Ric Rac Rib Cowl

Craftsy has these mystery boxes they sell every few months. I'm a sucker for a good deal when it comes to yarn, so once in a while I pick one up. In the last box I received there were 2 skeins of Cascade Covington Yarn. I'm not a big fan of yarns that are acrylic blends (this one is 53% Wool/ 47% Acrylic), but this yarn was really quite lovely. It's a nice thick yarn, and I decided it was just the right yarn to try out a new stitch I've been meaning to learn. With 2 skeins (146.5 yards each) I decided that I had enough to make large cowl.

This is what the front side of the ric rac rib looks like:

The ric rac rib gives the garment a thick, springy feel. 

This is what the back side looks like. Still lovely enough to bee seen...just not as lovely as the front side:

I made the pattern up (not so tough with a scarf), but just in case you want to make one of your own I'm writing it down here. Be kind...I don't really write patterns.

The Ric Rac Rib Cowl

Materials
2 Skeins Cascase Covington Yarn
U.S. Size 10 1/2 needles
Waste Yarn (optional needed if using provisional cast-on)
Yarn Needle

Begin
Cast on 40 stitches.
Beginners can use a long tail cast on.
More advanced knitters can use a provisional method.  

Row 1 (right side): P1, *skip first stitch, knit into back loop of second stitch (leaving stitch on left needle), knit into front of first stitch (removing both stitches from left needle), p1, repeat from * to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): K1, *purl into second stitch (leaving stitch on left needle), purl into first stitch (removing both stitches from left needle), k1, repeat from * to end of row.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until your cowl reaches about 45" - 50" in length.

If you used a long tail cast on method -  bind off when your project reaches the desired length, sew the cast on and bound off edges together to form a circle. Weave in ends.

If you a provisional cast on - make sure to end with a wrong side row. Do not bind off. Join cast on and final WS row using a Kitchener stitch. Weave in ends. 

Notes
The Ric Rac Rib must be worked in multiples of 3 + 1. 
I steam blocked my scarf since the yarn was a blend of wool and acrylic.   


Like I said, I don't really write patterns, so if something is unclear, don't hesitate to ask.

Oh, and just in case you're wondering, this cowl is about to find a home with a friend of mine. Sometimes I start knitting things without a recipient in mind, but as the project takes form it starts to look like it would be perfect for someone. This was one of those times. As I started knitting, the colorway and pattern really felt like it would be perfect for my friend. 

Snow Days

Just a quick winter layout today.

This layout uses the beautiful Snow Days Line from Bo Bunny. I really love the soft colors in this winter line, and of course, the embellishments are so fun to work with (Bo Bunny always has fantastic embellishments!).

Thanks for stopping by!

1 Layout 2 Ways

After last winter, with very little snow, I'm really enjoying being able to take lots of winter pictures this year. Even better, I get to use all the amazing winter lines to scrap them! For this layout I decided to use Winterings from Little Yellow Bicycle.

You know how you like some layouts better than others? Well, I really liked this layout when I finished it, and the best part was that it went together in about 30 minutes. I decided that I liked the layout so much I'd use the same layering/photo placement with a completely different photo and set of papers and see what happened. We took a ton of pictures over the 4th of July, and I scrapped a little over half of them before getting a bit bored with it, so I set it aside. I thought it might be a good time to pull out one of those photos and get it scraped.

 I used Pebbles Inc.'s Let Freedom Ring collection to put this layout together. I don't like it quite as much as the winter layout, but not every layout can be my favorite.

Thanks for stopping by!

Valentine's Day Frame

I think the best thing about making pieces to decorate my home instead of buying them, is that I'm able to personalize them.  I like to surround myself with things that remind me how blessed I am and to be thankful for those blessings each and every day. So, that was the mindset I started with when I decided to make a little piece of art for my living room shelves for Valentine's Day.
Basic Grey was kind enough to send all the Glue Dots® Dottesses some gorgeous Basic Grey paper to work with this month...and wouldn't you know it, their True Love line was just right for my little decor piece.

