Madgirl Knits and Pearls

I'm thinking about reviving the blog...

2009-02-27T12:35:00.002-05:00

I've been doing more knitting lately - and spending a lot of time on my new favorite hobby - beads.

I started beading to make Christmas ornaments - and it's just compounded - exponentially - into jewelry making - and I'm totally hooked (and crimped).

I hope to post a few projects soon -

Now I knit my ABCs - F is for Felting!

2007-07-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

Felting felting felting - it's so in fashion right now! What for years we tried to avoid when laundering our wearable wools - is now all the rage!

Just a year ago you had to scour the stores and internet to find felting instructions, patterns and/or books.

And then, without much warning, there was an explosion of of matted materials. Pamphlets (especially of the complimentary variety) were always out of stock, companies have started marketing yarn specifically for felting, and now, there are a plethora of books with patterns and "how tos".

I've been "hooked" on felting ever since I washed up my first swatch (which "turned into" a soup trivet) and "hat" (which "turned into" a bowl).

Bonus recap of conversation back to car after Stitch n' Pitch...

2007-06-27T18:15:00.000-04:00

(Phils win! Phils win!)

Sally: I've always really liked sports, but I don't have any one favorite team.
HillHippie: Yeah, but, don't you kinda think that Chase Utley is your boyfriend?
Girlfiend: If I weren't married I'd totally make out with Chase Utley
Madgirl: Does being married matter? Do you really think that Boyfiend would mind so much? I kinda see him being all "that sucks, but, was he cool; did you tell him about me?". Hey, where are my keys?

Thanks to the Ladies for the pic.

Stitch and Pitch - Philly style

2007-06-26T10:31:00.000-04:00

tonight is the Philadelphia Phillies Stitch and Pitch event. 3 fellow knitters and I are heading out to the ballpark tonight to watch the Phillies battle the Cincinnati Reds and knit the night away.

I haven't chosen a project to bring along yet - something fun I think - and easy to transport. hmmmm.

Now I knit my ABCs - E is for eyelash

2007-06-26T10:15:00.000-04:00

I love eyelash yarn - as an accent or alone, I think it makes a great fabric.

Eyelash can be a chunky weight (can be knitted alone) or carrying weight novelty yarn. The "eyelashes" are strands of thread (yarn, ribbon, etc) that hang down from the central cord and, when knitted, create a "fur" affect. Short, long, dense, sparse, the eyelash is a fun addition to any funky project.

It knits up so quickly and while it can be a little tricky to work with, it's very forgiving. I can remember the first time I used the yarn - it was turquoise and i was making a small boa for Katie - I was flabbergasted at the results - I've been hooked ever since.

Wizard Craft!

2007-06-18T13:11:00.000-04:00

Here's the Hufflepuff scarf -

So now I'm knitting a Gryffindor one, as I said in the craft shop - because I want to.

I'm assisting in the decoration of my church for their vacation bible school - the theme, believe it or not is Harry Potter - so I knitted up a cap for Dumbledore this past weekend - I'm moderately pleased with it - we'll see.

Just one more change...

2007-06-04T09:35:00.000-04:00

to the Harry Potter inspired scarf - it's now Hufflepuff.

Look, I had the yarn, it was the right gauge (the "Ravenclaw" yarn turned out to be 2 different gauges), the right colors - AND - I have kin in western central PA - so, it can be a steelers scarf when I'm finished.

It's a painfully tedious knit - all stockingette - in the round - row after row after row. Right now it looks like a long bumble bee tube. At about 4 stripes I was tempted to bind it off, add some straps and call it a halloween costume - but I knitted on.

I think it's going to take more yarn that the pattern called for - hopefully I'll have enough!

I still have my lovely gold wool (I used a blend for the "Huffleelers" project) - so if I get some scarlet - I may try to make another - we'll see....

pictures soon.

So, I was thinking that I might change my

2007-06-01T10:52:00.000-04:00

house allegiance for the whole Harry Potter scarf thing. See, I have blue and gray (silver) yarn already - so I could make a Ravenclaw scarf without having to purchase any additional yarn - and, I could, theoretically, still use such a scarf as a PSU accessory.

We'll see, maybe I'll do both....

Boucle Beauty

2007-06-01T09:56:00.000-04:00

Finished the B is for Boucle scarf...

Now I knit my ABCs - D is for Dumbledore?

2007-05-30T13:11:00.000-04:00

So you may know (or not) that I do a bit of blogging about Harry Potter. I'm a big fan of the books and movies and, as this is the biggest Potter summer, evah, I'm chronicling some of the happenings over at The Hogwarts Herald.

So, over at HH we're (okay, I'm) planning a Potter Party to celebrate the release of the final Potter installment Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I've been posting different planning techniques and scheduling. One aspect of the planning is crafting (not the dark arts through!) -

So I've decided that I'm going to knit a Harry Potter house scarf. It will be burgundy and gold. I have the gold - I just have to find some burgundy.....

Yes, there are photos to be taken...

2007-05-21T10:00:00.001-04:00

I haven't taken any pix of the alphabetic projects - they're lovely, and warrant some face time - but I just have been able to schedule a photo shoot with them!

Project Cotton is going to take longer than a week - and I'm probably not going to post any photos until it is complete (it's a gift) - but Project Boucle is beautiful!

Now I knit my ABCs - C is for Cotton

2007-05-14T12:13:00.000-04:00

I love knitting with cotton - I know that it goes wonky when it gets wet - and it can stretch out into strange shapes - but it's, basically, a washable natural fiber, that you can use to make just about any project. I've used cotton yarn to make: dishcloths (shock?); baby bibs; baby blankets; children's sweaters; bath mitts; hats; coasters; trivets/hotpads; and, so on.

My most current cotton project, however, has been giving me fits. I really like the yarn - Knit Picks Crayon, is a 100% Pima (stands for "Pain In My Ankle") Cotton, DK Weight, Machine washable yarn that comes in 128 yard/50 gram skeins. The project is "knit in the round" - and, even on the wooden needles, now that I have switched to the dpns - the yarn just keeps slipping off and, subsequently, dropping stitches. ARRRGGGGHHH. I need to use "point protectors" to keep the stitches from sliding.

But I'm hopeful -

I'm the IT girl!

2007-05-11T10:26:00.000-04:00

So girlfiend tagged me for a meme as an apology for not going to knitting. I did go to knitting; but it's okay, because I got the update on the planning status for the Rox High class of 1987 reunion (they've had a major setback!).

Here are the rules:

Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

8 things about me? HEY! WAKE UP!

