Niece Hats!

I made these hats for my nieces after Xmas this year.  I had done a few baby hats for my sister who is a baby nurse and brought them to our gathering.  When the nieces saw the teensy versions, they all put in their orders.  I do think that these larger versions turned out better than the small ones, partially because I decided to use felt for the owl eyes in bright colors.  I really like the way they turned out!

Austyn's

Allison's Monkey Hat.

Jenna's

Paige's

Addy's

Crazy Yarn Store Lady

Can I just go off for a moment on the awkward, unprofessional, nosy-ass clerk at the yarn store?  Although she shall remain nameless (because I don't know her name), there IS only one yarn store in my area.

The last time I was there she asked about the photo on the front of my checkbook cover.  (I would tell you right now what the picture is, but honestly who the hell cares what's on my checkbook cover!  It's a rooster!  There--are you happy now?)  The only reason to write a check there is because they don't accept credit/debit cards.  In fact I rarely write checks any more.  The other place I have to use checks is the tiny grocery store in Slater because they also don't take cards.  I pretty much never have actual cash.  So dirrrty.

Anyhoo--I rushed there yesterday to get to the store before it closed.  Yes, it was a yarn emergency!  Don't act like you've never heard of such a thing.  I wrote out my check and she was apparently reading my checkbook ledger and actually asked me about the multiple entries to the little Slater store.  I write in my register "T&C" which obviously stands for Town & Country.  What part of any of that information is HER business?  She asked, "What's T&C?"  I, of course, am a "nice" person so I answered the crazy lady and left the store.

On my walk back to the car I was just flabbergasted.  What?  Who does that?  Besides just being nosy, who would go ahead and comment on that sort of thing?  I'm thinking about writing a letter to the owner of the store to complain.  Ranting and complaining in writing often make me feel better, and in some cases (I doubt this is one) it can result in coupons for free stuff such as the time I found a giant flying insect in my Dole lettuce, and the time that the Hy-Vee manager was an idiot.  

Dressing Up Chickens Part 2

Perhaps we won't have to kill the rooster after all.  

Just the thought of MAYBE having to do that has been keeping me up at night.

The "protective apron" for the hen came in the mail the other day and just as I suspected, ridiculously easy to copy.  Do I feel guilty for doing so?  Not really.  

Okay, a little.  

But still--I spent (with shipping) over $11 on the item.  I could have copied it from the little catalog photo with no problem.  What made it worth ordering one of theirs was the handy-dandy instruction sheet.  Thank goodness it explained that it's normal for the hen to walk backwards, to flop around and act generally crazy until she got used to the apron.  Without that guidance, I may have given up and decided that the hen doesn't like it or it doesn't fit her properly.  After just a few minutes, she was back to her normal self.  

Later my husband and I observed the hen and both agreed that she is actually carrying herself with more self-assuredness than ever before.  Are we imagining things?  Also, the rooster does not seem to want to mount her which is excellent and unexpected.  

This might just work!

The next day I purchased enough supplies to make 8 more which cost me a whopping $3.85.  What a bargain!  Last night I stayed up until a little after midnight and finished the homemade aprons.  They look exactly like the original one.  All I did was trace the shape, add a seam allowance, stitched around the edge but left openings for turning right side out and also for inserting the elastic pieces.  Once I turned it right side out and pinned in the elastic bits, I top-stitched around the perimeter.

Super easy.

You can see the wyandottes in the foreground are not yet wearing the apron.  Notice the bare skin showing on her lower back.  This is why.  Far back right is the "little rooster".

Dressing Up Chickens

We have a problem in the hen house.  It's a rooster.  Although he's gorgeous and wildly entertaining, he has become a nuisance to the ladies ever since he reached his sexual maturity.  In fact, they're all adults, so what they do in the coop, out of the coop, in the front yard, in the back yard, that's their business.   It becomes my business when the hens get injured because of him.  

The rooster in question is a very large Buff Orpington.  (We have two males actually, but one of them is a bantam--very small--like a wig with legs.  He's not the problem.)  When the big guy mounts the hens, his talons, claws, whatever you call them, dig into the gals' backs and rip out feathers.  You can see bare skin showing in patches on a couple of them. We have had this issue in the past with a different rooster (who was even bigger than this one) who actually tore the flesh on their backs.  Blood in a henhouse is NOT good.  They can become cannibalistic with very little provocation.  Any little injury can invite their coopmates to pick at the wound.  It is not a healthy situation to be in.  Our solution the last time this occurred was to re-home the rooster.  We sent it to live with my parents. Tragically, it was quickly killed by a wild animal, and everyone was very sad to lose him.   

