New Year, New Blog

With this new year, I've decided to start a new blog. In the hopes that it will encourage me to actually blog more, I've moved from Blogger to WordPress and renamed the blog. So you can find me now at Share's Yarn Cakes. Hope to see you there!

Malabrigo March Madness, NATCROMO, COM...Oh My!

Need I say more? Well, OK, maybe I do. March is a busy, busy month! It's National (and International on Ravelry) Crochet Month (NATCROMO/ITCROMO). It's also our 2nd annual Village Hopelessly Overcommitted Cast On Mania (COM). And it's Malabrigo March Madness (MMM). btw, it isn't a coincidence that COM is the same month as MMM. ;)

First, Malabrigo! Yep, I'm going backwards. *warning: shameless self promotion ahead* ...cause I need votes! I am a new Malabrigo Junkie. I've had this heavenly yarn in my stash for about a year, but never done anything with it other than occasionally take it out and pet it. And I wasn't really that in love with the worsted I had...the color YES, but the feel, no. So when MMM came around this year, I thought what better way to get me off my butt and try it. I'd always heard how soft it was but wasn't really seeing it myself...in the skein. Then I started using it! OMB! (That's Oh My Bob! for any non-Ravelers out there.) It really is amazingly soft and keeps getting softer the more I work with it! I am now officially in LOVE!

So what better way to show my new found love, than with a song! ...and an entry into the 2010 Show Your Devotion Contest. So here is my first ever attempt at 1) a video and 2) singing in public...so to speak. If you're on Ravelry, check out the Contest thread in the Malabrigo Junkies group and vote for me! ;) Voting ends the 31st...I think.



Now, onto NATCROMO! This year for NATCROMO, I got to be a little more active in the Ravelry Party than last year, but still not as much as 2008. Nonetheless, I was still crocheting and actively promoting crochet to others. I have worked on several things...

a dress for Thing 1's Ariel doll. She picked out the pattern (from the 80's!) and color. It just needs snaps and a little ribbon:



a scarf that will end up as a gift before too long (you'll have to wait to find out who for). It's taken a while to find out what pattern this Plymouth Baby Alpaca Lace wanted to be, but this is it! It's the Alpine Frost Scarf (Rav pattern link) by Amy O'Neill Houck from Interweave Crochet, Winter 2008.



And then I've also been working on a couple of new designs too! ...but I can't show you those right now. ;)

And finally COM! Crazy thing to do! The idea is to cast on/start something new everyday of the month. Sounds a lot easier to do than it is. I couldn't keep up last year either and then ended up with a TON of projects that are either still WIPs or I've finally frogged. This year, I've tried to be smarter about it. I have never planned to try to cast on something every day...just wanted to allow myself the freedom to start something new with no guilt. All the things I've done for NATCROMO have been included as well as a few knitted things...

Like this Faberge Neck Warmer (Rav pattern link) by Nina Machlin Dayton (that is also for MMM) from the gorgeous Malabrigo worsted I was given in a swap last year:



(I'm about halfway through this neck warmer now...need to take a new pic!)

And this Cable Band Bag (Rav pattern link) by Jennifer Jones using the GORGEOUS merino/alpaca Pistachio and Chocolate handspun yarn from my Danish friend, Lykkefanten.



Clearly, they're all still WIPs, but ones with a greater chance at becoming FO's than the COMs from last year. :D

And all this while dealing with colds in our house that took all but one of us out for 2 weeks! ACK! Anyway, I hope you all have had a better and more productive month. But it's still been fun!

And as always...Happy Crafting! :D

2010 Ravelympics

OK, I know I owe you a follow up post on the Pinewood Derby, but I got distracted by the 2010 Ravelympics! So I'll post about it next time.

Anyway, the 2010 Ravelympics, which coincides with the 2010 Winter Olympics, is almost over. The closing ceremonies will begin before too long and I'm proud to say I accomplished most of my goal for these games. I did not plan on competing as many projects as the 2008 games...nor did I intend to compete in WIPs Dancing (I'm already sick of my WIPs, which is why they're still WIPs). Instead, I planned to try to use up as much old stash as I could. And with the crazy month I've had, I'm very happy with my performance.

