Zombie Blog

It's back! Risen from the dead! My bloooooooog! So I'm terribly ashamed that I haven't updated my blog since December. I have no excuses. I've been busy, really busy but who hasn't? Anyhow I'm here, I'm back and hopefully I'll get back into the habit of posting more often.

Since five months is a long time of catching up, I'm just going to do a super quick run down of the things I've knitted or otherwise created in that time. If you want more details or have a question, feel free to ask in the comments section.

In November I knit this gorgeous creature for a Ravelry Knit Knack swap. Anne wanted something with grey and mustard yellow.

Name: Super Secret Swap

Pattern: My own design inspired by several cowls.

Yarn: Madeline Tosh Merino Light

Weight: Fingering

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

In January I finally finished these socks. I love socks as a simple project. A row here or there. Just chillin', not worrying about getting them done on a deadline.

Name: Swirly Q

Pattern: Inspired by Spiral Eyelet Socks by Sandi Rosner.

Yarn: Wisdom Yarns Poem Socks

Weight: Fingering

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

In the same swap that I knit the mustard and grey cowl, Anne gave me a kit. She provided the yarn and pattern to make these super sweet mitts! I had plenty of yarn left over so I made myself a quicky shawl to match.

Name: Strawberry Shortcake Mitts

Pattern: Strawberry Mittens by SpillyJane.

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Fingering

Weight: Fingering

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

Name: Strawberry Leftovers

Pattern: Diving in {recipe} by Mam'zelle Flo

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Fingering

Weight: Fingering

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

Ages ago another Knit Knacker Amber spun this breathtaking yarn and I bought it from her. I mean, look at it!! I didn't want to knit with it, I couldn't find something that seemed right for it until January. I knit the Ginkgo shawl and I love it!

Name: Ginkgo Coastal

Pattern: Ginkgo Shoulderette Shawl by Maggie Magali

Yarn: Coast Handspun by Amber (yarnaholic)

Weight: Fingering

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

When I first became S.L.U.G. Queen, Queen Slugtoinette asked me if I could knit her a doll of her likening. Of course! I wasn't able to give it to her on her birthday, but rather at my birthday party and as you can see, she's beyond thrilled!

Name: SLUG Queen Marie Slugtoinette

Pattern: Marie Antoinette Knit Doll Pattern by Amy Gaines

Yarn: Scrap acrylic I had

Weight: Worsted

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

I'm on the call list for test knitting for one of my favorite designers, Lee Meredith (Leethal). In March, she sent out this hat pattern to be tested. I volunteered to make it in fingering, with little to no slouch for a man- my hunky husband.

Name: Barry

Pattern: Barry by Lee Meredith

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette, Rowan Scottish Tweed 4-Ply

Weight: Worsted

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

Every year, a local boutique has a silly, stunning, creative, festive Easter bonnet contest. As Queen, I entered and I won! I was awarded a $100 gift certificate. Woohoo! My bonnet has flowers, leaves, Easter eggs, chicks, bunnies and a slug or two.

Name: Passionflower Easter Bonnet

Pattern: My own

Yarn: Various yarn I had around the house.

Weight: Mostly worsted

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

Also, every year there is a fantastic art show dedicated to Jell-O. The current SLUG Queen always gives the benediction. I also entered this year by knitting with Jell-O. Well, sort of. Check out the link to read more about my adventures in wiggly, jiggling knitting.

Name: Knit 1, Jell-O 2

Pattern: My own

Yarn: Scrap Yarn and gelatin

Weight: Does Jell-O have a gauge?

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

Another Leethal test knit! I had bought the beautiful blue yarn last summer and still hadn't used it. When I saw I needed one or two more yarns for this shawl I went out and got the vibrant fuchsia to go with it. They look great together! I love this shawl- it reminds me of butterfly wings. I took the pictures at the Woodburn Tulip Festival.

Name: Robin

Pattern: Robin by Lee Meredith

Yarn: Madeline Tosh Merino Light

Weight: Fingering

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

And finally, I have this hat. When I did the test knitting for Lee Meredith, I was given credit to her pattern store in exchange. I bought this hat and used some yarn around the house. It needed more flare, so I needle felted hearts over the ears. Because of the style of the hat and the additional hearts, I call this my Amelia EarHeart hat.

Name: Amelia EarHEART

Pattern: Gentle on My Mind by Lee Meredith

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cascade 220

Weight: Worsted

See my Ravelry page for more pictures and details.

Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed my knitting as much I as did making them. What's up next for me? I'm starting on a new Queen gown. It'll be my Old Queen gown, something I can retire into. I'd like to get back into spinning. I can't remember the last time I spun yarn. The Black Sheep Gathering is next month, I'm excited for that! I also was curious at how much yarn I knit in a year so I joined Knit Meter. You plug in your yardage and it adds it up for you (it would be great though if it was synced with Ravelry so you didn't have to do it twice.) The little gadget update automatically but as of today, I've knit 2.02 miles in 2013. That's pretty cool!

Advent Calendar

In 2011 I did a craft trade with my friend Kristin. I knit her children some hats and she quilted a beautiful advent calender for my family. We did the exchange so close to Christmas last year I wasn't able to use it for advent.

I grew up with those little chocolate advent calenders and they just might be my favorite Christmas tradition. To wake up every morning, searching for the right number and eating a chocolate before breakfast! I knew I wanted to continue the tradition with my boys but wanted something more special, more permanent and of course handmade.

