Girl on the Rocks

Sock yarn Beer Cozy April 23, 2008

A long time ago a bunch of knitters had a dream… They wanted to have a book published that was full of their knitting patterns. Not just any patterns, mind you, but lovingly designed beer cozies. The proceeds (if any) would go into a fund to supply beverages to thirsty knitters at their weekly knitting night. Each design reflected the preferences of the designer. Not just in stitch patterns and yarn, but also in beer: 40 oz., tall boy, bottle or can. Alas, the book has not come to be as the “market is saturated” with kitschy knitting books. And though they continued to make new cozies, the designers mostly forgot about it. Or did they….

With the advent of Ravelry, and its awesome pattern delivery service the dream can become a reality. Now I know that you are itching to get your hands on some more beer cozy patterns so I have excerpted a pattern available for free. the pattenr is hosted on Ravelry, but I think everyone should be able to download it Behold! The Sock Yarn Beer Cozy!

More lunch fun April 2, 2008

You know how I was just writing about cuties and my new handcrafted lunch bag? i kinda combined the two ideas and made a cutie cozy

Now I need to make about 5 more since I eat them about 6 at a time…

[ravelry project page]

Another superbowl… February 7, 2008

Another beer cozy.

I didn’t bring any knitting needles with me so i crocheted this cozy during the superbowl. I added the ruffley edge so the boys would quit eyeing it. They kept looking so i added a flower. I still didn’t leave it unattended.

[Ravelry project page]

On an unrealted note, i was tagged by Hannah (ages ago) to show everyone my computer desktop. I took the capture and put it in my flickr, but never mentioned it here.

The background is a photo of Arizona where I was collecting rock samples a while ago. Click through to flickr to see the notes.

Want to share yours? Consider yourself tagged!

Dishcloth cottony January 4, 2008

The other night I beat down a bit of insomnia with the help of some yarn and a few minutes on Ravelry* I wanted to find something to use up some of the ton of cotton I acquired a while ago since it not suitable for amigurumi sushi as I had originally hoped. I took a look at my queue and immediately cast on for a Pear Apple cozy. About an hour later i had this:

I already used it to take an Asian Pear to work, and it survived my bag without even a single bruise. [My Ravelry project page]

I found a few other projects that I plan to make to help me work through all of the cotton:

Re-usable swiffer cozy
I can’t believe I missed this when it was a whiplash entry… Green Mountain Mama modified the ballband dishcloth pattern to button on to her Swiffer. Since the cotton is machine washable, you don’t need to buy disposable swiffer cloths any more.

Photos from grnmtnmama’s flickr stream

Bath Puff
This one is for the crocheters out there… Instead of a weird plastic-y bath puff, how about a handmade cotton one? And if you choose your colors carefully, it might look a bit like a brain (which i find totally cool)…

Picture courtesy of Pania’s flickr stream

And there is also the old standby – Dishcloths. I like to make boring ones like the ones my mom used to buy in Amish country. But I am willing to try out something a little more exciting like round spirally ones.

Any way you look at it, my cotton stash will be shrinking.

*I’m not sure I ever officially mentioned that I am on Ravelry as girlontherocks (friend me and I’ll friend you back!). I’ve been on since june, but I was so impatient while on the waiting list. I was fully jealous of everyone that would blog about how they just got in. So I secretly vowed to not mention it here. But now since the wait is only a few days long, I’m okay to talk about it.

40 ounce paper bag cozy April 15, 2007

I tried to come up with a clever title for my entry into this month’s whiplash competition, but I have failed. I am just saying it like it is. I like to drink beer, and occasionally malt liquor. Frequent readers here may also remember that I like to keep my beer cold, and my hands warm. I also like to make small efforts to reuse materials, or recycle – you know, like taking your own bag to the grocery store… Now I can have it all – warm hands, cold 40′s, and no soggy paper bag to throw in the recycling.

Made from superwash wool to look like a paper bag, this cozy will meet my 40 transportation needs perfectly. It has vertical details that look like the folds on the side of a paper bag. The top edge is pointed like the pinked edge of a paper bag*. Though the fit around the body is snug, a proper 40 sack can cling tightly to the neck of the forty so mine has a drawstring for cinching up. It also looks good when the top is folded down.

I am happy to have this new cozy to add to my collection.

Though i haven’t written up the pattern for this cozy, I do have a beer cozy pattern available for your enjoyment. And if you like to drink forties in your home, you should try participating in Simpson’s and 40′s.
edit:I forgot to mention that I made a flickr group for whiplash participants. Please join! Or visit and look around.

*I had a heck of a time figuring out how to make the pointed top edging. If you are interested in the knitting details on how to get that done, the pattern is below.
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Only one will survive January 21, 2007

I have completed my first knitting project of 2007.

A beer cozy that I am calling “the Handyman special.” When you know a handy guy that welds a new piece for your ball-winder, you need to repay him somehow. I attempted a dramatic picture in front of sunset behind the golden gate bridge, but it didn’t work at all. This cozy is knit out of dishcloth cotton from our big order and was done on straight needles.

I have two other practically completed projects, but they won’t be around much longer. The first is a prototype for a sock pattern I am working on.

i like the pattern a lot. It has a little bit of yarn-over laciness, a little bit of ribbing, and a little bit of twistiness. unfortunately it is a little too small and needs to be reworked. This time I think I will use a normal weight sock yarn instead of the medium-weight socks that rock (in the color dreidel in case you were wondering). I think my standard 3×1 sock will be perfect for this str, just like the last. So this particular sock will be ripped out momentarily.

The second project destined for destruction: a square for larissa’s square-along using some of my solar dyed sock yarn. This is what it would look like if I was actually blocking it:

It’s an age old tale of knitting woe… I didn’t check my gauge and it is an inch too big. So it is getting ripped out and done again on smaller needles. Don’t know if I will be able to get it done by the deadline, though. Too much other stuff going on.

Edit: Larissa is accepting all squares, so I can send mine after all and I don’t need to rip it out and redo it. hooray!

Crafts, Mice, and more December 22, 2006

I was luck enough to have my Ipod Tape Case chosen as a prize winner for the whiplash competition. My prizes were donated by tall poppy craft and are mostly purse making supplies, and are all fantastic.

Purse handles, magnetic snaps, ribbons and tags, and a quilt pattern

The cassette tape cozy was such a hit that I decided to make the Ipod Tape Case Redux. this one is crocheted from a VHS tape instead of knit from a cassette tape.

A VHS tape is essentially bulky weight, so it works up quickly. For inelastic materials crochet is certainly an improvement over knitting. I was motivated to craft this because of the Upcycle contest over at etsy. the contest is sponsored by the good people at Bazaar Bizaare, and some of the prizes include a free table at the Bazaar to be held at the Maker Faire this spring. I want in on that! I attended the Maker Faire last year and enjoyed all of it, including the bazaar. oh, to have my own table there….

Finally to indulge Helen a meme about how weird I am follows
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Sniffles – Knitted Tissue cover November 25, 2006

The season for colds and coughs is here. I can’t head out of my apartment without a package of tissues in my purse just in case. Inspired by craftapaloola’s tutorial that I read on whipup, I thought I would knit myself a cozy for my mini-pack of tissues. I’ve seen a bunch of adorable sewn cases and thought it was time for the knitters to represent. This project is also perfect for last minute Christmas or holiday gift. (For other quick Christmas gifts, check out my Manos Scarf pattern, and Coaster Pattern).

You will need a bit of worsted weight yarn and appropriately sized needles. I used some leftover Ejido from handpaintedyarn.com and size 7 needles – i think the pattern looks extra-nice with variegated yarn. You might want to scrounge up a button or clasp for extra cuteness.

