Fall into Autumn Topic #3...... plus guess who's on ravelry

Autumn has now officially begun here in the States!! What is your favorite thing about Autumn/Fall? Why?

Fall means chili. With the cooler Fall weather, I can cook soups, stews and chili. My favorite and only chili recipe is Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm Chili. I serve it with beans and cornbread.

In other news....

Hey there,

frecklegirl has invited you to Ravelry!
"Here you go! Thanks for your interest in our little site.
Let me know if you have any questions or problems!

Jess"

I have received my invitation to Ravelry. I guess I was wrong about the Christmas 2008 ETA for my invite. :-) For those of you who care my ravelry ID is wildflower38.

FO: Twist & Shout Socks.....also what socks are next up

Finally, I'm done with them. It was a long 2 months of knitting. What I've learned from knitting the Twist & Shout Socks:

1. I don't like short row heels. I can do them, but I just don't like them. It's going to effect me trying to knit toe up socks. I've decided to push back learning to knit toe up socks until 2008.

2. I cannot multitask and knit lace socks. I'm going to mess up. I'd like to try knitting lace socks again...maybe something by Cookie A or out of Sensational Knitted Socks



The next pair of socks I'm knitting are for my brother's size 13 feet. I'm going to knit the Thuja Socks from knitty.com using Fearless Fiber's Superwash merino sock yarn in the Thoroughbred colorway. I'm using US 1 Addi Turbo needles on 2 circs. The modifications to the pattern so far are the fingering sock yarn, US 1 needles, and casting on 104 stitches....I'm gonna be busy.



Look what came in the mail..... It's Mountain Colors Weaver's Wool Quarters in Ruby River colorway. I'm going to use it to knit a shawl. More on that later after I finish the Branching Out Lace Scarf.

Crochet Wednesdays plus a Sock Update

My wonderful SP11 spoiler sent me some sari silk that I immediately decided to make a cosmetic bag with. I was following a pattern in my Getting Started Crochet book. I ripped out all the stitches and started over again because I didn't want to sew the seams together on the sides and to the zipper. I using a modified pattern for the cosmetic bag. The pattern is actually a pattern for a potholder. I'm just not going to fold the edges diagonally to make the potholder.



Twist & Shout Sock Update:
I so far I've met my goals for knitting the 2d sock.
On Monday I finished the leg and wrapped the stitches for the short row heel.



On Tuesday, I unwrapped and knitted the short row heel. I even knitted a couple of inches of the foot.



My goal for Wednesday is to finish the foot and on Thursday I'll do the toe decreases and kitchener the toe. So I'd better get started.....

WIPs Update

Twist & Shout Socks:
I'm having a bad case of second sock syndrome with the socks. I've finished the 1st sock! YAY!!! I've casted on, knitted the cuff and am working on the leg of the 2nd one. I'm slowly knitting the sock. I've been avoiding knitting the sock by studying, knitting other projects, and not taking the sock with me when I've been hanging out at friends' houses. I have to finish this sock this week. I need start my brother's birthday socks...... his birthday was yesterday. (New Year's resolution 2008 knit and finish items for people by their birthdays.)


Branching Out Lace Scarf:
I'm working on my 20th repeat of the pattern. I have about 7-10 more repeats. I only work the scarf when I'm alert and alone. It's so easy for me to get lost with this pattern. I started highlighting the lace rows and using a long post to help me stay on track.



Red Scarf:
I'm knitting this scarf for the Red Scarf Project. I plan on being done with it by October 1st so I can mail it in by the deadline, October 15th. I'm knitting the scarf with Paton's Decor yarn in claret. Its an acrylic/wool blend. I wanted to use a yarn that's machine washable. I figure a college student wouldn't have the time to hand wash anything. The awesome pattern is My So Called Scarf. I love this pattern. I plan on making my little brother a scarf using it too. I found a Youtube video on the 2 row repeat. The scarf should be approximately 5 inches wide and 60 inches long. I'm using US 10.5 needles and casted on 38 stitches to get the right width. I'm using 2 different dyelots of the yarn and changing the yarn every 8 inches. I plan on making a scarf that's 64 inches long. I'm going to also include a gift card with the scarf package. I can send a gift from Target, Walmart, Barnes and Noble or Starbucks. Leave me a comment message on where I should buy the gift card.

