Knitting Dreams 4 U & Me

I know I promised

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

And so here are a couple pics of the Irish Dance dresses. I didn't take these, they were done a a recent feis. I do hope to get pics of the back of the blue one before it goes to a new home...it's been purchased as it's getting a wee bit short on my daughter. I just have to add some seam binding along the inner side of the zipper for the girl buying it and then it will be off. Still the back it really unique on this dress and I want to share it. In the meantime, here they are:

The blue one is the one that I made by recycling old cocktail dresses, adding the ivory satin (new) and cutting them up and recreating them into this. There are lots of AB crystals on the front. The gold fabric is metalic and is also inset in a v-back bordered with blue satin and finished with a blue satin bow.

The black one was intended as a light weight performance dress, not for feising, but my daughter likes the lightness of it so much she wore it to Oireachtas and also to her first feis this year. The top was a stretch velvet shirt she had already. She had hand stitched it to a pair of tap pants, but it made it hard to get into, so my mom, bless her, took it apart, put a zipper in the back of the top and restitched it to the pants. I then applied purchased embroidered appliques and we embellished it with lots of crystals. The skirt was purchased at Target when they had their Christmas clothing out. There is a metallic silver thread through it and we embellished it with some left over AB crytals. The shawl, which is not visible is a grey/silvery lace with clear sequins that is a simple square, folded over, and pinned on as apprpriate. The skirt again is getting a big short, so we have plans to make an alternative skirt to get her through the summer and hopefully have a new lovely solo dress for November's next Oireachtas.

Back on the Band Wagon

2012-01-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

Well the pre-Christmas/Advent bustle was over and I thought come January I would have a wee break. But God had other plans. The first week of DD being back as school came with a school trip/parent dinner, the restart of dance classes, new dance classes for my sweet grandson (which I was not supposed to be involved in, but due to a change in DH's schedule, I got the priviledge of taking him that week and this one coming), kickboxing classes (A gift from DH), volunteer meetings, a Confirmation meeting, etc. I am just now finally getting into the groove of this new schedule.

I have loads of pics to post of knit gifts given and received. And really one day I will get a photo of DD irish dance dresses. Speaking of which the first feis of the year is this weekend. I'm hoping she does well.

So I am currently on a very strict eating plan to try and jump start my body into burning some of this fat it's been storing. No grains, no dairy, no sugar, no salt and no fruit for a little while...just meat and veggies. Plenty of calories, but limited items, so a multi vitamin is a must. Supposedly this will change the way my body uses energy. About now I'd try anything. With two years of intense workouts and eating right resulting in continued gains versus losses...well, desperate times call for desperate measures. This is a plan provided through the Defensive Arts school where I'm taking kickboxing and athletic training classes. Believe it or not, I've even been getting up for 6 a.m. classes twice a week. I've never seen 5:30 a.m. unless it was for fishing purposes or baby feeding. We shall see if I can stick with this for the full three months membership that my lovely bought me as part of my Christmas gift.

A Little Christmas....

2011-11-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

Elf!

Here is one of the ornaments I recently made. There are more to come, along with some mittens made for dear grandson and a Kobo cover. Hopefully there will be a few more projects coming up soon too, but for now have a look at the latest finished object. Ain't he cute?

Those are mini glittery pompoms from Michael's glued onto his shoes and hat. The yarn is Palette from Knit Picks and the pattern is part of the Tidings of Joy pattern set, also from Knit Picks.

So Proud

2011-11-14T06:17:00.000-08:00

I've come to the conclusion I'm a lousy blogger. That or I just really don't have the time for it. LOL.

Just back from Ottawa where we were attending the Eastern Canadian Regional Oireachtas for DD's irish dance. She did very well, not in terms of placing, but in holding her own on stage against PC and Champ dancers while only dancing at the Open/Prizewinner level herself right now. I am so proud of her and how she got up there and did it without even seeming particularly nervous given it was her first attempt at this level of competition.

Pictures will be forthcoming both in a new lightweight dress she wore for the O and also in the dress I made her for this past year.

Did I say things were easy? Story of a lost weekend.

2011-07-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I just spent all weekend doing projects it seems. I honestly can't even remember Saturday anymore. I know I cleaned, did a little grocery shopping, the day just flew by and while I know I got a lot done, I am loath to know what it was. Sunday I was scheduled to read at Mass, and after that I managed to spend the afternoon whiling away the hours painting a door and frame. Well I also touched up the wall paint in the lower bathroom. So lots done, but not all on the list accomplished by any stretch.

What happened to the plans to re-organize my stash yarns, clean up hubby's dresser for him (which he's only been waiting on me to do since Christmas when I piled decorative items on it to get them out of the way for the Christmas decor), and sparkalize DD's solo dress, make her the skirt I promised her or start on the performance dress she would really like to have to avoid dirt and marks on her solo when they do public or private shows. Let alone the idea that I get any sewing done for myself, or get the bedroom cleared out of stuff so we can redecorate! Wow, the list really never does end does it. LOL

On the other hand, I did manage to finish off a few smaller projects either before, during or right after the weekend. There was the ballband dishclothes that I hoped I'd have to put away for a hostess gift. I clearly was going to run out of the varigated, so I cast it off early thinking a swiffer cover might be in order. Instead DD scooped it as her floor "scrubbie" and washed her bedroom floor with it. But here is the oh so bright dishcloth that I managed to finish prior and didn't post a picture of. If we must wash dishes we might as well brighten up the room a bit while we do it!

Next I did manage a third piece of the Christmas gift puzzle that will remain nameless. That was finished on Monday.

And before the weekend really began, I did cast on this...for ME! It's made with Americo Original 100% Pima Cotton Flame. The colour is called Indian Red and reminds me of an old faded barn. Its a very dull red with definite brown undertones and I think it will go with all manner of neutral colours, from white and black, to grey, brown and navy. The pic is of the wrong side but was closer in colour than the other. Hopefully the finished project will show off the colour more nicely.

And last but not least, upon seeing me cast on yet another project, DH asked what I was going to make him. He decided he want's a Glasgow Celtic scarf (he has some, but for some reason wants me to knit one for him). So here is what I began on the weekend as well...very simple, very plain, very dull to knit. It started out with a basketweave pattern which he didn't like, so plain old garter stitch is in order. I figure if I get a stripe a day done, he'll have it for the winter and I won't go out of my mind. The colour is actually a bright emerald green, Celtic green as we call it in our house, but my camera is giving everything a blue tinge for some reason.

Woo Hoo Christmas in July!

2011-07-19T12:27:00.001-07:00

I actually have a Christmas gift pretty much ready to go, and it's only July! What happened! This cannot be me. As organized as I try to be with my time, I just don't seem to get that organized with projects LOL. Truth be told, I have two out of three parts that I intend to knit done, I don't have the right colour for the last bit. But still, I'm pretty proud of myself getting something made this far ahead. There are a few "accessorizing" bits for the gift that will need to be purchased when I get my behind to a craft show...very likely the Vineland craft show at Thanksgiving, but I'm pretty excited if you cannot tell.

Even more exciting, I picked up some Handicrafter Cotton on sale last week and I just cast on a ballband dishcloth. I'm hoping the two coordinating colours I started with will make two dishclothes. I don't really need any dishclothes right now (not that I don't love colourful, fun and new handknit dishclothes, because I really find them enticing) so I actually plan to bundle these with a ribbon wrapped round and put them in a safe (albeit hopefully remembered) place for when I need a quick hostess gift. Now before you think I've gone and become some kind of household organization nut or something silly like that, it just so happens that dishclothes, being cotton and small, happen to make great summer and/or on the go knitting. So really it's a matter of not wanting to work on a big project or wool in 30 degree celcius heat. But hey, if that happens to mean I appear to be super homemaker of the year, what the heck.

Summer and the living is easy?

2011-07-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and things seem, well, more relaxed I guess. I don't know what's going on, but the house is seeming to stay reasonably neat and tidy, if not as clean as I would like. Dinner is managing to find its way to the table with a minimum of effort. Laundry is nearly caught up with only a couple loads (really!?!). And there has actually been time at the end of the day to read or knit. Mind you, my workouts are getting skipped more, maybe that's the hitch. LOL. Still, even at that my wonderful hubby and I have managed to get out for evening walks far more often and I did get in some running this week too. Feis season has also started, meaning there will be a lot more weekends taken up travelling too and from and standing around for most of the day. So why, if I'm still as busy as ever, do things seem easier? Maybe it's the longer days and bright sun shine. Oh...guess I better clean the windows and let some of that sunshine in LOL!

OK, so DD wore her new ID dress to her recital back in May without the crystal design on the bodice. Looked good in the spotlights there. This past weekend, she wore it in her first competition with the bodice crystals and managed a 1st place in her Open/Prizewinner Slip Jig (yay!), and a 2nd in her Novice Horpipe (yay!), and a 4th in her O/P Reel and a 6th in her O/P Treble Jig.

Unfortunately I felt that the dress will need more crystals added to the skirt. In the brighter all round lighting versus the darkened theater/spot light, I just didn't see the gold popping. As a result, the skirt didn't sparkle like it did on stage, and given the sparkle added to the bodice seemed just a bit out of balance somehow. So we will add a whole bunch of little crystals to the blue layer of the skirt. I will take pics and post it as soon as that's done...promise.

DD and her partner also looked sleek, neat and tidy wearing their new simple black princess seamed school dresses with green cape even if they were slightly large on them. They placed 1st out of 3 teams for their two hand with the comments: well done, very neat and tidy. Of course this refers to their dance steps, but at the same time I wonder if maybe the judge wasn't also at some level speaking of their appearance. They were the only team appropriately dressed to match while the other teams danced in their solo costumes, an odd thing to see but possibly worked to their benefit too.

