A Change

I made another change to the blog. I don't know if you noticed it or not. I took a photograph of myself and then played around with it in Paint Shop. What do you think? I think I like it better than the drawing I did of Zoe and I.

I am still working on my Fair Isle Bag. I have finally made it to the main chart of the design. Is it weird to be so excited about knitting?? Haha! I can barely make myself put down the needles long enough to go to bed or clean my house! Thank God my husband is the one that does all the cooking or we would probably starve to death!

Progress

Here is my progress so far. You can click on the image to view it at a larger size.

So what do you think? Does it look good so far? I have been using the Philosopher Wool method of weaving in the ends as I go so that I don't have any floats. They didn't show how to weave in the Purl stitches, but I played around with it until I figured it out. Here is the back of the bag.




I would love any input on my progress good or bad. I take constructive criticism very well :) In my opinion I think it is pretty good for a first attempt at Fair Isle.

Obsessed Much

It is 2am and I am still up knitting. Do you think I might be a little obsessed? Haha! I am really enjoying Fair Isle knitting! I can hardly make myself put it down. I love the challenge of learning something new. I got a little burned out with all the darn Stockinette on Just (not) Peachy, and I am totally welcoming this non-mindless knitting. I'm already on the hunt for my next Fair Isle project. My husband is still tripping out over my new endeavor. You would think that I was knitting up golden fiber. It makes me feel good that he has taken such an interest in my knitting, and it makes me wish that I had taken up Fair Isle sooner! He told me that he would love to have a sweater, so we have been looking for a pattern he likes. Well folks, I'm going to carry my tired hind parts to bed now! I'll posts pictures of my progress when I get up. Night!

Good Ole Days

I know this has nothing to do with crafts, but who cares! This is me and my sister. I'm the one on the left. Don't you wish you could just go back in time to the age when you were oblivious to all the bull crap of the world. Yes my friend ignorance truley was bliss!

Bag Update

I got an email from the Assistant Editor of Interweave Knits answering my questions about the Fair Isle Bag. I am really impressed with the fast response. She said that the pattern is right and the color change lines are supposed to be there. If I wanted to get rid of the lines I could change it to a knitted garter stitch instead of a purl garter stitch. I have decided to go ahead and stick to the pattern. I actually think that it is looking pretty good so far. I took a close up shot of it so that you can see the lines better. Also, after further inspection of the pattern I realized that the top edges of the bag are going to get folded to the inside to form a casing for the strap. You won't really see this part anyways. Go figure.

Knit Along

I have decided that the knitalong isn't just going to be for the Fair Isle Bag anymore. It is simply going to be a Fair Isle Knitalong. It doesn't matter what project we are doing as long as it is a Fair Isle project. For example, I am going to knit the Fair Isle Bag, and Janette is knitting the Fair Isle Pillow from the Spring Interweave. Her pillow is really looking awesome! I will probably post a picture of it on here, if she'll let me. Anyone at all can join this knitalong, and if you want me to post pictures of your progress just let me know.

I started my bag today. I misinterpreted the pattern at first and I had to rip it out after only few rows. I'm glad I caught it quick. Now it seems that I have ran across another issue. I don't know if it is something I'm doing, a design flaw, or just supposed to be that way. The pattern starts out with a purl garter stitch. Ok no problem I can handle that. What I don't understand is why the pattern calls for a color change while purling on a RS row. This makes that ugly color change line instead of a clean transition from one stripe to the next. For example the chart might look like this...OOOOXXXX. Rows 1, 3, and 5 are all RS rows, and the color change happens on a RS row. I looked online for corrections, and there aren't any. Is it possilbe she wants the ugly line? Am I reading this wrong? I give up for now. I need to go to bed.

The Yarn

Pictured above is the yarn I am going to be using on my Fair Isle Bag. Unfortunately, it doesn't really show the true color of the yarn, but you get the idea. I think that they work well with each other, and my total cost for all of the yarn was around ten dollars. You can't beat that!

I am getting really excited about starting the bag, but I'm not comfortable enough with my 2 color knitting ability to start it just yet. I am still practicing with the Sampler Purse, and I'm doing A LOT of reading. I am going to make a list of all the sites that I have been learning from and post them here later.

I have decided that I am going to hold one strand of yarn in each hand instead of both in my right. I came to this decision because of the Philosopher's Wool technique of weaving in the floats. I'm not really sure how to weave in the floats when they are both held in my right hand. Knitting continental is very awkward for me and I am worried that I will have a hard time purling with my left hand. My other concern is how to weave in the floats on the wrong side when you are purling. The Philosopher's Wool video only covers knitting not purling. I'm going to keep reading and practicing and eventually I'll start my bag. I'll keep you posted

Pictures

Robyn requested a picture of my Just Peachy progress. So far I have finished the back and I am about eleven inches into the front. I haven't made it to the really neat criss cross part of the pattern so my picture isn't going to be very exciting. I guess it isn't really Just Peachy since I am knitting it with white yarn, but I think calling it Just Whitey sounds ridiculous! Hahahaha! Anyways, here is the picture. Please try to contain your enthusiasm and awe...

Would you like to see what I was doing when I should have been finishing Just Not Peachy? I think it is far more exciting! Check it out!




That is the first few rows of the Sampler Purse from Philosopher's wool. What do you think? If it looks bad, please tell me! This is my practice before I start the Fair Isle bag. My husband saw it and really got excited. He said, "Dang babe, that is really awesome! I'm really proud of you." He has never gotten this excited over my knitting before. Well I take that back. He was that excited when he got his first pair of socks. He is so proud of them. Well that is my show and tell for the day. Happy knitting everybody! I'm going to knit a little more and go to bed.

The Colors

I finally figured out what colors of Woolease I want to use for my bag. I'm going to buy the rest when I go to work today. I am starting to get excited about this project now. I am going to go ahead and knit it flat instead of attempting to knit it in the round, but I am not going to make the front side and back side different colors. I think it will look better with both sides the same colors. I am going to finish Just Peachy before I start it. I figure I should scratch off at least one of my bazillion projects before I start a new one. I will post pictures of my color choices as soon as I have all of them.

Knit Along

I'm not sure how many people will be doing the knitalong now. I know that I am still going to go ahead with it even though the bag isn't knit in the round. I have been practicing and I think that I like holding both strands of yarn in my right hand. I think I will get better tension that way. I borrowed a Strickfingerhut (knitting thimble) from a friend in my group and it works well. I'm actually fine without it, but I like having little gadgets :) I ordered one, and I should get it pretty soon. I haven't bought all of the yarn for the project yet. Since I'm too poor for the yarn the pattern calls for, I am going to use Woolease. Actually I really like Woolease. It feels great, knits up really nice, and with my discount it is pretty darn cheap.

Fair Isle Bag KnitAlong

I met with my knitting group today and we discussed the knitalong. We figured out is that the front of the bag and the back of the bag are different. The colors aren't uniform going around the bag. It is knit flat from the top then you get to the bottom and start the other side all in one peice. As far as I can tell that is when it changes to the other color. You finish by folding it in half and sewing up the sides. This is why it will be difficult to convert. I'm sure we will figure out something. I use the term we loosely since I wouldn't even know where to start. Fortunately there are very experienced knitters in my group. I was thinking that maybe we could find a bag that is knit in the round and then apply the color pattern to it. I bet that Cindy could figure that out no problem. I'm going to run it by the group and see what they think.

Research

I haven't done any knitting in the last couple of days. Instead I have been looking up information on knitting with color. I have never attempted Fair Isle knitting. so I need all the help that I can get. I found a great video lesson on the Philosopher's Wool website. They also have a " sampler purse pattern" which they encourage people to practice the technique on. We aren't starting the knit along until around June 7th, so I will have time to play with the sampler pattern to get comfortable.

Red, White, and Blue Needles

It turns out that my red white and blue needles are special after all. I had thought that they were from the Bicentennial, but it turns out that they are from WWII. The following is an email that I received regarding the needles.

Hi Stacie,
The needles in question--red, white and blue were produced during WWII. (World War II) Women were encouraged to use these "patriotic needles" to knit warm items for the troops, especially sweaters, gloves and watch caps. The American Red Cross published a booklet of acceptable patterns that would produce uniform style knitted items. The finished products were sent to the Soldiers ,Sailors and Marines who were stationed in the colder climates during the war. Many groups of women would get together and have "knitting bees" --each woman would work on one of the patterns--when these items were completed, they would be turned over to the American Red Cross to be distributed to the troops. Knitting for the troops took place not only in the United States, but in Europe as well. School children were also encouraged to knit socks, scarves, etc. Even today, there are grass roots organizations that knit warm items for our troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Ship's Support Project is just one such organization. By the way, your patriotic needles are quite collectible and hard to find. As a side note, people (men and women) have been knitting items for soldiers in war as far back ( or even farther) as Hannibal crossing the Alps( wool stockings were in great demand to keep the soldiers warm and happy in the extreme weather).
Knittingly yours,
Mary

Thank you Mary for sharing this information with me. It is so wonderful to know those needles created something that warmed a soldier and provided him comfort. Here is a link to the Red Cross website. You will find the actual patterns that the Red Cross distributed. I also read that they are going to be selling vintage knitting kits so that you can Knit Your Bit in honor of the WWII volunteer knitting campaigns.

