My first cable sweater

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

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

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

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

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...

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

Mr. DeVille.

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

It's been so long!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

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.