Is Unmotivated a Word?

I am feeling super unmotivated. I have several things that need to be worked on or finished. From where I'm sitting now I can see four WIPs. One is a scarf that's been sitting on my dresser for months, and it just needs the ends weaved in. On the other side of the dresser is my JFM KAL project, the makeup bag. I need to bind it off, sew it up, and put on the button. In my knitting bag is a shrug from Knit1 magazine that I started last week. Beside my bed in a plastic bag is Sami and Rob's blanket, which I've completed MAYBE 6 inches on. It's possible that my lack of motivation is due to being overwhelmed. I don't know what to work on first, but I'm thinking that it may be easiest to work my way up from the small stuff. Maybe I'll finish up the scarf this afternoon.
WOW, I feel so much better now that I got that out! I'm off to wipe out some WIPs.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow...

I love ya, tomorrow! (Don't you just love that song? It makes me think of third grade music class.) Tomorrow is Hubbie's birthday. I won't reveal his age, he likes to keep it a secret. We're having a big BBQ + BYOB deck party, and the girls are going to stay with my mom for the night. Everything's set, except for some housecleaning and one other minor detail: Hubbie's present. Uh-oh. I know exactly what he wants, an electric guitar amp, he's been preaching about it for months. Unfortunately, we are low on funds. Any ideas on what to make super quick so I have SOMETHING to give him? I could really use some help here! Knitting content later, I promise.

Another FO Pic

Here's another finished object that I promised weeks ago, courtesy of Allison's digital camera. Ambrielle brought her poncho to wear to church so I snapped this pic. Unfortunately there is not a picture of Kiera's capelet to accompany it.

Project Specs

Ambrielle's Poncho
Pattern: I designed this poncho myself, using two crocheted rectangles sewn together. I found information on making ponchos this way here.
Yarn: TLC Essentials in a dark, deep red (I think it's Cranberry).
TLC Heathers-Heather Pink
Some leftover white Red Heart SuperSaver.
I liked designing this pattern, and overall I think it came out well. My only complaint is that the drape isn't quite right, it's a little stiff, but I think a couple of washings will help with that. The colors work well together (in the picture the red is too bright and glaring, it's really darker and deeper). I'm not sure if I'll be doing another one of these anytime soon, sewing in the ends created by the stripes was very time consuming. Ambrielle likes it, and she's worn it several times, so the work was well worth it.

Ambrielle's Poncho 

And the Yarn Says.....

Have you ever went on and on to a friend (in a somewhat crazy spiel) about how your yarn talks to you and you don't like what it's saying? Well, I did today, and she probably thinks I'm completely loopy now. See, I have all this Homespun that I bought recently for Sami and Rob's wedding afghan. And I totally knew what I wanted to do with it even before I bought it. This whole square design, inspired by this blanket that I saw in a Famous Barr ad (see entry Inspiration Found!) But ever since I bought the yarn, it's been screaming crocheted ripple at me. This makes me unhappy cuz I REALLY wanted to do the square thing. And we all know that you can't fight the yarn, right? Please, somebody tell me that I am NOT crazy.

The Midwest Knitters Ring

I have been approved for the Midwest Knitters Ring. Yeah! It's my first ring and I'm really excited. For anyone who might see this through the ring now, I'm in southern Illinois, in a town of five thousand or so (including the max security prison they built recently). I would really like to own my own yarn store here, and I think it might go over well, a lot of young people are picking up knitting and crocheting, especially a lot of my friends. I would also like to teach, I very much enjoyed showing my friends. Let me know what you think.

Knitting Is For Grandmas!

Hold on to your hats, folks, this one is very picture-heavy. Everyone came over for a BBQ today. What else would we be doing on an absolutely gorgeous Sunday in the middle of spring?! After dinner we retired to the deck for knitting, music, and playing in the yard. Just prior to the camera being pulled out, Allison asked me to show her how to cast on. She has already mastered the knit stitch, bought her own needles and several balls of yarn, and is about 6 inches into a crocheted blanket (a fairly simple, very open weave afghan from a 70's pattern book). I'm very proud of her, I just started teaching her to crochet about 3 weeks ago and now she knitting, too. Anyway, I told her I wanted someone to take a picture of us knitting for my blog, and she laughed. "You're not putting a picture of me knitting on the Internet! Knitting is for grandmas!" Great peals of laughter from the men. (Ok, me too.) I got her to sit still for the picture anyway. I'm on the right.

Sunshine, Knitting, Babies, and Beer

Here are the rest of the pictures from our evening on the deck. Keep in mind we are not the greatest photographers, and some (not all) of us were drinking.


