Off My Needles: An Overdue Update on Finished Knit-a-longs

In my last post, I showed you photos of the two KAL's I was knitting. They are finished...have been for two months! Oops.

Bad news: I'm a procrastinator.

Good news: I finished this hat and love wearing it. With my new short haircut I finally like how I look in a hat. Hooray!

 

 

2014 Mystery KAL by Wooly Wormhead

Knit One Crochet Two Elfin Tweed yarn,

(blue sock yarn)

Bad news: I lost my photos of the finished Once Upon A Time MKAL when I got a new phone...and I gave the cowl to a friend for Christmas so there will be no finished photo. (Dang ICloud. How do you work?)

Good News: She she wears it everyday. I'm so glad I gave it to her; it's good for a yarn to find it's special owner.

Once Upon A Time MKAL 

Dream In Color Classy yarn, 2014 October Dream Club

(orange, green, yellow - fall colors)

Secret Knitting...Shhh!

Two MKAL's (Mystery Knit Alongs)

Once Upon A Time MKAL

Dream In Color Classy yarn, 2014 October Dream Club

(orange, green, yellow - fall colors)

2014 Mystery KAL by Wooly Wormhead

Knit One Crochet Two Elfin Tweed yarn,

(blue sock yarn)

Can't say anymore, other than I'm loving the results I'm seeing from both patterns and yarns.

I've decided to use this blog for knitting project posts only. If you want to hear about the rest of my life go to http://bethgormong.blogspot.com. Otherwise stick around for periodic news about my fiber addiction.

Off My Needles: Big Stitch Cowl

Big Stitch Cowl

Pattern: Last Minute Cowls

Yarn: Malabrigo Rasta

Colorway: #861 Laguna Negra

If your looking for a 1-day project, literally 1-day, this is a great knit. The yarn is soft and warm, perfect for these cold, fall days. And doesn't the grey, silver and yellow work so well together?

(I've decided to use this blog for knitting project posts only. If you want to hear about the rest of my life go to http://bethgormong.blogspot.com. Otherwise stick around for periodic news about my fiber addiction.)

First Day at the Park this Spring

Okay, folks. I took these pictures several weeks ago.  I'm not sure why this isn't already out there. Scatterbrain...the only excuse I have.....

 

It's finally spring! There's nothing like a little journaling, knitting and reading at the park. 

"She said, 'Perhaps you have always known everything important but will need a lifetime to discover what you know.'"

-Gwyneth from "Innocence" by Dean Koontz, page 154

2014 Off My Needles #2

Christmas 2013 Socks

Knitting Project #2

I finally finished my socks that I bought to be my Christmas 2013 socks. I love the bold colors!

Yarn: Socks that Rock, Holly Days colorway

2014 Off My Needles #1

Winter Vortex Mittens - X-Country Mitten

My first project of 2014

Started January 5 - Finished January 7

This was the perfect project for the 2014 Winter Vortex - gorgeous, soft, warm mittens. They were such fun! I want to buy matching yarn and make a cowl now.

Top-side of the mitten

They are made from a Blue Mountain Colors Kit titled X-Country Mittens

The kit came with Mountain Colors Just One Ounce Yarn in Mountain Goat in four colorways.

-Thunderstorm

-Hollyhocks

-Lilac

-Cream

Size 6 double point needles

View of the design on the palm of the mitten.

My 41 Knitted Projects in 2013

JANUARY
1. Color Affection Shawl
2. Kroy Socks
3. Armenian Hat (not pictured)

FEBRUARY

4. Lorna's Laces socks

MARCH
5. Bonne Bouch Bag (not pictured)
6. Pale Blue Socks
7. Haidmaiden Yarn Socks
8. Americana Socks
9. Recess Socks

 

APRIL
10. Featherweight Cardigan
11. Cupcake Hat (not pictured)
 

 

MAY
12. Tunisian Crochet Trill Infinity Scarf (not pictured)
13. Streambed Socks
14. Groovy Anklets

JUNE

15. Something Red (Blue) Sweater
16. Cupcake Hat II
17. Cool Anklets
 

JULY

18. Ladder Tank

19. Washcloth (not pictured)
20. Washcloth (not pictured)
21. Elfe top

AUGUST
22. Joie de Vivre sweater
23. Chitten Socks
24. Malabrigo Socks
25.Mini Mochi Socks
26. Sockotta Socks (not pictured)

 

SEPTEMBER
27. Jaena's Fox Hat
28. Jaena's Fox Mittens
29. A Good Yarn Socks

OCTOBER

30. Kelsey's Fox Hat (not pictured)
31. Jessica's Fox Hat (not pictured)
32. Lila's Beret
33. Liz's Beret
34. Intarsia/Steeking Mug Cozy

NOVEMBER
35. Partition Cardigan
36. Two-at-a-Time Socks
37. Sycamore Vest
38. Thanksgiving Socks

 

DECEMBER

39. Crock o' Dye grey Socks
40. Mermaid Cowl
41. Crocheted Flower Baby Hat (not pictured)

A Week in Pictures 3

Sunday

I'm trying to catch up on my reading, but writer's keep writing new, interesting books faster than I can read.

