Baby Shrug: Size 18 months - 25 years
So in Fall of 2007, I made this "shrug" for my daughter...

It is the pattern "Baby Shrug" out of the book Simply Baby by Debbie Bliss. Yeah... Baby Shrug... Whatever...
Something went terribly terribly wrong with this pattern and its Ginormous!
I thought that I messed up with my gauge swatch but after reviewing all of the shrug projects on Ravelry, I realized that I'm not the only one with a huge "Baby Shrug" on their hands. Alot of knitters were surprised that it ran so big. Many compensated for this by making a smaller size or using smaller needles.
I wish I had known this! If only I was on Ravelry before I started this thing! After finishing the shrug, I blocked it and of course it only got bigger. I was pretty disappointed about it so I just put my daughter in the shrug anyways. I rolled up the sleeves 4 times and sewed a silk ribbon to the two fronts to tie the thing on her. She wore it all winter and looked pretty...uh... silly.

As you can see she is swimming in the thing. And last year when she wore it, she was even smaller than she is now! I was just hoping she would grow into it. But alas, another year has past and the shrug is still huge.

"What the heck is up with this sweater, Mom?"



Over time the silk ribbon that I had sewn on it previously had gotten pretty tattered so I set out to repair it. In the process I found out that the shrug looks way more fantastic on me as a cute little bolero style sweater.


Hey problem solved! I removed the tattered ribbon and sewed on this cute vintage button and made a crochet chain loop for a closure. I happened to have a Rowan 4-ply yarn for the loop in a very similar color. That was pretty exciting!


Yea, I know its kind of wierd to be wearing my 2 year old's sweater. But I think it's gone to good use and looks way more appropriate. Maybe Debbie Bliss should just move this pattern into one of her women's design books?
It's kind of fun repurposing this shrug because now I get to enjoy a new handknit without feeling like I put alot of work into it. I made it so long ago now I barely remember the project.

I'll eventually give the shrug back to her when she's bigger and can fit into it... in I dont know... say... 10 or 15 years?

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Lace Tipped Striped Scarf

I finally got some pictures taken of my new "Lace Tipped Striped Scarf".



I really really like it. The colors are great and will add a dash of color to a blah winter outfit.



I knit this scarf using 2 balls of Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK and one ball of Rowan Kid Silk Haze on US size 4 needles.

The combination of dk weight and lace weight made an interesting, lightweight but warm texture. Its very soft!

I was craving something something striped to knit and this project was perfect! I like that there is a bit of lace detail on the bottoms to add a little interest, so that its not just plain old stripes.


I also think its so pretty how the yarn combinations make this scarf transparent when held up to the light.



Great pattern. Fun to knit. Fun to wear. What more could a knitter ask for?
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Never Not Knitting Podcast : Episode 6 : The Untrained Train Knitter
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I've got Blog Awards coming out of my ears!
WOW! Thank you, thank you to everyone who sent me a Blog Award in the last couple of weeks! What a compliment!

This one was sent to me by Gabes from SweetPknits. I met her through Ravelry awhile back and she is so sweet! Thank you Gabes, for the award!


And this one was given to me by AngelKnits who I also met a while back through Ravelry. This knitter is awesome! She has a great sense of style and is always inspiring me! Thank you!

This award was given to me by Knittinwolf who is maybe the nicest person I have ever met. I met her over a year ago now at the shop I work at. She stops by occasionally when she is passing through town. Since then we've become internet pals and she comments on almost all of my posts! Thank you Dawn!

