The 206 skein project

Hello there!! It's been about 4 months since I've written on this thing!! Well let's recap... My first semester of nursing school went GREAT!! I ended up with 2 As and a B :) no new wedding plans... YET! I've gained about 10 stress pounds with school... And oh! Coffee is the greatest invention since sliced bread! Unless you drink it too late in the day and then you're stuck up all night, like me... Now...
Since I couldn't sleep I decided to clean out my yarn bin, something I've been meaning to do forever since all my yarn were getting tangled with one another... So I went ahead and cleaned it out... Guess what I found...

No guess??

I found 206 (yes!!! Two. Oh. Six!) skeins of yarn!!!!! Can you believe it?! And here I was thinking to myself "man... I need to go buy some grey and black yarn for J's scarf... Yellow yarn for JJs minion.. Oh! And some more skin colored yarn to continue making those cute fairies I've made..." (that's another post of course!)

So I messaged my Bffl, M, and told her that if her hubby ever gave her ANY sort of anything regarding her yarn, to simply pull out the picture of all my yarn, sitting on the floor waiting to be sorted out and reorganized in it's bin (I'm happy to announce that 2 hrs later I was done organizing the yarns by make and amount as well as labeling my bags of yarn inside my big yarn bin!). She gave me the greatest idea yet!! She said "You should do a 206 skein in 365 days project!" not a bad idea!! Only one problem.... I am a full time nursing student... But I'm taking the challenge! So starting January 1, 2011 I will be attempting to finish all 206 skeins of yarn I have before the following year. I'm also going to challenge myself to NoT buy any yarn until all of this stash is completely done (oi vie... Will power-- I have none...)... As well as a 20 pound weight loss challenge between Jan 1, 2011 and Jan 1, 2012. I'm goingto take the challenge!! I can do it! As for the skeins of yarn... I'm thinking baby hats! Lots and lots of baby hats! It's something I can knock out while sitting in class or in traffic, or even while studying... So wish me luck! M, great idea!! <3

Edit: 12/26/10- MIL gave me 9 skeins of chenille & ribbon lace. So the count is now 215 skeins! Joann's is having a 50% off after Christmas sale today, and I have been informed that I HAVE to get more yarn since it's a sale I can't resist! I'll let you know the new count when we get back.

Big things happen on road trips....

For the avid yarn junkie, road trips mean one of two things... You get car sick and have to drive the whole time, or you have someone drivewhile you finish all your projects including the dreaded weaving in of ends. While on a road trip to New York this past weekend, I got to finish projects I've been putting on hold for about a month now..

Jay's Fingerless gloves

So after making the first glove about a month ago, and keep putting the second glove on hold for almost a month, finally got it done while in traffic on our way to New York on Friday. There's Jay modeling the finished product :) yarn used: one 50g skein of Knit Picks in Chimney.

(which are also Twilight colors...my other obsession...)

The Jay,RN doll

Also finished the doll made for the MIL of her son as a nurse! =) She loved it!!! Pattern can be found here: Little Nurse Amigurumi Doll

The pattern is for a girl nurse, I improvised the pants (which I don't think I did too good now that I look at it more) and had to add a sthetoscope since Male Nurses don't use caps like the pattern includes.  MIL loved it she kept showing it off to everyone who came into the house. Made me happy since now she can have her baby "boy" with her at all times =)

Made these cute little applique flowers using my left over yarn. My fave if the "Twilight Flower" using my left over KnitPicks yarn. I have more that I've made yesterday which i'll include a picture of later.

But there's one thing that this yarn junkie did not expect... and it started with this book:

He handed me the book and said it was a "special edition"... but BOOYYY I didn't know it would be this special!!! He told me there was a bookmark to a pagnted me to look at.. Being a HUGE twiligh fan, and having read the book series over 9 times in the past 5 years... I figured it was the part where Edward tells Bella she is his life now... So I opened the book and this is what I saw...

AHH!!! it could not have been done a better way!!! Sorry Stephenie Meyer for a completely destroyed book, but it was done for a GREAT cause... So now begins a new chapter in my life.... The engaged chapter... We have decided to wait two years to get married, this gives us enough time to plan and I will have completed Nursing School by then, and hopefully passed my board exam. Here's the blog where I'll be tracking the wedding plans and the ultimate  loss challenge! 30 pounds in two years! It can and will be done!! =)




 Until next time! Happy knitting! Hugs and Stitches!! :)

Tuesday Morning Funny

I found this picture this morning and couldn't help but giggle. Oh how I wish this were real!!! ha,ha,ha... Enjoy!
Courtesy of: The Panopticon

Simply Elegant Scarf pattern

Here's the pattern for my "Simply Elegant Scarf" feel free enjoy but please link me back.

