Tamara's Papa Bear Sampler Scarf

Now, isn't this just the manliest Papa Bear Sampler Scarf yet??? 

Tamara sent us this photo. 

She used just over 1 ball of On Your Toes 4 ply sock yarn with aloe vera. 

What great colours. Although, you know, we think any lady would love it, too.

Another finished scarf

Not by us!! No! We've been goofin' off baking cookies (as you well know).

No, this Papa Bear Sampler Scarf  is lilaclinny's (That's her Ravelry name.) She made it from Teksrena yarn which is new to us. The yarn description says it's similar to Kauni and comes from Lithuania. It's a lovely gradation from red to black. We think it suits the pattern perfectly. lilaclinny reports that she stopped at the 10th pattern because the scarf was plenty long. She sent it to school with her son as a gift for his teacher. Lucky guy! (or gal!)

Just a reminder....all the parts of the pattern can still be found on this blog (for free!). We've also prepared one .PDF that corrals the whole pattern into one manageable file. All the pattern stitches are written out as well as charted. It's available through our Ravelry store for $3.50.

If you send us a photo of your finished Papa Bear Sampler Scarf to show on this blog ....no matter when (we'll be here!)..... we'll send you a file for a gift tag as our thank you.

Another wonderful scarf!

Yesterday, knittingdancer (from Ravelry) sent us a photo of her Papa Bear Sampler Scarf. It's beautiful!! The colour is gorgeous (but still totally suitable for either a man OR a woman). Whoever receives this as a gift will be very happy, we're sure. The yarn is Wollmeise Sockenwolle and the colourway is Sanguinella. Isn't the background quilt beautiful, too?

Don't forget......If you knit a Papa Bear Sampler Scarf and send us a photo to use on this blog, we'll send you a little gift.....a file to print a gift tag to go along with it! Send your photo to us here: grandmacocosdesigns (at) gmail (dot) com

Birthday Biker Boy Cookies

Someone we love is having a birthday soon and Grandma Coco thought Cheryl should make some celebratory cookies. We have all week. What's the problem? Well, the problem is we're still learning and you know what that means. Everything takes much longer than you'd think. If you rush a cookie, you invite disaster. You could even get (gasp!) bleeding so for a novice, every decision is pretty much life or death. Cheryl doesn't like to live on the edge the way Grandma Coco does but in the end GC was right. We have a plate of pretty cool cookies for a dude who likes motorcycles and cigars.

Copyright © Cheryl Coville 2010-2011

In the beginning....there was a drawing. There always is. Remember it? We simplified and simplified (remembering the complexity of the snowman this past weekend).

We can hardly wait to make more.

Photos of   Papa Bear Sampler Scarves   are beginning to trickle in.

This lovely (handsome!) example was made by shoshieb (her Ravelry name) and it's a beauty! What a great lavender colour that any man (or woman!) would be lucky to receive as a gift. Well done, shoshieb!

If you have finished a Papa Bear Sampler Scarf, send us the photo to show on this blog and we'll send you a file to print your own gift tag.  Here's the address: grandmacocosdesigns (at) gmail (dot) com

All Wrapped Up

We've been working on gifts and inevitably the puzzle of how to package them must be addressed. Last year, we were completely smitten with our friend Karen's lovely gift boxes. This year, we tripped over a tutorial for Japanese Gift Bags on The Quilt Show. You have to register to see them but it's worth it. They're quick and very cute. And just the right size for a beaded micro macrame bracelet.

And what do we have here? Femmeng Kate sent us a photo of her Papa Bear Sampler Scarf. Very handsome! The yarn is lovely. It's Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label Fingering. Thanks for sharing the photo, Femmeng Kate! and thanks, too, for knitting along with us.

We've sent Femmeng Kate a file to print her own gift card to go with her scarf. Don't forget, we'll send you one, too, if you send us a photo of your completed scarf to show here on the blog.

The Big Reveal!!!

