Knituition

Funk..

2008-09-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

For the last week I've been in a state of complete utter confusion. No, nothing happened..well nothing big that is. Actually, come to think of it, I had no idea where this confusion came from. I moped around the house, wanting to knit. But, I just couldn't bring myself to it. This bothered me.

I LOVE knitting. I love working on something all the time. I'll knit in the car, in the waiting room, while cooking supper. I'm an avid knitter in public and I'm proud of it.

So...why couldn't I knit? Why did it just make me feel so lost and sad all of a sudden. Hence...confusion.

I did what any normal person would do in my predicament. I sat on the couch for a week and watched t.v. while feeling sorry for myself. I thought, *gasp*, maybe I didn't like knitting anymore. Nah! I was reading E.Z.'s knitting without tears book that moment, thinking I'd find the answer to my woes there. I mean..she has "WITHOUT tears" on the cover!!

Nothing.

Finally, last night it hit me. I know what cause my knitting blues. A week ago I stayed up late to finish a sock. I know...knitting while tired..not a good mix. I had a few rows and a B.O. on the toe, I HAD to finish it. It didn't matter that it was ticking close to midnight. It didn't matter that I was doped up on Chamomile tea. I was that close..I'm going to persevere.

I thought I'd use the kitchener stitch this time versus doing a three needle bind off. Ah..that's where it all went wrong. It was going well and I scoffed at the whole, "You can't perform well when you're tired" thing I've heard from people. As I finished the weaving I started pulling it all together. And that's when I first noticed a problem..I kitchenered BACKWARDS! Now it looks like a giant purled edge and I'm thinking at this moment..I should have just done the three needle bind off. It would have been a giant ridge..but it would have looked better.

Then, I actually sewed through the yarn! I couldn't tighten it, so in the moment of my exhausted genius, I cut the yarn and tie a large knot in it! What was I thinking? The whole time, there's this voice of reason in my head.."leave it till the morning...fix it in the morning." Did I listen?? Nooooooo

Then, I put it on. You know that feeling you get when you finish a project? It's satisfaction and glee all in one, and you go from person to person saying.."Look at this! Look at what I made!!" Yeah, I didn't do that. I went.."Oh..my..needles...what did I do?" I took off the sock discreetly, put it on the shelf and haven't knit since. Well, I have tried..but I kept making mistakes.

Knowing that's where the source of my knitting blues is from, I'm a little happier. I can knit again and not feel sad about it. I'm a little shocked that a toe from a sock was enough to put me in a funk. I guess I just have to not worry about making mistakes. I mean..that's what it's all about right? Make your mistakes..and learn from them. Heh..would it be silly to say, I'm glad no one else noticed the toe on the sock??

Flora

2008-09-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Flora is now up for sale in my online store!

Type of Pattern: Scarf
Measurements: 13.5" x 50"
Needle: #5 Straight
Yarn: 400 yards of lace weight yarn (Sample shown in Knit Picks; Shadow, 100% Merino/440yards)
Minimum Yardage: 400

I omitted the gauge seeing as it doesn't really pertain to the pattern. But I measure it at 5 sts = 1" for those who want it.

Isn't she gorgeous?! I love it. It's light and airy, but warm. I was amazed at how it covered the neck being made of lace, but it's fabulously thick for such a light garment.

See, doesn't it just drape beautifully?

I took some pictures outside to show you how it looks in natural light. I've been having a hard time capturing the actual color in my photos. It's green, but not this yellow.

Fuzzy photo of myself wearing the scarf. Why is my hair THAT red in this photo??

A close up of the construction of the scarf. It's picked up from the border and knit upwards. I was amazed at how simple and quick this scarf is. You can simply make it longer if you want, but I personally have a hard time balancing long scarves and other wintery items. So, I like to keep it a little shorter.

Visit the Store

Oh! and if you have any questions email me at help@knituition.com.

Something for all of you...

2008-09-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

..just a way to spread the knitting love. I love drawing cartoons and all manner of art like things. I had drawn this on a scrap piece of paper and taped it to my cupboards with the intention of making it into a wallpaper.

1 year later (*cough*) I got around to it and wanted to share it with you! :D

Click on it (the picture), right click (on the picture..again) and then click "set as desktop background."

768 x 1024 resolution.

And she progresses

2008-08-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

What do you think so far? I'm quite pleased myself. I loved the stitch pattern for this scarf. At first it reminded me of leaves climbing in clusters..almost like the leaf formation of roses on a trellis.

But, as I knit further, the stitch actually reminded me of little owl faces. Quite cute don't you think?

It's a rather simple knit. But, definitely not for a beginner. Not that it's insanely hard, but the stitch count increases and decreases throughout the stitch repeat, and it does take a certain level of concentration and knowledge of some stitches beyond knit 2 together. So it might not be a good beginner project. I'd suggest knitting a few lace pieces first to get the hang of it and to understand the construction of it all.

I've been a little frustrated by my camera's lack of ability to capture the true color of things. It's more than likely the lack of lighting in my house..which is odd...it's full of windows. So, I waited for a nice sunny day to show you the really beautiful color of this scarf. I love how soft it is. It's a very airy scarf, but wide enough to cover the whole neck.

I also wanted to show off a new little project I'm working on. It's just a simple shawl, nothing too elaborate to it. No lace, no beads, just plain knit and purl stitches. I love it. It's going to be my "sitting on the patio at night" shawl.

I'm knitting it in a fingering weight yarn. It's heavy enough to be warm, but not too heavy to be bothersome while drinking tea...(at least in the fall..in the winter a heavy one will be just the thing to wear by the fire.)

I was inspired to do this from the other night while sitting outside with my husband. We thought about sitting outside and drinking tea to relax before bed (our little night time ritual of chamomile after the kids are asleep). But, Minnesota being Minnesota, the weather can fluctuate so quickly in temperature. It was FREEZING!

My husband of course says.."Go get a shawl..it's what they're made for right?"

"AHA! Perfect shawl weather!" I grabbed my pink Zetor shawl and threw it over my shoulders and went back outside. Might I say, though it is a pretty shawl and I'll wear it as a scarf, it really didn't keep out the night chill.

(I also added glass beads to this particular shawl so it felt like little tiny ice cubes all over the wool. )

By chill I mean, huddled over, shivering, and hugging my mug of tea for warmth. That's when I thought how nice it would be for a tighter knit, non lace shawl. Almost blanket like but pretty. Autumn is coming so I might as well be prepared right?

I think I'll save this beauty for a scarf for the fall instead of a shawl. It's great bunched up an layered around the neck with a nice brooch to accent it. But, I'll make sure to wear a nice sweater or jacket with it.

And...we're on...

2008-08-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from my mini vacation/family reunion we had this weekend. Originally I'm from a small town in Wisconsin called Alma. It's a little spot on the map and if you blink while going through it, you'll miss it. But there's so much going on. It's the northern part of the Mississippi and the ol' Delta Queen comes through there to let off her passengers while blowing her musical whistles.

We left for two whole days, poor Mike. He was alone, no kids, no loud noises, plenty of food and water with the couch to himself...can't you see how distraught he is?

If you ever go through Alma, one stop you need to take is to Buena Vista Park. It's a large bluff that over looks Alma and you can see the horizon beyond. Well..at least Minnesota. :D

It's a steep road up a large hill/bluff with lot's of turns and rock faces. It's simply gorgeous.

And when you get there? You can see the whole world.

This bluff is where I saw my first rainbow with my dad. I was about 5 or so.

It's such a treasure to see my daughter with her Father in the same spot.

Being here can quiet the mind. It brings so much into perspective. How large the world is, how small you really are...

....and how much of a drop off that bluff it is. I get vertigo easily and boy was I getting it bad up there. If I looked out, I was fine, but down...I almost had to crawl on all fours back to the side walk.

Though the sight was worth it. If you can see it, there's a bald eagle in that picture.
So free and unafraid of falling...I think she was laughing at me and my nausea.

Now for some knitting. I'm working on a new pattern called Flora to those who are interested. It's a lacy scarf that ends up being very wide. I'm sure some would call it a stole, but my I like my stoles to be rather thick and this is just shy over scarf width.

The stitch pattern is beautiful and I love the color green. It's not properly shown in this picture but it's very olive/grass green.

I'm challenging my patience with the construction of this scarf. I'm going to knit it in two separate pieces and then graft them together. I am enjoying knitting this, the pattern is easy, there's a purl row on every opposite row of the body so I can have a "relax" row.

So far, I love the stitches, I enjoy knitting it and I'm looking forward to finished. Over all, it's a great knit.

No Hair? MO-Hair!

2008-08-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

Ok..in one of my last posts I told you I was going to show you my nice little process of picking and washing the raw wool. Mind you, I've never done this before so I'm doing this all for the first time really. Having the internet helps for information :D.

I really regret not taking a 'before' picture of the wool. I don't know why I didn't think of it. But let me tell you, it was pretty messy. Well, it was on a sheep..er goat.. and hadn't been washed before, so what's one to expect? :D

Well, I drew a nice hot bath for the hair. I put in some laundry soap. It's the only thing I really had on hand that was meant for washing fibers so I just went with it. I've heard a lot of recommendations for Power Scour, so next time I'm thinking I'll give that a try.

I made the water fairly hot and just let the fibers soak for almost an hour until the water was relatively cool. See how dirty that water is? Yeah...didn't smell any better.

As I begun to pick out the V.M. (Vegetable matter) I found yellow gunk in the wool. I'm thinking it was Lanolin. The consistency is the same as is the color. Lanolin..as seen below..is a yellow oil from sheep's wool. It's a water resistant oil and really beneficial in beauty products. This particular batch I used to make a home made baby bottom balm for diaper rash. It worked amazingly well. Made with cocoa butter and vitamin E, the lanolin repelled the wetness while the cocoa butter moisturized and the vitamin E healed the skin. If you want some of it in bulk I HIGHLY recommend these people!

Ok, back on topic.

Turn forward about 3 1/2 hours.

Here's a nice pile of the finished and picked fiber. Still some dirt and stuff...but not a lot. Majority of it came out when it dried. Normally wool is supposed to dry quickly...but this batch took a little over 3 days to dry! And yes I was shifting it and putting it in ventelated places.

Like the bathtub with the vent on. I even put it in front of the window to dry. The locks just retained the water, so I learned about a little virtue called patience. Odd I never waited around to learn about it before. :D

DRY! That's my handy dandy flick carder. I did the normal flick carding on a few locks. You know, holding the lock's tip, combing downwards on the fibers to open them up. I found out that it didn't do much, they weren't opening up as they should be. I do need to invest in hand carders...but I made do with what I had.

Here's some of the locks after being flicked a few times. Some of the locks had mats, which made it really hard to just flick card. So I ended up combing it a bit. Not sure if that's good, but I want to spin this wool and not have huge lumps in it.

After a bit of preparation, the wool came out VERY silky and fluffy. It was beautiful! This shot doesn't do it justice. It has a very shiny gloss to it and it's utterly soft.

Word to the wise. Don't use pants as a flick card backing. You won't have much pants left.

And here's some of the finished yarn drying in the bathroom. See that lock? It's pretty, but it ended up being very "novelty yarn-ish". I did another batch of spinning and it turned out much better, but my real problem is HOW to spin it. If it were in a roving, I'd spin it lace weight no problem. But being little batches of fluff...it's terribly difficult. It's almost like spinning poly fill.

After getting the hang of it, some of the yarn became thinner and less hairy, with no locks of hair poking out. (I noticed that the locks actually created "weak" spots in the yarn and it end up drifting apart while being knitted) I'm thinking that this yarn will probably have to be blended with another fiber.

If anyone can let me know how to properly spin this without tearing my hair out (I'm sure I'd spin that too and make a hat) please let me know! :D

New Patterns

2008-08-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I have two new patterns for sale in my Ravelry Store.

Simply Rustic and Wisconsin Ave.

Both patterns are designed to be quick and easy to do. Perfect for relaxation knitting or the beginner starting to learn. They both have simple stitch patterns of either color work or a simple rib designed of knit, purl, and seed stitch.

Simply Rustic
Measurements: For a 20" Circumference head.
Gauge: 4 sts = 1"
Needles: #7 dpn, set of 5
Yarn: Worsted Weight yarn. Any two colors will do. 100-150 yards of the main color, 50- 75 of C.O. color.

If you want a hat that is not only warm, and cute, but also quick to knit, this is it. It took me a little under 2 days to knit this. The simple color work adds such a simple interest to the hat to make it easily adaptable to any attire. This would work in a hand spun yarn very easily and not only show off the yarn, but show off the color work.

It can be made in a variety of colors, if one so chooses, for each section of the color work. Or it can be kept to only two colors. And being knit from wool, this hat assures warmth, protection from water, and beauty.

I've included notes in the pattern for how to work with color work on this hat. There's no twisting of yarns here, only straight knitting for color work learning.

Detail of color work.

Wisconsin Ave.
Measurements: 22" Circumference
Gauge: 5 sts = 1"
Needle: #4 16" circular needle, or needle that will give you the correct gauge
Yarn: Sport weight wool. Telemark from Knitpicks in Colonial Blue, 103 yards/ 100% wool, 2 skiens

The beauty about this pattern is not only is it a quick knit, but it looks very sophisticated and "smart" looking. It goes well with the business suit and formal dress of a professional person and can be adapted to the jean jacket for hiking in the woods.

Being a rib pattern it can fit close to the neck and face to hide the nose on cold mornings in the winter, but can also be pulled down to relax and "slouch" for a more relaxed look. Simply shape it bake into place and it will form back to it's conforming shape.

It's a heavy knit (warm) so there's no escape of precious body heat. Also, being a simple knit, you can make one of a different color to suit each jacket in little time. I'm afraid I'll have to make more for my mother who's taking a liking to it! :D

Detail of work.

What have I been doing?

2008-07-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

What have I been doing? Why spinning of course!

On what? Well..look for yourself!

It's my new spinning wheel! I'm in love. It's a used Ashford Traditional from a nice lady off of Ravelry. It came with 4 bobbins, oil, high speed maintenance kit, lazy kate, threading hook, flick carder and a pound of raw kid mohair..(I'll go into that in a later post and show you all the nice pics of my picking out V.M.)

Anyways, onto the spinning.

This is 102 yards of 2 ply Merino. I got a nice fingering weight here. I'm working on lace weight, but I figure I should get the hang of the wheel and see what tension and twist I can actually put on a string of yarn.

2 skiens of Colonial. Not the softest, but it sure is warm and colorful! The two skeins are 88 and 91 for a grand total of 179 yards! I filled two bobbins worth of singles to do this vs. trying to fill each bobbin halfway. I wasn't even making enough yarn for a hat. I love the colors, they remind me of Arizona. My husband isn't too fond of them, but good thing he's not wearing the hat! :D

Mmmm..I love this pic. Yarn! Who doesn't love pictures of Yarn!?

Merino singles. I'm thinking of trying to do singles for a shawl, but I'm not sure I'm entirely sold on that idea. Singles aren't as strong as plied but, I'm not going to wearing the shawl every day. It'll be more of a special occasion or "traveling" shawl. You know...for when I've made my millions and want to drink wine in Italy.

A woman can dream can't she!?

Kid mohair.

First..let me say, holy bunnies..is this the softest yarn. I have yet to really feel "organic" cashmere and I'm told this is one of the softest, but this is soooo soft and...smooshy!

Second..this is hairy. Holy cow is it hairy. I did a recent skein of mohair that didn't have so many locks poking out, but it's such a challenge to spin by itself. I found myself having to peddle the treadle so fast that it might take my finger off if I touched the wheel. Not good. But then, I'm still a beginner spinner.

Although, this yarn (my husband laughs every time he sees it) looks like I accidentally spun a bunny through my wheel, it's really soft. I'm thinking of making my daughter a toy out of it. A tiny bunny she can carry around with her. She's into the pocket animals.

Mmmm...yarn...

Here's some more Merino. I love the colors. Very rustic to me and it reminds me of living in the North Woods. Pine trees, plaid coats and Christmas by the fire place.

