Here are some pics of the things I've been working on....



My Funnelneck Sweater, coming along slowly, but surely. :)


My Big Bad Baby Blanket. I got the bottom seed stitch border done.



And my ChicKami tank that I'm knitting in the round. It only took me three tries!!! First time I messed up on the ribbing, 2nd time I had it all twisted! Finally the 3rd time I got it right (so far). I'm using the Debbie Bliss Cotton DK for it. So far it's turning out nice. Sorry to all my cross stitching friends. I haven't abandoned cross stitch completely. I'm just totaly obsessed with knitting right now!!! :)

Oh! I almost forgot. I found a truely local yarn shop! It's called the Yarn Garden and it's located in an old house in downtown Kennesaw. They're getting ready to move closer to me to downtown Acworth. I can't wait!! Well, that's all for now! Time for bed!

I knitted in the round!! :) I took about 3 tries because I kept getting the stitches twisted. Now I know why there are so many warnings to be careful when starting! Here's my hat....



I used Gedifra Scarlet color number 1822. The camera doesn't really show the true colors. I just love how it made stripes on the hat though. I turned out a lot better than I thought it would. My grandmother, mother and I were all knitting at my mom's house today. I wish I would've had a camera. It would've been so cool to capture that.

I finished up my American Govt. class today! I think I missed about 10 questions on my test, oh well, it's done! :) I think I got an A, I'll find out for sure next week.

I made these round dishcloths today. They were so much fun to knit! My grandmother was knitting some just like it and I found the pattern on the internet here.

All I can think about is going back to Strings and Strands. I swear I'm so addicted!!! Thankfully dh did not leave the credit card (he's in mississippi). :) I'm trying to decide if I want to continue working on my tank. I think I will, I think it will give me some good practice. It's just not coming along as nice I would like. I don't know if it's the yarn, or the person using the yarn?? Well, it's late! Time for bed!

Strings and Strands was awesome!! If you are coming to Atlanta this is the knitting shop I recommend. They are pretty up to date on everything, plus helpful and knowledgeable! I can't wait to go back! I could've spent hundreds in there! I ended up getting some Debbie Bliss Cotton DK for another tank I would like to do.



And this was waiting for me when I got home...



It's my Koigu for my Big Bad Baby Blanket. The color sure doesn't look like the pic on the website. I still like it though... it's just different! Well, that's all for now!!

Had to delete that last post. That picture was bugging me!! :) I started something else yesterday. It's the Front Slit Tank from the Summer 2004 Interweave Knits. I'm using a white cotton blend and it's coming out pretty so far.

My grandmother is here from Idaho and she recently got back into knitting also. She's a quilter and has made some beautiful quilts, but she taking a little break from it. We're going to this knitting shop today... Strings and Strands, and then we're going to Lenox Mall, my favorite mall in Atlanta. Well, that's all for now. I'll take a pic of my new WIP later! :)

More sweater!



And here I am trying to learn how to increase using the kerchief pattern from the stitch 'n bitch book....



Just lovely, huh??

It actually turned out pretty cute! :) I'll take a pic after I shower, lol! :)

I decided to start my first sweater!! :) I'm so excited and so far it's knitting up pretty quick! :) I'm using a charcoal gray wool blend. Here's a pic of what I've done so far...



The pattern I'm using is out of the Yarn Girl's Guide to Simple Knits. It's the Funnelneck sweater (they used Rowan Polar).

I also bought a new basket to display my yarn in. It was on sale! :)



Well, Jakey's crying so I'd better go. No knitting for me right now! :(

My Koigu hat is finished!! :) That was so much fun to knit up! I can't wait to get my yarn for my baby blanket! Now that is going to be fun! I'm thinking I want to do a sweater. Just trying to decide which one. Well, that's all for now!

Yarn Stash!




I went to Nease's Needlework today in Decatur. It only took me an hour to find it!! I had been there about 7 years ago and took a wrong turn. I was driving around in circles until we finally called and I realized where it was. I got two skeins of Plymouth Yukon (the red), two skeins of Brown Sheep Burly Spun (the cream), and 1 skein of Manos del Uruguay (the green). The Manos is just gorgeous!! I don't know what I want to knit with it but I can't wait! :) Still working on the hat. I haven't been able to knit too much lately... kids, work, and school. fun, fun!

My Koigu hat is coming along nice! I love the colors! Well I broke down and orderd the wool for the Big Bad Baby Blanket. I ordered the Koigu PPPM in P436. I think it's really going to be pretty. I can't wait to get it in the mail!! OK I definitely need to slow down on the spending. It's so hard though especially since I've discovered all the pretty yarns out there! And I still want to find some for the sweater! I think I may have to sell some cross stitch on ebay! :)

I finished another scarf!



It was knitted with 1 skien of Cherry Tree Hill's Ariel Yarn in Champlain Sunset and 1 skien of Fun Fur from Lion Brand. I used #15 needles with 11 stitches cast on.

I'm ready to move on to bigger projects now! I'd like to knit a sweater, just trying to decide which one and which yarn! I'm going to knit another hat first.

Koigu Hat

I bought two skiens of Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino Yarn (KPPPM) color #P820 at Cast on Cottage in Roswell. I can't wait to get started!!

I would love to also stitch the Big Bad Baby Blanket from the Stitch 'N Bitch book. My friend Christi just had a baby and I think she would really like it. Just trying to decide which color to knit it in. I definitely want to use the Koigu though.  I found a gallery by the designer dedicated to the blanket.  Here's a link... http://wild_deer.typepad.com/stitches/big_bad_baby_blanket/.  It's pretty cool! :) 
 
Well, not much else. There is a stitch 'n bitch get together today in Atlanta and I would really love to go, but I don't know anyone. I guess the only way to get to know anyone is to go! I'm still thinking about it! :)

I knitted my first hat! I started last night and finished it up this morning! It was much easier than I thought it would be. Here's a pic...



Here's a pic of Bradley modeling the hat... I made it child size so it would fit him! :)



Now you don't think he'd have bad memories of going to school wearing hand-knit hats do you?? :)

I also knitted another scarf, but it's at my mom's house because I gave it to her. It was a funky Blue with white eyelash thrown in. I'll take a pic. the next time I'm there. I think I need to clean the house now. I've been on such a knitting kick that I haven't been able to do anything else! I have laundry in the washer from 2 days ago! Bad, Nicole, bad!! :)

Another scarf finished!!



I finished this in just a few hours (when I should've been studying). I got the idea and pattern from The Ugly Green Chair Blog. I used the same yarn she did only I made mine skinnier. I cast on 12 stitches and used 1 - 100g skien of the Crystal Palace Splash yarn. I also used size 15 needles. What fun! I can't wait to knit another. I'm really getting addicted!! :)

I finished my scarf today! Here's a pic...



I should've made it a little longer... oh well, I'll make the next one longer.

I also got my Drawn Thread class piece back out and have been working on the border of panel two...



I also started Shepherd's Bush Bloom yesterday. It should stitch up pretty quick. I missed stitching with silks! :) I'm such a silk junkie!

Well, not much else. I've been working all weekend and I work today and then I have 4 days off, except for school. I have a test tomorrow and haven't even studied yet! :(

Stash Alert!

I just love Elegant Stitch. They are so fast to ship things out! You can tell them, it's no hurry and they still have it to you in 3 days! :)

Here's what I got...
Little by Little's Quaker Blackbird
Legacy Designs Quaker Legacy I
Shepherd's Bush Oh Say
And the newest Fine Lines Magazine

Well, I signed up for another class - Health. Fun, fun! Maybe I can lose some weight? LOL! I'm going to start working days during the week and then anytime on weekends. That way I can get Bradley on a schedule for when he starts school. I don't want to have to wake him up from my mom's after I get off work during the week. I want to be there for him when he gets home from school. You know have the
cookie jar ready, etc! :)

I'm still working on my hohrh and my knitting. I bought the movie Cold Mountain yesterday... boy did I bawl! It's a really good movie. I had read the book, which was really good also. I'd say the movie and book were equally good. Well, that's really all now!! Write more later! ;)

Here's the B finished! I wish I could sew as good as my mom! I think we should open a finishing business!! :) LOL!

My latest knitting project. Another pattern I got from The Ugly Green Chair Blog. The pattern can be found here. Only mine is a little chunkier. I'm using size 10.5 needles (big ole pink things by Lion Brand). I love my crafts. I don't think I could stay sane if it wasn't for my stitching. My house is a mess, but I'm happy (and poor)! :) I ordered some yarn and needles and a beginners knitting book, I can't wait!

I finished my B! It turned out so pretty, I think my mom will like it...



I also have a progress scan of my hohrh...



Well, that's about it for now! :)

Which project (finished or in progress) are you most proud of? Explain why.

I would have to say my L&L's Peace Angel


It took me over a year to stitch. I stitched it using 3 threads and it was my first over one face, which I struggled so much with. She hangs over my bed, so I can see her all the time. I'm definitely most proud of her! :)

I couldn't resist, I ordered two new quaker designs. The first is Little by Little's Quaker Blackbird, and the second Quaker is Legacy Designs Quaker Legacy I. I like the lighter one on the bottom. So pretty!! :) I decided to start a small monogram for my mother. They are from old French Alphabet books. Here's a link La Maison d'Anael. I'm using a light cream linen and an aqua hand-dyed silk thread. I think she will like it. I also got more done on my Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. Since the name is so long I'm just going to use initials from now on (hohrh). There is a stitch along for the design at the Legacy BB.

I finagled a day off tomorrow. I don't know why my mgr. scheduled me for almost 30 hours. Like I don't have enough going on?? Oh one last thing that I'm very upset about. As many of you may know, I'm a huge Braves fan. I took my radio to work last year when they were in the playoffs. I never heard anyone complain. I would listen to the Braves games every once in a while when I was counting cash. It didn't slow me down or affect my work in any way. Well, we have a newbie in the office who has been listening to it too. I think there is someone out to get her because just about everything she does she gets in trouble for. And of course the radio now has to go. I was so upset! I come to work on time every time I'm scheduled. I don't complain, I work my a** off when I'm there. That is my one luxury, my one joy at work. So I complained to my mgr. and she said the district mgr. saw it in there and said it had to go and the other mgrs. complained too. I told her my store mgr. never complained to me and she said he wouldn't. I just don't understand what the big deal is. I'm so depressed about this. I may just change my availability so I can be home at night from now on, especially since Bradley is starting Pre-K in August. Ok that's enough about that!! Write more soon!!

I finally finished something! Little by Little's Quaker Strawberry!



I had to fudge the a and g a little because those rows were over a stitch. Oh well, I was definitely ready to be finished with it!

I also started a new project! It's Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I'm working on the first house in the upper left corner. It's a huge project. But I'm loving it! :)

well, not much else. Just work, work, work! I'm relaxing tomorrow. We're going to the beach to see fireworks! I can't wait! :)