Knitted Sisters

Children's Book Swap

2009-06-16T14:16:00.001-07:00

A big thank you to Vanjula! I recieved my Children’s Book swap package today! Hooray!! She included lot of books for my kiddos. They were jumping up and down to get their hands on them. I love the nice big copies of the Beatrix Potter books that include stickers, yes! And Miss Nelson brought back memories. I can remember sitting in the school library listening intently as the librarian read it to us. Ah, the school library. Good times…

She also included a Harry Potter Chocolate Frog (Yum!) and Jelly Slugs, some cute stickers and a notepad, some fantabulous stitch markers(gotta love those!), and a box of crayons which my two-year-old son immediately confiscated “D.

Aaaaannnd…….this adorable little stuffie for my baby girl! So cute!

Ribbon Animals!

2009-06-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

These are absolutely super-terrifically cute! So cute I can barely stand it! Adorable animals made completely out of ribbon and beads. Yay! Besides these elephants, there were giraffes, bears, and butterflies.

Fiber Fair!

2009-06-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Got to be NC Agricultural Fair at the State Fairgrounds here in Raleigh, of which the Fiber Fair was the most fantabulous part. :) See all the fibery things:

Each group at the fiber fair was a NC fiber artist/company of some sort, including spinners, alpaca farmers, and Peaches & Creme, which, as it turns out, is an NC company. They actually have cotton yarn in many different weights and in 130 colors, when the only place you can buy it locally is Wal-mart (boo!) and they only carry six colors (double boo!). So, Wal-mart sucks. I went on Friday with Deb, and we had a lot of fun talking to people 'cause no one was there. We got a free ball of yarn and I got a pretty peacock feather. New thing I learned: peacocks lose their feathers every July, tail feathers & all! Went to the fair again with Mel on Saturday, super crowded, but still fun because of these guys:

We got to pet on them and feed them treats and the white one gave me a kiss on the nose. :) The brown one was a little boy and he was making sad little noises that, while sad, were still super cute. He was sad because they left his girlfriend at the farm and the girl that they did bring with them (white one) wouldn't play with him, opting to spit on him instead.

The cuteness is killing me.

So, it was a fun day, both of them. ;) Learned new stuff, loved on alpacas, got some ideas for knitting group field trips, and tasted a bunch of NC wines, so bonus. :)

All About Me Swap

2009-06-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

As promised, a very, very late post on the Odd Ducks All About Me Swap.

The Rules:
Package contents should include at least:

One “big” thing (A hand made item that takes you more than ten minutes to crank out)
One medium thing (maybe a skein of yarn or handmade bar of soap)
Two small things (like some stitch markers – because everyone needs stitch markers, or measuring tape, or candy)
Monetary value of package should be around $30. If you chose to go above this limit, that is YOUR choice. It does not mean your spoiler will do the same.
Partners are not reciprocal which means that you should send a package to the person that is assigned to you!
March 30: Package Deadline

So, this was an interesting package to put together. The trick was to put together a package of all your favorite things that by some crazy random happenstance your partner would probably also like. Tricky business.

I totally forgot to take a picture of everything in my package before I sent it out. My "big" thing was a pair of fingerless gloves that I'm calling Foxfire. To date, probably my favorite item that I've made, so it was a little painful to part with them. Here's a picture and my little write up from Ravelry, 'cause I don't care enough to come up with something witty and original for the sake of this pitiful, pitiful blog...

I originally latched onto these gloves because of the name “reading mitts”. I’m a big reader and often having trouble deciding whether to spend my free time knitting or reading, so it seemed appropriate. The colors - orange and gray are two of my favorites, I thought they would look nice together, and with orange as an accent color, they would “match” more things, rather, for example, than a pair of bright purple gloves would. The white was to break up the two very darkish colors and give it a little contrast.

I didn’t start out with the idea of Foxfire, but as I was knitting them, it occurred to me that that was what they reminded me of. I happened to be reading the book at the time I was knitting them and the movie came out when I was in high school, which had that “grunge” vibe, very popular in the late nineties. ;) The gloves look feminine, but at the same time the orange edges remind me of little flames, so girls that runs with foxes, flame tattoos, and all of that…. ;)

As it turns out, most people thought they were sock monkey mitts. Eye of the beholder, I suppose. Also in the package: a skein of Silky Wool by Elsebeth Lavold in a red-orange color, a ball of yellow Sugar ‘n Cream, orange & black “Halloween” stitch markers, a beaded bookmark, a little notebook, Anne of Green Gables audio book, red hots, Ferrero Rocher, raspberry flavored coffee, a few bags of my favorite teas, a Kermit the frog spoon, a lavender plant, a dishcloth pattern, a spoon coaster pattern, and a print-out of my favorite web comic. Here's a kinda crappy photo of the stitch markers & bookmark:

In return, I received this nifty little package:

...which included a multi-blue scarfette, Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in Fall Foliage colorway, cute little stitch markers (which I've been getting a lot of use out of recently, 'cause I think I might have accidentally thrown my little bag of stitch markers away!), a set of purple size 2 DPNS (yay for more needles! and purple, too, bonus!), a notebook with a cute sheep on it (love notebooks, always have one with me), chai tea (yum), and chocolate (double yum).

I found it an interesting, but difficult swap. Difficult in that it was difficult to decide what to put in the package, and equally difficult to part with it, 'cause they are, in fact, some of my favorite things. ;)

I have much more swap awesomeness to share, but that will have to wait for another day...to be continued...

Swaps in progress: The Office, 1980s SciFi/Fantasy Movie, 1950s Retro/Kitsch, It's Easy Being Green

John Hughes Movie Swap

2009-05-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I promised myself on my personal blog that I'd post something on our sorely neglected knitting blog this week, so here it goes...

You know, I really have no excuse for not posting here, 'cause lots has been happening in my crafting world, but the motivation to record it for eternity (or at least until the internet becomes sentient and takes over the world, or something equally disastrous), has been lacking. Anyway, getting to the point, I joined The Odd Ducks Swaps of Ravelry group and my very first swap was based on John Hughes movies, my favorites being The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles.

The Rules of the Swap: Package contents: One “big” thing (i.e. sushi roll scarf), one medium thing (i.e. wasabi inspired yarn), two little things (i.e. package of miso, chocolate, magnets, buttons, etc.) Total cost should be no more than $30. Package deadline: January 30, 2009.

I had a lot of fun putting together a package for my downstream partner.

Package contents:

Big item: Corkscrew scarf - the inspiration for this was the quote by John Bender: "Screws fall out all the time. The world's an imperfect place." I choose the Patons SWS in the natural slate because I felt it had a nice "corkscrew" color. ;) It was my first time doing short rows, and I really enjoyed knitting it. Once soaked and blocked (pinned in place to my ironing board 'til dry), the corkscrews on both ends held up very nicely. On further reflection I might have made the middle, "straight" section a little longer than ideal, so would only increase the length specified in the pattern by half rather than doubling it if I were to knit it again.
Elephant - a little crocheted elephant based on the lamp that Brian made in shop class. The light didn't go on when he pulled the trunk and he failed.
Claire's Earring stitch markers - These were fun to make, but tracking down the pieces to make them was an adventure. Here's a close up:
Cascade 220 in Shermer High School blue
Don't You Forget About Me by Jaime Clarke
A thermos (a nod to Brian's thermos) filled with pixie sticks (you know, for sandwiches)
Reese's peanut butter hearts for Allison's line: "When you grow up, your heart dies."
A card with the previously mentioned Bender quote
and breakfast tea :)

The thing about swaps is that you have so much fun putting a package together that you forget that you're going to get one in return. Unfortunately, my upstream bailed, but I had a wonderful swap angel who sent me this awesome package:

The awesomeness: a super cute gray pleated purse (good for either dumping out on the couch and inviting people into my problems, or carrying a bunch of stuff just in case I have to jam), a black garter scarf (inspired by Allison’s scarf in the movie), vodka (I laughed out loud when I saw this), pixy sticks (you know, for sandwiches), headbands (for makeovers), two lovely skeins of purple Pima Fresca (which is currently being knit into a scarf), tea, and chocolate.

So, it was a good first swap experience, even though my first partner bailed. :)

And in the spirit of the swap and just for fun...

Next post: All About Me Swap

New Crafts

2009-05-01T14:10:00.001-07:00

We made these beaded bookmarks and covered journals at our church craft group. The cool thing about the bookmark is that you can lengthen or shorten it (depending on the size of the book you’re reading) by pulling the ends or pushing them together. Thanks Leann!

Ravelympics Finisher!

2008-08-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

I signed up for the first ever Ravelympics 2008 and I finished all my projects! (The goal was to pledge to finish specific projects during the Olympics.) I decided to do one larger, new project and then to finish up some works in progess so I didn't have to keep looking at them.

Event: Shawl Relay

I knit this shawl as a housewarming gift for my Grandma who moved recently when she didn't want to. It was super quick to knit and the instant gratification was so intense that I wanted to cast on another one right away. I couldn't though...I had another event to compete in! The pattern is free from Lion Brand: Easy Triangle Shawl. It only took two skeins of Homespun and maybe about 10ish hours of knitting, give or take an hour or so.

Event: WIPs Wrestling

This scarf had been sitting around since December. I'm going to send it off to Heartland Rabbit Rescue for the craf fair. It's a dropstitch scarf made from Moda Dea Prima - very soft and fluffy.

This little pumpkin dishcloth was supposed to be for last Thanksgiving...at least it's all ready for this year. ;) The pattern can be purchased from Knitwits Heaven.

Ruby Slippers - I have no idea who I'm going to give these to...I just made them for fun. I wanted to find either star buttons or scottie dog buttons, but ended up using some I had around the house. The pattern is Saartje's Bootees made out of Patons Brilliant. These were quick and easy to knit. They would be a great quick baby shower gift.

