Little Star Bag

The bag was knit in the star stitch, and with the Debbie Mumm Traditions Yarn (Pine Needle Green colorway) that The Great Enabler gave me in one of our knitting group's stash swaps. I made two panels so that the stars would be going the right direction, seamed at the bottom and both sides, and finished off with several rows of garter stitch to keep the top edge from rolling. For what seemed like an eternity, I made a six stitch I-cord for the handle, and then a three stitch I-cord for the fastening loop. The button is something I got at Hobby Lobby several years ago.


I had originally considered lining the bag, but have decided against it as I have so many other irons in the knitting fire. Also, the star fabric is fairly dense, and I do not intend to carry anything in it that will poke through the knitted fabric.

I know this bag is no big whoop, but it is the first thing that I have ever designed and knit, and I thought it was post-worthy.






A shot that is a little bit closer so that you can see the detail in the button, as well as the star stitch.

Gettin' My Fussy On!

Sheldon, currently known as the turtle of hate, is finished! This little fella definitely gave me the chance to embrace the fussy.


The instructions for the applied I-cord to assemble the attachment panel and the shell were at best extremely flawed, and I have made numerous projects with applied I-cord, so this is not a new skill for me. I decided to just use a mattress stitch after several failed attempts (and turning the air blue with profanity) because the instructions were not panning out. This is a free pattern from Knitty, so I can't really fuss too much, but it was a challenge.


Linda and Christy have taunted me that I am not able to make just one of any given item, and so the gauntlet has been thrown down. I am pleased to report that I have risen to that challenge. I will only be making one of these horrid little turtles.


He is cute, but way, way too much trouble to EVER repeat this pattern. I have seen on Ravelry that lots of folks made several Sheldons - all I can say is there is no explaining crazy...


The Designer Sport yarn worked well as it is very soft, and I did not stuff him too full so that he would stay snuggly.

I am not entirely pleased with the eyes, but they are embroidered on so that little fingers cannot snatch off an eye and swallow any small pieces.

Tomorrow is my nephew's first birthday, but I will be delivering Sheldon the Horrible a few days late. It's kind of early, but Happy Birthday, Max! Aunt Terri loves you.

Progress on the Terrapene carolina...

TRANSLATION: Progress on the common box turtle...

A few weeks ago at a knitting get together, I mentioned to my fiber pals that I did not know why I had been so drawn to knitting toys as of late, and the Great Enabler thought that it might be because it "gave me the chance to be fussy..."

Yea, I see the irony, and maybe the Pope is Catholic too, right?

I recognize that I am the slightest bit detail-oriented, and possibly a little obsessive as well. The Sheldon pattern from Knitty is not exactly a hard pattern, but it leans heavily on the fussy side of things. This is not a pattern to knit mindlessly on at all. The pattern calls for Knit Picks Shine Sport, which is 60% cotton. Cotton makes my hands tired, and with all the pattern work on the shell I did not feel like fighting with a no-give fiber. I chose Designer Sport yet again because it is very soft, and it has a nice "sproing" quality. I am using the colorways Pistachio and Celedon for Sheldon.

Don't let my whining put you off if you are interested in making a Sheldon, just plan to spend some very focussed time with the project.



He is coming along, and believe it or not the shell has been the quickest part of him to knit so far. I think he will be very cute, and I hope much loved by my nephew, Max. This will be for his birthday, but will likely be completed after the fact. Also, his eyes will not be plastic, but embroidered on for safety's sake - Max is soon to turn one.

The body has been stuffed and seamed, but the instructions request the legs be stuffed and attached later.






This is the nearly half-completed shell. I had my doubts about it in the beginning, but so far so good.




Off to knit.

Knitting Needles Moving at the Speed of Light...

I have been knitting furiously to have the Party Penguins all knitted and assembled by today as it is my niece's fifth birthday today. Happy Birthday, Lucy! Time has gotten away from me, and I fear that I may be late on the nephew's gift now, but I still have two days...






I also re-knit the bows on the little elephants so that they could have a firmer join, and not curl. I re-knit them in stockinette, and they came out great. Here they are with the penguins wearing their new and improved bows.








