4.30.2007

Free Pattern Day!

Hole-In-One!

Click here for the free PDF!



I love seeing all of your finished objects, so don't be shy about posting pics on your blogs and on Ravelry!

Till next time,
Sarah

PS - More free patterns to come in the days ahead, I couldn't give all the fun away in one day!

4.26.2007

Wee Me!

So this is what I'd look like short....oh wait....

Hey, this was fun! Thanks to Jenni for the fun link. Go make yours now!

(So, do y'all think it looks like me? Do ya, do ya, huh huh huh???)

Till next time,
Sarah

4.25.2007

Hurricane Sock Swap Socks!

Just a little progress update on how my box of socks for the swap is going.....

I've already begun collecting, ordering, and making things to go in the box! I'm really excited about what I'm putting together this year. I sitll have a few things left to get, other than making my sock, but alltogether it's going well! So far I've ordered my yarn, picked up a little doggie notepad, ordered a CD and gathered sketches of the city my pal would most like to visit to put together a few handmade notecards. : ) Also, I'm doing some custom stitch markers for my pal based on the "Favorite TV Show" question. After that, I plan to throw in a few homemade pet snacks (okay, if you don't have a pet now you know I'm not your pal, lol!), some cookies, and probably a candle or three for good measure. I ordered a few skeins of Knit Picks Dye Your Own, as I plan to hand-dye a few of the colorways my pal suggested to choose from. I certainly have enough to keep me busy until it arrives!

Oh, and since my pal requested a solid-knit sock, I think I've decided to go with this pattern. After all, everyone knows someone that's been a cancer victim, and isn't it nice to show that we haven't forgotten them?

Christy, this update was for you!!!! Hope you approve! : )

Till next time,
Sarah

4.24.2007

Knit For Kids Sweater #1

Mmm, purpley!


I decided to go with rugby-type striping in an attempt to distract from the god-awfulness of this yarn. The purple and grey bits are Simply Soft, so they're not completely hideous, but you can tell by the stiff way the arms are draping that the white is simply nasty. It was a cheap acrylic yarn someone gave me that I didn't have the heart to throw away. I'm hoping it will get softer as it gets washed, otherwise this poor child will have to have a T-shirt to wear underneath! At any rate, Sweater Numero Uno is finished and waiting patiently in the bin for the others to be completed and sent off to Knit for Kids!


Till next time,
Sarah

PS - That dress form is set to my measurements. I've had to decrease the number of cast on stitches for the other sweaters. . .

4.23.2007

Happy Birthday, Laury!

Yesterday was my friend Laury's 27th birthday. To helpher celebrate, I made her this:


Bauble!

Thanks to Romi for sharing the pattern!

Till next time,
Sarah

Present for me!


New earrings!


My friend is starting to design jewelry, and she made me these. Aren't they sweet? I'm looking forward to being the recipient of many, many more handmade pieces like this. Thanks, Laury!

Till next time,
Sarah

4.18.2007

Hurricane Sock Swap 2007 Questionnaire!

Well, my secret pal just (allright, like 8 days ago) E-mailed me with a gentle reminder that I need to post my answers to the questionnaire, so here they are:

1) Repeat after me "no hurricanes, no hurricanes, no hurricanes" . Okay we just had to get that one out of the way first.

Hurricanes, hurricanes, go away! (Or something like that....)

2) If your pet wrote a paragraph about you to describe you to us what would they say?

Mommy loves us so much! She loves to give us lots of treats and snuggles, but for some reason gets very angry when we try to chew on those pointy sticks of hers. We'd love to play with those soft, colorful balls, too, but she doesn't seem to like that much, either. She spends lots of time in her sewing room, where we hide under the bed to escape from having random bits of fabric tossed on top of us. We think Mommy likes it when Daddy comes home, because she gets all excited and starts yelling, "Daddy's home!" Then we all run to the door to welcome him. Yup, Mom sure is lots of fun! We just wish she wouldn't leave us on the porch all day....

3) What is your favorite hurricane supplies snack?

