A Tale of Two Butterkitties

This

is Butterkitty, you may remember her and her balloon. We named her Butternut but our niece, Lily, dubbed her Butterkitty and it stuck pretty hard.

Butterkitty is very nice and let's Lily haul her around by her armpits, basically.

Butterkitty has a new friend

but not for long as come Christmas this Butterkitty will be going to live with Lily!

Notice a resemblance?


The two Butterkitties like a lot of the same things... this Butterkitty likes food
and sitting in the double-decker kitty house.
And, she has a tail! That might seem obvious but the pattern didn't call for a tail! Of course, if this is to be an authentic Butterkitty it needs a tail.
And so ends the tale of two Butterkitties. :-P

A bit of knitting...

Like I said last time, most of the knitting I have finished recently are gifts I can't show yet. But here are a few things I can share... (Amy - when you read this don't let Lily know because there's something for her!)

A few weeks ago the owner of a LYS did a beginning knitting class for me at my library. To thank her (she did it for free!), I did a quickie dish/face cloth. (of course I got this idea the day before the class so it definitely had to be quick!)


I packaged it up in a take-out style container with two pretty face soaps and there you go.


One of my coworkers is on a Conference committee and they are looking for prizes for next year's conference. She asked if I'd knit something and I said "a baby hat???" ;-) The conference theme is red, white, & blue so I did stripes. This is KnitPicks Shine Worsted in Sailor, Cream, and Hollyberry and I love the muted old fashioned tones so I call this Colonial Colors. The top doesn't show well but it is i-cord that is tied in a cute little knot.


The last thing I have is a Christmas present but since she's 3, I think we can manage to keep it from her! ;-) For my niece, we have Finger Puppers! A tiger, a pig, an elephant, a rabbit, and a bear (or a dog, Trevor thinks it is a dog, so whatever she wants it to be). These are very quick, very cute, and only use scraps (of baby hat yarn coincidentally enough). So I think I might make more... we just got an invite for a 2nd birthday party that I don't think we can make but these would go in the mail no problem.

Edited to add an updated photo of the Tiger! Pattern note, I realized that the Tiger has a tail in the photo but there isn't one in the pattern. So I used the elephant trunk pattern except in stockinette instead of garter...

A Blue Ribbon Day!

I decided to enter a few knitted things in the fair this year! Thanks in part to Jenna's post reminding me that I had thought of it earlier in the year. :-) I dropped my stuff off on Friday then waited until Tuesday for the fair to open so I could go see if I won any ribbons.

My Dutch Bonnet was entered in the Knitted Baby Bonnet category and it got a green ribbon (Honorable Mention)My Cherry Entrelac Scarf was entered in the Miscellaneous Knitted Accessory category and it got a yellow ribbon (Third)
And... my Another Rainbow Marley was entered in the Knitted Hat category and it got a blue ribbon!! Everybody knows what a blue ribbon is, right? ;-) edited to add: for the Canadians - that's a first here!

I'm very happy with that, and it gives me the confidence to try again next year. If I hadn't gotten anything, I probably would have given up. :-P

Here's a wide shot of the Marley hat in the cute baby crib display
and the Cherry scarf in a pink-ish display

I also entered a bread contest, I didn't win anything there but it was still fun so I'll blog that in another post.

p.s. I have been knitting up a storm but it is almost all secret gift knitting for people who will see it here so I have nothing to share!

Movie Knitting = achieved!

Ever since I learned to knit I have wanted to be able to knit in the dark and knit at the movies like my friends do. Yes, I know some people find this lame, but it was a goal of mine. I really like to be doing something with my hands and never watch tv at home without either a craft or the computer in my hands.

Anyway, I've been gradually getting better and working up to not looking, I've been knitting before the movie and then keeping up until I had to stop for some reason. Friday we went to see The Dark Knight (awesometastic, yes that is to a word. sort of) and I was able to keep knitting all the way through the (2 1/2 hour) movie! Yay for multitasking! Here's the first short version of the Broadripple, that I worked on all through the movie then did the toe the next day at home...

and here it is with the chucks that I had in mind when I saw the yarn, not the same colors at all, but it made me think of them going together...
Pink and green is my favorite color combination (oh but there's pink and brown too...) so these are perfect. I just have to start the other one. But first, I'm starting a sweater.