The games started with a Team Hopelessly Overcommitted Everlasting Synchronized Bag Jump...using Knitty's Everlasting Bagstopper pattern, we had a mass team cast-on during the opening ceremonies. That I know of, there were 12 team members ready to go on this...though it looks like only 9 managed a start (at least according to our tags). But it was great fun nonetheless! It seems fitting that the bag I cast-on for the start of the games was the last thing I finished at the close of the games.



I somehow managed to make this bag 4 rows shorter in the lace section than my previous bag. Not sure how I did that as I carefully measured both bags. Oh well! This can be the bread or produce bag. :D And how could I not be happy with a bag that finished gold in the Bag Jump and Stash Compulsory Dance?

I also competed in Junior Olympics, Mittens Moguls and Stash Compulsory Dance with my Chocolate Dipped Blueberry Mittens for Thing 2.



Just before the games started, I finished a matching pair for Thing 1...Mixed Berry Mitts. (Clearly, I shouldn't name projects when hungry.)



Now if only I could have finished both pairs of mittens in time for the 5" of snow we had the day before starting them! LOL Oh well! There's enough growing room in them to wear again next year.

Then I had 4 projects compete in Charity Curling, Single Skein Speed Skate and Stash Compulsory Dance (noticing a theme here?).




I think it's pretty interesting to see the differences in these squares. They're all using the same pattern, same yarn, same dyelot, but very different effects. I had hoped to finish 2 more (and thus using up all of this yarn I had), but other things kept getting in the way and besides, my hands were hurting at that point. But I will finish those other 2 squares and then find a good home for them. The original charity I had planned on donating them to is no longer accepting squares, but I've been given information about several others that would be happy to have them. I'll let you know where they go when they're all done. And I think I'll be making more squares for charity as well this year. It's for a great cause and uses up stash to boot! :D

Then there was a new event for these games...Aerial Unwind. I have to say, this may have been my favorite event! I had 4 projects medal here as well, but that also means I have 4 fewer WIPs! :D For this I frogged my Bamboo Scarf (loved the yarn and the pattern, just not together), my Luscious Lace Scarf (couldn't get the pattern to look right with my yarn), my Hand Spring Mitts (again, loved the yarn and the pattern, just not together...wished I'd had another skein of the yarn to hold double for it), and finally, my first attempt at a sweater for me...my Hey, Mom! OK, that last one was hard. I really liked the pattern and the yarn and the two together, but it's been so long since I've worked on it, I couldn't figure out where I was. I had also been having problems with adjusting the pattern to in the round without having big sections of stockinette at the center front as the pattern indicated. Rest assured, I'll try this one again!









So, all in all, I'm very happy with my performance in the games this year! :D And Malabrigo March Madness, our Village Hopelessly Overcommitted Cast-On Mania, and National Crochet Month all start tomorrow! It's going to be a fun fun month! :D

Happy Crafting! :D

Derby Time!

My little space in the kitchen where I usually have all my fiber fun has been taken over this weekend...by the Pinewood Derby! Jitterfrog, my oldest son, is a Cub Scout Wolf. And as any Cub Scout parent knows...it's Derby Time! :D

This year, however, Thing 1 and Thing 2 want to get in on the fun. They've asked for cars too. And I said OK. Some may say that's being a good Mom, but in reality, it's just an excuse for me to make a car to race cause I love it too. LOL

Here's what my space has looked like so far this weekend...





Can you guess which car belongs to my daughter? ;)

For anyone interested, we sealed the cars using an all-purpose sealer (frequently used in tole painting), base coated in Titanium White and then followed with the lightest color to be used in the design (multiple coats were required, especially for the pink one). After all the detail painting is done, we'll seal it with a gloss varnish to make them nice and shiny. And we're using all water based products...easier clean-up and more color choices. Finally, if more weight is needed, we'll use those zinc weights to get us as close to 5 oz as we can.

