How wonderful to
receive pictures of little ones wearing those knitted gifts!
Lots of knittin'
going on ~ for classes I teach at Nancy's
and for gifts!
"Wonderland
Stocking"
(with a slight color change)
from the KNIT CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS book
by Gwen Steege (Editor)
|
Just love that
"Magic Loop"
Thank you Sarah Hauschka
Book published by Fiber
Trends |
Beaded Cabled Hat and
Mittens
Pattern by Shirl the Purl
Pattern available from Cabin
Fever
My first pair of felt
clogs!
Pattern from Fiber
Trends ~ They are a wholesale company
but have a list of sources for their patterns online.
Couldn't resist
making one of these cuties!
Baby
Bobbie Bear pattern available from Blue Sky Alpacas
My 2nd Nantasket
Basket
Full of what else? Yarn in my favorite colors!
My New Mascot ~ A
gift from Mom! Isn't she adorable?
She's a Bearington Bear
"Knitter & Pearl"
(Pearl is her kitty in the bag!)
Mr. Flurry Frenzy!
Click here for more details!
Click
here for free pattern!
Ponchos
Two more gifts - one for Mom and one
for Sis!
The one on the left is made with
Lion's Suede yarn - yummy soft! - using the 50 X 50 pattern from Cabin
Fever, and the one on the right is made with Musique
yarn from Crystal Palace, a soft thick-thin yarn. You
can click here for the pattern in Word format.
Baby Gifts
Two special gifts for two special
friends. One of my new knitting students is expecting her first
baby - a little girl! - in October. Couldn't miss the opportunity
for something soft and pink! And the blue is for a special
friend's new grandson Alex!
The hat is Anna's Angel hat, a free
pattern available here: http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/freeKnittingPatternAnnaHat.asp
and the booties are from a crochet pattern book I have. Aren't
they yummy? They are made of Lorna's Laces SAngel which is as soft
as a baby's bottom!
These are made from a worsted
weight Paton's yarn. The hat is my own design and the sockies
too! They are just standard socks with a short turned-down cuff -
begun with 24 stitches cast on a Size 3.
Opal Tiger Socks
Aren't they fun? The big ones
are a gift for a special friend. I couldn't resist the minis in
this yarn too!
Nantasket Basket
My "funnest" felting
project yet! I knitted this great pattern designed by Susan Pierce
Lawrence (http://nantasketbasket.blogspot.com)
with Turmalin 100% wool self-striping yarn and Loft 100% wool for the
handles from Skacel. It was quick to knit and easy to
felt! It will be a class this fall! Here are before and
after photos:
After Felting
 |
 |
| Before Felting |
Bottom Before
Felting |
A Special Gift from
a Special Friend
This wonderful "Raggedy
Heart" Wall Quilt was made as a surprise gift for me from the
knitting fabric below by Sue Carlisle, a wonderful knitter and
friend! Be sure to click for a closer look! It is
beautifully stipple quilted by Sue herself!
Garter Stitch Ankle Socks
These little socks are super comfy! They are my first pair
using Cascade Fixation yarn! (Color
9946) It was easy to work with and I love
the stretch for these ankle socks! The great pattern is from Eve
Gagnon
and can be found here: http://www.geocities.com/destashing/patterns/102701.html
 |
Close-Up |
Booga Bag ~ Hat ~
Liberty Socks ~ Halloween Socks
It's been a very busy two months for
me ~ planning and teaching new classes which includes new samples.
I've been negligent in posting but want to add a few today.
My Petticoat Socks!
I'm in love with this
yarn! If you would like the free pattern, please
click here.
Click photo for a larger picture.
Close up of top edge on left -
close up of leg pattern on right.
Click photos for a closer look.
Felting Fun!
I completed my first
felting project: "The Lucy Bag" - a pattern by "Two
Old Bags"
What fun! Photos show the outside with long handle through the
short one for secure carrying and the inside of the open bag. This
is the smallest one from the pattern and I plan to try the big one now
that I know the procedure. The yarn is called "Loft" -
100% wool in a variegated blue/green colorway. It came out VERY
soft and felted easily with 2 washings. I also tried my hand at
some felted flowers for embellishment, and though they don't work with
this bag, they were great fun!
Check
out my Flower Links for these Instructions and Many More!
Knitting Needle Roll
and Tote Bag
Drawstring Bag
My local quilt shop,
Nancy's Quilt Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada,
has this wonderful new fabric by Michael Miller that has a knitting
theme! I couldn't resist - I had to make a drawstring bag to hold my
yarn while knitting. It has 8 inside pockets to hold all the
necessary notions too! I'm including photos of the bag as well as
some of the fabrics in the series. I am currently teaching some
knitting classes at Nancy's. What fun! (Be sure to click on the
photos for a closer look!) If you would like the pattern for the
bag, I have it here for free in both Word and plain printable web page
format.
Click
here for FREE pattern!
The bag stands about 6" tall.
Baby Projects
Toddler Hat and Matching
Sockies
2 More fun Hats for Children
Hand Warmer ~ Great for those cold
evenings knitting or at the keyboard.
First Opals!
Oh Yummy! What fun to knit!
Can't wait to begin another pair! Next pair will be my first
regular-sized toe up.
Curvy Lace Finished
I immediately fell in love with
this pattern found in the newest Creative Knitting magazine - made them
up in about 4 days. They will be a gift to a special friend.
Yarn: 100% Merino - washable. So soft!
Nina's Soc Finished
Nina's Sox in
Progress
I decided to use Eye of Partridge for the
heel flap. Love how it looks in this solid yarn! Here are close-ups
of the ruffle on top and the leaf design on the side.