These are two of the shrugs that I made for Christmas gifts for my friends at work. The purple shrug being worn on the left is knit from Bernat Satin in Plum Mist Heather, and is for my friend and boss, Sylvia. The blue shrug being worn on the right is knit from Designer Sport from Red Heart in the denim colorway, and is worn by my friend Carol who is the clerk/tech for the department.






Both of the girls were good enough to turn around so the patterning could be seen.






As you can seen, they were both really good sports to model and pose with the Dream in Color Shrugs, which more accurately could be called Dream in Bernat and Red Heart in this case...





With two days to go to get Sheldon finished and assembled, I've got to get the needles in high gear.


I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year!

Shortly Has Arrived...

NOTE: Photo heavy post.

In my last post, I mentioned that regular postings and lots of knitting would "return shortly". In the past day or so, some weisenheimer called me on the "shortly" reference and asked when that would be??? The answer is that "shortly" is a relative term, kind of like when you your mother says, "we'll see..."

I have been knitting (quite a lot), just not posting about it. I have a variety of reasons, none of which seem to hold up in the Court of Mom, but still valid in my world none the less. Without further ado, the aforepromised knitting post. Drum roll please (((brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr))))...

These are the dishcloths that I knit for various Christmas gifts, and also the pair of footy/slippers that I knit for a friend so that she could give them to her grandson for Christmas. Sorry about the blurriness, this was before Cheryl helped me with my camera.

The round dishcloths were threaded with satin ribbon, filled with a surprise, and turned into this.

For three ladies that I work with, I knit them book marks. It is the diamond lace bookmark pattern, knit from Lanett, a Sandnesgarn yarn that is 100% merino. They were a deep red, but very Christmas-appropriate. As you can see, they blocked out pretty well.

Christmas morning at my home looked like this.

These are the Flower Power Elephants. I have not yet embroidered the daisies on them, and may not as the previous attempts have looked somewhat out of focus. If the daisies are not going to turn out crisp, I see no point.

I am currently working on the Party Penguins by Alan Dart, and I hope to have a few done in rather short order.

I received two gift certificates from Mike for Christmas to The Yarn Shop and More and The Studio.

We had Christmas with my side of the family on 12/19/2008 at my sister Cristy's house, and this is a picture of Cheryl, me, Cristy, and Mom. My mother says that my clothes are all still a mile too big, and since this photo I have bought some clothes that are several sizes smaller. I still hate to see myself in photos; however, it doesn't help that I am standing near all these skinny hussies. I think I always look like the tard that gets let out of the institution for holidays in pictures...

I have discovered that I am highly sensitive if not allergic to mohair, and that was a bummer as I really wanted to make the Ice Queen project, but it wasn't to be. However, my mother's Ice Queen came out beautifully.

I will have more pictures later on as soon as all the gifts for friends are opened. As far as when, "don't ask me any questions!" Can you guess who says this to me?

One guess where this direct quote comes from...

Lastly, I have started selling Avon. Not to worry, Avon ladies are not set for the attack mode like the Mary Kay ladies. If you have an interest or use Avon, I have a webpage that can be found at: http://tphillips4848.avonrepresentative.com/

On this site, you may pay with debit or credit card, and I also have the ability to take debit and credit cards. The site is good for convenience if you don't have a book, but I still prefer to flip through the pages. Sometimes Avon runs free shipping deals, but otherwise be sure to mark "Free Rep Delivery" so you do not get charged an extra fee.

The Knitting Hussy Will Return Shortly...

Just a brief service announcement to advise that I have the good camera in my possession (no more crap photos), and that I will be back in the full knitting/photographic swing on 12/10/2008 or shortly thereafter.

The RHIT program is not for me. I also have decided I do not want to manage anyone but myself; I'm something of a handful on my own. My personal activities are a full-time job, and I am not interested in pursuing any additional schooling at this point.

Look out knitting world, the semester is winding down, and I'm planning to hit the ground running!

Dreams, Spares, Harze, and Cookies...

