It’s A New Sock Day

A pair for me!

Not my usual wild socks, but these are great with jeans, which is my usual ‘outfit’ these days.  As you can see, I don’t take time to match up my yarn when starting on Sock #2.  I have never cared if the stripes match or not.

Another new thing here at Stitchknit…………the new graphics, and the new blog theme.  Neither of which were accomplished without much assistance!  I can knit socks, but things like this blog have me more than baffled.

Other projects in the studio:

-  Ready for Rachel to try on……..a knit hat.  Still looking for a pattern for the one she REALLY wants.

- Knit Christmas stockings: #1 (of 4) is on the needles, all the yarn has been located & purchased, so this project should be moving along now.  Pictures when I get passed the Santa face!  And, I’m taking care to write the pattern as I go…….it will also be available when I get one of these complete.

-  Knit headband with flower…….ready for Melinda to take a look at & ok……..

-  Knit sweater for American Girl Doll……….on the needles & due by 4/19.

I know there are more, but this is what I can see right at the moment.  This isn’t counting all the sewing jobs that are lined up either!

To work…………to work!

10 Reasons Why I Knit

Saw this list in an email recently & thought I should be able to pin down why I knit ……….so here goes (in no special order)

1)  I love color and oh, my goodness is there a chance to play with color when one is knitting.

2)  Texture………..the chance to touch all the yarns!  Some I don’t even need to knit up, they are just yummy to touch!  Like the baby camel yarn in this cowl:

Luxury baby camel yarn…..too soft to describe well.

3)  Something I love to do, that I can share with others.  Teaching knitting is almost better than knitting itself!  And, people pay me for it! 

4)  I have always wanted/needed something to do with my hands.  I truly dislike just sitting.  And, waiting is not my best skill……..but, give me needles & yarn and it is no longer considered waiting!  As a foster parent, I learned early on, to have projects with me at all times.  (much time spent in ER’s or an endless list of doctor, dentist & therapist appts)  Nothing worse than wasting time in someones’ waiting room, with out dated magazines!

5)  I love the magic of knitting.  After all, it is just 2 sticks and some string and a series of knots.  I am frequently in awe of the designs that come from arranging that same string into an actual ‘thing’.

6)  Knitting is one of those skills that has no end.  I believe one can always keep learning new techniques when it comes to this craft.

7)  Picking out a pair of socks for the day always reminds me why I love to knit!  There is just nothing like a hand knit pair of socks. Made to fit MY strange feet, made to stay up, not scrunch down in my shoes and made with as wild of a color combo as I choose!  My entire sock drawer is now filled with what I call “loud socks”.

8)  And, I have to admit, I love the wow factor when I knit on these little size zero needles!  Always a good conversation starter if I’m out knitting in public!  Then, of course I can point out my socks I’m wearing too…………for added effect!

9)  Knitting is something I learned from my mother & I love it for that reason too.  We still share knitting as a common interest!  Mom is a great one to bounce off tricky bits in a new pattern.  We find that just saying the sequence out loud to each other often times clears up any questions.  Having knitting as a bond between friends is great too, as they totally ‘get’ the need for all the yarn, tools and patterns one HAS to have on hand. 

10)  I like the part of knitting that allows me to take something out, to re-do a section until I’m am content with how it looks.  Easy to substitute a different technique, or decide I’m not happy with the whole affair and unknit it back to a ball of yarn!  I have one finished piece here in the studio that I’m not happy with right now & am threatening to unknit it and start over.  Love the colors and the yarn, they just need to be knit into something allowing for more movement.

Why do you knit?  I’d love to know.

 

 

Fabric & Yarn Everywhere!

I’ve been working more hours and seemingly, getting less done.  Seems to be a theme for me.  I do love to be busy, but I also love to take my time and ‘play with fiber’ as I call my studio time.

Here’s a few pictures of some of the things that have been keeping me busy lately…………

Not sure what these are going to end up being…so far, just an experiment in Small…

Adding vintage trim as quickly as I can get it washed, measured & photographed

Adding vintage patterns to my supply section. Love watching for these!