The opening on this frame is about 10" x 10". I personalized this frame by adding our wedding date to the bottom heart, my oldest son's birth date to the center heart and my youngest son's birth date to the front heart. It's a subtle but fun reminder of my very favorite blessings.

I used the print and cut feature on my Silhouette machine to print the words and then cut the hearts around them, but you could achieve the same thing by using a word program and running the patterned paper though your printer. I used Pop Up Glue Dots® between the heart layers to add some depth to the frame.

I mixed 2 kinds of alphabet stickers for the title. Again, this just adds a bit of depth and texture to the frame. The red circle letters are from Basic Grey's True Love line. The white alphas are American Crafts White Amy Tangerine Muse Thickers. I often have problems getting chipboard style alphas like the white ones to stick really well to my paper, so I usually add a few Mini Glue Dots® to the back of them to make sure they're not going to fall off.

Thanks for stopping by today.

I wrote this post while participating on the Glue Dots® Design Team.  

First Stitiches

Well, mid way through December it finally happened; one of my kids needed stitches. My oldest fell and got a cut deep enough to warrant at trip to the ER. Since I'm one of those moms who scrapbooks, my poor son not only had to get stitches,  but also had to put up with me taking photos of it to scrap. He was quite the trooper though!

I ended up using Christmas paper for this layout. I love that, unless you're familiar with the line, you really can't tell it's Christmas paper. I chose it because it goes really well with the PJ shirt my son is wearing in the photo...and really who doesn't want to get more mileage out of the awesome Christmas collections that were released this year? This line was Christmas Cheer from Lily Bee.  Oh, and in case you're wondering, the stitches have been out for a while now, and his scar is healing nicely.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Good Life

I waited (not so patiently) for The Good Life from Fancy Pants to come out.  When I saw the reveal of it, I fell in love and knew I just had to have it. I picked it up immediately from A Walk Down Memory Lane when it came out.  Then it sat, waiting for me to use it as I got busy with other things. Finally! I got to use it, and this line is as amazing as I remember, and so easy to work with.

I especially love this cherry pleated trim from Maya Road.  While pleated ribbon is often a bit more of a girly thing, this ribbon has an unfinished edge and is just rough enough for a boy layout, too! 

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Back with Rug Mugs, Layouts, and Card Kit fun

It always seems that I take on a bit too much from Thanksgiving until New Years. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE every minute of Christmas magic with the kids, and making gifts for those I love, and getting my kids to make gifts for those they love...but some things end up falling by the wayside...and my blog was it. But the holidays are done now, and it's back to business. I thought my first post back should include a few of the fun projects I made during December.

One of the handmade gifts I made for the holidays were Rug Mugs for my kids' teachers and aids. I'm not the best sewer, but with a few phone calls to my mom (who's amazing with a sewing machine) I was able to make 1/2 dozen of these in a few days. I sort of made up my own pattern, but I referenced a lot of tutorials out there on mug rugs.

I also made the above layouts.  I was feeling a little layout lethargic in December. I just felt like I had made every layout before. I didn't feel like anything looked fresh and new, so I decided to really push myself outside my comfort zone. I ended up with the above layouts and am surprisingly really happy with them. You can read all about them and find out more about the papers and embellishments on this blog post here.


Finally, many of you know I really enjoy teaching classes at A Walk Down Memory Lane. This year I get to help out with a new form of class from AWDML, the Card Class in a Box.  Each month I get to make about half of the cards for the class. What I really love about this class in a box, is that people pick up their box or have it shipped to them and get to take the class anytime they want. All cards come with a color photo, step by step instructions, AND the card broken down into a sketch so you can make more cards from the sketch on your own. Myself and another designer make the cards for the kits so you get a variety of styles of cards in 1 class.

 

You can find all of the details including pricing and what to expect every month by clicking here.

AWDML is currently taking subscription sign ups via the phone and in person at the store. You can call AWDML any time at 712-476-3443 from 10 - 5:30 Central Time Monday through Friday. We are at the store from 10 - 1 Central Time on Saturday. 

So that's part of how my December shaped up. I'll be back soon with more fun projects! Thanks for stopping by.