My Pretty Scarf - finished and I'm keeping it! :) I'm going to make some Newfoundland Mittens to match. Now I have my very own scarf for the winter! This is the first thing that I've knitted that I'm keeping for myself. It's a little shorter than I'd like, but I haven't blocked it yet. I only had one ball of the yarn left and the store is out, so I wanted to save it for the mittens. The scarf pattern is Wellenreiter and the yarn is Plymouth Boku.

And finally...That 70's Bag! My only Ravelympics crochet project. The pattern is Fat Bottom Bag from Happy Hooker, and the yarn is Bernat Boucle. The actual crocheting was pretty quick...it was the details, like lining the bag, that took a little more time. This was a present for my sister's birthday. :)

I'm a Ravthlete!

My First Spinning Experience!

2008-08-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

A lady in my knitting group, Mary, invited the group over to her house one Saturday morning to give us a glimpse into the world of spinning. (Thanks, Mary!) It was very educational and fun to play with the wool, however, I don't see a lot of spinning in my future. ;)

Here's a picture of a few of Raleigh's fantastic knitters in our group:

And here's the "stuff" you need to spin:

And here's my before and after shot...I'm not even sure it looks like yarn...spinning is tricky business. ;) It takes a little skill and a lot of practice!

Tragedy in the House of Ewell

2008-07-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

What a 21-month-old can do to a pair of unattended size 0 bamboo straights...

Apparently, Chad found him jabbing one into the carpet and chewing on the other.
Present condition: Bent, broken, and slightly damp.

Knit Night Cupcakes

2008-07-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled across this recipe for Knit Night Cupcakes on the Vegan Yum Yum blog. So cute! Now I need to find a reason to make them.

Source: http://veganyumyum.com
I don't know what cupcake and frosting recipe she used, but here are a couple that I've found (but not tried...yet):

Fluffy White Vegan Cupcakes
Basic Vegan Chocolate Cupcake

Alpaca Farm!

2008-07-13T11:53:00.001-07:00

Check out some pictures (and a video) from Kipling Pines Alpaca Farm here in NC. I visited with my Raleigh knitting group on Saturday.

And yes, I am totally lame (and so is my sister ;P) for not posting anything since March. And I have so much to post, too, which makes it even worse. I will try to remedy that asap. ;)

Don't Buy Easter Bunnies!

2008-03-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

Easter and bunnies don't mix. Don't contribute to the homeless rabbit epidemic by buying your kid an Easter bunny. Go with a plush or chocolate bunny instead. Make Mine Chocolate! Spread the word!

Bunny Dishcloth

2008-03-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

This poor little bunny dishcloth was half finished for probably over a year. The yarn became hopelessly tangled and I tried to untangle it a few months ago, but gave up in frustration. I picked it up on Thursday night to attempt again, and it untangled like a dream. Guess I gave up a little to soon. Anyway, I finished it up and gifted it to a bunny mom friend who is moving in a couple weeks.

Daisy Chain

2008-01-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

I made a practice daisy chain tonight just to make sure I knew what I was doing, so here it is...

I did manage to mangle one of the flowers (no, don't look at it! It's sensitive.), but I think I understand how it works now and am prepared to start a full-size daisy chain. The pattern is Pretty Pretty Flower Scarf. My thought is to put little pearl buttons in the center of each flower. We'll see how that works out...

In progress...
* My Pretty
* Pumpkin Dishcloth
* Nosewarmer

Nubby Brim Cloche

2008-01-13T20:33:00.001-08:00

I crocheted this cloche (my first adult sized crochet hat, btw) while watching Persuasion on PBS, the first movie in Masterpiece Theatre's The Complete Jane Austen series running through January and February. I'm so excited about the series! Perhaps I'll choose a short project for each Sunday night as I sit cozily on my couch to watch some of the best stories ever written. :)

Btw, see those flowers there...my sister made them...they're pens! Cute idea! I got them for Christmas. :)

How to Knit a Dropstitch Scarf

2008-01-11T19:18:00.001-08:00

I made this little video for a friend who wanted to know how to make the dropstitch scarves I like to knit for the Heartland Rabbit Rescue craft fairs. Now, granted, there are lots of ways people may do this, and this is just my way. I had a lot of trouble figuring this scarf out when I first attempted it and now that I know how I feel like I've knit a bazillion of them. Anyway, this is my first attempt at a how-to video, and possibly my last, since I don't have all that much knitting knowledge to share with the world, so it's not great, but hopefully it will be of some help to my friend and maybe a few others out there who are as confused as I was when I first attempted this scarf.

Pumpkin Ridges Scarf

2008-01-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

This is a scarf for my sister, Ambra, that I was weasled into knitting for her. ;) It is a simple horizontal rib pattern using Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Pumpkin, since orange is her favorite color (and mine, too!).

Up close and personal...

If you're a newbie (which I still consider myself to be) and are interested, here's the rib pattern:

Cast on number of stitches for preferred width. (I used 20 stitches.)

