New Year’s Resolutions….

So here we are…it has been over a year since my last post and now I am resolved to be a better blogger!  First up on my list of things to change is to get ALL and I mean ALL of my blog posts done for my Lady Grey Jacket.  It was a fantastic sew along but I definitely fell short in completing the posting on this particular project.   I don’t know how some of my fellow bloggers make the time to get all their posting done and live a life on top of that.  I must be lacking somewhere for it seems that there is never enough time in one day to get everything I want to do accomplished.

Second…I need to finish my UFO knitting projects.   The Olympic Reindeer Hat and my Mystery Sock KAL.  Boy, I am bad…these projects were from the later part of 2010!  YIKES!!!  Along with this my DD has made a request that I crochet her another quick Beanie to match her new snowmobiling outfit she received from her boyfriend on Christmas.  She isn’t alone in her requests for the bf has made one of his own as well…he would like a new black, knitted toque.  And the projects pile on ;-)

Last but not least is my latest venture back into the world of sewing.  I was reading an interesting article on the Threads Magazine website which lead me to a blog post on Vintage Fashionista that had made a request for test sewers for a special project.  I am now officially a member of Group #28, of The 1912 Project and am looking forward to receiving my patterns and beginning work soon on sewing vintage fashions.

Until then…

Happy Sewing!!!

October Fun: Mystery Sock Clue #2 Completed

The Through the Loops 2010 Mystery Sock KAL continues; revealed this week is  Clue #2 for knitting the leg portion of the sock.  Late Thursday night I eagerly awaited the posting on TTL’s website and once up I quickly downloaded the clue and gave it the once over.  It looked interesting but with it being rather late I opted to not attempt to knit any of it until the following day.  Combining fatigue with an intricate pattern does not make for a fun time.  I usually end making huge mistakes when I am tired so the sock would have to wait a day.

I am finding this KAL to be very enjoyable because it is giving me the opportunity to knit something other than a plain, old sock with self-stripping yarn.  Also the pace is allowing me to work one section per week in the hopes of having a completed pair of socks by the end of the KAL.

Here is the latest pick of my socks.

Clue #2 on the TTL Blog

Download MysterySock10Leg.pdf (203.6K)

You can also join in the group discussions on Ravelry.

~Happy Knitting~

Update #2: Olympic Reindeer Hat

Previously I had knit the under-band and now have completed the pattern portion of the hat band.  The provisional cast-on was removed and the stitches were placed on a second set of circular knitting needles; the band was folded with wrong sides facing each other and the corresponding stitches were knit together as one.  This gives the hat a finished professional look on the inside.   A few more rounds were worked allowing for the addition of red into the pattern. For the time being I am setting this project aside to continue work on my Mystery Socks as well as The Lady Grey Sew-Along.  Will update again in a few days.

~Happy Knitting~

Update #1: Olympic Reindeer Hat

I have finished knitting clue #1 in the TTL 2010 Mystery Sock KAL and now turn my attention back to the Olympic Reindeer Hat.  Stitches were cast-on, the under-band has been knit and work now commences on the pattern portion of the hat.

Will update the status of this project sometime over the weekend.

~Happy Knitting~

 

            

October Fun: Mystery Sock Clue #1 Completed

After finally picking out my yarn and digging through my supplies to find the needed dpn’s I commenced to taking on the task of knitting in the Through the Loops 2010 Mystery Sock KAL. I would love to say I breezed through this first clue with flying colors but sadly that is not the case.  First I had my issues with casting on (which is never a problem), then I fumbled through using five needles and finally gave up on that and switched back to four putting 24 stitches on each needle for the large size sock.  This worked out considerably better for me being as the pattern repeat is every eight stitches thus allowing you three pattern repeats per needle.  In addition to the previous issues the designer had incorporated a cable pattern…it has been a while since I’ve knit cables and boy did it show!  Took me a while to get the right twist and left twist correct within the pattern but after that everything went smooth…

Well at least I thought it was going well; I finished the first cuff and moved on to number two and when I had that completed I noticed one was larger than the other…mmm…what had caused that?  #!$%? The culprit…I thought I had matching sets of dpn’s but upon closer inspection one set was slightly larger than the other…consequently…Ripppppppppppp out went the first cuff and the process of starting from scratch commenced again.  UGH!!!!

To make a long story short I have finally completed that second cuff.  The yarn I chose, Jojoland’s Melody in color #MS26 is a beautiful, variegated 100% wool in hues of pink, mauve, lavender and gold.  As you can see each sock will be unique in coloring.  I usually try to match up the yarn coloring so that both socks are started with the same hue but in order to do that I would have had to pull off half a ball of yarn to color match.  I just did not feel like doing that and went with the flow!  Unique is a good thing ;-) Right?

