Monday, December 1, 2008

A Sigh of Relief

Well, my Super Secret Project is finished!! Well see in the Spring what becomes of it...

It went much faster toward the end than I thought it would be--I didn't have to do any all nighters...woot! As soon as I was done: I promptly started knitting on the Snow Flurry Blanket and the Crayzee Scarf. After a month of knitting monogamy, I am looking forward to being a Knitting Slut. Grin. I had so much knitting planned this month--when I was actually free to knit something different.

I have been day dreaming of designs for that luscious skein of bison fiber I bought at Kid 'n Ewe. Then some arm warmers from the rose yarn I bought just last week...and a shield themed scarf/stole with the Handmaiden. I also been toying with the idea of making Micci a shoulder bag for his Bakugan.

After my latest trip to the yarn shops I decided I need to lay off the yarn buying. It's not really the wallet--it's the fact that I have a sizable stash and it's waiting for me to turn it into something glorious. I have hanks of silk, laceweight, and sock yarn that is crying out to me: make me into something?! Make me BEAUTIFUL! I have to resist the siren call of laceweight and silk...and stop buying more pretties until I knit up my current pretties.

We'll see how THAT goes. HA HA!

Labels: crayzee, Knitting Conflict, Snow Flurries Blanket, Super Secret Project

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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Deadlines Are Not For the Faint of Heart

Aiieeee!! I have three days to finish knitting, photograph and compose a pattern. Sigh...I've been so busy trying to squeeze in knitting time in between Holiday prep, I have been having knitting night mares.

So--I am not planning on sleeping much these next three days. I hope to see you on the flipside of December with actual projects I can share with you ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving! (And for my non-American readers--Happy November 27th!!)

Labels: excuses, knitting bunny, Knitting Rant, Super Secret Project

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Yarny Side of San Antonio

This past Saturday Anne and I got to do one of our favourite things: show out of town knitters the yarny sights. Since most of the gals visiting San Antonio, stay downtown, we always take them to the Blue Star Brewery. They have homemade root beer. And terrific chicken fried steak.

Then we went to the new Yarn Barn location. (The shop lost its lease and was sold to the lovely Lisa about 6 months ago). I love the new shop. It's a lovely, cozy house.



I really love their new signage; it's so cute.



It's a cozy, multiple room shop. They kept their needlework room--it's got a table for work as well. A knitting table is in a far back room...surrounded by windows. I am looking forward to spending time there.

And yes, some yarn walked home with me.


front


back

I am envisioning a shield themed scarf. It's Handmaiden Sea Silk, and it is luxuriously soft. It should be; it's 70% silk, 30% seacell.

Next stop: Yarnivore. The kids played while I was seduced by this:



And this:



Although, I nearly hyperventilated when I saw Nancy Bush's Knitting Lace of Estonia. True knitting pr0n. Absolutely beautiful. Anne bought it--I am holding out for Christmas and or my birthday, hint hint!! Grin. It's gorgeous and FULL of nupps! Woot!

It was a fun way to spend a Saturday, full of knitterly goodness.

Labels: LYS, yarn acquisitions, yarny

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Kid N Ewe and Yarn Pr0n

For those outside of Texas, Kid N Ewe is a fiber festival in Boerne, Texas, about 30 minutes north of the outskirts of SA. (San Antonio is so large it can take you 45 minutes to an hour to travel from one side of town to the other). This year, was my first opportunity to go. Last year was the first time I had hard of it and I already had a craft fair I was participating in.

Jamey had to work, so the kids tagged along, with three of my knitterly mates. Next year, I am leaving the ankle biters at home, somehow. We didn't get a chance to go to the animal barn where they were showing, sheep, alpaca, and other fiber producing animals. But we did find some random Alpaca's penned near some yarn.



Mic begged me to let him feed the alpaca, but I didn't think this was a petting zoo. But the handler did come by for a bit to talk to the kids. It gave me a few moments where I could look at yarn without the kids pestering me to move on and when are we going to see more animals?!?!

I was also on edge most of the time because it was a far bit crowded and crowds always make me cranky...so between that and the kids...I am surprised no one got hurt. Grin.

I saw loads of friends...gals from my local group that i hadn't seen in a while, gals from my Texas group that I haven't seen in a while because of distance--it was awesome! The booths were amazing--so much yarn and fiber!

My favourite booth was the Buffalo Gold booth...it was my entire reason for going to the festival. I wanted needed to get my hands on some of that glorious fiber. I really enjoyed talking to the owner. It was a brilliant meeting. And already my knitting bunnies are gnawing at my brain for what I bought:



It's their newest offering, a mix of bison, cashmere, silk, and tencel--lace weight. It's going to be a joy absolute thrill to work with. I think I'll start working something in the new year.

