Yoga mat vs. Jazzercize mat

Here's the third item from the pre-Christmas flurry. I made it for my Mom for Christmas. It is a carrying bag for her exercise mat (she goes to a class 3x/week). I was so excited to give it to her. Then the harsh reality of handmade holidays set in...silly me thought there was one kind of generic yoga/exercise/jazzercize mat. I had a one-size fits all theory. I was wrong. The bag, which I sized according to my own yoga mat, is too small for her larger-size jazzercize mat. Darn.

The inspriation came from the yoga mat pattern in Pretty Little Patchwork, however I deviated from the actual pattern quite a bit: there isn't any patchwork to be found on this bag and there isn't a zipper either. I decided to go with a tie on the top instead. It was fun to take the basic dimensions from the book, and then really puzzle through my own design and construction methods. I learned how to do botton holes, and sew in piping too, so the project was a bonus for the learning-to-sew factor alone. I will happily adopt this bag back.

Maybe when I start the re-make I'll give the zipper a try. I can't imagine that rolling and slipping a mat any larger then this one into a tube-shaped bag would be easy to do. It reminds me of being at overnight camp with my polyester sleeping bag - those really slippery ones that wouldn't stay rolled up in their elastic ties and would then spill onto the parking lot, or into a muddy puddle.

Tagged

Julie over at knitsational tagged me. So...here are eight more items about myself. For seven others check here.

1) My favorite podcast is This American Life. It makes me laugh out loud.

2) I have a big family. My Dad is the oldest of 11, my Mom is one of 4 and my husband is one of 6. I have 12 uncles, 12 aunts, 32 cousins, and 3 cousins once-removed. I also have 4 brothers-in-law, 5 sisters-in-law, 3 nieces and 3 nephews. Whew.

3) I often fall asleep listening to the whir and whine of a circular saw. You can see why here.

4) I am a Law & Order addict.

5) I love the feeling of walking inside after shoveling snow - especially when DH has a fire going and a hot cocoa (preferably with Bailey's in it) waiting for me.

6) I try to read everyday. Currently I am working my way through The Devil in the White City.

7) We are trying to decide whether we want to raise chickens.

8) My husband and I have a standing date every Sunday night after the kids are in bed. Cheap frozen pizza and Masterpiece Theatre. It's heavenly.

The picture is of a cool sculpture that hangs in the atrium at the V&A museum in London. Pretty incredible, huh?

Quilt for Mimi

Here is another gift that was started before the holidays, but wasn't complete until last week. We recently said goodbye to a sitter who was with our family for over two years. She began with us in October 2006 when the twins were 14 months old. She was with us through a move to a new home and the birth of our third daughter. She helped all of them learn to walk. She helped them learn to use silverware. She took them to see Santa Claus at the mall. She took them to Chuck E. Cheese. She taught them about fingernail polish and lip gloss and indulged every dress-up fantasy known to three year olds.

She is moving on. It is bittersweet, but necessary. She graduated and is pursuing a dream. She is moving to California and will eventually look for a nursing job at a hospital in a pediatrics or neonatal intensive care unit. She will be a wonderful nurse.

Here is a photo of the quilt that I made for her. I hope that she takes it with her to California and curls up under it after a hard day at the hospital - or looks at it and fondly remembers the girls.

The design is based on the BTRS lap quilt. She likes muted colors so I went with an aqua/blue/tan floral theme for the front. The back is done in a wave print. Something that reminded me of the California coast. Can't you just hear the waves rolling up on the beach right now?

In case you are wondering, her name isn't Mimi. But her name does start with an "M." When the twins were first learning to talk that is what they called her - failing to pronounce her full name with their mouths full of food and drool. The nickname stuck.

Shout out to the cowl

It has been slow going getting back into the knitting thing with my semester going, so instead I have decided to take some time to talk about a few projects that I had going for the holidays. First up is the cowl. I have rave about this project! For beginning knitters this is a great first project when learning how to use circular needles, or double-pointed needles. It is sort of like a really big hat, without worrying about making a point at the top - you are basically knitting a long tube. I've provided some basic directions below, along with a list of reasons why I just love, love, love this project.

The one pictured here was made for my SIL for Christmas. It is knit up with Misti International 100% Alpaca, hand dyed worsted weight yarn. Details are on ravelry.

Here's the basic formula:

1) Cast on 100 stitches, more or less depending on gauge and how big you want the final diameter to be**.

2) Knit in stockinette for 5 rounds.

3) Purl one round.

4) Continue in stockinette for 9 inches, more or less depending on how 'scrunchy' or 'drapey' you want the cowl to be.

5) Purl one round more.

6) Continue in stockinette for another 5 rounds.

7) Bind off all stitches and weave in yarn ends.

How to I love thee cowl? Let me count the ways...

1) The yarn - you are free to pick anything that feels good against your skin. You can pick something bulky if you are looking for warmth, or something lace weight of you want something pretty.

2) The ease - you can practically knit this in your sleep if you like. It is stockinette all the way (with two purl rows). Or, if you are up for a challenge, you can plan something more complex. There are some gorgeous patterns out there like this, or this. Or you can design your own with practically any pattern from a book.

3) The color - the combinations are endless. You can go with a self-striping or variegated pattern. You can go with a solid to show off a stitch pattern. You could make one in every color of the rainbow.

4) The quickness - these knit up fast too. The two that I've made have took less than 4 hours each. Of course, the more intricate you get, the more time they take, but they are well worth the effort.

5) The "wow" factor - you can wear them around and I guarantee that people will comment on them. You can casually drop in that you made it yourself, or you can be shy about it and just say "thanks." Whatever you prefer, I guarantee it will be noticed.

6) The low cost - this can easily be a one skein project. Perfect for showcasing some stash yarns or it can be an excuse for picking up that one skein you can't live without.

7) One word of caution - many yarns can stretch over time and won't necessarily return to their original shape with a hand washing. Keep this in mind when picking yarn, and be sure to knit up a quick swatch!

** You can take your gauge swatch and your tape measure and determine the perfect fit for you. Just multiply your gauge by the number of inches you want the cowl to be in circumference. Or, take your tape measure and lay it around your neck to determine the circumference you'd like. Then multiply by your gauge and you have the right number of stitches to cast on. For example, if you want the cowl to be 20 inches in circumference and your gauge is 5 sts per inch, cast on 5 x 20 = 100 sts.