Born to be Worn

Knaughty Knitter!

2011-05-13T17:54:00.002-06:00

Well I have been a very bad knitter this past 10 months. I haven't posted one blog in the ENTIRE time. So I'm going to give you a very abbreviated synopsis.
1.Autumn Swap Hat
2. Orange Leaves Hat
3. The Bart Hat
4. Owling Mitts
5. San Fran Thank You Hat
6. Anniversary Blanket
7. Skull Hat
8. Hooded Scarf
9. Tie for my brother
10. Birthday Fingerless gloves
11. Argyle hat
12. Reversible hat
13. Striping gloves for mom
14. Striping hat for mom
15. Santa Fe Hat
16. Floppy Hat
17. Gloves for Swap
18. Spring Hat
19. Will's Birthday Hat
20. Danger's Toddler Hat
21. Kale's Hat
22. It All Comes Together Hat
and last finished project is the Mint Swirl Hat.

Well I guess looking back on the 22 finished projects and the 5 hats that are currently WIP's there may be a reason for the lack of blogging. So now I'd like to recommit to writing about all my knitting adventures. Including yarn, knitting groups, patterns, etc.

Bunny Hop Baby Blanket

2010-08-09T10:06:00.002-06:00

My friends Maria and Mario are expecting their second child in November. So I decided I wanted to make them a blanket. I really only wanted to make it gender neutral, since they won't know the sex until the baby is born. I also only wanted to use one color and have a nice design, and I have to say this pattern is perfect. It has a nice pattern, that is easy to complete. I have loved making this blanket. The yarn I used was Berroco Vintage which was a nice balance. My friends are from Mexico and when I was talking to my family about a color my mom suggested a "Mexican" Green, I feel this color is perfect for the family, it's not too soft, not too vibrant it's just right. My only complaint is that the last repeat of the blanket felt like it took FOREVER! The pattern is simple and looks fabulous. I'll post pictures as soon as I can.

Under the Tree Mitts

2010-07-25T21:15:00.002-06:00

Well here I am am two frogged gloves and one complete glove and I can now say that I am learning how to read a chart when knitting....... I'm making the Under the Tree Mitts from Ravelry and I thought knitting from a chart would be simple, little did I know that you actually have to learn how to read a chart. For all of you knitting novices you read lower right to left then left to right and you switch back back and forth. Now I believe this is easier to do on a flat pattern, however when knitting in the round I still managed to hit some road blocks. I really struggled with the chart pattern when I was trying to do the tree part of the mittens and eventually just did my own thing and decided to knit on the cables instead of trying to do the purl and realize later that my tree was inside out (again). Overall the glove I have made was pretty quick to knit up I finished one in a day and will hopefully knock out the other pretty quickly here as these mitts still have a journey of their own to take. But for now I must go and enjoy the evening. Till next time!

Knitting to do list!

2010-07-21T13:57:00.002-06:00

I saw this on a fellow bloggers blog and decided to join in. this will be interesting to see if any of this changes in a few years ;)

****************************************************************

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with bananafiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffitti knitting: knitting items on, or to be left on the street
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Household items: dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…
knitting socks- or other small tubular items- on two circulars
Dying with plant colours
Knitting (crocheting) items for a wedding
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
JewelryKnitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Arbor: Keep your fingers crossed!

2010-07-17T19:40:00.002-06:00

Here's a little update for my readers on the Arbor t-shirt. As I mentioned in a previous blog I had to frog my shirt because it was MASSIVE! My knitting Yoda recommended that I go down a needle size, so now I am using a two. Again I became paranoid that something was wrong so I put it on some waste yarn and tried it on. I am very excited to say that I believe this sweater is off to a good start! So now I'm asking for positive vibes for the success of my first shirt. Wish me luck!

Arbor KAL

2010-07-14T13:15:00.002-06:00

I started my first knit-a-long doing a shirt, which is my first shirt. This has not gotten off to a very good start so far. First of all, I ordered my yarn late so it didn't show up until almost a week after the KAL started, secondly another woman in my group is a turbo knitter, so keeping up is going to be a struggle as it is, but perhaps that will work out well for me as she will have completed the shirt long before I do and will be able to help me with EVERY issue I may encounter. Another issue I am having is with the sizing. I went by the size of my bust and just assumed it would work out all right, but now that I've officially frogged it for the first time I am concerned that this shirt is going to be HUGE! When I look at the provisional cast on that I did it can wrap around the largest part of me almost 2 whole times, what does this mean? Finally I was unable to keep my knitting from twisting, I don't normally freak out about this, however it's a big project and I don't want to frog it over and over and over again and I don't know how to keep it from twisting when there are tons of stitches on the needle. HELP!

New Name

2010-07-14T10:01:00.002-06:00

One of my greatest pet peeves about making thing for other people is when said item is not used. Now sometimes people say that the project is too special to wear, but I didn't make it for it to sit in a closet. I want you to use and love what I made you. So now I've decided that my items are "Born to be Worn". Eventually I am going to purchase tags to sew into my projects, but for now I am telling my readers that hand crafted items should be used and enjoyed!

