Yes, it is already time to start thinking about Christmas presents! Or at least, it is if you make a lot of them as I do :)
Here are some ideas for you:
Argyle iPod Jumper / Cozy This is an adorable "sweater" for an ipod/mp3 player! Could also probably work as a camera case if made a bit bigger or even a cell phone case.
If you've got a bit of time and patience or just like mindless knitting for watch tv (and who doesn't!) what about a Garter Ridge Shawl? Any yarn and needles will do, gauge doesn't even matter too much. If it's too big, you can always say it was meant to be the world's first triangle blanket LOL
Do you have someone you want to make something really special for? What about handknit socks? These Tickled Pink Socks aren't too difficult but do have cables and ribbing to make them just a little more special.
Maybe you've got a guy who is hard to knit for. Aren't most guys? This Hat Fit for a Boyfriend is great for guys! It's a simple fitted ribbed hat and looks really nice. It'd actually work for a girl,too, if you need a hat for a girl!
My sisters are clambering for fingerless gloves and I just love this pattern called Frothy Gothy wristwarmers. They're basically just garter stitch but they've got a frilly edge over the back of the hand that really adds something to the pattern.
Are you or maybe someone you know a fan of Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street novels? I love them myself! Here is Alix's Prayer Shawl you can make for that person. Like the Garter Ridge Shawl you can use any needles and yarn you like and can be made to any size you want.
Do you have a baby? Those big flowered headbands are all the rage now - every baby girl needs one! The "Spring" Baby Headband is really easy and you have a choice of a knit or crochet flower. Or you could just buy one but that kind of defeats the whole making the present yourself thing.
I think these Maidenhair socks are quite special and if you've a bit of time (and you do, it's 4 months away after all), they'd make a very lovely present to someone important to you.
Well, that's quite a few ideas to get you started. Got any others that I didn't list, let me know!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
I have Pictures!!
I'm always talking about what I'm knitting (at least, when I blog) but i rarely have pics. This is rather annoying because when I read knitting blogs I love seeing the pictures of the projects and the WIPs. But I finally got some photos off the camera for your viewing pleasure!
This one is of Addison's sweater. Addison is my friend Megan's little girl who was born in April. She doesn't quite fit in the sweater yet but maybe by winter (in Florida? What was I, insane to make a Floridian baby a sweater???). It's made of Joann Sensation Rainbow Boucle which I've had forever, just waiting for the perfect project. Which reminds me, I promised Miss Addison a matching headband....
And here's another of the pretty sweater:
Rather then attempting to match the stripes in the yarn, they're wide fading stripes and hard to match, I just used the same yarn in a plain white for the sleeves. The pattern was the Five Hour Baby Sweater - a misleading title, took me dang near a month! Then again, I was working with a boucle, not exactly the easiest yarn to work with. I do so love the look of boucle though!
On another note, I have joined a most awesome group on Ravelry (okay, actually more then one, I'm sadiekate over there if any of you are there!). This one is called the Odd Ducks Swap and I just was in one for the show Firefly. Way awesome swap let me tell you! I cannot wait to do another. Oh, wait, I don't have to, already signed up for the pirate swap!!
Anyway, here is some of the stuff that came in my box:
"Kaylee" striped sock yarn!! I'm rather excited by this as Kaylee is one of my favorite characters and I've really wanted to try striped yarn. The full quote on the bag is "No Power in the Verse can Stop Me" but you try getting all the sides of a round object in one picture! The blue yarn has been used to make "Hands of Blue" fingerless gloves with a pattern I invented for it. Maybe I'll get it up here one of these days.
The stick is actually a little photoball on a stick to represent River's ice planet on a stick. How clever!
And inside those mysterious boxes:
Inside my "compression coil" I found 10 little magnets, a small crochet hook for picking up stitches, a pin and a Dr. Pepper lip balm! Each little round magnet is for one of the characters and the bigger pin - the big round glare sorry! - reads "you can never have too many socks" So true!
Aren't those strawberries cute? They're filled with lavender and smell so nice :)
The bag had two nail polishes in it - a deep purple and a green. I just love deep colors and green is totally awesome - I have green toenails at the moment LOL
Thanks Dawn for the great box!!
This one is of Addison's sweater. Addison is my friend Megan's little girl who was born in April. She doesn't quite fit in the sweater yet but maybe by winter (in Florida? What was I, insane to make a Floridian baby a sweater???). It's made of Joann Sensation Rainbow Boucle which I've had forever, just waiting for the perfect project. Which reminds me, I promised Miss Addison a matching headband....
And here's another of the pretty sweater:
Rather then attempting to match the stripes in the yarn, they're wide fading stripes and hard to match, I just used the same yarn in a plain white for the sleeves. The pattern was the Five Hour Baby Sweater - a misleading title, took me dang near a month! Then again, I was working with a boucle, not exactly the easiest yarn to work with. I do so love the look of boucle though!
