The Wonders Of My Hands

The Sweater that wouldn't Die

2011-11-23T15:46:00.001-05:00

There once was this sweater that found it self in Goodwill, feeling unloved and rejected. Then I came along and took the sweater home to remake it my own. I searched for a pattern that would be just right to re-knit the sweater and give it new life. you can read about the pattern here . I knit up the sweater and things looked bright, until I tried it on and found it to tight. I put the sweater down and gave it some time and thought of some type of gusset that would make it fit fine. I tried and I tired but it just wouldn't work. I put it all away and felt like a jerk. After some days of brainstorming and weeping I just had to knit a sweater worth keeping. I pulled out a magazine over two years old and found a pattern that stood out real bold. I prepared the yarn by frogging the sweater, as I wrapped the yarn I started to feel better. I started knitting the new sweater trying to beat the cold weather. I failed we had a freak snow storm. Moving right alone I modified the pattern by not joining the front and knitting it back and forth. Its moving alone well, it's my couch knitting now. I separated for the sleeves and changed to a longer cable. when I finish the cake of yarn Im currently on Im going start working on the sleeves.

I would like to wish everyone a happy thanksgiving .

Can you hear the words that are coming out of my fingers LOL

2011-11-17T21:36:00.001-05:00

I really thing that title was funny

Im Alive Nikki :)
I am planning on writing a few post. I have some high notes and some low notes BUT it will all have to wait until next week. The wedding is Saturday and once that is behind me, I will only have work over my head until Tuesday. Then Mini me comes home and I will have him to take care of. I wont try to cram everything in to one post. I will try to organize it and I will post something everyday. Pay attention to the placement of the word try and the word will. If you see posts that look a hot mess you know the Try was a fail. ok see you next week

MOE

MY HANDS RUNNETH OVER WITH PROJECTS

2011-09-25T11:29:00.003-04:00

I have been doing so much and Im about to start something new. I figure I need to come and document whats been going on.

The Shawl

Is done! I blocked it one bad thing the red bead bleed on yarn as they moved over it, giving it a pink tint. When I blocked it the color came off on to the spot where the bead laid.. You don't see it when it laid out only when you hold it together. It's not the end of the world because she is not wearing it as a veil the dress she picked comes with one

Shipwreck shawl

Beads places randomly

The sweater

I could kick myself on this one. I took a few weeks to knit the first sleeve, I fell in to this, it's never ending, hole, when really, I was closer to the end than I could see. After I climb out I finished the sleeve and cast on for the second one and completed that one in 3 days DUH. I went back and forth on the button band 5 or 6 times before I got what I liked. I started seaming her up and it feels tight so what I decided to do is knit a two 2x2 ribbed band and seam them down the side seam to make room on both sides. I need to get on that and stop Bs'ing Rhinebeck is only two weeks away.

The blanket

I compeleted the blanket for my neighbor she was very happy with it. she was nice enough to email me a picture of the baby with the blanket.

Changing to a bigger cable

blocking

I blocked it with the Iron it's acrylic

The baby enjoying his blanket

I have more but I need to take pictures until then ... chow

Multitask

2011-08-06T22:34:00.000-04:00

Im sitting here chatting with a friend on Facebook so I figure let me blog too.

After all the false starts on sweaters I finally came across a pattern that I loved. One problem it was in a magazine from 2009. But thanks to the internet and the great knitters of the world, Ms Jadee, a lovely Podcaster and plurk buddy had the magazine and was kind enough to send me that pattern. The pattern is the Adams rib cardigan by Valerie Martinuson . It is for a man but I worked the numbers and figure out how to do it for me with a smaller gauge yarn. I used recycled yarn form a beautiful aran weight fisherman sweater made in Scotland from 100% wool I picked up at Goodwill. I unraveled that sweater and prepared the yarn whileI waited for the pattern to arrived. It only took 2 days to reach me. I did a gauge swatch and worked out the measurements and cast on for the back. The rest is in pictures

The sweater with the sleeve off to unravel

The yarn from the unraveled sleeve

The swatch

The back

The two fronts and I just notice a mistake oh well

The sleeve up to my elbow

I am now on the sleeves well one sleeve an its going along smoothly but Im getting bored. luckily I have a few other things on the needles to keep me motivated. I'm planning on making Mini Me this sweater Sampo . He said he likes it but wants the colors to be navy and lt. blue. I want to finish mine and get to work on his so I'm really pushing myself to get mines done by the end of the month.

Socks
There are no socks but there is a blanket out of sock yarn. I saw a few knitter making these and I wanted in on the little squares fun too. I cast on and did a few squares and bam I was hooked. It's fun because I feel so good when I finish a square. After doing about five I remembered this is a long term project and I moved on to something else. I'm looking for leftover sock yarn for this if you have some I'm willing to pay unless you want to just gift it to me.

I have made sock with this yarn except for two of them

Shawl

I have been knitting on the wedding shawl and I plan to put some row on it tomorrow I want it done already.

Commission

A neighbor asked me to make a blanket for her nephew she told me the colors and left The pattern up to me. I decide to do the optic art blanket . Its knitting up really fast and like it. I cant give a great picture because it on a circular needle and it's bunched up.

Very fast knit because it increases every row

I started on Tuesday while in Virginia. I could really finish this this weekend if I Only knit on it tomorrow but I wont.

I'm going to eat dinner blog with you later

more word to go with all the knitting

2011-07-25T16:50:00.000-04:00

I am going to try and blog more since I have been knitting on so many things.

Sweaters

I will start off by telling you the CPH sleeves were completed but if I keep them as is, knit to the pattern direction, they will be to tight. I'm so over that sweater. One because it remind me of my broken finger, more of how it happen, and that was not a good time to remember. Two im over the color, ever time I look at it I think what are you going to where that with. I may just knit some ribbing on the arm holes and wear it at a vest. Before I pulled that back out I had gone through a bunch of failures with sweater ideas. I printed free patterns, I purchased sweater patterns, I even designed my own pattern sadly none of it came to be. I did take pictures of most of of it.

I went out and brought a book to make knitting notes and write ideas in. I designed this sweater. Man I was so serious LOL

I knit a swatch with the color work design

The inside see my floats

I started the sweater the design was working.
Then I realized how much boring stockinette it really was and dumped it

started this top down and found I twisted the join dumped it
I did practice doing a I-cord cast on with this 225 stitches

I stated a few more but they never made it to picture stage and they all got dumped.
Tomorrow you will see the winning sweater

socks
I have knit three pair of sock. I did new techniques on each of them. The yarn I dyed myself. It came from wholesaler wool2dye4. The first one I did Cat Bordhi Houdini sock technique and a basket weave pattern on the leg . You knit the whole foot from toe to heel. Then before you close the heel you pick up two rows of stitches and cut the row in the middle to open the space between the needles. lastly you join the yarn and kit the leg of the sock. the second one I did a afterthought heel using the same technique as the Houdini sock. This is where you knit the sock from cuff to toe or toe to cuff then you pick up two rows of stitches where the heel would start on the foot (decided this with the sock on your foot) then you cut a thread on the row in between the needles and open up the sock you join the yarn and knit a heel like you knit a toe deceasing 2 stitches on each side until its you size. I used a flower pattern for the leg from another sock pattern. It seemed I was on a flower kick because the last sock has a flower running up the front. It has the same heel construction but on this one I learn to do the kitcherner stitch to close the heels.

The undye wool2dye4 yarn

First sock with the whodini construction
I knit from toe to heel

The heels still open waiting for me to pick up the stitches for the leg join

Top of the foot open and ready for the leg join. (I was excited and speeding along I forgot to take a picture of the picked up stitches or the finished sock )

Hand dyed sock yarn

Close up of he colors

How the colors were knitting up

The sock with the two rows of picked up stitches

I snipped the row in between the pick up rows and unravel the stitches

The opening ready for me to join the yarn and knit the heel
If you look at my computer you see I was watching His and Hers podcast LOL

the heel all knit up and ready to wear

Leaf pattern up the leg

The third skein I hand dyed

There is a long story behind why all that yarn is all unraveled
but I'm not going in to it I will just say it was a bad idea going bad.
I fixed and the sock lived

The heel all done

I will try to post more and I will start this by posting tomorrow about spinning and more sweater news
now to put the pictures in here.

IM SORRY

2011-06-10T01:29:00.000-04:00

Im sorry for not posting
Im Sorry for telling untrue tales
Im sorry that I wont be writing about all the things that I have been knitting, dyeing, and spinning.

Because this post is my apology to my MY FIRST SWEATER, The Central Park Hoodie. It was started back in early 2009. I remember how nice and fast I knit on the body piece, until my finger was broken in May 2009. Now after it has sat for nearly a year since I binded off the front. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to knit the sleeves. I wanted to pick up stitches and knit them in the round. I found direction on how to do this but they called for short rows and I was unfamiliar with the technique at that time. I didn't want to knit one sleeve flat then the other. And with that the sweater was placed in a project bag and tuck away only to pop out at from places I never knew it visited. Now fast forward past several failures at what I kept calling my first sweater. I apologize for my disrespect to the Central Park Hoodie. It is my true first sweater and Until I Do Right By It No Good Will Come To My Knitting. (Color Purple - Cecily ) It has found its way out into the open where I will see it and be forced to either frog it or finish it. I decided to finish it. I decided that since I like two sock at a time I would knit the sleeves two at a time. I pulled out the pattern, prepared my needles and casted on my sleeves. Im working from the cuff up. I have completed two cables and one increase so far. And so with cable that are going in two different direction I knit my sleeves and hope it wont take another year before the project is complete.