On another positive note. I've actually started knitting a Christmas gift. Yes, I'm aware it's only July, but I've learned that I HATE knitting gifts in Nov/Dec. They always feel like something I have to do rather than something I want to do. So, I had an idea for this gift and decided to get started now. Of course I can't show you the project now, just in case, but I actually felt rather good about starting it last night. If all goes to plan, I might even have the knitted part of this gift done by next week, and neatly packaged away for the holidays. Wouldn't that be nice. The second part of the gift will be handmade, but not by me. Waiting for the Thanksgiving Arts and Craft Sale in Vineland, ON to pick up that piece of the package!

Anybody else thinking about Christmas yet?

Really?

2011-06-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

It's really been since February that I posted...really? Doesn't seem that long, but then again, life has been a whirlwind for some reason. Just seems to get busier and busier all the time.

So there are only three things I wish to mention today.

1. I haven't been knitting, not much anyway...no time!
2. I have actually finished my daughter's solo dress. Well all except the crystals that haven't yet arrived. And it now just fits! I'm glad I didn't finish it in the fall and be looking at altering now, as the velvet is not the best fabric of letting out.
3. Last but definitely not the least, blessings and prayers for my dear Aunt Grace who left her worldly burdens behind on May 23rd. She will be sadly missed by many, not the least being her husband of 52 years and her 4 children and (I think) 8 grandchildren.

Happy birthday today to my lovely, life long friend Brenda as well.

No pics yet, but as soon as the dress is properly crystalized, pictures will be forthcoming.

How do you keep up?

2011-02-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

I don't have a whole lot to add to my blog today...haven't for a while as you can see. I've been keeping busy with the usual stuff, housework, groceries, cooking, running the kiddo around, feising (the season begins again!) and most recently, working an my daughter's Irish Dance dress. Yes there has been some knitting, a few Christmas gifts which I didn't post yet (see below for some photos), a sweater for my grandson and a sweater for me.

Here's the project I started for myself....the picture is from the company I bought the kit from, Knit Picks. It's being done in a fingering weight wool and believe me, it's a slow going project between the fine yarn and the colour work. I still haven't decided if I will do the hat or not. I love hats, but it's just a lot of work!

So let's see...here is what I've made for Christmas. First up are the fingerless mittens made for my dear cousin. They are made from Eco Alpaca, undyed. I figure this way if they ever get a bit dirty she can experiment with dying them. They are soooo warm and she seems to really like them.

Next are the mittens and hat I made for my step-daughter. These are made from Lion Brand Wool-ease Thick and Quick. They are thick and heavy and warm, and I hope perfect for winter walks with her dear husband and for outdoor play with our cute grandbaby. Thank going out to the author of the Villaelain blog for the free patterns for these Pescovegetarian mittens and hat.

And finally, but not least, my sister's neck warmer. This is the Quickie Cowl by Fawn Pea made in Collinette Skye 100% hand dyed wool. The colour doesn't show well but it's a lovely sea green/blue, not so blue as the picture. I added some cute buttons across the end of one side so she can wear it a variety of ways. I think, judging from the length of time she wore it in the house that day, that she liked it too.

Now I still am working on little Zach's cardigan. The back is done, but the fronts are just started. It's done in a chunky yarn, Paton's Shetland Chunky in a fall colour varigated colourway. Alas, the moss stitch pattern seems endless even on this pint sized sweater. Love the look of moss stitch, but the endless k1 p1 gets to me after a while. Stay posted for pics of it and the dress...it's nearly done!

Wow time really does fly

2010-11-23T12:35:00.001-08:00

I have so much to update everyone about, but it seems I just have such a hard time finding the time to update my blog. There are more updates to come though, I promise.

Right now I'm busy with making Christmas gifts. I got a good head start on them recently while off for a short period of recovery from surgery. It was just what I needed to get going on them, in that I needed to do relatively little and knitting was just the ticket. I also managed to finish those socks and my husband's long overdue sweater. I must make mention that we've nicknamed the sweater the horse blanket. I sized it for him prior to him losing weight and now it comes nearly to mid thigh on him and fits both him and my daughter inside it. I could probably squeeze in there with him too, other than getting my head through the neck opening LOL. Still it's big and cozy and will be great for TV watching when he's feeling a chill.

Here are a couple pictures of the sweater. The second one is closer to the actual colour, called Spice. It's made in Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick.

I also managed to make a hat, mittens and neckwarmer for my daughter to go with her new coat for the winter. She picked the yarn and colour. The hat is the Cabled Chapeau and the mittens are called Phenomenon, based on the mittens worn my Bella in The Vampire Diaries movie. The mitten pattern was not a convertable mitten so I made modifications so that she can get the zippers up on her coat and boots without removing the mittens. The neckwarmer was my own design to incorporate the two different cables in the patterns I used. I hope to post the pattern shortly. Here are pics:

I also am nearly done with my daughter's new solo dress for dance. I have to come up with some embroidered or otherwise creative appliques for decorating the bodice and perhaps the skirt ruffles. Otherwise, it's just a matter of the finishing on the skirt, attaching it to the bodice and getting the zipper in. Can't wait and hopefully it will be ready for her first feis of 2011 in January. We are really pleased with how its coming out.

Speaking of dance, we were recently in Ottawa for the ECRO. My lovely managed to place 3rd and 10th (or was it 9th, I'll have to ask her...oops!) in her solo dances at the mini feis. Unfortunatly her team didn't place in their 4 hand, however, given that team dances can often be against champion level dancers, we are very proud of the team! Our school showed very well at the mini feis overall with most of the girls managing to place in at least one of their two solo dances. Our champion level dancers also did very well. Well done girls!

We are back!

2010-09-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, it was a wonderful trip to Scotland from Aug 28th to Sept 16th. A couple days at home before going back to work. By far the best part of the trip was hiking the West Highland Way. For information about the way, route, distance and time, follow this link.

http://www.west-highland-way.co.uk/theroute.asp

I highly recommend this trip if you are in reasonable good shape, don't have knee or hip issues, and want an active holiday. The scenery was absolutely fantastic, and although it was tough at times, provided a great sense of achievement when we were done. If you decide to try it, get the passbook that you have stamped so you can get a certificate at the end. We didn't know about it until part way through but all the great hikers we met along the way were happy to vouch for us so we got a certificate anyway. The passbook would have been a great souvenir though.

Here Dan and I are finally resting after a gruelling 97 miles over 7 days. They actually lengthened the walk by 2 miles during the time we were walking it. See even the sculpture has sore feet.

There is way too much to tell about the trip to fit it into a little blog post. I wish I had kept my notebook up better while we were away and I could give you a day by day summary of the walk, but the link does a good job. There are loads of photos on my Facebook page if you are a friend on it. If you are interested and haven't already friended me on Facebook, let me know and I'll send you a public link via email.

I also have a photo here of the capelet that I made for Mora for her first communion. Isn't she cute.

Well that's it for now. Back soon!

Woo Hoo!

2010-08-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

I have the first sock done...finally! Here's a pic. But I'm not wasting time writing a bunch of information because I'm off to cast on sock two before second sock syndrome sets in. (For those unaware of what second sock syndrome is...it's a term coined by knitters that expresses the inability to seem to finish a PAIR of socks...or at least whereby the second one take an inordinately long time to be finished).

Cascade Heritage Prints, fingering wool/nylon in the colour named "David's Eyes". Lovely yarn, lovely colourway. Purchased at Karma Knitting, Main Street, Williamsville, NY.

Some Updates

2010-08-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

OK, so the summer has absolutely been flying by. Its so hard to believe we've just hit August! I'm at work on a new Irish Dance dress, which I'm hoping to have some preliminary pics of in the next couple of weeks. In addition to that, I'm just finishing up the first sock from a pair (still) and I managed to find the time to get my hubby's sweater to the point that the sleeves and body are now all on one big needle and the yoke decreases are starting. With any luck I will get that done before our summer vacation at the end of the month (LOL, who am I kidding).

DD has moved up to Open/Prizewinner in all her dances but one. She'll get to learn a completely new dance this year, a contemporary set, and she'll be allowed to dance in the Oireachtas in 2011 as a solo dancer. Yay to her! Well done darling.

DD has also put in more knitting orders. I don't know if she realizes how long it takes me to make something LOL. So far there is a sleeveless/cap sleeve hoodie and a hat with a front brim. This is in addition to the cafe capelet and yoga socks she has on order. I need to get busy!

Hubby has been working a lot of extra shifts lately trying to come up with some spending money for our vacation time. Poor guy is burning the candle at both ends.

A few notes for the family. My nephew graduated from the Erie County Sherriff's Dept academy this past weekend. and my other nephew bought his first house with his lovely new bride and step-daughters. Congrats to both of them.

Oh, and for those interested, I passed my certification exam in HR with a 90% mark! Yay me! Now I just have to get together all the information to submit my experience requirements application for review. $500, ouch! That will have to wait until the fall.

Just Bragging Rights

2010-06-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

My wonderful, sweet and talented daughter did another feis this past weekend and managed two more first place rankings in her slip jig and light jig. She will now be doing her slip jig and reel at Prizewinner/Open level and will drop her light jig as a competitive dance as it generally isn't offered beyond Novice level. She just needs to get first in her hard shoe dances to move up in those now.

So, this means knitting is on hold for a bit as I enter into the often frustrating, time consuming but very satisfying world of making another solo dance costume for her...sooner rather than later. The lovely yellow one is being outgrown, and she wants a little more bling for her Prizewinner dances. Wish me luck!

