kool.

I had my first dyeing sucess this weekend with kool-aid. It turned out so much prettier and nicer than the last time tried to dye wool. I had a rather ugly skein of yarn that I overdyed with 2 packets of cherry kool-aid and it is really pretty now. I also overdyed 6 skeins of orange o-wool Balance with 15 packets of orange kool-aid and 2 packets of cherry. Lovely. Hopefully I can get the photos of them up when I get home tonight. I re-cast on for my Susie's reading mitts last night. I am using some left over knitpicks DK wool. They look kind of garish - but I know a friend that will LOVE them so she will be getting them for her birthday.

I have the picot edge done on one of them. I even put the seam together because I am horrible about seams and ends. Photos to hopefully come later.

Goldilocks and the three mitts?

It seems that my vision is off. I worked on the bird and vine mitts for my sister and lo and behold - they are entirely too small for her to put on - good thing I am only into the first half of the first mitt. I also worked on a 2nd pair of mitts Susie's Reading Mitts - and they are entirely too big. So I am ripping both out and hoping that my new cast on will be the right fit...

slipper sensation

I am working on some felted slippers for my sister for her birthday present in December - yes - that was last December if you MUST know... And the pattern is leaving me utterly confused. I am thinking I might just have to scrap it and go back to my original plan of making her some felted clogs. They will be equally loved I am sure. Both patterns are from Fiber Trends. The one I am having trouble with is the pattern for the ballet slippers. I have tried three or four times and it just looks so wonky. So I am going to work on the felted clogs. Although - my last endeavor with them ended up being to small for Matthew and Austin... (speaking of which I need to get those out to someone...)

I am going to try to work on some Christmas gifts this year. I have a few great ideas planned but it is hard to see them come to fruition (sp!).

I am going to be working on a few very exciting but topsecret gifts this year... maybe I will take small and cryptic shots of them...in case anyone reads this.

Rock n Roll

So I have fallen in love with these stones. I think they are truly lovely. I am forcing myself to wait to craft them until after the house move. I am going to make a set for my best gal pal Crystal for Christmas this year. I was thinking about doing a set that said peace, love, family, friendship and hope and karma. Crystal is a very big beleiver in Karma so I think she would really appreciate them.

I also have an idea pending for a necklace for her based on one that I saw at Kohl's but figured I could do a much better job than a storebought one!

okay - new year - new blog

I have decided that this year I am going to actually make an effort to blog. I miss doing it - even it is just for me. Ravelry seems to be taking up a lot of my knitting time. But this year I have a goal of having a handmade holiday and I really want to work on making as much stuff as I can this year. I know that it will not be easy but I will try - so this is going to be dedicated to all things crafty from now on and not just knitting... more to come.

CHRISTMAS 2008

okay - so my great idea of knitting all year long turned into a bust! But I am going to be working on christmas/winter gifts for the next few months... here is my list

Amy -- hat
Kim -- mitts
Amy (sis) -- breadcloth
Pat and Liz -- blanket
Amber and Neil -- tbd
Austin
Matt
Steven ^^^^^ DONE
Noah ^^^^^ DONE
Junior
(all the boys are getting hats!)
Noel -- bread cloth ?
Crystal -- bread cloth ?
Sheyenne -- mitts
Logan -- mitts
jamie -- hat
Michelle ?
KJ -- hat
Dylan -- hat


I have found a cute pattern for some Biscuit blankets and I think I might download it. Although it looks like a big dishcloth with holes in each corner for a thread to go through. I might just make it out of simple garter stitch or a giant DW dishcloth because I really like that pattern!

Hmm -- we shall see! : )

Gift List for 2008

I have joined along with this fab little group through Ravelry. The idea is to keep track of all the knits that you want to accomplish through out the year and to keep you on top of it all. I am going to keep a running tab of the items that I want to knit on here as well. The pattern browser on Ravelry is dangerous. I keeping adding and adding and adding... So here is what my knit list for the year looks like.

Crystal Birthday - Cable knit bag - pattern undecided

Amy Birthday - Bag - pattern undecided

Pat Birthday - Eye pillow and lavender sachet - IK magazine

Amy Birthday - Sweater

Kim Birthday - Thick scarf

Amber Birthday - undecided

Liz Birthday - book cover ?