Saturday

My husband and I went to visit his mother and grandparents last night, and I got quite a bit of work done on Just Peachy on the ride over. The "shortcut" we took went awry so that provided extra car knitting time. I think it is great how patient you can be when you have your knitting.

Lately I have been thinking about starting a Knitting and Crocheting group at my apartment complex. There has to be people living here that either knit or crochet, and I could teach anyone that wanted to learn. I have all of those extra needles that I could provide the new knitters, and we have a wonderful club house that we could meet in. Actually, it was the needles that gave me the idea. I am going to talk to the manager and see if we can advertise in the monthly newsletter.

At work today I was able to help a lady with a crochet project that she was working on. She is making an afghan for someone as a wedding present and was having problems with the pattern. I told her about my next class and got her number so that I could call her when I have the date set. In my last beginner's class I taught the students how to make Granny Squares, and I plan on teaching the basic ripple afghan pattern in the next one. It is a very easy pattern and it is perfect for beginners.

Meryn Cadell

This is a poem from the album Angel Food For Thought by Meryn Cadell. It has been quite a while since I've listened to this album, and I forgot that this poem was on it. My husband and I were listening to it in the car the other day and I said, "I have to post this on my blog!"

KNITTING

I'm knitting myself a hat
And I'm sewing up a head to wear it on
And I'll never be this lonely again

I'm making myself some mittens
And I'm stitching my fingers together to keep them warm inside
And I'll never think about it
And I'll never touch myself again

I'm knitting myself a sweater
To cover the body I'm wearing
And the sweater will hang to my knees
And my hair will grow to the floor
And I'll never go outside again

summer patterns cont.

I've been busy hunting for summer patterns again. This has been pretty fun actually. It's amazing how many wonderful free patterns that are out there. I think that I have finally hit the end of my search. If any of you know of any free summer patterns that I might have missed let me know.

• Glenna
  
• Hiroko & Hasana
  
• Leah
  
• Lilith
  
• Luella
  
• Marilyn (dress)
  
• Marla
  
• Marsha
  
• Nina
  
• Tank of Many Colors
  
• Tina
  
• Bombshell Halter
  
• Daring Diva Halter
  
• Evening Diamonds
  
• Garnets and Pearls
  
• Brazilian Bikini (crochet)
  
• Groovy Crochet Bikini 1
  
• Groovy Crochet Bikini 2
  
• Funky Sleeveless Eyelash Top
  
• Lace Tank Top (I really like this top, and it is sited as an Advanced Beginner level pattern.)
  
• The Waikiki T-Strap Top (This one's from Crystal Palace is quite unique and very sexy)
  
• Fur Halter (Super funky pattern from Knitty)
  
• Honeymoon Cami (This top is too cute and definately on my list of must knits.)
  
• Evening gown
  
• Eyelash Trim Shell
  
• T3
  
• Jeweled Shell
  
• Very Cherry and Cherry Twist
  
• Mariah Top (crochet)
  
• Halter top
  
• Easy Single Crochet Halter Top (I made this myself and I love it. It was one of the easiest things I have ever made)
  
• Rib and Cable Top
  
• Shimmering Slip On
  
• Vintage Halter Top (pdf file)
  
• Vintage Bikini (pdf file)
  
• Knitted Strapless Top (pdf file)
  
• Vintage Shorts and Top Set (pdf file)
  
• Vintage Tunic Dress (pdf file)
  
• Summer Funnel Sleevless Top
  
• Sleezy (crocheted dress hehe. If someone makes this for the love of God please let me know!! )
  
• Vintage Patterns (This site has patterns to crochet and knit. If the site is down check it again later.)
  
• Grey Top
  
• Off The Shoulder Top
  
• Blue Bikini
  
• Two Bikinis (one knit and one crochet)
  

Well, that's all folks. I hope that you enjoy the patterns I have found. Like I said before, if you know of any patterns that I missed, let me know.

Whoa!

My grandmother called me today and told me that she bought me something at a yardsale. When she brought it over, I couldn't believe my eyes! She had a box full of knitting needles, needle holders, and books! I couldn't believe it. I said, "Lord have mercy is this Christmas!" I brought them in, washed them, and organized them. I seperated out each individual pair and rubber banded them together. All together there were 75 pairs of needles, 4 crochet hooks, and ten stitch holders! There were a lot of needles with missing mates.

Now that is a lot of needles! I think that most of them are pretty old. Many of the needles didn't have a brand name on them, and there were a few needles that I found to be quite interesting. There is one pair of wooden needles that appears to be hand made. There is also a wooden pair by Boye and one by Bates. I didn't know that those companies made wooden needles. I'm curious about how old they are. The pair on the right is the one that is handmade.




Another set that I found to be interesting is made by Bates. I have never seen anything like them before. They are made out of plastic and are quite patriotic as you can see. If any of you know anything about these needles please let me know. Unfortunately the stitch holder is broken.




There were a couple of brands that I have never heard of: Hero, Phatom (Made in England), and Zephr. The Zephr is a circular needle made all in one peice out of nylon. It doesn't have any joins. Then there is a metal circular that has a metal wire cable connecting the needles. I have never seen one of these before. I also found a circular needle from an old Needlemaster set. I remember hearing that Sears used to carry knitting needles a long time ago, so it was pretty neat to find a couple of Sears brand needles in the stash. After I got them all seperated I did an inventory. Gawd, I'm such a nerd!!

Saturday

I'm not meeting with my knitting group today. Instead, I am going to visit with the in-laws. Today is our nephew's first birthday. He is a real cutey patooty. He looks just like Rob did when he was that age. I am going to bring my knitting of course. I never leave home without it. Heehee. I am going to take Just Peachy along on the trip.I'll be casting on for the front today. So far this project has been super easy. I can say this now because I haven't come to the part where the front criss crosses. However, I looked ahead in the pattern and it doesn't seem like it will be hard to do. We shall see.

I haven't decided if I want to start Chickami next or the cuuuuuuuuuuuute crocheted top that's in the same VK issue as Just Peachy or maybe the bikini! I haven't crocheted anything for quite a while so I just might pick one of those. I went to my LYS and picked up the necessary needles for Chickami so I am good to go whenever I decide to start it.

Wednesday

I have put down Just Peachy for a little bit. I wanted to work on my 2x2 socks. Queen Kahuna has a method of knitting a heel and gusset without having to pick up stitches. You increase for the gusset as you are knitting the heel. I have never tried anything like this so it is a learning experience. So far her directions have been very easy to follow and I have not had any trouble.

I taught a Beginner's Crochet class today. I taught my students how to make Granny Squares. It was the very first thing I ever learned and I thought it would be a great project for beginner's. This way they can leave the class knowing how to make baby blankets, afghans, dishcloths , and more. The students were excellent and very fast learners. We had a great time. For their next class I am going to teach them a basic ripple pattern. My next knitting class will be on the 28th. I hope those students will be as good as the ones I had tonight.

Sunday

I finished the back of Just Peachy tonight. I have the shoulders on a stitch holder. When the front is done the shoulders are going to be grafted together. I just hope that I do a good job on the side seems. I honestly hate finishing. I am just going to take my time and do the best job that I can. As promised I took a picture of the progress. Keep in mind it isn't blocked and I haven't weaved in any of the ends yet. Here it is...

Changes

I worked on Just Peachy tonight and made another change in the pattern. It isn't a major one but I thought that I would make note of it. When I got to the increase the pattern calls for a M1, but for some reason that made a little hole. I usually don't have that problem and I think maybe it has something to do with the yarn that I am using. I decided to use a different increase and I knit in the front and the back of the stitch instead. That worked just fine. My poor 2x2 socks have sat untouched for a while. I picked them up last night and knit a couple of rows. I have been knitting during my lunch break lately. I'm making a purse from Fun Fur and Homespun to display in the store. It is an extremely simple pattern, but will be a great way to show off the yarns and advertise my classes. I'll be posting pictures of my progress on Just Peachy soon. Wow say that three times fast!

