Wool's Happenin'

The Blog is Moving!

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:30:32 +0000

As of today (Sunday, October 2, 2011), we have moved the Wool’s Happenin’ blog from to the Starstruck Cat Design website. This move will simplify things for us, and hopefully make it easier to keep the blog updated.

The blog’s NEW home:

blog.starstruckcatdesign.com

Hope to see you there!

I am going on vacation!

Jill — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:04:32 +0000

We leave for vacation on Saturday morning and will be back in a week. I am looking forward to some time away, rest, relaxation, and a rejuvenation of my creative spirit, including blogging. I’ll see you on the other side!

March 2011 Sock Saturday– Color Me Lucky!

Jill — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:06:56 +0000

Yesterday was the second Sock Saturday, and it was a great time! Mary Ann and Jamisyn did a great job of creating the art yarn and sock pattern.

It’s probably clear, but I asked for green because we love St. Patrick’s Day around here (has something to do with the fact that Pman thinks it’s a holiday about him), and since Mary Ann’s daughter went to Notre Dame, we had lots to inspire us. In fact, all of the decorations around the shop were provided by Mary Ann.

This month, everybody decided it would be fun to have a little pitch-in. Laurie brought yummy chicken salad, Karen baked delicious Irish oat scones with oatmeal, buttermilk, and currants, and Jennie shared her delightful spinach artichoke dip, which Amber completed with Italian and wheat bread. (Yes, I’m working on getting the recipes to share!)

Do you spot any handknit socks in the photo above?

When I was imagining both the shop and Sock Saturday, I could not have dreamed of a more delightful community of people to share it with! I’m looking forward to the next Sock Saturday on May 14, which will also be the one year birthday celebration of Starstruck Cat Studio. Hard to believe it’s been almost a year!

Another Chime-in from Boo

Boo — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:39:18 +0000

Hi Everyone, it has been a while since Jill has updated the blog. Not only is the shop running well, she has also taken an opportunity to practice the ONLY kind of law she likes–at the Indiana General Assembly. She has been a busy little Boo with all that going on.

Anyhow, the real reason I HAD to post today: Jill is working on a basket to send off to Craftsanity, and although it is going well, you all know NO project is without its aggravations. I will let the photos speak for themselves:

The Basket Lab is Open!

And this one speaks for itself:

Quote: “Ohhhh… Now I see what I’m doing wrong!

(The expression was priceless!)

Jill will be back on the blog soon!

The Final Talk of Monogram Dishcloths, At Least For A While

Jill — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:38:08 +0000

I am about to burst my buttons because I have just FINALLY uploaded all TWENTY SIX of the Knitted Monogram Dishcloth Patterns here. I have been working on this project since April, and I am really happy to be able to check it off the to-do list. The full story is on the patterns page, but I have to say one more time that I am totally tickled to be able to say that Starstruck Cat Design now has a completed pattern line. I hope you enjoy knitting them as much as Mom and I enjoyed writing them!

The Dishcloth Project is COMPLETE!

Jill — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 03:25:16 +0000

Oh happy day! The monogram dishcloth project is COMPLETE! All patterns are written, knitted, photographed, and typed. If you stop by the shop, they’re all there. Seeing as most of you don’t live in or near Greenwood, Indiana, you have to take my word for it.

Before I get to publishing the rest of the letters, I want to take a moment to say a very special THANK YOU to my mom, Karen. She could see that this project needed a serious assist if I was going to get it completed in 2010 AND continue to run the shop, cook dinner once in a while for the fellas, and sleep. Without her help, it never would have happened, so THANK YOU, MOM!

Today I’m sharing the patterns for J, F, and P. Happy knitting!

Supplies:

1 ball of kitchen cotton (I used Peaches & Creme 4 Ply Worsted Weight.)
Size US 7 straight or circular needles

Gauge—Don’t sweat it on this project. Just match your needle size with your yarn to create a fabric that has a drape you like.

Cast On 36 stitches

K 4 rows

Row 5: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 6: K

Repeat Rows 5 & 6 four times.