Christmas
All are getting personalized pillows
Sheyenne
Logan
Jamie
matthew
Austin
Steven
Noah
Junior

All are getting wristlet (SNB nation and holiday IK 2007)
Kim
Amy
Amber
Pat
Crystal
Noel



Scott - Scarf
Josh - hat
Neil - Hat
Amy - Hat
Liz - Hat or scarf

Random Items I would like to knit throughout the year

A gift for Louise
A gift for Rosie

A blanket or throw for the house.


That is it for now... I will post more later and as I get patterns decided upon I will post the link for them .

Already out with the old...

I don't normally make new years resolutions. But I have decided that 2008 needs to bring some minor changes in my life. Just simple little things that will help me on my lifes journey.

The first started out of frustation with a friend and as I was figuring something else out this realization came to me.

I have decided to really read up on at least three current events each week and follow them. It is too often that I pass over important news events and end up reading the entertainment sections. So here is the beginning of my newest resolution. I hope that others who read this will be inspired to read more about their world, too.
Here is my first one for the week:

1) For the first time ever girls have swept both the individual and team challenge for the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technologythat is held in New York each year. The top individual was for research on bone regrowth on zebra fish. The top prize for the team was for two girls who have done research on possible tuberculosis cures with a focus on drug resistant strands of the disease. A brief article about this can be found here.

And now on to knitting news:

Last Saturday when I went to my 13 year old nephews basketball game my 15 year old neice looked at me and gasped - Aunt Becky - where did you get that hat from?
Why? I asked... She tells me "That is the coolest have I seen I want one." Oh - I tell her - I made it.. She tells me " NO way - your are so cool." Okay - nothing makes you feel better than a 15 year old with it girl that tells you that you are cool. So - this morning - in my horrendous drive to work - while sitting in traffic I cast on for her hat. When completed I will get pics up for you.

I finished my Foliage hat. It turned out quite nicely. I am still trying to decide if I like Malabrigo or not. It is butter soft but it gets a weird haze around it that I have decided if I like or not.

Last night, in a sudden realization, I remembered that I had not made a present for a friend of mines daughter for Hanukkah. Luckily she is only 9 months old so I whipped up a hat for her. We are all meeting for coffee tonight so I had to get it done! It is the ribbon hat pattern from itty bitty hats. I forget who the author is. I only did three rows of ribbon. The pattern is wrong though on the eyelet rounds but after some quick math I was able to just drop down to the size below chart and voila - eyelet rounds complete. Finished it up and ran some ribbons through it and it is so freakin' adorbale. I will try to get her pic in it tonight.

More to come later.
Happy Knitting.

Holiday Cheer

Amy and I got a fake tree this year. It is not one that I am too happy about, but I had to give a little, right?

Amy is quite allergic to Pine and has been putting up with it for years. We also go into a "argument" every year about actually getting a tree, then it ensues an "argument" about the price of a tree, then it goes to an "argument" about putting it up and decorating it. I figured that if we got the fake tree, there is nothing that we can argue about, it is already paid for, and it goes together in three easy steps. and I don't mind the decorating. I also found the yummiest of the yummiest pine candle that engulfs my whole house. So, it is a nice compromise. The lovely smell of Christmas but with out the arguing with Amy!

The washcloth knits are coming along uper slowly...After getting a great jump start on them, my hands hurt and I am tired of cotton. I didn't think I would ever say that. I am one of the biggest cotton addicts there is. I just need to give myself a rest on it I think.

The ribbing on the hat is almost complete. It has about 6 more rows to be done. It looks really good.

I headed out at lunch today and grabbed some gifties for my holiday swap pal on Ravelry. I just have 1 more thing to pick up and then I will get the package off. Hopefully I can pick up what I need this evening! But will make no promises!!

More to come later. And I will get photos up... I have just been lazy.

little bits

Just some random knitting postings today. I picked up a skein of yarn for my littlest nephews hat about a month ago, but realized that I should use some basic washable yarn for his hat. So I decided to get to work on a hat of my own... or at least one to give away.

I am not usually one to have to knit the yarn from the pattern. I am more than comfortable with switching out yarns and even refiguring gauge. I decided on this patten from Knitty. Lo and behold, it ended up being the same yarn, just in dark blue. I have seen people write this before and now I totally understand the truth to these words... mmmmm-Malabrigo.

I am going to be knitting a Christmas joke for my eldest nephew. I had knit up some wrist warmers in Kureyon in this color way... and every time he comes over, he asks for my "gauntlets of rock" I can't remember the pattern I used for them, but I am sure I can find one that is fairly similar.

I have more to add, but am feeling lazy. I will try to get some pics up this next post...

