House Cup 4KCBWDAY1

The House of Manatee: Manatees are gentle, calm and cuddly. Relaxed and unflashy they represent the comfort and soft side of knitting and crochet.

In the debate over which House I belong to, I really wanted to properly assess myself. Originally, I was torn between the Manatee and the Bee. I would fit as a bee because I am always starting something new. But I feel like a lot of people are like that. I decided on manatee, because I feel like when I knit and crochet, I'm making something that will last, but also something that will give the recipient a hug. Even when I knit or crochet on commission, it's a blanket or a warm scarf or cozy hat.  

Sometimes I feel like flashy things are impractical. My wardrobe even reflects this, as it is full of staples- basic pants, tops, and shoes- though I do have some flashy pieces, they do not go with everything. And it's not even just my wardrobe. An ideal day to me includes several blankets, a cup of tea, and a cozy knit project. 

While I might not always come across as the gentle, calm, cuddly person, I know that I wish I was that person more often. There are so many times in my classroom where I wish I was acting as the calm and gentle person. 

We're supposed to be going for the best fit here, and my self-evaluation places me in the house of Manatee. Stop on by if you're looking for a cup of tea or for a hug in the form of a scarf. 

Slippers in the Spring

When we thought the rain was going to stop, the field behind our house looked like this. 

 So, I was a weirdo the other day, and shared a picture of my toe poking through a hole in my hand-dyed, crocheted, felted slipper. I realized that there was no explanation for this problem, etc. A while ago, I shared this pair of slippers that I had made with yarn dyed with my cousins. They were not sturdy enough (to me) for everyday wear, so when I remembered that I had a stack of projects to felt, these slippers went in the wash too. I wore them, I loved them, but my toes poked through the double-crochet that didn't quite felt all the way (or perhaps, too much, as after the second washing, they were a little snug).

These slippers will find a home with my cousins who dyed the yarn initially, as the kiddos have smaller feet than mine, and have a cold basement that could require wool slippers. But after wearing them for a few days, I realized that I really, really wanted a pair of wool slippers for myself. The first thing that came to mine was this pair of slippers, which I made for my aunt. I would, of course, actually felt them, even though the pattern doesn't call for it.

I have the needles, the yarn, and the desire. However, since I knit really slow, I'm not sure I will get them finished before I won't need them anymore. But! If nothing else, they will be ready for next winter.

(And with all this nasty almost-winter-again weather, I might actually get to wear them sooner then I think... If they get finished)

When the rain started again on Thursday, the field looked like this.

Oh, and don't forget!!!

 

FO: Felted Sweater Slippers

Courtesy of my sister!

I found a cool pattern while blog-hopping yesterday, and decided that I really need to make felted sweater slippers!

Fabric paint to make no-skid bottoms

Pair 2 in progress!

The first pair looks a little wonky. I will definitely be keeping them for me, just because I can't handle giving gifts that are "below" standard. But I was winging them a bit more than I should've. The pattern was more of a guideline for that pair.  My second pair is turning out a lot better, but is also not finished yet.

I'm also part way through another scarf, adding two more to the pile for this week. I really need to get on with the scarf making, which I realized last night, halfway through making the second pair of slippers. So I switched back into scarf mode, and will probably be in that mode for the next week or so. My last big craft show is next Saturday, and out of town, so while I will have travel time to crochet, I'd rather not risk it. I do have one more in December, but it will definitely be smaller.

I'm linking up with Tami's FO Friday this week!! Check out all the cool FOs that people are sharing :)

Holiday Stashdown Challenge Week 22

Marie just posted about how she is stalling in her holiday craft-making-- and that's exactly what I was going to post about!! The last week or so has been a whirl-wind of preparing for last Saturday's craft show, and in the aftermath, I've found that I still have a large number of commissioned items to make. But I still need to be keeping up with my business, so to speak, which means I am dividing my time between 2 types of projects, neither of which are Christmas gifts for my family. I am getting paid for them, though.

I am making progress on my list, though. I finished making  this child-sized Viking hat for my boyfriend's godson, and I am very proud of the results. I have until Christmas to make it even cooler, though it probably won't change much from the picture you see. I also finished a commissioned item- a pair of bulky slippers. The pattern is pretty good, but I think there could be an alteration to the sole to make them less boxy. However, as I said, another thing off my list.

I finally bought the size circular needles that I needed, and have started on the commissioned knitted poncho for Barb. I haven't gotten far enough to make an assessment about the pattern, but it will come.

I'm going to try to finish as many of my commissioned items as possible, but I will probably intersperse them with quick Christmas gifts. So there will be more coming!

Update from far Away!

Hey all!

This is a mass update for my Holiday Stashdown, WIP Wednesday and Stash-bashing with Tricia.
I'm away at camp for the whole week, but I did manage some progress during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics! I've been walking around all week with a ball of bulky wool, knitting needles and a pattern in my bag. Not too odd, I know-- except for the fact that I hadn't cast on anything! I've been meaning to start this slippers all week, but hadn't gotten around to it. Friday afternoon (4 pm to be more precise) I decided that I would try to knit them (even though I am a less than proficient knitter) as part of the Ravellenic Games. Listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, getting ready for camp and knitting some slippers-- sounded like a good idea for the afternoon.

