Icarus No.1

Time is moving so incredibly fast these days. Is it October already? I have 16 more days to finish the second installment of my Icarus' for my best friends wedding. Can I do it? I have to. Deadline knitting has never been one of my favorite things in the world. I keep putting it off and starting other projects. I have a scarf on the needles, two hats, and a sweater for my daughter. Just finished the Cobblestone for my son yesterday. I've even started putting together the Thanksgiving and Christmas Dishcloth sets I would love to publish this month just to keep my mind off of that second Icarus.



Anyone ever have to knit something they didn't feel like knitting? How did you keep it interesting? I loved knitting the lace, don't get me wrong, but one was enough for awhile. The finished shawl came out beautiful. There were so many beads that it became trying at the end. I think that is what I'm dreading the most. I haven't taken any pictures of it other that when it was blocking. Just waiting for when hopefully I finish the second shawl.





Tomorrow I have to finish decorating around the house and Ella has a Well Baby Dr's visit. She'll be a year old on October 6th. I also have to plan her party this week. then maybe I'll start the shawl... Maybe ;)

Photo Entry...

My ever looming birthday is right around the corner.. October 1oth to be exact and I've decided its time to upgrade my Sony point and shoot camera. Its served me well for years but there are just too many problems as of late. The flash has become weak, he AF is going, and then theres a lot of dust in the lens and some mechanical issues there as well. Ive always been into photography, it's been a passion of mine for years. Took some basic classes back in school but never opted for a professional camera. I'm leaning towards the Canon Rebel Xsi it has all of the features I need in a pro-camera and it's in a price range that I've been saving up for, probably the entire year and then some for.

I wanted to share some photos I've taken with my low range Sony over the years. Ive been very happy with it. Some are a bit grainy but beautiful all the same. Most of these photos are of my son back when I had loads of free time, and few nice landscapes. (Theres even a shot of me 5 months pregnant last June.)
I know my Mom and Aunts would love to see the babies when they come here to read this.



I'll post some knitting soon. I finished a sweater for my son, a scarf for DH that I just might steal, and then theres the progress on the second Icarus Shawl.
Hope everyone is well.

Pumpkins for all..

So we're all getting ready for fall at my house. Decorating inside and out. Planning trips to go apple and pumpkin picking next month. There's just nothing else like it. This time of year when the weather starts changing. The cool air seems to bring a sort of magic with it.

I think my favorite of the season are pumpkins. They fill my creative/artistic void. I like to carve intricate designs into the surface without puncturing through to the inside so they preserve better during the holiday. I wish I had some pictures to post but sadly they are on a computer I don't have access to at the moment. But as soon as I get a few pumpkins and a lil' mommy time I'll post them up. I decided after coming across this pattern on Ravelry that I should start knitting a few in the meantime. Wow, are they fast. I cast on 60 stitches instead of the 35 that the pattern called for. I wanted a bigger squishier pumpkin for my friend's mother who works as a teacher. (She needed one for her desk). The only problem was the stem. In the pattern you are to knit an I-cord but it would've looked ridiclous on such a big pumpkin. So I decided to change it up a lil.



Heres the stem pattern:

CO 6 stitches on DPNs
join being sure not to twist stitches and knit one round.
next round: *k1, kfb* to end (9s)
next round: k all stitches
next round: *k1, kfb, k1* to end (12s)
next round: k all stitches
next round: p all stitches
next round: *k1, p1, k1, p1* to end
repeat last row until desired length
BO



Fill with scrap yarn or fiberfill and sew onto top of pumpkin
There you have it! A stem worth having. Now I'm going to start making more.

Creepy Cloths

I apologize for the lapse in posts. My time has been so preoccupied with knitting two Icarus shawls for my friend's wedding on Oct 18 (I seriously need to pick it up again.) that I needed a break this month. I thought I'd do something fun for everyone. I decided to design some mini-dishcloths that were quick and addictive to knit up. At 5½"x5½" they're adorable and functional. My husbands been cleaning everything in the kitchen with my test knits. Autumn is my favorite season and Halloween is right around the corner so I was inspired. I've already made three sets for the mothers in my life. They are so fast its ridiculous.



There are six patterns all together. I made each written pattern with a corresponding chart of 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.


They're sure to spice up your Halloween.

There are more photos of the cloths on my pattern page on Ravelry here.

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 preview. Creepy Cloths are also available in my Pattern Store here as a Ravelry Download.





This is my first time designing a pdf. file so if anyone has any problems with the pattern please leave me a message or email me on Ravelry or at krispatay4@yahoo.com and I will be more than happy to help you in anyway.

I'm really pleased with how these lil' scrubbers came out. It was such a joy to design them. I can't wait for more holidays. Hope everyone is enjoying early fall. The weather here in New York has been delightfully chilly.

Frankenknit...

I probably have about enough projects to post one a day for the next 3 months. I'm not however going to be able to do that so instead I'll just post some of my favorites. This one here is a real gem. I'm so pleased with how it turned out that I started another one in a different color already.



I took the basic pattern of Katja and modified it heavily.
I used the 6 month size for my daughter.
After I knitted the cups and joined them together I knitted 1 row of garter and then one row of (K2tog, yo) to create holes to weave in ribbon.



Then I added a lace panel from the pattern Liesel
I added a one stitch increase every 10 rows or so about 20 stitches in on either side so that the sides would puff out a little above the lace border on the bottom. When I was satisfied with the length at this point I knit a few more rows of garter and bound off VERY loosely so there would be some give and stretch after I pieced the next part on.



For the lace border I took an edging from the book "Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns". Made enough repeats to cover the width and then sewed it on. With a wash and block the cotton yarn didn't budge too much but did even out some stitches. I used one ball of TLC Cotton Plus. The pattern calls to make an I-Cord to tie in the back of the neck but I chose to knit some garter straps instead using the three stitches that are left after the cup decreases. I think it makes the piece look more elegant when their crossed.



Overall this was such a fun and easy free pattern to modify and truly make a one of a kind garment. If you want to see more details you can find this Ravelry project here

Im still here...

Its been awhile alright... I wonder if anyone's still reading? So much has taken over my life at the moment alongside being a Wife and Mother. Our family had moved temporarily to an apartment nearby in May until ours is finished being built. Ive had to personally take on the task of drywall and taping, painting, flooring, kitchen and bathroom, and lots and lots of finish work. Ive worked in the construction field for 6 years now so I'm used to this routine. Due to lack of funds its taking much longer than expected and holding everything back. This has been an especially hard year for all of us. We lost a great friend in April and miss him dearly everyday.

With so much going on Ive still managed to keep my mind busy with tons of knitting and sewing projects that I'll flood you with pictures on later this week I promise. I just wanted to drop in, say hello, and that I'm back for good. Heres a few shots of the babies. Victor will be 2 in August, and Ella will be 1 in October.







In my free time I've been launching an etsy shop where I will be selling handmade baby items both of knitting and sewing nature. Its been alot of work but making me happily busy at the same time. In addition to the new shop, I will be posting a new "Baby Themed" cloth design that I'm sure everyone will love. I've found so many uses for handknit cloths that they've become their weight in gold. From baby baths to kitchen counters they are incredibly absorbent and a wonderful alternative to paper towels being environmentally friendly. I think all my friends and family have received at least one from me at some point. As soon as I manage to add some items to the shop Ill post all the info. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer.