Stephanie sews

Wow, Dec 27th were have I been?

2009-02-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, I hadn't realized how long it's been since I posted. It was Dec 27th when I last posted.
Where has the time gone?
So what's on the needles?

I finished the yoke of the minnimissimo sweater coat. I have been using all of my "at home knitting time" for this one project. Very unusual for me. I'm not a one project knitter. I am much more confortable with multiple projects, but I have had so little knitting time that I really have only had the time for this one. It's really pretty isn't it?

This is my knit group project. It's Dexter ,a new pattern from the Zephyr girls. It's a bit further then the picture shows but not much, because I haven't had any knit group time. My knit group meets on Saturdays now and I can't do Saturdays because of work and family. I'm thinking about running down to the Scarlet Skien and doing some knitting, on like, tuesdays. I have been getting tuesdays off and it's only about 20 minutes from home. Will see.

I have the front and sides done of the sipala bag. I was working on this in January. I set it aside to work on the sweater coat .

I also took some time to make a noro scarf. I have been dreaming of having one of these, since way back when Jared Flood posted his. It's soooo pretty. I used 5 skiens of Silk garden. I have 3 different color ways in mine. I also cheated and didn't do the 1x1 rib because I know I would never ever finish it that way so I knit mine as a tube. It's about 7 feet long. I was going to stop at 6 but the colors were so pretty I kept going. I have a couple tails to weave in and then it's done.

you don't see that everyday

2008-12-27T16:46:00.001-08:00

Explanation:
You see we got this book for Christmas, it came with lots of tasty treats in it like, truffles, salmon, cheese, hazelnuts etc. It had this shreaded paper stuff in it to keep the things from getting damaged. I left it on the table and Orange cat decided it would make a perfect sleeping place. Gin thought it looked like a nest. SO.......she added some eggs and took the picture.

Explanation:

Sorry, I got nothing, no explaining this one.

In knitting news. I have decided to rescue Green gable from it's life in the bag. If you don't remmember the hook had a tragic disaster some months ago and the problem kept getting worse. The hood had been ripped out and redone 4 times. I no longer have any interest in looking at the dreaded hood. So I frogged it for the 5th time and have decided that instead of it living the rest of it's life in a bag I would just finish it off without the stupid hood. Yes I know I really liked the hood but I'll never finish it at this point so I have to move on.

I just need to weave in all the ends and find a button then I'll run it through the wash and take some pictures.

I have this grand idea or had this grand idea that I wouldn't start anything new untill Feb. I was going to only finish or frog wip. But then I decided to start the everybody knows sweater from knitty. So here is what I have so far. I will run out of yarn so I am on the hunt for Malibrigo worsted in the blue/lime color.

I also want to cast on for a cardigan in my new book country weekend knits.

Because, everyone needs a blue octopus

2008-12-26T15:17:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to me, Here is the stack I books I got for Christmas.
I haven't had time to look at them but I'm really excited to have them.
The essential guide to color knitting
Country weekend knits
Continous cables
and a magazine I've never seen before Verena

I knit an octopus, Isn't he the cutest thing.

mad hatter

2008-12-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

(I added this after fiirst posting)

I made Ginna a hat using the leftover yarn from the other hats in the last half of this post. I was going to add some embroidery but she declared it done and it was quickly assimilated into the teenage realm.

What a crazy week this has been.

Poor Sydney got beat up by the new neighbors " bad cats" again. He came in trailing blood, he had blood on his face and paw and whiskers and we all freaked out. Once we got him all cleaned up we found ha had a claw scratch across the top of his ear. Other then that he was fine, well scarred but fine. I put this towel down and the chair that he likes to hide on and he jump up there and went to sleep. I came in later to make sure he was ok and found Orange cat licking his face and all curled up next to him.

In the knitting world I made a pink honeycomb cowl.

I made myself a hat using wool ease thick and quick in lemongrass. It's the brangelina pattern from Ravelry. It's a little too tight for Ginna but it fits me perfectly I love it!! Now I want an orange one. No she wasn't in the mood for pictures.

A black hat for Don, my own pattern.

A hat for Don in charcoal same pattern .

Now, I am trying to make a pair of slippers using the same yarn.

Heather found a super cool scarf pattern on Ravelry the other night that I think would be great to make. I don't do alot of scarves because I find the tedious but this one is unusual.

I also finished Mom's blanket for Christmas so I'm pretty sure I am done.

H is for Heroine and Hat

2008-12-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

After the knitting was complete and before the trip to the washing machine a picture was taken. Keep in mind it was a dark and rainy night , and the model was ready for bed. so taking a great picture wasn't going to happen.

After the washing machine trip I left it laying on the dryer for a few days, then decided to pin back the flaps and see how it looks.

I had an urge to knit another hat. It took about 2 hours. It's for the man. The hat he wears most often is looking a little shabby, stretched out and worn thin. I was afraid he might tell someone I made it. How embarrasing. Don't get me wrong it was a great hat when It was new but he has worn it for years and now it's really sad. It's time for a new one. This one is made with lion brands thick and quick in charcoal. He likes his hats plain, really, really, plain.
The yarn in the background is for another hat, but this one is for me. I'm using a crazy aunt purl pattern. I'll share more when I'm done.

finished stuff

2008-12-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

I finished sweet pea and finally had the time to sew on the buttons. Ginna was nice enough to model both the jacket and the new felted hat.
The hat was a fast fast knit. It is the felted bucket hat from chic knits. I used patons classic wool in a heathered grey. It's slighlyt damp in this picture and my head is smaller then Gins so it fits me a bit better then it does her but I think it's really cute.
The jacket, you can see in this picture is not nearly as boxy as it looks on the site. Mine came out more fitted. It could be that the model has on a much larger size and I made a smaller size. I also changed the way it overlapps in the front. As usually the yarn. malabrigo, is fantastic, super squishy and cozy.

Next on the needles? I have Sylvi started and the textured tweed cardigan needs to be rescued from the bag I stuffed it in. I also feel the need to make some small quick items.

knitty

2008-12-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

The new Knitty is up. There is a nice variety of patterns.
The first thing that caught me eye was the fishy hat pattern. These are super cute and some poor victim, I mean family member, is going to get a fishy hat They are super crazy. I have to knit one.

I like the way this one looks, but it's knit on tiny needles and I have way to many sweaters on my list to knit anything on smaller then a 7. I believe it was called surface.

Jordana paige did this next one. It's called amused. This is a top down in the round construction.

I really like the cable on the collar and theneck line. I also think the ribbing on the waist is cute. This might go in my que.

This is the newest pattern from Ann. I always love her patterns. This one I'm not sure about. I think it has dropped stitches along the side but It's hard to tell in the picture. It would be the fastest sweater you ever make, because it's all knit. This one is a maybe.

Then the last pattern I liked was a pair of handwarmers made with cascade 220. Very cute pattern with nice details. I wasn't able to get a pict of that one before knitty went down. That always happens the first day it's up,too many users at once.

Alright then, better go sew the buttons on sweatpea and finish the last parts of heroine.

happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

So I have a dilemma. I was going to start Vivian, using this grey Rio.
That one skien is totally a different dye lot so I'll have to be tricky and sneek it in or pray that I don't need it.

But!! Then my yarn for Sylvi came in the mail while I was at work yesterday. Look at all that red happiness. This is going to be a big project. I feel like if I start it I will need to work only on this and nothing else. ( except the two Christmas presents I'm working on).
But I love this and the red yarn is a perfect color.

I wasn't able to finish Sweet pea because I ran out of yarn. I am waiting for another skien of this malibrigo to come so I can finish half a sleeve and do the collar.

Here is the body of the sweater on Ginna. It needs buttons of course.

It's not at all boxy like it looks in the pattern. I only spent 4 evenings knitting it. It went super fast.

I can't decide, Sylvi or Vivian too much stress, maybe I'll go work on a hat instead.

Dreaming of projects

2008-11-18T14:03:00.000-08:00

These are my favorites from the new Twist collection.

The red one is Sylvi, I plan to make it in red cascade chunky.

This green one is Vivian, I have just barely enough Rio De LA Plata in my stash to make this. I have a pretty grey color.

This is sweet pea, Love this and am trying to hunt down another skien of malibrigo chunky. I have 5 skiens of a purple blue color that I think will work.

Then the last picture is the coat I was swatching for in my last post. I have decided that inorder to use my stash in the most efficient fashion I will use the cascade 220 in blue to make this. I need two more skiens. Luckily webs has it so I can order it from them. I still think making this in Malibrigo would be heavenly but I only have half the amount of yarn needed and I really am trying to shop the stash.

Alright then, that's the plan , to bad it's 80 degrees here in sunny california.

sweater planning

2008-11-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

There is a whole lot of sweater planning going on over here. Why? Because the new Twist came out and I love several of the patterns. The challenge now is to match yarn and patterns.
I love the felted jacket called Heroine. It uses cascade 220 held double, but I was thinking a softer yarn might be nice. So I swatched with some blue heathered cascade and with left over malibrigo from my whisper cuff cardigan.

The before felting gave me the perfect gauge in both yarns. The blue one is slightly bigger only because I accidently miscounted and knitting less rows in the malibrigo .

After felting, the malibrigo was sinfully soft and didn't have that sheepy wet wool stink. BUT it also felted ALOT maybe too much.

The cascade didn't felt hardly at all and I believe needs another un through the wash to really get a felted swatch. It's about a 1/4 of an inch shorter then it started but it's the same width. It also smells like you would exspect wet wool to smell like. It did soften up as well just not a much as Malibrigo.

Then I also love the vivian sweater and was wondering if my stash of Rio would work.

Problem is I am short on stockinette but perfect on seed stich with the size 8. The size 9 is slighly too big. The 8 is also much firmer maybe too firm to be comfortable.

The sweater I love love love is called syvi and I ordered a bag of red yarn to make it.

I also finally got around to sewing the handle on this bag.

Happy Birthday Ginna

2008-11-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

Today is my one and only childs 15th birthday. Happy Birthday Ginna!!
Ginna the lion tamer

Hat model

Rock star

The next Michelangelo

ummmmmmm not sure what to say about this one. That's a cat bed on her head........

The next iron chef.

2008-11-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

November is NaKniSweMo! National knit a sweater month. So On Nov 1st, yesterday, I cast on for a new sweater. Anybody else knitting a sweater for NaKniSweMo?

lots of pictures

2008-10-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

I think I have picked a project from my new book, boutiqe knits. I'm still not sure which to start first because I have the yarn in my stash for both of these. The first one uses two skiens of manos and has this totally cool handle. It's a horse tackle "thingy" and these really cool "chigaco screws". Thoes items might take some looking for so I will probably go with this other bag first.

This one, I have some cascade that matches some really pretty beads that I have. I think this will be fun to work on.

I am also making a hat for my husbands birthday. This is the habitat hat from brooklyn tweed. I love the yarn, it's kathmandu aran.

So what about the giant felted shoulder bag ? Well, it's no longer giant but it's still VERY large.
Here you get a prefelted picture, and before you ask me if I was drinking when I took the picture, yes I was. I can't seem to get it to rotate and then stay rotated when it's posted?

After felting.....5 times...it's still large. I need to trim the threads and insert the zipper. Check out my super cool crocheted strap.

Stefanie Japels new book is out, it's called glam knits. If you were a fan of her last book, fitted knits you will remmeber that in the bag of the book is a picture of Stefanie wearing the coolest sweater. That sweater is in this new book. I love that sweater but I was still not sure if I wanted this new book. I made about 1/3 of the projects in the last book but still I wasn't sure about this book. Why? Because the few pictures that have been posted from this book were not anything that I wanted to wear. I don't like the cover, at all. I don't like the color, the way she's posed so you can't see the garment and the way the garment appears to look. So I didn't preorder the book from Amazon like I do with so many knitting books. I did get a chance to look through this book today and was surprised to see I do like several of the projects. I do not however like the layout or the photography in this book. I might be picky or even cranky today but I fell like it's really hard to see the garments.

That said I do have some fabvorite projects .
This one, a shrug in a worsted weight yarn. I like the back. So often when you see a shrug pattern it either has an odd sag thing happening or it's super short. This has a nice back, and the texture is really pretty. Can you see this knit up in a lovely alpacca worsted, yea I know alpacca stretches but ohhhh wouldn't it be lovely before it stretches out.

This one is interesting to me. I like the sleeves and the ribbing at the waist. I would love to see her standing straight up and I want to see the back.

This one I would make, not just because it happens to call for my favorite yarn in the whole world but because I think it looks like a nice cozy but fitted hoodie. Again though ,I can't see where it really hits her because she is all tilted and twisted. I like the color of this one as well.

This is the Stefanie sweater, from her first book. I love this sweater. I think the collar is funky and the style is different. I love the buttons on the sleeves. The pattern calls for cascade tweed. I'll probably use the taupe/brown cascade I have in my stash.

