Knitters Without Sitters

The Rundown...

2010-03-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

What I'm working on...

Heel Head scarf

What I want to be working on...

Revontuli (Northern Lights Shawl)

What I'll be working on soon...

Commissioned Baby Hats for a local photographer

What I want to be working on...

What else I SHOULD be working on...

Infinity Scarf
&
Argyle Lace Hat

What I want to be working on...

Notice a trend??

Love,
Theresa

My Knitting Olympics efforts

2010-02-22T01:19:00.000-08:00

So this year I really wanted to knit something in the KO just to see if I could do it. but I ran into a few problems...

1. I really couldn't find anything I wanted to make with yarn I currently had that would consume 17 days.

2. With potential move home looming ahead, I really needed to stash bust as much as possible as it's easier to ship a garment home vs ship balls of wool home.

3. I only have a gazillion UFOs, #1 be namely Pa's Christmas Sweater, that I should give some consideration to.

Looking at all these factors, I decided it would be my best interest to participate in the Knitting Olympics unofficially. I decided my 17 day challenge would be to consume as much of my stash as I could work through. No new yarn purchases; for any reason. If the project needed more of a certain yarn, then it was an unacceptable project. We're 10 days in and I think I've done really well.

So far my list of accomplishments are....

1. Neighborly sweater for Hazel (used up all but walnuts of my Trivori Irish Aran Wool x2 colors)

**please note that due to massive amounts of knitting, and some boogers, I haven't been able to take pictures of anything but this top. Will update later...

2. Weekend Fingerless Mitts (used up a tiny amount--far less than I hoped--of mystery wool obtained from a class I took last spring, and originally for Lindsay, but didn't turn out the way I hoped so I'm adopting them)

3. Extra-Toasty Toddler Mittens for Hazel (used up most of my Cascade 220 overdyed)

4. Marian Cowl for Marina's Birthday (used up almost the whole skein of Robin Super chunky left over from Mom's birthday cardi)

5. Speedy Cable Beret for ME (used up the last walnut of Robin Super Chunky and 1/2 the ball of Adriafil Spillo)

I think 5 things in 10 days is awesome, especially as they're not all tiny things and I've been sick for 5 of the days :)

Right now I'm 1/2 way through a Mossy Jacket for Callum to come home from the hospital in June/July. I have a ton of light fingeringweight sock yarn from Lidl that I'm holding tripled for it. Quick and easy knit so far, and I'm hoping to have it done by tomorrow.

Mom gave me an idea to make Lindsay some Christmas items that would consume stash (super yay!) and get some of my Christmas knitting out of the way as I figure I'm not going to get a whole lot done by way of knitting once Little Mister is here.

I'm also thinking I may make Callum some longies to match his Mossy jacket. I want to make Emma's Unmentionables for Hazel amoung other things!

Sigh, so much to do, so little time....back to knitting...

My Anthropologie headband knock-off

2010-01-26T10:29:00.001-08:00

I've become the biggest Anthropologie addict. Seriously. I told T last night that if I was a bit thinner and a lot wealthier, I would have all of their clothes as I just love almost every item they sell. It's a good thing I love my daughter with all my heart and soul, otherwise I would see if they'd trade for a cute coat...just kidding. Seriously.

Browsing their site last night, I found this little headband and I was in love. It's not a good example of the cost of their products as, well, it's not expensive, but it is knit and I have a gazillion tiny scraps to use up, so I thought I'd give it a go.

This isn't yet perfect, but it's about as cute as it can get, so I'm going to share pictures of it with everyone, just, well, cuz I can :) and she's getting a ton more as I just am in love with how it turned out. I'm think of changing up the flowers, using ribbon for some of them, adding buttons, etc. Let's see what I come up with. It only took me about 2 hours and that's with trying to figure out the mechanics of the whole thing, so I'm sure I'll whip up more in no time.

Here's my first for your viewing pleasure...

What I'm REALLY Doing!

2009-12-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Carli,

So, I determined what I am REALLY doing for Chirtmas knitting! Anything else is going to have to wait! Here is my list:

1) Layla's shirt in brown and Mint green
2) MIL Head scarf in Bright Red, my own design
3) Jillian shirt in purple and white
4) Marshall vest in Blue and Grey

That's it. If I get anything else done, it is total luck! :) So, here is hoping as MIL scarf is going to take FOREVER!!!

Hope your holiday knitting is going well!
Love,
Theresa

Determination...

2009-11-25T05:39:00.001-08:00

So I've been forcing myself to knit the past couple nights and during the day as I can. I know that sounds really bazaar coming from me, but it's true. I'm doing it, though, and making some progress.

I admit I hit a slight blackhole on Daddy's present. But we're through and sailing away. I managed to get quite a bit done on it last night after H went to bed. yay!!!

Then I've been just blowing through Mom's gift. I have to say that DPNs beat magic loop any day of the week when you'redoing ML on a 60 inch cable needle. Far too much extra cable. But I'm loving the color work and now that I've finished 1/2 of the second one, I've gotten the hang of keeping the colors less tangled and it's a breeze. Plus knitting colorwork that is intricate is like painting with yarn. you just knit along, doing nothing different than switching colors as you go, and presto, you have this cool design. Way addicting.

I am determined to get atleast mom's present DONE and the piece I'm currently working on for Dad's DONE before we leave in 2 weeks. Anything outside the one piece on Dad's is just bonus that won't keep me up until the wee hours of the morning Christmas day.

Determined. It WILL happen...

Lotsa Love
Carli

Just one knit....

2009-11-17T04:07:00.000-08:00

So, I usually knit every evening. I always knit something when riding in the car, and I'm rarely anywhere without one of my projects, especially since Christmas is coming quickly.

In the past 2 weeks, I have knitted one evening and once in the car. I just have no desire, no energy, and spend 90% of my life fighting off Morning Sickness...

Christmas presents aren't ever going to get done. I'm DETERMINED to get Dad's and Mom's finished. The rest will have to wait...

My Knitting List...Ever Shall It Grow!

2009-11-08T08:11:00.001-08:00

OK, so I have started auditing what I need to knit in the next less than 50 days! Carli has pointed out that Christmas is LESS than 50 days away! Holy Geez! Here is my list as of right now. I am not even going to actually ACT like I am going to get it all done, but it is wishful thinking. I fully admit that some of it is for me, but it is stuff I was hoping to have done to wear for Christmas. We shall see!

1. Caroline For Me! :) Done in Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Avocado.
2. A Scarflette of my own design for Me! :) Done in Malabrigo in a blue/green/yellow mix
3. Some sort of Fingerless Mitts for Me! :) To be done in Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Avocado
4. Telemark Pullover for Marshall done in really pretty blue
5. Some sort of dress for Layla's Bear. I am designing it myself, it won't be complicated, but will be done in Caron Simple Soft
6. A hat for my dad (I can't remember the name of the pattern, I will have to find it!) done in Ultra Alpaca in a really pretty orange.
7. Thank you Scarflette for Claire. Just garter stitch on the bias...just have to weave in ends. Done in Lion Brand Chenille Thick and Quick.
8. SO want to make Sprite for Layla and for Jillian...how cute is this?
9. Market Shawl for Me! Done in Moonlight Mohair...there is no hurry on this, just mindless knitting as it is all stockinette!
10. Something for my MIL...I have to make her gift but she is giving me NO ideas. Any ideas? Please? Anyone? She isn't a fancy type person so I am just at a loss!
11. Baby hat for friend, simple easy, shouldn't take long!

I have sewing to do too as well as other knitting that I haven't even figured out yet. AAGGRRHH!!

HELP!!
Theresa

My New Baby Boy To Knit For!

2009-11-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Thanks for being patient with me during my time "away". I just didn't have much to blog about. For the longest time, knitting made me sick, and then all I was knitting was the same bootie pattern over and over and a simple baby blanket. I'm still not knitting a ton, but it is because I got PUPS on my hands after the baby was born (a condition that made my hands swell, itch and HURT!), and I can't knit yet. I am hoping by the weekend!

Enough about that...onto much more important things. The newest recipient of knitted things to come: Introducing Marshall George! He was born at 1:54 on October 26th. He was 8 pounds 15 ounces and 21 inches long! He is PERFECT! We love him so much and are so excited he is here! I have already started planning on things to knit for him! Can't wait to get my fingers back! Enjoy a couple of pics...only one has knitted things. A hat and booties I made. The others are just for show. Also, included is one of the proud big sisters. He is getting newborn pics tomorrow, so I should have at least a link of those soon!

When you're in my heart...

2009-10-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

...there is no distance great enough to keep us apart!
This post is going to have to be dedicated to the gorgeous and most amazing bff in the world!

Hurray! Theresa is off to have her little one in the morning!!!! I'm going stir crazy over here, but nothing compared to her anxiety. Yay for new babies!!!! But I'll let her catch everyone up on life as a new (again) mommy when she gets a chance...given that she's a mommy of (now, or well, will be tomorrow) three little ones, be patient if it's not until January, ok? Being a mommy of one keeps you on your toes...three, well, I'm not there, so I can't imagine :)

Everyone say a prayer for my darling and her little darling! They're in for a long day tomorrow!

Big hugs and stitches, T!

Love
Carli

Stashless...

2009-09-30T02:30:00.000-07:00

Before I get into ranting and raving over this blog's title, I would like to share my FO's and my WIPs!!!

First up is my Baby Top. Love it. I can't wait to have a little one to put it on. Was contemplating giving it to you, T, and my godbaby, but it's got so many oop's in it, that I would be too embarassed to give it away. But I love it just the same.

Next is some of the yarn I bought at IKnit. It's DK Merino Undyed. And That's only 2/3 ok. So I dyed it...using Koolaid. Took me an afternoon. I'm so happy with the results. There's 450 yards of it, and it's going into something knit for me, so now I just have to figure out what...It knits up really cooly (I know, not a word) on size 6 needles across 20 sts in Stockinette Stitch. I did a swatch to see what i had :) The blue and green knit up as solid stripes alternating with the white and burgundy as varigated stripes. It's awesome. There's more white than I wanted, but as it's only my 2nd dye job ever, I think it turned out perfect :)

I finished a bracelet (no pic at the moment)for Lindsay for her birthday (which was in July, I'm late). And this earring frame. I can't wait to give it to her. It's a mini Modern Log Cabin blanket by Mason-Dixon. Great pattern.

This is a WIP but so darn close to being a FO, so I'm gonna call it a FO for the moment. I'll post finished pics later. This is my Leafy Cardi for mom. I am completely done with it with the exception of the collar. And the collar is giving me a headache. I think I'm to the point on this pattern that I just can't mentally correct any more problems. Seroiusly, God bless Calista for being patient with me. I think the only section where I haven't ran into an error or crutial info that was omitted was the front left. Sigh. I have everything sewn up and done, except the collar, and the buttons. But I haven't even bought the buttons, so that will be on the to do list for tomorrow's outting.

I've started on Daddy's pullover. It's about 12 inches into the back (I need 25 for that piece) and it seems to be going very quickly. The wool is a bit rough to work with, but the fabric is coming out soft and you can feel the lanolin still in the wool, so I'm pretty sure it will soften up more with a good hand wash. No pics though :)

I'm trying hard to get my Juliet/February Lady sweater done. It's taking up 2 of my interchangeable cables, and I need those bad boys. especially for the collar of mom's sweater. The lace I picked for it is knitting up very quickly (I'm 2 1/2 inches in) and is easy to memorize, so hopefully it'll get done fast. I shouldn't work on stuff that isn't Christmas, but i need those needles. I guess I could put it on scrap yarn.... (not a current pic btw)

Adam's hat is coming along. It's been on hold for a little while, but I need to work on it as it's a super simple knit and seems to go quickly if you can keep the tiny balls of colorwork in order...Here are pics of my favorite thing on the needles....These are my lacy stockings from the Vogue Knitting Spring/summer 2009 issue. Love them. But they are so far back on the back burner that they won't get picked up again until after Christmas is over. The only socks I need to be working on are the ones for Matty. I still have the original Frat Feet sock so I'm going to give the 2nd one another try. 3rd time's a charm, right?

So on to my ranting a raving.

I read a post from some random person on Ravelry about being stashless. About only purchasing yarn for a specific project, and not getting more yarn until that project is finished. Now, as you can tell, I don't have that will power. But apparently many people do as there were many many commenters on how fantastic it is to have zero stash. They were ragging on us stashers. Now, I have to admit that I like to de-stash every once in a while. Really sit down and give purpose to some of the yarn that I've purchased. But I can't even imagine not wanting a stash. I adore being able to go upstairs, pull out my stash and touch yarn I haven't felt in a while. I puchase yarn that I believe is beautiful. It's color, fiber, ply, it's just beautiful. And when I buy it, sometimes I have an idea of what it's for, but more often than not, I just want it. I buy what I can afford, and then I find it's destiny later. Or I love getting a knitting magazine or book and finding a pattern that I have to have RIGHT NOW, and it's awesome to go upstairs and find the wool/cotton/silk that makes that pattern perfectly mine. I don't always have to go to the LYS (which is good b/c the owner hates me) and hunt up what I want before I can CO.

To each his own, I suppose. Everyone works differently, but I can't imagine wanting to be stashless. It would be like a painter going out to purchase paints everytime he wants to recreate the sunrise....

IKnit take 2

2009-09-08T23:51:00.000-07:00

Off to IKnit Weekender in London this weekend! Woooohooooo! This is the same convention I went to last year to see our dear YH, but sadly there isn't anyone on the schedule who I'm aching to see. Nevertheless, I am pumped and mentally ready to go! Physically is a whole other story, however.

WHAT DO I TAKE TO KNIT???????

Last year I worked on a pair of socks for Brett. Black wool. Apparently too itchy for him. They've been ripped out. Oh, well. Gave me something to do. I have a bizillion projects that I should do that day, but most of them are color work, bulky, or have intricate charts.

I thought about knitting those same socks for Matty (obviously bigger) as I'm having issues with the second frat sock. If I cable them, the cables don't look right on the second sock for some reason. If I don't cable them, the sock looks sasquatch big. Thought about ripping them out all together and making an afghan for him or something out of the yarn. But I have the black wool to use and I bet Matt would wear them. Even if they're hot. Maybe.

Wanted to get my juliet top finished to wear on Saturday, but I doubt that's going to happen. First off, I finally am getting the first sleeve for mom's birthday present accomplished. I say accomplished, not done, as it's taken me 4 times for it to actually work out. The first 2 times are pattern issues. The 3rd time was a Carli issue. So I tackled it a 4th time, this time marking the chart as I work the stitches. Much better. Hopefully I will get through one sleeve tonight...cross your fingers. Secondly, there just isn't the time. I could knit on it like a crazy woman to get it done, but as I have too many other presents that NEED done to push that hard on one that doesn't NEED done. I should be pushing that hard on Mom and Adam's presents. Not a convention top.

We'll see.

Well, off to knit and nurse a headache. Lots to do before we're off to London!

