World Wide Knit in Public Day! or, Guerilla Knitting in Delaware, Ohio

I've been neglecting my blog, but it's not because I'm lazy!

June 13th was World Wide Knit in Public Day, and the Beehive Bookstore in Delaware, Ohio hosted our get together.

The day started off at 11:30am with me knitting by my lonesome, but I was soon joined by Vicki, then around 1:30 the rest of the crew started coming in! It was a lovely day, not too hot, nice breeze, and we sat at the cafe tables outside. Vicki and I took the opportunity to place some "tags" around town, too!

and a Hat to Match!

I had originally used the leftover handspun yarn from my Neck Warmer to knit up a bowl that I intended to throw into the washing machine and felt/full. Sort of an Easter basket, I was thinking. BUT....both my husband AND my mom thought it looked like a matching hat for the Neck Warmer. And truthfully, when I plunked it on my head, it didn't look half bad! It was a little big, and the edges were curling up since they were just knit plainly. After thinking about it for a day or two, I ripped it out last night, and re-knit it as a proper hat, with ribbing at the edges and the whole thing is a bit smaller than the bowl!

And now I have a spring color ensemble!

Knitted Neck Warmer

So I purchased some pretty pink variegated yarn at Tiny Canary, which is a cool indie craft fair held in December here in Columbus, and then I rediscovered some nice green yarn that my mom had handspun for me. I played with some coordinating solids in Galway and Cascade, and tried to figure out what I could make with it all. I only had about 95 yards of the pink handspun.

After a half dozen starts and frogs, I came up with a little knitted neckwarmer! Now that my hair is as short as I like it, my neck gets chilly, even when the temp is up! I also wanted something more pastel for spring, and not too long or bulky.


I opted to use just the handspun, because it's a small piece and I didn't want a lot of ends to weave in. I did have a teeny bit of the pink leftover, so I used that, the green handspun, and some of the light pink chunky Galway to knit a bowl that will be felted/fulled in the washing machine. In these colors, it will look pretty with Easter eggs in it!


After I got this knitted up, I needed a button, so again I went to my stash, and found some cool big buttons in funky patterns and colors. They were 3 to a card, I think my daughter or mom gave them to me for Christmas last year or the year before. Anyway, I just sewed the button on, and pushed it through one of the lacey holes in the scarf. I can't wait to wear it out!

I got my Big Bag swap today!!

Oooo, and it's so Pretty!! My bag was knit by Elizabeth! The colors are PERfect, and there were such wonderful goodies! There was a beautiful piece of batik fabric, Elizabeth says it was dyed by a local artist, AND Elizabeth herself dyed the lovely yarn hanks!! Very impressive! There was divine tea, and thankfully some row counters (I definately need those!) as well as a book that looks good and spooky. A bar of Dagoba chocolate with Lavender in it (I absolutely adore that brand!) and some Eucolan wash topped it off! What a great swap, I have to say this one was easily my very favorite! Thank you thank you Thank you Elizabeth! To check out all the cool bags that are being swapped, go to the Big Bag Kal Swap!

Knitted Kitty part Deux!

Here is my second Knitted Kitty to swap on Ravelry. I named her Snapple because she looks so much like my own kitty! And I discovered that I can't wrap my mind around intarsia in garter stitch, how embarrassing! I can do it in stockinette, so her little back patch is stockinette and the rest in garter stitch. I can't tell you who it's for, but it's getting posted today, so hopefully she'll get it soon!

Knitter's Scavenger Hunt swap from Debbie: Thank you!

...for my WON-derful package!! These aren't the most fabulous pics, but I am quite enamoured of my Scavenger Hunt gifts!!





First, I got Something Green: a HUGE hank of Cascade Eco-yarn in a yummy fuschia



Somthing Round: one of those clever Clover thread cutters that can go thru customs

Something Local: Scrumptious looking chocolates, including "Icewine" filled Dark Chocolate candy bar....I'm saving that for Sunday, with coffee!

Something "T": A devilishly cute Hello Kitty tote bag!! Perfect for carrying a knitting project around!



Spoiler's Choice: A Wild & Crazy ornament of Animal, from the Muppets, playing drums!! He looks a LOT like me, when I played combo drums in high school!!



and my absolute FAV?? See the little cotton knit fabric bags in black, white & red?? They are eco-ganic cotton, with LITTLE PANTIES printed on them!! OMG!! Love, love, love these!! I know, I know, what a twisted woman, but I can't help it!

