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I found this Halloween Hot

I found this Halloween Hot Pad pattern on the web and this Pumpkin Pencil Topper pattern, and don't forget the Pumpkin Dishcloth!

And here is what we did last night -- yeah, mine is the happy firendly one on the right. Mine never turn out evil looking -- always happy and grinning.
And what about this here pumpkin -- talk about big!

I added a Book Review

I added a Book Review section today. I am an avid reader and have always wanted to keep a record of the books that I have read. Now I have a convenient place to do it. I will be adding books as I finish reading them -- probably 1-2 a week. I also plan to add knitting book reviews as soon as I get a chance.

I finished the little

I finished the little Lorna's Laces "Child's Play" socks for Maddie this weekend -- not the best picture, but she doesn't want me to take them off! Listening to her say "Pretty socks!" with a big smile on her face made it totally worth the effort. She will be getting another pair of socks soon -- I have some Regia left over from my socks, so I might try to stretch that out with a little filler yarn (on heels and toes?). Now I am working on a pair of socks for Pete -- they are from the Knitting on the Road book. More details later.



But the big excitement of the weekend was a trip to the pumpkin patch. Here is Maddie with her Daddy (above) and with me (below - not the best picture of me - ugh).

As you can see, I am carrying my felted "City Shoulder" bag and wearing my "Cozy" scarf :) The weather has been pretty nasty here - cold, grey, rainy -- so we were glad to get out of the house on Sunday -- even went for a nice walk around the neighborhood to checkout all the trees. I think we are at peak color right now.

Well, I brought back tag

Well, I brought back tag board and the comments now that the template is pretty much in shape. Leave me a comment!

Okay -- this is a

Okay -- this is a little better, more understated. I think I'm addicted!

Okay -- I know

Okay -- I know it's annoying, but I am learning how to make animated gif's. My next one will be better -- I promise!! If you want to know how I did this -- just email me!

The Cozy scarf is done

The Cozy scarf is done and I am wearing it as we speak. It really didn't photograph all that well, but it sure turned out great if I do say so myself. It was knit using "Cozy" by Thaki Yarns and 19US needles (actually a circular -- cheap plastic Susan Bates. Worked like a charm and got it for 40% off with one of those great Micheal's coupons!) I used a simple K1 P1 rib after trying about 10 different patterns and 3 different needle sizes. Who says a simple scarf is easy! Only complaint -- the Cozy yarn had joins or shall we call them knots. I expected to have each skein be in ONE continuous piece since this is somewhat pricey designer-type yarn. Other than that, it was a very satisfying project -- very quick.



And here are the oh so cute socks that I am knitting up for my little almost two year old! I'm using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Child's Play. They are coming out really cute and I have gotten over my misery of having to rip the first one out. They are so quick (gotta love kid's projects) that I may even have them finished for her birthday on Wednesday.

What have I been doing?

What have I been doing? Well, over the weekend I painted my bathroom, put up new towel bars, bought fabric for a new curtain, made the curtain, bought a curtain rod, installed it and hung the new curtain. Whew. Didn't leave much time for knitting, but I am feeling proud of a big job accomplished.

On knitting. . . I started my alpaca/silk "throw" and I am finding that about 5-10 rows is my limit for one sitting. It's the type of thing that you need to concentrate on (which is difficult to do with an almost 2 year old running about). I have also been working on socks for this almost 2 year old -- but I had to completely frog that -- grrrrrr. I tried the first one on her after the heel turn and it was just too tight for her comfort, so I switched from 1's to 2's and it seems like this should work just fine. Her big birthday party is this weekend, so I guess I will have to curb the knitting in favor of cleaning the house and making lots of food!

I put up the beginnings

I put up the beginnings of a gallery page today -- very basic. I hope to have a page for each finished item listing pattern used, yarn used, needles used, wip pics, finished pic, etc. But today there are just a few pictures. . .

They're finished! I finished up

They're finished! I finished up my Regia's this morning and I'm wearing them now. I made the cuffs rather short because I never made a pair of socks with Regia and I wasn't sure how much yarn I would have. As it turns out, I have a lot left over. Might make matching socks for Maddie! And here they are on my tootsies:


one last photo for the day -- my first yarn.


I made a single ply of the dark wool first and then a ply of the lighter so that I could ply them together and really be able to see what I had. I discovered that I spun it too thick, but I think that I am starting to get the hang of it.

Where do I start? This

Where do I start? This weekend my friend Theresa and I hit the yarn stores in Chicago and I was pretty good, but I did buy a bunch of Alpaca/silk to make myself a cute little wrap/scarf type thing that they call a "throw." I also picked up Rebecca and Jo Sharp 1. I haven't mentioned my recent purchase of massive amounts of sock yarn on the internet, but I have my work cut out for me. Pics still to come. I also got my spindle on Friday from the Bellweather. They were so great -- fast shipping and they included a second spindle for FREE. I started spinning Friday and the very first yarn I produced was nothing much to look at, but I was rather proud anyway.

I have been trying to finish the second Regia sock even though I have been quite busy (shopping Saturday and painting - yuck - my bathroom Sunday). Does the second sock always seem to take longer than the first? I'm also knitting away on my "Cozy" scarf, and with the weather that we are having I will be needing it soon! I also have a new scrapbooking goal -- a 2 page layout each week. My daughter is almost two and I haven't finished her first year album yet. I am proud to say that I just finished 2 pages and it is only Monday! Maybe I can get in another 2 pages this week.

Another finished object! It

Another finished object! It isn't blocked and the ends aren't all woven in (groan -- my least favorite part of knitting!), but I couldn't wait to try it on Maddie.

Now that the finished objects are starting to pile up I think I better start a gallery page -- maybe tomorrow.

Wow -- bag felting must

Wow -- bag felting must be popular judging from the responses I reveived concerning my felted purse. It is all dry and I am searching through my stash for the right button/closure. Over the last two days I have been feverishly working on the cute little cardie for Maddie using the Elaine Yarn from Schaefer in Fragglestone colorway. I have it 85% finished and I think it's awful cute. Pics later today? Tomorrow? We'll see how it goes!

Okay -- I decided to

Okay -- I decided to put a plastic grocery bag around the boxes -- if you try this, I suggest you do the same. The damp boxes were starting to smell like wet cardboard and I didn't want my new bag to smell funny.

And here it is!

And here it is! It's still wet and I haven't added any kind of closure yet, but this is it! After you felt it, the bottom is sort of rounded and undefined. I just shoved (and I mean shoved!) two small boxes in there to help hold the shape as it dries (second picture shows this). I think I was supposed to wrap them in plastic first, but I didn't. The bag wasn't wet -- just damp, so I figured it would be okay. Can't wait to use it!

Here is the bag

Here is the bag after the first wash -- still a little misshapen and big. Into the wash again!

Well here is the

Well here is the bag "pre-felting". I tried to give you an idea of its enormous size by photographing it with the armoir. Let's put it this way, when I hang it from my arm is hits the floor! As I write this, I hear the first wash cycle ending. They say it might take three wash cycles -- we'll see. Despite it's size, this was a VERY quick and easy project. Basically it is knitting (stockinette stitch) in the round on 10 1/2 US needles which is a great TV project. No thought required. I even found myself knitting "by feel" without having to look at the project while knitting -- kinda cool!

Post-felting pictures coming soon!