little happy apple

springy ruffled scarf

here it is, the ruffled edge scarf with two strands of eros.  size 11 needles.  CO 36, knit four rows, decrease row:  knit 2TOG all the way across:  18 stitches.  knit until 50".  increase row:  make one every stitch all the way across:  36 stitches.  knit four rows.  BO loosely.  weave in ends.

easy and very nice.  i think you could get away with one strand and i also think you could use 13's for a lacier look.  i might try that next go round.  

n.b.:  this was completed before the craft marathon so it doesn't count...since there were NO crafts on day 4 or 5, that still leaves the total the same at a whopping 2.  things don't ever seem to go as we plan, do they?  fear not...i suspect i will catch up at the week's end.

HARK! a yarn shoppe!

fiber addicts rejoice.

a new knitting shop has opened IN MY TOWN.  now this is cause for a holiday.  ironically it is home to a house that we looked at before we bought ours!  cute little place on 221A just past Key Largo on the left going toward Forrest Hunt:  the knitter's cottage run by a sweet gal from massachusetts who is really gathering a fine collection of delcious yarns together for us.  she is also claiming that she is "going green" and will soon be carrying a grand variety of green yarns like bamboo, hemp, linen, etc., for knitting in the warmer months.

i managed to come home with some of these skeins of baby alpaca in such delicious colors to knit spring hats for all the babies in my life...  look at these colors!  mmmmmm.  yummy.

she also has supplies for felting and needlefelting and like crafts AND they have an open sit and knit every tuesday night at 7.  how fun.  weekly sit and knit. 

get.
your.
brain.
back.
knit.
with.
others.
touch.
nice.
yarn.
make.
pretty.
things.

just down the road from me.
down the road.
did you hear me...it is down the road.
EEEEEEEEK  i can barely stand it.

i told her today...fear not.  they will come.  they will come. 

hand maiden

i can't recall when i bought this soysilk yarn by SWTC but it is as delicious as i remember and i know that i bought it because it came with a free pattern for fingerless gloves that have a cute little cable twist.  i tried to knit some fingerless gloves last year but there was no ribbing and so they were too tight.    after i finished the scarf yesterday, (really pretty) i read and reread and read and reread the pattern to make sure my brain could work with my fingers to actually implement it.  so far so good.  the pattern is written for straight knitting but i am using dpns so there is no seam- which means i have to think and kinda interpret the stitches accordingly.  not too hard though.  they are knitting up so cute.  i have a weeeeeee bit anxiety about the thumb gussett.  which only means that i am going to try to get to that point in time for my sit and knit afterschool tomorrow when holly will be there.  she is an amazing knitter.  and i do mean amazing.  i figure that she can sort of walk me through it, since i have never done a thumb gussett before. 

  then again, how hard can it be?  i can read right?   

little happy knits

this week i actually had to stay home with my daughter who was sick with fever.  the good news is I GOT TO KNIT.  yes, this is cause for capitals because as you can see by my lack of posts i have not done anything fun or creative or remotely interesting (to me) in weeks.  {except work.  teaching is always fun and interesting} 

exhibit a

i finally finished a little hat for a coworkers baby who is now...four months?  i realized that if i didn't finish, it wouldn't fit.  it is a sweet pattern out of last minute knitted gifts, cotton baby hats...and has an icord that runs through an eyelet around the brim.  cute.  very cute.

exhibit b

and a little soft as a lamb white  angora cap for my precious little- and i do mean little, she is just 3lbs. 7 oz!-  godchild.  i have already started her another.  i made up this pattern myself as i didn't love any preemie ones i saw.  i just did a simple mistake rib border for about an inch then knit in the round to the top and made an icord for a little ways then tied it in a knot very very close.  delicious.  and so soft.  i hope it fits her.

exhibit c

AND months ago i found balls and balls of eros yarn for $1 at big lots.  needless to say i bought about ten.  so today while i happily watch the raindrops on my window,  i decided to start up a scarf in a pretty kiwi, orchid, brown and pink colorway.  it is looking really cute and "springy"...which it is in texture too.  adorable.

