The Neverending Project.....

I have been working on this diaper bag for three weeks now. I haven't worked that long on anything since I first started knitting!!

There were a lot of firsts on it. There was the twisted stitch, the double strand, things I had never done before.

at first I got discouraged because my gauge was extremely too tight, but after the fiftieth row, I started on a flow.

Then there was the precipice of seaming, which involved three pockets, and two straps that extend all the way to the bottom of the bag..... very tiring. I was going to do it through a movie, but ended up doing it through two movies, an episode of Monk, and about two hours of silence on the couch, and finally, I was through!!

Twenty four hours of seaming!!

I am not that pleased with it. I am because it took me soooooo long, it was made by me, and I love the colors, but I wish I would've put more thought into the pattern.

It was a pattern free on label. Carons Simply Soft Brites Diaper Bag. I followed the pattern to a T, except for the extra side pocket I made, because, well, what's a diaper bag with only one side pocket??

I would've made the side wider, i.e. knit 8 before the slip to create side gusset, and made the bottom wider, i.e. knit two inches then binding off instead of the one inch it called for.

I should've thought about these things before just jumping into it and saying "well it looks pretty usable in the picture."

Now I have two side pockets that are only good for sticking thermometers in, because you can't get your hand to the bottom of the pocket to pull out a binky, and they are clearly too small for a bottle.

Hopefully after I wash and block it it will loosen up! It doesn't call for that, but I don't really like the way the bag leans to one side, due to the whole thick twisted stitch, I'm guessing? Like I said, never done twisted stitch before, but none of my other projects lean, so I'm assuming.

I think it will make a splendid bag for toys and extra clothes. I love it, and even though I would do things differently next time, I have to take this time with a grain of salt because there will never be a next time!!! That bag took up so much time!

I guess it's a good thing, though. It's out of the way now!!

I am now currently into a pinwheel blanket. I just started it, and can't wait to get it on circs. It was crazy starting out, but I am grooving on it now. I am not working on it that steadily being that I was finishing the freaking bag, but now that's out of the way!!

I am also working on the third bookmark for my three nieces, so they are almost finished. I am just really ready to have these things out of the way!!

I love knitting............ even when it's not so fun!

On the road to Contentment.

My double pointed needle problem has been solved for the moment.

I now hold in my stash twelve brand new pairs of double pointed needles ranging from sizes 1 to 10 1/2. Seven inches long five needles per pair and bamboo.

This is the first time I've ever knit with bamboo. Now I want to go replace my needles with bamboo needles, they're so smooth!

Now all I have to work on is my circular set. I want the harmony wood set. If my husband will ever give in and just let me order it.

I did a few quick projects that only took a day or so to do a piece, finished off some gifts to my nephews, still have two more nephews to knit hats for.

I found a quick, simple cabled hat pattern that are quick knits for my nephews, so I know all their heads will be cozy this winter. It was a great thing to start on, and really really easy! Now I want to try my needles at something a little more pattern studying. Or maybe just make some fingerless cabled gloves on my new double pointed needles so I can practice with that, and working cables with it... a new challenge for me! (keep in mind, I haven't been knitting that long.)

I know I said I was tired of time consuming projects, but I've now found myself full fledged in a diaper bag. Twisted stitch (new to me) double stranded (new to me) picking up stitches (new to me) so it should be fun. So far, the first side of the bag took me a long time because my gauge was soooooo tight, but I've fixed that. Got that finished, got two side pockets finished (even though it calls for one.., I felt a diaper bag would look naked with only one side pocket.) I'm working on the other end, then the front pocket, then the straps, then I'll pick up all those stitches and knit borders. Hopefully I'll have it all done by August!! jk.

After that I want to make a pinwheel blanket for my daughter. I've already bought the yarn for it and tested out a couple of color variations with color pencils, I think I've found the one I want.

I just can't wait to get this diaper bag knitted. Between that and the pinwheel blanket I think I may have enough time to knit a hat and a sleeper bag before he's here. I hope!

Oodles of needles

It seems I've run into a slight problem.

My stash just isn't big enough anymore.

My husband can't fathom how one person can have twenty pairs of straight needles and ten circulars, one set of dp's and not have anything to knit with!
Fifty balls of yarn, and nothing to knit with!

It's every girl's delima.... thirty pairs of jeans, fifty sweaters, one hundred pairs of shoes, and nothing to wear.

I am coming across this same problem recently. I'm in search for the most perfect cabled hat. I have never cabled a thing in my life, have new cable needles, thought I'd give it a go.... and the most perfect patterns just aren't at my access right now:(
I also want a quick knit that won't take more than a day or so being that my last two were blankets that seemed to take forever.
So I found the cutest cabled wrist warmer patters, (I know, off subject from the hat, but could later knit hat that matched) and it calls for double pointed needles that I don't have.
I have a very poor needle collection. I wish I had every needle in every size, straight, circular, double pointed, all inches, you get it! And access to any yarn store at all hours of the night with all patterns at my fingertips, just waiting for me to make them!
Oh well, until then, I'm still in search of the perfect fill me up quick knit fun and easy floppy cabled with the needles I do have on hand. The yarn, however, I believe I have a big enough variety to not yearn there. That's just pure selfishness:)

coasting coasters....

I knitted coasters today. I was happy with how they turned out, and the pattern turned out to be easier than I had expected. I got to try out a few stitches I had never done before. I learned how to increase using k1inc1, where you knit into the front and the back of the same stitch. It seemed confusing at first, then once I figured out what was happening it was difficult until I figured out that I could release the tension and give myself a little more slack. I'm just glad I have fingernails, I couldn't imagine doing it without them!
I also learned the bind off using three needles. I enjoyed not having to seem anything up at the end. I hate seeming. But I didn't enjoy the whole having to swap the stitches around on needles before positioning them into proper places. If anyone has any suggestions on an easier way to do that, please let me know!! That was tedious! The first two coasters it was hell, but as I got the hang of it, the only tedious part became swapping the stitches around on needles, the knitting the two at once was fairly easy.

About six months ago I knitted a fairly good sized swatch to try out a new pattern I had seen. I haven't been knitting that long so there's a lot that is still new with me. I have used it on my end table for my wrought iron coasters to sit on and to gather the moisture that falls off the coasters. I used the same yarn for my coasters I knitted, so it's a nice little thing I have going on.
I was pleased with everything. I really love the colors in this yarn. I knitted an entire bag with this yarn. The color change becomes hypnotic. I really wish it were another material, though, instead of just worsted weight but I like it just the same.
I still have a whole skein to use up!! I'm thinking of making dish cloths or a pinwheel blanket with the rest... not sure yet.

This is my first entry.

I haven't been much of a writer lately. I usually have words pouring out of me, being that I am a writer and all... but not so much the past few weeks.

It's weird, I don't have anything to write about. I could write about everything, like the topsy turvey tail I saw today that reminded me of broccoli bangs, my two year old daughter who is getting more and more verbal, which with that comes more rebellion, my up and coming pregnancy complete with braxton hicks contractions daily, and the nearing completion of my second baby blanket I'm knitting, on top of the frustration my husband gives off whenever I'm knitting away. I'm not sure if he's frustrated because I knit so much, or that I'm not currently knitting anything for him... not sure on that one. Either way, he'd never really admit it.

But, there's not much to say about me. I'm happily married, I knit, I have a two year old little princess who will be three at the end of September. My first son will be born in August. I have a puppy named Piper, and I like to talk a lot. When I say a lot, I mean a lot. A real lot!

So, maybe my writer's block will cease soon so I can put this blog to good use....