Tuesday, August 30, 2005

What kind of knitter am I?
You appear to be a Knitting Apprentice. You've got the basics down pat and you might just be falling in love with this hobby. Big needles, funky yarns and simple shapes are the name of the game, but it doesn't mean you don't experiment a bit, here and there. As an apprentice, you probably fall back on other people to get you through those rough spots, and if you don't know anyone who knits, you probably have a few books or online sources to tap.
Let me know how ya do?????

What is on the needles you ask?? Sophie Bags of course. I just love them. They are too cute & just right for a beginner. The fun part is the felting! I have 2 to felt at this point. I will post pictures later.
I really REALLY want to make this: http://http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/PATTwomb.html but the darn Double Pointed Needles (DPN) are just not working out for me. I try & try & get so frustrated, I just pull it all out!! I need to find someone IRL to help me.
After I finish 2 more sophies, 1 regular, 1 double, I think I am going to move onto the booga bag! I can not wait. I promised to finish the sophies before I order the noro!!! I swear! (fingers crossed!)

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

After meeting my friend for lunch today (Yummy Thai food. Note to self: Get there before the lunch buffet closes!), we trek to the LYS. Neither of us have had good luck there. Generally stuffy old rich ladies are in there, but today we finally got some acknowledgement. (I think it was my friends cute baby girl that did it!) Anyway, I found some awesome wool in beautiful colorways, but I was strong. I did not buy. Hubbie should be very proud! Anyway, I was showing them the bag I am currently working on & they notice my stitch markers. They are pretty impressed. Hmmmmm, so my friend pipes up, do you offer consignment here? The lady in charge of the yarn said what would I want for them, wholesale. I have no idea!!! A buck a piece, I don't know. They are not hard nor expensive to make. She said figure it out, so that I would make $$ off them & let her know. WOW! Ok where are those reciepts from that craft store???? I also inquired about perhaps a little part time job. They ask if I knit, well duh you see my work. I confess I am a beginner (as if they could not tell) but told them I am eagerly learning. They said to keep inquiring. Who knows! That would be cool, a few hours in a LYS a few days a week. I will not get my hopes up, as anyone knows me, this year has been very shitty & nothing has worked out, but hell, it would be cool.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

I am as giddy as any girl can be! Why? Because a small little package came in the mail today. Two more hanks of wool! I am so happy! I can now work on finishing a bag I started on my trip to WA. I ran out of yarn when I doubled the pattern, which was carefully explained to me later by my friend, that is really quadurpuling the pattern. So I had ran out, but ordered more on friday & it came today! Woo Hoo!!! Now I can work on finishing my bag. Here is my bag & my yarn!


Also here is a picture of sophie I just finished, but have yet to felt. (I know the picture is dark, but you get the idea.)Ok time to stop writing & get to knitting!

Monday, August 22, 2005

So I made my first soaker. & It is gorgeous. I go on to make 2 more while pregnant with my daughter Alexa. The sad thing is, my daughter Alexa Rose was stillborn on June 10, 2005. She did wear her soaker once, and she continues to wear it in her eternal cradle, under a beautiful pink & white, cotton knit & silk dress. The bodice was the knit & the dress was silk. While I did not make this beautiful dress, it was perfect when we found it considering, I learned to knit specifically for her. She is also wearing knitted baby booties in her eternal cradle to match the dress.
Alexa in her only soaker:


As part of my grief healing, I have continued to knit. I finished a larger soaker, after Alexa died & passed it onto a friend. Now I am making purses. I love it!! I am still working in wool. I just love this fiber. I even dyed some to make that 2nd soaker for Alexa. (pictures below) Now I have this amazing yarn habit that is breaking my bank. I need to sell off some scrapbooking stuff to support this new habit. I am so excited. So this blog is born!!!

My next two soakers. The second one was dyed with kool aid. It took me four hours to untangle & then roll into a ball.
Here is the first purse I made: Before & After Felting

Knitting. It has been around for a really really long time. I have no idea how long. Probably centuries. For me, it is new. I started knitting in April 05. My Aunt was visiting & I was pregnant. I was planning to cloth diaper for that baby & thought if she could teach me to knit, I could make some really cool wool soakers. (Note: DO NOT learn to knit by making wool soakers. Start with a scarf!) The first problem I had is what kind of yarn should I use. Well they are called Wool Soakers, so I think wool. I go to Micheals & look for wool. No such luck. I was smart enough to know I needed 100% wool, & they did not have any!! I go to my LYS (local yarn store, see I am learning!) & find some 100% wool. Holy Heck, there is all kinds of wool! Bulky, worsted, sportwash. What do I need???? I have no idea, niether does my Aunt, she makes blankets. So I go home, empty handed as I have no idea what to buy. I call my friend D. (She makes soakers & such for profit!! Amazing!) She gave me more info than I can actually process. Cascade 220 sticks out & I remember the store had Cascade. I go back. 1 hank of 100% wool,Twelve dollars; 1 set of addi turbo circulars :sixteen dollars; 1 package of cheesy stitch markers three dollars: My first wool soaker, priceless...
Needless to say, my Aunt did alot of the work on that soaker. She did most of the crotch & I did the body & most of the waist band. It was the most beautiful soaker. Here is the picture of it: