friday knitting

back by special request.
friday knitting.
but lets be honest.
i  have not knit much lately.

it is cold, grey and blustery today.
so i pulled out this sweater
that i knit last winter
while pregnant
with bean.

it was knit in one piece.
the picture on the pattern
was pretty blah
but i liked the shape.
its great for layering.

i used jade sapphire cashmere.
its dreamy.
i wish i could  knit everything in cashmere.
this would be a great with long sleeves.
maybe i am onto something.

this cold weather is making me want to knit....

enjoy

finishing and finished

i can not believe i am going to admit this on the internet, but here i go.....i have a finishing problem. i can knit all the pieces of a sweater or sew all the intricate blocks of a quilt. i can even put them together into one big quilt top, no problem. where i get hung up is seaming that sweater together or making a quilt sandwich, quilting it and sewing the binding on. i am sure that if i really wanted to i could, but it is part of the creative process that i do not enjoy. lucky for me, there are people who like this part of the creative process. christina, of the sometimes crafter, quilted my brothers quilt. she did a fabulous job and is oh so fast with her turn around time. so, if you are like me and don't like to finish projects, you should send her your quilts.

not being a finisher is costly, so i am going to try to embrace this piece of the creative process. i am starting to knit sweaters in the round, so that there are no seams. and i am going to make some mini quilts to practice quilting and sewing the binding on. wish me luck.

we will start

i am home. boy does it feel good to be home and with ph.

i thought i would start my re-entry into life without yaya and pappous with a giveaway, just so i can get my bearings, get unpacked, and organized.

remember, the purlbee project calendar that i wanted for xmas? well, i happened to be in possession of a second calendar. the lovely ladies at purlsoho included it in my recent order, so i thought i would share the love.

leave a comment by midnight friday and i will pick a winner.

show and tell

amy butler "love" fabric and anna maria horner "little folks" fabric. don't know what i am going to make but just HAD to have it.

fabric from scarlet fig. i couldn't resist the donkeys wearing wellies.

the beginning of luke's quilt. 3 string blocks down, 37 more to go. it's a labor of love.

my newest hat design, dimples. made with 100% pure cashmere. hat and pattern will soon be in etsy shop.

destashing

since i seem to be in full nesting mode, i decided to go through my yarn stash, believe me i have quite a stash, and have a little sale. some of this yarn is left over from my yarn shop days, some of it i bought thinking i would use it. you know how that is. but i have come to terms with the fact that this yarn is not going to be knit with my hands, and should go to a home where it will be loved and appreciated.

if you are interested in any of this yarn, email me and i will send you an invoice via paypal. i have included all the yarn stats beneath each picture. prices include shipping. sales are on a first come first serve basis. prices are for number of skeins offered as a group, not per skein. happy yarning.

SOLD***manos del uruaguay kettle dyed wool. 138 yards per skein. 14 to 18 stitches to 4 inches. needle size 8-10. color 30. 2 skeins available. retail price $13.00 per skein. your price $15.00

manos del uruaguay kettle dyed wool. 138 yards per skein. 14 to 18 stitches to 4 inches. needle size 8-10. color 14. 2 skeins available. retail price $13.00 per skein. your price $15.00

malabrigo worsted wool yarn. 216 yards. 4-5 stitches to 1 inch. needle size 7-9. color brown. 1 skein available. retail price $10.50 per skein. your price $5.00

SOLD****blue sky alpacas suri merino. 164 yards. 5-6 stitches to 1 inch. needle size 5-7. color 423, 413 and 410. 1 skein of each color available. retails for $16.00 per skein. your price $20.00

SOLD****blue sky alpacas dyed cotton. 150 yards. 4-5 stitches to 1 inch. needle size 7-9. color 627 and 615. 1 skein of each available. retail price $9.50 per skein. your price $10.00

suss yarns old fashioned. 70% merino and 30% cotton. 100 yards. 4-5 stitches to 1 inch. needle size 8-10. color grey. 10 skeins available. retail price $10.50 per skein. your price $40.00.