Ch30
R1: DC in 5th ch from hook, *ch1, sk1 chain, DC in next chain* repeat until the end of row. Chain 4 turn
Continue until piece measures desired length and close off. 

You can even increase the number of ch in the beginning by increments of 30 in order to make it wider and can be made into a wrap or poncho. I'm working on a matching hat, so keep an eye out for that!

Time to catch up!

I've been MIA. I aplogize. I've been super busy with preparations for school and sneaking in my final projects bfore school starts on August 30. I have 28 days to complete the following:
[ ] 2nd glove for my boyfriend (50%) [knit]
[ ] baby alpaca hat to match scarf made earlier this year (70%) [knit]
[ ] JJ's green mittens and I-cord connector [knit]
[ ] Hat, Mittens, Scarf matching set for an order [knit]
[ ] Scarf and Hat in beige (20%) [crocheted]

WHEW! nice long list, not to mention all my weaving in and sewing together projects that need to be completed for entry for the fair...

I've been busy making:

 

not to mention i've been baking again! I have missed it!!

Be sure to check out my BFF's blog: MollyDobbins Blog

My beach gloves

I've always wanted to make socks and gloves! Well I went to the beach 2 weeks ago, and decided to give fingerless gloves a try. I made the first one in a couple hours while tanning on the beach! It was great! A dream come true lol! Socks will be next to conquer! I'll post pictures when I get home tonight, as well as the link to the pattern I followed :) I think I'll go ahead and attempt to make my own glove pattern soon! :)

I've been busy these past couple of days.. Studying for nursing school, working on a triangular shawl pattern using the lover's knot crochet stitch (will post it up when I get the final product and the testing goes well!) I've also been working on a Tunisian crochet baby blanket for my friend B's baby boy! (he's due to arrive to this world during the first week of August, hopefully I'll have it finished by then! Pictures to come for that as well as well as the link to the Tunisian crochet video I am using as the stitch.

Missing "Gato"-- send the search party!

My son has a special toy which he's had since he was 12 months old... His favorite stuffed animal... a TY Beanie Baby stuffed cat. They've been discontinued and quite impossible to come across. About a year and a half ago I found one on EBay, and went ahead and ordered it. It immigrated from Great Britan, and at a $40 fee to purchase the cat and transport it here, I felt like it was worth every penny since my son would have TWO of his favorite toy now... But I was wrong. My son took one look at the new cat and immediately knew the difference.. And how could he miss the HUGE difference between the cats... one was brand new, the other was not.


He brings his cat everywhere!


The grocery store


North Carolina--on our way to Florida


Disney World


To work-- his playdates


To church-- first communions

I mean EVERYWHERE! My son is always seen with his trusty companion and life-long friend, Mao (the new cat is Pao...). Imagine his sadness when he loses his dear Mao. It is very sad to seethe sadness in his eyes, and then the search begins... He lost his gato yesterday while at work, we looked EVERYWHERE. Under the beds, in the laundry room, under the toys, in the toy bins, garbage cans, toilets, in between the couch cushions, in the TV compartment... No sign of Mao! I was about to go crazy, because here I was calling out "Mao... where are you??" expecting an answer from a stuffed animal.. (Having Mao is like having a second child, except it doesn't answer back when called on...) And to make things worse, when asked where Mao was, JJ would answer "I don't know"....

Last night was torture to putting JJ to sleep since he can not sleep without Mao... He had Pao and boy it was different, but at least it was enough. This morning I decided to take another looksie around the house. 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 floors and numerous closets later, I ventured to the basement to look around, trying to think "If I were a stuffed cat where would I hide?"... (It's not as easy as they make it seem...)

Finally, about to give up, I looked in the entertainment center in the little doors (JJs in the stage where he likes to put his cat in its crate especially to sleep...) and who do I find sitting in the very back of the top shelf inside the dark little closet? MAO!!!


Moral of the story, put yourself in a stuffed animal's position and maybe you'll find that special toy! I'm off to knit it a collar and leash...
-A

knit on a purl/ purl on a knit

I know it's happened to the best of us and it's inevitable that sometimes we make the mistake and knit on a purl or purl on a knit stitch... Up until recently I would go frog it back until my mistake and then continue... I am proud to announce that I can now FINALLY make the change of this simple, silly mistake with my trusty crochet hook! It makes me happy =) NO MORE frogging!!!


