This pair was made for E.J. He loves the wild colors, and as you can see, Stimpy really really loves all things felted :) We're going to do some re-shaping on the one, it didn't felt evenly and the 2 don't match very well. The bad thing is that I knew they were a little off and decided to see what would happen if I felted them anyway. Now I know :)
http://clarissecamp2007.blogspot.com/ will take you to the summary and photo's of our vacation :) It was a perfect time, even if I got a little moody because of my inability to do the things that I love like hiking down to go swimming at the natural water slides at Candy Rock, or dancing at the outdoor music festival in downtown Arnold, or walk the arts and crafts booths at the festival. I suppose I didn't make the best first impression for the new additions to the family either, but oh well. It is what it is and as long as I had my knitting, I was a really "happy camper" :)
E.J. decided since we were adding to the family, he should get to pick one out too so he called me up from a clients home and asked me to come get Cocoa Bean. Yes, he's a male, born near the end of June, and we only wanted females this time around, but he's soo cute and his color is really unusual. It's a brownish smoke grey, but he's tuxedo marked. Stimpy loves him, she has someone a little smaller than her to play with, Xena has just about disowned us. She was willing to tolerate Stimpy, but now she has no patience for either of them. Xena chases the babies out of our bedroom and she rules the back half of the house, the kittens run the living room and kitchen area. I guess a second kitten was more than she could handle, but we're attached to the new kids already so she is going to have to learn how to deal with it. Silly girl, she really wants to play with them too. She'll start to, then remember that she is jealous and smak them upside the head and run down the hall. Oh well, I hope she gets over it soon.
The final pattern for the felted kitty bed. There are so many things I will be using this technique to make. I'll put up the pattern for it in a couple of weeks, I still want to refine a few things and it's kind of tricky to put what I did into words. But it's definitely easy to do and makes the bowl shape I was after. **UPDATE** I've posted the pattern. Here's the link http://clarissepatterns.blogspot.com/
The pink and red and blue was a short row experiment that looked like it would make the bowl shape, but when I washed it to felt the yarn, it laid flat and made a felted pad. It's actually kind of fun and can be used for several different things. A hot pad, a little throw rug, a chair pad, but Stimpy likes to sleep on it, so it's hers, but it's a good thing she likes to share cuz Cocoa Bean seems to have adopted it too :) 
Even 2 sizes too big, it's a hit! Stimpy, the new kitten, liked it first. Xena was interested but this yarn, even though it's been washed 5 times, still has a slight musky ram odor and she wasn't sure she liked it. But I got up from my nap, and there they were. I guess Xena booted Stimpy out, but she didn't go very far away. Xena just decided the other day that I could keep Stimpy, they started playing together and this is the first time they've slept this close together.) Nothing nicer than when the kids are getting along :)
It's too big and poofy, but my technique idea is sound and will work which makes me very happy. Xena is intersted already and it's still wet.
It's sitting on a small 1 bushel ($1 store) laundry basket. I'm going to wash it a couple of more times. I used some old spun in the grease homespun I bought years ago (really pretty icky) and it's taking a bit to felt it up. This is after 2 full wash cycles in the washing machine. The pink furry stuff is Boa eyelash yarn.
Now, what I did was, I cast on 40 stitches, the next attempt will be using 30 stitches and I used the round baby blanket technique. After grafting it together, I cast on 10 stitches and used the SAYG method to connect the round section as I knit the side band. I skipped every other bar to close it up, but it made it a tad too gathered and poofy so I think the next one will be done in a alternate method of like: pick up every bar but skip the third bar. I'm hoping that will make it more of a straight up side than a gathered kind of almost beret looking pouch. Say! That might not be a bad tote bag/purse! Hmmm.... the gears are smoking now LOL!!!
The yarn had too much pink and purple in it for him though, so he wasn't gonna wear it. In the photo's, what looks orange is really hot pink LOL!! But the hat turned out like I wanted and it is now my prototype and I used one of my Christmas bears for my model :)
I guess he changed his mind though. He came walking through the door today and I was able to snap this shot of him wearing the hat.
