Knitting in October and November

I have been so busy knitting that I haven't taken much time to catch up on my computer. So today I'm playing catch up. I don't have any family birthdays between Sept. 18 and Nov. 19, so this is my time to do some things for myself. I did do a few things for other people also, but mostly it has been me time. I started me time with this sweater made with the llama wool I got from the doctor that delivered 13 of my 19 grandkids.

This lovely sweater has been stretching. I have not hung it on a hanger, but alas, it's still stretching. I may end up felting it and making a bag. 

I was so lucky I won the yarn from Mary Taylor to make these very fun gloves! They are from the book Knitting On Top Of The World, by Nicky Epstein

I am such a practical simple person I had to make a tie so I could tie them together and use it as a scarf. 

It's an awesome scarf and I wear it everywhere! 

I had some leftover yarn so I made this cute little vest! It's fun and comfy! 

At the same time I was doing the gloves, vest and sweater I was working on this doll for my friend Mary P.  This is a Jean Greenhowe Topsy-Turnabout Doll. She is really only one doll. 

Little Miss Muffett

Old Mother Hubbard 

Little Red Riding Hood

and her grandma!

It seams to me that all the stuff I've done in the past month has blended together and I don't remember what order I did them in so I start with what I just finished and work my way backward. I just finished this cute little puppy for my grandson Ryan. When I delivered it his older brother Bradly showed me his dinosaur that needed to be fixed. This is the fixed dino.
That was so very interesting! 

                                                                   

                                                                     

      I did this cool scarf for a friend in my church. 

         My, daughter Mary is so good to model it for me! 

Mary took a month off from work in October. She couldn't afford to go anywhere so she took a 4 week work job in Rhode Island! She had so much fun seeing all the cool sites there in Boston! While she was there she got some yarn at the Plymouth Plantation Museum. So here is the hat  and scarf  I made for her. I'm starting some mittens when I finish this blog!

I did this sweater for another friend at church! 

It's nice but I wish I had made the sleeves a bit longer. She liked it anyway! 

 I also made a sweater for my granddaughter, Abigail! It's called Hearts at Home.  

We got all our grandkids together for a picture in October! That was tons of fun! We had a breakfast one Saturday morning of muffins, scrambled eggs and more! So here they are! All 19!! 

One of my favorite things to make are felted bags! I made this with the llama wool so it had to have some llamas on it! I really enjoy needle felting! I actually made it with the cable from  Austrian Alps Jacket from the book Knitting on Top of the World, but when I felted it I lost all the beautiful cables. :( It is still quite beautiful! 

So what's up next? I had planned another doll for my granddaughter on the 7th of Dec. But it takes so much time(100 hrs) and I have so many other things I want to get done I have decided to take my time with it and have it finished for her mom's birthday in January. So what else do I have planned? Mittens! A llama! Christmas! A lion! and who knows what else! My heart is full! I'm so thankful for all my wonderful blessings! My Savior, Jesus Christ, my family, and all the abundance of life! 

July, August and September!

Here I go again. Playing catch up! What have I done since I last wrote clear back in July?
I did a teddy bear blanket for my new granddaughter, Emily. It's almost embarrassing, because I messed up on it so much. These illusion blankets are a simple two color stripe with a combination of knit and purls. I changed the color every time I was supposed to just change from knit to purl. The tiger blanket is done right! So, Emily, I owe you a nice blanket! Just don't know when.....

Next I did a sweater for my mom! It's fairly nice but a bit big. It was fun to make! 

Then I made a cool cat for my granddaughter Madilynn! This is an Alan Dart cat! 

 I did two awesome airplanes for my grandson Roger! Taking a picture wasn't easy. So here are several! 

Now it's August and I did a sport weight vest for James.  

I made these very nice gloves for my daughter-in-law, Kristen! Now I'm working on some using the same pattern, only this time I'm using the yarn I won from Mary Taylor!! She is knitting everything in the book Knitting on Top of the World by Nicky Epstein. You can check out her blog here!

Now here is the Tiger for Natalie! It's done right! Looking straight on you cannot see the tiger, but looking at an angle you see this cool tiger! 

May 17, 2008 I got this llama wool from the doctor that delivered 13 of my 19 grandkids! This year I sent it to Salt Lake to be spun into yarn! 

I just finished this very nice warm and comfy sweater with that! 

This one is for me! I don't normally have time to knit for myself. But I do have some time this fall. 