Oct. 2009 When I picked Picked it back up after my finger healed

June 2011 the body pieces Blocked

June 2009 body seamed up. I did a crochet stitch just like I look for in the sweater I unravel from Goodwill.

June 2011 the Sleeves started with the cable going in opposites directions and Im not ripping back this sweater will be completed on way or another.

sorry for the crappy picture its 1am in the morning

Cant Sleep

2011-03-04T01:53:00.000-05:00

Well sitting here in the dark with sleep no where in sight. I guess I will type up a blog post.
Whats on my mind well I will put it in knitting terms so you will understand. I started a project with out reading the pattern. A few rows in a found a mistake, I should have frogged the whole thing then but noooooo I kept going thinking it will work itself out. after working on it for a long time it still didn't look right. I realized I was doing short rows when I should have been making progress. Finally I gave up and frogged it but this yarn has to many hard feeling twisted up in it so I need to just throw it out, no good project could every come from it. And so I did tonight he said goodbye and like that 2.5 years were behind me. I know its for the best but that doesn't make it any easier.

I tried to take pic of all the projects I worked on not sure if I did but heres

whats Im working on

I knit a Citron shawl. I read that when people block this pattern they pulled to hard and blocked out the gathered section. Well Im here to tell you thats probably not what happen. I made sure to not pull the gathered section because I didn't want to lose it. Well the yarn shrank during the blocking and I lose the gathered section. So here is my tip for blocking Citron shawls (tip) If you can steam block it then you should to preserver the gathering.

Pre blocking

dry

Hanging up

I worked on the wedding shawl.

I really started working on it and then found this

can you see the off set stitches. Thats where I forgot to do the yarn over and ended up picking up the one behind the stitch. Well I tried to drop down and fix it

It did work for those three but then I found more than 5 on the very first row of the netting. I gave in and frogged that whole netted section and started it over. Im almost back where I stopped at but Im losing interest. Im glad this wedding isn't until November or I would be in trouble.

I started a pair of mittens to match the hat but put that down. IM tired of looking at that yarn.

I did learn about charts and stitch per inch with this so the next time I will be better. At least this time the Ankh doesn't look like a tree.

I warped the loom and gave it a test run. It seem I have found the thing that Mini Me likes becasuse he stepped in and took over the weaving. Im thinking about buying a loom. then I could really teach him how it works and give him yarn and let him go for it.

I started with the blue, red and two white section then moved it up and worked on the first few rows of the peach section. Then Mini me took over and did the rest of the peach, all of the blue, and the next peach section. I took it off to figure out what and how I can upgrade the vintage loom that I have until I can buy one at a bargain price.

I did some spinning I finished up the first half of the Dorset top.

bad pic camera acting up

anyhoo this is the first time I worked with Dorset. It spins well, very grabby, I don't think it takes much twist to hold it together. The plan it to knit a pair of socks with this.

Its white so I have to take a break and work on something with color.

I went back to the two purple rovings I was working on before the dorset. I broke up the pieces into five parts (dark, light D,L,D) that I will spin and chain ply it to make a striping yarn to go with the three ply I spun with the two lights and one dark single. I plan to knit a hat with the two yarns.

Ok it 1:45 a.m. Im going to bed even if im not sleepy .

So It Is Written So It Is Done

2011-01-29T13:19:00.000-05:00

Hello long time lots of knitting

I know its been a long time and I have a lot of knitting to show for it. But first let me type this "I WILL KNIT ME A SWEATER THIS YEAR, I WILL USE EZ EP SYSTEM," Ok now that written please keep asking me how its coming so I will have to produce.

what I have done since I last posted

I started a post several times, I even have a long draft I never published. So why now, because I want this sweater badly. What I have done so far :

1 purchased the yarn, yellow silk/merino @ vogue knitting live
2 designed a chart that needs to be perfected (see hat )
3 knit a fair isle project to learn the technique
4 knit swatch with 3 needle sizes to see which fabric I like best , the size 4 needle
5 preparing to study the percentage system - join the group and will start reading
6 studying color to pick color-work yarns

What have I been up to in the last month

In December I tried my hand at a full pair of mittens and I was successful and you know when I finished mine Mini Me wanted a pair of his own fingerless mitts, after I took back my cashmere mitts

Unraveled chasmere and my handspun BFL

I should have used a smaller needle but they are warm.

Then he asked me to make a girl in his class a hat.She defended him when some boys in school were teasing him for knitting. she also makes nice comments on all his knitted items. So I think she will appreciate it .

unraveled wool and his dyed yarn its the same yarn

I finally picked out the beads for the wedding shawl an I have threaded most of them to the yarn and started knitting the beaded section of the shawl.

changing to a larger needle

I bought a hank of skinny bugga yarn and started to knit a sock pattern but even as pretty as it looked the yarn was telling me it was not happy being stuck in one design. I tried and tried to knit a pattern with it but it just didn't feel right. finally I decided to open a stitch dictionary and let what ever happen happen.

The last knitting project came to me after watching videos on Youtube and seeing the tricks to Fair Isle knitting. that was last Friday. the next day I went to Vogue Knitting Live with the mission of buying yarn to make a Fair Isle project. It being ture to myself I had no idea what I was gonna knit. I walked around for nearly two hours looking for the right yarns finally, I settled on some Malabrigo twist in the sunset and Autumn forest. That evening at work my brain was running wild with idea and I decided to chart two Egyptian symbols I love and have on my wall. The Ankh and the eyes of Horus. well on Sunday morning at work with no experience and only video instruction I got started. things went smoothly I did rip back to tweak the design but here what I came out of it with

with the draw string and my hair pull up in a ponytail

the color-work design has to be perfected but I'm very happy with it. Because I didn't have a plan I wasn't ready to work in decrease stitches. I started to get discouraged then the idea of a cowl came to mind and I settle on that. Then I came up with a draw string at the top, I knit a casing and stitched it down. Then knit up a 3 stitch I cord and I was happy. I can wear this hat even if I wear my hair up and that is a great thing. Up-Do styles here I come

I dyed some sock yarn

unraveled the sleeve of a sweater

My spinning adventures are these remember this

I blogged about it a while back its raw BFL well finally it done

fresh off the noddy

Its nice but not so soft (keep reading you will understand )

Next is the merino/alpaca 8oz. It felt like it would never come to an end. It is the softest yarn and I love it

out the bath all dry and hanked up

If I had these combs for the BFL it would be like this ...........

My buddy Sahara gave me 4oz of raw Shetland and I washed it up, flicked it, combed it out, pulled it into roving and wrapped them in to birds nest. It is so soft and FLUFFY (thats for you Miss Elle lol) I sat and pet it for a short while.

I also bought 1lbs of a Jacob fleece off of Ebay which I started to do the same to

My aunt crochets and she uses acrylic. I keep telling her how she can get good yarn from sweaters from Goodwill. To prove my point I gave her some yarn form a sweater I unraveled. I also printed a pattern for a shawl off of Ravely for her. That was two weeks ago she has already called me twice asking when can she come over so we can go to Goodwill to get some sweaters. She worked up all the yarn I gave her and she needs more. I pulled out the rest of the sweater and unraveled it along with some more unraveled yarn she can use to complete the shawl.

In other craft news I built a base for my yarn yardage counter and I working on a bobbin winder for the storage bobbins.

In money saving news I used my knitcents I purchased 3 bobbins for my spinning wheel at the bestest price ever. 1 bobbin will run you $30.95 I got 3 for $50 Raverly is priceless

already spun up a third of a BFL braid I also purchased on Ravelry its Freckle Face fibers

well thats all for now, hopefully I will be soon

I Put In Work

2010-12-19T21:16:00.000-05:00

I started writing this several times now I need a voice program so I can just talk it and be done (sound like a podcast to me)

I have taught two people how to knit

Ms. Nikki who has already made a Neck warp (and more since I started this)
and

David who is working on a hat
I taught him how to knit and purl first and he did this

then I taught him to cast on
(side story ) they say you have to find your own way of doing things and David has his own name for stitches he calls purling front front because you bring the needle and the yarn to the front and he calls casting on the gun because he said you hold your hand like a gun and you cock it when you you pull the loop thru. He is funny but what ever it takes for him to get.

on to all the things I have been working on .....

I finished Mini Me socks in three full days, I felt so good. It took two more day to get him to sit down so I could take a picture of both completed socks.

Day 3 the foot,

the gusset, the heel, and leg were done

Mini me with the sock on after I had to chase him down my own 4x2 rib on the leg

Mini me took my hat so I had to knit me another one really fast

This is the Peacock shawl I was sampling for the wedding veil

I kept thinking something about it wasn't working for me so I took it off the needles and when I layed it out it didn't like it. Now I know why others Ravelers modified it and took out a pattern repeat. Me I just changed to a another pattern.

On the Needles

So now Im doing the Shipwreck shawl and I started Tuesday 11/23 and a week later Im almost done with the whole center pattern. I need to go out and get the beads so I can do the outer lace and get this thing done.

