Easter Fun!

Happy Easter Weekend! I just love Easter, I think next to Christmas it may be my fave holiday. I am currently just putting the finishing touches on my cousins easter treasure hunt for tomorrow. For the past few years I've been doing this where I create a bunch of clues which will eventually lead them to a treasure box with a treat in it for them. This year I got my two girl cousins My littly pony toys and I got my 11 year old boy cousin a light up yo-yo. They will also each be receiving a knit easter egg from a pattern in the March 2008 Creative Knitting (which I bought last saturday just days before it was replaced by the May 2008, phew that was close!). I have knit two eggs so far with one to go, but they only take 2 hours to knit so no worries. I knit one in Vanna's Choice (purples) and one in Red Heart (orange), now the Vanna's choice I love working with, in fact I'm still working on a blanket in that very yarn. It is a very nice acrylic and I haven't had any issues knitting with it. This REd Heart, however, almost broke my fingers. IT's not the nice soft Red Heart... no... it's the could be plastic super skein in bright orange I got to make the very same cousin golf club covers for Christmas. As I was knitting it I could literally hear it squeeking and my hand was in pain from trying to maneouver the increases and decreases. The stripe on that very egg is from the yarn I made my first sweater with (and still only completed sweater) and I have no clue how I knit a huge garment with that. The eggs are really cute though and I think my cousins are going to love them!

Last night I finally finished my first Monkey sock. I sat down yesterday afternoon and thought about picking up the final easter egg and getting it done but the monkey sock was calling my name. I had to do two more repeats of the lace pattern and then the toe so I figured it would be a manageable project for the evening. When I did finish the sock, however, I failed to immediatly CO for the next sock, so i'm keeping my fingers crossed I don't come down with second sock syndrome and leave the poor sock until I finish some more projects (in this picture you can see the paw of my little helper, maggie).

At knitting group this past week I really began work on scarf using Rowan Soft Lux yarn I bought at Ram Wools back in... january?? I think. I love this yarn, it is so pretty and soft and so much fun to knit with. It is a scarf and it is almost spring here in the 'peg so I'm in no hurry to finish it. I have a funny feeling it is going to become my "i'm bored with everything else"project and get ignored a lot. As long as it is done by the time the snow flies in the fall the I'll be happy.

As a nice Easter present for my mom I decided to try ballband dishcloth from the Mason Dixon knitting book. I loved knitting this, the constant changing of colour made it a really interesting knit and not as monotonous as a classic dishcloth. I finished it and gave it to my mom yesterday and she loved it!

Now.... what else have I finished... I finished my brothers mittens, yay! Last week I also finished my felted mini bag, which I failed to take a picture of. I love it. The felting went well, although being my first felting project I feel I may have over-felted it just a smidge since the cabling is not as defined as I would have liked. Despite that I am very pleased with how it turned out and I'll try to remember a picture for next time.

Sweater Update: I have been working on so many little projects it has been ignored, although I do hope to be finished the body VERY soon and then the sleeves will take next to no time and before I know it I should have a sweater (and hopefully before it's +30 C outside).

Blanket Update: Still looking adorable, loving the colours, but it is a project that will be slow going and I fully expect it to take forever... once I've knit a few more rounds I'll post a pic to show the progress!

Happy Easter Everyone! Hope the Easter bunny treats you all very well and happy Easter Knitting!

Hip Hip Hooray!

Hip Hip Hooray the weather is FINALLY warming up!!! After weeks of being in the deep freeze Winterpeg is FINALLY warming up :D. I had full intentions on updating this blog a while ago but I came down with a whopper of a cold, it was REALLY bad, and I'm still feeling the tail-ends of this cold. I also did not get much knitting done during that time, so you know I had to be REALLY sick. I barely knit for an entire week, but don't worry I'm trying to make up the time now.

I have begun work on a log cabin blanket from the Mason Dixon knitting book. So far I'm having a blast knitting this thing, although i'm getting slightly irritated with my circular needle but nothing I can't handle. The colours are looking great together and it is a great project to pick up when I just need some mindless knitting.

My sweater is past the body shaping part and i'm just doing some mindless stockinette until it reaches it's measurements and then i can work on the sleeves. My goal for the sweater is for it to be done by April, but i'm really hoping for mid- March so I can get some wear out of it before the warm weather hits. It doesn't really look any different since the last picture, maybe just a bit longer, so I didn't bother taking a pic.

The monkey socks, oh the poor monkey socks. These socks were left alone for close to 3 weeks without being touched. I know, it's disgraceful. However, the past weekend I felt like monkeying around and I finished the leg, finally, and have begun the heel flap! Yay! I'm loving the yarn sooo much, it's so soft and lovely.

I may have mentioned in the last post that I finished the first mitt for my brother, well thats still about where I am. With the extreme cold weather I just could not bring myself to pick up a pair of mittens to work on. It just depressed me. I'm hoping that now the weather is shaping upI will be able to finally finish them so my brother can get a little wear out of them before they need to be packed away. I do, however, have a pic of the one completed mitten. Cute eh?

