Christmas Crafting

Finished up the baby blanket for my friend's sister's new baby to be!  To clean it up, I put a scalloped edge around the border.  I think it turned out great!  I used a ton o' Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby DK which was so soft to work with.

I also made this little baby football hat for the future baby.  The pattern is from a fellow blogger.  I used Plymouth Yarn Worsted in brown and white.  It was a quick knit plus, I got to learn how to do a surface embroidery stitch.

I am carrying on with my Christmas crafting.  I can't show too much - just in case the fam reads this but I'm on a roll!  I have like two more Christmas gifts to kick out!  Hope your Christmas crafting is moving along!

Crochet Crazy!

I've been working monogamously on this blanket for my  friend's sister's baby since this past Thursday.  I'm about a quarter or so the way through and already used 5 balls of yarn.  This is a crocheted blanket and you can find the free pattern on the Bernat website.  The directions are a tad over complicated but I bookmarked several Ravelry users and their suggestions and it's been smooth sailing from there!  I hope to be done by the end of the week with this and that's if I hustle.  I sometimes long for the days when Angie would just lie next to me on the couch, dozing off in his wrap while I worked on my projects.  

Ah well, it's good thing he's so good looking.  For example: 

Stud!

....ho hummm....

#stuffonmycat

Move along...nothing to see here!

Crocheting Fool!

 I didn't realize it but the last few projects I've been kicking out have all been off the hook!  This past week, I made two Cardiff Cowls for my Mom using Berocco Vintage DK in black and gray.  I really love this pattern, seeing how I have made four of these so far.  My Mom requested another one in a heathered teal but I told her she's gonna have to wait for Christmas crafting to be over before I even begin to go there.  The Cardiff Cowl is a free pattern from Lion Brand and has a simple pattern that really makes it look more complicated than it is.  I love how you can pick up stitches at the foundation and go the opposite direction.  It makes for a very interesting pattern, even after the fourth time!

 I've also been making these little crocheted ice skates as ornaments for family members in green and red using Plymouth DreamBaby DK.  I was channeling my Grandma P as I was making them.  I have a pair she made many years ago that go on our tree and was excited to find a free pattern on the internets with very simple instructions!  I debated making more for co-workers but decided that since I'm at a new job, I was going to nix going handmade for gifts.  I'm thinking a card and some candy canes this year.  My co-worker who is also a knitter made me feel better about not going that route.   You're allowed to be selfish when it comes to your hobbies - a motto that I will try to uphold next year!  Even if it will only last past two projects!

The last thing I'm showing off are some crocheted booties.  I made these for my friend's sister who is expecting. These were made out of Plymouth Worsted and was another pattern off of Lion Brand for free.  I'm not a fan of making booties because they look weird when not on little feeties but I'm sure once these are on the babeh, they will look way better!  The pattern was easy to follow and I liked crocheting through the front loop to make the ribbed effect along the top of the toe.

I am about seven gifts away from being finished with my Christmas crafting.  How about you?

Helping out

3rd of the way done!

When a Raveler needs help, all they need to do is shout.  In my local Rav group, one of our members needed help knitting an afghan for her godmother who is battling cancer.  Many of us stepped up to help her out.  The blanket is based off of The Great American Afghan.  Because I am no where near being a cabling queen, I volunteered to make a square using some mock cables out of my Knit and Purl Harmony guide.  I think I chose well and thought the stitch pattern was really interesting.  I used Berocco Vintage, provided by Sheep Thrills, in the mochi color way.  I dropped off my square today.  I don't think I could've made another square with what was left.  I was surprised how much yarn this square sucked up but I must say, it's such a pretty pattern!

Now, back to my regularly scheduled program of Christmas crafting!

Fake cables and puffs

Swatching!  A first time for everything!

Donation to the hexipuff cause! Thank you, Chelsea!

This past week....

Trying to ply on a wheel

SO excited to use this Isager!

I freaking love this button!

Can you guess who I am?  Pre-guillotine of course!

I love DPNs something fierce..and Manos del Uruguay yarn

It's that time of year... :-P

Sunday afternoon....

I want to knit, mama!

How about crochet, Haze?

I'm making you a sweater, and a hat, and some mittens.

Gotta start them young!

Bits and Pieces

Amigurumi - guess who?

Christmas crafting is underway!

Got this fiber last year for my birthday - Still love it!

Birthday Fiber!

Awesome mail day yesterday!

The year I turned 25, I stopped keeping track of how old I am.  It wasn't a vanity thing but I saw it more as, eh, who cares?  For those who are keeping track, I am 32 today!  The day has been very nice so far, I had a meeting with my new principal about a lesson of mine she observed.  My favorite part of the meeting?  'We are so happy to have you with us, Nicole."  Whoohoo!

In other birthday news, my lovely friend, Jen, sent me a birthday gift straight from Rhinebeck.  She picked out some Into The Whirled merino silk fiber.  She opted for the fiber so that I have more hours of crafty enjoyment.  Dang, she knows me!  I am so jazzed about spinning this up, I can hardly contain myself! 

I craft so I don't kill people

Wanted so badly to conquer this corner

Puffed for some stress relief

5 puffs!

