All Things Great and Crafty

Summertime fun

2011-07-21T16:31:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy summer here at Casa De Nelson, with still more to come. For now, we have completed our rounds of swimming lessons, took a riving trip to Yellowstone, and done plenty of cooking out.

Up next - Greggo's palate/aveolar ridge surgery and recovery, then the state fair. Then it will be time for school to start again. Whew!

Sick of Winter

2011-03-23T12:04:00.003-05:00

I know that I live in a cold, wintery part of the world, but I am SICK of snow. The first snow fall of the year was Nov 13 (day of my son's birthday party....grrrrr......) and it stuck. And now today - when much of the snow cover had melted, we got another 6 inches. Blech. It makes for good knitting weather, but I'd give that all up for a few warm sunny days!

It's been awhile

2011-01-27T11:02:00.004-06:00

I've been knitting like mad, just haven't posted anything. I'll throw a few pictures here now just so you know I'm still here!

I might be crazy, but I'm knitting an afghan for my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary this summer. I chose the pattern and bought the yarn last fall, but didn't start knitting until after the holidays. It's the Lovers Knot pattern from Lion Brand. I'm making it an extra repeat wide so it will be a bit bigger when finished. It's a an acrylic yarn because it MUST be easy care for my parents and their dogs!
Next photo is the first thing I knit for myself after Christmas knitting was finished (which, by the way, didn't happen until about 10:00 pm Christmas Eve.) It's a beautiful shawl made with Kraemer silk and sterling. Yes -that means there is actual silver bits in the yarn. It's so sparkly and pretty - I love it!
I also finally finished the Patons Must Have cardigan! I made it using Knit Picks City Tweed HW. While, I love, love, love the yarn - the sweater is really heavy and it stretching out of shape like mad. I'm not sure if there is a solution, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Sorry - no finished photo.....I've been wearing it too much.
I've got a test knit on the needles right now. It's using a fingering weight yarn on size 6 needles. It's looking nice, but all the stockinette is getting boring! I'm almost up to the armholes, so I must be at least 1/2 done, right? No photos of this one yet......stay tuned!

Knit on!

It's done!

2010-07-30T06:59:00.004-05:00

Sometime I start a project and think that it might never get finished. This was one of those projects. I thought it was just too ambitious for me. (Usually I just end up stopping a project at some point, frogging what's knit and re-using the yarn for something else.)

But here it is, my magnum opus of knitting:
The photos a bit washed out, black does that to me. I'm hoping to get a photo of me wearing it, but that will have to wait.

It was a challenging knit, but I'm very pleased with the end result. It fits me very well and there are no glaring errors. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of errors, you just have to know where to look for them.

I purchased a pattern for this, something I rarely do, but I really liked it. Had I known that the pattern was a bit "dicey", I probably wouldn't have, but live and learn I guess. The sleeve shaping was more of a "hint of a pattern" instead of actual directions, so you really had to be willing to let things be wrong/off in the lace pattern.

Pattern: Myrtle
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll sock
Needles: Knit Picks options in 4's and 5's. (I learned after knitting the bottom hem and the sleeve hems that my gauge in garter is looser than in stockinette. To make the neckband and button bands look better, I used size 4's for them.)

Whew - it's done and I love it!

Summer knitting....

2010-07-23T09:59:00.003-05:00

...is supposed to be for me! However, this summer I have found myself knitting lots of projects for my family. Not that I mind, but I have grand plans of all the fabulous new sweaters I will be wearing this fall and no time to knit them!

Recently Finished:
Fuzzy Feet for Kirk - I've made him several pairs of these, but they do wear out. Thankfully they are a fairly quick knit.
Haruni for me. I've knit three of these. Yes, I said three. I found a pattern I liked well enough to knit it three times! (One was for my mom, one for my MIL, and the latest one was for me.)
And a close up. (And dang - is red ever hard to photograph. It's really a nice deep red, not the crayon color that it looks like!)
On the Needles:
Cardigan set for Miss C. My daughter has entered the world of American Girl dolls (so help me God!) I picked up some Sport weight wool for very cheap, so I have embarked on matching cardigans for C and her doll in a lovely heathered pink. EEK!

My black lacy cardigan. I set this down for over a month because I was worried about the sleeves. I've made a few modifications and am now back on track. Sleeve #2 should be done today. I'm making pretty good headway on this one now.

And a pair of socks. I use this as my travel project. It's always nice to have a pair of socks on the needles! I've modified the pattern to be only the "loop" portion. I just didn't like the way the twisted stitch section looked.

And VERY neglected Bohus Sweater. This has been on the needles since February. It's a bottom up and the nearly 14 inches of plain stockinette is almost done. This got put down mostly because it's too hot to have a large wool sweater on my lap. (My sweater is gray for the main color and either white or purple and black for the contrasting colors.)

And all the things I still want to knit:
Fitted February Lady Sweater (in a lovely red)
Avocet (in a plum heather)
Helleborus Yoke Sweater (in the yarn Mom and Dad got me in Ireland)
Must Have Cardigan (in some City Tweed from Knit Picks)

So there you have a snapshot of my knitting, and summer is fading fast. I'd better get moving.

Dead Fish Hat

2010-07-07T14:41:00.003-05:00

My son rarely requests knit items. So when he does, I'm happy to oblige. I present the Dead Fish Hat:

He's not home this afternoon, so I'll add another picture of him wearing it later.

Pattern: Fish Hat from Knitty
Yarn: Only Stretch from Schachenmayr nomotta. This yarn has a built in stretch. I've never knit with yarn like this before. It took a little getting used to, but the finished product doesn't seem to be effected. (The stripes are misc worsted yarn from my stash.)

ETA: Picture of Gregory with hat!

A quick diversion

2010-06-24T08:51:00.004-05:00

I've been knitting too many socks I think. I went through a major sock burnout last fall and I don' want that to happen again. So I knit a quick shrug for my daughter. Turned out very cute I think!

I used some yarn I had left over from a baby blanket I knit. (I still need to take a few pictures....will blog about it soon.)

Pattern: Heart Party Shrug from Petite Purls (a great source for kid knits)
Yarn: Swish DK from Knit Picks, color Petal
Needles: Size US4 and US6

I made quite a few mods because I didn't have quite enough yarn, but I don't think it affects the overall design. And since I used a different yarn type (wool vs. bamboo) I think my sizing is a bit different. I love how it came out and Charlotte loves it! (And that's all that really matters in the long run.)

Rainbow Swirl

2010-06-16T14:15:00.002-05:00

I bought some of this rainbow striped yarn on a bit of a whim. (You know, they were almost out of it and I didn't want to miss the boat so to speak.) I decided to make a pretty plain sock to show off the fabulous stripes.

Yarn - Knit Picks Felici in Rainbow (and yes it's all gone, but there are lots of other lovely colors.)
Pattern - My own (but I'd change a few things if I were to make this again.)

I actually used my 9" Hiya Hiya circular needles for this one. I don't usually like them, but if I'm not knitting a pattern, they work OK. And they are FAST! I made this sock in about 1 1/2 days.

I'm still plugging away on the lace cardigan. The requires concentration (i.e.; no kids around) and I don't have much quiet time to knit right now. So I do a few rows when I can. I'm to the yoke for the body and about 1/2 done with the first sleeve.

What's up with shawls?

2010-06-02T11:11:00.003-05:00

I'm not much of a shawl wearer, but they seem to be the new "in" thing in the knitting world. So like a lemming, I've been knitting shawls! So far I've stuck to smaller shawls that I wear like a scarf - and I've ALWAYS been a scarf person. So maybe it isn't such a stretch!

Yarn - Inca Sportlace 100% wool - 376 yds. (I got it on clearance at Tuesday Morning.) It started it's life as a mustard yellow color. That's not the best color for me, so I over dyed it in a greenish-blueish color.
Pattern - Traveling Woman (Rav link)
Mods - None (I was afraid I would run out of yarn, but I had about 30 yards left over.)

Been a long time...

2010-05-12T10:45:00.003-05:00

...sorry about that. I've been knitting, just not blogging. So here goes:

Holy Hannah, I'm knitting an entire lacey cardigan in black using sock yarn. I must be NUTS!! I love how it's looking however.

And a close-up.....it will look much better after it's blocked. This may take forever to finish, but I think I'm really going to love it when it's done.

Details: Myrtle Cardigan (Rav link.....but I think anyone can access it now - yippee!)
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll in black
Needles: Size 5 (3.75mm)

I've also made lots of socks, scarves, sweaters, etc. Maybe I'll blog them, but probably not.

Knit on!

Bucket List

2009-09-13T07:52:00.002-05:00

I copied this from some one else's blog and thought it might be fun.

(x) Donated Blood
(x) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Watched a baby being born.
(x) Been to Canada
(x) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
( ) Been to Africa
( ) Been to Russia
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been on a helicopter
( ) Been on a Glider Plane
(x) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
( ) Hugged a homeless person
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Seen a Glacier
( ) Swam with Stingrays
( ) Been sailing in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Ran a marathon
( ) Sang Karaoke
( ) Volunteered at a soup kitchen
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
( ) Seen the Northern Lights
( ) Been Para-sailing
(x) Been on TV
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
( ) Been Streaking
(x) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( ) Fed an elephant
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Fired a gun
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Been to the Opera
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Serenaded someone
( ) Seen a U.S.President in person
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
( ) Driven a race car
(x) Been to a National Museum
( ) Been to a Wax Museum
( ) Eaten caviar
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone to the movies
(x) Been deep sea fishing
(x) Driven across the United States
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Have seen the "Green Flash" at sunset
(x) Lived in more than one country
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(x) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Grand Canyon
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Been to Times Square
(x) Been to Las Vegas
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
( ) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(x) Been horse back riding
(x) Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
(x) Been to Disneyland OR Disney World (How about Euro Disney?)
(x) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an Elephant
( ) Ridden on a Camel
(x) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Seen the Pyramids in Egypt
(x) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
(x) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(x) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Swam with sharks
( ) Been White Water Rafting
( ) Written a book or screen play
(x) Kissed a total stranger
( ) Been to Europe

Kinda fun......but I'm not sure if all of these are really on my "Bucket List," but a few are!

I've got more to blog about, but I'm being lazy.....and still working on the whole job thing and that's really been zapping my energy. That and the new foster dog.......grrrrr...... NOTE TO SELF: Never foster puppies!!

In a much better place

2009-08-27T09:09:00.003-05:00

I had another job interview yesterday. It went very well, but I'm not sure I want the job. It would be a great job, it's just that it's part-time. It would allow me to get my children on and off the bus in the mornings and afternoons, and still allow for time to volunteer in each of their schools. So the positives are pretty darn positive! But, I really need to make some money - and part time pays, well, part time.

And last week, hubby and I came up with a PLAN. And if this job doesn't work out, I'm a perfectly content to go back to the PLAN. So I'm in a much better place this week - mentally at least :)

And I'm still on my rather selfish knitting streak. I started a Shalom cardigan with some modifications. I had some black Patons Classic Wool that I planned to use to make the Must Have Cardigan, but black and cables just didn't work for me. So this black yarn has decided to become a Shalom. (Minus the 2+ balls that were used for other things.)

This is a super quick knit. I started on Monday and I'm over 1/2 done! Since I might not have enough yarn, I decided to go ahead and knit the sleeves before I finish the body. That way I'll know exactly how much yarn I'll have for the body. If all else fails, I can always go and buy another ball at Michaels or Joanns.

As for my other projects, my Monkey socks are coming along. I finished the first (second) sock and frogged the original first sock knit in the Sunday Swing pattern. The second sock has been cast on, but I've only done a few rows of ribbing.

I've also got a new sock that I need to start soon. I'm test knitting a beautiful pattern for a designer on Ravelry. I'm not sure if I can share pictures, but since I haven't started it yet it's really not an issue. (I'll be sure to ask though, I can't wait to share!)

Knit on!

Misc life crud.....

2009-08-18T16:31:00.003-05:00

I'm having a crappy week. I found out that I didn't get a job I interviewed for. I'm pretty bummed. It wasn't even a very good job - but I'm getting pretty desperate in the job department right about now and I would take anything offered. I'm trying to remain positive, but this whole job search has me completed depressed. (I'm not a crier as a general rule, but lately I start to bawl when someone looks at me sideways. The stress is getting pretty darn bad.)

On a lighter note, we got a new foster dog! Meet Rosie. She came to us named Baby, but I just could NOT call a dog Baby. Kirk and Charlotte came up with Rosie and I liked it. It's what we are using for now. (If you are interested in adopting Rosie or any dog, please visit the MARS site.)

This dog defies all description.....she's cute, incredibly playful and as sweet as can be. As for her breed - your guess is as good as mine. She's got a very long body, very stocky front quarters, and a triangular head. And she only weight about 30 lbs. Feel free to leave any breed suggestions! Kirk and the kids wanted to adopt her into our family, but she was too much $$.

