New Year's Eve!

I spent today mostly spinning and eating.  We usually make a bunch of appetizers and eat during the day.  I had to finish this skein of yarn so it wouldn't be on the books for 2015.  I have some projects I want to finish but I'll be lucky if I get time to knit on them tonight.  The girls want to play video games and a dessert is calling me.  Wishing you all a great 2015!!

Finally Finished my First Pattern!

My Fuzzy Gauntlets for my oldest.  I just need to format the pattern and put it up for free!

Cookies!

Sorry no yarn or fiber related post.  I did get some yarn in the mail today and bought some yarn from The Loopy Ewe.  Today was cookie baking round 2.

JulieSpins!!

 



I won yarn!!  JulieSpin is one of my favorite indie dyers.  She has great customer service and dyes the most beautiful yarn.  Her shop is here:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/JulieSpins She had a contest where if you buy the yarn or fiber during a certain time period and either knit or spin by Dec 25th, you had a chance to win the same yarn or fiber.  I won yarn!!  She will custom dye it too.  I was very excited and can't wait to see my custom dyed yarn!!

Merry Christmas

I got yarn!  It's a big thing cause usually hubby says "Buy some yarn" and then he just wraps it.  He knows I'm kind of picky about my yarn.  I've been wanting some of these since I saw them at Jo-Ann.  I know there isn't much I can make with them but they are cute.  The Christmas one I will be making tree ornaments though.

Now I Have a Horse Request!

It took me an hour to make this last night.  Good thing I know about how a shark looks to put the fins right.  I think the designer meant them to be knitted in the row but the instructions weren't clear.  I would have stuffed it earlier but was waiting for the instructions to say when.  I managed to stuff it while I still had 3 stitches on the needle.  It's done in size 6 with worsted weight.  Pattern is here:  http://mimulusknit.blogspot.com/2009/12/im-dreaming-of-great-white-christmas.html  I've been asked to do a horse next.  Off to search Ravelry for a pattern!

Test Knitting Again!

Test knitting some spa cloths for Sunset Cat Designs.  I've done a few test knits for her.  The grey yarn is for Angela Tong hat and I'm going to do a shawl.  I can't post any pictures or put up a project page until Angela says so.  Why test knit?  It's a chance to get a pattern I like.  There is a new pattern of Sunset Cat Designs that I want.  Before designers would just give you the pattern you test knit.  Now lots of them are giving you another of their patterns for free along with the test.  It's a nice way to get the latest pattern and to get patterns you like.

Trying To Wrap Things Up

I started this sock in Aug 7/13.  Socks usually take me a while especially fingering weight ones.  This one is taking me so long because of two reasons.  One, I started working last year after starting this.  Two, the person I'm knitting this for is still growing.  I had to rip out the heel and make it longer.  It's a bit too long but then again it might take me another year to get the second one done.  The pattern is here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/critter-socks  and the yarn is Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro Colors.

Just Off the Mini Spinner

Just finished spinning 4 oz of Super Fine Merino from Woolgatherings in the colorway UFM04131405.  They don't give names to the colors.  Below is a picture of the fiber braid.  I love how soft the fiber is.  My youngest had to pet the fiber last night. LOL!  I hope to get close to laceweight.  We will see.  I'm going to try to chain ply it today.

The Shawl With No Rest Rows

I started this shawl Jul 27/14 and it will be at least 2015 when it will be done.  It's a shawl that you have to concentrate on because it has no rest rows.  What that means is the wrong side is usually all purl.  Not this shawl.  There are some complicated stitches on the wrong side.  It's very nice yarn Alisha Goes Around Panoply of Peacocks Fingering  80% Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon and in a color I don't normally go for.  I think I got most of it with a gift certificate.   The pattern is here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaali-2

My First Felted Project!

They are still big but then again hubby has big feet.  I had to look up instructions on the Internet for how to felt in a front load washer.  I could do it by hand but it sound like a lot of work.  The key was hot/cold cycle.  I don't know if I would do the same cycle.  It said it was 99 min.  It was washing for a good 30+ min at least.  I might try a different cycle but change the spin and water type.  It's pretty felted with very little definition of the stitches.  Now for hubby to try them on and see what he thinks.  Again here is the pattern:  http://pilgrimpurse.blogspot.com/2011/12/knit-felt-slippers-for-adults.html

Blocking

The small floor space make blocking hard to do.  Here is one Christmas gift, a shawl I finished in Oct and sleeves I just finished.  Below is a picture of the purple shawl before it was blocked.

