This is the base chain for a scarf of interlocking loops. The main chain will be alternating Burnt Orange and Berry Red, with the accent loops made of variegated hot pink/peach/orange and twisted hot pink/red/orange.

I’m looking forward to this. I’m trying to do one chain/day, at least.

Irritatingly, I broke my sewing machine, Dorcas.

I really wanted to sew this case. I cleaned up for six hours to get everything in order. And then, in attempting to get at the bulb to change it, I popped the band off of the dial to turn the machine on and off.

Back she goes to the sewing center. *eyeroll* I suck.

In the meantime, I’m knitting Meursault for my girlfriend in Sangria (a raspberry shade) Moda Dea Wool ‘n’ Silk.

I thought Meursault was perfect for her to wear while she was out and about in Seattle in her wheelchair. In a pinch, it will do service as a lap-blanket or a wrap for her son. We’re very excited about the wheelchair. I plan to make a little case for this shawl so it can be hung on the back of her chair where she can reach it in a pinch.

http://www.ravelry.com/stores/leila-raabe-designs

You need to be a member of Ravelry to see the pattern, so why aren’t you a member yet?! Right now, this looks like a trashy dress for a toddler, but it’s a great cowl. I used up one ball of sock yarn for it. Pictures are in my Flickr. When it’s dry, I might post photos of it on if I don’t look too ugly.

This was exactly what I needed to get some crafting mojo back.

Yeah.  THAT’S GOING BACK!

These are four dreadful sweaters made with lovely yarn. I’m going to see if I can’t unravel them and reclaim the high-quality yarn to use in patterns that will be long enough that I don’t want to waste my time on crap yarn but that I don’t have a home for; I only want to make them because they’re there, so no use spending good money on them. It’s a catch-22, but this is one way around it.

I ordered this from Legacystudio.ca and I am so thrilled with the colour. I’m afraid to spin it in case I screw it up, though. I’m going to try, after I watch a few more spinning videos and I might re-set my wheel because it’s on scotch tension right now and I may want something different. There’s 8oz of this wool, I plan to try for a fine single and then do a 2 or 3 ply yarn. i have some black merino leftover from the original owner, and it might look really good plied with the multicolour.

Legacy charges $15.95 for 8oz of yarn, but the shipping is a bitch. Still, it was less expensive than on Etsy!

I love my dog.  <3  She’s SO cute.

American customer: “Your flag is just so pretty. I love maple leaves. Does it come in blue?”

Me: “Um, no, sorry, only red.”

American customer: “That’s a shame. My kitchen is blue, and it would look so pretty on the wall. You should make them in other colours.”

Me: “…”

Canadian customer behind her: “That’s a good point. I’ve always thought the stars-and-stripes would look great in earth tones.”

American customer: “Our flag is ALWAYS red, white and blue! Honestly, Canadians are so stupid sometimes.”

Source.

bold: garter stitch selvage

italics: the ‘odd’ stitch, far-right stitch in the chart but not in the repeats

Kb: knit in the back of the stitch

YO: yarn over the needle to make a stitch

K2tog: knit two stitches together

P2tog: purl two stitches together

SSK: slip first stitch to right needle, knit next stitch, pass first stitch over and off right needle

S2K: slip two stitches as though to knit, knit next stitch, pass two stitches over and off right needle

SSK2: as SSK but knitting two stitches together instead of one

CL2/CL3/CL5: yarn back, slip stitches to r. needle, yarn front, slip stitches to l. needle, yarn back, slip stitches to r. needle; pull TIGHT, continue

Chart A

Row 1: K3, K1, [YO, [Kb, P3] x 5, Kb, YO, K1] x 4, K3

Row 2: K3, [P3, [K3, P1] x 5, P1] x 4, P1, K3

Row 3: K3, K1, [YO, Kb, YO, [Kb, P3] x 5, Kb, YO, Kb, YO, K1] x 4, K3

Row 4: K3, [P5, [K3, P1] x 5, P3] x 4, P1, K3

Row 5: K3, K1, [YO, Kb, YO, SSK, YO, [Kb, P2tog, P1] x 5, Kb, YO, K2tog, YO, Kb, YO, K1] x 4, K3

Row 6: K3, [P7, [K3, P1] x5, P5] x 4, P1, K3

Row 7: K3, K1, [Kb, YO, SSK, YO, SSK, YO, [Kb, P3] x5, Kb, YO, K2tog, YO, K2tog, YO, Kb, K1] x 4, K3

Row 8: K3, [P8, [K3, P1] x5, P6] x 4, P1, K3

Row 9, K3, K1, [K1, YO, K2tog, YO, K2tog, YO, Kb, YO, [Kb, P2tog] x 5, Kb, YO, Kb, YO, SSK, YO, SSK, YO, K2] x 4, K3

Row 10: K3, [P10, [K1, P1] x 5, P8] x 4, P1, K3

Row 11: K3, K2tog, [YO, SSK, YO, SSK, YO, SSK, Kb, YO, [Kb, P1] x 5, Kb, YO, Kb, K2tog, YO, K2tog, YO, K2tog, YO, S2K*] x 4, K3

Row 12, K3, [P10, [K1, P1] x 5, P8] x 4, P1, K3

Row 13: K3, K1, [K2tog, YO, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K1, Kb, YO, SSK, SSK, SSK2, K2tog, K2tog, YO, Kb, K1, SSK, YO, SSK, YO, SSK, K1] x4, K3

Row 14: K3, [CL3*, P7, CL5, P7] x 4, CL2, K3

Row 15: KNIT ALL

Row 16: KNIT ALL

*except in last repeat, which is K2tog

**except in first repeat, which is CL2

Red Emperor: Budget Royalty Version, originally uploaded by Machineplay.

So far, so good.