Finally Finished and New Hat

I'm finally finished with the Lush and Lacy Cardigan from Sweaterbabe. I honestly don't know why I dragged my feet on this. After an discouraging start, things started to go smoother. Then, I think I got bored with it and started a few projects in between. I finally decided to pick it up again only to find out I don't have enough yarn to finish it. I called the LYS but they didn't have the right color! Darn, but wait...don't I have another skein in my stash? Yes, I do! So, my goal was to finish it by Thanksgiving but I'm a day over. That's okay. This cardigan is sure worth the wait. It's absolutely beautiful and I love it. It's a good fit and I love the color and design. I used a size 9 needle to knit this cardigan and a little over 3 skeins of the Cascade Superwash in violet. I wish that the photos came out better! Here's a few more photos:

And the back:

On my short road trip today, I decided I was going to "crochet" a hat for Jasmine. Something quick and easy. I measured her head and with my size N? hook in hand, I started to crochet away. I basically did what I felt like it and ended it when I thought it would be big enough. I'm glad to say, it was a success! It actually fits her.

And....

Now...I have to search for a new project to do! Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

My Winter Beret Finished

I thought I was making good progress on my lush and lacy cardigan. I'm having trouble with the decreases on the sleeves. I can't get the right stitch count. Anyways, I realized that I don't have enough yarn to finish it! So close! I just need to get over the the LYS to get that one more skein. Hopefully, they'll have the color in stock. In the meantime, I thought I start on a simple beret. This beret is from knitty.com called spring beret. I used a worsted yarn from my stash with a size 8 needle for the ribbing then changed to 9 for the lace part. Overall, a very easy project. I didn't have to use DPNs or cable needle. It took me about 3 days to do. My daughter decided she wanted to try it on. She's so adorable! Okay, I'm a bit bias I know!

And me with my beret....I think she looks much cuter! :-)

My (Green) Simple Elegance Cardigan Completed

I started yet another project in the mist of knitting the Lush and Lacy Cardigan! This time, I'll try NOT to start another project until it's done. I was needing a cardigan for those cool morning so I thought I'd make one for myself. Besides, I've been wanting to making something in green for a while now but still haven't until now! This cardigan is from the spring issue of the Creative Knitting magazine. It took me about 11 days to do. That's pretty good considering I just don't have the time to devote to knitting as I use to. I had some trouble with the decreases but I think I was having a hard time concentrating. It had been a stressful week! I'm not 100% thrilled with the seaming but I think it's something I could live with. I used a single crochet to seam the shoulders. I think it look the neatest of all that I tried. I used a size 10 1/2 needle for the whole cardigan instead of switching to 10's for sleeves and trim. I also, lengthened the sleeves. Overall, I'm thrilled and very happy with this cardigan. It's a great fit, easy knit and I love the color!

Preschool and Gifts for myself

I'm happy to say that we both made it through my daughter's first week of school (short week, 2 days)! I think I was having a tougher time than her! She LOVES school and being around other children. On Friday, both daddy and I took her trick or treating with her class. It was her first time ever and she did great. At first I was going to dress her up as a pumpkin but hubby didn't really like it . So...I decided to buy another outfit. We put her in a Georgia Cheerleader outfit. She looked adorable. Unfortunately, I didn't take too many pictures! Here's one with her trying out a red baseball hat at preschool:

As a reward for making it through the week, I decided to go on a brief shopping trip. I had a hour to myself so I bought myself some jeans and 2 sweaters. They were so cute and inexpensive to boot. I couldn't make them for the price they were being sold for. So nonetheless, I decided to splurge on two. I can't wait to wear them. I have to admit though, it's put a damper on my knitting. With the amount of money and time it takes for me to knit a sweater, I could easily buy one for a lot cheaper (and sometimes nicer)! I'm a bit discouraged but I know it will pass. I love knitting too much to stop!

Update: We decided this preschool wasn't right for my daughter so she no longer attends this preschool.

Count Down to Preschool and My 3+ hour sweater

My daughter is starting her first day of preschool tomorrow. She was signed up over 2 weeks and during that time, I've been a wreck! School was cancelled on Monday because they didn't get the permit from the Fire Marshall. So tomorrow, bright and early I'll be bringing her to preschool! Did I say I was nervous? It will be the first time she's "really" away from me. With our family being so far away, I take care of her 24/7. We're very attached to say the least!

