAwGRvTcLTBZPXiNqQl1fh7xMBoU5V7AUum8AvPlzqKj3Rq5unCvcGSssYaTidKyllZcRYdIih6zfjBUN_IKo/s1600/IMG_2700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr04HZciicgZ2kqEp0SQ8CZW2jWxnvMQOPeclrbFyJJIuDTcwApSWNuDAwGRvTcLTBZPXiNqQl1fh7xMBoU5V7AUum8AvPlzqKj3Rq5unCvcGSssYaTidKyllZcRYdIih6zfjBUN_IKo/s640/IMG_2700.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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None of these are big projects, and the seat cushion was almost finished, so I only had to put it together. I did start another one this week, and it's <i>almost</i> finished, but not quite, so it didn't make the photo. The little bags are something I've circled back to many times over the years. I just love making them every so often.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWYajfblNjQyA1c9GthJgd0sRBNRserj35YNtHPUcHMUvRsIHchIS5pnKuWIAFDSmyHd_wfduIrSwrf4WSpx1jG9uP04MJ7PbtqnzI5tADbE6hkhvk91bvemPw8K6UMW30rSS3RupBmY/s1600/IMG_2701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWYajfblNjQyA1c9GthJgd0sRBNRserj35YNtHPUcHMUvRsIHchIS5pnKuWIAFDSmyHd_wfduIrSwrf4WSpx1jG9uP04MJ7PbtqnzI5tADbE6hkhvk91bvemPw8K6UMW30rSS3RupBmY/s640/IMG_2701.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The little bottles are dressed up with some customized crocheted lace, to hide the top edge, which isn't so cute when you take the lid off and only see jar lid threads. The long necklaces are something I've wanted to get to for a while. Two of them are made with my own lampwork beads (which you know I don't make anymore), and the others are store bought beads. The handmade is better, but the others are more repeatable now, and still really pretty and summery. And the scarf is because I <i>always</i> have a scarf in the works, and this one was a fast finish in this puffy cloud sort of yarn. </div>
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I did all this, and still found time for long beach walks, good food, and (limited) visits with friends. My To-Make and To-Do lists looked daunting to me last week, but once I just rolled with the what's-next of things, it all somehow got done. </div>
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<i><b>On The Sticks</b></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMG6MYAH287jUwX0mA5FBKVTe1jDujyHUuweG7YxVv7GPr-FdyxU28u7YC46d70jdo7ZszfoTJ_BKvVwYI1wA3wLUhNo-42IERfJ6moy9tH1zn9Ofq-xIQ3xjFl9A9IIev_IrEtAij8A/s1600/IMG_2704.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMG6MYAH287jUwX0mA5FBKVTe1jDujyHUuweG7YxVv7GPr-FdyxU28u7YC46d70jdo7ZszfoTJ_BKvVwYI1wA3wLUhNo-42IERfJ6moy9tH1zn9Ofq-xIQ3xjFl9A9IIev_IrEtAij8A/s640/IMG_2704.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like I said, I'm making another seat cushion cover, but I'm out of handspun yarn, so now it just waits until I get a little bit more. Yarn is patient. It will be done when it's done. This scarf is taking a while because it's very fine fingering weight yarn. A bit more threadlike than what I normally use. It's still may favorite pattern for taking along when I go out in the world - which isn't really all that much at the moment.</div>
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I need a new project. I have three sweaters to make, but one needs to wait till I can measure my grandson (who turns one year old this week!!!), and try to guess how big he'll be in the fall when he'll need it for football season with his Husky fan parents. The other two sweaters are for me, but I only just ordered the yarn this morning. What to make while I wait? I'll know when I know.</div>
Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-45879934872562938952019-05-15T14:51:00.004-07:002019-05-15T14:51:28.818-07:00spa weekRick and I live in a very small house. It’s not officially “tiny,” but 600 square feet of living space can be... cozy. It works for us. Usually. There <i>are</i> times when I’ll send him out to do something just so I can be home alone. He’s good about that. He does all the grocery shopping, goes to the library to write his own blog (<a href="http://scatteringbirdseed.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Scattering Birdseed</a>), and recently joined the Elks Lodge, just so he could go there to play pool with a couple of his friends. Rick is a Very Good Guy, and gives me as much space as he can.<br />
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I will admit though, that the trips he makes to California to visit his daughter and grandkids are really precious nuggets of time for me, because I get to stay home alone. I have one such nugget starting today, as a matter of fact. I have only one plan to be with other people, and the rest of the time is mine all mine. In fact, I may not even go to the twice-a-month get together of neighborhood women friends tomorrow. I’m dodging invitations, and flat out refusing to be entertained or watched out for. Gah! My Do Not Disturb sign will be on the door. Read it and scamper off.</div>
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I'm having a spa week, right here at home.<br />
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I'm not even exactly sure what that means. All I know is, I've given myself permission to do whatever I want to. That might include some extravagant home spa treatments, like a facial mask and a foot soak, washing (or <i>not</i> washing!) my hair, taking walks, going to the aquarium to visit the octopuses (which is the correct plural, I recently learned from reading <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Soul-Octopus-Surprising-Exploration-Consciousness/dp/1451697724/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2F2ITKOIP46VP&keywords=soul+of+an+octopus+book&qid=1557955991&s=gateway&sprefix=soul+of%2Caps%2C227&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Soul of an Octopus</a>), reading poetry (new and unexplainable obsession with Mary Oliver), knitting (of course), watching Doris Day movies (sigh...), listening to books on audible while doing almost any of the above, and maybe even cleaning the house, if that feels like self nurturing.<br />
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So far today, I've skipped breakfast in favor of more tea, made an amazing lunch of cauliflower hummus and lettuce wraps with avocado and kalamata olives, knitted a little pouch from a chart, both right side up and upside down, and thought several times about going for a walk. It's raining, so the walk hasn't happened yet. Oh well.<br />
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I'm also starting a test drive of the <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Ketotarian-Mostly-Plant-Based-Cravings-Inflammation-ebook/dp/B079KTQFN2/ref=sr_1_3?crid=6SDHY816FSK4&keywords=ketotarian+by+dr.+will+cole&qid=1557956040&s=gateway&sprefix=ketotarian%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Ketotarian</a> way of eating. This time of year, I always feel the need for a reset of some kind. I've been vegan for nine years now, and while I feel a hundred times better than I did when I ate cheese like it was the last food on Earth, I want to improve my health even another notch. I've come to suspect that I eat <i>way</i> too many grains and beans, so I'm taking a look at what happens if I cut them out for a while. It's not as hard as it might sound. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm always sort of giddy when I decide to experiment with food, so this actually <i>is</i> part of my fun spa week.<br />
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We have guests in the <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19175442?location=2224%20S%20Franklin%20St%2C%20Seaside%2C%20OR%2C%20United%20States&guests=1&adults=1&sl_alternate_dates_exclusion=true&source_impression_id=p3_1557954677_i2gtbhZuklDn4qcI" target="_blank">Mermaid's Nest</a>, but it’s a very nice couple, staying for the whole time. That makes my job easy, as I won’t be cleaning up after new people every two days. Works for me.<br />
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Yes, of course I will miss Rick, and I'll be happy when he comes home, but for now -<br />
Let Spa Week Begin!</div>
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<b><i>On The Sticks</i></b></div>