This time, we've decided to try a different option--dressing the chickens.  It is called a "protective apron" from Randall Burkey company.  I only ordered one to start with since they look absolutely easy to make.

http://www.randallburkey.com/Hen-Saver-Protective-Hen-Apron/productinfo/16120/

We will try this on the ladies to see how they heal, allow some time to let their feathers grow back in, etc.  If this doesn't work we're thinking about whether we can castrate him.  The arguments my husband and I came up with against this solution mainly focused around how big he is now and how much food he already consumes. The fear is that he'll just get bigger and hungrier without his chicken nuggets.

Once I get the Randall Burkey version of the apron, I'll try to make several more. They are a mere $8.99 each, but I'm on a budget!  I know I can whip them out cheaper than that--and probably cuter.  I'm treading on some dangerous ground here--suddenly I'm imagining some crazy designs to dress the chickens in.  We've joked oh so many times about knitting sweaters for the birds, and it's something I am absolutely likely to do. 

Wow.  If the neighbors think we're weird now, wait until they see our flock dressed up!  They won't probably realize that there is a reason for putting a jacket on a chicken, they'll just think we're nuts.  Oh well.  For all intents and purposes we are delightfully nuts and fine with it.

Makin' Super Cute Sweaters Without a Pattern!

So for the past several weeks, I've been attempting to knit sweaters without patterns!  I decided I wanted to knit a sweater with cables, so I went to Hobby Lobby and bought 3 skeins of "Fisherman's Wool".  Little did I realize just how much yarn those skeins contained.  As you will see it was enough to knit 2 sweaters!

SWEATER #1

I started by making a swatch of course.  That is always key, since the whole rest of the process relied on careful measuring in order to produce a really fitted garment.  After the swatch with my first cable pattern selection, I basically knitted a scarf and pinned it on the form.  This became my collar and front panels--a brilliant idea if I do say so myself!

I have no idea how to reorient this photo.  Here is the first piece pinned in place.

One thing I did here was to change the direction of the cable around the back of the neck, otherwise the two front pieces would appear to be going in different directions.

Changing directions of the cable by utilizing diamond shapes.

Then I knit two side pieces at the same time with 2 balls of yarn.  That way I did not have to keep track of how many rows I did, etc.  Both sides ended up the same length without having to think too much.  As I went along, I stopped often to hold it up to the dummy.  When I reached the appropriate length, I shaped the armhole.

I got creative with the back panel, trying to add shaping to the design which is quite flattering (I think) in the final product.

Shaping the back.

The sleeves use the same cable pattern, but are short--stopping at the elbow.  I love this length on me.

Sleeve detail.

I had the most difficulty in trying to set in the sleeve.  Measuring is so crucial here.  I ended up ripping apart 2 complete sleeves and starting over.  I finally made myself a paper pattern piece that fit perfectly and had success in fitting everything together.  Don't get me wrong, I had moments when I was sure it was going to just end up being a vest!

The final product.

I am really happy with the way it turned out.  My initial plan was to have a zipped closure with a deep V-neck, but when I went to the fabric store, I was really disappointed in their zipper choices.  I had really hoped for something "cuter" with an interesting pull.  No such luck.   It's never too late, though, so if anyone knows where to find more unique zippers, let me know!

SWEATER #2

So, like I said I had a LOT of yarn left over.  I started with a wide 4x4 rib at the bottom of the sweater.  My plan here was to knit a front, a back, and I would see whether I had enough for sleeves.  I love sleeveless tops, so it didn't really matter to me.  

The final product.

As you can see from the photo, I did a lovely criss-cross bit at the bustline.  I didn't have a proper edge, so it was actually rolling inward and did not look very good.  I knew I had to take care of that somehow, and I got the idea to add the narrow cable band.  I think it looks really cute!  It definitely adds a more polished look to the neckline.  If I had planned on doing it in the first place, I would have added a slipped stitch edge to aid in sewing it on.

Once I got that far, I tried to imagine what kind of sleeves would be cute.  I didn't have much of a design in mind when I started, just kind of made it up as I went along.  I thought short sleeves with a little keyhole would be adorable!  Here's the pattern piece I made:

Sleeve Pattern.

