Tuesday, October 31, 2006

What a Weekend.

When the night ends like this: Me Sleeping You know it's been a good party. I went as a black and white movie. Of course, I don't have a good picture of me with the whole costume in tact, but Trillian42's husband probably does. He was the photographer of the night. Though this picture was kindly snapped by Roxy at the end of the night. Funny what you get when you leave your camera lying around. What got me so tired? Well, between the Yuengling and the Oatmeal Cookies I was mixing, it's a toss up. What's an Oatmeal Cookie, you ask? Goldschlager, Bailey's and Kahlua - equal parts. Something I've been drinking since college on occasion. You can do it as a shot or over ice or straight up in a martini glass. It's yummy. So, what did Roxy and Trillian42 go as? Well, Roxy just cracked me up by showing up as Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (That's a custom jersey she's got - not his number.) Of course, in this pic she is sans hilarious wig. Anne Marie Kareoke QueenAnd Trillian42? Well, as I affectionately called her all night long, she went as a Wench. Heh. Who loves ya babe? Here she is kicking everybody's ass at some Kareoke game on the Playstation. Of course, again, this is the end of the night so her costume is not in tact anymore either. That corset gown got pretty confining by then so why they heck not loosen the ties all the way, eh? I woulda. The next day, and may I just say - Thank GOD for that extra hour - we all met up with AliceC for brunch. The Gang We had a wonderful time chatting and exchanging gifties and catching up in person. It was a great time. And check out that kick ass coat that Roxy's wearing! Pink Leather! It matches my Razr phone. (Heh, did I rub that in enough for ya Roxy?) It was a fabulous weekend. I can't wait to plan another trip up there! I have more pictures to take yet of the weekend's aftermath. Trillian42 introduced me to the wonder that is IKEA. And lo, I shall never be the same again.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Lesson of the Day: Panera Doesn't Give Good Pr0n

A couple weeks ago, at my every-other-Tuesday SnB at Panera Bread Co., my Friend May brought some yarn she'd purchased on a recent trip to Kansas City. She brought it for a photo shoot. I was confident I could get a few good pics of it, even with the artificial light inside Panera. One of the 2 did come out pretty dang well. The other - not so much. But pr0n it is, even if the color is a wee bit off. First up, some Recycled Silk Yarn she got for a friggin' steal. Recycled Silk Yarn OK, I mighta lied that I got good pics. But they're passable. I have high standards and only a halfway decent camera. Forgive me. I've been running around busy all week prepping for my trip to see Pam this weekend. The other was a giant hank of sock yarn in an interesting tone on tone blueish color. Yeah, the color didn't capture so well, but you get the idea. Th'Red Head Sock Yarn Forgive me my yarn pr0n devotees. I feel like I have failed you with my amateur photography skills this week. Though the yarn was beautiful in person, I could not capture it in the light of a chain restaurant. *le sigh* Next week I promise better. I have new Koigu, Lorna's Laces, and (wait for it....wait for it...) SOCKS THAT ROCK STRAIGHT FROM RHINEBECK! Wooo Hooo! I told y'all Rosi G. rockes the freakin' house! Now, if only the package I sent her would arrive at her door, I'd feel a helluvalot better. If it doesn't arrive this weekend, upon my return from Pam's, I'll be cranking out a replacement set of pattern row markers. Now, to plan my journey. See y'all next week!

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Bigger Isn't Always Better

See? Cascade Fixation Ankle Socks Zonda finally sucked me into her obsession with Cascade Fixation Ankle Socks. They were the perfect answer for socks guaranteed to fit my mother. The stretchiness is almost sure to hug her foot nice and snug so as to ensure no complaints. I know my mother. Plus, they were an obscenely fast knit. If I had worked on nothing else, these puppies would have been finished in less than a weekend. As it was, I did the majority of the foot of the second sock just walking around the Ren. Fest on saturday. Much to the delight of my friend May. heh. She kept saying I must need another drink if I need to keep my hands full. So, with these and the 2 dishcloths I've made so far, this completes my Christmas knitting for mom. But I have a feeling she'll be getting another pair of ankle socks as well. They're so fast and mindless. But before I do that, I have the Rebecca Sweater to put the finishing touches on (the ribbed neckline and arms), a set of Fuzzy Feet for my Sister and her husband, a hat for my other Brother-in-Law and for my Nephew. Then we get into the "non-family" category of Christmas knitting. I need to do a hat for my favorite bartender, a pair of fingerless gloves for my not-to-subtle photographer friend (hey chica, you got a birthday in January, let's stick with Birthday Gifts) and something for her daughter (which I'm sorta working on now but it's a secret) and something for my other friend's 2 kids. And I should probably make something for her too. Damn. Thank God it's still October. I think my list is totally doable. Not too shabby. ANYWAY. Thanks for reading my stream of consciousness there. Heh. Onto other things. A couple weeks ago, KnitMongrel had a contest. I was a runner up, and still won something! I got it on Tuesday and geez louise you'da thought I took first. Check this out. Misti Alpaca Chunky and Lorna's Laces Shephard Worsted. Misti Alpaca Chunky & Lornas Laces Shephard Worsted Lorna's Laces and Misti Alpaca Wow. And wait'll you see what Rosi-G got me at Rhinebeck! Tomorrow, tomorrow, or maybe next week. I can't decide what tomorrow's pr0n shall be. I have many new yarns to pick from. Heh.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!

Dammit. I've been tagged. I've scrolled through I don't know how many of these things in the past week or two - carefully checking the end to make sure I wasn't called out, only to find that Stringbean finally got me. *sigh* So, lemme end this here and now. I'm am UNTAGGING all of you. This is your "Get out of Meme Free" card. If you've been tagged by a meme and you don't wanna do it, show 'em this card, post it in lieu of the meme, stick it in your sidebar for other's to benefit from. I do this for you, my loyal readers. Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Take this card and post it to your blog and if you get tagged, and don't wanna do it? Here's your out. Now, if you do wanna do it, that's ok too. This gives you the freedom to be discriminatory about it though. And Stringbean, I still love ya babe. Now, I've said in the past that if I'm directely tagged (i.e. By name, not "if you read this consider yourself tagged") that I'll do my part. And I have and I will continue to do so. But if it's something that's completely unappealing, don't think I won't whip Mimi out y'all. Heh. Now, onto the Meme: 48 Things You Could Care Less About 1. FIRST NAME? Cristi 2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Fuck if I know. My sister’s and I are all “C”s so by the time they got to me it was probably just a matter of figuring out what wacked out spelling to give me. 3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Umm. Dunno. 4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I’m happy with it. When I’m concentrating on it. 5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Ham. Heh. I am so not kosher. 6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Hell yes! Who would answer no to this question? 7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I suppose you’re lookin’ at it. 8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yup. 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Maybe. If there were money in it for me like if I were on The Amazing Race or something. 10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Boo Berry. 11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Rarely 12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not so much physically as mentally and emotionally. 13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food or Chunky Monkey 14. SHOE SIZE? 9 5. RED OR PINK? RED! 16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My income. I hate my income. I’m worth so much more. 17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My friend Marianne. Haven’t seen her in years. We were buddies back when I was a 4-H camp counselor. We first met when we were campers and I shot a rocket up her shirt. By accident. I swear! 18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? HELL NO! 19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Khaki pants, Yellow Sweater, Brown Shoes, and my green fetchings. 20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Chunky Soup New England Clam Chowder 21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Forklifts driving by. Whee! 22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I haven’t bought a box of crayons in ages. But it’d probably be the one broken one in the package that you really, really needed to finish off your drawing just right, that crumbled to bits everytime you touched it to the page. Just to piss you off. =) 23. FAVORITE SMELL? Freshly mown grass 24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? The manager of our Philly metro office. Funny guy. 25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? The smile 26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? I didn’t steal it, it was forced on me through a tagging. So I’m really rethinking this whole “do you like her” bit. ;^) 27. FAVORITE DRINK? Mixed? Green Apple Martini 28. FAVORITE SPORT? Football 29. EYE COLOR? Brown 30. HAT SIZE? 22” 31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope. My glasses are such a weak prescription I don’t even “need” to wear those. But if I didn’t, they’d just get worse. Ah well. At least they’re cool looking. 32. FAVORITE FOOD? Mmm….Mexican. Especially Fajitas. 33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Scary Movies 35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer 36. HUGS OR KISSES? From who? I’m not a touchy feely person. But I’ll give you a hug. 37. FAVORITE DESSERT? My mom’s Apple Pie. 38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Nobody. 39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Nobody. 40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Books? What are those? Heh. I still haven’t finished Son of a Witch and I started it when it came out. I swear I’ll resolve that soon. 41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? Nothing. I don’t have one at work. 42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? How I Met Your Mother, and that whole CBS lineup through The New Adventures of Old Christine. The rest is all DVR’d. 43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? My kitties purring. 44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Rolling Stones 45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Seattle Wa. 46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Psst…I can knit 47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Malone, NY 48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? StringBean

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Oooh! Fetching!