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I finished the cotton <a href="https://www.longwayhomeblog.com/2019/05/and-what-do-you-do.html" target="_blank">crocheted sweater</a> I talked about last week, after only three and a half re-starts. It’s cute! I’d like it to be a little bit longer, but I used up every smidge of yarn I had, so that must mean it’s perfect. (The tiny button on the inside back of the neck is so I know where front and back are.)<br />
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I’m starting a knitted tank top with some pretty hand dyed fingering weight cotton a friend gave me a year ago. I’m not sure I like how it’s going, so I’m also not sure whether I’ll finish it or rip it out and make a shawl instead.<br />
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I have a sudden interest in knitting tiny bags from charts. It's a way of playing with complicated stitch patterns without committing to large, scary projects. It's also a good way to use up leftover bits of yarn. I made one last night, and another this morning, which is soaking right now and waiting to be blocked. Pretty much instant in the knitting gratification department.<br />
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And of course I have a small <a href="https://www.longwayhomeblog.com/2019/05/travel-buddy-scarf.html" target="_blank">Travel Buddy</a> triangle scarf in the works, to carry with me on beach walks and such. This is one skein of a beautiful Noro cotton blend that was gifted to me last weekend by the same friend who gave me the other cotton I'm using for the maybe-tank.<br />
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I scored big when she decided to de-stash a bit and bring me a whole bunch of her unwanted-but-beautiful yarn. It’s practically a whole stash in itself, and I need to move some things around - and maybe do some de-stashing of my own - to fit it into my yarn storage spaces. It’s a good problem to have! </div>
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Till next week, enjoy your days, and I’ll do the same.</div>
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xo Kim<br />
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PS - I want to mention that although I share a lot of links here, they are <i>not</i> affiliate links, and I don't get anything out of it. It's all just stuff and people I like.</div>
Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-16492178094382504992019-05-08T00:30:00.000-07:002019-05-08T00:30:06.859-07:00and what do you do?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25oOSm3mqQLzdLLnMvfvTu-J3ghi_r4NnAa5Z8qHZV6hUVKNA2NNFimc64ZE9MJUb4_cGDOpeWngvhN-qNVA7Zr2N1Oq2EEHDw19yP0HxLOCAoSTLpT2lMGwMs6wX_8TKvB5YClhuIl4/s1600/IMG_2493-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25oOSm3mqQLzdLLnMvfvTu-J3ghi_r4NnAa5Z8qHZV6hUVKNA2NNFimc64ZE9MJUb4_cGDOpeWngvhN-qNVA7Zr2N1Oq2EEHDw19yP0HxLOCAoSTLpT2lMGwMs6wX_8TKvB5YClhuIl4/s640/IMG_2493-1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I'm in my outdoor office this week, at the picnic table on the patio. I have a favorite vintage tablecloth, lilacs in a martini shaker, and tea in my new favorite cup, made by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Creativewithclay"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #420178;">Charan Sachar</span></a>. I'm considering a new format for my blog, which I'll try here today. I suspect that only three people actually read this, and yet I persist. I like to write, so that can be good enough. I have lots of things to talk about, so I'm going to try dividing my time here between Life Stories and Ponderings, and of course, Knitting. Feel free to tell me what you think, or even just grunt if you're out there. Really, have no idea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Pondering...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I like meeting new people. But I hate the inevitable moment when New Person will politely raise their eyebrows and ask me, "And what do <i>you</i> do?" It's sort of like the human equivalent of dogs sniffing each others' butts. We need to size each other up <i>somehow</i>, right? What better way than to sniff out what a person does for money. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Ever notice how when someone replies with, "I'm retired," the conversation either stops right there, or if it keeps going, the next question is, "Oh, what<i> did</i> you do then?" Nobody asks how you spend your time <i>now</i>, or what do you do for fun, or what makes your heart sing. It's all about the money. Can we change that, please? I have a very hard time answering the what-do-you-do question... </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It happened to me yesterday. My response, as it almost always is these days, was a stumbling, "I don't really know..." What a dumb answer. I was sitting there with knitting in my hands, so I could have started with that. I don't know why that didn't seem a worthy response. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Fortunately, I was with a small group of friends who know me pretty well, and one popped in to rescue me by saying, "You run an Airbnb!" Oh that... well, yes I do. I even have a modest income and business cards to prove it. Why don't I think of that as real and worth telling someone I'm meeting for the first time? (And why did it take until the third re-write of this post to think of adding a link to <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19175442?location=2224%20S%20Franklin%20St%2C%20Seaside%2C%20OR%2C%20United%20States&guests=1&adults=1&source_impression_id=p3_1557167705_LGTtyPtJ4mb5iW7F"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #420178;">Mermaid's Nest</span></a>???)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Sheesh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I'm home alone this morning, which is always lovely, because our house is small, and a girl needs a little space now and then. I've been sitting here thinking about how I really want to answer my most dreaded question. And I realize it's actually so very simple. <i>I make things</i>. I've always made things. Making things makes my heart sing. And making things is a valid Thing To Do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">So my elevator speech - my response to What do you do? - is shorter than a ride from the first floor to the second. <i>I'm an innkeeper, and I make things.</i> It's so simple I think it doesn't count, but it does. It's so humble, and so not-that-financially-lucrative, I think nobody's interested. But if they are, there's plenty to fill in from there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I'm ready for you, New Person. I know what I do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>This Week On The Sticks...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I'm taking a second (actually third) try at a crocheted sweater I'd really like to make, but am really struggling with. It's a cute, summery (on the Oregon Coast, anyway) pullover pattern called <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/klokkeblomst-bellflower"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: #420178;">Bellflower</span></a>, by Liselotte Weller, on Ravelry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">It's a free pattern, so there isn't much support to go along with it. That shouldn't be a big deal... for someone who's paying attention, like I wasn't at first. Sigh...