My Yarn Over

It is a Ribbon yarn I got at Arcadia knitting. I love the ribbon and it does knit up nicely. This is going to be a gift for a friend that is starting a new job on Monday. I am hoping it gets to her in the mail in time.











I know the pics are not the GREATEST in the world. I will never quite get the knack for photo taking. If I Were to do it over I would make a long fringe I think. It's meant to be a scarf to go with a semi-dressy outfit for my friend to wear at her new job.... I wanted short fringe.....



I got the yarn over stitch down (after this) but it does drive me batty. I am atight knitter... for sure. and doing the Yarn over made me want to pull my stitches tighter. I had to fight that urge.....

I am now working on a scarf knitted on the bias to practice my increasing and decreasing.... I am so addicted to knitting.....

Tomorrow my friend is joining me in my obsession by taking knitting classes with me. I am so geeked!



Meanwhile Natalie is working on her Garter stitch so that we can go to an Official Stitch N Bitch night at our local yarn shop.

The saga continues.....

Works in Progress

So much yarn and so lil time.... Yarn does take up more room than paper (as my hubby reminded me the other day). But that is okay.... What if that terrible snow storm hits in April.. (Ha - not so funnty...) I will have tons of yarn and Patterned paper to keep me occupied!!!! Nat too!


I started a couple of projects last night....

Here is my Ribbon Spring Scarf I started last night when I had this horrible HA. I thought the big stitches and easy yarn (ribbon) would be easy to work....





This is my venture into learning how to stitch with Yarn Over technique.... and keeping it even.












This scarf if my increase and decrease practice as well as Stockinette stitch practice.







This scarf is knitted on the bias which makes it funky looking. I like it - and I was told by the yarn shop owner that the yarn is GREAT for this scarf because mistakes are not easily seen.... I'm not sure I agree...







I love the yarn in the ball... Working with it is another story. It is really bulky then down to a thread.

Latest Creation

This is what kept me going last night... finishing my 3x3 ribbed scarf. I love the yarn. It is an Alpaca wool blend. So soft and easy to knit with. The varrigation knits up nicely.

This was the scarf I started after learning my PERL stitch. It's a 3x3 rib. AFter doing this scarf I pretty much have the PERL stitch down...


I love the way it curls at the end. This scarf is very warm too. I am afraid (or hopeful) it won't get much wear this season....

Knititng Mojo......

I am such a bad blogger... and scrapper....

I have been so obsessed with knitting and other things I haven't been bloggin or scrappin. As I look at my cluttered house - I haven't been very good at housekeeping either... (but that could be explained by my three children - Norm, Nat and Ro LOL).

Nat and I had a fun time knitting last night....



She LOVES knitting on needles. This Rowan Yarn is perfect for her. Smooth and soft, and chunky.....



She pointed out that my first four rows I started for her were different.
She pointed it out by saying "Mom -you are a REALLY tight knitter. So because of that - can you do my last four rows of this scarf so it looks the same..." I thought that was pretty keen on her part. I am not sure if I would have picked up on it then and now.....

Okay I am off to do some house cleaning and then some scrappin!!!! THEN I will sit down and KNIT!!!!!

Ugh - I feel like I am hungover though - I was up til 0430 starting another knitting project (just add and s there.... I have WIP!!!)

Knitting Circle.....

I am very blessed that both my daughters are into knitting. Actually - it was Natalie that got me inspired with her after school knitting class. We have a lil Knitting circle - a "Stitch Nitch" we call it (because Nat is appauled at the books on my shelf "Stitch and Bitch"). I put together collage for our scrapbook on the growth of our lil stitch and nitch group.



Nat started on a knifty Knitter but has progressed rapidly to knitting needles. Rowan happily knits scarfs and hats for her American Girl doll on her Knifty Knitter. We have very indepth conversations during our Stitch Nitch. Nat talks all about "boys" and "girl troubles" (at 8 - yikes) and Rowan talks about why Natalie is so mean to her. LOL!!!

The last picture on the bottom right was our last Stitch Nitch. We were all tired and Nat wanted to curl up in bed, with a movie, and knit. You see who the last knitter standing was.....

So - now we are kicking daddy out of the house and having a Stitch Nitch Session!

Insomnia

So the question is.... Do I have issues falling asleep because I have to get up in less than four hours to go to work (that will pay for my knitting and scrapbooking habits) or is it because I want to knit just one more row?????

Here is Rowan's scarf that I finished tonight!!

