Koigu Makes Me Happy

Koigu is so beautiful! I just love working with this yarn. My latest pair of socks is slow going. I'm not following a pattern for these socks but using the Double Moss stitch and a ribbing at the top. It's kind of fun to just free form it!

Life is busy. I ran the Bolder Boulder on Monday and was very pleased with my time-55:07. That means I ran an average of 8.8 minute miles. I'm actually improving with age! It was an awesome race and I never once wanted to walk. Now it is on to the FireKracker 5K for the Fourth of July.

Oh, and I am also still in the middle of the second basketcase sock. I hope to finish in the next week. I'm also busily knitting some purses for a boutique. I can't wait to post some pictures! More later.....

A Spot of Her Own

Ifinished my pillow project! Well, almost. I'm not knitting any more pillows though. I have a 26" x 26" pillow that I'm going to buy a girly sham for and then I'm done. There is no way I'm knitting any more pillows (the pink one in the back isn't knitted either but I did sew that one!). It was fun, but.... I. Am. Over. It. I like the way the Tootsie Roll shaped one turned out (it's kind of hard to see). I used Hello Kitty ribbon on the ends. Here is my little one enjoying her area!



I also knit an Ipod cozy for my device. My husband has been out of town so I had a lot more time on my hands to finish (and start) some projects. I always laughed at the Ipod cozy patterns I'd see. I knitted mine from the S&B book. But I use my Ipod to run on the treadmill and I always spill some water on mine on the way down to the basement. No more! Here is a pic. Let me just add that I need a refresher course on seaming. I've been felting so long that I've forgotten. The pattern called for backstitch but I used a grafting seam. I'm not happy with my seams, maybe because the stripes make mistakes more obvious.



And, last but not least, I am now part of the Knitting Blog Web ring! Thanks to everyone for the nice emails on my socks and purse. It is lovely to be part of a community and I'm excited to be in the ring now! Please do continue to post comments or email. I love corresponding and hearing your experiences too.

I'm a Basketcase!

Well, Dave certainly knew what he was talking about when he named these socks Basketcase Socks. The pattern is awesome please don't get me wrong. I think it is just me. I was only halfway through the first one when I felt SSS (Second Sock Syndrome for my non-knitty friends-the procrastination feeling that sets in when you complete the first sock and know you still have one more to go!) creep in, which is a terrible sign. I think it is my yarn choice though. I want to try these socks again with some different yarn. I just have to get the gusto up now to cast on sock #2. These are for my hubby so I will press on. My husband is...I'm scared to type it for fear of the response and that typing it out will make it indeed so.......ok, here I go....allergic to wool. Now I know a lot of you believe there is no such thing (I know that the Yarn Harlot believes we can convince these folks otherwise even by psychological tactics that involve "stretching the truth" about the fiber content). I just know if I knit him wool socks they will never be worn. So, I am resolved to knitting him socks in acrylic or a cotton blend. It is a shame I know. Now you understand why the SSS set in so early on these. At least when I knit him other socks, it is worsted weight so it goes faster. This DK weight is killing me.

On a different note, I joined the Tote-Along blog thanks to an invite from Jenifer! Thanks again Jenifer! I've already got some great advice. It's fun to correspond with other purse-making knitters.

That is all for me on the knitting front. Oh wait, I ordered my first skein of Socks that Rock yarn. I've suddenly become very interested in checking the mail. Hmmm, will it be today that my beautiful yarn arrives????

Happy Mother's Day

Ilove being a mom. I've always loved my birthday but now I think I like Mother's Day more. It is so special to me because I share it with my daughter. I lost my own mom as a teenager and this used to be a hard day for me. But today I look in my girl's eyes and feel so blessed. Our pastor said that to decide to become a mother is a major decision because it is deciding to wear your heart outside of your chest for the rest of your life. It's so true. Yesterday we went to The Farm and another little girl was rude to my girl and it hurt my feelings for her. A nasty squirrel then scared the girl and I wanted to stand up and cheer and go shake that squirrel's hand. It wasn't the most grown up reaction I could've had but it was my initial motherly one. Anyway, my little one was fascinated by the animals and could care less about the girl that was mean to her. Here she is with the goats.

