The Starlet Sweater- Finished!

Finally I finished this sweater and gave it to my niece Abby for Christmas. Now that all my gifts are finished, I am going to finish my scarf!

A Stitch Just In Time

Gifts finished this week... and one sweater (just sleeves) left to go until Christmas Eve.

Hey Joe Cinnamon

I offered one of my handbags as a prize for NaBloPoMo last month and Joe was the fortunate winner! He wisely chose red for his wife- I think this turned out great. I am wondering what is up with the phantom piece of string in this picture and hope it arrives to him ok. I think I'll ask that he sends along a pic of his lovely wife with the bag!




And as for what's in my knitting basket and on the needles...






Clockwise from top (click on pic to enlarge): a blue handbag that needs new handles (those are too large), the Starlet Candy sweater- just needs sleeves and I want to have this done by Christmas Eve, Gray's camo-ish green sweater- I need to finish the body and then sleeves, my fingerless knucks glove (still on the 1st one) and a scarf for me (yummy Noro Silk Garden and Silk Garden Lite) that I just started- I am putting this above all other projects because I need a scarf!!!

Where It All Began

A few years ago my Aunt Susie visited from Colorado and I've always felt a likeness to her even though I didn't grow up knowing her well. She made jewelry and was a knitter, and for the first time I really had a desire to learn to knit, too. If anything I thought it might be a great thing to learn even if I didn't do anything much with it.

That fall of 2004 I signed up for a knitting class at the local knitting shop and learned the beginner basics- making squares and learning about cables and such. I think it was love at first stitch. Next I took a hat & scarf class that really took me to the next step at reading patterns and trying different types of stitches. Within that first year of knitting I made a lot of scarves! And I also became pregnant with Gray. I didn't take any more classes until early 2007 where I took a baby sweater class. With each class I've taken, the more confident I feel to try new things on my own. I've become picky about which needles I want to use and very finicky about the types of yarn. Unfortunately, the more expensive, the more likely I'll like it!

I still desire to take a sock class and then would love to knit toys and stuffed animals. We'll see where the new year takes me and my needles!

On The Needles

Here's what's going on right now (aside from the Starlet Sweater that is still in progress) :

I began a new sweater for Gray the other day and really like how it's knitting so far.




And tonight I started some fingerless gloves for me using Knitty.com's Knucks pattern. Aren't these fingers the cutest little things?

Chocolate & Pearls

Finished just in time!

Cascade Yarns Col. 819 chocolate brown, 100% super wash wool, less than 1.5 skeins, needles: size 8 circular Addi Turbo.

Countdown

I learned a lesson in checking my gauge and have just started over on a sweater that must be finished by Sunday! BUT- I am in heaven with the new yarn I decided to go with for my second try. I am enjoying the pressure and just hope I can get it finished in time. Ok, gotta go knit!

-Steph

The Arianne

Another variation of the Cable Couture Knit Bag- a few extra rows to make the bag larger. Knit with Blizzard yarn.

The Elizabeth

More about it here...

RETRO ROBOT BUTTONS!

I've waited forever, and finally found my robot buttons. The original yarn shop I found the one button in never could order any for me, so I dug around online and found the Button Shoppe had two sets! They came today!


I immediately sewed them on Xavier's sweater. Just in time for the chilly weather! It really doesn't photograph as rich and nice as it looks in person!

Cactus

My mom chose this yarn for her next scarf. As I knit it up, it reminded me of seaweed, but Carter thought it looked like a cactus.


Yarn: Yarn Bee Sealeaves, 1 1/2 skeins, size 13 needle

Ravelry!

I'm in! Yay!

Find me there- I'm BabywearKnittery...

Quick Knit Gift Bag

Stumped for the perfect going-away gift for a close friend, I'd already made the standard mixed CD for her roadtrip full of good tunes by which to remember me, but needed something to put the CD in...

How's this for a quick gift bag? I started it around 11 AM and finished it after 4 PM. During which I still fit in all things being a mom, lunch, laundry, etc. I am tempted to really start making these to sell...

This was the cable couture bag pattern knit with Blizzard yarn- part alpaca, part acrylic and I don't think I'd use it again. I loved the softness, but it's much too hairy.

Sassy Little Handbag

Just finished this morning! This was such a fun, quick project. Can't wait to start on the next one... I think I'll scope out my closet and Goodwill for interesting purse handles I can salvage.

