B is for.....

B is for I'm Back cause I'm feeling a little Bit Better! Thanks for all your kind well wishes!

Sneaking in just under the wire for the ABC along B is for Benevolent.

Here's my first benevolent act of the year.....my red scarf for The Red Scarf Project....

Kindly and expertly modeled by the FK Mom (she MADE me cut her head off!!)

And a close up of the pattern

Specs:

"Robert" Seaman's Scarf from Shawls and Scarves by Myrna Stahman

Naturespun Worsted, color Scarlet (more true red than the orange-red on my monitor)

Size 6 Addi Turbo Circs

I know many knitters start out knitting scarves. I guess I skipped that rite of passage since all of my knit recipients live in climates not conducive to scarf knitting or don't wear scarves. This was my very first scarf EVER! and I loved it! The construction of the seaman's scarf is very cool. The scarf has a ribbed center to fit comfortably under a collar and the book gives you two options to achieve this. You can knit in the traditional end-to-end method however one end of the scarf will appear "upside down". The second option is to use a provisional cast on and make each end mirror the other.....was there any doubt which one anal compulsive/obsessive FK Deb chose? :)

I wish I had known about The Red Scarf Project sooner because I would have gladly knit more scarves. Being sick, my Mom was kind enough to drop my scarf off at Einstein's Bagels for me. She told me there was a big sign on the door advertising the charitable project but inside when my Mom asked the girl behind the counter where to leave the scarf, she was met with that blank "huh?" we've all seen....then the girl said, "oh, that must be what this box is for" (the big box sitting on the counter!!) Sadly, mine was the only scarf in the box on the last day for collection.....I know lots of scarves were knit all over the country but I hope next year South Florida does a little better....these young adults deserve at least a warm scarf!

B is also for Beaded Knitting!!

Here's a picture of a secret gift project I'm working on. Isn't it pretty?

The yarn is SEDUCTION by Blue Moon Fibers Arts (of Socks that Rock fame) in the Sedona colorway. It's a lovely, shiny merino/tencel blend with lots of drape.

I'm crocheting the beads on and when I'm finished there will be about 2000 beads! I'm really enjoying it, beaded knitting is FUN!! and EASY! Wanna learn how? There just happens to be a tutorial on my side bar :) Serendipity!! Go ahead, try knitting with beads, you'll love it!

I'll take a pic of this undertaking project when it's done but no sharing til after it's gifted! Yes, I am a tease! See La, I can keep a secret now and then :)

Lastly, B is for Bearfoot....

Here are the first socks of 2006!

Specs:

Pattern: My design: Mistake stitch rib, toe up, YO short row heel

Size 1.5 US (2.5 mm) 40" Addi Turbo circ

Yarn: 1 skein Mountain Colors Bearfoot, colorway: Northern Lights

I used the Turkish Cast-On for these socks and it was brilliant! The perfect way to start toe up socks in my opinion! And once again, I just happen to have a tutorial on my sidebar for those that yearn to learn...more serendipity! hehehe

I also used the Magic Loop for these socks and I liked it! It's still much slower and fussier than DPNs for me but I can see that ML has it's benefits in certain situations. One great thing was that instead of using 2 needles to start the Turkish Cast-On, I used my one Magic Loop needle - MUCH less fussy and easy to do!

I used Elizabeth Zimmermann's Sewn Cast Off and I'm happy with the result. It's neat and not all wavy as some toe up bind offs can be plus it's nice and stretchy.

One last note....this was my first time using Bearfoot and I ADORE this yarn! It's amazingly soft, the colors are stunning and it knits like a dream! Because of the mohair content, the yarn has less elasticity and memory than pure wool so it really needs a ribbed type pattern to give it a bit of spring. It's a truly lovely yarn that I will use again and again! (right Lizzie?)

I leave you with yet another P-Man glamour shot.


He's laying by my side, nusing me back to health while he sneaks in a little *push-push* on my yarn for himself! How can you feel bad when you have a nurse like my Pumpkin?

Enjoy the weekend and knit! It's Back to Bed for me and my B's, Bye!

Down for the count!

I've been stricken by the nasty flu bug and haven't been around much....high fever, sleeping lots. Pumpkin's been good company and a perfect nurse....forgive my absence, I hope to return to the living sometime soon!

Seeing Red and the big reveal!

First I want to thank all the lurkers for coming out of hiding and saying hello!! It was wonderful to "meet" some of my readers and I hope y'all keep coming and commenting :)

Sometimes "seeing red" can be a really negative thing.

My one resolution for 2006 is "THERE WILL BE NO CRYING IN 2006!! so hopefully I wont be seeing red in that negative kind of way!

Now red is a lovely color and I'm happy to see red in this case.....

This is my meager beginning of my scarf for....