1. I started this list by first typing in the numbers and punctuation (more time to think);
2. I'm, apparently, squeamish about typing the word "period" as I wrote "punctuation" instead;
3. I, apparently, don't know how to spell the word "squeamish" - thankfully Blingo does;
4. I use Blingo as my search engine - I love prizes;
5. I can't count the number of times I have won prizes on the radio - I'm all about being "the" caller;
6. My broadcast acting debut and swan song was as a child, on PBS radio, as The Velveteen Rabbit. I had one line;
7. Growing up, my next door neighbor (backyard neighbor, actually) had a pet rabbit named "Bosco";
8. I know the theme song to the Australian soap opera "Neighbours" - "everybody needs good neighbours..."

so, here's where I fall off the wagon - I'm not going to "tag" anyone - mostly because just about all of the bloggers i know have already been tagged - check out some of their responses.

This is why I have such bad luck - it started in grade school with that darn chain letter...

You say it's your birthday!

2007-05-10T12:19:00.000-04:00

Well, it's Charlie's birthday too!

Ahh, the first of many birthday cakes to come!

Now I knit my ABCs - B is for Boucle

2007-05-07T12:12:00.000-04:00

Derived from the French Boucler - "to curl," Boucle (Boo-clay) yarn is typically made up of 3 strands of yarn with one strand being looser that the others, creating a curled or bumpy effect. Both the yarn and the fabric created from the yarn use the term.

Boucle yarn, usually, knits up quickly (unless you have some unraveling issues), and fluffy. It's beautiful on it's own, but can also be "jazzed up" with a carrying yarn, such as an eyelash.

Lorna's Laces Grace. A mohair blend boucle. Worsted weight/ size 8 needles. Care: Hand wash and dry flat.

I got 2 skeins (again) of Iris Garden - another scarf - going to alternate in some "stripes" of plum colored eyelash - for an even more dramatic look.

This hand dyed yarn is a work of art -

As seen on Hogwarts Herald

2007-05-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Charmed Knits by Alison Hansel is a collection of Potter inspired knitting projects. The book includes 30 patterns, including: the "Weasley Sweater"; house scarves, mittens, hats and socks; and, robes, toys and other decorations inspired by the Harry Potter books and movies.

However, as the description on Amazon says, there are thousands (literally) of patterns and ideas for Potter projects on the internet - some for sale, some for free.

Photos from Knitpicks.com - where you can order the book and yarn to cordinate with the projects. The book is also available on Amazon.com.

Amy and Kate at Super Nanny's Birthday

2007-05-01T16:31:00.000-04:00

Gave Super Nanny (who is now a Super Puzzle Book Editor) a bag full of (to be dyed) yarn for her birthday. Also present at the festivities were the ever lovely Amy and Katie.

Now I knit my ABCs - A is for Alpaca

2007-04-30T11:32:00.000-04:00

Araucania Atacama Alpaca, to be exact. This is color 501 - pinks and roses.

The yarn is hand dyed - resulting in awesome color variations. There are no dye lots - so it is recommended that you buy enough yarn to complete your project and do the "skein switch" (switch out different skeins every 4 - 6 rows) to avoid drastic color variations. The fiber content is 100% Chilean alpaca and comes in 50 g/110 yard skeins. The weight is worsted (light worsted I'd say) with a gauge of 18 sts/4" using needle #7US. For care hand wash and dry flat.

I got 2 skeins and I'm defiantly ignoring the skein switch recommendations (mostly because I hate weaving in more than I hate the idea of color inconsistencies).

I'm knitting a scarf - I started with a variation on the seed stitch - which probably has a "name" - I just don't know it. I've added a pretty intense cable series (over 24 stitches) - it's knitting up quickly, although it's becoming more and more obvious to me that all knitting needles need to be made of wood - the aluminum is just too slippery for this yarn.

Because it sounds like FUN!

2007-04-18T10:35:00.000-04:00

I'm adapting a concept I saw over at kidsdish. Kelly is making her way through the alphabet and featuring a "letter related" recipe/food each week. This week, C is for Cheese. YUM!

So I thought that it would be fun to also go through the alphabet, but to search out (and knit!) some new yarns. ANY excuse to get more yarn is a good one - I'm still "thinkin" about my method - I don't want to end up with a bunch of short scarves - or do I? hmmm,

Interestingly, when I told Kelly that I was pilfering her idea her response was "that's okay, I didn't invent the alphabet." Thanks for clearing that up - and thanks for the cool idea!

I've been a bit distracted

2007-04-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

with getting ready for the PSU Spring Scrimmage. We do a big tailgate with lots of yummy food - so that's been taking some time.

I've been working on a new project (no pictures yet) - but I didn't have the correct size dpns - so I put it down for a while. It would seem that this project is jinxed - I've ordered 2 sets of the needles (size 10) online - and neither set has arrived yet (ordered 1 and 2 weeks ago) AND a friend stopped by a Michaels the other day to get them for me... and they only had size 6 dpns. What's up with that???

It's an interesting pattern and I'm looking forward to completing it - I just need some help from the universe...

Not knitting - but lovely all the same...

2007-04-11T10:01:00.000-04:00

The coffee/fellowship (or, as I often say, happy) hour at Church for Easter was pseudo "potluck" - in that everyone (who wanted to) was asked to bring something for folks to nosh on after the service(s). (Never ones to pass up an opportunity to express ourselves culinarily) Suzanne made egg shaped cupcakes and frosted them with lovely pastel shades of icing and I helped by stylishly decorating them with an

assortment of easter candies and festive sprinkles. The resulting confections were stunning (and pretty darn yummy too!).

You gotta be a football basket...

2007-04-10T15:14:00.000-04:00

...To get along with a cute little girl.

So Amy said, upon seeing a picture of Suzanne's Easter basket, "I wanna buy that one, tomorrow." The felted football basket. I'm quite proud of this creation - it's my first attempt (prototype, if you will) and not perfect - but it sure does look like a football - and that was my goal.

I used the basic "concept" of the easter basket, but, instead of a square base I made an oblong one. I picked up the stitches around the base and knit around until the length from the base was about 5 inches. I then began decreases (using psso) - to make the "points"; I did overstitching to make the "college stripes" and laces.

I was so nervous putting this one into the washer. First of all, it was the first basket to be felted after the washing machine was fixed - and I had no idea what was going to come out of the machine once the fibers had been fused.

But it turned out great - I did have a little trouble finding something to "shape" it with (as I could not - no really - I could not find a football in the house, anywhere) - and I might have, in retrospect, made the white stripes a little thinner - other than that - I was very pleased (almost giddy) with the final product.

