How many "Our Fathers" and "Hail Marys" do I owe for not blogging?

Oooooooooooooooooohhhhh, I've been so bad about not blogging. Nothing like going 3 months without putting some info on what I've been knitting.

Well, I've given up on the Skinny Scarf. It was just too much for me to comprehend doing. So now my sister is getting a skinny garter stitched scarf. I love the look of the Skinny Scarf, but I'm just not into 400 stitches per row.

But I've done some projects on the side. I knitted the kids some great lounge around socks out of Sugar and Spice yarn. All cotton, super comfy and very bright, lime green. I used a great toe-up pattern by Amy Swenson. The directions were fairly easy and now I can make toe up socks without looking at a pattern, unless I want a fancy stitch. I also had to get a quick scarf out to my friend Jodi's little girl and some mittens for her son. I had never made mittens before, but they were so easy with the pattern I found. I think that I may make some for myself. Jodi's daughter got a pair of the toe-up socks too, I had made them for Audrey, but they were too small for her and pink so Miller couldn't wear them.

In January I will start on my first prayer shawl. My church is doing them for the Annual conference of our denomination. I have to knit 2, but the pattern is super easy and quite relaxing, that I don't think it will take me much time to do it.

I'll post a picture of the kids in their lime green socks. My New Year's resolution is to be better about my blogging. Maybe I'll add more than just knitting to my blog.

After a month off I guess I'll knit again

It's been a month since I posted. I feel so bad about not doing it, but I haven' t been knitting either in that time. I've finally started The Skinny Scarf. I've just casted on 400 stitches. It seemed to take forever. Now I just need to knit it. It is only 20 rows.

We just started school and I think with all the time consuming stuff the kids are doing I just don't think about knitting. I am thinking about doing some Christmas knitting after I finish this scarf. I think I'll be knitting some more scarfs, they're easy and quick. Great gifts to make and give.

I need to start something, but what?????

I really haven't started any knitting, since finishing the Wisp. I made some slippers for Miller, but those really don't count. It took me 2 days to do and each day I knitted only a mere hour or hour and a half. I did learn how to do the Magic Cast-On. What a wonderful way to do a toe up sock. Literally, one of the easiest cast ons I've ever tried!

I want to knit The Skinny Scarf, but casting on 400 stitches is daunting. I need to buckle down and get something on the needles, or I'll start snacking again at night, something I really don't want to do!

On the Malorie's backpack front, she has gotten a ton of complements on it at school. She really does like it. I guess Audrey will be asking for one soon. I really don't want to knit that pattern again. The funny thing is that I found a drawstring backpack pattern just this week and I wasn't even looking for one. It took me forever to find something for what a knitted Malorie and even then I had to adjust it. Just my luck!

Oops, I made a change

Okay I know I said I was going to knit the Little Arrowhead stole in my last blog, but things change and I found a pattern that better showcased the yarn. I found this pattern from the Knitty web site. The pattern is Wisp. When I first saw it I wasn't very impressed by it, but later on I when I looked again I realized it was perfect for the yarn. It was super easy to knit and I memorized the pattern fairly quickly. Here's a close-up of the stitched and buttons for Wisp.


Malorie is modeling the piece for me. It's a little too big for her now, but I made it for my sister in Nevada and in about 2 more years Malorie will be as big as her aunt! What I like about this piece is it's variations. It can be a poncho, cowl, scarf and a hood. The pattern shows how to do all these options. I knitted it a little shorter than the finished length the pattern has it at 50 inches after blocking, and mine is 44 inches. It blocked quickly and I am very proud of the piece. Now, I'll mail it and hopefully it will brighten my sister's day!!

Stoles and soapboxes

I've finally started my next project. I'm making the Arrowhead Stole from Interweave Knits. It knits up fairly quickly and only has 4 rows to memorize. I'm using my Aarlan Venice for it. I think that it will knit up quickly. It all ready shows the interesting color variants in the yarn with just 8 rows. The scary thing for me is that I'm laying in bed last night realizing that the arrow point will only go one way. Then I start thinking, it would look a whole lot better if you could make the arrow points switch in the middle of the stole. I figured if I reverse the row pattern I should get the arrow pattern facing the other way. Is this a sign that I'm getting too involved in my knitting? I keep wanting to change patterns that are perfectly fine.

I showed some relatives Malorie's backpack. They really liked it and were impressed that I took so much time to make a backpack that will be dirty by the end of the year. If they only knew that it took me just about 2 weeks and the joy of making something outweighs the practically of a piece.(Which by the way, a backpack is a pretty useful piece. IMHO) Not everything that you knit must be a cashmere, alpaca, mohair sweater that will only see the light of day once a month, if even that much. Thank you for letting me ramble about knitting for the masses and I'll get off my soapbox now.

The BAG is finished

I'm done with Malorie's school bag. It didn't take me too long to finish, even with the modifications that were made. It went from a messenger bag to a drawstring back pack. The SUPERNEWBIE support board at Knitty helped me so much with making the drawstring holes. I didn't think that I'd have to ask how to make holes, but I did. Malorie is pleased with the results and has already used it. She said it worked great. I lined the bag with some fabric that I had and it should last her for at least this school year.

Now, I'm still figuring out what to do next with my 3 skeins of Aarlan yarn. I googled it last night and found out that the yarn is from the 80's. So it'll be my first time knitting with "vintage" yarn.

My first foray into design (sort of)

I'm still working on Malorie's school bag, but I'm tweaking the design. The pattern calls for a lot of extra knitting to make it a messenger bag, so I decided to cut back on one of the repeats and turn it into a drawstring bag. Malorie likes the idea and now I'll have enough yarn to finish it. I'm about three-quarters of the way done. I have about 15 days to finish it, which should be enough time. I've been knitting away at swimming lessons. It's a great place to knit, the kids are getting worn out and I can knit without any at home distractions.

I've started cables and I am surviving

Cable knitting has always scared me. I couldn't understand how to hold stitches back and work around them. Even watching episodes of Knitty Gritty still couldn't encourage me. But I found a pattern for Malorie's bag and it has cables. The Sweater Bag uses cables, but now that I've done socks I'm not so scared. What's the worst thing that will happen? That's right, I'll have to rip it out. No big deal, I've had to do it already. I'm getting fairly good at not losing stitches when I am frogging. I think I should be able to finish this project by the end of the month. It moves along fairly quickly. I'm using some really old Red Heart yarn (from my neighbor, see last post). It's not what the pattern calls for, but it's what I've got and I fairly close to gauge.

Monkeys done and now onto the next project

Okay, I have finally finished the Monkey socks! The second sock looks a whole lot better than the first one I did. My tension is better and my stitches are neater. When I blocked the socks you could tell the difference in size. There's about an eighth of an inch in size difference. That's okay though, I'm still going to wear them. At least I can say I've knitted socks. I think I may do some more later on, but for right now I need to get started on Malorie's school bag. School is just a month away (YEAH!!) and I found some yarn that I think will work for her bag.

My wonderful neighbor asked me the other day if I needed anything from garage sales. She loves to go look through other people's junk. I told her not really, but if she found any yarn, I would take it. Well 2 days ago she comes over with 3 grocery bags full of yarn. Granted most of it is synthetic, but there were 3 beautiful gray skeins of a wool/mohair mix. (I can't wait to use those beauties!) She had gone to visit her mother in assisted living and told her about the neighbor girl who is knitting. Her mother had her pull out the bags of yarn. She gave me all of it for free. I don't know where I'll use it all, but most of it is really quite nice. Malorie saw the yarn and picked out what she wanted from these bags to make her school bag. The only problem is that the yarn won't felt, but I think I can work around that. I guess I'll take a little from various bag patterns and put them together. The worst I can do is rip, rip and rip.

EEE, OOO, EEE (My monkey impression)

I'm almost done with my monkeys. Too bad they don't look as nice as everyone else's I see on the Internet. I just don't know if it is my yarn choice or my gauge. (That ugly "G" word rears it's ugly head again.) I'm starting to think about what next to knit. I need to make Malorie's bag, but I'm just not really feeling the urge to do it. Maybe I'll be inspired to do it once I've blocked the socks. These have been a great summer knit. I don't have tons of heavy fabric laying on me while I knit. I think that's why I'm dreading the bag. Next time I blog I'll have the socks done and pix up for viewing.

Sock Update

Well I'm up to the toe on my Monkey Socks. I just have to finish the toe and I'll have one sock done. They are turning out pretty well. Though when I look at others Monkeys they seem to be tighter. I guess I am a loose knitter. My husband came home the other day and saw me knitting with 5 needles and thought that I had a small torture device in my hands. (If he only knew that ripping out stitches is torture.)

I've been looking for patterns for a messenger bag for Malorie. I think I found one, now I just have to finish these socks and find some money to buy the Lambs Pride Wool to felt. I wish yarn didn't cost so much. (I wish I would have picked up a hobby that isn't so pricey.)

Pictures of the Purple Shrug

Here's Audrey in her brand new shrug. She likes it. (At least for right now she does.) It was a fairly easy pattern. It just took forever for me to be motivated to finish it. Now I'm off on my Monkey socks and have the first one two-thirds done. I need to start looking for bag patterns. Malorie wants a new book bag for school and she wants me to knit it. That means if Malorie wants one, Audrey will too. I'll need to slip something in for DH between projects. He was watching me knit my socks and thought they looked interesting. Maybe I'll give in and make him a pair. Only if he doesn't complain about my knitting and everyone growing out of what I make.

