Saturday was a day of oops for me. I made this great mix of music for walking, in the range of 120-130 BPM so I can keep a good pace. I went for a walk with my huz and we were walking at a good clip and suddenly my iPod starts stuttering and gets stuck. I tried to turn it off, but no go. Then suddenly it worked again, about an hour later! As I am walking back to the car, I feel it starting to drop, and discover this. The strap had become unstitched from the case I was using. I’m glad I felt it dropping, or I would have been really bummed!
So when I got home, I started looking on line for a new case, maybe a sturdier one or an armband one. But my iPod is a Gen 3, so it’s pretty heavy and old, so there aren’t many choices left out there. I think it might be too heavy for an arm band. So I decided to knit one for myself. I cast on, and after a while I decided I didn’t like what I started with, and went to pull the needle out so I could frog and look what happened! This is a KnitPicks Options needle and the cable came right out of the coupling. I am going to email them and see if they will replace it, since I’ve only had it for a month. Luckily, I could switch out the other cable and so I was able to continue.
So here’s what I came up with. It started with about a mile of I-cord, which I then used to pick up stitches and knit the body in the round while the I-cord wraps around the whole thing. I picked up a stitch of I-cord in each of the four “corners” of the bag and knit it together (k2tog or ssk, as appropriate) until the bag was long enough to hold my iPod. No, I didn’t knit all that I-cord myself. I used my handy-dandy Embellish-Knit! which works great with yarns DK or smaller. Once you read the directions. ;/
When it was all done, I thought it was too loosey-goosey, so before binding off, I got my handy seed stitcher tool (for machine knitters) and dropped whole columns of stitches, changing it to a mostly k2p2 rib all around. I tried it on again and liked it much better. I bound off one side and began knitting the flap back and forth, with an I-cord edging on each side. The flap was a little narrow, so I cast on 5 stitches in the middle of the row, creating a hole that my remote cord or headphones would fit through.
I toyed with double knitting the pocket on the flap, but decided that I didn’t want to try doing that for the first time with a single, solid color yarn. It would be too easy to mess it up. Instead, I knitted down the flap, decreased a few stitches to give it a little curve, then did a row of purls as a turning ridge. Then I knitted the pocket side of the flap, with an inch of k1p1 ribbing at the last inch, and bound off.
The I-cord edging on the flap had a nice 2 st purl dip which was perfect for sewing up the edges of the pocket to the flap, which were the only seams for the whole thing! I wove in my ends, and here is the result. What do you think? I made it long enough to fit over my neck and under my arm so it will be out of the way when walking. Since it’s knit, it will have a little stretch to it and the weight of the iPod will hold it down while I walk. When it’s not being used, the pocket will hold the remote and headphones. When it’s being used, the pocket could hold my car key.
It’s knit with under one skein of Louet Sales Opal Gems Merino on a size 3.5mm needle. Took about 4 hours to knit, frog, knit some more, frog some more, and finally finish.

This one has more pictures than the last one, so be patient while they load.

Unmolded Jello Soap
After chilling the mold most of the day, I’ve turned it out onto the cutting board. Now, you’ll see why I wanted it cold.

Shred Shred Shred
I push it down the chute of my food processor using the shredding blade. If the soap was at room temperature, it will cause the food processor to jam. As it is, I just give it a gentle pressure to keep it moving, never forcing it. When the bowl is full, I dump it out and shred some more. I have to empty the bowl three times for the 1/2 pound of soap.

A full bowl
Here it is all dumped into the mixing bowl.

Stuffing the molds
I stuff the molds with the shredded soap. I want it to be loose enough for the white soap base to fill in the spaces, so I don’t pack it in too tight.

Chopping the White Soap Base
Using the bench scraper, I chop up a pound of the white soap base.

Ready to melt some more
I also throw in the heel of the soap that didn’t get shredded, and pop it in the microwave on 60% power for 5 min.

