To brighten up a future Winter day ...

I finished two more projects from the 60 Quick Knits.

A Textured Tam


I need mittens to go with the Hat too right?

So here are is the Basketweave Mittens.

A perfect fit and plenty of texture so who needs that bow. I'm leaving it off so that either mitten can go on either hand. And most people I know aren't "bow" people anyway.

Now I need to add it the my 60 Quick Knits Christmas inventory ...



Hey! Did I forget to tell you about these two hats?



Size large in red and size small in blue. Both are large on me but should be just right for my son in laws.











Now what should I knit next?
Oh ya, another hat, scarf or mittens.

My gift basket is over flowing ...

But you can't have too many knit objects to pick from at Christmas time can you?

So here's two more ... a hat and a scarf.
Both are from the Cascade Yarns book 60 Quick Knits.

And both got a slight modification done to them. I added a few extra rows in the brim of garter stitches on the hat so the brim wouldn't roll up too much.

I then wanted to make the scarf a little more fun with an added interest to it so I added a tendril style fringe. What do you think?




Does it give it a little interest?




















And I love the way the hat could go for either a boy or a girl. It looks much nicer in person than in picture too BTW.









But what I really hope is ... that they'll find a good home at Christmas time.







But if they don't get picked by one of the family perhaps they'll find their way into my own closet or ... maybe a friend?

Never thought wrapping up in a shawl ...

could be so wonderful!

But I found out how wonderful it is when I finished this beautifully soft and cozy shawl called the Boneyard Shawl designed by Stephen West.

It's even nicer than you could imagine since I knit it with Rowan's Denim cotton yarn.


A yarn that's made to be machine washed and dried to fade like jeans. Yes, it shrinks a little but it maintains its soft cool feeling against your skin. Oooooo, it feels so good.


Just right for keeping air conditioning or a Summer's cool evening air off your shoulders.





Puts a smile on my face too.



What do you mean ... the simplest things can do that?

I promise to waste no yarn if I can help it.

[a picture has been added below]

Remember the Green Market Bag?

Well I had over 3/4 of the last skein of yarn left ... so I put on my thinking cap and thought "what small necessary project can I make with this?"

Well ... I hate to carry both a market bag AND a handbag around when I'm shopping. Especially at the Farmers Market. So how about a change purse?


Here it is ...

All I have to do is now undo the knot and put the I-cord around the Market Bag handle and retie the knot inside the clutch. I can now carry my driver's license and some money for shopping. The pattern is the

Sundance Make Up Bag by Joëlle Meier Rioux from Classic Elite Yarns.

And best of all ... it used up every bit of the green yarn I had left over. Perfect!

[Clutch attached to the Provence Market Bag last night.]

BTW, this Kelly green is the true color. Love Kelly green!

Now it's time to get back to some bigger projects ...















There's never enough going on in my knitting bag is there?

A change of pace and another knit hat.

I'm working on a few large projects at one time right now. Progressing slow but sure. But I did finish a hat for the Christmas Basket ...

Cable Brimmed Tam by Therese Chynoweth from the Cascade Yarns 60 Quick Knits book.
The yarn I used was also Cascade Yarns 220 Wool. Been loving this yarn lately in case you haven't noticed.

And it fits a real head too. Even a big one! See ...





I love the hat, especially since it's a Tam. Not the color so much ... because I'm just not a light blue person. But one of my granddaughters might like it. What do you think?

Into the Christmas Basket then.

Knitting in my sleep again ...

But I did have time to go to a workshop at my LYS, Seed Stitch Fine Yarn this past Saturday. It was a workshop with knitting designer Stephen West. Learned a lot ... in fact I look pretty darn serious in the pictures I'm caught in taken by photographer Sean Riley. [thanks for sending the pictures to me, Sean].

I can't imagine why I'm so serious looking tho.
Must have been hanging on to every word you think?

I did learn a lot from Stephen. And he inspired me to knit more of his shawl patterns. In fact the whole group seemed to be pretty interested in what Stephen had to say. I would call that a pretty successful workshop.











YES, I finished a design by him also. Called the Colonnade Shawl. It's for my Mom for next Christmas ... if I can resist keeping it for myself that is.



I'm pleased that I got it done since I had to frog the lace THREE [3] times before I got it correct. Whew!



But I love it and it's now put me in the mood to start another design by Stephen ...



Are you familiar with the Boneyard Shawl? It's a free download on Ravelry. Well this is just flying off my needles and I'm in love with this one too. Especially now that I've finished another gift from 60 Quick Knits from Cascade ...

Leaf-Lace Gauntlets by Jacqueline van Dillen. Only I call 'em Spring-Pink Gauntlets. The yarn is once again Cascade's Superwash Paints left over from another 60 Quick Knits. I can't let any good yarn go to waste now can I?

Have I got enough time in the day to cast on another from 60 Quick Knits? How many has that been so far??

Mmmmmm, I better get some sleep now ... I'll let you know later.

Going Green is easy ...

when you create a Crochet Market Bag with me at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn.



I'll be doing a workshop Sundays, July 18 & 25, 1:00 to 3:00 pm at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn. Hope you join me.


There's even a group on Ravelry

that enjoy making Market Bags. I made this one with a Moebius style handle also by giving it one twist before slip stitching it to the other side. The twist actually helps in keeping it onto my shoulder and having it hang in a comfortable & pleasing way at my side. I also prefer shoulder straps to the clutch when I'm shopping at the Farmer's Market. Which is where these bags really come in handy.

Remember this one?





You'll be seeing me with one of these when the Farmer's Market opens up this Summer.

It really is easy being green!

"Instant gratification" ...

is when you knit a hat!





It doesn't even take a whole skein of yarn when you use Cascade 220 Paints yarn. If you're curious about the pattern ... it's from 60 Quick Knits ... my all time favorite book of knitting patterns.

Today it is anyway!

Waste not; want not.

We should use up every bit of yarn that we can shouldn't we? That's what my grandmother use to do. And since I'm a Capricorn it's a part of my nature to use everything anyway. Especially if it's beautiful, soft and nice to knit with. Such as Cascade's Superwash Paints.

So after I knit the Chain-Link Scarf,



I came up with a hat ...

The Pillbox Hat from the same Cascade book, 60 Quick Knits. And still I have more yarn left over.

So that means a pair of fingerless mitts right? I think maybe the Mock Cable from 60 Quick Knits would fit the bill.



Oh ya, they're perfect!

Not just another scarf ...

A really nice one in my book too ... called the

Chain-Link Scarf by Lois Young published in 60 Quick Knits.



Notice I made one modification. I added a bullion fringe on both ends.



I think it gives it the right touch. A more finished look.



And even tho the back is totally different, it's a nice look also. Textured.



But it's also going into the Christmas basket!