Just in time for the freezing temperatures I woke up to this morning, I have my Fetchings complete. Fetching 002Fetching 003 I'm thrilled with the way they turned out. Nice and snug, long enough to cover the gap between sleeve and wrist (and then some) and comfortable to type in. As I am right now. I've been wanting to make these for some time now. I needed a replacement for the muppet gloves I made last December. See? Voodoo Wristwarmers Jim Henson would be proud. My co-workers make fun of me when I wear those. Mainly because they think I'm a wuss for wearing them in the middle of summer but dammit - I HATE AIR CONDITIONING! At least when it's set to arctic temperatures rather than as a comfortable relief from the heat outside. But I digress. I have my Fetchings now and I dare anyone to make fun of these puppies. I'll punch 'em with my Cashmerino-ensconced knuckles. Fetching 008 Then of course, I'd probably be arrested for battery. In which case I will stylishly ward off the paparazzi. Fetching 006 Upon my release to a sympathetic public, I can start my own broadway show and my jazz hands will be quite, well, fetching. Fetching 005 But don't criticize my broadway performance, else I'll have to go back to the beginning and give ya the ole one-two punch. Fetching 007

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Lace, Thou Art My Bitch

Lace, Thou Art My Bitch I failed the Adamas Shawl. I conquered the Hedera Socks. I vanquished the lace portion of the Simple Knitted Bodice. Now, the Swallowtail Lace Shawl has succumbed to my mighty sword Addi. Thanks in no small part to my use of a pattern row counter, I have gotten halfway along the first body chart without incident. Also, it helps that I'm taking a class on this shawl from Jane. But still, Lace, I own you! Mwuah ha ha ha ha ha! Check out what else I've conquered lately (Dammit, Sis, look away. If you ain't gonna comment on my blog then I'm not hiding my FOs from you just because they're a gift.): Anastasia Socks Pattern: Anastasia Socks from Mintyfresh Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Country Garden FetchingOne Fetching One Fetching Glove. I did 7 cable repeats, added a thumb gusset and some fingers and did an i-cord bind off on them. It's pretty spiffy if I do say so myself. Oh, and I used Size 4 needles instead of 6s. I have slender hands so this helped snug it up. I do believe I'll start the second one tonight. I really need these for the office. New Pouch and Sock Progress! And finally, the second Cascade Fixation Ankle sock for my mom is nearly done. I turned the heel and picked up the gusset stitches right before I left to go to the Renaissance Festival yesterday. What you see is what I finished just walking around all day. My friend May kept saying we needed to get me another drink if I needed something for my hands to do. Heh. More on the Ren Fest tomorrow. For now, I need to get back to making a few more row counters. Last Night's Batch

Friday, October 20, 2006

TGIYPF!

Yes, Thank God it's Yarn Pr0n Friday! Woo Freakin' Hoo! And this time, I get to show off some of my own stuff. As I mentioned previously, I was lucky enough to attend a weekend workshop sponsored by My Guild and taught by Merike Saarnit. We learned Microwave Rainbow Dying on Saturday and How to work with our handpaints on Sunday. It was fabulous. Except for the hangover. Oy, the hangover. All because of a bottle of Champagne and some Strawberries. Hence the inspiration for this. "Champagne and Strawberries" Champagne and Strawberries You see, a very thoughtful coworker of mine had a spare bottle of champagne kickin' around left over from a christening event at work. (No, we didn't smack a baby upside the head with a bottle of champagne. We smacked a trailer. But anyway...) He thought I'd like the extra, and lo, how right he was. I started to tell him about my 25th birthday party in which I took a couple bottles of cheap champagne and floated a couple bricks of frozen strawberries in syrup in it to chill the champagne and give it some party flavor. Oh it was good. I hadn't done that in so long, this bottle of champagne I received inspired me to do it again. But I sorta forgot to eat. Ah well. So when I woke up the next morning I was one hurtin' girl. The workshop was at a church in their rec room. And I'm going to hell because at one point I had to run outside and divest my stomach of the swig of water I had just imbibed. Someone had just gone to the bathroom so I was unable to run in there. I made it to the grass, do my thing, look up, and see 3 crosses sticking up out of the ground. Yeah, I puked in front of the church. *sigh* Anyway, on to more hand-dyed pr0n. "I Shall Call You 'Alienish'" I shall call you This was my first hank that I dyed. (All yarn is KnitPicks sock weight dye your own, btw.) The darker color is supposed to be a hunter green. It didn't quite translate into that, but more of a muted greyish green. It still looks cool though. Reminds me of an alien or something. "Lavern's Velcro"

