Coffee Cozy - free pattern

I had been looking for a coffee cup cozy pattern for fingering sock weight yarn for long while, and couldn’t find one. So, easiest solution – make one up! This cozy should fit small through large size cups.

Ravelled here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coffee-cozy-4

YARN: Fingering weight sock yarn. The most important thing is it should be machine washable. I used yarn from the wonderful Storied Yarns – http://storiedyarns.etsy.com .
NEEDLES: US size four DPNs or circular long enough for magic loop.
GAUGE: 1” = 7 sts
NOTIONS: Tapestry needle to weave in ends.

INSTRUCTIONS:
- Cast on 62 sts, and join to begin knitting in the round, being careful not to twist.
- Work in K1, P1 ribbing for five rows.
- Knit five rounds.
- Next round: K1, K2tog, K to last three sts, SSK, K1.
- Next: K all sts
- Repeat these two rounds three times more. 8 sts decreased, 54 sts remain.
- Knit five rounds.
- Work in K1, P1 ribbing for five rounds.
- Bind off all stitches. I recommend going up a needle size or two for bind off.
FINISHING: Weave in all ends.

Pattern and images copyright Natalie Gonzalez, 2012. Please do not reproduce and redistribute pattern. Please do not make these items to sell unless for charity. www.nantucketknitter.com

These Are a Few of my Favorite Things!

First off, Remember to enter my giveaway! Click here!
Well, it's 3.20 AM, and I can't sleep. So why not post for Favorite Thing Friday?! On Thursday, teehee. I have to be honest, FTF is my, well, favorite Linky Party, and on the weeks I am able to post, I can't wait to do it!!
Things have been pretty darn good over in my neck of the world. Some of my favorite things this week are:

(She's pulling super powers out of her hair by the way.)

Going for long walks with small children. It forces me to stop rushing from thing to thing. Their enjoyment of the smallest things never ceases to amaze me and is a valuable lesson.

Plus we got some pretty flowers in the process!

An infinity scarf I am working on. Because I plan on selling it a fair this summer, (first time renting a table!) I can afford better yarn than I normally would. It's 30% silk 70% merino wool, and I absolutely love working with it. Though I have a massive project I have to get done that's been paid for (and believe me it's getting done!) I keep making excuses to pick this one up.
Pattern is from the wonderful Trappings and Trinkets.

I also had some much needed retail therapy. I got another pair of shoes as well as the ones pictured. And while they're beautiful, they just don't photograph so well. I've needed new flats, easy shoes to throw on and walk to town, for about two years or so now. My Birkenstocks were looking pretty hagard for a while, then the other day they fell apart. Literally. The bottoms fell off. And since I've had them since before I met my ex husband, I decided it was time to throw them out rather than fix them. Poor things deserve some rest.
Wish I'd gotten a picture though. The insides of a Birkenstocks is pretty neat.

This is my absolute favorite thing this week. I have also been needing a new purse, as the handle on my old one broke. This picture isn't very good, but it's got THE coolest tree on it. I saw it hanging in the bookshop, and it called my name.
Well, the very similar messenger called my name at first. But for some reason I kept drifting to this one, though the messenger looked a little cooler.
Then, this was pointed out to me:

It's bottom compartment is insulated. That's right. SOO epic. I am a mother who is constantly babysitting other children. I am all the time throwing snacks into my purse as we go to town, playground, whatever. Which often times ooze or explode onto the other contents of my purse. And my purse is often more of a knitting bag than a purse. I always have a few projects on the go.
I can't count the amount of times food has ruined a project. Most likely, projects that were commissioned. Which means staying up 'til three AM catching up on the lost knitting. (I may be disorganize person about lots of things, but with knitting I keep a tight schedule!)
And now, if the food explodes, it's only going to get onto itself and the wipeable insulation! I am so inexpressable happy right now.
I am now off to bed to try to scrape a few hours of sleep in. Happy day all!
UPDATE - small children and new purse got to go to the beach today! Add that to my favorite things for the week!

Giveaway!

