KEEPING OUR EARS AND NECKS WARM

    Hello visitors to mini's knits and purls.  It's been quite awhile since I've been here. I've taken on a long-term substituting job at ECHS teaching English four periods a day.  No one applied for the open position last fall so I was asked to take over until June.  Fortunately, a new full time teacher has been hired for the 2022-2023 school year. I've tried keeping up with my knitting, but a two hour commute back and forth has cut into my knitting time.  However, I have a couple of knitting projects completed recently to show you.

                 These ear warmers were commissioned by my niece, Dina's golfing friend.  The mornings on the way to the golf course in Arizona can be cool enough to require some head warmth.  So I knit two for the friend and two for Dina.  These patterns are easy to knit, however, I struggled with the flowers which were knit, also. Crochet flowers are prettier, but I need to practice my crochet before attempting one.  

 

 

Dina looking ready to meet the cool morning.  

                                      https://www.ravelry.com/patterns//library/mornng-walk-headband-earwarmer

Wool Scarf - The Goodwill store in my town is one of my haunts to find yarn.  Sometimes I'm surprised by the good selection of enough to make a scarf or hat.  The yarn for this scarf is Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool.  Two skeins -Maple Tweed and Oak Tweed #4. I used size 9 needles. The pattern is the basic boyfriends scarf: row 1 - Knit, row 2 - knit, row 3 - knit 2, purl 2, row 4 - knit 2, purl 2.  Sometimes I start and end a scarf with ribbing.  On this scarf it's about two inches. I cast on 30 stitches. I knit the light tweed for 21 inches, then added the dark tweed to make a stripe pattern for 26 inches, and finished with the dark tweed for 14 inches.  This scarf will surely keep someone's neck warm this winter. 

And so will this hat knit in bulky yarn. 

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/big-chunky-comfy-hat 

I used Lion Brand Home Town USA yarn - color: San Antonio Spar.  The hat went together quickly, knit in the round on size 11 needles.  

It's definitely not cool weather now here in Northern California. Here are some results of sunshine on our backyard. 

Until next time.  Here's minipurl.
 

 

           

 

RASTA

Rasta Hat. 

     The colors of the Rastafarian religion are red, green, gold, and black and have specific meanings. If you want to know more here is a good web site: https://www.islandoutpost.com/outpostings/2016/01/18/10-things-everyone-know-rastas/           

    However, the colors are appealing in a nonreligious way and probably are related to the popularity of the music of Bob Marley. This is the second Rasta hat and one similar that I've knit for family and a friend.  The similar hat is open on both ends to accommodate dreadlocks. The first Rasta hat was made for my son, and when I posted a picture of it on Instagram, my sister, who lives in the cool Washington climate,  asked for one like it.  Surprisingly, after I knit the hat, I had enough yarn for two wrist warmers and a scarf.  These patterns are basic beanie and wrist warmer patterns, not Rasta patterns.  I had to the calculate rows and inches to create the color pattern - math and some trial and error and luck.  

    YARN: I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes worsted weight yarn ordered from the Knit Picks website.  One skein of each color. I used size 7 needles. I've included the patterns I used for the hat and wrist warmers.  The scarf I made without a pattern. 

HAT: Easy Breezy Hat by Jen Stone-Gerardy 2010

http://knitolution.blogspot.com/2011/08/easy-breezy-hat-free-pattern.html

WRIST WARMERS: Beginner Wrist Warmers Knitting Pattern 

from https://www.simple-knitting.com/wrist-warmers.html

The wrist warmer pattern does not include a thumb opening so I made one after measuring my own hand. 

SCARF: 

     Cast on 24 stitches and knit every row (garter stitch) for 44 inches.  The final scarf is 5 3/5 inches wide / 44 inches length.  There are two blocks of each color .  You could knit smaller blocks similar to the wrist warmers. I knit the scarf last and used all the yarn I had left.

How do you look in Rasta knitting?

    My niece, Dina, wears the finished products.  Looks fabulous on her. Her mother, Christina, will be wearing the warm knit hat, scarf, and wrist warmers this Washington winter, while her daughter basks in the Arizona sunshine where she lives.  

     There's a nice slouch to the hat that accommodates her hair and covers her ears. 

Thanks for modeling, Dina. 