Ok now each of these awards has a seperate set of rules and instructions for how many blogs I now need to nominate and so forth....ahh that is too much to keep track of, so I'm just going to tell you some of my favorite blogs. If the people that I nominate would like to pass this along, you are supposed to post the picture of the award on your blog, (Choose which one you would like) and link back to me. Also you are also supposed to put a link to your favorite blogs and leave them a comment to let them know that they have recieved an award from you.
Thus, the Blog Awards will keep on going!
Some of my favorites:
Faith from FlashBangFibers. Ive been reading this blog for almost 2 years and Faith has been a major inspiration to me. She also has an awesome podcast "The Knitting Cook." Ive always appreciated both her blog and podcast because she is a mother of 3 little ones yet still manages to knit, spin and cook amazing things!
Domesticat from Domesticrafts. This blogger takes BEAUTIFUL photos. I also find myself laughing out loud at all of her blog posts. I love her style and sense of humor.
Strikker from ObsessiveKnitting. I just discovered this blog, and I really really like this blogger's knitting style. She's funny and her photos are also quite nice.
Steph from Craftoholic. She doesn't blog often but she has a great sense of style. Her pictures are professional and I love everything that she chooses to knit! I just wish that she would update more frequently because I want to see more!
There are so many more that I could mention because I have met so many awesome knitters through this blog and have made many friends. I appreciate all of you!
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Handspun


Something strange happened last night....

Inexplicably I sat down at my spinning wheel.

I haven't spun in about hmm... a million ..or so.. years now. But for some reason last night I really wanted to spin. I actually started this spinning project about a year ago and never really expected myself to finish it.

But hey, I did! Now I have about 250 more yards of laceweight to add to the ever growing, out-of-control yarn stash.


I have some patterns in mind. But I need your help. Should I make "Ice Queen" or "Abby"?
I like Ice Queen better because I think that the lace pattern is prettier, but since this is not a super duper consistent yarn <I haven't spun in like a year, remember?> perhaps Abby would be better suited... What do you think?
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Cap-Sleeved Eyelet Top





Today I took my new Cap-Sleeved Eyelet Top out on the town...






I just couldn't be happier about the finished product!

It fits perfectly and the yarn is so soft and warm.


To me this top just screams Fall.....



The style and texture paired with this color is so soo Autumn like.

I was so happy when I found this heathered red color nestled in with the other shades of Misti Alpaca. It was so warm and inviting. It reminded me of Tomatoes or like.... hmm...


...BRICKS...




"Hey, it is the color of bricks, isn't it?!"





I knit this top with 6 skeins of Misti Alpaca worsted and used size 6 and 7 US needles.


The only modification that I made was that I shortened the top a bit. I am only 5 foot 1 inch so I needed it to be a little less overwhelming for my frame.



Front








Back






I love this top! I will get so much use out of it this season!
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"Closely Knit" knits
Lately I have been spending more time podcasting than blogging and I've realized that some serious blog updating needed to take place...
Here are some pictures of 2 new projects I've just recently cast on. Both are from the same book "Closely Knit"

This is the Cap-Sleeved Eyelet Top and I'm almost done! Tonight I am going to work on finishing the back and sleeves. I should be able to get some modeled shots up by this weekend...
This project is moving along quite fast, it is worked mostly in the round and the pattern is easy to memorize and follow.
I am knitting it up with Misti Alpaca Worsted and its soo soft. AND I was so pleased to find a color in this yarn that I loved besides green. I always, always want to choose green and I already have 3 green handknit sweaters!

Fall is in the air and I know that this top will be a great versatile wardrobe piece. I can wear it with jeans or a skirt, over a tank or long sleeved tee... the possibilities are endless!
Also.... The Lace-Tipped Striped Scarf....

This pattern is worked up in stripes using a DK weight and lace weight yarn. I chose Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk in a pretty vintage gold colorway and also Rowan Kid Silk Haze in....what else.... green!
At least I can think of a sweater or two to wear it with :)
I almost didn't want to take a picture of this project in its current state. I think that the lace stitch portion on the bottom is going through an awkward stage at the moment but will grow up to be a beautiful stitch pattern when blocked out...