A near perfect Sunday...

Present: Two sleeping kittens, knitting, a couch, and the laptop about to show Netflix online
Missing: Chocolate (upstairs and would require waking a kitten) and my husband (working)

Enjoy your Sunday afternoon!

Knitting update

Not too much to report, more socks of course. I've also started another little project but it is a secret for now. I finished the first Springtime sock, a Christmas present,
This is the same pattern as my first socks in Koi, except I did the ribbing all the way down the leg. Other than that I've done a little bit on the second George sock as it was the only thing I had cast on and I needed something for my purse for waiting around knitting. I'm also just about to cast on the second purple shortie.

Lots of socks that need mates...

Sniff, poor solitary socks. I am jumping around a bit but for good reasons!

First, a Broadripple in Cascade Fixation Coral #4545

I am absolutely thrilled with this sock! I love the pattern and it was my first kitchener toe! But, I am also v. v. sad because I made a mistake in the pattern in the middle of the foot. So sad that I messed it up. But not sad enough to rip out a sock, good lord no. I will just try to ignore it. Here's a close up of the toe area to show off the ripple pattern

Also, a note about this color. They call it coral but it isn't by any means my idea of coral, more of a salmon. This one is solitary until I can get to the LYS because one of my #3s is missing, and if you don't split the leg over 4 needles then the pattern will be off. sigh. I blame Cal, we already know he likes crochet.

Then, a "Shorty" (link is a pdf, it is the 3rd pattern of the file) for my MIL for Christmas, I think.

It is solitary for the same reason I only *think* it is for her - Trevor is supposed to confirm her shoe size with his Dad but keeps forgetting. I'm not making the second one until I know for sure I have a giftee (it is too small for me).

And, one that is just started since I couldn't work on either of the above (yes, I could have worked on George, shush.) - this one will be a christmas gift for somebody not to be named. I am using the same pattern I used for my Koi socks.

Trevor: 1; Cal: 0

So I mentioned a present that my husband made me... First, an example of the problem. This is my knitting basket for WIPs, sock yarn, and needles. This is Cal. He really likes to sit among the yarn. He doesn't attack it, he just likes to be one with it (can you blame him?). Unfortunately being one with the yarn has a tendency to get it furry or messed up so I'm not a fan of this zen practice of his.
Fast forward to me saying "I need to buy a basket with a cover!" for the third time, and you get to Trevor making me a surprise present.
A cover for the knitting basket!






Made out of scrap paneling we tore down, then covered with leftover curtain fabric and a handle added! (actually a spare handle from my MILs 1960s kitchen, which I'm... um, not that big of a fan of but the handle works with the Morris fabric, don't you think?)
My knitting basket has been cat free since he made it!
Oops, ignore the fact the flowers are upside down in the photo I didn't notice at first the fabric was directional. Good thing there's no right or wrong way to put it on the basket!

Tiny sock!

I have turned the heel on the first of the "George" colored pair, but then I felt like something a little different. Like a tiny sock! I am in love with it and am thinking about starting another one. I'm thinking of making a tiny pair for my sister who keeps trying to get me to make her socks. ;-) And Christmas presents... Oh and somebody suggested giving one as an "IOU" for a sock gift - that way the recipient can pick the color and you can check their size. Anyway, here's my first tiny sock! Made from leftover Fixation in "Koi": Pattern here
updated to add the sock measurements: almost 2 1/2" high from cuff to heel, leg is 1" across, foot is 2"
Oh, and I had my first Sock Club meeting the other night. It was great! Everybody is nice, the leader/shop owner is great. She showed me how to fix the dropped stitch at the way top of my George sock that I didn't notice until the heel (eye roll) and next week she will be demo-ing different heel methods to the group.

First Socks!

They are done! Here they are!

Cascade Fixation #9877 "Koi" Pattern = "Cookie's Beginner Socks" by my sock class instructor

I am so impressed with myself. :-) They actually turned out to match pretty good except for the way top of the cuff, despite the way it looked when I was working on the second one. The toes are the same, the heels are almost the same...
And now here is one of them on my feet...