     More knitting to come more often.  I've pledged to myself to take notes and photos of my knitting projects so I can share them here.  I have two scarves in the works because I love the yarns and want to see how they work out.  So far I'm pleased. 

A worthy cause: The Mother Bear Project

http://motherbearproject.org/

minipurl

                         

 

VAX

 

First photo of the new year. Our combo tree - apricot (white) and nectarine (pink), blossoms responding to the sunny/rainy days we've been having.  Other plants are still dormant like a lot of us have been since the pandemic has kept us in doors limiting our outside activities.  Nature, however, doesn't stop doing what comes naturally blooming when the weather warms.  These blossoms are a symbol of renewal and hope for our futures.  I titled this post VAX for vaccine - which is also a symbol of hope and good health for our futures. I received my second Moderna last week through Butte County and Enloe Hospital.  I commend them highly for their organization, for the volunteers, and the medical staff who created a safe and welcoming atmosphere for a lot of anxious people. Relief - we got our VAX.  As I was waiting my 15 minutes observation time, the room was quiet, we were the last group of the day, when I was taken by a feeling of sadness considering why we were there, especially thinking about my friend, Char Thompson, who had died. Like the combo tree -  thankfulness and sorrow at the same time.  Time was up, I was greeted by a gentleman at the exit, who wished me a good day, a good afternoon, a good weekend, and finally a good life.  I thanked him, wished him the same and walked out into a warm, sunny afternoon. My thoughts and memories kept me company on the drive home. It was a good day.

STAYING HOME in COVIDVILLE-WEST.

What to do? Stay home, stay safe and not go stir crazy.  For me, it's been fairly easy - knitting helps keeps me focused on something I can do to help during this unusual time.  I dived head first into my yarn stash to dig out tried and true acrylic yarn to make blankets/rug for the animal shelters.                                                                                                               

  

Talk about tried and true.  Those of you who knit will recognize "Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth" pattern, knit corner to corner to make a square.  

Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth

• Row 1: knit 4.
• Row 2: knit 2, yarn over, knit to the end of the row. Repeat row 2 until you've got 44 stitches on your needle.
• Row 3: knit 1, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row. Repeat row 3 until you have only 4 stitches left on your needle.

      I made one change to the pattern in Row 2.  Instead of "yarn over", I increased with a "make one", that way eliminating the hole made by "yarn over."  Worried about little toe nails getting caught in the hole. I used three or four strands of yarn at a time on size US 13 or 15 needles. The number of stitches on your needles will determine the size of the rug.  I made them a variety of sizes keeping in mind some will be used in animal crates or cages.  I made a crochet border on some, but added a red heart to all of them.  Just a little comment on human love of animals that hopefully will find forever homes. 

     There are many good heart knitting patterns, but this one is my favorite. 

     The pattern, Garter Stitch Heart by natajia can be found here:  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/garter-stitch-heart

     I also used this pattern to make some of the blankets rectangular in shape: Cage Cozy by Vicki Mikulak   https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cage-cozy  

      However, with time on my hands, my mind wandered to some sweet people I know but cannot go visit, who have beautiful long hair - the perfect place for a scrunchie or bow on a ponytail or bun.       

                                           

  Again, I found a variety of yarn in my stash and brushed off my crochet skills. The scrunchies are crochet and the bows are knitted.  There are many patterns both crochet and knit on the Internet. 

Flower Hair Tie by Dorothee Grall: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flower-hair-tie 

Crochet Scrunchie by Kinjinlu Khumba:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-scrunchie-3

http://www.creatinglaura.com/2013/06/hair-bow-knitting-pattern.html?m=1 for the bows:

These are so easy and fun to make and use such a small amount of yarn, it's easy to make a bunch adding a little creative touch to each.  I finally put my little bundle of "hair accessories" in the mail and will soon receive photos of my scrunchies being worn by two lovely girls who were so excited they couldn't choose which one to wear first. (Grandma said.)

Finally, here are my bears for the Mother Bear Project. 

http://motherbearproject.org/about.html

Whether you knit or crochet, if you want to make bears for this project, there are patterns for both and plenty of guidance for sewing them together plus patterns for making clothing.  I used basic acrylic worsted yarn from my stash.  Get creative - give each bear a personality.  There's a child waiting to give it some TLC.

minipurl was never bothered by the toilet paper shortage.

Stay safe everyone.  Knit on.