Sock Piggee 1.1

Click HERE for printable version

Note: This pattern has been tested with Mybootee DK Yarn and was designed with our kits in mind. Please try other yarns at your own discretion. Thank you


Suggested Gauge: 6s x 9r = 1 inch

Finished Measurements: Approximately 5.5 x 5.5

Materials: 35 yards of Yarn 1 (Y1) undyed DK weight yarn, 35 yards of Yarn 2 (Y2) Self Striping DK Weight yarn, 1 set #2 DPNs, 1 skein black DMC floss or 2-3 yards of black sport weight yarn or string, Polyester Fiber-fill, 1 tapestry needle, 1 sewing needle and white thread, straight pins of blocking pins are recommended to assist in attaching the limbs.

Email us at mybb@comcast.net if you have questions or need clarification. Don't forget to share your project images on Ravelry!

You'll begin this critter by making the ears, eyes, & legs. Then you'll start the body by working from the snout to the tail and attach the ears towards the midway point. Once he's stuffed you'll attach and stuff the legs. To finish, you'll stitch the eyes into place and embroider on his facial features.

Ears (make 2): Using Y1, CO 3
Row 1: knit
Row 2: k1, m1a, knit to end, (4 sts)
Row 3: knit
Row 4: k2, m1a, knit to end, (5 sts)
Row 5: knit
Row 6: Repeat Row 4, (6 sts)
Row 7: knit
Row 8: k3, m1a, knit to end, (7 sts)
Row 9: knit
Row 10: repeat row 8, (8 sts)
Row 11: knit
Row 12: k4, m1a, knit to end, (9 sts)
Row 13: knit
Row 14: repeat row 12 (10)
Row 15: knit
Row 16: k5, m1a, knit to end (11 sts)
Row 17: knit
Row 18: repeat row 16 (12 sts)
Row 19: knit
Row 20: k5, k2tog, knit to end (11 sts)
Row 21: knit
Row 22: repeat row 20 (10 sts)
Row 23: knit
Row 24: k4, k2tog, knit to end, (9 sts)
Row 25: knit
Row 26: repeat row 24 (8 sts)
Row 27: knit. do not BO sts. instead slip them onto a scrap piece of yarn or stitch saver tool for later.

Tail: Using Y1, CO 20
Row 1: purl. Cut yarn leaving approximately 6 inches and using a tapestry needle, thread it though all 20 stitches. Pull tight and work into a curly-Q. Put aside for later

Eyes (make 2): Using Y1, CO 18,
Row 1: sl 1 purlwise, (p2tog) x 8, p1 (10 sts)
Row 2: sl 1 purlwise, (k2tog tbl) x 4, k1, cut yarn leaving approximately 6 inches and using a tapestry needle, thread it though all 6 stitches. Pull tight, tie off and put aside for later.

Legs (make 4): Using Y1 and starting approximately 24 inches from the end of the yarn, CO 24, begin working in the round
Rounds 1-4: knit
Round 5: (k1, k2tog) x 8 (16 sts)
Round 6: knit
Round 7: (k2tog) x 8 , (8 sts) cut yarn leaving approximately 6 inches and using a tapestry needle, thread it though all 6 stitches. Pull tight, tie off and put aside for later.

Snout: Using Y1 and starting approximately 24 inches from the end of the yarn, CO 24, begin working in the round
Rounds 1-5: knit
Round 6: purl
Round 7: knit
Round 8: (k1, k2tog tbl) x 8 (16 sts)
Round 9: knit
Round 10: (k2tog tbl) x 8 (8 sts, cut yarn leaving approximately 6 inches and using a tapestry needle, thread it though all 6 stitches. Pull tight, tie off.