Happy Knitting

Where has the time gone?

It doesn’t seem like it has been nearly a year since my last post! I fell off the knitting wagon a while back and was not completing anything. But in the last few months I have gotten back into my groove and have been completing things left and right.

So what am I working on right now?
I had this great idea that I am going to knit dishcloths for people for the holidays… It was a few weeks back and I decided that I could knit 36 dishcloths with no problem right!?!?! Well, we will see how that goes. I have 10 done. They are going by much faster than I thought, but it is still a pain in the rear! In the speed of things, I have decided to narrow it down to a few patterns.

The DW washcloth
Grandma’s Favorite.. this is perfect for my mindless knitting
and the Woven dishcloth.

I am also crocheting a few of them.
Just a basic granny square and some plain square cloths. These go by much faster but I am not as fond of the crochet squares as I am of the knitted ones.

I need to make a few hats for the holidays as well. All the boys need hats. Junior, Noah, Steven, Matt and Austin. 2 of them are done and one is half done. Hats don’t take too long and because they are for small heads I should be able to get them done fairly quickly. I have the yarn for them. I just need the time!
Aurora is getting the sheep from a crochet book – I forgot the name though-

I will post pics later! Happy Knitting!

Plethora of pictures and yarny goodness...

I realized I haven't had any pictures up lately and I figured I would share my latest finds...


I have been coveting this book for a long time and finally broke down and picked it up...






I also picked up these on sale at a yarn store by me....







I found this Annie Blatt yarn on sale for $1.00 !!!! I got all six skeins of it!!!!
I know it isn't the greatest picture but it is the best one I could find







This was picked up for my secret pal... The color of the sock is the one that is on the way to her.








I also picked up some Cotton Twist in the green is called Inch Worm...
I don't really know what I am going to knit with it but I love it... This too was only $1.00 a skein!!!!









I picked up 2 skeins of this a while back... the color is called Solar







Then somehow.. this yarn jumped into my hands... I don't really know how it happened but it did. I have 2 skeins of Noro Sakura in color 1.. Maybe a little bag?








Well, that is about it. I will have more to post later. Thought I would share some love with the world!

Happy Knitting

baby fever

I have hit into full baby fever mode. After knitting a gazillion hats for Christmas presents I have gone into the knitting for baby mode. Luckily a friend of mine is due in march and i have plenty of things to knit for her.

These are the things I have lined up...

1) a little black sweater... it is long standing joke between the two of us. I am a black sweater junkie and prefer those over coats any day. We always talked about when we had kids that we would have to get them little black sweaters and well... She will have one now.

2) two baby blankets - one crochet and one knit.

3) a crocheted sheep

4) washcloths a plenty

5) cotton bibs from Mason Dixon knitting


I have been off of work the last few days. I got a cold this weekend and I sound terrible. I spent the whole day sleeping yesterday. Not a normal thing for me to take naps through out the day, so I figured that it was better for me to stay home today and finish getting better.

More later.


Happy Knitting

Hollywood or bust..

Amy and I decided to have a fun new years eve this year, and we are spending it with a friend in Anaheim and then going to Hollywood for the evening. Last year we spent the night with me sleeping as I was sick as a dog!

I finished all my Christmas knitting it done last night. I used to love Noro Kureyon, and love knitting hats... but as of now... I am despising both!!! 7 hats in 8 days... ughhhh. No more hats... and right now... no more Noro... I thought I would never say that!

Oh.... my favorite Christmas gift I got of all... a ball winder... I also got a $25 joann's gift certificate... so if I plan correctly... with the coupons that i get from them... I can get a swift for $25 instead of the normal $70 price! YES!

I will post more later.... I am off to Chinatown... Maybe I can get some wonderful little trinkets....


Happy Knitting!

Wishing you the merriest...

I just want to send a quick message out to my dear readers - Have a very Merry Christmas! I know it is kinda late but the sentiment is still the same. May God (or what ever higher power you believe in) bless you. Have a wonderful day tomorrow !

Happy Knitting !

I didn't get asked by my secret pal - but don't want to face the wrath of the yarn yenta ;)

Here are mine -

1)oddest present - I think that would be a decoupage vase that has my name decoupaged all over it.