He still thinks it has too much pink, but it does do what he wants, so I'll be making a new one, with more "macho" colors for him :) I'm also going to experiment with a lighter weight cotton. This one was done with Peaches and Cream and it's a tad heavier than what I want. I'll be looking for some sport weight cotton, maybe Aunt Lydia's Denim? in white and tie dyed? He'd be thrilled, as long as I don't use pink :)
This is the maiden project for my doubled up Super LK100 knitting machine. A bunch of us were able to snag the Lion Brand Suede yarn when it was .99 a skein at the .99 Stores around the states and I purposely bought another LK100 so I could put the 2 machines together (see how it was done here ) and knit up this luscious chenille yarn as a single panel afghan. In other words all in one piece instead of having to knit sections that need to be assembled because of machine length restrictions. It's laid out on a full size bed, and as you can see, it turned out to be almost a bed spread, if I'd have made it a little bit longer it would be the same size as a comforter. This was using all 160 needles on the combined machine , knit at tension 9.
A closeup of the crochet ends. I just did a single crochet around the whole blanket, this yarn doesn't curl much at all and the single crochet with a size K crochet hook did the job, but I wanted it a bit prettier so I did 3 rows of shell stitches on each end while leaving the sides plain. I like the look and feel of it. Oh, your eyes aren't buggy, there are stripes. Since this was an experiment I didn't want to use up all I had of one particular color so I alternated one skein Spice and one skein of Garnet. A weird color combination but it goes with brown leather, which is what my new sofa will be :)
This is the piece while it was still on the machine. This yarn is marvelous and super soft and cuddly. I will be making more of these. The texture of the yarn is sufficient for interest so no pattern is really necessary for a very nice item.
I just purchased this yarn from The Yarntreehouse on Ebay, these are their photos, it came in the mail yesterday and I didn't want to waste my batteries taking a new photo when these represent it perfectly. It's not as soft as merino wool, it's got about the same texture as Knit Picks, Wool of the Andes so I anticipate it felting up very nicely.
This is how the wool is supposed to knit up and I think it's soooo pretty. I can't wait to see how it's going to look as a felted bag! and a felted hat! Wouldn't those colors brighten up a dreary winter day! It's like rainbow sherbet :)
This is a picture of my first felted bag. I was warned that this felting thing could become addictive and it is :)
I don't think I'll ever understand this, we moved to the desert and E.J. has decided he needs to turn our yard into Hawaii :) As you can see, Augie doesn't get it either and he thinks it's his personal little hole digging, green eating, shangrilah.
E.J. was told that bulbs wouldn't grow here, so of course, he planted all kinds of bulbs :) and of course, they were all wrong. The day lilies hadn't opened up yet for the picture but the glads are blooming all around the yard. I thought the wind would break the stalks, but so far they are going like gang busters.
and get aload of these! I just love the orange ones, they are perfect and just beautiful. The snapdragons behind them were throw aways from the nursery last year. Guess they decided to tough it out too. I'll get some more shots of the other areas of the yard later, it's really hard to get anything descent because I still haven't taken my camera to the shop to fix the focus on it. It's only been a year and a half since Alex and I dropped it..... Sheesh, shame on me. I just can't seem to let go of it long enough to send it off.
Well, I got them knitted up, blocked and Viola! I'm still not done. This darned acrylic yarn just refuses to cooperate, my choices are either to kill it or add some kind of fancy edges to try and tame the curl. Other than that, I'm really rather pleased with them. I knit them on my Toyota KS858, I just love the way that machine handles the lace knitting and I'll be doing lots more of it.The yarn is a 2/24 acrylic, low fuzzing which is ok for curtains. It would actually make a nice lacy baby afghan or a lacy shawl.
