Finished up Fridays

Since we last convened, I have made 8, count 'em, 8 projects. They are too numerous for me to rewrite new paragraphs about with any originality. Some are for me, but most are baby gifts or gifts for others. So I will recopy the paragraphs I posted on Ravelry for them. Here goes:
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/cfm
I am normally opposed to acrylic yarn, but I didn’t want to waste good yarn on an unsure pattern. The pattern worked up easily. It is in ravelry, but it doesn’t seem to want to look up. And the yarn I chose is surprisingly soft, much like lion brand suede. I used mismatched buttons from my button box to tack it down. I am very satisfied.
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/cs
I think that the pattern was easy. I have no one to take pics of me, so this hideous pic of me in my pjs in the bathroom will have to do. The scarf did turn out cute and I really like the color
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/hg
I had high hopes for this pattern and was kind of disappointed. The pattern looked like the gloves would be long, thin guaged, and simple. They were simple, but the yarn turned out kind of thick, splitty, and the gauntlets only came up midway. I found it unusual that the yarn split because I had worked with it before and never had that problem. I would probably use this for everyday working gloves, but this is definitely not for special occasions.
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/bmh
I bought this specifically for the mousey hat. It turned out pretty cute and I think that the color could be for a boy or a girl. Although I don’t know if you would want to put a boy in a mouse hat. That is debatable. But I had tried to use some stash yarn of equal weight and it was a disaster. It would only fit a doll. So spend the money and use the yarn called for.
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/sb
I think that this yarn was a bit lighter than reccomended. And I found the reccomended length of casting on for the straps unable to reach the bootie and still fit around a fat baby’s legs. So I made this one for ankle straps. And I had no 1 1/2 needles so I used size 2.
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/sb2
As on my previous project page, I think that this yarn was a little lightweight for the project. This time, for the traditional bootie, I cast on an addditional 7 stitches for the straps so that they would reach the bootie when they criss cross and still fit the babys ankles around. Also, I used a size 2 needle, as I don’t own a size 1 1/2. Also, I would like to apologize for the dark pic. The one with flash made them look like two white blobs. The dark one without flash is kind of grainy. Can’t win them all.
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/sicbb
I had a ton of this wool left over. So I thought that I would make a manly baby blanket. I will be sure to include a care label so that the mom doesn’t wash it in hot water and turn it into a pot holder! I actually ran out of the one color and had to improvise. And I left off the last row as I liked the dark stripe as the last border stripe. It is not the softest baby blanket, but I still think it looks nice.
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/ago

This is a high school graduation gift for my nephew. I am going to hot glue a gift card holder to its tummy. I used all stash yarn for it. The parts were easy to make. But the sewing is tedious. But it turned out pretty cute. I have to make another for another graduating nephew, which I will not post, as it is the same project. Also, they didn’t have safety button eyes at my local store, so I had to use black buttons and tie the shanks through the back of the yarn and into the head.
Once again, this posting program is not allowing me to post individual pics, just the attachments linking to my ravelry page. Please go see them. You are welcome to view them. I am, however, a little frustrated with blogger.com. Till next time, keep on crocheting/knitting!

Finished Up Fridays: Catching Up

So I know that my habit is to not post for extremely long periods and then have a lot to share, but I have a lot to do, and a lot going on. I have been diagnosed with Primary Immune Deficiency, and it contributes to my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, in addition to my migraines. I have been going to Denver every 3 weeks for IV treatments, which is 6 hrs away, and it involves a hotel stay. Needless to say, it was getting expensive. But they have now come up with a way to give me subcutaneous treatments at home once a week. It is much easier on my system, but it has been a learning process with its own side effects. I have been rolling with the punches with that.
In addition, I spent a month volunteering to teach Bible courses for 50 hours a month. It was exhausting, but totally worthwhile.
So what have I been doing in the fiber world? Much more crochet than knitting lately. I have been working on stashbusting. It isn't easy when you have a husband's grandma who keeps on sending you yarn. But I have also been making gifts for thanks for those who have been supporting me. Mainly slippers with unique buttons in special colors. We also had a friend who was injured in a tragic mining accident, so I made a get well present for him. So here are my projects:
Well, I did a potholder, but the blog won't allow me to put up a pic for some reason. It blocked me. But here were my comments:
There isn’t much to do with one skein of lily sugar and cream cotton. So I made a basic potholder. Very utilitarian. Simplest pattern available on the label of the skein. Nuff said.
I also did a crochet market bag:
I have made a lot of these bags in an effort to save the environment. I always get compliments on them at the supermarket. They are super resilient, and ultra stretchy. And they are available in a variety of colors to suit your personality, so they are always cute. This along with my potholder project was a stashbuster project.
And, finally, a pair of men's crochet slippers in fisherman's wool by Lion Brand for my husband Andrew:
I had the most difficult time with mens slipper patterns ever! I think I tried 3-4 different patterns before this one. I even tried felting a loafer that turned out looking like a shoe for a hobbit. I just wanted a simple one with relatively little construction. Even this one requires that you add some padding to the sole. Oy vey. It is not the prettiest pattern. I wish that I had more cooperative family members that are willing to model them for you so that I had better looking pics. And you have to have a tight guage for my husband’s skinny ankles. But you can get it done. Also, I had to do some improvising. I had to go rogue a little with the pattern.
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/mpss
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/cmb
http://ravel.me/emmyknitslikekraz/p1
The above links are the public links to my ravelry page for the projects if you care to see them. Ravelry now has the ability to share your projects public for all to see. It is pretty cool. So, until next time!