I'm here, I'm here! :)

2009-08-31T05:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! I'm sorry that I have been completely absent for awhile, but as Carli previously mentioned, I have been put on bedrest since June. For awhile, I had NO desire to knit. It either made me sick, or just antsy. I am back to knitting which is good, but not doing anything too exciting. I am doing a lot of baby knitting just to psych myself up. Don't get me wrong, we are happy for the baby coming, just have had a lot to deal with, so baby knitting keeps me in a good frame of mind! :) So, I have knit 3 baby hats, 1 baby sock (I should cast on for the other today) and about 1/3 of a baby blanket. We do not know whether we are having a boy or girl, so I am making some pink stuff and some blue stuff. I have about 7 friends that are preggo right now, so I'm sure that someone will have whatever we don't so I can pass it on to them. The baby blanket is black with silver sparkles in it. I am going to get a pink or blue ribbon to run through the eyelets (it is just a simply dishcloth blanket pattern) after the baby is born. Layla really likes it.
Let's see, what else? I ripped out my dad's cable scarf. After I was realistic with myself, I knew that I was probably NEVER actually going to finish it. So, he and I agreed that a hat would be better for him. So, I CO for a simply rib hat for him, which I am slowly working on. Although I think I handle ribbing a little better than Carli (I've never found myself huddled in the corner because of it babe!), it does get old after a while. I hope that he likes it whenever I get it finished.
There are a lot of things that I WANT to CO for, but just haven't had the gumption, but soon. One exciting thing (at least for me) is that I found a GREAT bag. I wanted a new diaper bag that wasn't actually a diaper bag, more of a big purse. Well, I found one that has 3 different compartments, one for baby things, one for my things, and one for a knitting project! I am thrilled. It is not from Jordana Paige, but it very much her style. It is orange and VERY cute! I love it!
Well, I hope that you are all doing well. We are 31 weeks today and making it one day at a time. I should be off bedrest in 3-5 weeks then whatever will be will be. Watch, all of the junk we have been through and this kiddo will NEVER want to come! :) I will try and get pics soon of the baby things!
Love,
Theresa

Knitting...not blogging

2009-08-27T03:46:00.001-07:00

Well, I am anyway. Poor Theresa is stuck in bedrest (we're just going to pretend she's behaving) with no desire to knit. I remember feeling that way when I was preggo, too, so I don't blame her a bit.

I've been pretty productive this summer, I have to say. Made a few hats for Hazel, made a cardi for a friend's birthday, made an earring holder and bracelet for my gorgeous SIL, Lindsay, several dishcloths, and a few little items for H's wardrobe. I can't remember what all I've done, so it's not fair to post about them all. I'm really proud, though!

My current WIPs are.....

1. Re-doing the Frat Feet for Matty as I can't seem to get the second sock right. I know it's a knitter problem and not a pattern problem, however, I must subconscieously be screwing them up b/c I just can't get it right and so I ripped them both out and am knitting him some plain vanilla socks with a cable up the center. something for pizazz but pretty basic. That way he'll get them before Hazel's old enough to learn to knit.

2. Still working on the lacey socks I'm supposed to be knitting with a friend. Margaret, however, has admitted defeat for the time being and has put them to the side for something a bit more paletable. Mine are simply hibernating b/c I've got to get started on Christmas this year if I want to actually get it all done.

3. For the first time EVER, I got a magazine and CO for one of the featured projects the next day. It's called Leafy Cardigan, and it's out of Yarn Forward Issue #17. Designed by Ms. Calista Yoo (who btw is an absolutely fabulous person...she's just really cool and fun to talk to and a very very very patient person). I thought it would look amazing on mom. And I had some chunky yarn, so here we go! I'm through the back panel, not without some serious help with it from Calista (did I mention how patient she is??). YF Mag left out a necessary chart legend, which they quickly corrected, but left out the legend for the WS of the chart, which confused things...again. I know how to read a chart, and God bless Calista for not being slightly rude about my confusion, like the mag editor was. I know she's stressed out about getting the new issue out, but patronizing me wasn't necessary, ya know? Anyway, Calista and I got that straightened out, then it came to the neckline. Now, let me follow by saying, the tech editor took the original pattern and chopped it up, making it more "suitable" for magazine print. Losing some of the complicated pattern in the process. Most of the conversations between Calista and I involved her being confused at what they had done to her pattern b/c it was originally one large chart, and chopping it up was causing a bit of confusion. Anywho. They forgot to inform all that when you get to a place in the pattern where the decreases eliminate any room for YOs to compensate for a double decrease, then eliminate all decreases outside of the raglan decreases and simply st st them. Wouldn't that be helpful? Don't you think? Poor Calista is so mad. Bless her heart. I'm seriously contemplating boycotting the magazine as they've treated her so badly and to be quite honest, I can't bare supporting a magazine that doesn't treat their contributors well. But that's other news. I'm through the back and 1/2 through the left front panel, so hopefully this will be something that gets to mom for her Birthday so she'll get more wear out of it! If not then we'll be giving it for Christmas :)

3. Some how. Lord only knows how. Probably cuz I love her to bits. I got talked into knitting hearts for Michelle's wedding fair booth so she can hang display cards on them. And we aren't talking 5 hearts. We're talking, like, 30. I have 4 done. I hate them. I'm knitting them with crap yarn b/c it's in my stash and needs consumed somehow and they're the colors she wants, but it's like knitting with, well, crap yarn. I am, however, going to let her weave in all the ends. Because I'm just not that generous. :) Actually, wouldn't that make it really evil? I don't want to be evil, but I have too much to do to sit down and knit 30 hearts and then weave in all the ends. So, I will do the knitting, she can weave. Enough said :) Plus I frogged 2 hearts just figuring out how to make a pretty knitted heart. so techinically I've made 6.

4. I found the coolest hat on the newest edition of Knitty. It's called Urbanista and I'm about 35% done with it. Probably more than that. Anyway, go check it out. Fabulous hat, knit flat, sided to side, all short rows, color work, and then you graft the ends together. I love it. I really don't love the tangle of colors as you have to have 6 balls of color going at the same time (well, by the end of one section), but the cool thing is it's just plain knitting, with all this stuff going on that makes it incredibly interesting. That's Adam's Christmas present.

5. I'm still working on baby things. In hopes that we'll have another baby. I know, I know. In God's time. I know, I trust, I really do, but I'm also losing patience. I hope God knows that by losing patience doesn't mean I want him to give in. I just wish my heart ache would lessen, ya know? Anyway, I'm still working on my Ruth's babytop. Love it, but I'm tired of ribbing as it's just seems endless. Can't make adult sized stuff with endless ribbing, you'll find me huddled in a ball in the corner with my knitting, drooling and muttering, "K2, P2, K2, P2, repeat. K2, P2, K2, P2, Repeat." Luckily I have about 15 more rows of ribbing and then 8 rows of garter stitch. Once I take a break from it for a week or two, It'll get done quite quickly.

Amazingly, that's it. I ripped out a scarf I started for my mom, and am contemplating ripping out the scarf I was making dad (for 3 years) and making them both something else, but until I get a bit more caught up. Problem is...what?

Long year!

2009-07-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it's the end of July already! I don't even know where to begin on the things I've finished. So I won't. All of them are on Ravelry, though!

I've got severe startitus. SEVERE. I have 3 projects going. My Lacey Stockings are gorgeous, but slow going as they're severely complicated lace. I've made my way 1/2 up the foot and am taking a break from them before I mess them up. I really really enjoy the knitting, though. The charts are a bit scary, but I really like following them (though I'm only on Chart #1, we'll see how I feel about it once I'm on the dreaded Chart #4). I'm knitting them with my friend, Margaret, who is just in love with them and determined to knit them as they're part of her hubby's fetish. She's struggling, so we're going to work on the together. I think I'm going to knit 2 feet, then move on, I'm fairly comfortable (though cautiously so) with the foot, as it took me 3 times to get through the toe, so I thought it might be safe to keep with that frame of thought. I've also given into a lifeline as I fear ripping them out in entirety. There's just too much work required to rip them out completely and I'm not good at ripping back on DPNs.

Project #2 is Ruth's Babytop. I love it. I am getting a bit bored by the 2x2 ribbing, but I've only got 1/2 of the back left and then the neckline (which is like, 4 rows, so it'll go quick). Plus the fact that it's no brainer knitting. K2, P2, K2, P2 across with the exception of the garter row on either side. Can't wait to have a little person to put this on!!! Not to mention the fact that it's stash busting in case we move home in December. A top is easier to pack then a ball of yarn.

Project #3 was supposed to be for Theresa, but after literally 4 different patterns and 2 attempts at each, I frogged it all and am making a cardi for me out the wool. I will end up making you something, my dearest friend, but apparently it wasn't in the cards for this yarn. I found a cardi in a magazine that I love and have just enough to make the size that SHOULD fit me, but we'll see. I've yet to make anything that SHOULD do something and have it turn out. Even when I get gauge.

I need to start on Christmas presents as I have a gazillion to do this year and have 4 1/2 months to get them done. I'm very concerned that I won't have enough time, but we'll see. Some of them should only take an evening. Plus the fact that I have several presents to churn out in the meantime. Plus I really need to finish Matty's Christmas pres from last year. Poor guy.

Well, I'm off. Precious hazel snuggling time is wasting away!!!

Shower Poof

2009-06-04T04:29:00.000-07:00

I LOVE shower poofs. After years of using one, showering just isn't the same when I don't have one. That being said, I HATE buying them and then tossing them away. And I don't want to any more. I just imagine all the many many many "poofs" in the landfills that I've contributed to, and I say, NO MORE! Especially when I can make one, right?

This is my first attempt at one, and it's super duper (yes I said it) simple. I can't wait to make more, ones with a little more fluff, but for the moment, this one more than lives up to it's potential.

The Shower Puff

Needle: Straight sizes 6, 8, and 10 1/2 (4, 5, 6.5 mm)

Yarn: I used Schachenmayr nomotta Crazy Cotton but as it's discontinued, any 100% cotton will do...this is sportweight, so keep in mind heavier weight means bigger needles, means bigger poof.

Gauge: Not important this time, folks...it's a shower poof. Be happy in a no gauge pattern.

The Poof:

With size 6 needles, CO 25 st.

Working entirely in Garter stitch (knit every row), knit as follows...

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Kfbf (Knit in front, then back, then front again of same st) in all stitches. (75 stitches)

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: Kfbf (225 stitches)

Row 5-10: Knit

Row 11-14: Switch to size 8 needles. Knit

Row 15-16: Switch to size 10 1/2 needles. Knit

Bind off loosely.

Finishing

With length of yarn and a tapestry needle, starting at one end and on the CO edge, weave yarn through approx. 5 sts and then through the first st again, creating a circle. repeat this step again to create a firm circle. next, twist the next 7-8 sts of CO edge the opposite direction and stitch down in a manner similar to the first 5 sts. Continue in this manner (remembering to switch directions after each segment) for the remaining length of ruffle until you have all of the ruffle gathered and stitched together forming a ball-like flower. Run needle and yarn back and forth through center of ball 3 times, tie off and weave in ends.

You can add a length of i-cord to the center of the ball to hang ball in shower. I did a 3 stitch I-cord for about 7 inches, folded in half and attached.

Have fun!

It's been a while!

2009-05-28T01:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I obviously got zero blogging done while we were at my parents' for 3 weeks. To be quite honest, very little actually got done at my parents', and that includes knitting. I knitted up one of mom's Alpine Slippers which are painfully boring to knit up. I think mostly because of the gazillion short rows. It's like you knit for hours on the toe and get no where. Oh, well. I knit up one, am waiting for mom to crochet on the side detailing and then I'll sew them up and felt them to see how they are. At the moment they are dreadfully large, but hopefully a few felting rounds and they'll be perfect!

I got the twin sheets tie-dyed for Lindsay's Bath Mat which I'm in love with. The tie-dyeing to all evening to do and then the next morning to dry the sheets on the line outside. I managed to get one of the sheets torn into strips and joined (there's a special rag joining technique from Coco knits) but the tearing of the sheets did something to my shoulder and it hurt for a few days after. Needless to say, the other sheet is sitting prettily in tact. I'm glad I got most of the hard part done, knitting it up should go quickly. Once I actually have the stuff (it's at mom and dad's).

I was able to knit like, 2 rounds, on Matty's poor socks. Well, I have the toe of the 2nd complete and am about 5 rounds into the instep, so I just need to make myself do it to get it to him, ya know?

I decided to try my hand at dyeing some wool while I was home. After some research, I decided to go with Wilton Cake Dye as my coloring, using the citric acid and extra color boost of Kool-aid as back-up. Apparently Wilton won't do it alone. I didn't ask, I just obeyed. The first techinque I used was one to make a verigated in the microwave. Didn't work. So I decided to just do a big blue batch on the stove...and I threw in the botched verigated. Why not? Right?Let me begin by saying, the resulting peacock like coloring was GORGEOUS. For the most part, the wool was teal, but in areas where the red and black from the botched verigated touched, it had some varied hues within the teal and was just AMAZING.

I knitted up Star Crossed Slouchy Beret with it and I'm in love. I hated every single cable row, but the result was VERY worth it. I have enough left over that I think I could make Hazel a matching one. I think. But I'm in love with mine either way :)

Last weekend Brett took me to Londonderry (a small town in the northern most corner of NI) and let me wander around a wool shop for my birthday! I got 5 skeins of Kign Cole Mirage and 2 skeins of pure Irish wool (can't remember the make and am too lazy to go look). I decided to knit up the KC Mirage into something for ME (it is 1715 yds of wool after all). Took me 2 days to figure out what. I decided on one thing, swatched, realized that I was way off and switched patterns. Finally settling on a Lacy Star Motif Pullover. I haven't swatched, yes I admitted it, but the gauge calls for knitting up the back panel anyway, so I thought I would just start (as the back panel is the first piece in the pattern) and measure as a I get a ways in and see where we are. I've screwed up on the panel, anyway, but as it's the back panel, I don't think it'll be too noticeable.

Well, I should be off. Time to figure out what's on the schedule for today....

It's fitting...

2009-04-21T02:46:00.000-07:00

I have far too many projects in progress, as usual. I'm not sure I'm capable of having a manageable amount of projects going.

I started my newest design a while ago. And I'm in love with how it's turning out, but I've chosen to knit it up with DK weight cotton from my stash, I'm about 2 inches from being done with everything but a ribbed band and I can't stand to knit with the cotton any longer. It has zero elasticity, so knitting lace with it is a chore and hard on the fingers. Once the lace is done, however, the rest should go really really quickly, so I need to just persevere.

