The Grand Kits

The babies are tearing the house apart! If they can knock it down, over, chew it, spill it or just plain shred it, they are on it! I love it, they are sooo cute. My shins are nothing but scabs from their sharp little claws. I think they will be ready to find new homes this weekend, they are almost 8 weeks old. I'll need to start a new pair of socks and sit in front of the grocery store, then Mommy is off to the vet for her little tummy surgery.

A Creative Productive Day

I was really motivated today. I stitched up the fun fur dog sweater, ordered some 9 dpn's so I can do the legs and edges, made these 2 pairs of earrings (lousy picture but they shine and my camera still needs to see the doctor), I decided I wanted some really dangly long ones, put together my hubbies new barbeque and finished up the sock twins.

To Finish this Week!

Did I mention that I must be ADD? I admit it, I get bored too easily and I have absolutely no self disipline. My mood dictates what I do at any given moment and I have a gazillion UFO's around the house. These 3 I have picked to finish up this week.

The top 2 are dog sweaters, I'm excited about the furry one, I bought the pattern from the Lion Brand yarn website because I just had to make it. I've always felt sorry for those little dogs getting all shaved and I just think that having their own little fur coat will help them keep some of their dignity, while being all neatly groomed. My cousin Jan (it wasn't meningitis afterall, it was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever! She has a dog grooming business and like everything worth while, there are risks, but she is doing great now). Anyway, she mentioned that she gets requests for dog sweaters so I am working on some ideas for that and decided the faux fur was a must. I'll be trying out some of the other colored furry yarns too. What Fun!

The socks are almost done. I've had to put them down several times, because of being too nit picky about them matching up. I was on a mission and this may be the only time I bother, what a lot of tinking, but guess what? They are identical!!! I'm at the final toe decreases and it looks like I will have finally succeeded with my identical twins. Yippee!!! I'll post a better picture when they are done so I can brag about their perfection, right! ROFLMAO!!!

Continental Style

I was inspired by another blogger who was determined to master the Continental technique so I thought this dishcloth would be an easy piece to try it with. It definitely changes the gauge of your stitches. I put the arrow in just in case you can't find where I changed styles. Too me it's quite obvious, especially in real life. Who would have thought that guage would matter on a dishcloth.

Yes it's faster once you get the hang of it, but I learned something I didn't expect. I had to stop crocheting because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and my left thumb and forefinger would just cramp up in agony when I crocheted. That is when I started to knit, first with a machine because I thought my days of using my hands were numbered and the machine was an attempt to maintain my creative side, but when I tried by hand, I didn't know why, I didn't have pain like when I crocheted. Well, I now know it's because of how I hold the yarn. Continental style knitting holds the yarn the same way crochet does and it uses the same joints. So, although I have mastered the technique, I will not be using it. The trick was to use my right forfinger to hold the yarn around the needle to complete the stitch. I'm just happy that I mastered something that I thought I couldn't do :)

Baby Bonnet

Ok, here is the bonnet from Gina Ahren's Layette Set. I had a bit of trouble with the lace part, it's been along time since I did any of that type of work on the machine, and the chart doesn't divide evenly into the stitches for the bonnet. I started the chart pattern from the middle and worked out towards the sides so it worked out fine. I think I will knit a band on it to cinch it in and gather a little at the bottom, but all in all, another Gina success :) Oh, I didn't have the yarn the pattern called for so I used some cotton Knit CroSheen I had laying around. I think something a bit more elastic would work better.

Baby Blanket USM'd

And here is the baby blanket for E.J's co-worker. The top picture is a closeup of the double moss stitch edge. I sure like the look it gives to the edge but I think a fisherman rib might go faster. I'll try that for the next one. Below is a picture to show more of the blanket, because I haven't fixed my camera yet, I couldn't get a focused picture of the whole thing but you get the idea :)

After several requests for instructions on how to make this blanket, I've created a Free Patterns page. I'm not a pattern writer so I hope I was able to describe what I did in a way that makes it possible for someone else to successfully make the item too :)

OTM (on the machine:)

E.J. decided to tell me that he'd like a gift for one of his co-workers that just had a baby, soooo I'm whipping out a baby blanket on the super Bond today. It's a girl and I just happen to have a pink varigated from Caron Dazzelaire that's been waiting in the stash pile for just such an occasion :) It's a very simple blanket done in stockinette with a double moss stitch border. I guess this is how he justifies my expensive collection of machines, "Can't you just make something really fast?" Oh how little they understand, LOL! Since I'm doing the edging as I go, it takes longer to knit it up, but I really like not having to do any finish work once it's off the machine. Talk about wash and go! I'll put up a picture of it when it's done.