Live Fully

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Heather

2012 is supposed to be the year of WIPs for me since I will be taking part in Measi’s WIPocalypse. This means that I’ve been thinking about all the projects I’ve got hanging around that need to be finished. And, believe me, there is a lot. At last count, I was somewhere around 44 projects that have been started, and at least another 68 that are kitted and ready to go. Truthfully, I’m completely embarrassed by these numbers. Who needs that much stuff just sitting around unused?! And with the CreativFestival on the horizon, and an order I have to pick up at my LNS this week (which I now realize I totally don’t need, but feel an obligation to buy since part of it is a special order), those numbers will get even higher. So, rather than wait for 2012, I decided to poke around in my workbasket to see what I could find.

Live Fully by Dragon Dreams

This is Live Fully by Jennifer Aikman-Smith (Dragon Dreams). It is stitched with DMC floss and three colours of Crescent Colours floss on 28 count Toasted Almond Jazlyn. The pattern is from the 2010 CreativFestival, and, unlike some CreativFestival patterns, Jennifer has not made this one avaialble through Patterns Online.

I made only a minor change to the design. The blue circles should have a blue square stitched inside them, but I liked the look better with the circle empty.

I hate to admit that I don’t completely remember the story behind this design. I believe that Jennifer was inspired to create it when one of the ladies with whom she attends a yearly stitching retreat passed away from cancer at a relatively young age. Whatever the impetus, the design itself is lovely, especially with the over-one hands in various shades to represent sharing. I look forward to getting it framed and hanging it on my wall.

 

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A Wee Sweater

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Heather

More baby knits! I whipped up this little sweater the other week. It took me an obscene amount of time to sit down and sew on three tiny buttons, which is why I’m just posting about it now. (I just don’t like to sew on buttons. I know I’m not the only one.)

Jubilee Cardigan

Adorable, isn’t it?

The yarn is Ella Rae Baby Cotton (a cotton and nylon blend) in colour Ecru. The pattern is the Jubilee Cardigan from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2010.

Now, I know some people are completely against buttons on baby clothes. And I do understand, especially since it wasn’t all that long ago that Baby Man really was a baby. However, these buttons are sewn on so well I think it would take a bomb to get them off. I even let Baby Man had a good yank at them to make certain. Of course, if the baby’s momma decides to take them off, I’d be perfectly fine with that.

I also knit a wee preemie hat, using some Rowan Milk Cotton in a lovely pale purple. The pattern is Swirl Hat by Sheepy Time Knits (Ravelry download link).

Swirl Hat in Rowan Milk Cotton

And, I made Presto! Baby Hat from the 20 Hats Project (free pattern). The yarn is black Rowan Cotton Rope. Unfortunately, I just haven’t been able to get a good picture of it. But, trust me, it is super cute!

Presto! Baby Hat

And, I think that may be it for baby knits for now. (Especially since the baby has decided it doesn’t want to be a preemie and some of these hats won’t fit. How’s that for gratitude! lol!)  I do still have the blanket to finish. And, with some hard work, it will be done in about two weeks. I may also do a pair of booties to match the pink hat and mitts I made last month, but I think that’s enough for now. I’ve got a couple of sweaters I’d like to make for the little man before it gets really cold, which means I need to get to work!

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Mini Mitten

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Heather

Clearly, I’m on a bit of a mini kick this month. This is a super cute small mitten that I knit for a lady I know through Ravelry.

Smitten from Knit Picks

The pattern is Smitten (A Holiday Garland) from Knit Picks (free download link). The yarn in Red Heart Super Saver in colour Dark Leaf. And, as you can see, it knits up to be about the same size as an iPod Touch.

This mitten will be added to a bunch more that the lady is collecting and knitting herself, and will go together to make a super cute holiday garland/advent calendar for her little guy. It is a nice feeling to know that I am contributing, in a small way, to their happy holiday celebrations.

Oh yeah, it is only 80 sleeps until Christmas!

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It’s Almost a Witch

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Heather

I know I’ve posted a whole lot of knitting and crochet projects lately. Just to prove that I do still cross stitch, I thought I would share my progress on W for Witch by Victoria Sampler:

W for Witch by Victoria Sampler (WIP)

As always, the colours are off. I took the picture yesterday afternoon, right in the middle of a typical grey October day.