So for the past few weeks, I've been teaching her some discipline, playing computer preschool games and trying to potty train her! She's a champ and a quick learner. It's all going well. She's very sharp! I'll probably blog more about her adventures in preschool later!

I also need to complete a 6 hour course for my Broker's license. I've been too busy lately to even start. I have a few months, so I'm confident I'll get it done way before then.

I'm still working on my lush and lacy cardigan from Sweaterbabe. It's a very pretty pattern. After (of course) another slow start and countless frogging, I finally got the pattern. Once I did, it started to go pretty smooth. I finished the back pretty quick. I started the front and somehow did too many repeats and it got to be too long. I ended up frogging some and decided to start on another project. I've been itching to start something else and I finally did. I wanted it to be quick, a hat maybe? But I found a sweater pattern, called 3 hour sweater, 1940ish? (pattern downloaded from Ravelry). Of course, it took me well over 3 days... I used a bulky yarn instead of the recommended weight of yarn. I also used a size 10/12 and 11 needle instead of the 15. I like the concept of the sweater but it's not a great fit. Mostly because of my gauge because I had no idea on the sizing so I guessed. The ribbing on the top and sleeve didn't quite match up! I also had a hard time seaming the arms, it looked terrible. I finally settled for a crochet seam. It's still not perfect but something I could live with, instead of tearing the whole thing a part! I also did a single row of crochet around the neck line. It's a cute sweater, just needed to make it a bit smaller. Here's a photo (not blocked):

Now I can get back to my lush and lacy cardigan. Wish me luck tomorrow! Did I mention it was also Hubby's Birthday too?

Waves Hem Skirt

I finished my crochet skirt today. I really wasn't sure if I would finish this. After finishing up on the bell curve skirt, I was ready to start my next project. But...seeing my unfinished skirt, I decided to concentrate on it for the last few days. I'm happy to say, it's finished. The pattern is from the march issue of Crochet, Today! I made it in a small/medium size with some modifications. I did random decreases once I started the waist. I also left off the elastic and did 3 rows of half double crochet instead.

The skirt is a little big still and I don't think the fit is very flattering on me. Next time when I make a skirt, I think I'll go for a less of the A-line look and a straighter skirt.

HOT HOT DAY & FIRST KNIT SKIRT COMPLETE

Today started out really nice. I picked some veggies in our garden and I really enjoyed the nice morning. I brought my daughter to the park around noon and by then it was a scorcher! It's hard to believe at the end of September, the temperature was in the 90s! It was so incredibly hot, I thought I was in the middle of summer! I'm glad to say that tomorrow is suppose to be a lot cooler. Yeah, I'm ready to wear more of the sweaters I made! During the cooler weather a week ago, I actually wore my fall eyelet top and shell top. I'm starting to appreciate the things I made and I'm looking forward to wearing more of the items I made. Here's a photo of me wearing my shell top last week! (I'll probably revamp this top and add some long sleeves)!



I finally finished my bell curve skirt today. The pattern is from Knitty.com. It is a great pattern. It's my first skirt and I'm really glad I finally made one. I was a bit nervous because I'm between size small and medium. I opted to make the medium. I used about 5 skeins of the Lionbrand Woolease in Burgundy. The waist band was knitted in a size 7 needle and the rest of the skirt was done in size 9 needle. This skirt seemed to take forever! The star stitch, though very pretty is very hard on the hands. Half way through, I started to knit really loose the row before the star stitches and that made my life easier! I did get a bit discouraged in the beginning because it was taking so long that I started another skirt project but in crochet. (That by the way, is also on hold). I also finished the baby outfit for my sister in law. I'm glad I didn't get discouraged and decided to concentrate on finishing this project. Overall, it was an easy pattern to follow. My gauge is slightly off so the skirt is slightly longer. The skirt is a bit big on me but with the added elastic waist band, it's a good fit. I would of prefer a less of a flair on the bottom too. Hubby said it looks good so I'll take his word for it! It's such a pretty skirt. I'm still in the process of blocking it as you can tell! The bottom was curling up so I wet it down. I got too impatient that I had to have hubby take a picture of me in it ~ wet or not! I'll post another picture when it's dry! :)

Finally here are photos of my skirt fully blocked:

Crochet Baby Outfit

For the last 3 days, I've been working on this baby outfit. The pattern is called Aunt Jen's Sweater. It's for the sweater and cap. I also made the bootie today, which is from here: www.ebecountrycottage.com/bevsbooties2.html. It was such an easy crochet and fast! It was done about an hour. The bootie was kind of an after thought to completing the outfit. I had not intended to crochet anything for my sister in law. I told myself that I was not going to make anything and just send her some money. (She's due this month). When I spoke to her, 3 days ago she suggested that I make her something. So, I searched the internet until I found an outfit that was easy and quick. So here's my end results. I used 1 skein of the Bernat Softee and 1 skein of the Red Heart Baby yarn for the outfit, cap and bootie.

