Knitting And Crochet Blog Week 2011 Day 7

Day seven: 3rd April. Your knitting and crochet time.
Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys. What items do you like to surround yourself with whilst you twirl your hook like a majorette’s baton or work those needles like a skilled set of samurai swords. Do you always have snacks to hand, or are you a strictly ‘no crumbs near my yarn!’ kind of knitter.

My knitting time is pretty fluid - my favorite knitting is sitting on the L shaped chaise lounge on our new couch with a good movie/TV show on and a few snacks/Diet Coke nearby.
However, one of my favorite aspects of knitting is the ability to DO IT ANYWHERE.

I knit during long lectures - and I pay attention better.

    I knit on long car trips - and time goes faster.

      I knit while waiting for things to happen - Bry to get ready for instance.

         I knit in public - at the coffee shop, in line waiting for Bry's iPad 2, etc.

           I knit at work when I'm not having any clinical responsibilities.

These are the times that I truly appreciate the nature of knitting.  I save up "portable" projects for taking in my purse.  I always have some knitting in it in case I luck out and get to knit at work.  Small projects like hats, scarves, mittens and socks are easy to take along - although I've been known to stuff a baby sweater into my purse as well.

Have a Happy Sunday.  Good work on the blogs this week, folks!

Something to Aspire to (2KCBWDAY6)

Day six: 2nd April. Something to aspire to.Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make bu can admire the result of those that have.

Yep.  There is one yet unaccomplished goal in knitting and that is to knit a SEAMLESS sweater.  I have heard tell of these magically sweaters that don't require sewing up the seams - and I want to make one.  I have just finished scouring Ravelry and come up with some projects that are now added to my queue....

love2knitnpurl's Seamless Yoked Baby SweaterSeamless Yoked Baby Cardigan

This one is written by the same pattern designer:

Seamless Raglan Baby Cardigan Sweater by Carole Barenys

Help me pick one out.  Or let me know if there are some other options you like better.

Knitting And Crochet Blog Week 2011 Day 5

Day Five: 1st April. And now for something completely different This is an experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create.
There are no rules of a topic to blog about (though some suggestions are given below) but this post should look at a different way to present content on your blog.

Happy April Fool's Day!  If you want to check out more great blogs type 2KCBWDAY5 into Google and visit as many as you can!

The ABC’s of Me… (idea from Roni's Weigh)

1. Age: 27 - yikes.
2. Bed size: Queen - would love to have a King eventually so Bry can stretch out - but he likes the Queen size.
3. Chore you hate: Washing dishes by hand.  
4. Dogs:  I am Pro Dog.  Bry is Anti-Animals-of-Any-Kind.  This has been a topic of discussion in our house recently as I want to get a kitten......
5. Essential start to your day:  My 9 Point WW+ sandwich - a Bagel Thin, lunch meat, cheese and an egg.  Toast the Bagel - heat the lunch meat, cheese, egg and maybe some veggies in the microwave. Also - COFFEE.  In my new coffee maker!
6. Favorite color: Green.  Look at the blog.  But I am also getting into the mustard yellow craze.  
7. Gold or silver: Silver.
8. Height: 5 feet 3 inches.  12 inches shorter than Bry.....
9. Instruments that you can play: Piano, trumpet, some fiddling with guitar, drums, and there was the time I taught myself the clarinet.  Sadly I am away from all musical instruments right now.....
10. Job title: Resident Physician in Emergency Medicine.
11. Kids: None.
12. Live: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
13. Mom’s name: Jane
14. Nicknames: Abi, Abui, Spike
15. Overnight hospital stays: Appendectomy at age 6-7. Otherwise my hospital overnight stays have been while working - and there are a ton of those.
16. Pet peeve: I have a bunch...... the proper use of turn signals being a big one.
17. Quote from a movie: "And they're all as tall as Church steeples!" - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  Some day I will do an entire post on why that is the greatest movie ever made.  Also, my husband is as tall as a church steeple, I think.
18. Righty or lefty: Righty.
19. Siblings: Two sisters, one brother.
20. Time you wake up: Depends - I'm definitely a morning-person though.  I prefer to wake up and get started on my day.
21. Underwear: Yep.  Love love love to buy new underwear - and new socks.  It just makes the day better.
22. Vegetables you dislike: Not many.  I like most vegetables and I'm very open to trying new ones.
23. What makes you run late: Nothing had better.  I get extremely upset if I am running late.  I usually show up 10-15 minutes early.  For everything.  When something messes with my plans I get pretty worked up.
24. X-rays: Just a few.  My hand when I broke my finger in high school (right before prom!), a few chest x-rays for my TB testing, and a foot MRI when I thought I had a stress fracture.
25. Yummy food you make: Comfort food - mashed potatoes, chicken, and I'm getting better at making Bry's favorite casseroles too.
26. Zoo favorite animal: Lions. 

