Sunday, June 24, 2012

Market bags

So I've been on a market bag kick lately. After the beautiful, golden Oregonian Market bag, I made two more for dear friends. I have also started a baby sweater that I plan to post on Etsy. Yesterday I started another market bag in Sugar'n Cream Blueberry for one of my nieces...I think. Silly girl won't respond to any my questions about what she wants for her birthday...of course neither will her mother. Must be a hereditary thing...
I thought she might like a Smash book, but who knows...a market bag it shall be. I wonder what I should fill it with for her. Sent off my mom's birthday present finally. An OSU orange shawl , which I think she will love. I've had it made since January. Well it is now time for the pictures of yarn and projects... :) Enjoy!






Saturday, May 5, 2012

A finished bag and new project

I finished the Oregonian Farmer's Market bag this week and had the privilege of delivering it in person to one of my favorite peoples! 

 


Now, I have decided to try my hand at making baby stuff to sell on Etsy to raise some funds for a couple of road bikes.  In the meantime, I have started a super slouchy hat in Shepherd's Wool, colorway storm.  I purchased the yarn yesterday at Knit Purl in Portland.


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

¡Uno Más, Por Favor!

It's a handle! Now I just need one more.  I decided not to make the huge single sling-esque strap.  It's harder to put stuff into a bag with only the one strap.  So two handles, it is.



Who's ready for some handles?

This bag is! :)


Monday, April 30, 2012

Oregonian Farmer's Market Bag

I'm making a bag, a Farmer's Market Bag, to be specific.  It's the color of spicy mustard in my opinion. The yarn is Ella Rae Phoenix, colorway Medium Wheat, and it's 100% Egyptian cotton.  The yarn is so soft. 




Friday, April 27, 2012

Inspiration

Nothing in this world beats that moment when you realize you have been inspired to do something for someone else.

Today I received my weekly Lion Brand email.  It was full of tote bag patterns.  When I saw the Farmer's Market Tote, I knew exactly who would love/need this bag.  So now I must find the perfect cotton yarn and I'll be set!  I am so excited.  This is the first time I have been excited about a project in a while; I truly hope the feeling lasts.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Judgement

Today I was reminded of an incident that happened last year when I was purchasing some yarn, and I would like to share the story. I hope it warns other from making judgments.


I went to the local Wal-Mart to purchase some Hometown USA yarn, A. because it's convenient and B. because it's cheaper there.  I had about 10 skeins of the yarn piled on the checkout belt thingy.  The "friendly" cashier asked what I planned on making with this red, black, and white yarn. Stupidly embracing her curiosity as a fellow crafter, I gushed about the blanket I was going to make for my sister and how it matched our old high school colors and her sons' middle school colors--even though they were in a different district. I smiled and thought, how great to chance upon someone else who uses yarn to create things that loved ones will cherish.  Foolish thought. Her next words were, "You do realize this is rug yarn, right?" WHAT? I've just spent all this time choosing colors, matching dye lots in an effing Wal-Mart, only to end up with "rug yarn".  NO SHIT SHERLOCK! I know what kind of yarn I am buying. What gives you the right to judge my project and yarn choices...oh yes, NO RIGHT.  It's also 100% acrylic, would you like to offer some frakking commentary about that? My sister has 5 kids of various ages, so easily washed and dried acrylic is best for her.  I've made all kinds of things out of this yarn.  I wonder if she would said anything if I had bought baby yarn and confessed to make an adult sweater or sock yarn for gloves or lace yarn for a dish cloth...


Whatever you do, don't judge how people use their yarn.  It's yarn.  Raw materials. It can be whatever you want it to be and no one, not even Elizabeth Zimmermann's ghost has a right to comment on it.


What's crappy is that every time I use that yarn, I always remember that stupid cashier and it makes me angry.


Lesson no. 2 of this story is, learn to let things go to avoid being bitter. :) Happy Thursday!

Welcome Blanket

I'm making a blanket from my scraps for friends moving to Oregon next week!

Monday, April 16, 2012

If you want to destroy my sweater...er...scarf

So my DS asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted a scarf of hers that had started to unravel.  Being the yarn hoarder that I am, I immediately said yes and then forgot about it.  A week later, I received a package with a scarf in it:

So below you will see the process of me unraveling this very long scarf.  It was crocheted and each row is a separate piece of double-stranded yarn.
Fortunately, this scarf was very easy to disassemble
 
An Old Navy scarf, and they didn't even knot the yarns together, just finished one row and started another.
 

All the yarn except for some short fringe
 
Now I just have to figure out what I want to do with this yarn as it will require lots of joining.  I was thinking some hand-warmers, a cowl, and a hat if I have enough left over...and then I'll sent it back to my DS!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

All Day Beret Update = FINISHED!

I love the way the yarn's tones ebb throughout the pattern giving the center a star-burst effect!
I finished my All Day Beret last night and blocked it overnight.  It turned out beautifully.  When I soaked it in my wool-wash some of the dye came out, but not enough to make any difference color-wise.  The blocking process helped show of the pattern much better.  The first beret I made in this pattern was not blocked and it's hard to see the design.  I am super pleased with it and I may make myself another one in a light color this time.  

The side view!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Busy, not forgotten

With two Spanish tests every week plus the homework to go with them, I have been a busy bee with little time for much else...However, I have managed to finish a few projects.  

The first project is my Fresco Basket Whip Cowl.  It took several evenings to finish, but it turned out beautifully!  I used Wild Meadow in the Juneau colorway.




Still in progress is a new All Day Beret.  This hat is made of Madelinetosh Tosh DK in the colorway Kale.  This is one of my favorite hat patterns and is very easy to make.  If you look closely you can see Artemis photobombing the upper right corner.


This last project took me two nights to make, one night per hand.  These are Waffle Stitch Fingerless Gloves in Vanna's Choice colorway Eggplant.  I haven't decided if I want to add thumbs or not.  Right now there's just a hole as designed, but I think my thumbs would appreciate the extra protection.  Also, Artemis photobombed this one too!  Below the warmers you can see my newest knitting book, call Swedish Knits.  It has some very cool stitches in it!


I also organized my closet to make a little knitting area for all my tools.  DH is very pleased that I can hide it with the closet door! I'll take a picture of it soon.  

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Still knitting

So I've been knitting, but not posting--lame, I know--but I'm back.

While I've been not posting--I've made a hat, several 10-minute scarves, a baby blanket, started two more blankets--one knitted, one crocheted--, made a baby bib, bought some yarn for my first baby sweater, started a cowl, and enrolled in advance Spanish class.

And now for some of the pictures: