As promised

Here is a picture of the gloves I created this weekend. Knitting them always goes so much faster than writing up the pattern.
Especially when the program that is supposed to turn the pattern into a downloadable PDF file is not cooperating. It does the conversion, but nobody but me can see it.
It's a free program, so I guess you get what you pay for. I have to look into getting the "Original" Adobe Acrobat.
But: as promised...here's the picture and I am looking for test knitters again....   :)

New pattern

Last night I came up with a new pattern for yet another pair of fingerless gloves. Yes, I know...that's why I am a member of the Fingerless Gloves Fanatics on Ravelry , and that's why I had stitch markers custom made by KnitGirl in Idaho that say just that: Fingerless Glove Fanatic.
I realized that the pattern in my head was not knittable in the round. I would have to knit two rectangles, sew them and attach a thumb. Which means I can not utilize my favorite method of "two at a time" .
I started out last night and knitted away. The plan was to get at least one of them done to completion.
Today I was not required to do anything else but knit...well, I went to the library to get..you guessed it.. more knitting books, and finished one of the rectangles while watching Fawlty Towers.
I started the second rectangle and gave up working on it to go on the computer and get some work done there. It took about half an hour before I could not look at that half finished rectangle anymore and picked it up to finish it. It is now 46 minutes after midnight, but the rectangle is done!!!!
So soon I will be looking for test knitters again. These gloves will be great as a project for someone that wants to get their feet wet doing cables.
Let me know if you know anybody, or if you would like to test knit. I shall post a picture tomorrow, when I will have finished them.
Do I need psychological help? I don't think so. Like one of my stitch markers says: Addicted to yarn. Things could be worse.

Advice

You know how it goes...you do something and immediately there are many people available with advice. Wether you asked for it or not.
Some people told me to blog about my dyeing process...so I started doing that, because I thought it would be fun and maybe somebody was really interested in that.
Then someone told me NOT to give away my rather "out of the box" way of dyeing yarn, because others would steal my idea and I'm therefore creating my own competition.
Now both ways make sense in their own right...even though the opinion of NOT posting shows a general mistrust, don't you think?
I'm a little torn between both positions and I have to think about that for a while.
On a less heavy note: I participated in a Mystery Mittens Knit-along  on Ravelry and absolutely loved it. The designer gave three options of patterns, so probably no two people knitted the same gloves. So cool.
Here's a picture of the finished mitts.














One more thing before I call it a night...check out this page on facebook. It's a fundraiser and soo worth it.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knitting-Naked-for-Autism-Calendar/120639104630762

Where were we?

At some point I started showing my dyeing process. I believe I stopped with the optional ingredients. Got sidetracked with multiple visits to Trader Joe's wine department...
So here is a little more.....








These are the dyes I use. It's easy, does not require extra equipment like pots and stuff. It does not require acid to set, it is colorfast and easy.

So after you prepared the yarn by soaking it, you take it out of the bath and squeeze out all the excess water. The yarn should be damp, but NOT dripping wet. Lay it out on a separate piece of the plastic. I use painters plastic drop cloth. Very affordable. Goes a long way.
Make sure there are no twists in the skein.


I use cake decorator plastic squeeze bottles to mix the dyes. You can get them at any Michael's store or even at WalMart.

The more powder you mix with warm water, the more deep and vibrant the colors get.


Here's a picture with a bunch of them. Pre-mixed and ready to go.




To keep the suspense going.....More on this topic in a couple of days.

Mother's Day

It is Mother's day. My children decided to give me a day off. I have no kids in the house. So I went to K-Mart, got some shipping supplies and markers, went to Barnes and Noble for a new knitting magazine and to Starbucks for some well deserved nourishment.
Now I am at home, messing with my Etsy shop, checking twitter and my e-mail, answering conversations on Etsy, listing new items and writing out the pattern for the fingerless lace gloves. So technically I am working. Nice way to spend my afternoon off, huh?
BUT...there is no boss breating down my neck, nobody is telling me what to do and I can get up or stop what I'm doing at any time. Soo much better than working a day job.
So I am not considering this work. It is fun and makes a little extra money on the side.
And being able to do it without interruptions (why those pesky little people have to eat, I don't know): big bonus.
So wherever those kids of mine are...thanks, guys. Much appreciated.

New Pattern

Yay! Another Karin Crelling Original! This time a pair of fingerless mitts with a pretty lace pattern. And a Picot edge.
Here's a picture.
I should have the pattern available for the test knitters in about two weeks, probably sooner.
Leave me a message on my Ravelry or just comment here, if you would like to knit these up and see if the pattern works.
Thanks.