Long time, no posty

I have been in and out of town for a while. A long while. Every 3 weeks. And I have been working on a shawl and making very little headway. Then my home health nurse decided to leave me, so I worked on 3 little projects for her. Then I decided things were just out of control. I mean seriously. I have at least 10 unfinished projects just laying around my yarn room begging to be worked on. Possibly more. And here you are, being neglected. So I made a list to prioritize. It doesn't mean that I am working any faster. It just means that I am working in order now. And I am going out of town again. For the second time in 2 weeks. And I will be out of town again next week. I am now officially living out of a suitcase. It is exhausting on my health. I am officially clinically exhausted. Not to mention that traveling is exhausting my wallet. At a time when my husband is changing careers, it is most inconvenient. If there was any way around this, I would find one. But there is not. So here we go.
Party wristlets

I just needed a quick project that took me less than a day for a going away present for my home health nurse, Alicia. I am not a big fan of buying yarn from large chain stores, but it had to do in a pinch. It turned out ok, and Alicia was happy with the results, which is all that really matters.



Sparkly Stockinette Scarf
I find that the best scarf in a rush is two novelty yarns held together and knit in a stockinette. It is quick, and it provides the desired effect. Especially if the gift receiver knows nothing about knitting, they are really impressed. This was made out of two sparkly yarns, burgundy and gun metal grey. I spent a lot of money initally on the yarns at a little yarn store in Mendocino, CA. They are Italian, but I lost the labels and can’t remember the name of the yarn. This scarf is definitely more about form than function.

 Sparkle flower wristlets

I just needed a quick project that took me less than a day for a going away present for my home health nurse, Alicia. I am not a big fan of buying yarn from large chain stores, but it had to do in a pinch. It turned out ok, and Alicia was happy with the results, which is all that really matters. Also, I used leftovers, not the sparkly yarn that the pattern called for. I also used some leftover beads that I had.

Finished Up Fridays

I have a new shawl to review that I have finished. It is called the landscape shawl. It is an alarmingly easy shawl. It has a variety of panels, seed stitch, stockinette, and lace in it. It is perfect for a first-timer looking to take on a shawl or a lace project. And it turns out very lovely. My only beef with it is that it says that it requires 430 yards of fingering weight yarn, and even though my guage was spot on, I ran out of yarn and had to leave out some repeats. Fortunately I blocked it out large and it is still more of a shawlette. I would have advertised it as needing more of 470 yards. You want pics?! As you wish:

Yes, I know it is not Wednesday, nor is it Friday

I thought that I would give a brief review to The Fibre Company's Road to China Light yarn. Typically this would be done in the Wednesday Review, but I have committed myself to an extraordinary amount of volunteer work this month, so everything else is going to seed. The Road to China Light is comprised of baby alpaca, camel, and cashmere, and is endurably soft. That being said, I thought that the stitch definition would be more clear for the pattern  I was working on according to pictures I had seen on other peoples' blogs. But I was not disappointed by the softness. The loft was very nice, and I have received several nice comments about the yarn. I would reccomend it again. 4 out of 5 stars.
I am also reviewing Patons lace and sequins. It is sturdy, comes in a variety of lovely colors, and I like the sequins. It is nice to see a sequin yarn that doesn't look like the sequins have been thrown up all over the place, vomited to inconsistency. I know it isn't the ideal fancy yarn that costs $50 per ball, but it still looks classy at an eighth the cost. Sometimes you gotta go on a budget, you know?! I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Also, I would like to post some finished projects. This is just a basic stockinette stitch scarf that I made out of the 2 yarns that I reviewed in my previous post. I am not a fan of fashion yarn, but if you have to get rid of it, and you need a fast scarf, I do reccomend a fast stockinette scarf. I do not, however, reccomend crocheting with fashion yarn, as you will lose your stitches should you need to rip it back. But my grandma liked the scarf, and that is all that matters.

