A cotton hat and a new project.

I have a fo to show! And you all thought that I abandoned my knitting to play with my cute puppy instead. It's the Children's Cotton Hats from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I made it in the toddler size for a friend's baby because he has (ahem) a huge head. Well, he does! I used Mission Falls 1824 Cotton in Lemongrass, which I have heard is no longer available. I bought it long time ago for this project, but never got around to it. I still have one ball of it in Golden. The Lemongrass color is so pretty. This was definitely another quick knit.

The wip on the needles is the infamous Anthropologie-inspired capelet from Craftster.org. I read about it on Amy's blog and was instantly overcome with the desire to make it. Thanks for another neat pattern, Amy! She is always spotting the coolest things.

I am using a chunky weight yarn called Berella Whistler, a Canadian Yarn. I was so glad to be able to do a little stash busting. I have 20 balls of this color. I bought it at the Manhattan Yarn Riot last year. It's 100% Merino wool and it's machine washable. Since this yarn is not the same gauge, a little math had to be done. This yarn turned out to be 3.75 stitches per inch, so I cast on 60 stitches and added 1 to make it 61. The pattern writer said to be make it an odd number of cast on stitches by adding one if needed. I have frogged this piece about a billion times. Yes, a billion! I keep making stupid mistakes here and there. I finally ripped it back to the 1 x 1 ribbing last night and started from there. Everything seems to be going okay now, but I am keeping an eye on it. Hopefully, I will have more progress to show in a few days.

Fashion Shoot

Napoleon is a very sought after puppy model. His agent was able to squeeze us in his busy schedule after weeks of begging and treats. So, here he is modeling the 2005 Winter Amy S. Puppy Couture Collection.





The scarf was made by Amy. Click here for more information about the scarf.

I got tagged!

I haven't been posting because I went away for a mini trip (Atlantic City) and just got back. Not much knitting going on except that I finished one of my half done scarfs a few weeks ago. I still have 2 more to go. And last night, I attempted to learn how to spin yarn on a drop spindle. I bought a Learn to Spin Kit by Skeintly Clad from Plain Mabel a while ago. Tara carries awesome stuff, so do visit her shop and buy yourself some DIY goodness. Spinning is fun, but slow. I need a lot more practice because I seem to be spinning thick and thin yarn and I would like to spin more evenly. This weekend I ordered 4 rovings from Plain Mabel so I can add to my new hobby. I can't wait to get them next week.

Amy tagged me with this knitting meme. So, here it goes.

What is your all time favourite yarn to knit with?
I don't have an absolute favorite yarn because I buy different yarns all the time and never seem to knit the same thing twice. But if I have to pick one, I would say Karabella Yarns "Aurora 8" and "Aurora Melange". They are super soft. A little too pricey for my budget, but it makes a great gift for a special recipient. I made a scarf with it and it is very warm and soft.

The worst thing you've ever crocheted?
A hat that had the worst instructions from Lion Brand. It came out too big and it was funky looking. I threw it away.

Your most favourite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it...but it was the most fun to knit)
The Umbilical Cord Hat from the first Stitch and Bitch Book. It was my first knitted hat and first time using circs and dpn's. It taught me a lot plus it was fun. I have made 3 of these so far. 1st One 2nd One. I didn't take a pic of the 3rd before I gave it away.

Most valuable knitting technique?
Knitting in the round and frogging.

Best knit book or magazine?
The first Stitch and Bitch Book, Knitting on the Edge, Last Minute Knitted Gifts(even with all the mistakes in the initial editions) and Interweave Magazine.

Your favourite needles?
Bamboo needles. I like Crystal Palace better than Clover, but I run into Clover's more often. My favorite pair that I own are the Addi Natura Circs, but they are expensive! I only have one pair because I don't see it much at stores.

Your favourite knit-a-long?
I have not joined any yet.

Your favourite knitblogs?
They are listed on my sidebar of links.

Your favourite knitwear designer?
Nicky Epstein

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)
It was this scarf last winter and now it's this scarf for this winter. Thank you, Amy!

Swapping Goodness

This summer Amy and I decided to swap for things that are hand made by ourselves. My Paisley earrings for one of her Badonkadonk Bobbles scarfs. She was very patient in helping me choose a yarn. Purple is my favorite color, so she gave me a list of yarns that would be suitable for the scarf. I ended up choosing Noro Cash Iroha in Plum.

The wait is finally over. The scarf came out great. I love the color and I love wearing it. And I love the fact that it was handmade for me! Well, Amy surprised me by making a matching keyhole version of the scarf for Napoleon. It is so cute! Plus, she sent me some yummy truffles. They are all gone now. I am a little piggy. Oink, oink! She also wrapped everything in purple tissue paper. Such attention to details! Thank you, Amy. This was a fun swap. I am very happy that she likes the earrings.

