Wonderful Finds

A few days ago I was able to head out of work a little early and go down to our local Savers. I have been amazed and overwhelmed at the size of the store in the past, but on this trip I discovered some wonderful treasures.

Of course now I have to figure out what to do with all this wonderful yarn. I am planning on making the felted slippers from Knit 2 Together from the bulky Aspen yarn - I actually found a skein of it in yellow in my stash when I got home! The variegated pink I am thinking of using to make a scarf since it is so soft, but possibly it might become gloves or fingerless mitts.
If anyone recognizes the grey yarn please let me know - I believe it is Japanese but I have not been able to find anything on the internet about it.

The fabric is a couple of pillow cases and some silk napkins. The pillowcases are going to become skirts once I get the chance to work on them. I am not sure yet what will happen with the napkins. The trip I am planning on using to create handles for tote bags, now I just need to find the fabric I plan to use them with. The total cost for all of these treasures: less than $25.00! I have to go visit Savers more often - if only I had the room to store the stuff I buy there!

Mitten Swap

So I thought I have plenty of time to fill out the survey and get organized for the swap. I was fooled by the late send date which is wonderful for time to customize the items but - I still need to get his survey up. So here it is a little late . . .

What are your favorite colors? Green, blue, blue-green, purple. Deep rich saturated colors.

Are you a new mitt knitter? How long have you been knitting mittens? I have been knitting mittens off and on (more off) for the past four or five years.

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? Tonal solids - kettle dyed type looks.

What fibers do you prefer in mitten yarn? All wool (or alpaca, or baby camel, or even angora) , the softer the better.

Where do you usually knit mittens? On the sofa watching tv or movies, at the computer, occassionally in bed while listening to NPR.

How do you usually carry/store small projects? I rarely carry small projects since I work mostly at home, I store them on the coffee table since the cat has been well trained not to steal yarn or projects on needles!

What are your favorite mitten patterns? I don't have any favorites, but I am hoping to try out someone elses favorite.

What are your favorite mitten knitting techniques? None

What new techniques would you like to try? Nothing specific, but I am an adventerous knitter and will try any new technique (although I am not a big fan of color work!)

What are your favorite needles for knitting mittens? In the round: double points, strangly pony pearls - I love the flexibility and strength.

What are some of your favorite yarns? Anything that is incredibly soft in rich colors. I really am tactile and the softness is a major factor for me. I also like finer gauge yarns rather then bulky yarns, I appreciate the appearance of the finer knit and don't mind the extra rows on smaller needles. I do also have a deep love for Meditation by Skacel.

What yarn do you totally covet? I was just in the yarn store yesterday petting the Fiesta La Luz. What totally amazingly soft yarn.

Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? Not that I can think of.

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? Pony pearls for double points, I hate straight needles, Inox Express circular needles (but I can't work with 16" or shorter).

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? Debbie Bliss cotton/angora, soft, drapy, but able to hold some form of shape, and both warm and cool depending on the weather.

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Dark chocolate - the more chocolate the better! (But I can't have any dairy so no milk chocolate)

What’s your favorite animal? A close tie between cats and dolphins, both share a level of grace and poise that I so admire. They are also both very intelligent creatures.

Would you prefer super warm mittens or something more like fingerless mitts? Somewhere between fingerless mitts and super warm, enough fabric to keep the wind from blowing through, but not so much I couldn't hold the steering wheel to drive the car.

If you were a color what color would you be? Green - the color of leaves when the first come out in spring.

What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature? I love flowers, colors, texture, and rocks, smooth rocks polished by the water, or crystals with amazing structure, and waves from the ocean washing up on the beach and creating ripples in the sand.

Do you have a wishlist? http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/WG5U4NUIENHA/ref=lst_llp_wl-go/104-5478310-6740732

Anything else you’d like to share with the group today? Thank you all and have fun with the swap!

The Capelet is almost done

I didn't do much knitting yesterday as I was busy trying to find the floor in my room! Now I can see a large portion of the floor -

But today I sat down and picked up the Anthropologie Capelet again. And I just sewed in the last end. Now I need to find two buttons that are perfect for the capelet. Until then I can wear it open, if it gets cool enough to wear that is. I am so proud of how it came out.

Here it is this morning:

Just one more sleeve to finish and the ends to sew in.











And now here is what it looks like all finished except the buttons! The color is a little more pinky purple then in this picture, less blue, more red.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the approximately two balls left. I went through 4 balls of Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora. It is very soft, and has wonderful give to it that I wouldn't expect from cotton. The only down side to this yarn was the little bits of angora that would fluff up as I was knitting and somehow attach to my nose, face, and clothing for the rest of the day. Other then that I love this yarn.

