infinity

the mobius mind blower...
can't stop knitting this magical infinity loop...

I needed help with the cast on, so i went to the master: cat bordhi demonstrates the cast on, on YouTube.

Yarns in use, so far: Lorna’s Laces shepherd sock in the Amish color way, Noro Kureyon sock, and brown sheep wildfoote in red and purple...laying in wait is some wild Colinette Jitterbug but I don't know it's got a lot of aqua which might be too much.

key key

This was a really fun project that Felix and I worked on together. He picked out the project he wanted to make (we also made a frog but I can't find it). I drew the key on the felt and Felix cut it out. He had a hard time with the little turns on the key so I helped out with my sharp scissors. Then, he glued the pieces together and drew the face. I showed him how to sew. He did pretty good with some guidance but he got tired quickly so I finished it. We were able to complete the project quickly and he's been wearing the key as a necklace ever since.
The pattern, or directions are in the book Cute Stuff by Aranzi Aronzo.





Next, he wants to make a bag and decorate it with cute faces. I wish I had a good stash of wool felt. We used the cheap craft felt from Michaels and it's not holding up. I'm having a hard time (it's expensive) ordering the good stuff. On the other hand, I'm sure it's worth it, since the projects will be made with the best materials...something I believe in.

radiant sun cuff

What do you think, should I add spiral fringe to this cuff?

p.s. Happy Inauguration Day!

dog house

For Christmas, I knit Felix a little dog toy. The pattern is (ravelry link): little black dog by Suvi S. (blog) 50 villabeikkoa (flickr) little black dog
yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock yarn #S188


He LOVES this little pup, and named him Shaggy. Only problem was he kept misplacing Shaggy, so he and his dad made a dog house. They used a cardboard box, glue and paint.




Shaggy's house has a handle for easy carrying. We took him to lunch the other day. Felix is playing a video game with Casey. Casey from Ravelry.


And, here is Shaggy hanging out in the garden at home.

crochet cuffs

This piece is one of my favorites. I'm going to make more pieces with this motif, a pin, hair clip, another cuff. Part of me wants to tell you about the inspiration for it but it's such a sad, true story that I am at a loss for words.


The woman who goes for a Rainbow goth look is the inspiration for these two. I might fall into that category (this week).

close up

...of the leaf pendant and button on the long crochet necklace from the previous post.


the button closure


the whole piece
Click on the photos to see them bigger.

2009!!!

Happy New Year!

We're having a heat wave this week and look who came to visit, a wee tomato with a few tomato friends.

It's almost too warm this afternoon, to wear this long necklace! Ah, California winter so brief, so sweet.


My son took the blurry photo. It's better than the ones in focus. The fuzzy mood fits the post.
Below is a collection of chokers and a pair of wrist cuffs.


Once, I started making these I couldn't stop. I still have enough yarn from one skein of Noro Kureyon Sock yarn to make more. woohoo!

easy socks

This might be my new favorite sock yarn, Regia Design Line by Kaffe Fassett in color # 4259. These socks were so easy to knit and never boring because of the beautiful colors and varied stripes. Another gift is ready for wrapping!

Who fits these?

I like to imagine what kind of creature could fit into this tiny sweater and these long socks.


Felix has wanted a magnifying glass for ages, we found one yesterday at the swap meet. I called him an inspector; he corrected me by saying "NO, I'm a scientist!"


He doesn't like to wear socks, or shoes, but he really wants these pink socks. Sorry, son, these are for some one else. I promise to knit you a pair soon.

a few of the things that I'm working on and looking at...

I took this photo yesterday when the sun was shining. Today we have rain! Coincidentally, today I'm working with an entirely different palette, pale blue gray.

The shocking pink socks are my first pair of toe up socks.
I'm embracing the pool of this yarn but have to say I'm in no hurry to work a knit 2 purl 2 sock in the near future! Except of course for the mate. Darn, the mate!
Other objects in the photo are a magic treasures bag that I'm hoping my little students will make, garter stitch and felted coasters, a birthday invitation, and some vibrant yarns.
Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate the holiday.

thank you

Thank you for all the nice comments this past week. I've been busy knitting and taking care of this little guy.....


He had a touch of the flu this week while I was finishing a knitting project. One night, he woke up crying and asking for all his toys that I've made him. The ones that I couldn't find, he described in detail and made me promise that I would find them later, or make them again. It was so sweet. I feel like all the toys I've made for my son were really made for me because I love to knit so much; but knowing that he loves them too is the best feeling of all.

knit ring

It’s mid November and 90 degrees outside! With the fan blowing, I knit up some sweater-y rings...just in case my bracelets got lonely.

sock yarn bracelets

These bracelets are worked with scraps of sock yarn. The other bracelets I made were designed to teach the purl stitch to children, but these recent ones are worked in the round and should be a great project to teach knitting in the round on 4 needles. Besides, they are fun to knit and only take a few minutes.... half an hour maybe.

motif mania

I'm in that kind of mood where I could make pins all day, every day!
If you're interested in details there's more on my flickr site.

candy

While my mom cooked dinner last night, I did some laundry and finished knitting the motif. On such a small piece of work, weaving in all the ends really wasn't such a big deal. I decided to toss it into the washing machine and felt it. What the heck.



This morning, Johnny stopped by the house with three lollipops.
Felix already ate all his Halloween candy, so this was a big treat. Oh, and inside each lollipop is a bug!

color and inspiration

Working with the kids at the Wisdom Arts Club has been such an inspiration. I've been drawn to bright colors all week.

intarsia motif

The motif is fromIcelandic Knitting Using Rose Patterns by Helene Magnusson.

The colors are inspired by the kids I've been working with at the Wisdom Arts Club.

I don't know if I have the fortitude to knit one of Helene's magnificent sweaters, but the small motif is a lot of fun to play with. We'll see about all those ends and how I'll deal with them. Something tells me I might just sew some fabric to the back of it.
A friend on flickr mentioned wouldn't it be great if the ends wove themselves in during the night. Isn't that a great idea for a knitters fairy tale?

knitting his way

While I knit something conventional and wearable, Felix occupied himself with creating an intricate web all over the house.


He told me that he was knitting a trap for his artist Dad. He also declared himself a top designer. "I am Top Designer!"


And, "I am the best knitter!" I was really proud of him, and didn't mind at all that he used an entire cone of fine mercerized cotton or that we spent 48 hours trying to navigate the web and tripping through the house.


Finally, he had to finish his homework. You can tell he wasn't that excited about it. Yeah, coloring in circles isn't necessarily as interesting as being a spider.

free pattern

I've made the Knit Bracelet pattern available as a free download through ravelry.

If you're not on ravelry and would like a copy of the pattern, leave me a message and please include your email address. Thank you!

knitting fingers

knitting fingers, originally uploaded by kat coyle.

After the Learn to Knit class, Grace continues to knit. The sight of little, knitting fingers warms my heart.