Body: Using Y2, pick up 24 sts along the cast on edge of the snout. Continue working in the round.
Round 1: knit
Round 2: (k4, m1a) x 6 (30 sts)
Round 3: knit
Round 4: (k5, m1a) x 6 (36 sts)
Round 5: knit
Round 6: (k6, m1a) x 6 (42 sts)
Round 7: knit
Round 8: (k7, m1a) x 6 (48 stt)
Round 9: knit
Round 10: (k8, m1a) x 6 (54 sts)
Round 11: knit
Round 12: (k9, m1a) x 6, (60 sts)
Round 13: knit
Round 14: k10, consolidate the next 8 sts with the stitches on one ear. K8, consolidate the next 8 stitches with the stitches on the remaining ear. k34
Rounds 15-31: knit
Round 32: (k8, k2tog tbl) x 6 (54 sts)
Round 33: knit
Round 34: (k7, k2tog tbl) x 6 (48 sts)
Round 35: knit
Round 36: (k6, k2tog tbl) x 6 (42 sts)
Round 37: knit
Round 38: (k5, k2tog tbl) x 6 (36 sts)
Round 39: knit
Round 40: (k4, k2tog tbl) x 6 (30 sts)
Round 41: knit
Now is a good time weave in the loose ends of the ears and snout. Also stuff the front half of the piggee with fiber fill. Tamper filling into the snout so it's nice and firm and stuff the body till it's almost as firm as you'd like it. You will be filling up more just before you close him up. Also weave
Round 42: (k3, k2tog tbl) x 6 (24 sts)
Round 43: knit
Round 44: (k2, k2tog tbl) x 6 (18 sts)
Round 43: knit
Round 44: (k1, k2tog tbl) x 6 (12 sts)
Finish filling him up until your satisfied but be sure to save a handful of the filling for the legs. cut yarn leaving approximately 6 inches and using a tapestry needle, thread it though all 6 stitches. Pull tight, tie off.

Assembly: Arrange the legs on the surface of the belly opposite the ears, by pinning them to the body where you'd like to secure them. Use your tapestry needle and the yarn tail to secure them into place filling with fiber fill as you go. Carefully secure the curly-Q tail to the body and tie off loose ends. Using your needle and thread, tack the eyes into position and weave in and tie off the loose ends. Now you can add the details. Embroider on his nostrils and eye details. Voila! You have now created your very own Sock Piggee.

More thinking errors...

When I began knitting I had to let go of my perfectionism, my set of rules about how my knitting and my artwork in general should and shouldn't be. I often hear people in my classes say stuff like, "I'm so stupid, I can't beleive I couldn't get that before" or "I have so many projects and no way to finish them all in time, so I just gave up" or "I could never do that! I'm just not creative" Have you ever said something like that? Be honest. This brings me to my latest social Faux Pas.

Tell me if this has happened to you...

I made a comment in casual conversation, and someone who was not a part of it says, "Wait a minute! What?" and I gave a brief answer (because it really wasn't the point of the conversation and it's kind of an interruption to the flow). That someone returned my answer with a "Why....." and when I responded to that with another brief (although incomplete) answer so so that I could continue my conversation, the other person continued to ask "why" this and "why" that. Before I knew it I was frustrated, they were frustrated and all because.... because "why?"

Sometimes with our kids the same thing happens. They naturally inquire about everything, and we as parents, begin our parenting adventures wanting to tell them reasonable answers to everything. This is likely due to the fact, that at some point in our lives we ourselves asked "why" and could not understand "why" we did not get satisfactory answers. But as we continue on to the parenting we sometimes progress from "Well, its because........" to "Because I said so"

C'mon now, I'm betting we all have done that at least once. I think that is a parent thing. And even though we may not litterally all be parents, we have behaved parent like to someone, somewhere, at some time.

There are several possible combinations of thinking errors here in this particular situation. In my particular event this week, I took a negative feeling which resulted from an event last week, I applied it to a situation this week and reacted. OK folks, train wreck! I said something, he said something, I said something else, he said something else, and the next thing I knew, he's telling me its alright (even though I can see that its not) and I'm in tears. And you probably know what happens next right? One of two things, either people are saying to themselves, "Run Away! Run Away!" or "Great here come the waterworks" My response to assuming others are thinking those things? More tears.

"Why am I crying over spilled milk" Was it hormones? Maybe. Was it the time change? Maybe. Why was it so bad? What was the worst thing that could happen? Unfortunately I was not thinking this through during the event, I was thinking of it after work, at home while working on a pattern. Yes there is how it relates to my knitting. I found my knitting enjoyment thwarted by my inability to let it go.