Adding the dyes
I want the white base to be slightly green tinted, so I add a bit of blue and yellow dye. I’ve also done this soap with pale orange, to go with the Ginger-Lime scent. I also add the scent now.

It’s so hot, the coconut oil is melted
Now you know why I put the soap in the fridge, eh? We are having a bit of a heatwave here. I should have put the coconut oil in the fridge too! Anyway, I add a tablespoon to the bowl.

Waiting for the Shea Butter to melt
I also add a tablespoon of Shea Butter. If you add too many/too much oils to the soap, you will get a nice soap but not a satisfying creamy foamy lather. Yeah, I figured that out by experience. ;/ This seems about the right balance for me.

Filling the molds
I pour the white base in the molds to fill in the spaces between the green shreddies. You can see the way it fills in on the clear container.

Turning out the molds
After letting the soaps cool for a few hours (it doesn’t take that long to cool, I just didn’t get to it sooner) I pop them out onto the cutting board to trim them up and make them into soap bars.

Did you see that? Whoops
There was an area that was either too densely packed, or I poured to slowly for the soap to fill in the blanks. Either way, it won’t make a good bar of soap, so I will cut that piece out.

Trimming up the bars
The other loaf looks great. I trim off the stuff that stuck to the sides of the mold and make some nice chunky soap bars.

Saving up the scraps
Those scraps can be put in a small mold, or this rice bowl, to make one final bar of soap. Just heat it up in the microwave for a few minutes at 60% power but keep an eye on it, since it’s much smaller than the larger quantities melted earlier. In the end, after cutting the smaller loaf into bars, I decided that it really wasn’t structurally sound, there were too many places that had air pockets. In the shower, a bar of soap like that would just fall apart. So, I ended up melting the whole loaf in the mold and let it set. It made a nice creamy green bar.

The final blocks
Here are the final products with the cool shreddy green colors in the center. Smells great, it’s husband approved ;/ and feels great on the skin.
I hope you’ll give it a try some time, even if you don’t do the shreddy bits. It really is a superior product to the supermarket soaps, even if you chop it out of the container it comes in and use it straight without the additives.
Enjoy!

We are just about out of soap around here, so it’s time to make more. I am not so daring as to actually make the soap, since I have the tiniest of kitchens, the vent fan doesn’t work, and I don’t have a hazmat suit.
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For a great soap recipe, that I will eventually try myself when the circumstances are different and I have the equipment, please see this and this great post on Kathy’s site. She also has some great links on that second post that give more information about soap making.
What I do is make melt and pour soaps, which means I am starting with a soap base and then adding what I want to it. I use nice ingredients that I can control for the most part, and I know that the soap is soap and not detergent, which is what most commercial bar soaps that you buy in the supermarket are made of. I mean, would you ever consider using a bar of Zest to wash your hair? No, me either, but this stuff is wonderful and will make a great shampoo in a pinch.
Now I know there’s the whole “Real Soap” vs. “M&P” debate out there, which is about as useful as the Knitting vs. Crochet argument. All have their place.
I thought I would share what I do, since this was all shared with me about a year ago from a work colleague and friend who gave a group of us a work a lesson and shared her knowledge and supplies with us. She taught us several techniques that she uses, including adding all kinds of crazy things like this amazing soap she makes with coffee grounds that smells like a sweet cappuccino!
I split 2 cases of soap with a friend shortly after we learned how easy it is to make soaps. I’m still working on that first case of soap, but am almost ready to either try actually making soap, or buy some more M&P. I’ll decide after I finish up the last batch. I’ve experimented a little. My last batch used lavender buds from my garden (supplemented by some from the whole foods market) and lavender essential oil. It made a great soap for hand washing, but not for the shower, because the little buds would come off the soap and stick to the skin, which isn’t really pleasant when you aren’t awake yet. But you learn what works and what doesn’t.
Here I’ll make my favorite soap of the ones I’ve invented – sort of a citrus soap that ends up looking like a jello salad. You know the one with the coconut and lime jello and cool whip or something? I’ve made it before with Grapefruit scent and red soap too, and it looks good enough to eat.
So here’s how I do it.

