Get Well Soon Grandma!

I know that she probably won't have the strength or ability to read this for some time, but I just wanted to say that I hope Grandma feels better soon. She has been in the hospital this week. Thoughts and prayers for her please. Hopefully she was discharged today. Looking forward to seeing her very soon and be able to spend time with her. Love you and miss you Grandma!!!

I need some help from Santa's Elves!

I wonder if Santa has any elves in his workshop that know how to knit??? I could use some help! This week has been crazy, the toddler is learning that being 2 is fun (and quite loud) and has been quite full of himself lately. I have gotten nothing done!!! No knitting, no crafting, no baking!!! And it's already December!!! I really need to find some time this weekend to get something done. And wow...its already 3pm, where did the day go already?!?!?!

Okay, well time to get back to knitting. 2 surprises done, and a lot more to go!!! Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather!!!

The Holiday Vortex!!!

Mom said it best, years ago, when describing how the holidays come so fast and before you know it, its spring again! She was right! Ever since we got back from NYC we have been so busy! Between getting back into work and preparing for the holidays, we have hardly had time to breathe, much less post to a blog.

NYC recap: We had so much fun! It felt sooo good to get away for a few days! In fact, it felt so good, that we kinda rushed our first day there and did sooo much! The rest of the time we spent watching movies, relaxing and shopping. Best part? Pizza every night!!! Short list of things we did: The Met, Hard Rock, Central Park, Quidditch World Cup, Comedy Show, Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza, Nintendo World, American Girl Place, and many other stores! But the two coolest things ever were being on Good Morning America (seen on tv twice and got to see Josh Groban live inside the studio!) and sat in for a taping of the Jon Stewart show!

The only disappointment with this trip was the weather! I spent two weeks knitting for our trip and for what? 60 degree weather???? I was SWEATING!!!! That's right sweating! I was so looking forward to COLD. Oh well, the ear warmer definitely came in handy!! And I got a compliment on my husband's Domo gloves, someone wanted to know where he bought them ;)

Overall, we had an amazing trip! But its good to be home and getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Im so excited about this years gifts! I hope everyone likes them! Its more or less a sample of my knitting, with a little something nice to pamper oneself! Its not much, but I really wanted to make something for everyone in the family. And not knowing what people like when it comes to knitted items, I figured this would be best! Pictures to come (after xmas of course!).

New York New York!!!

Ahhh, vacation! What a sweet sound.... but then the panic sets in....what does a Floridian wear to NYC when the high is only going to be 50??? Solution: KNIT KNIT KNIT as fast as you can!

We are about a week away from our vacation and Im still on the hunt for the perfect coat pattern. But I think I am going to have to settle, in the name of warmth and time, on wearing my ski coat and just knitting as many accessories as possible in the next few days. This is what I get for always making stuff for other people. The time finally comes when I get to wear knitted items and Im completely unprepared and out of time!!!! *sigh*

So for now, Im working on the matching cowl to go with the wrist warmers I made. They started out as convertible mittens, but in the interest of time (and the lack of time to go get help from Knit!), I decided fingerless mitts would do (we do live in Florida afterall and thats what pockets are for!) Im debating a matching hat (I hate hats personally and don't look good in them), or maybe a matching ear warmer/head band. Im thinking about making some more accessories to go with my Harry Potter set considering we will be attending the World Cup, great opportunity to wear our stuff and show off my handy work.

Anyways, mind is racing with ideas and as always, fingers cant keep up! So back to working on the cowl. Hopefully knock it out tonight or tomorrow. I have the next two days off (definitely deserved and needed!) so ample time to get some things accomplished. Until then, Happy Knitting!!!

*Also above, a picture of my two favorite people trick or treating around the neighborhood*

The Magic Loop and Domo!

After finishing the Harry Potter project, I immediately wanted to start a short project, just something to keep me knitting but nothing too involved. I spotted this pattern a while back, and after seeing my husband's reaction, knew that I had to make these for him. The only problem: I had never made a thumb gusset before :(

I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of having to make mitts on double pointed needles, so I did some research on the magic loop and thought it looked pretty easy. IT WAS!!! I will never use double pointed needles again! (unless I absolutely have to). The magic loop was incredibly easy! And making the thumb gusset was even easier! So here they are, another item for my husband (better not hear anymore complaining from him that he doesn't ever get any knitted items!).

And now, Im already on my new project, a pair of cabled convertible mittens! My husband and I are thinking about going to New York in about 3 weeks for the International Quidditch Association World Cup and will need some warm clothes (or at least accessories!). The plan: to make matching cabled mitts, cowl (or infinity scarf or moebius), and matching hat (or headband/ear warmers). Wish me luck!!! If I have time, I might even put together a sweater!!! haha. I really am an overachiever!!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Done Please!

As my favorite toddler would say, "Done Please!" YAY! Im done Im done Im done!!! But also bummed slightly...

So I finally finished all three of our Harry Potter Sets!! WOO! It has been a crazy 3 months but it was totally worth it! Not only did I finish, but again, finished BEFORE my deadline! woo! AND I have already started another project, hehe!

I am so proud of myself for taking on such a massive project in what seems to have been the busiest 3 months of our married lives! haha. Between work, moving, and everything else, I have managed to tackle the most involved projects of my knitting career! hehe. Very exciting stuff! I am so happy! And so glad it is over! The sets turned out awesome! And while they have a few flaws, overall, I am very very very happy with the end result! I cannot wait to see everyone in their outfits on Saturday, which brings me to why I am slightly bummed...

