Inspired By Life

Inspirations Abound

2010-03-24T10:44:00.000-05:00

In March where I live, Spring is defintely apparent all over. From everyone's complaints about their sinuses and the tell-tale yellow dusting on everything to the buds and flowers on trees and shrubs, you can't get away from it. Spring is like nature's caffeine spurt.

The past couple of weeks have been the opposite for myself! Other than occasionally making jewelry for my Etsy store, I haven't done a thing. It's definitely not for lack of inspiration, because I have a head full of ideas! Therein lies the problem - I need to get organized to decide what to do first.

In the warm months I am an avid gardener - and I can't wait to fill up my landscaping with tons of new (and unfortunately expensive) annuals and perrineals. If I haven't been going to the nurseries, I've been wanting to go and load up on plants. Two summers ago I was so proud of my garden and my goal this year is to do it again. There's something therapeutic about pulling up the driveway and seeing tons of color and life.

I've also had my brain wrapped around some new jewelry ideas. I've been asked to provide several pieces to my kids' school for their annual silent auction. It's always a huge success for them - a ton of people come everything gets sold! It's very important because as a private school, they rely on donations and fundraisers for a lot of their capital. I'm really excited about the prospect of having my name and my designs spread here locally. Word of mouth is crucial for artists and let's face it - there are millions of items of jewelry on Etsy. It's difficult to get discovered.

This auction has me really re-thinking one of my personal preferences about jewelry. I am not the type of person to buy or wear or even make a set of earrings/necklace or necklace/bracelet that matches. I like to make pieces that will coordinate well together, but not necessarily look like they were made to go together. That's part of my creativity. That's my taste. However, I know many people prefer sets. I'm debating on putting together a couple of sets of necklaces and earrings just for the auction and seeing what kind of feedback I get. I will update on how that goes!

Any knitting news? None at the moment. I did make a pair of fingerless gloves a few weeks ago. They got snapped up by a friend (I was happy to give them to someone who would wear them and not just photograph them!!). I casted on for my own set and you'll never believe what happened to them -- my dog ate them. I'm serious! He is three months old and he loves to chew on yarn. Obviously I was livid - but I was only halfway through with the first one. I haven't been inclined to restart because it is getting too warm here to wear them.

I have been thinking about this cardigan lately

It's Berroco's Rill. These flowy cardigans are so popular right now and I can actually see myself knitting and wearing this in the summer over a tank. Of course, it would cost me around $85 to knit it in the recommended Seduce yarn. I'll wait and see if it goes on sale or if I can find a good sub.

Till next time!

Finally, a Sweater!

2010-01-13T17:48:00.000-06:00

I nearly forgot how gratifying it feels to actually finish a knitting project! But it feels awesome! Last night I casted off my Rena Cardigan. How many months has it been since I could say that I casted off of a big project??!

It has a few quirks that I will likely go back and tweak, but I must say that I am really satisfied with the results. My intention was to knit a very neutral, wear with anything, comfortable cardigan. As far as I'm concerned, mission accomplished! The inspirational piece can be found here on Fossil's website.

When I started this sweater back in August, I almost immediately got hit with knitting obstacles (my way of saying "no time for knitting") and eventually it was shoved into one of my many yarn baskets to await the day when I would finally pull it out and finish it. To be honest, somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving, my interest to complete it was almost nonexistent. I'd hit a wall from being worried I wouldn't have enough yarn in my dyelot to finish and the knitting itself began to feel monotonous and never-ending. Essentially, I gave up on the sweater. I guess it's easier to admit that now that it is actually complete. Nobody wants to say they gave up on something that they were so excited about!

But inevitably, I got bitten hard once again by the knitting bug. I guess when you truly love something, you may stray but you always go back to it. Hence my urge last Saturday to pull it out of the basket, and over the next few nights, it was all done!

I am so excited to share my work that I'll settle for the photos I took during the last few minutes of daylight this afternoon.

As you can see in the above photo, the rolled edges of the collar are rolling in just a bit too much. I believe that a little more blocking should help with that. Also, there are a couple of stitches around the edge where I picked-up to knit the collar that got a little too stretched out. I will probably go back and reinforce them slightly. It was quite a task to pick up all of those stitches and have them on the needle at one time!

In this photo of the back, you can see where my seam looks crooked. This was frustrating, because I ripped and re-seamed half a dozen times before I realized that it would always appear crooked. This is because the eyelets are two different sizes on either side of the ridge. That's what I get for wanting a reverse stockingette stitch background with yarn-overs! I guess it's a good thing I've let my hair get so long - it will cover the seam up!!

As for the construction, it went much like my September sweater (check my labels to the right). I absolutely love putting something together in a non-traditional way! First, I casted on at the elbow of one sleeve and knit up to the shoulder. I casted on stitches at either side for the front and back yokes. I did a tiny bit of neck shaping and knit to the center of the back. I wanted this sweater to have a seam there (a fact I now regret a teeny bit due to the aforementioned crookedness). Then I knitted a second sleeve exactly the same way. Next I sewed both pieces together. Then stitches were picked up for the bottom and lastly, for the collar. If only it went as quickly as the explanation!!

Details:

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Stone; 3.5 balls
Needles: US 6,7,8
Time: Sometime in August - January: way too damn long!

Well, that's all for now. I took pretty good notes while knitting this baby and once I organize them, I'll likely share them in the form of a tutorial. I don't know why I recoil from the idea of writing a bona fide pattern. I think my brain just rejects all the math involved in sizing. It's enough for me to keep up with calculating gauge :)

I'm already planning on a little somethin' to cast on tonight! Ha!
I guess I've got it bad!!

Believe it or not....

2010-01-10T15:03:00.000-06:00

I am currently in the final knitting stages of my Rena Cardigan! I am so excited to be finally finishing it that I couldn't wait to share the news! After I finish the knitting, I'll have to do another blocking for the stich pattern to flatten out, so expect pics and details of this forever UFO finally turned FO later this week.

I won't bore any of you with the random "life" details that have kept me away from this blog and my knitting. Other than my etsy shop, I haven't been doing anything remotely creative. As someone put it, "Sometimes life gets in the way". Agreed 110%!

I hope I haven't let anyone down in my absence, but hopefully this sweater is bringing me back...for real this time!

Festivities!

2009-11-04T11:31:00.000-06:00

Halloween was a total blast! Even without help from my husband, who's been out of town for work, I managed to get enough help from my wonderful friends to pull off a great party. For the week preceeding, I did nothing with my extra time but decorate and plan food & party festivities. Here are just a few shots of what the night was like:

(left) A bottle of "V Blood". Any True Blood fans out there will appreciate this!

(below) This is my "fairy dust" display. I had a ton of old jars that I put labels on with all sorts of yucky and spooky & miraculous contents! It was a lot of fun to make the labels and decide how to make what was supposed to be inside.

Here's the witches brew. It was acutally a drink my friend made with vodka, rum, sprite and juice - it was so good! We put dry ice in it to create the bubbling fog. Since dry ice is simply really cold carbon dioxide, it evaporates as a gas instead of melting down to a liquid the way that regular ice does.

Dont worry, it's totally safe if you do it right!

We had a ton of fun but I'm glad to have time now to get back to what this blog is supposed to be about: crafts! I have some new jewelry to post to Etsy and I am pushing along on the Rena cardigan.

Stay tuned!

The Revelry is About to Ensue...

2009-10-30T10:56:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to drop a quick line to say that I will have so much to share after Halloween this weekend! Halloween is probably my favorite time of year, and I have been crafting and decorating like a crazed goblin! Check back next week for some updates.

:)

“Presently, I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief - oh, no! It was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me.”
-from Edgar Allan Poe’s
The Tell-Tale Heart
First published in 1843

A Little Bit of Everything

2009-10-15T08:47:00.001-05:00

Though I haven't been as faithful to this blog in the past month as I would have liked to be, I have been very busy in my crafty little world! From knitting, to beading, to the start of a sewing project, I feel like I've been around the world.

I am pleased to say that Rena is well on the way to the final stages. Here's a peek:

I apologize for the really crappy photos, but something is better than nothing!

I'm currently knitting downward on the body. Another few inches and I'll cast off and begin the shawl collar. I was worried that the collar would take forever, but it has to be better than the monotony of the body. Hopefully it will pay off!

If I'd had more time in my rush to photograph my progress, I'd have put Rena on this:

I am finally the proud owner of a legitimate dressform! My husband surprised me with this on my birthday. My favorite knitted sweater of all time, Quirky Queen, has been proudly displayed on it ever since. She's also modeled a couple of pieces of my jewelry from time to time!

Speaking of jewelry, I suppose it's time for some explanation as to why Rena has taken a ridiculously long time on the needles. I've been working almost every night on my Etsy shop. Jewelry has been on my mind a lot!

Next time, I'll have some more of Rena, and my sewing project. It should be interesting, because I've never used a sewing pattern to make anything....

