# Egg Cosy XIII - For Canada Day



## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

There's been a bit of gap, but Canada Day gives me a great excuse for a new cosy and I quite enjoyed the challenge of charting Canada's Maple Leaf Emblem designed by George F. G. Stanley and John Matheson.

The pattern instructions are both written and charted, so you can follow whichever you find easiest. It took me about two hours to make including finishing, but I'm not the fastest of knitters.

*Canada Day Cosy*

*Materials:*
DK or similar weight yarn in *W*hite and *R*ed
Pair 4mm (US size 6) needles
Stitch-holder or spare needle
3 yarn bobbins wound: 2 white, 1 red
Darning needle

*Tension/Gauge:*
22 stitches and 28 rows over 4"/10cms square in stocking stitch

*Abbreviations:*
*S1kw*: slip the next stitch on the lefthand needle to the righthand needle as if to knit
*S1pw*: slip the next stitch on the lefthand needle to the righthand needle as if to purl
*SSK*: slip the next stitch from the lefthand needle to the righthand needle knitwise, do the same with next stitch, insert point of lefthand needle into the front of both stitches and knit them together
*SPO*: slip the next stitch from the lefthand needle purlwise, purl the next stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the purled stitch
*K2tog*: knit the next two stitches together
*P2tog*: purl the next two stitches together

*Instructions:*

_Back:_
With White (*W*) yarn, cast on 21 stitches and work chart using intarsia method, twisting yarns at back of work to avoid holes:
Rows 1 and 3: K1, (P1, K1) to end
Rows 2 and 4: P1, (K1, P1) to end
Row 5: S1kw, K8, join red (*R*) yarn: K3, join second ball of white (*W*) yarn: K9 
Row 6: *W:* S1pw, P9, *R:* P1, *W:* P10
Row 7: *W:* S1kw, K9, *R:* K1, *W:* K10
Row 8: *W:* S1pw, P3. *R:* P2, *W:* P4, *R:* P1, *W:* P4, *R:* P2, *W:* P4
Row 9: *W:* S1kw, K4, *R:* K4, *W:* K1, *R:* K1, *W:* K1, *R:* K4, *W:* K5
Row 10: *W:* S1pw, P5, *R:* P9, *W:* P6
Row 11: *W:* S1kw, K4, *R:* K11, *W:* K5
Row 12: *W:* S1pw, P3, *R:* P13, *W:* P4
Row 13: *W:* S1kw, K2, *R:* K15, *W:* K3
Row 14: *W:* S1pw, P1, *R:* P17, *W:* P2
Row 15: *W:* S1kw, K2, *R:* K15, *W:* K3
Row 16: *W:* S1pw, P2, *R:* P15, *W:* P3
Row 17: *W:* S1kw, K1, *R:* K17, *W:* K2
Row 18: *W:* S1pw, P1, *R:* P1, *W:* P1, *R:* P3, *W:* P1, *R:* P5, *W:* P1, *R:* P3, *W:* P1, *R:* P1, *W:* P2
Row 19: *W:* S1kw, K3, *R:* K2, *W:* K2, *R:* K5, *W:* K2, *R:* K2, *W:* K4
Row 20: *W:* S1pw, P3, *R:* P1, *W:* P2, *R:* P7, *W:* P2, *R:* P1, *W:* P4
Row 21: *W:* S1kw, SSK, K4, *R:* K7, *W:* K4, K2tog, K1 (19sts)
Row 22: *W:* S1pw, SPO, P3, *R:* P7, *W:* P3, P2tog, P1 (17sts)
Row 23: *W:* S1kw, SSK, K2, *R:* K1, *W:* K1, *R:* K3, *W:* K1, *R:* K1, *W:* K2, K2tog, K1 (15sts)
Row 24: *W:* S1pw, SPO, P3, *R:* P3, *W:* P3, P2tog, P1 (13sts)
Row 25: *W:* S1kw, SSK, K3, *R:* K1. *W:* K3, K2tog, K1 (11sts)
Row 26: *W:* S1pw, SPO, P5, P2tog, P1 (9sts)
Row 27: *W:* S1kw, knit to end

Transfer these nine stitches to a stitch-holder or spare needle and break yarn leaving about 8"/20cms for seam.

_Front:_
Work as above for back but leave stitches on needle and do not break yarn.

_Join Pieces:_
Hold both pieces so the right sides are facing each other, wrong sides outwards, with front piece nearest you. Using white yarn from front, insert needle into leg nearest of first stitch on front, then front leg of first stitch of back and knit the two stitches together. Do the same with the next pair of stitches. Bring loop of first stitch over second stitch on righthand needle, first stitch cast off. Continue in this way until all stitches have been cast off, run tail through final loop to secure and break yarn.

*Finishing:*

Join side seams using mattress stitch and weave in ends.

However you spend the day, I hope it's full of fun!
Dave


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Beautiful job, Dave! Wish I had a Canadian friend to make it for.


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## PurpleFi (Mar 26, 2011)

You've done it again. Fabulous.