Section 1
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Purl

Section 2
Row 1: Purl
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: Purl
Row 4: Knit

Alternate sections 1 & 2 until desired length.

And Sugar was gracious enough to model the scarf for me. :)

Wine Gift Bag

2008-01-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

My first project completely done on DPNs...milestone reached! This was made in Patons Brilliant in a shimmery light blue color. The pattern is from One-Skein Wonders. The start of the pattern is a little confusing, so I got a little help from a fellow crafter on Ravelry (Thanks, emorgan!) I ended up having a little tubey on the bottom, but I just tucked inside. Will have to experiment to remedy this for future wine bags...

And, the finished project, which was a Christmas gift for my very bestest friend and fellow wine lover, Pammie Jo...

Although, starting the bag was a bit tricky, I really enjoyed knitting it as I got going. It was a fairly quick knit and in the end I was quite proud of it. :)

Beaded Bookmarks

2007-12-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

Barb, Becky, Amber and I made some beaded book thongs over the weekend when I went back home for Hollydazzle in Bad News. It was fun, although I was very clumsy, spilling coffee and beads everywhere, but I'm proud of my three creations, depsite the chaos. :) Thanks for the beads & stuff, Barb & Becky!

Cat Bordhi - Part 1: Knitting on 2 circular needles

2007-12-07T12:54:00.003-08:00

Cat Bordhi - Part 2 of Knitting on Two Circular Needles

2007-12-07T12:54:00.001-08:00

Craft Fair Scarves

2007-11-17T10:12:00.001-08:00

I finally sent off the package of scarves I was knitting for the Heartland Rabbit Rescue craft fair! I have to admit that while I'm usually a big fan of quick, uncomplicated, mindless knitting, I am actually a little numb and in search of a more challenging project, maybe something with a few new stitches, some shaping, etc. I just don't know what I want to start next, but whatever it is, it just can't be another dropstitch scarf... ;). Here's a picture of the five scarves I managed to finish in time to send (I also sent the baby kimono, one of Barb's baby bibs from last year, and the last bunny dishcloth):

In progress:
* My Pretty Scarf
* Noro Blossom Hat #2
* Pumpkin Dishcloth

Hibernating:
* Lacy Baby Pullover
* Very Easy Child's Sweater

Box of Knitting Needles

2007-10-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, I almost forgot! My sister and I went to some yard sales this past weekend and got a whole box of knitting needles for 5 bucks! Score! Granted, most of them were aluminum, but I can deal. You can't beat a couple hundred dollars worth of needles for 5 bucks! Barb, Amber and I split them up. Here are some of my picks...

New Knitting Books!

2007-10-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

I got some new knitting books for my birthday...check it out! (Thanks Barb & Rae!)

Family Reunion Knits

2007-10-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

I knit up a few things for the Family Dinner that was on Oct. 6: dishcloths for my Aunt Michelle (Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth), a scarf for my Grandma (garter stitch using the Bernat Bamboo yarn), a couple of Golden Snitches (one for my cousin and one for Ambra), and the hideously ugly green shawl (now finished and given to my nieces for "dress up").

And, here's a full length picture of the scarf...

And, a picture of the kiddos digging for chicken nuggets, which apparently now can be harvested from the ground...

My Pretty

2007-10-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

I started a new scarf today, which shall be christened and referred to from this point further as "My Pretty." My sister and I have been reading Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire as the first book of our new two person Super Fast Readers Book Club. My Pretty is not green and has nothing to do with Oz, but that is where my head is, so that is what it is called (and it is very pretty). :)

Anyway, I went to a lunch meeting in the same shopping center as Great Yarns here in Raleigh, so I couldn't help myself and popped in. I ended up with a couple of skeins of Plymouth Boku (sort of a less expensive and easier to find version of Noro) in a very pretty burgundy and green colorway.

The pattern is Wellenreiter by Iris Wilde. It's very simple and quick to knit, while being pretty enough to keep me entertained. It makes me happy and I think it will end up being the first project I keep for my very own. :)

Just a little bit more HP craftiness

2007-09-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Since I did the little crocheted snitch, I thought I'd go ahead and knit up this Harry Potter Dishcloth, just to be thorough. These picture patterned dishcloths are very difficult to photograph for me, so it's a little hard to see the pattern. (I LOVE these short little projects. I get the little thrill of finishing something which gives me that boost to start something else...)

Zoom!

2007-09-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Look at it go! It's the Golden Snitch! Can you catch it?

Yes, I know it's bright green...

2007-09-06T23:09:00.001-07:00

...and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I wanted to make a shawl for my Grandma and I had this yarn, Yarn Bee Luscious in Spearmint, so I thought I'd give it a try. The pattern is called Easiest Shawl Ever, and I finished it in an evening with a size Q hook. It's not as big as I was hoping it would be and I think it decreases to rapidly.

I'm thinking fringe, any opinions? I'm not entirely sure I like it, so I may end up making another shawl with a different yarn...

