And they glow in the dark ...

Glowing Handy Spider Webs [based on the pattern by Irina Novikova a free download on Ravelry] I just used Fiber Fantasy Knitting Products Nightlights so they will glow in the dark. It's a crochet thing.

Now's the time to prepare for Halloween ...

well here in Salem, MA anyway, Ooooooo.

This has 'made my day' ...

Thanks to Knitorious for posting it!

What a great bunch of friends this couple has. As for the bride and groom; What a great way to start out a life together! May they enjoy each other, family and friends together for a long, long, long time.

Cheer them on and spread the joy!

[Additional note: check out another video worth seeing. What can I say ... I work in MIT's Mathematics Department. And I Crochet too!]

Off the track from knitting ...

Crochet and Felting sneaks into my house now and then.

It's only temporary ... although I can do all 3 at once. I still have the knitting bug but I've been sidetracked by the enthusiasm of others. Or is it because I'm so easily distracted. Everything appeals to my senses. If I could have the time ... I would even Cross Stitch. There's some sheep pictures I've been wanting so much to make and hang on my walls. *Sigh*

Well I sent off a package to a friend and since she let me know this morning that she got it, I can now post some pictures. She won the little contest I had awhile back and I wanted to put something more into the box than just the magazine I promised, as a surprise. So I dressed up one of the coffee cup sleeves for her with needle felting.

and then I needle felted a ...



Knitter's Zipper Pull.

There's a flip side also ...

Just a little something ... for enjoyment.

Don't you just love this card? You can find them at Bottman Design Shop.
She's one of Laini's Ladies. I've bought a lot of them for special occasions but this one of course, is my favorite.

One crochet project (I have another in progress) was finished this morning but I'll take pictures tonight at Community Knitting. It's a little something unexpected maybe.

I want to glow on forever!

Behind the Knitting Scene ...

I Crochet.

Finally finished the Elegant Soft Crocheted Shawl; pattern called Elegant Mohair Shawl by Margaret Hubert from Plus Size Crochet.



I didn't use Mohair though. I used Rowan 4 Ply Soft; 7 skeins in Green. It's a pattern you could use whichever light weight yarn you want really. It makes a lovely lace shawl. I'll have a picture of me taken wearing it down at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn this Thursday so you can see the fit. I'll then leave the shawl there for awhile.



In the mean time, I'm doing more crochet. This time a Sampler Crochet Scarf for a class I'm giving at SSFY in September. Once it's done I have to write it up too. So I have a lot of work to do.

I posted a package for a friend today but I can't show you a picture of what I put into the box until she gets it. She's a regular here and I don't want to give away the surprise but I MADE SOMETHING.

Do you wonder what it is?

The Final Display ...

Of the Aztec Scarf!

Looks even better on my friend, Cindy. Cute!!!

Almost shawl size on her as a matter of fact.

The yarn is Spud & Chloe Sweater and it's a Cotton Wool blend. It is absolutely wonderful to work with. So SOFT and smooth. I've already bought more to make another project. Another scarf. But the pattern will be made up by me as I go. Yup, it's crocheted and will be a Sampler Scarf for my Beginner's Crochet class in September. I better get busy on it!

Now it's back to work ... BTW, I finished the Crocheted Shawl this morning also. Blocking it now!!

It's called "fudging it" ...

But alas I got the Aztec scarf finished and blocked. The "fudging" involved my changing the directions on the finish a little.

What did I do to give myself more yarn? And how much did I have left?

First I'll show you how much was left ...

What's that? One and a half inches perhaps. You see what's left of the CC. Well I started out with the correct gauge, but I think I loosened up as I went along and I just used up the yarn quicker that way. Not enough to notice any difference in the scarf though. But it goes to show you need to check your gauge more than once and more than twice as you work on your project. Sometimes you're more relaxed than other moments and that can change your gauge as you work. Did I learn my lesson? [probably not; you'll hear about it again I'm sure.]

I solved my yarn shortage by switching to a smaller hook for the border and crocheting two rows together every once in awhile. Why the c2tog? Well it prevented a ruffle effect that I noticed was happening when I was making the border twice before. So I solved that problem at the same time I was trying to extend the yarn.

Here it is blocked. I'll have a friend take a picture of me wearing it tonight.

Note that it's 2 sided. I don't consider it a 'right' or 'wrong' side because each side is it's own texture and pattern. I love it! The colors are not only a wonderful contrast but different from what I usually wear. Got to "step out of the mold" once in awhile right? You bet.