Cable Couture Bag

I wanted to take a break from sweater knitting and cast on this bag last night- it knits up luxuriously and quickly! I am ready to fold in half and close up the sides, then add my handles!!

Yarn is Blue Sky Bulky hand dyes, needles are addi Turbo 24" circular size US13.

Starlet Sweater Progress

I'm working on this sweater with more frequency and it's coming along nicely. I really like knitting with this yarn- it's soft on my fingers! It's just been one of those projects I go to in between other knitting projects and that means it might have to go to my niece Abby and I'll knit something new for Starlet. Oh well.

I finally was able to meet up with Arianne from To Think Is To Create last night. I think she found me while reading the Chicago Moms Blog and she lives close by. We finally had the chance to have a knitting night together at Starbucks!

Arianne, let me just say that I think you are a delight and I am so excited to have a knitting friend! Here's a photo of the first knittybloggy club.

Hubby encourages me to go out, too, as he noticed how much happier I am after I get out and recharge my batteries. Even if it's just for an hour or two, it does help, I admit! And I make a point to be thankful for every time I can escape- no matter how short or long. I don't come back home saying I wish I could have stayed out longer. I just say how nice it was to get out. I am sure it's a blessing to my hubby to have a happy wife!

Cross posted at Adventures In Babywearing.

Casting On... Starlet's Candy Sweater

Finished Abby's Sweater!

Ah- finally had an hour of uninterrupted peace & I finished the sweater. Hoping to give this as a gift for my niece Abigail when she is dedicated at church.

Casting on now... another sweater! This time for O Mama Mia's Starlet. And tomorrow I'll be stopping by the knitting shop for a larger cable needle so that I can start on this...

Abby's Sweater... getting there

Ok, so one sleeve is almost done and I really hope to have this finished soon! It's coming along quite nicely. Just took a bit of a break from knitting and plan on diving in again.

Abby's Sweater No Sleeves

This is coming along quite nice.

I am really enjoying this sweater without the hood. I've already bought yarn for Jess at O Mama Mia to make for her little girl and some for Gray to maybe do one for him as well. I might even have enough to knit a cute little hat. Something to think about.

Oh, and I found this site with some of the cutest buttons ever. Cute as a button- I totally get where that saying comes from now!

Abby's Sweater

I started a sweater for my little niece Abby- I am planning on giving this to her for her baby dedication. It is the Lillie's Little Sweater (just like the two sweaters I've done before) but without the hood this time.


Yarn is Dream In Color Classy Worsted Weight (100% Superfine Australian Merino.) I'm using size 8 Addi Turbo circulars. Ah, to knit with my turbos again! It's heavenly! And this yarn knits SO NICE!

Finished Mary Jane's Pithy Hat

So I don't have on makeup and I'm wearing my swimsuit, but I finished my hat. My mother-in-law admonished me asking how in the world I can knit in the summer. I love it! While the kids play outside I can sit and knit, knit, knit away!

This hat was the Mary Jane's Pithy Hat pattern from Little Turtle Knits. I used size 5 & 9 Addi Natura circulars. I will definitely make this hat again, but with Addi Turbos next time! Yarn is Noro Silk Garden- it's a mix of silk & kid mohair.

Pictures. Finally.

Ok- here's Xavier's sweater*. Finished on vacation! Yay!






AND I found an awesome robot button at a knitting shop- Woolen Treasures in Fort Collins, Colorado! But they just had one button! I bought it and they are ordering the set for me and will mail it.

And now I am working on finishing up this Mary Jane pithy hat (pattern thanks to Little Turtle knits.) I'll give info on patterns, yarn, needles, etc when I am not so tired! This is starting to be fun to do- at first I did not enjoy knitting this hat! I don't like the needles. They are Addi Natura and I prefer turbos! The purse stitch is one you have to pay attention to. This is not one you can do as "mindless knitting"... this was done 100% in the car so far during our roadtrip!

*Still waiting on those Robot Buttons as of August! But, they are promised and I'll update when I get them!

finito

So I finally finished the gray sweater for Xavier- I think it looks great. I just have to find the perfect buttons for it and my aunt is taking me up to Loveland, CO to some knit shops that are sure to have what I am looking for (I hope!)

I also started on the Little Turtle Knits Mary Jane pithy hat. I am not fond of the needles right now and the yarn is awesome but not as fun/comfy to knit. Ah well- it's looking cute so far! It's self striping (love that!) I'll post pics and info about the kind of yarn & needles later. So tired right now and all my knitting garb is near a sleeping Gray...