Weekend Results

2010-06-04T07:53:00.001-07:00

OK, so it's just about a new weekend, but I figured I should let everyone know how last weekend went. First, it was awesome being away long enough to shop a bit and we stopped in PA so that we could take advantage of the no sales tax on clothing. We all stocked up on some things we've been needing and putting off.

Then a very late lunch and headed down to Ohio and checked into the hotel around dinner time. The kids loved the pool (can you say ringing ears? because after 3 dance schools checked in and the pool was full, the parents in the room couldn't hear anything anymore!).

Saturday morning saw us off to the Akron Feis where my wonderful and talented daughter managed her first Novice 1st place win. She is now in the open/prizewinner level for her reel. She decided to move up right away as opposed to waiting until January to ensure she moves up while her confidence is high, coming off the win. In the rest of her solo dances she managed a 2nd, 3rd and 6th and did not place in the remaining two. Her figures (a 2 hand and a 4 hand) both placed 1st. We are so very proud of her!

We also learned two other things at this feis. Her hard shoes are definitely too small. While she can comfortably wear them for half of her dance class, by the time she danced 3 hard shoe dances in the afternoon the knit pattern of her socks was imprinted on her feet and her heels were bright red. Time for new ones. She will need flexis (read...the more expensive ones) by the fall anyway, so we will just go ahead and get them now. Thankfully her feet tend to grow slowly. She also noted that her dress is getting too tight around the armholes and is chafing her now, the one area I can't easily alter. So, plans are in the works for a new dress and the designing process has been quite fun. She would like to keep one special design element from her first solo dress, and that is to incorporate a maple leaf into the design somewhere.

I think she will miss her first dress when she can't wear it. It's definitely unique and stands out on stage not from all the glitz as seen on other dresses but because it is so unique and so her. It will be kept and not sold as it was a true labour of love and our first mother-daughter collaboration in designing something special.

Updates and a Weekend Away...Yay!

2010-05-27T06:01:00.001-07:00

OK, first for some knitting updates. I 've got pics of two of my finished projects now, although there are a couple more to come that I just haven't gotten to taking pics of yet. There is also one of the prayer shawl that was done through the Yahoo Group Knitting Parents for one of the members who lost her husband suddenly to H1N1 this past winter. It was a group effort where each participating member added 4 inches of the knitted pattern in a yarn of their choice, worsted weight. I think it came out quite nice for all the hands involved and the recipient loves it.

Here are the yoga socks I recently made my Godson Ben, by request. Now that she's seen them, my daughter wants a pair too. I've ordered Knitpicks Felici in Rainbow for hers.

This is the Alix's Prayer Shawl I made for myself. It's made from Arucania Ranco Multi sock yarn in order to keep the chill off when sitting in the backyard this summer.

And this one is the prayer shawl done for Kristen. My contribution was the taupe merino wool section that is second from the right in this picture. I think it's interesting how the colours progressed through the changing of hands to something so pretty.

So this weekend we are off to Akron, Ohio. The location may be a bit odd for a long weekend away, but my daughter is competing in the Akron feis with the rest of her school. Every year the school selects an out of town feis to compete in as a school trip. Dependant upon helping out with bingo, our main fundraing effort, families qualify for reimbursment of their room, a meal for two, and up to $65 in feis registration fees/other expenses. Now that she generally is dancing 8 dances between her solo and figure comps, her registration fees usually exceed the reimbursement amount so I don't have to keep receipts other than the hotel and meal.

On the way we are going to stop in Pennsylvania to do some shopping. We figure we will finally be away long enough to actually be allowed to bring back enough dollars worth of stuff to make a bit of shopping feasible.

We are so looking forward to it. Good luck wishes for DD in her competition are greatly appreciated!

Boy oh Boy does time fly

2010-04-29T05:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am scheduled to write my NKE. This is the National Knowledge Exam for certification as a Human Resources professional. Problem is, I've learned a few things about this exam that are, frankly, scaring the c**p out of me. Like the pass rate is only 59% of those sitting the exam, and that at 1.2 mins per question, we don't have much time for indecisiveness. It also covers the entire course material that is covered in an entire two year program of study, in detail...not general concepts, specifics. I also found out that a lot of people take 3-6 months to study compared to my 4 weeks (only 2 of which have been really in depth).

Needless to say, that has taken a lot of my time in April. March, I can't actually account for right now...where did you go March, did I lose an entire month? LOL

So upcoming, in terms of just family stuff and other, we have a trip to the US for a feis coming up in approximately a month's time, followed the next weekend by 2 days of Irish Dance recital, followed by another weekend feis. Guess I know how month's fly by without me realizing it. That talk of dance brings up the point that I am soon going to have to start another solo dress for my daughter. Her yellow one, thankfully, still fits but time is coming soon where she will need something significantly bigger. I'm so glad adult dancers don't use solo dresses (unless they compete of course, but that's not me!). For recital the adults are wearing a simple and cheap black skirt, t-shirt and some sort of waist sash or belt. Yay for being a grown up!

Knitting wise, I'm working on a pair of Yoga socks for my Godson Ben, who requested them. Finishing up a shawl for myself called Alex's Prayer Shawl from the series of Debbie Macomber books entitled the Blossom Street series, and I still have to finish up Dan's sweater...which I have made progress on, but not quite enough. The way I'm going I'll have it finished for next fall and it won't fit with all the weight he's been losing. Somewhere I still have a pair of socks barely started for myself...but that's definitely a sleeping project. Hm, in other words, all the prior mentioned projects are still projects and not finished objects LOL

Irish Dance

2010-02-17T12:11:00.001-08:00

By now you all know my DD does Irish Dancing. Well recently I had the fortune (or misfortune depending on how you take this) of having the chance to lengthen a dress for another dancer at her school. Now normally this might not be an issue, particularly as we decided to add an extra ruffle to the bottom. Sounds simple right? Until you realize the skirt was made in three pieces and the ruffles that the new ruffle must go under were sewn into each of those three seams...now we are into taking apart seams with multiple ruffles attached, adding a ruffle, reseaming, and then making it all look like part of the original dress. So without further ado, here are pics of the dress and some of the details, in order, from seeing the dress before to the finished product. Of course lovely DD, didn't feel like changing her socks (or taking them off for that matter) in order to have photos done...so excuse the footwear LOL.

Missing But In Action

2010-02-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Its really not a case of not knitting or sewing or doing anything, but rather doing too much.

So here is a picture of the Brea Bag (Berroco free patterns) that I made for my cousin for Christmas. The background on this photo isn't the best choice but it does show the cables on the bag off better than any others I have. I used Red Heart Supersaver fleck for washability, lined the bag and used supersized snaps instead of sewing the gussett over the handle so it can be removed to be washed. The handle is lovely, leather and came from Stitch in Jordan ON.

So for anybody wondering what I've been up to, I have an Irish Dance dress alteration underway for a dancer in my DD's school, I'm working on a shawl for myself (pic below) called Alix's Lace Prayer Shawl from Debbie McComber, I still have my husband's sweater on the needles (it's having a wee sleep right now) and some yoga socks for Ben. Of course, I have sixty (yes, I said 60) patterns queued up on my Ravelry pages. Chances are I'm not going to get all of those done LOL. This shawl is being made from Araucania Ranco Multi sock yarn. I think it's coming out quite pretty, but I've had issues with having to rip and tink a few times.

For anybody on Ravelry, you'll find me under the user name knittingdreams.

The Week's Successes

2009-12-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

Ok...so it's Thursday again and here are my successes of the week. Whatever happened to knitting and crafting? LOL.

1. I fit in two workouts in three days, pilates and dance.

2. We've been eating dinner at (surprize!) the dinner table. This has been a challenge for the last few years, as the rest of the family always insisted they prefer eating in front of the TV, but I finally convinced them this was worth doing and important to me...and my daughter loves having the face to face talks that happen at the dinner table, so success...finally! Patience really does pay off eventually...that and time shifting on the satellite so the program of the moment no longer is a valid excuse for eating downstairs ;-)

3. After about a year of resistance from my daughter about getting rid of any of her stuff, she decided to sort out her entire toy closet into garbage, give away items and stuff to keep. A full half of what was in there was slotted to be cleared out. Apparently she rediscovered after doing the spare room recently that there is a benefit to weeding out the old and being able to find what she has. In the past, she had easily given things away only to discover she gave away a few things she wished she hadn't. After that the resistance set in. I think part of the change of heart was that after I insisted we needed to make some space in the spare room, I took her with me to The Salvation Army store to drop off things and the lovely ladies there oohed and aahed over her donations and told her how badly they needed toys this time of year both for the store and for the families they help. I guess that it's not really my success, but it's a family success and I hope I played a small part in her change of heart.

Last night was a pleasant evening. DD had dance and afterward DH was able to get away from work to come home for dinner, which for a change EVERYBODY liked. My daughter put some more ornaments on the tree, we watched Christmas at Rockerfeller Square and saw the tree lighting, and after DD was in bed and before DH got home from work (11 pm), I turned on the fireplace, and sat with my cat on my lap and knit for just a bit...taking some much needed time to relax. I think Sammie Cat was a happy boy, as the dogs tend to get more attention than he does due to their vibrant personalities and pushy dog ways.

It's that time of the week again

2009-11-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

OK, so I've been putting off this post today because I've actually had a hard time figuring out my successes this week. But here goes:

1. Even with company visiting who wanted take out daily, I managed to resist and put a meal on the table twice, and they even ate it. I was also able to not let the growing mess from extra bodies bother me...I just cleaned it up later and enjoyed their visit instead.