Then I had an epiphany? How did I get from "Oh, I spilled some milk" to "OMG! The sky is falling!!!" (notice the excessive use of exclamation marks in my second thought.) I'm sure you all know that these were not the literal thoughts but just some common thoughts which express the extreme transition. How did I do that? What evidence was there to indicate that spilled milk would lead to the sky falling? Absolutely none. There was no earthquake, there were no other cataclismic events, it's not 2012 or the apacolypes. It's just spilled milk.

The tears went away, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted, my pride was no longer hurt. I had worked my way through thinking error number #6: Catastrophising. I feel liberated, I feel like the next time a situation arises where tears have been present in the past, that there will be no tears.

In looking at this more closely, I realized that I actually suffered from a few thinking errors, one right after another.

1. The person I was dealing with may have been (#5): Mindreading by assuming my motivation was something other than what it actually was.

But I know one thing for sure, once we clarified each of our motivations and why we were misunderstanding each other I still ended up in tears because

A. I went from "spilled milk" to "sky falling". (#6 Catastrophising)
B. From there, I went imediately to (#5: mindreading) "Great now everyone else is thinking...
C. (#9 Labeling) "....I'm a cry baby", more tears. Then
D.(#1: Personalizing) "I always say the wrong thing or put my foot in my mouth so I must be inadequate in one way or another", of course more tears....

I think now you can see the trainwreck ahead and may have even been guilty of this same type of destructive thought processes.

Perhaps someone will read this and reflect on their own work or life. Perhaps not. Perhaps to some I'm being preachy. But more than anything else, I feel a significant personal triumph in my life and my growing into a better person, and just the simple act of putting it into the ether helps me realize that someone, somewhere, at some time, might just benefit from my growth.

Bobbi

Several things are going through my mind lately. A personal goal of mine has been to feed my family balanced meals for dinner regularly. How does this fit in to my knitting you ask? Well, I need to knit or craft daily for my sanity, and in doing so, I usually end up snacking and always end up sitting around. I decided that to reach my weightloss goals, I need to do something with my eating habits.

So far so good. The toughest part of this goal? How do I get my knitting and crafting in when I'm spending time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. I have a small family, so fortunately the key has been to cook as little as possible while having substance and of course minimal use of dishes for a quick easy cleanup. I've actually been getting pretty good. Because of this goal, I'm thinking to myself, "I should write a book. 365 days of knitting and cooking. Quick hearty meals that leave plenty of time for a little knitting, and ideal projects that can be done a little at a time." While it's a nice idea, it will likely need to evolve and it will take time to put together. So my first suggestion? What do you eat. How do you balance your meals so that you don't over eat, so you feel satisfied, and you feel good? How do you eat what you want when there are so many good foods, and you feel guilty for every one of them that is put into your mouth? I promise if you start focusing on the tricks I give you here, you will start feeling a difference. I have finally reached a point where despite all my sitting around knitting, the weight is creeping off. In a healthy way, in a long lasting way.

Focus on Variety: Use your palm to measure everything. No don't put food items in your palm. Just visualize. Have three things on your plate. Protein, Starchy Carb, Vegetable. 1 palm size of each item. Don't focus on the fat content yet (you need fat to digest properly) Obviously you don't want to use a tub of lard or a cup of margarine. But If your starchy carb is a roll, put butter on it. Think It might be difficult to measure some items in 'palm sizes'? 1/2 - 3/4 cup is about right. Use a measuring cup. No scale, no precise measures, just your palm and a measuring cup. Try it for a week or two, see how different you feel. And if you have a tough day at work and need something comforting, have it. Whatever it is. And don't beat yourself up. Just get back to the basic plan tomorrow, or the next day or the day after that. Even if you try it for a few days, you will be doing something different and deserve a pat on the back.

Now that I have given you the first trick, I will be posting other tips that help me save time and plan meals accordingly. If anyone has questions that they want to ask or need more detail about what starchy carbs are, feel free to ask. I am now 6 pounds lighter than I was at the beginning of the year and plan to continue losing. So bear with me, focus on baby steps and really understanding them, and you will notice a difference.