I've been knitting up a storm trying to beat the stress. But I think it's starting to back fire. I'm so stressed I don't even want to knit right now. Yikes. The Sunday Swing socks in my last post have decided to become a pair of Monkey socks. As I was going through all of my socks last week I noticed my red monkey socks had worn through on the heel. Time for a new pair!

Knit on.

Lots o'Socks

2009-08-16T16:31:00.004-05:00

I've been a rather selfish knitter lately. I can't seem to stop casting on new socks! (I did finish the Paraphernalia socks, but I don't have a picture.) Here are my current socks in progress:

On the right is a pair of Sunday Swings in Knit Picks hand painted Stroll - colorway Playhouse. I like the yarn, but I don't really like how the colors stacked up on the leg portion. I'm not concerned enough to rip it out though - so I started the second sock at a different part of the color repeat - maybe that will help.

In the middle is my Montgolfiere. The first one is done, but I learned that I simply cannot knit this pattern and chat. KNitting with my pal Michelle yesterday, I did three rounds of color instead of two. No one will notice but me, so I'll forge ahead. So instead of continuing, I cast on the other Sunday Swing sock.

And on the left are a pair I cast on last night during family movie night. (We watched Ice Age in case anyone is wondering.) People frequently ask me how long it takes to knit a pair of socks and I usually say I don't know. So last night I decided I should keep track. The first sock took me about 9.5 hours. It was knit on size 1's and I usually use 1.5's, so it might have taken a bit longer than necessary. But it's a plain stockinette sock - no pattern what so ever. So now I can tell people it takes between 18-20 hours for a pair of socks! (Hey Michelle - thanks for the yarn, it's fabulous!)

Next time I blog - I'm really hoping that I'll be able to say that I've finished all these socks and only have one pair on the needles. Yeah, right.

Knit on!

A few Finished Objects (and even more WIPs)

2009-08-06T10:09:00.004-05:00

It seems that the more things I finish, the more I cast on. I finished the Badia tank - LOVE IT!! It came out fabulously. I made a few minor mods and the fit is perfect.

I also cast on a sock - Paraphernalia (Rav link) using some Knit Picks Essential Kettle dyed yarn. I just love this yarn and the sock is beautiful! (I actually completed one whole sock, but cast on a different sock when it was done. This is a WIP pic, but you get the idea.) I'm in love with this kettle dyed. I got it when KP had it on sale - they have changed it from 50 grams balls to 100 gram balls because they were getting complaints about dye lots not matching. I gotta tell ya - I don't care - it is beautiful and so soft and squishy to work with - LOVE it!! (And KP is chaning the name from Essentail to Stroll - same yarn just with a new name.)

It's hard to see the cable, I'll try to get a better picture when I finish the second sock.

And last, but not least, I finally cast on for the Montgolfiere (another Rav link). I'm using some TyDy sock yarn and Knit Picks Essential Black. The pattern says that it only uses 50 grams of each yarn, but it seems to be using a lot of black. I'm not sure if I can finish these with only one ball. Not to worry - I've got about 4 more balls in my stash! I love, love, love how this one is looking. But a word to the wise, the pattern is a bit vague in places, so you have to trust yourself. I made a few mods to the heel section to make it easier for me.

This was the first time I attempted a short-row heel. All I can say is that I need more practise! Thank goodness the heel is in black - no one will notice. And one more picture becsue this sock looks much better on:

(Is this not the coolest pattern?? I'm busy planning other combinations in my head!)

Tonight is knit night - I can't wait! I was only able to stop by for a bit last time around because the kiddos had soccer. But this time I'll be one of the first ones there and one of the last to leave!

Knit on!

Easy, Peasy, Lemon Squeezy

2009-07-30T10:40:00.002-05:00

Some of you may know that I "teach" a craft class at a local Independent Living/Assisted Living apartment complex. Every month I need to come up with a project/projects that are pretty, functional and SUPER EASY! Here is what we are making for August:

The post-it/picture thingie is a refrigerator magnet. I cut some strips of paper and added some of my beloved Martha Stewart butterfly punches. If you don't own one of these - you should. It's the best $7 I ever spent. I got mine at Michaels, but I think WalMart has them too. I plan on having some flowers and misc stickers for people to use to decorate theirs if they don't want to use butterflies.

The card - while incredibly easy - is adorable. (If I do say so myself!) I pre-punched a ton of butterflies (out of cardstock left over from last months project) so all my "students" need to do is pick the colors they like and glue them on. I usually stamp the sentiment - it just works better that way.

I planned on doing something like this for this months project, but I didn't realize that I only had 9 magnets......DOH!! I put in a quick "HELP" cry to my good friend Kimberly, who supplied me with the first batch. Thankfully she had more that she was willing to donate to the cause. Thanks Kimberly!! (And now that I have a supply of them, I plan on making a calendar project for my Nov or Dec class.)

Enjoy!

Not Meant To Be....

2009-07-28T14:41:00.004-05:00

I love the Hey Teach pattern. I have some worsted (I think??) weight recycled blue cotton that would look fabulous in this pattern. I have tried to knit this several times now. After swatching (multiple times) and starting (multiple times), I have decided that this yarn and pattern are not meant to be together. It makes me sad. I will knit something with this blue yarn, and I will knit the Hey Teach - someday.

The blue yarn has already started on it's journey to being a Badia tank. This pattern is also written for a worsted weight yarn, but this patterns gauge fits my knitting much better. I think it will be quite lovely when all is said and done.

Mods thus far:

I'm knitting this in the round. I will have to split at the arm holes and work back and forth, but this eliminated most of the seaming - and I *hate* seaming.
I only knit 3.25 inches of the 2 x 2 rib at the bottom.....I just was not going to make another 1.25 inches. I don't think this design element will be noticed :)
I'm only knitting the lace /cable pattern on the front. I don't see the need for a pattern on the back since I will never see it. Yep - I'm selfish that way.

I was a bit surprised that the lace/cable section was not charted, so I charted it myself. There once was a time when I would refuse to knit a pattern if it had a chart, and now I'm irritated when they don't have one. It was simple enough to do so I may find myself doing it more often. Go figure!

Knit on!

Quick post

2009-07-25T08:11:00.003-05:00

Life has been busy.....summer is in full swing in my household! Good news - Trooper was adopted. And I'll admit that I miss the little guy. We're taking a foster break for a month or so because we are doing some dog sitting.

Here is a quick card that I made for Miss C*'s birthday. Her birthday was two weeks ago, but we had a family birthday party last night because my sister was in town with her family. So I *had* to make another card!! Stamps are from Purple Onion Designs. (Psssstttt......they are having a sale. Everything is 25% off until July 31.)

And now we're off to a Saturday morning soccer game....the last one of the season. Have a great day!

Mother Daughter Socks

2009-07-09T10:07:00.003-05:00

I'm not one for matchy, matchy Mother Daughter stuff, but these socks are cute!! And it's the only thing we own that sort of matches!

And now to get to my Hey Teach cardigan. I recast-on with 9's and I'm hoping I get gauge once I get a few inches knit. (Gauge swatch was good, but so was my swatch on 8's.) If I can't get gauge with 9's, this project was just not meant to be.

Knit on!

Sorry for the radio silence

2009-07-07T08:23:00.004-05:00

Life has been very busy. Our foster dog Trooper is doing great. I get up about 5:45 every morning and take him and Luna for a walk. I have to admit that I'm really not a 5:45 person, but I digress.

Things have been moving right along on the knitting front. I finished my socks with my birthday yarn. They came out beautifully! And I had quite a bit of yarn left over, so I'm whipping up a pair of socks for Charlotte! Here are my socks and Charlotte's socks in progress.

My socks are knit using the Eleanore pattern (Rav download only) and Charlotte's are a modified version of the Riblet sock (another Rav download - sorry!). The colors of these socks are just gorgeous....almost makes me want winter just so I can wear them.......or maybe not!

As soon as I finish Charlotte's socks, I'll cast on for these: Montgolfiere (yet another Rav only download). I can't wait!! (Thankfully kid socks don't take much time - I made the first one is just about 2 days!) Here is a picture of the socks I pulled from Stephanie van der Linden's Ravelry pattern page:

I'm planning on using TyDy sock yarn from Knit One Crochet Too along with Knit Picks Essesntial in Black as the main color - they should come out very striking. At least I hope so.

I also cast on for the Hey Teach cardigan. I've admired it for a long time, but haven't made it yet. I have some recycled yarn that I got from a sweater I unraveled and I think it will be perfect for this pattern, but I just CAN NOT get gauge. I've been tinkering with the pattern a bit to see if I can just work with the gauge I'm getting but I worry about how all the math will work out. But I'm pretty determined. I might just forge ahead. If it doesn't fit me, I'm sure I can find someone to give it to! (Started knitting on the recommended 8's - even swatched - but once I started on the main project - my gauge changed - arrggghhh!! I might just frog the 2" I've done and re-start on 9's. Not completely sure just yet.)

Knit on!

PS - I'll be bringing Trooper to a MARS meet and greet on Sunday, July 12 (scroll down to see the info.) If you're in the Maple Grove, MN, area - please stop by and say hi!!

Welcome Trooper!

2009-06-26T16:43:00.004-05:00

Here is our latest foster dog. He's a West Highland Terrier. And cute as a button!! I just got a new camera, so I spent waaaaay too much time today trying to install the software to get the darn pictures off of my camera and onto the computer. But I think they are worth it! If you are interested in adopting Trooper, contact MARS.

On the knitting front, I frogged the Pulsations socks. The pattern was written for a sport weight yarn and I was using a light fingering. I thought that by increasing the stitch count, I could make it work, but I was wrong. Horribly wrong. So into the frog pond it went and I immediately cast on Eleanore. (It's a Ravelry download only. And if you're not on Rav - you should be!!) It's a lovely pattern and a great match for this yarn. I'm almost to the toe decrease and should finish the first sock tonight (now that I have the darn camera issues resolved!)

Knit on!!

I couldn't do it any longer!!

2009-06-23T09:04:00.003-05:00

UFO week (or weeks) was a great idea, but I just couldn't hold out any longer. I cast on a pair of Pulsation socks for me last night. This is the yarn the kids picked out for me for my birthday. It's Aruacania Itata in color #1005. It's a fabulous mix of purple, pink and blue.

I'm knitting on a 9" circular HiyaHiya's. (They don't really list them on their website, but trust me, they are tiny!) I've tried one of these circs before, but it was a borrowed set and I didn't get much of a chance to play with it. My MIL got me a gift cert to Amazing Threads for my b-day, so I bought one for myself. I love the idea of knitting a sock on a tiny circ, but it's taking some getting used to. I'm hoping to complete an entire pair of socks with these needles before I pass judgement. (But I'm afraid that my wrists, thumbs might not hold out. We'll see.)

And the final object from UFO week(s) was the pair of No Purl Monkey socks for my MIL's b-day. I know she wants nothing more than a *really* warm pair of woll socks for her birthday in July. But, I'm pretty sure she will love them in January while she's waiting for the bus. She can't help it that her birthday is in July!

On another note: The lovely MacKensie was adopted last week. She was only with us for 5 days - and that is unusual for a foster dog. But she was a great dog so it's no surprise to me that she was snatched up quickly! We're picking up a new dog tonight. A puppy mill Westie that needs to learn how to be a dog. Sad. So very sad. I'm hoping my son will take some great pics of him and I'll post them soon. (Shameless plug for MARS. They do great work.....if you're looking for a pet and are in the midwest area - check them out.)

Knit on!

UFO Week.....continued!

2009-06-15T12:16:00.004-05:00

UFO week was a great idea for me. And despite the fact that I got some *fabulous* new yarn to play with, I'm continuing UFO week. I have too many projects on the needles right now and I need to get a few more done. I guess that makes it UFO week #2.

In the finished category now goes the Green Holey socks!! I really like this pattern and will make another pair. But I think I'll use size 1 1/2 needles (2.5 mm) and only cast on 64 stitches. I'll keep you posted!

I have also re-started the No Purl Monkey socks for my MIL. I had turned the heel and was onto the foot of the sock, but it was just too small. It needed to be a UFO for a bit - until I was ready to frog an 2/3's completed sock and start over. I'm over it now, but it's never fun to frog something that far along. Anyway, it's re-started on size 1 1/2 needles and I've started the heel flap for the first sock. They are moving along nicely.

And for family news: Our family is now the proud foster family of a lovely dog named MacKenzie. We picked her up on Friday. She's an Australian Shepherd mix, approx 38 lbs and 2 years old. She's really a very mellow couch potato. (And now that we've got the worm thing under control, she's a great dog. Really, don't ask.) We are fostering her through an organization called MARS; Midwest Animal Rescue and Services. The folks at MARS seem to think she'll be adopted fairly quickly.......then we will start the process all over again!
Knit on!

Last day of Kindergarten

2009-06-11T15:38:00.003-05:00

Today was my son's last day of Kindergarten. I made him a quick card to let him know how proud we are of him!!