I decided that I needed to learn a new knitting technique, so I'm tackling the Log Cabin blanket. It's actually one of the most therapeutic knits I've ever done. Stockinette stitch throughout, which you would think would get old, but it just doesn't. I'm making it in Detroit Lions colors for Brett as he won't wear knitted stuff but he loves afghans, so here we go! I have no idea how big I plan to make it. I bought 10 skeins of yarn for it, and I'm holding it double strand. Each square of color is about 1 1/2 inches wide and I'm currently on the 1st side of the 5th square. This will be the 3rd square of blue, I've yet to use up a whole skein of blue, and I've got 3 more skeins to go through! Not to mention the silver, black and white ones. I'll probably knit until it's either big enough to cover the back of the couch or I run out of blue, which ever comes first. Or maybe I'll just knit until I'm out of blue anyway. Call it stash busting.

I put the adult sized Twiggy to the side for the moment. I don't know why as the wool is beautiful in color and touch, but, I just kind of lost interest. For the moment anyway.

Need to finish Matty's sock. The toe is done and I'm through the first cable. Maybe I'll attempt it as my travel knitting. It's smaller than everything else I have going, so it should be easy enough to knit to Dublin and on the drive to Kokomo.

On a sad note. Kay of Mason-Dixon just lost her husband to illness. I feel a connection with these wonderful women b/c they blog like Theresa and I blog. Sisters living far apart, connected by their love for knitting and each other. A couple days ago I started knitting the Jane Austen Dress from the book Knitting Outside the Lines by Mason-Dixon, hoping to get it done before we come home Saturday. The hardest part of this pattern has been the ruffle. 229 CO sts, Moss st for 11 rows. Sounds simple, right? Took for-frickin-ever. 2 days of knitting. I think I've developed a tick over the amount of time it took to knit 11 rows of moss st. Anyway, one evening of knitting past the ruffle, I'm almost done with the right back (it's knit in one flat piece divided across to make right back, arm hole, front, armhole, left back).

I stuck all Hazel's knitwear in the wash and with Woolite, put it on the hand wash setting. Crossed my fingers, said a little prayer, and walked away. Worked like a charm. Clean sweaters and no washing mishaps! YAY!
I made myself a sock for my keychain sock blocker. I love this little thing. Fell asleep mid-sock, so it probably would have taken an hour TOPS if I had worked on it straight. This is remanents of my Artyarns Ultramerino 4 from my neckband. The picture doesn't do the sock justice. I was thinking of maybe taking this pattern on the plane...can you imagine how many little socks I could make in 8 hours if they'd let me? I like the verigated yarn b/c it looks like stripes on this tiny thing!
So I attended that Big Bag knit class back in February and learned to make Mitered squares. This was what I came up with . It looked vaguely like a pink poppy., so I made the sides green moss stitch grass and then the handle is a poppy stem and bud. Not fully happy with it, but it's fun for what it is. I'm going to sew the lining in when I get to mom and dad's and it just needs a zipper put in and it should be done! (BTW, I don't know why this is in blue and underlined, and it won't let me change it.)Hope you're hanging in there and I can't wait to see your sock!
Hugs
Carli

Late night knittings

2009-04-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Awww, babe, I'm so sorry knitting make you sick. Hopefully it'll pass quickly and you can get back to it!

I, on the other hand, think I've been knitting too much. I only have 12 million patterns I want to try and 12 million more I want design! I was up late last night with Hazel (for reasons only she and God know about) and have since realized that late night knitting is a bad idea. It's the place I get my serious Startitis and all these design ideas that I HAVE TO START RIGHT NOW. So, while being up last night with H, I cast-on for yet another top for her. I should have worked on the Loverly that I'm designing her and is about 3 inches to finished, but I just couldn't do it. It's in cotton and to be honest, knitting cotton has begun to wear on me. It just has no elasticity that wool or acrylic (I know, I know) have, so it's taking getting used to! Anywho, the design that hit my brain around 2:30 last night has been started and I'm through the neckband. Now I'm just trying to decide if I want to do argyle across the front (I think I do) and whether I want to do 2 or 3 colors in it. Hmmmm...

I made my oldest younger brother a man bag for when he's Chaplin at the hospital, but I need to line it, and attach some straps. The straps will have to wait till I get home at the end of the month as it's just too much searching for what I want here. It's not laziness, it's just a lack of desire to drive to town after town in hunt of straps. I'll sew the lining on there, too, as I'll be able to hit wally world for some "manly" fabric.

While I was in Edinburgh, I bought some Jamieson Shetland wool in chunky weight. The color is amethyst and it's just GORGEOUS. I'm going to attempt (and I will be successful) at making myself a Twiggy with it. I would post a pick, but the beautiful purple just shows up blue on here, making it unworthy of posting pics. You'll just have to take my word that it's fantabulous!

Next in line is a pair of Spring Frills for Mom. Love them. Defenitely not a style that I can pull off, but they're just beautiful and I wish I could, but since I can't, I'm going to make her a pair. She wants them in shades of blue so they'll go with more. But I have this pale lavender that I think would be so soft and pretty in them...oh, well, they're hers, and I want to do them in what she'll wear!

Along the lines of wrist warmers, though, I found a new obsession while we were in Edinburgh, called Ness. It's a women's clothing and accessories and bag line and I'm IN LOVE. Usually tartan isn't my style, but I can't help but want everything in this line...in every color. One of the products they have is a pair of wristwarmers. They're sold out, but they're really expensive anyway, so I thought I might try and make myself a pair. They're really simple rib and then basic cable, and the thumb hole is simply that, a hole. The thing I think I like about them it that the hand part is longer so it bunches up over your hand looking kind of fun and comfy. I have some fyberspates 100% silk laceweight that I think will look and feel awesome. So when I get to them, they'll be on the needles, too!

I finished my Poppy purse that I was making. It just needs lining and a zipper. both will wait until we get home to Granny's sewing machine. So I'll post pics when it's all done.

Hazel's tutu is done. Never again. SOOOOO cute. Really worth making once. But once is enough for me. Here's some pics.

Well, that's me for the time being. Should be enough for a while, huh?

I hope you get feeling better, babe. I miss you!
Car

YUCK

2009-04-01T10:33:00.001-07:00

Can't knit, makes me nauseous. SUCKS!
Theresa

A Gift Boheme

2009-03-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

I finished up this Boheme for a friend of mine this morning. I think it turned out really cute. I used the feather and fan stitch for the "skirt" part instead of the tulip lace and I LOVE how it looks. I think I will do the same thing on Layla's little Easter sweater that I am getting ready to cast on. I am tryig to decide if I should make her a hat too (my friend, not Layla) to match the sweater. I hope that Crystal likes it...It looks great on the Cabbage Patch Doll....Doesn't it?

I'm going to hunt up some bulky yarn and cast on for the Twiggy to test it for you...Hmmm...guess that means I'm going to have to stash dive...oh darn. Actually, I think I have some GREAT Lion Brand Chenille that will look very cute!

I'm Here, I'm Here!!

2009-03-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

OK, so sorry that I have been gone for so long, life just gets in the way sometimes. I don't have a whole lot of time to post, but I wanted to at least post a big here and comment on your things and let you know what I have been up to!

I LOVE Hazel's little dresses. They are so cute! And her Twiggy...WAY adorable...I'll have to figure one of those for Jillian. I like your buttony, but between you and me, I think it would be better without the stripes. It is cute though, I think the style looks good on you personally. Now, I can't remember what else you have posted...darn my memory. I'll have to take another look!

This is what I have been working on.

A drop Stitch Scarf with Special Effects by Yarn Bee:

Baby Hats for my Cousin's Photography Business:

You can see one of them in action at her blog. I think they turned out really cute. And that adorable baby on her blog? That's my new nephew, Joshua...isn't he cute?!?!

What I am working on now are these:

A baby sweater for my friend Crystal's first baby girl in 14 years!

And a baby blanket for my friend Rian's first baby girl (she has 2 older boys).

I think that is all...I am getting ready to start a white sweater for Layla for Easter and then the February Lady for me....I LOVE knitting! :)

The Twiggy

2009-03-10T00:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've had several requests for the pattern for Hazel's top. I can't take full credit for this pattern as it was inspired by the Buttony sweater I made for myself. I decided to call it Twiggy as it reminds me of a jacket that would have been trendy in the 60's...and what's 60's trendier than Twiggy?

Twiggy

Yarn: Bulky weight (I used Baby Bee Dreamy Baby Chenille in Ladybug) about 205 yds

Needles: US size 10 1/2 (6.5 mm) circular, and DPNs

Gauge: 12sts/16 rows = 4 inches (10cm)

Size: 18/24 mos

*modifications to pattern are in red

Notes: The top half is knit flat then the sts are joined and knit in the round. The sleeves are knit in the round on DPNs. After the garment is knit, there should be no sewing involved other than adding the buttons and weaving in loose ends.
In all areas that it tells you to M1 (make 1) pick up the bar between the last st on the right needle and the first st on the left needle from the front with the left needle and knit through the back. This twists the st and prevents a hole from being created.

CO 48 sts.

Row 1: Sl 1, K5, work 2x2 ribbing across to last 6 sts, K6
Row 2: Sl 1, K5, work ribbing as established to last 6 sts, K6
Row 3: Work as row 1 to last 6 sts, K3, yo, K2tog, K1
Row 4: Work as row 2
Rows 5-6: Work rows 1 and 2 once more
Row 7: Sl 1, K5, pm, K5, pm, K18, pm, K5, pm, K across
Row 8: Sl 1, K5, P across to last 6sts, K6
Row 9 and all odd rows: Sl 1, (K to 1 st before marker, M1, K2, M1) four times, Knit across to end
Row 10 and all even rows: Sl 1, K5, P across to last 6 sts, K6

Repeat rows 9 and 10 until 23 sts lie between the shoulder markers (the pm, K5, pm areas should now be pm, K23, pm) ending with row 10 (WS). Add 2 more button holes (K3, yo, K2tog, K1 as in row 3) approx 8 rows apart. This is more of an eyed button hole as I wanted to use large buttons. You could add more holes closer together if you wish, just make sure there is plenty of rows between to create a firm hole.

*note: If you're knitting on straights at this point, it would be the time to switch to circulars as you will begin to knit in the round after the next row. Make sure when you knit across the gap created by the set aside sts that you pull the gap closed to avoid any ladder effects or needs to stitch up the underarms. The saved sts will fold in half and create the armholes.

Next row: Sl 1, K to marker, remove marker, slip stitches to next marker on scrap yarn, remove marker, K to marker, remove marker, slip stitches to next marker on 2nd scrap yarn, remove marker, K across.

Round 1 and 2: Pm to indicate beginning of round, join in the round, and Knit even.

Round 3: (K4, kfb) around to last 4 sts, K3, kfb
Round 4-8: Knit even
Round 9: (K4, kfb) around
Next rounds: Knit even

Continue to Knit even until the piece measures the length desired (I knitted until piece measured 8 1/2 inches from the underarm).

Next round: Purl even
Next round: Knit even
Next round: Purl even

Bind off.

Sleeves:

Note: Sleeves are started on 4 DPNs to make picking up the 4 underarm sts simpler. After the first round is knit and the 4 sts are picked up, you will knit the remainder of the sleeve on 3 needles.
To transfer the held stitches to DPNs, start with the far left st and work to the far right st as follows: Needle #1-3sts, Needle #2-9 sts, Needle #3- 9 sts, Needle #4 - 2sts.
When picking up stitches on the underarm, look at the underarm. It is V in shape. After working the 2 sts on Needle #4, pick up and knit 2 sts down the side of the V nearest to Needle #4, then with Needle #1, pick up 2 sts up the side of the V nearest to Needle #1 and knit them and the held sts on Needle #1 onto the DPN used to knit Needle #4 and the first 2 picked up sts. This results in 9 sts on each of 3 DPNs, the 4th will no longer be needed.

Begin knitting on Needle #3, pm to mark beginning of round.

Needle 3: knit
Needle 4: Knit 2, pick up and knit 4 sts from the underarm, knit across 3sts on needle 1.
Needle 2: Knit
You should now have 9 sts on 3 needles.

Knit even for 2 more rounds.

Next round: K3, work 2x2 ribbing around.
Work this round 2 more times.

Bind off.
Work same for 2nd sleeve.

Attach buttons and weave in ends.

ENJOY!

P.S. Let me know if you run into any problems with this pattern!

The Buttony twins

2009-03-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

So I finished my Buttony on Friday night...finally. I felt like I had been knitting up mohair yarn for a lifetime even though it was only 2 1/2 weeks. Then I tried it on. Yikes. First off, I had no idea that the yarn was self striping...so we're talking horizontal stripes....the What Not To Wear Team would go bananas. Secondly, it's an absolutely darling sweater, but unless you're a size 8 or thinner, you have no business trying. It has absolutely no shaping, so you have to add the shaping, and I tried. You still get what looks like a box. Anywho. That's probably b/c I'm shaped like a box, but that's besides the story. I'll post pics, but be aware, it has no business on my body :) It's going to my SIL, Linds, b/c it will look WAY cute on her with her red hair.

Then, I have this yarn I've had since last August and I thought it would be perfect to make a Buttony for Hazel. Well, I started, and as I was knitting along, I decided to change it up...a lot. I'm so excited about the turn out. It's knitted flat to the underarms and then knit in the round afterwards, adding sts to make it more of a skirt effect to the top....

What was I thinking?

2009-03-01T03:06:00.000-08:00

So I decided to make the girl I got to Mom & Tot's group all slippers for Mother's Day (which is March 22 here). I'm just doing the simple Pocketbook Slippers pattern so that I'm able to get 5 pairs done quickly. I have all the girl's favorite colors and the first slipper took 2 evenings. I'm not fast, so it takes approx 2 hours for a slipper. I have 10 total to do...8 3/4 left at this point. That's about 18 hours of slipper knitting. Then sewing them all up and decorating. I have 3 weeks. Plus I want to finish my Buttony cardigan for knit night next week, therefore freeing me up to make HAZEL'S Buttony (or atleast start it) at that same knit night. Plus I took a class on bag knitting yesterday and came up with a cute clutch I'm calling "Poppy"...that is if it turns out like I think it should.

So the list for this month's knits come to:

1. 10 Pocketbook Slippers
2. My Buttony
3. Hazel's Buttony
4. Poppy

And none of that even includes the stuff I still need to finish for my loved ones that was due 2 months ago.

What on earth am I doing to myself?

Little Dainty clothes

2009-02-19T07:27:00.000-08:00

I love love love the gloves, T! I keep meaning to tell you! The colors are way cute! The Boheme is really darling, too!

I finally sewed the skirt and the buttons on one of the little dresses I made Hazel last summer. Funny thing is, it's WAY too little now, so I removed the closure button and sewed on some ribbon so she can wear it apron style. I'm so happy with the way it turned out. It's just gorgeous on.

This is the sweater dress I knit Hazel a couple of weeks ago. Same pattern anyway. Michelle had purchased some yarn and asked me to make one for her. The pictures look kind of funny, and the dress is about a size too small for Hazel to model properly, but I'm happy with the results.

Love,

Carli

Pattern ideas?