 

Monday

VBS started today. Here's our VBS princess!
 

Tuesday

Kelsey and I took Jaena to IWU to register for classes. Like usual, Jaena wouldn't let me take a picture of her. So here's one of Kelsey instead. She sat in the McConn Coffee Shop area and read her book all day. Jaena's registered for voice lessons, piano class, and music theory among other classes. She's excited about spending her days studying music. You can tell by how big Kelsey is smiling, right?

 

Wednesday

We stopped by Ivanhoe's, in Upland, IN, on the way home for shakes and sundaes. Delicious!

 

Thursday

 Porch-time with Jen and Jody. I forgot to take a picture. So here's a picture of my lovely porch instead.

 

Friday

I finished "Flight Behavior" by Karen Kingsolver. It's well written, but I don't agree with her on everything. I think she's the only writer that could make me wade through so much science to know the end of the story though.

 

Saturday

 I finished my Something Red sweater. I love how it turned out, but it needs a special button. I haven't found the perfect one yet.

A Week in Pictures

Saturday

 

 My oldest celebrates graduating from high school.

Where did my baby go?

 

 

Sunday

 

 Poor Jess, this is what she looks like when awakened by a camera flash.

 

 

Monday

Leftover open house cake turned into birthday cake. (I won't quit my day job to become a cake decorator!)

 

Dad turned 86 on Friday.

Mom turned 85 and Jaena turned 19 on Monday.

My brother, Kevin, has a birthday tomorrow.

 

 

Tuesday

My baby win the award for raising her Lexile level (improving her reading ability) the most this year!

Her hard work paid off!

 

 

Wednesday

Napping on the new couch.

 

 

Thursday

Jess graduated from 8th grade. She is officially a high-school student. Notice my camera skills? Jess is fuzzy, fellow student, Briley looks better, and the sign behind them looks great!

Reading "Tigers in Red Weather", by Liza Klaussmann. She happens to be the great-great-great-granddaughter of Herman Melville. You know, "Moby Dick", "Typee"? I'm envious.

 

 

 While waiting for a friend to get off work for lunch I took a few pictures of the tree above my car. I love my sunroof nearly as much as I love trees.

 

I also did a little knitting while waiting. This is my WIP, Something Red sweater, by Knit and Tonic. I know, it's not red. It happens to be the forth blue sweater I've knit. I must branch out and try another color.

 

 

Friday

 



We visited Chizzy's, in Galveston, IN. The ice cream was delicious! Orange-pineapple. Yum!!

Two Handmade Baby Bibs and a Knitted Baby Hat

We had a baby shower for my niece-in-law who is having a little baby girl in just a few weeks. I will be a Great Aunt ...again. This is the third time. Yet every time I think of myself as Great Aunt Beth, I cringe. How did this happen?! Am I not still eighteen?! Oh, wait. I have an eighteen year old daughter! I still can't believe that either.

 

Back to the shower. It was a lovely day. My sister-in-law, Felicia and her daughter, Emily, hosted it. They did an amazing job. Emily can bake! I don't think I've ever tasted cupcakes and pumpkin cheesecake so delicious. Believe me, I've tasted a lot of both in my short 18 years. Like how I brought my age back into the picture?

 

Luke and Liz, the soon-to-be parents live out west, so all gifts were ordered and shipped; and instead we brought our favorite childhood books to the shower. That was a lot of fun, hearing stories of why we all picked the books we did. But of course I had to add a little bit of the homemade to the mix.

 

 

 

 

 

I played around with the sewing machine and ended up with these two bibs for little Lila Kate (read more about Lila Kate and her parents here http://abattylife.com/)

 

I also just had to knit a little hat for her. She's growing up in ski county, with a mom who works in the industry at Heavenly Mountain. She needs the proper outdoor apparel.

I started making the Snow Time Hat, but soon realized I was running out of yarn. I either had to improvise or start over. I chose improvise and turned it into a regular shaped hat. It turned out cute, but was murder trying to figure out what to do to make the cables look good as the hat decreased at the crown. I was happy with how it turned out.

I had so much fun making these gifts. I just might have to do more gift-making in the future.

P.S. Thanks so much to Felicia for taking such amazing pictures. She is one talented photographer, eh?