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

dave - you amaze me with your talent - i'll definitely give this one a try. now we need one for the fourth of july - hint - hint.

sam


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

Terrific job, Dave! You've got the Maple Leaf just right! :-D :-D


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## kikimoo (Jun 26, 2011)

Thats great, well done,ive never done an egg cosy but im going to try this one. thanks. Anne


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## Strawberry4u (Apr 18, 2011)

Dave You did another Great Job!!!! I just love your egg cozies. I think Thewren challenged you!!! I can hardly wait to see if you take him up on the July 4th one. I'm pulling for you!!!!!


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## grannie (Mar 4, 2011)

thank you it is too cute


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Jessica-Jean said:


> Terrific job, Dave! You've got the Maple Leaf just right! :-D :-D


Thanks Jessica-Jean, it means a lot to hear that coming from Canada, I'm glad you like it.

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

kikimoo said:


> Thats great, well done,ive never done an egg cosy but im going to try this one. thanks. Anne


Do give it a try, this one isn't as hard as some of the others in the series. I strongly advise you to wind the yarn onto bobbins, rather than trying to juggle whole balls. Plan the difficult rows ahead, on rows 8 and 18 you need to carry yarn across the back on the preceding row to have it ready for use at the right place. Other than those two instances, it's very straightfoward to work.

Have fun 
Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you all like it.

Dave


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## applegranny (Mar 29, 2011)

Thank you for the posting.

The maple leaf motif will come in handy for other articles also.

Will look great on a scarf.


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## askem1728 (Mar 28, 2011)

thank you, thank you , thank you Dave now i know exactly what i will be doing in the morning after a cup of tea. it looks beautiful
Andrea from Ontario Canada


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## askem1728 (Mar 28, 2011)

thewren said:


> dave - you amaze me with your talent - i'll definitely give this one a try. now we need one for the fourth of july - hint - hint.
> 
> sam


Sam sorry to say but if you read the talk from the first Tea Party Dave ever hosted he says that he will not unfortunately make an American Flag Cozy due to all the rules and laws you have regarding the use of the Flag. not to be mean to any Americans Dave's words. sorry. why don't you try one your self and then post pictures for us


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## littlewind53 (Apr 25, 2011)

DorisT said:


> Beautiful job, Dave! Wish I had a Canadian friend to make it for.


I'm Canadian, lol

Too bad I don't eat boiled eggs. But you did a great job and I am going to print off your chart in case I find a project for it someday....


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

i don't think there are any rules against making an egg cozy representing the american flag. the rules are probably much like yours in how you hang the flag - how you take it down - how you destroy it when it is too worn to fly. however - it is ok to burn it in protest - protected by our first admendment. so it is quite ok for dave not to want to do it - however - it would not be breaking any rules to do so.

sam



askem1728 said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > dave - you amaze me with your talent - i'll definitely give this one a try. now we need one for the fourth of july - hint - hint.
> ...


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## littlewind53 (Apr 25, 2011)

askem1728 said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > dave - you amaze me with your talent - i'll definitely give this one a try. now we need one for the fourth of july - hint - hint.
> ...


If people can "wear" the Amarican Flag image, I cannot immage what would be wrong with a tea or egg (or any other kind of) cosy.

Personally, I was taught to respect the Canadian Flag and it was drilled into us that letting the flag touch the ground was disrespectful... and wearing clothing that looked like the flag was disrespectful. You get the drift.

I have softened somewhat over the years -- I still don't "wear" the flag, but have no problems with an egg wearing it!


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

littlewind53 said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > Beautiful job, Dave! Wish I had a Canadian friend to make it for.
> ...


I just knew somebody would say that!  Actually, I do have a Canadian friend and his wife that we met on a cruise a couple of years ago. They live somewhere near Toronto. Nicest folks you would ever hope to meet. Maybe I could use Dave's design to knit them a dishcloth??


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

littlewind53 said:


> askem1728 said:
> 
> 
> > thewren said:
> ...


I have a nice American flag pin that I wear on the collar of a blazer. They were very popular in the U.S. after 9/11. I wouldn't wear a T-shirt that looks like a flag, but I see no problem with a pin or an egg cosy.


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## nanabanana (Jun 14, 2011)

Brill. Do you have crochet egg cozies as well? Ann :thumbup:


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> i don't think there are any rules against making an egg cozy representing the american flag. the rules are probably much like yours in how you hang the flag - how you take it down - how you destroy it when it is too worn to fly. however - it is ok to burn it in protest - protected by our first admendment. so it is quite ok for dave not to want to do it - however - it would not be breaking any rules to do so.
> 
> sam
> 
> ...


Sadly the mass of Federal and State legislation covering American symbols, devices, cyphers and sigils as well as colour combinations relating thereto is far too complex to pick my way through. The penalties for misuse of such are very severe and their use on anything as whimsical as an egg-cosy would come under the category of 'trivialising, under-mining and/or impugning American dignity'. The various provisions of the legislation include: buildings, structures, natural features, man-made features, designs, atifacts, motifs as well as: plants, animals and rock-types where they are used in such a way as to identify them with either America's national identity or that of any of its member states. The last 'condensed' abstract I saw ran to over four hundred pages!

You have to remember, I am an outsider, an alien, therefore the rules are applied far more rigorously to me than to an American citizen; to American eyes, my motives will always be suspect. This was impressed upon me when I was at art school, we actually had to study a couple of modules on legal issues and a very large section of it was devoted to warning us how to avoid incurring American wrath; it's like walking on egg-shells, to coin a phrase!