Fal into Autumn Topic #2

When you knit or crochet dishclothes, washclothes or face clothes, what do you use? What size needle or hook? Wood? what type? Metal? Plastic? A specific Brand? Why do you love that needle or hook so much? Is there one you are dying to try? Is there a particular yarn you love and use all the time for clothes? What is so special about it?

When I knit dishcloths, I'll either use Addi Turbos if I'm in a hurry or bamboo straights if I'm not. All of my dishcloths are knit with size US 7 needles. Lately I've been using Addi Turbos because they're quick, I like the way they feel in my hands, my purl stitches are matching my knit ones, and I like the soft click clack sound they make when I use them. I'd like to try KnitPicks Harmony needles. I like the colors on them. I like to use Peaches and Cream yarn when knit dishcloths because the yarn feels softer than the Sugar n Creme. I really like the gumdrop varigated colorway. I made my friend, N, dishcloths for her birthday using them. The only problem with me liking Peaches and Cream is that there's only one Walmart in town that has a crafts section and its the only store where I can get it. I haven't gotten to the point where I'll order it online.

My Fugly 1st Scarf

Christine, my SP11 hostess, wants to know about the worst item I have ever knit/crochet. What was it? Who was it for? What went wrong? Did I give it to the intended recipient, hide it away never again to see the light of day, frog it, or just throw it in the trash?

Yarn: Feza Iplik Hawaii in red

It took me 2 days but I found it. I hid it in a box full of old books. This drop stitch scarf is the very 1st scarf I ever knitted. It was my second knit project. I picked out the yarn intending to make a beautiful scarf that I would proudly wear.

The combination of the fun fur and 100% straight nylon yarn and my inexperience made an uneven tensioned scarf. I had a hard time with the drop stitches. Not only did I have drop stitching in the straight yarn, the pattern called for me to do drop stitches in the fur fur sections. I would get lost and rip back to a garter stitch row alot. I got so frustrated with this scarf that I went back to the yarn store, complained, and bought a skein of Elsebeth Lavold and knit me a simple garter stitch scarf. I was determined to finish the drop stitch scarf which I did. You can tell that I never intended to wear the scarf because I didn't weave the ends in.


Now, I'm not saying that fun fur is ugly and should never be used. I went on to make a few scarves with it and they came out lovely. In fact the scarf, I knitted for my cousin, T, is one of the most beautiful things that I've knitted. (I didn't take pictures of it.) I was even thinking of keeping that scarf for myself because I liked it so much.














I went to the Feza Iplik website to show you a picture of another knitted scarf using the Hawaii yarn but the picture has been taken down. It's like Feza Iplik doesn't want claim any involvement with the yarn either. lol

Now, I offer these picture to those who have read this post and don't want the pictures of my scarf burned into their retinas. Look at the pretties......

Fall into Autumn Topic #1

Now that in some geographic locations the weather is starting to turn cooler, do you change the type of yarn(s) you knit/crochet with? If so, what do you now knit/crochet with instead and why? If not, why do you not switch and what do you knit/crochet with?

I haven't changed the yarn that I'm using. I guess because I'm a beginner.... advanced beginner.... I'm trying to knit projects that I like and are fun.

In my part of the country, we have summer/spring/fall type of weather. It's still summer for us here in South Texas. I'm planning to knit things that are light weight. Light weight scarves, hats, shawls, etc. DK weight types of yarn and some merino wool. Nothing thick or bulky. In November, I think that I'll try knitting a tank top. One of my goals this year is to knit a top. I'll use a yarn that will be cool enough of our weather down here. I want the tank top to be cool yet warm also. If I want to wear it when it's colder, I can put a jacket on over it.... that's what we do here for winter... put a jacket on. Patterns like the ones in Interweave Knits or Vogue Knitting's Spring issues are the type of patterns that are appropriate for this area. I'd love knit a thick wooly cabled sweater,but I may only get to wear it on average for 2-3 weeks total yearly.

I'm being spoiled in the BEST way

I received my first package from my GREAT SP11 spoiler.



She gave me very pretty notecards. How did she know that I really like pansies? She also gave me a ball of the Sugar n Cream Stripes self patterning cotton yarn. There's a placemat pattern on the inside. I'm going to call Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's to see if the carry the yarn so I can make myself some placemats.



