Lee Does Stuff

simple mary jane style booties, part 2!

update 4/14/09: i made some slight changes to the decreases in the pattern, which are in italics (some k2tog’s have been switched to ssk’s). the ravelry pdf, and download links here and on my pattern page have all been updated.

pattern news! first, the patterns bar of my patterns + yarn page is up to date now, with haka added at the top as well as the free pdf download for the mary jane booties, so you can get all my patterns directly through that page now.

so the big news is that i finally slightly redesigned the booties a little to make them fit better, so the pdf download of the pattern is the new version. the only change really is that i added 2 stitches to the whole slipper, so the side comes up higher on the foot, and the whole thing stays on better. also, i added more info about gauge and how the booties really work best if you use several strands of yarn for a super thick fabric. i think some people’s sizing issues were a result of too-fine yarn, so this is pretty important.

speaking of sizing issues, knitter elisa was extremely awesome and commented on the original booties post with some very detailed changes she made for her particular feet, which are wide size 10/11, so i’m going to repost that comment at the bottom of this post for easy access. if anyone else makes successful adjustments for their feet, that would be great if you wanted to post a comment here, so other knitters could use your advice.

other exciting booties update: to go with the redesign and pdf release of the slippers, they are on craftstylish with a detailed how-to for making the bottle cap buttons!!

some useful links: mary jane style booties ravelry page, and download the pdf directly.

it just occurred to me that some might prefer to see the new version of the pattern here on the blog instead of downloading the pdf. since i’m putting this all out there to the world for free, i’m just going to cut and paste the whole pdf text. but please do only use this pattern for personal knitting/gifting, and charity knitting is fine with me. here it is!

Whereas many slippers patterns are meant to be felted for a dense fabric, these are knit with extra bulky yarn on size 11 needles, making a super dense knit fabric, with no need to felt. I like using up fuzzy yarn for comfy slippers – I recommend one strand of a fuzzy yarn with 2 or 3 strands of non-fuzzy. They may be pretty silly looking, but they will keep your feet toasty!

sizing: written for sizes small(medium, large) which are approximately shoe sizes (US women’s) 5-7(8-9, 10-11) – the booties stretch, and exact size will depend on exact gauge and yarn stretchiness. (see the do stuff! blog post about this pattern for size adjustment suggestions.)

yarn: super bulky or several strands held together (equivalent to about 4-5 strands of worsted).

gauge: 4.5 sts per 2 inches. (a little more than 2sts/inch)

you need:
1 pair size US 11 straight needles
1 set (4) size US 11 double pointed needles
a crochet hook
a tapestry needle

note: updated 10/21/09 to add some stitch count numbers in italics.

cast on 18 stitches (leave at least 1 foot tail)
knit 4(6,6) rows
k4, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k4 (16)
knit 1 row
k3, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k3 (14)
knit 1 row

start strap section:
-LEFT-
cast on 12, knit across (26 stitches)
knit 3 rows
bind off 12, knit to end
knit 1 row (14)
-RIGHT-
knit 1 row
cast on 12, knit across (26 stitches)
knit 3 rows
bind off 12, knit to end (14)
(end strap section)

knit 2(4,6) rows
k1, make 1, k12, make 1, k1 (16)
knit 1 row
k1, make 1, k14, make 1, k1 (18)
knit all onto dpns – k7 onto 1st needle, k9 onto 2nd needle, k2 onto 3rd needle
cast on 4 (so that there are 6 sts on 3rd needle), join around, and knit 2 rounds. (22)

start toe decrease section:
(1st needle – k2, ssk, k3) (2nd needle – k7, k2tog) (3rd needle – knit all – 6 sts) (20)
knit 1(2,3) rounds (20)
(1st needle – k2, ssk, k2) (2nd needle – k6, k2tog) (3rd needle – knit all – 6 sts) (18)
knit 2 rounds (18)
(1st needle – k2, ssk, k1) (2nd needle – k5, k2tog) (3rd needle – knit all – 6 sts) (16)
knit 1 round (16)
(1st needle – k1, sk2p) (2nd needle – k4, slip 1 from 3rd needle to 2nd, k3tog) (3rd needle – knit all – 5 sts) (12)
(1st needle – ssk) (2nd needle – k2tog, k2tog, slip 1 from 3rd needle to 2nd, k2tog) (3rd needle – k1, k2tog, k1) (7)