Gather your supplies: Fragrances, dyes, a mold to hold the finished product. I usually mold my soaps in household objects, such as a Rubbermaid drawer organizer, or some containers I picked up at the Marukai 98 Cents Superstore. (The Japanese have a container for just about everything, so that’s a great place to look!) I’ve put links below to the vendor where I bought the fragrances and dyes, and the soap bases.

More Supplies: Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, a bench scraper and cutting board.

More Supplies: A microwave safe mixing bowl and rubber scraper.

I’ll be using half clear soap base, and half white. Use the bench scraper to chop the clear soap into chunks. This helps it melt easier in the microwave. Melt on about 60% power for about 3-4 minutes, depending on your microwave. You don’t want to see steam pouring off the top, you just want it melted so there are no solid chunks left.

Here it is all melted. I’ve added two drops of yellow dye and one of blue. Mix slowly and adjust the color if needed.

am going for a lime jello color, and this works for me. It’s all mixed up. Depending on what you are going to do with the soap, you may wish to add a fragrance or additives now. In this case, I added a fragrance “Ginger Lime” to the soap, but no additives. They will come later. When I am making a bigger batch, I won’t add the fragrance to the clear soap base, so that I can add it to other soaps that do have a fragrance.

Pour your soap into a mold while it’s still warm (not hot!). Let it cool for a bit, till it becomes solid. At this point, I am done for the night because I am tired. I will let this mold set overnight, sitting on the counter. In the morning, I’ll throw it in the refrigerator so it will be cool when I get home from work tomorrow, and can continue with the project.
Some sources for supplies:

• Wholesale Supplies Plus

You’ll find fragrances and dyes here, along with the actual soap. This is the only vendor I have used, and I have had great service from them, but I am sure there are others out there that offer the same types of products.

• White Soap Base
• Clear Soap Base

Finally, I have attached the buttons and she’s all done. Here’s a closeup of the sleeve and front. This was taken inside with the flash, but looks pretty true-to-life.


A pose on the blocking board. I am going to do one more blocking – I still haven’t blocked the front bands and that yarn hasn’t been washed so I’m sure a blocking is needed.


And for the nosey people – an inside shot showing the totally woven in ends, even on the little squares. I haven’t woven them all in, just the ones at the front edges which might show if the sweater is left open.
This is the Knitting Bag Jacket from Sally Melville‘s book The Knitting Experience: Color. Knit in Jamieson’s DK Shetland wool. I forget what size needle. Whoops, so much for paying attention.
I like it. It’s cropped, which I didn’t think about before starting. If I had, I would have done a few more pattern repeats before starting the sleeves. All in all, I think it will be a great sweater for winter, and with all the tees I picked up at Target in the spring and last winter that are almost the same colors as the sweater.

I’m so close, but still not done. I have moved on to socks and thoughts of other knitty goodness. But I did finally find buttons that I like enough to commit to. I went to several places and bought several sets of buttons that were wrong wrong wrong, but now I have the ones I want to attach. What do you think?

