Hoosier Yarn Lady

I've moved

2007-06-13T22:15:00.001-04:00

You can now find me at http://craftymands.wordpress.com/.

Sockapalooza4

2007-05-14T16:31:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Eyelet and Flame Chevron from Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume One (to be posted after they're done)

Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted in Pink Posey from The Loopy Ewe

Needles: Knit Picks DPNs Size 0

I absolutely love this yarn, the needles, the pattern, everything about this sock. I'm so thrilled that it's all coming together so well for my sock recipient. She totally deserves it.

My latest obsession, tiny socks for my sock blocker keychain. The yarn was a gift in one of my orders from The Loopy Ewe. Can you tell that I love Sheri and The Loopy Ewe???

A moment of silence, please...

2007-04-25T11:36:00.000-04:00

Babe is dying. I'm not sure what's going on, but her screws are coming loose.

Maybe I treadle wrong, maybe too fast, maybe the pedals don't stay where they're supposed to. I don't know, but the screw that holds the pedals to the base of my Babe spinning wheel are coming out and they seem to not want to go back in and stay in.

I'm desperately hoping for a new wheel, but I don't think it's in the budget right now. Any ideas on how to fix it?

You have to watch this!

2007-04-23T19:49:00.000-04:00

Signing for the Deaf with Translation for the Dumb.

Who wouldn't want to come home if these were waiting for them?

2007-04-23T18:08:00.000-04:00

Claudia Handpainted sock yarn from The Loopy Ewe. I got Buckeye and, as mentioned in my previous post, I totally scored some Peppermint Mocha, The Loopy Ewe's new colorway from Claudia. Plus I got some SOAK and giftees from Sheri.

Flip Knit Books from Annie Modesitt. Combination Knitting in one direction and Western in the other. Doesn't get much better than that. I totally forgot I ordered these and when they showed up today it was like Christmas!

Laceweight yarn from Handpainted Yarn. Made famous by their worsted weight merino which completely sold out I decided to check back and see what they have now. I'm totally in love with these colors. It looks more blue in the picture but it's more of a purplish-blue and green mix in person. It reminds me of flowers. I can't wait to knit lace with this, now I just have to find the perfect pattern. Any recommendations?

Roving from Handpainted Yarn. I'm going to attempt to spin this up into laceweight singles for the Shoalwater Shawl by Fibertrends.

So, yeah, I think I've gone a little crazy and Sheri's doing another Sneak Up soon with the new lace yarns. Be still my pocketbook!

Score!

2007-04-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

I totally scored some Claudia Hand Painted sock yarn in Loopy Ewe's Peppermint Mocha colorway. If you haven't visited The Loopy Ewe's site before and you've ever even thought about knitting socks...go look now. It's okay, I'll wait. It's totally worth it! Sheri and her family are absolutely amazing and they carry some beyond gorgeous sock yarn. I'm thrilled with their customer service and the little gifties I get in my order. They're doing "sneak up" updates lately and I've been stalking the site. It's an obsession and I'm pretty sure it's contagious, so seriously, go buy some sock yarn!

A knitting kind of weekend

2007-02-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

Wow! What a great weekend!

Liesl came over on Saturday and we spent the day knitting. I learned how to do an applied i-cord bind off and finished knitting the bag portion of My Contant Companion. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Michael fried chicken, baked potatoes, and made some corn. Oy, can my husband cook!

Today my brother, Steve, and his wife, Denise (who just happens to be one of my best friends) came down from northern Cincinnati to spend the day with Michael and me. Denise and I had a mini SnB of our own while Michael and Steve watched Taladega Nights which apparently isn't all it's cracked up to be. My dear SIL gladly took some extra yarn off my hands. Isn't she the sweetest? And listened to me rant and rave about life. Plus, yeah, she works at a yarn store. She gives me the scoop on the knitting world. Oh, and we had a roast with carrots and potatoes. Wow, we ate well this weekend.

I should be able to felt My Constant Companion tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the pocket on the front yet. I ran out of my CC since I used it for the straps so it's either getting a solid MC pocket or nothing. If it's nothing then I have about 2 1/2 skeins of Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky in a light heathered blue that's dying to be something luxurious. I'm in love with this yarn. I think I'm eventually going to need a sweater from this yarn. I do have the Ribbi Cardi pattern. Hmm....

So I'm totally rambling now. I think it's bed time.

'night.

Yarn Crawl

2007-01-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Beth, Liesl, and I went on a mini-yarn store crawl.

We started up north at Yarns & Fabrications where I'm telling myself I did not break my "No Yarn in 2007" yarn diet by using my in store credit. I also bought some fabric to line a purse that I'm in the process of designing.

Then we went to Don Pablo's for lunch. Margaritas were enjoyed by all. I had one swirled with sangria...tasty! :)

Then we were off to KnitOn! where I did manage to be good and bought nothing. However, I did decide that for the remainder of Mike's Valentine's yarn gifting we're going to KnitOn! There's just so much more yarn than any of the other yarn stores in the area and I did just buy yarn from Yarns & Fabrications so I'm trying not to feel so guilty.