Knitting And Crochet Blog Week 2011 Day 4

Day Four: 31st March. Where are they now?
Whatever happened to your __________?
Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.
There are a lot of different aspects to look at when looking back at a knitting project and it can make for interesting blogging, as much of the time we blog about items recently completed, new and freshly completed. It is not so often that we look back at what has happened to these items after they have been around for a while.
How has one of your past knits lived up to wear. Maybe an item has become lost. Maybe you spent weeks knitting your giant-footed dad a pair of socks in bright pink and green stripes which the then ‘lost’. If you have knit items to donate to a good cause, you could reflect on the was in which you hope that item is still doing good for it’s owner or the cause it was made to support.


I'm not so sure about today's post.  I tend to gift nearly everything I make and I don't really get a ton of feedback on the items.  Instead I'll just post new photos of my niece wearing her latest gifts and totally cop out today..... 

 April Hat

 March Hat

Easter Dress, Easter Sweater, April Hat

Knitting And Crochet Blog Week 2011 Day 3 (2KCBWDAY3)

Day Three: 30th March. Tidy mind, tidy stitches.
How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.

Well, I hope today is NOT the day that Bry chooses to check in on the blog.  I fear that he will be overwhelmed by how much yarn is hidden in our apartment.... Since we are still living in an apartment with no options to renovate or paint, I have been left to daydream about what my future craft room will be like.  Here are some of my top picks:

Alicia Paulson's Craft Room is to die for.  She has many blog posts about the renovations that led to the creation of this space which are very interesting to read.  I am in love with her design aesthetic and style.

Rebeka Lambert's Artsy-Crafty Room was also just re-done.  Drool.  She has inspired me to dabble into sewing more - although I have yet to try her embroidery projects.  Embroidery is yet another thing-that-my-mom-did-so-I-avoid-it, although her designs and projects are almost enough to make me pick it up.

Until we buy a house that will have both a Man Cave and a Craft Room - we are stuck with finding clever ways to display/organize my craft supplies.  Before this knitting craze set in I was a pretty die-hard scrapbooker.  And I still enjoy scrap book weekends - in fact I really NEED one to finish my wedding album (only 10 pages left!!).  So I have both a scrapbooking cabinet and now a new yarn/craft/sewing bookshelf.  This is a new purchase from IKEA, specifically for this post.

As I have other hobbies in addition - scrapbooking, dabbling in sewing - this space makes room for these as well.  Our household was also in great need of a desk so this has been arranged.  One thing that I do like is that all of my craft things are in the main living area - I can spend time with my husband and watch tv while doing whatever.  It makes it so that my hobbies don't detract from the little time Bry and I get together.

Happy crafting!

Leave the name of your blog in your comment so I can be sure to check it out - it's overwhelming how many people are participating in this Blog Week!  I am having so much fun visiting new sites and checking out new blogs to follow.  Feel free to FOLLOW me too!

Knitting And Crochet Blog Week 2011 Day 2 (2KCBWDAY2)

If you want to read about more Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2011 just click HERE.

