What are the Right Tools?

This is the start to The January Cloth for Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge for my DD. Sigh.........The photo shows 2 cables and the pattern is called mirror image. The beginning you see is after 3 tries! Argh..........it's been frogged multiple times. First it was going to be blue and white......white for snow and blue for cold. Cold and snow pretty much sums up Ohio in January. However, after frogging twice I decided to stick with one solid color, one less issue to deal with. This is my first attempt at cables. Learning to knit cables is one of 2 items on the goal area of My Year of Projects List.

I thought (probably not wisely so), that doing a cotton washcloth would be a good way to try my hand at this stitch, because it's a small project and doing something new on a small project is probably a better idea.....right? Hum, well in retrospeak, I think using cotton for a cable is probably NOT a good idea? Cotton has next to know give, no flexibility which seems to make doing the stitch really hard on my hands......tight. I do a few rows, then take a break.
I read the directions several times, and watched a couple of video's to see how to do the stitch. Above you see 2 types of cable stitch holders. The one that looks like a knitting needle with a curve is the one I started with. My thought was, it's about the same size (gauge) as the knitting needles I'm using for the project..........figured that would keep the stitches the right gauge?
Some directions suggest knitting right from the stitch holder..........yeah, tried that and couldn't keep the count very well. Though it did seem knitting from the holder when the holder was in back of the work (C6B) was easier then C6F. Another video suggested moving the stitches back to the regular knitting needle. That method seemed to work better for me.........except I found again moving them hard to keep the right number, things just seemed toooooooooooo tight, particular with C6F.

Then I remembered the cable holders I purchased previously that looked like big safety pins and thought I'd give those a try. I much prefer these. Using these and putting the stitches back on the needle seems to be easier....not easy, but easier. One of the video's showed a v shape stitch holder that I've not seen in the stores. Need to keep my eyes open, as it seemed like it might be the ticket.

Does the equipment/tools one uses make a difference? As a newbie, I think so...but what say you all? Is using a cotton a foolish way to learn? Is a good wool easier?

YOP link and badge in sidebar. Working on the actual list, plan to have an additional page/tab here vs reposting it each Sunday.

It's Friday....here's Royalty

Blue, Gold, Purple crocheted granny squares joined by a very dark Forest Green. This afghan is a team work project. Cheryl donated the squares over on Bridge and Beyond. I edged the squares, and assembled the afghan. It measures a little over 50 x 64. The dark green yarn was also donated by Laurie over on Bridge and Beyond. I enjoy designing afghans to help the homeless from donated goodies from big hearted knitters and crocheters. Homeless Families Foundation helps homeless families with temporary housing for up to 3 months while they aid the family in seeking help they need to keep their family together, to help with the job search, to help care for the kids and get them to and from school, help with homework etc. It's a wonderful program. When they make the move from temporary housing to permanent housing they receive a "Welcome Home" pack to help them get started. One of the items they receive is the gift of a handmade afghan........a wonderful way to say, "Welcome Home."

This is my finished object Friday post, link/badge in the sidebar. Join in, it's fun. Hope you're all chipping away and finishing up items you need for Christmas Gifts, time's getting close.

**Throwing a challenge out there to all who read this post:
Are you from one of the following states:
Conn, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Miss., Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, or Utah?
No one from those states has donated over on Bridge and Beyond. You could represent your state....surely someone in those states knits/crochets and has a big heart.....nudge nudge**

A Special Dinner

Our two Cooks, Mean and Stacie. We often join these lovely ladies for dinner and or drinks out. They had a nice surprise for Ernie and I. Said they wanted to cook us dinner. How cool is that folks. Don't they look adorable in aprons doing the dinner prep? Notice the 2 bottle of wine...they know me well.


Stacie cutting fresh strawberries to add to a yummy spinach salad.


Megan grating some fresh parmesian cheese to add to her stuff shells. The shells were awesome. Look out Giada!


While dinner was in the oven, we enjoyed wine, marinated mushrooms and Bruschetta . Conversation was lively, the food excellent, the company wonderful, AND they cleaned up. My kind of a nice evening.

Thank You, we really enjoyed ourselves!

Ta DAH, a Mitered Square for Finished Object Friday

Ok, so this probably doesn't look like much of a TA DAH. Something being knitting in the round? Not really, it's a square. Sure it is, said my hubby when he saw it. It's December's cotton cloth for DD for my Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. Well, yeah...I see Christmas colors...but?