My photographer friend is in town this week. Originally, she was going to accompany us to Harry Potter World at Islands of Adventure (Universal) and take our Christmas card pictures there this Saturday. Unfortunately, she will not be able to due to time constraints, so I am having to settle for pictures with her in our own version of the Forbidden Forest. I have worked so hard on these outfits and want some great pictures. Im sure all will work out. Besides, mom has offered to help us with pictures one weekend at HPW. Most people do their own pictures for Christmas cards anyways and then let Walgreens do the rest....so maybe my plans won't be ruined completely....here's to hoping my camera does an adequate job (hint hint hint hubby and family, I want a new camera!!!, thanks!).

So onto my new project before tackling some Christmas patterns. I am making Domo fingerless mitts for the hubby. Most of you probably don't know what Domo is, and to be honest, I didn't really know either until hubby showed it to me at the Japan store in Epcot. Pictures to follow. Already started them and they are going rather quickly. Even using a new technique!! Magic-loop! And having to make a thumb gusset for the first time! Okay, back to knitting and watching Dr. Quinn!

The fake knee high!

It has been a long and crazy week and another one is about to start! We finally got our bed moved over and most of our stuff, so now all that is left are a few dishes and glasses and a few odds and ends. Nothing that can't be done in a day. So that's one thing checked off my list!

The next, was finishing my sister's skirt for Harry Potter pics (which are this coming weekend, yikes!). Now just to go buy buttons and sew in the ends! Woo! Its super cute and can't wait to see it all come together.

After making her skirt, I felt as though she needed something else to go with her outfit, so today I whipped up a fake knee high. There is no heel, its more like a stirrup but looks like a sock! haha! so I guess she finally got her socks after all! The top wants to keep sliding down, so I put in a string that can be tied tight. Next time I will use elastic or something...

So one more to go of the fake knee highs and then that is it for Harry Potter! 3 very long months of working with the same color wool and making some very very very long and involved projects!

That leaves me with just one question..... what to start on next???

What am I worth?

Apparently, my work is worth $550!!

On Saturday, mom treated us girls to a pedicure. It gives us a chance to have girl talk and catch up on the latest fashion magazines (that I otherwise wouldn't bother buying or looking at).

I picked up InStyle and began my usual page flipping, scoffing at the so called fashion. I prefer jeans and a t-shirt any day, thank you. Anyways, so I was looking through the fall fashion section and came across a knitted pull over made of wool with a snowflake intarsia design on it. The price? Thats right, $550. Did I not just make something similar myself for Harry Potter? Flipped to the next page, a knitted wool vest for $525! Just made that for my husband.

I guess Im worth a lot after all. Guess you'll be thanking me in the future for your high fashion, expensive, couture, hand knit designs this Christmas!!! (and on your part, spending a little more on me, considering, after all, that I am worth at least $550! just kidding!)

He's a cute, cuddly, little bumble bee!

Did I actually get a hat done in just a weekend? It feels like it has been forever since I have been able to start and finish a project in the same weekend! Life has been soo crazy (good, but crazy), and time seems to just slip away! My husband and I had a very busy weekend. The baby celebrated 2 years this past weekend! He was too cute opening gifts and trying to blow out his candle, "help please!". After the party, mom and lil sis came back to our apartment to make Halloween cookies. I was having mega trouble with the dough, but eventually got it to roll out nicely. We had fun decorating them with icing...should have taken pics, ooops! After all that, we moved a load of stuff, ate dinner with the fam, and then came back home. Sunday was pretty much the same, more moving and time with the fam. But....I did manage to finish my sister's Hufflepuff beret!! And of course, my husband loves being goofy and modeled it for all of you to see since my sister wasn't around to try it on! HAH!

Already have one panel of her skirt done. I showed it to her last night and she loved it (along with her beret!). I love making things for her and just seeing how her face lights up when I show her my latest project! Hoping the skirt goes quickly so that I can make her some stockings or something to match.

Anywho, big shout outs to my grandma and aunt who are continually on the hunt for yarn! I really appreciate their time and effort, going to thrift stores and garage sales looking for knitting supplies (shout outs to their friends as well who also find me yarn!). The scraps are awesome and are great for holding stitches, making swatches, and making intarsia and fairisle color blocks! Sometimes they get lucky and find a whole bag of the same color! Even though I am having a blast making things for Harry Potter, I am getting sick of working with the same color and with the same wool. Can't wait to make some things for Christmas, which hopefully includes Stockings for my husband and I!

Well, back to knitting and packing!

Gryffindor!!!!

I am so excited! I just finished my Harry Potter set!!! AND I finished right on time! I made goals for myself in order to keep the pressure on and to get my fingers moving faster! I decided back when I took on this Harry Potter project that I would devote one month to each set, starting with August and the Ravenclaw house. September was for my set, and October is for my sister's set.

I was really worried that I wouldn't finish on time with my set, but as luck would have it, I found a few extra hours in my day and was able to power through and get it all done! Now I am just hoping that the weather will get cooler so we can wear these awesome sets!

For my sister's Hufflepuff set, I originally decided on a simple jumper dress, almost like a tunic, and was going to pair it with some leggings. But yesterday, after perusing my usual knitting pattern sites, I came upon this extremely cute button down skirt with patterned pleats!!! I emailed her the picture and she loved it, so tomorrow I begin!!!

I did learn quite a bit from my very first sweater (with sleeves). I cannot wait to make another one!!! Well, before I start a new project, I guess I should do some more packing....the big move is coming up quick and our weekends are packed! So back to doing something productive! I have the day off tomorrow because it's the baby's birthday this weekend!! Happy 2 to a very special boy!!!

Busy and yet productive!