Bunnies Bunnies here and there

2007-04-10T15:07:00.000-04:00

Bunnies Bunnies - everywhere! Just a few more pics of the fabulous pompom (when did they stop being pompons, btw?) bunnies. Suz' house was invaded by an army of uber cute fuzzy wrabbits...

Hail Thee Festival Baskets!

2007-04-09T10:49:00.000-04:00

Easter was a wonderful day - In spite of the cold weather, the egg hunt was a great success. Suzanne and I were a little nervous about the number of children who would show up - but it turned out perfectly. We got some confused looks, ooohs and ahhhs and hugs from the "grown ups" from the Church - and great big eyes, thank yous and hugs from the children.

We had about 300 eggs to hide (yes, in the grave yard) - the kids from the

youth group and some adults helped scatter the eggs. There weren't a lot of "clever" hiding places but quantity of eggs definitely made up for the lack of quality hiding spots. As the children arrived they went down into the Sunday School area for a "Lesson" - and then they went outside - they had the "little ones" go out first - "little one" was supposed to mean "under 4" - but Katie (who is almost 5), as you can see by the photo, decided that she should be included in the group - it didn't really matter, there were plenty of eggs.

The kids were instructed that, in addition to eggs, little bunnies (masterfully assembled by Suzanne) were hidden around the yard - and that each child could find one bunny - and once a bunny was found (or anytime thereafter, and yes, I think I did use the term "thereafter") they could come inside and get a prize. So the kids came in at different times, which made it easier to manage at the "prize table." We did have some pre-designated recipients of specific baskets - and yes,

the distribution of the baskets was totally subjective - but that's okay, really, it is.

It all worked out quite well - and the kids seemed to enjoy it. We (the adults) were just as excited as the children.

just a couple more...

2007-04-02T17:22:00.000-04:00

They'll all be gone soon. I'll miss them.

Hippity Hoppity - when's nap time?

2007-04-02T16:42:00.000-04:00

So - all 21 baskets for the church are filled and "wrapped." Each basket is stuffed full with treats and prizes. Some have a theme - Garden, Art, Spiderman, Strawberry Shortcake, bunny, princess, sports... and some are just of a general genre - any age boy, older child girl, etc. And each basket is wrapped in a cellophane bag with a ribbon(s). They look great - and I've had so much fun putting them all together.

Suzanne is brilliantly making the Pom Pom bunnies from Martha Stewart Living. They are so cute -

There were 13 kids in church yesterday - and I know of at least 6 that were "absent" - so we're going to bring along some extra "prizes" just in case.

It's a tough job channeling the Easter Bunny - I think I must be losing it - I caught a glimpse of the neighbor's porch light - and, on seeing a blue oblong item in the dome - quickly concluded that they had begun their egg hiding early! (of course!) - closer inspection revealed that it was a blue light bulb.

Image of Hop To It bunnies from Marthastewart.com

Stripey

2007-03-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

The remnant basket - made from the scraps of yarn left from some of the preceding baskets - There was a lot of left over pink and purple for some reason - no green and very little yellow. I do love the resulting basket - one of my favorites!

A tisket a tasket

2007-03-21T11:37:00.000-04:00

Actually - I didn't make a green and yellow basket - huge oversight! I did, however, make a green basket AND a yellow basket (lyrics of song to be modified, a la American Idol). There are more baskets - more pictures need to be taken - more baskets to be felted - but otherwise... they are FINISHED!

Turquoise with green eyelash

Turquoise with green Twister

Blue with Fun Fur Stripe

Icy Blue with navy Disco

Green with white Carmen

Pink with blue TuTu

Lilac with orange

Light Blue with pink boucle

Yellow with multicolored boucle

Purple with "pansy" ladder

Grape with pansy & eyelash

Indigo with "jeans" ladder

Fruit Punch with cables

Orange with bobbles (and bunnies)

Purple alpaca with boa

Green alpaca with pastels (and bobbles)

Blue alpaca with ribbon

Natural with blue Fancy Fur

Pink with green eyelash

Cherry with turquoise eyelash

Pink with purple eyelash

Blues & browns

"blues" with mockingbird boa

"blues" with Figi Fun Fur

"blues" with martitni

"blues" with yellow eyelash

"neon" with orange eyelash

Purple with blue TuTu

Stripey

So we got

2007-03-13T16:01:00.000-04:00

more yarn - wool, that is. Stop it - it's not too much. We talked with the church ladies and they are anticipating 20 kids, or so for the egg hunt - Not that every kid needs (or, for that matter, wants) a hand knit and felted easter basket - but I already have so many "done" that it seems sad to not have one for each kid, if we can. If there are extras, bully for us.

We didn't get that much yarn, any way. The "commercial" stores are not the best for brightly colored wool - most of it is heathered and earthy - sweater colors, I guess - so there wasn't much to choose from. We got enough for 7 additional baskets. Some pretty "ordinary" purple, royal & light blue and hot pink from Patons "classic wool". Suzanne found the Carons "Felt it" - yarn - especially for felting in verrigated colors - no twisting of the fibers - for a smoother "felt" - very cool. It's quite thick so, instead of using 2 strands of the Felt it, I'm pairing it with a "regular" worsted weight yarn - the color combos are, so far, fun.

The Orange (kool aid) basket is completed - it turned out to be a very ambitious venture - hand dyed yarn featuring bobbles (I LOVE felted bobbles) and top stitched designs - my very own spin on a "bunny" - it turned out good - except that it isn't "centered" - oh well - it's all just a learning experience.

Amy's basket

2007-03-09T12:21:00.000-05:00

Although Katie had dictated that Amy's basket would be blue and yellow - Amy chose this basket for herself. I had it at the office (yes, showing off) and when she saw it, her eyes got big and her voice got soft. I asked her if she wanted it to be her Easter basket, and she nodded - a minute later, regaining her composure, she asked her mom "is Easter tomorrow?"

She (and Katie) have been playing with it and going on "pretend easter egg hunts" (ie, paperclip, pen, hairbrush, etc hunts) around the office and the basket is holding up great.

Amy now thinks that we know the Easter Bunny and Santa. Yeah, we're cool like that.

And there's more

2007-03-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

ba bam ba bamp ba ba baaa

2007-03-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

CHARGED!

I've added some photos to previous posts - and some here, as well... you see, there are a lot of baskets...

The Camera Battery

2007-03-05T14:57:00.000-05:00

remains uncharged.

It's sad, I know, but, but, but - I found the cord but then I couldn't re-find the dock (didn't really look) - so no new photos of the 14 (you read it right, 14) baskets I have knitted. I've had to make a list of them - and the color combos. Also started collecting items to go in said baskets.