THE RED SCARF PROJECT

"Robert" Seaman's scarf from Stahman's Shawls and Scarves
I was visiting Norma who brought this charity to my attention (thanks, Norma, you ROCK!!)

To summarize, THE RED SCARF PROJECT is to provide care packages to foster children attending college. Often these kids have no family and once they reach their majority at age 18, they are often "cut loose" by their foster families. THE RED SCARF PROJECT was established to provide a warm scarf for a college kid that may be pretty alone in this world and putting themselves thru college!

Now the caveat is, these care packages will be delivered on Valentine's Day 2006 - hence the RED! February 14th is not all that far away but think BULKY and knit these kids a scarf, wont you? The deadline is January 31....plenty of time! :)

The scarves can be dropped off at any of the 419 Einstein Brothers Bagels across America or they can be mailed here:

Orphan Foundation of America/Red Scarf Project
21351 Gentry Drive,
Suite 130
Sterling, VA 20166-8511
You can read more about this wonderful endeavor HERE

Now for the big reveal! The first finished object of 2006....The Market Square Bag!

I wanted to give the bag a flat bottom for some stability. The pattern suggests using an empty popcorn tin...OOPS, no popcorn tins here at Casa de FKD! I had to improvise so I found one of the lamps in my living room had a circular brass fixture once I removed the glass lampshade and inner glass hurricane lamp (the white things to the right of the pic) I slipped a dinner plate into the brass fixture and voila! a perfect place to dry the MSB!!


Here's a close up of the bottom of the bag.....isn't it beautiful?


Here's my supervisor throughout the process....all that washing and stretching wore the poor lil guy out!


Here's the finished bag hanging from the very same lamp I used for my drying!


And the glamour shot

Isn't she lovely? I'm really, really pleased with how she turned out! I wanted more of a "purse" than an open tote so I added a felted closure flap to which I sewed a magnetic closure. The button is cosmetic only but I thought it suited the bag perfectly! It's a shell button with irridescent blue, green and purple - a perfect match who's beauty eludes my sorry camera skills.

Specs:

Market Square Bag from Knitter's Magazine Summer 2001 (also in the book: Bags, A Knitter's Dozen)

5 skanks Cascade 220

#8 US (5.0 mm) Addi Turbo Circ

This was a totally fun knit and I highly recommend it. Entrelac is very easy so don't be afraid to jump in and give it a try! One thing that would make it even easier is learing how to knit and purl backwards so you don't have to turn the bag so often! Some commenters asked for a resource on how to knit and purl backwards ....I taught myself how by reversing the path of the stitch but HERE is a good resource for those that asked.

Now, I've got to get knitting on my red scarf!! Deadline, ya know!

I'll be back soon with lots to show and my "B" for the ABC along!

Get crackin' on your red scarf and have a wonderful knitty week!

Lurker, reveal thyself and a little bit of the knit

Are you all aware there's a HOLIDAY goin' on this week?

Why yes, it's NATIONAL DELURKING WEEK!!!

I had forgotten about this auspicious occasion until I visited my Florida neighbor at Bossy Little Dog by way of Cursing Mama via Paper Napkin who actually founded this momentous day for all of blogdom!

Now I don't have the readership of Wendy, or prolific commenters like Margene but I do get a decent amount of traffic here at Casa de FKD(which I'm eternally grateful for!)....but a disproportionate number of comments! Now I'm no comment ho (much, hehe) but would it KILL YA TO COMMENT?? Come on everybody, come on out and say hello when you visit....you know, EXPOSE YOURSELF!!


Let your favorite bloggers know you're out there!
On to the bit of the knit....here's the first FO of 2006.....The Market Square Bag!


I put Gumby in the shot for perspective, mainly because the P-Man was being shy around the paparazzi ......and besides, Gumby is pretty cute himself!

Specs:

Market Square Bag designed by Linda Cyr in Knitter's Magazine Summer 2001

Five skanks Cascade 220 -- I used every inch of the reddish purple that I used for the trim and handles, but only about half of the other 4 skanks.

Size US #8 (5.0 mm) Addi Turbo 32" circ

Unfelted measurements: 20 inches wide x 18 inches high

I loved knitting this fun bag altho towards the end I had had my fill of the entrelac and all the turning, turning, turning. I did purl back backwards for the purl squares because tension was identical for both purling forwards and backwards. Knitting backwards was a whole different ballgame! My tension was horrible when knitting backwards! It's something I will work on in the future because I think it's a good skill to have!

Here's another pic because Pumpkin decided to cooperate, sort of:

I have actually felted the bag already.....It took 4 cycles thru a hot/cold wash inside a pillowcase with 2 pairs of sneakers and a squirt of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid to get a nice size and lose the stitch definition. It looks spectacular if I do say so myself BUT no pics until I sew on the handles and have a finished bag to show.

I'm still working on my Bearfoot socks. Sock one is complete and sock 2 has about 4 inches of toe already. I am really enjoying using the Magic Loop method and I love, love, love the Bearfoot so the socks are moving along quickly. I should have FO sock pics soon.

I've also started a new project as the yarn hasn't come in for the Lacy Aran Pullover but I'll share those pics next time too! And my decision on the color for the Lacy Aran.....Hey, everyone likes a cliffhanger, right? :)

And just because he is so handsome, one more of my P-Man....this one's for you Auntie Agnes!!

Now get out there and celebrate National Delurking Week and show a blogger you care by saying HI!

Showing the Fug!

Those two crazee gals over at JenLa are having a leetle contest.....who's avatar is the fugliest!!

Go, run, hurry! Cast your vote for this all important first real dilemma of the new year!

And because the sisters in snark want to share the fug fun, they're encouraging us all to create even more hideous avatars! Here's mine, protect your retinas!!

I'm especially fond of the mini skirt and the iguana in a snow storm :)

Go here to create some fug of your own!! It's FUN!!!

Don't forget to visit our knotty girls, cast your vote and point them in the direction of some fug of your own! (and check out their great *Best of 2005* list while youre there, too!)

A little old, a little new....

As FKD transitions into 2006 we have a bit of the old and a lot of the new!

For something new, like all the other cool kids on the block, I joined Anne's ABC Along because it sounds like so much fun!!

The plan is once every 2 weeks, members will post pics that have meaning to them and their lives that correspond with the letters of the alphabet. In a year's time each participant will have shared 26 bits of themselves. To start my 52 week journey I bring you.......

A is for ALLIGATOR!!

Now in the interest of veracity, I did nick this suitcase wannabe off google BUT living here in South Florida it is not uncommon to see these guys just strolling around! And I don't mean in the zoo or off an airboat in the Everglades. After all, I live this close to one of the largest swamps in North America and since Florida is built on this guy's house, sometimes he exercises his squatter's rights! I've seen dudes like him in a local park, in a canal on the Intercoastal Waterway and once on a golf course!!! And more than one family pet has gone missing from a backyard :( So welcome to wild kingdom, SoFla style!

To ring out the old, here is the last FO of 2005....The Corded Rib Mesa Footie for fluffy footed me!

Specs:

Socks that Rock yarn in the Mesa colorway on size #1 (2.25 mm) Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN's
Pattern: my own variation on the Elongated Corded Rib Sock from Sensational Knitted Sock by Charlene Schurch and my own Eye Of Partridge Mini-Flap Short Row Heel (isn't that heel so pretty?)

I'm really pleased with these socks because the fit is superb, love the colorway and the yarn has so much "boing" factor! Thanks again, Utah Grrls!! :)

Here's a very special 2005 gift.....Look what my good friend and super knit bud Agnes sent me......

This adorable swatch PIN that she made!!! Isn't this the cutest? She's so generous AND just crazee about the P-Man, how could I not love her? Thank you so much Agnes!!

And what was the lucky Jan. 1 project started at Chez FKD? Why, more socks of course!! Since new years are for new beginnings and expanding one's knitting bag of tricks is always a good thing I decided to re-visit toe-up socks using the Turkish Cast-On. After all, I was voted *Best Tutorial* so I figured I should actually walk the walk, ya know? I LOVE this cast on!! LOOK how pretty and perfect......

I'm also using yarn new to me (Mountain Colors Bearfoot -- YUM!!!) and a technique pretty new to me, Magic Loop. I actually used one needle for the Turkish Cast On instead of two (it's easy!!) so I'll go ahead and stick with the magic loop for the whole sock. I still prefer DPN's but Magic Loop would be my second choice :)

Here's a look at more sock progress. It's Bearfoot in the Northern Lights colorway on a #1 (2.5 mm -actually US #1.5) 40 inch Addi Turbo in Mistake Stitch Rib. I love this yarn, so sweet on the needles! The color is so delicious and rich....and so smooth to knit....so good!


As always, a P-Man pic for the fans....I call this his "I am the pampered Master of all I survey" look....and he IS!!!


I'm still working on my Market Square Bag (tier 8) and haven't decided on the color for the Lacy Aran that's next in the queue altho Valencia is the front runner so far!

So what did you cast on for luck in January 2006?

Addendum: CHIBI SHOUT OUT....As an avid sock knitter I am EAGER to get my hands on the new ORANGE Chibi with smaller needles for things like socks :)
I've had no success finding them on line and have no LYS....anyone know where I can get one?

Pumpkin is......

Looking forward to a MUCH better 2006!!!!


And wants to wish all his blog friends a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous, Hurricane Free, Knit filled New Year!!