Done: Spindolyn Bean Bag

Remember that Alpaca yarn I dyed, and redyed because I hated how it came out the first time? If not you can find that post here.

Maybe I was a bit harsh on it. It looks good with those white places!

Bottom is filled with wax pellets.

 So dramatic the scene outside my window!

WIP: Acrylic Scarf

You remember that acrylic yarn I was using to make a scarf? No? Let me remind you.

Priscilla has the exact face I made. She is laying on it as I am knitting.

 Remember now? Ok, so 350ish stitches was WAY too many. The scarf was 10ft long! So I sewed it together. So what to do with the end where it folds? Well any inexperienced person would cry a little and just sew it up. What do I do? I cut it. Yup right down the middle. It started to unravel from there. Quick thinker that I am I put my tunisian crochet hook into a row and prayed the row I created would stop the unraveling. You know what? IT DID!! So I unraveled to the row then tied the string ends together to make sure they created a nice fringe. I will just do a mock version of this on the other side. The scarf is stitched down the middle with a mattress stitch. Since I did not do 5 rows of knit before I casted off this worked out well when I seamed it together!

Done: Stitch Markers!

Home-made stitch markers and stitch marker holder!

Two different sizes of tiger's eye and colors of amber.

All ten showing the slight variations in the purple/blue beads.

Add in a funky stitch marker holder....

There you go! Wonder what I could get for these on Etsy... they are not for sale.

WIP: Pink Scarf

My friend Jennifer likes soft pinks.... So I figured I would show a bit of the scarf I am working on for her!

So this pattern is K2, *K1, K-B* then end with K2. What is a K-B?? Well you go into the
stitch below and knit. It creates a pattern you can reverse.
When I messed up... I mean... changed the pattern, I switch to the lace-like pattern for a few rows
to hide the dropped stitches. That turned out prettier then expected!!
Then knitted a row and a k2, purl to end then k2 and back to this pattern! Works like a dream!

Knitting kit?!

So I got a package in and I thought it was Roving I was waiting on... I collected my mail (including my new Let's Knit magazine!) and I thought nothing of it. That was until I looked at the label and it says Artesano Knitting Kit. My mind raced trying to think, I know I visited the website but I do not recall making a purchase. I opened it up and instantly my memory came back to me. It was the kit I got for subscribing to Let's Knit!

So pretty with the DPNs and 2 skeins on that lovely yarn. PLUS two patterns!
And the yarn is Alpaca (my favorite).

WIP: Lacey Scarf

The saga of the lacey scarf continues!

Slowly getting it done, it is just 11in here in the picture but now its 12in.

WIP: Lacey Scarf

It is coming along nicely! I love this stitch and I got some more of the same yarn since I am not sure how much I will use of it... and I may want to make fringe.

WIP: Lacey Scarf

This is using the Like Lace stitch. K1, yo, *K2tog, yo* until 3 stitches left then K2tog, K1. Need even number of stitches. It is beautiful with this yarn.

New tools

These are two new tools I have. One I bought, one I got for free with my Let's Knit magazine.

For making Fuzzy Amis.

Double Pointed Needles.

Done: Freeform hat

OMG, first time ever, I have completed a knitting project!! I conquered my boredom, but it wasn't hard when I was admiring the yarn I was using and trying to keep up with the color changes. So this is what I did with all those colors in my freeform fashion! Oh btw there is some of the Manos del Uruguay green yarn in there.

The beginning moss stitch and starting stockinette stitch with the multiple colors.

Before I sewed it up!

Nice and sewn up. It is like a beanie when I put it on.

One side, you can see the lovely variations.

Other side, with seam showing. It is an invisible seam done with a mattress stitch. Really isn't invisible when you have different blocks of color on either side but you understand what I mean.

Knitting Freeform

I went to a freeform knitting class at my local yarn shop (K1 yarns). Gillian McClintock was the teacher. What made this so special? Well to start off with, as you may have noticed, I do not particularly like knitting. I find it boring doing 102 of the same stitch and repeat 100 times. Sorry to all those knitters out there, I just do not see how you can do it. That being said, Gillian has a technique which has turned my feelings about knitting around. Following a basic hat pattern, instead of making one color or stripes you do blocks of color in random order and random coloring. (I will have a post about my hat later on today). This breaks up the monotony of 90 stitches done in knit or purl.

So that is pretty cool, now onto the second thing that is good. For the first time I was in a group of knitters. I have always shied away from such groups because I um... can't knit too well. But this group was fantastic and I felt an instant connection even though we all came from different backgrounds and careers. Even better they were a group of women, I have problems with large group of women... That is a story for another day.

So could it get any better?? Why yes it could. The yarn we were given to use (2.5 skeins in 7 50g balls) was hand-spun and hand dyed by Gillian!!! You know my excitement on hand spinning and hand dyeing. She uses many different wheels and guess what? She teaches spinning!! I almost died with excitement! So in late September to early October I may take a class with her (as a birthday present).

I got all of this for £32 and 1.5 hours with Gillian. All things considered it was a deal!!

WIP: Scarf of Doom

I have decided to shake up my scarf a bit.

This is going be one wide scarf.

Look at this detail... so simple but lovely.

WIP: Scarf of Doom

This scarf has been worked and reworked since October 2009.  I have made it thinner and wider, with different type of row patterns. As that it is now July 2010, I need to finish it so I have gone with pearl one row, turn knit one row and repeat. I use circular metal needles as you can see. The yarn is from PoundSavers. I wanted to start off on yarn that I wouldn't mind messing up with a few times until I got back into my groove of knitting... Hopefully I will be getting more done soon!