Day Two: 29th March. Skill + 1UP
Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

Wow.  Seeing as I've only been knitting for a total of 14 months this one is pretty easy.  However, I realized that I haven't ever posted photos of the VERY FIRST knitting project I did.  So this seems like a perfect time.  My Honey Mustard Scarf was the first adventure in knitting.  I was on a vacation month and just felt like I needed to do something with my hands.  I found a free pattern from Lion Brand in a booklet near where I found the Lion Brand Wool-Ease Yarn.

Free Knitting Pattern: Berry Ridge Hat And Scarf

Lion Brand® Wool-Ease® Thick & Quick® Pattern #: L0068

Rating: 5.0 (based on 1 review) Most current review / Write a review SKILL LEVEL:  Easy SIZE: One Size Hat: 21 in. (53.5 cm) circumference, will stretch to fit a range of sizes Scarf: 7 x 48 in. (18 x 122 cm)        CORRECTIONS: None

I read the pattern instructions to figure out how to cast on.  I knitted and purled over and over - checking the internet when I couldn't figure it out.  I couldn't tell the difference between knit and purl stitches, and I made some mistakes.  I didn't care.  I figured out how to join new yarn in.  When I got to the end (7 FEET later!) I didn't know how to cast off.  Bry watched and laughed at me as I watched a YouTube video while I cast off.

Since I finished this scarf I haven't stopped knitting.  I jumped in head over heels - and fell in love.  I knit ALL the time - anytime I can.  Things that used to annoy me (long car trips, long lectures, downtime at work) don't now because I always bring along knitting.  I have come pretty far in 14 months - and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.  Check out my Knitting page to see how far I've come!
Here are some of my most advanced items:

Beaded Hat

Pattern: Bead Scarf and Hat by Amanda Blair Brown from Knit Simple Holiday Issue

Yarn: Can't remember.  It was a sport weight wool

Beads: From Micheal's Crafts. Glass beads.  Entirely too small for this yarn!

This took me the entire month of December 2010 to finish.  I was painful, since my hats normally take only 2-3 hours to do.  I am not sure that I will ever be repeating this pattern, but I do get tons of compliments on it.

Pattern: Habitat by Jared Flood

Yarn: Shelter by Brooklyn Tweed

I bought the yarn and the pattern at Knit Purl in Portland, OR.  I finished the hat on the plane ride back to Milwaukee.  It knit up pretty quickly, and I even figured out how to cable WITHOUT a cable needle during the pattern.  The chart was easy to follow - and I just hung it up on the plane seat in front of me.  I have another skein of yarn to knit this again for myself since this was supposed to be for Bry (I steal it....a lot.)

These are my finished socks.  This makes a whole new TYPE of garment that I've knitted.  So far I have made:

Scarves

Hats

Mittens

Washcloths

Sweaters

Socks

Booties

Toys

And I don't plan to stop!

Knitting And Crochet Blog Week 2011 Day 1

Day One: 28th March. A Tale of Two Yarns.
Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

Yarn Love
This is actually pretty difficult - I'm sure most of the other bloggers will agree that there are many, many yarns that they like to work with.  I have come across a TON of yarns that I really enjoy - and I don't have any problem spending money in a yarn store........  So I will be picking one that I don't think other people may have tried.  It's not a "specialty" yarn - in fact it's one of my "go-to's" when I have a Joann Fabric's coupon.  Yep, you can buy it at Joann's.  It is Debbie Stoller's Stitch Nation Alpaca Love.  Now all three of the Debbie Stoller Yarns are nice to work with - Bamboo Ewe and Full 'o' Sheep are the other two.  Alpaca love is a worsted weight yarn.  It is a pleasure to knit with because it is soft, and the fabric it creates is super cushy and just plain lovely.

Alpaca Love™ is a plush blend of wool with a touch of soft alpaca that is available in a rich range of  hues. It feels and looks wonderful, adding a bit of luxury to everything from hats and scarves to sweaters.

80% Wool, 20% Alpaca
131 yd (121 m) per 3 oz (85 g)
Gauge: 4" = 16 stitches/21 rows on size 8 needles
Suggested Crochet Hook: I-9

Hand wash gently in cold water. Lay flat to dry. Do not bleach. Do not iron. May be dry cleaned.This yarn will felt if machine washed.

