Yes Yarn!

Today was a very good day. We have (for the first time that I can remember) a LYS! To be honest, I'm unsure of how long she has been open but I found out about the shop on Ravelry recently. I finally got the time to go find it and check it out today. It's called YES YARN and is located inside the quilt shop in town. (In the back and up the stairs.) It was my first time visiting an actual yarn shop. I have had to do all my yarn shopping at either Hobby Lobby or Michael's or order online. This was a new thing for me and I have to say....I LIKE IT! The owner's name is Margaret and she is such a sweet, welcoming person. I really enjoyed my visit and I wanted at least one of everything but you know how that goes. You have to pick something.

This was my indulgent splurge. I have never seen nor heard of this particular yarn but the colors were awesome and I "needed" it. lol It's Ranco Multy...hand dyed in Chile by Araucania Yarns. It's a wool/nylon blend (75%/25%). I instantly saw a stole or wrap when I picked this one up. I will have to find the perfect pattern for this one.

This one looked like a nice hat to me. The picture doesn't do the colors any justice but as you can guess...very earthy...lots of brown tones. My intention was a hat for me but once I picked up Ms. Thang from school...she wasted no time calling "dibs" on this skein. She wants a hat...imagine that. I ordered her a book yesterday...a how-to knitting book geared towards kids...she tries so hard to knit but it hasn't clicked just yet. I'm hoping this book with it's clear illustrations and kid friendly explanations will be more help to her than I apparently am. lol

My other purchase was this one. Galway Paint by Plymouth Yarns...100% wool. Yeah, it's kinda brown, too. I bet you are just sick of the brown already. lol Sorry, I couldn't resist. I am so looking forward to going back again and getting more yarn.

She had some nice sock yarns and will be having a sock class...YAY ME!
I signed up for her newsletter since she will also be having crochet classes...YAY ME AGAIN!
and is planning a class for the BSJ. I would love to make one for my expecting cousin and this would be perfect. The instructor is going to give the option of doing a BSJ or an adult sized one. Since this will be my first actual garment, I think I will stick to the baby size. I'm ambitious but not insane. Really, I'm not.

Wordless Wednesday

Slowly but surely....

Slowly but surely, I am getting my Christmas knitting done. I know, by the looks of this pile you would think I have nothing to worry about....these aren't all for gifts. Some of them are test knitted designs that may be given and maybe not. I want to give everyone at least two cloths each so I do still have a bit more knitting to do.

This is the awesome "Nubbins" cloth by Vyvyan of http://inahappycamper.eponym.com/blog
She has some wonderful patterns on her blog, you should check them out if you haven't already. I have been wanting to knit this one for a while and thought this would be a perfect cloth to do for my gifts. It's a good stress free knit and I can use my tons of variegated cotton that I have in my stash. There will probably be more of these to come since there is no complicated pattern to remember and it goes pretty quickly. For this one, I used Sugar & Cream in Summerset.

This is hopefully the last dress I have to do for a while...yeah, right. This (when finished) will go to my other neighbor in her Christmas basket. I just have to do the crochet at the top to finish it off. I used the Sugar & Cream self striping in Country Stripes. I really like the colors and might use the leftover (there was a lot) to make another soda can cozy. Now, do I want to do another Nubbins or what to do next? Maybe another Nubbins and something else...you can't have just one OTN at a time.

Saturday Sky

How Cute Are These!?

These are absolutely the cutest rings I have seen in a while. I found them, of all places, on Ravelry. Well, the rings weren't on Ravelry but the designer was there. Her name is Julie and she is a knitter, jewelry designer and a talented photographer as well. She is so sweet and so very patient....I know I drove her nuts looking for just the right buttons. She probably has me listed in her books somewhere as "that dang picky chick" or maybe "nut case". lol She has an Etsy shop where she sells these cute little things and there are so many to choose from....as a matter of fact, I just finished ordering another one for my oldest daughter for Christmas.

