Creative Journeys

Cub Scouts and the 4th of July

2009-07-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

Alec marched in his first parade with the Cub Scouts on the 4th of July.

What Girl Scout Cookie Am I?

2009-02-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

You Are Peanut Butter Sandwiches / Do-si-dos

You are easy going and naturally happy. You don't need a lot to make you smile.

You genuinely care about people and are a great friend. You're always doing your best to make the world a better place.

Even though there isn't an immature bone in your body, you still are like a big kid sometimes.

Why make life complicated when the best parts are actually quite simple? You enjoy the small joys of life.

What Girl Scout Cookie Are You?

Glittens

2009-01-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

Wow! I sure have not been a very good blogger. What have I been up to? I have been working on my Mom's vest which I am hoping to finish by the end of the month. I knit a pair of crazy monster socks last week. They are all different scraps leftover from my ongoing blanket. The blanket is still in progress. Most recently I started a pair of glittens. The pattern is from the book Not Just More Socks by Sandi Rosner. It is the convertible mitten pattern. I am knitting them out of Opal Feelings. So here is the in progress picture.

What kind of sweater?

2009-01-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

You Are a Cardigan

You are traditional, old-fashioned, and even a little conservative.

More than anything else, you are a creature of habit. You haven't changed much over the years.

You shy away from flashy ideas, people, fashion, and foods.

You have simple tastes. You go for established quality and longevity every time.

What Kind of Sweater Are You?

Wow! It has been a long time.

2008-09-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? Knitting and starting my son in Kindergarten.
I have been knitting I started a sweater for myself and I still have not finished my Mom's cabled vest. Here is an update on the blankie it is now contains 206 squares.

July Blankie update

2008-07-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am still plugging along on the blankie. Not as fast; as the blankie gets bigger working on it in the heat is difficult. Well the square count is 147.

Here are some awesome scraps I received from my Sock Yarn Swap from your Stash partner.

Blankie update

2008-05-23T13:12:00.001-07:00

Here the blankie is. It is now 104 squares. I have to thank everyone who has helped by swapping with me. I also have to thank Joan for her generous addition yesterday. Thank you again. If you are interested in donating yarn to my cause please leave me a comment or check me out on Ravelry at ncreely. I am willing to pay postage.

Stitches with Style

2008-05-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a great place. I was able to go today for a short while during their open house. I had fun in a short time and what a lovely staff of people. They had a door prize, you had to guess the number of stitch marker shoved into a small container. Some snacks and goodies were available. I even got an adorable squishy lamb with some coupons attached for making a purchase. I bought sock yarn of course. What a lovely store I will definitely go back.

Blankie update

2008-05-16T13:28:00.001-07:00

Here we go . . . as you can see I have started to add filler triangles in navy blue.

Here is the blanket update picture. The square count is at 78. I am still totally addicted to working on this project.

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

2008-05-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in Friendship, MD. A van load of us went down for the day. We had a great time and the weather is perfect.

First I bought two spindles. A Louet because that is what I learned on and it is great for plying. A Golding as everyone recommended at it spins great and forever it seams.
Koigu mill ends, they will be a wonderful addition to blankie.
Some sock yarn this one is from Shelridge farm.

This one is from Tess designer yarns.Then there was plenty of fiber this one is Alpaca & Corriedale from A Touch of Twist.

The next two are from The Drafting Zone and are 100% merino. This one is called Snap Dragon.This one is called Endicott.
This one is 100% Merino Wool. It is from The Little Barn and is called Happy Holidays.This one is BLF, I think. It is from OzarkCarding Mill.
I also got a small knitty noddy.

Blanket Update

2008-05-04T11:04:00.001-07:00

The blankie is progressing nicely. I am quickly running through my scraps, However I have started to trade with some knitters on Ravelry. Plus I also got some Koigu mill ends and bought some Plymouth Happy Feet in three colorways. The Square count is up to 45 and that is counting the big square as 4. FYI this picture is upsidedown.

Blankie update

2008-04-29T17:26:00.001-07:00

Wow! I posted two days in a row. I am up to 33 squares. I am having a lot of fun working on this.

Sock Yarn Blanket

2008-04-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

Long time since I blogged.. I have been updating on my Ravelry account.