Yesterday was a wonderful day (besides The Farm)! I woke up and got a much-needed haircut and when I got back home there was a package waiting for me. My Secret Pal is ON THE BALL! I opened the package and inside was the book I have been dropping into Barnes and Noble just to stare at--Greetings from Knit Cafe! My husband and daughter went fishing so I sat in my nice warm chair in the sun and read to my heart's content. This is such a beautiful book! I will give a full review at a later date when I've gone through it more closely. A book like this must be savored slowly. I began by reading the intro outloud to my dogs. They (and I) can tell you the full history behind the Knit Cafe. I love reading stories about corporate people who have given up the corporate world to follow their own crafty dreams and be content as mothers. Those women inspire me. Here is a picture of the project I am going to attempt this summer sometime. Isn't it the cutest? I even like the color.



I wanted to also post a picture of my latest purse design. I went into a store in downtown Fort Collins and some women in the store told me to talk to the owner about selling my purses in the store. I don't know if I have the energy to knit a bunch of purses but I was flattered. And a young girl at my haircut place asked me where I got it and said she loved it. It made me feel good that women of all ages are finding it cute. Maybe it has potential! Yay!



I wanted to end this post with a memory of my mom who I miss and love dearly and am thinking about today. My mom used to sew all of my doll's clothes. I remember a particularly hip dress she made for Barbie that was circa 1975 complete with halter top and Go Go shorts. We didn't have a lot of money to spare but my mom made it fun. I remember wanting a doll house and my mom stacking some shoe boxes and decorating the cut-out "windows" with fabric so as to be curtains. I remember us cutting women out of the Sears or JC Penney catalog and cutting out clothes to put on them as paper dolls. My mom was crafty. My mom was cool. Any creativity that I show is a tribute to my mom. She inspired me. She is missed....

One Lonely Heart

Idipped into the stash and made a heart pillow for my daughter. My LYS has a cute little corner for kids that has a lot of pillows. She loves to sit on the pillows and look at her books. I thought I'd try making a little corner for her here at home. This is Heart #1. It turned out smaller than I'd hoped and no, I didn't attempt gauge. It's a pillow so I figured I didn't really care. I am working on Heart #2 with larger needles and it is turning out larger. I'll make lots of sizes.

And now for some great news....the yarn budget is OVER! It wasn't even that bad and I have to laugh at myself for being such a drama queen about it now. I learned to dip into my stash and do with what I have. I wouldn't be doing the pillow corner were it not for the budget and it is really fun! It is a good lesson. The budget would still be on (and we're still on a budget so no going hog-wild or anything) except my husband just heard he is getting a very good raise from work--I am so proud of him for his example of perseverance. I have to give God the praise because He is so very faithful to our family. We want another baby in the future and just asked God to show us how to make it all work financially and tightened our budget. Then this news! Of course things can always happen with jobs and we must remain on a budget, etc. but it is a good step in faith for us.

Now, for an update on my felted bag collection...I just finished another pattern and attempted it with very undesirable colors from my stash so I won't be posting but I am sure I'll be buying some cute colors and post a picture soon.

Knit Cafe Book

Ihad an hour to myself to spend doing whatever I wanted until I had to pick up my daughter from a friend's house (imagine that!). Because of the yarn diet, I decided going to my LYS was just too tempting. So I went to Barnes and Noble and decided to look at knitting books instead. I came a across and really beautiful book called Greetings from Knit Cafe by Suzan Mischer. The pictures (done by Victoria Pearson) were so wonderfully taken. And the projects made my heart skip a beat. Suzan Mischer owns/operates Knit Cafe on Melrose Avenue. Here's the quick blurb from Amazon:
"This colorful, cozy, and chic book offers 30 of Knit Cafe's most dazzling patterns for "California style" projects ranging from hiking socks to a bikini to a "red carpet" gown. It also features stories about how the celebrated store came to be, the neighborhood it's in, the daily goings-on, and the improbable mélange of actors, surfers, doctors, and directors that gather there. Even a few favorite recipes from regular customers are included."
It really is a very wonderful book and one I hope to own soon!