Slow Going

2009-08-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

These past couple of weeks have left me feeling like I'm stuck in a strange sort of time warp. The daily grind keeps me so incredibly busy that by the time I sit down and breathe, I realize it's almost eleven at night. If I didn't swear about how much I need to have my creative outlets, I might actually realize that on some days, there isn't enough time fore me to make any real commitments to them. Nevertheless, I must create! Who knows, maybe I'm crazy that I manage to steal a few minutes each day to work on something that is only for me...

My new sweater finally has a name! I've decided to call it Rena. Unfortunately, this project has been pretty slow on the needles this past week. I was so hoping to be over the half-way mark by this point. The drive is definitely there but the time simply isn't. I am taking notes (good ones, so far) on my work. If nothing else, it keeps me on track with what I've done since I've had to take so many breaks on this one. Usually when I get really involved with a project, I put other duties on the backburner. I've been reluctant to do that lately because I hate the thought of housework piling up, especially laundry.

Anyway, here's a peek at where I'm at right now. I've casted off stitches for the neck shaping. At this point, I'm knitting the back yoke.

I'll more than likely do each sleeve separately and there will be a seam in the middle of the back where the two top pieces join. That's how the inspirational sweater is constructed, and It will be easier for me than continuing it in one piece.

By my next post, I will have a lot more of Rena to share!

My Needles Are On Fire!

2009-08-21T09:24:00.000-05:00

Guess what??! I started a new project - another of my hairbrained on-the-fly designs. I knew I'd get bitten by the bug again, and since it's August - it's about damn time! I've been scanning my favorite sites for inspiration, patiently waiting for the fall sweaters to appear. Last week in Fossil's website I stumbled upon this:

It's Fossil's Tobie . I figured a lacy sweater in a cotton blend would be a nice easy start to my knitting season. After searching high and low for a durable cotton-blend that wasnt skimpy in the yardage department and didn't contain any wool, alpaca, or silk, I settled on the Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I decided on "stone", a light silvery gray hue. To be honest, using this yarn was my first choice and then I drove myself crazy browsing for better quality (sometimes just means more expensive) yarn. I spent about an entire week debating my yarn order, and then I simply drove to Michael's and bought something off the shelf. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I used Cotton Ease on the Spring Beret that I was knitting (finished now - need to photograph). Anyway, I'm happy with the choice and I'll be the first to raise my hand for the affordability - not to mention convenience - of craft store findings.

What drew me to this sweater was the casual look of the eyelets and rolled collar. I don't plan on making my version quite as long as its inspiration since I'm lacking in the height department. Remember my September Sweater? This will be a lacy, buttonless version. The unique construction is so much fun for me to knit!

So far I am just about finished with a sleeve and because of the sideways design of this sweater, I'll be casing on for the yoke. Maybe I'll have the top half completed over the weekend. Here's a peek of the lace pattern and color:

Anyway, that's it for now. More progress to follow soon :)

Back in the Saddle!

2009-08-12T10:17:00.000-05:00

After an entire summer of non-knitting related crafting and blogging, I am so very pleased to say that I actually spent my free time last night working on this:

It's not much, but it was really nice to get back into doing something I love so much. By the way, the hat is the Spring Beret by Natalie Larson, in Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. I am only about halfway into the second pattern repeat, and I am embarassed to say that my fingers were hurting so bad after doing only this much! What a lightweight I've become! Normally I'm a speedy knitter and I better shape up because I already have plans for two sweaters for the fall. As a matter of fact, I'm planning to go browsing for yarn later today.

In other crafty news, I have completed a commissioned jewelry piece for a friend and I can't wait to give it to her. She simply told me she wanted a ring, something in the pink palatte, and let me run with it. Here's couple of shots:

I used brass filigree for the base and a brass filigree adjustable band, both of which I hand-aged to a bronzy patina. I attached a magenta round glass cabachon and surrounded it with amethyst crystals and brass components - a flower and a butterfly. I sure hope she likes it!

Creativity, Interrupted

2009-07-20T21:39:00.000-05:00

I would love to have something more interesting to write about, but the craziness that is my life has had me too busy to work on anything other than motherhood for the past several days. Last Monday, my washing machine broke! We replaced it by Thursday, but with three kids, the laundry had piled up so high by then that I'm still not completely caught up. Eeeh.

I am proud, however, to say that I've been doing some organizing of the crafting madness! Wow, me and organizing. It's been interesting but now I'm ready to get back to work. Hopefully I'll have something fascinating to share in a few days. Oh, and I'm totally ready for fall weather. I've been patiently waiting for some new yarn and knitting wonderment!

Stay tuned!

Officially Open for Business!

2009-07-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

After a few weeks of organizing and reorganizing my plan for my Etsy shop, I am so happy to announce that I have finally listed a few items and I'm ready for business!

I had no idea what an undertaking this would be. This has been quite a lesson in vigor for me!For any readers out there who have ventured into the world of Etsy, you know that it's not as easy as you think. Making items that you think will sell for a profit is only the beginning. Sorting through costs and Etsy fees to determine pricing, and then coming up with something creative to say about everything was a little mind boggling. Then comes photography. I will say that photographing my jewelry has been easier than my knits. Nevertheless, it is time consuming!

I thought at first that I would make about 20 pieces before I began listing so that I could have a big selection before offering it to the public. After listing my first item, I realized that there's no way I could sit down and do that twenty times consecutively without going bonkers. So I've listed 7 items so far and I've got much more that hasn't even been photographed yet.

I'm doing some self-promoting here on the blog, though I do feel a little bashful about it! If you would like to visit my Etsy shop, scroll to the bottom of my blog and you will find my mini Etsy gallery.

And don't worry, I have not given up on all things knitted! I promise that there are some great things to come in the future!

Now, back to work ;-)

A New Adventure

2009-06-16T09:28:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy to say that after a too-long hiatus from my creative endeavors, I am back! Albeit without knitting needles. Though I have started the Spring Beret, (Ravelry link) I just can't get with it! I've said it over and over, but it's just so hard to knit in the summertime for me. Maybe my brain has seasonal aversion to it.

After much deliberation and a few nudges from friends and family, I've decided to try to start actually making money doing what I love. It's only a start, but I've opened an Etsy store and have been cranking away updating my stash of materials and putting together some pieces. I think I'll wait to post listings until I have a more substantial collection, but I'll share a peek at what I've done so far.

This charm bracelet is a combination of antiqued brass colored chain and ceramic beads on an elastic cord. The charms are a mix of glass beads and antiqued brass bugs.

This is a simple two-strand charm necklace with a mix of metal and glass baubles. The chain is a gold tone with a matching spring ring closure.

This chunky charm bracelet so summery! Again, it is a combo of chain and lightweight wooden beads on elastic cord. No fussy clasp! Charms include a turquoise nugget, glass beads, and two antiqued brass color charms.

This ring is my personal favorite and I'm going to have a hard time listing it! It features raw brass filigree, which I antiqued by hand using vinegar and flame. The band is adustable and is the same finish as the round base. On it, I attached a bumble bee casted in brass along with a crystal in a brass pronged setting. I may have to make one for myself!

My plan is to offer more than just jewelry on the site. I do have some small knitted items in the works (probably when the weather cools down) and possibly a few home accent pieces. It's just the beginning and I'm really excited so I've been cranking out at least two projects a day.

I'll post more pieces as soon as they are completed and soon I'll be ready to open for business :)

I'm Still Here....

2009-05-26T13:12:00.001-05:00

....Though I haven't been doing any knitting. I feel ashamed as I type the words! Spring and summer are always such a ridiculously busy time for my household. It seems like everyone we know is ready to plan parties and trips and lately I've felt like begging to be sick just to have a day at home alone to rest. Well, no one wants to be sick, but I think I've made my point.

I will admit that the lack of creativity in my life has made me feel like I am definitely missing something. Corny as it may sound, my life is incomplete without it and I am in serious need for some needles. I do sincerely want to play with some hand-dyed yarn - I just need to get it started :)

Anyway, since I don't have any WIPs or FOs to show off, I'll share a few pics of a bachelorette bash I was at this past weekend. Totally random, I know.

I'm on the left below, with the bachelorette (it was an 80s themed soiree)

Til next time, I'm throwing pennies for some time to get something going!!

Hand-Dyed Yarn Love

2009-03-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

Lately I've had an insatiable tendancy toward handpainted yarn. I suppose it began with my purchase of one of Stefanie Japel's hand-dyed hanks in the Hope colorway. Here's a peek:

The muted spring colors are absolutely gorgeous on this worsted 100% bamboo yarn. Stefanie included directions for a scarf with a choice of three different stitch patterns. She also sent a couple of beaded stitch markers and a "Glampyre Knits" magnet. I have it on my fridge holding up the handwritten note she enclosed! I've only knit with bamboo once and it was perfect for warmer weather wear. I'm excited to get this on the needles.

