http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny Because psychotherapy is too expensive and exercise is just too damned boring en Stefuny Stefuny Fri, 07 Oct 2005 15:45:20 +0200 daily 1 Daughter's boyfriend has two younger sisters ... they have requested handmade scarves!  They saw Mercedes in one last week and thrilled at having one of their own. So we sat in bed last night watching the new "NightStalker" and knitted little girl scarves in fun fur.  UGH - - it was a trial ... kept slipping off the needles even though we used bamboo!  Poncho is progressing slowly and today would be the first cooler day where it might be worn for a little while. The homespun is VERY warm so I'm thinking this is going to carry over into winter. It's never really cold in Kentucky in the winter -- but you need more than a sweatshirt on some days.  As much as I hate wearing a coat - this might work out well. I meandered into the LYS recently and jumped on some creamy wool for my Secret Pal ... it's such a pretty shade of purple/violet I think I might go back and get myself some of it!  I'm still in project limbo -- still looking at lots of patterns and the library has a NEW... Fri, 07 Oct 2005 15:45:20 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/playing/32/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/playing/32/ I found a cute poncho pattern I like and started that with some cheap LB Homespun I had laying around... I'm not FEELING any one particular project and it's frustrating me. I did several searches online for patterns - hoping to have inspiration hit me like a bolt of lightening... but nothing came.  Oh - I found some cute things and a couple of times I'd say to myself Oh - I could make that for S0-and-So but then it wouldn't GEL beyond that. I think one main trouble is my stash ... it has gotten a bit out of hand! I have so much JUNK -- and every time I clean a closet or bin or underbed box I find more yarn. Sadly, most of it is remnants or crappy acrylic or not enough of one "thing" to be anything at all. I have considered sitting down and figuring out a 'patchwork' sort of afghan maybe just to use up the bits of wool, cotton, acrylic -- ugly colors -- etc.... but I'm just not FEELING IT right now. Maybe when winter sets in? I just can't justify buying more yarn now ... I keep thinking... Sat, 01 Oct 2005 03:28:33 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Pondering-Pending-Projects/31/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Pondering-Pending-Projects/31/ Got my first package from my AWESOME secret pal today ... I'm giddy with delight. SO MUCH to love and adore. Lots of "pretty stuff" in yarn ... delicate fun fur and Molash -- may have to beat off darling daughter since she squealed when she saw that!  Dark chocolate .. ALWAYS a good thing ... and an intriguing little book on knitting socks with one circular needle -- WTF??-- Can't wait to dive into that tonight.  Several patterns for using the Pretty Stuff and an awesome pair of no.5 Susan Bates circulars just right for working that sock on one circular. Does my secret pal rock, or what?!? In other news - I finally settled on a semi-pattern for the latest felted bag. Actually I ended up coming up with some math of my own and I'm playing it by ear. I want to end up with a barrel-bag of sorts but hey - once it goes into the washer, it's a crap shoot! You never know what you'll get out of it.  Very much likened to working in the pottery studio. You can work for weeks on a peice... Wed, 21 Sep 2005 23:52:33 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Secret-Pals-Rock-Bay-Bee/30/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Secret-Pals-Rock-Bay-Bee/30/ Got talked into taking son Jared to the Game Stop so he could spend his allowance money ... happy for me, it is next door to a Tuesday Morning and around the corner from JoAnne's... I always check Tuesday Morning for their yarn closeouts ... I have hooked up on some CHEAP sportweight yarn in the past but am always on the look out for some Chunky something so I can get enough to attempt a regular sweater.  Regardless ... I was stunned for find this STUFF I bought immediately and now ponder what to do with it. The label says it is 100% Polyamide but it feels like a dream!  It is so light and soft ... I bought two skeins for a total of 10 dollars.  Once the TM label was peeled off,  the original price was marked as 10 dollars EACH.  So whatever it is, and whatever I will use it for, it was a bargain! In JoAnne's I was just messing around while Jared finished his shopping and it occured to me that I have this lovely Essentials sock yarn from KnitPicks and it's... Mon, 19 Sep 2005 00:46:49 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Sunday-at-Tuesday-Morning/29/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Sunday-at-Tuesday-Morning/29/ Since watching My Fair Lady again last weekend I've been brushing up on my cockney while I knit.  I know ... I'm such a wanker. Got my knitpicks order in and am stunned by the Essential sock yarn ... who knew it was so TINY?  Okay - so knitting socks is new to me and I did knit my first ever pair with worsted wool ... but does sock yarn have to be so tiny?  