Bethys Mama Knits

Sweater dress

2011-04-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

Three new posts after 6 months. Matching dress for big sister Bethy. The top matches Brothers texture pattern while the skirt is Stockinette panels with reverse stockinette pleats. I just increased one stitch in each if the pleats every 5 rows

Bouncy Balls

2011-04-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

Saw the idea for felted Bouncy Balls. The Pattern was for 4 inch balls and I bought two inch so its been highly Modified. Fun Fast project. Before and After pics. They were felted twice

New Little One

2011-04-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ok legitimate excuse for not writing. New baby will do that. He is here Vincent James. Complete in his hand Knit Sweater. At three months I am finally at a place where I can play with new designs. Getting them into written patterns is another thing all together. Still Looks like my blogs name is obsolete now.

Socks! Part 2!

2010-10-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

So I just spent the last several hours writing up what I did to make the socks on my previous post. Then spent just as long it seams figuring out how to post a pattern. Its been a while and I have several projects I would like to get done and up. Yet the time and my writing skills are somewhat lacking. Still something new is up. Let the world know that I am still trying.

Socks!

2010-10-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Little Kid knee highs are finished! My 4 year old had to have knee highs.

I used Silvers Sock class website, modified it with a Knit 3, Purl 1 Rib.

They are Toe Ups that way I was trying them on my daughter as we went.

Two toe up on two needles with a short row heel and yet another pattern I can write down.

Baby Sweater, Designed and Done

2010-09-28T16:37:00.001-07:00

Ok, I am sure it will look different on him then on my kitchen counter. It has been far too long since I last posted anything on here. Much has happened of course but the biggest news is that in three more months my family will bring home our new baby boy! I had too many blankets so I designed and made a sweater. Now I am on to a matching jumper dress for Bethy.

Looks like my Blog title will be out of date as I will be knitting little things for both my little ones from now on.

I hope to update soon with a few of my other projects. I have been working on some socks, finished a lace scarf and made a hat and mitties for little miss Bethy.

A New Year, New Goals

2010-01-12T07:57:00.001-08:00

All I can say about 2009 is that it went fast. We had big changes for my family. I am still unpacking and that alone has taken away from my time to work on my knitting and pattern writing. On a positive note I have 2 finished projects. A baby sweater for a friend and my first pair of gloves. I don't have photos of the gloves yet but here is the finished sweater.

Fall knitting Classes

2009-11-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Well the sweater I wrote about is near completion. That means I really haven't worked on anything new. I was happy this past October to teach a "how to Read a pattern class" & a "top down Raglan class". Both went Ok, My instructions need tweaking for the sweater class. I will have more classes this winter & hopefully I will get the signups I need.

Moving and settling into our new place has taken my time like nothing else. Still waiting for the day when I have unpacked my stash and Its organized

Back in the Knit

2009-08-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have started knitting in my spare time again. I think the big thing for me is that I actually have some spare time. At least until the house painting starts next month. So yesterday I bought Yarn! A big thing since I had been good and not bought anything since Madrona this winter.

So I have started a baby sweater as a gift for a friend who is due in November. Its the same pattern as my Blue diamond Eyelet sweater I made for Bethy. That way I can write the pattern out as I go. It has a bit of charting involved so fun fun.

I think I am excited about this project because I bought some pretty new Kraemer Sterling Yarn. This color is Victorian Dusk and I am really liking it.

Just a little bit Crazy

2009-07-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

So no new entries for 5 months you would think I have given up knitting. Well, I haven't but I haven't picked up anything new and exciting for a while. Here is why

1. 3rd Birthday party for my Bethy

2. Looked into refinancing and went with moving while interest rates and home prices are down.

3. Spent most of May getting the house ready to go on the market

4. What wasn't spent on the house was spent out of town as both my parents had major heart problems.

5. June was spent house hunting and keeping our house clean and showable.

6. We are set to move at the end of July

So life has been a little crazy. Still there are some perks my new place will have a craft room! Though it won't be 4 blocks form a yarn shop. Still we are able to get twice the size of home by moving to the country.

So there may not be another blog entry for a while. I have so much to do with packing, unpacking and painting.

The latest use for DPNs

2009-02-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

My darling daughter is always busy today she found a new use for double pointed needles.
I caught her stringing Cheerios on to one and then eating off the needle. Couldn't help but share this new inovative use for DPNs.

