I know I am already neglecting my new blog, but I have some very sad news to report. I have been busy with a sick horse. Despite my best efforts, my beloved 3 year old colt had to be euthanized in the early morning hours of March 26th. He was out of my old show mare Sweetie. I had waited for this boy for 10 years. I had very high hopes for him as a show horse and am absolutely devistated I lost him. Especially after losing his mother and younger half brother in 2006. As I tend to knit more when I'm stressed, I'm sure I will return to my projects in full force shortly.
On a lighter note, I have decided to start the pillow pattern I have had my eye on for a while. It will be a 16x16 pillow in a chevron pattern. I am using Caron Simply Soft in off white. I am very excited! I will see if I can scan the photos and pattern and will publish them soon.
I also had a chance to add a few more rows to my "Elsie" blanket. I was distracted with a sick horse and really messed up a row, I had to rip it out and redo it twice. Normally at that point I give up, but I did manage to fix it and continue on. The process is slow, but its really coming along nicely. I am proud of myself for sticking with this one after my mess ups. I'm turning in to a real knitter I think!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
My Latest Project
I took some pictures of my current project today and although there isn't much new on the knitting front as far as new or finished projects go, I thought I'd at least post photos of my baby blanket I'm making. This is a very easy pattern to follow and is turning out very cute. The darker image is truer to the actual color of the yarn. I wanted a non-typical baby color and I think I got it. I have gotten many compliments on the color I chose. This is certainly going to take me longer than week to make, but will be well worth it in the end.
My nephew wants me to make him a blanket and I have a particular idea in mind but cannot to find a pattern to match my idea. I may toy with creating my own pattern for this throw. It could get interesting!
My nephew wants me to make him a blanket and I have a particular idea in mind but cannot to find a pattern to match my idea. I may toy with creating my own pattern for this throw. It could get interesting!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Who's Having A Baby?
Certainly not me! But you wouldn't know that by all the circular needles laying around with baby pastel colored yarn on them! It is time to learn something new I have decided. This new pattern comes compliments of my Knit Pinkie friend. She loaned me her "Quick Knit Keepsakes" book for a while. As I said in an earlier blog, none of my close friends (or me!) are preggers, so I'm not sure what's up with the need for a 3rd baby blanket, but I'm making it anyway. The way I see it, with my attention span and lack of dedication to anything other than horses, I figure I'll get a few made now and look like a great friend when my pals do decide to start making little spawns of themselves.
The pattern I have chosen is called "Elaine" and is fairly simple. This will be my first attempting YO as well as skip 2 tog, K1, P2SSO (slip 2 together, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over). After making two baby blankets in the now much dreaded baby pink, I wanted something totally different. I just found out a family friend's better half is pregnant and the nice thing to do would be to make them a blanket, but I'd also like to make something without a deadline for once. I have chosen two colors for two different blankets. Caron Simply Soft in Off White, and Simply Soft in Sage. Nobody seems to like the sage color for a baby blanket except for me, but that hasn't stopped me from making it!
I am really starting to rethink the pattern I chose. It is a fairly easy pattern to follow but its the name that's got me worried. Being that I knit to relieve stress, and I've been knitting an awful lot lately if you know what I mean, you would think I would've chosen a blanket NOT named after the current cause of my stress. I have knitted and then torn my stitches out and completely started over on this blanket 4 times! Once in the off white and three times in Sage. I refuse to give up though, I have renamed the blanket pattern "Elsie" (because the book of patterns is all "E" girl names) and am starting over. Hopefully 5th time is a charm. I have never had to redo a pattern this many times! My first blanket made it after the third attempt.
This blanket is by far one of my favorites from this book of patterns. It is the easiest of the two I liked. Hopefully my Sharpie write over work has changed my luck. I put some good time in on it today with all of the bad weather and it's looking good so far. Hopefully my friend won't be mad I defaced her book to change my luck! I'm not typically a fan of any colors in the green family, but I really like this color for this blanket.
The pattern I have chosen is called "Elaine" and is fairly simple. This will be my first attempting YO as well as skip 2 tog, K1, P2SSO (slip 2 together, knit 1, pass 2 slipped stitches over). After making two baby blankets in the now much dreaded baby pink, I wanted something totally different. I just found out a family friend's better half is pregnant and the nice thing to do would be to make them a blanket, but I'd also like to make something without a deadline for once. I have chosen two colors for two different blankets. Caron Simply Soft in Off White, and Simply Soft in Sage. Nobody seems to like the sage color for a baby blanket except for me, but that hasn't stopped me from making it!
I am really starting to rethink the pattern I chose. It is a fairly easy pattern to follow but its the name that's got me worried. Being that I knit to relieve stress, and I've been knitting an awful lot lately if you know what I mean, you would think I would've chosen a blanket NOT named after the current cause of my stress. I have knitted and then torn my stitches out and completely started over on this blanket 4 times! Once in the off white and three times in Sage. I refuse to give up though, I have renamed the blanket pattern "Elsie" (because the book of patterns is all "E" girl names) and am starting over. Hopefully 5th time is a charm. I have never had to redo a pattern this many times! My first blanket made it after the third attempt.