I won't be started it anytime soon but it is in my que.

I was planning to start Rambling rose from Ik winter 06 but the pattern only comes in size way too small and size enormous. I was trying to cheat with gauge but It's causing lots of stress. So that may not happen.

The fantastic bag on size 2 needles is moving along. I'm only doing a row or two at a time but it's decreasing on every row so I should be able to pick up the pace.

That's all for now, Happy Halloween, Don't eat too much candy.

Knitting, pumpkins and buying stuff

2008-10-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

It looks like I have become a once a week blogger. That's because my little part time job has turned into a 40 hour a week life style. This 40 hour a week thing has left me with very very little time for knitting. It's also making me cranky. Thursday was especially challenging so after work I decided to go in to the yarn/fabric shop and have a look around. I needed a zipper for the shoulder bag. while I was there I came across this new book by IK. I know...I really don't need any new books but I really liked the projects in this book and several would be good Christmas presents ( for me). It has lots of bags, hats, scarves, gloves...that sort of thing. Most of them look quick.
This sock yarn followed me home from that same shop. Sorry the photo is so blurry but really its the colors that are important. If you need the details it is:
Regia, design line. Kaffe fassett's exotic color Ember.
But you have a really hard time finishing sock...yes I know ...lets not talk about it.

So because of all the work, the only project getting worked on is the one I keep in my car. This is the shoulder bag I talked about before. I think at this point it is too big to be a good car project.

It is so big infact that I contacted the designer to make sure I hadn't misunderstood something. I know things shrink when felted but DUDE look at this thing. The designer was very friendly and even sent me a picture of her 12 year old daughter standing inside the prefelted bag. Well ok..carry on then. If you feel the need to make a bag that takes a sweaters worth of yarn, this is the project for you. I am using up my left over cascade scraps from other projects. So, I'm really exciteded about the amount of yarn it takes.

Wondering what happen to the pumpkins? Keep in mind I have a

teenage daughter. Teenagers have a certain way of thinking. You have to admit it's creative.

Detail shot of her creativity. Its acrylic paint incase your wondering.

Hope everyone is knitting more then me. Have a happy and safe Halloween if I don't talk to you before then.

Pumpkins and knitting

2008-10-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the Avila farm to get a pumpkim or two. It's a great place, they have homemade ice cream, fresh baked pies, roasted corn served hot. Of course they also have fresh fruits and vegatables.Of course they also have several pumpkin patches. After having corn and ice cream we went in search of the perfect carving pumpkins.

Ginna wanted a good size pumpkin but because she knew I would make her carry it back to the car she picked wisely.

While showing off this nice round happy pumpkin she spots another perfect pumpkin a little ways away.

End the end we came home with 4 pumpkins, some apples, peaches, potatoes and corn.

For thoes of you who are only interested in the knitting, I give you a close up of the

Shoulder pack. This is a Jennifer pipps pattern. This is the project I carry to work and leave in my car. I wanted to bring it in this weekend to take a picture. The colors look nothing like this in person. The bag is gigantic so it better felt a BUNCH!!
In other news we bought books this weekend. Ginna got a really pretty book of photographs of the architecture or Italy. It was a good deal for only $9. The man bought the latest hardback by one of his favorite authors Neal Stephenson. Anathem. I got Alterfelts by he Author of Alterknits. One of the first projects in the book is a white felted bag that I love !

thinking out loud

2008-10-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

I finished the side panel of the bag. The colors in the picture are way off. It's night time and the lighting makes everything look yellowish. . So far the pattern is really well written. I also have to say I really like this yarn. It's called palette and it's 100% Peruvian Highland wool. It's a fingering weight wool. The colors are very pretty with subtle flecks here and there. I'm really enjoying working with it. It's slightly fuzzy but not much, just enough to help fill out the stitches. The kit came with 17 colors but I believe the yarn comes in 63 different colors.

The next step is to make an icord type ridge by working in rev st st and then picking up 240 stitches from 5 rows down and knitting the two rows together. Now because I'm sure my family does not want to find me sitting in the dark closet muttereing to myself I will be doing this another way. If you pick up each stitch one and a time with a crochet hook and knit the two rows together you get the exact same thing without having to pick up the 240 stitches all at once.

So I'm thinking this is going really well butit is small yarn on tiny needles. You could get the same idea by using cascade 220 or another worsted weight yarn on size 8's and then felt it when your done. It wouldn't have the same "oh my look at thoes lovely tiny stitches" look but it would still be a fantastic bag. You could probably simplify the side by using one solid and one varigated yarn. Just thinking.

Not done but almost

2008-10-15T10:48:00.001-07:00

I didn't finish the sweater but it's close. I need to finish the hood, seam the arm pits, weave in the ends and block it. It really needs to be blocked. I haven't been very gentle with this poor sweater. I have crammed it in bags, stuffed it in drawers and even thrown it across the room. So a good blocking will be needed.

You gotta love a child who is willing to put on a nearly finished sweater with the needles still sticking out and pose for a picture.

So what's my excuse for not finishing? I didn't feel like working on it. That's as good a reason as any.

I worked on the bag though. I am now on row 7 . YEAH!!! Now before you say row 7, is that all keep in mind that I have 240 stitches on a size 2 needle and I am doing color work. 240x7 is 1680 stitches.

The bag, and a book

2008-10-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

I wanted to answer a question or two about the Sipalu bag and then show you my progress. I know, it's only row 2 but I'm showing you anyway.

The sixe of the finished bag is supposed to be 10 wide by 12 high and 2 deep. So it's a good size bag. It's knit on a size 2 needle and has 17 colors. The cast one took some time, its a provisional cast on with 240 stitches. The kit comes in 3 color ways and I picked the warm tones. It's really not that pricey when you look at how much yarn you get.
If you read my blog you know that I love to knit socks. Not pairs of socks just socks (singular) I can't seem to get excited about that 2nd sock so I have lots of socks that don't match.
well this book calls for single socks. It's a crazy cool Japanese/american craft book for making fun creatures out of socks. I haven't really checked it out too much. I've been busy trying to finish the Vogue sweater.

I am working on the hood. I was feeling bad about starting the bag with this sweater sitting there looking at me. So I decided to finish the sweater before I get too involved in the bag.

Keep your fingers crossed that the next picture posted is a green gable Vogue sweater.

I have goosebumbps

2008-10-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am sooo excited. I totally forgot I ordered this kit. It came today while I was at work. I can't wait to get started. The only problem is that. It's going to take me years to finish it. Why? It's knit on a size 2 needle. What was I thinking? A size 2 for a bag. A bag in 17 colors. OHHH but won't it be the most perfect bag you ever saw. People will stop me on the street to say OHHH MY what a wonderful bag you have. The kit actually has enough yarn to make 2 bags. 2 bags on a size 2....hmmmmm yea, lets just try to knit one for now.
I'll have to go buy some needles for this. I am really excited.

I'ts done !!

2008-10-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

I finished knitting the bag yesterday so I was able to felt it last night. This is the before felting picture. I measured it and it's about 13 wide by 14 tall. The pattern calls for a braided handle and I made the braided handle but I really didn't like it at all. So I crochet a handle instead. After It was felted and pretty much dry I sewes on the outside decorative button and lined my bag. I have the bag turned inside out so you can see the cool linning fabric I picked. I have the magnetic snap attached as well.

Then. TA DA !! The finished bag. Look at how well that giant button matches. It was in my button collection. It's so exciting when you can use the supplies you already have. I love the bag. I think it turned out great. I am really really happy with my handle/strap choice.

Ginna would have modeled it for me but she has a "deadly" cold. So your stuck with the dressform as a model instead.

So now I really should get back to the vogue sweater. It's so close it being done. Oh my goodness, it matches the bag. It seems like my projects always match.

2008-10-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

I never do these but this one was interesting to me.
Saw this on the blog knitting like it's my job and thought it would be fun to do.
The rules:
Bold the things you've done.
Green the things you are currently doing.
Red out the things you've abandoned or will never attempt.
Italicize the things you want to try.

Afhgan
American/English Knitting (vs. Continental knitting)
Baby Items
Bobbles
Buttonholes
Cable stitch patterns (including Aran)
Cardigan
Charity knitting
Continental knitting
Cuffs/
fingerless mitts
/arm warmers
Darning
Designing knitted garments
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Drop stitch patterns
Dyeing with plant dyes
Dyeing yarn
Entrelac
Fair Isle knitting
Freeform knitting
Fullling/felting
Gloves
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Hair accessories
Hat
Holiday related knitting
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies.....)
I-cord
Intarsia
Jewelry
Kitchener Bind Off
Knitting a gift
Knitting and purling backwards
Knitting for a living
Knitting for pets
Knitting for preemies
Knitting in public
Knitting items for a wedding
Knitting socks
Knitting to make money
Lace patterns
Longtail Cast On
Machine knitting
Mittens:
Cuff upMittens:
Top down
Moebius band knitting (I have tried and tried I still hope someday to figure it out)
Norwegian knitting
Olympic knitting
Participating in a Knit-a-long
Pillows
Publishing a knitting book
Purses/bags
Rug
Scarf
Shawl
Short rows
Shrug
/bolero/
poncho
Slip stitch patterns
Slippers
Socks:
toe upSocks:
top down
Steeks
Stockinette stitch
Stuffed toys
Swatching
Sweater
Teaching a child to knit
Teaching a male to knit
Textured knitting
Thrummed knitting
Toy or doll knitting
Tubular Cast On
Twisted stitch patterns
Two ended knitting
Writing a pattern

Wow I've tried alot of things. I do wish spinning was on the list. I would like to try that.

felting a bag... soon

2008-10-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Is this not the funniest thing. I love it. It's a lip gloss container. My daughter got it as a gift from someone and I can't get over how cool it is. (Yes, my daughter has on black fingernail polish but don't worry she's a normal everyday teenager. )

I decided you need a picture of the bag I'm working on even if it isn't done. It's a super fast super easy project. The pattern is very well written and it takes very little brain power to read.

I still feel really confident that if you I had an entire day of knitting time I could complete it in one or two days. I am even further along now then I was when I took this picture.

The details

Pattern: The carie lynn bag by she knits. You can find it here

Yarn: I am using three strands of patons classic wool held together. The pattern calls for lambs pride bulky two strands held together but I really dislike that yarn and I don't want a hairy bag.

Needles: size 15's

Before felting the pattern tells you the measurements should be 13" tall be 13 1/2 wide and 6 inches deep. Mine is about 12 wide and 5 1/2 deep but looks like it will be at least 13" or more in height. I'll measure again when it's done.

Then it goes in the wash for felting so hopefully it won't shring too much. I may give it a light felting. I actually really like the way it looks now before felting.

back to knitting

2008-10-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have recovered ( mostly ) from my injury and am back to knitting. Yea!! well I'd be knitting if I wasn't working. My part time job has turned into a 40 hour a week free time sucking life style. so I don't have time to knit or hang with the knit group. I did start a felted bag on monday and it's so super fast that if I had a full day of knitting I bet I could make it in one day. I hope hope hope to get it done this weekend so I can share it with everyone.

No knitting

2008-09-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

Aint gonna be knitting over here! See how swollen and funky my hand is / you should see under the bandage. Hopefully the antibiotics will fight off the enfection quickly and the incesion will heel fast because...dude i got stuff to knit and clothes to wash. And typing with one hand is really hard!!!!

holiday knitting anyone?

2008-09-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

I thought I would maybe think about some possible gift ideas. The man of the house has a birthday the beg of Nov, and Gin, the middle of Nov. I think I will knit the habitat hat in a nice tweed for the man and the elysian fingerless gloves in a Alpacca for Gin. Red ones!! Then I found this great pattern for sock/shoes that I need for me. Because I want them. Maybe in Red!

They are called Adult moc a soc's and they were designed by Bekah.knits. If your on Ravelry you can go get the pattern.

just rambling mostly

2008-09-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

I found a new blog to read the other day, actually I found a few but this one in particular needs to be mentioned because I have to make this scarf. The blog is called Knittywhipped ,you can go check her out and she made this scarf, in red, baby!! Its the boteh scarf it was in one of the Interweaveknits crochet mags. 278 people have made this scarf on Ravelry and I didn't really think too much of it untill I saw hers ,in RED. Love it. Need it, Must make it.

But today my big plans are.....laundry..go to the bank...Knit up to the neck shapping on the vogue sweater, preferebly with a minimal amount of fowl language and frogging. Don't get me wrong the pattern is great it's just that when Vogue magazind decided to edit the pattern they altered some very improtant stuff. It's ok, don't we just love solving puzzles while knitting sweaters.
Then I was thinking I MIGHT think about a list for the holidays. I have two important birthdays in November and then of course Christmas. I would love to have this a "no spend make them all stuff "holiday. But that would cut into my selfish knitting time. So ....I'll think on it.

bags bags and more bags

2008-09-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

I love bags. When I used to work in a fabric store I used to make myself a new bag every of couple weeks. Several of them I would give away to friends. Some of them I have kept.