That's right! That's our  Papa Bear Sampler Scarf  all finished. We love it so much that we have to admit we've been wearing it. The awful truth is that we may not give it away after all. We are greedy....but not ashamed. (It's really nice!)

Here's what it looked like right off the needles. Yarn barf. Just like every other knitting project, it needs blocking to look its best. We know there are as many ways to go about this as there are knitters but we like to get it really wet. We soaked this in the bathroom sink in nice warm water (about body temperature). We left it for about 20 minutes. Then we worked some hair conditioner into it and rinsed it well. We think the big thing at this point is to remember how delicate the yarn is. You have to be careful you don't let the weight of the water-y wool damage it. Support it nicely. Squeeze out the excess water gently and roll it up in a big fluffy towel. Now, stand on it. No, really! This squishes out all the extra moisture into the towel. The knitting will only be damp when you unroll it.

We were fortunate that the big square foam mats (used for exercise, we think....people do that? exercise?) went on sale over the summer. We really like them. You can assemble them in squares for shawls or, in this case, in one long rectangle. We set them up at the deck door where the light was good and the kitty wasn't. Slowly, but surely, we pinned out the scarf, stretching it slightly to open up all the stitch patterns. Again, we don't want to be rough. We wouldn't want to break the yarn at this point.

It looks great! Now, it's just a matter of waiting for it to dry thoroughly.  The kitty will sleep on it. It seems to be an unwritten kitty rule. Anything new on the floor must be put there for her sleeping pleasure. But what pleasure there could be in sleeping on damp wool, we can't imagine.

FYI here's all the wool we had leftover. :)  

We would very much like to thank all of you who played along with us on this project. We enjoyed the knit and hope you did, too. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email us: grandmacocosdesigns (AT) gmail (dot)com ......... You know what to do with the symbols. Better yet, if you finish your scarf and send us a photo of it to show here on the blog, we'll send you a little gift as a thank you...... a .PDF file to print 2 gift cards to attach to your scarf. There's a place to include laundering instructions and plenty of room for a love note.

All the instalments of the pattern will remain here on the blog where they're available for free. If you'd rather, you can download the entire project in one .PDF through our Ravelry store

for the princely sum of $3.50 US.

For now, we'll leave you with this..................

ENJOY!

Week #12 of the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along

It's hard to believe but here we are with the final stitch pattern. And it's a pretty one. And easy, too. Double Moss Stitch.  We have 47 stitches on the needles now. Please remember the 5 garter stitches at each end.

Row 1: K1, * p1, k1; rep from * to end.

Row 2: P1, * k1, p1; rep from * to end

Row 3: same as Row 2

Row 4: same as Row 1

Repeat these 4 rows, 9 times.

Final Border: Knit 7 rows of garter stitch. 
Cast off. (Yahoo!)

Next week we'll talk about blocking and we'll show you photos!!! Don't forget, if you send us a photo of your finished scarf to show here on the blog, we'll send you a little gift in return.

For a printable .PDF of this week's exciting episode, click here.

Week #11 of the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along

Can you believe it? The penultimate pattern...... The Medallion Rib.

There are now 46 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

Row 1: (right side) P4, *yb (move yarn to back), sl 2 purlwise.

C2B, p4; rep from * to end.

(C2B = knit into back of 2^nd stitch on needle,

then knit first st. slipping both sts off needle

at the same time.)

Row 2: K4, * yf (move yarn to front), sl 2 purlwise,

purl the 2^nd st on left-hand needle, then the 1^st st,

slipping both sts from needle tog, k4; rep from * to end.

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: Purl

Repeat these 4 rows, 8 times, then work Rows 1-3 once more. Total 35 rows.

Separator: Knit 5 rows increasing 1 stitch by knitting into the front and back of a stitch somewhere in the middle of the last row. (47 stitches total)

For a printable .PDF, click here.

Next week, we'll tackle the final pattern in this assortment.

