Changes...

I'm going to be making a few changes in my websites. I just have too many to keep track of. First off, I'm closing down my Hyena Cart. It was a good experience to have and was very economical, but I feel like I've outgrown it. I will also stop using this blog :-( I'm opening up a new blog at typepad.com where I can more easily combine my business and my blog. I'll give typepad a trial run and if I like it, I will point my domain names to it as well. I need to streamline things more!!! I think I will always have my Etsy store, I love Etsy.

Let me know what you think of the new site! I'll be working on it over the next week, tweaking things here and there.

http://theknittingsiren.typepad.com

New Gusset!

Now, I don't know if anyone else has thought of this already, but I have a new gusset option for my britches pattern. I'm super excited. While I love my original gusset, it's roominess and the fact that you can knit from the legs up, I'm smitten with this new gusset. It is very very easy knit and still allows for a nice wide leg, though it only works for the top-down version (I'll figure it out bottom-up some day, the concept is in my head, I just haven't done it yet). I'm putting the finishing touches on the directions and will release it tomorrow to everyone who is on the britches yahoo group.

Also, I am revamping the whole pattern. Better pictures, more options, clarified wording on some directions that were ambiguous before. I'm adding a "no options, just the basics" beginner pattern that I'm hoping will be a great how-to-knit-longies for a new knitter. Since Adorabubble Britches has been out almost a year now (boy, does time fly), I've gotten lots of feedback, many great questions from beginners and suggestions that will be incorporated into this pattern. Since it is just the basics, I will be offering the beginner pattern for just $4. It will be seperate from the whole Adorabubble Britches pattern, but will come with a coupon for a discount on the big Adorabubble Britches pattern. So, if you like the beginner pattern and want all the options later, you won't have to fork over a ton :-)

I'm also hard at work on the sideways britches pattern, though this one is a little further away from completion than the others. And yes, a soaker pattern is in the future. Lots of fun stuff to come!

Not a fun week!

I'm still aching from my little wrestling episode last week. I can at least stand upright now, but can't really pick anything up. Small one isn't liking that.


I've still managed to get some dyeing done, just a few skeins here and there. I've decided to give the Mystery Stole #4 a go so I'm working on dyeing up some lace yarns just for that. I am totally in love with this wool. It's not superwash, but it won't felt easily and is pill resistant. The best part is it is so squishy and soft. After it's dyed it plumps up into the most lucious lace. I'm bugging the main company to make a worsted weight because I think this would make the best soakers/longies. I'm going to strand 7 together to get close to worsted (that's still a light worsted weight!!!) and make some britches for small one. I'll let you know how it works.

Anyway, here is what's new!

Violet, superfine merino lace












Just Peachy on bamboo







Mangos on bamboo

Bluebells

and my favorite, Antique Bronze. The picture really doesn't do this yarn justice. It is beautiful. Luckily I dyed up enough to keep some for myself!

More yarn!

I've been out of commission for the last few days since I strained my back wrestling with kiddos. I woke up feeling good this morning but as the day progressed, my back got worse. I was feeling well enough to get a couple batches of yarn dyed.

I have a couple new yarn bases that are wonderful. 3 different wools, all very soft and yummy. Stay tuned for some new wool colorways.

Stone on bamboo/cotton:



One for me!



World View on bamboo:



Starry Night on merino:

Chemical Free clean!

Most of you know, I'm a little on the crunchy side. Cloth diapers, organic eating, and natural cleaning products. I'm going to do a little sale over the next 2 weeks on some awesome cleaning products that I've fallen in love with. They use microfiber clothes infused with an anti-bacterial silver agent. The silver kills any bacteria it comes in contact with (or at least 99.9%).
For more information on it, you can go here http://www.adorabubbleknits.com/catalog.php?category=15 or email me at melhoff@gmail.com

30% off everything. Please click "other" as your payment method so I can calculate discounts and shipping.

I'm thinking the baby cloths would make perfect wipes and I'm very tempted to get a big towel to cut up into diapers :-)

Moebius on 2 needles! (free pattern)

Here was my dilema: The longest needle I have is 40" and I needed to cram almost 300 stitches of a bulky-ish weight yarn on these needles. Um, not an easy task. I'm knitting along, not very happily when I think to myself, "Can't I just put this on 2 needles?" And sure enough, it works like a charm.



Basic Pattern for a Garter St Moebius Cowl:

1. Measure your gauge, knit a square using an appropriate sized needle at least 4" by 4" and using a ruler, count how many stitches you get in 4" and divide that number by 4. That is how many stitch you knit per 1". With my bulky yarn, I get 3.25 sts per inch.

2. Figure out how big you want your cowl to be using a tape measure. I want one that covers my shoulders easily and I'm pretty small so 40" will do well.

3. Multiple you cowl circumference (#2) by your gauge (#1). I get 3.25* 40= 130. This is the number you are going to cast on.

4. Using the Moebius Cast On Part 1 Part 2 cast on the number you get in #3 on just one needle. It might be crammed, but it just needs to this way for the cast on.

5. Place a marker to mark the beginning of the round. Take your second needle and knit 1/2 the stitches that you got in #3. Finish knitting the second half of the stitches with needle #1.

6. With needle #2, purl all the stitches from needle #2. With needle #1 knit all the stitches from needle #1.

7. Repeat 5 and 6 until the cowl is as wide as you would like it to be. Always knit using the end of the same needle that the stitches are on. Same needle to same needle. Be sure to leave about enough yarn to bind off (#2* 3 should be enough) and using the sewn bind off.




Yes, I do sense a video coming...

Turtle Butt, on sale!

I haven't had a sale in a few weeks so I thought I would do a quick one. Turtle Butt will be on sale for $5.50! Not sure how long I'll run it, we'll see.

Here's what I've been up to this last week:



More dyeing today. I'm working on getting some Turtle Butt colorways up.