Christmas Is Coming

Yes, that dreaded term has popped up on other blogs and I thought it must be my turn. Close your eyes and turn your head away and scroll down or click off the site if you don't want to think about it, but Christmas is coming. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe you're all much faster or more committed knitters than I am, or maybe not. For me the thought of September makes me panic that I'll never finish all my gift items in time. This year I'm doing much better already planning and I think I'll be ok...yes, positive thinking...I will not over-commit, I will not stay up until midnight each night, I will not...

YEAH RIGHT! Who am I kidding? I'm already over-committed and there is no end in sight. LOL! Well, at least I have two cute doll items to ship off to my friend. That's at least something. :)

The white is, I think, Lion Brand Homespun (the same as the earlier "cloud" outfit). Although you can't really tell from the photo, the red is ChaCha and is one of the softest things I've ever knit with. I carried it along with Caron Simply Soft so the sweater and hat would not be transparent or hard to get on the doll. I did make the sleeves a bit too narrow so maybe she'll use it for Bitty Baby instead. I'm just happy it is cute and fuzzy and fun. :)

Mondays

Let me start by saying, I'm sorry for the quality of the photos. I often think to take pictures only after the kids are in bed and my lighting is great for relaxing but not for photography.

I know almost a week has passed already, but I've been meaning to chat about Mondays. I'm a single (not-by-choice) Mom of two marvelous little girls, ages 6 and 4. So, as you all probably know, that leaves very little "me" time. I work a normal "9-5" job and then at night I try to keep up the house and knit custom orders as much as I can to "make ends meet".

I have tried, however, to keep a bit of time for me and unfortunately it is due to tv. I found that I like the PBS show, Antiques Roadshow. Then, over one summer I discovered History Detectives and now I'm hooked. I am disappointed when summer ends and that show disappears from my Mondays. I therefore make time to just relax on Monday nights during the summer. It is strictly observed for me, and me alone.

I was in the middle of a knitting project this Monday (a doll sweater for order) when I thought I'd really make it a night for me. I had recently finished a pair of simple, two needle socks for a dear friend. We were chatting one day about my knitting and she mentioned she liked the ones I had photographed on my feet as they reminded her of ones her Grandma had made her but were now getting holes in them. Her Grandma (Alice) is still alive and relatively well, but carpal tunnel syndrome has made it so she doesn't knit anymore. So, I started a pair of red and white striped socks for my friend and finished them over the weekend. She was thrilled.

When Monday rolled around I was eager to translate that simple pattern to toe-up socks on two circular needles, two techniques I've only read/heard about. It can't be that hard. Well, so far I'm loving it!

Don't get me wrong, these will still not be the best darn socks ever, but for me it was a foray into self-value. I put down my work-for-hire item and concentrated a whole evening just on me. What a wonderful feeling! The yarn is Caron's Simply Soft and it feels fantastic on my feet and in my hands as it slides through my fingers and over the needles. The colors, as they don't show very well here, are a bright lime type green and turquoise. Oh, and these yarns were ones I had purchased for a custom order so I'm helping ease my stash as well. Win-win!

That glee ended quickly the next morning when I made the mistake of showing my little ones and they promptly whined about not having any of their own hand-knit socks. So, the rest of the week was spent staying up late knitting the two needle type for my eldest...a picot edge and stockinette stitch instead of the rib that was the cuff on the others I've made.

I've just begun the mate to this one but should have it done well before school starts and hopefully the littlest one's pair as well. I didn't want to get too far into the second without having my daughter try it on first...read on...

The first night I tried socks for my eldest I looked at my own sock and figured my 6-year-old's foot should be about 2/3 as wide as mine (size 7 but wide). So, I cast on and knit striped goodness until midnight. The next day I brought them to her foot only to discover that, with quite a bit of stretching, the sock might just fit my 4-year-old (who vehemently refuses to wear those colors). I was too exhausted to begin frogging that sock and figure maybe I'll finish a pair and donate them to a toddler somewhere who can tolerate yellow and orange.