Then I stopped sewing as much and started knitting more. Knitting bags isn't as fast as sewing them. You can easily design and sew a bag in a day or two but to design and knit a bag or even just knit a bag takes awhile.
Lately though, I have been wanting to make a few new bags so, here are some of the ones I have been looking at.

The stained glass bag. It uses Noro yarn. I love Noro and have the perfect yarn for this. I even have some black Manos for the handle.
This is a new pattern that will be in the new Mason Dixon book. I have the book pre ordered on Amazon but I'm a little worried that this is the only good pattern. It uses Manos. I love manos yarn.

This bag is from the new Debbie Bliss magazine and will probably never be made by me. It's small yarn on small needles but it's pretty. It has a zipper as the handle. That doesn't sound comfortable but it's interesting.

I love this one. It is also from the new Debbie Bliss magazine and uses her new yarn. Como is a chunky weight wool that is super soft. The bag is made on size 15 needles. I love size 15 needles.

This one I have been wanting to make since the book came out in 2005. It's the counterpane bag from Handknit holidays. This version is done in Noro.

This is a pattern from Japan. I love the look of this bag. I think it's super cute and I feel like it would be easy enough to figure out a pattern for it.

This one I believe is called the woven tote. It's in the bag style book. This version was done by a Ravelry member and I love how the colors really let the pattern come out. The one in the book isn't as interesting.

Oh darn and I just realized I'm missing a picture. It's another japanese pattern that I fould a picture of recently and though it was very cool. The style is similiar to the bag that I have sewn in my last post but it's made up of tiny granny squares. It's a fun idea.

bag

2008-09-07T19:40:00.001-07:00

Here is the finished sewing project. It's a kwik sew pattern and I'd say it took about 1 1/2 hours start to finish.

signs of sewing

2008-09-07T14:50:00.001-07:00

Look, were sewing!! Yes, the viking is happy. The pfaff is jealous, sitting in the corner with it's cover still on.

friends don't let friends drink and knit

2008-09-07T14:42:00.001-07:00

So it started out with the discovery of a "little problem" Opps. I purled on the joining round when I should have knitted. Ok, I can probably fix that with having to "frog" my project. I'll just wait till I get there and drop the stitch and pick it up. I can probably figure that out without too much stress.

what a minute... what the heck.....Who messed up my cable? OHHH man...That sucks. I bet it was thoes sewing machines. They have been jealous of the knitting for years. They must have got ahold of the sweater last night while I was asleep and messed up my cable. They probably are the ones who purled my perfect knit stitches. I thought it was odd that I would have made such a stupid error. Yep it was them all right. I would never have done that.

I have to set this aside for now. I am sooo dissapointed.

What is she doing?

2008-09-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hey, dude. Wake up.

What?

Look ! I think she's going to..

No way, not happening.

But look at what she's doing. I'm sure she's going to...

Big deal she's cleaning off the desk. The last time she did that you got yourself all excited and then what? She blocked a sweater. Remmeber that? Not only were you totally dissapointed but we had to sit here and watch the darn thing dry.

No. I'm sure this time. She is really going to do....it.... I can feel it in my electrical cord. . I really think it's gonna happen.

Well.......She does have the big scissors out. Wait is that......thread? Do you see thread?

See !! I told you, she really is going to do...wait a minute.. do you hear that?

Oh well so much for that, might as well go back to sleep. You know that guy only brings books and yarn these days. Ohhh remmember the good ole days when all he brought was fabric ?

yes I do...we used to try and guess what she was making next.

Now where is she going?

Well, your not going to believe this. But I think...no she couldn't be.

What ? what is she doing, tell me ? You know I can't see that far from my spot.

You won't believe it ,but I think she's counting her shoes?

It's been along time but I don't remmeber her counting her shoes before she started a project before?

No me either, we might as well go back to sleep, looks like she's just lost her mind.

No three day weekend for me.

2008-08-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

For alot of people this is a three day weekend but for me I have one day off. One day to do , who knows how many loads of laundry, buy groceries, wander the isles of the hardware store with the man of the house, and spend quality family time with Gin, and still knit something. I doubt any knitting will get done. I made brownies after work last night so Gin is pretty happy . I started the laundry first thing this morning so that's on its way. Now it's off to do some shopping. This is the sleeve of the vogue sweater, laying on the partially done body. I would love to get another repeat on the 2nd sleeve done today.

Here we have the brocade sweater. I am ......to the part were you need to start the waist shapping. This is going to knit group this week. I have my fingers crossed that I am going to knit group this week. I could probably get a good portion of it done there.

STRESSSSSS

2008-08-28T16:24:00.001-07:00

I have some stress. I have alot of STRESS. I really should be knitting. Knitting is a good stress reliever. I haven't had time to knit though, because I have too many stressfull things to deal with at the moment. If I did have time to knit I would be doing the following projects.

Currently on my needles and in an active stage I have:
The vogue sweater it's #28 in the newest vogue. I think I have been calling it the green cabled sweater. i have the body up to wear the sleeves get joined and one sleeve and 1/3 of a sleeve.

The walk in the Woods. Still working on the back. Please ,please tell me I left a note of where I left off.

The brocade sweater by weaverknits I have about 4 inches or so. I just pulled this out again today to work on it. It's a super easy mindless quick project. This will probably be my knit group project when I get to return to knit group.

Trinity the vest...I have it on hold. No real reason.

I swatched for the "estes vest" in interweave and for the "favorite cardigan" from custom knits.

The red hat for Ginna is a nightmare. I am so confused. I don't know what I did so it's hidding for now. I can't have knitting stress. that would just put me over the edge.

top goals right now are the brocade sweater, and the vogue, just because they are both enjoyable to work on.

Custom knits, Love it.

2008-08-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

So I got an email from the "yarn place" letting me know that the yarn I ordered for the pea coat is on backorder for " about" three weeks. So I decided to look for a new must knit next project and of course I had this brand new book just waiting to be checked out. It even has the new book smell. So here is my review on my new favorite book.
Custom knits by Wendy Bernard of knit and tonic. First of all it's a nice size book, hard back 168 pages. The paper is a nice thick quality and the pictures are really pretty. The layout is nice with a big full page picture facing the page featuring the important info. At a quick count there are about 25 patterns. Mostly sweaters with I think 1 scarf, 1 shawl/wrap and two hats. The really cool thing about the patterns is that each one has a "make it your own" section. In this section wendy gives Ideas to change the pattern to fit you. Many of the patterns are shown in more then one color or style. Another wonderful and I mean wonderful thing is that these sweaters are made out of yarns that are easily available.
These are not great pictures I know but I wanted you to be able to see some of the designs. If your on Ravlry just type in either custom knits or wendy Bernard and you can see the photos much better.
This was the first one that I really liked in the book. It's called Ingenue and its made with Karabella Marble on size 8's. It's a simple little pullover sweater with a wide neck and a neat little lace stich around the cuffs, neck and waist. I think it would be a easy to wear comfy throw on sweater. It like most of the sweaters in here , is a top down in the round knit.

This one is in my favorite MALIBRIGO!! (ohh and if only Heather hadn't taken back all that georgous malibrigo she had this would be great) I thought this one was also a nice simple classic easy to wear pullover sweater. Nothing crazy just plain ole sweater but I like it and would wear it. Like I said Malibrigo worsted yarn on a size 7 and 8. This one has set in sleeves, top down in the round boby.

I wish I had a better photo of this because it's really pretty. It's called slinky Ribs. I love the scoop neck and the rib detail on the bust. Cute little short sleeves. This is Elsbeth Lavold silky wool on a size 6 and a 4. I made Gin a pair of knuck out of this yarn otherwise I would have had enough to make this sweater. This one features short row shaping and top down in the round.

Lettuce coat. This yarn should look familiar if you read my blog. I used it to make my whisper cuff cardigan. This is the worsted version rather then the chunky but basically same yarn same color. This has a rib that starts at the waist and runs all the ray down the coat. It's knit on a size 9 so even though it's a coat it would be a fast knit. The sleeves are super cute with the rib and the little buttons. I would totally make this.

This is my FAVORUTE!! Funny it's called the favorite cardigan and no it doesn't have to be worn off the shoulder in fact I think I read that the model did that and it wasn't knit that way.

This one is a cabled cardiagn. ( love cables) It's made with Artyarns supermerino on a 7. I think it's dark brown. It has a fairly wide rib on the bottom and the sleevs have the same cable as the body. It might be too short as written but the joy of top down is you get to keep trying it on as you knit it. So I think this might be next.

There are some other really cute pattern as well like you know how you have always wanted the perfect vest to wear over you button down shirt while your sitting on the counter in your underwear eating cereal? Well your in luck because there is one in the book. I also like a sweater called Jane but I it's got that "your sweater is too small" look to it.

So I haven't knit anything yet so I can't comment on how well the directions are written but it does have schematics for each pattern. I do wish that it gave the size of the garment shown in the picture as well as an alternate yarn info for example any wortsed weight yarn with a gauge of..... whatever. But not many books do this so, It's not a complant just a comment.

I like the book, I think it's a good purchase. It has a recommended price of 27.50 but I bought it from amazon for 18.15. It is a hardback and it's a nice quality book.

In knitting news. I started a hat for Gin. She wants the devil hat. It's a pain but going pretty fast. Today I said

" hey Gin this seems kinda...I don't know small, maybe ,do you suppose you could try to....well try it on...?

( GIn) Sure...ummmm how?

( Me) well I guess that's what it's suppose to look like.
(Gin) Your not going to take a picture are you?

(Me) what a great idea.

Poor poor Gin

Sydney got in a bad cat fight, he's been limping around for a few days. We think he got hurt. That or he's just super super smart and knows that if he fakes it he will get the "good" cat food and lot's of extra love.
Spoiled ? My cat? NOOOOOO

It's time for Fall patterns

2008-08-21T15:59:00.001-07:00

The new Fall interweave has come out and even though I am reading lots and lots of negative reviews for it I have a few patterns that I like or I have labeled as maybe. I kinda feel like if a magazine has two or more good patterns and at least a few good articlea it's worth the purchase. Now that you can easily spend $7 on one pattern, paying $6.99 for a magazine seems ok to me.
So here are my thought and opinions on just a few of the patterns in here.
First off is Teva Durhams pea coat in red. I love the stitch pattern , the texture and yes the color. Funny because I showed it to my husband and he said ' that's cool but maybe not that color". I love that color!! It's not something I wear alot of but I want it in that color.
I thought it about it over and over and decided I liked it enough to make it , so the yarn is on order and yes it will be red.

This one is called the backstage tweed jacket and it's by a designer I'm not familiar with. At first glance I really liked it but then the gapping on the front started to really stand out for me. I also don't know about the way thoes shoulders are hitting her. It's too big for her but is thatand the gapping the only problem? So ,this is a maybe but probably not.
I like this one but I seem to be the only person I know who likes it. It's called tweedy waistcoat and it's a Deborah Newton pattern. It's made with Rowan scottish tweed Dk. Not a soft yarn but I think I have some of that yarn already in a soft blue color. I would need to find a color to go with it. I would also want to add a button closure or toggle or something. So this one is a maybe.

I love this one. It's called the estes vest but I have renamed it the bluberry cable vest. I am using Malibrigo chunky in blue that I bought for something else but changed my mind on.

I wish it were done in one piece but it's in pieces and I don't feel like rewritting the pattern to make it one piece. So when I finish the green vogue sweater this is next.

I even did a swatch. I even did the swatch in pattern. You can't really see it in the photo but it's a fun pattern.

So I got myself all excited about the vest and the red sweater and then this came in the mail. I haven't opened it yet. What if it's full of great patterns ? What if it sucks? It's too much pressure for me today. I'll sit it aside for now. Or maybe I'll just flip through the pages super quick. No, Ill wait.

Today was a rough day, so Gin and I went on an adventure. We had pizza for lunch, I was really happy that the man of the house was able to meet us there. We had a good time and the food was great.

Then we went to the not so local yarn shop and I don't know, maybe it's the yarn fumes, maybe it was Gin saying oooooo, these are cool but I bought not only a sock book but......

Sock yarn. Lorna laces jungle stripe. I'll have to post a picture of the socks because you really have to see them. The pattern is called Monterey, named for a california town not too too far from here. Anyway Gin talked me into this yarn to make that pattern. I said ...ok but what are you going to do with only one sock?

She also talked me into a hat and fingerless gloves in this Crayola red color. The hat we had already talked about and the gloves will probably be like the elysians I made for the olympics because she loves mine.

