Knitting/Crochet Blog Week

Eskimimi has created a knitting and crochet blog week (Thanks, Joan, for pointing me to it!).

I learned to knit in October, 2006 from Linda at Have Ewe Any Wool? My mom comes from a long line of knitters, and took knitting up again when she became a grandmother. I remember her trying to teach me when I was young, but like a lot of crafty things, I just didn't have the patience. After having kids though, and watching my mom knit, I decided I might like to give it a try. So, mom watched the kids and I went to her knitting class in her place.

Linda is a terrific teacher, and had me knitting and purling in no time. I bought some brown Galway wool, and made my husband a seed stitch scarf for Christmas. I made another scarf a couple of toddler sized ponchos (two scarves stitched together), and then graduated to more complex things. I can't imagine my life without knitting now. What would I do with myself?

Who taught you to knit?

My Knitting Mojo is Back!

At last, I'm back in the knitting groove!

I spent last week with my parents. I love Western New York. If any of you are thinking about moving, I promise, it's a great place. On Thursday, I went to my mom's knitting class at Have Ewe Any Wool, and I worked on little girl's winter hat (she wanted a purple hat.) (BTW, the Thursday group at the shop is full of the nicest, most encouraging fellow knitters you will ever meet.) The hat pattern is from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders, and it worked up super quickly. Sadly, right at the last minute, just when I was sewing up the top, I dropped a bunch of a stitches. A BUNCH. Thankfully, my mom fixed it for me. (Aren't moms great?)

(Ruggles seems to be missing, so little girl's pal Annabelle is modeling hats today.)

The following day I started little boy's winter hat. No published pattern here (that I know of) - just your basic hat. I love the colors, and it looks fabulous on him! I think I will make matching mittens, and if there is enough yarn leftover, add a pompom on top. (Oh, btw, both hats were made with Plymouth Encore.)


I also brought the February Lady Sweater. Sadly, I had to rip back 8 rows or so because of a mistake. I'm now one row ahead of where I was when I got to my parents, but now I have a load of stitch markers to help me keep my place.

I also bought some yarn for a baby sweater and some LOVELY alpaca to make a tam for my sister-in-law. Remember my short list of Christmas knitting? The one I made so I wouldn't stress myself out? Yeah, that's out the window. I'm back to wanting to knit for all the babies, and make two tams, plus the Oriel Lace Scarf I want to do. And finishing my sweater sometime this year would be nice too.

I pretty much plan on knitting whenever humanly possible - but I feel great about it!!!!

Lucky me, I got back to town just in time to go see the Yarn Harlot in Cambridge. How convenient that she was speaking just 10 minutes from my house! I love hanging out with knitters! Within seconds of sitting down, we were showing each other our knitting, pictures of our kids, and comparing LYSs. I don't know if you know, but in general, strangers sitting next to each other do NOT speak to each other in New England. It's been a hard lesson for me to learn, and one that I love does not apply to other knitters.

(Sorry about the picture quality - I should have replaced the batteries in the camera before I left.)

Anyway, back to Ms. Pearl-McPhee. If you haven't read of her books, read them! She's funny. She's smart. She's an amazing knitter. (Best advice so far - It's only yarn.) If she is coming to a place near you, go see her! She's just as funny in person, and you feel like she's a really approachable person.

While there, I worked on a second hat for little girl. Not that she needs one, but her new snowsuit perfectly matches a half-ball of yarn I've had sitting in my stash, and knitting a hat didn't require too much attention. I hope to finish that today, and work on my sweater. I will have to decide what the rest of the week's playground knitting will be - but rest assured, there will be knitting!

P.S. Did you notice the counter up top? I'm in my 20th week. Halfway there! Last night, Daddy was able to feel a couple of kicks!

Grown Up Clothes!

Here it is, my first adult sized garment -the Lillian Tank!

Although I'm not all that thrilled with how I look, I'm THRILLED with the tank top. It fits perfectly, it's very comfortable, and I think it looks just lovely!






This has definitely taken away some fear of investing in some larger projects, and I got to wear it on last Thursday to knitting class with my mom. I'm very proud!

I've cast-on for a pair of socks, a tank top for little girl, and a baby baseball tee. Not much done on any of them so far!

Happy knitting!

Ravelry Pictures

Yesterday, it was REALLY cold, and I didn't feel well. So, the little ones and I hunkered down inside, played with new toys (Little People, American Girl Doll, and knitting), and I finally figured out how to use my Flickr account and how to post pictures to Ravelry. Two of my projects now have pictures, and if I get really good at putting my projects up on Ravelry, more will come.

