Tag Archives: ear buds

UFOs No More!

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This past weekend was a very (VERY) productive one. I have completed three … count them 1 … 2 … 3 projects!

First.

I finished the square for a baby blanket. Suffice it to say that I am not comfortable sharing much more about this project as it is a surprise. More when the gift is compete and presented. Here is my square blocking on the ironing board.

12x12 inch blanket square

12×12 inch blanket square

I used a washable and dry-able acrylic yarn by Cascade, Cascade Pacific (200+ yards for $8.00) in a grey and cream or ivory color. Since I am fond of living on the edge and mixing things up a bit, I chose a grey and ivory stripe rather than a blue. I have a ton of yarn left over and may be able to knit another square before the squares are due. The yarn is very soft but a little bit “splitty”. I think the square is very pleasing and I hope its recipient will be thrilled with the gift!

Second

I had an extra pair of ear buds that are for an iPod. I have covered a couple of iPhone ear buds … one for me and one for daughter #2. The yarn, Cascade Eco Duo, was left over from other projects and it’s a lovely neutral grey alpaca yarn … so, I just got my DPNs out and covered the ear buds. Now they’re all finished and available for sale or a future giveaway!

Icord ear bud sweater in aplaca

Icord ear bud sweater in aplaca … before the ends were woven in. Keep your ear buds from getting all tangled up!

Third

I’ve done the Jimmy Beans Wool Downton Abbey Mystery KAL two years in a row. It’s fun to join a group of like-minded knitters and take a leap of faith … since you’re buying yarn for a project that you have absolutely what it will look like in the end. Anyway, I chose some alternate yarn, a Malibrigo Silky Merino in a denim-y blue colorway because the Lorna’s Laces yarn that was called for in the pattern was going to put me way behind … the demand was so huge that it was backordered. I didn’t want to wait. And I am glad I chose as I did. I love my shawlette!

JBW Downton Abbey Mystery KAL 2014

JBW Downton Abbey Mystery KAL 2014

Now, if I can only get my sock done before bed tonight! Hmmm … think I can do it? I’m sure going to try! I only have the foot and toe left and it’s worsted weight yarn. I’ll get close! These are the sample socks for my Classic Socks class at the Black Sheep Shop. Will I see you there?

Gone knitting!

iPhone Ear Bud Cozy?

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I’m not really sure what to call these things. But, suffice it to say that I’ve made a sweater for i-Phone earbuds … mine and my daughter’s, too. The idea came from a photograph somewhere or an article somewhere and I’ve blogged about the process before (here).

But, they are quick and easy to knit up if you know how to knit i-cord, and they are really fun to wear and the best part is that they keep your earphone cords from getting impossibly tangled up.

This pair, for my Chicago daughter, is a merino and alpaca blend of wool and they are really soft and she liked the neutral gray color. They knitted up in a few hours because the yarn is a worsted weight.

I cast on four stitches on my number US 4 short DPNs and knitted to the “Y” split. I added a couple of additional stitches to cover the “Y” (six stitches now) and then put three stitches onto a stitch holder for one side and then continued on the remaining three stitches to the ear bud. I then went back to the stitches on the holder and knitted up to the speaker/volume “bar” (for lack of a better word) where I just knitted on the right side and purled on the wrong side until the bar was covered. Past the bar I just started up with the icord again.

I’ve heard a couple of people suggest that you can add a drop or two of glue to hold the stitches down but I’ve chosen to let the sweater creep up because I can also pull it back down if I want to. No big deal.

Next (just as soon as I finish the candy) I’m going to paint an Altoids box (and I may line it in glue or decoupage the interior) to keep them in so they don’t get all messed up floating around in my purse.

Another great quickie knitting project … I hope she loves them. I sure do love her!

Gone knitting.

 

Alpaca & Kids & Finished Objects

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They're Here!

They’re Here!

It’s a beautiful gray day today and the last of a bunch of fun with my daughter who, with her boyfriend and her new rescued pup, drove from Chicago to visit us. We’ve had some great hot weather and some more typical Maine weather (gray and cool). And we’ve had a lot of low-key fun.