Oh and yes incase I had forgotten to mention I did finish my ravelympics projects. I did only one flippant sock thingy and have decided not to make the other. It doesn't stay on. It rolls under my foot as I walk so it's a done deal for me. I'll be frogging that project.

whisper cuff cardigan

2008-08-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

I finsihed this one awhile ago but was hoping to have a closure for it before I took finished pictures. Instead a bribed Gin with pizza and got her to model it as is.

The pattern is from inspired to knit
The yarn is malibrigo chunky and the sleeve inset is Berroco seduce.
The color is lettuce.

Sleeve inset.

A moment for memories.

2008-08-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

My Grandmother passed away today. She was one of the funniest people, I had the most fun wiht her growing up. Here is a picture from the 1970's with her dog Sybil, an english bulldog.

Ravelympic projects

2008-08-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

That can not be a comfortable position. Have you ever tried to sleep like that? He has all his limbs curled under him. It makes my muscles hurt just looking at him. Poor guy, he had a fox tail in his tail and I didn't get it all out, and didn't know I didn't get it all out untill it got infected and icky and nasty. So he has a little bald spot on his tail where we cut the fur off to get him fixed up. It's healing fine and he's happy again.

In Ravelympics news: I finished one project. It was a very fast knit, just a few hours for each glove. I used Debbie bliss cashmerino aran weight. I've used this yarn for several other projects and I really like it. Thanks to Gin for modeling them.

This is the helix glove pattern. I have one done except for weaving in the ends. I actually made a whole other glove using a rowan yarn.....wool cotton I think. The gauge was all wrong. I don't know what I was reading or thinking or what? But I made some strange comprehension errors. I'm sure it didn't have anything to do with it being 1 in the morning when I started them. I was watching the olympics. Anyway this is project #2 and they go fast ,but I'm seriously tired of knitting them.

Project #3 was a peer presure pick. My good friend has turned into a tawashi fanatic and has started checking out all things tawashie so I had to join in the fun. I made these two fishy Tawashi in about an hour. The red one is actually two fish sewn together but the blue one is just one. I think I like the two layers better so I'll probably make another blue one and sew then togther too. They don't have eyes. I don't really feel the need to make the eyes but I might do it anyway.

Progect #4 yes another green project. This is a flippant, it's a flip flop socklette thingy. It's on size 2 needles and may never get done. I worked on this at knit group and this is as far as I got. Now I will admit I did help other people with projects and I did stop to eat so maybe this is good progress on size 2 needles, but dang!! What was I thinking?

I'm pretty much over the thrill of all these projects and would really rather go back to knitting my sweater from the fall Vogue mag. It's also green. Here is the sleeve started.

Hmmmmm, the whisper cuff cardigan that I finished last month was also green maybe I should pick another color for my next project. Anything but green. Maybe a nice blue.

But for now there will be no talk of new projects. I will finish these four things ( well maybe not the flippant thingies) then I will finish the vogue sweater and then walk in the woods. Then we can talk about new projects.

new fashion

2008-08-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

It's the latest in Fall fashion, the fur stole. This is much better then the tradition version, no animals are harmed this way and if you happen to spill a few crumbs on your shirt no problem, instand vacumn.

Crazy, I know but this strange cat loves to be carried around like this.

In case you don't know, this is my silly daughter, Gin and our crazy cat ,Sydney.

Have you joined the Ravelympics, if you knit you should. Starts Aug 8 and ends Aug 24th.

projects, yarn ,and goals

2008-07-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

The whisper cuff cardigan is nearly finished. The current challenge is knitting 400+ stitches ( bulky yarn) on two circulars, I am actually using three needles at the moment. This is the cuff/sleeve. I love the way the cable and the eyelet pattern look on the sleeve.

I didn't block it so it's a little rumpled at the moment.
Heather and I had a field trip to the sort of local yarn shop. I decided I needed this yarn. I'm thinking about making cloud by Ysolda Teague.

Then I bought this to make the retro shrug from lace style. I have thought about making this since the book came out but just haven't done it. I picked blue because if I don't like it I'm thinking Gin will. This is a great yarn it's called Cilantro and has a great springy feel.

Goals for this week:

Finish the baby gift

Finish the whisper cuff cardigan

Cast on for either cloud or Brocade ( swatch is done for Brocade)

Start Ellemyra

Look at the stained glass purse pattern

Work a few rows of Trinity ( just so it doesn't get left behind)

Work on the dreaded purse strap that has been set aside repeatedly.

I have heard about these people who actually knit on one project untill it's done, and then start another. I know it sounds crazy but I'm thinking it might be a good idea.

Walk in the woods is on hold untill G goes back to school and I have a quiet house to knit in.

The veggie socks are on hold because well.....there socks.

odds and ends

2008-07-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Sydney was either helping Gin pack or trying to go with not sure which? Don't zip the tail in.

Detail shot of the sleeve I'm working on today. It's in Malibrigo and seduce?? For the whisper cuff cardigan.

Sleeve shot, about 1/3 of the way done

Birthday onions...don't they look cool.

Birthday flowers. ssoooooo pretty. Even now they still look nice, and it's been a week.

Maybe this is why the neighbors think we're wierd.

2008-07-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

So, on my birthday Ginna and I worked on a project. She made eyeballs out of skulpey and I knitted a couple of meatballs. They really look "meaty" thanks to some brown chenille yarn. I started the eyestalks yesterday, and it's going pretty well.

What are we making ...you'll just have to wait and see.
And just because He's so darn handsome here's a glimps into Sydneys hard life.

DUDE! I'm trying to take a nap here.

The bad thing about sleeping on the kitchen table is that it's hard to find a comfortable position.

Are they teasing us?

2008-06-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like the pattern designers are teasing you? For example, while your knitting away on a very complicated intarsia+Fair isle project and the pattern calls for adding a new color on the first stitch...just for that one stitch.. and we all know that stitch isn't even going to be seen because it's in the seam, don't you feel a little like they are teasing you?? well miss designer person who is probably sitting somewhere having a nice drink with her feet up laughing to herself, I added that stupid color for that one stupid stitch but I'm not doing it on the next one so there !!
And just to show your not the boss of me, I'm using totally different colors on the next section because I don't want my leaf to be pink and my flower to be brown.

not for the faint at heart or thoes who feel ill weaving in ends

2008-06-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

If you feel ill thinking about weaving in lots of little ends turn away. The next picture may cause fainting.

Ohhhh scary. This is the back view of my Walk in the Woods cardigan . Ok so it looks a little worse then it should because some of my butterflies have come unwould. This caused some tangling to occur. The colors are pretty though...don't you think?

Here is the front view of that same piece. It's longer then what you see in the picture. I could really use some longer needles, that way I could lay it out flat. I'm really into using these needles though, and I don't have the same ones in a longer length. I might have to make a purchase.

So how about the test knit project? Well, do you really think it needs two sleeves? I mean I could start some new fashoin trend with just one sleeve right? Yea I know...Just kidding. I am actually going back and forth between the two projects today.

quick post

2008-06-15T13:57:00.001-07:00

Qick post: Ginna survived her first year of high school. I made cake to celebrate. It's chocolate with vanilla frosting. Orange food coloring because we don't eat boring cake here. Very tasty!

She has just started her summer vacation and plans to lay around the house and do nothing. She is taking lessons from cat who is our expert on laying around and doing nothing.

In knitting......well.....I haven't had time to do any at all. The test knit, still needs finished sleeves.

Walk in the woods has 12 rows done and trinity even less. I have a day off this week from the new job and I hope to spend it knitting.

startitis

2008-06-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is the whisper cuff cardigan fron Inspired to knit. This book and Fine fleece are my two current favorite knitting pattern books. I am thinking about trying to swatch some malibrigo chunky in lettuce for this. I don't have enough yarn but I think I can get more.

I have to finish the project that I am test knitting before I can start anything new. It's driving me alittle crazy because I am NOT a one project knitter so this is a huge test for me. I am almost done with the body though so If I can just stay focused and keep going I should be able to finish in just a few days.

Another project from the inspired to knit book is the walk in the woods cardiagn. this has turned in to a knitalong with my knit group. Really , I have to say ,knit group isn't the right word anymore, they are three really good friends. Anyway, Heather, Cory ,and I have fallen in love with this cardigan. It uses Manos Del Uruaguy. These are my colors at the moment. Some of them don't work so I'll have to adjust.
Here is my Manos pile. The colors are way off in the picture.

The other project I have planned is called Trinity. This one Michelle is also making. This comes from the fine fleece book. My yarn is Malabrigo in the color Polar Morn.

I took the time to make a swatch, I needed to know, if I was going to have to get more needles.

This pattern is soooo pretty. You can't see how wonderful it is from the book. It doesn't photgraph well either. I was thinking it might be too "bobbily" it isn't at all. It is really a very pretty stitch. The malabrigo is so soft and squishy and with the pretty stitch I think this is going to get alot of wear.

Still trying to get a good picture.

found pictures of missing project

2008-06-03T16:29:00.001-07:00

Here are two pictures of the missing project. These are of the unfelted front. Now if I could figure out where the project is. All the yarn is in the same place.

Lost projects.

2008-06-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

Lately, at knit group the topic of my unfinshed floral bag has come up. So I started to thing about where that bag was or is. I realized that I don't know where it is. I didn't find it when I went through all the old projects or when I went through the yarn stash. I also realized that I don't know where my unfinshed blanket is . I believe the blanket was called four seasons. It's supposed to be done in Manos but I used cascade held double. I think.... I had three paels done and was working on the fourth, but maybe I was working on the third. I started it when my friend Heather had her shop up on the Mesa. It was probably in the summer because I have this wierd habit of starting a blanket in June orAugust. This picture was in my photobucket album.
But where is the actual project? The missing purse project was a pattern from interweave knits. ( bottom bag on the right) I used a charcoal grey as the base and then pretty bright colors for the flowers. I didn't like the shape of the finished bag so I altered the pattern a bit and made it more tote shaped. I can't rememeber now if I even felted it or not. I know I never made the handle. I'm going to try to look through all the photo files and see if I have a picture of it somewhere.
I also started the green bag on the top left. I know where that project is though.

super cute

2008-05-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

Look at how cute they are all finished up.
Pattern:

Little Button Loafers (baby booties) by Sylvia Schuchardt
Yarn: Vanna's choice solid by lion brand.
It was a super fast project. It took longer to find buttons then it did to crochet these up. I might make another pair in cotton.

I'm thinking I could use leftover yarn once I finish the baby blanket.

It's on hold at the moment while I test knit a cardigan for knitwhits

did you vote

2008-05-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Did you vote ? No this isn't one of thoes political party questions. This is way more important then that. Drops has the new fall 08 pattern choices up for voting. You can pick 10 favorites to vote for. Secretely between you and me.... I didn't find 10 this time. That's ok though.

So what did I like... oh I must apologize for the bad photo's you should go to the site and check them out yourself..and vote if you feel like it.
so first one.. I like this floopy lace stitch hat. The pattern is fun, and it looks easy to wear.

I love these. You must go look at these on the site. I DO NOT want to make them. I want someone else to make them for me. I love them.

This jacket has some cute features. It has three different stitch patterns, one at the shoulders, one at the hips and one at the waist. I like the bell sleeves but they look to short. I like the rounded fronts and the neck line.

This looks so much like a Norah Gaughan design. Was it volume 2. The whole bottom looks like it was borrowed straight from her sweater. The striped yarn really gives it a geometric look. I feel like it has arrows pointing to her belly though.

This little cropped vest. I know it look ssimple and like so many other things but I voted for this one. I just like it.

This one although I don't care for the pattern that they picked I was inspired by it. I'm thinking if you take a kaffe fassett design and place it on the top of the bag. His designs are fantastic but so much work. In a bag you could do a small amount of the work and of course because it's felted you could hide all the liitle imperfections.

Back to knitting.
Have you ever knitted sock yarn on size 11 needled? It's wild man wild. Although I must say at this point it looks a bit like spider vomit.

green

2008-05-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Do you find that you buy colors in a certain range for a period of time? It seems that I am hooked on this lettuce green color at the moment. I already posted this lovely pile of Malibrigo I got few weeks ago. It has splashes of a wonderful green in it. I love that color.
So much infact that I have this pile of chunky Malibrigo in that color. It's called lettuce and I have no plan except to pile it on my clean desk and touch it foundly. I also picked up this funky Noro, what is it called....Taiyo...I think... it's a cotton blend. It has green as well but a more grass green. This is way outside my comfort color picks but I think it may be fun.

My webs order hasn't come yet. I ordered Malibrigo to make Trinity from fine fleece.

I knew as soon as I got a nice pile of malibrigo all ready to be knit up, I would run out of free time. That's exactly what may have happened. I start a new job today. YEA!!!! I'm employed again.

