I need the play by play...

I'm a visual person. If I don't have a visual aid I need a very extreme play by play on what I'm doing. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all the patterns on every web site that I've been on. It's just... weeellll... I don't follow instructions to well. But, in any case, I do what I can.

I have been working on the Amused sweater pattern. It's soooo cute. I love it. Now, I only dream of wearing these type of garments. I would never actually make one for myself (need to drop a couple pounds before I'm comfortable with that). Therefor, I knit for my 110 pound sister who looks good in anything (brat). This was actually supposed to be an X-mas gift for her, but I just had some news yesterday that may change that a little. Now, I won't say anything now but soon...

In any case, back to the subject. This is a very confusing pattern to me. What's worse, there is 100 plus projects posted on Ravelry that are completed. So I kinda feel a little on the stupid side for not getting it. Luckily, everybody on Ravelry has been awesome and walked me through the pattern Where I needed it . Pics coming soon...

Back and not wanting to be...

So I just got back from my vacation from Sinaloa, Mexico and it was amazing!! I felt like I was going back home from a long trip. I missed my family and friends sooo much and didnt realize how much I had missed. I was sooo ready to just be swept off my feet and being convinced to stay. Unfortunatley I'm stuck in reality. I had a great time though and I will hopefully be there next year. And you never know? Maybe next year will be the one of no return?? ;-) One can only hope. Anyways just wanted to share a few beautiful Sinaloa Sky pictures. I could just stare at this sky for hours....





And a few of the greenery...I dont know if I can wait a whole year to go again...

Second Time Around...

My niece (who is my borrowed daughter :-)), goes to school in Tijuana B.C.. They get to wear those cute little plaid uniforms with the knee high socks. Ever since I learned to knit socks I had been planning to make her a pair of knee highs. But, of course, my procrastination is always live and vivid in my life. Recently, I went to this new yarn store I discovered, to browse around. They had a huge bin of clearance items and they had a bunch of 3 skein packages of white fingering weight sock yarn for $2.99. I got two packages, 2 pairs of size 0, 16" Addi Turbos (and also two packages of 50/50 wool/acrylic bright red yarn for 1.99 each, woohoo!!). I get home and start knitting and just loved the yarn!! It so perfectly stretcy!! I called the store and asked the if she knew what it was and she stated it was either Bernat or Paton acrylic. Unbelievable. I plan to go my next paycheck and get to more. I mean, I can always experiment with dyeing right?? Well, anyway, for her first pair, I'm making the True Love Socks. Which I already started once but the Crystal Palace Panda yarn was not the strechiest and also are being finished for my niece who was the only one who fit into them. Ill post pics up soon!!

My adventure In Double Knitting

Ok, so I have been working on a project that is meant to be for a friends daughter. I've altered it from a pattern called the Eclipse Socks which is inspired by the Twilight Saga. I'm making it into a scarf. Now, I had this wacky idea to do the ribbon on one side of the scarf and the I ♥ Jacob (cause my friends daughter is a Jacob fan) on the other side.
First I tried doing a figure eight cast on and work it in the round. But my Intarsia in the round puckered and I have restarted countless times with no satisfaction. I was not about to make this long double sided scarf that I was not gonna be happy with. This is what it looks like:

I posted a thread about it in Ravelry and someone suggested Double Knitting. I'm making a DK swatch now and having to learn Continental knitting all at the same time (I'm a thrower). Here's what it looks like:

I really love the yellow black thing!! I just used to random balls of yarn from my scrap stash, but they go pretty good. After a few rows I got the whole Continental style and the DK is simple enough.
In order for me to do to a separate design on each side of the scarf I have to do the Non-reversible Double Knitting technique. With basic Double Knitting one side is the mirror image of the other side with colors in opposite areas. With non-reversible DK you can use 2 separate graphs to make to different designs on each side. Alasdair has a great anti-blog on non-reversible double knitting. Its amazing!!! Im super excited to start this technique. But for now I am still making my swatch and trying to get a little more practice. And so it will continue...

Knitting whilst Blogging

Ok so setting up a blog you are absolutely 100 percent satisfied may take more than a day. For now this is what it looks like. Guess it's better then just blank white screen (kinda looked like my apartment wall which I still need to decorate). In any case just hoping to get into the beat of the blogging world finally. It's hard to show people my FO's from Ravelry since I have to log in for them. Blah! That's ok though, I love my Ravlry!! For now they can follow my blog. Im also super excited that I finally learned how to actually work my progress bars. Hooray!! Again, thanks to my Ravelry people.
So wanted to add my new project along with a an old project. My new one is Saartjes Baby Bootes. Which are being made for my co-workers bun in the oven :-). Im planning to match it to Le Petite Trianon for her baby shower gift.





Materials and tutorials used:

Yarn: ok so I had this ball of yarn for like 4 years. I believe its Bernat brand. It's the baby kind thats like 1lb in blue in DK sport weight. (sorry:-/)

Needles: I used size US1 DPN's. My faves are the Crystal Palace Bamboo. A tad pricey but soooo worth it.

Button Loop Tutorial Used

Now Le Petite Trianon was my very first "complex" piece. Now, don't get me wrong. It was super easy to make, but I was still a beginner and I had never made anything that had to have something else attatched to it seperatley to be completed (meaning the sleeves). Now I made it out of the Bernat Cashmere blend which was super soft and wonderful but it was a dark gray color that, c'mon, what baby would want to where. Soo I ribbed it and made it into a hat that I will later dispaly. Now I'm remaking it with the same ball of yarn that I used for the bootees above. I will be using a double strand to make it somewhat chunky since thats what the pattern calls for. So wish me luck on this project!!

Accomplishing little things

I feel so accomplished!! I just finished updating my Raverly account adding in all the pics of my stash and projects!! woohoo!!! Name is xmasangel69 chack me out!!