I have tried, and failed, to think of something that is unmistakably and instantly identifiable as American and cannot be miscontrued or viewed as anything other than positive, comlimentary and non-controversial by all of America's citizens. If I do think of something, I'll post it.

I do however, wish all American members of the forum a very happy celebration on Monday.

Dave


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## Hendrika (Jan 23, 2011)

Dave,

Brilliant! Thank you so much for thinking of us. Your talent astounds me. If I don't make the cozy, I will certainly make good use of the chart. I agree with Jessica-Jean, it is perfect. Love it, love it, love it.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

thewren said:


> i don't think there are any rules against making an egg cozy representing the american flag. the rules are probably much like yours in how you hang the flag - how you take it down - how you destroy it when it is too worn to fly. however - it is ok to burn it in protest - protected by our first admendment. so it is quite ok for dave not to want to do it - however - it would not be breaking any rules to do so.
> 
> sam


The First Amendment to the American Constitution was enacted to protect the civil liberties of American citizens, it does not apply to foreigners.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

littlewind53 said:


> DorisT said:
> 
> 
> > Beautiful job, Dave! Wish I had a Canadian friend to make it for.
> ...


I'm glad you like my effort. I think it would work pretty well on a tea cosy, a mug cosy, drinks coaster, pencil case, spectacle case, or a mobile phone cover.

Have fun!
Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Hendrika said:


> Dave,
> 
> Brilliant! Thank you so much for thinking of us. Your talent astounds me. If I don't make the cozy, I will certainly make good use of the chart. I agree with Jessica-Jean, it is perfect. Love it, love it, love it.


My pleasure!


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Dave, how about an eagle? That would probably be too hard to do. Or red, white, and blue stripes (diagonally?). I didn't get enough sleep last night!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

DorisT said:


> Dave, how about an eagle? That would probably be too hard to do. Or red, white, and blue stripes (diagonally?). I didn't get enough sleep last night!


I'm leaving this event up to somebody else, anything I could come up with would be wrong and be open to misinterpretation.

However, I may yet come up with something non-controversial.


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## theladyinblue (Mar 23, 2011)

Very clever. I would have never thought to do something like that.


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## Karoleg (Jun 23, 2011)

HAPPY CANADA FROM OTTAWA....this is just too cute!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Karoleg said:


> HAPPY CANADA FROM OTTAWA....this is just too cute!


Have a great day!


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## jemima (Mar 26, 2011)

Lovely.


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## shannonw (Apr 5, 2011)

Outstanding! I am a Canadian living in the US and these would be lovely to make/have, especially for Canada Day. Thank you for sharing.


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## MPolaski (Mar 14, 2011)

Nice job on the maple leaf. I'm Canadian, and I eat boiled eggs.  And I'm definitely keeping the chart for a future project.

Morag
(Canadian ex-pat in North Carolina)


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## laylajo (Mar 23, 2011)

Perfect maple leaf Dave be proud of yourself!!!! :lol: Since being on this forum how many cosies have you shown on here?I've been watching your egg cosies for a while now.Love them,keep them coming. :lol: :thumbup:


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## laylajo (Mar 23, 2011)

just noticed XIII duh!!!  sorry Dave. Bren


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## askem1728 (Mar 28, 2011)

thank you so much Dave i just showed it to hubby and he said it was nice


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## maryinvt (Feb 21, 2011)

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-12733-1.html
About a month ago I posted some red, white and blue pictures of an egg cosy that could be used. It was based on knitting Daves egg cosy.
http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-7655-1.html
My red did not show up deep enough. And you could use star stickers for the day if you don't have beads.
I love the new cozy that Dave posted. Nicely done and Daves cozys are fun to knit up.
Happy knitting.


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## lvchocl8nknitting (Mar 3, 2011)

Absolutely love the design; my neighbor across the street (I'm in Ohio) is a Canadian expatriate...she'll love it. I thought cosies covered soft cooked eggs which were whacked with a utensil to open them and sometimes served with the top of the shell already removed...do I remember this incorrectly?


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## M81 (Mar 25, 2011)

Great job Dave you sure are amazing!!!


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## Ezenby (Mar 24, 2011)

Dave...spectacular!!!. Point on leaves!!! You have hit it perfect. If we go snowing birding south this winter I always meet neighbors from the North and this would make a great gift. Thanks. And maybe for America....a red/white/blue stripe with a star in middle. P.S. I'm trusting mac pro for grammar/spelling. In a hurry this am. Getting lots of signals...it doesn't like my way of talking.


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## SusanM (Feb 4, 2011)

Well Done Dave! Happy Canada Day! The True North Strong and Free!


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## redhook (Feb 14, 2011)

Vary cute


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## CamillaDesertMouse (Mar 19, 2011)

Ummmm...Dave...how about just a firecracker broken or exploding?...that has nothing to do with our flag but denotes the July 4th celebration?
Not sure how our government regulates the use of our flag..but I knit and crochet my version my patterns all the time...
I understand what you are saying..just not sure I agree..but as gentlemen and ladies...sometimes we can just agree to disagree lol..
Hugs Dave,

Respectfully, 
Camilla

BTW HAPPY CANADA DAY to all my Canadian friends..and your Canadian Egg Cosy is amazing.