While I was in California this past winter, I knitted up a pair of the Pocketbook Slippers with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. I figured I would just hand wash them since this was my felting yarn for clog slippers. The pattern http://www.knitwits-heaven.com/pocket_book_slippers.htm was a super quick knit and there is a machine version out there too, I just can't seem to find it at the moment.
The wearin' o' the green, only thing missing is the Guiness. I think instead of braids on this one, I might try the cut and sew (sew and cut) method we've been chatting about on our email group and make it a snug fitting cap instead. I machine sewed the back seam and it was really easy to do, but then, of all the holiday's, a leprechaun should have something a little silly like braids, well, easter bunnies too. Yup, another experiment coming up :)
This is how far I got last night so these shots are from day one :) I'm using a very pale yellow 100% Acrylic 2/24 yarn. I thought I'd go through my learning phase with this then I'll try cotton for my kitchen curtains.
I received my new lace carriage so decided to make some lace panel curtains for my knitting room. The windows are small in there so I'm hoping I'll be able to finish them this week. Right! I also have to finish up E.J.'s St. Patty's Day hat so he can wear it for the holiday too. Plenty to get done for sure. On the lace, I thought I had made a mistake but what looks like a missed line is just a crease in the cardboard that I put behind it so you could see the pattern and if it is a mistake, too bad!!! I'm not ripping it out now LOL!!!
This is where I started. I was very optimistic since one big hole seamed like an easy adjustment to fix....
and this is where I've stopped...
This is the pattern that was demonstrated on the HGTV/DIY knitting show, Knitty Gritty. It really turned out nice and it was fun to knit. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease worsted weight and it turned out a little too big, so the next one will be done on smaller needles. Years ago, I had crocheted a snood to hold my hair back, well, E.J. confiscated it and wore it all the time, it was like this but in a mesh and no visor/brim. Now he wants me to make another snood, but with the visor like this one has. I actually think I can pull it off. He'll look silly as ever, but his hair will be out of the wind since he's decided to be a long hair again :)
For Mom....
My sister Joan asked for blue and this pair of red went home with my daughter, Becca :) I'm home now and while I was away I hand knit 3 pairs of felted clogs, 1 pair of pocket book slippers, 1 pair of Red Heart Strata Dorm Socks, 3 cotton dishcloths and machine knit 2 Barbie outfits along with a few lace punchcard swatches. I guess this is the kind of productivity you get when you don't have computer access 24 hours a day. No distractions, just lots of knitting :) 
Before and after felting :) I couldn't get the slippers to dry after 3 days and I could tell that I hadn't rinsed all the soap out, so I went ahead and ran them through the washer one more time. This time I didn't stop the wash before it went through the whole cycle and now they are a perfect size 8 (down 2 more sizes) so I'll be making a different pair for the mother of my grandson. It's just as well, since blue is her favorite color. Hmmm... I may just have to keep these for myself? Nah, these will go to my mother in law. They're just a hair too small for me. I started another pair in the red and brown and couldn't resist putting up a picture of the difference. I sure hope they stop shrinking though. I think I can keep them out of the dryer but hand wash in cool water? The reality is that they won't and they'll end up going through the laundry. As long as they stay in proportion, that's ok, there's always someone with smaller feet somewhere LOL!!!
I finished them, the felted clog slippers, and they are wonderful! These were hand knit from the Fiber Trends Clog Slippers pattern using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes yarn. I knew it must work, but since this was my first felting experience, and the knitted project was sooo floppy and loose, I had my doubts and just look at them!!! I love this!!! I made the large women's size, just because I didn't know how it was going to work out, and they actually are a large women's size which means they are too big for me but they'll fit my daughter in law, she wears size 9 and 10's, so they should be perfect for her. It's a good thing they don't fit me, I think I would have had a hard time parting with them otherwise. :)
I finally got a natural smile.
Here's Santa Hat number 2. I will refine the punchcard a bit more but I like the all over Santa's better than the row of larger Santa's in the first hat. And I got in trouble for leaving off the braids! He prefers braids to tassles :) 
