maybe it's the cooler weather, but i've been buying a lot of wool yarns. a lot. lamb's pride, reynold's lopi, cleckheaton's 8-ply, jamieson's soft spun. the colors grab my attention and the next thing i know, i'm walking out of the store w/ a bag full. haha. i've started buying books too. today, i got little badger knitwear: knitted projects for babies and toddlers. i couldn't help myself. the clothing was way too cute. otha books on my list: vintage knits the twisted sisters sock workbook hip to knit i'll b adding to that list soon. i got this book yesterday bcuz i'm taking the sweater workshop class @ the frenzy. i think it'll really help me w/ designing patterns. i feel so out of the loop when it comes to the latest fall fashions. what r ppl wearing these days? i know extra long scarves r in @ the moment. oh, brown seems to b the new black too. am i missing much?

the parallelo sweater is coming along nicely. i will start work on the back lata on today. i'm determined to have the sweater finished by the end of the month. i'm also on a mission to get to new york next month. i was going to enter the hat contest but i'm starting to have second thoughts. y? bcuz 1. i'm not sure what kind of hat to make and 2. my knitted hat skills aren't the greatest. if i decide not to enter, i will still go to new york to see the entries. currently in the works: crocheting a few scarves to b photographed for the site rambling rows baby jacket - all that needs to b done r the neck/button bands the mate to the teal sock the montera muffler

laurence fishburne knits?

i love artful yarn's museum. it's big and chunky and knits up really fast. i'll have pictures of the scarf in a couple of days (it's drying right now). i'm stuck once again on the rebecca sweater. i swear this pattern is becoming a bit of a pain. i'm determined to finish it tho. once it's done it'll look fabulous. i may start the seed stitch sweater next. well, i gotta run. i'm volunteering my services @ the frenzy today. i'd rather spend my days there instead of @ the office. have a great day ppls! peace.

the parallelo sweater has all of my attention @ the moment. pics soon come.

i'm bored. here r some pics... one of mandara's hats - made out of debbie bliss' wool/cotton. an almost finished camoflage rambling rows baby jacket for kkarma's sakura if u haven't been to redlipstick lately, u need to click the link now and check out stacey's funky, new hats. i really need to work on my knitted hat skills. man oh man. k, i'm goin to bed now. goodnite world.

i need more space. i suddenly got the urge to finish things. mandara leaves tues. nite and i've got four of her items washed and blocked. how long does it take for things to dry after washing them? stuff is laid out all over my living room floor. clem is going to shit bricks when she comes thru tomorrow. ha. while finishing things, i also have the urge to start things. i've been wanting to make funky looking sleeves. so i started knitting some w/ the left over pink mohair. i'm also thinking 'bout starting a scarf w/ artful yarn's museum. i got some help w/ the rebecca sweater. i was cruisin along and have gotten stuck/confused once again. i made sure i fully understood the next set of instructions before i left the frenzy, but i think i've forgotten what i was told. then again, i think it's more doubt than forgetfulness. i'd hate to get really far on it and then have to rip all my work out. i guess that's the onlee way i'll learn right? ::: roc, i want to see some of ur handi.work.

i'm making the orange sweater. it comes out of a rebecca mag and is also shown in this month's interweave. it seems to knit up pretty quickly, but i'm not sure if i'm doing the stitch correctly (half fisherman's rib). my stitch doesn't match the stitch shown on the sweater. hopefully, i can get some help on it today and work on it over the weekend. oh, i can knit some. the pain in my hand has gone away, but it's still a lil tender in the area where the stitches r. while watching 'dances with wolves', i finished the sleeve on the rambling rows baby jacket and got it all sewed up. i'm thinking 'bout making a hat and matching booties too. i've got some blocking to do as well. i've never blocked anything before. the concept has been explained to me and i've read a lil bit on it. it seems simple enuff. pictures soon come.

mmmmm mohair. i am loving the stuff. i have to buy more of it. maybe even knit w/ it. i've decided to frog the neckdown sweater. continuous stockinette is not fun. i have been bored to tears (working on smaller projects hasn't even helped). so now i wanna make sumthin funky. sumthin colorful and chunky. the rebecca mag always has cool stuff in it. i've checkin out a few lopi patterns too. hopefully, i'll find sumthin to tickle my fancy. i'll keep u posted.

not a lot has been goin on. i managed to cut my hand on thurs nite (story on the other blog) and got 5 stitches. i went 2 days w/o making anything, but the pressure was too much. i was goin nuts just sittin 'round. i even started bitin my nails again. pitiful, i know. i ended up crocheting 2 mohair hats. i should b able to relax, but i can't.

aight y'all, i've been thinkin of a way to get active in my community. and one thought i have is makin winter gear for tha homeless. so i wanna know...r u active in ur community? if so, what do u do? (it doesn't have to b crochet/knit related).