Week #10 of the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along

Remember how last week we took it easy with a simple pattern? This week it's payback time. We're going to knit a fabulous stitch pattern which is a little more complicated....but not much. And it looks so great that all the effort will be worth it, we promise!

This week's pattern is the Star Stitch. It's a 4 row repeat. We've seen it worked in 2 different colours. Very cool. If you want to give that a try sometime, you use 1 colour for the first 2 rows and a different colour for the next 2 rows.

So, if you've finished last week's pattern, the Farrow Rib, you should have 47 stitches on your needle. Keeping in mind the 5 garter stitch borders on each edge, work the Star Stitch pattern a follows:

Row 1: (right side) Knit

Row 2: P1, * Make Star, p1; rep from * to end.

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: P3, Make Star, * p1, Make Star;

rep from * to last 3 sts, p3.

Make Star = p3tog leaving sts on needle, yrn (yarn round needle), then purl the same 3 sts together again.

Repeat these 4 rows, 9 times.

Separator:  Knit 6 rows, reducing 1 st. anywhere in the middle of the last row by knitting 2 sts tog.

(46 stitches total)

Only 2 more pattern stitches to go....unless you've run out of yarn. :(  Hang on..... You can just jump right to the final border when the rest of us get there in only 2 more weeks! (Can you believe that?)

You can find the .PDF here.

If this is Tuesday ...

... then it must be time for another installment of the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf adventure. We've had a very busy week but we're zoomin' along on our scarf. So many attractive stitch patterns to choose from. This week's is called Twisted Texture.

There are now 47 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

Row 1 (Wrong Side):  purl

Row 2: p1 * C2B, p1;  repeat from * to end.            

C2B= Knit into back of 2^nd st. on needle, then knit first st.,

 slipping both sts off needle at the same time.

Row 3: k1, * purl into 2^nd stitch on needle and then purl first stitch, slipping both stitches off needle at the same time, k1; repeat from * to end.

Row 4: knit

Repeat these 4 rows, 9 times. (36 rows)

Note that you start with Row 1 (the wrong side) on the left of the chart and note also the strange stitch symbols which I made up. Hope it’s clear. Please ask, if it’s not.

Work the separator section:

Knit  5 rows this time in garter stitch, increasing 1 stitch (by knitting into front and back of one stitch) somewhere in the middle of the last row.  (48 stitches total)

So far, so good! Only FIVE! sections left. 

And don't forget, we have a little gift for anyone who sends us a photo of their completed scarf.

For a .PDF of these instructions, click here.

Week #6 - Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along

We're halfway home! And not a minute too soon since we actually saw a TV advertisement for Christmas this week! They get earlier every year.

This week's offering comes with a charmingly old world spelling ... Chequerboard ... lest you need further proof that our stitch dictionary is really quite old. It's an attractive pattern and not very taxing at all to knit. Manly though, right? Cassie seems to like it.

There are now 46 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

Row 1 (Right Side):  k4 * p4, k4;  repeat from * to end.

Row 2: p4 * k4, p4; repeat from * to end.

Row 3: same as Row 1

Row 4: same as Row 2

Row 5: same as Row 2

Row 6: same as Row 1

Row 7: same as Row 2

Row 8: same as Row 1

Repeat these 8 rows, 4 times. (32 rows)

Right click to see a full-size, printable chart.

Work the separator section:

Knit 7 rows this time increasing 1 stitch (by knitting into the front and back of one stitch) anywhere in the middle of the last row.  The last row is a right side row. (47 stitches total)

You'll find a .PDF of this week's installment here. Finally! Sorry for the delay.

Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along - Week #5

We crave something simple but attractive this week. Some subtle texture. How 'bout Basket Rib?

Wouldn't this be perfect for a sock?

There are now 47 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

Row 1 (Right Side):  Knit.

Row 2: Purl.

Row 3: K1, * sl 1 purlwise, k1; repeat from * to end.

Row 4: K1, * yf (move yarn to front as if to purl), sl 1 purlwise, yb (move yarn to back as if preparing to knit), k1; repeat from * to end.

