Episode 3: Happy 2015!

I know I'm a little late in sending my wishes, but I wanted to say HAPPY 2015!

I've got a little video up and running on YouTube, chatting about the end of the year and sharing a few recent projects. You can check it out here:

Finished projects:
Barley Hat by Tin Can Knits in Vanna's Choice in Eggplant. This is a super cute, easy pattern - great for beginners! Seems that so many bloggers and podcasters were making this hat at the end of the year!

Basic Childrens Mittens by Elizabeth Durand in Vanna's Choice in Eggplant. I knit the medium size (Child 8-10) which fits her really well but still allows for some room to grow.

Bankhead by Susie Gourley in Patons Classic Wool in New Denim. First finished project of 2015! Right after I finished this I found that Dan of the Bakery Bears Podcast was doing an informal "Bankhead-along" and decided to cast on another! This one was knit with some discontinued Schachenmayr Nomotta yarn that came from my grandmothers stash. It's really soft and squishy and as soon as I finished it my husband claimed it as his own!

I also finished a chunky cowl and my first weaving project for my daughter - she has all kinds of goodies to keep her warm! lol

Finally, I finished spinning some yarn! It was fiber from Three Waters Farm in the Surprising Satisfaction colorway. I really like how it turned out, even if my spinning wasn't perfectly consistent. I ended up with about 200 yards and I'm still trying to decide what to make with it that will use all of the yarn. Probably something like a Quaker Yarn Stretcher I think...

Works in Progress:
The socks that never end: These are my husbands Packers socks, knit with Crafts Meow yarn in the Packers Punch colorway. I finally finished the first sock (after ripping them out 3 times over the course of a year!) and have started the second sock. Unfortunately, he won't be able to wear them to cheer on the Packers in the Superbowl, but he'll have them to start the new season off right! Because of the number of stitches and needle size, the yarn has essentially striped. Normally it would pool but I do like the way it has turned out. :)

Spinning: I just started working on a new braid of fiber by Unwind Yarn Co in the Stop & Smell the Poppies colorway. It's my first time working with BFL, and it has a very interesting feel. It feel much denser than my previous fiber, while at the same time drafting quite easily. I'm not planning anything specific with the spin, just letting the fiber do what it wants. Overall, I think it will end up more of a rusty color once the golds and deep reds mix, but it's really too early to tell. It's spinng pretty thin at the moment, so we'll see what kind of yardage I end up with in the end.

Abstract dischloth from Dishcloth Divas. I really like this book...it's been out for a little while and there is also a second book now out as well. If you are looking for some new patterns for the boring old dishcloth, check these books out! I'm knitting it with I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby...it's a really soft yarn and could work just as easily for a face cloth as a dishcloth. No progress photo yet - I'm knitting it as a gift so I will post a photo at a later date. :)

That's about it for now! I am still trying to find a good time to record regularly...to be honest I think I have tried recording this episode at least 5 different times over the past 2 months! I'll get there though! :) Up to date pictures can be found on my Instagram account if you are interested in checking it out (link on the left sidebar of the blog).

I hope that you had a lovely holiday season and wonderful start to the new year! I'm really looking forward to what 2015 will bring!

**Forgot to mention** - the cardigan I am wearing was knit by my grandmother. I have no idea what the pattern name is or even when it was made. My dad and I have begun the process of going through my mom's things and she had a bunch of sweaters in her closet that were made by my grandmother so I took a few. They are a little loose fitting (my mom liked to wear things on the loose side) but it's warm and perfect for a wintry day. :)

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A visit to the LYS!

A new yarn store has opened fairly close to me - yay! :) Actually, they moved locations, but since I have never been to their previous location, it's new to me! It's called Artisan Knitworks and I couldn't wait to check it out.

