To help alleviate feelings of stress & frustration :)

Aha! Updated links:

Age’s Crochet Pages Dammit Doll & Girl Dammit Doll (C)

* Dammit Doll from Craft and Chaos (C)

Big Twigs Dammit Doll (S)

Mary’s Dammit Doll (check out the rest of her Patterns)

Sewn Dammit Dolls and Poems From the Sewing Spot

Wizard of Oz Dolls (S)

Duct Tape Wallet and Poem

Crochet Wallet

Celtic Knotwork Pillow Pattern (C)

Round “Tuit” (funny, my Dad asked me for one while he was in the hospital)

Crochet Sal’s toys, magnets, dolls (love it!)

Hello Kitty Doll

Country Dammit Doll (S)

Praying Children Pin (C)

Hundreds of great links to free patterns

Michele Lupo’s Designs (I want to buy the Black Lace Afghan Pattern and the Cowboy outfit pattern too!)

Golf Tee Bag by Priscilla Hewitt

Nancy Hearne’s Designs

Rhonda White At Knitting Knonsense (Best dish cloths ever)

Kimberley’s Free Patterns

Priscilla Hewitt’s Neck Pillow

After a long hiatus of working through my grief over the loss of Bandit followed by the challenges of puppy rearing, I finally feel the desire to come back to my love of knitting, crocheting, cross stitching, crafting and the wonderful online communities like Ravelry :) I am rejoining the land of the living (crafting) with some links that I think fellow knitters will enjoy!

Remember our very awesome MagKnits and desperately sad it was to lose it? Guess what? I’ve found it :) If you’ve not already found it yourself, hop on over to Knotions Magazine. I already plan to knit Art Deco for my mother-in-law’s big antique buffet in her front entrance. It is perfect. Then of course, I must knit myself one for my dining room table.

Ok, so I found something else today called Twist Collective. While the patterns there are not free, it is a lovely site.

“The idea of Twist Collective came from our shared desire to bring talented designers and writers together, to give them a beautiful showcase for their work, and pay them fairly. After publication with Twist Collective, designers have the option of using the pattern as we produced it, photography and all.  Meanwhile, writers have an explicit right to use their work here as the beginning of something bigger, if they like, or just to work out an idea in a publishing format that allows them their own voice.   Twist Collective will be published quarterly, send monthly newsletters updating subscribers with news and events, and the magazine’s blog will supplement issues with contributor and reader content, updates to the site, and other surprises.”     Then, if you haven’t already gone out and bought Vogue Knitting Fall 2008, then you should. There is a great focus on Canadian designers and Canadian Knitting Resources! YAY! I love it! And, if you’ve never been to a Stitch N Pitch event, I have to tell you, you are actually missing out. For the 2009 event, be sure to bring any of your “don’t wants” from your stash. A yarn swap was set up and Allyson and I scored big! Now Winston is barking and I have to walk him and I’m hungry and I need a nap…. But I will return. I have loads of photos to share….. phew. It is fun to be back though!

 

Have you ever seen someone’s FO and wanted to make one for yourself only to discover that it was from a Leisure Arts Leaflet and then are unable to find it anywhere???!!! I have. It’s so frustrating. Today, over at the ‘ville, someone posted a new favourite link for me! You can purchase those Leisure Arts Leaflets online at LeisureArtsLibrary.com. Yay!

June 9, 2007 is  W.W.K.I.P. Day. I had nearly forgotten about the TTC Knit-A-Long. The list of participating stores is enough to make a wool pig salivate.

Hop on the bus, Gus

Of course it’s Bernat Super Saver Yarn in Bright Yellow just perfect for a school bus! I made this scarf for my aunt who is a school bus driver. I even embroidered the bird on the front!

So what do think about that? I’m thinking about submitting my pattern to Crochet World for publication at the suggestion of a designer on Crochetville. (It’s my favourite haunt.) Another designer gave me some great ideas for more designs! I’m all inspired!

The pattern is available at the bottom of this post listed as "1 Attachment". Please only use it for your personal use and do not sell the pattern as your own. I'd love to see lots of photos of the scarf you make up. Please feel free to send me photos at mandalanda2000ATyahooDOTca.

 

I finished ripping out my 3/4 finished lace scarf (See page 35 “Five Ways That…” item # 3) Made me snort because I read that just after I finished the ripping. I’m a process knitter on a gold old fashioned road trip. I stopped reading to begin a new project.

