April Crafting

I worked on opening my gardens and did the edging over around the back deck. I really like how it looks now.














Learning applique on my machine. Just a simple dog on a t-shirt, but Bina and I went to one of those "specialty" children's stores and boy is anything with applique on it EXPENSIVE!










Made Austin a couple of little rompers. He's a little small for them or maybe they are a little big for him. LOL But I think they came out cute.

Just a little hooded sweater for Austin. The weather is getting too warm, but he'll be able to wear it next fall also.

A cabled vest for Austin. Now this was a fun project and the yarn used was Berroco's comfort. Softest yarn I've ever knit with. Pleased with it.

For Easter, Little birdies in a nest. Of course Austin picks them up and throws them. Not sure, if he's just "throwing them", or if he expects them to fly.

First Experience with Corn on the Cob. For a kid who didn't like corn at all, he sure likes it on the cob!

Happy Knitting ALL!

P.S. Well, I can't figure out why my text keeps wrapping so sorry about that!

Burial Gowns/Wraps done

Not sure where these are going yet, but this is part of what I managed to sew up last week. I still have a few more 95% done that just need the finishing details, lace, velcro, etc., but I got a little burnt-out on sewing so I'm fighting my natural procrastination to stop and leave them alone for awhile. I learned how to use the applique feature on my embroidery machine and that was fun. Not too impressed with cinderella as she is too big, and that's why I went with just the faces on the other 3 gowns.

Small projects

Been on a small projects knitting binge the past week. I'm still working on 2 larger projects but not enough knitting done of them, so talk much about them. So here are the smaller projects:






Multidirectional Diagonal Dishcloths - Only change I made to this pattern was to add a sc border around the outside. I like how this "evens-out" the square.







Well, I can't seem to find the link for this potholder. It's crocheted and SOLID. It's a little fiddley when you start it, but I love this pattern as it is thick, solid, and really keeps the heat away.






The Double Woven Dishcloth - another favorite for using varigated yarns, easily memorized pattern and works up fast.









The Garterlac Dishcloth - I can't believe anyone does this pattern to make scarves, vests, sweaters, hats. I can get the dishcloth done, and I've done quite a few, but anything bigger.....I would definately stay as a WIP!







The Eloomanator's diagonal Knit Dishcloth. Another favorite and no I don't think the dark blue shows this pattern off to it's advantage. Again, the only thing different I do, is add a sc border to even out the square.







If you have never checked out this blog, you need to. Cathy has a ton of patterns she's designed and some wonderful cooking recipes also. These are the Plain Vanilla Coffee Sleeves. Changes? Hmmm....I did them flat by adding a stitch on each side and then sewing them up. I didn't feel like dealing with 2 circulars for such a small project, and since I don't use DPN's, and didn't have the sizes anyways, flat straights was the way for me to go. Pattern still worked out fine though. I also made them out of kitchen cotton instead of wool.




Austin loves being outside. Whether it's during the day or at dusk, he's an outside child for sure.


Happy Knitting!

6 weeks? - No excuse!

Sweater for Hubby. This is the Smokin' jacket out of Son of Stitch 'n Bitch. I did it in Plymouth Encore Chunky. The pattern was easy to follow but my gauge on a big knit seems to be way off. Not sure what I'm going to do. The sweater is HUGE on hubby. Do I knit if over (this was a pattern HE picked out) or try something else, or take it out and do it over. Hard decision since this is the only sweater he has ever asked for.....

Finished socks....wondering if my camera is not doing well, as you can't see some of the stich definition. The yarn of course was Brown Sheep Wildfoote, which is the only yarn hubby likes his socks made in. The pattern was Yarrow Ribbed Socks out of the Knitting Vintage Socks book by Nancy Bush.

Another pair of socks for hubby in Brown Sheep Wildfoote. The pattern is from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd and the pattern is the Cable Clock Socks. Shame the picture isn't better as the pattern is pretty cool. I've been wanting to knit him a pair of socks with a cable in it, and this is the first one to come out as planned.

