Cedar Leaf Shawlette

Hi,
I recently got the pattern Cedar Leaf Shawlette and I'm excited to start it once I get yarn for it at the Yarn Crawl, which starts tomorrow!  Here's what it looks like.

I think I will try out a new brand of yarn for this shawlette.  It needs to be something really nice and special. :)

And some hexipuffs because they are just o so awesome...

I have 17 total!!  One of them is missing - gasp!!!

Well, that's all for today's post!  I will have lost of pictures to show you after the Yarn Crawl, and I will be starting projects like crazy with all my new yarn. :)

Photos and Projects

Hi,
I have some projects to share with you along with some other random photos that may (or may not) interest you. ;-) So, along with spinning my fiber and knitting hexipuffs I've also been taking a lot of photos AND knitting a little cowl out of my "Under the Sea" handspun yarn!  Not to mention the Rose City Yarn Crawl starts this Friday, this week has been very suspenseful and exciting.

Now, what would you like to see first?  Some of my recent photography or some WIPs and FOs?  I think we'll kick off this post with some cool photos. ^_^

Aren't those neat?  I'm proud of them, and I like how each one turned out.  There's more photos, but I think I'll stop sharing my photography right now. :)  On to the WIPs and FOs!!

I made two more hexipuffs this week, this time I used DPNs instead of magic loop method.  It's much easier than getting tangled in the pesky circular needle cord. :P

I also started knitting a simple garter stitch cowl out of my handspun yarn.  So far so good, and I think I'll be done with this cowl before the Yarn Crawl!

Spinning and Hexipuffin'

Hi,
I've done some spinning on my drop spindle and some "puffin'" on my knitting needles and I'm ready to show you some of my progress!

I am spinning my "Under the Sea" roving, which is a targhee fiber with wonderful colors that resemble the ocean.  If you have been reading my blog as of February 1st then you should remember this post about the fiber and the small amount of yarn I made with it.  Now I am using the remainder of the fiber to spin up a (hopefully) 2 ply fingering weight yarn!

Also, I knit ONE hexipuff!  I took my time on this little puff, it took me exactly one week to complete. :P Usually I can knit one in 45 minutes or a little less.

This one is very puffy and smooshy and soft!  I like the blue and yellow colors that give it a "spring" feeling. :)

ALSO, the Rose City Yarn Crawl is coming very soon!!!  I cannot wait to buy tons of yarn and fiber!

Giveaway WINNER!

Hi,
Well, it's the end of the February Giveaway and that means it is time to select a winner!  Using the Random Number Generator I selected one lucky commenter to claim the yarn and needles!!

CONGRATULATIONS "Casey", you are the winner of this month's Yarnful Giveaway!! Please email me using the Contact form sending me your address and info!

Remember everyone, there are many giveaways to come so please don't be a sore loser if you didn't win this time.  Anyways, congratulations Casey!!

Emily

Order and News

Hi,
I recently put in an order for a great book packed to the top with stunning patterns inspired by trees and foliage: Botanical Knits.  Alana Dakos is a true knitting genius for coming up with all of these beautiful designs!!  Click on the link above to look at the website and see the patterns, trust me; you will be amazed. :)

My favorite pattern in Botanical Knits is either Buds and Blooms or Oak Trail.  Once the book arrives at my house I will choose to knit one of these first.  Which one should it be?  Let me know in the comments!

These photos have been lifted from Alana's blog, they are not mine! :)

Other than placing the order for the Botanical Knits book I have made a few changes around the blog.  Along with a font change I have also designed a brand new banner!  Why?- because I felt that the other banner used too high contrasting colors, and it was a bit sketchy.  I hope you like the new banner, let me know what you think!

Emily

FO Friday: HEXIPUFFS!

For today's FO Friday I will be sharing some hexipuffs!  For those of you who don't know, hexipuffs are the little itty bitty pieces that make up one absolutely stunning quilt: The Beekeeper's Quilt, a design by talented Stephanie Dosen.  For those of you who have never seen one, here is a picture I found on the web.

Lovely isn't it?  Now, here are my hexipuffs!  You will probably recognize some of them from previous posts, but they love to be showcased on my blog so I thought I would bring 'em out again!!

Those are my favorites so far.  The one on the bottom left looks a bit too round, and the one on the bottom right looks a bit too pointy.  Nevertheless, I love them!

Sweater Progress and Hitchhiker

  In my opinion, Valentine's Day is not the best, most important (or awesome) holiday in the calendar but it certainly is a festive, silly, and fun day. After receiving and snacking on chocolate bars, hershey kisses, cookies, and gummies, I am left with a full stomach and ambition to write out an interesting, photo filled post!  I have some progress on my sweater to share, as well as a WIP that I have been keeping secret.

So far my sweater is looking fabulous, and I can't wait to wear it!  I've knit a total of 10.5 inches, and I'm finished with the side increases.  Here is my progress on my Owls Sweater!!

