... the little Who stockings all hung in a row

I made a felted stocking pattern a couple of years ago for my cats, that's right, my cats. I have since made one for my husband and my daughter. Do you like how the cats were the first to get a stocking? Are my priorities in order or what?? The names were added after the fact using needle felting. As always, please feel free to use the pattern as it was intended. Knit as many of these as you want for your friends and family. Share the pattern with your knitting peeps, but please don't try to make a dime off of my hard work that I'm sharing with you for free. Because that just wouldn't be very cool, now would it? Without further delay, here is the stocking...

A Very Kitty Christmas

Needle Felted Christmas Stocking

A felted project for advanced beginner knitters, using double pointed needles!

© Heidi Eikenhorst

Materials:

MC: 2 skeins of Cascade 220 - Red #2413

CC1:1 skein of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted Weight Wool - Cream or White

(CC1 is used to make a non-felted cuff, should you choose the felted cuff option, you will need to substitute the cream/white for another color as they do not felt. Alternatively, you can use the yarn specified for CC2 for the felted cuff as well, just add an additional ball of year for the extra yardage.)

CC2: I ball of Reynolds Andean Alpaca Regal – White (If choosing to use a different type of white wool, please first verify that the white wool will felt. Many white wools will not felt. The Reynold’s Alpaca felts very easily and the red does not seem to bleed into it as much as it has using Cascade 220)

NV: 1 ball of Trend Setter Coconut - Perla or another novelty in color to match cuff (cuff can also be knit without a novelty yarn quite successfully)

All wools are worked as a single strand.

Needles:

Size US 11 circular needles, 16 inch

Size US 11 Double Pointed Needles (DPN)

FinishedDimensions:

21” from toe to top

Gauge:

4 sts./inch. in Stockinette Stitch. Note: Gauge is not as important with felted projects.

Abbreviations:

ssk - slip, slip, knit. Slip two stitches one at a time as if to knit, slide left needle through the front of both stitches, wrap yarn around back needle and knit.

K2tog - Knit 2 together

RS - Right side

Cuff Option 1 (non-felted):

With one strand of CC1, one strand of NV, and size 11 circular needles, CO 90 Stitches, place marker. Join into the round without twisting. Work in Stockinette Stitch for 13 rounds. On round 14 *k1, k2tog*, repeat from * to * to the end of round. Bind off knit-wise. Set cuff aside. You will not attach the cuff until after you have felted the body of the stocking.

Leg Option 1:

With one strand of MC and size 11 circular needles, CO60 stitches. Place marker and join into the round, making sure not to twist. Work in Stockinette Stitch until leg measures 30 inches from the top (approximately 95 rows).

Cuff Option 2 (felted):

With one strand of CC1 (make sure you are using a color or a beige, like “Aran” that will felt. You may also choose to use the yarn specified for CC2 to make a felted white cuff), one strand of NV (in coordinating color), and size 11 circular needles, CO 90 Stitches, place marker. Join into the round without twisting. Work in Stockinette Stitch for 19 rows. On the next row cut CC1 and NV and join one strand of MC. Next row: *k1, k2tog* rep from * to * until end of row. You have now switched to the color you will use for the leg of the stocking. Your cuff will be attached to the leg and will be felted with the rest of the stocking at the end of the project.

Leg Option 2:

Continue to work with one strand of MC in Stockinette Stitch until leg measures 30 inches from the top (approximately 95 rows).

Heel:

Slip first 15 stitches onto 1^st DPN. Slip next 30 stitches onto 2^nd DPN (these are your instep stitches). Slip last 15 stitches onto 3^rd DPN. Next knit first 15 stitches onto 3^rd DPN (these 15 sts, in combination with the last 15 stitches are your heel stitches). Break MC and join one strand of CC2. Work theses 30 heel stitches in stockinette stitch with CC2 for 4 inches, ending on a RS (knit) row.

Turn heel:

Continue working with one strand of CC2.

Row 1: P17 sts, p2tog, p1.

Row 2: Sl1, k5, k2tog, k1.

Row 3: Sl1, p6, p2tog, p1.

Row 4: Sl1, k7, k2tog, k1.

Row 5: Sl1, p8, p2tog, p1.

