Nuclear Knits: Where knitting is the bomb!

Quilt Bee!

2012-01-28T02:41:00.000-08:00

I joined a quilt bee this year. I was worried about the first couple baby months - but great friends will help out. Here was what I made for January's month. I'm in love with the pattern!!

WIP TLL Socks

2012-01-27T14:40:00.001-08:00

Yes I do have more on the needles that needs work. These socks are a perfect example. I'm hoping to finish clue 2 in sock 2 this weekend!

FO Advent Mittens

2012-01-25T18:58:00.001-08:00

Ah. Finished. 25 advent mittens!! I started on December 26th and finished on January 25th. A month for 25 of these bad boys!

FO Laundry Bag

2012-01-16T07:23:00.001-08:00

I'm trying to finish up stuff in the babies room. Yesterday I finished a laundry bag. It is lined in a washable plastic so that I can put yucky outfits in there and not worry too much (plus the who thing is washable).

Now onto my Quilt Bee blocks!

WIP - KAL

2012-01-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

Because of a dear knitting friend - yes you PoMo - I decided to try this sock knit along from TTL. I'm loving the pattern but DANG it is complicated and takes some series time! I feel like the slowest knitter on earth.

W.I.P - OH MY!

2012-01-14T07:31:00.001-08:00

In our house we always have an advent calender. We used to have a fantastic one that was wooden with little doors. It was perfect. But as things always seem to happen when you really really love something it gets destroyed (this one happened to burn in our house fire). We have been looking for a good replacement, but they are not easy to come by. I came up with the fun idea of knitting different mittens for each day and hanging them on a rod. Of course DH thought it was a great idea. Right after Christmas I decided to get started and now have realized the errors of my way (25 mittens is a lot of work). I'm at 13.5 mittens currently and hoping to finish them up before the baby comes. We'll see.

Fingers crossed that my next post on these is a 25 mittens finished post!

F.O. Quilted Changing Table Organizer

2012-01-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

We have been setting up the babies room and I noticed I would really like an organizer off the side of the changing table. As you can see it is pretty bare. I measured the width (17") and the length I wanted (12"). With those two things I set out to make something that hangs off the side.

Here was my selection of fabric with pockets and main fabric. DH picked out the fabric he liked the most (and that was what I went with).

To figure out pocket sizes I put down everything and measured them. I came up with a two pocket approach. After attaching the pockets and ties (and finishing up the lining I had my little organizer).

Here is what it came out like. I now think I'm going to make a laundry bag that is lined with PLU for the other side (maybe the same fabrics). Sometimes small projects are really rewarding. They seem to nearly finish them selves!

2011 in Review!

2012-01-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

2011 was a great year for crafting in our household. I finished up a large number of projects.

Spun 3.5 lbs of roving for something near 5000 yards of yarn.
Knit ~14,000 yards.
Quilted 3 baby quilts, 2 queen size quilts, aprons, 1 wall hanging, 1 king size quilt and I started hexagon madness.

Now let's see what 2012 has to offer. I'm guessing with a baby in hand I might get a little less done.

WIP Advent Mittens

2011-12-31T07:37:00.001-08:00

We love doing an advent calendar in our house. After our house fire the wooden one we had died. My hubby wanted a bigger advent calendar as well... So I decided to make 25 mittens. Now they aren't real sized (they are a little small). But they are mittens none the less. I've finished 6 mittens and am working on 7. I hope to have these done before I loose steam!Happy New Year Eve!!

Santa Loves Me!

2011-12-26T07:52:00.001-08:00

Santa officially loves me. I got this tea sock yarn club. Now I want to drink tea and knit!!!

FO Baby Pants

2011-12-24T18:05:00.001-08:00

Project Details:Started on December 19 and finished tonight December 24th. A little Christmas Eve knitting!I used 2 skeins of Rowan Handknit Cotton with size 8 needles.The cool thing with this pattern is that there is space in the back side for a diaper.

FO Spinning Snow Day

2011-12-19T16:46:00.001-08:00

We had a snow day today. I thought it might be nice to get a little bit more spinning done this year. Here is my latest!

202 yards of Worsted nearly Aran weight. 4 oz in colorway chocolate rainbow. This fiber is 70% alpaca and 30% silk. Hand dyed by Abstract Fibers. It cost $28 but I think it was so worth it!

F.O. Stuffied Owl

2011-12-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

This little stuffed animal came as a kit.

Here is what all the pieces looked like. It was a whole day to assemble this bad boy.

