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I am working on the Hey, Teach pattern for the Ravelympics. The Ravelympics run for the duration of the Summer Olympics (17 days), which means I have 17 days to knit this sweater.

You were supposed to pick things that would be a challenge for you. Well this sweater has been a challenge.

First of all I’ve never done a sweater flat to be seamed, because I hate seaming. So I always do my sweaters top down raglan so there is nothing to seam.

Secondly I’ve never done a lace pattern that involves shaping as well. All the lace I’ve done has been a scarf or other flat pieces of fabric that doesn’t involve working shaping into the lace pattern. That has proven to be the most difficult part of this sweater, however I must say that I felt like the Best Knitter IN THE WORLD when I did get the arm shaping to work out without messing up the lace pattern.

I’m nearly finished with the back panel, as of bed time last night I had only four more inches to go on the back. I’ll finish that part today and hopefully get a fair amount done on the first front panel. If I continue in this manner, I’m hoping to have the knitting done by Thursday of this week, so that the seaming can begin over the weekend, for a finished product by this time next week.

If that happens, that will leave me another week worth of Ravelympic time to do the Toe Up Jaywalkers that I had slated to do during the Ravelympics as well. These would be for Mike.

I finished the Express Lane socks that I was working up in the Pagewood Farms Yukon sock yarn that I showed ya’ll in the last post. Since my readers failed me and only one of you suggested a sock pattern, I went ahead and did the Express Lane pattern with that sock yarn, which I ended up gifting to my friend Bethany anyway because she fell in love with the colors in the sock.

 

The beautiful Befany with her socks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The yarn was quite divine to knit with, I will be purchasing more in various color ways. I wasn’t totally in love with these colors for myself, which is why I didn’t mind giving these up to Bethany.

Now I have this sock yarn that needs to be worked up. I’d like a nice fall/winter style sock to work this yarn in. It’s not too stripey, so this is good yarn for lace and cables. Any ideas, ya’ll?

 

 

 

Dream in Color Smooshy

 

 

 

I’m headed back to work on the Hey Teach sweater. Updates forthcoming!

First things first, I have FINALLY finished the Los Monos Locos/Toe Up Monkey Socks. BEHOLD!

Laura models the finished sock. And gives it the thumbs up. Even though it’s 198 degrees outside right now I’ve still worn these four times since I finished them. I don’t even care how bad my feet sweat, they’re GORGEOUS! I love them.

Now, here comes the part where I need your help. I don’t have any socks on the needles currently. I need your suggestions. I always knit my socks toe up, but if you have a top down pattern that you love let me know and I will either convert it to toe up or maybe, just maybe, even attempt them top down. Here is the sock yarn I want to use up:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Pagewood Farms Yukon sock yarn, which is a merino/bamboo/nylon blend and it’s SOOOO soft and smooshy and I just adore it. I’ve had it in my stash for six months and I’ve decided to use it up. So, give me your sock suggestions! Nothing is too much, if I don’t know how to do a technique I’ll learn it, I want awesome interesting new socks. And I’m going cross eyed from sifting through the patterns myself.

So, dear readers, BRING ON THE SOCKS!

I also knit up a sweater in the last few weeks as well. I’m calling it the Classroom Sweater because I knit it to be worn when I’m (hopefully, fingers crossed) substitute teaching here in the fall. I wanted a nice dress sweater to wear that would be fitted and stylish but still warm. I don’t like long sleeves, but I needed something that was long enough to cover the tattoo on my left fore arm. So, tada! We have the classroom sweater:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has a slight v-neck, 3/4 sleeves and waist shaping that falls at my natural waist and then flares a bit and falls mid hip. The yoke is knit with Berroco Jasper (100% merino variegated) and the body and sleeves are knit with Ultra Alpaca. It’s super soft and VERY warm. I probably won’t be able to wear it here in Las Vegas until late September at the earliest, but I’m positive I’ll get lots of wear out of it over the winter here and it will be perfect when I go home to Alaska in the spring for my other brothers graduation.