FireballDave said:


> thewren said:
> 
> 
> > i don't think there are any rules against making an egg cozy representing the american flag. the rules are probably much like yours in how you hang the flag - how you take it down - how you destroy it when it is too worn to fly. however - it is ok to burn it in protest - protected by our first admendment. so it is quite ok for dave not to want to do it - however - it would not be breaking any rules to do so.
> ...


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## iamsam (Apr 14, 2011)

mary - i downloaded the pictures and dave's pattern - they would be perfect for the fourth. one of the reasons i keep coming back to these discussions that we can disagree with each other so civilly - we truly are becojing worldwide bff.

sam



maryinvt said:


> http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-12733-1.html
> About a month ago I posted some red, white and blue pictures of an egg cosy that could be used. It was based on knitting Daves egg cosy.
> http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-7655-1.html
> My red did not show up deep enough. And you could use star stickers for the day if you don't have beads.
> ...


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

maryinvt said:


> http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-12733-1.html
> About a month ago I posted some red, white and blue pictures of an egg cosy that could be used. It was based on knitting Daves egg cosy.
> http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-7655-1.html
> My red did not show up deep enough. And you could use star stickers for the day if you don't have beads.
> ...


Mary, thank you for the links. Now that we have the red, white, and blue egg cozy, we can let Dave take a break. He works hard trying to satisfy us.


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## NanaCaren (May 17, 2011)

I will make some of these up for my mom. Even though we now live in the US she will like that they are for Canada day.


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian KP friends! Although born in the U.S., I'm Canadian through and through as far back as I could research.


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Another winner, Dave!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Many thanks for all the kind words, I'm glad so many of you like my design. 

Many of the motifs I come up with could be applied to other items, household accessories like tea cosies, drinks coasters place mats, potholders, pencil cases, phone covers &c., lend themselves to decoration; my egg cosies are only a starting point, you could describe them as a 'serving suggestion'! 

Have fun playing with my charts and express yourself, I'd love to see what you come with!

Dave


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## freddie (Jun 12, 2011)

Thank you, thank you, thank you from a Canadian 'marooned' in California! I'll knit several of these immediately!


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## 2CatsinNJ (Jan 21, 2011)

I, too, am waiting for something appropros for Monday ! Great job on the Canada Day cosy, Dave !


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

2CatsinNJ said:


> I, too, am waiting for something appropros for Monday ! Great job on the Canada Day cosy, Dave !


Thanks, I too am fascinated to see what designs people will come up with!

Dave


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## maryinvt (Feb 21, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> 2CatsinNJ said:
> 
> 
> > I, too, am waiting for something appropros for Monday ! Great job on the Canada Day cosy, Dave !
> ...


Dave I pulled out some yarn but it was sport yarn not sock yarn so this is large enough for an ostrich egg. But that is not a bad thing. I got to see what it looks like. Now this pattern done on maybe 7's and a plain back would do up nicely for all those little premie babies in Candian hospitals. This would serve well also as an emblem on the front of a sweater too. Dave I did not go by the charts. I did the text print out. It was right on. :thumbup: 
And happy Canada Day all out northern friends. 
Mary in VT


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## askem1728 (Mar 28, 2011)

looks great. i down my needle size to Us size 5 but might go down to Us size 3. the eggs up here aren't as big as they were just a few years ago. all i have to say is experiment with needle size till you get the fit you like best.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

maryinvt said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > 2CatsinNJ said:
> ...


You've knitted it beautifully Mary!

I'm very relieved there weren't any typos in the written instructions, preparing text for posting in the forum is horrendously complicated when you start putting in all the codes for bold and italics, it took longer to do that than to make it!

Tension is sometimes difficult to match. I use the same DK yarn for most of my cosies, it knits to 22 stitches by 28 rows over 4"/10cm square in stocking stitch using 4mm (US Size 6) (UK/Canadian Size 8) needles. The yarn is _Hayfield Bonus DK_ by Sirdar which is 100% acrylic and comes in 100g balls of 280m/306yds and is very reasonably priced between £1.75 and £1.95 per ball (US$2.81 to US$3.13) (CAN$2.70 to CAN$3.00); King Cole's _Premier Value DK_ is similarly priced and knits identically, their yarns are also available in 25g balls for toy-making sold as _Dolly Mixture DK_. Although I generally prefer natural fibres for garments, I find small items with a lot of colour-work knit up easiest with either synthetics or mercerised cotton both of which produce a stable fabric.

Dave


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## SailorRae (Feb 7, 2011)

That is awesome....I hope you come up with one for the US....4th of July


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

lvchocl8nknitting said:


> Absolutely love the design; my neighbor across the street (I'm in Ohio) is a Canadian expatriate...she'll love it. I thought cosies covered soft cooked eggs which were whacked with a utensil to open them and sometimes served with the top of the shell already removed...do I remember this incorrectly?


Absolutely, although one usually put the cosy on the egg un-whacked to take it from the kitchen and present it at the breakfast table. It's up to the diner to decide whether to decapitate with the butter knife, or bash its head in!

Dave


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## Tarheel Julie (Jun 19, 2011)

I agree with Sam - we need one for the 4th of July! Great job!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Tarheel Julie said:


> I agree with Sam - we need one for the 4th of July! Great job!