2009-02-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

So, I'm tossing around the idea of knitting myself something sexy for my 30th birthday. I've been looking around on Ravelry at stuff I've faved before and new stuff and have found a few ideas...but I wondered...do you guys have any suggestions? I plan to be motivated enough in my going to the gym that I should lose a little weight between now and then, so I want something cute. But then again, it would be fun to go shopping for a cute outfit too. Oh, what to do....

Knitting Machine

2009-02-08T02:54:00.001-08:00

Which is exactly what I feel like lately! Here are some of my recently FOs...

Hazel's Sweater Dress...My Pleated Purse from the book Boutique Knits...

Lindsay's Neckwarmer...My flower Scarf....I have my first Knitting Club night on Wednesday night (it'll be my mom's night out), so I'm trying to decide what to knit. I think I may string on the beads for Mom's other Gauntlet and take that as it's a fairly simple knit once you get going. I'm going to CO this evening for a second sweater dress for my friend Michelle's little girl, Beth, but the first dress took about 1 day to knit up, so I'm thinking that'll be done nearly as quick, but we'll see.

I'm putting off Matt's Frat Feet, I think, out of shear frustration in frogging the second sock. I promise the pattern will be out soon, I just need a little "thinking about it" time. But I will get back to it as I know he'd like to have them at some point in the near future.

Man, I've Been Gone Awhile!

2009-02-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

Well, not really, but I didn't realize it had been that long since I last post. I really need to catch up, huh?

First, I LOVE the bolero. It is SO cute on Hazel. I might really have to make one of those for each of the girls. I really like how the colors worked too. I have looked at that Caron Shadows before, but haven't bought any, I might have to rethink that.

I say go for the summer dress. I started knitting a shirt for Layla and last night I ripped it out because I didn't like, but I will find something else for her. :)

OK, here is what I have been working on lately.
Jillian's Pink Paper Bag Hat

My Pink Striped Hat

Layla's Snowman Hat

Layla's Gloves

Jillian's Boheme

My Capelet (not the best pics, but all that I have)

So, right now, I only have 1 thing on the needles (Dad's never ending scarf!). But, I am getting ready to cast on a ton of things so here we go!

Love,
Theresa

Thing are distracting me!

2009-02-04T04:02:00.000-08:00

I'm about one inch from finished with my Flower Scarf. Well, the main part anyway. I need to do the button and the flower. But those should go quickly.

Then I have the several Christmas presents I need to tackle.

But I got this really pretty Adriafil Spillo

prior to my yarn diet (which isn't going so swell btw). It's just beautiful and so soft. And it self-stripes in these really soft white and pink and blues and, oh, I just love it. And I found a little sweater dress for Hazel that will suit it and her perfectly. And I got the DPNs I need for it today in the mail. And I wanna start it. And I really shouldn't. But I really want to. And the side of my that really wants to says I should b/c she'll grow out of it before I or anyone else will grow out of their gift. But I really need to finish what I've begun. And I really wanna finish that scarf, but I really want to knit with this Spillo...urgh.

There really is no good solution to this dilemma. Except I may knit a few rows of my scarf and then knit up the sleeves for the sweater dress (they're only like 4 rows long each) and then get to working on my belated Christmas gifts....That way everything gets a little attention.

That's fair, right?

Hazel's Bolero

2009-01-22T01:09:00.000-08:00

Yay! I got it finished!!!!!! And it's way cute. The pictures really don't do it justice, but I'll post a few anyway.

I got my cloche done also, but don't have any pics as I keep forgetting to take some when I'm wearing it, and it doesn't turn out in pics when it's not on my head, so those will get posted later.

I also finished my pleated purse yesterday. It was in the same yarn (the Bernat Satin Solid) as the Cloche, a mossy green color. I had bought 2 skeins of the stuff thinking I would need most of it for the hat, but I only needed like 3/4 of one of them. So now I'm chipping away at it with matching accessories. :)

Next I'm going to tackle Hazel's Uggs and Adam's Juggling toys and then finish all the Christmas presents that didn't get finished. I think they should go pretty quickly now that I don't HAVE to finish them in a certain time frame. What is killing me is that I have all this really pretty new fancy yarn to play with and I'm making myself finish what I've started before I start something new. Think I can do it?

Stash plans

2009-01-15T06:16:00.000-08:00

So I'm working hard on finished UFOs as they're beginning to take up more space than my stash is. I'm through the cuff of the last sleeve on Hazel's Bolero and have 1 inch left of the cloche before I have to decrease. (I was going to post pics but my camera died and we don't have any batteries in the house.)

So the goal is to get those finished. Then tackle my wips off Ravelry. I'm thinking I'll finish the fast projects like H's Uggs and Adam's Juggling toys, which shouldn't take any time. then I'll finish the scarves and wraps and mom's last gauntlet and Matt's sock (again). And finish typing up the pattern for Matt's frat feet.

Then I'm trying to make plans for my stash. I just recieved 2 shipments of yarn (my first orders off the internet) and looked at my stash and realized that it was OK to have stashed yarn of this magnitude when you're staying put. But I'm running out of storage space and with the tiny amount of space we have anyway, I need to be responsible. So I'm going through my stash and designating patterns for said yarn. I'm pretty proud as a lot of the yarn seems to have been assigned a pattern. I've still got a lot to go, and I don't know how I'll ever get the time to knit some of this up, but if I stay focused and get the job done, maybe I won't have a lot of precious yarn to put into a box and pray that they don't loose enroute to America. Some of the yarn I just can't come up with anything that I love enough to knit my precious expensive yarn into.

Like my Cherry Tree Hill Merino Lace in River Run. It was my splurge at the Iknit day last September. There's 2400 yds of that bad boy, but I love love love it and want whatever I knit up to be special. I considered an afghan, but they get spilled on and spit up on and it's 100% MERINO. Nope, not gonna do it. And I can't find a sweater or something wearable that I like enough. So that one will sit in the stash....it will find it's purpose some day.

Then I have one skein of 100% Silk Laceweight from Fyberspates that I bought at the same show. 440 yds. Delicious. It feels sexy in your hands and I have no idea what would be sexy enough to knit it up as. Brett's taking me to the ballet in February, so I wonder if I shouldn't knit up a pretty shawl. But the colors don't match the dress I'm planning to wear, so i'd have to wear something else.

And I got some lovely (and not so lovely) yarn in the mail yesterday and today. I got 6 skeins of Pop Corn by Rosarios 4 (3 in Chocolate and 3 in Sky Blue) on clearance from Purlescence for 1.95 GBP each! and one hank of Artyarns Ultramerino 4ply in Indigo/yellow which was on sale, too! Then from Woollyworkshop I got 3 balls of Adriafil Spillo and 5 balls of Adriafil Opale. I've been eyeing the Opale for a couple of months now, and finally decided to buy some with my Christmas money as it was on sale for fairly cheap. The colors on line were gorgeous, and although I know the pictures alter the actual coloring a bit, I was not prepared for what I actually recieved in the mail. Instead of a beautiful blue, yellow, green combo, I got basically yellow and black. Which would be great if I could knit it into something Purdue-esque, but the yellow is more neon than basic or gold, so I'm stuck. I'm just hoping it knits up surprisingly pretty, because I have 5 BALLS of it. On the flip side, I was unsure of the Spillo, but I thought it would be cute as a hat for H or something, but when I got it, wow. It's gorgeous. Just beautiful. And at 1.66 a ball, I feel like I should order more so I can get a garment out of it and not just a scarf or a hat. It's self striping, but the stripes are subtle and muted together. I love it, cannot wait to make something out of it....

What to do.....

What not to do with your knitting needles...

2009-01-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

So, tonight I was knitting away at my new hat, and set it aside for a bit. Hazel was determined to play with the yarn and needles, so I sat it on the back of the couch behind me, where she couldn't get to them.

Now, originally, I was going to title this post "Things not to do with your knitting needles" but for reasons you will soon discover, I've had a hard time thinking of much but this....

Brett was sitting on the floor, looking through our collection of DVDs trying to decide what to watch, and Hazel (being Hazel) was "helping" him, which, as it turns out, isn't helping. I was sitting on the couch, an arm's reach from Brett and even closer to Hazel. Laughing, I leaned over and scooped Hazel up around her belly and under her arms, and (still laughing) fell (do you see where this is going?) back onto the couch.

Right back onto the knitting.

Which might not have been so bad if they had been on the seat part of the couch, or even on the arm. Nope. They were on the back.

The needles when right into my scalp.

Thankfully, it was just the tiniest of wounds. But I still had to pull the needle, the one the was HANGING FROM MY HEAD, out of my scalp. And there was bleeding. And crying. And the nauseous need to pass out. So we called the on-call Dr to see what we should do. My scalp was only bleeding a little, and Brett couldn't make anything out, but we were nervous about blowing it off, especially as I had to PULL NEEDLES FROM MY HEAD. The nurse that called back said she felt better about calling an ambulance to come take me to the hospital than having me get in the car and let Brett drive me to Urgent Care. So we sat, and waited. And the longer we sat here, the more my head hurt, which made me think about it more, which made me more sick to my stomach and light headed.

The EMTs showed up...nicest guys btw...took a look at it and said they thought I should be okay. That the wound was really tiny, and seemed to have stopped bleeding, and since they didn't see the needle and how far it went into my scalp, they could advise 2 things. 1, I could go to the ER and get a tetanus shot. But the ER in Antrim would be PACKED on a Saturday night and I would most likely spend most of the evening in the waiting room as more severe cases would go before me (as rightfully they should) or 2, I could clean out the little wound and wait until my dr is in on Monday, give him a call and see about getting the shot then.

We chose #2.

Anyway, let this be a lesson to all you knitters. We were very lucky that the needles stabbed me and not Hazel. I'm usually very careful with my needles. Well, usually, anyway. If you thought you were one of those knitters who thinks you're too smart to hurt yourself by sitting on or getting stabbed by your needles, be ware....you're next.

Should it be this hard?

2009-01-08T23:23:00.000-08:00

Yay for finished projects, T! I, on the other hand, got none of my knitting done. Oh, well, they will get done eventually. I'll just spend a fortune mailing them home :)

So I finally finished sleeve #1 on H's bolero. #2 is hibernating while I finish the rest. I know it's out of order, but the sleeves are the last thing to get attached, and I know if I had to do the 2nd sleeve right away, the bolero wouldn't ever get done. So I did the back border next....cake. But as soon as I tackled the front border, which has 182 sts picked up around the very curvy edge onto a circular #4 needle, I wanted to gouge my eyes out. But I muscled through it, and I'm even 1/2 through the 4th row of 2x2 ribbing. There are 13 rows. Not a big deal, right? Except that, in theory, the more rows I knit, the easier the border should become. Not true. It's not getting harder, it's just not easing up. Apparently knitting a 2x2 ribbed border in the shape of an Omega sign requires shoulder and elbow knitting strength that I've yet to develope. Not to mention I'm a righty and my right shoulder is missing 1/2 an inch of bone from surgery almost 3 years ago, I woke up this morning very very very aware of my neck and shoulder and elbow and wrist on my right are.

I'm just glad I'm only making the 2-3 year size. Actually, that may be the problem...do you think it would be easier if it was a bigger size? Maybe I'll know one day!

Good luck on your caplet for tomorrow! How's it coming?
Hugs
Car

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that I got all of my holiday knitting done! Yeah! Granted, Layla's hat got done 2 days after Christmas, but she didn't care, she was just happy to get it. My neighbor loved her cowl and I am so glad.

Right now I am being selfish and knitting for myself. I am knitting the "Grand Plan Top Down Capelet" from Wrap Style by Interweave Press. I am knitting a cabled turtleneck one in a GORGEOUS deep purple yarn. I am using the Lion Brand Vanna's Choice. I was a little skeptical as it is really inexpensive acrylic, but so far I really like it. It is super soft and smushy. So far so good. I will try and get some pictures tomorrow. I am still working on my dad's scarf, but it is such a monotonous knit...dad knows he probably won't get it until next winter and I hope that he is OK with that. :)

I was so glad I to see you while you were home. It was so nice to visit with you guys. I am sorry that we couldn't stay longer. I can't believe that we didn't get any pictures though. Oh well, next time I guess!

Love you,
Theresa

Merry Christmas!!!!!

2008-12-24T05:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas all from my family to yours. May your holidays be wonderful and filled with great memories for the years to come! Always remember the REASON we celebrate Christmas and the wonderful gift that GOD sent to us. Happy Birthday Jesus!

I might just get it all done! I have 1 more hat to finish and a cowl for my neighbor...keep your fingers crossed!
Love,
Theresa

Black Hole Exploded!

2008-12-19T10:51:00.000-08:00

I kept on knitting and the black hole exploded into the 6" that I needed! I measured once and it was like 4" when I measured it again, it was over 6! Yeah! I have one ear done and the other about half way done. I should finish it today. I think it will look very cute. I am hopefully going to get to start on one of the girls's today.

I did finish my nephew's hat. I think it is really cute. It is the Vertical Stripes Hat from Susan B. Anderson book Itty Bitty Hats. It was a fairly easy pattern with no seaming, which you know I really hate. The only difficult part was getting all of the pieces the same length which I SO did not do. I measured each one as I went too, but for some reason, it just didn't work. It looks okay though. I hope that my SIL likes it for my to be nephew (who I am tired of calling that and think I am going to christen him "Rosco"). I tried it on Jillian and it is too small so it should fit a newborn like Rosco just fine. Here is what it looks like:

Love,
Theresa

Black Hole!

2008-12-18T04:50:00.000-08:00

OK, so last night, I understood the term "Black Hole of Knitting". Last night I was working on my niece's Bunny Hat and I just kept knitting and knitting and knitting. I need 6 inches before I can start to decrease. After all the knitting I only had 3 1/2 inches! An hour before, I had 2 1/2. I may not be the fastest knitter in the world, but I'm pretty sure I can knit 88 stitches in the round with Caron on Size 7's for more than an inch in an hour. I am hoping that when I go to measure it this morning, it will be at least 4 inches or something. I probably shouldn't hold my breath though!

I had a heart attack yesterday. Not really, but I had a glass of lemonade sitting on the table above my knitting bag. Do I really have to tell you what happened? Or can you take what you know about my lack of grace and guess for yourself? I almost got sick. I had to quickly pull all my yarn out of my bag and lay it by the heating vents then make sure nothing was ruined...all is good though, but I really do think my heart stopped!

I would be happy to knit the sock for you. I have big feet. :) You will have to wait until after the holidays though babe...way too much to do then. What gauge yarn do they use? Might as well do my first pair of socks for you. :)

Back to the Christmas knitting show!
Love, Theresa

Test Knit?

2008-12-18T02:28:00.000-08:00

OK, so I'm almost finished writing up my pattern for Matt's Frat Feet Socks...but I need to have 3 test knitters before I can convert it to a PDF file and submit it to Ravelry as a design....