Sample bound buttonhole, prior to adding them to a current project. Needed to remind myself how to do these! It’s been ages!

 

And, a special order for several outfits for a couple American Girl Dolls! Soon to be adding these to the shop too.

More than enough to keep me busy!

 

 

Saturday Night Special…the First at Stitchknit

It’s official………..the shop is participating in Etsy’s Saturday Night Special.  15% off your purchases, using coupon code SNS001 at checkout.  The sale runs until 6AM EST on Sunday 2/17/13.  Short and sweet!    To make it easier yet…..the sale is for anything in the shop;  completed items and supplies.

 

Here’s the latest addition to Stitchknit, a felted basket/bowl/purse.  It has a bit of an identity problem!    I love using these for yarn, they work well for project bags for me.  I’ve also been told cats enjoy one …..empty of course…..

Must get back to work here….   My weekend is a bit more complicated than usual, as we have a foster kiddo here for the long weekend.   The theory is that foster parents deserve a break, but I’m just not used to the idea of packing your kids up and having them all farmed out to different places each month.  We love our new guy tho, so I’m not complaining.  Would love to have him full time, he is a delightful young man!  Back to the kitchen, as one of his best skills is eating!

 

 

Whose Voice Did I Get?

Well, I can talk now.  But, I didn’t get my own voice back after my month long bout with laryngitis.  (wow, was it quiet around here)

I have enough of a voice I can even answer the phone!  Letting all the calls go to voice mail was getting tedious.  Being able to just answer, seems like a small thing, but wow, has it made life easier.  Maybe I’ll get used to this new voice of mine………….maybe my own voice will return???  Either way will be better than mute!

Since I can use the phone, and talk to clients………the calendar is filling up again.  I’ve got some fun projects to do, both sewing and knitting.  Classes to teach and new items to create.  What could be better?

I’ve been adding to my Etsy shop, since there was no talking required!  This is one of the stash buster yarns I listed recently……the sock yarn from Red heart, that has aloe infused into the yarn.  Great to knit with, and it works up into terrific socks too!  Since I can only wear 1 pair of socks at a time, and I have a FULL drawer of hand knit socks already…………I am thinning the sock yarn stash.

See this new listing here, in my supply section.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                              This is one of the many items I worked on during January, a very chunky basket weave design which will likely end up being a cowl.  I’m hoping I can finish this off with just a seam, making it appropriate for either men or women.  It’s a rich dark navy, and worked up to be pretty soft.  The stack of items is going to keep me busy for awhile!  There is everything from a white cotton shrug to purple felted flowers and a couple cones of new yarn to play with too.

If all goes well this week, I’m going to start participating with a new team on Etsy.  The SNS for those in the know.  For the rest of us, it’s the Saturday Night Sale.   Starts Saturday evening and runs through 6AM Sunday.  My first task will be to figure out the times, as it is EST and I’m in the pacific standard time zone.  I guess it would help if I could remember when Saturday is too!  After having no appointments for a month, I’m out of practice keeping a schedule!  I’ve decided the Special at Stitchknit will be free shipping anywhere in the US.  More info to come, as I figure out what I’m doing!    Keep up on Twitter or Facebook, or here on the blog.

Best get to work, I’ll try to get some of these new things in the shop before Saturday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listings and the Unfortunate Baby Hat

I’ve been busy knitting and crocheting since I “lost” my voice.  I can’t answer the phone……..and I didn’t want to have clients here when I couldn’t communicate, so knitting it was!  I played with yarn and then some more yarn!

 

Here’s 3 new little scarves for the toddler set.  Bright colors, great textures and the perfect size for those tiny fashionistas!  I have them listed here in my kids & baby section.

 

 

Here is what is supposed to be a baby hat.  It is so big it would fit OVER a football helmet.  Easily.  I was so in love with the way the stitch pattern turned a right angle, I had to finish it.  But, it is coming out.  Soon.

The area where the needle still is…….is the back seam of the hat.  Which makes the bottom portion the neckband area of the hat.  The picture with the pattern looked SO cute.  This??  A long ways from cute!

