Knit Picks Zephyrs

There's an awesome contest to win a set of the new Zephyr interchangeable needles from Knit Picks. Visit Things Moms Like to enter.

Never Say Never

I don't usually do the same pattern more than once - unless it's something small or by special request. (I've done Calorimetry several times.) Well, I think I've found a pattern I'm going to be addicted to. I'm making a pair of socks for my mom - because I've been bitten by the sock bug - and I find them to be absolutely gorgeous! I'm in love with the pattern and I know I'm going to have to make a pair for myself. I've finished one of her socks (I used this pattern) and I hope to cast on the other today and have them finished by the end of the week.
I have a feeling that another family member might be requesting a pair of these as well...
I also love the yarn I used. I went to my LYS asking for some summery sock yarn, and found this bamboo blend and it is so incredibly soft! A bit splitty to work with, but worth it!

Rainbow Surprise

I've gotten into a sock streak with my knitting. I have several hanks of bare sock yarn (and other weights, too) that I bought to dye myself. I've done this before - with Kool-Aid and with icing tint. It's fun and I love the results. I decided today that I was going to try my hand at painting some yarn with Easter Egg dye. Had some left over that I'd gotten cheap. I figured I'd do all the colors and have some cute pastel spring-y socks. I soaked the yarn in water and vinegar while prepping the dye -- I used the little collapsible cups that came in the kit for dying eggs. I decided to use a medicine syringe to squirt the dye where I wanted it - I had a cup of water to rinse the syringe between colors.

I used all five colors in the kit - planned to paint it like a pastel rainbow. First the red... which didn't turn out to be red at all, but a bright pink. All the colors turned out to be quite vibrant. I was surprised, but pleasantly so! I'm loving my yarn and can't wait to see what it looks like after it's knitted up! It's steaming on the stove right now to set the color. It will take a couple of days for it to dry, and I'll probably be spending my time trying to decide on what pattern to use for my lovely rainbow surprise yarn!









**There is one purple area, but it didn't show up in the pictures -- in the section that looks like a big chunk of blue.**

Organizing my Stash

I have decided it is time to do a major overhaul on my yarn stash and put it together in some sort of functional array. I have to go get some storage containers from Wal-Mart today after my Blonde Tornado wakes up and eats his breakfast. I did begin a data base of my yarn so I will be able to look at what I have when beginning a new project. I wanted to do a spreadsheet, but I only have a trial version of Microsoft Office on my computer, and until/unless I purchase the software, I'd be stuck with a "read-only" file which would be useless. So for now, I'll enter my stash (sans pics) on ravelry.

I will post before and after pictures -- although I doubt this will be accomplished in its entirety today.

Then, the next step... find some projects for some massive stash-busting!

Sadly, I just placed an order on Knit Picks for some much-needed stitch markers and other "accessories" - and a couple of hanks of yarn, of course... and the next day got an email that they have select yarns on sale for 38% off. : ( But looking at all the yarn I have, I really cannot justify getting any more, even during a sale. Or can I???

Felted Bag

I found this cute little pattern in a book I got. I used Rowan Chunky Print yarn -- a really thick, bulky wool, and on fairly large needles, it knit up really quickly. I knit most of it while I was waiting to hear back from my sister - they'd taken my niece to the hospital/doctor for an allergic reaction. I was worried and needed to pass the time. I meant to take a picture before felting, but I forgot. But the magic happened in the washing machine. I love how the colors of the yarn meld together now. I would have liked for the strap to be a little longer, but I used every little bit of that ball of yarn. It still works, though. I rather like it. Can be used for quick gifts.

My First Swap

Swap package
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

Here's what I received from my swap partner in a group on ravelry.

I've been dying to make the sweater pictured in the pattern and can't wait to get started on it!!

Consolation Prize!

Stacy sent me a consolation prize for not getting the blog candy (didn't link back to her blog -- which I'm still trying to figure out how to do -- lol). And it is so sweet! She sent some chipboard tabs, a clear stamp (flower), these adorable ballerina slippers and sentiment "twinkletoes" stamps and some ric-rac! She shouldn't have done that! My sister is going to fight me over the ballerina stuff -- good thing we live so close to one another -- I promise I'll share! : ) Here's a picture of my goodies!

Random Crafting

This is the reason I don't get things accomplished that I need to get accomplished. Or why it takes me forever to finish a project. I get sidetracked so easily. I may be knitting something and an idea pop into my head about beading, so I go pull out my wire and beads and needlenose pliers... My sister has me experimenting with card-making. I'm no good at it, so no one will probably ever see my gaudy creations (I don't have an eye for color and layout like she does -- I just like sparkly things and pouring glitter on cardstock fulfills my need for bling-y stuff for the moment. Either that or I put on sparkly-sparkly eyeshadow, but we won't get into that...) And while I'm in the middle of something else, the paint bug bites me -- I like to paint glassware. (I guess I need to start taking pics of some of my other stuff -- don't know why I only get shots of my knitting.) I've also decided to try hand-dying/painting my own yarn, and my first shipment of those supplies will be in this week. I only have 2 weeks before I have to go back to work, so I have a lot to do!!! Well, I just had to get that out. Because it is insane, the number of projects I have started and are in waiting...

Do I look pretty?

Ethan is at that stage where he wants to pretend to do everything he sees mommy do. He loves to stand in front of the bathroom sink and pretend to put on makeup. He usually does this while I'm putting on mine. I give him an old brush and an empty makeup container. Because if it doesn't look like what I'm using, it's no good, you know. If, on a whim, he decides to "put on makeup" at random times throughout the day (i.e. when I'm not looking and he finds an opportunity), he is coloring his face with markers in front of the mirror. Good thing I only buy washables! The other day, he picked up my eyelash curler and I just had to get some pictures.

Mermaids

We all went to the aquarium yesterday -- they were having mermaid shows. It was so crowded that you could hardly breathe! Just thought I'd share a picture of Ethan with one of the mermaids. He was, of course, more interested in the water than anything else. He's giving the water a taste test in this picture.

COZY!!

Comfy Mary Jane Slippers
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

I got frustrated with a hat that kept twisting on me, so I put it down and made myself some slippers! I used a silk and wool blend and they are incredibly soft!! I am so loving them!! And in the process of making them, I got to learn a few different techniques. It was my first time with the provisional cast on, attached i-cord, and kitchener stitch. I'd heard horror stories and was dreading that cast on as well as the kitchener stitch, but they weren't bad at all.

And looking at this picture makes me want to go get them and put them on...

Woodland Gnome

Woodland Gnome
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

My first project with Noro Kureyon. I'm sure that anyone who has ever bought this yarn has made this same pattern. But I just had to make one for Ethan. It is quite stretchy -- fits me too. Which was surprising given my stupidity regarding which cast on method I used. I love the end result -- and the reverse side looks just as cute!

And yes, it was 90-something degrees out this morning and I had my son model a wool hat for a picture!

Silly Slippers

Silly Slippers
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

My aunt's friend had a fit over her pink furry hat and wanted a hat and socks. This is the best I could come up with for socks with fur. Slippers instead of socks. They definitely won't fit inside shoes. I'm making the hat just like the one I made for Dianne -- pink fur sprinkled with rainbow-colored "confetti."

I like the way the slippers turned out, and I'm going to have to make some for the kids -- maybe "monster slippers" or something.

Well, time to refill my coffee mug...

Knit a Hat, On The Double!

Hat for Adam
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

First double knit project. I was joking with Adam about the Fancy Fur hats I made for Granny and Dianne. Told him that if he wants one for Christmas, to let me know what color he'd like. He said "camo." So... It ought to keep his noggin toasty warm (on those few days it gets cold) when he's on his motorcycle.

Heather - help me decide whether or not to stripe it -- with a stripe of orange on the camo side and vice versa. Or just to leave it solid.

It is a bit of a slow progressing project, but it's really cool how you work/slip stitches and the colors stay on their respective sides. I am already thinking about future double knit projects.

Strawberry!

100_3488
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

Just had to add a picture of the hat after I added the strawberry embellishment. : )

Chemo Cap

Chemo Cap
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

I joined a group to make and donate hats for cancer patients and here's my first one. It's crocheted. I was looking for some buttons to embellish one side along the green part, but the hat told me it wants a strawberry on it. So when I can look at the car again, I'll be going to find some red yarn.

Rain, Rain...

Well, guess I really don't mind the rain since I don't intend to go anywhere today. After that trip to the eye center with Ethan... The trip Thursday went by super fast. I was a bit disappointed when I found out that his arrival time at the hospital on Friday was to be 10:30 -- which meant he probably wouldn't be taken back to the OR until noon. Then Friday morning at 7:00, the hospital called -- there was a cancellation, would we mind coming in at 9:00 instead -- WOO HOO! We'd get home earlier!! Not so. After sitting in OR waiting area - where he gets his gown and pre-medication and all (a little 7x7 foot room with chairs and computer/monitors etc) for over 45 minutes before anyone ever came by... Then we're finally told around 10:45 that he's next, get ready... Whirlwind of events and nurses scampering about chaotically... Um, sorry, he has to wait. Gotta do a cataract surgery first and it will be at least 2 hours. So we sat in that tiny room for over 4 hours. Ethan wasn't taken back into the OR until almost 2:00. He hadn't eaten since 6pm the night before. He kept asking for ravioli and crying. We didn't pull out of the hospital parking lot until 4:11. But they let us have free parking because of the wait. Gee, thanks. Traffic was rough for a while. We stopped at one place to eat - all we could find on the interstate - a chicken and BBQ place -- thinking they'd have something Ethan could eat. But no. So I had to put the starving child back into the car as he screamed asking for potatoes. We finally find a Bojangles 30 miles down the interstate and get him some mashed potatoes and a biscuit. Poor thing. We didn't get home until about 9:45 last night. And he didn't go back to sleep until a little after 11. But we're doing okay this morning -- and when I asked him what he wanted for breakfast this morning, he said ravioli. : )

Knit-at-Night

Pink stripes
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

My sis got me a pair of Knit Lites for my birthday, and I just got to try them out last night. Here's what I got done as I was knittin' in the dark. They are so cool!!! I didn't have to strain or go sit directly in front of the TV to be able to see the stitches. (Ethan is usually asleep on the couch until I go to bed.) Neato-Knito. And pardon the stupidity--- had a migraine this morning and the medicine I take makes me a bit loopy.

Knitty Kitty

Fur Ball
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

Made a cat for Hannah yesterday. So soft and furry!! The picture didn't turn out so great. And in the pics, it looks more like a dog than a cat. I have to finish something for Tommy Ray before I give her the kitty. We'll have to see what she names it.

Owly

100_3456
Originally uploaded by iloveyarn

I have been knitting different things. Got started on a cable project -- a cute bag that I absolutely love!! Have to add a handle and lining and then I'll add pics.

This picture is Granny wearing a headband I made for her. It's also cabled. Found this owl cable pattern --she has always collected owls, so I had to make it for her. It turned out great, and it looks so good on her. I was afraid it would be too wide, but I really like it on her.

Got my first Noro yarn today. Now the hard part will be deciding what to make with it...