a few updates

GEEZ!!! i didn't realize it had been so long since i posted! i'm back now, with a few updates to share.

1: i've been keeping my promise to knit/crochet for charity every week. i think i mentioned back in january that i chose to knit for the bridge project, which provides warm items for homeless people living under bridges in central ohio. i've sent a few hat & scarf sets to them. but if you go to the site you will see all the generous donations that have come in from around the country and around the world ... hand-made goods, socks, flannel jackets, money, etc. i'm really happy to be a part of the effort and look forward to sending more in the coming months. if you're so inclined, you might consider pitching in, too!

2: i found out that one of my local yarn shops accepts donations for babies at the OSU medical center, so i've been making hats for that effort too. i think that later this afternoon, i'll drop off the hats i've made so far. i have an errand to run that's right near the yarn shop!

3: i finally finished those mittens for my friend melody. it seems that as of a couple weeks ago, anyway, spring hadn't yet arrived in chicago. i'm happy to do what little i could to make sure my girl's hands don't freeze while chicago waits to thaw out :-)



don't those look great! i GOTTA make some for myself. but not until after i make some for my brother. he's a delivery guy and in the winter, his hands get cold. but big sis will fix that for this coming winter, i promise!

4: okay so some of y'all might know that i've been absolutely JONESIN' for some laceweight malabrigo yarn. i finally got some on thursday, and last night (after i finished a baby hat for charity) i finally cast on and started knitting myself a clapotis!! i'm using a color called "little lovely" and trust me, it is lovely, indeed. i'm using what feel like teeny tiny needles, around size 1 i think. seems like it will take me forever to knit this but i swear it will be worth every single stitch! see for yourself:




sorry for the bit of blurriness but that's the best i could do! the yarn is freakin' fantastically soft and light but tiny! guess it's not a laceweight yarn for nothin'! when i get a bit more finished i'll measure and let y'all know my gauge. some of my knitting pals were teasing me last night that i'll be an old lady before it's finished but in the spirit of "finding nemo" i'm gonna "just keep knitting, just keep knitting" and i'll have a lovely scarf soon enough. they'll all be jealous!!!

5: i totally forgot to post about the very fun sticks -n- stitches event i attended a couple months ago with some of my friends. so much fun! here's a photo of us:



okay, i think that's about all i got for now. it's time to head out and enjoy the sunshine. temps will be near 90 and sunny today so i'm gonna channel my girl sheryl crow and go "soak up the sun." ciao for now!!

~mz

the mittens so far

okey dokey. so today i had a nice chunk of time to work on melody's mittens and look!!!




this is what mitten #1 looks like on the outside. almost finished, just have a few more inches to knit for the hand, and then pick up stitches and knit the thumb.




dude. these bad boys are going to be freakishly warm. even in chicago's bitter cold, melody will feel like she is wearing little hand furnaces. i can't wait to finish them and mail them off to her!

for melody's mittens

a friend of mine has asked me to knit her a pair of mittens. she lives in chicago and reported temperatures of -17 degrees ... yikes. it's been cold here, but not THAT cold. anyway, i found some yarn in my stash that i think she will like! this is a good opportunity to learn how to knit thrummed mittens. squeeeeeeeee!

Free Pattern: Erich's A&F Knockoff Hat

My brother Erich has a skull cap from Abercrombie & Fitch that I’m sure cost a small fortune … for a hat, anyway.

I saw him recently, and being the knitter that I am, I inspected the hat and said, “Hmph. I could make that!!” After all, I’d rather take his money than see him give it away to A&F. So he says, “Okay then, I want a gray one.” Your wish is my command, baby brother. And I’ll even do it for free!

WHAT YOU NEED:

Yarn: Plymouth Encore Mega (less than 1 skein)
Gauge: 2 sts = 1 in (stockinette stitch)
Needles: Size 15 US (10.0 mm)

WHAT TO DO:

1. Cast on 40 stitches. You may use your preferred method for circular knitting; I used 2 circular needles.

Note: You may wish to adjust the hat size by adjusting the number of cast-on stitches (in multiples of 4) and/or adjusting needle size.