(Matt has a size 14 foot, so they're REALLY big on my feet and you can't get a good pic, so I'll take better pictures when he gets them for Christmas)

I know you haven't done socks yet, and this is a toe-up pattern (which is a little more complex than cuff down), but I wanted to see if you wanted to be my first test knitter? I am going to open it up to our BBC Mama's group to see if anyone there would be interested, but I wanted to ask you first!

These are knit up for Matty's huge feet, but the pattern is easily adjustable to different men's sizes as the toe count is the same but the length can be altered according to the length of the foot it's being knit up for)

Love you!

My Update, such as it is!

2008-12-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

So much to do and oh geez, only like 8 1/2 days to get it done (I agree, the countdown thing may NOT have been my best idea!). Are you serious? I need more time! So, here is where I am:

Niece: Have to make her Camo Pants, Super Hero Cape, and Bunny Hat

Soon To Be Nephew: Romper and Blanket done (well, MIL is edging the blanket for me, but my part is done) and hat is almost done, just have to finish weaving in the ends and scrunch up the top.

Layla: Have to make 2 pair of flannel pants. I was going to do PJ's for her, but there is NO way they are getting done in time. I would also like to knit her a bunny hat. I still want to make a Christmas oufit, we will see if I get it done.

Jillian: Have to make 1 pair of flannel pants. Same for her on the Christmas outift and bunny hat.
BIL: A can cozy. He drinks a lot of coke and I thought this would be neat for him. I really like to do it in St. Louis Rams Colors, but I don't know if that is going to happen. I may just make him a simple one, we will see.

My parents and IL's: Foot prints from the girls. We have to do 4 of these this year, YOW! 2 for each girl!

Neighbor: I have NO idea, but she has done a ton of stuff for us this year and I want to give her a little something...any ideas???

I think that is all that I have to actually make. Do you think I can get it done? We will see, huh? I o have a couple of pics to share. Here is a pic of Jacqui who won my hat/gloves in the gift exchange I did last weekend.

Here is a pic of my to be nephew's baby hat almost finished:

Here are some pics of my seed stitch scarflette made from yarn that a friend gave me when Jilly was born. It is gorgeous. Thanks to Elmo for modeling so well! :)

Oh, wanted to point you in this direction: I think that they are WAY cute. One of the blogs I follow is making them. http://www.CassQuotes.etsy.com/

Good luck getting your stuff done...wish me luck with mine!
Love,
Theresa

Christmas Presents....

2008-12-15T03:19:00.000-08:00

I finished on of Adam's presents!!!!! Yay!!!! Well, I have one part left but it will be finished this afternoon while Hazel's napping...But the long part is done!

It's a book Cozy! It's not as big as I thought it would be, but it stretches width-wise a fair amount b/c of the ribbing, so I was able to geta DVD case in there! I could have easily fit 2 more in there, so he shold be able to get a average size paperback or pocket Bible in there! I'm knitting a strap that I'll attach with velcro so he can decide if he wants to wear it across his shoulders or not! So one present is done!!!!

Now, Brett bought me a knitting book I really wanted. Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin. And I love it. I LlllllllllllOooooooooooVvvvvvvvvvvvEeeeeeeeeee it. I don't even know which pattern I want to knit first. Not true...I really want to knit the hat that's on the front cover....Side Slip Cloche. But then again, I really want the Argyle Lace Hat. Actually, I'm kind of concerned that this book is going to be my Christmas Knitting undoing. And telling myself I can't make myself something out of it until my presents are done seems just unusually cruel....Puh-Puh-Puhleeeeeeease?

Oh So Cute Though!

2008-12-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

OMG, that hat is adorable! I can't get over how cute that is! I'm sorry it isn't going to fit Matt, but still, Hazel will get plenty of use out of it. Now you just need to get your mom to crochet this and her outfit will be complete! I'm sure if you explain the situation to Matt he will understand and will wait patiently for one of his own. :)

My gift exchange set went over well. I did take a picture, but it did not turn out cause we were in a dark bar. Sorry. I decided NOT to make a scarf for my other gift exchange. I am going to buy a travel coffee mug and make a coffee mug cozy for it instead. I just couldn't bring myself to make another scarf when I am still working on my dad's.

The girls and I are heading to my parents' house for a couple of days so I hope to get a lot of my knitting/sewing done down there. Wish me luck.
Love,
Theresa

A Smart Woman would admit defeat....

2008-12-08T03:24:00.000-08:00

So I decided to knit my brother Matt a hat. He's obsessed with Sock Monkeys, and I found this darling pattern on Knitty. It's Sock Monkey Hat, and it's a pattern actually written for an Adult.

Now, I promise I got gauge.

Then I added 10 stitches to the CO so it leaves room for a large man's head (it's weird to think of Matty as a man...sorry, Matt, it is).

But after tying off the top, and taking a look at what we've got, it's, ummmm, not big enough.

But it fits Hazel!

So Hazel's inheriting it. I didn't add the ears, just cuz I think it's cute without them.

Now, this is the second Christmas Present I have completed and that isn't anywhere near the right size. The Purdue hat is too big, and this one is WAY too small. And there's less that 2 weeks until we fly home. And I'm getting very discouraged.

Brett says it's God's way of telling me we need to take everyone something that's been purchased and leave the crafty stuff for another time.

I disagree...I WILL get some present made.

A Knitting Advent Calendar?!?!

2008-12-05T06:56:00.000-08:00

You Got it! I found this on Flying Pig Knits. It is pretty cool. Check it out!

Advent Calendar
Love,
Theresa

My Finished Objects

2008-12-04T09:48:00.001-08:00

I got my first Gift Exchange Set done. I will find out on Saturday who gets it. I hope that they like it. Sorry that the pics aren't great. I will hopefully take better pics at dinner that night.

The hat is the Amanda Hat from Sleepy Eyes Knitting and the fingerless gloves are Cabled Fingerless Mitts from Carissa Knits.

I love the Purdue Hat by the way. You are going to have to share that graph with me! Keep working, we will get it all done babe.

Finished Objects...

2008-12-04T04:35:00.001-08:00

Look what I got done! Well, it got done forever ago, but just now getting to the pictures

Christmas Lists

2008-12-03T02:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I'm having a ridiculously hard time coming up with Christmas ideas for myself. I've been asked, but I generally get the blank look granted non-knitters when I tell them anything knitting or yarn related will do.

The Yarn Harlot's recent post giving suggestions got me thinking. Maybe it would help if we made a running list of things we would like. I know that when I walk into a yarn shop, I get overwhelmed and I actually know what I'm looking at and for. So I think it's unreasonable to ask my loved ones to go in a pick something out for me.

I added a list for me and one for T on the right side of the screen, and I promise to mine updated as I'll probably keep it there for birthdays and other gift giving needs.

Love to you all!
Carli

I Want This For Christmas!

2008-12-02T12:55:00.001-08:00

I know I would have to make it, but I SO want this bag!

Positano Tote at Interweave Knits

I just don't even want to know how much it would cost. I may have to save any Chirstmas money I get. I LOVE IT!!

I did look at those $15 patterns. Yeah, way pricey, but wow...I can't imagine trying to do those little intricate details in the design. No Thank you!!

The Audacity

2008-12-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

I can appreciate the time and effort required to design a knitting pattern. I can appreciate the countless hours put into making a pattern perfect so the design is not only beautiful as a finished product, but is also easily reproduceable for anyone else wanting to duplicate it. Therefore, I can understand charging for a one of a kind pattern.

I, myself, am too cheap to purchase any of the said patterns, but that, itself, is a whole other blog.

What I cannot understand is chargind $15.00 for one pattern. ONE PATTERN. $6.00? Yes. $7.00? Sure. $10.00? Maybe if it's truly exceptional. But $15.00??????!!!!!!!??????

Really. Get over yourself.

I found this pattern on Ravelry....Just A Butterfly.

It was gorgeous and interesting enough to take a further look at. So I did. And I laughed. Hard.

Now, I'm sure said designer is very proud of their design. As they should be. But that shawl is NOT $15.00 pretty. Not when it doesn't come with any other patterns, or in a kit of yarn to knit it up with.

I know I'm being disrespectful, and I don't mean to be, but really. And, shockingly, it's not the only pattern they have that is $15.00.

I would love to meet the ego that lies behind this pattern...their head has to be HUGE!!!!

Hugs to all but inflated head designer...
Carli

The countdown ticker....

2008-12-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

Isn't actually helping.

Don't get me wrong, I love it, and am glad it's there and don't want you to take it off.

But it's not helping.

My list is as follows (stop reading if you are part of my family...)

1. Scarf and Wrap for Lindsay (the scarf is 1/2 finished and the wrap is about 1/3 done)

2. Gauntlets for Mom (I've got one done...)

3. Socks and a sock monkey for Matt (one sock is finished....)

4. Mug Cozy and Hat for Dad (one hat is done but it's too big, must start again, and the cozy is about 10 rows started)

5. Hat and Bag, and juggling toys for Adam....only the bag is started.

I think a big part of my problem is motivation.

got any to spare?

They Are Going To Love You!

2008-12-01T10:23:00.001-08:00

Not that they don't already sweetie, but they are going to love you and whatever you make for them for Christmas. Your family is NOT going to care how much knitting you get done for them. All they care about is that you will be on the same continent! :) I know I am looking forward to that. I know your family and I know that they aren't going to think badly of you if you don't have everything done. Just do what you can sweetie. Sit down when the nut is napping and take a deep breath before you pick up your needles. Remember WHY you love to knit. Remember WHO you are knitting for and think those wonderful thoughts that I know you do when you knit. Just enjoy yourself, that is why we do what we do. Knitting isn't supposed to be something you dread, but something to help you avoid all the other things we dread doing! :)

Here is what I am attempting to get done while we are on the subject:
1) Hat and glove set for first gift exchange (I have hat done and one glove almost finished)--by Saturday December 6th
2) Scarf for second gift exchange--by December 22nd
3) Dad's cable scarf--by December 25th (SO not gonna happen!)
4) hat for my to be born nephew--by December 24th
5) 2 pair flannel pants for Layla (sewing, not knitting)--by December 25th
6) Flannel Jammies for Layla--12/25
7) Camo Pants for niece, Sarah--12/24
8) Super hero cape for niece Sarah--12/24
9) Christmas Dress for Layla--12/23
10) Christmas Dress for Jillian--12/23

Oh Cripes!! I better get going huh???? Now I am stressing! Thanks Carli!
Love, Theresa

I need a knitting attitude adjustment

2008-12-01T05:32:00.000-08:00

I've had this affliction for as long as I can remember. If I HAVE to do it (whether it's self inflicted or something external forcing me), I don't WANT to, and I will drag my feet.

It will happen every time. EVERY single time.

And I thought knitting would be exempt from that rule, however, it is not.

If anything, it's worse. Because not only am I slow at finishing whatever I HAVE to finish, but then I make stupid mistakes and end up tinking and re-knitting whatever the UFO is atleast twice. Now, not only have I told myself that I must get the project done, making me hate said project, but then I've frogged it more than once for an error that is clearly my own, and I have now have less than no desire to work on it ever again. And that's where I'm at with as the bazillion Christmas presents that need to get done between now and the 22. I've got 1/2 of Mom's, Matt's, and Lindsay's presents left to do. Then I have to re-do the one present I've finished (which is for Dad) as it's clearly too big, and I just don't feel good about giving it to him. Maybe I'll wash it and see what it does. Only by the grace of God would a washing save it, but either way, unless it fixes it, I'll have to re-knit it. Sniff....sniff.

I think I'm just going to start Knitting Christmas presents ath the beginning of the year in 2009. That way, if I screw it up, I can set it aside and come back to it a couple of months later and save the gift. Or, I can just take my sweet old time with it and get it to turn out correctly the FIRST time.

To be fair, I started all these gifts in September, but I still don't think that was enough time for me...I've only been knitting for 4 years, and only seriously knitting things that aren't scarves for about 1 1/2. So I feel that expecting myself to complete 2-4 presents each for 5 people and only starting 2 mos ago may have been a tad overzealous. Just maybe.

So, now, as I sit and look at all the things left to do, I feel I need a nap, and a clear head, and an attitude adjustment so I can actually give gifts that make people feel the love I have for them in knitting them these things. At this point I fear they'll feel like I feel OBLIGATED, and I don't, I'm just not in a nice....knitting.....place.

Wanna be done...

2008-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Those look awesome!!!! Your grandparents are going to love their gifts! And those jeans are just too cute. Hazel's legs are so short that we have to roll up most of her pants, so she can't pull those off, but they are just too darn cute!

I, on the other hand, want to be done with Christmas gifts. D-O-N-E. I love giving hand knits to people, but I have less than a month to get all this stuff done. And I have no motivation to do any of it, so I'm slow knitting.
I've been designing so many things that I want to start...no, it's not startitis, as I really want to start and finish each thing to see if my designs turn out, but I will not start anything that isn't necessary until after Christmas. I won't do it...otherwise I'll have to save all my presents for next year, and I really don't want to do that either....

BAck to the yarnly grind....sigh.

Love and Kisses
Car

Giving Thanks...

2008-11-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

That I am managing to get some stuff done! I have some finished projects that I haven't had a chance to post so here you go:

Grandma's Shawl:

Grandpa's NAVY Hat:

My Gauntlets:

And I know this isn't knitting, but thought that I would share some Christmas Camo Pants that I made for someone. I think they turned out great, I may have to make some for my girls!

Love you,
Theresa

Big Hopes!

2008-11-24T09:27:00.001-08:00

Hope you are feeling better Car! Miss you!
Theresa

About Me!

2008-11-13T13:43:00.001-08:00

Posted on my Journal about some email questionnairres that I received...check them out here.

Car, loving the doll. I want to add that too my list...oh how it grows.

I am going to a knit night at my neighbor's house today. I am really excited. I was supposed to go to the LYS on Monday night, but it was my friend's Birthday party so I missed it. I am REALLY hoping I can get my Grandma's shawl done by the end of the weekend. I love it, but am SO tired of working on it knitting the same 4 rows over and over and over! Almost done! Then I can't wait to start knitting a capelet for me with my Moonlight Mohair! But I can't start something ELSE new until I am done with the shawl. I won't I won't I won't. Oh crap...I have startitis!!!!!! Help!

Love,
Theresa (we REALLY need to sign our posts girl. Anyone reading these would be SO confused!)

My first doll! (aka...Lanie's surprise)

2008-11-10T05:12:00.001-08:00

I think it's really important to celebrate each new little one we recieve into our "family" of friends. I love attending showers for them and picking out sute little outfits and toys!

Beth Penick got married this year and is celebrating the arrival of her first baby, Sophia!!!! YAY!!!!!!! Sadly, I couldn't go, but I (hopefully) will get to meet her when we're home. However, this isn't Beth's first child. When she got married to the fabulous Jody, she also married his little girl, Lanie. She's a beautiful little girl and Beth's been around her since she was....17 mos? Anywho. She's a grown up 3 year old now, and I know is going to be a great big sister. And I got to thinking...I defenitely want to get Lanie something, too! And I came across this great pattern in one of my magazines. Tooth Trader by Alan Dart (can't find the link). TOO CUTE.