I am taking a brief respite from knitting the Harze to knit something out of the norm for myself. It is the Dream in Color Shrug shown at the far left. However, I am trying to knit down my stash, and I am making this in a really pretty deep eggplant color in Plymouth Encore. Maybe it should be called "Dream in Encore" in this case. The picture does not show much of anything, and yes DH still has the good camera, but you will just have to take my word for it that it is coming out very nicely. I know not everyone likes Encore, but it is a good budget-friendly choice with tons of color options, and the ability to be machine washed and dried - plus it looks pretty good for the lace in this pattern too.


As far as the spare goes, DH brought me home a spare head, and I was pretty thrilled. This is one of his mannequin heads that he has gotten down to the final cut on in school, and he donated it to me for hat blocking and fitting purposes.



In reference to the Harze, I have three assembled, and one is still in the dismembered status right now. I will probably assemble the fourth hare sometime tomorrow. However, I am taking a short break from them lest I decide to make rabbit stew. I will finish their little outfits after I finish the above mentioned shrug.






As I may have mentioned two or fifty times, I do not like the intrusion on my time that school seems to demand. I have realized that at times my mood has been a bit dark as I feel very put upon by my lack of time to do anything I enjoy. I do not know how people with kids go to school - I only have a husband and a cat and some days I am overwhelmed!!! With the whole dark mood and overwhelmed theme, I have found a sign to hang on my front door, and probably in my cube at work too. How bad could a place be that gives you cookies?

Holiday weekend, hah!

I am glad to have some time to spend with Mike, but less than delighted how much time the homework has taken this weekend.

I was one of the judges at the Irish Fest again this year, and that was kind of a bust. Last year, I judged on Saturday and got to see all different types of knitted objects - sweaters, hats, shawls, and even an evening dress...

This year, I could only attend on Sunday because of my school schedule. There were only THREE items entered for today's competition, and the theme was cabling. Three afghans, and not my favorite knitted object by a long shot - but I did my best to judge fairly. Two were done in ivory, and one in a blue-green. One afghan was covered in dog hair, one was a little worse for wear around the edges, and that only left the blue-green to be the winner - what happened to only submitting pristine items in contests??? I was told that the general competition was slim for admissions on Saturday as well. I have no idea what happened, and there were a ton of people at the festival.

I have not had too much time for knitting, once again, the wretched school work - bleck!

Oh yea, and someone who wandered up to the table at last week's knit night asked if I was knitting the rabbits for my GRANDCHILDREN!!! That was a lot of fun - right, not so much!

I'd like to knit a little bit tonight, but I am too tired to concentrate, and I need to get my schedule book out to schedule my study/homework slots for this coming week.

Maybe next time I will have photographic proof of progress on the knitting front...

Hot Off the Needles

These two little knitted creatures have been my constant companions for the past month or so. I have worked with the Debbie Bliss Toy Knits book, as well as admiring the work of Little Cotton Rabbits, and many other toy artists as well.

I have taken some individual elements from several designs, mixed them with some of my own ideas, and this is what I have come up with. In dressmakers' terms, this would be my muslin mock-up for the design.

Once I get good and find my own design niche, I may sell some on Etsy, assuming anyone would want one of these besides me...

And without further delay, I give you The Prairie Harze. No, this is not a misspelling, I know how to spell "hares", I just really wanted the name to be my own.




The boy bunny, on the right, is the oldest, and as you can see I have been experimenting with the size of the feet, the head, the length of the arms, the width of the ears, as well as clothing lengths and sizes. Their names are Hatti and Herschel.





What good little sister would not be willing to stand on top of her brother for a good photo op?


I know, the harze are not there yet, but they are coming along - I hope.

The end/s, and that's all folks...

Oh, for Heaven's Sake...

This is one of my personality flaws - once I decide something, i.e. the date school starts for instance, I become set in my own delusions.

For example, I thought because the first two classes that I had registered for this semester started on 08/25/2008 that the third class that I added would also begin the same date. You know, same school, same curriculum, yatta, yatta, yatta...

For some unknown reason, possibly the grace of God, possibly mental illness, I happened to check my fall/2008 semester schedule this morning and nearly had an attack!

The third class begins on 08/18/2008 - NOT 08/25/2008 as I delusionally believed. I know that I still have a LITTLE BIT OF TIME to prepare, but NOT MUCH!