2. Knit 2 x 2 ribbing for about 8 inches, depending on how much coverage you want on your ears or whether you want a fold-up brim/cuff.

3. Decrease as follows:
- K2tog, P2tog all the way around
- K1, P1 all around
- K2tog all around

4. Finish off:
- Cut yarn, leaving 12 inch tail
- using tapestry needle, thread through the remaining 10 stitches, pull tight and weave in ends.


© 2009 Eboni A. Francis

january update

hi everyone,

charity knitting for the bridge project is going well so far. last weekend i completed hat & scarf set and started another. the scarf is plain garter stitch and i will design a matching hat. once i finish the 2nd set i will send them off to be distributed accordingly. i have also decided i would knit for 2 other charity efforts as well ... making afghan squares for warm up america and making preemie/baby hats for OSU medical center. it feels good to use my talents to help others.

i designed a hat for my brother last week. he has a pretty basic ribbed hat from abercrombie. i'm like, really ... i could MAKE that!! so he said, "okay i want one." i happened to have some encore mega (2 sts = 1") in my stash and couldn't figure out what to do with it ... making a hat was just the perfect thing. i gave him the hat and it fits perfectly. he loves it! i'm going to knit a hat for another brother, and when i do that i will write down the directions and post the pattern to ravelry, and here on the blog as well.

it's time for bed. i've declared today "selfish sunday" and am going to spend lots of quality time with myself today. i've got some books i want to read, tv to watch and knitting to do!! i need some serious "me" time. last night i had a dream that i was being held hostage. that sounds like i need to give myself some attention and do all the things that make me happy. it's not that i mind doing things for/with other people, but i have a lot of stuff in my brain to sort out and sometimes the best way for me to deal with it all is to just zone out and focus on myself. so that's precisely what i intend to do. i'll start "selfish sunday" by getting a good night's sleep!

sleep tight, friends.

~mz

charity knitting 2009

earlier today, i was surfing ravelry and searched for groups that focus on charity knitting & crocheting. i found one called the bridge project (ravelry link), which focuses on providing warm items (hats, scarves, gloves/mittens) to homeless people who live under bridges in central ohio. remember that i said i specifically wanted my efforts to benefit people locally and i thought this was a perfect way to do that. the goal is to provide at least 100 scarves and 100 hats, but hopefully this will be an ongoing effort. in addition to hats and scarves, i may also consider knitting socks as well, since y'all know sock knitting is one of my passions :-)

in any case, i'm happy to have decided on a charity project and i can't WAIT to get started. for more info, and keep tabs on how many items have been made and donated so far, check out the blog.


~mz

plans for 2009

last week i decided that 2009 will be the year that i actually DO some charity knitting and not just TALK about doing charity knitting. to facilitate this plan, i also decided that every friday will be dedicated to ONLY charity knitting. some of my knitting friends and i meet up for knitting on most fridays anyway, so i already have chunks of time set aside. by the end of this year i will identify and contact an organization who would like to receive hand knits. although i'm not opposed to doing this for a regional or national organization, i'd rather that this effort be directed to giving back on a local level. so far i'm interested in:

Homeless Families Foundation: a family shelter in Columbus, Ohio which provides shelter and support services for homeless families and an extensive tutoring and enrichment program for homeless and at-risk school age children.

Nationwide Children's Hospital

i'll keep y'all posted on other organizations that make my list, and which one i ultimately choose!

~mz

christmas crafting

as you all may remember, a few years ago i started a "tradition" of making dishcloths for my mom. earlier this year i had the bright idea of making cloths with a "snowflake" theme. so yeah, it's like 2 weeks until christmas and i've only got one cloth done. here it is:



i think this one is more doily-like but still very pretty. i wouldn't be surprised if this one never sees water! anyway, i'm working on another and would like to give her a set of 6 for christmas. think i can make the deadline? i live in hope!!