On the needles right now are the purse I'm designing and the Brea bag that I've been frustrated with for months now. I've finished the first side of the Brea bag, but can't manage to line up the cables on the second side. Yeah, I'm challenged. I know.

To be started in the near future...Mike bought me some yarn (the first part of my Valentine's gift...he's way too good to me) that should arrive Monday. I'm getting some dark red laceweight mohair to make a reversible cable wrap and some bulky wool to make a My Constant Companion.

I'm also working on a pair of UK socks and a desert camo hat for Michael when time (ha...what's that?) permits!

Oh, and winter finally find the Cincinnati tri-state area. We have about 2 inches right now and it's still falling. Supposed to be cold all week. Finally!

2007-01-08T11:36:00.000-05:00

My totally incredible brother got me "Knitting on the Edge" for Christmas! I've totally been drooling over this book forever. I think this year I'm going to attempt to design a few things. I should be able to. I have all three of the Stitchionaries. I have the Vogue Knitting Reference Book. I have Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweaters and Knitting on the Edge. I'm ready!

I'm working on Mike's UK socks right now. They're speeding along on size 2.5 Addis. I'm using Amy's hand-dyed yarn that I had her dye up specifically in the UK colors. She did a fabulous job and if you need something custom dyed I would totally recommend going to Amy. She is awesome to work with! In fact, I have another custome dye order in with her right now for Navy Desert Camouflage colors for a hat for Mike's deployment.

I'm also trying to finish a cabled purse that I've been working on for months. I'm getting there. I'll post pictures of it soon (and the socks too).

Okay, back to the real world,
Amanda

A new year and a new name

2007-01-01T21:26:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year every one!

Since moving from KY to IN this past Fall I thought it would make sense to change the name of my blog to something that was related to IN instead of KY. My SIL and I have always said that if we opened a yarn store we would do it in IN and call it the Hoosier Yarn Barn so...here you have it...the first step towards my dream.

My wonderful husband gifted me with the Vogue Stitchionary Third Volume and E. Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears for Christmas and I've been pouring through them. I'm really hoping to work on colorwork this year. Last year I taught myself Fair Isle and this year my goal is Intarsia.

Here's to a happy, healthy year full of growth and challenges.

It's been a long time

2006-06-21T19:32:00.000-04:00

Life has a funny way of getting in the way. My husband's been going through some pretty insane medical trials. We still don't know what's wrong, but he seems to be getting better.

I have been knitting, but I don't have any pictures. I do have pictures of my Babe spinning wheel though. :)

I've been spinning and am finally starting to get yarn that actually looks like yarn. I gave a skein of about 100 yards to my SIL the other day. Finn sheep has been wonderful to practice on. I've also spun 4 oz. of Amy's hand-dyed roving. I absolutely adore Amy's yarn and her roving. Go buy some! She is awesome to work with. In fact, she just did a custom order for some UK color sock yarn for my husband. I was going to surprise him with them for Christmas, but I was so excited that I just had to tell him.

I've also been spending a lot of time at Yarns and Fabrications. My SIL is working there now and absolutely loves it. We're taking a quilting class together and it's going well. I'll post pictures of the finished quilt when I'm done.

And now...tag, you're it. I left a comment on Mim's blog. Please leave a comment for me so I can leave one for you.

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me — it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a word to describe you.

What!?! A spinning wheel? Really???

2006-03-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Pretty soon a Babe's Production Double Treadle in white is going to be residing with us.

I'm pretty much in shock. Mike and I have wanted a spinning wheel for over a year now. I've read so many posts on Knitter's Review about the pros and cons of different wheels. We would love a Lendrum or a Fricke, but unfortunately that's just out of our price range right now. The Babe met all of our requirements: Affordable, double-treadle, comes with bobbins and a lazy kate, generally good reviews for being a wheel constructed with PVC pipes. I'm sure this will just be our first wheel, but...wow...a first wheel! Now, to make sure our actual spinning passion matches that of our wanting to spin passion.

Pictures as soon as it gets here!

2006-02-08T21:56:00.000-05:00

The PinkLady Bag by Designs by Shelley in Lamb's Pride Worsted pre-felting

James Blunt CD included for scale and to show my new favorite CD. My closest friend, D, had me listen to this CD one night and I was instantly obsessed.

The Pink Lady Bag post felting

This is a hairy beast of a purse. The mohair in the Lamb's Pride fluffed out when I felted it. It looks like a little lamb. I'm in love with it!

Grumperina's Odessa in Knit Picks Andean Silk - Sangria.

This pattern was a joy to knit. I've never knit with beads before, but it was a blast and there is now hope for my previously cast aside beads.

I've been looking for a job for almost two weeks now. It's been difficult, but it has given me quite a bit of time to knit as I'm sure you can tell.