Materials
About an ounce of worsted weight yarn.
Tapestry needle for sewing up edges
US #7 needles
Button
Sharp needle and thread for attaching the button
Crochet hook or double pointed needles for making button loop

Pattern Notes
The pattern is just a stitch pattern on a rectangle that is folded and sewn together. I added selvedge stitches to either side to make it easy to sew up int he end. The first stitch of every row is slipped as if to knit, and the last stitch of every row is purled. It is important to note that the selvedge stitches are slipped with the yarn in the back (knitwise), while the slipped stitches in the patterning are slipped with the yarn in the front (sl wyif).

Pattern
Cast on 26 stitches. I used a long-tail cast-on and it makes a nice decorative edge.

R1 and all WS rows: sl 1, purl remaining stitches.
R2: sl 1, *sl 3 wyif, k3* 4 times, p1
R4: sl 1, k1 * sl 3 wyif, k3* 3 times, sl 3 wyif, k2, p1
R6: sl 1, k2 *sl 3 wyif, k3* 3 times, sl 3 wyif, k1, p1
R8; sl 1, *k3, sl 3 wyif* 4 times, p1
R10: sl 1, sl 1 wyif, *k3, sl 3 wyif* 3 times, k3, sl 2 wyif, p1
R12: sl 1, sl 2 wyif *k3, sl 3 wyif* 3 times, k3, sl 1 wyif, p1
Repeat until cover is about 6.5 inches long, or desired length

Once your tissue cover is about 6.5 inches long, or long enough to wrap around your tissues, bind off. I like mine to have a bit of a tight fit, so that it will remain snug even as the tissues inside get used.

With the wrong side out, fold up the top and bottom to cover the tissues and hold in place with pins. The fold lines are indicated by dashed lines in the pattern schematic.

Sew up the edges. This is made much easier by the selvedge stitches, so even though they are a pain to remember, they are worth it. I also stitch about 1/2 inch along the two edges of the opening on the tissue cover. This helps secure the tissues inside.

Position and sew on the button. To make a loop for the button, either crochet a short chain, or knit a short i-cord, and attach to the edge of the opening.

The final step is to add tissues to your cover. The ones i bought open on the short edge, which is not cute, and not compatible with my cozy. I just took a pair of scissors and cut an opening along the long edge. Then I put them inside, and everything is complete.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

http://www.girlontherocks.com/knit

King’s Cozy October 24, 2004

I designed this beer cozy on the car ride home from a camping trip in King’s Canyon National Park. This pattern has a cable going up opposite sides of the beer cozy, with ribbing in between. The cables make a nice cushiony grip while holding a beer, and the ribbing allows it to stretch to fit. There is a surprisingly small number of decreases between the body and neck and of the cozy. This pattern is made with yarn that I happened to have, but many other substitutions could be used. The cotton works pretty well, and doesn’t really get wet like you might expect it would.

Yarn: Schachenmayr Rainbow (worsted weight)
Needles: 4 double pointed #6 US, and a cable needle

Cast on 36 stitches.
{brackets} indicate the cable
part of the pattern

row 1-4: *k2 p2 k2 p2 k2 {p1 k6 p1}* repeat from * to *.
row 5: *k2 p2 k2 p2 k2 {p1 place 3 stitches on cable needle and hold behind work, k3, k3 from cable needle, p1}* repeat from * to *.
Continue repeating rows 1-5 until cozy is as tall as the body of the beer bottle that you would like it to fit (mine is about 6 inches). The decreases occur only in the ribbed portion of the pattern, so you should continue the cable as above throughout the decreases.

Begin Decreases:
decrease row 1: *k2 p2 k2 p2tog k2 {cable continued from above}* repeat from * to *. (34 stitches remain).
decrease row 2: *k2 p2tog k2 p1 k2 {cable}* repeat from * to *. (32 stitches
remain).
decrease row 3: *k2 k2tog k1 p1 k2 {cable}* repeat from * to *. (30 stitches
remain).
decrease row 4: *k4 k2tog k1 {cable}* repeat from * to *. (28 stitches
remain).< Decreases finished! Continue with the following pattern until the neck of your cozy is as long as you wish.

Neck rows: k6 {cable} k6 {cable}.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.