The pattern is nice. If you like lace you will like this.

UFOs

1. The raglan sweater -stockenette hell- 12/17 frogged

2. Mini me transformer hat - will be frogged

3. Feather fan shawlette - Im gonna complete this, that dang pattern wont get the best of me.

Off the Needles (not pic)

Angora hat for myself from recycle sweater yarn

A hat that's a Christmas gift - Two done

Im on the second one because the first one seem small for my head and the persons head is bigger than my child size head. I made it bigger.

Saroya n Scarf

This was a fun kit I love the leaf pattern so much I searched it on ravelry and found this

leaves on the edge cowl

Im working at earing my capital K

remember the Cromo I spun

I counted that with my line counter I have 105 yards @ 15wpi

I hand dyed it

I searched Ravelry for patterns and came up with this

hat pattern

A cap for Nessa'a mother

I basically completed the cap I still need to finish the band that buttons under the neck its 45 row of garter and its boring, thats how these glove came along.

Goodwill

100% cashmere XL mens sweater

I already took off a sleeve and navjo plied the yarn I have 153yds in a DK weight. I counted the yardage with my line counter.It really cool to be able to pick a pattern based on your yardage.

This is what became of the yarn

100% Cashmere fingerless gloves

On the wheel still spinning the Merino Alpaca blend

Thanks to Sahara AKA sistahcraft for giving me the tip to spin short draw it working much better

12/17/10 Sahara came over and spun the last of the first have. she's also is in love with my old Louet S10. I was glad to have her spin it. One half down the other 4oz to go

25 days of Christmas

I've been receiving gifts all month. first it started with a new laptop battery thank you David

then I bought a pound of sock yarn form wool2dye4. then while stalking the yarn destashes on Ravelry and got a skein of Bugga for 20 buck in the color way Differential Grasshopper then a zaub ball in the Autumn color way came up and I jumper on it. I want that to make a shawl for myself for the wedding.

The KnitWits if you listen to the podcast you know it's the greatest thing since slice bread. After hearing Carin talk about this

worm binder I went and looked it up and David bought it for me along with the line counter.

Then Sahara came by and bought me a 4oz bag of raw Shetland wool and a Stitch and bitch book. And we got the talking about unraveling sweater so I gave her quick lesson on how to unravel and gave her one of the cashmere sweaters I got from Goodwill.

and last but not least I bought a pound of Jacob fleece on ebay for $10

Future knits the Knitwits are having a Kal of the February ladies sweater. But that sweater is not for my body type (twelve year old body). I decided I will knit this sweater butterfly-kisses-cardigan

in a pale yellow. I have the pattern I just need to get a yarn I like.

Tonight I put my fashion degree to work and started a sewing project. I bought fabric a while back to make Mini me some Pajama. I had my mind set to start them tomorrow but he asked me to buy him some pajama tonight (for pajama day at school tomorrow) but that's not my problem. I got to work on his Christmas PJs

I got the top all sewn up and only the center front and back of the bottom then it was dinner time so I had to put it away. I will finish up tomorrow.

Im sleepy until next time

MOE

Size Really Does Matter

2010-11-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

Get your dirty mind out the gutter this is a knitting blog Im talking about needles. I will start with what on and off my needles.

Off the needles

The blanket I was making for David . I finally got the last ball of yarn and did the last pattern change and the edging I binded it off and steamed blocked it and gifted it him with love. He was very happy.

also for David the shades of gray sock

gusset and heel flap

I stopped them kinda short because his cafe was bigger

close up of the color pooling

He said he is only going to wear them when he is watching tv.

As soon as I finished those my hands were restless and I wanted to try out my size 2U.S. needles. I got out the rainbow yarn I purchased at Rhinebeck. This is where the title comes in to play, on the size two needle I was able to finish these sock in 5 days. It would have been 3 if I did a regular gusset but I wanted to try the instep gusset. Everything went unbelievably fast until I reached the heel flap. When doing two sock at a time on magic loop your stitches are divided in half, and the gusset stitches were on the front half of the needles and the heel turn was on the back needles. I had to take the socks off the needle in order to reach the gusset stitches. This slowed me down but it didn't stop me, I complete both flaps on day three. I didn't work on day four so I didn't knit on the socks. On day five I started the leg and did some purl bumps and the ribbing and binded off.

Paca Pedi Wool and alpaca yarn

Day 1 the toe and foot, this hank comes with a contrasting skein of yarn for the toe and heel.

Day 2 In foot, instep gusset, heel turn, & heel flap

day 3 stated the leg, one step of purl bump (think slouch sock of the 80's)

Day 5 all done

On the needles

Feather and fan shawlette is still on

Raglan sweater is still on

Transformer hat is still on

Practice peacock shawl is still on

And after those sock went so fast I grabbed another hank of yarn and casted on a pair of sock for Mini Me.

This time one at a time so I could do the instep gusset again to see if I like it. I can tell you now its nice but not for me. Im already at the leg of the first sock so I wont frog the whole plan. The socks are in the red Araucania (deal on ravelry) yarn I bought for him.

cast on 20 stitches double it to 40 and inc up to 48 stitches

Day 1 cast on and the foot

Day 2 foot, instep gusset, heel turn and heel flap,

A look at the instep gusset shape

I just tried it on his foot and it fits I will find a simple pattern and finish this off

So the question stands is it the needles size that made me knit so much faster on sock. Before I was using a U.S. size 1 but it was funny to me that one day I measured it and fit in the size zero hole better than in the size 1 hole. So all that time I was really knitting with size zero needles. Anyway if thing continue like this I will be making a lot of socks

Spinning

The Cormo spun up really nicely but my plying needs work

half on the shuttle bobbin half on the wheel bobbin

both halves on shuttle bobbins

plied up

I wanted it plied tighter so I ran it through the wheel again guess what its to tight. Even after I skeined it and soaked it and beat it, then re-skeined on a larger niddy noddy (not really I just found a way to lengthen my 1yd to a 2yd) and soaked it again. I have 13.5 oz of cormo to practice on

I pulled out a 8oz bag of merino/ alpaca fiber to spin im not really liking. I thinks its the difference from the cormo thats getting to me the alpaca is slippery and not grabby.

Im gonna work on the peacock shawl because I have a bridal party meeting on the 20 and I would like to show it to the bride.

If anyone wants some of those deals I talk about on ravelry here is a link to the thread where I put them so I can go back to them later destash sales

ok im going to watch some football and knit on the shawl

LIFE AFTER RHINEBECK -- ITS GOOD

2010-10-21T09:07:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a while because I cant find the right words to say how I feel . I will start with Rhinebeck and go backwards. On Sunday Oct. 17 I went to Rhinebeck for the first time. I didn't know what to expect, I thought the sock yarns prices would be lower but they were the same prices as the website who carry them. I really could have gotten better prices on Ravelry. And thankfully I put all those link in the Harlem knits group so now I can go back and get those deals.

This is what I brought home.

top left to right -1/2 lb superwash BLF, 1/2 lb Dorset, 1lb Cormo, 2 multi ratio bobbins

2nd row left to right - a dozen shuttle bobbins, 2 balls of alpaca in brown, 1 in purple,

bottom left to right - 4oz Camel, 4oz yak, 2oz of cotton top theres a supported spindle on top of the cotton and 3 silk cocoons

not pictured - drive band and tension band for my spinning wheel

The Spindle, thats some cotton top on there

I had a really great time at Rhinebeck here are fun pictures I took

David testing out glass needles

Ok on the needles

The socks about 5 gusset stitches in

I started a new hat for Mini Me the process is moving smooth right now but I wont get ahead of myself .

The raglan sweater is at a not so good place. I started doing a rib that I dont like any more so I need to go back on the body and do it plan so I can finish it. I may start on the sleeves just to keep the process moving.

on and off the wheel

Wool/Mohair/Silk noirs

Plied

on the Niddy Noddy

up close the colors are far from true in the picture

this was sitting in a cake for a while. I wasn't looking forward to spinning the other half to ply it with. Well when I got home from Rhinebeck I wanted to use the new bobbins so I put one on the wheel along with the new tension band and drive band and Navajo plied it in about a hour and a half.

up close washed and dried

Then Monday morning I grabbed the Cormo and pulled off 2.5oz and split it in half and started to spin

1 half is done I will be starting the second half today

The wheel I have is a old Louet S10 and the new parts are making it work so well Im loving the way its spinnings.

Off the sewing machine

Curtains I made (My sofa is red)

wow I feel like I dont have time to do anything but when I look at all of these projects Im doing and have completed

Where to start

2010-09-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

I have a couple of things going on where do I start

projects
after seeing how well my purple socks came out I wanted to re do Mini me's socks because even with the short row the ankle was tight. I unraveled my blues socks and reknit them for Mini me.

My sock I unraveled

I used the same toe and heel and bind off I used on the purple sock. I used this bubble-wrap-socks stitch pattern. They came out great he loved them.

On to the next pair.....

socks for Deeman I dont like the way the colors are pooling

The raglan sweater hasn't been getting much love but after I finish the socks I picked it back up. Im just pass my chest and I did 3 rows of decreases and I want to do a pattern on the bottom any ideas ?
I also worked on the blanket for Deeman. I need one more ball of yarn to finish but the store was all out of that color when I went by save a thon Tuesday so that on hold for now. I will stop by Micheals this weekend and hope they have it.