It's almost a sock

2006-01-29T00:54:00.000-05:00

Sock in progress shot.
I'm winging this sock. Mike really likes the farrow rib pattern so, after much searching with no results, I decided I would have to do it myself. I cast on 72 sts and worked the farrow rib pattern down to the heel. I'm continuing the farrow rib pattern down the top of the foot.

Fair Isle Take One

2006-01-28T17:35:00.000-05:00

Last night I decided that it was absolutely silly to continue being afraid of Fair Isle knitting...well, any colorwork basically.

I went to the Philosopher's Wool site and watched the video then took the pattern for the sample bag and changed it a bit and knit this hat. It was a great experience and I really can't wait to knit more Fair Isle patterns.

Silly life...getting in the way

2006-01-25T12:31:00.000-05:00

The past few months have been difficult to say the least. It's been a struggle to find time and/or energy to knit. This is a knitting blog, so I won't bore you with all the details, but my marriage is not very stable at the moment. We're going to do the whole counseling thing and I really hope that it works out, but at this point it's very unsure.

However, I have been doing some knitting and here is pictoral proof.

From left to right: Ribbed scarf in Knit Picks Elegance - Fawn, My So Called Scarf in Yarn Bee Mosaic Twist - Blue Lagoon, and Farrow Rib Socks in Knit Picks Essentials - Fawn

I'm working on a rolled brim hat to go with the My So Called Scarf. I contemplated whether I wanted to do the hat that matches it, but I decided against it. Thank you to everyone who offered to send me the pattern though!

One of these things is not like the other...

2005-10-26T13:55:00.000-04:00

(Taps playing in the background) You served me well for two pairs of socks and numerous sock starts. Little did we know that there was a weak spot in your middle that would snap at the most inopportune time. Thank you for holding yourself together just long enough for me to knit the stitches, the ones that clung perilously close to death, off and onto another needle. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. You will be remember each time the Razor Shell Socks are worn. Farewell, my friend, my US2 Bryspun DPNs.

Edited to add that I might have raided the stash that I was planning on sending off to a friend and...well...took a set of bamboo US2 DPNs. It was a for a good cause though, I mean, come on! It's the Razor Shell Socks. That's quite a lovely reason to become a needle thief. Yeah, knitting has really increased my rationalization skills.

Update Post

2005-10-25T22:21:00.000-04:00

WARNING: PICTURE HEAVY POST FOLLOWS!

Thanks, Gracie! It was such a joy to receive this package today. I was home sick all day and when the mail carrier knocked on the door and my husband brought this to me in bed...well...let's just say it was very welcome! It's gorgeous and I love the card. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Pattern: Rib Tips Socks
Yarn: Cascade Fixation in Black
Needles: US 3 Bryspun DPNs

Mike is pretty happy to have these and is even gracious enough to ignore the honking ladder going down the side of his foot. I think I pulled too tightly at the join of the DPNs and stretched the Fixation out too much. Lesson learned. Pattern: Cozy
Yarn: Joseph Galler's Peruvian Tweed bought at Yarns and Fabrications the newest LYS in my area. If you live slightly north of Cincinnati or slightly south of Dayton you have to check out Yarns and Fabrications. It's small right now, but I'm sure they're going to grow. My SIL and I spent a couple of hours in there agonizing over yarn purchases and Lori, one of the owners, is just the nicest, sweetest yarn store owner I've ever met. And if you get a chance to meet her kids they are darling!
Pattern: Razor Shell Socks written by Miriam L. Felton
Yarn: Knit Picks Sock Garden in Zinnia
I'm in love with this pattern. It's just absolutely fabulous.

The yarn is a little brighter than I anticipated when I bought it for a scarf and so it became destined for socks and I think they're going to be perfect for Autumn.

And finally...the children relaxing. This is generally the view that I have while knitting. Aren't they just adorable?

2005-10-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

I finally finished my SIL's scarf. This is a the Finnish Lace pattern from Vogue knitting in Berroco Softwist.

A close-up of the stitch pattern. I really enjoyed this lace pattern and was pretty excited that I could go to the book, pick a pattern that I liked, add a garter stitch border, and create a scarf. It was such a thrill!

This yarn, while gorgeous and soft to touch, is a pain to work with. I think that if I had been using bamboo to knit with the duller points would have worked better, but my Denise needles just split this yarn like mad which, in turn, drove me mad quite a few times. This is the 4th reincarnation of this scarf. Each time with a different pattern.

In non-knitting news, Mike renewed his reserves contract last weekend. It was a moment of great importance for him as the Vice Admiral in charge of the Navy Reserves did his reenlistment. Here's a pic of my sailor in his dress whites. He's sharing a few words after reenlisting for another 6 years. I'm so proud of him.

2005-09-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to
keep you close because you are so softhearted.
You love to be comfortable and warm from your
head to your toes.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Some Updates

2005-09-05T23:15:00.000-04:00

Multidirectional Scarf

Classic Elite Fame

The yarn that you see on the left-hand side of my scarf is what was left after I cast off the last stitch. It was a little tense there for a moment. I wasn't sure I was going to have enough yarn so I did not attempt the optional ending posted with the pattern.

