Yarn It: My life as I Live It and Knit It

SP14 Questionaire

I have decided to join another round of the Secret Pal Swap and I have also decided to be a hostess!  I have my work cut out for me but I am really excited to participate and help out. 

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love most all fibers and yarn types.  I am not a huge fan of acrylics but some blends are fine.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a drawer in a cabinet that I use for all of these things.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I am a self-taught knitter and have been knitting for about 4 years.  I would consider myself between intermediate and advanced because there are some advanced techniques I have not tried yet.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes.  I think you can find it by typing in my name.

5. What's your favorite scent?

I love floral and woodsy scents.  I really don't have a favorite though. 

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I have a huge sweet tooth for ice cream!  I don't eat a lot of candy but chocolates and Good-n-Plentys would be at the top of my list!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I have tried sewing and was horrible at it. I need lessons.  I do spin and love doing so, but I spend most of my time knitting.  I would like to spend more time doing crochet though.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I don't have an MP3 player let.  I like all kinds of music from rock, alternative and even some country. 

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I am loving reds and blues right now.  I also love yellows and greens and pinks.  I don't use orange too much.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

We do have pets - 2cats and a dog and a bird.  We also have chickens in the back yard.  I have four children and I am getting married Aug. 1st.  I can't wait!  At that point I will have 2 new step-daughters.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I wear scarves, hats and mittens.  I have one poncho and wear it occasionally during the winter.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I love knitting sweaters and summer tops.  I also love cardigans.  I do knit mittens for my kids and socks from time to time.

13. What are you knitting right now?

I am knitting a yoke leaf top from Knit.1 and diminishing ribs cardi for Knits.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

LOVE IT!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I prefer aluminum circular needles.  I rarely use straights anymore.  I have used bamboo but I really love Addi Turbos.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I own both and can't live without them!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

I don't even want to think about this.  It is about 4 years old or a bit less.  It was a sweater I was knitting for my son when I first started knitting.  It is faire isle and I had no idea what I was doing when I started it!

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?

Christmas is my favorite holiday.  It is stressful but I love magic feelings it creates in my kids.  It is a good time of year to teach them about giving.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Yarn, Yarn, and Yarn!  And Addi Turbos. 

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I would really like to have the book Glam Knits.  I have a lot of books.  I also wouldn't mind having Handknit Holidays.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I would like to try Faire Isle again and more stranding techniques.  I really enjoy stranding with colorwork.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Not a major sock knitter but I love hand knit socks.  I wear a size 8 shoe.

23. When is your birthday?

December 31st

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Yes I am!  Yarnit is my ID.

Seascape Stole

I am so excited to finally post about an FO!  It has been too long (Snow White doesn't count!).  This is the Seascape Stole that I knit for my friend for her wedding.  I think it turned out beautifully and it looked stunning with her dress.  I didn't get any pictures of her with it on because she was so busy during the wedding and reception so Scott took a few of me with the stole. 

Pattern:  Seascape Stole from Knitty.com

Yarn:  Sublime Kid Mohair Blend

Needles:  US 10

The sun was in my eyes.....but if I would have moved out of the sun, the view wouldn't have been as pretty.  This was from the balcony of the Bed and Breakfast place we stayed at and really enjoyed.

Anywho....Terra picked the yarn out for a different stole that she was going to knit for her wedding and it didn't work out for her.  I didn't care for the pattern so I searched around and found a few I thought she may like and that I would also enjoy knitting.  She thought this one would go great with her dress.  Off to knitting I went, but I ran our of yarn and my yarn shop couldn't get more.  So, if you look at the edges of the stole, you can see from the last picture that one end is shorter than the other.  I am probably the only person that would notice this.....maybe.

I didn't even have enough yarn to bind off!  So, I had to cut off pieces of yarn from the joins, and KNOT them to the end of the bind of yarn in order to bind off the stole.....I had to do this about four different times!  I have never had to do that before.  The good thing, is that this yarn is "hairy" and so the ends stick to each other and you can't even tell that I had to knot the yarn.  I just pray it doesn't unravel!  I doubt it will because you can't even rip this yarn back becuase it tangles up on itself. 

The wedding was beautiful, Terra looked gorgeous, and she loved the stole.  She got a ton of compliments on it and I had several people come up to me asking me if they could be my friend too so I could knit for them.  Hmmmmm..........

I have some other things to show you that I am knitting but that will have to wait for the next post.

Snow White - Pictured and Frogged!

I am not sure if it is the pattern or the yarn - because I have seen many nice, flattering Snow White's out there on Ravelry!  I think it may just be the yarn - Sublime Aran.  Anyway, this is probably the most unflattering knit that I have made.  It adds about 10 lbs to my body.....I don't think any woman likes a garment that does that!  It hugs in all the wrong places and just doesn't look good.  I took pics of it.....and frogged it right afterward to cast on for Diminishing Ribs Cardigan with is coming alone great (and is more flattering!). 