Not much to say about my sweater but I am sort of addicted to knitting this!  I think it's turning out well with not a mistake or super ugly stitch in sight.  Hopefully I can finish it by the end of February which is my personal deadline.

And, here is my Hitchhiker shawl!  The colors are so bright and bold, yet calm like ocean waves.  I can't wait to wear this one as it isn't a a girly, lacy shawl.  Hitchhiker seems to be a bit less feminine then most shawls and shawlettes I have seen on ravelry.

That's all for today's WIPs, and hopefully I will have some FOs to share on Friday!!

The Return of the Owl Sweater

Hi Everyone,
I've been hard at work on my Owl Sweater after a long break from it. :)  I'm about half way done with the back waist decreases and so far it's easy peasy!  The yarn is so soft and luxurious, and it's bulky and warm.  Here are the photos....

Also, I coded my blog so that there are no "frames" around any images that I post!  Hooray, those were o so annoying! :P :D

I'm sorry the pictures aren't the best, but I tried.  Anyways, I went down a needle size for this sweater because my tension was a bit too loose, using smaller needles gave me a spot on gauge!  Yippee!

So far I am loving the Owls Sweater pattern (I gave you a link to the pattern)!  There are many different sizes (I am knitting the smallest size) and I love the owls. The sweater matches my owlie phone case!

Designing....maybe....

Hi,
I started designing a pair of fingerless mitts for the Designer's Challenge February contest.  The theme for this month's challenge is to design a hand accessory that has to do with geometry/shapes, and uses more than one color.  I'm excited for this challenge because I have a ton of ideas that I believe I can follow through with.  Here is my progress on my new design.

I'm about finished with the cuff of the fingerless mitt, and I'm using fingering weight yarn and size 4 needles.

I love the yarn.  It's Knit Picks Felici in color way Fizz.  This is one of my favorite yarns, it's soft, squishy, and pretty.

Also, I have a Hitchhiker Shawl on the needles, but I think I will keep that WIP a secret until it is finished. :)

Yarn Crawl

Hi,
I haven't been knitting very much this week, that's why I haven't posted in 5 days. :P  I'm back, but I still don't have any WIPs to share, FOs to post about, or new skeins of yarn to add to my stash.  However, I am getting very excited for the Rose City Yarn Crawl!

What, you may ask, is the Rose City Yarn Crawl?  It is (quoted from the website):

 "An annual Portland experience, the Rose City Yarn Crawl is a four-day event for knitters to explore the many knitting shops in and around Portland."

Doesn't that sound like so much fun?!  I can't wait to add some pretty yarn to my stash, and discover many more yarn shops scattered around Portland, Oregon.  I'm saving up for the yarn crawl, so I can buy tons of yarn and other fiber things.

~ Emily

P.S. Sorry for the short post today!

It's finally finished!

I have another FO (finished object) to share with you today.  To be honest, this project has been a WIP (work in progress) for a very long time, and it is an over due Christmas present.  I cast on for this project in September, and I finished it today, so I guess you could say that I took my time. ;)

I knit my wonderful mom a cowl for Christmas, but I didn't complete it in time to present it to her on Christmas morning.  I was very disappointed in myself that I didn't finish it on time, but I'm glad that I didn't cast off the project earlier as she wanted a nice, long lengthy cowl.

The cowl is worked in the double moss stitch, which creates a cozy, bumpy texture that is hard not to adore.  You can wrap the cowl around your neck up to 3 times, which is how my mom is modeling it right now.

The color is a simple medium gray and it goes with practically everything.  It's interesting, but not too bold and colorful.

As you have have noticed, this cowl is on the longer side.  It took me forever to knit it up, and the stitch pattern became very tiresome and boring after a while.  However, I love the results and I know it won't be shoved into the closet and abandoned.  I'm glad my mom likes the texture and is eager to wear it.

Remember to enter the GIVEAWAY for a chance to win needles and yarn!  Entering is easy, and there are multiple ways to do so!

FO Friday: Under the Sea

 I finished my Under the Sea yarn late last night and it was a very- I repeat -very thrilling moment.  I felt an overwhelming gust of pride blow over me as I spun, and spun, and spun until Under the Sea became my 3rd handspun yarn!  Here is the eye candy... ;)

Here is the roving I used...

Under the Sea is a medium weight yarn spun out of targhee fiber.  I adore the colors, and I think the orange bits of yarn stand out and make this handspun look a bit more interesting.

It's pretty consistent, except in a few small areas that I am not going to stress about. :)  I haven't measured the yardage but I will do that very soon.

I'm glad it turned out the way it did.  While I was plying it I was afraid that the colors would clash and look awkward together, especially with the foam greens and orangey browns.  However, Under the Sea was a success, and I'm proud of it!  I can't wait to improve and spin some more.