My Class Schedule at American Maid 1717 Briggs, Wichita, KS

Jan-April 2015 Quarter 1

	Mondays	Saturdays
Knitting 101 for Beginners	Jan 5 & 12   3-5 pm	Jan 3 & 10 1030-1230
$45 for two 2 hour sessions	Feb 16 & 23  530-730 pm	Feb 14 & 21 1030-1230
This class is for those wanting to learn	March 16 & 23 3-5 pm	Mar 28 & Apr 4 1030-1230
to knit.  All materials are included.	March 16 & 23 530-730 pm
Knitting 102
$45 for two 2 hour sessions	Jan 19 & 26 3-5 pm	Jan 17 & 24 1030-1230
Learn to read a pattern, increase, decrease	March 2 & 9 530-730 pm
stitch patterns etc. Materials included
Crochet 101 for Beginners
$45 for two 2 hour sessions	Jan 5  & 12 530-730 pm	Jan 3 & 10  1-3 pm
This class is for those wanting to learn to	Feb 16 & 23   3-5 pm
crochet. All materials are included
Crochet 102
$45 for two 2 hour sessions. Learn to read a	Feb 2 & 9 530-730 pm	Mar 21 & 28 330-530 pm
pattern, read charts and crochet in the round
materials included.
Basic Knit Hat
$45 for two 2 hour sessions	Feb 2 & 9  3-5 pm	Jan 31 & Feb 7 1030-1230
Learn to knit in the round using circular and		Mar 14 & 21 1030-1230
double pointed needles. All needles are
included. Bring 200 yrds worsted yarn
Tunisian Crochet Scarflette Beginners
$45 for two 2 hour sessions	Jan 19 & 26  530-730 pm	Jan 24 & Feb 7  1-3 pm
Learn to do Tunisian Crochet. Hook included	March 2 & 9  3-5 pm	Feb 21 & Mar 7  1-3 pm
You will need 2 contrasting colors of medium
to bulky weight yarn #4 or #5
Pax Shawl-Tunisian Advanced Beginners
$50 for three 2 hour sessions	Feb 9, 23, Mar 9 1230-230	Feb 14, 28, Mar 14 330-530
Bring 450-500 yrds fingering wt yarn & size H
hook (must be straight with no handle)
Easter Pinafore-Crochet Adv Beginners
$30 for two 2 hour sessions	Mar 2 & 16 1230-230	Feb 21 & Mar 7  330-530 pm
If you can double crochet you can make this
sweet little dress for in infant, toddler or girl
size. Bring crochet hooks and yarn.
Fix It and/or Finish It- Crochet
$9 per hour.  Come during scheduled time &	Mar 23 1030-230	Mar 21 & Apr 4 1-3 pm
I will help you with any crochet problems.
For more information go to eventbrite.com	Payment is not due until	Lisa Mertes
do a search on American Maid & you will	first class. Paypal account	316-259-9518 (text me)
find my classes. You must sign up. Do so	is not required.  I take all	kccavachin@aol.com
online at Eventbrite or contact me and I	forms of payment	facebook-Lisa Lian Finds &
will get you signed up.		Designs

Easy Shawl Pin

You will need pliers, wire cutters, dowel or knitting needle and 14 or 16 gauge wire.

Cut a piece of wire about 18" long. With pliers bend wire into a u shape about 3" from one end.

Make a 45 degree bend about 1" from the end of the short end of u shape.

Hold the u shaped looped end with pliers and use the wire you just bent to wrap around the loop.

Using dowel or knitting needle, bend the loop into a hook.

Using pliers, turn up the end of the hook.  Use pliers to shape hook.

From end opposite of hook, thread on desired beads. Be sure to choose beads that have an ample opening.  I like to use small beads on each end of my beads. This helps to keep all the beads from sliding around.  Once you have all your beads placed as you like, use dowel, knitting needle, sharpie etc to make a loop or double loop for the spring.