Making progress, if fact you might have seen this picture a few days ago for work in progress Wed. This is a mitered square. When I started the pattern, it didn't really make alot of since to me. But, I liked the look when I saw the picture on the pattern and decided to give it a try. I've seen these types of squares and thought they were neat, but looked complicated. At first glance I thought you make a square and knitted or crocheted around 2 sides only to get this effect. You don't. You knit 2 sides at the same time. Look above in picture 1, the green is the cast on. Here I cast on 61 ( you always want an odd number in your cast on). You're knitting one side, making a point which is actually where you decrease, then you knit the 2nd side. Each row get's smaller and smaller on the two sides, bringing the center area closer and closer together.

TA DAH. Visually, the colors in the last picture aren't are as true as it is in real life. And the square is truly square, which in this picture looks a bit off...believe it's a visual because of the color combination and the big to little look of it all. I need to finish tucking in the yarn changes. Normally I do that as I go, but since this was a first for me doing a mitered square...left them...in case I had to frog it. There is 1 mistake, but I didn't frog it.

So even though this is just a little cotton washcloth for my DD, it is a TA DAH for me, because I learned to do something new. After you cast on you knit x amount of stitches, you do a decrease by slipping off 1 stitch, then knit 2 together, the pass the slip stitch over (sl 1, k2tog, psso), then knit the same x amount of stitches. The next row is straight knit.

So....Decease a row
Knit a row
Decrease a row
Knit a row. The trick is to remember, or write down (I use a counter and have it written to see where I am) in order to know how many stitches you're knitting.

Example my first row was a knit 29 on each side of the decrease, my next decrease row was knit 28.
Cast on 61
knit 29, do the decrease, knit 29
knit a row
knit 28, do the decrease, knit 28
knit a row

keep going until you have 3 stitches left and do your bind off.
*determine how many rows you want to do before changing colors and have fun. I liked doing the mitered square, liked the way it ended up and plan to do it again.

Oh, I should add this is Cotton Cloth #9, only 3 to go to finish my Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge, with the months of Jan, Feb, and March being the last 3 to do.

Memories help a Heavy Heart

Floating in the swimmers cove at Alum "Ocean" with a beer in hand. (Jerry & Kyle)
One of many fall hikes, perhaps this was at Alum, or Hocking Hills Region, but I think maybe it was Highbanks Metro Park. We took so many of these hikes (with wine in a bota and beer in hand), unsure where this particular spot was. (Kyle, Jerry, Ernie and I)
At weeks end at The Beach, one of many. This was Smyrna Beach in Florida. (Ernie and Jerry in back, yours truly, Kyle, and Chelsea in front)
Same trip as above, but with the kids. (Lauren, Chrissy, and Lesley)
A night sail on Alum "Ocean". There were so many. (Kyle & Jerry)

Last night about 5:30 I lost a very dear friend, Kyle. These pictures are but a few of the many memories, the many good times. Think wine think Kyle, think cross stitch think Kyle, think skiing think Kyle, think sailing think Kyle, think camping think Kyle, think fire side chat think Kyle, think hiking think Kyle, think cooking together think Kyle, think sailing think Kyle, think racquet ball think Kyle..........you get the picture. I have memories that connect to so many things in my life both past and present. Memories of 30 years can't be put into one blog post, nor are there enough pictures to share for those 30 years of friendship.

I miss you Dear Friend, rest in peace.

It's never easy to lose someone, even when you know it's best; but remembering the good times, the fun times.........keeps them alive forever in your heart.

Working on Royalty

Half the squares have been edged, and about 1/3 of the squares have been joined. These squares were donated on Bridge and Beyond and when I'm done assembling them will be donated as a house warming gift through Project Welcome Home. Love these colors together. They do look royal to me. Making good headway this wip.

Working on both Dec and Jan cotton washcloths for DD. Here's December's in the works.
Liberty scarf is still in works, though I've not worked on it in a couple of weeks. Awesome Green Scarf (for DD) is coming along; but no progress from last post.

Hope you're all doing well this Wednesday, look forward to seeing all your WIP. See links and badges in sidebar.

Did you see the previous post? Please scroll down, I'm very excited that my charity blog, Bridge and Beyond was featured in the winter issue of Crochet Magazine!!