Go check out Amy's blog for better pics of the scarfs. She has great pics with her modeling the scarf. Click here for my scarf and Napoleon's scarf. Fauxpoleon is hilarious! I will be posting photos of Napoleon wearing his new scarf soon.

Airy Scarf & Int'l Secret Scarf Exchange

I needed a quick gift for a friend, so I decided to make the Airy Scarf from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. She gave me the book a while ago and I never got a chance to make anything from it. (Thanks for the idea,Amy!) I am a slow knitter and so I was quite surprised that I was able to finish this scarf in about 2 days. The only problem I encountered was that the pattern fell short and you need to repeat the eyelet pattern a few more times to reach the 32 inch mark. Other than that, it's a really easy pattern. This is my first attempt at lace knitting.

I used 5.5mm needles and the yarn is Lane Cervinia "Softer". My friend likes blue and this yarn is a very nice light blue with some shine to it, but I can't take a decent photo of the scarf. Maybe all that fuzzy mohair is getting in the way. It's 50% mohair and 50% acrylic. The scarf is so light and soft. It's feels great. I blocked it last night and now I just have to wrap it up and slap a bow on it.








International Secret Scarf Exchange


I have never joined a knitting exchange before and it was too tempting to pass up. I love knitting for people and it seems like I never get to knit anything for myself, so this exchange is perfect. It's a win win situation. This is round 2. It is going to start in November and end in February. There are two groups to join, one for a scarf only, the other for your choice of scarf and hat, or scarf and mittens. I picked scarf only because I don't want to overwhelm myself.

You know you want to join! Go ahead and click on the button above or here. Then scroll down to the first post for joining instructions.

My So Called Scarf

I have a FO to show! I stopped knitting when I got Napoleon in September and I was finally able to pick up my needles again a few weeks ago. I started this during my jury duty in the beginning of September. I still have to weave in the ends, but it's done! (Click on the photo to enlarge the pic) The pattern can be found here.

Here are a couple of new pics of Napoleon. He is getting bigger. I just took him to the Vet on Friday for another round of shots and he now weighs 3lbs and 12ounces. He is cuter than ever and it's so much fun watching him develop and learn new things each week.

Angela Needs....

I saw this funny meme on Stacy's blog. Just Google "(Your Name) needs" and list 10.

1. Angela needs a parent who uses humor and non-threatening approaches to discipline.
2. Angela needs to feel assurance.
3. Angela needs help!
4. Angela needs to be in the top 60 on the LPGA money list to qualify for the Women'sBritish Open that will take place in July.
5. Angela needs to take those 18-hour days she spends working on her Web site and devote that time to improving the quality of her clothes.
6. Angela needs her coffee.
7. Angela needs to take her father off the pedestal she put him on.
8. Angela needs prayers.
9. Angela needs coercion.
10. Angela needs some blood, too.


I have been getting spammed in the comments, so now I have enabled the Word Verification in the comment box. It's an extra step, but hopefully that will block out some of the spam. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Knitting?

No knitting content today. Who has time time to knit with this cutie around? I am taking Napoleon to the vet for his shots today. I can't resist showing more pics of him. Sorry! I promise to have some knitting pics soon.

A Swell Yarn Shop

I have been so busy caring for Napoleon lately that nothing else is getting done. Whoops! I really didn't know how much time was needed to take care of a puppy. But I really enjoy taking care of him. He is just so cute!

A few weeks ago, I placed an order at A Swell Yarn Shop. I got my order promptly and the yarn was gorgeous. A Swell Yarn Shop is run by Angela of A Girl's Gotta Knit. She is super nice and helpful, so go over there and buy some yarn from her.

The top one is Cascade Quatro in Purple Rain that I am using for My So Called Scarf. And the bottom one is Schaefer Yarn, Anne in Purple Waters. I am planning to make Clapotis with it.

We were shopping for Napoleon over the weekend and one of the employees of PetSmart got a hold of Napoleon and paraded him around the store. Then one of groomers, Melissa, loved him so much, she clipped his nails and cleaned his ears for free. She even gave me a PetSmart bandana. It was too big so she had to cut it in half for him. Melissa was so nice and patient and showed me how to groom him myself and offered a lot of great advice.

This little guy is going to be spoiled!

My Baby

This is the new addition to my family. Napoleon is 8 weeks old and weighs 2 pounds. He is a mix breed. His dad is a pure bred Chihuahua(Taco Bell) and his mom is a Lhasa Apso/ Pomeranian mix(Gigi). He is the cutest little thing. We were in Boston over the labor day weekend and made a trip to Maine to pick him up from a farm, called Riverside Kennel. I never knew how much work was involved in taking care of a puppy. He is just like a baby. My dh and I are so exhausted because Napoleon does not sleep through the night and can never be left by himself. He has separation anxiety because he is so young. Bathroom breaks are impossible unless someone is with him. I even tried putting him in his carrier and bringing him with me to the bathroom, but he whines and cries because he wants to be by my side.

My dh and I are not pet people or even dog people. Ever since our trip to Hong Kong in January we have wanted and entertained the idea of a pet. In Hong Kong, we accidently wandered down a street that sold all kinds of animals. It was a pet street. The puppies and bunnies were so cute!

I never thought that I could love an animal as much as I love Napoleon. Even though, he is so much work and is naughty all the time, I can't stay mad at that face. He loves to be cuddled and is so sweet when he falls asleep in my arms. My motherly instinct kicked in and I worry about him all the time.

Now, I only hope that I can get him to house train soon and maybe be able to leave him alone for a little bit. My lifestyle has changed immediately as soon as Napoleon entered my life. Perhaps it will be while before I can go salsa dancing at night!

Duty Calls

The jury selection process is so slow and painful. On the first day, I sat around all day from 8:45am-5pm and my name was never called. At the end of the day, they just told all of us remaining to come back the next day. The worst is that I have no idea what is going. The guy on the podium speaks through a microphone to all of us and you don't get to talk to him. Sigh...

Well, at least I got my knitting needles through the x-ray machine and security never opened my bag. And I was in and out of the court house and had to go through the security process everytime. They gave us 2 hour lunch breaks and you could take breaks by signing in and out for those that need to smoke. Unless, it was for lunch, I remained there for the fear of missing my name being called.

I know I said I didn't want to start another scarf, but I needed something easy and portable to take with me. Plus, I wanted a simple pattern I could memorize. I started the scarf called My So Called Scarf. It has been on my list of projects to do anyways. I really like how it has a woven look to it. I am using Susan Bates Silverado circs and boy, are they slippery. The yarn is Cascade Quatro in Purple Rain. I only bought one skein and it has 220 yards. I was afraid that it wasn't going to long enough so I cast on 28 stitches and it is going to be a skinny scarf. Well, skinny for me, because I usually make scarves a little wider.

New Comments

Just a quick update to let everyone know that I am using a new comment box system. I have been using a free service from CommentThis.com and I keep running into problems when their system goes down, no one gets to posts. Even though I will lose all my old comments, I will be using Blogger.com's comment box from now on.

Thank you, JillZ for letting me know my comment system was down.

I have been called for jury duty, so I won't be around much. Hopefully, I won't be picked for a case because I am heading back to Boston for a wedding on Thursday. I got to knit all day in the jury assembly room today. Not sure which knitting project to bring tomorrow. 9-5 are long hours to be sitting in a room without internet access and today dragged on and on.

Winding Down

This weekend I got to use my new yarn winder for the first time. I think that I am addicted. A week and a half ago, Amy posted about a great deal on lace weight yarn at handpaintedyarn.com. I couldn't help myself and placed an order, too. It's 850 yards for $5.95! Amy and JillZ also placed orders, too. Well, Amy and I had something to do with JillZ ordering. Hee hee...

The yarn finally arrived on Friday afternoon. They are beautiful. The colors are amazing. After winding the first skein, I wished I had a swift. I will have to look into that, but for now I will have to use the back of a chair and a little elbow grease. I bought Vermillion, Thistle and Huerta.

The yarn doesn't show it's true color potential until you wind it. It's like something magical happens when you wind it into a ball.




I am not sure what I am going to do with this lace weight yarn. Maybe a few lace pattern scarves? I am no expert on gauge and yardage, so I am not sure what 850 yards of lace weight yarn will get me besides a scarf. I currently still have 3 scarves on the needles and I think that I want to work on a different project, so I may hold off on using this yarn for a while. The way things are looking, a lot of people will be getting handknit scarfs for Christmas this year.

What's this?

Last week, I started a new crochet project. I had to stop because I had to wait for the polyester stuffing to arrive from Joann.com. Well, it finally arrived tonight and I started to stuff the body. I am not telling what this crochet project is, but you can guess. I have the body done and the inner ears done. I still have to work on the rest of the body parts. I will post pics as the project is shaping up. (You can click on the photos to enlarge.)













With that Joann.com order, I also got my ball winder. I have been wanting to buy one for a while and finally bought it when there was a 50% off coupon for Joann.com. Look, Amy used her new winder already.


I am almost done with the Pumpkin scarf. Just one more section repeat and I can bind off. Bulky yarn makes a fast knit.