Mini me and I dyed some yarn that I recycled from a Goodwill sweater ...

I've been spinning a wool/mohair/silk noil blend. I have 2oz in a pink and another 2oz in a teal color. The pink had way more mohair in it than the teal. Mohair is not nice to spin (IMO) but I pushed through and will be done by the weekend.

I am teaching Deeman to knit and Mini me is jealous so he has picked up the needles again. Deeman is working in garter stitch Mini me is working in the round on the yarn we dyed together. Mini me is enjoying knitting so much that while we were at his schools family night he got antsy so I gave him my socks to knit on he calmed down right away. Today he took his project to school and knIt at lunch. He said a few student teased him but not his close friends. One teacher asked him to teach her how to knit. He also told me he understand what I mean when I say knitting helps to calm your mind and relaxes you. Deeman loves a competition and is racing to finish his project before Mini me. I showed him how to purl yesterday, he did a few rows then went back to garter he said he wants to perfect one stitch at a time.

Mini me working on his project before leaving for school

Deeman's project you can see is little stockinette section

Im rolling around in my mind kitting long johns from this knit-shorts patterns. Im a cold person and hate it so I figure if wool sock are warm wool long john should be warm and I should be the warmest I have ever been. Its gonna be a long road of rib stitches but I am going to give it a try.

IN 16 days Im going to Rhinebeck whooo hooo. The hard part of this is not spending all my money on all these cool destashes on Ravelry. Im going to make a sticker with the ravelry logo and my name so if you see me say HI

well that all folks

The Quest Is In Full Swing

2010-09-12T22:02:00.000-04:00

I would like to thank all the ladies at the BBQ for filling my very long day with some love and cheer.

ok its been a long month and I learn a lot of things and I am very proud of myself.

where do I start

what off the needles

socks for me, I started with the widdershins pattern first and I messed up on a cable in the foot section and then when I got to the gusset and heel things went terribly wrong. So frogged them and started over. I casted back on and I like the look of the hermiones-everyday-socks so I used the pattern I searched around for a pattern with a clearer easier to understand heel and I found this one k2-basic-socks-widdershins-revisited in it she breaks down the sock heel and give a chart for the stitches and it helped me to understand what I need to do. Me being me I had to find my way of doing it and it worked out lovely. I love love love my socks and I cant wait for the yarn I bought for Mini me sock to come in so I can cast on.
what I learned while making these socks
cable without a needle
gusset & heel flap

sock construction
Judy's magic cast on
Cat brodhi wrap and turn heel part 1
wrap and turn part 2
stretchy cast off

The first pair of socks

The New Sock

so proud of me

whats on the needles

Next while at Knitting group I asked if someone would measure me because i wanted to try and make a raglan sweater. well we were talking so much we never got around to it. But no worries because when i got home I found a Kal on ravelry easy-top-down-raglan-knitalong

This give you step by step on instructions on how to measure yourself and calculate your number of cast on stitches. I picked up some of my recycle yarn (the grey sweater form the last post) and I measure and calculated my number and casted on.

what Im learning while making this

how to measure the body for raglan knitting

count the stitch per inch and calculate the cast on stitches

The back after I join the body and put the sleeve on waste yarn

I went out and bought some fat quarters and make a box bag

This is the NYC fabric I will be selling these I already have my first sell Thanks Sahara.

I picked up some sweater at the Goodwill

I have already pulled off a sleeve and started a hat

I got this one mainly for the buttons

I started a practice peacock shawl to get ready for the one I will be making as a wedding shawl. The pattern was so much easier than I thought it would be. I knocked out the first 45 rounds in two days. Im almost done with the second chart. I am going to stop at the second chart since I know I know I can knit the pattern I don't need to finish it.

I had a picnic thanks for coming Sudana , Chante and Will

I went to Pennsylvania for the holiday weekend I had the best time I love it there. I need to move there the food is so good even the water taste better. If I stayed there a week I could probably gain the ten pounds I want.

other things i learned

how to do a Icord cast on/off

I am going to keep working at mastering the art of knitting and reporting back to you all

oh wait I have to tell you about this podcast I recently found its call knitwits podcast

I have about 15 to 20 knitting and craft pod cast on my I touch but this one was so good I had to leave a comment and write a review. the husband and wife team are so good with each other. you have to give them a listen.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE A REAL KNITTER THAT IS THE QUEST

2010-08-08T20:38:00.000-04:00

Hello out there in nowhere land.

I have been busy working on becoming a real knitter. You might say Moe you are a real knitter you knit real things. But I don't feel like a real knitter. I tell people all the time not to judge your work based on other peoples work, and I haven't been doing that, I have been looking at the types of projects other people knit, and I wanted to knit big projects too. So I challenge myself to do the more with my knitting. What exactly is more? More is more than hats, more than starting and frogging, more than just looking at other people work and wanting to make beautiful things like them.

So far more has been making :

Socks for me - done

Socks for Mini Me - Wip - two at a time, toe up with a short row heel

Mitten - 1 done

- No pattern, finger to cuff, I had to watch a video to figure out how to make the thumb gusset, I have to pick up the stitches better to add the thumb

I dont think there will be a second one to this one, this is the test mitten, now it time to get serious. The yarn is from a good will sweater

Top down cardigan - looking for a nice pattern on Ravelry
Vest for Mini me - looking for a pattern
Mittens - looking for pattern
Transformer hat for mini me - I have to work on my color work knitting. I will practice with some dish clothes

Old project that need to be completed

Blanket - Wip - working on 1/4 of a ball and then one more ball of yarn to go (deadline end of the month)

Feather and fan shawlette - Wip - I will work on this right after the blanket (dealline sept 15)

Im working on the blanket and the socks now

I went to good will and picked up a few more sweaters

Brand new tag still on 79.00

I want to use this yarn for my top down sweater
100% cashmere

I bought me some new toys to go with the sweaters

my umbrella swift and ball winder

Thank you David for the use of your hands

And the biggest more,

A BFF called me and ask me to be in her wedding and I got this great idea to ask if I could knit her veil. She is kinda unsure because she ask would it be that heavy wool, LOL. I had to ensure her it would be out of lace yarn with beads (I'm really pushing it ). I have around a year to do it she hasn't set a date yet. I want to do a white veil with bead in her contrast color. I'm still looking at patterns on Ravelry I put a few in the faves but nothing has jumped out at me yet.

I also bought some fabric, zippers and interfacing to make a box bag. And I picked out some fabric to make curtains, pillows and a ottoman cover. I have to make labels for my soap my friend is selling at a flea market on the 21 and he taking some bars to sell.

I have a lot on my plate I wonder when I will get all this done.

A Lot of Fo's to Show but Still Feeling Unfulfilled

2010-07-25T19:57:00.001-04:00

Since our last episode I have completed a lot of projects. Now I really need to make something I consider real knitting.

Ok the knitting machine

I made a little blanket and crocheted the edge

I also made a so called wrap with the very first sock yarn I bought probably 3yrs ago.

I really did it just to use the machine. The wrap is to light to keep me warm on the cold trains and buses but it was fun making it. I learn alot about using the knitting machine.

I finished the red hat but I didn't take a picture its to big for my sons head but my friend is running around the house in it

I work on the gray shawl and its further along but not done yet.

I haven't touched the feather and fan shawl.

I was and am feeling like Im knitting but not making anything. So I pulled out some sock yarn and started a pair of sock. The yarn is so ugly I only went up the the ankle.

The whole project became a learning and practice session. I worked from the toe up practicing the Judy magic cast on. which I like very much it give a rounded toes instead if the square pointy toe. I did the Cat Brodhi wrap & turn heel. This was brain racking because the video is done on a flat piece of work. And for the life of me I could not see how it was enough of a turn for a heel. I went to Knitty City to asked them about it. The teacher there had never done one but said it will be enough. After two days of searching for pictures and posting back and fourth with a very nice Raverler. I said to myself just do it and see how it turns out. I did and it worked and it was so easy and I put myself through all that for nothing.

while I was at Knitty City I bought sock yarn and casted on for some real socks

yarn: Malabrigo sock

needles: US 1 Inox cable

started Saturday july 17 2010

one sock is completed and the second is casted on today Saturday July 25, 2010

the foot

the heel the pattern I choose it's called river rapids

I have also made two logs of soap here is one of the display bars

these are the available bars

ok im tired and not feeling well so I will stop here.

my goals are to find a sweater pattern I really like and prepare to knit it.

knit mittens

knit the sleeves for the Central park hoodie. I really don't want to do them flat.

finish my friends blanket before he runs me crazy for it.

spin 2 ply finger weight yarn

find a good wool to blend with my alpaca and make me a nice hat and scarf set

THANK YOU INNER VOICE

2010-07-10T00:33:00.000-04:00

I dont even know where to start. Let me start with the thing that's making me so happy, excited, feel like a kid at Christmas. I had a nagging urge to go to the Goodwill today and I was going to put it off. Thankfully I followed my Inner voice and went.
So after taking Mini me to Chuck E. Cheese and the movies (tomorrow is his B-day ) I took him home and hopped on the bus to 5th ave. I wanted to pick up some china plates and look for tennis rackets. I walked in like a kid in Toys R Us and head downstairs. I walked pass the toy area half looking and went to the glassware area and pick out four plates. Then I remember the tennis rackets and went back to the toy area, this time Im really looking. I started moving things around, and I look up on the top shelf, and like something out of a cartoon the "ahhhhhhh" sound goes off in my head, I see A SWEATER KNITTING MACHINE !!! I grab it like someone was coming behind me to take it. the price was marked only $29 dollars. The cheap half of me was thinking dang that a lot, the logic half of me thought about how much I see these things sell for on Ravelry and I quickly headed for the register. I took it upstairs and asked them to hold it for me at the counter and half heartedly went to look for sweater. I didn't find any so I paid for my plates and my knitting machine and went home. Here are the pictures

I just looked at this picture and had a bright idea, I can make a shrug with this machine. Tme to join the knitting machine group on Ravelry.
Mini me has giving me the right to use his table (oh really) since the dinning table is to short to put the whole machine on. You know my mind is already cranking out projects for the machine. I will plan carefully so I don't get discouraged.

