One off the needles, two more cast on

Another busy weekend at the studio.

Earlier this week, my car died. Fortunately, my Dad was kind enough to share his car with me until I could get another one (which actually ended up being his car, as he just bought my mom a new one for her birthday, but that's a long story and I want to get to the knitting.)

And all this sharing of car resulted in a lot of chaos and a missed deadline. Remember secret surprise? Well it was a tank top for my mom for her birthday... only by her birthday, it wasn't quite finished. The back was done, and the front was done up to the neckline, but I need a couple more hours to finish it off... so like any good knitter... I gave it to her in pieces with the promise of finishing it on the weekend.

I did keep that promise on Saturday, while Dave was helping my dad work in his old/my new car, I sat out back with mom and finished her top. Yaaay... only I don't have pictures of it. See, I don't crochet, and the top requires a crocheted edge around the arm and neckline.... so yes, mom has to finish her own birthday present... I am a horrible child I know... but I'm the youngest and the cutest so I can get away with it. (I'll post pics as soon as mom finishes it.)

Anyway, when Dave and I got home that evening, I still felt the need to knit. You think I would have picked up one of the many projects I already had on the needles but nooo... I cast on for something new...Here is Peno checking out my Flower Power Elephant. This is a really easy pattern (about 3 hours to knit all the pieces) but I added a little twist. I'm going to felt it. (I LOVE felting)

I fully intended to felt it today. But I thought, if I'm going to be felting I should finished the pieces of my other felted project and felt them all at once (it's a purse of my own design and once it's done I'll post the pattern for free here). So I started working on the strap this morning, and about noon Dave decided he was going to take apart my toilet (it makes a hideous noise every time you flush... it's kind of like having a toilet alarm) and of course, he decides he needs a part, so a-shopping we go. Well none of the stores have the part we need (of course) but he decides to stop off at my parents to return some body filler he borrowed.

It was a good thing we did, because mom had a little computer problem, and Dave is her resident computer guru. I settled in for a long wait... but since we were only going shopping I hadn't brought my knitting. (That and it's angora and Dave doesn't like the fluffies in his car)

Mom kindly gave me some hand painted silk yarn to keep me busy and I started knitting a shawl... (my own pattern I'll post when it's done) It doesn't look like I got very far considering we were at mom's for about seven hours, but I ripped it out once.

And that was my weekend... back to another Monday.

HAPPEE BERFDAY!!!!

Happy Birthday to the BESTEST mom in the world!

Yes mom, I stole that one from the photo album and you're not getting it back

Sadly, that's most recent pic I have of the two of us together (that was highschool, not college). Be prepared this weekend mom!

I'm not going to tell you how old she is... you have to ask her, yourself...

Peno's got a brand new bag...

... but it's really not for her.

Sometime ago, Peno laid claim to my knitting bag...

(yeah she was that adamant about it)

And every time I turned around she was on it. I didn't mind because it was just a cheap bag from the dollar store, and unlike Rocky, she's not destructive around yarn.

But the other day I was in Giant Tiger, and I saw the perfect bag for my knitting. It was huge, stylish, and cheap, so I bought it. It is perfect, and I'm sure will fit a whole sweater or maybe even two. It had no problem toting Frankenghan.

And even better Peno would get the old bag all to herself. (She'd get really cheesed when I'd pull it from under her and fill it with my car knitting.)

But today I came home to this!

and a little later this...

Saucy kitty!

Three little chipmunks twirling on a branch...

Voila! Three hats! Trois Chapeaux (I think I spelled that wrong)

As I said in my previous post... these are three Christmas presents for three special little friends (no peeking kids). I'm trying to use up a lot of the bit balls in my stash, and so far so good... and that's three Christmas prezzies down and it's only September. Actually I have more than that taken care of, but the recipients read this blog, so I'm not telling you nothing.



I also have another project that I'd totally love to share with you, but I'm hoping to get it published in Knitty, so I can't show anything here yet. If Knitty rejects it I'll publish it here, but keep your fingers crossed.

Ho ho ho.... is it green giant or Santa?

Had another friday off, so I spent the weekend making special Christmas presents for some wee friends of mine.


I don't have any pictures because work needed my camera for the weekend, but I snapped this one while at mom's:

This was supposed to be for Mr. Ethan, but if it fits Miss Rowan (as pictured) it totally won't fit Mr. Ethan. So.. Rowan left Gramma's with a new hat, and I made Ethan a new one.

Mom and I decided it makes her look like the Green Giant's little friend, Sprout.

Just a little quicky

I've been toying with the idea of casting this one on since I found it on Ravelry:

Anthropologie Inspired Caplet

I finally decided to do it while working away on the feather and fan princess afghan when I realized the yarn was perfect. I had to lengthen it a couple inches so it would cover my breast instead of ending a nipple level (which is just weird) . I am going to rejig it for a lighter wool, because it would be nice to have one that's not so chunky.

But for now it's a cute little top to throw over a longsleeve tee or strappy top. And it only took about 6 hours!

I'll get some pics of it on this weekend, it looks much better on... here it looks liek a child's cardi. (I might adapt the pattern for some special girls I know too)

Fun with Feather and Fan

Frankenghan is almost done. I finished up the one end with some feather and fan:

I'll pick up the stitches on the other side later this week and finish it up.

And while we're talking about feather and fan, I started knitting this afghan a while ago and like most of my projects put it away. I pulled it out tonight and started working on it again. I think it's going to be a Christmas present for my neice as it's very princess looking.