Here's what it looks like spun up. This is 60 yards of Navajo plied yarn. I love the Navajo plying. I'm going to do another skien and make a hat. Can't have too many hats. Specially here. I always seem to loose them to the kids. :)

There you have it folks! My spinning adventures..and you're the lucky people to see the first few skeins I've spun on my new wheel! Thank you too all those that helped me get it by buying my patterns! I'm enjoying it immensely!

Beading..

2008-07-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know this is a knitting blog, but, you can forgive me this one time..can't you? I've been beading lately. I blame my mother. She got me into it. She took me here. I was in love! Beads, beads..BEADS! Holy cow the beads. I got beads for my knitting, and just a few for some necklaces.

Wanna see?

I thought you'd say that. :D

Bronze medallion. I love this one. It's probably one of my favs.

Not sure what those stones are. I think they're coral or a turquoise. I'm not sure. I have some red beads like it.

An attempt at wrapping stone beads. This happens to be Rose Quartz.

Bee necklace. Farmer's market inspired. I love the honey that's homemade.

This was actually an earring that was in a kit. I don't have pierced ears. So...I made it into a necklace. Added my own beads to it. I really like this one.

Drop necklace. Rose Quartz.

I originally had the drop pendant above on this necklace, but I didn't like it. So, I kept it plain. My first attempt in wire twisting. Actually, I was surprised by how easy it was to get it to stay. The wire itself would twist so the necklace wouldn't unwind.

Simple one. I liked it. Dropped half the necklace last night trying to put my ad on Ravelry. Oy. My carpeting is FULL of beads right now.

I love, love, LOVE this one. It's olive jade. I made it all green. I wanted it to be a little chunkier. I think when I go back, I might get some raw chunks and add them to the necklace. It's a bit plain right now, but I love that pendant. Such a beautiful color.

Of course we had to go back. When we turn the corner down the road to the bead monkey, my daughter (who's in love with beading) sees the store and yells, "There's the bead monkey! Stop the car!!" She's cute isn't she? Didn't matter that we were on a busy highway, she was ready to roll out of a moving car and run into the store. I was able to keep her in her seat as we pulled up into the parking lot.

She went through the store, picking each little bead. I'm impressed, most kids would be shoving beads into a bag. She took about a half hour and picked each bead she wanted and matching seed beads to go with it. Mentally picturing the necklace she wanted. Grandma bought her a special crystal bead so she could make herself a "princess" necklace.

She made this herself. Wow huh?

Ok, don't think I'm all about the beads right now. Here's a sneak peak of my next project.

Angel Wings Shawl Pattern

2008-07-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: For those who aren't able to buy through Ravelry yet, I have this shawl available through my online store.

*For sale through my Online Store*

*For sale through my Ravelry Store.*

Buy the Pattern for $4 USD

This is a very simple knit shawl that increases stitches on one row and decreases in the next to create a "feather" effect. You can knit this to any size to suit your preference.

Enjoy the pictures!

*Click here to visit my Ravelry Store to purchase the Angel Wings Shawl*

Holy Time Creep Batman!

2008-06-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while hasn't it? Sorry, I didn't mean to drop off the edge of the world there for those past few months. I was at a point that balancing my blog and raising kids was becoming too much to juggle for me. So what have I been up to? Well...here's a few pics.

This one was taken Christmas morning. Daddy and Oogie curled up on the couch while mommy cleaned up wrapping paper off the floor. Olive was very happy with her "haul" from Santa. Barbies, Ponies and Polly Pockets oh my!!

She also got the chance to learn to skate this last winter. She needed a helmet of course, so here she is, in her "princess" outfit and helmet. I laughed every time I saw her in it.

And Oogie...He's learned to put on the "charm" and smile. I think he's really stressing that smile..what do you think??

Here's the same smile, but more chocolate induced. (They love smores..what can I say :D)

We've also moved from an apartment to a townhouse. It's a nice change. Bigger, higher ceilings, garage, fireplace, back yard...much much nicer. I'm happy, the kids are happy, Mr. Hubby is happy, it's a great change.

And now onto knitting. Unfortunately, I haven't been as diligent as I should have in taking pics, but here's a few I've done lately. Angel wings (my own design), the spiderweb shawl, the flower basket shawl and the Zetor Scarf (I've added beads to this one.)

And the Swallowtail for my mother for mother's day.

The Angel Shawl I designed can be found on my Ravelry Store or you can write me if you don't have a Ravelry Account. I am selling this pattern for $4.00. (I'm trying to save up my pennies for a spinning wheel.)

It's a beautiful shawl and easily made bigger. I love it, the pattern is very simple and easy to memorize. I have kids, so this is a boon to me. :D

Eye Candy...Shadow

2007-12-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

I splurged on myself a bit this season. I know I shouldn't, but after seeing some yarn on sale over at knit picks I couldn't resist. I'm building a strictly lace yarn stash. I'm trying to get a bit of yarn in each weight. There's always those miscellaneous patterns that pop up from out of nowhere that say..KNIT ME!

Most of this batch is from before...the only new addition is the Redwood Forest and Vineyard. I'm not seeing the Campfire colors anymore on Knitpicks which is sad, it was such a beautiful color!

I finished the hunter hat for my Step-father for X-mas. He requested a blaze orange hat out of wool so he had one to go hunting with. I made him a hand spun green one for his birthday and he absolutely loves it. Which tickles the heart of this little knitter. This one is done in Orange/Palette from knit picks. It actually wears quite well. I knit this on #2 circs for a 22" hat. (Remember he's a 6'4" Swed). It's a little big on me (I have a small noggen.), but it's really comfy.

And something non knitting related but really cool none the less, this Monty Python holy grail bobble head. This is the black night. If you've never seen the Monty Python movie, you have too rent it immediately, it's a classic! This bobble head is for the Secret Santa Swap at my mom's X-mas party. I got it for my cousins boyfriend Joey, he's a huge Monty Python fan. He fits into my family well, since my family is a big fan of the movie. Sorry for the flash...this is a better picture here. By the way...THESE are on my X-mas wish list this year! :D

Garter stitch dog coat

2007-12-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

Well here it is folks. The finished dog coat. :D I hope that my cousin likes it..more so..I hope her little doggie likes it. It's made from lamb's pride worsted weight, cream and turquoise, so it has a double thickness. It's WARM!

I love the colors. In the magazine it's a red and pink held together, but I decided to work with the turquoise and white since it was more a "boy" color and didn't seem to heavy. I think it would match a Schnauzer, don't you? :D

I made the buttons from sculpy clay. I was going to do the schnauzer buttons for it, but the more I thought about it, the likely hood of that actually working isn't very realistic. I figured since the button was so small the schnauzer would have to be at least 3/4 of the size of it, but with the holes and tacking it on to the coat, you wouldn't be able to make it out. I spose I could have painted it. Ah well, another day.

I did put it on my model though. Isn't he darling?! He just looks tickled pink to be trying on a giant wool coat right after a nap!

Actually...I woke him up from his nap for the picture. Can you tell? Doesn't he look just rested after his beauty sleep?

Ssshhhhh...he's going back to sleep. :D

Well, there's been an update on my spinning wheel. If you don't remember, there was that nice lady that was going to sell me an ashord traditional for $150. I was so happy about it, I couldn't wait. I was going to take the 2 hour car ride out there to just try it out! Then...at the last minute...she writes me an email saying that she's going to keep the spinning wheel but I can buy the other one. The problem is...it's needs major fixing and bobbins. I wasn't overly happy about that. But, what can you do? I don't think I'm going to get the old spinning wheel since I don't know where I could have it fixed around here. I'm sure there's places but, I'd rather not have to worry about that. If I was more experience and knew what I was doing, I'd feel more confident about taking it and restoring it. But, having never owned one, I wasn't very sure I could do that and feel comfortable in it. Anyways, if anyone knows where there's great places for spinning wheels..let me know. :D

Eye Candy..Flacon

2007-12-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

I love Fridays. The weekend is almost here and tonight I can relax while my husband settles in for the weekend. This last week I did some decorating for X-mas. This wreath is one my mom sent home with me. She makes these, some have lights some don't. I loved this one with the antique star in it. I put it above my couch...it looks really good there. :D

I also did this the other night. My mother has these glass cabinets that she displays her fragile stuff in. There's glassware and treasures that my step father has picked up from around the world. I thought that this would help add to the cabinet's specialness. This is Flacon from Yarn Over. I did this, in two hours. It was such a fast and easy knit. And with written instructions I didn't lose my space as when I use a chart. (And with my son, that's a plus in my book.)

I did this on #3 needles using Alpaca Silk yarn. I know I should use cotton for this...but, I couldn't resist. I'm going to try out some of the other patterns like Fanodugen on #7 needles and make it into a shawl.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Finally...some knitting!

2007-12-04T14:32:00.000-08:00

Edit: I just noticed that some of my pictures have a smudge on them. It's not your glasses, it was Oogie prints on the lens of my camera. It took me a while to realize this since my glasses have this permanent smudge on them from the protective coating on my glasses coming off.

Ok, I'll start off with the finished works.

A teddy bear for little Oogie. I'm not really pleased with this one. I guess I'm just picky but I don't like how I put it together. The instructions were a little convoluted so it was hard to understand. At least for me. But, I would do a lot differently next time.

A little bag for Olive. The heart was done from the free heart pattern from Mochimochi land. I did one heart and sewed it on the front.

Notice the buttons?

Some smooshy (this word always makes me smile) soft socks for my husband. They WERE meant for Christmas. But do you think he could wait until then?

And now the works in progress.

Some Mary Jane's for Olivia. They were made exactly like the last ones, but instead of 30 sts c.o. I only casted on 18 sts and made them 6" long.

A dog coat done for the secret Santa at my Mother's house. This one is for my cousin's dog Baxter. I'm going to make some buttons specially for it. Since he's a little Schnauzer I might make some buttons with a silhouette of a schnauzer on it.

And a pair of anklets with an after thought heel. This heel was a nice change from the regular gusset heel that normal cuff down socks have. I have to admit, those heels really deter me from making socks. I think it's the tediousness of it, or the interrupted flow of the knitting that bothers me. But an after thought heel is really nice. I can make up all the socks, go in and make the heels. Basically, you knit the socks, and when you get to the heel you knit half to 2/3 of the stitches on waste yarn. Go back to your regular knitting of the round with the main yarn and finish the sock. Go back and pick up the heel stitches, knit 3-4 rounds and then make another toe. Simple.

Note: A lot of people tend to sneer and look down on this heel I've noticed because it isn't your regular tailored sock heel. I agree, it isn't meant for beauty, but practicality. It's meant for knitting up socks fast and to make it easier in replacement of the heel if it gets worn down.

I know, I know..the tension on my grafted toe is miserable. I'm going to go back and fix it.

A regular sock heel. Only one sock now..more to come. This one is worsted weight on #5 needles. VERY comfy. Sad that they're for my husband and not me. :(

And finally something for myself. Composed mitts from the fall issue of Interweave Knits...which is sadly sold out. I changed the colors a bit, but I like these better anyhow. It actually knits up fast. I did this in an afternoon. Sadly, this is going to have to wait until after christmas to be finished.

Well that's it for now folks. I'll post more as I finish them. :D

ugh..a cat post

2007-12-03T09:37:00.001-08:00

Yes...yes. Another one of those darned cat posts that people happen to do. We know..you're cat is the cutest cat in the world and not like any other. Well..the truth is..my cat IS the cutest cat in the world and not like any other. :D He may be a little short for his weight (a.k.a. pudgy), getting a few grey hairs (he's hitting a mid life crises), and sleeps a lot (23 hours a day to be exact) but he's mine and I love him (I'm also between knitting projects and have nothing to show, so bear with me.)

Mike has been there with me through thick an thin, heart breaks and family tragedies, meeting my husband and the birth of both of my children, holidays and boring days. He's seen it all folks.

He's been through many things himself. He's had his leg broken, as you see below, it doesn't sit right and he usually sticks it out like that when he sits. He's had broken ribs and a punctured lung (car accident). And a traumatizing incident with fried onions. (He loves them, but they give them heart burn something fierce!)

He's the only cat I know that will eat shrimp and leave the tails. Who prefers chicken smothered in herbs and seasoning over tuna.

Don't let that placid "I don't care what you think" look fool you. He's an insecure kitty that loves a reassuring cuddle every now and then.

He puts up with so much. With both my kids learning to walk and tripping on him. Both children teething and munching on that silky smooth tail of his. He's a very patient if not stubborn cat. He will refuse to move from his spot...even if his tail is being very adamantly yanked.

He is also very routine. He sleeps in the same spot at the same time every day. If I don't have a watch, I just look at the cat. I must be the only person in the world with a fully functioning cat dial.

I admit...I'm a cat person. I like the self cleaning and self pooping thing they do. They take care of that and only want to snuggle. Of course..they do it when you're pretty busy..like in the middle of a good book or right in an intricate lace row of a complicated shawl.

He's also a bit of a Garfield himself. He's got a stuffed animal that he needs to cuddle. It's a few years old now, missing an eye, missing some stuffing and really needs a washing. It's also a pony and bright pink. I initially got it for my daughter. But my cat saw it and fell in love, and with the recent laying to rest of his teddy bear, it was the perfect thing to console his heart.

Mike has to be the sweetest, cutest 1 foot tall furry best friend a girl can have. Believe me I'm the luckiest gal alive.

...

I'll post some knitting soon. :D I promise!

ugh..a cat post

2007-12-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

Mary Janes

2007-11-30T18:44:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted a pair of mary jane slippers. Or shoes for that matter. Like these!! But..unfortunately, my shoe budget doesn't even come close to being that big. I'm the kind of person who will spend $10 on a pair of shoes and try to get it to fit into most wardrobes. It's not that I'm cheap, I'm just not a shoe person. The last thing I think of is my feet. But, to tell you the truth, those Fluevogs are pretty darn tempting and just might be inspiring me to expand my shoe wardrobe.

Now, I came across a great pattern for incredibly easy Mary Jane slippers. No felting. No working in the round. Just plain garter stitch slippers. They're cute and insanely simple to do. Just what I need for being around the baby. I'm sure if any of you have little ones, you'd know what I'm talking about when I say, "Nothing get's done in this house!" Knitting lace is a far and distant dream right now, I needed something simple, easy, and that can be done with little concentration that I could do for gifts.

The only problem is, they are REALLY comfy. Too comfy in fact. My feet, being chilled all day really welcomed a pair of nice soft cotton slippers. Notice the button? Yep, one of mine. :D They were knit in blue sky Alpaca cotton. This cotton is so soft, it actually feels a little like silk. :D Now, how can I part with them. Oh well, guess I need to make a pair for myself.

When life gives you lemons..

2007-11-26T09:32:00.000-08:00

..you make lemonade. Then you find someone who's life is giving them vodka and have a party.
I heard that off of the blue collar comedy tour. I was only in the audience vicariously through comedy central.

Speaking of lemons..I haven't posted in a while seeing as my computer mysteriously decided to NOT connect to the internet. (*Warning..Geek content*) I'm not sure why, but in order to connect, I had to turn on my computer, put in an Ubuntu C.D. and reboot and run an operating system from a disk. Which meant I couldn't print, save, or download anything without first saving it to a U.S.B. drive and turning off my computer and rebooting it.

Sound complicated?

It was.

My husband was finally able to fix it for me. In good time too, as I was nearly close to throwing the darn thing out the window. Then my neighbors would REALLY love me, seeing as I live on the 2nd floor of an apartment.

So..now I'm playing catch up.

Thanksgiving was great. I had two. One with my husband and children on Thanksgiving. It was nice and small. Although I think my oven is broken. I roasted a 10 pound Turkey for 4 1/2 hours at 350 degrees and it came out bloody. Put it back in for another 45-60 minutes..still bloody! The outside was really dark and almost burnt. I even covered it with foil! All the appliances are being replaced...I'm going to put my order in for a new stove. The one I have now is from the 70's!

