I know this isn't really an original-- but at LAST I've finished my Hourglass Sweater!  I started this about a year ago and then set it aside when I got to the sleeves.  Then, last month, I decided to frog, refresh and re-knit!  I took a break around the end of the month and then started knitting furiously in the last week and a half to get it all done-- just in time to put it away for summer!  Ha! 



The yarn is knitpicks.com Andean Silk in Sangria-- I used about 7 skeins total.  I'm so excited that my first sweater fits and is wearable!  It's not perfect-- my increases are still messy sometimes and I think I should have made the body a little longer-- (it may get longer once I've blocked it) but it's awesome!

For more details about my experiences with this sweater, you can read about it <a http:"http://tinyurl.com/ywjcvd">
here.</a>

I've been slow to post my FOs thus far.  But I've really been into knitting socks lately.  They are so satisfying  

Here's my first pair of socks knitted from a generic sock pattern in *The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns* knit in Cherry Tree Hill burnt maple sugar super sock:



The next pair is a modified version of the French Sock from *Knitting VIntage Socks*.  I love the way the sock turned out, even though I had some serious doubts about the colorway with the pattern and made changes to the design of the sock (the lace runs down the center of the back of the leg rather than the front and then down the foot; and, I think there is a mistake in the text of the pattern with the ribbing, because the ribbing is different in the pictures than on my sock, but nevertheless works). 



And not socks!  I also completed a scarf I'd started months ago and then made a cute hat to match.  The scarf is the short row rib scarf from the magknits.com archive and the hat is a generic hemmed cap from *The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns*.  THe yarn is rio de la plata (true to color and action shot below):



To see more pictures go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifex/ 

Feedback/comments/constructive criticism welcome!

I've purchased the andean silk and some sock yarn and have liked it.  Now I'm thinking of knitting the Rossnyev Cardigan http://www.magknits.com/Nov06/patterns/rossnyev.htm.  Any thoughts on Gloss to work with?  Or any other reasonably-priced reccomendations to go with this sweater?  (I'm looking for solids, not variegated-- her version is WAY to busy for my taste!). 

So it's not especially difficult, but it's the first knitting project I've completed in a while and thought I'd share! 



The yellow is done in stockinette st and the black zigzag was done in a purl chevron over 22 sts.  I blocked it out so the edges would be staight despite the chevron in the middle.  This project really demonstrated the necessily of blocking to me!  I had designed it based on my gauge to be a square, but after knitting it up it looked more like a long narrow rectangle-- and blocking it returned it to the square shape it was destined to be!  I have learned my lesson, for sure  

Sorry this is double posted from the "finished projects" board-- when I realized my mistake I discovered I couldn't delete my post there either!!!!

Okay, so the goal is to make a baby blanket that looks like Charlie Brown's t-shirt-- the nursery theme for my girlfriend is Peanuts... I thought-- this should be easy and cute. 

So the problem, I want the blanket to be square all the way around, and had thought that doing a chevron pattern in black for the zigzags in the middle would be fine at first.  But now I'm thinking I didn't think this all the way through.  If I do a purled chevron stitch in the middle of the otherwise st  stitch blanket, will the zigzags materialise, or is this not going to work?  I feel like such a moron!  I thought this was going to be a peace of cake and now I'm thinking I just didn't think it through before I started   

Thanks in advance for any advice!!! 

Has anyone here come across a site with instructions for this?  Or has quick instructions?  I'm assuming it's a pretty simple fabric tube around elastic... but is there anything more to it than that?  Thanks craftsters!

So I put together cards to give my girls asking them to be my bridesmaids.  I hunted around at Michael's in the fancy paper section, then cut the cards by hand with a razor blade and ruler.  I used two different poems that I found online in various places.  

Here are the poems:

(For the card going to my oldest friend):

Through the ins and outs
And thick and thin
No matter what's happened
There you've been

You smile when i need it
And listen when i grieve,
You hug me when i cry-
And blow boogers on your sleeve

I treasure you friend
More than diamonds or gold,
and i promise i will
when we are saggy and old

So please stand by my side
When i say "I DO"
For I wouldn't be me
Without a friend like you

And for my other bridesmaid:

The day, the dress
the bride, the groom
the joy, the tears
will all come so soon.

Professing true love
to my husband-to-be
with family and friends
all watching me.

I hope the sun
will be shining down
keep your fingers crossed
that I'll fit my gown
but there's one more thing
that there needs to be
and thats to have you
standing with me.

And finally, a picture of the cards (sorry it's so big):

https://webspace.utexas.edu/kris73/shared/new%20040%20%28Small%29.jpg?uniq=-mp2736

Okay, so I'm determined to have a wedding dress in light gold-- and I've been fortunate to find a few choices that I like in that color.  I also hadn't originally planned on wearing a veil (I didn't want to spend a fortune on having my hair done and then cover it with a veil) but when trying on dresses, the salesladies inevitably put a veil on my head... and I fell in LOVE! 

So the problem.  I've only seen one or two veils in the stores in a non-white-type shade.  My question is, if I tried to make my own veil, and can't find "natural" or light gold netting or tulle... what are my options?  Is it possible to dye tulle with tea, for example?  Or will I need something stronger? 

So, I FORGOT MY BOOK and the notes that I had jotted down on the yarn I needed to order and need help!  If you have the Zoe Moeller Nursery Knits book, I'm trying to order the yarn for the starry sky blanket-- and I can't remember how many balls of the chunky chenille I need.  Could someone PLEASE let me know???

I'll love you forever and ever and ever! 

Thanks!

So, I offered to throw a bridal shower for a girlfriend of mine, and it came out so great that I had to share with everyone here.  

We decided to do a "kitchen" theme for the wedding.  So, I DIY'd these really cute recipe cards  with the bride and groom's monogram at the top (I used a word processing program, card stock, and adorable stickers from the scrapbooking section at the craft store):

https://webspace.utexas.edu/kris73/shared/recipe%20cards%20%28Small%29.jpg?uniq=ux0004

I included them in the envelope with the invitation and instructed everyone to bring their favorite recipe; and if they were inclined to bring a gift, it should complement the recipe in some way (baking sheets for a cookie recipe, alcohol for a mixed drink recipe, etc.).  At the party, the bride received highball glasses, a pitcher, drink mixes, etc.

And since the party was rather small (4 or 5 of us), I decided to include a craft activity to fill out the rehearsal bouquet for her.  So I supplied everyone with tissue paper, scissors and a glue gun and instructed them to make paper flowers.  We added ribbon curls and a few gift ribbons to the mix... and voila!

https://webspace.utexas.edu/kris73/shared/bouquet%20%28Small%29.JPG?uniq=uwzzn2
The picture's a little fuzzy but the bride loved it-- and there's still room to add a few more ribbons from her other bridal shower!