Ok, Here's the Pictures!

I said there would be pictures when I had time so today somewhere between laundry, vaccuming, dishes, re-potting a huge plant (see Mrs. Know-It for details tomorrow), going to a movie, and shopping I managed to take these:This is the front of the swimsuit top I crocheted. I haven't had time to start the bottoms yet, but soon!This is the back. Its hard to tell, but it laces up and ties at the bottom. SUPER CUTE when it's on!This is a closer picture of the lacing and you can see it a little better.These are the "crew'' length socks for HoneyBunny that are well on their way to being done.And I don't know if I mentioned these, but I started this pair of socks for me out of the yarn I got in a yarn swap with Hege. I took the Jaywalkers pattern and modified it a little bit and then started them as a toe up sock. I do like the results so far!! I did a toe up version because I didn't want to waste one little bit of this gorgeous yarn.

I don't recall if I mentioned this either, but I made this for a special order I received from my etsy store. It is a laptop case that features embroidered flowers and branches like the picture that the lady who ordered it had painted. (did that make sense?) She sent me a picture of one of her original paintings and asked if I could somehow put it on a laptop case--Yes! I sure can. I dyed some worsted weight wool then knit the bag, felted it, sewed a zipper in the top, then finished it off with the embroidery. She totally loves it--I really liked it too! It fit my computer perfectly.

So, there they are! And yes, I have been very busy this month so far and it is only about half over!

Hope you all are having a great weekend! As always, Happy Knitting!

Etc, etc, etc

Wow, thank you so much for all of your kind words of encouragement. You will probably never know how much it has meant to me. Things have not improved--in fact my son hurt his shoulder really bad at scouts Wednesday night--but it just helps so much to know people care about me. (When you don't have the love of your parents it's very easy to believe that no one should or could care about you).

I don't really feel like writing, but thought I should catch you up on my knitting. I haven't knit much this week because of depression, but last week I did quite a bit. So here are the pictures.

These are some fingerless mitts that worked up so fast I was even surprised when I got done. I literally made them in the duration of a movie. The pattern is "Evangeline" from MagKnits January 2008. I hand-dyed some peruvian worsted weight wool and used the wrist length version of the pattern. Though I am not fond of bright yellow and greens they are still very pretty. The color reminds me of daffodils--and I LOVE daffodils. They are a surprise present for someone. I really hope she likes them!

These are some basic socks I made with some of the yarn I got from Hege in a yarn swap. I love these! especially the colors! I am unusally fond of olive green and tan. Midnight blue is my favorite color, but olive green and tan come in a close second. These will be a birthday present for HoneyBunny.

This is the start of this months Sockamania pattern. It has little lace hearts all up the foot and then on the leg. I am not to the heel part (you knit them starting from the toe). I couldn't resist making them in Valentine red--again, my hand-dyed yarn.

And finally, I began making another pair of fingerless mitts. These are "Dashing" from Knitty: Spring 2007. The yarn is some of my handspun. It's a yarn that I have been so enamored with that I couldn't bring myself to knit it. It is a blend of cashmere, silk, angora, and a little bit of extremely soft, dark chocolate colored wool. These will definately be for me--I get a little possessive with MY yarn. I am so in love with these; the pattern is simple and beautiful, the yarn--I really don't need to comment further on my love for it, and they are working up quickly. When I showed them to HoneyBunny he exclaimed, "Wow! are those for me? I can't wait!" Ummmm NO! I'll think about letting him borrow them, maybe, if he is really nice, does everything the doctors tell him to do, and he gets well and never hurts himself again.

It always improves my mood to talk about knitting. I love knitting and everything it has done and continues to do for me. As silly as it sounds--to those who don't knit or haven't been knitting for many years--knitting is what gets me from one day to the next.

I knit to live and live to knit.

Could I Have Any More UFO's or WIP's?

Of, course! There is always room for more UFO's and WIP's in a knitters life! Unfortunately, they are really getting in the way if I want to do anything on my computer. More than half of my desk in covered in yarn, WIP's, and UFO's a good eighteen inches deep (that's about 46 cm for those outside the US). I don't remember EVER having this many projects going on at once! It really is completely out of control!First, there is the hooded sweater that I started the day after Christmas. I am using recycled yarn from a sweater that I had made for HoneyBunny two Christmas' ago that just never fit him right. I re-did the neck at least four times but it still was messed up. I finally gave up and just ripped the whole 10 skein sweater apart and started this instead--so far so good.Next is my Sockamania project for January--New Years Socks. I have the first one done and the second one started. It is a super easy pattern! I have neglected to mention where all of these Sockamania patterns can be found. So here is a link. Anni sells some great yarn as well!!! Which reminds me.................
This was in my mailbox Saturday. I ordered the Sea Scape 100% lace weight cashmere from Anni's etsy store. The blue, bamboo/wool sock weight skein was my prize yarn for the Sockamania December drawing--also found in Anni's store. I can't wait to get a project started with them!!!!!The next UFO sitting here is the beginnings of a pair of Mad Color Weave socks. (I can't find the link--it was on one of the SAMKAL Blogs). I love this pattern! Even in plain yarn it is gorgeous!

This is the other pair of socks that I am working on right now. The yarn is some that I swapped for with Hege. I love the color! I am a sucker for olive greens and tans. These are going to be for HoneyBunny's birthday. I have them about half done.

Not pictured are the Turkish Socks--that are definately in the UFO status, the lace shawl--UFO, the silk/wool lace socks--WIP, and the green pants for the daughter--UFO.

I can't believe I am looking for a pattern that I can use for my new yarn! Where is my self control?

Happy Knitting!

Fun Stuff!

