What's Going On?!

So it's been exactly a month since last I posted. Yes, mama's been busy over here! :)

Fortunately or unfortunately, I haven't had much time to knit. I have, however, checked out a dozen or so knitting books from my local library and have found some GREAT patterns/ideas for gifts!!! I've compiled a nice file of them and will begin knitting, after picking out some really nice yarn. My plan is to start my holiday gifts in April. Perhaps I'll have a few completed to give this year! :)

I'm really excited to be able to make gifts to share with family and friends....and hopefully, if time [and my children] permits, you will be one of the recipients of my handmade creations. [Em, it's time to get our logo together!!!]

I'm going to post a few of the books that I've found some nice things in, for those of you who may be interested in finding quick and fairly easy patterns! And don't forget that your local library is a great [free] place to find the newest books as well as some older ones with good ideas.

What's Been Going On?

Since starting the hat and working on the blanket (shown in previous posts), I've been checking out new patterns by checking knitting books out from my local library! I've come across some really nice things that I hope to get to during this year. Hopefully by March I will have my list of things to make for family and friends complete and be able to begin on these gifts. And if I'm lucky, you'll have something from me--handmade--for Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa (whatever you celebrate during that time of year!).

For those of you who knit, or are interested in knitting, here are some of the books that I've checked out. I'm only sharing that ones I've actually found things inside to knit. A lot of them are 'good idea' books, but I'm realizing that I'm still a beginner when it comes to knitting. I've also learned that when books read, "Easy Knits" or "For the Beginning Knitter," they are still more advanced than my skill. There is still so much I must learn. I must find a knitting mentor, like my cousin has! LOL!

Here they are:

• Handmade Holidays by Melanie Falick (GREAT book! Beautiful things to knit!!!)
• Easy Knitted Accessories by Jeanette Trotman (really nice things to knit and they're listed by skill level, so 'easy' is a relative term in this book!) :)
• Debbie Bliss Easy Knits (again, another "easy" book! great sweaters for kids!)
• Odd Ball Knitting (great ideas for how to use random balls of leftover yarn; not all practical though)
• 1000 Great Knitting Motifs by Luise Roberts (good ideas for adding color/pattern to your knitting)

Well, I've just picked up some new ones from the library today and I need to go through them and see what else I can find that's quick and easy--but nice! Perhaps I'll get some knitting time in this Thursday!

Yarn, Yarn Everywhere!

Again, I have to try the 'more difficult' things! Somehow doing something simple isn't much of a challenge! When I went to my first meetup with the 'Intown Knitters' and shared with them that I was making my scarf with 5 yarns they all gasped! That surprised me--their gasp. One lady asked, "So you're carrying around 5 balls of yarn?" I quickly said no and explained that my yarns were already spun together. But it made me think, "so what's so difficult about carrying around 5 balls of yarn?"

Well, I'm not carrying around 5 balls, but I am carrying around 3. I figured three would be enough to start with! And, to my surprise, it's quite easy...so, I'm already bored with this project! It's a simple pattern, one my cousin, Emilie, shared with me. So between all the other FUN projects, I'll work on this one! It will be a blanket when it's finished!

It's a diagonal blanket pattern. I've started at one corner of the blanket with 5 stitches, increasing each row until I get to about 210 stitches, then I'll start decreasing until I'm back at 5 stitches. See, it's simple.

Knitting In the Round

So here are the beginning of my first hat using circular needles....I will be "working in some color" with this one as well! :)

I made it around five times without twisting it, so hopefully I'm good (meaning: hopefully I won't twist it OR, better yet, perhaps it's impossible to twist it now)!

Working in Some Color!

I started a hat for Kari to match her scarf on the 22nd. I decided to play around with some color since Megan (Atlanta Intown Knitters Member) told me it was "simple." And she was right!!! I tried my own pattern (I'm composing now!!) as I worked in a bit of color. I completed the hat in the wee hours--1 am--of the 24th (today)! I guess I'll have to make this a complete set by knitting some mittens--something else I've never done!!

We'll see...I've already started on another hat using circular needles so I can "knit-in-the-round" for Melvin (the baby) as well as a blanket using three seperate balls of yarn (much easier than I thought). Jaya asked me when I was going to make her a matching hat. So I'll be doing on for her as well.

Something I realized when doing this first hat (for Kari)--the hat pattern sizes don't take into account hair styles other than "hanging down straight" so I must make adjustments for "thick hair in braids" and "thick hair with barrettes." :)

My "Happy New Year" Scarf

In November '06 I started on a scarf for myself. I used some yarn that I purchased from an ebay store about a year and a half ago (or more). Isn't it lovely? It's 4 strands spun together: white, black, tan and gold. This was my first 'pattern' scarf that I've made. I used a pattern I found in Knitting for Dummies called Faggot Lace and created this scarf with it!

I finally completed it, adding fringe, the first Thursday of the year! Thus the reason for it's name! :) Because of the colors, it goes with everything! The yarn is so soft and warm--just in time for the dips in temps we're experiencing now!

I've just started on another 'longer' project with some fabulous yarn I purchase from the same ebay store. This is 4 strands spun together: 2 strands of black, a 2 strand of white & black spun together, and another 2 strand of silver and white spun together! (Actually 7 strands but some were spun together before being spun with the other colors...if you understand?) It's very nice! Since this project is for one of my favorite cousins, I won't share what it will be just yet!

For those of you who are interested, the ebay store is called The Spin Zone (Ebay ID: mhspinzone). I need to work out something with them since I love their yarn and I'm sharing it with you....we'll see! :)

Kari's Scarf

After completing Jaya's scarf, I got things together to make a scarf for Kari. I used a simple knit one row/purl one row pattern! I knitted it in just under two hours!!! I started on Wednesday while I waited during Jaya's ballet class and completed it during a brief naptime on Thursday! The yarn matches her new coat from Grandmother perfectly!

Kari prefers Jaya's scarf and Jaya prefers Kari's....of course!

Scarf for Jaya

I decided to make Jaya another scarf....since she LOVES the one I made for myself. I used LARGE needles so I could complete it quickly! I was able to knit it in 2.5 hours! Now she has a scarf (sort of) like mine! but a lot sooner!

(My pictures are too large to upload...so you must wait until I can reformat them to view her scarf! Please bear with me! thx!)