In the meantime, here's a picture of the Cross-Stitch scarf from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders. The yarn is Manos del Uruguay I bought during Linda's sale. It's also the yarn the pattern called for, but in a different colorway. The lighting for the picture isn't great, but it will have to do for now.

I was really glad to have a day just to sit around and not worry too much about anything. I made a significant increase in the length of the scarf, so I feel like I've accomplished something. I do need to stop avoiding casting on for my second sock though.

Little girl is going to Grammy's for a tea party, so little boy and I will be hitting A.C. Moore for the LB Suede. Incidentally, I happened to be flipping through the channel guide yesterday just when Knitty Gritty was on, and they were running the sampler shrug episode. Isn't that crazy? (If you don't know why it's crazy, read my last post.) It must be meant to be!

Happy Knitting!

Merry Christmas!

Sorry, this message is a few days late.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I pray that everyone has a peaceful and happy holiday season. I am constantly amazed that God loves us so much that He sent us His son.

Our family had a wonderful holiday! My brother-in-law cooked an AMAZING meal for Christmas eve - 7 fishes, including lobster ravioli, stuffed clams, shrimp and scallops! YUM! The little children loved opening gifts on Christmas morning, and I am excited to say, that even though he didn't open up gifts at our house until almost 8 p.m., Big boy LOVED his hat and scarf!

The day after Christmas we headed to Buffalo to be with my family. More wonderful family time, and we will be here until Jan. 1.

DH gave me "101 Designer One Skein Wonders" and I've already started the cross-stitch scarf. I'm also working on my first pair of socks. I got to go to Knit in the Round with my mom yesterday. I can't tell you how much I wish I had a yarn shop with a proprietor like Linda near me. Oh, plus, there was a HUGE sale! I bought some Manos del Uruguay for my scarf and some yarn for projects yet to be determined. It's not too early to start knitting for next Christmas, is it?

Happy knitting everyone!

Pictures for Yesterday's Post

Okay, here are the pictures I was too lazy to take yesterday.

Fingerless gloves, of two different sizes. (They're not blocked yet, but they look really nice when they're on my hands.)


Sock yarn bought at Have Ewe Any Wool?'s Anniversary Celebration. I wanted to do some self-striping yarn, but the Celestial is SO soft, I just want to cuddle with it. Of course, I won't be knitting socks until I finish two more fingerless gloves of different sizes, and 4 more hats for small children. You would think the hats would go fast, but the pattern that I like calls for several inches of K1P1 ribbing, which just isn't a fast process for me.


The Norwegian Hat. I'm using Dolly yarn. My mom is having a bit of trouble with the yarn stretching for her mittens, so I'm a little nervous about the hat. BTW - My mom is SO awesome! She bought me the yarn, and lent me her #3 and #4 circular needles!!



And, just because it's so darn cute, here's another look at the Gelato bag Anne made me.



Thank goodness the sun is out today! My little ones need to run around. I think I already mentioned, DH is camping tonight. SO, I'm hoping the kids will go to bed easily, and I can vegetate in front of some ridiculously girly movie with a chicken finger sub. We'll see how it goes!

Happy Knitting!

Knitterly News

I have actually done some knitting.

I finished my project for The Book Thief for Knit the Classics. I'll be posting about that later today or tomorrow.

I started a hat for a small child at the Sabres game Thursday night. (Sabres lost in overtime. Very sad, but GREAT game!) I also have the Wave Fingerless Gloves from One Skein Wonders on the needles, and a Norwegian hat.

Oh, the hat! Okay, so when I was in Buffalo I took a Norwegian mitten class at Have Ewe Any Wool. After getting the technique down for the colorwork, I realized that my stitches were pulled way too tight. So, I was going to rip out the thing and start over. Then, I realized that the way the pattern is written, I would have had to figure out how to move the thumb over to the other side by myself. I decided it was a little much, and thus, I'm going to make a hat instead. Sadly, I haven't had a chance to work on it since getting home. Colorwork requires concentration, and it's hard to do that when the kids are around. This week has been so crazy with Halloween, I just haven't had the energy after the kids go to bed. But, I am thinking about working on it soon.

Three hours later:

Okay, I finished the fingerless gloves. Sadly, one of them is 8 rows shorter than the other. I must have miscounted the repeats. The good news is, I have enough yarn to make two more. One of them, of course, 8 rows shorter than than the other.

Sorry for the lack of pictures - I'm feeling lazy. I'll try to add pictures tomorrow.