Another crocheted lined bag for a friend. Love the pretty purse pattern and it's an easy pattern to do.

3 knitted burial buntings. These are already sent off. Another easy knit and done on size 11 needles, so a very fast knit.

The fingerless gloves and socks are really finished, but they are in the wash. The yarn was Plymouth's Happy Feet and they are for me. The pattern is from Plymouth and one of their patterns. For the life of me, I can't find the pattern now. Must have filed it away in the big black hole. If I find it soon, I will update this post.

Snow anyone? Supposedly we were supposed to get 2-4" of snow. I think it was a lot more. The paper said we got 8" of snow. I believe it. It was pretty but gone within 1 days. Snowed on Saturday, this is Sunday AM and all the snow was gone by Monday. My idea of a GREAT Snowstorm.

Easy pair of slippers that are crocheted. I put Dr. Schol's in them to give the bottoms more stability.

I'm working on 3 other projects, but since I keep starting and stopping them, I'm not sure if I will ever finish them, so will keep that off this blog for awhile. One of the patterns is actually from the new Vogue Knitting magazine. Wow, it is gorgeous, my style, etc....have just never knit a vogue before, so I'm really hoping it goes well.

Austin wearing his sweater set. It actually fit him for a little while!

Happy Knitting All!

Charitible Donations this week!

10 burial wraps and hats are finished and will be going to a hospital in Tennessee for angels who have passed on. This is an on going project that I work on for HAIN.

I still want to make some memory pouches to hold ultrasound pictures, or other memories for the parents of these babies.

These are kitchen sets to raise funds for the propane fund at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. These donations are for the group I belong to on yahoo called Crafting for a Cause. LuAnne will be putting the sets in the group store located here. The store raises dollars and ALL dollars are given to the propane company to help families cover the costs associated with keeping the families warm during the winter. There are some really neat things for sale right now in the store, so if you get a moment, check it out!

Well, that's it for today....back to sewing as I have 4 burial gowns and hats done and want to work on blankets to go with them. So hopefully today, I'll have more to post later on. Happy knitting all!

Austin's Sweaters

This is the L'illo pattern sweater I made for Austin. The yarn is I Love This Cotton by Hobby Lobby. The pattern is very well written and this is the first time I have done a saddle and was very worried when I was working on it and praying the pieces would all fit together. I shouldn't have worried, as it all went together exactly as written. As everyone knows, sometimes you have to "fiddle" with the pattern, but I have to say, when the designed writes so many rows/inches, she is exactly on target. This is the 12 month size so it should fit him to spring. He's still very tiny and just now fitting into 12 months clothes. I still haven't done a matching hat. I've tried, but so far I have failed. It might be the fact that the yarn is 100% cotton so it really doesn't have a lot of "give", but going to try again. This will be my 3rd time on the hat. :(






This is a hooded crochet sweater on Bernat's site. You have to be a member of Bernet to get to their patterns, but it was an easy sweater to do and didn't take any time at all. This was the 12 month size which is supposed to be 18" chest size, but comparing the 2 sweaters together, this is more of a toddler size sweater. I'm thinking he's actually not going to be wearing this until the fall at the rate he is growing. :)

Happy Knitting All!

Most Cherished Christmas Present

I was sitting outside after Thanksgiving but way before Christmas when I looked over at the wood pile and what do I spy....A Pecan Log that had a perfect heart in the middle of the log.....I called hubby outside and said...look at that log. I've never seen anything like it. I asked hubby for a slice of it, finished, for a cutting board or something. Of course, he thought it was really neat, but that I was a little crazy! Instead of a cutting board, I got a piece of "ART". Hubby sanded, and polished, and mineral oiled, and sanded, and polished, and for Christmas I got this! It truly is a piece of Art. I have it standing in the book case right now, until I find a perfect place to hang it. God is wonderful and amazing and this piece of wood makes you wonder, how did a heart grow in the middle of that branch?

Happy Knitting all. By the way, I finished the sweater for Austin, but NOW Bina wants a matching hat, so hopefully I can finish and post pictures tomorrow of the sweater set. It is gorgeous! :)