I was supposed to make this tank top MONTHS ago for Ms. Janice as a potential gift for one of her friends' kids. but we wanted to hang it up at Simpatico as a sample so it could pimp Berroco Ultra Silk. I LOVED the ultra silk. it was a dream to work with. So the original one i did....i didn't like it. i finished the body in one day...but it sat in my kniting bag for months. I even quit carrying that bag to avoid the guilt of the UFO sitting inside.... it looked too much like a misshapen shirt. So i ripped the whole thing out and started over from scratch.
Project: Sassy Tank Top (my own design), flower from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over the Edge
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Silk
Amount of yarn used: 2 skeins. 3 if you want to make the flower out of ultra silk.
Colors: 6106-Lilac for body, 6119 - Toeshoes for straps and flower
Needle Size: US10
Date Started: April 26, 2006
Date Finished: April 28, 2006
I need to write up the pattern, check for leaks, and make sure it makes sense. But i'm letting Mary Jane give it away. hahaha. this pattern knit up FAST. if i had worked on it non-stop, it would have taken just one day. I had a bit of trouble understanding the flower (shush, Bot-Gurl!!!), but once i got it, it took me 3 tries to get the flower how i liked it. i found the secret was to sew up the end of the flower after I did the twists. (i will explain later if you are really THAT interested).
**edit: this tank top is for a widdle girl of around 4yr old (i think). lol
Jennifer from PieKnits walked into the store today and I thought i recognized her from her picture...but i was kind of timid to say so. but i finally did and it was her!! it was great meeting you, jennifer!
|W|P|114638296966560141|W|P|Sassy Tank Top|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com
|W|P|Aaw, it's so lovely! |W|P|cute!!!! love the color too. if my arms were skinnier, i'd probably wear something like that. haha ;) |W|P|(re: the edited note) ok, now THAT makes sense. for some reason i felt very fat looking at that tank top... haha |W|P|Fun! That's such a cute tank for a little girl. But you may start getting requests for a pattern for bigger girls! (hee) |W|P|I love that you have Hello Kitty and HO in your banner. That's beautiful.
In the pot it looked like just green and really dark pink. i showed these pics to my friend Todd and he started laughing. he goes 'are you trying to knit the mexican flag?" :O I DIDN"T EVEN THINK OF THAT!!!! oh well....i can call this color "viva la mexico!!" hahaha sigh.
There are too many white spots ..but maybe it'll look nice all wound up. sigh. i'm scared. hahaha|W|P|114593075012532521|W|P|dying failure|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|hey! you could always overdye...or just try it again...Did you sign up for Dye-o-rama?
Till then, Vivo con mi gatto!
|W|P|Just think of it as Step one! Overdying it with some blue would make a really pretty blue, purple, blue-green colorway. |W|P|oooh, that blue suggestion sounds good... you can try that!! (p.s. at first i didn't think of the mexican flag - although now that i look at it, that's all i see... at first it reminded me of something tropical, like a parrot or something =P) |W|P|Oh my. How did you dye it? Pamela and I did some Kool-Aid dying last week, and we had no such problems. Maybe we could take you under our dying wing? Hee hee.
Who the hell made this hat for Lindsey Lohan? my gawd she looks freaking messed up. and her walking around in this hat doesn't do knitted hats any justice!!
Aren't these ADORABLE baby boots??? they are a huge hit w/ everyone i give them to. I need to start stock piling them!! I'm surprised they are so expensive on the website. I get them for WAY less at the hospital gift shop of the hospital i work at.
Everyone needs a manual for a new baby. ;)
I ended up making a Kimono sweater from the Mason Dixon book (an EXCELLENT BOOK!!!!). here is my results:
I got the ribbon at a DOLLAR STORE! Man..i love that dollar store! i bought so much ribbon there!
And of course..i can't let the little sweater go w/o a nice finishing Auntie Jen touch. ;)
Details on the project:
Project: Mason Dixon Kimono Sweater
Yarn: Paton's Grace
Colors: Tangelo - 60901
Needle Size: US5
Date Started: April 18, 2006
Date Finished: April 21, 2006
And here is a ruffled cloche hat. I found the original pattern here....but i was making it out of non-bulky cotton...so i fudged and made my own pattern based on the original. Is it considered your own pattern when you make many changes to the original pattern you saw? i guess it is. i dont want people thinking that i'm stealing patterns and claiming them as my own when their own patterns inspired me to make adjustments to fit my needs. hahah
I did a gauge swatch to figure everything out b/c the original pattern was written for bulky wool I figured out that I got 5 sts / inch on a us5 needle. a newborn's head is between 12" - 14" at birth. I picked to do a 14" hat...at 5 sts/inch it's 70 sts to cast on. But to make the ruffle, you have to cast on ALOT of stitches and then do a k2tog for 2 rows. then after the first 2 rows, you just knit for a while and then decrease.