She sent me a beautiful tote made from sari silk. I LOVE HANDMADE GIFTS! :-) I'm going to use it as a purse. I'm taking it when I have lunch with my friend, N this week. She's a handbag collector. She changes purses almost every day. N will like that I switched purses. N bought me a purse for a few months ago because she was tired of looking at the one I was using. N is soo girly. Anyway, the sari silk tote is a nice texture and is soft. My spoiler also sent me 2 balls of the sari silk. Is it bad swapper etiquette to start making something with the yarn in your package before you take pictures of it? I saw the yarn and immediately thought I could make a crocheted cosmetic bag with it. The pattern is in my Getting Started Crochet book.

Speaking of books, my spoiler sent me Ann Budd's Getting Started Knitting Socks!!! YAY!!!!! (I'm grinning ear to ear). I've learned one tip on how to fix the holes at the gusset in my socks. I'll post more about what I learned reading the book.



Thank you very much my Secret Pal. I appreciate you taking the time to make me the tote. You're a very good knitter. Let me know where I can find the pattern for it. And I'm praying for rain in your part of the country. We've had a wet summer this year. I'm glad that it hasn't been too hot, but I'm tires of all this rain.

FiberFlix

Have you ever asked yourself..... What movie do I want to watch? That's what I've been asking myself for the past couple of weeks. I just mailed back The Closer Season 2 (the complete season- dvds). I've had those dvds out for a month. Netflix really made their money off of me in August. I pay $25 for unlimited dvds plus internet movie access. I can get up to 4 dvd at a time. I've had my membership for almost 2 years. It's great. I can sit. knit and enjoy some good..... sometimes bad..... movies.

I just joined a new knitting group blog, Fiberflix. I have in my queue the movies for September: Heathers, Clueless and Grosse Pointe Blank (the theme is Back to School). Any group that has me watching John Cusack movies is cool to me. :-) In October, the theme is Monster Movies and we'll be watching 28 days later, 28 weeks later and A Nightmare before Christmas. In November, the theme is Director Retrospective, and we'll be taking a close look at Alfred Hitchcock. He's one of my favorite directors. I love to watch North by Northwest. I like his old tv show Alfred Hitchcock Presents... especially the one where Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie from Dallas) kills her husband by beating him over the head with a leg of lamb then roasts the lamb and feeds it to the police. She gets caught when she does the same thing to her second husband.

Here's a little info on the group from its moderator, Jennifer, posted when she started it:
... FiberFlix, a crafting group for people who love movies and love knitting, crochet, spinning and weaving. Every month we will watch a couple of movie selections and discuss them. Members are also invited to craft a project in the spirit of the films that we will be watching and discussing together. This group is low stress. Participation every month is not mandatory, nor do you need a blog. If you are familiar with the Knit the Classics group, a crafting and reading group, this group will be run similarly.

All fiber crafters are welcome: Knitters, spinners, crocheters, and weavers. If you enjoy creating with fiber and often watch movies while you craft, then this group is for you! If you are interested, email me at craftylilly AT hotmail DOT com.

I learned something new

I learned how to put a link to a questionnaire using a picture button in my blog's sidebar. This will be helpful to my SP11 and Fall into Autumn spoilers. Thank you Anne at the Fall into Autumn Dishcloth Swap for posting the very helpful link.

Fall into Autumn Dishcloth Swap Questionnaire

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been doing it? I'm a knitter. I've been knitting since October 2006. I've been teaching myself to crochet this summer.

2. Have you made dishcloths before? Do you use them yourself, give them as gifts, or both? My first knitted item was a garter stitch dishcloth. I've been making dishcloths for my family and friends this year for their birthdays. Every couple of months I knit myself new grandma's favorite dishcloths to use. I give my old dishcloths to my friend's husband. He says the old dishcloths are great for washing your car.

3. What's your favorite cotton to make cloths from? What cotton would you like to try that you haven't before ? I like Peaches & Cream. I can only get it from Walmart. We only have 1 Walmart in town that has a craft section. I try to buy things from it so it doesn't close. I'm going to knit a set of dishcloths and potholders using Plymouth's Fantasy Naturale or Tahki Cotton next year for birthdays. I would like to try Laines du Nord Cleo Cotton yarn. My friend in my knitting group made a baby's sweater out of it. It's soo soft.