Online Knitting List Acronyms

AS: Alice Starmore (knitwear designer)
BTW: By the Way
BUFO: Boring UnFinished Object
ECU: Eastern Continental Uncrossed
BIGHI: (pronounced Biggie) But I Gotta Have It
EZ: Elizabeth Zimmermann (knitwear designer)
FCEK: Family Circle Easy Knitting (a magazine)
FO: Finished Object (usually accompanied by many !'s)
FOREPLAY: For Our Really Exciting Projects, Let's Add Yarn
: Grin
HALFPINT: Have a Lovely Fantasy Project, I've No Time(coined by Amy Detjen)
IM(H)O: In My (Humble/Honest) Opinion
IW: Interweave Magazine
KAT: Knitting against time
KF: Kaffe Fassett (knitwear designer)
KIP: Knitting in Public (and you're encouraged to do it!)
LOL: Laughed Out Loud
LYS: Local Yarn Store
LYSO: Local Yarn Store Owner
MS: Meg Swansen (knitwear designer)
NQBE: Not Quite Big Enough
NTINAMY: "Not that I NEED any more yarn..."
OKC: Obligatory Knitting Content
ROFL: Rolling on the Floor Laughing
SEX: Stash Enrichment eXpedition SWIPE: Stalled Work In Progress
TIA: Thanks In Advance
TKGA: The Knitting Guild Association
TOAD: Trashed Object, Abandoned in Disgust (coined by Fahy Bygate)
TTFN: Ta Ta For Now
UFO: Unfinished Object
USO: Unstarted Object
VBG: Very Big Grin
VK: Vogue Knitting
WIP: Work in Progress
Y or WCZ: Yarn or Wool Containment Zone: where we cache our stash.
YAQ: Yarn Acquisition Quest

Referring to family members, etc:
DH or W: Darling (or Dear) Husband or Wife
SO: Significant Other
DS or D: Darling Son/Sister or Daughter
DGD or S: Darling Granddaughter or Grandson
M or FIL: Mother or Father in Law and so on, depending on context.

Sunday

I am about 4 1/2 inches into Just Peachy. It called for one row of k1 p1 ribbing, but I did two instead. I'm hoping that will keep it from rolling up. The pattern calls for 8 balls of Adrienne Vittadini/JCA Celia (silk) in #908 peach. I wish that I could afford it, but it is 9.95 a ball! It would cost 80 bucks for me to make it. I'm not saying that the yarn isn't worth it. It is just way out of my league. I am happy with the feel of the Aunt Lydia's Caress Microfiber I decided to use as substitute. I got it on sale for $2.00 a ball. It may not be as nice as the silk, but I think it will turn out great.

I'm baaaack

I haven't posted in a few days because I have been in the hospital. I'm all better now thank God, but I'm very tired. I didn't get any knitting done at all while in the hospital. I thought about getting my husband to grab it for me but I was too out of it. I started the swatch for Just Peachy. It's the one on the cover of the Summer Vogue Knitting Mag. I think I'm going to change the pattern just a bit. I don't like how it rolls at the bottom, so I may do an inch or so of seed stitch or p1 k1 ribbing. Hopefull my Aunt Lydia's Microspun will meet the gauge of the pattern. I'm too broke to buy what it calls for. Well I'm off to bed but before I go I wanted to tell you about a charity for wounded soldiers. A fellow blogger posted a comment with a link to a webpage she made for it. She is knitting a lap robe to send off. Check it out here. I'm sorry this is so short. Like I said, I'm wiped out. I'm off to bed.

The Grey Area

I want to start by saying that I am so proud of each and every soldier serving in the Un ited States Military. Both of my brothers have been sent to Iraq, and my brother, Nick, is still over there. He missed the birth of his second son serving his country and probably won't see him until he i s almost a year old. I can't even imagine the anxiety and fear that his wife is experiencing right now. Over the past year or so we have all watched the news in horror as the death toll rises in Iraq. We mourn for the fallen soldiers and grieve with their families. We also celebrate with the families of the men and women who return home safe and sound. However, war is not quite so black and white. There is a grey area that I feel is being overlooked. That grey area is the hundreds and hundreds of men and women injured in the line of duty. Although they did not give their lives for their country they have given legs, arms, fingers, eyes, skin, blood, and more. They toss and turn in the night from insomnia and nightmares. They deal with the pain of surgery after surgery hours and hours of physical therapy. Their families have to stand by and watch their dearest loved ones suffer through the pain and fear. And when this war is over and we have all gone on with our lives, they will live everyday with these reminders. These men and women are heros. Their voices need to be heard. As I was sitting in my safe quiet living room this morning and checking my email I noticed a link on the MSNBC website, This Week in Pictures. Actually, what really caught my eye was the huge picture of a cat being soaped up during a bath. Down towards the bottom next to a tiny black and white picture I read, "Wounded in the line of duty Four Iraq war veterans tell their personal stories of being injured, their perspective on the conflict and their outlook on the future." After the initial anger that a wet cat took priority over wounded American soldiers, I clicked on the link. I sat and watched the slideshow of three men that were wounded while in Iraq. I listened to their stories and witnessed their pain. I heard the voice of the grey area.

Busy busy

I have had a really busy week. I haven't picked up my knitting needles once. I have been doing alot of beading at work though. I've had beading classes every day this week. I made a gorgeous bracelet with Swarovski crystals and memory wire. Here is a tip about memory wire. If you have used it before you will know what I'm talking about. The only glue I have found that really holds the end caps on is good old fashioned superglue. I tried the glue that they had by the memory wire (unfortunately I can't remember the name of it) but the end caps fell off even after I let them set for over 24 hours. So far the superglued ends are still holding up. I'm going to miss my knitting group again tomorrow. I have two beading classes in the afternoon. I was told yesterday that I didn't have to work then told today that I do. I'm so agrivated. This makes two missed meetings. Hopefully I'll be able to get together with them next Saturday. I'm afraid to get my hopes up.

Grrr!!

I'm having a sewing machine disaster! I'm in the middle of making a needle case and my darn sewing machine stops working. I don't know what is wrong with it. I'll probably have to refund the person's money now since I will be without a machine indefinately. My car broke on Saturday knocking me out of my knitting group meeting and now my sewing machine is broken. I'm having a great week so far don't ya think. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

New Book

I bought The Urban Knitter online the other day, and it came in the mail yesterday. The main reason that I wanted the book was for the cute shoes! The shoes you see on the cover aren't the ones that I want to knit. I want to knit the Ballet Slippers/Mary Janes. I'll post a picture of them later. She also has two patterns for knitted bras. I wonder how supportive a knitted bra would be? I tell you what, I intend to find out. Haha! I just have to make at least one of them for the heck of it. There are a couple of other patterns that I like in there as well. For one, there is a pattern for a chenille pillow. I have some chenille in my stash that I was planning on using for an afghan and pillows to go in my living room. I know that I could just make up my own pattern, but I really like the ones in the book. There is also a really cute halter top pattern that looks super easy, a pretty beaded purse, and a Lattice Pullover. I must say I'm happy with my new library addition.

Sexy Summer Patterns Cont.

Here are some more sexy summer tops. These are all Knitting patterns, but I'll have some crochet patterns coming soon.

The Girl From Auntie has a really cute Summer Funnel Sleevless Top.

ChicKnits has two very cute sleeveless tops: Bonnie Marie's UCan2 Shell and Boatneck Shell. ChicKami isn't free but it is well worth the 4.95 as far as I'm concerned.

Lionbrand Microspun Drop Stitch Knitted Tank Top is very sexy. I love the way that the microspun feels. It is so light and airy.

Keep an eye out for more patterns...

Knitter's Geek Code

The Knitter's Geek Code v1.1
Adapted by Kate Pickering and published in Knitty

-----BEGIN KNITTER'S GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 1.1

KER++$ Exp+ SPM++ Bamboo+ Wood+ Brittany++ Steel- Plastic- Syn+ Cot+ Wool+ Lux>+ Hemp>+ Stash+>++ Scale+ Tex Lace >FI >Int>Ent Flat Circ DPN Swatch KIP+++ Blog+++ SNB+++ FO++ WIP+++ Gauge F+W+B+ AltCr+++Sw+>Sp

------END KNITTER'S GEEK CODE BLOCK------



I guess I got it right. Here is how I think it translates.

KER++$ : I knit English and right handed. I love to knit but I'm not quite obsessed. I get paid to knit :)

Exp+ : I have been knitting for a few years now, and consider myself an intermediate knitter, at least.

SPM++ : I am not a speed knitter, but I am definately not slow.

Bamboo++
Wood++
Brittany++
Steel-
Plastic- : I knit using bamboo needles and wooden needles. I am trying to collect every size of Brittany needles. I have both steel and plastic needles, but I don't really like them.

Syn+
Cot+
Wool+
Lux>+
Hemp>+ :I have synthetic, cotton, and wool yarn in my stash, and I would like to have cashmere, camel, alpaca, silk, angora, yak, and hemp/organic yarns in my stash.

Stash+>++ : When I spy a terrific yarn bargain, I'm not about to pass it up, so I've got a bit of a stash. I sort through it regularly, and when I start a new project, it's usually out of my stash yarn. I would like to be able to buy moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Scale+ :Thanks to my day job, I mostly concentrate on small projects, but I manage to fit in a sweater a year.

Fin : I hate this part, but you have to do it. I always try to keep it simple, and I weave in ends or sew seams as I go so it isn't so bad at the end.


