The very first mitten

I didn't really enjoy the knitting of the mitten. Maybe its because I don't like mittens in general (too confining) or because I don't really like the yarn color (too blah) or because .... well, who knows. But I am proud of the mitten. Its a very nice mitten, albeit confining and blah. I am most proud of the mastery of the dpns. They're really not so scary after all.

DPNs

I'm working on my first project with DPNs. Well, I should clarify, my first project using *only* DPNs that is not a hat knitted mostly on circs or an icord. I'd post a picture, but my SIL has my digital camera so she can take the obligatory dog wearing antlers annual picture for their holiday cards. But enough about that ... and back to the DPNs.

I cannot decide how I feel about them. I'm knitting mittens from a pattern designed by the instructor of the intermediate class I'm currently taking. We're using Nature Spun worsted & sz 4s. So far I've got about 3/4" of ribbing for the cuff. I constantly feel like one of those needles is going to poke me in the eye. Thank goodness I mostly knit with my glasses on - otherwise I may need safety goggles!

I'm sure with more practice I'll get the hang of them and someday look back on this post and laugh at myself. But for now, they still make me feel clumsy.

Cables!

The beginning of the Single Cable Scarf from One Skein.



I'm also working on a Double Cable Scarf also from One Skein in some wool purchased at the Taos Wool Festival. Its for a friend (she purchased the yarn, I'm providing the skillz). A picture of that will be forthcoming.

Massive update

I apparently have not updated this blog in two months! Bad me.

Even though I haven't been updating, I have been knitting. And buy a TON of yarn. Labor Day weekend I went to Minneapolis to visit my good friend and fellow yarn slut, Jess. We went to two fabulous yarn shops and I went a little nutty with the stash enhancing. I haven't started any projects with that yarn yet, but I do promise myself to update more regularly once I do start using that lovely yarn.

But ... I have been a busy bee with yarn I already had in my stash. So, now on to the pictures:

I started this scarf in May or June. I found this yarn at Hobby Lobby months ago. Its their own brand and is acrylic but I was taken by the colors. I bought two skeins with the intention of making a long skinny scarf. Its just a simple k2p2 rib and is currently about 52" long. I have probably 3/4 of the 2nd skein left to go, so I fear this scarf may turn out to be obscenely long.



This is the One Skein "Clutch You'll Never Give Up." Its one skein (natch) of Lamb's Pride Bulky and the flower is crocheted from a pattern I found on the Lion Brand site. Its a sort-of birthday gift for a friend who's birthday was in June. And a sort of "just cuz" gift. Just cuz I wanted to knit the clutch again and knew she'd like it.

Pre-felting:



Post-felting:



This is the beginning of a dishtowel in Sugar & Cream. I started this a couple weeks ago when I was hanging out with my little sister. Its a good small project to take with me when she & I go out for desert & coffee (for me) and crafts.



This, I hope, will be my next project. My sister-in-law has requested a winter hat. There's no rush since its 80 degrees here this week and she hasn't yet measured the circumference of her head for me. But I really want to get started on my first hat! So this is the yarn - its Cascade something or other (tweed maybe?) that I bought in MN in the sale room at Borealis Yarn. And my little gague swatch.



And finally .... I got a fabulous package from my One Skein Angel. Beautiful yarn and a pattern card for the most adorable felted bags. I can't wait to knit one. Thanks Secret Pal!!

More knitting homework

This week for homework, we had to make a cotton dish cloth. We made small swatches in class and then had to make a full sized cloth at home. The pattern is very basic, but it was a great way to learn increasing and decreasing. Tho I had already taught myself the basics from SnB, it was wonderful practice. Plus, it was a quick knit, which is great for my impatient nature.

I knit this dish cloth using size 7 needles and some Lion Brand cotton from my stash. CO 3
k1, yo, k until end of row until 45 stitches on needle
k1 row
k1, k2tog, k until end of row until 3 stitches on needle
bind off

See, easy peasy.

And now on to the pics:

Almost done ...



The FO:

Homework

So here's a crappy camera phone shot of what I've learned in knitting class.



Tomorrow night we're going to make a cotton washcloth. I'm so glad I took this class. I can't wait to take another.

Two Important Things

Thing the first: THANK YOU to my One Skein Secret Pal! I received the package last week and am so sorry I have not posted sooner (work, life, obligations, blah blah blah). Unfortunately I cannot find my digital camera, so no pictures just yet. But I received a beautiful blue & purple lace weight yarn - kindly wound into a ball for me. I do not have a ball winder, but I think perhaps it needs to be a future purchase. I also received a very cute "Fit" with googly eyes (I LOVE googly eyes!). The Fit has a little tag that reads: "I am a fit. I am here to help you through all your temper tantrums and moments of anger. When you feel your blood rising and your temper at a breaking point ... Don't throw somthing that may brak. Just pick me up and Throw a Fit!" I think I'll bring it to work to throw when my clients piss me off :)

Thanks again secret pal! I can't weight to try my hand at lace knitting.

