Lazy Knitting: One Sweater, Two Years

Back in September, I dug out Ellie’s little cardigan from last year. It fit everywhere but the sleeves and hem. So I fixed them.

on the pier

Chunky cuffs on the pier in October. Dish Rag Tag causes delayed posts.

I cut off the bottom band one row beneath where the body of the sweater started. Then I picked up all the live stitches along the body with a circular needle, unraveling the remaining band row as I went.

picking up

I picked up right across the side seams.

Now here’s the kind of hacky part. I couldn’t find my leftover yarn for that sweater. Anywhere. Happily, my own Doppelganger Cardigan was made in the same yarn and shade – but with worsted not sport. Not a problem. On the first row of the new band, I just decreased every three stitches to keep it all nice and even. Two inches of garter stitch made a new, longer band. Then I bound off and closed up any holes in the side seams.

I lengthened the cuffs the same way – except with double pointed needles instead of a circular.

dpns

I like to read while knitting.

The tricky bit with the cuffs is that a standard bind off is not at all stretchy. Not a problem for the band of a cardigan, but a biggish problem if you’d like to pull a cuff over a growing child’s hand. I needed the thing finished for that October beach trip, so I just used the standard bind off. But I am going back to try this stretchier finish instead.

And that is how Lazy Emily gets two years out of one project. There’s a lot of work in a sweater, you know.

now it fits

The cuff can be unrolled for more length!

Sunday is for Treasuries: Peppermint

We only get biscuits and hash rounds at Chic-fil-a these days, but Christmas means they’ve got those peppermint milkshakes on the menu. Ellie calls them “pink treat.” mmmm I love peppermint.

‘Candy Cane’ by yarnmiracle

$12.99

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Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Sunday is for Treasuries: Mittens

So I’m a little obsessed lately.

‘Mitten Smitten’ by yarnmiracle

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Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Christmas is Early

I’m afraid that my gift to you this year has some assembly required.

on the mantle

Surprise! It’s a garland!

Smitten (a Holiday Garland) is now available as a free download at KnitPicks.com.

I knit a mitten a day for most of October. After I memorized the pattern (around mitten number 6), they took me about an hour each. Marcia, my Top Secret Test Knitter, says that her first one took about twice that long – but she was correcting my mistakes at the same time. Long Story Short: If you want 24, it’s time to get started!

mitten stack

This was my “Guess what’s next?” picture that I never posted.

If you don’t need an advent calendar, put letters on the mittens and spell something festive or seasonal like “Let it snow!” Or use them for ornaments. Or money holders. They are about 4.5″ from finger tip to cuff so small toys, treats or jewelry will fit neatly inside.

toy inside

Bendy doll by Princess Nimble Thimble.

Happy holidays! If you make something with the pattern, I’d love to see it in the Smitten Flickr Group.

7/11 + Finale

The final box of Revenge of Dish Rag Tag arrived yesterday. But the mail was late. And then it rained for about twelve hours. So you had to wait until tonight to hear about the 7/11 +1 Grand Finale:

oooh

ooooooooh

And this (the box was only singed a little bitty bit):

aaaaaaah

aaaaaaaah

And these terrible pictures in tungsten lighting of the contents of the box:

dish cloth and mamie

The gum is mint. Mamie likes mint.

The last leg and denim blue (in case you can’t tell in the horrid lighting) dish cloth are by Marie! Thank you so much – I haven’t had Starburst in forever! Team Captain Tracey and the rest of the 7/11 + 1 also sent postcards!

postcards

Photographs too!

We love postcards! I’ve put them at Ellie’s place so we can look them over at breakfast before we put them in her book. I’ve got all kinds ideas for what to do with our post card collection – I’ll share a few when Ellie is old enough to do more than look. Thanks you so much and congratulations to the entire team for finishing the race!

This is the second Dish Rag Tag with a 100% completion rate! The first was the original race. I didn’t send a single replacement box. We didn’t have a single alternate knitter. Every participant knit for their team and every team achieved Dish Rag Tag Glory. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me! I am Over the Moon. Thank you so much to each and everyone of you for making this race a success. I hope you all join me next year for

The Return of Dish Rag Tag

Revenge of Dish Rag Tag Final Standings
Doggone Dishrag Addicts 10/15/2010
Five Alarm Fire 10/18/2010
Faster Than Ewe 10/19/2010
X-treme Rag Taggers 10/20/2010
Cable 4 in Front 10/23/2010
Alterknits 10/25/2010
Dishrag Divas 10/25/2010
Purl Power 10/27/2010
Ragtime Knitters 10/30/2010
The DRTy Knitters 11/1/2010
7/11 + 1 11/3/2010

Tenth is DRTy

The tenth box to finish the race belongs to

in the mail box

The DRTy Knitters!

Hi, Renna! How was your first Dish Rag Tag? You must have been perfecting your technique while you were on the sidelines – the dish cloth is lovely! And SO PINK!

pink

I might have to fight my Mom for this one.

Renna also crammed the box with thing to eat and things to use and things to make lips taste like a sweet tart (we love sweet tarts and “yip bom”)?

raisins!

I’ve never seen a Peanut Rounder. I’ll eat that first!

Incidentally, if you don’t have a Needle Nest, you should take steps. There is a magnet in there that keeps your needles and pins from going all over the place! I’ll put it in the car and when I find all the needles that I’ve dropped in the seats, it will be full to the brim!

Thank you so much, Renna! And congratulations to The DRTy Knitters and Team Captain Susan on a completed race and Dish Rag Tag Glory.

Revenge of Dish Rag Tag Final Standings
Doggone Dishrag Addicts 10/15/2010
Five Alarm Fire 10/18/2010
Faster Than Ewe 10/19/2010
X-treme Rag Taggers 10/20/2010
Cable 4 in Front 10/23/2010
Alterknits 10/25/2010
Dishrag Divas 10/25/2010
Purl Power 10/27/2010
Ragtime Knitters 10/30/2010
The DRTy Knitters 11/1/2010