Project Details:
Kit from KnitWhits. I used nearly all the yarn that was provided. I started on December 17th and finished on December 18th. A full day of putting the whole thing together. I thought this might come out smaller - but it was a larger than I figured from the photos. I used size 8 needles. The only thing I didn't do was to put the ears on (I thought it was pretty cute without them). This is currently stuffed into our little girls stocking.

Still Working!

2011-12-11T19:08:00.001-08:00

Let no WIP go untouched. I don't feel like working on this pair of socks - will be finished one way or another!!

F.O. Ribbed Baby Sweater

2011-12-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

I'll try to get some better photos - but the light and the "helper" cat seem to not want to work.

Project Details:
A free Debbie Bliss pattern. Started on December 2nd and finished on December 10th this was a fast little knit. It uses an aran weight yarn (which I think helps). It is knit flat from the bottom up and then just seamed under the arms and down the sides (which was pretty cool). I used Universal Yarn (which is machine washable and feels amazing). Here are my notes from Ravelry and what I learned with this pattern (could be my poor reading of the pattern or a bug):
"Once you cast off the stitches for the neck you continue for the arms (I did both arms at the same time by using two skeins of yarn). The pattern says Shape Sleeve (this is where the issue was for me). It says to cast off 4 times. This cast off should be done near the edge of the sleeve (wrist edge) - I got this messed up. Next you are suppose to do 34 rows over the 16 sts. These 34 rows make up the right and left from panels of the sweater. I hope this helps someone else so they don't end up frogging like I did." Other than this small issue with the pattern it was quick and fun.

FO Holiday Mug Rugs

2011-12-05T15:21:00.001-08:00

We are having a holiday White Elephant exchange at knit and bitch. I decided to make these quilted mug rugs!

FO Baby Quilt

2011-12-04T16:45:00.001-08:00

In the middle of holiday baking I decided to make a baby quilt.

Project Details:
I bought the monkey panel a long time ago. I've never used a panel before and had no idea how to work with it. I found a pattern I liked. But then once I read it I decided I didn't want to make it. I finally picked some Dr. Seuss fabric for the edge and some soft fleece for the back. I decided to only quilt the edge fabric (as I didn't want to mess up the cool panel). I picked a variegated thread that was silk. All of these decisions (plus wanting to do a rolled binding) bit me in the butt!

The thread kept breaking. The backing wanted to bunch and the binding was a massive pain. My hubby says the kids will pee, pooh and vomit on it - so he isn't worried. But I'm using it as a quilt learning experience. Things I won't do again!!

FO Knotted Hat

2011-12-02T19:33:00.001-08:00

Project Details:
Started yesterday and finished today. Fast, easy, love it! I used yarn that Anne gave me a while ago. The colors and style reminds me of Strawberry Shortcake. Size 3 dpns were used and no other changes made! The hat is called Knotted Newborn.

F.O. Leafy Mitts

2011-12-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

Project Details:
Another pair of holiday gift mitts. I used Elsebeth Lavold Angora and started them on November 27th - finishing today December first. I know, getting close to the holidays. Size 6 needles and a little fun color for trim. I really do love this pattern!

FO Holiday Knitting

2011-11-26T19:49:00.001-08:00

Project Details:
I'm trying to get a little non-baby knitting done. I figured I'd make a quick set of mitts. Using size 6 needles and one skein of Elsebeth Lavold Angora. I started on November 25 and finished today November 26. Super fast and really cute!

FO Baby Sock

2011-11-26T19:32:00.001-08:00

I didn't get much knitting done over Thanksgiving break. But I did get these little guys done.

Project Details:
Started on November 22 and finished on November 24. Super fast knit and free pattern on Ravelry. I used the same yarn as the little leg warmers. I might have to make some more.

FO Baby Leg Warmers

2011-11-21T14:58:00.001-08:00

Project Detail:
Started on November 17 and finished today November 21. I used Online self striping yarn with size one needles. Socks are to come next!

Small projects like these are just so darn fast!

Kicking FO Land!

2011-11-20T20:13:00.001-08:00

Project Details:
I used sock yarn to make this sock monkey. Started on November 12th and finished on November 20th. I re-worked the increases to be more like how you do toe up socks and I put buttons as the eyes. I hope little baby likes it!

FO Kermit Sweater!

2011-11-20T16:29:00.001-08:00

Project Details:
Started on November 5th and finished on November 12. The buttons were the last and we were just waiting for the news on boy/girl. The buttons Mike got me in Japan! I used Rowan Cotton Glacé and it took 2.5 skeins on size 4 needles. The pattern is free on Ravelry and is called Garter Yoke Sweater.

