FO Friday: Ribbed Scarf

Ribbed Scarf

Started: September 3, 2011

Finished: October 29, 2011

Yarn: 2 skeins Brown Sheep Co. Lamb’s Pride Bulky in Café au Lait

WIP Wednesday: One-Skein Shrug

When Craftsy decided to preview workshops, I hopped on board for several reasons: (1) it’s free (2) it’s a way to expand my repetoire. So the free preview offered is the One Skein Shrug by Stefanie Japel. I’m not one for shrugs (I’m a modest dresser, and I firmly believe they accentuate the bust too much to my liking) but thought, why not. Maybe I’d just wear it at home. Anyways, for yarn I chose Cascade 220 Heathers in Colorway #2420, which is a mix of purple and blue. It’s my first time working with Cascade 220 and I actually like the feel of it.

so it has finally happened

my current started knitted projects in number is equal to my completed number of projects since november. yes, i start one, see a project i like, start that one. i haven’t completed a pair of socks yet (finished 1 sock, started it’s companion) and i already started two other pairs (one for dh, one was for a knit-along). also a shawlette & a scarf. and considering i’m in limbo (hinted at earlier) and should prepare myself for a possible next big step, i haven’t had a lot of time for much of finishing projects.

another big step is trying out nickel-plated knitting needles on the most recent started project for the dream-in-color monthly dream club knit-along at my lys (link is not to my lys). i am really liking the nickel-plated needles compared to the bamboo. bamboo is great for a beginner, and i do recommend it for that. but with the nickel-plated ones i feel i am not fighting the yarn, it slips off easier and the project moves more quickly.

i decided to do the dream-in-color monthly dream club in order to expand my repertoire in knitting: not just knit and purl and k2tog and ssk but other moves and techniques as well. i am loving it. i really love the dream in color yarns, they are just the most awesome things ever.  and lace knitting: i love the variety of moves, and it just seems to flow right along. i love it. love it love it love it.

follow friday for 4/8/11

is it friday already??

so this is a very nerve-wracking time for me which could finally end on tuesday or continue on; but could end in a very good thing, or with a slight disappointment. i haven’t done much knitting or sewing since i got the news last saturday: i’ve been totally focus on trying to get myself ready for tuesday, more mentally than anything else. anyways, if you pray, i’ll take some of them coming my way :D.

so today’s follow friday is:

2 little hooligans

i love the blog design. and her fat quarter friday tutes. i love love love her organizing tote basket tutorial, especially the fabric used.

an additional follow friday…

…and a huge thank you.

first i wanted to show off my first blog give-away i’ve ever won (please pardon the lighting; it’s dark in that corner even with the light on and didn’t help that it was dreary outside. also i take most of my photos on the iphone):

a lovely set of moroccan-style tea glasses

being displayed on a bookcase (the frame was not part of the give-away)

so i won this give-away, which included the tea glasses and ingredients to make moroccan mint tea, from MarocMama. I wanted to give her a huge public thank you for this awesome give-away (and sorry it took so long to post about it) and encourage all my readers to check out her blog. she a foodie blogger, specializing in moroccan fare, but also blogs about her trips to morocco.  she’s also on twitter, facebook, and etsy.  i’ve actually made her moroccan style meatballs and it won a seal of approval of deliciousness from dh, who’s from the country next to morocco (slightly different cuisine though, different spices, even though it’s the same region). so, a big thanks to her for the give-away and everyone else, go check her out.

i’m hoping to finally brew up a pot of the tea tomorrow.

follow friday for april fool’s day

don’t worry, i’m not going to pull a prank on you…

or am i???

there will actually be two this week; the first one is a recent add-on and was put on the top of my rss reader, the other one is next in order:

* Remodelaholic *

remodeling on a budget; usually involving creative upcycling. some really awesome ideas here.

2 & Thru

some cute and easy crafty tutorials here. one in particular i like is the Owl Softie Book Ends. check it out and follow her while you are at it.

sunday plans

• cook dinner for the next few nights. probably this.
• reorganize the extra room
  • switched the big black plastic bookcase that has the printer on it with the small white plastic bookcase that has books on it
  • pack away some  of those books; find new home for some of them
  • use the big black plastic bookcase for crafting supplies (sewing machine in case; small tubs filled with sewing supplies; yarn stash; needle stash; the small collection of sewing & knitting books & magazines I have)
  • if no room left, use a clear underbed tub for scrapbooking supplies; put in closet
• launder my fabrics
• cut the fabric used for sew-along
• maybe work a bit on this tutorial?
• try to sew some. not sure yet what.

yeh, the day will be packed.

don’t you just hate it

i usually take small amounts of time during my lunch break to knit a few rows in whatever millions of projects i started recently.  ok, 4 or 5 projects. anyways, one thing i hate is when i discovered a mistake, or make a mistake (today it was a dropped stitch) and it takes me the entire time to fix that mistake. so, probably there is a quick way to fix a dropped stitch, i just don’t know how yet. for me to fix it at my skill level, i have to unknit up to that point and then fix it. so instead of doing the 8th row of ribbing so i can start the pattern (it’s the cascading leaves sock pattern for the dream in color knit-along club for april at the lys), i’m unknitting to the beginning of needle 3 on row 6 and then pick up that stitch and knit back to the beginning of row 8. ugh.

sew along sunday 3/27/11

update on my sew along to-do list:

1. buy the pattern
2. decide on the fabric (maybe i’ll have a vote on this) – i decided to use the same exact fabrics as shown on the pattern. i like it, except slightly see-through. but that can be remedied.
3. acquire the fabric – lisette fabric was on sale this past week: 40% i think it was
4. acquire all the notions – i guess i still need to get the buttons, but not sure which ones yet.
5. launder the fabrics
6. take a deep breath

since i have to work today, i am unable to work on it. sundays are the days i have free to sew, so next sunday i should give it a start. wish me luck.

half-finished objects: my first sock

so i finally finished a half of a pair of socks wednesday night. i started this in my beginning sock class back in february. not sure why it took so long, it wasn’t really hard. i think i did the kitchener stitch at the toe slightly incorrectly, because it’s a little bunched up. need to remember to do it correctly when i finish the companion. otherwise it looks and feels nice on my foot.