Fingerlesss Mittens for Carly

2010-05-16T20:00:00.002-06:00

I finished a pair of mittens in no time at all. What a quick and easy project, it was so fun to whip these out. I used Classic Elite's yarn Cotton Bamboo. This makes a nice light weight fingerless mitten that my sister will be able to wear in the summer. If you're looking for a quick fingerless glove pattern give this one a try.

Happy Hooking!

Backlog

2010-05-09T14:48:00.003-06:00

Alright, well I could go into the myriad of excuses that I have for not posting picture of FO's however, I really feel that's not what my readers want, therefore I'm just going to catch up and and hopefully stay on top of my blogging over the summer while I have more free time.
For Spring break my sister and I decided to travel down to Texas and visit some family outside of Austin while we were down there, as a hostess gift I made a shawl with slits for my great aunt. I made the shawl out of baby alpaca from Knit Picks. I got the pattern from Coats and Clark and you can check out my ravelry. I have also posted pictures here for you to enjoy. Unfortunately I did not get to take a picture on a model before I gave this to my aunt, but she loved it!

Another project that I recently finished was a knitted project. This was a knitted scarf that my friend Rachel dyed for me. I heavily modified the pattern from the Mock Cable scarf on Ravelry. Here is the link to my ravelry information. I made this scarf for me and I am excited to wear it, I just hope it doesn't roll up when I finally do.

I have also made some baby booties, but I'm not going to post pictures at this time. I may do a feature later when I've completed the project.

Until next time, happy hooking.

A Little Behind.....

2010-03-11T18:44:00.002-07:00

Well I've gotten caught up working on homework for my masters and haven't had time to blog lately. I've also become a crazy person and I've had a ton of Works in Progress, so I haven't completed too many projects lately. I have however finished two washcloths that you will see below. The first is a crocheted washcloth that uses an 'X' stitch. I used my Sugar N' Cream cotton yarn, this was a pretty easy and painless pattern. Here is the link to the blog for the pattern. The second washcloth was a knitted washcloth and I really enjoyed making it. I used cotton yarn purchased at Purls of Wisdom and the pattern can be found here. I messed up about 1/4 of the way through, but for only 1 row, so I kept going. Don't tell. I'm also in the progress of making a hat for my dad, a cowl for my sister, a monogrammed washcloth for my mom and a shawl for my great aunt. Stay posted for more pictures. But for now enjoy the pictures of the washcloths. Happy Hooking

Here is the Crocheted Washcloth

Here is the Knitted Scarf (Sorry for the puppy ear)

Clarity in all the Chaos

2010-02-24T20:38:00.003-07:00

Well work is pretty much horrible right now. I dread going in the morning right now and I obsess about what's going on at work when I'm home. I needed something to get my mind off of the misery. I recently discovered Purls of Wisdom here in Parker. I went to their Wednesday Night session called Women of Wisdom. I have to say it was the most therapeutic experience. In everything that has been bothering me lately I found a sense of peace. I sat down with 6 women all from different backgrounds and found a community in which I could talk about crocheting and knitting. I learned a lot about wonderful women in my community and about myself as I crocheter. So I have come up with a few tips, things that I will update as I go too.

1. Join a community: Whether you knit, crochet or spin you should join a community someone to share ideas with and someone to encourage you and someone to help you keep on trucking when things aren't going well.

2. Find at least 1 sage: I have 3 people that I can go to. People who know more than you about your craft. Someone to help you read patterns, write patterns or teach you new tricks.

3. Your community should not be the same circle of friends: I challenge you to meet new people, people who will support you, but not that you are too connected to so you can have a break.

More to come I promise, for now I need to work on my project before bed.

BLAH!!!!

2010-02-21T14:14:00.003-07:00

I just finished this scarf and didn't particularity enjoy it. It's an easy pattern that I created myself. I use my AMAZING speed hook, which I do enjoy and just single crochet through the hole scarf to the length of my choice. However I don't like this yarn and I felt pressured to make this scarf for a co-worker. Anyway I'm glad it's done and I can move on. WOOT WOOT on that part. Anyway here's a picture of the final product. Coming soon, my dad's Christmas hat that I'm just finishing now. Happy Hooking.

A Yoga Bag

2010-02-15T21:44:00.003-07:00

I made my first Yoga bag and I loved making it. Even the challenging parts I enjoyed. I discovered a new yarn store near by and I was talking to the owner about putting good/bad vibes into a project depending on the makers feelings about the project. Anyway, because this was a yoga bag I felt it appropriate to say that I definitely crocheted good vibes into this bag, the whole way. I got the pattern on this blog via ravelry. I loved the granny square style. I modified this slightly to get a thicker strap so it wouldn't dig into my sister's shoulder when she carries her mat in and out. I loved the tutorial that was provided to help me learn how to knit the cord that ties the bag shut. I have attached the link here. I also learned how to make an adjustable ring and I am SOLD! I will never again chain to make a ring, this was easy and made the perfect size. Here is the website I used to show me how to make an adjustable ring. I've attached photos below of the final project as well as pieces I made a long the way. If you are considering this at all I highly recommend this pattern. Happy Hooking.

