Better Late than Never

OK- I Know I am only a couple hours away from next week but I am still going to claim that I made good I on my promise.

Here is a picture of the coaster:

Here is the pattern: (it is my first try at pattern designing, so all comments are welcome)


Cast on 19 Stitches with a size US 9 Needle

Row 1	Purl
Row 2	K1, Purl to the Last stitch, K1
Row 3	P1, K4, P3, K10, P1
Row 4	K1, P9, K5, P3, K1
Row 5	P1, K2, P10, K5, P1
Row 6	K1, P4, K12, P1, K1
Row 7	P1, K2, P12, K3, P1
Row 8	K1, P2, K13, P2, K1
Row 9	P1, K3, P13, K1, P1
Row 10	K1, P2, K11, P4, K1
Row 11	P1, K4, P10, K3, P1
Row 12	K1, P4, K8, P5, K1
Row 13	P1, K5, P8, K4, P1
Row 14	K1, P5, K6, P6, K1
Row 15	P1, K7, P5, K5, P1
Row 16	K1, P6, K4, P7, K1
Row 17	P1, K8, P2, K7, P1
Row 18	K1, P8, K1, P8, K1
Row 19	P1, Knit to the Last stitch, P1
Row 20	K1, P1, K3, P3, K3, P3, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1
Row 21	P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K3, P1, K5, P1, K3, P1
Row 22	K1, P3, K1, P5, K1, P3, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1
Row 23	P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K3, P3, K3, P1, K3, P1
Row 24	K1, P3, K1, P3, K1, P5, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1
Row 25	P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K3, P3, K3, P3, K1, P1
Row 26	K1, P1, K3, P3, K3, P3, K3, P1, K1
Row 27	P1, Knit to the Last stitch, P1
Row 28	Knit

Bind Off
Well it is almost Christmas time and we are getting ready here at my Knitting Fairy Godmother's House. We are watching A Christmas Story- can't believe that I had not seen this movie until last year?!?!

Let me know what you think of the pattern on a side note I did embroider the letters because they did not look right so small...

Merry Christmas everyone and to my Jewish friends, happy belated Hanukkah!

The first pattern

Okay- so I realized that some people may not understand why my handmade hard work love should be wasted  spent on Garnet colored coasters... So here is my attempt at explaining the ceremony event that is South Carolina Gamecock football...

I understand that a lot of schools may have "great" tailgating but in my unbiased opinion The University of South Carolina has the best. It is hard to describe the experience without the help of pictures...

On Saturday mornings thousands of Gamecock fans load up their vehicles with the plethora of tailgating elements- and in South Carolina that is not limited to burgers, hot dogs, soft drinks and beer... Oh no any Carolina fan will tell you that the meals can consist of many of things (A full stocked bar, Smoked meats on site, fajitas made on custom grills)

 I remember my first noon game when I was a student we had steak and eggs- not just regular steak and eggs- we had fillet and eggs with Mimosas, Bellini's, and Bloody Mary's...

Williams-Brice Stadium

This stadium has played host to some of football's greats and soon to be greats..

I had the opportunity last year to see this stadium get louder than it ever has been before.

The Alabama game- when the South Carolina Gamecocks upset number 1!

Some people spend boatloads of money on owning their very own "Cockaboose." These railcars are fully equipped tailgating machines- with SC Wallpaper, bathrooms and kitchens...

They have been highlighted on tailgating countdowns and various football articles...

We have play figurines of our players, decorations that we hang from our Tailgating tents. We have tables stacked high with food... These tables would never be bland- they must have the spirited tableclothes, flatware and serving dishes all themed in The Gamecock Garnet and Black!

So now that it makes more sense as to why it is important to have my knitting love displayed at these awesome events I will show you how the first pattern turned out...

For a first try at pattern desgining I think they are not too shabby... they need some tweaking so they look more like one of the Continental U.S. and less like another Continent...

I am going to adjust some of the rows and re-try...

What do you think?

The Coasters

So I guess I am definitely more ambitious then I thought...

I decided I wanted to create my own pattern.

After making two of the lovely coasters from Purl Soho. I decided I wanted to make two more in a different pattern. Because the friend of mine that is receiving these coasters is a huge Gamecock fan, as am I. I wanted to make a SC themed coaster. After searching  Ravelry which is almost always responsive to my very specific pattern needs I came up with this Carolina towel. Unfortunately for me I did not want something of this size but I did want to use a similar yarn so going down a gauge was not an option. I decided I was going to create my own pattern. I have been thinking about creating my own patterns since my friend Camille Yanair saw me knitting.

Camille is what I would call fearless and free spirited  (I hope she doesn't mind that I said this.) Anyway I made Camille a pair of fingerless mitties once and she saw that I made them from a pattern. Camille is so crafty that she designs her own jewelery and clothing!  (What an inspiration!) Anyway- long story short Camille told me that I shouldn't be working from a pattern but be creating my own patterns.

Since this exchange with Camille I have been thinking about making my own patterns so it only seemed natural to start my first design on the smallest knitted item I have ever made, Coasters. 

As a side note I will still follow patterns faithfully- but I like the challenge of creating my own!

So at about 11:30 last night I was whining for graph paper... I SWORE that Kyle had some at some point. Although it may have been in college 4 years ago, I know he used to have some. I opened my laptop and decided if I didn't have graph paper excel would have to work. So I used the columns as my stitches and the rows as my rows. (that sounds funny) I drew out the shape of South Carolina on the excel file.

Not realizing the gauge would have to change from the previous pattern I casted on my 19 stitches and  started working. Needless to say I have learned ALOT about designing patterns and about the third try in and 1:15am I know I got it right. So I am about to finish it now and see if it turned out like the state of South Carolina or more like a blob of stitches in the middle of a square.  I will post pictures of my endeavour a little later in the day.