Muliticolor Wrap

I just started knitting a multicolor wrap in the Kaffee style. There are 9 colors in the first row alone! I'm good for about 3 rows and then I need to uncross my fingers and my eyes. I need to rummage through my stash and find 3 or 4 more colors. I'd love to add a turquoise and an olive or light green.

Right now is the cool time of day in my backyard, so I'm going to take my knitting out there.

Comments and Spammers

Because of one very relentless comment spammer, I've now turned off comments. If you want to contact me you can email me at pigglewiggins at gmail dot com or look for me on Ravelry under the knitabitofmagic name. Someday that spammer will get a clue and go away, and then I can put my blog back to comment mode.

Catnap

Gee I wonder why my yarn bag is on the floor. Gee I wonder where my cat is.

Cat v Wool

Since I'm on this new year long project to only wear things I've made, embellished or repurposed, I need to knit myself some socks. Though I have knitted socks in the past I think I gave all those away or wore them out. So today I got some sock yarn.

I also got some wool for felting. When we got home from the store I left the bag on the couch, and went out to the garage to put in some laundry. So that took ten minutes tops. I came in to find my cat had pulled the only ball of wool yarn out of the bag. He had already gotten the band off of it. And he was now proceeding to put himself into the middle of the ball of yarn one loop at a time. So after my boyfriend unwrapped the cat, I put the yarn up on a high shelf.

Hopefully tomorrow I can get started on those socks.

Yellow Confetti Sweater

Since I'm on a quest to finish lost projects, I thought it was high time I finished my yellow confetti sweater. So I got it out of the bucket and it's sitting here as I stitch it up. I've done the shoulder seams so far. I still have to set in the sleeves, sew the side seams and weave in all the ends. I'm trying to figure out if I have anything else I can wear with it. I want to put together an outfit for the Fatshionista Flickr pool I'm in. That site has put the fun back into planning my wardrobe.

Update: I'm all done and it fits me. If I make another one I'll add even more length to the sleeves and make it a little less snug. But considering I started it in Dec. of 2008, and I've gained some weight, I'm lucky it fits at all. Which is another reason to finish projects in a timely manner, so you don't outgrow them before they are done.

Skinny Black Knitted Fashion Scarf

I love knitting long skinny scarves. I found this one I'd already finished so I listed it on Etsy. I have some big bags of projects I just dragged out to the patio to sort. In one there are 2 tychus hats that need to be finished, and a pumpkin hat and a gob of other things. So I better get back out there and make some progress before it gets dark.

Ponchini or Capelet in Covered Bridge Red

Yesterday I started making a ponchini/capelet thing out of Homespun yarn that I got off the free table at the All Things String knitting event at El Dorado Park. I knitted like a mad woman until 2 AM and finally had to call it a night. I think I can finish it in two more rows, only now I'm thinking a black border would look nice and I don't know where any black yarn is off the top of my head. So do I finish it right away, thus assuring it gets done and doesn't fall into the project black hole, or do I shelve it until I can find some black yarn in this mess I call home?

All Things STring Knitting in Public Day

Renata hosted a great bash. You can reach All Things String at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AllThingsString/

Rocking Horse Knitted Panel

Right now I'm knitting a rectangular panel with a rocking horse on it. I'm not sure what it's going to be but I was in the mood to knit something from a chart. In fact last night I knitted so much my hands were too sore to knit today at all, so I made earrings instead.
The important thing is that I made something, right? Maybe I can knit again tomorrow. I wish it wasn't midnight. I still have lots of things I want to do.

Knitting outdoors

I knitted this a while back and it got stuck in a bin.

Jumbo circular needles

Shrug on the jumbo needles.

I sure hope I have enough yarn.

During breaks on another project I got some knitting done today. This shrug is about half finished. I just hope the yarn doesn't run out before it's wide enough to go from wrist to wrist. Sometimes I wish I lived in a yarn store.

I used to teach knitting at Michael's. I would love to have some knitting students again.

