Step Into My Thimble

Here it is in all its finished splendor:

I bought this button in a tiny old street corner sewing shop in Nagaoka, Japan. It’s brown with little squares of mother-of-pearl on the front. I only ever had one of these and this seems like the right place for it.

We are off to Kalamazoo this morning for Thanksgiving fun. See you in a few days!

I have been busy lately! I wanted to finish the brown gloves so my mom could try them on. If she likes–I will make her a pair for Christmas. And you know what that means, a trip to the yarn store in her town after Thanksgiving to pick out yarn!

Also I started making myself a hat out of leftover Plymouth something-or-other (super bulky). It kind of follows the free H20 pattern from Bonne Marie, but I added three rows of K2, P2 rib at the edge. Working on this stuff is really hard on the arms. Even though in theory it goes fast, at least for me it’s a test of strength. I had to put it down after only seven rows last night.

And finally, in honor of my recent cell phone acquisition (first one, ever), I started making a cozy for it last night. I think some of the ones out there with kitty faces and whatnot are cute, but I’m going for a little more classic look. Is that possible with a cell phone cozy? To read the pattern I invented, click at the bottom of this entry.

I’ll show this again when it’s all done. Here’s what I have so far.

Which button should I use?

I am using leftover Tintagel Farms yarn, size 5 needles, as follows: (and this is for a Nokia 3588i by the way)

Cast on 32 stitches on DPNs.
Work 12 rows in stockinette.
Next row, K 14, K2tog, K14, K2tog.
Do another 6 rows in stockinette.
Then K13, K2tog, K13, K2tog.
Four more stockinette rows.
Then K12, K2tog, K12, K2 tog.
At this point try the cozy on your phone to determine how much longer to make it, and add a couple rows to sew up at the bottom.
Knit that many rows, then close it up as you prefer.

(I haven’t done this part yet but this is my plan.)
Next, on the top, pick up 14 stitches, and knit a flap in stockinette for as long as you want it. Make a buttonhole in it, or crochet a loop on the edge. You could also add a little handle or whatever else if you like.

My friend Marilyn from our workplace knitting group recently unhanded her lifetime collection of Knitter’s Magazine. I now have every issue since v1, no1. I’ve spent a little time going through them lately, and this one wins the prize for most scary/funny cover:

So far I haven’t found any patterns that really jump out at me. In every issue there might be one or two that are “classic” but there are so many drop-sleeved, oversized or strangely angular designs from the 1980s and early 1990s…and the color combinations, yikes!

Anyway if you are looking for one from an old issue, do let me know. You can use the contact form at the right. –>

OK, I think all the server upgrading is done, and we lived through it. Now, I have access to Image:Magick at last too so I can automate my thumbnails! Good news, since I’m planning a photo blog of all my finished objects eventually.

In the meantime I have fixed the too-big thumb:

Though you can’t see it too well here, I just frogged the big one, and started over only picking up one stitch on each side of the hole. There’s a bit of a gap in the stitches on the inside edge, but I will fix that when I weave in the end. (And Carolyn tells me–next time, just pick up the two stitches, knit a around, then decrease! good advice.)

Rodney models Tom’s scarf for us:

Hmm. I’m done freaking out now. For a while this morning my entire site was completely gone–including the Movable Type install! All the content and everything had disappeared. Even the logjamming site (my hosts) and Brian’s (who is also on logjamming). Of course, Wil Wheaton can never be shut down though. He’s probably what keeps logjamming alive. But, checking the News page on my host’s now restored site, it appears they have done several major upgrades and all is well now. Phew.

Anyway, I was going to post pictures of the fixed thumb (and yes, I had thought about Even Cowgirls Get the Blues!). It turned out a lot better by only picking up one stitch at each edge. I’ve cast on for its mate and will be working on that tonight at Bonne Marie’s Knitting In Public meeting, along with a hat for my cousin David that I ripped out a while ago and am starting over.

Also, I finished the gray alpaca scarf for Tom, who is turning 40 next Monday. It will be in the mail to him this afternoon. Rodney did a nice job modeling it for us…you can see those tomorrow I hope!