2. I've been picking up gifts that I ordered online and now I just need to review my list to see what's left and wrap what I have. I'm getting closer to being ready.

3. My daughter's paternal grandparents wanted her to come see them for a weekend near her birthday. We picked a weekend. Then they wanted me to change it to Thursday night, which means driving all the way to Toronto on a weeknight. I'm not thrilled with the idea because it meant pulling her from class Friday and also I have two assignments due today and tomorrow, but my daughter really wanted to go. I have both assignments nearly complete and will be able to finish them on time because I knuckled down and planned ahead for the lost night in my schedule.

It's Thursday Again...And Time for Some Small Successes

2009-11-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

So, here are my small successes for the week....

1. I got a few more Christmas gifts ordered. My daughter is pretty much taken care of except for a few things that I must get at actual stores and a good part of my husband's gifts are taken care of. I also have a pretty good idea of what everyone else is getting.

2. My BIL and his girlfriend arrived last night to stay with us for a few days. They are visiting from England and Scotland. Despite working all day, I managed to get a roast chicken with stuffing, cooked cabbage and pickled beets ready so that we could enjoy a good meal around the table, and it wasn't even that late, we ate at 7 p.m. I'll admit it, the stuffing was Butterball frozen stuffing, but it was pretty good considering. I also got their bed made up with freshly laundered sheets and managed to have a couple drawers empty for them to use before they arrived.

3. This morning I forgot to wake my daughter up early. She still had part of her homework to do and was too tired last night to finish it. She was pretty upset thinking she wouldn't get it done, so, I took care of all her little morning chores so she could finish and I let my husband take her to school so that we weren't all rushing too much...and we still all got where we needed to be on time, with homework completed.

So as far as knitting projects, I have one almost finished, one that just needs blocking, and one Christmas gift on the needles. I still have 3-4 more projects to knit as well for the holidays, but all smallish things, so I'm still hopeful I will get them all done.

Small Successes

2009-11-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

OK..so if you are wondering what this little grahic is all about, on Faith and Family Live, they have started a weekly Thursday practice of posting our small successes on our blogs. The reasoning is that as moms (or anybody for that matter) we often are so busy putting out fires and dealing with issues as they come at us, that we tend to forget how much we do and to celebrate what we've done well. So, I figured I'd give it a shot and see what I can find to celebrate in the everyday living.

So this past week I've managed to:

1. Stay sane while working on multiple assignments and tests for school even though I was feeling overwhelmed with it all.
2. Made dinner at home even on the busiest nights without resorting to fast food (I will admit to buying Presidents Choice Blue Menu chicken strips so one meal would be really fast...but hey, it wasn't McD's)
3. I managed to order several gifts on line for Christmas so I'm making a small dent in my Christmas list.

So, what were your successes this past week?

If you want to find out more, go to
http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/go_mom1#When:10:00:06Z

A Homemade Christmas - Ideas?

2009-10-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

So, I'm writing today to post a link to a pretty and interesting Christmas craft idea. It's directions for how to make a candy Christmas wreath that came from Living on a Dime. Here is the link.

http://www.livingonadime.com/ebooks/candy-wreath-freebie.html

My question to you is this, what Christmas gifts, decorations and foods are you making this year? What are some of your special holiday traditions? If you have special projects you love or have found interesting gift or decor directions, feel free to post a link in the comments, just remember to give credit where due.

Some of our family traditions:

1. Christmas Eve gift: We open one gift Christmas Eve, traditionally this gift is PJs or a Christmas outfit

2. Midnight Mass

3. Christmas Morning Foods: We have started a new tradition in the family of making overnight Christmas buns. The recipe came from The Dinner Diva, Leanne Ely and I believe you can find it on www.savingdinner.com

4. New Year's Day dinner: Because so many people are so busy through the holidays, and my daughter alternates Christmas Day between being home with us or going to visit her dad, we started having a second family dinner on New Year's Day. This gives us a chance to let my daughter see all her family over the holidays on year's she's away for Christmas Day and also to have extended family and friends come for a meal and to spend some time together.

5. Homemade gifts: my daughter like to give a gift to everybody. To make that reasonable, we try to find a craft that is suitable for everyone that she can make inexpensively. One year it was fleece scarves, another was decorated mirrors. When time runs short, she gets a small budget and finds creative gifts that she can put together from the dollar store or the discount bins at Michaels. My cousine and I also have decided that we will only exchange a handmade gift, and put a price limit on the materials to keep things reasonable.

I'm sure I'm not covering everything here, but who can think of everything all at once. Please share your ideas, projects and traditions.

Just a quick update

2009-10-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry no pics to share today. Life has been marching on, busy as always. My courses are going well, although I'm falling behind in one of them already. It seems it just started, it's hard to believe it's the middle of October already. Anyway, gift knitting is getting organized, and I cast on another one today...nope no hints just yet. Hubby's Hurry Up sweater is also coming along...I'm about half way through the second sleeve, and then I will cast on the body.

Anyway, I want to be sending out happy birthday wishes to dad, who celebrated his 75th on Thursday. Hope you had a great day dad and enjoyed your dinner on Friday. I love you!

Here are some pics....at last

2009-09-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

OK, so this first pic is not really for a doll. It's a little cap I made for my friend Jaimie's little guy by request. I hope it's cute on him.

And finally here is my Girls Night Out sweater. Under that is the Cafe Capelet. It hasn't been blocked yet or the ends woven in, but you can get an idea of what it will be like. The filet pattern will look rounder and the whole thing larger after blocking.

Just a Quick Update

2009-09-21T12:44:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, no pics yet, but just the same I have some updates. I've managed to cast on and begin the sleeve of hubby's Hurry-Up Sweater. I am loving the colour, but from what I'm hearing, he's not really sure about it. It's a burnt orange, burgandy, gold heather and I think it will look really nice on him...but all he sees is "rust". LOL. I also started a baby hat for a friend who needs on for her little guy soon. I was going to use the rest of the yarn for a hat for Zach, but he's got the most adorable little hat already, he may not wear it. I'll have to think that one over.

So beside the knitting update, the weekend was tiring but nice. Saturday I cleaned the house and still managed to do a few little things before we headed to Bolton in the afternoon. We found this great place to get shower stalls and doors at a much lower price and with much better quality than you will find in the big box stores. And if we send the man 5 buying customers, he's going to send us one of those cool shower attachments with the body sprayers and such for free...so if you need a shower, I can give you the contact information! Anyway, we went up there and got the door for our tiled shower in the second bathroom. Can't wait for that room to be done. Really it's just finishing up the drywall and painting and then installing this door...although we'd like a new toilet in there too, the one we have seem to be running a bit. On the way home, we stopped to see the grandson. He's such a little charmer and his smile is sooo big! Just the most adorable little guy. Then on Sunday my daughter helped me clean the offices at work for some extra cash and we had a visit with mom and dad on the way home. And I finally managed to get started on my course work last night too. I'm taking two courses on-line this semester...so life will be busy for a while yet.

Hope you had a great weekend too!

Yay for Me!

2009-09-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

I finished the neck on my Girls Night Out sweater! My goal is to stitch it together tonight, as I have meetings both Tues and Wed for the Irish Dance school and then pilates class on Thursday night. Not to mention course work, but that will wait til my sweater is done. Priorities after all...the course just started, this sweater has been OTN for a year and I can't wait for it to be done and wearable before the cold weather comes.

I also forgot to mention on my last post that I stashed 9 skeins of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick in spice for my hubby's sweater. I will hopefully get a change to swatch for guage this week so I can cast on for it this coming weekend.

Hubby's 50th is this November. Planning a party on Friday Nov 20th. I really need to get working on that. But, if you are reading this and know us personally, mark the date!

UPDATE: 10 p.m. and I just finished stitching this together. Pic will have to wait, probably til the weekend. I put it on and it FITS, and it's WARM, hot even. The alpaca makes it very warm and the silk makes it quite heavy weight wise. I LOVE it LOVE it LOVE it.

Been Stashing!

2009-09-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

OK. I have to admit it, while I've not been posting so much, I have been stashing! LOL What's a girl to do when her home internet connection is kaput due to modem failure. See I really do have an excuse for not posting for the last month. But it's fixed now and with any luck I can find some time between the two courses I start today and work and all the regular stuff to do at home to actually do some knitting. This would be a good thing seeing as I have gifts to knit for Christmas and it is (oh my gosh where did the summer go) September.

Latest adds to the stash are (pics are on Ravelry if you are a member, look under "knittingdreams" stash page, might add a few here later if you aren't):

- Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick in Charcoal Heather, 2 skeins for slipper socks (got it on sale too, yay me!)
- Lion Brand Homespun in Quartz (I think), 2 skeins because they stuck a free shawl pattern in my face right next to the yarn that was on sale, jeesh!
- Red Heart Supersaver in Carrot, 1 skein for a baby hat/scarf requested by a good friend (amazingly inexpensive, particularly when you have a 40% off coupon! Not my favourite yarn, but it does soften considerably after washing and I know this hat will be washed, a lot)
- Araucania Ranco Multi in red, cream, charcoal, 2 skeins for a shawl (I might have mentioned this one before, if I did forgive me)
- Americo Originals Cotton Flame in what I believe to be Indian Red, 2 skeins for yet another wrap that I don't really need but fell in love with.
- Knit Picks Tidings of Joy ornament kit with 8 skeins of Palette in various colours included
- Knit Picks Chinook Shawl Kit in Riverstone (because who can't use another shawl, particularly someone like me who doesn't actually wear them!)
- Knit Picks Felici sock yarn in Gelato. DD has requested fingerless gloves out of this.