I just need buttons and to block it now. I’m writing a pattern for it as well, that my friend Laura will be test knitting for me. I’m very excited as this will be my first fitted garment pattern I’ve written. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Also,  in the "non-knitting but still awesome" category I have these little gems:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are Smitten Kitchens - Homemade Oreos and they are DELICIOUS. They’re also gone. They went quick. I have plans to make more, and to alter the recipe just a little bit. When I do, if it works out, I’ll post my version of the recipe here as well. I highly recommend this recipe as is though, they were delicious and very very quick and easy to do. I did take the authors recommendation to use half a cup less sugar though for a more Oreo-like cookie. The result was wonderful and I think the perfect balance.

In other news, I will have a few new knit bags up in my Etsy Shop soon. They are knit up, but still need to be lined. They’re all clutch style bags and I think they’re very cute. I’m excited about them. I’ll post pictures here when they’re lined and ready to be posted in the shop.

Now, send in those sock pattern suggestions. I’m itchin’ to get started!

I had a thought. I keep see these blog contests and I was thinking about having one. I think if I had a readership that I felt like I was talking to I might post more often. So I’m thinking of maybe running a contest on this here blog to get some people to stop by and maybe start reading on a regular basis, thus propelling me to update on a regular basis so there’s stuff to read. See how that works?

The four of you that currently read this; what do you think? And what should I give away? I’m broke but I have a pretty expansive stash, I suppose there’s yarn in there that other people might want/covet. If I were to give yarn away what kinds of yarn are good for giving? Perhaps some sock yarn? I have A LOT of sock yarn. Or some sturdy feltable worsted weight wool? I have a lot of that as well.

Now on to the real stuff! Knitting has been happening. I swear it has.

Baby Tank. A DaniDo Design that really should be a pattern soon.

 

 

 

I knit this well over a month ago now, I was working on it while my Mom was in town at the end of May. I don’t know why I hadn’t bothered to get a picture of it up here.

This is a bit of a departure for me for a couple of reasons, mainly as you can see it’s bright colors and STRIPES. Lots of stripes. Some of you may  know that I am a pretty ‘as easy as humanly possible’ knitter generally speaking and stripes are work. And all those ends to weave in! Oi!

And then there are the bright colors. I’m usually a fan of neutrals and earth tones. But these colors just screamed to be put together and the effect is so…cheery!

I’ve also been working on these:

Key chains!

Key chains of adorable miniature versions of some of my favorite things. Like mittens.

And…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Socks! Wee bitty socks! I made a little hat too, but I gave it to my dear friend Christina and I forgot to get a picture. It’s adorable I assure you though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then I tossed these damn things back onto the needles to try to finish up. I’m two repeats up the leg so far and I’m already sick of them again. I love them, don’t get me wrong and the pattern is a dream, but I’m just tired of them and I want them to be OVER already! I had originally had ambitions for these to be knee highs to wear with my little gray wool skirt in the fall, but…I just don’t see that happening.

I am looking for a good knee high pattern (toe up of course as it’s my preferred method for knitting socks.) so if anyone has any suggestions send them on over! (Ravelry links especially welcome!)

I’ve also started a simple top down raglan sweater out of some ridiculously soft merino that I had that is variegated, and then I’ll be doing the body of the sweater in an alpaca that I had laying around in the stash as well. I think it’ll be quite pleasing to look at but it’s slow going at the moment because it’s been 110+ degrees here in Las Vegas for the last few weeks and so anything made from wool that is bigger than socks has been put on hold for the time being.

I’d like to knit my brothers some things for Christmas as well, and I know it’s only July but I need good boy patterns too. NO sweaters or socks for them though, they’re both large boys over 6 feet tall and pushing 200 lbs. both of them. They can have hats, scarves and mittens.

So dear readers! Spread the good word! Lend me your wisdom and send me links and pattern suggestions! I’m not above buying a book for a single pattern, so if it’s in a book let me know the name of the book and I’ll look into it.

So, here we are again. It’s been weeks since I posted last and I have a whole bunch of FO’s and things to show you. Edit: I lied. I only have the one FO. Sorry. I swear to you I do knit all day even if I’m not blogging about it.

The main thing I’ve been working on is a little lace shrug:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved the lace repeat, it was super simple to remember after awhile and you could see what you should be doing next. It’s finished in single crochet around the body opening. It’s currently up for sale in my Etsy Shop.

I’m hoping to have a pattern for it available shortly as well. I really like it, though it doesn’t suit my personal style. I’m just not much of a shrug girl. Though I really love knitting them!

Right now I’m still working on a pair of socks for my Mom, a pair of socks for Mike, and a baby dress for Madison Bailey.