Favorite hurricane supply snack is probably going to be Sour Patch Kids. I especially like to go to the stores where you can buy candy by the pound, because I pick out all the orange and red ones. : ) Also, looooooooooooooove those oatmeal creme pies!

4) Do sock patterns normally fit you "as written" or do you usually modify them for size in any way? What are your foot measurements, not just shoe size? (Measure the length of your foot from heel to toe, then the ball of your foot. )

I have not ever knit a pair of socks for myself, but when I try on socks I've made for others (you know, to see if they fit), they've fit without adjusting the pattern.

Foot measurements are as follows:

length: 9 inches
ball of foot: 11.75 inches
around mid-foot: 8.25 inches

5) What one city abroad would you visit and why if money was no object? (and terrorism was non-existent)

Giza - I've always wanted to see the pyramids!!!! Someday, someday....

6) Do you wear socks all year round or just during the winter? Do you prefer them tall or short or regular height?

I wear socks only when I wear tennis shoes, which to be honest is not all that often, but I suppose to answer the question directly, I would have to say, year-round. I prefer regular-height socks, not super-tall or super-short. (Well, super-short might be okay. Like anklets. That might be cute...)

7) The last time the power was out during hurricane season (or bad weather of any kind) did you knit by lantern or were you lucky enough to knit to the hum of a generator? Or did you knit at all?

The last hurricane I was in was Hurricane Wilma, and since I was off work for a week, I went shopping, painted my guest bedroom, and generally lounged around. I'm sure there must have been some knitting going on, but for the life of me I couldn't tell you what it was.

8) Make a wish for your favorite sock yarn that you've already used once. What would it be? Dont be shy about listing an exact colorway or two if you'd like.

I used some Koigu for last years' swap, but handpainted is my favorite! (See #10)

9) What is it about sock knitting that keeps you wanting to knit more and more socks?

Honestly I haven't knit that many socks, but I generally love working on tiny needles and I love the challenge of keeping up with a pattern in the round while finagling four or more needles at a time!

10) Make a wish for a sock yarn that you are dying to try but haven't bought for yourself yet. (be specific, even colorway if you'd like)

I would love to see some handpainted yarn coming my way! If my swap partner dyes yarn herself or has ever wanted to try, this is the time!!!! I've seen so many beautiful colorways that people have dyed themselves that I would never be able to pick a favorite....however, if my partner isn't up to dyeing herself, something from Scout's Swag in one of the Hurricane Sock Swap colors would be great!

11) What size needles do you knit socks for YOURSELF with the most? Are they circular or bamboo needles? What brand?

Well, I've never knit socks for myself, but I have a collection of dpns from size 0000-8, so any size will do! The smaller the better, probably - the socks need to be thin enough to fit in my tennis shoes! I don't knit on two circs, so can my partner please use dpns?

12) If you could only take 3 yarn related books and one previously knitted project that you love with you when you evacuated what would they be?

Ooh, tough one! Can I swap 3 yarn-related books for my collection of knitting magazines? I don't have that many, really! (Okay, maybe a few dozen or three.) Book-wise, I'd probably go with Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns and Stitch 'n Bitch Nation, and then I'd probably grab a mag. Love the mags! As for previously knitted project, I'd probably grab the Hubby Cuddle Blanket I made a few months back...

13) What knitting notion do you wish you had that you just keep putting off getting for yourself?

I'd love some stitch markers that separate, or some yarn bobbins, since I'm always doing intarsia. . .I saw these in my LYS the other day and was drooling!

14) What is your favorite tv show?

Favorite TV show would have to be Project Runway, hands down. Besides that, there are very few shows I try to watch every week; I love Scrubs, which I watch with the doctor, and also America's Next Top Model and Gilmore Girls. Also, pretty much anything on the Food Network and HGTV, though I don't get to watch those channels much anymore. (I was a fan of Iron Chef before the American version came out! The American version is obviously way better, but I digress. . .)

15) Do you want a lacy sock or a "solid fabric" sock from your hurricane partner?