So, I have managed to finish the Cafe Capelet for somebody to remain nameless for Christmas, but I still have to get the picture off my camera. I've decided I could post the pic...as long as I don't tell who it's for. I made it out of Needful Yarns Cotton Joy in colour 706. I think it came out very pretty, but you can tell me when the pic gets here.

I also have just about finished my Girls Night Out sweater. I only have the neck and piecing left to do. Shouldn't take long if I can actually find a few minutes to sit down and pick up the neck stitches. After I picked it back up in August (after all the baby stuff) it didn't take me long to finish the sleeves, I'd do a few rows whenever I could find a few minutes here and there and the sleeves were finished up in about a week (2 at a time and I had about 1/2 the length to go at the time...for me, that's fast LOL)

OTN still are the Herringbone socks (or at least the first of the pair, I wonder if I will ever get these done given they are my "waiting around for appointments" project). I've finally decided on the sweater I really want to do for my wonderful hubby, and it's not the one I had started, but I have all the numbers figured out assuming I can get the suggested gauge. I picked the Hurry Up Last Minute Sweater from Elizabeth Zimmerman's The Knitters Almanac.

Daughter went back to school and is happy, happy, happy! I have a nice pic to post of her on day one too, but again, still on the camera. I'll try to add them this weekend. We also made her a custom pencil case this year. I will see if I can wrestle it away from her long enough to photograph it and post the picture...mind you she already has it overstuffed with more than we planned to put in it. It's cute though and all her friends want one now. Too bad girls, this is a one off, but feel free to do your own freestyle version.

Such a competitive streak!

2009-08-10T10:55:00.001-07:00

So, my relatively non-competitive DD has definitely got a competitive streak in her. The past two feis' that she competed in, her friend got a couple more medals than DD did and while she's happy for her friend, she's definitely showing some spunk about doing better next time. On the plus side, the second week she really pulled up her socks and focused, and while the other girl managed to place before her in two dances, but they were only 2-3 points apart and my DD did place slightly better in a couple others, just not medalling in those dances. She also scored better overall than the previous week. She did have a 2nd and 3rd place in two of her dances, and pretty much got 5th and 6th place in the dances she did not medal in, plus 11th in her Traditional Set which was a mixed group of both novice and open level dancers, so that was great for her.

Other DD news (can you tell how proud I am of her!)...at riding camp the last week of July, she learned to jump! I was a little scared, but she's doing really well with it so far. Of course, being a novice rider, the jumps were only about a foot high, and they had her on a pony, but she loves it! She was so excited!

On The Needles - I have a Cafe Capelet, which I won't show a picture of because it's going to be a gift and I'm still trying to finish up my Girls Night Out Sweater, Herringbone socks and I will need to get back to dear husband's sweater as soon as the weather is cooler in the fall. Lots of other planned projects, including a felted bag, DDs sweater (or two), my Silken Scabbord sweater and...well there are just too many to list. So check back again soon!

What's New?

2009-07-23T18:53:00.001-07:00

Not a lot is new here, life is just generally busy. My DD is away this week though and I thought I would take the extra time available to post a new pic of the latest completed project.

This was a little sweater done for another co-worker's baby, and another boy! The little guy receiving this is named Reed and arrived just a couple weeks ago.

I splurged a little too and bought some yarn this past weekend. Here it is. The sock yarn is for me (isn't that a pretty colour!) The other stuff I have an excuse for, it will eventually become a Christmas gift. But no hints allowed! SHHHHH!

Now all I have to do is find the time to make everything. My own sweater has been in a bit of a holding pattern, but maybe I'll get a little done on it tomorrow...who knows.

Here I am...really I am.

2009-06-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Life sure can get busy and before you know it months have gone by...but I'm back...really. Here is a baby blanket I made for my good friend at work. She was due to have her little boy June 22nd, but he came early, on my hubby's and my wedding anniversary (which so happens to be my parents anniversary as well), June 14th.

And just to update you. Here is DD in her irish dance dress, back view. I didn't have a good back shot to post before. This was taken at a show they did on St. Patrick's day at an retirement residence.

Now, Nova, has been making herself quite at home. Please excuse the jackets that happened to have been tossed on the chair, but here is Nova pestering Sammy. You can see what Sammy thinks about that.

And here is Nova playing with Mally. I'm not sure if Mally sees Nova as a toy, or the other way around, but it's cute to watch them play together either way.

And here is a close up of Nova now that she's a bit older. She's approximately 5 months old in this shot and you can see her face maturing somewhat over the brand new puppy pic I posted when she first arrived at our home. I'm glad to say that she's improving on the house breaking, but still hasn't figured out how to tell us when she wants to go out.

Other news: DD has been in several irish dance competitions this season and is doing quite well. She will now dance at the Novice level in everything except her set dance, St. Patrick's Day. That one she did for the first time last weekend and placed 4th. She might have placed and gone up a level right away, but she made a small mistake in her step...which she was rather upset by, but I have no doubt that she will likely place in her next feis and will be in Novice for all her dances then.

On the Needles: I just have to finish off my "Girls Night Out" sweater. I am almost finished, but have to do about 1/3 of the sleeves still. I also have another baby sweater on the go for another expectant co-worker. I've also got a summer shell started for myself, and I'm still working away on my Herringbone socks and, eventually, will have to get back to Dan's sweater too. So many projects that I want to do and so little time!

And just because I need to share....lol...my little grandson spent last weekend with us. He's such a good baby...easy peasy...no fussing and slept well for us. Here is a pic of him too, modeling his sweater and sitting on his quilt.

Well, check back again soon. I hope to have more to post in the next couple of weeks.

Bad Blogger, Bad

2009-06-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

OK, so I haven't posted anything since April. What's a girl to do. I do have pics on the camera ready to come off and be posted, but time is running away from me.

DD had a dance recital this past weekend, two days of running but they did so well. 3 hour show each day, no wonder the munchkin is tired this week. Between that and soccer practice, soccer games, dance classes and feis' the next two weekends and the grandbaby coming for a weekend too, who knows when those pics will get posted. But REALLY, it IS on my to-do list, really it is.

How Time Flies

2009-04-21T09:29:00.001-07:00

Well, time is just getting away from me. Seems it can't be helped.

My lovely cousin, who is as much like a sister to me as my sisters are, is coming to help me do some gardening this coming weekend. Lets hope for nice weather. I will return the favour for her sometime soon I hope. This is very much appreciated from her and much needed. Our yard is a disaster right now. We had to take down a lovely old maple tree that was rotting. In honesty, it was some sort of weed maple, not a pretty red, sugar or hard maple, but it was still lovely and provided much needed shade in our West facing back yard...but alas, now she is gone and the yard looks barren and is full of wood chips and sawdust. Plus there is rather a mess of the former play area which included the tree and is currently home to a half disassembled swing set. Part of the mess is due to the stump removal man having to yank out the plastic edging we had to contain the mulch in the play area. We will need to, in the near future, look at removing that pine bark and look at sod or seeding. I'm leaning toward sod because its getting warmer and with the dogs, I'm not sure seeding will work, but the cost is a deterent. Our yard is also looking somewhat like the moon's landscape give that there are numerous small holes dug by our silly dog Mally throughout. Don't know how to make her quit digging given she's about 7 years old now, but I'm hoping we can....all suggestions welcome.

On my needles is a baby blanket for a shower that is YIKES, this Sunday! Along with the sleeves of my Girls Night Out sweater and a few rows of a summer shell for me and the sweater for Dan. Oh, and there is, of course, a pair of socks on the needles as well.

I've been taking the time to do a bit of reading recently. It's been nice to read something for pleasure and not for school. I've recently read The Friday Night Knitting Club and it's sequel, Knit Two (I loved these), as well as listening to two audio books by Debbie Macomber, The Shop on Blossom Street and A Good Yarn. I've also read the third book in Macomber's Blossom Street series, called Back on Blossom Street, and a spin off book called Susannah's Garden. Of the Macomber books, I actually liked Susannah's Garden the best, but the Blossom Street series is nice light reading.

My little grandson has started finally had his first real food....here is a pic of him enjoying that experience for the very first time....now talk about enjoying your dinner!

Just a quick update

2009-03-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

No pics today, sorry. I haven't had the time. But I figured if I don't put into writing my plans, somehow they will slip away. March Break was a whirlwind of irish dance shows supporting the school, and just as we were back in the swing of things, there was a double show last night at a celtic celebration fundraiser for a local strawberry festival. The girls were a bit high strung by this last one!

Knittingwise, I'm about half way done the front of my Girls Night Out sweater and have also cast on for a summer sweater for me. I figure if I don't cast it on, there will be no way I will actually get to wear the thing before January 2010! Dan's sweater is cast on, but in a holding pattern for a bit given there is no way he will wear a chunky weight sweater before next fall. I also have cast on some socks in a handpainted sock yarn. It's a herringbone pattern and while I quite like it, the second row of the pattern is a bit time consuming with a lot of slipping stitches back and forth from needle to needle. In the queue for the future is a shawl/wrap out of Bernat Naturals - Soy, something out of some recycled laceweight yarn I bought, and a pullover for the kiddo from some yarn I picked up at the LYS a while ago...oh, and I have that lovely Elegance yarn from Knitpicks (alpaca/silk) to make the Scabbard sweater from Stitch Diva....now where did I put that pattern?