This was my favorite. I love the button in the back with the flowery look and the wood grain was exactly what I wanted. I love the earth tones especially browns. I asked her if she had anything earthy so she went digging and came up with these. I swear it's like she could read my mind. (a scary venture if you poke around too much)

This is my "jeans and T-shirt" ring. The colors I love but a little more casual. She does have rings with color and they are very pretty...I just like the browns. The one I ordered for my daughter is much more colorful. I think I'm going to wear the wood grain one today...just because I love it. Thanks, Julie, if you see this. You rock, girlfriend!

If anyone wants to see Julie's cute button ring, here's the link for you. Enjoy!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5167465

Another note....she makes stitch markers too!

For All Of Those Who Celebrate.....

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving day!

Elmore Pisgah Rocks!

There's been a lot discussion lately in the COTW group about making bath mats or rugs from the double worsted cotton or using several strands of worsted cotton held together. The only store here that even sells the Elmore Pisgah Peaches & Cream is Walmart and they don't carry the double worsted...not to mention what they do carry is a very limited selection colorwise. I finally made the decision to place an order with Elmore Pisgah and get myself a couple of cones of the double worsted so I could make some bath mats. I placed my order yesterday (key word here being YESTERDAY). Today the UPS man pulls into my driveway and hands me a package containing this....(see photo). I was floored that it got here so fast! Okay, so North Carolina is just a hop, skip and a jump from me (SC) but still.....one day! I had heard that their customer service was excellent and nothing but praise for their product which I have used and do love but I still can't get over how fast they shipped. Awesome!

The cones I ordered were...on the left, #213 Sour Green Apple Cone and on the right, #182 Raspberry Swirl. I had never actually seen or held any double worsted and didn't really know what to expect...the thickness is wonderful. These are going to be some awesome bath mats.

Wordless Wednesday

It's A Red Furry Monster Freebie!

A big, big thanks to my sweet new friend, Kim Gean, who test knitted this pattern for me. She's was looking for this little fella and I had him charted and written out but just didn't have the time to knit him. Thanks, girlfriend! http://kimgean.multiply.com/

Furry Red Monster Dishcloth
Designed by Melanie Thompson
Test knit by Kim Gean
US Size 6 needle
100% Cotton Yarn

