Chair Booties

Yes, you read that title right. I'm making chair booties. A woman my mother works with asked me to replace some she has. Of course I agree, after all they couldnt be much worse than baby booties right? Yeah, they aren't all that difficult to make (especially with no pattern), but she needs 24 of them. No rush, but 24 booties. I think I'd just buy a darn rug. I swore I had a pattern (saw one on rav and thought I saved it) but turns out I did not. Luckily, she gave me one of her damaged ones to show me what exactly I was making.

 Easy peasy, so here I am knitting booties while playing that time consuming game zynga calls Castleville. Don't start it, stay away, it will suck your soul. Anywho, looking again at the pattern, it uses sock yarn. I sadly don't own that much sock yarn, and plus I want mine to stand up to a bit more wear and tear. So, dear readers, you get the benefit of having my chair bootie pattern using (bum bum BUM!) ACRYLIC YARN! Yes, that horrid stuff just about everyone has lurking in their stash (I have oodles because a) its washable b) its durable and c) its cheap). Perfect for this project right? Right. So, here we go:

You will need:

Small amounts of Red Heart acrylic yarn (any colour will do obviously, it's all your preference)
Size 4dpn (gage really isnt crucial here, just needs to make a nice tight fabric that fits around your chair leg)
Darning needle (just for weaving in ends and whatnot)

Cast on 21 sts

Work in k2, p1 rib for however long you want (mines about 2 1/4)

Next rnd: K1, k2tog; rep around
Next rnd: K
Next rnd: K2tog; rep around
Next rnd: K

Cut yarn, draw through remaining stitches and fasten off. Weave in ends.

Voila, you have a chair bootie!

Make 3 more if you don't want your one chair leg to feel different.

it's a little scrunched in due to the rib, but it fits my chair perfectly

bottom view

chair bootie in action! dark action, but its a black chair leg

If you want to make it a bit more durable (and I aim to attempt this) you can crochet a small circle to stuff inside the bottom of the bootie. Any colour is fine because nobody but you will see it. Secure it with a few stitches (thats why I made mine a bit taller than the original). Let me know how it works!

Pouchies

New pattern! Been a while, and I'm very sorry. I'm not really much of a designer, I mostly tweak other patterns to fit my style. Been debating on posting this for a while, hoping to get the hat and mug cozy finished first but they went into UFO limbo for a bit and it's depressing digging through that. As for all these patterns, feel free to make them as gifts, but please don't charge for them or claim them as your own design.

This is designed to be worn across the chest so the strap lies on the shoulder and the pouch sits on the opposite hip. Holds your immediate essentials like a cellphone, cash, and lip balm for those trips when a bulky purse really isnt desirable (like concerts, craft fairs, or regular fairs)

You will need:

• size 8 dpn (set of 4)
• Red Heart Supersaver (one skein makes more than one pouchie)
• small button (maybe half an inch? never measured, just matched them to the yarn from my stash)
• sewing needle and thread for button
• darning needle or crochet hook for weaving in ends and attaching strap

My gage was the 17/23 listed on the ball band, but yours may vary. It isnt critical to this project, but it shouldnt be terribly loose. This does have a bit of stretch to it, so account for some give.

Cast on 30 sts, and divide onto needles (10 on each), keeping a long tail for sewing up the bottom later.
Work in the round for 6".
At the beginning of the next row, bind off 15 stitches.

Flap: working on 2 dps back and forth

Work the remaining 15 sts in st st, making sure to work the first 2 and last 2 stitches of each row in garter (prevents curling).
Work for 2" from the bind off.

Buttonhole:
RS row: k7, yo, k2tog, k to end of row
Next row: k (garter edge)
BO
Weave in flap ends

Use the long cast on tail to sew the bottom together (I used a fake grafting to sew mine, adds that little bit more support)

Strap:
Cast on 3 stitches, leaving a tail for attaching
Work in i-cord for 48" stretched, or for however long you wish. Make sure you account for stretching! The weight of your phone and goodies will pull the icord longer than you made it. To make mine, I kept stretching it around a wooden ruler, make measuring easy too.
Bind off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Using the tails, attach the icord to either side of the flap, to the bound off stitches not the flap itself. Weave in ends,

Sew on your button, add a motif if desired (one that stretches 15sts by 15 sts fits best, I have some drawn up. Soon as I figure out how to plot them, I'll start posting :) )

Show off your pouchie!

Rain, rain, go away...on second thought, stay a while.

June 3rd. Monday (still may) was hot, sunny, and we were all breaking in flip flops. Sunday (now June), pouring rain, wrapping in blankets, and drinking hot chocolate to warm up. Insanity. But at least we have the rain and the nice weather for Memorial Day. Lots of people got their gardens in, planted flowers, we made our annual cemetary run. The last one nailed me with a tick in my leg (oh the joys). Ever wanna scare yourself, research Lyme Disease and tick bites. It was a rotten deer tick too, I've had dog ticks bite me but this is a bit more serious. Everythings looking fine, obviously red but it's not getting worse just..there. Along with black fly bites which take FOREVER to heal. Heard a neat trick for those though, clear nailpolish. The air is what makes the itch reaction so no air no itch. Meanwhile, I'm using my Aveeno anti itch stuff. Highly recommend it for anyone with kids, no stinging, stinking, and no itch. Back to the rain and the fact that its cold and sucky. Stick around rain, means no annoying children running rampant in the parking lot. Not to mention, end of hard yellowed grass and hopefully means we get grass instead of that sickly green seed/fertilizer we have now. I've avoided the forcast, worried it will put a damper on my week planning (ha, like I plan anything!). National Running Day is June 6th and to promote healthier habits, the school is having the kids run. Parents invited. Me + running = pain and painful to watch, but I love my kid enough that I'm going to try. Eep. Friday will be the Family Fun Night (pack a lot into the last month of school don't they?) so there's a reward for good behavior on both our parts. I need to start buckling down and get serious about my weight and my diet. I've developed a pattern and its not good at all. I'm starting with soda vs water intake. Bottle of water when I get up instead of can o'soder (except this morning, alternated). Eating breakfast foods early instead of grabbing a handful of something salty (like chips) or whatevers leftover in the fridge at 9 30, 10. Lunch when I'm hungry, not because it's noon. Dinner at a decent hour, not right before bedtime. Cut soda intake down from umpteen million to two cans (still sounds like a lot but thats a huge cut for me). I'm even keeping a mental food diary, it's hard not to cheat though. I keep "forgetting" i ate a fun size candy, or cheese and crackers. But theres a certain amount of effort in writting it down that keeps me from doing it, that and the worry of someone finding it. I don't count calories, fat, or anything of the sort, just what I eat. This cruddy weather really isn't instilling any fasting thoughts so I'm distracting myself with rotten facebook games. Carry on lovlies!

Monday is new web comic day, Tuesday is new yarn day

Ok, only the first part of that is true. I haz new yarn! Granted, its a lot of Bernat Bling Bling and some odd balls of super bulky but yay! Why yay? Because it means I get to look them up on Ravelry and discover some new ideas for projects. Like a crochet pattern that I'd like to test even though I can't follow a pattern to save my life (nice picture though). In other boring news, skipped the breast cancer walk (long drive for a minimum of walking), my other projects are at a total standstill (other than dishrags), and the house is a disaster. Part of the last is not my fault, rotten kitchen drain had a clog and it of course chose after hours to blow. Literally. Flooded the cupboard. So I've been waiting for it to dry, all the stashed junk got to see the light of day, and my kitchen is inaccessable till it dries. Otherwise I'm ducking lysol, dishsoap, and vases. So I sorta have an excuse right? I did laundry at least! Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner, this year like every year I join my mother and aunt to take care of the family plots (plant flowers, add statues, etc etc). It's gotten to be something I look forward to. I enjoy seeing the two of them together, my mother seems so different but when they start interacting it's funny to realize they are sisters. Its kind of nice seeing that, my mother tends to be a bit standoffish. More good news? My grandma will be up next month! Yay! Not long, but long enough to see her and hug her. Which is always something :)

Short end of the hook?