One change I've made so far to this pattern is that I used the lace weight yarn at the bottom instead of the DK weight like the pattern called for. I like the looks of this better, plus I have more lace weight than I do the Sublime Dk.
It should turn out to be quite pretty...
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Never Not Knitting Podcast : Episode 5 : Five Pounds of Rainbow
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Lovely Lacy Evening Stockings
I'm embarassed to report that this particular project has been on the needles for a long time now...



I started it like 6 weeks ago maybe..?

Bad, bad, blogger!




These are the Evening Stockings for a Young Lady ...yes that's the name of the pattern... from the book Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I was inspired to knit these stockings after running across some fabulous versions on Ravelry.com. Such as this, this and this. I thought that they were beautiful and elegant enough to wear with a dressier outfit. Say with a really cute knee length skirt and a closed toe heel? I chose black for more versatility.


Since these pictures were taken, I have completed one stocking and I absolutely love it! I've enjoyed working the pattern so far as it is a simple to memorize 5 row repeat.



Apparently I have a thing for knitting black lacy objects as you can see from the above photo. The stocking does look strikingly similar to another recently completed project of mine....
the black Retro Redux Shrug.


Hmmm... maybe I'll wear them together?
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A New Knitted Friend

Here are some pictures of my daughter with her new knitted horse friend!



She loves him so much and has told me so every day since this day, the day I gave him to her and took pictures.


He is just the right size for her, big enough to be a soft squishy toy to love and hug.

The pattern for this horse is out of the book Dream Toys by Claire Garland. This is the second toy project I've knit by this designer. Earlier this year I knit up some of her Knitted Babes which are super cute as well.
This horse knit up relatively fast on size 5 needles and I used Sirdar Calico yarn which was a surprisingly soft springy yarn for only around $5 a skein! I like it so much that I would consider making some children's garments from it in the future. It's just your basic cotton/acrylic blend....machine washable....cheap....perfect.
I used Rowan Kid Silk Haze for the mane, and I love the look of it!


This little guy has just so much personality. His big knobby knees and felted embroidered face make him so loveable and unique!

Isn't it funny that I think that knitting is so easy, but embroidery totally freaks me out?
To me, that was the hardest part of this whole project.
Once I gave her that horse, she was so excited to take him with her on some adventures!



......She tried riding it, but that didn't work out so well.....




When she was tired of playing with her new horse, she tried to put him down for a nap.....



But he was so much more comfortable in her bed.....


NeverNotKnittingKnitted Horse Comments
Podcast Apologies
I posted Episode 4 of the NeverNotKnitting podcast onto iTunes last night. I realize that it has probably been very difficult to download as it seems that the demand for the podcast has exceeded our expectations.
My husband is working on it right now, he is going to take the episode down and figure out a better host for the podcast. It should be up and downloadable shortly!
So sorry for the inconvenience. I will get the shownotes up as soon as we get this podcast thing sorted out! Thanks for your patience!
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Crossing the Finish Line
I finished my Ravelympics sweater!


I won! YAY! I WON! What..?...oh wait... I didn't win anything....nevermind...

Well, I think it turned out pretty cute! The pattern was written very very well and was easy to follow. You could describe this project as simply ideal. It was a joy to work on! It worked up quickly and the pattern well... it was just fun to knit.
As far as the finished sweater goes, I really like the style and I look forward to wearing it when the weather permits.


Ya know, it's not all that comfortable modeling an angora sweater in 90 degree weather.. ahhh the things I do for this blog. :)



Another awesome thing about this project is that I used up some yarn that I had already which makes me feel very good about myself. I am such a good person.... Now I can go buy some more...

I sewed on a hook and eye closure to keep the fronts together until I find the perfect buttons. This sweater is a unique color and style, so it needs just the right buttons to look appropriate. Does anyone have any button suggestions?


I used size 9 needles to make this cardigan and needed 8 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Angora to complete it. The Angora I used is similar to the yarn Lush that this pattern calls for and is a perfect gauge match!