It has been a while since I last posted. After finishing my husband's Potter set, I immediately started working on mine, which might take a bit longer than his did. I am making a full cardigan for myself, adding the house colors to the bottom hem and sleeves. It is actually coming along rather quickly and I can't wait to finish it! The pattern is really easy to follow and I have already divided the sleeves, back and fronts. Now just to knit, purl, knit, purl for about 22"!!! haha. Shouldnt be too terrible, just boring at times. It is a good TV watching project, which is great because I just got the next DVD of Dr. Quinn (favorite series ever!).

Besides knitting, we have been very busy packing up! We hate where we live and thankfully our lease is up at the end of October! It doens't leave much time to pack and knit, so I have had to be choosy lately picking one night for packing and the other for knitting. My husband and I have gotten a lot done and hopefully will be taking another load tonight to the storage unit (that is after I pack the car, haha).

The pressure is definitely on to get everything done in time for Halloween. Not only do we have to pack and move, but I also have to finish my set, and my sister's by the end of October! What was I thinking when I took all this on??? Oh yea....I remember now....Im an overachiever! And since I am no longer in school, I gotta have something to stress about! haha. Well, back to packing, loading, and maybe some knitting!

YAY my first normal sized garment!

Im soooo excited! I just finished my very first adult sized garment!!! Now I feel as though I can accomplish just about anything!!! So here it is! Hope you all enjoy! And now my husband can never say that I don't make things for him!! HAHA.

Next on the project list: Gryffindor sweater and head scarf for me, and then a Hufflepuff jumper dress and beret for my lil sis! I really want to show off my talent in our Christmas pictures! Soo excited to be trying new patterns and actually making things that I can wear! Hoping that winter gets here soon so that we can start wearing these warm wool garments!

YAY for Harry Potter and YAY for making something really neat!

Almost Done!

So I am almost done with my husband's Ravenclaw sweater vest!!! I am almost done working on the ribbing for the second armhole and just have the neck band left! I will post pictures of the entire Ravenclaw get up when I am finished (hopefully tonight!)

Busy bee!

This past week or two has been insane! With in-laws in town, little sister starting middle school, and work, I have managed to get hardly any knitting done! Or anything done for that matter!

Mom2 is on her way back to Tally tomorrow, sister starts school tomorrow, and back to a normal schedule next week! Whew! Its been a long and crazy summer!

I must admit that Im looking forward to my normal schedule again. The baby is actually starting to play on the floor now with his toys and is doing less running around! Hopefully this means that there will be less chasing around! His birthday is coming up and Im so excited that he is going to be 2! Each day he is learning more and more and is continually surprising all of us with the things he is saying and doing! He has started saying "I want ____" which is quite funny. And apparently I have him well trained, too! The other day I went to Michael's to pick up some paint brushes for my husband. And the baby cried out "I want soft!" (Soft is his word for yarn). HAHAHAH Nice!!! Starting him at a young age! Hey, maybe by 3 he will be knitting?!?!?! Then I can finally start that business....

Anyways, well, lots I have been working on. Trying to get at least one vest done before the month is over. Almost done with the Ravenclaw scarf. Have to knit a few more rows, bind off, and then weave in ends. Already finished one ball of wool for the the first sweater vest so hopefully the rest will go quickly. My sister just expressed to me last night that she would like a Harry Potter set as well for Halloween (haha yea right! Like I have time for that....lol). We will see. I am an over achiever....

Little girls little girls!

(Watched Annie with lil sis the other day! thought of this song with all this pink around!)

Just finished up some great items for baby girls! I made the pushing daisies hat for my photographer friend. Can't wait to see newborn shots with this one!!! It turned out really cute and only took one night to make! YAY!

The dress is for my mom's friend that is expecting a grand daughter. Originally I was going to give the sweater to her, but then started thinking that the dress would be much better here with this hot weather! I am going to give the sweater to my mom's niece, who is expecting her fourth and first baby girl!!! Im also making a baby blanket to match, but since she isn't due until November, I have some time to finish it after I get back onto Harry Potter.

Anyways, it has been great fun doing all these short projects, but now I really need to get back to Harry Potter because then it is time to work on Christmas gifts! Yikes! Where did this year go?????

Well, shark week is on.....you know what Im going to be doing!

Getting crafty!

Quite a bit to update tonight:

Went to Hobby Lobby again on Thursday with my little sister. Thanks to my grandma, I had a 40% off coupon which came in handy! Walked out with some yarn, a head, and some letters. HAHA. My sister loved the store and can't wait to go back for more stuff! Is that good or bad?

anyways, mom wanted me to make some art for my sister's bedroom wall. They just got done repainting everything pink and green with stars. So thats what we came up with. The letters go on her green wall and the they have little stars glued on them. I should have taken a picture of her wall today. It turned out super cute!! Only.....the letters won't stick because the walls were painted with a high gloss so yea...

Finished the acorn hat for my friend the photographer! It turned out really cute but was such a pain to make! yikes! Had to rip it out a few times to get it right. The circumference is a little large, but im hoping it will work for a newborn.

Working on a dress for another baby shower! Im really quite the overachiever here! Most to post with that when I get around to taking a picture.

Off to bed. Flowers to knit in the morning and then helping mom clean more of the house.

My hands hurt!

Today started out miserable and ended well, miserable! It was good in the middle though! Actually was able to sleep in this morning, which is amazing! Attempted to change my name at the DMV only to find out that the social security office got their information wrong. So didn't get my name changed after all but did enjoy a nice lunch and shopping trip with the baby's grandpa. (The baby and his family are out of town this week, giving me the week off, yay!).

Anyways, got home around 3:30 and decided that I should start working on the acorn baby hat that my friend wants me to make her for an upcoming photo shoot with a new born baby. I want to get the hat done so that I can mail it to her and then return to Harry Potter.