Delaynie is such a happy baby. She very much enjoyed lazing on the deck in her walker. This may have been due to the fact that an after-dinner snack of Ritz Chz Crackers mysteriously appeared out of Allison's knitting bag. YUM!

My husband Dewey. He plays the guitar and entertains us while we "hook and loop".

That's Alison's fiance Barry. Note that he is playing the drums with a size 9 needle. He is probably making fun of us. He's the one who came up with the phrase "hookin' an' loopin'", he says it with this funny twang, and he thinks he's brilliant for it.

Why yes, that is the Bar Shawl!
This is me and my oldest, Kassity. She is filthy from playing in the the yard.

FO!

Here is the Bar Shawl. The pictures of the back didn't really come out because the light was failing, but I think I may have taken some with the disposable camera.

Project Specs

Bar Shawl
Pattern: My own design. This is a very simple V-Stitch pattern, crocheted from the bottom up.
Yarn: Bernat Soft Boucle, Color #26515 Softest Straw
I like to call this shawl my interpretation of the famous Jessica Simpson shawl. I was going to fringe it like hers, but the yarn frays very easily when cut, and I decided I liked it without the fringe anyway. It's pretty heavy, but the open design keeps it from being too warm. This shawl will probably be my most-used piece of the spring.


Front View 2.

A front view of the Bar Shawl. 

These are the buttons I bought for the bag. I'll probably only use one, but they were so cheap! 

This is the KAL project, a makeup bag in Moda Dea Cache. 

A Sigh of Relief

It is such a relief for this weekend to finally be here. Between Sami's bridal shower this morning and Tax Day yesterday, I was highly stressed out and very busy throughout the week. I finished our taxes on Thursday night and mailed them yesterday, went grocery shopping (a two and a half hour venture) and then worked on Sami's Pampered Bride pack until about 1 o'clock this morning. I finished it up right before I left for the shower. Here's what I put in the cute little basket I found at Wal-Mart:

• bath poof from Crochet Me
• butterfly washcloth
• knitted makeup bag/ hot-cold pack cover
• a candle
• a sample pack of Celestial Seasonings tea
• sunflower scented lotion
• sunfloer scented soap

a card with the following poem: "Cupid's work is almost done; Sami and Rob will soon be one; but before that Golden Hour; pamper yourself with gifts from the shower." My husband adapted it from a website that I would love to credit, but he doesn't remember which one. (Need we ask if he bookmarked it? I think not.)

The package was liked, as evidenced by the ooh's and aah's, but there weren't nearly enough for the week and a half's worth of work and late nights I put in on it. Such is the nature of giving handmade gifts. I am not greedy, I don't need the attention, and I'm sure I'll get a lovely card and a thank you in person at work. But I busted my arse on this one. Anyway, it was a nice shower, and Sami glowed. I'm happy that she's happy, they make a great couple. Sami and Rob, I wish much happiness and love! (And babies soon!)

KAL Project Unveiled

Now that this week is over with I can finally reveal the project I'm working on for the Just For Me KAL. I liked my concept for the knitted makeup bag so I started one for myself in the Moda Dea Cache I bought. I'll post pics later if I can get the scanner to work.

Casting On

In between working on all of the stuff for Sami, I cast on for the Just For Me KAL. I had to go to the chiropractor yesterday due to a pulled muscle, and while I waited I started on the "secret piece". All I will say about it is that the nurse really liked my yarn, Moda Dea Cache in a really pretty gold/purple. I will reveal more about said secret piece after I finish the bridal shower things (and the Bar Shawl) for Saturday.

Just For Me KAL

I joined the Just For Me Knitalong. I'm planning on making "something" with the Moda Dea Cache I just bought, but I can't start until I finish Sami's stuff first.

Pamper Package Progress

I've been working on the makeup bag for Sami's pamper package for a while, and it's my first original knitted design. Being adventurous, I thought I'd make the the body of the bag in stockinette and the flap in seed stitch. Pretty simple plan, except I'd never done seed stitch prior to that point. I frogged no less than three times before I got the stitch right, and once more before I was satisfied with the color change. I was just a smidge (yeah, a smidge) angry with my knitting by the time I posted on Friday night. So it gives me great pleasure to show you the first pics (well, scans) of the makeup bag.


Unseamed makeup bag

I'll let you figure out how I plan to stitch it up. And because I'm so proud of finally figuring out how to do it, here's one of the seed stitch.

Seed stitch closeup

Since finishing the bag, I have also completed the bath poof, and I'm now trying out the washcloth. I'll post pictures as soon as I have them, hopefully tomorrow.

A Trip to The Frog Pond

Rip it, rip it. Reknit. Rip it, rip it again. Ok, one more try. Well, crap. Rip it, rip it, throw makeup bag down in frustration. Try again tomorrow.