The other Thanksgiving was at my mother's. It was wonderful. No bloody turkey, lot's of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes...and lot's and lot's of alcohol. :D Here's my husband showing my grandparents his cell phone, with internet access, key board, camera and so on. My grandfather used to ride to boy scouts in a model T and had to manually turn the nob for the windshield wipers when it rained. Quite a jump on technology, huh?

What do you get when you have a room full of Norwegians, 1 Jewish guy, 1 Swedish Pastor and lot's of wine? A dirty joke fest. Oh the hilarity. Guess what. The pastor won.

My aunt was also there and found these in her shelves of books. I love these books. The handicrafter has some relatively modern designs which kind of surprised me. Maybe some slight alterations, even something as simple as color would make it really modern.

Couldn't you see this in purple, green and yellow with black sleeves? I'd wear that. Even pink and a darker rose and cream colored crosses, with charcoal arms instead.

School colors! But I thought Griffindor first. :D

I don't know why. But I thought that this was really sweet looking. I saw green and tan. Or a light and dark rose.

And yes, I've been making the gifts again. This time out of clay. (Sculpy or primo..whatever you can find at Michaels. I go for Sculpy..it's only $1.99 a block..and I got it on sale for $.98!)

A Pegasus and Unicorn necklace for my daughter. It'll fit her until she's my age..of course..I don't think she'd want to. But then again, you never know. :)

A little penguin bracelet. Admittedly, I did this for myself for the holidays. My son loves it. As you can see. If I'm not looking, he'll try and pry it off my hand and run off with it.

Buttons, buttons and more buttons. I wanted pretty buttons that match. I've got pretty buttons, but very few that have matching pairs of 2 or more. So, I made them out of clay. I should do a tutorial sometime. They're EASY. And fun. And addicting.

What I'm going to do with them? Well, sweaters, pocket book slippers and bracelets. For starters..outside of that I'm not sure. But aren't they pretty?!

Yo Gabba Gabba - Muno

2007-11-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, this Christmas is going to be a very knitted and crafted Christmas here. I guess with the recent scare of all those recalled toys from China, and the fact I had to pry a very beloved Polly Pocket doll set from my daughters fingers because of it, I have a hard time trusting what's coming out of the factories. And it's not from dollar stores either. These are Matelle and other large brand names. My daughter saved her own money and spent $15 on the Polly Pocket set. Then I had to take it away.

Toys are scary now! Lead poisoning, magnets, and now this! I admit I'm freaked out. So, I took action and made my own mainstream toy.

If you have a little kid who loves watching Yo Gabba Gabba, you'd know who Muno is. He's the "Tall and Friendly" Cyclops. It's a cute show honestly, and teaches kids some great things...like manners. :D Here's the pattern...

Needles: #5 & #3 dpn set of 4

Gauge is not very important. I made this on the fly and
didn't bother with a gauge.

Measurements. 8 1/2" (You can easily alter this pattern to make a bigger
doll. Just work with larger needles and thicker yarn and work the body longer.)

Yarn:

I used a sport weight yarn for the body. I used
a wool, but I would highly suggest a cotton instead.

Orange/red for the body.
black and white for the eye.

Fingering weight yarn for the eye.

Bobble: Knit into st, but leave st on left needle.
Y.O., K into same st. Y.O. K into same st again. Drop st
off of left needle (5 sts). Turn work. Purl these 5 sts.
Turn. Knit. Turn, Purl. Turn Knit. Slip the 4 sts over
the last st knitted of bobble st.

k f&b: Knit into front and back of the same stitch making an increase.

Eye:

#3 needles, Using blackC.O. 6 sts evenly onto 3 dpns. (2 on each needle)

Round 1 (and all odd rows): K
Round 2: K f&b of each st. (12 sts)
Round 4: Change to white *K1, Kf&b of next st.Repeat from * (18 sts)
Round 6: *K2, Kf&b of next st. Repeat from * (24 sts)
Round 8: *K3, Kf&b of next st. Repeat from * (30 sts)
Round 10: *K4, Kf&b of next st. Repeat from * (36 sts)

Body

To make bobble sequence, it's best to stagger them and
make them random. Hence why I didn't write it into the pattern.
To make room for the eye and mouth, only work bobbles onto needle 2 &3
for the first 2" of the piece.

#5 needles C.O. 6 sts evenly onto 3 dpns. (2 on each needle)

Join in the round, make sure not to twist.

Round 1 (and all odd rounds): K
Round 2: K f&B of each st. (12 sts)
Round 4: *K1, Kf&b of next st.Repeat from * (18 sts)
Round 6: *K2, Kf&b of next st. Repeat from * (24 sts)
Round 8: *K3, Kf&b of next st. Repeat from * (30 sts)
Round 10: *K4, Kf&b of next st. Repeat from * (36 sts)

Knit in the round until body measures 6" from top.

(Halfway through the body, sew on the eye. It makes it easier if it's
halfway through vs. the body being completely done. This way you can manage
the needle better.)

Legs:

Knit across 18 sts (put remaining 18 sts on waste yarn)

Divide remaining sts evenly onto 3 needles. 6 sts on each needle. On
needle 3, C.O. 4 sts using backward loop method. (This is done in the
crotch area just as done with gloves) (22 sts)

Knit in the round until leg measures 2 1/2"

K3, k2tog around. Knit remaining sts.
K
K2, K2tog around. Knit remaining sts.
K
K1, K2tog around. Knit remaining sts.
K
K2tog around.

Cut thread and thread through remaining sts with darning needle.
Weave into body. Don't worry about threading it into sts, it will
be hidden inside the body.

Stuff body and leg through other leg opening.

Put remaining sts evenly onto 3 needles. (6sts on each).
On last needle pick up and knit into the 4 crotch sts.
(22 sts)

Work as other leg.

(When you get halfway through the decrease, stuff leg.
Stuff a little firmer, that way when you finish decreasing you can scrunch
the leg and even out the stuffing.)

Arms: (make 2)

C.O. 15 sts Leave 12" C.O. thread

Divide evenly onto 3 dpns. 5 sts.

Knit in the round until piece measures 2 1/2"

Dec.
*K3, K2tog. Repeat from * to end
Knit
*K2, K2tog. Repeat from * to end
Knit
*K1, K2tog. Repeat from * to end
*K2tog to end.

Cut thread and weave in through bottom. Stuff piece
and sew onto body.

Finishing:
The mouth is an embroidered chain st. with a black yarn.

The teeth can either be knitted or cut out of fleece. I would prefer fleece
myself, but I don't have any white so I had to knit them. They turned out a
little large and gangly, but it makes it cute!

Teeth. (make 2)

#3 Needles.

C.O. 1
K f&b of st. (2 sts)
K
K f&b or both sts. (4 sts)
K
B.o.

Sew above mouth

Spinning Wheel

2007-11-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, here's the spinning wheel pictures I promised you. I finally got the pictures last night, and I'm still debating which is the better buy. Right now I'm leaning towards the Ashford Traditional.

This first one is an Older Norwegian Traditional. The flyer and bobbin (I always want to write boobin for some reason..talk about a faux pas!) are off at the moment. She says they fit fine, but they do wiggle a bit and seem a little loose. She's not sure how it spins as she bought it this summer and spent her whole time gardening, so ..no spinning time. :D She's going to try it out this weekend and let me know. It's older and has had much love, this one is $90. No extra bobbins or lazy kate.

This is the Ashford Traditional. There's no nylon cord...it's a cotton drive belt. But that can be easily remedied. There's a lazy kate and extra bobbins for an extra $20. This one seems to be my better choice as I'm a beginning spinner. And at $150 for the wheel, plus the $20 for bobbins and lazy kate it's $170.

Any thoughts from the pros out there?

Busy Days

2007-11-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

You know, I've realized I'm really going to hate the months of October and December. Not that I hate Halloween or Christmas. But that they are SO busy, and I end up exhausted. This month was my step-father's and son's birthdays, Halloween (of course), my anniversary (my husband and I really like to celebrate when we first met), and a craft show.

The birthday was a blast. As you can see. Sugar rush for little Oogie.

And then the crash that quickly followed.

My step-father loved the hat. Obviously it was quite warm and thankfully big enough (he's a 6'4" swed). It almost didn't make it to him. My husband LOVED the color AND the hat itself. Which is baffling. I can never make him a hat that he really likes, but I make it for someone else and he ends up loving it. I think I'll just stick to socks for him. :D

Oh, and the craft show was fun and terrible at the same time! It was fun because I got away from the kids and hubby for a day. And terrible because I was across from a woman with handspun yarn! She sat all day spinning on an Ashford Joy. I couldn't resist. I bought myself a skien of yarn. It's Merino Tencil, 6 oz and 228 yards of worsted weight double plied yarn. I fondled it through out the day thinking, "should I???". But, of course I relented. I think it was watching her pack up at the end of the day that made me realize I would regret not getting it.

I also talked to her about her spinning wheel. Aparently she's got 4 spinning wheels and is looking to get rid of a few. One being an Ashford Traditional for $150! I'm definitely going to go for it. But, since it's right before Christmas time (which has my daughters birthday and my wedding anniversary too!) we agreed that payments wouldn't hurt as much. I emailed her today to see pictures of the spinning wheel before I buy it. When I get them, I'll post them here for you guys.

Oh and check this out! This is another La Dentelle Belle Scarf done! This one is done by Monika from smoking hot needles. I love it in the red and I'm thinking of making myself on in the same color. I've posted this in the Gallery. :D

Handspun hat

2007-10-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here's some shots of the handspun hat being knitted up. I used three skeins of my yarn. The two I've already showed you and a little of a third skein that was drying in my bathroom. My husband bought a towel rack for the door and it works perfect as yarn dryer thing.

Here's a nice close up. I LOVED working with this yarn. It worked up fast, it was very soft and actually very even through out. There were little slubs in it, but not many. Just enough to keep me humbled and remind me that it IS in fact handspun yarn.

I call this the hunter's hat. Boy oh boy is it warm. Done with 100% Merino, triple plied/Navajo plied and then tightly knit on #7 needles. If this doesn't prevent your ears from freezing, nothing short of cinching a couple of live rabbits to your head with your belt will. But, that really wouldn't be camouflage now would it?

Yes..see the very tired model below. Man, someone should tell that woman to try some makeup.

It's actually pretty huge. It's made for a size 22" head. I gave it to my step-father this Sunday for his birthday. He's a 6'4" Swedish man. He's got a large head and likes to hunt. So, I put two and two together and viola! A hat! :D

He was actually quite thrilled to get it. Which makes me happy. To me, a great gift is something that someone really likes but fills a need in the process. I get my practical side from my mother :D.

Although, I should admit. I worked this hat, halfway through the first time and had to frog it. Yep, I knitted a swatch, measured it wrong, and added too many stitches. So, I frogged it, and made this cute picture to glorify my humility. :D

Oh, and here's some yarn I got from knit picks. The Marine heather is for my husbands soon to be socks. The rest is for lace projects that I've been determined to make for myself. Shadow is $2.50 a skein, 100% merino, and really soft. It's a great bargin.

Slowly going forward.

2007-10-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

Well, that shawl isn't getting done as fast as I had hoped for. Seems as of late the steam is going down out of my enthusiasm. I just need a loooooong break and to relax for a bit. :D So, I've been spinning. It's something I can do while multitasking. Being a parent I've learned that multitasking is essential to any mother's survival.

I couldn't wait until I got a spinning wheel to try the Navajo ply. It's a little tricky done on a drop spindle, but it works.

Although, doing a Navajo ply really cuts your yardage down quite a bit. I started out with about 1oo yards (give or take quite a few yards...sorry, didn't measure before hand) and ended up with quite a bit less. The top has 55 yards and the bottom one is 49 1/2 almost 50 yards.

They're both 100% merino is sage. What will I make with them? I'm not sure. I'm guessing they're probably about 4 oz. between the two of them. 2 oz. each. Wrist warmers, possibly a hat (that I'm not sure of), or I could spin up the last bit of the roving and just add it all to my stash and fondle it now and then until an idea comes to me. :D

TGIF!

2007-09-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

That's right, it's Friday and I'm happy. This weekend means business for me though. I have two weeks to get another Olde World Shawl done. This time I need to make it longer for a model piece for a kit being sold by Plymouth.

This time it's in a blue (I kind of like this, it a steel blue/grey.)

Oh..and more yarn! This is a cotton/silk blend. I love the colors. I love the fuchsia color the most. They all go so well together.

Oh and here's an update on what I'm working on for Olive my daughter. Remember that hand dyed yarn I did a couple of months ago? Well, I decided to make them into socks for my daughter. I'm almost halfway done with the last sock. I'm determined that I won't be overwhelmed with knitting work that this won't become a SS!

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the toe. I did a kitchener stitch on it, but it seems to be puckering up a little. I'm hoping that it comes out when I block it. If not, she'll have funky toes. :D

New Colors Have Arrived!

2007-09-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here's some new Buckingham colors I got from Plymouth. The colors are gorgeous. I've honestly been waiting for a week to get these colors. I've literally had to chase the UPS guy around just to get my package though. Apparently the calling panel in the lobby of my apartment doesn't work so he decided to call me from the main office phone. I..being the irritable stay at home mom who doesn't like being disturbed with annoying anonymous callers during the day...thought that the number flashing on my caller I.D. was a telemarketer and picked up the phone and quickly hung up on him. So, he left a note to pick the package up at the office. Lo and Behold...it twas not there. Ugh. Did I feel like a boob. So, I had to wait until today to get it. (He actually skipped buzzing my apartment all together and just took it to the office.)

Spun Stitches Finished Skien

2007-09-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

First off, here's something really really cute I got. I love it! I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. Would you like to know where I got it? My mom. Would you like to know where she got it?

No where...she made it! She had this adorable stack of painted wooden fluffy sheep sitting on her craft table (yes..this is where I get my crafty genes from :D) and I snatched one up. She's opening an etsy account soon and she'll be offering these adorable sheep as either magnets or ornaments. (I love them as magnets personally :D) So..if you're interested, please feel free to let me know by dropping me a line!

I also have been spinning like crazy lately. I've gotten the first skein of yarn spun for spun stitches. It's Merino/Merino;Silk plied together. This is about 263 yards. I have about...587 yards to go.

Believe me...I'll be really busy.

The colors are white and lichen green from Blue Goose Glen. It was spun and plied on a lace weight drop spindle whilst watching Unleashed. The fiber was two thumbs up..the movie..so so.

Finished works!!! Yay!

2007-08-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'm sure some of you don't mind! :D

I've been working on another shawl. Sorry about the junk in the background (my husband has to read constantly on his web designing)...and now everyone knows that my pillows don't match my comforter. Ah..oh well. Back to the shawl.

It's supposed to be rather gauzy and open. I was going for a more old world design with this. You know, something you'd find in an old 1800's knitting book. I was thinking of the cliche woman in a white dress and a parasol on a spring day.

Close up of the middle.

Edging.
(yes..the edges are supposed to be rounded, not rectangle. This adds to the soft allure of the shawl.)

On model. (front.)

Side.

The baby doll cami is done as well. I added small spaghetti straps to her and I quite like it.

The finished look is gorgeous. ( Like I said..more web design stuff. :D He's such a geek..he told me a binary joke before. *ahem* There are 10 types of people in the world..those who understand binary..and those who don't. Obviously..by my dumbfounded look..I was one of those that didn't understand.) Anyways..back to knitting!

The back.

I also had taken a picture of her earlier and my husband noted that it was such a good photo that I should turn it into a wallpaper. So..here it is. :D Enjoy! Just click on the picture to see full sized image.

And now...to change pace. That great big ball of yarn I spun..

I turned into this...

...which will hopefully look like this from victorian lace today.

The scarf is actually really easy. I'm quite impressed with it. The border took only an hour or two to actually complete and the middle is only a repeat of two rows which is a cinch to remember and helps the knitting to fly. After all the complicated and involved knitting I've done, this is such a great change of pace!

Oh..and I uploaded another scarf to the La Dentelle Belle (La Belle Dentelle) gallery.
Click picture to be taken there.

Baby Doll on Model

2007-08-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

I borrowed a Dress Maker Mannequin from a friend yesterday and immediately put on the top. Isn't she just beautiful!? I love it! I'm tempted to make one for myself.