Next up is the frukttgard hat, which I am sure that I am spelling incorrectly, which I made with The Fibre Company's Road to China Light in Grey Pearl. I enjoyed the finished project, and the process wasn't too tedious, however, the directions required 1 skein. I ended up with 12 rows to go and needing another skein. Yes, I checked my guage. And I would have made the smaller size. I perennially find that making the larger size, despite my very large noggin, makes it too large after fulling the yarn.

And here is a leaf and vine hat that I made many moons ago in a needle size larger and a yarn heavier than called for. Therefore, it turned out to be a beanie, and not a beret. But I still like it.

And last, but not least, is a potato chip scarf in Patons lace and sequins. It could not be a simpler project, and it achieves the desired result. And a little bit of sparkle is nice every once in a while.

Review

Yes, folks, I am back to knitting. So here is a brief review of 2 new yarns that I have tried. One is dragon fly by classic elite. It is a novelty yarn that has little paperesque pieces tied to the yarn string. I suppose that they are trying to replicate dragonfly wings, for lack of a better word. Novelty yarns aren't really my thing, but I did go through a period where I did snatch up a bunch of them, and now I have to use them. So as novelty yarns go, this one is pretty interesting. It gives visual appeal. I would reccomend knitting with it, because if you crochet with it, you lose all your stitches. You won't be able to figure out where they are. It would really stink. But it turns out really cute. I just reccoment pairing with another yarn as well to give it some heft. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
The second yarn is La Gran Classic Elite Mohair. It is definitely mohair-y. It is strong and has an aura about it that has a resemblance to a cloud. It may be too much for some people, but it blended well with my other yarn for a scarf, and it was very warm. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

It's all ok

It's all ok. I know that I haven't been posting as much because I haven't been knitting as much. Truth is, I haven't been doing much of anything. I haven't been inspired. I have mostly been ignoring my projects, ignoring my stash, making lots of medical trips, and reading alot. And I mean alot. And getting alot of rest and laying down alot. But you know what? That is ok too. It's ok to veg. It's ok to take a break, recharge, and focus on more important things, like your family and your health. After all, if you can't make important decisions because you're distracted, then what is the point, huh?

I'm cheating on my knitting and crocheting

Ok. The reason why I haven't posted is #1: I haven't had anything to post about. And #2: I have been cheating on my knitting and crocheting. With what, you may ask? Needlework. Occasionally, I get the urge to sort colors of thread, get out the fray check, and do some work. Usually in winter time while watching Jane Austen movies. I haven't done it in a month of Sundays. And all this knitting was just getting to be an overwhelming pile of jumbly yarn to me. But don't worry. The siren song of yarn is still calling. But for now I am pleasantly cross stitching a quilt sampler.

Finished Fridays:Oak Grove Mitts

Sorry about the long time no finished. But I forgot that I had finished anything, until I realized that I had these. These are the Oak Grove Mitts by Alana Dakos, and this is what I gotta say about them:
I got this yarn in exchange for a test knit. The color saturation was really nice. Exactly what I wanted, as the sunlit amber demonstrated would be too orange for me, and I look beastly in anything with an orange hue. The pattern kept me on my toes. I must confess that I experienced a bit of second mitt syndrome. But I am glad I did it. I had a bit of a looser gauge with the second mitt and I had a better leaf due to it. I only regret that my pics aren’t nicer because my husband isn’t really down with taking pics of me in knitted items, and it is really hard to take pics facing down of yourself in mittens.