We had lobster twice. I bought some alpaca yarn and knitted an i-cord cover/cozy for her iPhone earbuds. I’ve done a pair before for myself with some scrap yarn. They’re fun & don’t get knotted up in your bag. (Pictures Coming)

Meanwhile, I’ve finished a Friday Knitting Group charity project and I love it!

I bought some new yarn for a charity project ...

I bought some new yarn for a charity project …

It’s a one skein project (at least it was for me) that my Friday knitting group is making for one of our members who is legally blind and having some family challenges. We’re each knitting a square and our teacher will put the squares together. I love the way my square turned out – the colors are vivid and cheerful. The pattern, the Lizard Ridge Afghan, is a free pattern from Ravelry. It only took a couple of hours. The yarn is Noro Kureyon and it’s not too horribly pricey but if you were going to make the full size (24 squares), it’s going to cost you a fortune. It might also be nice with a couple of plain blocks or pattern blocks in a solid color. It starts out looking like an egg crate but I’m told it will block out flat … can’t wait to see the finished results! I’m sure it will be appreciated.

Lizard Ridge Afghan ... one square with love from the Queen Bee

Lizard Ridge Afghan … one square with love from the Queen Bee

My grand-dog, Willow, loved her first couple of boat rides. She particularly likes sniffing all the new smells in Maine – and she loves to watch squirrels. She’s a rescue dog and just moved to Chicago two weeks ago from Missouri and has already driven to Maine. One well-traveled girl!

She is very sweet and calmer than our one-year-old chocolate lab puppy … unless her parents are out of the room! 🙂 She has some “hang ups” (she’s afraid of the dark and has some separation anxiety … howls in their apartment … ) having been a stray who lived on the streets of Saint Louis before she was picked up and has lived in a shelter and then a foster home prior to coming to live with my daughter. I think she’s going to be a great dog. She just needs a lot of love and patience. She’s already making progress.

My new Chicago grand-dog, Willow

My new Chicago grand-dog, Willow

I love having my kids around more than anything. And this visit has been lots of fun. And I even got some knitting done between cocktail cruises!

Cocktail cruise ... daughter "binocularing" and her boyfriend "two fisted drinking" ... four dogs, four adults!

Cocktail cruise … daughter “binocularing” and her boyfriend “two fisted drinking” … four dogs, four adults! Lots of laughs!

Gone knitting!

 

No More Knotted Ear Buds

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Knitted I-cord Ear Buds by Queen Bee Knits

Knitted I-cord Ear Buds by Queen Bee Knits

It’s been awhile since I saw knitted ear buds somewhere on the Internet. I’ve thought about knitting a little “sweater” for mine (so they don’t always get tangled into knots) but, frankly, it hasn’t been high on my to-do list.

But today I guess I needed something brainless to do since I’ve been working so hard on class planning and samples for the classes that I’m teaching in Louisiana. SO … I started work on my ear buds. It’ll be helpful when I’m driving for two days because I don’t like to drive with my phone in my hand.

Basically, I am knitting an i-cord around the ear bud cord. I found this free tutorial on the blog Wonderfully Awkward and I know that there are patterns out there as well if you want to search.

I’m using my Lorna’s Laces Sport in the Spats colorway – it’s left overs from the Jimmy Beans Wool Downton Abbey Mystery Knit Along. I’m using a US 2 DPN which makes my stitches tight enough that I can’t see the white cord through the knitted fabric.

Casting on 4 stitches and started at the bottom of the cord near the plug, I’m just stitching an i-cord all the way up to the split. There I will increase a couple of stitches and then hold half the stitches on a stitch holder for one side while I wrap the other side. (Very simple. If you’ve never knitted an i-cord, I’ll have to write a post about that some day soon but for now you can Google some help! There are several decent tutorials both written and video to help you.)

There you go – that’s what I am up to today!

Gone knitting (i-cord!)