Very Cute Hats & Diaper Covers at Knotty Knits

Check 'em out.  Tracy's trying to control her stash...I fear I may have given up!

http://tracykm.blogspot.com/2012/12/simple-things.html

Luke Chapter 14

CLICK HERE

 

 

Cute Idea at Yet Another Canadian Artisan

Very clever skinny scarf, and how to drape it.  Of course we could do this on our machines!

http://cutlermac.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/wearing-a-skinny-scarf/

Luke Chapter 13

CLICK HERE

 

 

Luke Chapter Twelve

CLICK HERE

 

 

Luke Chapter Eleven

CLICK HERE

 

 

Luke Chapter Ten

CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Luke Chapter Nine

CLICK HERE

 

 

Luke Chapter Eight

CLICK HERE

 

 

Luke Chapter Seven

CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Luke Chapter Six

CLICK HERE

 

 

Luke Chapter Five

CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Luke Chapter Four

CLICK HERE

 

 

Are you reading Luke with me?  Write a comment and say so!

 

Inspiration at Marzipan Knits

I plan to take this charity hat idea to my knit club.  It's a clever thing that Mar put on her blog for machine knitters, and she's included the pattern and great photos here:

http://marzipanknits.blogspot.com/2012/11/charity-hat-flower-technique-free-for.html

Carolers

Luke Chapter 3

CLICK HERE

 

 

Scarf and Gloves at Vanda's Page

Vanda's got an interesting project - long lace gloves and a scarf (it looks like it might be a sweater, but she says it's a scarf. 

http://ilmiomondodilana.blogspot.com/2012/11/sciarpa-e-guanti.html

Little Angel For Your Tree

Little Angel Ornament by Diana Sullivan

 

She's about four inches tall, transparent and fragile.  In the photo, she's just leaning against a piece of velvet, but if you could see her in person, you'd know that she's really going to sparkle once she's on the tree with the lights twinkling.

 

Here's how to make her:

 

This is for the standard knitting machine.  You'll need 30 gauge coated silver and gold wire, wire cutters, and a small knitting needle. You also need 2 cast-on rags or pieces of mesh for casting on the wings.

 

Skirt:  Cast on 16 stitches with waste yarn.  I used T7 on a Brother.  Knit several rows and affix a couple of claw weights, a big brass weight, or a small ribber weight.  Knit a divider row with either the same yarn to make it easier to later remove the waste yarn.

 

E-wrap cast on with silver wire.  Knit 30 rows.  You need to go slowly; hand-feed the wire from your lap or the floor.  Pull the wire up as you approach, then have no tension on the wire as you knit slowly across.

 

Head:  Take the knitting off on waste yarn.  Rehang, putting 2 stitches on each needle so it's gathered into 8 needles.  Knit 20 rows for the head.

 

Wings:  Snip the wire with wire cutters and knit across with gold wire.  Use a cast-on rag and ravel cord to add 8 more stitches on the carriage side, hang another weight, then e-wrap the gold wire onto them and knit back.  Use a cast-on rag and ravel cord to add 8 stitches to the other side, hang a weight and knit 19 more rows.  Cast off using a transfer tool.  I have backstitched a cast-off, but it's tedious with wire.

 

Find the middle of the head and twist it so that the top is gathered.  Twist the neck to gather it.  Wind the leftover wire ends around and around the neck to make a shiny neck and cover that twist.  Shape the skirt with your fingers.  I made more of a cylinder with it and stretched and fluted the bottom with my hands, but do what you think looks nice.

 

You can get your fingers inside the head and shape it round. 

 

Shape the wings by folding them like a fan and then using a piece of wire to securely gather them in the center.  You can "sew" with the wire by poking it through - you won't need or want a needle.

 

Make the arms and hands by casting on 7 stitches (using waste yarn, etc., as above) and knitting 30 rows.  Bind off.  Stretch.  Fold in the middle.  Twist the ends for the hands.  Use the beginning and ending wire to connect the hands together if you like.  Sew the arms to the back of the angel between the body and wings with a piece of wire.   

 

The crooked halo was made by winding gold wire tightly around a very small knitting needle to make a "spring."  I used about 10" of wire for the spring and "sewed" it to the back of the head with the ends, which I left uncoiled. 

 

You can add a unique personality to your angel.  Perhaps you could add tiny accessories from the hobby store - a music book, a harp, trumpet, package, toy, etc.  How about a tiny ball of yarn and two pins for knitting needles?  You could sew on beads or glue on rhinestones. Maybe your angel will have curly or wavy hair made of wire.  I was a lousy angel hairdresser - my wire springs stood straight up, so I removed them.  Something to try again on the next one!

 

Attach a loop of wire to the back of her head to finish your ornament.

 

I have been playing around with knitting wire since attending a Marcia Hauser seminar.  She has wonderful books of instructions and stylish jewelry and lots of supplies at her site:

 

http://www.marciahauser.nu/



Luke Chapter Two

CLICK HERE

 

 

Holiday Thoughts

This morning we attended the Lone Star Model A club's 1000th breakfast.  We seldom attend because Saturday is my day to sleep a little later, maybe until 7:30, and to make it every week, we'd need to get up and going about 5:45 a.m. (it's in another town).
 
Folks were wearing Christmas clothing and Christmas hats, and my favorite was a Grinchy hat covered in sequins that bobs up and down and plays music.  So, here we go again!  There's holiday music everywhere, we have decorations up at work.
 
I just posted asking how people get it all done, but now let's switch over to my other favorite Christmas subject, which is how to make it the most meaningful and memorable. 
 
I spend lots of time making it memorable for my family, but to help keep it meaningful for me, it's time again for me to go through the book of Luke, one chapter each day for the first 24 days of Christmas.  

Luke, Chapter One, HERE