RV Weekend Part II

2011-11-13T12:21:00.001-08:00

Well next on my list is this fun little guy. I pulled out fingering yarn and then saw the pattern was rewritten for DK. I was pretty worried, but after talking to one of the best knitters I know, she assured me that a little stuffed animal wouldn't notice the difference (and she was correct).

So far I've finished two legs and a tail!

RV Weekend Knitting!

2011-11-12T14:54:00.001-08:00

Last race of the year and I'm getting some good work done!

Almost finished with this fun kids sweater!

F.O. Spin Me Right Round!

2011-11-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

The roving. Superwash Merino from a club I was in 2 years ago.

Singles.

Project Details:
I'm still not in love with superwash but this one was okay (didn't get too puffy when I washed it). This was from Christina Marie Potter's fiber club (which I was in a few years ago). The colorway is Cotton Candy (and I think that is pretty fitting). I split the roving to try and get the longest possible stripes I could get (which I think worked well). 4oz which gave me 326 yards of Sport/DK (almost DK but just a little shy). I'm thinking about making mitts for my baby sister with it!

Maybe I'll get another few yards done before the end of the year!

F.O. Caireen Hat

2011-11-05T10:09:00.001-07:00

Project Details:
This is for my Sole Sisters swap buddy. I started it on October 22 and finished it on November 4th. I used Mirasol Yarn Nuna (which is a blend of silk, wool and bamboo). My buddy wanted something fun and fashionable (so I hope this fits the bill). I blocked it on a dinner plate (which worked perfect). I only used 191 yards for this hat (which means I have a whole skein left - what to do with it now??).

About to cast on some new and fun projects!

FO Scarf!

2011-10-31T17:43:00.001-07:00

I've been working on this for what seems like forever. I had to frog it once because the needle size I picked was too small. But once I got rolling it didn't take too long.

Project Details:
I used left over gray and white wool no-name yarn. Took just shy of 400 yards. I used size 9 needles. Started on August 17 and finished on October 30. This is the simple Noro Striped Scarf. I cast on 30 stitches.

W.I.P Sole Sisters Hat

2011-10-23T17:10:00.001-07:00

I'm in an exchange and for winter we are doing hats. I finally found yarn, pattern, and gauge. It has taken me a while.

The pattern came out of a cable set of patterns on Ravelry and I'm excited to do most of the patterns!

W.I.P Non-noro stripe scarf

2011-10-20T17:53:00.001-07:00

I have a few things on the needles that really should be finished up. This has been waiting for me to work on it. I'm going to try to finish it by next Monday.

F.O Baby Lebowski Sweater

2011-10-17T18:12:00.001-07:00

Project Details:
Started on September 20th and finished on October 16. Longer than I would have thought but so worth it. Size 5 needles and cheap lion brand acrylic yarn (figure machine washing is in order). I made the smallest size and I think this will fit a 2 year old.

W.I.P Spinning Friday

2011-10-14T15:59:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to get a bit more spinning done. I've decided to sell one wheel and just use my old faithful travel wheel.

2 oz done and I'll try to get the last bit done tomorrow!

This fiber is loud and fun. I think will make a perfect set of fingerless mitts and hat for a holiday gift!

F.O. Ruby Sweater & NEWS!

2011-10-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Well first things first - Mike and I are expecting. I've waiting a while to tell you lovely readers, I hope you understand. We don't know the sex yet so I've decided to start working on projects that are gender neutral.

Project Details:
Ruby Sweater (free off ravelry), it is my own yarn Serenity Stitches Sunspots dyed in a fall color called Pumpkin Patch. Dk weight yarn on size 7 needles (took about 230 yards) this top down sweater was SUPER fast and easy. I started on September 27 and finished on October 6th. I made the sweater for 6-12 months since the kid is due in April and I figure it should be at least sort of warm by then.

F.O.

2011-10-03T05:39:00.001-07:00

I figured out that all my runners and table clothes were destroyed in the house fire. So I needed something for Halloween!

Quick and fits perfect!

F.O. Gimili Spinning

2011-09-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

Project Details:
Well I finished another sport weight yarn. I now have a total of 1044 yards of this yarn. I'm very close to to being able to knit up the sweater I want with this yarn. I might start and see if I need more yarn or not (since I still have another 4 oz left). Thanks Anne for selling me more of this - I so love it!!!

Were you wondering if there was any spinning happening out here?

F.O. Tilted Duster

2011-09-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

Yep. FINALLY FINISHED. Blocked and with buttons.

Project Details: 8 skeins of Berroco Peruvia (which the pattern called for) on size 9 needles. If you remember gauge was hard for me to get on this project. I got the fabulous buttons at Village Wools in ABQ (for anyone that is local). I started on August 19 and finished on September 19th. Not bad for a sweater I thought was going to take me forever.

Things I changed in the pattern: I lengthened the sleeves (I have long arms). My row gauge wasn't the same as the pattern so I stopped 10 rows short of what the pattern called for because my measurement was what I wanted. I picked up more stitches around the neck because I wanted something less tight (I hate stuff squeezing my neck). I think it doesn't look too bad and it stays away from my neck the way I wanted it to.

Overall a fun knit with interesting construction. I'd highly recommend it!

Almost There

2011-09-18T20:01:00.001-07:00

After a hard weekend push I'm almost done with the Tilted Duster. I just need to weave in loose ends and block it!

RV WIP

2011-09-11T12:18:00.001-07:00

Race weekends normally mean a lot of knitting progress. I'll say this and please understand that right now I'm just feeling it - THIS FUCKING SWEATER ....

So what do I mean? Well I'm half way through the bottom of this sweater and for every decrease I increase one extra. It is really taking forever. I feel like I'll never be done!

UFO Domination Continues!

2011-09-05T15:39:00.001-07:00

Well all I had to finish on this fall quilt was the binding. I decided to buckle down and knock it out (fall really is on the way).

It ended up being a big king and screams of all things bright in fall!

WIP

2011-09-01T06:08:00.001-07:00

I swear I'm working! Really. I've started the skirt on the Duster Sweater and I'm working on a pair of socks!

WIP - Tilted Duster

2011-08-22T19:21:00.001-07:00

This has been an interesting knit so far. Lots of pieces that get attached (after being blocked). I hope to have the sleeves done this week!

Front is done, back is done and the sleeves are left before picking up a whole mess of stitches for the skirt!

Tiffany Blue

2011-08-22T04:15:00.000-07:00

I had a customer ask for some yarn that is Tiffany Blue. It took me nearly a hour to get the perfect color.

UFO DOMINATION!

2011-08-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

Guess what I finished - yep - the top of the Leafy Quilt. It took me most of the weekend to assemble but I'm in love with how it finished. I started it in 2002 and finished it in 2011 (how crazy is that?) I could have finished it much faster if I only made an effort to do it. It came out Queen size and will be just the perfect gift once it is finished.

This will go to the quilters in a few weeks and then I'll just have to do the binding!

F.O. A Light On A Hill Spinning

2011-08-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

Remember this roving? Well Anne had another 4oz which I bought off of her.

Here is what the next 4oz came out like. Do you remember what the first 4 oz looked like?

Details:
Well first off this is Corriedale Roving from Funky Carolina. Both are finished at sport weight. The first one was 336 yards and this one came out 294 yards (so the "sportness" of them is slightly different). You can also see that the new skein has more yellow in it than the first. When I split the second 4oz I tried to get longer strands of colors (so that it looked a bit brighter than the first). With a total of 630 yards of sport weight now the question is do I finish my devilish plan and design a vest - or do I do something easy and pick a pattern off of Ravelry. Thoughts??

Giveaway.

2011-08-19T07:26:00.001-07:00

A good blogger buddy of mine is having a cool giveaway. You should really go check it out!

What she is giving away is this cool software that helps you take images and make them usable for quilts. Any quilters dream really! Stop over and enter!

W.I.P August 18 - Or Maybe Not!

2011-08-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

In cleaning out stash projects that are kits I thought I might knit up this sweater (which I bought everything for a year or more ago). I did a gauge swatch and found that on size 10.5, 10, 9 I got close (but closest on size 9). The gauge is 4.25 sts/inch. So, I cast on the 80 stitches and start working. I get an inch and a half in and decide to check the gauge again. It is now 3 sts/inch. Have you ever had this happen? WTF is wrong with the mini swatch I did??

W.I.P August 17

2011-08-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Well I noticed that I have NOTHING on the needles. How crazy is that? I pulled out this kit from an old club I was in. Kits are sometimes the best because I don't have to think about anything - just grab, do a gauge swatch and then knit away. The yarn is very very interesting feeling and thin. This pair of socks has 80 stitches cast on (if you can believe that).

Anyway - working through the stash and old kits is a good thing - right?