My goal with this is to make either straps, or use a band of elastic for the top that way you can wear it without straps.

I'm flashing my stash!

2007-08-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

Er...some of it. :D

I found a new place for my yarns. It works perfectly. Before, they were out in the living room on a shelf, then it began to over flow. I should be happy, and in a way I am :D. But, I had to move it into my closet, and tell you the truth, my husband wasn't overly thrilled about having sock yarn next to his underwear. No matter how pretty it was.

So, when my mother moved out of her apartment into a nice 3 bedroom house she gave me the nice bedroom set she had. And..it is nice! My favorite is the long dresser with this nice front doors with hidden drawers. I know they're sweater drawers, but..oh well. :D They make my yarn oh so handy.

The top is mostly cotton yarn, and yak. The yak is underneath the nice buckingham yarn I'm working with for plymouth.

The bottom is mostly knit picks, lamb's pride and miscellaneous.

See how nice that turns out?! I love it! Oh..yeah..and the blur at the bottom of this pic is my son. He loves it too. He loves pulling open the doors and trying to squeeze out yarn between the slots of the drawer openings. That could be a problem in the future.

Full size pic of the dresser. The mirrors are HUGE.

The spinning being done for spun stitches KAL. The green is merino/silk. It's taking a while, I think I'm just dreading doing a whole other whorl of it and then plying it. I just can't seem to get it thin enough. So in the meantime I've been practicing with some Merino (above) and Colonial (below). I'm so tempted to just keep them singles since they're going to be lace weight anyways.

Oh..and here's a close up of some of the stuff in my stash. They were left over from plymouth so, the creative director just sent them to me. One of the perks of working for a yarn company? You get free yarn that they don't want anymore. Oh...it's nice. This is silk, handspun, and banana fibers.

Oh..and please check out the La Dentelle Belle Scarf Gallery for a new upload!

Baby doll cami

2007-08-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

She's still not done yet, but this is what she looks like so far. I know you can't see it, but down the top is a twin leaf panel lace. It's small enough so no one is going to see anything they shouldn't and open enough to add allure and sexiness to your wardrobe. The top black part is very form fitting which hugs the wearers chest and the bottom is actually 3-4" larger and doesn't do a gradual decrease. I decreased it right before I changed to black...I wanted a gathered fluttery feeling around the waistline. It'll hang down just below the top of the jeans.

The loose threads are already woven in, I just haven't snipped them yet. I usually do that post blocking.

Here's a close up of the lace panel. It'll open up once the wearer puts on the top, which can either be worn as is, layered or underneath a cardigan.

The bottom is a picot edging of about 1". I'm pretty darn proud of the sewing job myself.

The back half is a K2, P2 ribbing to add to give the top part of the cami a very snug fit. The last one inch is a K2, P2 ribbing all the way around to finish it off. I am planning on doing straps, I'm just not sure if I should do fitted straps, or tie straps.

My plan with this top is to have it be cool enough to wear in the summer and snug enough on the top to wear without a bra. Which is something I haven't been able to do since I was in elementary school.

And here's my Oogie. A week away from 10 months and he's already been walking on his own for a month!! He's like his daddy...can't resist a cookie.

It's a sad time..

2007-08-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Link

Just in case you're watching the news, I just wanted you all to know that I'm ok. I wasn't any where near this bridge when it happened thankfully.

It's kinda creepy to know that my stepfather just took the bridge a half an hour before hand and that my mother takes this bridge every morning before work. That unnerved me really deeply, I'm so grateful that no one I knew was on the bridge at the time.

To those that didn't make it...here's to you.

Award!

2007-07-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

Monika from Smokin Hot needles nominated me for this award. I feel all gooey inside now! She, who unlike me, was able to collect some trophies for skiing. Although, I found skiing to be REALLY fun, was never able to win any trophies for it. I did however learn how to do cartwheels. Believe me..the bunny hills dangers are quite deceiving!

My 5 nominees for this award are going to

Val

Kirsten

Batty

Jacque

Hattie

On another note, I've got a great opportunity to work with another designer for Plymouth yarns. I'm excited to be working with Mary Beth Temple. Some of you may know her from the designs she's done in Vogue and Knit Simple. She's also written a book titled The Secret Language of Knitters that you might be interested in. I'm excited and nervous to be working with her. Excited because this is a great knitting opportunity for me...nervous because I'm going to be so aware of my knits, purls and yarn overs since I'm working with an expert. :D Anyways..off to the drawing board!

New Scarf

2007-07-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

Not sure what to call this one. I can come up with ideas for patterns galore! Names can be tricky. ( Yeah it looks crooked..don't worry, I adjusted the comforter. Pinning with kids jumping around you can be a challenge.

It's double knitted with Buckingham from Plymouth in black.

Finally a clear photo! Here's a swatch. One done in single knit and the other doubled. Yes..this is my craft area. This is what I look at every morning that I wake up. You'd think that the cluttered wall of swatches and ideas would spark my creative juices. Actually it just makes me wish I had more time to work.

Oh yeah, by the way, I'm not sure if I told you this or not...but I am a HUGE Jim Henson fan! My favorite character of course is Kermit the Frog..I also like Gonzo. But, when I was little I would be plastered in front of the T.V. watching Fraggle Rock. I like the ol' superstitious Boober the most, but you HAVE to have Mookie the artist for some inspiration.

Eye candy Friday!!!

2007-07-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, yeah...I spoil my daughter. :D She's been wanting a puppy and well...so have I. I've looked and looked and couldn't find one that felt right, was the right size and well..was in my price range. (I don't know about you but I can't afford $1200 for a yorkie...no matter how cute they are.)Then I found this little guy. He's a pure bred rat terrier. Don't worry I'm not going to start walking him in a hip pouch right next to my water bottle, or even a dorky baby carrier...but I will be knitting him an adorable sweater. Maybe that's why I really wanted a dog?

Isn't he adorable! His name is London. In honor of my husbands' Grandma who was from England. She'd say in the most adorable of English accents.." I'm NOT a Limey...I'm a Londoner!"

Now for some winter knitting

2007-07-11T08:15:00.001-07:00

I guess the heat of summer finally got into me. I need a change! I can't stand the heat, but I love the fall and winter. I start wearing gloves, hats and scarves as soon as there's a chill in the air. I never used to, I used to be the kid at the bus stop furiously stuffing the stocking cap in my backpack because it messed up my "cool". Now I've turned into the worrisome mother plastering caps on my kids and constantly fretting over my husbands exposed ears.

I'm also tired of socks. It seems to be the thing to knit right when the heat waves of summer hit. People knit scarves right up until they can no longer take it. Well..why not knit a pair of mittens?! They're small, they're portable, and gosh darn it..people like them.

I'm not sure if you can see it here, but the mittens I'm knitting are actually three colors. Green, white and a rose color. Knitting the rose is going to be interesting. In the instructions she says NOT to join a new color, but cut an 8" piece of yarn and knit each section separately. How this works without carrying the yarn I can only guess. I'm assuming you just knit the section of rose and then twist it with the color following the rose stitches and then leave it and bring it back up on the next row. Like I said..I'm only guessing.
I love the green in it. It's Verdant Heather from knitpicks. The pattern calls for one ounce green and three ounces white. So far it's been pretty accurate to the pattern.

And here's the pattern book. It's from 1948. I don't even remember where I got it. I think I got it from my aunt. The pages are laminated so they're a little bit durable yet. (Oh..see those black and red ones up there in the corner?...those are my next project.)

And a nice blurry pic of the other side. :D

I'm not even sure if this book is still in print. It's so old and when I did a search for the author, nothing turned up accept on eBay. I'd love to get a newer copy of this book, but I think that's going to be a little difficult.

One hit wonders

2007-07-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well, recently I went through my stash collection and found all of these U.F.O.s stash discreetly around my craft supplies. I mean, I pulled them out of the oddest of places. An old shoe box in the corner of my closet. A box of craft supplies on my shelf. All of these are without mates. Sad and alone. I guess I needed something quick and easy to knit that ended up looking like something in order to get the creative juices flowing.

A jester bootie from interweave knits free pattern Old World Booties. I got so disgusted with the icord strings getting tangled that I just sat it aside and didn't finish it's mate. Yeah, I should have worked through it, but what can I say. By the time I got the courage again, my sons feet grew to be the size of a miniature elephant's. Although, I have to say, it was an easy knit and worked up so fast.

This is a hand warmer from interweave knits Fall 2005. I had made a pair of these before this one, but when I finished this one, I realized I didn't have enough yarn to even finish it.

Ah yes, and a mitten. Can't forget that. This is where the yarn went from the wrist warmer above. So instead of knitting a wrist warmer, I should have knit another mitten.

A Hedera Sock. The pattern was simple, easy and very pleasurable, but the yarn? Holy Cow!!! Ok, I had gotten this sweater from good will in order to take it apart for yarn. I wanted to try recycling yarn to see how it worked out. The sweater was somewhat felted and was extremely itchy. What made me think that this would make good sock yarn?! It's itchy, too warm, and all around uncomfortable. Why I knit it, I'll never know. But, I DO know that semi felted yarn from sweaters is terrible sock yarn. :D

Although...it is very pretty. :D

Finally...a glove. I wasn't too thrilled about making a glove. Maybe it was the fingers that drove me nuts. Constantly cutting and joining yarn to make phalanges got to be too tedious. Or it could be the fact that when I knit this thing it was the end of June last year while stuck in a traffic jam for an hour while pregnant and every time I pick up it's mate I instinctively think of it.

So...I figured I'm going to do something productive with one hit wonders. I'm going to do this!

It's a subscription offer from interweave knits. I kept this from a while ago and pinned it to my cork board in the kitchen to remind me to make it. I love it! I can make as many different mitten as I want and sew/glue them to the wreath to make a decoration for my door. The package, I can just use an empty box, wrap it in a brown paper bag and tie rafia around it. Now, to come up with an idea for the above. :)

I was also tagged by Val for this awesome blog button! It kinda reminds me of Gem and the Holograms.

Ze Shawl, she es done!!

2007-06-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Isn't it just gorgeous!? I love it. It's a shame it's going out tomorrow in the mail. But, she's a pretty lady on her way to a photo shoot on Thursday. They just grow up ..er knit up..so fast don't they?

This is a nice close up of the lace. I'll have a few pics later with her unpinned.

Ah yes, and you can't forget my pincushion. I made this from an awesome template found on craftzine.com. It's just the template for the outline (I used my own creativity when embroidering him).

Update:
Unpinned!!

Oh and I got tagged by Val. It's a birthday meme where you have to list three event, two births and one Holiday that share the same day as your birthday.

Events:
1564- Shakespeare was christened.

1865- Union cavalry troopers corner and shoot dead John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin, in Virginia.

1962- NASA's Ranger 4 spacecraft crashes into the Moon.

Birthdays:

1962- Debra Wilson, American actress and comedian.

1963- Jet Li, Chinese martial artist.

Holidays:

World Intellectual Property Day (as of 2001)

This is actually pretty fun. If you want to try it..go to Wikipedia and type in the month and day of your birthday, omit year.

I'm still here, don't worry :D.

2007-06-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

No..I did not drop off the face of the earth. I've actually been so busy with writing up designs, knitting, being a Mommy, being a maid and just life in general. I know I said I'd have the shawl knitted by the end of last week. Let me just say, THAT did not happen. Although I'm almost done with it, a few more pattern repeats and she'll be finished...finally.

The shawl was really hard to get through. Not because it was a shawl, but because I've knit the pattern 3 times in a row already and I think I'm suffering severely from "been there done that" syndrome. And it seems pushing yourself to do something makes it even harder to plug through.
Once I just gave in and stopped fighting it, it was much easier and I actually got to enjoying it again.

Tell you what though, knit in the Alpaca Silk, it's wonderfully soft! My son loves to rub it against his face as I'm knitting it.

I've also been trying something a little new with the spinning. I wanted to make lace weight and wanted to do it as thin as possible, so I tried the hooked spinning. Basically you take a piece of wire/clothes hanger and bend it into a shepherd's hook and pull out a few fibers while you spin.

It works nicely actually, but spinning while drafting is a challenge. It's not as easy as a drop spindle since the spindle can spin freely on it's own as you join new fibers. This is a challenge and takes a lot of patience since you don't get a lot right away.

See the roving in the back? Isn't that gorgeous!? I love the yellow mixed with the blue. I've tried looking for it on the Blue Goose Glen website, but I haven't found it. I would LOVE to find a color like that again. This was from a sampler pack of different colored rovings. (It was a great way for me to see all the colors up close and personal.) If anyone can tell me where I can get a roving like that, let me know! :D

Shawl update

2007-06-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well, the shawl is almost done. I know it doesn't look long enough, but another 16 pattern repeats and she will be done and then blocked to her full potential. I'm hoping to have her done by this weekend. This is knit in Buckingham from Plymouth. It's soooooo incredibly soft.

It's a CO of 95 stitches instead of the recommended 55 for the scarf. It knits up to be really wide. When one edge held to my neck the other reaches past my elbow. Ok...not exact measurements so far, but when she's blocked, then you'll know.

It took me a little bit since I've been working on other projects for Plymouth as well. Here's a cute little baby sock. It's going to be offered in 6-9 months and 12 month sizes. I love it. So does oogie.

Oh, and here's some more pics of the yard behind my apartment. Yeah, I only wish this was my yard. I think she's strayed a little far from her forest and into the wrong part of town, since there's a highway right beyond those trees. I don't think she crossed it though..so no worries. :D

Hey all

2007-06-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Let's see how's my week been? Pretty good actually, I've got a LOT to share. Apparently La Dentelle Belle (or La Belle Dentelle..yeah I've got to change that soon) was a big hit by all of you. I'm so glad that you liked it! It was such a big hit, that Plymouth Yarns bought the pattern and asked if I would knit up a scarf for their new yarn called Buckingham. (Don't worry, it's still going to be offered as a free pattern on my site :D) It's an alpaca/silk blend. Oooooo it's nice.

After I started talking with the nice lady at Plymouth, she asked if I would like to design for them. How could I refuse!!! So...she sent me out a bag of each of their colors. Wow, it's just gorgeous stuff. I love the yarn.

It's so soft! So soft in fact that my little Oogie sneaks over to my yarn stash and pulls out a skein and rubs it against his face. I've found him sitting in the corner out of view and just holding a skein to his little chubby cheeks. I think that's an omen I should be designing a baby blanket?

For right now, it's offered in only 3 colors. But, in July they'll be coming out with 5-7 more colors. I strongly suggest this yarn, I'm in love!

So the lady at Plymouth wanted an awesome scarf done in the rose color, and a shawl done in the natural/cream color. (I REALLY need a ball winder. They don't look it, but there's a LOT of yarn in one skein and it takes forever to wind these if you do it by hand!) Here's the finished scarf below. One skien made this gorgeous scarf!

I know you can't see it here but I'm almost finished with the first skien. It's taking a while since this shawl is really wide. I casted on 95 stitches instead of the 55 required from the pattern. Right now it's not blocked, but I have gotten really far on it. I've been knitting on it a lot!

I've also been working on some other projects for Plymouth, so my "me" knitting time has been really cut down. Not that it's a big deal, I mean, who would complain about being paid to knit!?

I've also been doing some spinning. I thought that my bright purple and black Colonial blends would look awesome spun together. And they do! Sadly, again, I didn't spin enough for a hat. I really wish I would start getting it right.

Oh well, instead though I'm taking a hint from Val, she's been knitting these and I thought that it would be awesome in the purple/black yarn. I'm going to knit it up for myself ( I don't think I'll look good in it, but gosh darn it, I'm going to wear it!!)

Here's a better view of the colors..

I'm also trying to knit up the Flower Basket shawl from interweave knits. And it's kind of disappointing me. I love the shawl, and I'm going to finish it, but it's kinda bulky. When I first knit it up, I used one skien of Clematis Heather on size 2 needles. Then, I looked closely at the pattern (ok..I started it at 11 at night when I was REALLY tired.) and found out the she used #7 needles with TWO strands of yarn held together.