Tex
Lace
>FI
>Int
>Ent : I do cables, textured knitting, and lace. I want to do fair isle, intarsia, and entrelac.

Flat
Circ
DPN : I knit flat, with circulars, and double pointed needles. 

Swatch : I knit a swatch before I start a project zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

KIP+++ : I knit in public quite often.

Blog+++ : I love my blog :)

SNB+++ : I love my knitting group and meet with them as often as possible

FO++: I have quite a bit of finished objects.

WIP+++ : I always have a ton of projects going on!

Gauge F+W+B+ : I like to knit with fingering, worsted, and bulky weight yarns.

AltCr+++Sw+>Sp : I also know how to crochet(24 years), sew, and I am learning to spin.

Sexy Summer Patterns Cont.

I have continued the hunt for more sexy summer patterns. More will soon follow. If you crochet, don't worry. I am going to be adding plenty of crochet pattern links. In fact there is one in this entry. Enjoy!


White Lies Designs has HOT HOT HOT lingerie patterns for sale. I am definately going to buy a couple of patterns from this site. Heehee! I think it would be too fun to knit lingerie!  The designer also offers free patterns. I thought the Shapely Tank was quite sexy :)

We all know that Knitty rocks!! You can find some verrrrrrry sexy patterns there. My favorite sexy patterns on this site are Twins, Cleo, and Sigma. One of the patterns from Twins is definately going to make it onto my needles!

At Once Upon A Pattern I found a pattern for a Crocheted Garter. Garters are quite sexy and make a great gift for a bride to be. This is an old pattern, but I'm sure you'll agree that a garter is timeless.

This pattern is from Rebecca. It is called Bikini with Ribbed Pattern, but you could wear the top anytime. This is a PDF file that you can download.  You need Adobe Acrobat to get it.





I have no affiliation with any of the sites listed

The Hunt!

I've decided to hunt down some free sexy summer patterns on the internet and post the links here. There will be both Knitting and Crochet patterns. I have no affiliation with any of the sites listed.

Berroco a huge library of free patterns. I have picked out the ones I thought were the sexiest. Hehe! The first one is called New York City Lights. It is one of the shirts that has only one shoulder. Bare Shoulder = HOT! The next one is called Jenna. It is a sexy little lingerie top that you don't have to wear underneath clothing. Too Cute! You can show your tummy off in this cute litte cabled tank called Irene. There is another cropped tank called Tony. They have discontinued the yarn that the pattern is calls for but who the heck cares about that! Barbie is made out of the same yarn. This sexy tank laces up the sides...yummmmmm! I can't get enough of these tanks! Check out Alexa (discontinued yarn). The tops don't have to be tanks to be sexy. Check out Cassie, Janet, Angel St, and Paulina. Ok one last Berroco pattern! One thing that is essential to every woman's wardrobe is a Little Black Dress.

That is enough for now, but it certainly isn't the end of the hunt. I'll be making new additions daily until I get tired of doing it or I just can't find anymore!

Saturday

My knitting group was kinda small today, but it was still fun! At first it was just Janette and I, but Dale showed up a little later. I worked on my 2x2 socks today. I have about an inch to go, and I'll start the heel. I haven't been reading ahead so I don't know what type of heel she uses. I guess I'll find out soon enough. Janette and Dale brought their beaded knitting. It looks so beautiful! I HAVE to try this now! I just need to find some size 0000 needles first. They are SMALL needles.

I have the pattern for ChicKami now, but I need to buy the needles. I was going to stop by an LYS on the way home, but I couldn't remember how to get there haha!  I think I have some metal size 6 circs, but I want to get some bamboo. I may even spring for addis! I have my hands full of projects right now, so it won't kill me to wait and go another day. I really ought to call first anyways.

I did stopped by Wal-Mart, and they had a bunch of yarn on sale. I got four cones of Aunt Lydia's Baby Denim for 2.50 a cone! It is a really nice lightweight cotton, and it feels really soft. I'm going to swatch it, and see how it feels knitted up. I wanted to buy more, but I really don't need to be spending the money! When is that stuff going to start growing on trees?!

Knitting Hangman

Test your knowledge of knitting terms by playing a game of Knitting Hangman. It is a great boredom reliever. Have fun! Click Here

Work work work :)

I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I haven't been able to touch my 2x2 socks lately. The good news is, I haven't been able to touch my 2x2 socks lately. Hahaha! Ok that is confusing. It is good news, because I have been so busy working I haven't had time for them. Yay! The good news is actually that I have a job. I got the job teaching beading, knitting and crocheting. They also gave me hours this week for inventory. The last two days I have been paid to stock yarn and organize pattern books. Um is that work? I was loving it!

In my free time I have been knitting squares to go on a picture board in the classroom. I want the students to be able to see what certain stitches look like. I'm going to have it go from simple stitches like the garter stitch to more complicated stitches like cables or lacey patterns. I started on the simple stitches first, so I've been doing some mindless knitting while watching television or reading. It is so relaxing just to zone out. Once I get my squares done, I'm going to get those socks finished. I think after that I'll cast on ChicKami using the yarn Janette gave me. One thing I really like about this pattern is that it's worked in the round. That means no sewing! I know how to finish. I am perfectly capable of doing it, but I don't really like it. Do you?

Wonderful Gifts

I met with my knitting group again yesterday. I think I ended up doing more talking than knitting. My friend Janette gave me some wonderful gifts! She is the one that is helping me learn to spin. First she surprises me with some beautiful yarn. I was so shocked! The label says Sorrento The Italian Collection. The balls are 50g each and are made up of 58% Vicose and 42% Cotton. She says to me,"If you don't like it, it won't hurt my feelings." Don't like it?? It is now the prettiest yarn that I own. I LOVE it. Here it is....

Isn't it pretty? Well the picture doesn't really do it justice. It is much prettier in person. This yarn is already speaking to me. It is saying, "I want to be ChicKami!" Ok, maybe it is yelling at me. Yeah it's yelling.

Then she gives me the roving. I think it is absolutely precious! It is a beautiful pink and it has little sparkly fibers throughout it. I can't for the life of me remember what she called it. I'll have to get back to you on that. She says that it is supposed to be good roving to learn with and it is what she learned how to spin with. Check it out...

It reminds me of cotton candy! I just love it! Unfortunately, you can't really see the sparkles in this picture. Maybe I'll take a close up of it later. Now I have to find a spindle. She showed me a website that has a spindle she thinks will be great for a begginer, and it is inexpensive. I'm going to order it today. She brought a spindle to B&N with her and showed me how to use it. My goodness she makes it look so easy. I kept screwing up! Now I'm afraid to spin the roving she gave me. It is so pretty that I don't want to mess it up. I need to get some ugly cheap stuff to screw up! Haha! She gave me a book on spinning that I need to read before I attempt it again. Janette is so awesome. I am very lucky to have met someone that is so sweet and generous.

Woohooo!!

I have one word.........KNITTY!



Ok maybe I should elaborate. The new Spring issue of Knitty is in. I absolutely love this online magazine, and find it amazing that it is free. Anyways if you haven't seen it before click on the link above. You won't be disappointed.

Would love some feedback

As you can see I made some serious changes to this site. I would really like to know what you think. There may be one more layout change in the future. I don't really think I'll ever be finished.

I Wish

Below is a spinning wheel that one of the ladies in my knitting group is selling. Isn't it beautiful!? Oh my goodness how I wish I had the extra money to buy it. I need to go buy a lottery ticket and pray cause right now that is the only thing that would do it. Where is my magic wand when I need it. I really have to go and get that out of the shop.

Help for Barbara

I recieved this post by Barbara:

I need help! I am searching for a plastic pom pom which will make 4 inch Kitty heads, The one which was shown to me was a Boyle, but I have not located

Now I don't know where to buy one of these, but I have a solution. It is quite easy to make your own pom pom maker using cardboard. I did a search on the internet and found several websites giving information for making pompoms. Due to copywrite issues I can't just cut and paste the info here, but I can give the link. Fiberarts.com had the best directions and illustrations so Click Here to check it out. I hope this helps.

Knitting Continental

During the second meeting with my knitting group I realized that I was the only one knitting American. I asked the ladies why they preferred that style of knitting, and they said that they thought it was faster than American. When I first taught myself to knit, I tried both Continental and American. Knitting American seemed less awkward to me at the time, so I stuck with it. I knit to gauge this way, so I figured if it ain't broke don't fix it. I never tried the other style again. Well I'm always up for learning something new, so I decided to give Continental another shot. Man I tell ya it is like learning to knit all over again. I feel so clumsy and my stitches are all loose and uneven. I haven't reached the point where the needles feel comfortable in my hands, and it hasn't "clicked" yet. I figure if I practice a little bit every night, and I'll eventually get it. Fair Isle knitting is going to be my next endeavor, so I figure it is a good idea to get it down anyways.