Up next: Clue #2 coming on Friday, October 8th at Through the Loops.  Travel on over there and join the fun!!!!

~Happy Knitting~

October Fun Begins with the TTL KAL

Kristen Kapur over at Through the Loops has posted the first clue to this years 2010 Mystery Sock KAL.  I am very excited to have the opportunity to participate in this KAL and as I mentioned in a previous post I did have yarn in my stash but wanted something different to knit this pair of socks with than a self-stripping yarn.  Enter DH who had a conference in Lake Placid this past weekend and a chance to visit a favorite yarn store in town.

The trip up the Northway was wonderful with the weather being sunny and cloud free.  The leaf peeping was amazing once you got above Lake George and heading towards the High Peak Region of the Adirondack State Park.  The drive along Route 73 was beautiful but as is the case sometimes when you enter the region and move towards Keene the weather changed to cloudy with some breaks of sun and mildly cool at 43 degrees.

Arriving in Lake Placid I dropped DH off at the High Peaks Resort and headed up Rte. 86 to my destination, Adirondack Yarns.  The store is not large but offers a nice variety of specialty yarns, patterns and needles along with those handcrafted buttons I love so much!   I zeroed in on the area where the owner has the fingering weight yarn and made my selection.  I have chosen Melody by Jojoland in color MS26 which is a nice combination of pinks, mauves, lavender and gold.  Along with the yarn I purchased a set of dp needles and a set of cable needles, in bamboo of course!

Having to keep myself busy until the conference was over I moved onto another store that is one of my favorites in the area….Nori’s Village Market in Saranac Lake.   I love the selection of herbals teas that are available along with the organic produce and grocery items the store has to offer.  A must have…the Vanilla Granola…yum.  One can not get out of the store without diving into the bag and munching away! 

After completing my shopping I made a quick trip out to Lake Colby and snapped this photo.  There is nothing like experiencing the Adirondacks on a crisp, Fall day!

 

~Happy Knitting~

Mail Call via Ketchikan Alaska

With autumn in the air here in the Northeast my creative pursuits have turned towards those things that keep us warm.  In keeping with the knitting theme of my recent posts I wanted to share a “Mail Call” item that came to me via a lengthy road trip to Ketchikan, Alaska this past July.

While wandering the shops of downtown I came across a store (Mission Street Arts & Fibers) that offered an eclectic mix of items for sale along with a selection of yarns and crafts books.  In amongst the various knitting books was one based upon the Andean culture of South America.  What caught my eye was the cover which had an unusual looking purse featured on it.  This drew me in and as I started to turn the pages my interest was peaked even more.  I was engrossed by Andean Folk Knits by Marcia Lewandowski and knew I just had to have it!

The book is loaded with information about the cultures of Peru, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador and Bolivia and as you progress from front to back the author has broken it down into the various regions accompanied by projects and tidbit boxes of  interesting local information.  Projects include folk bags/purses, a chulo (hat) & headband, mittens & gloves, a set of leg warmers & socks along with a muffler.  One of my favorites is a bolsa (purse) knit up in the shape of a Llama.  I’ve always had an affinity for llamas and this book feeds that need to know more with pertinent information on the animal and its’ importance to the communities that utilize its’ fibers to clothe themselves in warmth.

Recommended reading for the knitter in all of us and even those of us who don’t knit!!

My plan is to knit several of the projects myself; the Llama Bolsa will be first on my list!!!

~Happy Knitting~

Olympic Reindeer Hat

During the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics my daughter zeroed in on what the athletes were wearing during opening ceremonies.  They were sporting a Polo Ralph Lauren knit hat which she just fell in love with and has requested be made so I will be adding this project to my “Mama-Do” List.



Current Status of the Olympic Reindeer Hat

• Cascade 220 and needles purchased from Kaleidoscope Yarns
• Ravelry offers a free download of the pattern created by Helen Bristow
• Set-up my project page in Ravelry
• Yarn wound into balls
• Cast-On complete

The only thing that is left now is to get those needles moving!!!
~Happy Knitting~

 