Cast on 46 stitches
Rows 1-6: Knit
Row 7: K2, P42, K2
Row 8: Knit
Row 9: K2, P42, K2
Row 10: K4, P1, K6, P1, K2, P1, K18, P1, K2, P1, K9
Row 11: K2, P8, K1, P1, K1, P18, K1, P1, K1, P6, K1, P3, K2
Row 12: K6, P1, K6, P2, K18, P2, K6, P1, K4
Row 13: K2, P3, K1, P7, K1, P16, K1, P7, K1, P5, K2
Row 14: K8, P1, K6, P1, K16, P1, K6, P1, K6
Row 15: K2, P5, K1, P5, K1, P16, K1, P5, K1, P7, K2
Row 16: K10, P1, K26, P1, K8
Row 17: K2, P7, K1, P10, K6, P8, K1, P9, K2
Row 18: K12, P1, K4, P4, K4, P3, K7, P1, K10
Row 19: K2, P9, K1, P1, K5, P11, K4, P11, K2
Row 20: K14, P1, K17, P2, K12
Row 21: K2, P9, K1, P20, K1, P11, K2
Row 22: K11, P2, K5, P7, K10, P2, K9
Row 23: K2, P6, K1, P11, K1, P6, K1, P7, K1, P8, K2
Row 24: K9, P1, K7, P1, K7, P3, K10, P1, K7
Row 25: K2, P4, K1, P11, K1, P10, K1, P6, K1, P7, K2
Row 26: K8, P1, K6, P1, K12, P3, K8, P1, K6
Row 27: K2, P3, K1, P8, K1, P16, K1, P5, K1, P6, K2
Row 28: K7, P1, K6, P1, K17, P1, K7, P1, K5
Row 29: K2, P3, K1, P6, K1, P19, K1, P6, K1, P4, K2
Row 30: K6, P1, K6, P1, K20, P1, K6, P1, K4
Row 31: K2, P2, K1, P3, K6, P18, K1, P6, K1, P4, K2
Row 32: K5, P1, K6, P1, K15, P4, K5, P1, K3, P1, K4
Row 33: K2, P2, K1, P13, K3, P13, K1, P5, K1, P3, K2
Row 34: K4, P1, K6, P1, K8, P5, K16, P1, K4
Row 35: K2, P2, K1, P21, K5, P4, K1, P5, K1, P2, K2
Row 36: K4, P1, K5, P1, K1, P3, K26, P1, K4
Row 37: K2, P2, K1, P13, K5, P11, K2, P5, K1, P2, K2
Row 38: K4, P1, K5, P1, K11, P1, K5, P1, K12, P1, K4
Row 39: K2, P3, K1, P10, K1, P7, K1, P11, K1, P3, K1, P3, K2
Row 40: K5, P1, K3, P1, K10, P1, K8, P1, K10, P1, K5
Row 41: K2, P4, K1, P8, K1, P10, K1, P12, K1, P4, K2
Row 42: K6, P1, K12, P1, K10, P1, K7, P1, K7
Row 43: K2, P6, K1, P4, K3, P10, K1, P11, K1, P5, K2
Row 44: K7, P1, K11, P1, K10, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, K9
Row 45: K2, P8, K2, P4, K1, P9, K1, P9, K2, P6, K2
Row 46: K10, P1, K8, P2, K7, P1, K6, P1, K10
Row 47: K2, P7, K1, P8, K1 P4, K2, P2, K1, P4, K3, P9, K2
Row 48: K14, P4, K5, P4, K3, P3, K3, P1, K9
Row 49: K2, P7, K1, P3, K3, P13, K1, P14, K2
Row 50: K16, P1, K4, P3, K6, P3, K2, P1, K10
Row 51: K2, P8, K1, P7, K1, P3, K3, P4, K1, P14, K2
Row 52: K17, P1, K3, P3, K3, P2, K5, P1, K11
Row 53: K2, P10, K5, P2, K1, P7, K1, P16, K2
Row 54: K19, P1, K5, P1, K20
Row 55: K2, P19, K5, P18, K2
Row 56: Knit
Row 57: K2, P42, K2
Row 58: Knit
Row 59: K2, P42, K2
Rows 60-64: Knit

Bind off and weave in the ends.

Anybody Spare An Extra Set Of Hands?

Not a lot going on....just trying to get into some kind of Christmas knitting groove. I'm almost done with one cloth and only *omg, who knows how many* more to go. lol

I'm also working on charting up another dishcloth design that was requested by a friend. I have to write it out and get it test knitted to see how it looks. Still haven't gotten back around to the Pooh yet. I hope to have another one posted soon if all comes out well. It's being test knitted now.

I finally got the little book I have been waiting very anxiously for today. It's The Magic Loop...Sarah Hauschka's Magical Unvention. It's from Fiber Trends but I found it on eBay really cheap. I looked it over and now I so want to cast on some socks and give it a try but I don't have time. :(


It doesn't look like much...small, thin little thing....just from looking through it, I think maybe I can handle it. The illustrations are wonderful and it explains very well from what I can tell. Having never knitted socks, don't take my word for it just yet. We'll see after I get a pair of socks done. lol

I missed some awesome photos this morning taking the kids to school. The fog was lifting and it was almost eerie...I forgot the camera! DUH! I need two....one for the car and one for home.

Okay, back to the Christmas knitting. I really need some motivation...you would think the little amount of time left til Christmas would be motivation enough but so far....NO. Deadlines sort of take all the fun out of it. Maybe next year, I can get an early start so I can actually enjoy the process. Until next time.....Hugs!

My Little Tooth Fairy Bag (Correction)

I just realized that my terrible photos today make it hard to see what that little shiny thing is..lol. It's actually a nickel I used to hopefully give everyone an idea of what size my bag was.


I used US Size 7 needles to knit the bag.
I used US Size 8 needles to do the bind off.

Cast on 30 stitches
*K1, slip 1 purlwise* repeat to end of row (Don't move the yarn front to back...just slip stitch and keep knitting)
Continue until piece is the desired length. (Mine was just under 4")

At this point you will separate the sides...each side will be on a separate needle.
You will work each side one at a time.