i've been surrounded by cotton yarn. yep. my ex has asked me to make 10 "lighter weight" hats. so i've been busy. i have to get used to tha stuff. i spent a couple hours on one hat bcuz it kept growing. no matter how many times i ripped it back and decreased, it still kept growing. turns out i shoulda been using an "f" hook instead of an "h". tha teal socks r close to being finished. i turned one heel and i'm starting tha heel flap on tha second. mandara has been wearing tha jacquard joints and they look so cute on her. i gotta hurry up and finish this new pair. also, tha rambling rows jacket is close to being finished as well. i'm half way done w/ tha first sleeve. i'd like to have it done by sunday, since tha baby will b here soon.

here's a not so great pic of tha lang jawoll jacquard socks.

made w/ tha himalayan yarn co.'s wool/recycled silk blend... above...tha "tibetan dreams" hat i made for knitting frenzy. i made a red one for mandara, it's groovy. tha jacquard socks r almost finished. pics of those will b up soon.

i just finished making a hat for tha frenzy. it's tha "tibetan dreams" hat made w/ tha himalayan yarn co.'s wool.silk blend. it's quite groovy if i must say so myself. mandara modeled it for me and she looks damn good in it. anywayz, i'm proud bcuz this was my first time following a crochet pattern. starting tha hat was a lil rocky, but once i figured out what i was doing, it was a piece of cake. pics soon come. tha neckdown sweater seems to b takin forever to make. tha whole thing is in stockinette. i've been trying to do @ least 2 rows a day, but it's not gettin me anywhere. i guess i'll need to increase that. i will finish it...even if it takes me a year. happy moon-day.

tha temps have been in tha 80s tha last couple of days. babygirl and i stayed home yesterday since we were both getting over some type of stomach flu. around 5pm, i made her get dressed so we could go outside and sit in tha sun. we laid out tha blanket and crocheted. she's makin a bag for her wooden flute. i hope she finishes it. i haven't been makin much of anything. i'm workin on tha mate to tha jacquard sock. that's it. i need to build up my inventory for tha fall. i'm tired of makin tha same ole stuff...same ole styles. it's time to step things up a bit.

since tha orange variegated sock i was working on was stolen, i decided to start on a different sock. this pair will b for mandara. i'm using lang jawoll jacquard in red/raspberry/black. i've been zippin thru it mainly bcuz i want to see what tha pattern will look like. this month is almost over and winter is around tha corner. i don't know if folks in otha states experience this, but alaskan summers basically last 2 1/2 months. august is usually rainy and dreary and the temperature begins to drop. oh, and tha loss of daylite hours r more noticeable. so, i've begun thinkin 'bout the knitted winter gear i will make for myself and my babygirl. mandara is moving back to new york in four weeks. i'm goin to b busy completing her order (i've been takin my sweet time). i've been considering entering staceyjoy's hat contest. if i do, i will fly to new york in october to see tha entries (and i could visit mandara). is anybody else out there thinkin 'bout flyin to new york?

tha rambling rows sweater is gone. i was really upset, but i think i've accepted it now. i went out and bought more yarn so i could start over. it's heart breaking man.

alyssa milano was crocheting on charmed last nite. i thought that was cool, since u don't see many folks doing it. i went to tha yarn store and wound up some yarn. that's a good de.stresser. i walked in highly irritated aka pissed off. once i started crankin away on tha ball winder, tha irritation drifted away. i'm currently working on a small hemp bag. i gotta order more of this stuff man. i luv it. tha hemp i'm using has a texture similar to tha linen that is being sold @ tha frenzy. it's nice.

these r tha necklaces i bought from tassita. aren't they beautious? tha top piece is made w/ bone, agate, and an ethiopian coptic cross. tha bottom piece is a small turquoise bead w/ a bone bead on top. this is a pic of tha hat i made over tha weekend. i fell in luv w/ lamb's pride while makin this.

tha montera muffler is almost finished. tha rambling rows baby jacket is almost finished. i made a hat over tha weekend. royal blue lamb's pride w/ lime green reynold's lite lopi. i'm goin to put a pompom on it. i found a place to showcase my wears. well actually, it found me. it's amazing how connected ppl r to each otha. i met this woman a couple of years ago thru a mutual friend. i didn't know she was into beading and had a business selling her stuff (amazing stuff). i came across her booth @ tha solstice festival and was blown away by her jewelry. we talked and i told her 'bout what i was doing, and w/o even seeing my stuff she said she'd sell them outta her studio. i then see her @ tha saturday market over tha weekend and she asked me to come check out her studio. i did yesterday and it was so beautiful. it was full of art from all over tha world. turns out her whole family are artists and they all do sumthin different. it felt good to b 'round so much creativity. we ate black cherries and did our crafty things in tha sunshine. i bought a couple of necklaces from her and she gave me some info on upcoming shows. isn't that cool?

@ lunch, i went to tha frenzy for my daily lunch time cool out session. as soon as i sit down to work on my socks, cleary comes up to me and says, "didn't u sign up for tha kool.aid workshop?" i totally forgot 'bout tha workshop! i've been talkin 'bout tha class for a couple of months now. i was bummed but not for long. i got to do a lil dying b4 i went back to work. my skeins r drying in my car right now. haha. i figured they would dry quicker in tha sunshine. what am i goin to make w/ tha stuff?

tha frenzy has been gettin a shitload of sock yarn lately. i couldn't resist tha temptation any longer. i bought 6 skeins yesterday. they feel so damn good...hella soft and tha colors r really bright. bright is good for tha dark alaskan winters. i pulled out tha neck down sweater and did a couple of rows. i've been neglecting it for a couple months now, but i'm determined to have it finished by september.

while sittin in my bed crocheting, babygirl said that bestest thing to me. "mama, i now see how u can sit on tha couch all day and do this." i think she's hooked.

tha forest fair was awesome. i sold a lot of stuff and met a lot of great ppl. i needed that weekend in tha woods. it did wonders for my spirit. i was able to trade a few things. trading is so much fun. i got a really beautiful handknit scarf, an hour massage (that was a blessing), a couple crocheted purses, and a beautiful hemp bag. i'm glad i got tha opportunity to b apart of that. i was kinda surprised @ what sold and what didn't. i made a lot of crowns (big hats for dreads) knowing there would b a lot of dreads @ tha fair. tha skullies sold like crazy. most of tha dreads wanted smaller hats. lesson learned. sara and i have already talked 'bout workin togetha next year. we will have a lot more stuff made. my 50-sumthin hats weren't enuff for tha two days. i have a few orders to fill. once i get those finished, i can re.focus on knitting and getting those projects outta tha way. i hope everybody is well. peace to u.

turns out tha sewing was done correctly. adding tha bands and a lil blocking should make tha jacket look betta. i really hope so. not much has been goin on othawise. tha fair is this weekend. i'm beginning to get butterflies in my belly cuz i don't know what to expect. i didn't work on anything (crochet.wise) last nite. my allergies have been kickin my butt so i spent most of tha evening in my bed napping. babygirl is goin to fairbanks w/ her dad on tha 4th, so i'll have some time to fully concentrate on finishing things (linings need to b sewn).

i finished sewing tha jacket. i don't like it now. it looks really small and i'm wondering if i sewed it up right.

tha blue socks r finished. yay! i also finished tha sleeves and cuffs on tha rambling rows baby jacket. i'm in tha middle of sewing it together. all that's left r tha neck/button bands. i'm chuggin along.

i'm on a mission to find some yarn in burnt orange. it's like that color doesn't exist. tha fair is next weekend. i'm feelin a lil more @ ease since i finally got to sit down w/ tha woman i'll b sharing tha booth w/. she's relieved that tha booth won't b empty. man, it's hard tryin to maintain a bizness while working full time. we're goin to make it happen tho. i counted my hats and i have 32 so far. i wanna up that to 50. i'd like to have a nice amount of bags too. i think i have 6 now. this is goin to b fun. i get to spend tha weekend outdoors -i've neva camped a day in my life - w/ otha artists. my site will b up really soon.

i said i wouldn't knit anything else b4 tha fair, but i couldn't help pickin up my sock. working on tha sock is a de.stresser for me. maybe bcuz it's small and tha onlee thing i can knit w/o lookin. hmmm. happy wednesday!

i re.discovered my squares to tha patchwork bag i started makin so long ago. instead of using 16 squares, i decided to break it down to 8. i get two bags that way. so much needs to b done. i feel a lil stressed. a lot of times i don't even realize i'm stressed until i have a horrendous migraine and my neck/back r full of knots. i'm doin my best not to let it get that bad. i'm back on track w/ tha rambling rows baby jacket. i got stuck on pickin up stitches for tha sleeve. i probably won't finish it for anutha 3 weeks. as much as i'd like to knit right now, i gotta focus on crocheting.

looks like i'll b making a whole bunch of socks. clem tried on tha lonely blue variegated sock and she loved it. then mandara came by and tried it on...she wants a pair. lol. clem thinks i should sell them. i told her i wouldn't bcuz i gotta keep sumthin for myself. i'd give them as gifts to family and friends. she doesn't get it. i tried explainin it to mandara as well. i think she understood, but she had to laugh first. tha fair is in 12 days, i'm a lil nervous.

first sock of tha blue variegated pair is finished....and it fits too!

two words: burley spun. i'm absolutely in love w/ this yarn and it hasn't even made it to tha frenzy yet. i was shown a skein of it and knew i should buy some as soon as tha order came in. it looks like my hair. it looks felted. it looks like my hair. it's groovy...and soft too.

