Has it Been Almost a Year?

WOW!


This blog is badly neglected. I probably shouldn't have started it to begin with.


Lately, I've been working on my Mother-in-law's "Four Generations Shawl" from Spin Off magazine. My Mom gave me the pattern, and I thought it would be perfect for my MIL using the fuchsia mohair also from Mom. Its so far almost halfway done. I'm on my third cake of yarn and have just two more left. I hope I don't run out!


I'm also at the end of the overalls for S, I had to make them much bigger than the pattern. I mean, I had to put in many more rows than were in the pattern, even though my gauge is dead-on. I don't quite know how to explain this, but its O.K. That's one of the beauties of a good knitting pattern, you really can stretch the rules and make the pattern fit the person its intended for perfectly.

My latest, experimental bath mitt is nearly done. There' s a loooooong story behind that statement! Whew!

I found that pattern on the band of the Sugar n Cream cotton yarn, and loved it. Thought it'd be a great present for Mom, and I needed one, too. I knit up Mom's in no time. I got the Violet Veil color scheme, that lovely variegated with violet, blue, yellow and white, to match her garden/pansy themed bathroom.

I sent it with some handmade soap, and she thanked me for it a few days later.

I then knit up mine, using up some of the variegated yarn I had leftover from the bathmat I crocheted and thought it would be great to have a matching bath mitt! I used this color: Westport.


I was so eager to use it in my next shower. I put it on, pumped some shower gel on it, and tried to lather up. Then, I was totally bummed: the thing stretched out and totally lost shape when wet!

I posted this predicament/discovery on the About.com knitting forum, and got some great responses. Yes, I was told, this is the nature of cotton yarn. Its has no memory. We discussed alternative yarns, and one bright lady suggested I contact Sugar N Cream, which I haven't yet. I will, though, they really need to know that this yarn is NOT compatible with this pattern! Or, this yarn is not compatible with a BATH MITT.

So, days came and went, I had the baby (now 7 months!) and a couple months later visited my mom and family up north. Being a spinner, she introduced me to the a lovely world I fiber that, until then, I had no access to.
Included in the many wonderful gifts she gave me was a cake of burnt orange yarn spun from cowhair!It was pretty nifty!
Just last month I decided to knit it into a Bath Mitt using the SUgar N Cream Ball Band pattern, but I put in an eyelet row myself which I thought would make it extra-spiffy for gift-giving. I forgot to add the hanging loop!
Will post pics of it and my Peace Fleece grocery all-purpose bag soon as I can!

Anyway, I haven't tried my bath mitt yet, but if its good I'll use up the rest of the yarn for another, possibly to give as a gift.

Update! Guess I'm one of those bi-annual Bloggers

Wow! Has it really been this long since I last posted?! I have no choice BUT to be one of those bi-annual Bloggers...

Life has been extremely hectic, so much so that I've gotten almost nothing done at all in the knit & crochet department. I didn't finish that lovely bedspread for my darling oldest niece, heck I haven't even finished the sweater I made my almost 2 year old! It just needs the zipper, but stillllll.... its been almost a year since I began it.

I did have my 3rd baby, another boy!

I also did manage to complete a few little things: the crocheted kitchen rug I mentioned in my last post; a lovely bath mat; a bunch of bath mitts (which gave me many many problems that I'll get into in another post); 2 pairs of booties (one I kept for my Muffin Man, and one I gave to my mom's friend in Ohio); a cotton kitty bib; and a Grover doll from Sesame Street. He's actually from one of those vintage kits by Vogart, I got it off eBay with a bunch of other Sesame Street gang kits, like Big Bird, Bert and Cookie. I managed to get the pattern for Ernie, but hopefully will get all the kits some day.



I should be posting pictures of my recently accomplishments once the camera is repaired, or we get a new one, whichever comes first I suppose!

2 Months have elapsed already?

I can't believe we are in 2007 already! WOW! Just to update, I did NOT get my niece's Grandmother's Flower Garden bedspread afghan done, mainly due to the people at Red Heart deciding to discontinue the Medium Sage color. I now have to complete the afghan with a lighter (replacement) shade, Light Sage. I was so mad when I found out it was discontinued!

Coming along nicely!

I've been working at the bedspread/afghan and its coming along really well! I think that I really will accomplish the impossible and FINISH it once and for all! Hopefully... I think the last skein of Red Heart that I got, the light sage, should last through to the end. Let's hope so!

I was so peeved when I discovered that Red Heart discontinued the Medium Sage; seems this always happens to me with nearly every afghan I make. I made a chevron/ripple afghan years ago for my brother who is turning 14, and it has two different shades of purple, and two or three different shades of teal green in there, too. So disappointing, not being able to buy all the yarn you need at once.

I hope I can run out to Michael's or Jo-Ann's and get the rest of the Sugar N Cream to complete at least one of the kitchen rugs before I have company over Sunday. Its also a chevron/ripple pattern, made by House of White Birches. It's a two-strand pattern for durability, and I decided to make one strand acrylic and the other cotton, so the acrylic would help keep its shape. It worked up amazingly fast, and I am thrilled with the results... now if only I had the yarn to finish it! And then do the second one, too!

I'm experimenting with the Link feature above-- hope it works right! I wonder how they have links that read like phrases, not the "http" stuff...

I was thinking ahead today and realized I have so many unfinished/abandoned projects that I will likely not be participating in my local ladies group craft fair/flea market coming up December 2nd. Bummer. I also have a ton of gifts for my nieces and nephews abroad. I hope I can do it all, on top pf my other responsibilities and chores!

First Post-- On Tying Up Loose Ends!

This is my first post on my new blog!

I guess I'll dive right in... been finishing up a lot of "back-burner" projects, such as my niece's bedspread (which started out as a simple afghan but has grown and grown along with her through the years). I'm ashamed to admit that, yes, I began this afghan/bedspread like 6 years ago.
The real reason I couldn't finish it in a timely manner and the reason I usually don't finish most projects in a timely manner is due to YARN AVAILABILITY!! I start out a project with enough yarn to last a few weeks, then it runs out, and I most likely don't have the funds available to run out and restock.

Its my intention to complete it in its entirety by the end of next week. That sounds like a good goal. I hope I can meet it!
Will post pictures of the finished item.
That will be fun...