I couldn't resist...

I have definitely been bitten by the knitted toys bug! Making the alpacas was so much fun, and I have seen some really cute toys on blogs that I frequent. I have been trying to decide what toy to make next, and then I say this post on Kathryn Ivy (thanks for making such darling knitted toys Grace!). It's and octopus, and it is so cute! So, I rushed right over to Etsy and bought the pattern. I know, I am a copycat! But I really love the pattern, and I think this little guy will make an awesome addition to my knitted toy collection.

I have some Cascade 220 that I can use to make a couple of the little cephalopods. I think these colors will make some fun combos.


I will not start this pattern until I finish my chevron scarf....I must have some discipline! :) The scarf is close to 40 inches long now, so it will not take much longer to finish up. I will definitely post some pictures when it is complete. I love the pattern, and I cannot say enough good things about the yarn. I have already picked out another color combo from my stash to use for a second one. I think they will make great gifts.

Chevron Scarf....finally

Ever since I started reading knitting blogs I have been an admirer of the chevron scarf. Finally I found just the right yarn combo. The pattern is super easy which makes it a perfect "throw in my purse" project. I chose Fiesta Boomerang sock yarn in Cosmopolitan (the reds and oranges) and Taos (the blues and browns). This yarn is super soft, and the colors are breathtaking. They are a joy to knit with. I started my scarf tonight at my local knitting group, and here is my progress thus far.


I really like how it is knitting up. The two colors really blend well. These colors are not ones I would usually choose. I am naturally drawn to spring colors like pink, lavender and mint. I am so glad that I picked these two...I don't have anything else like it.

You gotta love having a light box!

I absolutely love having my light box that my lovely husband made for me. It is so convenient. It didn't look like it was too hard to construct, and it wasn't expensive at all. Best part is it can be broken down and thrown in a bag or box for easy storage. Mine is on my coffee table right now because I have been playing with it all week. :)

The hubby used these instructions Light box. Very good tutorial, and great tips at the end. I want to get a few different color backgrounds to play with, and I definitely want a sheet of plexiglass to play with reflections. I highly recommend using one to photograph yarn. I am still learning, but I am having fun with it. That's the point right?!?

OK, enough photo talk...on to some knitting. I finished my first pair of green socks for the Green Sock KAL. I like how they turned out, but they are a bit big. These were knit with Claudia's hand painted sock yarn, and I used the Penllyn pattern from Wild Horse Farms. All items were purchased from the Loopy Ewe. They have the best selection of sock yarn on the web.


I am using this pattern again for my Yarn Pirate booty club colourway now. I can't post any pictures of it yet since some of the club members are international. It is possible that some have not received their booty, and I do not want to spoil it for anyone. I really like how they are knitting up. The colors are pooling in such a great way. I will post pictures of them as soon as they are done.

I also want to thank everyone who has stopped by my blog, and an extra special thank you to those leaving comments. I am really enjoying the process, and I am having a great time looking at other's blogs too. See y'all soon.

Meet George and Gracie Alpaca

Well, my first knitted toys are completely finished! I had so much fun knitting these alpacas, and I learned a lot in the process. This was my first time using short row shaping, and this was my first felting project. Luckily I have a great friend who helped me along the way. I used a Fiber Trends pattern for these little guys. The pattern is written for alpacas and llamas, and I think I will make the llamas next. The pattern for the llamas is essentially the same...just a bit bigger all around. I definitely see a lot of knitted toys in my future. They are so cute and fun.

They make a cute couple don't they! I am going to bring them to my office when school starts back in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, none of my students do anything bad to them :).


George was knit with bulky Knit Picks Wool of the Andes and Kiddy Prints mohair. His color is very impressive in person. The mohair has some wonderful black and gray flecks that almost look like spots. I am so very pleased with how he turned out!


Gracie was knit with Cascade 220 and Kiddy Prints mohair. I didn't felt her as much as George. I like the ripple that is left from the stitches. It looks like cording. She has golden flecks from the mohair. She is so sweet and soft.



My wonderful husband built me a light box this weekend so that I don't have to brave the heat here in order to get enough light for my pictures (it's about 100 degrees outside today!). It is a little tricky trying to use just the right amount of light, and I am still trying to figure out my new camera. Hopefully my pictures will continue to improve. I think I will try some different color backgrounds too. That's all I need....another hobby right!?!

Happy Monday everyone! Stay cool out there.

New toys

Knitting toys that is. I received two fantastic packages in the mail this week. The first one came to me all the way from Honolulu, Hawaii. It is a wonderful sock project bag made by Momma Monkey. I bought this bag specifically for my Yarn Pirate Booty Club socks. I think it is so funky (am I too old to say that....do people say that anymore?). I am not usually attracted to skulls, but this fabric is just so unique. I love the coordinating lining as well. It's perfect. My husband says it scares him a bit....but I think it is cute.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this bag. It is the perfect size for sock knitting. Momma Monkey has added needle holders and stitch holders inside, and there is even a clip so that you can attach it anywhere. Also, it has a squared bottom so it stands up even when empty. The photo below was taken with the bag completely empty! Only a sock knitter would have added such wonderful and useful details. She also included some cute little buttons.

My second goodie to arrive this week was a pair of wonderful sock blockers from Chappy's Fiber Arts and Crafts. They are perfect! I love the design, and they are so well made. Their customer service was impeccable. This is my second pair of blockers. Next, I need a mannequin to really display my socks. :)

My last new toy isn't even here yet. I am anxiously awaiting my first Booty Club shipment this week! I received the shipping notification yesterday, and I am so excited. You can stop by our Flickr group to take a look at all the goodies once they arrive. So that means that I will be knitting socks like crazy this week. I can't wait to see what colourway it is. I know it will be beautiful. If you have never experienced Yarn Pirate's sock yarn I highly encourage you to stop by her site and check it out. She has a true eye for color and texture. I love her yarn.

