Sheepie Knits

Hey All! i have done some very laid back knitting since the completion of my mittens But i have so much going on i figured maybe it was time to catch everyone up on where i am on all my projects.

First Up: My Goddess Mystery Shawl.  I just completed my third clue and did 2 rows of the super long clue 4, it can only be shown in blob form but its growing.

Next, my crocheted curtain, This pattern is from the Simply Knitting  magazine from the UK. I believe it is in the June issue.  This is a bad picture but i have it hanging in the window to give you an idea how it looks so far.  I still have to make all the hanging tendrils but i need to do some measuring and math first to see how long. Originally this was designed to go in the door but i like how the light shines through the pattern in the window so i decided on that instead.

Then we have a new project i started (insert sheepish grin)  The Alligator scarf from Morehouse Farms. I am loving this so far. It is so cute!!  i have 3 more back ridges than pictured.

I also pulled my Barn-Raising squares back out-i have 5 green ones and started a 6th square with leftover Fruit Salad yarn, just to change it up for a bit, i was getting tired of the green. But no picture for those.

Last but not least an FO:

I believe i mentioned that Little Man’s Rhino requested a sweater so right after the mittens i got to work on that.

It turned out better than i thought it would. Rhino and Little Man were both happy with it as well.

I used some scraps of Caron Simply Soft in Gray-Rhino’s favorite color.  Made a Swatch and went from there.  I worked the front and back seperatly, did a 3-needle bind off on the shoulders and then sewed the sides seams.  The sleeves were then worked in the round. I picked up the sts around the armhole and knit until desired length.

Rhino even has some matching mittens but i haven’t been able to get a picture of those yet. Next up he wants socks in Christmas colors and a hat, not sure what color that will be yet.

Whew, there is a little catch up on all that’s on the needles-Here is hoping some of those get off the needles soon-Like the Goddess shawl

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I finished my mittens yesterday evening!! yay!!!! I was so excited that i made it especially after my doubts and problems but all your comments on my last post helped, so Thanx A Lot Friends!!!

Without any further ado-Presenting Purple Autumn!!!!

Pattern: Green Autumn (Druid Mittens) by Jared Flood, Vogue Knitting Fall 2008

Made for: Me

Needles: Size 2(2.75 mm) double points

Yarn: Lisa Souza Sock! in Mulberry, love the color and how it turned out in the mittens but a few times like during the cursed bobbles i had some issues with the strands separating.

Notes: Where do it start.  I had no problems starting, zoomed through the cuff during the opening ceremonies and started the cabling. Shortly after i noticed the pain in my hand. i was clenching to hard. And i had this problem with another cable project i did, don’t ask me why I’m crazy and feel the need to hold onto the needles for dear life.

I had no trouble reading the chart or following the directions. They were very well written, especially since i tackled these as my first pair of mittens ever and threw in cables and bobbles on top of that.  First time doing bobbles as well-Also a pain in the beginning but i found that if you make the stitches that you are passing over to make the bobble loose it makes your bobble making so much easier.  I am naturally a pretty tight knitter and this project helped me learn about loosening up a bit.

Mods: I had to put in an extra repeat of the “circle” in the pattern to make my mittens longer.  This next one really isn’t a mod as a little note-When you are done working the saddle at the tip of the mitten Jared has you do a three needle bind-off but he doesn’t say whether you do it right on the outside or turn your mitten inside out to do it. So on my first mitten i turned my mitten inside out and did the three needle bind-off. Then on the second mitten i did it on the outside which is what i think he intended. I prefer how it looks when i did it on the inside of the mitten but of course this is purely my opinion, someone else may do this and think it leaves an ugly little break in the garter stitch but i prefer it to the exagerated bump that binding off on the outside made. Who knows maybe i am just an ugly binder-offer LOL.

Big Note-I  made my mittens longer and all i did when i got to the end of the chart right before you start decreasing i scooted my magnet down a “circle” and kept working without thinking anything of it. Well later my mom pointed out a spot that i has two left cables right on top of each other.  Well it turns out just because the middle cable pattern is where you should be, the braided cables on either side might not match up with what you should be doing next so check your chart and where you are in your mitten carefully. But my mittens match since i made the same mistake on both mittens. Second Mitten has 3 more mistakes on top of that-a sign maybe that i was rushing and only worried about finishing it

But even with all the mistakes and slow downs and moment of self doubt, i am so happy these are done and that i stuck to it. I really think the hardest thing for me was working on just the one project the whole time. I did work on my crochet curtain for brief periods but really all i wanted to do was set it aside and start something new. 

