Sedum

Sedum

My Sedum jacket is working out great.  I have been knitting up a storm over my little holiday and am happy with how this is working out.

I did a few modifications

• Made it bigger by 10 stitches
• Did the collar first and then the button bands
• Knit the sleeves flat (for some reason when I go from knitting in the round to flat, there is a noticeable difference in the stitch definition) 

So far so good.  Hoping to have this done on the weekend - just have to find my steamer - haven't seen it since the move....

My Elf on a Shelf Brilliance.... or so I thought!

Almost one full week of no work has been FANTASTIC.  The fact that I still have another 4 days... even better.  Well there has been lots of knitting and relaxing and movie watching.  Not much else.

I had the best idea this Christmas, and I have since found out that my brilliant idea was already thought up.... sad.

The Nutcracker - a.k.a. Santa's Spy

My little guy picked out this nutcracker when we were getting decorations before the holidays.  I of course agreed to bring him home and he decided that he should sit on the mantle so that he could watch everything.  That gave me an idea.  Thinking I was brilliant, I told him that the nutcracker watches kids for Santa and would make sure that he was being good over the holidays.  Of course this worked like a charm on everything from eating dinner, to cleaning up toys.

Thinking I was the smartest Mommy on the planet, I told one of my friends with an equally unruly toddler.  She quickly said "oh ya - like Elf on the Shelf?"  I quickly was brought up to speed.  

FO - Bubby

Bubby Pattern from Ravelry
Us 5 Needles - Patons Classic Wool

Wanted to whip up a little extra something for Carson's Christmas Stocking and found Bubby!  It was a super quick and cute way to use up some yarn.  I actually stuffed "Bubs" here with some other yarn scraps instead of stuffing.  Worked great!

My little guy is 2 and is all about his "stuffies" - mostly all 6 - 8" plush toys that he can easily carry around.  Hope he like this little guy - I am sure he will :)

FO's - The Caelum Sweater and Hat fit for a Boyfriend

Caelum Sweater & Boyfriend Hat

My reluctant model shows off his new hat and the sweater for his cousin...

Wanted to try on the sweater since the two boys are the same size, and I plan to make one for Carson in blue.  The hat was to be for the Boyfriend, but clearly was made too small and is a perfect fit for Carson :)

New Project - Chasing Rainbows

Chasing Rainbows
Yarn:  Sirdar Baby Bamboo

I cast on another project last night and it is already got me hooked...  I have been looking for a great and fun baby blanket pattern for my sister.  She is due in April and is having a little girl, so I wanted to get started right away as I know that projects like this tend to get started and left.

I am using Sirdar Baby Bamboo - which I love - since it is super soft and machine washable - which is paramount for a new Mom.

I have one more colour to be added to it, a red-pink colour - so I think this is going to turn out really pretty and bright!

New England Knits

New England Knits

It is not very often these days that I will shell out $30+ for a knitting book - I was really bad for that in the past - A.K.A. - would buy a book for just one pattern.  I am getting cheaper more spend conscious and tend to buy a lot of patterns that I can download.

But I came upon this book on Ravelry and was totally blown away by how many patterns were in this book that I would knit.  Here are my favourites!

Advertising on Ravelry

Wondering if anyone out there has done any advertising on Ravelry?

Thinking of putting a small notebook ad out for one of my patterns and seeing what comes of it - there were 2 that sell well - which do you think I should post...

Option #1 - Abbey Cabled Hoodie - DK Knit for 6 mos - 2 years

Back of hood detail

#2 - Essential Baby Cardigan
Pattern includes 3 weights of yarn (Aran, DK, Fingering)
 and 6 sizes  (6 months - 3 years)

What do you all think???

But why would I read the pattern???

Please tell me this happens to others?

I was knitting away on Sedum last night and was all happy with myself when I got to the armholes.  I went back and counted how many stitches I had - what?  How could I be way over on stitches in one area and way under in another?

Back to the pattern to investigate.  Turns out one little sentence "Increase at the beginning and end of each row as well as before and after each stitch marker" - well I missed the increase at either side for like 40 rows.....

Suffice to say, I ended my night ripping 6 inches of sweater out.... boooo!

I am back at it tonight with hope of better results.

Lesson learned again.... read the DAMN pattern :)

Big Update - some FO's, WIPS and Christmas Decorating

It has been a little slow in updates on the blog lately, but I have been busy! Here are some completed projects and new ones I have gotten started on!

Completed Caelum for Lucas

This is a Christmas Gift for my sisters little boy - just in time to get in the mail for Christmas without having to pay more for postage than I did for the yarn.  

Used the Caelum Pattern from Ravelry and plan to make another one for my little guy with the same yarn soon!

I have also finished my resurrected Mondo Cable Cardi and made it into a short sleeved vest that will fit Carson's Grandma perfectly  - just working on some seaming and button closure for the top!  Pictures to come!

New WIP's - Boyfriend Hat and Cedum

I cast on 2 other projects as well:

#1 - the Boyfriend Hat - from the Hat Fit for a Boyfriend Pattern - here is my project link!  So far have been knitting on it last night and will tonight while the Boyfriend is working in the evening.  Good thing it is a hat and not a sweater or I am sure he would catch me :)

#2 - Cedum - wanted something quick and comfy.  We just had a week of crummy weather not that long ago which made me want to cast on something warm.  The pattern used Seed Stitch which in bulky yarn makes for a very "skwoooshy" (in loss of a better word) fabric that will be nice and cozy!  The pattern is knitting up quick at 12 sts per inch and I already love it!

A little Christmas Decorating

Picked up a new "fake" tree at the Depot this weekend - the new condo is of course real tree un-friendly - so I found a cute fake one to do the trick.  Gingerbread house preparation with the boys starts tomorrow night - I am preparing for a mess and a candy-high 2 year old!

My decorating assistant!

Here is my decorating assistant that thinks that the plant behind him looks much better with lights!