The outfit:
The booties:




On my 2 skirts, I've been crocheting and knitting like crazy trying to make some progress on both. I was not enjoying myself at all! I was putting this undue pressure on myself to get it done. Hubby said that I have a love/hate relationship with my knitting/crochet. It's like a race. It's true, I like to hurry up and get it done because I enjoy the satisfaction of a finished project! After a day of joy, I'm searching for the next project! So, it was probably good that I took a break from my skirt to make this baby outfit. For tonight, I'll just enjoy the rest of the night without any knitting or crocheting!

I'm BACK...to crocheting

After what seems like a very long hiatus, I've picked up my crocheting hook and I'm back to crocheting. I've been knitting a skirt called the bell curve but I was getting bored and the "star" stitch was hurting my fingers so I decided to put it hold temporary while I search for an appropriate project. After pouring through my magazines and various websites and patterns, I decided upon the waves hem skirt. It's from the march issue of Crochet, Today! (Okay, I was suppose to making something green but I got distracted...sidetracked. I wanted to make a skirt and I didn't think a green skirt would look good on me)! I'm using yarn from my stash so I hope it turns out okay. I'm using a tweed color for the body with black for the waves. It's a really interesting pattern so far and I'm actually enjoying it! No pictures yet! I'm a bit nervous about the skirt because I'm a "pear shape" and I'm between 2 sizes. My gauge is off since my yarn is thicker than the recommended. I've decided to make the small and maybe do some modifications for the waist later. Skirt is worked from the bottom up so I can try it as I go. I love that I don't have to put my stitches on scrap yarn to try it on because I'm just too LAZY!!! I hope my crochet project will be a success!

I'm back to making more jellies. I'm having a lot of fun with it. I made 5 jars last week but it's not thickening up like I hope. I'm may have to re-cook this batch yet again. I don't understand why it won't thicken up on the first try. I cook the heck out of it to get it at a thick consistency before I actually ladle it into the jars. Any canners out there, I love to hear any trick of the trade!
Hubby gave a jar away to friends and they really enjoyed it. It really made my day knowing they liked it!

I was in Walmart shopping the other day and saw a nice knitted sweater for under $15! I was admiring the beautiful cables and the ribbing around the neckline. I looked on the inside of the sweater to see how it was put together. You can tell that it was hand made by the ridge from where the knitter had picked up the stitches around the neckline. I can't believe such a nice sweater could be produced in such high volume at such a low price (okay, hubby said sweat shop :( and it also made me sad that it takes me more than $15 just to buy the yarn and all the time and effort I put into making one! Yes, it's the satisfaction of knowing I made it and picked out the yarn lovingly. I understand why people today do not bother to learn to crochet/knit/make jelly, etc. They can buy it faster and cheaper. But...I am glad that I can and do have the abilities to do these things and pass them on to my daughter.

Ravelympics Vest and Summer (Fall?) Eyelet Top Completed

I finished my vest for the Ravelympics over a week ago. The pattern is from the magazine Creative Knitting Fall issue. It was an interesting pattern. I made this using a size 9 knitting needles and 4-5 skeins of the Paton SWS yarn. It took a little over a week to complete. Honestly, the vest is cute but I don't think I would ever wear it. It's too "busy" for me. It was fun to knit.

The Summer (Fall?) Eyelet top is from the spring issue of Knit n'Style Magazine. I have been eyeing this top for a while. I'm glad I finally got around to making it. It was such a FUN pattern to knit. The lace pattern was easy but the arm and neck shaping was a bit of a challenge. I extended the length of the top by adding some rows of ribbing. (Idea borrowed from a Ravelry member). This was made using a size 9 knitting needle and 2 skeins of Caron Simply Soft in purple. I love the color! The pattern called for some picot edging around the neckline but I opted to leave it out. I like the ribbing around the neckline. I also added a single row of crochet to the arm to prevent it from rolling. I took my time in completing this project because I didn't know if I wanted to make it into a vest. This is one of my favorite projects because it's such a cute top and an easy lace pattern!