</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I zoomed along, watching the yoke of my sweater go from normal looking to long, to longer, to <i>is this a skirt??? - </i> but I kept going, thinking it was some sort of interesting design element that didn't show up in the pictures. When I added a sleeve and tried it on again, I had something like a squeezy little cropped cape with a sleeve starting at the elbow. If I'd kept going, I could have turned it into a straight jacket. I had clearly done something quite wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I went back to Ravelry to see what others were saying about this pattern, and quickly realized that I was crocheting in the <i>wrong language</i>. It's noted on the Ravelry page that this pattern is written in UK terms, but I overlooked that in my excitement. That rather important bit of information is nowhere on the printed pattern, so off I went, double crocheting when I should have been single crocheting. Crap! Damn UK terms! </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I ripped the whole thing out and started again, translating the stitches to what they were meant to be. But after just a few inches, I still wasn't happy with the look. Another frogging, a little head scratching, and a self-pep-talk later, I took the pattern line by line, and changed almost everything, keeping only the suggested numbers of stitches as guideposts. <i>Now</i> I like it a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I have the yoke and one sleeve finished, and just enough yarn for the second sleeve before changing colors for the lower part of the body. I'm using stash yarn that may or may not be quite enough, and I'm creatively combining two different shades of the same yarn. It's Berocco Indigo, recycled denim and cotton. I like the fabric it's making, and I sure hope I have enough, because they don't make it anymore...</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">More on this when it's finished. Fingers crossed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Have a good week!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">xo Kim</span></div>
Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-59058499637078523862019-05-01T00:30:00.000-07:002019-05-01T00:30:11.302-07:00travel buddy scarfI never leave the house without my knitting. You never know when you'll get stuck waiting someplace, and I'd rather knit than stare at my phone. I like to have three projects going at any given time - something big, like a sweater, that I only work on at home, something random, like the giant crocheted "fence doily" I'm working on this week (you'll see it later), and always a small, easy, memorizable, one-skein scarf. That's the one I take along wherever I go, whether it's coffee in town, happy hour in Astoria, or a road trip where I know I need something to keep me busy in the passenger seat (or I become a very unpleasant copilot.)<br />
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My favorite scarf/shawl to take along for the ride is based on the lovely <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chale-facile-easy-shawl" target="_blank">Chale Facile</a>, by Emilie Marechal. It's free on Ravelry! I love how easy it is to make, and how absolutely wearable it is. I usually make it with fingering weight sock yarn on size 6 needles, but you can use any yarn and needles you have. One skein is usually enough, but if I have two, I sometimes make an extra big scarf and add lace or fringe at the bottom edge.<br />
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In this photo, the two on the left are mine. I wear them all the time, sometimes together if it's really cold outside. The two bright ones second from the left have bits of eyelet worked in. They'll be for sale one of these days, once I get some kind of shop system worked out. The green and lavender one is made with some gorgeous yarn my sis-in-law brought me from Italy, and it has a a wide band of crocheted lace at the bottom. The far right rainbow is a bulky-ish Peruvian cotton, and I made it to wear to Pride festivities we're attending in June. It's almost always scarf season in the Pacific Northwest, but I went with cotton in case it happens to warm up by then.<br />
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My basic pattern for all of these has a slight variation from the original design. It's a two-row repeat, and even though I carry around a little slip of paper with printed directions, it's pretty well imprinted in my brain by now. I've written it out for you without abbreviations, in case you're new to knitting and need all the words. If you want a nice printable PDF, visit the Ravelry link above.<br />
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Travel Buddy Scarf<br />
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Cast on 3 stitches<br />
Row 1: knit front and back, knit to the last two stitches, knit two together.<br />
Row 2: knit to the last two stitches, yarn over knit one (this adds an increase and a nice eyelet hole), knit the last stitch.<br />
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Repeat rows 1 and 2 until your yarn is almost gone, and finish with a stretchy bind off.<br />
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<br />Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-9825937705786225652019-04-24T00:30:00.000-07:002019-04-24T00:30:11.329-07:00hazel's sand dollar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As Airbnb hosts, we get an interesting array of guests here at <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19175442?location=2224%20S%20Franklin%20St%2C%20Seaside%2C%20OR%2C%20United%20States&s=UJqvqaTj&guests=1&adults=1" target="_blank">Mermaid's Nest</a>. Most people are perfectly nice - friendly enough coming and going, but there's no connection made, and we know we'll probably never see them again. A few are truly horrible. No point in dwelling there... we <i>hope</i> we'll never see <i>them</i> again. And then, every so often, we'll have guests who are nothing short of adorable. Those are the ones we wish would move in right next door and be our friends.<br />
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We recently hosted a family of three, just down from Seattle for the weekend. The mom and dad were great, but what was best about them was their daughter, Hazel. She was a curious and generous six year old, who loved to play on the beach, even in the rain.<br />
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When they arrived, they unloaded the car and headed straight for the sand. They came back a while later, soaking wet and smiling, with hands full of treasures. Hazel proudly showed me the whole sand dollar she'd found, and we told them where to look for cockle shells on their next walk.<br />
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A few minutes later, there was a knock on our door, and there was Hazel, holding out another sand dollar, this one terribly broken, with most of the top domed part completely gone. She handed it to me shyly, as her mom told me that she thought I'd like it because I could see what's inside. (heart-melt) I like it very much.<br />
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After two years living at the beach, I'm kind of a seashell snob. I leave whole sand dollars for someone else to find because I have more than I know what to do with. Cockle shells are my favorite prize, though I'll only take them home if they're perfectly unbroken. But Hazel's mangled sand dollar now sits in a special place in our house, right by the front door, on the nest of crystals - a gift from a bead friend, many years ago.<br />
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As it neared check out time on the day Hazel and her parents were leaving, I suddenly had the idea to make a bracelet for her. A friend had given me a package of cute little mermaid buttons - another gift! - and I knew one of those would be perfect for my young friend.<br />
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I crocheted a quick little bracelet, and finished it up just in time to give it to Hazel before they left. I showed her where I was displaying her beautiful sand dollar, and asked her if she had seen any mermaids on the beach. No... she said. I replied... you never know. Maybe next time.<br />
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I'm pretty sure they'll be back.<br />
This is why we do Airbnb.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-91242992629062746332019-04-17T00:30:00.000-07:002019-04-17T00:30:06.944-07:00merbunnies are real<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm about to admit something very embarrassing... I recently learned that narwhals are <i>real</i>. What??? I know. Ridiculous. And feel free to ridicule if that's your thing. But now I know.<br />
