Changes

If you have followed my blog you know that I knit preemie items for Newborns in Need. I usually make up a lot of things before making a donation. I had a lot saved up.....

50 booties, 55 hats, 13 blankets, 7 gowns, 3 washcloths, 8 sweaters, 6 burial wraps and 3 onesie's to be exact. So I gathered them all up last week and took them to the lady that takes them on to Mesa where the group meets.


This week I received my newsletter from Newborns in Need and they are no longer going to be affiliated with that group but are making up their own and will no longer be accepting preemie items. Isn't that great timing. Well, I will just have to trust they will make use of what I have given and have since been wondering if I should continue this and strangely enough at the same time I have become interested in crocheted for the babies too. I checked different web sites and there are places that wants the items but most that are making requests are in other states and they would have to be mailed. The cost of mailing is just not practical so what to do. I researched what local hospitals had a NICU and found one that had a contact I could email. They have responded and sent a donation form so maybe its going to be okay after all and go to where they really are needed.
Update:
They only want crocheted hats so guess I will make some up for them.

Toe ups

Here's the toe up socks to match the hat...don't think it will be my favorite. I have since made a top and will start posting again to my sidebar, Rambling Rae for anyone that is interested.

Never too old

As most of you know I have knitted for charity for preemie babies for a long time. Long enough that I burnt myself out but recently I have started back and have been thrilled to find a few new patterns that have some new to me stitches.....

like this drop stitch with a contrast color and the skp decrease. I am going to try the matching socks that are toe up which I have never done and so I am proof that you are never too old to learn something new!

Bummer

A long time ago I read about making some things for the military and the items need to be made with 100% wool so I bought this skien

of Fisherman's wool (the dog chewed the paper) to make a helmet liner but didn't start it until recently and to my dismay the yarn is flawed big time.....Every so often it is frayed like this

 

at first I thought it was just a one time thing but as I progressed it happened more often. I tried to knot it and contiue but I felt the project was just bad so ripped it out and will get rid of this yarn!!! Wished I would have discovered it sooner and I would have returned it but it has been too long. Has anyone else every experienced this?

 

 

Idle hands

Most of  you who follow my blog know that in the past I have been very active in knitting for charity, but it seems I may have burned myself out a bit. I did make a commitment to finish a blanket for my grandson for Christmas that I started many a year ago.

The crogheted pattern is called "Make it quick afghan" Well, it was slow going for me. I guess maybe if I would have stuck with it and not taken a break it would have helped because every time I picked it back up I had to learn the pattern all over again and then when I thought I had enough panels and went to sew them together I realized that they weren't all the same size!!

So I had to rip out four or five and start them over....

Starting to sew them toghether...

 

The finished product. Now to find a Christmas bag big enough to hold it:)

 

I also have knitted a couple of small gifts for the Granddaughter...A cowl and some boot toppers.

 

I enjoyed crocheting again so maybe I will start back with my baby chairty and make some of it in that as well as knitting.

 

"It is not good to have idle hands"

 

 

Stepping out on a limb

As most of you know I knit for charity but recently I was drawn to a pattern for myself and decided even though I do not normally knit anything very large I would give it a go.....

 

 

Well the first obstacle for me was that it called for silk yarn........

 

Yarns, yarns and more yarns so here is a question for my fellow blogger/knitters. Do you have a favorite luxury yarn and if so what is it?

Well the cost of the yarn was a bit overwhelming and then to think I had to do all the work and what if it doesn't fit????

I decided to just ignore all my warnings but try to find a silk yarn on ebay cheaper.

I found the amount of yarn I needed in this cashmere merino silk so I bought it.

I can't say that it looks expensive but it sure feels nice and it knits up nicer than other yarns I have used.

 

Do you use more expensive brand of yarns like for socks or certain projects? I have convinced myself that if the sweater doesn't work our I WILL find something to use up this yarn:) Wish me luck:)

 

Sprung

In all my enthusiasm for spring I "sprung" my back...

 

The only good thing is that I have been doing a lot of sitting and I

 

 finished the scarf...

 

 
 

 

I like it but realize I don't have anything to wear it with...hmmm maybe I need to go shopping:)

Knitting

The other day fellow blogger "Wyoming Breezes" posted about her "knitting nest" I had never really thought of it like that before but indeed I have one:)

Current project

 

 Holds all my needles and etc.

 

More needles and a few often used patterns

 

but here is where the stash is.....

For shame, for shame......

 

I mostly knit for preemie babies so yarn lasts a long time and I have more of what most people consider scraps, now if I can just get a little more inventive on mixing my colors I may do okay.

 

It was also interesting to find out that my friend has a least three or four projects on needles at the same time whereas I only do one project at a time with the exception of some crochet things I started many years ago and need to finish.

 

So, how about you?  Do you have a knitting nest?  Do you have more than one project going at a time?

Knit on Knitters....It is way cheaper than therapy.

 

Knitting

I normally do not post my knitting here but rather on the side bar but this came out so cute and  was a bit different being that it is all knitted sideways with the exception of the rose which is crocheted.

Little yellow rose of Texas

 

Knitting bag

I saw this on Pinerest and just thought it was soooo cute. I got to thinking how much I would enjoy a "to go" knitting bag. One that would have everything already in it you might need like scissors, tape measure, crochet hook, needle and etc. and all you would have to do it grab your current project and go.
I went to the  savers store and found this bag for .99 cents

Turned it wrong side out with the cool seams showing....

Got a old pair of jeans with some neat little features and started cutting and sewing.

 Draw string pocket

 

 Little tiny pocket for stitch markers and etc.

 A little plastic case filled with different things fit perfect in this pocket and I left the top open for needles and taller items.

 A zipper pocket for on the other side and I first added the scarf but them I remembered how handy a bandana is in case of an emergency......

 

1. Signal (also see signal mirror)
2. Neck Gaiter for cold weather
3. Tourniquet (But for Snake Bites use a Sawyer Extractor)
4. Pot Holder
5. Collecting Wild Edibles
6. Sun block for neck
7. Sling (first-aid – also see medical kits for you BOB)
8. Sling (as in David and Goliath)
9. Sling (for a staff )
10. Cordage  (strips or as is)
11. Washcloth/Towel (Bathe out of a Collapsible Bucket)
12. Sweatband
13. Waist pack/pouch
14. Hobo Pack
15. Padding a hotspot
16. Cleaning Patches for Firearm
17. Bullet Patches for Muzzleloader
18. Gun Wipe Cloth (with oil)
19. Toilet Paper
20. Mark a Trail
21. Dish Rag
22. Napkin
23. Eye patch
24. Pre-water Filter (like Coffee Filters)
25. Clean Glasses and other lens
26. Ear Muffs
27. Bind a stone and toss a line over a limb
28. Dust Mask (in Urban Survival)
29. Wet and wear for Hot Weather
30. Sneezing

so I bought one of these and it is just perfect!

 The colors of the denim are not different it was just the lighting.

Love my little knitting "to go" bag.