How I love Thrift Stores!

Just thought I'd mention my love of thrift stores.

Went to a Goodwill with my Mother in Law, and found this:

Mountain Colors worsted "Mountain Goat" yarn, 2 bags with 3 skeins each, totally unused, in a GORGEOUS blue/green/rose colour, still with their $24.99 price tags on them.

Oh yeah, and the bags were marked at $4 each.  Yup.  $150.00 worth of fabulous yarn for only $8.

Sweatergasm.

The Tibia's connected to the Fibula! The Fibula's connected to the Patella!......

Ok, I know it's been WAY too long since I've posted.  Darned life keeps getting in the way!  Now, since it's December and I haven't even posted ANYTHING about my October projects, I guess I'd better catch up...after all, there's a lot of holiday gifts I'll have to post about soon!

That being said, here's my latest original design!

Being a huge anatomy geek I quickly noted how I was severely lacking anatomical knit wear.  These were my first installation, and I hope to keep up with the line once life gets a little less chaotic!
I was quite pleased with the design, although I must have weirdly shaped legs, seeing as though not a single pair of leg warmers I have ever made seems to stay up, no matter how much ribbing/cuffing/elastic I use!

And, yes, I promise I will have the patter/charts published both here and on Ravelry.com, as soon as I get off my duff and computerize the file, create the mirror image of the left leg, and actually write out the instructions in something other than henscratch and shorthand.

                                                    Here's all I have so far....pathetic.


My next plan is to create a coordinating glove pattern with the carpals, articulations, phalanges, etc.  Then maybe on to a spinal cord/chest wall/sternum sweater...we'll see!

What a Tangled Web We Weave...

I had the pattern to make this scarf for MONTHS.  And I had the yarn almost as long.  For some reason this particular project psyched me out a little and made me doubt my knitting skills.  It had cable-needleless-cabling.  And drop stitches.  Heavy on the drop stitches.  Drop stitches scare the living daylights out of me.  I was always taught that dropping a stitch was a bad thing, and even if it was intentional could possibly have disastrous effects on your previously knitted fabric if it was dropped at the wrong point.  Yes, these are the things some knitters fret about.

But at the same time, it had a spider.  Even as a kid the Greek Myth of Arachne and her weaving skills had always been my favorite story in Ancient Lit. class.  And it had webby bits.  And lace weight yarn...my fave.  So I finally pulled the yarn and needles out and gave it a go.

It was actually much simpler than I expected, other than rows 126-140 of the pattern being ill-written and needing to be done over for accuracy.  It took only 4 days time to finish it!

The spider bit was done on size 6 needles with 4 strands of merino wool lace weight held together.  I used KnitPicks Shadow lace in basalt, a deep grey color with hints of burgundy, black and violet mixed throughout.  This involved back cabling, twisted stitches and a "cluster" stitch that I had never done before but was quite simple.

The opposite end looks like the spider's web has fallen into disrepair, created by dropping a strand of lace weight , maing intentional holes and runs, and increasing your needle size as you go.  (I used sizes 6, 8, 10.5 and 13).  Even the fringe at the ends are reflective of this:  One side is neat, the other end is straggly and tattered looking...

I had SO much fun with this project!  I'm thinking of making pillows by modifying the yarn and needle sizes and just doing the spider bit framed with seed stitch...

'Twas Brillig

Made this project  as a combination of "extra yarn bits lying about the house", sheer boredom, and because I noticed that in Disneyland they sell very little Alice in Wonderland merchandise, especially by way of their ear hats.

Necessity is the mother of invention?  Or maybe just extreme geekiness.

Et voila.  Cheshire Hat.

Everyone Else is Making One...

So, I finally made a February Lady Sweater.

It's based on an Elizabeth Zimmerman Pattern for a simple baby sweater on 2 needles. It's a top-down sweater, Worsted weight on size 8 needles and possibly one of the easiest sweater patterns EVER.  And EVERYONE on Ravelry.com seems to have made one.

So I gave into peer pressure.

I wasn't too pleased with the fit/bulkiness of the project.  I think if I make it again (and I might, because it is a simple, classic pattern) I will try making it 1 size down, use a thinner gauge yarn with a heavier  drape to make it hang more, decrease my needle size and add some waist shaping so I don't end up looking like a potato.

Oh well, practice brings improvement.

