Darn it!

Well, after figuring out that I was knitting all wrong - I decided to unravel the Noro scarf and start over. There was a big difference in the gauge and the shape of my stitches. I had gotten pretty far, but I think it would have been noticable if I had continued with my new 'correct' stitches. I took a picture just before I unraveled it - it is really pretty! This second version should knit up faster, since the correct way is much easier! Not so tedious.

Stuck again!

I love this new yarn! (Katia Jamaica #4) But I'm stuck again. This time, I've managed to turn the heel (yippee) AND found out that I am knitting all wrong. What I thought was knit was some kind of wierd purl, but I'm very fast at this. And I was purling all wrong. I found a video that explained this to me AND a video that finally made the ssk step clear. YEAH! Now I am waiting for my mom to come home from a trip so she can show me how to finish this sock. If I had another set of #3 double pointed needles, I'd start another sock.

Also, I started my Noro scarf and it's so beautiful. It will start to look better, now that I know how to purl correctly! I found this pattern on my favorite knit blog www.saartjeknits.nl.

Naughty Yarn

Just stopped by the local knit store - Knit Wits - and spent way too much money on yarn. They had the coolest sock yarn and some hand-dyed silk yarn that I want to make into a scarf for a birthday present. I abandoned my first sock (it's still that stupid dropped stitch) and started a new one. These are the new yarns. Aren't they yummy!

There's a snow storm on it's way - so what better excuse to knit. I'm going to try to knit socks from the sock yarn on the left "Katia Jamaica". I started the first one. Instead of just making a ribbed cuff, I want the whole leg-part of the sock to be ribbed. This will take me forever because I can only knit efficiently and purling is clumsy for me. Anyway, I'm inspired by this yarn, so hopefully by the end of the snowy weekend, I can have my first completed sock.

First Time Felting!

Well, it's done. I still need to sew on two beads for eyes. I thought I used the same yarn for the body (I had to start a new ball of yarn 1/2 way through the body), but after felting, it was apparent that they were different. The back end of the sheep felted much better (and lighter) than the front, but for my first felted project, I think it turned out great. It's about 8 inches tall. The pattern description said it was easy but I would NOT recommend this for beginners.

I'd like to use worsted weight next time to make a smaller sheep.

Fighting the Flu with Needles

What to do when you have the flu. Well, instead of finishing all my projects, like I had promised, I started a pattern I bought by Fiber Trends. When it's done, it will be a felted sheep. I'm using some old bulky Icelandic Lopi that I've had since high-school. FINALLY, using up some old stuff to make something new.


Here are Little L's mittens in gray Lopi and some kind of hand-dyed orange wool blend. The same pattern as Little A's pink ones. Very easy garter-stitch pattern from Knit Mittens!: 15 Cool Patterns To Keep You Warm by Robin Hansen.

Mittens and Socks

These are the mittens for Little A. It's above zero today so we're finally going to bust outside, clear the rink and do some ice fishing. No time for knitting today.

I'll find the pattern and post it. It was so easy - garter stitch a square, then sew it up and add thumb and top. Little L will be getting an orange and gray pair.

And the socks. Ugh. My first pair. It's just so tedious. And after dropping that stitch . . . grrr. I'll have to open a book and figure that one out. Until then, it makes a nice ankle warmer. And I think it may be too big - Maybe socks for Big K instead of myself.

To get inspired, I go to my favorite knitting blog and look at her socks.

Kid Knits

Little L wants to knit. He's only 6 and I've been told he's too young. I went ahead and bought this book anyway. We'll see what happens. Maybe crochet would be eaiser? I'll keep you posted . . . ha ha ha, get it? POSTED HA HA!

Snow Daze

The East Coast just got dumped on with unbelievable amounts of snow. I'm jealous - Minnesota has a snow drought. We want the huge snowdrifts! We like digging out! It gives me a good excuse to stay inside and knit.

I've promised to finish up my last few projects before I can begin my next one. So on the block right now are two pairs of mittens, a pair of socks (I dropped a stitch and I'm too lazy to figure out how to fix that mess, so it's taken months) and a washcloth for a friend.

My next project is a biggy. It's an adorable robe for kids. Not only have I never knitted a sweater, but I also need to convert the sizes, since it only goes up to 4-5 in the pattern, but I want this to fit an older child. I'll be taking a class with this one.