I have some Fo's

Really I have a finished object or two kicking around. It is not just a rumor that I have been perpetuating.

The Blue Sedum I have mentioned is complete... and a button shopping expidition may be called for. I agree Aesderina. So no more new pics of that.... I will wait for buttons.

I did also complete some fantastic Mittens! My Canadian Pride Mittens by Vicky Taylor-Hood. I can't link to a site other than Ravelry, my apoligies if you are not on it. The pattern is available  free through Ravelry if you want to make them yours. She calls them  O Canada Mittens I love them... the pattern is easy, and it added a new skill to my repitoir. The braided edging. A technique that I have already put to use on a new mitten project. This I think will kick off my year of mittens... not that I will be knitting 52 pairs or anything, but I have many patterns that I want to make and they are small and portable.... just like socks, but intresting in a different way. Anyway more mittens are coming but first let me show these off.

Yes there is a dog foot in the shot... he really wanted to know what was up.
Back to the mittens, as I have small hands I used the modification provided, and went to town. They are lovely, and just in time for spring!
I used Patons Classic Wool....  about half a ball of each colour. So, affordable, quick and warm... go knit a pair! LOL

So currently on the needles I am in sleeve purgatory. The Ox Blood pattern knits the yoke to the sleeves and then you knit the sleeves before continuing with the body. Very cool, so I went with it. So, one project working on sleeves.

The second is the Iron ore sweater.... waiting to be steeked at the arms so I can begin sleeves. Since I am trying a new steek reinforcement I am not sure if it is the not wanting to cut or not wanting to knit sleeves.....

Last but not least I began the Essential Cardigan from the latest Interweave Knits. The Tangled Yoke wasn't working fot me and The stars aligned.... so I cast on and decided that I really should get the sleeves out tof the way if they are something that I really don't like knitting...... riiiight.

I do have the pair of mittens that I mentioned, but I began them once and they were huge, so I ripped them out and have started again, so Ihave no reall progress to show you. Two pairs of socks, one of the circular needles I do majic loop with snapped off in a filing cabinet accident and I am sharing the needle for both pairs. The Coastal Swallowtail is also still on the needles, but i just took a refresher on the beads and I think that after this post is done I will sit with it on my bed and make some progress. I think that's it for my current projects. I guess I just really want to be knitting new things..... spring startitis. I can say proudly that all objects are using yarn from my stash! I love my stash..... and I have so many thoughts on what to knit next. More on that in another post. Enjoy your weekend. Knit on, create more, make art!

Loooong weekend....

Happy Victoria Day!

Hope you are all getting some fun in the sun with family and BBQ's and stuff like that.
I will direct you to a cool contest I was made aware of....
Jane Richmond is planning on giving away her entire pattern collection to one lucky winner June 10th.
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment. Sweet deal.

You may remember that her Mustard Scarf is pretty popular I made a few at Chistmas as gifts....

Great quick gift knit! Actually recently I finished her sweater Sedum too......

No seriously... It's finished. I just need to find better buttons.... the ones that I have don't really work.... hmmmmm, I may have some in my button stash though. More on that later.

Anyway, go enter the contest and then get back to sunshine, wine, ice cream, knitting, woodworking, or whatever you were up to! I will have some FO information next post. I have seen some of the other FO's out there.... it makes me want to knit more! LOL Too bad I have to work!

Here are some neat things....

As I mentioned I was spoiled in our group gift swap.
Here is the proof. First a fantastic hand quilted Bodum cover. The fabric is devine and she did swirls for me! I love swirls.... lol They came with 5 matching cup cozies... for travel mugs and home cups. They are just as pretty!

Next up is.... my amazing baby ice dragon. Isn't he amazing. He is about the same size as the Bodum.... and at the moment he is nestled  in a nook in my book case with some lovely yarns... to keep him safe from the live furries that I have in my home. Sam took one look and then folowed me around the house trying to talk (imploring eyes ) me into giving up the stuffie.... No way. Mine! This picture doesn't do him justice, his tummy is sparkly white and his tail is fantastic! I will have to sneak him into the sunshine and take some better pictures... without the dog noticing! LOL

He hasn't been named yet... nothing has been apropriate, I will let you know when I do.

This all came in a fantastic black and white project stand/ basket, with a copy of Jane Austen's collected works, chocolates, cookies and really cool teas. I think it was the best gift! She knows me well!