Lately, I've been totally obsessed about the color green ~ the bright shade of green, that is. I have recently purchased about 7 skeins of the worsted shine in grass from Knit Picks but I'm on the look out for more green yarn! I have a few projects in mind but nothing definite. I'm not even sure if I would like the color on me! Green has always been one of my favorite colors...my car is a mint green color! Hopefully, when I finish with my Bella Curve skirt I will find a suitable project for my green yarn.

Hubby has been doing a lot of canning this year from the vegetables he's grown in the garden. I think it's rubbing off on me! I've been making muskadine jelly. I've never made them before. I searched the web for a recipe which I slightly modified. On my first attempt, the jelly did not thicken so I had to re-cook it. I added some lemon juice which I think helped. I was eager to try out the jelly, which I'm happy to report is delicious! The best part is that I made it!

Here's a few jar of them:

Jasmine's 3rd Birthday

Today is my precious daughter's 3rd birthday. Reflecting on 3 years ago, I tried to have a home birth. My water had broke on the 10th around 5:30 (right before leaving work). No major contractions that night or most of the next day. Then that night (11th), the mid wife though baby might of been breached so hubby rushed me to the hospital. A record time of 15 minutes when it should of took over 30 minutes. We didn't want to know if it was a boy or a girl, but I had a "feeling" it was a boy. Well, as you know it's a girl. The last things I said before I out from the drugs was asking the doctor if he was sure it was a girl and that I didn't having anything pink! I woke up shortly after 11:30pm and held my beautiful girl in my arms. It's been such a great journey with her so far. I'm looking forward to seeing her grow up. What a great joy she is!

For her 3rd birthday, we decided not to head up north to visit with family. We were there in May. We decided to do a nice family thing, small and intimate. We brought her to Chuck E. Cheese. She had a blast. She loves to run and she had a great time playing the machines and going on the rides. Just the smile on her face really made me happy. For a cake, we got her an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. We've finished the day off with her outside enjoying some pool time. It's been a perfect day for us! :)

My Autumn Hey Teach Sweater and Ravelympics

I finished my Autumn Hey Teach Sweater yesterday. This is a free pattern from Knitty. I downloaded it from Ravelry. When I saw this sweater, I fell in love with it and I had to start on it right away. The bottom half was easy to do. I had a lot of trouble with the top bodice on the back because of the lace and the shaping. It was mostly following the chart and on row 7, I just couldn't get it to work. I realize about 4 days? into the project that I didn't like the yarn color I was using and my s2k was wrong. What to do? I decided to re-start using a different yarn and needle size all together. On August 1st, I re-started my project using a teal colored yarn. I had 7 more days to complete this before Ravelympics! Once again, I was stuck on row 7 of the pattern but I finally got the back bodice done. Thanks to fellow Raveler's, I knew there was an error in the pattern so I reversed the 1st set of stitches with the last set for both the front and left. (Front left said to k 3, follow pattern then k 6 instead I: k 6, follow pattern and knit the last 3). It made the pattern look more like what the designer had done in the photo. Next because there wasn't enough stitches, you were suppose to omit the yarn over. It wasn't coming out right. What I did was still follow the pattern and for the last 2 stitches, I slip 2 and knitted them together. This way, the pattern flowed and looked like what it was suppose to! I was happy to say that the right side was a piece of cake!

I wanted to make this sweater slightly different, with a little bit of me in it. I decided to rib the sleeves and do the trim in black. I wasn't sure how it would look. After knitting the trim in black, I decided the neck line needed more black, so I did 3 rows of (single crochet) sc. I also did 3 rows of sc on both sleeves and 1 row of sc on the bottom. Then it's sewing on the buttons and weaving in all my ends. Boy was there a lot of ends to weave in! I have to add that this was one of the best seaming job I've done! :)

Ravelympics started at 8am on Friday. I was suppose to start my vest for the vest vault. I am making the modular vest. It's cool looking, knitted in miters. I SHOULD of been working on my vest on Friday, but I spent all of my time on Friday trying to finish the hey teach sweater! I did finally start my vest on Saturday. I haven't devoted too much time to it yet, but I'm confident I'll have this done in time!

Anyways, here are a few more photos of my Autumn Hey Teach sweater. I'm very proud of it!

My Camp Perry ~ Leaf Tee

I'm naming this tee after my trip to Camp Perry, Ohio. This tee was started on the day we left for the trip. This is another free pattern from Ravelry called the Leaf Tee. I LOVE this pattern.