DH is going camping tomorrow night with kids from school. I'm kind of looking forward to an evening by myself, but we'll see how the kids are. They've been really hyper this week (gee, I wonder why? Halloween parties and candy and weird nap times, and all.) Hopefully, the weather will allow us to get outside tomorrow.

Happy knitting!

Other Life Updates

I know that I promised to update everyone on our trip to Buffalo. But, three Halloween parties in three days has kept us pretty busy!

We had a great time! I got to eat all my favorite WNY foods - I had a great fish fry, tacos from Mighty Taco, and a Wegman's Roast Beef Sub (which is really a D'Bella's sub). If you don't know what Wegmans is - it's the best grocery store in the world! In fact, they just won a Food Network Award. I mis Wegmans.

We had really great weather for most of our trip, and the kids walked just about every day. My parents live in a suburb with sidewalks with a good 10 feet between the sidewalk and the street, and their area isn't very busy, so it's easy to let the kids walk a lot. Little Girl and I went hiking one day with my Dad on Grand Island, and little boy got his first hair cut.

The last weekend we were there, my two aunts and my cousin came to visit. We all had fun, and one aunt, my cousin, and I visited Have Ewe Any Wool to celebrate Linda's 3rd anniversary as a shopowner. I bought some yarn for socks, and I'm trying to get through my Christmas knitting so I can get to the socks!

The trip home was uneventful, especially since the kids slept through Massachusetts.

TONIGHT - the Bruins play the Sabres, and I'm going to the game! (Is it wrong to wear a Bruins jersey but cheer for Buffalo?)

OH! I got my Ravelry invite today. My username is "Dorothy" (well, it wasn't taken yet), and hopefully I'll have something up there soon!

Happy knitting!

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa

Hello everyone!

Yesterday, I drove with the little ones to the Buffalo area to visit my parents. We're going to be here for a little over a week. Which, I have to say, is pretty exciting for us. However, it also means that I missed the package that arrived at my house yesterday. I can see it too - just as I pull around the corner, the mail truck stops at my house. So, if, say you are my felted fall bag pal or crochetaholic Debb, please understand why you aren't hearing from me. I contemplated having my husband ship the package to me here, but I didn't think I'd be able to talk him into it.

Also, I don't know how much I'll have to post between now and next week. Although, I am going to a Norwegian Mitten class on Monday at Have Ewe Any Wool.

Have a great week!

Diary of a Fall Felted Bag

I received a comment on my blog today that my FFBE Partner got her package! She is going to the Women of Faith Conference this weekend (so jealous!), so you probably won't see anything on her blog for a while. But, I can finally share with you the bag I made!

Days 1-9

I am assigned a pal - Shawnee! I spent a lot of time looking at patterns, and comparing them to Shawnee's bags of choice. She's a fan of the Noni bags (aren't we all?), but I just don't think I possess the necessary skills yet. She really liked the Bobble bag, and then I found this bag from Crystal Palace yarns. I thought to myself - hmmmm...if I used Crystal Palace's Popcorn yarn instead of Dragonfly, I could make something similar to the Noni bag. I also modified the pattern to work it up in the round, rather than having to seam up the sides. Gather up all the extra goodies for the package. Not particularly difficult, since Shawnee likes Mary Englebreit stuff.

Days 9-12

Call a few yarn shops who carry Crystal Palace Yarns. None of them have Popcorn. Finally, Butterfly Yarns in Wakefield mention that they have Bobble yarn by Cascade. I think to myself - that might just work!

Day 20

Go to Butterfly Yarns. I have to say, I had been there at the beginning of the summer, and I just wasn't impressed. Have I mentioned Linda at Have Ewe Any Wool? The woman understands customer service, and thus, I have pretty high standards.

This second visit was such a different experience! Donna couldn't have been more helpful (I don't know who was running the store the first time I was there). Cascade Bobble wasn't exactly what I expected, but then I discovered Little Flowers. I was psyched! But, as often happens, as I looked over other yarns, and at sample projects, I decided Little Flowers just didn't cut it. Shawnee had described herself as liking crazy bags. When I saw Squiggles, mixing up tealish colors and purple, I knew I had it! I left the store feeling so proud that I had my yarn, and that I was going to use a pattern I had modified all by myself!



Day 13

Cast on for the bag. Love the way the Squiggle looks, happy that it's knitting up fast. I work on the bag during the second monthly Knit, Craft, Snack, and Chat night at my house. Realize there's a lot of snacking and chatting, but I seem to be the only one knitting/crafting.

