Knitted Clogs and a Christmas Stole

Meet my new house slippers with pixie toe!  Who else, but Elizabeth Zimmermann, would design this adorable and quick knit to keep your feet warm.  The wool used is Sheepsdown and US sz 9 needles at 2.75 stitches to the inch.

This is the Belle Affaire stole (knit through Clue 12) by Birgit of Knitting Delight.  Yarn used is Navy Merino/Silk from the Little Wool Co in New Zealand and produced by Anna Gratton.

You, too....can Make It With Wool

 I chose a pattern from the January 2009 issue of Creative Knitting.  It is called Cables & Lace Tunic and is designed by Susan Shildmyer.  Ms. Shildmyer can also be found on Ravelry.  

While knitting this lovely tunic, with 100% Donegal Tweed wool by Tahki, I decided to leave the pockets out and make the 4-stitch cable twist in the opposite direction on either side of the large centered gorgeous cable.  I was able to complete the tunic in 8 days with a little over 8 hanks.

And.  Here I am.  This was taken in Yakima, WA at the Make It With Wool State competition.  I placed 1st in District in my age category, went to compete in State and placed 3rd out of 6.  The winners will go to the National Competition in San Antonio, TX in January 2013.

I had the best of time.....meeting the other contestants and getting to tell some of my stories to people who haven't heard them yet!

Some things I sewed....

This pair of 'travel toothpaste and toothbrush holder' are already in Arizona.  The free pattern can be found here.

This.....is.....a laundry bag for my son.  He likes being an individual and gave me his ideas on what he would like.  :)

Lady in Pink.....

This is a great over sized garter knit sweater!  It's from Sally Melville's book, "Book 1: The Knit Stitch" and the pattern is called Sally's Favorite Summer Sweater.  I used Tahki Cotton Classic in.....well.....pink.
I normally knit everything in the round no matter what a pattern says to do, but this one is super simple in garter and easy to seam up.

Tatting is fun!

 I've been a little busy with tatting this and tatting that..........

 The doily (sz 30 thread) on the right isn't laying flat....because my thought of 1/4" thread spacing isn't what the ruler says.  I will have to tat it over again.

The square motif is tatted with sz 20 thread and isn't finished yet.

 Ahh, yes, [with the help of Sharon Briggs website] my first tatted wild rose (sz 20 thread).....love it!

Using sz 20 thread, I tatted a few chain links and then moved on to Marliee Rockley's earrings from April 2012 Bead & Button Magazine.

QIAD block 11....

Ozark Trail

Pint Ice Cream Cozy's

 These cozy's, looking like babies hats, are on their way to my son's friends.  They are knit with Cascade Fixation and US sz 5 dpn's.  I knit them as tight as I could and the gauge is spot on with the pattern that suggested US sz 7 needles.

Reba thinking......Knitting...schmitting....

Shuttle tatting....

Testing my skills with a 1930's pattern, size 30 DMC Cebelia thread and my Aero Shuttle.  I wrote the pattern down so it would be easier for me to know where I was at....one ring or chain at a time.

This could be placed on a collar or cuff or whatever you want!

Handmade....

Finished my eight 10"x17" napkins from my Handstitched Premium Class with Rachel at Stitched In Color.  I couldn't find 1/4" gingham that was 100% cotton but I found this (close to 1/8" squares) cotton fabric from Quilter's Junction, my local quilt store.  Here's to hoping I have the nerve to use them!

I've also been shutting tatting and using my Tatting Press.

How does my garden grow.....

 Lemon Cukes

 Onion Trees

 Tomatoes in the Sky

You are one of a kind

Some grocery bags for Mom

This is with material close to raincoat material.  It's so tightly woven that a tiny crochet hook will not go through!  Perfect for grocery shopping.

One of the bags is insulated to make sure cold things come home cold since my mom lives 30 minutes from shopping.

Mom is over 75 and loves Harry Potter so I put her initial on the bag with that font using the lining fabric of the insulated bag.  Cool, huh?  I can't wait to hear how she likes it!

