New Addition

I have just recived a great addition to my stash.

I have a friend who produces a beautiful hand spun wool and she is not producing hand painted skeins. I have 2 skeins of her Cherry Berry. It has pink,  blue, red and purple. I also have some purple multi color roving. I plan on attempting to spin it on my drop spendel. I will let you know how that goes.

The knitting Experience

This is a great book for the beginner and the advanced knitter alike. It has great photos to show you how to do the stitch. there are 25 projects included in thie book . The yarn guide in the back is a wonderful tool to learn how to substitue yarn.

Vintage Knits

Great little read. Small size is great for project bag. Projects range in skill level form beginner to advanced. they include everything from socks, to adult sweaters. There is also projects for baby gifts in this also.

Simple Chic

This book has simple in the name but the projects are not simple to knit. The shapes are simple and have very interesting colors and yarn choices. I would say that this book is good for an intermediate to an Advanced knitter. The most simple pattern in the whole book it the scarf in the main picture.

Yarn Girls Guide

Wonderful book if you love to knit with super chunky yarn and large needles. They like to use size 13 and larger even up to size #35. I have made the hast in this book and the patterns are easy to follow. All of the yarns in the book are discontinued but if you follow weight to yard ratio you should be able to find a comparible yarn. I really love this book because the projects are simple to knit.

Need help

I need help locating yarn for the following project I have a tote bag that I made out of both Fabric #2 and fabric #3 and I would like to make a sweater to match any ideas on where to locate these colors in yarn would be greatly appreciated I don't think I will be doing such small stripes but I would like it to be a striped sweater. I have a pattern that I want to use it is from the book Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits. I really like this book I have made all the hats that are featured in the book, and now I would love to move on to a sweater. The pattern that I want to use is called "The Weekend Warrior" it calls for 495 yards of Colinette Point Five yarn and is knit with US size 17 needles, I plan on knitting the large because it is a more fitted sweater but I like the shape but I think it would be better a little loose on me.

My Little Girls

L-R Shae age 3 and Anastasia Age 4 1/2

Knitter's Blog Ring

The link is active for the Knitter's BLOG Ring. I hope that you will come back often and see the new post.

Yarn for Swap 

A Good Yarn

I just started reading A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber and I will have to say that is just as good as the first (A Shop On Blossom Street), I really love that she has included a pattern for knitting socks on 2 circular needles. This is a pattern I have really wanted to try. I will let you know how the book is.

Throw question

I am putting this question out to anyone who would like to answer. I want to make a sampler throw, and I am trying to decide it I should use dishcloth patterns for the squares so that I can use more stitch patterns. If anyone has a better idea or a link that you would like to share on this subject please do. I want to include a fan pattern and a cheveron pattern and I am trying to figure out how I would make them so that they would fit together. Help me please. Thank you so much in advance.

Stitch Patterns

I have been looking for a book that will show how to work a stitch pattern with out haveing to read a chart. I mean I can read a chart but I wanted to learn a few new patterns with having to think about it too much. I could not find any such book on the market today. So, Last night I went to our local library and found a book that was published in 1968 called Adventures in Knitting , (more than 100 patterns, form easy to intracate) By Barbara Aytes. I think this book is very good for what I need the stitch symbols are a little out dated so it might take me a little while to decifer them but I will be posting some sample swatches as I get them done.

colors

These are the colors that I am looking for in yarn. Maybe even a blend of some of these colors would work.

My Sweater Stash

More Sweaters to recycle. I got these last night at the local thrift shop and I washed them and dried them so the thrift shop smell is gone. I really think I will get a lot of yarn out of the black one it is a adult Med but it is ment to be worn long to the knees. I am starting with this one.

More sweaters to recycle

I just picked uo 5 sewaters to recycle. I think it will be fun. One of them is a chunky yarn in black. I don't ever buy black yarn so it will be fun to see what I make out of it. I also picked up a few that will be a fingering weight. Check out the link included with this post to see how to recycle a sweater. good luck and have fun.

A Shop on Blossom Street

I finished this book a little over a week ago. I really liked the connection that the people have wiht each other and with knitting. I have a shop of my own but it is not a yarn shop, but I do teach knitting classes. I teach knitting because it is my passion. I love to look at a ball of yarn and think of all the possibilities. I like to come up with 2 projects for each ball of yarn and I can normally do. I really liked this book because it also had a very good pattern in the front for a baby blanket. I have not tried it yet byt I think I might soon, I have a couple of friends that are expecting and I think one of them might juts get one of these. I might alter the pattern a little by adding a yarn-over after the three knit stiches on each side. I would like the make an eyelet on all sides of the blanket inside the garter stich border. I included the link to Amazon.com so that you can read the full review.

Fiber Arts Ring

I am now active on the fiber artist blog ring so you can now use the link on the side bar.

Stitch Markers

I completed the first 2 sets last night. The bottom set has wooden beads as the focal bead. The colors on all of these did not show up liked I wanted, the colors are a mixture os blues on each set. I made these for the stitch marker swap that I joined. I will try to take a picture of them instead of scanning them. My digital camera is out of commision right now so I have been scanning everything. until I get it working again.

Yarn Swap '05

Email me if you would like to join. Name Address Email address: BLOG address (not required to participate) Let me know what type of projects that you like to do, and how many skeins you would like to swap (up to 5). The Rules. You will send out one skein to every name on your list, and you will get one skein for every one your send out. No 100% acrylic yarn.You can send wool, nylon(ie. novelty yarn), cotton, wool blends, Cotton blends, etc. Just not the cheap 100% over 500 yard Acrylic variety. www.knitpicks.com is a great place to get very good fiber for a very good price. This will help you add to your stash while purging your own collection. *Make sure that every skein that you a send has the original lable attached to it. Sign up begins today and ends July 13, 2005. There will be a sign up prize drawing on July 14, 2005 and if you win you will be notified by the next day

Recycled Yarn

Here is the fruits of my labor , two days worth of unraveling to get this small pile of yarn. The small orange sken is 78 yards of 100% shetland wool. I got the sweater at the goodwill and all I was able to unravel was the collar. But I might ply it with a yellow cotton for a interesting scarf. Let me know what you think about that.

The Penny

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about. Several years ago, a friend of a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and she was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. She knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely. As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. She wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? "Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United States of America." "No, not that; read further." "One cent?" "No, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?" "And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it. God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful! When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient... Have a blessed day!!

Stitch Markers

I joined a stitch marker swap. The link is in the sidebar. I have now made 2 sets of 4 and I will be posting pictures later today. I really enjoyed making them it was very relaxing to know that I was making them for someone and not just to fill my collection.Even thought I can't wait to see what knid I get in return.

The Joy of Knitting

I just picked up The Joy Of Knitting by Lisa Myers at the local library and I just finished the first chapter and it talked about teaching your children to knit by teaching them to make I-Cord. I think that this is a great project for my 4 1/2 year old daughter. I am going to try it out today and I will let you know.

Knitting Too Much

Some times I think I may be knitting too much and then I just laugh. there is no such thing as knitting too much. Well maybe a little according to my husband. I can tell this because now that I have finished my Associates Degree all I do is knit or read about knitting. I am on this blog at least 3 to 4 times a day and I read about 20 other peoples blogs a day. I am addicted to knitting, I carry a project with me everywhere I go. To the ballfield, to church , whenever my husband is driving I knit, I sit at work and knit when the shop is slow. I have been dreaming about knitting longer than I can remember. My husband woke me up in the middle of the night last week and told me to stop talking in my sleep about how much this yarn cost and what I was going to use it for. He said I had been talking for about 30 min about all the projects that I wanted to get started and how much yarn I would need. I am his knit brain he said. I do need more yarn, I will admit I could never have too much. I have a friend who spins wool and has some great colors, I just cannot decide with colorway I want to use. I am currently looking for a little girls sweater pattern that ia knit as one piece and then seamed together. If anyone knows of one please let me know, I would need one for a childs size 5 or 6. Thanks

Here is a hand bag that I knitted using #6 circular needles. I designed it as I went, the ruffle on the bag itself is on a purl row that I put in for placement. The ruffles are crocheted on with a 3 chain in every other stich.

Striped Scarf

I started on a new project yesterday and it is a striped scarf that it knit in 4 multi-color strips and then stiched together at different points on the scarf, with stiched knots. I took the inspiration for my new book. Scarf Style, by Pam Allen of Interweave Knits. I really liked the pattern but I wanted to change the needle size from a size #10 that the pattern called for to a size #8 . I cast on the same amount of stiches and I am making the strips shorter also. Because I live in GA we do not need that large of a scarf to stay warm down here. I will post a picture soon. I am using 100% recycled yarn in red, white, and blue.

