Pattern Frustration

Do any of you come across a pattern that no matter how many times you have attempted it, something always goes wrong, and in different places along the way?

I have been having that problem with the falling leaves pattern I have been wanting to use with my Paton’s Lace yarn, but in the 4 or so attempts I have had trying the pattern, somewhere along the line, something goes wrong, and it is frustrating me. I know I can complete the project, but I have been debating about trying a different pattern with the yarn, and use the falling leaves wrap with a little bit thicker yarn and see if it would work out then.

At the same time though, I am determined to make the wrap with the lace yarn, just because it is frustrating me. I don’t like giving up on what I start, and I want to see what it will look like when it is finished. I will give it another go in the next few weeks. It may take me a while to complete it, but I will get it done.

Working with Colors

Hey everyone!

I know this post is coming to you a bit later than it normally does, but life, and work is keeping me busy!

This past week I have been spending much of my free time working on a size 8 sweater with grey, hot pink and light pink. It is turning out very cute. I cast on the sleeves on the front last night. While I wouldn’t say that it is my favorite of the sweaters I have made, in terms of how it is turning out, it is one of the prettier ones that I have made.

I love being able to be creative with my sweaters and they are all interesting and unique. I enjoy working with different colors and patterns. That is part of why I keep a stash of yarn, so I can work with colors I feel like working with. What Colors I feel like work with changes often enough.

New Year, Many New Possibilities!

Hey Everyone!

It is hard to believe that it is 2014 already! Happy New Year! This year holds many new project opportunities. I am still going to be working on sweaters and hats, but I am also going to be looking for new ways to help children in need!

I am still working on my size ten sweater using Lion Brand Pound of Love Yarn in Lavender. I am determined to get at least 12 sweaters done this year, and having an even number (from the time I started knitting until the end of the year) of each size completed. All I need to obtain that goal is four size 10 sweaters, four size 8 sweaters, and four size 6 sweaters. I know that even though I am working, I can obtain this goal. Beings as last year I completed 17 sweaters and 47 hats, I can get 12 sweaters done.

Starting the New Year off Right

Hey Everyone!

I am back with another project of the week! I have started a size 10 sweater, using a skein of Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn in Lavender. I decided to get another sweater going, so that I have something to pick up and work on when I have the time. I love working on projects that go to children in need, and benefit children in need.

This sweater is going to take me a bit since I don’t have the free time like I used to, but I will hopefully be getting it done by the end of January!

Last Sweater of the Year

Hi Everyone!

This afternoon I completed a size 2 sweater using what I had left of a skein of Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn in Turquoise and a little bit of Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Shocking Pink. I had the turquoise yarn left over from making a christmas gift for a friend, and since I had so much left I decided to make a small sweater. In making a small sweater I also knew I could get it done before the end of the year, which I did. This sweater is the 17th sweater I have knit up this year, bringing my total sweater count from the time I started knitting sweaters to 58.

With this sweater, and the hat for my mom’s coworker’s wife now complete, I can focus on getting some projects for myself, completed. I had set them aside so I could focus on these two projects amid work and everything else I have had going on lately. I am planning on starting more projects for children in need sometime in January.

Project of the Week

Hey Everyone!

This Week’s Project of the week, is a hat I knit up for the wife of one of my mom’s coworkers who is undergoing Chemo. I used Lion Brand Babysoft Yarn in Pastel Blue and Sparkly White. I also put cables all the way across the hat.

When I went yarn shopping, I was looking for a small skein of blue baby yarn. The blue I found, on its own, isn’t the prettiest I have seen, but I found some sparkly white, and decided to put that with the blue and knit double strands. This is the final product, and I finished it up today.

And We Have Sleeves! (Project of the Week)

Hey Everyone!

This past week I have continued to work on a size two sweater. I am now about half way up into the sleeves of the front, I decided to put some shocking pink every fourth row.

Over the past several weeks, I have learned how to use a knitting machine, and while I am getting better, I still prefer my good old trusty knitting needles and the yarn aisle(s) at the (craft) store. There is something about the motion and the rhythm of it that is comforting, and is very familiar to me. Yeah I can whip out three or more sweaters on a knitting machine in a day, but it really doesn’t mean much to me, where as if I spend a week on a blanket for a friend’s new foster baby, that means so much more than just some machine knit garment or blanket. I also enjoy hand knitting the sweaters and hats for kids in need. when I make an entire project by hand, I am putting the time, the effort, and love into each one for the child who will receive it. Learning how to use a knitting machine has really helped me appreciate what I learned how to do by hand over fifteen years ago.

Projects of the Week (November 11th)

Hi Everyone!

It is monday again, which means another Project of the Week Post! well for this week, I will tell you about the three projects I have in the works, so it is more of a Projects of the Week post.

This week I have been working on hats using Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Dark Orchid. I have the infinity scarf I have been working on using Lion Brand Jiffy Yarn in True Red as my purse project for when I get to work early, or get somewhere early, and I have a tube scarf (aka my knitting in the round project) in the works, using Deborah Norville Collection Serenity Garden Yarn in Gems.

I am still working on hats because I still have quite a bit of smaller skeins, baby yarn, and partial skeins of yarn that wouldn’t make a sweater or go with something I have, and I really don’t want to buy more yarn for sweaters, or other projects to be donated since I have so much around here as it is. I am trying to get as much of this yarn used up as I can before buying any more yarn for projects for kids in need.

I am working to get my infinity scarf done in the next month, before the Christmas events get into full swing. The tube scarf I am making is for practicing knitting in the round, so that I can get more comfortable with it before I try knitting socks again.

For work I use a knitting machine, but I prefer hand knitting, and it is more relaxing, and I enjoy doing it in my free time. I have been knitting with knitting needles for so long that it is second nature to me now, and for the most part, (other than knitting in the round or doing a more complex knit pattern), I can knit by feel, and I don’t have to be looking at it all the time.

End of October Knitting Projects

Hi Everyone!

I am back with a new Project of the Week, and a new day for the Project of the Week Series. Beings that for the time being anyway, I don’t work on monday’s I will be doing my Project of the Week posts on Monday’s instead of Wednesdays.

This past week I have been working on hats for kids in need, and an infinity scarf for myself. I have not been getting a lot of work done on the projects during the work week because I have been busy, and friday night I went out of town for a baby shower after I got off of work.

For the baby hats I have been using a skein of Bernat Baby Sport yarn in Candy, and for the infinity scarf I am using Lion Brand Jiffy Yarn in True Red. For the infinity scarf I am also using the moss stitch to give it some texture, and I am knitting it with size 11 needles.

Have Yarn, Will Knit Hats!

Hi Everyone!

This week, I have continued to work on hats for children living in rural India. The hats I was working on over the weekend, I was working on using up the last of the yarn I had used to make a baby blanket for a friend of mine’s foster daughter. What was left of that large 9.8 ounce skein of Bernat Baby Sport Yarn, I had plenty to make the blanket, as well as several hats.

I have also been using what I have left of a skein of Lion Brand pound of love skein of yarn, that I purchased in order to make a Christmas gift for a friend. Since that is done, I am now using what is left of that skein to also make hats.

I have also started in on a skein of Bernat Baby Sport yarn in Candy Print for hats. While I still have plenty of the Lion Brand yarn, I am enjoying having a cute girly yarn to work with to make a lot of child size hats.

This week I have been enjoying being able to work on hats, and having plenty of yarn to choose from to make these hats.