2 Done 2 to Go

So I have been busy working on the Christmas stockings. They knit up really fast and the directions are fairly easy to read. Originally I had thought to add eyelash yarn to the cuff but I like the look and feel of the moss stitch I decided against it. I hadn't ever heard of the yarn brand Loops and Threads before I found this pattern. I love working with the fiber so much I want to use the bulky "Charisma" again.
So I was worried about the size of the finished stocking. In my mind's eye I saw large cozy looking stockings for our family. I wasn't disappointed when i measured the finished project from cuff to toe to be almost 20 inches. The size is perfect for me. Not over whelming big or too small or odd looking.
http://www.jerinknits.com/bluechristmas-stocking-free-knitting-pattern/

The Holidays are coming!

And you know what that means! Time to make presents and decorations! Now that I am starting my new life, I feel the need to get serious about what I want to have in my life when i celibrate holidays and other family traditions. What I mean by that is a few years ago i just threw together any old Christmas tree or birthday party using things that meant little to me. Nothing that my children could say "I remember when mom made that and put it out every (insert holiday here)"
So! to start out I am knitting 4 stockings for my family. I had spent hours looking through free online knitted stocking patterns till i found one that i liked. http://www.jerinknits.com/bluechristmas-stocking-free-knitting-pattern

It's simple and the colors I chose for each family member will go very well together. My boyfriend, Kyle, had to drag me out of Micheal's during the buying process. He was very patent up until I made the grave mistake of saying "OK, I have what I need" and then wanted to "look" at everything from the yarn department to the cashier, drove him crazy. hehe

Well, my children found the socks one morning before I woke up. My son (2) took out the needles thinking he was helping me. LOL My daughter (5) knows better than to 'help' with the knitting and tried to put the needles back in. I wasn't happy when I found it, but their intentions were good and I shouldn't have left it out. I have restarted the socks and I am almost to the point I had been before my kids had "helped" me....I hope to be able to post picks soon.

Socks

I have started a pair for socks. Finally! But I fell off the wagon with quiting smoking. LOL But here is the link to the socks I am making. It's a free pattern I had found. http://straw.com/cpy/patterns2/socks/maizy-trailmix-socks.html

I have decided to quit smoking. My quit date will be April 22. I have been gathering supplies to keep my hands busy. I found a few different freebe patterns that I have wanted to try.

I want to make some cable knitted socks and fingerless gloves out of these two fibers. I can't wait to start, but I want to wait until my quit date.

I found some finger weight yarn in my stash and I can't choose what kind of socks I want to make out of these. I love the muted colors. I need to look for a nice sock pattern or something.

And I have no idea what I want to make out of these. But they are so soft and fuzzy that I couldn't leave them out of my arsinal in quiting smoking.

I have a feeling that I will be doing a lot of knitting after I quit.

Top Down Sweater by Pure & Simple

The sweater I am knitting for my daughter is a top down pattern by Knitting Pure & Simple. This is what it will look like but without the hood.

Here is my progress on it as of today. Now all I need to do are the sleeves and the front bands for the buttons.

This is the coller I have choose instead of the hood. I like the look of it better.

This week I plan on working on the sleeves. I am hoping to have it done before the weather gets hot. I have been cross stitching ALOT lately. So I have decided to put down the cross stitch and pick up the knitting needles more. I have socks and sweaters and sockes and scarves and socks and I would love to try my hand at fingerless gloves...have I mentioned socks? LOL

First Entry

I love to knit. I have been knitting for only a few years and am pretty much self-taught. I have only taken a couple of classes to make sure I was on the right track. My first project was a scarf for my husband...he still wears it. lol But I have made a couple of bags, hats, and socks since then. Right now I am working on my first sweater for my daughter. It's a top down pattern that will be a pink carnigan when I am done. I had wanted to have it done last fall, but that didn't happen. Now all I have left are the sleeves and a few seams. I will post pics with my next entry. I want my next project to be a pair of socks for myself to wear around the house. I bought a really nice self striping yarn for them. I had found a link for some cabled socks that I want to try. But I have to find the link again. Untill next week....