When I discussed what I wanted in an advent calender, I imagined that I would knit little Christmas stockings that could be attached to it and then my boys could pick one and put it in the corresponding pocket. Kristen totally rocked it! The craftsmanship is outstanding and the fabrics she used is perfect for my tastes.

Because the advent calender wasn't used last year it gave me all of 2012 to knit little stockings for it. I knew that if I gave myself the entire year to knit them all, then I could finish it. HA!! What a joke! Wasn't I optimistic? Come January 5th I had one sock knit. Then on November 8th I remembered advent was approaching and searched out my project. I had only knit 9 socks. ACK! I needed to knit 16 more in less than a month! I barely did it- I just finished the last one today.

This week I bought little foil wrapped chocolate candies to hide in the pockets each morning so that my sons get that extra special treat. I hope that using this calendar every year will create a special memory for them.

Name: Keepsake

Pattern: Mini Christmas Stocking Ornaments by Little Cotton Rabbits

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette

Needle Size: US 2, 2.75mm

Read more on my Ravelry page.

Becker Brigade Hats

Earlier this month I posted about my sons dyeing yarn with Kool Aid and food coloring using the sunshine and heat for solar energy. I told them when they picked out their colors that I would knit them hats. I just finished today!

Name: Becker Brigade Hats

Pattern: Slip Stitch Stash Hat by Renee Rico

Yarn: Knit Picks Bare Peruvian Highland Wool

Weight: Worsted

Modifications: See my Ravelry page for more info.

Valley Girl Swap

I got my package today!  My favorite Ravelry group Knit Knack had a swap! We picked a movie or TV show that we wanted our package to be themed about.  You can read about the Hedwig and the Angry Inch package I made for Amber here.  I chose the movie Valley Girl!

Georgia got me and did an awesome job with my theme!  She included two packages with movie quotes on them.  "Gag me with a spoon!" and "It's like sushi, ya know?"  Inside was a sewn spoon and a sushi toilet paper cozy!!  Hilarious!

She sent hot pink neon yarn and knit me a fabulous 80s inspired cowl.  Also she sent some jelly bracelets and a friendship bracelet.  So great!

Of course I had to put my hair in a side ponytail for the photo.

And a temporary tattoo!

She also sent some nail polish from Zoya!!  Midori and Kissy!  You all know how much I love my nail polish!  She included emery boards in a matchbook!  So cool!  I've never seen anything like that before.

Dark chocolate!

And she sent some things from her Dio de los Muertos shop!  A chicken toy for my kids.  My son Bailey is totally mesmerized by it.

And a Day of the Dead candle boat!  So cool!  I can't wait to try it out with the kids.  Click this link to see a video on how it works.

Thanks so much Georgia for everything!  I love it all!  Totally!  Like for sure!

Pick Your Own Swap

My favorite group on Ravelry, Knit Knack often holds knitting swaps or exchanges. Usually there's a theme and a designated dollar amount and you're given a partner. You knit and find goodies for them based on their preferences and within the theme.

The most recent swap I hosted called Pick Your Own Swap swap. This time, each person got to pick their own individual swap theme and not explain or define it in anyway. That way whoever was their partner had to interpret the theme however they wished.

The theme that I chose was Recycled/Upcycled/Secondhand. I was lucky enough to get Kim aka Chickenlady. She wrote in the note that everything but the yarn and the pattern had come from her- wasn't bought. That's exactly what I wanted! She gifted me a book on knitting and felting, beautiful yarn and a pattern to knit a cowl with them (can't wait!), little owl note cards (the Knit Knackers logo is an owl), pumpkin decorations and a haunted house with candles. My family is a little bit obsessed with Halloween. I love these goodies!

The main project is a fabric scrap crocheted rug! It's amazing. The colors are perfect and the construction is great! I've always wanted a rug like this but never got around to making one. Thanks Kim!

In this same swap, the person who I had to knit for was Mary aka SeaHagMary. The theme she picked was Twin Peaks. I embroidered a wall hanging dedicated to that Twin Peaks cherry pie. I gifted her some amazing local coffee from Wandering Goat and some good Oregon chocolate as well. I sent her an owl pin and my husband helped me make her buttons out of a log (branch) from a tree in our backyard.

Lastly, I knitted her fingerless mitts based on the design of the Black Lodge in Twin Peaks. I'll have the pattern for the mitts up shortly. Edit: Mitt pattern now available here.

This was such a fun swap! Can't wait for the next one!

Alot of Fun

... and fur.

I'm part of an amazing knitting group on Ravelry called Knit Knack. A short while ago, they hosted a competition. Inspired by Allie Brosh who is the author of the blog Hyperbole and a Half. In April, Allie posted The Alot is Better Than You at Everything. We all laughed and raved about it and then set about to see who could create the best Alot. This was my entry and I was lucky enough to win! And now I'm sharing it with you. Please check out the other way awesome entries here and here!

I should mention that I've never written out a pattern for someone else's eyes. Usually, my own patterns are scribbled on the back of receipts and only make sense to me. That being said, if you find a mistake or need clarification on a step, please let me know. I'm new to this.

What skills do you need to make the Alot of Fun? Knitting in the round, magic loop, short rows, increases, decreases, kitchener stitch and just a wee bit of crocheting and embroidering.

Download ALOT OF FUN here.