Meet Grace!

Thanks to an ad in CraigsList, I am the proud new owner of a spinning wheel!


I picked this little beauty up in Cincy this morning for ...wait for it...$20!!! Holy Canoodle, can't beat that! Now I'm off to do some web research on cleaning her up and using her!

Coming along

Still chugging along on hubby's sweater. It's knit pseudo-in-the-round - it's a cardigan, and will zip up the front, but I knit the sleeves, then joined them to the body and now it's just raglan decreases all the way around...forever. Or at least that's how it feels. I love the yarn though, so at least it's nice to work with!

I just finished plying my merino roving that I've been working on since...before we moved! It's a solid lavender, very pretty. I haven't skeined it yet, but I think I got some nice yardage on it. I had a little bit left over and plied it with the little bit of alpaca I had left from last year - it's a very pretty 25 yard skein. Maybe it will be a coffee sleeve? LOL, it has to be something small!

The rest of it will get skeined tonight or tomorrow, then I can take pics!

I've started a sock with the yarn that I bought at the Wool Gathering last fall...they are going to be beautiful!

Also managed to hem up 3 pair of hubby's holey jeans into shorts this morning. Definitely not as much fun as other sewing, but eh, had to be done. Now that that's done, I can cut out the other skirt I bought fabric for. Though I'm thinking about looking for another pattern - I love the other pattern that I've used, but I already have 2 skirts out of it, and am thinking a little variety might be nice. Just maybe :)

I still need to tread Toby's slippers, and need to do a pair for hubby, Lucy, and myself.

It's also time to start thinking about Christmas knitting - I have a couple people in mind for handmade gifts this year :)

Mish Mash

I just realized I haven't posted on here since this Spring! It's not that I haven't been busy - I have - I just have been horrible at updating!

So here are some things I've been busy with:

Lucy got her first Barbie, so I made my first Barbie dress...super easy and quick. I found a basic template online and can use it to make many different things. Has a basic velcro closure at the back, simple for my 2 year old to operate (though she prefers her Barbies au naturale)

A new tee for Lucy - knitted with Patons Grace I had on hand. Very cute and easy, though the neck has a tendency to stretch out through the day and by the end hangs down. Cotton is a tad heavy for a toddler's abuse on clothes.
Not mine. Didn't make them, grow them, nada. I did however take the picture. I thought this color combo was gorgeous, and would love to find some pansies like this sometime. Or make an outfit for DD in these colors.
Lucy's Summerlin - I knitted the top with Lion Cottonease...super easy! Then sewed it to the skirt with some Pooh fabric on hand. Quick and easy - and cute!
Knitted socks
Rhubarb - black raspberry pie I made yesterday. It was a success!
These roses are in my yard - planted them a couple weeks ago. I love how the one plant has two colors of blooms! After planting, I cut away the blooms so the plant would put more energy into rooting at first, but I wanted to document the colors in case I kill it before it ever blooms again. LOL. But, it does have some new buds forming! Yay!
Knitted peas in a pod for the kids' kitchen.
My first needle felted animan - it's a sheep in case you can't tell. Sigh. The ones in the book were much cuter.
I've started a sweater for hubby, with PAtons Classic Wool. This is the cable band around the waist, then the stitches are picked up around the side of this panel and worked up. I'm now working on the second sleeve, then it will be the top. It will have a zip front (the pattern is Avast).
This was supposed to be a dress for me, but alas, I did not have enough yarn to make a dress. So it became a top...but it's not exactly flattering. Sigh. I'm still decided whether to wear it or frog it.
I'm also working on a set of modge podge blocks, covered with scrapbook paper. Need to continue this project!
Well, there is my update. I have a few baby sweaters I've finished recently, but haven't taken pictures of yet....and finished a pair of slippers for Toby last night - just need to get them felted. Next on the list!

March Wrap Up

I finished my shrug in time for Easter - by a couple hours anyway. Don't have pics of me wearing it yet though!

Here's the baby blanket I finished last month. It's ok...I guess what I had in my head just looked better!

I'm halfway through my mini mochi hat, using mini mochi yarn and a fair isle diamond pattern. I love it but it's taking forever!
I found the socks FINALLY at Carriage Hill Farm last month and sewed it up this afternoon. Toby seemed so excited about the process, so I hand him the monkey and he tells me "Nah, I don't really like it". Niiiiiice.

So Lucy's hanging on to it for now, but I'm kind of thinking he may become the mascot for my craft room. Lucy has too many stuffed animals as it is.
My Ravelympics socks
My Malabrigo cabled socks.

Ravelympics socks!

I will have to add photos after I get my own computer and get internet back, but I have finished my new socks! I am thrilled with them, and my foray into lace socks. They are beautiful, and my favorite pair of socks to date. I used Dream in Color smooshy on them and the yarn is fabulous. I have learned that the base yarn is available for sale, so I'm thinking I may have to look it up to self - dye some!

I have cast on sock 2 of my malabrigo socks - the pattern for these is Easy Going, on size 1 needles. I broke one of my size 0's on the Ravelympics socks, so I will have to find another alternative - long bamboo 0's are not for me!

My mom fell in love with my Moebius Cowl (knit from my handspun alpaca), and I happened to have more of the yarn with me, so I knitted that up for her in the last 2 days - super quick knit, and having done the Moebius cast on once, this time went much easier. The cowl came out gorgeous; I am very proud of it. Mom loves it - it helps keep her warm at work! And there's nothing I love more than knowing my knitting is appreciated!

I bought some Mini Mochi at a Richmond LYS last month (my first purchase moving back to OH), and today started looking at some patterns for it. I'm thinking a Fair Isle hat should be appropriate, given the weather up here! I need a new winter hat anyway, and I found some gorgeous uses of the Mini Mochi colorwork on Ravelry. I think that will be my next project after the Malabrigo socks. While I still need a few more pair of socks to make a full stash (and I have all the yarn here ready to go), I am thinking I need a bit of a break from socks!

A moving we will go

Life has been busy lately - fear not, gentle crafters, my knitting has not suffered, but my blogging has.

So what has kept me away from the computer, you ask?

Moving halfway across the country, that's what!

In December, my hubby got a new job in Ohio, back where our family lives. So in January we listed our NC house, spent a househunting trip in OH where we found a house and put it under contract, spent enough time in NC to pack up, and moved in temporarily with family in OH.

Where we have since suffered the wrath of 3 snowstorms.

Welcome north.

We are supposed to close next week (fingers crossed!), and should move in the next week then. Yay! We also put our NC house under contract today, so we're hoping all moves smoothly with that.

In more crafterly news, I have been sock knitting like a fiend. Most of my own socks have developed holes, so I've been stocking up on sock yarns and sock patterns, and am now putting them to good use.

The first pair I knitted in Ohio went to my mom, as she was in love with them and they were a tad short for me anyway. The second pair is with my Malabrigo sock, and I love them, but had to put them on hold while I started my Olympic project - Seaweed Socks in Dream in Color Smooshy (another first!). My first toe up socks, and a pretty lace pattern to boot. I finished the first sock this morning and have already cast on the toe of the second. They are named Olympic socks because I'm working on them as I watch the Olympics...I'm participating in the Ravelympics this year (those crafters on Ravelry know what this is!). I'm participating with a great group who all use yarn from the Dizzy Sheep - if you don't know the site, check it out. It's like woot, for knitters and crocheters (and every once in a while for spinners!) - www.dizzysheep.com.

So I'd like to finish up my Malabrigo sock next, but mom borrowed my 100% handspun alpaca moebious cowl a couple days ago and she wants one just like that. And honestly, what higher praise can I get? So I'm pretty excited to be able to knit for someone who values the product :)

I will be without internet in our new house for a bit - that's taking the back burner to several other things (one being closing on our NC house!), but I will update once we have the information superhighway back up and running. In the meantime, I'd like to post pics while I still have internet - so I will get kicking on that project too :)

Knit on friends...knit on :P

I Really Have Been Busy

So I knew I'd been neglecting the blog of late, but I didn't realize I was 2 months behind until today - eek! So I'm showcasing some of my recent projects, sorry for the lack of details!

These are actually from this morning. My baby (sniff sniff) turns 2 tomorrow, and her present is a wooden kitchen set that daddy has been busy painting for her. So this morning I sat down and made oven mitts and a hot pad for her little set. I have also knitted a towel and washcloth for her to use with it. These mitts were so easy, and it was my first experiment with quilting - success!

These are 2 corduroy dresses I made for Lucy for this winter. Both use the same pattern and sewed up very fast.

Some of you know I have a much cherished Vera Bradley pink elephants bag and love it love it love it. When I had the opportunity to buy a yard of the fabric I jumped on it like nobody's business. I have several small projects in mind (and have a travel mug that now matches my purse), but this is one of my favorites I have done with it.
Here are 2 of the waldorf dolls I have been working on. Each of these has a firefighter outfit and an army outfit.
I have also made two dolls for my own kids, but alas, they are still naked. I have 10 days until Christmas, so I need to get hopping on some clothes for them! I spent 2 nights trying to knit up a sweater, but in frustration I threw that down yesterday and haven't had the patience to try again...it may not happen for a couple days.

And I will be working up a step by step process on the waldorf dolls - the pics have been taken, but that tutorial won't be available until next year!

These are some booties I knit for a friend

And a cashmere scarf I knit for a raffle...it is so soft...wish I could have kept it for myself!
Ok, all I used on this project was glue, but he was one of our Halloween decorations this year and I just adore him.
My first attempt at entrelac and I am in love! I also learned backwards knitting on this one and it was so smooth! I can't wait to do another of these, but I am waiting for the right yarn to come along.
A vest I sewed for my son...he picked the fabric and all :)
Ok, so I am caught up! Now I just need to finish these mittens, some clothes for the dolls, some handpuppets for Christmas present...oh dear, not enough time!