Two-at-Once, Toe-Up Socks

I have finally finished those two-at-once, toe-up  socks that I started in August of 2009.  Nothing like taking over a year to finish one pair of socks!!! Yikes….
What prompted me to finally complete this pair???
It is the desire to participate in the “Through the Loops” 2010 Mystery Sock KAL.  I had every intention of being a participant last year; I had the yarn and had printed off each weeks clue but just couldn’t get myself motivated enough to work on two separate sock patterns at the same time.  This year was going to be different! I promised myself I would have these UFO socks completed prior to the start of the KAL and as luck would have it I have finished this project in time for the reveal of the first clue which will be this coming Friday, October 1st.
The only thing I am missing….some sock yarn.  I wasn’t overly fond of my choice for last years sock; it was cheap and readily available and I do still have it but…I’m desiring something new and softer in texture. I’m thinking a wool blend with Alpaca in a nice autumn color scheme.
How am I going to accomplish this task of finding the elusive sock yarn? Enter DH who has a training conference in Lake Placid on Saturday and it just so happens this is where one of my favorite yarn stores is located.  So…I am thinking I just might tag along for the ride and give Adirondack Yarns a visit to see if I can come across something more in line with my fall state of mind.
If you are of a mind to join in the fun here is a link to a discussion on Ravelry with pertinent information about the 2010 Mystery Sock KAL. Wander on over and you will discover that Ravelry  is a free, online community meant for people who love to knit and crochet. You have access to projects, patterns, yarns, discussion groups  along with being able to keep track of your own personal projects, stash, needle inventory, queues, friends and so much more. If you have a love for knitting or crocheting give it a try for I think you will enjoy what you find there!


Back to my Two-at-Once, Toe-Up socks…
Pattern:  Two at Once, Toe-Up Socks by Kelley Petkun (this pattern is available on Knit Picks)
Yarn: Knit Picks Simple Stripes (discontinued)  or any Fingering / 4 ply (14 wpi)
Quantity: (2) 50g balls
Needles: (2) US 3 - 3.25 mm circular knitting needles
I wanted to try the technique of using (2) circular knitting needles to knit both of your socks on at once and this was the pattern and yarn I had chosen to give this technique a try.
Needles: (2) Size 3, 24" circular needles and two balls of sock yarn. Each sock requires a ball of its own to use this technique.
My thoughts on the pattern, it was fairly easy being as I have knitted socks previously on dp needles. Knitting both socks at once was rewarding at the end being as they were both complete at the same time. I didn't particularly like how the heel came out in the final product and would probably adjust that in the future being as I have a rather large foot for a lady (12.5N) and the direction were meant for a medium foot.
When knitting my socks it took me approximately an hour per color band so I completed the socks in 21 hours.  I made them a little longer than the pattern called for being as I wanted to have them "scrunched" as well as being able to cuff them if I wanted to.  I finished the socks by placing them on “sock-blockers” and sprits with some luke-warm water and allowed them to dry. It isn’t necessary to block your socks but it does give them a more finished look.
Would I knit these again?
Not too sure on that one; I'd have to give this technique another try but am leaning more towards sticking with the dp needles.  Not a fan of the toe-up method, top of the sock doesn't have as much of a give as if you knitted from the cuff down, but still a fun project to complete. Give it a try you may find you like it!

Felted Purse ~ The Pink Lady

Last fall while visiting my daughter at college we ventured off campus and into Lake Placid for some shopping. The previous week she had gone into a yarn shop with a girlfriend and had seen a felted purse she just had to have. In her minds eye, she thought by bringing me to that very store, she could bat her baby blues at me and give me that “oh-so-forlorn” look and I would then purchase said purse.

Mother’s Please Take Note: Even though they do grow up into young adults they still remain children at heart and look to receive “goodies” from their parents whenever an opportunity might present itself.

In we went and proceeded over to the rack where the purse was hanging amongst the various wool yarns. It was a sweet purse. My daughter just had to inquire with the sales lady as to whether it was being offered for sale. Unfortunately for my daughter, said purse was not for sale. The salesperson directed us to a rack of knitted items for sale that included other felted purses. These purses were beautiful but the price on them was more than I was willing to pay…no matter how beautiful my daughter’s blue eyes are when she is batting them at me in anticipation I was not going to pay that price for something I know I could make for considerably less money and have an end result that would be even better than the store model.

I had always wanted to try felting so we perused the yarn selections and decided we would make one similar to the store model. The sales assistant pulled the pattern for us and guided us to the correct wool yarn. The purse requires a button closure so we made a selection from the beautiful hand blown glass buttons on display.

This is one of the reasons I do love to shop in a “Specialty” yarn shop. You may pay a little bit more for your yarn purchases but the unique items they have are not offered in your big box chain stores.

The pattern is called “The Pink Lady” and is a “Designs by Shelley” pattern. The designer states right from the get go:

“You are going to LOVE this bag! It is so easy, it can be done in one day…done all in one piece, it is a cinch to knit and will make a great gift for that special friend or family member. Make one in all your favorite colors…takes so little time, you’ll be making one for every outfit! Knit Away!”       –Shelley Boardman

I loved this pattern and it was indeed easy and could be completely knit in one day. Following are the materials that I used to make this project:

• Approx. 200 yds. BULKY weight, 100% wool yarn
• Size 13 or 15 – 24” Circular needles
• Button

Note: To create my bulky yarn I used a strand of each of the following knit as one:
2 (50g/109 yd) skeins POEMS 100% wool by Wisdom Yarns, Color 172
1 (4 oz/190 yd) skein of Lambs Pride, worsted weight wool
85% wool/15% mohair, Color M191 Kiwi

The project was completed in no time!!!

