Happy New Year

Just wanted to wish all my readers a happy new year! I'm not one for making resolutions, but this year, I will make a slight exception.
I want to blog more.
I want to knit more, and blog about it.
That's about it! I'm going to try to revive two of my sort of dead blogs, and I have plans for at least one more. I hope I'm not spreading myself too thin!
What are your resolutions?

Social Knitting

Over the holidays, I have been going from house to house with my family. We generally have at least 5 get-togethers that the four of us go to. I also go visit a few friends who are home from out of town.
This gives me tons of prime knitting time. So far, I have completed several feet of a few different scarves I had already started. I also completed a few dishcloths, most of which I gave away.
I do get strange looks on occasion, I usually just tell everyone I'm starting next years gifts!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Just wanted to wish all of you a Merry Christmas again!
I have great Holiday news! I went back to work yesterday, after being off for nearly a month. I didn't blog about this, because the reason for being off is private.
Either way, I'M BACK
I'll be going yarn shopping with my next pay cheque! Michael's is having a big yarn sale!

A short Hiatus

Just letting all of you know I may not be updating until the first week of January. The Holidays last forever for me.
First is Christmas, which is celebrated on the 24th, 25th and 27th.
Then New Years celebrations, the 31st and the 1st.
And then my birthday is on the 4th.
I will be busy over the next couple weeks. I might have time for an update here or there, but no promises.
Follow my blog and you will get the next update as soon as it happens!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Running into other knitters

I went to the local bookstore with Mom today. She had a couple things to buy, and I showed her a few books I wanted.
When I was in the knitting section, an older lady came up, and looked over my shoulder for a short moment. She then grabbed a book off the shelf with excitement and said "Oh, they finally have it!". I looked over at the book she was so excited for, and we started chatting about knitting for a good 10 minutes. We flipped through a few knitting books together, and I talked about knit blogs, and she talked about knitting with friends.
It's crazy how a Mason-Dixon or a Yarn Harlot book can bring two vastly different knitters together.
I gave her my card, with my blog address and email, and I really hops she sees this post! If you do, I'm really sorry to have forgotten your name!

More Free Advertising

I found an other free advertising website recently. It's called the Banner Homepage. You upload a 125x125 banner (the same size as Project Wonderful) and once it's accepted, it is shown automatically. Right now, it is pretty much taken over by money making websites... I think both of my blogs are the only exceptions to that.
This is where YOU come in! I would LOVE to see more DIY/Etsy related banners up there.
Please blog about this! Post your banners! I want all of you to get more free exposure!

I WANT THIS!

One of my favourite blogs is called Shut Up, I'm Counting. Cass is a knitter, a mother and a pet sitter. Most of her entries have something to do with one of those. Lately, she has posted a bit about her new Etsy shop, called CassQuotes. She sells hilarious wall hangings there. This one is my favourite, and definitely applies to me.I have no idea where I would put it, but it would save a whole lot of explaining when we have company over. My parents friends come over now and then and wonder why there is yarn in nearly every room of the house, and then ask my Mom what she is knitting. My mother is not much of a knitter... She can, but she rarely does. She will tell whoever is over that I'm the one knitting. Like I said before, I have purple hair, and don't really look like the knitting type. This wall hanging would be perfect. The skull and crossed-needles are a nice touch.

Phog Lounge <3s Windsor Artists!

Like I said in a few posts, I have several scarves at Phog's Tshirt Art Show. Tom recently posted a video showing one of his shirts, and my scarves make an appearance in the last 2 seconds.
It's a super short video, and watching the entire thing is very much worth it.

No News Is Good News

I'm one again VERY sorry for the lack of updates! I've been away from home for the past few days, and had very limited internet access.
I also didn't bring ANY knitting!
Shocking, right?
Not really. The place I was staying is home to a smoker, and that is something that I would like to keep my knitting away from. I do not have a problem with smoking what so ever, if you choose to smoke, that is up to you. I will not tell you not to smoke near me if I am in your house. I figured it was a good idea to just keep the knitting at home.
This is something that is sometimes looked over when people think of knitted items. They absorb odors like there's no tomorrow. I hate leaving a smokers house and smelling of it.
Keep this in mind before you bring your yarn traveling with you over the holidays!

Two more scarves gone!

Went back to Phog last night, and 2 more scarves sold! I'm not sure which ones yet, but I was pretty happy.
I have been asked by a couple friends to knit items for them. Most of them want toques/beanies/skull caps, and one wants a dread tam.
Dear readers, do you have any simple patterns that a scarf addict like myself could manage? Please do leave them in the comments!

Phog Lounge

I took a picture of the scarves at Phog the other night. When I got there, I looked to the back wall, and saw quite a site. My scarves took up nearly the entire wall. Samantha was the only other person who brought scarves in. I tried my best to get all of them in, but with the bad lighting, only having a cell phone to take a picture with, and the wall just being COVERED, it proved impossible.
The entire top row is mine. The right half of the bottom row is mine. The one that sold is the darker one that is hanging lower than the rest of the others on the top row.I'm hoping to sell a few more of these soon. I will be headed back to Phog some time this week to check on them.

Knitting Updates!

I have quite a few things to update about today! I haven't been knitting as much as I usually do, but I have been doing knitting related things.

My stash has been separated into two different areas. Before this, I had several large Rubbermaid type totes stacked on the floor in our basement. I also had a few zip up vinyl bags, like the ones bedding generally comes in, with random left over bits. Lastly, all of my cotton was stored in a cardboard box perched precariously on the very top of all the rest of the bins.
My mom decided to clean the multi-purpose laundry room a couple days ago, and my stash was moved and some what organized. We found a few more tote bins, and put all of the yarn into them. The bins are now stacked neatly against a wall, instead of being a yarn peninsula into the middle of the room.
Thanks Mom!

I was supposed to get the yarn for the Who scarf yesterday. Unfortunately, the person I am knitting it for, Will, was sick and was not getting out of bed. Hopefully, he is feeling better today, and will be ready for yarn shopping soon!

I am still working on the Baby Boucle blanket (try saying that after a couple drinks!) and it's super warm. I just started on the third skein, which means I have finished 1/3 of the blanket. I am using 3 skeins on each half, and it will be a litle small, but I think it will do the job of a lap blanket for while I'm at the computer. The yarn I am using for this is taking quite a large portion of one of the storage bins. I am trying to cut down on the footprint my stash makes. Now, all I have to do is avoid the temptation to fill it back up!

Last night, I went out for a friends staff party at one of the bars in the downtown area. It happened to be right around the corner from Phog, where I have my scarves shown in the Original T-Shirt Art Show. I went in to check out the rest of the stuff that was being shown, and ran into a friend who was admiring the scarves. I asked him which one he liked the best, and he chose this one. I said Oh, really? I just finished that one a couple weeks ago. After giving me a confused look, I showed him the tag with my blog address and his eyes got rather large. "You knit ALL of these?" I pointed out Samantha's scarves, and said that yes, I had knit the rest of them. He seemed fairly impressed.
Later on, just before getting ready to head home, Tom came over and handed me some money. I was a little confused and I saw a lady wrapping a scarf around her neck. He pointed in my general direction. I walked over to her and thanked her for her purchase. She hadn't planned on purchasing anything, but with the way the weather was, a scarf was more or less necessary. The scarf she bought was one I knit last year, or maybe the year before. I used Bernat Galaxy, in the Pluto colourway. For being mostly man made materials, it is a very warm yarn. She informed me she would check out my blog! If you do happen to come across this post, I would love to have a picture of you wearing your new purchase!