I know we could use more weight for the twins cars since they'll be racing in the "open" class, but I'm thinking of theirs as practice cars for the future. But don't worry, Jitterfrog is doing most of the work! We've only helped him when absolutely necessary. I really can't wait to see it after he finishes painting. He's made a sketch of what he wants to do and it's pretty cool looking.

So, until the race for our Pack is over this weekend, I won't be doing much fiber related stuff. Except maybe sketching. I can do that just about anywhere. Swatching will have to wait a little bit though. I do have a few new designs I'm working on...including one that's knitted! I'm hoping to be able to get them done soon and to some wonderful people that have agreed to test them for me.

See, I told you I did other stuff besides just crochet and knitting! :D

Happy Crafting! :D

A Little Fiber Therapy

Ever had one of those days when simple things seemed complicated? I've had a couple of those lately. And then I realized I didn't have any "brainless" projects to work on. What was I thinking? One should always have a few projects ready just for those days.

I finally decided to give the Everlasting Bagstopper a try. It's been in my queue for a looong time. I've even had the yarn in stash for about a year. And the garter stitch bottom, for sure, seems as brainless as it can get. So no problem! Apparently, the night I decided to cast on it was. I only got this far before problems started...



Yeah. Pretty sad. But hey! It takes a lot of work to screw those needles onto the cables...and figure out how much yarn you need to cast-on the right number of stitches using long tail cast-on...and then of course, the slip knot doesn't just make itself! ...yeah, still pretty sad.

Good news? I was feeling much better the next day. I got about a third of the way through the bag yesterday (between all the other things going on). And I think it's just the fiber therapy I was needing!

You see, I've got two new designs I'm working on (including a knitted one!) and ideas for another five or six that I'm itching to get working on. I think all of that plus the real life stuff just overloaded my brain. I've had problems sleeping cause I just can't seem to shut my brain off! So I figured, I just needed to take a little time off to relax the brain so I can focus and get all these things done! And brainless fiber therapy seems to be working! I think by the time I finish this bag I'll be able to jump right back in and knock out at least one of those designs. Then maybe, I'll make another bag so I can knock out the other one before Valentine's Day. Hmmm...could that be a possible theme? Stay tuned to find out!

Happy Crafting! :D

2010 Fiber Resolutions

But first a look back at my 2009 fiber resolutions...

So here was my list for 2009:

• I’d like to get my WIPs under some sort of control.


• Make a least one sweater/cardigan thingy for Me ME MEEEEE!!!! And crochet/knit for me more in general! LOL


• Learn knitted fair isle/stranding or at least attempt learning it.


• Start Christmas gifts NOW!


• Write and offer at least 3 new patterns.


• Spin more!

I didn't do tooooo badly. LOL I didn't get my WIPs under control at all. They actually got worse! Unless you count the number I put into hibernation as getting under control. ;) I never did finish the cardigan for myself either. In fact, I think I'm going to frog it and start over. It's been so long since I've looked at it now that I doubt I could figure out where I was on it, so better to start again. I think. I did at least start a lot more projects for myself...even if I didn't finish them. I didn't get anywhere near close to knitting fair isle. I did start Christmas gifts early, but didn't finish any. I got a new spindle and did start some more spinning, but again, didn't get very far. And I officially only offered 2 new patterns. Sooooo, I didn't do as well as I thought after all! Humpf!

But I think getting a pattern published in Interweave Crochet...and on the cover!...more than makes up for my other fiber failings. Non? LOL

OK, maybe my goals were too lofty? So this year I should be more reasonable...right? Nah! That wouldn't be very Hopelessly Overcommitted of me would it? ;)

So let's see...for 2010...

• I think I should try the WIPs thing again. Maybe I just need to go through all the WIPs and hibernating projects and decide...frog or finish!


• I would still like to make a wearable piece for myself.