On another note, I have joined a most awesome group on Ravelry (okay, actually more then one, I'm sadiekate over there if any of you are there!). This one is called the Odd Ducks Swap and I just was in one for the show Firefly. Way awesome swap let me tell you! I cannot wait to do another. Oh, wait, I don't have to, already signed up for the pirate swap!!
Anyway, here is some of the stuff that came in my box:
"Kaylee" striped sock yarn!! I'm rather excited by this as Kaylee is one of my favorite characters and I've really wanted to try striped yarn. The full quote on the bag is "No Power in the Verse can Stop Me" but you try getting all the sides of a round object in one picture! The blue yarn has been used to make "Hands of Blue" fingerless gloves with a pattern I invented for it. Maybe I'll get it up here one of these days.
The stick is actually a little photoball on a stick to represent River's ice planet on a stick. How clever!
And inside those mysterious boxes:
Inside my "compression coil" I found 10 little magnets, a small crochet hook for picking up stitches, a pin and a Dr. Pepper lip balm! Each little round magnet is for one of the characters and the bigger pin - the big round glare sorry! - reads "you can never have too many socks" So true!
Aren't those strawberries cute? They're filled with lavender and smell so nice :)
The bag had two nail polishes in it - a deep purple and a green. I just love deep colors and green is totally awesome - I have green toenails at the moment LOL
Thanks Dawn for the great box!!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Upcoming Review!
Recently I was asked if I'd like to do another CSN review. Of course, I said yes :) Reviews are a lot of fun for me to do and it generates buzz about an awesome store. Actually, CSN is more then just ONE store, it's over 400!! You can get just about anything under the sun at csn.com! The latest hot item is wall sconces - just see what they offer:
For example, the Tofino One Light Wall Sconce is awesomely cool looking!
Wouldn't that look great in an entryway with marble flooring? Maybe get an Italian look going there!
And just look at this one - isn't it elegant?
It's called Alexander I Three Light Wall Sconce in Bronze and Gold. That would be so pretty to have one or two of them in your dining room!
This one is neato looking, really modern! It's called the Tate Wall Sconce and would be suitable for a lot of different rooms in your house, such as the bedroom, living areas, and maybe even the bathroom!
You like these? Well, head on over to csnlighting.com and pick out some for yourself!!
For example, the Tofino One Light Wall Sconce is awesomely cool looking!
Wouldn't that look great in an entryway with marble flooring? Maybe get an Italian look going there!
And just look at this one - isn't it elegant?
It's called Alexander I Three Light Wall Sconce in Bronze and Gold. That would be so pretty to have one or two of them in your dining room!
This one is neato looking, really modern! It's called the Tate Wall Sconce and would be suitable for a lot of different rooms in your house, such as the bedroom, living areas, and maybe even the bathroom!
You like these? Well, head on over to csnlighting.com and pick out some for yourself!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Listen to Your Yarn
Recently I bought my first laceweight yarn. I chose Knitpicks Shadow Tonal in Golden Glow. I was envisioning a bright yellow yarn like I'd seen on Ravelry but mine is more of a honeyish, marigold yellow. Still really pretty and nice but not quite the color I had in mind.
My initial thought, when I still thought it was bright yellow, was the Citron shawl, from the Winter '09 issue of Knitty. Well, first off, wrong color for citrus, secondly, do you realize there are literally over a THOUSAND STITCHES IN THAT SHAWL??!! That was just a whole heck of a lot of stitches for a novice shawl knitter like myself. That would be one of the reasons I like socks, only about 60 stitches to deal with.
Then I thought of my old favorite that I still haven't finished (can't, ran out of yarn) the Travelling Woman. The problem with that is that, technically that takes fingering, not lace. However, it can be done. I just didn't want to fiddle with that since I'd already started one and ran out of yarn.
I was gifted the Sakura lace scarf pattern for my birthday which is a lovely cherry blossom lace pattern. Still, not in my opinion, suitable for yellow. Pink or red perhaps.
Then I thought, well, screw the shawl or scarf, let's make mitts. I found a gorgeous pattern called Swan Maiden Mitts and it is even meant for KP Shadow! But, hey, back up here, my only coat is black. Well, black generally goes with everything but one of the reasons I didn't want a scarf is that I'm not fond of the yellow/black combo. Mitts would be the same problem. Sooo, back to the design board.
A shawl called Hibiscus gave me an idea, I'd design one myself using a pineapple as the focus! Well, I did that on paper. Then attempted to draw the design on graph paper. That didn't work out so well, plus I was worried about running out of yarn halfway thru the shawl.