Repeat these 4 rows, 11 times. (44 rows)  If you think you'll be short of yarn (or if you're just plain busy or lazy this week) this one would be a good one to knit fewer rows of.....of which to knit fewer rows? :)..... Just finish with Row 4.

Work the separator section:

Knit 6 rows this time decreasing 1 stitch (by knitting 2 stitches together) anywhere in the middle of the last row. (46 stitches total)

You can find a printable .PDF of this week's installment HERE.

Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Week #3

Can it be 3 weeks already? Time sure flies when you're knittin'. We know we have at least a little company on this knitting adventure. Grandma Coco's liking the way ours is going.

This week we'll add 6 inches of the Broken Rib Diagonal. There are so many traditional stitch patterns out there that would work in this manly scarf, we keep changing our minds on which one to do next.

There are now 46 stitches on the needle. Remember the 5 garter stitch border stitches on each edge.

The Broken Rib Diagonal goes like this:

Row 1 (Right Side): * k4, p2; repeat from * to end.

Row 2: * k2, p4; repeat from * to end.

Row 3: same as Row 1

Row 4: same as Row 2

Row 5: k2 * p2, k4; repeat from * to last 4 stitches, p2, k2

Row 6: p2 * k2, p4; repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k2, p2

Row 7: same as Row 5

Row 8: same as Row 6

Row 9: * p2, k4; repeat from * to end.

Row 10: * p4, k2; repeat from * to end

Row 11: same as Row 9

Row 12: same as Row 10

Repeat these 12 rows, 3 times. (36 rows)

Here's the chart:

Right click to enlarge for a printable size.

We knit 6 rows this time, even….no increases or decreases (46 stitches total) for the separator section.

We've put a .PDF of this week's installment here.

WIP Wednesday - a little of this, a little of that

Grandma Coco is terribly embarrassed. She just figured out how this WIP thing-y works. Or at least she thinks she has. Finally. We are linking to the Needle and Thread Network. Very cool. All-Canadian, we think. And that in itself is cool.

So, what are we working on?

 Not this.

Nope. This is done, put a fork in it, done.

And it seems to have passed the Cassie test.

No, we are working on this.......

The Papa Bear Sampler Scarf

Still. And maybe for some time to come since it's a Knit-along and scheduled to finish on November 29th. Feel free to join in, if you like. All the info can be found here. Or click on the label "Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along" at the bottom of this post and all the relevant posts will be grouped together.

A return to Zen and an invitation

It seems a long time since we Zentangled. This week's challenge from the Diva is #38 and involves using only one tangle....Paradox. It was hard!!! but we're jumping right back in with both feet now that are eyes are pretty much back to normal. We had a funny moment this week when we went outside and looked around and were suddenly struck by how bright and crisp and clear everything was. We actually caught ourself touching our lenses to see if we really had our glasses on!! (We did.) What an odd sensation.


An Invitation.....Come one, come all......


Our Lady-of-the-comments, Kate, asked about the possibility of a Ravelry group for discussing our progress on the Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along. When we checked the rules, we need 3 members to start a group and oddly, Grandma Coco and Cheryl only count as one. Fortunately, our new friend, Judith, jumped up and offered to be our 3rd. So.....Ta-da!! We have a Ravelry group...... The Papa Bear Sampler Scarf Knit-along group. Please join us, if you're so inclined. Grandma Coco is looking forward to meeting new friends and she welcomes your input on the scarf. 

We talk back!

To Pat: We envy the closeness you have with your sisters. The way you described the prayer shawls you all made is lovely.
 

Papa Bear Sampler Scarf - Week #1

Welcome! Today we start our first knit-along. Grandma Coco's so excited she hardly slept a wink all night.

You will need 400 to 500 metres/yards fingering weight wool (sock yarn would work well) and for needles, choose the size that lets you achieve a loose and lofty fabric, somewhere in the neighbourhood of 5mm (US8).