 

 

No, It Really Doesn't Take More then a Year

I started this shawl Jul 27/13  The pattern is here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/building-a-reef  It's a lovely pattern and the yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere which is SO soft to work with also.  So what is the issue that its taking me so long to knit this up.  Well, I started this before I got a part time job with Jo Ann.  I started that job in Sept 2013 and while I was working, I did very little knitting and spinning.  I didn't work that many hours but I worked most Saturdays and going from stay at home to working was hard for me to adjust to.  I also got distracted by new crafts (like sewing, playing with duct tape and I even got some clay but have yet to play with it).  I don't know if this shawl will be done by the end of the year but I really hope to get it finished early 2015 at latest!

Finally Finished the Last of Christmas Knitting!

 

 

These still need to be felted.  It will be interesting since I have a front load washer.  I will have to do some research or figure out how to hand felt them.  Here is the pattern:  http://pilgrimpurse.blogspot.com/2011/12/knit-felt-slippers-for-adults.html

 



 

This just needs to be washed and blocked.  Here is the pattern for it:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/20-cornucopias-shawlette-or-scarf

Now to see how many of the 15 WIP I can finished before the end of the year!

Four New Stockings!

Yeah!  They are done.  I figured out why I don't sew as much as I knit or spin.  First of all there is all that ironing.  I HATE to iron.  In fact that was one of the things I told hubby when we first got married.  I don't iron.  LOL!  There is equipment to deal with.  The sewing machine has to be on a table.  Not like knitting or spinning which I can do out in the Great Room with the rest of the family.  I also had issues with the sewing machine and all the bottom thread kept bunching up and I had to rip it out and do it again.  It didn't work and I tried 2 more times and ended up changing thread before it would work right.  There is all that pinning.  You spend more time cutting and pinning then you actually spend sewing.

I need to plan to do at least one project a month sewing though.  I have a bin full of fabric that is future clothing for the family.

Braces

I have bad knees.  I got one of these in Nov and just got the 2nd one today.  It's the main reason I spin with an electric spinner.  I knew with my bad knees and not so hot back that a regular spinning wheel just wasn't going to work for me.  At least I got to go to a local yarn shop and pick up the following yarn!

Number Two is Done!

Here is the two of them.  I tried to keep all the seams invisible in the second one.  It sort of worked.  Sewing isn't my best skill.  I ended up doing goofy seams at the top.  It taxed my brain to try to figure how to work it so the seams didn't show.  I think I will go back to my first one and not worry about invisible seams.

Got One Done!

Got one of the stockings done.  Only 3 more to go.  I have everything cut out so its just a matter of sewing them.  I had thread issues.  The bottom thread kept bunching up on me.  So I just switched the thread.

Distractions

The problem with liking so many crafts, there are so many to grab your attention.  In the process of showing my husband the stocking stuffers I got for the girls, I notice that the youngest's stocking was in need of repair.  I got these fabrics last year when I was working for Jo-Ann.  The pattern I had bought was smaller then our present stockings so I had to make one up (out of a Chili's take out bag).  This is as far as I got but I hope to have them cut out and sewn in a day or two.

Last Two WIP for the GAL

 

 

I have this last pair of mitts.  Here is the pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/maroo-mitts

Here is my 2nd shawl.  I take a picture every 2 repeats of the pattern.  About 2 corners on the left.  Here is the pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pettine

The deadline for both is Dec 31.  I'll probably finished the mitts but I don't know about the shawl.

Writing it out and test knitting it

I finally started this.  I'm not going to be keeping the test knit.  I'm knitting it to make sure my written instructions match the picture.  I already notice that the books on the sides were missing part of their heads.  It's slow going since I need to count and write it out then knit it.  The yarn is leftover Bugga (sport weight).  The orange is what I want the blue needs to be brighter.  I'm going to knit the shawl in fingering weight.  Here is the pattern:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/icehouse

Trying to Design

I got graph paper to try my hand and designing.  I need to make the pattern bigger in order to figure out the colorwork.  I have some orange and blue yarn to test knit the pattern first before I try come up with the shawl design.

Hang Tags

I got a wonderful logo done by my friend Jeanne.  You can get one done too if you are an individual in the handmade industry:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/207741410/logo-design?ref=shop_home_active_1  When I had my jewelry business I had a concept of a logo that had been added to along the way and trust me it cost me a lot more then $100 to get something polished off the idea I had already.

I got a couple of custom stamps made too.  Here is the one you can get of your logo:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/129511807/custom-logo-rubber-stamp?ref=shop_home_active_6  I had been hand writing my care instructions and decided that a nice stamp would be easier to read then my scrawl.  I have a "handmade by Lilie" stamp so I've been hand writing a few care instructions already.

I didn't realize how light index cards were getting.  I had bought a bunch of blank ones but then had to go to Michael's to get this 110 pound card stock.  That star is HARD to punch through 110 pound card stock!