Felt Me

MIA

2005-11-21T20:03:00.000-05:00

Well I've been missing in action lately!! LoL... Its hard to knit, blog and have a life! I hope now that I have my own laptop that I can do better at this!!

Knit Nights!

2005-06-22T21:09:00.000-04:00

Just briefly I'll touch on this and apologize for getting melancoly last time, we lost our dear friend Beaty at 9pm on Monday and its been hard. It was a kidney stone that did it believe it or not. It was found too late and sepsis had overtaken her body. We are all hugging and crying together and remembering her and its hard but we are moving on slowly. Thanks for all those who kept her in your prayers and thoughts!!

Ok, back to being on topic. I have so many updates on knitting its not funny!! I'll have to do a synopsis of everything or you'll be asleep in 5 minutes!! LoL...

I have made several new bags, many of them are my own patterns, I just figure that's my destiny now, to create. I have to learn how to write them down properly for other knitters.

I have been to a couple of knitting groups this week, one that is a regular at a local bookstore and another from my SnB group that I started at a different bookstore, it was so nice meeting new people and we all have knitting in common! I plan to do it again!!

I have been to several baseball games lately, the Cinci Reds and Dayton Dragons and have been caught knitting!! I figure if I'm sitting there, I might as well be knitting!!

I'm doing a local festival for my bags with some friends but the problem is that one of my friends keeps buying all the bags I make. I currently have no done bags left and four on the needles. One of those is already sold and its beach bag size!! She wants a total of 5 of these!! Ack!! But she is letting me make some for the festival first. I am hoping to be able to get orders and getting a website set up for all the ones I make. I'm also planning to make a bunch of the faerie crowns.

I have not done any needle felting, no time!! I really wanted to try it too!! I will do some on a few of my solid color bags.

Well that didn't take up as much time as I thought, to me it seems crazy busy but write it down and its like nothing!

Well I will post pics of my purses when I get them on the computer and put them in the FO section!!

Busy Summer Days

2005-06-20T21:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I apparently suck at blogging, but it is summer and I haven't hardly had time to breathe!! And to think, the kids took the summer off!! They seem to be doing something hourly!! I have found the time to knit though and will get some new pics up and talk about my knitting in public but now just isn't the time.

Right now I am losing a good friend and it hurts, a sweet dear lady from work is in critical condition in the hospital and is unlikely to make it. I haven' t known her long but she is the sweetest, purest of heart elderly lady I have known and this is very hard. I want to be there to help the family but know that its really a family thing... I feel helpless and useless....

Sorry this is off topic, needed to get it out!!

Me=Slow Blogger

2005-05-24T20:46:00.000-04:00

Sorry that I haven' t blogged in a few days, this is probably going to be a habit with me... I'm not real consistant!!

The camping trip was so fun, we had some great bonding, we stayed in a cabin with a microwave and tv/vcr so it wasn't so bad!! If you didn't count the mouse eating our s'mores goodies and all the spiders!!

I got two of the moms addicted to knitting in the round and felting, they went on Sunday looking for the supplies!! They were all fascinated!! And they loved my yarn tote (Suki) I've also had a freind ask for one and she says she knows at least 5 other people who would be interested in them too!! When am I going to find the time??

I'm currently making another Landscape bag for a girl at work, I fought with this one all weekend on the size, I didn't believe my own pattern about the CO stitches so ripped it out 3 times... Hint: always follow your own pattern!!

I finally got the yarn for the handle on my other bag so I'm going to finish that handle and felt it.

I also just signed up for a knitting class, gee another purse!! This one will be using Cotton (I think Cascade) and size 6 circulars... ack!!! I don't use anything under 13s normally... I don't have the patience... occasionally I've used 10's but SIXs....ACK!!! That will take me forever!!! But its supposed to be cute.

I'll put in pics soon and keep ya'll updated!!

Knit Nights a Bomb

2005-05-21T09:28:00.000-04:00

Well I held my second Knit Night and no one came. I am trying to be patient but it is so hard, I want this to be a success!! I would love to meet others with the same hobby and we can learn from each other, mostly right now I would be doing the learning but still!! The good thing was that Taylor (my oldest) goes with me and it is such a great bonding experience for us!! I love our time together. I ended up yanking out her tooth that night too!! Hey, she asked me too!!

I finished another purse, its a nice purple/turquoise mix with a pink stripe, pink bottom and soon to be made pink handle. But I ran out of yarn so I can't make the handle yet..... borrowing some from a friend if it matches but that won't be til next week. I'll show pics as usual!

Well I'm going camping with my Taylor this weekend (so far, not much Abbey (youngest) and I can do together), its a mother/daughter retreat with her brownie troop. I'm taking my knitting, I'm making one of those landscape purses for someone who wants one!! Taylor finger knits and loves it and will probably show the others. I am taking a ton of squeaky yarn for them to play with!! I am so glad its going to be a nice weekend, we were supposed to go last weekend but luckily it was cancelled!!