suss yarn brushed alpaca. 100% alpaca. 50 yards. 3 stitches to 1 inch. needle size 9-11. color ecru. 16 skeins available. retail price $17.50 per skein. your price $75.oo

SOLD***fable handknit pure baby alpaca. 145 yards. 22 stitches to 4 inches. needle size 7. color grey.9 skeins available. your price $ 35.00

SOLD****solstice by classic elite yarns. 70% organic cotton, 30% wool. 100 yards. 4-5 stitches to 1 inch. needle size 7-8. color ecru. retail price $6.00 per skein. your price $10.00.

a sweater and a winner

yesterday i finished the bean's first sweater, i figure i should knit as many as i can before he decides that they are not cool. and yes i know i have some time......i used the spud and chloe sweater yarn, which is great for babies and kids because it is machine washable and it is a blend of wool and cotton. i think it is around a 6-9 month size. i say think because i played with the gauge a bit to make it bigger, eliminating the need to redo the knitting math.

i think it is as cute as can be.

and yes, this was photographed in the bean's room, so you have a little sneak peek of the wall color.

__________________________________________________________

and now for the winner of the pure knits book giveaway.

precious husband picked a random number and the comment that corresponded with that number belonged to bonnie m. yay bonnie! so bonnie, send me your mailing address so i can send you your book.

and if i don't hear from bonnie, by the end of the weekend, i will have precious husband pick another random number.

Pure Knits Book Giveaway

remember this post? and this one?

well, when my mom was here in october, we were at the bookstore and bought a copy of pure knits.

this evening, the ups truck delivered another copy of said book to my doorstep, compliments of the publisher. and well, since i don't need two copies of this book ( despite my belief that one can never have too many books), i decided to do a little give away.

if you would like your own copy of pure knits, leave a comment by midnight on friday. precious husband will pick a number on saturday. who knows it could be you.....

this is really a great book with projects for all levels of knitters.

happy commenting.....

and two for the bean

this weekend while watching football, i made two hats for the bean. i used my knot baby hat pattern and played with the stripe pattern. i really like the vertical stripes. i think that will be his "coming home from the hospital" hat. both hats were made with spud and chloe yarn, which is great for little ones because it is machine washable.

lots of cashmere

during my time in santa fe, i managed to knit two new hats for myself. i found both patterns on the purlbee and both are knit using jade sapphire cashmere. i think my hand are now forever spoiled. ( side note, cooper LOVED cashmere. we will see if the bean does as well.)

the first hat is called simple pleasures hat. it is knit using jade sapphire cashmere and silk, along with rowan kid silk haze. i have loved wearing this hat. it is lightweight and super warm, and better yet it doesn't give you hat head.

the second hat is called the dimple hat. it is knit with the jade sapphire 6 ply cashmere. it is a more refined look and fits more like a skull cap. i absolutely love the color of the yarn. the stitch pattern looks complicated, but once you get into a rhythm its all good.

i do love knitting with cashmere, if only it didn't cost so much, but these are great projects that don't break the bank. and were a nice indulgence for someone who has 7 more weeks of being pregnant.

next up..... a couple of hats for the bean.

handmade holiday unwrapped part 1

now that all of the gifts have been unwrapped, i can share some of my handmade holiday gifts.

a quilt for my mom, with little birds in the quilting pattern.

a longhorn pillow for my brother, he says he is taking it to the bar to watch the bcs national championship game for good luck.

a warm hat for my little brother who lives in alaska.

perfect stocking stuffer

Purl is one of my favorite knitting shops and their blog, the purlbee is a great source on inspiration for all things creative. i was thrilled to see that they have created a calendar. perfect for one's crafting space.

you can purchase it here.

and santa, if you are reading this, i would really really like this in my stocking.

may you catch lots of trout

all the men in my family, going back generations, fly-fish. fly fishing is a right of passage, a defining moment in one's upbringing, a thread that connects the generations, a time to celebrate family and the outdoors, an excuse to travel, a reason to spin wild tales and of course worship the almighty trout.