Continue to work in this manner, slipping the first stitch, knitting/purling two together across gap, then working 1 stitch and turning, until all stitches have been worked, and only 18 stitches remain.

Heel Gusset:

Break CC2. With RS facing use size 11 circular needles and one strand of MC to pick up and knit 12 stitches on left side of heel flap, place marker. Then knit the 30 instep stitches off of the DPN onto the circular needle and place another marker of the same color. Next, pick up and knit 12 stitches on the other side of the heel flap. Knit 9 heel stitches off of the DPN onto the circular needle, place marker of a different color (notes the beginning of round), then knit remaining 9 heel stitches onto the circular needle. Knit to the end of the round then work decreases as follows:

Round 1:Knit to within three stitches of first marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker. Knit 30 stitches, slip marker. K1, ssk, knit to the end of the round.

Round 2: Knit

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 an additional 3 times. 64 stitches total.

Foot:

Knit even with one strand of MC until foot measures 7 ½-8 inches from the beginning of heel gusset (from the start of MC).

Toe:

Break MC and join one strand of CC2. Work as follows switching to DPN when stitches no longer fit on circular needle:

Round 1: Knit to within three stitches of first marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker. K1, ssk, knit to within 3 stitches of next marker, k2tog, k1. Slip marker. K1, ssk, knit to the end of the round.

Round 2: Knit

Rnds 3-8: Repeat rounds 1 and 2 and additional 3 times (48 sts. total)

Rnds 9-16: Repeat round 1 (16 sts. total)

Rnds 17-18: Knit to within three stitches of first marker, k2tog, k1, slip marker. K6, slip marker. K1, ssk, knit to the end of the round. (12 stitches total)

Redistribute stitches onto two double pointed needles by keeping 6 instep stitches on one DPN and combining the 3 stitches on either side of the odd-colored stitch marker onto other DPN. Work these 2 sets of 6 stitches together using kitchener stitch. If you would prefer to avoid using kitchener, you can do the following. Knit together the first stitches off of each needle. Knit together the second stitches off of each needle, then slip the first stitch over the second stitch. This binds off one stitch. Repeat knitting stitches together while binding off until only one stitch remains. Cut 6 inch tail and run tail through remaining stitch and pull tight. Weave loose ends in on the wrong side.

You are now ready to felt! Follow the felting instructions on the insert.

Felting:

Felting is the process used to turn a knitted work, with defined stitches into a melded fabric with no definable stitches. If you’ve ever tried to wash a wool sweater you have seen that wool shrinks and becomes, for lack of a better word, “matted”. When we felt our wool projects we are shrinking the wool and eliminating the defined stitch work. This accomplishes several things. First, for beginner knitters, it hides mistakes that you might have made while knitting. Second, and more importantly, it makes our material more sturdy and durable. Finally it gives our project the right look. When felting with a novelty, your individual stitches essentially disappear, leaving you with a background material (the wool) with fun splashes of color and texture emerging from the material.

When your knitted stocking and cuff are completely finished weave in all loose ends. Place your stocking in a zippered pillow case or in a zippered delicates bag (this step is to protect your washer and pipes from becoming clogged with wool). If you have opted for Cuff Option 1, don’t worry, we will stitch the non-felted cuff onto the stocking after felting, for now set the cuff aside and do not put it into the washer with the stocking. For those who used Cuff Option 2, the cuff is attached to the stocking and will be felted at the same time as the stocking.

Next set your top loading washer to the smallest load size and the hottest setting. Add a small amount (1/4 tsp. or so) of regular detergent (any kind is fine, Tide, All, etc., just no bleach) to the wash basin. If your stocking contains bold colors and you are concerned about fading and bleeding add a cap full of white vinegar to the wash basin as well, while this helps with most color combinations, you will still get some bleeding with a red and white combination. Once the basin has filled with water, add your zippered pillow case/bag containing you project and let the washer do its thing. Note that felting will work best if your washer is set to the highest agitation cycle (i.e. heavy or normal wash). Do not use a delicates setting, we don’t want to coddle our wool, we want to make it tough! Set a timer for five to ten minutes and return to check on your project. Return to the washer every five minutes thereafter to check on the status of the felting process. Depending on washers and water temperature, your project could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes to felt completely. Make sure that each time you check the washer you move the dial to the beginning of the agitation cycle so that it does not have the opportunity to go into the rinse cycles.