Find end. Pick up size 3 3/4 mm knitting needles…wait… needles. One size 3 3/4 mm…. one size 6 US. Heart races. Blood running cold through my veins in icy panic. … I can’t knit. Wait! The lace scarf. I can just re-start the scarf. OH GOD! I didn’t bring the pattern for it because I was just going to rip it out today and start knitting another gnome. I can’t just sit here on the subway, then streetcar and then again home after work… with….idle…..<gasp> hands… <GROAN> I’m screaming inside my head. Then I remember Stephanie’s book. I’m reading with a frenzied approach, clutching this book about knitting like I would a life raft in the lake since I don’t swim. Knitting is crack. Any wee little bit I can scrounge up by any means just to get me through. Seriously. I actually cnsidered (ok, even considered all afternoon) casting on for my gnome and starting to knit with the two different sizes! Now I’m writing about knitting. (Perhaps this is how it all started for Stephanie.)

This song popped into my head while walking my dog before this adventure began…

Wool you’re every fiber in the stash to meeeeeeeeeeee

You’re in everything I knit

You’re my fiber fantasy

Oh wool……

Sorry. I know. Then I came up with this brilliant quote:

A day without knitting is a day wasted. - Her

In just about 2 hours,  I’m on page 167. I was afraid I would finish the book and be left with nothing for the rest of the ride home! ha!

Funny, yesterday I was thinking about making a hat for a baby. A baby who will be 16 months old when I see her. The hat pattern I’m in love with is in the book Not Your Mama’s Crochet. (I’m also in love with this book.)

Bev’s got sizing charts at Bev’s Country Cottage. I’m so excited! Now I can make that hat! And make it the right size! Enjoy!

It’s called Knit On The Net.  This one is in the UK. The more online mags, the merrier, I say!

To crochet:

Happy Yellow House

A home is not a home without a gnome

Knitted:

The Knitting Gnome (to purchase)

KnitNet December 2006/January 2007

Beautiful knits by Suss Cousins! Some patterns from some of the books you’re pining for. I really want to make that Bridesmaid Wrap by Suss Cousins. I love her stuff.

Knitty surprises!

Go get ‘em!

Anybody keep their Tinker Toys? I need some to make a Tinker Toy Yarn Swift! Let me know if you have some. I’ve got lots of goodies I could send you as a trade!

Interweave’s Spring 2007 is going to drive me mad since I want to  knit myself everything! Seriously beautiful, elegant knits. <sigh> Please God, give me more time to knit. And crochet. xo

I’ve uploaded photos of two items that my Gram gave me yesterday. Be sure to check them all out.

Well, they may be a little late for Christmas this year, but these FO Labels are sure to inspire you to knit up something just so you can label them in such a beautiful manner. Perhaps Boo could make me up some of my own labels for dishcloths?? Hmmm??? Thanks to Sandy’s Knitting for pointing them out!

Hello all you Mason-Dixon Knitting lovers out there. I decided to visit the website finally and found an “errata” sheet for the book.

What fun to be able to have new Mason-Dixon Knitting stories whenever I want. Yay! It’s like Chicken Soup for the Knitter’s Soul.

Whimsical Knitting Designs is a new favourite of mine. I plan to knit myself some birthday dishcloths!

For mine, I used vintage pink fuzzy yarn – Eaton’s Melissa and a J Hook

Ch 200

Follow Caron’s Ruffle Scarf pattern rows 1–5. I made some changes. At the beginning of the rows, I used the turning chains as the first dc of the row. Instead of chaining 2, ch 4, dc in same st, then do row instructions.

At the end of the 5th row, ch 1 DO NOT turn.

Sc along row ends, then sc in each remaining loop of base ch row – complete by sc’ing along row ends on opposite end.

Fasten off.

This makes for a super-long, super wrappy dappy ruffly scarf! You can either wear it long or double-wrap it around  your neck for mega ruffle-age.

 

 

Ok, I’m a year behind Mind of Winter, but I love these lace leaves!

I see a new project in my future. I’ve also realized that I cannot post any photos of finished items! How ridiculous is that? I’ve made so many things and yet, no pics allowed! After Christmas I’m going to be so busy posting! lol

I’m in love with See Eunny Knit. I expect you’ll fall in love with her original creations. A very dynamic knitter/designer with a contemporary take on conventional styles. Lovely. Now if only she’d write out all of those patterns so I can buy them all! lol