My So Called Scarf in handpaintedyarn.com Magnolia colorway. Ready to ship to my Secret Scarf Exchange recipient.

The children chillin' on the newly slipcovered couch. (Trouble on the left and Fuzzy on the right) I think they like each other now. :)

Late is better than never...

2005-08-31T23:19:00.000-04:00

For a long time my dream has been to get my degree. I went straight from High School to College and then got slightly derailed by a really freaky religious group that I stayed in for a little over six years. So...back to the real world with only a year of college under my belt. Finally time to start making my dreams reality.

Now, I have some health problems that I may or may not have mentioned here before. One of my issues, in particular, has made it difficult for me to go to school full-time in the past. Being out of above-mentioned religious group (affectionately known as "the crazy cult") has lowered my stress level immensely. I'm an ambitious kind of girl (have you seen my list of things to knit lately?) so I decided to try going to school full-time, albeit online. In February of this year I graduated with my Associates Degree in Business Administration. This spring I return to a brick and mortar school to continue my education and complete my Bachelors in English/Secondary Ed. So...while this is all fresh in my mind...a graduation picture (yes, I had one. It was a virtual graduation, all done through the internet) :)

Scarf Exchange Take Two + Kepler Along + a little Kiri

2005-08-29T18:54:00.000-04:00

I was having some issues with the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. It wasn't the pattern...I really like it. It was the combination of the yarn and the pattern that was worrying me.

Enter My-So-Called scarf. If you think this looks familiar, you're right. I knit this scarf for myself in this pattern last winter. I love this pattern and the yarn (Handpaintedyarn.com's worsted weight merino in the magnolia colorway) I was saving the last skein that I had for the matching hat pattern, but before I printed off the pattern had been sold to a magazine. Now...I'm super excited for the girl who wrote the pattern, but a little bummed that I didn't print it when I first saw it. No matter though, the yarn came in handy. I don't need another My So Called Scarf, but I do love knitting it so it was the perfect replacement for the Chevron Scarf for the Secret Scarf Exchange. I really hope my recipient likes it. I'm planning on mailing it the second weekend of September if not earlier.

In other knitting news...I've joined the Kepler Knitalong that Amy is hosting. Emily has created a masterpiece and is graciously sharing the pattern for Kepler with the rest of the knitting world. I swatched for Kepler with Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride worsted in dark charcoal the other day. I'm not happy with the cable definition in this yarn. It's wonderful yarn and I love working with it, but it's not working for this pattern. The yarn has been reassigned to another project (Dad's felted clogs for Christmas) and I have purchased what I hope to be a sufficient amount of Cascade's Eco Wool in Mocha. I'll be casting on to swatch for that as soon as it arrives.

I've also joined the Kiri KAL. This is my first true experience with lace. I'm in love with this pattern. I think it's an excellent beginners pattern since it is charted and written affording the beginner the opportunity to "cheat" while trying to get the hang of reading the chart. I've completed Chart 1 and 2 repeats of Chart 2. I'm using KnitPicks Shadow in Oregon Coast. This yarn is so amazing. So soft and the colors are fantastic. This picture doesn't do the colors justice. From across the room it looks tan, but up close there are all these colors incorporated in it. It absolutely reminds me of a sandy beach.

Another Exchange Update

2005-08-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

After spending more time reading my recipient's blog and working on the Chevron Scarf in the sock yarn I've decided it's not really what I was going for so I've switched patterns and yarn and am about 1/2 done with the scarf. Pictures soon...

Scarf Exchange Update

2005-08-08T11:41:00.000-04:00

After reading my recipient's blog and looking through all my patterns I decided on the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Now, since I'm a KnitPicks devotee off I went to pick out some sock yarn (the pattern calls for KPPPM). I was looking for something a bit darker and the colors are pretty bright, but it's growing on me. It's Sock Garden Zinnia for anyone who is curious. I'm really liking this pattern. I started it on 5s and then ripped it out and started again on 6s and it seems to be working much better now. On the 5s the chevron pattern was causing it to bunch a bit too much.

I'm still working on Branching Out, but haven't taken any pictures of it lately. There's not much of a change. When I decided that it wasn't going to be my exchange scarf it got put on hold.

I'm also still working on a pair of black socks out of Cascade Fixation and a sweater for Mike. Those are kind of slow going right now, but I'm about 2 inches from the toe decreases on the first sock.

No pictures....please

2005-07-22T19:50:00.000-04:00

Fuzzy says, "Aww, ma, no more pictures, huh?"

Finally, a picture of the newest addition to our family. This is Trouble. He is one of the three kittens that we rescued from behind our dumpster a couple weeks ago. We couldn't keep all three off them due to finances and allergies, but Mike fell in love with Trouble so he got to stay. He and Fuzzy are starting to get along. They're sleeping on the couch right now.

And in knitting news, I completed a pair of baby socks for a friend. They went so quickly and turned out okay. It really helped me to learn more about the mechanics of socks in a small project that didn't take forever to do the cuff alone.

