Dog Jacket

I bought the book 101 One Yard Wonders awhile back and flipped thru the pages to see what a quick project would be for a newbie sew-er like myself to get into in an afternoon. I had/have alot of fabric scraps lying around and I was trying to create a project using those scraps in a re-fashioned/recycled kinda way. Well here is the result....A dog jacket for my dog Poochie!!!

I started with 2 jean skirts of mine that where too small and hadn't been worn in ages. I'm sure I could have made the jacket with just one skirt but I was trying to not to get alot of the seams, etc that were in the existing skirt into the finished jacket. I can see a few mistakes I made (not pressing out the seams, and putting the velco on backwards lol) but I think it came out pretty cute!! I think I'm gonna save the pattern and maybe make a lighter weight version for spring/summer.

Let It Snow, Let it Snow, LET IT SNOOOWWWW!!!

Cookie madness has been going @ my house. My knitting group had a cookie swap over the weekend and I made 6 dozen gingerbread cookies to swap. We had a great time @ the party!

I'm late for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I missed it (or missed blogging about it). My family/situation/relationship has shrunk and/or changed but the feelings remain the same. I didnt cook for nearly as many people this year as I did last year (just my daughter, my sweetie, Poochie, and myself) so it didnt take DAYS of cooking like in years past. Basically, I spent the holiday full of food and love surrounded by the people I care most about. But I know what you really wanna know about....WHAT DID YOU COOK?!

I made a ham, pecan pie, carrot cake, cranberry sauce (1st time), buttermilk biscuits, greens, mac n cheese....whew! It was great!

Quilting/Sewing and Knitting for Christmas....

I have so many projects going right now I'm just not sure if I'm coming or going. I'll on the last hat for my neices and nephews (I had to do 9 total) so that it nearly finished. I've also been working on my purple and yellow quilt thingie. I already had it pieced together (and hand sewn in some spots) but since I'm a little better @ machine sewing now it's been going rather well. I should put it on the backburner actually since it has no deadline. I've also been working on the afghan that my mother has already claimed....it must be done by the 2nd week of December @ least so I have time to mail it out to her. But I guess I'm doing pretty well, most of my Christmas knitting is done. Unless I happen to cast on a few more things....lol

Making Tortillas....

As the yarn flows thru my fingers....

I've been working on the Kai-mei socks (they've been in time out until I figured out what I was doing wrong in the pattern)...


I'm also still knitting christmas hats....

Christmas Hats!

I'm knitting loads of hats for my neices and nephews for Christmas. Basically because its the fastest thing I could do and make sure they all get one. I have 9 neices and nephews so....everybody wasnt getting a sweater.

Sewing...

I picked this up for....wait for it....$5!!!! At the thrift store w/ a plastic case!!! Scoooorrrreeee!!! (I know what your thinking; how many sewing machines do I need? Yea I know....but I couldnt just let it sit there lonely in the back of the thrift store, right???)

Churning out the FO's!

I've been knitting up a storm lately! I've been doing alot of Giftmas knitting + some Halloween and just random cool/fall weather knitting. Here's a pic of my daughters new fall/winter hat....

Poochie has also recieved a Halloween/Bad Ass Doggie sweater...

Giftmas Knitting....

I'm working on alot of Christmas gifts right now....just trying to stay ahead of the curve. Right now, I'm doing smaller things like coffee cup sleeves (alot of my friends drink coffee; either Starbux or Tim Hortons, etc).


I also recently finished a chemo cap for my mom. It's the Koolhaas Hat by Jared Flood in Red Heart Soft in the color Eggplant.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/koolhaas

Afghans-a-go-go!!!

Its all about blankies/afghans/quilts, etc around here right now. I'm still working on the AFGHAN OF DOOM as seen here...



This is an afghan that knits in pieces/squares....



And a sewn quilt type things I've been working on for YEARS....it's older than my daughter! Now that I can use the sewing machine (sorta) I hope to finish this soon.



And how cute is my model?!

Vintage Singer

Check out what I found in the thrift store recently!

Green Cleaning

I've recently been giving alot of thought about the environment (mostly b/c of the BP business that's been in the news lately), about my carbon footprint and just being more "green" in general. I rarly use those plastic bags you get @ the grocery store anymore; I've got alot of knitted market bags. When I do have plastic bags, I use them as trashcan liners and to pick up poop when I walk Poochie. I figure, why buy bags to pick up poop when I can get them for free from Walmart? I've knit the Everlasting Bagstopper from knitty.com quite a few times; mostly out of cheap-o kitchen cotton like Lion Brand Cotton, Peaches n' Creme and a few balls of Rowan Cotton Tape I had lying around.