The pattern is written for in the round, but I found it very frustrating working on double pointed needles to start, so I decided to just do it on circulars. Well that didnt work. Round 2: attempted to try it on double pointed needles again. Fail. Round 3: tried to work it on straight needles. Fail. Round 4: finally figured out how to transfer the pattern from in the round to straight needles. Success! At 9pm that is....

So now my hands hurt and Ive lost interest in the hat, even though its really cute, im dreading the decreases that I have to transfer out of the pattern...ugh... Hopefully it turns out cute and Ali gets some great pics with it....maybe then it will be worth all the trouble and pain.....

Hoping this hat goes by fast....time for bed.

Grand Opening of Hobby Lobby!!!

I finished my first sweater and as a reward I treated myself with a trip to Hobby Lobby!!!

Saturday I went over to Knit and got some guidance picking up stitches. Something about sitting at that table gives you sooo much confidence! The ladies were so happy for me and they said the sweater looked adorable. Can't wait for mom and my little sister to see it!

Sunday, we went over to Grandma's. I didn't have any buttons at home that would work with the sweater, but Grandma came to the rescue! After a little digging through her collection, I managed to find 5 white buttons that were all the same! I sewed them on right there in her living room! hehe.

Today was my first real day off this summer. So I took a day for me! YAY! The grand opening of Hobby Lobby just happened to be today (coincidence? I think not!). Could have easily dropped a few hundred in that store! They just have sooo many yarn colors and weights! I really had to work hard to keep the number of purchases down! I did good though and only spent 32$! However, I think I might go back with my little sister later this week and let her pick through some stuff! She always has a good eye for cute stuff!

Well, back to working on a baby blanket to match the sweater! Less than 2 weeks to finish it! And then I desperately need to get back to Harry Potter before I get distracted again!

My very first sweater!!!

On Monday night, I went out to eat with my parents and little sister. My mom told me that a dear friend of ours is expecting her first grandchild. My mom is invited to the baby shower, which is in 2 weeks. So of course, my mom asked me to make something. Unfortunately, that's not much time!!! Yikes!!! And with Harry Potter on the mind, I didn't really want to take on any new projects until all of that is finished!

Being the good daughter that I am, and the fact that I love babies, I decided I would start small, maybe with a hat or booties, and then work up to a blanket. That way, if I ran out of time at least mom could give her something. As an overachiever, that just wasn't good enough for me I guess. I originally found a really easy pattern for a garter stitch cardigan. No buttons, no shaping, easy easy. I started working on it and just found it to be boring. So I decided to go with a much more complicated pattern. Its a beautiful button up cardigan, worked from the top down, with feather and fan trimming on the sleeves and fronts. I just start knitting it yesterday and already I have one sleeve completed. Im hoping to finish the other sleeve tonight and then the rest of the body this weekend. I am going to need to seek help however with the button bands and collars. I haven't quite mastered picking up stitches so hopefully Marnie can help me with that next week.

Im so proud of myself for finally making a sweater! Its soooo much easier than I thought! I cannot wait until I get to make a baby sweater for my own child some day! Definitely saving this pattern for future use!

So for now, Harry Potter is on the waiting list (along with 4 other projects that I have started recently). As soon as I finish the sweater, Im going to work on making a feather and fan blanket to match. The pattern repeats are really easy and I think if I use bigger needles it will go by pretty fast. Anyhow, back to knitting!!!

We are such dorks!

Today was another lazy Saturday. My husband and I have been needing a lot more of those here lately it seems! Anyways, after dinner tonight with my dad and his gf, my husband and I headed over to the mall to just walk around. His birthday is next weekend and we had been talking about getting him a new game to play on one of our systems.

Not only did we get a new game, but he also got me a new Vera Bradley bag! hehe

Anyways, so now, here we are, enjoying our lazy Saturday: my husband is playing the new Harry Potter Lego game, while I'm making our Hogwarts wear! HAHA, we are such dorks!!!

Finished his Ravenclaw house colors hat. Working on his scarf, which is giving me issues, weaving in all those ends! Alright, back to more knitting and game playing!

Christmas in July!!!

I never thought I would be one of those women that started thinking about Christmas in July. Well, I guess I am! In fact, I started thinking about it in June! When we were visiting my photographer friend, I came up with this amazing idea!!! My friend will be back down visiting family in October. I had already asked her to make time in her plans to do our Christmas photos considering she won't be here in November and she did such an amazing job on our engagement pictures! So she agreed and then I started thinking about location and what to wear. While I was in DC I managed to find a knitting store near the Capitol (super cool btw!). In the shop, called STITCH DC, I found this great sock weight yarn that would look amazing as a ribbed sleeveless top. I purchased red, again thinking ahead about Christmas. Anyways, so while we are walking about the Natural History Museum with my friend and her family, I had another brilliant idea!!! My husband and I's love for Harry Potter apparently does not stop at books, movies and merchandise; it will now also include family photos!!! HAHA. Okay, so here is my idea: When they built Harry Potter World at Universal, they made Hogsmeade (the wizarding village just below Hogwarts Castle), with snow capped buildings. So Christmas pictures in October wouldn't be much a stretch since it always looks like winter there. But then I got to thinking even more.....how cool would it be if I made my husband and I knitted sweaters, hats, scarves and robes to go with???? So yes, dear family and friends, my husband and I will be saying very soon: Happy Holidays from Hogsmeade!!!

Of course this throws me into a state of panic. That's not much time and considering I haven't made a garment of any kind yet, Im a bit freaked out! But not to worry, Knit! is a great resource and so is the net. Just finding the time is the problem. All of the yarn has been purchased and to my great surprise, JoAnns had everything I needed! So back to working on house scarves and hats.