I'm also still slowly working on my mini felted cable bag. I'm not quite done the body but I may focus more on it in the next few days to get it out of the way. I'm quite anxious to try felting but am fully expecting to have a total mess.

Anyways that is about all on the knitting front. I best be off and Happy Knitting!

Grrrr....

Grrrr I am getting really tired of this whole winter thing. On the bright side you can knit and knit and knit and not have to worry about melting from the heat. My knitting has been going nicely but I have not had as much time to knit as I thought I would since I'm working quite a bit at the daycare which leaves weekends and nights to knit. I have finished my mittens and love them :D, but they aren't super warm so I still have to wear my lined mitts to work in case we take the kids outside. These mitts will be perfect for when the weater starts to warm up a bit.
I have a ton of projects on the go right now. I started a sweater which I am knitting in the round with Ella Rae classic wool and on a 4.5 mm 32 inch circular. Loving it so far and I really hope it turns out because it will be so nice to wear once it is done.

I was making really good progress with my monkey socks. I knit one repeat a night for 3 nights in a row but for about a week they have sat untouched. I'm still undecided on the bamboo dpns i'm using but I am loving the yarn and the pattern :D

On the weekend I was flipping through my 101 Designer One Skein Wonders book and decided to throw a mini felted messenger bag onto some needles. I am not that far along but I may take it to the knitting night tonight to work on and hopefully get a big chunk finished. I'm knitting it with Patons Classic Merino Wool in a teal like colour. This will be my first felting project and I am quite excited to see what it will look like but my expecatations aren't that high, with it being my first felting project after all. I've also got another pair of mittens on the go for my brother but they aren't that exciting. It's basically the same pattern as my flip top mittens just a little larger and brown yarn.

I bought the Mason Dixon Knitting book a week ago and I am loving some of the patterns in it. So much that i have gone out and bought 18 balls of Vanna's Choice yarn (a good acrylic yarn that does not squeek) to make a log cabin blanket. I haven't officially started it but I bought a circular needle and the yarn this morning. I'm using 6 different colours (blue, dark purple, light purple, grey, pink, and brown). The colours work wonderfully together and I am quite excited to start knitting it up. I thought about investing a little more money into the project and make it out of wool but then it dawned on me that this is going to be a blanket and acrylic is more practical.

Anyways that is all, I'm quite busy with projects and intend on working a few rows of my sweater as soon as I hit save... so Happy Knitting.

Hurry Up Mittens!

BRRRRR it is soooo frigid in here the 'peg and I am very close to being done a lovely pair of flip-top mittens knit in Patons SWS (which I am LOVING). They are super cute and with any luck I will be done these mittens today and put them into winter rotation

aren't they cute??? Plus the one that I have finished is very warm, which is a bonus! However, with any luck I won't be wearing them TOO much but who am I kidding, it's winnipeg.

I have also cast on my very first pair of monkey socks! EXCITING! I haven't got very far only a couple of rounds but I am very excited about them :D. I'm knitting them with the lovely yarn Jenna got me for Christmas! I am still trucking along on my Kroy Socks and once they are done the monkey's will have more of my attention.

Onto more exciting news... I finally made a trip to my LYS :D. I know it's quite sad that I have been knitting for 1 1/2 years and have yet to make the trip but I can tell you that it is a good thing I waited until I was working because that place is heavenly. I bought some Ella Rae classic wool for a cute little sweater I'm working on, some Rowan Soft Lux that was on sale, a pair of bamboo 32 inch circulars, bamboo 2.5 mm dpns, and susan bates 16 inch circular. Plus a copy of the Winter Kint Simple magazine.

Last week I attended my very first knitting night with Jenna and it quite fun. Sitting around a bookstore and knitting was such a new experience for me and I got a chunk of my Kroy sock done. The next one isn't for a few weeks but I'm sure i'll go again.

Anyhoo I'm going to go work on my flip top mittens and then head off to work (i'm working a split today 7-1 then 3:30-5:30). Happy Knitting!

New Year... New Knitting... New Post

Happy belated new years! I really should try and post more in the new year. Well I have been quite busy since my last post. I had a great Christmas and I got the cutest thing ever! At a craft sale in November I saw this adorable little sheep yarn caddy, but I wasn't working at the time so I couldn't bring myself to buy it. A few hours later, apparently, my aunt and cousin went to the same craft sale and bought it for me :D I love it!I also got some great books. I got 101 Designer One Skein Wonders, Vogue Stitchionary Vol. 1, and Casts On (gotta love the Yarn Harlot). On top of all that I got Michaels gift cards which have already been put to good use!