• I want to finish the big Christmas gift I started last year, but never got to finish. If I get any other Christmas gifts finished, it'd be a bonus.


• I'd like to spin at least half of the fiber stash I currently own. I don't have a big stash, so this shouldn't be too hard. And it would give me an excuse to buy more pretty fibers! ;)


• And write and offer at least 3 new patterns. (What can I say, I like the number 3!)

Still a little lofty when you consider how crazy my non-fiber life has become over the last year. And this year, it will likely get even crazier. I'm still teaching Art Awareness for Jitterfrog's class for the rest of this school year. The twins may start preschool sometime this year (still haven't decided). Plus our Cub Scout pack has just had another pack merge with us, so we have more than doubled our pack size in a year! Thing 1, my daughter, wants to start gymnastics or ballet...she hasn't completely decided which yet. Jitterfrog is thinking soccer this year. And I'm still hoping to reclaim some space to get back to my other non-fiber crafts. So, even without fiber, it should be a pretty busy year! Can't wait to see! :D

Happy Crafting! :D

Sunset Ruana Revealed

OK, I didn't post a "sneak peek" but if I had, it would have looked like this...



And you may have seen this on Ravelry already, but I'm officially talking about it here now. The Sunset Ruana (Ravelry link for queuing purposes ;D)...



It's a really big comfy ruana using Tunisian Entrelac. That's right, it's CROCHETED!!!!! Why should knitters have all the fun? LOL I've always loved the look of knitted entrelac, but haven't quite figured that out yet, so I wanted to do something in crochet. Most of the patterns I found using Tunisian Entrelac were for pillows, afghans or bags. But I wanted to do something more like the knitted projects I'd been drooling over on Ravelry since joining.

I submitted the original idea to Interweave Crochet way back in February and waited with baited breath to find out if my first attempt at submitting to a major publication (and only second ever piece submitted anywhere!) would be accepted. I was elated and lost my voice from screaming with joy when I got the e-mail that it had been accepted...with a few little changes (more about that later). Of course, I had no problems with the change and was excited at the possibilities. It was so hard not to talk about it though!

Then Christmas came early, in the form of a box of super soft Limerick yarn from Wisdom Yarns (distributed by Universal Yarns). I hadn't known what color they would send for the sample piece. The colorway reminded me of fall leaves and I was so excited to get started! It took me about a week to work out some of the immediate changes that we made to the design before I could really get started working on the piece. I then spent the entire month of July working on the piece or the pattern every single chance I could. I had stupid injuries that occurred during that time as well that took some time away and I was down to the wire in getting the finished sample to them in time. But it was well worth it!

I was so excited just to be in the magazine. I mean, a pattern of mine, published in a magazine with all those other amazing designers that I admire so much (like Doris Chan, Danielle Kassner, Julia Vaconsin, Marlaina Bird, Ellen Gormley and Kim Guzman...just to name a few)! WOW! You couldn't wipe the smile off my face all summer long!

Then I got the most amazing, very best birthday present EVER!...albeit a day late. ;) Someone on Ravelry posted a link to the pre-order website for the Winter issue. Imagine the shock and amount of screaming and jumping that occurred when the link pulled up a picture of the cover with my piece on it! The kids were convinced I'd absolutely lost my mind and I couldn't calm down long enough to tell them. Jitterfrog (my 8yo son) came over to look at the screen to find out what was going on. And finally I screamed, "I'm on the cover!!!!" HOLY COW!!!!! And yes, I lost my voice again. LOL

I don't even know what to say! Never in my wildest dreams (well, OK, maybe my wildest dreams) would I have thought that would happen! It is unreal!

Now I guess I'd better get off my butt and go design some more! LOL In the meantime, go get a copy of the Winter 2009 Interweave Crochet...order on-line or find it on stands December 29th!!!!

