Knit A Bit

Waiting for Christmas........

2009-11-08T13:44:00.003-05:00

Well, I haven't posted for a while and some of my posts are moved. I do have a few more projects that are completed but as they are Christmas gifts, I will have to wait to post photos. Who knows, some of my family may actually read this blog!?
One day I will get around to rearranging everything here.
Today is Sunday and I plan to do some sewing in the afternoon as that is not considered WORK.
I went with friends to some great craft fairs on Saturday. It was enough to get all of us motivated to keep "crafting". So many clever ideas!

St. Joseph County Fair has come and gone!

2009-10-02T19:18:00.002-04:00

Here are the photos I promised some of you. These are my prize winning items for the fair last week! I didn't enter any food items this year. My garden was not up to par for a Master Gardener! LOL
Well, maybe next year. Seems like the items I did not take had no other entries this year and so would have been easy prizes. But like everyone else the fair people did not have much money this year either and the prize money was almost nothing. Think I should enter more quilts as that is paid better than the knitting. But I have been more into the knitting lately.

Soldier sock in progress...

2009-03-02T15:05:00.005-05:00

I see there is no date on the posting of the beige sweater? Oh well!
Here is a picture of the first sock in the pair of soldier socks that I am currently working on. I am resisting knitting two at a time due to tangling of the yarn!
These are Olive drab, Regia stretch fingering weight yarn ( 75% wool some nylon and a little elastic). Working them on a size 1 needle except for the heel and toe which will be more densely knit using the size 0.
Thought you might like to see what they look like OTN? See the links at the left for a link to the SocksForSoldiers website and join up!

Zealan's Beige Cardigan

2009-02-09T12:49:00.002-05:00

Well, here are the photos for the last cardigan that I made for my grandson Zealan. The yarn is Wool-Ease, color "wheat". It is mostly off-white with brown and grey colors going through it. (Not really the "flecks" though.) The pattern is from an OLD Coats and Clark mini-book of Toddler Sweaters. I remembered to improve the raglans on this one by adding one extra knit stitch on each side of the decreases. The pattern doesn't have those and you can "see" the decreases. Ick!
This on is a size 24 months so he can still grow into it!

BBS - Big Black Socks for Soldiers

2008-05-09T10:26:00.002-04:00

Hi!
Just a short note to say my latest pair of BBS is finished and almost ready to mail to Kim! I was able to beg a pretty washcloth and a box of toothpaste samples to send with this pair! I was excited about that!
Picture will be posted later. Honest!

See the link area to learn more about helping out in this wonderful cause!

The matching hat is finished!!

2008-04-12T12:32:00.010-04:00

Here are the promised photos of the hat that matches the cabled sweater and mittens. It is very cute. If I make it again though I will make the "scarf" ties a little longer. I also had to learn two new techniques to complete this project; wrap and turn on short row shaping and the cable cast-on. Learning is good!

Although I have the big Vogue Knitting Book. I usually find myself looking things up online where you can even get video demonstrations. How many of you are familiar with knittinghelp.com ? It is a great resource! Check it out

The Quilt is finished!!!

2008-04-01T11:50:00.004-04:00

Here are the promised photos of the completed quilt, close up of the Aunt Grace fabric in the 9 patch blocks, and close up of the binding and the label. After the binding was applied I started to like it better than I had before. Still not exactly what I was looking for but good.
What do you think? I think I should always make small quilts so that they get done!LOL

Binding is stitched onto the little quilt...

2008-03-27T11:43:00.003-04:00

Well, I finally had to go with the fabric that I had on hand for the binding. I used the "wrong" side of it as it was a little more "pastel". It is striped with the blue and green in the quilt blocks but also has yellow and orange added. The yellow and orange really don't show up too much. After it is on, I do like it quite a bit although I had been looking for something "better"!
I still did a bias binding on the quilt, so the stripes are diagonal instead of perpendicular. I wanted it to be the strongest possible as I hope it will get a lot of use!
Hope to post a finished photo later today!!!

The pins are out!

2008-03-17T21:56:00.000-04:00

Well, the pins are out of the quilt. It is all quilted and waiting for a binding now. I always have a hard tome picking one out! LOL Anyway, I tried a few pieces that I had but didn't like them. I only have small fat quarters of the Aunt Grace prints used. I ordered a few different pieces from a couple of stores and am waiting to see if any of those "strike me"! Hope so.
On to my hat knitting now!