Roving to yarn and back again

2005-07-18T11:33:00.000-04:00

Mike has been really busy lately. He's working two jobs to help make ends meet. He was actually home on Saturday night and wanted to do something fun together so...he made me a drop spindle and then we dyed roving with Kool-Aid. (Pictures to come in the next day or so) The roving is a bit difficult to draft though. I tried to spin some of it yesterday and it's pretty wonky and then after setting the twist it's looking pretty much like roving again. Sigh...I'm going to learn to do this!

On the knitting scene I've been working on Mike's socks in black Fixation to go under his cargo boots. We're simply waiting on the letter that says when he deploys. It could be in the next couple of months or it could be sometime next year, but it's a pretty sure thing that he goes eventually. So he needs socks to wear under those boots with his camoflage uniform. I'm also working on a lace scarf for my SIL, still working on Branching Out, and the Anniversary sweater from Knitty.com for Mike.

I joined the scarf exchange that Celia is hosting and I'm so excited. It's my first exchange and it's been so fun looking at patterns and colors and yarns that I normally wouldn't knit, but that my exchange recipient might like.

Hmm...I need to post pictures of progress, but there hasn't been much on any one thing since I've been working on so many things at once. Pictures when there's progress then.

Our Prayers Are With You London

2005-07-07T10:47:00.000-04:00

I was working 10 minutes from the Pentagon when the plane hit it on 9/11. The shock and hurt was just so immense. Friends were missing, friends of friends killed...it was traumatic and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Now...knitting friends in London are experiencing the same and the feeling of helplessness is almost overwhelming. You are in my thoughts and in my prayers.

Happy 4th of July!

2005-07-04T11:28:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Shapely Tank by White Lies Designs
Yarn: Cotton Ribbon from Mysticl Creation Yarns
Started: June 14, 2005
Completed: July 1, 2005
Skills Learned: Shaping an armhole and working with two balls of yarn at the same time to complete the straps. Also, first time successfully completing a 3-needle bind off.
Changes I would make: I think I need to leave out a set of increases after the waist shaping to get rid of the slight pucker right below my chest. There was a little extra room up there.

I wore my Shapely Tank to my family's 4th of July celebration yesterday and it was a big hit.

I've already purchased the yarn for my second one. A solid color this time.

I'm Branching Out...

2005-06-23T22:44:00.000-04:00

What's that? you say. It's this. I only have a few repeats of Branching Out done, but it's been the hardest few repeats of my short knitting life.

Branching Out, why do you mock me so?

It's such a gorgeous pattern, yet...I just could not get the hang of it. Okay...so I started it at midnight last night. I'm not a good knitter late at night, but I felt pretty confident that I could do this. Was I ever mistaken! Now that I've taken the time to sit down and figure out what I was doing I can sit and watch TV and knit BO.

I'm in love with lace knitting! I'm going to frog the scarf I am still working on for my SIL and start a lace pattern from my Vogue reference book. Then I'm going to start some sort of lace shawl for my grandmother. I have no clue which shawl is the best to pick, but I'm definitely going to start looking.

Okay, off to bed for me. Nighty-night!

2005-06-23T22:42:00.000-04:00

After frogging 5 times...I think I have it.

Busy weekend finally over

2005-06-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

Mike finally persuaded me to go fishing with him on Friday night. I left work at 5:30, rushed home, changed, and off we went. My family owns a farm in the middle of nowhere Indiana and it has a pond and it's our favorite fishing hole. Mike and my dad go at least once a month during nice weather times. I haven't fished since meeting Mike though so he's been not so patiently waiting to get me out there. My dad didn't help though. See, when I was young I had a habit of taking a book with me to read while fishing. I don't know if it was the patience that I had since I was otherwise occupied or what but I would normally catch about twice what every one else caught (with the exception of my father who is a great angler). Dad's been telling Mike these stories since they first met and Mike wanted to know if it was true.

So we got to the farm and made our way to the pond through the weeds and grass and started fishing. The fish weren't biting much until it was almost too dark to see the bobber go under. Can't really fish like that. We brought home 8 fish and....I caught 6 of them. Mike believes my dad now and he still wants to go fishing again. All in all, it was a good night.

Saturday we ventured out to the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival in Osgood, Indiana. It was a blast! Mike and I both learned to use a drop spindle and then promptly bought roving. We're going to dye the roving with KA and then knit each other hats (if we have enough). Mike's learning to knit!!! He's totally bitten by the bug. He's always wanted a house with some land so he could have horses, but now he also wants sheep and angora rabbits so we can spin yarn. Have I told y'all how much I love my husband??? He's really quite amazing.

Sunday we spent the day with my parents and my younger brother for Father's Day. We had a great time and them came home, fell into bed, and promptly doozed off.

It was definitely a busy weekend, but it was so amazing!

2005-06-15T11:35:00.000-04:00

Mike and I drove out past where he works the other day and arrived at a sea of beauty. Aisle after aisle of hanging baskets of petunias of all sorts. It was amazing. We had the hardest time picking a basket and the compromise was to get one that had all the colors in it. This basket is so huge that it barely fit through our sliding glass door to our deck. I'm in love!