I'm waiting to see what you come up with!


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## Tarheel Julie (Jun 19, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> Tarheel Julie said:
> 
> 
> > I agree with Sam - we need one for the 4th of July! Great job!
> ...


Hey, I'm just the direction follower, not the direction writer! Wish I could, though. I get so frustrated I could scream when I can see something in my mind's eye but cannot translate that vision into something concrete. The closest I can come is modifying a recipe to suit.


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## KNITTWITTIBE (Jan 25, 2011)

Very cute kosee, Dave :thumbup:


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## thatharrisgirl (Apr 14, 2011)

Mornin' all,That used to be the greeting from the Bobby at the beginning of a TV show in the UK. I think it aired in the early 60,s. Sort of dates me, doesn't it.
Yesterday was the local Canada Day parade, the only one for miles around, so we always get a good turnout. Local groups and businesses are great supporters of the parade and it is long enough that the end almost reaches the beginning. Most of the floats, etc. tossed candy and two little boys near me each had a pail ful each when the parade ended. 
As to my knitting, I have the second of a pair of wrist warmers on the needles. At our school and other places, they are a fashion statement of teenage girls. I fly to Nova Scotia on Wednesday, so will have a couple of pairs to take to my Grandaughter.I am on page 3 of the five pages of the summerfly shawl. I also have just started a babt cocoon for baby Zander, who is making his appearence in August. 
To all the Americian friends, Happy 4th!


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

sam[/quote]

Sam sorry to say but if you read the talk from the first Tea Party Dave ever hosted he says that he will not unfortunately make an American Flag Cozy due to all the rules and laws you have regarding the use of the Flag. not to be mean to any Americans Dave's words. sorry. why don't you try one your self and then post pictures for us[/quote]

So Dave, you can make the Liberty torch designed to go on the US egg cozy! chuckles, you do good work!

:thumbup:


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> sam


Sam sorry to say but if you read the talk from the first Tea Party Dave ever hosted he says that he will not unfortunately make an American Flag Cozy due to all the rules and laws you have regarding the use of the Flag. not to be mean to any Americans Dave's words. sorry. why don't you try one your self and then post pictures for us[/quote]

So Dave, you can make the Liberty torch designed to go on the US egg cozy! chuckles, you do good work!

:thumbup:[/quote]

Now you are being mischievous, that particular structure has its own chapter! America controls representation and depiction of its icons and government buildings more strictly than any other nation of earth, I've worked there and had to jump through countless legal hoops to do jobs for natinal and state departments themselves.

As for the suggestion that 'freedom of expression' and 'artistic licence' are protected, as one government official (minder) pointed out to me "The Constitution was designed to protect Americans from the British". It was then I realised I should have listened to my college tutor and told them, "Not at any price" when I was offered the commission in the first place!


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## 5mmdpns (Jun 1, 2011)

Chuckles Dave, I am a Canadian through and through. But my hubby's last name is Tetley and Joshua Tetley was his 4th or 5th greatgrandfather. Yep, we drink Tetley Tea. Son drinks Tetley Bitter. I am a true Corrie Street fan. Love your maple leaf egg cozy and from the time I first saw it, I am trying to figure out how to get the design into my socks! hehe Cheers and have a good one!


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

5mmdpns said:


> Chuckles Dave, I am a Canadian through and through. But my hubby's last name is Tetley and Joshua Tetley was his 4th or 5th greatgrandfather. Yep, we drink Tetley Tea. Son drinks Tetley Bitter. I am a true Corrie Street fan. Love your maple leaf egg cozy and from the time I first saw it, I am trying to figure out how to get the design into my socks! hehe Cheers and have a good one!


I have tried several ways to knit intarsia in the round, it has always been either a disaster or arcanely complicated. My advice would be to arrange a number of them to form a ring and to use the fair isle method since that is easy to work in the round.

I like Tetley's teas, but being a Southerner, I prefer the sharper taste of Kentish ales. I'm afraid I've never been able to set aside a slot on a sustained basis to get involved in any of the soaps. Last time I saw an entire episode it, was in black and white and seemed to revolve around a rather grumpy woman in a hair-net. I think I was about six at the time and it rather put me off!

Dave


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> ... preparing text for posting in the forum is horrendously complicated when you start putting in all the codes for bold and italics,...Dave


Dave, do you put in the assorted codes _as you're typing?_ It seems that would be really rough on the continuity of the thinking process. 
I type along and then, when proofing, slip in the codes where I want them. (While I rarely swatch for knitting, I _almost_ always proof-read before hitting 'send'!)


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Jessica-Jean said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > ... preparing text for posting in the forum is horrendously complicated when you start putting in all the codes for bold and italics,...Dave
> ...


No way! I type the instructions into a text document and then go through the process of adding all the codes after. I do proof-read them, but obviously not well enough because two errors have cropped up in my postings. It's always difficult to spot one's own typographical errors, there is a tendency to automatically correct them in one's own mind, as any book-keeper prone to reversing figures will tell you! Because I touch-type, my fingers frequently tell me when I've hit the wrong key, that helps a lot.