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I also just learned about <a href="https://www.livescience.com/57985-tardigrade-facts.html" target="_blank">tardigrades</a> (water bears, moss piglets)...<br />
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... and I'm reading <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Soul-Octopus-Surprising-Exploration-Consciousness/dp/1451697724/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=soul+of+an+octopus&qid=1555437570&s=gateway&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Soul of an Octopus</a>, by Sy Montgomery, which has me completely smitten with those eight-legged wonders.<br />
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So now I find myself wondering what other amazing things I'm completely unaware of after so many years on Planet Earth. I think I might even believe in unicorns. And Santa Claus. Well, duh.<br />
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I wanted to make a bunny for my grandson's first Easter, but of course, coming from me, it had to be an <i>unusual</i> bunny. I've made a few mermaid dolls, so a MerBunny was the obvious choice.<br />
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If mermaids are real, and of course they are, then why not merbunnies? I like my brand of logic. Don't try to change me.<br />
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I tried for a sort of gender-neutral bunny, but this one came out looking pretty girlie. That's her choice! She's made of cotton yarn with a couple of fancy yarns added to the hair. I started with a pattern for the head and upper body, and went off-road from there.<br />
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Find the pattern on Ravelry: <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pixie-the-rabbit-amigurumi" target="_blank">Pixie The Rabbit</a>, by StuffTheBunny. It was easy to follow, as long as I sat by myself and paid attention. Lots of counting, but not difficult. I also used a heavier yarn and larger hook than called for, so it came out sort of huge for an amigurumi. Not a problem! Big bunnies are best! If you do the same, don't bother making the ear holes at the top of the head... they'll come out <i>way</i> in the wrong place.<br />
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The hair is fun to do. I came up with a way of making it strand by strand, twisting and doubling long stretches of yarn, and anchoring them with a slip stitch or single crochet. It's similar to making <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydGcCOp4e6E" target="_blank">twisted fringe</a>, which is also really fun to make for knit and crocheted shawls and scarves.<br />
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I was planning to save it for an Easter surprise for the Little Guy, but I couldn't stop myself from showing it to him via FaceTime yesterday when he was feeling kind of grumpy. MerBunny got him giggling in a flash, so it was well worth ruining the surprise. Like an almost-one-year-old cares about surprises, right? Every minute of every day is a surprise when you're so new to the planet.<br />
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I can't wait to tell him about narwhals.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-16077651321840710552019-04-10T15:39:00.002-07:002019-04-10T15:39:24.066-07:00building my slow wardrobe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've decided it's time to build myself a "slow wardrobe" of thoughtfully handmade sweaters that will last for years, and maybe even become family heirlooms of sorts. I'm tired of buying terrible clothes that don't last, that have no humanity, no soul. I want to take the time to make things that matter. I kind of always want to be wearing one handmade thing, to hold the rest of it together.<br />
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I started with a very easy top-down pullover, which took me from October to February to make. That's pretty slow, but at least I finished it. I set it down for a while at one point, blaming the holidays for lack of time, but really because I was afraid of it. I was two inches from finishing the body and starting the sleeves. Sleeves freaked me out. Until I made them. (Fear of yarn is kind of silly, says me now, until the next scary yarn monster shows up in my bag.) I love this sweater in spite of its very many mistakes, and I wear often.<br />
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The pattern is <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tea-with-jam-and-bread" target="_blank">Tea with Jam and Bread</a>, by Heidi Kirrmaier, and available on Ravelry. I made some changes - lengthened it, left out the stripes, did different hem/cuffs/neck, and left out the pockets. It's a well written pattern that's easy enough for a hesitant knitter like me. The yarn I used here was Cloudborn Superwash Merino Worsted Twist in Shaela Heather. (Yes, it's wool. Yes I'm still vegan, but I guess "between yarn stores" is more accurate. I'll talk about that some other time.)<br />
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Finishing this first piece of my slow wardrobe gave me a lot of confidence. I jumped straight into the next big project - a beautiful gray cardigan, which took about a month to make. I finished it a few days ago, and have worn every day since. In fact, I'm wearing it right now as I type this, and will wear it when we go out tonight. I love it that much.<br />
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This is also an easy pattern, although it looks kind of fancy with the pretty yoke increases. It's made top-down, which is my favorite way of making a sweater. If I have to sew side seams and set in sleeves, there's a very good chance that the nicely knitted pieces of any given sweater will end up at the Goodwill eventually, hoping someone else will want to finish it. Yeah, I did that once.<br />
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The pattern is the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tea-leaves-cardigan" target="_blank">Tealeaves Cardigan</a>, by Melissa LaBarre, also available on Ravelry. The yarn is Malabrigo Rios, in Tormenta.<br />
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As I looked up the names of these patterns a few minutes ago, I just realized that I have a tea theme going here. I guess it makes sense, since I drink buckets of tea while I'm knitting. In fact, I have a cup brewing right now. I think I'll go drink it while I settle in with Ravelry in search of my next sweater pattern. This slow wardrobe idea feels really good.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-50556816959620118702019-04-03T00:30:00.000-07:002019-04-03T00:30:00.616-07:00the prayer shawl project evolves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For some time now, Rick and I, along with a few other friends, have been knitting and crocheting prayer shawls, also known as comfort shawls, for the local hospital.<br />
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We make the shawls out of washable yarn, usually acrylic, and then hand them over to be laundered in the hospital before being distributed. It worked well until the hospital updated its laundry protocol, and decided that even our shawls would now need to be bleached.<br />
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Oh dear.<br />
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Hours and hours of work go into each and every shawl. We knew they were already being washed in super hot water and going through the hottest dryers. Although all that heat and sloshing is not ideal for hand knit items, the yarn was standing up to the torture well enough. Bleach, on the other hand, would not only fade the colors in the yarn, but also deteriorate the fibers. So after much discussion, and research into alternative yarns we might use, we decided as a group to put the project on hold.<br />
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It's okay. I think some of us needed a break, and to be honest, I don't love working with huge amounts of acrylic yarn for hours and hours, when I have perfectly lovely yarns waiting patiently by. I've become a yarn snob, and I'm willing to own that.<br />