Knitting Event

On June 19, 2010 at El Dorado Park there is an event that combines World Juggling Day and Knit in Public Day. It's at an archery range. So I'm going to take my hoops, juggling equipment, archery gear and knitting supplies. There is a small fee to drive into the park. I think it's $7.00. Bring something to share at the potluck as there are no food booths. We are on our own. If you do not live near Long Beach, CA you can check the IJA website for other World Juggling Day events near you.

Brown Knitted Scarf on Jumbo Needles

I finished the brown scarf and got it listed on Etsy. So good to be making some forward progress. This was one of the last two balls in the Tall Mouse store at the 90% off sale. I just heard they are liquidating another one of their stores as well. Then there will only be one left.

Anticraft Book

Today I went to Art Supply Warehouse and in the parking lot I told my boyfriend, "I'm going inside to see if I can find any more of those $5. books." And a few minutes later I had in my hot little hands this book on sinister knitting. I've never seen it before. The only reason I could find for the low price was it was a bit shopworn, and it was the only copy they had left. So I snagged it right up. How can I resist a book that tells how to knit and crochet things like floggers and handcuffs? Score!

On Sunday at the archery meeting, someone had tied together a bunch of twigs and found objects with some pipe cleaners. After staring at it all day we couldn't decide if it was art, or a dream catcher or what, but I couldn't resist adding a bit of spontaneous knitting done on large needles in a heathery purple yarn and interlacing it through the branches. Then I added a tassel. Various people commented on my addition saying it went from sinister to more friendly. I wonder if it will still be there next month. I hope it is and I hope other people added more to it. I wish I'd had my camera with me.

What's a Ponchini?

I literally bought the last two skeins of yarn left in Tall Mouse at their 90% off liquidation sale. The day before at their 80% off sale they still had about 20 skeins left. I wish I'd grabbed them then because they were gone the next day. But I did pick up 5 knitting books and 3 pairs of big knitting needles.

One of the books I got was a crochet book on making Ponchinis. I'd never heard that term before and had to look it up online when I got home. Evidentally it's the same thing as a capelet. But it looks like fun to make.

I used my new skein of brown yarn with a silver metallic thread and the size 17 Clover needles I got to start on a scarf. It's about 3 feet long already. I don't normally wear brown. So I'll probably put it in my Etsy shop or gift it to someone.

Multicolored Knitting on Straight Needles

The multicolored knitting I started yesterday. I got to work on it a bit more today. I think I may make a hat or a headwrap out of it. A vest would be nice, but I don't have enough of this yarn.

Pastel Baby Booties

Here is my daughter with the baby booties I knitted for her.

Ravelry

If you are on Ravelry, please add me as a friend. http://www.ravelry.com/people/knitabitofmagic I haven't done much on that site yet, but then I found out one of my real life friends is in it so I'm sure I'll be using it a lot more now. And maybe if I start keeping track of my projects over there I'll get more of them finished.

I was looking at sock yarn yesterday at Joanns. It looks like the socks would be $10 a pair to make. I can't say I've ever spent $10 on a pair of socks in my life. But the yarn is lovely. I have a thing for self-striping yarn. So if any of it should ever come my way via birthdays or holidays, I wouldn't turn it down.

Knit a Bunny Rabbit

I'm designing a new bunny rabbit. So far I have his head, ears, and half his body knitted. He is purple. My fingers were getting pretty worn out last night so I had to put the bunny down. It's so hard to stop isn't it? But I don't want to injure my hands again. They've been doing pretty well lately.

This is a prototype. That means there is no existing pattern. It's trial and error. People wonder why one of a kind items cost more. It's because so much time is invested in research and developement. I may have to make four or five of these to work the bugs out. A prototype item will always take a lot longer to make than something done in assembly line fashion.

Knitting Event June 19 at El Dorado Park

My friend Renata said that on June 19th 2010 we are meeting again to celebrate World Juggling Day and a knit-a-long at El Dorado Regional Park in Long Beach CA. There is a park entrance gate that was $8 to drive in last time I went but other than that the event is free. Jugglers, knitters, spinners, weavers and archers are all welcome. The archery range is right there. We will be under the trees at the back of the archery range (by the street). There is no nearby street parking so I recommend carpooling or paying the gate fee. The last time I went it was a potluck, so you might want to bring food to share.