Happy Crafting! :D

Resolutions Update

I know, I know...it's been another month I've been away. But I had a reallllllly good reason! In fact, I took most of July off from the computer...or the internet at least. Between injuries, bad reactions to meds, work, kids and regular stuff, it was a super busy month. And yes, that's right, I said work! I was busy working hard on creating a new pattern that will be released later this year. I'll tell you more about it later, but for now, I'll update those resolutions. :D

My original fiber resolutions for this year were:

• getting my WIPs under some sort of control
• make a least one sweater/cardigan thingy for Me ME MEEEE!!!! And crochet/knit for me more in general
• learn knitted fair isle/stranding or at least attempt learning it.
• start Christmas gifts now
• spin more
• write and offer at least 3 new patterns

So where am I on this list? Let's see...

Thanks to Cast On Mania, I'm afraid there is no hope for getting my WIPs under control...unless I have a HUGE FrogFest! Which may actually happen. There are several projects I've reevaluated. It seems like there has to be something wrong if it's taking so long to complete it right? Some of them, I love the yarn and the project, just not together. And others, I've just completely lost interest in all together. But I'm trying to repurpose the yarn before I completely give up on it. Somehow it seems like I can justify the yarn purchase still if I find a use for it before frogging it's original purpose.

I have at least started more projects for myself this year. Doubtful how many will see completion though. And I do have a Hey, Teach! cardigan about half way done. Hmmm...guess I should get updated photos of that one. Maybe that will help motivate me to finish it.

Knitted fair isle...well, I had a reason I wanted to learn this, but I've run out of time this year for that, so I think it would be safe to put this one off till next year. I have so much other stuff going on now and school is about to start back up, so I'll save this one. But I did learn at least one new knitting technique this year...lace! So that sort of counts...right? :D

I did start Christmas gifts in February this year. Or at least, I started one. It's still a long way from being done though. So much for good intentions! Now, I'll have to kick it into high gear to finish it in time and I still have several more gifts to get started on...anyone know a good tutorial for Turkish cast-on?

I haven't actually spun anything yet this year, but I hope to remedy that soon! After seeing all the amazing yarn created during the Tour de Fleece, I've been inspired! I've ordered a beautiful new spindle for myself from Butterfly Girl Designs and I cannot wait for it to get here! I've drooled over this spindle for nearly a year, but it's always sold very quickly. I was absolutely elated to catch one the very day she put it up! Can you hear me squeeing with delight?

And that leads me to the patterns. I've already self-published one pattern this year. And I've just completed the second, which has gone to the publisher and will be released later this year. And there are at least 2 more I plan to self-publish this year. And boy did the ideas start flowing as I was working on this latest piece! I may actually have enough ideas for a book now! Though, for the moment at least, I think I'll stick to one at a time. LOL But safe to say I should meet this goal this year.

All in all, I'd say I'm not doing too bad! Does that mean I set the bar too low? ;-)

Happy Crafting! :D

Temptation

Since I can't show you what I'm working on now, and I'm really trying to be better about posting, I thought I'd just share some loveliness and try to spread the temptation that is Malabrigo!!!!! ;-)

My first ever Malabrigo experience lead to the purchase of this gorgeous skein of Mal Lace in Buscando Azul...

Then, as part of our Village Hopelessly Overcommitted MYB Swap, I received this beautiful skein of Mal Worsted in Sapphire Green...

And my newest lovely aquistions are Mal Lace in Stonechat...

and Mal Sock in Impressionist Sky...

Tempted yet? :D

It is every bit as soft as the stories you've heard! And I haven't even worked with it yet...I just keep petting them! LOL

I don't know what these will become...except the Mal Worsted is destined to become a Faberge Neckwarmer (Rav link). And I'm thinking something non-sock for the others, cause they are just so gorgeous, I want to show them off as much as possible. Got any ideas?????

Happy Crafting! :D

More FOs!!!! :D

Can you believe it? I have even more FOs to show you! :D

Here's one I thought I had shared with you before, but apparently didn't. It's the baby afghan for my DD, Thing 1. I started it while pregnant with the twins, but just got around to finishing it in March. Sad, I know. And I haven't even started one for her brother yet!