Of course amongst all this I still have a couple sewing projects that I NEED to start this weekend. The dress bag for the ID dress and a mini dress/bag for Taryn, the kids doll. A lovely gentleman at work lent me his wife's sewing machine to do any zig zagging I need so I don't have to keep running up to my parents house to use my mom's machine...alas the ancient Stradivaro machine I have does not do zig zag....so I have to get these projects done and the machine returned soon. The doll dress, of course, it will be a very simplified version of the bigger dress, not so much detail. I also have a couple repairs to do to the ID dress (yes, already). Apparently sitting on the shawl while it's attached, has managed to pull the snap base off the dress, and we now have a rhinestone number holder to add to the front of the dress, and a really long separating zipper so I can take out the bodice lining and re-do it as a removeable liner. Is it possible for children to be at all careful with things?

It's a beautiful spring weekend here and I've promised to take my daughter, her friend and the two dogs out for a long walk this afternoon. We also have plans to bake Maple Apple muffins sometime this weekend, in between all the other stuff...you know...groceries, cleaning, laundry...mind you, I think those things could wait a bit...the sun is out afterall! Yay Spring!

New Family Member - Nova

2009-03-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

OK, so Nova joined the family two weeks ago on March 4th. Things have just been very busy with puppy house breaking (which is not going as well as hoped), and March Break, and all the St. Patrick's shows that the kiddo has had with her dance school. It's been a busy round of senior's homes and long term care facilities, churches and clubs...but so much fun.

Anyway, here she is...little Nova...a Shinese (Pekingnese/Shia Tzu cross). Mally has taken well to the little gaffer and they play together a lot. She was born Jan 3, 2009.

ITS DONE! Yay!

2009-03-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's finally done...the solo dress. An Irish Dance costume is a challenge, but it was kind of fun and nothing gets people to ooo and ahh over your abilities quicker than sewing this kind of a dress! Thanks mom for the help with the bodice...I might have given up had you not helped with getting me started.

DD looked, and I hope felt, like a princess at her first novice level feis in her first solo dress, made by Mama. The second pic is of the back...not so easy to see as I forgot to snap a picture and captured this image from video. The shawl has a matching, slightly smaller maple leaf that was created like a badge to hold it at the shoulder. A snap on it and one at the waist keeps it in place.

She placed 2nd in one of her novice dances and 4th in two others, 4th in her beginner Hornpipe and 4th in her two-hand (danced with her friend in the top pic). Only one dance, the one she didn't want to do at all, left her out of the placements, rating 5th. I was really happy for her given it's her first competition at this level. Her friend placed 2nd in the Hornpipe and will move up to Novice...DD will have to try that one again...it was nice to see the two cheer each other on.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

2009-02-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

So, Valentines Day here was nice. We gave DH a workout shirt with all our sentiments written on it as a little motivator because he and I have been getting back into training and watching what we eat. He's making great progress, better than me.

DD was given a heart shaped notepad, some stickers and these Valentines washcloths.

Both pattenrs came from www.knittingonthenet.com and were free. They have so many there it's almost silly and can cause many lost hours looking at pattern options.

Work is progressing on the Irish Dance dress and a carry bag will also be in the works soon. OTN is still my Girls Night Out sweater and Dan's sweater...and a pair of socks I started for no good reason at all except perhaps a penchant for overwhelming myself. LOL

My First Quilt!

2009-02-03T18:21:00.001-08:00

So here it is. Zach's Quilt and bumper pads.

Now, I say it's my first quilt but I have to admit, its machine pieced and machine quilted. I just do not have the time for hand quilting. The appliques are cut from a curtain that is being used in the baby's room and were machine appliqued using a tight zig zag stitch. As you can see, the bumper pads are made from the same fabric. The design went through several modifications as my original plan didn't seem to fit well with the graphic nature of the curtain fabric.

Here, is proof that I've restarted Dan's sweater after frogging 14" that I had done of the back. I think I will like this pattern better, as well as knitting in the round for good mindless TV knitting, at least until I get up to the underarm and have to split it. It's Patons Ragg Wool in a blue and grey combination. I think it will look nice with his blue eyes.

And here is my Girls Night Out Sweater with the back completed. I've started the ribbing on the front. I just wish I could get a good photo of the cranberry red, as this looks very washed out. I think I will have to try to take it outdoors to get a good photo.

And finally, my Mason-Dixon Ball Band Dishcloth. I did this just for fun, and I have to say...it's BRIGHT! But all the more fun for washing dishes with. Might as well add some colour and fun to a tedious task.

So that's it...all my updates for now. This weekend will hopefully see some progress on that dance costume.

And Another Quick Update

2009-01-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

I got the applique done on my baby quilt top. Hopefully it will be done by the weekend. Of course I've been rather amiss in not posting pics of the adorable grandbaby whose the recipient of said quilt and bumper pad set...so here he is....world, this is Zachary.....

Born Dec 12 2008....isn't he just a doll (sorry Dad!)

And because Granda also has bragging rights, here is the scrapbook page mommy made of Zach especially for him.

As you can see, Granda is a Glasgow Celtic fan.

I have pictures!

2009-01-27T10:55:00.001-08:00

OK, so here is my lovely modeling her hat and mitts. Both were made back in December, the mitts being a last minute project when she announced to me that she had no "pairs" of any of her mitts or gloves left. So Mama bravely smiled, pulled out the needles, and muttering 'bout kids losing stuff cast on a pair of felted mittens using a free pattern from the web. That hat might actually have been November, which I'm sure I've mentioned in a previous post...but right now, the actual date is irrelevant.

Close ups of the mitts and hat follow:

The hat was made with a Glow in the Dark yarn from Bernat, which splits but is nice and soft. The mitts are in Patons Classic Wool and then lightly felted for extra warmth.

And here is a baby sweater:

This is made out of TLC Amore Baby. You probably can't see them, but the buttons are lime green with a little white stick figure chicky on them. The mom-to-be, upon seeing a quilt top I'm working on loved the colours, so I'm hoping she likes the sweater. The size is newborn plus (gauge was just slightly larger than the pattern) and was knit using the Mason-Dixon Knitting pattern for the Baby Kimono.

So that's it for the moment....I'm still working away on my Girls Night Out sweater, I've bought the yarn for another, and I've frogged Dan's sweater. I've got a few things in mind for his before I cast it back on. Of course, I also have the other baby sweater and baby blanket to do in the near future too.

Tonight I will work on the baby quilt. It's near completion and I hope to have it done by the weekend.

What's Up

2009-01-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

So, the Girls Night Out sweater is coming along, I'm into the arm shaping on the back. I've also bought the yarn for another sweater in a lovely ash grey Alpaca/Silk blend. That will be my next "me" project when I get this one done and some of my other projects. I've also bought Runway Knits, which is a really interesting book and there are several sweaters in there that I would like to make. One of them is a nice outerwear jacket/cardigan.

In the meantime, I've done some other work. I finished my daughter's Glow In the Dark hat, but haven't taken a picture yet (that will come), I've started a baby sweater, and bought the materials for another baby sweater and a baby blanket.

I also did some doll sweaters and Christmas gifts over the last month, as well as getting my grandson's crib bumper pads ready. I still have to work on his quilt. The sweaters below all are modifications of patterns from Matching Knits for Girls and Dolls and the skirt and pants were also made by me, with some help from my daughter. The colours look a bit washed out in these photos and I'm thinking maybe my flash is too bright in the winter light to get good colour showing in the photos. The green is a bright lime and the blue is a bright turquoise in Red Heart Designer Sport acrylic. The skirt is brown pinstripe and the pants a black pinstripe.

Here is one of the memory boards I made. I think I did 5 all told, with different fabrics, ribbons and buttons. They were easy enough to do and well received, and my daughter wants one too now. They are meant to hang either way and use artists canvas as the base. I did some with florals and they came out really pretty.

With any luck I'll be back soon to post some more projects!

Tangle Knits: Braided Cable Hat

2008-12-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

Tangle Knits: Braided Cable Hat

I thought I'd post this link as its a really cool hat and I wanted to share!

Oops, I did it Again!

2008-12-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

What did I do this morning when I had some time between appointments, went to the LYS. And what should I find there but a lovely yarn with a pattern that goes up to size 10 for kids. Soooo...I had to buy it. Now I have another project to do...like I have the time for that! LOL At least it's a chunky yarn and being self striping, in a manner of speaking, shouldn't take long to do.

I also thought I'd post a pic of my DD actually wearing the bodice of her ID dress. Now onto the skirt, right after the holidays. It's hard to see but the black is glitterdot and so is the pink, so they sparkle. The green is satin and the yellow, which is actually more of a pale lemon (again, camera is not giving me true colours) has a very slight sheen, but is basically a flat/matte fabric. I will be adding crystals, with any luck, throughout the body to give it some extra sparkle for competitions.

Overdue Updates

2008-12-06T18:16:00.000-08:00

Nope, it's not because I haven't had anything to post, just been too busy to! So here is a quick update on some of my recent projects.

First....the bodice, just cut out in the picture so I could get an idea of how the colours worked together, of the first Irish Dance dress I'm attempting to make. Not sure if I'm completely happy with it, but its my first try and there is a lot to learn. I have actually finished sewing the bodice now, and it's not bad, but I don't have an embroidery machine and so I'm not sure if I like the way my satin stitch has come out, but it will have to do on this one. I'll have to get a photo of my daughter actually in the bodice. The skirt I won't be working on until after Christmas because it's an extremely time consuming project. I will be doing the same applique around the bottom of the skirt and something elongated but same idea up the centre of the skirt. The skirt will also have black glitterdot around the bottom as well.

