New WIPs

Happy Friday!

How has your week been? Mine has included one slightly sick child, watching our cat and new kitten trying to get along, and a night out with a good friend. And there was snow and cold too. So all in all it seems that to be the start of winter here.

Since it's been a while since a showed you what I've been working on other then the poncho, I figured I'd give you a peek at some of the projects.

Just started this soap bag out of some scrap cotton that I had. When we were at the Renaissance Festival in September the hubby had seen something similar at a soap booth, and wanted to try it. And well being the crafty person I like to think I am, I said could make one. I am using a size G hook as that was I had. I'm not sure on the pattern yet as it seems a little big, But I'll wait and see how it finishes out. Might have to rip it out and try a different pattern.

I went to start on Squirm's Tiny Tea Leaves sweater. Only to realize that I didn't have the right size needle and of course that was the one I need to cast on with. While I waited to order it, I casted on something else.

Yep, a shawl. This is about five rows until the lace gets started. The pattern is Aecor. I talked about the yarn and pattern choice here. I found that this yarn is hard to get an accurate picture of. The coloring is more like the ball that you seen on the right, and not the dark that the shawl seems to be. The yarn itself is very soft, and just slightly fuzzy. Just enough to make is seem extra soft. It was only a slight problem when we were balling the hank up, it got stuck on itself a couple of times making it tangle. No issue though since starting to knit on it. This has made a good project to working on during dance class.

I also started on a scarf for Squirm as well. We had been at target looking for snow gloves and both girls found fun hats and mittens (note not snow gloves or mittens). Monkey found a scarf to match hers. Which made Squirm want a scarf as well. She had picked out a Frozen Elsa hat and mittens. But do you think there was a scarf in the whole store that matched her stuff or her size. Of course not. So last week we went to the yarn store that is in the same business develop as Monkey's dance studio. And we found a yarn that will match great.

The yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Robin's Egg. I cast on 30 stitches on size 3 needles with just a 2x2 rib stitch pattern. It's coming out a little bit firmer and not as soft as I would have hoped for. But I think that will be alright since I know how little it will probably be used anyways.

So that's all I have that I'm actually working on currently. I'm going to try to get myself to work on some of my other projects as well has they seem to be adding up.

Well I'm wishing you a warm and nice weekend.

FO: Melon Poncho

I finished the knitting on this couple months back. Then the blocking and end weaving in a few weeks ago. It's been worn several times, I believe much liked.

Pattern: Shady Cove Cape-Cowl by Wendy Bernard
Yarn: Knitwhits Feia Handpaint Ombre Lace in Melon
Changes: Minor changes to the pattern. When I couldn't figure out the pattern I followed this YouTube video on enterlac. Also add several more rows of ribbing so that there was some of the neon pink on there.
Ravelry project page.

Also been busy with this little guy. He's our recent adoption.

If there is sunlight. . .

No I haven't forgotten about this space again. I've just been having a hard time adjusting to our new schedules: school, dance, homework, chores. . . Nothing major.

There hasn't been a lot of anything much going on. Minimal reading. Lots of TV watching, but nothing much of interest to report on. There has been an over abundance of Ravelry viewing. Making me want to knit more than I have time too and buy more yarn then I could use in three years at my current pace of knitting.

These are my top picks from Ravelry :

(c) Misi Photo

Graceful Pullover: I love it and the fact that profits for it are going to a family in need.

(c) Loop, London

 

 

Sou Sous

(c) Alicia Plummer

Campside

I've been meaning to take some pictures of some of my projects. But have either lacked a model, daylight or time. But if I can get a little bit of sunlight this weekend I'll have some thing to show you next week.

Hope everybody has a good weekend.

Mid-Week Tidbits (2)

I know September is just starting but I'm looking forwards to October. The past couple weeks have been unbelievably busy, at least by our standards. The days have been filled with getting the two girls ready to school and setting up new routines. The start of dance class. Weekends filled with family or friends. I think we have plans for the next four weekends as well.

That being said there has not been a lot of movement on the craft front or even the reading front really.

Television: I have on the other hand been watching lots of TV, in hopes of getting caught up before the fall premiers.  We watched the final season of True Blood. I was very disappointed in the finale. I was also watching The Wil Wheaton Project on SyFy channel, this was a geeky entertainment Talk Soup type show. Was very disappointed to learn that they chose not to renew for more episodes.

image (c) Starz

I'm still very much enjoying Outlander. It is one of my most looked forward to show to watch all week. I believe that there are still nine more episodes this season and it has been renewed for second season already.

image via PBS

I was able to get my hands on season one of The Paradise. This is a Masterpiece Theater airing in the US, but a BBC production. It is set in the late 1800's. And focuses on the staff and owner of one of the first department stores. This show has such a gorgeous set. Season 2 start at the end of the month.

Comics:
My favorite comic book character is Dick Grayson. DC comics has put him in several roles: Robin, Nightwing, Batman and now a new roll. DC recent released Grayson, where Dick is an agent in Russia. I've read the first two issues and I like it so far.

Knitting:
 I've barely picked up my needles in the last few weeks so no real progress on the Melon Poncho. I did knit up a swatch for a Tiny Tea leave sweater though. But I won't won't start any knitting on that until I get the poncho done.
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Mid-Week Tidbits

Well good morning. We've got perfect summer weather here. Unfortunately I haven't been out enjoying it that much. I came down with some sort of bug. There was five days of fever, chills and aches. That was followed by a cough that has stuck around since. No worries though I'm on the mend.