A little cable craze

2009-02-17T23:18:00.000-08:00

So I had a child free knitting day this past Friday and was excited to take the viking knits advance cables class at Madrona. Here is my fun bit of class work. Not perfect but not bad for a cable knot where I didn't look at a pattern. It was a great class in that it went more into design where to place cables and some history. After the class it was dinner and off to buy more yarn. I purchased 3 skeins to add to my ever growing stash. The nice stuff some alpaca and some hand dyed.

Started a new project this weekend. A sweater vest that will hopefully fit my curves. I have been wanting to make me something for a while. I have this love of empire waist lines. Unfortunately, I was more then blessed in the bosom region. Thus nothing store bought ever fits right. My only empire waist piece of clothing is a raspberry bridesmaid dress and cost a whopping $330. Sad to say the marriage lasted only 2 years still it is a dress that I have managed to wear 3 times and it still fits so the next time I need to go someplace formal it is a great option. Back to the topic new sweater vest is coming along swell. I have about 2 feet of the bottom edge done.

A few less UFOs & Class schedules

2009-02-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

Will this week I may have a few less UFOs I finished knitting up a hat and a sweater this week. Of course finishing things gets me excited to start things again. I have enough material from the hat to do matching gloves.

Needing to figure out what classes to teach this summer. My class descriptions are due by the end of the week.

Exciting News

2009-01-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

Tuesday I was appoved to sell my patterns on Ravelry. The gauntlet pattern is up there too now.

Gauntlets Galore

2009-01-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

I have finished writting out my gauntlet pattern. I am pretty happy with it being my first really complex pattern and a lace one at that.

Big news I have opened an Etsy Store. kgiffen.etsy.com

There is only my gauntlet pattern for now but I have hopes to add more, and stitch markers too

This blog also has side links to all my patterns.

Currently I am knitting away on an entralac hat for Bethy. I am doing the last bit of ribbing. I really like the pattern and would like to try it in a different gauge for an adult size.

Notes on Ruffles

2009-01-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

Notes on Ruffles is up. A basic gist of how to make a ruffled skirt. Because I would make changes to how I knit Bethy's Skirt I added it as a Free Pattern to Ravelry.
What is really exciting to see is that people seam to really like it. Close to 80 people have called the pattern a favorite.

I also just finished writing up the Gauntlet pattern. Maybe I will need a test knitter just to check out the bugs.

Still it is nice to be excited about my patterns again.

2009 update

2009-01-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

Wow 2 months since I wrote anything here. Not that I meant to go this long but we had a bit of a Chaotic holiday season. Still finished several projects and have started several more. I have been busy focusing on ways to save money, loose weight and be more organized. Still I have been doing a lot of knitting especially with Josh needing gall bladder surgery.

Still a happy 2009 to all

Finding a Balance

2008-11-19T09:16:00.001-08:00

Still waiting to hear about my sweater, but I haven't blogged in a bit. As always I am trying to find balance in my life. A balance between what I want to do and what I need to do. I need to do laundry, clean my bathroom and pick up my daughters toys but I don't want. I want to work on my projects, designs, start new ones, and keep up my ever so bust social life. You know you actually have a social life when you have to stop and think about how many groups or activities you are involved in. All this while still doing all the prep for the holidays and focus on my goals of living a healthier life style.
Some days I feel like I can do it all and other day I feel over whelmed and want nothing more then to sit in my PJs and knit all day while watching cartoons with my little one.
Awe its a daily challenge to try and find the balance in my life.

Still Waiting

2008-11-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

So I am still waiting its been a few weeks and I haven't heard back from knitpicks so I am figuring that is a good thing. One of the nice things is I have found a professional photographer for my knitting. Susanne Jenemann who if you are in Tacoma does beautiful work. http://tacomababyphoto.wordpress.com/

She was doing Pumpkin pics for the moms group and I got a few higher quality images of the green sweater as well.

Submitted

2008-10-16T15:38:00.001-07:00

Well, today I got inspired to submit the pattern I have been working on writing up to knitty. I am hoping it will be good enough to get published and if not its back to the original plan to self publish this on ravelry. My spring lace cardigan is still in the process of being edited and I hope to get some better photo. I have high aspiration for this sweater. It is the first sweater I have ever designed and knitted up. I feel more connected to it then with other patterns I am working on.

Survived & My new baby Fix

2008-10-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

I survived teaching my very first knitting class. It went off better then expected. My only issue was I arrived an hour early. Well if that doesn't do a number on your nerves waiting. Still it gave me a chance to sit and relax catch up on some reading.

