Multi-tasking

We all do it, don't we? Crafters in particular and women most likely.

We multi-task!

I remember hearing, and witnessing to some extent, that my one Grandmother never stayed still. Well, she was the mama to nine children...no wonder!

It's like that for me. Full-time mama, full-time admin assistant, and part-time entrepreneur. On the side of all that is a little knitting to keep me sane. I went too many days without it recently and it wasn't until I forced myself to take a few minutes for a few stitches that I realized the tension almost immediately melted from my shoulders and neck. Yep, I do need it.

So, tucked in beside me at my day job is this little project.

I don't get to do many stitches, but I can place my hand on it from time to time and know it's all going to be fine.

What are your multiple tasks for today?

Hanging

Yes, I admit I'm hanging my head in shame.

I LOVE to read crafting blogs. There are some I click on daily (not an RSS kind of person). Still, when it comes to this (or my other) blog...I just can't seem to schedule time to write.

Well, that's probably not true. I love to do the writing, and think of it often. What I've been delinquent about is taking photos of what I'm working on. I have completed many projects already this year, but no pics have been posted here.

I am hanging other things however. I am launching a business in my community. June 8th is our grand opening. We'll sell crafts and offer classes and generally just revel in the joy of being who we are and being appreciated for it. I'm excited to have hung up my sign (figuratively) and to be hanging up merchandise:

 

This is what my space looks like so far. I don't know about you, but it makes me what to sit a spell and knit and chat. Off to the right is going to be the class area and off to the left is another peg board with tons of t-shirt necklaces hung where my girls wanted them to be.

 

 

Last night I arrived home to a package on my doorstep...the decals above. I have been sporting a knitting nerd decal from that shop for many years. Those things are almost indestructible. I've scraped ice off and not chipped the vinyl. So, I thought I'd share with my soon-to-be customers. I ordered a bunch of the Geek and Nerd designs. I do hope others will love adopting these girls as much as I do.

 

So, as you see, I've been crafting just not writing. I'll try to do better at both.

Ho Hum...mitts, mitts, and more mitts

Yes, I'm still around and yes, I'm still working on countless pair of fingerless mitts. I finally found the perfect pink...Lion Brand Homespun Tulips. I think my youngest would approve.

I'm also knitting a scarf for a friend. 350 stitches each row, five colors. I needed to change things up a bit so I'm knitting it lengthwise instead of widthwise.

I also have a hat for a different friend on the needles. It is also made from Homespun in shades of purple and pink.

It's cold around  here these days. The high for today is expected to be 10 degrees Fahrenheit. BRRR!!!

I hope you're staying warm wherever you are!

Addiction

Hi! My name is Melissa and I think I'm addicted to knitting fingerless mitts! YIKES!!

Yes, it's happened again. I started last year with these and then got off the kick for a long time. Then a few weeks ago I was cleaning out my project basket and found some I hadn't seamed. I did a quick seaming and it felt good. I asked my Mom if she'd model them so I could put them on Etsy for sale and that's when everything went downhill...fast.

Mom liked them...a lot. She wants some for Christmas presents...four...six...eight pair. Any colors she said. Well that's like giving a kid a credit card in a candy store and unlimited time. I'm in over my head!!!

I've got most of the original batch done and am working on round two...for choices, of course. What if she didn't like what I picked for the first color choices? It didn't help that one of the variegated yarns put out two very non-matching mitts so I made four mitts to see if I could get two that might look better together. I got close but I still have two non-matches so I know I'll "have to" knit at least two from that skein.

Ok, well that's me for now. Pics to come sometime.

WIP Wednesday

YIKES! I had good intentions...really, I did! I actually have two finished objects to post about. But...I do not have pictures yet. I do have a bag with three lovely skeins of yarn peeking out at me begging for me to finish another doll sweater and start the next. I have a circular needle sitting on the round glass table with nothing on it (looking sad, oh so sad). As for me, I'm sitting with my feet up for the first time in days and well, I'm going to play Words With Friends with my bf. Silly, I know, but I need a break and tonight that's what I need even more than knitting (can you believe it?). Cheers!

WIP Wednesday

Hello, again!!

Here we are on another hump day and I've barely made any progress. Of course, I am trying not to mope or make excuses...but I do have a good one. You see, I take a medication and... I'm blessed. This year I found a medicine to take away my migraines. Unfortunately, when I started it and when I change doses it also takes away feeling in my extremities and my mental acuity and other things for about two weeks. It's a challenge, but worth it. Needless to say, I haven't knit much for the past week. I did, however, manage to pick up three things and considering it took me quite a while to get the tiny needles moving again I consider this quite an accomplishment. So, here goes:

I finished the back of the Valentine's Day doll sweater and seamed the top of the sleeves. This means all that remains is to seam the underneath of the sleeves, weave in any ends and add some of the Cha Cha trim at the neck and cuffs.