Row 15: K4, P8, K8, P12, K4

Row 16: K15, P10, K11

Row 17: K4, P7, K10, P11, K4

Row 18: K15, P10, K11

Row 19: K4, P6, K5, P2, K4, P11, K4

Row 20: K15, P4, K2, P5, K10

Row 21: K4, P13, K4, P11, K4

Row 22: K15, P4, K17

Row 23: K4, P13, K4, P11, K4

Row 24: K15, P4, K17

Row 25: K4, P13, K4, P11, K4

Row 26: K15, P4, K17

Row 27: K4, P13, K4, P11, K4

Row 28: K15, P4, K17

Row 29: K4, P13, K4, P11, K4

Row 30: K10, P3, K2, P4, K4, P3, K10

Row 31: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Row 32: K10, P16, K10

Row 33: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Row 34: K10, P16, K10

Row 35: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 36: K

Repeat Rows 35 & 36 four times.

K 4 rows

Bind Off

Weave in ends. Enjoy!

*I’ve made every effort to make this pattern as accurate as possible. If you find a mistake, please let me know about it by emailing me (jill@starstruckcatdesign.com). I apologize in advance for any frustration a mistake in the pattern may have caused you!

You may use this pattern for personal use but not for commercial use or resale without express written permission of Starstruck Cat Design, LLC & Jill Carnell. Thanks!

Prefer a pdf? It’s here: J Dishcloth pattern 09.2010

Supplies:

1 ball of kitchen cotton (I used Peaches & Creme 4 Ply Worsted Weight.)
Size US 7 straight or circular needles

Gauge—Don’t sweat it on this project. Just match your needle size with your yarn to create a fabric that has a drape you like.

Cast On 36 stitches

K 4 rows

Row 5: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 6: K

Repeat Rows 5 & 6 four times.

Row 15: K4, P6, K6, P16, K4

Row 16: K20, P6, K10

Row 17: K4, P7, K4, P17, K4

Row 18: K21, P4, K11

Row 19: K4, P7, K4, P17, K4

Row 20: K21, P4, K11

Row 21: K4, P7, K4, P17, K4

Row 22: K15, P2, K4, P4, K11

Row 23: K4, P7, K10, P11, K4

Row 24: K15, P10, K11

Row 25: K4, P7, K10, P11, K4

Row 26: K15, P10, K11

Row 27: K4, P7, K4, P4, K2, P11, K4

Row 28: K21, P4, K11

Row 29: K4, P7, K4, P17, K4

Row 30: K10, P2, K9, P4, K11

Row 31: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Row 32: K10, P16, K10

Row 33: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Row 34: K10, P16, K10

Row 35: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 36: K

Repeat Rows 35 & 36 four times.

K 4 rows

Bind Off

Weave in ends. Enjoy!

You may use this pattern for personal use but not for commercial use or resale without express written permission of Starstruck Cat Design, LLC & Jill Carnell. Thanks!

Prefer a pdf? Grab it here: F Dishcloth pattern 09.2010

Supplies:

1 ball of kitchen cotton (I used Peaches & Creme 4 Ply Worsted Weight.)
Size US 7 straight or circular needles

Gauge—Don’t sweat it on this project. Just match your needle size with your yarn to create a fabric that has a drape you like.

Cast On 36 stitches

K 4 rows

Row 5: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 6: K

Repeat Rows 5 & 6 four times.

Row 15: K4, P6, K6, P16, K4

Row 16: K20, P6, K10

Row 17: K4, P6, K6, P16, K4

Row 18: K20, P6, K10

Row 19: K4, P7, K4, P17, K4

Row 20: K21, P4, K11

Row 21: K4, P7, K4, P17, K4

Row 22: K21, P4, K11

Row 23: K4, P7, K13, P8, K4

Row 24: K11, P14, K11

Row 25: K4, P7, K15, P6, K4

Row 26: K10, P15, K11

Row 27: K4, P7, K4, P7, K4, P6, K4

Row 28: K10, P4, K7, P4, K11

Row 29: K4, P7, K4, P7, K4, P6, K4

Row 30: K10, P4, K7, P4, K11

Row 31: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Row 32: K11, P15, K10

Row 33: K4, P6, K14, P8, K4

Row 34: K13, P13, K10

Row 35: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 36: K

Repeat Rows 35 & 36 four times.

