Little Lulu

This is a pattern for a Sony MP3 cozy. It fits the device snuggly and protects it from scratches while allowing you to access your player!

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool; or any fingering weight yarn you might have in stash, since this project uses very little yarn.
Needles: size 2 dpns

Cast on 18 stitches and divide them evenly over three needles (6 stitches on each).
Knit 2 rounds.
Create a 2 stitch, one row button hole.*
Knit 3 more rounds.
When you are finished knitting the third round, the last stitch on the needle should be over the button hole that you created. Starting with this stitch, turn your work, and purl 18 stitches. You will be purling from the inside of your circle. As I did this, I purled 9 stitches onto one needle, purled the last 9 stitches onto another needle, and set the third needle down (in a safe place where no one could accidentally sit on it!)
Turn the work again and knit 18 stitches.
Turn the work and purl 18 stitches.
Turn the work, knit 3 stitches, then create a 3 stitch, one row button hole.
Continue knitting to the end of the row.
Purl the next row.
Knit the next row, but add your third needle, again dividing the stitches evenly over three needles.
Knit 2 rounds.
Knit 3 stitches into the next round. Bind off 4 stitches. Continue knitting to the end of the round, plus 3 stitches. Again, you can divide the work over two needles instead of three.
Work stockinette stitch for 11 rows.
Knit 3 stitches, cable cast on 5 stitches, sl 1, pull stitch over slipped stitch, conitue knitting to the end of the round.
Knit 12 rounds.
Bind off 9 stitches, knit the last 9 stitches. This will be the start of the flap.
Purl the next row.
Knit the next row.
Purl the next row.
Knit 1, k2tog, knit 3, k2tog, knit 1.
Purl the next row.
Knit the next row.
Purl the next row.
Knit 2, create a 3 stitch, one row button hole, knit last 2 stitches.
Purl the next row.
Bind off knitwise.

Finishing Touches:

Turn the work inside out.
Tuck in ends.
Sew the side opposite from the flap closed. This is the bottom.
With a sharp needle and thread, sew a clear plastic liner on the inside of the cozy. This will protect your mp3 player from potential scratches and it will allow you to see the play/pause/<> buttons, and the screen.
Turn work rightside out.
Position the flap of the cozy as if it was closed. Sew small button just under the button hole. Make sure the button will fit through the button hole before you sew it together!

You can slip the earphone cord into the bottom button hole, then plug your mp3 player in and you are ready to go!

Knitting Knatter

I finished my Wrock Scarf last night at about 10:00 p.m. I love how each panel turned out, but I hate the way I stitched it together. I didn't think about matching up the stitches on each side when I sewed up the first, so the scarf has some gather on one panel in the middle. I hate it, but I also don't want to fix it. Not at the moment anyway. Honestly, it looks really bad when it is lying flat, but when it is being worn, you can hardly tell. I think that when I write up this pattern, I will write it in the round. It would be much easier to knit that way and there would be no need for seaming either!

I want to move on to something new! So, last night I cast on two new projects. I know. I'm bad. I couldn't help it though. My mom and I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday. We found a really cute yarn by Baby Bee that would be perfect for a baby blanket. And omigosh! I just so happen to have a new baby cousin to knit one for! Aren't I the lucky one? I found a cute pattern on Ravelry. Its actually just like knitting a traditional dishcloth, but I would like to add a shell stitch crocheted border to it once I'm done.

I also bought a really pretty wool yarn by lion brand. It's the dark teal. I'm going to crochet the lucy bag for my mom for Christmas. Again, I realize it is very early to get these projects done, but hey, at least I won't be slacking in December. She picked out the yarn and she knows that the project is a bag, but there are so many different purses and bags in this world, so she has no idea what it will look like. I hope this project turns out alright. It will be my first time felting anything! So I'm excited about that.

I also bought two pairs of dpns in size 0 and 2. They're the Boye metal needles. I think they're so pretty - I bought a red set and a blue set. I was going to buy both red, but then I'm like... it'll be much easier to tell them apart if they're different colors. So, yeah.

That is pretty much all for now. Unfortunately, I haven't sent my camera in to get fixed, so I don't have any beautiful knitting pictures to share. I'll have to see if I can't borrow my boyfriend's camera for now. I will definately need to go back and fill in some pictures! This place looks a little dismal! :D

Happy Knitting - and crocheting!

Happy WWKiP Day!

Yup, it is the second Saturday of June and it is World Wide Knit in Public Day! Have anything excited planned? I don't have any big plans myself, but that hasn't stopped me from telling everyone I know about it. This, of course, includes all of my guy friends who couldn't give a hoot less, but they put up with me anyway.

Today I plan on knitting! Well, duh. I would do that even if it weren't WWKiP Day. I'm working on my wrock scarf still. I've gotten past the point where I'm tired of knitting the scarf and I'm excited about it again. I do have to get over to my lys to pick up some more yarn for it. I am just hoping that it isn't a big seller and they still have the same lots in - it has been a while since I've been there, so cross your fingers.

I did get another skein of chenille the other day, so I will be able to finish a pillow that I started. I don't think I want to work on that today though. I also have another pattern floating around my brain for a cute cup sleeve that is theme related to the other patterns I am working on, but again, I don't think I want to work on that... I just want to get this scarf finished!

Other than my stop at the lys, I need to get a new tooth brush, as my bf somehow destroyed our toothbrush holder yesterday. It crashed and burned (well, not so much burned) and the toothbrushes went right along with it. He was so wary of bits of ceramic being embeded in the brushes that he forbade me from using mine. Luckily, there was a spare in the cabinet or I would have had to make extra stop yesterday.

I would also like to take my sister out for lunch. She seems quite reluctant. I offered to buy lunch, because it is usually what I like to do when I get my brother or sister to go out with me. I told her to do what she needs to do, since she had to run an errand for our mom, and then give me a call to see how she was feeling. She was quite down sounding, so it would be nice to cheer her up.

So that is pretty much the jist of my plans for today. I have some waiting and a lot of knitting to look forward to, lucky for me, they go hand-in-hand and it is easy to do both at the same time!

Happy Knitting!

Bookshops and Broomsticks

I have been extremely good and not even walked into a bookstore in the last month or so, owing mostly to the fact that I have to cut down on spending all around and my bookshelf at home is quite full. I made an exception today; however, inorder to pick up Touching Spirit Bear. One of the students I will be tutoring over the summer chose this as his summer reading novel and I wanted to be ready to help him with it. It looks like something I would have probably chosen to read for summer when I was in high school, so I have that to look forward to. And if you know me, then you know I had to poke around the bookshop a bit longer. I ran across a box of cookie cards and at three dollars, I couldn't resist. I think I'll hunt through the cabinets, to see what I need, and maybe bake some cookies later tonight after work!

In so far as broomsticks go, I have a bit more to go on the Gryffindor Story Pillow I have designed. Of course there is the whole back to knit, but that should be quite a bit easier than the front. I am more than halfway through that, so I'm very excited. I'm still not sure if one skein of yarn is going to be enough, but I'm really hoping it is. The yarn is less than seven dollars, so cost isn't the issue. I just don't want to buy another skein of yarn and only use a few yards of it to finish this project. Not practical, especially when I'm trying to save money! Not to mention the fact that should I get the pattern printed somewhere, I wouldn't want that to be the sole reason for someone not wanting to make it.

Things to do:
Drool over cookie cards
Knit a few more rows of the pillow
Fold Laundry
Wash dishes
Clean cat box :P