Two Hats For One Head

This is a fun little hat that I knit for Wendy. I hope that she likes it. She loves pink and she likes it with grey a lot. Let's hope that she gets some good usage out of it in Chicago! In case it's hard to tell, it's a double-sided hat. I just wanted to show both sides. You fold one side into another, depending on which one you want to wear. :)

A Sock Is Born!

Okay, I've got one almost finished! ;) So much for getting a billion pairs made for gifts by Christmas. :) Who knows- I may get some more done with such a nice break.

Finishing

I have officially finished a pair of wrist-warmer-thingys. They look really cute. A classmate of mine loved them so much that I've committed to making her a pair of her own. She is so sweet- she loves anything warm and comfy. I have also started on a cute pair of arm-warmers. They are the same, fingerless-type gloves, but these go almost up to your elbows. These have a cute pattern, too. I'll post pics once I've completed at least one. Right now I've got to go and rip a row out to correct. Wait- I think that I may have already posted this. Anyhoo- that's that.

A Red Hat No More

I started this red hat (in Jo Sharp's SilkRoad Aran Tweed) a little while ago. I was very happy with the yarn. I was not so happy with the ribbing that I was doing. Once I stopped the ribbing, I noticed that the hat was too big. I have stopped the hat and am now trying to find a new pattern for the yarn. I think that I'd still like to make a hat, but maybe a more interesting one while I'm at it. Like I said, I really like the yarn a lot. I just think that it might look sort of boring all by itself. I did see a great new pattern in "The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics." The only thing that I'm hesitant about with that pattern is that it is knit back and forth. I've only knit one hat back and forth (vs. in the round). That was my very first hat. That was the first hat that I gave to poor Aron. I think that that was the worst possible attempt at a hat that I could have ever made. I don't know if I'm ready to re-visit back and forth knitting for a hat. Maybe just not yet...

Broken Basketweave Blanket

I used a pattern made for an entirely diffent yarn (a much more expensive, thinner, and much more beautiful yarn!) to make a throw. I like the pattern with the nice yarn better, but I am very happy with how warm this version will be. I am using Encore Chunky and a size 11 needle. I was doing fine speed-wise. Until...I knit a whole section a row too soon. The pattern is knit "backwords" (wrong-side forward) for an entire section. If this was a scarf, i.e. shorter rows, it'd be really easy to pull out the stitches for 20 rows and start over again. However, since this is a fairly wide throw, I have been hesitant to go back and fix it. I plan on tackling it this week, though. Wish me luck. I can't wait to see it finished. And of course to use it, too. I just love this color!

Interrupted Seeds

I really like this scarf a lot for a few reasons. I knit it on large needles (as I'm sure you can see) with this fabulous mohair that I found. I decided to add some different texture and different yarn-thickness but keep the color family the same. I thought that these two yarns worked really well together. You obviously can't see it in the picture, but I worked the novelty yarn in three other spots on each "half" of the scarf. There are some stripes of it close to either end and also close to the neck itself. The scarf is very long, and very warm! Now I just need to find a good home for it. Another one of those dang things where I really wanted to be creative with something simple but never found a good home for it. I'm sure that I'll think of someone.

"Oscar The Grouch" Scarf

Okay- the name is only because it's green and really furry. No other reason. Tina asked for this scarf when I dragged her in to a yarn shop with me (poor thing!) and she saw this yarn. I really wanted to make something for her so I promised to make a scarf out of this yarn. She and I have a thing where we (mostly I) never give each other gifts when we're supposed to. Birthday presents usually come at Christmas-time...the next year. Christmas gifts come when we see each other for coffee...two years later. So we basically (and I still mean I) have this tradition that we have to uphold, right? So this is Tina's Birthday present. For this year. In September. I plan on giving it to her - with her Christmas present - at Christmas this time!!! I know that it's hard to see, but this is actually quite a cute scarf. It's hard to see but I just did a very simple garter stitch on #15 needles. Usually with yarn like this, I like to do seed-stitch to allow for some variation in the direction of the "fur." With this one, though, it was very slippery and it was harder to go back and forth with knit and purl. It turned out great. I hope that she likes it! Now the trick is to make certain that she doesn't see my blog before Christmas!

New Pics Of A Wrist-Warmer!

Wow- can you believe that I completed something? Well, techniquely, not really. I completed half of something. I completed one wrist-warmer and thought that it'd be cool to post a pic so that I'd feel obligated to make the second one. Here are two shots of the wrist-warmer. Great hand-model, huh? I think that I'll use her again. ;) Also, here's a ball of the Manos color that I used. It looks very cool in person. I thought it'd be a little more scary than it is. It's funky, but not scary. Super-fun.

Socks Blossom Into Wrist-Warmers

I started to attempt my very first pair of socks, today. Started. Not the first time that I've started this attempt. At socks. Well, I would have gotten further than the cast-on stitches if I didn't have difficulty with the itsy, bitsy, tiny little needles. Okay, they're not THAT tiny. But tiny enough. So I started my cast-on stitches and I noticed that my palms were starting to feel a little itchy from the teeny, tiny little needles poking my palm. They weren't hurting my hand, just making my palm all tingly and itchy. So I told my hubby and he said something that sent a signal to my usually dull lightbulb. Aha! I need to make something to keep my hands from tingling/itching. I need to be making hand- or wrist-warmers. And yes, for you lay-persons out there, this may seem like the obvious- mittens or gloves!- but alas, we in the knitting realm like to make more complex (or at least just MORE) projects for ourselves. No, any old mittens just won't do. We make hand- and wrist-warmers. They can be several different styles. Usually they look like fingerless gloves or like socks with the toe cut off and an extra hole for your thumb. And they're knit. So socks started and wrist-warmers are continuing. Photos to follow of my "first attempt" at both. In the meantime, here's a drawing to give you an idea.