So I made her...and modified her a bit. She's not a tooth fairy, but a ballerina fairy, and instead of a blonde pony tail I made brunette pigtails. I added a few bits and bobbs and anyway, I love how she turned out.....

Yarn Lovers Dream!!

2008-11-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

OK, so I will post more later, but HAD to tell you about my steal! I went to Big Lots with Mom on Friday...didn't see anything I couldn't live without. Then just before leaving, I walked down an aisle and there they were...skeins upon skeins of yarn ALL marked down to either $1 or $1.50! I sat and drooled for a while and then picked out 8 skeins of Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair and 3 or Lion Brand Suede (I would have gotten more of that, but they only had 3 in the color I liked). Total was about $17!! I figured it up and this yarn would have cost me about $89 in another store! Talk about a steal huh?!?! Now if I can just find the pattern that I really liked that I put away because I didn't want to spend $8 a skein on the mohair! I'll let you know when I find it!

BTW: Way funny website, I about fell out of my chair when I saw the crotched shorts!

I could cry...

2008-10-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so sitting here looking up some websites that were published in my knitting magazines and we came across this website....

What Not to Crochet

DEFENITELY check it out. Hilarious. Make sure you check out the post labeled I Nearly Didn't Write This Post. I almost cried I laughed so hard. I thought about posting one of the pictures as my wallpaper so I got a laugh every time I turned on the computer...but it boarderlines disturbing when you look too long....

Check it out!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I promise to catch up soon...lots of knitting going on over here in Ireland....

Cable Gymnastics!!

2008-10-23T10:02:00.001-07:00

I just learned how to cable without a cable needle! I think that it is REALLY going to make my cabling faster. Eventually anyways, it may take me a few times to get the hang of it. I learned how from a tutorial here. It is REALLY easy to follow. I will keep you in touch about how it goes. SO far so good! It is going to make doing my dad's Reversible Cable Scarf SO much easier!!
Theresa

My First Pattern!!

2008-10-17T10:50:00.001-07:00

I just did my very first pattern all on my own. I'm pretty proud of myself. I know that it is a very simple pattern and project, but it is the first one I have designed entirely on my own. The story behind it is that I made myself a pair of pink hand warmers and Layla really really wanted a pair so, of course I wanted to make her a pair. I didn't want to have to do the cabling on her's though because most likely she will lose one somewhere and I didn't want to put that much into it. I realize that sounds mean, but come on, she's 3. Chances are, she is going to lose a warmer. So, this design came from wanting to make something simple that could go on either hand so she would't have to figure out which hand was which (we are still working on Right and Left, although she is getting better). I'm sure that there are similar patterns to this out there, so any similarities are completely accidental. Let me know if there are any mistakes, OK. I hope that your little one will enjoy them as much as mine does.

Layla's Pink Mitts

Materials
Worsted weight yarn in 2 different colors. Make 1 (A) and the other (B). (I do not know the exact amount, but it really wasn't very much)
I used Plymouth Encore Worsted in Hot Pink (A) and Light Pink (B). I used 2 different
colors, but if you want to use only one or more than 2, feel free. The directions are just what I did with two colors.
1 set US #6 DPNs
Tapestry needle

Gauge
14 sts/15 rows = 2" in 2x2 rib
11 sts/17 rows in 2" in stockinette stitch
I am really bad at figuring gauge, especially in the round and in rib. Luckily since it is a rib
pattern, gauge is forgiving. You won't be knitting in St st, but I included the gauge in case
it helps.

PATTERN
CO 32 sts with A as follows:
Needle 1: 12 sts
Needle 2: 12 sts
Needle 3: 8 sts

Knit in 2x2 rib pattern as follows:
A for 8 rounds
B for 8 rounds
A for 6 rounds
B for 5 rounds
On next round, continue knitting with B and knit in pattern across Needles 1 & 2. On needle 3, K2 then BO 4 sts knitwise, then purl remaining stitch.
Next Round: Switch to A and knit around in pattern to where you bound off the 4 stitches on the row below. CO 4 sts (I used the Backward Loop method), purl the last 2 sts on that round.
Continue in pattern with A for 3 more rounds.
B for 4 rounds
A for 2 rounds
B for 2 rounds
Bind Off in pattern with B.

Turn inside out to weave in ends. Make another Mitt the same way. ENJOY!

Lots of Catching Up To Do!

2008-10-15T07:57:00.001-07:00

Wow, I haven't posted any progress on here in a LONG time! I can't believe that. I have gotten several things done, I should probably tell you about them, huh? :) OK,where to start...My first pair of fingerless gloves. I LOVE them so much! I will have to come back and link the pattern from Ravelry because it is down right now. :( Anyways, they are done with Hobby Lobby "I Love This Yarn" in Ombre Navajo. They are really pretty. They are to go with my orange hat. They have a really pretty braided cable up the middle. They were actually my first FINISHED cable project.

I have also made myself a hat. It is the same pattern as the umbrella hats that I have made for babies, but I LOVE the pattern, so I made myself one. I just cast on an extra Umbrella flounce or whatever you want to call it. I think that it turned out pretty cute. It is kinda long, but at least it will keep my ears covered.

I made myself a second pair of mitts to go with the hat. Well, unfortuantely, the colors don't match very well. I have enough yarn that I will probably make myself a quick hat out of this yarn, just so it matches, but we will see. I LOVE these handwarmers, I want some in every color. I am not sure which I like more, these or the Navajo ones.

Finally, Friday night before a bonfire on Saturday, I realized that if it was cold Saturday night, Jillian would have nothing on her hands. So, I got busy and made her some mittens really quick. These were a SUPER fast knit, and only took a couple of hours. I used some scraps to embroider on them. I think they turned out well.

I now only have 2 projects on the needles, my dad's scarf and my grandmother's wrap. I do still have my elephant on needles, but that project is hybernating for a bit...just wasn't in the mood to finish it.

I have some other stuff I want to cast on for, I may have to make a list from my Ravelry page...too many things!
Love,
Theresa

My Sanity project...

2008-10-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

I've been working earnestly on my brothers manbag, and I'm so glad he wants me to knit him one, but wow. Navy blue chunky yarn doesn't knit up quickly at all. In fact, it may make me CRAZY!!!!! I finished the front panel, and have cast on and finished about 2 inches of the strap (I couldn't force myself to do another panel of ST st in navye), when I decided I desperately needed a fun fast bright project to get motivated.

So I knit Hazel a Cuddly Bunny by Lion Brand. (I'd link the pattern if I didn't have to go look up my password...I'm lazy today)

It took about 3 hours from start to finish!!! And it doesn't have a face b/c she's latched on to him/her and anytime I go to work on her/him, Hazel comes to snatch him/her!

A Pattern Fetish

2008-09-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

I think I have one. Yes, yarn gets me all excited, but due to my budgetary restraint, I can muster up yarn willpower....I cannot resist the temptation for free patterns. or not so free patterns, come to think of it.

I really need to get ahold of my need to collect more as I have easily 20 magazines and 7 books plus 650+ free on Ravelry. I don't need anymore, and yet....

I have a new book coming from Amazon and I cannot wait for it to get here.....

5 Reasons To Try And Lose Weight

2008-09-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

5: I will be healthier.
4: I will look and feel better and sexier.
3: I will be able to wear the cute clothes.
2: Better bedroom time (Come on, you know what I mean!)

And the Number 1 Reason I am trying to lose weight:

The smaller I am, the less yarn I will need for the clothes I want to make. Less yarn to fit = more yarn I can buy! :)

Bring it on!
Theresa

Priorities!

2008-09-21T03:18:00.000-07:00

So I need desperately to prioritise my works in progress.

It is devastatingly sad that my startitis is getting this bad. Let's run through the projects I have going...shall we?

Hazel Projects:

1. Her Uggs...they are 1/2 finished...meaning one shoe is finished and I've yet to cast on the 2nd.

2. The Can-Can skirt I'm designing her...I frogged the first trial, deciding life will be much better if I just rip it out and start all over...this time working from the top down so that I can have much better size control. So right now it's occupying one of my Boye's interchangeables as only a cast on.

3. A Pull-over I'm designing for her. I'm really really excited about this one, and I love knitting up the stitches (it's lacework).

4. Her slippers I designed her...I found the cutest baby slippers at Target while I was Preggo...the only problem was that they only came in blue and white and the largest they got was 3-6 mos. I looked at them and thought...I can make these. So I bought them, took them home and knitted them up. The first pair was HUGE. But I managed to get this pair the correct size. I think I want to add a little something to them, though, as they still don't seem girly enough for me....

Other People Projects:

1. Adam's ManBag...I designed a purse for Lindsay for her birthday, and once Adam saw it, he wanted me to design him one, smaller (to hold just one or two books), plainer, and more masculine. I got it started, but, and this is really the only explaination I can come up with, lost interest and haven't gotten farther than....

2. A Scarf for Lindsay for christmas. I was originally going to make and keep it for myself, but, about 2 triangles in, I realized that it's the end of September and I haven't even begun Christmas projects, yet. Then Brett pointed out that it matches the purse I made her, so, hopefully she'll like it, as it's her first gift.

3. Adam's Juggling Balls...I made one of this poor belated birthday present. And They're actually very fast, I just need to get on the other 2...Poor Adam.

I've got a ton of other projects that I'm itching to start, but I think, for the sake of preventing any more UFOs (UnFinished Objects to laymen), I need to knock some of these out of the to-do list....that way I can get started on more christmas gifts...and there's a LOT!

No time!

2008-09-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to knit much lately...sewing too much. Will write more later.

My first hank winding

2008-09-11T03:50:00.000-07:00

So, last night, I wound my first hank with my new Wool Winder. Love it.

For some odd reason, though, I chose to wind my 100% silk laceweight from Fyberspates as my test run. Thankfully, God sent a knitting angel to watch over me and my yarn.....
While I was at IKnit, I debated buying a Wooden Umbrella Swift from Loop. Their kinda expensive and I wasn't sure if I wanted to try to find the space to use it....After last night, however, Brett insists I have one. I used him as my swift. :) For those of you dedicated readers who don't know what a swift is, it's a contraption that holds a hank of yarn neatly so that you can wind it into a useable ball (you cannot knit or crochet from a hank...it is certain death of your yarn if you try). His response to me using his hands as my make-shift swift (say that 3 times fast) was that I need to find and order one off the internet and see if they're willing to expedite it :) He had it easy....atleast I started small....that hank held 440 yards of silk, the bigger one...it hold 2400 yds.

Hey, I'm not completely cruel, he had a beer and I was letting him watch soccer. His hands were mine......

IKnit Day 2008 (oh, and London, too)

2008-09-09T00:01:00.001-07:00

Where do I begin???? IKnit Day was wonderful and glorious and HOT. Wow. I walked into the convention center and it was sweltering....full of women (and a few men) and just tons of wool (and other glorious materials). I've never actually contemplated being naked in public before then, but, being in the craziness of IKnit, I would have been more than happy to bare all just to get through it! There were knitters EVERYWHERE. 1/2 of the room was dedicated to stalls for shopping, and the other 1/2 was the mainstage, and workshop areas. Chairs with knitters doing what they did best filled every little nook and cranny of the mainstage 1/2...save 2 aisles on both sides of the stage for passerbys...It was crazy.

In my naive little head, I thought it would be best to hit the stalls and so some shopping before the yarn was all picked over. Silly me thought I would actually be ABLE to get to the stalls. Knitters are rude!!!!! There's no queing for a chance to look...people WILL and DO cut in front of you.

I have to admit I was a little overwhelmed with all the possibilities of yarn. My first purchase was at the Purlescence stall. I got cute little Pattern Markers!!!

I just think they're so fun. The only things is, with traveling, they don't seem to stay on my pattern too well, but that's OK, they're cuteness makes up for their travel ineptness!

I got some really pretty China Palace silk DK....

I think I'm going to knit up something for Hazel out of it. I can't quite decide. There's plenty for a shrug for her, which I think would be darling. Can't quite decide, though.....I just love the colors.

Then I managed to snag a Sushi Sock Roll from the Easy Knits stall. I'm so excited to get started this one. I just need to decide what socks I want to knit up with it....Look how gorgeous the colors are!

I can't just knit a plain ole borning sock with this gorgeous stuff. Hmmm....

Then I saw the most amazing incredible gorgeous breathtaking wool I have ever laid my eyes (and hands) on. And it was stupidly expensive. But when I saw it (and touched it) it was like "AHHHHH...AHHHHHH...Ahhhh" The heavens opened up and a choir of angels sang. I stewed about it for a while....and stewed about it more. Then I sucked it up and bought it....

I hate these pictures, though b/c they aren't showing the colors. The bright blues are bright purple in real life.....Oh, these pictures just make it look boring.....

Yikes!!!! I gotta get ready for mom & tots!!!!! Will type again later!

Way cute!

2008-09-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

She is WAY cute Carli! I hope she won an award!

Finished Grandpa's hat! Yeah! Pics to come!

My alien!

2008-09-05T01:00:00.001-07:00

She's finished!!!!!!

She won't win any awards, but she's fun! Now, just for a name and home planet......

Who Said They Need Faces?

2008-09-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

Really? Who Said Alien's need faces? Do something crazy with it instead!

I would say yarn or Harlot is a tough choice...I wonder what I would do? I'd really have to think on that!

Dad likes his scarf so far...I'm glad, I"m finally getting the ang of the cables...be a real shame to have to rip it all out!

Love,
Theresa

I hate Aliens

2008-09-02T03:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, so not really aliens, just their faces....

The lips I made don't work, so I tried embroidering on a pair....no go. Looks really bad....

Think I'm gonna work on something I like to get me motivated

My alien

2008-09-02T01:07:00.000-07:00

So part of the I Knit Day 2008 is the entry of a knitted or crocheted alien of your own design. It can't be based off an alien in any story or tv show or movie, it has to be ENTIRELY your creation. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it or not, but as I've been going along, I've been having SO much fun making this gal up. She has a head, body, legs, feet, and arms. Right now, I'm working on her hot pink lips.

I'm struggling something awful on her eyes, though. I don't want to embroider them on, as I feel that's the easy way out, but everything I've knit so far, has been too big. I may try to add on some bobbles...if those don't work, I may fall back on the whole embroidery thing....

Guess I should focus on the rest of her for now....maybe I'll have a moment of genius....

5 days till I Knit....and counting....

So sad....

2008-08-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hi!
I'm back from the dead...I think....jetlag is kicking my butt.
This week has just been sad. S-A-D. The trip home was LONG. Very very long. Then fighting the jetlag...that's sad. Every night. Sigh.

But then the saddest thing of all.....

