Knitting Dragonflies

In the hot summer I try to find time to mend all of the socks and quilts. I know it is easy to keep that precious quilt in storage and save it. I do have some packed up, but for the most part I like to use them. Quilts are made by someone who has put a great deal of themselves into them. Picking out fabric and the pattern. Whether it is a scrappy quilt, made out of necessity with bits and pieces of leftover fabric. Or a special quilt, with new fabric picked out just for that project, they tell a great deal about the person that made them. I made this quilt with random plaids and solids, with white strips in-between, I like that I didn’t have any rules to follow. I just cut and sewed. I almost never put all white or light color on the back of a quilt. If making it for a gift I tend to, but for myself, I love to use prints on the back, I didn’t take a photo of the back of this one, but it is a red, yellow thin stripe. I thought I looked good with the front. Scrappy strip quilt, fun t...

I love DIY’s, here are a few that caught my eye…. From SeeKateSew, I love this tutorial on how to make a great looking hoodie from a mens sweatshirt , I’ve seen these for sale on Etsy! Thanks Kate!! From MadeByLex a tutorial on making a Peasant Blouse from a Man’s shirt, very good looking and cool to wear! From TalkToTheTrees, a great looking Tee shirt dress with fabric with around 6$ , so cute, so many options!   From SecretLifeOfABioNerd on youtube a tutorial on how to make Summer Bandeau Bra !! Cute and breezy, there is also another version of this that is twisted in the front, see below No Sew Cut out Heart Tee shirt from MoreLisa on youtube I would probably make the heart cut out a little smaller, but very cute!! Get creating!

Yay! This definitely was a slog-a-long! I started it in July of 2010 and finished it in July of 2012. Sound the horns, where is my knitting tiara!! But in my defense it was a long road. I had many gauge issues, due to using a yarn that was thick and thin ( Colinette Point Five in the colorway Cardinal,) bought, of course for another pattern, then frogged, ( see this post ).  Now this yarn is a beautiful, hand painted yarn, which is why I bought it, but I detested knitting with it. It seemed to suck all of the moisture out of my hands, (this may just be me). So I had to knit in small increments of time. The skeins are only 55 yds in 100 gms, so I had a crazy strategy of using multiple circular needles to knit it with. I had one circular at the collar, and bottom, and one circular on each sleeve. ( gauge issue post here )   I had the body done, kept the live stitches on all of my circular needles and figured, due to my limited number of balls of yarn, I would knit the esse...

Since I’ve been juicing, I’ve found it is good to have an apron. It is fickly hard to find one. So I was pleased to find Tipnut, has links to almost 100 free apron patterns!! From plain and manly to ruffles! From CluckCluckSew, her Strip and Flip Baby Quilt , great to use up some scraps of fabric or just buy some random colors that you like! Congrats Lynn from ColorJoy for getting into Knitty, Check out her lovely fun socks! She is a wiz at combining color into patterns! Visit her blog for more cool patterned colorful fun! Crystal Try some Needle Felting with this classic looking blanket! Thanks to A Beautiful Mess! Get Crafty!

Update on Syd, post surgery he got a seroma , about the size of a grapefruit, which then involved a drainage tube being inserted. Fun!  A lot of drainage, but better out than in. So I spent my weekend doing laundry and cleaning up after dribbles. But his side looks quite a bit better now that all of the fluid is out! Sometimes it is good to be lazy! I did get some knitting done. Working on my Dummy Clap Shawl , it is super east and fast. I’m knitting it with some Brown Sheep in a pound cone from my stash,  the yardage looks like it is 1400, in a deep maroon, beautiful yarn, and lovely to work with. It is Top of The Lamb . See link for information on this yarn, I would use it again. I’m already trying to track some down, I believe I bought at a weaving shop. It would be lovely in a shawl. From Brown Sheep Company about Top of the Lamb yarn, This single ply 100% USA grown wool yarn was expressly designed and dyed in colors that could be woven in rugs by the Navajo Nation....

From Pickles, a cool looking Sunshine Top!! Also from Pickles a Sunny Cardigan remake, original pattern here , thanks Pickles! . Make some fun Knitted Bracelets in 5 Minutes, thanks to Nina Rich The Purl Bee shares a great basic pattern for a crew neck boyfriend sweater. Get Creative!!

Makes me think of a Beatles song! *grin*, it would be nice to be on a blanket with my knitting here, and a bottle of wine or a beer! I got a collection of hand dyed yarn out, and am trying to decide if I can knit it in a way that the top is lighter graduating into a darker blend on the bottom. I’m thinking of making the bottom design darker blue. More on this later…..Swatching now.. Happy Knitting!!

I am in love with top down and bottom up in the round construction for sweaters. Consequently I’m always on the look out for books that use this technique. Wendy’s Custom Knits came out around 2008. I purchased this book off of Amazon without being able to look through it. (I will buy in the round sweater books sight unseen, *grin*). I very much liked the style of the sweater shown on the front cover. I expected this book to be a bit more user friendly for beginning knitters. (like Elizabeth Zimmerman books, she takes you by the hand and leads you through the process if needed, otherwise knit on), I do like her advice of finding styles that work for you, look at the bought sweaters that you own, and flatter you. My favorite is her “reality checklist” for picking a pattern out. I am especially guilty of seeing a photo of a women in a field of flowers, who looks nothing like me, wearing a lovely sweater and have to buy this pattern and yarn. If you follow her checklist, it will elimina...

I promise I’ll get to back to knitting content soon! I have frogged my DummyClapShawl , I originally thought I wanted a larger, lose gauge, but decided since the finished product will have dropped stitches to create the lacy areas, they would be too large and prone to getting caught on everything. From this (above left) to this (above right), yes that’s better! In addition I decided to use this yarn (I think) for a sweater ( Zuma Tunic ), Pattern from Custom Knits 2 (book review to come soon) by Wendy Bernard. I have Wendy’s first book, Custom Knits , if you have that one, I would say the 2nd book is a must! Very helpful she has extensive info on how to alter patterns, both for fit and to add and delete different components of the pattern. In the meantime, I am in a constant search for products for dry skin, hair and nails. A relatively new development for me. I’ve always had oily skin so have been very oil phobic. It has been hard to see oil as a good and necessary thing. I foun...

I know it is a little late to start, but if you are headed out to a picnic or family gathering you might need a festive article to knit or craft, all free patterns! -Free Ravelry download Uncle Sam hat for your pooch ! Hey you can get this one done today no problem! (crochet) -I adore this mini red, white and blue sock pin ! Although I don’t think I could get it done in time! Pattern by Kathy North   - Knitted American Flag 9” x 7'” finished size by Dori Johnson  (knit ) - 4th of July PotHolder, by by Priscilla Hewit t, you can get this done for the Hostess! (crochet) - American star coasters, can do!! So do some patriotic knitting!