Hudson Cowl

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Heather

Have you every seen the movie Hudson Hawk? If you haven’t, don’t bother. It isn’t one of Bruce Willis’ masterpieces. But, thanks to my high school job as a movie store clerk (the stories I could tell!), I’ve seen it four times. And I replayed it in my head while I was knitting this:

On the Hudson cowl

On the Hudson cowl

The pattern is On the Hudson by Sandra Singh (available on Ravelry for US$5), and it is so much better than the movie. 😉 The yarn is Estelle Cloud Cotton for the black, white and purple, and Araicania Pomaire for the blue. It is so soft and smooshy, and just lovely. (I kinda want to make a giant, heavy blanket out of the Cloud Cotton, but it would bankrupt me, I think.)

OMG, who is that fat woman wearing my cowl?!

OMG, who is that fat woman wearing my cowl?!

I made the large version of the cowl, so it can either hang down like in this picture, or I can wrap it around my neck twice.

I really love how the combination of simple stitch patterns works so well together. And it was never boring, since after a few rows you move onto a different colour and a different stitch pattern. And, of course, it was so easy to adjust to colours I love. 🙂 Also, knitting from stash = good.

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Garden Path

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Heather

Stitching? Who has time for that? Sock Madness has started!!

Actually, I have been stitching just a little bit. I’m made some progress on Down the Garden Path by Lynn Nicoletti.

Down the Garden Path, designed by Lynn Nicoletti (WIP)

Down the Garden Path, designed by Lynn Nicoletti (WIP)

The fabric is Meadow from Enchanting Lair, and I chose aida because I thought it would stand up better to being played with. The threads are DMC and Crescent Colours. I need to add some beads to the areas I’ve stitch, but I don’t have the right ones in my stash. The horror!!

Also, do these look like hearts or eggplants to you?

Heart or eggplant?

Heart or eggplant?

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The Madness

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Heather

March marks the beginning of Sock Madness. You know for a sock knitter like me this is only a good thing. 😉 The whole point, essentially, is to knit seven pairs of socks as quickly after the pattern is released as you can (there are breaks!) and make it to the end of the competition. Last year I didn’t even make it past the first round because I ran out of yarn…

Yarn for Sock Madness

Yarn for Sock Madness

All we are told ahead of time is a general idea of yarn and yardage (e.g. 400 yards of semi-solid, or 350 yards of crazy self-striping) and what other notions we will need. This year that list includes 14 shank buttons and two zippers! Being the semi-organized person that I am, I’ve already got everything figured out. (Clearly, this also shows great optimism on my part.)

Truthfully, my goal is to make it beyond the first round this time. Anything beyond that is good with me. But deep in my  heart, I’d love to make it to around four or five. And even if I am eliminated, I think I will try my best to keep knitting along.

Sadly, the sign-ups for Sock Madness 7 have now closed. But, if you’d like to learn more or cheer the sock knitters along, you can check out the group on Ravelry.

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More Temperatures

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Heather

Look, my Temperature Scarf is still growing!

Temperature Scarf (WIP)

Temperature Scarf (WIP)

It is complete up to March 2nd, including all the ends being woven in. Amazing, isn’t it? Not the scarf, but the fact that I am keeping up with it. 😉 I don’t knit on it every day, but rather save up about a week’s worth of rows and do them all at once.

Now, the true test of my stick-to-itiveness is actually making it to the end of the year!

If you’d like to know more about my Temperature Scarf please check out this earlier post.

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Santa Face

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Heather

So, according to my doctor and an ultrasound, there is nothing at all wrong with my arm/elbow/shoulder. Imagine a giant eye roll here. I have the worst luck with medical tests. I could be bleeding out of my eye balls and the bleeding-out-of-your-eye-balls test would still come back negative. It is enough to make me want to give up on doctors completely!

Anyway, no more ranting. 😉 I’m happy, healthy-ish, and stitching. I don’t need much more in life to make me happy. And speaking of stitching, I’ve made some progress on Santa’s Journey.

Santa's Journey, designed by Dimensions (WIP)

Santa’s Journey, designed by Dimensions (WIP)

He looks so much better now that I’ve back stitched his face. I do have a love/hate relationship with the back stitching in Dimensions’ designs, but the finished result generally does look good. (I changed his eyes to green because there isn’t enough of us green-eyed people in the world!)

One more thing: I’ve got a great giveaway come up for the first of April. I will fill you in on the details at the next Ornament SAL check-in (on March 27). I’m sure you are all going to love it!

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Next Ornament

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Heather

I’m so delighted by how many people are taking part in the Ornament SAL. I’m so inspired by all the various styles and holidays that are being stitched. Please, if you are taking part (and you can join at any time), head over to this post to add your link. The link list will close on March 5, around midnight or so Eastern time.

Since I know how crazy life can get (and with the threat of March Break looming) I’ve already started stitching my ornament for March.

A wee dragon head

A wee dragon head

Is that another dragon? Of course!

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Ornament SAL – February Check In

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Heather

It is ornament sharing time again! I hope you all found lots of time to stitch this month. We were socked in pretty good with a snow storm for a few days, and coupled with Baby Man being home sick from school before that, I had lots of time to stitch. (Ignoring the fact that I was supposed to be resting my arm…)

Oh Holey Knight, designed by Dragon Dreams

Oh Holey Knight, designed by Dragon Dreams

My ornament for this month is Oh Holey Knight by Jennifer Aikman-Smith of Dragon Dreams. It is from the 2000 edition of the Just Cross Stitch ornament issue. It is stitched as charted, except for making the “H” on “OH” just a little bit smaller. It is stitched on another piece of Enchanting Lair’s Meadow. I think it is 28 count Lugana.

It is a really cute and funny, but it was a bit of a pain to stitch. #4 braid is not my favourite thing to stitch with, especially since I usually use PTB now. And stitching with #4 braid on hand-dyed fabric is even more of a pain, since it is so soft. But, the end result is great!

Angela M. is still resisting the siren call of a blog (and still recovering from her operation), so I’m very happily sharing her ornament again. For February she stitched Witch’s Footwear by Imaginating, from the September/October 2012 Just Cross Stitch.

Witch's Footwear, designed by Imaginating and stitched by Angela M.

Witch’s Footwear, designed by Imaginating and stitched by Angela M.

How did your February stitching go? Please share your ornament with all the other SAL participants by filling in the form below. And, please, take a moment to visit some of the other participants. Half the fun of having a blog is the comments from others! If you haven’t got a blog but still want to share your ornament, send me an email. The more the merrier!

(Also, as an aside: I’m looking for a Just Nan’s Pumpkin Pockets. If you have the chart and would live to trade or sell it, please let me know.)

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