i stayed up late and finished tha tam. it's white w/ a k2p2 ribbing @ tha mouth and it has a couple of rows of purl throughout. it's cool. tha purl stitches add a lil sumthin extra to it. originally i thought i'd use it in tha kool.aid dying workshop next month, but now i'm not so sure. picture soon come. ::: [edit] d pic [/edit]

once again, i went lost my mind in wal.mart... i bought lots of beads. lots. wire cutters silver wire and one skein of yarn i originally went there to buy tha one skein, but i walked by tha beads and got all kinds of ideas.

this is my girl mandara, rockin a hat/scarf set i made for her. i'm still tryin to get tha hang of using my new digi cam. tha picture sizes r huge and i've found myself reducing tha picture size like 3 or 4 times. it's juneteenth weekend. friday, i went to tha celebration and got a lot of knitting done on my sock. yesterday, i sat on a blanket, in tha hot sun and crocheted to my heart's content. i forgot where i was for a bit. that happens when i get into "tha zone". haha. all in all tha weekend has been good. today i'm spending some time w/ my daddy. happy daddy's day to all tha dads out there.

i luv noro's kureyon. if i could wear it all year i would. i have one ball of tha stuff in a blue/green mix that i don't know what to do w/. not much knitting was done yesterday. i bought a digital camera (finally!) and took some pics of a few scarves i had lyin 'round tha apt. this weekend, i'll b busy makin some bags and scarves - more pictures need to b taken. i may even round up a few of my friends and get them to model some stuff. question for tha folks out there that sew (holly?): is there a real simple way to sew linings in bags? can anybody direct me to a website? thanx in advance. work work work. busy busy busy.

i would luv to get my hands on some of this. i think tha frenzy is gettin some. lawd i hope so.

my girl zee told me i was an inspiration to her...since she's known me i've stuck w/ my crochet thang and all she's seen is my growth. that made my day. she recently picked up tha hook, so we r goin to get togetha soon to do some crocheting. we'll have our own s.n.b. i started my third pair of socks. i was gettin impatient w/ pair #2. it's been raining for a week and my feet have been cold, so i bought some sock yarn in a worsted weight so i can knit those puppies w/ a quickness. i find myself jonzin for sock yarn now too. like i really need to buy more yarn. sheesh! i knitted my first choker ... w/ beads too. it's made w/ hemp yarn. i tried gettin tha beads to stagger a lil. it worked for most of tha stitches but then they started to line up. i ripped two rows out and started over and got tha same result. i'm goin to wear it anyway. just gotta keep workin w/ it.

crocheted hemp shoes!

it's on i will b sharing a booth w/ sara @ tha girdwood forest fair. sara is this lovely lady i met 2yrs ago @ a kiosk in tha mall. she worked @ this cute store and sold her crocheted hemp stuff. i went nuts over a hemp bag she made several months ago. anywayz, her girl was @ tha last poetry show and said she was lookin for some ppl to share her booth w/. i gave her my card hoping she would pass it along to sara. she did! i've had to put my knitting down and start crocheting again. i'm excited. and as long as i've lived in anchorage, i've never been to tha forest fair. it should b fun. almost done w/ tha tam. i began work on a muffler for myself. i bought some reynolds lite.lopi in teal. i couldn't help myself. i just had to see how tha color would look against my bamboo needles. pics soon come. i still need to add tha neck/button bands on tha rambling rows baby sweater. i'm goin to make a hat to go w/ it. my biceps r gettin hella big. knitting is a good muscle toner. lol.

i'm looking into gettin a spot in tha wednesday and/or saturday markets. i was mad yesterday 'bout not gettin tha table, but then i laughed bcuz i was stressin out 'bout havin to actually open up my mouth and speak to ppl b4. i'm ready. gotta get my stuff out there. deb and s.dub...thanx for tha suggestions. i appreciate it. i'm currently workin on my last square on tha rambling rows jacket. all that's left r tha sleeves and neck/button bands. cool. i bought some reynolds lite.lopi in teal today. i'm goin to make a scarf w/ it. thinkin i will give it to my bro, but i'll most likely keep it for myself. ha! happy friday!

i won't have a table @ tha next show. ppl don't wanna b solicited. what an ugly word. solicited. we (me and my girls) thought it'd b cool to have tha poets wear my hats. so that's soliciting? i'm really irritated right now. back to square one.

i'm finding a lot of pleasure in knitting socks (even when i work w/ those toothpick sized needles). i'm hooked! tha rambling rows jacket is coming along faster than i anticipated. i hope to b done w/ it by sunday. then i can start on tha next one. not too much goin on. i managed to crochet a hat in between my knitting frenzy. gotta start whippin some hats out for tha next show.