I'm very new to this posting lark, these are the first knitting patterns I've ever typed out, I tend to keep my designs in hand-written note-books and charts are hand-drawn on graph paper. I'm not over-fond of computers at all, I find them difficult and time-consuming to use. Programs and formats come and go with such speed, simply keeping up with all the changes is a full-time occupation. I certainly don't trust them for archive purposes and their built-in obsolescence is beyond a joke.

For my personal correspondence I use a pen, for most other work, I have an excellent IBM golfball typewriter I bought secondhand in 1976. It still works perfectly, is easy to use, can be maintained with an old toothbrush and a can of 3-in-1 oil and only gets through a couple of ribbons a year, which are considerably cheaper than printer cartridges, it hasn't crashed once!

Perhaps it would be better if I stopped posting designs until I become more proficient with the box of silicon chips.

Dave


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## thatharrisgirl (Apr 14, 2011)

I think the "grumpy old woman" that you speak of was Enid or Edna Sharples. I know someone will set me right on that one. 
My favorite tea is green tea with ginger, cold. Not hard to tell I don't come from over there, is it


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> Perhaps it would be better if I stopped posting designs until I become more proficient with the box of silicon chips.
> 
> Dave


No way! I'm know I'm not the only one who loves your posts ... all of them.

But, if your designs are worked out on paper, why not just scan the paper version, instead of going through all the bother of typing them at all? I'm sure your scribble is not _totally_ incomprehensible.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Jessica-Jean said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > Perhaps it would be better if I stopped posting designs until I become more proficient with the box of silicon chips.
> ...


Depends on how good your shorthand is!

I've learned that on this forum that people demand one crosses every 't' and dots every 'i' or they can be quite direct when expressing their displeasure should anything be the least bit unclear. It's the main reason I only post tiny, simple projects and include a clear chart whenever possible.

However, quite a few people seem to like my little designs, thank you for the compliments, they are appreciated. I actually rather enjoy playing within the 'egg cosy format', with only a maximum of around 500 pixels to play with, it's an entertaining challenge to produce an effective motif that is actually 'knittable'. I love simplicity and the notion of stripping down a design to the barest minimum; there are some patterns I've made over the years that are merely vestigial references to their subject, I may post a couple in the coming weeks.

If it's an old design, I re-work it to smooth out any glitches in the original while I'm writing out the instructions and charting the pattern. I am getting better with the charting program, it isn't quite as infuriating to work as it was, the practice helps!

Dave


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## littlewind53 (Apr 25, 2011)

It's up to the diner to decide whether to decapitate with the butter knife, or bash its head in!

Dave[/quote]

That is just too cute.

:lol:


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## CamillaDesertMouse (Mar 19, 2011)

I always appreciate your hard work Dave..and would NEVER critique or criticize your work..We are all human...give the man a break ok?
Hugs,

Camilla



FireballDave said:


> Jessica-Jean said:
> 
> 
> > FireballDave said:
> ...


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## maryinvt (Feb 21, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> ....I've learned that on this forum that people demand one crosses every 't' and dots every 'i' or they can be quite direct when expressing their displeasure should anything be the least bit unclear. It's the main reason I only post tiny, simple projects and include a clear chart whenever possible.
> 
> However, quite a few people seem to like my little designs, Dave


Well Dave you know I like your little cozies. They are all a good study. I learn a lot from working them. I have now even tried to work up a cozy. Now I know more about what you mean by the preplaning. I knew the letters were to tall but I wanted to give it a try anyways. I have not written anything down as it is like a rough draft. Actually it is more of an experiment and I wanted to try my hand at a little designing. It was fun but as you have said it can take up your time. And this was my first attempt. But the little piece does have direction. In graphic arts they did tell us it takes 3 or 4 tries to get to a refinement. Again thanks for posting your cozies. I do appreciate them. 
Mary


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## CamillaDesertMouse (Mar 19, 2011)

WOW ...well done Mary.

Camilla



maryinvt said:


> FireballDave said:
> 
> 
> > ....I've learned that on this forum that people demand one crosses every 't' and dots every 'i' or they can be quite direct when expressing their displeasure should anything be the least bit unclear. It's the main reason I only post tiny, simple projects and include a clear chart whenever possible.
> ...


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

I think you've done very well Mary, the stripes are really effective and the lettering is pretty good too, we're always our own worst critic! The only major adjustment I would make would be to insert a clear white row above and below the letters, this will release them and give it a lighter feel.

I'm glad you're enjoying playing with the format, a canvas of 17 to 19 stitches by 22 to 26 rows, 374 to 494 pixels, is very disciplining. It's rather like writing a lecture. I speak at an average of ninety-two words per minute, therefore a one-hour lecture slot, which loses five minutes arrival/departure either end and a further five minutes contingency allowance, gives me approximately four thousand words to get my points across. There's acres of space for a nice leisurely exploration of the topic with room for a couple of inconsequential anecdotes, I can plan one of those on the back of an envelope over a cup of coffee and a croissant. Halve it to two thousand words and things start to get interesting, out go most of the little asides and points have to start earning their keep, reduce it down to a ten minute piece of seven hundred and fifty to eight hundred words and it's a real challenge to cover a topic effectively, that can take me four or five hours to write! Motifs are the same, the bigger the canvas, the easier it is; shrink it down so every stitch counts and it gets to be a fun!