It is so easy to follow. Only 1 lace repeat and the rest is simple stockinette stitches. This was done on a size 6 needle using a DK weight yarn. I used 5 skeins of Elann Sinota.

I pretty much followed the pattern. It was the right size for me. I finished with 3 rows of ribbing as suggested to keep the bottom from curling. I also added 1 row of sc around the neckline using a size D hook.

I really love how this top turned out. It's a great fit and I love the lace on it. The pattern was so simple to follow, I didn't need any help with trying to decifer the directions! Now I can concentrate on my current project which is the Hey, Teach cardigan (bella is on hold again). I hope to get it completed before the ravelympic which starts on August 7th. So my goal will be to finish the cardigan by then. I'm really looking forward to the ravelympics. I have a new friend which I will be making the modular vest with. It's so exciting!

Knitted Minisweater

This project had been put on hold while I started and finished my talia vest. The minisweater/boobholder is a free pattern by Stephanie Japel. I downloaded this pattern from Ravelry.

I liked some of the modifications made by other Ravelers. I followed mainly the pattern and basically extended the length and joined in the rounds. It was a very easy pattern. I used exactly 6 skeins of Berroco Softwist using a size 9 knitting needle. This yarn was very soft but kind of "splity". I would not recommend using this yarn for any project using any needle smaller than 9. If I was to make this again, I would add some waist increases. It's a bit snug even with the yarn over bind off.

Overall, it's a fun and easy project to do. I'm pretty happy with the results! Now I'm on the hunt for my next project. I may do a skirt as a future project...

Talia Vest

I'm happy to say my knitted talia vest is complete. I took part in a KAL with the Sweaterbabe Group on Ravery. I had originally bought 3 skeins of Lamb's Pride, Brown Sheep for this vest. The color was called brown bear but I didn't really like the shade of brown. I ended up using 3 skeins of Lion Brand Wool in Winter White from my stash. I bought an extra skein just in case but it took exactly 3 skeins to make the size small. This was done all with a size 9 needle.

I have to say that this is the most difficult knitting project I've done so far. There was a lot of lace and I really, really had to pay close attention to the directions. This project was the most difficult knit project for me. I had to pay really close attention. I had trouble with some of the directions, my wrong side/right side wasn't matching up so it kind of confused me. (Thanks to some fellow ravelers they helped me to get back on the right track). The neck shaping also gave me some problems so I finally decided to leave the pattern out all together but I think it turned out fine. Once I decided to do that, the project went much smoother for me and I was actually enjoying this, without stress! I might add that for the sleeve bind off, I used the yarn over bind off to get a loose fit. It was too tight otherwise. This was also the first time also I picked up stitches (around the sleeves and neck). It didn't turned out to be too difficult. I ended up blocking this vest twice to ensure a good fit.

Overall, I'm happy with this vest. I'm excited that I was able to complete this project. I will probably knit another talia vest in the near future! :)

Here's another photo with me wearing a dark shirt to show the finer details of this vest:

My Favorite FO

This has got to be my favorite project by far. I finished the Coquette tub top from the book Fitted Knits. I used 3 skeins of TLC cotton~plus w/ knitting needles in sizes 5 and 7. I took my time on knitting this because I wanted the stitches to all be even. I was a bit nervous about the fit after reading other knitter's comments. I made this in the xs and hoped that it would not be too big! I used the sewing bind off for this top to get a very loose edging on the bottom. I'm very excited to say it's a good fit. It's still missing some ribbons or an icord for the top but that'll come later. I could not contain my excitement, so here's a photo of top!

And here's a close~up of the lace:

I have so many projects that I want to do. Wouldn't you know it, after posting my photo on Ravelry, I stumbled upon another top that I just love. It's called the Celia Cruz strapless top. It's similar to this top I just made. I had to order it immediately! It's downloaded and now I just have find the perfect yarn to start on that project! I hope to be done with that before the first of July so I can start my KAL on the talia top!

Monte Rio Shell

I finished this crochet shell yesterday. It's from the current issue of Crochet! Magazine. It's a very easy crochet. I rarely check gauge, so of course the gauge was off. I used 3 skeins of Omega Sinfonia cotton yarn in pistachio using a size I hook. I worked on this project along with a knit project, the Coquette Tub Top (Fitted Knits). It was nice switching back and forth, when I got bored with one ~ I switched to the other. I realized at the end, I was getting antsy so I made myself finish this shell. The Tub Top is coming along nicely, the only problem is that I'm running out of yarn. I'm hoping the yarn will be here by Saturday! If not, I'll have to "force" myself to start another knit project. I have too many projects in mind!

