Christmas!

This Christmas I decided that I wanted to knit something special for the members of my family. I asked the people I was unsure of what they wanted, instead of knitting something that they may not want.



My mom got a pair of socks. "Bonsai" is from "Knitted Socks East and West". I highly recommend this book to any sock knitters. It has some lovely patterns in it, they are easy to follow and produce beautiful results. I have made a few pairs from this book and I am in love with them all. These were a bit tight when my mom put them on, so maybe going up a needle size would have been a better fit, but once she got them on, they looked amazing.



My sister asked for a cowl. Not just any cowl; it had to be "chunky and big enough to go around my head twice and I want it in light beige". At least she was specific... I found a great pattern online. Stockholm Scarf fit my sister's description perfectly. It was a great and easy knit, I was able to make it in just over 2 days and she was unbelievably happy with the results and I saw her wearing it every time she went out. Success!



My other sister asked for a pair of socks, a teddy bear and a marshmallow hat. I didn't know if I would be able to finish everything for her, but I managed it. I do not have a picture of the marshmallow hat (I'll try to get her to take a picture of it so I can post it... it's hot pink and looks great on her!). The socks were another pattern from "Knitted Socks East and West", this time I chose "Chouwa". They look amazing, the picture does not do them justice.



She also wanted a teddy bear, but I didn't feel like making another one, so I opted instead to make her a Hippo! The pattern is from "Itty-Bitty Toys", and it came out fantastic.



Next was my dad. He was the hardest person to make for by far! I knew I had to find something unique for him, but at the same time still be cute. Stone the Gargoyle provided me with the perfect solution. He looks absolutely fantastic while still having some charm!



I also knitted a pair of socks for a friend. The Horcrux socks can be found in the Six Sox Knitalong group on Ravelry. Another great easy knit pattern (and super stretchy too, so it will fit all sized feet!).



Another pair of socks for a friend. Again from "Knitted Socks East and West". These ones are called "Ninja". Another super stretchy socks for those of you who don't know the exact foot size of the person you are knitting for.



A pair of socks for my aunt (sorry about the poor picture quality). aFlame is available as a free Ravelry download. A great quick knit that isn't complicated enough to throw you off, but it keeps your interest.

I didn't get a picture of the socks that I knitted for my grandmother. Another free ravelry download; the Norfolk Ramblers pattern is excellent. The cross-stitch is a pattern that my grandmother gave me for Christmas last year and I completed it for her and gave it to her this Christmas. She seemed really pleased with it!



Writing everything down in a post like this makes it look like a lot less work then it actually was. I basically started knitting in June and have been making things on and off since then. I think I'm going to start even earlier next year!!

Finally some new finished projects to share!

School has been keeping me busy these past few months and I haven't had as much time as I would like to be crafting. I did manage to get some things done, including the Vespa shawl that I have had my eye on for some time. I loved the design of this and it was so easy and fast to knit up, I memorized the pattern after just a few repeats. I used Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends in "stone" and I needed just over 2 skeins to finish it. I did 17 repeats of the pattern and added two buttons to keep it secure around the neck. It's a great pattern and I love the look of the finished project! I was going to keep it, but because I already have so many scarves/shawls for myself I'm putting it up in my Etsy shop.

I also had a bit of time to do a great cross-stitch design: "Live Fast, Die Pretty". It was my first time following a charted pattern for a cross-stitch and I love the results!! It looks amazing.

Because you can never have enough hats....

A while back my boyfriend had asked me to knit him a new winter hat. He picked out the colors and I got the yarn but I never had a chance to knit it up.

While looking through some hat patterns on Ravelry, I came upon the Traveller's Hat. I liked the simple stitch pattern that gave the hat interest, but was still appropriate for a guy to wear. The pattern was so perfect, I ended up knitting two hats.

The two balls of yarn were enough to knit both of them (I inverted the colors for the second hat). I used Vanna's Choice yarn with size 9 (5.5mm) needles and CO 82 sts. I got a good amount of slouch with only 5 stripes.