While I waited for it to arrive, I played around with dyeing a couple of hanks of my own. This was my second attempt at dyeing and painting yarn.

Here is a collection of blues and teals on 100% mercerized cotton yarn:

It's not the greatest picture, because the actual yarn looks better in person. I have started a simple linen-stitch cowl and the result of the colors together is a very denim-y look. It's definitely no masterpiece, but it's pretty enough for my second try. I guess I'll get some photos when it's finished.

Next, I figured I would try working with wool. In the little bit of research I did, I read that wool is easier to dye and generally produces better results than non-protein fibers. As a beginner, I would agree that it was a lot easier.
Here is a food-coloring (with vinegar) experiment on 100% wool yarn:

I loved the way this wool came out. It was a lot nicer to work with than the cotton. And since I was using food colors, I knew when the yarn was ready, as all of the dye was absorbed and the water was almost clear. It was a neat experiment. I'm planning to buy some acid dyes and play around with it more over the summer, since I probably won't be doing a lot of knitting. Mobile's summers are not exactly conducive to knitted items, especially not wool!

Since my appetite for colorful yarn had not been satisfied, a bit of perusing through projects on Ravelry turned up these fingerless gloves by dawn76. I adore them! As soon as I found out that the Hazel Knits yarn was available for purchase through Etsy, I bought it! I hoped that the color would be as beautiful in person, and it did not disappoint! Have a look:

The colorway is Olympic Rainforest. I'm not sure if my feet are worthy of this sock yarn, so I'll probaby use this 400 yd hank for some sort of scarf. Or I might be a total copycat and make the same fingerless gloves that inspired the purchase. Then again, I could just marvel over it and never knit a thing with it.....

My last and most anticipated splurge was something I had my eye on and almost missed out completely. I found a really awesome collection of hand-dyeds called Fresh From the Cauldron (FFtC) on Ravelry. To my delight, one of the limited edition colorways was inspired from the Twilight series! The artist's username is Squibstitcher, and she has an Etsy shop. I didn't know if she was still dyeing any of these Twilight-inspired yarns, and when I checked her store, there were none for sale. I was very excited when I read on the FFtC group page that she was taking custom orders for colors in the series up until February 28, and then the colors wouldn't be dyed again until possibly 2010. I believe it was 2/27 when I contacted her on Etsy and requested three hanks. Thankfully, I had made the cut. All three hanks arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to take pics.

The first is titled Bella Swan. I believe these colors are perfect for her character, as blue is Edward's favorite color on her. It is a beautiful arrangement of blues and silver.

The next is titled Edward Cullen, obviously for his "liquid topaz" eyes. The color is so warm it is just like sunshine in the middle of summer.

I love all of them, but the third is definitely my favorite, titled Forks, WA. I have always loved green, and these shades of green combined with silver and a touch of gold is perfection!

All three hanks are a merino/silk blend sock yarn. It has a great sheen and is ultra soft. I highly doubt I'd allow any of this beautiful yarn touch my feet. I've never attempted knitting a sock and I certainly wouldn't want to use this to practice. I've no clue what it will be used for, but I had to have it!

I must sing praises for Etsy. I've browsed the site over the past couple of years and gotten ideas for different things. The yarn I bought from Stefanie was the first purchase I ever made. All three transactions went smoothy and the site is easy to use for communication. I have pledged to buy handmade! I think it's very important, especially in these difficult economic times, to support people who make a living with their art. Someday it could be me!

What a Ride!

2009-03-08T10:04:00.000-05:00

After spending most of Saturday sitting at my sewing machine, I am happy to announce that my newest baby, the Quirky Queen Cardigan is complete! The journey of this sweater has been the most enjoyable knitting experience I have had to date. Knitting is definitely a hobby that hasn't ceased to excite me after over four years. It just keeps getting more fun!! Here she is:

The idea for this sweater came from one of my favorite sources of inspiration, Anthropologie. When I had first seen it in the fall of 2008, I hadn't been drawn to it. When I saw it on Grey's Anatomy, I fell in love.

The design process turned my brain a little wacky for a few days, which might be why I decided to start knitting at the waistband. I measured the smallest part of my waist and knitted a simple six stitch cable until it measured just a bit shy of my size. I allowed two purl stitches on either side for selvedge. Then it was back to the drawing board. The fact that this sweater is almost seamless wasn't a design element, it just happily turned out that way! I did some measuring, picked up stitches around the edge of my waistband and began knitting the top portion. I separated the front from the back when I reached the armholes and knit the back first, then each front.

I had a hard time deciding what to do for the peplum of the sweater, so I settled for a 2 x 2 rib. I felt a little defeated at the time that my brain was a bit too fried to come up with something more creative, but in hindsight, I am most happy with that choice.

It was also pretty difficult to come up with the collar I wanted, so I designed that portion while I was knitting it. I probably could have done a better job with it by doing short rows instead of m1 increases, but it's good enough for me. Besides, short rows confuse me!

The sleeves were easy, which I only thought then because I had thrown my reservations out the window by the time I knit them, again an "on the fly" design. I scribbled down my stitch numbers and decreases only so that I could replicate them on the second sleeve. I probably should have taken the time to analyze what I was doing a little better, because they didn't come out exactly the way they were supposed to. I knew I wanted a puffed sleeve, but even after sewing the pleats, they are a little too loose. I might go out and get some smaller coverable buttons and make another pleat at the bottom edge and attach a button, but I'm not sure if the sleeves bother me enough to go to the trouble.

I seamed the sleeves and set them in with my sewing machine only after I attempted to do it by hand. I won't say it was any easier, but it was definitely quicker and produced a better look. Sewing the knitted fabric by machine is a bit trickier than it may seem.

By the way, her name is largely a result of the season of her birth, Mardi Gras, which has a lot of royal themes. I had thought she would be ready right around Fat Tuesday, but me and deadlines are not great friends!

Somewhere along the ride, I realized that the sweater I was knitting didn't look anything like the eclectic Sylvan Scene by Leifsdottir sweater that inspired it. I doubt I could have ever replicated it exactly, but that's why it was such fun - for the first time, it seems more like my design. Well, if you forget that I copied the idea of the big buttons and knitted loops.

Here is a (terrible) shot of the back:

Here's where I reinforced the buttons and loops from the inside:

My husband was like, "that looks raggedy", with a confused look on his face, when he saw what I had sewn on the inside of the sweater. Obviously the man didn't realize that it was exactly the vintage look I was going for. Besides, this Queen has her Quirks! Sometimes men are so clueless! Anyway, here's a shot of the tag I made for it:

I played around with it, and I will probably add an applique' or some other kind of embellishment. I need to get some custom tags made...

Anyway, the Queen is ready enough for her debut, and that will probably happen tomorrow at my office. There's no telling what some of the clueless guys I work with will have to say about it (or what their looks might say). Maybe it will be good enough to write about....!

;-)

Evolutions

2009-02-26T13:22:00.000-06:00

My brain has been on overdrive for the past couple of weeks and it seems to be moving a lot faster than my body, my fingers, can keep up with!

Since my last post, I've delved a little further into the world of dyeing. I think its almost as much fun as knitting! I have a few more color ideas that I'll work on more after I've finished knitting my newest project, which has been inspired by this:

While watching Grey's Anatomy on 2/12, I saw someone wearing the beautiful Sylvan Scene cardigan from Anthropologie's fall catalogue. I hadn't paid much attention to it before, but I knew while watching the episode that I would at the very least try to knit something largely inspired by it. Upon further research - the sweater is sold out online, so I dug around on ebay - I realized how amazingly complicated this sweater is. I thought about what elements of the sweater I liked the most and began the design process.

So far, the things I have knit without patterns have been directly inspired by store-bought pieces, and I have tried to design and knit them in a way that is more or less an exact copy. The creation of this sweater has been completely different. I've had a lot more fun this time with improvising and adding my own details. The finished result may not resemble it's inspiration much at all, but it has been an awesome experiment in how an idea evolves.

At this point, I have knitted most of the body. I will do the collar next, then the sleeves. I am contemplating at this point whether to add a ruffled trim at the bottom hem, both for extra length and extra quirkiness! Here's a sketch of where I'm going with it:

I'm going to block tonight, and hopefully I'll start the collar within the next few days. I'm aiming to be finished with this in about a week. Of course, I do work much better without deadlines.....

Uncharted Territory

2009-02-12T10:50:00.000-06:00

The past few weeks have proven unproductive in my knitting world. I have had a few ideas but no new projects have materialized. I think it may be time for me to dust off the cobwebs and just come up with something.

Turning to yarn for some inspiration, I have discovered how amazing hand-dyed and hand-painted yarns are. Besides, maybe a small project will lead me into something larger. Last weekend, I bought a skein of Stefanie Japel's newest batch of bamboo, the Hope colorway (she came up with it while watching the inauguration). It hasn't arrived yet, but I am so excited to crank out a little spring scarf as soon as it gets here. But I joked to my husband that it may be too pretty to knit!