If you hadn't guessed, I'm a LITTLE anxious any time my schedule changes, and I am not really delighted with interruptions. My personality just does not really want to lend itself to all this willy nilly changing. I need to plan, to contemplate, and savor the last bits of freedom until the academic Armageddon that I have registered for closes in around me. My rational mind tells me, "It's just three classes; not to worry. You have taken 18 hours per semester in the past, and that turned out fine..." Unfortunately, the size of the rational side of my brain is shrinking on a daily basis, and I fully anticipate full blown hysteria by 08/18/2008.

If anyone is looking for me, I will be the person hyperventilating in the corner rocking back and forth with my knitting needles in hand, and muttering unintelligible sounds...

Postop Activities and Progress

While in the postop period, I have tried to take it easy and not get into trouble as I am hoping to return to work on Tuesday. Yes, that is my own plan, but I will see if I can get my surgeon to agree with that today at 3:15 p.m. - cross your fingers for me, I am not a very good patient.


To ease the nerves of a jangled hubby, and to thank him for the trip to Twist I baked him a peach and blackberry buckle. The recipe started out as a peach melba buckle, but blackberries are what I had in the fridge, so the melba had to go...

I have only finished one of the Broad Ripple socks. I have never had second sock syndrome before, but I just can't get my mojo workin' to finish the second one. However, I will force myself to start the second sock this afternoon. The sock fits well, feels nice on, but I just can't feel the love. I am probably just agitated because I am saddling up for the next semester in school, and there are a million and one projects I want to get done in addition to school.


Also, I may have to slide by The Studio this afternoon for the final day of their sale. I did not intend to go, but I am working on figuring out a double secret project that may force a trip there - you know, just to support the economy...

ETA: Not going to the sale at The Studio; the stars are aligned against me.

Road Trip for the Knitting Hussy

Last weekend, I was the tag along with hubby to Wichita. He had clients to see there, and of course I rode along to be a loving and supportive wife... However, I heard there was a pretty great yarn shop there, so that might have been what I was loving and supporting...

The rumor did not disappoint, and long story short, Twist is a FABULOUS yarn shop. Their selection begins with interesting and affordable yarns all the way up to $30-ish skeins. The displays are creative but not crowded, and everyone seemed very nice. The shop is relatively large, but has a very homey and warm feel, and the owner (Shelly) is very nice. It is definitely worth the three hour drive - even with the $4 gallon gas prices.





Mike has to go back to Wichita again in a couple of weeks, and I am definitely going back - you know, just to be supportive...

I bought a little tiny bit of yarn, just to "help the economy". My favorite economist would be so proud! The camera is not taking great pictures of the yarn, so I will have to link you to the Soxx Appeal by Knit One Crochet Two and to Plymouth Happy Feet (see color #4).

The Swift May Not be So Swift After All...

I just received my Tom Bihn Swift today, and I may be the one and only person on the entire planet that is not thrilled to bits with this bag. For starters, I am not crazy about the color choices that were available, and I selected the cocoa and olive bag. It is just okay in person, but there are no other colors that are currently available that I would prefer over this. The one HUGE plus for the Swift is that it does allow my knitting/purse items to live in one bag. There are some things I really like about the Swift, but unfortunately there are just as many things that I do not care for about it as well. Before you ask, I am not going to return it. One bag functioning as a replacement for two is worth it - maybe...


This is the view from inside the bag.

This is the outside of the bag with the olive side showing. The brown side did not show up that well against my wallpaper and door.

LIKES:

1. The handles - they easily accommodate over the shoulder carrying.

2. The wide opening and no-snag closure.

3. The clear pockets with nice zippers.

4. The space within the bag is very nice.

5. The drape of the bag is also very nice.


DISLIKES:

1. The color choices available are very limited, and not something I would normally buy.

2. No exterior pockets. I knew this when I ordered, and thought the interior pockets would be more usable than they actually are. They make the bag sit in an odd way if I put my wallet in either one of them. No, I am not buying a new wallet.