cut yarn, thread through all stitches with a crochet hook, pull tight, tie, and weave in ends.
use the cast on tail to sew up the back, and weave in ends.
sew the straps over on the other sides and add a button, bottlecap, or whatever you want for embellishment.

a few notes:
you can use whichever cast-on methods you prefer; i use a long tail initially, and a single cast-on for the strap and toes.
the buttons are purely decorative – the straps are sewn down because it’s easy to get the slippers on and off with them. if you wanted functioning buttons, you could add buttonholes at the ends of the straps.

and now for elisa’s redesign for her feet:

First, I cast on with 20 stitches and follow the large pattern. I have wide, size 10/11 feet and using only 16 stitches makes the area sort of above my arch too narrow (the six rows right after the strap). I also had to totally re-write the toe portion. I’m not entirely sure what I was doing wrong, but I always ended up with a super-pointy toe that was badly crooked (because of the knit all on the third dpn, which was one of the sides for me.)

When I knit onto the dpns, my first and third needles are the two uppers of the slipper, while the second needle is the sole. I’m not sure if this has to do with how I knit onto the dpns or what. But this is how I make the toe, if other people are having problems with offset toes:

knit onto dpns. k7 onto 1, k7 onto 2, k6 onto 3 (remember, I start with 20 stitches. If you’re working from 16, k2 onto the third needle and then cast on 4, like in the original instructions.)

join around and knit 2 rounds.
1st: k2, k2tog, k3. 2nd: k7. 3rd: k3, k2tog, k2.
knit 3 (1, 2, depending on size) rounds.
1st: k2, k2tog, k2. 2nd. k7. 3rd: k2, k2tog, k2.
knit 2 rounds.
1st: k2, k2tog, k1. 2nd: k7. 3rd: k1, k2tog, k2.
knit 1 round.
slip one stitch from 2nd onto 1st and 3rd, ending up with 5 stitches on each dpn.
k2tog, k1, k2tog on all three dpns.
knit 1 round.
cut yarn, thread through and pull tight, as in original instructions.

thank you so much elisa!!

and a note about my yarn choice for these booties – i’m guessing most knitters have some silly fuzzy/furry yarn in their stash from their early knitting days like i do. i dug out some of this fuzzy reject yarn (no idea what it is, label is long gone) and combined it with an unearthed bulky acrylic and a strand of dk-ish unknown recycled to get my superduper thick fabric, and the booties are so soft and comfy. i like to use yarns i don’t care too much about for slippers, yarns that can be thrown in the washing machine, since, especially with a kitten in the house, there’s a definite possibility of stepping in something. so, a nice alpaca/angora/cashmere yarn would be even softer and nicer, but i prefer the silly fuzzy soft option that can be machine washed to the extra soft, be careful where i step, and hand-wash only option. dig out that forgotten fuzz and make some slightly-ugly but way comfy house slippers!

craftstylish tutorials and other updatey stuff

once again, i’ve fallen a bit behind in letting you know about my craftstylish tutorials… yesterday was my semi-photorealistic 3-shade freezer paper stencil how-to! this is a pretty crazy project – the result of having an idea pop into my head one day and then going for it. the tutorial uses the christopher walken stencil, because it’s guy gift week over at craftstylish, but i especially love the polaroid camera print! (it’s this camera)

it looks more photorealistic when it’s a bit blurred.

and then on saturday there was my custom embellished shirt project – i love this one! i used printing, machine top-stitching, and i changed the buttons, and then i talked about other ways to embellish a shirt, like applique and embroidery.

the point of this project is to inspire you to embellish a shirt in a personal, customized way for yourself or your giftee, rather than to give you a step by step tutorial so you can make exactly what i made.