~mz

yeah, so, about the kitty ...

i took tiger to the vet a couple weeks ago and she checked out just fine. BUT. last week she all of a sudden stopped using her litterbox, and was using my bathroom floor (and occasionally the livingroom carpet) as her own personal bathroom. i thought she was mad at me about something! after asking other cat people i know (and of course a little internet research) i figured out that maybe she has a urinary tract infection. so back to the vet we went. BUT. it was just my luck that i couldn't get a pee sample from her when i freakin' NEEDED one! anyway, vet prescribed a liquid antibiotic. you ever try to give meds to a cat? not fun. the first couple of days my neighbor came to help. yes, it took both of us to get the meds in. she held the cat and got her to open her mouth, and i had to be quick on the draw to squirt the meds in. today i got wise and figured out that she really likes this particular brand of canned food so i gave her a little with the meds mixed in. she fell for it ... hook, line and sinker!! so now that's how i do it. a little canned food, a dropper full of meds and no drama. meantime, she's already feeling better and back to using the box again. AND i figured out that she didn't care for that fancy-schmancy crystal litter i was using. she'd use it but she wouldn't cover! so yesterday i switched to some regular, store-brand litter and it works like a charm too. she pooped in the box real early this morning (i know because i'm a light sleeper and i wake up when she's in there), and whaddya know? she covered, there was no poop odor wafting all over my place, and i was a happy enough that i could go back to sleep for a little while :-)

and actually, i am going to call it a night right. funny how working a short week actually feels way longer than a regular sized week. i'm beat, and i ought to go to bed so i can get up and straighten up a bit before some knitting friends come over.

'night, dudes!

~mz

keep still, kid!

jamir2
Originally uploaded by mzundercover

this is the hat i knitted for nephew #2. he's 2, and like most 2 year olds, this kid ain't sittin' still for long! i kept trying to take a pic of him in his hat but he kept wanting to look at the screen on the cell phone! finally when we got him in the car to go to the pumpkin patch, i was able to snap this one ... it was about the best i could do!

say cheese!

jalen1
Originally uploaded by mzundercover

my SIL asked me to knit my nephews hats for winter. this is what i came up with for nephew #1. of course, i had to knit it in scarlet and gray! it turned out really well and was fast to knit, even with the stripes.

dude, it's cold.

hat2
Originally uploaded by mzundercover

winter is rapidly approaching central ohio and in the spirit of keeping warm, i knitted a cute hat last night while watching game 4 of the world series. just for fun i even put a big pom-pom on top! it's made with lionbrand landscapes yarn and is very warm. it worked up quick with size 11 needles and i got to wear it this morning! i'm using the rest of the yarn i have in this color to knit up a quick garter stitch scarf. 16 stitches across (still on size 11 needles). should go fast! if i can find more yarn in this color i'll whip up some mittens too!

everybody, meet tiger. tiger, meet everybody.

hi everyone,

i'm happy (and still a little shocked) to report that i have a new kitten!

i was out playing miniature golf yesterday with eric and a friend of his when this adorable little cat came over to us and said hi. poor thing is so thin from not eating and it broke our hearts so i brought him home with me. he looks to be well-taken care of aside from being hungry, but he's going to the vet tomorrow to get checked out. he's been eating, pooping and sleeping since we got him home yesterday afternoon, and is sooooo sweet! he's got tortoise-shell patterning (dark brown/black with some orange and blonde markings), and i keep saying it's a male but the vet says that most tortoise-shell cats are female. in any case, i've named him/her "tiger" -- cuz s/he is a FIGHTER! i couldn't bear to leave the poor kitty out in the cold, especially since it's been getting down into the 30s at night. so i'll keep feeding him, make sure he's all set with shots and everything, and pray that this is a cat that doesn't like yarn :-) otherwise i'm in BIG trouble and will have to keep the bedroom door closed since that's where most of the yarn is stashed!

the really funny thing about all this is that i never really expected to own a cat but it appears that the choice wasn't really mine. he has purred his way into my heart!

we're visiting the vet tomorrow so i'll keep y'all posted on whether tiger is male or female, how old, and whatever else i can find out!

ciao for now...
~mz

Crochet Fish Motif -- FINALLY!