Thank you Debbie, SO much, and thank you Carly for organizing everything!

Knitted Kitty!

I signed up for the Ravelry Knitted Kitty swap; of course, I didn't completely understand the instructions. Apparently you sign up indefinately to knit and swap a kitty each and every month!! Luckily, they are small and easy to whip up, otherwise I would be doomed to disappoint someone at some time.

So, here is my first little kitty that I shall mail out tomorrow morning:



Her name is Lucy the Jellicle Cat. I had a lovely rescued jellicle, Tipper, from 9/11/01 (yep, THAT 9/11) until 9/11/05, when she passed away. She was truly a jellicle, for they are rather small, black and white, and like to caterwaul at the moon in the middle of the night! So this little knitted kitty reminds me of Tipper, but of course she is a bit smaller, and not nearly as vocal! I won't tell you who I'm sending it to, but I hope she likes it!

Part of the swap is to include a Birth Certificate with a name and date of birth for your kitty, which I printed up on some nice document paper I had. That was as much fun as knitting the kitty!

Big Bag KAL Questionnaire!

Oh my goodness, I'm so excited! I just mailed out my Scavenger Hunt swap box, and felt all sad because I needed a new swap, and look what I found! The Big Bag KAL swap!! Yippee!

Here is my questionnaire, and my answers to each question:

1. Do you knit, crochet, or do both? For how long?
I really only Knit, I crochet quite badly! I do remember knitting a Barbie scarf when I was 6


2. What other crafts do you do, if any?
I sew everything, quilt, bead, paint, screenprint. I make sterling silver jewelry (with a torch!)

3. What are your favorite colors? Colors you loathe?
I love purple with acid green or yellow or gold; I love fuschia and black; I love the colors of pansies; I adore apple green...I loathe only beige, and even that can be beautiful in combination with other colors! Or if it's linen-beige, I lvoe linen!


4. Favorite yarn brands? Fiber types? Yarn you can't stand?
Right now I am loving Jo Sharpe DK wool, and also anything alpaca. I love Cascade 220, and varigated yarns. Just not sock yarns, unless I'm knitting lacey stuff with it.

5. What is your favorite type of item to knit/crochet?
I like to knit in the round, and knit little toys, food, objects

6. What kind of needles do you like? (i.e. circular, straight, metal, bamboo, etc.)
I love bamboo, circular or straight...where is that #8 circular??

7. Any knitting tools you lack but crave?
My #8 circular!! 16 inches long, 24 inches long, whatever, can't find it! Can't find the double-pointed 8's, either!

8. Patterns you've been dying to get but haven't yet? Ooo, no, I pretty much get the patterns I must have when I see them, I am unfortunately very impulsive in that way....I need to be more productive!

9. Do you drink coffee, tea, cocoa? Flavors you love/hate?
Love coffee, love cocoa, love mint, lavendar, green teas. CANNOT drink chamomille (allergic)

10. Favorite sweets & snacks?
Chocolate, Chex Mix, Doritos, peanut-butter filled pretzels!

11. Any pets, kids, spouses? Spouses that act like pets or kids? (j/k)
I feel like I have a house full of 3 year-olds, when really its a husband, a 17 yo daughter and a 4 yo cat!

12. Favorite things to knit/crochet for the above, if applicable?
Lots of skull-covered hats, mittens, scarves!

13. What kinds of books do you like to read? Favorite authors or genres?
I like vampire/sci-fi...I love Laurell K Hamilton, MaryJanice Davidson, Katie MacAllister, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. LeGuin, Kim Harrison, Sherrilyn Kenyon...you get the idea!

14. Do you collect anything? (besides yarn! LOL!)
Fabric, books of all sorts, 1940's kitchen stuff, Hello Kitty, Chococat stuff

15. What, if any, are your non-craft related hobbies? I'm an artist, so I try working on my stuff; I like to grow herbs;

16. Scents you adore? Scents that make you gag?
I love lavendar, rosemary, thyme, mint, patchouli, vanilla but am really allergic to roses

17. What is your idea of a relaxing time?
I like to curl up on the couch with a cat and read. Or I like to have the husband build a fire and watch Dr. Who, or the movie Fifth Element, or Underworld!

18. Oh yeah, are you on Ravelry and if so, care to share your Ravelry ID?
In Ravelry I'm redpanties, of course!