Loving my craft room and what I've been up too...

Hello all.  It's been a long time since I have posted.  A few years to be exact.  A lot has happened in that time.  I've now been knitting for 5 years and spinning for about 3 years.  I'm still loving both.  Here are some pictures of my craft room I was able to put together this year.  Since my cousin gave me an entertainment center, being a knitter you know the first thing I thought of was. Yay a place to put the stash!  

On to my Works In Progress.  I have started my very first SWEATER, yes, I said sweater.  It is the February Lady Sweater.  I'm knitting it out of Cascade 220, color number 2403 on size 8(5.0 mm) and 10 needles(6.0 mm). I am truly enjoying this knit.  At first I was intimidated by the lace pattern that is most of the sweater.  Since the sweater  starts out with garter stitch for the yoke and shoulder until right after separating for the sleeves, I had courage to begin. 

Next up is the shawl I'm making for my mom.  I've named it Mother's Love..it is the Lala Simple Shawl by Laura Linneman of The Knitgirllls.  I'm about half way through and the yarn I'm using is no longer available in my area.  Go figure that every store in my town would stop selling the same yarn at the same time.  This means that the tip of buying all the yarn you need for a project is oh so true.   I am knitting this out of Lion Brand's Amazing yarn in the Ruby colorway on size 9(5.5mm) needles.  I will order more of this yarn from Webs.  I should've finished this before the winter set in but I have been procrastinating the order of yarn. (Since posting this I actually changed yarns and started the shawl over in  Knit Picks -will post finished picture in next post.) 

 I'm also working on a scarf using the brioche stitch. This is a relaxing  knit because of the rythmn of making the stitch.  I'm using Cascade 220 in the colorway____.  One of the ladies in my knitting group showed me one of the briouche stitch patterns.  I plan to make some fingerless mitts to go with it.

 The last thing on my needles is thenWaffle Rib Sock by Carolyn A Ferneau,  A free pattern on Ravelry.  I'm knitting them out of my awesome perfect sock- self striping yarn from Must Stash Yarns in the colorway The Fae Queen #4M.  Love this fingering weight yarn and the color is lovely.  I bought this yarn at the Arkansas Fiber Extravaganzan last year in September.  Stacey of Must Stash yarns and the podcast was so sweet, it was great to meet her.  I even got a picture with her.

Socks that make me smile!

Well, I think that is it for today's catch up blog post.  Coming up in the next post will be some finished objects and community activity that I have been involved in.

 So until then  remember to 'Keep Joy In Your Knitting'.  Talk to you soon.

Creativity

Good Evening All!

I thought I would share my thoughts with you today.  I've been feeling creative.  Lately I have had the urge to make my own stitch markers.  I see all types of markers on Ravelry and on the podcasts that I watch and thought, I could probably make some myself.  So guess what? I did it!  I found a video on youtube called 'How to make your own stitch markers' by TheArtsyfartsy123.  The video helped me pick out what I would need and I did it very easily.  I will let you know how they work out. 

Here is a picture of them in one of my projects..  

Making the stitch markers brought on the urge to make my own project bag--because I seem to be running out of bags since I start more projects than I finish : )  I've got major startistis!

My First Project Bag

'Judy's Scarf 'that I'm knitting

So lets move on to my Works In Progress.  I'm working on 'Judy's Scarf' by Judy Greer. She is the owner of my LYS called The Parrot Stitch.  I saw Judy working on the scarf at the library where we gathered for Knit In Public day earlier this year and I had to have one.  I'm kniting it  out of Crazy Zauberball by Schoppel Wolle on size 7 US circular needles. I am really enjoying knitting this scarf up.

This is 'Judy's Scarf' knit by Judy!

This next work in progress is the Garter Stitch Shawl from The Prayer Shawl Ministry Volume 2 that I'm knitting for my mom. As you may know when you knit  a prayer shawl you knit a prayer and good thoughts into it as you knit.  So I chose the Prayer of St Augustine to meditate on while knitting on the shawl. I'm knitting it out of Lion Brands yarn's Mediterranean colorway on size 10-US circular needles.

Mom's Prayer Shawl

My Basic Sock

I'm also working on some plain socks for myself.  They are just called basic socks on double-point needles.  Knitting them out of Patons Kroy Socks yarn and the color name is Clover Colors on my size 2-US harmony needles. The cuff is knit in K1 P1 rib and then stockinette until the heel which is a normal heel.

Tweed Scarflet

On to some of my recent Finished Objects.  The first is the Tweed Scarflet by Sarah Tama.  It's a christmas gift for my mom.  Sorry guys, I can't remember the yarn name or colorway. But it was knit on size 7-US straight needles.  

Next up is The Starving Artist Hat by Laura Linneman of The Knitgirllls podcast.  It's a slouchy hat and it really was a fun knit.  I'm going to make it again and modify it a bit because I apparently knit loose(and of course did not swatch) and it came out bigger than I intended. So I will reduce the cast on stitches and maby cut about 1 inch off the slouch.  But I love it.  I knit it on size 10.5 circular needle and 10.5 DPNs with Cascade Yarns 128 Tweed.

The Starving Artist Hat

Next up is the Bias Scarf pattern on the label of Caprice yarn by N. Y. Yarns.  The color is #6.  It is a secret knit so I won't say who it is far until after christmas.  It was fun to knit and I will be knitting two more.

Bias Scarf

Coming up next on the needles is the Harris Tweed Ribbed socks and Miami Beach Shawl by Cascade Yarns.

So I guess that is it for this week.  I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving this year.  I'll be making potatoe salad and corn salad to go with all the yummy goodness.  Hope you all have a Great Holiday.  

Talk to you soon!  And remember always keep Joy in your knitting!

Welcome and my introduction to the blog world

Hello all!. My name is Andrea and this is my first blog post so I thought I would tell you a little bit about myself.  I have been knitting for about a year and enjoying every minute of it.  My knitting journey started last year during a bout with bronchitis that put me out of commission for a week.  I thought if I can't do anything for that long I need something to do.  Years ago I dabbled in crochet a bit, so I went to the craft section while waiting on a prescription and the knitting items caught my attention.  I got the starter kit, that you all know includes everything you need to get started, and some black yarn and off I went. I didn't do a lot last year but this year my knitting mojo is front and center and I'm thrilled.

My hopes for my blog is to journal my knitting thoughts, share pictures and my journey with kindred spirits of knitting.  I have already found out that knitters rock!  

So I guess that is all for now.  I hope you have an awesome day.  And if you haven't realize it yet, it is daylight savings time so don't forget to set you clocks back 1 hour!