F.O. Fitted Cotton Tank

2011-08-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Project Details:
This was a kit I bought from Knit Pixie years ago. I figured maybe I should finish it before summer was over. It is currently blocking - and I think the neckline will lay down better once it is blocked. The yarn is Organic Cotton From Blue Sky Alpaca and it was knit on size 9 needles. I wish I had done it in the round instead of flat (but I didn't feel like trying to figure out the changes that were needed). I started on July 23 and finished today, August 14th. I had to frog nearly 5 inches yesterday - so I would say this is a very fast knit. I'll have to see how it fits after it is blocked, but I think I'll really like it.

Leaf ...

2011-08-10T19:26:00.001-07:00

Are you tired of hearing about the leaf quilt? Well tonight I pushed through and got the rest of the blocks pieced. Now to iron and lay out!

Leafing Around

2011-08-07T19:20:00.001-07:00

Well I'm not sure how you feel, but when you sell crafts sometimes crafting feels more like work than fun. I have a craft fair next weekend and in getting ready I feel a little bit done on the crafting front - but the leaf quilt sits and stares at me.

I decided to jump in. Finish up the leaf block (which I did), but then I counted them. There are suppose to be 80 8 inch blocks. There are, sad to say, 69 of them. So I cut out some more fabric and now need to sew more. Fingers crossed!

FO Leafy Mitts

2011-08-05T18:54:00.001-07:00

Project Details:
Leafy Mitts by Ruth Stewart. Super fast knit and lovely. I used Elsebeth Lavold Angora (1 skein). Size 6 needles. I started on August 2nd and finished on August 5th.

These are for a swap and I think she will love them!

CleoShawlFrog

2011-08-02T16:43:00.001-07:00

CleoShawlFrog a video by RocketGirl* on Flickr.

Well it is official. The Cleo shawl (which I was planning for a fall birthday present) has been frogged and will NOT be re-started.

The whole thing is liberating really. The frogging process was a major pain in the butt - but now that it is done and I'm free to get my knit on something else ... I feel great!

Frog Me!

2011-07-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

These are mittens for the Sole Sister swap and guess what - the gauge or something is so messed up. These are HUGE!!! My buddy has hands that are around my size. Guess I'm frogging today.

FO - Summer Fun

2011-07-24T17:57:00.001-07:00

I enjoy a fast crochet project and these little guys fit that bill. Pot holders or trivets I love the summer feeling!

F.O. July Mystery 220 - Summer Hat

2011-07-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Project Details: This is July's Mystery 220 project. A summer hat. I wouldn't have ever decided to knit a hat like this - but it was interesting and fun. I learned how to do a new method for picot edging (which was pretty cool). I started on July 5th and finished on July 23rd. I like getting little clues once a week. I used Cascade Pima cotton and it took nearly 220 yards total. I'm still waiting for them to update with what the pattern is called.

F.O. Snowdrop Socks

2011-07-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Project Details:
First, when I put these socks on the blockers I noticed that I didn't finish one - I'll have to do that once they dry. This was my first time working with Noro yarn. Jill convinced me to get some and give it a try and I have to say there are things I love and hate about it. The yarn, which was Noro Kureyon Sock, was suppose to be fingering weight yarn. As I used it I noticed that it went from lace to aran weight. I love the crazy mix of colors and the blend of the fiber - but the difference in weight was hard to get over. This yarn is also handwash only - and sock yarns really should be superwash!

I used size 2.5 dpn, the pattern (Snowdrop) is toe up (which means I got to use all the yarn), I started on June 9th and finished on July 22. They were a fast knit because of the gauge and size of the needle but in the end they look a bit large. I think this fiber also doesn't stretch much.

I'm happy to have worked with this Noro sock yarn - but I'm not sure I'll do another pair of socks with it, something else maybe ... but not socks.

WIP July 17 - travel edition

2011-07-17T09:25:00.001-07:00

We are currently traveling to Palm Springs (dh has a conference and I'm on vacation). Airport travel is always the best for knocking out some knitting. Here is Julys Mystery 220. I'm really thinking hat now! Waiting on clue 4!

Tour de Fleece - Day 14 (FO)

2011-07-15T18:58:00.001-07:00

Here are the lovely balls of roving. This blend is really really amazing!

Singles.

Project Details:
This is an alpaca blend from Wooly Wonka Fibers. It might look familiar - I did 4oz of this last year an wanted some more. The previous yarn came out sport weight and 400 yards. This one came out 380 yards and sport weight as well. Now I need to figure out what to do and if I should get some more!

Tour de Fleece - Day 9-13

2011-07-14T19:45:00.001-07:00

The roving!

