Look What I Made

I've been working on some new knits that I figured I'll start sharing with you. They will all be for sale on my Etsy store with some of them having patterns that will be for sale later on Ravelry and Crafty. So, here are a few that are for sale now:

[caption id="attachment_1303" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Purple Heart Cowl"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1302" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Desert Succulent in baby Blue"][/caption]

  

[caption id="attachment_1301" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Desert Succulent in Red"][/caption]

  

Knit On!

 

"Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises." 
 Elizabeth Zimmermann, 1910-1999

Chocolate!!!

Working for several years in theatre I picked out a few tips and tricks that helped me in my career. Always show up early for any call. Remember the director's favorite coffee and pet peeves. Always carry a wrench. And even the most big-headed demanding diva actor can be tamed with chocolate!

Seeing chocolate bars being used as medication in the Harry Potter books didn't surprise me. I have seen first hand the magical powers chocolate can have over someone. People seem nicer, talk softer and smile more when chocolate is in their system.

To me, chocolate is an essential tool for any knitter to have in their bag. Got a sweater that's driving you crazy? A sock you're ready to set on fire? How about a pattern written so badly that you are seriously considering sending a letter bomb to the designer? Instead of resorting to something that might get you jail time, just reach for a piece of chocolate. Trust me, after a couple of bite, all the world will be made right again. (But you still have every right to write a nasty letter to that designer whose pattern is on crack.)

Knitting Is My Bag!

You can tell a lot about a knitter by what she/he carries in their knitting bag.  Knitting memorabilia says what type of knitting events you've been to. The current projects in the bag can show where you shop for your yarn and patterns.

Do you like the 'old school' metal gauge rulers or are you into the hand cut wood ones? Is your stitch counter a manual clicker or do you have a stitch counting app downloaded on your iPhone? Leather bound book for jotting down notes or recycled scraps of paper stapled together? The newest of everything or secondhand finds? Were your stitch markers hand-made in London or are they the tabs you've been collecting from store bought loaves of bread?  

So, what would your bag say about you?

(PS- I believe the contents of the last bag is that of a serious and well experienced knitter.)

Wash Your Face Washcloth

This was a simple washcloth that I made as punishment to the yarn for not acting right in another garment I was trying to use it for. (Yes, I punish my yarn when it acts bad. Let this be a lesson to all other yarns in my stash. Don't make me angry!)

Well, despite the initial reason for using the yarn, I must admit that the washcloth came out looking really nice. So if you are looking for a quick knit gift item or just something to do with an odd ball of cotton yarn, well, here you go:

Materials-

1 ball  patons Grace, 1.75 oz / 50 g, 6136 yd / 125 m 100% ultra-soft mercerized cotton, color 62901 Tangelo

US size 2 knitting needles

Cast on 48 stitches.

Garter stitch the first 3 rows.

Row1-4: Knit

Row 5-8: Purl

Continue rows 1 through 8 until you reach your desired length or the washcloth measures 7 inches without being pulled.

Gater stitch the next 3 rows. Bind off. Weave in ends.

The washcloth should have a nice ridged look to it that will soften a bit with use.

Now, go fourth and clean thy self!

I Bow Down to the Awesomeness that is Chawne

I bow down to the awesomeness that is Chawne.  Above is a picture of her sock drawer full of nothing but hand knitted socks!

Her blog,  http://cauchycomplete.wordpress.com/, is a wonderful treat to read and her photos on Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/cauchycomplete/, made me drool. She is a crafting goddess of the 1st degree! From quilting, to knitting, to crochet - there is nothing this woman touches that doesn't turn to gold. I think I just found out who I want to be when I grow up.

Blogs I Like: Knitspot Blog

I  love reading the blogs of other knitters. The current one I'm addicted to is the blog of designer Anne Hanson. She is the woman behind Knitspot. Here blog is the one I turn to when I want to indulge in beautiful pictures of awesome knitwear and great food. She is that woman you wish you lived next door to so you could stop by for tea and knit the afternoon away. When you get a chance, please check out her blog and her store: http://knitspot.com/

Inspiration for Today

Here is a pic from my notebook that I hope will inspire some romantic Victorian designs. Happy knitting.

