Knitting

Tonight I went to Stich'n'Bitch! It was so nice to sit and knit with other people who were also knitting!! My back is killing me (darn those stools and daddy's genes!) so next week I'll be bringing my own chair.

So I've finally gotten around to taking pictures of all my knitting WIPs. I also thought I'd post some pictures of what's at the top of my "must knit list".

We'll start with the WIPs:

^ This is the "Om Yoga Mat Bag" from S'n'B Nation. I've finished knitting it but when I went to seam up the side I somehow sewed up one side faster than the other. I got extremely frustrated with it and chucked it across the room but I think I'm just about ready to try it again.

Here's what it's supposed to look like when it's finished (except I cast on extra stitches so it would come up past the top of the mat):





^ This is the "Soft Drawstring Pouch" from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. It's my "on the go" project; I keep it in my bag and when I'm in the car, walking to the library, at the movies, or just need to keep my hands busy I work on it.

Here's what it'll look like:





^ This is my leftovers project. In a few years it'll be a huge blanket. I'm knitting it on US8 29" circular needles in garter stitch (yes I said circular needles, yes I'm knitting it in one piece, and yes I'm insane). Right now it's about 10" long



^ Here's a picture of what I was working on tonight at S'n'B. I was about half way through one side (it's knit in four pieces and than seamed together) but my edges were so tight I decided to frog it and start over. I'm going to make it with the same color as my yoga mat bag. It's from Bags: A Knitter's Dozen


Now for the top few of my huge must knit list:
I've been wanting a shawl for awhile...these are my favorites - they're both from Shawls and Scarves



I love this sweater!! I don't know why I like it so much, I just do :o) It's from Loop-d-Loop


I also really like these:
Green Gable
Argyle Headband
Calla

Unconditional Swap May

Today I realized I haven't posted pictures of the stuff I made for jaami and hertrigger in the "Unconditional Swap May". So here's what I sent:

Hertrigger - She wanted a birthday surprise! Reasons behind the goodies - she loves Marilyn Monroe, giraffes, and on her wists the was a zebra print purse.

Magnets (I saw some similar to these on her wists too; click to make the picture bigger)


Giraffe Stuffie - he turns into a pillow!! :oD



Zebra purse





Jaami - She wanted a knit nautilli (pattern from Knitty here). The pattern shows you how to make one with a coiled shell and one with a straight one; naturally I had to try them both. :oD These were kinda fun to make (well, I didn't like making the tentacles...I'm not fond of I-Cord) and my 5yo brother loved them so I think I'll be making one to live here :o)



Side view of Mr. Coiled Shell

Daddy's Banquet

So last week (Tuesday) was a HUGE banquet that my dad was in charge of. It was an end of the year thing for a choir he and Mum are in (Salt Lake Choral Artists); everybody that had ever had anything to do w/the choir all came and brought their families.

Originally I was going to help daddy plan/put up the decorations, and during the actual event watch my youngest siblings (5 and 9). However, daddy's even more indecisive than I am (and that's saying something!) so I ended up running the cantina!! I looked after the two chocolate fountains near by and made/served drinks. We served soda (boring) and virgin margaritas (strawberry and lime). I had never made a margarita before but now I'm really good (I should be after making them non stop for 3 hours).

Let me just interject here to say how much I love margaritas. When daddy asked me if I would help at the party I said "as long as I get an endless stream of margaritas". We have a TON of leftover mix so I've been having them almost everyday...heaven!! I'm sipping one as I type this :oD Oh yeah, I think I should clarify that I'm not quite old enough to legally drink and even if I was I wouldn't; so every time I mention margaritas know that I mean virgin ones.

It was an awesome party but I felt really sick the day after (too many margaritas and trips to the chocolate fountain). Daddy let me keep a few bits of the decorations (he wasn't supposed to but he knew that I've had my eye on these ever since the first moment I saw them):

Here we have the coolest feather boa in the world (I think it'll serve as trim for a purse), 6 spools of fabric ribbon, and some fake flower leis.


