Oh Me, Oh My...I've Been Busy!!

Hello All-

My apologies for the lack of posts lately.  I have been so busy that at the end of the day, I just want to crash!!  Along with a trip to Calgary, a cold that knocked me on my butt for a few days, and trying to get my garden going, I have been knitting up a storm!!

Rather than bore you with a long post, here are the photos...

First, in my blogging hiatus, I worked on 5 (yes 5!) WCOBBS blankets.





 

Tulip Time- I did the top white garter stitch stripe.



 

Ocean Breeze- I did the navy and white stripe on the top.

 

The Board Members all started blankets to see who could assemble a team to finish a blanket first...this was the beginning of my team's blanket.

 

I started a "Mystery Blanket" that will get named by the person who adds the final border. 



And finally, I started a blanket called The Garden.

So there you have it...5 blankets in a short period of time.  I don't usually abuse my hands so much, but you'll see that I only did garter stitch stripes, so it wasn't too bad on my joints.  Most of my knitting took place while sitting in the car waiting for Hannah to get out of school.

As usual, my "ham" is doing what she does best for the camera!!

Speaking of Hannah, she got some handmade goodies as well.  I named this dress Summer Sundae, since the colors are that of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream.  The top is knit with cotton, and the bottom is fabric.  Sewing them together was a bit tricky, but not that hard. 

The straps on this dress are fully adjustable, so I'm sure she'll get quite a bit of wear out of it.

Finally, I made a summer hat for a friend's child who had an accident a few weeks back.  he had his head operated on, so Sarah wanted something to cover his head until his hair grew back.  So, here's my model doing her thing again with Desmond's Hat. 

I must say, she looks pretty cute in it, so another one may be on the needles before too long.

So, there you have it.  Along with all of these projects, I have a scarf on the needles and yarn bought for a few larger sweater projects.  I'm also plugging away at Hannah's quilt and a few other sewing projects.

Stay tuned and I'll be posting a preview of this year's garden.

Cheers!

Sharon

Have No Fear...the Needles are Clicking Away Too...

Hello All-

So, with all of my garden posts, you probably think that I have retired my knitting needles for the season...nope!!  They have busier than ever!!  The only problem is that I have been knitting a lot of gifts, so I can't post photos of the finished items.  If you are on Ravelry, feel free to friend me (heffalump23), and you can see all of the fibery goodies I have been creating.

I can show you a few things I have made lately.  The first is my Lavender Lady.  Our good friends had a baby last night (woohoo!!!!) and though we gave them bin after bin of hand-me-downs, I wanted to make something as well.  Call it knitters guilt, I don't know...I just didn't feel right not knitting them something.

So, I dug out my trusty 5-hour baby sweater pattern, and started knitting.  Even though they had a girl, I like the look of the "boy" version better, so I went with that.  I am quite happy with the result, and you can't beat the fact that it takes no time at all to make!!  I even had some buttons that matched perfectly!!  I can't wait to see it on Baby Leah!!!

I haven't posted a lot about my charity knitting, mainly because I haven't worked on a WCOBBS blanket in ages!!!  I did jump on the Super Hero blanket, and I just finished up my 6-inch stripe.  I did the black, gold and purple stripe, and it is meant to represent The Wonder Twins.  I love how bright this blanket is coming out!!  A friend saw it and said it reminded her of a box of Legos...I agree!!

My friend Cara is getting the blanket next and she is going to add a stripe to represent the Green Lantern...I can't wait to see how it looks when she is done!

I did finish another baby sweater, but since the recipients might read this blog, I don't dare post a photo...I can say that it is one of my favorite baby items to date.  Here is a sneak peak of the yarn I used...

It is a beautiful variegated Berroco Ultra Alpaca Tonal.  I love the softness of it, and I named the sweater Shades of Blue, as it has various shades of blue and grey in it.  I LOVE it!!!  I am so happy that it only took one skein so I have another one left to make something else with.

Last weekend I got together with some of my knitting buddies and we went to check out a new knitting shop here in Calgary.  It is called The Loop, and is located in Kensington.  I went, knowing that I needed some US size 9 dpns to finish Shades of Blue, and that was it.  I walked out with my needles, as well as this beautiful Punta yarn...I am going to make a sleeveless vest for Hannah with it...I think.  It was too pretty to pass up, so I'm sure I'll find the perfect pattern for it. 

I also bought some Cascade Eco wool for myself.  I bought it thinking that I would make a shrug for myself, but after seeing the huge yardage on it, I might aim higher and make a sweater.  I have to drive near the shop this week, so maybe I'll stop in and grab another skein before they sell out of the dye lot.  It is a beautiful chocolate brown, and I cannot wait to make something with it!!

