Day 76, 77 & 78

I have done a lot of starting and finishing, just not writing about it.   I spent the afternoon with my friend Teri on Monday making applesauce, apple pie filling and some zucchini relish.....!  Two batches of applesauce.  The apples were all from Teri's parents back yard!  YUM!  I have never ha applesauce that good :-)
so that is counting for my starting and finishing that day.

I also started on my Heart Swap project - I will add the link for that later in this post - but the gist of it is there is a GREAT blogger, Linda, at Natural Suburbia who has wonderful knitting patterns among many otber things, and she does a Heart Swap once in awhile.  Any one who wants to sings up and we swap handmade things made with love.  Does not have to be heart shaped!  I lucked out - although I am nervous - with my swap partner.  It is Linda - the blog author and handworker extrordinaire!  Making stuff like her is a bit like bringing 'colas to Newcastle!  I tried my best..........
Here is her awesome blog - http://naturalsuburbia.blogspot.com/

I crocheted some nesting bowls, made a vintage button bracelet, with elastic and I am gathering some California made stuff!  She lives in South Africa!  I am finding this fun and exciting....!

I also started on an Owl for a friend of my niece.  She wants it 'girlie' so it is going to be yellow, and purple.  I had to go out and get some more stuffing but I think I will be able to finish it tonight.

Jennifer also wanted something Waldorf Inspired for a 2 year old so I am knitting a striped ball!  It has been a fun project so far.

Hoot!  An owl in the making.

Nesting bowls!

RED vintage bracelet

The striped ball - just the half.

Here are the apples from the backyard trees.

Chop Chop Chop!

Cooking the apples for the applesauce

After being put through the strainer.

Applesauce and zucchini relish

Applesauce for the freezer

Day 75

I really like knitting fingerless mitts1  I started on a pair today.  It helps that the yarn I am using is Alpaca!  Soooo super soft!  I may teach a project class making them, so I need to make a sample pair.  I have made LOTS of gloves, with and without fingers, but I need to make a pair from a pattern that is simple.

I finished the Palamino horse - she has LONG legs :-)  I decided to name her Lucy because she has red and gold hair.... 
I also gathered some yarn to make another horse -the same cashmere blend brown striped yarn I made Ocean from and some variegated blue/purple yarn that I may use for a horse or for a small  Christmas stocking. 

I like the rhythm of knitting ribs with continental style knitting.  knit, purl, just use the left hand and move the yarn from front to back rhythmically. 

I also lined the crocheted lace purse I made for my friend Heidi. 


Here are the pictures.

Soft alpaca yarn, fingerless mitts.

Lucy!

Lucy the long legged horse

Lined.....

Day 72, 73 & 74!

Cheating bit but I have been knitting, just not taking pictures and writing about it.  I finished the 2 cup tea cozy, finished a cute little baby hat with a tassle.  I made that one with Cestari yarn, from Virginia, cotton and wool blend.  I also finished except for weaving the ends in, a blue bulky baby hat with ear flaps.  I also started knitting the magic scarf.  Phew! 

The knitting class is going well, too.  They both have not learned the Moss (or seed) stitch.  Yeah!  I am so proud of them :-)

Here are some pictures.

Cute bulky baby hat

Little cotton baby hat

Magic scarf - mostly red!

Finished small pumpkin tea cozy

Day 71

I had the LUCKIEST Day yesterday!  Sold my first item on my etsy website! Sold three horses - say goodbye to Zinnia, Ocean and Truffle.... got an order for a 2 cup tea cozy and sold a bunch of stuff on ebay and sold my 1948 Singer Featherweight! 
AND got stopped for speeding (not the lucky part) on my way home from knitting night at Craftology and did NOT get a ticket!!  They always give out tickets, right?  Well, I did not even get a lecture.....:-)

LUCKY day!
By the time I got home, I was feeling so light and happy I did not get any of my items finished, or photographed.  I hope to post again later today and get some pictures up.  I started on two small pumpkin tea cozies - 2 cup size - and I worked on the Palamino horse!

More later,
Love,
Lanie XXXOOO  good luck to everyone - pass it on!

Day 70! August 22

Well I finished another horse... and started on another one... crazed- obsessed!

I also did some work on the vintage baby blanket.  I worked out today, and I am tired.  Made dinner and some chocolate, raisin, walnut oat bars with whole wheat and spelt flour.  Pretty yummy!!!

I even vacumned the house today.  I hate housework.  *sigh*  and it takes time away from knitting!
Here are the pictures.
Love,
Lanie - see you tomorrow

I wanted to give her a ballerina name - so she is Isadora!

Tiny dancer

horse -maybe a Palamino?

Day 69, Sunday August 21

I had a wonderful, peaceful afternoon knitting with my friend Ellen!  She finished the most beautiful peach cabled sweater and baby booties!!  Gorgeous cables and cute hood!  She used that wonderful Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino.  yum!  And, she was also finishing a gorgeous sweater for her granddaughter made from a yarn I have yet to try and am dying to, by Jojoland.  It is a heathered yarn that changes color.  Can't remember its fiber content, but is is soft and feels great! 

More inspiration for me....  I know I need to buy no more yarn but....  i love it! 

I started, and finished a wee little horse.  I finished the horse named Ocean and I started on another horse with some chunky varigated blue/brown yarn.  Phew!  I don't know much about horses in real life, but knitting them and giving them colorful manes and tails and  names is fun for me!
Here are the pictures.

I also know I have about 10 balls of Debbie Bliss cashmerino so I am doing to look through my patterns tonight and see if I can find something to make with it. :-)

The horse herd!

Ocean!  I think I am going to leave him as a sitting horse!

Ocean from the front

Little tiny Penelope!

Penelope - an ode to Garcia, from Criminal Minds

the beginning of another horse

Day 68, August 20, 2011

Horses!  I am back making Horses with a vengeance!  Obsessed.  That.s me!  I was working on a magic scarf on Friday and I found this pink novelty yarn that was given to me by my friend Morna and it called out to me - Make me into a Horse's mane!  I went into my stash and I found some chocolate colored wool and llama yarn and I made a horse with PINK feet and I used the pink yarn mixed with some mohair and some rainbow colored yarn, for the mane.  I think she came out cute!

Not sure what to name her.  usually the animals I make start to develop a personality and a name as I make them.  This one has personality, but I have not come up with a good name for her.  Maybe I will just call her Pink..... hmmm.  boring.  She's not dull, so I don't think that will work.  I just took another good look at her and I think I will name her Truffle!  She looks like a chocolate/raspberry truffle!! :-)

Then, I had to start ANOTHER horse!  I had some bulkier yarn and I wanted to make one with that.  It is super, super soft - maybe some cashmere in it - and it is a self striping shades of brown.  It is almost done as I have worked a bit more on it since taking the pictures, but I will finish tomorrow and take another picture.  I made a smaller - pony - version.  This one looks like a surfer dude, so I may name him Ocean, or Kai.  Let me know what you think!

Ocean in progress

Truffle' profile

 

She is staring right at you with her lilac eyes!