Doctor Who Sock Yarn

Fact: I love sock yarn. Problem: I don’t know how to knit socks. I bought two skeins of KnitPick’s Felici sockyarn in Time Traveler. Why? Because it self- stripes into the colors of the Fourth Doctor’s (Tom Baker) scarf! I couldn’t resist. I guess I am going to learn to knit socks.

In theory, I think I can do it. I know how to knit on double pointed needles. I have done short rows. So, I just need a good starter pattern.

And so I did a search and found a stockinette stitch sock pattern from About.com. It explains everything and looks straightforward enough. I will have to give it a try. And then I’ll have Doctor Who socks!

Long Lean Sweater: Week 2

Here’s my progress on Week 2 of the Long Lean Sweater! I’m very happy with how far I’ve gotten on this sweater. Yeah, I’ve had to rip out on section on the left side TWICE, but I managed to do it without freaking out. Whew!

During the second week, I’m working on the right side. I all I have to do is the raglan and neck shaping, and I hope to have that done tonight or tomorrow. Plans may change, frogging may occur, who knows, but that’s my goal. I have two weeks until my next class, but I’m going to keep on chugging away.

One thing that did throw my off last night was the obscure abbreviation of p2togtbl. Eh? I did figure it out to be “purl two stitches together through the back loop.” Ah, ok. After a few tries, I think I got it. It has to be the most awkward decrease, but it does the trick. I understand it is mostly used in lace knitting and is even rare to come across then. If you are curious as to how to do it, I recommend checking this out.

Previous Progress

Week 1

The Mother Lode

I am so glad that I went to my local Goodwill on Saturday. Not only did I get a cute jean skirt and sweater, but a mother lode of yarn, and I’m not talking leftover acrylic skeins. I’m talking good stuff. Wool, cotton, and known names, too. Some of it I cannot identify, but I cleaned out the bin and left the Red Heart-ish stuff there. No offense to Red Heart, but I have enough of it already. You can’t have enough of good quality yarn.

Scary thing, I even found matching dye lots and colors, and yarn you can’t get any more. I figure I got about $45-$50 worth of yarn for around $20.00. I walked out of there happy as a clam. I’m so glad I went.

I have found that Goodwill and other secondhand stores, and yard sales, are excellent places to get knitting supplies. Needles, notions, and yarn are all available as a good deal. Snatch stuff up when you can. I have people who bring me in yarn from yard sales, too. My boss brought me in some hot pink yarn, along with some pretty purples, the other week that she got from a garage sale. I was happy to take it.

So I ask you, readers, have you ever found something special at a yard sale or secondhand store? Yarn and crafting related stories are a plus, but if you found a designer purse or something like that, please do share!

Not sure what this is, but it resembles some wool kettle dyed wool from Uruguay I have.

Jaeger Michelle Mohair Yarn

Unidentified Pink Stuff, but it appears to be fingering weight and lovely.

Katia Twist in Dusk

Sirdar Rio Cotton Rich DK

Wool yarn in a huge hank.

Crochet Crash and Burn

So I’ve been working on doing more crochet. I can do something that resembles a single crochet, and something that resembles a half double crochet. The problem is, I always seem to combine or lose the number of stitches I have in my chain. I have no clue what’s going on, and that’s the truth. Perhaps I need to find someone who can help me more with this. Anyone have any ideas where to get crochet help?

Still, here are examples of what I have I have come up with, swatch-wise. The lighter purple is the single crochet, and the darker ones are for the half double crochet. Perhaps someone could observe from the photos what I am doing wrong? Just putting this out there. HELP!

Beading Night 2

Beading Night didn’t go off exactly as planned, as my friend did not come over due to my husband being sick. Poor guy. He is feeling better today, I will add. Back to the matter at hand, though. I did get some beading done on my own.

I had this beading kit lying around for about a year and a half and I never opened it. It just collected dust on my dresser. Well, last night was the night that I broke it out and gave it a go.

Everything was included in the kit, except tools, of course, and there are enough beads and findings for two necklaces, two pairs of earrings, and a bracelet. The directions and photos are fairly straightforward. I selected one of the necklace patterns and got to work.

As I was looking through the designs included, I realized these were good, basic patterns that could be reused for other beads and styles. I will be keeping the directions as reference.

Here’s what I did. It’s one of the necklaces from the Pure Innocence beading kit I got at Wal-Mart. I’m quite happy with the results. The loops are bad, but I am getting better at them. It’s one of the more complex designs that I have done, more than the basic stringing of beads. I learned I can do more complex beading designs. I can do this!

Interview: Jill Butler

When I think about this Jill Butler, a crafter friend, a few words come to mind. Creative. Positive. Bubbly. In this first interview on Ludicraft, I asked Jill a few questions about her crafting and artistic works and experiences.

What is your name and where are you from? My Name is Jill Butler and I am from Lititz, PA

What types of crafting do you enjoy doing? My favorite craft is Knitting and Crochet but there are so many things I love like drawing/painting, sewing even quilting

Tea Cozy

Why do you enjoy crafting? When I am creating something it gives me a sense of well-being, contentment and excitement

How much time do you devote to crafting? The amount of time I spend crafting really varies. Being a mom takes up a lot of my time, so crafting is definitely sporadic these days.

What inspires your creativity? Other people’s art inspires me and the person that I am making something for greatly inspires me. When I make something for someone else I try to figure out what they like, their interests, favorite colors and things like that so I can make something that will reflect them and bring joy to their life.

Drawing Jill did for her husband, Skip

If you could learn a new craft or skill, what would it be? Why? For a long time I have wanted to learn how to spin wool. I love the “Sheep to Shawl” idea. I especially would love to own a sheep or alpaca so that the entire process would take place on my small farmette. I have a dream of people coming to my house to purchase some special gift that I have made and being inspired as they would see the animals outside and able to select something that I have made in the dining room of our old farm house.

Do you have a web site or sell your crafts? Do you do craft shows? I have sold different things I have made and people have placed orders but I do not have a web site nor do I go to craft shows.

Where can people contact you? You can contact me at my home number by calling 717-627-4303, email at butlerhj@dejazzd.com or looking me up on Facebook.

What is one fun fact about yourself? I have an X/Y gene that does not allow me to smell skunk!

Crocheted Tablecloth

Anything else you would like to share? God has given me a creative mind and I can do almost anything with my hands. I would love to be the next “Auntie Ann” or “Julia Childs” but only in the craft/art world. I am happiest when I am creating something and I love creating things for other people.

Long Lean Sweater: Week One

I’m working on my first sweater, and think it would be a fun to share my progress here on the blog. I’m currently in the first week of knitting, and have made good progress since my first class at Kitnit Fine Yarns, my LYS, on Saturday.

The pattern is what we are calling the Long Lean Sweater from the Noro Catwalk 2 book by Jenny Watson Designs. I’m knitting it in Noro Kureyon. I love the character and colorways in Noro. As l leaf though this particular book, I am interested in knitting more out of it.

Of course, the first thing you do is knit a gauge swatch, but we are also using our swatches as pocket linings. No frogging the swatch! I made two liners for the two pockets.

The target of the week is to finish the right front of the sweater. So far, I have the all the ribbing done at the bottom and am starting on the regular stockinette stitch for the rest.

I’m proud of myself on this particular part as I navigated a confusing line of the pattern that was riddled with parentheses and brackets. And I managed to come out correctly in the row of knitting on the first try. YES!

Here, you can see my progress so far, with the two pocket liners and the ribbing. I hope to accomplish more, and next week, I will update on my progress on this particular UFO. (For non-knitters, that’s UnFinished Object.)