Quadruplet

It's official - I am on a hat binge! I just cannot stop making hats. They go easy if you have a pattern that works for you and they are so relaxing to just knit and knit.
Decreases my stash too!





The red hat is a knitted ripple type hat. Basic knitted ripple and I just made this up as I knit.
The other 3 are variations of Ann's Fat Hat pattern. I am getting so good at this that I can knit one up in a few hours!

No mitten knittin, yet...

On the needles, one sideways scarf from an idea on a blog. More on that when I finish.

Yarn Bargain

I'm back from my short vacation but I had lots of fun just hanging out with my sis!

One of the places we went to was the East Bay Depot. I had been to the original store a few years ago and I had fun digging thru all the bins.
This time I found some great old booklets and some pretty Red Heart for more hats and mittens.
$5 for this lot!







My sis saw this lovely scarf at her local LYS and she chose these colors and she bought the yarn so I guess that has no conflict with my KFYS rules!




Not much else to report. I have to get back into my mitten knitting but want to start the scarf and some other new projects I saw in Blogland!

Vacation Knitting

I'm currently on vacation - visiting my older sis and took some knitting with me.

We're running around so much that I have not had time to knit but I did finish another pair of mittenz before I left.













I also managed to knit up two more hatz!








Both are basic beanie types.
The top one with odd bits of leftover yarn knit every 3rd row.
The bottom one is a combination slip stitch brim of 3 inches and then the Helix hat method for the top part.

Well back to running around the Bay area of California!

We Have Hatz!

The Mittenz Blitz is still going, but now we have a Hatz Blitz.
Oh I love knitting hats!

Some Fat Hats

Knit with 2 strands of knitting worsted. The pattern is from our Cheyenne River group's site
Helping Hearts For Cheyenne River.

It's one of Ann's creations - Ann's Knit Fat Hat



As you can see I had lots of orange to knit up and it is so much fun to combine colors.
The design on the bottom hat was done with one strand of yarn and duplicate stitched.


Triple Treats!
These are done with 3 strands of knitting worsted and so quick to knit up!
Pattern is from WhimsyKnits - Tripple Treat Toddler Hat





Crocheting A Star
I wanted to crochet a ripple like hat but with an 8pt star on top.
This is what I came up with. No pattern, no notes. I love to improvise and see what develops as I crochet.




Side View

Knitting & Rocking

I've been nominated!




Monika over at Smoking Hot Needles has nominated me as a "Rockin' Girl Blogger".
Well Golly Gee! I am honored and humbled.

I'm supposed to nominate 5 more from all the Blogs I read. I have many more than on my sidebar because I use Sage Feed.
I do enjoy everyone of the blogs I read - can't decide who I like the best - you are all great reads!

So here's a random 5

1. Ann from Sheep Shots for sure!

2. Gail from Knitamaniacs

3. The Knitting Angel

4. f.Pea

5. Sugar Bunny Boulevard

I could go on and on - I read alot of blogs :)


Mittenz Update

And another pair of Mittenz for the Rez!



I've pretty much memorized the pattern so it is easy for me to throw in mods here and there.
With these I added a few more stitches for length and only used 9 sts for the thumb - 18 instead of 20.
And if you notice there is a slight flare at the wrists - I added short rows to the edges to make them flare out.

Wipping Along

Well summer is finally here - hot, hot , hot!
Temps in the high 90's and low 100's.
Oh, and no A/C.
All that means less bulky item knitting and sometimes even less time knitting!

I've started off the week with a few Wips.

Another pair of Mittenz - smaller needles - smaller size





Crocheting

I have been wanting to try my hand at Tapestry Crochet and finally decided to join the group over at Yahoo. You can find out more about Tapestry Crochet here.


The original pattern for this was supposed to be a bigger bag - more kitties - but since I am just learning, I decided to make a smaller version. So far it's been fairly easy and fun.


A couple of hats for the latest Hatz Blitz!



As you can see I started a 2x2 rib on circular needles. I love circular needles, but for some reason they were hurting my hands. So I switched to straights and happily k2, p2 my way to a few hats with Lion Brand Homespun.

Mittnz Update

Here is another set of seven pairs!



Those bright yellow ones and the smaller rainbow ones were knit from my latest sideways mitten pattern. Everytime I knit the original one, I keep getting different construction ideas.
Pattern for the new Mittenz on the sidebar.
The yellow ones were knit with Red Heart worsted wt on size 5 needles. The rainbow ones from (I think it is Red Heart) a thinner varigated yarn on size 4 needles. See the difference in sizes?

Here are some more pictures of these Mittenz










These lovely tan ones were knit by Carol, one of my "test knitters".

Special Announcement Time

Time for a break in my regular scheduled knitting activities.

It's another Mitten Challenge for 2007 - 7 Pairs in 2007

Details on Ann's Blog here.

So here's my first pair - 6 more to go!




I used a 2 strands of knitting worsted and a very basic pattern.
Here are my "mods":
Cast on 24 sts, worked a k1,p1 cuff to the bottom of my hand, then a few more rows.
The thumb is EZ's famous afterthought thumb with waste yarn on 6 sts.
Knit until I was almost to the tip of my fingers and did decrease rounds.
Picked up thumb sts, added 2 more on each end, knit 2 rounds, then decreased them down to 13. I kept trying it on to see how far to fit my thumb and then decreased, gathered up and mittens were done!
They fit perfect! Someone on the Rez will fit into them too - I'll probably make more and have fun combining my yarns.


The crocheted squares blanket is officially an FO!




I used light worsted wt yarn from my stash. The multi-colored yarn for most of the centers is Moda-Dea Sassy Stripes. A good way to use up the sock yarn I bought and thought I would knit socks.

Here's a closer view.

On Hooks & Needles

The WIPs I have on my hooks and needles this week.

Ripple #2 and wow is this bright or what?




The Crochet Square Blanket
I have about 14 more squares to do and then join.





Curve of Pursuit blanket that I must finish. I only have a few more color repeats and then the border.





Rita's Vest has to be sewn together.




Cottage Creations Babies & Bears Sweater
It starts at the sleeve then increases up to the middle where you put it on a holder and start the other side. I'm working both sides at the same time because it's no fun going back to the beginning for the 2nd side. Sorta like knitting 2 socks at the same time. Good thing I have 2 - 16" circs.

Tally Tuesday

I'm proud to say I have 3 FO's to report!

Here's the crocheted ripple blanket/afghan/laprobe.
I used an I crochet hook and stash yarn. It measures 42" x 42"



These ripple blankets are so addictive that I've started another one with some really bright colors.


Now for knitting

The sunburst star blanket is done! Not too happy with my color arrangement but it's a nice 43" across size. Good for a baby or a lapghan or even folded in half as a shawl.
I started out with garter stitch as the pattern suggests, but worked rows of stockinette with some garter stitch ridges every few rows.
I think I had about 450-500 stitches all on that 60" circular with room for more if I had wanted to make it bigger.
I'd love to try another one, but perhaps I had better wait until the fall and cooler temps. No use starting something that will be tossed aside as the weather warms. We are expecting 80's temps this week. Besides, I've started working on the Curve of Pursuit and want to finish it!





Finally those little teeny socks are done! Socks are so easy, but I do not like knitting with such fine yarn. I still have enough of this Lion Brand Magic Stripes for another pair - someday soon.

Wednesday's Wip Update

Ready for my line-up? Here are my 5 current WIPs.

WIP#1 - Crocheted Ripple blanket/lapghan from this pattern.
I'm using colors that were listed as the favorite colors of the Cheyenne River Reservation.





WIP #2
Another crocheted granny square blanket. I plan on 49 squares - 7x7
Using up more of that stash yarn - especially lots of white and some Moda Dea sock yarn.



WIP #3
Remember this poufy creature? It looked like a hat, but it is really a Ten Point Sunburst blanket.




Other side with lots of ends to weave in as I go along. And I am using a big #9 - 60" Addi Turbo circular needle. I like the drape of worsted wt with #9 needles, so I jumped on a half-price sale when Knitpicks was selling them.





WIP #4
This is part of a diagonal rectangle for a vest for my sis, Rita. I have one more rectangle to go!




WIP #5
I am slowly working on these - small and difficult for me with those teeny tiny needles -
but a good way to use up some of that stash sock yarn.






A little FO - These are from a Debbie Bliss pattern and I added the ribbed cuff. Even with #2 needles and sport yarn, these came out a child's size. I sure knit loosely.

Another Blanket FO

Well it took me long enough! I decided to join the blocks up as I crocheted the edges.
It's called the Flat Braid Square Joining Method. Easy and pretty.

I don't know about the yarn stash, but the WIPs are getting done!

Mystery FO's

A mystery to me why I did not blog about these!

I knit these back in February and found them as I was packing up a box to send to the Rez.
They are made on my knitting machine and the top and side seams sewn up later.

Should have posted them on Easter as they sorta look like Easter Eggs!





Here are the two folded up on one side and


the "other sides/hats"



Now for a slightly bigger size below.

This is what the it looks like opened.

Mystery Project

Could this be another hat?




Well it does look a bit mysterious at this point.
A big thank you to Debbie who came to my aid for my quest for a knitted star blanket.
She suggested the Ten Point Sunburst pattern in Barbara Walker's Sampler Knitting
I am so lucky to have found a copy in my local library! I love how it is growing along.






Must get back to my weeding chores..... I'd rather be relaxing with my crafts inside the house but it is very nice outside - perfect weather for yardwork. Summer comes too soon around here and that means hot, hot heat!

Blogging Blahs

I've got the Blogging Blahs.... but fortunately not the knitting blahs.
And I've finished my crocheted 8 point star blanket - yipee!




Here is a close up - the colors are closer to the actual ones in this picture.





It measures about 44" across.

My next crochet project will probably be a ripple rectangle blanket.

On to knitting where I have finished a garter stitch baby sweater.





This started out as a big rectangle. I used an old pattern from Meredith Glover for the inspiration. It was a little fussy knitting because I had to keep some of the stitches on separate needles or holders. Next time I might just knit 2 mitered squares and add sleeves later.

I have more FO's to report, just have to unload the camera and post.

Too many things to do around here lately - taxes, doctors, weeds, and aching joints!