A friend asked me to look for a pattern for her, shed had no luck and her computer hates her at the moment (got news for everyone, mines not too fond of me). So i started hunting through crochet, and im astounded by the vest patterns. They look so happy in them but they look terrible! Some of those I havent seen since Blossom aired. I mean a vest isnt the greatest item of clothing ever made but still that doesnt mean it has to be a shame to wear! I've gone through the knitted vests (looking for costume ideas) and while there were some bad ones, there werent anywhere near as many as there were for crochet. The question is why? There are some totally cute crochet items out there, why cant they make a good vest? Looking at the tops, i see so many I want (i cant do much beyond a granny square) but its just the vest that are bad...i guess its to outweigh the knitted blankets?

Mom Jeans

This seems to be a mom thing. We are either at that point where we have 3 pairs of pants and are constantly washing them, or we have just enough to get through and stop looking at clearance racks for our size because the kid(s) outgrowing everything again. I'm currently on the first right now, halfway between sizes so anything I buy of either or does NOT fit (and yes, cry like a baby while struggling to either peel them off my calves or watching them puddle between the knees). I'm looking at the slowly shredding material and thinking "I just bought these!" and remember, I bought them last year. We had a little extra from the paycheck, I had just torn out my 2 best fitting pairs of pants (yep, year old then too but I wore them daily) and he took me shopping. Full price shopping no less, because I found nothing at the thrift store. I hated it. I hated spending that much money on something when I knew it could stretch so much more on the kids clothes, on cleaning supplies, on groceries, on anything and everything else BUT me. I've reached that point again, and I'm getting very dismal about it. I'm stuck digging out pants that are too loose but wearable, pants that mean i cant sit down for an hour because they need to stretch out again. I'm stuck looking like that person you see walking down the sidewalk thinking to yourself "why doesnt she buy something that fits?". Now you know why. And it honestly tends to be a mom thing. My mother will sooner buy herself a new shirt and shoes instead of pants. Why? One pair of pants will match 3-6 of her shirts and shoes. She will wear them till they are air conditioned (torn out in the thighs, back pockets, all that area). She won't go out and buy a new pair unless she desperately is in need of them. So, I started bringing some from the thrift store (it wasn't something we were really doing, dad was and is a brand name everything man). Now I get requests from her. Its comforting to know that I can help someone out with mom pants, even if it isnt myself. Maybe thats what it takes, someone else to bull us into getting pants when we need them despite us protesting every step of the way. Till then, I'm suffering with my pants, please ignore me if I'm stuck wearing gym pants one day because we all needed socks and underpants again (thats something else that falls under mom jean catagory). I'm well aware those pants are better suited for someone half my buttcheek size, but until you take me shopping, stfu.

Updated Lifestyle

I feel like I've ignored this poor blog. These past few months have just flown by and I swear someone has been taking days out of my week. What doesnt help? How many interruptions a week can have. I house sit for my parents when they go out of town and that includes doggie sitting. Its mind numbingly simple to do, they know what they do all day all they need is food, water, and poop scooping (the inside one is more attention needful but the hellspawn takes care of that). Otherwise I'm bored to tears. Knitting time right? Wrong, I'm at that bordom threshold where nothing seems interesting. Add the health walks. I know you've seen them, community walks that want people to raise money or donate for such and such a cause, great idea. I did the heart walk with my sister (did we ever look classy, plaid pj pants and red shirts woohoo). Now the breast cancer walk, which again is a great cause. I have no objections to doing them, it's fun. I get sibling time (there wasnt a lot of that growing up, I was an absolute pest) and I get to see how many people are willing to come together for, in some cases, perfect strangers. Now I bought a small ball of Patons Cotton DK at the thrift store, of course I went on Ravelry to check projects. I discovered a few were used to make Tit Bits which is something I've had lurking in my pattern folder. While these are not for everyone, it might bring a smile to the face of someone whos faced down cancer. The notes Beryl Tsang wrote are touching, giggle worthy, and seem to embrace what most survivors seem to be. Maybe knitting for a cause can get me back on track, I need to fine tune that coffee cup cozy and the ugly hat needs finishing (along with countless other things). Hopefully more patterns soon! Unless I get distracted..then yeah...SQUIRREL!