Ribbon all untangled


And a cool candy dish (it's really all pink but the edges always look like they're glowing orange)


Tonight I'm going to watch King Kong w/my dad; he gave me the DVD for my birthday but I still haven't seen it. I think we're also going to have a couple margaritas (his idea, he loves them almost as much as I do). I don't get to spend a lot of one on one time w/my dad; I'm excited!!

Revealed

I did it...I revealed my identity in the FOC 2 Swap. I just couldn't stand it being a secret anymore!! If you'd like to read my post on craftster here it is. So anyways, here's what I sent to leelee:


1st package - Fabric lined jewelry box, magnets (to go with her wine/Italian themed kitchen), and I also sent the rest of the fabric I used to line the box.









2nd package - a "tinafish hobo purse" (tutorial here), clutch purse, and two bracelets (the hobo purse is lined w/the same fabric as the clutch's exterior and the clutch is lined w/the same as the hobo's exterior).








3rd package - Knitting needle roll and knitting stitch markers.








For the 4th/reveal package I sent one yard each of the fan fabrics and a large box of dots (my favorite candy). I had a hard time finding things for the 4th package....the guidelines were that we shouldn't spend more than $5-$10 because it was supposed to be a small store-bought item. I just figured as a crafty person she might like some new fabric to play with and I don't know a single person who doesn't like dots :o)

I get to go knit!!!

I get to go to the SLC SNB meeting this tuesday!!!!! I joined about 6 months ago but have been unable to go knit because they mainly knit on tuesday nights (which has been the busiest night for my family since forever) so I've just been lurking. However, starting this tuesday my evenings are free!!!

I found a couple more projects to put on the list of things I'm working on but have yet to take pictures and don't feel much like adding them now, hopefully I'll get to that in the next couple of days. I still haven't been "outed" by my partner in the secret FOC swap.....I'm going to wait till tomorrow but if nothing has changed I'm going to post.


A few days ago I received some fabric for the Ongoing Fabric Swap (round 2)!! The lovely jaybirdiscrafty sent me more than the original 2 fat quarters; I can't wait to start playing w/this new fabric!!

Sidebar Changes

You might notice the new section in the sidebar called "Projects I'm Working On". I've seen on other crafty blogs people sometimes put a list of projects that they're working on and I thought I'd join in too :o) I wanted to do some of those cool little percentagee bars but I haven't had much luck yet (it'll happen sometime but I think I'll need to learn more about html coding first). So for now you just get a list. In the next couple of days I'm sure I'll dig up other "in progress" projects and I'll also post pictures of my currently listed ones.

I'm starting to get a bit frustrated with my partner in the Secret Friend of Craftster Swap; they've had my package for over two weeks and haven't "outed" me yet.....I think I'll wait till Thursdayy (third week mark) but if she hasn't posted by then I'm just going do it myself; I'm tired of waiting!

kittyville hat

The Noodle Princess has received the hat I sent in exchange for the fabric (click here to refresh your memory)!! I had her pick the color (my camera messed w/the color a bit; the real color is more like the one ysolda used for her doll hat). I used Red Heart worsted in light fuschia, and I worked from the kittyville hat pattern (featured in Debbie Stoller's book Stitch'N'Bitch).

Here's kinda what it'd look like on someone's head -


On my bed so you can see the ties and pom-poms -

Mother's Day

The tote bag and pillow case I was venting about this past Saturday have finally had their photo shoot so here they are:

First the Pillow Case - I ended up just starting over. The original fabric was a bright blue w/lots of tiny flowers. I let Mum pick this fabric (I had to tell her what it was for)



And here's the tote - It's reversible!! I used a tutorial on Craftster (found here) Mum helped me fix the pockets after I gave it to her.





She loved them both and took them to the hospital with her. She was able to come home today and is doing wonderfully!! While at the hospital her blood sugar went through the roof so they kept a close watch on it (both her parents have diabetes) but it's been better so far. She was sent home with a equipment to check it twice a day and in about a month she'll go back for a check up.