Related to the Irish Dancing theme, I made this little 18" doll sweater to trade with another Irish Dance mom who makes, of all things, 18" doll Irish Dance dresses (and the real ones too!). I give her credit, because I'm getting frustrated making a full size one, I can't imagine the fiddling there must be with making the whole dress in minature! She does beautiful work too. Anyway, we are trading, not for a doll dress, but for the little itty bitty ghillies (Irish Dance soft shoes) and 2 pair of poodle socks. How cool and what a hoot...plus I'll need them because despite not being able to imagine it, I've told my DD I'd try to make a semi-matching dress for her doll after I finish hers....WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!?????!!!!! Anyway, here my DD doll was kind enough to model for us and try on the sweater for size before I send it off. The colour is Grape in Red Heart Designer Sport (actually a bit darker than shown). The pattern was based on one from Matching Knits for Girls and Dolls, but I added my own cable border design feature.

Next, I finally put the buttons on that Trellis baby sweater. Good thing seeing as the little guy is coming into the world, ready or not, either Tuesday or Wednesday. DStepD has been extremely ill with hyperemesis, and has had mild preclampsia (thankfully resolved at this time), and currently is also dealing with both gestational diabetes and hypertension...so despite the Christmas due date, he's coming next week. There is also a back view. My camera was obviously having colour issues today as this is lighter than the actual colour. My previous posts were closer in colour. It's actually Lime in CottonEase from Lion Brand.

This was just a fun little project. I made magic slippers, from SockPixie's free pattern. In this case though I made them for my daughters 18" doll and added a crochet chain tie to help keep them on the doll (after all they are newborn slippers and just a touch loose on the doll) . I think they came out quite nicely.

I also made this baby blanket from Lion Brand Homespun. It's the Lion Brand pattern for the dishcloth pattern baby blanket. The colour is Tudor and I just love the stripe effect that it gave. This was going to go to a woman at work whose expecting, but seeing as the grandson will be arriving sooner, I decided half way through that he ought to get it and I'll make another one for the co-worker who isn't due til Feb. My DD has decided she absolutely must have one too, and in the same colour...oh dear! The photo is the blanket laid out so you can see the stripes.

And finally, one of the probject on the needles currently.....

The Girls Night Out sweater...the colour in this photo is awful for some reason, it's actually a cranberry colour and the stitches don't show up well at all...oh well, it's merely proof that there is something started for me...but will hibernate til after the holidays. I also have a hat to make for DD that she needs pretty soon and a crib set (bumper pads and quilt) for the grandbaby. I do have a sweater started for DH as well, but I'm not liking the way it's starting out, so I'm thinking of frogging it and starting again with a top down raglan on circulars.

See, I told you I've been busy...and of course on top of that...I'm at least 2/3 done with my Christmas shopping! I even have the outdoor decorations done and the tree is up with the light on, tomorrow will be ornaments and our special tree decorating night dinner of seafood. So I'm off to work on that hat right now!

Socks are Done!

2008-10-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

My first sock yarn socks are done. I've only ever done a pair with Shetland Ragg before which is a chunky yarn. These took me forever it seemed. The Patterns was Roza's Socks from Grumperina and published in Interweave Knits. The pattern was great, but now I did make a few rookie mistakes. First of all, I decided to just follow the pattern once I checked my gauge because it said it was for a woman's 7-8. Well I'm an 8 and I find the socks just a tad snug. The pattern stitch is overly stretched on my instep and the heel doesn't sit just where it should and seems a bit narrow for my feet. Next pair I do, I will measure and adjust the pattern accordingly because I will have a better idea what I'm doing with sock construction and will be able to do that. I think with this pattern, I would have added about 1/2 inch in length when doing the heel and keep about 2 extra stitches per side to widen it a bit...then I would leave those extra stitches in the sole someplace so my instep pattern wouldn't have to stretch so much either. Anyway, after much effort, here are my "Roza's socks".

Baby Blankets and an update

2008-10-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've started making baby blankets using the Lion Brand diagonal baby blanket in Lion Brand Homespun. The pattern called for 3 skeins, I will start by doing one skein increasing and see how I like the size....I prefer baby blankets that are a little smaller than some standard ones as I find they are easier to use in strollers and car seats.

I hope to make two, one for each of two lovely young ladies at work who are expecting in January and Febuary respectively.

Don't know if I will get them done on time as I also have a couple projects on the needles (my socks are nearly done and my Girls Night Out sweater is just a glimmer of hope with about 3" done), and I want to do another blanket for my step daughter, as well as having committed to a baby quilt and bumper pads...and for my daughter I am starting sewing an Irish Dance dress...whew, I'm making myself tired!

My lovely daughter has gotten excited about knitting recently. She's doing a great job too having learned to do a YO increase as well as a knit front and back increase. She still occassionally makes new stitches by forgetting to drop the old stitch off the needle, but she's getting much better at that too. She understands the mechanics of the K2Tog decrease but seems to find it a bit tough to manipulate yet. I'm so proud of her!

An Original Knitting Rhyme

2008-09-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

OK...it's a little saying as opposed to a rhyme per se, but my lovely daughter, when practicing knitting came up with her own version of the classic rhymes children use to learn.

Her version is...
Into the front door (placing right needle through front of left stitch)
Around the kitchen (wrapping the yarn)
Out the back door (coming through the stitch)
And to the garage for the party (taking the stitch off)

Isn't that cute? It just goes to show, there's always more than one way to get the same result.

For reference, here are the original rhymes that we found online

In through the front door
Around the back
Out through the window
And off jumps jack
(used by the Waldorf Schools)

Under the fence
Catch the sheep
Back we go
Off we leap
(this one I found on Knitter's Review Forum, author unknown...however it was suggested that this might be generic enough for the purl stitch, and upon re-reading it I think given the under the fence and back we go lines it might actually be best to reserve this one for learning the purl stitch and using the others for learning the knit stitch...just a thought!)

I have been doing lots of knitting, just not finishing anything LOL...so stay tuned!

Updates

2008-07-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Well over the weekend past, I managed to sew together the Trellis sweater I was making so here is a picture. It still needs buttons, but I've got several ideas in my head right now and haven't chosen one yet. I enjoyed this project a lot. I used Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Lime and it was nicer than 100% cotton in terms of spring/stretch. The pattern had no errors, it came from http://www.knitty.com/. And it was just a fun little project.

And now, my bragging right.....here is my darling dressed for her first day of summer day camp at a local riding stable. Ain't she cute!

Well that's it for now....I hope to have lots more to share in the near future.

OTN - Dan's sweater, and a pair of socks...plus I have plans for a baby afgan and something for myself.

And the winner is.....

2008-07-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

Had to brag a little. This darling placed first in her Reel at her last Feis, and her group placed first in their four-hand. We were told no wigs for the beginners and advanced beginners but have since learned that she may wear her's for the next one at the end of July. I just have to say I'm so proud of her, getting up and dancing competively as she does. Such an active kid, between dance and soccer, cross country running, and choir...to name just a few. Well Done Kiddo!

Here's What I've been working on!

2008-05-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

I started this baby sweater on April 28/08. The pattern is Trellis from Knitty.com and the yarn is Cotton Ease by Lion Brand in Lime. So far I'm happy with the way it's coming out. This will be a gift for my BIL Michael, Amy, and their soon to be addition to the family.

I forgot!

2008-05-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

I had posted this on Ravelry but didn't realize I didn't have it here yet. This is the cape I made my Mother in Law for Christmas and her birthday (which is in January). It's made with Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick from the free pattern entitled Charming! from the Vogue Knitting 25th Anniversary cover patterns. It's available on both the Lion Brand and Vogue Knitting websites if you are interested. It knit up fairly quickly in a basketweave pattern. The collar was a little confusing at first as you knit it and then fold and stitch it on...but the open edge is the top edge, not the part you stitch to the body. I actually emailed Lion Brand to make sure that was right before I did it. Mind you, you could always stitch it closed if you prefer.

Baby Project #1

2008-05-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

Seems we are in the midst of a mini baby boom with our family and friends. This lovely little blankie was done for our friends, Destiny and Dennis for their new addition, Hunter. I hope he finds it cuddly and warm. I used a stitch pattern from a baby blanket I received for my daughter which is absolutely reversable and simple...didn't figure using Homespun there was much point in having a detailed pattern that wouldn't be seen. The stitch is 3 rows of 2x2 rib, 2 rows knit (garter stitch) repeated throughout with a 2" garter stitch border around. I made it for use in a stroller or car seat, so it measures 26 x 29" which is actually wider than my guage swatch suggested for some reason (I planned on it being about 22-24 inches wide).

I've washed and dried this project before gifting given it's for a baby. Word of warning for anybody using this yarn or with something made from it...the yarn does bloom quite a bit. Not so it doesn't look nice, but if you prefer a smoother finish on your piece, I would recommend drying it flat instead of tumbling it in the dryer.

And now because I'm so proud of her, here is an extra pic of my little one and her friend at her first Irish Dance Feis where she competed in three solo dances and one 4-hand. She was extremely nervous beforehand so I was particularly proud of her for getting up there and doing it. She's thrilled because she placed in all of the dances. 1st in the 4-hand and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in her solos. Being her first year, she's at the Beginner level, whereas many of her friends are Advanced Beginners. She learned through them that there is greater competition the higher you go and less likelihood of placing.

On the needles now...well there is still that pair of socks...and somewhere I have two sweaters in a UFO bag. However, the one I'm working on is a baby sweater. Trellis from http://www.knitty.com/ in Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Lime. Stay tuned for more updates.

Woo Hoo - Got a Pic of one of the Gifts I Made

2008-03-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my lovely cousin sporting the hat I made her for Christmas. It's made in Paton's Divine. Fun project and I used a "hat recipe" as opposed to a regular pattern, so I had to figure out how many stitches to use and do a little math, which was fun and made me realize I can probably make more modifications to patterns than I generally have been comfortable doing. (Ignore the date stamp...really is was taken in 2008!)