About half of the finished baskets are "promised." So they won't be donated to the church - but I have enough wool to make 8 more, so, hopefully, that will be sufficient - I still haven't heard from the church regarding a "head count" for the event - but we have "real" baskets to use as well.

I'm now knitting up the hand dyed yarn. I'm pretty pleased/excited about the results so far - it's really beautiful and it smells really good - especially the orange.

When gifts are appreciated

2007-03-02T16:25:00.000-05:00

I guess we always have to wonder if folks actually like the gifts we give them - especially homemade gifts in which had invested our time as well as $.

I just received a photo from a friend whose daughter, apparently, enjoys sharing her knitted accessories as well as wearing them...

I'm a Kool Dyer

2007-03-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

...no ordinary yarn, no ordinary yarn is gonna do - I need a fiber that's kool...

So sorry for the Grease 2 reference -

BUT, I've been dying wool with Kool-Aid. I've joined the craze of hand dyed yarn, and I'm hooked. I purchased the "raw" yarn from Knit Picks and I've been using various "flavors" to dye it. So far I've tried Blue Raspberry Lemonade (light teal); Black Cherry (deep salmon/rusty orange); Orange (orange!); and, a mixture of blue raspberry and grape (my hope had been a deeper purple/blue - but the result was purple - which is still cool).

The process is very easy - you just pre-soak/wash the yarn; mix the "color" with some water in a microwavable dish; put the yarn in the container and cover with water. Next you "zap" the yarn, in 2 minute intervals, until most of the color has been absorbed - the water will be almost clear. Finally you "wash" the yarn with mild soap and then dry. The color isn't uniform - but it's awesome. I have not yet tried "verrigating" the colors - but that's on the list.

I've dyed both worsted weight (going to see if the process survives felting) and lace weight (more dollhouse projects!) yarn.

photo is of felted Tropical Punch basket.

Tiny Treasury

2007-03-02T12:11:00.000-05:00

Check out Lawmummy's children's book blog - Tiny Treasury (she didn't pick the name, btw) for some fun contests and great book recommendations.

I have been focusing on some small scaled stuff myself. For some "back story," Lawmummy's kids have a dollhouse. And, as kids under 5 are prone to do, they have pretty much trashed the furniture. Last Christmas, Lawmummy was looking for some replacement furniture and was having a tough time. I, myself, have the most beautiful dollhouse which was built by my Aunt. It's a shingle roofed 3 (including the attic) story farmhouse - with blue shutters and a (made by my dad) stained glass window - Anyway, my aunt and my mother also made the most beautiful furniture to go with the house - my aunt crafted the form and my mom upholstered it (them). When home for Christmas, I asked my aunt about the furniture - just in case she had any extras. At the time she said she didn't have any, but I recently received some "raw" furniture from her in the mail with the instructions to "sand, paint and call your mother." I was really surprised, and excited about the new project.

Well, I haven't sanded or painted the pieces yet, but I have called my mother. We discussed some different strategies and I have an idea as to what I want to do. In the meantime I got some "wood glue" hot glue gun sticks - AND

I bought some lace weight yarn and size 0 needles (yes, Ashley Olsen sized knitting needles). So far, I've knitted a "throw" and a little cushion. They are so cute! I can't wait to upholster the actual furniture - but I'm thinking that I'm going to save the "set" for a birthday present (summer time). Hopefully LM's kids aren't reading this!!!

I can not make myself

2007-03-02T12:04:00.000-05:00

charge the battery for the camera - so I have no photos - but I've been knitting like crazy.

As referred to below, my current "project" is the creation of felted easter baskets. The pattern is from Creative Knitting (actually last spring's edition) and, so far, I've made 9 baskets. The basic form is a round wool bowl (with handle) and a contrasting non-felting accent yarn. I've found that (not surprisingly) eyelash yarn works the best. They knit up fairly quickly - and I've been using a variety of forms to "shape" the baskets after felting.

So I have a lot of pictures to take once I get that darn battery charged -

My first cable sweater

2007-02-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

I knitted this sweater 2 years ago and gave it to my friend's son as a christmas present. At the time he was 2 and the sweater was way too big for him - but now, finally, it fits and she sent me a few pictures of him wearing it. I'm so glad that he wears it - I was afraid that it would be too scratchy - or that the seams would be wonky and uncomfortable.

My name is Madgirl

2007-02-09T10:22:00.000-05:00

I am a yarnaholic -

This is the first step to recovery - but I don't want to get better! I've been buying wool like crazy these past few weeks so to make the easter baskets - Knitpicks.com is my current favorite - I'm addicted. They have the prettiest colors at really reasonable prices - and free shipping for orders over $45. I've also been over at Smileysyarns.com - where they have the craziest prices on "name brand" overstocks - fancy fur for $.99!

I'll stop - some day - but not today - and not tomorrow (or the day after that).

New love - ie new yarn

2007-02-05T16:06:00.000-05:00

I went to a Super Bowl Sunday yarn sale at a local (lovely) yarn shop on (you guessed it) Sunday. I spent (I figure) 5 times as much as I ever spent on yarn in one "check out". I had gone to the shop looking for brown cotton - they are a very seasonal shop and therefore - no brown cotton (not sure that anyone will ever have it) - so my next "idea" was to get enough yarn for one bigger (that is, not a scarf) project - I ended up with much more - 22 skeins of beautiful yarn.

While I did (and I do) have immediate buyer's remorse, I am now lamenting that I didn't buy more. I should have bought more skeins of the one yarn; I wish I'd gotten more "purdy" yarn; I wish I'd gotten a color (other than gray, ecru and blue).

But I'm happy with it. Last night I knitted a few "swatches" for gauge, etc - and I went home at lunch just to "look" at it. I need to find a pattern, quick!

I finished a fancy(ish) scarf FOR ME! It's hot pink wool - done in some "vine" pattern from Vogue Knitting. I like it.

So, I gifted all of the felted projects

2006-12-27T12:19:00.000-05:00

and didn't take a picture - oh well - I got more wool for christmas! the felted trivets worked out really well, although Mom kept burning her hand when she (about every 2 minutes or so) would lift the crock of onion soup to check if the table was getting hot - it wasn't - so she's a convert.

I saw Aunt Donna's felted hats - before and after - they're awesome - totally awesome - I told her that I need the pattern. Unfelted they look like rastapharian caps - felted - they're tres chic.

I'll be sure to take some pix of the next felting projects (Mom got me a book of felted purses) -

Knitting Projects

2006-12-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

More knitting - for christmas presents

But my latest craze is felting. for my first project, I felted a "hat" which has turned into a bowl - It was pretty cool, and now I'm hooked - The cat will be lucky if I don't throw him in the washer to see if he will felt. Pictures of felted projects to follow soon.