The Joys of Being 30

I use to be one of those people who always carried a day planner and would start my mornings organizing my to-do list in order of priority. The sale associates at my local Franklin-Covey and I were on first name bases. I would even schedule in my bedtime!

But all that changed after I turned 30. I don't put so much pressure on myself to get a million things done in one day. I no longer feel the need to be superwoman. I'm just enjoying being me.

Life is no longer put on paper and set in stone. To-do lists are scribbled on the back of grocery lists and my schedule is open and changes as the day goes.

Before, in my twenties, I had something to prove. It was me against the world. I wanted people to know who I was and realize I'm someone important and deserving of respect.  Now my motto is more along the lines of, "as long as God is happy with me, I could frankly care less what you think". My mom tells me it gets even better when you turn 60. She says that by that time you just put up your middle finger and walk away.

I happened to notice this change first in the way I knit. I use to only knit if there was a true need. I researched patterns, compared yarns and would frog and re-knit until I got it right. Now I'm not ashamed to use some no name yarn I found at the thrift store and whenever I make a mistake, as long as it's not noticeable, I just shrug my shoulders and keep on knitting. Knitting is no longer a functional scheduled craft. Now its a kick-ass fun playtime with sticks and awesome fibers!  Here's to being 30 and knitting!

Covered In Cozies!!!!

Just think how much more colorful the world would be if everything was covered in cozies!

Cats Love Yarn

Okay, I'm thinking the history of the first yarn ball went something like this:

In the B.C. era, a shepherd, after hours of spinning, realized he could wound his yarn into a manageable ball. The shepherd spent the next hour winding a decent ball. Five minutes later, a wild cat discovered the freshly wound ball and in less than a minute had it all unraveled into a huge tangled mess.



As long as there has been knitters, there have been cats that own them. It would seem that one could not exist without the other. I know more knitters that own cats then those who don't.  I happen to live with two cats myself and can tell you first hand the joys and woes of having cats and yarn under the same roof.



I have waken up to find balls of cotton yarn sitting in the water bowl. I've tripped over wool spider webs that are wrapped around every chair and table leg in the house. I've even found balls of Angora yarn that has been licked to death and lovingly pushed under the couch for the dust bunnies to enjoy. My stash box has been raided more than once and I've become an expert at retrieving knitting needles from under the fridge. Oh, the fun of cats with yarn.



Cats have this uncanny ability to know exactly when you are about to knit and will make themselves comfortable right on top of your work. Dark haired cats adore sitting on your light-colored knits while light-haired cats prefer darker knits. They roll our yarn balls to just out of our reach and chew on our yarn so as we are knitting we get the lovely gift of wet fingers and soggy sections in our project.



Despite the added challenge of knitting around cats, they are a great comfort to any knitter. They never judge our work and could care less about any mistakes. They think acrylic is just as good to lay on as cashmere and are always appreciative of any knitted gift they receive. In short, they are the perrr-fect knitting companions.

Online Drug Dealer

Pss... Come here. Around the corner, follow me. (Looks around to make sure no one is looking)

Okay, here's the deal. I thought I would be a good drug addict and share with you a connection to my online drug dealer. My dealer goes by the name, Knitting Pattern Central. My dealer has every type of drug a knitter could want- baby blanket patterns, hat patterns, sweater patterns, even sock patterns!

Here is a link to the sock patterns: http://knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/socks.php

They got every sock pattern a sock druggie could want and most of it is free!

Just don't let the knitting cops catch you and try to play it cool and natural at your next stitch n' bitch so no one will get suspicious. Keep it on the down low and if anyone ask, you didn't hear it from me.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

I am addicted to looking at pictures of knitted socks in progress. Something about seeing a sock just started is thrilling to me. My mind is curious about how the sock will evolve the patterns, the texture, the colors.

Seeing half-finished socks also shows me how proud sock knitters are of their work. Most writers would never show a draft of their writings. And a painter would never think about showing a painting that's only half completed. But us sock knitters will show you the entire process from start to finish. To us, the art is not in the finished product, but in the process of making it. I simply love that about us knitters.

So below, I share with you a gallery of socks in the making: