Sunday, December 26, 2010

Felted Rosette Ring




It's a little hefty. I'd like to try again with finer yarn. One thing's for sure: I wasn't born to be a hand model.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Fair Isle

I want to learn Fair Isle knitting so I can make stuff with fishies:





And damask:


I normally knit Continental, but the video on knittinghelp.com says the easiest way to do Fair Isle knitting is to combine Continental and English knitting. So I've been learning English, and in my search on youtube for English knitting I found this:


I always thought Continental seemed faster and more natural, but after trying English and watching this video, I'm pretty sure I'm wrong. Anyone out there have a preference?

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Another one of these


Owl Purse



Ryan had to help me with the lining. I was gonna use iron-on adhesive, but he insisted on using the sewing machine. He just really loves machines. It makes me wonder why more men don't sew. Here's the pattern.

Update: The magnets were ripping out and my sewing looked like crap, so I redid the lining. Much better:

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Monday, December 6, 2010

Bluebell Bookmarks








I don't get out much now that I have two kids. The doctor told me not to expose Sully to any disease until April, which is when RSV season ends. But I really wanted to make these bookmarks, so I loaded the kids into the car and took them to Michael's to find the right yarn. Michael's has mini-carts, which are great for navigating a crowded store, but impossible for mothers like me who use them as restraining devices for their kids. I balanced the baby carrier on top of the cart, making sure to keep Sully covered and away from germy people, but there was no room for Hanne, so I held her hand and we made our way to the yarn aisle. Once we got there, I let go of Hanne's hand, keeping her in my peripheral vision. I had only been browsing for about 30 seconds when Hanne came to me whining. I ignored her for a few more seconds, and when I finally looked down, I saw her mouth and chin dripping purple goo. My first thought was, blood! What happened? Then I realized it was purple, and I saw the little bottle of acrylic paint in one hand and the lid in the other (with the plastic seal somehow still in tact,) and I thought, what if it's poisonous!? Where's the nearest water source? Then I thought some more and realized she probably didn't swallow, and even if she did, it wouldn't be enough to hurt her, so I wiped her mouth out with a baby wipe. It was all worth it though because these bookmarks turned out so pretty.

I found the bluebell pattern in Nicky Epstein's Crocheted Flowers, which I checked out at the library. Hooray for free patterns!

Thursday, December 2, 2010