I've never knit a lacy sock, so let's go with lacy! But not too lacy, maybe something like Pomatomous that has just enough lacy-ness to make it light and interesting. : )

16) It's midnight and the power has been off for two days, its hot, and you have a craving for something sweet! What would it be?

Hmm. Probably ice cream, since I'd be going into withdrawals not having had any ice cream for two days!

17) Tell us a story about any of your hurricane weather related experiences.

One thing I remember clearly was driving around town and seeing mile-long lines for the gas stations, both cars and people holding gas cans! Wow. I was glad I'd filled up the day before Wilma hit!

18) What was the one thing you wish you had remembered to get last year for hurricane supplies that you swore you wouldn't forget this year?

Um...well, I don't think I really forgot anything last time, maybe next time I'd buy some more batteries and nonperishable food. Also, I'd probably try to eat more stuff out of the fridge before the storm hit!

19) What color sock would you like to recieve from your sock partner? (if you don't have a pref just say so otherwise give us a hint!)

Oh, I'd love something in a blue colorway, or pink, or blue & brown or pink & brown, or green. . .something bright and girly! I'm sure anything my swap partner thinks is pretty will be just fine. : )

20) Well surprise, this one isn't a question at all.. it's a THANK YOU for filling out this questionnaire and posting it!

Well, thank me then! And thank you for reading this far! Good luck and I look forward to receiving my sock!!!!

Till next time,
Sarah

4.17.2007

American Idol!

Allright, those of you who know me probably know that I'm not the hugest American Idol fan in the country. I can stand watching the show, but I doubt I would ever turn it on on purpose. That being said, my friend (and ACU alum) Zane Williams has submitted a song for the American Idol Song Contest, which is a pretty big deal. The winning song will be performed by the new American Idol, and also released as a single. Click here to hear the song and stay tuned on his blog for news about how it all turns out.

Go Zane!

Till next time,
Sarah

4.16.2007

Kailey's Pinwheel

Well, this post has been a long time coming, as this project was finished several months ago. It took me quite a while to actually get this in the mail to Kailey's mommy, but as she has now received it I want to show this off!



Pinwheel!


I had a bit of trouble with the sleeves, but after receiving help from the designer herself, they turned out great! I read the pattern to say that you were to put the provisionally cast on stitches onto a stitch holder and continue knitting around (which resulted in a big mess), when actually you are supposed to put the next 12 existing stitches on a stitch holder, and continue knitting with your provisionally cast on stitches. Anyway. Shelley really helped me out a lot; I'm not sure what I would have done without her help! Thanks Shelley!


Baby wear


What I love about this pattern, other than the utter cuteness of it, is the fact that it can be worn from a baby through the toddler years, simply by modifying the way you put it on the child. What genius! For a baby, the sleeves are rolled and the longer part is worn at the top, forming a cute hoodie.


Toddler wear

For a toddler, the longer part is worn at the bottom, with the edge forming a neat collar at the neck. So cute! And all from a circle??? No wonder this design took Elann's grand prize in the circle design contest. Good thing I didn't enter and waste my time!!!!

There has been quite a bit of other knitting going on lately, which is one of the reasons I haven't been blogging. My LYS hired me to design and knit a few golf club covers for their store display, which has been taking up most of my time. (Can we say YAY?!!!!) Now that those are done, I can concentrate on other things, like my sample swatch for Stitch Diva's Stunt Knitting Program, finishing up Absorba, reknitting my summer top, and frogging Goddess.

I guess that's all for now! Check back in a day or two for more updates. : )

Till next time,
Sarah

4.12.2007

Embarassed!

Okay, I'm standing at the fax machine and realize I have a bit of a wedgie going on. I know there's a conference going on in the (glassed-in) room behind me, so I turn a bit out of the way so the wall between my desk and the conference room is blocking everyone's view and do my business. I turn around, and one of the gentleman is standing right in front of my desk, staring at me! I tried to act like everything was completely normal, but I'm sure my face turned bright red.

Come on, we all do it......right?

Till next time,
Sarah

Oh, I have loads of knitting content to post! I am at least 10 good stories/projects behind on the blog. Will do my best to catch up in the coming days!