2) oddest present asked for - While not really odd - just not traditional - I have asked for a food processor, a food slicer and of course a ball winder and swift

3) oddest ever given - That goes this week - I am giving my girlfriend a hubcap - she bought a new car in July and then at the end of August someone crunched the front end of her in a parking lot and stole the hubcap. She has been continually saying for months now that she has to go and get a new hubcap (the insurance didn't cover that in the repair) So I am sick of hearing about it.... and ordered her a new one !

4)worst present - That would be from my cousin Debra - she gave me the south beach diet book one year and then the next year gave me a "how to find a man " book -- Mind you the extended family doesn't know that i have a girlfriend - *That is another story in itself!

Have a merry Christmas I will post of Christmas morning - if I remember to! Have a happy happy happy one !

Computer on the fritz...

Our computer went down the other week. I should have posted from work - but I didn't want to take a chance with it. I have been knitting my hands off - I have about 3 presents left to do - so hopefully I can get them all done! I will have pictures to post when I am done with it all.

Yesterday my sisters and I spent the afternoon baking - we made over 2000 cookies - those are all going to be delivered in the next few days. I have a few to send to my secret pal! I am sending her a Christmas theme package tomorrow and i hope that she likes it! Got lots of little goodies in there.


Happy knitting

I joined a gym this week. No real news to tell on that. I just had to do it. I was tired of looking at my fat butt getting fatter. These last few weeks for me has been a kind of rebirth. I had been letting myself go for a while, both mentally and physically. I got the mental part under control (or at least it is getting there) and now it is time for the physical part of me to get back under control. The surprising thing about this is that I had thought I would be quite sore after my first work out yesterday morning, but I was more tired from holding my nephew than spending an hour at the gym!

I am still knitting wash cloths. Nothing exciting about that. Sorry friends of the blog. Oh, I did finish a scarf the other day. It is really pretty. Didn't take me too long - It was knit on size 19's. Nothin' like instant gratification for me!


More later. Off to the gym and the grocery store. Have a good one! :)

Maggie ( my little pup) had 6 teeth pulled this morning. She is on a lot of pain meds right now. Although, the teeth were barely held in. Actually, they popped right out. YUCKKKKK! That is the one cool thing about having a vet in the family. I got to watch my sis do surgery on my dog. Not something that most people would want to see, but hey, it was pretty interesting to see.

I had a doctors appt this morning too... I had the day off of work, I just don't ever have the urge to go back in and work after a well woman exam.


I am knitting wash cloths right now. NO big Christmas knitting. Just a few for friends here and there.

Every year on my dad's side of the family (for as long as I can remember) we have celebrated Christmas together on Christmas Eve with tamales and ham rolls and pie and a millon other good things to eat. Then we opened presents and have a grand ol time. Well, this year we are changing things up a little bit. We are doing Christmas Eve on the 23rd this year and have decided NO PRESENTS. To be honest.. it is a heck of a lot cheaper this way. And i get to spend Christmas eve with Amy this year. I always felt bad about going with out her. (That is another story for another post). But this year I think we are going to sit and enjoy the light of the Christmas tree and have a quite night alone. Then run around like Crazy chickens on Christmas day... We always do! :)

I got a lot of what I was looking for on Black Friday. There were a few things I couldn't get my hands on, but oh well, such is life right?

More later


Happy Knitting

two weeks?

Okay it really doesn't seem like it has been almost two weeks since my last post! Work has been crazy and after sitting in front of a computer for about 9 hours a day the last thing I want to do is to sit in front of this one at home.

Knitting for me is going well. I am working on a few little things for Christmas. Nothing big to undertake. I am excited about being able to go to the Fiber Factory again. I haven't been there in a while.. money has been to tight... and it is best to avoid all temptations!

My sister's and I are going to do Day-After Thanksgiving shopping again this year. Last year was awesome. We hit the three big stores last year seperately at 6:00 am. I was chosen to go to Wal-mart to get a power wheels for my sister. I was in and out of there by 6:20. Then back to Best Buy to pick up my older sister and off we went to Circuit city to meet my middle sister. She was out of there by 6:45...(would have been earlier had the sales person in the stereo area told her that she needed to pay for the sirius units. So, by 12:00 we had hit 14 different stores... It was amazing...
The best part of it all is on Thanksgiving... when we eating pie and looking through the ads. We then cut the ads up and make pages of all the stores we need to hit to. Then we cut apart the ads and paste them into little "purchase books" . When we get all the pages pasted up we decide on priorities and decide which three big ones we need to go to first and where we will meet up at.. no big bulky ads to carry around, no forgetting what we want to buy!


Well, that is about it for know! Happy Knitting!