Knitting Dragonflies

 I made a series of Christmas stockings, and needed something small and fun to knit as a palate cleanser. I have always looked at the little sweater ornament patterns and thought they were so adorable. So I decided to give one a try. I saw that Berroco yarns had their yearly ornament patterns out,   Minutia 21 , they are free and looked so cute! It is just knitting a little sweater, just like a life size one! So cute.....I did all of mine one dpns, but I found a girl on YouTube knitting them on magic loop. She is the KnitYorker,  video link here.  They were fun and didn't take too long to make.  If you want to look at some more, I'll link their other little sweater ornament patterns of the past years... Minutia 20  , Minutia 18,   Minutia 16, and Minuti 15 . After my first two tiny sweaters that were knit. I wanted to find a crochet sweater pattern ornament. I found one on Ravelry from Melissa Mall. ( pattern link rav)  Miniature sweater orna...

Holiday stocking number 4 done. I think this will be my last one. I saw this pattern & decided I had to try it. Well written & I love how it turned out. The pattern is from Rachel Brockman, and called the Gingerbread stocking. ( rav link) . I did delete the first part of the pattern and substituted the name in that area, and then continued as written. Used scrap yarn that I had in my stash. I have decided after several stocking that I like the look of the afterthought heel, and the toe that is more like a regular sock toe. Some have a round toe that has equal decreased all around. Ready for the heel here. Adding the dpns and cut out the waste yarn. I watched a video on YouTube the first time and this one was the one I understood best. From The Chilly Dog ( youtube link ). It really is a quick way to add a heel. Left out the first pattern area and added a name. Just simple block letters.  May your needles fly as fast as dragonflies

Beginning of my first stocking! I'm enjoying it so much I'm planning on doing more. I did add some stocking net stitch to add a name and just made simple letters to fit on the cuff. I did make the stocking more slender and kept it to 2 repeats. Only cast on of 56 stitches.

 Just need to pick out some buttons and finish this up. I love how it looks, yarn is scarfie from Lion brand yarn. Pattern is free.

Who isn't trying to decrease their stash or get more organized these day? I'm trying to use what I have, although often I "need" to purchase more yarn to make the project I'm planning "work" hehe. While shopping my stash I had an idea to mix two strands of yarn, one solid and one dk weight multi color together and knit a simple cardigan. (and use even more stash up)  It was easy and fast to make.  I used a worsted weight yarn Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in Beige 100% Wool, which I love, always a workhorse yarn for myself and always available at big box stores.  The lighter weight (Yarn Bee Dee-Lish Boutique in the color almond bark, a Hobby Lobby brand yarn).  I loved the long color change of this yarn and it seemed like it would be nice to add to the first without making the result too bulky.  This yarn is listed as a DK weight but I think it is closer to fingering weight)  it is 90% Acrylic and 10% Alpaca, so it has a little halo to it. I'm a...

I put down two cardigans that I was knitting, one had a small amount of lace in it, and it is more of a summer cardigan. The other is a more complicated cable cardigan. I had decided to buy some cheap acrylic yarn and try a crochet cardigan. I’ve never crocheted a cardigan. I’m not very crochet experienced, I can chain and single and double crochet, but mostly flat things. After I had tackled the cable sweater I felt fearless and started shopping around for some nice acrylic yarn. Google informed me that Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn was highly rated. The price was right. I wanted to feel like I could make it nice but if it didn’t work out I hadn’t spent a whole lot on it. I had looked at a few crochet cardigan patterns and the Staycation pattern really caught my eye! I bought some bright red yarn from Hobby Lobby and went at it. It didn’t take me too long and I didn’t have much trouble. Before I knew it I had my Holiday Sweater! With big patch pockets and an oversized fit! I have...

I’m almost done with my 5 year sweater! Yes, that is the longest I’ve taken to finish a sweater, and I’m super excited. I totally went rouge and switched the pattern up. More soon when the sweater is totally done! May your knitting needles fly as fast as dragonflies……

Day 3 of knitting, as much time as I have, in the cold, snowy days we are having here. I’m coming along fairly well, starting to get a little anxiety about  the amount of yarn I have left. But we will see. I’m leaning towards a collar/hood situation. But I think my yarn amount will dictate how the rest goes. I love knitting top down sweaters, as you can try them on and make decisions as you knit. Happy knitting…..May your needles fly as fast as Dragonflies….

Does anyone else have that knitted project that has been hiding in the closet for years? I started the Zuma Tunic by Wendy Bernard in 2012. Yes that is embarrassing to admit, I looked it up in my Ravelry list. Egads! Yep, Jodi’s not feeling it either. I’ve actually packed this up and taken it on 4 different trips to start on again. It takes me a while to count & figure out what I’m doing and then get started. I’m not sure on the yarn, pooling? (some of my own hand dyed), do I have enough to finish? . Undecided about how deep the V is in the front of the pattern. Rip it and find another pattern/yarn? So I usually set all of these thoughts aside and start knitting for a couple of inches & then toss it back into the bag and  repeat the next trip. Well cut to present day, #1 I’m on a quest to finish all of my projects “on the needles”, #2. Weather, we just had an ice/snow storm and it is suppose to snow again tomorrow. OK, I decide to get that sweater out and dive in. Where I s...

I have been knitting, but not blogging for quite a while now. I’m getting organized and back into blogging. Colder weather is here and it is time to get the needles out. I decided that I would start by dragging out all of my unfinished projects and take stock & decide which ones I’ll frog or finish. I’ve had a sweater on the back burner for years, I’m not happy with how the pattern was turning out and you know how that can stall a knitter. So I’m determined to be ruthless and not knit, (well not start anything big) until all of my UFO’s (unfinished objects) are taken care of one way or another! If there are any other knitters out there that would like to join me leave a comment! Next post will be a ruthless inventory (I hope) of what I’ve got going on.