3920 Ruby	3650 Lotus	3580 Dusk	3620 Fern

3810 Lake

3520 Peacock Feather

3350 Espresso Bean

3420 Cobblestone

There are plenty of yarn snobs out there - and I find myself turning into one whenever a skein of 100% acrylic is near.......but GIVE THIS ONE A TRY!  Not every sweater you make has to cost $100000 dollars.  I love that this yarn is kid friendly and comes in a ton of lovely colors too.  I am currently working on some really cool boots (suede sole) for my cousin, Heide, and am using their Lotus, Dusk, Fern and Cobblestone colorways.  Pictures to follow.



Yarn Hate
Now this was tougher.  As stated above, I kinda like the stuff.  (Severe, severe addiction, possibly leading to financial difficulties might be a better definition).  Nonetheless, there was ONE yarn that I really didn't dig - at all.  It was given to me by a friend who was giving up knitting for Neurosurgery.  (Thanks, Carolyn!)  And I knit a cute scarf project for another friend.  I actually have fond memories of the knitting because I did it during my last class of medical school (Preparing for Internship) and a bunch of my other friends were also knitting - good times.

Not to be a hater - but this yarn DROVE ME UP THE WALL.  It was super difficult to work with because my needles always got stuck in it.  It had no give, so it was hard to slip it from needle to needle.  I did a simple pattern of garter stitch and drop stitch to make a scarf - the end result was actually gorgeous - and the receiver loved it.  But the struggle of knitting with this yarn made me want to never try this again.  This one gets a big thumbs down from me.

Weight Category: 6 -   Super Bulky: Bulky, Roving Yarn
1.75 oz./50 g (110 yd/100 m)
100% nylon
Gauge: Knit: 10 stitches x 16 rows = 4" (10cm) on size 15 (10mm) needles Crochet: 8 sc and 10 rows = 4" (10cm) with size P-15 (10mm) hook   Product Care Instructions: Items made from this yarn may be laundered through the use of water, detergent or soap and gentle hand manipulation. A machine dryer may not be used.

Post Night Shift - A week later

Well we had a Friday night date that could not be ignored. We insisted upon seeing each other and doing 1 fun thing together.  So Bry picked a restaurant - one of our favorites and we enjoyed a few beers with a terrific meal.  The Milwaukee Ale House is a fav hangout for all kinds of people.  There is  a large bar area, large indoor seating and (please be soon) they open up their awesome porch overlooking the river.  Last March my class OVERRAN this place - we had over 100 people out on the porch.  It was a needed night out and I even ran into one of my favorite 2NT Nurses, it was good to see Gillian again! 

Saturday I had to work again - although I liked the day shift for a little change of pace.  On Sunday we decided to head to Illinois to shop at IKEA.  We hadn't been back for about 8 months - and I still needed a desk - badly.  So we went to the mega center and Bry endured about 2 hours of shopping - which drives him nuts.  He hates shopping - and I LOVE looking around.  He doesn't see the "point" in looking at things that we don't need - and that's just the whole point in going shopping in the first place.  We came away with a nice desk and matching bookshelf - that already matches the other furniture we have in the loft.  Here is a photo of the desk:

During the week I had time to work on some crafty things - first up was these pictures that I got from my Great Aunt June.

One of them is a metal work painting from Mexico - my Grandparents bought it in Mexico to sell in their Mexican Import store in Phoenix, AZ in the 1970's.  I was going to spray paint the entire thing, but the hand painting details stopped me.  Instead, I just painted the gold frame silver to match better with my decor.  Now it is back hanging in the bathroom:

The other ones were from some original paintings.  I liked the watercolor technique in them, and they matched the new bedding we bought at IKEA for the guest room.

For now it's back to the grindstone.  I had a nice 2 days off - but had to switch my schedule from nights to days which made Wednesday less than productive.

Here I am going to completely ignore the Wisconsin political on-goings. If you want to discuss this Bry would be happy to go over it with you - I prefer to leave it alone!