2005-06-15T11:33:00.000-04:00

Shapely Tank as of last night. It's coming along. I'm doing the neck shaping at the moment and am coming up on the straps which requires a second ball of yarn. I have no clue how to do that so I'm going to research and/or hope someone at knitting tonight knows how to do this.

2005-06-15T11:32:00.000-04:00

Shapely Tank, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...Mystical Creation Yarns Cotton Ribbon is a joy to work with. Definitely rougher on the hands than wool, but not as bad as I thought it would be. The colors are gorgeous, a little pooling, but it's not so bad. I love the short row shaping at the bottom. I went through some intense calculations for the right size, cast on, and had about 20 stitches too many so I frogged back and cast on again for my actual bust size. It's perfect now. This picture is after day one.

Answers for Gaby

2005-06-09T18:32:00.000-04:00

Gaby,

Thank you for your comment! You didn't leave an email addy for me to respond to so I'm going to respond here.

For the variegated scarf (My-So-Called scarf) I used handpaintedyarn.com's merino in the worsted weight in a color way called Magnolia. It was amazing to work with and the first time I had ever even touched merino. If you can find some (try Ebay) it's awesome to work with.

The red cabled scarf was done in Lion Brand Wool-Ease using the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern. If you like the pattern it's a good way to start cabling. Google it and it'll come up along with the knit-along.

The tan scarf was done in a wool/acrylic blend that I got in bulk from Ebay.

The bulky black and red cabled scarf was done in the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern with Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky.

Whoo...I think that's it. Oh, wait! The purple one. I have no clue. It was for my friend and she picked out the yarn, but it was bought at Wal-Mart and they still have it.

2005-06-04T07:47:00.000-04:00

On Memorial Day Mike and I decided to tackle dyeing some cream colored Cascade 220. We picked the above colors as these are the colors Mike most loves to see me wear! This picture shows our preparations. I had so much fun working on this and the Sophie Bag that I knit with the yarn (see post below) is so pretty. I think I'm addicted...wait...I know I am!

2005-06-04T07:46:00.000-04:00

Dyed and waiting to be zapped in the microwave.

2005-06-04T07:45:00.000-04:00

Kool-Aid Dyed yarn for Sophie after drying for a day.

2005-06-04T07:44:00.000-04:00

Sophie, pre-felting, in Kool-Aid Dyed Cascade 220. So far I'm thrilled with the way this has turned out. Felted to take place later today.

2005-06-02T05:34:00.000-04:00

And in non-knitting related news, this past weekend Mike and I finished our container garden. The large one on the right is our rosebush, next to it and on the ground are lillies surrounded by portulaca, and in the front with the cage are our grape tomatoes. There are also three hanging baskets, but those didn't fit in the picture that I took while trying to lean as far backwards off the deck as I could!

2005-06-02T05:29:00.000-04:00

And here she is in the socks.

2005-06-02T05:28:00.000-04:00

This is my mom. I knit her ankle socks out of Cascade Fixation. Her face when she opened them was absolutely priceless. I cannot keep a secret from my mother and I managed to knit these and give them to her without spilling the beans. Okay...so I had her open them before anyone else got there for Mother's Day, but come on...I kept them from her for over two weeks! :)

2005-06-02T05:22:00.000-04:00

Booga Bag in Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. I loved knitting this and when I was done I lined it with some funky quilting fabric and then used a braided ribbon of sorts for the handles.

Waiting for deliveries

2005-05-16T07:23:00.000-04:00

I'm so impatient! I'm waiting for numerous deliveries right now. Not all of them are yarn related but some of them are. I'm waiting for my cotton ribbon from the previous post. I ordered a bunch of Kureyon for some other people from woolneedlework.com and I'm waiting on an ebay win for some Kureyon that comes with a wine bag patter so that my SIL and I can make some wine bags.

I'm currently working on Anniversary from Knitty and a purse similar to the Booga Bag that I'm going to line with some really cool fabric that I picked up from Jo-Ann's this weekend.

I'm supposedly sewing a skirt for an upcoming wedding, but after my trial run from this weekend I'm not so sure any more. The purse I'm knitting and the lining were picked specifically to match the fabric that I already have. It's all super gorgeous, but I'm a sewing disaster. Although, on a happier note, my husband bought me my very own sewing maching this weekend. I'm in love with the maching, but having some severe user error issues. I'm trying to sew from a pattern that was designed to fit me which means there are minimal instructions. The waist is too big and I can't figure out how to finish it and the zipper was basically a disaster. I'm going to rip the zipper out, finish the seam to the top and put elastic in the top to finish this skirt. I'm happy with the skirt itself though and I'll probably wear it often. I just need a really easy skirt pattern to start with instead of trying to wing it with no sewing experience.

As soon as the yarn arrives I'll drop everything though and cast on for a tank top although which one is still to be determined.