So what's next? I'm doing a doll for my friend Mary P and the fancy gloves for myself and I might do a vest to match and I'm thinking of a bag with more llama wool! 

Knitting for May & June!

I haven't written a blog since I did Beverly's jacket. So what have I been doing? 

                                                  

A baby blanket for Jordan! 

       A Jean Greenhowe Topsy-Turnabout Doll for my friend Sharlene! 

      A vest for Jackie... This is me.

Then a scarf for my sister Pat! 

                                 

             An Allen Dart Cat for Kayleigh

A Pink Pony for Katelyn

                              

A Black Horse for Sarah! 

                                                       

And an eagle for Henry! 

The wings can go out. 

And with a little Velcro the wings can go back.

For July, I'm doing a blanket for Emily, a short sleeve sweater for Mom and a cat for Madilynn! 

Beverly's jacket

This is Beverly's Highland Fling Plaid Jacket by Nicky Epstein
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/highland-fling-plaid-jacket

It turned out very beautiful!

I am using some Lion's Brand Fisherman's wool that I got last year at 3 skeins for $10. So not counting that, I spent $35 on some Patons wool and an additional skein of Fisherman's wool.

4/22/2011 I did at least half the back yesterday! I made the changes suggested by MaryTaylor I think I can do this in 8 days. Beverly's birthday is the 1st of May. So this will give me 9 days to finish it.

4/23/11
Last night I was thinking I could do the vertical stripes on the back in a couple of hours. mmmmm......  I still have 6 stripes to go. So I am wondering if Intarsia  would be faster. I will think on it and start again on Monday. I think it's looking great!
4/24/11
Stayed up late last night and finished the vertical stripes on the back! Today is Easter. I always give my knitting fingers a rest on Sundays. So I'll be working on it tomorrow.
4/26
I still might be able to finish by Saturday night, but most likely it will be Monday or Tuesday, which will be fine. I have decided that the duplicate stitch works better than Intarsia for a vertical stripe. I started the first front in Intarsia, but it was driving me nuts to do it that way and it wasn't looking very nice. So I'm doing the duplicate stitch.
4/28
Yesterday was not a good knitting day for this. I was on my way to town and realized I was making the i-cord on backwards on the collar. Good thing I had a baby blanket in my bag to work on. I got home and started over. I decided that because of the different colors that I would not do the i-cord till I was done, as I am just learning to do this method.

Then on the way to go for a walk I was all ready to knit and realized that I had knitted the bottom Fair Isle using the #6 needle and I didn't have my #9 needle. So I couldn't knit till I got home a couple hours later. Then I decided to start again with the #9 needle. Anyway, I finally got about half of one collar done.
4/28
Today was a good knitting day. I should be able to finish both collars and hopefully block all the pieces out this evening. Then I will only have the sleeves, the sewing up and i-cord left to do. Instead of blocking I had to take time to learn how to take out the duplicate stitch. It's easier to put in than it is to take out. The best way I found is to  turn the work to the purl side and snip the bumps of color, then turn it over and pick off the top.
5/1
I was working on the sleeve and when I was almost done I realized that I had forgotten the increases. Ouch! So I made a wedge and started to seam in onto the sleeve. I was so pleased at how nice the seam was coming along and almost done when I realized that I had sewn it on upside down!  Another ouch! I carefully took it off and put it on right. Now all that is left is a little of the second sleeve and the vertical stripes of both sleeves, the blocking and seaming up and the i-cord on the edge. I also plan to make a couple belts. My goal is to have it done by Tuesday night.
5/5 Thursday
I've been helping my son move, but the sweater is almost done. I only need to connect the back of the collar. It needs to be made a bit longer, but I've misplaced my #9 needle. So I'm a bit stuck. I've been working on Bev's baby's blanket and my next project of a topsy-turnabout Jean Greenhowe doll.  I also need to make the i-cord on the edge and sew on a hook and eye. I might finish tonight if I can find my needle! lol
5/6 Friday.
It's finished! Hooray! I have worked on it 14 days. I made a vinyl belt, just so I could take pictures with a belt. My son, Joseph. is going to make her a nice leather one soon. But as you can see, Beverly is not ready for a belt! The baby is due on the 16th!
The sleeves turned out a bit too long. I used a #8 needle on them but they're still a bit too long.
I think it's quite beautiful! And I think Beverly likes it too!