my morning was hectic. i took an early lunch to get away from tha madness. went to tha frenzy thinkin i could regain my sanity. it didn't happen. i started workin on tha third square in tha rambling rows jacket. i had to pick up tha stitches and got totally confused. cleary got me back on track, but i'm still a lil frustrated.

i gave babygirl a knitting lesson. it took her a lil while to get it but she did good.

i finished tha second sock. i decided to give tha pair to babygirl. she luvs them to death and has already asked me to make her anutha pair. i bought some fingering weight yarn and size 2 dpns. i know it'll take longer to make socks w/ this yarn, but i will not b intimidated. gotta get used to these toothpick sized needles. i have to remember not to pull tha yarn so tightly cuz i can feel tha needles bend unda tha pressure. i started tha scarf/muffler today as well. i'm makin it w/ tha basketweave stitch & a seed stitch border. so far so good. crocheted a couple of hats as well. i should take a rest, but i gotta make a lil headway on this sock.

my.t.sharp, don'tcha agree? first sock done. i think i made it a lil short but that's okay. i'll know to make it a lil longer next time. gotta finish tha second one.

tha final sock class is tonite. i'm not sure i have fully grasped tha concept. i guess i won't really know until i start my second pair of socks. it's been fun tho. i finished tha gussett on tha second sock today @ lunch. all that's left is tha foot/toe.

two squares finished on tha first ramblin rows jacket. camoflage is hella cool. it has to b one of my favorite colors. tha 2nd r.r. jacket will b made w/ lamb's pride worsted in lotus pink & lorna's laces bullfrogs & buttaflies in neon. i'm amazed this color hasn't sold out...hot pink, yellow, & orange. it's yummy. i'm also goin to make a muffler and matchin hat w/ classic elite's montera in puma magenta (#3832). anutha hot pink color. it's so damn soft. 50% llama, 50 % wool. did ya know there is an alpaca farm here in alaska? i wonder what they're goin to do w/ all of tha hair?

crocheted zig zags in tha round. is it possible? i need help.

tha show went well. even tha hat situation worked itself out. i spoke w/ tha owner of tha club and he said i can set up a table @ next month's show. woohoo! i've spent most of my memorial holiday sleepin and moving my yarn collection from wal.mart shopping bags to those plastic zipper bags bedding comes in. those r great. y didn't i use them b4?

this is my second attempt @ tha acrylic/cotton thread hat. i think i like it betta this way. tha show is tonite and things haven't gone as i had hoped. i didn't have enuff time to make all of tha hats i had envisioned in my head. i was stressin last nite (read this post) about it, but have decided to leave it alone. things will work out. i'm tired. been up since 8am washing clothes. i cooked an early dinner so i can take a nap. gotta read over my piece. i'm kinda nervous 'bout gettin up in front of an audience. tha big brim on tha hat will do its job in hidin my eyes and hidin tha audience from my view.

my first sock is almost finished. i started turnin tha heel on tha second. i'm workin on tha gusset now and i'm totally stuck. tha pattern isn't even helpin. damn. guess i have to wait 'til monday and get someone @ tha frenzy to help me out. babygirl is sittin on tha couch crochetin a hat. she's in luv w/ tha pompom joint i made. "ur hats look betta than mine *whine*". she neva practices. i'm hoping she takes to crochet as much as i have. she has so many wonderful ideas, i'd like to see one of them come to fruition.

i turned my first heel. still a lil hazy on what i did to get it to turn but i think i'll remember it when i start on tha second one. i got home hella late last nite and didn't get a chance to work on it like i wanted to. so far i'm makin good progress w/ tha hats for tha show. i will crank out several more b4 sunday. don't have a lot to say really. tha office is being rearranged so i have to pack up my cubicle. today will b an easy day.

i decided to make two rambling rows baby jackets. i can't help it. they're so damn cute. sock class tonite. can't wait. i've got one more inch to go on tha second sock then i'll b ready to turn tha heels.

crochet thread is kinda stretchy. my hat is turnin out kinda funky (funky this time means bad). yesterday i had a vision...i would make it (tha hat) w/ a big brim, flip a side up and rock it w/ a white men's shirt. i may make a bag. gotta have an ensemble for sunday. i stretched out tha "party" hat tryin to get it over my locks. i hope i can find somebody to model it. if not, i'll probably wear that sunday. maybe i'll just change hats every 30 min. and b like madonna or janet when they have multiple costume changes durin a show. haha! i'm buggin.

i've got a party happenin on my head! lol.

playin miscellaneous flux is fuckin tha shit outta my ear drums (they're soooo intense) as i play w/ my webcam, read email, and work on this piece. playin w/ acrylic and cotton thread. will post a pic of tha finished product lata.