My take on the Dr Who Scarf

Last year, a good friend of mine, Tyler, asked if I would knit a Dr Who scarf for him. I had heard of the show, but I couldn't understand why he would want a scarf from it. After he sent me a picture of the scarf, I could see why he wanted it. There are websites illustrating how awesome this scarf is.
I told him that if we split on the cost of yarn, I would knit it for him. We chose Lion Wool Ease Thick & Quick, mostly because of how bulky it is, and how much quicker it would knit up.
We chose a few colours less than what the scarf has, because we were going more of a tribute than a replica.
It's also much shorter than the original. I was worried with the weight of the T&Q that it would stretch out and cause problems down the road.
As you can see, Tyler is pretty stoked. His friend has actually requested a scarf for himself. This is something I am more than happy to do, as long as he buys the yarn!

A blanket for myself, perhaps?

I think the blanket I will be knitting for myself is currently on the needles. It's a corner to corner knit, in Bernat Baby Boucle in the Water Slide colour, and was supposed to be a baby blanket.
I didn't expect this at all... I have 6 skeins of the stuff, and I think that will be just enough to make a lap blanket, maybe larger.

I was planing on doing a Homespun blanket in rainbow stripes for myself, but I love how this yarn feels! It's a fairly thin knit, but surprisingly warm! Blue isn't usually my colour, especially this sort of blue (it has little purple flecks in it).

I bought this yarn from Michael's, on sale again, with my Mom a little while back. Fairly recently, actually. This is going to be a fairly inexpensive knit! If I remember correctly, each skein was $1.50. It was actually her idea to get it. Oh, mother, you are so contradicting in your ways! She wants me to stop buying yarn, but encourages me when it's on sale!

The Holidays

I have decided not to purchase Christmas gifts for my friends this year. Many of us are either not working or working very little. I would much rather meet for coffee or a quick supper with them than stress over what I will get them.
This being said, I am still buying gifts for my parents, my brother and one aunt. On my Mom's side, it's a rather large family, and once you turn 18, your name is put into the Secret Santa. I'm not going to say what I got for my aunt, because I think she might read this.
All this being said, I still enjoy making a wish list for myself. It's nice sometimes to browse.

I just purchased this shirt for myself.
But I would totally love just about any of their other shirts. 1AEON is based out of New York, and has a pretty cool selection.

This painting is by local artist Denial, AKA Daniel Bombardier.Totally love his style. He can be found on Etsy here.

And one huge thing I would totally love, is anything to pamper myself with. Lately, I've been stressing out over just about everything, and a nice relaxing bath complete with a delicious smelling bath bomb would be ace.These cute cupcakes come in 5 different scents, and I would probably be tempted to eat them. Oh, Feeling Smitten, I think I love you!

Knitters are a Nice Bunch

I think it's a requirement for knitters to be nice people. Really. You always hear stories about a group of grandmothers knitting their little fingers off so that anyone who is cold can be warm. It may have something to do with knitting "for the boys" back in war time.
I have donated items to different places before, the maternity floor at the local hospital, the local St Vincent de Paul, Keep Canada Warm!, and others.

There are countless other charities out there looking for just about anything that one can knit!
Keep Canada Warm!/Blankets For Canada as well as Warm Up America! are looking for squares to be sewn into blankets.
Mother Bear Project is looking for knit bears to be sent to children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
I follow a blog here on blogger called Crafty Angels. The women in Chicago knit and crochet for local groups as well as groups over seas.
I am a member of Homespun Helpers on Livejournal. They have set a goal of 4000 handmade items donated to charity in 2008.
After all of your gift knitting this year, please consider knitting some items for a charity deal to your heart. If you can't, for whatever reason, consider donating any leftover yarn in your stash to a group that can use it.
Happy holidays.

More scarves!

I dropped my scarves off at Phog Lounge for The Original T-shirt Art Show yesterday.
I'm really hoping to sell at least a few of my scarves there. That would be super awesome.
I have been kind of busy the past couple days and not knitting as much as I normally would! No new dishcloths to report or anything.
Looking forward to catching up on all the blogs I follow!