It's Hard Coming Up With Titles Sometimes

I have been doing a little tweaking to my sidebar between knitting this evening. I updated my project list and made it so you can click on each project and it will take you to the gallery picture or blog entry of the project. I don't know why the heck I didn't do that sooner. Man I'm such a lazy blogger!

I'm almost done with OSW! Yay! All I have left do is pick up and knit the stitches for the edging. That shouldn't take long. I could honestly see this project being done in one day. Not that I'm going to finish it in one day. I just think it is possible. I'll probably have it finished tomorrow. What's that? A three day project!? Lovin' it!

I didn't knit on X Back this evening. Poor little thing. I hope she isn't jealous. Don't worry little X Back, I'll pick you back up when I finish OWS tomorrow. I figure I should be done with X by the middle of next week, so I'm already auditioning the next project. I'm trying to decide if I want more cute and easy or something more complicated. I guarantee you that another OSW will find it's way onto my needles. Can you say three day project? I know you can ;)


Well that's all I have for today. Oh wait there is this...



I found this link on Bethany's blog and decided to participate myself. I made some science everybody! Whatcha think about that :)

What I'm Up To

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What you see here is the X Back and the One Skein Wonder. Let me just say that both of these patterns are super easy, and I'm sure they'll be done in no time. I wish I had time to post more, but I'm really short on time tonight. It's already 11:17 and I have to get up in the morning and run. I got so into knitting tonight I forgot to blog, and I threw this together as fast as I could.   

Show N Tell: Helene's Entry

A few finished projects. The girls were sewing again last weekend, and we finished two projects. First we made some sort of apron using plastic covered fabric. The front and lower parts of the sleeves are made from the plastic stuff, the rest is regular cotton. Nice for baking, painting or other messy activities. It has two sets of ribbon for closing in the back. The plastic wasn't the easiest thing to work with. At least the feed dogs of my sewing machine were not so thrilled, they had to work really hard to get a grip at this thing. I think it turned out pretty well anyway. And if you're not baking, painting or doing other messy activities, it can also work as a doctors gown. Next was this summer dress. We had enough fabric over for a matching coif. Lilja was very happy with this one, she loves wearing dresses, but she still can't stand still, and I worked very hard to get a not so blurry picture of her. The french market bag is also done. After I finished I found out that many knitters have made the handles longer. I'll do the same if I make another.

Great job Helene and Lilja is just too cute! You can visit Helene's blog here and check out her other wonderful creations. She selected a five to show on Show N Tell. That means five faery entries for you Helene! Remember there are only a few days left to enter. Email all entries to faerycrafty at gmail dot com.

Cotton Ease Hoarders Unite!

I just joined a yahoo message group for other hoarders of Cotton Ease. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that went on a major Cotton Ease binge. There are at least 65 others just like me <grin> Now that we have this big ole stash we need to start figuring out what the heck to do with it. My first suggestion would be to go to ChicKnits. Several of her knitting patterns use Cotton Ease. My favorite is ChicKami. What a cute little top! I bought the pattern a while back and one should find itself on my needles soon.

I had another knitting class tonight. There were six people which is more than I have had in a long time. I find it so interesting how some people pick up the needles and fly and some people can't get past casting on in the first lesson. It's amazing how each individuals mind works so differently. To teach knitting you have to be pretty flexible and learn how to bend with each knitter's needs. You may have to try different ways of holding the needles or yarn, and it is a good idea to know how to knit both English and Continental. Some people can't knit English to save their life but pick up on Continental in a heart beat and vice versa. Some people may pick up English just fine but they need to hold the yarn a completely different way than you do. Make sure that if you ever teach someone to knit that you tell them there is no right or wrong way to knit as long as the stitches are coming out right. Like I always say, "We are knitting for World Peace and noone's life is hanging on the balance if we do not make the perfect stitch. This is all supposed to be fun!" I may not know all there is about teaching a person to knit, but these things are important lessons I have learned over the past couple of years teaching.

Well I'm off to bed. I have to get up at 6:30 am to run with my hubby! This a whole new thing for me, and I'll tell you all about it soon. Let's just say for now that joining Knit N Fit has made me some great new friends and positive changes in my life. Have a great weekend everybody!!

Thanks!!