It's that time of the year...

2006-12-11T15:55:00.000-05:00

Lights aglow and knitting projects - so far this holiday season I've knitted 5 scarves for "gifting". 4 of them were donated to my and friends' "adopted families" and 1 of them was for a friend who is participating in a Secret Santa and their gift recipient requested "funky scarf" (can do!).

The picture is of one of the donated scarves - for a 5 year old who likes pink!

I'm ready for my close up

2006-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Mr. DeVille.

Well, I'm not, obviously - but this cutie sure was - sporting her new Fun Fur Prints boa!

It's been so long!

2006-11-21T16:29:00.000-05:00

I've been knitting, truly I have. I just haven't been posting pix. There are missing bibs, scarves, baby blankets, etc -

I just finished a pink and white baby blanket for a friend - again using the Baby Coordinates (made a blue and green one too) - this time with the magic stripe - It was a pattern from the label and, basically, a giant dish cloth (190 stitches across) - it turned out nice. The mom had informed me that she was doing everything pink and white for this baby - so that's what she got. I also found a sweet pink and white PSU romper (hey, PSU's original "colors" were pink and black so it's fine) to go with it.

Projects for giving

2006-07-06T17:54:00.000-04:00

I recently put together a BUNCH of scarves and hats to be given as prizes at our family reunion. My main inspiration was to clear out some of my odd ball and mismatched yarn collection. The result was a cache of 2 hat/scarf sets and 8 scarves (mostly boas) - most were child size - but could easily be worn by adults as well. I "packaged" them with my signature bows and little identifying tags with care instructions.

The best "presentation" was with a child size hat and scarf. I rolled up the scarf and put it inside the hat; I then tied a lovely blue ribbon around the hat -

Projects from Katie Yarn

2006-06-15T11:20:00.001-04:00

PSU boa for Suz - Suzanne always gets new PSU inspired scarves/accessories - and now she has a flashy boa made out of Envy - which is an eyelash and ribbon combo. This particular matching is blue and silver.

Keyhole scarf. First time I've actually made a keyhole scarf. Instead of switching the 1/2 stitches to a stitch holder, I just worked with 2 balls of yarn at the same time -

more bibs

2006-06-15T11:20:00.000-04:00

More cotton bibs. Friends keep having babies, so I keep knitting bibs. We've tested them for washability and sturdiness (usually unintentionally) and they hold up great!

wee hat for baby

2006-06-15T11:11:00.000-04:00

Same hat as the one for CF (who, by the way, has been born and is a little boy named Charlie). Made out of a washable cotton/wool blend - very sweet.

Katie loves yarn

2006-06-08T15:08:00.000-04:00

I went to the craft store with Katie (and her mom, sister and brother) - the other day and I came home with a bag full of yarn - ALL picked out by Kate. At first she wanted everything on the shelves - then I told her that she could only pick out the stuff with the red "clearance" tags (there were quite a few).

So last night I knitted her a hat made out of one of the yarns - A very simple pattern - but I still need to "sew it up". I said she was my muse.

So I have plenty of yarn - I need to start planning some christmas present projects.

I'm waffling on Suzanne's football sweater - I think I may start over with one of the patterns from my new (to me) Vintage Vogue pattern book - I have my eye on an oversized (perfect for layering) cable sweater with a mock turtleneck - I think it's just what she's looking for (the previously chosen pattern sported a (real) turtleneck - not her style).

Okay - so I haven't been knitting, that much

2006-06-07T13:16:00.000-04:00

this spring - and I definitely haven't been taking any pictures.

Since easter I've knitted a few more bibs (and sewn on a bunch of buttons); a wee hat for a friend's baby; a bigger hat for whomever it ends up fitting; I started a sweater for Suzanne (for football) - I finished the back, started the front, and I haven't picked it up since - I'm not happy with the pattern so I may just rip it out and start anew; a really quick really goofy toy for Vincent (the cat); and, just recently I started my first "mosaic" project. LOVE IT! it's a simple pattern for a scarf that came in my new Creative Knitting - so I thought a scarf wouldn't be too terrible of a project - and now I'm hooked (or needled). The pattern is a chevron (zig zag - big "W"s) and i'm using - can you guess? blue and white yarn.

Duckies and bunnies! oh my!

2006-04-17T13:12:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Lion Brand Yarn for the Fun Fur duckling and bunny patterns! With (a lot of) help from Suz, I made bunnies and duckies for a neighborhood egg hunt. In addition to hiding plastic eggs filled with goodies, we "hid" the ducks and bunnies around the park; we also had "special" prizes for the kids (ie, stuff that wouldn't fit in an egg) and once they found their duck/bunny they could come get a prize. It was a ton of fun and the little animals looked so sweet hidden in the park. They looked like they were having a great time!

More stuff for CF

2006-04-17T09:29:00.000-04:00

I just loved this green yarn (Bernat Satin - Palm) - I used every last scrap of it and added a hat and set of booties to go with the blanket. The hat is another mock cable - so in love with this stitch, as well.

Blankie for CF

2006-04-10T16:38:00.000-04:00

CF is Kelly's in-utero baby who will be here any minute. I started a different blanket for him (her) but I wasn't thrilled with it so I started this new one which I love. The stitch is a "mock cable" - achieved with a Left Twist.

The babies are coming!

2006-04-05T16:19:00.000-04:00

How did it get to be April so quickly? The army of newborns will soon be upon us - and I've only finished one blanket. I've started quite a few - but only one DONE! So I need to work on that! I've been distracted by my new stash of cotton (thanks Joann's for having a kick backside sale!) - 6 new bibs ready to be laundered. There would be more but I've tried to be creative with the stitches AND use the new Vogue Knitting Book - which is already jacketless and scuffed up so that it looks like it's been in use for decades.

We have our big spring Penn State event (Blue White spring football scrimmage) in 2.5 weeks - I had plans to have made some new accessories for Suz and me - but nothing yet. boo hoo.

Oh, and I (finally) figured out that Creative Knitting is not a monthly periodical - every 2 months - how cruel. Can't they test patterns more quickly!

I need to take some more pix of the projects (the fun fur ducklings are really cute!) to share.

Knitting hailstorm

2006-03-31T11:19:00.000-05:00

I've gone a bit mad with buying yarn and knitting lately. I think it's the knitting circle's influence - but I'm not sure. I started a new baby blanket - i like it, but I don't LOVE it - so I may start over or just begin a new one with different yarn.