Once your project is felted to your satisfaction, you may switch your washer over to the shortest rinse/low spin cycle so as to spin out the excess water. If you have slightly over-felted your project you may want to skip this step as a tiny bit of felting will continue. You may be asking, “How will I know when my project is felted?” which is a very good question. It largely depends on personal taste and will take some experimentation on your part to find the amount of felting that you like the best. Practicing with some swatches of knitted wool may help you decide what level of felting you like the best. I consider a project felted when I can no longer see the defined stitches. However, some people like a looser felt and like to be able to see a little stitch definition. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference. As long as your finished project is sturdy and stiffer than before felting you are on the right track. Once you are finished felting, take your stocking out of the zippered pillow case. Mold the stocking into the desired form and (if using Cuff Option 2) fold the cuff over the stocking at the point where the cuff color meets the stocking color. Mold your stocking to desired shape and dry flat on a towel. Once dry, follow “Post-Felting Instructions.”

Post Felting Instructions:

For both cuff option, using preferred cord method (knit, crochet, braided, or knotted) make a looped hanger & two lengths of cord. Next make two pom-poms and attaché to the ends of the two cords. Set aside and follow directions below.

Cuff option 2 only: At the middle of the back of the leg, just inside the edge of the stocking on the leg color, cut a small slit (approx1/4”) using sharps scissors. Tuck the ends of the cords and hanger through this slit. This will leave the cords and hanger coming out of the top of the stocking. Turn the cuff up at the place where you made the slit. Stitch the ends of the cord and hanger to the leg of the stocking. Once the cuff is turned back down, your ends will be hidden.

Cuff option 1 only:

With a tapestry needle, stitch your cuff (making sure to leave a ½ inch section in the middle of the back of the leg unstitched) onto the top of your stocking using one strand of CC1 and ones strand of NV, making sure to evenly gather the top of the cuff as you match it to the edge of the stocking. This will give your cuff a nice, full, slightly ruffled look. Next, tuck the ends of the cords and hanger through the unstitched section of cuff. This will leave the cords and hanger coming out of the top of the stocking. Turn the cuff up at the place where you inserted the ends of the hanger and cords and stitch the ends of the cord and hanger to the leg of the stocking. Once the cuff is turned back down, your ends will be hidden. Close up this gap by stitching closed this small section of cuff. In order to disguise the seam, stitch around the top several times around with NV only. Next with one strand of CC1 and tapestry needle, weave yarn around the bottom edge of cuff, using small stitches on the front of the cuff and large stitches (about one inch) on the back of the cuff.. Pull gently on both ends of the yarn that has been woven through the cuff bottom, drawing the cuff into the body of the stocking and work with the cuff until it is gathered and pulled in to your liking. Once this is achieved, tie a knot and weaves the ends into the bottom edge of cuff.

Now your stocking is finished!! Have fun decorating your stocking with your favorite embellishments, or try needle felting a name or decorations directly onto the leg! For needle felting I use the Fiber Trends Needle Felting Starter kit!

... make friends with smart, funny, sexy people.

I have to share this email that I received from my friend, Mana, today. It is made of awesomeness. She is indeed quite smart, funny, and sexy. I feel so privileged that I get to hear stories like this on a daily basis.

This is my awesome friend Mana...

Last night I couldn't get to sleep. My mind was racing, probably from one too many Lavazza espressos after 5 pm. When I finally got to sleep, I had the funniest dream.

I dreamt that I died and went to Heaven and when I got there God and all my dead relatives gave me a roast, commemorating all my years on earth. Everybody was a comedian. My relatives recounted stories of my childhood and everybody had a good laugh. I was surprised to find that I was really diggin this soiree. Then at the end, just when I thought the festivities were coming to an end, God got up to say a few words. I thought to myself that his speech was really sort of half-assed. I mean He was GOD, afterall. He could have come up with something a little better. Its not like he hadn't had all the time in the world! But I quickly put that thought out of my head b/c I didn't want Him to read my mind and then change HIS mind about letting me into Heaven. Anyway, after he was done with his half-assed speech, he said, "And now, without further adieu, I give you, the photo montage!!!!" Everybody clapped. What the fuck? What was the photo montage?

