Success at last!

This is an awful photo of it, but I finally finished the Lowry Pullover. And, with a week to spare too! I'll definitely get some photos with the recipient wearing it. Hoping to gift it next weekend.



I also had time last night to finish up the Feather & Fan Throw for Paul. A very productive Saturday indeed.



Today I pulled out the Rose Wrap Shell and worked on it a bit. I can only work on it so long though since I am at the point where I am attaching all those motifs together. It's difficult to see what you're doing if you don't have it laid out flat, and then you wind up sitting hunched over to do the connecting. It doesn't take long for the back to start aching. Good thing I can get quite a lot done in just 30 minutes of working on it since that's about the timespan I can handle sitting in that position. I'll probably pick at this a bit each night until it's finished.






Last weekend I spied a great pattern on Ravelry, but couldn't find it in the designer's Etsy shop. I messaged her and asked if it was still available. Imagine my surprise when she messaged back that it was a brand new pattern and she was offering it free to the first 25 people who asked and I was on the list! I really can't wait to finish this. It's the most adorable Pond Turtle. One of the better turtle patterns I've found. Below is the first of many of these I'm sure I'll make. As soon as Paul saw the photo on the pattern he announced that he wanted one. The top shell is his choice of colors in Kureyon. And the contrast color is Cascade.

Check out Woodrose's Etsy Shop to see a photo of the finished turtle. He's really quite perfect.



I spent some quality time today on the Ravenna Satchel too. The bottom piece is complete, and I am half done with the back. I should be able to finish the back and get a good portion of the top band done tomorrow night while watching the football game. Then I get to work on the fun intarsia piece. Most likely I will be ready to felt it next weekend.

Swap Package Received!!

Before I get to the goodies, let me share a few finished projects.

I finished up the Mid Month Dishcloth pattern on Sunday morning. Pretty soon I'm going to have to quit making these. My kitchen is full and there's no more room in the bathroom basket for more face cloths. Or, maybe I just created my entire Xmas gift list for next year lol.



Dairigon was finished up yesterday afternoon. She is too cute!



And, I whipped out this tree ornament in record time yesterday too. I'll be making a few more of these for friends and family. I love the little paperclip blades.



I received my Great Knitted Purse Swap package today. I love the bag!! My partner did a great job on it. She knit it using Noro Kochoran. Yummy wool/angora/silk. I didn't get a photo of the lining, but it coordinates beautifully. I tried to get a good photo of the cabling, but it just wasn't to be.



She also packed the box full of goodies.



There is yarn (dyed by her in the colors I said were my faves, I believe), stitch markers, and an adorable puppy tape measure to add to my collection. Lots of Mary Kay "purse essentials", including body lotions, eye primer, lip mask, lip gloss, and nail polish. Two kinds of Burt's Bees lip balm.



The Huggable Hedgehogs pattern from Fiber Trends which I keep wanting to get, but just never have. A felted hat that fits perfectly and makes me feel like a Gabor sister. I need to make some felted mittens to match this!



And notice that little bag beside the hat? Yeah, the one with the obvious puppy dog paw prints on it. Well, it is filled with the yummiest looking cookies dipped in "chocolate". Or at least I thought it was. I totally blame my lapse of logical thinking on the fact that I am suffering from a severe case of medicine head and it's Monday to boot.

I posted my thank you and show off post in the Ravelry group and mentioned I couldn't wait to try the sweets after dinner tonight. Good thing I went to bellydance class before eating dinner. When I got home, I had a message from my partner which read "I don't know how to tell you this, but the cookies are actually special dog treats." LOL sweetie that she is, she sent goodies for Doppler as well as for me. He's drooling and begging for more, and I am happily munching on a chocolate chunk macadamia nut cookie that I got at the store when I picked up my meds today.

I am soooooo close to finishing the Lowry Pullover. And drat it all, I'm going to run out of yarn!! I guess it will be tomorrow night .... that is if my LYS has a ball of what I need, otherwise I'll have to order it. There is no way I am going to find the correct dye lot, but I'm not going to worry about that. I only need enough to do about 6 more rounds of the collar and seam it up. If I ever contemplate making a monstrous mutant man sweater that calls for 32 (but actually needs 33) balls of yarn to complete, I sincerely hope someone smacks me upside my silly head with a sledgehammer!

Next up to complete on the never ending WIP list are the Aran Tree Skirt and the Feather & Fan Throw.

Photo Intensive!

I've been meaning to post for about 2 weeks now, so I have a LOT of photos built up.

Let's start with the hurricane force winds that Ohio endured Sunday evening. Paul and I were watching a football game when it started. We had to close the bedroom window because the winds were blowing things around! Then the lights went out. Uggggg no more football.

Paul had to go out back to try to secure our back porch awning. The wind ripped part of it off and it was flapping around making all kinds of noise. I was afraid a good gust would pull the whole thing off and it would go flying around the neighborhood and hit someone.

Next thing you know, crack CRACK BOOM BOOM. I ran to the front window and couldn't believe what I saw.



Look how close that limb (ummmmm that's the understatement of the year, both of them that fell were as big as some of the trees in our neighborhood) came to the cars. Both cars were brushed by the smaller limbs, but no real damage to either. The Caddy has a couple of scratches on the bumper that we feel pretty sure will buff out, and the Lincoln came out unscathed.