On the knitting front I FINALLY finished the first Kroy Sock, and I am pretty far along on the second :D yay! I knit up a pair of dorm socks for my cousin out of that lovely orange red heart yarn. I think he likes them and they didn't take long to knit up. I finished the calorimetry but failed to take a pic. It was a bit large and next time I will cast on fewer stitches but still quite nice. I also have cast on and am almost done my first Taos Slipper from the 101 designer one skein wonders book. Not too sure about the pattern yet but I guess we will see once I sew the first one up.

I am currently thinking about a new sweater. I found this pattern in my "not your mama's knitting" book. It's called Sweet and Seamless and it is a short sleeve sweater to wear over a tight fitting long sleeved top and it is knit in the round so no seams to sew up. I need to get the yarn still and some circular needles but as of now I'm thinking that this sweater will be my next major project. I also need to get a new pair of Dpn's to turn that lovely yarn that Jenna gave me for Christmas into Monkey Socks.

I don't believe there is any more to write about and hopefully i'll be able to stick to my blogging resoloution and type up a little more often. Happy Knitting :D

5 more days!!!!

YAY!!! 5 more days until Christmas day :D!! I have been so busy the past few weeks I just don't know where the time went. It is all because of my Dad's 50'th birthday party which we had last weekend. THat party took up a lot of time and I was so far behind in my wrapping and baking, and, of course, knitting. So last Sunday I spent 3 hours just wrapping presents and then yesterday I made this delicious chocolate candycane cookies with white chocolate drizzle, and today I made my gingerbread men which are cooling/icing setting on my parents bed with the door closed away from any animals who may try to steal a bite. Work is going well I am officially 2 weeks into the new job and so far so good. I've been working 3-4 hour shifts only but tomorrow I have my first 6 hour shift and it is the kids last day of school and the center is throwing a Christmas party for them at lunch which should be a lot of fun :D. NExt week I work 7-11 on christmas eve, and then thursday and friday 10-6. Yay yarn money!
I am FINALLY finished my christmas knitting. Tuesday night Jenna came over for a knit-together and I was able to whip up the final dishcloth for my aunt and uncle.

She also surprised me with a gift of yarn. That Jenna is much too generous. It is this beautiful blue sock yarn which I just can't wait to starting knitting with :D:
This past week before I finished the dishcloths I cast on a Calorimetry. I'm working it with Vanna's choice yarn in a lovely Purple shade. I'm thinking it might be a little big but thats okay, i'll just remember to cut down on the stitches next time. Plus you can never have to much fabric keeping your head warm here! I'm a little more than halfway done but I took this picture the other day shortly after I started.
Remember those Patons Kroy Socks I cast on WAY back in October. Well... i've barely touched them since then. Just a row here and row there. My goal is to hopefully have the first one done by New Years since I am now done my christmas knitting and should be done the calorimetry very soon. Here's a pic showing exactly how little I have done since the last picture. Well that is about all the knitting news I Have. I'm hoping to pick up some nice new dpn's to knit some nice socks out of my lovely gift from Jenna. Perhaps, monkey socks?? Who knows. Anyways I best be off... Merry Christmas and Happy KNitting!

Happy December :D

It's December :D yay!!! My favourite month of the year... eventhough it is an exam month. Speaking of exams... I'm done :D! I have one more paper to hand in and my BA is complete! I also just got a new job at a daycare in my neighbourhood. I started yesterday and had my second shift this morning... so far so good, it'll be so much better once I get to know all the names. This also marks the beginning of the B.Ed application process. I had an info meeting at the U of M last night where I got all the application and referee materials. U of M apps are due Feb 1 and U of W apps are due Mar 1.

December means baking month so I may have to put aside some cherished knitting time to make a lot of yummy baked goods.... on the agenda: shortbread cookies, mint thins, gingerbread men, candycane cookies, and a nanaimo cheesecake for boxing day dessert (we're celebrating christmas on boxing day with my mom's side of the family). mmmm can not wait to get started, there are also some other recipes I may attempt this week or early next... just for fun.

In knitting news I have completed my moms mittens and they are wrapped up already. I have a pic of the finished bolero... which I adore. I'm so glad I didn't wait until after christmas to start this:

I decided to make some Swirly Girl mitts(same as my moms) for the secret santa thing we do with my dads side of the family. I'm knitting them with Bernat Natural Wool Blend, which is a really nice yarn. I'm done one and about 30% done the second so hopefully by the end of the weekend they will be complete:

My grandpa's coasters are complete. I finished the first three so quickly and then I didn't touch the 4'th for two weeks. Finally the other night I cast on and made myself get the project done so I could cast on and begin the first dishcloth for my aunt and uncle. These projects are both knit with Bernat Handicrafter Cotton:

On the knitting agenda: a new pair of mittens for me and perhaps even casting on a new sweater...hmmmm. Or am I more in the mood for an afghan. Anyways once i'm done these two projects I am officially done my christmas knitting :D yay! WEll I best be off... Merry Knitting!