4. If you knit, do you prefer circular or straight needles? For all, do you prefer wooden, metal, or plastic needles? The yarn determines what type of needles I use. If I could knit everything with Addi Turbos I would.

5. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you don't like much? Pinks, reds, blues and purples are my favorite colors. I don't really like neon colors.

6. What do you like best about Autumn? Kids are back in school so I can go to the movies again.

7. Pies: Pumpkin? Apple? Pecan? All of em? or No Thanks! I love to bake apple pies. I've never liked pumpkin pies and pecan pies are just too sweet for me.

8. When you were a kid, were you the one who couldn't wait to get started with school , or the one who overslept on the 1st day? I couldn't wait. I loved school. I still do.

9. Do you celebrate Halloween? (The real key here guys is especially knowing if you have an aversion to the holiday or little goodies/decorations associated with it, given the timeframe of the swap) I don't celebrate Halloween. I've seen the product of weird things that go on on that day. I work in the medical field. You don't want to hear the story trust me.

10. If you had to choose just 3 edible 'goodies' to eat for a full year, what 3 would you choose? Chocolate covered peanuts, reese peanut butter cups, sweet tarts

11. Do you have any pets? Kids? Husbands who seem like kids? ;) I'm single, no kids and pets at this time.

12. If you were to describe a particular yarn that shares traits of your personality, what would it be and why? I see myself as a silk/wool blend like Jaggerspun Zephyr because its versatile. Zephyr can be used for lace knitting, delicate and elegant, and also for sweater knitting(holding a few plies together), soft, sturdy and warm. (Guess what I just bought ;-) )

13. Do you use your cloths mostly for dishcloths, or as facecloths? Dishcloths

14. Favorite Fall Holiday: Halloween or Thanksgiving and why? (Feel free to share another fall memory if you do not celebrate either of these holidays) Thanksgiving because I can spend time with family and friends.

15. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should know about? No allergies

Thank goodness I have a lifeline

It rained all week of my vacation. It started on Sunday and as I got closer to Victoria. I could see the rain clouds.



I went this past week to my home town to visit my family. It was my dad's 59th birthday. As he gets older he looks more and more like my grandmother(his mother). Same face, same peaceful, sweet personality. He's big teddy bear. My dad's great and the best male role model I could ever have. (Guess you don't have to wonder why I'm 39 and still single.) I've been stressed out lately so I needed to go to Victoria and spend time with my family, my lifeline when the world's not too nice to me.



I did get some knitting done this week. I'm knitting some dishcloths and crocheting potholders for my friend, N, for her upcoming birthday. I was able to knit 2 grandma's favorite dishcloths, 2 DW dishcloths, 1 garterlac dishcloth and crocheted 3 potholders. (Photos coming when I'm done)

I tried knitting the Branch Out lace scarf but I stopped after I made a mistake. I was talking to my lil brother and not paying attention to my knitting. I had 26 stitches when I should have had 27. I tried tinking but I ended up having to rip back to my lifeline. If I had an extra hand I would be able to show you the white dental floss that I'm using as my lifelines. All I could get was a good picture of the edges coming out of the scarf. I was able the slide my stitches back on my needle easily. My friend, J, referred me to great little article on using lifelines. Jackie E-S suggests putting the lifeline in a resting row of the pattern. My lifeline is in the 10th row of the lace pattern, the purl row. I've put them in after every 2 pattern repeats. I'm being anal so I've put in 2 lifelines just in case I need them.



I was able to unwrap and knit the stitches of the short row heel. Yay!!!! I like how they looked and I kept on knitting. I should be done with the 1st sock and will start the second sock this week. The second sock always knits up quicker for me because I all I have to do is knit it. The first sock takes me longer because I nitpick. The perfectionist in me comes out and I rip my knitting if I don't like how it looks. With this sock, I've been ripping alot. I'll post the notes I took on the Twist & Shout socks after I've finished the pair.


I took this picture as I was leaving Victoria. The rain clouds are gone. Calm, peaceful cattle country. My pictures of the cattle were too blurry.