They hosted a soft opening and so I met up with my husbands cousin and took a peek. It's a small store and was stuffed with yummy yarns. We were greeted by one of the owners, an older gentleman who seemed very excited by all the new visitors to the store. He offered us a Mimosa, which I was happy to accept. :)

We spent over an hour in the store, sipping on a mimosa and exploring the shelves, cubbies and hooks that were filled with various yarns. Our gentleman checked in on us periodically as he made his way to the various customers. The one thing is that he has reached the age where there are slightly odd remarks or jokes that could border on being slightly inappropriate, but he could get away with it because he is older and he wanted to be funny and friendly. It just makes you a tiny bit uncomfortable, because you weren't completely sure what he was going to say next, but it was harmless flirting. I run into a lot of that at work, both with some of our retiree staff/volunteers and guests. There were also quite a few women in the store who were chatting about the yarn, another owner who was excited to tell us about some of the future plans she has for the space (they have an art student who works there who is planning to paint a mural in the staircase leading downstairs where there will be class space), and a group of friends happily knitting and chatting away in the couches that are set at the front of the store looking out onto the street.

In the end I came home with a bit of yummy yarn. I bought 3 skeins of a Michigan made yarn called Shepherd's Wool by Stonehedge Fiber Mill. Its in the colorway "Great Lakes" and is a gorgeous deep teal/jade color. The price was pretty reasonable too and I love supporting a local company. I'm using it for a "Trillian" shawl by Martina Behm, which I have just cast on.

The other treat I bought was a skein of 100% mink...Oh. My. Goodness. I am still looking for a pattern to use the entire skein...something like a short scarf or cowl. Right now, I just pull it out of the bag and pet it now and then. It's incredibly soft and a beautiful light gray color. I love it.

On my wish list is some lovely Alpaca yarn that I would love for a scarf or shawl. Next time. :) My cousin did buy a skein of that and I can't wait to see what she ends up making with it. So far, she plans to make a hat, and I bet it will be lovely!

The shop didn't have a lot of brands I recognized. They had Noro, but I don't like how Noro feels...it always seems so scratchy. I liked that the shop had yarns from new companies and a variety of weights and fibers. They even had a skein of yarn that had feathers spun into it, and although the owner kept teasing me that I would look good in feathers, I passed. A conversation starter for sure, I couldn't imagine what someone could make with that! :)

I hope that the shop really succeeds...they are setting up a class schedule, and I look forward to seeing the offerings. I also would like to see more store samples made from the yarn in the shop. There were very few and it would be helpful to someone like me to see how some of the more creative yarns could be used. I expect that will come as they settle in to the space and get their stock in. Then they will have a chance to make a few things with them. Overall, we had a lot of fun checking out the store and I can't wait to stop in there again!

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Sock fail and other crafts

I was doing sooo well.

Sock Number 1 took five weeks to complete because I was so nervous that I would screw it up, but in the end it fit great and I was so proud of myself. I immediately plunged into sock #2, full of confidence from my newly learned skills. In a week I had completed most of the sock, and was a few pattern repeats away from the toe and binding off. I showed the progress of my sock in my previous post.

Then I decided to stack the socks on top of one another, just to see how close I really was. And then, BAM! It all came to a screeching halt.

The second sock was too big. Nooooooo!!!!!

At first I thought it might just be the leg. Maybe I had too many pattern repeats. They were just for me after all, so maybe I could get away with the second leg a little longer. Then I realized it was bigger everywhere. Length, width, everything. Like an inch too big. Apparently I was so confident when I was working on the second sock, my gauge loosened significantly. I knew I was more relaxed, but to see such a difference between them was a surprise. Looking back at the pictures in my last post, I should have realized then that the sock was looser and longer.

So instead of hanging out with my dear hubby while Sunday night football was playing (I was keeping tabs on my week 2 picks) and finishing the second sock, I sat miserably staring at this poor sock, knowing what had to be done. It had to be frogged and started over. But I just didn't want to do it...watch a week's worth of work disappear in a pile of kinked yarn on my lap. I must have looked pretty pathetic, because Andy leaned over and said "Do you want me to do it for you?" Sweet man. So I took out the needles and handed him the sock. He wound it back onto my skein and didn't even tease me about it. :)

I started to cast on the cuff again, but after a few foundation rows, I put it away. It needs to go into time out for a bit so I can work on it again without feeling so frustrated with myself. On the flip side, I could work on it now and maybe the frustration will cause my gauge to tighten up again. But no, I need a break from the blue sock.

So...I have started working on a new sock.

I bought this yarn from The Cyborgs Craft Room on Etsy the other week and have been itching to get to work for The Knit Girllls Halloween KAL (another reason I was trying to finish the blue sock). Isn't it cool?