I decided to use Kristina's color challenge as the starting point. When I first saw it posted on her blog, I was fairly certain that I has some older Scenic Route paper that were the right colors - and lo and behold - they are!! The stars were perfect for creating a "Super Star" card.

Stamps - Papertrey Ink Star Prints
Ink - Pumpkin Pie, Cool Caribbean, and Taken with Teal - all SU
Paper - Teal from Bazzil, Kiwi Kiss - SU, White, Star DP from Scenic Route
Accessories - Fiskars large star punch, Making Memories foam adhesive.

On the knitting front, I'm still working on my UFO's. The Green holey socks are coming along. I've turned the heel and completed the gusset. Almost done!

When those are done, I'll be frogging the socks I started for my MIL. They are a 100% cream wool that I recycled from an old sweater and dyes various shades of blue. I used size 1 needles since that was all I had available at the time. Well - they are too small. The cast on is so tight I can't get it up my calf. Poop! I placed an order with Knit Picks last week that included another set of size 1 1/2 needles. So I will frog these next and start over with the size 1 1/2's.

I also ordered lots of pretty yarn. Lots. And I picked this week to be UFO week. Double poop! At least UFO week ends on Friday.....at midnight :)

Knit on!

UFO Week - Update #1

2009-06-09T15:38:00.003-05:00

UFO Update - Item #5 - Fetching fingerless gloves are now completed. (I'll admit, I kind of cheated. These were the easiest thing on my list, and the only one that could be completed with just a few hours of knitting. But none the less, they are now done.)

I originally started these for a friend (she didn't know), so I'm not sure if they will be mailed off, or if they will make their way into my wardrobe! Considering it didn't get above 60 F in Minneapolis yesterday, these are looking awfully tempting!

The green holey socks are moving along nicely as well. I'm almost 2/3's done with the leg!

Knit on!

UFO Week

2009-06-06T11:58:00.005-05:00

I decided it's time for a UFO week. (UFO = Unfinished Objects) So nothing new can go on the needles this week. So here is the first UFO that is now a FO:

The Jorah sweater. (Rav link) I made some major mods to get this to fit my non-36" size. I did short row shaping for the first time to accommodate my bust. It was a partial success. I got the size I wanted, but I had to frog back a portion including the short row section and it got all goofed up. I did some duplicate stitching to tighten it up and it looks much better. Not perfect, but better. The bottom 9" is a decorative rib. And I hate ribbing, so I don't know why I chose to make this sweater!! Not to mention, it highlights my muffin top beautifully......yuck! I really like the color and overall look of the sweater, but I need to loose some weight to wear it comfortably. *sigh*

Next up in the UFO pile are my green holey socks. These are being knit on a size 0 - blech. I started out knitting with a size 2, but this yarn (Lion Brand Sock Ease) is rather thin and the fabric was just too flimsy for me. I'm not thrilled with this yarn at all, but I like the colors and I love the pattern I chose.

These are actually coming along nicely....or as nicely as something can when your knitting on size 0. First sock is done and I'm on to the leg of the second.

The items remaining in my UFO pile are:
1. Ruffled Cravat Socks
2. Gloves for Linda
3. Gloves for Kirk (made out of the same yarn as the gloves for Linda, but I'm making my own pattern. And I've never blogged about them.)
4. Socks for MIL's Birthday - I'm doing the No Purl Monkey's but they are coming out too small. I've got them on size 1 needles, but I think I'm going to frog them and re-knit them on 1 1/2's. (The link is to the Monkey Sock. The No Purl version is just that - no purling.)
5. Fetching fingerless Gloves

I'm not sure how much of a dent I can make in this pile in a week, but I figured I really shouldn't cast on anything new until I get a few of these completed.

Until later, knit on!

It's done!!

2009-06-05T07:40:00.003-05:00

I finished my February Lady Sweater on Wednesday. Washed it, blocked it, and wore it to my knitting group on Thursday night. I'm thrilled with it.

The yarn softened quite a bit after it was washed, and the whole sweater grew quite a bit. (Nearly 1 1/2 inches for the sleeves, and about 3 inches on the body!!) Pictures to follow.......stay tuned!

ETA: Picture!! (The weathers been cruddy, so it's not a great picture - sorry!)

My FLS

2009-06-02T14:55:00.004-05:00

It's coming along nicely. I originally started the garter stitch band for the bottom at about 18 inches. Before I cast off, I put it on waste yarn to try it on. Sooooooo glad I did......it was WAY too short. The style of this sweater looks much better long on me. So I ripped out the band and knit another 3 inches of the lace pattern. Much better :)

The color on this picture is much better than the last. It's really a very natural dark brown....think "black sheep." It is, however, VERY scratchy. I'm hoping it will be less itchy after a good soak in some wool wash. I'll mostly be wearing it with long sleeved shirts, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal if it's itchy, but I'd love it if it wasn't!

Now I'm debating how long to make the sleeves. I'm currently at just about the elbow, but I think I want it to be about mid-way down my forearm. It's the great dilemma, not too long, but not too short either!

Knit on!

The Sweater Girl....

2009-05-27T19:11:00.004-05:00

It's done!! I'm thrilled with it. All my math worked out beautifully. I convinced Charlotte that she wanted 3/4 length sleeves. They will be better when she grows and it meant I only needed 2 balls of yarn! I picked up the buttons this morning and sewed them on. Now she won't take it off!

(Sorry the pictures are so cruddy. Like I said, she won't take it off.)

Since I enjoyed knitting this one so much, I started another one for myself! The math was *much* easier this time around!! I'm making it out of Lion Brand Fishermens Wool.Not my first choice, but I already had the yarn and I do like the color. It's coming along nicely, but not nearly as fast as the kid sized one! (Pattern here.)

(Again, not a great picture - but you get the idea.)

Knit on!

Sweater for Charlotte

2009-05-21T12:34:00.003-05:00

I've wanted to knit a sweater for my nearly 5 year old daughter for awhile. I just couldn't find the right pattern so I finally decided to adapt an adult sized pattern to fit. The pattern I chose is the February Lady Sweater. It's a tremendously popular pattern on Ravelry, so there were tons of good hints there.

(Odd note about this pattern: It was originally designed as a baby sweater by the brilliant Elizabeth Zimmerman.)

I'm making it to be roughly a size 5T. I took Charlotte's chest measurement, added 3 inches so it will fit a bit longer, and then worked the math. I was VERY pleased that the math worked out easily and the fit seems to be perfect.

So here is the lovely Charlotte modeling the sweater still on the needles:

The lace pattern is really very simple, but I kept screwing it up. After several froggings (which didn't go very well), I decided to put a stitch marker every 7 stitches for the lace repeat. At first I felt a bit defeated, but then I decided that if it works, why not! (For the record, my track record with lace it not good.)

I'm trying to make very copious notes about all the modifications I'm making. If I decide to knit this again it will be much easier. Details on my Rav projects page for anyone interested. If you're not on Rav (and you should be, it's free!!), leave me a comment.

I'm nearly finished with the second kid proto-type mitten. I think I'll show it to Michelle before felting, then we can discuss any mods we would like to make. I should have some pictures of the completed pair soon.

Knit on!

Kid Mitten Proto-type

2009-05-18T14:35:00.003-05:00

My friend Michelle and I are trying to develop a kid mitten pattern for felting. When you live in Minnesota, warm mittens are a must. And felted mittens have the added advantage of being mostly water-proof. (Perfect for snowball fights in case you were wondering *wink*)

So here is my first attempt - pre-felting. I based the size on my sons hand. His hand is about 2/3's the size of mine. And since items tend to shrink approximately 1/3 in felting, it was a great place to start! Here is the right mitten:

And here it is on my hand......fits perfectly.

Now if it felts the way I am expecting, it should be a great fit. I have a few problems with my design, but I plan on knitting the left mitten mostly the same (one minor tweak.) I will modify the design after I've felted these. I think I'm on the right track, just some minor modifications. And then I need to determine how to make larger ones as my kids get older.

Knit on!

I'm not late.....really!!

2009-05-17T12:56:00.002-05:00

My sisters birthday is tomorrow. This is the card I made her yesterday, I just didn't manage to get it in the mail. Sorry Linda! I think it turned out beautiful, so does that make up for it?

Happy Birthday big sister!

Mothers Day Fun!!

2009-05-06T15:36:00.002-05:00

My friend Kimberly gave me a stack of magnets a few months ago. (They had they 2008 calendar on them.....not too useful in 2009!) I wasn't sure what to do with them.....then I came up with these:

They are for the Grandma's from the kiddos for Mothers Day. They are an odd size - 4 x 7 - so pictures have to be cropped strangely to fit, but I think they look cute! And they are perfect for using up some of my TSR scraps.

Have a great day!

Cashmere Gloves

2009-05-05T14:15:00.003-05:00

I asked my sister awhile back if she would like a hand knit pair of gloves. Like any appreciative sister, she said yes! So I started a pair of Knotty gloves for her using some recycled cashmere. These are gorgeous, I'm not sure if I'll be able to give them up! Thankfully I have enough yarn to make at least one more pair. This yarn is a bit thicker than the pattern lists, but it seems to be working out just fine. The glove is just a bit heavier than originally intended, but my sister lives in CO and warmer won't be a bad thing!

This is the third pair of Knotty's I've made and I just LOVE this pattern. It's fun to knit and it looks just lovely.

I'm also working on a cute top-down summer top. I'm using some Knit Picks Shine Sport in Hydrangea and Black. I finished the top section and am working on the bottom. It's a modified rib so it's pretty slow going. I actually knit short rows into the pattern! I'm pretty proud of myself - except for when I had to frog it down to the short rows because I had too much length. That pretty much screwed up the right hand side, but I'm moving forward anyway.

I've got a few other things in the works, but nothing else that I'm really working on right now. So until later, knit on!

Mothers Day

2009-05-03T14:35:00.003-05:00

Mothers Day is coming up!! Here is the card I made for my MIL. The patterned paper piece is from a TSR kit from January. It's a lovely flocked damask from Making Memories. I hadn't used the paper yet, but I love it. You can't really feel the fuzzy on a scrapbook page since it's in page protectors, so I decided this paper would be best for cards.

Stamps are still from the $5 set I got at Jo-Ann's last week. Sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.

Enjoy!

A couple cards

2009-04-29T14:31:00.002-05:00

I've been in a stamping mood lately. Maybe because it's getting warmer and knitting is getting hotter. Anyway, here are two recent cards:

This one is from a sketch on the StampingBella blog. I really liked the sketch. I wanted to fit a sentiment on there somewhere, but I just couldn't figure out how or where!

And this one is from the Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge #226. I used some new stamps here. I don't get many new stamps anymore - I have a ton so it's hard for me to find something "new and different" enough for me to justify spending money.

This set came with 8 or 9 images and sentiments and it was 50% off, for a grand total of $5. That was a deal I just couldn't pass up. I was able to condition the stamps well enough to be able to color them with markers even. Usually stamps that are that cheap are of a quality that doesn't allow you to use markers or dye inks. I was pleasantly surprised!

I'll be back with a more knitty post in a few days.

Quick Update

2009-04-23T06:52:00.005-05:00

I've been busy - Spring seems to do that doesn't it? My knitting, stamping, and scrapbooking seems to have taken a backseat to playing outside, riding bikes, playing hopscotch, etc. But it's ben really fun!

Here is a scrapbook page I did for a challenge at TSR. The challenge was to scraplift the person who posted above you. I lifted Paulette.

I also scrapped the pictures from DS' wrestling program last fall. He loved it - but really never learned anything about wrestling! I think we may enroll him again this fall if he want's to do it again. The color is a bit off on this picture - the cardstock is a bright orange.

I hope you all had a nice Earth Day. DS was determined to celebrate despite the extremely busy day. We went for a family walk before bedtime and picked up garbage. It was amazing how much we found. Since we found so much, we are planning a repeat performance this weekend. The retaining pond near our house probably has TONS of garbage it's collected over time, so we plan on trying to pick up as much of it as we can.

Have a great day!!

Lucky me - NOT!!

2009-04-04T12:39:00.003-05:00

Dang - my inbox has been flooded lately with all sorts of spam. (Actually, they go to my junk box - but you know what I mean.)

I seem to be on a major lucky streak: I've been named in numerous wealthy person's wills, won several lotteries, and had numerous requests to help cash checks with no cost to me!

I know the economy is bad - I wonder how many people fall for these scams? I got 10 yesterday alone. Sheesh!

ETA - I've already gotten 10 today and it's only 3:00 in the afternoon. Crazy.

Happy April Fools Day!!

2009-04-01T18:18:00.004-05:00

Not much to report on the knitting or crafting front. I've been in a bit of a funk lately, and the creative juices just are not flowing. I think it might be due to the crappy weather we've been having - or maybe not. Maybe I just have too many projects going right now - and none of them are getting done.

I've got a pair of mittens OTN for my mom. I made a pair for myself and I love them. They are super warm - even for a Minnesota winter. I made mine out of Lambs Pride by Brown Sheep. Michelle gave me 2 skeins of Pistachio green for giving her knitting lessons (*waving HI to Michelle*). The yarn was perfect for these mitts - it felts like a dream. Mom's are being knit out of a recycled cream worsted wool. I'll admit that cream might not be the most practical color for mittens, but since they are felted, she can wash them if they get a bit dirty. Here's a picture of the work in progress:

And a funny thing - when I was working on my pair, I showed them to my hubby. He looked at me and asked, "What are you knitting, oven mitts?" (Don't get me wrong, pre-felting, they are HUGE!)

I'm also working on another Clapotis for my MIL for Mothers Day. I was doing pretty well with it, but I've really lost momentum. I have time, so I'm not worried. I'm past the half-way mark, so that's good.

I've still got two pair of socks OTN. I finished the first sock that my friend Kate designed. I haven't cast on for the second sock though.....I really better do that or the needles will end up getting used for another project and I'll never finish the pair! Here is the completed sock from Kate's pattern. (It's a Ravelry only download, so if your not a member - sign up now!!)
The other pair has one sock complete and the second sock is almost to the heel flap. I should be able to cruise through that one once I turn the heel.

Knit on!

Fetchings for a Friend

2009-03-19T13:41:00.003-05:00

I've started a pair of Fetching fingerless gloves for a friend. (She doesn't know they are coming her way!) I changed the pattern a bit - added an extra cable repeat at the knuckles and made the thumb a few stitches larger. I kind of like the picot bind-off at the fingers.

So, do you think she'll like them?

Happy St Patricks Day.....

2009-03-17T17:24:00.002-05:00

.....from our family to yours.

Idea Jar

2009-03-13T14:23:00.003-05:00

I had an IEP meeting for my son yesterday. One of his big problems is coming up with a "small moment" for writing time. He struggles with it each week. I thought that we should have an "idea jar" for him to use. The idea is to add a "small moment" topic to the jar when we think of them. Then when he gets stuck, he just chooses an idea out of the jar and off he goes. (That's the idea anyway, I just hope it works out.)

So I figured I couldn't just have a plain jar, so I decorated up an old Mason jar. Here it is!
I think it came out pretty cute. Now we'll just have to wait and see if it works.

A Layout and a General Rant

2009-03-11T15:29:00.003-05:00

First the layout. The Scraproom challenges us every month to "Get More Pages Done", which basically means to create a layout or project using each of our 4 kits before the end of the month. There's prizes and everything :) So I already have my GMPD completed - I can't even believe it! I got the box on Monday and they are done!! So here is my favorite from the month:

This LO was created using the American Crafts Everyday line. I broke out my paints for the title and everything.

And now for the rant. I've lived in Minnesota my whole life (except for the stint in New Zealand - but I digress.) I don't complain about winter much because, well, it's Minnesota - what do I expect?? But it's March, not early March, but a full fledged Mid-March. I drove by a bank today and our temperature was 2. Seriously - that's not even counting the wind chill which is pretty darn wicked. Enough already - I get it. This is Minnesota and it can get damn cold here. But I am SICK OF IT!!! *end rant*

Hope you all are warmer than me today.

Misc. Ramblings...

2009-03-04T17:10:00.004-06:00

Lots to post today, so I'll get right to it. First off - a card. I made this one for the SCS color Challenge - Chocolate Chip, Pink Passion, and Kiwi Kiss. I used Choc Chip, Pixie Pink, and Old Olive. The colors were perfect for the Basic Grey Urban Prairie paper - I liked it so much that I bought extra papers (and buttons) at Archivers to add to my TSR kit!!

Next up - the socks I'm working on. My friend Kate from my knit night designed these socks - and they are gorgeous! I started them out in a gray Knit Picks yarn but I didn't like them. So I frogged that and re-started in some of my re-cycled sock yarn. This time I dyed the yarn with blue to get a lovely shade of periwinkle. And the second time around - this pattern is much easier. I still have some questions about the heel flap - so I need to get that far before knit night on Thursday!!
And one more knitting item. I made a goal to knit 2 pair of hats/mittens for my friend Amy every month. So far I've made one hat and three pairs of mittens. I've got another pair on the needles right now. I should be able to get them done for knit night. Here is a picture of the hat/mitten combo I made in January:

The mitten pattern is free for personal/charity use. Here it is - it's a nice one. I like that there is no left/right mitten - they are both the same. That way if one gets lost it's not a big deal. I'll just knit another one! The hat is just a basic hat pattern that I made up as I went along. It looks pretty good too!

So after so long without being able to post pictures - I sure seem to be making up for it!!

Knit on!

Doodlefactory Blog Candy

2009-03-02T10:04:00.002-06:00

Starvingartiststamps is releasing a new set of Easter stamps. They are too cute. Check them out:

And make sure you leave a comment on their blog for a chance to win!

Good luck everyone!!

Here are the promised pictures!!

2009-03-01T08:59:00.008-06:00

I promise not to overload my blog with pictures today - but expect lots of posts from me this week!

I have mostly been working on socks the past 2 months. I hand washed three pairs yesterday, and here they are drying on my kitchen counter:

Left to right: Basic socks using some recycled 100% wool from a thrift store sweater (over dyed with kool-aide)
Charade socks using Tree house Melody 100% wool
Spring Forward using Knit Picks Imagination in Looking Glass

I'm now reaching the point where I need to start working on some projects for other people.......my nephew Nate's birthday hat, mittens for my mom for her birthday, shawl/scarf for my MIL for Mothers day, etc.

I've started the hat for Nate. I'm making the Swell hat. According to lots of people on Ravelry, this hat needs some modifications to get gauge so it will fit an adult. Since I knew I would have to go up a few needle sizes, I decided to hold the yarn two stranded. It will make a warmer hat too - always a good thing! I'm using some Paton's wool from my stash - the main color is black and the waves will be cream. Perfect for a 14 year old, right? (And I think the size will be pretty good since my 6 year old is able to wear it with it still on the needle!)

And I cleaned my scrapping/stamping area. You'll start seeing a lot more of my paper crafting things. But as a mini-look. Here are a few of the Target mailboxes I decorated for the kids teachers for Valentines Day. I was very pleased with how they turned out and the teachers seemed to like them as well! (And I used up a TON of scraps from my Scrap Room kits!)

Ahhhhh.....it feels good to be able to load pictures onto my blog again!!

Til later, knit on!

Pictures may be back...

2009-03-01T07:42:00.002-06:00

...soon!! My beloved hubby updated our computer last night. I just need to find my camera cord....D'oh!! "Prepare to be amazed!!" (Said in my best Meet the Robinsons voice!)

.....back soon!!

Not craft related.....

2009-02-24T18:45:00.003-06:00

but I read this on Jill's blog and wanted to play along! I find it a bit ironic that a few of my favorite books listed on my sidebar are on this list! (A few of the bolded italicized books are hold overs from Jills list. Apparently Blogger just couldn't handle the copy/paste.)

Key
1) Bold the books you have already read
2) Italicize the books you intend to read
3) Notes in parentheses next to note-worthy titles.

1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2) The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

3) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (And I loved The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde - a fabulous book!!)

4) Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

5) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (didn't everyone have to read this in eigth grade??)

6) The Bible (lets not go there.)

7) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - I just don't get the appeal of this one. I didn't like it much.

8 ) Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell

9) His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

10) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

11) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

12) Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

13) Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

14) Complete Works of Shakespeare (nope - and no plans to start!!)

15) Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

16) The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

17) Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

18 ) Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

19) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

20) Middlemarch by George Eliot - I've read about 1/2 of this one. I just could never manage to get through it!!

21) Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

22) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

23) Bleak House by Charles Dickens

24) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

25) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

26) Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

27) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 ) Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

29) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

30) The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

31) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

32) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

33) Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

34) Emma by Jane Austen

35) Persuasion by Jane Austen

36) The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis

37) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

38 ) Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres

39) Memories of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

40) Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne

41) Animal Farm by George Orwell

42) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

43) One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (just finished this one and LOVED it.)

44) A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving (Hands down one of the BEST BOOKS EVER)

45) The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (another one I've started several times but have never finished.)

46) Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

47) Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

48 ) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors!!

49) Lord of the Flies by William Golding

50) Atonement by Ian McEwan (read this for my book club, but didn't love it.)

51) Life of Pi by Yann Martel

52) Dune by Frank Herbert (nope - and I'm not going to.....ever.)

53) Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

54) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

55) A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

56) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57) A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

58 ) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

59) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

60) Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

62) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

63) The Secret History by Donna Tartt

64) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

65) Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

66) On The Road by Jack Kerouac

67) Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

68 ) Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

69) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

70) Moby Dick by Herman Melville

71) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

72) Dracula by Bram Stoker

73) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

74) Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson - not this on in particular since I've not read it, but Bill bryson is a brilliant writer!

75) Ulysses by James Joyce

76) The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

77) Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

78 ) Germinal by Emile Zola

79) Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

80) Possession by AS Byatt

81) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

82) Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

83) The Color Purple by Alice Walker

84) The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

85) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

86) A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

87) Charlotte's Web by EB White

88 ) The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

89) Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90) The Faraway Tree Collection by Enid Blyton

91) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (had to read this in college.)

92) The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93) The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

94) Watership Down by Richard Adams

95) A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

96) A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

97) The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas (Loved this - and all Dumas books.)

98 ) Hamlet by William Shakespeare

99) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (Seriously - a great read. Dahl books are much more appreciated by an adult audience. I recommend Matilda!)

100) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

And just as an explaination - I worked downtown Minneapolis for about 5 years in the 90's and rode the bus to work. I had about an hour each day to read during this trip. I had a period when I determined that I should read all the books that people are "supposed to read." Many of those books are on this list - and a bunch that should be!

Sorry....

2009-01-24T08:56:00.000-06:00

....I've been busy! Not doing anything of note, just busy! My parents went to Mexico this past week and we've been watching their two dogs. Add in our rather rambuncious dog and you've got a full house. They come home today, so my house will return to some sort of normalcy soon.

And my parents little dog (a lhasa apso) has been on a rather distructive bent - and apparently he has it in for all of my crafts. If we leave him (and the other dogs) alone for more than an hour - he needs to destroy something.

First it was a sippy cup - he completely shredded the lid and upper half. No big deal - the kids are mostly done with sippy cups. Then he went after some of my rubber stamps - specifically a large Stampin Up wheel. The wheel was called "Rough Texture" so a few extra bite marks hasn't really impaired it's ability to be used. Then yesterday he chewed up one of my size 4 DPN's. I have two sets - but now each set is down to 4 needles (usually you have 5). That was the last straw. I have two projects on the needles using size 4 DPN's. Grump! And last time he was staying with us, he destroyed a size 7 DPN!

So what have I been working on you ask? Let me give you the run down:

A pair of gloves for DH. I found a fabulous cashmere sweater at the thrift store a few weeks ago. It's light fingering weight. I got about 2300 yards out of the sweater, but to make anything, I'm holding the yarn double. These gloves are a pattern of my own making - not complicated if you've ever knit gloves before. (And yes - I made him a pair of flip top mittens for Christmas - but this cashmere is fabulous!!)
A quickie scarf for DD's pre-school teacher. She made a comment about wanting a purple scarf the other day - so I made a quick one using stash yarn. Here is the pattern I used.
More mittens for my friend Amy (that is until the dog ate one of the needles....grrr.)
A Honeycomb vest for myself. I'm also using the recycled cashmere for this one. It's a lovely grayish camel color and so soft. I actually completed a test swatch last night. I *know* - I knit a swatch - I never do that!!
A pair of Charade socks in a yarn that Kate gave me. This pattern is really getting me down - it's taking FOREVER!! Usually I can knit up socks fairly quickly, but this pattern is just taking forever. The yarn is from Treehouse - Melody. I like it OK, but it's a touch rough on the hands. Add to that the size 1 needles and you have a frustrated sock knitter. But I promised myself that I can only have one pair of scoks on the needles at a time. So I either have to frog what I have knit so far, or just forge ahead and keep going. I'm not committed either way yet.
I finished my Clapotis. It's OK - but I really need to block it. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it, but it seemed like the "in" thing to knit. (Apparently I'm a lemming.)

And tonight I'm going to Archivers for Scrapmania. I'm hoping to work on a few layouts and alter some mini mail boxes from Target (ala these). I want to give the mailboxes to DD's and DS's teachers for Valentines day.

Monday we leave for a quick 2-night mini-vacation at Wisconsin Dells. The kids are so excited they can hardly stand it. We opted for a room with a full kitchen so I can bring all of our meals. I figure the extra $50 we spent for the room will be easily saved by cooking our own meals. Not to mention MUCH healthier. But it does make the planning much more difficult.

That's all for now......hopefully I will have a computer that talks to my camera next week. Then I'll start haring more pictures. And I apologize in advance for all my spelling errors. Spell check doesn't want to work on Blogger this morning!

Knit on!

Update on 2009 Goals

2009-01-10T10:32:00.003-06:00

I've decided that I needed to post a quick update on my 2009 goals. I may just add something to my sidebar to keep track of things.

First - I gave blood on Dec 31. While doing so, I asked if they kept a "list" of donors for specific blood types if they were in need of a specific one. I was told that they need EVERYTHING right now. But, since I'm a more rare blood type, there are different ways that I can donate so they can make better use of my blood. I've decided to do a "Double Red" donation next time (Feb 25th for those keeping track!) A Double Red donation is similar to a regular whole blood donation, but they only take the red blood cells. They return the plasma and saline to you so you leave with the same blood volume that you came in with. However, with this method, they take out double the amount of red blood cells. Thus the name Double Red!! This will affect my future donations, because you can only do a double red donation every 16 weeks. But it's similar to making a double donation - so I should still be able to donate 6 times in the year - thus meeting my goal!

Second - I knit up my first hat/mitten set for Amy. She was thrilled with them. The hat was a basic hat pattern that I just kind of made up, but here is the mitten pattern I used. After discussing it with Amy, I decided to concentrate on mittens - she has a greater need for those. And since this pattern does not have a left/right mitten, I can just knit a bunch of them in the same yarn. That way, if one gets lost, there is another to take it's place!

And for a quick picture! These are the crochet trimmed bobby socks I made for the little girls for Christmas (aged 2-4). They were a hit!!

Knit on!

Cute, Cute, Cute

2009-01-02T14:02:00.007-06:00

Starving Artistamps are releasing some fun new stamps for Valentines Day. How cute are these? Make sure you head over to their blog to enter for a chance to win!!

And in other news.......a new pair of socks are on the needles! I got a set of the KnitPicks sock DPN's from my mom for Christmas. Since they are $35 and you get free shipping if you spend $50, I gave her a few ideas of "other" things to get me. She got me ALL of my suggestions!! Included in the list is the wonderful Imagination sock yarn. These socks are using the "Looking Glass" colorway. They are so pretty I can hardly knit - I just keep staring at them in amazement!

I'm using the Spring Forward pattern from Knitty. And I'm actually using size 1 needles. Blech. I probably should have used a size 1 1/2, but since the lace pattern has quite a bit of stretch, they will fit fine.

I have another set of Imagination yarn in Frog Prince, and 2 kinds of Essential yarn, Meadow Multi and Lily Pad multi. I'll have warm feet all winter!

Knit on!

Ask and You Shall Receive

2008-12-31T20:52:00.002-06:00

Pictures of the Dragon Scarf. It was a complete pain to knit, but my son loves it.....so it was worth it!!

And I'll have more pictures to share soon!

Resolutions

2008-12-29T15:09:00.002-06:00

I try not to make New Years resolutions. I never seem to stick to them and therefore they seem a bit pointless to me. But I decided I would try again this year. I'm trying NOT to make the standard "Lose weight" or "Exercise more" type resolution - I *know* I won't do it, so I'm not going to pretend.

I decided that this was the year I would try and make a difference in the world. Very lofty goal. Now, I know that I can't do much about all the troubles in the world, but I could do my best to try and help where I can. Having said that......here I go:

1. Volunteer more. I used to be a back-up Meals-on-Wheels driver, but once the kids came, it got hard to coordinate a schedule. I'm going to call and get back on the substitute driver list.

2. Knit for charity. I already participate in a "Odd-Ball" charity blanket drive. We knit baby blankets for an area hospital. This year, I plan on knitting hats and mittens: One of the Ravelry gals I knit with teaches 1st grade at a local school. It's a relatively low-income area and she said that many of her students come to school without hats or mittens. In Minnesota, it's just too cold on most winter days not to have a pair of mittens and a hat. My resolution is to knit 2 hat/mitten sets per month. I hope to keep a few area children a little warmer this winter.

3. Donate Blood. It's fast, easy, and almost anyone can do it. I actually just scheduled my first appointment to give blood. I'll be heading to a local blood bank this Wednesday at 9:40 to donate my first pint. (I have a moderately rare blood type so I feel like this is a small way I can give back to my community.) The max I can donate is once every 8 weeks, so this first visit counts for my resolution! My goal is to donate 6 times this year.

That's it. Nothing earth shattering, but these are all easy things I can do to try and make the world a better place. What about you, any New Years resolutions?

Stick a fork in me.....

2008-12-22T15:39:00.002-06:00

....I'm done!

Barring any unforeseen knitting emergencies, I'm done with my Christmas knitting. I finished hubby's convertible gloves/mittens this morning. They had a lovely soak and are now drying. (And just an FYI - Reynolds Lopi is *nasty* to knit with. It's a nice bulky weight, but scratchy as can be. It did soften up with a soak, but it's still scratchy.)

And now that I'm done - I don't really even have the desire to knit. I plan on finishing my Jaywalker socks. They are a super bright yellow and orange stripe - super cute. But for the next day or two, I don't think I'll be knitting.

Now on to the wrapping!

Note to self.....

2008-12-19T17:06:00.002-06:00

....NEVER piss off the knitting gods!

I got so bold as to think that my Christmas knitting was done (or nearly anyway.) In the last 3 days - 5 more items have been added to the list. Has anyone noticed that it's the 19th of December? Does anyone care that my wrists are starting to hurt? Apparently not.

So we got invited to my hubby's cousins house for Christmas Eve. Now - I'm not planning on knitting for the adults, but the kids *need* something. So I'm cranking out some hats for the boys and little bobby socks for the girls. The socks aren't knit - I just picked up a pack of 10 socks at Target and crochet a cute little trim with Fun Fur. They really are adorable - and the Fun Fur disguises all of my cruddy crochet work!

All is not lost - I've finished one hat already. And the socks only take about 30 minutes for a pair (and each girl will get 2 or 3 pairs - I haven't decided yet.) Then I need to make one adult sized hat, and I'm done.

And hopefully I haven't pissed off any more of the knitting gods.

Knit on!

General ramblings......

2008-12-14T12:13:00.002-06:00

....about knitting, dogs, and other stuff.

Knitting:

I am almost done with my holiday knitting!! Yippee! I made a sweater for my mom, gloves for my dad, socks and a hat for my MIL, gloves for my FIL, gloves for my FIL's girlfriend, the Dragon scarf for my son, a felted crown and some cute little socks for my daughter, and convertible mittens for my hubby. (These are the only things that aren't finished. One is done and the second one is cast on.)

I've also started re-cycling yarn. It entails shopping at thrift stores for sweaters that you can take apart and reuse. I found a lovely plum colored merino sweater in a fingering weight. I think it will make a Clapotis for me. I also have about 700 yards of a red DK weight, and an unknown quantity of a blue wool/mohair/acrylic blend. (I haven't taken that one apart yet.) As part of my Christmas present, my hubby make me a contraption for measuring the yarn as I unravel it. It's just a 2-by-4 with a dowel on each end. The dowels are 18" apart, so each wrap is a yard - brilliant! He beveled the edges and sanded it smooth so the yarn doesn't snag on it.....I love it!! I also ordered a ball winder from Joanns while they were 40% off and got free shipping - brilliant again!

And since all of the holiday knitting was getting me down, I cast on a quick cardigan for me using my stash. Here is the cardigan, and I am knitting it in Chestnut Wool-Ease. I'm done with the body, and mostly done with one sleeve. It's been a very quick knit - even with the modifications I made!

Dogs:

I've been taking my dog to the dog park. What a riot. This park is just a large fenced park with wooded areas, grassy areas, a pond, and a small hill. Luna adores it and she gets lots of oportunites to meet other dogs. I'm supposed to have a permit to park my car in the lot and use the dog park, but I don't. I feel kind of bad about not paying, but I really don't have the extra $$ for the permit. I know that I will probably get a ticket someday, and the penalty for the ticket is to purchase a permit. I guess I'll just keep trying my luck.

So I was at the dog park yesterday and saw a group (2 sets of owners and 3 dogs) of huskies. They were so darn pretty. If it wasn't for all the fur, I'd love to own one. There was also a beautiful Great Dane there. Huge, and very sweet. I always wanted to have a Great Dane, but I think I'll have to wait until the kids are grown - that dog was HUGE!!

Since today was a super cruddy day (rain for now, but freezing later), I took Luna to the park down the street. Since no one was there due to the terrible weather, she got to run around to her hearts content. I just carried the leash and my umbrella and tried not to get wet.

Other Stuff:

The job hunt is still on, but it's been very slow going. There are just not a lot of jobs out there right now. It's been very depressing, but I'm trying to stay positive. I figure the economy can't stay bad forever!

And until my camera and computer can talk - still no pictures!

Still knitting.....

2008-11-30T07:41:00.003-06:00

I have a severe case of "Finish-itis". I'm very close to finishing a few Christmas gifts, but I want them all done NOW!! I've been knitting up a storm, but nothing is done. *sigh*

I haven't touched DS's Dragon Scarf all week. I'm mostly done with the knitting, I just need to do the finishing.....and I hate doing the finishing. Seaming....yuck!

I finally got my replacement pair of size 1 1/2 DPN's to finish the pair of Knotty gloves from FIL's girlfriend. I'm making them out of some Knitpicks Essentials. It's a lovely soft yarn to work with, but it's black. If the lighting is poor and I've made a mistake (and I've made several), it's a p-a-i-n. But they are nearly done. I just have to finish 2 1/2 more fingers!!

FIL's gloves are nearly done too. Again....just 3 fingers to go.

I finally started a project for DH too. I'm making him a pair of convertable glove/mittens. You know, the kind with fingerless gloves and a flip top mitten thing. I think they will be really nice for him while he's at the hockey rink doing the score keeping. From what I understand, score keeping involves a lot of sitting around being cold. Not my idea of fun.

And I haven't started DD's Christmas present yet, but it should be a super quick knit.....I just need to get some time away from her so she doesn't see it! I have some pretty pink and yellow yarn and some lovely sparkly buttons, now I just need to knit.

Since I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I'm planning out what I want to knit after the holidays! It looks like there might be a KAL (knit-a-long) of the Honeycomb vest on Ravelry. I really want to make this vest, so I might just have to get some yarn for it. Maybe I'll get a gift card for Christmas.....hmmmm...... And I'm thinking about the Paton's Must Have Cardigan again. I started one late last spring in black and it was just too difficult to work with. I think I'll try again with some recycled natural wool.

Until later, knit on!!

Still having trouble.....

2008-11-24T08:39:00.004-06:00

....and I've been knitting a ton!

I made a fabulous pair of Chevalier mittens for my niece. They are to match the Foliage hat I finished a bit ago. (Her birthday is Dec 18, so she always gets an extra special birthday gift.)

DS's Dragon scarf is coming along. I've finished the main parts and am working on the "bits." The nostrils alone took WAAAYYY too long.

My SIL had a birthday over the weekend, so I made her a quick Snowman ornament. I didn't have any orange yarn, so I used an orange button for the nose. It was completely adorable, so I think I may be making a few more of those!

I've also been on a hat kick. My brother showed up at my parents house last weekend with a pathetically small hat. The knitter in me just couldn't let that go, so I made him a new one. The Thorpe pattern is quick and easy. I've made 3 now; 1 for my DD, one for my Brother, and one for my DS' school hat/mitten drive.

The gloves for my FIL are about 75% done. I'm making up the pattern as I go since I couldn't find a glove pattern that I liked. It's loosely based on the Ken pattern from Berocco. And FIL's girlfriend Knotty gloves are stalled. I lost one of my size 1 1/2 knitting needles.....grrrrr........waiting for my new pair to arrive. Hopefully today!

Still no pictures, and Ravlery is down so I can't even link all of my projects. I'll edit this post when Rav is back up.

Knit on!!

ETA: Links are now on. Thank goodnes for Ravelry!!

More computer trouble

2008-11-09T12:32:00.002-06:00

*sigh*

Our computer is acting up again. Not sure if it can be revived. Thankfully, my DH hooked up the kids computer to the internet so I can at least get online. I don't think I can get pictures off of my camera though...still working on that.

For now, be assured that I am knitting up a storm! I'll be posting to my blog, but I'm not sure if I'll have pictures to share.

Another Quickie post

2008-11-07T12:23:00.004-06:00

There is a new release of Doodlefactory stamps over at Starving Artistamps. It's a new Christmas set - yippee!! And since it's a bit late to get going on your Christmas stamping, they are offering the sentiment set for FREE. Yep - I said free!! Here's a picture of the new set:

Head over to their blog for a chance to win this set!!

Mass Production....

2008-11-07T11:40:00.002-06:00

I don't usually mass produce cards, but a friend called this morning with a request. She is the leader of a Daisy troupe and needed some Thank You cards. So here they are. Mass production with a little twist!

I used paper from my TSR kits. There is usually one paper in a kit that I don't use much of. This was the perfect project to use up some of those larger pieces. (There are 2 of each color scheme for a total of 18 cards.)

The "thanks" was cut using my Cuttlebug. It was kind of a pain to glue it down. I ended up using my Sakura Quickie Glue pen. Anyone else have something that works well? I don't like to use the Xryon because is doesn't adhere to these smallish letters very well (in my experience.)