Ok the other reason I wanted to blog today is I finished two objects and Im working on three more. I have listen to so many podcast these last few days Im almost all caught up with all the active ones. After hearing so many ppl finishing so many projects, I want to finish Projects too. I have been knitting every chance I get, even at work where Im not suppose to be knitting. I was knitting on the train and bus on Tuesday I hope someone saw me and posted in the Ravelry thread, I have to go check that out.

Off the Needles
The raglan shrug I gave a try.

What I learned : Raglan is not hard, I need to do pattern work or I get bored, boredom leads to stopping to soon, cotton does not stretch so you have to work larger.
Yarn - black Goodwill sweater only the back section.

Coeurs et Fleurs hat

On the plate

This was the first time I did a hat from the top down. It was so easy, well getting started took some tricks but I found a way that I will continue to use

What I learned :

Top down hats are cooler than bottom up hats, when casting on for in the round work with a small number of stitches do it like your doing a I-cord. start with a Double pointed needle then when your ready to join change to a cable needles this really made it easier for me. cotton doesn't stretch like wool so bind of loosely

Yarn - Peach Goodwill sweater one sleeve with a little left over

On the needles

Knitted cap for Mini me

what I learned, again top down is cool, I had a Ah Ha moment when it comes to short row. The headband Calorimery is short row stitch Duh and thats how I need to work the brim and the heel of a sock when I ever make socks again.

Yarn - Red Goodwill sweater one sleeve so far

Faroese shawl design no pattern (my design ).

Im really just trying to see if I can do it. I do not have a pattern what I did was think about the basic set up for a triangle shawl and look at the Faroese shawl and figure out how to cast of for it. I put a diamond pattern in the center to break up the stockinette stitches or else I will get bored. That little bit of counting should help.

What I learned

I need to learn how to do a provisional cast on, keep a crochet hook with you at all times, picking up stitches around the edge is not so hard. putting a yarn over in the wrong place and realizing it about 5 rows after is not the end of the world.

Yarn - a ball of yarn from my stash I want to get rid of. Its a wool acrylic blend

Feather and Fan Triangle shawlette no pattern (my design)

I still havent finished it but I have been working on it

I made soap but Im tired and will have to post that another day

Favorite things : GOODWILL, INNER VOICES(GOD TALKING ), Mini me, Days off, Knitting, my 9500BTU Air conditioner, peanut butter chips.

until next time I will leave you with pictures from the balcony of the hotel I stayed at in Atlantic city

the sky out the car window

Podcast are a great thing

2010-06-26T00:21:00.000-04:00

Well well well im back and I have thing to show off. I have been listening to knitting podcast all week and they have really jump started me back in to knitting and all around crafting. So where do I start ummm ok well during the first week of the month I went by the Goodwill because I wanted to pick up some cotton sweater to unravel to make me a shrug for the summer. See im VERY thin and air conditioning is not my friend so I wanted to prepare for that. I picked up two sweater and a long vest. I had them sitting in the house for about two weeks with out even touching anything. then one day I pulled out the black vest and started unraveling.

the front

The body came apart easily but the unraveling was strange. Instead of using one strand to knit the vest they used two and alternated each row. I started to wind each strand on a separate TP roll but that quickly ended and I casted one on for the shrug with one strand . I did not have a pattern just the raglan rules in my head I went to work.

the back, the shrug in progress and the TP roll

I haven't finished yet I'm on the first sleeve (im in sleeve hell) and it's the same stitch over and over so I had to pick up something else to stay active. I picked up the shawlette I started a while ago to pass the time.

Speaking of passing the time, oh wait the other two sweater. Here are pictures

Tis one is pinkish to a peach looking color I like it a lot

The next one has some funny things going on as well. The inside is full of floats due to the color work. It unraveled easy only because I knew what was going on back there if not it would have been a disaster.

Next the strand of what looks like 10 ply is not even twisted it's just all held together.

The sweater with one sleeve unraveled

QUESTION : I WAS THINKING ABOUT TWISTING THE YARN ON THE SPINNING WHEEL HOW LONG SHOULD I LEAVE IT ON THE BOBBING TO HELP SET THE TWIST? IM NOT FAMILIAR WITH SPINNING COTTON.

close up of the strand

Ok on to the thing that has me back on my craft game. PODCAST !!! I love these thing . I got a ITouch for my birthday. Now I'm not a big fan of Apple ANNNND I'm not a big fan of spending money so buy stuff on Itunes is and will be very rare. But I was messing around at work with the I touch and I started listening to a few knitting podcast . I came across a few I really liked the hosts voice kept me interested and the subject matter was great. The more I listen to other people talk about what project they had finished and what was on their needles the more I want to grab my needles, and so I did. I had already started the shrug but got bored with the same plain stitch, but one of the podcast Double knits was having a contest knitting green. where you could make something with recycle yarn. Since I was already doing it I might as well do it for the contest. Now I have no hopes of winning I'm will just be glad to finish the shrug.

Also the Podcast had me thinking about crafting all the time so you know I was itching to get to the craft store. I had two 40% off coupons and one 20% off coupon from Micheals craft store, and there were two things I wanted to get. A heat gun to use on shrink wrap and a self healing cutting mat. So I went out today and picked those up before for my coupons expired. I gave away the 20% coupon to a little girl in the line behind me because I had nothing else to use it on. If you have read this blog you should know that my mind was racing with things to do. I got back in the house and laid across my bed cooling off and listen to more podcast. when one idea beat out the rest. A Quilt I've been working on, made from recycled jeans my Mini me and I could no longer fit. I pulled it out and got to work. Mini me even helped me undo the seam on one pant leg then he quit. He wanted a new job, sewing on the sewing machine, I to tell him the machine was dangerous to keep him away from it. He did help by getting the iron board and putting water in the iron. Im getting sleepy so wont bore you with the rest but here is the quilt top pieced together it came out better than I thought it would. (patting myself on the back )

Jean Quilt top

Mini me wont take it's not done for a answer

He laid on it, under it and tried to wrap up in it

I want to to put fleece fabric on the other side and do some embroidery in the squares then he can have it.

To wrap things up

On the needles the shrug, the shawlette,

Things I heart : podcast, I touch, recycle yarns, MINI ME

RIP MY LOVE MICHAEL JACKSON

ps I won tickets to a MJ tribute tomorrow

One down many more to go

2010-05-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

I do not have much to say, I just wanted to post a picture of the samples I made yesterday. I have to clean them up so my friend can take them to work to hand out.

My friend dropped of the fragrance oils last night. I used one to scent a log of soap today. I rather use essential oils because Fo's speeds up the chemical process. This happen to me once before and I threw the whole batch out. But after today I now know two ways to deal with this, 1) work with room temp ingredients 2) handle it as if Im doing hot process soap making.

THE OILS

TODAYS SAMPLES

MY HANDS HAVE MOVED ON TO SOMETHING ELSE

2010-05-12T19:44:00.000-04:00

Wow two post in one week.

Anyway, I purchased some soaping supplies and they came in yesterday. when I got off work today my hands were itching to get into some soap making. So I got to work and here what I got so far

blending the oil and the scent

lining the mold, Im keeping it small for now, in other word limited batches. If it were a handbag it would drive the price up

colored and in the mold I cant wait

Instead of using the my old website Im gonna sell the soap here through the blog. I think that will be much easier, laying out that site was a pain in the butt.

Keep your eyes here for new soap and lotions with matching scents

MOE

IM STILL HERE AND I STILL KNIT

2010-05-09T09:41:00.000-04:00

I havent even taken the pictures for this post yet. I just feel so bad that I haven't posted in a while. I know when I dont see post on other peoples blog I wonder what happen to them. Well Im here I have been knitting in my absents. I haven't done anything great but I did finish some things.

May, 9 2010

I started writing the above some time in March or April. Its now May and I still have nothing to show. I have been so busy with work and stressed out with my life and my child is giving me a run for my money. I have only picked up projects as a way to relax not with the desire to create or see something done. I feel like I disrespected the yarn and wool I worked on.

right now I want to do a version of this

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/wtrmlni/gaia-2 I have recycle yarn I have new yarn I have the idea in my head but I dont have the pick up the needles feeling I usually have when I want to knit something. I think I need to go to a knit group but with my schedule when would I get to go. well I have the pink recycle yarn I posted a while back I may give that a try. I working on finishing that blanket I started for a friend, spinning the grey raw wool I bought and another top that Im spinning in Navajo ply. Life is calling I gotta go .........