 With hook facing up place dowel (or other round tool) on top of wire. Make sure to hold it tight against the beads. Wrap the wire towards the hook going around the dowel at least once.  If you have enough wire, wrap it twice or more.

 Put the end of the wire through your hook and then trim it but don't trim it flush with the hook.

Since using the pin on a garment may take up some space in the pin, be sure to leave enough wire to go past the hook a bit.  I would leave at lest 1/4"

Shape as you like and if desired you can sharpen the end with a metal file but it will easily go through most knits as it is.

Name Tag for Crochet Guild

Each of us in our Crochet Guild is supposed to make ourselves a name tag to wear to meetings.  It is also a contest where we will vote for our favorite.  I was really happy with the way my turned out and luckily I took some pictures of it because I decided to cover it in mod podge so everything would stay in place nicely and so the tag could withstand more wear and tear.  Well it pretty much ruined it.  So I'm hoping with a little more drying time it will look better but if not then I will just use a picture of my name tag for my name tag.

Adding Crochet to a Second Hand Purse

I have been noticing how many of the new purses coming out have elements of bright crochet.  Every time I see one I think "I can make that".  I also love ruffles so I came up with this.

I started with a purse I found at Goodwill.  The one I found is made to look like crochet.  You should be able to use any purse that has a good open weave.  Here is the purse I used before I crocheted on it.

As you can see this purse has obvious rows.  There are nine rows so I crocheted a different color of ruffle in to each of these rows.  I used sock yarn and it took about 30 yards of each color for a total of approximately 300 yards of yarn.  To make the ruffles I did six fpdc in each spot (see below).  I think if you use heavier yarn it would take less yarn and you probably could do less fpdc in each spot to make a ruffle.

Here is how to do a front post double crochet (fpdc).

The first two rows don't go all the way around as they are interrupted by the leather loops that hold the handles so for those two rows I went back and forth on both sides.  For the rest of the rows I was able to crochet all the way around.  

I added some beads and here is the finished project.

Two new projects this week

These are two projects I finished this week.  The first one is an egg cozy I crocheted on the fly.  The egg cup is a vintage one I found at a flea market.  My second project started as a plain purse from Goodwill.  I will put directions for this in a new post soon.

Free Pattern for Measuring Tape Cover

I put all 5 of my crochet covered tape measures on etsy and while I haven't yet sold any of them I got a number of messages from people on etsy asking me to sell the pattern.  So I went ahead and put it on Ravelry like it is.  It is a free pattern so it won't be on etsy. You can find the pattern here http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/erins-rose-measuring-tape-cover

I was asked to do a presentation on Irish Crochet for my Crochet Guild.  I decided to come up with a pattern for a tape measure cover with an Irish rose.   I am not yet happy enough with this pattern to publish it.  A true Irish rose can be a little tricky for a newbie so for the Guild, I wanted to keep it simple so anyone at the meeting would be able to crochet it.  These are the covers I came up with while trying to develop a pattern.  I am still going to work on more of an authentic Irish rose but in the meantime these were a lot of fun to crochet.  I am happy with the pattern I came up with for the crocheted leaf but I had quite a few leaf buttons and beads so I used them as well to attach to the end of the tape.  I'm planning on putting these on etsy.

Hot Pad Pillow

Our project for January for the Crochet Guild was the piece on the middle of this pillow.  It was supposed to be a hot pad on which to sit hot pans.  Mine, however, didn't want any pans getting it dirty so it became instead a pillow.

 I went with the colors of red, jadeite and pink because those were popular colors of the era from which the pattern originated.  Without thinking about it and as luck would have it this pillow matches my bedspread perfectly.  My bedroom is Shabby Chic and full of vintage dolls, ceramics, glassware, pictures etc from the forties and fifties so this pillow fits right in.

I enjoyed the process of the hot pad part as it was new to me.  It was though very easy and one day soon I want to use the process to make an all cotton bathmat.  The only downside is that these are very time consuming and require a whole lot of yarn.

Thanks to Pam from the guild for her presentation and pattern.

