just peachy…

Peachy Sweet Clara dress is DONE!  I can’t wait to see a picture of Lola in this. 

Clara Dress pattern

I finished this wonderful project last Sunday and I wasn’t sure if I like the crocheted neck edge or not.  I’m going to leave it, I think.   I still need to get a button for the back at the neck.  I’ve been sick most of this week and so maybe I can get out of the house and look for the perfect button tomorrow.

DETAILS:

Pattern: Clara by Karin Vestergaard Mathiesen

Needles: size 3 circ and dpn

Yarn: Sirdar Juicy DK – used 4 skeins had very little left, I also only knit 6 seed stitch rounds around each sleeve instead of 10 rounds, because I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough yarn. 4 skeins is 412 yards.

Size: smallest of the 2

A few more pictures up close…

It difficult to show the true color, so just trust me… it’s YUMMY!

sleeves are 6 rows of seed stitch and then CO in seed stitch

OK, one more picture…

botton edge up close

I’m already thinking about the next project… pictures will follow!

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a little lime whirligig…

As promised… here is the little lime green whirligig!

Upclose lime green Whirligig Shrug

I can’t wait to see what these will look like on a real baby.  This next picture you can see the difference in size.  Like I said I used size 6 needles with both.  The first one was knit with DK weight yarn (as suggested in the pattern) and this one is a much heavier weight yarn (worsted/aran weight).  I love them both.

Several people have asked me about there not being a button or something to close it… but I keep telling them… this is NOT a sweater, it’s a shrug and it’s not to close in front.  From what I have been told, a shrug is a perfect choice for  a wee one because they can’t take them off very easily.  The larger of these two is for Rick’s niece Jenna.  Her due date was June 4th, and we just found out that she had her baby on Thursday! – April 29th… she is only 4 1/2 pounds… so I think it will be awhile before she’ll be wearing this.  The second shrug… the lime green one, if for display at The Yarn Corner in Aberdeen. 

Details again:  Whirligig Shrug from Interweave Knits Weekend Special Issue 2009.  Lime green Cotton-Ease, less than one skein.  Size 6 needles.

Double the fun!

May Day…

Where does the time go?  Can you believe it’s May 1st already?  It scares me to stop and think about how fast time seems to be rushing by me… maybe the fear comes from looking back at what I have done with my time, or NOT done with my time.  So with that in mind… I need to knit more!  LOL

About knitting…  I started another Whirligig for the shop (The Yarn Corner).  This time using Lime green Cotton-Ease yarn.  I made the smallest size, and used size 6 needles again.  At first I thought that the size was looking like the same size as the 6 month size I made out of the DK weight yarn, but that was just for the back, and then I could see it was most certainly going to be much smaller.  It is so darn cute now that it’s done.  I haven’t taken pictures yet, but I will do that tomorrow. 

Now for my two cents on this shrug… I think that the Cotton-Ease is a good choice for a larger shrug, and an older little girl, but for a tiny wee one… I think I would stick with the DK weight yarn.  This pattern for sure gets a big thumbs up in my book. 

When I post pictures tomorrow I’ll post about what I am going to start next!  I know you can hardly wait until tomorrow now right?  hee-hee… nighty night!

Snow, Daybreak & Easter…

Snow?  Yep yesterday morning Rick followed me to work so I could drop off my car to be fixed and it was snowing really hard when we got to Montesano.  Crazy isn’t it?  We  left work about noon to head to Olympia for my eye appointment and the wind was really blowing, no more snow because it had warmed up to 42 degrees.  Then I heard that in the mountains (on both passes) it’s supposed to snow up to 3 feet by last night! 

Daybreak the shawl!  Not what happens in the morning… I’m not a morning person. 

I picked up the Daybreak shawl/scarf pattern at Yarnia in Portland and picked up the yarn for it at Twisted the same day.  If you look at this pattern on Stephen West’s blog you will see many different variations.  I saw it on an employee at Twisted and fell in love with it, and the yarn and the colors!  I would never have picked these two colors, but I’m glad I got to see what they look like together.  The yarn is Mini Mochi, here’s the scoop on the yarn…

Mini Mochi is a lovely self-striping, fine, single ply yarn from Crystal Palace. Perfect for socks and any other fine knit projects.