Acrylic Blocking, 101

Just as an introduction, this was NOT a difficult project, nor was it one of my favorites or most functional, but I needed something small to make as an 'Acrylic Blocking Sample/Tutorial', so, here goes.

I've had a lot of people tell me that blocking acrylic blend yarns is not possible.  I wanted to add a tutorial here to show it is not only possible, but necessary.  If you do not block your acrylic projects, they will look like my pre-blocked bonnet:  A ball of mush.

 Not horrible, but not exactly holding it's form, either.

To block your acrylic, the best method is to use steam.  It will not kill your fiber, like directly ironing it, it blocks more dramatically than trying to wet block (which usually has no result), and is PERMANENT!  YAY!

First off, pin your acrylic item down in the shape you would like it to ultimately be.  Because this item was small I pinned it directly to the ironing board.  For larger items, cloth covered blocking boards can be used, with either an iron to block or a steamer, if you are lucky enough to have one.

Next, hover your iron on a steam setting 1-2" above your work, allowing the steam to penetrate the piece. If you hold the iron directly on the yarn, it will cause the plastic (AKA acrylic) in the yarn to melt and flatten, looking strange, possibly ruining the project/yarn, and possibly melting and adhering to your board/iron.  No bueno.  Hover, hover,hover.

And, as always, there is a story that goes along with this project.  The iron in the photo above is/was my beloved Black & Decker, a trusty member of my household for about 10 years, passed down to me from an ex-boyfriend's mother.  As I began steaming my project I noticed an unhealthy amount of water (ok, the entire amount of water!) leaking out from where the plate met the actual iron itself, rather then steamily billowing out from the plate's holes.  Frustrated, I did what anyone would do and poured another bottle of water into the hemorrhaging machine.  To no avail.  It just leaked more.  Then I remembered an event the week before, where I heard a deafening crash come from the closet where the iron and it's companion board are kept while my hubby was retrieving his jacket.  When asked what the sound was, I was answered with "Nothing!!!".  But I digress.  The happy ending of this story is that I received a lovely new iron =)

ANYWAYS....

After the steaming is complete, let the item cool, take out the pins, and if it is flat enough for your liking, it is complete.

 Flat, no rolling, and ready to wear.  TAH-DAH!!!!

Just Keep Knitting.....

I had wanted to make a scarf I saw hanging as a model in our shop since I started working there.  The pattern, labeled 'Six Simple Scarves' seemed promising to be a brainless, easy knit.  The technique was completely elementary.  As a bonus, the yarn, Heather Alpaca Prime by Joseph Galler, was AMAZING!  A few people who made it, however rolled their eyes while talking about their endeavors.  I decided to ignore them as usual and cast on.

I altered the pattern a bit, since the actual pattern called for 375 yards of worsted weight on size 7 needles, and the yarn I chose was a fingering weight (651 yards, no less!) of beautiful 100% Alpaca Fiber.  I cast on about twice the amount called for, on a size 3.

Then I stared knitting...and knitting....and knitting.

I became less and less thrilled with the simple combination of knit and purl stitches, each repetitious row pretty much putting me into a self-induced yarn coma just from the lack of change,  Even the yarn became less thrilling.

I swear I was asleep for most of the project.

But, when I finally awoke on my last row and ready to bind off I was THRILLED with the nearly knee-length, just right for a slip knot around the neck scarf.

 

It's pretty hard to tell from the photos just how classic and beautiful the scarf came out after blocking, and there are no words to describe how incredibly soft this yarn is.

Fist day I wore it my mother saw it and HAD to have one....guess I'll be in another scarf-coma soon!

Painting The Roses Red

It's been so long since I last posted....almost 10 projects have come and gone and apparently I've been either too busy or too lazy to take the time to show the latest work....

Since my last post was about the Alice in Wonderland Swap I'm a part of (and now the Moderator of, on Ravelry.com!) I guess I'll pick up where I left off and write about the latest swap and installation in my "Alice" knit series.


This (well, September's) Swap's theme was 'The Deck of Cards'.   I kind of ran into a brick wall with this one because I figured, If people weren't rally into card motifs, or playing poker, any intricately patterned knitwear I made would probably go unused.  My swap partner told me she liked hats, and particularly whimsical designs, so I decided to go a bit out there.