I also picked up yarn from a booth representing a new yarn shop in Comfort, called The Tinsmith's Wife. I couldn't decide which yarn to take home--so yeah I took home both.



I kinda regretted the two sock yarns because at the next booth I saw some beautiful lace weight, but no more mulla. But, oh both of those socks yarns are just so gorgeous. But, one ball is for socks, the other for arm warmers...I think the top one with the orangyness is going for the arms.

A few days prior I also picked up some more yarn from Yarnivore.

I really like this kid mohair--it's the only mohair that doesn't itch me....and give me hives.



I think its destiny is a stole. It's been whispering...



Yes, I am going through a purple phase.

Labels: yarn acquisitions, yarny

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Getting my Act Together

Seriously, folks, even now looking at the picture I am about to add to this blog post, I am thinking, "I swear I already blogged this!" Yes, there is a good reason I am knitting my self a crayzee scarf.

I finally got my shite together and properly organised and stored my yarn. Before it was all crammed into a big grey tote, with the yarn itself put in shopping bags. And some of it was in a among a big pile of stuff at the end of my bed. Not good at all.

This big dresser:



WAS filled with my prior obsession, cross stitching. I had all my fabrics, floss, needles and patterns tucked out away in those drawers. Then I met yarn and needles and, oh boy, I never looked back...I have barely picked up embroidery since then. Now, it took me a while to actually get a decent stash. For along while I subsisted on my mom's gift of acrylic (I store it in totes in the garage) she no longer had use for (she had already discovered Yarn Barn, and slowly I got a respectable stash. I decided last month that geez, why am I storing my beloved yarn in a tote haphazardly in bags when I have a dresser like this one?

So in my needles went:



The other top two drawers hold my crafty accessories, scissors, papers, glue guns, ribbon, ya know, craft. The other drawer has a few other larger accessories and some patterns.

The next two drawers hold yarn!!



I put all the yarn according to color and weight into gallon sized ziplocked bags and squeezed all the air out. These are store side ways--the drawer is deep with yarn.



I also have my cones I got from my friend whose husband is all too happy to destash for her, with her permission of course. This is most of my yarn, all vacuum packed and safe. I might have to get those true vacuum bags but for now this works.

On the bottom drawer has a motley assortment of UFOs that are on the back burner, pattern books, and yarn stash. That top item? Yep the Mystery Stole number Three...I still need to fix that ripped yarn.



The other drawer--more non yarn stuff--fabric and what not.

The cross stitch stuff, got put into totes, some stored under the bed and some out in the garage.

I have a sneaky thought...what if I make y'all wait for the yarn pr0n from Kid n Ewe?? I already have a long post here...and Kid N Ewe does deserve it's own post. However, three posts in one day, well that just seems extreme. Yeah, I think I'll make ya wait...


sneak peek

Mwhahahaha

Oh, one more thing: Super Secret Project--it's fantastic! And I have high hopes.

Labels: Mystery Stole 3, Super Secret Project, yarny

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Disconnect

Ask my mother, sometimes my grasp on reality is tenuous. Honestly, I thought I had blogged recently, I thought I showed all y'all pictures of my new yarn organisation, and my loverly yarn I got from kid n ewe. It turns out, I had merely thought about doing it and then promptly forgot just because I wish it to happen doesn't mean it does. (Okay sometimes that works, but apparently not with blog posts--grin.)

One of my favourite quotes always has been a gem from Albert Einstein Phisto: Reality is optional. Edit: I am confused. Albert actually said: "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."

Okay, now that I have got your attention: you will get the blog post I thought I wrote. Just give me a moment to compose it and add pictures; yes lot's pf lovely yarn pr0n is on its way.

Labels: blog, crayzee

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Friday, November 7, 2008

Errata: Teddy Bear Sweater Set

I wasn't clear in the hat instructions.

The hat IS knit in the round, please join after cast on. And the gingham band, the wrong side is KNITTED instead of purled.

Thanks A. from Canada for bringing this to my attention.

The pattern has been corrected; so if you purchase the Teddy Bear Sweater Set pattern after today, it will be fixed based on this errata.

Labels: errata, teddy bear sweater set

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

What's New Cock-A-Do!

I started my own Snow Flurries Blanket. Some of my mates think I'm crazy, but it is a fun pattern.



