haPPy HallOwEEn!!

Progress on my two-tone shrug.. almost up to the ribbing on the body..

















Some old halloween images.. (^_^)

Done with the uglies.. all except a zipper.. I still haven't had a chance to run to Joanns for a zipper... maybe I'll be able to get there on Friday.




I started my two-tone shrug from fitted knits.. so far so good and so far it's pretty easy and mindless knitting.. I need a bit of that every once in awhile... I'm almost done with the body and ready to start the sleeves... I've been knitting on my break at work and any spare minute that I can squeeze in.. sometimes I only knit 2 rows.. but little by little it has been adding up...



Speaking of work.... I started cashiering at Michaels craft store.. and being on the other side of the cash register on the weekends with very long lines at various times of day.. I start to see a pattern... people tend to be very careless with where they put their money.. which is a bit strange seeing as money is earned and takes quite a bit of hours to earn it.. I just thought that would make you want to keep it safe and organized.. over 90% of people that pay with either credit cards or cash have a hard time finding it.. they have to look in many different wallets and zipper compartments in purses.. or they have giant wallets with many different pockets and zippers all stuffed with all sorts of things that makes it very hard to find money or change... more than once ..while pulling out money in that sort of wallet ..wads of bills have popped out on to the counter .. which the owner seemed very unaware of ... scary... to top that off.. I had to call the person 3 or 4 times to make them aware of it.. all that searching and digging for change and bills makes the lines not move.. and I'm sure that in the rush of things people have been loosing money in the process.. (well not at my register anyway).. but maybe a good wallet and or purse cleaning is in order.. have your money and credit cards ready when u go to pay for stuff... keep money only in one wallet and stick all the other stuff.. (receipts and lists) somewhere else.. this way lines will move along a bit faster and possibly that $20 u thought u had will not have dropped out somewhere..0.0.. (just a suggestion).

Progress on the bumble bee vest (what ever possessed me to pick these colors).. I'm just about to cast off the front edging and weave in the remaining ends.. Maybe tomorrow I can pick up a zipper and sew that in.. I really want to just finish this project.. as quickly as possible..and never knit with gold and brown together again...!!!
P

I don't know why I'm stuck in the reds and yellows lately. I just picked up some Patons Classic Wool to make Two-tone ribbed shrug from fitted knits .. There are actually about 3 sweaters I have lined up to make... the other two are Cherie Amour from knitty and possibly the Short-sleeved cardigan also from fitted knits by Stefanie Japel... having basically no budget for yarn this time of year is a killer.. so I'm making due with what I can afford..




One finished.. I wasn't really happy with how this turned out either .. but then I tried it on Jayden to see how it fits and it actually fit really nice.. (babys feet and legs are fatter than u think!!) wool-ease is a little itchy though for delicate skin.. I'm going to finish the second one then try to find a less itchy yarn... maybe plymouth encore or something like that. These knit up so fast.. I'm hoping to knit up a little pile of them..

An ApPle a DaY

More autumn pictures of Abby.. she enjoyed a day of apple picking with mom and dad.. looks like she was tasting them .. humm.. which one is better... the pretty red apple or the kind of yellow apple..






Maybe the red one .. just one more taste.. (^_^)

Knitting along slowly now... I'm at the point of picking up stitches around the armhole edges .. and then the front edge of the bumble bee vest... I like to use a very long crochet hook for this because I can pick up the stitches and knit them at the same time very easily.. then just knit them off the crochet hook on to my needle on the next row.. I'm going to add a little more brown to front edges and hopefully find a nice brown zipper at Joanns. Today is my day off and you know how that is.. catching up on laundry and house cleaning.. and KNITTING!!




I needed a small project to tote around with me.. so I decided to make some toddler socks.. This is the first one.. I really didn't like the heal directions for this sock but I usually follow the directions for the first sock..I'm probably going to change it just a bit on the next ones.. This is a free pattern from lion brand and I'm knitting them with wool-ease left over from other projects... I'm finding they take very little yarn.. a good way to use up left overs... I'm sure any worsted yarn will do as long as you get the gauge and it's soft.

the PumpKiN paTcH

Little Abby is picking out the perfect pumpkin...I just love this picture and wanted to share it with you.. a beautiful fall day..
It really doesn't feel like fall in Florida..although it is a getting a little cooler temperature wise. I think fall is the only season I miss living down here. I love fall.. cooler weather.. apple picking.. brightly colored foliage.. pumpkins.. and pumpkin pie..getting to wear newly knit sweaters and hats... 0.0

BlaCK cAt.. meoW

Finishing project of the day... Felted Black Cat bag from lion brand.. made with lions wool. You use 2 strands of yarn so this crochets up quickly.. it's a little thick though after felting, but cute all that same.. (^_^)
I read a lot of blogs.. although I don't comment on them all. I love to see and read about everyones projects both knit and crochet.. It's kind of like a daily knitting group. (although there is no feed back or girly/guy chat). There are so many talented knitters/crocheters out there.. making beautiful garments and items... such wonderful eye candy..!!.. I want to thank all of you for sharing the beautiful projects that u make for us all to admire.
Here are just a few of the wonderful blogs I check out in a random order...

mega(k)nits
Kathryn Ivy
L'Orangerie
Knitting Goddess
inkberryblue
sock prØn
spindelicious
Chez Plum
Luv2stitch
Green apples
magKNITficent
Yarn Harlot
ysolda
Fiber star
It's a Purl, Man
BenteB'sBlog

Those are just a few plus the links that I have listed on my blog.. Hope u enjoy them as much as I do.