tha weather has been absolutely amazin. it's so hard to stay inside when tha sun is shinin. i've been toting my yarn around w/ me everywhere. our next show is next sunday. i have 5 hats to make. i'm kinda stressin over it bcuz i'm not familiar w/ each poet's personal style. i don't wanna make just any ole thang and they not like it. i've been going to different shops and lookin for inspiration. i'm still lookin for it. i started on my second sock. tha next step is to turn tha heel and we'll learn that in tha next class. can't wait to put on my socks.

think outside of tha box that verizon commercial has me rollin everytime i see it. this phrase was used several times in sock class. tha teacher is absolutely fabulous -everybody @ tha frenzy said she would b. she even reads tha knit blogs. i was surprised cuz she's tha first person i've come across that actually knew what a blog was. my sock is comin along nicely. i just have to get used to workin on my size 4 dpns. they're smaller than i'm used to. i'm using cleckheaton's country 8 ply naturals in army green. it feels so damn good in my hands. i was even told it was machine washable. i have armholes in tha sweater now. i'm gettin there. thinkin 'bout makin a ramblin rows baby sweater next. miss vanessa (lady wiz's babygirl) would look so cute in one. sumthin i need to learn that i've been avoiding all of these years....gauge. ugh.

tha workshop was cool. i went because i was curious to see how tha rambling rows pattern actually worked. tha employees of tha yarn store and quite a few customers have made r.r. baby sweaters. tha workshop was to help clear up any confusing parts in tha pattern. i felt out of tha loop bcuz i hadn't seen tha pattern book and i wasn't makin a sweater. maybe one day. i just wanted to learn tha technique so i can make an afghan. i've been wantin to make one since i saw shobhana's. i told tha ladies @ tha 'bout it and they are anxious to see what tha afghan looks like. one more knit row on tha sweater and i can divide off tha sleeves. i'm makin progress. i've got 3in. done on tam. i decided on white so i can dye it @ tha kool.aid dye workshop in july. tha sock class is tomorrow and i'm ready!

rambling rows workshop is tomorrow. onlee one person signed up for it. i've got a lil extra cash, so i'm goin to check it out. woohoo! i'll b outta tha office for a few hours. i bought my yarn and needles for tha socks class. i'm goin to do this army green/camoflage color. it should look really cool.

lunch spent @ knitting frenzy. everyday i go in there, i meet somebody different sitting on tha couch. today, it was betty and noella. noella is this very nice elderly lady who all sorts of things 'bout knitting & crochet. she invited me to tha knitting guild meeting & tha crochet guild meeting as well. very cool. there were a lot of ppl in tha store today. four different ppl came up to her and asked for help. she even helped me b4 i left. my tam isn't comin along @ all. i had pulled out my 3in. of work while i was there. so she gave me some tips that i will try when i get home. socks class in 3 days... i really wanna sew. went to sew wrong to see what tha ladies were up to and maybe find answers to tha zillion of questions in my head. i have a sewing machine. i guess tha first step would b practice sewing a straight line? ya think?

clem loved tha dishcloths. howeva, she told me she wouldn't use them as dishcloths, but as hot pads. that's cool. i didn't expect her to use them @ all. she especially liked tha wrapping. blue tissue paper w/ a crocheted string and flower for a bow. very cute. mama's day brunch was nice. i ate a lot of seafood. king crab legs, halibut, salmon, & shrimp. lata on, i went to visit my girl mandara. i gave her tha white hat (down below). i made it w/ her in mind and it fit perfectly. we were up until 3am brainstormin on all types of things. i'm payin for it now (and will probably b knocked out when i get home), but i've got a lot new ideas in my head. i'm goin to make anutha hat, but this time w/ cotton and tha brim will b bigger. i want some slight ruffle action. that'd b dope!

that hand itchin thang is no joke. i got some cash yesterday and bought some lion's brand kitchen cotton. i'm makin clem some dishcloths. i hope she likes/appreciates them. i've never made my mom anything b4. i don't expect her to use them, just appreciate tha time and energy i put into makin them.

work this week has been hell. everybody's been grouchy for some reason. i've escaped to tha yarn store everyday this week to clear my mind. knitting IS therapeutic. i left work early yesterday...came home and made a hat. 6 more rows and i will b able to move on to tha next portion of my sweater. it's really cool to watch tha sweater take shape. i also managed to start on tha body of tha tam. i'll have that done by sunday. i wanna make clem sumthin for mama's day, but i'm not sure what. i thought about dishcloths, but i don't have any cotton yarn and i don't have any cash to buy some. my hands keep itchin, so maybe i'll find a check in tha mail today. wouldn't that b nice.

i signed up for tha beg. socks class and tha dying workshop. ppl seem to know that i'll get hooked on makin socks. how do they know that? hmmm... i ripped two rows outta my sweater last nite. i started a new skein in tha middle of a row and was left w/ a big hole. i'm still not good @ addin new skeins/color. so i ripped it out and started tha skein @ tha beg. it looks so much nicer.

