Knitting Dragonflies

I made on onto Lime N Violet's Daily Chum!! I love Lime N Violet, if you don't know them, they are a wacky, couple of rock n roll knitters, with an entire knitting empire now. You can check out their blog and podcast here. If you haven't heard one of their podcasts, it is worth a go. Loaded with lots of yarny info, and delivered in a Lucy and Ethel type comedic fashion. Warning....they are yarn enablers, after checking them out, you will be powerless to resist. Their Daily Chum is here.   Technorati Tags: limenviolet , daily chum

Five of Cups You may feel discouraged with your knitting this week. You may have many projects going and not enough time to finish them. Turn around and look at everything that you have accomplished this past year. Change your point of view, you can achieve what you desire. Don't fret over spilled milk, often comes to mind with this card. The lonely figure, draped in black (as if in sorrow) is looking at his 3 spilled cups, yet ignoring his 2 that are still standing. We simply have to look at the bridge in the background that can lead over the river to the castle to know that when we are ready there will be a way. The Tarot is a deck of cards that originated over 500 years ago in northern Italy. Although the Tarot was first used in a game called Triumphs , it was quickly adopted as a tool for divination, and popularized by occult societies such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn . The early Tarot symbolism was deeply rooted in Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Today, the Tar

I had trouble learning to spin on a spindle, I discovered years later why. Below I will list the tips I learned along the way: 1. Don't purchase a cheap spindle, like my mama taught me, 'you get what you pay for', many cheaper spindles are fine, but when learning, spend a little more money to get a nicer one. As a rule they are better balanced. 2. Top vs: bottom spindles , if you are not having much luck with one, try the other. It seems that most spinners prefer the top whorl spindles they are faster, but I was terribly awkward with one. Many years later I tried again with a bottom spindle and was successful. A bottom spindle allowed me to use it as a supported spindle, then I could get the feel of what my hands were doing. I also found the KnitWitch and bought one of her Spindle Bowls . Turkish spindles are harder to find but also give you the support option. (try looking at Jenkins Spindles ) 3. Fiber types- A longer fiber is much easier to learn on than a sh

Paula the Quilter , I love reading her blog.  I have to live my quilting adventures though her. I hope you will enjoy the scarf!! I have finished knitting my purse and felted it, I think I will line it and am trying to decide if I need to add a zipper to close it. If my purse doesn't have a secure closure I am forever dumping it out. I did enlarge the pattern, Retro Bag by Shelly , I added 10 rows onto the bottom. The bottom is knitted first, back and forth, and then stitches are picked up around and a slow increase until you reach the top. I also added a crochet cotton string inside of the i-cord handles, for increase stability. I like to load my purse up. I'm not 100% sure about the fabric.. What do you think?? Do I need something a little more matchy?? May your knitting needles fly as fast as dragonflies.... Technorati Tags: Retro bag by Shelly , Scarf Drawing winner

I know it's after Christmas and even post New Year's Day, but here is my "herd of sheep" ornaments. Basic pattern from: Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet .   This is Syd, he likes to keep an eye on all yarny things... From the basic pattern the evolution was as follows: Body too fat, needs to be smaller... smaller but too long... Right size, but legs are not quite right... Ok now legs look good, my girlfriend was over (lives on a farm) and said where are their ears? Ears?? OK now they have ears.. Smiles....So I had plans to make around 20 ornaments to give away. Maybe next year, now that I have the pattern tweaked to my satisfaction... May your needles fly as fast as Dragonflies.... Technorati Tags: Sheep pattern evolution , Chicks with Sticks sheep pattern , Crochet sheep ornaments

It's New Years Day, and while I'm not sure I'm going to make any "official" resolutions. I am making this an all day knitting event. Confetti fills the sky at the New Year's eve festivities, Thursday, Jan. 1. 2009 in New York's Time's Square. (AP Photo/Stephen Cherrin) Michelle, a good friend of mine, who I had knitted a scarf for, last year. Needs a new one, her roommate decided to "wash" it, with her jeans etc....you can see where I'm going here. Wool and mohair blend, now felted, or I think it tried to felt, but with the jeans, socks etc... So I picked out a yarn that might hold up a little better for her. (translation, machine washable). On to the next project.... I had picked out a felted purse bag pattern for myself. I don't usually use, or wear anything that I knit. I picked out the Retro Bag by Shelley . I wasn't on the side of town with a "real" yarn shop so I decided that I would pick something out at Michaels

It is the new years, almost, and in an Oprah like way, I am looking for my bliss. I had a big blowout on my baby quilts on Etsy, and have been looking for a new direction to take my shop. Same name, now just the things I am passionate about. Dog/cat beds, bed cover, mats and pads. As my husband tells me we have just about any "critter" a person could name. Messy or neat any pet needs a cozy spot, and many years ago, I got my sewing machine out and have been custom making what we needed. My other love, of course is knitting. Duh....got that one figured out.... So in celebration of this new direction, I will be giving away.....drumroll.....This item... http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8378384 Just leave a comment here. And the drawing will be Jan 7th. Good luck.. May your knitting needles fly as fast as Dragonflies... Technorati Tags: Knitted scarf drawing , free give away , Pet beds