This blanket is by far one of my favorites from this book of patterns. It is the easiest of the two I liked. Hopefully my Sharpie write over work has changed my luck. I put some good time in on it today with all of the bad weather and it's looking good so far. Hopefully my friend won't be mad I defaced her book to change my luck! I'm not typically a fan of any colors in the green family, but I really like this color for this blanket.
I Shall Call Him...."Pearl"
Okay first I have apparently been watching too much Austin Powers on TBS, but poor blog naming aside I have bigger news. I have been purling wrong! Yes that's right, I told you I was a newbie!
After a helpful friend informed me that a how-to website existed with video I decided to check it out on a cold boring night. I was actually checking out continental knitting methods and learning how to Yarn Over, when on a whim I clicked on the "How to Purl" video. Not sure why other than I was bored to tears and the TV hog was still up. Low and behold I have made 4 or 5 scarves and two baby blankets with a method I have apparently made up all on my own. Luckily I have been getting the same result so at least I diverted one disaster!
After a little practicing to master the real Purl, its time for a new project!
After a helpful friend informed me that a how-to website existed with video I decided to check it out on a cold boring night. I was actually checking out continental knitting methods and learning how to Yarn Over, when on a whim I clicked on the "How to Purl" video. Not sure why other than I was bored to tears and the TV hog was still up. Low and behold I have made 4 or 5 scarves and two baby blankets with a method I have apparently made up all on my own. Luckily I have been getting the same result so at least I diverted one disaster!
After a little practicing to master the real Purl, its time for a new project!
The Scarf Factory
Okay well lately I have to admit I'm feeling like I work in a sweat shop rolling out scarves in record numbers. Personally I'm not a big fan of scarves. I mean, I live in Georgia and it never seems cold enough to really warrant bundling up with any accessory other than a jacket. My original scarf is still tucked away in the closet, probably never to see the light of day again. But alas, I'm making them anyway. It started with my mom finally giving in and admitting she actually likes the things I knit, even though she has been an avid knitter-hater for quite a while. I gave in and agreed to make her a scarf. I let her pick out her own yarn, after all, she is not the easiest lady to please. She close a heavier weight Lion Brand homespun yarn in blue, sorry I can't remember the details and I pitched the label. I finished it in a record two night sitting thanks to the thicker weight yarn and my size 13 needles. I have since been asked by my nephew and my neice for scarves also, which then lead to the realization I like the scarves I am making and didn't have one for myself. For the nephew I chose the Red Heart Light and Lofty Super Bulky in black so as not to look too girlie. My niece chose the same in Bikini. It's hot pink with splashes of blue and purple, she's 9 so its perfect! My plan is to make both of the kids matching hats, but I have yet to buy double pointed needles so they may have to wait until next winter. After all it is March in Georgia and in the 60's most days. The weather has put a damper on my scarf making. I have three down and two more to make. It seems as soon as I get one finished I have requests for 2 more. I'm not complaining! They are certainly faster than any other project I could think of making.
My nephew did have a chance to sport his new scarf at school as the weather hit a chilly spell, but mostly he has just been wearing it to bed every night. Perhaps we should check his room for drafts! I haven't heard from my niece on how she likes hers, but she's only had it a few days. I will try to steal them back for photos soon. They were all made with heavy weight yarn of different brands, using size 13 needles in Garter Stitch.
My nephew did have a chance to sport his new scarf at school as the weather hit a chilly spell, but mostly he has just been wearing it to bed every night. Perhaps we should check his room for drafts! I haven't heard from my niece on how she likes hers, but she's only had it a few days. I will try to steal them back for photos soon. They were all made with heavy weight yarn of different brands, using size 13 needles in Garter Stitch.
My First Blanket!
After making my first scarf, poorly I might add, I decided it was time to make something for real. With my internet being down at the time, I skimmed through my "I Taught Myself Knitting" book. I wanted something simple to start out with that I wouldn't be embarrassed to show people. That was a difficult task since apparently this book was published in the early '80s. It's full of big poofy hats, sweater vests, and some BIG hair. About the only easy thing in there was "Baby's First Blanket". No babies on the way for me, but I figured I'd eventually have a friend expecting should it turn out nice enough to give away. I headed for Wal-Mart because there are no craft stores close by and settled on Red Heart Baby Pink. Okay so it's a bright baby pink, but I was in a pink mood.