I also got my new baby fix in. Five of the moms I know all had babies this past week and I have been to visit three of them. You forget how little they are when chasing a two year old.

Nerves

2008-10-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is it. I teach my first class and I am a little nervous. I have confidence I can do it but still the nerves are there. I have tried not to think about it though I am going to need to write out some basic instructions. So I should be doing that instead of playing around on-line.
Still I am excited to see how it goes.

Peaceful morning

2008-10-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

Every SAHM should be lucky enough to have a toddler who likes to sleep in. Its 9:00 and just now am I hearing sounds coming from her bed room. I have got an hour of knitting time in this morning no TV, no Bethy, no distractions. I am working on another new project. I think my favorite part of knitting is strating new projects. Leg warmers for my neice and they are breezing by. I should be able to finish the first one this weekend.

I checked out the local knitting guild meeting last night. Other then being the youngest one there I really enjoyed hearing what everyone was making and up. I plan to go back next month.

Life, Knitting and a Finished Project

2008-09-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

I devote a lot of time and energy to my toddler. I think toddlers suck the energy right out of us moms, they keep going and going and going. So we are on our way to a potty trained child not that it doesn't take even more time and energy then I normally put into caring for her. Lucky for us she is getting it. My blog time coinsides with her nap and I can actually sit back and reflect on things.

As for knitting still working on the test knitting and getting excited to start the Christmas knitting I have 3 project Gauntlets, Leg Warmers and the ruffled skirt that I am working on. They are all my own ideas so hopefully I can get the patterns up on Ravelry and for sale.

Big news for my knitting I have a finished project. My first pair of toe up socks are done! Now to start three more projects as soon as I finish my current test knit.

Woot! I am set up as a Ravelry Designer

2008-09-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

So excited! I am now set up in Ravelry as a designer and it really wasn't to hard. I wrote up the pattern I designed for Bethy's baby blanket. With all the time I spent on it during my pregnancy its a great project to put up as my first public design. Now all I can hope for is that someone will decide to make it up and find the mistakes in the pattern. Still this also sets me up as a designer in ravelry giving me a little more publicity and making it easier to add future patterns

For anyone interested

Here is the pattern and my Baby girl Just 4 days old.

A Break Through day

2008-09-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

So I know this blog is mainly about knitting but we had a break through day as my Bethy actually went poopy on the toilet. Needless to say I am estactic it being one step closer to not buying diapers! Well I survived 8 toddler at my house with play doh and am now just hoping to have a less exciting afternoon.

Ok back to my knitting, I am going to pick up my 2nd test knitting job tommorrow. I know that it will give me less time to knit my own stuff but I need to continue building up start up cash for whatever I decide to do with my designs. My Design a day is working out. Yesterday I worked at getting stuff up. More features for the blog and to get myself set up as a Ravelry designer. I am putting up some of my patterns from past projects. I really started designing stuff early on my first original project I had been knitting for all of a month when I came up with a textured square wash cloth. But then maybe one of these days I will have to sit down and write a history of my knitting experiences.

A New Title

2008-09-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

Its Tuesday and that means its family knit night. We go out and get coffee and sit and knit with the normal gals. We have been going to family knit night for around 3 years. Josh brings his chain maile, Bethy has her colors and me my knitting. It is great because if I am lucky I can get some knitting time in while toddler chasing.

So changes to the blog format and colors. Not that the presets are bad but I like to do a little photo editing and come up with something unique. The title backgound has meaning it is the very first thing I ever knit. Sadly it is also being frogged. I came up with the idea to use the yarn else where. It is still being frogged as we go I wasn't one to start out with something overly easy and the afgahn was double straded the strands twisted to make a shells type pattern.

Starting up

2008-09-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

So I have been tempted many times to start a blog. Not that I am that into blogs but I am into social networking, message boards and that type of thing. I am a Stay at Home mom to so far one beautiful little girl my 2 1/2 year old Bethany. I have a wonderful husband who provides for us. Still times are tough and I would love to start making more of my Knitting. I have just got into test knitting this past summer, I start teaching at Pacific Fabrics in Puyallup next month and I would like to one day see my designs in print. The big goal is to take my knitting something that I love to do and take it to where it is more then a hobby.

I would love to be able to not only supply my ever growing stash of yarn but to be able to have the extra funds to pay off our debt and save for our future.