A Swift!

So... you probably don't know what this is, but believe me when I tell you it is super cool.

 

This is a swift, and this is one of many swift designs on which you place your yarn and from which you can ball your yarn either with a winder or by hand.  Swifts are fairly expensive, but I knew Adam was up to the task and he surprised me with a swift as a Christmas gift.  The pegs are adjustable so that different sizes of skeins of yarn can be placed on the swift in order to ball it.

 

Balling yarn without a swift is possible, but it can get very messy very quickly (just ask Adam who has watched me ball yarn from a skein just laying limp on the couch).  I'm very excited to use this!  And, what's even cooler is that it is collapsible, so I am able to take it apart and store it easy as well.

 

(Thanks, honey!  This is a great gift!)

A Fun and Special Hat

What I love about hats is the different techniques I'm able to try on a relatively small project.  Doesn't work out?  That's okay, it's only a hat.  Looks great?  Sweet, now I can try it on something bigger and HEY, now I have a gift!

 

(Really, I typically think of it as a gift first and as a technique learner second, but you get my meaning.)

 

This hat is my first felted project.  As you can see, you knit the project way larger than it needs to be and then felt it in the washer.  It was super fun to do the felting part of this... I love how it turned out!  Now I'm excited to knit a bag or small purse or something that I can decorate... SWEET.

 

This is another "gift hat"... I think this is number 10 since the fall... I'm losing count but having OH SO MUCH FUN!

 

erin

Hats

So, right... hats have been my thing this fall and winter.

 

These hats are the ones I knitted for my nieces (Hannah on left and Laila on right)... I had them delivered so that Dad & Grandma could put them under the tree for Christmas... so fun to get a picture of them wearing their hats!

I counted and since October I have made eight hats... I'm working on number nine and have two more in queue... fun, fun!

 

Want on the hat list?  Just shoot me the style you're wantin'.  ;)

 

erin

Hat Finished!

We had some friends over for dinner tonight, and after dinner, we played Dominion (Adam's new game that he got for Christmas)... yes... I actually learned a bit how to play... but, while playing, I put the finishing touches on this hat... kinda sad that I'll be seeing this one go to a new owner, but I really enjoyed it and looking forward to giving it away... and to eventually making one of my own!

 

erin

So much fun!

The cabling is done... now just to finish the rest of the hat!  I was surprised by how quickly this worked up and I love how it is turning out... I may just have to make one for myself!  Yay!

 

erin

the $75 purse...

Well, I bought this awesome book by Amy Butler, Style Stitches, which has a myriad of purse patterns. This past fall I also bought some fabric from my beloved hometown quilt store, Pine Needles to make one such pattern... Uber-awesome Moda home decor fabric in a fall color I just love, plus interfacing, hardware, etc... Total bill for purse? $75.

Pattern seemed easy enough, only 17 steps... OH WAIT.... 17 steps in the pattern, with multiple substeps and oh by the way you must repeat some steps... UGH ... Time to make? (I hate to even ADMIT this) it took about 10 hours over 2 separate weekends. But last Sunday I finally finished it. And of course its way bigger than I thought it would be, even having SEEN the picture in book. Oh well. I have to use it now, it cost me $75 and 10 hours of my life!

I am cabling!!!

Ha, ha!  I'm so excited!

 

So Stacey said it was easy and to just do it so finally I just did it and she is so right, it is SO easy.  I love it!  YAY!

 

This project is another gift... fun, fun!  I have all of my Christmas gifts done, so this is a "whenever" gift, and that means no deadline and no stress.  Pure fun!  Yay!  I'm about one-third of the way done, so that is a good feeling... the more you knit, the faster you get!

 

Thanks, Stacey, for continuing to tempt me with cabling and convincing me to give it a shot! 

 

erin

New Hat Project!

Woohoo!

 

I started this around 8 pm last night and with a coupla hours today, I finished it... such a quick project!  Super Chunky yarn on Size 13 needles... sweet.  It's a gift, and yay for it being done already!

 

erin

Hooray for hippy skirts on cute little girls!

Here's my peanut with the skirt I got completed while in AZ over thanksgiving break.  Finally got all the ends sewn in last night so of course I made her wear it to school even though its high of 16 degrees here ANd was a spring skirt....  But isn't it cool now to wear skirts over pants?  :o)  Here's the pattern I used, i finished a size 8.  My next project is a gift and will hopefully be much shorter than this month-long one!

The Most Wonderful Gift

Do you get one of those gifts each year that is THE best gift and it feels like it might be THE best gift you've ever been given in your entire life?

I received one of THOSE gifts last night.

Once a month or so, I meet up with a dear friend of mine in Coralville for some knitting... we chat, we drink, we knit.  It is wonderful fun.  It provides us a way to stay connected even though we are miles apart.

As mentioned, part of this evening involves knitting, and I needed a couple more pairs of needles last night that I didn't have... I was ready to drop a good load of money... we got to looking at the interchangeable needles... *ah, a dream*... gorgeous and plentiful and satisfying 40 different sets of needles... but alas, way too expense for a whim purchase...

... next thing I know, my dear friends (another gal joined us last night) were deciding to purchase this set for me for Christmas (and my birthday next year, and you know, every year after that... HA!). 

How do I even thank these gals for this gift of kindness and generosity?  Maybe knit them something... ;)  Who knows.  All I know is that I have two of the bestest friends a girl could ever ask for... and not just because they bought me a wicked awesome gift.  I know they love me and want the best for me and would do a lot for me... and THAT is truly the best gift I could ask for.

 

Love you girls!
erin