Lavern's Velcro

This one is by far my favorite. It reminds me of Lorna's Laces. Specifically the Iris Garden colorway. Oh the colors are so vibrant! "Rainbow Brite" Rainbow Brite If I had a little white unicorn to pose this hank on top of for the photo shoot, I so would have used it. I took the hank and laid it out as a loop and dyed it in consecutive sections according to the spectrum. I suppose I could call it Roy G. Biv but somehow, this doesn't look like a Roy to me. "Trio"

Trio

This hank was a group effort by myself, My Pal Tvini and the wonderful Jane Prater. They'd both run out of yarn and I had one hank left so I thought it would be fun to each take a color that appealed to us and had at the hank. The blue was me, the gray/black (very subtle) was Tvini, and the bright raspberry was Jane. I'm going to try and make little pouches out of it for us like Shonze made for the last stitchmarker swap. "Pumpkiny" Pumpkiny This one I dyed with a pumpkin as inspiration. One of Tvini's hanks farted on it in the microwave and gave it a neat rustic touch. Yes, Tvini. I like it. You didn't ruin everyone's yarn. They all came out cool. In fact, the dark bits remind me of a stem. So thank you for the extra character. Well, that's it for the pr0n today, but watch out! There may be more homegrown yarn in the future. Check this out.

IMG_0221

I learned how to spin! That's the wonderfully talented knitter/spinner Meta Thompson. She recently had a pattern published in Spin Off magazine for a crocheted yarn ball holder thing. She's so freakin' talented. And wonderful for taking the time and having the patience to show me how to use my bottom whorl drop spindle. She's says I did pretty well! Apparently I'm a natural. See?

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Thursday, October 19, 2006

Sock Yarn and Soap

(Warning, picture heavy post.)I've been overwhelmed this week by the response that the pattern row counter has had. First, I mention it on flickr after I put together the photo tutorial, then a flickr user e-mails the link to the editors of Craftzine and THEN, they blog about it almost immediately! Well, you coulda knocked me over with feather when I saw that! I happened to check my Sitemeter and saw all these referrals from the craftzine blog, clicked over and TADA!!! There it was. Holy crap. And I had so much to blog about too. But I thought maybe I should do that video thing and the FAQ first. I still have the Merike Saarnit Microwave Rainbow Dying Workshop to tell you about. IMG_0220 Merike Saarnit Workshop Swatch 4And the next days' workshop on knitting with our handpainted yarn. One of those days involves a story about a girl with a wicked hangover, a church lawn, and how she's pretty much finalized her future trip to hell. I'll leave you to wonder just who that girl was and how she did that. Let's just say it has something to do with this: HPIM2875 But before all that even I was supposed to blog about something completely different. You see, a short while ago, Pyewacket made a short row toe her bitch and decided to banish it from her house in exchange for something a little more "her". Well, I piped up immediatly and we arranged a swap. Well, check out what this wonderful woman sent me: October 13 2006 019 Not just some sock yarn (in a really handy plastic pouch) but handmade (by her very own hands!) Soap! Wonderful smelly, funky colored, swirly sorta trippy SOAP! LOOK! October 13 2006 020 She sells it too, but I don't have her hilarious little pamphlet with me to tell you if there's a website to find it at. I'll amend this post as soon as I find out. She's made me swear to use it and not display it because it's "too pretty to use." Now I'm wondering if I should tell her I immediately slipped it in my dresser drawer with all my handknits and my underwear drawer to make 'em smell purty? (Oops, I guess I just did. But I swear I'll use 'em as soon as I run out of the liquid stuff in my bathroom!) Then yesterday, I got Jenn-you-whine R.A.K (no, that's not some mean subliminal message to any "Jenn" out there that may be reading but if it were it'd be a lot bitchier. Like "Jenn-you-bitch" or "Jenn-you-slut" but neither are phonetic for "real." But I digress.) ANYWAY...this R.A.K came from the wonderful fiberfool! (Sadly, blogless.) Check out this Halloween themed package! Halloween RAK!  From Fiberfool What's with the hole? It lights up...but what else? The turtle I think is from Finding Nemo. And it does something. But beyond light up, it's got this kickin' in it's mouth. See that? A hole. And when you squeeze the flipper you can feel a little puff of air come out. (And it lights up as well.) But it doesn't strike me as a tub toy. But it must be. It must squirt water out of it's mouth. Ah...you betcha next time I take a bath I'll be acting like a 3 year old splashing around and playing with my turtle making it squirt the cat. Heh. Not only was there this toy, but there were peanut butter filled hershey's kisses! A Halloween pin! And lo, some Regia Cotton Tip & Top sock yarn. Regia Cotton Tip & Top Don't worry. Tomorrow you still get yarn pr0n. My handpainted yarn from the workshop! And hey, I may even tell you about that hungover chick. Tsk. How irresponsible of her.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