I cast off the blue sock last time and included it in the picture this time. I need to fold over and sew the cuff so it has a clean picot edge. I took some time on Monday night and cast on the mate. I actually cast on at least three times, truth be told. Got it right finally...or close enough.

Last, but not least, I made progress on the pink and yellow sock's mate. That is the one that sits in my keyboard tray as I work at home. I have a laptop so that tray isn't used for anything but a financial book and yarn (WIPs). You won't tell anyone, right? ;)

How was your week?

WIP Wednesday

Ok, I know it is cliche to do this but I really do think I need a recurring post theme or I'm not going to get my butt in gear to keep posting on a regular basis. I love to write I just need to do it.

So, here goes my Works-in-Progress post. I actually took this photo on Friday last week, but since then I've done very little so there's not much change.

I laid out all my works on the round glass table in my living room. You can barely see the cool sculptural base, but it's there.

Let's start at the top and go clockwise, shall we? This is a skein of Lion Brand Homespun sitting next to a pile of the simple fingerless mitts I mentioned in a previous post. I've waited to seam them as Alex is so curious about how on earth a rectangle becomes something that can be worn as a mitt. I tried explaining it, but as we all know, some things just need to be seen to be understood. Needless to say, I haven't taken the time to sit with her and show so I have at least three pair waiting to be sewn. The mitt that is on the needle in this picture was later torn out as I realized the cable I was trying wasn't coming out as planned because I'm a dingbat. Still learning about cabling afterall. *sigh* At least these are quick and I frogged and restarted and finished the mitt all on Friday night while my girls were at the bounce house for an hour. All is well and I've cast on for its mate. The color may or may not come through well on your screen but in person it is a rich coral and these are actually being made for a co-worker who is just a tiny young woman who is always shivering in the office. She was sick for at least two weeks recently and I though this might be a nice thing for her to come in to one day. Can't hurt, right?

Next up is what was supposed to be the Valentine's Day doll sweater. That's one ball of Paton's Cha Cha in a bright red and one of Lion Suede in a bright red. I wasn't sure I'd have enough of the suede to do the whole sweater so I added stripes of the Cha Cha and will add it to the collar and cuffs as well. So far so good, but it isn't making it to Cher in time for this Valentine's Day. Sorry! :(

This rainbow colored puff ball is yet another fantastic doll sweater made from Paton's Cha Cha. This stuff is the most incredibly soft yarn to work with. Its sad that it is discontinued. Cher was kind enough to buy out her source and send me a box full of different colors so this is just one of many that will be popping up as works-in-progress and finished items. Yummy yarn to work with and this color does the striping all by itself!

 

Next up is another doll sweater in one of my favorite yarns, Caron's Simply Soft Eco. You may remember that I adore Simply Soft in all its colors but the Eco brand is even more a favorite as I'm kind of a hippie chic and this speaks to that side of my personality. This cornflower blue sweater is one of my "signature" sweaters that I've got a little dress to match and will pack away for a Fall/Winter launch on my Etsy shop.

Next up are what were to be Summer socks for my girls. We were at the local yarn store (Spin A Yarn) and I let the girls pick out what colors they'd like. I spent many a day knitting row after row on the tiny needles as the girls played in my parents' yard or rode bikes or scooters. Still, I did not finish. Carebear's are the pink and yellow and one is complete. The picture shows the beginning of the second one. LexiLoo's first is pictured and is now off the needles but its mate has yet to be cast on (I think...better check on that actually). I'm hoping to have these done for their March birthdays. Wish me luck!

I was stressed and well, as knitters I'm sure we can all relate to the call of a yarn shop within walking distance. One of my favorite bosses stopped by my desk in the morning, rubbing his hands together making comment that there was no heat in his office. Oh really? Well, he is one of my favorites and has even passed along knitting and sewing supplies from his deceased wife. I think he deserves some fingerless mitts to warm those hands, don't you? Of course they must be made of some great wool, and of course I had a lunch break to wander to the store. Hunter green and ivory and I've charted a pattern for our company name and...oy! I'm using this pattern from Mary Keenan at Hugs for Your Head so I can get the basic stitch count and the length. I've never done a twisted rib and find it so soothing.

Last, but not least, is the hat I'm working on for me. This is the Rainbow Boucle Patterns yarn that was given to me by Alex and Spike as a Christmas gift. I've struggled a bit with it as cables don't appear, nor do some simple knit/purl patterns. So, I'm just knitting along in the round and thinking it may be a very long toboggan type hat when I'm done, which will be quite some time from now as I have an ever growing "to do" list that piles in ahead of this one. Still, it is there and waiting patiently with one of my favorite markers on it.