I just want to do one final steam block of the button band before attaching the buttons. I bought them at a strange place in Orange County that a fellow SnB chicky mentioned. The place was full of dust and I was so itchy when I left I had to use some of those silly wet wipes to wipe down my arms where they were breaking out in welts from the dust. I guess I have an allergy to strange dust, because there is no dusting going on around this place and I don’t break out at home. Huh. Anyway, it was some Russian or Ukrainian woman running the place and she kept telling me about this great yarn she had and the great prices. I’m game, so I go digging through her very strange yarn room and come up with a few gems. She tells me the price and I don’t think I want to pay that much for (nice!) yarn, but not as nice a price as she led me to believe. So I haggle a bit and walk away with only the buttons. I mean, I didn’t go there for yarn, so no skin off my back, but if the price was right I would have bought the yarn.
Anyway. So I am moving on to some socks. These are from Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn and I love this yarn. I started about 2 weeks ago on these socks, toe up using Wendy Johnson’s great pattern as a starting place. I got halfway up the foot and decided I didn’t like it and ripped it all the way out and started again. And I don’t like the short row heel, so I thought I would improvise a flap n’ gusset heel, but from the bottom up. While I was contemplating this, the new Knitty came out and there was a pattern with the same heel I was contemplating, so I read up. That pattern was using much thicker yarn than I, so I did some math and started on the heel. When it seemed done, I tried it on and I hated it!
So I ripped it out again and this time started on size 1 needles and at the cuff end. After about 2 inches, I switched to Crystal Palace 2.0mm (US 0) dpn and worked my way down the cuff. I tried a new heel, that my SnB pal Monika uses and got halfway down the gusset when yay! My package from Knitpicks arrived containing some new 2.0mm 24″ circulars and the set of interchangeables. I haven’t tried the set yet, but I did unpack it all and put it together. I knitted onto the new 2.0mm needles and have been working on the rest of my sock and I love the needles. The cable is so flexible that I can use just one for the sock, unlike my Addi’s or my Aeros. The join is just great, the needles are sharp enough for tight sock yarn knitting and I am getting a sore fingertip but I’ll train myself to stop pushing the tip of my finger onto the needle to move the fabric along. Only my Aeros are that sharp. One other thing… the length of the needle is just right for me. A lot of the smaller needle sizes seem to have shorter needle shafts, which tend to make my hand cramp. Not these, I have been using them since Saturday and no cramps for me! I would recommend these to anyone who asks, and will probably buy the other sizes that aren’t part of the kit, since I do tend to use small needles the most.

Oh, and by the way, that’s not magic loop sock knitting you see there. That’s knitting on a needle that’s longer than your fabric is wide. Nothing magic, nothing you need to buy a book to learn, you can figure it out for free if you are the tiniest bit clever, or like me, frugal with the knitting tools til I figured out if this hobby was going to stick. I can’t believe what people will pay good money for. (uh, no looking in my toybox, though, mkay?)
Later in the week I will try and use the kit needles with some silk I was playing with in the IK lace pattern in the summer issue. I don’t really like the fuzzy fluffy of alpaca, so I thought I’d try silk, but have hated all my needles so far, because they are either too sticky or not pointy enough for thin yarn. We’ll see.

We’ve got some duplicate stitched dots:

A collar and button band:

And some buttonholes:

One sleeve is on, and I am working on the second. I love how blocking makes everything snap into place, I wish I had discovered it sooner. I still have to seam up the body and sleeves and that’s it! It will be easy to do the mattress stitch, since the two-row alternating stripes line up perfectly. It was a piece of cake inserting the sleeve for the same reason.
I am not sure how I feel about the collar. I think it should have gone on after the button band. What do you think? I’m not going to take it out, but I would have done it differently if I had thought about it first.
The buttonholes are strange – there are 5 on each side of the loops, and then opposite one side’s loops are holes in the band, I am guessing to pass the other side’s loops through when buttoning. Now I really need to find some buttons. I should have the other sleeve on in a few days, so maybe I can find some buttons on line and have them by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, I have been working on a sock as my passenger in the carpool knitting. It’s Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn and I love the color. It’s the same yarn I used for my Clapotis, and I bought 2 skeins so I can make a pair of gloves this summer, to take on my Vermont vacation in October. To go with the Clapotis that I am sure I will need in Vermont in October. Since we are only going to see the leaves change (and hope that they will after the crazy weather they are having) we are just going to be driving around. We will be stopping in Harrisville and Green Mountain Spinnery, along the routes we’ll take.