New Contest, New company

WooHoo!

I Love contests!  And this one is great with great prizes!

Finally, here are some Pics

Ok, I know that I have been promising some pictures of the WIPs and here they are.

This first one is Exchequered, a double knitting thing that I love but have not been working on too much.

This is a slip stitch bi-color scarf, it's a fast knit and if I would make more time for it or take on fewer projects at once it would be done.  I had some yarn I wanted to get rid of and liked the colors together so here it is...

And here is My So Called Scarf.  It is being done in Manos Olivewood, I love LOVE this yarn, if I could afford it I would buy every bit that I could at the LYS.

So, I am still working on the Andoa sweater, I have about 2/3 of the front panel done now so hopefully soon will start on the neck shaping and then the sleeves.  

Sorry it took so damn long to get these posted, hope you enjoy!

Taking it another step

Well, as if I did not have enough to do, I picked up something else this past weekend.  I saw a scarf pattern that I fell in love with called exchequered, it's a decomposing check pattern and I though that it as really cool.  I had been afraid of trying the two color thing, cause I thought....hell, i don't know what I thought, I was just scared to try.  This one was two colors, but it was double knit, I found after reading the pattern.  Ok, so why not try it?  I deliberated for a few days and then on Friday I went and bought the yarn and needles.  I read and reread all the stuff I could on double knitting on Saturday and on Sunday I cast on...and hey, it was easy!  Sure, the holding two strands thing was a little challenging at first, but by the third row I seemed to have the hang of it.  I got to the first change through for the check and it went ok, got to the second, again ok....I am loving how it looks and I apologize that I do not have any pics yet, but my camera batteries are fresh out and I have to go buy another set of rechargeables before I can take any.  So look for them in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, i am still working on the sweater, I do not have that much more for the back and hopefully will be able to start the front this weekend.  I am also working on the celtic cable scarf when I need something different to do and bought the stuff for a baby blanket and a lap throw for Don.  So, my stash is growing, I keep buying, but oh well.  :)  Take care and look for the pictures in a bit

Andoa by Berroco

Well, I succumbed to the sweater lady.  I cast on last weekend and began knitting andoa and I love it.  It is an easy pattern, lovely stitch grouping, and hopefully will turn out in the end.  I am just on the  back of the piece and I know that there is some stuff coming up that I have never done (like decreases and whatnot) so hopefully I will be able to figure it out.  Thankfully I have both MWK and Ravelry and the lady at the yarn store that talked me into doing this to help me if I need it.  So stay tuned, more pics as the progress goes on.

hello, my name is Brad and I am a knittacrocheaddict

Oh my...where to begin.

My WIP's have grown now to include a sweater (have yet to cast on, but will be by the weekend, have just been reading through the pattern).

I am addicted.  I guess it is not such a bad thing, it could be booze or meth, or something like that, but no, it is the feel of fiber running through my hands.  I have noticed that I have cut down on smoking...I am too interested in getting the next row of the pattern done to take the time to go outside and smoke.

I am also addicted to MWK and Ravelry.....I spend SOOOOOOOOO much time on those sites....of course it is justified in my mind by the fact that I am learning something every time I log on and read the boards....even if it is just who everyone thinks is a hunky actor  :)

So, my WIPS keep growing...yes I do work to finish them, and the day will come soon when another one is cast off or finished.....yay.

So today is a breather.....I did not do much this morning....today I am actually going to do some real work at the office  :)  and tonight I have to go to bed early so I can get up at 4:00 for a meeting in Topeka...ahhh

breath

............breath

.........................exhale

........................................caston and knit & crochet like crazy   :)

More Works in Progress

Ok, I know, I have too many WIP's but what can I say.   Who Cares??  :)  

This first one is a Celtic Cabled scarf...first project with cables.  I am making it out of Cascade 220 Peruvian Highland wool in Westpoint Blue Heathers for Patrick, since he is the one who got me hooked on the fiber arts in the first place.

This one is a scarf for my mom, Patrick gave me 4 skeins of plush and I am knitting this up with the two strands held together on 10mm needles, knitting every row.  I realized about 12 inches in that 32 was too many stitches for this scarf so i will probably double it and seam the side when it is done which would make it the perfect width.

