Christina's Stash

Summer has arrived!

2009-06-04T21:28:00.001-04:00

You did it! Congrats freshmen on a successful year!! You are now sophomores...good luck!

Baby Booties

2007-09-13T18:40:00.000-04:00

I have been knitting, but haven't been blogging about it much. It is hard to find time to work, blog, knit, take care of a new baby, an 8 year old, and my hubby, oh and myself :); so the blogging has taken a back seat...until now. Some simple t-bar shoes made with yarn from the stash. They were started before she was born and just barely fit now, but cute nonetheless. The pattern comes from this book with 50 baby booties in it, and I can't seem to recall the name right now.

Growing like a weed!

2007-08-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

Well, she was born on 07/07/07 weighing in at 6lbs 14oz and 20in long. Now she is 6 weeks old and weighs in at 9lb 6oz and 22 inches long. She is doing great eating and sleeping well!! Falling asleep at 9pm untiil 2:30am and then from 3am-5am which is when I get up for work. We couldn't be more lucky. ;)

Baby & Bunny

2007-08-18T09:07:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post this fabulous bunny, made by my fabulous friend, for my fabulous baby.
My fabulous friend suggested that I credit Wee Wonderfuls for the fabulous bunny pattern...here is where you can find it:
http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/wee_wonderfuls/store/wee-bunny.html

07/07/07 Lillian Bailey

2007-07-08T17:02:00.000-04:00

Cats love sweaters too

2007-06-19T11:48:00.000-04:00

The baby sweater for Lillian is finally finished. It was probably one of the easiest knits I have had in a long time, maybe because the pattern was straight forward or maybe because I am knitting it for my own baby as opposed to a gift...a first for me. So I didn't finish knitting it in two weekends. It did go very quickly (size 7 needles), but I had some other projects slip themselves into the mix and I knitted the right side of this sweater at the wrong end of the sleeve, so that put a wrench in the quick finish. Regardless, I finished up this last week and is probably a record knit for me. May 12-June 15. The specs are Ribbed Jacket from Special Knits: Debbie Bliss. I used 3-50g skeins (or 330yds) of Suri Merino by Plymouth Yarn (55% suri alpaca, 45% extra fine merino wool) Enjoy!

Fun for Baby & Me!

2007-05-15T18:38:00.000-04:00

This is the first sweater for the new addition. This is a great sweater and is the quickest knit I have ever done. I knitted this much of it in one weekend and am planning on a finish by this weekend. It is the ribbed jacket (size 6-9 months) from Special Knits by Debbie Bliss. I am having a blast knitting it!

I should have been...

2007-04-22T18:15:00.000-04:00

Knitting. I should have been knitting on the baby blanket that is supposed to lift off to India in about a week and I just couldn't do it. Instead, I couldn't resist an idea I have had for some time now...tie-dyeing onesies. I had some onesies from when my son was born that I plan on using for our new addition, but wanted to add some pizazz to them, hence the tie dye. I had some dye on hand (from my knitting stash) so I decided to give it a whirl and here is the result! I used a Jaquard Dye (crimson) and the stove top method directions on the container)

And now...back to the knitting.

Patiently Waiting...

2007-03-17T17:54:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have this fabulous friend in NYC and she has been waiting patiently for an update on this blog as well as a picture of this baby blanket which I am knitting for a friend's sister. When I was asked to knit this I was extremely motivated and got right on it, but for some reason, it has been really hard to stay with. I think it is because of the yarn I chose. It is a cotton/wool blend from lamb's pride (a necessary choice because the blanket is going to be delivered to India) and as much as I thought it would be ok to knit with, I guess I just hate knitting with cotton! The pattern, I designed. Anyway, here is what I have so far and it has to be done by the end of April. Ok, enough blogging for now, I have to get on with knitting this thing, the goal tonight is to have 18 more rows added onto it before bedtime!