Remember that Glow in the Dark Yarn, Night Lights?



It's a Spook Pin! It'll be down at SSFY on display and for Mazie to wear at Halloween. You might see a little blue in it ... but that's just the fabric glue still wet. I hadn't let it dry completely yet when I took the picture. BTW, this yarn glows a green color in the dark. Spooky! As for the pattern ... well, I made it up as I went along then glued it to black felt and cut out the felt just a little beyond the ghost. Sewed a pin on the back.

I have plans for more delights from this yarn ... so stay tuned.
Ooooooooooo

Oh Jiminy Cricket ...

I hate getting to almost the very end of a project with only 12 or 20 inches to go and ... I run out of yarn!



Do I frog back and take out one set? Actually I did that already because I was short by one whole side of the scarf. So I frogged back hoping it will block out to 60". If I frog another pattern set, it'll be even shorter. Hate to do that with a scarf. So what happened here? My gauge is correct and I have lots of the CC left over. Just not the MC. The patterns calls for 2 of each.


Did I perhaps get cheated on the yardage in one of the MC skeins?

Argh!!

Once in a Lifetime ...

After 10 years of marriage ... we're still smiling and 'In Love'!



What more can I ask for?

Where am I at on what I'm doing these days?

Before I go on & on about either knitting or crocheting, I want to announce our 10 year anniversary today. DH spent yesterday afternoon with his oldest daughter and I came home to see this package sitting on the table ...



"This is for you, but for TOMORROW," said my smiling sweetheart. "I bought it myself," he said. I love this guy. He was so proud to have this for me to open up tomorrow (well today).

I'm taking him out to dinner tonight. To our favorite restaurant, Finz!

I've been working on 2 WIPs this past week. Not missing in action, but sometimes I feel like I'm missing. The Crochet Shawl is continuing to put me to sleep on the commuter rail into work & on the way home too. But I have only one more skein left to go. I'm ready to be SO DONE with this! I'm going to let Courtney of A Yarn Tale at my LYS (the new owner) put it on display since she has the book, Plus Size Crochet: Fashions That Fit & Flatter the pattern is in. If you're new to crochet; this is a perfect project for you but note that there is an error in the pattern. It's missing a 'chain 2' in the second row after doing the 5 dc shell. But easy to make once you know about the missing chains.



Of course I had to start another project. You know I'm a "starter" right? But this one I will finish by next week. I'm doing it for Seed Stitch Fine Yarn to put on display and help promote the new yarn line by Blue Sky Alpaca. It's called Spud & Chloe. It's a Cotton & Wool blend. Has the smooth feeling of cotton but not the scratch of wool. The flexibility of wool and the warmth without being too warm. Does that make sense? If you don't care for wool around your neck, you won't feel it in this yarn. I love working with it!

The project is called the Aztec Scarf by Amy O'Neill Houck. Now this is an Intermediate crochet pattern. I plan to give a one day 2 hour workshop on this scarf in November. Come join me!



And last but not least ... Glow in the Dark Yarn?



What do you suppose I plan to do with this?

Creativity muddling my mind ...

Is that my excuse for taking so long to finish my Maxine Hat?

After all; I gave her a shave already and she's dry.



And there she sits waiting for me to come up with embellishments. Some fluff to give her style and her own personality. But the ideas and designs are just whirling around in my head. Nothing concrete has been implemented yet.

Okay, I know I've finished some stuff first; the Debbbie Bliss Shawl and the Wedding Garter ...

...

But whatever made me pick up the crocheted shawl from my Missing-in-Action Basket? The most boring project on the face of the planet.



Am I avoiding the challenge of living up to .... THE Felt-tea Farm Tea Cozy?



Oh the pressure!

Anchored
Uploaded by lindseyolivares. - Independent web videos.

One year ago Today ...

It is the anniversary of my Dear Husband (DH) having major brain surgery and the Lord allowing him to be given back to us for awhile longer in this life time. It's like a birthday. A rebirth. It was such a traumatic year that is hopefully over and turning for the better. I have faith that it is.

I am going to give away a prize for the "guessing" contest I talked about. The one on "what could I possibly be knitting" out of left-over wool. I was going to give another hint, but ...