Scarf Style

I am so excited I just graduated from the Art Institute with my Associates in Interior Design and I am taking the summer off before I go back to get my BA. Well my friends threw me a Graduation Party last night and I was given a gift certificate. So I bought a new knitting book. I saw the book Scarf Style while I was out in Santa Fe, and loved it, so this is the book that I bought. I love the book and I have almost finished reading it and I think I am going to make the retro Shawl I will post pictures as soon as I get this project underway.

New additions to my stash

I got a couple of new additions to me stash. I placed and order with Oodells yarn in Santa Fe, and I got them in today . I ordered 2 skeins of Classic Elite Yarns Imagine. I ordered it in color 9202 which to me reminds me of the colors of Santa Fe. I am planning on making a scarf out of it . I am thinking about a fan and feather patteren I got out of " the Little Box of Scarf Patterns" I love this box of patterns and I have made a few of the designs , so I think I made a good $20 investment in it. I will post a picture of the yarn sometime today.

My Stash

After lookng at other people's knitting blogs I realized that I do not have that big of a stash. I love natural yarns. I love Cotton. I guess because I live in the south and wool makes me itch, that is the reason for my love of cotton. I also like to work with novelty yarn like eyelash and tinsle. I knitted 15 eyelash scarves last year at christmas and I sold them as fast as I could knit them. That all started because I made one for a gift, and someone saw it and aksed if I would knit one for them. It kept snowballing from there on out. I really think that I could use a bigger stash.

Hand Dyed Yarns

I spent most of the night last night wrapping yarn and hand dying yarn. Earlier in the day yesterdayI went out and purchased some Peaches and Cream Cotton yarn in white and some Dylon Dye in Lime Green and Purple. I dyed about 400 yards of it Purple about 125 yards at a time in the same dye bath and I got varing shades of purple varying for dark to almost pink. I loved the results and I took a little more of the powder and made a small cup of very hot water to make a tie dyed version with the lime green, I left a little of that one white so that it would have 3 colors. I also dyed about 300 yards of it lime green. I took another 125 yards and dyed it with a mixture of 2 kinds of Kool-aid (Grape & Cherry) I did not like the color when I first took it out of the dye but after I rinsed it out it turned out to be a very pretty violet pink. I will post pictures later today.

Top sken first dip and bottom sken second dip with purple drops 

Kool-aid dyed cotton 

Hand dyed Cotton 3 shades of Purple 

Hand dyed Cotton tri-color 

This is a great shop If you are ever in Santa Fe, New Mexico, you need to stop at this shop. Oodles Yarn and Bead Gallery 411 W. Water Street Santa Fe, NM 87501 West of Guadalupe, behind the Hilton 505-992-2678 They also ship anywhere in the USA wil a very little charge. I went there last week on my trip out to Santa Fe and I reallly loved this lillte shop and I completed a project from the yarn I bought there on the drive back. I also ordered more yarn after I got home.

Baby Hat Pattern

Here is a great pattern for you to try. It is for a baby hat and I created this patteren for a circular needle size US#10. You can choose any yarn that will work on this size needles as I change yarn a lot but I mostly use Lion Brand Jiffy for this hat. Size Small (med, large) Cast one 53(59,63) Thenplace marker and join. Knit until piece measures 3 inches. Purl next 3 rows. Knit piece until it 9 inches . Decrease in next round by knit 3 , k2tgo, until end. Next round knit 2 , k2tgo, to end. Next round knit 1, k2tgo, to end. Cut yarn to 12 inches and then with a yarn needle thread the yarn through all remaining stiches and cinch and tie off and pull to wrong side. The purl rows will make a place to turn up the brim. (for added decoration you can take a Crochet hook size J and add a ruffle to the brim by placing a slip know on the crochet hook and putting it in the first stich of the first round and the chain 3 and single crochet in the the 2nd stich for the brgining. repeat until the end. This is one of my original patterns and I hold the copyright to this pattern. You can use it for personal use only and it can not be sold, without prior permission from me. Please let me know if you make one of these. Enjoy

Sewing project

I love to sew also. Here is one of the bags I designed.