I decided to go with The Cards' most notable past time in the book and  made a giant red rose headband out of wool to keep her ears warm in the winter.  Also included in her package were napkins, cards, swizzle sticks, a mug, some candies and pens, all with a playing card motif, a copy of Alice In Wonderland with Alice being attacked by cards on the cover, some card motif patches and buttons, a red satin rose brooch and a pendant depicting the cards painting a rose bush =)

A really poor picture of me modeling the headband

 

   

It's Swap Time Again! July's "Alice" Swap!

I'm a little late in posting this, but I thought I'd show off the items I sent off in my July Alice in Wonderland themed swap, without worrying that I'd spoil it for the recipient!

This Month's theme was "Alice" herself, and here are the photos of the package I mailed:

The gloves were Churchmouse  Designs Welted Fingerless Gloves, knit in a light "Alice" blue dk weight yarn with size 5 and 6 DPNs.  I altered the pattern just a bit to suit the fact that the original pattern had 5 welts for buttons, and as I was using card suit buttons (clever, no???LOL) I only had 4....so, 4 welts it was!

The second picture shows a bag I made with an Alice color work motif, containing size 2 DPNs and stitch markers, since my swap partner had said on her profile page she was interested in making socks.  There was also a few Alice notepads, pens, lip gloss, stickers and post-it notes.

The theme for next month is "The Deck Of Cards", and I've already got it started!  Pics to come!

M-m-m-MY PAGONA!!!!!!!

Sing that to the tune of "My Sharona" and you'll have what I lived through at the yarn shop for a good month and a half straight!

Backing up a bit, I feel it necessary to say that almost everyone who worked at/visited the yarn shop where I work became enamored, mesmerized and hypnotized by Stephen West.  Who could blame them???  Not only does this man create incredibly beautiful and whimsical knitting patterns, but he's cute as a button as well!

Good God, flippin' beautiful.

Anyways, Stephen's pattern for his "Pagona" shawlette, from West knits book 1 became the popular knit about town.

Considering about 1/2 the clientele and 1/2 off the staff were making this project at any given time the word "Pagona" came up quite often.  Then, the singing began.  One of my favorite clients in the shop began singing "m-m-m-MY PAGONA" (again, sung to the tune of "My Sharona") every time the name came up, and as I mentioned before, due to the pattern's popularity and visibility was about every 2.2 minutes.  Slowly this became nearly Pavlovian, with the entire shop bursting into song, again, every 2.2 minutes.

Now that every one has finished knitting this pattern I have only just recently stopped having nightmares where the song is on a continuous loop in my ears.

So, I'll post the pictures of M-M-M-MY PAGONA, ahem, I mean my completed Pagona shawl.....

The pattern calls for sock weight yarn, and I was thrilled because I still had some left over Ella Rae Lace variegated purple and black that I LOVED!  The pattern also stated that it should be knit on size six circular needles.  When I knit my gauge swatch I decided that it would just be too open a stitch for me, so I downsized my needles to a size 4.  Sadly, this increased my need for more yardage.  Fortunately I was able to find another skein  in my colorway and dye lot at the shop, and thank goodness:  My altered pattern went from requiring 380 yards to nearly 530 to reach the same 14" length before creating the garter stitch border!

I LOVE this pattern due to its versatility and simple appearance.  And its ability for making people sing.

Not All Projects are Good Projects

I tend to use this blog as my personal opportunity to brag, and show off the projects I'm really proud of.  Well, not this time, lucky readers.  Not this time.....

I had had a bunch of random black worsted yarn laying around in my stash, taking up space but not boasting tags bearing yardage or fiber content.  It wasn't really stuff I wanted to make something great with, more like stuff I wanted to use and move from the bins in my closet.  I decided to use the opportunity to come up with my own brilliant design of a tunic-like dress.  The ideas in my head proved to be much better than the end result.  Cowl neck collar? check.  Awesome little pocket on the front? check.  Cables? check.  A GORGEOUS appearance when only photographing a teeny tiny portion of the dress?  check and double check.

The knitting is uniform, the design looks great at this close a range.  But sadly I couldn't just leave it at that.  I actually have to show the dress in entirety...

SOOOOOOOO not good.  It's one of those "seemed like a good idea at the time" designs.  It's a bit too short (and yes, I did try putting it as a tunic over leggings/jeans, but the cut is entirely unflattering no matter what!) nad it makes me look like a sausage packed too tightly in its casing. 

Back to the drawing board for me!!!!