Trying To Do To Many Things At Once

2010-02-16T12:58:00.002-05:00

So what happens when you try to do to many things at once. You do not finish any thing.

There is very little to update about from the last post. one good update did come out of that post. I finally got the feather and fan pattern to work.

The Feather and Fan Saga

See what had happen was one of the many patterns I read said the pattern should be worked over 18 + 2 stitches and that is total WRONG. And because of that I kept failing at the stitch. So I took out a piece of paper and wrote out the stitches by what I call rules.
my rules :
1. for every stitch you take away (decrease) you must add a stitch (yarn over or m1)
2. for every stitch you add (yarn over or m1) you must take one away (decrease)

So the pattern said knit 2 together 6 times YO knit 1 6x repeat -
and I kept trying to figure out how that will work over 18 +2
The fact that Im working on a triangle shawl didn't make it any easier. I counting out multiples of 18 and laid out the pattern but it wasn't working. So I picked up a piece of graph paper and a pencil and wrote out what made since to my by the rule

k2tog k2tog k2tog Yok1 yok1 yok1 / yok1 yok1 yok1 k2tog k2tog k2tog worked over 12 stitches

with this I could see the balance for every dec there was a yo and things should work out fine. I counted out the number of stitches I had on one side of my shawl and I laid out the pattern placed my stitch marker and got to work
After figuring one more thing out that I wont bore you with things started to work out fine. As more stitches appeared on the ends and in the center I extended the pattern to suit.
So now Im knitting a triangle shawl with a feather and fan pattern.

FOR EVERY YO THERE IS A DEC

So I will be working on this slowly it will get done. But I am so over this pattern. LOL

The raglan sweater has been put in the corner reason I cant stand to look at that yarn anymore. swear I will pick it up and finish it soon.

I finished plying the yarn on the S10

THE PLIED STRANDS ON THE NODDY

Two sleeve plied

It came out to be 178.5 yards

What will I make with it I dont know yet

remember the blue sweater that I was so fast to start knitting the collar without unraveling it. well that was frogged so many times it not even funny. I finally knit something with it that I liked. And last night I had to work the over night shift after I fired the person who was on schedule but that another story I wont tell. But back to the yarn. I started a Coronet hat the other day and picked up the stitches for the crown last night. I wanted to give it a little flavor and do some kind of pattern with out making it a lot of work. I decided to add little twist by shifting a purl stitch on every row. I like the way its working out.

THE BRAID BAND

THE CROWN IN THE WORKS

I PULLED OUT ONE OF THE SLEEVE CAKES TO FINISH THE CROWN TODAY

Lastly I started to unravel the X Lrg sweater.

I unraveled one sleeve it turned out to be a lot of yarn very thick

LITTLE FELTED

PATTERN UP CLOSE

It worked out to 309 wraps on a 9inch niddy noddy 18" in all. If I did the math right it came out as 154.5 yrds of yarn. Im thinking I want to dye it and see how it works out. My brother asked me to make him a hat so thatS what this will be.

I KNIT BECAUSE I CAN CONTROL THE YARN AND MAKE IT DO WHAT I WANT IT TO DO.

Having to Much Fun at The Thrift Shop

2010-01-25T14:44:00.002-05:00

Boy oh Boy here I go jumping waist deep into a new craft.

oh but let me say I MADE SOAP THIS WEEK YEAH ME

Ok back to the story. So last time I told you that in the middle of writing my blog I went to the thrift shop and bought one sweater well (pressing brakes)

wait im getting a head of myself . I unravel one of the sweater form my last trip to Goodwill 135th street

its the pink sweater one. On the sides are the sleeves, in the middle is the back and the two side fronts. what's left is the collar and the pockets but I wont be unraveling them.

(Press gas)

the one sweater I bought there were two I had to choose from I picked this one for the color.

The color of the sweater is closes to this photo with the tag.

I notice designers put angora in just about everything they want to sell as high end.

It was a very easy unravel. Here it is almost completely unraveled the two on the sides are the sleeves the one undone piece is the front on top of that is the back with just the bottom ribbing to go. The piece at the top is the turtle neck is the collar I needed to knit something, so im knitting right from the collar. I started on a size 8 needle but I didn't like it so I frogged it and started over with a size 5 so far so good.

close up of the yarn

On friday I went back to the Goodwill and picked up four no more sweater

As you can see this was a great find 100% cashmere but there is one little problem

there is a hole. I wont let that stop me there's great yarn to be harvested here.

This sweater is so heavy I cant Wait to get in to this wool. This is the label that inside. I love the mens section.

This one is so cute I wish it didn't have issue I would have like to keep it. But it a easy raglan knit so maybe I will make one in the same shape .

I hope you can see the label Im over here trying to save space like im paying for it, thats 45% wool 31% acrylic 24% alpaca

now here is the problem

Its a sample piece and it has sample written on the back. Hopefully it will wash out but if not then I will find a way to work around it.

More 100% cashmere

This is the other great find of the day very nice no issue found yet

hand knit and it will be hand unknit Ha Ha Ha Im funny

and in the middle of all this unraveling I did knit something I made me a hat from the yarn of the chunky yarn sweater I only used the white yarn

its a very warm hat and it look really good.

Im working on a hat for my son with the white and the navy blue he wants a transformer hat so im trying to make that happen but I now have 33 cameras to watch at work so it kind of hard to knit but I'll find a way to fit it all in.

these two ball of unravel sleeve

are now being plied on the Louet S10 so I can knit it up into maybe a nice lace cowl any suggestion

ok time to get ready for work blog with you later

At A lost for a Title but Not for Projects

2010-01-19T19:44:00.001-05:00

Well I couldn't think of a witty title but I hope the post will make up for that.

so last time we met I updated on a few project and today I have more up date on those and a few new one.

The sweater well I picked it back up and got back to work I was getting bored with it so I knit the body down to a good length and did the rib and then I worked the button hole strip alone the front. last night I picked up the stitches for the the other side and I have to completed a few rows. I need ten in all to match the finished side.

The blanket is coming alone nothing to show.

The blue yarn I plied is off the niddy noddy but I have not set the twist yet

The gray yarn from the sweater has been knit into two calorimetrys with two different size needles. The one on the bottom is the done with a size 6 and the top is done on a size 1 needle. You can really see the difference. So I will be making the ones for sell on the size 1 needles.

The shawl scarf has been put on a shelf because I have to find a lace stitch that I can do on the bottom if anyone has the Ishbel pattern lace chart I would love to have it.

And the new things on the hands I went to the Goodwill here in Harlem and picked up some sweaters

close up

I could not wait to start unraveling this it was a little felted but it unraveled easy enough. It was made of a three strand yarn. Once I unravel the back half I re-twisted it to tighten the twist now im Navajo plying it to make it larger

thisi sweater had great seams they came out with no work at all

it was so easy to unravel and its soft as can be

these are the sleeves I still have to unravel the front and back

close up 2 strands im gonna ply the two TP rolls together

This sweater was a lot of funny to unravel. Its big chunky yarn came out so fast that im already knitting with it.

This is the sweater in pieces

so I unravel the back and I layed the yarn next to the front so you could see it

Here is one sleeve with the yarn from the other sleeve on the niddy noddy

Time to take a bath I washed it all in the tub

and this is my hat that Im making from the yarn

and in the middle of posting this I went to the big thrift shop in the Bronx I only found one cotton sweater. I could not believe how big that place was and they didn't have any good items. I will blog about that one next time.

i just realized i forgot one sweater i will just post the pics

New year New projects and Some Old Ones Too

2010-01-09T13:29:00.001-05:00

I really have a lot of things to post about today so where do I start.

UPDATES

The raglan sweater is coming along. Truth be told I kinda got bored and worled on it less but im working on it I have a few more row to go them I can rib the waist band and figure out how I want to do the collar and sleeves.

This is the progress I made on the blanket for a friend I only work on it when im at home sitting on the sofa. That not often but I want it done by the end of the month so I have to put more time in in to it.

This is the Moebius test project. So now I can say yes I know how to do a Moebius. will I ever do it again I really dont know. you can see where I figured out how correct way to put the stockinette on one side.

I posted about this yarn in the last post its part of the bag a neighbor gave me well this one is a single finger weight and I started two sock on one loop but the yarn was not working for me so here's what I did.

I took the two balls and plied the together for a larger weight yarn. The sock plan is out the window what i will do now im not sure. I know it will speak to me in time.

Okay so now on to the new things

RECYCLING YARN

There is a group Raverlry called Unravelers here i learned about unraveling sweaters for the yarn. i think i posted about it. well I was near the Goodwill on Thursday and I went in so see what I could find. I had my mind set on fine yarns so I passed up a few perfectly good sweater. but i found one that was made of lambs wool angora rabbit hair and nylon the price $6.99 .