Adopted Cat

I took this photo yesterday. It's our neighbor's cat but she hangs out here most of the time. Yesterday, I saw her sleeping in our cooler! Smart cat, she was trying to stay cool in the 90+ temperature! She's sooo adorable. The neighbor's selling their home so I'll miss her when she moves.

We went blueberry picking yesterday. I really enjoyed myself. Hubby dropped me off while he had an errand to run. It was already hot hot hot at around 10am but I didn't mind. It felt so good to be outdoors and picking blueberries. It was great! Hubby got back 30 minutes later and my daughter and I walked around a bit. She even picked a few berries before she got stuck with some briars. After that, she was done and wanted me to hold her. I picked a few more berries holding her and then we hung out in the car waiting for hubby to finish picking his berries. I forget how much fun it is. I love eating food that are organic and buying fruit/vegetables from farmer's market or the farm. I hope the corn will be ready soon so I can buy a bunch from the farm.

I've started another crochet project. Still keeping in the theme of tanks/summer tops. I'm crocheting the monte rio shell from Crochet! Magazine. It's an easy crochet. I think I tend to make things harder than they are. Of course, I had to rip a few times because it didn't look right to me. I was actually doing it right but in my mind I was thinking it should look different. I tend to do that sometimes, over complicate things. I'm glad to say, it's coming along nicely.

I know I said that I don't like to start another project until I finish the last but...I did. I'm allow to change my mind! I also started a knitting project and it has some lace in it! I don't have enough yarn to complete the project so I went on line to order more. Go figure, JoAnn no longer carries that color! I did find it on ebay! I may have to put that project on hold and yet again start another if the yarn doesn't come in on time.

Crochet Shell Top

I am crocheting again! My crochet has been kind of put on hold while I've been doing a lot more knitting. My shell top done! This is originally a dress pattern but I made modifications. (The baby doll dress from Interweave Magazine is on hold until I can buy the yarn I need). Here's the original pattern for this dress:



http://web.archive.org/web/20000510141442/http://www.cei.net/~vchisam/groovy/v-14.html



The pattern is from 1970. I had intended to make the large size but even with the large, the neck line was too small. It didn't help that I did not check the gauge. Oh well, I figure I'd just wing it from there on. I made some increases along the way, under the arm area. Then I realized that I was not going to have enough yarn to make it into a dress. Just as well, because I don't think I'd wear it as a dress. I had to decide how long I wanted to make the top so I stopped just around my hips. I wanted to add straps and I did sc around the arm area. I'm so excited how this turned out. I added ribbon around the waist area to give it some shaping. I'm so thrilled how this turned out. I really had no idea what exactly I was going to do with this. It almost ended up in the frog pile! I used 2 skeins of Caron simply soft heather in a deep teal color. This was all crocheted using a I hook. A very very simple crochet, done mostly in 2dc and 2sc shells. I did a 8 dc picot instead of the recommended 9 dc for the bottom edging.

Here's a photo:

Summer Funnel Knit Top

I completed my Summer Funnel Knit top today. I must admit though, that I didn't get much sleep! I was up approx. 1 am and my daughter was up around 4 or 5am. It gave me more time to work on my knitting. While we had breakfast, i finished seaming up the sides and the straps.



I used 2 skeins of the Bernat Satin yarn for this project and a size 9 knitting needle. I bought this yarn on clearance in a pink color called maitai. It's super soft and shiny. I honestly did not like this yarn, the color and sheen to it. I almost put the project on hold but decided that I was not going to start another project until I completed this. I ran into a little snag because the funnel neck was not working out. It's for the best because I don't think I'd wear it at all with a super high neck line. Too hot to wear a turtle neck in 100 degree, Georgia weather! What I decided to do is keep the high neck line, sort off and add some straps. I crossed my fingers and hoped that it would be a good fit. With great satisfaction, I'm glad to say that I really like this top! I even ended up liking the yarn. It's super soft, softer than Caron's Simply Soft and the color is actually nice. I'm so glad I didn't give up, once again! Now I can start my next project...I'm really leaning towards a crochet project, yes crochet! I am so inspired by Crochetgurl's baby doll that I may have to make one for myself. I LOVE the way her dress turn out!




So far so good on the work out fronts. I was sooooo sore after my 1st work out doing Tae Bo. I ran the next day and did Tae Bo again yesterday. I'm not as sore today so that's good. I'm going to keep up with working out regularly and eating a little less! I really like to loose about 5 lbs, at least and be more trim and fit. I'm keep you all posted on my progress! That way, it give me motivation to keep working out!

Hot Days of Summer

It's going to be a scorching 100 degrees today! HOT HOT HOT. I bought a little pool for my daughter which we put on the porch. It's so cute to see her playing in her little pool. We really enjoy being on the porch, watching our daughter and looking out on the lake. Hubby and I use to get out of work early and get on the jet ski or the pontoon boat. Soon enough, we'll be able to take our daughter with us on the jet ski!

It's hard to believe I've been home for over a week, almost 2? Wow. I didn't get a chance to run in the road race but that's okay. I had a cold the 2nd day I was on vacation and it kind of put my running on hold. Besides, I think we were to come home. Next year, we'll plan for it and I'll have plenty of time to train for it.

I worked out for the first time in a long time this morning. I did about 30 minutes of Tae Bo. I had been doing some running (but sometimes life gets in the way, lazy or just busy). I need to get back into shape. Being pregnant sure does change your body! But, it's been almost 3 years since I gave birth so I can't use that as an excuse any more. No more excuses, I have to work out and get back into shape. I can do it! I have to stay motivated!

I lost some steam in my knitting. Maybe I'm feeling a little burnt out. I've been knitting so much. I'm still in the middle of a project though, I'm making the summer funnel sleeveless top from here: http:///www.girlfromautie.com/patterns/clothing/summerfunnel/summerfunnelphp.

It's a cute top, I think part of it is the yarn. I realized that I don't enjoy using acrylic yarn anymore. Of course, I ordered a bunch of cotton yarn from JoAnn's. I think 5 colors in all (14 skeins). I also have some cotton yarn in my stash and some that I ordered from Elann's to try out. I want to jump into a new project but I know if I do, I will not finish my current project. I do not like to have unfinished project! So I'll force myself to finish this current one before I start the next. While I'm on the topic of knitting, when I returned from vacation I decided I wasn't happy with my lelah top. I think the elastic made it look too tight on top, so I ripped the elastic off. I still wasn't happy but I couldn't decide what to do. After almost a week, I decided it was time to finish it. I by-passed the straps and put 3 rows of ribbing on top. Now it's a perfect fit. I'm very very very pleased with it. It is so much better because I didn't' give up after countless try of trying to get it right! Anyways, here's my re-worked top!

Back From Vacation

We had a good vacation. The weather was cold up north. We came home to 80 degree weather!Our garden was doing well and the tomato and squash plants are getting big! We lost about 10 chickens because the hose busted and they couldn't get any water! It was a good thing we came home early! My daughter had fun hanging out with all her grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins. She really had a great time.

While away, I was able to finish my Sarah tank top. Pattern was a free download from Ravelry. I made it using about 3 (or 4?) skeins of Lion brand cotton ease in berry. I used a size 9 knitting needle. A wonderful person, ThatOtherRedHead, helped me tremendously with the resizing of the pattern. I had decided to switch yarn and start over but I forgot to re-check the gauge, so the top was turning out to be too big! I caught it about 1/3 through the top and made several decreases. I probably could of made the top slightly longer for a better fit. I'm really happy with the results.

I finished the lillian tank top today. (Pattern also found on Ravelry). I started this a while back but I put it on hold because I couldn't get the lace to work out. I figure since I had done a lace top since I would able to do this one. No luck so instead of scratching the whole top, I decided to make it without the lace. It seems to take forever. It's done on a size 6 knitting needle using 2 skeins of Caron's Simply Soft in Red. I did about 3 to 4 rows of single crochet around the neck and arm area for the trim. (It seems like forever since I last crocheted)!!! I was worried that it may look strange but it actually came out fine! The top is a bit tight, I think it's because I've gained some weight from over indulging during my vacation! It's a cute top and I may try again in the future, if I can get the lace to work!

Here are my two newest top: Sarah Top and Lillian Tank Top

Lelah Knit Top

I made this top as part of a KAL on Ravelry. I started last week and finished it this evening. This is a free pattern off Ravelry again. This was knitted using a size 10 1/2 needle on the bottom and a size 9 for the top. I was nervous making this top because I have never done any lace pattern in knitting before. I used scrap yarn to mark off every few sets of stitches to make sure I was doing the pattern correctly. This took a lot longer but it was worth it. I was afraid the holes in the lace would be too big but it came out fine. I used just a little over 1 skein of Caron's Simply Soft in soft blue.