This is just a reminder post as my emotional post last night may have taken away from my post earlier in the day about my giveaway. I am giving away a yarn dying kit on my new Blog! Hop on over to enter! Good luck!

My First Daughter - a sad post

I am going to preface this post right now: this is not a happy post. If you were looking for something more like my normal stuff, skip this one and come back another time. Please.

Tonight, I was watching a season finale show with my mother. In it, an adoptive mother and the bioligical mother lost their child. That is, until the last thirty seconds, when his blood mother (in this the adoptive mother was true evil, like literally an evil queen from a fairy tale) gave him a kiss and told him she loved him. Which broke the curse over the entire town and brought him back to life. This was a true love's kiss you see. And that's enough.
Except on July 24, 2007, I lost my first daughter. I gave her body a thousand kisses, and told her I loved her more times than I can count. Why wasn't my curse broken?
This is something I have wanted to post about so many times. I am not going to go into the details. All I am going to say is that on July 23 2007 I was informed I had lost a child.
I am really realizing for some reason, in the last few months, how much I never let myself mourn her death. Small things bring it back like it's happening to me now. Only those closest to me, until now, have really known. Now I guess I need to tell the world, at least the small portion of the world I can reach.
Madeleine Anne, my first daughter, passed away.
Lately, I literally can't go thirty minutes in any single day without thinking of her. For someone like me, who has a documented anxiety disorder, this is debilitating.
But this is me.
I don't know what else to say, but I've wanted to share it with anyone and everyone.
Madeleine Anne Gonzalez, who never had a proper funeral, I miss you. Your sister Magdalena is asking who the baby is in the photo in my bedroom. She is wondering what is in that pink marble container.
I realized the other day that she has never, ever been for a walk. Felt the sunshine. So if you live in my town and see me in the next few days walking around with what looks like a square piece of marble, you know why.

A giveaway!

I am giving away a yarn dying kit on my new Blog! Hop on over to enter!
Good luck!

Organic Hand Dying Yarn!

A great and creative activity!

You can e-mail me for a pdf at natalie@nantucketknitter.com
You will need:
- a teaspoon
- a big enamel or cast iron pot
- a thermometer
- white, cream or light coloured wool yarn
- dye
- citric acid

STEP ONE: Wash yarn. Follow washing instructions on yarn.
STEP TWO: Fill large enamel or stainless steel pot with warm water, you want it about 100 degrees. Tap water should be sufficient. Add yarn and soak for fifteen minutes.

STEP THREE: Dissolve between 1/4 - 1/2 tsp (depending on how intense you want the color) dye in a small paper cup with warm water, and add dissolved dye to yarn bath. Stir to incorporate, and soak for ten minutes.

STEP FOUR: Slowly raise temperature to 175 degrees F, and soak at consistent 175 for ten minutes.
STEP FIVE: Add one teaspoon of citric acid and stir to dissolve. Slowly raise temperature and stir until water is cleared. If water is not cleared in a few minutes add another teaspoon of citric acid. If the water is almost clear, by the time the water is cool, it should be clear.

STEP FIVE: Once water is clear, remove pot from heat immediately. Let cool, then rinse with cold water and let the yarn dry.
CONGRATS! You have now dyed yarn!

A great yarn dying kit to start with

(This last picture was dyed one solid color following these instructions, and then it was repeated again on half of the yarn sing a darker color. It produces a long striping pattern.)
Photos © Natalie Gonzalez

Organic Tomato Plants!

I was at a local farm recently, and came across fairly cheap windowsill greenhouses. Every year I have tried to grow my own tomato, pepper, and other assorted plants. Well, it's only April 20th, but already, thanks to these awesome little boxes, I have grown better plants than I ever have before. (I say this knowing the plants are currently less than three inches. That says something about my gardening skills.)
Plus, without realizing it, I purchased organic seeds. I must be the only person in the world who doesn't wonder why a packet of seeds costs over $3.00.
And on another and completely unrelated note, we are making cloud pancakes this morning! If you haven't tried these, you must!

They certainly make someone happy!
Cloud Pancakes
PS, I was going to include more photos, but Blogger kept freezing. And I am too impatient to wait.