FAQ on the Pattern Row Counter

Well, I'm glad y'all like the pattern row counter so much. I can't take credit for the originality of the idea, but I did feel the need to bring such a neat tool to the attention of y'all. Initially, a few of you asked how I got the wire wrapped so neatly around the pin, and hence the video. Some of you paid more attention to my boobies than my hands. And those that were watching my hands were entranced by my manicure. Heh. Thanks. Rosi G. Says: DUDE how the hell do you knit w/those nails! ROFLMAO Um. I dunno. Faster than when my nails were short. Couldn't tell you why. But hey, I'm a reformed nail biter. When my nails grow, I let them. You gotta take what you can get. Canalgal Says: BTW, have you ever blogged your refrigerator magnets? Actually no. That was going to be my "M is for..." in the ABC along, but I ended up using Manzanita. But I did make a photo collage of them a long time ago! Here they are: M is for Magnets Bezzie Says: Dude, I thought Ripple eclipses only happened so many years?! We just got to see one! Not true. I just don't blog all those moments. See? The Belly of the Beast 'Tis truly the belly of the beast. Such a camera hog. Ripple I don't know what you're talking about. You just have bad timing. Bezzie Also Said: That's a pretty cool idea. I'll bet I could make an ugly one out of just jump rings for those 10+ row repeat designs. You could, but for that many rows, would you be able to tell at a glance which row you're on? The chain links between each loop help give a visual break between each loop and thus makes it easier to see what row you're on. You could even use those alphabet beads on the chain links to spell a word and make it even easier. Hmm...what's a good 9 letter phrase for that? How about "You R Crazy"? Heh. CPurl17 Says: Let me know when you set up shop! Your work is very neat! The one I have tends to get caught on my yarn. Set of pattern row counters - sock size and mediumI've thought about setting up an etsy shop for this, but I'd rather stick to swapping. Rosi G. and I have already made a deal for some of my pattern row counters. In fact, I finished her request last night.Customizable pattern row counter 2 - 10 rows See that on the left? That's our brainchild. Rosi asked if I could come up with one that could be customized to whatever # of rows you need. This is what I came up with. A series of jump rings connected with barrel clasps. You can count anywhere from 2 to 10 rows with this sucker. Just, pardon the pun, screw around with the parts and pieces until you get the combination you need. I was quite impressed with myself for figuring that one out. I need to buy more barrel clasps so I can make one for myself (and whoever wants to swap for one). Olga Says: Love them! I have a request for the visualization impaired (namely, me)...if you have time, could you post a picture of the marker in action on your needles? I'm having a hard time seeing how the loops are supposed to sit on there. Thanks! Absolutely! I don't have anything on the needles now that needs one of these, but we'll just pretend that my mom's cascade fixation sock needs one. How to use your pattern row counter Pretend I've just completed round 1 of a 3 row repeat. I need to turn my counter to row 2. To do that, I poke my working (righthand) needle into the next loop down on the counter, and then drop the top loop off the left needle. Does this pic help? entrelac says: Technical question for you. How are you securing the cuts on those rings and wire links so they don't snag on the working yarn? Entrelac asks because the type of markers she makes, don't have any dangly bits. She glues a bead in place over the cut of the jump ring to ward off any potential snags. I don't do this for these or any of my markers because I don't really need to. If you open the jump ring like a fan, pivoting the cut ends away from each other, and at the same time, push them in towards each other a bit, it will create an overlap. When you go to close the ring, with a little bit of finessing, you'll close the gap so tight that it will create a smooth join. I've never had a problem with snags and this method. Well, I hope that answers all your questions!

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

How to Bend The Wire for the Chain Links

Oooh! YouTube! I made a video of me bending the wire for the chain links so y'all could see my mad wire-bending skilz. It's not that hard. It just takes a bit of practice, and an anal retentive personality. Heh. Oh, and Ripple just had to get involved, pardon his interruption.