Doing it Continental Style

More later on my title, but first, as usual I finish a gift the day before I'm due to give it! Whew! Here are some of the pictures of the baby blanket I finally finished for Heidi. The shower is tomorrow. I ended up sewing a yellow fleece backing. It is so soft and sweet. My little one hugged it and I was tempted to just run to Target and get Heidi something from her registry. But I will give the gift, I will! Below are the details.

• Pattern: Striped Receiving Blanket from Knit Baby Blankets!


• Start Date: February 14, 2006


• Finish Date: May 5, 2006


• Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore: Pink, Purple, and Yellow (1 skein each)

I TiVo'd Knitty Gritty and have never really watched but sat down to see what it was about. I like Vickie Howell's hair. If I had red hair, I'd do something funky like that. Anyway, after reading many a blog out there, I think I'm one of the very few knitters who has only dogs (no cats, I'm allergic). And now for my title (which I am certain will make my hits go way up). After watching enough episodes of Knitty Gritty I also realize nobody on that show knits Continental style. Now I'm not saying one way is better, I'm just curious since it seems more people knit English. I learned to knit from a very sweet and kind elderly woman who owned a yarn shop in Oklahoma for much of her life. She refused to teach me English style. Are a lot of you Ambiknitrous? It kind of reminded me of when I learned to drive and my dad wouldn't let me just take my test with an automatic. I had to learn to use the stick shift. I tried to knit English tonight. It just feels so unnatural. Am I a weird, catless knitter? .

Huge Ole' Bag

Take a look at this bag (pre-felting). Looks like it has potential to possibly be a cute purse, right? WRONG. This designing stuff isn't easy. You try and try and try until you get it where you want it but in the meantime it takes a couple (or three or four) tries. This bag ended up looking like a large boat after felting. You'd never suspect that'd be the case looking at this picture. Ah, the joy of felting! I still love it so. I'm figuring it out though. I just want to get it right the first or second time! The yarn diet has me trying my patterns on cheaper felting yarn (I won't mention names to not appear a yarn snob). Here is a question for you felters out there if you want to click the email link below this post. Do you always double up on your yarn if you're using a worsted weight felting yarn? Have you ever just used one strand and been satisfied? The yarn diet has me trying this out and I've actually been happy and now can't quite understand why I've always doubled up. Is it a conspiracy started by the popular yarn companies? I'll be looking into this.....

I also want to thank Purl Needlemeyer for her gift of a few of her Yarn Minders! They're a great way to keep your yarn organized after you take the ball band off. My daughter thinks the beads are pretty and now I have to mind my yarn minders mind you. Thanks Purl! I've become a fan and want to check out her other handy tools like her Pattern Minders and Needle Minders.

Secret Pal 8

I'm going to participate in my first Secret Pal exchange! I can't wait. So, here are the answers to the SP8 questionnaire. I look forward to finding out who my own secret pal is so I can begin to spoil them.

Questionnaire Answers

What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love all things wool because I love to felt. I’ve also become more interested in the cool sock yarns out there (Socks that Rock, etc.) as they have such awesome colorways!

What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a large wicker-type basket.

Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, on Froogle.

What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.). I love all things cucumber. It is such a fresh, clean scent!

Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I have the worst sweet tooth and I like all things sour—Sour Patch Kids, sour straws, etc. I love Hot Tamales and anything cinnamon such as Cinnamon Bears. I love caramel corn, chocolate, and caramel!