Kool-Aid = Fun

2005-05-17T19:38:00.000-04:00

Oh, I am way over my head with all this knitting, felting, dyeing, and soon to be needle felting!! First off, I got to the library to pick up my reserved books... 15 beautiful, colorful, bright and shiny books on knitting, needle felting, bag felting.... OOoohhh the excitement!! I've been marking pages for hours!! I don't understand why ppl say I'm obsessed!! Sheesh!!

I finished the yarn tote and put on the handle, I've been using it today!! It's gorgeous!! Secret: My hubby designed how the straps needed put on!! The size is perfect for my projects!!

Now on to the main event!! Kool Aid Dyeing:

This was an awesome learning experience!! I had just felted the tote and thought I would be adventuress.... I read the directions like 20 times and kept them handy. I used the ones from Knitty.com.

I picked out my colors (was going to do a solid color but that seemed too easy!!): a lovely yellow, green and orange. My plan is to alternate colors with yellow between them all so I don't get the nasty brown. What a great plan!! So I set everything up and got ready... Whoops, no baster... fine, I'll just use a measuring spoon to pour it.

I get so excited I forgot one important step: GLOVES!! So I turned a little orange til I got a clue (tip of the day: gloves are much easier to put on dry hands). I

t was all going well but for the yellow... it wasn't dark enough... put in another packet (repeat 3 times). I even remembered to squeeze the color down and everything. Just wish I hadn't had to use so many yellow packets but I was just loving it!! I decided to microwave it to set it and that even went well but I had to let it cool to rinse and I was running late for a party so off I went.

I came back and all was well except for some of the undissolved powder from the cheap yellow packets was clinging to the yarn and I cannot get it off but I assume when I felt it it will dissolve.

Basically to sum it up, it was fun, easy and the results were AWESOME!!

Behold, my citrus hand dyed yarn:

And this what makes it a bumpy ride!!

2005-05-15T10:40:00.000-04:00

Omg... LoL...

First off, yes its been a week since I posted but I didn't figure anyone read this silly blog but it turns out they do!! Wow... thanks to all you readers!!

I have been working like mad all week to finish the Suki tote, my friend Jen and I have been doing one at the same time and she finished days before me but took a few extra days on the handle. I finished yesterday!! I took my own pattern on the handle but the rest was following the pattern in the book!! Horray I did a whole pattern!! Probably one of the few times, its just too hard to do, my creative (and lazy) side calls out too often!!

Back to the tote!! Ok so I began the process of felting it last night at like 11pm (I was so excited) and learned that sweater bags don't work, fuzz hell erupted from it, quickly switched to a pillow case. (I am using the Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks and it knits nice, and the colors are great but warning... it does bleed!) I let it go for about 10 min, checked, it was doing ok, let it go another 10 and decided it was done, took it out (no one ever mentioned the stench of wool! Ack), dried it, and blocked it. This was still huge!! 15x13" and I was so not happy with the handle, it was a twist handle and kept falling apart! Anyway I got it ready for drying and went to bed (2 hours later).

This morning I got up and decided it was just still too big for what I wanted and I didn't like some of the seams. So I decided we would felt some more!! (Here comes the funny part, go pee....) Now those who don't know me... I tend to get distracted.... (see where I'm going) and I got on the computer as it was agitating..... When my brain woke up and I remember, Hey I'm felting and ran to the washing machine, it had shrunk to HALF its already felted size!! The handle is well felted but short and I am laughing so hard I can't see straight. The thing is I love it!! I think it is the right size and it is way sturdy (to put it lightly).

Ok so it wasn't that funny but you weren't here!! And now onto kool-aid dyeing!!!.......

Just one of those weeks

2005-05-08T18:20:00.000-04:00

Well its been one of those crazy busy weeks and I just haven't had a chance to post or get on the computer.

My girls were beautiful in the May Day program and looked so sweet in their Faerie Crowns.

I actually got an order from someone who wants me to make on of my little cute bags, the pinkish looking one!! I'm excited!!

My current project is the Suki II Tote from the book Knit Wit, I'm using yarn from KnitPicks and loving it. I'm using Blue Bonnet, SnickerDoodle and Cranberry together, its looking nice. But this thing is huge so far because it has to shrink!! I could almost put my bed pillow in it!! I had to order more yarn so just waiting for it to arrive.

Went to garage sales this weekend and came out with nothing... :( Oh well. Since I couldn' t do anymore knitting on my tote I decided to frog a sweater to recycle. It was an Abercrombie & Fitch, XL navy blue/lite blue with a touch of green... Got a ton of wool but due to the pattern there are lots of knots but I think it will be fine once turned into a tote or bag and felted. I'll just pull all the little knots in before felting!! The sweater was $.25 so can't beat that!!