I love the colors but this yarn did stretch me. Rowan picked both out. She had the choice of yarn and then color. (Actually I think color came first then yarn.) I cringed when I saw it - but figured I needed th practice. Since I had the garter stitch down I started on this scarf.

See how the yarn varies in diameter (have no clue what the official term for that is.....) - and how it knits up. What I do like about it is the underlying pattern the yarn automatically makes when you are knitting. The scarf itself has this cool pattern made by the thinner areas of the yarn.

I can't wait for Rowan to wake up and see her new scarf.

Now for me I must put my other WIP away and go to bed..... 0600 is going to come way too soon.... and the 16 hour stretch at work is going to last way to long!!!!

Knitting Swatches!!!!

Class Projects!!!!!

I pulled out my swatches I made in my first two knitting classes.... What a hoot.

Here is my knit stitch practice (that I now know as Garter!)
















Here is my Purl Swatch. As you can tell - I needed a lot more practice on the Purl stitch. That is why I am doing the ribbed scarf.











Here is my ribbed stitch swatch. I actually like doing this. Just enough concentration it's not mindless and no "pattern" to follow - so still relaxing to do!









Here is the stockinette stitch. My next project will be this stitch with knit on the end and increasing and decreasing!

NOW for this weeks swatch.... I call it my mutant swatch!!!!!!!

I love it actually - something great to pull out in the future. I learned to increase, decrease, both on the knit and purl. I learned two increases....









The increase that adds with you knitting infront and behind a stitch and the increase that creates a hole (close up here).







I then learned the Yarn Over stitch. This will be my next project after the increase and decrease scarf.

Creations

Today marks my two week anniversary of learning to knit. I have started and finished two scarfs and have two more WIP. I can quite excited with my progression - and also blame it on my obsessive compulsive personality. I want to know how to do it all!!!


Here is the first scarf I did for Natalie... She picked out the colors and the yarn. I have to admit it went quick and the yarn was VERY soft.






The scarf has been done for a week but I had to wait for more yarn to come in so that I could do the fringe. Like a good new knitter I saved the label so my shop could order the yarn. Sadly - I had to be taught how to do the fringe - but now I know....






She did the hat on her own in a KnIfTy KnItTeR that she learned on in her after school class.














And here is the scarf I did for myself. This is actually the first scarf I started and then Nat wanted one made to match her hat. They were both finished at the same time on two different sized needles - I had two WIP (and I am just a baby knitter - an infant if you will....)













I added bangles to it. I love the colors in this yarn and the way it knits up. I think I have the garter stitch down. I am currently working on a scraf for Rowan - with a funky yarn that is testing my garter-sense. I am (as if you can not tell by my stitches) a tight knitter. The yarn for Rowan's scarf is verying styles so it looks funny to me. I have only been back into Sister Art Studio ten times making sure I am doing it right. I am sure that the owner rolls her eyes everytime she see's me coming....

Knitting 101

Thursday is my second class for knitting. I finished my first scarf. I have to wait til she gets more of my yarn in to make the fringe.

I have started a scarf for Nat.

She picked out yarn for a hat to make on her "Knifty Knitter."

Nat;s Hat, originally uploaded by Freakrn.

She is taking a knitting class at school. So, I saw how eager she was at learning and doing - I promised her I would make her a scarf out of the same yarn.

So without further ado ---- here is the second scarf.

Second Scarf, originally uploaded by Freakrn.

I don't like the colors very much - but they are what Nat picked out. On the way to work we stopped AGAIN at Sister Art Studios - for Rowan to pick out colored yarn. Natalie is going to make her the hat and I will make the scarf.

I can't wait till Thursday!!!!
I know I am going to learn a new stitch - and maybe adding on yarn????
I am so geeked!

Okay - back to work!

Knitting relatedm RAK from the hubby.....

I just recieved the most awesome RAK from the hubby!!!!!!!!

This is a huge shocker because he is not into random spontaneous anythings.....

Look what he got me.... he even read my mind!

I took it with to work last night.

I know I just started reading but it's a hoot! HOOT!!! I love it. There is even GREAT info for a beginning knitter like me.....

Thanks honey!!!!!! I have to go to bed now.... no more knitting, reading, scrapbooking or bloggin.... I have to be back at work at 1500.....

My mama always said.....

My Momma always said you could tell alot about a person by the way they knit..... (add a southern slow draw....)

Disclaimer - I hated the movie Forest Gump. HATED IT! Occasionally we go to the restaurant at the Navy Pier - and get annoyed at all the Forest Gump Trivia you have to go through to order dinner - but they do know how to fix southern shrimp.....