The row above the witch should have some flowers on it, but I’m waiting until I have a little better light to work on them. My goal is to get this finished up no later than the middle of next week. By then I’ll be putting out a few more Halloween decorations. (Even though the husband doesn’t really like Halloween. Can you imagine?!)

 

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Tiny Pink Socks for Breast Cancer

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Heather

I’ve participated in a few different charity knitting projects organized through Ravelry. I’ve knit slippers for Native elders at one of America’s poorest reserves, and I’ve also knit Tit Bits for women who have a breast removed due to breast cancer. At the end of September I worked on another small project:

Mini Toe-Up Socks

These are tiny socks knit in pink yarn that will be given out to people taking part in the three day  Komen breast cancer walk in Georgia. A lady who I know through Ravelry isn’t able to walk this year, but she is volunteering in the buses that are there to help transport walkers who need to stop the walk. These socks will be handed out to people on the bus, just as a little bit of fun.

The pattern is Toe-Up Mini Socks (Ravelry download link), and I used from leftover Knit Picks Comfy Fingering in colour Peony and Crystal Palace Panda Cotton in colour Rosewater. I used up every last bit of the Comfy Fingering, which is why one of the socks is just an ankle sock.

Don’t forget that October is Breast Cancer awareness month. Please take the time to learn about early breast cancer detection, and to donate to charities that both support breast cancer research and breast cancer patients and survivors. And thank you to all of you, like Dani, who support breast cancer research every year.

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Garge the Monster

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Heather

In September, I took part in a little knit-along on Ravelry. The goal was to knit up a project using only one skein of yarn. And you know, it was harder than you’d think. It seemed that just about everything I wanted to work on needed more than one skein of yarn. But, then I came across this cute little guy:

Presley Cash the Monster from Rebecca Danger

The pattern is Presley Cash the Monster by Rebecca Danger (it is available for sale through Ravelry or at the Danger Crafts etsy shop), knit from about 60% of a skein of James C. Brett Marble acrylic yarn in colour MT4 Heathers. Baby Man, as of the writing of this post, as named him Garge. Who knows how long that name will last though.

The pattern was fairly straight forward, and it only took about three days of knitting, including time spent on knitting mini socks (more on those another day) as well as time spent stitching September’s ornament. The only issue I had with the pattern was when it came to making the feet. They are essential socks done on fourteen stitches. But I didn’t really understand the heel flap directions. As written, it seems like the two rows together have to be repeated 7 times, for a total of 14 rows. But it turns out that you knit 7 rows, follow the pattern set up by the two rows given. It’s hard to explain, and it didn’t make sense until I was actually working through the foot.

Anyway, Garge is as cute as cute can be, and currently lives in Baby Man’s room. I hope this will be the first of many more monsters for him, but somehow I suspect that his disliking of soft toys is not yet over.

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Ornament of the Month – September 2011

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Heather

I have a confession: September’s ornament isn’t quite done. It is all stitched, but I’ve misplaced the beads I want to use for embellishing it.

Victorian Christmas Tree from Sue Hillis

While is it very pretty, my Victorian Christmas Tree from Sue Hillis (2003 JCS ornament issue), is very bare. The model has small white bugle beads and gold seed beads on it, which look just like candles. Sue Hillis also used some faceted beads to make swags around the tree. My plan was just to do the candles, but my package of bugle beads has gone missing. I came up with a few other ideas while trying to sleep last night, just so I could get the ornament completely finished today. But, I ultimately decided that I’d rather miss my self-imposed deadline and make the tree I wanted, than just do something to finish it up. Still, I’m calling this ornament done, for now, since the stitching is complete.

Next month is busy, what with Thanksgiving, birthdays, the Creativ Festival and Halloween. If I was smart, I would get started on October’s ornament early. And, that is exactly what I plan to do. I’ll be working on Victoria Sampler’s Gingerbread Scissor Keep from the 2009 JCS ornament issue. I’ve got the thread pack sitting on my table, so all I need to do is hunt down the fabric.

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