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Something happened last week that gave our group a new look at the project. A friend of all of ours found out that she is quite ill, and it's not the first time. She's worried and scared, of course, but to make it even worse, she also found out that her daughter has major health problems to face. It's too much. It's not fair. It totally sucks. And there's not much friends can do but be supportive and show up when they're needed.<br />
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As knitters, we realized we can show up in a way most people can't. We can make something for her. So someone came up with a great idea - for <i>me</i> to make her a shawl.<br />
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Well, hmmm...<br />
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Fortunately, I already had a beautiful scarf almost finished. Even though I had planned to keep it for myself, I knew it was perfect for our friend, so I agreed to donate it to the cause, if every person in the group would knit at least one stitch into it.<br />
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They wanted to give me money, which was perfectly nice, especially since I was using favorite, fancy hand-dyed yarn from <a href="https://www.candyskein.com/">CandySkein</a> for this project. But money wasn't the point. In order for it to be from all of us, we <i>all</i> had to work on it. So I continued to insist that everyone add a stitch.<br />
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There was resistance, more insistence, more resistance. And then I sat up really straight, got a little bit stern, and told them that their participation was very important to me. I was not backing down.<br />
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Eventually, of course, I got my way.<br />
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As we passed the scarf around the table, and each knitter took their turn, something shifted. The work became <i>ours</i>. As small as the one-stitch gesture was, it mattered, and it was noticeable.<br />
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I did the finish work and brought it back this week for everyone to hold once more before wrapping it up and passing it to the one who wanted to deliver it to our friend. As we each signed the card, I made sure to mention in it that we had all worked on this together. She'll know I did most of it, but that doesn't matter. She'll also know we all had a hand in it, and we all care about her.<br />
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So it looks like prayer shawls are still going to happen. Only now they'll be in the form of fashionable, wearable scarves, and now we'll make them this way, as a group, for people we know. We'll also have the freedom to make them out of beautiful yarns that we'll enjoy handling, and wearers will actually enjoy wearing.<br />
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What seemed like a setback, now feels like a nudge forward.<br />
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Handwork has a powerful energy, and things made by and for people who know and care about each other carry some pretty good juju.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-23562426938976124232019-03-27T00:30:00.000-07:002019-03-27T00:30:00.674-07:00knitting (and drinking) in public<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our little <a href="https://www.longwayhomeblog.com/2018/05/knitting-in-public-with-friends.html">knitting group</a> is still going strong after a year or so of regular Tuesday knit-togethers. Until recently, we've been meeting at coffee places. Starbucks was nice, except that they played the music so loud we couldn't hear each other talk. Nothing more fun than a group of people over 50 all yelling, "Huh?! What?! What <i>is</i> this music???" Not so good for our attempts to <i>not</i> look like a bunch of old farts playing with sticks and string.<br />
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We tried bouncing back and forth between two little privately owned places nearby, that just happened to be right across the street from each other. After a while though, as the cafe owners began to feel more comfortable around us, the vibe shifted. They both became more and more open about the vicious and unprofessional rivalry between the two of them. The verbal shrapnel-flinging was fierce and frequent, and it became so ugly and awkward, we felt the need to wander off in search of a safer place to spend our time and money.<br />
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One previous meeting place had been the Seaside Golf Course. We liked it. Sort of. It's in walking distance for most of us, the lighting is good, and there's lots of seating and friendly service. What we didn't like was being stuck in the back dining room. When we'd asked if they could accommodate a weekly group, they happily set us up in a quiet part of the restaurant that could hold a lot of people. It was nice of them, but it was boring. If we wanted a private space, we'd just go to someone's house.<br />
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Since we were running out of options, we reconsidered the golf course, only this time, we didn't ask for permission or special consideration of any kind. We just showed up. And not in the restaurant. We headed straight for the bar.<br />
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There are really only 5 or 6 of us who always go, so it's easy to fit around any of their several large tables. We meet after the lunch rush, so they aren't too busy, and we're really pretty low maintenance. Drinks and fries are about all we need, and we always over-tip. That's important when you want to hang out for a couple of hours in a public place, but not order a lot of food.<br />
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I was a little worried that some of our regulars would object to meeting in a bar, but as it turns out, all of us would prefer a tasty adult beverage over a cappuccino or a cup of tea. Funny! I think it's good for our "cool knitters" image too. Nothing prissy about this group. We knit, we laugh, we drink, and we do it all in public.<br />
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We have so much fun, there are a couple of people who like to join us even though they don't knit. We don't care! In fact, we're thinking of changing our name. It's been Seaside Social Knitters all along (SSK is also a knitting term, for those who don't know), but yesterday someone jokingly tossed out, "Knit Or Not." I think that suits us just fine.<br />
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Knit Or Not meets every Tuesday at the Seaside Golf Course, in the bar, from 1-3PM. Join us if you want to!Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-56092050720067395002019-03-20T00:30:00.000-07:002019-03-20T00:30:09.064-07:00grace and frankie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If today was Thanksgiving, and I was sitting at a table full of people taking turns sharing what they're grateful for, my contribution would go something like, <i>I am ridiculously thankful for Grace and Frankie. </i><br />
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Yes, the show. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have much wisdom to share, and they bring it to us so entertainingly via Netflix. My daughter watches it, and often leaves it on in the background, because she likes the sound of their voices. They reassure her as only voices of years and experience can do. I like to think they remind her of me. They certainly remind <i>me</i> of me.<br />
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I hear a lot of women say things like, "I'm <i>totally</i> Grace", or "Frankie is <i>me</i>." I'm mostly Frankie with a dash of Grace. Frankie is my hair soul sister, and she has those amazing clothes and all that jewelry. She's woowoo and she's an artist, and she just isn't <i>normal</i>... sigh... so much love. Grace, on the other hand, struggles with letting go of her "beauty." She loves vodka, she gets things done, and she also has an enviable, though more subtle, wardrobe. Oh yeah, and they live at the beach. I resonated with so much about both of them.<br />
