This has become my newest favorite hat.  I love the yarn.  I love the simple shape.  I love how there's hardly any effort needed to create this colorful hat.  And I didn't realize until I started wearing it that it coordinated with so many of the clothes and jackets that I already have in my wardrobe.  There are so many other gorgeous colorways offered in this yarn to please almost all tastes.

This file is available for purchase in PDF format through my Ravelry store.  Click on the button below and follow the instructions to receive your copy of the pattern.

$3.00

Needles: US #15

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
The body of the bag is worked in the round.  Handles & bikini top pieces are worked separately and hand sew on after felting.

Finished Size:  Approximately 30 inches in circumference and 13 inches tall.  Base of bag is about 5 inches deep.

This file is available for purchase in PDF format through my Ravelry store.  Click on the button below and follow the instructions to receive your copy of the pattern.

$6.00

This was made for me.  I had this started before the holidays began but finished it up on my time off.  I am really happy with the way it turned out.  There is something soothing to me when working Entrelac.  There's a particular "flow" about it.  It's much more speedy if worked using the "backward" method. 

The pattern is my Gilligan Bucket Hat and I know it sounds like self promotion but I really like this hat.  This version is made in a bulky denim yarn called Blue Jeans Cable by Schachenmayr.  I can't find any information about this online so I can't say if it's still available on the market.  I used US #6 needles to create a stiff fabric so it keeps it's shape pretty well.  Plus I'll be able to wear it when the weather warms up, being cotton and all.

As I continue to downsize my life and belongings, this year I'm smalling up my Christmas tree.  And doing away with the typical green-ness.  I have what my family calls a wrapped tree.  Let me explain.  First you have to go hunting for a part of a tree, maybe still alive or maybe dead (the greener the wood of the tree, the less brittle).  I chose a tree top from the wild growth on my parent's property, the brush that grows along the fence line that a mower doesn't get to.  Since I live in a small apartment, I wanted to keep the height under 4 feet.  And I made sure that there were no leaves still attached.  Then it was bundled with twine and shipped via my compact car back home.

Once home, the fun began.  I cut strips of cotton batting about 2 inches wide.  Starting at the top of each branch, I wound the strips around, overlapping the edges until I reached the bottom of each one.  It was a little tedious but not too bad.  If parts of the branch started to poke through the batt, I squirted the batt down and squeezed the edges back together (imagine wet toilet paper and how mushy it can get--just not that extreme).  The almost finished tree looks like it should be in a mummy's house.  The tree was then popped into a weighted terra cotta plant pot, secured and more batting was filled in over the top of it.

The last step was to wind strings of lights around the strongest branches and limbs.  I used a combination of white and red ones.  The weaker branches at the top remain unlit.  I truly love this tree.  I don't think these photos will communicate how lovely it looks in the dark but you may get the idea.

The unlit tree during the day, shades open (no camera flash).  Ignore the tacky patio chairs outside.

The lit tree at night (camera flash on)

The lit tree at night (no camera flash)

A branch close up

The base of the tree where the strings of lights get all mixed up (in a good way)

Last weekend I checked out the newest edition of Twist Collective (an online magazine showcasing knitting patterns that can be purchased and downloaded).  In their "Tidbits" feature they mention this jewelry and linked to the artist who makes it (Sassafras Creations).  I did some mighty fast link-clicking that day and then some zippie-quick purchasing not long there after.  I received it in my mail today (3 days to get here--impressive).  I can't wait to wear it but I'm thinking I should wrap it up as a Christmas present to myself.

If you want to do some speedy early shopping for your knitting friends, I recommend this jewelry.  So click away. 

This large piece of tie dyed goodness is from Vivid Earth.  It will be one of my son's Christmas gifts this year.  Last year (or the year before, I forget), I got my son the t-shirt version of this guitar motif.  I'm tossing around the idea of making this new piece into a bed cover or quilt but that's still up in the air.  Here's the postcard they gave me with the purchase (it shows the guitar in a clearer view):

Next up, some smelly stuff.  Some good smelly stuff.  From Country Cottage Scents.  I've purchased from them before also.  My suggestion on how to use it is to get one of those coffee cup warmer gizmos that plug into an electrical outlet.  Place a tempered glass dish (I use a small votive holder) on it, add water and a small spoonful of this goo.  Turn the warmer gizmo on and let the sniffing begin!  Be sure to top off with water when it gets low and don't forget to turn it off before going to bed (ask me how I know).

I selected the Country Christmas and Caramel Creme Brulee.  Definitely recommended "flavors" but they may make you hungry as you inhale the goodness.

This jewelry caused my mind to wander back to my childhood years.  As long as I've been alive, my father has worked for the phone company (well, not now, since he's retired).  He used to bring home super-juiced-with-color electrical wires for my sisters and I to play with and to use in our creative jaunts.  That's what this artist uses to makes his "beads".  Of course, I gravitated to some of their most colorful pieces.  The item in the box is a pin.  It will look good pinned to a handknit sweater (I'm thinking my "Teal shrug" that I'll show you in a minute).  I don't think this artist has a website (I searched, couldn't find one) but they called their business "Conversation Pieces".  Oh, and here's the closeup:

These 2 pendants are made by a woman who does soldering work.  She sells some other cool stuff on her website, Tommi Crystal Designs.  To get a better idea of the sizes (since the photo is so honkin' large), the domino piece measures almost 1 1/4" from the outer edges.  The longer piece says "We all scream" on the flip side.  I'll add them to chains and my mood will determine which side I show to the outside world.

Here's the only pair of earrings that made it home with me:

They are delicate semi-orbs of glass, all dichroic'd up.  Depending on the way you hold them and the lighting, they range in color from bright coral to deep magenta.  Nice!  I don't think this artist has a website either but her name is shown on the card above.