I learned so much during this pattern-sticking to one pattern to the end, bobbles, making mittens, more elaborate cables, making the saddle closing, reading cables on a chart and Loosening up!!

Yay!! Three Cheers for all the Ravelympians!!!

I am still on the first mitten.  Dudes, these are intense.  Very Intense.  For whatever reason i seem to clench or tighten my hands when cabling and after about 10 rows my hands are aching quite terribly. I feel like i am getting nowhere. But i am close to the end. I am repeating one of the cable circles because it seems i have long hands and the mittens as written would be too short.  Of course that is not a big deal but it means the mittens will take be another tad longer than i hoped.  They are already taking forever.  I do so hope i can finish these for the Ravelympics. I had such high hopes but my confidence is starting to dwindle.

I don’t know how some knitters out there managed to to crank these out like nothing but i have much respect!!

I haven’t been keeping much track of everybodies work but i am sure you are all doing great!!

Short enough break for me must get back to my mitten!!

Purple Autumn progress, originally uploaded by Craftydiddl.

I made it through the cuff and started the hand yesterday. The cuff went pretty quickly and i thought it would but the cabling and careful chart reading has slowed me down a bit. It also makes my hands ache a bit so i stop for mini breaks. But so far i am very happy with how its turning out and super excited that i decided to make these
I have been checking up on my fellow Ravelympians and some of them are really diving in there and just whipping stuff up. Wow!

I am hoping to take some time to work on my Goddess Shawl tonight. poor thing is just dragging along and the clue after this is huge!!

No big plans today. Hubby had to work and he went to play golf after work so he wont be home until the evening so me and Little Man have just been hangin out. I should be doing dished but I DON”T WANNA!! lol i know i will suck it up and do them while i am cooking. Lately i have been thinking how nice it would be to have a maid. But i am my own maid so that means i can make my own hours!

Enjoy your weekend!

Swatching for Ravelympics 2008, originally uploaded by Craftydiddl.

Thanks for the nice comments on my Gratitude Wraps. I already filled the one with address book and stamps and i am hoping to make a notebook for my other one and put my little box of pencils in that for doodling.

So i have been sucked into the Ravelympics-i signed up for the project, event and team yesterday-Nothing like close to last minute. I had no plans at all to do this. I have enough knitting projects floating around but i thought hey it will be a fun challenge and i missed out on the Winter Knit Olympics that Yarn Harlot started.

So while you would think i would choose the WIP event-i did not i chose to cast on for something new that will probably be the end of me. I am doing Mitten Medley event for Team Tardis! yay! I chose the Green Autumn mittens by Jared Flood (rav link) that are on the cover of the Fall Vogue Knitting . I have never made mittens, I have only done one cable project and that was a baby hat, i have never done bobbles, or a saddle seam and these are all things that this project will expect of me. I hope i won’t disappoint the team or myself! So while i cheer for you guys i will need some cheering as well!!

Since my yarn is Purple i am naming mine Purple Autumn mittens(yeah i know not very original lol but sounds pretty)  and for the next 17 days they will probably be all i work on and i will keep you updated on my progress. Should i be lucky enough to finish with some time to spare i want to also make some mittens for Little Man but please let’s not hold our breath

So Good Luck to all the Ravelympians out there!!

Cause i have been home and on my computer that i got back last week and repaired. Its like a whole new computer-New system board, keyboard, heat fan, battery, and some audio thing i couldn’t read the writing on the paper i got back with my computer. 

I haven’t gotten much knitting done mainly because i have been online and also because i have been a bit lazy. i think it has been the muggy-ness and Honestly i have so many projects going on and none of them really appeal to me at all. I mean i like them but none are like a project you just want to finish so you can use it.

I did manage to get some sewing done over the weekend.  A week or so ago Soule Mama released a pattern for her Gratitude Wrap.  I am very thankful she shared the pattern with her readers.

I made 3. 

A Practice one:

The one after the practice one:

And then of course Little Man wanted one-he actually thought the first one was for him but i let him pick out his own fabric from my stash and made him one.

Funny of all of them the practice one turned out the best and is my favorite.  They haven’t been filled with anything yet but i want to try and make my own notebook for one to stick in my purse and the other one i will use as she has used it in her pattern for thank you cards or letters and stamps and an address book so everything is in one spot.

I think they are just super cute and handy. I am very happy with them and may make more as gifts.

I will be back to posting more often and hope to get back to some knitting tonight.