FishyKissKnits

Mmm...crafty goodness.

Yum. I have so much tasty reading material that I have recently bought or subscribed to. I can't wait to soak it all up. To start, I bought Kaleidoscope: Projects and Ideas to Spark Your Creativity by Suzanne Simanaitis and ReadyMade: How to Make [Almost] Everything: a Do-It-Yourself Primer by Shoshana Berger and Grace Hawthorne. These books are so much fun to look through. I subscribed to Craft - a really polished and innovative magazine, and croq - a fun crafty zine. I am planning on getting artitude zine, too (by the authour of Kaleidoscope).

I have discovered that it is a real challenge for me to really feel pleasure, and on a similar note, to ask for help or accept help. I'm not sure why I am like this but it is fitting right in with the whole "I'm not good enough/not deserving enough" thing.

I have been seeing a life coach for the last few weeks. It's a great experience for me. She is really challenging me to do things I haven't done before, and many things about myself are becoming very clear. The biggest accomplishment so far is that I have painted FOUR times since I started seeing her (doesn't sound like much? Well, compared to zero in the last year, that's pretty good!). I am painting a la Painting From the Source or Point Zero. I have also been regularly drawing and journalling (check it out, eh, Mandy?!) I am also *this* much closer to getting a portrait done for my Dad (this is something he's been asking for since the girls were born).

The other strange thing about myself is that I am afraid of success. I have a memory from grade 6 that could help explain this.  I put a lot of hard work into a report and got a mark of A+. My best friend at the time said, (insert super-snarky tone here:) "Oh, of COURSE she got an A+". I think I went to the bathroom and cried. What would happen if I succeeded? I would feel great. I would be BIG. But ... I am not supposed to be big. I am not supposed to share my successes. That would be bragging, and then my friends would hate me and I would die. Hm.

Ok, I was going to try to explain that away so that if it made you uncomfortable, you would know that I am ok. And I am. But I don't need to explain it since I am just letting myself ramble online. These are the inner workings of Bel's brain. Woohahaha!

Instant Gratification Sweater

My Ribbon Twist sweater ("Beth" from the Ribbon Twist Collection by Kim Hargreaves) is done. It was such a quick knit. Gotta love it, even if the 12 mm needles are killer on my wrists! (and I am heading right into another 12 mm needle project that I can't say anything about!!!) I love the look of the sweater, but I am constantly pulling it up at the shoulders since it feels like it's falling off. If I were to make it again, I would probably use a thinner yarn for sewing it up, as it feels rather bulky around the armpits and shoulders. I suppose I could redo it, but that seems like such a p.i.t.a. I am also realizing that as much as I am attracted to bulky wools, especially very loosely spun wools, they are the ones that PILL like CRAZY!! All that being said, I do love the sweater, love the colour, love the style. Sorry about all the complaining!

A very overdue thank you to Mom for the sweater since she bought me the yarn about 2 years ago, I think! It feels good to use up stash yarn!

Must Knit Stash

Among the yarns that I have purchased in the last 6 months, are the above from Hand Maiden and Fleece Artist.  I'm drawn to soft, and colourful, in case you didn't know.  I have only 1 or two skeins of each, so my imagination will have to get to work if I'm to use them.  I have already knit a mobius shoulder wrap for Belinda, a (won't say what because she doesn't have it yet) for Emily, and am usually not drawn to smaller projects, so any ideas would be appreciated.

Socks are always a great 'I don't know what to do next' project.  They get me over the hump, so to speak.  After knitting a couple of pair, I usually know what's next on the project agenda.  These skeins from Blue Moon are fabulous.  Colour thing again.  And VERY SOFT.

Mmmmmmmmm.  More sock yarn.  From Schaefer, called Anne as I'm sure you know.

Blue Heron's Rayon Metallic.  This is also very soft, but I'll save it for a special project.  The glitter is a bit much for me at the moment, probably because of the wedding outfit that I made last year.  Enough glitter for a lifetime.

I spelled this wrong.  It's Misti Alpaca, and I bought it over the internet at Make One Yarn Studio.  A terrific place - if you are ever in Calgary, Alberta, you have to go.  So many gorgeous yarns.  Such friendly people.  If you cannot get there, they are great over the phone, or the internet.  I thought I'd do something cabled - must have been inspired by the cover of Vogue Knitting.  But it's the wrong time of year, so it will have to wait until the late summer.

Last is a single skein of Lorna's Lace's, Lion & Lamb.  I used the balance for a bag, and this is left over.  Too late to return it - the story of my life.  So it sits in it's glory surrounded by these other yarns.  I guess it's happy.  I hope so.

Lettuce Leaf Bag/Hat

Finished (or almost) Bag.  I call it lettuce leaf because of the rippling edge created with crochet.  I love this effect, and have used it on many projects.  The base of the bag is made with five sides of decreasing mitred edge triangles, using Diakeito Diamusee yarn. (3 balls, colour 41)

Close-up of the leafy edge creating a floral effect.  The 'flower' is created with 6 decreasing mitred edge triangles, then crocheted around to flute it.

And finally a close-up of the icord braided strap - here you can see the unfinished edge at the bottom towards the right.  I love the colourway of this yarn.  So interesting.  I'm thinking of making another one, and felting it.

The great surprise is that the bag looks wonderful as a hat for my granddaughters!  Found this out totally by accident, so that might be the next adaptation of this project.  Shorter straps, or no straps at all, and perhaps a smaller flower. 

contents © Esther Budd, 2007. All rights reserved.

Z's Zipper

Ha! I am so proud of myself.

Z's zipper on her snowsuit broke. I had just picked up two jackets with new zippers in them ($50 later) and decided that surely I could do it myself this time! I thought I may have made the wrong choice when the woman at Fabricland said she didn't have the courage to try repairing a zipper. Really?! Was I missing something? Well, no - I realized that even if someone works at a fabric store, it doesn't mean they are willing to try all things sewing related. I certainly find this to be true about knitting stores, anyway. There are many knitters out there (even some who work at knitting stores) who wouldn't do much more than knit a scarf. Anyway - I seam ripped; I pinned; I read a little bit of Sewing for Dummies (it was so common sense that it didn't really need to be read); I SEWED IN A ZIPPER!!! I should also mention that a few nights ago I made skants (a skirt out of an old pair of jeans - as shown in Alternacrafts by Jessica Vitkus) and for some reason, seam-ripping gave me a lot of courage!

Uh oh. I see another obsession coming my way. (I bought fabric while at Fabricland, too. Hm.)

Shrug

I designed this shrug and camisole(in progress)  using an afghan kit from Fleece Artist which was in my stash.  I love the colours, and the finished product is beautifully soft.

The body of the shrug is worked in a lace Stitch, 1 strand each of the kid mohair and kid silk, casting on and working to desired length to create a rectangle.  The lace trim is worked in 3 separate pieces using the kid silk only.  Two pieces are for the cuffs, the other, longer piece is for the trim around the neck and body edge.  The trims are attached with single crochet, using both yarns, then finished with backwards crochet. 

These garments are very easy to make and used up most of the yarn from the Fleece Artist afghan kit.

contents © Esther Budd, 2007. All rights reserved.