I still haven't picked my 2x2 socks back up yet. I'm going to get back to them tomorrow. It was so weird going from knitting with size 0 needles to the size 3 needles I used to make my husbands socks. The size 3 needles felt like drumsticks. Anyways, I'm going to get back them tomorrow. I have about two more inches before I start the heel flap. I haven't looked ahead in the book but I can see how the flap is going to work. I can't imagine turning the heel though. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I always like to take new things one step at a time instead of jumping ahead. I will be posting pictures of my progress along the way.

Saturday

I met with my knitting group again yesterday. I really enjoy our meetings. I have so much fun chatting and knitting with my new friends. A couple of the ladies in my group spin. One of them has been sending me a lot of information on spinning, and I am going to try it. She is even going to give me some roving to learn with when we meet next Saturday. She is sooooo nice. I had actually been interested in spinning for quite some time. I think it would be so amazing to spin your own yarn and then knit with it. Do you know that people spin with dog and cat hair? When I heard about spinning with dog hair I wondered if it would stink. I mean think about what a wet dog smells like. Everyone I have talked to said that it doesn't. I know one thing for sure. My cat Zoe sheds enough for me to spin and knit another cat! What I would really like to do is get some angora rabbits! I love angora yarn. I never buy it, because it costs way more than I can afford! If I get bunnies I can spin my own angora. I love rabbits anyways, so what is a better excuse to get some! If you want to see some adorable angoras Click Here. They are absolutely adorable.

I paused knitting my 2x2 socks for a couple of days so that I could finish a pair of socks for my husband's birthday present. Now I can finally scratch that off of my list. I started this pair of socks a long time ago but developed a bad case of second sock syndrome. I think he had given up on ever getting the second sock, so I decided to surprise him with it. He is away at school a lot, so I didn't have a problem hiding it from him. He almost caught me one time though. He walked right up behind the couch and was standing over me before I even heard him. Luckily he was looking at the TV and not me, so I was able to stick it underneath of an afghan! Whew! I'll post a picture of the socks soon. For now I am going to do some spinning research. Until next time...

The Socks

Well I have foresaken all other projects to work on my socks. I am having a great time learning this new method, and I have now fulfilled one of my many New Years Resolutions. In case you don't remember the resolution was to learn a new knitting tec hnique. Well at least I know I accomplished one of them! I have to say, Queen Kahuna's book makes learning this very easy. Even though casting on was tricky I still managed to get it done. Here is what it looks like when you cast on.

See that doesn't look so hard does it? I think the really tricky part is getting the first row done. The needles and stiches can get twisted if you aren't careful. Once you get a couple of rows done it is smooth sailing. I am now aproximately 2 1/2 inches into the cuff of the sock and it is no longer akward. Here is a picture of my progress thus far.



,
Like I said before the socks are going to be very simple. I'll delve into more complicated patterns for the cuff once I get a hang of this method. I'll keep posting my progress. Hopefully it won't be too long before I'm showing a picture of the next step. Until then I'll enjoy a bit of mindless knitting. It can be quite soothing.

New Project

This is my new project. I started it during my knitting group meeting Saturday. I am really excited about learning how to knit two socks at the time! I always get a terrible case of Second Sock Syndrom. Remember I suffer from KADD. Casting on was kinda tricky. I got my needles all screwed up the first time and had to start over. I think that I am getting the hang of it now though. The yarn I'm using is Lana Grossa Meilenweit Tweed. It is an Italian sock yarn that is 80% wool and 20% polymide. I am using two size 0 bamboo circular needles. I'm going to just do a simple K2P2 rib cuff since I have never knit socks this way before. I'm not ready to for anything complicated yet. I'll be posting pictures of my progress soon.

Knitting Group and Job

Yesterday was awesome! I met up with my new knitting group at B&N, and I had a wonderful time. The ladies in my group are incredibly nice and after knitting with them just a little while it felt like I had known them for years. I wasn't nervous like I thought I would be. At first I started working on my Large Origami bag, but I decided to start working on a pair of socks. I am learning how to knit two socks on two circular needles. I think I have Knitting Attention Deficite Disorder. I'm so serious! I can't just start one project and stick with it. I have to have 257 projects going on at once. I pick one up, put it down, and go after another. One project just doesn't hold my attention for very long. I think that is true of quite a few knitters. Anyways, I had a great time knitting with my new friends and I can't wait to meet up with them again.
After I left B&N I went to fill out all the necessary paperwork for the teaching job. I met with the manager and he seemed very excited that I was there. They haven't had a knitting and crocheting teacher for quite some time. I also met with the event coordinator for the store, and she seems to be very nice. I wish that this could be my only job but you don't really make enough money teaching there. Maybe I'll be proved wrong, but that remains to be seen. Of course, I hope I am wrong.

Temporary Stash Enhancement

Yesterday I made a temporary stash enhancement. I went to the library and checked out some knitting books. One of the books I checked out was The Urban Knitter. I love the little Mary Jane shoes in there, and I am definately going to make a pair! I'm sure I'll squeeze them in somewhere! Who knows when I'll ever finish them though. My work in progress list grows and grows and grows as my time shrinks and shrinks and shrinks. Anyways, I'm sure I will be adding this book to my library. I love watching that grow!

I started a new knitting needle case. The person I am making it for sent the material in the mail. It is quite lovely. I decided to use "invisible thread" on it so that nothing will clash with the colors. I think it was a great choice. The only problem with that is figuring out the tension on my machine. It is an old Kenmore and I don't have a manual for it. It's all trial and error, but mostly error. I finally got it right and I am probably a quarter of the way through it. I'll post pictures of it when I am done.

Tadah!

Well it is pretty much done. I just have to get the buttons on it. Yay! I think it turned out pretty good. Now I have to find the perfect outfit to wear with it :)

Attached I-Cord

I figured out the Attached I-Cord. Can I get a wooooohooooooo! It wasn't that hard actually. The directions were quite easy to follow, and it is moving along pretty fast too. I think this would be look really good as an edging for pillows. It kinda reminds me of piping. Here is a picture of the I-Cord in progress.

Origami Bag

What it is...

What it will be...




Isn't it cute. The pattern for this bag calls for Webs Everett Silk. When I was in Michaels I found a yarn that I just knew would look just like it! It is called TLC Amoré, and the price is quite reasonable. As you can see it is a very close match. I have to figure out how to do an Attached I-Cord. The book has directions for it in the back, so it shouldn't be that hard. This is knitting up very fast so tomorrow I should have pictures of the I-Cord progress. Check back again.

Tomorrow

I'm going to have my first meeting with my knitting group tomorrow! Yay new friends! I'm so excited. We are going to meet at B&N. I am trying to decide what I want to bring with me. I think that I am going to bring sock yarn and learn that new method of making two socks on two circulars. That way I'll be around other experienced knitters if something goes wrong. This will be the first time I have ever participated in a knitting group. I am both excited and nervous! What if they think I'm not knitting right?! Some of these people have been knitting for years, and I am somewhat of a newby. Well everyone of them I have emailed seems extremely nice, and I doubt they will judge my knitting in any way. My husband says that when he goes to play guitar with people that are better than him he feels the exact same way. I'll get over it. Well I'm off to bed. We meet at nine and I want to get up early to get organized! Soooooooooooo excited.........

Third Case

I am working on my third Knitting Needle Case. I tell you what. Sewing is not easy! It really isn't! I'll take knitting and crocheting over sewing any day! I guess I'll get better with practice. I have the hardest time sewing a straight line. I had to rip out my work like six times today because my lines are all slanted. I guess practice makes perfect. Perfect is probably my problem. I am a terrible perfectionist, and I beat myself up over the smallest mistakes. I have always done this, and more than likely I always will. I seriously need to chill out! The cats are all running and hiding! Bring on the Valium somebody and make mine a double! Ha!

Knitting Music Video??

This video defies description. I can only say that there is a ton of knitting in it. You have to just see it for yourself! I got a real kick out of it! It's definately worth checking out. Click Here.

=^.^= Critter Knitters Coalition

Someone on one of my knitting lists wrote about this website the other day, and I thought that I should share. This Coalition provides blankets to various animal shelters in the city of New York to provide comfort to the animals in a highly stressful situation.. The blankets can be knit, crocheted, or sewn. If you don't have the time to make a blanket they glady accept new or used and washed sheets, towels, blankets, rugs. Animal treats and toys are also accepted and will be given to the shelter along with the blankets. If you just want to donate some yarn that is great. The yarn will be given to a volunteer and made into a blanket. Their goal is to have no shelter animal in NY without a warm and comfortable blanket to sleep on. I plan on making a blanket and sending it in. They prefer acrylic yarn because it holds up to repeated washings, and I have a ton of extra acrylic yarn. I am sure many of you do. Check out the website by clicking on the logo above.

New Layout

Hey guys! I just did some work on my blog. I hope you like it. Let me know if you think it stinks. I can take constructive criticism. If it stinks I bring the old layout back. Thanks for sharing :)

Wow!