Knitted doilies

Schaetzchen

Filigree

Narzissa Stole

Armed with less than 50 grams of J and S Supreme Cobweb Shetland Wool, US size 6  24" circular lace needles and 46 rows of clues presented each week for 4 weeks.......I knit this.......Fancy, Fancy.  

Birgit, of Knitting Delight, is a genius.  This Mystery Knit is over and gone but there will be another.....and you won't be disappointed.

Sewing Chopped Contest

kinda played like the Chopped Food show on TV........we were given some unmatched items in all shapes and textures and then allowed to use this or that and make something out of "this and that".  I came up with this little draw string bag......and.....I WON FIRST PLACE!  My prize is on its way here.   :)

Tasty Salad....and a new pet

Cauliflower, carrots, plumped raisins, spring onions/scallions, lemon juice, olive oil, little bit of honey/sugar...

and then lastly chopped cilantro.  Mmmm, mmmm! 

Finally!  A pet that is quiet, feeds himself and isn't a pest for affection!

;o)

Handstitching, week 3 & 4

 The Lafitte Shawl (test knit for Denise) is showing off the front of my Needle card using pearl cotton and kraft paper fabric.

 Our teacher, Rachel, had us back it with felt to hold more sewing needles. for. handstitching.  The shawl just wouldn't let me take a photo without it.  :)

My sewing machine is resting during my classes but I let it help out with modeling my handstitched headband.  It's really, really cute.....I am going to make more of them.

Knitting Delight

Literally.  Knitting Delight's yahoo group is in German but the KAL's and Mystery Knits are posted in 5 (yes, five) different languages.  Once those are over, the files are up for a bit longer and then gone.  The patterns can be purchased, though.  This stole is called Summer Queen.

This was a KAL as Cardigan Malibu.  I made mine a V-neck pullover with shorter sleeves and a collar.

A knitted coin purse for me

This is knit with Berroco Bluefaced Leicester in a beautiful eggplant color from a pattern in Piecework magazine.
It finished up at 5" wide by 4" tall.
I even lined it and put a zipper in.  There is a first for everything!

Suncatcher by Nancy Tracey

A little time to shuttle tat.  I used size 10 crochet thread.....and I'm a beginner who is self taught.

This is a really nice design by Nancy Tracey.  She has a monthly newsletter, too.

Handstitching with Rachel

The top two pictures are of my "workable" Eyelet Needlebook.......Love it!  The 3rd picture is my Dogwood Blossom to go in a quilt.  I used the light pink embroidery thread to stitch the reverse applique down with a semi-blind stitch.  I am now ready for Week 3 of Handstitched Premium with Rachel!

I've been Flocked!

   Mind you, now.....I am out of my comfort zone here.....and LOVING it!  It all started with just taking a look at a quilting blog called Stitched In Color.  This reverse applique is called 'Flocked'.
   I sewed my tee months ago, started this Handstitched Premium On-Line Class recently and thought I'd use it to do the embellishing on.  I got lots of Ooo's and Ahh's.  Yes.  Handstitching is a good thing.

Kornblume

1

2

and WaLa!

Oh, I love this doily.  I used what the pattern suggested, sz 100 thread (DMC Cordonnet) and US sz 000 needles.  It finished up at 25" x 17".
Now what will I start next?  ;o)

My Retro Flower Quilt

Start like this...

...and add a few other things and you have a quilt!

I joined a Quilt-Along (QAL) called Retro Flower.  You can find the pattern at The Sometimes Crafter.  I first saw this block at Rachel's.  How did I get to Rachel's blog and why did I look around and see SO many things that I wanted to learn and make.  

This one is going to my mom, for Father's Day, and it is supposed to look like Cornflowers.....Retro Cornflowers.  

Now I'm back to doing some test knitting for Denise at LostCityKnits.

Knitted Eye Candy

I can Spin..........

.....fingering wool AND worsted wool!

There are 1025 yards in the fingering weight and 275 yards in the worsted weight.  Both are 2-ply.

It seems once you learn to spin, you spin thinner and thinner or skinnier and skinnier.  I wonder why.

A pair of socks and some quilt blocks