Two More Days Before Road-Trip Time!

Good morning, everyone.  Yes, it's Monday...normally, I would have been literally FOUR hours into my work-day already.  However, I'm starting my new position next weekend, and I was scheduled off this weekend, so I think that means it's blogging time!

Today, I am going to a friend's house to say goodbye to the knitting group which meets at the Katy Library, and tomorrow I will be saying goodbye to the knitting group that meets at Yarntopia, otherwise known as the "mecca of all things soft that you want to rub on your face, which you really shouldn't do unless you have already purchased it."  I wanted to give something to the lovely ladies of each group, so this is what I've been working on for the past two weeks:

I dare say, this is my new favorite stash-buster.  I still have five more to make (worst-case scenario, anyway), but they use about seven yards of yarn, a safety pin, two bamboo marking pins, a tapestry needle, and a dot of glue.  POOF.  Instant keepsake.  Although the photo quality isn't stellar, here's a close-up of one of them:

I just wanted the ladies to know I cared so much about them during my time here in Texas, so what better way to do it than to plow through that teeny weeny yarn ball in the stash that you always think, "Maybe I could trim a mitten or something..."?  Here's how you do it...

Gauge - unimportant

Materials - ten yards of worsted-weight or aran-weight yarn , two Clover bamboo marking pins (they come in packs of ten, so you can actually make five and give them to your knitting group, like I'm doing), 1.25" to 1.5" safety pin, tapestry needle, craft or wood glue, size 3 (US) or 3.25mm (European) knitting needles.

Using knitting needles, cast on 12 stitches for aran weight, and 14 stitches for worsted weight yarn, using the knitted cast-on.  Clip the tail of the cast-on to one inch...it obviously doesn't get woven in, but make sure you give it a good tug so it doesn't unravel. 

Knit in garter stitch (knit every row) for two inches, ending with the right side facing.  Grab a marking pin and knit half of the stitches (six for aran, seven for worsted) onto it...the pin is actually the same size as a size 2 (2.75mm) needle, so the stitches will be nice and snug on it.  Take the left-hand needle out of the stitches and CAREFULLY replace it with the other marking pin...this is not an easy project to drop a stitch and pick back up, but then again, ripping out and starting again won't kill you.  Anyway, insert the right pin into the first stitch on the left pin as if to knit through the back loop, and slide the stitches evenly so the outer stitch on each pin is close to the bulb on the end of the pin. 

Cut the yarn tail so it's about 24 inches long.  Wrap the yarn around the right needle as if you were knitting the next stitch, and then wind the yarn into a ball.  Secure it on the right side of the piece as if you were sewing on a button (up and over, down and under three times).  Weave in the end on the wrong side of the piece, secure a safety pin through two loops on the wrong side as well.  Place a dot of glue where the two markers meet in the middle.

I have to finish the last few bits before heading out of town, but I really, really need to knit before I go crazy...I have had so much fun making these teeny projects but it's time I busted out something I can just make progress on.

Think happy thoughts to me when I embark in the Aveo for 1,116.3 miles.  My little boyfriends Jose and Macon over at the Pep Boys on Fry Road told me that my car was good to go.  When I'm settled, I'd be happy to be commandeered to make these little pins for your knitting group if you'd like, for a small fee.  I saw someone on Etsy charging twelve bucks for pins similar to these, and I think that's downright highway robbery...I'm thinking maybe less than half that.  I'm open to suggestions, of course...