Watch for the pictures of the Mobius Cowl and the Cape I made coming soon!

Current projects....a baby blanket, a pair of socks (still, these will be a long time coming), and a scarf for my daughter. In the plans for the future....a baby sweater and a sweater for my hubby.

Not a Knitting Post

2008-03-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't knitting, but I just had to post these pics of my DD very clean and tidy room. I'm so proud of her.

Something Old and Something New

2008-03-07T17:10:00.001-08:00

I'm glad patience is a virtue given how long it's been since I've been on here to update. At long last I'm posting some of my older projects, plus a newer one. Seems I didn't take a picture of two of the Christmas gifts I've made, so I have to try and get photos of those from the recipients and will hopefully be able to get them posted in the future...note how I did not mention how soon in the future...LOL

So first up is the sweater I did for my daughter, being modelled by hers truly along with her Maplelea Doll, Tayrn, who has a matching sweater as you can see. For those of you not familiar with them, Maplelea Dolls are pretty much the equivalent of the American Girl Dolls, only there are fewer of them and their stories are modern, based on geographic location in Canada, not era in history (The Maritimes, Cabbagetown Toronto, Manitoba, and British Columbia so far with more to come). The yarn was TLC Amore, which has just a bit of fuzz, ALMOST like a chenille but not smooth. Tangled easily, which was the only draw back, but a nice feel. I told you she had good taste.

Next we move to some older projects.

Here is another sweater done for my daughter when she was around 3. It's made with Red Heart Supersaver. Not my favourite yarn for clothing, although I like it for afgans and such, but hard wearing which is perfect for a young, and at the time, very messy kid. I also found that it really softened up with wear and washing and I LOVE the colour.

And finally, these are two sweaters I made for myself year's ago.

This first here is an oversized pullover made with a Colinette yarn. Sorry I don't remember which yarn or the colourway name. It's 100% wool, extremely soft, very loosely spun, and pills easily, but oh so cozy! It's really really chunky so it knit up fast. Not sure how the colours will show, but it's mainly brown with rust, burgandy, rose, purple. teal, green and gold. Hand spun and hand dyed. I love it, but it's so big and so warm I'm afraid I don't wear it often anymore.

This is another Paton's pattern and yarn. It's the Ragg Wool, which is an acrylic wool blend and this colour is the white/light blue version. I just realized as I speak that I have socks upstairs that I made to match...I must photograph those later as they were my very first socks, and so far only completed sock project. I love this sweater too, but again, too warm and big for me to wear much anymore. I made both of these when I lived in the Haliburton Highlands of Ontario, where warm sweaters were very much daily wear. Now that I'm in the banana belt (Southern Ontario), I don't wear them all that often.

Well, I'm off to work on one of my current projects! I do promise to take a picture and post it before it goes to it's recipient, being another gift....but I won't promise when!

Project Updates

2007-10-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I know again it has been a while. I've actually just finished a Christmas gift (which for obvious reasons I am not going to post a picture of yet) and am nearly done with my daughter's sweater. I finished my tank a while ago, complete with picture but, due to school and work, and life in general, I hadn't posted it yet. Here is the picture (excuse the funny expression, I was giving directions to my daughter on how to use the camera LOL). I found that despite choosing a size I thought had plenty of negative ease, that the tank is a bit bigger than I would like, and I found that the yarn, Berroco Love It, does wrinkle a bit, but it's comfortable and the pattern was great, easy to follow with no mistakes.

Now, for other updates. I realized as I was pulling out fall season clothes that I do have a few other previous sweaters I knit on hand, one of mine and one I did for my little girl a few years ago...so watch for photos coming soon.

AND, now the big news. First, my beautiful dear daughter is going to dance in her very first Irish Dance competition this November. She'll be competing in a four hand, which will be nice as she won't be alone the first oreichtas that she participates in. I will be volunteering for the day, along with most of the parents who have participating dancers. It should be fun and I'm looking forward to learning more about the world of Irish Dance and watching her do her thing.

Second, my lovely step-daughter is marrying the man of her dreams the same weekend....and they have informed us that come spring we should be expecting to hear the cries of a babe in arms. I've already started buying yarn!

What a busy summer!

2007-09-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, how time flies. Last post was July! At least it was at the end of July. I've finished the knitting on my tank and am quite pleased. It's blocked and ready to be finished...pics to come soon!

I've also started a sweater for my daughter out of the TLC Amore. I like the yarn's softness and she loves the way it's knitting up, but I'm having a lot trouble with it tangling. It's a centre pull skein, but it seems both ends are in the centre. I don't know if I pulled the wrong end, although how you are supposed to know which one is beyond me, or if it's just the nature of the yarn...almost like a chenille. If anybody had thoughts, feel free to pass them on!

I admit it, it's been too long since I posted

2007-07-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

Just back from vacation and I've finished the back of my tank top out of Berroco Love It. That's the top pic...very boring photo really given it's not much more than a rectangle...the front will make the item...obviously. The colour is a really soft butter yellow which doesn't show well in the photo due to the indoor lighting. It hasn't been blocked or anything yet either, so bear with me on this UFO.

I've also posted a few yarns that have been added to my stash. The Paton's kroy sock yarn is for a pair of socks for me, I love red, and the TLC Amore is for a sweater for my 8 year old. She can't keep anything clean through a full day, so Acrylic is perfect for her. This one is very soft and has an interesting and stretchy texture. A matching doll sweater is planned for the left overs. I let her pick the colour and I must say she has good taste. It's hard to see but the varigations are in a warm sea blue and shades of green. I also got some sock yarn in charcoal for a pair for my DH if I manage o.k. with my own first.

I don't know when I'll get to all these projects, and the stash I already had hasn't been used up yet, but I will get to them, I will, I will, I will.....LOL

And here it is!

2007-07-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

I got the buttons on this morning and here is the completed baby sweater. It's a size 12 month knit in Red Heart Soft Touch. Originally I wanted to knit this in an organic cotton, but between limited stock in the store at the time and the fact that the mom to receive this is going through cancer treatment and doesn't need any extra work, I decided on a this very soft acrylic. It worked up nicely in one piece...this is my first top down sweater...from a pattern I picked up on the internet. I did have to tweak a little due to the stitch counts being off a little, so I'm particularly proud of the way it turned out. The buttons are alternating gingerbread boys and girls. I do hope parents and baby Mason enjoy this.

OK, so it's taken me a while....

2007-07-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

This is the afgan I mentioned earlier. It was done other than the fringe, which I added last night as I am hoping to see my cousin today and give her the gift. It's a lap size throw made in Lion Brand Homespun. The colour is Tudor which is a nice combination of pale gold, celery green, rose, purple and blue. The throw itself if a cable pattern separated by seed stitch, worked with two strands, and was knit in three panels. I connected them with crochet from the back. It's also a Lion Brand pattern published free on their website.

Stay tuned, the baby sweater is finished and blocked and is just awaiting the buttons to be sewn on tonight before it can be gifted.

Happy Canada Day!

CURRENT PROJECTS

2007-06-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

Just an update on projects. No pics today to post, but I'm working on a baby sweater for a neighbour. I've also recently finished knitting an afgan for my cousin. I don't have the pictures yet, but keep watching as they should both be up within the week.

So my next project is a tank top for myself. I wonder if I will finish it while it's still warm enough to wear it. I don't figure I'll be done with that until at least the end of July, but I will likely take it on vacation with me in July to work on it.

Some More Pictures

2007-06-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

My parents were kind enough to take some photos of the sweaters I had knit for them. The one on the bottom I made for my dad. It's a Patons pattern and yarn, a chunky weight tweed in brown and grey. The other is a sweater I knit for my mom. It's knit in Patons Diana from another of their published patterns. The yarn is just a bit fuzzy and a chunky weight as well. Both these yarns were purchased before Patons was sold and are quite a good quality.

Only One I Can Find...darn

2007-06-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well unfortunately, I went through all my pics that I could find last night and this is the only one I could find with one of the sweaters I knit. That's too bad, because I know I had some very good shots taken of specific sweaters I had done for family members, two women's and four men's, plus a much better pic of this sweater and some children's/baby items that I made that were just adorable.

Oh well, this one was done in a spectacular merino wool from a pattern/kit purchased from The Knitwear Architechs out of Vancouver, BC. I'm not sure if they are still in business, but they had some beautiful patterns and good quality yarns (only cotton and wools) in a vast array of colours. This picture doesn't do the pattern justice, but it was cabled with lace panels between and tunic length. The hemline and cuffs were a bobble in a triangle pattern. Alas, this sweater is long gone is it was accidentally washed and dried by well-meaning family member.

One of my previous works

2007-06-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to search for all my photos yet, but this was my last tiny little project. The cardigan is for an 18" doll. The yarn was interesting with multi coloured curly cues on a plain acrylic, it's by TLC and is called Wiggles. The pattern was one I downloaded for free from the internet. My daughter was happy with the colours and the outcome, although I followed the pattern directions and found the sleeves were a tiny bit long.

Current projects and other previous photos will be posted soon!

GETTING STARTED

2007-06-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I'd try this blog thing out. I don't spend a lot of time on line, but I do want a place to show some of my work to friends and family, so we'll see if I'm able to keep up with doing this. I hope to post some photos of past work in the near future and photos of new stuff as it's done. Maybe it will inspire me to finish a few UFOs.

Now I know the name of my blog is probably indicitive of being solely about knitting, but it really isn't going to be that way. I will post vacation photos, sewing, whatever strikes my fancy. I just happen to have been inspired by my knitting again recently and thus the name. Wish me luck!