Well I thought this new project would give me a reason to blog some more. Last Thursday I decided to begin the ever popular sock yarn blanket as written about on Shelly Kang's blog.
This first picture shows my progress by Friday.
After weaving in ends and working some more on Sunday night, and then this morning I finished that big square. This next picture shows how the blankie looks as of now.
This project is so addicting. I am having fun picking out the next color. I have also started swapping yarns with others on Ravelry. Plus a friend from Manchester,PA , Joan has asked me to buy some yarn on ebay and split it with her. What fun!

As a last note any sock yarn scraps are appreciated. I only need about 8 yards to make one square that is why I am asking for scraps.

Pirate Socks started

2008-03-26T13:19:00.001-07:00

Here they are the beginning of my Buccaneer's Booty Socks . They are made out of Knit Picks essential yarn and knitted on two circulars.

Clap finished

2008-02-23T19:58:00.001-08:00

Here it is my clap and it was a lot of fun to knit.
Pattern: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: James C. Brett Marble

Fair Isle Socks Finished

2008-02-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

I started a pair of Fair Isle socks in the beginning of February. I have never done any fair isle before. These socks were a lot of fun to knit. I will definitely be knitting more fair isle socks. Here goes the pattern was from knit picks it is the Simple Stripes Fair Isle Socks. The yarn is the Sweetart colorway in the simple stripes yarn (discontinued) and the navy colorway in the essential sock yarn.

Long time . . . some finished objects

2008-02-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

Here it is . . . my blog post. I have been knitting monkey socks. These are made out of STR lightweight and are colorway Mesa.

I have also been knitting a pair of fair isle socks. Pictures to come . . .maybe tomorrow.

Also I have been crocheting a little bit. Here is my potholder:
Last but not least my friend Colleen has been teaching to spin with a drop spindle. Boy am I addicted. In fact I just purchased my first roving from Etsy.

Finished socks

2007-10-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

These are my mindless knitting socks. They are made out of Knit Picks Felici. The colorway is Hummingbird. The pattern is just St St with an after thought heel.

I am still alive . . .

2007-10-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been quite a while since I had time to blog. Well my biggest update is that I finished my sitcom chic and I love it. It is just a little large. So here are some pictures.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-08-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

While today has been fairly quiet I have received some nice gifts. Hubby got me the Ipod portable speakers that I have been wanting and a cord to charge my cell phone in the car. Mom gve me Money which I soent mostly on an Ipod shuffle and cordless headphones. My MIL bought me a bunch of stuff from Knit Picks including the knitting bags which I sent back because they were so cheesy. She also ordered my Mosaic Knitting, lace weight yarn and some of their new sock yarn. Plus some needles. I ordered more yarn and needles with my returns.

Pictures coming soon.

Cable vest for My Mom

2007-07-23T14:02:00.001-07:00

My Mom has been asking for a cabled vest for her birthday in October. Well I have been searching and searching for a pattern. On Friday I went to the Ewe and I in Bryn Mawr, PA. A very cute store with nice yarn. The ladies there suggested trying a men's pattern so we came up with this book from Interweave press -

Here is the vest I think will look nice in the Lion Brand cotton ease that my Mom chose. She didn't want wool or anthing scratchy, plus she wanted it to be washable.

FOs

2007-07-23T13:50:00.001-07:00

First up is another pair of MIL socks. Her birthday was last week and I knit these for her. The yarn is from Elann I think its called puzzle. It is very scratchy but I soaked them in some wool wash and it seemed to help. They are knit in plain st st.

The next item is a pair of dishcloths to add to me early christmas knitting. On the left is the Mason Dixon Ballband and on the right is the new Lace and Cable dishcloth form the September 2007 issue of Creative Knitting.

Picture of SP10 package

2007-06-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

As you can see my SP was fabulous to me. Stuff from knit picks includes needle points in 15 and 17. A size 1 32" circular for magic loop. Essentials sock yarn and some Andean silk and the Moc Croc sock pattern. Also some purple wildefoot sock yarn. Plus some Wool and Mohair in a pretty yellow and a pretty green. Also not pictured are stitch markers with my name on them.

My favorite is something I have been wanting but I did not even tell my SP. A sock blocker keychain. Thank you to my SP and to my hostess Robyn, I have had a wonderful time participating in SP.

SP10 package arrived

2007-06-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

My SP10 pckage arrived today! It is so excting getting unknown packages of mail that have yarn in them. I cannot thank my SP enough she has always managed to surprise me. Pictures to come as a cannot locate the camera.

Last SP10 contest . . . what yarns am I dying to try?

