Yarn packages and goodies

I received my package from Loopy Ewe this morning. This time none of the yarn is for me... it's all for my Christmas gifts this year. I'm going to start this weekend and hopefully, I'll be able to finish before Christmas. I hope the recipients will like the finished items. As in the usual Loopy fashion, I received a Loopy Red Sock kit and a couple of DIC yarn sample cards. I have made quite a few mini socks, now I'll have a cute loopy red sock to add to my collection. :)

I got some Panda Cotton and Opal Cotton sock yarn and a hank of Cascade 220.

Cascade 220 in Silver Gray

Panda Cotton in Granite

Opal Cotton #2505

Oh, my second package arrived some time ago.... I forgot to post the photo:

It was the Halloween package!

Oh wow! It's been so long since my last post....

I joined an online club, this was my first package:
and this was the result.... a cute, little sock:

Some of my latest FOs are a pair of Fetching fingerless gloves and a snuggly cowl. I used the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran..... it's soo soft. :)
This was my first time working with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and I found that it fuzzes a lot. I have read that it is the norm for this yarn so maybe next time I'll try another brand.

I'm currently working on the Featherweight cardigan with the Malabrigo lace yarn. It's coming along slowly.... I'll post a photo soon when I have the chance.

It's September already?

The time has certainly gone by quickly! In knitting related news, I haven't done much but did add some new yarn and needles to my stash. I order some more yarn from the Loopy Ewe. Also got some needles too. I got some HiyaHiya circs and also got my first Turbo addis. So excited to try it out! :)

My recent stash enhancement includes:

Dream in Colour Baby - November Muse
Malabrigo Lace - Cypress
Malabrigo Lace - Damask Rose

I'm hoping to use the Malabrigo Lace for the Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig. It's gonna be my first time working with Malabrigo Lace..... can't wait!

The goodies I got with my 2nd order from The Loopy Ewe:
More yarn samples and a mini sock soak. I've never used a sock soak before so now would be the perfect time to try it out. Thanks Loopy Ewe! :)

Oh, and here's the pair of mini socks that I mentioned in my last post:
Can you believe my Hederas are still unfinished?! I work on it whenever I can... a couple rounds here and there, but it seems to be taking FOREVER! It's a lovely pattern though and I really like how its turning out.

Handmade vs Store bought gifts?

Eeps, I can't believe July is almost over and August is just a few days away! O_o No FO's to show yet.... I'm still working on the Hedera, but feel like it's at a standstill. I'm not motivated to work on it as much anymore. AND. to make matters worse..... I have a long list of things that I want to knit and I keep wanting to start those and leave my Hedera. LOL, of course, I won't..... I'll keep working on my Hederas. I did start a mini sock project though, so will be able to post pictures of those soon. :)

Also, Christmas is months away but it will be here soon enough. I'm contemplating giving handmade gifts this year. I'm not sure how people will respond to handmade gifts. I'm afraid they'll turn their noses at it thinking I didn't buy them a proper gift. Do people like receiving handmade gifts vs store bought? For me, I love getting handmade stuffs. It's unique and it usually means that a lot of thought and time went into making the gift. Hmm, not sure how others will react. Any thoughts??

Packages

The things I ordered online arrive yesterday... FINALLY. I ordered from Jimmy Beans Wool:
NORO Kureyon Sock Yarn, Panda Soy and a couple size 0 Bamboo circulars. This time my order came with a little surprise..... some candy! :)

My first thought of the Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn, it's not as soft as I thought it would be. To me, it feels a bit straw-like and it has a real rustic, natural look. I read online that washing does soften it up a bit.... we'll see how it goes when I start working with it. I was originally thinking of making a pair of socks but now, I'm thinking maybe it's better to make a shawl or scarf.

I also ordered from the Loopy Ewe, it was my first time ordering from them. I have heard good things about their quick, friendly service and also extras with each order. Surely, this package did not disappoint. I bought some Panda Cotton sock yarn and also decided to try out the Hiya Hiya needles. The Hiya Hiya circulars came with a free hat pattern.

The package came opened and it was taped up. I was so worried that things might be missing from it, but luckily everything was intact apart from the invoice. The extras I got with my order - some yummy looking yarn samples and a needle inventory chart.

It's time....

... that I got around to fixing up this blog. It's looking a bit drab, don't ya think? Well, I'm working on it, so pretty soon..... the blog will get a face lift. :)

Oh, and this post wouldn't be a post without an update in the knitting department. I've finished my Quidditch Gryffindor wristies for the HP group. I made them for T & N..... who knows, maybe they can wear them to see the HP movie that's coming this month. Or maybe not, because it's really hot here!

I used Red Heart Yarn and size 8 DPNs. It was my first time using DPNs.... they were kinda awkward to use. I think I prefer circulars or maybe I just need more practice. They turned out OK, although one came out bigger than the other. I have no clue why! =P You see the Gryffindor colours..... YAY. That is the only FO I have to show.