Sleeves Part Two

I never even picked up the sweater once over the weekend or even now. But I do have quite a bit to catch up on the DVR, including 2 episodes of Heroes, so I plan to get going on this today. For real!

Sleeves

The sweater is almost finished. Really. I just set it down for too long this week and plan to finish it this weekend... finally! I just have to finish half of one sleeve and all of the other one. Will post a pic of the finished product when I'm done. Just imagine it until then...

Always A Sweater In The Works

That will be my new goal. I am moving on from scarves to sweaters. I wanted to make another version of my first knitted sweater anyway, and have finished the hood of one in grey.

I am stuck at the "pick up and knit" stitches for the hood/neck band. I think I remember how to do it. Contemplating whether or not I should just go on into the knitting shop today for a little help.

I am not sure who this will be for yet. I also ordered a yummy aqua blues yarn to knit my little niece a sweater for fall.

The Pillow In The Room

This was in the latest newsletter that my local knitting shop sends out, and I just had to share it here. (I also have to say that I have the best in-laws ever. I love my husband's parents and his sister and her family. I also love the family my brother married into. We are very blessed in this way!)

Dear Knit Doctor,
I know you have heard tons of horror stories about unappreciated hand knitted gifts. Well, here is my contribution. Years ago I knitted an elaborate pillow for my son and his wife. It was a complex cable pattern. I went to visit them and noticed the family dog had a very nice pillow- hand knitted- by me. I decided to say nothing, but put the pillow in my suitcase and took it home with me. I now enjoy it in my home and make no attempt to hide it when family comes to visit. Nothing has ever been said about this. Sometimes I wonder if they realize that this is in fact the self same pillow. I'm actually not mad at them for not appreciating my gift. I'm really rather enjoying it myself.
Signed, No Pillow Talk

Dear No Pillow Talk,
The fact of the matter is that a hand made gift fares no better chance statistically of being appreciated than a purchased one. It is my feeling that any hand knit gift should come with two contracts. First the knitter must make a contract with herself not to become emotionally involved if the gift is not well received. Second, any hand knitted gift item should include a return clause. You simply exercised your rights under the return clause.

Dear Knit Doctor,
Years ago we received an elaborate knitted pillow from my husband's mother. For reasons which we cannot explain, our dog just loved that pillow. Every time we retrieved it from the dog, when we'd turn out backs the dog would have it again. We finally gave up trying to preserve the pillow from our dog.
You can probably guess what happens next. Mother-in-law visits. Pillow disappears. Pillow reappears in mother-in-law's home. Since then I've seen it at her house many times, but no one ever mentions the...
Pillow In The Room

Dear Pillow In The Room,
In your family there is a Pillow In The Room that no one speaks of. In many families there is an Elephant In The Room that no one speaks of. This should put a new perspective on the basic good health of your extended family life. You are all wise enough people to enjoy each other without letting small matters, like pillows, get in the way.

Animals

Dear Diary,

Well, I've always wanted to start knitting some toys or stuffed animals. Yesterday I got our knitting shop's newsletter and they are offering a felted hedgehog class. Only two sessions! I think I am going to do it!

P.S. I just realized the class is offered on Wednesday nights, which is church night and nursery duty... maybe next time!

Skinny Curves

Finished this one today while watching Akeelah and The Bee. I adapted the Wavy pattern from knitty.com and just made it skinnier (cast on 18) using Caron Simply Soft Shadows in Dark Moss. I definitely recommend using a marker for the odd side and also a row counter is a must! I love the colors in this one. And it's for me!

Also started a new one for Ashlee in red, grays, & cream.

For The City Gal

Scarf of early March... the Windy City Scarf.

Ashlee models hers here.

Patons Classic Wool Merino.

My First Sweater!

Lillies (Lyle’s) Little Sweater

Encore Colorspun 7991 (blue/grey)

Gray's favorite part is the puppy dog buttons.

Scarves. They're Never Ending

I am always making a scarf. Someday I hope to always be making socks or something more extravagant like big sweaters or fun stuffed animals. In the meantime, no matter what my next project may be, there will always be a scarf in progress. It's always a different yarn or pattern and usually once I do one or two I'll move on to the next pattern.

The scarves of February seem to be the Wavy Gravy, in Lion's Brand Wool. Here's Jen in blues (made for her birthday) and Jaymi in pinks (made just because.)

Dear Diary,

And so She Knits begins.

Here's the journal of my knitting projects from 2007 and beyond. Here's to many more knits and purls ahead...