This gigantic curtain opened up and before my very eyes, there was this beautiful montage of these amazing little moments in my life. "Nobody could have taken these pictures but GOD himself!", I marveled. They were candid little pearls of happy times in my life when no one else was watching, no one but GOD. There was the picture of me hugging my kitty cat when I was a kid, opening up my acceptance letter to medical school (there was only one of those), kissing an old lover (we were married in our hearts). There were funny pictures too. Me checking out that barista's ass at the small independently owned coffee shop on the downtown mall in Charlottesville; Virginia, getting my stiletto heel stuck in that grate in Manhattan and almost fucking killing myself; sending Arthur Weinstein a not-so-flattering limerick about his professorial abilities, or lack thereof. God thought that one was particularly funny and said parenthetically that even though Weinstein was a jew, he wasn't one of His chosen people. God thought that my lame professor "got what was coming to him. "This dude ROCKS!", I thought to myself.

I liked how parenthetical God was. Very random. And quite hilarious. All in all, an excellent public speaker. I was ashamed that I hadn't given him his due credit at the end of his speech earlier that night. Even now, he was constantly teaching me things. Wow.

At the end God thanked everyone for coming and admitted coyly that he had gotten his idea about the photo montage from myspace. He again added parenthetically that despite this good idea, he thought that myspace was created by Satan himself. He also thanked Maria Sharapova's great Aunt, Ludmilla, for introducing him to the Canon brand of cameras. He said he had used Pentax before but was really excited about Canon's new "image stabilization" feature. He added again, parenthetically, that despite his pure love for Maria Sharapova, he really hated her dog, Dolce, a Pomeranian. He was sure that Dolce was the spawn of a Pomeranian and a jackal and mumbled something about genetics and "incomplete penetrance". I didn't get that part. I was never particularly good at genetics.

All in all it was a good night. And I only hope that the real God is as cool as the one in my dream. " 'For my God is a parenthetical God."...

...give and you shall receive

So, my mom asked me to update my amazon wish list for Christmas this year. I found Amazon very limiting, as most of the stuff I would want isn't on Amazon. So I decided to upgrade to Kaboodle this year. I really like it. At first it was annoyingly slow, but I signed up the day after Thanksgiving, which probably wasn't the best day to get a good impression. Since then I have come to realize that it is pretty awesome! I can add virtually anything I want from any web page I want just by clicking a button. My profile can be found here. From my profile one could peruse my Gizmos & Gadgets Wish list. Or they could look through the list of knitting stuff that I'd like to see waiting for me under the tree this Christmas morning. I also have a movie list going, but as of now it has but one measly item listed. Another cool thing is that users can "reserve" an item they'd like to buy for you, to discourage other potential gift-givers from buying the same item.

So Mom, I have updated my list. Now you have it. Love you. xoxox

... you'll catch a cold

A little video put together by my hubby. Narrated by Martin Douglas.

Common Cold, By Ogden Nash
Go hang yourself, you old M.D.!
You shall not sneer at me.
Pick up your hat and stethoscope,
Go wash your mouth with laundry soap;
I contemplate a joy exquisite
I'm not paying you for your visit.
I did not call you to be told
My malady is a common cold.

By pounding brow and swollen lip;
By fever's hot and scaly grip;
By those two red redundant eyes
That weep like woeful April skies;
By racking snuffle, snort, and sniff;
By handkerchief after handkerchief;
This cold you wave away as naught
Is the damnedest cold man ever caught!

Give ear, you scientific fossil!
Here is the genuine Cold Colossal;
The Cold of which researchers dream,
The Perfect Cold, the Cold Supreme.
This honored system humbly holds
The Super-cold to end all colds;
The Cold Crusading for Democracy;
The Führer of the Streptococcracy.

Bacilli swarm within my portals
Such as were ne'er conceived by mortals,
But bred by scientists wise and hoary
In some Olympic laboratory;
Bacteria as large as mice,
With feet of fire and heads of ice
Who never interrupt for slumber
Their stamping elephantine rumba.

A common cold, gadzooks, forsooth!
Ah, yes. And Lincoln was jostled by Booth;
Don Juan was a budding gallant,
And Shakespeare's plays show signs of talent;
The Arctic winter is fairly coolish,
And your diagnosis is fairly foolish.
Oh what a derision history holds
For the man who belittled the Cold of Colds!