I'm already Sick of Summer, C'mon Autumn!

Yeah, yeah....Summer's great and all but I had to start a darling little project for a friend's baby who is due this September.  Put me in a "Make apple cider and watch the leaves fall" mood about 3 months too soon.  Ah, well, soon enough!

Here are the hat and booties made for the little Pumpkin Head!

Just used random scraps of easy care orange and olive green superwash wool.  These little projects take no time whatsoever.

What Do Ye Do With A Drunken Knitter?

Erlye in the mornin'?  Yeah, the whole pirate-y theme really isn't really going anywhere cool, just trying (and failing) to find a clever way to talk about my newly completed 'Shipwreck' Shawl.  I know, I know.....fail.  I'll stop now.....arrrrrr.

Anyways...Tah dah!  My Shipwreck is done!!!

I had wanted to make this shawl for quite a while, and don't really know why I had put it off for so long. It's a great pattern, my first Pi shawl , too!  It has each and every element in a knitting pattern that I adore: lacework, thin yarn and beads!  Yay!

I bought some of my favorite yarn for this, the suggested fingering weight in a soft muted purple by Berroco Ultra Fine Alpaca.  Now the pattern actually suggests buying undyed yarn and dyeing it yourself with a vinegar solution to create a kind of mottled ocean-ey appearance...yeah, not really my thing in this case so I decided to go with a shade that I like, pre-fabricated.

They also suggested buying 5,000 or more size 8 seed beads to put along the "fishnet" outer lace, which I did in a rich amethyst color to match my yarn, but I'll get to that later...

So, I cast on my initial nine stitches on my size 4 DPNs, excited to start this new endeavor.  I tried to put out of my mind the many comments I had read on Ravelry about this pattern being tedious, taking months to finish, having been put on hiatus for an indiscriminate time, blah blah blah....not me...oh no, I wouldn't get weary, I would have this done in no time, those knitters were just whiners.  There was no way I would get bored with this pattern!  Those nine stitches were just too easy!  And the following lacework to create the inner medallion was a cinch....and so exciting, too!

Then I got to knitting the outer lace.

Actually, let me go back and preface my rant with my tale of those 5,000 beads.  I DID buy them,  and fully intended to use them...but of course I'm picky about beading my work.  The pattern says to pre-string your beads, as they are being used in yarn overs (YO) in the pattern.  This makes perfect sense, adding visual interest to what could have been dull fishnet lace.  Well, I pre-strung those suckers....all 5,000 of them.  And began knitting with them.  And realized that in a border of about 80 rows of continuous YO K2Tog, I would have to move 5,000 beads up my yarn about every 6 stitches, which on fingering weight yarn is no easy feat.  AND, to add insult to injury after attempting this for 2 rounds I realized my amethyst beads did not even really show up on my Plum colored yarn.  Sigh.  I decided to cut off the string with all of my beads and continue on after re-connecting my now beadless skein.  Oh well.

Then came the monotony.  The inner lace medallion only led me into a false sense of security in thinking that I would not tire of this pattern.  The consecutive 79 rows of yarn over, knit tow together, yarn over, knit two together, ad infinitum, ad nauseum quickly quelled that.  It wasn't that it was difficult.  In fact, it was mindless...tedious...brain-numbing, one might say.  increasing each round ending with about 1700 stitches.  All of which had to be bound off after finishing what I had thought was a cathartic task.  Gah.

  But in the end it WAS admittedly a lovely shawl.  HUGE, but lovely.  So huge in fat that blocking it was a bit of a pain.  I had to use two whole repeats of the alphabet toddler mats that I utilize to block my projects (and that I utilize to confuse my non-knitting friends who wonder where my baby is, considering my child is now 10).

Here it is blocking:

 It ended up taking 3 weeks to complete, I finished blocking it day before my birthday, and not having to do any more of that border was the best present EVER!

 It did turn out lovely.  It hangs nearly to my ankles, which is a bit large for me but very dramatic, which suits me just fine!  I think next time I will make it again only in a lace weight to suit the small bead size and make it easier to slide up the thread (or possibly add beads at the K2Tog's with the crochet hook method, which I prefer exponentially), and I will probably decrease my needle sizes, both to suit the size of the yarn and the size of the shawl's wearer, as I am only 5'2"!  Oh, and I will NOT wear the second one I make to work, where I snagged it's predecessor a record breaking 5 times on sticky-outey-pointy things in the shop.  For those of you who knit, you know that a snag on a newly completed project produces low guttural cursing, accompanied by trying to pull the snag back into shape, accompanied by much gnashing of teeth.  It's not pretty.

