No olympic medal this year.

I think my project that I picked to knit for the Knitting Olympics was a bit much. It would have been great if I didn't have to work the weekend the olympics started and then work my normal job the rest of the week ....while nursing a sinus infection. OK... so I am whining a little bit. But I am glad that I picked my pattern because I REALLY....REALLY want this sweater. I will have pictures later of the back almost done. YES...I did say back...only. That is all I have finished. The sweater is mostly seed stitch and has a wonderful reversed stockinnette stitch and slipped stitch pattern about half way up the back to the top of the back. The pattern is from Peace Fleece. Her is a pic.

I will give pics of what I have accomplished so far a little later. I really do love it...but I think next Knitting Olympics I will pick a more realistic project.

Winter Knitting Olympics 2010

I signed up for the Winter Knitting Olympics with Stephanie Pearl McPhee. I can't believe I actually committed myself. I start tonight, although, I am working tonight at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Show. I am helping Terri (my boss and friend) to set up the booth we will be in. Tomorrow is the opening day. We will both be knitting tonight after around 9:00pm. Wish us luck.

Christmas Gifts

I was a busy knitting fool this holiday. I knitted my little fingers off for gifts for Christmas.


Here are some of my projects ....personally...I think my family was pretty lucky. But that's me. ha.
Here is a jacket I knitted for my great niece. It is the snowcoat from Sirdar and knitted with Sirdar Big Softie. I loved knitting this. It is fast and easy and elegant looking.


Next I knitted this sweater from French Girl Knits. I used Sirdar Big Softie to knit this. I changed the pattern a little by omitting the lace pattern from the back. So the back of the sweater is plain and the lace is in front. I made two of these for two of my nieces.





I knitted a seed stitch scarf using Katia Peru. That is also one of my favorite yarns. This was a true red. I knit it for a co-worker. I have started knitting anything in seed stitch or ribbing in the portuguese style of knitting. I find that it is easier and my stitches are very even.










I knit a hat and slotted scarf using a Plymouth yarn. This was for a child and I thought that a slotted scarf would be great because there would be no long tails to get caught on anything and it will stay nice and snug around the child's neck.

I knitted up a couple more scarves using Katia Peru but basically they were just a mistake rib scarf and a drop stitch scarf. As you can see.... I WAS BUSY.

My current projects are a seed stitch scarf, a baby blanket, a shawl and some socks.... I am sure I left out a few.

I will try to be back soon with more pics and posts. In case anyone is interested in learning the Portuguese Style of knitting...WHICH I LOVE... you may go to http://www.andreawongknits.com/.

Holy Cats and Dogs!!!!!

I can't believe it has been over a year and I haven't updated my blog. WOW! I guess I have been toooooo busy working and checking out the Yarn Harlot's blog and Brooklyn Tweed's blog. (My two favorite blogs ever.)



I have knitted may things within this past year. One of them is this precious baby bootie. They were done in a wonderful yarn that I got at Wolf Creek Yarns in Grove City. Great gift idea too, for those who are looking for a quick little gift for a baby.



You can also do up a bootie in One skein of Panda Wool (Crystal Palace Yarns – 46% Bamboo,
43% Wool and 11% nylon). Needle Size US #1. The peachie one on the right... Free pattern at
http://andreawongknits.wordpress.com/free-patterns/ It is Andrea Wong's website. Andrea Wong teaches Portuguese Style Knitting. It is a great technique....

I will add more to this later...I PROMISE. But for now that is all I have to show. Chat later.

Here...FINALLY...are some pics

Here is a sweater I finished a couple of weeks ago for a friend's little boy. It is simple but jazzed up with that cable along the front button band.














Here is a close up of the collar.













Here are some of the dreaded swatches for the Level 1 Master Knitters Course. haha. I really have gotten over being nuts about trying to be perfect. I also have found out that blocking does wonders. whoo hoo. I have more done but not blocked. There are 16 or 17 in total but I have only about 11 or 12 done so far.













This was the worst one to do. I never realized that seed stitch can produce holes...geez...but finally... a nice swatch. NO HOLES...I hope. ha













Here is a little sweater I am working on. Just something fun in a new yarn that Wolf Creek Yarns just got in. I can't remember the name right now. It is a mix of acrylic and wool. It is heaven to work with. It is a really true worsted weight. I love it.













Here is the blanket I am making with the yarn called PLAY TIME. It is like butter. Simple garter stitch with a stripe thrown in from time to time.













Here is a top down sweater in progress. I am planning to teach this as a class. I am doing it in Sheeps Pride Cotton













Finally...a pair of what I call slipper socks. I love this yarn -MISSION FALLS. Great stuff.

What a trip!

Well...as you can see I have not added any pics. Why? Because it seems that I have been knitting and knitting and getting nothing finished. I am knitting a simple but really cool blanket for my friend Lori's daughter who is having her first baby. It is in garter stitch and I am using Reynolds Play Time yarn. It is wonderful to work with and knits up so soft and spongy. I love it. The colors are an off white and Camel and soft blue. We believe it is a boy so I decided the blanket will have random stripes with a nice border knitted around afterward.



My downfall and the reason that I am getting NOTHING finished is because I am knitting and re-knitting and re-knitting those darn swatches for the Masters level 1 course. It is my own falt. I am my own worst critic. I have finally decided that I will just do them and then - after they are all blocked, because it is amazing how different the swatches look after blocking - I will redo any that really look horrible. Actually, I may even have a neutral party look them over and decide for me, because to me they are never quite good enough. It's amazing .... I would never be this hard on anyone else. ha.

My worst swatch was the seed stitch. The directions say that there is to be NO HOLES seen between the stitches. One would think that ...well...it's seed stitch and how can holes get into seed stitch? WELL LET ME TELL YOU.... that evil little Gnome that lurks in my knitting was putting all kinds of holes in my seed stitch. To most people ... it was hard to see...but to me...they stood out like a sore thumb. I must have whipped up 6 swatches alone just in seed stitch. I tried different size needles, different brands of yarn, knitting with the yarn wrapped around my fingers till they turned purple and still those holes... But...I WAS DETERMINED! Finally, I got a swatch that looked pretty good and soaked it in water till the fibers swelled like a sponge...haha. And if I had read the directions correctly in the first place that stated that on the increase swatches that the increases were to be made every second right side row (which interpreted means once every four rows..da to me) I would not have knitted them up increasing every other row. And wouldn't you know it that they were perfect, unlike the ones I redid with the increases every other right side row. Heaven help me. Oh well...I keep telling myself that this experience will make me a better knitter.

Anyway, I promise I will get pics of the baby blanket and yes...those darn swatches.

It's been a while!

I have been sooooooo busy. I just have not taken the time to update my blog. But I hope to keep it going from here on in. My goal right now (besides working on about 25 different projects at one time..ha) is to complete my Level 1 Master Knitters Course through TKGA (The Knitters Guild of America). I have had this for soooooooo long but just never got past the first three swatches. At one point I had all the answers (except the first three or 4 questions that relate to the first three or four swatches) completed. However...disaster struck...My computer where I had my file stored died....and I had no backup. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I was so upset that I put everything away till now. At the LYS where I teach some classes, a group of us have gotten together to complete this Level 1 Master Knitters Course. I got sucked in kicking and screaming but I am glad that the group is finally MAKING ME finish this. I feel in the end I will become a better teacher of knitting, as well.