I-Cord Rug

I have been slowly working on a few projects recently. My I-cord rug is one of them. With having hard wood floors at our new house I can use it, so I need to get my rear in gear and get it finished. I think it is going to take a while to get it all sewn together once the cording is finished, but at least half the battle will be won.

The individual color balls are getting smaller, but I still have quite a way to go on it. I think it is going to look really cute when it is done. I had originally planned on using it in the bathroom, but now I am not so sure. I am thinking of possibly using it in the guest room or our bed room at the end of the bed. I guess I will just have to take it from room to room to see where it will look best. Who knows it might just end up back in the bath room where it was originally intended for.

It is longer than this now, but this is the most current photo that I have of it.




Here is what it will look like once it it coiled up into a rug. Of course it will be bigger than that.



James just loves my yarn and he thinks that the I-cord is the best. See I am raising him right. LOL :) Looks like I need to make him an I-cord section to play with. Crazy kid.



He had a blast just putting it in-between his toes. What that was about I don't know, but he sure was happy with it and he was being good, so I wasn't complaining and just let him have his fun.



Hopefully I will be able to get some more pictures of what I have done now. I have it all wound up into a ball at the moment. Humm I wonder what the biggest I-cord ball is.....

Soctoberfest Q & A

Yep I joined Soctoberfest this year. I am hoping to get a sock done this month, but it isn't looking promising. I just can't seem to get my knitting time in. This dang moving and unpacking is cutting into my knitting time royally. I digress. On to my answers to the questions that Lolly posted the other day.

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
Gee I believe it was some time in 1998. It was the first thing that I ever knit and I taught myself from the pattern.


What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
My first pair was my first knitting project ever. There were quite a few mistakes and I didn't know how to go back and fix them without ripping them back to the very beginning. They were a pair of over the knee socks for my 6'6" husband with size 17 feet! Unfortunately I used Wool-Ease to knit them without any other reinforcement. They fell apart in the heals after the 3rd wear. :'( I quit knitting until I was pregnant with my son in 2005 then wanted to make some blankets and such for him so I thought I would give it a try and have been hooked ever since.


What would you have done differently?
I would have used a better yarn that would have held up better and used mega reinforcement in the heals and toes.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
Ohhh I love Lorna's Laces, Regia, Claudia Handpaints, Trekking XXL and many more. There are so many that I want to try, Socks that Rock are on the top of my list.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
I knit my socks. OMG you can crochet socks?! I would love to see that!! I will use DPN's or the magic loop. I found that the magic loop seems to travel easier. You don't have to worry about 4 or 5 needles and the chance of loosing one. Also it works so much easier with a toddler in the house. The 2 needles point toward me so I don't have to worry about him running up to me and getting poked by a needle. Another plus is that you can slide the sock onto the cord and there is much less of a chance of a needle getting pulled out and you can try them on as you go.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
I guess at this point I would have to say flap since that is the only one that I have ever made. I want to try the short row one and see how I like it. I would love to try any and all that are out there so I will have something to choose from and be able to change things up from time to time.

How many pairs have you made?
Not many at all. I have made 3 1/2 pair not counting the one that I started for Soctoberfest.

Well those are my answers. Not very thrilling or exciting, but I hope that as the years pass I will have more to report for the Soctoberfests in the future.

Aloha Sara

This past Thursday evening there was a party for Sara's departure to Maui. She will be working in graphic design and sales of wedding photos. She is really excited and I am sure will have a great time.

This means that she will be leaving us. :( I am so happy for her, yet so sad to see her go. She has become a friend of mine and I am going to miss her tremendously.

One consolation is that I am taking in her 2 beautiful cats. They are both really sweet and I am sure that they will like it in our family. Don't worry Sara I will take great care of them.

There was a good turn out for the party Thursday. I was so happy to see so many people come and show their love.

The food was wonderful. There was a large spread as always. Us knitters can't see anyone go hungry. Take a look at the veggie tray. Isn't it awesome?! Rita you do great work (and yes you CAN knit!!).








Molly was there as well to show Sara some love. She didn't seem to like the grass skirt much, but she put it on for Sara. Isn't she cute.?


Here is our guest of honor arriving at her party. Surprise Sara!!!!