After hunting around for a few weeks I found this - the Annis shawl, one of the "surprises" in the Spring & Summer issue of Knitty. It is absolutely perfect for this yarn, going to look like a slice 'o sunshine, great because it is always over 100 degrees now!
My initial thought, when I still thought it was bright yellow, was the Citron shawl, from the Winter '09 issue of Knitty. Well, first off, wrong color for citrus, secondly, do you realize there are literally over a THOUSAND STITCHES IN THAT SHAWL??!! That was just a whole heck of a lot of stitches for a novice shawl knitter like myself. That would be one of the reasons I like socks, only about 60 stitches to deal with.
Then I thought of my old favorite that I still haven't finished (can't, ran out of yarn) the Travelling Woman. The problem with that is that, technically that takes fingering, not lace. However, it can be done. I just didn't want to fiddle with that since I'd already started one and ran out of yarn.
I was gifted the Sakura lace scarf pattern for my birthday which is a lovely cherry blossom lace pattern. Still, not in my opinion, suitable for yellow. Pink or red perhaps.
Then I thought, well, screw the shawl or scarf, let's make mitts. I found a gorgeous pattern called Swan Maiden Mitts and it is even meant for KP Shadow! But, hey, back up here, my only coat is black. Well, black generally goes with everything but one of the reasons I didn't want a scarf is that I'm not fond of the yellow/black combo. Mitts would be the same problem. Sooo, back to the design board.
A shawl called Hibiscus gave me an idea, I'd design one myself using a pineapple as the focus! Well, I did that on paper. Then attempted to draw the design on graph paper. That didn't work out so well, plus I was worried about running out of yarn halfway thru the shawl.
After hunting around for a few weeks I found this - the Annis shawl, one of the "surprises" in the Spring & Summer issue of Knitty. It is absolutely perfect for this yarn, going to look like a slice 'o sunshine, great because it is always over 100 degrees now!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
What I've been up to
You know, I write really great blog posts. I do, I really do. The problem is that I have a habit of writing them in my head and then by the time I get to the computer I have a million other things to do. So, I forget to actually write them. The main problem with that is that, well, no one can read them in my head!
In the meantime, I've been knitting socks. I made a plain vanilla pair out of 100purewool's Granada colorway - greens and yellow. Now I have two more pairs on the needles. Pineapple socks made out of Numma Numma's The Regular in Organic Greens. Very nice yarn and expensive I found out - I won mine in a lovely giveaway :) These are on hold indefinitely until I can get another set of Harmonys as I dropped my needle thru the floorboards of the Dairy Queen playground :( On the bright side, I found my brother's missing schoolbook and my reward will be another set of Harmonys. YAY ME!
I'm also using KnitPicks Stroll Multi in Meadow to Magic Loop socks. Magic loop is a new method for me but WOW is it so much faster then DPNs. I got my needle and yarn last Friday and am already almost done with the first sock! The pattern is of my own making, basically just ribbing and stockinette but a bit fancier then a plain vanilla sock. They're knit cuff down unlike the Pineapple socks.
I like toe up but since Magic Loop is new to me I thought I'd stick to what I knew best for a new method. Socks are like my new favorite project!
I also bought some lace yarn. Shadow Tonal in Golden Glow - don't be mislead by the pic on Knitpicks site, this yarn is not actually that bright and is more of a honey or marigold yellow. Still a really nice yarn tho! I am trying to design a shawl for it, just because I like to make up my own patterns :)
In the meantime, I've been knitting socks. I made a plain vanilla pair out of 100purewool's Granada colorway - greens and yellow. Now I have two more pairs on the needles. Pineapple socks made out of Numma Numma's The Regular in Organic Greens. Very nice yarn and expensive I found out - I won mine in a lovely giveaway :) These are on hold indefinitely until I can get another set of Harmonys as I dropped my needle thru the floorboards of the Dairy Queen playground :( On the bright side, I found my brother's missing schoolbook and my reward will be another set of Harmonys. YAY ME!
I'm also using KnitPicks Stroll Multi in Meadow to Magic Loop socks. Magic loop is a new method for me but WOW is it so much faster then DPNs. I got my needle and yarn last Friday and am already almost done with the first sock! The pattern is of my own making, basically just ribbing and stockinette but a bit fancier then a plain vanilla sock. They're knit cuff down unlike the Pineapple socks.
I like toe up but since Magic Loop is new to me I thought I'd stick to what I knew best for a new method. Socks are like my new favorite project!
I also bought some lace yarn. Shadow Tonal in Golden Glow - don't be mislead by the pic on Knitpicks site, this yarn is not actually that bright and is more of a honey or marigold yellow. Still a really nice yarn tho! I am trying to design a shawl for it, just because I like to make up my own patterns :)
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