Minions Knitting Bag Done!!

Minions Knitting Bag

Minions Knitting Bag

I finished sewing a Minions Knitting Bag, Woot Woot.  The first one I’ve done so there are a few things I will change about the way I sew it next time for the pumpkin fabric.  The written instructions were not super clear to a basic sewer but I did figure them out even if one was after the fact (link is to Martha Stewart’s website to the pattern and a little video that was helpful but not in-depth instructive for the written instructions – tho I’m sure an experienced sewer will have no problems at all).  Mistakes help understand instructions sometimes :P.  It is a medium sized bag.  There is another pattern I want to try as well to see which one I like best.  I will definitely make this one again. 😉  I’ve put up two more pictures of the bag so you can see the fabric I used on the inside and what it looks like with the long handle looped through the little one.  I like it, it’s MINIONS!!!  I’ll work on the pumpkin bag on Saturday when I have more time.

 

Minions Knitting Bag 2

Minions Knitting Bag 2

Minions Knitting Bag 3

Minions Knitting Bag 3

All Stressed Up and Nowhere to Go

Stress Zebra Bag for larger view - click on image

Stress Zebra Bag
for larger view – click on image

A friend and I were chatting via email and she reminded me about a shirt I had embroidered for her with a zebra with it’s stripes falling off.  I started laughing as I remembered the “Stress Zebra”.  I NEED one of those I told her.  So I found some of the canvas bags I had purchased to embroider on and put the stress zebra on it.  It always makes me laugh to see that poor zebra.  I’ve put a closer image of the zebra below.

I’m close to having that shawl done that I have been working on for my friend so I should have another picture to put up in another day or so of the finished and blocked shawl.

Stress Zebra for larger view - click on image

Stress Zebra
for larger view – click on image

I bought some really cute Minion and some pumpkins fabric at JoAnn’s Fabrics on Thursday (big labor day sale :P).  I want to make some knitting bags, one like the canvas bag shown (but using regular fabric rather than canvas) and one called a knot bag.  I have a pattern for the one like the canvas bag, but did not find a knot bag pattern at the fabric store.  I’ll have to go online and look to see if I can find a good one.  I’ll post pictures when I am finished with that as well.  I have ideas on what I want to do with the regular bag, tho my sewing skills may not be good enough for what I want to do.  Good thing I have some friends that sew well :).  I might get one of my friends to make a pattern for me and teach me how to sew it :).  I’ll have to work on that.  Not sure why the interest in sewing all of a sudden, but hey, creativity is all good.

Hope you all enjoy your Labor Day Week-end.

 

 

Are You Ready for Some Football? 2015 and Some Knitting :)

Are you ready for some football?

Are you ready for some football?

Yep it’s FOOTBALL season again!!!  I am excited to see how “The Boys” will do this year.  They were pretty decent last year, a controversial call did them in at the end of the year.  They have lost their first pre-season game, but it’s just that pre-season :).  GO COWBOYS!!!

sock yarn from SpinningStreak

sock yarn from SpinningStreak

This is some beautiful sock yarn from SpinningStreak ‘s Etsy shop (she’s in England).  She has some gorgeous yarns.  I saw this yarn and tho the shipping from overseas is not cheap, this yarn was talking to me.  I have a friend who recently lost her sister and I wanted to so something special for her and  I knew this yarn was it.  The comfort shawl I have decided to make is called Ethereal Shawl .  It’s very basic and simple but because it’s a light weight yarn on large needles it will look light and airy, and should knit up quickly.  I’ll post a picture when I am done.  She also sent it in a really lovely organza drawstring bag.

 

 

July and August knitting

July and August knitting

I have been watching some family little ones this summer and have been very busy and haven’t had a lot of time to knit, but here are some things I did work on this summer.  A comfort shawl for a friend who had to have a defibrillator put in in case she has a heart attack, she’s really young for this kinda of thing  :(.  I don’t add the fringe when I make them, but that is just my preference.  I like having something easy to work on, keeps my hands busy and keeps me grounded when I feel overwhelmed or stressed out and the dishcloths are perfect for that.  The one on the left  is called In-Thirds-knit-cloth by Michelle Crimm .  It’s a free pattern from Ravelry, easy and very pretty.  I love using the Sugar’n Cream cotton Stripes for this cloth, sooooo pretty.  I made another one that I already gave to a friend and so I put the left over skein so you could see the lovely colors she got :).  The dish (or face) cloth on the left is the old standby Grandmother’s Favorite dishcloth .