First Ribbed Hat

2007-09-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

I finished my first ribbed hat for The Ships Project this afternoon. The pattern is Emily's Ribbed Hat free on the Project's website. I used Lion Brand's Wool-Ease in Chesnut Heather. It looks ity-bitty (a little like that guy from Fat Albert, but I can't think of his name, the one with the face hat) but it really does stretch to fit someone's head. If it fits my big 'ol head, it should fit just about anybody's. I may add annother 8 stitches for the next one...

In progress:
* Very Easy Child's Sweater for Care Wool
* Lacy Baby Pullover

Munchin' Cuteness

2007-09-03T10:51:00.001-07:00

Totally not knitting related but very cute!

Baby Kimono and Bobble Bag

2007-09-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Yay! I finally have finished pictures of the Baby Kimono, from Mason-Dixon, and the Bobble Bag, from One Skein. (I actually still have to sew a zipper in the bobble bag...sigh.) And here they are...

In progess:
* Ribbed Hat for The Ships Project
* Very Easy Child's Sweater for CareWool
* Lacy Baby Pullover

New Yarn Storage Adventure

2007-09-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

While in Oklahoma, I finally accummulated enough yarn that I had to come up with somewhere to store it. My clothes were evicted from the dresser and took up residence in the corner of the room next to the dresser, which was then taken over by the ever-growing stash of yarn.

However, in search of a better solution, a decided to get one of those hanging cloth sweater racks. It has eight compartments and all my yarn fits cosily inside. I'm very happy. :) Now, we'll just see how much I like it 6 months from now...

Baby Sweater

2007-08-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Just finished this for a baby girl who is due to arrive on September 4th.

I Love Cake!

2007-08-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, so cake decorating is awesome! Here is what I did in class. The first three lines I traced from a practice sheet, but I did my name freehand. Yay me!

NOW watch the progression of my first creation!

Look! It's completely flat!!!!

Smoov as buttah! Crisco, actually...

So it didn't turn out as beautiful and grand as I wanted because after all of our lessons, we had about 10 minutes left to decorate at the end of class. And I couldn't decorate it at home because I was going out with Chad for my birthday dinner right after class. But I think I did pretty good for only having 10 minutes.

Emma's Ball of Yarn

2007-07-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

It's a tale of excitement, perseverance, frustration, and achieving the ultimate goal: a wound ball of yarn. Relive the experience right along with Emma with this handy pictomentary... :)

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman

2007-07-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

Isn't this cute? I made this Spider-Man Blanket for Ian's birthday. He's totally into Spider-Man right now (but isn't everybody?), so I think he'll just love it. He's got quite an active imagination, so he'll probably think of a million things to do with it.

Pizza Anyone?

2007-07-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is my very first attempt at knitted food...and my first attempt at a color chart. Care for a slice?

I'm Acrylic - That is totally not okay with me...

2007-07-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Acrylic.While you are very versatile, your plasticky countenance can be offputting. You are very good with children but can become a pill if left alone with them too long. You are very flexible but don't give in to manipulation.
Take this quiz!

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

What kind of yarn are you? I am Merino Wool!

2007-07-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.
Take this quiz!

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Chad's Scarf

2007-06-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

I finally finished it! Now he just has to wait another 7 or 8 months to wear it...

Go Steelers!

2007-06-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

Emma knit this coaster in Pittsburgh Steelers colors for Daddy's birthday. Mommy did the casting on and binding off, but Emma did the rest. My lousy crochet edging doesn't do her knitting justice. I'm so proud my 4-year-old can knit!

It also makes a nice resting spot for a duck.

Lion Brand Crochet Top

2007-06-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

I made this for Emma. I didn't use the Microspun yarn that it called for because I couldn't find it. I used Caron Simply Soft, but I think it gives it too much stretch. I did eventually find the Microspun, so I'm going to use it for Novalee's. Emma insisted on fuzzy yarn on the bottom, so that's another deviation from the original pattern, and I'm going to redo the collar because the fuzziness makes it too bulky in the overlap. So when I fix that, I post the new picture.

Crochet Child's Top

Knitting Needle Lock Down

2007-06-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Made this to stop my knitting needles from escaping.

I think they like it. It's pretty cozy in there.

New Yarn & New Project

2007-06-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while...

I went to the grand opening of a new yarn shop here in Norman, OK, on Saturday, Yarn & Loops. And here's my new stuff:

I plan to make a pair of socks for my 2 year old niece, Novalee, from the sock yarn and a hat for my four year old niece, Emma, from the purple yarn (since purple is her new favorite color).

I finished the knitting on the baby kimono this weekend and now all that's left is to sew on the ribbon ties. I also finished the crocheted bobble bag, which will be really finished once I sew in the zipper. Pictures will be posted soon...

I cast on a new project this weeked...a lacy baby pullover in Moda Dea Dream that will be a birthday present for a birthday girl in the near future (assuming I finish it in time).

In progress:
- Lacy Baby Pullover
- Very Easy Child's Sweater for Care Wool

Never-ending Kimono...