At this stage many are confusing it for a hat. And really it could be, to do so I would just stop increasing. While I was knitting the first one for my cousin, I thought it would be cute to make a matching sweater/hat set.

I also swatched up the border...it's a bit insane because at the point where I cast off--I have about 700 stitches that I then increase by 4 times. But i don't think the cast off will be as brutal since so far i am not planning on a marathon cast off session like last time. Grin.



The yarn I am using for the edging doesn't actually have any green in it, but I think the colors are just cute and will make a precious blanket. Who for, well... Idon't want to go there right now.

I am nearly to the heel on my sock...



For a while I was unsure if I liked how the design was coming. Still not sure, it might grow on me, but I am more unwilling to frog back to were I started the increases.

The gusset increases are inspired by Car Bordhi's sock-itecture....where the increase on on the top of the foot. In the increase section that will become the leg of the foot, I decided to center the ribbing on the purl instead of the knit...just to mix things up a bit. I might do another version after I finish this socks.

I had to frog my newest Super Secret project, it looks beautiful, but was coming out too big. Redux!

Labels: Harry Potter, Snow Flurries Blanket, Super Secret Project

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Monday, October 27, 2008

Pattern Release

I can finally let one Knitting Bunny aka Super Secret Project #1 out of the bag.



I had entered it in the Lone Star State Knitters Dogs Days of Summer design contest and it won first place (it tied actually with a sock design from one of my best friends--oh sweet!) I have been waiting to tell its story for months!! It was knit for Jamey's newest baby cousin and despite some problems with the edging motifs--I was able to gift the blanket before we left Virginia this summer. My job on vacation was to finish this blanket. The picot bind off (on very nearly 700 stitches) took me 3 solid 16 hour days. It nearly undid me, I had to place warm cloths on my arms to go to bed at night. But it turned out beautifully and I am very proud of it.



I played with different snow flake motifs and finally decided on one I worked up myself (but I am sure it's already been done before)--it's the motif between the white and red pins. I had originally wanted to use a rocking horse motif for the edging, but I was having problems turning it upside down so I decided to go with the pinwheels for a more blizzardy snow theme.

The pattern is available for sale for $6.00 as a three page PDF file. The Ravelry pattern page is here.



I hope y'all enjoy it, it was a blast to design and knit (even though the cast off can be brutal if tackled as I did--in one fell swoop). It was so fun I am working on another one right now.

Labels: contest, free patterns, knitting bunny, Snow Flurries Blanket, vacation

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Wacked Out Mojo

I have been a bad knit blogger.

Life interrupted once again...I have also been extremely boring in the knit department. I am still working on sock and scarf. Although I am about to release a new pattern!! But I am waiting on my techie guy to create the shop page.

I am working on a new pattern, but I am submitting it so I can't show and tell...just say right now---it's going into fits and not cooperating. Grrr.

I have loads of knitting pictures--but I need to unload them still. Tomorrow!!

Tomorrow will be a busy day though. Eeek! Revise previous statement: Birdy WILL be a good girl and will release knit pictures for blog!!

I can never walk into a yarn store without leaving with some yarn, especially if it's empty and I am being talkative with the owner/clerk (it just seems wrong not to support the local business). On Friday we were checking out a new HEB (Alon Market place--Allons-y Alonso!!!) and Jamey just had to drop this gem: Do you know where we are? Looking around real quick: Aha! Yarnivore! I relieved a few balls of yarn from their clutches.



Look closer, ain't it GORGEOUS! (I do love Fall--the light is just wonderful for taking photos!!)



I think I'll be making another Samara Scarf. These were the last two balls and I had to have them. I may make a scarf as a gift or just gift the yarn and pattern to someone. So pretty.

On Saturday (which needs a post all it's own), I got some of this beauteous yarn from our yarn bob. I know it's superwash wool, but I am at a loss to figure out where it comes from (can't find it in Ravelry). Anyone here read German???



The yarn wants to be a pair of wrist warmers....it speaks to me.

Labels: LYS, Ravelry, yarn acquisitions

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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Must Knit Socks!!

I learned something about myself this week (well lot's of somethings, but this is a knitting blog...so I am talking about something knitted). I need to have socks on the needles. It just feels wrong not to have a socks to knit on.

The opportunity presented itself at the Austin Knit Out last Saturday (Sept 27th) in the form of this luscious and much coveted skein of sock yarn.