Purse prior to being felted.

(Click picture to enlarge)

The part that I was dreading and most anxious about came up next…

I had never felted anything before purposely! Oh Yes…I am one of the “chosen” who have accidentally shrunk wool sweaters to the point of them being made unwearable by its owner. To do this on purpose is a difficult concept to overcome for the fear of ruining the project. I had my reservations as to what the results would be. I dove in and followed the designer’s directions and low and behold a beautifully felted purse appeared as I lifted the washing machine door. It had shrunk down to size rather nicely and had a nice heft to it.

Purse after being machine felted.

(Click picture to enlarge)

In completing this project I made a few modifications. I am one who does not like unfinished looks. For me a purse without a lining is like a flower without its pedals. It has to be as beautiful on the inside as the out.

It doesn’t take much to line the purse and each one will shrink differently so there is no set pattern. I just traced out a lining a little larger than the purse itself plus seam allowances. I added a few pockets and compartments for those necessary things we all like to carry and stitched them on prior to sewing the main lining seam together.

Prior to installing the main purse lining, I also cut a rectangular piece of fabric a little longer than the strap and added seam allowances. I turned under the long edges and hand stitched this in place first. I lined the closure tab as well. Because I was using a glass button I decided there would be less stress on the shank of the button and less chance of it breaking if I just made it more of a decorative closure. Due to this I sewed Velcro to the purse and to the tab lining before sewing in the linings. Install the tab lining and then turn under the edges of the purse lining and hand stitch in place. Sew your glass button on and VOILA one fashionable felted purse.

Purses prior to being felted.

(Click pictures to enlarge)

My daughter loved her purse so much that she wanted me to make two more for her girlfriends as Christmas gifts. Here are the before and after pics of them as well:

Green Purse
• 1 (4 oz./190 yd) skein Lambs Pride, worsted weight, Color M210 Forest Shadows
• 1 (4 oz./190 yd) skein Lambs Pride, worsted weight, Color M120 Limeade

Pink Purse
• 1 (4 oz./190 yd) skein Lambs Pride, worsted weight, Color M200 Strawberry Smoothie
• 1 (4 oz./190 yd) skein Lambs Pride, worsted weight, Color M120 Limeade

The yarn combinations are endless that is what is so great about knitting this purse. At some point I plan on knitting one for myself too. This turned out to be a win-win situation for my daughter and myself; ultimately I did give into the purchase of the purse, in a manner of speaking …in her eyes she scored a purse while I got the opportunity to learn a new concept in the process. No losers there…

Plans for this and many other felted purse projects are found on the designer’s website, “Designs by Shelley”, and can be purchased for a modest fee of $5.

Give this project a shot...you will not be disappointed!

Happy Felting....

And so it begins...

Recently I have been inspired by what I have viewed in other individuals blogs so thought that I would give this a shot and create a blog about my adventures in crafting and share the knowledge that I have gained over the years.

I suppose a little background information on who I am and where my “craftiness” had its beginnings would be in order. I am a “forty-something” wife, mother and “Jane of all Trades...” I do work outside the home part-time doing computer work for a local highway department but my passion is for crafting, hiking and white water kayaking.

As with many working Moms I’ve had to juggle the various hats one has to wear. My husband and I have made it through the extremely busy high school years and the activities that accompany it with our daughter. In recent years that busy lifestyle has gradually decreased as our daughter has gotten older and has become more independent while attending college. We are now in the twilight of the college experience with her being in her senior year. There is “light” at the end of the proverbial “college” tunnel.

As to the origins of my crafting abilities I can say with 100% assuredness that my Mom has taught me most of what I know. My father contributed as well being an excellent carpenter and craftsman who was meticulous in everything he did right down to the smallest detail. My mom is an accomplished artist in her own right. She draws, paints, sews, knits and is a wonderful cook. What I didn’t learn from my parents has been self-taught. My all time favorite hobbies are sewing and knitting. But I also love to paint (oil, acrylic, and watercolor), crochet, help my husband with his woodworking projects as well as porcelain doll crafting from pouring the mold right down to dressing the doll, and in general…love starting any new crafting project. At the present…wood burning on gourds holds a special interest that I haven’t followed through with yet. But hopefully sometime soon….

So…now that you have some background information let us enter….

“My Adventures in Crafting…”

Welcome & Enjoy!!!

~michele aka Mimi O