I'm making easter inspired knit ducklings and bunnies (pattern from Lion Brand - made from Fun Fur) - They're pretty cute - but I think I may draft Suz to help me with sewing on the eyes, and felt ears, feet, etc.

I bought a bunch of "sale" yarn and I've been testing it - some fun stuff for scarves and other accessories.

And I've made 8 bibs new bibs (7 in 2 days) - They're turning out very nice. I need more cotton (don't worry, I still have the cone of blue ombre - but I want some variety).

Throw is a go!

2006-03-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

The new yarn matched - and the throw is finally done! I really like it - and it's a good fit on Suz's sofa. And there is quite a bit of yarn left over, so I'm going to try and make a matching pillow.

Update on the circle

2006-03-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

and my new purse project

as I posted on the circle blog...

I'm not really sure what the proper "lingo" is in the knitting circle world - we met, we knitted, we talked, we shared. It was fun!

4 of us showed up - which is a great number, I hope that more can join us in the future, but it's a great start.

Everyone brought a different project to work on - it was interesting to see the different techniques, yarns, needles, etc. that everyone uses.

I knitted a (another) baby bib - add it to the long list of "baby gifts" that I'm working on!

I did bring my camera - but I didn't take any pix - next time!

The folks at Crossroads (especially Amelia) couldn't have been nicer. It's a great place to meet.

I did learn that I need to watch my caffeine intake in the evening - I was up all night (seriously).

Since the "circle" I've started working on a purse made out of Patons Pooch yarn. I don't have a pattern that is specifically tailored to the yarn - so I'm kinda fudging it - I finished the knitting part last night and "basted" it together to get an idea of the form - but I think I'm going to rip it out and start over - as thick as the Pooch is, I think I need to add a second strand (of something; haven't decided yet) of yarn to add more weight/structure. It's going to look very smart once it's all done - I have a busy weekend planned, so hopefully I'll have that to work on at the next "circle".

Bibbity Boo

2006-03-13T11:54:00.000-05:00

The next set of bibs have been laundered and finished. Not sure if I mentioned it - but we've added another expectant mother to the already long list of new/on the way babies. So there are more bibs to be made.

Baby afghan #1 - DONE!

2006-03-13T11:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, once again, I still have to weave in the ends, of which there are many - only a few done so far. I am extremely happy with the finished product/pattern. I was way too over eager to finish the blanket this weekend - now I have nothing to take to the knitalong - brilliant!

The photo is from when I had about 6 zig-zags to go.

Oh, and the yarn order came - finished Suz' throw - love it. Now I need to devise a pattern for a matching pillow with the yarn I have remaining.

Knitting Circle is a Go

2006-03-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

So, we officially have a "plan" for the knitting circle - We're meeting at a local coffee shop - on Monday nights -

It's pretty exciting - we have 5 people so far. And we've started our own blog - to post our projects and ideas. It's http://ridgeknit.blogspot.com/

I hope it's a success - I have great plans for it - charity knits - beginner lessons - knit alongs

It's in Illinois

2006-03-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

Or so the tracking information says - that's where my yarn shipment was Saturday morning. Hopefully by now it's a little farther along the way.

I'm still working on the chevron baby blanket - it's coming along nicely.

Finally laundered the cotton bibs and sewed on some buttons. I need to make more - there's been another baby on the way announcement (which also means another blanket - and more yarn!!!!).

The big knitting news is that I'm trying to start a knitting circle with some local people I've met on a city-wide blog (phillyblog.com) - we're going to meet at a local coffee shop - I'm really excited - I think it's going to be fun.

Another order

2006-02-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

So, Joann.com is (apparently) my favorite site on the internet - I went ahead and ordered another skien of the suede yarn - My thoughts are that I can make a pillow sham out of the extra. So I'm okay with it - and I'm of course thinking that I now need more.

I tore out the baby blanket - made a mistake - so I thought I'd try another pattern - but then I tore that out - and started the chevron pattern again - so I'm 14 rows into the 2nd (technically, 3rd) "re-do". This blanket is going seriously mess up my sleep pattern - it already has.

I've ordered yarn for the next baby blanket - I went a little crazy with the colors - we'll have to see when it arrives.

Hasn't been shipped yet - but I can't wait!

Throws and woes

2006-02-27T12:45:00.000-05:00

Yet again I have fallen victim to NOT purchasing a "buffer" skein of yarn. I'm 1 row and casting off short on the Suede throw and a little disgusted with myself - It's Murphy's knitting law I guess - but you'd think I would have learned by now. So my choices are to "fudge" the one side of the throw or to buy another skein and (again) hope that the colors match up - this case being a little more dire in that they will be knit into each other. Oh bother.

In the wake of this I've finished one of the scarves for my co-worker's daughters - I'm toying with the idea of giving that one and one from my "to be gifted collection" - if I wait much longer, winter will be over.

And I've started baby blanket #1 - it's the pattern from the Creative Knitting magazine - it's supposed to be rippled but it's turning out to be a pretty sharp chevron - Of course I'm using a smaller gauge and needles than the original pattern calls for - but I like it all the same. I started it on Saturday, and made a mistake on the 2nd row (didn't figure it out until row 5, of course) - so I tore it all out; I picked it up again on Sunday evening - I'm now on row 14 and everything is going well. I'm using size 6 needles (132 stitches across) - so it's taking a while to see real "results" - but, as I said above, I like it so far.

Vogue Knitting has arrived!

2006-02-16T10:33:00.000-05:00

The package from Joann's arrived yesterday - the yarn is a perfect match - no problems there.

And the "book" is here too. It has nearly every stitch pattern you could imagine. I'm quite pleased. There are a few full patterns - all by designers - fancy pancy.

So now I'm back to working on the Suede throw - I have a busy weekend planned - but I should have it finished in a week or so.

So...

2006-02-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

I'm still waiting for the additional Suede (and Vogue book) to arrive - I've scraped the dream scarf because I'm using the yarn as an accent on the Suede Throw. I was so excited when I ordered the yarn - but this waiting this is torturous - Of course I have plenty of other yarn to keep me busy. I have 5 bibs finished - they need to be laundered and have buttons sewn on. I started a scarf out of the Bernat Boa - fun bright pink and purple - it's for a seven year old; I'm nearly half-way done.

I've been knitting while watching the olympics - I'm finding it a bit distracting (the olympics, that is) - you really don't get much out of winter sports, I'm finding, by causally watching - the audio commentary on figure skating is a bit lacking for the visually impaired and those of us trying to count stitches.

New "throw" project and updates

2006-02-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

I've begun the Lion Suede Throw project - Coffee colored throw for Suzanne's new decor. I think I cast on too many stitches for the amount of yarn I have - and I should have cast on with larger needles because this yarn has little "stretch" - but I just ordered more yarn (to double what I have) - hopefully the dye lots won't be a problem. If they are I'll improvise, and maybe start over.

The bib project is underway- the first 3 have been gifted to (reported) rave reviews. Suzanne bought a pile of adorable buttons. I think I'll work on making a few more soon - they just go so quickly!

I've "tried" the Lion Fun Fur Stripe - it's great - very much like the German eyelash.

A co-worker has asked if I will knit scarves for her daughters - put 'em on the list - I'm lucky that ground hog saw 6 more weeks of winter!

I should probably start the dream scarf first - that poor yarn has been sitting for a while.

So, I made an "investment"

2006-02-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

today. I ordered the Vogue Knitting book - a huge majority of the blogs I've read say that it's a "must have" for stitches, techniques, etc. I got it for ten $ off the msp and free shipping. I'm pretty excited about it - of course now I have to wait 7-10 business days for it to arrive.

I actually used the vogue knitting website as my main reference when I was "re-teaching" myself to knit a few years ago - The website alone is a great tool - hopefully the book will be even better!

Baby Bibs

2006-02-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

The baby bib extravaganza has begun. The first 3 have been gifted - Suzanne gave them to a co-worker and, reportedly, they were a big hit.

Suzanne bought a pile of cute buttons (the fastener for the adjustable strap).

L'afghan c'est fini!

2006-02-06T12:02:00.000-05:00

Okay - I still have to weave in the ends - and decide if I'm going to put on a fringe - but the knitting is complete - I finished it after the Super Bowl - I got a little distracted during the game.

It's huge - it's big enough to be a bedspread.

now I have to decide what to work on next - I got MORE yarn over the weekend. I found some nice baby yarn for one blanket - now I just need a pattern.

I got a huge (1lb) spool of cotton - blues and white - It'll be great for the bib projects and tailgating items. I'm very pleased. We shopped at a Joann Fabric Super Store - it really was super - it was like a Michaels and a Joanns got married and had a really big baby - they had all of the crafty stuff and ALL of the sewing items - most notable were the designer and home furnishing fabrics - they had an amazing selection.

I love this cartoon

2006-02-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

I may post it on each of my blogs!

Afghan nears completion

2006-02-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

I have not been working on the afghan as rabidly as I had before - I'm very close to being finished - but not quite - I think it's making me anxious to be finished. I have, approximately, 64 rows to go (out of 352) - and I want to add a fringe. So maybe 6-8 hours of knitting?

of course it's the fringe that will take the longest (and the weaving in!!)!

I may put it (the afghan) "down" for a night or two and do some smaller projects - I started (yes, I feel guilty) the Lion Fun Fur Stripe - It's gonna be pretty cool.

We'll see.

Afghan update

2006-01-26T10:34:00.000-05:00

So I'm halfway done with the afghan. As I said below I've been using odd balls - so the color combinations are a little crazy - but I think it still works.

The Unfinished Sweater

2006-01-24T11:44:00.000-05:00

Last year I had the great Idea that I would make my mom a sweater for her birthday (it's in March) - I knew that she wanted an aran style cardigan so, I found a fancy pancy pattern and got started.

Everything was going fine (well, kinda fine, I did have to rip out a bunch of rows on the back due to a mix up of rows) until I got to the sleeves. I've always been told, and regularly do, stitch both arms at the same time to ensure uniformity. Well - these arms were very heavy and I decided to risk it and do one at a time - OF COURSE they didn't match - and OF COURSE this didn't become evident until the 2nd one was nearly finished - SO, I burned out - I put it down and I haven't picked it up since. In fact it turned me off of knitting for quite a while.

Now I'm feeling a little guilty - like I guess i should just start over with the sleeves - and maybe I will - it just seemed so daunting, just a little while ago.

I pulled it out of the "bag" this weekend - here's a picture of the back - it really is lovely....

The Family Aran

2006-01-23T17:13:00.000-05:00

I found this on a clanaran.com - a website that has the different arans of the Irish clans (or what they claim to be) - Now I know that my grandfather would bristle at the mere mention of the emerald isle - but I think it's pretty cool. The website sells sweaters and kits - but I'm going to (along with, hopefully, some help from my aunts) try and recreate the pattern. it's, basically, a trellis flanked by cables and what they called "blackberries" -

Yarn binge

2006-01-23T16:43:00.000-05:00

Went on a yarn binge this weekend - at both Michael's and AC Moore. AC Moore was having a sale on cotton ($1 a skein) which Suzanne bought a bunch of for me to use to make bibs and other baby-type items for her nephew-to-be. Michael's had a bunch of crazy sales on different types and brands of yarn. Got Lion Brand Suede to make a throw for Suzanne; some Paton's Devine to supplement the yarn that Katie had chosen for Suzanne; some Paton's Pooch and Fun Fur to make a handbag; more Lion Fun fur (stripes and patterns) just for "fun"; some worsted weight rose colored yarn for the afghan WIP; some more Dream for a requested scarf -

I'm sure there's some I'm missing.

The craft stores have SO much more yarn and variety than they used to - especially Michael's - AC Moore has increased their stock of high end yarn - you can now get hand-dyed peruvian wool by the hank - I'd need to have a special project in mind to invest in much of that - it can get a bit pricey. It's a little overwhelming when you are just "browsing" - I don't know what to look at first!

Now I'm lamenting that I didn't get more yarn for Suz's throw and "devine" project - hopefully it will all work out.

Christmas Yarn Extravaganza

2006-01-20T13:52:00.000-05:00

This past Christmas my mother gave me some $$$ to buy yarn - actually, it was a little "iou" that she wrapped and put it in my stocking - yes, Mom still fills my stocking (which, incidentally, was hand-knit by my aunt, the master knitter) -

ANYWAY - this December Michael's was having the best yarn sale - on novelty yarns, anyway. The majority of their Moda-Dea stock was 70% off (YES, 70%!) - I bought a bushel of great stuff, including...

Moda- Dea's - Tutu, Wild!, Ticker Tape, Eden - made scarves out of petal pink and lavender Tutu (see photo below); also made scarves out of blue Wild! (see photo at left) and red Eden (couldn't be softer)

Paton's Twister, Allure, Brilliant - I LOVE the Allure - I got it in navy (sapphire) - it is so plush and rich when knitted - I did a stockinette stitch with a garter border - you can't really tell - but it looks so awesome.

Lion's Fancy Fur - I made Suzanne a little muffler - black with purple and blue bits

Afghan madness

2006-01-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

As reported below, I'm in the planning stages for a bunch of baby blankets - I started one for a friend and I soon decided that I'd rather keep that one and make another for her - fickle, I know.

