Skeeter Yarn

I call this particular color variation of Sugar 'n Cream "Kitty Cat."  I think it will make nice dishcloths...

Positivity Challenge: Day 3

For the third day of the Positivity Challenge, and my 3 positives for the day are:

1. Love and support from friends and family
2. An upcoming beach vacation to look forward to!
3. Getting my crafty time in with both the library stitch group and the IHOP stitch group in the same day

My current cross stitch project and another knit dishcloth

More Girly Knits

A few days ago, I finished a pink scarf for the young lady I'm sponsoring for her Confirmation tomorrow night.  It's her favorite color, and I wanted her to have something pretty and useful that would also remind her of the past six months we've been meeting with the RCIA group to prepare for the Easter Vigil mass tomorrow night.  The scarf turned out so nicely and I had so much fun with the checkerboard pattern that I went out and bought a skein of the same yarn in a dark grey to make one for myself for next winter!

Checkerboard Scarf in Lion Brand: Heartland "Denali"

Today I donated some Tastefully Simple items and a knit baby set for an Easter auction to benefit families of children battling cancer.  I knit the set a while ago, but it hadn't found a home yet.  It made my day when the lady collecting the donations told me it was gorgeous and I could charge at least $25 if I sold it on Etsy!

Bib and Burp Cloth set in Sugar 'n Cream "Pretty Pastels Ombre"

Girly Knits

Another bib and burp cloth set made it through snail mail to baby Aaleayah, so I can finally post a picture.  Big sister Faith had a star button on her knit set, too!

Bib and burpcloth set in Sugar 'n Cream "Camo Pink"

It took me way too long to knit my second commissioned piece for the same daughter of a former co-worker who received a fuzzy purple scarf in January.  She chose a Quick & Easy Knitted Infinity Scarf pattern I found online, but in a different color yarn.  It was a fun pattern to knit, and I learned how to join my yarn with a double knot since it was too bulky to knit two strands together.  Skeeter was rather fond of this yarn, so I may have to make another one...

Infinity Scarf made with Yarn Bee's Debut yarn in "Rose Petal"

Recent Knit Gifts

I missed my friend's baby shower at the beginning of February and didn't want to post the knit set for Baby Nathaniel until I had gifted it.  His parents are both teachers, so the school bus button is adorably appropriate.

Bib and burpcloth set in Sugar 'n Cream "Aquarius Ombre"

The dishcloths were my project during the Olympics.  My buddy Kristine had been not so subtly hinting that she wanted dishcloths, she wanted them bigger than the ones I normally make, and she wanted them to be white. So I cast on 50 stitches (instead of my normal 40) in the closest-to-white cotton yarn I owned, and I knit a pair of box stitch dishcloths for her. Maybe now she'll stop bothering me about the scarf and the hat she wants me to knit...

Large dishcloths in Sugar 'n Cream "Summer Prints"

Finished and gifted to Kristine at IHOP stitch night!

Postage Increase

Due to postage going up again after this weekend, I motivated myself to get a few knit projects finished, washed, and mailed this week!

The scarf was a lot of fun since I've been in a scarf mood lately.  The co-worker in charge of the office's sponsored family for Christmas loved the scarves I made for the family and asked if I could make one for her daughter in dark purple.  It's my first "commissioned" piece, and her daughter has already asked for an infinity scarf in hot pink!  Maybe now is a good time to revisit the idea of starting my own Etsy shop since the temp job ended January 16th...

A friend and a cousin both had baby boys two weeks ago, and on the second knit set, I tried a new bib strap based on this bib I found on Pinterest.  I think I may like knitting the single-strap bib even more than the original pattern I've been knitting for 5+ years that came out of Mason-Dixon Knitting.

Yarn Bee: Haute Fur in "Vineyard" knit together with
Red Heart: Multicolor in "Plum Pudding"

Lily: Sugar 'n Cream in "Hippi Ombre"
for baby Cooper with a double-strap bib

Lily: Sugar 'n Cream in "Tie Dye Stripes"
for baby Simon with a single-strap bib

New Year, Old Projects

I finished weaving in ends on my stack of "to finish" knits at IHOP last Thursday.  I had one last bib, two burpcloths, and a dishrag made of these same pink and pastel remnants (not pictured because I then gave it to one of my fellow stitchers to take home and use).  Now I need to sew buttons onto all of the bibs, but that's something to procrastinate another day.  I actually worked on some cross stitch when I was done with the knits.  The bunny project I started four or five months ago would have been done already if I didn't put it down for several months between stitching sessions... but such is my habit.  Maybe he'll be done in time for Easter since it falls so late this year!

