Finishing up a few things around here...........

I did get the oven mitts felted last night and they are definitely smaller!  The directions told me to put them in a pillowcase and throw them in with another load or some jeans or tennis balls to agitate them and felt.  It also called for hot water.  Well,  they're bright red and would bleed so I didn't want to use a good pillowcase so I put them in a flannel drawstring bag and threw them in with a load of darks.  It worked and they felted for sure.  The only problem was they also stuck to themselves and it was like they were glued together and you couldn't get your hand in them.  So, after much tugging and pulling I got them separated and could get my hand and thumb inside.  I straightened them out and left them to air dry overnight.  But all that tugging did leave some wrinkles and weak spots, I think. I'm not sure they're really thick enough to use them as oven mitts at least not if you were having to hold onto something really hot for very long but we'll see and I'll let you know.  I want them to work so badly because I think they would make great gifts and you could stripe them like the original pattern and make different colors or use those transitional yarns that change colors.  Time will tell and then I'll tell you!  Here's a picture of the mitts that inspired me, aren't they just too cute?  You can get this free pattern and SO MUCH MORE on The Purl Bee.  They have knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, embroidery and more.  Check it out it's a wonderful site and sight!

Aren't they darling?  So cute and perfect (above).....now here's mine before I felted:

And after I felted:

There you have it folks!  They don't look much like the "inspiration" mitts but of course, they were knitted by a "professional" and it is pretty obvious that I am still a novice!  But onward and upward and tonight I start a new project....I'm actually back tracking.....from the book that gave me my knitting start........

 

I've posted this book before and it is one of the funniest books I've ever read...she's a stitch in more ways than one!  She also has a website under her alias of "Crazy Aunt Purl" and yarn "recipes" in the book.  I've made the first 2; Beginner Scarf #1 and Beginner Scarf #2....that first scarf was my best work so far...I think I'm regressing.  The second scarf was made using a very troubling "fancy" yarn that cost 2 arms and 3 legs!  But the yarn was gorgeous!  I would have been better off just leaving it in the skein to look at because after it was knitted up it wasn't that pretty.  So, the next pattern on my way to "knitting mastery" is called "The Magic Scarf".  I have the yarn because I have started this scarf and torn it out a few times but I am a more proficient knitter now...RIGHT???  Ok, don't answer that but I am determined to master The Magic Scarf!  It's called magic because you knit 5 purl 5 for 10 rows and then you switch to purl 5 knit 5 for 10 rows and it looks like a basket weave pattern.  My problem is...my mind wanders and I forget to stop knitting and start purling and back then I really thought I could watch television AND knit! LOL!  Boy was I wrong!  I could if it was all knitting but how often does that happen?  So, this is what separates the Women from the Girls in knitting.  REAL knitters can watch t.v. , carry on conversations and multitask while knitting.  I am a novice because I have to go to a safe room with no distractions or noises of any kind before I can emerge with anything that even resembles a knitted item.  In the book by Laurie, she drinks wine while knitting.  I haven't tried that yet but it seemed to help her!

I also finished a book I've been reading....

This is a used copy and I ordered it from Amazon  as it's no longer in print.  It was written in 1963 and tells about a young married couple who leave their professional lives in Boston and head out to live off the land in the Canadian wilderness.  I adore books about self-sufficiency.  He's not the greatest writer but it's a good read for sure.  He wrote 4 other books that I will be looking for too.  Have a great weekend and don't forget to tune in again for the adventure of Sam and The Magic Scarf!