Bunny in sweater

Bunny in sweater, a photo by mad4marvin on Flickr.

Bunny with bushy tail showing

Bunny with bushy tail showing, a photo by mad4marvin on Flickr.

My newest project.....

     I found a book at Joann's a few months ago that I fell in love with....Amy Gaine's "Little Knitted Creatures" this book had everything I love about knitting: cute, easy, fast projects-on straight needles!!! The book was a little pricey so I did not buy it but I did visit it several times and even looked at it on Amazon.com....which by the way surprised me because they gave you an inside look at the book including a free pattern!!! Recently, the book went on sale and thanks to my sister talking me into buying, I brought it home! There are 26 cute projects in the book and each one is well-written and easy!
     So, I have challenged myself! I want to make all 26 of these adorable creatures-they range from gnomes and acorns to bunnies! So far I have made 4!!!!! And I just cast on my fifth!!! I do not think I have spent more than 2 days on one project....sooooo nice and easy!!! The kids in my family love them too!

Rainbow fish....made from recycled yarn

This little crab is made from Red Christmas yarn with tinsel throughout

    

Sheep made with Wool bought from Metro Richmond Zoo

Your knitting and crochet time....2KCBWDAY7

Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys. What items do you like to surround yourself with whilst you twirl your hook like a majorette’s baton or work those needles like a skilled set of samurai swords. Do you always have snacks to hand, or are you a strictly ‘no crumbs near my yarn!’ kind of knitter.

     My typical crafting time....what does "typical" mean? LOL!! Really though I am a craft as much as possible--whereever I can or am--however I can-- person! Most days, I can be found on the loveseat in my living room with needles in hand, in front of the television, watching Sadie (22 month old great-niece) run around the living room.
     I am not a social crafter only because I am not much of a social person...I used to make jewelry with my friends but found myself helping them "fix" things instead of working on my own pieces. This is how I am....instead of focusing on my stuff, if I work with other people, I focus on everyone else and how I can help them....this can prove to be too distracting and it gets on my nerves!
     My favorite place to knit is in my bedroom, on my bed, with the television on, and my dog. He is afraid of yarn BUT puts up with my addiction because he can curl up at my feet and cuddle. However, the yarn CANNOT touch him or get too close to him...he runs and cries. In everyday life he is a vicious, horrible, Min-Pin/Pom that scares everyone (but me) and does bite. Unless you are yarn...crazy but true. Anyway, I like to knit in on my bed. There is something comforting about having my pillows and blankets around me while I attack yarn with needles. The only downside is that it is my bed....sometimes I find pieces of yarn under my sheet or between my pillows. Also, when I am working on a project I do not sleep...most of the time I have to finish my project....this can be bad because I am on my bed but cannot sleep causing a love/hate relationship between me and my bed....
     However, my dog loves when I knit on my bed because I think secretly it is his favorite place too...as long as the yarn stays on its side of the bed and he stays on his side....everything is okay....

Something to aspire to....2KCBWDAY5

Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make bu can admire the result of those that have.



     This prompt is an easy one to answer for me because I aspire to....well...everything! There are so many things I want to learn and accomplish that sometimes it is overwhelming. With knitting, I want to learn how to use circs, DPN's, cabling, intarsia, and how to knit from a chart...oh and I want to gain speed. To me, I am the world's slooooooowest knitter. I am envious of people who can crank out quality, beautiful, detailed, and intricate items when I labor to work through the smallest of items. OH AND LACE....lace seems sooooo detailed and tiny. Even thinking about knitting lace makes me feel clumsy and oafish, like my fingers are really sausages.
     I also want to write a craft book. Not just a knitting book but a craft book...something with a little bit of everything in it....
     I have so many hobbies that sometimes I wish that there were more hours in the day, more money in my pockets, more words to write down, and more people that were interested in what I said and did. Maybe one day....
     In life, I want to use my education for something that will leave me in someone's mind so that one day I will not be forgotten. I want to "produce" something of a legacy....whether it is a book or an idea or a product...something....
      SIGH....when I read this prompt I did not think it would make me feel so wistful....but it is....there are so many things to accomplish......

And now for something completely different....Blog Post #5

And now for something completely different! This is an experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create.




This is a blue heart. Enough said.



Where are they now? Blog Post #4 of Blog Week!!!

Whatever happened to your __________?

Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.



     Haha!!! This is a great prompt for tonights blog post!!! This question was answered for me tonight by my niece about the fate of a baby blanket I made for my great-niece, Kylie, who is now 7 months old (I made it for her baby shower gift) Here is how the conversation started:
 
Brie: Ummmm, Aunt Cathy, about that baby blanket you made for Kylie...
 
Me: What about it? Did she pull it apart? (this is a fear of mine when gifting something to a baby-that they pull the yarn out and make a choking hazard out of it!)
 
Brie: (looking puzzled)- Nooooooo....but I....its kind of messed up...
 
Me: What happened? Didn't I make you two with the left over yarn from the first one?
 
Brie: Ok, I had to throw it away because I threw up on it after my very serious dental surgery. (Actually, I added that last part because as her aunt I KNOW SHE JUST HAD DENTAL SURGERY BUT AS A READER NO ONE ELSE KNOWS)
 
Me: You threw it away? You couldn't wash it?
    
     At this point her mother, my sister, jumps in and tells me that it was not something that would come out but that Kylie still has the other one so its not that bad! Because I know how bad my niece has had it since her very serious dental surgery, I am not mad. PLUS, Kylie loves her blankets. When she was an infant, my niece lined her bed with the blanket (ummm...number 1 blanket...number 2 came later when Brie asked if I had any spare yarn left so that she can have an extra for when the first blanket was dirty....wow...she looked into the future there!) I have seen Kylie using the blanket to learn how to crawl-which she is the QUEEN of doing- and I have seen her cover up with the blanket when she was suffering through teething (she has two bottom teeth now!)

Kylie-looking cool with her shades!! 7 months old!