Category: Knitting

Maybe I’m just a tad crazy at times, or maybe you could to soften that phrase and say that I’m perhaps a bit over-imaginative, but some combination of the two causes me to become inexplicably attached to inanimate objects. I worry that certain skeins of yarn feel unloved because they tend to settle down at the bottom of my stash, while others emerge to color various projects a dozen times over. Leaving certain stuffed animals in places that are new to them sets me on edge, because what if they feel lost and scared? What if they feel homesick when they get adopted into new homes? I kid you not, as pathetic as it all seems, but sometimes I worry about these things like they can all really feel and understand the world as any other person does. Don’t laugh now, but almost every item I frequently use has a name, right down to my favorite spoon (“Nosh.”)

When a new, fancy toy arrived for my birthday, she stole my affection from day one. An amazing, beautiful, flawless mp3 player sporting classy clean icons and smooth edges, Zoé, my Creative Zen, quickly insinuated herself into my daily routine and my heart. Enduring such heavy use, it was only a matter of time before I began to worry about Zoé’s well being, as it’s not hard to scratch such a smooth, unblemished music player in this sharp world we live in. Obviously, a cozy was just what the doctor ordered, but this undertaking in itself posed yet another problem: What yarn would do for such a wonderful friend?

After a good deal of searching, I came upon a spot of luck and managed to secure my local yarn store’s final skein of a breathtaking mottled blue cotton, going by the name of Patagonia. Reading the label confirmed that the yarn gods had smiled upon me – Hand dyed 100% natural cotton for $10? I could barely scramble over to the register fast enough, anxious to get back to my needles and set off to work. Zoé must have been getting so cold waiting alone!

Working up a basic pattern from scratch, it really took no time before Zoé was comfortably nestled into her new cozy, looking very safe and content indeed. Wanting to add a bit of interest to the exterior, I knit in a more unusual cable stitch right down the center. Ultimately, it fit Zoé perfectly and looked quite stylish, I think that this particular stitch might have been more successful if executed with a smoother yarn, without all of the bumps of a hand spun cotton.

A simple button closure secures the precious cargo inside, making for the perfect little pocket guaranteed to soften any accidental falls or rough journeys. I sure hope this cozy carrying case is enjoyed by its intended recipient, because I would hate to think that she would be dissatisfied with my work, and start misbehaving as a result!

So far so good, but after laboring so hard to supply me with good music to craft to, I think it’s time Zoé took a little nap. Peeking out one last time before closing the door and shutting off the lights, it’s easy to see how she’s so easy to love.

If you’re interested in recreating this cable pattern for yourself, here are some instructions that I wrote to the best of my ability. [This is not a pattern for the whole cozy!] I’m sorry if it doesn’t make sense or is very difficult to follow, but I’ll do my best to clarify any questions that may arise. There are 12 pattern stitches, not including a border, so if you want to repeat this a couple times, cast on multiples of 12 + however many stitches you want for a border.

Row 1: K3, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k4
Row 2: P3, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p4
*Repeat these rows 3 more times, 4 times total

Sl 3 st onto cable needle and hold in back, p1, k1, p1, [k3 from cable needle], sl 3 st onto cable needle, hold in front, k3, [k1, p1, k1 from cable needle]

k1, p1, k1, p7, k1, p1

*p1, k1, p1, k7, p1, k1
k1, p1, k1, p7, k1, p1*
*Repeat 3 times more, 4 times total

Sl 3 st onto cable needle and hold in back, k3, [p1, k1, p1 from cable needle], sl 3 st onto cable needle and hold in front, k1, p1, k1, k3 off cable needle

P3, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p4

Starting from the very beginning of directions, repeat until desired length is reached.

Bet you can’t eat just one!, A famous potato chip maker once taunted in advertisements, challenging buyers to just try not to absolutely gorge themselves on their product, knowing that it was too full of artificial flavors and chemicals for the average human palate to resist. Thankfully, such crude suggestions no longer show up in modern commercials (as far as I know) now that the truth about the addictive qualities of both fat and sugar are public knowledge. Still, that doesn’t mean that food cravings never get the best of us, and this previously absurd challenge becomes proven over and over again.

Sit there smugly in front of your computer, think it would be different in your case, but it is easy to forget one’s own animal instincts still reside just below the surface, waiting for that next morsel of junk food to unleash themselves again. Don’t be ashamed; It happens to the best of us, because no one’s perfect. Keep yourself on a short chain? Unfortunately, you may be all the more likely to snap the hardest someday. Even in an innocent, practically unconscious act, food addicts find a way to manipulate your hands and mouth, forcing you to reach for yet another cookie, even though you meant to stop eating about 5 cookies ago. This is how it’s so easy to suddenly find yourself with only half a package of Joe Joe’s (Trader Joe’s brand Oreos) when they were only purchased a few short hour ago.

Embarrassed at such carnal behavior, I tried in vain to cover up my plight before anyone else reached for this ravaged box of cookies. How does one hide missing food stuffs? Well… Try to replace it, I guess.

Only after the first two impostors had landed in their plastic tomb did I remember that these were actually chocolate-stuffed Joe Joe’s, not vanilla creme as I had recalled! Just goes to show how much I actually enjoyed my gorge, not even taking the time to note exactly what I had just put in my mouth! Ah well, they’re close enough, right? Should the casual observer decide to peruse the shelves for a snack, I figured that in taking such a brief inventory, small details like the actual consistency of the Joe Joe’s might be overlooked in a glance.

Somehow, it seemed to be working! For a day or two, no one said anything about the cookies or lack there of. Needless to say, that’s only because no one actually ventured to open the box and examine their suspicious contents for that amount of time.

Close, but not close enough to eat. My scheme to replace the cookies probably would have worked better had I at least used edible materials!

Mother nature can be a fickle woman, indeed. Warm and welcoming one moment, cold and forbidding the next. Seductively hinting at a mild winter leading into an early spring, countless ill-prepared farmers were snared in her trap recently. Teaming up with her mischievous sidekick, Jack Frost, it takes only the most innocent drop in temperature to turn into a deathly freeze for any outdoor plants. Such was the case this year in America’s prominent citrus-growing regions, stealing away all of our lovely tangerines and brilliant oranges. Sure, they’re still available if you hunt hard enough… And pay a substantially higher amount than for your typical seasonal fruit.

It may taste like a sour defeat, but there are still ways around it for the enterprising person. On high alert during every shopping expedition, I jumped at any fruit in the citrus family that didn’t have a price tag comparable to that of a brand new car. Although it may not look like very much, I do return victorious every now and then – Just check out my most recent steal!

Along side the grapes and less-perishable fruits in our crisper lay one each of an illusive lemon and lime, nestled comfortably into the controlled environment of the fridge. No, I didn’t manage to snag the much sought after oranges, a fact that I bemoan regularly as I look upon the meager selection on display at our wimpy local market. This should be their time in the sun! It’s a grave injustice I tell you!

At the very least, my palate won’t have to be deprived of all flavors bearing the sour notes citrus, having secured such enticing specimens from the other areas of the spectrum. If you’re aching for that distinct kick as well, you can knit your own lemon and / or lime from the simple pattern found on PeachCake Knits.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.