Tuesday, January 22, 2008

It was MY afghan!!!

Let's start off this post talking about a needle knit afghan that I had made myself with Red Heart Light and Lofty and size US 19 needles. I made it back in the beginning of October and though I had cast on 60 stitches, ended up with 70 stitches only a few rows in to it, then had to get back down to 60 stitches, and the final product ended up with 55 stitches I just loved my very first afghan. It might have been too short for my tall frame, but it was great for watching tv. Not so great for when I was looming b/c the afghan kept catching on my looms. But, I felt special even though I made it for me.
Well, it is no longer MY afghan. Garfield (a.k.a. Fat Cat) has claimed it and has slept on it nearly all day, every day for the past week! He gives you this look of annoyance if you come anywhere near him on the blanket. I have now moved it to the back of the couch where he liked to camp out the most and guess where he is at this very moment. I was gonna make the cats and my dog some sort of 'pet tent'/'pet sack' but I guess he thought I was taking too long. If I didn't feel bad for taking so long to make his own, I would snatch it back......but he can have it, now. Covered in cat fur anyways! Nyah!
And for good measure, here is the baby (8 months old), Yang. Notice the look of annoyance on his face as if he is pissed that I haven't made him a blanket yet and Fat Cat won't share the one he claimed. LOL!

And here is a pic of one of my other towel toppers from the class. I decided that you didn't need to see both b/c they look identical....and my camera battery was about to die. I need a new digital camera....the batteries can charge all day and you only get a few uses out of them. But the problem is not the batteries themselves b/c you can put brand new batteries in the camera and you are lucky to snap three pics REAL quick. That is if the camera even turns on. :( I used to take so many pics. Like 20 a day or so. But the camera started messing up on the day of my daughter's first b-day party. So, my mom ended up taking most the pics with HER camera and my camera was so much better.

Enough talk on digital cameras. Hopefully I will get a new one in the next month or so. :D
Let's talk about one of my latest pattern designing ideas. Drum roll, please..........................A TOILET SEAT COVER! Not a lid cover, but for the toilet seat so that my poor bum doesn't fight me b/c it doesn't want to sit on the frigid toilet seat. You guys would bust a gut laughing at me if you saw my face when I have to sit down on the seat! ROFL! Really. It may not get so very cold here in Mississippi as it does in the northern states, but I can tell you that when you only have small electric heaters in the kids' rooms, 2 in the great room, and one small one upstairs in your room, the rest of the house is frigid. Somedays, the old thermostat in the hallway doesn't even register numbers (the lowest of which is 50) so going in the bathroom and sitting on that seat is murder. I usually hold it, if I can....but everyone says that isn't good for your bladder or urinary tract. :( Sir Thade and Chris are so lucky that they can stand up to pee!
So, requirements for the toilet seat cover (or multiple ones depending on how quickly it becomes filthy) will be: easily washable, durable yarn, easily removed and put on. I can see a whole coordinating set coming from this. The seat cover, lid cover, tank lid cover, and a floor rug (to be used later when Sir Thade's aim gets better!) Might even do the toilet lid cover in a fun fur with some eyes and stuff on it. That sounds funny! But....the kids might get scared about a Potty Monster so maybe not a good idea. Hmmm, a tongue coming off of the bottom of the lid cover. Yeah, maybe I could get away with it. After all....I won't put teeth on it! But then again, I wanted to do that bathroom in a dolphin and whales/underwater theme and furry Potty Monsters really don't fall in that category. Upstairs bathroom is frogs so maybe a froggy face and long tongue will work up there!

I had a mild heart attack when I sat down to start on my Ravelry Loom A Long Plushy House Socks. I picked up the skein of yarn (Baby Bee Lambie Pie by Yarn Bee) I chose to do it with since my Hobby Lobby did not carry the brand used in the pattern. I though the yarn was a thick kind that would be perfect for some house socks, but when I pulled a strand out it looked more like thread with a bunch of soft fuzz coming off of it. I was sure that even using two strands there would be holes everywhere. But I decided that 'you don't know until you try' and I started my socks. I can see absolutely NO holes in it and they are so soft. I can't wait to get it off the loom. It was my first attempt at short rowing also and I did it perfectly fine with no issues (accept for having to put it down b/c Lady Tru wanted to be held and she likes to try to loom with me and I didn't want her to mess up my short rowing, so I marked where I was in the pattern and set it aside). I still have a long ways to go with the foot part of the sock b/c I wear a 10 to 10 1/2 size shoe. Now I am nervous about the Kitchener stitch for the toe. Isela says there is a tutorial on her site...so I need to go check that out and watch it a few times before I actually need it. But other than that, these should turn out pretty cool. That is, after I buy another skein of the yarn b/c I didn't buy enough in the first place.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a lucky kitty. Looks cozy :) Have a great day!

The Sick Chick said...

For a toilet seat that's always warm, get a wooden one. Really, it doesn't get cold like other substances do and always feel warm, plus it's easier to clean and thus more hygienic than a fabric cover that's going to get splash-back from flushing. If you don't have a normal shaped seat that could be a problem for if you just have a plain regular seat you should be able to get a wooden seat at most big box hardware stores (and probably smaller ones too).

cre8tivkj said...

Robin,
I truely enjoy reading your posts, you have such a way with the written word. I am more of a visual person, and more of a technical writer. I have an orange cat named Garfield too. I guess great minds think alike, hee, hee! He's an outdoor cat though. My hubby wouldn't allow the kittys in the house! It's a problem he has with hair and dust and things of that nature. Aren't socks fun?? I was just tickled the first time I made a sock...and on my blue KK none the less! And, it fit! I'll have to go check out that sock pattern of Isela's. I sure could use a new pair of plush socks. Take care!

Anonymous said...

He (Garfield) looks pretty happy cuddled up in HIS afghan. lol We had a kitten that for some reason took to one of the scarves I made. He would lay on it and try to nurse. Must of reminded him of momma.

Craft Junkie

Unknown said...

Hey... You used the same towels that I used!! :o) I made my topper an olive green though. All of your projects are wonderful!!
Keep up the loomin'!!

Pam

Anonymous said...

can I please have the pattern for the dish towel/dryinf hand project.
Thankk You DC