 

I packaged up and sent off the Polypay fleece my friend gave me earlier this year.  Because I still have roving from the last fleece she gave me and I wanted to get a couple of hats for her husband and son out relatively quickly before it gets cold , I opted this year to have them process it into sport weight yarn.  Cost me almost double but when I get it back  in 5 to 6 weeks it will be ready to dye and knit :).  It should be about 3 lbs of yarn.  I always err on the side of caution when I skirt the fleeces and skirt it more severely because the sheep are not covered and I left too much ugly stuff in the first time and the roving was still full of stuff and noils because I also did not remove the short lengths from the longer back fiber.  I don’t want to ruin nice roving because I didn’t skirt it enough.  Her husband and son each will have a hat made from the fiber of their own sheep.   Should help to keep them warm on their farm ;).

Memorial Day 2015

In Memory of our Fallen Heroes

In Memory of our Fallen Heroes

I give a special reverence to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, for what they loved, a free and safe country for their families and all of us.    May we honor them in all we do and may we always keep this country free and safe in their honor.  I also want to thank all those who are now serving or have served, in any of the branches of the Armed Services, for your love of freedom and for being willing to serve us and your country without regard for your own lives, you’re all heroes to me. May we always remember that Freedom has a price and all those that have paid that price.

Spinning at the Park 2015 – Again

 

Alpaca - 5-15

Alpaca – 5-15

Yes, I did get out to the park yesterday afternoon to spin again, but oops once again I forgot my camera, sigh :(.  So I took this picture at my house after getting back, sorry.  It was a beautiful day at the park, there was some kind of a birthday party going on, but I didn’t set up to spin in that area.  Was a little bit breezy but all in all a beautiful day.

I’m almost done with this spool of singles, so I will be starting my 2nd spool soon in anticipation of plying and having yarn for a nice hat for my dad for his birthday :).

We have had a ton of rain this year (I’m sure California is wishing they had some of it, and to be honest, if I could send some of it down there I would :P).  It makes everything green and beautiful, but I would love to have a few more sunny dry days :).

Happy Easter!! 2015

He is Risen!

He is Risen!

May you have a Blessed Easter day, full of hope and love.

I get to watch General Conference this weekend on the BYU channel (Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm central time and 3 pm to 5 pm central time) it is always comforting and brings much peace to my spirit.  You can also see it on http://www.lds.org .

Spinning in the Park 2015

Spinning the Alpaca

Ok, yesterday was soooo beautiful.  I thought it would be April before I could take my spinning wheel to the park to spin.  I just couldn’t wait to spin some of that luscious Alpaca that I got back from the mill.   And I have to apologize, I forgot in the excitement of getting out to the park, to bring my camera, sigh, so this picture I took after I got home.  I’ll go again and remember to take my camera when we have another nice 60’s day, but it looks like it won’t be this warm for another couple of weeks according to the 10 day forecast.

I like my Baynes wheel, it spins nicely, but the thing that drives me crazy is that sometimes the spool will fall off because the post will get a little loose and not hold the spool in place.  Gonna have to work on that.  I always say that someday when I get rich and good looking (:p) I want one of these custom made hand carved wheels.  (Yeah right :P)  A girl can dream can’t she :).

It’s Alpaca!!!

Alpaca Roving I’m so excited!!!  I sent the Alpaca fleeces off to the Aroostook Fiber Works mill in Maine last month and it was done by the end of Feb.  I was able to send the rest of the money for the processing on the 3rd of this month and I now have 6 1/2 lbs of Alpaca roving :), a few of the 4 oz bumps are in the picture to the left.  It’s beautiful and very soft.  My daughter purchased the 2 fleeces from Savannah Breeze Alpacas  as my Christmas gift and I love it!!!  (The link is to Savannah Breeze Alpacas’ Ravelry page as she no longer has the farm but still has some fleeces for sale.)

Guess I know what I will be doing with spare time now :P.  I’ll put a picture up after I start spinning this luxurious fiber.

It is warming up outside, in the 40’s this week and maybe into the 50’s by the end of the week, I love Spring!!!  When it warms up to the lower 70’s I’ll be off to the park to spin :).