Looking through all of her photos of the colorways she has made got me thinking that I'd like to experiment. So I did a little research and got some ideas of different methods and tools. Not to my surprise, my town's selection of products for such an experiment wasn't great. But since this was just a practice trial, I made use of what I could find.

I looked through many hand dyed yarns on Ravelry and came up with some colors I'd like to try. Here's my first attempt, before & after:

I'm pretty happy with my first hand-dyed hank! I used some inexpensive 100% mercerized cotton, which took the dye almost too good. I was hoping for more muted colors, not pastel, just not so bright. The real test will be how a knitted item turns out. I'm looking through cowl patterns, and I think I've decided to try the Darkside Cowl first. I may wait for my second hank to dry and use it first, since I think it turned out better.

Here's number two, in the same colors, at a different concentration:

I like the way the brown came out better with this one. I've washed it again since this picture was taken, in the hopes that I could fade the colors slightly. I'll have to wait to see if it worked until it finishes drying.

Here are a couple of pics of the process:

I'm already thinking of new colors to use next time!

Surrender to Pop Culture

2009-01-14T18:02:00.000-06:00

Like a child who can't sleep on Christmas Eve from anxious excitement and wonder, I must confess I have become deeply engaged in something that I would have never seen coming. I feel like such a child saying it aloud, much less typing - but I am undeniably hooked on the Twilight series.

It all began last Friday, January 9th. I had to make a quick trip to Target near my office. I do have quite the knack for noticing their conspicuous, red-trimmed sales signs in my periphery. On this occasion, the one that caught my eye was announcing a price break on Stephenie Meyers' ridiculously popular series of novels. While I don't live under a rock and usually consider myself to at least be aware of current trends, I hadn't quite understood all this fuss over a few books and a movie about a forbidden teenage human/vampire love affair. Yes, I have seen the previews for the movie, and I knew books were out there that were probably a lot better than any movie based on them would ever be! But, I was certain that I was too old to ride that train. As a 25 year-old mother of three children, I couldn't possibly be interested in sapppy teenage love anymore, right?

Hmmm.....

So, I began reading Twilight on Friday evening. I was finished before the same evening hour on the next day! I realized a few moments after closing the book that I was impulsively planning a trip to town to purchase the second installment of the series. Yes, I was hooked! I was truly surprised by the feeling of immediately needing to know what happened next. I surrender!

Anyway, I'm not going to become an obsessive forum-message-poster. And I'm not certain that I'll even see the movie, though I was compelled to check a theater sign and I noticed it is still showing...

Naturally, this newfound theif of my spare time has lead me to intertwine it with another, older (perhaps jealous) theif. When I'm not reading, I'm working on these:

They are Bella's Mittens (ravelry link). An awesome knitter designed these after seeing the movie. Aside from their connection to Twilight, I think these are so cute and I'd probably want to knit them even if I wasn't eduring this current preoccupation with the trend. Besides, it is definitely nice to try something more different - I've never knit mittens before. I thought they would be challenging, but the pattern is so well-written, I'm coasting right through. Another bonus: the pattern is free!

I'm using Lion Brand Wool-Ease, double stranded on US 8 bamboo dpns. The pattern calls for the magic loop technique, but I didn't want to bother learning it in my haste to start them! I must add that working with bamboo dpns is so much easier than their metal counterparts.

Here they are, further along:

If I weren't so busy reading, I'd probably be done now! By the way, I'm already on Eclipse. I literally went to three stores today so I could start it. I'm pathetic! At least I'm not letting my knitting needles suffer too much senseless jealousy!

Updates

2009-01-12T22:21:00.000-06:00

I guess I wasn't kidding when I swore that Bianca was my last FO for 2008. At least it was the last I'd blog about. I did whip out a baby blanket and beret for a couple of Christmas gifts, but I was too caught up in the madness to take proper photos and share them. Oh well!

My family had an awesome Christmas, and as always, once I finally allowed myself to stop fretting over shopping, I enjoyed it to the max! I know that these precious years of us having young kids who still believe in every bit of the magic are limited to a handful - and I don't want to remember them being stressed!

Now that the holidays are over and I have officially settled in to the new year (thank goodness my kids are back in school!), I have had a hard time lately coming up with something that I am craving to knit. This seems silly, but I almost feel like I am letting myself down if I knit something that a ton of other knitters have done, and more than likely done better than I could hope to. I feel like I spent all of fall being in a knitting frenzy, as I hardly got going on one project before I was already planning the next. Maybe that's why now I feel like I'm in a slump. I'm also trying to force myself to come up with something practical that I'll wear over and over. I am absolutely open to suggestions, anyone?!

Despite the fact that we have had ridiculously high temps for this time of year, even in Mobile AL, I have decided that I would love to finally knit a hoodie. I'm pretty sure that I have decided on the Pebble Hoodie from Knitscene winter 07/spring 08. Of course, I already have several mods in mind (cables??). I came across this sweater (ravelry link) that sold me on the idea.

Altough I've had a rough time committing to a large project, my needles have definitely not been idle! I knitted a third Gretel, in Plymouth Tweed:

I'm not exactly thrilled with the yarn I chose. Actually, I'm not thrilled with the way it photographs. It looks so much better in person. Tweed is difficult to knit precise cables, I've found. But after knitting this hat twice previously, I knew that I wanted something a little more casual. I couldn't bear to look at this yarn for another moment without knitting something!

Well, I'm off to bed to do a little reading before I stay up too late. More news soon ~ and hopefully some progress shots!

Bianca, Complete!

2008-12-08T19:41:00.000-06:00

I am so happy to finally be finished with this sweater! I got absolutely nothing accomplised yesterday aside from putting Bianca together. I was so excited that I even wore it today! It was surprisingly warm for this 38-degree morning.

I have to admit that I didnt' realize what I was getting myself into when I decided I could re-create the Lucy sweater from the Fossil Holiday 2008 catalog. The knitting itself was not difficult. But, first I had to take measurements and use them to calculate gauge - without the inspirational sweater, then draw a schematic, and improvise throughout. My head spun a couple of times!

First, I had a hard time figuring out how to get the hems to stand out from the rest of the knitting. In hindsight, accomplishing this was definitely easier and less time consuming than the method I chose. Initially, I knitted a very tight garter stitch for the hem but it looked way too homemade. I hated it by the time I was done knitting the back piece. So, I ended up doing a psuedo-steeking exercise to get them just right. There was something very horrific about cutting into my knitting, but the seams I sewed in (by machine) worked just fine. I even went back and sewed them two more times to be sure I wouldn't unravel!

As for the fit, I could be a little happier. I don't know whether to blame it on the mediocre yarn or the amount of cables, but the sleeves didn't block out as much as I would have liked. They are a bit tight - but I'm hoping they'll stretch. Maybe I'll use a little steam? It also annoys me that the edges of the button band tend to curl inward, and the side seams aren't laying flat enough. Again, I think steaming may help.

Aside from those few peeves, I love the sweater. It turned out almost exactly the way I wanted. And best of all - I had fun knitting it! My first thought was to knit it in some gorgeous Plymouth Tweed I have, but for some reason, I couldn't vision this sweater being tweed. Besides, I'd much rather stare at the skeins of yarn I already own than knit with it. That almost makes as much sense as buying yarn when I have plenty stuffed in various places around my home!!

The details:

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool (merino is missing on the label); almost 5 skeins; dark gray mix
Needles: US 7 for the body & US 6 for the hems/button bands
Began November 17, ended December 8 (took almost a week off for Thanksgiving)

Do you see that eerie blue glow? I forgot to turn the tv off.

I must say that after spending an hour taking photos, I have got to figure out how to take better indoor pictures on my digital camera. It does great outdoors in natural light and when I use the flash indoors, but the flash completely destroys the the colors and fine details. I've seen so many great pics taken with the same Canon Powershot I have on the Flickr group for this camera. I need to learn! Note to self: New Years resolution!

This will most likely be my last sweater for the year. Even though I don't have any knitted gifts planned, I really need to start applying myself to shopping......of course, I could always whip out a project with the aforementioned Plymouth Tweed.....

Progress / Unprogress

2008-12-05T08:59:00.000-06:00

I was so excited last night to begin the final finishing process on my much-thought-about Bianca cardigan. Since I am not working with a pattern, its a little nerve-racking to see if it will turn out right in the end. And, I'll admit, I acutally like the finishing process. It's all about the process.

Last night, however, a bit of that excitement turned to frustrated defeat. Maybe I was just a little too excited to finish. Or, perhaps my multitasking is to blame: I was trying to talk on the phone with family, watch tv, and knit all at the same time. Either way, I picked up stitches along the front for the button bands, and ended up with way too many stitches. After knitting for four inches and casting off, I realized what I had done. I immediately frogged the section, as if quickly disposing of the evidence would make me feel better about the hours I wasted.