The final product.

Project Details
Sport weight, 336 yards of Corriedale Wool. The fiber is from Funky Carolina (almost done with all of my fiber club rovings). Colorway is A Light On A Hill. Lovely lovely color and fiber to work with.

Tour de Fleece - Day 7 & 8 (FO)

2011-07-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

The braided roving.

Singles.

Project Details:
I'm ahead of schedule for spinning. This came out fantastic. From Spindlefrog this is 100% Coredale wool. Spun up into sport weight 375 yards. Colorway Rosebush. Seems like lately my spinning has all be in similar colorways. Really I'm just diving into the bin of fiber and pulling out the first thing I find.

W.I.P July 8

2011-07-08T20:51:00.001-07:00

Here is the July Mystery 220. At first I thought maybe a TP cover - but now I think maybe a hat. Guesses?

Tour de Fleece - Day 7

2011-07-08T18:23:00.001-07:00

The nom nom fiber!

Singles

Fiber Details:
From my fiber club with Funky Carolina. Superwash merino, tencel and BFL. The colorway is Morale and it came out DK weight. 236 yards. I have no idea what I'll do with it - but I'm pretty sure that what ever I make will be radiant in these colors.

Tour de Fleece - Day 5 & 6

2011-07-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Day 5 & 6 have been good for me. Plying and FO tomorrow! Keep an eye out for it!

Tour de Fleece - Day 4 (FO)

2011-07-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

The roving!

Singles

Finished skein.

Project Details:
This is 100% bamboo (which I had never spun before and was really really fun). The fiber is from Hank In The Hood. It came out sport weight and 220 yards of it. The colorway is Coral Reef.

You might ask - what will she do with it? The answer ... I have no idea yet!

WIP July 4th

2011-07-04T19:37:00.001-07:00

I have been knitting. These are The winter snowdrop socks out of noro!

Tour de Fleece - Day 3

2011-07-04T19:26:00.001-07:00

I got through my 2oz today of 100% bamboo. I've never spun it before and really enjoyed it. Maybe I can finish up everything and ply tomorrow? Maybe!

F.O. Spinning.

2011-07-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the roving (I should have taken a photo of it in a braid - it was pretty)

Singles.

Finished yarn.

First off I'm a day early on the tour (I normally take 3 days to get through 4oz during the tour). But, since I felt behind I had to kick some butt.

Yarn Details:
This was last May's fiber club from Funky Carolina. 4oz of polwarth fiber (which I had never used before). The fiber is extremely long and sticky - but was exactly what I wanted to spin up (after the last couple superwash disasters). It came out DK weight and 214 yards. The colorway is clumsy.

F.O. Somewhat Cowl

2011-07-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Finally, something finished. Here is the Somewhat Cowl (kit has been sitting in my craft room for nearly 3 years).

Project Details:
I started on February 28th and finished on June 30th. I wasn't focused on working on it all the time. Just here and there. I didn't make any pattern modifications, but as you can see it will HAVE to be worn with a tank underneath. I used the yarn that was called for which is Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk. The pattern called for 7 skeins but I really used 6 skeins and about a foot out of the last skein. So, I needed it but not all of it. I knit it on size 6 needles.

My overall comments are that the ribbing for the neck was a pain in the butt - took forever. But, that I like the end result. I'm not sure I can wear it in summer (because it feels a bit hot).

Tour de Fleece - Day 1

2011-07-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

I am doing the Tour this year. Although I didn't have my act together to post to the main thread on Ravelry until this morning (and guess what - it was locked). But, I did get some spinning in yesterday. 1.5oz only. My goal is 2 oz per day. So, we'll see how I do today. Let the spinning madness begin!

WIP Ribbing!

2011-07-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

I focused and look what I finished - the ribbing. Took me a very long time but it is done. Now to fold in half - tack down - and block the sweater. Photos of it on soon!

WIP June 29

2011-06-29T08:43:00.001-07:00

Well I had knitting for my Chicago trip planned - but that didn't really happen. So here has been my car/rv/home project.

It is the somewhat cowl sweater. It is done except for the cowl part. I swear knitting 6 inches of rib might kill me. I've been working on it for the past two weeks.

My goal - to finish this bad bitch!!

W.I.P Leaf Quilt

2011-06-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

I my attempt to finish up WIP and dominate all UFOs in my house I pulled the leaf quilt back out. I finished 99% of the curved parts and started assembling the blocks. Each block is suppose to have a steam near the leaf. The first three I did following the instructions and I hated how it cam out. So, I pulled the steams and am just going with the leafs.

I'm sure I wont finish this up any time soon - but at least I'm making slow progress.

Nearly FO King Quilt.

2011-06-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

So I finished the actually quilting of the king quilt this weekend. Methow approves of the quilt (and spent more of her time sleeping on it). Now to find binding that goes, cut the binding, trim the outer quilt and assemble. Sounds fast and easy huh?

F.O. June Mystery 220

2011-06-17T19:42:00.001-07:00

Another FO to report. This was June's Mystery 220.

Project Details:
Turns out this is Infinitely Simple Lace Infinity Scarf. I used Jo Sharp alpaca kid luster yarn. I bought 2 skeins of the yarn to see if I liked it. I'm glad I used it for a small project and didn't buy a ton of it, because it really doesn't have a very good feeling to it. I started on June 5th and finished on June 17th. It took 2 skeins, which works out to be 242 yards.

Interesting design - I'm not sure I would have picked up this pattern had it not been a mystery!

Birthday Crafting

2011-06-15T06:06:00.001-07:00

This is what I worked on yesterday!!

F.O. Spinning Birthday Update

2011-06-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Roving.

Singles.

So I finally finished spinning something again. Go figure right? Well this is 400 yards of what used to be Fingering weight (but after washing it it puffed up again). I did lace/fingering singles and then plyed it. Colorway Sea Side Town from Serenity Stitches. Mix of 75% merino and 25% nylon (superwash). My plan was to design a pair of socks with this - but now with the new poof I'm not sure I want to.

I've decided I'm a bit done with superwash spinning for a while. I need something that keeps it shape!

W.I.P June 11

2011-06-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Mystery 220 for June. I have no idea what it is - guessing a neck cowl of some kind. That or a steering wheel cover.

Jill and I have decided to knit with a bit of Noro. Neither of us have used it before. We picked a toe up sock pattern as our first.

F.O. Can't Say Though.

2011-06-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Details will follow once the pattern comes out (I think it comes out in July). Happy to have another project off the needles!!!

F.O. Stupidly Simple Shawl

2011-06-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

I love putting FO in the subject line. Makes me feel like I've done something good!

Project Details:
Started on March 6th and finished on June 5th. Longer than one would think - but this was the car or doctor's office project. Not something I worked on all the time. I used 6 skeins of Bristol Yarn Gallery Buckingham Fingering alpaca yarn held together. Well I held two strands together (not all 6 at one time). This gave me the weight I wanted and it still drapes well I think.

The pattern is really only 2 sentences long. I used size 7 needles and didn't change anything from the pattern. It was really a fun project!

Why I Love Ravelry!

2011-06-06T20:27:00.001-07:00

I needed just a part of one skein of yarn to finish a project. I looked on Ravelry. Messages people and had a lovely lady ship me one! Finishing project this week!!!

Hexagon Love.

2011-06-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

I posted a few weeks ago about wanting to hexagon this jelly roll (which turned out to be too narrow for the 2" hexagons). So, using my template cutter I cut them out. They are a lot smaller - but all ready to go. Now .... to work a little!

Mini Quilt Question

2011-06-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

So I was asked how large was the mini quilt. Hopefully this gives you some idea.

Hexagon Swap

2011-06-04T09:05:00.001-07:00

Call Me Hexagon Addicted!
A friendly fabric swap for the hexagon addict in you. In a rainbow of colors please feel free to join us.
Rules:
1. Fill a ziploc bag with ~1/2 yard of fabric in a wide variety of colors
2. Post a photo to the flickr group (http://www.flickr.com/groups/1667659@N24/)
3. For each bag you post you can select a bag from someone else
4. Be prepared to ship anywhere
5. The scraps of fabric can be recycles, reclaimed or new but they all need to be big enough to cut out a 2" hexagon (make sure this is washed fabric)
6. Exchange will start after the Canadian Post Strike
7. All fabric must be 100% cotton

Come join the fun and hexagon quilt with us!

FO First Mini Quilt!

2011-06-02T18:19:00.001-07:00

Well it didn't come out like I wanted or thought - but I'm okay with that.

I learned a lot. I worked on machine quilting and binding (neither of which am I very good at). I'm going to use my mini quilt projects as a way to get better and better (at least I hope).

June - Birthday Month!

2011-06-01T06:08:00.001-07:00

June is my birthday month - and because of that and the fact that I'm going to be 36 - every 6th order from my little shop will get a free box bag (during the month). There is no minimum purchase to count as an order. Also, a bunch of new yarns/rovings and bags will be going up this weekend. Including buffalo! Happy June!!!