The pattern is Fenced-In Daisy by Mary Lamb Becker and comes from the Leisure Arts Book #2853, Our Best Baby Afghans. I had seen this pattern years before and loved it. I just had to wait till I had a girl...and fortunately I did! :D

I also finally got a photo of that Scouting for Food Bag:

I'ts not a great photo, but at least it's something to show. ;-) The pattern is The Green Shopping Bag from RecylceCindy and is made of plarn that was recylced from leftoever Scouting for Food bags (hence the name). And there are LOTS of other great recyling projects on her website too...even a baseball cap made from plarn!

And then I had a quick project this past week. My oldest went to Cub Camp and I got to work staff one day too. I got to teach the boys how to make a foam water bottle holder, but of course, I had to show off crochet too...so I made a crocheted water bottle holder for myself. It got a lot of compliments and was verrrrrry useful! :D

The pattern is Girls Water Bottle Holder by Chelle Grissam (rav link). I used all but about 11 yards of one skein of Lily's Sugar'n Cream Stripes in Country Stripes. I made a few changes too. I made the strap slightly longer, since I'm a woman, not a "girl". It does stretch a bit with a bottle in it and perhaps I should have made it not quite as long, but it still needed to be longer than the pattern stated. Also, instead of finishing off the strap and sewing it on, I continued and attached the strap with a chain stitch through the back loop and just continued on with the crab stitch edging through the front loops. This way it was all one piece and I only had one end to weave in. :D

I also started another new design that I was hoping to finish for Cub Camp. But the kids weren't cooperating with letting me work on it, so I didn't finish it. And this way it gives me more time to play and tweak the design. Maybe I'll even try submitting it for a Spring or Summer edition somewhere. Hmm... ;-)

That's probably the last of the FO's I'll have to show you for a little while. I'm going to be super busy the next month working on a project that I'll get to tell you more about later. But knowing me, that probably won't stop me from starting at least a project or two. LOL

Happy Crafting! :D

FO's for fogiveness?

Will you forgive me for not blogging like I should be if I give you some FO's? :D I've completely lost track of my yardage and mileage, but my FO's are up to 16 now! I'll work on trying to recalculate the others...in my spare time. LOL

Anyway, I'll start with the most recent FO. I just finished it last night!

It's a mini North Roe Shawl (Rav link) that I did as part of Village Hopelessly Overcommitted's ongoing Lace Shawlette Study. We're learning lace without the committment of a fullsized shawl. This one will be a present for my DD's 3rd birthday next month. It's made from less than 1 ball of J&P Coats Royale Classic Crochet Thread (Size 10) in a vareigated pink.

And I must say, I now have yet another addiction...lace! It's so amazing the difference blocking makes and it's like Christmas seeing what you get! :D This is what it looked like right off the needles...

Amazing difference, huh?

I also finished 3 elephant themed projects as gifts for my friend Lykkefanten and her son, but unfortunately, got so excited about sending them, I forgot to take pictures. LOL And I still need to take pictures of the loveliness that she sent me too! I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do with it all yet, but DD has claimed the pink yarn for herself! LOL

I also made a mini Chauncey (Rav link),

and crocheted sock bookmark

for my Magic Yarn Ball swap partner MePlz. It was only my second ever swap and I'd not heard of a MYB prior, but it was so much fun putting it together! The sock bookmark is based on the idea of some knitted sock bookmarks I saw on Ravelry. I used this pattern (Rav link), made two socks then connected them with a ch 100.

And Jen (MePlz) sent me the most amazing box too!

That beautiful green ball is my first Malabrigo Worsted!!!! :D I cannot wait to knit it up! It's going to be a lovely Faberge Neck Warmer (yep, Rav link). And the adorable Egyptian sheep card (which if you know me, is sooooo perfect!) and the beautiful painted shale are displayed behind me right now! I just love them! Thanks again Jen!!!! :D

I also finished my Dragonscale Socks from the Crochet Liberation Front First Ever Book...you know, that one I'm in. ;-) I accidentally put my own little mark on them by putting in one of the heels inside out. LOL But I still love them! :D I used almost all of 2 balls of Knit Picks Palette in Tidepool Heather.