2007-05-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

I believe I started this baby kimono back in February and it has been suspended in limbo in an almost finished, desperately wanting to be finished stage of development.

I haven't had a chance to work on anything in about a month and a half. The baby who was supposed to belong to this kimono was born on April 17th. Hopefully I'll be able to finish it during the week following the 12th. Until then, I'll still be immersed in studying for finals and graduation. I'll be glad to have time to knit again, finally.

I think Mr. Blue Patches Man is anxious to have another sleeve to try on.

String of Hearts Bookmark

2007-04-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

This is a bookmark that I made for an exchange, but I added my own personal touch with the buttons.

String of Hearts

Surprise in the Mail...Yay!

2007-04-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

I got a surprise in the mail last week...a box of bibs!

Now, since I don't have any children and am not planning on having any children, besides present and future furkids, this may seem a little odd, but it was the best surprise! Barb has been secretly working on these bibs for us to sell at the Heartland Rabbit Rescue craft fair this past weekend.

Project Spectrum: Green, Yellow, Pink
We sold 8 of the 17 bibs for $5 each, which is pretty good since it was kind of slow and we had competition from the Medieval Fair. All in all, it was a good day and we have another craft fair in the middle of April, so hopefully all of the bibs will find a baby to love them. How will anyone be able to resist with the Guardian of the Moneybox modeling them for everyone to be enchanted by the cuteness?

And check out these tags that Barb made for the bibs, which are really cute and have all the Heartland info on them. Thanks, Barb!

Wild Rose Doily-Finished!

2007-03-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Craft Time with the Girls

2007-03-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

I was visiting my sister, Amber, in Dallas this weekend and we had a little craft time with the girls between episodes of chaos. Emma made a beaded necklace for herself and a bracelet for her mom, and Novie helped to make her own beaded bracelet. They did a fanatastic job! Very creative and princessy! They're on their way to becoming crafty women. :)

Crochet Baby Hat & Booties

2007-03-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

One baby shower gift down and one to go...

This hat and bootie set was made with a Italian cotton yarn, but I don't remember the name. I'm drawing a blank. It's been a long week. I used a pattern out of Crochet Today magazine for the booties and the hat kind of just happened. They look so small! I just hope that they fit, at least for a little while.

And here they are all wrapped up in a Chinese Take-out box for mama.

In progress...
* Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon (hopefully done soon)
* Very Easy Child's Sweater for Care Wool
* Bobble Make-up Bag from One Skein

Bookmark

2007-03-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

My hands are healing, so I finally got to finish something.

My WIPs

2007-02-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, I was hoping to have some things finished to post, but my hands have been chapped for a couple of weeks and it's been hard to work on anything. Here's the stuff I'm working on:

Romantic Pineapple Doily - I love this one. It just calls for a lot of popcorns, so it's taking a while. This is my favorite project at the moment.

Wild Rose Doily - I'm making this one for my mother-in-law. I was hoping to finish it while we were visiting, but we ended up being out all day. Only two more rounds to go on this one.

February Bookmark KAL - Picked up this thread on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I really like it, and this pattern has a couple of interesting stitches.

Stockinette Scarf - After reading "Knit One, Kill Two", I decided to try big needle knitting. These are size 35 needles, and this scarf is for my husband.

I'm also working on the Lion Brand Floral Fantasy Pullover, but I'm still working on trying to get the gauge right; so that's on hold for now. I'm also working on a baby layette and a Harry Potter Bookscarf, but they are not far enough along yet for pics. As soon as I finish and block one of these, I'll post the pic.

Amber

Blood, Sweat, & Wool

2007-02-22T20:03:00.001-08:00

Sad Little Sock

2007-02-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

I took a sock class at Happy Cat Yarn Shop last night and knit this sad little sock. It looks more like a bootie and I messed up the ribbing on the cuff because I kept forgetting whether I had done a knit or a purl for the previous stitch. Not enough caffine yesterday, I suppose. Anyway, here it is...sad little sock...

I did learn all parts of the sock, though, the only trick now is actually repeating it. Since I am not a lover of socks myself, any socks I knit in the future will be passed along to whomever will take them off my hands...socklovers. I hate to wear socks and hold out as long as I can when the weather turns cold and they come off as soon as I get in the house. Barefootin' is the only way to live.

Crochet Scarf Finished!

2007-02-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

Another item finished! I'm glad it's finished 'cause I was getting a little tired of doing double crochet after double crochet. But I think it came out nice and is manly enough for a man. It's long enough to wrap twice and knot in the front.

And here it is with the hat I finished the other day. They don't really match and aren't intended to go together, but they are going to the same house.

Here's the bobble make-up bag from One Skein that I'm half-way done with. I did the first half over Christmas and haven't got around to doing the other half yet. I'm hoping to finish it in the next couple weeks, but I need to find a 5 or 6" zipper somewhere. I used Filatura Lanarota Circus cotton yarn in Lyon. It doesn't photograph well, so it's a little difficult to see the bobbles.