I found a Yarn Harlot ticket for the I Knit show next weekend. And I can't get it. Sniff.....sniff. I spent so much $$$ in the states while I was there this past 3 weeks that I need to choose between spending another 14 GBPs to get the YH ticket (when I have a perfectly good ticket w/o the YH...although no where near as fab) or spending the 14 GBPs on yarn. Hmmmmm. It's actually truly a hard decision. My yarny side says "YARN...YARN...YARN!" but the Yarn Harlot groupie in me says, "GO TO THE SHOW! LEARN LOTS!" More than likely, I'll opt for the yarn and fun new gadgets...

Hey, there's a CD at my parents' full of knitting patterns.

Well, the nuts awake and screaming.....back to jetlag therapy....

Exercising Leads to Less Knitting Time

2008-08-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

It is true! Who would have thought? I wish I had enough coordination to walk and knit at the same time, but I just don't think that I do. I've been tired enough that I haven't bee staying up late to knit either. Hopefully that will get better, but for now I am tired. But I am DETERMINED to win the Biggest Loser contest my MOMS Club(R) is doing. The pot is about $250! That is a lot of yarn! :)

I did finish the blanket, but have decided not to put it in the MOMS Club auction...just not that happy with it. I'm sure I will find a use for it.

Not much else to report, just missing you already...is it Christmas yet?
Love,
Theresa

#5 Alive!

2008-08-21T12:20:00.001-07:00

I am loving that you are home! I only wish I could see you more often! Tuesday was so much fun at your folk's house! On my way home, I got to thinking and realized that we had not knit together since you taught me how over a year ago! Can you believe that? I know that I didn't knit much on Tuesday, but I am glad that we were able to a little bit! :) Watching movies was so much fun too...I can not believe your parent's have Short Circuit! I am still laughing about that one! Number 5 Alive! :)

The girls have been pretty funny lately. It has been so nice out so Layla has been wanting to play outside in her play pool a lot. If I can get Jillian down for a nap at that time, it is great. I go outside and knit while Layla plays in the water. Here are some pics from the other day and one of Jillian so she doesn't feel left out:

The only other thing I think is that I have decided there is NO way I am going to be able to get the blanket done for MOMS Club that I was knitting for the auction. So, I am going to let it rest for a bit...I am really tired of knitting it. I am going to have a new niece or nephew in February so I will get it done for then. Here is what it looks like so far though:

So, now I am working on the following: My dad's scarf, my grandfather's hat, my grandmother's shawl, and Baby Elephant. I am going to cast on though for Layla's dress and this really cool little sweater I found (I think I have enough yarn in the stash). I also want to start a pair of socks for me...gotta get those done so I can wear them with my AWESOME new shoes! :) I finally remembered to upload a pic of my summer hat. I don't really like it, but think it gave me some ideas about what I really do want and that is good, isn't it?

Take care!
Love,
Theresa

New Shoes = New Yarn?

2008-08-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Huh? Who would have thought? :) Two of my very favorite things combined! I bought a FABULOUS new pair of shoes, but they are a little big, so I went and bought some sock yarn to learn how to make socks so they match! Fun Fun!
-Theresa

We can go get more! :)

2008-08-04T05:53:00.000-07:00

I agree that packing sucks big time, but just think...that just means that you can get more yarn and more projects here in the states! I guess if I have to go yarn shopping with you, I'll just have to force myself to do it, I mean, it will be a whole lot of trouble, but darn it that is what friends are for. OK, seriously, you know I will make any excuse to go to the LYS. One more thing to look forward to once you get home!

OK, so I have been pretty MIA on the blog lately, but it has been a little crazy around here. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a WHOLE lot of knitting done. I did finish my Weekender hat, but it didn't come out exactly how I wanted. It is OK though. I bought some Rowan Denim to make a different one that I will hopefully like better. I will put up some pics when I get them.

Right now, I am working on a scarf for my father. I have started and restarted one for him, but I THINK I am onto a winner now. I am doing the Reversible Cable Scarf from Lion Brand. I am using this GORGEOUS burnt orange Ultra Alpaca from Berroco. I have only done one repeat, but I think it is a keeper. I am still working on Elefante, and haven't made any progress since last post. Hopefully soon. The biggest thing that I think I am making is a pinwheel baby blanket. My MOMS Club (R) does a huge auction at the end of September. Last year I donated some purses to raffle off. I am going to do that this year too, but thought that I would do a baby blanket/hat/bootie set as well. I would really like to do a custom outfit as well, but we will see if I get it done. Anyway, I am using Caron on the blanket as I know it is easy to clean and doing it in yellow, green, blue, purple with white. I think that it will look neat. I am slowly making my way through it, but not necessarily looking forward to the last rounds when there are over 1000 stitces on the needles. The pattern calls for plain stockinette stitch, but I am throwing in some purl ridges and some seed stitch. I hope that it will go well in the auction.

Can't wait for Carli to come home. I am missing you so much. I will talk to you later today! YEAH!!!

Packing Sucks...

2008-08-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

So, I'm usually a pretty darn good packer. In fact, it's a joke between Brett and I that it's not truly a "packing moment" unless he informs me that there's no way we're going to be able to take "all that stuff" and I....prove him wrong. EVERY time. That is, until last night. And even, now, at 5:50 am, an hour before we're to drive to Belfast, I'm still wracking my brain to figure out how to get it all in. Because, darn it, I've minimized the clothing I'm bringing, re-thought every piece of clothing I'm bringing for Hazel, and STILL don't have room for all the knitting I want to bring.

Now, for those of you who know me and my knitting, you're probably thinking, "Well, if you wouldn't bring every piece of knitting you own...every needle, all your yarn, and patterns...you'd have more than enough room."

Not true.

I actually have very little going with me. A project for the plane...Hazel's new skirt that I'm designing as it's on circulars...no pattern (as it's in my head) and on unthreatening circulars (I hope, please oh, please, let me on the plane with them). My Boye interchangeables...I "don't need" all my needles, however, I do actually feel a sense of loss for my needles...I feel like I'm chosing to take one kid on vacation (the interchangeables) while the others have to sit at home and do homework...*sniff*. My accessories bag...all the little knicknacs I need like my measuring tape, darning needles, cable needles, etc. because they ARE necessary to function as a knitter. And last, but not least, the scarf I've been working on for my fabulous Daddy for 2 1/2 years. I'm determined to get that bad boy done before Christmas, as he's been patiently waiting for it. Plus, I'm to the point in my knitting skills that I don't need a pattern for it any longer, so it'll be a good project for in the car. Provided I can find more of the yarn. I know there's another skein of it in the lock-up over there, but it would be so much easier if Wal-mart just stocked the stuff. Here's to hoping.

So, see! I'm not being that high maintenence of a knitter. Especially since I'm going to be gone for 3 weeks. THREE WEEKS!!!!! Do you even understand what that means???!!!!??? That means, I'll have Hazel's skirt very close if not completely finished by the end of the 8 hour plane ride. So when I get to Indiana, I'll only have Dad's scarf to do. Provided we remidy the yarn issue (see above). But that's not the only projects I have going that need to be completed.

I've got to finish the objects I was going to make Adam for his birthday. But there's no room. Really, no room. I look at the beautiful UFO's sitting in my knitting basket and all I can think of it....

Packing Sucks.

My weekend knit

2008-07-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

So I decided to make Dad a pair of slippers to wear around the house or wherever as he usually has thin socks on....or hospital slippers (which if you've ever worn...DO NOT do the trick...it's like wearing panty hose to keep your feet warm). So, anyway, here they are! They look odd when they aren't on feet, but Adam tried them on and they fit perfectly!

the cancan skirt trial size

2008-07-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

so I wanted to design Hazel a little skirt with some flair, but having not made her one before I had no idea what size to make it...this, was not big enough. It looks like it fits in the pictures, but it's very snug. So I'm going to make the actual skirt about 1/4 again as big.....wish me luck! This one is going to my friend Michelle's little girl as she's probably the perfect size for it...

The One in Which I am Frustrated!

2008-07-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

AAARGH! OK, so I have cast on for the body of elefante (see link below) so any times I have lost count! It is done in the round on dpns. I am supposed to cast on 9 sts (3 on each) then knit in front & back of each stitch. I keep screwing it up. Any advice? I need some help!

PS...pardon the FRIENDS title reference :)

Best Laid Plans Pictures!

2008-07-22T01:15:00.001-07:00

Here's the hat I made Adam to keep his cranium warm and un-sunburnt! Hazel's not a big fan as he was wearing it and leaned down to play with her and she got this terrorized look on her face and started crying uncontrolably! The rest of us like it, though, and it didn't turn out too bad provided I didn't have a pattern to follow!

Here are the balls that I made...the pink one is Hazel's and the striped one is one of the set I'm going to make Adam (you need 3 to juggle for some reason ;-) ). The took no time to make, so I should have the rest of Adam's done in time for his birthday!

I cast on last night to learn 2-at-a-time sock knitting, but I need different needles than my Boye Interchangeable, they don't seem to want to bend and twist the way they need to. I also think I need a little more patience than what I have right now as it is NOT an easy technique. So the socks will have to take a back seat to other projects. I'll learn eventually.

I cast on for a second Violet dress for Hazel. This time, though, I decreased the cast on and all the calculations by 20%, and I'm going to make it fairly short so she can wear it as a tunic instead of a dress....wish me luck! It's a little odd, though, I've changed so much about that project that the pattern only resembles the original. The finished project still looks the same, but I've switched so many stitches that it doesn't feel the same!

Well, I'm off to knit! Have a great day!

Best Laid Plans....

2008-07-21T01:50:00.000-07:00

This week has been CRAZY!!!!! Adam and Linds got here on Wednesday and my days have been a whirlwind since! But you can read about our travels on my other blog....

So this week I cast on 2 different projects...one pair of socks for my friend Michelle's birthday (which is tomorrow), and pedicure socks for Jenn, Linds, and I when we get our peds later this week. I found very cute sock yarn for both and started right away. Then Friday, Hazel spit up on the red sock yarn for Michelle's socks...so I frogged those. I'll figure out how to wash the yarn and use it for a different project. So she may not get her present till next month...
Then I cast on for the ped socks and got distracted by making my brother's juggling toys and made one for him (I'm going to make 3) and then I made one for Hazel since she wanted to play with his. So I got 2 balls done and started working on the ped socks again, when, Adam stated (while we were out and about on Saturday) that his head was really cold and he wished he had brought a sock cap...so of course I started that project Saturday night when we got home. I should be done with it this afternoon, that way he'll atleast have it for 1/2 his visit. Then, hopefully, I will be able to get the ped socks done before our pedicures this Thursday...I'm not holding my breath, though!

I think the ravelympics sounds so fun! What project are you thinking of doing? I have a shirt I want to make Linds for christmas that I could do, or I thought of trying something for my mom for her birthday in September. The other thing I thought of doing was knitting 1 swatch a day for 15 days, making them rather large swatches and all different stitch types, and then stitching them together as making it a blanket for Hazel's 1st birthday. I don't know if I'll actually sign up for the event, especially as we'll be traveling so much during that span and I won't be able to knit while I drive (although, if you can figure out how, that would be fantastic) but I thought it would be fun to knit along to see what I'm capable of, and joining next year!

Kids Asleep, Husband Out...Why Am I On The Computer?

2008-07-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

I am loving the dress Carli! It is so cute! I think that I am going to have to make one for Layla. Maybe even one for my niece for Christmas. Wouldn't it be cute to make them matching Christmas dresses? I think I will at least do that for my girls. I was going to sew them some, but maybe this would be better. I will have to think about that. Hmmm....

The purse is really cute too. I am proud of you for designing something! Go You! I really hope that she likes it.

Last week I went home to visit my parents. We had a nice time. While we were there, I got to go to the yarn store close to them. I have been wanting to go, but just haven't been able to. It is called the Trading Post and not only was it a yarn and fiber store, but it was also an alpaca and llama farm! They are SO cute! The yarn store had some beautiful things in it and I was really excited to check it all out. Unfortunately, Mom was watching the girls in the car so I really couldn't stay very long. But, I did buy a hank of 100% alpaca undied wool. It is SO pretty.

There is about 150 yards there, I'm not sure yet what I am going to make with it, but I can't wait to do it! I have a couple of One Skein books from the library so I am going to have to find something neat that is worthy of the wool. The coolest thing was that I got to see the alpaca that it came from. He was SO pretty and his name was Hamlet. The only bummer about the place is that it is only open 2 days a week. But the store girl said that anytime I was coming into town to call the owner and if she was around she would most likely open the store so I will have to keep that in mind!! Yeah!! A new yarn store!

I finished up Jillian's dress. I am really happy with it, but wish it was a little longer. However, with a diaper cover, I think it will be cute. It matches the dress I made for Layla. Here is the best picture I could get. I will try and get a better one this weekend.

Right now, I am working on a shawl for my grandmother, a hat for my grandfather and I think I am going to cast on for Elefante tonight. I bought some Caron today to do it in. The pattern calls for stripes, but the varigated yarn I think will be really pretty. I can't wait to make this. It will be my first toy so that will be exciting. I am going to cast on for a scarf too...I have been trying to make a summer scarf, but just haven't found one I like. Hopefully this one will be cute! I'm tired of ripping out stuff! :)

I am trying to decide if I am going to enter the Ravelympics. I have to come up with a project that I can finish in 17 days, but will challenge me. I am going to have to think on it. Any ideas? Let me know!

My first "design"

2008-07-14T03:28:00.000-07:00

So this "design" needs a lot of tweeking, but I thought it made a fun project for Lindsay's birthday! I really stuggled with lining the strap, and my handstitching leaves something to be desired, but, oh well. I think it's cute anyway!

The outside is done in simple Entrelac squares (15x15), the strap is increased cable (c4b) surrounded by garter st. The flap is from picked up sts and steadily decreased, adding a button hole near the point and I finished it off with a decorative border! I even added a phone pocket to the strap. We'll see if she likes it!

Hi Stranger!

2008-07-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well hello there!

T, those are way cute stitch markers!!!!! I can't decide if I want to make some SMs or avoid adding ANOTHER project to my To Do list....

But here's one I can check off!!!! I just finished Hazel's Violet Dress (named by the designer-not me) and I love love love love love love love it. It's a little big, but that's ok b/c she'll have room to grow into it. And I think I want to make her a couple more in different lengths. I wasn't sure about the colors until I got into the striping I put into the skirt and now I couldn't love it more!

Look What I Made!

2008-07-07T13:10:00.001-07:00

I had seen fancy stitch markers online and thought that it would be neat to have some. So, I gave it a try...what do you think?

Sorry for the bad photos...you know I suck at that!

Happy 4th!

2008-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to sat HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday!

My New Favorite Hat!

2008-07-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

I can't WAIT for winter to be able to wear this hat! It is the My First Hat from Knit 2 Together. It is knit with Lamb's Pride Wool in "Orange You Glad". I LOVE it! I think the flower really adds the something extra! Sorry for the not so great pics...I'm not much of a photographer.