I also finished my first project using my own handspun yarn, but I don't have an FO pic yet cause I don't have a coffee mug that fits it. So I'm looking for a new one...just for my mug cozy! LOL

And to get completely caught up, I also finished a reusable shopping bag made from plarn recycled from leftover Scouting for Food bags. But alas, I don't have pictures of it yet either.

Sounds like I need to get busy taking pictures to get everything completely updated! LOL I have other news to share soon too, but not just yet...you'll have to stay tuned for that. ;-)

Happy Crafting!

Here Comes the...Bat?

I made these little guys in June of 2008...yes, that's right nearly a year ago and I'm just now able to share them with you! :D

My Dad got married this past weekend! These cuties were made for him and his new bride.

They've had this thing for bats since their first date (or there abouts). It's one of those inside joke things. And when I saw the Little Bat pattern by Shala (Rav link here) come up on Ravelry, I knew I had to make it for them. Then when they were talking about getting married, I thought it would be funny to adapt the pattern to a bride and groom bat. They LOVED them!

I was also very happy to make the cake for them. It was a yummy dark chocolate cake with my best ever dark chocolate buttercream icing and topped off with dark and white chocolate shavings. YUMMY!!! And since they didn't want any "wedding-y" kind of decorations *on* the cake...I thought the bats were perfect to sit next to it! I think it worked rather nicely! :D

And because I really like my new StepMom, I wanted to do something really nice for her for the wedding too. So I made a Crocus Bud Shawl (Rav link here) for her. She's allergic to wool, so I found a really pretty bamboo thread (you know I have this thing for bamboo anyway!) to use for it. It has a really nice sheen and drape and is realllllly soft! And I was thrilled that she liked it so much she wore it for the wedding!

I don't have those pictures yet to share, but I will as soon as I can ... presuming she's OK with it. ;-)

It was a GREAT weekend! They were really happy and looked fantastic! My brother came to visit and I got to spend more time with him this visit than I normally do and it was great! He's my kids favorite new toy! LOL We all had an absolute blast!

Congratulations Dad and StepMom! :D

Hmm...I'll have to talk to StepMom about a blog moniker for her. ;-)

Happy Crafting!

FO's and Cast On Mania!

Oh my! Didn't I say I was going to try to post more often this year? Clearly, I'm not doing so well with that one! LOL

Well, let's see...what's happened since the last post...OH! I know! I finished the Daisy Sweater for Thing 1 ANNNNDDD I finished the Provence Cabled Sweater for Thing 2!!!!!! :D Yep! 2 FO's and BOTH are sweaters!!!! :D I appologize in advance for the poor picture quality...neither the sun nor the kids have cooperated with me on getting good ones taken.

Here's the Daisy Sweater:

And here's the Provence Cabled Sweater (it's really a blue color not grey or purple):

Then, as a reward for being so good about not casting on new things for a month and a half (OK, I wasn't that good), the Village Hopelessly Overcommitted decided to make February Cast On Mania month! We are free to cast on daily with abandon! Completely guilt free project starting craziness!!! Obviously, this does not help me get my WIPs under control, but it has gotten me started on Christmas presents already. LOL

Feburary is also me me ME month! Another guilt free opportunity for us to make things for ourselves instead of others...for a change. I have not done as well with this one, but I'm working on it. :D

So care to see the list so far???? I've not cast on daily, but I did start with 2 BIG projects, so I think that kind of makes up for it. Let's see...

Feb 1: a BIG Christmas present ...so I can't say much more, but it's BIG! :D

Feb 2: Burridge Lake Afghan (Rav link) I'm past the first cable repeat on the first panel. Very slow going, but better since I took the time to chart it! Here's my progress so far...

