guiltyknitter

10:37:43 AM EST
Feeling Mischievous
Hearing Dave Matthews Band

I haven't posted anything on the blog in over a year.  I still knit I just haven't been as good about putting up pictures and writing about what I am working on.  The first picture is of a sweater that I made for my mom.  It ws my first lace project and it kicked my rear end.  I was so excited when I finished it - although it took a lot out of me.  I had big plans to make myself a few sweaters this summer and didn't get past casting on and a few rows before I pulled them out.  This pattern was in one of the summer Vogue Knitting mags. 

The purse below was made for one of my cousins for Christmas last year.  It was a start into cabling.  Turns out I love to cable. 

This is my entrelac blanket.  I love the technique and we will see if I actually manage to finish the blanket in time for a November Birthday.  I have about 12 inches of the 50 that I need finished. 

My new favorite projects are twirly scarves from the Loop D Loop book.  They knit up fast and are pretty simple once you figure out what you are doing.  It looks great with a yarn that changes colors gradually. 

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11:41:23 AM EDT
Feeling Happy
Hearing A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore It has been about a year since my last entry.  I am still knitting quite a bit although I haven't done much beading.  
I have made a ton of baby blankets and afghans, 2 sweaters and a few pairs of socks along with a few felted
purses.  I am currently trying to figure out how to use up the yarn in my stash, not to mention the yarn that
I purchased last year when in Scotland.  I am not sure what to do with it yet.  


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10:10:08 AM EDT
Feeling Ecstatic
Hearing Book on tape I finally finished my sweater.  I used a pattern from a better homes and gardens magazine that
was for spring and summer.  I changed the pattern slightly and found that making a swatch
was very important.  I also didn't put the hood on the back of the sweater.  I used peaches and
cream cotton yarn.  You can't beat buying 20 skeins for .99 instead of for a few dollars/skien.  
Plus the yarn was so fun to work with and since it varied colors on its own I didn't have to change
colors every few rows.  
I had to pull out the sweater the first time I made it - I had about 50 rows left when I realized
the yarn would pull the sweater down to make it much longer and thinner than I needed.  Then
while knitting in the airport I decreased stitches instead of increasing stitches on the one side of
the neck.  I loved the fact that it was knit in one piece and then I stitched up the sides of the arms
and body.  I am just so excited that it is finally finished.  Yeah.  

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4:10:41 PM EST
Feeling Happy It is funny how these blog things go - when you start them you write stuff daily, weekly, etc.  I
just looked on my toolbar and noticed that I hadn't thought about this site in a while.  Anyway -
I have been busy.  Many of my friends are pregnant or just had babies, so I have been visiting
and working on more blankets and hats.  I also have been making these cha cha bracelet watches
for my mom's bunco group.  That way they all have fun watches to wear.  I have 3 more to make.  
I should hopefully finish them tonight.  I am also working on a hat for one of the guys that works with
me.  He should be finishing his PhD soon and so I am making him a thinking cap.  
This summer I am heading to Scotland with my good friend Julie.  This has lead me into thinking
about making a big felted bag to carry and my first sweater.  The sweater is one of the ones from
the Family Circle knitting magazine.  The bag is from the Knitters Stash book.  I can't wait to begin
to work on them and then to be able to finish and finally use them.  Scotland will also be an
opportunity to get some really cool yarns.  I really can't wait.  


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2:23:17 PM EST
Feeling Happy
Hearing Mozart's Wife (book on tape) I finally finished the koala.  I made it using a pattern in the Knitted Toys book.  I think that it turned out
very cute.  Here is a closeup of the head.  The next picture is of the tail end of the Koala.  I wanted to
improvise and make a tail.  I was happy to finish the bear since my friend should be having a baby
soon.  
So finally here is the bag that I made with the Cool Wool, that didn't felt.  I bought some denim and some
stuff to attach it to the bag with an iron.  We will see how that goes.  I have a feeling that I will
ruin the bag while trying to fix it.  

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12:48:49 PM EST
Feeling Happy
Hearing nothing So I tried to felt lionbrand kool wool.  It is 50% acrylic and 50% wool.  I thought that since it
said to handwash in lukewarm water that I would be able to felt it by putting it into the washer
in hot water.  No such luck.  I didn't do a swatch so I have a huge floppy bag that I am going
to have to line to make it useful.  Anyway - lessons learned 1.  no felting of cool wool 2.  swatches
aren't all that bad to make.  


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12:00:29 PM EST
Feeling Happy
Hearing Books on Tape I finished 2 hats last night.  We had SnB at a local bar last night to celebrate Mardi Gras.  It was g
great fun.  Then we went over to Arby's for dinner.  Now to the hats - the yellow hat is a
umbilical cord hat from the SNB book.  Then I finished a hat that I made by modifying one of the
patterns in the SNB book.  I think that they are both very fun.  

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11:14:37 AM EST
Feeling Happy
Hearing Books on Tape I finally finished my necklace for the auction.  Yeah.  I am so excited that it is finally finished.  
I have to finish the bracelet but it won't take as long as the necklace.  I used seed beads and
crystal beads to make a lace pattern.  The second picture shows the entire necklace.  
The third picture is of my newest felting project.  I have been carrying it around and I love it.  
I want to make a larger purse.  This one only holds my wallet, cell phone and checkbook.  Not nearly
as much as I normally carry around with me.  
The fourth picture is of the hat that I made myself.  It goes with my scarf.  The hat is a bit tight -
I may have to add a little to the length.  I have such a hard time with hats.  


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4:50:40 PM EST
Feeling Happy
Hearing The book Elizabeth I need to add my pictures of my new purse.  I have been carrying it though for a few days.  I really like it a lot although it isn't nearly as large as some of my other purses are.  I'll hopefully get around to taking a picture this weekend.  I finally received my yarn from JoAnn Fabrics today.  I got some of their 100% wool yarn.  I got some that has a bunch of blues and another one with purples, pinks and oranges.  I can't wait to use it.  I also was being very bad yesterday and purchased 2 knitting books from Amazon.  I can't wait for them to get here.  I think that I may try to make something more difficult once they get here.  
Currently I am working on a winter hat to go with my scarf.  I also need to make some mittens or something to keep my fingers warm.  

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7:01:25 PM EST
Feeling Happy So my mom and my aunt came to Birmingham for a fun girls weekend.  We did the usual girls
shopping, hanging window treatments in the apartment that I have lived in for almost a year, and
ate a whole bunch of great food.  I didn't get much time to knit or bead and I haven't had much
time the past few weeks to chat on the blog but I have a few minutes free tonight to do so.  I have
made baby hats to go with the blankets that I have made for my pregnant friends.   I also managed
to finish a felted bag for myself.  It was a scarf that I pulled out.  I'll post details about the yarn
and a picture of how it turned out.  It is a cute little bag that will work when I go out.  It won't
hold my daily essentials but maybe I'll just have to cut back on those.  I also did a bad thing last
week and bought some yarn from JoAnn fabrics.  Plus some size 7 double pointed and circular
needles.  I'd like to try a few of the hats in the first SNB book and they need size 7 needles.  
Plus you never can have too many needles.  I think that for the first time in months I really have
nothing on needles at all.  I have yarn bought for different projects but I just haven't had the
time to get anything started.  I have been really busy at work also.  Busy is good but I am beginning
to wonder if too busy isn't bad.  Well hopefully I'll get my act together and be able to craft again.  
I haven't even thought about bringing my knitting to work lately I have been so busy.  


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