Finally, my friend Michelle and I decided that out cotton dishcloths are in need of replacement.  So, I dug out some white cotton I've had for a while now and started making cloths for us.  I made one yesterday and I plan to cast on another one today at Hannah's music class.  They won't take me too long to make.  I'm aiming for 4-5 for each of us...so at this rate, I'll have them done next week!!

So, have no fear, the needles are still on fire!!!  I mean, despite the REM song, Gardening at Night, my knees need a break sometime, and knitting gives me some relief!!

Cheers!

Sharon

Lots to Share...and some Christmas spoilers

Hey Everyone!

I knew I hadn't blogged in a bit, but once I saw how many projects I've finished since my last post, I realized just how long it had been...yikes!!!  I actually have 9 projects to share, and a few that I've finished up, but am going to keep under wraps until after Christmas.

First up, The Diva's Bumbleberry Pie Hat.  I made another hat in the purple yarn I showed in a previous post.  This one fits perfectly, though I don't have a photo of the Diva wearing it.  I'll have to snap one this winter.

Next, a WCOBBS update.  As you probably read about in another post, I have been seaming blanket squares together to make some blankets for the WCOBBS.  I had some donated squares in boyish colors, but not enough to make a full 9-square blanket...so, I added a bunch of squares myself.  Here's the finished product (minus the border)...

On this blanket, I made the star squares in each corner, and the two burgundy squares (one is a dog bone and one is a football helmet).  I named this one "All-Star".  It took a while to finish, but was so worth it in the end!!

In other blanket news, I promised to post a photo of the blanket I made for my friend Jenn.  I wanted her to get it in the mail before I revealed it on here, and now that she's had it for a bit, here you go...

I'm really happy with how this blanket turned out, and I've gotten great feedback about the colors that I picked.  I like that it is girly, but it doesn't look like Barbie or Strawberry Shortcake threw up on it!!

Speaking of Barbie, here comes a Christmas gift spoiler.  I am quite certain that my niece H doesn't read my craft blog, so I'm not too worried about posting things on here.  So, Big Sis, if you're reading this, don't show the next few projects to your girls!!

I have whipped up a few items for H's growing Barbie clothes collection.  I plan on making a lot more, but this is the start. I made her a dress and sweater.  I also have plans for a fancy dress, some purses, maybe a hat or two, some pants...well, you get the point.

I think they look pretty good.  Because I have to use such small needles, I have to alternate Barbie clothes for H with American Girl clothes for her big sister A.  My hands can't handle all of the small needles!!  With the changing of the seasons, I have noticed my joints cramping up quite a bit when the needle size drops to below a US 6 or so.

Here is the outfit for A's American Girl doll.  When we were home in August, I showed A some patterns for AG clothes, and her face lit up.  I know she LOVES the color red, so I thought her doll needed something rosy red.

Here's a closeup of the skirt...

I really had fun making these!!  It was also fun dusting off my old American Girl doll so I could use her as a model.  The sweater is a play on the popular February Lady Sweater, and the skirt has a bit of texture, thanks to some carefully spaced ribbing.

Also in the works for A's doll, is a funky hat, some pants, another sweater, and possibly some socks.  Oh, and I found a pattern for doll slippers that match the ones I make all the time...do I smell a matching set??  Hmmmm....

Finally, I want to share some baby sweaters I made last week.  I am pretty thrilled with these...two sweaters in 3 days!!!  One of hubby's co-workers is having twins in a few weeks, and I thought they needed matching sweaters.  I didn't want to go all matchy matchy, so I did coordinating ones instead.  I used the popular 5-hour baby sweater for the girl, and the modified boy version as well.  I had fun making a "girl" sweater a while back for hubby's cousin's baby, but this one was so much better!!!  Not only have my knitting skills greatly improved since then, but my coice to use Vanna's Choice yarn instead of the Bernat Satin I used last time payed off!!!  The yarn almost has a woolly texture to it, and the stitch definition is so much better!!!

I sewed snaps into the garter borders this morning, and these sweaters are good to go!!  I hope to see some photos of the little ones in them!!! 

So, I think that's all I have to share today.  Like I said earlier, I have some other projects, but the people they are for might read this and see them.  I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises, so expect that after Christmas, I'll have a recap post that shows off all of the projects.

In the meantime, I have some more knitting to do...

Cheers and Happy Crafting!
Sharon

Brakes? Slow Down? Talk to me again after Christmas!!!

As the title of this post suggests, my needles are still on fire!!  I am typically a knitter who works on one project at a time, but lately I have found myself bouncing from project to project.  Thankfully none of them are super time consuming, so I am still getting things done.

First up, a pair of slippers I made for the Alberta Children's Hospital.  During a recent visit to the hospital, Hannah noticed that a little boy was walking around in a hospital gown and a pair of slippers, similar to those I make.  That visit led me to contacting the hospital to see if they accepted donated items.  Yup...they sure do!  So, in between my other projects, I hope to whip up some pairs to donate.  These are a modified version of Aunt Maggie's Slippers.  I skipped out on some of the length so these would be more suitable for a child.  I think they are super cute and I can't wait to make more.  The yarn I used was some leftover Bernat Chunky from my Homeward Bound sweater. 

My next finished item is a hat.  I actually finished it about an hour ago.  The Diva and I went on a walk the other day and we stopped at the local Dollar Store.  She spotted some purple yarn and asked for a hat.  At a buck a ball, who was I to say no?  So, here is what I came up with...

As you can see from the photo, I started my decreases too early.  So, this one goes into the donate pile.  No biggie, I was going to make some hats to donate this winter anyways. 

I cast on 60 stitches on size 10 circulars...knit a bunch of rows and then started my decreases with knit 8, k2tog and worked my way down from there.   The 60 stitches is perfect for her, I will just start the decreases after the hat is the height of her head, know what I mean?? 

I had bought 4 balls of this yarn, and I only used one full ball and a tiny bit from the second (no yardage is given, so I'm not sure how much that equals), so I have plenty to make another hat.  I must say, for Dollar Store yarn, I am quite pleased with the quality and knitability of the yarn.  I may even pick up some more for my charity item stash!!!

And now for an item in the works.  Recently I was browsing through Ravelry with the Diva and we noticed some projects that incorporated Glow in the Dark Yarn.  The Diva had her eye on a treat bag that used Bernat's yarn, but of course I then found out that this yarn had been discontinued.  Argh!  Thankfully I was able to locate some on the Mary Maxim site, and voila...here is the start to The Diva's Loot Bag!! 

Since this photo was taken, I have finished the colorwork and have an inch or so left to do of the black before I bind off.  One big lesson I learned is that the glowing yarn has NO stretch to it!  Being my first large project with colorwork, I did everything too tight, and the lack of stretch made it even worse.  Oh well...live and learn.  I'm going to wet it down and try to stretch it a bit, then I'll make up the difference when I seam it. 

I am using Mary Maxim's Titan yarn for the black, and I am afraid I might run out of it.  To try to make it last the whole project, I am going to add some glowing stripes to the backside of the bag.  I might have to get creative on the straps, depending on what I have left.  Thankfully the Diva isn't very big, so I don't need super long straps!!  I'll be sure to post photos of this once it is done.

I have also been busy seaming blankets for the WCOBBS.  I have done two so far, and I am working on more.  Once I get some of my personal projects out of the way, I'll knit up some more squares for that project.

Oh, and I also finished a project that I started a million years ago.  It is a blanket, and I'm going to wait to show a finished photo until my friend Jenn gets it in the mail.  I decided that it would be perfect for her baby girl that is due next month, and that gave me motivation to finish it.  So, stay tuned for photos. 

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the first days of Fall.  The Diva and I harvested sunflower seeds yesterday and we're going to roast them this afternoon.  I'll show photos soon.

Cheers and Happy Crafting!
Sharon

My Needles Never Stop!!!

Hello Again!!

My needles have been clicking away the past few days...two of hubby's co-workers are married and having a little girl in October, so of course he asked for some handknits to give them.  No worries...I had a few ideas in mind.

First up, a bunny...I've made a few of these for baby showers, so this has become a go-to pattern for me.  This time I dressed it up a bit by using some alpaca blend yarn.  All this little guy needs is a tail.  The yarn sheds a bit, but I couldn't resist the softness!! 

Then I got thinking...what handknits did I love the most for the Diva when she was a baby?  Of course the sweaters my Mom made were my favorites, but the one thing that got the most attention was a pumpkin hat that a neighbor made for her.  She wore that thing for more than a year, and some of our favorite photos of her are in the hat.  So I decided, October babies MUST have a pumpkin hat! 

With that said, here is another recent creation.  I am quite proud of this hat.  I had never ventured into colorwork before, so this was a big step for me.  I must say, my stitches are carried nicely inside and they seemed to come out pretty even. 

My goal is to design a hat for the bunny too, so this will be a matching set.  If that doesn't work out, I'm not going to sweat it.  I'm happy with both items just the way they are.