When Crafting Goes Bad Part II

2011-05-31T17:07:00.001-07:00

Well I did it again. No I didn't cut my finger with the rotary blade - but I might as well have. In an attempt to get my big spinning wheel working I was testing out some fiber - when all of a sudden the whole flyer and bobbin came off and slammed into my big toes. I'm pretty sure it is broken or really badly bruised. I've been icing it and it hurts to walk. Again the hubby wonders why hobbies are so violent!

Ps - I know I have ugly toes...get over it, they are feet!

F.O. SPINNING

2011-05-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here is what the original roving looked like. It was dyed in long segments.

I know - I actually finished a spinning project. I decided to spin the second 2oz on my travel wheel and ply it there. Which meant it actually went fast.

Details:
I did no prep - just pulled it out of the bag and spun. 330 yards of worsted weight Superwash Merino called The Kitchen House. Hand-dyed by Twiggi.

I've decided I don't really like Superwash Merino for spinning. It poofs up too much afterwards (which I think a lot of people like). It feels incredibly soft and spins up easy though.

Spinning Friday - YES You Read That.

2011-05-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

Well I had a play date this week with a dear friend who reminded me exactly how much I do love spinning. I've been fighting with my large wheel (since the fire they broke some pieces and it just doesn't work correctly). But, my traveling wheel works perfect. Hence ... a little to show this week.

2 oz singles of a wool/nylon blend that I plan to design a pair of sock for.

2 oz singles of a Twiggi roving that I have no plan for yet.

Hopefully I finish these up and can show some yarn soon.

F.O. Fallberry Mitts

2011-05-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

Project Details:
I did this as part of the Ravelry group on using up stash sport and sock yarn. They pick the patterns and you just work on the ones you want. I've been meaning to do one but haven't done it until now. I started on May 2nd and finished today May 24th. I could have done these in a day if I had nothing else on the needles. They knit up really really fast! I used Wayward's sport yarn from the Sherlock Holmes club. I probably used around 150 yards. I could make another pair out of the yarn I still have.

The only change I made to the pattern was to do fewer repeats on the thumb (because I have short thumbs). Otherwise it is exactly as written.

Hexagons

2011-05-23T18:29:00.001-07:00

Want to know what happened with my fix hexagon? Well I found this skirt I made 10 years ago. It still fits and I always wanted it to have some flair!

Out of control COOL!

2011-05-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Time piece / knitter device / TOTALLY WANT ONE!

Quilting Demons!

2011-05-19T19:14:00.001-07:00

I decided to do a few mini quilts to practice techniques. I suck at machine quilting. I can do quilting in the ditch and straight lines but anything else and I'm crap. For this quilt I decided to let my mind go wild. I had fun and learned a ton. Next - perfect binding!

F.O. Mystery 220 May - Revealed

2011-05-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well I've finished the mystery 220 project from May (have I said how much I love this group?)

Project Details:
Started on May 1st and finished on May 15th (quick knit). It took 220 yards of fingering weight yarn and is done with drop stitches. There is even a little ruffle at the bottom. I think it is officially called a shawlette. The pattern is Storm Cloud Shawlette and is free on ravelry. Great use of left over fingering weight. I used Bristol Yarn Gallery Buckingham baby alpaca yarn (so it is really really soft).

RV Weekend - part 6

2011-05-15T14:14:00.001-07:00

Well I finished the mystery 220 project. A full report on it once we get home!

RV Weekend - Part 5

2011-05-14T16:44:00.001-07:00

Well let's just say that knitting in the round non-stop is actually really boring! I'm about .5 inches from being able to start the rib at the bottom. But damn knit knit knit nearly kills me!

RV Weekend - Part 4

2011-05-14T10:08:00.001-07:00

I was going to start cutting out a bunch of hexagons from this jelly roll. But it turns out the template I have is too large for the fabric. Guess I'll have to wait till I'm home to print out a smaller template.

Hexagon on hold!

RV Weekend - Part III

2011-05-14T09:43:00.001-07:00

Secret test knit - nearly half way finished!

RV Weekend - WIP Part 2

2011-05-13T14:38:00.001-07:00

This is the mystery 220 project. I think there is only one more clue. The last ten rows seemed to take forever. And I still have no idea what it is!!

RV Weekend - WIP Part 1

2011-05-13T11:27:00.001-07:00

I broke down. I told my self I would wait to start any new quilt projects until I finished a few. But I just couldn't help myself. My first hexagon flower!