Review Wednesdays:Eden Madil Print

Today I am reviewing Eden Madil Print, a 100% bamboo yarn in my stash. I bought it so long ago, that I fear that it is no longer in production. I am currently making a shawl with it, so I thought that I would review it anyways. I love the colorway that I chose. I chose it because it reminded me of my beloved Pacific Ocean of the Bodega Bay that I grew up near and am so fond of. It goes from grey to blue green to kind of a turquoise color. Fantastic. It drapes well. I mean really well. Almost too well. The down side is the drape. It is almost like working with seaweed. I know the irony. Ocean. Seaweed. I get it. Also, the yarn is kind of splitty. On the whole, I think it bamboo is best mixed with another fiber to retain shape. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. ( I took pics but can't find my cable. Pics to follow.)

Better Late Than Never:Finished Fridays:The Sugar Bear Hat

I know, I know. Technically it is a Saturday. But I forgot. We will blame it on the time change clock thingy or something. Wait. That is happening today. Nevermind. Anyhoo, I made the sugar bear hat for a friend about to give birth in the cascade 220 superwash  in a light blue. Problem is, I forgot to take a picture of it before I sent it out. So you will have to trust me when I say that it turned out super cute. The pattern is by Kate Oates. Everything by her is super cute. I made the 0-6 months, and my guage was spot on, and it still turned out large. I take comfort in this because the pic of the pattern showed the 0-6 month hat stretched out on what looked like a 2 year old. So it looks like he will get a lot of use out of it. At least I hope so. It is always a hit or miss game when you knit something for someone else. But I have faith. Anyways, it turned out adorable.

Wednesday Review:Becoming Art Cielo Sport

This week I have the fortunate opportunity of reviewing Becoming Art's Cielo Sport yarn. Becoming Art hand dyes their yarn, aiming for a complete saturation of color, and an uniqueness all their own each time. I ordered clove, which I enjoyed immensely. I would say that clove was an accurate description, since it came in shades of woodsy browns. Dried cloves in fact. It was just what I was looking for. The twist is great. The stitch definition is fantastic. I would love the chance to work with it more and review the other products that the owner, Lisa Sanchez, has to offer. I would definitely reccomend it. The only drawback is the price. At over $20 a skein, it is not out of range with other hand dyed yarns, but may be out of range for the average knitter. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Wednesday Review:Cascade 220 Sport Superwash

I had the opportunity to make a baby gift for a friend out of a light blue skein of Cascade 22 Sport Superwash. I think that it is the perfect all around yarn to make baby gifts out of. Not only is it, in theory, washable. But most baby patterns call for sport weight yarn. It comes in a variety of colors as well. The loft and twist is acceptable to work with. It is easy to work with and a dream to handle. For a baby yarn, I would give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Finished Fridays:Julius Dawson Sutton's Granny Square Blankie

This is my second afghan squared, which I made out of stash seconds and scraps for a baby. His name is to be Julius Dawson Sutton. Unique. I know. I made it out of my left over Vanna's Choice scraps.I think it turned out pretty well. It was full of neutrals and autumnals, which was the mother’s preference. And I am getting addicted to stash burning.

Random Tuesdays

Ok. I have a problem. But they say that the first step in resolving a problem is admitting that you have one.  I have a serious case of startitis. What is startitis to the uninitiated? I start projects and can't finish them. I have the equivilent of add for knitters and crocheters. I must have 8 projects 1/3 to 1/2 way done, and I can't seem to focus enough to finish them. And, if by some miracle I do finish them, I start another one instead of finish an existing project. I am in a fortunate situation. I am a disabled housewife. I do maybe 1-3 chores a day. The reason being that my stamina is not all that hot, and my attention span even less. I am also in constant pain. So my husband does a lot of the housework or helps me with it. Poor guy. But that frees me up to do about 3 hours of knitting a day if I wanted to. Possibly more. Yippee for me. But, as I mentioned previously, attention span of a flea. Can't seem to focus on one project, let alone for long.
What to do? What to do?! Any suggestions?

Finished Fridays:Tea and Toasty

I had been wanting to do this pattern for a while due to the simplicity of it and the name. I am a fan of toast as a food, preferably with tea, which is why I gave it this name. However, though I really wanted to buy some homespun worsted for this project, $30 was a little out of my price range. So I bought a bulky alpaca natural blend that was a little acrylic. Despite my aversion to acrylic, I chose this because the label said it was environmentally friendly and responsible. And I liked the color. It blends with a little black, making it easy to match with a lot of things.
I used a size 9 needle, but my gauge was spot on. The pattern was easy breezy, and I love the results! And guess what I drank when typing this? Tea!

