Private Teaching

For the past month or so, I've been teaching a private class of ladies how to knit.  It has the feel of a home party (think Mary Kay or Pampered Chef) without the pressure to buy anything because we simply set up a time that works for everyone, meet at one of their home's and I teach them for 2 - 3 hours how to knit new stitches or new patterns to make off their wish list.  They pay me a set rate for each "class" or meeting.  I think it is a win-win for everyone.

So far we have had 3 or 4 classes in which we have learned how to cast on & knit; purl, rib (knit 2, purl 2), and short rows (we made an ear warmer); and then cast off & use circular needles.

Tuesday we finished up their circular needle hats and introduced double point needles to finish off the top of the hats.  I am so proud to see how far along they have come!  They even mastered the seam to sew up the top seamlessly!

Two of the 3 ladies with their finished hats; So proud & talented!

Before we ended, we cast on double point needles (which is definitely tricky to get started) for our fingerless gloves.  I can't wait to see how they do when we come to the thumb (in our next class).  I'm sure they will master it easily.  :)

Hot Mits

Ever wonder what's insulating your hands from that hot pan coming out of the oven?


I know I always wondered how two knit (or crochted) layers were supposed to be insulated enough (even with all those stitch "holes") to use for hot baking sheets, so I decided to experiment with adding more insulation to my own prototypes. 


For my knit hot mits, I knit two dishcloths, one with the crocheted loop, and then sew in two squares of denim from an old pair of jeans onto the second square.  Then they are sandwiched together and crocheted shut with a crocheted loop to allow them to hang out of the way while also being a pop of color in one's space.

Doesn't that make you feel more confident when you're ready to pull out that hot pan of yummy cookies?  ;)

Baby "Longies"

A peer of mine from high school asked me to make a couple pairs for her baby.  I have to start off with admitting I had no idea what these were by their name until I did a google image search. 

Tad-da!  They are just knit sweatpants! (+100% wool to be absorbent as soakers).


So for my first pair & experiment, I'm using Patons Classic Wool in Aran with US size 2 circular needles, 104 stitches.  I'll keep you posted on a developed pattern once I have a better idea of what I'm doing. :)


I'll be fitting these to the children I babysit since I don't have any of my own & my friend is in North Carolina, so I can't use her child, either.

Finally got passed the short rows in the bum (for bulky diapers)
& am experimenting with a kitchener-stitched crotch.

So if you have any advise, suggestions or wisdom on this kind of pattern, please leave it in the comments.

The Adirondacks

Labor day weekend my husband and I traveled with another couple to New York for some hiking.

We stayed overnight in Akron & had dinner with my husband's best man and his girlfriend.  Then we continued our drive to meet up with our hiking friends.


I worked with some new yarn on the drive. It came from one 0f the boxes Dan's grandmother won at a "Chinese Auction."


We hiked Mt Marcy the first day.  It was my first mountain!

First Trail marker.

View from the Summit.

But us girls were too sore & stiff to do any more hiking the next day, so we dropped the boys off to hike the Gothics and we hung around the cabin, recuperating. 

Before we left, I sold one earwarmer right off my needles to the co-owner of our accommodations, Mountain Brook Lodge!


Then he asked about a hat for himself, which I gladly made as a compliment to his wife's earwarmer.  (see the matching yarn in his stripes?)


They were probably the best hosts I have ever stayed with [commercially].  They held bonfires every night in the courtyard to get to know their guests & really created a sense of community.  We felt like we were staying in a friend's home!  (ex. I forgot to bring milk for my coffee so Al brought me a glad of milk to keep in our fridge!)

All four of us can't wait to return. :)

http://mountainbrooklodge.com/

My First Knit-Along


Thanks to a note from Genevieve, I've finally taken the challenge (for me) to join a Knit Along.  The hardest part for me is staying on a schedule when it comes to crafting.  I'm so easily distracted that I hate to promise anything in advance (that is why all my shop items are ready-to-ship, hehe).

So I'm very excited to say that I have *almost* completed this personal challenge of mine.


I've been re-working the pattern I'm following due to my lack of size-1 knitting needles (I'm using my great-grandmother's size-3) and I think I've ripped it out 3 or 4 times now.


.... not including the last 3 of the decrease at the top. .... I can't wait to see how quick I can whip up its pair.... :)

I wish I better understood the protocol when it comes to linking up, but I'll admit I've only seen it on Field Wonderful's blog, so I hope no one minds....


Today (or these last two weeks, rather) I'm knitting along with LuvintheMommyhood in her Warm up to Winter Knit Along.
luvinthemommyhood

I can't wait to show off the pair once they are off the needles :]

Is anyone else doing a knit along?

Getting Back into a Routine

I can finally say I feel like routine is returning to my life and I've never been happier to have one again.  I intern 3 days a week, I drive an older gentleman once a week & babysitting once a week and my weekends are free to spend with my husband or at home crafting!  Woot!  Life is GREAT!


And because I've started settling back into a routine, my knitting has started picking up again and with it, more crafty ideas & inspirations have followed!  When I first picked up my needles after returning from our honeymoon in Croatia, I had never felt so empty of creativity and ideas.  Talk about scary!  For about 5 seconds I seriously wondered if I would ever be inspired again to create something new and not just a copy of something I saw.  But I'm happy to report that over the last two weeks, and through a lot of etsy & self-suffient reading, my inspirations are coming back.  :)


Check out this scarf I started the weekend after our return.  With NO inspiration in my head.  I have no idea where this twist idea came from (but I've been trying to come up with a good color-twist idea using a cable pattern since last winter; so I guess this was just me having an open mind and out it popped?).  So I went with it and started this scarf up at a University of Michigan football game.  Yes, I was knitting at a College Football game.  In the stands.  With a skein of yarn in each pocket.  :-P

Moving on.  At first I hated the way it looked, but it was like heaven having needles purring in my hands again.  I wish I could describe how right it felt to be knitting again.  It feels like punishment when I have to put the needles down (I was nearly late to babysitting tonight because of it; oops!).  But luckily I now have lots of time & opportunity to be knitting whatever I want - and lots of Christmas presents!

I hope to post pictures as I start working on them.  And I'm sure that list of mine along the right column will be growing by the week as I brainstorm more and more projects (and gifts) to make.

So glad to be back.  I hope you'll return; I've missed the excitement of comments in my inbox.  :)

Blue + Yellow Wrist Warmers

Oh the joys of developing pattens as you go.

A grandmother of two boys I've recently been babysitting asked me if I could make her a pair of wrist warmers in Maize + Blue (for U of M).  I've made a pair or two before for me, but never with thumbs (my first attempts just left holes for the thumb) but I told her I could find a pattern and make them for her no problem.  And I did!  Surprisingly quick for me ;) hehe.  And I had them done in 2 or 3 weeks!  The catch?  The main cable on the second glove started worming its way toward the thumb -- I had misplaced the thumb hole too close to the cable :(

So I ripped the top half out & re-worked it, paying attention to wear I made my increases this time ;)


I'm happy to report it looks just as nice as the first glove & I can't wait to see how Grandma likes them.


She was even entertaining the idea of my making a pair for each of her grandsons in Steelers' colors.  But we'll see.  The boys started running with the idea and wanted to add 4+ different colors and trying to visualize how to pattern that out was too overwhelming.  So I call this project To Be Continued. ....