For those of you who have been waiting and waiting for this pattern ... here it is!

CROCHET FISH MOTIF




(I made this using Plymouth Encore Worsted and a size H hook. To make motifs larger or smaller, feel free to adjust yarn weight or hook size to get the size you want!)

Row 1: Chain 5. Turn.

Row 2: Starting in 2nd chain from hook, sc in remaining 4 chains. (4 sc)

Row 3: 2 sc in first sc, 2 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Chain 1, turn. (6 sc)

Row 4: 2 sc in first sc, 4 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Chain 1, turn. (8 sc)

Row 5: 2 sc in first sc, 6 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Chain 1, turn. (10 sc)

Row 6: 2 sc in first sc, 8 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Chain 1, turn. (12 sc)

Row 7: 2 sc in first sc, 10 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Chain 1, turn. (14 sc)

Row 8: 2 sc in first sc, 12 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Chain 1, turn. (16 sc)

Row 9: 2 sc in first sc, 14 sc, 2 sc in last sc. Chain 1, turn. (18 sc)

Row 10: 18 sc. Chain 1, turn.

Row 11: Repeat row 10.

Row 12: Decrease over first 2 sts, 2 sc,
puff, sc, puff, sc, puff, sc, puff, sc, puff (5 puffs)
3 sc, decrease over last 2 sts. Chain 1, turn.

Row 13: Sc across. Chain 1, turn.

Row 14: Decrease over first 2 sts, 2 sc,
puff, sc, puff, sc, puff, sc, puff (4 puffs)
3 sc, decrease over last 2 sts. Chain 1, turn.

Row 15: Sc across. Chain 1, turn.

Row 16: Decrease over first 2 sts, 2 sc,
puff, sc, puff, sc, puff (3 puffs)
3 sc, decrease over last 2 sts. Chain 1, turn.

Row 17: Sc across. Chain 1, turn.

Row 18: Decrease over first 2 sts, 2 sc,
puff, sc, puff (2 puffs)
3 sc, decrease over last 2 sts. Chain 1, turn.

Row 19: Sc across. Chain 1, turn.

Row 20: Decrease over first 2 sts, 2 sc,
puff
3 sc, decrease over last 2 sts. Chain 1, turn.

Row 21: 8 sc. Chain 1, turn.

Row 22: Repeat row 21.

Row 23: Repeat row 21.

Row 24 to end: Increase as before (2 sc in first and last sts) until 24 sts.
24 sc.
Finish off.

= = = = =

I'm making a BUNCH of these to stitch together into a baby blanket (or maybe a couple...yeah I have THAT much yarn!). Happy crocheting!!

~mz

obsessing ... again

it is way past my bedtime but i just HAD to show you the wee little bit of progress i'm making on my first double knitting project. it is the uncle argyle scarf from son of stitch n bitch (which, by the way, is my newest favorite knitting/crocheting book).






i haven't done a full pattern repeat yet, but i have knitted enough so that you can see the difference between each side of the work. i am SO GEEKED!!

wish i could stay up and knit into the wee hours of the morning but alas, this pesky little thing called "work" means that i better get to bed so i'm not falling asleep at my desk tomorrow!

~mz

i LOVE knitting socks

i almost always have socks on my needles lately. did i tell y'all how i want to be able to wear nothing but hand-knitted socks? yup. no factory-made socks for me, except for when i'm doing yardwork or something. so i've been knitting socks for myself. of course, some people just don't understand the pure joy of wearing socks that fit you perfectly. these are the folks who say stupid shit like, "why don't you just go buy some socks?" or something along those lines. but i won't let that get me down! i'll just keep knitting, just keep knitting. here's my latest:





the only problem that i'm having is that i'm going to run out of yarn. see, what had happened was, i didn't read the yarn label, which would have told me clear as day that i need 150g to make a pair of socks. well, duh, i only have 100g so i'm clearly going to run out of yarn. now, i thought about ripping the sock out and reknitting it with a shorter cuff/leg, but i don't wanna!!! so ... i'm going to do what any self-respecting yarn collector, er, i mean, knitter would do, i'm buying more yarn!! i'm buying one to finish the socks and 3 more so i can knit another pair. the plan is to knit most of my socks with the yarn i already have, until i get to the toes, which i will knit with the new yarn i'm buying. that way, the different dye lots won't be as visible, at least not when i'm wearing shoes with my socks. right? genius!

but now i'm going to watch some more of this L&O:CI marathon that's on USA. and maybe i'll eat some more chips & salsa. then maybe some more sock knitting :-)

later, taters!

~mz

it's. finally. finished.

here's proof:



i will take better pix when the rechargeable batteries finally recharge, but this was the best i could do with the cell phone camera and the lighting i had! i'm so happy it's finished! i like it a lot better than the log cabin blanket i knitted ... the shell stitch border is a perfect finishing touch.

now to eat some ice cream and watch ONE more episode of dexter before i go to bed. after all, i DO have to work tomorrow!

~mz

no camping after all

the camping trip was canceled due to rain in the forecast, and i'm kinda glad. on saturday it poured for a while in the afternoon and it got cold. that probably would have made for a l-o-n-g weekend.

but, we did get out and do plenty o' stuff all weekend:

FRIDAY
we went for a nice long hike (about 6 or so miles) at blackhand gorge.

SATURDAY
eric suggested that we pick up my nephews (ages 5 and almost 2) and take them to malabar farm. fun trip! we petted some goats, fed some chickens and turkeys, and saw some cows. here's a one of my favorite photos:



we were going to go to mohican state park, but it ended up raining (cutting our malabar trip a little short), and it got kinda cold so we decided to do that another time.

SUNDAY
eric and i did some more hiking at prairie oaks metro park ... another 6 miles, give or take. it was a beautiful day (though a bit humid), and thankfully the rain held off. after that we went to a driving range and i spent a lot of time NOT hitting golf balls and not getting them very far when i did manage to hit 'em. but it was fun, and i posted a request on freecycle to see whether anyone had a set of ladies' golf clubs to get rid of. someone did, and i picked 'em up last night. they are right-hand clubs and i swing left but they were FREE and for that price it won't kill me to learn to swing the other way!

it was a good weekend overall, even without the camping. i decided to save my "camping trip socks" until i go on an actual camping trip. instead i finished up my red shortie socks and started another pair of socks out of this regia crazy colors yarn:



once again, i'm doing cat bordhi's basic sock pattern. i am a big fan of plain, ribbed crew socks and this pattern fits the bill!

~mz

do you believe ...

that mz has never slept in a tent before? that will all change this weekend, friends. mz and her honey are going on a camping trip and sleeping in a tent is part of the plan! i've got my bags all packed, and i just decided what knitting to take along. i will finish the red shortie socks and start another pair of socks in honor of my first camping trip! i will be knitting them in regia jacquard, color # 5272:



the colors kind of remind me of being out in "nature" -- green grass & trees, blue sky, clear streams... i'm so excited for the trip! but first ... i better send my weekly status report to my mentor, and finish reading a dissertation before it's time to head off into the wilderness!

~mz

socks update

my apologies for not blogging for a while. life's been busy here but i'll spare you the details :-) i wanted to post pics of those socks i blogged about on feb. 25. i finished them a long time ago!