Some actually bought a needle roll from me! Can you believe? I can't! A nice lady from one of the knitting groups I am on saw mine and asked if I would sell her one. She told me what needles she wanted to put in it and I made it to fit them. I really hope that she likes it. I sent her a picture of it so she could see it before I send it off. I think that I did a great job considering what little experience I have in sewing.

The Needle Case

Ok here is the needle case I made. As you can see it holds sizes 0-19. Now this means two more needles than usual because Brittany has sizes 10 3/4 and 10 7/8. This case is designed for needles 14 inches in length and the pockets are fitted. As you can see I have yet to complete my Brittany collection. Brittany doesn't make sizes 0-3 and 19 in this length so I will fill those spots with bamboo.

All you do is fold the flap over.....

fold it in half and tie the ribbon...

or you can roll the needles up.

It is easier to fit in my knitting bag when it is rolled. I am very happy with the outcome. Please let me know what you think of it. I absolutely love it. It is padded so it protects my needles and it is a great organizer. I am going to make cases for dpn's, circulars, and crochet hooks as well. I'm already working on the measurements for the crochet hook case.

Finished the needle case

I stayed up all night long and finished the needle case. I just got on a roll with it and lost track of time. I couldn't bring myself to stop and go to bed. I wanted to see it completed! That is just how I am though. When I get my mind set on something watch out! I'm not much for patience. The case turned out great. Now I just have to fill it up with Brittanies. I'm still missing a few. brittany comes in sizes 4-17 and so i am going to fill the 0-3 and 19 pockets wiht bamboo needles. Right now I have a mix of Brittanies, bamboo, and a couple of boyes. I wil try to post a picture tomorrow. I need some sleep! I'm going to go fall into a coma now. Goodnight!!

Needle Case

I have been busy the past couple of days working on a case for my knitting needles. I am making one that will hold sizes 0-19, and I am designing the pattern myself. It took quite a bit of time and a lot of measuring to get all of the pockets for the needles the perfect size. If it turns out good I can probably sell them. I have seen ones that hold less needles go for 30-40 dollars. Maybe I could make some up. take them around to my local yarn shops, and see what they say. It couldn't hurt to try right? Well I'm sorry this is so short, but I really want to get this thing finished. I will add a picture of it as soon as it is finished. Until next time...

Finished the hat!

As you can see I finished the hat. At first I wanted to make the hat entirely from fun fur because that is what my mom had requested. But when I finished it, it looked like a wig! I didn't think that was exactly what my mom had in mind when she asked for the hat. So even though I had already frogged the hat once and started over, I decided to go ahead and frog it again. Then I decided that it would look really nice with just a fuzzy rim. I love the result! What a cute hat! It is going to look awesome with the scarf I made her. I just wish that I had finished it for her while it was still cold enough to wear a scarf and hat. She really liked the hat, and it fit her perfectly. That makes me happy happy happy! Yay!

*&#@! FUzzy Hat!!

Had to frog the hat! Grrrrrrrrrr!! Eyelash yarn can be a big fat pain in the butt! Especially black eyelash yarn. You can hardly even see your dropped stitches. Well I dropped a couple grr and they just ran and ran. I couldn't see through all the fur to fix em. Well I'm sure If I tried really hard I could have fixed it. Instead I kinda lost my temper a little bit and frogged the whole bloody thing! Hmmmm that redhead temper gets the best of me sometimes. Well now I'm an inch into the hat, and I have five more to go before I start decreasing. I am not setting this thing down in the middle of a row again. You can bet your patooty on that!

More of the fuzzy...

Still working on the eyelash hat. I don't really get alot of time to knit so it is taking much longer than it would usually take. Zoe of course ended up snuggling the hat. She really loves this yarn. I need to hurry up and get her eyelash blanket finished. You know it will really be funny if I finish this blanket and she doesn't have anything to do with it. If that happens I'll just turn it into a scarf and she'll want it! Haha!

Fuzzy Hat

I am working on the eyelash hat for my mom. She will be here by Thursday, and I'm sure it will be done by then. I know that the weather doesn't really call for hats much anymore, but she'll at least have it for next year. I know I have been slacking in the picture department. It has just been hard getting back in the swing of things with the move. I'm still trying to get unpacked. I will at least get a picture of the finished hat on here. Right now I'm lucky to get the time to post

Whoa!

I went to the wildest yarn shop today! My husband and I have been exploring the area and checking out all the local yarn shops we can find. This place is by far the most interesting shop I have ever seen. I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked in. The shop was packed with yarn, and I mean PACKED with yarn. It is a very small shop to begin with, I guess it is about 10' x 20', and there is just a small path through the mounds of yarn that goes to the back of the store. Two people are unable to walk side by side on this path. The yarn is in clear bags and piled all over the floor. I have never seen anything like it. I had to wait outside the shop until the two people shopping came out so I could actually make it to the back. The place literally looks like someone backed a dump truck full of yarn up to the door and just let it all pour in. I had the strongest urge just to dive into the pile. It seems to me that the owner has a serious yarn addiction and just keeps buying and buying reguardless if anyone is buying it from her or not. I told my husband it is like those old ladies you hear about on the news that have eighty or more cats in a small house. Well At least she is addicted to yarn and not cats. There really isn't any harm in it unless she drowns in it or gets buried. The next time I go there I am going to bring a camara. Hopefully she'll let me take a picture so you can check it out.

Brittany Shortage (no not that Brittany)

There seems to be a Brittany Birch needle shortage everywhere I go. My old LYS had them on backorder, and now my new LYS has them backordered too. Two yarn shops in two different states with the same dillema. Go figure. I did manage to buy two more pairs of needles: a size 7 and a size 10. The owner took my name and number so she can call me when the sizes I need come in. I think I am four or five pairs away from a full 14 inch set. I am going to make a needle roll for them out of the material that my mom used to make a skirt for me when I was a kid. That way I get to keep it as a memory and actually use it.

I also bought two size 0 Crystal Palace circular needles so that I can make some socks! I want to learn the two socks on two circulars method using Queen Kahuna's Crazy Heels and Toes. I have some Opal yarn in my stash that is dying to be used. I know my husband would love for me to knit some. For now I really need to get crackin on my mom's hat. She'll be here in a few days. I can't wait to see her! Well it's time for bed. I have a full day of unpacking tomorrow. Yay!

My new LYS

My husband and I are going to take a trip to a yarn shop that is close to where we live. I'm so glad that I found one nearby. To tell you the truth it was one of my priorities. I had a yarn shop found before I ever set up the electricity. I am planning on buying the remainder of my Brittany Birch needles if they have them there. I haven't really had a chance to knit lately. All we have been doing is unpacking, arranging stuff, and cleaning. We do take some time out to go and get to know the area. I can't wait to go to the lys tomorrow!

As you know, I taught my mom how to crochet a couple of weeks before I left. She is now on her second baby blanket. That makes me really proud. I wish that I had taught her how to crochet sooner so that we could have done it together more. She is coming to visit pretty soon and I am planning on giving her a few more lessons while she is here. I didn't have time to teach her everything before so I just taught her how to make a granny square. That was the first thing that I ever learned. So like I said, I plan to teach her more when she comes to visit. She wants to learn how to read patterns. That shouldn't be hard at all because all you need to know to read patterns is what the abbreviations stand for.

I wanted to add pictures in here, but I have no clue where my camara is right now. I don't have any new finished projects to show, but I have a few works in progress that I could share. I really need to get my mom's hat done before she comes to visit. That way I won't have to spend money to have it shipped. The more money I save the more I can spend on yarn and needles right?? Hahaha!

All moved in

We are all moved in and the place is a wreck right now. The cats are running room to room climbing all of the boxes. It is crazy here. We are going to go out tomorrow and get a cell phone. Right now I am dead tired and only concerned about getting the bed put together and going to sleep. I have had maybe 8 hours of sleep in four days. I'm not exagerating. I will post more later.

time's about up

Well my time here is about up. We head out early Saturday morning. Think of all the knitting I will get done on a 12-14 hour drive. I won't be posting again on here until Monday. I should have my internet all set up by then. I have so much to do in the next two days it is unbelievable. Must go to bed. See you soon...

No time to knit!

I have been so busy packing and cleaning that I have absolutely no time to knit. I did manage to get some work done on my small oragami bag at my mother-in-law's house today. We were going to make a roll for my Brittany Birch needles but we were both too tired. Heck I can barely keep my eyes open typing this right now. Once we get all settled in at the new place I will write more than just a couple of times a week. Right now I need to carry my butt to bed. Maybe I'll dream of knitting since I can't do it in real life right now. haha! Nite!

Good Book!

I love the library! My library has the best books! I just checked out Stitch and Bitch, and I think it is really freakin' cool! I couldn't believe I was reading about the knitting message board that I am on, the websites that I always visit, or the blog rings which I am a part of. I felt like the generation gap was officially closed. Without a doubt, this is not your grandma's knitting book. The patterns are modern, and fun, and the overall tone is very fresh. It is definately a book the younger generation of knitters like myself can enjoy and relate to. Not that older knitters wouldn't enjoy it too....oh you know what I mean. I am definately adding it to my library.