beads.n.flowers been thinkin 'bout embellishing my works w/ beads and flowers. i made my first crochet flower last nite. i used some red heart acrylic instead of tha cotton tha pattern called for. i was practicing and didn't wanna mess up my cotton...tha rose came out nicely just 3x bigger. s.dub found this site. this stuff is absolutely fabulous. lots of beads and some flowers too. i feel like pissin in my pants from tha excitement. ha! i gotta find some time to sketch out some ideas.... happy tuesday everybody!

i went to borders during my lunch break. what did i find on tha maganzine shelf? bust. tha mag, i've been readin so much 'bout in otha blogs. it's a nice lil magazine. i may have to buy it regularly. i'm goin to make tha knitted leg warmers.

workin on my tam. this time i thought i'd make it on dpns, but to b honest, i don't like it. there's too many dag-on needles in my way. i finished tha first row and now i don't know which direction i was knitting in. maybe it was too late to b messin w/ it. i'm sure i'll have my act togetha lata on in tha day. makin good progress on tha sweater...15 rows to go and i can move on to tha next portion. woohoo!

this is a picture of tha pj pants babygirl made in sewing class. aren't they cute?

went to knitting frenzy and worked on my hat and sweater. time flies when u're havin fun. i got there @ 1030am, left 'round 1pm. whoa. i then went to a fiber arts studio called color creek. awesome place. a friend said i would love it and she was right. i'm thinkin 'bout takin some classes there too -i'm goin to b busy this summer.

i walked outta knitting frenzy w/ one set of dpns. i'm so proud. their summer classes r about to begin. they've started an ufo group to help folks get restarted on their projects. *smile* classes i'm goin to take: knitting socks, crochet socks, tha dying workshop (i've been waiting on that one), and tha rambling rows workshop. this will definitely b fun. i'm half.way thru my beginner's hat. tha first one was so uneven, i couldn't bare to finish it. tha one i'm makin now looks a lot betta. startin a new tam as well. today's my off day, so i may go back to tha yarn store and sit on tha comfy couch and knit w/ tha otha regular customers.

i'm finally goin to sew linings in tha hemp bags. i've been puttin it off cuz i'm not used to sewing. gotta do it, cuz i've got a beautiful machine that's waiting to b used.

found this via s.dub who found it via theresa
The Completely Pointless Personality Quiz w t h? how come i can't b a flashlite or a platform shoe? ha!

today was babygirl's last day in sewing class. she came home w/ a pair of flannel cow print pj pants w/ zzz embroidered in them. she did an excellent job. pic soon come.

i'm losin interest in my sweater. i think i have 20 or maybe 30 more rows to do b4 i can move on to tha next portion of it. *sigh* speak easy -a poetry show that was put togetha w/ my girls, was a success sunday nite. we've already begun plannin tha next one. tha poets r goin to wear sumthin of mine. i will also have a table set up sellin my wears. a lot of ideas r runnin thru my brain. color schemes & patterns consume me.

my sweater @ this point.

i think i'm goin to take a break on tha sweater for a couple of days. i've got so much otha stuff to work on. it's hard to stay motivated. how do i expect to run a business if i lose interest in what i'm makin/sellin? sometimes i think i should leave tha custom ordering thing alone. maybe i should make a whole bunch of stuff and have tha 'whatcha see is whatcha get' attitude. i don't know. knitting WIPs hat i made in my beginner's knit class neck down sweater crochet WIPs baby blanket pink fuzzy bag blue/yellow cap brown cap hemp bag i need to line my hemp bags. i have 6 yds. of burlap to use up. i think i bought brown and black. i was wondering if anybody has ever used dyed burlap and if tha color ran. i'm goin to crochet a swatch and line it and then wash it to see what happens. it dawned on me this morn while drivin to work. i've neva given anybody washing instructions on sumthin i've sold. guess i should start.

i'm gettin frustrated. i'll get so far on this sweater and then see i skipped a few stitches or dropped a stitch. then i have to rip it all out (sometimes 2 or 3 rows) and start all over. *sigh*

zoomin along bar increase schmar increase. i've got it licked. i'm a pro. i'm floatin i tell ya, floatin. ha! i'm still workin on tha neck part of tha sweater. i'm off tomorrow, so my day will b full of knitting. like w/ everything else, i didn't wanna put tha needles down last nite. it's cool seein sumthin like this come togetha b4 my eyes.

row 1 i'm not familiar w/ increases @ all. so i'm a lil discouraged bcuz i'm onlee on row 1 and can't even begin cuz i don't understand what tha pattern is sayin. k into tha front and back of tha first st (inc. made), *inc, slip marker, inc, k to within 1 st of next marker*, rep @ each marker, to last st, inc. ok, so tha k into tha front and back of first st has me all screwed up. if i do exactly how it says, i lose tha stitch. help?

my knit bloggers link is fully functional. it's now fixed w/ arrows for 'previous' & 'next'. cool.