Needless to say..I was kinda bummed. Seeing how far I got, I had to frog it and start over. Now, I'm not sure I like how bulky it is. I was so looking forward to something light and whimsical. Maybe if I just work through this and finish it I'll feel differently, but I'm confused right now about it.

Handspun Yarn

2007-05-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

I've found this out about myself. I LOVE plying yarn. It's so quick and easy. I had a bunch of balls of singles laying around that I thought I should start plying. They were small balls and I didn't think they'd amount to much (ok..you can giggle at that comment if you want :D) but look at these! I can make a hat!

This is from the Lilac colored Merino and English Garden Merino. I love this. You can't really see it here, but the green is more purplish green. It's great. I'm not sure what to make out of it though, I don't think there's enough here to make an adult sized hat.

This one is great too. It's two different colored green Merino multi-colored hand spun. One is green with red and yellow, the other is a sage green. It actually looks really nice. Again, not enough to make a hat I don't think. I haven't measured it, so I'm not sure on the exact amount.

A special request from my daughter. She wanted a red and white striped yarn for a hat. It's cute, very pepperminty. A Merino Colonial blend.

Lilac and White Merino ply. There's tons of this stuff. I could probably make a skinny long scarf out of this. I'm tempted to make a hat I think. Finally able to make something from my hand spun that I can wear. This is so gratifying. I just have to find a way to wear it in summer. I could sit in a nice air conditioned building just for the sake of showing off my new hat. :D

I must ply more. I have loads of different colors and so many ideas. I'm going to have so many hats for winter. :D

Update:

I just had to show this off.

This...

...became this.

What is it you ask. Well, it's an ear warmer of course. Not enough wool to make a hat, but just enough to cover your ears.

Needle: size 10 dpn.

Gauge: 3 sts = 1"

Yarn: Bulky weight (I used my own hand spun plied)

Measurements: 20 (22)" circumference

C.O. 6o (66) sts

K in k2, p2 ribbing in the round for 3 (3.5)".

B.O.

See how insanely easy that is?!
This honestly will take a half an hour to make. It's great for road trips, a nice change from intense knitting projects, a quick gift, or something simple to make using up small amounts of leftover yarn. I used my own hand spun yarn to make this beauty up. I'm itching to make more.

La Dentelle Belle Gallery

2007-05-28T17:16:00.001-07:00

Hey! Have you knit La Dentelle Belle scarf? Send it to me and I'll upload into the gallery!

This beauty is from Strega's Needles.

This pretty one is from Carole at Carole knits.

Another addition to the Gallery. This beautiful belle by Monica.

This one is from Anoma Lea. She added a neat lace ribbing in the middle instead of the traditional lace. Check out some of the other pics here!

This one is from Monika.
This is done in a Merino/cotton blend.

A new Hat

2007-05-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the short hiatus. I actually meant to make a new post and reply to emails yesterday but I got stuck with a darn cold. How do you catch a cold in 90 degree weather?! So, I just spent most of yesterday laying on the couch like a lump and then sleeping the rest of the evening. Luckily I feel a little better today :D.

Aww...isn't he just cute? You know how I was afraid that the mothers in the grocery store would give me the evil eye? In all actuality I got so many compliments for the "cool mohawk". Even my doctor loved it. The only questions I really got about it was, "how did you get him to sit still?" Women would come up to me in the store and literally just swoon "Awwww..the mohawk is just cute!!" My son loved the attention to say the least. I think some mothers were planning on giving their baby a new do.

But, when sporting a macho mohawk isn't really all that cute and I need to hide it, Kirsten sent me this awesome hat! Doesn't he look just darling in it? I love it, it's so colorful. Oogie liked it, see him posing..I think he's going to be a model. Or a geek (he's already learned how to turn off the surround sound.).

It's also pretty stretchy, as you can see. Which is great since it'll be able to grow with him. He really liked chewing on it.

My husband even got to pose with him. Isn't that a nice beard, it's imported all the way from Canada. :)

I also got tagged from Jacque and Cara. Which is great, I'm glad people want to know about me.
So here goes, 7 things unknown about me...

1. My childhood heroine was Wonder Woman. I used to beg my mother to cut out stars from tag board and then I would tape them to my forehead and wrists. My jump rope was my lasso of truth. I use to run around in our garden "apprehending criminals" ..which in all actuality were just pear trees and raspberry bushes.

2. I had to trick my mother into teaching me how to knit. She taught me once when I was 8, but I forgot soon after that, since then she hadn't wanted to pick up the needles. In order to "convince" my mother into teaching me how to knit I had to make her want to. I tried for a couple years mind you. Finally, I took her into the yarn shop in town and she got to see all the fabulous wool and the gorgeous Norwegian sweater patterns. She bought two skeins of yarn and a pair of needles. That night she taught me how to knit. :D

3. I love babies, but I couldn't stand being pregnant. I don't know how some women get the "glow". Me? I was happy about having a baby, but the pregnancy side effects drove me nuts. I got every single symptom you could get. Morning sickness, hormone fluxes, bloody nose (did you know you got a bloody nose..neither did I), frothy foamy mouth, excessive food cravings. Believe me, if there was a symptom I got it. I was not the picture of beauty, I was more like Jabba the Hut. :D

4. I wore my P.J.s to school all the time when I was younger. While the cheerleaders would get all beautified and plaster coats of what looked like polyurethane on their hair, I would just make sure I had enough time to shower and comb my hair. I loved lounge pants (I still do) and I figured I would rather wear something comfy and be happy than constrict myself into something that barely fit for the sake of beauty.

5. I've had my cat for 10 almost 11 years. I actually owned his mother and she got pregnant and had a litter of 4 kittens. He was actually my least favorite of the bunch. He drove me nuts, all he did was meow for food constantly and eat. He was such a little porker that even his mother couldn't carry him in her mouth, he actually dragged on the ground between her legs as she strained to pull him back to the nest. He actually became my best friend growing up, although he's still a whiny chunk and I have no idea what I'd do without him.

6. I could be anywhere in the United States and there will be someone who knows my mother or someone from my mother's side of the family. This still is amazing to me. I remember I was doing flu shots with her at a Walgreens, (I did administration..not the shot giving) and there was an elderly man who struck up a conversation with us. It actually went something like this.."Yah, ya know, my brother Sven from Cochrane was up yesterday." "Sven from Cochrane? Is that Ulla's son??" "Ya, you betcha" "Oh! I know Sven! I'm Alton's daughter!" "Uff da! How's Alton doing. He's ok ya?" "Ya, you betcha" How this happens I have no idea.

7. My family's idea of a good time is making the all time coveted lefse. (which is good) And then eating ludefisk...(which is not.) Amazingly there's a divide in my family. The traditional people who eat ludefisk on their lefse, and the black sheep who just eat it with butter and sugar. The ludefisk eaters are "ellite" and look down on the sugar spreaders as defilers of the holy lefse. In order to be accepted into this collective Uff da consciousness you had to make the right of passage...making lefse and then eat it with ludefisk.

Am I a terrible Mother?

2007-05-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

A little off the knitted path...

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. As I was preparing to give my 7 month old son a bath, I had decided it was high time that he got a hair trim. His hair was getting long and shaggy, not too much mind you, but just enough to be bothersome to any mother I'd say. I never used to mind it on other children, but seeing hair hanging over the ears now drives me nuts.

So..

As he sat there waiting for his bath to be drawn (he's small enough to sit in the sink in the bathroom..which is great since my back hurts when I have to kneel on the floor and stretch over to wash a bouncy child's hair) I amused him with a rubber ducky toy while I got out my husbands beard trimmer. I love this thing. With blocks on it's great from trimming short hair and beards, without the blocks it's perfect for shaving my legs :D. (Yes, I'm lazy.)

So, while I had him occupied for 5 minutes I grabbed the Norelco and gave him a quick shave down the side of his head. And what happens??? I quickly realized that I forgot to put on the blocks!!!! I was horrified as I stared at this HUGE bald spot on the side of my baby's head. I was so shocked...I looked like I had just hit a cat with my car..(I know this cause I saw my reflection in the mirror)..except with a Norelco buzzing in my hand.

My son? He wasn't even aware of what just happened, if he was I'm sure he'd NEVER let me come close to his hair ever again.

What could I do? There's no fixing this, seriously, how can you creatively hide a huge bald spot on the side of a cute little baby's head?! Well, I thought about shaving his whole head, but I thought, "He might actually look a little sickly with an extremely bald head." I mean..bald..like no cute little peach fuzz or anything. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I improvised.

My husband loves it...of course.

I wonder what the doctor is going to say when I go on Monday.

Spinning

2007-05-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been knitting...

...but I've spinning.

This is the Maroon Colonial. It's quite soft actually. I love the color, the flash on my camera really doesn't do it justice. This is more of a practice spinning. Kirsten and I have been working on spun stitches and I realized that I needed to work more on my lace weight spinning techniques. I've gotten pretty close though with only a few large slubs here and there. Actually, this is a challenge I've been waiting for. Trying over and over again to get it thinner and thinner. I actually pull the roving into quarters length wise in order to get it as thin as possible.

The only problem? It takes forever. Good thing you don't need a lot in order to make something, I've found that a little lace weight yarn can go a lot further than the bulky stuff.
Although I did take a break to spin some bulky weight yarn for a rug. (wow what a difference THAT was!)

In the next few days I'm going to get my stuff together for the knit and spin-a-long bash over at spun stitches. I've got some Merino Silk set aside just for it. I'm hoping that I have enough. 2 ounces should be enough if spun rather thin, if not I need to get more. Tell you what, I have a feeling it's going to get addicting.

La Dentelle Belle Scarf

2007-05-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

As Promised! La Dentelle Belle Scarf (I was going to call it Beau Lacet, but my somewhat fluent in French Husband says that Beau is the masculine form of Beautiful, instead I should use Belle.
Lacet means to tie my shoes so I should use Dentelle.) If it isn't perfect French I'm sorry, if I'm wrong let me know. Or should I say, if he's wrong let me know.:D

So, La Dentelle Belle (Beautiful Lace Scarf) it is.

This is for my mother for Mother's Day. Sadly, she's working a 12 hour shift today at the hospital. She loves scarves, and who can blame her, a lovely scarf fluttering carelessly around the neck is enough to make anyone feel beautiful. It's like sexy underwear for your neck :D.

Now, I gave only the chart for this piece, since I find that using written rows is not only confusing, but it can be annoying specially if the piece is rather complicated. So I avoided it altogether. If you want, I can type it out, just write me an email and I'll post the written instructions.

I also used a larger size needle to knit this since I wanted a fluttery feel to it. You can use smaller needles, but I like the gauzy look to it.

Yarn: Fingering Weight Yarn

Gauge: 6 sts = 1" in St. st (After blocking)

Needles: #5 Straight

Finished Measurements: 10" x 40" (After blocking.) I made this scarf shorter since I liked the look of a shorter scarf adorned with a shawl pin.

C.O. 55 stitches with #5 straight needles.

Work in pattern, (Right edging first, then middle, then left.)

The middle panel is a repeat of 10+1 stitches. Work the middle panel for a repeat of 3 times. (The panel body is outlined in the red box.) Then when you get to the last stitch, work the stitch in the chart that is outside the red box.

Every even row worked in this pattern is; K2, purl to last 2 stitches, K2.

If, after reading this chart you are not sure as to what some of the terms mean, please check out this page at knitty.com.

Right Edging

Middle

Update: If anyone had problems with the 13th row, it was a misprint on my end. It starts off with a K2tog, and ends with a K1. I fixed this so there should be no further problems.

Left Edging

As I said above, I worked this piece until it measured 40". By all means, make it as long as you want.

B.O.

Weave in ends and block.

Enjoy your new scarf or give it to that special beautiful someone.

Update:

Well, I had gotten an email from a lovely lady who asked for the written instructions to La Dentelle Belle, so here they are below. I tried to make it as easy to read as possible, because if you're like me and get lost easily is massive amounts of abbreviations and rows, then you'd like something that makes it easy to see.

The instructions in blue are the edgings, while the ones in black are the middle panel.

~PM~ = place marker
~m~ = slip marker

Row 1: K2, yo, slp1, k1, psso, yo, k5, yo, k3, ~PM~ (*k1,yo,k2, slp1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, k2, yo) Repeat from (*) to last st. ~PM~ K1, k3, yo, k5, yo, k2tog, yo, k2

Row 2: And every even row, k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2

Row 3: K1, slip1, k1, psso, yo, slip1, k1, psso, yo, k2, slip 2 stitches tog. as if to knit, k1, psso, k4,~m~ (* k1, yo, k2, slp 1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, k2, yo,) Repeat from * to last st. ~m~ K1, K4, slp 1, k2tog, psso, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1

Row 5: K1, slp 1, k1, psso, yo, slp1, k1, psso, yo, k2, k2tog, k3, ~m~ (*k1, yo, k2, slp1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, k2, yo) Repeat from * to last st. K1, ~m~ K3, slp1, k1, psso, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1

Row 7: K1, slp1, k1, psso, yo, slp1, k1, psso, yo, k2, k2tog, k2,~m~ (* k2, yo, k2, sl1, k2tog, psso, k2, yo, k1) Repeat from * to last st, k1. ~m~ k2, slp1, k1, psso, k2 yo k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1

Row 9: K1, slp1, k1, psso, yo, slp1, k1, psso, yo, k2, k2tog, k1, ~m~ (k3, yo , k1, slp1, k2tog, psso, k1, yo, k2) Repeat from * to last st, k1,~m~ K1, slp1, k1, psso, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1

Row 11: K2, yo, slp1, k1, psso, yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, ~m~ (*k4, yo, slp1, k2tog, psso, yo, k3) Repeat from * to last st, k1, ~m~ slp1, k1, psso, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, yo, k2

Row 13: K2, yo, slp1, k1, psso, yo, k3, yo, k3, ~m~ (*K2tog, yo) Repeat from * to last stitch, K1~m~ k3, yo, k3, yo, k2tog, yo, k2

I double checked it all so it should correct, if not and you see a mistake, please let me know. :D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also as a note for those who are interested , Kirsten and I are starting a KAL for people who are interested in spinning yarn for a shawl. It's any shawl you'd like, but the concept is the same. Spin yarn, knit lace, and have fun. Click the picture to be taken there.

So, if you're interested email either Kirsten or me and let us know!

A new Project

2007-05-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

Good Morning everyone. Well, today I'm going to bring something of a little present to you guys. No, it's not a free pattern this time, it's an opportunity to do a project unlike any other. A Knit A-Long (KAL) for knitted shawls.

You've been to KALs before, but this time, you are going to spin your own yarn. I had mentioned in an earlier post that I wanted to spin yarn and knit a shawl of my own. Well, Kirsten had made a comment that she also wanted to spin her own yarn and knit it into a shawl. So, I pitched her the idea of starting a KAL for it.

Needless to say, she really liked the idea and for the past week her and I have been putting our noses to the proverbial grindstone and getting our blog up. We're hoping to launch within the next week or so, so stick around!

Oh, and here's a sneak peak of the roving I'm going to use. It's Merino silk in Lichen Green from Blue Goose Glen.

Mistakes happen...

2007-05-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

Well, here is a swatch I knitted from my own hand spun Colonial wool in Bluebell. Actually this wool is quite soft. I'm looking forward to spinning more of it and knitting it into socks. Now the swatch above isn't blocked straight, I know this. I was so excited to see what my finished product looked like that I wasn't worried about it. I also should have worked on smaller needles. I used a #3, when I could have actually used a #2. Notice the large gaps in between the stitches in the eyelet pattern. I think I was worried of pulling apart my yarn I didn't realize it was more durable than I thought. Now, as I was knitting this swatch it only took a few pattern repeats to notice that something wasn't right. I'm sure you can see it, but to better accentuate it I highlighted it.

I was working in the vertical eyelet row in Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns. I really like this book. It has tons of stitches and just drips with ideas for creative projects. But, when I started working on this pattern I noticed something wasn't right. The pattern I was working on did NOT match the picture in the book. I double checked the written instructions, I was indeed following them perfectly. No steps missed. Double checked the notes, nothing. Not until I looked at the chart.

