One Skein Wonder

I know, there has been no mention of me making a "One Skein Wonder" but there was also no mention of me making the hat for Kate. These things just pop up. She said yes to the matching mittens. Then I was talking to Tara last night, telling her I was making a one skein wonder with some think yarn and I had to alter the pattern. She got all crazy accusatory and said you're using the rest of Kate's yarn to make it. Even though I told her several times, I still don't think she entirely believed me. But I had two 50% off coupons for Michaels. And I had just knit that hat and loved the yarn, so I thought what could I do with one or two balls of it. Of Course!! The one skein wonder. Who I have been longing to make! And what a fabulously fast knit it is.

Okay, it is not done yet... but SO SOOO close. I just need to add the ribbed edge all the way around. That will help the back look finished. Pretty much it works the way it is. I guess for a quick end I could just work seed stitch on the back and forget the ribbing.

As I would love to write more, I must go, I have to go do more moving stuff for my grandparents. This should be the end!!


The One Skein Wonder. I LOVE it!!


The beautiful back of the "ONE"derful Skein Wonder

Hat

I made this hat for Kate, she bought some yarn with her Michael's discount (I'm jealous!!) and I knit it up last night and this morning. It went FAST! probably less than three hours total. It is really thick and soft. I like this yarn a lot!! I may want to make one for myself. I had Kate buy two just in case one was not enough (I wasn't sure of the yardage) and have plenty left over to make her some matching mittens if she would like. I will have to ask her. I love making mittens, they may be my favorite fast easy pattern. They are really satisfing to make.


Thick and Quick Wool-Ease (lion brand) hat.


Side View

Gumbo!!!!!!!!

I Made gumbo for dinner this past weekend. A combo of recipies to make a heartly flavorfull (semi)vegitarian version. Kyle is a vegitarian, almost, he does eat seafood. So this yummy bowl full of goodness does have shrimp in it. Plus some really good hot and spicy vegitarian peperroni (we looked for a vegi version of andoullie (spelling??) but could find none) buth the peperroni is a really nice addition. The gumbo is chock full of okra (Kyle complained and whined and said he REFUSED to eat it, but did and found it okay), tomatoes, celery, carrotts, onion, mushrooms, red and green bells (next time I am leaving out the green bell peppers) and brown rice (Kyle also had many complaints about the brown, but our white rice was bad(weavils) and all we had was brown, which I did not know took FOREVER to cook). It looked prettier day of, because we had a big scoop of rice in the center with the gumbo swimming around the outside (which is how it is served at the only restaurant where I have eaten the most amazing gumbo ever: Mumbo Gumbo in Anchorage Alaska.) I don't think mine compared (even close) to hers, but it was better then the paltry versions I have since tried here in Fresno. I have had it at a couple of chain restaurants in hopes of something delicious, Red Lobster and Elephant Bar. Mine kicks theirs in the rump.

I love to cook (sort of), I am always more enamored by the idea and then never do it. But I really enjoyed making this. I keep telling Kyle that we need to have a dinner party. We soon (after the wedding) will be (probably) getting a bunch of new stuff, like pretty dishes and what not, you know place mats, cloth napkins. The stuff that we don't have now. But my real dilemma would be where to place people. My apartment is pretty tiny. I really need to stop writing, start eating and get to work. So off I go.

Side note (about knitting): Tara bought me the yarn and pattern for the cutest sweater I am going to make for Teagan. Picture Here.


Delicious homemade gumbo!!



MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM... Shrimp and Okra.

Handsome Hound

Here is the cutie pie doggie I am making for Ian, my friends baby. He has created anger in Tara, she asked why have I never made Teagan (the first baby in my life) any stuffed animals. SHe has been sadly neglected by my knitting. But I have found the cutest sweater (also from this book) that I want to make for Teagan. The problem is, I was able to sub some cheap acrylic for this pattern but would not want to do the same for a sweater for Teagan. So, that is why I asked my mom (Teagan's gramby) to buy the yarn for me.

This dog is coming along pretty quick. Sure I should have knit the sleeves for Madil first. Or weaved (wove - what is the proper tense of this word, Tara??) in the ends on I Do. The wedding is one month away (from tomorrow) SOOOOO CLOSE!!

I am busy and poor and don't need anymore knitting progects, but they all call to me. Oh well, I need to move my butt out the door and on to school. I can't wait for it to end. I swear, there will be NO summer school next year. I need a long break. But I think I will still work very little and use student loans to cover my bills. I have been working since I was 16, I can take it easy for a few months. Right??

Handsome Hound from Handknits for Kids by Lucinda Guy. He is soooo cute, I am making him for Ian.



My progress on this cute little doggie

Pizza...MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Meatball Pizza

Unusual and uncompromising. You're usually the first to discover a new trend. You appreciate a good meal and good company. You're an interesting blend of traditional and modern.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

Hard to really see the details, but here is the cardigan (I feel I should stop calling it a sweater) with back and both sides of the front done and attached. I spend a good deal of time hiding my ends, because it looks like I already weaved (is that a word) them in.



What a sexy style vest this might make.




Here I am modeling the cardigan like it is some sort of scarf. Fancy, Huh!!



To get the cable to show up in a photo I have to turn off the flash because it washes out the cable work with it on. So I tried 3 times to take a picture. BUT I had an Americano. Which is usually espresso and water. But I got it from a different place then normal and the girl called it a red eye. And from what I remember working in a cafe, we called a red eye espresso in coffee. OPPS. If that is what she made me, I am in trouble and it explains why I am SO shaky and could not take a steady picture. However the coffee was yummy and I may just need to eat more.