Also washed some of the previous frogged wool. Was going to try the Kool-Aid dyeing this weekend but didn't happen. Will get to it soon though, I'm excited to try it!!

I need to start writing this stuff down!!

2005-05-02T22:07:00.000-04:00

Ok, just finished up the little bag, it is so cute I want to hug it!! I needed to write down what I did for that!! It almost looks like a minature booga bag but it was knit in the round. I just love it!!

I wish I could show you all in person!!

I also started this this afternoon and finished it tonite too. Thank goodness cause it's needed for Wednesday!!

Also, I forgot to mention earlier, I got new needles in the mail today, I've been waiting for a couple of packages to come and this was great!!

I got:

Susan Bates Silvalume sz 6/24" circulars

Susan Bates Quicksilver sz 10.5/24" circulars

Susan Bates Quicksilver sz 10/16" circulars

Susan Bates Quicksilver sz 9/16" circulars

Susan Bates Silvalume sz 6 dpn

Susan Bates Silvalume sz 8 dpn

All for a little over $11!!

Special Thank you to Sharon!!!

New Pics!!

2005-05-02T19:38:00.000-04:00

Ok, I've been promising some pics of the felted purse experiment and I have some pics of what dh has been doing since Sat. with his dad....

First of all... the purse has turned out cute, here is a pic of it drying, stuffed full of plastic bags:

Isn't it just cute!! Its as tall as the crock pot in the background, didn't really shrink a whole lot. I am going to insert the i-cord similar to the booga bag I think.

Now for dear hubby (dh) and his dad, they have been working hard to build a clubhouse/swingset for my two girls (7 & 9) and its turned into a MoNsTeR project!! Notice in the picture the shed next to it... that's not a miniature shed, that is a normal size backyard shed, now look at the clubhouse... you can fit 4 adult size sleeping bags up top and 4 down below!! They are still trying to figure out the whole swing thing and then have to add the slats around the outside... Kool, huh!!!

Cute Quiz

2005-05-02T18:06:00.000-04:00

Which flock do you follow?
this quiz was made by alannaTry it!

Isn't this too cute and so accurate for me!!

Quick Update

2005-05-01T23:03:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have to do this quick, its bedtime... only I would decide to felt at 10:30 pm on a worknight!! Sheesh....

Ok, checked on it again after 20 min and the soap was mountainous (word? who knows, who cares, you get the pic) and so I chucked the felting and pulled it out. Threw in all our jeans and finished the load.

Took it upstairs to rinse excess soap out and hey it didn't look half bad. With the yarn being the way it is I think it actually did well, could have stood to be felted longer but I like it and it didn't shrink much at all. Right now its on kitchen counter drying with plastic bags stuffed in it... Will post update pics tomorrow.

Can you felt again after something has dried if I dont' like it?? If not its ok, its firm and shouldn't need a lining so I like it!! Hope to be able to show it off tomorrow to the girls at work!!

G'nite all and no one!!

::kisses::

Danger Will Robinson, Danger!!

2005-05-01T22:38:00.000-04:00

All is not going well in feltland.... I need help :( ::sob:: Ok so i'm using the book Felted Knits (awesome book by the way) and it said to add a little soap.... I used a baby shampoo type so it would be gentle, well it spread everywhere and its like a mountain of soap in there, Its only been 30 min but I've emptied it and refilled it 3 times and still more soap!! Ack... the projects look like a soapy wet mess with fuzzies on them.... this sucks!!! I am again trying to see what's going to happen, leaving it longer and longer. Since its only 50% wool but what the felting pattern called for.... ::grr:: we will see if it ever works or if I just have an expensive mess....

(insert sympathy here)

Soon to be felted!!

2005-05-01T18:05:00.000-04:00

I have now finished the icord for the handles and am trying to think how to make holes stay for the felting process so i can use a drawstring... hmmmm... anyway, it will be felted tonite!!

Other news, I washed that great big pile of yarn you saw earlier, its dripping dry downstairs right now and I bought the kool-aid to dye it with, maybe a project for Tuesday or so. I'm thinking a yummy orange maybe, I have tons of purples and blues... orange would be different, or maybe a bright green!!

I went thrift store shopping today but only came away with 3 sweaters but they were only $5 for all and several were XLarge!! I have found out several things when looking for sweaters, so here are my words of wisdom on them....

When searching for Wool Sweaters:

Look in the Men's section, the colors are usually pretty drab but the sweaters are hardly worn and you get the bigger sizes and bigger stitches most of the time! There are usually more off white sweaters too that can be hand dyed.
Check the arms almost immediately, nothing worse then getting all excited and bringing home that yummy sweater to find the arms are surged even if the sides are not!! Big waste of yarn, also check for felting there.

