Knitting Dragonflies

I started knitting this in the round, but ended up knitting it flat. I didn’t have the right size in a round needle, and after several attempts to get gauge I ended up uninventing (as EZ would say) a pattern quickly that worked. It was the first time I knitted a hat flat. It was fast and easy. It would be a good project for a beginning knitter also. Easy Knitted Flat Hat (super bulky yarn) Knit this brim up or down, longer body if you want a “slouchy hat look” Yarn used: I used Lion Brand Hometown USA, Super Bulky, due to being made for a non-knitter that will wear it while training for marathons=many washings. Gauge-13 stitches per 4 inches. Needles- Size US 13 or size to get gauge Size-adult hat Cast on: 48 stitches row 1: K1, P1 * (*repeat to end) repeat row 1 until your ribbing is as long as you desire, I made mine about 5 inches, if you want a larger brim to turn up make it 6 or more. You can make it 4 inches or so if you don’t want to roll it up. When it is long enoug

I had breakfast with my girlfriend the other day. After working with her for years and years, her position was eliminated. (This was, of course, after they promised her it wouldn’t be), what is up with that? She is going through a tough time. After being unemployed for about 6 months, with no unemployment, (she had to fight for it), she finally got a job at a factory working the night shift. It is hard work, especially for a fifty something women whose body has survived many obstacles over the years including breast cancer. I roll into the diner, and she is sitting there, grimy, and tired. But she is smiling and has this old, and worn knitted cap on. We catch up on what is going on with us, our families and friends. Then I ask her about the cap, she says a childhood friend knitted it for her about forty years ago, she puts it on every night before she goes to work because it makes her smile. Now she wouldn't let me take a photo of her with her well loved and slightly grimy cap

I’ve been amazed at blending and creating colors from just the basic three colors. It started as yarn dyeing, and took me to watercolors, which helped me understand color on a whole different level. I haven't painted in a bit. But I have been playing with yarn dyeing….. The inspiration, a photo from a spice market in Morocco! The spices, the colorful clothing, and the sky! I discovered if I do my yarn dyeing in multiple steps, laying the colors in one at a time, (wash, add another color, wash repeat as many times as you desire) that the colors come out cleaner! I’m loving the results. The above set is Morocco spice, especially dyed for someone! It is best to think of the color wheel and lay in your lightest colors first, do some planning. Think of what color the overlapping colors will make. Red is the strongest, so I always add that one last. Want to warm it up? Put the entire skein in a weak color bath of a warm color, red, orange, or yellow. Cool the color, try a weak

The Etsy seller to be featured this month is Diana of Faerie Garden Fancies ! From her Bio: I am an artist & teacher. My favorite materials to work with include but are not limited to paper, paint, glue, scissors, polymer clay, pencils, watercolors, camera, and computer. I am sometimes disguised as a substitute teacher, as I attempt to figure out how to reconcile my passions with making a living. I live in the country with my partner and our four still-at-home, unschooled kids and one very spoiled cat. For more info about me, check out my blog at http://bunnykissd.blogspot.com ! I think one of my favorites is the Chocolate Candy Pendant I love her Magical Mermaid Doll Crazy Kitty Take a look at her shop for more goodies.

Fun ways to help mother earth, and economical also! Enjoy! - Embellish a tee shirt to fun and flirty tutorial with Positively Splendid -Sneezerville shows us how to recycle a sweater into stylish leg warmers -Craftbits always has great ideas! Here is one for a luminary from plastic drink containers that looks elegant! -Kaboose has a sweet little tin can pot tutorial for your Herb garden -Turn a boxy men's tee into a great fitting one for yourself with bekathwia and Instructables

Last year I bought some lovely fiber from a fiber festival. It was so soft, the kind of fiber you pick up and just want to rub and snuggle with. Then I had a day off, and some sunshine, I pulled my wheel out onto the deck, even with a cool breeze and my jacket on it was a pleasure to sit and spin. The Fiber is: Screaming Wild Monkey! A special house blend of 70% super wash merino/15% Banana/!5% Seacell (impregnated with silver) 4 oz. (what ever this means!!??) Did that stop me from buying it? Oh no. The photo doesn’t show the colors, they are vibrant. made by River’s Edge Weaving Studio at  weavingstudio.com It was a dream to spin! I spun it up fairly quickly. After some consideration I decided to try my hand at Navajo Plying. I used this You Tube video from Rexenne on Navajo Plying , she has quite a personality, and the video is very through, even including slow motion. After plying I was amazed at the difference in the color!! Plying in the Navajo style with multicolored single

I’m still slogging along with my Iced sweater from Knitty . After an alarming number of frogs and ciphering, I am cautiously on a roll. Yes you would think with yarn this bulky, that this sweater would be done in a week. Me too! I started with this lovely yarn that I purchased for another pattern, sound familiar? How many times do I do this? It laid around and mocked me for some time. I just wasn’t happy with the pattern that I originally bought for it. Of course the yarn being rather super bulky, it was hard to find another pattern to fit my needs. Enter Knitty Fall 2010 Iced Sweater by Carol Feller . I feel in love with it and had to have it. Well,,,,,,I didn’t want to buy more yarn, so I decided I would “force” this yarn into behaving itself began and perilous journey. Getting Gauge: not going to happen, the knitting gods laughed at me…Frogged Getting Gauge second try: still laughing, and do I detect some snorting?….Frogged Begin knitting, I’m blindly knitting along, tightly