I have a winner ... Sandy from sunny California. She was half right and that makes her close enough; she commented
"....could it possibly be a cup/glass cozy with a place mat or hot pad to set the glasses on?"
Sandy Ziegler | 06.23.09 - 1:11 pm " Well close enough, Sandy.

They ARE cup/glass cozies to save your hands and keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. For paper cups or metal glasses or glass of a similar shape as the paper cup ... and the other half is a "French Coffee/Tea Press Cozy" The patterns came from: from Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar 2009






The Coffee/Tea Press I have is a small one. Just a two cupper. So I might cut the cozy a little more down to size. I also have it tied with yarn scraps for right now but I'm planning to put snaps on. Well once I decide it's for this press and not a larger one. Mmmmmm, maybe I can use two snaps and make it for both sizes. I'll think on that.

But the cup/glass cozies are my favorites. I plan to give a few away as gifts.


I've also finished a shower gift ... a wedding garter. [a very productive weekend to say the least.] Hope she considers it an heirloom. I ended out hand sewing the bias tape & elastic in.







Oh ya, I also finished an ongoing project that's been sitting in my WIP basket. One that felt like it would take "forever" ... but the yarn ran out finally and I'm finally DONE!





My Pleated Cashmere Wrap [Pattern: Pleated Wrap by Debbie Bliss from Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine, Spring/Summer 2009]

I used:Needle US 6 / 4.0 mm

Yarn

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere

23 skeins = 1012.0 yards (925.4m)

Colorway: Ash Rose 011

Purchased at:

Seed Stitch Fine Yarn, Salem, MA

Could this possibly be enough for one weekend? I'm rebounding maybe.

Surfing the Web for Knits

Have you ever searched about the Web and found some unbelievable stuff? Knit stuff? Weither you wanted to knit it or not, you found it? I think I've been spending too much time knitting on this sock. I keep falling asleep while I'm knitting on the train lately ... it should be done already and it's only the 1st sock in a pair.




Well check out the Weekly DIY Roundup: Funny Knit Patterns.
From May 15, 2009. How did I miss this?

Frankly ... there are some knitters out there with far more time on their hands than I have!

A friend just sent me this link: Trendy Sweater? I bet only a machine could produce that much icord [idiot cord]. Something had to be done with it right?

Now that I've picked myself up off the floor ... have a good weekend my knitting friends. [I don't work on Fridays. I mean; my regular job work.]

I'm going home to knit.

A Hat is a Hat is a Hat ...

Or is it?






Well maybe it isn't a Hat until it's been given a hot bath and fulled.
And then it's ready for some felting. Needle felting that is. Ready to be capitalized and become a real Hat ... a fancy hat!



Just throw it in the washing machine along with a few pieces of my Mystery Knit. (see past posts about that and give me your guess if you haven't already.)




This is MAXINE by Lisa Cruse from Ambrosia Cottage. She still needs some drying time and a shave to cut back on the fuzzies. Then I'll be decorating her to give her even more style and personality.



Can't you just see a beautiful bunch of flowers over the lower brim & up the side of this Hat?
Stay tuned. There's more to come.

There's a garden of possibilities here!

Who I am right now ...

is "A person in process -- always and forever learning, changing, growing. But the only important reality is who I am right now. I am not who I used to be. I am not yet who I will be. And above all I must know this: I am who I am supposed to be, and I am fully equipped to do whatever it is I am supposed to be doing with my life."

I have this typed on a piece of paper. A paragraph from a book and I don't even remember which book now, but I have referred to this many times when I've been "down" or "sad" or just wondering why I'm doing what I'm doing in life. And when I feel it's too difficult to do or to handle; I read it once again.

It's my answer and my inspiration all at once.



I've learned a lot in the past year and I'm right where I should be. With the right person by my side and the correct people in my life. The ones who love me; although they may not always understand me.

I am the one and only me ... the StitchingNut.

Grey hair, wrinkles and all the rest.

A list of knits to do for the summer ...

Once again Skeins Her Way is having her "List Contest".

Some people need to list what they want to do in order to keep on track and complete everything [or most everything] they intended to do in a certain time frame. Well I do start out with the best of intentions ... but need I say, I'm a starter and I have way more going on than I can possibly finish.

But a List I shall make. I will only put on this list what I have already started. And any of you who follows my projects on Ravelry knows that list is ... well ... immense. So here's what I'd like to finish this Summer [or should I say in my life time?]

