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Showing posts from 2011

Working my pointy fingers to the bone, sort of.

Well, I tried to make this a handmade Christmas.  Of course, having a 12 year old, handmade is a relative term.  Some things I just had to "make" with my American Express card.  My talents don't run to iPod accessories.  I did make hats and scarves for  teachers, and some relatives.  I made penny rugs and gloves for some inlaws.  My mom got lots of dinner napkins.  In a fit of motivational fervor, I made a stadium blanket in some pretty dreadful college colors.  In addition to that, I got myself up and running on etsy and sold more than I could possibly have imagined.  Lots of scarves and gloves and even a custom ordered hat!  I'm pretty excited about that, but it cut into my Christmas prep time. I got all the Christmas cards out, I got all the Holiday baking done, I delivered the trays.  Everything was wrapped and under the tree with hours to spare.  The house (downstairs at least) was clean and tidy.  We don't talk about the upstairs... When I laid the f

A mushroom hat

Okay, now I'm working on a baby hat shaped like a mushroom.  It's working out pretty cute!  Pictures when completed. I'm using some of my "inherited yarn" to make circular ribbed shrugs.  I had this pattern that you sewed the seams..... bleh.  So.... in the interest of never leaving anything alone... I changed it.  (I should have that sentence permanently stored so I could just paste it in).  One provisional cast on and a reworking of the outer shawl edge and voila!  Seamless AND I can just knit fancy yarn until it's gone instead of having to split balls when I have an uneven nuber.  HAH!  Picture me smiling in a satified sort of way and buffing my nails on my shirt. Both the mushroom hat and the shrugs will hit etsy.  I haven't sold anything, but I'm getting looks and that's fun too. Some day! Speaking of fun, I'm gearing up for Knitting Club again this year.  I have at least 6 returning students and then space for some newbies.  Fourth

YAAAARRRRRRNNNNNN!

I scored enough yarn to keep me knitting for about a year.  My friend Pat has moved to assisted living and gave me all her yarn (and patterns from the '80's which are definitely giggle-worthy).  There are three huge boxes, plus a couple of kits and a bunch of smaller boxes.  The whole mess almost completely filled my van.  It is an absolutely huge amount of yarn.  Most of it is wool or wool blend.  Some is extremely gorgeous mohair yarn and some is even custom dyed!  There is a price tag on some of the specialty stuff of $14.55 and I estimate that it was bought in about 1988, so the stuff was really expensive. My knitting students are dying to knit socks, and some of this is light enough weight to make a nice sock.  I'm sure they will flip over some of this yarn!  There is some nice sport weight wool blend. I want to sort through it, because I spotted some custom dyed mohair in there.  I haven't knitted in about a week.  It's been too darned hot.  I have spent a

FAIR WEEK!

Okay, the County Fair is at last over and we have collected our loot from the Exhibit Hall.  Margo got blues on her jams: blueberry, raspberry, meyer lemon and Rainier cherry.  A Blue on her cake, and on her rhubarb/rosepetal preserves.  A blue on her corn sticks, her bread, her blueberries, her scarf and her fine art collage.  She got a special award on her needle felting and a special award on her bread.  She got CHAMPION on her table setting!  Proud mom, me. I got blues on 2 pairs of socks, two hats, a ribwarmer vest and my quilted wallhanging.  I got People's Choice on my cupcake baby hat!  (YAY!) I got the Twizzler Socks completed and am working on some that are sort of foxy brown/red and black tweed.  I can't find a stitch I like..... more when I can make a decision!

Knitting is the only thing standing between me and insanity

I've been knitting.  I have a hat in progress (easy) and a pair of socks (more difficult).  I am trying to keep the house running AND get the stuff to the accountant AND answer questions on the phone about the FedEx route which we are selling, hopefully soon.  Come on guys... SHOW ME THE MONEY!!! Anyway, knitting is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment.  When I am losing it, I knit on the hat, when I am calmer, I knit on the socks.  I have a plan involving etsy and selling handknit socks... it may actually work!  But.... I need to get some more socks knit.  The current socks Margo has named "Twizzler Socks" because they remind her of the candy. Today is our 27th Anniversary.  I bought my own Anniversary gift this year.  Sock Blockers from Knitpicks.  I can't WAIT for them to get here!  SO excited.  You see, I HAVE to buy these gifts for myself because if you said "sock blockers" to Bruce you would get a deer in headlights look.... he tries but...

Sock Summit, a review

Before attending Sock Summit last week I perused my stash.  This was, in part, an effort to cool my enthusiasm for more yarn.  I found the large bag(s) with the wondrous yarns I bought at LAST Sock Summit languishing in my studio.  To my credit, they weren't ALL still there, but a heck of a lot of them were. I managed to get away from Sock Summit with only five skeins of sock yarn.  I studiously avoided the $25.00 per bag bin and the "Giant bundles of incredibly cheap yarn for 50% off" booth.  Both were part of my downfall last time. Best yarn name at Sock Summit?  Zombie Apocalypse  (last time it was Clown Barf) Best New Thing:  A badge that said "I Knit Because I am Smarter Than You" Not sure if it was me or not, but Sock Summit seemed smaller this year.  Maybe I was just wearing better shoes.  The right pair of shoes can change your life, just ask any fairytale princess.  I saw lots of cool stuff and will make a point to get there next time.  I just lo

A Cupcake Baby Hat

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Okay, here I go.  In the effort to find things for the Fair, I am knitting.  Having already completed the maximum number of sock entries, I set to work on a baby hat that looks like a cupcake.  We'll see how it does at the fair.  (I had to get away from forms and spreadsheets which the accountant and the lawyer want yesterday.  This hat may have saved my sanity.) Cupcake Hat 7/2011 I've seen some like it, but this is my own design.  The ruffle is double and so FLUFFY!  I think I need to borrow a baby.  Anyway, it or one of it's brethren will probably be for sale on etsy soon!  These are kinda fun!  I have blue yarn too.  Any thoughts on whether the "cherry" should be smaller?  Thanks