I have been doing something

My sister called me one day and told me about this lady that makes fur hats and they are oh so cute. The lady told me they she sells them for $10 dollars. So AC Moore had some fun fur on sale so I said let's see what the fuss is. I made a baby hat, brought it into work and two people said I want one! I made them both a hat and one lady said she wanted a scarf to match. I mistakenly washed and dryed the hats and that is why there are no pictures. They are matted. So I made another one and the lady said she wanted it longer and she thought the matted one did not look too bad. So I am going to take the matted one down and try to mix it with some non matted we will see. The whole point of this post was the scarf. It came out real well. I needed more yarn. I wasn't sure how to knit the fur Lean Ann Siad every third needle (ETN) and Viola! So the pattern is Cast on 19 and knit till the end of the ball. I put a sport weight acrylic with it. You will need two balls of fun fur. to get a decent length. It does curl I do not suggest heat! So mine will just curl. I know this is not new but it is to me! This experiment also brought me 20 dollars. Because I made the free one and the same lady said I want two more how much do you charge? I charged what the other lady charged $10 a piece. Go me!I am thinking Fun Fur Scarves for Teacher Appreciation Day. But my daughter who is only two said Ms. Maria already has a scarf. We made her one for Christmas. Lea forgets nothing. Maybe need to go back to the embellishing that buttonhole bag. I hope she like my little projects.

Finished but not great

I finshed the button hole bag but it is not perfect. My handles do not match. There are several things wrong and I should have waited until I had someone who knows what they are doing help me. Personally for the first time on circular needles it is not bad. I have been burning to felt it and since it is not perfect I will gently felt it in the bathtub. See you soon.

The Beginning of Greatness

I had to frog this bag about two times but that is ok cause look where I am now. It is looking good. I did not know that circular needles did stockingnette so that is where I went wrong yesterday. I am halfway through my increases then I do 10-15 rows then I decrease. Do the buttonhole handles and I am done. It is going pretty quick I can kind of see how it can be addictive. If I work on it tonight, all nightI can probably finish it. We will see.

More Buttonhole Saga

I started a bag with the circular needles. Let me tell you why. The numbers I came up with were for the black wool. I went out and bought cream and blue yarn. I did not want to work with black yarn because I could not see the stitches. When I realized I had to re swatch I said forget it I will swatch later. I am so backwards because know I want a purple bag. I bought some pretty purple wool and I will swatch that right after I am finished with my handknit buttonhole bag. The thing with the hand knit one is I had to double it because the stitches were way too lose. The purple one I have no choice because I only have one skein so I will make that on the machine once i get the guage info. I will pray for the best.

The pictures are of my second attempt at the bag. Both bags were made in the same night. I show it flopped out and flat. When I tried to get it to stand on its own that is when I realized the base was not big enough. It was square when I finshed it but I hand felted it and missed the part about being gentle. So it turned into a trapezoid.

I told Lela I made the bag for her. She has plans for this bag. She said she is going to give her buttonhole bag to Ms. Maria (her daycare teacher). Lela is 2 yrs old. When the baby asks "are you making that for me?" How can you say no. This is my better bag. But anyway I will try and glam it up for Ms. Maria. I was thinking zipper and a pretty ribbon. I will take pics.

Buttonhole bag the beginning

Well I am trying to make the buttonhole bag. original pattern is at the mason dixon knitting blog . I don't hand knit all that well so I am trying to rewrite the pattern in bondese. It is not going so well. I have done two tries with the pattern I made myslef. It dawned on me yesterday that my base is not big enough. As you can see with the first picture. I was reading the other day at the pattern Kay and Ann did at first and it had some measurements on it so I was like Yes! But Lea Ann said that if I knew the width of the garter stitch then I would be good. So I emailed Ann/Kay and Kay said she did not have one non felted but she thought 12 inches wide maybe less. So I am going to go with 12 inches. My main problem is wool is expensive. I went to AC moore and got the cheapest wool they had and it was still $5.33 for 3.5 oz. The pattern called for Lamb's Pride bulky. I was anxious and got Patons Classic. So the next bag I will make will be Patons. I will eventually make one by hand especially if this one I make on the machine does not come out. That is my last hope. To make one per the instructions measure it and then break the pattern down to bondese. I am determined. I asked Ann Wilson to look at the pattern I wrote and she rewrote it for me. I modified her pattern to include the numbers I came up with.

Now here is what I got if you see something let me know (all info is pre felted)
Gauge
17 sts = 4"
24 rows = 4"

She says the strip is about 12" wide and 14" long
so I need it to be at least 51 sts wide and 84 rows long

The body is 16" wide and 11.5" high
so it should be at least 68 sts wide and 69 rows long. Yes or no?