Thanks very, very much to my gift giver..... Dragon Rhapsody

Amazing stuff gal! Pop by her blog and see her pics of it... he is super cute in her picture!
(The baby and the dragon!)  ;)

Hey

Here we are! I will be posting some of my goodies from the swap soon..... some seem to have been eaten... hmmmmm

Anyway I just wanted to reply to the lovely comments I got from my post on the gifts I gave. Thanks for the ego bost gals. I appreciate it.

Btw.... the Multmoma previously mentioned is a very easy introduction into small shawl/scarves of this triangular type. This was the third one that I have knit, and I highly reccomend it, I in fact may knit up a few more for gifts because it was just that satisfying to have it loved!  It's a fantastic way to work with verrigated yarns of the lace and sock weight variety. So if you have something lovely that you just are not sure what to do with... this could be the pattern you are looking for.

Seriously. It's great, and easy to take along.

Enjoy your weekend, I am. Be happy and well guys!

So, wow... we did our gift exchange .

Yay Christmas gift giving has completed! No seriously...... we did our swap for our group of friends... it was great! Here we go, for gifts that I gave today... and the goodies I was gifted later.

Mitts for Julia, inspired by her dog Strider......

She squeed... it was very gratifying. I really wanted to make sure that the fingerless gloves that I made for Julia were perfectly suited for her.  I did begin with a pattern that I was familiar with, but it didn't work out, so I had to make it up as I went along. The dog I found in a Selbu mitten book, and I tweaked it to look more like her furry big guy. I really like how they turned out.

I made her two tea cosies, and I only got one photographed. The first one, was begun out of recycling a sweater..... it was a great adventure, but I had total swap anxiety about it..... so I tossed it in the pile of fix it later, and went with a back up plan of lopi yarns and knitting..... and the lopi made me break out in cold sores! So I had to get a pinch knitter... Thanks Jen! When I was discussing my trouble with Jen, she got a chance to see the recycled sweater project, and was sure that Julia would love it.... so I finished it off too....

As you can see I felted a sweater and did some embroidery on the front. And lined it with some great botanical fabric. She liked it, I also liked it, and I think I will be making a few more. Seriously this was a inspiring project, I have so many notes on new ones that I plan on... and one cut out sitting beside me now. LOL

Sorry about not having the other cosy photographed, but I also like that pattern so much that I am on my third one... really easy and so easily made to match other peoples tastes. I will have pics of the others.

Finally I knit a Multnoma in a colourway that I thought she would love. And she did! YAY!

Here it is on a blocking board.
It looks great around the neck, I may see if I can get her to model for me....

On my needles.... two tea cosies, a sweater or two, socks and mittens. More on that later. Have a good Sunday.

Hello... how are you?

Hi there! Busy long weekend in the works? Not for me.
At least, I hope note.
So far this morning I was at 88 Stitches for a nice sit and stitch with the owner and a pal of mine. Lovely muffins and coffee on a blustery day.
Then on my way home I stopped in at a favorite nursery for potting soil and two new house plants.
Now I am blocking shawls, blogging and spending sometime getting back on line. I seem to be exhausted when I get home from work lately, so I avoid the computer altogether ..... but hey, What can I say. I really want to see what everyone is up to so I really can't stay away. LOL

So news. Fibres West was a great day last Saturday. Jane has a great little synopsis on her blog ... go check it out. There was a great vendors area, althought no presentations that we wanted to see while we were there. Lots of local yarnies, and some great hand-dyers.
We saw some friends grabbed some lunch and spent some money. I wish I had planned a little better, last year I had notes on the patterns I was intrestd in and the yardage i would need..... not so much this year. I was just happy to have some time out with the gal pals.

The Three purchases.
One: Soak Unleashed I was out of wool wash, and this was at a booth, YAY!

Two: Sweet Georgia's Silk Crush Sock Yarn ..... yummmy. The color is named "Saltwater" and this photo does not do it justice. It is beautifully deep and a lighter shade of blue. Not softer, just lighter, if that makes sense.

Three: Licorice twist from Unwind Yarns, which I have been stalking for a year. I wished that I had bought it last year and so this year I found it and took it home.

I was wearing my completed Central Park Hoodie! YAY  I finally finished it. I love wearing it! It Is so warm and comfy, so I am considering making a second ..... we shall see.

I have started a new sweater and I am not really  along enough to show it off, so I will save that for another day. In short it's a design by my friend Jane, mentoned above, called Sedum. I did have much in my stash that would work for it, so I was doing some swatching, and  finally settled on a yarn that I already own. That makes the process way easier, so I started, and I am almost to the arms which makes it just a strip of knitting at the moment. As I said pictures when it is a little farther along.

Hope you are well and getting up to something that intrests you. I look forward to reading about it. I think my next post will be about something neat to get up to on rainy days......