I'm thinking maybe my 3.25mm needles are just too big now. I know I hear of people whipping up socks on "0" and "1" size needles and the thought just blows me away. Maybe I can pull together some socks with two strands of the yarn? Also got some 100% wool to finish the felting project I've had on the back burner for a while. Now I just have to settle on the pattern. I have an IDEA of what I want to do but instead of sitting down and doing the math I'm trying to FIND a pattern for what I want. Again ... I'm such a wanker. DD finished her funfur scarf and while funfur isn't my favorite textile in the universe -- this is... Thu, 15 Sep 2005 14:09:33 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/I-m-A-Good-Girl-I-Am/28/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/I-m-A-Good-Girl-I-Am/28/ Who is so cool they can knit socks now?  ME - that's who! These were knit on size 3 needles in Wool Ease worsted weight yarn. They are so warm and cushy I intend they will become my winter bed socks. More stretchy than I expected -- which was a pleasant surprise -- because I was trusting the pattern and couldn't figure out the sizing chart. I bought myself a second pair of the bamboo DPNs in size 3 so when I start on my next pair of socks I can start each sock at the same time and eventually -- hopefully -- would have a pair of socks in around the same time instead of waiting to get the second sock finished. ....Or something like that .... Mon, 12 Sep 2005 18:44:58 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/socks-socks-socks/27/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/socks-socks-socks/27/ Time spent working on the matching sock ... CHECK... Time spent working on Sally's Magical Shawl ... CHECK ... Time doing some cleaning/housework and running errands and more cleaning .... One errand had me running through JoAnne's looking for some yarn so DD could finish the legwarmers she is working on .... we got side tracked -- as if often happens in JoAnne's -- and bought new needles and yarn too! And NOW??!! More knitting to be had! Sun, 11 Sep 2005 02:31:40 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/today/26/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/today/26/ I'm now officially unemployed. Good thing I have a healthy stash of yarn!  It shouldn't be for too long ... and I have several projects to keep me busy in the meantime. 1) I have some ratty-tatty crappy acrylic in green and burnt sienna. It's really good for nothing but I have a healthy amount of it so I'm thinking a BAG would be nice in it.  I think I'll do a circular "hobo" type bag with a decent-long strap. 2) Cabled hat to match the drop-stitch scarf I made in the brown Wool-Ease ... If I can find a drop-stitch hat of some kind - something like a skullcap maybe - I think that would match better. 3) Lots of wash clothes to use up the stash of Sugar n' Cream cotton 4) I have this red cotton I keep thinking would be cute in a knit tank top from SnB book.  Its on my back burner when I'm ready to learn how to do armhole shaping 5) I've started the shawl for Sally's Christmas this year ... I'm about half way finished but am getting bored with the stitch. Oh - it's pretty!... Fri, 09 Sep 2005 14:35:49 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/sans-job/25/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/sans-job/25/ Picture of the finished sock isn't linking from blogigo ... How could I possibly have exceeded my storage space for images?!? ... really... http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y22/Stefuny/finishedsock.jpg I finished the sock last night ... ooh, it is warm and fluffy!  And taking the advice of many sock-knitters before me, I cast on the matching sock before I went to bed last night.  I can't see how it will be much more fun than knitting this silly thing.     Wed, 07 Sep 2005 14:13:47 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/The-Finished-Sock/24/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/The-Finished-Sock/24/ Happy Happy -- Joy Joy I worked really hard this weekend on the sock. For those who notice - you are correct to realize this is not the RED SOCK I started last week. That cotton yarn was just not jiving on those bamboo needles. A girl has to have wool.  This is the book I am working from http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1580175376/104-3544289-6969526?v=glance   I picked this up at the library because I just really liked the "Scarf" book by the same author.  I began working on the basic sock just taking one move at a time and trusting she knew what she was telling me.  I was having a hard time visualizing what I was suppose to be seeing so I found a website to help me see-it-through  http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Beginning.htm   On this site - the web-author uses some really detailed pictures and explanations ... hurray for a great site!  THANX.   So I went between what the book said to do -- looked at pictures... Tue, 06 Sep 2005 20:09:10 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/The-White-Whale-is-Mine/23/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/The-White-Whale-is-Mine/23/ I started knitting when I was pregnant with Cody.  