 The last few weeks, I've been so busy with my new job that my yarn crafting has fallen to the wayside.  Since I boosted up my work hours from being .5 to .8, the work load has followed suit.  I have also been pretty pooped because I feel like my life has been go go go!  But that's usually the case for teachers in September and October.  Hopefully, life will slow a tad come November and I am more on a routine.  Even with next to no time to craft, I managed to squeak out five hexipuffs after finishing my last project.

Crafty citrouille

Babeh color crafting

Toddler Halloween crafting

Crafting came in many forms the last few days so I suppose there was some crafting going on after all!

Little York Fiber Festival

Stamped!

 During Columbus Day weekend, I went to the second annual Little York Fiber Festival sponsored by the Cortland Repertory Theatre in Preble, New York.  It's a two day festival held in the Little York Pavilion right on Little York lake.  It was a perfect fall day that made wearing hand knits essential, especially with the chill in the air.  I chose to wear my Color Affection :-).

 I went on a Sunday, which probably wasn't the best idea since some booths were definitely picked over.  I did manage to find a couple of things that hit my eye though.  I got some fiber from Windsong Originals Farm and Spun Right Round.  From Windsong, I got Cotswold, a fiber I have not yet spun.  I really liked the muted colors and the feel of the fiber so, I'm excited to give this a whorl (get it? hahaha!).  The SRR fiber is in the colorway Vacation and is all BFL.  I have yet to spin the last braid I purchased from her but I'll get my buns in gear to spin it soon!

 The last two balls of fluff came from my friend, Gretchen, which I will use to practice spinning on the Ashford Traditional that Angela let me borrow.  The top came from Maggie's Farm and the bottom is a pinkish red mystery.  I do know that both are BFL, one of my favorite types of fiber to spin because of it's staple length.

Gretchen and I ended our trip to the festival with some knitting at Coffee Mania - they make a mean Iced Chai.  As you can see, I'm making some serious progress on my Terribly Simple Shawl. 

Purple haze

One sleeve is TWO rows shorter than the other.  Gah!

My slow progress on Hitchhiker

God bless Ebay and Just One More Row podcast

It's been crazy busy over here and I've barely had time to craft.  It's starting to get to me.  I was all twitchy yesterday but I managed to make a few puffs and the crazies subsided.  I did finish up Hazel's sweater and found the perfect buttons.  Just gotta purchase them at the best yarn shop around when I get a moment.  

I'm loving how my Hitchhiker is turning out and I scored a ton of circular knitting needles on a tip from the gals over at Just One More Row podcast.  Yep, 11 circular needles for less than $10.  Dana says they are awesome and are similar to Chiagoos.  I haven't used them and I have to inventory them in on Ravelry.  Since they come from China the needle sizes are not the same as here in the U.S.  I will give my opinion on them once I get a free (ha!) moment!

Batter up!

You Won't See Me

Yer Blues

Because

These cute little hanks came from Burt's Peaceful Valley Farms in Tully, New York.  They were originally mini batts weighing in at 1.25 ounces.  I spun each one on my Ashford student spindle.  I felt I need a little more weight when spinning these because they were not as easy to draft as I was expecting but once I got the hang of it, I enjoyed the pops of color and sparkle that each one had to offer.  All were single spun into fingering weights varying in yardage.  The yardage ranged anywhere from 68 to 88 yards.  I think they would look nice in a striped hat or mitts pattern that need a little extra something.

Lecture on Nature

Colorway : Mother Nature's Son

Say hello to this lovely 106 yard skein of worsted weight goodness!  I got this fiber on a whim at this  years Yarn Cupboard Retreat from Twisted Wool.  I was pondering what to get as I was looking at all their wares.  I was thinking of getting something a little brighter but then this caught my eye.  I spun this on my Ashford spindle and two plied it on the same spindle.  I am really pleased with how this turn out.  It's soft, bouncy and I really enjoy the color changes.  It does seem mostly green, but there are blues, pinks, and yellows in there too.  As usual, I'm not sure what I'll be making with this but it will be something I'll want close to my face - I love the hint of sheep it has!

Proud Peacock!

And here come the glamor shots!  I finished this cowl called Infinity Scarf Passion by Eclectic Gipsyland.  I used a skein of sock yarn I got at my first trip to Rhinebeck back in '09!    The yarn was from The March Hare in the colorway of Spanish Peacock.  The pattern called for about 437 yards and I had 455 yards to work with but for some reason (probably me not checking gauge), I wasn't able to complete one of the repeats and border.   Pas de problème!  I love it all the same!  The puff stitches definitely eat up a lot of yarn but they turn out so light and fluffy.  I'm looking forward to wearing this to work or out and about.  I highly recommend this pattern and you'll have a leg up if you know some French because the pattern is for the Francophone or Francophile.  I do have a rough translation of it in English and if you've got google skills and a good French dictionary you can make your own beautiful adornment for your neck!

Last lap

I am so close to being done with this sweater.  I have ONE more sleeve to go.  Why do sleeves take forever?  I plan on powering through the last sleeve since all my necessary grading is done for the day.  Once I am done, Cast-on-apalooza 2013 is done for me!