The written pattern asks you to repeat a pattern of 4 rows. Knit, Purl, pattern row, knit, repeat. The chart on the other hand, is a repeat of only 2 rows.

Can you see it?

I think that this is a big mistake in the book, but I'm not going to complain overly. I still love this book. It just shows me to pay more attention.

Also, my mother's scarf is coming along slowly but surely. I'm almost done with the first skien, hopefully I'll be able to finish this by this weekend. (of course, I'm not sure if I'll even see her this weekend, she might be working. Ah, such is the hours of a Nurse.)

I admit, I think I should have knitted it on smaller needles. I tried #5 for it, and I think those were a little TOO big. I wanted this to be light and fluttery, almost gauzy. I'll have to see what the finished product is like before I make any final criticizing. (#1 rule for ANY artist, finish the work, THEN judge...or else you have tons of unfinished projects.)

If you go through mountains of notebooks, sketchbooks and post it notes for jotting down patterns, ideas, notes or even keeping track of your project rows, you might enjoy this. I found it at cafepress and feel absolutely in love with it.

Update on Scarf

2007-05-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show you how far I am on my mother's scarf so far. It's actually a really easy pattern once you get the hang of it all. I'm thinking Beau Lacet Scarf for the name, which is French for Lovely Lace.

7 things unknown about me

2007-05-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

Val from My Little Piece of the Net tagged me with this simple request.

You must reveal 7 unknown things about yourself.

Wow. Ok, apparently Val has no idea how insanely hard it is for me to actually talk about myself. I usually just sit there dumbfounded and say the most obvious and idiotic things like.."I'm a girl." " I like to draw." I'm not exaggerating either. You should have seen me on my first day of college. So here goes.

#1. (Ok 5 minutes has passed and still nothing.) Oh, here's one, I am a pro at multitasking. I can balance a baby and do laundry at the same time, I can draw, cook and listen to my daughter all at once...but I can't do ANYTHING when I listen to music. This is usually why I hardly ever listen to it. The moment I start listening to music I actually start shutting down and drifting off into Teresaland, (and yes, it is nice there.) The only time I listen to it is when I'm in the car and can't do anything besides listen to it.

#2. I've only ever had my hair cut professionally once in my life, (meaning I only paid for it once). The last time I actually had my hair "cut" was by my mother. I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter and my mother gives me a bob hair cut with uber short bangs. However cute that is on some people..it didn't look cute on me. That'll teach me to not skimp on good hair cuts. That was the last time I had it cut...now it's so long I find hair everywhere..even on the ceiling!

#3. I was never afraid of spiders until 2004. I caught a spider bigger than the size of my palm in my house with a mason jar. It was hideous. It was a Nursery Web spider, (prepare yourself it's really gross.) and it snuck in through a crack in the door and slowly lowered itself down. I caught it in the jar and looked right in it's eyes. Ever since I've been petrified of spiders.

#4. I have a brother I never met. Actually he's a half brother and by the time I was born he was already like 24, so he's around 46-48 years old. I tried to contact him once but chickened out, and when his wife called back to talk to me, I pretended I was the babysitter!!! I'm such a chicken. I was so nervous I didn't know what to do. I've thought about talking to him again but I not sure what I would say.

#5. I really really want a dog. I know, why is this such big a deal. Well, no one really knows I want a dog since I've always been a "cat person". But lately I've really been wanting a dog. I'm in love with Corgis for some reason. Maybe because I took a "what's your dog" test and the first few choices were different breeds of Corgis. Or maybe because they're so gosh darn cute!

#6. I read 3 romance novels in one day. I know, I know, I can hear you say "wow you have no life." or "what, are you that desperate?!" No..pfft. I'm just a helpless romantic that loves a good love story...and I'm also a fast reader. Believe me, I still cleaned the house and did the dishes that day. My family is full of fast readers. My great aunt read 5 books a week, and my mom usually reads 3 on average.

#7. And finally. I can't sell myself as an artist. I can draw, but when it comes to stepping in the rat race with all the other artists I chicken out ( wow that's becoming a pattern huh? :D) It's the, competing against other artists and waking up and drinking a cup full of empty promises of getting paid that turns me off. Thus the "starving artist" thing. I would love to sell my art and share it with people, but when it comes to selling my stuff I can't say anything good about it.

Wow..that was cleansing. ;) So there you go. 7 things unknown about me.

Skully Keychain

2007-05-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

These are completely awesome, easy to make and fast! I finished one skull within 20 minutes, and I had two kids hanging off of me and grabbing at my yarn! :D These are great for some instant gratification projects or when you just need something really quick for a present or just a boring afternoon. You could honestly make thousands of these and do whatever with them. I made them into key chains. You could use them for patches for hats, bags, or scarves. Topi knitted in black yarn with one of these patched onto the side like this hat would be awesome! The chart can also be used on a background instead of a patch itself or use a very chunky wool and larger needles to make coasters! These would also be awesome magnets, barrettes, and pins. This is very versatile, easy and quick to use. I added a bow to mine since I thought it would be cute as heck!
Needles: #3 straight

Yarn: Palette Cream, Purple, and Grass (I use this because it's versatile and MANY people can afford it.)

Gauge: Doesn't really matter, but for the record you'll want to use a smaller size yarn & needles for key chain, larger yarn & needles for bigger projects.

Other Materials: Hammer, needle nose pliers, exacto knife, jump rings, eyelets, eyelet tools, and key chain hook, cutting board

Using straight needles C.O. 11 sts in main color and begin chart.
The chart is pretty much self explanatory. Don't knit the squares beyond the purple skull border unless you are knitting it on a background.

Now here's what I did to turn them into key chains.

Weave in all the loose ends.

Felt them by hand. I fill a sink full of hot water (as hot as I can stand) and submerge them into the water. I also use some hand soap (bar form, laundry soap works well too) and soap them up a bit and then rub them vigorously between my hands. I constantly submerge them rinses them as I do this. I change the water about 4 times through out the process until I get the size I want. Then I roll them up in a towel and squish out the excess water. These dry VERY quickly. (Which is another cool aspect of this project.)

I get my handy dandy tools together.

...and cut a VERY small hole in the top of each piece. Just large enough to get the eyelets through. If you don't cut a hole, you'll REALLY regret it since it won't create a hole on it's own. I made this mistake once and couldn't get the eyelets apart to correct the mistake.

Read the instructions on the eyelet tool box in order to put in the eyelet. It's a bit confusing if you don't...*cough* believe me.

Put in jump rings and key chain hook. There you go...an awesome key chain. I took a piece of ribbon and tied it into a bow. Using the same color thread as the main color on the skull key chain, I tacked it onto the piece through the back of the bow. (Glue would work but if you're like me, things don't tend to stay as nice as you like them and thus you need things that are cool AND durable.)

Also, if you put in the eyelet and find out that your key chain skull is too big, that's fine. You can felt it again even if the eyelet is already in. Afterwards rehammer the eyelet to make it fit better.

WARNING: These are insanely addicting to make.

Stitch Markers

2007-04-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with making some awesome stitch markers. Some of the beads I had gotten from Michael's the other day for my birthday. Some of the others I made myself. Here's some of the ones I made myself.

They include a sweater, skull, a conical shaped one with zig zag pink on it (which is hard to see), a cube with swirls on both sides, a bone, a long bead with turquoise swirl and something that my daughter calls a smashy ball. Why, I'm not sure.

Here's a fuzzy close up of the skull and the sweater. The sweater I think is really cute.

Here's some of the stitch markers I made from the beads I had on hand. Working counter clockwise there's fresh water pearl, a blue and grey glass bead, a turquoise bead with flower design, a china plate like bead (I know there's a specific name for the design but I can't seem to recall it from my memory at this moment. :)), and two larger markers made from plain wire.

The skull one was so cool I decided to make it into a key chain for my husband. (The mask is my key chain, he has a stick of ram for his key chain...what a geek. :D) What do you think?

These ones were really cool. I tried wire wrapping some of the bobbles instead of just piling beads onto the wire. I think it turned out really cool. My husband really liked the black wire wrapped bead. I'm partial to the red ones myself.

Quacktacular!

2007-04-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was my 24th birthday. It was actually quite uneventful until my husband got home from work. He wanted to give me the greatest birthday present a man could give to his wife. A couple hours alone, with $100 in a Barnes & Nobles and Micheal's. This was great I thought. I would have a few hours to peruse the store without the whiny canter that my children have a tendency on bringing. A few hours without the insesant babbling of a 4 year old, a few hours without the need to clean up projectile vomit off the wall, a few hours without having to tend to someone else's needs. A few hours ALL to myself.

Then he dropped me off.

I had no idea what to do with myself.

I wandered around the book store for about an hour trying to figure out what to do. "Should I get a coffee?" "Should I sit and read?" I've never been alone before (post-children), what do I do?

Then something weird happened.

"Is that Olivia I hear?" I seriously thought I heard my daughter. Then I realized it was just my imagination. Now THAT is an indication to you need a break!

So I started to relax. I bought a book and read it in the Starbucks while slurping down a de-la-something-I can't pronounce Frapocino. Seriously, how do they expect me to order it. I was actually looking for the English translation beneath the giant (what I think were) French words. I just pointed and said, "I want that brown stuff in a medium cup."

This is the book I bought. It's really good. I WAS going to buy myself a copy of Victorian Lace Today, but wow, $30. I had seen it that morning for $18 on amazon. I'm frugal. I know.
Along with the book I got primo. I really want to start making stitch markers. I did a few last night for a friend who knits and I completely forgot to take pictures. Let's just say, they were really cute.

And beads. I definitely need to get a jewelers pliers with the rounded tips. The flat ones with the griped nose just doesn't give you a great finish to the stitch markers.

See all the pretty beads. Shiny.

Oh, and I got a little farther on my Mother's scarf. Still haven't a name. I was going to call it Bella Donna, which is Italian for beautiful lady...but my husband made a good point. Deadly nightshade (a poisonous plant) is also called belladonna and just isn't a great name for it. Shucks, and for a minute I thought I had it. I love it. When I'm done I'll post the pattern. I really really like this scarf. Kinda wish I was knitting it for myself, but alas, as is with most nice stuff I make, I usually end up giving it away. :)

Oh, and check it out. I saw this on the fence outside my window this morning. A Mallard. He just sat there for a while looking around and was seemingly unimpressed. I figure there's a pond near by and he was just checking out places to either get food or make a nest. Either way, this was kinda cool. I was going to name him Buckly Duckly, but...he flew away. Oh well.

Something to make you laugh

2007-04-23T06:46:00.000-07:00

Well, in this post is something to make you laugh. It brought me to tears when I saw it. But for right now, I'm going to share with you some stuff I've been doing.

This is the lilac Merino from Blue Goose Glen. Wow, this stuff spins up really nicely. I've been trying to get rather thin with my spinning. I have 2 ounce of Merino silk that I want to be able to get to a lace weight in order to make a shawl. Not that I'm ever going to wear it, but, it's just an accomplishment as a knitter. Maybe it's the knitter's right of passage. :D

I also have some finished balls of yarn to show off. They're all Merino except the brown one which is Brown Welsh. It's course and quite unpleasant next to the skin, but it's REALLY durable. Rugs out of this would be great. You could make a hat out of it, but I'm not sure how comfy that would be. I'll give it a try and let you know.

English Garden and Brown Welsh knitted up into a swatch. I don't have much of the Merino to make much of anything accept a coaster (I'm not sure I want to use Merino as a coaster..isn't that sacrilege?) or a head band. And between you and me, I look like a complete doof with a head band. Some girls can pull it off and look just cute. Me? I look funny. So any suggestions?

I've also decided to make my husband a sweater. I saw this in Interweave knits, and I knew that this would look just handsome on him. (Course he doesn't need a sweater for that ;)) But the problem is, I started it before Christmas and here it sits. Sweaters and I have this love hate relationship. I love wearing them, but I hate knitting them. Don't get me wrong. I love knitting. It's just the thought of working something so large when I don't get that long to sit and work on it. I'm determined though. I'll work through it all and then sew it up and feel like an accomplished knitter. Believe me, I'll keep you updated on this.

Here's a scarf I'm designing also. Sweaters are a project that leaves me sighing heavily where scarves are just right. I think it's something I can do while multitasking. I've knit sweaters before, but I didn't have the distraction of a 4 year old and a baby. Oogie loves my knitting so much he'll pretty much dump over my bowl of yarn and lay in it.

The scarf is sitting unnamed right now. It's for my mother for Mother's day. You think she'll like it? It'll look much better after it's pinned and blocked. Actually the pattern is rather simple and easy to follow. I use a piece of paper to mark my position on the chart. (Believe me, if I don't it ends up looking quite funny.)

Oh...and I also realized that I don't show you many pictures of my Olive. The problem with that is, every time I flip out the camera she ends up running off so I end up with this multicolored streak in my picture. And every rest of the time she's not wearing clothes. Yeah, she's in that stage.

And now for something funny....

Heheh...I must have caught him off guard. I've been trying to come up with a great caption to this picture. A caption like.."Mommy..I just made an uh-oh in my diaper." or "I wasn't just in the cat food, I promise!" Either way...I laughed so hard I cried.

Have a great day!

Lion Snuggly Bottle Warmer

2007-04-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Needles: #7 dpn

Yarn: Peaches and Cream Cotton yarn (One skien White, One skien Yellow)

Gauge: 4 sts = 1"

C.O. 8 sts between 4 dpn needles evenly.

Round 1: (and all odd rows) Knit

Round 2: K in f&b of each st, (16 sts)

Round 4: *K 1, K in f&b of next st. Repeat from* to end. (24 sts)

Round 6: *K2, K in f&b of next st. Repeat from * to end. (32 sts)

Then K in the round until the piece measures 6" laid flat.

Work 3 rounds of K1, P1 ribbing.

Knit next row.

Round 7: *K3, K in f&b of next st . Repeat from * to end. (40 sts)

Round 8: Knit (and all even rows)

Round 9: * K4, K in f&b of next st. Repeat from * to end. (48 sts)

Round 11: *K5, K in f&b of next st. Repeat from * to end. (56 sts)

Round 12-16: Knit

Change to yellow.

Round 17: Knit

Round 18: Work Loop stitch .

(Work these two rounds (rounds 17 & 18) two more times for a total of three repeats.)

Round 19: Knit

Change to white and work in the round (plain knit) until the white measures 3.5".
Weave in all the loose ends and embroider the eyes and nose.

Round 20:*K5, K2tog. Repeat from * to end.

Round 21: Knit

Round 22: *K4, K2tog. Repeat from * to end.

Round 23: Knit

Turn the bottle insert outside in, so that it is inside the snuggly body.

Insert bottle into the snuggly and stuff around it slightly firmly. (Every time you stuff the snuggly, insert the bottle. This way you get a more uniform stuffing to the piece.)

Round 24: *K3, K2tog. Repeat from * to end.

Round 25: Knit.

Round 26: *K2, K2tog. Repeat from * to end.

Round 27: Knit

Round 28: *K1, K2tog. Repeat from * to end.

Round 29: Knit

Round 30: *K2Tog. Repeat from * to end.

Round 31: Knit

Insert bottle and stuff the bottom of the piece.

Round 32: *K2tog. Repeat from * to end.

You have 4 sts remaining. Transfer all stitches to one needle and work I cord for 2".

Change to yellow & work 2 Rounds of the Loop stitch pattern.

Knit one round then B.O.

Weave in loose ends.

Legs and ears.

C.O. 6 sts (Leave a 10" tail)

Knit 5 rows in garter stitch (knit every row).

Next row: K2tog, K 2, K2tog
Next row: B.O.

The string that was the B.O. string, weave down the side of the piece and across the bottom so that it is right next to the C.O. string.

Make 6 pieces.

Attach them to the lion. 4 for the feet and two for the ears.

Hello and good morning

2007-04-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

I tell you what. Whoever said raising children was easy was lying...and didn't have children. Of course, I don't think anyone said THAT! My son..my little Oogie..has started crawling. He started very early I must say. He JUST turned 6 months old and he's already crawling and getting into everything.