I had always done some sort of needlework and had tried my hand at crochet, cross-stitch, sewing and a hundred other "Crafty" things.  With this last pregnancy, I was dealing with an abusive ex, constant court battles and a high risk pregnancy. My grandmother - though a raving bitch on a good day - became a human being long enough to put a pair of knitting needles in my hand and taught me to cast off. I've been knitting and purling ever since. I go to a mental place when I knit -- its the same place I go to when I'm at the potter's wheel or the in the garden pulling weeds from the lavendar bed.  It's a place where I'm calm and my heart isn't tight with anxiety. It's a place I lose track of from time to time because The World is pulling me away with too many responsibilities and worries.  But even if it's only ten minutes at a time, I go to my place every day. And sometimes, ten minutes is all I need to save my life. I thought... Thu, 01 Sep 2005 19:18:02 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/sock-therapy/22/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/sock-therapy/22/ My weblog is looking all freaky now ... why is everything underlined? Sheesh... So I started the dreaded sock ONCE AGAIN.  Found the cute little Betsy Lee McCarthy book "Knit Socks" at the library ... because how cute is a sock book that is SHAPED like a sock?!  I will learn to knit socks ... I will, I will, I will !!! I got the ribbing done on dpns ... a little trouble to begin with but once I had a few rows done I was doing pretty good.  Then I worked on the sock body ... I just started the heel and am simply following the pattern verbatum. It doesn't make sense but I'm hoping it eventually does and/or it begins to LOOK like a sock! The only visual I'm completely LOST on is how to pick up the gusset stitches. And if I'm at the end of the heel .. that's where my yarn is .. so how do I pick up anything from the END of the heel?  What about the area back where the heel started? it's all very confusing. Wed, 31 Aug 2005 14:14:33 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/whassup-with-you-sock/21/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/whassup-with-you-sock/21/ www.bernat.com/getdown Mon, 29 Aug 2005 18:19:11 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Free-Yarn/20/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Free-Yarn/20/ I have had the new Knit Picks catalogue for a couple of weeks now... and have slobbered over some of the new, delicious yarns for fall.  I mean seriously - do they know how they torture me?!?   I am really loving the Suri Dream http://knitpicks.com/yarns/yarn_Display.aspx?itemid=5420130 and have to remind myself that not everyone likes prayer shawls!  Personally I wear shawls around the house all year long but especially in the winter time and I think nothing is more Homey Feeling than wrapping a light shawl around your arms. I started working on a prayer shawl for my friend Sally from some sportweight PURPLE yarn I picked up at Tuesday Morning on the cheap.  I got about 24 inches on a Mock Turkish knit before I realized the yarn was just too light and was REALLY showing the stitches.  I frogged the whole thing.  I think I'll wind another skein of the yarn and try to knit it again holding two strands of yarn together.  I knew when I bought the... Sat, 27 Aug 2005 16:11:54 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Gotta-Love-the-KnitPicks/19/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Gotta-Love-the-KnitPicks/19/ I don't know who this Claudia is ... http://lionbrand.com/patterns/claudiasClutch.html ... but I think mine turned out well enough to be named after my own dear self!   I used two strands of cotton - one in both red/white and used my size 5 bamboo needles. The weave is really tight - which is what I wanted - and I sewed on a big satin button on the front!  Last night I took it to work and gave it to Linda ... who has been a really good friend to me since I started there.  Then her grand-daughter Hayley came into the store and saw it ((she is 6)) and asked, "Nana, can you give it to me?" Linda told her no, because SHE liked it ... but it got me thinking  "I've got some pink/purple in my stash somewhere so today's project is to make Hayley her own bag!  I'm thinking something a little bigger... maybe a bit deeper, more like a "real" bag.  I'm not on the schedule with Linda again until Tuesday so that gives me plenty of time to whip up a little something special... Thu, 25 Aug 2005 14:25:14 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Stefuny-s-Clutch/18/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Stefuny-s-Clutch/18/ My handsome son Jared models the cabled hat from SnB.  This is my lesson for knitting a gauge swatch!  I knitted this in the Andean Silk from KnitPicks ... which was a dream to work with!  But it knitted up smaller than I wanted. Yet - it is the perfect size for Mercedes little head and it fits both boys nicely.  I remembered how fond I am of knitting cables with this hat and remembered my first ever knitting project.... it was a large cabled afaghan.  