Busy Needles and Hooks

I know I haven't been posting everyday, but I assure you that I have been very busy with my yarn projects.  Here are some of what has been completed in the past week.

The first project that I completed this week is the Cotton Candy Haze Scarf/Wrap is knit with Berroco Mohair Classic.  I started this a couple years ago and it has been just sitting in a project bag.


It isn't from a pattern.  I just cast on 40 stitches on size 9 needle.  Knit 4 rows of garter stitch. Row 1: Slip 1st stitch purl wise, *yo, k2tog, k1, repeat from * to end of row. Repeat that row 1 until the scarf is as long as you desire. End with 4 rows of garter stitch and bind off loosely.


I like it worn as a wrap or folded in half lengthwise and worn as a scarf.  The mohair and wool makes it super warm.

The next photo is of a Spiral Scrubbie, crocheted in Peaches & Creme stripes Sail Away colorway, and pattern written by Judith Prindle.  It is a very quick crochet and works like a charm and I see many of these in my future :)

Next I made dishcloths from the pattern Dish Cloth on the Edge, written by Rita Maria.  I did change many things in the pattern, so I guess it is more inspired by the pattern.  Essentially, it is a mitered square that is crocheted in the back loop.  I have made several already and love them.  This one was made with the same skein that the Spiral Scrubbie, pictured above, used.







Finally, Ihave been crocheting some little pals!   This guy is so cute and fun to make (Pattern by Kj Hay).  I found him because I decided to start using more of the pattern resources that I already have on hand, so I did a pattern search of my library on Ravelry and he was in one of my Crochet! magazines.  You only need to know how to ch, sc, sl st, and work a magic ring, in order to be able to make one of these cute creatures.  


In the photo I don't have the ends of his hands finished off because it calls for a magnet to be placed inside so he can clasp the hands in a hug and I don't have the magnets at the moment.  I have decided to use hook & loop instead so that he will be more baby friendly.  I like him so much that I am already working on a buddy for him!  


I do have a few more finished objects to share, but they will be saved for another post.  Happy Creativity to you all!  

2 WIPs and a Scrappy FO.

I have been having a wonderful time working on the Amiga. The pattern is very clear, including the instructions on how to join the motifs in the 6th round (no sewing together, yay!). I frequently get confused when trying to join motifs in some patterns, so I was glad that the instructions were so clear and easy. Now I need to pick up stitches to knit the ribbed neck.
I have done a little work on the Sasquatch Socks. They are huge and I am a little worried that they may actually be a little too big. I think I will have the apartment manager take home the first one for her husband to try on before I start the second sock. I like to make dishcloths to have on hand for last minute gifts, plus they make a great way to practice a new technique, but what to do with the little leftovers? I just make dishcloths for me. I don't care what they look like as long as they will get the job done, so I use multiple colors even if they don't "go" together. The one below is just garter stitch and uses 3 leftover balls of different colors. It was a mindless project while watching a television show that I was engrossed in, so I didn't have to look at what I was knitting.So, what do you do with your leftover kitchen cotton?

Some knitting, finally!

Okay, I have dug out the camera and taken some pictures. Perhaps I should have warned you to sit down for that shocking news. I really haven't been knitting that much, or at least not that productively, since the holiday knitting ended. I have been rather fickle about projects, starting and then just frogging the whole thing to start something else. I have no interest in my WIPs at all.

I have finished two projects. The first is a pair of fingerless mitts for.....hold onto your whatevers ....ME! My hands get achy and cold while I knit and crochet, so I decided I need at least one pair of these handy mitts to help me be more comfortable. I may have accidentally discovered a new addiction. Watch out socks, here come the mitts! These are Mirror Twist Mitts designed by Rachel Maxson and made up in Schachenmayr Nomotta Regia Jacquard in the Farbe Partie colorway. The only changes I made to the pattern were to cast on 12 more stitches to accommodate my fat hands(the designer advises adding multiples of 6 stitches to enlarge) and I added matching ribbing to the thumbs.The next project was just easy fun. A cute Starfish Cloth designed by Sew-Funky and made up in Sugar & Cream cotton. Finally, I currently have on my needles a scarf that I am calling Cotton Candy Haze Scarf that I am working up in Berroco Classic Mohair on US size 10.5 needles. What have you been knitting or crocheting? Do you make things mostly for yourself or mostly for others? Do you go through phases in your knitting where, perhaps you only make socks, or only do lace or colorwork? Please share with me in the comments.

My First FO for the Ravelympics

That's right! I have finished one project for the Ravelympics on Ravelry. Only 3 more to go before August 17th, 2008. How are you doing on your projects?

The first project that I cast on for the Ravelympics was a child's hat, the Saturday Afternoon Hat designed by Julie at J. Knits, so it didn't take much time to knit up. I made it in the hand spun yarn that I featured in my last post, so I was very excited to see how it would turn out since that was the first time I had spun yarn. Here is a picture of the finished hat, modeled on the end of a one pound skein of worsted weight yarn.

I did make a few changes in the pattern. First, I used my hand spun, which is a very uneven sport weight instead of the worsted weight the pattern called for. Because of the yarn difference, I knit on US size 5 needles. These changes resulted in a child's hat instead of the M/L size adult hat that the pattern suggested it would be.

Now I am trying to decide what I cast on next. Should it be:

1. The Basic Sock Pattern by Stephanie McPhee
2. The Rainy Day Scarf published by Unique One Sweaters & Yarn
3. Mittens From the Top Down by Meilynne

What do you think I will do?