Root Beer Bottle Cozy

My husband likes to drink his root beer out of a bottle. I don't blame him, it tastes better that way! I wanted to make him a cozy to help him keep it cool and to keep his hands dry in this humid weather. Yesterday the Root Beer Bottle Cozy was born!

My husband doesn't drink anything stronger than root beer, so I thought it would be funny to make it look like an old-timey whiskey jug. Call me an ironic hipster if you want. I'll own it.

I wrote down the pattern while I was making knitting it up. I haven't test knit it so let me know if there are any problems! This is the first pattern I've submitted to Ravelry.

Root Beer Bottle Cozy

Supplies:
Small amount of Brown Worsted Weight Yarn (MC) (I used a Heather Brown color Lion Brand Wool-Ease from my stash. It lost its label a long time ago, but I think the color was called Mink.)
Small amount of Cream Worsted Weight Yarn (CC) (Again, I know this is Wool-Ease and I think it's called Wheat but it's also from my stash and without a label.)
Size 6 DPNs or long circular needle for working Magic Loop (I prefer Magic Loop.)
Stitch Marker (optional)
Blunt Yarn Needle

Instructions:

Cast on 10 stitches in MC and join for working in the round. Place the stitch marker to mark the beginning if you'd like.

Round 1: *(K1, KFB) repeat from * (15 stitches)
Round 2: *(K2, KFB) repeat from * (20 stitches)
Round 3: *(K3, KFB) repeat from * (25 stitches)
Round 4: *(K4, KFB) repeat from * (30 stitches)
Round 5: *(K5, KFB) repeat from * (35 stitches)
Round 6: Purl across
Rounds 7-20: K across

Switch to CC

Rounds 21-27: K across

Switch back to MC

Rounds 28-30: K across
Round 31: K 1, SSK, K 11, K2tog, K 2, SSK, K 12, K2tog, K 1 (31 stitches)
Round 32: K 1, SSK, K 9, K2tog, K 2, SSK, K 10, K2tog, K1 (27 stitches)
Rounds 33-34: K across
Round 35: K1, SSK, K 7, K2tog, K 2, SSK, K 8, K2tog, K 1(23 stitches)
Round 36: K across
Round 37: K 1, SSK, K across (22 stitches)
Rounds 38-39: K2 P2 across (You'll end up with a K2 at the beginning and the end.)
Round 40: SSK, P2 K2 to the last two stitches, K2tog (20 stitches)
Rounds 41-50: K1, P2 K2 to the last stitch, K1.

Bind off with a super stretchy bind off. I kind of made something up but any stretchy sock bind off should work. Just be sure the bottom of the bottle you want to use will fit.

Weave in the ends and use MC to embroider the three "X"s in the middle of the cream section.


Abbreviations:

MC = Main Color
CC = Contrast Color
K = Knit
KFB = Knit into the front and the back of the stitch
SSK = Slip, Slip, Knit. Slip two stitches as if to knit and then knit these stitches together
K2Tog = Knit two stitches together
P = Purl


*Please let me know if there are any mistakes in this pattern!!

Weeping Angels and Rainbows

I haven't been feeling very well the last few weeks. My depression is acting up, and I think I got some accidental gluten.

That doesn't mean I haven't kept busy! When I was feeling really down I somehow managed to convince my husband to go to the local yarn store, The Needlepoint Joint, and pick out some yarn for me. Reason #545 why my husband is the best, he hates yarn stores.

It worked! I was cheered up and I turned that yarn into a hat and mittens.

They're very soft and very cheerful. I haven't blocked anything yet, when I do the lacy pattern will show up better. I found the patterns on Ravelry, they're called the Cafe Au Lait Tam and the Cafe Au Lait Mittens (expanded from the Cafe Au Lait Mitts.)

I call them my Rainbow Tam and Rainbow Mittens. You can check here for the project page on my hat, and here for the mittens. I'm not 100% done with the mittens yet. I am going to knit a lining for them so that they're extra warm. I plan to use them for driving the kids to school on cold winter mornings.

I've also managed to do my nails. I trimmed them super short again, and wasn't up for being super creative. I decided to just swatch the Weeping Angel polish I got from A'dor Beauty Supply when I bought the other two polishes that I love.

This one didn't disappoint!!

I couldn't help but use my new hat as a background. 

It's got a grainy texture reminiscent of stone (just like a real Weeping Angel) in a pretty silver color. There are also some subtly iridescent flecks of glitter. Not nearly enough to be overwhelming, just enough to be fun! This is another polish I bought for my daughter but fell in love with!

Pictured is two coats (I probably could have gotten away with one, but two looks better) over my normal base coat. I didn't do a top coat because I didn't want to ruin the texture. It's been a few days since I polished them and so far I haven't had any chipping.

31 Days of Halloween

An amazing local artist that I am acquainted with started a fun project called 31 Days of Halloween. He's given us a list for the whole month and every day is a new idea to create art around.

October 1st is Haunted House. Here's my version.

Pen and ink, wax crayon, and watercolor on paper. (I colored the whole sky blue, but obviously I didn't push hard enough on the crayon.)