The Favorite Scarf again....

2010-02-11T20:24:00.002-07:00

Good evening,
I've blogged about this scarf already, but just wanted to post some photos of the black one I just made. Look for the Yoga mat I'll be making here soon. Happy Hooking.

Learning a lot

2010-02-07T11:37:00.002-07:00

Wow, I've recently become really involved with Ravelry, the blog and flickr so I'm learning a lot. I feel stupid for not having known about this site before but I have absolutely fallen in love with Knit Picks. I went absolutely CRAZY and bought yarn for great prices, and stitch markers and other goodies. I will definately be returning. I will also be posting photos here so you can see what I got! I also have been using a quick and easy guide for crocheting. I love the small and easy guide to remember the stitches. I've attached a photo below you can find this at any JoAnn's fabric store. Just thought I'd share a little bit about what I'm learning. Happy hooking!

Mi Primero Calcetinas

2010-02-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

I finished my first pair of socks for a swap. I am so very proud of this pattern. Not only was this my first swap, it was also my first pair of socks, and the first time that I was able to independently read a pattern. I used my resources and repeated the project many times to get it right but I did it! I found the pattern on Ravelry but then I was sent to Mrs. D Crochets I had so much fun with this and I'm so proud, I hope to make more in the future and only improve!

Here are some pictures of what the socks looked like:

Return to the Needles

2010-01-10T13:08:00.002-07:00

So I've been wanting to try my hand a knitting again. My great-grandmother taught me back when I was in high school, but I found it frustrating and tedious, I also could never get past the garter knit stage and I could only make scarves. So I quit and was a devout crocheter. However I like a lot of designs for knitting so I'm getting started again. My friend Rachel is a knitter and hosted a stitch n' bitch party to teach us all how to knit. This dishcloth was the pattern she used. I felt more successful this time because now I can read patterns and I can branch out on my own. I'm going to start small and stick to dishcloths for a while, but eventually I want to move onto bigger and better things. Crochet will still be my primary fiber craft, but I just wanted to try something new. Have a good week.

Rising the Charts

2010-01-07T20:41:00.004-07:00

This scarf is quickly becoming a favorite amongst friends and family. It took a little bit of time for me to decipher the pattern, but with the assistance of a friend I learned how to make this beautiful scarf. The scarf I made first was the pink one below for my sister. I've now also made an off-white scarf for a friend. This is a very fun pattern that takes no time. The biggest issue I had was that it only attaches in at 2 sides, so it gaps in the middle. For the first scarf I stitched buttons onto the scarf to keep the middle from gaping. For the second scarf I just picked up the space in the middle. I also put the buttons on them. Hope you like them. I used the Crochet Lace Pattern from Lion Brand Yarn

Purple and Brown Hat

2009-12-30T18:50:00.003-07:00

Hello bloggers,
Well I finished the hat I made for my mom. I used the "Family of Beanies" pattern from the Lion Brand Yarn website. This hate was a little difficult because the baby alpaca yarn I used was so light weight that I had to start over 3 times before I realized that I needed to double up the yarn. Then as I progressed it was so light it was difficult for the hat to hold any shape. I did LOVE the color combination that I picked up, it's really unfortunate that my camera doesn't do the colors justice. Another addition that I did was that I found an ear warmer for $1.00 at JoAnn's Fabrics so I quickly stitched that to the inside of the hat when it was complete. I did have to stretch the ear warmer to fit along the interior, but it was quick and simple and my mom really likes the added warmth. The yarn is from Alpaca with a Twist, Baby Alpaca that I purchased at Knitting Habitat Enjoy the pictures and don't hesitate to ask.

Too much of the apple

2009-12-28T19:50:00.002-07:00

Well I bit off a little too much this last month. I've been taking classes for work, working on my masters, moving into my new house and working on tons of Christmas presents. So I haven't posted since I first created this blog. I made a number of Christmas presents this year and I'll get them posted as soon as I get pictures. Here is scarf I made for my brother. I really liked this pattern because instead of the typical horizontal stripes it has vertical stripes. Another blogger (my apologies for forgetting the name) not only used the vertical stripes, but also did the different colored stripes. I love the way this scarf turned out, it looks so sleek and sharp especially against his new pea black coat. In case you are wondering how I spaced the stripes I did 6 rows, 2 rows, 3 rows, 3 rows, 3 rows, 2 rows, 6 rows. Let me know if you have any questions.

Work in Progress

2009-11-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

I learned to crochet when I was a sophomore in college. At that time I knew two stitches, I could make scarves and blankets. I had no talent beyond squares and rectangles. I wanted to learn more but had not resources until I started my second job and I now work with a team of fellow crochet nuts. I had never been taught how to read a pattern. However the more I learn the more risks I take and my goal is to start blogging about resources I use to figure out stitches, patterns, etc. I hope this helps other fellow novice crochettes out there to take the chance and try new and difficult patterns. Don't be afraid to look at more difficult patterns, as my teacher friend reminded me, once you can read the pattern you usually already know how to do everything else. I'll show pictures of my final projects when I complete them.
Happy stitching!

Megan