• Fiber: 80% Merino Wool, 20% Nylon
• Weight: 50g
• Yardage: 195yds / 180m
• Needle size: US 1 – 2
• Gauge: 7 – 8 sts per 1”
• Care: Handwash or Machinewash with Cool Water on Gentle Cycle. Dry Flat.
• Yarn Weight: Fingering / Light

And here are the two skeins I pick up.  Color #109  and Color #113

Mini Mochi - Yummy!

pretty!

can't wait to get started on this one!

One more quick bit of news that I wanted to share in case you haven’t checked it out yet… Twist Collective has the new Spring 2010 up!  I love it… and I’m sure you will find something you love too.  I love this online magazine, if you haven’t ever checked them out you really should.  I love being able to click on the advertisements and it takes you right to their website.  If you click on the title of the pattern you will see additional information about the pattern, or you can just add it to your shopping basket.

Easter weekend is here.  Chocolate bunnies, egg hunts, new Easter dresses and peeps… but I wanted to say more than Happy Easter, let’s not forget the real reason we celebrate… He has risen.

More knitting updates to come this weekend… hubby is out on duty all night… can we say KNITTING MARATHON!

Color Swap Gift and little treat…

I’m not sure why it’s taking me so long to get this done.  I’m enjoying knitting this cowl and the pattern is simple, yet not boring.  A good thing to knit even while chatting.  I’ve been working on it at work only, maybe that’s why it’s taken so long.  I want to make one other little thing for my color swap partner too, so I better get a move on it.  Have you guessed what color this swap is?  🙂

The Good Luck Cowl, Cassie & her puppy, and new favorite treat!

 Have you seen these cute little one serving ice cream treats?  They have lots of flavors.  I got them at Safeway, and I love them.  They have an itty bitty spoon under the lid and for once, I really am eating just one serving.  Portion control at it’s finest!  lol

Cassie was trying to help me knit today, and she kept bringing Blondie her puppy to me.  She just doesn’t get it… I can’t play and knit at the same time.  So I had to let her win over the knitting a few times.

A good Saturday now being put to rest.  Tomorrow looks like a nicer day, and we will be going to the beach with the dogs!  They are excited, we told them tonight.

Three Sisters…

I have lots of posting to do.  So lets see… I think I’ll just do several over the next couple of days.

First up… The Three Sista Chickens!

Last month I started knitting chickens for the Grays Harbor County Fair auction.  In the past I have donated themed gift baskets and this year I wanted to knit something fun.  So when I saw the pattern for Knit Chickens by Susan B. Anderson – how could I resist.

Everyday the pattern and yarn went to work with me and at break and during my lunch I would knit on them.  Soon Stripe the littlest chicken was done.

Little Sista Stripe

Now, even with stripe done, she came to work with me each day, and traveled around with me where ever I went.  She inspired me to keep working on her sisters.  People at work from different departments started coming to visit the little Stripe chicken.   Soon we had another sister chicken… her name is Flower.

The girls and I visiting Sherri at The Yarn Corner.

 Now with Flower done, her and little sister Stripe decided they needed to go out and explore.  So I took them to the library with me in Montesano.  They waited for me in the flowers.

Stripe and Flower waiting for me at the library in Montesano.

This was fun and the sun was shinning (a rare treat) so we went to the beach in Ocean Shores on the way home.

Camera setting got messed up while we were at the beach.

Now with auction time getting close, I pressed on and picked up the pace and soon Dot the third sister was done.  It was time to go back and visit Sherri at The Yarn Corner for one more photo shoot!

The girls visit The Yarn Corner sheep.

 

The girls watching it rain outside.

 

The sun came out for a minute and the girls look into the shop at yarn!

 

The girls already to go to work with me.

The sad day when the girls left to go off to auction finally came and I wrote a letter to send with the photo collage I put together.  This was to remind them of all the adventures we had together and to tell them that they were going to continue their life adventures with someone else. 

The Three Sista Chickens collage.

