A few days late is better than never.

I've been going to work during the day while the children are at school with my mom.  So I haven't gotten much knitting done.  I feel like I've gotten nothing done even thought I've finished two projects over the the past two day.  I finished the hooded cowl for my friend.  She will be leaving next weekend (October 27th) for Ireland and it will apparently be a staple among her wardrobe while she is there.  While doing it I was able to revise the pattern a little bit, and it actually made it a lot easier in the end.  I am finishing up the scarf portion of my sisters here in a few days and will take picture documentation and post it so that it is less confusing.  I won't be able to make myself  an all white one in a single week with everything else that I already have on needles or a loom.  I did however last night make myself an all white beaning using Lion Brand Yarn, from the Hometown USA collection, in New York White.  It is a super bulky yarn and worked up the beanie quite nicely.  I added in a 3 inch brim and after working the first 3 inches I started to add in Lion Brand Fun Fur.  I was then able to, after working 6 inches, fold over what was worked up, leaving the fun fur on the outside, and a nice soft yarn on the inside so I don't have the "fur" in my ears when wearing.  It came out really nice and I cannot wait to wear it next weekend.  Although I may have to use it before then, the anticipation is killing me.  I'm off to work with my mom (its an hr drive).  I will take pictures of the beanie tonight as well as the friends hooded cowl I finished and upload them.  I did take one yesterday and upload it to facebook.  I have 4 friends that want one and have already offered to pay.  I may be on to something.

Way too early morning...

Etienne had to be at school this morning for a class trip to Boston, at 5:15am.  UGH 5am this morning was not fun.  Soooo when I got back I did some more knitting on the project I'm working on for my best friend, with as well as its going I could have it done before she leaves in a few weeks and MAYBE Ill get mine done before the white out game.  Only time will tell.  I only have to do about another two feet of knitting before the scarf part is done then I can attach it to the round loom and work up the hood.  I'm excited for her to see the finished project. Here's the top view on the loom and a closer look at the yarn Mary picked out.  I think they look great blended together.

 

 

Once these next two are done I can't work on the one for my sister for her Christmas present.  She picked white to be paired with gold and purple.  She attends James Madison University, so I picked gold and purple as the base and allowed her to pick a neutral, out of white, beige, tan, grey, or black.

More to come, Happy knitting

 

Help Patpat's Hats

I did a little bit of knitting last night and need to find a better way to knit on the straight loom.  If I hold it parallel to my body it comes out nice but goes SOOO slow.  If I hold it perpendicular, it gets a wavy look to it and I don't think it looks good.  If anyone has any suggestion I'm open to trying something new.  I haven't been able to make a hat in a month or two and I feel like I haven't done anything to help (I have a pile of them that I need to send in) out with PatPat's Hats.

Anyone looking for something to knit and would like to help children in the hospital battling cancer; check out PatPat's Hats. Click here to go to their facebook page, or here to visit their webpage.  They are just over a year old and have received hats to equal out to at least one for each day of their existence, if not two.  While they have received a lot of hats, there are more children with cancer than we think, and more unfortunately being diagnosed each day.

Patrick (affectionately known as PatPat) was diagnosed with cancer at age 2, only a few months before he turned 3.  His Aunt Betsy is a very avid knitter and made him quite a few hats while he was in the hospital to keep his head warm while he received chemotherapy.  This was when Aunt Betsy got the idea for PatPat's Hats.  They accept new, unused, handmade, knit, crocheted, or store bought hats for preemies, infants, toddlers, children, preteens, and teens.  They donate them to the local cancer treatment centers to hand out the hats to patients.

While Pat may not be immediately related to me (He is my mom's brother, Keith's wife, Debbie's sister, Katie's daughter, Becca's son) he is still my little cousin.  Keith and Debbie invite both family sides when they host holiday parties or celebrations.  I have grown up referring to Debbie's sibling as my aunt's and uncles, her niece's and nephews as my cousins, we are one big, integrated family.

Every hat helps.

Happy knitting! 

Afghan photos

I Figured out how to upload pictures!!  My day today is being spent doing scholarship applications so no knitting will be done until tonight after dinner.  I did get another 3-4 inches done over the weekend while Allen was setting up his Wii that he hasn't used in the longest time.

The first picture is a close up of the second panel made up of 4 strands of yarn.  The second picture is of the two panels side by side.  The other panel is the first one I made, and is made up of 3 strands of yarn.  Both very thick and super warm already.  I can't wait for it to be done so I don't freeze this winter, if its as bad as the one we had in 2010.

Not much progress....

