Sweater dress

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

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

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 Still Looks like my blogs name is obsolete now.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!

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!

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

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Looks like my Blog title will be out of date as I will be knitting little things for both my little ones from now on.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gauntlets Galore

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

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

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

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

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

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.