I’m trying to figure out my next major project. I’m thinking a real sweater is in order. One that isn’t made from cheap Lion Brand cotton (*coughblackcardicough*).

Anyone have a sweater pattern that they just love to death? Remember, I’m a sturdy girl so I need patterns that go above a 32" bust. (HA! I don’t even remember the last time I had a 32" bust)

I’m dog sitting my friend Christa’s dog Wendy, who is an adorable Mini Schnauzer. Though not as adorable as my Schnauzies, obviously. Just in case anyone has forgotten how awesome my dogs are, we’ll do a little sharing here:

 

How can you NOT love that face!

This is Allie Mae by the way.

 

 

 

Miss Dixie Lee sittin’ pretty.

And now for good measure, the adorable fluffy Wendy!

 

 

Alright, I guess she’s as cute as my girls.

On Monday, amidst the running of errands, I popped into the Bellagio to take a gander at the flowers they do seasonally in their garden area. I heard they had butterflies, so I had to go check it out. The butterfly part was depressing as hell, but the flowers were beautiful.

I didn’t take my good camera because I didn’t expect to be over there so the shots I did get were with my BlackBerry. Not bad photos for a phone camera, but I’d like to go again with the real camera.

This was the only decent shot I got of a butterfly. They were in a little glass garden shed thing, and several of them were dead. There was some really beautiful blue and red ones, but they moved too much.

This frog was pretty interesting, and I managed a decent shot of it. I like the brown wart like lumps they did on it. Very realistic.

This was my favorite photo of the day. The sun came in just right and lit up these flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

Less vibrant but equally pretty flower.

I had hoped that this photo would turn out better, but sadly it was a little hazy.

And last but not least:

 

 

 

 

 

 

A snail made from roses, almost poetic.

All in all, I spent less than 20 minutes there because there were far too many people to really enjoy it. Not to mention I’m allergic to anything that blooms, so by the time I left my whole face was red and itchy and I could barely breathe.

It certainly was beautiful though.

So last night I built a light box. And it’s a little janky, and I have ideas on how to make it better but it does do the job for the time being. Check out this gorgeous pictures I got of some of my finished knits.

 

 

 

 

This is the second Moonset Chemo Cap I knit up this week to finalize the pattern for it. This is the hat I designed for my Godmother DeeDee who is going through her second battle with breast cancer.  I knit this one in Sanguine Gryhpon - Traveller Yarn. It took me almost 50 pictures to get a picture that showed something close the true colors in this yarn. I finally gave up, the colors in the second photo are close, but there is just no way to show on film the GORGEOUS colors in this yarn. As I was knitting it I was constantly surprised and amazed at the vibrant colors that kept coming along. The pattern for this is coming soon. I will be offering it for sale for $2, which will go towards a fund for my Godmother to help offset the cost of her illness and losing time at work while she goes through treatment. As soon as I have it up I’ll post it here so everyone knows.

 

This is the Star Stitch Hair Tamer that I designed as well. Also looking swank on my new Styrofoam head. I love how crisp the stitches look!

 

A super sharp photo of the Coffee Mug Wrap pattern from awhile back. Again, look at that stitch definition! Hotness.

A ball of Malabrigo yarn I bought recently from Eat.Sleep.Knit. I was still working out the lighting issues in that photo, so it’s not as good as some of the others.

 

This is a hat I knit up awhile ago in Kaitlens Brave New Whorled handspun. I think she called this particular yarn Lettuce. (I may have just made that up…) but it does look crisp and lettuce-y and it’s gorgeous all knit up.

So there you have it, some pretty  knits, some pretty yarn and some SWEET photos of them.

 

Okay, so I bought the head form, but now I need to name it. I have a thing with names, I need to name pretty much anything that could possibly have a name. So, I beseech you readers, help me name the head. Girls names please. Extra points if it’s something ethnic and beautiful OR if it’s something that could be a yarn name as well. Hit me with it! The name I pick may win a sweet little surprise from me. Like maybe a certain kind of handspun yarn. (Kaitlen can’t win, since it’s her yarn I’m going to give away.) The yarn I’m going to give away is not going to be the same green yarn I used for the hat, because I love it and I want to make a matching scarflette out of the rest of it I have. The yarn I’m giving away will be something….different. I don’t know what yet.