It's called "This Isn't a Man", which a reference to a line in the movie "Halloween" and is meant to look a bit blood splattered. I think that was achieved and had just a bit of creepiness, perfect for Halloween.

I planned to make another Dreams in Fiber pattern because I love the Hermione sock pattern so much. The plan was to make the Petunia Dursley socks. As I was working on the sock, I realized pretty fast that the yarn is just too dramatically variegated and the subtle pattern was completely lost. Why spend the time on the pattern repeats if it can't be seen anyway? So I ripped it back (there seems to be a theme this week) and started again, this time using the Vanilla Latte pattern.

Just a bit of variation from a plain stockinette sock to keep me from being totally bored. I'm liking it so far although this week has been rather hectic so I haven't had a lot of time to work on it. Hopefully this weekend. :)

I have a couple other projects in the works, but they are gifts so I can't share yet. I also may have someone interested in having me make a baby Minion hat...have you seem them floating around Pinterest? So cute. I've been Pinning quite a few things to my Crochet & Knit boards, especially toys. I'm just in the mood to make some cute softies.

Speaking of Pinterest, Abby wants to have a friend over for a movie night & possible sleepover next weekend. I was thinking that the girls (and Davin too!) could make stencil t-shirts like these. Michaels has t-shirts on sale for $1.99 through tomorrow so I think it's the perfect chance to stock up!


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What I'm Working On...

Happy Thursday everyone!
This week I have a few things to show you!

Here is the progress I have been making on my second Hermione Everyday Socks:

I just love this pattern! As you can see I am nearly done with the leg, which I should finish up this evening while I am sitting at the dance studio during Abb's classes. I'd imagine I should at least get through the heel flap and gusset. Now that I understand the basics of making a sock, this one is going so fast! If all goes well I'll have a completed pair by next week. :)

I ordered a yarn swift and ball winder from Knit Picks last Thursday night (at about 11:30pm!) and it arrived on Saturday! Wow! Saturday night I put it all together and wound my first balls from the skeins of yarn I dyed a couple months ago - I love it!

I made a card for a friend of mine who has a birthday this weekend. I am trying to put my organizing tools to use and be better about planning and sending birthday cards. I hope she likes it. :) Facebook notifications are all good, but who doesn't like real happy mail? I have a few more birthdays coming up so I will be working on a few more cards over the next couple of weeks. It's nice to set aside some paper crafting time.

 I used some Basic Grey patterned paper from the Kioshi 6x6 paper pack and a strip of paper from the Making Memories Slice paper pack. I used a bit of gesso and pearl paint over the text paper to tone it down a bit for the stamping. I used a Hampton Arts Celebrate and Thanks stamp set for the front sentiment and a Technique Tuesday Ali Edwards set (Cakes & Candles) for the "Happy Birthday" sentiment inside. The butterfly was a Studio 112 mini set from Joanns dollar bin. I didn't color the butterfly in, but instead I spritzed a bit of Glimmer Mist in Cocoa on the butterfly for a bit of shimmer. I wish it showed up in the pictures! I fussy-cut the butterfly and then mounted it with foam adhesive for a bit of dimension.

Other notes:
I just treated myself to this yarn on Etsy. I plan to make another pair of socks with it, and if I get my act together, I will use them as part of the Knit Girllls Halloweel KAL. They have just the right amount of creepiness to them for Halloween, but I think I could still get away with wearing them the rest of the year. :) Right?

I love this vest pattern. :) And just like the picture, I think it would be perfect with jeans and boots...something to wear to a fall baseball game or hanging out in the dance studio.

I'd love to eventually make this cardigan for my daughter. Probably not yet though...I have some gift knitting to start and finish!

If you are on Ravelry, check out the Knitmore Girls podcast group! Great chatter, but there is also a Martina Behm Knit-A-Long that is about to start...if you are member of the group they are offering a one-time 10% discount on any of Martina Behm's single patterns. You can even get more than one...I have had a few saved in my library for a while now and took advantage of the discount to purchase a couple. I may try the Trillian, although
I'm also loving the Leftie! Decisions, decisions... Oh, you can find me on Ravelry here!

And on a non-craft related note...the camera on my iPhone died yesterday! :( I don't know what is happening with it, but it looks like I have to make a trip to the store to find out what they can do. Fingers crossed it's something fixable!

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What I'm Working on Wednesday...on Friday.

Welcome to the first WIWOW! Hmmm...WIWOW?

Each week I want to share a few pictures from the different projects I have going. Since there are usually a variety of things, I hope that this will be a nice way to gather them together and chat about them. Normally these posts will go up on Wednesday but I didn't want to wait another week before I get a chance to kick this off. No time like the present, right?

This week I have a few things going. A few weeks ago I challenged myslef to knit my first pair of socks. Well, a month later I have one done! Now, to be fair, the length of time had nothing to do with the pattern. I am working up Hermione's Everyday Socks and it's a great pattern, even for someone who hasn't ever made a sock before. It has enough of a variety in the stitch pattern to keep it interesting but isn't so detailed that I can't keep up with the actual sock construction. But my own nervousness stopped me from just diving in after I finished the cuff and leg. The idea of the Heel turn and gusset had be terrified! But it was unfounded, even if the heel turn pattern sounded incredibly complicated (Slightly Modified Garter Edged Eye of Partridge Heel). Thanks to You Tube I realized it wasn't as bad as I thought it was, and zoomed right through it. Then I got a little nervous about the instep. What if I didn't make it the right length??? But a couple of measurements and a few more checks online reassured me I was on the right track. Once I got to the toe decreases I couldn't stop and finally finished the sock at 3am! And yes, I had to work the next morning! I was a tired lady, but soooo happy because my sock fit beautifully!

Now I'm working on the second sock. I started it a few days ago and have finished the cuff and have started the leg. It's going well, and I am sure I will have the second sock done in much less time. :) I hope, anyway! I am itching to wear them around the house, especially as there is a slight shift in the weather and we have had a few days in the high 70's, rather than around 90* like it was the week prior.

I am also working on a dishcloth. I joined the Knitters Brewing Company group on Ravelry and decided to play along in the NFL Knitting Contest. Really, it was the entry "fee" that made me decide to join...everyone has to contribute one knit/crochet dishcloth. Isn't that fun? Much to my husbands amusement, I am now signed up on UPickEm and picked my winners for the first week. He helped me, I can't lie. I don't know much about football and even less about the teams so he was a champ and helped me through it. I didn't have much time to work on my cloth until yesterday, and since Abby has a long session at the dance studio on Thursdays, it gave me a chance to get some work done.

This pattern is called eLoomanator's Diagonal Knit Dishcloth and is a free pattern on Ravelry. I love the traditional Grandmother's Favorite pattern because I think they scrub really well, but wanted something a bit more fancy for this. This is a bit more complicated which is fun for me to knit, but I think will still be very utilitarian. I'm using some Lily cotton which is leftover from a previous dishcloth. I like the pattern, but somehow I seem to have more open holes than I see in the project photos. I also seem to have the wrong number of stitches after the center pattern...I am supposed to knit the last 10 stitches but I seem to end up with 11. I can't quite figure it out, so I may have to frog it and try again.

Lastly, some crafty things that have caught my attention:

• I have discovered a love of Podcasts! So far I am hooked on yarn craft podcasts, both audio and visual. Some I have been listening to are Yarncraft by Lion Brand, Yarn on Tap, Must Stash, Knitmore Girls, Stitched Together, and Knitting Pipeline. It's something different to listen to while I am driving to work, or while I am working on my own yarn projects at home. Can't wait to add more as I learn about who is out there!
• I just ordered a Ball Winder and Yarn Swift! Knit Picks was running a good sale on both for Labor Day so I took the plunge! Hopefully it will be helpful as I learn more about spinning, and will be helpful with the skeins I have recently dyed and some skeins I have my eye on. :)
• I have these "Fightin' Words" fingerless mitts saved in my Ravelry queue. I can't wait to work on those soon so I can wear them for the fall & winter vents at work. I've been digging through my boxes of stash to see what my grandmother had saved that would be useful. I am sure I can find a good color combination without having to buy even more yarn! lol

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What's New on the Needles? And Paczki Day!

Ok, let me pause for a moment to say I think that could be a fun series title...especially as much as I am knitting/crocheting nowadays. With that said...