and lastly, my custom clock tutorial shows you how to take apart an old clock and install your own photograph, or whatever you want. i gave that one to my mom for her birthday and she loved it – proof that it’s a great gift to make!!

in other news, the trillium etsy shop now has 5 of my knit kits up! including two of my absolute favorites. if you have a hard time finding the kits, they are listed in the gifts section.

this month is going by SO fast i can’t even believe it. two craft shows done, only one to go. the 100th monkey show last weekend went pretty well – it was a different kind of feel, being at night with live music and more of a party mood. the artists stood around in front of our stuff instead of sitting behind our tables, and the whole thing kind of made me more socially awkward than usual (and i am usually pretty awkward, by the way). i’m afraid sometimes my awkwardness comes off as maybe rudeness or unfriendlyness, but really it’s just that i’ve always been so shy and these shows are extremely stressful for me.

and speaking of stress, i’m looking forward to going to visit my family in california for a week, i think it’s just the escape i need. there is a ton of really exciting stuff happening or soon to be happening, but the more excitement in my life, the more stress. i’m hoping to get this free knitting pattern i’m working on done in california, plus maybe finish up some knitting projects that have been sitting around for months, and maybe even read a book! crazy!

haka: strappy flappy eared hat!

new pattern! i made sure to get this one done in time for holiday gift knitting, because it’s a suuuper quick knit!! i’ve worn the fuzzy handspun version to the last 2 craft shows i did and got tons of compliments, so i’m thinking it would be a good gift knit.

the name, haka, means chin in icelandic. i asked pete what the hat made him think of off the top of his head, and he said it looked icelandic, and then david suggested some names that were chin in other languages, which led me to haka, so there ya go.

the hat can be worn 4 different ways – leave the strap loose and hanging, fasten it under your chin for maximum warmth, bring it behind your neck so your ears are still covered, or fasten it up over your head to free your ears and not overheat. (great for winter transitioning from outdoors to indoors without revealing hat hair.)

the pattern uses size 15 needles (16″ circular) for a gauge of 3 stitches per inch. if you’re a speedy knitter, i bet you could whip one up during one dvd! (i am a slow knitter, so it takes me a few dvds, but still, quick project!)

use a bulky handspun yarn like those two examples, or hold a few strands of finer yarn together. if you like the blendy stripes look made by holding 3 strands together and changing one at a time, the pattern pdf includes the exact striping pattern so you could copy it with your own color choices. great for using up small leftover yarn balls!

i’m selling the pattern for $2 (click here to buy now) – i honestly wish i could give it away free, but i’m trying to make a living doing this stuff, so i just can’t. i do have a free pattern in the works though, to be released probably sometime between xmas and new years…

but hey guess what, i want to give it away so much that i’m gonna do a special limited-time giveaway! just for my blog readers and twitter followers, a gift for you! this is an idea i just thought of, and i’ve never seen anyone do this before, but i don’t see why it wouldn’t work. i’ll be giving out an expiring link to the pdf through twitter – the link will be good for a half hour, then it’ll stop working, so you’ll have to click it only during the giveaway time. there is no limit to how many people can download it (at least, as far as i know). so here it is…

the expiring pdf link will be tweeted by me (posted on my twitter page) at 1:00pm (west coast time) on this thursday, the 11th, so you must click the link sometime between 1 and 1:30 to get the pattern free. if you miss the time window, it’s only 2 buckaroos! (and i’ll really appreciate every single pattern paid for!)

also, here’s the ravelry link for easy access. and, pdf specs: it’s 4 pages, full of lots of photos, but the pattern itself is all on one page, so you’ll only need to print that one. (the other pages are the cover, pattern notes, seaming how-to, and striping pattern.) there are no special techniques you need to know, it’s a really simple pattern – knit around from the top down on circulars in stockinette, some ribbing, decreasing on the earflaps, seed stitch on the strap, sew the seam up. i think that’s everything! hope you like it!