The Wicked Shrug is Finished!!!!!

The purple shrug is done!!! It's on my blocking table right now, so it will fit Audrey better. The picture is of the shrug before I sewed the seams. It was on it's first blocking and now I'm blocking it for Audrey to wear. Now I'm ready to start my monkey socks. If they turn out good, I'll give them to my sister. If they are crappy they will become mine.

Wishing Upon a Star

Heather's Wish List
1. Ohh, I wish I would finish Audrey's shrug! I'm finally working on the second sleeve, but it is taking forever. My DH is going to be gone for the next 3 weeks for work training and I think that I should have it done by then. No, I will have it done!
2. I've all ready bought yarn for my next project, Monkey from Knitty.com. It's a beautiful sock pattern and the yarn I purchased will look great with it. Now I'll just have to learn how to master 4 needles at one time. I just really want to get started on them.
3. I need to keep up my blog a little better. I hope I can do that with summer coming on the and the kids being home all day long. Maybe I could get one of my daughters to type my thoughts while I knit. ( I maybe onto something there. The spelling wouldn't be the greatest though.)
4. That I knitted faster so I could do all the projects that I want to do. My list of items keeps getting longer and longer. So much to knit and so little time!

All I need is just one skein

I've got most of Audrey's shrug done. But I just need one more skein of Moda Dea Dream to finish it up. I got it on sale in Manhattan at Hobby Lobby, but since that is a 45 minute trip and gas is up to $3.09 a gallon I think I can wait. I asked my sister to check out the Hobby Lobby store in Salina, which is 20 minutes away. Hopefully she can find it and bring it to me tonight. I really want to get this shrug done. I've been itching to do another project. The funny thing about this shrug was I should have been able to do it with 4 skeins, which I have. I guess I knit a little to loose. UGH, gauge is such a cruel mistress!

High ho, high ho, it's off to the yarn store I plan to go ...

I think it's time to go the yarn store here. I've been thinking about knitting a pair of socks and I would like to check out what yarn is available. The yarn store here, is great and such a wonderful place even if it is only open 3 days a week. I can get my fix filled in at least one of those days. Slowly but surely Audrey's shrug is coming together. I have about 7 more inches to go before I can start the second sleeve. I plan on having this bit of knitting done by the end of next week. I guess I'd better get going on it.

Why Bother

I've got one sleeve made on Audrey's shrug. Just 13 inches of stockinette and another sleeve I'll be done. It seems like this project is taking forever. Then my husband asks me, "You put all this work into the sweater and she'll out grow it in a year. Why bother?" Some times I do wonder why I bother, but then I start feeling the urge to cast on a few stitches and then I see a cute pattern on Knitty.com and I just have to start doing something again.
I think I've hit a plateau in this piece. Maybe if I keep working on it, I push through. I just can't stand to have more than one project on the needles at a time!

Miller's hoodie

Here's a photo of my son in his sweater that I knitted him about 4 months ago. It was fairly easy and he loved the camo yarn. The pattern is from Lion Brand Yarn. Here's the link to it http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/kkctq-sweatshirt.html?noImages=

AARRGGHHH!! I hate ripping out!

Last night I was working on the shrug for Audrey and as I'm going I notice I've dropped a stitch. No biggie, I'll just pick it back up. I've done it before and have gotten fairly good a fixing my mistakes. Well it's this horrible yarn again that keeps giving me fits. I tried to weave my mistake back in with the stitches and the yarn just keeps slipping and not working well. I ended up frogging the whole thing and starting over at 9 o'clock last night.

Just a little warning, Moda Dea Dream yarn maybe soft, but it is the absolute worst to work with! My husband told me just to get some new yarn and do the shrug. The thing is I want to get rid of this yarn and I know once I get it knitted up it will look great!

I think my next project will be something super easy. Maybe a bath mat or something with some easy squeezy yarn!

Falling In and Out of Yarn.

Right now I'm working on a shrug for my youngest daughter. It is super cute, but I hate the yarn. I loved the yarn when I purchased it. It felt so soft and it was on sale. Two wonderful things for yarn to have! The only problem, the yarn is so soft it's slippery. I have started and ripped out 2 other projects I started with this yarn. Finally, I found the shrug pattern and the yarn seems to behave itself, or maybe I'm used to it. I guess I just had to find the right pattern for the yarn. Now if I can just force myself to finish it!

Just starting out

Wow, I've never tried to blog before. But decided that if I wanted feedback on my knitting I'd better create one. Bear with me as I try out this whole thing. It make me a little nervous. But here's a picture of the ponco I knitted for my daughter. I used an old poncho pattern and changed it in a few places and added a trim to it. It is a basic knit & purl with a knit and wrap for the lacey work. I have made it before for my daughter and a niece. Let me know what you think.

Heather