I definitely recommend the Lush and Lacy Cardigan pattern!
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Never Not Knitting Podcast : Episode 3 : The Tale of The 3 First Sweaters
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Retro Redux
The fastest shrug of all time....



I finished this Retro Redux Shrug over a week ago now, and finally bribed my husband into taking some pictures for me.

I finished this shrug in like 5 days. It was so quick and easy.
So much for the "knit-a-long" idea...

I am really glad that I made this project because I think it will be the perfect accessory to throw over a tank this summer when evening comes or if I'm in some heavy air conditioning.




I ended up changing the pattern a tiny bit, I made the sleeves longer. I think sleeves are a bit more flattering elbow length than when they end at the mid upper arm, which is what the pattern calls for.

I used 4 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and still have most of that fourth ball left over. If I hadn't made the sleeves longer, I could have easily knit this shrug with only 3 balls. That is a pretty inexpensive knitting project!

The pretty lace stitch is just a two row repeat, making it a pretty mindless pattern.



We all need "mindless" once in awhile...
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The Dad Sweater
In a previous post, I had promised you complicated, scary sweater projects.
This one may not be complicated, but it is scaring me a bit...

Meet the "Dad Sweater"

I started this sweater for my Dad a few weeks ago now and I like the pattern quite a bit.

The simplistic ribbing with the tweed is a perfect combination in my opinion. It's just a nice, plain, masculine sweater that should be very versatile to my Dad's wardrobe.

My Dad is a salesmen and I think that this sweater will keep him warm when he is on the job and look good over a nice collared shirt paired with the tan slacks he always wears.


Why is this sweater scaring me? The pattern, although a nice design, has some pretty glaring errors that make me apprehensive about how this will turn out. Also, even though it is easy to work on (How mindless is ribbing, right?) It is ALOT of ribbing. This thing is gigantic! I've never knit a man's sweater before. What a huge size difference!

This taupe was actually not my first color choice. I had originally had my eye on the dark chocolate brown that I had used to make my Dad's hat. Guess what? Discontinued.
So I decided to go with this color because it is very neutral, and I'm glad that I did. The color is right in between gray and brown so I think it will work nicely with both colors.

I can't wait to give my Dad his finished sweater. I am excited because I think it will make a very special present.

My Dad is very important to me and I feel like handknitting a sweater for him is just a small thing I can do to show him how much I care about him.

.....plus, I finally forgave him for never wearing the socks I made for him 2 years ago....

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Ravelympics Day 5

It's day 5 and I'm still going strong!

I am making good progress on my Lush and Lacy Cardigan.

The back has been completed!


Oh... I finished one of the pockets too, but didn't bother to photograph it. :)

I decided to go ahead and use up the yarn that I had originally purposed for this sweater. Elsebeth Lavold Angora. Yes, I happen to like this crazy shade of green.

So far, I love making this cardigan. The lace panels keep it interesting, and since the pattern is worked on a US size 9 needle, it is going fast!





I have been seriously neglecting my blog lately and I have several projects to share.
One is finished and two more have been cast on.

This week I plan to post every other day to catch up. ...hopefully...
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Let the Games Begin!


I signed up for the Ravelympics!
I am competing with Team Central Coast on Ravelry in the "Sweater Sprint" event. The idea behind Ravelympics is that you have to cast on a project in the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics and cast off during the closing ceremonies. You are supposed to start a project that would be a challenge for you to complete in 17 days.

I have been planning on starting the Winter Wonderland Coat out of the book Inspired to Knit, but knew that there was no way I could knit that in 17 days. Unless I didn't eat, bathe, or use the restroom.... So I decided to make the Lush and Lacy Cardigan my Ravelympics project.
It is a much more manageable sized sweater.

It will be a challenge, but I will finish it.

I've been wanting to make this sweater for awhile! I'm really excited to start!
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Never Not Knitting Podcast : Episode 2 : The Horrors of Late Night Knitting
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