WIP Weekend!

After much internal debate (about what I could/couldn't cut out, to realistically finish,) I've made my July - To Finish list. On it are only 5 things, but I think I can finish them, and dammit I'm gonna try!

• Black & White Floral Memo Board - Just needs buttons tufted on, felt backing attached and mounting hardware.
• Black Microspun Dream Wrap - Finish knitting 2nd ball, weave in ends, block & add fringe.
• Craftster Challenge Entry - One Tiny Thing - This one's gonna stay a suprise for now!
• Boucle Knitting Tote - The most work left, by far. Ironically, I was just thinking matching ballet slippers would go great with this bag - that I haven't even made yet!!!
• Open Etsy Store - Photography, packaging and inventory.

The Memo board is mostly done, with the wrap a close second. I just hope I have enough time to finish the bag, it's the biggest challenge of all! The inventory for the store is a small issue, but I do need to get better pics of what I have. Wish me luck!

Heatwave Knitting Needle Roll

Over the last couple of months I've made a few knitting needle rolls. These are giant rolls, with 50 pockets! I found the pattern (on Craftster,) here. For the latest one I made significant changes to the design, so I hope nobody thinks I'm trying to steal her pattern; I just thought it was a great place to start, and want to give her credit for it. So, I give you - Heatwave Knitting Needle Roll - for the Fancy category of July's Whiplash challenge.

The fancy touch is the attached stitch marker holder(s), complete with Swarovski beaded stitch markers! There's 10 stitch markers total, and they're each different. My Mom like her earrings like
that, so I'm hoping that she'll appreciate their unique qualities. I also think the color combo is very nice too! The print is cotton quilting, the orange & pink solids are both cotton/ lycra blends & I used fuchsia ribbon for the ties. The stitch marker holders (as well as the needle guard flap at the top) are secured with snaps & decorative buttons. The neat thing about them is that I sewed opposite snaps on each end, so they'll hold together on a keychain or wherever!

My Mom and I found the fabrics (which actually were all remnants) at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston - which was a really fun trip a couple weeks ago. I'm really looking forward to going back with her, there's just so many fabrics, trims & anything else you could think of! This is a present for her birthday, and I even had some yarn made for her (Thanks SOO much Fuzzy Bunny! Go see her shop)! I know she's going to be so happy with everything!


If we're allowed a second entry I'd love to enter my Sushi Needle Roll - for the Skill category (if it's eligible, of course… this one was straight off of Alexandra's pattern.) It was also made with remnants, from pajama, quilting & curtain projects! The outside embroidery was the real challenge for me, it's been years since I've done it, but I'm relatively happy with it. The spacing could have been more even, but that's the Monk in me! I made the sushi patches by gluing the sushi fabric to white denim (all of the sushi fabric is lined, it was quite transparent against the black), and then embroidering them onto black felt with fancy cotton embroidery thread. I've never sewn so many layers of fabric together before (the outside edges, I mean)! At one point it was 9, so I'm happy I could still keep the tension nice & even for all of it. It was a gift for my sister, and I'm happy to report she likes it very much!

The real story is this - my Mom & sister are packrats when it comes to knitting! So I just knew I had to help them to organize their giant collection of needles! Only a GIANT needle roll would do! The outside dimensions of both are 17½" tall by 20½" wide when unrolled, with 30 pockets that are 1" wide, 15 that are 2" wide, and 5 that are 5" wide. Now if only I could help them with their GIANT yarn stashes…. wait a minute! You guys could just donate some of it to me, my yarn stash is only 1 bin big! Hint, hint!!! ;P

I just wanted to note that I tried really hard to photograph the needle rolls better, but they're just so big, it had to be plain-jane-straight-on. I tried to incoporate some more fun angles, I hope you like them!

My first FO post - Dream Swatch Headwrap

I'm very happy to post my finished Dream Swatch Headwrap. The pattern is free, and you can find it at Knit & Tonic. Thanks Wendy for such a great pattern!

The yarn is Classic Elite Premiere 50%/50% Pima Cotton/Tencel blend; color is seafoam, I'll have to check for the number. It photographed a little bluer than it really is, the wall is robin's egg blue (behind the chair.) I used size 6 needles, one (leftover) skein of yarn, and had it finished in over a week of (very!) lazy knitting. Have I mentioned I've been knitting for almost 4 years now! And this was my first cable... sort of makes me think I need to learn a little more!

I modified the pattern slightly, by using only 3 repeats of the modified-dropped-cable, instead of four; I wanted it skinny! I liked the pattern so much - I had it memorized after only one cable! - that I've already started another one! The second is black microspun with 10 cable repeats, and I'm hoping to make it at least 36" before fringe, although with only 2 balls, we'll see if it makes it there!

June's over...?!?!?!

Alright, so I admit, I'm terrible at keeping track of time. On every scale, from minutes to days, they have a tendency to get away from me! I was totally into Finish What You Have month, and I'm going to have to continue to keep finishing projects in July because it feels so good to finish something that's stagnated for a while! I'll recap because I didn't do a very good job of posting my finished objects (FO's) -

• Pointy Kitty's finished, and you can check him out via the Flickr badge to the right.
• Sushi Needle Roll for Jenn is done, and she's using it!
  
• Bias "Race" Scarf is completed, I was just too lazy to weave in the ends!
• Aqua Memo Board is also done, although I have yet to take pictures. It turned out beautifully though!

I've also finished a few things that weren't on my original June list. They include a few birthday suprises for my Mom, a Dream Swatch Headwrap for me, as well as organizing my craft room closet. I should have a July - To Finish list soon, it's so good to get the old cleared out. I didn't get a chance to open my Etsy store last month like I wanted, but hopefully I can get it done this month!