I have no drive.

Your Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

25% Yankee

5% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I saw this looking at someone else log thought I would try it. It is sorta fun.
I need to make sweaters for many people but that last project just took it out of me. I will get it back soon but for now I am beat.

Finally

I am finally finished. I am proud of myself. Now that I finished those I am not satisfied. I want to make a Chanel sweater. I got a palm pilot and I am loving keeping all my information in there. I am new to it but I am getting use to it. I will love having my patterns right at hand. Need to figure out how to print but one step at a time.

I Am Almost Finished

I have begun to stitch around or sew down my stars. My stars are a bit haphazard and I would like to take the placket off the back shoulder and put it on the front shoulder. I think I know how to do button holes so I will do that but now since my money is funny I got to find some buttons. I had wanted to buy some from AC Moore something jazzy but that isn’t going to happen. I am using cream crochet thread to go around the stars. It looks country or rustic I like it. Yes, I am tooting my own horn J!I keep thinking about waste canvas. Maybe I should make Lela something. The stitches were so small though.

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Still No Sleeves

I still do not have any sleeves nor stars. I have no ideas what I am waiting for? I really do not want to scramble around in two weeks trying to get this stuff ready. You know I am not liking the collars on these sweaters I am thinking that I need to make them longer. The ducks are partially finished. I made six duck washcloths and I put them up somewhere and I have no idea where I put them!Those were for the shower as well. The ducks do not really go with the shower gift they are for someone else. I made a red pink and white hat that the red duck will go well with I wonder if I have enough time to make her a sweater? I have enough red. Not sure about the pink and the white. we will see.

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Progress

I have one sweater made I told you that. But I did not tell you that I have made my very first flag sweater! I have yet to put the sleeves on then I have to put the stars on and then the buttons. But I have it. This may seem crazy but I think I want a flag poncho. I have this Cape Cod blue yarn that is just the best. I am going to make the triangle blanket found in Vougue on the go baby knits two book. I look at the patterns in the book and see which one I can do on the machine. I did the dcuk blanket that way. Actually I bought the book for the duck blanket. I could not get that blanket off my mind. I hated buying the book because I am not that grand of a hand knitter. Just yesterday I figured out how to do the cast on where you you go under your thumb them under your finger and back throught your thumb. I got som more knitting needles. My point is that Now that I spent 13 on a book I can't really use I better find a way other than a coaster. Now this maybe illegal but i don't really post the patterns I was told to say how I did it. I don't post the graph which was all I really needed. I was thinking about making a book called how I did it with My knitting machine (that doesn't really sound right) Something more like how I created it with my knitting machine. So Coleen's son will have a mix of crocheted and knitted items. I use Gina Ahren's pattern alot as my base and i go from there. I need to get on the ball and create sweaters for my daughter brfore she decides she does not want handmade sweaters. I got the best plan for a twin set. May I should try one of those tonight since she is at her granny's. I am trying to stay at home so that I wont spend any moeny but the money is burning hole in my pocket.

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Duck Washcloths

I have an idea for babyshower gifts, Duck dish cloths. I was making a duck toy from the free bernat pattern I got from the internet. I made it out of cotton and I thought this would make a good wash cloth. So I would like to find a pattern to go with the theme for Coleen's son but if not I will use the Ducks. I want to get her all bath products to go with the bath tub. Matching towels would be great. Or make some out of that terry yarn. I got some in the house some where I need to find it. But that is all for now.

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Baby Mock Rib Pullover

Here is my first mock rib pullover. I used gina Ahrens pullover pattern and Kangamoo knits mock rib pattern. I got one thing accomplish for the baby shower. I had to start this sweater over three times. I did that cable knit one twice already so I need to do it one more time then maybe I wll get it. I am worried about the width of sweater. I want ot create it without doing a swatch. that is my problem. but I did a good job on this one. I even made a placket that little piece sticking up from the shoulder. I am going to put a button to close the neck and three buttons to hold the placket down. I did this because the neck opening is way too small. I used key palte 4 to make larger. And it even fits Lela but the sleeves are not long enough. I may add more rows to the beginning. Like I didi with the bootie. I put 20 rows to the pattern and used keyplate 4 and it fits her feet. Lets not talk about the shopping cart cover. That is still not finished. I only have the casing left to do and some finishing touches. But the casing is killing me. When I did it by hand and folded over an inch my seam was not perfect or wide enough so I could not get my elastic through. And pulling it through was killing me. So I am going to buy some bias tape to be the casing and now I have to wait to get some money! see cannot win for losing. But you know what I found my Stitch witch maybe I can try that!

