Christmas season with Family, Friends and Knitting

Aaaaghhh!! I have only a couple of more days to finish these socks!! Ok so saying I haven't been religiously adding to this blog is a bit of an understatement. I have really not made anything new. Maybe knitting isn't much of a passion for me. I do enjoy it... but I think I need some inspiration. I am hoping to put the toe on the last sock to finish these socks that have seemed to take forever this year. Meanwhile I've started going to church and making lots of new delightful people. Been taking my knitting with me to knit just before church starts like a good knitter should! I joined a knitting class at church and a boardgame night get-together too. lol. Been living here for two years and have not really been getting out of the house too much except for dance classes and an occassional outing with the belly dance scene. Since it's been really tight money-wise I've really cut back on the expensive hobbies. My teacher recently moved and I'm super bummed about it. I made some good friends from the dance classes and I'm grateful to keep in touch. I'd really love to start dancing again as soon as I can afford it. So lately I've kinda just sat around and done nothing. I guess that would make me somewhat of a hermit. I decided I needed some kind of social events happening in my life and sitting at home wasn't hackin it. While I'll admit going to church wasn't anywhere near my first choice for a social life... I've really enjoyed having a variety of genuinly nice people to hang out with. Really seems to cheer the spirit. From past experience with people from my old church, people were simply much less gossipy and less inclined to be selfish. And in contrast... I've realized that life is much better without such sillyness. This month I've really been super excited getting ready for Nathan to visit me for Christmas holidays. Got our Christmas tree up with all the pretty bobbles n beads. It's just amazing how beautiful things make you smile. And of course now that Nathan is here I'm good as gold. We did our usual chai tea outing today that's a tradition by now. We even sang carols in the car along the way. :) I can't believe he's 16 and 6'3". Handsome guy I think. :D And his feet will be much warmer this winter!! lol.. if I can only finish this toe in time for Christmas... *knitting feverishly*

Picture Frame Crafts with Leaves

This weekend I got to spend with my mom making food and crafting little treasures from beautiful leaves from the mountains of the Wachungs in New Jersey. We bought the picture frames at Dollar Tree. A mini glue gun and some acid free construction paper from WalMart.

This project was really fun. Some picture frames were easier to work with than others. I have a variety of frames so you can see the different types that can be used. I really love those glass ones the best but the boxed ones are pretty because it gives the project a shadow box look. Flowers and bright paper can be used for spring time! You can have all sorts of fun with this stuff. Just make sure the items that are used are dried before putting in these boxes. You can dry them between newspapers and place under some books for weight. If you're alergic use fake stuff. :) Lots of variety of "Real" looking flowers and greenery to choose from at the craft stores.

crocheted 3 string headband

I decided I hadn't made anything in a while... and I still haven't finished the socks. Just haven't felt like it. I wanted to make a very simple headband I had seen on ravelry. I don't know if I made it to exact specifications but it was similar I think. I guess I don't like following directions. So anyway turned out cute. It was too simple to mess up anyway. :)


The pattern is published and free here.
There are lots of really cute things on her website so make sure you visit.

Eh could be better

Still working on those darn socks.. but this one is coming along faster since I know what I'm doing more or less. :) Too bad I didn't get them finished before Nathan left for Japan. He can at least go back with those pajamas I sewed up for him. The color was funny but he seemed to love them and I think only because I made them... which makes me feel happy. :)

Missing Nathan...

Zoo Pouch

Been super busy with things n stuff. Mostly going to the museum and zoo with my son who's visiting from Japan. He's leaving this coming week and trying to fit in as many "fun" things as possible with limited amount of money. Woo hoo! Which means I also get to get out and stretch my wings a bit. See the City and view the sites. However.. hehe getting stuck in NYC with no money and no phone etc. Isn't my idea of fun times. After this unfortunate incident... I decided I needed something to put my "things" in. Now I have a purse that's the right size somewhere... and that's the problem. I'm really not very organized and it bothers me much.. but I'm not all that motivated to be organized since half of my things are packed away in the garage and no place to put them even if they weren't. Soooo~ I decided before heading out to the zoo yesterday that I needed to definitely make something to carry things in. It's my own pattern ... it's not fancy but it serves the purpose. basically it's all dch in crochet. I finished sewing in the liner just as we were leaving. :) I was surprised but it only took me a day and only 2 skeins (a little more from a third) Used my bulky Caron soft quick in black.