So - here is my scarf to date (time)..... I am having so much fun with this!!!



My teacher at Sister Art Studio said that some people have tight stitches and some have really loose stitches and people are inbetween the spectrum. Everyone has their own "knit stitch." She made a comment that my stitches looked great - even, beginning knitters work months to get these even stitches. I then reminded her that I was paying her to say this. (LOL) She would show me how knit and make a comment how her stitches were "a bit looser than yours cause I am a looser knitter." (this would always be in response to my anal - "are you sure my stitches are okay - they look so different from yours?") Then I said - you can probably tell alot about a person by the way they knit. She laughed and said - "yeah actually you can - I can tell you are a perfectionist." I then added - "anal and see life as black or white?" We both had a good laugh.

Several of you have asked me about the yarn. Isn't it FAB! I love the color combo. It felts too! Here is a close up.



Lion Brand Yarn. I am on my second skein and sure I will use the third. My stitches are tight aren't they.... So I need to go by Sister Art Studio (again - o my) to get another skein before she sells out!!!! LOL!!! I am going to put fringe on the end of my scarf when it's done - want to have enough!!!

I met with my Prayer Partner last night at Dunkin Donuts (for coffee and talking - then praying). I got there a lil early for "me time." I took my knitting. It was so relaxing to sit in the coffee shop and knit. We had a GREAT talk last night. Prayer time was healing as well. I am praying we can consistently get together from here on out - she just had a baby and I am insanely busy so our schedules never melt. I need to make this a priority. I got home at like MN - and sat up for an hour and knitted while talking with the hubby. I got up this AM - blogged a bit - thought about NOT working out then was immediately convicted, scrapped a lil, spent time with the girls - and now I HAVE to go to work. (blech, yuck, it's hard to go back after time off. I was filled with feelings of "do I still have a job?" to "Do I have to go back?" to "time to get going again yoohoo!") Then they called and asked (If I would stay home?? no such luck) if I would change to 7P to 7A - Call in's and no one to be in charge..... I grudgingly agreed to work nights..... I am so bummed right now.... I rushed my workout so that I could get things done to get home and blah blah blah..... Why did I have to answer the phone........

LOVE 2 KNIT

From my personal blog....

This week I HEART Knitting!!!!!

I used to have this HATE relationship with knitting. Ask me to do anything else but knit and I could. Everytime I tried to learn I failed. I was all thumbs when it came to knitting. My daughter started taking knitting classes at school and I tried (with poor success) to learn myself again. So - I signed up for classes at Sister Art Studio near my house and started today. I wasn't suppose to start on my scarf today - I was suppose to do all swatches to practice. HOWEVER the teacher is so awesome that I picked up the technique almost instantaneously! I was so excited when I left that I showed up at Nat's knitting class after school and knitted with her! I now LOVE knitting and that is my Thursday Post!

As a side note - My lil one - Rowan - has become quite the photographer hasn't she??? I have not had any time to edit these pictures and they were all taken by her. (She used my Cannon Point and Shoot digital) Click on any of the pictures above to see her entire photo shoot!

Tye Dyed PHunKy-KNitTIng

Now the rest of the story.... I have always wanted to knit. I have attempted and got frustrated within hours (sometimes minutes.) My daughter was taking a class at her school (she is EIGHT) after school to learn how to knit. She SHE was learning how to knit. WELL that got the ole desire raging again. Frustrated that my EIGHT year old could show me up - as well as a strong desire to KNIT please - I sought out a venue for my needs. While walking my daughter home from school - we walked passed a GREAT new KNIT shop called "Sister Art Studios." It doesn't do JUST knitting. It has alot of KID's art kit, they have parties for kids of ALL ages and teach other things like crochet and beading. Nat wanted to go in and look at "kits" and I obliged her. That was when I met the owner and she told me she taught knitting to kids and adults. I was GIDDY with joy. I wanted to learn how to knit so bad the burning passion was frying a hole in my chest right then and there. I inquired about her classes and told her there was no way she would be able to teach ME - ALL THUMBS to knit. She assured me it would not be an issue.

One week later I walked in, green and eager. She put in my hands - BAMBOO knitting needles size 15 - and started me on my swatch. Within the two hour time of the class I moved from practice swatch to my first scarf. I was so excited I joined Nat in her knitting class that afternoon.

This blog is dedicated to my knitting! My unravelings, my creations, my WIP (and Lord knows I will have a ton of those) and my tye dyed phunky knitting life.