My first attempt

This is actually my second attempt at the Knitted scrubbie or actually my third because this is the third one I made. The first one came out like a candy wrapper. The second one came out like the picture but it was soild. My hole is not exactly in the center so mine does not look exactly like the picture. it looks like I have too many rows. I am so happy I got something similar. I would like it to be bigger.

1 down more to go

I completed and gave Kenyetta her baby shower gift. http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/diva27406/album?.dir=38ab&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos the pics are at this link. They are the red and black sweater and the black diaper bag with the red lady bugs. Now I got to finsh the shopping cart cover. I saw some quilted fabric at Walmart. The next one I make will be of that fabric it wll be easier. Just cut out the leg holes and making a casing. I wonder If I could use fold over elastic. because if so I will have it made. I am telling you if these come out right I wll be selling them at homecoming. I am interested in the hip hugger sling. So I can carry Lela around at Wholesale Alley instead of that big stroller. bring a backpack and the sling we will see i got a few weeks.

I am getting there

Yesterday I made the ladybug bag. They sorta look like butterflies but the bag is done so I am not going to complain. It could be better but it is good for my first try. I even did the bottle bag that came with it. I am going to try and take picture of the entire set. I made two jackets, a pair of booties and a hat. the bootie and hat are for right now when she is teeny tiny. I will use a paint pen next time. I stenciled the ladybugs on then I outlined it with puff paint. I haven't puffed it and I don't think I will. I wanted to put her name on it but I have alwasy heard you should not put children's names on their clothes or belongings. I have again tried my hand at converting a hand knit pattern into machine knit I will let you know how that goes. I am supposed to finsh my shopping cart cover this sunday. I would like to make a lady bug one.

Get off my tail

I need to fix my machine either one. I have grown accustomed to my tiny tailor. I need to use my brother. It gets jammed everytime I use it I took it apart and I was going to take it get serviced but of course funds are not what they need to be. I think I am going to call and see how much one more time I thinkhe said $75. He said it needed to be cleaned. I just hope that once it gets fixed that It works great. I have a yard of toile calling my name. What I am going to do with it I don't know. I have a wristlet pattern I have not even opened. That would be great. A toile wristlet for homecoming. Yes it is homecoing time agin and I need to prepare. Anyway all I need for my tiny tailor is the bobbin I wonder if I could switch out the plastic one that came with it for a metal one. It is probably in the box in my closet I just don't feel like looking for it. I will try tonight.

Baby Steps

All I got done this weekend was the cutting out of the holes and it is even that is good. So now I just have to sew it. I thought by hand was going to be easy but not when you are a human jungle gym. I might poke the baby so going to have to get the sewing machine working so I can be done quicker. I started my first layette set. I actually only started my first bootie I got the ribbing done. I am going to do a cream heel and cream toe. A red sweater with cream ribbing. With cream buttons. I need to do something with black because I have black buttons. I am getting things done slowly or like I said baby steps. But they are getting done.

Trial and Error

I started my shopping cart cover. I cut the holes wrong. So I cut them off and redrew them. When I go home tonight I will cut them out. Hopefully I got it right. Now I need to get my sewing machine working . But it is ok if it is not because I will do it by hand no biggy. I hope it won't be too short. I started with 1 3/4 yards the instructions called for 1 1/2 yards so I had a little slack. But now trial and error is what this is about. I really hate I messed up good fabric. I was supposed to make a blanket with this but changed my mind. I will sew the edges together then turn right side out then sew casing. I got a funeral tomorrow. Maybe I can use Ms. Mary 's sewing machine. It would be cool if she could serge it. We may not have time. I will just do it by hand. I need to remember to mark 1" around so I can have something to follow. Once I get this down then it is on to customizing the fabric! Delta, Aggie, Blue Bear, whatever! I am going to see what I can do with printable fabric even if all I can do is an applique. Maybe even stamps? Who knows. I got to get the shopping cart cover down first.

Hello

This is my first blog. I am not exactly sure what you do but I think I have an idea. This blog is mainly to talk about what I have been crafting. I Crochet, Machine Knit, Sew it really does not matter. My friend and I have a saying, "We do not mind spending money to learn a new craft." And that is really how it is. I am constantly finding ways to incorporate one task into the other. For example I crossstitched onto a machine knit blanket because I am not very good at intarsia or fairisle. I will crochet an edge around a blanket because I know how to do that quicker than doing one on the machine.
The little girl is the light of my life. Who knew it would take so much. You will see her in a lot of my pics. She is my top model. Now that she is bigger I have to start making my own patterns. I am glad I have Knitware. I have yet to make a mommy daughter set though. Just too lazy. Plus I can't knit because she wants to knit too. But there are times I get around her.