Hook in action

2008-05-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Watch out people !! I've got a hook and I'm not afraid to use it. Check out my new super cute summer slippers. I made these this weekend. My felted clogs are a bit warm for this warmer spring weather so I needed something fun and fresh. These are crochet and made out ( close your eyes if your a yarn snob)......Acrylic...100% Acrylic. They are very soft and the colors are fun. I should have made a size smaller because of my skinny feet but I still love them. I also have another pair of slippers on the hook but I'm struggling with that pattern again.

Then I made these tiny little baby ones this morning. I couldn't wait to finish them and take the picture I had to give you a in progress picture because they are so adorable. It's hard to see the size in the photo but they are so tiny and cute. I have to finish the strap on this one and then sew on the buttons.

I know I said I wasn't going to start anything new but this doesn't count because it's a gift for a friend who is due in sept. I'm not giving any details, it's a secret. But ....here is you sneek peek.

So, fridayI organized my yarn. It was a huge project. I went through all the yarn and put it in thoes handy space bags. I found myself with so much extra space I was able to clear off my desk.

This caused some concern for my family members. The cats are happy though. It's the perfect spot to stretch out to thier full "lenghtyness".

sometimes you just need cake

2008-05-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes all you need is a piece of cake or two. Of course some new yarn is great and maybe a pattern or two and some books. I made cake this weekend. It was a yellow cake with cream cheese frosting. Don't you love how it practically matches the plate ? Don't let the crazy color fool you it was delicious.

I bought new yarn last week. Why ? because you can't have too much yarn and it's malibrigo. I love malibrigo. This is called blue lime or maybe lime blue? It's not as dark as the photo but it's pretty dark. I have a pattern all picked out for it, but I have some finishing to do. I am trying really hard not to cast on.

Ahhhh and nothing like a stack of fresh books and patterns. The one on the left is not knitting related. It was a book recommended to me by a knitting friend. It's called the boating party.

In the middle: doublestitch a crochet book, On the right : Knitalong, I bought this on a whim.

Then two patterns in the back, the blue sky alpacca cropped cardigan and Fiffi. I have been trying for months to hunt down a copy of this pattern.

But before we do any book reading or new projects some finishing has to be done. Here's what has been completed so far. Tubby finally has his ends woven in and is sitting in his new home in the bathroom.

The blue octopus thing, crocheted, finally has eight legs. This didn't turn out very well. I should have used a smaller hook and not stuffed it so much. Ginna likes it though, so that's fine.

Finally the malibrigo wristwarmers are done. I needed to finish the thumb on the 2nd one and had been putting it off. This is a super fast and fun pattern.

Thanks to Ginna who was willing to model even though it was bed time and she had on her Pj's.

Love the color, love the cable, love the yarn. I'm not sharing these ones.

So now what? I have a pair of slippers that are giving my problems that I need to finish. I have a sock and a 1/2 to finish. Then I'll decide what else has to be worked on. Or...I'll start something new.

Thank you

2008-05-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone. I really appreciate all the kind comments and emails. I'm doing ok now. I needed a time out from things.
As for crashing, my husband replaced my bike pedals with a different type. These are the same as the ones he uses. He thinks these will work better for me, and hopefully will result in fewer or no crashes. If these don't work I'm giving up on being clipped to the bike and going with the plain ole regular pedals. I understand that the clips are more efficient and professional but I'd really like to be able to wear a skirt again without everyone seeing my multi colored knees.

Organized yet?

2008-05-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

So I made a bag to hold all my knitting supplies. The colors are good but the bags all wrong so I tried again. No, the picture isn't upside down the bag is drying on a box, the bag is upside down.
This one the colors are strange but the bag is pretty much perfect. This is the prefelting picture.

After the bag dried I made a needle holder to go inside the bag. It also holds crochet hooks.

It snaps into place with two large black snaps. The picture isn't great. It's very hard to take a good picture of the inside of a bag.

This ones maybe a little better. Now to finish labeling all the circulars and bagging them.

organizing really??

2008-05-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ok ,so I haven't started any socks. I have a couple of reasons for that. One I realized the yarn I love so much is actually a sport weight not a fingering weight like the monkey sock pattern calls for. That's what happens when you whined your balls and lose your tags. It's also an excellent arguement for why you should always swatch. which I do .

The 2nd reason is that I all of a sudden had this uncontrollable urge to organize my needles.

One of the ladies at knit group carries her entire circular needle collection around with her in this handy little filling type system in a gift bag. It seems to work perfectly for her. Heather and I were talking a few weeks ago about how we need to get organized and maybe we should try her method. Another member of the group came up with thte perfect bags to hold the needles.

So.. I'm busy organizing.

Note: The needle case I made that you see in the photo would work well for someone who doesn't have a very large collection. As soo as you need to put more then two in a pocket it becomes a problem to get them out or keep them from tangeling together. It also doesn't work well for the really long needles or the really large ones. And the little 12 inch lengths get lost in the pockets.

monkeys

2008-04-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

If your a fan of Knitty, knit socks or are on Ravelry you have probably heard of the monkey socks by Cookie. I have this wonderful sock yarn by claudia handpainted in the "eat your veggies" color way that I love. I think, infact, I'd be shocked if I didn't buy it at Yarnology. So I was searching online for a good project to use that yarn for. It's been tucked away in the stash for awhile and I do really love the yarn so I feel like it needs to be laying around in a ufo state rather then tucked in the stash box. Or..even better a finished project.
I did a search on Ravelry to see what others have done with that yarn and that's when I was reminded of the monkeys. It's the most popular sock pattern on ravelry
4941 monkey socks are listed as projects it is in 2629 ques. That's a whole lot of monkeys.
Now 4941 is an odd number and I really feel like when twalking about socks we should talk in even numbers so I have added Monkey socks to my project page. Well I ever finish them? One of them for sure that's easy but two??
Today was a day of waiting, I spent hours waiting to get my car services then I spent more time waiting at the hospital. So, with all this waiting it's little projects that work best. How about a evangiline arm warmer in Malibrigo. I made one today. I just have to do the thumb and start the 2nd one. I might not even do a thumb but just bind off instead.

stackable cats.

2008-04-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

I love this pattern. What would I do with them? no idea, but I love them. It's hard to see in the picture but the little white one has brown patches. It's so cute.
I didn't get any knitting done this weekend. I

have been ridding my bike and I haven't fallen off ,YEA!!

I need to go to the car place to get the snog check done this week so I am picking a small portable project that doesn't take too much attention. You know how it is, you don't want to listen to other peoples conversations or be distracted by the people around you but it's almost impossible in a place like that. So I need a project that keeps me busy but that I won't completly mess up on when I am thinking to myself " did she say, what I think she said"?

What I should do ,of course is pull out one of the sock projects that needs the 2nd sock. Maybe I will. I do still have that malibrogo yarn though... I guess will just have to see.

started, sort of

2008-04-27T08:32:00.001-07:00

I started something new, well kinda. I really just did the swatch and then set it aside. I looked at the pattern and the chart is tiny. It's like a tiny little 2 inch graph with 24 rows. I think it would be a good idea to have that enlarged so I can read it without going blind. I want it to be big enough so I can 1: mark on it and 2: look at it ,in a glance just to remind myself, when I have it almost memorized. So for the weekend it's on hold. I'm not telling you what it is but I will say it's something from the last pattern post.

Finished pictures

2008-04-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

Here it is. Done!!

Front top close up

Button close up

Sleeve close up.

Info:

Pattern is the vine lace top down cardigan by Sweaterbabe.com

Yarn is Malibrigo chunky in sealing wax, I bought 10 skiens and used all of 6 and a small amount of the 7th

I made the smallest size.

Modifications, my guage was slightly off so I have a smaller finished project. This was perfect for me, I had done the math and found that the smaller guage would give me a closer fit. The 40 inch bust on the original would have been huge on me.

I made the collar much smaller, half as many rows I believe.

I replaced most of the sleeve ribbing with the lace pattern and increased the length of the finished sleeve.

I did not do the pockets. I know I would never have used them and I didn't think they were needed.

I recommend the pattern, it was easy and well written. Thier were a 2 errors but I think they have been fixed, and they were not big problems to begin with.

Pattern love

2008-04-25T09:32:00.001-07:00

You know how sometimes you will just see a pattern or yarn of fabric or garment and think """Ohh I love that"". That's how I feel this pattern. It's a Teva Durham pattern and I am always fascinated by her designs. It would probably look absolutly terrible on me but I keep looking at it and thinking I love that. It's on size 9 needles so that's good and it's in one of her yarns. River, I think this is one of the yarns I was so in love with the other day. What do I love about it? It's big and slochy and the lace panels on the arms and around the top are super cool.
Then there is this one, also by Teva. I really like it as well. This one is done on size 11's. That would go pretty fast. It's very large though. But maybe it could be scalled down. The smallest is a 45 1/2 inch bust. If you went down a needle size or two...

Then there is the lush and lacy cardigan that I have mentioned a few times. I love the front of this and hate the back. So...How about getting rid of the peplum "gasp" in the back and knit it flat. I think it would be so much better. So this is a maybe...am I tired of knitting sweaterbabes lace panel sweaters though. Shouldn't I be doing something summer and spring like?

Ages ago I posted this picture. It's from Antropology. I thought it was the coolect thing and when Knitty came out with nob hill I thought wow that's kinda similiar maybe that would be cool. I hated the way Nob hill felt after I finished it. It was too bulky and uncomfortable to wear.

This though is still on my mind. When the tilted duster first came out I thought the top of that looked somewhat like this. Apparently I'm not the only one because a couple of people have made the top of the tilted duster, with out all the body ,and it is very similiar.

So..why and I looking at patterns ? The malibrigo sweater has been knit and is now waiting for the dreaded blocking. I also bought the buttons so thoes will get sewn on as well. I might take a preblocked picture for everyone just to hold you over untill I get it completly finished. I started this super chunky giant Rowan sweater at 2 am this morning...don't ask.

It will be done very quickly on size 17 needles. It's kinda a problem pattern but I think it will be ok.

The name is too long

2008-04-13T12:23:00.001-07:00

The weather has been really nice lately, very warm and spring like. That figures, because I am currently knitting this big chunky warm sweater.
It's called the Vine lace top down cardigan. The name is too long and I have to look it up everytime I want to say it because I can never remmeber it so I'm renaming it, lets call it the Malibrigo sweater untill I can come up with a better name.
Here is a picture of the pattern. I got it from the sweaterbabe website. She also has a blog.

In case you have forgotten I am using this yarn. It's Malibrigo Chunky in a color called sealing wax. This yarn is wonderful. If you haven't had the chance to use it yet but have the opportunity to get some you should. It's my current favorite yarn. It's even softer then the Rio that I love so much.

I started the sweater on wed, but only did 6 rows. I wasn't sure about the buttonholes because the first button hole is missing from the pattern, I did finally see that if you read further down the 2nd buttonhole is listed so you can just follow thoes directions. I know I know you'r supposed to read all instructions before starting a new project. WHTAEVER, I can't do that. It's just blah blah blah untill I actuall have needles and yarn in hand.

Anyway, I didn't really do much with it on thursday because I took Shalom ( to restart) with me to knit group.So what I have done so far was mostly done on friday and saturday evening. I stopped on row ....75 of the sleeves becaes I really need to be able to try them on and adjust for my long arms. The pattern has you finishing the sleeves before you continue on with the body, that's actuallu pretty clever because I don't like to knit the sleeves but I love to work on the body. Like I said though I'll have to wait and finish them when I can be sure of how long they need to be.

It's a pretty fast knit. The yellow dots in the picture are pins holding the sweater closed so you can see the lace pattern. My gauge was slighty off on this pattern but I felt like because the smallest size has a 40 inch finished bust and I don't I could still keep going. It won't have as much ease as the pattern does so mine will be more sweater like where as I think hers may be intended to be more coat like.

Side shot just because.
This pattern is alos by sweater babe. Alana at nevernotknitting and I were talking about this one. We both think it's really pretty. I'm concerned about the peplum in the back though. There are some really cute ones on ravelry though. It's also done in pieces so that would slow down the process but it's very pretty. I wonder if you could do it in the round and take off the peplum?

opps

2008-04-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

opps. started another project...maybe two even.
I went looking for a yarn for Blush by Kess Tay. It was in the newest Magknits. Oh but don't bother looking for it there because crazy as it sounds, just what....two weeks after the newest issue came out they took down the site. When I contacted Kess she said she would have it posted on her site so go check it out there. I didn't find a good yarn for that pattern but I did find a great yarn for the Vine lace top down cardigan from sweaterbabe. The color is called sealing wax but I think it should be called saffron or cinnabar or something spicy.
I started it right away, and except for the 15 pages of pattern and the flipping back and forth between pages I think it's going to be pretty easy. I am ever so slighty off on gauge but the pattern tells me the finished bust on the smallest size is 40 inches that's a great deal larger then my " finished" bust size so I should be fine.