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These two fictitious characters (and the incredible women who play them) are pretty great role models for so many of us who refuse to bumble into invisible-old-lady-hood. For me, right now, they're particularly helpful in reminding me that I'm not absurd for starting a new business "at my age." Look at them, creating their own success in the yam lube and vibrator business! How ridiculous! How brilliant! How absolutely possible!<br />
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By comparison, I am tame and timid in my little crocheted fishing float venture. But so what? I'm doing it! Inevitably, my own silly self-talker barges in periodically to remind me that I'm too old to start something new, and it's all stupid, and it won't work, and who do I think I am anyway...<br />
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Thank Great Goodness that by now, most days I know exactly who I am. I'm a woman like so many, and unique to myself, who has much to offer, no matter what my age is. If I stop now, I deprive Great Goodness of the experience of expressing through me. It's much more fun to keep going. And on the the days when I forget that, I am grateful as can be for my friends Grace and Frankie, who remind me that it absolutely <i>is</i> my business to keep doing what makes my heart sing.<br />
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<br />Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-87388098439162543442019-03-13T00:30:00.000-07:002019-03-13T00:30:10.390-07:00glass again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some very inspiring friends/guests came to stay at Mermaid's Nest last week. Marti and Cheri make things. Lots of things. Out of other things. They are creative up-cyclers who spend their free time gathering weird cast-off items in the world and turning them into wonderful things people actually want to buy and have and love.<br />
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I make stuff too, you know. But I'd almost forgotten what it was like to get out in the world and share what I do. Somehow, chatting with these talented and encouraging women jump-started something in me that's been sleeping like a snoring, snowbound bear for the last several years.<br />
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Suddenly, and surprisingly, I find myself dusting off my blog, tidying all my websites, updating everything, linking them all together, making them look like they know each other, filing with the state for a resale number, ordering new business cards, and also ordering a bunch of supplies for making stuff. This flurry of activity all started with a simple request from Marti to crochet a net for a glass float she'd bought in town.<br />
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I have several of these lovely floats hanging in my house and in the trees outside. I embellished them a couple of years ago, and then sort of forgot about them. But making this one for our friends reminded me that I <i>loved</i> making them. Sometimes the smallest nudge can get things rolling. And that's what happened.<br />
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So here's where it starts. I have 14 vintage glass Japanese fishing floats sitting on a tray in my living room. They're so beautiful, some greenish, some gray-blue-ish, and many with Made In Japan stamped into the big fat punty mark on the bottom.<br />
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Punty mark? It's that big blob of glass that seals the hole in handblown floats. In fancy modern glasswork, the mark is usually smoothed and polished. But in these gorgeously primitive orbs, the blob is part of the beauty.<br />
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Here I am, after years away from making glass beads, speaking Glass again. It's back, and in spherical form even. But this time, it won't cut me or burn me... I can touch it at every phase of my interaction with it. I can do my work with it in my living room, in my lap, in the car, and in public places.<br />
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It's not beads, and it's not jewelry, but it's beautiful adornment that makes my eyes and hands so happy.<br />
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The whole situation is a wonderment to me.<br />
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<br />Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-42171379448296991842019-03-08T09:11:00.000-08:002019-03-08T09:11:24.477-08:00I'm BackI can't explain my nearly year-long absence any better than to say that I lost my way, lost my focus, lost my ambition, and also became a grandmother. My grandson was born right around the time of my last post. That's my excuse. I was absolutely distracted by a new love in my life.<br />
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I'm on more even footing now (although I'm still completely smitten). You know how things go in cycles. On and off and around and around. At least for some of us, maybe not all, I suppose, creativity has its own rules.<br />
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I don't know why - maybe spring in the air again - I'm energized and excited and ready to get going on my own things again.<br />
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It starts here. Picks up here, where I left off.<br />
Come along.<br />
Let's see where we go.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-32448392477126309952018-05-15T10:55:00.002-07:002018-05-15T10:55:51.112-07:00knitting in public with friendsStarting a knitting group was more challenging than I'd expected. What I learned, after taking votes and trying to juggle the scheduling and location preferences of 5 to 10 people, is that <i>somebody</i> ultimately has to make a decision, let the rest of the group know, and then see who shows up. It's all negotiable from there, but it's a good way to at least get things started.<br />
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Rick and I eventually decided on our local Starbucks, and have been meeting with a few knitting friends each week for a while now. Taking turns hosting the group in our homes <i>seemed</i> like a good idea, but it turned out to be confusing and inconsistent. A public space doesn't put the hosting burden on anyone, and we all know where to go and when to go there. There was, and still is, some discussion about our location (especially on days when the coffeehouse vibe is a bit too loud). As much as we'd like to support some of our favorite local businesses, so far none of them have the seating and lighting we need. So Starbucks it is. And they seem happy to have us.<br />
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Our core group is only about 7 people. Some of us have been knitting for years. One is way better than the rest of us. Two are men. (Yes!) And three are beginners. You can't guess who the newbies to knitting are by looking at the group. The ageist assumption would be that the elder girls, (Sharon and Sue, in the upper left of the photo) are teaching the rest of us. Not so! I'm not an expert by any means, but I know enough to teach these lovely ladies the basics, which makes me very happy. Our other new kid is Mark, the volunteer coordinator for the hospital. He's not in this picture, but he shows up most Tuesdays to work on the Comfort/Prayer Shawls we make for the hospital. I give him a lot of credit for learning to do what he asked his volunteers to do.<br />
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Visitors and new regulars are always welcome. If you're in Seaside and want to join us, please do! We meet most every Tuesday, from 1:00-3-ish, at the Starbucks across the street from Safeway. If the group gets too big, we'll be looking again for a new place to meet. Till then, I know I'm all set with my Earl Grey tea and a few good friends.</div>
Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-21281407291091961662018-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:002018-05-02T00:00:21.697-07:00where to buy what i makeI closed my Etsy shop recently. What??? Why???<br />
