New Scarf

My major project right now is my cousin's baby blanket. The problem is that it is getting big and with the wonderful box my husband made I can't transport it easily (not that I mind because that box is wonderful). So I wanted a small project that I could take to knitting club and other places and why would I continue with any of my other wips? So months ago I had gotten some beautiful yarn from Three Black Sheep in St. James and I started a pillow. My problem was that with all of the colors I really was having a hard time seeing the pattern. So....I frogged it. With that marvelous Patons Decor First Spring Ombre I have now started the Drop Stitch Scarf. I like it and the colors do not distract from the pattern.

Hand Warmers, Cell Phone Case and a Baby Blanket

My holiday break was great and I hope everyone else had a great time. I had leftover yarn from my first pair of hand warmers and decided to make a cell phone carrier. It still has to be sewn together and a button has to be put on, but I am happy with the result.

I finished a second pair of hand warmers. I used green Cascade Pastaza yarn. The first one was started on New Year's Eve and finished around 10pm. I started and finished the second one on our drive home from New Hampshire on New Year's Day.

The baby blanket is not close to being finished, but it's the current project that I am working on. I decided that the Basketweave Blanket I was originally making for my cousin was too time consuming (because I have other things I want to accomplish). This Oh So Soft Baby Blanket is moving quickly and I'm very happy with how it is coming out. The only problem I've had is with the yarn. I'm using TLC Baby Amore and I found that it gets tangled easily. My husband helped me untangle the yarn and made a box with cardboard tubes to hold the yarn. More problems came when the cardboard pieces fell off the end of the tubes and the yarn started to get tangled again. He has now made me a solid wood box. The tubes that hold the yarn are aluminum and they are held in place on brass dowels. It is much easier now to pull and so far it is not getting tangled.

Hand Warmers

From the yarn that my in-laws got for me and the pattern from One-Skein Wonders I give you The Wave Hand Warmers.

These were very quick, easy knits. I finished one in an evening and the other in an afternoon. It was very nice to feel a quick sense of accomplishment. I have another skein of yarn from my in-laws to make another pair of these lovely accessories.

Merry Christmas

This was a very good Christmas for me. My in-laws got me 3 knitting books...

I also got two skeins of Cascade Pastaza to make The Wave Hand Warmers from One-Skein Wonders, along with a set of size 8 dpns.

I got a new iPod from my husband (a silver classic). After uploading my music, videos and pictures to the iPod, I searched for knitting podcasts (I never really looked for them before). I downloaded Pointy Sticks. I'm looking forward to listening to these episodes (except for 8, it wouldn't download for some reason).

I also gave my mother-in-law a Chevron Scarf that I started in August. I've been working on it when time allowed and when she was not around. I finished a few days before Christmas. I used Moda Dea Dream Solid yarn which was nice and soft.

Hope everyone had a great holiday too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hug

Today we celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday. A few months ago she showed me a picture of the "sleeves" she liked. I found the Hug pattern online and ordered the yarn (my husband picked the colors). It was relatively easy to knit. I found I had to write the pattern out so I could follow it. The smiley faces were used to mark when I finished a row. It definitely helped me when I would leave the project and come back to it.

I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky yarn. It was so yummy! Nice and soft.

I have enough left over now that I can make something else. I haven't decided what yet, but my sister-in-law did say she liked some of the Fetching patterns she happened to see. So I searched Ravelry and found Fetching by Cheryl Niamath. Of course I have a few other projects on my plate right now, so the Fetching may need to wait.

On another note, the teacher's in my school are involved in a competition. We are all wearing pedometers and working to get over 10,000 steps a day. I did well during the week, reaching over 10,000 each day. This weekend though I seriously slacked. I'm hoping this coming week and weekend I can reach that goal everyday.

On a different note...

Nothing to do with knitting or books, but I found these cool online activites. Have fun!

Make your own snowflake

Make your own snowman

Cousin's Blanket

I've started a new project. My cousin is pregnant and due in April. I've started a baby blanket. It is based on a project I found on Ravelry. A basketweave stitch with a seed stitch border. Of course I have other things to work on, but I continue to focus on this instead.

This week is Children's Book Week. A great week to share fabulous books with kids. In my library we are studying Caldecott Award winners and have upper school students sharing with lower school students.