Two More Pairs of Socks
Finished + A "Little" Flight of Fancy
It was a busy and fun holiday season with my
son home from attending college in Reno. I did some crocheting and
knitting along the way but didn't take the time to post photos until today. I
made a few "minis" for ornaments, etc. and my first washcloth from
cotton yarn - mostly to learn, and I have finished 2 more pairs of socks for
myself. I'm almost confident enough to begin making them for gifts
now. The most recent pair (top-most photo) fit perfectly! I'm still
working on the spirals but find them to be a bit tedious - good when I'm too
tired to concentrate. I have already begun my next pair and will post a
photo soon. I'm knitting "Nina's Sox" by Jeanie Townsend in an
off-white wool.
This pair is just a basic sock pattern
knitted 2 on 1 circular: 2" of ribbing, stockinette, basic heel flap,
etc. I used a #2 Addi and cast on 56 stitches. The yarn is Lane
Cervinia ~ Calzetteria ~ 70% Lana-Wool & 30% Nylon ~ color 904.
It was wonderful to work with ~ just the right thickness and texture for a
great-fitting standard sock. It is made in Italy. Label says machine
washable - but I will probably hand wash.
My "Old Shale" socks! Love
the pattern, but want to try again with yarn that stripes a bit better for the
cuff. The yarn is . I was running out of the solid (100% merino wool
and so soft!) so I began striping in the variegated yarn about half-way down the foot. I used a #2 Addi - 2
on 1 circular. They fit great! Very warm and comfy!
The link for the pattern is: http://stitchesofviolet.blogspot.com/2004/12/old-shale-two-yarn-sock-pattern.html
THANKS Marguerite for the great pattern! I love cuffs!
Mini Socks - Made just for fun!
I made a few others to decorate gifts but didn't take photos of them.
I also knitted 2 set of baby booties for my Dental Hygienist - thought I took
photos but can find them. Oh well, my wonderful niece Terri is expecting
her first in July so there will be plenty of those in my future!
This ornament was made using the small,
toe-up pattern in the Magic Loop book. I added a bit of metallic yarn on
the edge of the cuff. FUN!!!
Made with sport weight Red Heart.
Poncho I crocheted for my Mother.
It turned out a bit too big so I am going to knit one for her
which will be smaller and lighter in weight. This one is made of Simply
Soft worsted weight acrylic yarn.
More
dishcloths. I've made several and given them away as gifts.
All 100% worsted weight cotton:
Second Pair of Socks ~ Baby
Afghan and Outfit
I finally
completed the partner to my first set of Magic Loop Socks. I'm a convert!
Below is a photo of a
baby gift I made for a special friend: afghan, layette, and extra
booties and a close-up look at the layette. These are crocheted.
First Magic Loop Sock
Completed
This is a short sock
but very comfy (and plenty warm for Las Vegas!). Below is a
close-up of the "smocking" design: (Click the photo for an
even closer look. The photo doesn't show it really well in the
variegated color yarn.) It was very easy and fun to do! Info
about the pattern is below. Click here.
Second sock is
progressing nicely. Next step: Two socks at
once!
The Beginning
November 24, 2005
I am a web designer by profession now (after leaving 25 years of teaching to
work at home) and a crafter by heart. I have been lucky enough to design a
variety of websites
and have designed several for quilt shops and other craft-related sites. I have been quilting, crocheting,
and doing all types of embroidery for years. I especially love silk ribbon
embroidery. Click here for a few photos.
If you enjoy Redwork, I do a site for our local Redwork group: www.ladiesinred.org.
I began knitting a few months ago so I could make the traditional knitted
fringe for Mountmellick embroidery. This is a lovely white-on-white
embroidery which has its roots in Ireland. The fringe is knitted in a
strip long enough to fit the circumference of the embroidered item and then half
is unraveled after you bind off the other half to give you a lovely looped
fringe. You may click the picture for a larger photo and 2 more samples. If anyone is
interested in the "how-to" for this, click
here.
Next in the progression to Tostetoes came scarf knitting. What
fun! Garter stitch with novelty yarn on those great new scarf-sized
needles and a few hours later you have an awesome gift! Christmas 2004 is
the "year of the scarf" for my family and friends (who all live in
cooler climates than here in LV)!
You may click the photo for a
closer look.
Then after a few hats, my wonderful friend, (I now call her "Sockbustin
Birdy" because she too is addicted to socks and I think that comes second
only to her birdy watching) whom you on Socknitters know as LVJesse, said the "S"
word and within a few days we were hooked! Those wonderful skeins of yarn
were looked at as potential socks. Borders and Barnes & Noble were
stripped of their sock books (not to mention half.com and Amazon!), and our
journey began!
I finished my first pair night before last (November 22, 2004) at 11
pm. They are made from Moda Dea Yarn - Sassy Stripes yarn using a free sock
pattern from www.lionbrand.com (click
here for the link to the pattern http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/kmstripe-socks.html). This was such an amazing experience -
and they even fit!
You may click the photo for a
closer look.
I had been reading about the Magic Loop and knew that would be the next step
for me. I bought my addi TURBOs, picked some yarn out of my already
growing stash, and began my first sock last night. I made it to the heel
flap plus a few rows and am totally hooked! This is my sock so far (I had
to pick one with a shorter top so I could get to the challenge more
quickly).
You may click the photo for a
closer look.
This is a pattern called "Mock-Smock Sock" which I
purchased online for immediate download from http://e-patternscentral.com.
Just click on their link to "knitting" and proceed from
there.
Thanks for visiting!
Barb
Email
Me