Mistakes log... for my "son" socks

Ok... tried to follow a pattern I had in my book only to figure out that it was too weird to understand.

So modifications: My son wanted a short sock. Hmm what to do what to do. Well I ended up making the cuff 48 stitches then 4k 4p in rounds to make ribbing till my width was around 1 6/8" equaling the length that my son approved of. lol.. then...dead stop... I was staring at the instructions again with a puzzle because they said some weird stuff that didn't make any sense to me no matter how I looked at it.

Trying to follow, I ended up using one of the two 12 looped dpn's instead of the 24 that I "set aside" so I was using the 12 for the heel flap and thought out loud, "What the hell... who can fit their heel in this little area?! Well especially not my son!!!! There has to be something wrong with it ... just has to be," as I was turning the heel... Nothing made any sense! So I pulled everything out to the cuff threw it down, typed I quit in my IM and stomped out to get some water and a break.

My best friend and I were camming as I call it. And she must be use to it by now.. noticed I was getting upset. The angel that she is.. she devised a little demonstration on video for me for the heel flap. So I take a sip of water and a deep breath and this time putting 24 loops on a stitch holder for use for the top of the sock to work on later and 24 for use for the heel flap on one dpn(double pointed needle). I of course the village idiot... decided wow cool about the video and went ahead and did it wrong anyway. Although I did use a slip stitch at the beginning of each row of the heel flap... No sl stitch & knit for me apparently I didn't want to do this part even though it was what my bff was specifically showing in the video!! I think I was so distraught I had to start over after some progress on it (after a seemingly endless stare at the instructions) that by the time I realized I was doing it wrong AGAIN... I said "frack it!!" and just kept doing what I already had been doing p (ws) and k (rs). So it just looks like stockinette for the heel flap. No biggie I guess, I can always reinforce it later at the heel if need be.

Here's a picture of what I have so far.

I'm on my last row for the heel flap before starting the heel turnThat's my stitch counter on my stitch holder at the bottom

The pattern calls for 24 worked rows --12 chained selvage sts.

My sock pattern: (Large Adult) ~Ankle socks~

Cuff:

CO 48

4k 4p repeat pattern in rounds till about 1 3/4" (or about 17 rows)

Divide into two sections to be worked:

Half on a pin holder for the top of sock (to be worked later)

Other half (working half) goes on one DPN (use the starting stitch tail as the middle marker of your working half . You will need to use a sl stitch pearl wise to get all 24 stitches onto the dpn)

Heel Flap:

*(ws) Sl stitch pearl wise with no twisting , P(ws) across

turn (rs) Sl stitch pearl wise with no twisting, K(rs) across

Repeat from *

(This forms stockinette for the heel)

Work 24 rows and you should have 12 chain selvage sts

Turn Heel:

This is a work in progress but I will write the rest when I finish so I can copy it for my other sock. :)

I used a different colored string to hold the loops if I needed to redo an area.

Also put rings on the selvages to help me find the exact areas I want for the gusset pickups.

The Process

Finally cast on... (learned how to do a cast on by hand which was really cool) I had first had a 50 stitch as my 100 percent (leg and largest circumference of foot) But found.. well that the ribbing and all such else such as dividing got pretty dumb. Besides that I felt really brain-dead actually sitting there trying to figure it out how exactly to connect those three dpn's. I knew it was just a matter of slowing myself down (reading) cause I get too hyper at first and I want to osmosis the whole book at once. Why isn't this possible?! Oh well... and when I can't figure something out... i get a bit aggravated. Especially when there's a big stupid fly stuck in the house buzzing around and you can't kill it. I don't want to be told "how to" unless I absolutely can't figure it out for myself from tutorials or books. Because it's more of a sense of accomplishment when I actually figure it out for myself. So anyway finally got my sock on and started some ribbing 4k 4p. I reduced the 50 stitches to 48 which can be divided by 3 Yay.