My Latest Projects

These are my three latest finished projects.  The cowl is crocheted and is for me or my shop.  I will probably keep it as I wear a lot of red and I like it with a brooch and I have quite a collection of brooches, both new and vintage.  The yarn I used is Mirasol Tupa which is wool and silk.  It is very luxurious with a little sheen to it.

The socks are the first socks I have ever knitted.  I took a class from a great teacher at Twist (Susan).  We used heavier yarn than sock yarn (Regia Highland Tweed) so these are more like slipper socks.  They felt wonderful on my feet but they went to my mom for her birthday.  If and when I ever get time I will need to knit myself a pair.

The same goes for the gloves.  I want a pair for myself but these are going to my son Micah's girlfriend Erin for her birthday along with a matching hat that I am still working on.  These gloves were also made for a class at Twist of which Susan taught as well.  The yarn (Online Supersocke with Angora) for the gloves is wool with some angora and it is so soft.  The colorway knitted up so pretty for the gloves and is looking very nice on the hat (slouchy beanie) which has lace stitches.  I was reluctant to buy this yarn at first because it was a little pricey but one skein was enough for the gloves and the hat so I am now a big fan of this yarn and can't wait to try it for socks, a shawl and hairpin lace.

Besides finishing up Erin's hat I am also finishing up Noel's heavy scarf.  Her birthday is next Monday so this will be one of her gifts.  It is a knitted tube using bulky yarn (Charisma from Michaels) so it is extremely heavy and hopefully it will keep her plenty warm in Rochester this Winter.

After that I need to get busy on Micah's birthday present.  His birthday was almost a month ago.  I got some alpaca yarn almost straight off the alpaca (shorn & spun).  No dyes.  Just their natural color.  One skein is brown and one is black and they are so so soft. He will be getting a scarf and maybe some gloves. Alpaca is great for people who can't wear wool as Alpacas have no dander or lanolin like sheep.

My biggest and most important project this winter is to get my book room turned in to my yarn room.  I love to read but I love to knit and crochet a little bit more.  I have more books than I can ever read so I am going through them so see which ones I want to keep and read, which ones I think my mom will want, which ones are worth putting on paperbackswap.com or taking to bookaholic and which ones to donate to Goodwill.  It is  daunting task that is taking way longer than I had hoped.  But once I make room for all my yarn I will be very happy.  It will all be on shelves and organized so I don't have to dig through stacked bins every time I start a project.

I also have a few sewing projects in the works.  I have an idea for a large organizer that hangs on a door and holds circular knitting needles.  I also have some ideas for some yarn totes and project bags and I have a crocheted pillow top that needs a backing and a pillow.

I am so blessed to have the time to play so much with fabric, beads and yarn!

Original Designs

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#query=lisa%20mertes&page=1&view=captioned_thumbs&sort=bestI have four original designs on ravelry.com.  All are crocheted and there are patterns that can be downloaded for three of them.  Two of the patterns are free.  I am hoping to get some more designs on the site soon.

Classes, Classes & more Classes

I have been taking every knitting class I can at several of the local yarn shops.  In Oct I took a seamless sweater class at Oh Yarn It in McPherson and since then I have taken or am taking five knitting classes at Twist in Wichita. The first one I took was a steeking class in which we knitted a cowl in the round with a two color pattern and then steeked it (cut it.).  Mine turned out a little too big as I am a loose knitter and I should have gone a size smaller on my needles.  One of the gals in my class suggested I felt it.  I did so and I think it turned out just awesome.  This is it pictured above.

The next class I took was basic cables.   I have wanted to learn to make cables for the longest time.  I love the look of them.  They were not nearly as difficult as I expected them to be.  I so enjoyed making the coffee cup cozy for class that I then used the same pattern but used larger needles and heavier yarn and made a cute little cowl for my dogs.

The next class, basic socks, was probably the most difficult for me but I want to get busy and try some more until I really get the hang of it.  We used DPNs for the class which I am not fond of using so I am anxious to try a short circular needle to make a pair.