Needle size: US5, 16" circ (or double points..whatever)
Yarn: Paton's Grace (i think this is DK weight..the gauge on the label reads: 24 sts=10cm (4") on a u.s. 6 needle)
Size=14" head diameter
- Cast on 280 sts. (i know it sounds terrible)
- Join in the round being very careful not to twist.
- k2tog the entire row ...140 sts remaining.
- k2tog the 2nd row...70 sts remaining.
- Knit every row until you have 3.25", including the ruffle.
- Decrease round 1: (k2tog, k5) repeat to end.
- Round 2: Knit
- Round 3: (k2tog, k4) repeat to end.
- Round 4: Knit
- Round 5: (k2 tog, k3) repeat to end.
- Round 6: Knit
- Round 7: (k2tog, k2) repeat to end.
- Round 8: Knit
- Round 9: (k2tog, k1) repeat to end.
- Round 10: Knit
- Round 11: K2 tog, (10 sts remaining)
- Round 12: k2tog (5 sts remaining)
Thread yarn through remaining stitches and pull to close.
the flower was done w/ this pattern from Sarah's Yarn Box.
Project: my own :D (check above)
Yarn: Paton's Grace
Colors: Tangelo - 60901, flower: Viola - 60322, Ginger - 60027
Needle Size: US5
Date Started: April 18, 2006
Date Finished: April 21, 2006
|W|P|114577424111134444|W|P|Baby shower goodies|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|Jen!! I was sad you weren't there and super surprized to see Mary there. At least it was a great trade off! ;)Mary explained all about your fever. No worries, I completely understand. I really hope you're feeling better. Honestly, had I not been the guest of honor, I wouldn't have gone either. I've been fighting to keep food down lately. Yuck!
I absolutely *loved* everything, especially the kimono and the cloche. The yarn is positively beautiful, and I absolutely LOVE that ribbon!! I nearly fell out of my chair when I read that you got it from the dollar store! It matches perfectly (I wasn't the only one who noticed, either).
I got a serious kick (get it? Kick?) out of the red boots. They're adorable! They're the only boots we got, too. I'll have to make sure she learns the song "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'" now (although I guess it's a little early for that).
Thank you SO much for everything. I think the most useful gifts will be the bibs (adorable! love 'em!) and the manual. Let me tell you, it's been a long time since I babysat, and I know motherhood is a lot more intense than that. I need all the help I can get!
Jen, you are seriously the awesomest! :)
|W|P|I hope you are feeling better soon! Lovely gifts! |W|P|What adorable baby gifts! Love the tag too. Did you use iron-on transfer & ribbon. I read about that somewhere and wondered how good it would look. |W|P|auntie jen is such a thoughtful gift giver! hopefully she gets better soon ;) |W|P|I just got the M/D book and really wanted to make that sweater! I love yours! The color is GREAT! |W|P|I'm 3/4 finished w/ the baby kimono and just love yours. Mine is also brightly colored -- who says babies prefer pastels? The mother will kill me because the yarn has to be handwashed but it's so so soft and wonderful (Artyarn sock yarn in a yellow ombre). Anyway, I would love to add a tag like you have and haven't the slightest idea how. Can you fill us in and let us know how you did that? Thanks.
|W|P|114569101598834459|W|P|i finish...just in time|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|I'm sure that they will like the gift. I hope that you'll be able to post some pictures of it spread out.Knit on!
|W|P|I like those colors!!! |W|P|ooh, good job finishing on time!!! knitting with a deadline can get a little stressful. i'm sure the recipient will love your homemade gift. =) |W|P|The recipient absolutely loved everything in the bag, but the kimono and the cloche were the best part of the gift. I have been so sad I haven't been able to knit more than a row here or a row there lately, and I admire handmade gifts so much more than store bought gifts (although each has its place - handmade just requires more effort and thought, etc). This seriously was one of the best gifts I've received for the baby. It's certainly the most beautiful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! :)
It's still hot outside. all I do is bitch and moan when it gets like this. sorry y'all. it's gonna be a long horrible summer. but i'm too scared to go outside until it gets a bit later. Some of my neighbors were swimming in the pool yesterday. i was all "HEY! PPL ARE SWIMMING!!" thinking like why? it's so early! but noooo..it's a good time to go for a swim. too bad i don't like to swim. :(
So I finished knitting my scarf on Sat night. Our lovely Joel was kind enough to invite Bot-Gurl and myself over for a little bit of movie watching and we knit as we laughed at the movie. it was alot of fun!! We watched Connie and Carla. It was funny and cheesy.
