FO Friday: Dark Wingspan

This week I was finally able to finish my Wingspan. I used almost every scrap of yarn on this baby. I had only a yard left! I was definitely sweating it towards the end.



Wingspan is recommended to be knitted in a sock yarn with long color changes. Instead, I chose to use a self-striping yarn. Cherry Tree Hill Fingerpaints Self-striping in the colorway Name Your Poison. (Love that name!) I definitely am glad I chose the yarn I did. I think it makes my own version even more my own.

 I also chose not to block the shawl out to sharp points at the end. I'm loving the right angles of the triangles. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some modeled pictures in the near future.

For more beautiful FOs, make sure to check out Tami's Amis!

WIP Wednesday: Little Ninja

 We recently painted our bathroom a beautiful greyish blue a few weekends back. My old grungy hand towels are so old they're from my old college dorm room days. So, I decided to knit up a nice bright blue hand towel. It's a simple basketweave stich pattern in Sprout 100% cotton. I've never used this yarn before, but its knitting up very soft and squishy. I might end making a couple more.

I also tried out my first crochet project. I've been drooling over little amigurimi for a while now. Here is my first attempt at making a little ninja.

For more WIP Wednesday, check out Tamis Amis!

Holly Jolly Sunday #3

It's a Holly Jolly Sunday indeed! This week I finished my first washcloth and placed it in my Christmas box. This particular beauty is the Lacy Dragonscale washcloth and it was quite fun to knit.

The Christmas box is no longer empty and that seems like both a large and small accomplishment. Large, because I love being prepared and starting is the hardest part. Small, because there is so much still to do. I'm starting easy with the washcloths, but who knows what else will end up in that box before the fateful day? I have some ideas, but yall will have to stay tuned.

Are you knitting a gift or an earlier preparer for the holiday season? Add your blog post! Let's cheer each other on throughout the year.

FO Friday: Just a square

I've been rather proud of myself when it comes to FO Fridays, and have been consistently finishing at least one project a week for quite some time. Sadly, every great streak has to end and I don't have a true FO to show this week.

Not to be beaten, I pulled out my old Neverending Sock Blankie WIP and added a few squares. I added that Dreamy yarn from my monkey socks and a few mystery squares from minis I had got from some swap or another from a while ago.

Something was cast on and cast off, right? I think that should count as an FO!

In furrier news, my brother has been claiming I have been showering Tippy in favoritism. She was getting all the love on my blog and poor Kera hadn't been seen for a while! So, here is a cute shot of Tippy AND Kera sporting their March-themed bandanas that my mother sent them.

For more FO Friday, of course march on over to Tamis Amis!

WIP Wednesday: Wingspan Redux

It's WIP Wednesday again! I'm still working on two larger projects, so I don't have any new WIPs to show. However, everything has grown significantly!

My Wingspan has doubled in size.  I just finished the fourth triangle out of eight.  It's a super simple pattern and the short rows really give it a cool look.

 Ardelise has grown significantly too. I've really been chugging along on this knit and I'm really enjoying it. I'm knitting it up in DK weight yarn, so its taking a bit longer to make progress, but it'll be a great cardigan for the light winters we have down here in Texas.

I'm already worrying about having enough yarn to finish. I bought the yarn on clearance and they had *exactly* enough.  I'm hoping doing 3/4 sleeves will help make sure I have the right amount to finish. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

This week's pet photo is suprisingly not Tippy. Aptly named Fidget was really interested getting in the way of my photos last night. He finally let me take my pictures after he had his own portrait done.

For more WIP Wednesday, make sure to check out Tami's Amis.

Sea Turtle Stitch Markers

There are some new turtle stitch markers now available in my Etsy shop. I absolutely love turtles, and when I came across these adorable sea turle charms at the craft store I just had to make them into stitch markers.

They're now available at Be a Knitwit! Designs.

 Green and Yellow Turtles

 Simple Sea Turtles

And my personal favorite, Silver and Blue Sea Turtles

Holly Jolly Sunday #2

I promised to show my work on my first Christmas gift washcloth this week to put in my Christmas box. I actually completely forgot to cast one on until Friday night! Good thing yall are holding me accountable!