First Finished Project

YAY, I finished my first project!!  The scarf is done.  I could have kept going and kept it for myself, but I decided to BO and give it to Don to keep his neck and ears warm  :)  I am so happy that it's done...not that I did not enjoy making it, but becasue I am anxious too get another project underway.  I am going to cast on a hat tonight...first one, and work it with a new online friend from Canada, Val...she is so cool and has made some awesome stuff.  I met her on Ravelry and she has been a great source of encouragement.  So....since I am starting things now, I am also going to post a couple of pics of some of my other projects that I am working on.  One is my first crochet project, which is still ongoing and will be until i decide that it is big enough and I border it and finish it.  The other is an Aran afghan that I did NOT think that I would be able to read the pattern of and turns out that it is going quite well.  So...Thanks for stopping by, it is COLD as hell here and I am SO ready for Spring.

supporting a habit

Ok...Y'all saw the scarf...

since then I have also started another scarf...just because, and another scarf, to try cables....and have purchased yarn to do ????

from what I gather this is fairly normal...I attribute it to crafting ADD :)

I have been browsing on Ravelry and it is an awesome site.  i have already made several contacts who are wonderful and have found the wealth of information on the forums to be worth so much!

I have found myself wandering back to the craft section at the local Wal-Mart (Sadly, the only place within 1.5 hours that carries yarn) every time I go there and end up buying at least one thing...I have a growing stash and need to actually finish a project.  I am projecting that I will finish the scarf this weekend and give it to Don so that I can really start on another project with more attention....I think it is going to be the cable scarf.

There is a fellow Ravelry person from Canada that I have been conversing with and we have decided to do a knit-a-long for our first hat so I will keep you posted on how that goes.

AWESOME!!

Finally got my Ravalry invite this weekend.  I did not have time to get on and do much until today...it is such a cool site, I really look forward to playing around on it more.  I am not a super organized person even at the best of times so i am hoping that belonging to this site will help with that...and it serves as inspiration, so many of the finished projects that members have made are just beautiful!

Wednesday requiem

Well, It's Wednesday....what have I been doing?  Still knitting, of course.  Yesterday I took a stab at using DPN's.  It worked!!  I was surprised that I was able to get the hang of it on the first try.  I did not do alot or have anything in specific that I was trying to do, I just cast on and did a K2P2 ribbing in the round.  I did about two inches and when I was done I also did my first bind-off...it worked, too.  Once I had it off I had this small round thing and didn't want to throw it away so I just put it on my cat's tail and let her play a bit...I think that she might ask me to knit her a full tail cozy now...

First ever Scarf

Ok, here it is, my first scarf...I only have 13 inches done, but 6 of those were done just last night, I'm finally getting the hang of it.  I have to thank all the guys at Men Who Knit for their inspiration.

And I forgot about the blog...

January 2nd and I just realized that I had started this blog, intending to post at least weekly if not daily and I forgot all about it...guess that is what happens when I try to do something constructive during the holidays.

Anyway...an update on what has been happening.  The crochet is still going good, have my posted afghan that has become my "when I'm frustrated with my other projects" backup.  I have mainly been concentrating on the knitting since that is what I am really interested in.  I do like crochet and love the stuff that you can make, but there is something about knitting that intrigues me.

I began a simple ribbed scarf as my first project.  Alot of you out there will shudder when I say that I am using Red Heart acrylic from the $1.98 bin at Wal-mart, but I wanted to try it first with cheaper yarn before I move on to the wool blend that I bought at JoAnn's.  It is going good, after beginning 5 times I finally got to the point where I am comfortable with the motions.  Now I am working on controlling my tension.  I have found a couple of purls where there should be knits but for the moment I am leaving them as a testament to learning.  With this project I have been able to teach myself how to pick up a dropped stitch and have also learned how to cuss quietly when I see a mistake 5 rows down.  

I know that this scarf is not going to look its best, but I have the feeling that it will become a bedraggled friend that stays with me through the years.  I know that after the time I have put in and the frustration it has caused me and the fun and relaxation that I have gotten out of it that I will keep it and love it...after all, isn't that what you do with a good friend?