When I say this is the only pair that made it home, I'm not saying it's the only pair I bought.  I lost another pretty set of earrings, again of the dichroic glass variety, but I think they fell out of my bag when I shuffled things around trying to grab a water bottle.  I was sad to discover it happened.  I hope someone found them who will appreciate them.

The last item I came home with is this most green-of-all-greens basket:

It's definitely something that cheers me up when I look at it.  And it will look even better filled with yarn.  Here's the backgound info on this Bolga Basket:

So that's it for the craft fair goodies.  Here's some pics of my finished "Teal Shrug" (that's the name from the magazine):


That's my witchy hat up there, setting the mood for soon-to-be-here-any-day Halloween fun.

I was so excited when my LYS got it's shipment of this yarn in.  I was able to swatch it up with a shop sample and that's when I fell in love with it.  It's called Cloud 9 by Cascade Yarns and it's made of 50% wool / 50% angora.  It's not a bouncy blend but lovely to work with none the less.  As far as getting the fur up my nose, in my eyes or being covered with fuzz when working with it, I'm pleased to say, its not bad.  I've only once had to fish a strand out of my, there's no easy way to say this, nostril.

I chose this pattern from a vintage booklet I've had for years.  After my recent move, I started leafing through my collection of leaflets (yeah, I meant to say that) and thought this was cute.  It's worked from the top down but the original version is supposed to have a zipper at the back neck area.  I'm skipping that and working it totally in the round--I'm sure it's going to be big enough for me to pop my head through there.  The main modifications will be a mock neck instead of a full turtle and I may do 3/4 sleeves and shorten the length of the body.  I don't think I have enough yarn on hand and I don't know that I can get more of this dye lot.  Since it's top down, I can try it on as I go.

I'm also finishing up this sweater.  It's from the premier issue of Love of Knitting.  It looks to be a promising magazine--not too trendy and modeled on people who look like you and me (no offense if you're a supermodel).  This sweater is called Teal Shrug (turn to page 17) designed by the Berroco team.  I couldn't get my hands on the yarn they called for so I'm substituting Ecological Wool (shade 8020) by Cascade Yarns.  I'd like to mention at this point that this yarn is quite the bargain.  This sweater is using no more than 2 skeins (okay, they're 250 gm skeins, but still) which in the end cost me about 30 bucks plus tax.  Not too shabby.  Yes, the wool is rustic but I'll use the sweater as a layer, not next to my skin.  I mean, who'd wear a cropped wool sweater like this without somethin' underneath?  The collar and front bands still need to be done but that's it--except a touch-up steam block.

Now's the time I want to share some cheap yet helpful hints.  See those clippies holding my side seams together up there?  Those are those tiny hair clips you get at departments stores.  Probably cost me a couple bucks for a tidy batch of them.  Another item from the hair-doo-dad isle are tiny rubber bands.  Here's what I use them for:

When I made my sleeves (2 at a time, hey that's another helpful hint), each time I made an edge increase, I put a rubber band at the beginning of that row.  It's keeps me from having to use a stitch counter or tally sheet.  And I have to say, it makes my project a little more cheery with all those bits of color mixed in.  I'm thinking about adding some colorful buttons on the front bands of the sweater when I get that far along but I haven't decide for sure on that yet. 

A few months ago, I found an excellant bargain on a batch of self-striping wool yarn at KnitWicks.  I really did't know how well I'd like this color way in a finished garment when I bought it since I lean (and practically eat them three meals a day) bright clear colors.  I am pleasantly surprised and can't wait for the weather to cool down enough to wear it.

The yarn is Rozetti Landscapes in Color 120-01 (100 gm skeins).  It's distributed by Universal Yarns but it doesn't look like it is still available.  I think I only used 5 skeins and I have 2 full skeins left over.  I think I'm seeing a matching felted tote bag in the future.

The pattern is the Buttoned Cardi from Knit Simple Fall 2008 magazine.  Of course, I didn't use the yarn they called for.  Their version is worked up in a lovely green shade.  I liked the fact that there was a back vent.  My beef with the instructions (and the only one I can report) is that the photo in the mag shows a higher vent than what you are instructed to make.  I even counted the garter ridges in the (small) mag photo to make sure I wasn't reading the instructions wrong.  I guess this is a good example of how the knitted sample garment isn't always what you'll end up with.

I was nervous that the bottom edges of the sweater would curl up since there was no ribbing or garter edging down there.  Believe it or not, the crochet edging (I think it was just 2 rows of single crochet) keeps it flat.  I'm not much of a crochet person but I think I may have to investigate more ways to add crochet edgings on my other projects.  I kinda like 'em.

My photos here show the colorway a bit washed out.  In real life it is a bit more vivid.  My teen has adjusted my settings on my digicam and my pics aren't as clear as I'd like.  I just can't figure out how to set it back to where it was.  I'm no techno geek.

If it weren't for Ravelry, I wouldn't be exposed or introduced to some of the cute designs available out there to knit.  This one is called "Child's Ruffled Ballerina Shrug" by Ellen Rich.  I made my version using one strand of KnitPick's Comfy (in Ivory) and one strand of Filatura Di Crosa Baby Pom Pom (in Fuschia multi).  I used a button I had on hand that I had purchased at Walmart before they liquidated their fabric department.  Now I wish I'd have bought more (grumble-grumble). 

I will be giving this one to my neice next time I visit her and I'm already planning the next one.  It is a quick project and I enjoyed working with the yarns combined.  There is almost no finishing (a crochet edging is suggested) which gives this shrug extra points. The center front edges naturally curl in so there's no need to finish that edge.

~ Inner Monologue:  I can't seem to change the color of my text in this blogger setup so my cheetoh orange-colored inner monologues will now be visually boring and flavorless. ~