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.