I bought the sweater and planned my attack. I got home and set to work I went so fast i didnt take pictures of the whole sweater I detached the sleeve collar and sides from the back and started unraveling see for yourself

The tags

The panel in unravel mode

The pattern up close

The yarn up close a 2 strand finger weight

The yarn off the niddy noddy ready to be washed

The yarn up close I Navajo plied it on the spinning wheel to get a thicker yarn

I got a call from a friend telling me there was money to be made in the form of a headband . Some of her friends and family like the ones I made for her and her wife and they were requesting some. So guess what this great yarn will be used for. With that fiber content I should be able to make a pretty penny I have to research prices and ask a few friend what they think I should charge but the plan is definitely in effect. I am waiting for the yarn to dry so I can get to work.

FELLING LIKE A REAL KNITTER

This next project has made me feel like a real knitter. back story: My son liked my triange shawl scarf (it to small to really be a shawl ) he said it like a fancy cowboy scarf. So I set out to make me a new one and now that I understand the feather and fan pattern I plan to put that in the shawl scarf.

I got out some sock yarn that Ii have and set to work.

so here I go working the rows it growing steady everything good and then I started the pattern. But I didn't think it looked like the pictures I saw on the net. I really should remember that when doing things that are specific to and individual, key word individual, things may not look, feel, smell , things just wont be the same.

sooooooooooo

I frogged it and started again and frogged that too and started again. It took a lot of work but I really want to get this dang feather and fan pattern under my belt. I need to make a side bar for my knitting goals so I can cross them off as I go. Im not sure how to do tha so if you do tell me.

This is where the really knitter comes in. This is where I was this morning when I can to work after deciding I did not like the was the pattern was turning out in plain knit stitch I pulled out another pair of needles and picked up stitches at the pint I want to rip back to. after I did that I took a closer look at the pattern that I did in stockinette stitch only to find that I had made a mistake in the pattern. so again I pick up stitches with the other needle and ripped back again. I HATE GOING BACK sorry for yelling I had to get that out.

I will save that picture for the next post and hopefully there will be a finished object picture right after it.

Other things Im doing Im making a quilt out of to small jean fom my son , myself and a few other ppl who donated to the cause. I had not decided what I was gonna use for the other side of the quilt but just yesterday I was going through my son draw and found that he has out grown most of his school uniform pant that I bought just this summer so Im thinking I will use that. I started this project a long time ago and when i think about it I kinda dont feel serious about it then when I pull it out and see it I like the way it coming (non-traditional work) and my son wants it so I need to stop playing already. I will be making soap sometime this week (please keep me to my word thats why I put that here ) I cant think of anything else so I guess I will stop here and get back to the shawl scarf

More Than Two Hand can Handle

2009-12-29T18:55:00.001-05:00

I have so many WIP it really makes no sense. I woke up this morning at 327am because in my sleep i figure out how to make the Moebius all stockinette on one side. I had to get up and search for conformation which I did not find. So I had to pick up my needles and put my idea to a test. Well as usual the sub conscience was right it worked things out while I slept. here are picture of the many things Im working on ...........

this is my Moebius I started on the fly with to small cables and bulky yarn. It making way more sense to me the more I work with it. Next month I will be purchasing a few longer Knitpicks cables and then I will really get to work on a MOEbius (I love that my name is in there.

you would think I learned my lesson on to small cables but no I cast on this one after I saw that my idea made sense.

so here is my first raglan sweater. I purchased Wendy Bernard's book custom fits (did I say that already ). being me I come up with my own idea of what i want to do with a pattern and lucky this one is working out for the better.

This is where I am with it now. part of me is trying to get rid of this bulky yarn I bought. part of me is enjoying working with it and having project be completed so fast. Im still working out in my head what collar I want to put on it. I will tell you as soon as I know.

I told you I was getting a new camera for christmas I did yeah me!!! but the camera didn't come with a case. I put the camera in my tote bag with my knitting not knowing some of my raw nuts had spilled in the bag. when I pulled the camera out there were crumbs on the lens area. so I pulled out the needles and the bulky yarn and knit me a camera sack.
bored at work, side bar if you know me IRL you know I hate my job and I find way to get throught my eight hours. I pulled out the bulky yarn and cast on for a triangle shawl. A few rows in I want to try my hand at the feather and fan. PAUSE let me tell you about the hat Ii made first

This is my hat it started with no idea of what I was doing I only knew I needed a beret because I wanted to wear my hair up. Doesn't it look like a sea sponge. I tried to do the feather and fan stitch but for some reason the the number of stitches increase by 150%. It went from a few hundred stitches to over two hundred and from my understanding of the stitch it should not have grown. I did the decrease by 3 increase by 6 and decrease by 3 which should have left the stitch count the same as I started but its not. when I soaked and blocked it things got worst hopefully I can shrink it in the wash. ok back the the shawl.

ok so I casted on for a triangle shawl and wanted to try the feather and fan on it and again the stitches were growing in number. I pulled up a pattern to follow and I will give it a another try when Im back at work on new year eve.

ok last thing beause im sleepy Ive been up since 3 in the morning. My neighbor saw me knitting and she gave me a bag of yarns.

most are acrylic but the two sets of blue are virgin wool. the lighter blue one are 57 grams each and a single ply finger weight. The darker blue is a worsted weight yarn. I was looking at a lot of sock pictures on ravelry that I wanted to knit socks (mostly I wanted to try a new cast on I saw on youtube ) so I made two balls with the light blue yarn here they are

if and when I finish the socks I will post them up. Ok Im falling to sleep good night it 650 pm Im going to eat something first or I will wake up from hunger.

I Have Found a New Love

2009-12-23T13:51:00.001-05:00

OMG Im holding my completly dry Cheviot and it is so beautiful. This whole process was wonderful. from learning how to comb and flick taking the challenge of spinning the locs and batts on the wheel. divinng in the Navajo plying on the wheel pool. and now this lovely skein of softness. I am truly proud of myself for this one. this camera is crapy but I will show you the pic that I took ........... ok now that I charged the crapy camera let me give you visuals This is the dried skein. I took a wet pic but the camera ate it. I did the Navajo ply on the wheel it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I love how soft the yarn is and fluffy.

Here is a close up you can see how fluffy it is. ou can even see a piece of VM that twisted in it sticking out.

Even closer you can see I still need to practice my Navajo plying, but I did good.

Ok so here is a up date of what I have been working on. I started a reversible hat that i frogged becasue I was trying to do to much at once. I will try again soon. I finished the hat for my Mom and blocked it

I love this pattern i have to make me one because I really wanted to keep this one.

Then I ran across a post about a moebius and I jumped at it. I looked up a video on youtube and cast on even though my circulars are only a 29.I have no idea how many stitches I have on there I just casted on until i couldn't get anymore stitches on not a good idea.

and last I bought a book form a ravelry Wendy Bernard Custom Knits. After the hat thing went wrong I casted on for a raglan sweater if this works out I will probably make more sweaters the whole one piece thing is a good for me I dont like the knit left, right, back and sleeves thing.

Oh I forgot I do so much searching on Ravelry I came cross a group where people take old sweater and unravel them for the yarn. This to me is so cool so here I go planning on doing that myself. I asked my supervisor does he have any cashmere sweater and he said he has two with a whole in both he said he would bring them to me yeaaaahh

I need to buy some longer knitpicks cable I only have to two sizes that came with the kit. well I cant think of anything else right now if I do I will come back. I have to get ready for a Christmas party I need to tighten up some locs in the front of my head.

Progress Report

2009-12-15T21:00:00.001-05:00

Hey Hey Hey

I have up dates

Where should I start, well I finish spinning the Cheviot and now Im practicing Navajo plying on the wheel with commercial yarn, its going ok so far. Also Im almost done with the twisted hat.

I only have a few more rows and Im done. After I block I will decided if I still want to give it to my mom. I like the hat so much I might keep it and make her another one.

Last Thursday my new bag of fleece came in.

I wasted no time grabbing my brush and getting to work

On the left is the unbrushed loc and on the right is the brushed loc. The description says gray but the fleece has three colors. some parts are a true grey with sliver tips. Some are dark grey with brown tips and the last part is black to dark brown with brown tips. I brushed out the locs first then I carded a few pieces. I found that I like the brushed loc more than the carded locs. when I spun from the brush loc it showed the color more defined. The carded loc show a grey color. So Im spinning it up both ways with brushed locs and carded locs alternating between both.

Now I have to figure out if Im gonna spin it all up on one spindle and Navajo ply it off the spindle or spin up another spindle and ply them together. this is how small the singles are. I have to work on making larger singles.

Well that is all for now. I started eating raw food and things are going ok. eating fruit and veggie is not a problem and I like blending fruit and veggie smoothies so this is not hard. the hard par tis getting my mini me to part take in my journey. He gave the hemp hearts a try so that a starts. Ok that all for now. thanks for reading.