Grungy porch floor we haven't painted yet. Don't ask me why I walked out there instead of asking the photographer to come in where it was clean. sigh. Oh shoot, and the cuff curled when I put it on and I didn't notice. They are actually the same length.

I am in love with the pattern, she chooses the simplest way to do each thing and writes out more of the lines - instead of saying continue in this manner as much as most patterns do. Some of the more advanced knitters learned kitchener for the toe finish but I did not. Maybe next class I take from her, after I am a more advanced knitter.

In other sock news...
a) My sock club has been postponed a week so it won't be starting tomorrow. :-(
b) This is the fixation I bought the other day - #9891 "George" It has light brown, green (doesn't really come through in the photo), and two shades of blue
c) And this is the "baby blues" Panda Cotton I bought the other day. I cast on the fixation first because I don't have the right size needles yet for this and the knit store was out of them...

Sock Report!

Both socks from my first pair are done up to the toe! Tomorrow is my last sock class when we will be learning the toe and misc. other things to do to them like weaving ends. Then we'll be covering other sock info she wants to share with us.

In other sock related news: Yesterday I went to a yarn store I hadn't been to yet - the Spinning Room which was really nice! I got two balls of Cascade Fixation in a color I hadn't been able to find yet (9891), a pair of dpns in a size I needed, and two balls of Panda Cotton - a bamboo blend (in baby blues). (Photo to come!) Plus, they are starting a sock club "Sock it to me" that I signed up for! It sounds like fun and the best part is that it is free with the purchase of sock yarn (which you'd need anyway). Here's the description from the class listing:
Sock It To ME! Sneaker socks, loud socks, wild socks, classy socks. Socks on double-points, socks on 2 circulars... We'll meet every Monday night during the month of July to work on a choice of several socks with different designs...not just your average sock! We'll share tricks that work, as well as what doesn't, and motivate each other to complete TWO socks... that's right, a pair of socks! The pulse of this congenial group will be discussion of favorite books or movies. So bring a pad and pencil, your yarn and needles and let's get knitting socks! Suggested patterns are available and we'll entertain patterns from the group...Members should have made at least one item that looks vaguely like a sock in their recent lifetime....We plan on scheduling this club into August as well. Monday nights in July, 7 pm - 8:30 pm
It starts Monday so I'll have a sock filled weekend!

Socks Part 1

Here I am finally remembering to upload the beginning of my sock. Just in time for class #2 tomorrow. ;-) I actually have two socks at the same point because with two weeks between classes and 16 hours in the car last week I had plenty of time to do both legs.

Yes, the tops are quite different on the two socks, thanks for noticing. Apparently Cascade Fixation cannot be trusted. I couldn't tell for sure how their colors worked, but since the first sock (on the right) came out pretty much stripey (o.k., sometimes diagonal stripes) I thought the other one might too. I even started them both with the same color in case that mattered. Nope. The sock on the left has a giant splotch of color (blue and yellow on this side of the sock and red and orange on the other side) then moves into the stripes. Eh, I don't care, it's not like it's real striping yarn or anything.
update: I just found out this colorway is called "koi". Yeah, I guess it is all the colors of different colored koi all in one sock...

Socks!

I'm all signed up for the sock knitting class! Three Saturday mornings in June I'll be taking a sock knitting class at my LYS. I can't wait - I really want to knit socks. Of course I still need to learn more about knitting than casting on before then, but it is open to all levels and I have plenty of time to go to some of their beginner knit classes before then.

They were also having a sale the weekend I signed up so I got my supplies and extra yarn for future socks. They only have one non-wool sock yarn there so it is all the same kind - Cascade Fixation. It comes in cute funky colors. See?

Excuse the glare - I'm paranoid I won't be good at socks and will want to exchange it for something else. ;-)

This one shows the one I opened up for the class - the brightest colors.

The colors don't have names, just numbers. This one is 9877, the peach is 4545, and the pink/green/white is 9970.

So stay tuned for sock knitting news in June!

No sheep for you!

Woo hoo, I have just signed up for the No Sheep Secret Pal Skein Swap thanks to my friend, librarianamy! Yay for non wool yarn. I don't actually have No Sheep for You yet but I'll be checking out the library copy if I haven't gotten mine yet by the time I am up to speed on knitting. (I am experienced with crochet but am just starting out with knitting)