Thing the second: Tonight was my first knitting class at Village Wools. On my first trip to VW about two months ago, the kind woman working there suggested I take the beginner class since I had taught myself to knit from books and the internet. However, while tonight was fun, I think I am the most advanced person in the class. I could have really used a Beginner Plus class or something. I did learn a new way to cast on though, so that was useful. The teacher did say that by the last class we may learn cables, so I am looking forward to that. And after only just one class, I'm sold on taking more classes. And future classes will be even better when they move in to their new space, I'm sure.

There were two unfortuante things about the class. First, we had to purchase needles and yarn. I had meant to call the store last week to ask about necessary supplies, but I forgot to do so. I ended up needing to buy yarn (Lamb's Pride Worsted) which I actually had at home. Tho I did buy a pair of needles in a size I did not have already (9). So that wasn't so bad.

The other unfortunate thing about class is one of the other students. You know how in every class there is one student who just never shuts up? Yep, we've got one of those. By the end of the class I wanted to throttle him. Hopefully he'll calm down a bit. His antics don't prevent me from learning, but he is annoying.

I have been totally slacking with this blog. And a bit with knitting as well. Ooops.

I knit the clutch from One Skein, but haven't yet felted it. I started a scarf in some pretty springy yarn I picked up about a month ago - but then I got bored with it. I planned to try my hand at another very cool purse, and even have all the yarn. But I haven't motivated to start that yet.

Perhaps the 95 degree days we are having has something to do with it. Hopefully I'll get my knitting mojo back soon.

DONE!

My first non-scarf, knitted and felted FO is complete! And with about 24 hours to spare until my SIL's birthday dinner :)

Pre-felting:





Post felting:





and a close up for good measure:




I'm very pleased with my first felting experience. The bag seems very sturdy. I really love the way the i-cord felted.

And now I'm off to my LYS to pick up supplies for my next project!

My first knit non-scarf nearly FO

One strand Noro Kureyon #170 and one strand Nature Spun in "blueberry." I love the colors of the Kureyon, but I am not sure I really like where they end up on the bag. The bottom section is the front, the middle is the back and the top section is the flap.

I'm pretty proud of my decreasing - first decreses ever! I practiced a bit with some leftover Lion Brand Homespun and my SnB book before doing the real thing.

Now I need to make a 40" I-cord, sew it all together and felt it.

This was the beginning of the bag I'm knitting. That is until I realized my gague was off and I had to frog the whole thing.

I'm such a n00b.

I really should know better...

A couple nights ago, I started knitting a purse for my SIL's birthday. I was happily knitting along. But when I got to row 23, I realized in my joy of knitting had made me forget to check my gague. And guess what? My gague was off. Shocking, eh?

So I just frogged the whole damn thing and cast on with bigger needles. Oh well.

Check it out!

My blanket is Toddler Approved!



Sure, its supposed to be for her soon-to-be-here baby sister, but honestly, who can say no to that face??

Half way there!

Fee's blanket now measures about 14x30, so I'm about half finished.



I can't wait to finish all these crochet projects so I can get back to the knitting!

Yet another baby blanket

Lately I feel as if everything I make is a baby blanket!

I crocheted a quick baby blanket for a woman who works for my father (who I know as well). She's having her third child - and she's 2 years younger than I am, but that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, she's due in about a month I think, and she doesn't know the baby's sex. Since I have too much yarn just hanging around and not a heck of a lot of disposable income, I used some of the off-white acrylic "one pound" yarn from the stash. I don't know if it was wise to make a baby blanket from white yarn, but at least its washable.

Here's a close up of the stitch:



I losely followed this pattern. I opted not to do the hood part because the baby shower was actually yesterday. So even though I had the blanket finished in time, I was too tired & lazy to drop it off in time for the shower. Whoops.

The blanket ended up being about 25" x 29". I think that might be a bit on the small side, but having never had a baby I really have no idea.

Perhaps I need to take a survey of all the folks to whom I've given baby blankets and ask if they are functional or not. But that survey will have to wait until I've finished the other baby blanket that's currently spread out on the floor next to the couch. Hopefully when that one is finished, I'll get a reprieve from the baby blankets for a while.

Another baby blanket ...

I haven't picked up any needles or hooks since I've been back from vacation. I seem to go through phases. When I'm inspired or have events I need gifts for, I'm really motivated to knit and/or crochet non-stop. But lately I just haven't know what I wanted to make. So this morning I decided to start working on a baby blanket for my "honorary" neice who will be here in July.