Ok.  So there you have it.  I really hate putting such terrible pictures up - but just like everyone else - not all my knits are that great!  Snow White is a perfect example.  I have been bombing out with a few other knits as well that have ended up way to big.  I will post about those another time. 

I finished the Seascapes Stole for my friends wedding, which is today, and will take pictures of it tonight and post about it next week.  The stole turned out very pretty.

Sorry there are not any links to the patterns - we are heading out the door for the wedding and I just don't have the time to put them in.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

I Promise I Have Been Knitting......But Also Planning A Wedding.....

As I said in the title....I have been knitting.  I have been working on the Seascapes Stole for my friend who is getting married on June 20th.  I am close to being done.....and obviously need to be done in the next week so I can block the stole and hand it over before she says her vows.  I haven't had much knitting time lately so when I do knit, I am mainly working on the stole and the Skinny Empire from Custom Knits. 

Besides the knitting, I have been working on planning my upcoming wedding.....it is fun and exciting!  The invites went out yesterday:

I love them.  I really should show you the entire invite.  I bought these in a kit at Micheal's.  They were $40 for 30 and you print them out yourself and assemble them.  It takes a little time but all the invites I looked at online had to be assembled as well and this kit cost significantly less. 

We have decided to have the wedding and reception in our backyard.  We have a really nice, big back yard and it is perfect for a small wedding ceremony and reception.  I will post pics of the wedding and set up when the time comes. 

I have been working on finding and hiring a caterer, working on table and linen rentals, and now I need to focus a bit on center pieces for the tables.  I am not that creative of a person so this will probably pose the biggest challenge for me!  OH!  And I ordered my wedding dress.  It is gorgeous.  I would post a picture of it if my husband-to-be didn't read my blog! 

Last but not least, I received a beautiful ring from Scott last week.  We will try to get some pictures of it this weekend.  All in all....we are having a small, nice, beautiful wedding at our home with all of our closest friends and family.  This is a really special time for both of us because finally feel we are getting it right.....and know it will last.  It feels good to know that this time around I am making the right decision....and I know my life may not always be perfect and it will have it's up's and down's....but I will be spending it with the love of my life.  That is perfect enough for me.

Reflection on My Spring Knits

I started knitting when my youngest was a year old - that was four years ago now.  I really can't believe it has been that long.  I am self taught and probably jumped into making sweaters far sooner than I should have because I was easily bored with scarves.  I loved how knitting was a learning process.  I didn't know when I first picked up those needles how much I would LOVE knitting.  It quickly became a place of solace for me.  A place where I could loose myself in creativity and concentration.  I knit every day - for hours during the summer when the kids were home and late into the night when my marriage was falling apart. I think knitting was something that held me together and blogging gave me a place to share it with people who shared a common interest.  I ended up cranking out a ton of FO's during that time.

As you all have probably realized, my FO completion has dwindled quite a bit and so has my blogging.  That really can be attributed to many things that I don't care to go back to right now.  As I have moved on with my life, and am spending it with someone whom I love to spend time with, I have realized that knitting has still taken somewhat of a backseat.  And I know why - it is happiness.  I still love to knit with a passion but I also love spending my nights curled up on the couch with Scott.....and sometimes the needles are in my hand but sometimes they are not.  I think this is a good thing and is probably part of the balance of life that I can now manage.

Soooooooo........I may not be cranking out a ton of FO's, but I still have a lot of WIP's on my needles!  I just can't guarantee when they will all be completed at this point and I am really not all that worried about it.  As I said in my last post, I put all my winter WIP's on hold.  I then decided to cast on for a few new spring/summer knits.  I feel like my life has a new beginning....so I decided to reflect that in my knitting by starting fresh and new.

The first up is Liesl by Ysolda.  I received my last installment of yarn from the Sundara Season's yarn club and it was three skeins of Aran Silky Merino in a beautiful pinky peach color.  I loved it and immediately cast on for Liesl.  Liesl is actually done now.  I wrote this post last week and was having trouble getting my pictures off my camera.  Now all I need to do is block her and add the buttons!

Next up is Skinny Empire from Custom Knits.  This is another one that I have been wanting to knit for a long time and I even bought the yarn for it months ago when I found a color I liked.  Here is my progress so far using Lorna's Laces Shepard Sport.

I started Bijou a couple months ago before I moved.  I need to finish the back and sleeves.  I need to try it on because I have a feeling it may possible be a bit too big.  We shall see  The color is off in the picture because of the sun.....and I was in a hurry.