I finished the baby cardigan a couple days ago and is going to head to the little recipient hopefully today! Just in time too...her mom just delivered the baby this morning and I can't wait to see a picture! She texted me about 30 minutes ago to say that little Wren has arrived safely after only 3 pushes (so jealous - my deliveres were no where near as easy as that! lol), a head full of hair and weighs 8.5 lbs. 

I learned a lot along the way and can't wait to show you pictures of the finished project! I will post photos soon! Maybe she will even send a picture of the baby wearing it so I can share that too!

The night I finished the cardigan, I grabbed this beautiful Debbie Bliss yarn that I bought in my first trip to a real yarn shop. Oh my, it's sooooo pretty! It's a lovely turquoise with silver hints and has been teasing me since I bought it, but I held strong and made myself finish the cardigan before I started with this. I bought it without a pattern in hand, and immediately went to Ravelry to find the perfect one. I wanted something light, so I decided that a lace scarf was in order. I landed on the Florence scarf and decided to add a little extra sparkle with some silver lined glass beads.

I have finished my first lace pattern repeat and have realized that adding beads is making this a very slow process. I love the look, and I know it will be beautiful once its done, but as with anything new it takes a little getting used to. I am using a crochet hook to add the beads, and I think it's much easier than putting beads on the yarn before knitting. I would naturally panic that there werent enough, and once you get going, how can you easily add more? This way I can just add as I go, and I also like that it causes the bead to be on 2 threads of the yarn, which is so fine that any extra strength will be most welcome. Eventually I will thin out the beads and then pick them back up towards the end of the scarf.

I'll be sure to post pictures as I go, but feel free to follow along on Instagram for the most up-to-date pics. :)

And for all of my friends in the Detroit area, or expatriates...Happy Paczki Day! And since most of you will have no idea what I am talking about, you can learn more about the Fat Tuesday tradition in Detroit here or here.

via my Instagram

These were waiting for us as work this morning! Mmmm.....!

I indulged in a raspberry-filled Paczki today, and yes, the guilt is high, but it's sooooo good and impossible to resist. And it's only once a year, right? Its one of those things that bond a community, as cheesy as that sounds. A bit like how everyone is a little Irish on St. Patty's Day, everyone is a little Polish on Fat Tuesday. And we all know how food bonds people together, no matter what the reason or celebration. That's my story and I'm sticking to it (like a paczki to my waistline! lol)

Oh, and if you are trying to figure out how to pronounce "paczki", there are some variances, but in my area, we generally say "POONSH-kee", though some say it closer to "PUNCH-kee". And I believe that's technically the plural, but no one really calls it a "paczek".

A few yarn projects

One of the "resolutions" I mentioned in my last post was to do something creative every day. It gives me a chance to learn new skills and techniques, as well as find a little relief and "me time" in the course of a busy day.

Lately, my focus has been on knitting & crochet. It's much easier to put a yarn project in a Ziploc bag and pop it into my work bag than to gather all of the paper crafting supplies I typically need to make a card. And once I start making a card, its much harder to stop midway. With knitting or crochet, I can just finish one line of a pattern and wrap it up. That's not to say that I won't be making cards but it's been nice to take a break.

So on to a few of my yarn projects:

I made a hat & tried cable knitting for the first time! A cable needle could be useful down the road, but I just used an extra dpn here.

I'm working on my first baby cardigan as a gift for a friend. I love this yarn, which is some of the beautiful yarn my grandmother passed on to me!

Abby turned my ghetto yarn bowl into an impromptu swimming pool for her Monster High dolls. :) I should get a proper yarn bowl some time...I truly hate when my yarn rolls off my lap! This little box is working for now, though I wonder how it will look in the middle of the summer with snowflakes all over it. Etsy has some beautiful bowls, like this one or this one.

Here's a closeup of the chevron pattern on the bottom half. Pretty, no?

A view of the back of the cardigan. A few more repeats of the chevron pattern, sleeves and some finish work and it will be done!

Decided to try out another cable pattern, this time a pair of mittens! Still no cable needle, and yes, it would have been even more helpful this time since I was knitting in a smaller round than my hat. But I managed!

These bad boys are long! No worries that a draft will give me goosebumps! :)

I love them - they are so thick and warm thanks to the bulky weight yarn I used. I didn't have enough of the same colorway in my stash so I had to go to the store and pick up new yarn for these. I finished these on Saturday, when it suddenly went up to 50 degrees! In Michigan, 50 degrees in January is not glove weather! But in true Michigan weather yo yo tradition, we have a high of 25 degrees today, so they were perfect for the drive to work this morning!

Another thing that I like about them? They prevent me from checking my phone at a red light on the drive. I don't text and drive - no way! But it's become super tempting to take a peek at Facebook or Instagram while I'm waiting at a light. Not a habit I want to get into!

I made these on Sunday. My last attempt at baby booties was a disaster so I was a little gun shy about trying again, but one of the things I love about crochet is that I can rip it out to the point I need and start again. Which I had to do a couple times with these, but in the end they turned out very cute! As you can see on the right bootie, they have button holes and the flap wraps around the ankle. They are destined for a baby girl, and mom isn't a huge fan of traditional pinks (I can sympathise, I felt the same way when Abby was born. She came home from the hospital in a lovely blue outfit. But pink is her favorite color now, so that didn't last long! lol). But I have to make these a little girlie, so I'm hoping to find some sparkly buttons for the cuff. I honestly think pink rhinestone would be really cute with this soft gray, but we'll see what I can find.

I'm thinking of making a pair of baby mitts to go with these booties and perhaps a little hat too. I have plenty of this gray yarn from my stash to work with so it wouldn't be a problem to add that to the gift. Maybe add a bit of pink ribbon to the mitt cuffs or a tiny pink bow on the hat? Just a touch so they all tie in together? I guess it all depends on what I find for the booties.

All of these pics came from my Instagram account, so if you're interested in following along with the progress of these and other random bits & pieces, feel free to follow me!

Closing out 2012 and looking ahead to 2013

A belated Merry Christmas to all of you!

Christmas was the normal busy time of year it always is, full of work and family. I think I need to start planning December in July, because it always feels like I just squeak by each year. :) On Christmas Eve, I had forgotten to make cookies for Santa! Yikes! My daughter rushed into the kitchen with this revelation, just as I had gotten home from work and was beginning to make a quick dinner before we were due to go to my parents house for their annual small get together. Being the resourseful Mom that I am, I thought we could get by with popping a few Otis Spunkmeyer cookies dough balls into the oven and call it a day, but the look of dismay that Abby gave me at the suggestion stopped me halfway to the freezer. If you have ever seen the last Shrek film, when Puss is asking Donkey to lick him because he is too fat to reach you will have a sense of how big and sad my daughters eyes were at the thought that Santa wasn't going to get cookies with sprinkles on them. :) So out came my trusty Better Homes & Garden cookbook and the ingredients for Sugar Cutout cookies.

While all this was going on, my son started feeling ill with a headache and stomachache. In the end, it was 8:30 and we still hadn't made it to my parents. We finally just called it a night and decided to skip the party, try to get the kids to bed at a decent hour and meet up with my family at dinner the next day. The kids got their new Christmas Eve pjs on, checked Santas progress on NORAD, put the decorated cookies out for Santa, tossed some reindeer food on the ground for Rudolf and friends, and after a quick read of "The Polar Express" they were both tucked snug in their beds, with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. Hubby and I finished our wrapping, and the house was in bed and settled by 12:30am...much better than 2:30am like last year! :)

Christmas was filled with laughter, ripped paper and squeals of delight. I am terrible at remembering to take pictures on Christmas morning, how about you? I am just too tired and then caught up in helping the kids with their gifts, and the camera just ends up sitting on the table. Ah well. :) We headed to my parents in the afternoon and enjoyed a delicious dinner of roast goose (our traditional feast - my fav!), ham (added since I married and added new family to the dinner table since a goose doesn't feed more than 4 or 5 easily), kale (grunkohl in German), knudel (potato dumplings), corn, cheesy potatoes, and bread rolls. We were all stuffed! :) Later came dessert: apple pie, a turtle ice cream cake (dad had a craving for ice cream cake this year!), fresh strawberries with whipped cream, and stollen. I again was kicking myself, because I didn't get any pictures of the spread, but trust me, it was delicious! :)

