Christmas Knitting 2014

For Christmas in 2014 we started a new extending family tradition of drawing names so that we only needed to get a gift for one person. I got my June cousin who loves The Oregon Ducks. So I made him an Oregon Ducks "O" blanket. 

I began looking online for a preexisting pattern, but i couldn't find any that fit the picture in my head so I made up my own. 

The main body of the blanket is Stockinette stitch with a boarder of Seed Stitch. I put the "O"s on using Duplicate Stitch.

As you can see in the pictures the placement of the "O"s didn't make it exactly perfect, but I think it adds character to the blanket. I like how it turned out. My Cousin seemed to like it too, at least from what I could tell.

The placement of the "O"s

Dup Stitching the "O"s

The Finished Blanket

The Finished Blanket

The Finished Blanket

The Finished Blanket

My Cat claiming the blanket as her own

Still claiming it

Saying it is still hers

Catch Up

It has been a long time since my last post. Now it's time to play catch up.

July-December birthdays 2014.

Bucket O Balls for my July Cousin

Truck hot pad for my November Cousin

Dragon hot pad for my August Cousin

Denver Broncos's D for my August Uncle

Denver Bronco's D for my August Uncle

Giant Block for my December Cousin

Giant Block for my December Cousin

Giant Block for my December Cousin

Giant Block for my December Cousin

Giant Block for my December Cousin

Giant Block for my December Cousin

Scrubbie for my September Aunt

Trident hot pad for my September Brother-in-Law

Shawl for my July Grandma

Shawl for my July Grandma

Shawl for my July Grandma

Shawl for my July Grandma

Shawl edging for my July Grandma

Shawl for my July Grandma

Birthdays February - June 2014

Okay so here are the Things I've made so far this year. Starting with February and ending with June.

First a Bear Hot Pad for Grandpa. It turned out okay, but the pattern needs a little work.

Second, a Sashay scarf for my February Cousin. These are pretty easy to whip out.

Third, a Headband for my March Niece. Her favorite colors are Blue, Silver, and Gold.

Fourth, another Sashay scarf for my March Cousin.

Fifth, a Dishcloth for my Grandma. She however is using it as a place mat.

Sixth, an Oregon Ducks Logo Hot Pad for my June Cousin. He liked it a lot. I was very happy when he said the "O" looked Perfect, because I made-up the pattern myself and was worried about it.

Seventh, a Hot Pad for my June Aunt. She however is going to use it as a place mat for a Vase.

Eighth, a Tie for my Dad. I made the tie in Moss Stitch. It curled a little, I think I need to starch it, but I'm not sure. I guess I'll have to look it up.

December Knitting

Hey, I'm finally posting the things I made in December.

In early December my Cousin's had their second child, a little boy. So I made a Garter stitch baby blanket, and I decided to be a little Crazy  and Embroider his name on a piece of ribbon and attach it to the corner of the blanket. The only picture I have is before I attached the ribbon to the blanket.

My Mom's birthday was also in early December and I made her one of those knitted head bands that are picking up in popularity. I knit the head band with a Garter stitch border and a stockinette center. I then lined the inside of the head band with fleece.

                          

Sharpie Mug

I made a sharpie mug for my cousin for his birthday. Well I had a bit of trouble, so I made two. The first one I made had a thick gloss and I had followed the instructions from pinterest, I baked the mug for 25 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, I let the mug cool completely in the oven, then I tried washing it. The Sharpie came right off! I had washed it with water only, and I had used a hand-knit cotton dish cloth. So I went searching on the internet for some more Sharpie Mug tutorials. They all we about the same. So I combined what I had learned from them together to try another mug.

First you HAVE to use a chep-O Mug from the dollar store. The glaze has to be light/thin. So not supper shiny. If the cup looks dull then you're good to go.

Second you HAVE to wear gloves. Why? Because you need to keep the oils on your hands from getting on the mug. The oils will prevent the marker from fusing with the glaze when baked.

Third you HAVE to let the marker dry for at least a full Twenty-Four hours. The market bakes better when completely dry.

Forth you need to bake the mug at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher temperature allows the glaze and sharpie to fuse better.

Once you have your mug then you need to pick out you design. When you are ready to draw the design on your mug you need to pull out your markers and set up. Put on some gloves (rubber, latex, or latex free. No cloth gloves). Now you need to clean the surface of the mug with Rubbing Alcohol. Let it dry, it won't take very long. Now put your design on the mug. Let it dry for at least twenty-four hours.

When you are ready to bake your mug, place it on a baking sheet. Place it in the COLD oven, then turn on the heat. Let it bake for 25 to 30 minutes. When it is done baking DO NOT remove the mug from the oven, because it might crack. Allow it to cool in the oven, until the oven is cold.

Once your mug is cool, if it seems like the Sharpie might was off, you can bake the mug again.

 Now your mug is done! YAY!!

The sharpie will ware off over time. The mug must be washed by hand or else that Sharpie could wash off. There's a chance it won't wash off in the dishwasher, but if you want to be safe just handwash.

Here is a picture of the mugs I made. Good Luck if you choose to make one yourself.

September Birthday's

The first birthday in September was my Brother-in-Law.

I made him a beanie. It's made using a Garter Stitch. (Foam Head Provided by Aunt Kristy)

The second birthday was my Aunt.

I made her a soda can cozy. She loves Diet Coke, so I thought she might like a little cozy for her soda.

I think I used a moss stitch, but I can't remember. 

Have a Creative Day, 

Cera