On the knitting front, I was at a Ravelry knit night last night. We decided last month to have a knit-a-long for November. The project chosen was preemie hats since we could finish them in a single knit night. I did this one. I was worried that I wouldn't finish it in the three hours, but I did - with plenty of time to spare.

I've been working on my sons Dragon scarf, have a Fake Isles hat OTN for my MIL, and have a pair of Knotty's OTN for my FIL's girlfriend. Making good progress on my holiday knitting :)

Knit on!

PS - I don't think I've ever had that many links in one post - whew!!

Quick post

2008-11-03T08:39:00.006-06:00

I had to share a few pictures from Halloween. We had a great time trick-or-treating. Our neighborhood of about 50 houses was just about the perfect size for the kids. (Although DD got pretty darn tired and had to drop off some candy at home.)

Obi Wan Kenobi (complete with light saber that lights up and makes noise - an early birthday present.)

The blue butterfly fairy from Mariposa (Rayla)

Once we got home with the "loot", we combined it all into a big bowl. Now if the kids want a treat, they choose from the big bowl. I decided to try this to see if this method would work with the kids. So far it's worked great. And it's MUCH easier to sneak out all of the Snickers. (Mmmmmm, I just love Snickers!!)

And I spent a bunch of time knitting this weekend. My mom's sweater is nearly done - just a few more inches on one sleeve. DS's dragon scarf is coming along nicely. I finished the first body piece and started the second. After knitting the first with Red Heart Super Saver, the second piece using Vanna's Choice felt like butter!! But now I need to take a bit of a knitting break......my wrists are pretty sore.

Been off-line....

2008-10-31T12:43:00.003-05:00

....and not by choice!! The graphics card on our computer went ka-put, so I've been down since last Saturday. It's all better now, thank goodness.

I've been working on a few things. I finished the gloves for my father for Christmas, and the socks for my MIL. I still have a ton left to do, but it feels good to have a few things done at least!

Here are Dad's gloves. I loosely followed the Ken glove pattern (and I mean loosely.) I used a fabulous wool/llama blend yarn from a LYS (Shepherds Choice) - I fell in love with this yarn and simply had to have it. The pattern is written for a worsted weight yarn and this is a DK, so I just modified it to be knit on size 6 DPN's. I am thrilled with how these look!!

And here are the socks for my MIL. I used some stash Carons Simply Soft. I've made myself socks using this and I really like them. The pattern is rather easy, but the YO's can be tricky since they are at the start of each DPN. I still have some ends to weave in, but overall, I'm pleased.

I also started a Dragon scarf for my son. He helped me pick out the yarn last spring, but I decided to wait to knit it until he would use it. I'm not loving his yarn choice (Red Heart and Vanna's Choice), but it's knitting up nicely, even though it makes my hands hurt. I'll have pictures soon, but he's home right now and I don't want him to know I'm making it!!

Knit on!

Dishcloths

2008-10-24T15:32:00.003-05:00

I'm not really a huge fan of knitting dishcloths. I know people love them, but I just *hate* to knit them. The current dishcloth obsession came from a meeting with my neighbors. They both wanted to learn to knit (Hi Shari and Michelle!) And nothing is easier than a dishcloth. After an afternoon of making caramels (super yummy) and teaching them both to knit, I came home and started knitting dishcloths. After Saturday and Sunday I had made 7. The obsession wasn't quite over, and now I am up to 11.

I think the main reason I don't like to knit dishcloths is the feel of the cotton. I usually use Lily's Sugar and Cream or Wal*Marts Peaches and Cream (sorry - it's not on their website). They are both pretty rough on the fingers. After Saturday, my index finger was pretty raw, but I persevered. By Tuesday I really didn't even notice it anymore. (But I'm not sure if that's really a good thing.)

There are tons of patterns for dishcloths. This is my favorite site. But this is the pattern I used. I have been knitting a few other things, but mostly dishcloths. I hope I run out of yarn soon!

Knit on!

My gloves (and a card!)

2008-10-17T12:43:00.003-05:00

I realized when I was posting yesterday that I never posted a picture of my super cool new Knotty gloves. They were fun to knit and I love how they turned out. (The picture isn't great, but the gloves are!!)

And another card. I seem to be stuck on this layout lately; I've made about 4 cards using variations of it this week! I like this one enough to actually make a few for the Christmas card pile. I might have to change it a bit though, the ribbon might make it too thick to send in the mail.

Details:
Stamps - Snow Swirled from Stampin Up
Paper - Cool Caribbean, Basic Gray, White (Stampin Up), Patterned paper - Basic Grey Figgy Pudding
Ink - Cool Caribbean, Basic Gray (Stampin Up)
Other - Silver Eyelet (Making Memories) Circle Punch (Creative Memories)

That's all for now, knit on!

I have been knitting....

2008-10-16T09:27:00.003-05:00

....just not blogging! I finished the Knotty gloves - they are divine! I'm now planning on knitting a bunch of pairs of gloves for holiday presents!

I finished my niece's hat for her birthday. She has one of those late December birthdays - poor thing! I made the Foliage hat. I really like the pattern, but it turned out a little bit big. I think - in general - I knit looser than average. I usually find myself going down a needle size. I probably should have gone down to a 6 for this hat - and I even have a 16" circular in a size 6! Silly me......but I'm NOT re-knitting it - it's just a hat!

I had a hard time getting anyone to model this hat for me today. Usually the kids fight over who gets to, but not today....go figure! (DD finally agreed, but the hat is huge on her!)

And I'm also making a Liesel scarf to go with this hat. I started it last night and got through 2 pattern repeats. I'm trying VERY hard to read charts when I knit instead of written directions. There are several patterns that I would like to make, but they only have charts. It's time I learned! Since I've knit this scarf before, reading this chart should be a little easier for me. (At least that's the hope!)

In other knitting news, I still have my moms sweater on the needles. I finished the body and was working on a sleeve when I decided to frog it back to the arm hole decrease. I had mom try it on and she was fine with the fit, but I wasn't. The sleeves were just turning out to be too tight and I thought the body could use more room (sorry to overrule you mom!). So I ripped it back to the arm holes and did two more sets of increases. The body was increased by 8 stitches and each arm by 4. I may also change the rate of decreases for the arms, but I'll have to wait until I get there again. I guess I prefer to re-knit something than to have it not fit. *sigh*

I've stated my dad's Christmas gloves. The first one has two fingers to go. I think it will fit, but I'll probably have him try the first one on before I start the second. (*double sigh*)

My MIL's second sock has not even been cast on. I know it will only take me about 5 hours to knit it, so I've been procrastinating.

I'm going to be knitting gloves for my FIL and his girlfriend. They are not really the type to appreciate a hand knit item, but I have the yarn and I have the time. It will save me from having to agonize over what to buy them. And you can always use another pair of gloves, right? I may make the Knotty glove for the girlfriend (in black - arghhh!!) and a plain pair in gray for FIL.

Until later - knit on!

Overdyeing 101....

2008-10-07T14:18:00.005-05:00

.....Or: How to make a complete mess of your kitchen in three easy steps!

I was supposed to go on a field trip to the pumpkin patch with my son today. Due to the inclement weather, I suddenly had a morning free. What better time than this to try overdyeing two balls of sock yarn!

Let me start this all by saying, I have never dyed anything in my life - except for tie-dyeing in Girl Scouts, but that hardly counts. I read an article on Knitty.com about how to use Kool-Aide to die yarn. I purchased some close-out sock yarn on Knit Picks a few months ago. I know you can't tell colors well on a computer screen, but this blue yarn was MUCH brighter than I expected. Today was the perfect day to change that!

The first step is to sock the yarn in some luke-warm water. Here is my obnoxiously blue yarn in it's first bath:

I opened my 4 packs of Black Cherry Kool-Aide for dying and added them to my pot. Then I started to heat the yarn/dye mix. I knew I was cheating my leaving the yarn in balls, but I was WAY too lazy to change them into a more dye friendly form. I started to mix the yarn as directly. I noticed that the color was getting very dark on the outside, but I was still seeing large portions of bright blue yarn. So I started to "open" the balls up a bit so the dye could get to the center sections. I think that was the last smart thought I had.

It didn't take long until I realized I had a huge mess on my hands. So I decided to just keep going. I figured the worst thing that could happen would be for me to throw away a huge heap of yarn that I paid about $2.50 for. So this is what I was left with. I kind of liked the colors, but man-oh-man was this a huge pile of yarn!

It took me about 2 1/2 hours to untangle all of this yarn. Yes - I did cut it. I think it would have been impossible not to. I did end up throwing a bit away too. The last portions of the second ball I wound were just too tangled. I plan on knitting these with the inside sections first so all the lovely colors will be showing since the outside sections are just too dark - and I only need about 150-180 yards per sock and each ball has 230 yards. All in all, I think this will make a lovely pair of socks.

And yes - my hands are stained and the yarn smells like Kool-Aide!

More Knitting.....

2008-09-29T12:30:00.003-05:00

I had a very busy knitting weekend, and I have the sore wrists to prove it. I finished the second sock for my dad (2 days before the "deadline" - woohoo!).

I also continued my holiday knitting with this yellow sock for my MIL. The pattern is written for Wool-Ease, and I have knit it with that. But Wool-Ease is a little too scratchy for my taste, so I'm making these socks out of Caron's Simply Soft. Yellow is one of my MIL's favorite colors and I happened to have this in my stash. Sock #1 completed - sock #2 not even started.

And last, but certainly not least, I cast on these SUPER COOL gloves - for me. Yes, I know I should be finishing my Jaywalker socks, but I just had to start these. I picked the yarn up at The Yarn Cafe when they were closing. I have 4 balls of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4-ply (discontinued) in Feral - a dark chocolaty color - that I paid about $10 for. This should easily make this pair of gloves with some to spare. They won't really match my red and black coat, but who cares!! I guess that just means I need to buy a new coat - LOL!!

Yikes - after not having many projects on the needles for a bit, I now have a bunch! Sore wrists or not.....time to get knitting!

Mom's Sweater

2008-09-25T09:43:00.003-05:00

More holiday knitting is underway! This sweater will be for my mother. It's a very basic top down raglan and so far I really like it. The yarn is Joann's Sensations boucle in an old color called Berry (I think it's old. I can't find it on their website anyway.) I like the long color change - very pretty for this pattern. The yarn is a bit of a pain to knit with since it snags on everything and the ball/skein is huge and a pain to work with. (I never did manage to find the center pull, so I'm having to use it from the outside end - yuck!) But overall I'm pleased and I think my mom will be too!

(Don't mind the bits of red yarn - those are holding the sleeve stitches. And the black at the bottom was just so I could try it on for sizing. I'm thinking it'll be perfect!!)

And I have to admit that I'm not working hard on Dad's birthday socks. DD has a dance class today, so I'll bring them along then - they are much more portable than a sweater with a huge ball of yarn! I'm sure I'll get them done in time - there's probably only a few more hours left on them.

Until next time, knit on!

Another fun card

2008-09-23T18:37:00.004-05:00

I've drawn a line in the sand. I will NOT be buying any of the new Stampin' Up In Color ink pads or ribbons. I did get and assorted pack of card stock so I could participate in the color challenges on SCS, but that's it!

Whew - it feel good to get that off my chest! Now, on to the card. Of course the color challenge used 2 of the new In Colors - Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze. I decided to use one of the dragons from the Doodle factory line at Starving Artist stamps. I just used my markers to blended colors to for the right shade and then watercolored the dragon. And the Detours line from October Afternoon is a perfect match for the In Colors - so if I need something I always have a few of those ;).

I'm not sure who this card will be sent to - I'm sure I'll find the perfect reason soon enough. It's always nice to have a few generic cards around.

In the knitting world - I just cast on the sweater I plan on knitting for my mom. It's a very basic top down raglan. It was designed for the huge skeins of Joanns Sensations boucle yarn. I picked a pretty plum/purple yarn. (I think it's an older color since it's not on their website.) I like it so far, but my circular needle is a little too long. I'm hoping that once I get a few more stitches added it will be more comfortable.

Dad's socks are coming along nicely. I turned the heel of the second sock this weekend, and I'm about 1/3 done with the foot. If I would just concentrate on these I'd have them done in no time, but I just had to cast on something new. *sigh*

Knit on!

Super quick knit

2008-09-19T13:23:00.003-05:00

I don't think I've ever knit anything this quickly before. OK - maybe a hat - but that's about it! (Note to self: search the internet for more patterns using a super bulky yarn.)

The new Fall Knitty is fabulous, but when I saw the Abrazo pattern it was love at first sight! I picked up the yarn last week and started it yesterday. Yep, that's right - yesterday! I did knit a lot yesterday, but it was a super quick knit. I finished up the first arm last night, but I wasn't thrilled with it. I asked the gals at the knitting group today and got a few suggestions. I ripped back the arm and re-knit it there.

This was knit with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Charcoal. It's tough to get a good picture when the yarn is so dark, but I wanted to show you something! I'll have DH take a picture of me wearing it later today and try and post it too. I'm really pleased with how it came out. I might re-do one of the arms - I think it's longer than the other one......but I'm not certain yet. I'll have to do some measuring.

AND - I did the crochet around the arm holes and back of the neck. I'm so darn proud of myself! Kate showed me the basics of crochet at one of the Rav knit nights and I managed to do it. (With a little help from the internet, but still, I'm pleased.)

Now back to the birthday/holiday knitting.

Something knit for a change...

2008-09-17T14:19:00.005-05:00

I offered to knit a wool diaper cover (commonly called a soaker) for a gal that is preggo and planning on using cloth diapers. I have never cloth diapered nor knit a soaker, so this was all new to me. I found a free pattern on Rav and went from there. This is a Curly Purly soaker - very easy and pretty darn cute too.

I didn't do anything fancy with it (I thought about adding some butt ruffles, but the math got to me *sigh*). I used 2 colors so I would have enough yarn left over to make my daughter a felted crown.......but more about that later!

I know it's a bit hard to figure out what that darn thing is supposed to look like, so I had one of my daughters dolls model it! (This is one of those dolls that is supposed to be very life-like in size, etc.)
It will stretch quite a bit after the first washing, but I don't have any baby detergent, so I told the intended recipient that it will need to be washed. I hope she liked it!

I still have the socks for my dad OTN, but after finding out he will be out of town for his birthday - they went on the back burner since I have some extra time. I also started a shawl. Not because I wanted one or had a burning desire to knit one, but because I had some yarn that I just didn't know what else to do with. (Can I admit that I bought some Red Heart Symphony yarn? It has got to be the worst yarn ever - absolutely horrible to kit with.) It's a simple Turkish stitch triangular shawl that I think will end up as a holiday gift for my FIL's girlfriend. (And as horrible as it is to knit, the shawl is really quite pretty, soft and warm.)

And as a side note - I just googled Turkish Stitch and found a different stitch than this shawl uses. I'm sure it's one of those crazy knitting things where they call multiple stitch patterns the same name, but heck - that's confusing!!

Knit on!

A tricky card...

2008-09-11T15:55:00.004-05:00

...for me on more than one level. My DH and I were invited to our first bar mitzvah this weekend. Which meant I needed a card. This was tough on two levels - first, making a card for a young teenage boy, and second, making a card for a bar mitzvah. Other than a very rudimentary knowledge of the bar mitzvah ritual, I have no idea what is appropriate. I asked a few questions on a very informative thread on Splitcoast about Jewish card making.

I figured my JustRite monogram stamp would work perfectly. You can basically make it say whatever you need! How perfect was that? No more needing to buy a stamp for every obscure holiday! I took my color cue from the invitation, a golden yellow and red. I used the papertreyink Guidelines set to make a nice masculine background. Then I added a little black for some contrast, and there you go. My very first bar mitzvah card.

Details:
Paper - Summer sun and Real Red from Stampin Up
Stamps - Guidelines from Papertreyink, and JustRite monogram stamp
Misc - Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Black grosgrain ribbon, brushed gold brad from Making Memories

I'm still working on the bike helmet ear warmers for DH. Nothing like waiting until the last minute - his birthday is tomorrow!

Knit on!!

Another Christmas card

2008-09-10T10:56:00.003-05:00

One more down! (Only about 20 more to go - yea!) I used the sketch challenge from Splitcoast combined with yesterdays color combo - Riding Hood Red, Green Galore, and Going Gray. Since I'm refusing to buy any of the In Color ink pads this year, I have to get a bit more creative. I did buy the paper, so that makes things easier at least ;).

And since I didn't have any black sparkly brads, I made my own. I dipped some brass brads into my black pigment ink, then dipped it into sparkly embossing powder. It did take 2 coats, but I like how they turned out. (But watch your fingers - it gets pretty hot!) I did the same thing to the snowflake brad to make it match.

I also used my "sparkle" sentiment. I never seem to know when to use this, except on a very sparkly card! I guess it fits in this case.

Have a great day!

The sock fits!

2008-09-07T16:26:00.003-05:00

I did go to my parents house yesterday to have my dad try on "the sock". I am so glad I did because it fit! I finished the first one up last night and have started the second. I'm making them out of Lion Brand Wool Ease - it wears well and it machine washable. Two very important attributes for a pair of socks for my father. They didn't have the exact Maroon color I wanted - this is more of a cranberry, but it still looks nice and my dad didn't complain!

I'm not really following a pattern for these socks - I mean after you know the basics of sock knitting, you can make a basic sock. I am using a knit 3, purl 1 pattern for the leg and instep, which Yvonne (aka - the knitting goddess, in my opinion) suggested at knit night. And when she said that I nearly fell out of my chair since I had started this sock nearly a week prior! (But seriously, Yvonne is the most amazing knitter and woman. I want to be just like her when I grow up!)

I admit, the picture looks a bit odd. It's partially the angle and also the K3, P1. It makes the leg look super skinny, but it provides a fabulous fit!

Knit on!!

Another Gift done

2008-09-06T16:01:00.004-05:00

I asked my sister what hat she though her older son would like - something with cables or a Hurricane hat. She said definitely the Hurricane hat. So I cast on last night and finished up this afternoon. I made it a bit long since Andy has *thick* hair. I hope it's not too long. I suppose he can always just roll up the brim.

And here is DH modeling it:

On a side note - do you all think cables are too "girly"? I asked my DH and he said they certainly were, so I asked the gals at my knit night. For the most part, they all agreed that cables are feminine. I'm amazed - I always thought of them as fairly masculine. You know, cabled fishermen/Aran sweaters and all. Oh well - it was news to me.

I've decided to take the socks I was knitting for my dad to him to try them on. Since I have quite a bit of time invested in them, it would best best to be SURE they are too small before I frog them. On the off chance that they aren't too small, I've saved myself about a week of knitting! I wish I could do it without having him look at his feet so they would still be a surprise, but I think that may be a bit tricky.

Knit on!

A ton of Randomness

2008-09-04T15:21:00.007-05:00

Not any one big thing to post....just a lot of little things!

First - the G man started Kindergarten this week. He was thrilled to be riding on the "big" bus with all the other kids. No tears were shed by anyone :) .

(How cute are those knee socks?? The kid just cracks me up sometimes!)

Second - Starving Artist Stamps is having a preview of their new Halloween releases.

Just leave a comment on their blog for a chance to win them!

Third - the socks I started for my dad (in Maroon and gold - the U of MN colors!) are going to be too small. I'm not sure why I thought I was making them big enough, but I wasn't. I'm about 2/3's done with the first sock, so I'll have to frog it and start over. Blech.

Fourth - On a whim, I decided to knit something for DH for his birthday (next Friday for anyone keeping track.) He loves to ride his bike to work, but the weather in MN does not allow him to do that very often. I found the coolest pattern for knit ear covers for a bike helmet. Super easy and quick and I think he'll like them. At least I hope so.

Fifth - Miss C and I seem to be recovering from our bout with the flu. Nothing worse than having a sick 4 year old when you are sick yourself. Thankfully DH stayed home to take care of us. Which was good since I barely got out of bed all day.

And lastly - tonight is my knit night!! I think I will be on the receiving end of 2 charity blankets to knit. I just joined a group of knitters that knit blankets to donate. One person starts the blanket, knits a border then 4 inches, then mails it to the next person. The next person knits 4 more inches and sends it to the next knitter. The knitting needles are mailed with the project. Each blanket has a theme for continuity. I should be receiving the "Over the Rainbow" blanket in the mail, and the "Little Boy Blue" blanket from Kate at knit night. I'm excited to work on them. I'll post pictures when I mail them on to the next knitters.

Knit on!!

Just had to share....

2008-08-28T18:41:00.001-05:00

.....love this "personality" test. FYI - I'm a "Logical Knitter." (No surprise there ;) )

Knitting Personality Test

POD Design Team

2008-08-28T15:05:00.005-05:00

Purple Onion Designs put out a design team call - finally!! I've been a POD fan for quite some time, so it was a given that I would at least try out for this DT. Wish me luck! Here are the cards I am submitting:

I think my favorite is the birthday card with the sparkly red frame. It just makes me smile!

Not another Christmas card...

2008-08-27T19:08:00.005-05:00

....but another challenge card! I don't know how I would ever stamp if it wasn't for challenges! This is the card I created for the Color Inspiration challenge on Kristina Werner's blog. She comes up with the loveliest color combos for her inspirations.

I had some troubles with this color combo. The colors are just gorgeous, but it was tricky for me to work the Chocolate Chip in. Then I remembered the fabulous Chocolate satin ribbon I got from Ribbons and Bows Oh My a while back. I paired it with the very elegant Damask stamp from Purple Onion Designs. A little scallop punch, a few half-back pearls and everything just fell into place! Whew - crisis averted!

Here is my card for the color combo:

I love how it all came together!

On the knitting front, I ended up frogging the Jaywalker sock I started. I re-knit it using the smaller size. It's fitting MUCH better and the first one is almost done. I'm not sure if I'm going to have time to finish the second one just yet since my birthday/holiday knitting is started to be neglected! But here is a quick picture of the current sock....and I promise it won't end up being a one-sock-wonder! And no, don't adjust your monitor, they really are this bright!!

Knit on!!

Another Sketch Card

2008-08-22T11:41:00.004-05:00

I love to read Amy R's blog. She has great ideas and sometimes even a sketch!! Here is my take on her sketch:

I've been making a lot of Christmas cards lately. I do make all of our Christmas cards, but I usually make 5-6 designs and about 8-10 of each design. But this year I've been making a lot of single designs. I love the cards, but they would be too much work to mass produce. Right now I have about 25 cards made - about 1/2 done - and only 3 designs have been repeated. And I have only made 4 of each of those designs!

Supplies:
Stamps: Snowflake Spot from SU
Paper: White, Sahara Sand, Cool Caribbean (retired) and Basic Grey all from SU; Patterned paper from Basic Grey Figgy Pudding line
Accessories: Sakura Stardust pen (to add a little sparkle!), pop dots, sponge, CM circle cutting system and Nestabilities circle dies

On the knitting front, I've had to frog the socks I started for my dad's birthday. I was making them in acrylic and they were just coming out awful. I have since restarted using some Lion Brand Wool-Ease. The colors are not perfect, but they will be fine - I just need to let it go!

Knit on!

Umbrellie Card

2008-08-21T15:58:00.004-05:00

I decided to try the sketch challenge on the All That Scraps blog. It was just too cute to pass up! Here's my card:

I used the cute Umbrella bug from the Bitzy Bugs line. I just love the paper piece this umbrella. It just looks so darn cute. And what girl doesn't need a pair of pink rain boots?

Supplies:
Stamps - CC Designs from All that Scraps, sentiment from Great Greetings from the Angel Company (retired)
Ink: Black Staz-on, Misc markers from SU blended to the shade I needed ;)
Paper - Sweet Blush from Papertrey Ink, Cool Caribbean from SU (retired), Blue Hill patterned paper from Crate Paper, Green Paper from The Paper company
Accessories - Half Back pearls, Prima flowers, clear glaze pen (to make her boots shiny!!), Oval punch to make the mask to create her "puddle", sponge

That's it for now. Have a great day!!

First of the gifts

2008-08-18T08:22:00.003-05:00

It's gift knitting time of the year for me! I make hats for my niece/nephews for their birthdays, my DH's and dad's birthdays are in the fall, DS's birthday is in November and then there is all the holiday knitting! Well I'm happy to report that I've finished the first of the gifts!!

This hat is for my nephew Jason. My sister told me that his coat is royal blue, gray and white. I think this hat will look perfect! (My DS liked it so much he told me I could make one for him too!) I'm enjoying knitting for teenage boys, but I have to admit that it's a bit tough. They don't really want bold colors or crazy patterns, but my sister thought this would be a great hat for Jason. And I *love* this pattern. It looks fabulous and it knits up pretty darn quick - both great attributes of a good pattern.

(I should mention that this is the first year I've knit hats for my sisters boys. It started with my niece. She has a December birthday. I've always felt that she gets a bit screwed with the Christmas/birthday thing, so I started knitting her things. The first few years it was just a scarf, then I added hats. Then I decided that her brother had been a bit left out, so I knit him a hat for his birthday. Now I've decided I need to be fair and knit my sisters boys hats too. Shucks - another reason to buy more yarn!!)

It's another of the Fake Isle hats (I've made three so far.) Now I just hope it fits! I knit it in Harmony wool - which was a "house brand" wool for a LYS that has since gone out of business. It knits much like Cascade and I got it on a 2 for 1 sale, so it was a great deal.

Next up, a pair of socks for my dad for his birthday. I'm knitting them in acrylic (YUCK!) in the University of Minnesota colors. Dad wore out the last pair of socks I knit him fairly quickly so I'm going to try acrylic socks. I'm already hating it, but I think they might last longer. And besides, I had the yarn in my stash!

Knit on!

Finito!!