hats! and more hats! yeah hats!

quicky post tonight before i get some sleep for the 100th monkey twilight sale tomorrow… the handmade nw show on tuesday went ok, not exactly busy (why tuesday? hmm) but i got lots of good feedback and decided to focus on hats for the upcoming shows.

if you’ve been following my stuff for awhile you might remember last holiday season and before i had a bunch of monster hats (like this one and this one and this one) but then after they sold out last year i never got motivated to make new ones. i got into the yarn making and other things and took a break from the hats. well i made a few new ones for the tuesday show, and they got more attention than anything else, so i got excited to make more, and that’s just what i spent the last two days doing! here’s what i created yesterday and today:

there are a few kid sized hats this year – that’s something i was kind of lacking last year. and then these are the 2 that i had on tuesday that i still have:

and i sold this one on tuesday morning, about 10 hours after i finished making it! luckily i did make sure to take a few pictures before the show. it looked so great on the girl who got it – it fit her head much better than mine, i’m so glad she got it!

ok so the thing about these hats… they are not going up in my shop until both shows are over – 100th monkey tomorrow (saturday 12/06) and SCRAP next saturday. so if you’re in portland and you want a hat, be sure to make it to one of the shows and hope it’s not gone yet.

for everyone else, i will be posting them for sale on my site on sunday the 14th (or possibly even the night before), then blogging about them as soon as they’re up. you’ll have to act fast if you want anything for a holiday gift because i’m leaving to california on the 17th, so i’ll need to get your order by the morning of the 16th to get it mailed before i leave.

a few of the new hats have super special things about them that i’ll keep a secret for now. (like, different ways to wear them…) i am really excited about these hats! yay hats!

one more thing… wanna see a supershort video of garbanzo?! here she is pretending to be an awkward statue:

http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=63881

2 things related to holiday shopping

i’m happy to be participating in both Buy Nothing Day and Make Something Day this black friday, although now that i’m working from home, i make something and buy nothing more days than not. but i am starting to think about holiday shopping/gifting; with all my holiday gift tutorial writing, i’ve hardly thought about my own gifting! and now that i’m thinking about it, i’m getting worried, because i’m not going to have much time for gift making, and i’m not exactly drowning in cash in this beginning stage of my crafty career, so…

holiday gift swapping, anyone?? i would looove to do some gift swaps! if there is anything in my shop (or my etsy photo shop) that looks like a good gift for you to give (or keep), and you have something to swap that would work for one of my giftees, let’s do it! gifts would preferably be handmade, and recycled materials are a plus. here is what i’m looking for:

gifts for 5 men, ages 20, 22, 24, 29, and my dad. and my mom. some details about the guys… all 4 are musicians and way into music. there’s a tattoo artist into bikes, hip-hop dj into film and basketball, computer programmer into irony and nerdiness, and pete who loves things involving squids/cephalopods/cthulu, robots, old-school audio stuff, any audio recording stuff, any keyboard/synth/moog stuff, trivia, weird things, history that nobody knows, mac stuff, old video game stuff…. and as for my parents, hmm they are always kinda tough for gifting, just show me what you have and i’ll check it out.

if you might want to arrange some swap action, email me! leethalkoala at yahoo dot com. yay thanks!!

and the second thing… holiday shows! i’m doing 3 upcoming holiday events here in portland… first, on tuesday, the handmade nw downtown holiday artisans fair:

and then on next saturday, the 6th, the 100th monkey studio twilight art sale. this one will have door prizes, sweets, bubbly beverages & treats, free massages, and possible live music. should be a super fun event! it’s in se near burnside +16th.

and a week later, on saturday the 13th, there’s the scrap holiday bazaar! i did this sale last year and it was great – some really excellent work made from recycled materials! i’m super happy to be a part of it, i love scrap so much!!

ok i need to get to work – soooo super busy this time of year!! i’m crazy happy to get to go home to my family for a week+ in december! yet another benefit of not working a day job in retail. i haven’t not worked on black friday and xmas eve day in years! so i need to stay overwhelmingly busy until the 17th, then i’ll get a week of relaxation, knitting, and destressing.

happy buy nothing day and make something day, everyone!

frame tutorial and some other things i made

craftstylish tutorial of the week: multi-photo frame! i really love this one, it turned out exactly how i wanted it! don’t you love it when a project comes out of your head and becomes a finished product just how you pictured it? yeah!

also, a couple new handspun yarns in the shop! it was my first time spinning since we got kittyhead. i had been dreading it because i imagined she would go kitty-crazy and pounce at my hands and the fiber and it would be disasterous… but, no! nothing like that! she was totally cool about it! she just watched the wheel go round and round for awhile, then got bored and went to sleep. (she’s also fine now when i knit too, unless she’s in super crazy mode, but mostly she leaves me and the yarn alone, yay!)

so there’s another “scraptastic” yarn, which will knit up super fun, similar to this one (knit by me) and this one (knit by lynne). and a self-striping single, which i plan to do much more of – this one has some sections that are pretty variegated, and some more solid. i think it’ll knit up pretty cool looking.

oh and getting back to garbanzo for a minute, want to see the kitty castle i built for her?! i made two separate parts – a scratching post with a flat top that she can sit on:

and a 2-room house thing made with 2 boxes partially covered with carpet samples, with a hole inside connecting the two and multiple holes on the outsides for playing. she loves this one!!

they are both made with all recycled materials – the carpet samples are from scrap, as are the tubes making up the inside of the scratching post, and the boxes are from a printer and from my halloween costume. put them together with a bunch of hot glue and some staple gun action, and it’s a kitty castle! hooray!

new new new stuff!

new shirt design(s) in the shop!! respect the needles, tame the yarn! yeah! on the clothing page of the shop, you have to scroll down below all the block printed shirts, down to the screen printed section, where you’ll find seven of that one and five new baller shirts! this is my favorite new one that i really want to keep for myself:

i was doing a lot of experimenting with multi-colored screen printing, and this one turned out amazing – unfortunately, the photos really don’t capture how it looks. there’s a thin white outline around the blue print, making it pop in a really nice way on the soft green background. here are a couple more:

and the reason i said design(s)? i re-carved the baller stencil so it doesn’t have the big solid center in the ball. what do you think?

and a couple more of those:

if you like either of the designs, but none of the sizes/colors of shirts i have, there are custom shirt blanks on the bottom of the clothing page, and i have about ten more that i hope to have up tomorrow. (i charge $20 for a custom screen printed shirt – just email me about the details of what you want.)

in other news… i got a new computer! wooo! it’s SO much faster than my 4.5 yr old powerbook! and photo booth is way too much silly fun…

a fun project for fall!

i actually made something for myself!! i felt this major urge to craft something not for sale, not for a deadline, not for a tutorial, so i made this cardigan. but now i want to give you a brief how-to anyway, since i really love how it turned out. so there are no progress photos, but i took close-ups and i’ll just go through the simple steps…

you’ll need: a pullover sweater – find a wool one that’s too big for you, and wash it in the machine to felt it a bit. hopefully now it’ll be fitted, but not too tight, and felted enough so it won’t unravel when you cut it. then you’ll also need another felted sweater to cut up, and a bunch of buttons, and some yarn, needles, thread, good scissors, the crafting regulars.

start by cutting the pullover straight up the middle to turn it into a cardigan. it doesn’t have to be exactly centered, in fact you can choose to make it super asymmetrical (like my orange one). try to cut it perfectly straight through the knit stitches though; this way it’ll look almost like a finished edge.

now cut out pocket shapes from your other sweater, whatever shape you want. i took the oval pocket idea from a jacket i saw someone wearing – i love how it looks but it wasn’t easy to sew, and they aren’t aligned evenly on the two sides. go for regular square/rectangular pockets if you want it to be super neat.