A Couple of Lists

The spring issue of Knitty is up and I spent most of the afternoon looking at it instead of looking after the kids. There are several things I liked, most of which I believe are WAY above my knitting skill level:

• Ribbon Xback
• Asana
• Cecilia
• Cocktail Monkey
• Wheelie
• Shade
• Petals
• W

Out of all of these, I think I'm most likely to try Cocktail Monkey and Petals. I'm just not sure I'm brave enough to knit a shirt yet, but I'm on the lookout for a knitalong to get me motivated. (Huhmm, Ribbon Xback, anyone?)

I should really be working on the (quickly approaching) bridal shower gifts instead of playing on the computer. Oops! (I'm tellin' ya, it is HARD to rip myself away from the new Knitty). I do have a finalized list of what will be included in the pamper pack, however.

• Sunflower Lotion
• Sunflower Soap
• Rose Bath Pouf
• Butterfly Washcloth
• Fancy Crocheted Hanger
• Knitted Makeup Bag

I think this should be enough to fill up a small box or basket, and besides, I don't think I'll have time to make more for it. And I STILL need to finish the Bar Shawl so I can wear it to the shower. So much to do, so little time. (I think that might be becoming my motto.)

There's Always Time For Yarn

Things have been very hectic around my house lately. I haven't had much time at all to blog, even though I have all kinds of things to talk about. For my short time tonight, I'll share the details of my SEX this evening. Even though we have been SO busy, I managed to drag the husband and kids half an hour south to get yarn for Sami's bride pack. I pick up three rolls of yellow and purple variegated Sugar and Cream for the rose bath poof and a washcloth, and some Sunflower lotion and soap. I also got 5 rolls of Caron Simply Soft on sale for a commissioned blanket, and The Knitting Stitch Bible, by Maria Parry-Jones. It was on clearance, marked down to $2.70 from $27.00 because it's missing a few pages. I can live with that, the missing pages are pretty complicated lace, and it'll be a while before I'm ready to tackle that kind of stuff. At another store I grabbed 4 rolls of LB Jiffy on sale for $1, and some Moda Dea Cache. I have plans for one roll of Jiffy and the Cache (it's a secret!) and the rest is just for stash.
I LOVE SALES! Don't you?

New Project(s) ASAP!

At work this evening there was a lovely invitation to my friend Sami's bridal shower waiting for me. Great! What's that, April 16th? April 16?!!!!! I'm now researching what I want to make for the shower. Since Sami and Rob will be getting a Homespun blanket for the actual wedding present, I thought it would be nice to make something just for the bride for her shower. I'm thinking a "Pamper Package" would be nice, maybe a washcloth, scrubbie, and some lotion or something. The spring issue of Crochet Me is out and although the theme is growing families, a lot of the patterns would work for what I'm wanting to do. So now I need to put a rush on this stuff. And I also have to finish the Bar Shawl because I really want to wear it to the shower.
What with all the excitement, I have tuckered myself out, so I'm going to save the last WIP pics for later. Instead I give you this pic of Delaynie, my youngest daughter.

Isn't she adorable?

Flash Your Stash Day.....

OR NOT. Since Alli took pictures yesterday and I didn't find out about FYSD until this afternoon, I had no way to flash my goods. So instead, I give you two WIPs shot last night, starting with the Bar Shawl.

Here's the bar shawl so far. It's made from Bernat Soft Boucle. I still need to put a border on and add the fringe, which I'm hoping will weigh it down a bit. It's a little wider and shorter than I'd like.  

And here is the closeup of the Shawl. I think the color is pretty accurate, but the picture definitely cannot tell you how soft this thing is. It's amazing. I was really impressed with the Bernat Soft Boucle. I think I may even have enough left over to make a teddy bear or something (see there, I mentioned my stash!)

Fuzzy Blue Scarf

This is my first knitted scarf. It's knit in stockinette stitch with one strand of Red Heart in Aspen Print and one strand of New York Yarns Fluff in a powder blue. It's very soft, very skinny, very long, and super warm, but seeing as how I'm new at the knitting side of things and have no idea what the hell I'm doing, it rolls. Of course I didn't figure this out until it was too late to stop, and I convinced myself that I can block it flat. That remains to be seen after I bind it off and weave in the ends. Any tips anyone?

And the closeup:

The colors are actually a little softer than this, but it was getting dark outside. I have two more rolls of the Red Heart, they were a gift from my aunt and uncle. I don't have anything special in mind for them. What's left of the Fluff is a tangled mess and I really don't want to even deal with it.
Happy April Fool's Day. I'll be back tomorrow with one more WIP in the last finishing stages.