Helping

Don't you love helping other people out when they are stumped on projects. I have two dear friends that I have known since the sixth grade(they are more like family than friends), and I went to see them last night so we could all visit before the move. We got to talking about my job as a knitting/crocheting teacher, and Bobby tells me his wife has been stumped on a project for a couple of years. She was working on an American Flag afghan for her sister, and couldn't figure out how to do the stars. This afghan is HUGE. She has done a great job on it, and it looks beautiful. Her sister is anxiously waiting to get it, so I had to help her get it done. I found a pattern for a crocheted star online and showed her how to make one. Now her project can finally be finished, and that makes me happy! Yay! I'm going to see if she will take a picture of it, so I can post it on here. It really is beautiful.

I want it!!

I totally want the pattern to this afghan. Actually I would love to buy the kit but I can't afford it. I think that it is so pretty. I want to change the colors a bit so that it will match my living room. I have knit many things but never an afghan. I think this pattern would be a perfect way to start. Sadly I havent knit anything at all in the last couple of days. As you can see from the countdown I have going, the move is rapidly approaching. Between work and packing I barely have time to sleep. I don't know if I posted about this already, but I found a yarn shop close to where we are moving. I have already called and talked to the shop owner. She sounds great. She told me to come on in as soon as I get moved. I said, "I sure will as soon as I get settled in." She says, "Don't wait till then. Come here as soon as you get moved in so you can sit, knit, and relax with us." I like her already.

Dishcloths

I don't know about you, but I enjoy knitting dishcloths. It is nice to take a break from your longer more complicated projects and get some instant gratification. This was a Christmas present for my grandmother. It is made with Sugar 'n Cream cotton, and I got the pattern from the label. I chose a varigated yarn because I wanted to see how the color would spiral throughout the pattern. I really enjoyed the outcome. Dishcloth Boutique is a wonderful resource for dishcloth patterns. The link is over on the left.

Gotta Love The Library

My husband and I went to the library today. I checked out some pretty great books. I have Vogue Dictionary of Stitches, Knitting On The Road Sock Patterns For The Traveling Knitter, and Knitter's Stash. These are wonderful books. I don't know about you, but I loooooooooooove looking at patterns. I think I could look at the same pattern book hundreds of times and not get bored. I love checking out books at the library, because then I can decide whether I want to spend the money on buying the book or not. For example, I was thinking of buying Stitch and Bitch, so I have it on hold at the library when it gets turned in Feb. 3. I get to try before I buy it. How cool is that. Heehee! I didn't get any actual knitting done today. I also didn't put my camara software back on the computer yet so no project pictures right now. I'm not lazy I swear! Haha! I just have 27 million things going on right now. I'm going to at least try to post every day until the move. Then you will have to forgive my absence for a couple of days. Well, I'm off to flip through my books! Have a great night all.

I'm baaaaaaaaack

It's amazing how much happens in one week. I don't know where to start. Sandy, my mother-in-law, and I went to a local yarn shop, and she bought me some knitting needles and a pattern book. The book is Folk Bags 30 Patterns & Tales From Around The World. This book is awesome! I want to make every single bag in it. Right now I am making both the large and small Oragami bag. The pattern calls for you to knit in the back of each stitch in the row for every other row. I am having a really hard time with this because the stitches are so tight. I do my best to knit as loose as possible, but I am still struggling. Am I doing something wrong?? I wonder if anyone else has this problem.

After we left the yarn shop I couldn't stop thinking about the Brittany Birch needles that they had. I decided to buy an entire set. Unfortunately the store didn't have all the sizes in stock. So far I have sizes 4, 5, 6, 10 3/4, 10 7/8, 11, and 17 in 14" single point. I hope they get more in before I move. I am debating buying the rest online because I am so impatient. Sandy is going to help me make a case for them out of some pretty paisley material that I have. I can't wait until I have the whole set!

I also bought a Bagsmith Project Bag. This thing rocks! I totally love it. It is made with unbleached muslin, and it has a bazillion pockets for all your needles and notions. I couldn't wait to get my stuff in it. I tore it out of the plastic as soon as my mom and I got in the car. I have some of my knitting projects in it right now. I am thinking about buying another one for my crocheting projects.

I have a ton of projects going on. Yay! I made my mom a black eyelash scarf, and I am currently working on the matching hat. As you know Zoe loves eyelash yarn so I decided to make her a small eyelash blanket for her very own. She is going to love it! As you already now I am also working on the Orgami bags, Sunflower Afghan, Striped Scarf (on the waaaaaaaay back burner), and the Warm Up America Squares. I bought the yarn for a beautiful Cabled Sweater that I have a free pattern for, and I also bought some yummy Lana Grossi Tweed Sock yarn. I am going to learn how to knit two socks on two ciculars with this yarn. I am going to post some pictures of this stuff, but for now I have to get back to packing. Happy crafting!!!

PC Trouble

I am having problems with my computer so I will not be posting until it is fixed.

Modeling Debut

Now this is too cute! I figured that since Zoe loves this scarf so much it was only right for her to be the one to model it. I think she could have a real career in this don't you! She was a perfect model and didn't cop a Diva attitude with me once. One take and were were done. I think she has been photographed so much that she knows what to do. Rob says that she always poses every time we take out the camara. When she sees me hold it up she stops what she is doing and looks up at the camara. She's a natural I tell ya!

Another Picture

I crocheted this for my nephew Ben. His mom really likes cows.  I think it turned out really cute. It even has litte udders! Heehee!!

Picture

I just love Tigger don't you? My nephew's nursery had a tigger theme so I crocheted this tigger for him for Christmas. The picture doesn't really do him any justice though. The orange isn't quite so BRIGHT haha as it is in this picture. You just about need sunglasses to look at it. The pattern came from Leisure Arts Pooh & Friends. I have the yarn I need to do Eeyore, Piglet, and Pooh. Can't really say which one I am making next since it is a surprise for next Christmas. I'll probably start working on it early though. The first one I made was Pooh, but I don't have a picture of him. I gave it to my grandmother when she was in the hospital after suffering from two strokes. I'm going to make pooh again for my nephew, so he'll end up with all four characters eventually.

I finished the scarf and when I get Zoe off of it, I will take a picture of it. I think she is going to be sad to see it go. I may just make her an eyelash blanky. I have never seen her take such a fit over anything I've made before. I guess she's just an eyelash yarn kind of girl. Gotta love her! Well, here's some of the scarf anyway! Haha!

Blog Rings

Now that I have everything all seperated, I'm adding myself to some Knitting Blog Rings. I didn't really get any knitting done today. I spent most of the day on the phone and online getting utilities set up at the new place. Plus, Zoe decided to take a nap on my scarf, and I didn't have the heart to move her. Man do cats take long naps! My mom called and told me that my book,"Crazy Toes & Heels", is in. I'm so excited. I can't wait to learn this new method. I think I will buy my self some bamboo circular needles for my birthday. New book, new needles, and hey maybe some new sock yarn. That sounds awesome! I spent last year's birthday money in a LYS so why not make it a tradition. This weekend can't come soon enough! I'm going to start posting some pictures of some of my finished projects. Until then here is a picture of Zoe AKA The Yarn Monster when she was a baby. Isn't she just adorable.

Eyelash Scarf

This is the scarf I am knitting for work. I have really enjoyed working with this yarn. It is soooooo soft. I think the color is beautiful . I had to leave the labels at work because of the UPC codes so I don't know what the colors are. I let you know later. I know that scarves are simple, but this was a great project to demostrate the yarn in a two hour period. I probably could have finished this sooner, but as you can see from my project list I have a few things going on. When this is done it will go up on the wall in the yarn section of our store.

I am still waiting for my book to come. I can't wait to learn 2 Socks on 2 circulars. I'm really excited about that. I have always knitted sockes on circular needles. I am getting a set of Brittany Birch #0 DPN's soon. I am trading the sizes I got for christmas in for some I don't have. I already talked to the shop owner and she said it will be fine. Once I get them I am going to try knitting socks on DPN's. Well, I'm gonna get off of this computer and finish up this scarf. Byeeeee!

Finished

The new blog is done. From this point on this blog will be dedicated soley to knitting and other crafts. It's 430am right now and I am dead tired. I'm going to bed. Nite!

Still Workin

I wish I weren't such a perfectionist. The site would be done by now. OH well, I don't do anything halfway! I haven't even started moving entries yet. All I've been doing is getting the layout everything fixed. This may take a while. I hope that all the work is worth it. It will suck if I did all of this and noone even likes it! That would be just my luck. I know Tanya likes it so far. Rob and I took her out for lunch this afternoon. It was her bday present. I had a great time hangin' out with her as usual. She is such a wonderful friend. She saved Rob's butt yesterday by given him a ride to and from work. Tanya is a very loving and giving person. She will go to the ends of the earth for her friends, and you can always count on her. Her independence and hard work is inspiring! She is a single woman, works full time, goes to school full time, and owns her own home without the help of any man! Did you know that Biance wrote "Indepentdant Woman" just for her! I am very blessed to have her in my life! I'm gonna miss her to pieces!! If you are reading this, Tanya, I love you girl!!

