Have you ever...

started a project and then ripped it out? twice?? I just did. I wanted to start a baby blanket for a lady at work. She is in the beginning of her third trimester and she has had complications before in other pregnancies and I wanted to get this done kind of fast. I went out and bought the yarn, Bernat Baby Coordinates Twists in purple, and brought it home thinking it was good for this pattern. Boy was I wrong. It is too thin and too bumpy to see the pattern. So I ripped it out and thought to use the pattern on the inside of the wrapper that came with the yarn. So I began that baby blanket. Yuck. After three evenings working on it and struggling with the pattern it just looks horrible. So I ripped it out again. I wound up the yarn and I am going to take it back.

I am so disappointed because the yarn looked so cute and it felt so nice and soft but I just think it is too thin. Hmmm...maybe I will try to crochet with it. Perhaps that will work better. Maybe two strands at the same time will work.

Oh back to the drawing board...

Two Scarves Pictures and Pattern

This is a super easy pattern for new knitters and uses both the knit and purl. It is called the seed stitch because it gives you a bumpy texture like little seeds.

Pattern:

With Thick and Quick Lionbrand Wool-Ease and size 15 needles, cast on 15 stitches.

Row 1: K1, P1 across.

Row 2: K1, P1 across. (you are knitting the purls and purling the knits from the row before)

Continue until length is 52" or longer as desired. It usually takes me 1 1/2 skeins of yarn.

Shown in the picture is the navy and black wool-ease.

Two scarves

I bought the Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Thick and Quick size in both navy blue and black. Okay let me back up a bit. I first had one skein in my stash in navy blue and thought, hmm, I am going to make a scarf with this. So I begin knitting on size 15 needles, casting on 15 stitches. I did the knit one purl one pattern throughout the entire scarf giving it a seedy bumpy feel. I was going to give it away and when it was almost done my husband asked, "who are you knitting that one for?". I asked if he wanted it and he said "YEAH!" So it became his.

The next night my mother and step-father were over and my mom picked up the scarf and said "Who's is this?" and I told her my husband had already claimed it and she said it looked very manly and that maybe she would make one for a nephew. It got me thinking that I hadn't knitted anything for my step-father and had planned on making him a scarf in a brown and black varigated yarn but thought he might really like one of these in black.

So Wednesday I had to take my husband to the dentist to have some work done on his mouth and while I was waiting I ran over to the yarn store and grabbed two skeins of this wool-ease in black and came back and whipped out 3/4 of the scarf sitting waiting for my husband to be done in the dentist. I finished it last night and it looks great!! I can't wait to give it to him tomorrow when I see him next. But, before I give it away I will take a picture of it and post!!

2008 Charity

So I have been surfing the net and reading blogs and I came across one that asked people to commit to 25 charity projects a year. That is two a month. I think I am going to do that too. So here is my new years resolution:

I commit to making 25 items for charity this year. I will find a great place to donate and will donate them.

Anyone want to join me?

Maw's Shawl

We gave Maw her shawl on Thursday evening. She seemed to like it but didn't put it on or wear it like I had hoped. I didn't get any pictures of her in it then either. Oh well. It was pretty though.

Christmas Gifts

Today I got two new knitting books and I am so excited. I am a huge fan of Debbie Macomber and about a month ago I got one of her knitting along with Debbie books "A good Yarn" and I love the patterns in it. I have already made two scarves from it and want to make a baby blanket next. So a few weeks ago I was on line and found two more that I would like, so I ordered them and when the box came I gave the box unopened to my husband and told him to wrap it up just like that and give it to me for Christmas. I opened it today and while I knew what was in it, I was so excited to get them finally and look through them. I got the Back on Blossom Street and Cedar Cove Series, Knitting with Debbie. I have now found three more patterns I am dying to begin.

I gave two gifts that I made this year and my mother loved her scarf I made. I haven't given the prayer shawl yet to my husband's grandmother but we will get it to her soon. It was such an easy pattern and worked up so quickly that I am tempted to make another one and keep it.

While we were traveling on our trip to Disney World and back (14 hours each way) I did a lot of handwork. I finished the prayer shawl and made a scarf for me (a first project in over a year for me only!!) and I began a matching hat.

Now with the sales beginning tomorrow I am looking forward to sneaking out of the house for a little time in a yarn shop preparing for my next project, a baby blanket. My sister and brother in law are having a baby in July. I think I am going to make one in a bright green and yellow yarn, by Bernat called Tropics.

I will post some pictures soon!!

One down, One to go.

I have one gift done and now only one to go. The first one turned out GREAT. So great that I really want to do one for me now. My husband and I were out last night shopping for last minute people and we were working on an idea for his grandmother. We always get her a gift certificate to a supermarket and she really appreciates it because she is on a tight budget and she usually spends her food money on gifts this time of year. But I also wanted to get something else for her. So we are sitting there and I came up with the idea of making her a shawl to wrap around her. We happen to be in a restaurant next to Michaels Craft Store and so we went straight from the restaurant to the store and my husband helped me pick out the yarn. I am making the shawl that is featured on the front of the Prayer Shawl Ministry booklet. It is a popular pattern made in Lionbrand Homespun yarn. In fact the Lionbrand website gives it away as a free pattern online. So we came home and after the kids went to bed I sat down to work on it. Wow does it work up easily and quickly. In about an hour I had done about 10 inches on it. I should have it done in no time. Now I understand why they use this as a common pattern. It is crocheted in a V-stitch pattern.

51 chains to start and then starting with the 6th chain (dc, ch2, dc) in the same chain. Skip two chains and (dc, ch2, dc) in the next chain. Do this to the last chain and dc in that one. Ch3, turn and *(dc,ch2,dc) in each 2 chain space to the end and dc in ch after last dc. Ch3, turn and do follow from * until it reaches 36 inches in length. Then start again on the original starting chain and do the same for another 36 inches.

I will post a picture of the shawl when it is done. We chose to do it in Homespun Prairie color. I can't post a picture of the first gift because it will be given to someone who reads this blog and I don't want to give it away.