K 4 rows

Bind Off

Weave in ends. Enjoy!

You may use this pattern for personal use but not for commercial use or resale without express written permission of Starstruck Cat Design, LLC & Jill Carnell. Thanks!

Here’s the pdf: P Dishcloth pattern 09.2010

Three More Monogrammed Dishcloths– T, C, & D

Jill — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 01:43:46 +0000

For many reasons, it seems that my computer time has been very limited lately. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been knitting or writing patterns (with major help from my mom!). So, today I’m sharing T, C, & D. There are more to come this week, and I’m hoping to meet my self-imposed end-of-August deadline. I hope if you have a T, C, or D in your life you enjoy knitting them.

T Dishcloth

This is for all the Toms and Tricias!

Supplies:

1 ball of kitchen cotton (I used Peaches & Creme 4 Ply Worsted Weight.)
Size US 7 straight or circular needles

Gauge—Don’t sweat it on this project. Just match your needle size with your yarn to create a fabric that has a drape you like.

Cast On 36 stitches

K 4 rows

Row 5: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 6: K

Repeat Rows 5 & 6 four times.

Row 15: K4, P12, K4, P12, K4

Row 16: K16, P4, K16

Repeat Rows 15 & 16 six times.

Row 29: K4, P12, K4, P12, K4

Row 30: K10, P16, K10

Row 31: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Repeat Rows 30 and 31 twice.

Row 35: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 36: K

Repeat Rows 35 & 36 four times.

K 4 rows

Bind Off

Weave in ends. Enjoy!

You may use this pattern for personal use but not for commercial use or resale without express written permission of Starstruck Cat Design, LLC & Jill Carnell. Thanks!

Prefer a pdf? Click here: T Dishcloth pattern 08.2010

C is for Carnell (or Carter, Caroline, or Claire)!

Supplies:

1 ball of kitchen cotton (I used Peaches & Creme 4 Ply Worsted Weight.)
Size US 7 straight or circular needles

Gauge—Don’t sweat it on this project. Just match your needle size with your yarn to create a fabric that has a drape you like.

Cast On 36 stitches

K 4 rows

Row 5: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 6: K

Repeat Rows 5 & 6 four times.

Row 15: K4, P9, K10, P9, K4

Row 16: K12, P12, K12

Row 17: K4, P7, K14, P7, K4

Row 18: K10, P16, K10

Row 19: K4, P6, K5, P6, K5, P6, K4

Row 20: K10, P4, K8, P4, K10

Row 21: K4, P6, K4, P8, K4, P6, K4

Row 22: K22, P4, K10

Row 23: K4, P6, K4, P18, K4

Repeat Rows 22 & 23 two times.

Row 28: K10, P4, K8, P4, K10

Row 29: K4, P6, K4, P8, K4, P6, K4

Row 30: K10, P5, K6, P5, K10

Row 31: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Row 32: K11, P14, K11

Row 33: K4, P8, K12, P8, K4

Row 34: K13, P10, K13

Row 35: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 36: K

Repeat Rows 35 & 36 four times.

K 4 rows

Bind Off

Weave in ends. Enjoy!

You may use this pattern for personal use but not for commercial use or resale without express written permission of Starstruck Cat Design, LLC & Jill Carnell. Thanks!

Prefer a pdf? Click here: C Dishcloth pattern 08.2010

Do you know a Doug or a Dontie? If you answered yes, I bet they’d like a handknit D Dishcloth. What are you waiting for?!

Supplies:

1 ball of kitchen cotton (I used Peaches & Creme 4 Ply Worsted Weight.)
Size US 7 straight or circular needles

Gauge—Don’t sweat it on this project. Just match your needle size with your yarn to create a fabric that has a drape you like.

Cast On 36 stitches

K 4 rows

Row 5: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 6: K

Repeat Rows 5 & 6 four times.