Yay another finished project. I used some noro kureyon from my stash that I had been hording for a couple of years... which seemed a bit stiff or crispy.. and had some thick and thin bits here and there...I have used noro before and it didn't seem so stiff... anyway I still love the colors... Not having done fair isle knitting in many many years.. I'm pleased with the finished product.. I've been kind of stressed lately too and that really affects my knitting.. and knitting soothes my nerves so.. I keep knitting on... I made this hat in man size.. so this could end up in someones Christmas stocking this year.. hehe..
Ok.. time to cast on my next project..

progress....

Progress on my Fake-Isle hat...I've been squeezing in knitting as much as I can. There is always an adjustment when u start a new job .. my schedule varies quite a bit from week to week... so... my progress will be a little slower than usual. All in all .. I'm very pleased so far with
how this hat is coming out .. maybe it's the noro kureyon.. I'm very partial to the colors.. as u knit with it u just never know what color is going to pop out of the skein...it's like surprise knitting..!!!


movie report... We just watched cashback.. I really liked it.. kind of abstract but entertaining..we also watched secretary... it was a bit weird to me.. I'm not really into self mutilation.. I didn't hate this movie but I didn't like it that much either.. don't take my word on it.. watch it yourself..(^_^)

buzzz

I don't know why but every few rows.. I seem to drop a stitch.. I'm not sure whether its the yarn or me.. The darker color that looks gray in the picture is actually a chocolate brown with little specks of gold , red and green. .. and when I purchased the yarn I thought the gold specks would show up more.. but as I knit.. they don't seem to show up at all. Instead I'm getting a very prominent bumble bee look.. not the look I was going for.. and even when I didn't like how it was looking .. I knit on.. in denial of what I was knitting.. thinking if I knit more it would look less like a bumble bee. Anyway the back is now knit up to the underarms and I'm resigned ... I am knitting a bumble bee vest.. the end.




I whipped this up yesterday.. this is the Oversized Beret a free pattern from Lion brand. ...After reading that a few other people who had finished this hat thought it was sized a bit small ..(since I crochet a little tight) I started out with the crochet hook and yarn the pattern called for.. ... which made the beret not just over sized but giant size.. ripped that one out and started again with the next size smaller crochet hook...now it was just right until the part that fits around your head.. the brim seemed like it was getting too small.. so I went back to the larger hook for the brim of the hat.. and all seems fine now. The fit is just right.. I might sew some pretty buttons along the brim..





I teach knitting part time at Michaels craft store.. here are 3 of my student.. yes they were successful.. and excited about knitting.. .. it gives me joy when I see my students move on and start creating beautiful projects. Go ladies ... go!! ( knitting cheer)

yArN.... issues

I've have this yarn for almost 2 years. I bought it for a project but the gauge didn't work out quite right.. so I stuffed it in the closet and bought the yarn that the patterned called for which just happened to go on sale. This happens to be very nice yarn and I'm always on the look out for a pattern to use it.. and for some reason I always end up using something else.. well ... I'm going to try to use is again... This time for the cactus blossom seamless yoke sweater by Kate Jackson.. the pattern for this sweater is in the fall 2007 issue of knit scene magazine...I hope this attempt to use the yarn will be successful..





My fingerless mitts are finished... once I actually sat down to work on them .. they didn't take long at all... I made them a little longer than the pattern by one pattern repeat for more finger coverage.. These take very little yarn...I used bits left over from other projects and I can't believe that there is still yarn left over... I might make another set... the only color that I used up was the darkest red...I was hoping to use up all the yarn..

so.. Harry Potter addicted

Yes .. I'm working my way slowly through all the Harry Potter Books.. this is book#5... and at the same time.. I'm working my way slowly through these fingerless mitts. ..I'm at the last repeat before the ribbing at the top... then it will be just finishing the thumb.. I started a new job this week as a part time cashier at Michael's craft store. .. and I'm adjusting to all the different times I have to be there.. It took me 2 days to adjust to getting up early... and for the rest of the week I go in for the evening hours. (tonight I teach beginner crochet).. lots of changes.. I'm trying to get some knitting done at the same... I have yet to make a project from charmed knits... I'm hoping to make something from the book in the near future.. so many fun projects in that book.. Dobby's socks.. house color socks, hats, scarfs and book marks..wizard's hats, Weasley sweaters.. and more.. sigh..