And here's a T bunny in a hat...my poor furkids...

Knitting Novels

2007-02-16T08:46:00.000-08:00

Our step-mom, Barb, sent these to me in a Valentine's Day package (Thanks, Barb!). One is Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton, a knitting mystery, and the other The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber.

Last summer, a teacher attending one of the institutes at my work gave me the second book in Debbie Macomber's knitting series, A Good Yarn. So, I started reading The Shop on Blossom Street, the first book in the series, last night, since I'm already invested in the characters, and am anxious to start the knitting mystery.

First Hat!

2007-02-14T13:30:00.000-08:00

I finished my first hat on Sunday! I had it on circulars since Christmas, really hesitant to switch it over to double points, but I finally did it and it really is a hat. I'm still not used to the DPNs and had to fiddle with them everytime I moved to the next needle. I'm hoping I'll get the hang of it over time...we'll see.

For the hat, I used Noro Blossom yarn in color 11, I think.

And here it is in all it's glory...

I'm almost finished with a crocheted scarf, which I should finish tonight. It's just continuous double crochet using Lion Brand's Wool-Ease. Manly colors, but the picture isn't really true to the yarn color.

In progress...
* Crochet Scarf (see above)
* Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon
* Crochet Teddy Bear
* Baby Hat and Booties (actually finished but I'm procrastinating on weaving in the ends :<)
* Bobble Make-up Bag from One Skein

Butterfly Bookmark

2007-01-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

Isn't this cute? I crocheted it for a Bookmark Exchange. This was my first project using crochet thread and steel hooks.

You can get the pattern here:
http://www.crochetmemories.com/archive/april13.html

Note to Megan: How do I fix the link?

Christmas 2006

2007-01-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

I didn't get anywhere close to accomplishing the knitting/crocheting goals I had set for the holidays, so many of them have been reassigned to upcoming birthdays/anniversaries/etc. until further postponing is necessary. I did, however, finish the dropstitch scarves for our step-sisters, Becky & Rachel, which they are graciously modeling for me to post on this blog.

I also gave my Dad a crocheted eyeglass case for his special glasses as part of his gift, which is here, modeled by my dad and his flying lion tattoo:

I had a very relaxing Christmas break with family and I started on a couple projects that I'm still finishing up. I've also started some baby shower gifts. Pictures coming soon...

Look...Rachel's Knitting!

2007-01-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

Our step-sister, Rachel, learned how to knit over the Christmas break. See...here she is knitting her first scarf:

And here it is finished & modeled beautifully by Rachel, who is officially a knitter now that she has actually started and finished a project!

Now we'll just have to see how long it takes her to finish the red scarf she started on now that she's moved on from size 17 needles... ;)

Dishcloth for a Geographer

2006-12-20T14:40:00.000-08:00

This dishcloth was knitted with a compass rose design created by Susan Mrenna (www.knitalittle.com). I was a little loose with my cast on...I have no idea where my mind drifted off to when I was doing that.

After a plea for help to find geography related dishcloth patterns, Susan created this lovely design. It was more than I hoped for and the geographer it was intended for was pleasantly surprised. Thanks, Susan!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2006-12-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

Best Wishes,
Megan & the Bunny Boys

Kurt's Hat

2006-12-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

My newphew Kurt's Grandma Barb knitted him this cute little blue hat. It was her first knitted hat and she did a great job! It looks like it's a good hat for napping.

Finally Finished a Dropstitch Scarf

2006-10-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

The title of this post says it all...I finally finished one! This is one I did over the weekend to sell at a craft fair to raise money for Heartland Rabbit Rescue. It's made from a yarn called Infatuation made by Yarn Bee (Hobby Lobby). (I'm still working on the blue one, but it's going to be an Xmas present, so no final photos until after Christmas.)

I have come to terms with this scarf and decided to embrace its finer qualities and move beyond the frustrations. Here's a close-up view:

Oh, if anyone is interested, we are accepting donations of handmade items for the craft fair. We have a great variety of things so far thanks to many generous people. The craft fair is the 25th and 26th of November, so if you'd like to donate something, send it to:

Heartland Rabbit Rescue
P.O. Box 224
Blanchard, OK 73010
If you'd like to know more about Heartland, visit the web site at www.heartlandrabbitrescue.org. Thanks!

My First Doily

2006-10-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Crochet-a-long group at Yahoo has a new feature. A surprise dishcloth each month. I love surprises, so I'm ecstatic! This is Leah's design, but I think it looks more like a doily than a dishcloth. This is a very quick pattern and so cute! I gave this one to my two girls for their cocoa parties. They love it!