I picked the Lacy Dragon Scale washcloth, a free pattern off of Ravelry. These washclothes are a great chance for me to try out a whole slew of different stitch patterns.

I have to say, while the Dragon Scale pattern looks complicated, its very easily memorized. And I'm really loving the Dishie yarn.

Are you working on early Christmas gifts, or just a gift in general on your blog? Let's cheer each on. I promise to visit! If you do link, all I ask is that you try to visit a few of the other links that might be there.

FO Friday: Monkeying Around

This week I finished my Monkey socks! These are my first set of Monkeys by Cookie A. I can see why people find this pattern so addictive, and they fit like a dream.



They were knit up two at a time in Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere in Flashy Mint. If you remember about a month ago. I was absolutely raving about of much I was in love with this yarn. And that was just when it was in the skein! As socks, the colors play great with the stitch pattern and they are super comfy.  And comfy socks are pretty high on my list of things that are awesome.

They are delectably smooshy. I might have a new favorite pair of socks!

For more beautiful FOs, make sure to check out Tamis Amis!

WIP Wednesday: Wingspan and Ardelise

This week I started Wingspan for a Knit-a-long in the Fiber, Friends, and Fun Swaps group.  I'm using Cherry Hill self-striping yarn in the colorway Name Your Poison. I love the colors, but I'm a bit sceptical of their claim of "self-striping". Seems more varigated to me, but it is gorgeous in this short row shawl.

 

I finally got to work on my Ardelise! It's breezing by once I got past the collar and picked up the stitches. I'm really, really hope it'll be ready before it gets too hot down here to wear it.

And, of course, what is becoming my obligatory picture of Tippy. I swear I have other pets, but Tippy is just SO photogenic.

For more WIP Wednesday, make sure to check out Tamis Amis!

Keep it Simple Gardening Swap

I recently joined the Keep It Simple Swap group on Ravelry and joined my first swap! The theme for the swap was spring gardening. It was SO HARD to keep every thing I got my partner under wraps, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise.  But she got her gift today, so I finally get to share!

My swap partners favorite colors were purple, so I picked her up a pair of purple gardening gloves, some seeds for purple flowers (morning glories), and of course some Texas Blue Bonnets. I also made her a set of lavender stitch markers from my etsy shop. She also said she loves fingerless mitts, so I purchased a set of mitts off her queue and had them printed on some nice cardstock. And finally, my swap member asked for some teal yarn, so I picked her up some Claudia Handpainted in teal to make her fingerless mitts with.

I had so much fun putting together the package to get shipped out, I'm definitely going to participate in more swaps!



A Holly Jolly Sunday #1

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you've probably noticed my lack of stick-to-it-ness.  There have been mutliple things I've started to do and just haven't followed through on. This time, I'm going to rely on you and having a group of people working along side me to help motivate me.

This is my Christmas gift preperation box.  As you can see, its not very prepared. I just purchase eight skeins of Dishie from Knitpicks to get started on my Christmas gifts this year.  I always end up rushing at the last minute and not having as many things finished as I like.

This year, things will be different! If I make my dishclothes and other gifts throughout the year, I'll be prepared. Maybe even make those Christmas stockings for the SO and I that I've been drooling over for the past two years, but have been too busy knitting last minute gifts.

How am I counting on you? I'm going to add a Mr. Linky to the bottom of this post and every Holly Jolly Sunday post after. Please link your own blog if you are working on Christmas gifts, or just a well prepared knitted gift in general. I promise to visit! If you do link, all I ask is that you try to visit a few of the other links that might be there.

Let's cheer each other along with extremely early holiday cheer! And join me next Sunday to see if I've made any progress on my first dishcloth.



FO Friday: Calorimetry and a little sweater

Shibani requested a cooler hat than the wool ones I had made for the summer time, so I whipped her up a silky wool version of Calorimetry. The ribbing doesn't have the same stretch with this yarn, so it works more like a cool bandana. Here she is being a good sport and letting me take a photo.

Next up is my version of the Springtime Baby Cardi for a baby shower for this weekend. This little thing practically flew off the needles. I finished it in less than a week and it only took one skein of Berraco Vintage. After all that the baby shower was postponed a week. Maybe I should add a hat with the extra skein of Berraco I bought...