Ages ago I wrote about the Giselle pattern from Stitch diva studios. I waited patiently for the pattern to come out and the imediately purchased it but then I couldn't find a good yarn to use. It looks like I may have found one. Thanks to Alana at http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.com/.

I am going to swatch soon and then will see if it works. It's actually the same yarn I

tried to use for the Basalt tank, but couldn't get it to work. I would have just got more of that color and then use what I have but they didn't have it anymore. I don't have nearly enough of that to make a sweater so I bought enough in a different color. This will proabably work out well because the problem with the yarn was that it was too flowy and drapey for the complicated structure of the tank. The Giselle cardigan needs to be drapey and soft.

It's done!!

2008-04-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

This is Talia from the newest Knitty.
I used Manos del Uraguay in Thistle. I have a ton of yarn left over but I don't remember if I bought 4 or 5 hanks. I have two left over. My cousin made the pretty beaded necklace. I'll have to take a better picture of that.
I was afraid it was going to be too tight across the bust but the lace section really opens up when you block it. The dress form is bigger then I am in the hips and waist

but it still fits me well. Tried to take a close up of the cool buttons I have been saving for years. They have seahorses on them.

Yea!!! Happy dance!! Now what.

Yarn Yarn and more yarn

2008-04-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

My favorite yarn shop is going out of business. It's very sad. On the up side I have been able to get some great yarns for cheap. This was the bag of yarn I originally pulled aside to buy during the big sale. I added a few others since then. The manos I used for Tahlia, the rio for slipper boots, the cashmere just because.

In the picture you can see: grey Rowan wool cotton ( for the pullover in crochet me) Black Rowan calmer (for the pullover in knitting nature ) Purple Cascade Eco wool (for central park hoodie if there is enough) Dark red 2 skiens of Rio de la plata ( for another cabled hat, maybe the stitch diva one) Kollage Dreamy (for a tank either my own design or the stitch diva cecilia chemise) Red Schlana bamboo yarn ( Ok I have no plan I just really liked the color of this yarn)

In knitting news Tahlia is soooo close to being done. I just need to finish the neckline edging and figure out how to block it. Ohhh and get buttons, I'll do that tuesday.

learning something new

2008-04-02T12:25:00.001-07:00

This is my bike. Very cool, don't you think ? They spent alot of time at the bike shop fitting it and adjusting it to my size so it fits me like it was made for me. I love it. I can't wait to take it on a long ride, one with lots of hills. These are my new pedals. Great color, totally matches the bike.

These are my totally cool ridding shoes, also match the bike. They are very comfortable.

Only one problem, these shoes clip into thoes pedals. So you are attached to the bike while ridding. There are all knids of advantages to this. That's what people are telling me anyway. This is the street, this is what you land on when you don't get your shoe unclipped from the pedal before comming to a complete stop. This is why I love the bike the shoes, but NOT the pedals.

I landed good and hard. I hate the idea of being attached to the bike and I wish I had got back on and went for another ride after falling yesterday. Now all I can think about is hitting the ashalt if I can get unclipped. I'll get it figured out though because I'm not one to quit. I like a challange, I just don't like to be bruised and scraped.

Thankfully, I've got D to help me practice the clips before I hit the road again. Oh and because it's raining I can put it off another day. Otherwise wish me luck and stock up on the band aids.

New project

2008-03-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

I like to keep this blog upbeat and happy. I don't like to post anything sad or depressing but today I feel sad. I feel scarred and alone and sad.

So lets start something new. This is my swatch. It's a sweater pattern, I don't know the name at the moment. It wasn't on my list. I am adding stripes because I need to make it more complicated I guess. I hope it turns out, but even if it doesn't that's ok. The yarn is...Aspen ...I think. I am using 4 colors or is it 5.

Update on inspiration

2008-03-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to a yarn shop yesterday. Not my usual one but since my usual one is about to close I went to see what was happening in the other one. I bought this. It's a skien of Malabrigo. I hear people talk about how much they love this yarn, and I have wanted to try it. I also bought the new Louisa Harding pattern book. So,

wondering how I am doing on my list of must knit projects ? Here is Nob Hill from Knitty. It rolls like mad and I still need to sew that button on. I don't love it, it's ok. I am working on Talia also from knitty. It's zooming along. It's a very easy knit. I am even further now then the picture shows. I am doing the bust increases. I'll probably take this with me to knit group tommorow.

When this is done I will probably move on to making mosey also from knitty. I don't have the yarn for thoes though. I also started the prairie boots from coco knits. Were thoes even on the list ? I had top rip them out though, long story. I'll restart them soon. I am debating on imogen I bought yarn for it, but I love the yarn so it may need to be something more exciting.
Ohh and I'm almost done with the Wyoming vest from ...Knitscene. I ran out of yarn and had to get more.

New patterns, inspiration overload.

2008-03-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it started with the new issue of Knitty. It's spring according to knitty anyway.
I love three of the new patterns. Nob hill ( which I finished ,except for seaming and buying a button) Tahlia and the lace scarf. I am planning to use manos for Tahlia. The scarf will be put in the later pile.
Then Stitch Divas posted the new spring patterns. EEEKK. I love the broomstick lace jacket ( hourglass jacket) Never mind that I have never done broomstick lace, how hard could it be.
I also love Labyrinth. I will probably un "puff" the sleevs though. And then the crochet top, Cecilia Chemise. This would be so cute over a tank in the summer. It looks fast too. ( I wonder....do I have yarn for that?
Oh yea I also decided I have to make Imogen by pearl grey. It looks so comfy and I have the perfect yarn picked out for it, Rio De la Plata. It's the same yarn I used for Gretel. ( you should check this pattern out on Ravelry)
Then when I was showing off all the patterns I want to make, Heather said OHH you should make the vest I made. New Wyoming, it's from the most recent Knit scene. It was a fast knit and you could use that yarn you wanted from Michaels.

Oh yes ,and I was just reminded ,that I mentioned, I could make these also from knitty for G.
Is that 9 new patterns that I want to make. Well,, at least none of these are on tiny needles with small yarn.
And what happen to the tree jacket that I was FOR SURE going to finish in february then for sure in March ? I made an error and it's back in the bag. So for now we are not talking about the tree jacket.

Finished, frogged and the tour

2008-03-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

Is that cat Blue?? Yes he is, matches the linen skirt I'm knitting in the background. He took a nap on a sidewalk chalk drawing. It's a good color for him don't you think? The tour of California passed by last month. I was so excited. I was able to find a link online where I could watch the tour live. When they got just outside of our town we walked down the street to watch them go by. It was so cool. Here are the first few ridders passing the intersection. The weather sucked!!! It was raining and cold and windy.

Check out how close they are. I could have reached out and touched them. ( I never would have done that) but I was close enough to.

Now some sad news. My 28/30 is to small. I'm just to the point where you seperate the sleeves, great time to try it on. It won't close over my bust so I have to frog and make a bigger size. It looks like my gauge was off. So much for doing a swatch. My garment and swatch aren't the same.

Good news. I finished my first crochet garment. It only took a couple days. Its the sage corset from sensual crochet. I love it. It fits perfectly. I had to add some straps though. When I tried it on it was slowly slidding down. I thinbk the straps look cute so I'm happy!!

Another shot. I'm really really happy with this project. I'm mostly excited because it was crochet and I didn't have any trouble with it at all.

And here is Tubby, put together but still waiting for the last 20 bubbles to be knit.

Tour of California

2008-02-20T09:31:00.000-08:00

This week is the Tour of California and Tommorow is the day they ride through our part of the world. I love to see them go buy it's just a blurr of wheels and spandex. Unfortunately the weather has sucked so I'm not sure how much fun it will be standing out in the rain to see them go by but I will be out there anyway. The other thing going on is the lunar eclipse that will happen tonight. Again the weather is so bad we might not see it but I hope we will.

In knitting news I have finished all the parts of Tubby except for a million bubbles. I need to find some good info on how to do the eyes next. I have also been working in finishing the tree jacket but just realized I made a mistake in the pattern section several inches back.....ahhh do I frog again or ignor it? I really want to be done with this one. I think it will be fun to wear but I am so done knitting it.

A hat, A bathtub and new yarn

2008-02-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

A hat A bathtub, yes a bathtub. If you remmember a few days ago I posted a link I found on Stacy sews site for this really cute knitted bathtub called "tubby". I thought it was so cool and unusual I had to get the pattern. So, here it is in it's early stages. I'm using some dishcloth cotton
that I had in my stash. If it turns out just so amazingly cool I may make another in a wool. I have lost a Dp in size 6 so I am working it on a circular untill I get another set of DP's.
And yes another hat, if your counting that's three in a week. This is not a pattern I just knit it in rib untill it seemed big enough and then decreased. The yarn is Nashua wooly stripes tweed. It's a really nice yarn a close alternative to this would be the sws yarn at Michaels.

Close up of the yarn

I also cast on for 28 Thirty its another Zephyr pattern, never mind that I promised myself I would finish the tree jacket this much ( also a Zephyr pattern). This yarn was from the clapotis that I frogged.

Iwas really good at the knit group today I didn't buy anything then on my way home I had to run into Michaels, I was looking for DP's in a size 6. They didn't have the needles but they did have the Bernat Soy yarn on close out for $2 a skien. That's crazy cheap so Happy Valentines day to me!! I bought all the pink they had left and 8 in sea mist. I am now off to ravelry to search for pattern ideas for this yarn. OHHH wait I can't start anything new. Except for maybe that other hat pattern I found that I love, It's called the Hawkeye hat.

hat crazy

2008-02-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hat wars started on saturday. I was surprised at how easy the pattern was and it was a really fast knit. I was expecting something that would take awhile. Here it is modeled by G of course. She is such a good sport. She told me that she needed to have a "deadly serious "look on her fast because after all this hat is a weapon in hat wars. We had to take the picture 3 times because she kept laughing.

The details can be found on Ravelry: its called the binary hat and it is knit with Lambs pride worsted on size 8's.

Detail shot so you can see the cables a bit better.

While I was at knit group on thursday Heather said " Oh.. did you see this pattern" next thing I know I'm buying yarn and knitting another hat.
I started on thursday while watching survivor and lost. I finished it the next day. It's another fast knit.

The pattern is also on Ravelry: it's called Capitan it's knit with Berroco VIBE on size 10's. I have two little skull buttons on it. I should have taken a detail shot so you can see the buttons and the cables.

You can see the cables and the band a little more in this shot. It's a good fit on G. It makes me want to find another brimmed hat to make.

knitted bathtub

2008-02-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

This week is going by really fast. I can't believe it's already thursday. Yesterday, I did a little more organizing in the scrapbook department but not much. I also listened to the new Stash and Burn podcast. There talking about startitis, which I clearly have if you read my previous few posts. I have several new projects going at once. The Basalt tank isn't going well and will need to be fropgged for the 2nd time. The yarn is ok ( I think) but I ma getting these huge ladders where the k2tog and the ssk are next to each other so I feel like I need to use smaller stitch markers and concentrate on knitting tighter in that spot. (I am tempted to switch to the recommended yarn though)
I was checking out blogs this morning and while I was at Stacy sews I found this knitted bath tub link. Is that the cutest thing? I have no idea what I would do with it but its so fun.
She has some other fun patterns too.
Well ,I need to get ready to go. I have some errands to run and I think I'll go to knit group.
I'm mailing off a goodie box for a crafster swap today as well.

Organizing

2008-02-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

I'm in a few groups on Ravelry and one of the ones that just started is the Organized knitter here is the blog. I'll get a link on the side too, but for now this will do. So anyway, the febuary challenge has inspired me to organize all my scrapbook supplies. I would love to get them so organized and condensed that they fit in a couple of scrapbook bags and a file system ( for the paper) At the moment they are here and there and everywhere. That's probably the biggest reason I don't scrapbooks anymore, it's too much work to find the stuff. So I started by going through stickers. Here is a "in the process" picture. I have created stacks or piles for keep, toss, give away and summer school donations. This isn't all of them but at least I have a good start.
I have a Creative Memoried sticker Binder that is empty. I hope to get all the stickers and die cuts organized and put in there. Then I will move onto paper.

project regrouping

2008-02-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

I t got this new yarn last week. It's by the Misti alpacca people but it's cotton. It's super ,super soft. It reminds me of the Blue sky alpacca dyed cotton that I love so much. The color is way out of my usuall color picks but I thought it might be fun for summer.
Yarn details: 83% Pima cotton/ 17% silk ,made in Peru by Misti international
191 yards Guage is 4 st on size 8
I am going to try and use it for the Roundabout leaf tank in the knitting nature book by Norah Gaughan. I won't be starting it anytime soon though because you may remember in a previous post I started the Basalt tank from the same book

I started it with Yarn Palace VIVACE yarn. It's a 100% bamboo

. I had a terrible time getting gauge and had to go up to a 7 which is too big for this yarn. I did complete one full hexagon before ddeciding that the garment wouldn't have any structure and would just hang loosely on my body. I love the yarn, love the pattern but they were not a good match. So, while having lunch with a friend I found myself at the scarlet skein in Atascadero. This yarn is a Bamboo cotton 50/50 blend. Could it be... a perfect blend of soft flowy bamboo with cotton to give it some body but still keep it cool for summer. and....it's the right gauge.

