Tag Archives: gift

Gal’s Gifts

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I firmly hold that one’s “gals” give the best gifts. I had the good fortune to bond very deeply with a work colleague who moved on to another City. And we developed quite the group chat with one of her new coworkers because we missed hanging out. We all three enjoy crafty things and each other’s senses of humor.

This lovely box was delivered to me from those two gals. Without asking they know exactly what to gift me.

This box contained many yummy chocolates and two full sock sets from Amber Waves of Fiber. The color is called “Santa’s Workshop” and the content is 80% merino, 10% cashmere and 10% nylon. I have enough yarn for a large shawl or multiple socks. I need to meditate on what this yarn wants to grow up to be.

Happy Knitting!!

Mother’s Day Recap

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Jellybean and the Hubby made a nice Mother’s Day for me. Jellybean actually went to a sleepover the night before so I could sleep in and be super pregnant without a 3 year old “helping”. But we had a nice lunch just the three of us and Jellybean presented me with hand painted cards and my present….which he promptly tore open the minute I told him he could, lol.

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The both got me a Cast On, Bind Off by Leslie Ann Bestor and a mini digital scale for my scrap blanket shenanigans. I have been eyeing this book for my reference library for awhile. I rarely use the cast on or bind off in patterns that it calls for. I like to use one of my own choosing that fits the garment or item. This book will keep me from having to constantly re-look up YouTube clips or internet articles to remember all the different options. And it’s a great size to tuck into a project bag!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a sneak peak of my Mother’s Day Cast on project for 2018!

Happy Birthday To Me

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My birthday came and went in a flurry of laundry and stomach flu woes. We have had some unseasonable weather her in the Midwest and it’s really reeking havoc on our immune systems….at least in this house.

Nonetheless, my husband asked for some birthday suggestions and I sent him some names of new-to-me yarn dyers that I would like to have something from. He picked Shannon of Mudpunch. She’s Canadian and I hear her mentioned on several Canadian podcasts I listen to. The hubby chose a speckle sock set in her Tundra/Desert colorway.

The yarn has a great hand and the lovely green colors are something I wouldn’t normally choose. I can decide if this needs to be a two color shawl or a pair of socks with contrasting heels/toes/cuffs. I’ve never done the later (on purpose anyway) and the former is still relatively new to me.

I think this yarn needs to ruminate in the stash for awhile! Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Mere’s Eyelet Cowl

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 I surrender, this project defeated me! It’s done and while it’s pretty….it’s not the fabric I was wanting to create.

  

Pattern: My own, Rav notes here

Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun in Black

Needles: US  10 1/2

Finished size: 19.5 inches long and 10 inches tall.
 

I had previously blogged about slogging through this. I should have realized that it was a slog because the fabric created did not match the original. I finally gave in and bound off just to be done. I used 70% of the skein or 129.5 yards. I am going to start another cowl in a deep purple in a stitch pattern that better matches the original. I will still probably gift this cowl to Mere as well. There is nothing wrong with it as it’s very soft and pretty. I’m just disappointed in myself for “forcing” the knit.

Oh well, I guess I have to knit more!

Slogging

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I’ve been working on the last of my knitting requests. And boy I’m just not inspired….

  
I’m three inches done of 15 total. But this project is black (not my fav color), not my favorite yarn, and it’s keeping me from my Aeon vest. I dearly love my friend so I’m going to keep plugging along. This is why I don’t knit for craft fairs anymore or for other people much. I do best when I work on something that captures my mood rather than a to-do list. 

Does this mean I’m growing as a fiber artist or just that I have project ADD? 😜

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Sarah’s Dino Hat

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I finished one of my knit worthy gifts!

  
Pattern: (modified)  Dino Cap by Kris Hansen

Yarn: Caron Simply soft in Dark Sage and Brown

  

This is a toddler pattern I made for Jellybean last summer. I knew I needed roughly 100 stitches to make an adult hat at my guage. So I just did the math to upsize the pattern instructions to fit. It was fairly easy using excel and some critical thinking.

  
The ear flaps were a tad long for my taste but the 15 year old loved it. I opted not to continue the spikes onto the forehead, it just looked weird on the adult version. Overall I’m very happy. The double thick brim and ear flaps makes a cozy hat. I might need to make this hat for myself in wool minus the Dino spike of course.  

Happy Knitting!

Knitting Requests

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In all knitters lives there comes a time when you hear “can you knit (insert object here) for me?” Now I’m a pretty selfish knitter but there a few people who are knit worthy in my world. The first is my dearest friend from college, Mere. She texted me awhile back to let me know how much she loved a cowl I made her years ago and could she have another.

  
This is a cowl I free handed at least five years ago for craft fairs. It doesn’t even have a Ravelry page! I know it’s in Homespun but that’s about it. I had her send me some measurements and I pulled a skein of the requested black from my stash. Fingers crossed I can recreate this!

The next request came from my daycare provider. Whom I love and pretty sure Jellybean loves her more than me some days. Her 15 year old has been coveting Jellybean’s Dino Hat.

  
I pulled out the pattern and the hat and sat down to figure the mods. It shouldn’t be too bad to do and I still have the exact yarn colors in my stash. This one might require some ripping and redoing. But this 15 year old takes time out of her afternoon to play ukulele for Jellybean because he likes to help strum. So she pretty much has earned a Dino hat of her own!

Now I just need to find the time to knit all these things!

Happy Knitting  

Appreciation Of Craftmenship

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A dear and beloved friend from my college days bestowed Jellybean and I with the most squee worthy and hormone tear inducing baby quilt.

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My friends, I’m not a quilter but my mother is. I can spot quality. Let me tell you this piece is impeccably made. My dear friend commissioned this from a local quilter in the great city of Portland, OR. It’s a 100% cotton pieced top to match my nursery colors and a solid minky backing for pure heavenly delight. Not a seam out of place and made with loving care!

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Pardon me while I sit in my nursery rocker and pet this lovely whilst waiting for Jellybean to get here….only 20-ish days to go! I can’t wait to wrap my little one up in this huggable blanket!

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Finally FO Friday: Fingerless Mitts (take two)

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This Friday really is a FO Friday! I completed Stashbustin’ #40 or my second pair of finger less mitts.

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I used the wonderfully simple pattern Simple Fingerless Mitts by Tink’s Knits. A perfect pattern match to my current dpn skill level. I used about half a skein of Berroco Vintage DK (135.4 yards or 47 grams for those of you who like hard numbers)

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While I dearly love the color and ease of construction. I don’t like the stockinette section at the wrist. It bunches an doesn’t flex and stay fit to my wrists like my first pair. But that is by no means a dig at the author or pattern, more just a personal preference. And the mod to tailor this to me is SUPER easy to work in to the pattern. Going forward all my gloves will be ribbed right up to the bottom of the thumb gusset.

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This pair is definitely one for my gift pile. I think I have a recipient in mind for them already….

As for my next pair, I think I am going to gather up my Berroco scraps from both these two pair gloves (I still have 20 yards of orange left) and my Brick sweater and attempt a mixed color combination. If my idea works I’ll have another pair for the gift pile!

I have to switch gears, like right now….I have a craft fair to set up tonight! My momma is going to do it with me and we have lots of goodies to sell tomorrow!!!

Happy Friday and Happy Knitting to All!!!