Many Thanks... & A Giveaway

Thank you so much to everyone who has bought a pattern in the past two months. I'm so proud to be able to share my designs with you. I'm thankful for many things this year. A loving and supportive family, good health, a good home, and the best two friends anyone could ever ask for. 2008 has been a very rough year for a lot of us but through it I've become a stronger person and mother.



Our tree is going up tonight. I've been making and gifting handmade decorations and ornaments like crazy this week. Here's one I made last week for a friend's mother from this pattern with this yarn I found in AC Moore. I swiss darned a poinsettia design onto one side. You can't go wrong with glitter yarn during the holidays.

I've wanted to have a 'lil giveaway for awhile now and Thanksgiving feels the right time to me. I'm giving away emailed copies of all 5 of my pattern sets to 2 lucky winners. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post saying what your thankful for this year. I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner Saturday Sunday night. If I pick your number and you've already purchased the patterns I can send them to anyone you wish, a friend perhaps?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!


*Update* I'm going to run the giveaway until Sunday night. I'm visiting some family on Saturday and won't have Internet service until we return home Sunday afternoon.

Christmas Cloths...

It's taken a lot longer than I expected but I'm so happy to finally have finished everything. I battled with myself over which designs I was going to include in my Christmas Cloths but in the end I just couldn't leave any out. There are two different sets this month to choose from.

Here are the two different sets. I added an extra cloth in each download so there are 7 cloths in Set 1, and 7 cloths in Set 2. I can't find all of the labels to the yarns that were used at the moment but I will edit this sometime today or tomorrow and add all of the colors to this post.
I made each written pattern with a corresponding chart for the dishcloth. From the sets that I've already made, I've managed to get about 2-2½ cloths out of one ball of Lily's Sugar'n Cream Solid Yarn. Though you can use any kitchen cotton you prefer.


These were a lot of fun and fast to knit up. I think start to finish both sets were completed within aweek with almost no free time. I know they are going to make great stocking stuffers.
The pattern is available as a PDF download and priced at $3.25. You can obtain this pattern if you are a Ravelry member by clicking the "Buy Now" button below the pictures. The Christmas Cloths are also available in my Pattern Store here as a Ravelry Download. Each picture will bring you to its Ravelry page.

I should probably start working on some socks for the Advanced Knitting class I'm teaching in December. Maybe even start writing up a pattern to a baby sweater I designed last year. Or I could just sew up some quick ornaments for the tree. I think for now I'm just going to enjoy the rest of this Sunday with the family and do some Christmas shopping if its warmed up a 'lil outside. We're all finally feeling better in this house. I've also started using Twitter if anyone follows it.

Still Knitting...

Everything is slowly starting to come back to normal around here. Vic and the kids came down with another illness for the season. We've been battling a stomach bug at my house for the better part of the week. You know those sick days, the ones where your doing laundry every second of the day... as it happens. I haven't had too much free time to myself. Still trying to finish everything up for the Christmas Cloths, a few more test knits, a photo shoot, some Photoshop pdf designing and the pattern will be ready to go in a few more days. I even have the next set I'm publishing ready to pattern and knit up as soon as I'm done with these. So excited about those! There's something for everyone. ;) I'll try and post up a 'lil peek later this week. OK I'm getting back to my nighttime knitting. Everyone is sleeping. Finally.

Progress...

Today was entirely devoted to my babies. Tomorrow is going to be almost all knitting with the next pattern sets. I still have to work up most of the cloths and then photograph them. Knitting them is the most fun after designing the graphs of course. I've already fallen in-love with them and can see that they're going to be the perfect stocking stuffers for most of my family. Vic is away on business for the rest of the week so getting the time needed to finish everything might be a little difficult. Most of the time when I have a deadline to meet I sit on the floor with the kids and we camp out in the living room watching movies and reading books all day. I'm hoping by Friday or Sunday the latest I should have everything ready to go.

Centro Sock..

So many things have come up as of late between the kids and the holiday's that I'm behind on the Christmas Cloths. Hopefully by the end of this next week the patterns will be ready. I finished some car knitting the other day and wanted to share. My phone needed this.

1. IMG_3569, 2. IMG_3551, 3. IMG_3546, 4. IMG_3562

Yarn: Moda Dea Sassy Stripes in Crush*
Needles: Size 1 (2.25) Two Circulars

*I decided to omit the red stripe color, it seemed too overpowering for the variations of pink that I fell in love with.

Super Easy. Cast on 40s and knit a 2x2 rib for several rows then knit st st for the length of the phone. About an inch before the bottom I decreased like the toe of a sock, every other round 4 times. Grafted. Love.

I have my sticker...

I took a nice walk to the local school near my Mother's house with the kids this morning. I wanted to go early so that when Vic came home from work I could sit with them while he votes. Theres still a lot of time all over the country. Every vote counts and remember, if you're in line when the polls close, you have a legal right to vote. Let's make some history!

Now where did I put that candy...

Yes. How exactly does one lose a 25lb bag of Trick 'or Treating booty? I know I brought it in the house, I'm sure someone moved it. Or is holding it for ransom. We had a great time going around our neighborhood collecting candy on Friday. My Mother even came to join us for half the journey.


Ella was Minnie Mouse and looked absolutely radiant in this ensemble. She actually liked the costume a lot and got a kick out of herself in the mirror before we left. Unlike..


My 2yr old Pirate. He fought with the outfit for awhile before he realized that it didn't bite. Since it was his first real time going out with all of us from door to door he wasn't sure what to expect. Every time I went to knock on another house he would scream and cry for fear that I was going inside. Poor thing. Everyone ended up having a great time and now all we need is chocolate.. I think my Mother took it.

Belated Birthday Gift...

So my best friend's daughter has been asking me for a doll (With purple!) since her birthday. So many things have come in the way of free crafting these days. We moved earlier this year and I kept telling myself that I'll get around to it as soon as the dust settles. During the summer I started sewing again when Ella was finally sleeping through the night but I haven't really been consistent. My Internet went out the other night and I decided to take some time and fire it up again. Here we have "Bella" as Sarah named her. Having read the Twilight series I'm quite pleased with her choice of name. Maybe I'll make her an Edward. ;)


Just a simple and really fast pattern. I think start to finish it took me about an hour. I drafted out a doll pattern on paper, traced it on some fabric, pieced it together and sewed. Stuffed and wove in some hair. Embroidered the eyes and painted on the mouth, blush and eyebrows. Sarah was so thrilled and had to play with her hair.


On another note I'm excited to start teaching knitting classes at
A. C. Moore this Wednesday. There are youth and adult beginner as well as intermediate classes and workshops during the month of November. During December in addition there will also be a 2-part Intro to Sock Knitting class that I will also be teaching. I've taught knitting to friends and family for many years now. It's a great feeling to be able to share this craft with others.