This morning I feel better about it, and when I pick it back up this evening, I'll be more attentive to it.

I did manage to take some pics this morning:

Maybe tomorrow, I'll be able to share modeled shots.

And So It Begins

2008-12-04T08:59:00.000-06:00

It appears that the inevitable has happened once again. The holidays are here! I am a little ashamed to say that I don't have any knitted gifts planned this year, for the same reason as last year: I just don't have the time or patience right now. I feel like I am constantly saying that!

I must confess that it has been taking a little more effort for me to embrace the excitement of the season. While I do love all the anticipation and joy, I let myself get so stressed.

Anyway, our family had a great Thanksgiving. My husband comes from a very big family and every year they hold a family reunion. We all stay in cabins in the woods and eat and visit. The group area is alongside a river. Across the river runs a pedestrian suspension bridge - it moves when you walk across! There is a seventy year old lodge made out of huge logs and a tin roof. We ate dinner there in the ambience of candlelight and two wood burning fireplaces on either side of the room.

This is the suspension bridge and just to the right of this is where the lodge was. Too bad I didn't get any pictures that captured the rustic beauty of it =(

And, who says you don't get to see the season change in the south?? Look at this!

Even though I had to put the knitting needles (my husband prefers "chopsitcks") down, and I would have already been done with Bianca, it was great to getaway and do something different.

By the way, I should be done with the sweater in the next couple of days. I finally made it to the finishing process. I actually enjoy that part though! I am excited for it to be done. Pics soon!

September Sweater Tutorial, Complete!

2008-12-01T10:55:00.000-06:00

Please be advised that this was composed from pages of scribbled notes (I'll do better next time, promise!). I tried to proof to make sure it made sense, but it may look like absolute gibberish.

I can make a "free Ravelry download", just don't have the time at the moment.

If you have questions, feel free to drop me a line.
Contact me:
stepheely@aol.com
Ravelry

September Sweater

Preface:
I am not a paid designer. I knit purely for enjoyment! I have never written a pattern with the intention of anyone using it besides myself. However, I had such a response on Ravelry from people who wanted to knit this sweater that I decided to try to organize my notes and come up with guidelines by which to knit something similar to it. I’ll include the cable patterns I used (on the last page), but I don’t remember exactly how I worked the decreases into the cable pattern around the neck area, so I’m leaving you to be creative and pick your own cables.
I will be happy to try to answer questions via my message box on Ravelry, but I can’t be an over-the-shoulder coach! For me, figuring out the quirks and researching to learn new techniques is part of the fun of knitting.

Notes on Construction:
This sweater offers unusual, but simple construction. It is knit sideways starting at the left sleeve. Stitches are then cast on either side of the sleeve to account for the yoke. Then, stitches are decreased to knit the right sleeve. The most confusing part (for me) is casting off and shaping the neck area.
Once the yoke and sleeves are complete, sections are picked up and knit to form the back and fronts. Then, the collar and button bands are picked up and knit last. There is very little seaming involved, but the picking up of stitches creates a type of seam that gives the sweater structure.

Materials
*2 skeins of Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool – or any other worsted weight yarn that will block nicely (blocking is important for this sweater)

*US size 7 (4.5mm) circular knitting needles

*Whatever materials you use to block – I use big beach towels, a windex bottle full of water, and a bunch of straight pins

*Darning needle

Gauge:
4 sts/inch – the gauge of the rows is not so important, since you will be measuring the length as you go.

Begin at Left Sleeve:
CO 100 sts
Work 2 inches in 2x2 rib
Cable set-up row
Work in pattern for 6-7 inches (or however long you want the sleeve to be).

Adding stitches for yoke:
Using the cable method, cast on 20 sts at the beg of next two rows.
Work cable set-up row – work to match cable pattern on sleeve.
Take the time to recognize how the sweater is already shaping up. Your left sleeve is complete and if you are looking at the RS of the work, the stitches on the left hand side are the front of your sweater and the stitches on the right hand side are the back.

Work in pattern until the piece measures 4.5-5.5 inches from the newly casted on yoke sts. (depending on your bust)

Next row (RS): work 71 sts and join new ball of yarn. Cast off 6 sts for neck, work to end of row. At this point, the back and left front sections are separate, and should be worked separately.
Next row (WS): work all sts in patt until last 2 sts, p2tog. Making sure you keep sts separate, work across the back sts.
Next row: work in patt across
Next row: work in patt, repeating the same decrease for neck as last RS row.
Now you will only work the sts on the front. The back sts will be worked later.
Next row: Repeat decrease at neck on EVERY row. RS rows decrease at beg of row, WS rows decrease at end of row. Work four more decreases – 6 total sts have been decresed at neck. Now cast off the front sts.

Continue working the back for approx 6.5 inches – end on RS row – and put all sts on holder (I kept mine on the needles since I have multiples)

Right Front:
Using new thread, cast on 47 sts (or the amount you casted off from the left front)
Work cable set-up row – mirror the cable pattern on the left front piece.
Next row (WS): work all sts in patt, increase one st at end of row. Then, increase one st at neck each row three more times, then every other row twice (same as the decreases you did for left front)
Next WS row: work all sts in pattern. Cast on 6 sts using backward loop method. Replace back sts to needles (if necessary) and join the front and back.
Work in pattern for 4.5-5.5 inches (or to your measurements).
Cast off 20 sts at the beg of next two rows so you are left with only the right sleeve sts on the needles.
Work so that the right sleeve is the same length as left sleeve and cast off all sts.

Now you will pick up sts for the back and both fronts.
Once these steps are complete, the piece needs to be blocked.

After drying, I sewed the seams up the side and sleeves. Next, I knit the collar then the button band. I did 1 x 1 rib for the collar and 2 x 2 rib for the button band.
A final blocking of the finished sweater may be necessary for the collar and button band to lie smoothly.

Encased Cable Panel (worked over 26 sts)
Row 1 (RS): p3, k3, p4, k6, p4, k3, p3
Rows 2, 4, and 6: k3, p3, k4, p6, k4, p3, k3
Row 3: p3, k3, p4, 3/3 LC, p4, k3, p3
Row 5: Rep row 1
Row 7: p3, 3/2 LC, p2, k6, p2, 2/3 RC, p3
Row 8: k5, p3, k2, p6, k2, p3, k5
Row 9: p5, 3/2 LC, 3/3 LC, 2/3 RC, p5
Row 10: k7, p12, k7
Row 11: p7, (3/3 RC) twice, p7
Row 12: Rep row 10
Row 13: p5, 2/3 RC, 3/3 LC, 3/2 LC, p5
Row 14: Rep row 8
Row 15: p3, 2/3 RC, p2, k6, p2, 3/2 LC, p3
Row 16: Rep row 2
Rep rows 1-16 for Cable Panel

2/3 RC: sl 2 sts to CN, hold in BACK, k3, p2 from CN
3/2 LC: sl 3 sts to CN, hold in FRONT, p2, k3 from CN
3/3 RC: sl 3 sts to CN, hold in BACK, k3, k3 from CN
3/3 LC: sl 2 sts to CN, hold in FRONT, k3, k3 from CN

Double Cable panel(worked over 12 sts):

Row 1, 3: knit
Row 2, 4, 6: purl
Row 5: C6B, C6F
Repeat rows 1-6 for pattern

C6B: sl 3 sts to CN, hold in BACK, k3, k3 from CN
C6F: sl 3 sts to CN, hold in FRONT, k3, k3 from CN

Please let me know if you knit this (or anything similar)!!!
By the way, I would have had this up a week ago, but my family vacationed for Thanksgiving. I'll post details (along with updates on my new project) later.

Old Penny, Finished!

2008-11-15T10:50:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, I finally finished my Old Penny cardigan! I really enjoyed this project despite being paranoid that I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish. In the end, I was left with over a half a skein of yarn and I probably could have gotten away with knitting the XS. Nevertheless, its finished and I love it!

The knitting of this sweater was really only half the battle. Blocking, seaming, and finishing felt like it took just as long. Out of anything I have ever knit, this project required the most amount of finishing. That collar and button band drug on forever! But I've come to the conclusion that even though "building" the sweater takes extra time, it produces a much more professional piece. Seamless projects offer more instant gratification, but in my opinion, seams give knitted items more structure, and in the end, I am more gratified with the result.

I may still add the snaps suggested in the pattern. I am also considering using my sewing machine to add buttonholes (again, more structure than ones knitted-in IMO).