On another note, I finally finished the afghan I was making for my mother in law. I used the Tunisian crochet hook that I purchased at the Stitches convention in Atlanta back in April. Having never used this technique before, the afghan came out a bit smaller than I had hoped, but it still looks really neat! I can't wait to make another blanket this way, it was really quick and mindless, which makes it perfect for watching tv and trying to knit. I hope she likes it!

Happy 4th!

Well, I had planned to get on here earlier today to post about my newest endeavor, but as life would have it, things didn't go that way. Earlier today, the husband and I had some friends over. Since most of them work on weekends, we never get to hang out. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that all of us had today off, so we finally got to have a game night (well, day) again. We had such a great time, until one of our friends started in with a high fever. Off to the walk in clinic we went. Just got home. So much for a blog entry, will have to save it for tomorrow.....

Coon!!

The name of this pattern cracks me up because of the baby. He has a racoon puppet that hides in a trash can. The baby absolutely loves this thing and goes crazy when you bring him out!

anyways, made this item for Ali, our amazing photographer! I can't wait to see what the newborn babies look like in it! Its called a baby cocoon and its all the rage for knitters. Apparently you put a newborn or infant in it and cuddle. I guess it takes the place of swaddling???

And just for dad (who claims he reads this), yes that is my Tickle Me Elmo!! Mom saved it for me after all these years and yes it still works!!! HAHA

I used a boucle yarn. Its super soft and I love the natural colors (good choice Ali!!). Super excited to give it to her tomorrow when we fly to DC tomorrow! I hope she likes it!

Well back to packing and watching the old Willy Wonka!

Productive!

This week has gone by sooo slow! I have worked many more hours than I had originally thought between babysitting and teaching swim lessons. But that's okay, we need the money right now and I have my sister's help. It was just a long week!

However, I got a lot of knitting done! That feeling to start something new inspired me to make something off of my list of favorite patterns! I decided to make the big button hat since my sister is staying with us this week. I took her to Michaels the other day and she picked out a leopard print button in pink. The hat was a very easy knit and instead of using double pointed needles when I started decreasing, I used two circulars. Both ways are a pain, but using the two circulars is probably easier, less needles getting in the way. The hat turned out super cute and I love the decreases and how they create a star effect on the top of the hat.

I finished the hat yesterday and began working on the potato chip scarf again. I was getting really bored with it so I asked my sister if she liked the length. She did! So I snipped the yarn off the ball and closed it up. It also looks super cute! Ive been working on that one forever it seems like! So now I am down to the house warming afghan.....and:

A triangle shawl and a baby cocoon! HAHA, can never have just one project going can I? I started the triangle shawl awhile back. Still not sure if I am happy with it yet, but its coming along nicely.

When we go to DC, we are staying with my friend and her husband. She is a photographer. She has asked me to make her things before, like the cupcake hats. This time, she will be shooting newborns and asked me to make some elf-ish hats and a baby cocoon. Im trying to get the cocoon done before we leave next week so I can just give it to her then. Ive never made one before and I am finding that the existing patterns are not helpful, so Im having to make mine up as I go. Hopefully it works out!

Well, back to painting with my sister. Got off work a few hours early today. Might actually have time to get something else done! WOO!

Paw's Camo Beanie

So the other day, the baby and his grandpa and I went on a mission to Walmart looking for those canvas bags for my sister's cheer squad (see previous post). In attempting to find the bags, we stumbled upon the yarn section. Trying to be good, I walked quickly to the other end of the aisle just to realize that Paw and the baby were stopped and playing with the yarn. So I walked back over to see what they were doing. Paw nearly freaked out when he saw camo yarn! HAHA. We have this long standing joke that one day he is going to get me to wear camo. So he was very happy when he found this yarn. I asked him if he would wear something made out of the camo and he said yes. So for father's day, this is what he is getting along with a license plate frame that says "My other car is a Studebaker."

I actually finished the hat Friday night, the same night as the back pack. I can't believe it knitted up so quickly! I think it only took me about 2 days to finish it and that's with doing chores and taking care of the kid. My husband is modeling the hat, and now he wants one too, but it won't be in camo thats for sure!!

Well, back to working on the house warming afghan and potato chip scarf. Now that Im down to only 2 projects, I feel the great need to start something new......

My true calling!

Well, here I am on a Friday night, hanging around the house with the husband and watching Lost. Such an addictive show! Geez! And man does it mess with your head! Just when you think you have this show figured out, BAM! They throw in a new twist! Craziness....

Anyways, while watching the seemingly endless episodes of Lost, I managed to finish a few projects. I just completed a back pack for my sister. I got the pattern of of LionBrand.com. Cute pattern, make quite a few changes to make it easier and a faster knit. I think it came out pretty good! I hope she likes it!

So a few weeks ago my sister made the cheer squad at her school. Im so proud of her! She even did the auditions in crutches! Anyhoo, when I heard she made the squad my crafting brain when into over drive! And soon enough my mother was on board as well and I was quickly guilted into making more than I had originally planned. I wanted to make my sister a cheer bag. Since there are only 8 girls on the squad, they don't have much funding, so I figured I would make her one, and then thanks to my mom, ended up making enough for the entire team. Which was fine! I think this is my true calling! I keep joking around with my husband that my true calling is to be a stay-at-home-pta-room-mom. I love kids, I love crafting, and I love organizing! Can't wait until we have kids of our own so that I can make it happen! Until then, my sister will have to do!

Ok, back to knitting and watching Lost!!!

Harry Potter World and Wristlets!

Today my husband and I had the unique pleasure of experiencing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (which technically doesn't open for 2 more weeks!). We had an amazing morning walking around Hogsmeade and drinking our Butterbeers as we stopped at Olivander's and got our wands and the candy store for some chocolate frogs!!!

