Black Bear buttons!

I found the buttons for the LFC baby sweater! Six cute little plastic black bear buttons found on ebay!  I looked everywhere for buttons just like these.  All the others were either the wrong color or the wrong motif (i.e. teddybears).  And even with shipping they weren't a bad price.  Much cheaper than other internet sites that want up to $3.28 per button plus shipping.  These were only a little over $5 with the shipping!  I'm stoked!  I had really despaired of ever finding the right buttons for this sweater.

Pictures to come (when they arrive, since the pic disappeared after I bought them). Oh, I can't wait!

Happy Knitting!

Best laid plans of yarn and knitters...

I'm working on the last sleeve of the LFC baby sweater. So far it's going well.  I haven't had to redo any of it, unlike every other piece of this darn sweater.  I have plenty of yarn to finish, which is good, cause I want to use the leftovers for a pair of gloves for Megan.  I will block and photograph the sweater when I finish with this sleeve.  Then I'll sew everything together and do the neck trim.  I still don't have buttons.  I need to go to Jo-Ann's soon.  Wonder if Meg wants to go sometime?  She's very busy with school and work, but it is Jo-Ann's...

I think I need to do a "Winter Cleaning" of the Stash.  I need to know just what sock yarn I have for upcoming design projects.  That way I'll know what to buy if it goes on sale, rather than just impulse buying.  Look at me, planning and stuff!

Happy Knitting!

Slow day

No pics today.  The sweater is a curling mess until I block it, at which time I will dutifully photograph it and post the pics here.  It's going well, though.  The back is done and I'm approaching the neckline on the left front side, which leaves the right front and the sleeves to complete after this.  I decided to use duplicate stitch on the front for the college initials.

Beyond that I have no knitting news.  I need to find five buttons for the sweater, but have no idea what kind I want beyond the impossible wish for bear paw pewter buttons.  I'll probably have to settle for red plastic ones, which seems a depressing thought.  I can't figure out how to make washable, kid safe buttons with tiny bear paw marks on them, short of investing in a plastics factory.  I think I'll do an internet search.

Happy Knitting!

Warm Hands...

This is what I just finished this morning.  The thumb on the one hand is not perfect, but I did this without a pattern, so the fact that there are four fingers and a thumb impresses me.  I learned a lot about gloves in the process, and, more importantly, developed a template for colorwork patterns for gloves.  I'm very excited about that.  I have ideas.

 
This is what I'm working on next.  It's a baby sweater with a Lake Forest College motif, including a baby bear paw and the letters LFC on the left front.  The bear paw is going on the upper back of the sweater.  I had to finish the gloves first to be sure I had enough red yarn left over for the paw and letters.  I'm also going to trim the neck, sleeves, and bottom with a row of grey for visual interest.  I have a particular baby in mind for this sweater.

I'm not sure what I'm doing after this.  Maybe working on my Master Knitter classwork.  There are other babies in line for items of knitting, but I'm waiting to find out whether they will be boys or girls.  I prefer to knit for girls, but they can't all be girls!  Continuation of the species and all that.

Happy Knitting!

Back in the saddle again!

It's been a busy Christmas break.  I finished a pink ballet wrap cardigan for my daughter, a pair of red/black striped socks, a tea cozy (that I frogged because it was too big), half a pair of socks for my husband's friend's wife and designed a Lake Forest College baby sweater for one of the upcoming baby gifts I want to give.

Today would be a perfect day to knit, what with the snow steadily falling, but alas, I have too much to do.  First I have to work for most of the day.  Then I'm getting a haircut after work.  Then dinner.  THEN knitting, if I'm not too tired.

I'm working on a pair of red gloves I started this morning.  Just plain, simple red gloves.  However, I lost the pattern so I'm kind of winging it.  I plan to try them on as I go, which means they should fit when I'm done. Hah!  Best laid plans and all that.

I plan on using the leftover red yarn to make the LFC baby sweater.  It's got red accents on a black sweater.  I'm hoping to have enough for a bear paw on the back of the sweater.  Wish me luck!

Happy knitting!

Made it!

I did manage to finish the golf vest in time for Christmas, thank you very much!  The socks for my father-in-law took until Christmas day.  I still haven't seen him, so they are sitting on the table downstairs.  I immediately cast on for Meg's Ballet Wrap sweater in rose pink extrafine merino wool.  I finished the back yesterday and started the right front last night.  It's a worsted wool, so it's going very fast.  I was most excited to get gauge on the first try.  That doesn't happen very often.

The only knitting item I scored for Christmas was a book of borders and edges.  For such an avid knitter, people really don't consider knitting items for me, do they?  It's kind of sad.  However, I'm not going to complain.  I did get a gift card, so I can buy my own knitting stuff.

I also got a Kindle Keyboard, which I'm loving.  I downloaded my first book already, a nerdy fantasy novel I had seen in the store.  I love it.

Otherwise, Christmas was quiet.  Meg and I went to visit my mother in Aiken, SC and took her the shawl I knit for her.  I think she genuinely likes it.

Tonight I'm going to the movies with BlondKnitter and Meg and a friend of Meg's.  We're going to see the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.  I'm looking forward to popcorn for dinner.

Happy Knitting!

Happy Holidays!

I haven't made a lot of progress on the golf vest as of late.  Or rather, I did, but had to frog it when I realized the gauge was off.  I'm back on track now, but haven't had much time to knit.  I did cast on for a pair of socks for my father-in-law for Christmas.  It's my small project for traveling.  The inexpensive needles I am using had a splinter in the bamboo point, which I think I have sanded out.  It can be hard to tell until it splinters again.  I like the yarn I'm using, though.  It's Paton's Kroy in a red, black, and brown jacquard motif.  Self-striping stuff and very nice to work with.  I always make good socks when I use Paton's Kroy.

Only two more days of work for the calendar year.  The down side is I won't get paid again until nearly February.  I have plenty of projects set aside for the down time though.  I want to make a rose pink ballet wrap sweater for Megan.  The yarn is extrafine merino wool from a Herrschner's sale.  I got it for $1.99 a skein, eight skeins for the medium sweater.  I'm using a Lion Brand pattern, which I got here.  I think she'll like it.  She asked for one before. I also want to make some reusable grocery bags, the kind that work like the plastic bags and fit on the bag stand at the market to hold them open.  I have tons of craft fabric to use and a pattern I got for a dollar on sale at JoAnn's.  I'm hoping Meg will help with these.  I want to serge them and haven't used the serger yet.  I know she has sewing plans for the break, but maybe we will have time for both. 

Anyway, it may be a while before I blog again, so if I don't see you before Christmas I want to wish everyone a great holiday and a happy New Year.  I'll be eating my Hoppin' John on New Year's day, one bean for every day of good luck.  Here's hoping Santa brings you plenty of yarn and craft books!

Happy Knitting!