Green Leaf Coat

I promised a free pattern before November- here it is!!


The Green Leaf Coat. Full- length view to the left, bottom border below.....

On the sleeves are traveling vines. I elected to put some contrast color music notes in the vines b/c my MIL is very musical. ;-)

Green Leaf Border Coat

Design by: Lobug Designs

Skill level: Easy

For a Small to Medium size woman- lengths adjustable.

Materials and Tools:
5 mm(US size 8) circular needles in 16” and 29” long, or size to obtain gauge
stitch markers
tapestry needle or crochet hook for weaving in ends

Gauge:
16sts = 4”/10cm in st st.
Always take time to check your gauge.

Special Abbreviations:
Back twist: k thru back loop of 2nd st on LH needle, k thru front loop of 1st st, sl them off together
Front twist: k front loop of 2nd st on LH needle, k 1st st on LH needle, sl both off together
Ktfbl: k thru front and back loop of st.
M: marker
Pm: place marker
Sl: slip
Slvs: sleeves
Pattern sts:
See Charts Below

Instructions:

With Long Tail Cast On, c.o. 72 sts. Work in 2x2 rib for 2”.
Next row, set up row: k1,p1,k1,p1,k9, pm, k10, pm, k26, pm, k10, pm, k9, p1,k1,p1,k1.
There are 5 sts of seed st patt on each side for selvedge. Place buttonhole every 2” on RS row with k1,p1, yo, k2tog. Maintain the seed st patt on edges throughout!
Row 2, work selvedge as est, p across, sl m when come to them.
1st inc row: Work selvedge, k to last 2 st before 1st m, ktfbl, k1, sl m, ktfbl, k to last st before m, ktfbl, sl m, k1, ktfbl, k to last 2 st before 3rd m, ktfbl, k1, sl m, ktfbl, k to last st before m, ktfbl, sl m, k1, ktfbl, work to end.
Rep Row 2. You will rep last 2 rows for raglan patt until separate sleeves and body.
Next inc row, set up vine patt on slvs: work to 1st m,*sl m, inc, pm for beg of chart, work chart, pm for end of chart, work as est to 3rd m, rep from *, work to end.
Work est patts until measures 12” from cast on edge.
Separate sleeves and body: work to 1st m(no inc on this row): remove m, place sts and chart markers up to 2nd inc marker on 16” needle or st holder, remove 2nd inc marker, joining underarm, k to 3rd inc m, remove m, , place sts and chart markers up to 4th inc marker on 16” needle or st holder, remove m, joining underarm, work to end. Separation complete.

Body: maintain selvedge and buttonholes: work WS Row.
Next row, begin leaf patt chart: Work 5 selvedge sts, work leaf chart, work to last 24sts, work leaf chart, work 5 selvedge sts.
Work WS row, maintaining patts
Rep last 2 rows for 3” shorter than you want coat to be.
Next RS row, maintain selvedge, work repeats of Leaf Chart all the way across- check the numbers: you may need to have extra p sts between repeats to fill the whole border- this math is not done for you.
When done with Leaf Chart, work 1” of garter st, bind off loosely.

Sleeves:
Round 1: join yarn, work across, maintaining vine patt, at underarm, pick up and k 1 st from body join, pm for beg of round.
2: work to last st before m, sl st, remove m, sl next st, sl 1st st over st just slipped, move st back to LH needle, pm.
3: work around in patt.
Maintain patt around: every 11th round is a dec round: k1, k2 tog, work to last 3 sts, ssk, k1.
Work until sleeve is desired length, p one round, k around for 1”, bind off loosely. Turn sleeve under at p round and st down for hem.

Finishing:
Weave in ends, place and sew buttons.

This project was knit with 11 skeins of Mary Maxim Starlette in Kelly Green.

Fall

Well, Fall is here. It is beautiful! I had to change my Title Picture to show the right season. ;-)
A few weeks ago, the kids were playing outside; and came running in to tell me that they could see a fire. So of course I ran outside to see what they were talking about. They were looking through the trees at another tree whose leaves had turned a bright fire red. When I told them what it was, they laughed so hard they almost fell over. It was great. And what a pretty picture of the bright red through the green! Sometimes, all you can say is "Wow, God! You make beauty."

I am finally working on the Entrelac Socks by Eunny Jang. It is going better than I had hoped- but at the same time, I am a bit disappointed in the yarn I am using. It is acrylic- not that I mind- but it is a bit of a rough acrylic. I think it will be fine when it is knit- but all this knitting for The Unique Sheep has spoiled me. I am getting very particular about what I knit with!!
So I am taking pictures of my progress with this sock, as I find it very interesting (I should say these socks, as I am actually making 2 this time). So when I get the film developed, you'll get to see a play-by-play.

