trying new things

A photo of a few of my favorite things. My new bike. My husband got it for me. He is huge into bike riding, he has a really nice road bike You know the Tour De France looking things. I haven't ridden a bike since I was a kid and even then it wasn't my own bike so this is something new for me. I love the idea of another way to exsercise and I really like the idea of having something else to do together, although no way will I be able to keep up with him, hopefully he won't mind slowing down for me. And that's my super fast heavy duty sewing machine on the table. It's still my favorite over the fancy ones I own. This is the beginning of a swatch for the fancy ribbing tank using allhemp 06. I have been wanting to try the hemp I bought and today seemed like a good day to start swatching. It's pretty rough stuff so I hope it softens. If this works out I want to make a skirt. I also love the pattern on knitty Eiffle.

I am totally in love with this yarn though. This is the softest most wonderfull yarn. It's dyed cotton by blue sky alpaca this is the Tomato color that I didn't like that came with my earthy colors. I am making the fitted tank with it. I plan to knit in the round with stripes. How hard could that be right. So far my gauge looks perfect with both the hemp and the cotton.

Here is another picture of the swatch ,this color is accurate too. What else can I knit with this? OHHHH a blanket would be heavenly!!

Here is my puffed sleeve cardigan. It still amazes me that you can take a ball of yarn and two sticks and turn them into this. It has a collar, sholders. Isn't that the most amazing thing.

And if you look side ways ( I can't seem to rotate it) you see we had some sewing today It's not done but I could'nt wait to post. I need to find a snap for the tab and then I can sew in the linning. I also cut the pattern out for Amy Butler's gum drop pillows. Each piece is suppose to be laid out on a fold. I'm thinking it would be easier to make the pattern pieces so they are in one piece and then you don't need the fold. I should go ask Stacy because she already made hers.

Trying to get caught up

I have survivied!! Summer School is over. Hopefully I taught my studens some fun and interesting things this summer. Now I can go back to working one job, knitting, sewing, crocheting, reading and stuff. So lets see here are a few super quick photos.

Here is my puffed sleeve cardigan from fitted knits. I'm sure now it will zoom by. It's a fast knit I just haven't had time to knitit. I haven't run into any trouble or questions. I haven't tried it on yet, I think I'll wait untill a get the sleeves separated.


This package came this week from KPIXIE. I was going to use them together but I realyy REALLY don't like that red in there with the others. I guess I'll order another color to go with them. Yes, I am thinking about making a striped fitted tank. I would like to change the neck finishing on this tank and I really wish it were in the round.

My Swap package from the crochet goodie swap THANKS Cindy, she doesn't have a blog or I would link. My favorites are the crocheted clutch and the ligh up crochet hook. Kinda has a Star Wars light saber feel to it. It looks so cool in the dark.

This one is from the stitch marker swap. Thank you Sara. My projects have better jewlery then I do.

No update on the Hexagons. They haven't been worked on.

There is sewing going on over here, so I'll actually be posting some sewing. HEY that's an idea, sewing on the sewing blog.

I've been looking at a couple of McCalls that I really like one is the jacket 5478 and the other is this dress 5466 but I haven't decided if the big collar on the jacket will fit on me or if the dress will fit right. So I'm waiting to see other peoples reviews on these.
Now to update ravelry with my latest yarn collection

1 more week

I only have to make it one more week and then I will only have one job to worry about, more resonable hours, more sleep and time to sew, knit and whatever else I feel like doing.
For now I am trying to squeze in minutes here and there to read THE BOOK. I'm half way through right now and trying to finish quickly so my daughter can read it next.

1 more week. I can do it.

startitis

I haven't worked much on these, a little yesterday at my favorite yarn shop but otherwise I have had a bad case of startitis. Which is sad because these go so fast. I could probably finish it this month if I kept on it. But sometimes you need a challeng or at least change of project.

So, how about some triangles instead. I love this bag. It's in family circle easy crochet magazine and I bought the magazine just for this pattern. Unfortunately these are not as fast as the hexagons and I can't talk or watch tv while making them so this is going to take awhile.