Day 14

Decide to add an actual bottom, rather than just sewing up a seam. Put stitches on holders, garter stitch a rectangle, three needle bind off, and figure out how to attach the side stitches. Starting to get nervous about the actual felting process. Wondering how forgiving a person Shawnee is, if she gets a bag NOTHING at all like what she had in mind.

Day 15

Knit the handle, attach, and felt the bag. I LOVE IT! It came out so much cuter than I thought it would! Even Big Boy is impressed, and that says a lot! Stuff it with towels to dry.



Open up Excel spreadsheet of projects, and wonder....what will I cast on now?

Too much effort...decide to bask in the wonder of a finished object, and go to bed.

Day 18

Realize I need a box in which to mail all the goodies!

Day 24

Find box. Put package together. Have lots of fun imagining Shawnee opening up the box, with the leaves in it, and finding all the Mary Englebreit goodness AND what I think is one beautiful fall felted bag!

Many thanks to ALL of you who participated in the swap. I had a great time reading your blogs and getting to know you. A special thanks to Anne for all of her organizational work.

Knittiversary

This Thursday, a year ago, I learned to knit! Thanks Linda and Mom!

I've been working on the Give it a Whirl bag - here's a picture, but honestly, it doesn't really look like much yet.



Happy Knitting!

Fall Felted Bag Exchange Questionnaire

1. How long have you been knitting or crocheting? How did you learn? or from whom?
I've been knitting since October, 2006. I learned to knit from Linda at Have Ewe Any Wool


2. What was your first felted object, and why did you decide to try felting?
My first (and only) felted object was an accessory bag in the One Skein One Wonders book I tried it just to try felting.


3. What are your favorite colors? Any you hate?
I love pinks and purples, but I wear a lot of navy and red. I don't particularly like brown.


4. What are your favorite styles\types of bags? (Long straps? Short handles? Handbags? Totes? Embellished? Plain? Include links to patterns or photos if you’d like – give your pal an idea of what you enjoy!)
Wow - I don't know. I have two small kids, so I like a strap I can put over my shoulder. It doesn't have to be super long, just long enough. I honestly have nothing to cart my knitting around. I've been spending so much time thinking about what kind of bag my pal might want, I haven't thought much about what I would like! I'll give it some thought and get back to you!


5. What handbag or bag are you carrying today? Do you use a separate bag to carry your knitting?
Well, I have a small woven black purse and a small woven tan purse. Mostly I use a backpack or diaper bag. But, I like carrying bags, and my kids are to the point where I just need an extra diaper and some wipes for running errands and such. (Hmmm, a bag that at least fits a couple of diapers would be great!)



6. What other things do you enjoy knitting or crocheting?
Right now, I'm on a hat kick. I'm working on Christmas gifts for family, and hats are quick and fit my skill level. But, I'm excited for all the things that CAN be knit and want to learn just about everything!



7. What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum)
I have a set of Denise needles, so I use those for most things. My only set of dpns is bamboo. That's right - I own one set of size 8 dpns. I'll probably be buying a set of 6s soon. But, I think real knitters have more dpns than that.



8. What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make?
Socks, mittens, the wonderful wallaby, a sweater for myself



9. What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with?
I don't know. I've used wool, and wool acrylic blends (small children - clothes must be washable!). I've also used cotton for dishcloths, and I did one cute bag in Egyptian cotton (that was nice stuff!)



10. What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden?
I like to cross-stitch, but I haven't done much since I took up knitting. I don't spin. I do love to cook.



11. Besides yarn, do you collect anything?
I like things with frogs on them.



12. What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to?
I like chocolate. Any kind of chocolate. I like sweet tarts and Swedish fish. I don't like coffee (I know, that's weird.)



13. Do you have any kiddos? (Furry kind count!)
Three kids, ages 7 (boy), 2 (girl), and 1 (boy). We also have a fish, but I ignore it.



14. What kind of project best personifies you and why?
I don't know! I haven't done many different kinds of projects yet. OH! I have it! I've knit 14 dishcloths this year, and none of them were for me. So, dishcloths - they're simple, they don't take a lot of concentration, and people really appreciate that you've thought of them. Plus, you can use whatever color floats your boat at that moment.



15. What is your favorite part of Autumn? You can also share a special Autumn memory if you'd prefer!
I love the leaves! It's such a great time to be outside. I spent a lot of time last Autumn raking the leaves in the backyard (which my landlord appreciated!) It was fun being outside with the kids!



16. Tell us 3 things you would do if you won 10 million dollars in the lottery.

1. Pay off my school loans
2. Buy a house
3. Have a huge party and pay for all my friends and family to travel to get there