today i'm startin my neck down cardigan. i bought tha needles and everything (cleary went for tha addi turbos first and i freaked and said...cheaper ones pleez). this is major for me. i've neva done any big projects b4. i also think this will help my pattern reading skills cuz @ tha moment my skills aren't tha greatest. this is exciting!

beads has anyone crocheted or knitted w/ beads? what's tha secret? i'm finding that i have to put beads on every otha row to keep tha beads on one side. i'd like to put them on every row and still have to them show on tha same side. i feel like i'm doin sumthin wrong. maybe, it's fine and i'm just feelin uneasy 'bout it since it's still new.

i need a mannequin head or two.

all of this time i thought i was knitting continental style. NOT! i keep gettin them (english - continental) mixed up.

i'm hooked on hemp. tha yarn is cool and soft on my fingas. tha bag came out nice. just gotta put a strap on it. thinkin 'bout makin some crowns w/ it too. i think after a washing or two tha yarn will become even softer. it's great stuff.

it's all about bags baby i got some hemp in tha mail today. it was a nice surprise. i've begun work on a prototype to send p. it'll b done b4 i go to sleep.

good lookin deb. i'm goin to order a few pattern books from berroco. this caught my eye, as well as this and this. @ lunch i went to knitting frenzy to see if 1. they had tha books on sale and 2. to see if they had tha yarns needed for these items. i told cleary what i was lookin for in a cardigan and she found a simple pattern for me. knitting pure and simple's neck down cardigan. that is tha sweater! i'm excited, but a lil leary of it cuz i know it's goin to cost me some serious mulah. i gotta figure up tha cost so i can get started. this is fun!

i decided to make a sweater *da dah duh dunh...imperial!!!* --remember that commercial?- anywho, i figured that would b perfect cuz i luv wearin those button up sweaters -cardigan?- i like my stuff big and u can't find 'big' in stores anymore. tha onlee thing left to do now is find a pattern. that's gonna b hard man. tha sweater has to b funky, trendy. it has to have some flava to it. so where can i find flava.full isht on tha i.net?

tha party was successful and babygirl loved her bag. thanx to all who sent bday greetings. i need sumthin new to knit. i may focus on hats for a bit, but i want to make sumthin besides that. maybe i venture out and make sumthin big. i found a basket to carry my yarn in. tha handles on my old broke one day while i was leavin my old part.time job. yarn balls rolled everywhere. it was horrible. so after searchin for several months, i finally found one. it's an african basket, hand.woven w/ leather handles. it's beautiful. i'm tired.

it's finished! all this bag needs now is a cute button. i hope she likes it. tha matchin cap will have to wait until next week. b4 i go to bed, i have to make her bday card. that lil girl sure spoils surprises. she remembered i made one for her last year, so of course she asked if i would do it again. *frown*

current projects: crocheted backpack and matchin hat for babygirl's birthday (it's tomorrow) pink fuzzy bag --->i finally wound up tha yarn -it didn't get tangled this time yay! brown cap i'm goin to try and finish this order by tha end of this week. i think i will have to substitute some yarn cuz my friend picked out some colors i don't have enuff of and i can't find anymore @ tha yarn store. friday, i went to tha bead shack, a cute bead shop here in town. after speakin w/ laura (tha owner) about beads and hemp, she's given me some ideas. i decided to incorporate beads in my work. i made a cap once w/ some, but now i'm goin to make some bags w/ them. i'm even goin to start makin jewelry. more lata...

tha tam is finished. i didn't follow tha pattern completely bcuz i didn't have tha correct sized needles and my stitches counted out to b more than what tha pattern stated. so i improvised. i think i should've made it a little bigger cuz i'm sure i will grow out of it real soon. all in all i'm pleased w/ tha end result. thanx shannita.

s.dub sent me tha pattern to tha tam she made. i decided to make it w/ tha neon pink yarn and it's comin out quite nicely. i don't have anything pink, so it won't match a thing. pics soon come.

i took betty (my co.worker) to knitting frenzy @ lunch. she's now hooked. we got to talk to cleary, tha oh so knowledgeable and pleasant lady who works there. she's makin toe up socks w/ yarn she dyed w/ easter egg coloring. is that dope or what!!! we then talked about dyin w/ kool.aid and she showed me some samples she made. she's goin to teach a class this summer. i will b tha first to sign up. i have to make socks...i just have to. when i get some money, i will buy everything i need.

my projects r comin along slowly. tha burgundy hat will b finished today and i'll start on tha pink fuzzy bag to go w/ tha p.f. hat. i started on a neon pink hat for myself. i've been down tha last few days so i thought tha bright pink would lift my spirit...it did. can't wait 'til it's done. babygirl's bday is on tha 9th. i'm thinkin 'bout makin tha backpack she requested way back when.