Almost Done, Almost Christmas

Hello!
Today I have two exciting things to share with all of you!  First of all, I got a new lens for my birthday last tuesday!  It has a zoom feature and is a 200 mm lens where as my previous lens was not capable of zooming in AT ALL.  It was a super awesome present that I know I will be enjoying for a very long time!

Second of all, I am almost done with my dad's Windschief hat!  I know, I know.  I've been working on the project for an extremely  l o n g  time, and it should have been finished months ago, but it's been quite boring project that I've had a few issues with. :P  All I need to do is find my tapestry needle (which always seems to be missing) and then I can weave in the ends and get that project off the needles!  I'm not going to show you a picture until after Christmas, when I can get my dad to model it!:)

I haven't been knitting a lot lately, but I have been doing a good amount of photography and other crafty stuff!  Here's a collection of photos from this week!

Ok, so this was really fun!  I had my brother jump onto our guest room bed and caught some cool pictures!  We both had a lot of fun doing this activity, and it was fun to see the photos we got!

He looks like he's levitating or something, haha.

And I have been wandering around my neighborhood, taking photos of plants and stuff!  But I always do that, so I hope a young girl carrying around a big camera doesn't seem to suspicious anymore. :)

Surprisingly enough, this photo actually doesn't have a black and white filter on it!  This is what the Oregon weather was like a couple days ago.  The gloomy fog created a mysterious affect that I really enjoy.

This photo does have a black and white filter on it, and I think it looks so cool!  These drops were a bit high in the branches, and thanks to my new lens, I now can capture photos of things that aren't right in front of me! :D

I tried making bows the other day and this is one I made out of an old t shirt!  There was no sewing required, just a good old hot glue gun. :)  I think these work great for hair and gift toppers for christmas!

I also made this cute little necklace charm from a tiny cork jar and glitter.  It was so easy to make and tons of fun!  I've been loving quick and easy DIY (do it yourself) projects lately.

Hope you all have a merry Christmas and/or happy holidays!

Emily

FO: Seed Stitch Cowl

It's been a long time since my last FO post, but today I have a project off the needles to share with you today.  I recently finished the Seed Stitch Cowl I was working on for a long time... it took much longer then I would've hoped, but here are the finished photos!

I chose to knit a cowl because I think cowls are the perfect winter gift.  They keep your neck toasty warm and can be pulled up over your nose to keep your face cozy in the chilly air.

I think this cowl will be a present for my younger cousin.  It's a small sized cowl, and will fit her perfectly because it's a little too small for me.

I used Malabrigo Merino Worsted because it is fluffy and warm, and the color is so pretty!  I love the purplish grey color.

Emily

And just for a little extra fun, here's a picture of my hair today.   I did a "Pancake Lace Dutch Braid", and I've been wearing this a lot during the fall and winter.  I know this more of a crafty blog but why not throw this in, too? :D

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Hello!
Wow!  I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted!  It's so easy to get wrapped up in the holiday fun and forget to knit and post, but I'm here to share some photos with you today.  Boy, have I missed blogging! :)

Raindrops on a car window...

At the beach in Spring Lake, New Jersey: (from left to right: my brother, cousin, and I)

Warm and cozy Christmas lights...

My favorite ornaments are the sparkly ones...

And the classic sphere ones... this one has my first initial on it...

And the ornaments with heart felt sayings...

These penguins are probably our cutest Christmas decorations...

 Apple cider is my favorite drink during Fall and Winter...

Here's an artsy photo to end this post!

Happy Holidays!

Emily

P.S. Look forward to an FO post coming soon! :D

Knitting Again

Hello,

It's been a while since my last post, and I'm glad to be back and blogging again.  Today I have some WIP pictures today.

I am now working on a moss stitch cowl as a Christmas present.  The yarn I'm using is called Malabrigo Merino Worsted.  It is seriously the softest thing ever.

I took a long break from knitting, so its really nice to get the needles in my hands.  I think that by taking breaks, it allows me to enjoy knitting more.

What helps you to stay on track with your knitting and keep your interest?

Emily

Giveaway Winner!

Hello Everyone!
It's time to announce the winner of last month's giveaway.  I randomly selected a winner...

Congratulations Mobyknit!

I'll be sending you a private message shortly so I can collect your shipping address!

For those of you who entered but didn't win, don't be sad... there's always next time. :)

Emily

Oh Autumn...

Hello!

I'm afraid I don't have much knitting news to share with you right now, but I do have some lovely autumn photos I took!  Enjoy...

Also, if you don't/do like these kinds of photography posts, let me know!  

Emily

WIP: Windschief

Hello!
It's been a busy week as always, but I fortunately have found some knitting time over the past week.  If you remember from my last post, I am trying hard to finish all of my Christmas gifts for family and friends early so that the weeks leading up to Christmas aren't extremely chaotic.  So far, I am doing pretty well. :)

My dad has been patiently waiting for his Windschief hat.  It's been a long time since I've knitted him a hat, and the plain stockinette one is beginning to look a little bit, well... old.  This time, we decided that his hat needs a bit more interest, so I settled on making him a Windschief.

I think it looks very nice so far, and I'm looking forward to giving this to my dad on Christmas morning, even though he'll probably want to wear it earlier, I think I'll hold onto it for a while longer.  ;)

Emily

Christmas Knitting + FO

Hello Everyone!
I recently finished my first Christmas Present of the year - a Honey Cowl for my 16 year old cousin.  I know it's a bit early to be thinking about knitting presents for the holidays, but, since I failed to complete all of the Christmas gifts on time last year, I am very determined to not let history repeat itself!

I used Madelinetosh DK for this project, and I only have a few yards left.  It was a pleasure to work with, the plies never split, and the colors are just to pretty to be true.  It seems like all Madelinetosh yarns come in beautiful color ways... I guess that's why I've been knitting with it so much :)  I'll be doing a full review on this yarn soon.

You may remember when I knit a Honey Cowl for my mom, but I used a magenta double held fingering weight yarn instead.  Well, this time I actually used the yarn the pattern called for, and I like the result much more.

I'm so happy to already have my first Christmas gift off the needles!  Are any of you busy Christmas knitting? When do you usually start knitting for the holidays?  What are your tips for getting those presents done on time?  Let me know! :-)


Have a great day!

Emily

P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway! :)

Trial and Error

Hello Everyone!
Lately, I finished a design of my own and let's just say it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to.  It's a hat, and it's supposed to be slouchy, baggy, and really warm and cozy.  However, while I was knitting it, I realized that I didn't have much yarn left so I had to start decreasing a bit earlier then I had planned... here is the result.

I'm not exactly happy with the final product.  I mean it's not eye-shattering hideous (at least I don't think so), but this hat is definitely not the comfy, roomy slouch that I was hoping to create.  It got really clinched up at the crown because I had to stop short due to not having enough yarn, and it looks like a contorted beret with an unreasonably thick brim.  When my mom was modeling the hat it kept on slipping off because it wasn't long enough, that was a big issue. ;(

However, other than that, I really like how the hat turned out!  I used a combination of the seed stitch and owl cables to create a super cute look.  It's interesting how the seed stitch looks like little dew drops, dappling the surface of the knitting. Of course, I'm going to reknit this project, making sure to have enough yarn, and hopefully improve the design.  Be on the look out for the pattern release in the next few months...

I learned a lot from just knitting this one project:
1. Make sure to have enough yarn for the project - get the extra skein if you need it!
2. See what worked and what didn't work - it's a trial and error process.
3. Designing isn't easy, and it's hard to see your work not turn out as planned, but you need to keep trying!
4. Ending a slouchy hat early makes a wonky looking beret. ;)

Have you ever tried designing/knitting something and not having it turn out as planned?  If so, did you give up on the project, or start over and try again?  I'd love to hear your knitting experiences and the things you learned from them! :)

Until Next Time,
Emily

October YARNful Giveaway!

Hello Everyone!
It's time for the Yarnful October Giveaway!  I really hope you like this one, the yarn is just too gorgeous.

Prize: one skein of Madelinetosh Merino Light  in the colorway Margeaux

RULES (aka important stuff):

1. Write a comment on this post to get one entry.
2.  Follow my blog to get an extra entry!  Make sure to tell me if you do in your comment. :-)
3. If you live on Earth, you are allowed to enter.  Sorry knitting aliens, you'll have to sit this one out. ;-)
4. The giveaway is active until October 30th - the day before Halloween.
5. I'll be announcing the winner either on the 30th or 1-2 days after.
6. Rude/inappropriate comments will be removed and not counted.
7. One comment per person, no spammin'!
8. Make sure to leave me a way to contact you if you win!
9. Have fun, cross your fingers, and if you don't win, try again next time!

Make sure to follow my blog for more giveaways, knitting posts, photography and reviews.  I do giveaways usually once a month, featuring many different yarns!

Good luck, and "may the odds be ever in your favor"!

Emily