What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I scrapbook, stamp (Stampin’ Up) sew, and crochet. I don’t spin—yet! See my post about getting a family sheep (ha, ha).

What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like Dave Matthews, Van Morrison, Coldplay, Jack Johnson, Sting, and modern Christian bands. Yes, I have an iPod and have iTunes.

What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I love pink and green (as if my blog isn’t a clue!)—especially together. I also love fall colors—browns, oranges, subtle yellow, red. I’m not cooler palette colors person and don’t really ever use blues and purples.

What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have a husband, an 18-month old daughter, and two dogs—a Lhasa Apso (Taylor) and a yellow Lab (Aspen).

Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes to all.

What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I’m currently designing a line of felted purses. Outside of that, I am really getting into socks! I’m also enjoying the knitted flowers that you felt from PickUpSticksOnline.com. I also love things for my baby girl—blankets, sweaters, knitted toys, etc.

What are you knitting right now? Sigh. I’m on a yarn diet (see Yarn Budget post) but when the diet is done, purses, purses, and purses! Oh and a baby blanket, socks for my hubby, and I am about to start on a cardigan (Apricot Jacket Rebecca 27) for myself for summer.

Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, definitely!

Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Depends on the project. I prefer bamboo DPNs and metal circulars. I just discovered Brittany needles. Love them!

Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No, I wish-handy tool I'm sure. I just have my LYS wind for me.

How did you learn to knit? A wonderful elderly lady friend!

How old is your oldest UFO? Um, I can’t think back that far.

What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

Is there anything that you collect? Yarn—and all things knitting. And stamps from Stampin' Up!

Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I don’t have any magazine subscriptions though I do enjoy Interweave Knits mag. I have a whole list of the books I’m excited to read on Froogle. As far as patterns, I have recently discovered Rebecca magazine. Way cool but too pricey. As far as yarns, Socks that Rock yarn and Koigu make me happy.

Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I’d like to become better skilled at cables. Intarsia intimidates me so I’d like to tackle that fear. I’d also like to learn to spin and dye.

Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes! I wear a size 7 shoe. My foot is 9” long.

When is your birthday? (mm/dd) June 18

A Yarn Budget? The Horror!

I'm officially on a yarn budget. What??? Do those two words even belong in the same sentence? How could a measly thing such as yarn be limited? It isn't as though I said a shoe budget, which is completely understandable (within reason). Or a clothes budget, which is also common (I hear). Or limiting the amount we eat out, which we all do at times. I guess that means I'm on a budget on all the above but the one really hard to swallow is watching the yarn spending. I mean I still have shoes and clothes to wear and food in my pantry to turn to. But yarn is in limited supply and if I stop purchasing it and my math is right, I will soon run out! For reasons to long to specify (but yes, the price of gas and the recent tax deadline are two of them), I can't buy anymore yarn. And before I make you feel too bad for just me, it isn't just me sacrificing stuff. My whole family is. I just think they are taking it better than I am.

Now how could one who has a blog called I Heart Yarn not purchase yarn you ask? She must have quite the stash you say. Well, yesterday I looked through the stash to find projects around what I have rather than the other way around. BLAH! YUCK! BORING! I've racked my brain for genius ways in which I could continue to acquire yarn yet still sacrifice. Hmmmm, a garage sale? Sell some stuff on Ebay? Perhaps. I'm still thinking. Then a tiny light bulb came on. Mother's Day! I am a mom now. Ok, then there is my birthday and anniversary in June. Ok Carolyn, relax, relax, whew, you're good through June. I will keep you posted on my saga through yarn sacrifice. Perhaps I should look into us having a family sheep and I can learn to spin and dye....I'll put that on my list to discuss with my husband. Are sheep good for other things besides neverending wool? The more reasons I can come up with the better my chances. Are they good with kids?

Ok, so here are my daffodils. And here is a picture of a sock I'm working on for my husband. It's the Thuja sock from Knitty. He will be getting two socks (I'm not that bad off yet). Happy Monday!