I just wanted to say thanks to all the sweet sweet people that left such wonderful comments about me and my bolero. It really means a lot to me! You guys ROCK!

Now that I have finished the bolero I started a new project. I am now working on X Back from Knitty. I managed to score some Katia Ola on ebay and I'll have a bunch left over that I will probably sell. Why should I have all the fun. This way someone else can knit the top too. This ribbon yarn is pretty neat. I haven't seen anything quite like it before. It is white with blue pin stripes. Check it out...

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Pretty neat huh. I thought so too :) This should go pretty fast. I can't imagine it taking too long with big ole whoppin' size 11 needles!!! This is progress from about an hour or so of knitting. Not too shabby. You can see that I do a lot of blog reading and chatting as I knit. This is my usual knitting layout. I'm not happy unless I'm doing major multi-tasking! Anyone else like that?

(Not So) Fiery Bolero

Fiery Bolero
Pattern from Summer 2005 Interweave Knits
Knit with one skein of Bernat Baby Softee on size 6 and 4 needles
Pattern was super easy to follow. The only thing that might be hard
for someone would be picking up over 250 stitches.

Well here it is...

The only good picture to come out of a 2 hour photo session.

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I literally tried for two hours to get a good picture of me in my bolero, and I was completely unsucessful. Outside is way too dreary with all the rain and cloud cover, and I have horrible lighting inside my apartment. I'm going to try again tomorrow and see what happens. I'm hoping for some sun. Isn't this supposed to be the SUNSHINE STATE??

Show N Tell: Janette's Entry

I have been spinning since November, 2002, learning how to spin on a spindle first to make sure I enjoyed spinning (which I most definitely did) and purchased my Lendrum DT Complete in 2003. I love my wheel! Although I am not a fast spinner, since I love to knit, I have quite an assortment of merino yarns stockpiled I thought I would share with you.

The multi-colored hot pink merino was purchased from Paradise Fibers. It is the wonderful handpainted roving "Rhapsody in Pink." I didn't realize instructions were posted on their website on "how to spin your own self-striping yarn" before I started spinning my yarn, but I like mine anyway. I have approximately 600 yards so far with more left to spin. It is destined to be either socks or fingerless mitts for my daughter, or maybe both!

The Ashland Bay dark purple merino is my most recent spinning endeavor. With 2 lbs in all to spin, it is slow going. It is earmarked to become my first, originally designed sweater - for me! Let's see if that happens! (My daughter is my best customer!)

The brown yarn is also Ashland Bay merino….not a clue as to what I will knit with it! I'm waiting for inspiration. The sage green is also Ashland Bay, but merino and silk. A joy to spin!!! I have 1500 yards and hope to knit a shawl with it one day.

Unlike many spinners who try new fibers, I pretty much fell in love with spinning merino. Maybe one of these days I will branch out and try something new!

My goal is to spin lace weight yarn. I am close but not quite there yet! Self taught from online websites such as www.icanspin.com and www.joyofhandspinning.com, I now belong to a spinning guild that meets once a month. We not only enable each other, we learn from each other. If anyone is interested in learning how to spin, my recommendation would be to look for a guild in your area. It is an invaluable resource!

My Dirty Secret Revealed

This is proof positive that my husband is an absolute saint.

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This is the end result of the great search for the sadly discontinued Cotton Ease.
Zoe looks on in disbelief. Yes I actually did leave some out there, somewhere.

You Know You've Been Knitting Too Much When...

Your poor cat sits next to you and presses her head on your knitting hand so that it will pet her while you are knitting. She's quite resourceful that kitty cat of mine. Don't worry the knitting is done and the side seams are getting sewn. I may not have finished it in time for last weekend but it will be finished in time for this one :) Of course I don't have this weekend off so I won't be going anywhere to show it off. Ah Murphy we are such wonderful friends. One day you'll cut me some slack :P

Bolero Update

I almost made my weekend deadline. All I have to do is put the ribbing on the sleeves then sew up the seams and I am done! I will more than likely finish tomorrow. I didn't really get to knit today unfortunately. Life sometimes just gets in the way I guess. It's hard to find time to knit or blog sometimes. I did a little (little HAHA) shopping over the weekend. Pictures of the extravaganza are coming soon :) I have to get up way early so I need to head to bed.