My initial reaction to knitting a sock.. OH shit.... there's math. I don't like math. I was never horrible at math.. but I just don't like it. I don't know why but it always just makes me groan when I see it. So hence the percentage checker on my list of useful links just in case my math is wrong. Oh I should find a nice calculator too. Ok well for now I'm satisfied I figured it out. I still have all the heel gusset and toe etc... so we'll see how I do. The rounds are actually fun to do once you get the hang of it. The hard part is "learning how". (for me anyway) I'll probably quit like 10 times.. in a day. But most likely I'll only take breaks as I call them. I don't like giving up not totally anyway. I give my failure a sense of comfort and then take it back when it least expects and stick it to it with a big grin. :D I did it! hehe. Well, it's late and I will call it a night. I must be ready for the battle of knitting my socks tomorrow. :)

Argh!!

Yesterday did my gauge ... looks good to use some worsted weight and size 3.25 needles for a 5 stitch per inch pattern from my getting started knitting socks book. As of right now... Blech!!! I sat here staring at the instructions on how to join the three dpn's and still don't understand it. I'm taking a break.

A book to Cast On

I got my new book in the mail! My very own first knitting book. I'm so excited!!

"Getting Started Knitting Socks" by Ann Budd.

I placed my new book in my library on Ravelry.com http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/getting-started-knitting-socks

I'm determined to make some socks for My son. Flipped through and looks like I'll have to take measurements now on his feet. I really know very little about knitting. Only items I've knitted were a small scarf and that little square dish towel of which I still can't find. So after completing my Josephine Halter... crocheting has become a little more familiar. I hope knitting these socks will be somewhat simpler? lol.. Anyway going to take the measurments today and try to make up my mind and choose a pattern that I want. Might use one out of the book or try a pattern that I have saved on my ravelry account.

What will be NEW is using four double sided knitting needles. I have a magic needle as they call them.. The experts say you really only need one with a short cord to make socks. Since I don't have a short one, and I'm not really in the mood to learn something more challenging when I already have four double sided knitting needles, I think I'll stick with them to make my socks. They say the four needles is actually the "beginner" technique ... lol hmmm we shall see. Soooo today I shall pick and hopefully "cast on" Yay!! lol :)

The Untimely Snatch

LoL.. I sewed up these shorts for my son cause he wanted something to sleep in. Apparently he didn't mind the color of which was the lining to my halter I just made. The fact that it was super soft and felt like "nothing" was the important part. I had him try them on real quick for size. He wouldn't take them off! When i said I need to put another line of stitching on the elastic he snatched them up told me he wasn't giving them back and wore them for like what seemed like two days. lol.. Maybe not I do recall him taking a shower. But now that they're dirty I might get a chance to finish them up. hehe :) At least I know he think's their comfortable despite the hidiocity. lol :) They're just pajamas.. they can be hidious. hehe Believe it or not.. which I'm pretty sure it's easy to believe considering the construction.. LOL... this was my first clothing article that I sewed together. Dang.. I'm on a roll!

Project Flowerbed

Ok so I didn't write in here for a few days. I did go to the store and buy some lining for my halter. And pretty much spent all day yesterday and today sewing by hand. And also making tassels. The tassels were actually fairly easy to make. Today ventured to the dollar store to buy some beads for the finnishing touch to the halter. Yay my halter is finally done! :) I lined the inside and everything. Looks fantastic. Also makes my chest look gianormous!! Whoa! Haha Anyway I'm excited and can't wait to wear it to belly dance class on monday. :D Now I need to make the matching hip scarf.

For my next projects I think I'll start with a simple sock ... and possibly make some shorts out of the matterial I got for the lining. Maybe a skirt lining for my see through black skirt. All these plus of course starting on the hip scarf. :) I'm happy with the results of my very first clothing project in crochet or any needle weilding thing!

Hah Craft that!

So finally I finished the both the ties of the halter part this morning. I tried it on and it looks fairly good. So now I will sew in the lining and make the tassels. I think I'll go to the store and buy those inserts just to try out. I think it might help cause the halter seems a bit too open in the front for me to wear just by it's self. I will experiment. And since my kid is asleep and my boyfriend is playing Tony Hawk on the xbox, I'll steal away to do a little shopping at the craft store. :)

So Cool!

Wow talk about fast action... I complained that the dishes weren't being washed cause it was too hot to do anything... and guess what I got not two hours later.. hehe

Voila Ambrosia Salad!!

Well almost anyway, still isn't that cold in here but 79 is better than 89 degrees.

Ah... well decided to take a small break from knitting... as well I had an interesting week so far.

So hot!

OK.. this is getting ridiculous. We have no air conditioner and it's 97 degrees out ... I'm cooking! And nothing good to eat either. I'm hoping to find someone giving away an old air conditioner that they aren't using only requirement is that it works!

*sigh*

I did a little crocheting today with the Josephine Halter. And when I say little well ... that's what I mean. My day at work was quite busy and lots of patients shoved into one day so I was pretty tired when I got home also coupled with the extreme heat.... I sat down and did 16 stitches to start the straps part and I was out like a light. I think I'll do more on it tonight. I need to get the inside lined still but I was thinking about getting those padded cups from the craft store Micheal's to fill the inside and cover them with the lining material. I don't know I think it will give it more lift. I'll try it out anyway. If not then I'll just make it with t-shirt lining like it suggests. :D

Dark night

Went to see the Dark Knight. I thought it was really good. I couldn't help to cry afterwards... because Heath Ledger will never be able to play that character again. I was of course saddened for his family as well. He was by far a very intense and dedicated actor. He was so good I feel he stole the show away from Christian Bale who played Batman. But the story and content of the movie was very well done. All the actors were excellent. One of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Anyway just wanted to say I feel that much more sad knowing that such a great actor is no longer with us. ~ RIP Heath ~

I can relax now :)

Aaahhhh! Relaxation!

I have the best friend ever!

She gave me some pointers on how to get past my halt. I want to get back to it quick.
I'm not feeling good today and have been sneezing the last few days. Possible cold or sinus thing.

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Ok so without further ado here are the wonderful

absolutely fabulous pictures from the fabulously fabulous

"SpaceJunk"!!

scroll

down---v

SpaceJunk's
Halter Belt Instructions:

	Starting Row 1
	Row 1
	Row 2
	Row 3
	Row 4
	Row 5
	Amy's/"SpaceJunk's" Josephine Halter Close up. Beautiful!!

My main complaint! - The Josephine Halter

And now my Josephine Halter...hmmm yes...

Josephine Halter.pdf


Voted most likely to be Halted lol... because I get so confused. Well besides the fact that the cup sizes aren't the same ... uh it looks ok I guess. I have confusion with the bottom part of this pattern cause I'm not sure what it's talking about. Should have stuck with squares n scarfs!!! arrrgh!

Mini Scarf

IMG_1826
Originally uploaded by sindepeye

Ok this one I also finished last year using simple purl with size 9 needles. Used Lion's Brand Fancy Fur in color Purple Passion. I'm such a beginner at this it's really not even funny but.. lol you have to laugh anyway. Here's a picture of the yarn and finished product! Wow huh hehe.

My first project - Small Dish Towel Square

Small Dish Towel Square
(yes it's just yarn for now until
I can find the darn thing but
this was the yarn I used for it)

This project was created in my best friend's living room while watching episodes of the L word. LOL hmm Anyway it was quite fun to make and very simple. One of the only things probably I made with little or no fuss. So for a first project I think "hell yeah" I did it! I shall of course post some nice photos when I find my project. But don't be too surprised to see the ends curling up. After all it was my first project. lol Okay! I was recently told by my best friend and about this subject I shouldn't be so negative!! In time hopefully I'll even out my stitches and get some real momentum going. (that's better I hope!) This blog is to help me keep track and encourage myself. :)