Swapping and More

I recently did a little swapping with Amy! She recently found a kit for the Heir-Loom at a thrift store and she graciously offered me an extra bobbin and colored-photocopied the instructions for me. Now, I can make my own Daisy Afghan. Plus, she sent me a bunch of goodies, too. I am so honored that she gifted me a Amyville stitch marker. It's a California Roll stitch marker. You can buy them at Amyville. She makes them out of polymer clay and they are tiny and has amazing details. I can't believes she make them all by hand. THANK YOU, AMY!!













And look at my new Chibi purse that I bought from Plain Mabel. They are all handmade by Yuki, the mayor of Chibi Land. They are all one of a kind or limited editions. I love my new Chibi Style purse and I plan on getting a Chibi Standard later on because I want a bigger one that I can sling over my shoulder. They are very well made. I like supporting other Indie/Independent Designers because I know how much work goes into making a product. Plus, you get something that is handmade and unique. You can also find Chibi purses at Yuki's website, Chibi Land.














I actually have been knitting. I currently have 3 scarves on the needles right now. After being frustrated by the orange scarf because I couldn't find a pattern I liked, I made up my own pattern. I made about 6 swatches before I figured out my problem, the problem was my needle size. I followed the recommended needle size for the bulky yarn, but I didn't like how loose it made the stitches, so I switched to something smaller. Wow, what a difference that made. Sometimes, you don't have to follow all the rules. That's something that is hard for me to grasp. I am a follow-the-book kind of gal when it comes to knitting.

More Yarn

Last weekend, we went to Long Island to visit a friend. Of course, I was able find a place to buy some yarn. I spotted a Michaels and made my dh pull over. They had an awful selection of circular needles. I guess everybody only uses 29" circs. They only had one size DPN's and lots of it. I ended up buying enough Lion Brand Jiffy yarn for a baby blanket. And then I got 2 balls of Pumpkin orange yarn. I am making a scarf for my friend and she had mentioned she wanted a orange scarf. It's a bulky weight and I can't seem to find a stitch pattern I like. I tried 5 different ones and rejected all of them. So, I threw it into my knitting basket in frustration. Anybody have any suggestions for a good stitch pattern for a bulky weight yarn?

Oh, you haven't seen my new knitting basket? I picked it up at Target. It's one of those pop-up fabric cubes. I got the red fabric one. It's used as a draw in their furniture that has cubby holes, but it was the perfect size for my knitting. Now, I can haul my knitting from upstairs and downstairs and keep my yarn from rolling around on the floor while knitting. Formerly, I was using a gallon-sized ziplock bag. A knitting basket is way better. I will keep using the ziplock bags for commuting and travel knitting.



I got two crochet booklets at Walmart. Walmarts are rare around NYC and the 5 boroughs. So, it was a novelty to go into one when we saw one in Long Island. My friends who live in upstate NY says that Michaels and Walmarts are a normal thing to see around there. I am making a baby blanket out of one of those new crochet booklets. Yarn selections at Walmart are crappy, but it was kinda neat to see their craft section. Target doesn't have a craft section, but I like Target better. I have never been to a Super Walmart, but have heard about them and how you can buy almost everything there.

No knitting progress.

My knitting has been cast aside because I have been working on new jewelry designs. New rings to add to my collection. Photographing them was hard because of all the reflection. In the original pics, you could see black spots on the rings from the camera lens. I had to photo shop them afterwards. Not bad for an amateur, even if I do say so myself. Hahaha...

I did a little stash enhancement over the weekend. I will post pictures later. Nothing too exciting. I bought some yarn for a baby blanket and a scarf. I want to start my Christmas knitting early this year.


Turning Leaf Rings in sterling silver and 14kt yellow gold.


Turning Leaf Rings in sterling silver and 14kt yellow gold.


Remolino Rings in large style and small style, all in sterling silver.

Hot Off The Presses!

I had dinner with some friends last night and guess what my friend gave me? A new knitting book! AlterKnits is so new that it hasn't been released in stores yet. One of my friends is a book editor and she grabbed me a copy before she left work. Isn't she sweet?

Here are some sneak peeks into the book. Shhhh...don't tell.



A 32 page notebook for doodling and note-taking on the inside cover.


Recycled Sweater Totes


Screen Door


Abstract Cardigan


Zigzag Sweater Blanket


PDA Cases

There are 27 projects and the book also has 10 creativity exercises to expand your ideas of what you can knit.

Sneak peek

The humidity is back full force in NYC for the last few days. The electricity has been a little wonky today and the lights are dim, so I hope that nothing blows. We had a beautiful Saturday and Sunday, but all good things must come to an end. I managed to whip this cute little bootie up the other night. Hopefully, it's mate will make an appearance soon.

TA-DA!

I completed something! The Crocheted Baby Cardigan is done. Isn't it cute? Now, I can send it to Baby Timothy. (If anybody is interested, here is the pattern.)


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