2005-05-07T11:48:00.000-04:00

Oh, what have I done? I went and bought some yarn from Mystical Creation Yarns. I couldn't resist! This is Cotton Ribbon in the Lauren colorway. I ordered 950 yards which should be enough for whichever tank top pattern I pick to use it for. Right now ChicKnits Boatneck Shell and Ribby Shell are my choices, but I'm sure there are others out there.

Drooling over yarn

2005-05-07T07:48:00.000-04:00

Oh my! So, I was innocently over at Knitty's Forum reading posts when I happened upon a post about this website:

Mystical Creation Yarns

The colors are so amazing and the yarns are just too yummy looking. I'm not sure I'll be able to resist.

2005-05-04T09:49:00.000-04:00

And here's my ever so willing model. My poor husband...he gets roped into everything.

2005-05-04T09:48:00.000-04:00

Clapotis knit in a hemp/wool blend from www.angoracottage.com I loved working with this yarn and fell in love with the variations in color.

2005-05-04T09:47:00.000-04:00

Close-up of finished Booga Bag. Eventually this will get a bright blue lining to help it hold its shape a bit more. I had a blast knitting this and it was quite quick. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.

2005-05-04T09:46:00.001-04:00

Completed Booga Bag

2005-05-04T09:46:00.000-04:00

Booga bag in Kureyon 52 blocking on VHS tapes

2005-03-31T10:52:00.001-05:00

Close up of the handles

2005-03-31T10:52:00.000-05:00

Sophie in Cascade 220 doubled. Beaded handles made from bead stash. Anyone know how I can get it to stop sagging in the middle?

2005-03-31T10:50:00.000-05:00

My So Called Scarf in Worsted Merino Magnolia Colorway from Handpaintedyarn.com

2005-03-31T10:17:00.000-05:00

It's finally done. Okay, it's been done for a while, but I'm a bad blogger. Klaralund done in Kureyon #150. I hated this yarn at first. The colors just weren't what I was expecting, but I'm completely in love with it now and wear it all the time.

2005-02-20T16:26:00.000-05:00

Mike built me a blocking board last night and here it is. It's a piece of sheathing from Home Depot with felt wrapped around it and gingham on the front all held in place with staples. It works wonderfully and I'm absolutely in love with it.

2005-02-20T16:20:00.000-05:00

Back and front of my Klaralund in Kureyon 150 blocking

2005-01-31T18:04:00.000-05:00

Here are Mike's finished socks. The second one took forever in between other projects, but they are finally done.

2005-01-26T22:16:00.000-05:00

We're going to call these Mike's "Fuzzy" sockss becuase they look so good next to our baby.

Started a new project last night!!!

2005-01-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

Argh! I wasn't supposed to start anything new, but this pattern was calling to me and it is crocheted so it was a little more mindless than knitting. I'm striping another three colors of Berroco Softwist in a crochet pattern and I'm liking it so far. I don't have any pictures to post right now, but I'll post one when it's done.

On Thursday a package arrived for me while I was at work. When I got home what was here but my new wool winder! I found an online consignment store that was selling it for $10.00 with $6.00 s/h. I was floored. I emailed them to make sure it was really the full winder and when they emailed back that it was I immediately ordered it. I wound five hanks of yarn into balls yesterday and it was so easy. I can't believe I ever did it by hand although doing it by hand does offer its own feeling of satisfaction.

2005-01-23T00:32:00.000-05:00

Irish Hiking Scarf - 2005

2005-01-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

I started this scarf for my SIL in Berroco Softwist, but it's puckering so I'm not sure I'm going to finish it. Might frog it and do stripes lenthwise instead.

2005-01-23T00:03:00.000-05:00

This is the scarf that I made for my best friend from high school. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out when we picked out the yarns, but I'm in love with it now. :)

2005-01-22T23:59:00.000-05:00

Klaralund so far. It's going slow b/c I'm working on her between projects, but I hope to have some time to dedicate to her after Valentine's Day.

2005-01-22T23:55:00.000-05:00

Finished Irish Hiking Scarf

Where Do I Start?

2005-01-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

First of all, getting a job the week of Christmas when you have Christmas knitting left to do is not the smartest thing. :)

I've been swamped between working p/t outside of the house, p/t from home, and going to school full-time online. Yikes...someone stop me. So, I've been knitting, but no blogging time.

I don't have any pictures to post right now, but here's what's on the needles (hanging head in shame).

~ Klaralund - I'm halfway done with a front/back panel. Still haven't decided if I want it to be the front or back.

~ Yet another farrow rib scarf in the same yarn as the first one.

~ A scarf that I'm designing as I go in Berroco's Softwist which, to date, is the softest, shiniest yarn I have ever worked with and I'm loving it!

~ The sock to go with the previously posted pic of my first sock. :) It'll get done some day.

~ Knitty.com's thong-th-thong in Red Fixation from Cascade for DH's Valentine's gift.

~ A scarf knit on one 5 and one 15 in a novelty yarn that I can't for the life of me remember the name of.