Craftiness

I haven't forgotten about my blog! I haven't been lost, I've been busy!

Okay, I admit that last week I wasn't feeling very well so I went light on the posting. I was a little lazy.

I relaxing on the couch, trying to feel better, binge watching Netflix, and playing on the internet. Mostly Pinterest... as usual...

Then I came across a thread on Craftster. All about Harry Potter.

If you've been paying attention you'll know that I love Harry Potter. I have read all the books over and over, I've literally lost count of how many times. I've seen all the movies; first in the theater, then at home on DVD. I'm on Pottermore, proudly sorted in to Ravenclaw. I read the fan fiction. I named my cat Molly because my husband wouldn't go for Minerva. My kids and I all have wands. I've finished all the levels on Lego Harry Potter, all the years. I even won a trivia contest once.

I love Harry Potter.

So when I came across this thread on Craftster I got excited. Really excited.

It's all of my favorite things. The internet. Crafting. Harry Potter.

Photo taken from pinkleo and the Harry Potter Craftalong on Craftster

Basically it's Hogwarts. There are all the classes, each giving me an inspiration for crafting. Alchemy is all about peacocks. (You know how I feel about those!) Astronomy is focused on the Summer Night Sky. Care of Magical Creatures is about the Jobberknoll, so the craft needs to be blue or feathered. They go on like that.

Seriously cool! The wheels in my head are totally spinning. I have so many ideas!!

When you've finished a "class" you earn a badge and points for your house. I am way, way too excited about those badges.

I only have a month before this "semester" ends, then a new one will start with new inspirations.

I started two different projects over the weekend. This post is long enough for today, so I'll go into more details later. I'm really excited though, so stay tuned for more fun!

Kimono Scarf

I showed you a picture yesterday of my latest project.

It's another scarf!  I wanted something small and fun that I could wear as more of an accessory than an actual neck warmer.

I think it turned out pretty well.  I needed a quick project to kind of help me relax.  I've been knitting nothing but presents and using acrylic yarn, I've been dying to get my hands on something a little more fun.  Eric took pity on me and let me get this fun yarn at my local yarn store, The Needlepoint Joint.

It's called Kimono, made by a company named Grignasco.  As far as I can tell it's an Italian company and the Kimono line has been discontinued.  This pattern would work for any fun yarn, but I was able to find some Kimono for sale on Ebay.

Kimono Scarf

Materials:

1 skein Grignasco Kimono

Size 15 knitting needles

Directions:

Cast on 14 stitches

Knit in garter stitch 114 rows or until you run out of yarn.  Try to save enough to cast off with!

Weave in the ends and you're done!!

For those interested, I made the brooch from pieces I bought at Findings Victoria on Etsy.  A great shop and very nice to work with.  The first time I got my order it had been chipped in the mail and they sent me a totally new one at absolutely no charge to me.  Plus they let me keep the chipped piece, so I was able to make Elizabeth a matching pin!

Star Afghan

When I'm sitting I need to have something else to do. I can't just sit and watch a movie. I have to be doing something with my hands. 95% of the time I'm surfing the web on my laptop, but sometimes Eric wants me to be more present and actually spend time with him. That's when I pull out my knitting or sewing or crochet or whatever other project I'm working on.

Like I said before, I'm horrible at projects. If it's something too big I'll lose interest or find something more fun to do.

I was recently introduced to Pinterest. If you don't know what that is then I pity you. It's awesome. I might need to do a post just extolling the virtues of that amazing site.

Anyway, on Pinterest I saw this adorable afghan:

There isn't a link to a pattern, it's just a picture so I filed it to the back of my mind.

Then I saw this:

It's an actual pattern! Whoo hoo!

Then the idea popped into my head, "Why don't I make a fun afghan out of stars and join it together randomly like the baby blanket I saw?"

So that's what I'm going to do. I decided to buy a skein of yarn and just start making stars. I keep it in a basket in the living room with whatever other random project I'm working on. (My Sky Scarf gets its own basket to cut down on tangles!) Since the stars work up really quick I can do as few or as many as I want as I'm unwinding for the day or when I take a minute to rest. When I run out of this color yarn I'll get another skein in a different color, and so on.

The great thing about this is that it's impossible for me to get overwhelmed because I have no set finished number. I could do the math and figure out how many stars it would take to make a good sized afghan, but I prefer to do it this way. Then I'll be surprised with the size when I'm done. No pressure, no anxiety. And if I decide to give up on it for a month (or a year) it's no big deal. Even if I quit right now I could just join the stars to make a wild little scarf.

I've also decided to start something I call Purse Projects. I rolled a small ball of yarn and put it in a sandwich bag and stuck it in my purse. That along with a crochet hook, a small pair of scissors, and a copy of the pattern allow me to crochet a star or five while I'm out and about and find myself waiting for whatever reason.

Admittedly I haven't actually made any purse stars yet, but that's because I also have a Kindle and I've been playing the new free games they just released. (Hmmm. I might have to do a Kindle post too...)

Today's Sky: Clear Blue
Stars Made Today: 4