It can be too hot to knit

I discovered earlier this week that it can in fact be too hot to knit. This is something I didn't think could happen - living in Vermont rarely does it stay in the 90's for days. But with the incredible heat wave that seemed to hit the entire country I found that even with lace weight cotton I could not bear the thought of knitting, the yarn would stick to my fingers, to the needles, it all felt too hot and now the stole is so long it was pileing up in my lap making me even hotter. Finally, yesterday it got a lot cooler and now I am able to make up for the missed knitting time.

So here is what I have been working on:

Here is the stole that is made from the lace weight cotton I got at the Webs tent sale. I am pretty sure this cone was only two dollars (maybe three), and there is still a LOT left on the cone after I finish this piece.


Here is a picture of the yarn left on the cone, and the ball that I wound off to knit from for the stole. I had the grand idea I would get this done while on my trip to Hawaii. That was a very optimistic idea, I am not sure I ever picked up the needles on the trip I was just so exhausted by the end of the day of visiting museums, touring the countryside, and generally enjoying the beautiful state!

Yesterday I got the grand idea that I needed to work on something else as I have been plugging away at this stole for so long I needed a change of pace. I was trying to find something to use up some of the older yarn in the stash (after the trip to the Webs tent sale I am not allowed to buy any more yarn until I make a serious dent in the now very very very large stash). But in swatching for the Anthropologie Capelet I decided it would be perfect for the Debbie Bliss cotton angora I had bought in Maine last fall (at half price!). I am so thrilled with how this is coming out. I have made several changes but it is looking great.

I am hoping to get this finished by the end of this weekend but we will see, I have several other projects that want my attention, and it will be too hot to wear this when I finish so I may end up distracted before finishing. At least I have a list now to work from! I am going to try and create one of those lists on the sidebar about what I am working on and how it is progressing.

Finally, in I didn't believe it actually happened, I got a fedex package today, it looked like the usual junk that you get in the mail letting you know you have won some sort of prize but first you have to pay for it I was a little skeptical when opening it. Then I pulled out a certificate for a free year of Netflix! I love Netflix, I have almost 500 items in my queue - now I get them for a year for FREE! I have never won anything before and was actually not sure that real people ever won things in contests. Yet I seem to keep entering them in the hope that I will actually win one. This time it appears it was contest in Self, I entered it and now I have won! Of course now I will be constantly entering contests.

Long time no post

I have been really busy knitting trying to use up yarn so I could go to some wonderful yarn sales that were coming up. I have several things that have been finished since posting. Here is the stuff I finished this past fall for a new baby that was at my old work.

This is the cotton blanket that would never end, once I finished the body I had the brilliant idea to knit on the ruffle, it was knit out from the blanket, I think I was up to 7 size 6 circular needles before I finally finished the thing. But look how nicely it turned out.


Then of course I had to make a little baby wrap to go with the blanket to use up all the extra yarn since this project was supposed to be a stash buster and not a stash enhancement. I love how cute this turned out and have been thinking about making one in my size!

I tossed in a few baby bibs with this package and the mother-to-be seemed thrilled. I have not been back for a visit since so I am unaware of whether or not the baby actually used all of these things.

I am a Princess

I know, long time, no post. Life seems to have gotten away from me. I will try to be much better about this in the new year, although since I don't make resolutions, I can't be too disapointed in myself if I don't do a better job.

I just took a really cool test and look what kind of princess I am:

(Please note this is also the kind of princess who wears diamond tiaras!)


The Romantic Princess

You are absolutely in love with love! Charming,
romantic, and feminine are all words that
describe you. You are a huge flirt and know how
to use your feminine wiles to get your way. You
are always on the lookout for the guy who will
sweep you off your feet.

Role Models: Isolde, Juliet

You are most likely to: Free a cursed prince from a
terrible spell with a single kiss.


What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Finally Getting Better

I have had lots of time to knit over the past few weeks as I have been at home sick, ostracized like I have the plague, until the doctor finally determined that it was most likely some form of pneumonia and gave me an antibiotic to get it out of my system.

But the good part has been the down time to get a lot of knitting done.
I now have finished my multidirectional scarf in the awful yarn, it was a very fuzzy mohair which was in a great colorway, but it was impossible to correct any mistakes, and to match the colors when moving from one ball to another.











A strawberry cap, and another quick cap for the knit a cap project also came off the needles this week.














I also started on a premie cap and the beginning of my self designed lace shrug, hopefully it will come out as well as I see it in my mind. I will post pictures when both are further along.

I have decided that I want to replace all of my metal double pointed needles with either wood or synthetic material ones. The metal is just too hard on my hands, and given that I am a much looser knitter then I used to be, I don't think breaking needles will be as much of a problem as it used to be.

Finally, Nicki has been by my side taking good care of me while I have been sick, the little nose kisses and purring while sleeping on my tummy seems to be her best form of medicine, and it actually seems to have helped!

Now, off to knit and sleep and get rested and feel better!