1. Knitted Lace Wedding Garter by Diane Willett which I have to finish because the shower I'm going to is July 5. I'm half way there now. This weekend I have to get back to it and at least complete the knitting itself. Well I intend to. I have to use my Mags. And then I need to block and sew and weave in ribbon. I have my work cut out for me there.

2. Finish the project from my left over mix of wool; my ‘scrap stash’ for my Mystery Knit Contest where you guess what I'm making with it. Now that is a must finish also. I promised to give a prize by 6/29 to whomever might guess correctly. Unfortunately no one has guessed correctly yet. But there's still time to put your comment in.

3. Finish the Ragg Cape by Bernat Design Studi0. Yup, I was becoming a 'Yarn Snob' so I've purchased some Acrylic Bernat yarn and knitting something for myself with it. I was afraid I was getting too 'high horse' on expense luxury yarns and had to put my life back in line with the stars. Get a little more 'down to earth'. Get real ... heck, I LOVE all kinds of yarn and acrylic has it's place as well. [and I guess I don't care who knows it, LOL.] Price is one of them of course but I do like the machine wash aspect of it also.

4. Finish the Pleated Wrap by Debbie Bliss and I really, really, really want to finish it before September. I want to be wearing it by the time I'm able to sit outside on a cool Summer night as a matter of fact. [so what's taking me so long?][don't answer that]

5. And to be honest with you, I have at least 5 pairs of socks started and I would like to get at least ONE pair done before the end of Summer. Doesn't matter which pair ... but I better stick to at least one of them if it's to happen. Okay .... the Out of this World Socks. It's just a basic rib pattern but I'm using Regia's Galazy and that makes it 'out of this world'.

So that's all I've got time for. I know it and must face the facts ...



There's just not enough time in a day!

No winner yet ...

and I would love to give something away. How about this Vogue Magazine? It's an extra one I have so I'd like to see it go to someone who could use it. I love Vogue!



Do you have any idea of what I'm knitting? Here are some samples yet to be completed. I used left-over yarn on some. Trying to come up with the perfect combo. There's more than one part to this knit and I will give some away as gifts. Leave your guess in the comments. Deadline is ... June 29. ... [One year anniversary of my DH's emergency brain surgery.] [By the way, he's doing great! He's still recovering but has gone way past the expectations of all his doctors.]



Time to stop playing around and get back to my knitting.



I have my hands full with all that I've already started ...

But am I telling you anything you didn't already know?

A big smile says it all ...

The Munchikin came to visit us this past weekend. Can you believe she's only 3 years old? She keeps growing out of every sweater I knit for her. And one never made it to her house. It will now have to be completed for some other little girl. May I stress 'little'?

But she's just so cute ... I have to knit another one just for her.



This time TWO sizes bigger than I expect her to be!

I'm on the floor in stitches!

Have you had your Shreddies today?





Can you just imagine the skill it must take to knit Shreddies?



I must find a way to attend Camp Shreddies too. See the following. Anybody else with me? Don't forget to bring knitting needles. Oh what fun we'll have!



And I've GOT TO FIND some of those Shreddies!!! For my diet you know. Put some dance steps to my knitting too. Oh by the way ... I'm knitting on a STABILITY BALL. Also known as a Swiss or Yoga Ball. One of those balls anyways. I'm getting LEAN while I knit, LOL. I just started today. Really. No, REALLY!! Haha, my daughter suggested it and as long as I don't knit lace ... it's fun. [ Well, as long as I'm not laughing on the floor.]



Hahahahaha, I want ta dance too. Make me a Knittin' Nana!

Humming a catchy tune ...

There's a wedding shower in July that I'm going to. I don't know the bride but I'm friends with her future MIL. What should I make for a bride I don't know?

Why not a lace garter belt? [well I got the idea from her knittin' future MIL]



A keepsake. It'll just take a little time to make ... using my Mags of course. What have I gotten myself into?

How about a Contest?

What do you suppose this pile of knitting pictured below is for? What am I making?



No idea?

Shall I have a contest? First one to tell me what this pile of knitting will be ...
will get a prize. Now I just have to come us with a prize.

Unless ...

there is no winner. [Nah, not possible] I think I have a knitting magazine for a prize. So I'll hunt it down to take a picture while you put in your guesses. As a matter of fact, if more than one person guesses correctly, I'll draw a name for the winner.

In the meantime ... listen to a catchy tune.



I love Shaun!!!