3. I thought the whole bag would be lined, not just the clear plastic pockets. The unlined bottom feels kinda cheap for a $70 bag. This is not a cheap price in my opinion. I have admired a friend’s swift for a few months, but unfortunately I never took the time to dissect her bag the way I have my own - this is my fault.

4. The key strap was a purchase I made to use with my scissors. The clasp is so narrow that my little Fiscars cannot fit the jaw clamp. I like the scissors I have, and I am not buying a new pair.

5. I ordered two clear organizer pouches thinking I would love them - not so much… The colors they sent do not match my bag. I could return them, but that is a hassle, and I do not want to pay to ship them back for a return/exchange. Never mind the fact that UPS hates me and I hate them!

Overall, I feel that this bag may grow on me because I take my knitting to work every day, and now I can leave the house at O-dark-thirty with one bag instead two.

Maybe I am being too critical, but with my two clear pouches and key strap (they did not tell me that one key strap came with the bag) the total came to $94 including shipping. It took me a little while to save this money, and I expected to be quite a bit more enamored than I was at first blush.

I will confess that I feel somewhat guilty because most everyone else on-line, as well as my friend, seem to adore their Swifts from the second they took them out of the box. As I stated earlier, maybe the Swift will grow on me…

Great Customer Service from Two Companies

A week ago last Friday, my favorite set of ebony wood Lantern Moon circs came apart while in the midst of a project. As you might imagine, an easily identifiable fit ensued. After I regained the power of speech and stopped shrieking, I had the presence of mind to speak with Lantern Moon's Customer Service Department.

For those of you that have not heard, Lantern Moon has changed their design so that this "coming apart" that has been experienced by many, many knitters is no more.

Long story short, after explaining to Lantern Moon what had happened to my needles, they gladly shipped me a set of #9 26 inch in ebony. I happened to mention that I had a second set, yet unused, and that I hoped that they did not have the same "coming apart" issue. To this, they suggested I give a yank on the set of #3 26 inch circs in rosewood. Sure enough, I heard a crack, and they were more than glad to send a replacement set for those as well.

What makes this such good customer service is that they did not wait to ship the replacements out until I shipped the defective sets back, but rather took me at my word and shipped two sets to me free of charge with an apology for my trouble. They in fact do not want me to send the defective needles back, and within five calendar days, Lantern Moon had the new circs in hands. I cannot tell you how happy I am with their level of customer service.

Thanks in no small part to the Knit Night Enabler, also know as Christy, I have ordered a knitting bag combination tote/purse so that I may exit my home with only one bag in tow. I take my knitting to work with me every day, and several other locations as well. This multiple bag issue has become tiresome, and I decided I needed this. I ordered the cocoa/olive version, and I am nearly beside myself waiting for it to arrive.

Another long story short, I had saved my money, and decided to splash out on said bag. I am a person who needs not be given too many choices lest I become confused. Of course there are several color options, and I absolutely became confused. The person at Tom Bihn was more than patient during my three week decision process whether to purchase or not to purchase, what colors were available, and finally helping me place the order. I was lucky enough to speak to Josh every time I called, and he was always very kind and patient with my multitude of questions. The really great part is that Tom Bihn's Customer Service Department has a Buffy fan on duty (the aforementioned Josh) who readily identified favorite episodes and seasons of BTVS by name. What more could a Buffy fan ask for???

The Gnomes Have Arrived

Jingle, Tingle, and Dingle have arrived!

Let me be the first to tell you Merry Christmas, 2008!

Santa's Workshop is Open for Business!

Santa's workshop is open for business, and I am on track for Christmas. This is the first time ever that I will have my holiday knitting ready to roll by Thanksgiving Day - good on me.

I have finished the stockings for the Chu Family, five in total as per my sister's request, and I have made personalized and dated name tags for each member of the family as well - double good on me...

The picture is not that clear, but you get the idea...

It looks as though I have gone into a fit and dismembered a gnome, but I in truth I am nearing the finish line for my third gnome. He should come to life sometime this evening. He is the third in the set of Christmas gnomes, and their names are Jingle, Tingle, and the latest being Dingle.