At least the shawl is!

Something to Wear While Defeating My 7 Evil Exes!

Just a quick little blog post to mention one of my quick little projects!

Found this pattern on Ravelry for the costume concept of Michael Cera's hat in the movie "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Loved the hat ( of course changing the colors to a girlie version in dark brown and antique rose) and quickly knit it up in a cashmere and merino version...It turned out as something like an odd marriage of piratey stocking cap, slouch hat and snood.  A whatchamacallit.  Perfection.

Just in time to wear while defeating my 7 evil exes!  Yea!

An Old Dog Learns New Tricks

A few months back I became pretty intrigued by the concept of convertible clothing:  If a garment could be worn two ways, wasn't that just twice as cool?  Lucky enough for me one of my various knitting books had a pattern for a convertible shrug that could SUPPOSEDLY also be worn as a shawl, scarf, cowl or hood.  I began my attempt at the Shape Shifter Shrug from Vampire Knits.

I decided to use one of my favorite yarns, Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Wool, to make this pretty little sweater....then, as I am known to do, the pattern modifications began.

The pattern recommended to put 10 buttons/buttonholes up each arm.  A good suggestion, and I'm sure it had a reason, but as I scrutinized the instructions I realized that if I were to wear the finished product as a shrug I would have buttons around my neck hems, tangling in my hair.  I decided to make only 6 up each arm, only enough to button up as long as would need the sleeve to be.  I also lengthened the sleeve dimensions, thinking that if I did happen to wear this as a scarf or shawl I would prefer more coverage.

And then, of course, came the "I know best when it comes to knitting my own clothes" flub.  The pattern suggested knitting the garment in 2 halves, beginning at the lace portion, working some rows in stockinette, then grafting both halves together with Kitchner Stitch, a method of grafting two ends of live stitches done in stockinette together seamlessly.  Well, knowing best, of course, I continued on thinking "Kitchner Stitch my butt......I'll just work the lace pattern backwards when I get to it....I'm just that cool."

Yeah.  Lesson is, I am NOT that cool.  This lace and it's varying row end count is not one to be done in reverse.  So after some frogging, picking up stitches and, I will not lie, mild cursing I attempted Kitchner stitch.  Lucky for me I have some fabulous co-workers to talk me through it.  Even taught me this handy little ditty to chant along while I wove the pieces together:

Yarn on Back Needle

Set up: 

FN: Purl, Stay

BN: Knit,Stay
Chant:

FN: Knit, Slip, Purl,Stay

BN: Purl, Slip, Knit, Stay

End:

FN: Knit, Slip

BN: Purl, Slip

Yes, I know it may sound like gibberish, but if you sing this along with grafting you're less likely to forget where you are....Like I typically do....

Anyways, here's the finished result.  And, the seam is barely visible except for one BIG hole where I stopped singing and got lost, then had to sew up later.  Still not bad for a beginner!

 Problem is, even though I know it's convertible, I've only worn it as a shrug and have only seen demos of it being worn as a shrug.  Oh well.

I was also able to try a new product that I had my eye on for quite some time: Bone Knitting Needles.

These things are lovely.  Like, seriously lovely.   They have this glossy smooth amazingly cool feel in your hands, they glide through your stitches, and they have this amazing ability to make you feel like you've stepped back in time.  Despite the fact that they are horribly heavy....and not suggested to be bought other than in person due to the fact that a matched set is rare being as they are crafted individually with natural material.  I learned this after testing out a pairs of size 4 and size 6 "set" where one was nearly an entire size off from the other. Test for conformity with a sizer, and if you can find a set that matches you're set!

So pretty.........

Love Poems For Knitters...

While recently flipping through a copy of Knitting Traditions magazine from Interweave Knits I came across a beautiful passage written by Jane Galer...Just thought I'd share for my knitting friends.

The Fisher Man's Lover

She is there every morning he is not. 

Nearly materializing with the misty dawn,

Leaning carelessly against the sea wall.

Gulls overhead 

describe their dinner order

until they see she has no means 

and other intentions.

She knits while she waits.

In her head a pattern combines today's heartbeat

ith the yesterdays of her ancient sisters.