Snowy Days

2007-02-14T18:11:00.000-05:00

Well snow days lend themselves to much knitting. I spent the weekend at my inlaws and finally got these socks finished (see previous post June 19,2006). I think they are over two years in the making, but they were worth it. I am going to get much use out of them. Over the past few weeks I started a new baby blanket for a friend's sister who lives in India. I am excited about it because I designed it myself. The first time I have done this and it was a little nerve wracking at first wondering if it would work out or not. I am hoping to get lots done on it since we have been snowed in for days now and there is nothing else to do...knit or go stir crazy!! I'l post pics of it soon!

UPdate

2007-01-04T11:19:00.000-05:00

Just updating this site briefly. I changed jobs over the summer and haven't been online much in the past few months, but I just got this stellar new mac and am up and running again. I hope to have this site updated a little more frequently as soon as I figure out how to get my camera flowing with this computer (where are those cords again?).

The 4th of July Knitting

2006-07-11T15:08:00.000-04:00

I spent the 4th holiday at my inlaws and what better to do for five straight days? Knit and read. I did a little knitting and a lot of reading. I read Deception Point by Dan Brown (yes, the same author that wrote the daVinci code). Deception Point is amazing! Maybe it is just because I am a scientist and NASA buff, but I really think that anyone would love it. And I finally finished the first of two kool-aid sock. Maybe you can recall it from forever ago... Double Time

Not much to knit

2006-06-27T10:52:00.000-04:00

Well, I haven't done much knitting lately. The wedding in NYC went off with out a hitch (well, a little rain). It was great! And I didn't get lost between the busses and subways either! So no new pictures of projects, but here is a great one I took last night of my Brownie and our new puppy CC.

Sew & Knit

2006-06-23T09:41:00.000-04:00

I have actually been sewing longer than I have been knitting. I have been sewing for 18 years, yikes! I have a wedding in NYC this weekend and needed something hip to wear! This is what I came up with.
Details: Fabric-embroidered linen/cotton blend
Pattern-New Look 6557 http://www.1sewingpatterns.com/images/6557nlb.jpg
Alterations-I took my measurements and followed the recommended size, needless to say it was HUGE, so I had to alter it like crazy to get it to fit and look proportional. Next time I will go down to my "normal clothing" size. And I added darts in the top.

flowers and ice?

2006-06-22T08:59:00.000-04:00

So it is the middle of June and there is ice in my flowerbed? hmmm...guess I'd better get to cracking on those winter socks after all. :)

One and a half

2006-06-19T09:10:00.000-04:00

I am almost finished. I went on a toe-up sock knitting obsession and started three pairs about 7 months ago. I have this almost completed pair now and two other singletons. I am ok with how they are turning out and I have learned tons about casting on for toe-up socks, I have experiemented with two circs, metal needles and decided that I'll just stick with bamboo needles from here on out. Why? Well first of all, I think these needles are too heavy for this yarn because I am getting ladders like crazy! Any explanation on ladders would be helpful! Anyway, I am almost done, I just need to turn the heel and sail on up to the top! I love knitting socks toe-up and will probably never do it any other way. The yarn? I bought it at the fleece fair in Greencastle, Indiana almost two years ago so I am glad that I am at least stash busting!

The signs of spring

2006-05-17T11:02:00.000-04:00

No knitting pictures yet, I'll get myself coordinated with my knitting, camera, memory card, charged batteries, card reader and computer and then I'll get some posted. In the mean time, the first rose of the summer bloomed in my garden this week. Lovely

Long time...no knit...

2006-05-12T09:28:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it has taken me so long to get this updated, but then I realized that I haven't really been doing much knitting lately. I finished my black hat awhile back and I LOVE it and love this pattern, it was so incredibly easy, I can't believe I didn't write it LOL! I also went on a sock making binge for a couple of weekends, I have the orange/red stripy sock almost completed, but while working on that I finished the first sock of another pair and am starting on the second. The pinkish pair is definitely a stashbuster. I picked this yarn up two years ago at the Indiana Fleece Fair. I am glad that I am finally using it up, but it wasn't near as great as I thought it would be when I bought it...this is where I am at so far...Thanks for looking! Ok so I'll have to post the pics later...the camera battery died! ARG!

