On the Needles ... and on the road again!

What a wonderful visit we had with our family in North Carolina this past week!  I really enjoy the trips where I don't have to drive :*) While hubby drove for 8+ hours there, and then another 8+ back, I knitted... sometimes with Gypsy on my lap!  She loves to look out the window, especially when we are in the mountains - they fascinate her.

I finished up two dishcloths for my DIL who fell in love with the one I gave her during my last visit.

She said she uses it, then washes it really quick so she can use it again! I was happy to know I was giving her something she really likes and can use :*)

I also got quite a lot done on my Sugar and Cream Cowl. (Click on the name to see it or find the pattern on Ravelry) This is a fun project! It has been years since I worked a cable stitch, and there are eight each front and back cables on this cowl, so I had a ball playing with cables! I still have quite a ways to go, and I'm enjoying every stitch :*)  This is the yarn I'm using...

I realized the other day that it is the same yarn I used for the Hisbuscus socks :*)  It has a nice soft feel, as well as a denseness that I like.  I think it will make a lovely soft cowl.

Go to this link to see this shawl made by Bienenfresser
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/isiss/dreambird-kal

Next week is the Dreambird KAL at the Knaughty Knitter in Murfreesboro, and I'm really looking forward to going with a couple of my friends! You can find this pattern on Ravelry by clicking HERE if you are interested in making one yourself, perhaps in the KAL that will be going on in August with Judy and Denise. They both have information on the KAL in the sidbars of their blogs - you can go there by clicking on their names.

There is one possible cloud on the horizon, though, that might keep me from getting to take part in this KAL. My daughter in Savannah TN has been pretty sick the last few days, and they are telling her she needs to see a specialist for a kidney stone - the size of a lima bean!  YIKES!!!  I am traveling back to her house tomorrow (Friday) to see how she is doing with my own eyes and to help her make some decisions. Hopefully I will be able to come home early in the week but we will have to see how things go with her.

Are you working on a fun yarn project? 

If so, please share it at Judy's Patchwork Times! 

Hugs & Blessings 

Teresa 

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On the Needles 5-3-13

I've been doing quite a bit of knitting lately, but mostly just dishcloths, and I don't have much to show you because I've given them all away!  I did keep this one for myself.  It just needs the ends sewn in.   As you can see, I'm getting better at tension and althought it is still not completely square, it is not nearly as whoppy-jawed as my first poor attempt :*D

As for my first attempt at socks, I've hit a brick wall I'm afraid.....

I was moving along quite happily until I hit the heel.... and I'm obviously doing something wrong.  The stitches are way too tight and there's no way this is going to form a heel - at least I don't think it can anyway.  And then the directions totally lost me with all the turns and leftover stitches!  Oh my!!!

I told my friend Joanne that I'm going to put it down until a day when she can sit with me and help me interpret the directions and get it going again in the right direction.  I've watched a few videos, but it seems everyone has their own favorite way of doing heels, so I still can't tell what I'm supposed to be doing with this particular sock.  I was pretty sure I would need help at this point, so I'm not discouraged, just delayed.

I wouldn't want you to think that I am going sockless however!!!  Actually, while I was in Gatlinburg I came upon a wonderful Sock store!!!  There were socks of all kinds - including quite a few with cats of course.  Needless to say, I think I spent more money in this shop than in the quilt shops LOL!!!

Here are a few that I brought home....

Seahorses!!!!!  Do you know how hard it is to find things with Seahorses on them????
My mommy bought these for me =^..^=

These are really cool with black jeans and a red t-shirt!

What's not to love about cats on lime green????

The ones on the left have a pale blue background and look really cool with my black Burks!
I also got a pair of cream/light blue colored patchwork kitties just like the ones on the right.

Footies!!!!  I just loved these!  Can you tell I can't resist anything Laurel Burch???

And just in case I might be tempted to make more socks, Gatlinburg had me covered.  One of the artisan craft shops had hand-spun wools in so many different colors and textures that I was simply overcome and charmed!  It's a shame that I really wasn't far enough along in my sock-knitting adventure to be able to know how to pick a few of these to make a pair for myself to remember the trip.  They were really expensive so I didn't want to buy something and find out it wouldn't work for socks.  Hopefully I will know what to buy next time!  For now, I'll leave you with pictures of the various beauties....

I wanted these - badly!!!!!

Yep, I could see me in these too!

Don't these look like warm, wonderful winter socks?  YUM!!!

Be sure to go by and check out what everyone else has on their needles at Judy's Patchwork Times!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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On the Needles - 4-12-13

I've started my first sock!!!

After so much wonderful encouragement from all of you, I screwed up my courage, picked a pattern and yarn, and cast on my first stitches    .......... and the first few attempts were almost comical!

I pulled it out at least five times before I finally got something I think I can work with.  It started out like this...

..... then (eventually - after much pulling out!) grew to this......

And as of right now, it looks like this.....

This the Tesserae pattern from Ravelry.  It's probably not the easiest pattern to start with but I get really bored with just knit and purl rows.  It's hard to tell the pattern coming through yet, but I think it's working.  :*)

I'm telling you, getting used to working with all these pointy needles in the way.... 