also cut a strip of fabric from the other sweater to be the button band – it should be as wide as you want, and as long as or longer than your sweater. sew this onto one side of the sweater opening with a zig zag stitch, right sides facing. since the sweaters stretch a bit as you sew, i cut my strip too long on purpose, then i cut off the excess when i sewed up to the top; better than ending up with a piece too short.

sew the pockets on with a zig zag stitch. i then stitched around the holes to prevent messy edges when they get stretched out with use. even on a felted sweater, if you’re going to be stretching out the edges, they may start to unravel, so some kind of stitching is a good idea. i used wool yarn, but you could do the same thing with embroidery floss, or machine sewing.

next i sewed on the buttons. i chose 7 different vintage buttons, all some kind of wood. it was easy for me to sew them on evenly because of the stripes on the sweater – if you don’t have stripes, make sure the buttons are equal distances apart. if you want, you could sew strips of the other sweater fabric on both sides, for the buttonholes and the buttons. this would be a good idea if the sweater is too tight.

next, cut the buttonholes in the button band on the other side, making sure they align with the buttons, and they are big enough, but not bigger than they need to be. cut them carefully, straight along the knit stitches of the sweater – embroidery scissors work well for this.

now hand-stitch around the buttonholes with thread to prevent them from unraveling or getting stretched out. if you want, you could make the buttonholes with your sewing machine instead, but i like this hand-stitched look better on sweater wool. (click on the images to see them bigger for a better close up.)

lastly, add some decorative stitching down the button band seam – again, i used yarn, but you could use embroidery floss if you prefer. i also did the embroidery at the top, just for fun. add whatever other embellishing you want, have fun with it and be creative!

my other blogging – tutorials and more!

hey i’ve fallen behind on showing you my craftstylish tutorial posts! so i’ll go back and tell you about the last 3 that i haven’t mentioned here…

a few weeks ago i explained how to make my short-rows wavy hat with multiple yarns striping, both with 2 row wide stripes and 1 wedge wide sections.

then last weekend my tutorial was for an all-recycled journal/sketchbook…

the how-to was just how to make the book, i left the cover decoration up to the creator – i covered mine with decoupaged vintage book pages:

and lastly, today’s was for a collaged table with a built-in game board!

here are some shots of my coffee table – i made it a couple years ago, so i’m happy to have written the tutorial now so it gets seen by people outside of my living room…

old books have weird pictures!!

and while i’m linking you over to blog posts i’ve written elsewhere… i’m still doing weekly diy roundups every friday on threadbanger – the latest one was one of my favorites i’ve ever done! a roundup full of way creepy cool ski masks, with lots of free patterns! these are the masks i made a few years ago when i went through a mask phase:

in addition to the roundups, i’m now doing cool website alerts every week now – my last couple were one of my long-time favorites, craft leftovers, and one of my new favorite blogs, dollar store crafts.

if you want to keep up with all my various blog posting, i usually tweet when posts go up – my twitter name is _leethal_. yay twitter!

big leethal shop update!

most of my friday was spent updating the leethal shop, and it’s finally done! tons of new printed shirts are in, a bunch of new shirt blanks for custom print jobs, and lots of new colored vinyl bowls! some of my favorites:

and this new hat!

i would love feedback on the shirts (and everything else) so i know which designs i should focus on, what styles/colors/sizes i should look for when thrifting, etc. i made sure to get bigger women’s sizes for this batch, so my variety is a bit better now…

oh yeah, i almost forgot! crafty wonderland on sunday went well, i had a huge space! i got to display all my shirts on my clothing rack (yay ikea!) and all my accessories and everything on my shelves, and still plenty of room for my yarn and my photography…

i didn’t sell tons, since it was still a bit far away from holiday gifting time and i’m guessing people are saving up for that time of year, but i did sell these two shirts that never had a chance to been seen in the shop:

so far, the button-down styles seem to be the most popular, so i’ll plan on doing more of those for my next batch.

oh, one more thing, and i’d love feedback on this too… for my next stenciled screen printing design (which is what the “i’m a baller” is), i’m thinking of doing “respect the needles, tame the yarn” on shirts. yeah?