... dancing is good for the soul

It is a little early for holiday cheer, but for the hell of it I just want to remind everyone that you only have 36 more days to get your groovin' elf self on.

Go ahead ... elf yourself!

...you'll ruin your eyes.

Top five reasons I wear glasses (not contacts):

1. Glasses are sexy. Case. In. Point. (Plus if it's on a t-shirt, it must be so)
   
2. I'm not terribly fond of the idea of poking around in my eye.
   
3. I live in an incredibly dry climate. Not so good for contacts.
   
4. I have allergies that make my eyes itch. Again, not so good for contacts.
   
5. Did I mention the part about not poking my eye?
   

... share and share alike

Thought I'd share my pattern for my felted Rosey Vroom bag. You can buy the Rosey Vroom pattern now for $3.00 at my Ravelry Shop!

Rosey Vroom Shoulder Bag
A felted project for beginner knitters!

© 2005 Heidi Eikenhorst

Materials:

Lamb’s Pride Bulky weight wool as follows:

Color A: 2 skeins - Midnight Green (M-195)

Color B: 2 skeins - Pistachio (M-184)

Color C: 1 skein – Old Sage (M-69)

Color D: 1 skein – Garnet (M-25)

Color E: 1 skein – Aubergine (M-185)

Bag is worked with a single strand of bulky wool. If you would like to substitute worsted weight wool for the bulky make sure to use two strands held together, this will require more yardage.

Needles:
Size US 13 circular needles, 24 inch

Dimensions:

Before Felting: 14 tall x 10 wide x 5 deep, Finished: 9” tall x 7 ½” wide x 3 ½” deep.

All dimensions are approximate and depend largely on the amount of material used, the felting time and the gauge.

Gauge:
3 sts./inch. Note: Gauge is not as important with felted projects. Tight knitters should definitely use size13 needles; very loose knitters may want to jump down to a size 11. However, I knit slightly looser than average and used size 13 needles quite successfully.

... knowledge is power

NOTE: This post was moved from my old Vox blog and was originally posted on April 9th, 2007.

I guess I should mention what the insulin pump actually does for a person with diabetes for those not in the know. My pal, Jen, asked me about it on the phone tonight and I realized that in all of my postings I never mentioned what pumping is all about.

What is insulin anyway?
In order to accurately describe pumping, it is necessary to understand the basics of how insulin works in the body of a person without type 1 diabetes. For all of us without diabetes, our pancreas regulates our blood sugars by releasing two different hormones, glucagon and insulin. When going about your daily tasks, the pancreas lets out small doses of insulin constantly. It keeps the blood sugar range from going too high by increasing the insulin to turn food into energy. It keeps the blood sugar from dropping too much by releasing glucagon (this stimulates the release of glycogen from the liver), ultimately raising the blood sugar. The pancreas is a well oiled machine that keeps our blood sugar in really tight control. It is thought that even before we take a bite of food at a meal, our pancreas has already started delivering higher levels of insulin to balance with the food we consume.

Insulin is necessary to take every bit of food we consume and turn it into energy. But people who have type 1 diabetes no longer make enough insulin to turn food into energy. Without insulin the blood sugar rises to high levels and the body compensates by making you drink lots of water to dilute the level of sugar. When this happens no sugar enters the cells of the body and therefore it cannot be used as fuel. In response the body thinks it is starving because it has no sugar available for use in the cells. So it starts burning fat stores for fuel. The body literally starts eating itself. All of this makes a person with developing diabetes very sick. Without treatment this person would die in a very short amount of time (weeks, not months).

Insulin shot

Injections ... for now
My daughter has been on insulin injections since she was diagnosed at the age of four. She doesn't just have one or two shots per day, she has more like four, and when she's sick you can easily double that number. I don't say this to complain or to make you feel sad, I tell you this so you'll understand what we currently are doing to keep her blood sugar in good control. For type 1 you cannot take a pill to treat diabetes. You can't just watch your diet and eveything will be oaky. You must take insulin or you will die ... soon.