I remember my daughter being very early with everything. At first I was excited. I couldn't wait for her to crawl (6 months), then I couldn't wait for her to walk (10 months), then I couldn't wait for her to talk. Now...now I just wish she would sit still for a minute and be quiet!

Now, my son, who just turned 6 months, is crawling and even pulling himself up into a standing position and getting into everything. Tell you what, if your baby is 8 months and just crawling..I envy you. The moment his little chubby legs hit the floor he's off crawling at amazing speeds...and finding everything. I thought for sure my house was baby proofed! Nope, that doesn't actually happen until they start crawling and find all those little bits of junk that were under the heater! You know that place where you can't get to unless you have a vacuum cleaner with an extremely long and tiny attachment.

And apparently knitting is something of a baby magnet too. I've learned that when I sit to knit or spin my son becomes completely fascinated with what I'm doing and decides to take it upon himself to help. He's learned that crawling under the coffee table "unnoticed", he can easily grab the bowl I use to put my fibers in...and Mommy makes a funny noise that sounds like a cross between a moose and a dying cat. (This coffee table has become his favorite spot, it's his own little fort.)

So, needless to say, my knitting has been slow and not so steady. I have yet found anything that satiates him into sitting in one place for more than 5 minutes besides his stroller. I'm pretty sure I won't find anything until his curiosity has been appeased. By then, I'll be completely grey.

On a different note, my hubby turned 25 yesterday. He's a quarter of a century old!!! Of course I made him a nice home made devils chocolate cake..then guess what. That's right...I ran out of white icing. So this is what I ended up writing on his cake.

...Happy B-DAY! Can you believe it. Of course I don't think he cared. He still ate it. What chocolate nut wouldn't. I HATE cake and I even ate it. But Oogie liked it..

:D Oh! He also got himself a nice birthday present. Can you guess what it is?

Here's a clue. It's something most geeks own/want/covet and usually means mobility to their geekiness.

Did you guess it?

Here's the answer.

Oh and for my birthday...he said I could touch it. Until then he takes it everywhere.

Wrist yarn holder

2007-04-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

When over my Mother's place this past weekend I realized that there wasn't a lot of places to set my knitting bag. No matter how small it was, the floor space just wasn't there with all the people visiting. I then thought of this neat idea for a way to hold small balls of yarn for that traveling project. This will work great when standing, in the car and on the go. This holds smaller balls of yarn and yarn cakes, and as you knit standing up, you can slouch the pouch down to your elbow to keep it out of the way.

Yarn: Sport weight

Needles: #3 set of 5 dpn

Gauge: 6 sts =1" in St st.

Materials: 2 D rings, tapestry needle

Bottom:

C.O. 8 sts evenly onto 4 dpn needles.

Round 1: Knit

Round 2: Knit in Front and Back of each stitch. (K in f & b) (8 st increase, 16 sts)

Round 3: Knit

Round 4: *K1, k in f & b of next st. Repeat from * to end (24 sts)

Round 5: Knit

Round 6: *K2, K in f & b of next st. Repeat from * to end. (32 sts)

Round 7: Knit

Round 8: *K3, k in f & b of next st. Repeat from * to end (40 sts)

Round 9: Knit

Round 10: *K4, k in f & b of next st. Repeat from * to end. (48 sts)

Round 11: Knit

Round12: *K5, K in f & b of next st. Repeat from * to end (56 sts)

Round 13: Knit

Round 14: *K6, K in f & b of next st. Repeat from * to end. (64 sts)

Round 15: Knit

Body:

The body is worked in the "Pattern Body" of the graph below. This creates the swirl pattern. Work in the pattern body until piece measures 3'' (Not including bottom of bag).

#1) P2, K2 to end

#2) K1, *P2, K2 to last stitch, K1

#3) *K2, P2, to last stitch

#4) P1, *K2, P2 to last stitch, P1

Repeat these 4 rows for pattern.

Then work a P2, K2 ribbing for 3 rounds.

To do this. knit the knit sts and purl the purl sts of the last round,as in chart.

B.O. and weave in ends.

Strap:

C.O. 8 sts. Leave about a 10" string on the C.O. end.

Knit in garter st. until piece measures 8".

B.O. Leaving another 10" string at the B.O. end.

Using the strings at both ends, sew the strap to the curved edge of the D ring. Using another piece of string sew the flat edge of the D ring to the body of the yarn holder. To do this properly, lay the piece flat and use a stitch marker or safety pin to mark each side.

Viola! You are done!

Yarn and food

2007-04-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

This last week has been unbearable. Why you ask. Well, here's why. About two weeks ago my husband, children and I went out for a day of window shopping. We also decided to grab a quick lunch at the local fast food joint. Normally I abhor fast food. It's greasy, unappealing outside the menu pictures and fattening. Not to mention I don't know who's making it and/or what they did before they fondled my food. Well, we figured, once in a blue moon won't hurt.

pfftt! Well, the next day my daughter had gotten extremely sick. Like, vomiting and running a 102.5 fever. I called my mother like any good natured and desperate daughter would do. Not only because she's my mom, but also because she's a nurse. :D Her diagnosis...food poisoning. (At this moment I had to hand it to my husband, he said it was food poisoning the moment she looked a little green.)

So, for a couple of days she was not her normal self. It concerned me a lot when my normal rowdy daughter actually went to her room and crawled in bed for a nap! A four year old instituting her own nap!? Then, her fever left and she stopped vomiting after a few days.

Great right? Nope, then my husband, my daughter and I all come down with a terrible cold. Not the runny nose sore throat kind. Oh no. The itchy eyes, runny nose, can't think clearly, head is going to explode from headache, body feels like a ton, exhausted kind. For a whole week. I'm just recovering now.

...But on a good note. I've been spinning.

This is the Forest Merino and White Merino from Blue Goose Glen.

The book behind it was an old Teachers ledger that I found in a box. Inside is records of children's grades for each month.

Yeah, I've been living here for 9 months and am just unpacking my books. All due to the lack of a good bookcase. But now, I've found some things that are just awesome! Like this book with recipes pasted inside it. I'm not sure how old it is. But I did find a pamphlet inside about Wisconsin milk fairies from 1926.

And some awesome recipes inside. Probably from around the same time.

Pumpkin Butter

2 cups pumpkin, mashed and strained
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 slice lemon
1 cup white sugar

Simmer gently until thick, fill glasses or small jars and seal
with paraffin. It will keep a long time if merely covered with a
piece of paper.

Wow, the F.D.A. might not approve of the piece of paper, but it sounds delicious!

Tomato Rarebit

1/2 pound of soft cheese
1 teaspoon mustard
pepper, paprika
(how much, it doesn't say, so I'm assuming to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup tomato soup

Cut the cheese (enter polite giggling) into small pieces, add mixed
seasonings, and cook over a low fire until melted. Add enough
tomato soup to thin the mixture so that it may be poured on slices of toast.

...And a newspaper clipping of Mrs. Calvin Coolidge and recipes of wives of noted leaders of the country.

A Favorite Southern Chicken Pilau

Cut up and stew a fat hen in water enough to almost cover it.
When almost tender add from two to three cups of
uncooked rice, and let stew slowly until the chicken is thoroughly
done and the rice has absorbed all the liqour. The rice must
not be stirred but care must be taken that it does not stick.
All of the broth should be absorbed by the rice. Season well. Serve
on platter with the chicken surrounded by the rice. In the South
red pepper is used, but this is optional.

Mrs. Will Hayes,
Wife of the Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Orange Marmalade

6 Oranges
1 Grapefruit
1 Large lemon
sugar
water

Squeeze the juice from the fruit. Put the skins
through the food-chopper and add to the juice.
To every cup of the mixture add three cups of water.
Soak twenty-four hours. Boil for one hour and let stand
for twenty-four hours. To every cup add three-fourths cup of
sugar; more if taste requires it. Boil about one hour or until
it gives a jelly test. This amont makes about fifteen glasses.

Miss Mary Garret Hay, New York.
Chairman of the league of Women Voters.

Now for some of my inspiration..

2007-04-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

I thought that this picture was awesome! And I wanted to share it with you, but I realized that I don't really have any of my art up that can really show off my talent. So, I decided to go around taking pictures of some of my artwork and work in progress.

This one I love so much I hung it up in my living room. It's a portrait of my cat as Buddha. Thus called, Mikey Buddha. I think it's a great likeness.

A water Sylph . Sorry if the picture is a little dark.

A fairy. Yeah, I love fairies.

..And my favorite, the archangel Raphael.

Now for some knitting. I'm working on this cropped cardigan for Olivia. The design is my own so I'm working on the pattern as I'm knitting it. After it's done I'm going to work some embroidery on the left side. I'm hoping to have it done by this weekend, but I completely screwed up the left panel by misjudging the math. (Told you I wasn't that good at math...hence why I'm an artist.) So I had to rip it down to the armhole and try again. Oy!

Knitter's inspiration

2007-04-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

While doing some spring cleaning today I found a box of photos I haven't opened in a while. At the bottom was this packet of photos in a neat little booklet of castles and country sides published by Valentine and Sons in London. I'm not sure what date. They were so cool I thought I'd share them with you here. At the bottom of this post is a wallpaper for your desktop I made from one of my more favorite photos of the bunch.

If you want a different photo made into a wallpaper, just let me know by commenting on here.

Here's the wallpapers I made. They're 1024 x 768. Just click to download. :D

Handspun wool

2007-04-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some yarns that I made out of the wonderful wool I got from Blue Goose Glen. It worked up quite nicely and was much easier that I thought it was going to be. I knew spinning your own yarns was simple enough, I was however a little intimidated by it. Now? I think I'm a little addicted.

The peach colored yarn at the top was Merino wool. Wow, that was so nice to spin up, and afterwards it was SO unbelievably soft! Socks out of it would be wonderful as would a shawl. Either way, it's so nice and gentle next to the skin.
Here's some of the yarn in better lighting. Sometimes I hate the flash on my camera. It doesn't adjust the lighting very well, but oh well.

UPDATE: I added a few more photos for you guys. This morning was a little bit brighter so I could take a better picture of the hand spun yarns. I LOVE working with the Merino. I have to say that. This is a sample of the Dark Welsh yarn. It's a little bit more of a challenge to work up being it's quite abrasive and coarse. It's not pleasurable at ALL next to the skin, but this is great for rugs and as I've recently found out, cat beds.

I spun a multicolored yarn from 4 different colored wool rovings and designed this really cute hat for my Oogie. It suits him quite nicely, don't you think?

And, with some of the left overs I made a cute little beard for him too. :D

Baby Nordic Mitts

2007-03-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

These mitts are actually intended for babies ages 6-9 months, but if you have babies like mine who are 5 months are 20 pounds, then it might be just right. I was really inspired by an exceptionally vintage pattern book I found. It was completely filled with different types of Nordic Mitts, ranging from adult to child to infant. These mittens made of 100% wool, and with the fair isle pattern it actually adds somewhat of a double layer of warmth so your little ones fingers won't be cold.

Needles: #1 DPN

Yarn: Fingering Weight Wool ( I use Knit Picks Pallete in Pool and Cream)

Gauge: 9sts =1"

Finished Measurements: 2 1/2" X 4 3/4"

C.O. 40 sts and knit in K2, P2 ribbing for 1 1/2".

Increase to 46 stitches (Usually stitch inc. every 6 stitches or so.)

Then evenly distribute the stitches onto 3 needles. This helps you to keep track of your front and back and is easier to work the color work. 23 stitches on the first needle, 11 on the second and 12 on the third.

Begin chart.

When you've finished the chart body work the decrease as follows:

Needle 1: K1, Slip 1, K1, psso. Knit to last three stitches, K2tog, K1.

Needle 2: K1, Slip 1, K1, psso. Knit to end.

Needle 3: Knit to last three stitches, K2tog, K1.

Knit next round. Do this until 30 stitches remain, all the while maintaining chart colorwork.

Work a three needle bind off.

Weave in loose ends.

Well, here you go! Let me know what you think.

New Fiber!

2007-03-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

I'm excited! My husband just splurged on me big time! See...this is about 14 pounds of fiber! Wow, I feel loved. A lot of it is Colonial and Merino in all different colors. I got it all from a wonderful seller online named Glenda. She runs a fiber based online website called Blue Goose Glen. I would definitely refer anyone I know and who's interested to check her out. Her prices are great, she's so nice, and her service is excellent!

Put it this way, when my husband put in the order, our pay pal account had our old address and bank information on it and instead of freaking out, we called her and got it straightened out very quickly. She was so impressed with the large order she even threw in a pound of white merino for free!!

Yep, there's the darn cat sitting there. Believe me, I tried to take a nice picture of just the fiber, but he wouldn't let me. Ever since I opened the wool he's been like an unsightly growth on top of the bags. (At least I know it's real wool!)

The drop spindles were from a great seller out of Wisconsin, their store is called Ma and Pa's Spindles. Their spindles are great, inexpensive and wonderful for beginners. Both spindles are sold in a pack for $10. I'm having the best week. I guess this makes up for being the only person to NOT have a vacation this month. (My mother and step-father went to Greece, then Las Vegas and my husband now left for Boston. Believe me, I'm feeling the need for a break too!)

There he is again. He weighs about 17 pounds, can you believe it? He weighs more than all that wool.

I strongly suggest you check out Glenda's online store. She also sells Merino Silk! Love the stuff, I got 2 oz of Lichen Green. I'm planning on spinning it into some fine yarn in order to make a stole. When my husband gets back from Boston, I'll be able to take some pictures of my yarn. I'm loving the stuff!...

..And so is Mike my cat.

Free Wallpaper

2007-03-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here you guys go, I give you The Ultimate Knitter! All you have to do is click on the picture, right click on the full size image after it downloads and click "set as desktop background". Hope you like it. I'm hoping on doing more wallpapers for knitters. Let me know how you like it. :D

Sheild Knot Bracelet

2007-03-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

Now a bit of history. The shield knot is something of a universal symbol that has been used from the Celts to the Norwegians. It's symbolism is one of protection and warding. It also stood for the four directions (North, East, South, West). This universal symbol, originating from Mesopotamia, was one that I've felt an affinity throughout my life. Maybe because in a way, I've felt the need for a little extra protection in my life or maybe because of my Norse roots. Whatever it is, I bring it to you here as a way for you to make your own little antiquated piece of protection.

Yarn: I used Knit Picks Palette, in Lilac and Cream (Any wool fingering weight yarn is okay.)

Gauge: 8sts = 1"

Needles: #3 (I used dpns since the piece is rather small.)

Other Notions: Exacto knife, 4 buttons, sewing needle and some extra yarn or wool to sew with.

Measurements: Before felting 3' X 10 1/4"

C.O. 27 sts in M.C.

Row 1: Knit in M.C. (Lilac)

Row 2: Knit in C.C. (Cream)

Row 3: Knit in grid #2 all the way across

Row 4: Knit in C.C.

Then begin Charts 3 and 4 on the first four and last four stitches.

Work until piece measures 4". Then begin shield knot grid.

Note: When doing so there will be 2 stitches between grids #3&4 and the shield knot grid that are worked in main color. This will be 4 stitches total worked in main color through the working of the shield grid.

Then work another 3 1/2" using grids 3 &4.

Then repeat rows 1-4, but work these in reverse.

Row1: Knit in C.C.

R0w 2: Knit in grid #2 all the way across

Row 3: Knit in C.C. (Cream)

Row 4: Knit in M.C. (Lilac)

B.O.

Finishing: Now that you've finished the bracelet, you can weave in all the loose ends. Since this is such a small piece, you can felt it either by hand or washing machine. However you choose to felt this bracelet (or pulse warmer) make sure that the stitches have disappeared afterwards.

Now that it is felted, allow it to dry in a place that allows it to keep it's flat shape. Now, with the exacto knife and cutting board. Cut two slits at one end about 1/2" long. It's probably a good idea to do a button hole stitch around the openings since you're probably going to put a lot of wear onto the button holes and you wouldn't want it to warp or tear from constant use.