New Photos are up..........

2008-03-16T15:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some new pics of the projects that I told you about before. The green Wool-Ease cardigan and mittens and the little baby quilt.
Hope you think they look as nice as I think they look! Pat myself on the back! LOL

The computer is keeping me from my knitting!!!

2008-03-14T23:24:00.000-04:00

Here I am at the keyboard reading blogs, etc when I should be working on the little hat that I started in green Wood-Ease to match the sweater and mittens. The hat pattern is so cute! It has an attached scarf so that scarf is easily found.

I had such a time finding the correct buttons for this sweater that I finally gave up and just put plain, Amish green ones on. This is an old Coats and Clark pattern that was always my favorite. I made it for both of my children and the oldest is almost 40! It is knit from the top down and you then only have to sew the seams of the arms. Also the button band is knit right on.

Have you visited Ravelry.com yet? They are adding members slowly but put your name on the waiting list. It is very cool!

Maybe some more pictures tomorrow?

Another Snowy Saturday....

2008-03-01T22:42:00.001-05:00

I started a baby quilt yesterday for the expected grandson. It will be blue and green nine-patches alternating with plain tan blocks, forming sort of "x"s for a pattern. The fabric is "Aunt Grace" for those of you who may be quilters. 1930's reproduction prints. The blue and green fat-quarter prints will be no set arrangement, just sort of a scrappy look. The blocks are 3 inches. Really cute. We will see how long it will take me but I am making only the size called "little"! Of course will post a photo of the top when completed!
I still have the green cardigan (size 6 months) sitting here staring at me with no buttons on it yet. I keep saying I will do it tomorrow and even write it on my "to-do" list............. I have already made one little mitten to go with it and started the second. It also will get an interesting hat with attached scarf. Pictures are coming, I promise!
We have already watched a movie tonight....so here I am on the computer.
Talk to you later. Will you talk to me?

Oh, I forgot to say....

2008-02-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

I had no pattern for the little cotton socks or for the white pants in the layette. I thing they look about the right size though, don't you?
I must be becoming a "real" knitter. :>)

2008-02-24T22:13:00.001-05:00

Well, my daughter Karrie has had her baby shower! It was this past Saturday and went smoothly! Phew!
So now I can post a picture of the White Baby Layette that I made for my baby gift. I made an afghan that matches the stitch detail on the bottom of the cardigan but did not get a picture of it. It was just acrylic - yarn and pattern book from Mary Maxim in Port Huron, MI.
I just fell in love with the Nashua pattern for the TINY little beige cardigan and booties! As soon as I saw the pattern and the yarn, I said to myself, "Self, you just have to make that for the new baby." The yarn is Natural Focus Ecologie Cotton from Nashua. Organic cotton in a natural tan with kind of a greenish cast to it, slightly varigated ( Curcuma # 0083). I made the 0-3 months size and it is adorable!
I just was reading a blog somewhere recently where the knitters were discussing what knitted baby gifts were well received. The Nashua cardigan certainly was. There was a lot of oooing and ahhhing. Of course mine were also the only handmade items that were given. (There was a handsewn pillow with machinery embroidery. Guess that counts as handmade? I count it when I do it on my embroidery machine. LOL)
Guess, that's about it for tonight. I was anxious to post the photos but did not want my daughter to see them before see opened them!
.

Still Snowing Today...

2008-02-13T22:40:00.001-05:00

It was still snowing here today. And still under 20 degrees F. That reminded me that I could show you some of the snow pics I took when the sun came out on New Years Day. It was really pretty!!! Don't you think so?

Well, here is my first post!

2008-02-12T21:58:00.000-05:00

No knitting today. I usually knit in the car as my DH drives along but just felt like sitting there today and doing nothing. Have you ever felt like that? Besides, it is my birthday today and we went out to lunch.
I took my "Soldier Sock" with me on vacation. Changed the needles from 2 circs to 4 bamboo because I thought I had to for the TSA inspections but I don't think it was necessary. I really missed the circs and of course lost a few stitches off the needles in the bag!!
Knit a bit on the plane home and of course, knit a bit in the terminals since we have to be there 2 hours ahead of time.
Wondering if anyone will ever read this................ LOL