Little Wolvie

2006-10-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

There's a wonderful lady I met at Monthly Dishcloths who designs and charts her own dishcloths. She was kind enough to chart this pattern for me to knit; but I haven't gotten the yarn I want to use for it yet, so I used the chart to crochet it instead. In case you're wondering what "Snikt" means, it's the sound that Wolverine's claws make when they pop out. So this is going to be Kurt's little lovie blankie to play with. (My scanner wans't big enough to scan the entire blankie with the border)

Following in Mommy's Footsteps

2006-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

We recently bought Emma a Disney Princess Stitch Works set so I could start to teach her how to sew. We tried it out this morning, and I taught her how to do a whip stitch! I am so proud! I took a couple of pictures of her stitching up this little purse, so when those pictures are developed, I'll post them. My only complaint is that the set didn't include the right materials. It didn't include enough of the sparkly string; and it was supposed to have nylon cord for the handle, but that wasn't included at all, so Mommy had to improvise. Emma did all of the stitching, and I attached the medallian and the purse handle. She had so much fun with it! I am so proud of my little seamstress!

Baby Crochet

2006-10-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some bibs I made for Baby Kurt. The elephant one actually holds a pacifier, which is awesome! Hopefully Kurt will come soon so we can get some use out of them. You can get the patterns for the elephant and duckie bibs here:
http://www.crochetcafepatterns.blogspot.com/

I also made this cute little toy and put a rattle in it. One of my favs. You can get the pattern at:
http://www.iglou.com/members/mantia/crafts/smile.html

Oct 2005 KAL

2006-10-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

While waiting for the mid-Oct KAL, I decided to go ahead and knit up the Oct KAL from last year in the files section at Monthly Dishcloths. He's a cute lil' Jack-O-Lantern, isn't he?

Stupid Dropstitch Scarf

2006-10-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

This is my third attempt at knitting a dropstich scarf. My first two attempts were with ribbon yarn. I'm having trouble with the first dropped stich in the row. It gets twisted, which is not exactly the right word because it actually seems to need another stich or something else to fix it. It's not as noticeable on this fuzzy yarn as it is with the ribbon yarn. I found a way to take care of the extra long stitch at the end of the row, but this "twisted" stitch is another matter entirely. They should be easy, but I'm having all kinds of issues. If anyone has any tips, I would sure appreciate it!

Dude Disapproves

2006-10-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the first October knit-a-long for the Monthly Dishcloths group. It's a kitty for Halloween! I only had natural on hand, which was close to the suggested colors. I showed my finished kitty dishcloth to my bunny Dude.

Dude disapproves of knitting kitties.

My Weird Husband

2006-10-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I was explaining Continental and English styles of knitting to my husband and he has this "great" idea that they should switch the names of the styles to Breakfast knitting and Muffin knitting, as in Continental Breakfast and English Muffin. He kept bugging me to post it, so here it is. I love this man dearly, so please humor him. ;)

Supercool!

2006-10-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

Check out my supercool garterlac dishcloth! It was so much fun to make; more of a challenge for me. It was made with Bernat Cottontots with size 7 needles. For some reason the link to the pattern won't post right, so you'll just have to copy and paste if you want it.

http://criminyjickets.blogspot.com/2006/07/garterlac-dishcloth.html

Am I Weird?

2006-10-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Y'know, I just discovered today that I knit using the English style, but I purl using the Continental style. I don't know how that happened, but is that totally weird or do other people do that too? I'm thinking about teaching myself how to knit the Continental way because it looks faster. So I hope that works out. I'll post some pictures of my crochet creations as soon as I figure out how to post my pics. Later!

Amber

Emma's Pink Birthday Scarf

2006-10-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

I found this fluffy pink yarn on clearance at a Hancock Fabrics in Texas. It was perfect to make a pretty scarf to match the pink winter boots that I was giving Emma for her birthday in August. The first part of the scarf was just awful to work with because all the little fluffy pieces wanted to latch onto each other instead of sliding through the loop of the stitch. It turned out pretty, though, and just by knitting all the way through it added a subtle ribbing effect. Perfect pink for a pretty princess.

Crochet is Scary

2006-10-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Amber, my sister, crochets. I attempt to crochet. I started with knitting and she with crochet. I've decided that whichever you start with seems the more natural and the other just a little bit insane. I hope one day to say that I can do both equally well. That day may be a long way off because, to me, crochet is still scary.

My sister and I crocheted these balls over the summer when I was visiting her in Texas and she could fix all my mistakes as I went along. ;) Mine is the smaller one because I made the stiches way too tight, but I finished...yay for crochet!

At least Emma and Novie seemed to like them. I taught Emma how to throw a softball pitch and she's a natural. :)

Barb's Pretty Green Scarf

2006-10-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

I got a really good deal on some pretty pear-colored, crazy yarn and turned it into this scarf knitted for our stepmom, Barb, expertly modeled by my niece, Princess Emma.

My First Foray into Novelty Yarn

2006-10-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, someone mentioned "novelty yarn." What the heck was that?! I hadn't been anywhere near a yarn shop in a few years and any knitting I had done was with whatever I had on hand. I couldn't believe all the crazy yarns out there in the world now! (I'm a little slow picking up on new trends.) So, I tried my hand at some eyelash yarn and the result was this little scarf for my niece, Novalee. At the very least, it got me back into knitting again. ;)