It was a door prize and I won one of the two balls in the offing!! It just came out in our area and has been eagerly awaited for at least 5 months in the knitting/Harry Potter community. Now there is a discussion if the colors make sense....they are all named after characters from Harry Potter, specifically the Half Blood Prince. This beautiful skein of yarn is named "Harry und Ron." (This is yarn from a German yarn company. In fact they also made the yarn I made Micci's Tiger socks out of and I really like this yarn.)

I started knitting the socks as soon as I came home. They are my own design. Not sure what I am calling them, but the plan is knee high, 4x2 ribbing with gusset increases at the top of the foot, so the ribs will start to travel. They are gonna be marvelous! However, I frogged them after screwing up the toe increases (yes another toe up--luv me some toe up). As of right now I have already begun the gusset increases. But not to far in where you can actually see the gussets traveling.

I took pictures this morning before I started the gusset increases and it should be a few days of knitting before I can take pictures that show the travelling ribs.



Socks on foot



Sock unfulfilled



Sock, behind.

My favourite bit of the sock are those two green bands with the fire coloring in between them. Oh and this range of colors is the entire spectrum this colorway represents. I am just about to start knitting the blue again.

I am not sure how the colors relate to Harry or Ron, but I love the color. Fun and funky socks: just how I like them.

Labels: Horry Potter Socks, sock swoon

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Tiger Socks: An FO!!

Woot! Finally I finished something.



Mic's Tiger Socks (rav link with details). I finished them on Monday (Lorelei's birthday) while we were at the library.



What to work on next? My swallowtail is very close to being finished--I just need to work on the beading. Sandy thinks I should work on the Celtic Tote next. She has a good point. But I have the Austin Knit Out in a few days--it would be fun to arrive with a new shawl--IF I can get it finished. Hmmmm.

I did work on the Lace Ribbon Scarf--it's my only other project that is immediately available on the needles. I finished one ball of yarn. So now it's half way done.

Labels: BEADS, Celtic Tote, swallowtail, tiger socks

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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

A Milestone!

Today some one from my neck of the woods (Texas), downloaded the 500th Swiffer cloth pattern!! Woot!!

This pattern has been unexpectedly popular. I feel very blessed that so many have downloaded and knitted this pattern, something I thought up!

Here's to me finding more time and brain cells to design something equally as spectacular and popular.

Oh and on a side note: I have finished turning the heel on Mic's tiger socks...just 3 more inches of straight knitting left (and one inch of ribbing)!

Labels: shop, swiffer cloth, tiger socks

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Sunday, September 14, 2008

Little of This a little of That

I have been called out. And I am missed! I feel loved...thanks all.

Life has gotten very busy. Homeschooling Micci takes up a lot of time...and my spare time is spent knitting. And I am feeling a bit boring. No big knitting news or anything. And so far monogamy is working...although I am being tempted (here's a rav link).

I am being a good girl.

I have worked on Mic's tiger socks...I started the heel turn at the game last night (more on THAT later). I also worked one the Lace Ribbon scarf...I nearly knitted through one skein of yarn so far. And I snuck in a square for a charity project.



It was for the Knit Nite at the Silver Stars event I organised last night--but I think I'll collect these through out the year.

On to the knit night!! I actually had people show up!! It was doubtful for a while.

First the knitters!!



That's Wendy and David there. Super serious sock knitters there...smirk. I love getting shots where no one expects it---I need to work on my technique I know. I need to be more bold and ask for a smile or two...LOL.



Wendy's Clan, plus soon to be daughter in law at the end there. The chica in the red knits--but I had just given her a prezzie so her lap was newly occupied. (Yes I handed out bribes to those that came.)



The kids all had fun too ;-).

I hope to make this a yearly event.

Really that's what's been going on knit wise with me.

Labels: knitting club, Knitting In Public, lace ribbon scarf, tiger socks

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Saturday, September 6, 2008

Adventures in Monogamy

Okay--I took the advice of a reader and am knitting on the tiger sock and only the tiger sock. I knitted on it during the Silver Stars (WNBA) game last night...got a little over 2 inches done--woot. When I got home, I continued knitting on...but then I heard a whimper.

Looked down: it was coming from my knitting bag. It was the Lace Ribbon scarf....begging for my attention. Poor neglected thing!

Still, I held on to my sock needles--and continued knitting.

Trying to help me in my pursuit of knitting monogamy suggestion; I take it one day at a time. Focus on ONE project a day and on the next day--continue on OR work on a other one.

Sounds good to me. Especially since I really need to work on the squares for a charity blanket for The Knit Nite with the Silver Stars next Saturday. Like always the days ran away from me--a week to go and I hadn't started on a single square.

Labels: Knitting Conflict, tiger socks

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