I was pregnant with Cody and losing my mind with going through a divorce and harrassment from the ex ... and my grandma sat me down and "taught" me to knit.  Before I knew it - I was in another world.  It was safe and calm where the only sound was the clicking of aluminum knitting needles!  I finished the afaghan before Cody was born and went on with the hobby ever since.  So I have fond memories of knitting cables and while I hear a lot of people complain that they are hard -- I think they are fun and... Wed, 24 Aug 2005 14:29:19 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Cabled-Hat/17/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Cabled-Hat/17/ After checking over my stash I found I had plenty of ammo to start a few things. First I found http://secure.elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=46024  and thought I could use this pretty purple sportweight I had laying around from a recent trip to Tuesday Morning.  Three skeins for 7  dollars???  I'll find FIND something to make out of it!  I've finished about 12 rows and it's really very pretty -- I had never seen a Mock Turkish stitch before but it's really nice ... and it's a bit stretchy with this yarn.  I'm thinking of Sally as I knit this ... the color is very her and I have been thinking of Christmas already. Also whipping up some of the knitted Claudia's Clutch from the Lion Brand website ... what's so funny is that I was making these little buttoned bags way before they got "popular" on the web and now suddenly this "claudia" is taking all the credit for inventing them?!  HA.  I'm making a red/white one in cotton on the small bamboo needles for... Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:27:29 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/whatch-doin/16/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/whatch-doin/16/ My basket is empty! All of my pending projects have been completed and now I'm looking at my empty wicker basket.  OOoooooh, what's next? I went to the library and got a lot of pattern books -- and I have spent some time online looking at patterns -- I just can't decide!  Trouble is, my stash is getting pretty lame and I don't have anything I really want to work with. I have several piece-skeins of the crappy Red Heart acrylic in various colors ... I just think it's ethically wrong to put that on Audi Turbo needles or bamboo!!    And I have some wool in various colors but not enough to complete a project ... and I'm saving it for when I DO have enough and will make my felted carpet bag! So ... I'm thinking I may need to take this week's paycheck and portion out a little bit for some new project yarn.  Sure ... justify it anyway you like! I found the Meadow Flowers Shawl in a library book by Barbara Albright's "Knitter's Stash" book.  It's a very dainty lace shawl... Fri, 19 Aug 2005 15:39:38 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Kid-Mohair/15/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Kid-Mohair/15/ This project was trying to become my White Whale!  I started it several months ago when I got a good deal on some blue Wool Ease and decided I wanted a wrap for cooler days.  I have worked on this through the hottest summer in record and finally finished it up this week!  It is VERY warm and stretching -- knit in garter stitch on Size 7 circular needles.  Yes - that is Fun Fur trimming the bottom.  Wish the colors had shown up better though. I also finished the cabled hat from SnB and it is rockin!  Pictures to follow eventually .... I used the Knit Picks Andean silk so the gauge was a little off but it made a cute little beanie!  I've got one more skein of the yarn so I'm going to throw together a matching scarf for the hat.  I'm thinking Christmas ... who will be the lucky receipient?!   teehee... only I will know! Tue, 16 Aug 2005 15:20:04 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/garter-stitch-shawl-long-time-coming/14/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/garter-stitch-shawl-long-time-coming/14/ After the kids dragged me through the mall kicking and screaming - it was time for ME to get to do something fun ... and off to the new yarn section in Jo-Ann's.  Luckily, it's right next door to the Game Stop so the boys can play/peruse video games and Mercedes & I can shop in leisure. The yarn setion is small in square feet but how much could they actually pack into that space!?  It was literally like walking into the Knit Picks catalogue! It was all organized very well too with hanging and freestanding bins. Each bin was enough to hold about 10 skeins of type/color and were arranged so you could find the TYPE of yarn, then sort through the colors. I figured that if someone came in looking for yarn for a big project, they would likely clean out the specific bin of their color .... but perhaps Jo Ann's has a way of watching that and keeping it stocked? I'm still not too happy with her prices ... everything is anywhere from 50 cents to two dollars higher than at Michael's but the... Sat, 13 Aug 2005 15:17:32 +0200 http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Jo-Ann-s-Review/13/ http://www.blogigo.co.uk/Stefuny/Jo-Ann-s-Review/13/