Last but not least is the Seascape Stole.  I am actually knitting this for a friend of mine for her wedding in June.  I guess I better hurry up because I also want to knit a stole for myself for my own wedding.  Not sure it will happen, but I am certainly going to try. 

Last but not least, I really want to thank all of you for the congratulations on my upcoming wedding to Scott.  I am so crazy happy and in love with him it is not even funny. On top of an already busy life, I get to plan for a wedding in three months!  Very exciting.

OH, and I still have FO pics to show you!  Snow White is one of them - which I am going to frog.  The other is Vivian.  I can't find the zipper I bought for it since we moved so I am going to have to go out and buy another one.  Hopefully I can get that installed on the sweater by the weekend. 

I Will Marry The Love Of My Life.....

......on August 1st, 2009.  And I can't wait!  That is my good news.  Scott and I have talked about getting married since before we moved in together but the time wasn't right and neither of us were quite ready for that yet.  Living together can probably make or break a couple - well, it has made us realize that we are perfect for each other.  I am incredibly lucky to have found this wonderful man.  He loves me, he loves my children and is good to them, and he treats me like a princess.  Everyday that I spend with Scott I feel like the luckiest and most loved woman in the world.  I am looking forward to a life full of love and happiness.   

Scott......everything I wish to say on here will be said to you on August 1st......if it hasn't been said already!  I love you more than words can ever say.  xoxox

P.S.  I have been knitting.  I have tucked away all my winter projects and have cast on for four summer ones.....three from stash yarn!  I figured spring is a new beginning.....my life is a new beginning.....so why not have knitting be a new beginning too!  Hence the new projects.  I plan on posting about them later today but I wanted to share my good news first!

Quick Update

It has been a long time since I posted and a few of you have sent emails off-line so I figured I should give you all an update! 

Basically, we moved again.  I didn't start packing until the week before so it has just been really crazy and busy trying to get it all done and get things order.  I haven't picked up my knitting needles in weeks.  Hopefully I will soon because I am having serious withdrawls.

The move went well and we love where we are.  My dad is doing absolutely perfect and we are soooo glad.  All is good in this little part of my world. 

I will have some REALLY good news for you all in the next week or two........

Wake Up Call

It was a bit of a rough week so I haven't had time to post on my blog.....nor did I really have the mental capacity to focus on it. 

On Tuesday, my mom called me and told me my dad was going to the ER because his heart rate was around 200.  That is racing.  He is getting surgery on Monday for Carpal Tunnel and so at his pre-op on Tuesday he had an EKG because he is over 50.  It is standard.  The Dr. knew the high heart rate was abnormal for him and sent him to the ER in an ambulance. 

The whole thing threw me for a total loop.  I can't even tell you the wave of feelings and emotions that went through me as my mom told me what was going on.  I didn't handle it very well.  I drove an hour to the hospital to be with my mom and dad and my brother and his family went also.

They found that his heart was in Atrial fibrillation.  This means that the atria of the heart are quivering, rather than pumping, which causes blood to pool in the atria which can cause a blood clot and possible stroke.  They did in Echo cardiogram and found my dad didn't have a clot.....so then they shocked his heart back into normal sinus rhythm.  They weren't sure if it would work, but it did on the first shock. 

He is doing well and released from the hospital the next day.

I just never imagine anything bad happening to my parents yet.  They are so strong and healthy and I don't consider it!  It was a wake up call.  You never know what is going to happen or when.  We need to appreciate every day and minute that we have with the ones we love.  I am so grateful that my dad is ok.  He will need to be monitored to make sure he stays that way, but he is ok.  I love my dad so much, I can't even imagine my life without him.  I guess we all feel that way but this week I had to think about that reality. 

My mom is so strong and such a trooper.  I know it had to of been much harder on her than on me!  But she is so calm and in control in a crisis.  I admire that because I am not that way and never have been.  I freak out.  My dad is her life.....they have a wonderful marriage and are best friends and I can't imagine what she was going through.

Anyway.....that is pretty much it.  I do have some knitting going on that I would love to post about.  I need to show you pics of Snow White but I will be frogging it and I STILL have to get the darn zipper on Vivian!  I can't believe it.  At this rate I won't be able to wear it until next Fall!  I have a couple new projects that I started too.  I will start posting them this weekend.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Meret and Project Spectrum

I received the yarn and pattern for Meret from my Secret Pal.  The pattern was in my Rav queue and I love the color of the yarn she picked out.  It is GREEN which also coordinates with Project Spectrum for March/April!  Killing two birds with one stone works for me, however, I think there is still more green knitting coming up because I received a beautiful skein of "green" yarn from the Plucky Classics Club.  More coming on that at the end of the post.  Here is Meret:

Yarn:  Patons Classic Merino Wool

Needles:  US 7

Mods:  You have the option to knit a ribbed band or a rolled one.  I obviously decided to knit the ribbed band.  I also misread the repeat directions in the lace pattern and so my hat isn't "exactly correct".  I accommodated for the mistake by changing up the lace repeats throughout the rest of the pattern so that it was uniform and it looks just fine.  I also decided to knit the "slouchy" version.  I absolutely love this hat and will knit another one in another color soon.  I think Camille and I will be sharing this one because she loves knitted hats as well!