Remember if you want to win some cute beaded faeries send in your Show N Tell entry to faery crafty @ gmail dot com.  Feel free to email me with any questions.

Show N Tell: Diane's Entry

These are my versions of 2 of the patterns in your free bag pattern links :) The Fleuri bag by Julie Holetz I love, but i got a bit carried away when I came to do the petals. I also added a couple of crocheted flowers to the handles, and then I thought because I had used the dark loganberry colour yarn that I'd add a varigated pink butterfly that I crocheted with Coats mercer(which i inherited in a stash from my late nan and i know she will be smiling in heaven because she was the crochet queen and she taught me!)





The other bag was a first....the plain yarn is the before - the varigated is the after of my first attempt at dying yarn!:)the pattern is Coats and Clarks "It's in the bag"andI know the handles are different but they are the nearest I could get :) I suppose it's artistic license? The dye i used was Dylon cold water powder dye and I painted it on to form a varigated yarn,then zapped it in the microwave.I wanted to get darker shades, but as you can see the colours are more muted. I was pleased with the overall outcome, and for a first attempt I must admit I feel quite proud of myself :) Thanks for all the brill stuff on your blog!!

Diane

Not So Fiery Bolero

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Here is the progress so far on my Not So Fiery Bolero. I mean the bolero in the picture is quite fiery. But mine, not so much. It is however all that I wanted it to be. I need a white bolero for all the cute sundresses I recently bought (My husband also bought me two dresses and shoes to match each for our anniversary. Yes I know I'm lucky), and my husband thought this one would be perfect. He picked it out from the bazillion patterns I placed before him. It doesn't look like much progress, but it actually is if you think about how small a bolero is. I have been knitting every chance I can get trying to finish this thing by the weekend. This may be wishful thinking, but I'm still going to give it a shot.

Soleil

I wish I had a better picture of Soleil for you, but the weather here has been really yucky. Maybe one day the sun will come out and I can take a better picture. For now I have this...

I think the top turned out pretty good. I wish that I had made it a little longer, but there is nooooo way I'm ripping and reknitting. If I were to knit this one again, I would knit the length to the large size measurements and the width for the smallest size. I have already worn it twice and it looks pretty darn cute and overall I really love this top. I love her so much I made her a bracelet.



I am sorry about the bad picture. I think my camera is slowly dying. Everything is coming out all blurry. I think it might be about time for a new one. At least they are cheaper now then when I bought this one. It won't hurt too bad to buy one.

I was planning on starting X Back but decided I just HAD to have a shrug to go with all my cute little sundresses I have bought. My husband picked out Fiery Bolero from the last Interweave Knits. I'll probably jump on the One Skein Wonder train as well. I'm so jealous of all of them flying off the needles everywhere I look!!

Show N Tell: Regina's Entry

    
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Hi Stacie,
It's been a while since I have emailed you regarding your show n' tell. My daughter did not want to wear the dress until we were in Japan. We literally arrived today (13 hr flight non-stop from Chicago to Nagoya). We spent five days in Tokyo (but it was too cool for this dress). Then we spent the last five days in Kyoto (nice and warm). I made this dress from a current Vogue pattern. It's an updated version of the kimono and roomier. It's suppose to have a tie around the waist, but she is always undoing them, so I decided to omit it. That's all for now. I bought a lot of Japanese yarn in Tokyo. I hope to get knitting soon!

Very, very jet lagged,
Regina




Regina the dress is beautiful and so is the model!! Thanks so much for sharing! I hope to see more and more entries to Show N Tell. It has been such a blast. To show my appreciation and to inspire more entries, I have decide to have a little contest. Every entry into Show N Tell until July 6 will be entered in a drawing to win this...



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and a couple of her friends. It is a cute little beaded faery that I made just for you! She is 1 1/2 inches tall (she looks big in my hand but I have seriously small hands) and her little arms and legs can be bent to pose her in all kinds of ways. You can get creative with them and add as a charm on a necklace, attach as a zipper pull, wear as dangly earrings, use as stitch markers... Just use your imagination and have fun!  To enter email your Show N Tell entry (even people that have a blog can enter)to faerycrafty at gmail dot com. All past entries will be included and the winner will be announced on the blog July 7.  I'll be waiting!

Our Anniversary

Here we are seven years and fifteen pounds later heehee...

Here's a couple Rob took of me...