Fabric shopping ...

Not too long ago ... maybe a month and a half or so ago? I bought tons of fabrics. I made sure some of them coordinated so I could use them together for the same item. And today I began to cut pieces for an outfit I need to make that will be a birthday present and the party is Sunday!
But then I realized, in the middle of cutting, that the 2 fabrics I bought to create this outfit look horid together! LOL! I'm not even exagerating! I don't know if it is the lighting or what but I can't understand how I ever thought they matched! LOL!
So off to the store I went to buy coordinating fabric that really matched. But of course, now I need to prewash it, dry it, iron it, and hten I can begin to cut it!
I really wanted to finish it tonight too!
Oh well ... I still need to seam my poncho and add fringe, and I have 2 bags with all the pieces cut out, just waiting to be sewn, and lots not forget hte sock and the dress I am currently knitting! So I'm sure I'll have plenty of things to do tonight and hopefully tomorrow I can finish the outfit for the birthday girl! LOL!

Ramblings ....

So, I turned the heel of the sock today and am getting ready to start the gusset. Much easier, now that I know how to pick up stitches the correct way! LOL!!! What a difference a little knowledge makes ROFL!!!

Anyway, something I was considering doing is joining the Knitting Guild of America. It seems like a pretty good deal overall. The real reason is to maybe move on and doi their master knitting program. Well, I was pretty sure I wanted to do it, until of course yesterday when I realized I was picking up stitches all wrong! No, really, I do think it's something I want to pursue. Maybe I will get a membership first and see how that goes and then over the wintertime apply to do the level 1 of the master knitting. I'm not sure. I figure if I'm teaching classes, why not go for this as well? What have I got to lose really? So, just something I'm thinking about ...


UPDATE:
I paid for my membership tonight. I will hang out on their message boards, read what people have to say, and maybe in a few months order the level I kit! I'm feeling a bit excited about this all right now! =)

Oh man!

Tonight, while reading another blog, I discovered I am "picking up stitches" in my knit work all wrong! :::sigh::: No wonder it seemed so darn hard ... it's becuase I wasn't doing it right! The good news is that the correct way to do it is sooo much easier than what I've been doing! Yikes! On the good side, nothing I've made that has required me to pick up stitches looked *wrong* doing it the way I was, but I will be happy to do it the correct way from now on! LOL!

Currently working on ....

dress I am making for my 2 year old.
The pattern was designed by my friend over at Chronicles of Yarnia. So far so good. Of course I'm not very far, and this piece is only the front (or the back!) LOL! But I think it will be cute in the end! =)



Sock I am making for my 5 year old. I had about twice this amount done yesterday when I realized I misread the pattern and had to start over! Hate it when that happens!
Also laughed today becuase someone told me they would never have the patience to make a sock when it was so much easier to go pay a couple of bucks for them at the local store! Yeah, sometimes it is easier, but I admit it, when my 5 year old asks me to make her one, comes to the store to help pick out the yarn, well ... how can I say no to that! LOL!


I also want to add, that blogger is really annoying me lately. 75% of the time the pages won't load. I can't send pictures to it without resending them several times and I know there are issues with comments.
I really hope the bugs are worked out soon, otherwise I may have to jump ship again and go somewhere else. It's frustrating ... anyway ... want to comment/say something to me and it won't work ... e-mail me at Brandie185@gmail.com!

The yellow dress ...

is finished. It looks good on the hanger.


A full shot


Close-up of collar and flowers around waist.
The collar got messed up, and well, I don't want to go back and redo it (yes, I'm lazy and I know it!) I think it will even look okay on a child, but haven't tried it on either child yet to really know!
Anyway, I'm glad it's done ... mostly becuase I started it 2 years ago I think? And it's just nice to complete it. LOL!




Up-next

*Socks for my 5 year old
*birthday present for a cousin R
*matching outfit for my 2 year old
*finish off shawl
*scarf for cousin A
*knit dress for 2 year old

More on the yellow dress ....

The eyelet lace is sewn to the underskirt here, which I know has a special name and I can't think of it right now


Here you can see the overskirt is folded backwards (it is 2 rectangles that meet in the front and the back)



And that is the effect when it's down ... just the lace and a bit of the underskirt peeking through!


I've done a dress like this before, but with a bunch of tulle under the topskirt ... but that can get not fun for a little kid to wear if you don't put in a liner (yes, I learned the hard way LOL!).
Anyway, the yellow dress is almost done, except for the collar and attaching the sleeves, but I need one thing to do that!

Baby blanket: Done!

Finished the baby blanket today. Not sure what I think of it honestly. I mean it's okay, but really, that's all. Just okay.


Close up of the square design


I am back to the shawl I started a long time ago using the Lion Brand Trellis. Looks great, but a pain to work with. I inserted a lifeline tonight becuase I've already had to frog too much of it by losing a stitch somewhere, and it's just to hard to spot errors, so this way at least I can pull it down to the life-line! LOL!!!

Finished the dress ...

the dress I finished today!!



A sort of close-up ... there were 3 pieces to the skirt and they all had to be gathered. It was sort of a pain. And then the elastic was a pain! But it looks so cute .. it's a bit big on her, but no problem ... just means she can wear it longer! LOL!

Winter Finished Projects ...

The side bar was getting overloaded I thought, so I'm moving all my completed project percent bars here! LOL! Just to have record of them =)


L's Scarf

MA's Scarf

A's bag

Baby Shower Candy

Mom's scarf

Mel's bag

BMW's booties!

Purple Baby blanket

Pink Baby blanket

Crafting Update ...

Last night I did some sewing.
I would have finished the yellow dress that I want to finish, but I'm missing something for the collar, and I have nothing here that I can use in it's place ... so off to the craft store I will go soon becuase I want to finish it LOL!!
I started another dress since I couldn't finish that yellow one. I managed to get all of the 2 sleeves done! But it takes elastic and I had to do casing on it. Although it's easy, I haven't done it before so it just went a bit slow. But once I get the sleeves and the neckline done it should go pretty fast becuase I think those are the only places that take elastic!
I am about 5/8ths through the blanket - over half done which isn't bad really! I also started another scarf to send up to my friend B.
So, I'm finally back into the swing of things and feeling good about it! I'm ready to get some things done and taken care of! LOL!
And hopefully, I'll have pictures to show tomorrow =)

Here is the progress on the blanket ... it's 1/4t of the way done so far! LOL!

Started a new project ...

Working on a baby blanket! So excited as I've been wanting to start it for a while now, but had other things that I needed to do! Now I have to do two baby blankets to send out to friends, still have booties waiting to be sent out, and then I will return to the shawl I started and hopefully, then get to some sewing tha tI have been anxious to do for a while now! =)

Promised pictures ...

Just a bit later than I promised them! I haven't really made any progress this last week. I did finish a knit scarf. But that's about all! I need to finish something to keep my momentum up though LOL!!
Anyway, here are works in profress, or even some planned projects coming up!


Shawl I am knitting ...


close-up of shawl. It's using Lion Brand Trellis yarn. I'm not a fan of it to be honest! LOL!


Dress I started about one year ago! LOL! I really need to finish it!


Dress I plan to make for my 2 year old!


close-up of fabric


dress I am making for oldest (it's the one the girl is wearing on the pattern - just pretend the pink plain is where her brown is the and floral is where the pink is on her dress LOL!)


Bag I am making for a relative ... the jean on the outside, blue flowers as the liner. It will also have a pocket on the outside of it.


bag I am making for my 2 ... she loves her trains!


bed skirt I am making for my 5 ... this is how it looks now (and theoritically it could go on her bed) ... however ...


this is how I want it to look ... I want both the purple and the blue to be on it!


And here is the pile of fabric that I have been buying recently to make more fun things! LOL!


Knitting bag/knitting needle cases fabric

I also need to whip out 2 blankets (for girls quickly) and finish an outfit to make for a friend's dd. I have a lot to do! LOL!