I am now in the process of taking two classes the first being a class on knitting gloves.  They are knitted flat which makes them a little easier but I am anxious to learn how to do the fingers.  I am using a sock yarn with angora in it.  It is orange and magenta and ivory and has a self patterning to it that is striped with a fair isle type design.  I am having so much fun with these.  I think I will definitely be knitting more of these.

The other class that I am taking at the moment is knitting a lace cowl.  I love crocheting lace patterns especially from a chart and that is how we are knitting this cowl.  I have seen so many beautiful knitted lace shawl patterns and I want to someday soon knit one for myself.

That's all the classes I have scheduled so far but I still want to take some more socks classes as well as mittens and entrelac.

Enjoying the Holidays

My Etsy inventory wasn't nearly as large as I would have liked it to be for the Christmas shoppers as I wasted my summer on a foolish endeavor and didn't spend any time making things for the shop.  But that being said, I did have a fantastic black Friday with quite a few sales and they continue to trickle in so I am very happy about that.

I made sure that I didn't repeat last year's mistake and take on more orders than I can handle.  I took one big one but she placed the order in September and I finished it up a few weeks ago.  So instead of finishing up orders I can work on gifts.  I am also limiting the number of crocheted or knitted gifts this year.  I am learning to accept the fact that it is ok if I don't make something for each person in my family every year.  I decided I would start rotating. That will make it all the more special when someone gets something handmade right?

 This year my son will be getting a hat and scarf because I came across some alpaca yarn pretty much straight from the alpaca.  I met a lady with alpacas who sold me the yarn and it has not been dyed.  It is the natural color of two different alpacas.  One is brown and one is black and the yarn is so gorgeous.  Since my son is allergic to wool he is getting this gift.

My daughter who goes to school in Rochester NY asked me a few months ago to make her a "chulo" hat.  She never bothered with hats here in KS.  She just wore a hood.  But it is way to cold in Rochester to not wear a hat.  She wears hearing aids and most stocking hats make her ears ring so she thought a hat with ear flaps might work well for her.  So I made her the hat pictured here.  She already has it as it is already getting cold in upstate NY.  What she is getting for Christmas is a very warm cowl to match.  I am using the same yarn and basically just knitting a tube that I will sew together end to end for a double fabric cowl.

The last handmade gift will go to my son's girlfriend.  It is a lace cowl I am knitting for a class.  I am using a silk merino in sage green and I bought a gorgeous vintage button to make a brooch which will go on the cowl.  It just seemed like her.  If I get time I want to knit her a vintage style hat in the same yarn.

My Latest Original Design - Ruffled Ascot

This is a new pattern I designed.  You can download a free copy of the crochet pattern at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ruffled-ascot-4 .  I hope to have this for sale on etsy soon and I will take orders for other colors.

Vintage crochet

I love vintage crochet instruction booklets as well as vintage crocheted pieces especially the lacy ones.  My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Phoebe has one piece that she is obsessed with.  No matter where I move it, she gets a hold of it.  Here she is trying to hang on to it..

I Love Freeform Crochet!

Here is a freeform crocheted scarf that I designed.  Can't wait to make some more.  Thanks to Jenny Dowde, Reante Kirkpatrick and Prudence Mapstone for all of the inspiration.

Forgiveness

"Forgiveness is giving up the hope that what happened in past could have been different." Author unknown

Faith

"Faith is taking that first step even when you can't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King Jr.

Collecting Quotes

I love collecting profound things people have said so instead of putting them on fb I thought I would put them here.  So here are a few of my most recent discoveries.

"You can kill a man  but you can't kill an idea." Myrlie Evers

"Preach the Gospel constantly, use words only when neccessary." St. Francis (paraphrased)

My only New Years Resolution--Organize my Craftroom

Add caption

Before Pictures of My Craftroom

BTW the clothes are not laundry.  I use old sweaters and other used clothing in my projects.

A few of my very first knitting projects

No Pattern just garter stitch and button holes.

No patterns.  Just a lot of garter stitches and a few button holes.