(Rowan Cotton Tape, about 5-6 balls, unknown color, US13 needles.)



(Lion Brand Cotton, color Purple, about 1.5 balls)



(Peaches n' Creme Cotton, color: Fiesta, 4-5 balls)

I also knit a few Swiffer covers....






I used some leftover colors of Peaches n' Creme I had lying around the house.

I've also been making my own laundry detergent from a recipe I got on the internet. I'm hoping to just do my part in helping the environment and also making myself feel good by knitting, sewing and crocheting.

Doggie Bed

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Originally uploaded by Sinnomen1977

Poochie's dog bed is complete (except for sewing in a zipper) and he seems to like it!!!

Lace? Lace? Who's got the lace???

Even tho I've never worn a shawl and very bad @ following charts; I cast on the Shetland Triangle Shawl. I learned quite a few things with this project....

1. How to follow a chart

2. Provisional cast-on

3. Double decreases

4. Using life lines




This is before blocking....before I did the bind-off.


I also learned that although I didnt think guage was important in a shawl/scarf, etc it is. Because it is quite possible for a shawl not to fit. I used sock yarn (Noro Kureyon Sock in color S102), size US 6 needles and a crap ton of stitch markers. It was looking a bit small on the needles but I thought a severe blocking would fix that. Apparently not. I dont know what happened; I think I may have to pick out the bind-off and the edging rows and knit a few more repeats of the body chart.







This is it blocking...

In other crafting news, I've been sewing a bed for my doggie, Poochie. I knit a large, pillowcase sized square out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease chunky on size US 13 needles. I cut the pillowcase in half so I'll end up with cotton fabric on one side and knitted fabric on the other and sewed it up on 3 sides. Maybe I can even insert a zipper? We'll see!

Yarn-a-go-go!

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Originally uploaded by Sinnomen1977

My family and I took a weekend trip to the Niagara Falls/Nuffalo, NY area for the weekend and I stopped @ the Elmwood Yarn Shop in Buffalo. It's located @ 1639 Hertel Avenue in Buffalo and its a really nice shop. I bought this in a bag of discontinued yarn for $22.50 for 6 balls; a pretty good deal, I think. I'm not sure what I'm going to knit with it; maybe a top for my daughter? We'll see.


I also picked up some Roawn denim; a yarn I've been wanting to try for awhile. I got 2 balls of it for $14. The label says it will shrink and fade just like real blue jeans.


We had a really good time in Niagara Falls...I love it there this time of year!

Sewing Machine

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Originally uploaded by Sinnomen1977

I finally got around to opening my new sewing machine! I actually bought it quite a long time ago but was too scared to open it and try it out. I'm not that great @ sewing on a machine but I want to change that. Since it's getting so hot out, it's not very comfortable to have a lap full of wool/yarn (which is why my Mason-Dixon Log Cabin afghan is hibernating right now). I'm hoping to get a bit better with the machine and finish up some projects I've been wanting to do for awhile. I have a little fabric lying around and a bag I want to line so I'm going to start with that.

The price was orginally $100 @ Walmart ($130 @ Joann's for this model) but I paid $50 for it!!! S-C-O-R-E!!!

It does alot of cool stitches/buttonholes and comes with a DVD which is good for b/c I'm more of a visual learner and have a hard time with books/manuels. Thats how I taught myself to knit and crochet; DVD's/YouTube videos/KnittingHelp.com and then went back to the Stitch n' Bitch books when I had the basics downpat. Wish me luck!

Please Allow Me To Introduce....

POOCHIE!!! He's the newest member of our family! He was a stray that a friend of a friend in my knitting group found wondering near his home. He's adorable and I'm so happy to have him.

Getting My Lace On

I'm been trying to up my lace knitting skills so I knit the Spring Beret (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spring-beret) recently. I used Tahki Yarns Palma (a very pretty organic cotton that was gifted to me) in a pretty pink color. I used a little more than a full skein on size US 8 & 9 needles.



This is a pic of it blocking on a small mixing bowl. I used the mixing bowl perched on a candlestick holder to get the lace streched out and down so it would dry quickly.



And other pic after it was done drying and sitting on the table.


I really like the ring of darker pink on the crown. Once I got going (after ripping it out twice) it was a pretty simple knit. I'm tempted to make another in another color. What do you think, dear reader?