I bookmarked this pattern for a "bubble" blanket a while ago. And about a year or so ago I picked up three skeins of Red Heart in a lovely "watercolor" variagted print. I figured this yarn would be perfect for the bubble blanket and will match perfectly the bedroom baby shall share with her big sis.

This morning I crocheted a swatch to see how it will look. It works up quickly, which is always nice. But I'm not so sure I like how the colors of this yarn come out in this pattern.




Thoughts?

2 down 1 to go!

The drop stitch scarf is finished, blocked and ends woven in.





I think I'm going to make myself a similar scarf - I really like how this one turned out. But before I can do that, I must finish the fuzzy green scarf today (well, maybe tomorrow...)

Scarf #3

Last week I realized that I can't show up in DC with birthday scarves for Erin & Jenn and not one for Jen. So last night I started a scarf for Jen based on the Fettuccini Drop Stitch Scarf.

I'm using Wool Ease Thick & Quick in Denim and size 13 needles. Its knitting up pretty quickly which is excellent since I leave in a week and a half!

Some progress

Quick post to show my progress on Erin's scarf.



Two strands of Moda Dea Dream (in Leaf) and size 15 needles. I started this two nights ago and have about 20" done so far. I think I'm going to have to pick up a couple more skeins this weekend to make it long enough. But maybe I'll be able to block it to make it longer. We'll see.

First finished knit project!

Its just a simple scarf in garter stitch. I bound off when I finished the skein of Fun Fur (because I haven't yet tried to add new yarn). Its a bit short, but I sprayed it down to block and stretch it out. It was 41" when I finished and right now its pinned out to 55". I wish it was a tad longer, but I'm pretty darn proud of it!

Pre-blocking 1:


Pre-blocking 2:


Blocked:

Finally finished!

Yesterday I swore I would not go to bed until I finished the damn baby blanket. This blanket has been the bane of my existance for the last couple weeks. I had made a baby blanket with Red Heart Baby Cloud last summer and had no problems. It turned out nice and fluffy and the recipients (my old college roommate & her new baby girl) loved it.

This time around, I wasn't so lucky. Each section of the orangey "creamsickle" yarn was about a full skein. And two of the skeins got so horribly tangled, that I think I spent more time untangling it than I did actually crocheting! It was very frustrating and I almost gave up a few times. Plus, every time I tried to untangle the damn yarn, it fuzzed everywhere. The floor in front of my couch is a mess of orangey fuzz. I am never ever ever using this yarn again.

I had been thinking about doing a whole border in the green "breeze" color. But I decided not to for two reasons: 1. I didn't want to start a brand new skein to just do a few rows and 2. I was sick to death of working on the damn thing! So I bordered two sides in the creamsickle and two sides in the breeze.

I plan to return the one unused skein of breeze to Michaels. And I threw out all the remanents of the creamsickle. I want to rid my life of this Baby Cloud!

So here's a picture of the finished blanket. I sprayed it down with lukewarm water this morning and pinned it to an old sheet. The whole thing is on the floor of my study, which is the sunniest spot in my apartment. Hopefully it will dry quickly.



Next up - finishing the fuzzy scarf!

A little progress ...

The blanket is slow going because this yarn is super tangley. I vow to never use Red Heart Baby Clouds again.



Hopefully another couple days and I'll finish it. Then I can get back to the scarf.

I'm in the middle of two projects right now. Both actually for the same recipient. I'm crocheting a baby blanket for my good friend Jenn from law school. She's having her first baby, a girl, this May. The blanket is gift for her baby shower which she doesn't yet know I'm even travelling cross country to attend!

This is the beginning of the blanket. Its two rows dc, one row tc in Red Heart Baby Cloud "Creamsickle."


Close up of the stitches:


When I get around to it (tonight probably), I'm going to add a couple pattern repeats of "Breeze"



The second project is a knit scarf also for Jenn. Its a combination birthday/mommy gift.

1 strand Lion Brand Homespun in "Antique" and 1 strand Fun Fur in black. All garter stitch (which at this point is basically the only thing I can do.)



I'm still a very very slow knitter. I taught myself how to knit about 2 months ago using books and websites. I've actually never finished a whole project. Until this scarf, I've only made a bunch of practice swatches. I'm not sure what prompted me to think knitting a scarf with two strands of yarn was a good idea for my first project. Guess I'm a glutton for punishment. I just hope I can finish it before I leave for DC on March 9th!

First Post

Ok, I'm just testing this out. My intent in creating this blog is to force myself to get more serious about knitting and crocheting. And since my good buddy created a knitting blog for herself tonight and I like to do (almost) everything she does (except the birthin' babies stuff), I had to do the same.