I have one or two computer tricks that help, _GIMP_ (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a real boon. The tricky bit with knitting is the rectangular stitches, with _DK_ yarn on 4mm needles, the ratio is approximately 1:1.27 (22 stitches x 28 rows over a 4"/10cm square of stocking stitch). If you open an image or motif and select <Image> then <scale image> a dialogue box will appear. Clicking on the 'chain' symbol beside the image dimensions will disable the proportional scaling function, now multiply the height of the image in pixels by 1.27 and enter this into the box, the program will now stretch the image for you. If you now apply a square grid to your scaled image, charting becomes a lot easier. It's a good starting point.

If you prefer to draw freehand, it's worth downloading and printing out some knitter's graph paper. If you really want to be clever, knit up and block a six inch square in a pale colour, beige or a pastel work best, and sandwich it between two sheets of perspex. You can then draw onto the fabric with chinagraph which will wipe clean. This is the method a lot of professional designers use because it maintains their awarenes of the *V* stitch shape.

It's always fun to experiment and I hope my observations help you take it further.

Dave


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## DorisT (Mar 26, 2011)

Good work, Mary! I agree with Dave, a white row above and below the letters will help them stand out. I can see you're having fun with egg cozies.


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Thank you so much for all of your hard work in presenting your "little" designs. They bring so much pleasure to so many persons world-wide! I'm still at the color-the-squares-on-the-graph-paper stage, but I'm having a marvelous time trying to condense a design into the cosy parameters. Keep on keepin' on, Dave!


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## siouxann (Mar 5, 2011)

Mary, I love the cosy you made! I, too, think that rows of white atop and beneath the letters would be a good change. However, it is fine just the way it is.


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

siouxann said:


> Thank you so much for all of your hard work in presenting your "little" designs. They bring so much pleasure to so many persons world-wide! I'm still at the color-the-squares-on-the-graph-paper stage, but I'm having a marvelous time trying to condense a design into the cosy parameters. Keep on keepin' on, Dave!


Glad you like them and that my charts are clear and easy to read. I try to make them as simple as possible. I prefer using graph paper too, I'm a bit of a Luddite and think computers are frequently more of a hindrance than a help.

Have fun playing with the miniature canvas, it's a great way to pass the time when you're put on hold by the Gas Board's call centre and treated to endless repeats of that irritating tinny rendition of Handel's Water Torture!

Dave


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## maryinvt (Feb 21, 2011)

I did go on line to get the Knitters graph paper so that I could do some pre-planning. And there is room to put the white space around the letters. I was afraid that the letters would be to floaty so that is why I anchored them down by sitting them on top of the red line of yarn. But I can try again. It would be interesting to see what happens in a comparison shot. :lol:

Who is the Gas Board? 
_.......put on hold by the Gas Board's call centre and treated to endless repeats of that irritating tinny rendition of Handel's Water Torture!....._


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

maryinvt said:


> I did go on line to get the Knitters graph paper so that I could do some pre-planning. And there is room to put the white space around the letters. I was afraid that the letters would be to floaty so that is why I anchored them down by sitting them on top of the red line of yarn. But I can try again. It would be interesting to see what happens in a comparison shot. :lol:
> 
> What so you mean by this.
> _.......put on hold by the Gas Board's call centre and treated to endless repeats of that irritating tinny rendition of Handel's Water Torture!....._


It's all personal taste, it's only the way I do things, I have a thing for white space.

Apologies for the joke that didn't travel. Phoning the gas or electricity company and other services, usually involves being held in a queue and listening to an endless loop of a really poor recording of the first few bars of either Vivaldi's _Four Seasons_ or Handel's _Water Music_. It's a torture inflicted on us by the unthinking who only listened to thirty seconds of the thing before choosing it!


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## thatharrisgirl (Apr 14, 2011)

if I remember correctly, it is the agency that sells you the gas to heat water, cook, etc.


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## maryinvt (Feb 21, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> maryinvt said:
> 
> 
> > I did go on line to get the Knitters graph paper so that I could do some pre-planning. And there is room to put the white space around the letters. I was afraid that the letters would be to floaty so that is why I anchored them down by sitting them on top of the red line of yarn. But I can try again. It would be interesting to see what happens in a comparison shot. :lol:
> ...


I was unsure of what was meant. I haven't had my coffee yet. And I would much prefer _Vivaldi's Four Seasons_ to rapp music (and I use the term music loosely) ;-) Elevator music is fine but nothing will sound good unless it is played on Bozak speakers. You can not get that through tiny ear speakers.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

FireballDave said:


> ...think computers are frequently more of a hindrance than a help.
> 
> Dave


True enough, but without computers and the Internet, we would not be so easily able to share these lovelies with so many at once. Graph paper and coloured pencils are my friends, so is my scanner.

Of course, without the Internet, we'd all still be buying magazines and books and communicating by snail-mail. As confusing and frustrating as learning to use the computer and its attachments may be, I prefer having them to regressing to paper only.