My nearly finished slippers!

The slippers are for my godmother, who says her feet are the only thing that gets cold. The wool is KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Bulky Bare, which I then dyed. The ball of wool has been in my stash for over 6 months, waiting to be something. I love how these slippers turned out, the pattern is very clever! The second one still needs to be sewn, but I won't worry about that until I come back from camp. I also have some wool left, so I might make the cuffs longer (don't know why I didn't think of it before I bound off...)

As I'm not really here, this is all you'll get from me. I will be back on Saturday the 4th, hopefully in one piece. I'll be ready to tackle the last bit of summer, and will hopefully be energized to make more progress on my projects :)

(It's 8/5/12, and this scheduled post never posted... so I'm publishing it now)

Holiday Stashdown Challenge: Week 11

This week for the Holiday Stashdown, we're reassessing our lists. Over the past week, I spent a great amount of time on my Ravelry queue, looking at patterns I wanted to make. Then, I wrote out my original list of who I wanted to make handmade gifts for. From there, I flipped back and forth between my list of "projects I *have* to make" and "handmade gifts for...". I think I've matched many of them up quite nicely. (note: this list has been *at least* a week in the making.. I've edited it several times already)

The List
Mom & Dad: Autumnal Afghan, various afghan blocks, Vanna's Choice in Honey, Rust, Cranberry, Dusty Purple, Eggplant, Dusty Green and Toffee.
Mom: fingerless gloves, in KnitPicks Felici Hummingbird
Dad: still unknown
Bro #1: that vest that never gets finished
Bro #2: Jayne hat, most likely in misc. acrylic that has been floating in my stash (He recently watched Firefly, & hats for him are a good standby.) If I have time and inclination, I will make him a beard hat.
Sister: Divine hat in easy care acrylic (finished!). Age of Brass and Steam Scarf in KnitPicks Shadow Deep Sea, fingerless gloves in KnitPicks Felici Tyrian Purple (maybe)
E: He wants a beard hat- go figure. Such a guy. Not sure if he will get anything else handmade.

Aunt #1/Godmother: bulky slippers in KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Bulky that I dyed myself, T-yarn rug
Aunt #2: A Touch of Gray, in a in between width (not scarf, but not stole either)
Aunt #3:  button socks in Bernat Jr. Jacquard (it's a sock weight and has some nylon in it)
T (my favorite cousin): Starlight Tunisian scarf (in yellow)(no yarn yet), possibly Smorgasbord blanket BMDAO (T's 5 kids): slipper socks in the yarn they helped me dye last winter (Basic Sock)

Friend B: Slip Stitch Shawl in a scarf size- tried this pattern, realized I hate slip stitches. Now I'm using the Soft Waves ripple from Jan Eaton's 200 Ripple Patterns with a hand-dyed wool yarn.
Friend K: infinity scarf in Lion Brand Homespun- She loved the one for her birthday, and requested another one. (personal pattern)
Friend A: Up to You Scarf (Re-dying the yarn from my first Juliana)

E's nieces & nephews: an activity rug with 6 amis
E's mom & sisters: fingerless gloves (maybe) (3 pair) or scarves
E's dad & brothers: hats (maybe) (5)

Coworkers: Cards with crocheted snowflakes on them. (if time)

And I found this ornament and this ornament that I would also think about making if any of the above ideas don't work out. I also keep finding cute ideas that would be fabulous for scrap yarn, which means I need to stop browsing patterns on Ravelry.

I feel loads better now that I have ideas for patterns, as I had felt a bit disorganized without a completed list. I also have the list separated into sections, where the first two need to get done, and the second two depend on time and inclination.

I hate and love this stashdown. My yarn supply feels limited. I'm trying to avoid placing another KnitPicks order, as it defeats the purpose of this adventure, so I've seeking out dyeable fibers in my stash. So far, I have found a few already dyed fibers that I forgot about, and I'm re-dyeing some others that are leftover from other projects. Yesterday, I figured I would try my hand at solar-dyeing, since it is too hot to use microwave or stovetop. I still haven't checked the results... I also know that I have multiple skeins of Bare KnitPicks yarn hanging out in my stash. Guess what else is going to visit the dyepot in the next few weeks?!

I have just received several Christmas orders for hats, and one of them needs to be done by October, so I'll be putting some of the above aside to work on those orders come mid-August.

FO Friday: Slippers, Hats and Flowers!

I've had an extremely productive few days.
I whipped up these slippers in a few hours, but am still debating their color. I used Paton's Classic wool, dyed with Kool-Aid by a couple of young cousins who thought every color under the rainbow would be cool.  Everyone in my house thinks they look like fruit loops. What do you think?



I also finally finished the sewing on a pair of baby dino hats. Both of them are going to friends who are having babies in March. I also have 2 craft shows in March, and I've been working on flower stretchies. My flower headbands went over fairly well in the fall, and someone suggested I put the flowers on a hair elastic. Hopefully both of them will do fairly well this time also.



My bf has been home for a few weeks- YAY- and he brought me back a pocket watch! It's from Germany, and it makes me feel really cool, with the chain hanging from my pocket. Isn't it pretty?



I'm joining up with Tami's Amis FO Friday-- check out more lovely stuff here!