I am torn between starting a lace rib camisole (interactive link to Creative knitting, move your mouse around and the pages will turn - it is the white shell on the page with the light blue lace dolman, a pair of socks, or an Alan Dart Snowme. The Snowme may win out as I am on the "finishing my Christmas projects high" right now.

As you might guess, I am revelling in the fact that I am not in school right now, but I realize that time is marching on, and 08/25/2008, the start of the fall semester (also known as doomsday at my house) will be here before I know it. "Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee" (bleck)...

ETA: It is no small feat to felt five separately knitted objects (with different wools), and have them turn out nearly the same size. The Knit Picks Wool of the Andes felted very, very quickly and made a nice fabric, but the Cascade Heather (the darker red) had to be felted twice, and make a slightly thicker fabric which is also very nice.

We Have A Winner!

I put the names of the people who guessed Rain Man into a bowl and drew for the prize.

Beth is the person whose name I drew, and she will be receive two skeins of Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn from the Brown Sheep Company in the Blue Flannel color way. I would take a picture, but DH has my digital camera, and my cell phone does not produce good indoor photos...

At any rate, thank you to everyone who submitted a guess.

p.s. Four Christmas stockings are felted, and the fifth is on the needles.

He is an "Excellent Driver"...

Points for knowing which movie the quote, "I'm an excellent driver" came from. There will be a prize for the winner. If more than one person guesses correctly, I will pick a winner at random. The prize is non-negotiable, non-returnable, and has no cash value outside of the knitting world. The contest will end this coming Friday at whatever time I decide.


At any rate, there is an "excellent driver" pedalling away on Mike's bicycle. This is actually a good friend of mine that was in town from Columbia this weekend. Before you scold me about my photography skills, let me mention that he was sailing by at the time, and this was with a cell phone camera. I am lucky that he is for the most part centered in frame without his head being clipped off, and with my photography skill set that is really all you can hope for...


On the knitting front, I am on my third of five Christmas stockings, but have only felted the first one so far. My thinking is that there will be two red, two crimson, one green stocking with their respective stripe patterns, and that they will be hung in order of crimson, red, green, red, crimson for symmetry's sake.

Meet my new friend, Millie Grace

A few weeks ago, at the last estate sale I went to, I found my new friend, Millie Grace. She is to say the least a mature lady, extremely well-preserved, and not only will she help me with pinning sweater pieces and taking photos, she looks pretty nifty right where she is. I have an odd habit of naming lots of things that come into my world, and Millie Grace is no exception...

This is one of the gnomes that I have been working on. I believe his name will be Jingle, and I am ready to assemble his fraternal twin, Tingle, as well. Both gnomes are in the pinned or ready to assemble faze at this moment. I am only delayed in assembling them and making more gnomes as I am trying to complete at least three felted Christmas stockings before I transition back to the gnome project. It looks like there is a hole in the end of gnomes nose, not really, that is the pin you see holding it in place.

The felted Christmas stockings will be for my nieces and nephew, and possibly their parents if time permits. The knitting of the sock was pretty simple, and I learned how to do attached/applied I-cord on the top as well. It was almost a shame to felt it because it looked so cool! Also, the stocking was knit with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, and it felts quicker and tighter than any thing I have seen so far.

For once, I have actually started my Christmas knitting with a respectable amount of time to make it to the finish line...

Okay, okay - I admit it, I am a fiber slut! In the past few weeks, I have realized that my once managable stash has taken on a life of its own. This came as a total surprise to me as I have continued to tell people I have a non-existent stash (with the exception of a tiny bit of sock yarn as sock yarn does NOT count), and that I only buy yarn when I am getting ready to start a particular pattern. This was not an intentional lie, to myself or others, its just that the stash seemed to get this big all on its own. I do not know where I went wrong, but clearly I need to enroll in a 12-step yarn program. If it gets any bigger, I may have to name it as well...

On a brighter note, I got an A in the class from Hell, and I am taking the summer off as far as school is concerned.

School's Out For Summer...

Can't you just hear Alice Cooper singing, "School's out for summer..."

Cutting right to the chase, I got an A on the final. I believe I will likely receive an A in the class as well; however, one of the Devil's minions served as instructor for this class, so one cannot be sure...