They also stood at this wall

knitting charms into sweaters for dangerous work.

Celtic cross, ridge and furrow, 

berries, ropes, raising ladders.

Then more seriously,

marriage lines, tree of life.

She counts the stitches,

the pattern appears.

She never looks at her work.

Her fingers glide, she is a graceful conductor.

She looks to the sea

as if in a moment her lover will appear,

a small chalice the ocean bears

carrying her fisher man to shore.

The mermaid cautions:

"Drink, for soon he'll be away again"

(the mermaid's hand draws too near to his face)

The girl pauses at her task.

Her eyes mingle tears, salt and wind.

Her heart fills with the importance of being loved.

Her hands return to her work as if this is necessary,

as if these threads are the keepers of her lover's fate.

Late for a Very Important Date!

As most of my friends know, I'm kind of, sort of, a little enamored with Alice in Wonderland.  (Yes, I can hear the sarcastic  "Oh, Reaaaaaaallllly"'s even over the internet.  Thanks.)  I knew it was only a matter of time before my obsession with Lewis Carroll's perky little heroine and my obsession with all things knitty came together in a massive collision of fiction and fibers, therefore I joined an AAIW swap group.  Hey, at least now I can justify merging two infatuations AND kick my butt into finishing projects that may have previously lingered on my needles for far too long.

Anyways...

This month's theme was "The White Rabbit".  The general rules are that you have to spend less than $35.00, and at least ONE of the items in the care package from swapper to swappee was hand knit or crocheted.  Here's what I came up with:

 Sorry for the poor quality photo.  Now you know why my blog is about knitting rather than about photography.  There's a stuffed White Rabbit, a pair of Rainbow-dyed birch needles from Knit Picks Harmony Line, an Alice and White Rabbit notebook and a White Rabbit Pen.  The hand knit White Rabbit themed project proved to be a more challenging feat, but here's what I came up with:

 

I thought the Cowl's lace pattern was vaguely reminiscent of rabbit tracks, and that was about as close to the theme that this project appeared.  I knit this quick little project with  size 8 needles, out of Cascade Yarns "Cloud 9" yarn in white, 50 % Merino, 50% Angora.  Hopefully the recipient doesn't mind that it was made OUT OF white rabbit...

It's a Good Thing This Pattern Was Easy...

Let me just start by saying I absolutely LOVE my job working at my LYS.  It allows me so many opportunities to see fabulous needles, yarns and patterns...This, too, is my constant downfall! So many neat knitting things!  Darned stash enablers.  But I digress.  I'll simply say I saw a nifty pattern for a cute sweater and had to try it =)

This is Plymouth Yarn Company's Quick Top Down Jacket in Baby Alpaca Grande yarn, pattern # 1756.  Quick is definitely a plus with my currently busy schedule, and I had always been intrigued by that particular yarn.  Of course those who know me also know that I do NOT like working in bulky weight yarn.  Ah well, no matter, I'd try it anyways.

I was in lean times, so at the pricey cost of the yarn and my poor decision making in what size I am I decided to make it in 2 strands of worsted weight in a cheap yarn just to see if it turned out well and in a size that would fit.  I ultimately made a purple and black combo sweater in what I thought would be an appropriate size, for a 36" bust, the smallest size on the pattern.

Of course, for that to work smoothly would be waaaaaaaay too easy.  It DID knit quickly, in 2 days, and the purple and black yarns made it have an awesome tweed appearance!  Too bad even though I knit it exactly according to pattern with a comparable weight of fiber and exact needle sizes it was SO not my size.  Boo.
Fortunately it fit my best friend Robbin, and she loved it!

So, back to the proverbial drawing board.  I decided to make the same pattern in only one strand of worsted this time, and on one size smaller needles.  I also omitted 4 stitches from the back section of the pattern, thus altering the size to a 32" bust.  Success!  Result!  This time the finished product fit!  An added bonus was that it only took 145 yards to complete!  And, I don't know if this was a bonus or not, but since I had already made it once the day prior it only took me 1 day to complete this time...

 

It's a good thing that I got more proficient with this simple project and was able to complete them in less and less time.  Another friend saw me in mine and wanted one, then so on and so forth until I had made 4 in one week.  I have a feeling that I could make them in my sleep at this point.  Maybe that's why I look less than thrilled in my photos.

Good thing I liked the pattern!