Ok, that's it for now... forgot my train of thought!

I went to Goodwill today but don't want to pay $9 for a wool sweater just cause it has a famous label on it so I came out with nothing, I have like 4 or 5 thrift stores in just this small area and the others are much cheaper. I also would love to know how these lucky knitters find the good yarns and needles at these stores, they had nothing even remotely like that.... :( Oh well.

Wah-Lah

2005-05-01T08:31:00.000-04:00

I have finished the bag to be knit!! I totally created a new bag out of this! It looks nothing like the pattern and has nothing in common with it. About 11pm last night I decided to join the bag in the round, this is after the pic you all saw. So I started knitting in the round and decreasing. Then I tried the scary dpns and you know what, I was successful, I ended up with the cutest little spiral filled bottom!! Sewed up the side that wasn't joined yet and took a pic. Now I'm whipping up an eyecord for the handles and will felt it later today!!! I'm so excited!! I think it will end up as a change purse but hey, it'll be cute!!

Pictures!! Yea

2005-04-30T19:04:00.000-04:00

Well I got around to taking some pictures of my FO's and a few WIPS for everyone to see. Here is what I've created in the past couple of months since I started knitting.

1. My first project: Scarf in basic knit stitch on 19's

2. This was my next project, a doll poncho (actually my first project was a poncho for my daughters but i've never been happy with it so no pics!!) and this still is waiting to be seamed together... i'm lazy!!

3. My first purse!! This was made with eyelash yarn and LionBrand Homespun ( a cheap but very soft and pretty yarn!!) This still needs lined but turned out adorable. I made the strap longer than called for and its still too short!!

4. This is my first created pattern, started out as a simple practice on circular needles so i could learn how to use them and turned into this cute bag I call the "Mushroom Bag" It also needs lined but not sure how to line a round purse but it was fun making it and I love it!! I wrote down the pattern and plan on making more like it, I want to try felting one too!!

5. This is two of my favorite creations, the first being my daughter Abbey(7yrs) and the second the faerie crown she's wearing. I made this for her May Day program coming up and love how it turned out. Her fave color is yellow. I've had to make several for friends now too. This was another pattern I created myself.

6. Current Work in progress... its my first felted project and is a purse pattern from JoAnn's but i've totally changed the pattern so that the only thing the same is the yarn, LionBrand Landscapes which is really cute! Only 50% wool but its what was recommended for this felting project!!

7. This is another project I work on, recycling sweaters. This is all the yummy wool I got from one sweater. I need to wash it and then will dye it with Kool-Aid. I've not done it before but hey, its worth trying!! and Cheap!

8. This is also from a recycled sweater, its all the pieces I got that were about a yard or so and I had the hubby tie them all together and I will make a funky purse out of it and felt it. Hey its worth a try and better to use the yarn then toss it!!

Friday!!

2005-04-29T22:47:00.000-04:00

Well finally its Friday, its been an interesting week and lots of changes, good changes at work but still change!!

I'm knitting my first felted purse, this will be my first felting experiment. I apparently have a problem with authority because I cannot follow a pattern to save my life. Now its not that I can't read the pattern, its just that I believe I can change it or its surely not correct.... This pattern called for a co of 26 stitches using size 11 needles. Now the yarn is pretty thick but come on, that purse would be tiny once felted. Oh yea, 30 rows. Also the recommended needles for that yarn were 11... so after ripping it out 3 times I decided to go with my 13 in circulars ( I have found a new love and want to sell my straights now!!) and created it with co 60 st... (now close your mouth... i thought i wanted a normal size bag!!) I realized that i needed another ball of yarn (3rd skein @ $5.99 each) and that it might take more if i kept at it. I know there are some of you out there that have spent more than that but that's the most expensive yarn i've bought so far... i look for bargains and experiment. Any o'who I have decided to fold over the bag and stitch up the side and bottom once it gets long enough or i run out of yarn!! It looks good and i did a small test ball cause technically its only 50% wool but what was called for (the only part of the pattern I listened to!) I am excited to get it done and am running out of patience (thus why i don't do big projects like sweaters or blankets).
Another project in the works is my recycling of sweaters, I have 4 unravelled and one actually in hanks for the washing but haven't gotten around to it yet. I want to wash it, kool-aid dye it and create something wonderful (::cough:: felted purse)!

Anyways, hope i get some readers and some help for this blog thing, it needs to look better!!

Welcome!

2005-04-28T23:10:00.000-04:00

Created this new blog to keep track of what's on my needles, FO's, patterns I create and a general place to "stitch n bitch"! I love comments, to meet people and to learn what's going on in others lives!! Feel free to post!

My stitchNbitch Yahoo group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daytonsnb/