Sunday, November 21, 2010

I miss knitting

I've been so busy working on other things this weekend, and a lot throughout the week that I haven't had the time to work on my brother in law's celtic hat.  I've been having some issues with it, but hopefully I'm past all of that and it'll be smooth sailing.  This is my first double knit project.  Even with the difficulties I've had with the chart - I didn't cast on enough stitches apparently - I really like how it feels and the way it looks.  I plan on doing a lot of it in the future.  I was reminded today that I only have 34 days left before Christmas.  That leaves me 34 days to finish this hat, my brother's crochet hat, my sister in law's felted mohawk hat, and my mom's snowman cabled mittens.  Not to mention if I have time, a cabled hat for my sister.   I love Christmas knitting for others, but I always have so many projects I want to make for myself.  I'm a bit selfish when it comes to crafting I think.

I did manage to make some things before the midnight release of Harry Potter.  Along with my sweet sweater, I made some golden snitch earrings and a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean Bag.  I  plan on making a similar bag for M&M's. :)



My Bertie Bott's Bag was knit in the round, and I made a bottom piece in the round, and stitched it together (like it became a thick circle) Then I picked up so many stitches and knitted up about 9 inches and created 6 button holes, then stitched another 4 rows and binded off.  Then I embroidered the Bertie Bott's and added the liner and my tag that reads, "Handmade with love by Robin" :)  THEN I added jelly beans and ate them like crazy during a scary intense scene with a snake during HP7. :)


I made TWO mad eye moody eyes.  One is much larger.  The larger one was the first one I made, which i why I made a second not so humungus one. :)  Everyone at the theater liked them.  I heard them whispering, "OMG she knitted that!"


Don't think anyone noticed my golden snitch earrings but I love them.  They took no time at all to make. :)


This is my phallic looking lightsaber chap stick coozie/holder.   The lightsaber part glows - it's suppose to be blue but the picture turned out brighter.  Now I will always have my chapstick on hand.  This is excellent with winter coming. :)

It's time to retire and work on the Celtic hat some more.  Much love to you all!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Busy Busy Busy

I've been really busy with a bunch of knitting, but I did finish my harry potter sweater last month, and I also finished Julie's.  Now she's all married, and living far far away.  Since it's November, my Christmas knitting/gift making is well under way.  I just finished a hat, which I think looks great.


It's really more of a teal blueish color.  But, I'm proud, just a simple CO of 90 stitches, knit in the round, 1X1 rib for about 3 inches, then I just stockinette stitched for about 7-8 inches, and then decreased starting every 9 stitches, bring it in one more stitch each time to make the pretty swirl decrease.  This hat did take entirely too long to finish.  I dawdled a lot when I was making it, and sometimes only gave it 20 minutes of my time in the day.

Also I was Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween.



Made my costume from scratch and finished it within 4 Harry Potters - roughly 8 hours.  I think the hat is my favorite part. :)  I originally knitted a hat that I intended to be slouchy but it didn't end up that way because I didn't continue to increase... my bad.  but it's still really cute.



This was my first no pattern cable project.  I think it turned out really good.  The top twirls too...


While I'm sharing pictures of my finished projects, here's the Harry Potter sweaters.  I'm on the right if you couldn't tell with the big R on my sweater :)  I'm really excited for HP7.  Going to go see it at midnight in IMAX.


Also, another time stealer that's developed, is I've started taking bellydancing classes.  It's a lot of fun, and it's helped me lose 20 pounds and counting.  I would like to be down 35 pounds by New Years, but I'm proud of whatever I get.  Being 20 pounds lighter feels great and my tight jeans, are loose now.  Makes me feel a little more confident in my single life too.  Which, to comment lightly on that, I've gone on a couple of dates... and that's where it ends. :)  Nice guys, I just don't think we had enough in common.  But, I'm not fretting.  I have faith that things are about to change soon for me.  Maybe even right before the New Year...

I look forward to posting more pictures soon of my christmas gifts!  And I should probably make more effort in getting my website finished so I can launch it.  I guess that's just another one of those things that gets me down a little.  No need to go into detail, but I'll have to get a new web address, which stinks but I'm sure it'll work out for the better in the end like everything else in life.  I also apparently need to buy a mirror - instead of waiting on the one I currently own to arrive to me.  Because it's never going to happen.  Unfortunate really.

OH also, I've started the "Watch every Disney Animated great in chronological order challenge"  I'll update my notes when I finish the challenge - so far I've finished the first five.  

Computer is about to die, and I should have been sleeping long ago.  Oh reminder - update crazy nightmares.