I had to hit the local Hancock Fabrics for the size 13, 29" circular needle I needed. They carry Lion Brand, and as I'm sure you all know is a plastic needle with a dull tip on it. It cost me $9 and I was not happy. I prefer the Boye needles at WalMart, and they are cheap to boot! Needle complaints aside, this is a really easy blanket to make! It consists of just knitting and purling and it goes REALLY fast. I finished the first one in about two weeks. Not bad for a first project if you ask me. I will say thought that the Lion Brand needle I used slowed me down, and made my hand hurt because of the extra hand movements I had to make to make sure I obtained the proper gauge.
To date I have made two of these blankets. I made one a few weeks back as a baby gift for a friend. If you don't mind the simplicity of the design I highly recommend this blanket if you want to make something hand made to give and don't have much time. Blanket 2 (now that I have more experience) took only a week to finish. Still complaining about that needle though!
This blanket is approx. 38" x 38" and uses two strands of yarn throughout. I kept blankie 1 because I am more attached to it than I realized I would be (seeing as how it was my first real project) and it is incredibly warm. It is the perfect size to cover up with while I'm sitting on the couch knitting. It did fade out after washing and drying and I actually like the muted color better. It has also held up well to abuse from a 7 year old and a multitude of cats and dogs that apparently find it quite comfortable. I may revisit this pattern yet again should I need a heartfelt,handmade baby gift, but only if I can get a better needle. Photos of blankie #2 below.
Newbie Knitter!
I debated on calling this blog "copycat" because I got the idea from my friend who also has a knitting blog, but thought newbie knitter would explain me better. I have been fighting the blogger bug for a few months now. I have toyed with a few different topics to blog about but ultimately decided on knitting. Knitting seems to be the only thing productive I have going on right now so I decided to go for it.
I started knitting back this past summer. Since I don't know anybody close by that knits (yeah not even my Grandmother!) I went the book route. It was really an impulse buy. I had been bored out of my mind staying home and my friend had mentioned that a lot of people with A.D.D. found knitting helpful, so being the poster child for A.D.D I decided to give it a try. I forked over the $11 for the "I Taught Myself Knitting" book at Wally World and a skein of Red Heart Yarn. I bought a skein that was three different colors. To be honest I'm not really sure why I bought it, but it ended up working out in my favor. Once I started I found it easier to see what I was doing with the multiple colored yarn vs. a solid color one. Call it dumb luck.
I am the least domesticated stay-at-home gal you have ever met! I am terrible at sewing and I have only just now started learning to cook. So knitting for me was a stretch. Starting out I was terrible. I can't really say that I'm much better now, but I have the hang of the basic moves and have finished a few projects to date. I had an unfortunate run-in with a slicer back in December so I'm just getting back to my knitting after a 4 month hiatus to let the pinky I nearly sliced off heal. It's still not 100% but it's good enough now to at least start knitting again.
My first project was a scarf for myself. I made it out of the three colored yarn in Stockinette Stitch with a size 8 needle. Surprisingly it only had one or two holes in it but its definitely not something I would ever wear!
I do really enjoy having something to do with my hands as I'm watching TV or sitting around before bedtime. That is my main reason for knitting, however strange that may sound! So my interest right now isn't making any elaborate creations but more perfecting my pathetic knitting skills and keeping that wandering part of my mind focused. It really is a good stress releiver.
Wow this blog is long for my first time! Hopefully I will keep this blog updated. It will keep me motivated!
I started knitting back this past summer. Since I don't know anybody close by that knits (yeah not even my Grandmother!) I went the book route. It was really an impulse buy. I had been bored out of my mind staying home and my friend had mentioned that a lot of people with A.D.D. found knitting helpful, so being the poster child for A.D.D I decided to give it a try. I forked over the $11 for the "I Taught Myself Knitting" book at Wally World and a skein of Red Heart Yarn. I bought a skein that was three different colors. To be honest I'm not really sure why I bought it, but it ended up working out in my favor. Once I started I found it easier to see what I was doing with the multiple colored yarn vs. a solid color one. Call it dumb luck.
I am the least domesticated stay-at-home gal you have ever met! I am terrible at sewing and I have only just now started learning to cook. So knitting for me was a stretch. Starting out I was terrible. I can't really say that I'm much better now, but I have the hang of the basic moves and have finished a few projects to date. I had an unfortunate run-in with a slicer back in December so I'm just getting back to my knitting after a 4 month hiatus to let the pinky I nearly sliced off heal. It's still not 100% but it's good enough now to at least start knitting again.
My first project was a scarf for myself. I made it out of the three colored yarn in Stockinette Stitch with a size 8 needle. Surprisingly it only had one or two holes in it but its definitely not something I would ever wear!
I do really enjoy having something to do with my hands as I'm watching TV or sitting around before bedtime. That is my main reason for knitting, however strange that may sound! So my interest right now isn't making any elaborate creations but more perfecting my pathetic knitting skills and keeping that wandering part of my mind focused. It really is a good stress releiver.
Wow this blog is long for my first time! Hopefully I will keep this blog updated. It will keep me motivated!
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