Anyway....i finally blocked this scarf last night and added the fringe today after it was dry.
Project: My So-Called Scarf
Yarn: Rio De La Plata
Colors: Faded Fuschia Red - F18
Needle Size: US13
Date Started: April 13, 2006
Date Finished: April 18, 2006
I made this scarf 60" long...as long as I am tall. I had a little bit of yarn left over..like 1/6th of the ball still. The original pattern called for US11's. oops..i wasn't paying attention when i grabbed my needles. I got overly excited and just started. but it's ok..i'm happy w/ how the scarf came out.
If you want to do this scarf, Simpatico has TONS of colors...solid and faded. so come and get some before I buy more! hahahaha sorry to sound like a commercial. im' just spreading the joy! hahaah.
i'm still working on the Suede purse. I got some of the hardware for it today and some interfacing for it b/c it's really limp and doesn't look like it'll hold up well. so i'm going to experiement and find my fat quarters so i can line this sucker too.|W|P|114538843981944961|W|P|It's hot. i'm scared of going outside. and my scarf. ;)|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|ooooh! It looks so nice. I HATE the heat too. I just melt when it gets over 90 degrees. |W|P|Yep, this heat sucks. I just hope that cool front comes in tonight as promised by Troy (Dungan)!Lurrrve the scarf, too!
|W|P|man, i had no idea it gets that hot there, so soon. it's not even may yet. here, we're hovering around the low 70's (when it's not raining). mild, but nice. =) |W|P|Ha, well I guess it just depends where you come from. I'm a northerner living in Texas and I'll take this over the snow any day. :) Although this kind of heat isn't normal for Texas yet either.The scarf looks great- I really like that pattern for variegated yarn. I've been meaning to check out Simpatico- will have to go!
|W|P|Oh my god. I *love* the colors of your scarf! So perfect and actually looks great on the 13 needles.
Kill me!!!!!! I hate Texas heat. I complain every freaking year. Every summer i claim i'm going to leave this hellhole and move onto cooler pastures...places where they have seasons...preferably cool seasons..like fall..where the leaves change into beautiful colors and float to the ground rather than drop dead from lack of water and maximum heat. I dunno. i hate the humidity. yesterday all i did was scream and yell about the heat..even at the cashier at IHOP who said "it's such a beautiful easter today.." and i bit his head off. i proceeded to take a long afternoon nap where when i woke up, i was sweating like a hog. It's April...and it's 97 degrees.
Why oh why must we suffer. Is it b/c we have so many malls here in DFW? Is it b/c the shopping here is so good? Don't we suffer enough w/ crappy daily traffic (even at 6am!!!) and like 20 highways to memorize? Is it because the Korean food here is so freaking good? Or the Vietnamese food being good as well? Don't we suffer enough w/o more AWESOME Chinese restaurants around here? Is it b/c Six Flags is here? That place sucks too though! hot and expensive! Is it b/c people are gluttons when it comes to sports here (Rangers, Cowboys, Stars, Mavericks, and all the mini sports groups)? maybe that's it. I think i suffer enough w/ TXU raising my electric rates over 25% when my bills were so sky high last summer that it almost killed me.
as far as knitting goes....i finished knitting the Suede Purse..i just need to put it together and get some bits for it. I finished knitting the rio de la plata scarf...but i need to block it and put minimal fringe (much to the chagrin of Bot-Gurl. ;)) hahahaa.
|W|P|114531144171217294|W|P|kill me it's hot.|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|I am *so* with you on moving out of this God-forsaken oven of a state. I'm trying to get B to move to Michigan with me, but with the new house, it will be a few years or so before that happens.Ugh. This summer is going to be Hell.
|W|P|that's why you need to move to Cali already!! we got all that good stuff and mild weather (if you stay on the coast). =)it's still freezing here, which is really weird. just yesterday i saw blue skies in SF (was there for a wedding), and was super weirded out. but of course, i stepped outside and instantly grabbed my peacoat because it was FREEZING. =P
CLOSE UP....
I was working on this at the store today...i kept screwing up. Sometimes i can't talk and knit at the same time. it was one of those days.....
The pictures look really pinky. but it's more purple than pink. ;)|W|P|114498683411705767|W|P|her name is Rio and she dances on the sand.....|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|oooooh, so pretty! |W|P|Ohmy... I think it's been too long since I was at Simpatico... I gotta get me some of that! What stitch is that? |W|P|I love that yarn! I hate to say this, because it's so beautiful there, but can you imagine this felted? I think my brain just exploded.I really need to get up to the store soon!!
Project: My own pattern
Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly Fairisle DK
Colors: Fairisle Blue color 791
Needle Size: US1
Date Started: March 24, 2006
Date Finished: March 25, 2006
Project: Stay-On Booties
Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly Fairisle DK
Colors: Fairisle Blue color 791
Needle Size: US1
Date Started: March 24, 2006
Date Finished: March 30, 2006
I used some nice glove needles that NanC traded me for. hehe. thank you, NanC!! these glove needles made the booties waaaay easier to make. The longer dbl points really poke my hands...i no likey.
I LOVED this yarn. I bought it like 3 years ago from Simpatico Yarns...put it away to save for a special day...and i found it again when i was cleaning my garage. People have complimented me on this yarn every time they look at it. So i'm pleased...and of course NOW...i want to check every where and grab every skein i can possibly find. sigh. hahaha. the pinky-purple colors are WAAAAAAAAAAAAY cute.
The hat and booties are a bit large for the baby..but it's ok. I figured he's gonna be a big baby. I'll take pics of the booties again once they try and i thread some ribbon in the eyelets. ;)|W|P|114490884412299653|W|P|Baby stuff|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|very cute! |W|P|dang girl - size 1 needles?? done in a day (or two)? great job!! =)
So i got my copy of Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers in the mail yesterday. I pre-ordered this bitch like 6 months ago when on stupid Overstock.com said it would ship within 24 hours. I thought i beat the system. i was wrong...and i forgot to cancel the order. doh!!
So i got it...not knowing what to expect after seeing the knitted purses book....one of the worst books i have ever seen. I did like ONE purse in it....but that's it! I think this lady is writing books that are crack-induced. her dealer needs to lighten up on the potenancy...or quit sneaking in PSP into her shizz.
I think i only like 2 flowers out of this whole book. I"m not sure. i'm starting to fear the felting crazy a bit. Someone called it "boiled wool" a few months ago...and since she said that, i haven't looked at felting the same since. Boiled wool sounds like nasty food. hahahaha. i mean..don't get me wrong. i still love the process and doing it...but i think looking at it afterward is starting to wear on me. Plus i'm not digging the smell of wool in hot water. Smells like wet dog to me. blech.|W|P|114468832097631835|W|P|Knitted flowers? some of it is knitted crap!|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|yea, i agree, it IS boiled wool! with that moist musty doggy smell... hehe. yea, the only stuff i have of nicky epstein's is her embelishment stuff (both books) and i sort of held back with the knitted flowers because i wasn't sure. now i'm REALLY not sure about it, after your commentary. if you say the felted bag book sucked, i'll definately take your word for it, since we have similar tastes.. hehe |W|P|Thanks for the tip on the book. Perhaps you should step away from felting for a while and knit other things. That's what its sounding like to me.
Can't wait to see what else you're going to knit.
Knit on!
|W|P|Dang, I hate to hear that! I've been looking forward to this book for months! Guess I'll start looking forward elsewhere....
Side view
and now felted...
Top View
Top view w/ a chapstick inside the box.
Felted w/ chapstick in the box.
So it's small. |W|P|Well I hope your brother appreciates having such a thoughtful sister!
Here is my Bitty Baby (still sans name!)wearing a dress I sort-of designed. I saw a cute dress pattern in a book i have here at home...and i offered to make one for Mary jane as a shop sample. As I started it..i realized...the dress is huge and u ses up alot of yarn. So i thought..i'll just divide everything in half and it'll be a dress for a baby! you know...things don't work out that way. It's not like a recipe for cake where you just divide everything by 2 and make it half the size. no. there is ALOT of calculations involved! so man...that took me 2 days to figure out how make this little dress. and it didn't come out as I imagined...but it's cute nevertheless. ;) I wanted more of a jumper dress rather than a dress dress. So i'll redo this and see what i get. But isn't it cute? I want to put a Hello Kitty stencil on the front and bleach it. hahaaha. we'll see. i gotta find my stencil first!