Here is a view from across the street which shows the size of these things a bit better. You can't even see our whole house or either car in this shot.



And my favorite shot of the size is Jenn goofing off. We have fantastic neighbors who went from house to house on the street. Those with chainsaws cut up the fallen trees, those without helped haul the cut pieces to the street. I consider myself very fortunate to live where I do. The city sent crews out to gather up everything that was piled up by the road ... high taxes come in handy at times like this.

Our electric was restored by 6AM Monday. There are still quite a few here in Central Ohio who are doing without power. Our office power was restored at some point last night and today was our first day this week in the office.

Now on to knitting/crochet projects. I've been inflicted with a horrible case of startitis this month, but I'm not doing a whole lot to get rid of it. I have a few goals to meet, and as long as my bright shiny new projects don't seem to be keeping me from attaining them, I plan to start whatever I feel like.

I discovered a great amigurumi designer about a week ago and ordered 2 of her patterns. Although this looks like nothing more than a black ball, it will soon be an adorable football player for Paul. I am doing him in the Atlanta Falcon colors, and will embellish him with Tommy Nobis' name and number.



One of the knitalongs in the Crochet on Ravelry group is the Turnberry Cardigan. I found some yarn in my stash (originally slated to become a skirt I have since lost interest in making) which worked up a great swatch, and will start on it in full earnest once the first of my September goals is met.



Speaking of the first of my September goals. It is now in sight and I am once again excitedly knitting away on the Lowry Pullover for my stepdad's birthday. My goal is to have it finished by 9/25, but it looks like I just might have it finished up this weekend. A few extra days off work did wonders for my progress!



Another newly started project is the Sweetie Pie Cami. Once again using stash yarn which had been sitting neglected in the craft room. It is working up quickly and should be done by month's end.




Yet another newly started project that worked up quickly is the Cable Car Hobo bag. It worked up so quickly in fact, that I never did get to post an in progress photo of it. I am inordinately pleased with the way this turned out. The embellishments on the straps are leather strap bracelets that I found at JoAnn's, and I bought some "charms" to add to them. I added a closure since I'm not so keen on having a purse that is so open all the time. It's not much, but the weight of the glass pendant bead is just enough to discourage someone from slipping their hand into it.








Yet more crochet. I've been on an amigurumi/toy kick lately. They are all so darn cute I just can't resist myself. Below is the first of a series of dragon projects you will see in my blog.



All my crochet projects are really helping to clear out the stash. Below is a project from Sensual Crochet ... the Rose Wrap Shell. The yarn coordinates with that I'm using for the Sweetie Pie Cami and hopefully the two will go well together. As long as I don't lose interest in the Shell weaving all those ends!



I had Paul get a photo of the Flickering Flames Skirt when I wore it to work. I really love this skirt and might make more lace skirts in the future.



As if I didn't have enough projects to keep me occupied, I fell in love with the Ravenna Satchel and bought yarn to make it. I can't wait until the Lowry Pullover is finished so I can really concentrate on this project. If you've never seen this bag, check it out at www.tinkknit.com.



I guess I've gone bag happy as well as crochet happy lately. Below is the only photo you're allowed to see at this point of the fabulous bag (even if I do say so myself) I made for the Great Knitted Purse Swap. I have photos to post once my partner receives her package. I just knew I was going to love this bag, so purchased yarn to make myself one too. Haven't gotten a photo of that yet, but will once I allow myself to cast on.



Poor little socks haven't gotten much attention yet, but they will soon. Only about an inch done on the Nutkin socks I am making for my mother's birthday. I'm hoping to have them done by 10/25 when we have a spa day planned.



And, last but not least, the Schoolhouse Dishcloth, which was the September Dishcloth KAL pattern.



I think that's it in the knitting bags beside my bed for now. And, if I'm lucky, I won't wait quite so long to post again. Organizing all those photos was a pain and took up too much precious crafting time this evening!!

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Psycho Knitter!!

The Russian Coat really deserved a photoshoot, so out into the warm weather I went, looking like a complete imbecile wearing it. Now, you all know that I always complain about my photos. I just can't pose to save my life, that's all there is to it. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I've never been able to overcome it.

This project warranted more than my normal Franken Delana pose, so I told hubby to let me know if that's the look I was going to get instead of just snapping like he usually does.

Ummmm in the first sideview photo, he snapped while I was talking to him. Well, an odd pose, but at least it's not Franken Delana.



The second isn't too bad. I just wish that the sun wasn't making me squint so badly.



And then the fun started. After looking at the first photos (some of which will never come off my computer), I told hubby that I should just quit trying because I'm never going to be happy with my "poses". He told me to quit posing and just "do" something.

"Like what? Throw up my arms and spin around in circles?"












You can clearly see the point in the ridiculous act that he said "Look at me, I'm a bird!"



Because I started laughing uncontrollably.









After finishing those 31 shots using the sports action setting on the camera, we went back to a couple of poses.

I love how the additional hexagon I added to the sleeve resulted in a point on the back of my hand. The pattern called for a partial hexagon to be knit at the end of the sleeve, which made the point on the palm. Even if the sleeve had been long enough knitted as the pattern called for, I think that point on the palm would have driven me insane every time I wore this.






Hubby always manages to get a "butt shot" in at the end of taking photos. That man just isn't right!