I knew my daughter had it in her to be crafty although she swears she's not! (Teenagers just hate to admit that they are anything like their relatives!) But she made this absolutely adorable tote bag yesterday. I promptly confiscated it for my own. I love it! it is so cute and she did a great job! I didn't know she even knew how to do applique, but there it is, a jack-o-lantern appliqued on the front of this cute bag. I am so proud of her!
This week's WIP's look a lot like the last couple of week's WIP's. The afghan is slowly getting finished. In fact I have a goal to have it done in two weeks--that is if I don't find another project to start instead. The October Sockamania project is half done and I have started the other sock now (the orange yarn project). And, I just couldn't help myself, I cast on for a pair of socks out of my swap yarn from Hege. There are many more WIP's sitting here on my desk, but none that I am working on this week. I took a poll for the Knitting Daily blog to see how many UFO's I had and discovered that I really need to get busy finishing some projects. I am so ashamed that I would even consider casting on another project with that number of unfinished projects laying around.

Finally, my order from KnitPicks got here, after spending all week last week in a "sortation center" in Denver. I am thrilled!!!to have it. The Selbvotter book is everything I every dreamed it could be. I love knitting, I love ethnic knitting, I love historical knitting articles, I love to read about knitting--especially historical, ethnic/cultural, well researched knitting books/articles that end with patterns for what you have been reading about. This is all of that!!!! If you are thinking about getting it, DON'T HESITATE ANY LONGER! It is fantastic and I am sure the afghan can wait until I have a few pairs of mittens and gloves made.

The white yarn in the order is to finish the afghan (someday) and the black is for HoneyBunny's special request hat--which is half done as of this morning.

All the fun I can handle for today!

Happy Knitting!

Yarn on Monday!!!

As I went to the mailbox today I was hoping for some yarn, as I do every Monday when my order did not show up on Friday (because for some stupid reason it had to spend all week last week in Denver). Anyway, to my great disappointment the keys for the package compartments in our neighborhood mailboxes were both in place--meaning that there were no package deliveries inside. With heavy heart I opened my 4 inch by 4 inch mailbox and, accompanied with squeals of delight, discovered my yarn swap package from Hege!!!!!! I practically ran home (for those of you who don't know me, I don't run, PERIOD). I examined the stamps--from Norway of course-- and then opened the package.........................LOOK WHAT I FOUND INSIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only did she send me four lovely skeins of yarn from Norway, but she also sent me a wonderful handmade card. I was so excited!!! I am so excited!!! I don't know whether I should knit it up or place it in some esteemed display in my house. (Yarn, to a Knitter, isn't always for knitting--a concept NOT understood by non-Knitters). I have to make at least one pair of socks with it because I am totally in love with the color combination!!!

So Hege, I have just one thing to say, "I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!" I wouldn't have been this excited or happy if I had found a package of 100 dollar bills in my mailbox. (Don't even try to understand THAT if you aren't a Knitter). Yarn--that I can't get here in Colorado--from Norway is priceless!

This Weeks WIP's

I missed my Wednesday WIP reporting so here it is today.

I finished spinning that wool yarn that I was planning to make the hooded sweater out of. Unfortunately there isn't enough of the brown. I still haven't figured out how to take a pile of fluff and figure out exactly how much of it I will need for a particular project. I either end up with way too much or too little. I know there is a way to figure it out, but I prefer the spinning "by the seat of my pants" approach where you just spin and hope you get what you want. I love the color that this yarn turned out! I will have to spin some off-white to go with it so that I have enough for my project.
I tried to promise myself not to start another project before I finished some others but I saw this shawl and all self control went out the window. Now I find myself working on it INSTEAD of the other projects. It is made from a DK weight yarn on US size 10 1/2 needles so it is coming along pretty fast. It is for some unsuspecting soul for Christmas. I can't say her name because it's a secret. I hope she will like it--what do you think--do you think she will?

And last--although not the only other WIP I have--is my socks for Sockamania. I wanted to make them pumpkin orange in honor of October. I have NOTHING that they will match and I am not fond of wearing this color, but I love the pattern. Note the little cable detail along the leg. They look great on!

The daughter's afghan is more than halfway finished. I am on the decreases and so the more I work on it the faster it seems to be going. It is going to be HUGE! and incredibly warm. It is a great project to work on in the early mornings and in the evening because it keeps me warm. I will post the picture of it when it is finished.

My yarn from Hege should be here any day. I can't wait to see it! Plus my (Christmas project) order should be here anyday as well. I can't believe I ordered yarn and books thinking that between now and December 25th I would be able to make that much stuff. Oh well, what doesn't get done I can give next year! I HAVE to make the one project for this Christmas no matter what--it's for HoneyBunny and it is a special request. More details later. In the mean time,

"Tend to your Knitting!"

The Good and Bad about Monday

Monday's are usually a mixed day for me. Most people just hate Monday because it means that the weekend is over and they have to go back to work or school. I used to hate Monday's for the same reason. However, now that I am (working) at home Monday's are weird. I am excited because, once again now that everyone is gone to work and school, my time is my own. I can knit when I want, get dressed when I want, eat when I want, go to town IF I want, etc. I don't like Monday's where HoneyBunny decides that since I am at home I am not busy. I have an entire day's worth of Honey-Do's! I HAVE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO HERE AT HOME! After all, the new Sockamania pattern comes out today, I started spinning some GORGEOUS yarn for a sweater and I am having a lovely time with it, the Turkish socks I started after my finger surgery are coming along very nicely, it's time to decorate for Halloween, and I am all excited about the sock yarn swap Hege and I are going to have (got some exciting ideas to surpise her with)!!!! I had a wonderful Monday all planned out and now I have to get myself together and go into town instead..................Maybe if I hurry really fast (within the speed that won't get me a ticket) I can make it back home before noon.

I'M OUT OF HERE!!