My boyfriend has already been wearing the hat, so it must be a great success!

My Bella Mitts!

The first time I saw Twilight, I could not stop thinking of the mittens that Bella was wearing during the scene when she slips on the ice outside her house. I desperately wanted a pair for myself but could not even begin to make my own pattern for them.
So naturally, I was so excited when I saw the pattern for the Bella Mittens. I never seemed to find enough time to get them done, but the change in weather motivate me to finish them(and not a moment too soon). I really love the pattern; it was easy to follow and they are so comfy! I used DPNs instead of the magic loop method because I was more comfortable doing it that way.
Even if you are not a Twilight fan, I recommend this pattern just because they look so darn cute!

Because I wasn't busy enough....

I got a sewing machine for my birthday! YAY! Something new to challenge myself with and another creative outlet for all my pent up energy.

I wanted to start this new endeavor with something simple and easy and these frayed edge bibs were perfect! They were so perfect that I made 4 of them! The tutorial is perfect for beginners and it was a great first project.



I wanted to take on a bit more of a challenge next so I moved on to making a stuffed toy. The RevoluzZzionary Monster tutorial was fantastic. I loved the results so much that I made 2 of them.



Next came the Twenty Minute Tote. Great fabric and a fantastic tutorial.



While doing all this sewing I came to appreciate the need for a pincushion. I found the perfect one with the Cute as a Button Flower Tutorial. Looks great and does a fantastic job of keeping my needles right where I need them.



My last project that I'll share with you today is the stuffed owls from the Holiday Crafts magazine. They look so cute and they were really easy and quick to make.

With my experience of learning how to knit is to find some good tutorials and follow them. There are some great ones out there and they are the best way to teach yourself.

A discovery!

I discovered a new blog today that I absolutely love. The "we wilsons" blog has tons of ideas for crafts. They have some great stuff and their bookmarks caught by attention instantly. I suggest that anyone who enjoys crafts of any kind visit them here. I printed out the bookmarks on some card stock I have lying around and then just added some color to them.



Also, if you haven't checked out the whipup blog yet, that should be your next cick here.



I also had some more fun making buttons. I got my inspiration for these while I was looking through sewing magazines. The beautiful fabrics gave me plenty of ideas that translated well into this format. I just have to figure out what I want to do next!

My Buttons!!!

Thanks to a story that was on the Knitting Daily website. I now know how to make some custom made buttons. I'm always looking for the right button for some of my projects and I like ones that are original that you don't find everywhere. So making my own buttons was the perfect solution!!



I've made 3 batches of buttons so far and I've just been experimenting with size and color. If you want to try and make your own this is the link for the story: here

They were so fun to make and I'm so happy with the results.



I also made another knit hat that was in the new issue of Knitscene. It's called the Quantoid hat. I wish I had chosen colors that had more of a contrast (a darker blue for the main color). I ran out of the main color almost at the end of the hat and when I went back to the store where I got it from, they didn't carry that line of yarn anymore!!! So I finished the pattern with the secondary color, and the results were still good.




I've started knitting my sister's Christmas present. I really want to get a head start on my Christmas knitting so I'm not rushed to get everything done!!!

A few new FOs!!

I haven't updated this blog in a while, mostly because my recent finished projects are for a cousin's baby shower and I didn't want to spoil the surprise. I will be posting the pictures after the shower!

But in the past few days I've been having fun with some birds that are a free download from Mochimochi land and it can be found here. I love the pattern. They were so much fun to make and they turned out great! So Cute.

I also finished another stripped hat that I think turned out really great. I knitted most of it at school and just made the color combinations as I went. I used my "Shooting Stars" pattern as the basis for this hat and I used up my left-over Vanna's Choice yarn and other odds that I found in my stash. Love it!

Some new finished products!!

I've been knitting a few new patterns this week. The first is a knitted hat that is made with Bernat Jacqards. It's knit from the side so it has an interesting effect. It's available for free here. I like it and it has a nice fit.



This is the Jughead hat from the book Domiknitrix. I really like the book because it has some really nice patterns that are different. This hat is a lot easier to knit then it looks.



These Top-Down mitts from One-Skein Wonders was first attempt at knitting mitts, and they turned out great. I absolutely love them. They were easy to make, the pattern was written extremely well and was easy to follow.

Two more projects finished!

In the past few days I was finally able to finish two of my projects. My purple socks have been a WIP for a while now and I could never seem to find the time to finish them. I got the pattern from "Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders" and they are called "Whisper Rib & Lace Alpaca Socks". I used the same yarn as for my pink socks the Opal Uni Solid. They are fantastic and so pretty!

The other project is from a new book that I bought last week. As soon as I saw it, I had to make it! So adorable and useful. The "Leafy Knot Clutch" from "Knitting 24/7" is perfect for holding some money, keys and lip gloss when you don't want to have to carry a purse around. I used some yarn that was given to me called Catalina by Bouquet. The result is fantastic!

"Pretending that Airplanes are Shooting Stars" Hat

As I was picking out the yarn that I wanted to use for my new hat design, "Airplanes" by B.O.B started playing on the radio. The song was the inspiration for this new, simple hat. It's amazingly easy to make (it was finished in one night and one morning of knitting) and is also very versatile. You can change it to look the way that you want. The yarn that I chose to make this hat with is a mystery; there were no labels attached to it when I got it, but it is a worsted-weight yarn. Choose the yarn that you want and start knitting. Here is how I made mine:

With size 9 (5.5mm) 16"(40cm) circular needle,
CO 76 sts (any multiple of 4 will do), join in the round being careful not to twist and place a marker at the beginning of the round.

Knit in K2P2 rib for 1 inch
Start knitting in stockinette stitch (knit every stitch on every round).

Insert the star chart wherever you want and change the colors whenever you feel like it! Make the hat your own.



Knit until desired length (about 8-9 inches) and start decreasing:

Round 1:*k2,k2tog* repeat until the end of the round
Round 2: knit every st
Round 3: *k1,k2tog* repeat until the end of the round
Round 4: knit every st
Round5: *k2tog* repeat until the end of the round

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail, thread the yarn through the stitches on the needles. Pull to gather the top of the hat. Secure and knot on the WS. Weave in ends.

There it is! Now you have a star to wish on!
This hat is really just the starting point. By creating your own charts or experimenting with different colored yarns, you can customize this hat to make it fit your personality! Enjoy.

My Monkey Socks

Just finished my second pair of socks. I absolutely love them. The pattern is so well written and easy to follow. I used Opal Uni Solids yarn, it's soft and easy to work with, it doesn't split. I got the pattern from ravelry, but it can be found here. I highly recommend this pattern to anyone who wants to start knitting socks. Beware though, once you start you might not be able to stop!!!

Introducing you to Mrs Pink!

I've been busy knitting these past few weeks and trying to finish up a few projects that I had lying around. The first one is a teddy bear that I was working on a few weeks ago but never got around to finishing up. It was my first time doing a stuffed animal so I'm very happy with the result even if it's not perfect! I got the pattern from the book Itty-Bitty Toys.

I also did a pair of baby booties in mint green for the new baby that will be with us soon. I absolutely love how they turned out!! The pattern is from the Patons website and can be found here.

My latest project is dishcloths. I've been knitting them to sell. I'm making packets of 3, with all different designs for each one. I only have to knit 6 more dishcloths and I'm finally done (I will have made 11 packets total, with 3 dishcloths in each!). Hopefully that will be done tomorrow night so I can move on to better things! I will be posting pictures when I finally get them all done!

My new hats!

So I've designed 3 hats this weekend. The first one is a super simple rib stitch hat, the self-stripping yarn makes it really pretty.
The second hat is a moss stitch design with a flower on the side.