Lacy Scarf

This is one of my favorite new patterns. I have always liked mohair but never really knew of any cool patterns to use with it, other than a large seed-stitch. I found this pattern and have already made another scarf with it. I used Rowan's Kidsilk Haze and size 9 needles. This pattern is also my first attempt at any type of lace-work. Anyhoo- I hope that you enjoy this pattern. If you're interested, let me know and I can send you a copy. Otherwise, I plan on posting it with some of my other favorite patterns...soon.

Noro Needs A Home

I can't tell you how much I love Noro yarns. I was a late bloomer (I usually am) and don't follow what's "in" until it's been "in" for a little while. I tend not to like following trendy things so much. So when Noro first hit the scene years ago, I took a little while to fall in love with it. Now I've been in love with it for a sufficient amount of time to welcome it into my constant stash. I always keep some somewhere. Now, this was my last Silk Garden (although I do still have some Kureyon that needs a purpose) and I made this mult-directional diagonal scarf and cute little cap. Now that I've made them, they don't have a home to go to. I don't feel right keeping them for myself, but I just might have to. I do love the colorway very much. Hopefully someone will be "the one" to give them to. Otherwise, I'll have to foster them until they can go out on their own.

Aron's Cap

I knit this cap in Manos del Uruguay recently and I wasn't so sure that Aron would like it. He ended up loving the yarn, but we haven't had the excuse to put it on yet. I grew to really like Manos while making this cap. I never knew that it was so "lofty" once it was knit. It seemed like it might be a little bit too scratchy.

Snowy Morning

Oooh- one more post! I have to share with you the beautiful webcam pic of one of our favorite places to visit (even though we've only been once :) ). Here is a beautiful pic of Jackson, Wyoming right now. It is a great place to visit. We went in October last year and had so much fun visiting the Tetons. Of course, the Summer looks gorgeous there- so much green!

Whiney

I don't know how all of my fellow knitters out there do it, but I always see people's cool pictures of the things that they are currently working on. I think that I really need to start doing this. I also think that it just might be motivating enough to get me to finish things quicker (and perhaps not start so many things at once?!). Okay- I am going to try some things out today to see if I can get some photos of current projects. That way I can feel cool and feel like I have something to do. :)

Do you hear the words that are coming from my mouth?!

School is pretty hard right now. I am starting to knit more (is it the weather?). I haven't been running in a little while - I am hitting the treadmill this week.

By the way, my toes are friggin' freezing right now! I don't know why I didn't put my slippers on before hubby went to bed, but dang it!!! I'm so cold now! :p

Long Time Gone

Winter break is coming. I can almost see it. Well, maybe not but I think that I need to convince myself of this in order to keep on going. This has been a very hard school year already. I am trying so hard to just hang in there and I'm supposed to be getting "excellent" grades, not just barely making it. Returning is always so hard, I suppose. You adjust not only to the change in hours, but you are always "working." There is no real break from it, especially when you have exams coming up. Every spare moment that I've had, I've wanted to relax and sleep. Not study more and do more homework. I don't know if it gets harder as you get older or if it gets easier. Do you take it more seriously as you get older? I thought so but I'm feeling like a flake right now since all that I want to do is get some quiet time.

Just a Friendly Hello

It seems so peaceful in our home at the moment. Cats are laying and cleaning. Husband is getting ready to fall asleep. I'm finally winding down. These longer days are so hard to get sometimes. I feel exhausted. I can not wait for our home to feel like a home again. I don't know how much more we can handle here. I love our home. I hate our landlords. We can't afford to move (rent price is excellent!). What do we do? I don't know. I'm just enjoying the peace right now.

Bastard Landlords

I absolutely want to scream. I have been going crazy with our stupid landlords. I hate that we don't own this place. We have been dealing with so much cr*p from our landlords that I just don't know what to do anymore. I want so badly to just scream at them until they get that they are being bastards. Actually, I think that they know but they just don't seem to care. I sure hope that this bull ends soon!

Beautimous!!!

I so badly wan to be here right now. Wouldn't this be beautiful to see it live?

Vintage Paris Map

I found this great vintage-inspired Parisian map at a paper store. These are so great. There are many different ones and I love the details that they have. I really miss Paris! I want to go back-now!

Squeeze Muffin

This is the Love of My Life.

Fair Maidens

Who wouldn't adore these three as their bridesmaids? :) You all look fabulous!

Am I Driving Anyone Crazy Yet?

I am just trying to figure out all of the little tiny details so that I can make my page the exact ways that I want it to be. I would love to hear some input if you notice any details that I might not have noticed or if you have some suggestions for improvement. I am enjoying the planning, organizing and creating part very much. Soon, I'll just be able to sit back and enjoy the page by itself. :)

Some Yummy Yarn

This is such a pretty yarn. Look at this great assortment of colors! Has anyone knit with this yet? This is the Crystal Palace "Taos." It is 100% wool and I'm wondering how soft a hand it has. The colors are fabulous!

Wedding Day Love

No words are needed to explain why I love this man.