So I am feeling the crazy shakes from coffee, but here is the sweater, I just need to make the sleeves and then do the collar. But that should be easy enough, the part I am dreading is the finishing stuff. Like sewing up the side seams and attaching the sleeves. I am not so good at that stuff. Plus I messed up, I hope it is not too bad (no one would notice if I didn't point it out, but I feel I must point it out). I was supposed to increase in the edge of each front that will be attached to the back of the sweater, but I did my increase on the edge where the zipper is to be placed. Where it will be visible to all. I made some crazy change in my head while making this and thought the decreasing was for the sleeve. Even though the pattern says decreasing for the neck. So I thought I was doing it in the right place. When I realized my mistake, I would have had to tear it all the way back to that row. Really not too much work because it is such a fast knit, but I didn't want to do it. So I just made sure to make the same mistake on the left front side of the cardigan so at least my mistakes match. I don't think this will change the sizing but who knows.

I am still worried about sizing, even after adding so many sts for length and width, but Jessica is hopeful it WILL be too small and that I will give it to her. She really wants an "I DO" I just don't know if I can make another. At least not for awhile. She was over last night and asking me to make her anything at all. I am such a stinge and only want to knit for myself. Not entirely true. I guess I need to let her know I'll make her anything she wants if she buys the yarn. I love to knit and I love to "get" new yarn and shop for new yarn. BUT I hate to buy it. I wonder if you are a major pattern designer, do you get FREE yarn. How do I become a designer who gets free yarn. And make enough money to quit working, knit and stay home all the time. It's nice to dream. I need to go, off to shop for shower (bridal type not bathroom type) stuff.

Purse Handles

These are some really neat purse handles I just got this past week while helping pack and move my grandparents. I would like to knit or possibly sew (not something I am very good at) something new for them. Especially the two sort of different ones. I am thinking it needs to be a thin delicate yarn knit on small needles to complement the handles. And nothing too flashy, something understated, let the handles do the talking. I have been thinking some Andean Silk, but think it may still be too thick. Maybe I should get some yarn and dye it myself (something I have really wanted to try) and see how that works. Knit Picks has a cheap fingering weight to be dyed yarn I could get. Tara and I could dye it when she is in town for the wedding. I don't think we'll have anything more pressing. It would be a good distraction from all the mad planning. I am trying not to buy any more yarn. Actually I am trying to not buy anything I don't absolutely need. No clothes, no shoes, no yarn. (I guess I messed up, I bought a pair of Chaco's (the best sandals ever) yesterday, they were on sale!!) But the knit picks is like 3 or 4 dollars. Worth it!!

I just went to set up the links above, and Knit Picks has added so many delicious colors in Andean Silk and Wool of the Andes. These yarns are so affordable and fabulous, this was a bad discovery.


Four antique purse handles given to me by my grandmother Moner. The 2nd from the left and the last are my favorite two. I have been pondering options for them.


Purse Handle (open)


Purse Handle (open). It has the remnants of a purse still attached to the bottom.

Progress on Madil

Here is my work so far. I know I said I probably would not have much time for knitting, but I began the right front of the sweater this morning. It goes so fast, I have finished the cable bottom and have several dozen rows of stockinette stitch to go. I hope the sweater fits in my armpits. I have adjusted the size to be wider and longer for me but have made no changes to the arm hole shaping or the width of the sleeves. Hopefully that won't be a problem. Once I finish this side of the from, I am going to kind of stitch it together to try it on and see how it will fit around my upper arm. I don't want it to end up being to full and uncomfortable in my armpit. It was easy to add length and width because it didn't require any complicated changes, but I am not at all confidant on making actual changes to something that has odd decreases. But I may have to tear out and learn how. We'll see.


Completed back of Madil sweater. It looks done, but I just hid all the loose ends underneath it. I'll get to those later.


Progress on right front of Madil.


Right side and completed back of Madil sweater

Not a lot of knitting going on

I have been busy, I went to San Bernardino to help pack and move some of my grandparents stuff. They are moving to Fresno in two weeks. So I am tired from all that, my mom and I got home yesterday afternoon and then had to unload the U-Haul. I did finish the back of the Madil cardigan. It is a really quick knit, size 15 needles really make it go by fast. But I start school on Monday and the wedding is only six weeks away. It will be here before I know it. So I may not have any time for knitting, at least until after the big day.

I want Tara to get me the pattern for the one skein wonder, I have a lot of small amts of yarn I think could go to use for this. Plus it would be a great tattoo cover! I have to keep them covered at work which means no tanks or sleeveless shirts. This would expand my work wardrobe. Always a good thing.

I should be going it IS lunchtime after all!!

It's late (for me) and I should go to bed, but here is the finished work...

Yeah, I Do is done. Almost, just a few ends to weave in. And only 7 weeks to the wedding. AHHHHHH...it is SO close! Kyle and I had fun yesterday, we registered. It only took us a paltry FIVE hours. I know, who spends that much time registering, we wanted to be thorough. Get stuff we really want/could use. It has been a pretty prolific knitting weekend. The completion of I Do and I've been busting ass on the Madil Cardigan. 1/2 done with the back. I can't believe how quick it is going. It helps that I got up yesterday morning at 7:30am and got right to work on I Do. Then last night I started Madil. What has helped is my new headset. I can now talk on the phone leaving my hands free and preventing horrific neck cramps and can knit, knit, knit. So I leave you with some fabu pictures, ENJOY!

I do is done except for a little kitchener stitch. Good thing I love the kitchener stitch!! Woo-Hoo. 

So nearly finished!! 

Front of I Do, I dig the loose strings. I HATE weaving ends in!! 

Side of I Do.