I mentioned in my last post that I have been working on squares for some WCOBBS patchwork blankets.  I made this butterfly square the other day.  I need to block it, but otherwise it is ready to get seamed into a blanket.  I now have enough crochet squares to make two full blankets, so that it next on my crafting agenda.  Then I'll start making some more knit squares to finish off a few more blankets.

So, that's what I've been up to this week.  Today is rainy and yucky outside, so we'll see what I can get done inside.

Cheers and Happy Crafting!
Sharon

Summer Knitting Recap

Wow!  We're already into September, and I am just getting around to updating all of my summer knitting!  Time flies when you're having fun!!  We have been out straight this summer, so I apologize at my lack of posting.  Needless to say, my needles have been moving much more than my keyboard. 

So...without further ado...here's what I've been up to...

First up, my "Hugs from Away" shawl.  My Nana's birthday was in early August, and I wanted to make her something nice.  She used to knit quite a bit, so I knew that she would appreciate something handmade.  However, she has been in quite a funk regarding gifts and tends to give them right back to you, so in all honesty, I didn't want to make something that was super time consuming.  So, when I saw the Easy Triangle Shawl pattern on Ravelry and Lion Brand's website, I knew it would be perfect.  I made it out of Bernat Satin yarn in Sapphire.  I ended up doing 12 repeats and barely broke into the second ball of yarn.  The pattern calls for Homespun, but I wanted a lighter weight shawl, as Nana likes to have something on her shoulders, but doesn't like a lot of weight.  Since I don't crochet, my Mom finished off the edges for me...thanks Mom!!!

Before we went East on holidays, I was bound and determined to make myself a sweater.  So, I put all other projects aside and cast on the Mud Season Sweater in Bernat Chunky Solids.  This sweater yelled out at me to make it since we were going to Maine as part of our trip, and the designer lives in Freeport!  It knit up super fast and fits like a glove!!!  Below is a photo of me wearing it at Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.  The heavy yarn is great for fall days or photo ops by the breezy water, but I wouldn't suggest wearing it mid-summer...it is a bit too warm for that.  I love the blue-green color of this yarn...it is called Teal, but has lots of variations in the color.  I loved this pattern so much that I am tempted to make another sweater in a different color!

I have lots of friends having babies, so I thought I'd throw together a few bibs...here is one of the finished ones.  It is the Heartbeat pattern by Elaine Fitzpatrick, and I made it in the Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Solids color Hot Pink.  If you're looking for uber cute bib and washcloth patterns, I highly suggest that you take a peak at Fitzpatrick's patterns.  Her stuff is amazing!!!

Next up is a blanket that I made for a good friend in Georgia who just had a beautiful baby boy a few weeks ago.  She and her husband are HUGE UGA fans, so I came up with this UGA themed blanket.  I created the chart for the center square, and the remaining ones are made using a Harris Tweed stitch pattern.  I used Bernat Satin Solids in Snow, Crimson and Ebony.  I have never created my own design before, so I am super pleased with how this turned out.  It was also my first time seaming a blanket like this, so I was able to check off a few boxes on my knitting bucket list.

Since I didn't want my friend's little girl to feel left out, I whipped up these hair ties for her.  I used Susan Anderson's Butterflies pattern and sewed them to some hair elastics.  I think they came out pretty cute.

Finally, here is a report on my Works in Progress (WIPs).  Here is a partially finished bib in the Imp pattern, again by Fitzpatrick.  I put this project down while we traveled, so I need to pick it back up again and finish it.  It shouldn't take long to complete. 

As for WIPs that I don't have photos of, I started a sweater while on vacation.  I am using the Easy Top-Down Raglan pattern by Susan Anderson, and I am working with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers in the Avocado color.  I seemed to have lots my knitting mojo for a bit during our vacation, so I haven't gotten too far on this one. 

Since we've been home, I've also started a blanket square for a WCOBBS blanket.  In an attempt to get our members out of a summer knitting slump, I have asked that people make either knit or crochet squares that we can seam together.  In theory, squares take less time than the usual 6-inch stripes, so I was hoping that more members would get involved.  A few ladies have joined in, and we have also been so fortunate to have members of another Ravelry group, the Vanna's Choice Fan Club, pitch in too!!!  One amazing woman even made an entire blanket to donate!!!  Squares are arriving daily in the post box, so I'll be quite busy seaming blankets, and making my own squares to fill in.

So, that's what I have been up to.  My garden is also growing like crazy, and I'll try to put together a post on my veggies soon.

Cheers and happy crafting!

Sharon