So Sad!

2008-07-03T06:55:00.001-07:00

Bummer! I am without my oldest today and the LYS is closed! Bummer and a half! So sad!

Where does the year go?

2008-07-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

I can NOT believe that it is July 1st! Where in the world does the year go? It seems like just yesterday we were "ringing" in the new year! OK, so we weren't even awake to see midnight, but come on, we have a 2 year old and I was pregnant! :) Anyway, I can't believe the year is over half over...does that make sense? Craziness!

So, unfortunately, I haven't been able to get much knitting done the past couple of days. We have been SUPER busy. Baby Jillian was baptised on Sunday and we had a lot of our family here to celebrate with us for a cookout. We had a really great time and got to visit with our family. The kids played outside (thank goodness it was nice outside). Thank you so much to all of our family that came. In other Jillian news...she is rolling over! It seems so early, but I know it isn't. She is also teething like mad...which is driving me nuts. Layla is trying to learn to use the potty. It is really frustrating for me, but I know she will get it.
I did get some things done...Jillian's hat and bootee set are finished. They are so cute...I love them. I want to make more for her. I think that I will make a set in blues, greens, and purples so we have cool and warm colors to wear with everything!

I have a couple of other things in the works. I wish I had time to knit more...where are baby sitters when you need them?

Oh, also, I wanted to post about my cousin. She had surgery this past week up at Mayo. The doctors took out 12 lymph nodes, 4 of them had cancer in them. Evidently though, she is doing very well. She was feeling up to coming home the day after the surgery. She will have to go back in 6 weeks to see if it is still all gone. If so, then she only has to go back every 6 months. Please keep praying for her...it is going to be a long road, but at least she doesn't have to have chemo or radiation. Thank the Good Lord!

Carli, I hope that you are having fun with your guests. Can't wait to chat with you again, miss you babe!

No Sleep makes Homer go something something...

2008-06-25T05:04:00.001-07:00

So the past week has just been awful. The Nut isn't sleeping, therefore, mommy isn't sleeping, hence not a whole lot of knitting or blogging is getting done!

I would have to say, T, that it is defenitely obsession (I have it, too) and I am proud to admit that I helped contribute to your obsession!!!!

You would think that living in a land that is just covered in sheep, I would have endless supply of knitting resources. Not so! I am currently holding onto the only 3 knitting books from the library that I haven't yet checked out atleast once (if not twice or 3 times). And Larne has no book store (well, none that has more than 10 books), so in order to purchase a knitting book, we have to travel to Ballymena or Belfast. So, I am relying on the wonders of Ravelry to get me through! Time to buy a printer, though, so I can save some of the patterns I like...

Last week (I think it was last week) I finished my sweater for Hazel....

and I'm sooooo happy with the way it turned out! I washed it and am really excited to say that after being washed and dried, my very first sweater held up beautifully! YEAAAAA!!!!! It is, however, the last thing i knit with a hood. It turned out cute, but that hood was just awful...and it wasn't hard, just boring. The pattern is Duffel Coat from the Essential Baby Book by Debbie Bliss. I really like it, but unless I forget about how much knitting it sucked, if our next baby is a boy, he'll get a different sweater knit by mommy!

Right now I'm trying to get a purse knit for my gorgeous sister-in-law, Lindsay, for her birthday. I found this gorgeous purse that I thought I could figure out, and I'm sure if I wanted to sit down and sketch out the pattern I could pretty easily, but I wanted to knit, not sketch, so I'm making up my own version! It's inspiration is 1/2 the original purse and 1/2 the Percy bag I loved so much. I've learned Entrelac, which isn't as bad as I thought it would be...YH defenitely hates it, but I'm glad I gave it a shot, I just wouldn't want to do a large project with small squares. Right now I'm using double DK strands with #13 needles, knitting 15 x 15 squares. I've got 1 triangle of this row and the last pass row of triangles left to do of the main body. Then I need to knit the straps which will be the sides also, edge the main body, and knit up a inner pocket and then sew it all together! I think once I get the Entrelac finished the rest will be quick going. I need to learn to knit on an i-cord edge as I've incorporated it into another pattern I've designed, so I'm thinking I may try it on Linds's purse, but we'll see what kind of time we have. I may just default to garter or seed st edging for time's sake. I promise to post pictures when I'm done!

What else...

I've entered 2 knit design competitions. I'm really nervous and hoping that I haven't gotten in over my head with the designs, but I've tried to make them realistic, so I should be okay if (and that's a BIG if) I get chosen as one of the top 3 designs. the first place winner gets 250 GBPs (Great Britian Pounds) worth of yarn and the 2nd and 3rd places get 50 GBPs worth!!! Both designs are for little girl summer tops, so we'll see! If neither flies, I'll probably end up knitting up both anyway and posting the patterns on Ravelry or something! But here's to hoping they both take 1st...that would be $1000 worth of yarn...be still my beating heart!!!!!!! Even if only 1 takes 3rd place, that's a $100 worth and I would be very thankful for that as well!

Well, I should get going for now as my Beautiful Hazel is ready for a nap (I hope..)

Yarn High!!

2008-06-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

I've heard the term before, but don't think that I really understood it until yesteray. My IL's watched the girls and gave me a chance to go do something fun. I went to Jo Anne Fabrics and bought The Knitter's Bible of Accessories, this is a book that I have checked out and rechecked out of the library. I figured it was time to buy it! :) Then I went to the LYS and walked around. I swear, ANYONE could get a high off of color alone in there, even if you aren't into needlecrafts. I picked up the skein of Patons I needed to finish my beret, then I got a beautiful orange for another hat I want to make for the winter. I also got a gorgeous rainbow bamboo sock yarn for matching handwarmers. This winter, I swear I am going to be decked out! I am making things for the girls too, don't worry! Then I went to the library and got 3 knitting books that were on hold for me. I'm serious, I think I smiled all night after I got home. It was just so great and I felt wonderful. I came home and got to work finishing my Not So Much Harry Potter Beret and I think it turned out great. I am a little bummed that it is the middle of summer and I can't very well wear it outside. I think I might have to make one in cotton just so I can. :)

Please pardon my LOVELY picture taking abilities! I am going to make a really pretty Feather And Fan Cowl to go with it and then maybe some hand warmers (I am REALLY into them too!)

Last night, I am lying in bed and all I can think about are the projects that I am doing and what I want to do. So, today I am planning on casting on for a pair of booties and a hat for Jillian and then one for Layla. My Orange hat and rainbow warmers and the Cowl. I am still working on other things, but I just can't help it! I LOVE Knitting!!!!!!!

Obsession Or Just A Great Interest?

2008-06-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

So, when does a hobby go from a great interest into a full blown obsession? I ask only because I think that I am on my way to obsession. It is so funny. I used to spend my free time (what little there is) reading or watching movies or listening to music or doing other things. Now, anytime I have to myself is spent knitting. If I'm not knitting, I'm thinking about knitting, reading about knitting, or checking out knitting on the internet. Even the past 3 literary books I have read have been mysteries that incorporate knitting into the theme. I realized last night when my youngest woke up for her 3:30am feeding that I spend the time she is nursing thinking about what I am going to knit next...never mind that I have 4 projects in the works right now. I have to think about something when she nurses as night or I will fall asleep and I don't want to do that with her breastfeeding. So, I think about knitting, or yarn, or the obvious combination of both. I can't help it. It is like anytime my brain strays from my family or friends, knitting is right there. Heck, even when I am with my friends and family, I am often thinking about what I would like to knit for them. Is this bad? I've only been in this whole knitting community for less than a year, but I love it so much. I know my husband thinks that I am INSANE, especially when I told him I want to learn to knit socks. He does NOT understand that...why make them when I could buy them for CHEAP. I don't know how to answer that, I just know that I want to learn. I guess I won't worry too much about it...interest or obsession...either way, I am making some pretty cool things!

In other news...Saturday was WWKIP (World Wide Knit in Public) Day. I didn't get to knit as much as I would have liked, but I did get to knit some. My hubby ran in a 10K Saturday morning about an hour from home and then we went to his parent's house for the day. That night we went to a tractor pull for my Brother-In-Law. We spent quite a bit of time on the road so I got to knit in the car. Then at my In-Laws, my MIL watched the girls some so I could knit. Then came the Knitting in Public part of the day. At the tractor pull, we were sitting on the ground (well, in chairs, but on the ground) and L was running around in front of me. J was asleep in my arm, but was positioned well for me to knit. So, I knit for at least an hour at the Tractor Pull. I felt pretty cool. Don't worry, I was knitting with cotton so if it got dirty, I could easily wash it. I know that there were some people that were looking at me like "What in the hell is that woman doing? I SO didn't care. It was great to sit outside and knit. I really enjoyed it. So, that was my first WWKIP day...YEAH! By the way...my SIL took pics of me knitting and the girls at the Pull...I will post them when I get them from her.

My only bummer with the knitting is that I was making my Not So Much Harry Potter Beret and I RAN OUT OF YARN!!! AARRGGHH!! I thought one skein would be enough...obviously I was wrong. I am going to call the LYS here in a bit to see if she has another in the same dye lot. At least it is a varigated yarn so if she doesn't hopefully it won't show too much! :) I am almost finished with it though. I think that it will look pretty cool when I am done.

L's skirt is coming along well. I can't remember if I posted about it. I am making a version of Caiden's Skirt using some really bright colored variageted cotton (this is what I was knitting on at the tractor pull!). I think it is going to turn out great. I had to redo it a bit because I cast on the wrong amount, but hopefully this will work better. L picked out the yarn so she better wear it! :) I am going to cast on for a hat for J today, one she can wear here during the summer while it is warm, but maybe windy. Hmmm...now to decide which colors to go with...I am thinking a rainbow! What fun!

Off to the LYS tomorrow to hopefully get some more of the Ashes of Roses Paton Shetland Chunky yarn that I need for the beret. I also want to get a skein of black wool for this hat I have in mind (I LOVE hats...can you tell?). I want to get a size 6 & 8 16" needle since my Boye set doesn't have them. I'm sure that I will find other things that intrigue me. I will be sure to let you know what I find! :)

Have a wonderful day...until next time!

Other People's Things Are Done (Sort of)

2008-06-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I am done with the Baby Shower/Birth Mania! I am really excited to get to knit some things for me and my family. I did have fun making this set for my friend Darci's girls. I plan on making a set for my girls, at least of the hats...probably in a lot of colors too...this hat was easy and SO cute. It is from One Skein, and made from Caron in Watermelon and Soft Yellow. The booties are from Saartje's Knits made in the same yarns. I really hope that she likes this!

I am making myself a really neat beret from Charmed Knits (see link to the left) made out of Patons Chunky in Ashes of Roses. I am using the Harry Potter House Beret Pattern and am calling it "Not so much Harry Potter Beret". I have also cast on a dress scarf for my dad in Lion Brand Microspun in Mango. I am going to cast on one of those One Skein hats for Jillian and I just bought some cotton yarn for a cute skirt for Layla and a summer hat for me. I found some really cute patterns on Raverly and can't wait. I also got something new today that I can't wait to start using. I originally wanted the Denise needles but I really prefer knitting with aluminum needles and had a 50% off coupon from Michael's. I went ahead and bought the Boye Needle Master Interchangeable Needle System.

From what I have seen, the only thing so far I don't like is that it doesn't come with an 8" cable to make a 16"circular. Hopefully I can purchase that. Then I will be good to go.

That majorly sucks Carli! Hopefully, they will open up some more seats or something. If so, you had better be taking an extra book and getting me an autograph! :) Yarn Harlot, if you read this...you are our hero!

Complete Devistation

2008-06-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

So, Brett and I planned to take our weekend to London the first weekend of September (the 6 thru 8) so I can go to the I Knit Day on September 6th! That's because my hubby is fabulous and wonderful and terrific and etc and etc. He gave me permission to reserve my ticket tonight so I can go see the fantastic Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka The Yarn Harlot) since I missed her at the Barnes N Nobles in Carmel on April 29th (sigh). And I went to purchase my ticket just a few minutes ago....and they are sold out on line. *****SOB***** So I just emailed them to see if by any chance I could squeeze one simple little ticket out of them...otherwise I'm going to have to buy my ticket at the door and miss out on her talk....how can I possibly go if I know she's 20 feet from me and signing books and I can't see her????? HOW??????

So my sad little person will sit here and desperately wait for an email response....

******sniff******

******sniff******

GORGEOUS!

2008-06-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

T, that little set is just far too cute!!!! Where did you get the pattern for the hat? I really like the flower...much better than my daisy...which, I still need to type up for you....

So, I need to STAY OFF the ravelry website. Seriously. I have something like 75 favorite patterns earmarked, and that doesn't even include the seemingly 4 billion patterns I have saved to my computer. And we won't even discuss my notebook...I had to expand to a larger binder as the other one was full to exploding.

I'm still chugging away at the Duffle Coat I'm making for Hazel. I'm making myself hold off on any other projects until it's done. Which it's really hard as I have to get some things knitted for a friend who's due in August...Brett needs to be able to take them with him to Peoria next month!!!!

So, I'm off to knit some more of the dreaded hood on H's coat, and then do dishes....maybe I'll make some headway on the hood....not getting my hopes up though....

Wizard of Oz Set Done!

2008-06-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am SO loving how this set turned out. It is for my sorority sister Jen B. who is due July 21st with her first baby. She is having a girl and I wanted to do something for her tht wasn't really traditional. I knitted her a cute little blanket (Lionbrand Yarn Pattern) and also a set of Good-Bye Yellow Brick Road Booties and an Unoriginal Hat by the Yarn Harlot in a blue and white hat with a cute red flower. The only thing I would have done different if I would have had time was to make her a yellow blanket instead of a purple/pink/green one just to add to the Wizard of Oz theme, but I was already almost done with the blanket by the time I came up with this idea. Here are some pics:

Now, I just have to finish one more bootie for my friend Darci's baby and I will be DONE with other people's baby gifts! At least until my friend Emily has her baby in August! But, gonna wait for that, she doesn't know what she is having and I want to do something specific for her! :)

Carli-too funny! I love those bags too! The LYS here, River Knits, has the pink messenger bag for sale. Believe me, if I had an extra $92 lying around, I would SO own it!

Please keep praying for my cousin Crystal. The biopsy came back that the masses are cancerous. She will have to have surgery on them. Her Mom's mother passed away this week, so she is putting the surgery off for a bit, but will still be getting it. I will see her tomorrow and am glad. I pray that she will be OK. Please continue to pray for her and her family!

My newest obsession....

2008-06-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

SOOOOO, just to add to my purse obsession, I found these FABULOUS knitting bags from Jordana Paige. Love...love....love....love...love them. They're called "The Knitter's Satchel" and I can't decide if I want one in Pink or Ocean Blue.....

However...buying one of these is more of an extravagent purchase...so maybe for my birthday next year.....