We had a real snow fall last night - it;s beautiful! I chuckle because the first real snow fall of the year always puts people in a tizzy...which is funny, because it's Michigan, and of course it's going to snow! :) But everyone forgets how to drive in it, and the news is full of anticipation of the snow and then analyzing every detail of where it's snowing, how much it;s snowing, etc. Last night they were thrilled that the snow came with a WInter Storm Advisory sothere was much fuss over driving conditions and predicted snow emergencies in various towns, etc...all the more effective if told via a live feed by some poor weatherperson standing outside while the 20 mile per hour gusts toss their hair and swirls snow all around them. This morning, they were thrilled that they could report it was the biggest snow storm we've seen in the area in 22 months! (Nevermind the fact that only 10 of those months are really capable of producing snow). With all the hoopla you would think we had a blizzard of 20+"....but no, we had 3"-4". In January, this wouldn't even be news...but I guess it's been a little dull of the weather front lately. Now, I'm not saying that the roads weren't bad last night...they weren't great. My 15 minute drive home took 30, but that was because I decided I had no where I needed to go fast, so I just slowed down and drove carefully. This morning the roads were fine and it was a beautiful drive.

Now as we close out 2012, I'm looking ahead to 2013. Besides wanting/needing to work off some of the holiday weight (clothes have gotten a bit tight lately - yikes!) I really want to work on some of the house projects that have been waiting and are now to the point that they have to be done. One of the big projects is work on the front of my house. Here is a photo I took when we were looking at the house before we bought it, and it gives an idea of what I want to fix:

My goal is to remove the black metal railings and replace them with wooden posts and railings...something like this:

(via myhomeideas.com)

I also want to work on the scraggly plantings in the front and put in something a little nicer along the fenceline. Any suggestions? I'd like to work on a larger garden space in the side yard so we can grow more veggies and maybe add a few fruit bushes...currants, blackberries, blueberries maybe?

Did  you notice the brown building on the side of the house in the first photo? That's actually an addition to the house. I have no idea why they thought it should be sided in wood when the rest of the house has vinyl siding, but that's another project to tackle eventually. Maybe its the weather, or the fact that there are just a few days left in the year, but I am so ready to start some new projects around the house and do a little sprucing up! :)

On a side note, I have been working on some more knitting. I've been working through some of the yarn that my grandmother gave me a few months ago and the latest project is a baby sweater. I've never made a real piece of knit clothing before, and so far it actually looks like the early stages of a sweater. :)

Its knit from the top down so you are seeing the neckline, sleeves (which look like cap sleeves at the moment, but will be longer later), and the open front of the sweater. Jewel was very helpful last night, as she kept my legs warm while I was working. :) I love Ravelry - they have some great free patterns (this is called Helena)! Hopefully it will finish nicely and will become a warm gift for a friend who is having a baby soon. I actually have two friends who are having babies, so I hope to make a second sweater after this one...keeping those knitting needles busy! lol

I hope that all of you have had a wonderful holiday season thus far, that you were able to spend time with loved ones, and are looking forward to the start of the new year. Here's wishing you a joyous New Year and all the best blessings that you could possibly have!

Frogging project

So a while ago I took this, a plain cotton sweater from the local thrift store:

Took it apart and unraveled it in a process called "frogging" (apparently because of the "rrrrrip" sound you get when you pull the yarn apart - lol).

I then wound the yarn into many of these:

And tonight, it's turning into this:

A new dishcloth!

I LOVE these dishcloths, and have knit a few for myself over the years. They are so easy to make, and when it comes to a heavy duty, all purpose, non abrasive scrubber, nothing beats them. This is a classic dishcloth pattern called Grandmother's Favorite and can be found for free all over the internet. When I was reteaching myself to knit a few years ago (my grandmother taught me when I was a girl, but didn't really keep up with it so I forgot many of the things she taught me), I bought a book called "Knitting Pretty". It's been a great book for me, and it really helped me remember the basics. The pattern in the book is a bit different than some of the patterns I've seen online, calling for a K3 then YO, rather than K2, YO and it goes until you have 50 stitches on the needles before beginning a decrease, but that's what so great about classic basic patterns like this, you really can vary it anyway you want. And no purling - woohoo!

This is the first one I've made using reclaimed yarn,but since it's 100% cotton like the yarn I've purchased from the craft store I think it should work up the same as before. And with all the yarn I collected from a sweater that cost me $2.00, it's super economical.

