First Christmas gift done!!

Ok, no pics until after Christmas, but I just had to share that I got my first Christmas gift done tonight. It only took me 3 days (yay!!!). I should have a nice long posting the day after Christmas showing off all the gifts I made/am making this year. :)

I made myself stay up and finish this gift, so now I'm heading to bed. Goodnight!! :)

Another Reverse-Bloom Flower Washcloth

Here's another flower washcloth that I got done in just a little over a day (yay, I'm getting faster!!). I used Sensations Bellezza Collection Smania yarn in the Smania Pastel Multi color (I've used it on one other project--the yarn was like $.25 on clearance...gotta love good sales). I think this one turned out much better than the yellow one--my stitches are looser, you can't tell where I switched needles, and I don't have any mistakes (that I can remember making). :) Now I have to figure out how to block these so I can get them looking all pretty.

I'm starting to think about Christmas presents (which is a major shock, considering I don't do anything Christmas-related until after my birthday (Nov. 29), but I guess if I'm making gifts this year, I need to get a head start). I have some beautiful yarns just begging to be used, but I'm so nervous to use them. I know it's silly, but that's just the way I am. I have some beautifully soft alpaca yarn (not much of it...need to actually measure it) that is just calling my name, but no ideas of what to use it for. Plus, quite a bit of wool (and more on the way).....so much yarn, so little time left to use it this year....hee hee. :)

In other news, my apologies if my blog starts looking funny for a while. I'm tired of the template I've been using, so my wonderful hubby is messing around with it to see if he can get it more to my liking. If it looks really wonky, please send me a comment letting me know. :)

Flower, ball winder, LYS, oh my!!

I got my reverse bloom flower washcloth from Weekend Knitting done yesterday. I used the Sugar 'n Cream yarn that I dyed. This one has a few flaws in it (I know, you wouldn't know unless I pointed them out), but the needles I was using were very grabby, so I knit way too tight. You can really tell where I switched needles to magic-loop it. After I get it blocked, it should look better. :)

In other news, I got my ball winder the other day. It's so easy that even my son is able to use it! I'm so in love with it. :)

I also had a chance to visit a yarn shop that I've never been to before--Knit On across the river in Kentucky. I could have gotten myself in way too much trouble there. So many pretty yarns, so little money...hee hee. I did buy one skein of pretty yarn to try to make socks with. Socks scare me, but I'm wanting to try them....we'll see how that goes. :)

I've started another flower washcloth, and I've already gotten four of the petals done. I'll prolly get to show off the finished project tomorrow (hopefully). :)

Placemat done!!

I got one placemat done before my parents left for their month-long trip today. It wasn't what I first envisioned for it, but I do like how it turned out. I'm not making a matching one for it--going to make new ones that are red, white, and blue like I originally wanted to. I gave this one to Mom yesterday and she loved it. I guess that's the wonderful thing about Moms....they love everything their children give them. :)

I made this with the Sugar 'n Cream yarn I dyed, and the boarder is made out of Sugar 'n Cream Hot Purple (color 01317).

I've started my next project, a reverse-bloom flower washcloth from my Weekend Knitting book by Melanie Falick. I've made it only one row in, and I'm already stuck. Hopefully I'll get it figured out tonight and really get going on it (I think I have to teach myself the cable cast-on to get the desired result on the petals....should be fun). :)

Belt is done!!

I finished my belt yesterday morning, but forgot to take a picture before putting it on. Silly me forgot that the yarn was stretchy, and it ended up waaaayyyyyy too big, but that's ok. I still like it, and I think I'm going to make a purse to match it. I loved knitting with this yarn! It's Patons Mosaic in Mexican Tile. So soft and fluffy to work with.

I didn't use a pattern for this. I just CO 6 stitches and worked in garter stitch until it was the length I wanted, then did a few decrease rows where I K2tog once in each row, with a normal knit row in between the decrease rows, until I had only 3 stitches left on the needle. I BO and weaved in the ends and added the clasps. I'm going to try again with a less stretchy yarn, or maybe try making a felted belt.

Yesterday I got together with my knitting buddies again out at Panera. Nothing like good friends, good food, and good knitting on a Saturday morning. I've decided I need to start a complicated project so when people stop at our table and ask what we're making, my project doesn't look dull compared to their shorties/longies/soakers/whatever else. :)

On the needles right now I have a project for my parents, but I doubt it'll get completed before they leave for their trip out west in a WEEK. Oh well...I'll have the whole month they're gone to finish it up. Since I don't know if Mom actaully looks here, and she says she has "already forgotten" what I'm making, I won't say what it is. I will show a little piece though. I've learned a new technique--picking up stitches. This is made with the dyed yarn I made a few weeks ago. I wasn't going to have enough to finish it, so I am adding in a different yarn. The picture you see here...well, I had to frog off the purple because I missed a stitch and it looks bad, but this is what it will look like again sometime soon. :)