2008-08-15T19:42:00.003-05:00

After three attempts, my Leafy T is finally done! Please excuse these rather horrid photos. There are still a few ends to weave in, but I wanted to document that I finally completed this thing. AND I LOVE IT!! So often I'm displeased with a garment after I finish it, but not this time.

Even though it was a complete pain to re-knit this, it was so worth it!! I'm hoping my hubby will take a picture of me wearing it tomorrow, but for now, may I present my Leafy T:

And now to get started on my birthday/holiday knitting....it's a long list!

Knit on!

Fun new rubber!!

2008-08-11T18:50:00.004-05:00

I ordered some fun new stamps from starvingartiststamps a while back but hadn't had much time to play with them. Today - we got inky!! I ordered some great images to fill the 6-15 year old boy needs. It's harder to make masculine cards usually, and mid-range boys are the most difficult (at least to me!)

I made this one on Saturday while I was at Archivers cropping with my friend Danielle (Hi Danielle!) I think this image is absolutely perfect with the Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo line.

The second one I made for todays challenge on SCS. The technique was Stained Glass. I love how it looks, but the technique needs a little tweaking for me. Or maybe I just have a large learning curve on this one. Either way, here's what I came up with.

I think the reason boy cards are hard for me is embellishments. I never feel like I should be putting ribbon or flowers on boy cards. That really tends to limit what I can do.

I also got some stamps and sentiments from the Urban line. I haven't had enough time to play with them yet, but I think they will be perfect for creating birthday cards for the older boys in my life. (Yikes - my nephews are teenagers!!)

Gorgeous Stitch Markers

2008-08-08T13:51:00.004-05:00

I had knit night for the Ravelry group last night. Only a small group made it, but we had lots of fun comparing notes and seeing what everyone was working on. And Kate brought me the most beautiful stitch markers ever. (Or prettyful as my son called them :) )

And Deb asked quite a few questions about how I sized my version of the Leaf T. I put it on waste yarn and she was able to try my version on - very convenient. I only hope she doesn't have to knit it THREE TIMES!! But it did help to get me re-energized about this project. So along with my fabulous new stitch markers, here is an updated picture of my Leaf T:

I've done the arm band for one of the sleeves. I knit it on size 6 DPN's, but I think I want it to fit a bit tighter so I plan on ripping that out and re-knitting it on size 5's. I mean - since I've knit this three times already, whats another arm band??

And a close up of the stitch markers:

See, I told you they were prettyful!!!

Knit on!

Card Making with 10 year olds

2008-08-07T16:30:00.004-05:00

I had my niece and her friend over yesterday for a MARATHON stamping/card making session. They had an absolute blast! I didn't get much done, but they needed help with cutting paper and choosing colors and it was fun just watching them work. My niece ended up with 9 cards made and her friend made 10. And they were asking "When can we do this again Aunt Barb?" I think that might just be the ultimate compliment from a 10 year old girl!!

The Jaywalker socks are coming along nicely, but I had to rip back the heel and re-knit it. It was just too baggy around the ankle. I had knit the flap a bit too long and I'm concerned about running out of yarn (remind you of the Monkey socks anyone??) I'm hoping this is the only re-knit this pair of socks needs!! (And that I have enough yarn!!)

Knit on!!

Remember this....

2008-08-01T12:08:00.004-05:00

cute little sweater?

Well, it's heading to it's new home today. No, Mayume hasn't had her baby yet, but DH decided it was time to present the gift. So I whipped up a matching gift bag and card. Here's the whole ensemble:

I hope she likes it!!

In other news, my first Jaywalker sock is coming along nicely. I started knitting the heel flap yesterday. I hope to finish turning the heel today. I'll try to take another picture of it soon. I just LOVE this pair of socks!!

Knit on!

More scrappy stuff

2008-07-31T13:42:00.003-05:00

I really got my scrapping mojo going at the TSR retreat this weekend. So much so that I did six (yep - that's right 6!!) single page LO's yesterday. I was supposed to be cleaning up my scrapping area, but I got my creative juices flowing and I just couldn't stop!! This one is my favorite of the bunch.

I had saved some sketches from Stickers 'N Fun - this is one of them. I love how it allowed me to incorporate so many pictures into a single LO!! I don't use their sketches much, but they have a TON on their site!!

I used the Basic Grey Figgy Pudding papers. I bought a pack of this paper at Hobby Lobby last year with the intention of using it for all my Christmas layouts. Now that the layouts are done, I have a ton of this paper left over. I think it will end up being used for a lot of my Christmas cards this year!

Knit (or scrap) on!!

Fun socks!!

2008-07-30T10:39:00.005-05:00

When I bought this yarn, I thought it might make a great pair of Jaywalkers. (Again - it's a Rav only link.) Boy was I right. This seems to be the perfect union of pattern and yarn. Holey Toldeo it's been fun to knit this!!

I actually did 2 test swatches in pattern before casting on. Normally I never swatch, but I knew this pattern was a but particular for fit, so I figured I'd better. Good thing I did too - I went up a needle size!!

Knit on!!

Scrapping Retreat

2008-07-29T20:08:00.007-05:00

Whew - what a busy July it's been! I spent last weekend at the TSR weekend retreat. It was really fun - I hope I can go next year!! Here are a few of the layouts I completed over the weekend:

KI Memories Kit

Fancy Pants

American Crafts

Chatterbox

In all, I completed 3 double page layouts, 5 single page layouts and 13 cards. And to be honest, I think I spent a lot of time chatting and not much time scrapping!!

I also cast on a pair of Jaywalker socks last week. (If your not a Ravelry user, that link won't work. Sorry, that's the only place I could find the pattern.) I'm still plugging away at my lace T, but it's gotten too hot to knit a big sweater like that.

Knit on!

Busy, busy, busy

2008-07-19T07:39:00.002-05:00

I don't have much to share today, but wanted to post so my blog doesn't feel neglected!

I currently have visitor's from New Zealand staying with me, Denis and Beryl. (I was an exchange student to New Zealand in high school and they were one of my host parents.) We've been doing a little of everything that Minneapolis has to offer! Today we're going to the farmers market - always a treat - and tonight I have tickets for the Saints game.

On the knitting front - the aqua sweater is coming along nicely (for the third time!) Beryl was interested in seeing it since she's never knit top down. That lead to quite a discussion and a little trip to Ravelry on the computer. Nothing beats Ravelry for knitting information!! (And btw, Beryl was very instrumental in my learning to knit. My host mom before her taught me, but Beryl kept me going and taught me many of the finer points.)

And the busy continues. Next week, starting on Thursday, I'm attending the Scrap Rooms scrapping retreat. It's in Minneapolis so I have NO EXCUSE not to attend :) !! It's three days of fun and scrapping. I hope I get a lot of pages done because I'm getting further and further behind!! (And I'm sure I'll do a little knitting too!!)

Knit on!

Knitting, knitting and knitting again

2008-07-12T18:41:00.004-05:00

I've been working on the same sweater for almost a month now. That's not particularly unusual per se, but it's a short sleeved sweater, not a difficult pattern and it should be a breeze. But it hasn't been. *sigh*

I'm making this pattern out of Knit Picks CotLin in Desert Turquoise. Love the pattern, love the yarn, but I just can't seem to make this work. As written, the pattern is for a 34" bust. Needless to say, I'm NOT a 34" bust.

For the first attempt, I added a few increases under the arm after the sleeves were cast off. (I didn't actually cast them off but put them on waste yarn. I plan on adding some sort of hem - if I can ever finish the body.) After I knit a few inches of the body, I tried the sweater on. Major batwing/elephant ear sleeves. That wasn't going to work so I frogged it. Here is a picture of the first attempt. (I haven't had the heart to take any more pictures.)

Second time around, I did the math. Based on my gauge, I determined that 217 stitches for the body should give me a 39" bust. I changed the number of stitches cast on and re-arranged how they were sectioned out. Sounded good. After knitting about 5 inches of the body I tried it on. Huge. Simply huge. Apparently my gauge was way off. (Grrrrrr.) I tried frogging it to the sleeve cast off and re-knit , but I just didn't like the neckline with my modifications. So I frogged it all again.

For my third attempt, I am knitting it as written, using the math (with the correct gauge this time) and determined that I need 187 stitches for the body. I also decided not to do a seed stitch hem as on the two previous attempts and did a 2 x 2 rib instead. I'll keep you posted on how it works out.

I will say this though - the knit picks CotLin can take a lot of abuse and still knit nicely. My first ball has been frogged two times and knit three and is still holding together well. At least there's a silver lining, right?

*Sigh*

Knit on.

And a card to go with...

2008-07-05T14:04:00.007-05:00

Here is the card I made to go with my MIL's birthday scarf. I fussed around with the layout quite a bit, but finally ended up with a very simple one. I figured since the main image was fairly busy, the layout could be plain.

And what's a card without a matching bag? I love to buy the packs of 10 gift bags from Target and decorate them to match the card.

Details:
Stamps: Beautiful Blooms by Papertrey Ink
Paper: Purely Pomegranate, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi and Black all from SU. Gloss White (photo paper) from Office Max.
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery (all SU), Black Staz-on, Versamark
Accessories: Slot and Word Window punches (SU), Clear EP and Misc ribbon from Joanns, Rhinestone stickers from Marc Richards, Paper flowers from Prima.

Enjoy your day and knit on!

Scarf for my MIL

2008-07-01T18:48:00.003-05:00

I'm finding it harder to knit as the temps start to rise, so you'll have to pardon the lack of knitting on my blog of late. I'm finding scrapping and stamping to be much cooler activities!

However, my MIL's birthday is this week and I knit her a scarf. It's a really lovely pattern and looks MUCH harder than it really is. I think she will like it!! (Here's a close up so you can see the pattern better.)

Knit on (or stamp, or scrap, or whatever!)

Cupcake Challenge!!

2008-06-24T15:33:00.004-05:00

I've never done one of Taylors cupcake challenges, but I just loved this sketch and knew I had to play along. My cupcake stamp selection is a bit limited (to this one stamp actually!), so I had to modify the sketch a wee bit. I love how it came out.

Card details:
Stamps: Cupcake from Sarah Beise (an old $1 stamp from Michaels!)

Paper: SU Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue and Black. DP from KI Memories Pop Culture collection

Ink: Black Staz-on, SU markers, Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana

Accessories: $1 bling from Michaels, Prima flower and KI soft embellie from Pop Culture, Misc ribbon from my stash

What a fun sketch, I'm sure I'll use it again!!

Our First Harvest

2008-06-22T09:10:00.002-05:00

DH put in a vegetable garden this year. It's a first for us, and the kids have been very interested and involved. I was spraying for deer (more about that later) when I noticed a few of the radishes were ready for picking. So exciting!! Here is our first harvest:

Unfortunately, only DH really likes radishes. DD was game enough and tried one, but she didn't like it. Radishes are a great crop - only about 30 days from planting to harvest, but I'm not sure what we are going to do with them all!! So, if you have any ideas for radishes, please leave a comment!!

And about the deer.....grrrrrr......it seems that the main purpose of the garden so far has been to feed the deer. They completely ate the three tomato plants, chewed the snap peas and cantaloupe to stubs, but left the radishes alone! The lettuce looks like it will survive and the watermelon and carrots haven't been touched - yet!! We've been spraying the plants with a deer repellent, but since they have been bedding down between our house and the neighbors, it seems a little pointless. And I live in the middle of suburbia!! I have to admit that I feel a little bad for the deer, but please deer - eat the trees, not the veggies!!

Color Inspiration Challenge

2008-06-20T11:38:00.004-05:00

I've always been inspired by Kristine's blog, but this is the first color inspiration challenge that I have completed. (I've started several but just couldn't get them to work for me.) Here's is the inspiration:

And here is my card:

I decided to take my picture in the garden since it seemed fitting for this lovely summer beach hat. And I think if this were a real hat, I might actually wear it!!

Just realized...

2008-06-19T16:29:00.002-05:00

....that I never shared this sweet little sweater I made. It got a little boring to knit and took longer than it should have, but it sure is cute!! (I changed the pattern a little since this was knit in an acrylic instead of wool and will not block. I think the changes made it cuter, but I might be biased.)

It was knit in Bernat Softee Baby - a great yarn for baby items if you ask me! It holds stitch definition well and washes like a dream (and we all know how important that is for baby things!)

This sweater will eventually end up at the home of one of my husbands friends. They are due in August and since this is a 6 mo size sweater, the baby may actually get a chance to wear it this winter!

Knit on!

Last but not least...

2008-06-13T16:40:00.003-05:00

I finished knitting Dawns PIF this afternoon. It is currently blocking on the floor in my craft room. Not necessarily the best place for it, but it's the most out of the way area in my house. (And part of it is under a table - scarfs are long!)

It's hard to get a good picture of lace, but I really like how the lace pattern looks after I placed the pins. Here is a close-up:

Once this dries, I'll pop it in the mail Dawn!! I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed knitting it! Hmmmmm......what should I cast on next??

Knit on!