back side of gloves



front side of gloves



Wednesday Review:Bernat Alpaca Blends

Now, this one was an unususal one. While this one was a 70% acrylic, 30% alpaca blend, it was unusually soft, but yet a little scratchy when worked up alone, as alpaca tends to be. I chose this for a typically worsted weight project, and even though it is listed as bulky, the guage was spot on, and I found that it still worked well. It comes in nice, muted colors. I used fern, because I love and have a deep predilection for all things green. It comes with black overtones, which I feel makes it match a lot of things. But the most fascinating thing of all is that it is without pesticides or fertilizers and is eco-friendly. I am a promoter of all things eco-friendly, and the blend of acrylic and natural fibers I am willing to try. I was pleasantly surprised. In the world of acrylics, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars..

Finished Fridays:Sweet Pea Granny Square Afghan

This I named because it reminds me of the colors of sweet peas growing in spring. And it is sweet. Original. I know. Acrylic also, featuring the Vanna's Choice yarn that I have reviewed earlier this week. This was a stashbuster project. But granny square afghans are a quick, satisfying project. And I liked the colors. And for an acrylic yarn, it actually isn’t so bad. It is not crunchy. I definitely wouldn’t substitute it for dk or aran. It is tried and true worsted. But I like the result. It would make a good, washable baby afghan. In fact, I am going to make another stashbuster for a baby boy. And there is something satisfying about stashbusting. Come on. You know there is. Admit it.Apparently, my computer has destroyed the picture of my afghan, but you can find it on my ravelry page. Here is the link:http://www.ravelry.com/projects/emmyknitslikekraz/afghan-squared-70131ad

Wednesday Review:Vanna's Choice

I know that in the knitting or crocheting communities that acrylic is a bad word. I associate it with crunchy, wierd colored, squiggly, plasticy yarn. I, myself, have turned into a yarn snob as of late. But I have given myself some time for reflection, and it has ocurred to me that perhaps I have been a little unfair. There are those newbies who are nowhere near a yarn shop, have no computer, and don't know about knitpicks.com and their reasonable rates on yarn. The only thing they have available is WalMart or Michaels. Or there are those who don't do the hobby enough to justify spending $30 on a ball of yarn. Or those who just can't afford anything but acrylic.
But, in all fairness, I shall be doing some reviews of acrylic yarn. Largely because I still have some in my stash that I am trying to get rid of by means of stashbusting projects. I am the ultimate hypocrite, I know.
So this week is Vanna White's Vanna's Choice. And I must say it ain't half bad. It has a range of decent colors, none of which are offensive to my eyes. It does not split easily. And it is soft. It seems to wear well. I made a granny square afghan, and it turned out well. I am making another one with the remnants as a baby gift, so that should turn out well. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars in the world of acrylics.

Weekly Review:Yarn Shop

This week, since I have nothing complete, I thought that I would review my favorite California yarn shop since I was a kid, Filati Fine Yarns. Ever since I knew about yarn shops, my mother has taken me there. I would walk up and down the aisles, marveling at the colors, softly petting the textures. Yes, folks, I pet yarn. I am a yarn pervert. The people are helpful, and they carry madelinetosh, road to china light, debbie bliss cashmerino, and all the greats. I could just move in and have my mail forwarded there. I love it.
Here is some more great info about them:
Filati Fine Yarns is located in Rocklin California, north of Sacramento off Interstate 80.  Our NEW LOCATION offers 3,600sq ft of beautiful yarns and fibers.  Our postal and business address is:4810 Granite Drive (Suite A10)
Rocklin, CA 95677
We have a 30 year tradition of carrying the world's finest yarn plus the most unique yarns and natural fibers.  We are dedicated to searching out the very best yarn for your projects. We stock northern California's largest selection and assortment of fashion and novelty yarns.  In addition, you will find basics and baby yarns.  We guarantee that you will be amazed by the inventory - there is 3600 square feet of it!  Click here to see a slide show of our store.  Here are their hours:
Come and visit us; ◊ 10:30am - 5:30pm Tuesday - Friday ◊ 10:00am - 5:00pm  Saturday ◊ Closed Sunday & Monday
They also have a great online business. I highly reccomend them!
5 out of 5 stars!
Our friendly and knowledgeable staff have more than 100 years of experience between them.  They are all committed to helping you complete your special project, whether it is the finest lace or the heaviest sweater or anything in between. 
Click on the names of our staff for more information about them;