Anyways, wanted to get on here and post the pictures of the wristlets that I just finished seaming for my sister (she is spending the night so we can take her tomorrow to HP). They turned out really cute! I have a ton of yarn left over, so Im going to make her leg warmers and maybe something else to match.

After going to HP today, I am totally inspired now to create new HP themed projects. Originally for the opening of the new park I was considering making some scarves or a bag or something, but realizing that its the middle of summer and also that no bags are allowed on the new ride, I changed my mind. But worry not! Come winter, my husband and I will be fully prepared for cold weather at HP. Not to mention, we bought wands today, so I need to make some wand covers!! HAH

Alright off to bed. Early day again tomorrow!!!

Too long...

So it has been almost a whole month since I last updated. I do apologize readers!!! It has been a crazy month! My husband has been working long hours, and the baby hasn't been sleeping much so that leaves me with very little time to knit!

I just finished up my sister's glamour wristlets. I just have to sew up the seams, and I need her in the room to do it so I can make sure to leave enough room for her thumbs.

Found a new knitting store over on the coast. Got some great books for socks and sweaters so very excited to try some of that! Only 2 weeks left of full time with the baby and then maybe I can get over there and try some of these new techniques!

Right now Im working on a back pack for my sister and a blanket for my mother in law using the Tunisian crochet hook that I picked up in Atlanta. Im also still working on the potato chip scarf. Im on my last ball of yarn for it, so it shouldn't be much longer before it is finished!

I can't wait to make my first garment. Im making a shell for my mom. I just need to go get the circular needles for it. It doesn't look too hard, might need to seek some help from the Knit store. Hopefully it turns out!

Well, off to bed. It was an awesome long weekend! Back to work tomorrow. Its going to be a long (short) week!

Sick but organized

So over the past week or so, my husband and I have been fighting off a cold. Luckily, the baby's mom gave me today off to rest up. I definitely needed it. The husband and I have not been sleeping lately mostly due to our congestion. But after some Nyquil last night I feel much better. This weekend is Muddy Buddy so we are going to need to get some rest here in the next day or two. Speaking of MB, I have to work on our costumes today. Sadly, it isn't something that I could easily knit, so I have to bring back my crafting and ironing skills! Pictures to follow once I finish them.

Well, I got all my yarn organized and put away for the most part. I have a lot of quick projects coming up so I hope that will start to clear some space in my cubby holes for the yarn I brought home from Stitches.

I finished blocking one of the secret projects last night. It was my first attempt at blocking and I think it turned out well. Some of the sides are curling a little bit but not as badly as before. I also finished the second secret project so now its back to the potato chip scarf and new projects!

Excited for this summer, only 3 weeks away! It means less time working and more time for knitting and maybe even some crafting and scrapbooking!!! Looking forward to it for sure! Well, back to resting I suppose. Hopefully I can kick this cold in the butt by Saturday morning!

We're home, with lots of yarn!!!

Stitches South was amazing! Im not really sure where to even start....

We all managed to get off work by 1pm on Friday, and were soon on the road. We made great time getting up there, and the hotel was pretty easy to find. My husband said the traffic was a little on the heavy side, I however wouldnt know as I tend to sleep on most car rides.

The best part about Friday night was going down to the lobby to look around and this is what we saw: A bunch of ladies (young and old) sitting in bath robes and shower caps, listening to techno/club music, and knitting while sipping on cosmos!!!!!

Saturday we took our time getting to the Stitches Market. There were over 600 tables of vendors! Extremely overwhelming! We made a loop around first, just trying to take everything in. Then we took a second loop around and that is when I get into trouble! Too much yarn! A lot of vendors had bags of yarn on discount, so that is where I picked up the Noro sock yarn. Of course, I wont be making socks with it, but still, awesome prices! Luckily, I knew how much I would have paid for that back home, so I knew I was getting a good deal. At that same vendor, I also picked up some glow in the dark yarn! I have a special project in mind for that!

My mother in law treated me to a great bag! I cant even begin to describe all of its functions but basically you can put needles on the inside pockets. Then you can unzip the entire bag so that the needles and pockets are on the outside and you can put your yarn on the inside. It also turns into a backpack. Very cool! cant wait to fill it up with all my needles!

Lets see, I also got a Tunisian crochet hook! this thing is really cool! Its a hybrid between knitting and crocheting! Its super easy and a lot of fun! Afghans here we come! I also picked up some cute patterns, a shirt, and some other books and things!

My husband even took a knitting class! he got a free pair of square needles and some wool. He did very good! so proud of him!!!

All of us agreed that we are going back next year! And this time I think Ill bring patterns with me so I know what kind of yarn to be looking for! Soooo many pretty colors and fibers! Cant wait for next year!!!

For now, back to unpacking and laundry!

Stitches South! T minus 4 days and counting!

Im so excited about our upcoming trip to Atlanta!!! I cannot wait to get out of town and to go to something new! I have never been to a convention like this! And it wasnt too long ago that I took that first step in going to an actual yarn shop! Im sort of scared to see what I am going to find at Stitches! I think Im mostly afraid of buying more yarn (goodness, i already have enough!) and Im afraid I get sucked into this skill/trade/craft even more! But I am super excited because my husband and mother in law are going as well! Should be a great time and hopefully we will make it over to the Aquarium as well.

As for current projects, one of the top secret projects is half done. Secret project number 2 is about 1/3 of the way done, and the last project Im still looking for a pattern. If i cant find one, I might just use something I started working on a while back and havent yet finished. I still need to figure out what to make the baby's mother and grandmothers, not to mention my grandmother. Running out of time! ah!!! And speaking of running, 5 months to my half marathon! I wonder what kind of knitted items I could make for that...??? I dont think Turkey hats will do....