Before she had to go I'd never realized how much I depend on her opinion and insight. All the time she wasn't here I'd think to myself "I've got to ask Mum about ______; oh, yeah she's not here, dang". I am so happy to have her back and she seemed quite pleased to hear how much she was missed :o)

Craftster Swaps

Alrighty, so remember the Secret Friend of Craftster Swap I've been doing?? Well it's reveal time and we're all finding out who has been secretly crafting for us!! I was going to wait and do one post about the FOC swap (w/the stuff I sent and this latest package) but my partner hasn't revealed my identity yet so I'll just post the latest package I received.

My secret Craftster was Tristitia!! For the reveal package she sent me some gorgeous sock yarn (it's so soft! I can't stop petting it!), and a set of knitting needles (DPN US2)!!! The pretty paper under them is what they were wrapped in.



I still have yet to make my first pair of socks (part of my problem is I can't find a simple sock pattern that I like) as does Tristitia so we're both going to (hopefully) tackle that this summer.

This was the last package for this swap. Now all that's left is to send a Thank You!


On another note; I'm probably the worst partner Tenika has ever had (We're partnered in the Amazing Tshirt Swap, she sent me the adorable frog shirt)!

For some reason I got the send out date mixed up (it was the 10th, I thought it was the 15th). And I forgot to get a certain very crucial item at the store and still haven't sent (tomorrow I will!). So here it is a week after the send out date and she doesn't even have a DC# to look up let alone a shirt to fondle.

I think I just spaced it because of all the extra things going on. Mum had surgery yesterday, Daddy's been planning a huge banquet for the choir he and Mum are in, I've been fighting insomnia, and I kinda overloaded myself w/projects (most for swaps some for mother's day).

I think after I finish the swaps I'm already involved in I'm going to take a break from swapping....at least for the summer (except for the Ongoing Fabric Swap and maybe the Unconditional Swap).

Venting!!!

I am so frustrated!!!!! On Sunday (tomorrow) it's Mother's day. So for the past couple of weeks I've been planning various things that I want to make for Mum. However, I'm the biggest procrastinator in the entire universe so of course I didn't put any of these plans into action till yesterday. Mum's going in for surgery on Monday so along those lines I wanted to make her: A cute new tote bag to carry stuff to the hospital, and a bright colorful pillow case (She has to stay overnight so she's taking her own pillow).

But from the second I started sewing I've run into so many problems!!!!!

My bobbin ran out of thread.....three times (I have no idea where all that thread went)

I sewed the handles (for the tote) wrong and had to spend an HOUR unpicking them

I burned myself with the iron and poked myself about a bazillion times with pins

The feed dogs on my machine decided to stop working

My machine decided it was only going to sew in one place and refused to move

I cut the fabric for both projects horribly not straight!

Because I didn't cut the fabric straight I had to sew a HUGE seam across the bottom of the tote

Even with the huge seam anything you put into the pockets will disappear into the lining

And for some reason I forgot to double the width of the fabric for the pillow case and have to buy more fabric for the other side!!!

I also have to finish a few swap items and will be gone all evening because I'm helping my Aunt with a catering job so I'll probably be up all night and I'm already really tired because I was up almost all night yesterday too!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Secret FOC Swap

As promised, here are pictures of what I've received so far in the "Secret Friend of Craftster" Swap:

-First Package-

For the first package I received a small covered journal, a pair of knitting needles w/turtles on the ends, and a little red bag filled with knitting needle point protectors and stitch markers. They all came wrapped in gorgeous tissue paper which has since been made into envelopes.

Inside of Journal:


Close up on stitch markers:


Close up on turtle:


-Second Package-
For the second package I received a springy green colored crocheted capelet, a lovely pin to fasten said capelet, and an awesome handmade postcard (which now lives on the door to my bedroom).

Capelet and Pin:


Close up of pin:


Postcard:


-Third Package-
I received the third package yesterday! My Secret FOC sent me a beautiful messenger style bag!

Full body shot:


Pocket and dark purple lining:


After all the packages I am sending have been received (and my identity revealed) I'll put up some pictures of what I sent but until then you can view the gallery here and try to guess what I made :o)