Details:

Yarn: Queensland Kathmandu DK, color 423, just over 7 skeins
Mods: Blocked and seamed all pieces before picking up stitches for the collar, added cables up the back

A few knitters pointed out on Ravelry that there are several errors in the pattern. The pattern itself is pretty vague, and from the other Vogue patterns I have read, they are NOT for the beginner knitter. I found something else that no one else mentioned about the short rows for the shawl collar. I studied the picture of the sweater on the model in the magazine, and it appears that the YO increases begin on the front of the sweater where the v-neck begins, not at the sleeves as written. This isn't that huge of a deal, except it changes the way the collar lays on the neck.

The only thing I wish I could change about it is the sleeves. No wonder they took so long to knit! They are slightly too long and too wide at the top of the arm. I believe this to be a design element, judging from the model. However, they are very comfortable and will easily accomodate another shirt underneath, making it more usable in the cold.

As I promised myself, I am busy finishing a baby blanket. She is not due until the beginning of December, but several circumstances have led the doctors to plan a C-section for the 24th of the month. Just over a week left to finish! I'll be done.

I am also very excited to announce that I am currently writing up a tutorial for the September Sweater. So many people on Ravelry have asked for a pattern. I really didn't want to go through the time and stress of a bonafide pattern, but I am giving detailed instructions and notes regarding the construction. You guys won't believe how easy it is! Hopefully I will be ready to share the .pdf by mid-week.

Getting Back Into the Swing.....

2008-11-07T08:36:00.000-06:00

Even though I have not been feeling well, I can't manage to find the time to rest. This time of year my knit creativity meter won't simmer down! I stayed home yesterday and between taking care of my one year old, who has an ear infection, and getting him to the doctor, I almost finished the sleeves for the Old Penny Cardigan. I'm planning on blocking tonight, and depending on how long it takes to dry, I may be seaming this weekend. In my past experiences, the pieces don't take very long to dry. I am excited to finish it up, because I just found what I want to try to knit next:

This sweater is from Fossil (I had no idea they made clothing!). It's called Lucy and I think it's adorable! I have some Plymouth Tweed in this color:

I bought the yarn hoping to knit the Central Park Hoodie. Even though so many people have knit it, I think the basic hoodie sweater is simply a good item to have in the cold-weather wardrobe. I have been hesitant, so maybe this sweater will be a good alternative??

But first I must finish a baby blanket that I am running out of time on. The baby is due in four weeks and I know that if I don't want to be totally stressed out, I should pick it back up.

Next time, hopefully I'll have an FO to share!

Geez, I'm a slacker!

2008-11-05T19:40:00.000-06:00

To put it lightly - I stink at this blogging concept. I haven't posted anything in almost eight months! I am resolving to be better at this. I have thought about updating so many times, only to become discouraged about the amount of catching up I need to do!

So, I have decided that I am not going to play the catch-up game. I think back tracking would be a waste of time. Who wants to read old stuff?

I do have one project for which I intend to post details and someday, even a pattern! Here she is, September Sweater.

Back in August, I saw a cardigan in Buckle that I liked a lot. It was cheap - I could have definitely afforded it. But it was acrylic. I don't know why I have suddenly developed an aversion to sweaters made with synthetic fibers. They just don't last. Besides, I was up for the challenge of knitting it myself! To me, that is the best part of knitting - a challenging project is so much more rewarding than a thrown-together quickie.
Anyway, I got the some ideas on how this could work from this Drops Blouse and the Sideways Spencer, and casted on. If there was one thing that kept me going, it was patience. I knew what I wanted from this project, and if a mistake was made, I corrected it. I didn't give myself a time frame, so there was no pressure.

The details:

Yarn: LionBrand Fisherman's Wool, in natural brown, 2 skeins
Needles: US 7
Began: August 10
Finished: October 6

There are some other details here on Ravelry. Now I realize why I stopped blogging - I put all the details in Ravelry.

Pattern to come, someday.

Spring is in the Air!

2008-03-14T08:45:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I took some time to sit down and think about all that's going on around me. I've been a busybody lately!

Two weeks ago, I spent the weekend in Destin for a bachelorette party. It was a great time and I was very glad to get out and party. I was equally glad to pull back into my driveway Sunday afternoon. I had never spent a night away from my kids, much less a whole weekend.

Last weekend was the wedding, which was also a blast!

A couple of pics:

This is my girl Rita and I at the rehearsal. Below, the bride Tabatha and I.

And here I am, pregaming it:

This was the first thing that came to my mind when I opened the bottle of champagne, and it started bubbling up all over the place. Oh well!

What a wonderful day! Everything was perfect and gorgeous.

Now, on to the knitting portion of this program...

Needless to say, I haven't had a chance for much knitting. I have been trying to get my head together for a couple of warm-weather projects, and I did cast on for the Drop-Stitch Lace Tank, from Stefanie Japel's Fitted Knits. I have wanted to knit this since I bought the book last summer. I was pregnant then, so I had to wait almost a whole year to do it! For the first time ever, I am using the same color of the same yarn suggested in the pattern. I bought the Cascade Pima Tencel in teal from yarn.com, hoping it would turn out to be nice and soft. Yay! I love it, and now I'm just hoping it wears well. I'm always scared to use cotton yarns because in my experience, they get a little fuzzy and lose their freshness. Anyway, here's a peek of my (slow) progress:

I swear I must have done about eight different swatches of the drop-stitch lace, and I just wasn't happy with it. After being so excited and waiting for so long to knit this tank, I was getting very frustrated and almost gave up on it. Then I decided to browse Ravelry to see if anyone had modified the pattern. I can't even count how many times Ravelry has saved my day (three cheers for Ravelry !!!). I found NoKnitSherlock 's version of the tank she confirmed for me how she twisted the knit stitches to make the dropped stitches more obedient. To do so, you would knit into the back of all the knit stitches on the RS of the piece, and (if you are knitting flat) purl into the back of all purl stitches on the WS. Success! I was so happy when I realized how good it looked that way.

As much as I'd like to say that I'll be knitting this all weekend, my yard is beckoning for some much-needed planting and attention. Unless, of course, it rains. We'll see!

I got a new camera - YIPPIEEEE!!

2008-02-19T19:56:00.000-06:00

After about two weeks worth of research and reading through reviews online, I finally made the big decision today about my new camera! And I am stoked! I bought a Canon PowerShot S5 IS. I am in loooooove. It's my first "advanced" digital and I'm still learning, but she does all kinds of neat tricks. Best of all, I can take pictures of myself while looking at myself! No more guessing!

Since I have no brilliant recent FOs, I decided to revisit my Cropped Sweater Jacket shoot. Those old pics really did it no justice. I guess I had this sweater on the brain since my blogger buddy soknitpicky recently finished her version of this cute coat. She did such a great job too!

Yay! I still need to practice with it. I took these quickies using the self-timer. But I am definitely looking forward to many great pics with my new baby!

Mardi Gras and a little knitting

2008-02-09T09:45:00.000-06:00

I have been neglecting most of my projects and housework lately while trying to recover from Mardi Gras (see link below). My husband's very large family comes to town and everything else gets put on the backburner. I usually don't participate in it very much on account of our children, but this year I decided to get out and take the kids. We all had a lot of fun!

Here is my sister in law and her husband and little girl dressed for Joe Cain Day:

Lots of people like to dress up and walk in a parade through downtown Mobile. Below, my father in law is holding my little girl. As you can see, she loves beads!

Oliver mostly snoozed in his stroller during the parades. He got his moonpies second-hand, if you know what I mean!

Mardi Gras was a lot of fun this year. I was definitely glad to see it end and have a chance to get back into the normal routine.

I have a couple of projects going on right now. When don't I??!? Much to my displeasure, I completely screwed up my Gallery Jacket. I have decided to set that one down indefintely. I was just knitting away watching House and forgot I was supposed to be doing twisted rib. I got so frustrated with myself that I realized it wasn't worth frogging and re-doing. Maybe I'd be more excited about it if I restart in a nicer yarn. I loved the color I was knitting, but I'm beginning to hate wool-ease.

I hate when that happens! I was really looking forward to this sweater. I guess it happens eventually to everyone.

Anyway, here is my progress on the Leaf Tee. This pattern is yet another reason why I truly love Ravelry. It has been a huge source of inspiration for me. I'm about halfway done, but I need to get with it if I want to be able to wear this one. Our summers here in Mobile make wearing anything wool downright impossible.

The yarn I chose for this sweater does not photograph well - Euro Yarns Peru Luxury DK. It either looks too violet or too brown. It's actually a plum/eggplant shade. It's very earthy and feels exquisite! It's probably one of the nicest yarns I have knit so far. I may pick up stitches around the neckband to eliminate the rolling. But I think I like it that way.

I am happy to say that I've recently added a few goodies to my stash, but I'm fearing a knitting slump as the season changes. I've been looking for more spring/summer pieces to try. It's a gamble though to order yarn sight-unseen. I miss having a real yarn store here. Business venture?!?!