Drop stitch wave pictures

Here are the pictures of the scarf that I made for my mom. I love the colors and the pattern was super easy!

Just finished up a cupcake hat for Allison. She is coming into town next week for a special event and requested a blue cupcake hat for a photo shoot. I made her a pink one a while back. She is going to be shooting twins, a boy and girl, so she needed a blue one to match. Finding the brown was a pain, and ended up getting it in St. Augustine just to discover the next week that JoAnns started carrying it again! ugh!

Oh well. Well, back to my secret projects!

Happy Birthday Mom!

The other day was my mom's birthday. I finished the drop stitch scarf in time and delivered it to her at work with the baby. She really liked it! pictures to follow! So now I am working on some mother's day surprises for all the "mothers" in my life!

Exciting news!!! So my birthday is coming up and we have planned a little trip to....STITCHES SOUTH!!! Its a knitting convention and Im sooo excited to be going! Its going to be a marathon trip, leaving Friday, coming back Sunday, but it should be fun and Im looking forward to getting away and to seeing what this convention is all about! Im really stoked about going to the market! Hmmm more yarn please?!?!!? and then if we have time, hopefully going over to the Aquarium!

Many excited things planned! Right now, Im just exhausted! Spring break was awesome but I really did forget how much he wears me out!

Pictures of the Elmo blanket!

As you all know from my last post, the Elmo blanket is finally done! WOO! So now I get to move on to other projects (like the drop stitch scarf that I am almost done with!).

Went to Knit! the past few days thanks to spring break. Bought some great stuff with my coupon! Got some black alpaca for a lace shawl that Im going to be making here soon and some turquoise yarn to make a potato chip scarf (funny name I know). Then I found some awesome sock yarn, blue and orange, go gators!!

So my little sister is obsessed with the idea of me making socks. Not sure why. I can't justify making socks just yet. The yarn is so expensive. The hank of blue and orange was 24$. I could probably buy at least 10 pairs of socks for that price. So I have another project in mind for the yarn, and will hopefully get some help for it tomorrow before my personal training session. Lucky for me, they are in the same shopping center so I can knit and then go work out (rather, get my butt kicked).

And now, thanks to the lovely lady that I met on Wednesday at Knit!, I am addicted to Ravelry, its a huge site for knitters and yarn lovers. Plenty of patterns, people to talk to, etc. Its like Facebook for yarn addicts. haha. Boy am I in trouble now!!! So many patterns and sooo little time!!!

Viking Hats!!!

So my sister just reminded me the other night that I have not posted since March and since its now April, I need to post something new! Agreed! I have been so busy with projects that I haven't had the time to take pictures and write new posts!!! But all my hard work has paid off! I finished not only the Viking hats, but also the ELMO BLANKET!!!

The Viking Hats are for the movie "How To Train Your Dragon." The husband, sister and I are all going tonight to see it in 3-D. Im sooo excited to wear our awesome hats and have a great time! They were really fun to make too!

The Elmo blanket is now complete! Can you believe that it took over a pound of yarn to finish?!?!?! So now I have 3/4 of a pound left over from the second pound skein that I had to buy. Maybe a pillow to match???

Anyways, back to house work and possibly a nap before tonight's fun! Have a great Easter!

YAY for Spring and Easter!

Im getting really excited about spring and Easter coming up! so many projects that I want to make and sooo little time! Yikes!

I finished making a basket and decided that it was too floppy and not really good for a basket. oh well. So then I started working on some placemats for my mom. Can't decide when I will give them to her, but they are very colorful and fun! Oh yea! And I finished the Cheshire Cat inspired scarf! Im going to also call it my ADD scarf! I ended up changing the color sequence a few times throughout the scarf, which ended up giving it a cool effect!

So now its back to doing chores today. Might get in some knitting tonight, back to working on the placemats. I think the husband I are going to go paint some ceramics later tonight. We've been looking for more things to do around the area. Today we went to a wine and seafood festival! it was fun, and we got to taste a lot of great wine! Alright, back to house work! ick...

Busy busy busy!

Well, I haven't exactly been great at this blogging thing. It is hard to post new pictures and new entries when Im still working on the same thing from the past 3 posts! YIKES! But I am finally done with St. Patty's day dish cloths. Im not making as many as I originally set out to do. But that's okay, I think 6 is enough! Im still working on the Elmo blanket (maybe Ill have it by his birthday in October!), and still working on the Cheshire cat scarf. And now, to add to the mix, Im starting to work on some Easter baskets. Not to mention, I have orders for over 5 fairies!!! So Im very very very busy!!! So its back to knitting for me!

St. Patty's Day dishcloths!

I just finished up these two today! The baby slept for almost 4 hours total so I was able to get a lot done. I'm still finishing up one last dishcloth in order to finish the set. So it will end up with 3 cloths, one 5.5 square, one 7.5 inch square and one 10 inch square! They turned out great! Just have to weave in the ends.

Now I just have to finish this Elmo blanket that is taking me forever! I unfortunately had to rip out a few rows. I wanted to work in the baby's name somehow, so I had my husband make me a grid on Excel. I finally got the grid right and started to work out the actual pattern to use in the middle block of the blanket. Well, let's just say my calculations were off, and his name was starting to appear in the lower left corner, which is not the correct corner. So I decided to just rip out 10 rows and leave his name out and just do Elmo for all the blocks. So much for that! oh well, it was a good experience on how to make grids and write a correct pattern for them!!!

Easter is coming up and Im really excited! I plan on making my mom some placemats and then attempting some Easter baskets with the yarn my grandma just bought me (thank you again!). Alright, off to knitting land!

Cheshire Cat Scarf!