On the needles, I'm knitting Hedera socks from Cookie A. I 'm using Panda Soy in Cocoa Mint and size 1 circs. The yarn is a bit splitty but it's SOOO SOFT, I love it! I don't spend enough time knitting though, so it's coming along very slowly. The lacy pattern is easy enough, but takes a bit of concentration. I'm learning alot from the pattern too. The PSSO and YO are new to me. I like the way it's looking so far..... very lacy looking! There were a few mishaps but nothing major.

Socks, Cozy, Dishcloth

I guess the post title says it all. Here are the pictures:

My Bunny dishcloth made with Lily Sugar n Cream cotton in white and blue.


A coffee cup cozy
My first pair of hand knit socks! I'm very happy with the results.... and it's so comfy to wear. :)

More Projects

Some other things I forgot to mention:

Knitted Slippers - For wearing in the home

Apple Protectors - Cute and it prevents my apples from scratches and bruises when in transit.

Tawashis & Socks!

Hmm, so it's been a while since my last post. On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I made these tawashis:

They are so easy and quick to make, I ended up making six of them! So now my Mom has lots of tawashis lined up waiting to be used.

Also, I've now started knitting my first pair of socks. The yarn I ordered online arrived last week. When I opened the package and saw the sock yarn and size 1 needles, I thought everything looked so cute. They were so tiny and looked almost too pretty to be used. I loved the colours and the cotton and soy yarns just felt cool to the touch.

Even though I read through the pattern a couple of times, I still had some parts I was unsure about. I was wondering if the pattern is too advanced for my beginner skills but yesterday I got some of the kinks sorted out. So I've cast on and started knitting. The needles feel so small..... almost like long toothpicks. I'm just enjoying my first sock knitting experience. :) :)

Here's what I ordered:

Crystal Palace Panda Cotton Prints - Strawberry and Lime

Crystal Palace Panda Soy Prints - Cocoa Mint

Crystal Palace Bamboo 16" circulars

I'm so excited....

.... and I just can't hide it. la la la la la..... :D

I'm moving on and decided to try to knit some wearables. My knitting has been limited to scrubbies and dishcloth. I'm currently working on slippers, but NOW I'm moving on to bigger projects! YAY!! I placed my order yesterday for some yummy sock yarn from Jimmy Beans Wool. I'll be on pins and needles until it arrives. =P

Easter Amis

I made these for my niece & nephew:

Eeek... too many!

I think I'm working on too many projects at once. I keep seeing new things I want to make, then I start a new project and then the current one goes on hold. OH NO, I hope this will pass..... I need to finish my WIPs first before I get overwhelmed!! I only have 3 WIPs so far but there's so many other projects out there that's tempting me.

Haha, what I need right now is another pair of hands and more time. :)

Current Projects

I haven't had much time to crochet/knit lately. I started 3 projects since my last post:

Ripple Shawl -I started this in an online class and was supposed to finish already. But it's kind of on hold now since I started another project, shopaholic bag. I will continue this after the shopaholic bag is finished.

Shopaholic bag - I'm going on a mini vacation during Easter. This bag would be great to carry to the beach or poolside. So I gotta finish it soon!

Fishy tawashi - This was a spontaneous project that was really quick and fun to knit. I didn’t have size 9 needles so I used size10 instead. I love the size, big enough to comfortably hold and scrub pots and pans. For the loop on the tail, I did 28 chains with the 2 colours. The fishy tawashis are soooo CUTE! I’m thinking of making more in different colours and giving away to some of my friends. :)

Here's the fishy (wip):

A basket

Sorry for the delay in posting this. The crochet basket is finished:

Made with a size G hook, Sugar n' Cream Cotton in Yellow. I used a little over one skein.

Linked Tawashi

This so very cool to make, although I got a bit confused when linking the rings. It came out alright..... a little smaller than I had thought but very cute just the same. =)

Without the edging.

All finished! =)

Hello Kitty Dishcloth

TaDa....... it's finished!

This is made with acrylic yarn (Red Heart Country Blue) and size 4.5 needles. Halfway into the project I discovered that dishcloths work much better when made with cotton yarn. Eeeek.... frog or not to frog? I decided to just continue and finish it..... it's my first knitted dishcloth, I'll keep it as a souvenir! So what if it's scratchy acrylic?! LOL. ;D

Introduction

Hello everybody! This is my first, official craft blog and the home where I'll share my adventures in crocheting, knitting, drawings, painting and any other DIY crafts I might dabble in.

Recently I've been crocheting and knitting kick. Here are the end results:

A crochet leaf that I use as a holding area for keys or cellphone.

Scrubbie power!

A kitty dishcloth- currently in progress! Almost finished!

It's actually my first time knitting a dishcloth. It wasn't as hard as I thought, although I had to concentrate on the number of knits and purls to make sure I got the design correct. =)