Double Time

2006-03-20T14:46:00.000-05:00

Ok. I am back, back to life and back to knitting. I have a couple new projects started or shall I say restarted. I have this striped sock. The self dyed yarn that I love started as a top down sock, but the whole time I was knitting it, I was dying to knit a toe-up sock. So I frogged it and started a toe-up sock...then I frogged that because it was too big...now this is where it stands and I love it so far...well, the toe could be a little better but I was experimenting. Secondly I started this great cabled hat pattern from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics and I am loving it, besides I had some spare Zara (well it was tied up in a scarf I was never going to finish so I frogged that) lying around and that is what the pattern called for! I love, love, love this simple but classic pattern. Hope you do too!

Three sleeved sweater

2006-01-26T17:04:00.000-05:00

I finally finished knitting the Yarn Girls Guide...V-neck sweater. I knitted it with black bulky brown sheep. How many skeins you ask? I have no idea because I didn't buy it all at one time and there was this deal where I lost a sleeve so I had to re-knit one, hence the three sleeved sweater. Anway, this is a very easy sweater to knit, but took me WAY too long!! (2 years) Anyway, it is blocked (yes, that is my archaic way of blocking...old couch cushions) and seamed, but when I knitted in the ribbing around the v-neck, I couldn't fit it over my head. YIKES!! I frogged and re-knitted, no luck...still too small. I have given it up for the time being. Maybe I'll work on it this weekend. Oh and that is my cutie Brownie who decided to sit on the v-neck area right when I took the picture and I thought what the heck, she is so cute and the v-neck ended up causing problems anyway...hmmm an omen maybe :)

Alive

2006-01-21T12:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I am alive. I just wanted to make a quick post to let everyone out there in Blogworld that all is well and even though I am student teaching, working my real job 20 hours a week, fostering 6 puppies and their mom as well as taking care of my family, I am still finding time (not much) to knit. I have finally finished knitting (still have to block and assemble) a sweater that has been on the needles for over 2 years (how embarrassing). Anyway, I will hopefully have some pictures of the sweater and the puppies sometime this week. Keep knitting...and until then...CJ

Sweater Switch

2005-12-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

Well the baby Genevieve sweater ended up going to baby Claire instead. When I talked to Genevieve's mom she said she weighed more than I thought she would at this point and I realized that she was probably already too big for the sweater, hence the move to give the sweater to Claire. Here is my newest neice in the sweater (and matching hat). I am happy with how it turned out and her mom liked it a lot! (http://www.debbieblissonline.com/books/bkb/index.htm)
Merry Christmas baby! I also knitted a hat for my father-in-law, but didn't end up with any pictures of that one. Bummer! I hope everyone had a Happy Holiday!

I'm in Love

2005-12-15T13:58:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I finally got the turkish cast on method to work! It wasn't too hard, but I couldn't figure out how to get a sock going at first. Then came some helpful hints from the fabulous knitters in the blogging world and hence the sock! I can't decide if I should just keep knitting this one or take a break to get the second sock started and knit them both at the same time. I will have to keep thinking about that! I am really enjoying knitting this sock so far!!

It's Gonna Take a Miracle

2005-12-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

Well the title says it all, it is gonna take a miracle for me to ever get Blaze finished. I feel as if I have been shot down in a Blaze of glory...ok bad humor!! I have made some significant progress since the last time I posted this project, but I have been working on it for a year (on and off of course; more off than on) I think or pretty darn close to it! I am about 10 inches into it and have to make it to 13.5 before I can start some sort of shaping...maybe I can crank it out this weekend, especially with the forcasted dump of snow we are supposed to get here in the midwest!

Baby Genevieve

2005-11-22T10:48:00.000-05:00

Well baby Genevieve has arrived and so has her sweater! I am sad to say that the sweater was done about a month before her birth, but the ends still need woven in (I just hate that part). Anyway, this boatneck sweater from Debbie Bliss' Baby Knits for Beginners was so fun and went extremely quick! I used a merino cashmere blend yarn, I know, not extremely baby friendly but I just couldn't resist, the colors and the feel of the yarn were too much!!