Pumps

Pumping!!!
The pump makes things so much easier. First of all, instead of getting poked with a needle four times per day, you only get a needle poke every other day. The insulin is delivered through tubing that connects to the body, called an infusion set. The other end of the infusion set connects to the pump, which is a small electronic device (the size of a pager or cell phone) that contains a reservoir with insulin. The computer inside the pump helps deliver small little bits of insulin throughout the day, very similarly to the way the pancreas does. So with the new pump, my daughter will get a super small dose (we are talking tenths of units here, folks) every three minutes. This function aims at keeping her blood sugars steady throughout the day. Because this is a machine and not an actual human organ, it doesn't work anywhere near as well as the pancreas, but it is much better than shots. In addition to the little bits of insulin delivered during the day (called basal dose), the pump also delivers a bolus dose.

Infusion set

A bolus dose is a dose of insulin that is delivered when the blood sugar is too high or at a meal (or snack) time based upon the amount of carbohydrates eaten. So right now if Samantha wants a couple of pieces of candy for a snack, she either has to take a pass and miss out on the Easter candy (because the insulin needed to cover that amount of food would be too small to administer via syringe) or she would have to eat a little more than a couple of pieces so that she could receive a bolus dose by shot. But once she starts on the pump she can have those two pieces of candy, enter them in the pump and the pump will deliver the right amount of insulin to cover those consumed carbs. When dinner time comes around we count up every gram of carbohydrate eaten and we input it into the pump. Based upon a bunch of calculations and definitions (I won't bore you with them) previously set up in the pump's computer, the pump recommends a meal bolus dose. We can accept the recommended dose or we can modify it. Similarly, when the blood sugar rises out of target range the pump recommends a correction bolus dose to bring it back into the preset range. Once the dose is accepted it is "pumped" out of the reservoir through the tubing and into the body.

The benefits of pumping over injections are many. First of all, there is a reduced risk of low blood sugars (which happen regularly with injections). Second, it keeps the blood sugars from fluctuating so much and if everything is set up correctly, it can lead to much better blood sugar control. Good blood sugar control reduces the risk for complications (blindness, heart disease, amputation, kidney failure, etc.). Anything that does that and allows my daughter more freedom with food and fewer needles, makes me a very happy mom!

... thank god for technology!

NOTE: This post was moved from my old Vox blog and was originally posted on April 26th, 2007.

Yay! We are live with insulin! Everything went really well at pump start today! Samantha has a kidney infection, so that complicates matters a bit as infection makes her more insulin resistant. But, we are doing good! Here are some pics.

This is Samantha's infusion set. She has 10 viable sites on each side of her tummy and 6 viable sites on each side of her upper tush. Having so many site options to rotate will greatly reduce scar tissue build up and site problems! The infusion set in this picture is a different type of set she will normally use. This one is called the Comfort Short and requires a manual insertion (using an introducer needle -- no cool little insertion device with this guy). We decided to give it a try so that we would know how to insert a different set if she does not do well on her prescribed sets. This set goes in at an angle and works great for kids without many fatty areas. You need fat for sub q insulin delivery! Luckily my kid has some padding so chances are the other sets will do just fine.

Skb infusion

This second photo is the pump itself. We all started calling it Greenie before it ever showed up and the name just stuck. Although Samantha did inform us in the car on the way home that Greenie is in fact a girl pump. This home screen shows the name and current basal rate. Basal rate is the rate at which the small little doses of insulin are delivered over the period of one hour. This screen shows that she gets .7 units of insulin per hour this time of night. Since that .7 unit is split up into tiny doses delivered every 3 minutes, the actual doses delivered are insanely small.

Greenie

Picture number three and four are her supply box and the typical supplies needed for one set change. The box is kept on the kitchen counter for quick access for treatment of lows and set changes. We decorated it together.

Well I guess that's it for now. I am sure I will have plenty of updates in the coming days. Wish us luck on a smooth start!

... when life gives you lemons, make a video.

Samantha's story about living life with diabetes is up on YouTube! Here's the link! Anyone willing to part with a couple of bucks can also make a donation to Team Sammy K, raising funds for this year's JDRF walk to Cure Diabetes! The walk has come and gone, but donations are always welcome!

Thanks all!

... Vox is lame

Therefore I am moving to Blogger. I never visit Vox, so I didn't see the point of keeping my blog over there. I may move some of my old posts from Vox over here. I am now officially a Blogger blogger. Does that make sense?