Monday, October 16, 2006

How to Make a Pattern Row Counter

If you would like to download this tutorial please visit my new website at http://turtlegirl76.com/free-patterns/ Row CountersCharted pattern got ya down? Pattern telling you to do X every X number of rows? Tired of writing down on a post-it what row you're on in a pattern? Can't remember if you clicked your Kacha-Kacha or turned your row marker? I have a custom tailored solution for you. What you see on the right are 3 different pattern row markers. Basically, a chain of stitchmarkers. Each loop represents a pattern row. The top loop would be row #1, the bottom, nearest the big bead, would be the last row in the pattern repeat. If knitting in the round, you would put this in place of your beginning of round marker. If flat, place it after the first stitch on your needle. From left to right, we have a counter for a 3, 4 and 6 row pattern repeat. Let's fill in the missing link, and make a counter for a 5 row pattern repeat. Supplies: Beading tools: Tools Needed A wire cutter, crimper (or plier), and a round tipped plier. 5 Jump ring, 1 head pin and 4 eye pins: Supplies 1 An anchor bead: Anchor Bead I've chosen this ladybug bead because it has a bit of heft to it. This bead will help keep the counter hanging down and also mark which end is the, well, end. Seed Beads: Seed Beads Or you can use beads a bit larger than seed beads, but these work best. For our 5 loop chain, we'll need 13 seed beads. Anchor Set-upStep 1: Make the anchor bead. Take your head pin and slide your anchor bead onto it, and top it off with a single seed bead. We don't want a seed bead on the end because that creates a pokey bit and thus, potential to snag your knitting. No pokey bits please. This is also why we use a head pin rather than another eye pin. We want the end to be nice and smooth. Make a loop and wrap the end of the pin around itself, cutting off the extra bit and crimping it down so the cut end is not poking out. Anchor Complete Chain Links Set-UpStep 2: Making the chain links. Take your 4 eye pins and slide 3 seed beads onto each pin. 3 creates the perfect amount of space between each loop in the chain. If 2, 4 or even 5 floats your boat, then great. You may find the distance between each loop is too far though. Take your round tipped pliers and hold the pin just above the first seed bead. Bend the pin at a 90 degree angle. Chain Link Bend 1 Then, take your crimper pliers and bend the end of the pin 180 degrees back over the round tipped pliers. You'll create a neato loop. Chain Link Bend 2 on tool Here it is off the tool: Chain Link Bend 2 View Complete Chain LinkThen you're going to wrap the free end of the pin back around itself, closing t4 Chain Linkshe loop. Cut off the extra and crimp down the cut end. Remember, no pokey bits. Rinse, wash and repeat until you have X-1 chain links. (x being the total number of pattern row repeats, in our case, our pattern is 5 rows, so we need 4 of these.) Step 3: Chain-chain-chain. Chain of loops. Connecting the Links 1 Now it's time to assemble your row counter. Take a jump ring and open it up by twisting the ring's ends away from each other, and to prevent a gap when closing, slightly push each end in a bit. (Don't open it like a book, open it like a fan.) Slide two chain links onto the ring. Close the jump ring by twisting the opposite way you opened it. When you pushed in, the ends kinda went past each other, so when you want to close it, the ends should end up touching and closing the ring in a more solid fashion. You'll see what I mean when you do it. Trust me. Repeat this step until all the chain links are attached. Connecting the Links 2 When you run out of links, you'll put a single jump ring on one end of the chain of linked loops, and on the other, we'll attach the anchor bead to the chain with the last jump ring. You should end up with something like this: Completed Row Counter Now you're ready to use your counter. Simply replace your beginning of row marker (for circular knitting) with the counter, and every time you get back to it, poke your working needle into the next loop down on the chain to move it over and start your next row. I love using these for socks. Such a portable project deserves a portable counting system. Simply write your pattern rows down on an index card (if you don't have it memorized) and slip it in your sock bag along with the sock. You have all you need to knit on the go! No need for a pen, kacha-kacha or extra bits of paper, just grab your project and pattern and go! Please feel free to print out a copy of this post for your own use, but please direct your friends and other knitters you'd like to share this with back here to this post so they can get their own copy. I'd rather you not sell these and reap the rewards of my genius, however, feel free to give these as gifts to your knitterly friends. See this post for a video on bending the wires, and this post for answers to various questions that have been asked about these counters. If you would like to swap for a counter, or a set, please e-mail me at prostiturtle AT gmail DOT com.