sigh.   happiness is finding the time to sit and knit. 

clicky sticks

the girls and i sat down to make some homemade knitting needles.  a ritual for all beginner knitters.  we followed the directions in the handy dandy kids knitting book.  a must have for your knitting library.  the girls made some basic spheres with polka dots in pretty colors.  i went off the beaten path to mushroom caps, globes, doves and strawberries.  it was a lot of fun.  and they look so pretty.

new hat

it is that time of year again. january is our birthday month. we have three; each a week apart...so our holiday festivities extend well into late january. nonstop party. action packed fun.

decided to knit my boyfriend up another hat for his bday with all my spare time on holiday break. his falls on the feast of the epiphany... this time from some more dellcious noro yarn in blues, browns and greens. great palette. it's a beret type hat that knits from the top down. this pattern comes from a great book titled hip knit hats which has a plethora of great versatile hat patterns in it.

so far so good. had to adjust for gauge a bit but...won't be long now.

stick your neck out

i have had a blissful few days creating and playing and relaxing. i wanted to make something for my friend orpheus' upcoming birthday...she seldom has time to read this because she is too busy catching babies on long island...occasionally she catches herself up, but, surely she will not see her gift-in-progress. it is a very complicated pattern from hollywood knits...the neck wrap. cast on 12 stitches with burley spun, knit until it is 40 inches, bind off loosely. had to keep the book nearby for that one in case i got confused with the pattern.

i wanted to create a pin for it...that will be my twist. the book uses an oversized safety pin. so i was looking for these wool doves i had made in hopes to embellish one and create a pin with the perfect color pale silvery blue embroidery floss. but naturally i couldn't find them. nor could i find the form i used. sigh. setback. good thing i have two weeks to figure out plan b.

it's super soft, plain, simple and yummy~ just her style. stay tuned for the finishing touches.

mr. saturday night special

i am so happy it is the weekend. i am not sure what to do first. i think i will fold all the laundry so i can sit on the couch. then i will surround myself with all of the yarn that i had to have last night (when i went to michael's to buy a giant canvas- to do a painting!!!) when i told you that i was a craft addict i wasn't kidding. you know this to be true of oneself when you have heaps of yarn but you still for some inexplicable reason think you should have more. must. have. more. yarn. when i finally get the couch cleared off, then i will sit there and throw it up in the air and catch it and maybe even juggle. then i will proceed to begin to knit some baby hats for the girls at work who are about to give birth at any moment. this bamboo yarn is super soft and yummy, the colors were really pretty & it has a great nubby texture which will be adorable knit up.

aside from all the soy silk wool that i am in love with- i thought it would make cute hats for little girls embellished with these really really really pretty flowers i found at the new scrapbooking store in town... !!!!!!!!! this place is getting cuter and cuter. the flowers are soooooooo pretty and they came in this great little tin box that locks- i might just buy more for the boxes. they would make great gifts filled with some of my SOAP.

so in between the six trips to the city that i have to make this weekend... if i can a get this place tidied up just enough to actually sit down and even fondle the yarn i will be a happy apple....

ode to harry

started on another hat too. this one for a 2-4 year old. it sure is knitting up real cute with some jo sharp aran in a gray tweed that is super nice yarn and a little red brown sheep for the purl stripes...this is the wizard's cap (hence the title) from kids knitting- always looks adorable.... gray and red work for me.
here is a glimpse of the work in progress entitled:

i heart ny still life with knitting and rocks

more little knits

one more little hat i just finished up...the one with the ear flaps. i am debating whether to embellish it somehow...maybe....this is a really cute hat~ the ear flap thing went well once i figured the proper way to pick up stitches so the purl on the brim was smooth going into the flap.

i hope to work on some baby dolls and make a batch of soap today. tomorrow silks- for baby blankets - ambitious i know but i have got to get a fair amount of crafting in this weekend!!! serious withdrawl happening here. everyone is happy to be home sweet home.