Row 15: K4, P6, K13, P9, K4

Row 16: K12, P14, K10

Row 17: K4, P6, K15, P7, K4

Row 18: K10, P16, K10

Row 19: K4, P7, K4, P6, K5, P6, K4

Row 20: K10, P4, K7, P4, K11

Row 21: K4, P7, K4, P7, K4, P6, K4

Repeat Rows 20 & 21 four times.

Row 30: K10, P5, K6, P4, K11

Row 31: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Row 32: K11, P15, K10

Row 33: K4, P6, K14, P8, K4

Row 34: K13, P13, K10

Row 35: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 36: K

Repeat Rows 35 & 36 four times.

K 4 rows

Bind Off

Weave in ends. Enjoy!

You may use this pattern for personal use but not for commercial use or resale without express written permission of Starstruck Cat Design, LLC & Jill Carnell. Thanks!

Prefer a pdf? Click here: D Dishcloth pattern 08.2010

S Dishcloth

Jill — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:18:31 +0000

Look– it’s the sixth letter in the series… only twenty more to go! I had a lot of fun creating the S, and I really hope that the Sams, Sophies, and Smiths of the world enjoy it. The pattern’s after the jump:

Supplies:

1 ball of kitchen cotton (I used Peaches & Creme 4 Ply Worsted Weight.)
Size US 7 straight or circular needles

Gauge—Don’t sweat it on this project. Just match your needle size with your yarn to create a fabric that has a drape you like.

Cast On 36 stitches

K 4 rows

Row 5: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 6: K

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 four times.

Row 15: K4, P8, K12, P8, K4

Row 16: K11, P14, K11

Row 17: K4, P6, K16, P6, K4

Row 18: K10, P4, K8, P4, K10

Row 19: K4, P6, K4, P8, K4, P6, K4

Row 20: K10, P4, K8, P4, K10

Row 21: K4, P6, K4, P8, K4, P6, K4

Row 22: K10, P4, K8, P4, K10

Row 23: K4, P18, K3, P7, K4

Row 24: K12, P6, K18

Row 25: K4, P8, K11, P9, K4

Row 26: K14, P10, K12

Row 27: K4, P7, K7, P14, K4

Row 28: K22, P4, K10

Row 29: K4, P6, K4, P8, K4, P6, K4

Row 30: K10, P4, K8, P4, K10

Row 31: K4, P6, K4, P8, K4, P6, K4

Row 32: K11, P14, K11

Row 33: K4, P8, K12, P8, K4

Row 34: K13, P10, K13

Row 35: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 36: K

Repeat Rows 35 & 36 four times.

K 4 rows

Bind Off

Weave in ends. Enjoy!

You may use this pattern for personal use but not for commercial use or resale without express written permission of Starstruck Cat Design, LLC & Jill Carnell. Thanks!

Prefer a .pdf? Find it here: S Dishcloth pattern 08.2010

O Dishcloth

Jill — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:53:17 +0000

I’ve written and test knit two monogram dishcloth patterns this week, and this is the first one– O. This was the first time I had to get curves in my design, so I was a little concerned the O would be too boxy. My first effort turned out a little wonky with the O looking like it had handles like a coffee cup. I reworked it, and now I’m satisfied with this O. I hope you enjoy knitting it for the Os in your life!

Supplies:

1 ball of kitchen cotton (I used Peaches & Creme 4 Ply Worsted Weight.)
Size US 7 straight or circular needles

Gauge—Don’t sweat it on this project. Just match your needle size with your yarn to create a fabric that has a drape you like.

Cast On 36 stitches

K 4 rows

Row 5: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 6: K

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 four times.

Row 15: K4, P11, K6, P11, K4

Row 16: K14, P8, K14

Row 17: K4, P9, K10, P9, K4

Row 18: K12, P12, K12

Row 19: K4, P7, K4, P6, K4, P7, K4

Row 20: K11, P4, K6, P4, K11

Row 21: K4, P7, K4, P6, K4, P7, K4

Row 22: K11, P3, K8, P3, K11

Row 23: K4, P7, K3, P8, K3, P7, K4

Row 24: K11, P3, K8, P3, K11

Row 25: K4, P7, K3, P8, K3, P7, K4

Row 26: K11, P3, K8, P3, K11

Row 27: K4, P7, K3, P8, K3, P7, K4

Row 28: K11, P4, K6, P4, K11

Row 29: K4, P7, K4, P6, K4, P7, K4

Row 30: K11, P4, K6, P4, K11

Row 31: K4, P8, K12, P8, K4

Row 32: K13, P10, K13

Row 33: K4, P10, K8, P10, K4

Row 34: K15, P6, K15

Row 35: K4, P to last 4 st, K4

Row 36: K

Repeat Rows 35 & 36 four times.

K 4 rows

Bind Off

Weave in ends. Enjoy!

You may use this pattern for personal use but not for commercial use or resale without express written permission of Starstruck Cat Design, LLC & Jill Carnell. Thanks!

Prefer a pdf of the pattern? It’s here: O Dishcloth pattern 07.2010

I bring my cat to work now, so I knit him a bed.

Jill — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:08:00 +0000

This is George, and he is one of the six cats who live at my house. (If you’re interested in learning the whole story, it’s here.) A few weeks ago, I brought George to the shop because he was limping and needed to see Dr. Piper, and Mom said she’d shopsit while I took him. I brought him back to the shop the next day because I thought he needed some time away from the other guys. And then I brought him back again because he became very popular with visitors to the shop. By Friday Evening Open Studio that week, I had decided that it would be kitty cat neglect not to knit George a bed.

I knew I wanted a felted project for several reasons: 1) I love felted projects and hadn’t done one for a while; 2) I wanted a quick project; and 3) I have quite a bit of Cascade 220 in the shop, so there were plenty of options for a felting project. I went to Ravelry and found SockPixie’s Chaton Minet, which was absolutely what I was looking for in this project. There was a great opportunity to play with color, and I loved the chevrons. I also really liked the detailing at the top. It was time to pick yarn and get knitting!

I started with blue because George’s accessory is blue. I chose Cascade 220 #9932, Sapphire. The walls of the shop are green, so I also wanted to work in a green. I chose Cascade 220 #9323, Dark Spruce Heather. There are also pops of red in the shop because it’s my favorite color, so I chose Cascade 220 #9404, Ruby. For the fourth color, I chose a neutral, Cascade 220 #4010, Straw.

Then I got knitting! As with most felted projects, it flew because I was using US #15 needles and holding the yarn doubled. The chevrons were fun and kept the miles of garter stitch interesting. This project was an addicting knit, and I am not ashamed to admit that I spent most of the July 4th weekend watching American Pickers and Pawn Stars while knitting for hours at a time on this project. It was fun to work on at the shop because people who had never seen a felting project were completely intrigued by it.

The most important part of a felting project is the blocking because if you goof up the blocking, the finished product will most likely be wonky. I left it in the washer for several cycles because I wanted a really thick fabric that would stand up nicely, and I also wanted the ridges to be fairly smooth. I got out the two big plastic bowls we have and put one into the bottom of the bed and asked Patrick to stand in it while I tugged and shaped the bottom. I then put the second bowl on top of the one on the bottom to give me a good base to work with to shape the sides of the bed, too. I dove into our collection of plastic bags and started stuffing around the bowls until I was happy with the shape.

To get the shape I wanted at the top, I took more bags and shaped them into long tubes, which I tucked up under the rim. Then I left the whole deal on the kitchen counter to dry for a couple of days.

I was really pleased with the finished product. The diameter is about 14 inches, which is about 3 inches less than the pattern calls for. George seems most content to lay outside the bed and put his paws inside (see photo above), but he also likes to curl up in a ball and nap inside of it.

I have declared this project a success not just because I like the way it turned out but because George is actually using it! Oftentimes I find that the cats are more interested in projects while I’m knitting them, so I was concerned that he might lose interest after it wasn’t hanging out on my lap. I also really like the way the colors work together, and it looks good in the shop. The pattern was well-written, and this was a super fun project. If you find a cat in need of a bed, get your sticks and cast on!