End of the Season

So I didn't blog for the last two weeks of the Bears 2013 season.  I'll blame it on two painful losses that ended their season without a ticket to the playoffs.

Between the holidays and two weeks not spent at Bobby's knitting during the Bears game, I didn't knit much.  However, I did weave in the ends of a nice stack of projects knit during football season.  As soon as the bibs are finished with buttons sewn on, and both bib and burpcloth are washed, I'll post final pictures.  In the meantime, here's the stack of completions from last Saturday's stitch group meeting!

Week 15: Scarves Galore

I've been posting for a couple weeks about knitting for the family adopted by my office.  I started slowly (aka procrastinated), which means I was knitting my fingers off this past weekend trying to finish the last two scarves.  I had a few scarves in reserve for girls, but trying to figure out how to make a scarf for a boy stumped me a bit.  I have two sisters, seven female cousins, and four nieces--not a boy in the bunch!

I worked on the black and rust ribbed scarf during the Bears game, which I started and finished on Sunday.  All three boys' scarves were in the laundry that night so I could take them to work on Monday morning.  Oh, and the Bears did win this week, which put them at the top of their division!

I always meant to make a scarf to match the striped hat,
so it was given with this batch of boy scarves.

The pink/purple scarf (left) was the only new project for the girls.
The other two were past projects from when I just felt like knitting a scarf!

A family of six scarves lined up in my cubicle
for an aunt and her five nieces and nephews.

Week 14: Da Coach

Da Bears pulled out an impressive win this week for Monday Night Football, which was appropriate considering they retired Mike "Da Coach" Ditka's number during halftime.  Oh, and I got a bit of knitting done on the scarves for the sponsor family at work this past week, too!

I'm a little ashamed my "to finish" pile has gotten this bad,
but the scarves on top got finished and washed this week!

Starting a scarf for a 4-year-old boy

Skeeter tolerates modeling the finished scarf

You started another one?  Leave me alone till it's done...

Almost done with the brother's scarf!

Week 13: Return of the Scarves

I've been in a mood to knit scarves lately, so at least one Christmas present will be this beautiful ribbed scarf of a soft fluffy yarn in purple, green, and turquoise, which was knit together with a second strand of turquoise chenille yarn to add thickness and warmth to the eyelash yarn.  It's finished, except for weaving in the ends.

Bernat Eye Lash yarn in "Glam" and
Herrschners Chenille yarn in turquoise

The office announced last week that we're adopting a family for Christmas, so I promptly volunteered to knit everyone scarves.  The girls are easiest to knit for--this scarf is a ladder ribbon yarn in burnt orange, pink, and purple, with a second strand of variegated purple eyelash yarn for contrast.  It's still a work in progress.

Folklore by Darice yarn in "Tan/Purple" and
Sensations Chello yarn in "Magic Purple"

I was working on the purple scarf at the Bears game, but because one of the opponent's colors is purple, it was suggested that I work on something else.  I started the Pink Camouflage burp cloth after halftime, knit about 50 angsty rows, but the Bears still managed to lose in overtime.  I may boycott knitting for the next game out of spite!

Week 12: Just Knit

I knit fast and furiously as the Bears played their division rivals, the Lions, but all I got was a bunch of finished or nearly finished projects...

Lime Stripes burp cloth is FINALLY done,
plus I finished the Pink Camouflage bib

Photobombing cat arrived shortly after I snapped the first picture

Started this double-strand scarf on a Friday...

...practically finished on Sunday!
Both yarns were from my random stash of accumulated yarn :-)

Week 11: Overtime

We had our lucky numbers back at our table for Week 11

Almost done with this burp cloth despite my issues with it

Week 11 saw a two-hour delay in the first quarter due to serious storms in Chicago during which I was trying to convince myself that I wasn't getting sick (thanks to the double-whammy of a tetanus shot and the flu vaccine a couple days earlier, my immune system was low enough for the crud to take root...)  Despite several mistakes I had to fix (I blame the crud), I did get some knitting done on the Lime's Up burp cloth.  It's easy to tell the second skein is from a different dye lot just by comparing the first two sets of stripes to the second two.  It was hard enough to find that last skein, so it will stay that way for the finished product, which I'll probably bind off before the next game.  Oh, and the Bears won in overtime, even though I (and my lucky knitting) had to leave before the end of the fourth quarter!