*P1, YO, P2tog* to end of row
Knit the row
Purl the row
Knit the row
Purl the row
Knit into the front and back of each stitch
Purl
Knit
Bind off and cut yarn leaving a tail

Then work other needle the same way.

Weave in your ends.
*Turn bag inside out (stockinette is on the inside)
Make an I-cord to the length you desire and thread it through the eyelets.

©2007 Melanie Thompson

My Tooth Fairy Bag

Inspiration comes from the strangest places sometimes. We recently watched the movie Transformers (awesome movie) and at one point during the movie, a little girl reaches under her pillow and gets her tooth fairy bag. This scene stuck with me for some reason but not until my brother-in-law said something did I think about this. He said I should knit a tooth fairy bag so...
here it is. This is the first completed version of My Tooth Fairy Bag.



This is a photo of the bag before adding the I-cord. I had no idea how to add eyelets to a double knit piece so simply separated the two sides at this point and knit them one at a time.


I had no desire to fight with my double points or do any seaming (I HATE SEAMING!) so I thought, why not do it in double knit. I really like double knit. I had only done this technique once before but it's very simple and I really enjoyed it.

This photo of the top of the bag is kinda fuzzy...sorry about that. I wanted it to have some type of ruffle to it. I know nothing about ruffles in knitting so I just winged it with knitting into the front and back of each stitch for one row. I'm sure there's a better, prettier way to have done this but I don't know it. lol

I will post the pattern for it later if anyone is interested.

Saturday Sky

What Time Of Day Are You?

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

There Is Evil In My Computer

I posted the photo cuz we really needed a change of scenery. I took this one a few days ago while driving down the road to pick my kids up from school. People probably think I am insane as I can often be seen holding my camera out the car window snapping pictures while I am going down the street. Sometimes I get crap and sometimes I get some really nice shots. I thought this was one of the nice ones. You can get away with this out here in the country but I don't push my luck once I get into town. I don't think the local law enforcement would think too highly of it...lol.

This evil of which I speak (most of you probably already know it) is Ravelry. It sucks you in and you just get lost. It's so hard to get out of there. It's just awesome! Now, if this wasn't bad enough...today I gave in and did something else that I have been thinking about doing for a while now. I know it's spoken of highly and seems to be a good thing but I wasn't ready to make the change until now. Today, I downloaded Mozilla Firefox. The fastest, the safest....blah blah blah...don't they all say that? They tag-teamed me! Ravelry has this neat little button that you can click and drag onto your toolbar and when you're pattern surfing and come across something you like, you click this button (ravel it!) and it will locate that pattern in Ravelry if it's in their database. The catch...it works with Firefox and not Internet Explorer. Well, being one is doesn't want to be left out, I got Firefox. I gotta say.......I love it! My experience so far....it IS faster. The pages just pop. My IE has been giving me much grief lately and today I have had none of these issues...not once! Of course you can customize your browser which is where I have been most of this evening in my free time. EVIL...EVIL I TELL YOU! I'm going to have to rig up something that will give me an electric shock so I have to get up from the computer. lol

This is really cutting into my knitting time. I've got Christmas gifts sitting around unfinished and yarn that's giving me some really nasty looks. I have less than a month to get this stuff done. Anyone know a good computer exorcist?

Wordless Wednesday

Thanks Everyone And.....I've Been Tagged!

Before I move on to the "tagging", I wanted to say a BIG THANKS to everyone for all the nice comments and "you go girl"s for getting my soda can cozy pattern featured on Daily Knitter. That was such a surprise and it was awesome! I never imagined one of my designs would ever be chosen for something like that. Lots of happy dancing went on for this still somewhat newbie knitter. Thanks my friends, y'all are the best!




Now, I have been tagged by my friend, Wendy. http://wendy-adayinthelifeofwendy.blogspot.com/
So, here goes:

38 Things About Me That You May Or May Not Want To Know......

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night. My nephew...there just something funny about an almost 3 year old dancing.

2. What were you doing at 0800? Driving home from dropping my kids off at school.

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Knitting at the computer while chatting with Froggie and hanging out at Ravelry all at the same time.