Now that you've finished the button holes themselves you can attach the buttons. I used 4 buttons. That way it's actually adjustable. You can add a second set of button holes to the other side above the other two in order to have all 4 buttons buttoned.

Now you have a great piece of portable protection on your wrist. Enjoy!

Knitting is Meditative

2007-03-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

I've come to realize that knitting is a great meditative act. I used to meditate on a regular basis. It was calming and it helped to find your inner peace. Within the last year I've actually stopped all together. My husband would comment on my lack of meditating, wondering if I was feeling it lacking in my life in a negative way.

"Nope, I honestly don't really notice it all that much. I wonder why."

At this point I would pick up my needles and putter away making a sweater, sock or whatever the current project was. I would drift off in complete relaxation. I wasn't worried about bills or the cat's current stress related disorder. I would just sit there and knit. I felt terrible that I was giving up my Zen seeking sessions for a more material based hobby.

It was then that I realized that I didn't really actually leave my meditation on my mat in the back room. I substituted it for something much different. I am completely in agreement when I hear people say knitting is NOT a hobby, it's a way of life. It's addictive in a way that you find your center. You seem to not care that your laundry is piling up or that you had an extra slice of pizza at supper. No, when you knit you forget about all those mundane things and you find something inside yourself.

And in the end, you get an awesome pair of socks too. :D

Some new Yarn

2007-03-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to work with dying some yarn that I had on hand. I read knitty's article on dying yarn with packets of kool aid. I really wanted to give this a try, so I decided to use some what yarn I had on hand from knit picks. I used the legs of the chair to unwind the yarn to make it easier to dye it.

It actually looked quite pretty like this. Afterwards I twisted it into a nice skein until I could dye it.

Sadly, I didn't even think of taking pictures during the dying faze. Maybe I was afraid you'd see what a mess I was making and think poorly of me :D. Bad news was, the kool aid semi-permanently dyed my counter tops. But, with diluted bleach it came up rather quickly.

This is the yarn drying afterwards on my ugly closet doors. (Sorry, not fond of the yellowish wood.) I had to lay towels underneath so it would make a big mess on the carpeting. I was quite pleased with how it turned out.

...and finally, spun into a ball. Ok, I don't have a ball winder so I had to settle with a makeshift nostepinne (a large crochet hook) to wind it with.

..And viola! A knitted swatch! I'm excited, I think that these are going to make some awesome socks!

Horseshoe lace purse

2007-03-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

I had gotten a great idea for a purse when I was looking up stitch patterns. The horseshoe lace has been one of my favorite stitch patterns. Since I love knitting purses, this one just happened to pop into my head.

Needles: #6 Straight needles
2 #5 dpn (for working the strap)

Gauge: 16 sts = 4"

Yarn: Worsted weight (cotton works best, but any will do.)

Finished measurements: 7" X 6" (not including strap)

Other Materials: Crochet hook

(This bag is kinda small, but worked with bulkier yarn or doubled yarn it's easy to adjust this bags dimensions. All you really have to do is work the strap longer.)

Front Flap and Back of Purse.

Lace Horseshoe Pattern:

C.O. 27 sts

Row 1: P5, K5, P7, K5, P5

Row 2: P to end

Row 3: P3, P2tog, K2, yo,, K1, yo, K2, P2, P3tog, P2, K2, yo, K1, yo, K2, P2tog, P3

Row 4: p to end

Row 5: P2, P2tog, K2, yo, K3, yo, K2, P1, P3tog, P1, K2, yo, K3, yo, K2, P2tog, P2

Row 6: P to end

Row 7: P1, P2tog, K2, yo, K5, yo, K2, P3tog, K2, yo, K5, yo, K2, P2tog, P1.

Row 8: P to end.

Repeat these 8 rows 3 times to form the flap.

Next row, purl to end.

Then, Knit in stockinette stitch for 3/4", ending on the wrong side.

Next row purl to end.

This forms the bend in the flap. The purled edges help it make a nice clean fold.

Then change to St st and knit another 5 1/2" B.O.

Front:

C.O. 27 sts and knit in St st until piece measures 5 1/2"

Strap:

Using 2 size 5 double pointed needles C.O. 6 sts.

Work in Garter st. until piece measures 30".

Assembly:

Find the middle of the strap by folding it in half. You can use a paper clip or a stitch marker to mark it. This will be matched up with the middle of the front and back piece. Use pins to pin the piece together inside out if you find it easier. Sew the bottoms of each piece to the strap. Then repeat with pinning the sides to the straps (this way you don't end up with a lop sided purse!) and sew up the sides.

Finally, you can sew the top of the strap closed.

Now, I also did a single crochet across the top of the front piece of the bag to make it a little more stable.

Laughing Dog

2007-03-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a little humor to start the day. I thought that this would be a hilarious concept. The 'what if' idea. What would life on the farm be like. Well, being a rather weird person I conjured thoughts of coffee breaks and idle chit chat around the water trough. Every job even has that manager that seems to be riding your butt now and then and mocking you in some way. You know, all that hard work you put in doesn't seem to really amount to much accept make his job cushier. Then this popped into my head. I laughed and had to put it down on paper. Well, what do you think?

I also put this onto a tote, mug and dog t-shirt (fitting I think.) If you're interested in purchasing one you can visit my store.

Yellow Fairy

2007-03-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the addition to my walls is coming quite nicely. I feel badly because I didn't really want to hang my art on the walls. But, it's actually quite comfy and cozy being surrounded by something I created. My husband has been a little apprehensive to fully make this apartment a home. We've been here for 8 months now. I think his apprehension is due to the fact that he wants to buy a house soon so he doesn't really see the point in settling in. Well...tell you what. I'm a taurean and I need a place to set a big hind roast and relax. Yeah...he caved in.

New knitting object?

2007-03-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

WOW! That's all I have to say. Clessidra socks from the new knitty issue look absolutely divine. I'm quite tempted to start working on these right now. Oh dear, but I have so much stuff "on the needles" that I'm not sure if I have any room left!

There's a lot of new stuff up. A lot of stuff that I'm tempted on making. I so want to make myself a new pair of socks, but my husband likes my knitted foot wear a bit more than I do. That brings me to an interesting story. One year for Christmas, my husband surprised me with a $50 gift certificate to the local yarn store. I was absolutely stoked about it all. I wanted to go right away and buy a bunch of sock yarn.

I found this neat black and red striped yarn that was soft and durable. I thought that these would make awesome socks. Well, I went home, casted on and started knitting my new dream socks. My husband, obviously curious about my new project, queried about what I was making.

"Socks" I simply replied, my nose buried deeply into the yarn, pattern and needles.

"Oh, I'm not a fan of knitted socks." He stated as he dropped into his computer chair, which of course was a further statement of his distaste for knitted foot wear. "My grandma made me a pair once, they hurt to walk on and they also looked a little goofy."

"Maybe they were made from the wrong type of yarn. Sometimes you have to have the "right" yarn. Like this one, it's reeeaallly soft." I interjected this comment as a way for him to have a slight desire to slip on the luxuriously knitted garment.

He yanked off his white cotton sock and stuck out his foot, with an expression of the same stubborn attitude I've seen on many occasions. With this he told me that he wasn't going to be swayed. There was nothing I or the sock could do to change his mind.

I simply slipped on the sock, still protruding four needles in the middle of the foot. I had no idea that this simple act would have a 'Cinderella-like' transformation on my husband. No, he didn't turn into a shimmering blue diva twirling in an unkempt garden swooning over his prince..(although..that would be quite funny to see).

No..his face simply went from a stubborn refusal to comply, to mere appreciation, to a complete and utter love.

"OOOooohhh!" The pleasure on his face resembled that of a disheveled and stressed woman finally slipping into a hot relaxing bath at the end of a long day. "These ARE nice...could you make them big enough for me to wear?"

"SURE!" A mixture of excitement and victory sang in my voice. I merrily went on my knitting way unknowing of what lay ahead.

A few days later I finally finished my socks. I held them before my husband as if they were matching holy grails basking in divine light. I beckoned for him to touch and adore my handy work knowing now that he was now subservient to their luxurious fibers. In a way, I half expected him to fall to his knees before them and give prose of love, adoration and respect for my hard work.

Like I said...half expected. Instead he simply slipped them on and stated.."mmm I like my new socks."

I smiled at him, assuming that he was of course kidding and just expressing his pleasure in them.

An assumption of course. He suddenly turned around and continued to type at his computer. After a few minutes he shot a "Thank you" over his shoulder towards me.

"...what?"

It was this moment I realized..I'd been had. I could only look at my newly finished project from beneath the seat of a computer chair. The silence was filled only with the sound of my poor red swollen fingers pounding from arduously working on tiny needles.

I hear you asking..had I ever tried them on? No..no I don't think I ever had the chance to. Although, I did once get close to them enough to touch them. My husband one day seemed dismayed with his finely knit treasure.

"What's wrong hun?"

"I think I wore out my socks...can you fix them?"

"Well what seems to be the problem?"

He simply lifted his foot for me to see the bottom of a well worn sock. Two huge holes were gapping in the sock. Patches of pink sole peaked out through them.

"um...I could, but with how big these holes are I might as well knit you new socks.." I was joking..joking I say! Oh my, what did I get myself into? He smiled at me and with an excited gesture he said.."Ok, I wouldn't mind a darker color this time. Maybe a green or a blue. Oh and if you want you can put a simple pattern in it, nothing too frilly, just a simple one..oh and..."

Blue Fairy

2007-03-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

I got tired of the plain white walls of my apartment. I decided to do some fairy pictures and hang them on the wall. My daughter LOVES them. I'm in the mood to do something different with it all. Having different colored fairies.

I know you can't see it here, but I also painted the frame blue. She's quite a neat addition to the home. I should add some gnomes and dragons to the walls. I hated the thought of adding my art to the walls, but after not having much otherwise (usually stuff I don't like) I figured, what the heck.

Cinderella

2007-03-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

I always have to do something new with my artwork and crafting. I love to try new mediums. This week I tried working with painting on glass. The mediums I used were a glass enamel paint that seemed a little....chunky. They dried really quickly it seemed.
My first attempt at painting was just a little "sign" on my coffee cup that said coffee. Course that's a little obvious. I'm thinking of making a cup that says.."don't piss off chicks who use pointy sticks."
Instead, I got caught up in painting a Cinderella mug for my daughter. It just kills her to know that it's going to take an entire month to cure the paint. So, every day she asks me .."is my princess cup done yet!!??" LOL.
Well, check it out. I think it's pretty good for just looking at the picture and painting without any guide line. Except, I'm not too pleased with how my daughters name turned out. LOL. It was more like a last minute thing where my daughter says, " but mooommmmyyy..it doesn't have my name on it!!!!"

Bright baby block

2007-02-26T14:48:00.000-08:00

This block is great for people who are beginning any multiple color work in knitting. It's small, cute and very quick to knit up. Instead of using a foam block, I instead used just normal polyfil. This makes it squishy enough for little hands to grab and hold onto. At young ages (like 4 months) their motor skills are developing and they tend to have a little challenge when grabbing anything.

Needles: #5

Yarn: Sport weight

Gauge: 6sts = 1"

Dimensions: 3" X 3"

C.O. 20 stitch.

Knit in pattern until swatch measures 3".

(Sounds easy? Well, it is. :) )

Below here are the charts I used for the block.

(This red and pink chart is actually a repeat of 3 blocks on the chart. Two red blocks and one pink block, then repeated. I wanted to give you a good idea of what the block looks like after it's been knitted a little. )

This triangle is 12 stitches wide. When knitting this swatch, knit 4 rows in green and then begin the triangle row. Knit 4 stitches of green and begin triangle pattern.

Now, here is a diagram for the construction of the block itself. Using a mattress stitch sew the pieces together. Make sure that blocks of the same color do NOT touch each other. When sewing the block together sew the insides together until only one slit is open. You don't need a lot of room in order to stuff the block, and this way, there's only one edge to sew close. Using a mattress stitch sew the seem together.

This is a very simple, easy and straight forward pattern. You're only making 6 different color swatches and sewing them together in a block. With the bright contrasting colors, babies LOVE them since it adds to visual stimulation and all around good fun.

Knitting brings out the inner demons!

2007-02-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

See this swatch? Isn't it just adorable? It's not mine. That's right..a swatch of yarn was knitted in my house...and not by me. Who then could have knitted this swatch? Well, my husband..that's who. After finding out about my mathematic perils, he said something that would make any woman fall over. "Teach me how to knit so I can help you."

Ok, now I thought that teaching him would be quite hard. It wasn't. He's actually a quick learner and seemed to be enjoying it.

Now we all knit for our own reasons. I do it because I love it and it helps me to relax. Actually most people love it cause it helps us to relax. My husband on the other hand has discovered that knitting actually helps your inner demons come out. Or at least the swearing kind.

"Now..bring the yarn around the back of the needle. Bring it through the stitch.."

"@#%@"

"Ok..now pull the stitch off the needle.."

"#$%&%!"

"..And just repeat that!"

"#&*@#! Is it supposed to look like THAT!"

"Um..I don't think so. I think the stitch is a little twisted. That's ok, you can just..."

"%^#*@! I'll just start over!...#%@#$!! How do I cast on again? NO! Don't tell me..I got this...Ha! This is easy. $%@#!"

Yep. And he popped the most unusual comment on my last night. I decided to put some of the math I ..*ahem*..learned to work and make a camisole. "I really liked knitting." Now, I think he's just telling me this to make me feel better about it. Maybe he felt that if he told me he didn't like it, I would be hurt. "It's ok hun, you don't have to tell me this to make me feel better."

"I'm not. I actually liked doing it. Maybe tomorrow night I could do it again..and this time make something?"

"Really?!"

"yeah..like fuzzy dice for my car or something."

"Really?!"

"You seem surprised."

"......."

You betcha! He even said good bye this morning and talked about the pattern he wants to make! Wow. I'm actually quite happy about it. And the neatest thing is..he seems quite proud about it. Most men would shy away with a "That's stupid man!". Him? He puffs his chest out and holds his pointy sticks of virtue and proudly proclaims his pleasure for his newfound talent.

New sweater idea

2007-02-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

Well..like I said. Math and I do not get along. I got along just fine in high school, so smug..so confident that I ..an artist..would not need it. Specially when that jerk of a math teacher I had was just as smug that I would.
Who knew he'd be right. Now..I have so many beautiful patterns I want to make..and then the math comes. My head begins to collapse in on itself and I become a vegetable completely gapped out and staring at the piece of paper wondering when the math will do itself.
To the left is a picture I doodled last night of an idea I have for a sweater/tunic I want to do. I think maybe a burgundy with black borders. I'm thinking making the borders a seed stitch..that way they don't curl but they are flat. I don't need a ribbing on it since it's supposed to be open a bit.
I think the laces on the bottom, sleeves and collar is quite sexy. I see this being worn over a pair of jeans..just casual looking but a little formal all the same.

Knit Out 2007

2007-02-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

I got some awesome pictures from the Knit Out at the Mall of America! It was pretty impressive..but really crowded. I went with my friend Julie (she's new to the knitting scene, so this was a great introduction to it.)
They even had cameras there! This was the "knit off". You know..where you sit for 3 minutes and knit as fast as you can and see how much you can knit. That was an awesome competition.
Lion brand booth. We got some awesome stuff. Except that lady looked really tired. She kept downing her coffee like it was nothing. Must have been a LOONNNGG plane ride LOL!

They were giving away bunches of stuff at these booths. This is the bernat booth. I think we just got patterns here..I'm not sure...we got a lot of stuff, that I do know.
...and I wanted to take a picture of the lines that were there. They were huge! I think the lady in the poncho thought I was taking a picture of her and her handy work. LOL..oh well, I won't tell her otherwise :).

This is all the stuff I got free from the booths. My cat LOVES the boa yarn. He keeps grabbing it and rubbing his face into it. My daughter has already proclaimed that the boa yarn is to be made into a dress and pair of shoes for her Ariel doll. I'll have to make a cat toy as well. Oh! And fill it with cat nip...wow..my cat would keel over from pleasure overload!