The girls decided last night after I asked them to get ready for bed around 7:30 that they were going to horse around, throw pillows and stuffed animals.  This is nothing new, and they play like this all the time; Best of friend, and worst of enemies.  I went in, asked them to get into their pajamas, brush their hair, and brush their teeth.  I began to hear the horse play and decided to wait a few min before hounding them again.  A minute later I hear a loud cracking noise, and then a blood curdling scream.  Thinking someone just died I ran across the hall to their room to find Alyssa half dressed, holding her head looking stunned.  And Emma, the source of the scream, crying hysterically.  Upon taking a look at Alyssa head we discovered a tiny gash, with an already purple area surrounding it.  Jenny after much fussing decided to take Alyssa to the ER.  They arrived home around 10:45, Alyssa tired, in pain, and sporting two new staples in her head, so Jenny decided she was staying home today.  We spent our time watching TV, walking to the store to get her meds, bringing the meds home, going to starbucks to get a drink and bite to eat, riding bikes, and we painted our nails.  I only got to work on my knitting while Alyssa was consumed in the tv shows.  While I wish I could say I was able to get a lot done, but I can't.  I was only able to get about 3-4 inches done of the scarf I'm working on right now.  My goal is to get it done before my friend goes off to Ireland for her family vacation.  My next project to be done by the same time??  An ALL  WHITE hooded scarf for the Ohio vs PSU White out game on October 27th.  Allen won tickets in a raffle and is like a kid in a candy store ready to go.  Me?  I'm excited but need to get an all white hooded sweatshirt, and the hooded cowl done so I don't freeze.

Happy knitting.

Hooded Infinity Scarf

I started a project a while ago on needles and it didn't turn out like I expected.  It works, I'll wear it, but the "scarf" part isn't as long as I wanted.  So instead I came up with a better idea.  Use my loom!!!

I'm still working with the pattern and working out the kinks.

Supplies:

-1 short loom (I used the pink Provo Craft Knifty Knitter)
-1 extra large circular loom loom (I used the yellow Provo Craft Kifty Knitter)
-1 loom knitting hook
- Approx. 4-6 skeins of yarn (I used three strands for this project and used 6 skeins)
-1 yarn needle

Directions (Scarf):

Cast onto your short loom using the cross rib (figure 8) stitch. Here's how if your unsure and go straight to the 3:00 minute mark.  Continue with knitting with this stitch until your scarf has reached the desired length.

*I recommend resting the end on a shoulder and wrapping the scarf while on the loom loosely around your neck so that the loom is on the other shoulder and in the same position.  You don't want the ends to go to far down your back since they will be attached to the hood.  Once you find your desired length, cast off.  I did about 5 feet, and can wrap it twice for extra warmth.

Directions (Hood):

Take the scarf and lay it flat one end near you, the other far away.  Take the end near you and bring it to the side of the far end making a single twist. Take the ends and place them onto the circular loom, careful not to add any more twist or take out the one that was made.  Place them side by side careful to not where one ends and the other starts, you don't want to knit them together as these will be the sides of the hood.  (I have found that doing a k1/p1 repeating for the first few rows helps prevent the curling that can happen using circular looms).  Start knitting side to side using the E-wrap going back and forth until the hood has reached the desired length.  Cast off.  To complete the hood turn the purl side out and sew up the cast off seam so that it is on the inside.

Voila!  Ready to wear!  

(Like I said I'm still working out the kinks, if there is something that isn't understood, please let me know)

Afghan: work in progress

I have lots of left over yarn.  Scrap pieces, none long enough for a single project alone.  My solution??  Patchwork quilt!!  Sort of.  I've been wanting to make a nice quilt to cuddle up under on the couch.  We have a few blankets at the house but nothing special and nothing that keeps you warm without doubling it over. 

I used the extra large yellow round loom from Provo Craft and made flat panels.  I had a few skeins of yarn that I had gotten for projects that I never got to and can no longer remember what I was going to make.  Currently I have two good sized panels and have sew them together; side by side.  While not the same size they were making me sweat while I made them.  One is with 3 strands of yarn, the other with 4.  Both the same thickness.  I have a few pictures and am still trying to figure out how to upload them.  I may add them to the next update if I can figure it out.

First Post!!

I work as a nanny for a family with three kids.  Twin 9 year old girls, Emma and Alyssa, and a 13 year old son, Etienne.  The mom, Jenny, works as a guidance counselor in NYC, the father, Phillipe, works at the restaurant in the Trump Hotel.  During the summer it was a lot of running around and I only finished a single project.  Now that the kids are in school I feel as though I have been knitting from the second the girls get on the bus to the second they get off and sometime even then I don't stop.  If I do stop, I pick it right back up around 7pm and continue until about 10/11 pm when I go to bed.  Friends and family keep asking about what I'm making, the progress of the current project and photos.  I can't keep up every request and decided to make this blog so that they could come here and look.

I will try to post each day and will figure out how to upload photos so that everyone can see.  I also enjoy creating my own patterns and when I have one I will post it.  I'm currently working on one and should have a pattern to post in a few days.

Right now I'm just trying to figure out what to do with all this scrap yarn I have left over from previous projects.