I'm actually making this for my mom, SHHH!!! I know she doesn't really read this, so its okay to post! Haha! Actually, Im kinda making it for both of us! Alice is coming to theaters soon and Ive had this microspun yarn for a few years now. Its a sport weight yarn, and its a pain to knit with, but they are the perfect colors! the pattern is really simple:

bias garter stitch scarf

row 1: k1, kfb, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1

row 2: knit all stitches

It gives the scarf a diagonal stripe pattern, perfect for that crazy cat!!! Im really proud of myself for only having 2 projects going at the same time. Normally its like 10!

Oh! went to a yarn shop yesterday on my day off. Its called Knit! and its about 40 minutes from my place, so it was a bit of a drive. They carry mostly cashmere, alpaca wool, silk and other fine yarns. It was a bit of a shock for me considering I knit with mostly acrylics. The prices are wayyyyy different too! I dropped 35$ on 4 small skeins of yarn! YIKES! I think I'll stick with my acrylics for most of my projects and only splurge at stores like Knit! for special pieces. I can't afford to spend that much on yarn!

And last but not least, the brag book is finished. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but for Kathryn and her friends, it will do. Hopefully it will generate some more interest! It doesn't help that it is starting to warm up! Well, back to knitting!

Bunny beanie!

I finished the bunny beanie today while the baby was sleeping. It turned out super cute! The ears are really floppy and kinda stiff, but when the baby put it on, it looked adorable! Of course, its too big for him! I hope my sister likes it! I want to make one in brown, and call it a chocolate bunny beanie or something like that. I basically took a simple beanie pattern and then added the ears and face from Stitch N' Bitch Nation.

I just got some cotton yarn so that I can make a clover hot pad for St. Patricks day! I was worried about using my favorite acrylic yarn (heat and acrylic probably wont do so well together), so I opted for sugar and cream instead. I also bought some matching yarn to make a dish cloth to go with it. I might try my hand at making a chart for a clover, Im having trouble finding one that I like. I should really try and finish the Elmo blanket before starting these next projects. I probably won't be doing another afghan or blanket for quite some time. Here lately, I have found that quick projects keep me more interested and I am less likely to slip into my ADD ways....

For now, Im working on some chipboard books to display my favorite projects. I have some prints waiting for me at the store. Hopefully I can get one of them done by the weekend so I can drop it off at my mom's house for my sister to take to school. Most of her friends have told her things that they want, rather than emailing me directly. Hopefully the brag book will bring in some more orders.

Well, off to dance class here in a little bit and then maybe some finishing of the book or starting of the hotpad!

New Pictures!

I just posted a bunch of pictures in the Gallery of Knits! Make sure to click on it on the left side of the screen to see all of the things that I have been knitting! Over the past 2 weeks, I finished my husband's basketweave scarf, bear slippers (or Wookie feet), the fairy, kitty headband, and I've gotten pretty far on the elmo blanket so far. Im so excited to be doing all this knitting! Ive picked up a few new books during the past week as well and can't wait to try some new patterns!

Im having a serious problem trying to figure out what to make next! There are just so many things that I want to knit! My sister hasn't had many orders these past few weeks so I have had a lot more time of "free" knitting. She is actually over here again this weekend while my parents are at a wedding. She has been wearing the kitty ears for about an hour now. They look so cute on her!

Well, off to play video games and to possibly start on a bunny beanie! Im trying to get a head start on Easter this year! Happy V-day everyone!

Elmo Blanket Started!

Okay Okay, I know I shouldn't start a new project without finishing the one Im already working on, but I tend to have ADD when I knit!!! My husband's scarf is still not done, but Im about half way there! That gives me about 5 days to finish it in time for V-day! HAHA. Anyhow, tonight, feeling the need to start something new, I decided to grab the one pound skein of red, and start working on the baby's Elmo blanket! I hope it turns out! Im trying to make it easy on myself and am working 3 blocks at a time, rather than working 9 separate blocks and then having to knit them all together in the end. We will see how this all works out!

But for tonight, here is a picture of the business cards and the holder that I made for them. Im so excited! I even found cupcake buttons! HAHA. I made one for my mom and for my lil sister. Hopefully I can make a few more to give to family members so that giving out my email and such is a bit easier! Well, off to bed! Back to the basketweave scarf tomorrow.

Business Cards!!!

I just finished making my new business cards for the Knitting Nanny!!! YAY! So now when people ask for my email, or more importantly when I get a call from my mom asking me for the 100th time what my email is, I can hand them a business card!

Tonight, the husband and I are going out to eat and then to the bookstore. Hopefully if I bring my knitting with me, I can create some interest and hopefully hand out a card or two. 

I'm almost done with the last cupcake hat! As cute as they are, making all those bobbles takes forever! Not mention, my husband is anxious for his scarf to be finished! I finally decided to go with a basketweave. This is of course after ripping out his scarf 7 times! I just wanted to find something manly (so st. stitch or rib did not do the trick). The basketweave looks better than the others, but I'm still not completely satisfied. Luckily, I know he will be happy regardless! HAHA, he has to! Pictures to follow!

Lace Wave Scarf

Just finished this scarf today! Still have to weave in the ends, but at least its done! The pattern is super easy:

CO 24 sts

Row 1: P3, Knit to last 3 sts, P3

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: K3, K2tog three times, (YO,K1) six times, K2tog three times, K3

Row 4: Knit

Repeat rows 1-4 until desired length, BO

Now I can finish up these last 2 cupcake hats. Hopefully those are the last for a while, Im getting kinda sick of making them. Ready to try something new!!!!

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten much knitting done this week. The baby decided that this is the week he is going to drop from one to two naps! YIKES! Needless to say, it has been a very long week for all of us! Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy so hopefully Ill get a lot of knitting done!

Not sure what I will attempt next, but probably something fun!