Finished objects:

~ My Irish Hiking Scarf is finally done. I'll post pics of that soon.

~ A scarf for my best friend from high school. We went to Wally World and she picked out a couple yarns that she wanted knit together in a basic stitch to make a wide and long scarf. The yarn was pretty, but I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Oh, my god! I want one. It's gorgeous and it's all the yarn because all I did was hold it together and knit in garter stitch.

~ A couple little hats for my brother's girlfriend's daughters. Get all that? lol

Such a sad, sad little list of finished objects in comparison to my WIP list. It'll get there though. I've promised not to cast on for anything else until I have at least half of my WIPs done. Gotta get moving though since I have a KAL for a boot sock in Wool Ease starting on the 1st of February! :)

Happy Knitting!
Mands

2004-12-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

Klaralund - Day One Close Up

2004-12-08T19:52:00.001-05:00

Klaralund - Day One

2004-12-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

Steve's scarf full length.

2004-12-08T19:51:00.000-05:00

Steve's Farrow Rib Scarf. || Up Close

2004-12-03T14:52:00.001-05:00

All ten of the beauties.

2004-12-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

It's finally here! I can start as soon as the CTH Collection Two book arrives. Klaralund has been in my dreams for months. |

2004-12-01T16:58:00.000-05:00

The toe of my first sock!

2004-12-01T16:54:00.000-05:00

My first sock ever. There are some things that I wish I could change about it, but I still have to knit the other one to make the pair so I'll make the changes there. I couldn't believe it when I tried it on. It's actually a sock!

Got the blues

2004-11-30T23:32:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling lonely tonight. Ever have one of those nights where you can't seem to even remember who you are...I mean, you, down beneath all of the layers, you. I'm having one of those nights. So much has happened in the past year. My life is so different. Wish I knew where to go from here.

Knitting helps a little though. Therapy, I guess. Seeing something created from a piece of yarn in my very hands, that's something. Mike's one sock is down to the decreases for the toe. Might get a pair this year after all. My scarf is coming along nicely if a little slower than Mike's did. Have to work on the socks when Mike is at work which doesn't leave much time for my scarf. Kureyon should be arriving within a couple weeks for my Klaralund, oh, and the pattern, too. Yarn on its way for my brother's scarf and ear warmer thingy (sounds so girly to call it a headband). Think I'll make a couple washclothes for friends this year. Fill them with natural soaps. Maybe that will work. I don't have many people to get things for. Just a few really.

Time to get back to work though.

2004-11-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

My Irish Hiking Scarf in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Cranberry

2004-11-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

Mike's sock in progress.

I'm a bad blogger!

2004-11-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've updated this blog. I tried to add some progress pics to the side of my blog the other day and I am completely HTML challenged. I have no clue what I'm doing. If you're ready this and you know how, could you break it down for me Barney style???

I'm working on three projects right now, waiting for yarn and patterns for a couple others. My Irish Hiking Scarf is about 1/3 done. After I finish that I need to do the modified patterns for the hat and gloves. I'm also working on a shawl that I'm attempting to make without a pattern, but with the help of a lovely poster on KR. The yarn I'm using for the shawl is beautiful and I'll post pics soon. I'm also working on my first pair of socks. My two year anniversary is in December and the traditional gift for the second year is cotton so I'm knitting Mike a pair of cotton blend socks with Sockotta in the tan/brown/white colorway. It took me quite a while to get used to knitting on DPNs, but I'm getting there. Progress pics will be posted soon.

I'm desperately trying to find a tree skirt pattern. I've found gorgeous blue/white/silver yarn and that is the color sheme that our tree is in and to date we have no skirt for our poor Charlie Brown tree. Anyone know of a simple tree skirt pattern?

Well, I should get off here and go to bed. Night night.

2004-11-10T14:46:00.001-05:00

Close up of Irish hiking Scarf

2004-11-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

Mike's Irish Hiking Scarf

Irish Hiking Scarf knitalong

2004-11-05T15:48:00.000-05:00

Posted for the first time at the knitalong blog. I'm really excited about it. Got another two repeats of the cables done on the scarf. It's knitting up really fast in such thick yarn. Woo-hoo!

Midnight and still awake

2004-11-05T01:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I started Mike's Irish Hiking Scarf today. He picked out Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Lumberjack Red so I'm only doing two cables. It's squishing at the edges, but not rolling so I think it's going to be okay. I'm going to start one for myself when I'm done with his. Mine will be Wool-Ease in Cranberry.

I'm waiting, ever so patiently, for my yarn to come for my first sweater. I'm going to knit the guideline pattern thing from 25 Gorgeous Sweaters for the Brand New Knitter. I'm really excited but scared out of my mind at the same time. I'm not known for finishing projects and a sweater, well now, that's a project. We'll see. Maybe having this blog will help me to keep going.

2004-11-05T00:24:00.000-05:00

Mike's first scarf knit in seed stitch.

2004-11-05T00:23:00.000-05:00

Knitting Tote