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Well, because I think Etsy has done great harm to the livelihoods of makers everywhere. If you do manage to get noticed, which is pretty difficult these days, it's impossible to compete with the pricing on so-called "handmade" goods that are mass produced in foreign countries. Equally frustrating to me is the number of actual makers who drastically underprice their work, effectively turning themselves into voluntary sweatshop laborers in order to stay in the game at all.<br />
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I'm not playing.<br />
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I would love to see makers of all fine handmade things everywhere reclaim a sense of dignity, and charge a fair price for their skills and talents. Until I find such a group of folks that I can join, I'm back to being on my own here, in my own little shop, charging a reasonable price for the quality materials and <i>hours</i> of work it takes to make the things I make. I feel good about this.<br />
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The Shop, at the moment, contains exactly two items. There will be more, and of course they will rotate out as they're sold to the appreciative audience I <i>know</i> is out there. Somewhere.<br />
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Have a look, won't you? Share with your friends if you're so inclined. There's a link at the top of the page, and here's another for you - <a href="http://www.iknitinpublic.com/p/shop_8.html" target="_blank">Shop</a> - do come on in!<br />
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Here's what I have for you today. Two fabulous, hand-knitted (with sticks and string and my own two hands - not a machine) by me. Both are perfect for spring-to-summer wear because their base fiber is cotton. Yum. There will be more.<br />
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<br />Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-6777403005905622282018-04-25T09:19:00.001-07:002018-04-25T09:19:22.714-07:00crocheted sourdough bread keeperRick started making sourdough bread this winter. Lucky me! He made the starter out of flour, water, and our good sea air, and it makes the most <i>wonderful</i> bread I've ever eaten. About once a week he spends most of a day in the kitchen, finishing with two lovely loaves by dinner time. Seems like a lot of work to me, but he loves doing it. I am a very appreciative audience. And I make the "accessory" soup to go with the true star of any Bread Day meal - the bread.<br />
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We were having some trouble with the keeping of the bread. Couldn't quite figure out how to store it in this particular climate to keep it fresh and free of mold. Leaving it out on the counter, cut side down works for a couple of days, and gets us through most of the first loaf. But then it needs to be wrapped up in some way. A tea towel wasn't enough. A plastic bag was too sweaty. The fridge is too dry. A bread box won't fit on our very small countertop. And the advice to "eat it all up in 3 days" isn't such a good idea if we want to continue to be able to zip our pants.<br />
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Keeping in mind the basic function of a bread box, which is to keep the bread in a dark place with some ventilation, I made a crocheted bread basket. The bottom is round and flat, and the sides are tall so they can be folded down for structure, or folded up to cover the bread. I made it a little bigger than Rick's usual loaf size, and found that a simple tea towel liner is just the thing to keep the basket clean, and to cover the top of the bread.<br />
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It works! Now our bread lasts 5 or 6 days without staleness or moldy bits. The crust stays crisp, the bread flavorful. And that's just about the right number of days before the bread is gone and it's time to make more.<br />
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For tips on how to make your own amazing sourdough bread, I first recommend watching the "Air" episode of Michael Pollan's <a href="https://michaelpollan.com/videos/netflix-documentary-series-cooked/" target="_blank"><i>Cooked</i></a> series. When that gets you all excited to make absolute magic out of flour and water, gift yourself a copy of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811870413/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=takingthelong-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0811870413&linkId=4d9e72c3f024b64ddaf71c84f26ac0c4" target="_blank">Tartine</a></i>, by Chad Robertson (affiliate link), and do what he says. It works!<br />
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Yes, baking bread is time consuming, but only in little bits of time at a time. While you wait for starter to start and dough to rise, you can crochet a basket to keep your beautiful bread in.<br />
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I used plain old cotton "dishcloth" yarn from the craft store and a size J hook. To make the basket, crochet a basic flat circle about 10 inches across. Then stop increasing and just keep going until the sides are about 8 inches tall. I did this one with scrap yarn and single crochet throughout. It took less than two balls of yarn.<br />
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Once this one was finished, I made another one, in half double crochet, so it would go a little bit faster and be easier on my left thumb (an old beadmaker's injury, aggravated by sticks and string). I used two strands of yarn for the second one, and a size K hook. I like how sturdy this basket is. And the cotton is machine wash-and-dry-able, so it's practical too.<br />
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Maybe I'll make a couple more to sell. Interested? Let me know. <i>And</i> I'm trying to talk Rick into holding one-day bread workshops. You can help encourage him by leaving a comment.<br />
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For now, you're on your own.<br />
Make a basket. Make bread. Be happy.<br />
Sometimes it's just that simple.<br />
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<br />Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-61791304437220354732018-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:002018-04-18T00:00:07.988-07:00margarita scarfWinter is going on <i>way</i> too long for my liking. April showers and all that. Blah blah blah. I'm ready for sunshine and warm days and walks on the beach again. Knitting my way through this drippy, dreary spring, I'm drawn to colors I need to look at, but don't necessarily want to wear. This scarf, made for a friend who <i>can</i> wear such a color, reminds me of tasty margaritas on a sunny deck. It's like wearable tequila, guaranteed to make things more festive and brighten a gloomy mood.<br />
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The yarn is Classic Elite Sanibel - I'm not sure of the color number. I've used a lot of this yarn in various colors in the past, and still have a couple of scarves worth in my stash. It's cotton and viscose, and I love the slippy-slidey bits mixed with the cottony bits. It's light weight, elegantly drapey, and really can be worn year round.<br />
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I used size 9 needles for this scarf, and the pattern is the super simple <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chale-facile-easy-shawl" target="_blank">Châle Facile</a>, found (for free!) on Ravelry. I've made this scarf/shawl three times already, and I love it. I'm working on a fourth one now, with a little bit of simple lace at the top edge.<br />
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For this one, I used 3 1/2 balls of yarn, then did a picot bind off from the top corner to the bottom point. I finished it by continuing along the other bottom edge with a similar-but-different picot crocheted edging.<br />