She had to take the edge off with a cold frosty one. Yes it was "that" kind of party. ;)


Now we come to the time in the party where she receives her evening attire. She has to dress the part if she is really going to leave us for Maui.








Strike a pose for us Sara and show us how to hula. Don't forget to hug your palm tree each night.




Now that we all had a good laugh at dressing up Sara it is time to fill our plates. We had to put back all the calories that we lost laughing so hard. Can't let good food go to waste. Instead it will go to our waist.


Here we have Susan. She came in her "just finished" jacket. Made from Jo Sharp (or as we all affectionately call it - Jo Jo). It was so nice and "juicy". It turned out so nice. Great job Susan!!



Sara I will miss....
Your Friendship
Your laughter
Your Humor
Your Honesty
Your Ability to Make Others Laugh
Your Stories that You Tell so Well
Your Patients
Your Knowledge of Knitting

There are many more, but it is late and my brain just isn't functioning.

I promise that I will take good care of your babies. I just hope that they will be happy with us. Thank you for trusting me with their care.

Thank you for being patient with me while I try and understand something new. Thank you for taking so much time to help me with my knitting.

Good Luck and keep in touch with us. Aloha

Come back and visit us soon. You always have a place to stay in our home.

Am I Crazy?

Ok don't answer that one. I know that I am.

Seriously though, if I am crazy so is Kevin. We have had an experience that we can't explain where or what we heard came from.

THE STORY IS HERE

Why do things like this seem to follow us?

Where Has all the Knitting Gone?

Where is all my knitting you ask? I have been working on some things in my spare time, but that is very little and very far between.

Most of my time is being taken up HERE.

Yep that is our house! I am so excited! I can't wait to get it done and be able to move into it. James is so happy there. He knows exactly where his room is and runs straight for it when we get there. Plus with the basement being dry, and just having a complete professional job done to make sure it will stay that way, I will have a great place to keep my crafts.

Well back to packing and getting things together to do more on the house tomorrow since Kevin took off so we could hopefully get more done.

My Etsy Store!!

I finally did it. I got my own Etsy store. It was much easier that I thought that it would be. Now I am just hoping to sell some of my things. If you know anyone that might be interested please give them my link. If there is some thing that you might want that isn't listed I will do my best to make it for you.

Click on the picture and it will take you to my store.


Etsy Store

Now I need to get it smaller for the side bar and I should be set. Then it will be knit, knit, knit to make more things for it.

Wish me luck.

Baby Hats - Need Your Help

I have made a few baby hats that I am wanting to sell either on eBay or Etsy. I am wanting to at least get my money for the yarn and a little for my time. The yarn is a good quality cotton/cotton blend yarn from my LYS.

I have shown them to my Mom and she told me that I should sell them for $25.00. I just don't know if I can get that out of them. I know that some people are willing to pay for hand made items and the work that you have put into it, but there are so many that won't.

This is where I need your help. I am wondering what you think? What would you sell them for? What would you be willing to pay for them?

I didn't use a full skein for a hat, but I don't have nearly enough to make another one. I might get 1/4 of a hat from what is left, so unless I make one that is striped out of all the left overs I can only get one hat per skein. I was hoping to get 2, but that was not the case.

Please leave me any and all comments and advice that you might have for me in this venture. I am looking to just make some money to support my yarn addiction. I appreciate all of your advice.

Thanks for all your help!!


Baby Hats

Cocoon Shrug

I am making some progress on my cocoon shrug. I have been told that I might be the first one from the class to get it finished! I am amazed that some of the other people I had class with haven't finished yet.

I am getting antsy to get it finished. I have made a modification in the pattern with the sleeves. I decided to make some strategic decreases so it is more form fitting to my arm instead of the one large tube that the pattern calls for. I like the decreases much better.

I am beginning to feel like I am never going to get it finished. I guess it is because most of the knitting that I have been doing you decrease as you go along. This pattern you are increasing so it makes every other round longer. I am trying to be patient and not get discouraged. I really like how it is turning out. I think that part of the problem is I want it done so I can take it and show it off. I guess it is better to make progress and feel like you are making progress than to feel like you are getting no where fast.

I will leave you with a few more pictures of my progress.



Shrug circle


Shrug Close Up


Shrug w/ Partial Arm