Another thing I want to share.... Thinking errors. What is a thinking error?

"Thinking errors are irrational patterns of thinking that cause you to feel bad, and sometimes to act in self-defeating ways."

How does this relate to knitting you ask? More than you possibly know. There are many traits of my personality that I can see translated in my knitting. And in knitting, I have had to let some go and embrace others. Knitting has literally saved my life and continues to help me grow as an individual.

So #5 of the 10 Most Common Thinking errors is Mind-Reading. I like to live the "golden rule". But I have to remember that my "golden rule" is not necessarily like your "golden rule" Just becuase I think a certain way and my actions are motivated by how I think, does not mean that others think and behave the same way.

Do you suffer from this thinking error (be honest)? Do you critisize your knitting? Do you feel discouraged when it doesn't look right? Don't be. Just because you critisize it does not mean that others will. Don't assume that just because your unhappy with it, that others will also be unhappy with it. Most people will just be amazed that you not only had the patience to knit something fabulous, but they will also be amazed that you could turn a piece string into something more useful or purely asthetic (whatever the case may be).

So don't be hard on yourself because you think others will be hard on you. If you want to expect certain things of yourself in your knitting simply to challenge yourself, go ahead. Just don't be so critical that you rip out hours of work, because of a minor flaw.

One last thing. Apply this concept in reverse. Don't feel dissappointed when others don't live by your "golden rule." Remember that they don't think like you so their behaviors my not be like yours. This does not mean that they thinking any less of you, it simply means that they are thinking differenly than you.

You can take whatever you want from this post. I know that my goal this week is to minimize any dissatisfaction I may feel this week with myself or my knitting, and that if I focus a little extra attention to this particular thinking error, I may just learn something about myself.

As usual, thank you for bearing with me and happy knitting!!!

MYBOOTEE BABEE CHULLO

Mybootee Babee Chullo
(Earflap Hat)
Click HERE for a printable version

Traducido por Nerea martínez ( Juntitos)

Required Materials:

Small: 100 yards Mybootee DK
Medium: 110 yards Mybootee DK
Large: 125 yards Mybootee DK
1 set DP needles size 5
1 16 inch circular needle size 5
*or size needed to obtain gauge. If you are a tight knitter start with a size 6, if you are a loose knitter, start with a size 4.

Small (fits 14-16 inch head circumference)
Medium (fits 16-18 inch head circumference)
Large (fits 18-20 inch head circuference)

Pattern:
Gauge: 6s x 8r = 1 inch2

Earflaps (make 2):
Starting with your DP needles, CO 4. Start with a purl row and work stockinette stitch for first three rows,
RS Row 4: k1, m1, knit to last stitch, m1, k1, turn,
WS Row 5: purl, turn,
Repeat rows 4 & 5 until you have 26 (30, 34) stitches.

Put the 1st earflap onto a stitch holder tool and cut yarn. For the 2nd earflap only and while using your circular needle, repeat earflap intstructions but work RS Row 4 once more giving you 28(32, 36) stitches. Do not turn. Begin working in the round from here. Using the backward loop cast on, make 11 (13, 15) stitches. Pick up your first earflap with the stockinette pattern facing you and work row 4 of the earflap once more giving you 28 (32, 36) stitches. This time make 17 (21, 25) stitches now you have both earflaps on your circular needle and the new stitches, for a total of 84(98,112) place marker because this will be the start of each round.

Rounds 1-5: k28 (32, 36) work 1x1 ribbing until next earflap, k28 (32, 36) again, work 1x1 ribbing until marker.
Knit all stitches for 20 (24, 28) rows.
Decreasing rounds