It's a really basic shell chevron - the pattern is only 11 stitches across and 4 rows - I'm using up a bunch of "odd balls" to basically match a green/pink decor. My color inspiration comes from a checkerboard rug. I need to get some rose yarn (one color I don't have).

Because I'm using different yarns, some weightier than others, the effect of the pattern is kinda lacey - I'm pleased - with the maroon and greens it was looking pretty christmasy in the beginning - I toyed with the idea of gathering it at the top to make a christmas tree skirt - but I think I'll go forward with the blanket.

So I'm still shuffling through ideas for the blankets - I'm leaning toward a fan and feather for the one -

I'm going yarn shopping this weekend!!! whoo hoo!

Katie's Sweater

2006-01-20T12:11:00.000-05:00

I made this sweater for katie last year. The kid loves bright colors, and, at the time, was just learning her colors, so the sweater was a good teaching tool.

It's all cotton - the basic "T" sweater in stockingette stitch with a roll collar. The blue is supposed to be the front, but she always wears it with the yellow front facing. She wore it for her pre-school pictures and spilled chocolate milk on the yellow side - so they flipped it around for the picture - fate, I'd say.

Katie's crayon purse

2006-01-19T14:59:00.000-05:00

Katie picked out this yarn for herself - a little eclectic for a 3 year old - but she is an exceptional girl.

I decided to make her a little purse - complete with gold star button. The purse itself is very simple - just a rib patterned rectangle sewn up the sides. The strap is an I chord (which I love making, btw) and the clasp is a simple crochet chain (I do not crochet - but I can do a chain).

While intended to be a purse, Katie soon found a more efficient use - she now carries her crayons in it - it's the perfect size.

Batting my eyelash

2006-01-19T14:51:00.000-05:00

I love eyelash yarn. It is so much fun to work with and I'm tickled by the results. Fun and Fancy Fur from Lion Brand are staples - I've made many a boa for adults and children. I've enjoyed using some of the other brands as well. Paton's Boa (clever), Twister, and so on are also great.

Try knitting some Fun Fur together with a boucle - the effect is so rich.

One of my all time favorite yarns is one that a friend brought back for me from Germany - she brought back 2 skeins of a variegated orange, rust, gold and I knitted it into a scarf. To my delight the effect was a "magic stripe" with bold blocks of each hue. It is a gorgeous scarf and another attention getter - one night at a restaurant a gal came over to ask me if I had knitted it - it started a great conversation! Lion Brand has come out with a striped eyelash - I just got a couple skeins this weekend - I can't wait to try them out!!

Penn State Gear

2006-01-19T14:46:00.000-05:00

My college alma mater is another of my inspirations - nearly every Penn Stater I know has some sort of Navy and White creation.

My best tailgating buddy, Suzanne, gets a new scarf every season. Attached is a picture of the first PSU scarf I made for her - It's navy and white boucle - I cast on like 200 stitches - to get the vertical "racing stripe" - and then I added boucle fringe which doubles as pom-pons at the football games.

My one sorority sister, who keeps having babies, gets blue and white baby blankets. I make dish rags, potholders, etc for the football faithful.

After I first returned to knitting I made myself a "harry potter" type scarf - very long with broad stripes. (I made a miniature version for another PSU friend with a little boy - however, I catch her wearing it) I used baby weight yarn and smallish (7US) needles and the simple garter stitch. It took forever - but I love it - and I always get tons of compliments when I wear it to football games.

Dream Scarf

2006-01-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

My friend's daughter, Katie, is one of my muses. She's been the recipient and inspiration for many of my projects. Last month I got to go yarn shopping with her (she's 3, btw). She helped me pick out a variety of yarn - for different people we know, including herself and her little sister.

She picked out this green Dream (by Moda-Dea) yarn for her sister. I knitted a small little scarf (which couldn't be softer) - the yarn didn't lend itself to much of a pattern but I did do a reversible "diamond" pattern - if I look really close I can see it - I doubt that anyone else would notice.

Wee hat

2006-01-19T14:12:00.000-05:00

I made this hat without a pattern. It ended up being too small for a normal sized child - but it's so cute I had to keep it. It was knitted on straight needles and then sewn up the back.

I did put it on an 18 month old - but it kept slipping off her head - although it did look very cute.

Let's get it started!

2006-01-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

Here is a blanket I did for my friend (well, for her baby, really). She had said, while expecting, that she wanted bright contrasting colors for the baby because such is supposed to stimulate brain activity.

So, I found the craziest pattern I could - I found it on the internet and I've seen it called by different names.

I did this one all in cotton = with contrasting solid and multi-colored yarns. Each striped block is made by decreasing in the middle so that the striped fold toward the center. It's an awesome result. The blocks are then sewn together into groups of four - it ends up looking like the log cabin quilting pattern - and the blocks of four are pieced together to make the blanket. For the baby blanket I pieced 3 blocks of four by 4 blocks of four.

I was so pleased with this project and my friend really appreciated it. Her daughter is now 1 year old and says that it's her (mom's and baby's) favorite blanket - just the right weight and because it's cotton - it washes up wonderfully. She says that she catches her daughter just studying the blanket and knows that her daughter is going to be smart because of it.

That's pretty high praise, but I'll take it! Unfortunately - it would seem that she (the baby) is growing so quickly that she's going to need a bigger blanket soon - maybe I should have them send it to me and I'll just add a couple rows.

ANYWAY - here's a picture... btw - in the pix they have it folded over so you see a bit of the "wrong side"...

Madgirl Knits!

2006-01-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

So I've decided to chronicle (ie immortalize) my knitting projects. I had been on a knitting hiatus during the summer (it was so dang hot) but I'm really back into it now.

Part of my motivation is that every married woman I know is expecting this winter/spring (seriously, every single one) - so I'm mentally bogged down with ideas for shower/baby gifts.

My memory is not what it used to be - so I can now use Blogger to help me keep track.

I get most of my patterns from online sources or old pattern books. I usually try to find a pattern to "fit" the yarn I have (people are always giving me yarn) rather than purchasing yarn to fit a particular pattern (although this has been known to happen).

I learned to knit as a pre-teen but I didn't really keep up with it - About 3 years ago I picked it up again, and "re-taught" myself via the internet and instruction from my aunt (master knitter). I really enjoy it - and people really appreciate homemade gifts - which is nice.

I love all the novelty yarns; they're usually a lot of razzle-dazzle for relatively little time and energy.

Cables are probably my favorite "effect" - unless I miss a stitch or skip a row - then I kinda hate them ;)