Out on the front porch having coffee & a consult! Jodi doesn't seem to agree with me about the summer shawl.

A manly scarf, sometimes in our yarny world of color and exotic patterns. Always trying something new and different. We just need a plain scarf. I’m looking for a pattern for a manly scarf, and somewhere about 1.5 hours later, after looking through books, trolling blogs and Ravelry, I was still looking. I’m not sure what I wanted, maybe that was the problem. What was on my “must have” list? Well…..I think all one color. A classic style, something a man could wear to a winter wedding, church, I guess I wanted a simple but stylish scarf. I looked at ribbed styles (no), cable (high contender), seed stitch (closer), basket weave (too much pattern), and finally decided on moss stitch (just right). (see bottom of post for links to the other free knitted men's scarf patterns I considered) Moss stitch, it has some pattern, but not too busy, nice texture, lays flat, looks the same on the front and the back. Not too complicated, I can knit it while my mind is busy elsewhere.   What is St...

Leaving for a music festival! Never know when some knitting time will present itself! I have 2 shawls ( lala scarf & citron shawl), packed & a possible third to start, lol. What do you like to knit on the road?

I’ve been caught up in some family health matters, and away from home. In the process got a nasty bug myself and had to recover from that. I’m back now and trying to get caught up with everything. What Dorothy said is true….There is no place like home…. I am knitting on 3 shawls and a sweater. And have a quilt that I’m still looking for more fabric prints for. Also doing some spinning. Hope everyone is well, I’ve missed reading what everyone is creating! Until then, check out this new Knitty Spring/Summer 2013 !! Happy Knitting

I’ve had to travel to my Dad’s house due to some of his health issues. Thanks to everyone that has expressed concern, he doesn’t have internet access and am sorry if I’ve not gotten back to you. I’ll be traveling back and forth in the days to come, just wish I could knit in the car, I could get so much done! Was at my Dad’s house and he looked out the windows and we saw this beautiful sunset. Had to try and capture it. Of course this is about 30 snaps in, love digital cameras! I don’t know about you but I love to listen to knitting podcasts! Especially since my car cd/radio is broken! My favorite’s right now are Knitmore Girls , Stash and Burn , and a new one I heard about Jane and Jen KnitFunny (I really enjoy listening to these girls!) Of course there is Cast On (my classic). Please let me know if there are some that you listen to and enjoy, I have lots of driving time to fill! Now on to knitting. Over the years I’ve discovered I like to have 3 types of projects going (at leas...

It is so disappointing to pick out a knitting pattern, agonize over the yarn choice. And then complete the sometimes long process of swatching for gauge. Only to discover that you are so confused by the pattern that you give up. I’m sure this has happened to many of us for many reasons. Skill level of the knitter, and skill level of the pattern author, may be the foremost. Pattern writing is not easy, nor is understanding patterns. On the knitters side of things, I’ve found a good resource to help understand what the pattern is telling us to do, take a look at Dummies.com Understanding Knitting Patterns and Techniques. It covers abbreviations and knitting terms, common phrases and how to follow written stitch patterns, and also charts. This and your local yarn store, (along with Ravelry, I like to look there and see if everyone that is knitting the pattern is having any trouble or it is just me), will help you discover your way. Don’t forget to Google and print out the errata page ...

My husband is retired now, and in the middle of painting the walls of the bedroom. He says he is going to remodel the whole inside of the house. *yay*  So far at only days into retirement he is working at a breakneck pace like he is at work. I told him he will have to slow down and enjoy himself. I picked out and bought the paint for the bedroom so long ago, (about 3 years minimum) I had forgotten what color it was. I called from work and he said he had started painting. So it was a pleasant surprise when I got home and discovered I still liked the paint color we had picked out. Now I think I will make curtains for the bed room. Paint is called silver grey and it is actually a warm grey, looks like it has a purple undertone to it in real life. Our bedroom had been lavender, maybe you can see the color at the far end of the photo past the bottom of his legs, back wall. Ugh, it was a paint color that I thought I would like but when it got on the walls, ick, I never liked it. Tre...

Wishing you Joy and Peace at the Holidays and throughout the New Year May your knitting be out of this world this year!  Got excited with my new camera. *grin* Happy Knitting! Taken in my backyard Christmas Eve, clear beautiful (and cold) night! Happy Holidays from Evansville Indiana. Pattern from Emfy's crochet (Helen Free), she has a selection of free crochet patterns. The tree, and the bling….I enjoyed making it so much I’m making a pink one now and bought some yarn for a white one. Check out these Ravelry people that have created one.

Fall in the Midwest means lots of green tomatoes. Green tomatoes are best in the fall, sweet when they have been touched by frost.  Yum!  I’m always looking for new ways to use them. The classic fried green tomatoes, relish, salsa, pickles, chutney, and yes even jam. This year I decided to try a Mincemeat Pie recipe, also known as Green Tomato Pie, and Vegan Mincemeat Pie. It is surprisingly yummy, I think this recipe falls into that sweet  category.  I did tweak my recipe below, so enjoy and let me know if you have a version of this or if you try mine. Happy Baking! Green Tomato Pie Recipe from Blueberries, Art and Life at end of post, I have not tried this one, but it is in the savory category and looks yummy! Green Tomato Pie seems to be common in the South and Ozark area of the U.S, I have also seen it in North Carolina. I had not heard of it before we moved down here. It was one of those things that I passed by on every occasion that I saw it. Really? Ugh? ...