my cousin, ben, contacted me right before thanksgiving and asked if i would design him a trout hat to wear while fishing. he is a fly fishing guide in santa fe and needs to keep his ears and head warm while showing his clients a good time. i had great fun creating this hat for ben. i have a feeling i am going to get some requests from other family members, in particular my youngest brother, sam.

and ben, may you catch lots of trout while sporting this hat.

the stockings were hung

in weatherford oklahoma. a few weeks ago i received a request from a friend, would i knit her 3 christmas stockings? i told her i thought i would be able to pull it off in time for christmas. she gave me a color scheme, but gave me free reign on design ( a designer's dream client). i finished them over thanksgiving and they arrived at their new home last week. she loves them! i can just picture them hanging in her home, i have not seen her home, but the house she grew up in was always so festive and embodied holiday cheer. i expect her house is no different.

for jiles

for shef

and for brad

walk in the park

i have been doing a lot of creating for others lately, and decided i needed to make a few things for myself. i am hoping that having something new to wear will help my mood. so i made list of things i want to make before the bean is born, some are small and some are more substantial. i saw the walk in the park hat and fell in love. its perfect for our sunday walks with the dogs.

i used one skein of the new cascade superwash 128 yarn. what a fabulous yarn! its soft, squishy, and knits up fast. i bought two skeins and only used one so i think i am going to take it back and make another hat in grey. i made it a little shorter in the length, mainly because i would have to use some, but not all of the second skein and i wasnt so sure if i would like the slouchy look on me. i am pleased with the results.

i am looking forward to some cooler weather and a walk in the park with my precious husband and dogs.

a blanket for the bean

i have never been a fan of garter stitch, so i was a little skeptical when i found this pattern on the purl bee. but i was in love with the yarn, specifically the colors. i carried alchemy yarns in the yarn shop for a short time and knew that their product was exceptional. i hemmed and hawed because the price was, well expensive for a baby blanket. but those colors kept calling to me. and the yarn is washable, a definite plus for a baby blanket. so i bit the bullet and placed my order.

anything for the bean, right?

i had no idea garter stitch could be so luxurious. its soft and squishy, has great stitch definition and those colors are even better in person. this pattern may be my new favorite baby blanket pattern. it looks great with the bedding that i picked out and cant wait till all the little creative details i have planned for the nursery come together.

i think that the bean will love his blanket.

handmade holiday update

i thought i would give you a handmade holiday update. I have finished two gifts and should finish a third one tonight. it feels so good to check them off my holiday gift list and to be ahead of schedule this year.

i am also busy working away on holiday cheer for the lucends etsy shop. the fabric below is a little sneak peek of what is to come in the coming weeks. i love the modern take on all things holiday! and while i despise the fact that there is xmas decorations up in the grocery store, i am having fun working with this fabric and imagining my creations on people's holiday tables....

stay tuned for more handmoade holidays updates......

in print

remember this post?

well, the book pure knits is now officially in bookstores and knitting shops across the country. i was in barnes and noble today, and i have to admit that seeing the book on the shelf made my heart go pitter patter. seeing one's name and designs in print can make a girls head swell with pride. yahaira did a fabulous job putting the book together and i think it was well worth the wait!

the mary ellen camisole was named for my maternal grandmother, mary ellen who passed away in september of 2007. she was quite a woman! i know you would have loved her. she turned 80 in may of 2007 and i knit her a cashmere blanket for her gift. she was always cold. i attempted to use the purse stitch, but somehow, i changed it and liked the result. that stitch inspired this garment and i thought it was fitting to name it after my grandmother. in addition, this photo was waiting in my email inbox when i returned home from her funeral.

the dimple v-neck was inspired by one of my favorite stitches, the dimple stitch and my all time favorite yarn, blue sky alpacas alpaca silk. the result is a garment that has immense possibilities. this yarn is a dream to work with and comes in a magnificent array of colors and i love the texture the dimple stitch creates.

this was a great project to work on and its nice to see all the hours of work in print.

thanks for indulging me.......