Cast On 48 stitches loosely. We like a stretchy cast on for this like a cable cast on.  http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/FEATsum05TT.html

Knit 7 rows in garter stitch (knit every row) and after the first row, slip the first stitch of every row.

From here on, the first and last 5 stitches of every row are continued in garter stitch for the edging. You can place a marker, if you think you’ll forget.

Our first stitch pattern is All-over Lattice. This is an old stitch pattern (as are all the stitch patterns we'll be using). Simple knit and purl stitches, transformed only by the order in which they're done. Pretty cool, eh?

Row 1: purl

Row 2: knit

Row 3: purl

Row 4: K1, *C4B, K4, C4F;  repeat from *  to last stitch, K1

Row 5: purl

Row 6: knit

Row 7: purl

Row 8: K3, C4F, C4B, *K4, C4F, C4B repeat from * to last 3 stitches, K3

C4B = Cable 4 Back – Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold to back. Knit next 2 stitches from left hand needle, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

C4F = Cable 4 Front – Slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold to front. Knit next 2 stitches from left hand needle, then knit 2 stitches from cable needle.

Repeat these 8 rows 4 times and then work Rows 1 to 4. Total 36 rows.

Here’s a chart for the pattern. Left click on the photo and it should enlarge so you can print it or just download the .PDF below.  Row 1 starts on the wrong side of the knitting.

You can use a cable needle to make these cables in the traditional manner OR you can stretch a little and try to cable without an extra needle. It’s not as hard as it sounds. Kinda fun, really. Just remember to pinch the base of the stitches that you’re slipping off the needle. That way they can’t go anywhere. (Where would they go anyway?) Here’s everything you need to know about cables, including how to do it without the special needle.  http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/FEATwin07TT.html    There are also videos on YouTube you can google.

Once  you’ve completed the section of All-Over Lattice, there is a separator strip between the blocks of fancy stitches. Knit 5 rows (starting on the wrong side) and this time, decrease 1 stitch on the last of these rows by knitting 2 stitches together somewhere in the middle of the row. (47 stitches total) You’re now ready to start a right-side row.

That’s it for Week #1.  Don’t worry if yours doesn’t look as neat as ours. We cheated and blocked this bit for the photograph. Before blocking it’s a little uneven. Blocking is the penicillin of the knitting world. Be sure to come back next Tuesday for the next exciting installment.

If you'd like to print these directions, click here for a downloadable PDF.

The Papa Bear Sampler Scarf © Cheryl Coville 2011

Getting Ready

Everybody ready for tomorrow? 

Got your lunch packed and your clean clothes laid out? 

What about your yarn? 

This is what we finally decided on:

Isn't it beautiful? And so soft!!! We wish you all could feel it. 

Copyright © Cheryl Coville 2011

 See ya tomorrow!

Peaceful knitting

Meditation is supposed to be pretty good for us. It's supposed to reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Of course, a purring cat can do that for us, too, but there's always the litter box issue.

 You can meditate in many ways. You can sit cross-legged in a quiet room and empty your mind. (Harder than it sounds, really.) You can concentrate on your breathing .... in...and...out.  In...and...out. You can pay big bucks to take a course or find a guru on a mountaintop. We've tried some of these meditational gambits. (Not the guru. We're afraid of heights, remember.)




But, did you know that knitting rates high on the meditation meter? It's been proven. You can look it up.

All summer long we've been working on this same scarf. Inch after inch, mile after mile. We've only stopped now because we've run out of yarn and really there is a limit to how long a scarf can be and still be useful. We know the joys of simple, repetitive knitting. It's only a 4 row repeat that is easily memorized. Pick a luxury yarn and you have this amazing tactile experience.

And that brings us to the next point. After all that mindless knitting and after all the relaxation we got from the process...... after all the calming and soothing and quieting of our mind, we now have a pretty darn nice scarf to give someone.



Now that this scarf is complete, we'll just start another.





Details and pattern stitch can be found here.
A chart for the stitch pattern is here.
Email us if you have questions.