So how about we knit instead. This I started last night and look how far I am. I didn't knit at all today this is all from last night. The collar is done and I'm working on the yoke.

Pattern: puffed sleeve cardigan fitted knits

Yarn: Cotton ease in Taupe

Needles size 6 circulars

Today G and I had a girls day out. We got our haircutt then we went shopping for shoes and then we bought G her first make up. Wow they grow up fast. Seems like just the other day I was buying her, her first Barbie now it's ipods and make up.

Hexagon madness

I have been working on my hexagons this weekend. I tought it would go faster if I did a bunch of centers as once then all the next round and then the next etc. That way I wouldn't have to keep looking back at the pattern to see where I was. This did make it really fast I made 30 something centers in no time. Then I moved on to the 2nd round and did almost all of them befoer I got bored and decided to do some of the round 3's then I got curous and wanted to see "what will this block look like with it's round 4" So before I knew it I had all these blocks in various stages.
What a mess. And look at all thoes threads to weave in. I'd better take sometime to sort them out into piles. I also feel the need to do some sewing so I'll probably put these aside for a little while and switch to sewing. But first some organization is needed.

Hexagons round by round

I am spending my free time today working on the hexagon pattern I want to use for my next crochet project. ( and doing laundry, baking, etc) amyway here is the center. I think I finally have it right. I was joining in the wrong place when I finished the round. It looks a little wonky but if you adjust it al bit it will be fine. This is cascade 22o wool. A favorite yarn of mine. This is from my stash. I am using a size k hook

Then on round 2 I added this cotton chenile. I'm not sure I like it or not. The gauge of course is thicker but the yarn is nice and soft. Hmmm do I want to use it or not use it?

Here is another shot so you can see the difference in textures. Actually the difference might be fun. I would use the chenille in the same spot in each hexagon so gauge won't be a problem with the finished pieces. But is it too thick in that round?

Round 3, this is Rowan cashmerino, Very soft yarn. At this point you can't really tell where the beg of that center was so I must have done it right. The chenille looks really thick now though.

Close up so you can see the difference again.

The last round before the join them together round. I used cascade 220 aagin but in a different color. Round 3 and 4 are done in almost the exact same way.

Ok so what do you think ? keep the chenile or not? Maybe I will make one with out and then decide.
My pattern calls for a another round its the joining round so it's suppose to be a main color that will be around all the blocks but I'm thinking about eliminating it and doing them with the matching yarn from each block so it looks more like this one. I don't think I want one color joining them all.

Playing with the new camera

All right human, this is how it's gonna be.... I want fresh salmon for dinner, I plan to sleep in the middle of the bed ,fully stretched out and I want new toys in the toy box.

Happy Birthday to ME!! Day two

Apparently my birthday turned into a two day event. Makes up for all thoes times when my birthday sucked. This was a great birthday My husband washed my car on sunday. Very exciting. Then I got a new camera. YEA!!!! To bad I can't take a picture of my new camera with my totally cool new camera. I'm so excited and so is G because I gave her the old one.. I got a Nikon D40. and I already picked out a new lens I want for it. Sounds like a good christmas present idea, don't you think. I'm really excited. I have a really crummy digital camera because I was seriously fighting this whole digital thing. I wasn't going to give up my really nice film cameras but well. I was wrong and digital is the way to go. So as soon as I have time to play all have new photos.

Birthdays

June 30th, Yesterday, was my birthday. So I did what I wanted to.

My family took me to eat and one of my favorite places for lunch. We went to Target and did a little shopping. Then to borders to buy some books.

I sat in the sun and read my new Knit scene magazine.

I had cake and ice cream for dinner. My daughter made the cake.

I spent the evening practising making granny squares.

Today I have to catch up on all the work I didn't do yesterday but that's ok because yesterday was a very nice day.

I'd like to buy a new camera with my birthday money. I have a crummy digital right now. I have a very nice film camera but I've pretty much been lured to the digital world. Any suggestions? I have a kodak print deck so I'm probably stuck with Kodak because of that.
I've seen some really nice Cannons out there. Any good Kodaks?