Bummer, bummer, bummer!

Store is closed now until further notice......

Looks like for now the store will be closed until I can get moved into my new home....can't say that I will, for sure, have it opened again but will keep everyone posted on it.

Uptown DK Colors yarn

I made something along the lines of a pocketbook that just happened to fit my iPad perfectly!  I need to line it in a heavier type fabric to give it some consistency and strength.  This is one skein of the yarn.  Right off hand I can't tell you the name of the color...it works up near perfect into an entrelac pattern, don't you think!  I used Carolyn Christmas's pattern, but you can find many free ones on Ravelry and elsewhere.  

I used a "matching" pink for the half triangles around the edges to fill in.  There was plenty of the Colors skein left over, so I bet I could make a Pink one and use the Colors to do the little half triangles around. 

It was fairly quick and easy using the Lion Brand plastic hooks...they are all one size up the shaft, so are quite useful in a Tunisian project, and are smooth to use.

Try your hand at making up a pattern out of nothing! ;o)

Early Christmas Treat!

I posted elsewhere a couple of photos of my grandniece...here she is with her cousin for their joint Christmas photo shoot.  They are obviously close to the same age, but are so different.  My niece is a lot more serious than her cousin.  How nice that they will grow up together being the best of friends...my husbands first wife and her cousin were like two peas in a pod...they shared so much and were so very close.  

Unfortunately for me, my auntie had children early and my mom had children late...so the oldest cousin is 16 years older than I am and the youngest is about 8 years older.  Not too much in common. They had children, and I did not.  We also did not live in the same area of the country.

This time of year makes me think of all those fun times we were unable to share, and all of the family moments that never happened.  I still, to this day, miss that special relationship with a cousin.

~On another note~

Below is a gift from my Santa...one of many I must say!  This is a teaser for now.

I honestly don't collect much, but since being on Ravelry, and as my BFF Karen started me on the road to collecting Christmas Angels, these are just perfect.  I have a little tree, too....aren't they darling!

Thanks Annette!!

Now back to the girls.

Can't get much cuter than this!

~

An early Merry Christmas to all....and if you are interested in yarn sales, please check in with me on Ravelry...size 3 and 5 threads, cotton worsted weight and ruffle scarf yarn on sale - not to mention that the Waverly and VC are still on sale for in stock colors.

THE RICK RACK STITCH - - once again!

I posted this in another blog, but felt it was worth repeating...just had someone comment on it and thought that there might be some people here who have not seen the stitch.  It isn't published anywhere that I know about...was once in a publication of some sort but lost to posterity.  An LYS in Boise had a copy and shared it with me...so here it is again:  

The Rick Rack Stitch...and my still unfinished scarf! To finish it, one must first find it!

Note that the above scarf was made using a variegated yarn...I liked the stitch better in one color or one yarn, but experiment.  You may like the Rick Rack colors better!

Rick Rack Rainbow Afghan Stitch

Sizes:

7 colors of fingering wt. yarn - use E hook

7 colors of sport wt. yarn - use G hook

or

7 colors of worsted wt. yarn - use I or J hook

Chain 298 - Color A....(make two rows of each color)

Row 1: DC in 4th ch from hook. DC in next 2 chains (These 4 DC will be the flat border ends on both sides). *Ch 3, skip 3 foundation chains, DC in next 4 chains. Repeat from * across to last 4 chs. DC in each of the last 4 chs. Ch 3, turn.

Row 2: DC in next 3 DC. *Ch 3, skip next 3 DC. Make 4 fpdc around post of the next DC (this will tilt the stitch to look like Rick Rack). Repeat from * around, ending with 4 DC in last 4 DC. Change to next color. Ch 3, turn.

Repeat Row 2 for all colors, two rows each color until desired length.

End with color A, repeating row 2, chain 3, turn. DC in next 3 DC, *sc in next DC, ch 3, 3 DC around post of last DC. Repeat from * around ending ch 1, 4 DC in last 4 DC for edge.

This afghan has a nice stretch to it and bounces back to look like Rick Rack. Good in any weight yarn.

Try making a scarf first to get the feel of it. Use above pattern until you reach the width you need....the increments will be: Repeats x 7 plus 4. The number of stitches depend on your yarn and on your desired width for the scarf.

i.e. - 3 x 7 = 21 + 4 = 25

4 x 7 = 28 + 4 = 32

5 x 7 = 35 + 4 = 39