Before I Learned to Knit

2008-01-25T21:10:00.001-06:00

I have always loved making things. Ever since I can remember I have been called "crafty". My husband, bless his heart, has dealt quite nicely with having a house full of everything from paint and fabric to yarn and beads. Before I learned to knit (also before I became a mother of three) I was obsessed with jewelrymaking. One summer I even earned a pretty good bit of money making custom jewelry.

To be honest, I have been so into knitting lately that I had forgotten how much I loved my beads. They got relegated to the top of my closet (right beside a plethera of faux florals). Knitting became an easier, less cumbersome hobby for me and I just rolled with it.

I don't exactly recall why, but at some point in the last few days, I started jonesing for some new necklaces. So, tonight I decided to pull down those boxes and look through my stuff. Isn't it the greatest feeling to rediscover your treasures after long forgetting exactly what they are?!?! The hubby and two oldest kids went to Mardi Gras tonight so I had some peace and quiet around the house. Here's what I came up with:

That's the pendant anyway. The goal was to be able to match pretty much any color. Honestly, it had been so long since I'd looked at any of it that I wanted to use a little of everything. It's so hard to find good lighting in my house at night. So I whipped out the old "flip the book open" backdrop. It's a Webster's dictionary opened to a random page.

Here is the necklace on:

I wish I could've gotten a better shot. Maybe I will try during daylight to get the detail of it. I love it!

Okay, now I have to get dressed and go somewhere tomorrow so I can wear it!

Here's one more look:

Yay for rekindling an old relationship, and a little change of scenery!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-24T10:42:00.000-06:00

A couple of projects later...

In true fashion, I'm only a couple of weeks late on that one! That's me though. Anyway, I'd like to share my first FO of 08 - Gretel. I was working on her right after Christmas, but I didn't officially draw up the last stitches until after the first of the year. This was quite monumental for me since I don't even wear hats. I've worn this one though! I love it.

Yay! A hat for me. I knit it in Lion Brand Wool-Ease, Oxford Gray. Cheers to a few firsts: first project of the year, first hat for myself. Cool.

Now, on to the second FO of the year, Juliet.

Let me begin by saying that I have a rather large stash of yarn that for some reason I buy and have a hard time using because.....um.....God only knows why. Anyway, I have resolved to cleanse myself of it, so I am working or planning projects right now so it can serve its purpose. I mean, yarn is intended to be knit, so knit it!

Back to the subject at hand:

I did my research on this one. I searched every Juliet on Ravelry. I found a couple that I absolutely loved. For some reason, I had a feeling going into this that the bulkiness of the yarn would cause me to have a hard time with it. But in keeping with my stash-busting mentality, I had to do this. I casted on for the small, not sure whether to do the XS (still trying to lose baby weight). Then I had to decide whether to do the shorter yoke, or have it fall right under the bust. I chose the latter because it didn't do much for me at the shorter length. FAT!

I was so excited to finish that it only took 4 days total, which is pretty damn good for me. When I tried it on, I immediately decided to wash it in Woolite on gentle cycle to try to soften the yarn a bit. It was pretty stiff coming off of the needles and I wanted the lace to be more flowy. I suppose I can't really hope for "flowy" with a bulky yarn. The washing did help as well as a quickie tug or two during the drying process. Before adding the buttons, I tried this:

Cute, but I'm not sure if I pull it off well. I may go back to the buttonless look after its all said and done. Here it is with the buttons:

See that terrible look on my face? I'm thinking, "Why did I knit all those garter rows on the bottom hem?" That could be another reason that it's not draping the way I want it to. I'm going to rest on this for a couple of days then I may decide to frog a couple of the rows to see if that helps. If I decide to stick with buttons, I may move them over about 1/2 an inch to make the top fit tighter. You can't really tell from the pics, but its a little loose. Guess I should have done the XS!

I do have two other projects (stashbusting!) on the needles that I'm hoping to finish soon. First off, the Gallery Jacket that I started in November hoping to have done by Christmas. Needless to say that didn't happen. I am about halfway up to the armholes. Maybe I can get some of that done over the weekend.

Also, I am about halfway done with the Leaf Tee, a super-easy top-down raglan t-shirt with a lace panel down the middle of the front that adds just enough interest. I have about 9 balls of this really pretty wool/alpaca/silk blend that I got dirt cheap. Here's a peek:

I'm not sure what's going on with the coloring here. I was trying to take advantage of some natural light (hate the flash!). The yarn is not nearly this blue. It's more of an eggplant or plum color.

Hopefully I can post some more finshed goods before the end of the month. I guess I have been lazy about this blog since I post all the details of projects directly on Ravelry. I am so addicted to that site.

Cropped Sweater Jacket - FINALLY!

2007-12-30T21:05:00.001-06:00

Oh my gosh, I am so so happy to be done with this. I have actually lost sleep over getting this thing done. It would have been finished a couple of weeks ago, but some last minute Christmas knitting slowed me down. Anyway, it's done and I am so happy with the results. This is the first time I have ever carried an idea through to completion and been so happy with what I came up with.

I won't lie, I used some help from Norah Gaughn's Tilted Duster. As a matter of fact, I used enough of her pattern that I feel like I would be violating copyright laws if I called it my own. The obvious mods are listed in a post below. The sleeves are the same.

I believe I have already posted the stats, but here they are again:

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun, in Antique, approximately 4 balls.

Needles: US 8 (5 mm)

Please do excuse the crappy shots. I couldn't wait for a better opportunity to take some pics, so I settled for this morning in my bedroom.

Yay for being done. Yay for being empowered to dig out some more UFOs and get 'em done!

It's beginning to look a lot like....

2007-12-14T21:45:00.000-06:00

Christmas! I finally got off my ass and started my shopping. I came to a realization after pondering last year's "handmade holiday" frenzy that I wouldn't be trying to make gifts for everyone on my list this time. Sometimes it's just easier to spend money. Not to mention that knitting and painting and beadsmithing are all really hard to do with three kiddies to take care of.

Nevertheless, Christmas is already wearing me out. I keep telling myself, "just keep swimming, just keep swimming...."

However, I do have just a couple of projects to knock out and wrap before Christmas officially arrives.

I made Ysolda's Gretel, a fantastic knitted beret. I absolutely love the way it turned out. I don't really wear hats, but for this one, I'd make an exception. Here's a shot of her in progress:

I'm making a scarf to match and hopefully I'll have time to knock out another hat like this. It was so much fun to knit. In the essence of time and money, I just used some cheap acrylic I had in the stash. Lion Brand Vanna's Choice to be exact. I used just under one ball. Not bad - a $2.99 hat! It knit up pretty darn quick too. Really it was only about three nights of knitting until it was done.

Thankful for beautiful fall weather!

2007-11-23T22:25:00.000-06:00

Here in Mobile AL, we never really get to experience fall. We don't get the beautiful changing of the leaves and most of the season, we still get highs in the mid to upper seventies and even the eighties.

But today was quite an exception. Me and Ben went for a bike ride around our neighborhood and stopped to enjoy the "swamp".

Thank God for days like today. It was actually good to get out of the house and not get any knitting done!

Back to work....and still knitting

2007-11-22T17:37:00.000-06:00

Ugh. After 5 weeks of maternity leave (the 1st of which I was still pregnant), I went back to work on Monday. I definitely wasn't ready for it, but then again I probably would never be really ready to go back. But, I'm not a stay at home mom, so therefore, I work. It's just the way it is. At least I get to bring Oliver with me. I can't complain about that! Not to mention it was sweet to go back on a short week - we got off for the week at noon Wednesday.

In knitting news, I have embarked on a bit of a sweater-ama. I have so much going on right now in the way of projects.

I'm really excited about this cropped sweater jacket:

It still needs sleeves (duh). It's my first "saw it, loved it, didn't want to pay 88 bucks for it" design (see pic in a post below). They say necessity is the mother of invention. True, true. Hopefully this invention will be the first of many successful attempts at such.

A few notes about this sweater:

I based my pattern very loosely on the Tilted Duster from IK Fall 2007. You can see that the shaping of the front is different and it's longer. I also picked up stitches along the bottom edge to pull it in toward the body.
I am using Lion Brand Homespun. Except for the color, I can't stand this yarn. I bought it super cheap and it's a pain to knit (typical 100% acrylic shit). Maybe I had such a hard time because I used small needles, but I wanted a thick fabric for the jacket. Anyway, I paid for it and I couldn't take it back so I used it. But I won't buy it again. It's a shame too because it comes in so many sweet colors, but never again.
When I finish the sleeves, they will be long, hitting below the wrist. I'm calling them extended sleeves.

I'm looking forward to this sweater fitting a little better when I lose my pregnancy fat and boobs. Who knew that I'd hate them when I finally got them!?

I'm also b r e e z i n g right through the Cherie Amour from Knitty. http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATTcherieamour.html

Here she was as a tiny baby:

She has grown a lot since then! I'm working on the midsection now. I'm using Moda Dea Tweedle Dee. Ironic, because I used to hate it. I actually decided it wasn't too bad after finding another version of this sweater on Ravelry that had been knit with it.

Anyway, it's knitting up very nicely and I think it is a perfect yarn for this sweater. I will probably finish it tomorrow. yay! Talk about instant gratification. I love that.

I have also casted on for the Gallery Jacket:

Pattern by Cirilia Rose, whose blog is here: http://skrillaknits.wordpress.com/

I am knitting it in Lion Brand Wool Ease, cranberry. I know, more cheap acrylic shit. But I loved the color, especially for this jacket. I'll post a pic when it takes some shape.

Brea: Done!

2007-11-13T09:41:00.000-06:00

After literally months of this UFO looming over my head.....Brea is finally finished! I am so excited to finally hand this baby over to her new mommy. I made this for my best friend, Jennifer, and I can't wait to give it to her.

I really hope she likes it! It will be hard to give it away, but I have already knit this one for myself and she really deserves it anyway. Check out that button - isn't it awesome?! I got it from my LYS, before they closed up :(

Yesterday was a huge day for finishing for me. I sewed the lining for the bag and assembled it, which actually took all day. Yay for being done!

Fall Projects

2007-11-11T08:35:00.001-06:00

I have knitting A.D.D.! No doubt. I have been on maternity leave and I have had the opportunity to stay at home and chill out with my beautiful angel, Oliver, and if he could use his hands, he'd be a knitter by now too.

I'm so close to finishing up the Brea bag for my BFF. It will be hard to hand that one over, its so sweet!

I am planning to place the second sleeve on my Drops 103-1 Jacket. It will be completely done once the last sleeve is put in. I have had so much fun knitting that one. Its my first seamed sweater and I am so proud that it is turning out so well. I'll probably end up making another one. Here's the pic from the pattern:

Mine is a darker charcoal gray tweed yarn. I used Paton's Shetland Chunky Tweeds. It was a decent yarn to knit with, especially considering I got it on sale - eight balls for around 30 bucks. I made only a few changes to the pattern. I'll put up some pics this afternoon!

Next, I'm going to try to knit this: We'll see how this one goes. I'll be heavily modifying a pattern I have for a different sweater, the Tilted Duster from the Fall 07 issue of Interweave Knits - http://www.interweaveknits.com/

And, just in case anyone thinks I should add another project to the ever-growing to-do list, here is Cherie Amour, from the Fall 07 Knitty - http://www.knitty.com/:

I've been pretty busy!

2007-10-29T07:37:00.000-05:00

I've had a busy past couple of weeks! Baby Oliver was born last Tuesday, October 23! He is quite an angel and I am loving every minute of having him home. Here he is:

I am also happy to report that Oliver's blankie is finally finished. I didn't get it done in time for his arrival - he did come a little early - but it is done now! Overall, I am very pleased with the way it turned out and it is another example of how changing the recommended yarns can work just fine!

I used Berroco's Endora pattern and the only modifications I made were, of course, using different yarns. The cabled part was done in a brushed acrylic yarn bought at JoAnn's. The edging was done in Riot Eyelash, a Yarn Bee brand from Hobby Lobby. I was a tiny bit displeased with the slight ruffling effect on the ends, due to picking up a few too many stitches. I'm happy enough with it though.

I have three WIPs rolling along at the moment, but I must admit that Oliver steals my attention, so the projects are sitting on the back burner right now. I am really excited about a purse I am working on for my best friend right now, and that should be done really soon.

At least its Friday....

2007-10-05T10:06:00.000-05:00

Good Lord! What a morning it has been so far. The day actually started out okay, and I was a few minutes ahead of schedule. I was excited about stopping for coffee, and looking forward to enjoying it as I checked emails after arriving at work. I got my coffee, got to work, and walked up to my desk. I was waiting to drink the coffee until I sat down. As I placed the cup on the desk, it tipped over and the entire cup spilled all over the place! The $4.46 coffee, which I didn't even get one taste of, is currently mocking me as it's scent wafts up from the carpet of my office. Bastard.

I wont even go into my (pregnancy) hormone-filled rage that followed the above incident, other than to say that I almost threw my chair off of the mezzanine and on to the warehouse floor below. Now, I am moving on and trying to approach the remainder of my morning with calmness. hummmmmm.....

I went to the doc yesterday and, shockingly, I am still pregnant. I have been so ready to have my little Oliver and get back to being me again! I finally realized last night, with a sense of urgency, that I've let my anticipation cloud the reality that I still have to make preparations for our new little one. I have assigned myself the task of having a complete nursery set up to come home from the hospital and I haven't even started it yet. Four weeks and counting.......hummmmmm....

Oliver's blankie

2007-10-02T10:11:00.000-05:00

I am so happy that I finally casted on for Oliver's blankie. He will be here in about four weeks, so I have just enough time to finish it. After toying with the idea of combining a few different cable techniques and not being satisfied with anything, I opted to just use a pattern. I found this on Berroco's website:

Isn't it cute??? I am using different yarns than the pattern calls for. The cabled part is a very light green brushed acrylic yarn, so it is slightly fuzzy. The yarn I bought for the edges is this:

I've knit with this yarn before and was most pleased with it, so I'm hoping it works out for this blanket!

A few things that actually got finished!

2007-09-27T08:24:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if you have ever started a project and not finished! Me! Well, this summer, as I have said, I actually did finish a few things. Let me first say that there's not a whole lot of options for wearable items for the pregnant chick out there. (Book idea, anyone??!)

Speaking of books, I must sing the praises of Fitted Knits, by Stefanie Japel. This book is right up my alley. As the weather gets cooler and I get my body back, I definitely plan on knitting more from this book. I immediately fell in love with the simplicity of the two-toned shrug. Here's my version:

I used Berroco's Bonsai. It feels brilliant next to your skin, even in the heat and humidity of the summer. The yarn actually feels cool to the touch. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend knitting fall or winter sweaters with it, but I would definitely knit with this again. In this close-up, you can see the sheen of the yarn. I love how the collar stands up too.

Where I work, my office is about the level of atmospheric comfort of a refrigerator! So, knitting a cute little cardigan was not only fun, but necessary. Cropped cardigans of different shapes and designs can be found in abundance on the net. I really just wanted to knit something easy, with a little bit of shape, in a washable, affordable yarn.

Let me introduce Terra:

She is much cuter on, but it's pretty difficult to get your five-year-old son to take a good picture! The hubby is on the night shift, which is about the only time I think to pull out the digital camera. Anyway, I'm going to call this my own design, because I pulled ideas from a few different patterns and threw my own spin on it. I know it's pretty rudimentary, but it serves it's purpose well. Terra was knit from Lion Brand's Cotton Ease, in Terra Cotta. Hence, the name. I used between 2-3 balls. The ribbed edging was done on 4.5mm circs and the rest on 5.0mm circs. If I knitted this again, I'd add more buttons, but I think it's fine the way it is.

Here's a detail shot:

I've got two more sweaters in the works right now. I also still need to start Oliver's blankie. He's still in the factory if you know what I mean. I only have about a month before he comes so I need to get rolling with it. I made him a pair of Saartje's Booties. Pattern here: http://www.saartjeknits.nl/ I still need to attatch buttons before I post a FO pic, but here's what they look like now:

I've been having an affair with the color orange lately. I've seen way cuter versions of these out there, but I really wanted to use this wool/microfibre blend I've had for a while. I'll make him a couple more pairs I'm sure.

Anyway, that's enough for now. I shall be updating soon on my sweaters. I'll keep them a surprise!

Laters!

A Summer of Knitting!

2007-09-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

Here's my Lelah!

I have been quite busy this summer knitting this and that. I was so happy to find an ample amount of knitters on the net who apparently are as obsessed with knitting as I am. (Thank you, http://www.craftster.org/)!

This top, which is an adaptation of a pattern called Lelah, actually fits over my pregnant belly! My version uses a different lace pattern, old fern, instead of the fishtail lace. I added i-cord for straps and drawstring and several rows of stockingette stitch at the bottom to create a fitted blousing effect around my waist. I decided against using elastic around the top of the bust, because I wasn't sure how my sizing in that department would change after the pregnancy. I'm really hoping my plan of creating something I can wear after the baby comes will work out. We'll have to see about that. I don't have any "action" shots of this top yet, but hopefully we'll get around to taking some in the future.

Pattern for the original Lelah can be found on this blog: http://www.knittingforboozehags.com/!

Here's a detail shot. I used Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Lake, approx 2.5 balls.

First Blog....

2007-09-25T19:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm totally new at this blog thing. I've been meaning to start one for a few months now, and I finally decided to organize some photos and ideas and get ready. Lately I've been a little obsessed with knitting and I'm planning to use this blog as a way to chronicle thoughts and ideas pertaining to that.

Enough!