Simple Moss Stitch Hat:

Materials:

I used Baycrest Sayelle Knitting Worsted
Size 9 16" circular needle

The pattern:
All you have to do is cast on the required number of stitches according to the gauge (it has to be a multiple of 2). Do a K2P2 rib stitch for 2 inches and then start the moss stitch until desired length.
Row 1: *k1,p1* Repeat until end
Row 2: Knit the knit stitches, purl the purl stitches
Row 3: *P1,k1* Repeat until end
Row 4: Knit the knit stitches, purl the purl stitches

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail, thread the yarn through the stitches on the needles. Pull to gather the top of the hat. Secure and knot. Weave in ends.

The third is my own design the pattern is really simple and has a really nice result.

The Marshmallow:



Materials:
I used Vanna's Choice Yarn in white (You will only need one ball)
Size 9 16" circular needle

Pattern:

CO 66 stitches (or the number of stitches needed, it has to be a multiple of 2). Join in the round and place a marker at the beginning of the round.
Work in K1P1 rib for 2 inches.

Start the Marshmallow Pattern:
Purl every stitch for 6 rounds
Knit every stitch for 3 rounds

Repeat for pattern until desired length (I did it 5 times).
Start decreasing:
Round 1: *P2, P2tog* Repeat until the last 2 stitches, P2
Round 2: Purl across
Round 3: *P1, P2tog* Repeat across the round
Round 4: Purl across

Cut the yarn leaving a long tail, thread the yarn through the remaining stitches on the needles. Pull to gather the top of the hat. Turn the hat inside out to secure and knot on the WS. Weave in ends.

Pretty Scarf

I wanted to make something special for my mom, so I made this pretty Falling Leaves Scarf from the book "Luxury Yarn One Skein Wonders". I used an unknown gray yarn from my stash. It came out beautifully.
I also made the Flirty Neck Warmer from the same book. I gave it to my cousin for her birthday. So pretty. It's made with the unknown gray yarn.
I bought sock yarn to make a beautiful bright pink and purple pair. I've also started making hats that I will hopefully be able to sell this winter. I just finished my first one, with a simple rib pattern.

Sweater Wrap

I finally completed my sweater wrap that I have been working on for a few weeks now. It wouldn't have taken me so long if I hadn't been distracted by other projects (like the socks from my previous post).
I love the pattern and the results are absolutely beautiful, but even after blocking it still curls because of the stockinette stitch. I still love it though! The pattern is easy and can be memorized fairly quickly after only a few rows, I would recommend it to anyone. It's a free pattern from the Michaels website that can be found here.

I also knitted a present as a surprise for someone who's birthday is coming up soon. It's a neck warmer in a great lace pattern. I found the pattern in the book "Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders". It is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone. There are a few crochet patterns in it too but it is mostly for knitters. Every project in it is beautiful (and there are just over 100!) and I would love to knit all of them (except for the tie... wouldn't do that one). After giving the person their present I will be posting a picture of it.

My First Pair of Socks

I've wanted to challenge myself with something new for a while now. I never tried using DPNs before so I knew that knitting a pair of socks would be a challenging project. So when I was at Chapters and I saw a sock knitting kit I got excited and I casted on the same night. The kit came with the yarn, the needles and 6 patterns. There are some great patterns in the book but I started with the simple rib socks. It took me about 5 days to finish the pair and here they are!
It was a challenge, but it was fun and the results are great. I love them.

Plunging into Amigurumi!

So I was bored of knitting the same old stuff... hat, scarf, hat, blanket, scarf... so I wanted to try something new. What else to do then to try my hand at some Amigurumi? I started with knitting some hearts that were a free pattern for charity that can be found here. I know this isn't really amigurumi but I wanted to start off with something simple that wasn't going to take to much time...

Another one I named Mr. Poopy Pants. It's J's little doll. The pattern for this little guy can be found here. I did him flat and with slightly bigger needles and yarn. Love him! Super cute.

So after finishing that little guy I wanted to do more cute animals, so what else to do then go to Chapters and buy a book full of great patterns! I will be starting those as soon as I get some time.

I also started knitting a pair of socks! I bought a kit at Chapters and I'm already finished the first sock and have started on the second. I love a new challenge and figuring out how to do the socks was great fun. I will be posting a picture as soon as they are done.