Cutesy picot edging. ;)
So i decided to make a purse I saw on Berroco's website. I normally don't like Berroco's designs too much...and that goes for this one too. what the freak is up w/ the design on the FRONT? anyway...i planned on doing it w/o the medallion on the front.
I made a gauge swatch...and i got gauge! so i started...going going going. I just finished the front panel...and i look at the picture on my computer screen rather than on the print out i did. Ummm...the stitch pattern does NOT MATCH. it's TOTALLY DIFFERENT!!! so i'm a bit mad. should i keep going? should i rip out and start over to see what i did wrong? sigh.... I think i'm going to end up ripping it all out and seeing if i can get it right...ORRRRR..i'll do a diff. stitch pattern all together. i like this stitch pattern though!! WAAH!
Anyway..i was knitting at work....and here is a picture of the tri-color suede on my computer at work:
I love my job. granted, it's stressful at times...but not often. I get to play w/ babies all day and i get to knit at work...or read the paper...or read a book...whatever! i love my job. ;) don't my needles look so cool on the laptop keys? HAHAHAHA|W|P|114446662951845838|W|P|I haven't only been watching tv...i've been knitting|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com
Meredith knitting at a bar while talking to McDreamy. I dont think i could knit if he was sitting RIGHT NEXT TO ME...talking about SEX. hahahaahaha.
Does she look like a newbie? :D
I wonder if those are fiddlesticks...or clovers? Hahahaha. they ARE in Seattle! lots of knitting stores up there!
Izzy w/ cutie pie Denny...knitting.
It looks like she has Addis!! YEAH! and she looks like she knows what she is doing.
Knitting at work...sigh.
OK...Izzy made Denny a sweater in ONE DAY. LIES! how is that possible? I know she was knitting on HUGE needles and bulky yarn...but COME ON!!! and she had time to wear it for 3 hours after she made it so that it would smell like her. WHATEVER!! how did she manage to do this at work!? she was knitting fast...but sheesh. not that fast! hahaha
Meredith looking at her big stitches on her big needles at the Vet's office.
Man..who knew chris o'donnell was such a cutie? when he came into the room..i was all "WHO IS THAT HOTTIE??" i'm a huge sucker for goatees. ;) i think they make every man hotter. hahaha. then i saw his face more clearly...and i was all "OMG! that's ROBIN!!!"
what is it about this show? they bring in actors (men wise) from the 80's and 90's...and make them look SO HOT! tee-hee...this is a good thing. ;) hahahaa. man..i wonder if they'll bring in christian slater..my original first true love!
====================
enough grey's anatomy talk! I got back from houston yesterday afternoon around 1p. I had a funeral to attend for a close family friend. It went as well as funerals can go. I don' tknow how ppl can live in houston. That place is like hell on earth. and my relatives and friends...they kept telling me "You should move here!" HELL NO!! i'd rather go back and live in my parents' house before i live in HOUSTON! hahaha. anyway...but thanks all for your thoughts. it was a hard weekend for me. The man who died was really like my grandfather as I was growing up away from my grandparents. I've never lost anyone i was that close to before....so this was a new experience for me.|W|P|114408740378952436|W|P|200!!!!!! YAY FOR ME!! is this too geeky?|W|P|purse.ho@gmail.com |W|P|a sweater in one day?? complete lies. unless they were using UBER fat needles/yarn. =P and yes, i've always thought chris o'donnell was a cutie too. =)sorry to hear about your family friend! i just found out yesterday that my close friends' 2 mo baby died!! i can't even imagine what it's like for them. =(
|W|P|thanks sooo much for the recap. my co-workers (who don't knit) were trying to tell me about it. ;) |W|P|I am undone! I hate when actors "fake knit." I was at a play recently, where the actress was pretending to knit, and I wanted to yell out,"PUT THAT DOWN!" It was really painful to watch her. |W|P|I always get a thrill seeing knitting on tv. It's even sweeter when it appears on a show I love. If I see it on Veronica Mars I'll just have to pass out. |W|P|I didn't realize there were so many knitting scenes on t.v.Knit on!
|W|P|I totally noticed that! (the addi's)meredith's just slipping stitches...
|W|P|how hilarious!!!! that's so cool !! =)