Project Spectrum

This years PS incorporates Cardinal Directions.  The directional element for March/April is North. We were to take a picture of the North direction and then described what North means to us.  Here is "North" from my house.

What does "North" mean to me?  Besides north being a direction.....it really means onward and upward to me.  When you go south.....the only way back up is north.  We are all constantly changing the direction in which our lives are going.  Over the last couple years I would say that my direction has been heading north.  I have been in a constant state of moving upward through rebuilding myself, my family, my financial situation, my education and by building a new relationship.  These are elements of moving my life north...upward for the better. 

As far as knitting goes for the rest of March and April for PS.....I am not exactly sure what I am going to knit next that has green in it but I am really tempted to use this skein of gorgeous yarn that I received from the Plucky Classics Club from The Plucky Knitter.  

Isn't this yarn gorgeous?   The yarn is 50/50 Silk Merino fingering weight.  The color is Container Garden and her Inspiration was Dreaming of Spring Planting.  It is actually much more muted than the picture shows (at least on my monitor) and has some browns in it as well.  Notice I took a picture of it on some moss and rocks....which goes along with the Element of Earth and the Materials of Stone for Project Spectrum.  I am thinking a pretty lace shawl would be perfect for this yarn.

I decided to join the Plucky Classics Club when Sarah re-opened the sign ups because it is almost impossible to get her yarn now!  I am not always available during the updates....or I forget....and she is always sold out when I finally make it over to her Etsy shop. 

Knitting Updates

I finished Snow White and I hate it on me.  I will take a picture of it but I will be frogging it and using the yarn for something else.  I started Bijou this weekend and I am hoping to get the zipper on Vivian tonight or tomorrow.  I really wanted to do it this weekend but it was too busy and it will take some concentration. 

That is about it!  Hope you all had a great weekend.

Bella's Mitts

First of all, I want to thank all you once again for your encouraging comments.  It seems that falling apart after the storm is pretty normal!  I really didn't even think about that happening.  I figured if I was going to fall apart it would be DURING the divorce process.  Regardless, I do have many wonderful things in my life.  There will always be bumps in the road no matter how blessed we are.

Ok, so I finally get to show you and FO!  Yeah!  I made Bella's Mitts for Camille and she LOVES them.  I think I want a pair for myself!  When I found the pattern and showed Camille, she just about flipped.  She is a total Twilight fan so these mittens were right up her alley.  Now all her friends want a pair....and they will even pay me $10!!!!  That cracked me up.  I am obviously not going to take $10 from her friends but I think I will work on knitting a few more pairs this weekend.  They knit up quickly. 

My little pre-teen sitting pretty and just way too cute for my comfort.

 

And a close up.  Aren't they cute?

Details:

Pattern:  Bella's Mitts

Yarn:  Cascade Ecological Wool

Needles:  US 8

I followed the pattern exactly as written and they fit her perfectly.  I didn't block them.  If I made them for myself, they would be a tad small in the hand length so I would have to block them and stretch them a bit.  These are perfect quick fix weekend knit and it made my little girl VERY happy!

I am hoping to show you Meret soon.  We took pictures but I wasn't very happy with them so we will do another photo shoot today.  Snow White isn't done but is sooo close - only a few more rows left.  Can't wait to see how it fits!

In random news, we are actually moving again.  If you can believe that.  I think I am in a bit of denial because I haven't started packing and we are supposed to move April 1st.  We are on propane where we live and had I know that before I moved here I probably wouldn't have done it.  I still didn't know how expensive it is!  We spend around $550 a month on propane and on top of that, one of our energy bills was $672.  It is insane.  We were using electric heaters to conserve propane but apparantly those consume a ton of electricity.  I have never spend more than $350 for gas and electric in the winter.  I really can't afford to spent that much on propane and energy.  We love where we live but it isn't worth the extra expense.  The money is better off used elsewhere. 

SO - we are moving to a really nice house that is really close to all my friends.  It will be a HUGE pain in the A$$ but it will be worth it in the end.  Do you see why I am stressed and out of whack??? No wonder!

As for this weekend, we will be taking it easy.  My friend Ginger and her family will be coming over to just "hang out" all day Saturday.  We are all going to hang out and talk while the kids play.  Then we will make dinner and watch a movie.  I am looking forward to it because I can get some knitting done!  Yeah!

I hope you all have a nice weekend.