Oh yeah, this blog

Things went a little haywire life-wise earlier this year so a lot got neglected. Including my knitting and crafting, and this blog. But I'll give it a try again if anyone's still hanging around and reading.

My get-back-into-knitting project was something I had seen Alison working on and wanted to make myself.



Pattern: Cha Cha Ruffle Scarf
Yarn: Trendsetter Cha Cha (1 skein) on US 10 needles



Once I got the hang of knitting with the ribbon yarn and changed to bamboo needles (it couldn't slide off the metal needles fast enough!) it went really quickly.

Now on to other projects!

Pucker up, baby

I've been a fan of Alan Dart's toy patterns for a long time, but I had never gotten around to actually doing one. And when a friend of mine began talking about how she was tired of kissing frogs in order to find her prince, I knew I had to do this one.



Pattern: Frog Prince, by Alan Dart
Yarn: Cascade 220 superwash (lighter green), Plymouth Galway Highland Heather (daker green), and Vanna's Choice (yellow, white, and black) on US 5 needles



This pattern is awesome. That's really all there is to say.



He's just totally adorable. And definitely kissable.



Hmm, maybe I should knit one for myself...

baby talk

My friends are reproducing like crazy, so I've been doing quite a bit of baby knitting.

I even suppressed my dislike of colorwork for a whole sixteen rows to knit this!



Pattern: Fly Away Home
Yarn: Vanna's Choice in red and black on US 7 needles

And for the daughter of an old astro friend from college, I felt this was necessary.



Pattern: Stars, from Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Hats
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in pink heather, and Vanna's Choice in admiral blue and yellow on US 7 needles



Tiny hats for tiny heads!

this is the sweater that never ends

Because I am wearing it today, you get a look at what I refer to as the Neverending Cardigan!

(without flash)


(with flash)


Pattern: Ashfield Cardigan, from New England Knits
Yarn: Lily Chin Gramercy (11 balls) on US 4 needles



I call it "neverending" because I began this sweater last November and only finished it on the last day of March. I am never knitting a sweater for myself on size 4 needles again. And, while I had a bag of ten balls of yarn, it wasn't enough to finish, so I had to go a-hunting. Luckily a very nice woman swapped me her remaining 1.5 skeins for a ball of Regia!

Close up of the lace pattern:

um, hi

Yeah, I disappeared. Life complicated a few things. So here's a knitting catch up post of some stuff I've done over the past few months.

A Turn-a-Square (by Brooklyn Tweed) hat


and modeled by Torchwood writer James Moran



A Pom Pom Scarf



Baby sun hats





And a yellow chick (from Zoe Mellor's Knitted Toys)



More soon, I promise, if you're still around and reading me!

here kitty, kitty, kitty

A stack of cats! These were a Christmas gift for a friend.



Pattern: Stackable cats, from Mochimochi Land
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted in Plum Line and Beet Red, and Patons Classic Merino in Peacock on US 6 needles

Tiny cat



Medium Cat



Big Cat



I am quite enamored of this trio.

off to the Bazaar

For the last few years I've spent an hour in line outside the Cyclorama one Sunday in December waiting for the Bazaar Bizarre to open. This year was no exception. It's an alternative craft fair but, really, there's something for everyone. Here are some of the things I enjoyed looking at this year.

Hedgehog bags from slaPPhaPPie



Matrioshka pillow from Hambone and Jennicakes



Adorable stuffed creatures and hoodies with furry linings and horns from Diane Koss





And this awesome tweed triceratops from MIAOW



I don't know where this lampshade made out of cocktail umbrellas came from, but it was adorable.



And the things that actually came home with me: awesome city prints from JHill Design





(I bought the small prints of Amsterdam and Chester since I've actually been to both, and love the things she chose to iconize them, but I was also tempted by Kiev and Albuquerque. And Champagne. And Malibu. They're all beautiful. I requested that she make a London one, too.)

And this baking print from Flowers in May



Apparently I was very into prints this year. :)