I did actually finish MIL's coat, but haven't had time to write the pattern- homeschooling etc, taking a lot of time right now. Sorry, will try to get that up before November.

I am also working on another pair of socks of my own design for a Christmas present. It was originally for my Dad, but I discovered 4" into it, that I didn't allow enough room for the cable, and they are too small for him. So I could frog them and make them bigger, but I REALLY don't want to. So I am going to finish them, post the pattern here for you, and give them to another member of my family for Christmas that I know they will fit! And make a different pair for Dad. I was kind of wondering anyway, at 2" into these socks, why I was putting so much effort into a lovely cable for socks that will be worn in boots at all times--- well, now they won't, and I'll do a pattern more appropriate to boot-wearing for Dad. ;-)

Happy Fall! Enjoy the cooler weather!

Middle of October

Already?! Good grief, I can't believe it's already been so long since I posted last! Time just flies sometimes.
Well, we've gotten into full-time homeschooling again. At last. We should have started the first part of September, but there was just so much going on, that we had to wait until the last week of Sept instead. So now we are going full steam ahead!
DD is working 2nd grade in all but Math. We had a really rough time with that last year and just left it for a while. I don't think she was ready for it at the time- or I didn't know how to teach it- or something! It just wasn't working out. So we did just Math over the summer, and she's finishing up K math now.
ES is doing Kindergarten. Language Arts, Math and Reading. We finally got in a niche that works for him. He's loving it. It's good to see at least one of my kids enjoying learning!
YS pretty much hangs out and plays cars while we do schoolwork. Sometimes he'll come over and sit with me and we'll sing the ABC's, but he's pretty mellow and happy to play alone. He usually does anyway- although the older kids are starting to get a little better about including him.

3 weeks ago today I exposed all the kids to the chicken pox. Today is supposedly the last day of the virus incubation. I am thinking we may have exposed them too late and they won't get it. It may sound odd, but I am a bit disappointed. I was really hoping for them to get the chicken pox and be done with it. If DD doesn't get it before she turns 10, I'm going to look into the immunization. I don't want to- it's not as good an immunity, but after that age, I don't think I want her to actually get the disease. The thing is, the chicken pox vaccine is not irradicating the disease, it's making shingles more common. Not cool. Okay, off my soapbox now.....

On Saturday, I finished making my MIL's coat that she gave me the yarn for last Christmas. Sheesh! Almost a year ago. Pathetic. Oh well, at least it got done, right?
So I started working in earnest on another LotR sock that I really need to get done and get the pattern tested. I knit a lot on Sunday. 3-4 inches (on "toothpicks", so you know it was a lot of knitting!). And Sunday evening, I frogged it. Ugh. For some reason, this design is proving a lot more difficult than I anticipated. I know what I want- and I absolutely LOVE the color Laura and I came up with for this yarn- but getting what I want is a different story! But it seems to be coming along now. I'm a day behind on it, though, which is a bit frustrating; as I sat down this weekend and listed out the Christmas knitting I need to get done this year. Whew! I am going to have to "get my knit on"!!! I didn't realize I was this far behind! I'm usually about done by now, but I think I've been doing some different/extra knitting this year, and it's taken time that I'm usually making Christmas gifts in.
So as usual, I have no pictures. I will be taking pics of MIL's coat this weekend, and hopefully writing up the pattern. As soon as I have the pattern and pics, I will post them. Yes, the pattern, for free on here. But I'm not going to resize it. Not that that would be hard for anyone to do........

Vacation

We're back. What a lovely weekend!! DH and I went to Astoria, OR and stayed at a nice B&B for 2 nights with no kids. It was so relaxing! This is my only real vacation of the year. When we go off for a few days with the kids, it's actually more stressful than being at home. Sleep is difficult for young kids away from their beds- which makes it difficult for the parents too! Anyway, we had a lovely time! We walked Saturday- for 4 hours- just exploring the town and the Maritime Museum (I could never sail- I would be so seasick!!! ), (we even got to hear the sea lions- we couldn't see them very well, they were out on the buoys; but we could hear them!) the Astoria Column (lovely bit of history with the most amazing view!!), and lots of little stores. I got a little bit of Cascade Fixation yarn for my souvenir- and the 4 book Tolkien set (which I've wanted for years!). It's good to be home, though. The kids are tired from playing with Grandma all weekend- my house needs cleaned- I've got to get school organized! There's always something more to do. When I get the film developed, I'll post some pics of the amazing scenery.

I got some film developed last week, so I can share some of my projects that I've been doing in between the LotR socks.