I was able to get perfect gauge on the first try. I went ahead and started the tank over and so far I am very happy with the way it feels. Only problem is I may have made a mathatical error when buying this. I might need another skien. I'll have to try and get into the store again nextweek and grab one.

So.. what to do with the Bamboo yarn. Turns out it is perfect for the Vixen Camisol from sensual knits. The gauge is perfect, the feel of the yarn is perfect. I think this is a great match. Besides look at the color. The only problem is that this pattern calls for a bulky weight yarn to finish the top portion. I'll have to look for something that matches that gives my the right gauge. That's done last though so maybe I can get that far in then come up with something cleaver. Again I worry about having enough yardage but I feel like I should have enough. I could probably make it shorter.

It's going to rain all day so after I take a quick run to the grocery store I should be able to get some knitting in.

UFO part 2

2008-02-01T14:39:00.001-08:00

Just to make me feel better I will start with a finished project. The cat bed. It has a towel in the bottom because it was still damp. I modified the pattern to make it bigger. After some serious debating they finially decided they would both fit in it. Orang cat is a female about 3 years old. Very dominate and bossy. Sydney is a male 1 1/2 years old and very goofy and even tempered. Ok back to the UFO's

They call them pirates. This thing is almost finished. I stopped working on it when I realized how big it was. I should just finish it and find someone with a big head.

Ventage velvet from scarf style in the delicious touch me yarn. I soooo love this thing. So why is it a UFO ? because it is so dark it's hard to see what your doing and I feel like it's alot of work for something you can't even see. But I will finish it. It's sooo soft it would be stupid not too. I got a great deal on this yarn at Yarnology ages ago.

This isn't really a UFO because I have been actively working on it but I put it here anyway because I really want to finish it this month.

Also I have my boatneck bluebell from fitted knits waiting for the other sleeve.

There is also a felted bag by Nicky epstein it was an IK pattern. I have it hidden somewhere.

The hexagon blanket is also neatly tucked away.

That's it...I think.

So I would like to get as many finshed in 08 as possible. ( or frogged) I think if I pick one a month to work on, I can get through most of them in a year or less. My first goal as I said is to finish the tree jacket. I am also going to continue to work on other projects. There is no way I can focus on just UFO's. That would feel like punishment.

I did start the Basalt tank from knitting nature but my yarn is not right for the pattern so I am working on swatching for another pattern. Or another yarn for this pattern.

I have how many UFO's??? ( part 1)_

2008-02-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Here are most of the UFO's There are 3 more that I will put in another post. Blogger has decided this is enough pictures for this post. Black, white and grey strip scarf. No pattern, knit in the round as a tube.
UFO because: that it's a very slow, boring knit. This thing is probably 3 years old. I would live in it if I could finish it. Its the softest yarn I have knit with.

The lace panel skirt in hemp. I have been working on this since august 07

UFO because it's a complicated pattern on tiny needles and it hurts my hands

Hard to see but this is a scarf. My own pattern I think. I can't even remmeber.

UFO because I ran out of yarn and had to find more then lost interest.

This odd thing is also a scarf. stockinette stitch in a yarn that changes texture.

UFO because it reminds me of Dr suess. Probably will be frogged and yarn will be sold or traded

AHHH the ruffle scarf. Crazy big bird colored yarn. Will I ever wear this thing?? It's actually super soft and totally fun.

UFO, I don't know why

This is a nicky epstein felted bag pattern. Not hard to knit just fiddly

UFO because I lost interest.

This one is hard to explain but I'm pretty sure I have a blog entry on this from 06. Its a pokte. I'll have to check the spelling. Pattern created as I went. Request from Ginna.

UFO because ,it's well, not that fun to knit.

Socks: EEKK I think these are my jaywalkers.

UFO because there socks.

Another pair of socks. From Knit socks or sensational socks?

UFO: 2nd sock sendrom

Stash busting blanket. This is done with tunisian crochet in lion brand thick and quick ( I think)

UFO: just because it's really heavy now and I had other projects to do for X-mas. I just havent gone back to it.

I forgot all about this one, untill the other day at the yarn shop. Its the four seasons throw. It's a manos pattern but I was using cascade 200 held double. It's actually looking very cool but I got to a complicated block that took to much concentration and now I don't know where I am.

Hmmm that's 11 UFO's here and I have a few more to post. A couple of these may not survive though.

why I haven't finshed

2008-01-31T10:39:00.000-08:00

I was planning to finish the kitty bed last night but, I have a very good reason for not doing that.
Here is that reason.

I went over to my desk to get it and I found Orange cat checking it out, giving it a good sniff and finally planting her self in it. You can see the knitting needles sticking out of the front there. I put point protectors on the tips to keep her from wiggling them out.

She slept in there all night. So now this morning I have to try and finish it cat hair and all. I hope she likes it as much after it's felted.

And TA DA a finshed UFO. I dug this one out from the bottom of the pile. I probably started it 2 years ago. All I needed to do was finish the flap and add a handle. I felted it last night. I don't love it but at least it's not a UFO anymore. I haven't photographed all of the others yet.

Because I couldn't finish the cat bed and I was feeling so proud for having completed the bag I started swatching for a new project. I know CRAZY I do not need a new project. It's from the knnitting nature book by Nora Gaughan. I love that book. It's the Basalt Tank. I'm using some Bamboo, so far I'm having trouble getting gauge though so will see it it actually gets started. I should check the yarn stash maybe I have something else.

end of the month

2008-01-29T13:44:00.000-08:00

So January is almost over. I have done alot of knitting this month. I have quite a since of accomplishment. So what's the plan for the shortest month of the year. I joined two swaps of Crafster. One isn't really a swap so much as a destashing atempt. Its called givers and needers ( I think) the idea is that you put together a box of supplies that you have too much of and send it to some one who needs it. I think it's a great idea. I have lots of other crafty materials that I don't use anymore it would be great to see it go to a good home.
The 2nd swap sounded fun it's the yarnies scavenger hunt. You have a set of categories and you find items that fit thoes categories to mail to your partner.
I also joined hat attack on ravelry. Its the same idea as the sock wars but it's with hats instead. Because we all know knitting two socks is a problem for me. I'm working on that though.

In my knitting a mile goal I have now knit 1781 yards. My needles are smoken!! That's 21 yards more then I needed and I still have 2 weeks.

I would like to set the goal of finishing one UFO a month. This month I finshed a felted Noro Bag that has been waiting for a strap and the flap to be knitted for 2 years. I finished that yesterday and even felted it. So sometime this week maybe even later today I am going to take a picture of each of my UFO's and post them. I will decide if it's to be finished or frogged and then I have to finish it this year. With the exception of maybe two big projects.

knitting a mile

2008-01-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

I'm getting close to have knitted a mile of yarn. I am at about 1462yards right now, not counting the ball I used on my tree jacket. I need to look that yardage up.

I joined the stash down on Ravelry and the challenge for January was to knit a mile. I have untill Feb 15 ( I think) To knit a miles worth of yarn. I started another cat bed, they are a great stash busting project. You hold two strands of yarn together and knit around and around. Both cats are now good size so I am making this one bigger then the original cat bed. I have some odd colors of wool of the andes and cascade that I wanted to either use or get rid of and this is perfect.

I also made a rasta hat for G. This is just the practice version. She wants it striped but I wanted to work out the pattern first. This one is crochet, I used cotton yarn. I think I'll try comming up with a knit version next and then decide which one I like better.

I also made a pair of baby socks but more about socks later.

pictures

2008-01-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

These first pict's are of Gretel this is such a cool pattern. If you have ever wanted to make this hat but didn't, you should make it. I used Rio De la Plata yarn, Yummy! You can find the pattern at http://www.ysolda.com This is a close up taken when I was working on it.
This is the top of the finished hat.

Modeled by G. Such a good sport. It's very warn and soft. I can put all my hair up in this hat, which I think is very cool.

And now for some slippers. Pre felted green ones. Patons, classic merino yarn.

After felted blue ones. Same brand of yarn different color

Orange ones for G. This was cascade 220.

Yestarday as part of my knit a mile stash reduction I started another cat bed. I made one last year?? Year before ?? CXan't remember, anyway I started another one last night. I also made a rasta hat for G. Crocheted it in orange cotton. It's just the paractice one though. She wants a striped on and I wanted to try this pattern idea out on cheap stash yarn before using something good. I also have an urge to start Babette. Every few months I bring that pattern up. It's from interweve crochet, spring 06 ,I think. I should finish the oversized shrug and the tree jacket first though!

where have you been?

2008-01-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post. YIKES!!
I have a pretty good excuse for part of the time. I had been really sick and losing lots of weight ( I got down to 108 pounds) . Right before Christmas I had to go in for emergency surgery. I wasn't even done with Christmas stuff yet. I missed Christmas with my family and ended up not even giving gifts to several people. It sucked.

Since then I have done some knitting. 3 pairs of felted clogs, I am working on the tree jacket again, I started the over sized shrug from sensual knits ( love this book) swatched for the seeded cables cardigan also same book.
I finished Gretel, fetching and....something else, I can't remmeber.
Now I am going through the yarn stash and cataloging it on Ravelry and deciding what to get rid of. I also need to get rid of half or more of the quilting fabric I have and most of the rubberstamps and Scrapbook supplies I have. I just don't use them enough to justify the space they take up. So any suggestions for selling or getting rid of craft supplies, let me know.
Pictures comming in next post.

Quick knit

2007-11-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

I started the boatneck bluebell sweater from fitted knits. I cast on late tuesday night and did just a few rows. It's such a fast project that I was at this point sometime on Thanksgiving. Then to this point on Saturday. The ribbing is seriously slowing me down though so I might actually start working on a sleeve to give myself a rest from the ribbing. I really haven't put that much time into knitting

this sweater a few minutes here and there.
This weeks goal is to finish the sweater and turn this pile of stash fabric into a X-mas gift for Mom.

I love sweaters

2007-11-19T15:39:00.000-08:00

Cropped cardi from Anthropologie and the Button tab hoodie also from Anthrologie are catching my interest these days.

Not that I need any new projects unless they are Christmas gift related.

frogging to the music

2007-11-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

I have decided that this Clapotis is to be frogged. I made three of them and only really wear one of them. I have never worn this one. I love the colors but they are not colors that I wear and
it' s made out of Noro Silk garden so it's very heavy and warm. Not terrible practical for my sunny california weather. So here are a couple of farewell photos.

I think the yarn is going to be brought back to life as the Counterpane carpet bag from Handknit Holidays. If your on Ravelry go check it out 40 people have pictures posted of it.

Not planning on starting it anytime soon, I have too many projects stacked on my desk at the moment.
In other news, Last Saturday was G's Birthday we went Guitar shopping but didn't buy anything. This saturday, today she decided that she really wanted the guitar she had fallen in love with so we added a little bit of money to what she got for her birthday and went to get it.

What happened to the little girl with the curly blond hair who used to live in dresses and watch winnie the pooh. Now she's a brunette, who plays heavy metal and talks about boys. That's ok she's still my little girl.

Tunisian crochet finally

2007-11-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

You know how sometimes you can try and try to figure something out and it just doesn't click in your brain. That how it has been with Tunisian crochet. I first started looking at how to do it when I saw some patterns on the Stitch Diva website. This pattern in particular caught me attention. I always end up with these odd balls of yarn and I thought this would be a fun way to use them up. So I headed out to the local shops in search of the Tunisian hook, wich turned out to be very hard to find. I wasn't able to find the super huge one I needed for the blanket but I did get a # 1o Susan bates needle to practise with. This was months ago, I could not figure out how to get past the first part. I put it aside and this weekend I pulled it out again. I was inspired to try again after seeing a sweater in the new Crocht me book that uses this teqhnique. I don't know why but for some reason when I sat down to figure it out this time it made perfect since and seemed easy. I started out with that little hook I had originally bought and some plain worsted weight yarn. Here is what you get. Then it was ime to pull out the huge hook that I had ordered from Stitch Divas after not being able to find one locally. This is a size "s" and lion brand wool ease thick and quick. I am getting about 2 stitches to the inch.