  

I actually did this sleeve twice too!  Ugh.  The first one I made was a bit too small.  No worries, it's just knitting, not rocket science.  I took it apart and tried again.  The sleeves turned out great!

I did a single crochet around the keyhole, then I did a skinny cable band and stitched that around the bottom of the sleeve.  Voila!  Super cute sweater #2!

I will also have you know that those two took every last bit of yarn I had--I even had to take apart my gauge swatch!  Although, is it a bit weird to have 2 sweaters made from the same yarn?  Well, too bad.  I've always been a bit weird, so I am fine with it. 

All in all, I am VERY happy with my creations!  What's better than making something you actually want to wear?

How to REALLY sew on a button

At my best friend's request:  You should do a blog about how to sew on a button!  (Even though she knows I'd sew on a button for her in a heartbeat!)  It's a really good skill that sometimes I forget not everyone knows how to do (properly).  I am sure there are more ways people have found to accomplish this goal, but this method has served me well.

I can honestly say that I've never had to sew on the same button twice thanks to this technique. 

I'd like to credit my high school Home Ec teacher--Mrs. Lisa "There's a Method to my Madness" Tapper for this one.  She taught me about the THREAD SHANK, and is one of the few really useful things I learned in high school(!) and now I'm passing it on to you.  For free.

Mrs.Tapper also used to recommend that we rip off the buttons on every new garment we bought, just to take the time to put them on properly.  If we did that right away, we'd never need to fix a button.  Ever.  She was totally right.  Not that I actually DO that.  Come on.  I'm not THAT proactive.  

  

Here's how to fix the button that falls off because it was poorly attached to begin with or because the thread breaks and the rest of it unravels:  (this is different from the button that comes off because the fabric rips, that is more about "patching" than buttoning.)

It's going to be hard to see what I'm doing here, so I'll do my best to explain.  First pull out the broken threads.  You will most likely be able to see the actual needle holes from where the original stitching was.   Thread a needle using a double strand of thread.  

A good tip to any hand-stitching chore is to never use a length of thread that is longer than the length from your wrist to your armpit.   The reason for this is that it is inefficient.  You want to be able to make a stitch with one fluid motion.  Also, long strands of thread can tangle more easily.  That sucks.  Sorry, back to subject.  

Once you know where your button goes, secure the thread by inserting the needle into the top hole from one side of the button and out the bottom hole from the other side.  In other words, if your button looks like this : : you will be starting the thread by pulling through either like this / or like this \ depending on whether you're right or left-handed.  (Like making half an X)  Do whatever feels comfortable for you.   You do not have a knot or anything tied to the end of your thread.  Just pull it through the holes until you have a short, manageable tail sticking out--like an inch long is plenty.  

Next, gently put the needle back through the same holes in the same order that you did to begin with.  Pull gently and notice that you've created a loop with the thread.  When the loop is cinched up to an inch diameter or so, put your needle through center of the loop and pull the whole thing snug.  There.  You have secured your thread.  You do not need big chunky knots. 

Now, begin the process of stitching the button on by bringing the needle up from underneath the button into one of the TOP holes and back through (from the front side of the button) the lower hole going all the way through to the back side of the fabric.  Repeat on the opposite side.  Keep alternating sides at least 4-5 times.  End with your needle sticking out the back side.

Get ready for the shank.

This is the part that makes this button technique super secure.  The thread shank.  You may have noticed on your other garments how other buttons are sewn on.  It is mostly done by machine, and just secure enough to last one washing.  The thread shank supports the button, holds it above the fabric, keeps the threads from breaking and/or unraveling.

Bring the needle up from underneath by sticking it through below the exact center of the button in between your stitching. So, in other words, imagine that your button is a table top, and the stitches that go through the holes are the legs of the table.  You are inserting your needle as though you are coming up from UNDER the "table".  Angle the needle so that you are pulling it straight upwards.  If your button is a clock, your thread would be twelve o'clock.  With a snug thread, start winding it around the base of the button, wrapping your stitches.  Wrap it at least 10 times.  You have just made a thread shank.  Insert your needle into the center of everything and pull through to the back.  

Repeat the same process of the stitch and loop that you used to secure the thread at the beginning, except loop it through and pull it snug twice.  Then I slip the needle under the stitching one last time, and snip the thread close to the fabric.  That's it.  

Simple and secure.  

Shanks a lot!