Workin

Busy working on new blog. It should be done soon. I am doing all my own graphics and what not, so it is going to take a little while. I'm havin fun with it. I hope everyone will like it.

This is work??

I got paid to knit today. How awesome is that! I did a knitting demo for the craft store I teach at. I stood at the front of the store and knitted. Is this a dream job or what. Too bad I am leaving it to go to Florida. (I wouldn't change that for the world though. I'm so glad that Rob is going to be accomplishing his dreams.) Today's demo was for Lion Brand Fun Fur which is an eyelash yarn. I used a strand of the eyelash and a strand of woolease together. I casted on 17 stitches and just K1 P1 across for all rows. It is really looking nice. We are going to display the finished scarf by the yarn. So many beginning knitters/crocheters had seen the yarn but didn't know what the finished product looked like. When they saw the scarf they said "Oh I have to get some of that now!" and "Oh wow! I was wondering what that would look like!" Needless to say a lot of eyelash and woolease was sold today. Haha! I had to go to the manager and get in my told ya so's. I had been telling her since I was hired that we should do a knitting demo. I know i have at least two students, and a couple more pending. I was passing out calendars left and right. I'll post pictures of the scarf in progress tomorrow. I'm too tired to mess with it now.

I have begun putting together the other Blog. I can't decide on a name. I'm picky as #$^!, I know. I guess it isn't really a big deal, but I would like a good name. The Blog itself is moving right along and should be ready soon. As long as a figure out a darn name for it. Bye for now

Don't know what I should do

I'm having Blog issues. When I orginally created this blog, I wanted it to be based around the crafts that I do hence the name Faery Crafty. As you all know crafts are a huge part of my life. I enjoy creating, and I especially enjoy knitting. As this blog developed it turned into more of a personal blog than a crafting blog. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I like where the personal aspect of the blog is going. I think it is going to be a great way to bridge the gap between myself, family, and friends when I move.

The problem I have is that my blog doesn't quite fit my original vision. I wanted to enter my blog in knitting and crafting blog rings. To do this I would have to post almost entirely knitting and crafts. The knitters don't really care to read about my crush on Andrew Dan-Jumbo hehe, the great apartment quest, or my general life. My friends and family aren't going to be interested in a blog dedicated fully to my crafts.

So it comes down to this. I think I'm going to split my blog. I'm going to have one blog dedicated to my personal life, and the other is going to be dedicated to my crafts. For those of you that want to read about my crafting adventures I will include a link to my "crafty" blog on my "me" blog. I love the "Faery Crafty" title. It doesn't really fit the "me blog" though. I need to come up with a name for my personal blog now.

This isn't going to happen overnight folks. I have to come up with a good name for the personal blog, move everything from this one to the other, and then start the long process of designing the page. It took me a long time to get this page looking the way it looks now. I will keep everyone posted on what I am doing. Any suggestions are welcome. I need to get off my butt and pack for a while first. Have a great day!

Oh yeah and....

Did you notice the cute balls of yarn I created using Paint Shop Pro? I had no clue what I was doing but I managed to make them look pretty decent. What do you think?

Changes

The only thing certain in life is change. You can quote me on that! I don't know if there is going to be a big party now. The clubhouse is completely booked for the month of January. I'm going to try to find a different place to have the party, but I am not optimistic. Oh well, it's not that big of a deal. We aren't moving on the 7th now either. The apartment complex asked if we could wait until the 13th so that they could make sure the apartment was all ready. That isn't a problem either. My mom is really happy about the few extra days.

On the crafting front, I got paid to play with beads today. How cool is that! I spent about two hours on this bracelate using Stretch Majic elastic. When I got to the end and tried to use a crimping bead it wouldn't hold. The elastic slipped right out. Well the label says easy to knot, so I attempted to knot it. The darn thing snapped and my beads started coming off! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! All that time for nothing. I was nearing the end of my demo time, so I didn't have time to start it over. I decided to make an easy bracelet using Memory Wire and some glass beads. It comes all coiled up like a slinky and bounces right back into place. You don't need any clasps. You just bend one end, put on the beads, and then bed the other end to close it off. If you don't want to bend the ends, you can buy end caps. The project possibilities are endless. You can make rings, chokers, bracelets, etc.

I think I got a few people signed up for my knitting class. I 'm keeping my fingers crossed because I seriously need the money. I push my knitting and crocheting classes on anyone I catch in the yarn isle or anyone that stops to watch my demo. I don't go anywhere in that store without a handful of class calendars on me. I have a knitting demo on Thursday. I am going to knit a scarf using the eyelash yarn. Scarves are good for demos because they knit up fast.

How are my Resolutions going? Resolution number one was to learn a new knitting technique. My mom bought me Crazy Heels and Toes which teaches you how to knit two socks at once. As soon as I get that book I'll be goin to town. The others were exercising regularly, keeping the house clean, and getting organized. I will admit that I'm not doing that well on the exercising. I'll have to work on that more. It is hard to keep the house clean when boxes are everywhere. I have been making sure the bathroom is clean and the dishes are washed, but I can't help clutter while I'm packing. I am getting organized by purging the many unnecessary items in my house. I am not going to pack up junk. Everything I put in a box is scrutinized. Do I really use this? Do I really need to keep this? It has made packing take a little longer but it will be worth it in the end. I am inspired by the TLC show Clean Sweep. I am learning to let go of my packrattyness. Gawd am I always making up words? Anyways, I guess I am pretty much on track with all of my resolutions. I want to try and have a yard sale to make some extra money. That would be very helpful. Well I've rambled on long enough for one entry. Until next time....

A Done Deal

It's pretty much a done deal. We sent in the apartment applicaton along with the deposit today. Everything seems to be moving right on along. So for now it is pack pack pack pack PACK! I have been cleaning and scrubbing and sorting and trashing and packing all week! I don't really see much progress though. I need to hurry up and get my wand out of the shop! This could be done so much faster if I had the darn thing! I never seem to have it when I really need it!

Ok, so I was thinking about my resolutions (namely the first one which is to learn a new knitting technique) and reading posts from one of my yahoo knitting groups , and they were talking about a book called Crazy Toes and Heels. This book teaches you the technique of knitting two, yes two, socks at the same time on two circular needles. It is fully illustrated for people who are visual learners, and I'm seriously considering buying it. I know I said "If we don't need it to survive, we don't need it.", but darn it all to haites I haven't spent a dime of my Christmas money on myself. I think I can splurge on the 24.95...well 28.80 after shipping. I have wanted to learn this method for a while now. When you knit socks you discover a problem we call Second Sock Syndrome. In other words, hey I did this once do I have to do it all again? You end up forgetting what changes you made to the pattern for the first sock or the second sock comes out a completely different size. Ask my husband about SSS. He's been waiting for the mate to a hunter green sock for quite some time. If you knit both of the socks at the same time, then you don't have to worry about SSS. Well that settles it! I have to get the book. After all, it is a cure for a highly irratiting syndrome. Well now I have completely rationalized spending some money on something other than the move. I knew this Blog would be good for sumfin'!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!! Rob had to work today, and I spent the day cleaning. I am worried about the tile in the back room. It has a lot of scratches on it, and I don't think I can fix it. We HAVE to get our deposit back. We need every stinkin' penny we can get our paws on. Just renting a truck and getting from point A to point B is going to cost about $1000!! Our apartment deposit is going to be $500. Then I'm sure there will be deposits for utilities. I have no idea how we are going to afford this. I am freaking out! Yay!! Well I guess it will work out one way or another. I think we should just get rid of about everything we own. Maybe if we have a yard sale we'll make some money. I know one thing for sure we better not spend any more money on extras. If we don't need it to survive, we don't need it. That sucks but I don't think we have a choice in the matter.
So has anyone thought of their Resolutions??? I have been thinking about mine. I may even add to it later, but for now I have about four. I might add more later. I at least know that I will keep the first resolution. That one won't be a problem at all. I kept all of my resolutions last year. Rob's resolution is to lose weight. He wants to lose about ten pounds. We are going to be working out together. I hope we can get motivated. Getting started is the hardest part. If we can make ourselves stick to a schedule for a month it will be smooth sailing after that. I think we will make good use of the tennis and racquetball courts. Well back to cleaning for me. I have way too much to do and way too little time to do it.

Here are my resolutions in order of the ones I'm most likey to keep to least likely. I hope I keep them all!

1. Learn a new knitting technique.
2. Exercise on a regular basis.
3. Keep a cleaner house.
4. Get my life more organized.