Saturday was the auction and they went to a very good home for $110.00 in the live auction!!!!!!  I was very proud of them. 

So now people at work ask me if I miss them.  Well of course, but guess what?  I’m going to make cousins!

OK, enough for now.  I’ll post again a couple of times this weekend.

What’s New?

NEW FOR 2009…

It’s a new year… so now what is on the needles?  Well I’m so glad you asked!!

PATTERN: Bear Claw Blanket by Veronik Avery, from Interweave Knits, Spring 2005 (also available as PDF for $6.95 from the website.)

YARN: Cascade Sierra – 80% Pima Cotton and 20% Wool – Worsted/10 ply (9wpi) 191 yards per 100 gram skein – gauge is 18 – 20 = 4″ on size 7 needles.  COLORS USED:  Green 048 – Pink 16 – White 01 – and Pale Yellow 07

NEEDLES: US 4, US 5 and US 6 – clover bamboo circulars

So why this pattern?  Our local fairgrounds is having an auction in March to raise money for numerous things.  One of those things is that you can designate where you want the funds to go for the item you donate… this item will have the proceeds go toward the awards for Knitting/Crochet Crafts.  I work for the county so I know how important it is that they get as many volunteers as possible for this event.  We are a small county and I want to support them in a way I love… Knitting!

I don’t have a picture of my progress from today, but I can show you where I started out at this morning.

Starting the second claw

The green doesn’t seem to photograph very well.  It’s actually a bit brighter.  

Another view of the first claw done

I am weaving in the ends as I go, so I don’t a lot of strings hanging around. 

Keeping the back side clean.

I’m not sure if I will be putting a back of fabric on this blanket or not.  So I am trying to keep the back side clean and neat… I’m trying!

We had a couple of inches of snow late this afternoon and the DISH stopped worked… thought Rick was going to go nuts! 🙂  I just kept knitting and watched a movie on my laptop through Netflix.  It’s raining hard now and the wind is really kicking up, and howling!  Snow is all gone.  (Oh, and DISH is working again too)

OK, it’s late and I need sleep.  I’ll post more pictures later.

Silver Spruce Aibhlinn…

It’s a new year…

I thought I would review something I finished up at the end of last year.  This is one of my favorite knitted items that I have ever made.  And why is it when I complete something and want to take pictures, it’s the mid of the night and I look like crap.  So that’s my story for why I look like a bag lady in the pictures!  

PATTERN: Aibhlinn(available at Knitty.com for free)

YARN:  Cascade 220 Heather – Sliver Spruce colorway 9322 –  I used just under 2 skeins

NEEDLES: Clover bamboo velvet size 8 circulars

KNIT IT AGAIN? Yes, for sure!  I’ll make one for myself and maybe even as a gift too.  I love cowls!

I followed the pattern exactly until the end when I got nervous that I might not have enough yarn to make it as long as called for – 24″.  I think it is plenty and perfectly long enough, about 22″!  This present was made for my mom and she lives where there is a lot of snow.   I STILL haven’t got it mailed, I needed to put a couple of other things in the box first – it will go out this week. (sorry mom). 

Pulled up like a hood - very cozy!

Folded down - it's nicer than a scarf that could come flying off.

Completed - I love this pattern and it feels SOOOOO nice!

 OK, so you get the idea… I love this pattern, and the yarn – great combo!

So, that brings us current for the ending of 2008.  Now here we are in 2009 – Yes, I have many projects begging to be put first on the needles… but, we must have some order to this madness. (or at least it should look like we have a plan!)  First up on January 1 I started a project to be given away for an auction in March.  I’ll blog about it next, I need to take some pictures to show.  I should be able to get it posted tonight or later today. 

Well, my sweetie was one of the many in our nation that lost his job.  It’s only been a few weeks, but I’m staying positive that something good is coming.  I’m also praying he learns how to use the vacuum during this down time! 🙂  Gotta run for now to knit some more.  We are staying in the house be lazy and staying warm today.  It’s not snowing here (it does feel cold enough) but we are getting rain and lots of wind – imagine that… wind at the beach!  🙂

Stay warm and dry,