Large: Work Rounds 1-26
Medium: Work Rounds 5-26
Small: Work Rounds 9-26
Round 1: k14, k2tog, until end of round (105 sts)
Round 2: knit
Round 3: k13, k2tog, until end of round, (98 sts)
Round 4: knit
Round 5: k12, k2tog, until end of round (91 sts)
Round 6: knit
Round 7: k11, k2tog until end of round (84 sts)
Round 8: knit
Round 9: k10, k2tog, until end of round (77 sts)
Round 10: knit
Round 11: k9, k2tog, until end of round (70 sts)
Round 12: knit
Round 13: k8, k2tog, until end of round (63 sts)
Round 14: knit
Round 15: k7, k2tog, until end of round (56 sts)
Round 16: knit
Round 17: k6, k2tog, until end of round (49 sts)
Round 18: knit
Round 19: k5, k2tog, until end of round (42 sts)
Round 20: knit
Round 21: (k4, k2tog) until end of round (35 sts)
Round 22: knit
Round 23: (k3, k2tog) until end of round (28 sts)
Round 24: (k2, k2tog) until end of round (21 sts)
Round 25: (k1, k2tog) until end of round (14 sts)
Round 26: (k2tog) x 7. Cut yarn and use a tapestry needle to gather last seven stitches tightly together. Weave in loose ends. Cut 12 lengths of yarn approximately 24-36 inches in length. Thread half of them through each earflap, braid and tie of ends.

Embellish any way you wish and put on your favorite baby’s head.

If you have become a fan of the previous version you can still access it here :Old version

Tabbee Pattern Idea

This is for you Faye.....

I'd like to find out what you think of this face or if you like the other face better? The pattern is almost ready except that I needed to get your input on this guy. I know that I have communicated with you directly in the past but cannot for the life of me track it down.

Anyone else who may be reading this, I would also valur your input as well. I really wasn't satisfied with the other tabbee. Just didn't look right to me. So I sat down and redesigned the face in the effort of making him look more catlike. I like the new guy. I'll likely use the head on a pattern at a later date if the overall input encourages me to use the original head. Thank you for all your help.

I think Tabbee is liking his new look. Great ideas so far. Keep em coming!

Double Trio Reversible Cable Scarf

Hello Everyone,

After the Hard drive foobar of last week, I have completed the first of my new patterns. Its now available in my Etsy Store and will be available at The Wool Cabin shortly. I am now currently putting finishing touches on my Sock Tabbee Pattern and will make the announcement as soon as it's ready

It's so soft and lucious and Berocco Vintage Wool has the best drape. I highly recommend it as a reasonably priced higher quality yarn. It can be purchased at The Wool Cabin and Unwind. It may be available at some other local yarn stores, but these are the two I'm aware of.

A tough lesson....

Well folks,

I want to encourage each and every one of you to back up your data. Oh! did I mention back up your data? One more thing. Back up your data.

Are you detecting a theme? With much regret on my part, I am sad to report that there will be a delay on the release of my new Tabby Cat pattern. The last time I backed up my data was in May after my portable hard drive decided it was done. I did salvage many of my business e-resources, but much to my dismay, many of the newest images and patterns, are very likely gone forever. My advice? Listen to that little voice inside that says, "Wow, that was close, I should........ before ..........happens." We have intuition for a reason everyone. We should listen to it regularly and much more closely.

It has been only 24 hours since I last saw my new portable hard drive (the one with all the backed up data as well as all the new.) Now there is a slight chance that it will turn up, but I have to be realistic and assume that its gone for ever, and someone has themselves a new 500 GB hard drive with much of my sensitive personal information on it. Doh!! What can I do? FYI, its a pink Western Digital (just in case anyone finds one ;)

This is where my intuition enters the story. Just last week, I left it at work. Expected it to be there and it wasn't. I checked all the usual places that the other secretary would use to hide it. At least I thought I did. Of course it was not in the usual places. After looking one last time, I found it in a place that it had never been put before. That's when I said to myself, "Wow, that was close. I should really back up my data before something happens and I loose it all. If I lost the data, I would be up a creek"

Well here I am up that very creek.

So I just want to encourage everyone to get a move on and quit procrastinating, and listen to that little voice inside. Back up your data and trust what your intuition tells you. It might just save you a bit of time and effort.

Now that I have rambled a bit I have to get busy working on kit packaging. Updated packaging is part of what is now missing. But first I want to let everyone know that I will be making a third Tabby and I'm 98% sure I can have the new pattern ready by 3/17. Thank you for hanging in there and again I apologize for the delay.