So, now onto that project I mentioned. I want to make a knitting pattern. I want to actually create another one to put up on Ravelry and start to move more into that direction of knitting. I want to knit a great deal in my life, and I want to create patterns, too, as a means of giving back.

I have a folder of patterns, 436 of them, and about 500 favourite patterns on Ravelry, with a small overlap. Probably about 5% of the patterns I have on my computer – oh goodness, that’s not even counting one’s I’ve previously printed off and have in a drawer! – are for sewing patterns, and the rest are for knitting.

Nearly all of the patterns I have were free. I’ve bought two patterns, so far I think, though I’m planning on buying a few more soon. I’d like to give back, because I think part of what’s made knitting so accessible for me and many like me, is the abundance of free patterns!

I’m thinking of designing a cute little sparrow bird, or… well I don’t know. There’s not all that many patterns for muffatees, and I think they’re cute and sort of useful, so I’d like to make up some. Nonetheless, I will set my mind to making more patterns at some point.

I got a small amount of cash a week ago from selling my old mobile phone for recycling, and I’m hoping to go pick up some yarn with it. Perhaps I’ll be inspired by what I see in the yarn store?

Now for a pattern… I don’t wear tank tops, but this heart lace top is pretty.

When I made up my pattern, it was so basic that I thought it almost didn’t really count as a pattern. I got the idea based off of another pattern, and just turned that motif into a cowl. Quite neat and cute, but it wouldn’t take a genius to figure it out.

So, with trepidation, I put the pattern up on Ravelry. It’s been up for two days now and it’s still accumulating more favourites and ending up in more queues. That’s amazing to me, because… well… I just never thought I’d see something I designed be respected enough by other knitters to actually want to make it themselves!

Is that odd? It’s not if you’ve no self-esteem, I suppose, but that’s an issue I’m aware of and working on!

So, now it leads me to ponder making other patterns, but that can wait until I’m actually inspired. Right now I’m inspired to knit simpler things, and smaller things, as I said, because of the warmer season.

Over the weekend I sat down and knitted my fiancé a hot water bottle cover. It’s quite pretty, and knit up well, but I found that, for the first time, I was really pushing to finish something I was knitting quite quickly, and it kind of burned me out a little. I’m not really surprised by that, but it’s not good, either. I’ve still got to make another of these for myself, but that will have to wait a little bit.

The pattern itself was nice, though you have to add in a knit row at the end of the cable pattern to keep the pattern correct. It’s nice to have a bit of texture on something your feet will be rubbing against, and it’s nice also to have the neck of the cover go well past the neck of the bottle, because that bit always gets really hot! So here’s the link to the Celtic Cozy pattern!

My boy-cat, a very cute, lovable, affectionate, friendly, creature, has a nasty habit of peeing on anything on the floor, and some things not on the floor. This includes but is not limited to the following items. Shoes. Bags. Paper. Bath mats. Kitchen bench – just once, thankfully. Toilet – yeah, in the toilet, so cute! Bathroom basin – this I actually don’t mind, I just spray it down with disinfectant every day and we’re set, and no stinky litter box.

If the door to the bathroom isn’t open, then this cat will usually scratch on the front door to be let out to pee outside – always in the neighbours garden, too – or scratch on the bathroom door. We have to keep the door shut, generally, because there is this very odd set up with the bathroom window where the window pane doesn’t reach quite to the top of the casement, in an effort, we have supposed, to allow steam to escape from the shower. Judging by the peeling paint on the ceiling, this hasn’t really worked all that well.

I mentioned that he pees on paper, this lead him one day to pee on the pattern I have for my little capelettes that I make. This is a free pattern that you download and print off, then sticky tape together. This is a really annoying process, that I recently just finished going through for the second time. Now, I had the pattern pieces laid out on the floor because I was pinning and cutting from the fabric last night. I don’t have a large enough table so I use a big floor rug. It’s the best method I’ve come up with, so far. He just peed on them… so… okay, my fault, I have to admit, but goodness how frustrating!

This time, though, I’m going to pay to have the pieces printed on a large-format printer – I can have this done at the University I attend for a small fee – and I won’t be leaving them on the floor! I’ve learned! Finally!

The pattern for this post has to be humorous to suit my chagrin at this entire situation of my boy-cat and his pee-ful ways. It also has to be kitty-oriented. So here’s two. My knitting pattern is this kitty beret, because if he pees on my stuff one more time, I’m going to make him wear it. The other pattern is one is one that is actually for crochet, but it’s cute and in keeping with the topic at hand. POOP!

I bought myself five 100g skiens of a dusty rose pink (though I’m considering going back and swapping this for a set of white that was there) merino wool. The yardage works out to about 1250meters, so enough to make a not overly complex jumper, or a vest of any sort, or maybe a cardigan. But now I don’t know what I want to make, and it is really annoying.

There are a few patterns that are standing out, and I think the pattern should be something with some detail, cables or the like, because the yarn is all the same colour so it would show up well. I don’t know about an entire jumper, because the yarn feels like it might be scratchy, so maybe a vest so it goes over another top? I don’t know! Gah! So frustrating!

The patterns that I have been considering are as follows, a jumper by the name of Terra, a cardigan by the name of Faery Ring, but I would have to buy more yarn for that one, a jumper by the name of Kelper, and a vest by the name of GreenDay…

What I love about the Terra pattern is that it is very pretty and flattering, and I love the hood. I love Faery Ring for so many reasons, the Celtic cables, the hood, and the name! I think the Kelper pattern has a lovely Celtic cable on it, and I like the simplicity of the garment, and it is also flattering, and the GreenDay vest is also very pretty, but not sure if it is as flattering.

I’m going to ask my fiancé and see which he likes better, and I think I will go swap the yarn for the nice white stuff. I just think I will end up wearing it more often if it is in white. Drum roll please… he likes… the Terra pattern the most! Woot! And he thinks trading the pink yarn for white is the way to go, too. Okay, now I’m set!

Today’s knitting pattern has to be something completely different, so how about absurdly cute? Sounds good? Yeah, this is just that, how gorgeous is that top photo of a baby in the the Brown Bear Baby Beanie?