I casted on 121 stitches for the top. I was almost the number of stitches for my "oh so easy tank top". I did not do any decreases as the pattern called for since I figure with the bigger needle on the bottom, I would get a little bit of a flare. I also added an extra set of pattern for the bottom to make the top a little longer.

This is a great pattern. I am probably going to make another in cotton so I can block it. I'm happy with the fit, though it could be a tad looser on top. I love the way it looks! This top has given me more confidence to move beyond the easy patterns!

Busy Knitting

I have not posted in a while. I finished knitting this boatneck tank a week ago (pattern from the summer 07` issue of Knit Simple Magazine) and I was looking for another project, either to crochet or knit. After several discouraging attempts, I decided to try the Coachella, a knitted top. It looks really cute and not extremely difficult. It was rated "tangy" but I figure I'd give it a try. The pattern from a free download on Ravelry.




I'm always a bit nervous when starting out a new project, especially in Knitting. I'm such a beginner at knitting and I know only the basics. This pattern is an intermediate. There are lots of shaping! I have done so many new stitches with the pattern that I had never done before. First off, I used a circular needle (okay no problem but I never and knit in the round). I also did knit in the back, M1, ssk, kfb all which are new to me! I wasn't sure on one part of the direction which a very nice person on Ravelry clarified for me. I also did some research on this pattern to see what other members had said about the pattern. It was suggested to make the top longer and to rib the bottom for more stretch. I'm soooo glad I did, I absolutely LOVE this top!!!!





I started almost a week ago and my goal was to finish it today, which I did. I must add that I worked on this a lot! As a beginner, I don't think this was a really hard pattern to follow. I would highly recommend making this top, it's a fun top.

I love Ravelry. It has become my favorite website of all times. I've made some new friends and have found tons of ideas for both knitting and crocheting. As an added bonus, there are also a lot of free patterns. Not to mention all the wonderful helpful people on the site who will answer any questions/problems I have~as with the Coachella top. The wonderful person answered my question in only a few minutes so I could of quickly resumed my knitting! It's great.








I'm so proud and happy of my top, so without further delay ~ here are the photos!

I've been tagged (again) and Crochet vs. Knitting

I've been tagged again! Thank you Gina. I was tagged before by a very nice person the first time but I decided not to participate. I really don't like the ideal of having to tag 1o other people! With dial up, my computer's been running super slooooooow! So, I'm going to do what I feel comfortable with and that is list 10 things you didn't know about me and I'll let other people link to me, if they choose! Here we go:

1. I'm an introvert. I'm very quiet and shy.

2. I've lived in Las Vegas for over a year and I realized that "home" is really where you make it. With all the glitz and glamour there, I still wasn't happy. I found that happiness comes from within not out.

3. Birth of my daughter really changed me. I have not had a drink since I was pregnant with her.

4. While I was a police officer, I did several presidential detail where I protected Bill Clinton. I also met Hilliary. She went out of her way to say hi to me while I was working her protection detail. It gave me a lot of respect for her that she took the time to say hi w/o cameras around.

5. I'm also married to my high school sweetheart (like Gina).

6. I have to have some type of project (either crocheting or knitting) going on or I feel lost! I love to work with my hands now.

7. Okay, I'm running out of things...I'll have to think real hard! My grandparents basically raised me because my parents worked the evening shift.

8. My favorite flower is gardenia. I LOOOVE them.

9. I'm a super fast typist!

10. Okay, I'm digging deep, can't think of much else! Finally, I have to work hard on staying positive!

Okay, feel free to link yourself to my blog so I don't have to tag anyone!

Now on to my latest projects! I finished another elegant shell in a dark blue. It's made in a sports weight which makes it much more appropriate for the spring/summer time. (Check out my photo on ravelry). I've also been on a swimwear kick. I tend to go a particular theme (summer wear/tanks, children's wear) now it's swimwear. I've been searching for easy patterns. I found one which I made in knit (check out my photo on ravelry). It's really cute and I like that it was with a bulky yarn. I then wanted to make one in crochet. Crocheting one is so much faster and easier than knitting. The 1st one I made was the one in pink/green/blue. I finished my 2nd crocheted bikini early this morning. The red and black trim bikini took about 4-5 hours to complete. Talk about instant gratification!

The pattern from the crochet bikini is here:

http://www.supernaturale.com/articles.html?id=53.

I'm having so much fun making these, I'll probably start on my next one tonight!