4. What happened to you in 2006? Okay, we really don't have that kinda time. lol But I did switch from regular Pepsi to Diet Pepsi just to name one thing.

5. What was the last thing you said out loud? (to my kids) "Goodnight, I love you....see you in the morning." I don't know why they say the "see you in the morning" part but they always have so we always do. lol

6. How many beverages did you have today? I don't even count...it would take too much time but it was a number of Diet Pepsi's and one Lipton Green Tea with Citrus.

7. What color is your hairbrush? Black

8. What was the last thing you paid for? Dog food

9. Where were you last night? At home...knitting and chatting and Ravelry....etc

10. What color is your front door? White

11. Where do you keep your change? In the bottom of my purse....where else? lol

12. What's the weather like today? Pretty but windy and chilly. I love it!

13. What's the best ice cream flavor? Ben & Jerry's Double Chocolate Fudge

14. What excites you? My kids' accomplishments...knitting...yarn...Nascar (Go Dale Jr)...did I say knitting?

15. Do you want to cut your hair? A trim wouldn't hurt.

16. Are you over the age of 25? Um...way over...lol

17. Do you talk a lot? Sometimes....most of the time....uh, yeah.

18. Do you watch the OC? No, never seen it. I only watch Ghosthunters and Nascar.

19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes

20. Do you make up your own words? Not intentionally.

21. Are you a jealous person? I wouldn't consider myself a jealous person, no.

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "A". Amy-lynne

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "K". Kim (also my sister)

24. Whose the first person on your received calls list? Megan (my oldest daughter)

25. What does the last text message you received say? I don't text...yeah, I know, that's SOOOO not cool.

26. Do you chew on your straw? No...eeeewww.

27. Do you have curly hair? No.

28. Where's the next place you're going to? To bed!

29. Who is the rudest person in your life? The little red-headed chick at the CVS. It should be legal to slap rude people!

30. What was the last thing you ate? A salad with Tangy Tomato Bacon Dressing...YUM!

31. Will you get married in the future? LOL>>>>>>oops, sorry, fell off my chair. Probably not....trying to get rid of the one I've got.

32. What's the best movie you've seen in the past two weeks? Transformers...awesome movie!

33. Is there anyone you like right now? My family and friends (this includes my online friends, of course).

34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Earlier today.

35. Are you currently depressed? Nope

36. Did you cry today? No way..this was an awesome day!

37. Why did you answer this post? Because Wendy tagged me.

38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey....I hope....

1. Froggie http://frogiezplace.blogspot.com/
2. Miss Mandi http://missmandigirl.blogspot.com/
3. Cat http://craftyncer.typepad.com/
4. Shorty http://shorty-n-craftysista.blogspot.com/
5. Shelly http://kadezmom.blogspot.com/

You may want to leave a comment on your "tag-ees" blog (okay maybe I just made up my own word) to let them know they've been tagged....I'm sure they're going to love me for it. :)

A Salute To The Heros!

Free Patterns Posted At Froggiez Place

I just wanted to let everyone know that my friend, Froggie, has posted some free patterns on her site. One is a variation of the Sewing Machine Dishcloth, one awesome Frog Dishcloth (in the picture) and a Tiger Paw. If you'd like to check them out...hey, we all love the freebies!....she can be found here........
http://frogiezplace.blogspot.com/

Thanks Froggie!

Good Chart Gone Bad...Any Guesses?

Okay, I'm willing to bet that you have no clue who this guy is supposed to be. On the chart, it was so obvious but once I got him test knitted...well, he isn't himself anymore. lol I did this as a Christmas gift for a cousin and I am so unhappy with the result but I so don't have the time to re-do him. Maybe when I get all my other gifts finished, I can get back to him and have a go at it but for now...this will have to do. My intention was to post it as a freebie but unless I get some correct guesses and anybody wants this pattern....I think I will hold off on that.

I'm moving on to the next gift but I know this little "hunny" is going to bug me to death. I sure hope I can make time to do this over. Don't you just hate it when this happens!? GRR!