              ................. it's like trying to dance with a spider!!!  I know I'm probably not holding them right - hopefully I'll get the hang of it as I go along and get more comfortable with it.  I'm also a little concerned that it's going to be too small, but even if it is, the practice will do me good, right?

I've purchased a short circular needle to try that method when these are done.  And I've watched videos about using two long circular needles, as well as one long circular needle and doing the "magic loop."  It's all so confusing!!!  It's really hard to know which way will work best for me.

But I am having fun, and that's the point, right?  (Yep, pun intended!!!)

I also finished up another dishcloth - I like the bands of color in this one :*)  And I started another one using this pattern to add a little picot edge to it.  

It's much fussier to work with but I like the effect so far.  This one will be a gift for someone special :*)

What's on your needles today?  

Please share with us at Judy's Patchwork Times!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

On the Needles - 4-5-13

All these wonderful pictures of socks on Judy's blog have once again lit a fire in me and made me hanker (pun intended!!!) to learn how to make socks!  I've always thought that would be a fun and very useful skill, but the use of little tiny, very pointy, needles - 3 or 4 of them at the same time, no less! - and all those terms, like "gusset" and "turning the heel" scared me off!  :^O

However, this time I have actually gotten to the point of purchasing yarn!

Now, I am well aware that this is cheap yarn and probably not worth the time and effort I will put into the projects, but I didn't want to put a lot of money into something that I may not be able to do.  All of these were on sale - one pair was even on closeout and dirt cheap!  The needles are not what I really wanted either.  Those Harmony wooden needles at Knit Picks in beautiful colors in the shorter 6" size.... oh yes, I drooled over them!!!  But I picked these up at Joann's with a coupon, and they will do until I decide whether sock knitting is something I will be doing for the long term. =^..^=

One thing that has kept me back is finding the right pattern to start with.  I need something easy enough for a beginner, but I want the sock to fit!  I don't want some big, bulky clunky sock that bunches up in my shoes.  So I need a good, well-designed pattern, but easy.  I downloaded a few from Ravelry and picked one that I may try.  Then I saw a really cute pair of socks on Paula - The_Quilter's blog and really liked the look of their shape and simplicity.  You can go HERE to her blog to see them.  (I didn't want to show her pictures without permission).  Her pattern uses circular needles, so I'm off this weekend to get a pair of those so I can try it out!

In the meantime, I have been practicing my stitching and tension with these fun and quick dishcloths!  Here are a few more to add to my portfolio :*)  And they are actually square LOL!!!

Now I'm finding myself left with little bits of Sugar & Cream yarn, so I downloaded a cute and free Soap Saver pattern from Ravelry to use up those bits :*)  Isn't this adorable?  And I bet it's a quick project!

Photo from Ravelry - designed & knitted by Danyel Pink

I'm hoping to start my first pair of socks sometime this weekend!

=^..^=

So what's on your needles?  Share it with us at Judy's Patchwork Times!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Bling On the Needles!

Okay, so technically, a crochet hook is not "needles", but it's a yarn project.... Just sayin' :*D  

And I'm absolutely loving the yarn I have on my crochet hook right now!

This is the most gorgeous fuchsia yarn with a really pretty sparkle bling in it!  Such a pleasure to play with :*) Can you see my little wonder clip there on the bottom right?  I've found so many uses for these little clips!  It's just perfect for holding my place without losing stitches when I put down the project for a bit.

Here's a close-up shot of the pretty ruffle that is being built on the edges....

There will be one more row of ruffly stitching after this one, and then it will be done.  It is a surprisingly quick project!  You can see more pictures of what the Swishy Scarf is supposed to look like HERE.

As for actual knitting needles, I finished up my Sugar 'n Cream dishcloth....

Poor little thing is a little whoppy-jawed!!!  

And believe me, this picture shows it's best shape LOL!!!  

One of the reasons I chose this project was so I could practice my tension, and it seems it's a good thing I did.  I started out making really tight stitches, but in the middle I could tell I was loosening up, and by the end my stitches were much looser.... hence, the lop-sided dishcloth!

However, I really enjoyed knitting up this little project, and it will work just fine in my kitchen.  I'll smile every time I pick it up :*)  And since I enjoyed it so much, I went back and picked out a couple of cute pastel colors in the Sugar 'n Cream to make some baby cloths for my son and daughter-in-law who are expecting their first baby next week.  Hopefully I'll be able to do a little better with my tension on these :*)

They don't know what the baby will be, so I tried to pick colors that would work for either a boy or girl.  The problem is that I'm not really very fond of baby yellow or mint green :*)  These colors called out to me, so these are what came home with me!  =^..^=

And one last exciting news flash....I'm going to be absent from blogging next week because I'm busy packing up for a week-long retreat in Pigeon Forge!  A group of us are going to the Mountain Quiltfest Show and staying in a cabin for the week to sew and play!  WhooHoo!!  I'm so excited!  I'm taking two classes, one from Paula Nadelstern!  So look for lots of fun pictures when I return.

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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Linking up with Patchwork Times - On the Needles

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