Have a great Tuesday! Happy knitting. :)

I love knitting socks!

It's true, I absolutely love to knit socks. They are fairly quick, have lots of interesting components, and the patterns are so diverse. The main reason I learned how to knit was to indulge my love of crazy socks. I wear a size 9 1/2 shoe, and I have a hard time finding cute socks that don't choke my feet. Now I can make socks that fit and look cute. If you fell intimidated by sock knitting I encourage you to give it a shot. I had a wonderful teacher at the LYS sit down with me and show me the ropes. It isn't as hard as you would think. I now always have at least one pair on the needles.

Plus, I love sock yarn. The colors are wonderful, and the textures are very yummy. I have already amassed a large sock yarn stash. Here is a picture of my sock yarn basket. Isn't is beautiful?!?



My first pair of socks were so much fun. They took a while to complete, but I stuck with it. I used the baby cable rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. It is one of the beginner patterns in the book. If you are considering a sock book, this one rocks. It includes instructions for 5 dpns, 4 dpns, and circs. I use 5 dpns for my socks mostly because I love to freak people out in public. They seem to be pretty mesmerized by the tiny needles. It's a lot of fun. Here are some shots of my first pair of socks. You can see my Jordana Paige knitter's satchel in the background. :)





















I finished my second pair of monkey socks yesterday. I have named them circus monkeys. They came out great, and I love the way the yarn adds to the pattern. I used Lornas Laces Glennwood. It is super soft. The socks fit like a glove. They were so much fun to knit, and I finished the entire second sock yesterday! Of course I knit for hours straight. Did I mention I hate daytime tv.....Whooohoo.

I must say, socks are very hard to photograph. I want to get a shot that shows off the detail, but I also want to get a shot that highlights the colourway. I guess I just need to knit lots more socks so that I can practice, practice, practice. Well, off to work on my alpaca felted toy. Hopefully he will be done this weekend.

It's an alpaca butt

Good evening all,

This has been a very fun week of knitting. I am almost finished with my second pair of monkey socks, I am working on a pair of socks for my wonderful hubby, working on my shawl, and I started the felted alpaca pattern from Fiber Trends. For those of you wondering...I don't usually have this much free time. I am recovering from foot surgery (everything going well), and I am limited to staying home for the time being. Poor me, I have lots of knitting time. :)

I am just in love with this alpaca thus far. I hope to make lots of progress on him/her tomorrow, and I am going to meet a friend later this week to felt the little fella. We are planning a little felting party. This is going to be my first felting project, and all my knitting friends have warned me that it is addictive. I already feel the fever.

I love how knitted projects take shape. I honestly didn't think much about how the alpaca would be formed. I just dove right in, and I was so happy to step back after just a few rows and realize what was taking shape. It's an alpaca butt (and his/her legs of course). The green stitch marker is where his/her tail will be placed.

Here is another shot so that you can see the yarn I am using. I am using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky, and I am mixing that with Kiddy Print Kid Mohair. The mohair is so soft, and I am in love with it. It is hard to tell in the photos, but it has a wonderful color variation. I cannot wait to see how it felts. I will post more pics, and give you all an update when it's complete.

I also wanted to share a picture of my first complete pair of monkey socks. These were my second pair of knitted socks. I love love love this pattern. Cookie A has a talent for writing clear and precise, not to mention beautiful patterns. These were finished a couple of weeks ago, but I just got around to taking some pictures of them today. I have not blocked them yet, but I am pretty happy with them anyway. I used Dream in Color Smooshy yarn in Some Summer Sky. As a matter of fact, making these socks gave me the idea to use the same yarn to start a shawl. It is a great sock yarn. I am so glad my LYS started stocking this brand.

Well, off to spend some quality time with the family. Thank you to all of you who have been stopping by. I have enjoyed your comments, and I am having a ball checking out all of your blogs. Have a great Monday!

My second lace project!

I first learned to knit over the Christmas holiday break in Jan. 2007. When I first started knitting I was very impatient. Well..honestly, I am always impatient. :) I wanted to knit fun and impressive projects right away. So after I finished my first scarf I immediately signed up for a lace class at my local LYS.

The class met for 3 hours, and the project was a feather and fan wrap. Wow! I was so overwhelmed, but I wanted to make the wrap. So I went home and tried over and over again. It took me a while, but I eventually got the hang of it. I am happy to say that my feather and fan turned out great. It is a very forgiving pattern...it hides mistakes well.

After completing the wrap I immediately started looking for a pattern for a triangular shawl. I decided to use the Leaf Lace Shawl pattern by Fiber Trends. I love this pattern. It is so pretty, and the instructions are very clear. I choose to use sock yarn for the pattern. The yarn is Smooshy in Beach Fog by Dream in Color. This yarn is super soft. It is one of the best sock yarns I have used. I am very happy with the color variation and the stretch of the yarn. I want this yarn in every color!

This is my first time reading a chart, and I am working diligently to not revert to the written instructions. I have been working on the shawl off and on for about a month. I have been knitting socks like crazy this month, so I haven't devoted very much time to the shawl at all (I will post some pics of my latest socks over the weekend). I plan to work on it much more this month so that it is completed by the time the new school year starts. It is very chilly on campus, and I would love to have a beautiful shawl to keep me snuggly.

It's up and running!

Well, after a long week of planning my blog is up and running. My husband and I spent an hour or so taking photos in my knitting room to add to Flickr, and I will be able to add some here soon.