2007-06-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

The first one is Malabrigio and I have now touched it and felt it because my spoilee said that it was her favorite yarn and so I bought her some. It is so soft and the colorways are wonderful. I must get some for myself. You can check it out online here http://www.yarnzilla.com/default.php?cPath=1_1235_1236

The next one is a yarn I have been drooling over at one of my LYS. The yarn is Schafer Anne. The colorways are pretty as well. The price is a little more than I usually spend on my sock yarn. I found some here http://www.littleknits.com/products.php?cat=99 .

The third one is Socks that Rock Seduction in the Pink Granite Colorway. I love socks that rock but again the seduction is more than I have been paying for socks. Maybe I should invest in it for a shawl or something. You can see it here http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/fiber_type_detail.php?fiber_type_id=32

My life has been a little crazy lately and I have not been concentrating on one knitting project as of late. Maybe sometime next week I will have some pictures of my current projects. There are a lot of them

Starting early for Cristmas gifts

2007-05-31T20:34:00.001-07:00

These are tiny mittens made from scraps of scok yarn. I am going to use these for some package ties and gifts for Christmas this winter.

2nd socks finished

2007-05-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that I started these socks way back in like February. Also they are only the second pair of socks that I have finished this year. However there is a third with one sock completed and the cuff started. They are for a gift for my MIL's birthday in July.
The details for these socks are as follows simple 3 x 1 rib pattern. The yarn is Austermann Step the colorway is just a number. I used a size 1 needle with magic loop.

Second SP package

2007-05-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Wow what a SP I have! She sent a pattern for a hat for my son and a patterns for socks. She also sent yarn. Sock yarn for the sokc in a yarn that I have not tried a pretty purple. Andean silk from knit picks in a pretty lavender and so soft. Some other wool yarn to make a hat for my son. Also size 13 needle tips just the size I needed for the pot holder project I want to do. Thank you, Thank you, SP!

FO Lanscape scarf

2007-05-24T13:46:00.001-07:00

This is the third scarf I made from this pattern. It is made out of Koigu and I decreased needle size to get proper stitch definition. I also added some repeat stitches so it is quite a bit larger then the other two I made.

Maryland sheep and Wool . . . what a blast!

2007-05-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have never been to this event before. I went for the day with my friend Kathy from SnB and a friend of hers, Marnie. We had a good time. I was shocked at how big it really was. I went to Stitches east last year and that was huge I thought. This is even bigger do to the fact that it includes the animals too, like sheep, alpacas, even some angora bunnies. Plus lots and lots of yarn and spinning wheels. There was tons of roving too. Well so in addition to buying yarn and such I also got to see the dogs at work hurding the sheep that was really neat to see.

So what did I get you say. . .

First up is Blue Moon Fiber Arts socks that rock and sock candy.

From left to right (medium weight) Fire on the Mountian, Seal Rock, Hard Rock, and then sock candy which is cotton in Cherries Jubilee.

In order to get this yarn we stood in line first to get in the booth and then again to pay. So we stood in line for a total of and hour.

I was looking for a shawl pin but I didn't want to spend
an arm and a leg. I also decided I did not want wood. So look what I found and it was only $16. (sorry about the fuzzy picture) It is realy pretty and translucent so that the color is pailer than it looks. It is very neutral.

Thanks to my friend Rosie from SnB I checked out Shelridge Farm's booth. She knit a beutiful slip stitch cardigan called blueberry jam. Well that was a bit out of my price range and I am not quite sure weather I am ready to knit something like that yet. So here is my find . . . I have been into this shadow knitting and I found this vest and I just love these colors. Plus the yarn is just so nice to touch.

I also stopped at the Mannings booth and got a few patterns. Left to right: Just one More Row Chevron Shawl, Three Felted Water Bottle Covers by Jaon L. Hammer,Fiber Trends Bathtime Blossoms, and Fiber Trends Edged With Lace.

The last few things are a small Lantern Moon Basket. Also some panda cotton and a bulky wool in a pretty lavender to make that Chevron Shawl (right to left).

Where I like to knit!

2007-05-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

My SP10 hostess is having a contest. So here goes . . . I knit on my couch in front of the TV. But now that the weather is getting nicer I do like to sit on the deck and knit too.

Finishing . . .

2007-04-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

First I finished this baby sweater a week ago. I still have to put the buttons on but it is basically done. It is a Sirdar Pattern with Sirdar Faire Isle Dk yarn. It is for a Doctor friend who had their fourth boy this month. I made a 6-12 month size so that the little one would get more wear out of it.

