Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Reindeer Paws

I've decided to actually try some of the things I've pinned on Pinterest.  I made a board called "Pinned it; Done it" where I've posted my results.


Most recently (as in last weekend) I tried this popular pin from House On Hilltop...(Blog has been deleted)


Although not as pretty, I was pleased with the result and they were very tasty.  I couldn't find pretzel rounds so I used knots and borrowed someone else's name for them:  Reindeer Paws.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Aldo Tanners! Where Are Your Manners?!

This cute children's book was written by a friend of a friend.  It's available for free (for now) here on Amazon.com as a Kindle version so go ahead and grab it.  If you don't have a Kindle, you can download a free Kindle reader for your computer, laptop, tablet (but not Nook unless yours is rooted) or smartphone.  Enjoy, we sure did!

Monday, June 18, 2012

No Interest in Knitting - Scary!

I didn't get much knitting done this weekend.  Not because it was Father's Day ergo I was subject to my hubby's whims.  It was mostly because I was having such a nice time not knitting with my family. Strange, I know.  Especially since we were floating around in a little boat fishing for five hours which normally would be ideal time for knitting.

First, we found our own private island and had a picnic. 
 No interest in knitting while Bit ran after the fiddler crabs
Next we found the perfect fishing spot.
You can see that it was a glorious day.
Matthew finally hooked something other than little sharks and it was BIG!
He was letting run a bit when I took the picture but there were times when he was fighting it that the rod was practically bent in half.  No knitting done for about an hour as he fought it.  Too much excitement.

Finally, the big one got away.  It was getting late and we were a ways out so we headed back. By the time we got home, cleaned the boat, made dinner and got Bit to bed, we were beat.  One glass of wine and one or two paragraphs of my book and I was out.  No knitting until tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

New Directions

As I read through my blog entries (sparse as they are) I realized that if I am going to get back into blogging, the name and description needed to change as much as my life has changed since I first started it. 


For one, and most importantly, it's really not about just me anymore.  Also, it was started as a craft type blog but truth be told, I don't do many crafts anymore.  I am however, hopelessly addicted to fine yarn and knitting.  Finally, I've been through many life changes and challenges and as things finally start to look up, I'd like to blog about them too.  So, I came up with P3Tog because it really should be more about how, as an older first time mom, my activities are more closely related to knitting my little family together.


Please have patience with me since this is more a WIP rather than a UFO.  


Off the needles...

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Short-Tail Long-Tail Cast On Instructions

The long tail cast on is one of my favorites.  It's quick, easy and works for most projects.  However, I always have a too much yarn left or worse, not enough.  Usually that's not a problem unless I'm casting on over 200 stitches and run out of tail at around 180.  Sort of like what happened when I first cast on the Miami Beach Shawl.  So I set out to find and alternative and here it is.  


Awhile ago, I downloaded instructions linked to pattern on Ravelry by Betty Balcomb on how to do a Short-Tail Long-Tail Cast On.  The directions have since disappeared from Rav so here's a quick recap of how to do it.
  • From the same skein (or one each from two identical skeins), take the two ends of yarn and tie them in a slip knot with about a five inch tail on both.
  • Insert your needle in the loop created by the slip knot.
  • Proceed with a Long Tail Cast On (see below).
  • When you get the desired number of stitches, break the yarn from the end you won't be knitting from.
  • Smile because you had just the right amount of yarn.
As for the loop from the slip knot, I just treat it as the first cast on stitch but you could cast on one more and pull that out at the end.  That's all there is to a Short-Tail Long-Tail Cast On.


By the way, here are some links to great sites to learn how to do the traditional Long Tail Cast On.
Little Bit giving me her typical pose
right before her ballet recital.


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Miami Beach or Bust!

With the failure of the Damson still fresh in the frog pond, I have fearlessly casted on another lace shawl.  This one is the Miami Beach Shawl and I'm working it with Dashing Dachs Dach Sox yarn, in a colorway appropriately named Jellyfish.  The top picture is the one most true to color.
I'm only 1/2 way through the first lace repeat but I can already tell I'll love it!


I used Betty Balcomb's Short-Tail Long-Tail Cast On from a "pattern" she distributed last year.  I'd post the link to it but it's been pulled off of Ravely and every other site I can find.  It's pretty easy to do and I don't know if you can copy-write a cast-on so tomorrow when I have more time.  I'll post how I do a long tail cast on without having to guess how much yarn to pull.  



Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Does This Look Thin or is it Just Me?




I am seriously going to have to step back and take a long look at my failed attempts at knitting with lace weight yarn before trying this again. I do a lot of knitting on fingering weight but never any real lace patterns. Therefore, is my latest awful attempt at a lace shawl (done mostly in garter stitch) my inability to get my fingers around the skinny yarn, get my head around a lace pattern or could it possibly be, my lack of any knitting privacy where I can concentrate in more than 3 minute periods? I'd like to blame it on the latter because that would imply it's an outside influence that I have no power over verses my own sadly lacking talent. Damn you Damson! I'll be back!