I have also figured out a way to make cables much easier to knit-- I know most of you have already figured it out, but like I said before, I have never knit a cable in my life, and I am quite impatient when it comes to learning new techniques-- I have started using my crochet hook as my "cable needle" and I simply place the stitches back onto the left hand needle and then knit with my crochet hook, pull the new stitch onto the right hand needle and continue until my cable is complete! Does this make sense? Has anyone else figured this out? I'll post pictures to show what I mean.

Impeccable Sweater Wrap

Hats seem to have taken over my house!!! Seeing as how patterns seem to make it EASIER to figure a project out, I decided to take out a free pattern sheet I got from Michaels about 2 years ago. It's the Impeccable Sweater Wrap We shall see how it comes out! So far I've got about an inch and a half getting ready to go into the cable! First time making a cable!! Wish me luck!
Progress Pictures:


update: 6/12- I had to frog the original black sweater wrap 4 cables into it... ugh... i have begun a PINK version of it. =)

Sweater Wrap as of Sunday (6/13)-

Here's a picture I took just now 6/15--

Hats Hats Hats! Everywhere you look, there are HATS!

I;ve been wanting to knit/crochet for charity for the longest time ever! Given my history with hats, I could never work up the courage to persue hats for charity. Due to recent events, and figuring out the anatomy of a HAT, I found a quick and easy write up for Preemie hats! The pattern can be found here I encourage all to pick up your hooks and scrap yarn and make these quick and super cute preemie hats! Be sure to contact your local hospital and find out the requirements for donating such items to the hospital, some may want you to wash in Dreft and wrap in individual plastic baggies before handing them in. The babies will thank you!
They're so tiny!

They fit on a doll's head too!

-A

Simple Argyle Scarf

I had a request not so long ago to make a scarf using the colors pink and grey. So after many hours of looking for the PERFECT pattern.. I finally found: Simple Argyle Scarf on Ravelry. Being the type of person who doesn't like to follow patterns, I decided to give it a try freehand... and BOY did I fail miserably!!! I saw I had to make it the way they had figured out. (HEY! less work for me right?) I tried it and it came out BEAUTIFULLY!!! Once again excuse the iPhone pictures.. I will have to get a better picture with my camera. Here it is:
In Progress:
Finished:

It was absolutely EASY to follow and most importantly, it came out BEAUTIFUL! I hope the scarf owner likes it as much as I do! Will get a better picture soon. I PROMISE!

--Update: Here's the picture I promised:

-A

JJ's FUNtastic beanie part two

I attempted to make a beach scene beanie for JJ, and when I went to try it on him, it was too small... I didn't change my gauge... perhaps I missed an increase somewhere, or i was just crocheting too tight? Anyways, so I made a second version of the Broom Broom Beanie from Bugalugs Handmade for the two year old boy I sometimes babysit. Finished it last night and will give it to him on Monday. We shall see!

UPDATE: They loved it! Hope to get a picture of the cutie pie soon!
-A

JJ's FUNtastic beanie- Complete

So as a mother of a three year old boy, I find myself in a limited amount of items to be made for him using my biggest vice-- yarn. (Like someone mentioned in my local cafe-knit club last night.. "no one has ever gone to rehab for yarn addiction.." and if they did, I hope they brought their needles and yarn with them...) After countless scarves, vests, sweaters, and attempts to a hat (they always come out too big or way too small, or in the shape of a cone and even a ball at one point), I found a pattern (Now I'm not a pattern follower.. kind of a free for all crocheter/knitter) on Bugalugs Handmade that was simple to follow, cute, easy, and most importantly for someone my son's age! I decided to give it a try! Sent the link to my best friend, M, who also has a son and we decided to make it a crochet along. We had planned to crochet one color a day and take pictures along the way and encourage each other.. I went to my local crafts store, picked up my favorite yarn of all time, Caron Simply Soft, and decided to start it last night when I dropped into the knitting club. 2 hours chit chatting with the ladies, a grande soy chai latte--extra hot of course, 3 colors, and 20 rows later... I was DONE! I couldn't believe it! I had made a beanie!! and it FITS! and its so funTastic and he loves it!! I love it!!! I definitely recommend this pattern to EVERYONE!
Here are pictures of the finished product! I appologize for the craptastic iPhone pictures.


-A