Next I finished this Landscape scarf. It is a fiber trends pattern. I was trying it out to see if I wanted to do the full shawl. I decided that I love the pattern plus I had a lot of fun knitting it. The yarn is a hand died sock yarn from Claudia handpaints.

I loved this one so much I decided to make two more for Mother's Day presents.

This is the first of two Mother's Day presents. This one is for my MIL. She likes lime green. The pattern is the Lanscape scarf and the yarn is Cherry Tree Hill.

I am currently working on the other Mother's Day scarf. It is out of a Koigu it is more of neutral colorway. Pictures to come when I finish. Probably towards the end of this week.

New Sock Yarn

2007-04-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

I got some new sock yarn while on vacation. The one on the left is a pruple hand dyed that was dyed for th estore specfically. The two on the right are lorna's laces and the colors are just do pretty.

Visit to my SIL

2007-04-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

Last week my DH and I went to vist my SIL. She is the one who taught me to knit socks. Thanks to her I have an addiction. She is now more into quilting and said that she may never knit the yarn she has. So guess what she gave it to me . . . free sock yarn. She also gave some odds and ends of other stuff she did not want . . . more free yarn. Here is a picture of the sock yarn.

SP10 package

2007-04-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

I was excited to gey my first package and boy do I love it. Purple Cascade Quatro, Hand died sock yarn that feels so soft, sopa, a cute note pad, and candy. Thank you to my SP.

Many Dishcloths

2007-04-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

I have been knitting many dishcloths as you can see. I have fun learning new patterns. Plus it is a bit of instant gratification because I can do a cloth in an evening.

Forgotten FO socks

2007-03-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

I started these in December 2006 but finished them in February . . . I think. The first sock was done on double points but the second one was done on magic loop. I learned how to do maigic loop after Christmas. Therefore these are my first pair of socks for 2007. I do not remeber what yarn I used but I do know they were done on Knit Picks size 1.

Forgotten FO part 2

2007-03-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

Another finished felted bag. This is the Sophie Bag pattern from Mag Knits. It is done in Pattons Classic wool using the solid and the new stripes. I like how this one turned out. This one will be a house warming gift for my SIL when I visit her in California in a few weeks.

Forgotteon FO

2007-03-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

This is a simple felted purse that I made for a friends daughter dfor Chritmas. I do not remeber what pattern I used but the yarn is Moda Dea Cache. I love the way the yarn felted I am was never thrilled with the pattern.

My Favorite Knitting Accesory

2007-03-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

This Kacha kach row counter has become my favorite. Because I can put it around my neck and it won't fall through the couch or anything. Also it has a lock on it so my 4 year old cannot come up and change my count so fast.

Secret Pal #10 questionare answers

2007-02-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Socks that Rock, Opal, Trekking. Patons SWS, Patons Classic Wool
I also love woking with alpaca yarns.
I absolutely hate working with Red Heart super saver

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Some of my needles are in a case but most are in boxes of sorts. Plus I have the Denise set and the Knit Picks options set.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting about five years. I taught my self the basics and my SIL taught me how to knit socks. I would consider myself an intermediate knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No
5. What's your favorite scent? Vanilla
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Yes, I have a sweet tooth and I love swiss white chocolate like from Lindts.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I also like scrapbooking. I do not spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like country, folk, celtic, and musicals. Yes I can play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Purple
10. What is your family situation? Married with a 4 year old son. Do you have any pets? I love to get some peace and quiet. No pets. But I do love cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks and bags
13. What are you knitting right now? 2 pairs of socks, baby sweater, my first sweater for myself, 2 shawls
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Circular, Bamboo or aluminum
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes
17. How old is your oldest UFO?one year
18. What is your favorite holiday?Christmas and Hanukkah
19. Is there anything that you collect?Boyds Bears and Matrushka dolls (Russian stacking dolls)20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?Vintage Socks, Knitting Socks on the Road, and Shadow Knitting. I have a subscription to Creative Knitting and Interweave Knits
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Intarsia
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes, foot length 8.5"
23. When is your birthday? August 1

Baby socks

2006-12-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

These are newborn socks that I knitted for a SnB friend. They were done back in October. They were made out of the same plymouth yarn that I made my son's sweater out of, just a different colorway.

It has been a long time . . .

2006-12-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

I know I have not posted in a while but I have been busy knitting. SO I will give a quick update to my Holidat knitting and post some pictures. Some now and some later. I am proud of myself for finishing all of my holiday knitting on time. I made a 40 x 40 blanket for my Mom, Many luxury face clothes, and three pusres. Everything is done.