Week 10: Too Late

We'll say this post is so late because of the Bears' unfortunate defeat last week. The fan base at our local Chicago eatery were yelling at the coach to pull the injured quarterback for most of the second half. When he finally did send the back-up quarterback in, it was too little, too late, and the Bears lost by 2 points.  I spent the first half of the game tinking (or un-knitting; "tink" is literally the word "knit" backwards) the Lime Stripes burp cloth because I was having trouble matching up the stripes to start the second ball of yarn.  Since I was so frustrated with the stripes, I ran home at halftime and grabbed a ball of Pink Camouflage to start the bib for another baby set.

Photobombing Cat must play with the string...

Mine.

Week 9: Surprise Finish

I think most Bears fans were hoping for a win against their long-time rivals from Green Bay last night, but with our quarterback out and no home field advantage, we were also mentally prepared for the opposite.  When their quarterback got injured early in the game, both teams were on a more level playing field and a close game ensued with the Bears pulling out a win at the end!

I also finished another baby bib at halftime made from a cone of Peaches & Creme "Christmas Ombre" from my grandmother.  Dave liked the colors so much, he said he would have asked me to make him a scarf if he actually had clothes to match!  For next weekend's project, I've thrown the half-finished "Lime Stripes" burp cloth back into the knitting bag.  Oh, and did you notice my new knitting tote?  I've recently discovered Thirty-One, and I'm having a party next weekend to buy more storage totes for my crafty stuff!

Photobombing Cat strikes again!

Week 8: Bye

A week late, but not much to report for Week 8. The Bears had their bye week, and I didn't do much stitching except to finish up one of the Chicago bibs.  And Skeeter thinks all unfinished ends are hers to eat...

Week 7: Away Game

Both of us missed the Bears at Bobby G's this weekend because we were up in Chicago for Dave's grandfather's funeral. The Bears were out of town, too, and unfortunately they lost even though we were surrounded by the Chicago family in their Bears gear. I knit during the game, as well as during the drive and most of the weekend while we were staying with Dave's grandmother. She used to be a kniter, too, but now only crochets, just like my grandmother.

Finished projects: "Hippie" burpcloth, "Playtime" bib,
and striped "Hippie" and "Hot Blue" bib

Partially finished: "Tie Die Stripes" bib and striped
"Beach Ball Blue" and "Hot Blue" bib

Skeeter just wants attention (and to play with yarn)
after being without her humans for several days

Week 6: Weeknight Win

The Bears played (and won) on Thursday night in week 6, which was nice since we had another wedding this past weekend.  Instead of knitting, I was making reception signs and learning how to make bouquets and boutonnieres for my sister's DIY wedding.  I was still able to finish the Hippie yarn bib on Thursday, and got a few rows done here and there on the matching burp cloth.  No weddings this coming weekend, so maybe I'll be able to knit 80+ rows to finish off this set!

Week 5: Wedding Weekend

My husband and I were both in a wedding this past Sunday, so he caught most of the Bears game in the groom's hangout room.  The TV in the bride's room didn't work, but we had plenty to keep us busy before the ceremony!  Still, I'm sure my lack of knitting is getting blamed for another loss.  I did get a bit of knitting done on a new bib (yarn color "Hippie") at the salon on Sunday and during Monday Night Football.  I also finished up the Tie Die Stripes burp cloth during the week.  So many friends having little boys right now--I'm going to run out of options for blue yarn!

Pretty in Pink!

A bib start and a burp cloth finish

Let me help you with that string, Mama!

Week 4: Lack of Progress

Knitting during the Bears' games is apparently a requirement for them to win, and I have been blamed for their loss in Week 4 because I had a Tastefully Simple party scheduled.  Alas, I will not be there again next weekend because Dave and I are in a wedding.

The only knitting I got done this past week was a couple more stripes during Monday Night Football.  Instead of knitting, I was preparing for my first TS tasting party.  Preparations included dissecting a bunch of binders (by cutting out the center section with the rings) to make lapboards for party guests to fill out their order forms.  See the pretty new business cards that arrived last week?  And I have a shiny new nametag, too!