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## Strawberry4u (Apr 18, 2011)

Dave,Sharon here. I've been signing in and out since you started our Tea Party a couple of days ago. Thank You!!! for all you contribute to all of us getting together and sharing our crafts,recipes,our thoughts,ideas,our happiness and sadness. I know I'm new here but either I've been ready the last couple pages wrong it was like Whoa! my hair got blown back by some nit picking going on. I could be wrong but have you heard about the 10 atta boys then 1 Aw Poo? U do wonderful things for this site. You didn't have to share your wonderful creative patterns but you DO. Then to be told all your hard work wasn't good enough because you missed something. Then you were nice enough to give you recipe of how you go about getting the item from a thought to a finished product. It had my head spinning of all you do to get one pattern out. I just use graphed paper. But not you went way and beyond to get it into the computer and work with their programs...Kudos. I took a look and thought this is going to make my brain bleed. I'm sorry if it was just a banter on the production process. I'm truly sorry and I guess I didn't get enough sleep. But it hit me the wrong way to go after a man's work because of many hours of beating his head with his keyboard in order to get a finished product for us to enjoy and bring a smile to our faces. Again I'm sorry if I'm mistaken but if not I felt like something needed to be said to let Dave know how much we enjoy his Cozies. Have a great Holiday everyone! and again Thank You Dave!!!!


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## Strawberry4u (Apr 18, 2011)

[a good study. I learn a lot from working them. I have now even tried to work up a cozy. Now I know more about what you mean by the preplaning. I knew the letters were to tall but I wanted to give it a try anyways. I have not written anything down as it is like a rough draft. Actually it is more of an experiment and I wanted to try my hand at a little designing. It was fun but as you have said it can take up your time. And this was my first attempt. But the little piece does have direction. In graphic arts they did tell us it takes 3 or 4 tries to get to a refinement. Again thanks for posting your cozies. I do appreciate them. 
Mary[/quote]

Great Job! You were so brave to go were very few have gone before....

:thumbup:


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## maryinvt (Feb 21, 2011)

Strawberry4u said:


> [a good study. I learn a lot from working them. I have now even tried to work up a cozy. Now I know more about what you mean by the preplaning. ........ I have not written anything down as it is like a rough draft. .......I wanted to try my hand at a little designing. It was fun .......... And this was my first attempt. ........ Again thanks for posting your cozies. I do appreciate them. Mary


--from Strawberry4u-- Great Job! You were so brave to go were very few have gone before.... :thumbup:[/quote]

--from Mary --Thank you for the compliment Strawberry4U. And so true ;-)


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Thanks for your compliments Sharon. It's not as difficult to do, as it is to explain it all. Once you get into the way the various programs work, it all makes sense and gets easier with practice.

_GIMP_ is a brilliant program and is available free from:

http://www.gimp.org

it does take a little playing with to get used to its commands and I really do recommend you set aside some time to go through the tutorials to learn how it works. But it can do some truly amazing things.

Have a play, it can be quite entertaining to produce these little items, they're quick to make and conveniently small enough to fit into a bag or satchel. Mary has made some lovely cosies and I think her first attempt at designing is great, I'm really impressed because letters can be tricky to position and knit neatly.

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Hello all,

Egg Cosy XIV is in plenty of time for _Talk Like A Pirate Day_ on 19th September, you can find it at:

http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-28205-1.html

Have fun!
Dave


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## grosvenor (Mar 19, 2011)

to nanabanana:
I wasin Poland a few years ago and bought a crocheted egg cosy,,in the form of a rooster.
I don't do much crochet but will try and work it out.
If that does't work, I'll take a photo and then get some help to it here.
I'm not sure of the terms you use in USA, I think they are different. But the general idea for this little thing seems to be:
1. start with a circle a bit bigger than thimble size, for about half an inch, inrese gradually over about l.5", to a circle of about 5-6 inches - all i plain work, one colour
2. Join another colour, go around that a circle but deepen and increase by a row for half the length.
3. then a row of one colour.
4 then with another colour, go around, douibling the number of 'stitches' above the increased area of #2
5. Anothr single row as in #3
6. next few rows will have 38 pairs of 2 stitches each, all placed over the extra stitches of rows The middle section, where there are no increases, is 
in the same single color as for #3, and #5 Lookingharad at this lot, I think there are 4 rows ibn all - 2 there & 2 back.
7. Then one single row of the initial colour
8. With the colour of #3, do a sort oo picot work - I'm not sure of your terms, but it gives a vry tiny shell effect.
9. as #8 but sllightly b iggrt 'sells'

I hve nothing serious to do at this minute, so will try and convert all this to knitting. It's a dull end-of-winter-day so I need something to challenge myself!

Both efforts will be photographed


Grosvenor, Lindfield, Australia


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## Knitwitch51 (Oct 20, 2011)

Thank you, Dave! I wasn't on the site last year. This is perfect! I'm a happy camper this rainy, cold day in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Yesterday it was +26C and today back to + 10C ... brrr


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Knitwitch51 said:


> Thank you, Dave! I wasn't on the site last year. This is perfect! I'm a happy camper this rainy, cold day in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Yesterday it was +26C and today back to + 10C ... brrr


Perfect weather for staying in and knitting something patriotic. I hope you have fun with the design.

Dave


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## FireballDave (Mar 18, 2011)

Knitwitch51 said:


> Thank you, Dave! I wasn't on the site last year. This is perfect! I'm a happy camper this rainy, cold day in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Yesterday it was +26C and today back to + 10C ... brrr


Perfect weather for staying in and knitting something patriotic. I hope you have fun with the design.

Dave


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