My first sweater is done.

2006-10-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here it is in all of its glory the sweater that I made my son. I am so excited about finishing my first sweater and I think it looks pretty good. I know that the stripes do not quite line up but it fits, well its a little big on him but her will grow in to it in no time I am sure. The pattern called for a hood and all of my family memebers say no hood. So I left it off.

Pattern is a freebie fro Plymouth with the yarn
Yarn: Plymouth Jelli Beanz
Needle Size: US 8

These are pictures of the adorable buttons I found.

Socks #8 finished

2006-10-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

This is pair #8 finished. I started them way back in April and finished them sometime in September I have been having trouble with my camera.
Pattern details
Yarn: Cascase fization
Needles: US size 3
Pattern: Basic 2 x 2 rib

New Sock Yarn

2006-08-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

I visited TheTechnicolr Sheep and fell in love with a new sock yarn. It is hand painted from South Africa and it is sooo soft. The above colorway is Passion Fruit and the one below is Walk in the Woods. The yarn is called Claudia Hand Painted and it is 100% Meriono wool. I start knitting a sock with the above yarn this afternoon and it is turning out so pretty.

Picture of the Finished Pink Socks

2006-08-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

The above picture are the finished Trekking socks that I gifted to my mother-in-law.
This is the 7th pairf socks thatI have finished.

Pink Socks finsihed

2006-08-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the pink socks I was working on for my Mother-In-Law.
I will post a picture later but I just wanted to update. The actual finishing date was on Saturday night.

Mitred Squares Vest

2006-08-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

This is my progress on the mitred squares vest. I am taking a class at the Technicolor Sheep it is the project of the month.

Sholwater Shawl

2006-08-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

My SnB is having a KAL on the Sholwater Shawl from Fiber Trends so here is my first attempt at lace in a Dk weight acrylic that I had, I was scared of the lace weight yarn that I purchased. I made it all the way to row 25 before I messed up. The is why I stopped in the middle of the row. I have decided I am going to frog this and try the lace weight yarn, but I wanted to document this attempt first.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-08-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. Although I had a beautiful dinner with my parents and my brother last night, today has been horrible. First it is so Hot! Next my son is sick and driving me crazy. He threw a two hour screaming fit, so I guess he is getting stronger and feeling better. What a birthday for me.

I do have some catching up to do about my knitting. Last month I finished two projects that I did not post about.
First is the Lucy bag that I made for myself. I love it but the handle turned out a little short.

Here is the before felting:

And here is the after:

The next project that I completed is the Tote Bag from the book One Skein. This was a birthday present for my sister-in-law.
The below picture is before felting:

This picture is after felting.

Yarn Find

2006-06-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

I went to my LYS, The Technicolor Sheep to see the new store and found that I had to buy Mason Dixon Knitting. I alos found some really pretty wool in the clearence bin. It is called Lana D'Oro by Cascade Yarn. It is 50% Superfine Alpaca/50% wool. I thought I would make a striped felted bag of some sort for the winter.

Knitting in Public and a Yarn Crawl!

2006-06-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

I am so exctied I get to Knit in Public with my SnB group on Saturday at Wegmans.
Then we may go to a store that is closing called Yarn on the Farm.
I can go because my husband is taking my son to the movies . . . yeh!

New sock yarn and a finished pair

2006-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is pair number 6 finshed.
They are made out of an OnLine cotton blend.

This is opal cotton that a bought off of my friend Cindy.

This yarn is softer than any cotton yarn I have used thus far.

Sofie bag

2006-06-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the Sophie bag that I made with Cascade Quatro.

2006-06-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Pair #5 made out od Lion Brand Magic Stripe.

This pair was my attempt at a pair of ankle socks.

2006-06-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is the fourth pair of socks that I made.
They are made out of Sockatta.

More pictures

2006-06-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here is another completed sock.

This is the 3rd sock that I completed. It wass made with Online sock yarn.

Completed projects

2006-06-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures I posted on my old blog. It ia also my first attempt at attaching pictures using blogger. This first picture is the very first pair of socks I ever made. The second picture is the second pair I made.

Pair #1 is made from Lion Brand Magic Stripes

Pair #2 is made from Knit Picks Parade

Hello

2006-05-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

This is just an introductary entry to see if I am learning blogger properly. I am switching from Yahoo 360 to blogger.