 

A few of my other projects are not quite at the picture stage.

-A lovely pale blue & creme baby blanket, done on the diagonal….just waiting for a crocheted border.

-A lavender, pink, yellow baby blanket…..not quite big enough yet to finish off

-Off white silk crocheted Goddess Shawl.  Ends to weave in and a picture to figure out.  I should learn not to create things out of white, as I’m at a loss when it comes to how to get a decent picture.

 

 

 

Nothing Better than New Yarn

Well, maybe getting my voice back would be better!  Still can’t talk, but wow………have I been knitting.  (and crocheting)    Will get pictures of the latest creations this week, but for today…..it’s just yarn.

All of these are listed, with more to come soon!  See the full descriptions and additional  pictures here in my supply section.  Time to get those knitting needles fired up!

 

Year End & New Beginnings

I’ve been so busy with both my local sewing/alterations business and my little shop on Etsy, that it truly was a surprise to me to see it was Dec. 22nd today!  I have no idea how a month could fly by so quickly.   Besides the holidays, and welcoming a new foster kiddo on the 27th , this coming week marks the 2 year anniversary of my Etsy Shop.

The things I’ve learned have amazed me.  And, the things still on my list to figure out also amaze me.  Not sure I’ve got enough brain cells left to add many more new things to my list!  I miss having a tech savvy teenager living with me!  For so many years, I’ve had a houseful of teens, and at least one was into computer/tech stuff and could be convinced it was in their best interest to help me out when needed!  I’ve got this new phone & am plugging along with it……todays new skill was figuring out how to delete pictures I’ve taken.  Yea Me

No idea how to get said pictures to the computer, or how to get things organized so I can show a new client pictures of my work instead of pictures of my dog!  Hope to learn how to make the phone a useful tool for the business this coming year.  (will likely take me all year!)

I did complete these mitts for a client…….   She was pleased, which made my day.  The yarn is a wool/angora blend; more than yummy to work with!

Mitts for Sharon

Couldn’t find a pattern that was small enough for the woman these are going to………..so I made up a new one.  Hoping to get it written down and test knit so I can list it in my shop this year.  (another goal that may take me all year!)

One more item to complete today and the TO DO list will be up to date.  Everyone’s order for the holidays will be done!  Todays job is constructing a duvet for a client….the sewing room is covered in king sized sheets for this one!  Just the buttons & buttonholes to complete and this can be folded up & put on the shelf for pick up.

I did advertise this past week on Craigslist………….for anyone looking for a handmade (made in the USA too!) gift….   So far, have had 2 appointments resulting in a couple sales each.  Glad I remembered to put the word out!  Still have hundreds of scarves, hats, mitts and baby items if you’re in need of a gift or two and are in the Seattle area.   No crowds and free parking!     Also sold a series of beginning crochet classes to a family as a gift for their little girl & her best friend.  Love it that I’ve got classes already on the calendar for 2013!

Best get back to the sewing machine…………or it will be 2013 before this project gets done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works in Progress

So much going on in the studio this week…………I did stop to get a couple pictures of what is on my needles here.

Last item on the before Christmas list………….  A pair of mitts, a custom order.  Have one complete and the 2nd up to the thumb gusset.  The client wants a cuff of fuzzy, fluffy to add a bit more interest  The mitts are angora & I have to tell you, it’s hard to just knit & ignore this fiber!

This scarf is a special order too, but bless this client, no rush!  Such a difference when knitting, not to have a looming deadline.   This is the same scarf I have listed here, but a bit longer this time.  All cotton, this is such a yummy feeling piece when it is done. 

 

 

Again With Ms Poppins & Her Scarf

Surprising to me, since I’ve never been a real fan of Ms. Poppins……….  I’ve sold yet another, Mary Poppins Scarf!  Here’s my take on this little accessory.

I think I’m pretty close.  I’m certainly getting enough practice knitting this one up!  Current order is knit, and the ends are all woven in.  Tomorrow the fringe & packing for shipping.  Off to the post office on my way to teach a knitting class tomorrow afternoon.