Sunday, January 30, 2011

First Hat - Piece of Cake





I just finished my first hat!  It really was easy peasy, don't know why I didn't try one before.   Just started a two color, double knit scarf.  That's where you knit one side in one color and the second side a different color at the same time.  I had to look it up, being somewhat of a newbie.  Cast on the stitches holding both colors so that the cast on stitches each have a strand of each color.  Then you knit each color in the stitch separately depending on whether you are on the right or the wrong side.  Hasn't been too hard but I'm only a few rows in.
I love how this hat swirls like fruit sherbet.

    See you later,

                       Gail

Saturday, January 29, 2011

You Must See This!

Lucy Neatby recently designed the Udderly Divine Bag.  Patternfish just included the pattern for the bag at their website this past week so it is literally hot off the press.

It really is a usable bag knitted in the round.  Check out Lucy's variation should you wish to use the bag as a knitting bag.

Visit Patternfish to see more pictures of the Udderly Divine Bag and take the time to look at her other designs that are beautiful as well as striking because of her choices of colors.

Please leave a comment letting me know what you think about this bag as well as her other designs!

Enjoy,     Gail

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Great News! A New Give Away!

Hey, I discovered a new give away.  Finding My Aloha is hosting a $30 gift card give away to CSN Stores.  Frankly I wasn't familiar with CSN Stores but found out that they have over 200 online stores that sell almost everything from home decor to tools to luggage.  So get on over to Finding My Aloha and join in for a chance for a $30 present to yourself.

Good Luck!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Change Sparks Interest & Good Stuff for You!





           Shake things up.  Especially if what you're doing is not working. So as of today, I'm revving up my posts: providing free patterns and tutorials,  supplying particulars for giveaways and showcases, pictures of works in progress and finished work (like the cowl I'm wearing in the shower), as well as any other interesting tidbits I may find along the way.


So if you're new and stumbled here by accident or are checking to see if I finally got my shit together, please give the changes a chance.  Why?  Because it's Gail!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Sweater Project Progress


 This is the original sweater from the thrift shop.  The style is not something that I would ever wear but I thought it would work for my first project.  Actually I scored a dozen sweaters that day and thought this would be the easiest to work with first.  I'm not really feeling that way right now but will persevere because in the end it will probably be ok. 



Originally I thought that the body of the sweater would make a nice purse.  Once I cut the body, basted the sides together and felted it, however, the shape seemed a bit too long and narrow for a purse and the pattern too businesslike to become a market bag.  So, once measured, it turned out to be a good size for a laptop computer sleeve.  Now it needs to be sewn together with a lining and padding to provide some protection for a laptop.  Then all that remains is to decide what kind of fasteners to put at the top so the computer doesn't fall out.  It would be great to have feedback from visitors out there.  Possibilities include Velcro, buttons with wool corded fasteners or snaps(?).   

Please excuse its present state.








The arms of the sweater yielded a scarf.  The arms were sewn together with the hope that they would felt nicely into a free flowing scarf.  Alas, that didn't really happen and I ended up sewing the two pieces together more tightly and I am not happy with the line that now appears in the middle of the scarf.

It is actually more pronounced in person.


       


My thoughts then are to hide the unsightly seam is to somehow use the soft backing that I have to put on it to cover it.  I need to play with it some more.  Also I thought that because the scarf is not real long, that it could be used like this picture and I would add either  hidden snaps or a nice large button making it more like a cravat.









                        Thanks for visiting!     

                                         Gail                      



Monday, January 10, 2011

Always Late But Working on It

Last week I tried to post but was waylaid by a stuck button.  But that's not an excuse.  It is a new year and there's lots to do, including turning a new leaf!  And to that end, today the girls were at their viola and violin lessons on time!!  Quite an accomplishment for me and one that I plan to continue as the year moves on.

After reading several of the blogs I follow I decided not to make resolutions but rather set goals instead.  So here goes.

Projects currently in progress:

  • A hat for Abby.  This is my first try at knitting a hat so it's a simple simple pattern.
  • While we're talking about Abby, finish weaving in the ends of the quasi-infinity scarf so she can wear it this winter.
  • Add a soft lining to Abby's cowl so she doesn't have any scratchiness next to her neck, poor child.
  • Embroider or needle felt "Sam" on the little orange purse I made for my granddaughter.
  • Sew a soft back on the scarf that was re-purposed from a thrift store sweater.
  • Finish the laptop sleeve also created from said thrift store sweater.
  • Have all the above projects finished by the end of next weekend.
  • Continue writing the mystery novel I started in November as part of NaNoWriMo (not to be completed by next weekend.

I would love to hear what projects you all have cooking right now.  So leave a comment below.

Ta ta for now.    Gail