But I thought I stop by and share what has caught my attention lately.

Reading: One of my favorite series came out with a new book, # 8 in the Outlander series.Which I bought and devoured all 825 pages of it.I also read a couple other books in two different series. Hallow City which is #2 in the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series and Bloodfever which is #2 in the Fever series. Both were okay reads but nothing great.

image (c) nickelodeon

Television: There has been lots of TV watching going on. First we discovers Legend of Korra. Which we loved. But now will have to watch online and Nickelodeon will no longer air any of the new episodes. This is a squeal to Avatar: The Last Airbender.Both are are series that us adults and the kids are all will to watch. Both series are heavily influences by Japanese animation.

My other new favorite show is Outlander on Starz. Yes, this is based on the book series that I mentioned at the top of this post. So far only the first episode has aired and so far I love it. So far very true to the book, but I don't expect that to continue for all the episodes, but should be close. Set in both post-WWII and 1700's. Time travel and the Highlands. What not to enjoy?

Well I hope everyone is haveing a good week. What have you found to entertain yourself lately?

WIP update

Wow what happened to the last couple of weeks. Busy, busy. But thought I drop by and share my progress on the Melon Poncho.

That is what it looked like last night. Here's a better photo to see how far it's come. I'm currently working on tier 10. Have one more tier after that and then some ribbing.

Well hope everyone has a good weekend. Any good plans or projects?

Friday's WIPs

Happy 4th of July!

Any fun plans for the weekend? For us it's just going down to the local carny this evening, letting the kids go on some rides, and eat some food and watch some fireworks. Squirm has been asking about this since around Christmas. She doesn't quit understand that they are not there all year long.

As I alluded to last time. I have a current knitting project that I'm working on. (See I'm not just buying yarn)

On one of the days that I was checking out new blogs I came across the cowl that looked amazing and used a new to me technique.

The pattern that I am using is Shady Cove Cape-Cowl by Wendy Bernard of Knit and Tonic. I'm making a couple of adjustment to the pattern So that I can continually use the same yarn without cutting. I am making this for Monkey so it will fit more as a poncho. 

Even though this is a new technique to me I'm not having too many problems other than a dropped stitch here and there that I had to rip back to. The only worry I have is that it won't use enough yarn to get to the pink color. Because you know that is the reason Money picked this color-way was because it was bright and had PINK. Even though it wasn't the color choice she picked on-line from the KnitWhits site, that had been Ice Queen. And well most of us with kids in the age group know why she would picked that one. For those who don't I'll give you a little hint, it has to do with a very popular Disney movie. 

Well I hope everyone has a safe and fun weekend.

I Think I have a Problem

Good morning all. Today is the first day of my five day weekend. Even though there is nothing major planned. I'm hoping to enjoying it as much as possible with much relaxing and putzing.

Now on to my problem. It's been ever so slow at work, so I've spent more time then I should on the internet. That has meant finding new to me blogs to read, as well as lots of time on Ravelry. That much time on Ravelry  means finding yarn for patterns or patterns for yarn. It has then trickled down to me buying lots of yarn in a short amount of time. But oh it's very lovely yarn as you will see.

The first purchase was the yarn I pictured early this week:

This lovely yarn is KnitWhits Freia Handpaints Ombre Lace in melon. It runs from neon green to yellow to orange to neon pink. It wasn't my choice of yarn but Monkey picked this color way out for something I'm making her. More on that another day. But I'm loving the change of colors from my normal.

While at that store I found some Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino Fingering in Leather Bound Books. Which unfortunately is a color specific to the store I was at. The colors of this yarn are more true in the middle picture of my header. But the yarn is very soft and has nice rich colors. I paired it with the KnitPicks yarn in platinum. In hopes of making a Mormorio shawl  with it. 

This is three skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in Cherry. Again, a child picked yarn that is not something I would normally pick out but lovely none the less.They will eventually become a sweater for Squirm, most likely a Tiny Tea Leaves Sweater. 

The next three were splurge  purchases. I have some general ideas about what I would like to use them for but will have to wait and see when I get that far. As I'm sure something else will jump up in the I want to do work on list.

Four skeins of Malabrigo Arroyo in #133 Reflecting Pool. I'm thinking a sweater for myself with this.

This is a total of 320 yard of Dream in Color Perfectly Posh Sport. It was as January 2014 club. This bigger part has 225 yards of copper and teal. The smaller one is 95 yards of teal. I thinking of a smaller shawl for this pair.

And last but not least one skein of Anzula Cloud in herd. This is OMG soft. The lady at the yarn store pointed out a shawl pattern that would use the one skein of this. And said she had seen it and thought it was amazing. So I might give that a try.

As you can see this could be the beginning of a problems since all of these yarns were purchased in the month of June. 

Hello Again

It's been ages since I've written a post.

Things had been crazy for a while. The long and the short of it is that I went back to school and finished my bachelors degree. This meant two new classes every six weeks. Twenty months later I finished with top honors. But this meant very little time for crafting or reading. And even less for blogging.

So now that that is finished and I'm back to crafting and reading again. I'm finding myself in need of a place to share. I'm not sure how often I'll post, I can't make promises, time with my family is still a high priority. But please stop by often and check to see what I've been up to.

And just because I like post with pictures in them:

I love how this picture turned out.

Well I hope that you have a good week. I'll be back soon to share the lasted additions to my yarn stash.