Here are a couple of projects and works-in-progress currently pending at my household:

Cashmere Sweater Blanket

This is for my grandmother for her 90th birthday. Her birthday is on March 31th. Do you think I can finish and ship it by then?

Stenciled Baby Top

I’ve been wanting to follow Joy’s stenciling instructions for a year now. Here’s the perfect project: a tiny little shirt for my friend Vanessa who is due in April.

My daughter became inspired by the whole process, although she deemed the color choices lacking, she did manage to pull together a cool design.

Another Vest

There was a time when I actually finished an entire adult sweater, usually for the boy friend de jour. Then I started making children’s sweaters, again with collars and full length sleeves. Now I can’t even be bothered to start on sleeves and Elizabeth did not want a collar, which leaves me with another vest.

Elizabeth picked the colors and decided she liked stripes. I thought stripes alone were boring and went through some knitting books to try some new patterns. Now she has a stripy sampler just in time for spring.

So, what are you working on?

Since today is a blustery day, I thought I’d introduce my new blustery day outfit:

Tada

I made the hat over Martin-Luther-King-weekend and finished the scarf a view days later while glued to my monitor watching 34 episodes of Heroes. (No, I never display compulsive behavior, ever) For the hat I started out with the instructions for the Twirly-Top Toque out of One Skein Wonders. I couldn’t figure out the lace pattern for the bottom part and just used a different one that was easier to read.

After I finished the hat, I had one skein left for the scarf. I used the same lace pattern for the scarf, which ended up too short to tie. Out came the buttons. My grandmother had thrifted them from some goodwill clothes. The buttons push through the holes made by the lace and can close the scarf at whatever height and in whatever pattern strikes my mood.

I can display all four buttons, just the daisies, a combination of a triangle and a daisy, you get the idea.

So here I am ready to weather the weather.

During the last year, I frequently found myself turning to Nicky Epstein’s Knitted Embellishments for inspiration and instruction.

The book is filled with ideas on how to create those little details that take a simple knitted piece from “that’s nice” to “where did you get that.” Knitted Embellishments is divided into seven major chapters:

• The Heart of the Matter, a collection of different heart shaped patterns
• Applique
• Borders and Edgings
• Cords
• Embroidery
• Fringes, Tassels, Pom-Poms, and Ties
• Creative Combinations

For the vest above, I used an embossed heart and a ribbed edge with daisy stitch embroidery.

I embellished this baby jacket with i-cords to create the letters and the frogs and closures.

The book is not for beginning knitters. You have to be pretty comfortable with charts and basic knitting techniques. But it’s a great book when you’re ready to jazz it up a bit.

We’ve done a learn to crochet school and an embroidery school.

Now who would like to do a learn to knit school?

I just want to make sure the interest is there before I put all the work into it. I think it will be slightly different in style than the learn to crochet school, but the basic idea (weekly lessons and projects) will be the same.

It wont start until after the holidays, but let me know if this is something you would be interested in by leaving a comment

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to pass along some opportunities to use your crafty skills to support those who are battling or have survived breast cancer.

I found this pattern on knitty.com for knitted breast prothesis. I contacted our local yarn shop owner and she directed me toward this pattern. I know for our area she collects them and takes them to a treatment clinic to be given to breast cancer patients and hope that you can find a similar opportunity in your area. See what you can find if you want to get involved! (She suggested a soft, breathable wool yarn for this. Check out her shop if you are in VA!)

I have also heard of knitting or crocheting scarves that they give women whenever they find out the devastating news, but have been unable to find a direct link or pattern online. If you do know of a reliable pattern or contact please share in the comments for I am sure that there are many that would be interested in helping in this way.

The third way that you can help is through the purchase of a product that I could write a whole post on by itself- Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles in pink! These will be the last needles you will ever need to buy and money from each purchase goes toward breast cancer research. So get those needles and start knitting!

Beaded stitch markers are quick and easy, and they are great for marking your stitches while knitting! They can be easily modified to suit your style, and you can make a set in under an hour!

All you need are a toggle clasp, head pin (looks like a straight pin without a point), beads and pliers.

For the stitch markers, you will use the round part of the toggle clasp. This gives you a seamless circle that wont snag on your yarn. You can get the toggle clasps in a variety of sizes, most will fit up to a 10.5 US needle.

Thread your beads onto the head pin, making sure the bottom bead is small enough that they wont slip off.

I don’t have a picture for the next step, but you simply thread the head pin through the bottom of the toggle clasp part, and you will bend the head pin around to secure it. You then trim the head pin so that you don’t have a long piece of metal sticking out

Here are a set of finished ones that I made to show that:

I like to tuck the end of the head pin into the top of the bead, or as close as I can get it, then you don’t get any snagging on your yarn.

There you have it – beautiful and unique stitch markers in no time at all!

I recently got a drop spindle kit so I could learn to hand spin my own wool. The kit came with a drop spindle, some wool roving, and instructions of how to put the spindle together.

After scouring the net for some hand spinning instructions I decided to give it a try. Well, it was definitely harder than they make it out to be It took me a long time to get the tension right, and the spin right, and my hands in the right place.

But I have success:

Hand spun yarn! Its not pretty, and I don’t now if I’ll be able to actually use it, but its a start!

Has anyone else hand spun yarn? Any tips to offer a newbie?

I need help!

I recently decided that I wanted to knit a pair of fingerless gloves for myself, following the Fetching pattern from Knitty.com. I knitted the first one up using Malabrigo yarn (a yummy, super soft merino wool) and I love how it turned out:

However, I don’t like the fit at all My fingers feel too bare and they feel awkward. So I guess fingerless gloves aren’t for me. But I really love how they look and I want to make them into mittens.

Does anyone know how I can do that? I have never made mittens before, and wouldn’t know where to start!!!

I received this cute orange speckled yarn in a swap and am looking for a pattern that calls for only one skein. Does any one have suggestions for one skein wonders?
(Knitting only please, I’m not quite a crocheter yet!)

It is: 100% cotton mercerized, 100 grams, 140 yards

My fellow knitters and crocheters – who has signed up for Ravelry?

I signed up months ago, and I just got my invite the other day And let me tell you, it was well worth the wait!

Check out the 27 screen shots they have for a sneak peek! Have you already submitted your email? They have a page where you can check and see where you are on the waiting list!

I am giving this site a huge two thumbs up! Its such a neat idea and so amazing – the inspiration on there is unbelievable! Its easy to get lost looking at everyone’s projects, and chatting on the different groups. If we get enough readers on the site, we could even start up our own Crafty Daisies group!

Oh, and my username is “heccles” if anyone wants to add me as a friend!!

Hope to see you around Ravelry!