My Needles have been CLACKING AWAY...

I am sorry that I have been away. I have been working steadily on a new baby blanket, so I have not had a lot of time to post anything here on my blog. I do not have any "IN THE MAKING" pics yet but will take some in the upcoming days and post them here. The pattern I am using is "Garter Rib Baby Blanket" that I found on Ravelry using Lion Brand in pale yellow (I think it is a nice neutral color for any gender) Here is the link: Garter Rib Baby Blanket  it is by O.F. Patterns and Tutorials. So simple yet so beautiful! Keep reading for pics and more posts!!! Thanks!

Lu Lu Loopsy

Lu Lu Loopsy

I purchased this pattern from Ravelry.com about a week and a half ago. I love it! So easy to do, cute, and fun. I had a little trouble with the hair...not because of the pattern but because I am useless when it comes to making the twists needed for the hair. Had I followed the instructions I am sure it would have worked out. Please pop over to Ravelry.com and look at all the great patterns created by Phoenixknits (a.k.a phoeny) She has free patterns and patterns to purchase...all of them brilliant, well-written, and FUN!!!

Without hair, ribbons, eyes, or smile!

Bows on feet and dress

Standing up

Tomorrow I cast-on for a BOY...I will be using blue to make "jeans" white to make a shirt and black for the hair (no twists...just hair on the scalp). I can't wait to start making her BROTHER!!

Still here!!!!

     I am sorry that I have, once again, become neglectful of my poor blog...I really do love writing here and sharing my projects but since starting my MBA classes my project making has been slowed down. I am proud of the fact that I have been taking pictures of everything I have knit...as I promised in my last post (LAST MONTH! WOW!) Lately, I have been on a doll making kick...I don't know why since I don't have any little ones (personally anyway) to give them to but love making them for my great nieces and nephews.     My great-niece, Carmen, who has several pictures on this blog...(she's the one holding the one holding the basket of "Fall" foods in previous blogs)....... will be turning 7 years old in a few days so all of my knitting has been revolving around dolls she may like.

     The pattern below is Petite Dolls by Hollymariet on Ravelry. It is a free pattern. Petite Dolls

I made a boy and a girl with eyelash yarn for hair...the boy doll I kind of "faked" hair. The very bottom picture shows the "brother and sister" next to each other. Carmen LOVED these dolls! We immediately had to play dolls...her brother being the "brother" doll, Carmen being the "sister with long hair" doll, and I was a third doll that I made (there are no pics of her because she was my "practice" doll...bad hair, bad body shape, bad colors...just...bad!)

   

     If you are still looking at this page and have made it this far....YAY! I am going to "piggyback" another post in just a few minutes. I purchased my first Ravelry pattern by Phoenixknits called "Lu Lu Loopsy" and made Carmen one of them. She was just finished today and while she is not perfect (like Phoenixknits are) I love her!

KNIT Year in REVIEW...Pic heavy (scroll through to bottom for all pics!)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Mini-Mitten Advent Calendar

IMAG0509, a photo by mad4marvin on Flickr.

My oldest sister has 8 grandchildren aged 9-3months so I thought having an advent calendar for her grandchildren would be cool. They can visit their grandmother and get a treat! Plus who doesn't love counting down to Xmas? So I searched Ravelry.com and fell in love with this pattern:Smitten (a holiday garland) It took me two months but I made 24 mini mittens-all unique (well 2 are the same color but you have to look very hard to see) and all handmade. I used embroidery (sp?) floss and added handmade tags to each one. My 6 year old great niece, Carmen, helped and she was so excited because 1.) she got to use a rubber stamp which she had never done before, and 2.) Grandma was going to put surprises in them! My sister hung them in her dining room on her built-in and everyday one or more of her grandchildren take the candy out of that days mitten and then moves them to my sisters tree (they double as ornaments!)

The yarn that I used for all of the mittens were bought months ago at the local Goodwill. I bought a HUGE bag for about $6-$8 and it was filled with Sugar & Cream Xmas yarn (100% cotton) and a couple of skeins of non-labeled acrylic Xmas yarn. Overall, I think there was close to 25 skeins (full-skeins!) in the bag....well worth the money I paid for it! My favorite mitten was the last one I made (and no, not because by the time I was done I was soooo sick of mitten making it wasn't even funny) but because it reminds me of a piece of peppermint candy.