Feb 3: Fetching (for ME!) Finished one mitt and realized I didn't have enough yarn left to finish the other, so I had to order more. The new ball is a different dyelot and so slightly different color, but being on a different hand it shouldn't be too noticeable. I haven't had the chance yet to get back to this one, but here's the progress so far. (The ball in the pic is the new one.)

Feb 4: Super Secret New Crochet Design (more on this another time)

Feb 6: Crochet Dragonscale Socks (Rav link) (for ME!) from the Crochet Liberation Front First Ever Book...you know, the one I'm in! ;) This one, I got past the heel and halfway up the leg before it dawned on me that it was tooooo long! And that was after having to start over once cause my gauge was off and the larger size was even larger! LOL The marker in this shot shows where I have to rip back to :( and start the "scale" pattern to make it fit. I'm thinking I may just go ahead and start the second sock first before ripping out all this work. You know, just to make sure my plan for fit works.

Feb 7: Phoenix Mitts (Rav link) (again, for ME!) another from the CLF book. Really only started the cuff and put this one aside for now. Doing too many things with small size yarn and little hooks/needles and my eyes are paying the price! Probably won't be able to get back to this one until after I get my eyes checked. But I'm making it in a really luscious, super soft, pretty pink baby alpaca. :D

Feb 8: Cast On Mania Project My plan for this one was to cast on one "small" (ie. miniature) project a day for the month and then at the end, put them all together into something. So far, I've done 3...again with the eye strain.

Feb 9: Playing with new to me crochet techniques I'm trying a few things, first up is Tunisian Entrelac using up some old vintage stash. :D

Feb 11: Hand Springs Fingerless Mitts (another one for ME!) Love these! I'm almost halfway through the second pattern repeat and even though it hurts my eyes, I still try to do a couple of rows a day cause they're so pretty and I LOVE the yarn I'm using (Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Stream)

Feb 16: Hey, Teach! (you guessed it, for ME!) OK, I'm really just starting to swatch for this one...and not getting gauge yet.

So, been a busy month and I'm still working on another super secret project that HAS to be done before the end of the month too.

And you may have noticed my Stashdown 2009 ticker on the side. The goal is to complete 52 projects in 2009 or use 100 skeins of stash (whichever comes first). I'm only counting yarn from finished projects and I need to go back and add mileage too. Village Hopelessly Overcommitted is trying to help one of our members (LittlePenguin) reach the moon using yarn from our FOs! :D

Anyway, so far I've completed 4 projects now and used 8.39 skeins and 1362.3 yds! Boy, that makes it sound much more impressive! LOL

Happy Crafting!

2009 Fiber Resolutions and an FO!

OK, I'm normally not so good with sticking to New Year's resolutions, but maybe, just maybe, I can stick to some fibery ones. :D

So here's my list:

• I’d like to get my WIPs under some sort of control.
• Make a least one sweater/cardigan thingy for Me ME MEEEEE!!!! And crochet/knit for me more in general! LOL
• Learn knitted fair isle/stranding or at least attempt learning it.
• Start Christmas gifts NOW!
• Write and offer at least 3 new patterns.
• Spin more!

Seems totally doable...right? :D

I'm even off to a good start! I've already published one pattern for this year! YAY! And, I've recently completed my first official FO for the year...my first pair of adult sized socks (and they're for ME!).

The pattern is Garter Rib from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks. I used 1.45 skeins of Moda Dea Sassy Stripes in the Crush colorway and 3.25mm (US 3) DPNs and made these socks 2-in-1. I wasn't even trying to match stripes, but I got pretty close! :D They're a little big (apparently I have odd sized feet) but I still LOVE them! They are really comfy!

I've also been working on the Daisy Sweater for Thing 1 (my 2 yo DD). It just lacks one sleeve (they are knitted on) and taking care of some ends. The sweater for Thing 2 (my 2 yo DS) also lacks one sleeve...but it also needs to be blocked before I can assemble it. Hopefully, I'll make LOTS of progress on these and maybe even have at least one more FO to show next time! :D

As always...Happy Crafting! :D