If you're interesting in Frogging yarn, here are a few links to sites I've used as reference that you may find helpful:

Neauveau Fiber Arts

My Virtual Sanity

Rewind Yarn - some good videos

Little hats for little heads

I've been working on a gift for a work friend. They were expecting twins at the end of January, but for some reason, she went into labor early and delivered them in early October. Such tiny little babies, the baby girl only 1 lb 6 oz and the baby boy 1 lb 10 oz.! It was a scary time...being so little there were many obsticles in their way, but miraculously both have done well and continue to grow! As a gift I made a set of little hats for them after seeing that their hospital hats were too big on their tiny heads. Once I started I just couldn't stop and put together 10 hats so far. I dropped them off yesterday and as an added bonus was able to see their mom and the twins in person! It was so exciting...I hadn't expected it since I had only planned to drop off the gift and leave, and it was great to see how adorable they are in person. Their baby boy even smiled in his sleep as I was watching him...I couldn't help but get a bit teary-eyed. :)

I have a few more done already and once there are enough for another batch I will drop them off. I made them in a variety of sizes, all using Preemie patterns, but they all turned out in varying sizes depending on the yarn, tension, etc.

It's been a great learning experience for me too. While I know enough about crochet to feel comfortable making hats, knitting is still something I am a complete novice at so this gave me the opportunity to learn how to read patterns better and learn how to knit in the round.

I have to say thank you to all the wonderful people who have posted free patterns for preemie hats. It's really heartwarming to find so many people happily sharing their patterns for such a good thing as hats for these babies who were born too soon. I have quite a few on my Pinterest board, so if you are interested in them, please stop by and check them out.

I've also been in contact with the twin's NICU and have found out that they accept donations of hats too, so I have a project to keep me going even after the twins are finally able to go home. If you have a hospital near you with a NICU, ask if they accept donations too. They may have some requirements about the materials, so ask questions. At the very least use the softest yarn you can find, nothing too fuzzy or bumpy since their skin is very delicate and fuzzy yarn can shed which they may breath in. And for preemies I read that yellow might not be the best color, since so many develop jaundice, and the yellow yarn wont  look so nice with their skin at that time. And have fun with it...preemies are so little that most clothing doesn't fit them, so providing a special hat that will fit will be such a gift.

You can also check if they accept other hats too...perhaps some full term babies or children could use them, or adult patients. A soft warm hat can really make someones day...and easily will make yours too.

UPDATE 12/12/11: I was sent a photo of one of the twins wearing one of the hats by his dad. Doesn't he look cute???

UPDATE 1/26/11: Their little boy has been home from the hospital for a few days now and doing great! We're just waiting for his twin sister to join the family at home...hopefully soon!

A very kind gift

I work with some wonderful people.

My department has basically every working age group in it; from our youngest who is 17, to the eldest in her mid 80's. It gives us a unique perspective on our guests and provides a great environment where we can learn from each other. As different as we all are, we pull together and help each other when the time arises. I love that.

I recently attended the funeral of the wife of one of my staff. Sadly, she lost her battle with cancer. Her husband is a very kind man and I know this loss has been hard for him.

I was visiting the cashier area he and others were working in and as we were chatting I mentioned that I was working on some new craft projects. I have been knitting & crocheting baby hats. He mentioned that his wife used to do the same and wondered if I would be interested in any of her supplies since no one in the family had need for them. I told him I would happily use anything he might want to give me.

Yesterday he came in with a bag. He showed me a few things inside and said I could have everything inside. Wow, what a treat! When I got home I had a chance to really look through it and was amazed at what he had given me!

Dozens of knitting needles in various sizes...regular as well as double pointed!

Lots of crochet hooks, kept in two different zip up bags:

There were also a couple smaller bags filled with other supplies like a tape measure, 3 tiny sewing scissors, pins, needles, counters, rubber tips, etc! And the tube with the red & blue embroidery in the first picture is a holder for all the knitting needles! It's packed full, and that's just with the unpackaged needles! I was overwhelmed by his kindness. I really can't wait to use some of the supplies for my upcoming projects and will think of Nancy and Dave whenever I use them.

I really work with wonderful people.