[How and when did you start knitting?]

This quarter's featured member, we're pleased to announce, is mandyandbingley!

How and when did you start knitting?

I started knitting in late February 2011 by watching youtube videos. I didn't have any knitting needles, but did have crochet hooks from a failed attempt at learning to crochet (it hurt my hands too much so I gave up), so I took two hooks and turned them around to use their handles as knitting needles until I got out to buy some real needles. Ever since then, I learn new stitches/techniques for almost every project I work on. I'm too impatient to do a lot of practice, I do best learning on a project. I look at scary looking patterns, and make myself dive right in.

What was your first knitting project?

My first project was a basic stockinette stitch scarf that I hoped I was making wide enough, lol.

Do you dabble in any other crafts? If so, which?

When I was a teenager I did a lot of counted cross stitch. I did lots of little projects, and only one large, 11x14-ish scene that I have hanging in my bedroom.
Other than that, I tried my hand at making jewelry for a while. My biggest hobby/craft has been photography (if that counts as a craft?), I have been doing that for about 8 years or so. (www.flickr.com/gira)

What's your favorite FO?

I think because of the work I put into it, it's my cabled sweater. But, a close second is my Sprinkes hat ... I wish I could always wear this hat, lol

What's your favorite yarn? 

My favorite yarn is almost anything by Malabrigo. It's just so nice to work with, and the colors are beautiful.

What's your favorite knitted FO made by someone else?

It would be, the NES Mario Bros blanket, because first, it's retro Mario, and it was an awesome amount of work put into it.

Who are your favorite designers?

For toys,  Anna Hrachovec  of Mochimochi Land
And for clothes items and accessories, it's a toss up between Ysolda Teague and Tori Gurbisz

What's your favorite non-knitted FO?

About a year ago or so I built myself night stands out of an old door from my brother's century house.. I had never built anything before but got it into my head to do it, and did, building drawers on the fly and everything (I was very proud of myself, lol). I redecorated my room around them, and also used an old door as my headboard. I'm glad my brother didn't want any of his old doors, lol.

What's your favorite Non-knitted FO made by someone else?

This crocheted Ewok... it's just too cute!

Did you make any crafty new years resolutions?

I don't do a lot of planning with my crafts. I tend to just suddenly want to make something then get to work on it as soon as I can... before I lose interest (too ADD, lol). My main goal right now is to finish the cabled blanket I'm working on in time for winter (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/mandyandbingley/c224-cascade-eco--quilt-and-cable-blanket), but am not pushing myself to work on it like I did with my first sweater. I burned myself out a little on that. I also want to tackle a pretty lace project, like a shawl in fingering weight yarn (which used to scare me), and make another sweater. But mostly, just to keep learning new things and to keep improving   So far at least I'm making decent progress on the blanket, now just to find the perfect shawl or sweater pattern to make!

I made this awhile ago and never got around to posting it.  I've been seeing a lot of knit leaf purses lately on pinterest like the one I made.

I couldn't find a nice leaf purse pattern at the time, so I used a cowl pattern and doubled it so I'd have 2 rows of leaves.  Then just folded it in half a sewed it around to make a purse.  



I've been meaning to make another one of these - maybe with some more shapping at the top so the opening isn't so big.  

I made this awhile ago for my husband's birthday but never go around to posting it.

I love doing multiple color stencils..since it's more of a challenge...even though this one was quite easy.  Remember to do the lightest color first incase the stencils don't line up perfectly... I seem to forget that a lot

I'm proud to say this is the very first thing I knit with my own handspun yarn (actually any handspun yarn...I'm a handspun hoarder  ).



Anyways...I started with the super cheap KnitPicks wool.


After spinning and dying 5 of these, I realized that wasn't going to be enough yarn.  So, I went attempted to order 5 more...but they were backordered until May!?  I spun up some other undyed fiber I had and it turned out too dark.   So, I went on raverly and searched for others with the KnitPicks wool.  Luckly, I found 3 nice ladies who ended up together selling me 6 more!  I'm so grateful that people are so nice!  Anyways, I ended up spinning and dying all 11 total.  One skien turned out super twisty and dyed darker so I didn't use it.

Oh and the dying process was a diaster also...ahh...So I thought I could get the most consistent results with kool-aid since I figured I would use the same number of packets each time.  This did work suprisingly well...I really ended up with pretty much the same color in 10 of the 11 skeins (only that weirdly spun one messed up!).  The issue was that of course I had to pick the "new" flavor of kool-aid and didn't buy enough at once.  The second and third time I had to buy kool-aid, I had to search several stores to find this color!  Grr..next time, I will pick a common flavor.   




Here's the finished sweater.  It ended up being a nice easy knit.  I love the cable on the front!



Sorry for the super long post...I just had a lot to say about this..lol.  Even through all the troubles I had with this thing, I think it turned out great! 

Edit:  Here's the link to the pattern on ravelry incase anybody else wants to make this: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/yeti-pull

I didn't see a thread for this yet and I actually have something to contribute this week so I thought I'd start it.

I havn't spun in probably half a year and then all of a sudden got this urge and now it's all I want to do.  

Someone told me once that you'll just all of a sudden get "good" at spinning with practice.  It really did happen...one day I was spinning crappy..thick/thin...just didn't have it yet...and the next they are magically consistent!  Maybe practice really does make perfect!  

What are you guys working on this week?

I'm still working on my watermelon socks-- I think they are turning out neat!  This is the first pair of socks I've actually made for myself.


And I started the Yeti Sweater this week.  I'm using my own handspun yarn!!  Another first for me.  I have so much handspun yarn but I've never actually knit anything with it until now.


So...what are you all up to this week?

I started a pair of socks this week.  I've been wanting to do the Skew pattern for awhile now and finally decided I have time to do it.  Maybe I should have finished one of my sweaters before starting another project but...I needed something easy.



What are you guys working on this week?

I've been wanting to knit a pair of these for years now!  I finally did it!  They are going to be really really warm!  Too bad winter seems to be over...with the 60 degree weather we are having this week!  (no complaints about that!!)  Maybe if I'm lucky I'll have to wait till next year to wear these. 

Another tire cover!!  I saw this doily pattern and knew I had to make another tire cover for valentine's day!

I've seen these all over the internet and craftster now and thought I'd finally make my own.  I got the slides from STS awhile ago and they have just been sitting in my craft room waiting to be turned into curtains and a lampshade.



Real easy project....

1.  Drill holes in your slides with a dremel.  For the middle ones, I drilled 6 holes (like the slide on the left in the picture).  For the top and bottom ones I drilled an extra hole to attach it to the lampshade frame.  I held each slide up the light and made sure the picture was facing the correct way before drilling.


2.  I then ripped apart my lampshade so I just had the metal frame.


3.  I had a rough time finding correct rings (I moved to the middle of no-where PA and now the JoAnn's is super small )  I got these jewelry rings (not sure what they are really used for).  I opened them all up.


4.  I first attached the top row of slides to the lampshade.  Then just went down the sides.  I didn't do vertical strips because I knew I had a limited number of slides and the goal was just to make it as long as possible with the slides I had.


That's that...pretty easy!

Here are the curtains I made a few weeks ago...I did these exactly the same why.  For the part that goes on the curtain rod, I just used jewelry wire to make bigger loops.