To Much for some People

2009-12-08T22:11:00.000-05:00

I have been up to a lot lately. Let pick up where I left off learning to card wool. so when I carded the Cheviot wool and spun it to me it looked grey or dirty take a look

Ok so if you look closely you will see some area that look darker than others, thats the carded wool against the wool I combed out with the cat/dog slicker/brush. When I saw this I got nerves I thought all my hard work was wasted. But my brain never stops working on a problem even when I have closed the case. so my over thinking self figured I should spin up a carded rolag, ply it, skein it, wash it and see what the out come will be, and so I did

This is my mini skein all pretty and white it was just as grey or dirty looking as the area in the bobbin but it came out the wash all white just like I hoped it would. so I have decided to save the rolags I hand carded by re combing them to remove more of the vm that still in it. See when I combed the wool most to all the vm came out. The few little piece that didn't come out popped out when I was spinning the singles. But when I spun up the carded rolag it had more vm and it did not pop out it twisted right up in the mini skein. In order for me to use the carded rolags I have to get the vm out. Its not as bad as it may sound and im really enjoying the whole sheep to whatever project, so much so I order more wool off a etsy seller http://www.etsy.com/shop/wooliesforewe

Natural Grey BL fleece

washed 6oz

I look forward to its arrival

Other projects that I have done well, this is some fiber I spun p to try my hand at navajo plying on the fly I think its called when you ply while your spinning after I saw how well this came out (IMO) decided I wanted to Navajo ply the Cheviot also. Here a question to all you more experience spinner. I want to 3ply the cheviot on a spindle (I tried to 3ply on the wheel it didn't turn out good I will get a pic of that next time) is there some special way to do this. I will be placing the bobbin on my lazy kate and working off from there. If that ok please let me know.

well I went to smiley's yarn sell and picked up some Bernat country wool in tan and another in grey I wanted to make some hats. I knocked this out in a 2 days it would have been done in one but I kept falling to sleep.

My own design. Im gonna undo the top and reknit it Im not feeling the flat top I think I will do it the regular way and with my hair it needs to be longer. Then there this one Im making for my mom

The pattern is called twisted if I get a link I will post it. This is a project I started before all of these. Its another Navajo ply on the fly and Im spinning from the fold. I got bored with it and put it down.

The fiber is from Fluff

4oz of Superwash Merino and Silk

and the last project im working on is

Im not vain but some day I can really look my best I really wish this was most day but it not. and Im forever working on that. Im about to start working raw food to my diet I have some health issue I need to work on. I will be pulling out the juicer and buying more green veggies. The new year will bring a new me if you have any website suggestion for raw food please drop them to me in a email or Ravelry pm. I already join the raw food group there and started reading.

Thanks for reading

Giving Honor to Freinds

2009-11-22T10:32:00.000-05:00

When I started this blog It was basically for craft post. But today I have to post about life. This week has been very trying for me but nothing more than I can bare (thank you Lord). Through his wisdom I knew I had to ask for help in areas that I could not handle by myself. I called on his angels and down they came to help me. So I would like to take this time to give thanks and show gratitude to two people I consider friends Ms. Neosoul and Ms. HarlemPurls both of you have giving me gifts that I will carry with me and use all the time. You may think that your present was just for the things I asked for but you helped me in ways you don't even know. Just having you around meant I had to stay focused and not think about a issue thats in front of me that I have no control over. Thank you for calming my mind and helping me get things done. HarlemPurls we have to set up play dated for the boys. Neo we have to set up play date for us (that us includes you too Harlempurls) LOL .
My butterflies felt the warm and there wings are beginning to move again .

Find Time No Making Time no Taking Time

2009-11-15T17:18:00.000-05:00

Today I will take some pictures of what Im up to and post them later tonight.
Works in Progress
spinning a sw merino/silk blend fiber from Fluff. I started it wostered but now im spinning from the fold.
and Im Plying on the fly. I watched a video and praticed on some fiber I pictured a previous post and the though of not having to ply later make a lot of sense to me so Im giving it a go.

I going to get back to work on my CPH I need to finish that to feel like a real knitter. QUESTION : Are there pattern out there that you feel you must knit in order to feel like to you progressing in the craft?

well the CPH is one of those for me.
others are
mittens
gloves
a rectangle shawl (I would loose interest after a while[the pink shawl is sitting due to that])
a diagonal blanket
muiltdirectional scarf
the drop stitch wave stitch (I dont even need to make a garment i just need to get the stitch down andi will be ok)
a shrug thats so easy its sad but I keep putting it off so it goes on the list
there are more when I get the name I will add them to my list

Wonder that my hand are working on

2009-10-25T13:33:00.001-04:00

These are some WIP that I have hanging around

My central park hoodie. I started it back in April. I broke my finger in May and had to put it down. when I was able to work on it again I got lost in the cables and knit to far so now I have to rip back a couple of row to line up the arm hole. Learn this about me, I hate ripping back I have found ways to go back several rows at one time just to keep from going back one stitch at a time. But this is cable work and I haven't figured out how to get around that, so this has been sitting since july waiting for me to fix the mistake. I will soon

This is a blanket I'm making for a friend. He keeps talking about how he would love to have a hand made blanket so I broke down and started to make him one. I keep it on the back of the sofa so when I'm just sitting around watching Tv I can work on it . It wont be man huge but I didn't want to push it. I know I will get bored and it will never get finished. I have a large bag full of half done crochet blankets to prove it.

This is my triangle shawl. So there is a shawl on ravelry called Ishbel and I kept coming across it left and right. Well one day I had this pink yarn to knit my son a ribbon to wear in school to show support for breast cancer. After I was done I was thinking about how long I had the yarn (4 maybe 5 years) and never found anything to make with it. With needles in hand and no ideas I casted on some stitches to see if I remember how to start a triangle shawl. And to my surprise I did it right or at least close enough. Two day later and one big plain pink blob laterI remembered the Ishbel shawl. I figured I could just find a lace pattern close enough to the one in the Ishbel and see what happens. So far it working out but I have to work on the increase area they seem to be stuck on the sl 1 k2tg psso stitch. Im not stressing it since im just winging it, Im just glad it worked out.

Well thats all the picture I have for now. Next time I will take Pictures of my fiber stash I say that like I have a lot. Later I will get into my soap making I have lot of pictures for that.

From Start To .... Not Over Yet

2009-10-23T16:57:00.001-04:00

In February my friend Harlem Purls gave me a lesson on how to spin on a drop spindle. I lost interest and put it down for a couple of months. Then around June something made me pick it up again, what I don't really know. In July I went nuts and purchased 10 drop spindles.

Here I am with most of them.

I went on to spin my first hand spun yarn. The fiber was a gift from Harlem purl. She spun the same fiber, she has a picture on her blog. I wish mine had looked like hers.

This is what I made with it

Pattern : Coronet

I love this hat I've seen it so many times on Ravelry (off topic: while watching Knit and Crochet Today a show on WLIW 21 they interviewed the maker of Ravelry. I felt so proud to be a part of the site I wanted to yell me me I'm a member, Congratulation Ravelry)

So from there I went on to spin a lot of yarns I didn't take pictures of sorry . In no special order I will post some of the yarns I spun since then ....

This is the Ashford student drop spindle I bought in Lancaster Pa. in July. I planned my vacation by

making sure I was close to a Mall to shop, an Amusement park for my child, and someplace for me to get fiber. I'm a mess I know. The fiber

was 2 oz of Louet dyed corriedale

wool. I started knitting the yarn in to a beret from the Drops pattern collection. I ran out of yarn

so I had to buy more fiber from the Etsy shop Copper'spot. Now I have to spin up more yarn to finish the hat. I am spinning it on my used Louet S10 spinning wheel. It will be interesting to see the difference in the yarns when the hat is all done.

Next I bought some superwash Merino from Stitchnpretty also an Etsy here's pictures of the fiber from her page. What I really loved about buying from her I got my package in like two days whoo woo.

this is the painted desert color wave this is the Circus color wave

I did take a picture of one of them on the spindle I belive its the Panited desert

I used the circus fiber to make .....(I think i may have mix the yarns and used both)

Pattern : Ravelry down load

Beret de Printemps by Jeni Chase

It was a quick knit only 2 1/2 days to complete it. I'm sure I will make more of these.

Next there's Super wash Merino/Tencel fromSpincerely's Shop on Etsy. This was the first time I worked with tencel and I was scared I was going to mess up all that beautiful fiber. I jumped in a

tried spinning from the fold and it all worked out. As soon as I finished the yarn my little cousin claimed it. So I made her a hat that I gave to her before taking a picture of it.

And with what was left over I started a entralac scarf but I didn't like the way the colors lined up. and this is where

I am with a new scarf for her. I'm Still working on it because I get bored with doing the same stitch and that is why I like lace the counting keep me interested.

It is taking way to long to type this and moving the picture around is killing me so I will stop here

If you have any tip on how to make the adding picture process easier please let me know.

The start of it all

2009-10-15T13:52:00.001-04:00

Well here I go. I hope I dont complain to much that is not what I want to do here. I want to write about things I like. Some of you may find that hard to believe since all you here me say is I hate ..... so let me get that out the way I HATE CHECKING MY GRAMMAR AND THE LIKE WHEN IM ON THE INTERNET. But I will do my best to make this not so hard to read bare with me.

I will be blogging about my craft and such. sometimes my life, the happy things and I will be posting pictures and video. if i get a good camera phone I will amuse you with snap from my work see if you can endure the sights from my little box.

so the wonders that my hands create are handmade soap, natural hair products, they knit, spin, and sew. My brain thinks up ideas way to fast for my hands to keep up and things seem to never get done. So hopefully blog will move that along.

Well wish me luck