And for Fiber Arts Friday, my spinning is vastly improving once I figured out the tension on my wheel. This is 100% peruvian wool roving from knitpicks that I've been using.  Any one know some good patterns for using thick/thin handspun?

To enjoy more Fiber Arts Friday, hop on over to Wisdom Begins in Wonder and for more gorgeous FOs, stop by Tamis Amis. Happy Friday everyone!

WIP Wednesday: A little sweater and a little yarn

Emergency baby item in progress!  I found out that I'll be going to a baby shower on Saturday and of course I wanted to give something handmade. I'm trying to whip up a Springtime baby cardigan in time. I have some super cute dark green buttons to go with this little cardi. I'm a little worried the arms are too narrow, but my baby experience leaves a lot to be desired.

In frustration with my wheel, I pulled my drop spindle back out last night. It actually looks like yarn!!! This is the best I've done so far. I'm using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Roving. I figured it would be great for practice because its fairly inexpensive and I wouldn't feel terrible if I ruined it. Out of my 100 grams, this is the first bit I feel is really usable. I am so proud to show it off today.

Oh, and Tippy wants to say hello again. I can't resist sharing her cute pictures.

For more WIP Wednesday, make sure to check out Tami's Amis!

Lumpy yarn is still yarn!

I've finished my first bobbin of yarn. Doesn't it have....character? My ends also look a bit underspun. Its...artistic too. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I'm a bit disappointed and am again blaming the wheel. (Though the wheel and myself both know it's really me.) 

I'm still having trouble with the tension on the wheel. This homemade wheel's tension is a bit hard to adjust, especially since it uses a leather strap rather than a knob. No matter how hard I tight it, the flyer still moves at the same speed as the bobbin.

I ended up holding the flyer in place when I needed the yarn taken up, which resulted in overspun sections and me loosing my rhythmn.

After I wind this yarn up, I'm going to practice more without any fiber. I'm going to get that flyer moving right!

Luckily, there is a fiber festival in the area at the end of March. All the classes have been filled up for months, but maybe I could take my homemade wheel along and get some hands on advice.

Learning to Spin

Down here in Texas, spring is in the air. We've been having some beautiful days here over the past week. I thought I'd share some spring with you. The flowers are blooming, the squirrels are being squirrelly. It's just been wonderful.

 And I'm trying again to learn how to spin. Here are some fat singles that I attempted. I really need to work on my drafting, but this is so much better than my last attempt I've very well pleased. Now, just to figure out what to do with very small amounts of handspun...

I'm also trying to master this beast.  The SO bought this homemade wheel about a year ago used for him to try spinning. It really wasn't his thing, so she's been resting in the back room until I pulled her out yesterday. (She needs a name, am I right?) So far, I don't have any singles to show. I'm getting twist, but no tension. The singles won't pull onto the bobbin, and its very frustrating. I had some choice words for her last night in my frustration, but she knows I didn't mean it.

That's right, I've already personified my wheel.

FO Friday: Felicity

If you haven't been able to tell so far, I really love making hats. They're awesome! Super quick to knit, almost always fit, and just great gifts. I also love to wear hats. The trouble is, I almost alway end up giving them away as great gifts. In my knitting lifetime, I've probably knit over twenty hats. Do I own a knit hat? Of course not.

So being the sneaky knitter that I am, I wore Felicity out the day I finished it before giving it away to a friend. I was able to get a few snapshots with me modeling the hat with my SO. It's really a quick knit, and I made this one out of Berraco Lustra. I'm working on one now with a little less slouch (more beanie-esque) for me to keep. (Maybe, we'll see how that goes..)

Isn't he handsome? (The boy, not the hat)

Bleh, beer breath

Remember to check out all the other beautiful FOs today at Tamis Amis!

Rolling Waves Beret Released!

 It's been so hard to keep this hat under wraps, but I wanted it to be a surprise.  My first hat pattern was accepted by Knitpicks Independent Designer Program!

The Rolling Waves Beret is a lacy beret that is a super quick knit. It's worked up in Wool of the Andes Bulky in the colorway Beach Glass. The lace pattern reminded me of the waves of the ocean, so I thought it was the perfect fit.

You can download it now here on Knitpicks for only $1.99