Then I decided to try the stash blanket pattern, which has you switch yarns on each row. This is three colors of the lion brand. In the pattern you hold multiple yarns together to make up each strand of yarn butI thought it would be easier to just start out with bulky yarn. I had this yarn in my stash so I am going to see how far I can get using it. If it turns out ok .I will give it as a gift. It's very cozy but has a nice drape to it. You would think it would be heavy and dense but its actually very open, not lacy obviously but just enough open space to give it a great feel.

ohh spooky

2007-11-01T16:42:00.001-07:00

Although she is too old to go out begging for candy she isn't too old to dress up. The mighty Ninga. I'm not sure which is more scarry the fact that my daughter is a ninga or that I can't figure out how to post the darn picture so that you can look at it without laying sideways. In knitting news, I got this book this week. Don't you love it when the bookstores send you coupons. Everything you ever wanted to know about yarn is in here. I'll post a proper review after I read it.

And the bag is comming along.

Celtic weekend tote, Bag style

2007-10-28T16:50:00.001-07:00

This weekend I worked on this bag. It's from the bag style book by Pam Allen and Ann Budd.
This is a great book if you are at all interested in knitting bags you need this book. This pattern is called the Celtic weekend tote and it's done by Lisa B. Evans. I am using Rowan Yorkshire tweed Dk. It's very very similiar to the Rowna scottish tweed called for in the pattern. To make the bag you hold two starnds of the yarn together which is making for a wonderful heavy dense fabric, perfect for a bag.

When I started I wasn't going to do any of the color work but the after finisheing the back so quickly I decided that I did want some colorwork on the front. So the bag will be just striped and then the front will have the colorwork.

The white yarn running through the top is my marker for where the top gets folded over to form a facing.

I don't love the design on the pattern so I decided to recreate my own version. This also makes it more "my bag" rather then a copy. I used graph paper and colored pencils to plan out what I wanted to do.

Then I would some bobbins and got started. I am using a long circular needle to do the front because it's easier to handle all the work this way rather then juggling everything on a straight.

It will take longer to do the front then it did to do the back but that's ok.

art or knitting?

2007-10-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

I love how these look when all you have are the fingers. It's just fun.

Friday!!

2007-10-12T11:58:00.001-07:00

I had to go get this pattern yesterday. I couldn't find any really great fabric for it so I bought a midweight denim. If it turns out great I'll order something great. I have the fabric in the wash right now. I think I need the shorter version because I'm not tall but I like the longer view with five pleats more then the shorter view with three.

*opps I deleted the picture, I'll have to add it to the top.*

The lace skirt is making some progress although it's hard to tell.

This one is the tree jacket from zephyr. I'm using cotton ease in Charcoal. I really hope this high collar doesn't drive my crazy. I thought about shortening it but I really like the way it looks in the picture.

Finished: half dome from knitty. Made for the man of the house. This is soooo soft. G wants new fingerless gloves and I'm wondering if I can use the same yarn I used for this hat to make the gloves, although...I should probably use something tougher. Or at the very least more washable.

need to be sewing

2007-10-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

I really need to get back into sewing. I am totally in love with this skirt that Erica made. Its Vogue 8426. I have got to make myself one of these. I did cut out a pattern last weekend but that as far as I got . It was simplicity 3928, its a summery ,wrap ,short, knit robe. I'm just feeling to lazy to set up the serger. I know once I get it out and set up I will be fine but untill then I'm doing other stuff. That skirt might be just the thing to get my sewing groove back on.

So what have I been doing? I made the man of the house a cool hat. I used Debbie bliss cashmerino aran. Ohhhh my goodness this yarn is yummy soft. The pattern was halfdome from knitty. It was such a good hat for him that I am making a 2nd one. I also started the tree jacket from Zephyr. I really wanted a red one but because I am using cotton ease I went with the charcoal grey color. I just started it yeserday so not too much progress yet. I have also been trying to make some progress on the lace skirt made with hemp. I can't work on it for very long it kills my fingers. The yarn dries them out and the lace needles are seriously sharp. But I am starting to see some progress so that's good. Once I finish the lace section I know I'll be able to go faster.

I have been on a get fit frenzy as well. I do pilates regularly butI have also been ridding my bike daily and I just took up weight lifting. I want to be toned and slim. Mostly so the man of the house gives me that look... you know the one. The one that makes you feel like your the only women in the world.

green eggs and ham and a finished object

2007-09-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life gets too serious and you have to have some fun. How about a little green eggs and ham for dinner ?

I really like some of the patterns in the new Knitty. I made the foliage hat in just a few hours after seeing a finished one on Ravelry. I used some Patons Shetland Chunky tweed in " sea Ice"
This is a great pattern. The very beginning is a little fiddly but its worth the effort. I'm really happy with this one. I'll probably give this one to Mom for Christmas and make another one for me. Thank you G, my wonderful daughter for modeling this for me. She is such a good sport.

And here is a detail shot of the stitch.

Alright back to Flair. I am sooooo close to being done. I just need to do the collar then.....Maybe Cherie Amour...fingers crossed that my "ggh Savanna" yarn will work for it.

Fall is near

2007-08-31T11:40:00.001-07:00

well, It's the start of a new school year over here. G started high school this week. It looks ike it's gonna be a good year. She likes 5 of the 6 teachers and #6 is just "loud" according to G. So I have high hopes. The best thing about high school so far..she doesn't have to ride the bus anymore. The middle school is in the next town so all the kids have to ride the bus over there to get to school. Our town has the High School so now all the kids from that town ride the bus here. We live close too, so G can walk it. That means she doesn't have to get up nearly as early. YEA!!

I have been cleaning my craft/sewing area. Mostly I needed to clear all the stuff I had piled on or near the sewing machine.I wanted to get it done because it's almost time to start Fall sewing. Fall is my favorite season to sew for. I always slow way down with my sewing in the summer (as you may have noticed.) but when the fall fashoins start showing up I get back into the swing.
Speaking of swng I started knitting Flair, last week, I think. It's such a great style and I'm happy to see it's still all over the fashon magazines I decided I needed to cast on. Especially after seeing Adriene and Erica B have both got it on the needls.
Other then that I have been focusing all my free time of hanging out with my family. Sometimes we get so busy with our own things that we forget what's most important. So spend some time with your loved ones this weekend and have fun.

looking for the prfect cardigan

2007-08-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

New patterns: looking for the perfect cardigan This one is from Chic knits: they have some great patterns go check them out if you haven't

These two are the same pattern but with sleeve variations from Stitch Divas.

I finished the body of my puffed sleeve cardigan and now I need to pick up the stitches for the button band. Problem is I kinda forgot there was going to be a button band when I was trying it on during the construction. So its gonna be too big. I also didn't realize the lace peplum was so long so it's longer then it should be as well. I made the 36 because I have a 35 14 inch bust but clearly I should have made the smaller size. I always pick the wrong size thinking I'm bigger then I am. There other problem I have is that my waist is really small compared to my bust so I should have done more fitting and made the waist much much smaller. I will finish this as soon as I figure out how to do the button bands or maybe I should just do sometype of edging on it instead. Then I am going to throw it inthe wash and hope to shrink it up a bit.

here are the site links for the above patterns

chic knits Ariann and stitch Divas Trapeze and

I'm thinking about trying the Elizabeth Bennet cabled cardigan from fitted knits but in the smallest size. It's almost the same as the puffed sleeve cardigan but with a few changes.

I also started working on a scarf for a swap I'm in. I chaged my mind 4 times but now I think I'm happy. I hope my partner will like it.

The "C" word

2007-08-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have decided it's time to start thinking about Christmas. I know it's only August but every year I am still crafting on Christmas Eve and this year I want to be done before that. Maybe even the week before that. Doesn't that sound like a great idea. To be totally done with all your gifts and still have a week to enjoy the holiday. I'm also only going to make things for the people who really appreciate a handmade gift. Why go to all that trouble if they don't even care.
So let's start a list of ideas to help get things going.

Mom: she's easy I can make her pretty much anything and she will like it. I think this year I'll make her a crocheted throw for the couch.
Brother: Right now I'm thinking I'll make him one too in a super chunky, super washable yarn in blacks and greys.
Daughter: G is still waiting for a pair of leg warmers in bright orange.
Husband: A new beanie would be good, maybe two if I have the time.
Grandma W: asked for a purple scarf this last winter so I will make her one for Christmas.

There are more people to think about but these are the ones I have possible ideas for at the moment. And these are all knit and crochet I will have a seperate list for sewing.

As for current projects: My puffed sleeve cardigan is on the peplum section. i still have to figure out ho I am going to make it long sleeves rather then short like the pattern calls for.
I also cast on for the drop stitch tank ;last night. both are from fitted knits.
I am now looking for the perfect scarf pattern for a scarf I'm making. I'm leaning towards the chevron scarf or the sililiar one from scarf style. Or I found the "morning surf scarf" yesterday while on Ravelry.

I bought romantic style knits by Annie Modesitt this week. I'll review it after I finish looking at it.

Wednesday

2007-08-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here is my puffed sleeve cardigan from Fitted knits. Keep in mind the needles are still in it and there is a yarn ball hanging from it and of course the scrap yarn in the sleeves. So you have to expect it to look at least a little "wonky". Otherwise I think it looks pretty good. I'm just about ready to start the peplum and the lace pattern. I'm really excited about that because, it's starting to get boring and I need a challenge.

I bought this yarn because I totally fell in love with theseleather handles and this pattern uses thoes handles. So I spent a few hours this weekend and knitted up the bag in this pattern

Here is the bag. The linning is just stuffed in the back right now and hasn't been stitched in yet.

I still LOVE the handles but I don't love the bag so .....I might make something else for the handles and put different handles on the bag. I'm not sure.

I have been sewing lots of knitting needleand crochet hook cases. I don't know why I keep forgetting to take a picture of thoes.

not much goin on.

2007-08-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

I bought the new vogue knitting today. It's the 25th anniversary addition. It has some fun articles in it and I have to knit this sweater. I was looking for the new IW knits but it hasn't come out yet. I was also hoping to take a peak at the romantic knitting book by Annie Modsitte but they didn't have that either. I bought the Vogue knitting without even looking in it because it was such a thick issue. I also saw a stack of the new sew stylish that hadn't been put out yet. I might check that out next trip.

I finished knitting a bag. It took about 4 hours to make. More on this later.

Is it friday again?

2007-08-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

This week went by so fast. I can't believe it's friday. I had plannd to head to my favorite yarn shop today after work, to work on my hexagons that are being sadly forgotten. I ended up getting sidetracked by grocery shopping and dinner instead ,so hopefully tommorow I will have time. I am really trying to finish them off because I am totally in love with my new crochet book and can't wait to start something new. I originally saw this book at monstitches blog

It's the pattern she used to make her hexagon blanket. Isn't it georgeous. I found the book at Yarnology and fell in love with several of the patterns.

I seperated the sleeves from the body on the puffed sleeve cardigan and things should start moving much faster now.

In sewing news I made 8 knitting needle cases but still haven't cut out my gum drop pillow.

I'm off to ravelry to see what other projects I need to add to my must make list.

trying new things

2007-07-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

A photo of a few of my favorite things. My new bike. My husband got it for me. He is huge into bike riding, he has a really nice road bike You know the Tour De France looking things. I haven't ridden a bike since I was a kid and even then it wasn't my own bike so this is something new for me. I love the idea of another way to exsercise and I really like the idea of having something else to do together, although no way will I be able to keep up with him, hopefully he won't mind slowing down for me. And that's my super fast heavy duty sewing machine on the table. It's still my favorite over the fancy ones I own. This is the beginning of a swatch for the fancy ribbing tank using allhemp 06. I have been wanting to try the hemp I bought and today seemed like a good day to start swatching. It's pretty rough stuff so I hope it softens. If this works out I want to make a skirt. I also love the pattern on knitty Eiffle.

I am totally in love with this yarn though. This is the softest most wonderfull yarn. It's dyed cotton by blue sky alpaca this is the Tomato color that I didn't like that came with my earthy colors. I am making the fitted tank with it. I plan to knit in the round with stripes. How hard could that be right. So far my gauge looks perfect with both the hemp and the cotton.

Here is another picture of the swatch ,this color is accurate too. What else can I knit with this? OHHHH a blanket would be heavenly!!

Here is my puffed sleeve cardigan. It still amazes me that you can take a ball of yarn and two sticks and turn them into this. It has a collar, sholders. Isn't that the most amazing thing.

And if you look side ways ( I can't seem to rotate it) you see we had some sewing today It's not done but I could'nt wait to post. I need to find a snap for the tab and then I can sew in the linning. I also cut the pattern out for Amy Butler's gum drop pillows. Each piece is suppose to be laid out on a fold. I'm thinking it would be easier to make the pattern pieces so they are in one piece and then you don't need the fold. I should go ask Stacy because she already made hers.