Ok then. It is Friday night and my weekend is full to the brim with tasks and knitting. So, I can just now click on a show and relax for a few minutes before I fall into bed and dream of Monday night, when I can pick up and work on my sock again.

Meow! (FO)

I told you how I've been obsessed with the yarn I received on Saturday. I knit the cloud outfit and immediately cast on for another. This black Lion Brand Homespun was calling to me...well, actually purring and meowing a bit. Last night my eldest daughter was up coughing until after midnight so I took some time till about 1 am and knit most of the hood. Then tonight was able to draw the ears, knit, seam, and finish this.

I also received a book of patterns from the same caring friend. I had already planned my hooded kitty sweater when I saw that the book also had a hooded one (not for a kitty or other animal). I promised to cast on a few sweaters for my friend, from that book, but I've got another idea first. The holidays are coming soon enough and I'm preparing.

Cloud Complete (FO-finished object)

I pulled out what I'm calling the cloud yarn (I think it is Lion Brand Homespun in a pure white) and I cast on for a doll sweater yesterday. The bulky yarn required some tweaking of the pattern, but I think in the end it looks good on (somewhat funny just hanging or folded). I couldn't resist making a scarf with what was left of the first skein and then just needed to make a hat to match. After all, what girl could go out in the snow without these things? I did snap a picture, but bear in mind that my friend will be making the bottoms (pants, skirt, leggings, etc.). I can't help but imagine it with some sort of leggings and a pair of ice skates.

As with most of us obsessed knitter types, I've already cast on for the next one I have running through my mind. I guess I do think that sometimes the yarn tells us what it wants to be. :)

Special Delivery

The doorbell rang today, which is odd. I rushed out to the kitchen and was slipping on my flip flops when it rang again. Ok, that's annoying. I popped out the door and rushed down the stairs to let in the mailman.

I've been waiting on a package from a friend and I keep checking the mailbox and being disappointed. Well, I had no idea that when she said a package she meant a huge box full of goodies.

I was expecting a check (for a custom order) and a couple skeins of yarn. What I received was a check and

tons of fun yarn and a new pair of needles. (sorry for fuzzy pictures, not sure if the settings on the camera got switched). 

I, like most knitters, couldn't wait so I've already cast on a new doll sweater (that's what I make for this friend) using a yarn that I must call "cloud". I think it is Lion Brand Homespun, but there wasn't a band on it. It is soft and lofty and I just can't stop. Pure white. Lovely!

I've got ideas spinning in my head for more and more and more sweaters, caplets, hats, scarves, even tiny socks. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!! I need more hours in the day.

Well, enough of this. It's late and I want to be knitting, so I'm off. Hope your day was also filled with pleasant surprises!

In the Habit

I've found a new habit, no not the black and white head-to-toe kind...blogging. It isn't completely new as I've been writing here and there for about three years (wow, typing that I realized it has been a while) but what I haven't done much of is blog reading...until recently. I started reading one after a kind local woman helped me on Ravelry by suggesting a book that contains a pattern for toe-up kids' socks. Then, I jumped to reading blogs she had linked to. Now, months later, I have become in the habit of the following:

1) put the girls to bed
2) log on
3) check email
4) check Facebook
5) browse blogs

It has become an almost nightly routine. I'm not an RSS kind of gal so I've just setup the blogs in my Favorites folder in a specific order for how I like to read them. I warm up with one or two good ones, then pop over to a favorite, then to a middle one, then to another good one, then back and forth. It is silly, I know, but I'm finding a community of like-minded individuals. In some odd way this is healing, as much as sitting with my needles.

So, tonight as we were home late I'm now typing late as well. It is time for me to knit a few rows but I guess I just had to say hello and thanks to the bloggers that are out there putting themselves out in the world and helping some of us along the way.

Cheers!

Pouring Out the Bag

I have become hooked on Eskimimi Knits' blog. I admit that I'll read others first and wait to end with hers as it is almost guaranteed to make me smile.