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I love the gentle asymmetry of both the shape of the triangle, and the finished edges. Wrapped around my neck, just to try it out before passing it along to my friend, it made me believe that softer, sunnier days truly are just around the corner.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-72737703248578064922018-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:002018-04-11T00:00:00.217-07:00big ass doiliesI learned to crochet when I was 10, long before I ever tried knitting. My mom handed me my great-grandmother's hand carved crochet hook, taught me the basics, and turned me loose. I made a big white shawl with yarn from two different dye lots. It was wonky, and it took forever. But I loved it, and wore it. And even now, when I tackle a project that seems to be taking too long, I remember Mom saying, <i>With every stitch, it gets bigger...</i><br />
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I still have that old crochet hook. I love it because of its history, and because it's not a standard size. It's somewhere between a K and an L, which is good enough for lots of things. This week I'm suddenly interested in making doilies. Weird, right? But not your usual dainty little doilies. I'm making what I call Big Ass Doilies, and my mind is off and running with ways to make them even bigger.<br />
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This one happened when I couldn't sleep the other night. For <i>hours</i>. Might as well get up and play with string. Here it is before blocking, which is an important step in doily making.<br />
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And here's how it looked in mid-block, almost dry. Very much more fabulous.<br />
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That first one inspired me to finally use two balls of gorgeous hand spun and dyed yarn a friend gave me. I could see from the start that it was going to be <i>amazing</i>.<br />
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Here it is, finished and blocked. I'm pretty smitten with this one. And look at all the cool places you can show off a Big Ass Doily!<br />
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And after this... well, I'm thinking about something sort of architectural, like giant wall-size BADs, or maybe something to use as a trellis on my fence, or a gate in the front yard, or a beach umbrella, or a backyard awning... I'm a pretty fast crocheter, but I can't keep up with the ideas as fast as they happen. So I write them down for safe keeping, and keep reminding myself, <i>With every stitch, it gets bigger</i>.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-40312131627213866392018-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:002018-04-04T00:00:29.280-07:00how to make favorite yarn last longerI read about a woman who took her knitting on a long road trip, and made a great big afghan. When she finished it, she ripped it out, and then made the whole thing again. She did this several times over the course of the trip, to save both money and space. I suspect it was also because she knew that the journey of the knitting was more important than the destination of the finished piece.<br />
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I reminded myself of this story recently when I finished a shawl I'd made with some beautiful, beachy-colored yarn I'd picked up in a weird little out of the way cafe/yarn store in Ocean Park, WA. (Do visit <a href="https://adelaidessweetshoppe.wordpress.com/tapestry/" target="_blank">Adelaide's</a> if you're ever in the area. For me, it's a field trip I plan to take fairly often.) The yarn is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MZZGFNE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=takingthelong-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00MZZGFNE&linkId=b51730d8c38d7c43fbe95481a0ae2a2c" target="_blank">Tangier</a>, by Cascade Yarns, out of Seattle. It's a silk/cotton/acrylic/rayon blend that feels just perfect for our northwest coastal spring and summer. And it comes in so many colors, I had a hard time choosing, so I used two instead of just one.<br />
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I made this scarf, planning to wear it as both a scarf and a shawl. I love an asymmetrical shawl, but as you can see, this one has the point way, way, <i>way</i> off center. I tried to love it, but really couldn't come up with a way to wear it that made me happy. So I thought, <i>Oh hell, somebody will love it. I'll just sell it</i>.<br />
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But then I thought, <i>If it doesn't make me happy, why would it make someone else happy? </i>I set it down for a while, and then started playing with it, finally folding it so the point was more at center. Hey! That's better! I can call it the Origami Scarf, and keep it because now it's wearable! Yay me! I crocheted the top edge together, tried it on a few more times, wove in the ends, and declared it <i>finished.</i><br />
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Next morning, I looked at it again, and thought, <i>Well... really... I still don't like it... It just isn't making my heart sing</i>. So I sat down and made this out of it...<br />
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Here's a tip for you: If you are <i>in any way</i> the slightest bit uncertain about a finished bit of knitting, do <i>not</i> weave in the ends (really, really well) until you're 100% sure you're not going to rip it out. I'd done such a good job I ended up having to use scissors, which is never ideal in a yarn situation.<br />
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I won't bother sharing the pattern I used. I didn't create it, and obviously, I didn't like it. I searched some more and found this nice, simple, semi-centered shawl called the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chale-facile-easy-shawl" target="_blank">Châle Facile (Easy Shawl)</a> on Ravelry. It's a free pattern, and after you click the link to the pattern page, scroll down for the English version. Unless, of course you want it in French.<br />
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Off I go again, same yarn, different journey, and hopefully, a very different destination. I'll show you what I come up with soon. Even if it's just two more balls of yarn.Kim Mileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17603924613617534376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7364444313031366135.post-18168469937772570282018-03-28T00:00:00.000-07:002018-03-28T00:00:38.429-07:00soft spring scarfIf you come here often, you know that I finished this pretty little swath of yarny love a few days ago. The <a href="https://www.candyskein.com/collections/mini-skein-collections/products/yummy-fingering-chocolate-chip-nookie">yarn is from CandySkein</a>, and I <i>love</i> it. A lot. It's a beautifully hand-dyed, washable merino fingering weight that was quite wonderful to knit with, even though I'm sort of a lazy knitter and usually use something quite a lot more bulky. This worked up into a delicious, lightweight-but-warm fabric that's perfect for between-season wear.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pardon my pilly worn-all-winter sweater, and focus on the scarf. It's my favorite style - an asymmetrical triangle, worked from end to end. It has a ziggy-zaggy edge on one side, and a smooth edge on the other. The pattern is called the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hitchhiker" target="_blank">Hitchhiker Scarf, and you can get it on Ravelry</a>.</div>
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I test drove this one for a day and loved it. But as I do with most of the things I make, I also decided to let it go. Only three have made it into my personal wardrobe for keeps, and I'm just fine with that. Make them, love them, let them go. It works for lots of things in life.</div>
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Here are a few more pictures to entice you to make it your own. Find it in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/KimMilesHandmade" target="_blank">Etsy Shop</a>. xoxo</div>
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