These are Over the Knee Baby socks. I got the yarn and one sock from a lady on Ravelry, but I absolutely could not match her gauge. So I just knit both of them. I'm not sure what happened, but my gauge didn't match on the 2 I made either. Very weird. But they turned out cute, and I gave them to my new nephew. (that's fun to say! :D)

This bag is a felted bag I FINALLY finished. The handle took 2 months b/c it was 208 sts for 11". I would have finished it sooner, but it was my purse project and I only worked on it for 2-4 hrs a week. I finally pulled it out of the purse and punked it out. I'm not sure I like felting very much. Knitting something 3 sizes too large and then shrinking it feels like a waste of time, I guess. It was worth it this time. I gave it to one of my best friends for her birthday (which happens to be the same day as ES!!).

This is the Fabulous Filigree Scarf from One-Skein Wonders. I made it originally for my SIL, but when I washed it to block it, it wound up in the dryer. It will only fit a doll now. Actually, it's the perfect size for the American Girl dolls. So if anyone wants to buy it from me- I'll sell! It's very pretty, and I like how it turned out, but it is too small for anything bigger than a doll.

Okay, so these pictures are not of my projects (you get all my pictures at once, b/c I use a 35mm film camera and have to wait for my pics until I use all the film and get it developed onto a CD).

This is my wonderful MIL (mother-in-law). When she came over for Baby Owen, she hung out at my house and cleaned and tuned our new piano (apparently, it was really out of tune. I have no ear for music at all!!). I didn't know you could safely take out all the keys!! I was quite surprised! The result was lovely.

I had to put this pic in. Those are the two lovingest dirty little boys ever. They had been playing in the Dirt. Laying down and pouring it on their bellies. Which quickly degenerated into just dumping it all over each other and rolling in it. I had to hose them off outside, and the mud poured out of their hair! But aren't they adorable!?

24 hours

I can remember the last time I stayed up for 24 hrs straight. Yesterday. The last time before that? I have no clue whatsoever. But last night- I remember vividly. And I probably always will. Last night was the first time I got to see the Miracle of Birth. That may sound odd- as I have experienced that 3 times- but I never saw it. Experiencing it and seeing it are very different. Both wonderful, amazing, shocking, astounding, fantastic, absolutely awesome. But very different. What I am getting at is that my lovely Sister-in-law had her son today. At 3:15am. I was honored to be allowed to be with her and my Brother-in-law through the whole ordeal. Their son, Owen, was 8lbs, 4oz, strong, healthy, and lovely. They were all amazing. I must say- for me, it is easier to experience than to watch someone go through. Wow, what a strong woman.
Really, there's not much more I can say. Other than: we're tired. We're going to sleep now.

TGIF

Thank God It's Friday!!!! Wow. The last 3 weeks have been positively crazy. I'm not entirely sure why; but I feel like I've been through a whirlwind! Joel came home from Canada (the week he was gone was just wild); and we had a very busy week. I got to get my teeth cleaned for the first time in 8 years (terrible, I know, but when you don't have a lot of money, the root canal and crown come before the cleaning!!)--thank the Lord for big companies with Dental Benefits!! :-)
Joel and I had our 8 years Anniversary on Tuesday the 2nd. It wasn't really very exciting. We got to see each other for all of 30 minutes. (Tuesdays are busy.....) But! We have reservations for 2 nights at a B&B in Astoria the end of the month for our anniversary "honeymoon" (Thank you, Grandma, for babysitting- we love you!); and we are really looking forward to that!!!!!!!! Just a couple extra !!!!! so you can see how excited we are ;-) Then Joel's parents came to town last Thursday (the 4th) b/c Wednesday (the 10th) was my SIL's baby's due date. Well, we are all still waiting. Babies just don't arrive on other people's schedules very often! ;-) We are very excited about this baby.......
So we have been having wonderful times with the family- oh, and Joel's on call this week as well, which makes it extra hairy, since he gets paged in the middle of the night- frequently- and we are exhausted.
And........*drum roll, please* tomorrow is ES's Birthday!! He will be 5. And he is so excited, he can hardly think! :-) So fun. We are having a wee party in the AM- and hopefully some time with family in the PM. Although- it is the Knit and Crochet Show this weekend- I might have to skip out for an hour or 2 of "mama time". ;-) We'll see.
Knitting news? Well, I am rolling through the LotR sock designs again. With a brief 2 day hiatus to make some Over The Knee stockings for an upcoming baby. (No, I don't know which one- I know of 3 imminent births, so I am just trying to be prepared!!!!) Sorry, no pics today.

One Hundred Thousand Welcomes

We have a new scanner/copier/printer/fax!! Not that I know how to use the fax, or care to as yet- but I am loving the other 3 aspects of it! Oh, and it was FREE. I really like Freecycle!!! ;)

(the picture is a cross-stitch I did years ago.)