Saturday Sky

A Blog Contest

Just wanted to let you all know about a blog contest. I added a little link list over to the right for contests that I come across. I will try to keep it as up to date as possible.

The contest I found today while browsing around Ravelry is on Jenny's blog. She's giving away a nice bag...kinda a factory second but nice and big. You just need to post a comment to get an entry and another entry for linking a to the contest in a post on your blog. :)

So, check it out!
http://www.folkcatart.com/blogs/jen/?p=983

Wordless Wednesday

Something For Me And Another Slipper

My friend, Froggie, made me this drink cozy. YAY ME!! It fits my Lipton Green Tea bottle perfectly! My brother-in-law got me hooked on these drinks. They are so delicious and much better for you than a soda. I usually buy them in a 12 pack and these bottles are slimmer than the regular single bottles you get in the convenience stores. The cozy that fits the regular soda bottles just slides right off my Green Tea. Being the awesome friend that she is, Froggie made me this one especially for my tea. Thank you so much, Froggie!

I cast on yesterday for these slippers called Pocketbook Slippers by Knitwits Heaven (Allie & Lisa). They are so simple to do but not until I got them finished did I really understand....my blonde is a hindrance sometimes. lol This is one slipper after knitting but not seamed yet.

This is the slipper after it has been seamed up...this is where the name Pocketbook Slipper comes from. It really does look like a little pocketbook. I was pretty surprised at how much they grew when I put them on. I would have to adjust the size for myself...these were a little big for me.

This is how they look when you wear them. I wanted to try them out because I'm considering doing a pair for my aunt for Christmas. I need to find a different yarn however, this one is not a joy to knit with. This is Lion Brand Jiffy in Denim. It gets fuzzy while you knit and while it is warm, it doesn't really feel so nice to the touch. I think my aunt would like these very much but not in this yarn...gotta find something warm and soft.

The link for the pattern if you're interested is....

http://knitwits-heaven.tripod.com/pocket_book_slippers.htm

Quick Knitting and The Hamster Has A Name...and better photos

I have another soda can cozy....FOR ME!! I had to knit something but didn't want to start anything else big so I decided to use up some scraps and make myself another one. Now when one is being washed, I have a replacement. I changed it up a little from the original and did more increases on the bottom and I'm happy with the way it turned out.

I finally got a few good photos of the little hamster. My friend, Froggie, came by to see him and while she was here, I got her to help distract him so I could photograph him. We still had a hard time getting him to be still. I think hamsters all have ADHD. My hamster needs some Ritalin! Isn't he cute? Sunflower seeds will get his attention every time.

Look at that face...gotta love him. I did some name searching online and found one that, after a little modification, my kids loved. According to my youngest daughter, the hamster likes it too. lol Keep in mind, my kids are big Star Wars fans...my daughter's favorite is Anikin Skywalker so.........the hamster is now named.... HAMIKIN TUBEWALKER! lol I do appreciate all your suggestions but my kids are nuts for this name and it's kinda funny...they all agreed on one name (that never happens!).

Please Welcome Our Newest "Baby"

I would like to introduce you to our newest member of the family...I would like to but.....he doesn't have a name yet. lol We are begging for suggestions...please, please, please. Apparently I am the person to call when you have a homeless animal or one who needs adopting. One of my best friends called me yesterday to ask me if I would take this little fella in. Her daughter already had a hamster and then went out and bought this guy but Dad says she can't keep them both...one has to go. She was more attached to the bigger hamster so this guy needed a new home. He is (if I did my research correctly) a Russian Campbell Dwarf Hamster with normal coloring. He is just so tiny and he's too cute. He fits in the palm of my hand and I have very small hands. I wish I had better pictures but they were coming out blurry since he rarely stayed still long enough to get a decent shot.

As soon as I can get him to co-operate, I will post a better photo. He seems to be adjusting to his new home well. He has already let me pick him up and he really likes to have the back of his head rubbed just behind the ears. Our zoo now consists of 3 cats, 2 dogs, 1 hamster and a turtle.



If anyone has any names to throw out, please leave me a comment. We've named so many animals, we just can't think of a good one. I will post his name when we decide on one.....WE REALLY NEED SUGGESTIONS!