Some time ago she posted Who Would Knit with a Bag Like This? which was an exposé of what is inside her wonderful knitting bag. I peeked at mine and made a comment but that's as far as I got...until tonight.

I finally took the time to pour mine out and look at my life, or what I take with me by choice at least. So, without further ado..

Let's start with the bag itself. This small,  half circle plastic bag was a give away from Spin a Yarn. I remember the day I got it looking and thinking there was no way my sharp, pointy scissors would make it more than a day or two in that bag. So, I loaded just a few things at first. Over time (4-5 years now) I've loaded and unloaded and never had a puncture yet. I am still amazed, but loving it.

I have the "normal" stuff...paper and pen to write notes as I go, scissors and a metal gauge thingy, just enough stitch holders to complete my standard doll sweater (needs three) and two circular needles for said sweaters and other small projects.

What makes me chuckle are the memories as I laid these out. There is a tiny paper chart of a star and the heart one I found I had left inside the bag when I snapped this photo. I don't quite remember what I used them for but vaguely remember drawing them. The tapestry needles are down by one. I look in my bag each time and grumble that I still cannot find the third, which was my favorite.I swear it fell into the couch but I cannot find it anywhere, for months now. It was one a friend's Mom had passed along to me and it was the perfect size, with a smaller eye than the others.

The stitch markers range from thin new ones in a tiny box to a piece of yarn tied small or safety pins. The bee, peace sign, and Mary medal are new and are actually jewelry findings that were on clearance. I love the bee, although I hate insects, because my name means "honey, a bee". You'll see the small amount of red yarn on the bobbin and quite a few bread ties. I believe I learned on Knitty Gritty, to save those and use them as bobbins. It may have been another HGTV show, but I'm not sure as it was years ago.

Three crochet hooks live in my bag. I crocheted before I could knit so I have a fondness for them. I have actually used the light on the pink one that I only purchased because it was the right size and just $1. It was actually fun to finish a project one night by the light of my hook. LOL!

My favorite items I've saved for last. You'll see a button with my eldest daughter's picture and a cutout of my younger one whose button broke. These are obvious favorites because they're my children but they also remind me of my determination to take care of my kids. I had taken a retail job and those buttons were on my lanyard with my name badge. I took my knitting to that job for break times and somehow managed to maintained "me" in all of the commotion.

Well, thanks for peeking into my knitting. I hope you saw a bit of yourself and maybe you'll want to share as well. What's in your bag? What kind of bag do you use?

Oh, I almost forgot. When I was hired at my current job each new employee was given a large canvas tote bag with the company logo. My first thought at seeing the large pockets was how much yarn and knitting goodies I'd be able to fit in it. So, many times the Spin a Yarn bag and my work-in-progress (WIP) get thrown in with my "day job" stuff in that fantastic everything bag (which happens to have my own embroidered flowers on it now).

Runway for Dolls

I apologize as I do have a list of posts I'd like to make but I've been swept away in the commotion of daily living and knitting like crazy. I must take photos and get them on here before I can even chat much.

In the meantime, I did finish a whole bunch of doll dresses and hauled them off to work for my co-worker to pick. She wanted at least three to save as Christmas gifts for her daughter. Three I showed earlier, but she also picked one with hearts on it (which is the only one I forgot to snap a picture of). So, here are two of the leftovers:

This striped dress has a flounce bottom and what I think is a really cool halter closure. I purchased book binding rings from Staples and knit a casing for it to slip through. The ring can open to slide around the doll's neck then close securely. I accidentally made the dress longer than I would've liked but I'm still pleased with the concept. I have more rings and more ideas.

The simple rainbow dress always makes me smile as I think of summer sunshine and fun days as a kid.

Last, I made this little wrap sweater to go over the red dress with the daisy. I think I'll make more of these as it came together quickly and looks nice, is a bit unique, and I love to pick buttons.

Hope you're all crafting as well. More to come so please stop by again. Also, I think I had inadvertently disabled comments but that should now be working again, so please say hello if you'd like.