Friday, June 30, 2006

Inquiring Minds Want to Know...

What are your favorite yarns and why? Specifically and catagorically. I want to see what everyone else chooses before I let you know what my all time faves are.

Leave me a comment and I'll post my faves soon.

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Organized and Neat are NOT the same...

I get teased - ok harassed by family and friends and myself as well because I am NOT "neat" by any stretch of the imagination. Hey - that's why I pay someone to clean the house. I must point out however that NEAT is NOT the same as organized, and while I often can't find my keys it's usually because the kids have moved them. Now when I want to find my dressmakers shears - Satan himself better look out if they are not where I left them... With that said - photos of some sewing and knitting projects I've been working on over the past week or so:

Baby Surprise Jacket Granny Square bag?
Baby Surprise Jacket and Granny Square "Bag"
Dulaan Hats
Dulaan Hats
DPNcase DPNcase1
DPNcase2 DPNcase3
Handmade DPN case for Katey
Noro Silk Garden Silk Garden Closeup
Noro Silk Garden color 224

I've also sewn several dresses and skirts for Anna and am having fun working on everything. It's nice to use up some of the things in my fabric stash finally. Now - if there were only more hours in the day...

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Monday, June 26, 2006

Confession is Good for the Soul

Yeah? Well... Here Goes:

I have never bought or knit with Noro yarn! EEEEKKK! Gasp! eegads!

Nope, never, not once. Mostly - I don't like to give KFI my money - besides it's way expensive! Well I finally caved (while shopping with Katey) this weekend and jumped in with both feet. I bought 12 balls of Silk Garden in a purpley/olivey colorway. It's PRETTY!!!!

Of course the silk garden has no intended purpose or higher calling as yet, but I'm sure I'll find something to do with it sooner or later.

I'm not sure what happened to my camera - I think its upstairs, but I'll find it tonight and take lots of pics to post.

I'm almost finished with the baby suprise jacket for the shop and the crochet granny square bag is in the assembly process (then it must be felted) and I'm working on another felted bag for the shop which should be completed by the weekend. After all of those are completed and squared away I have TONs of Christmas knitting and sewing to get underway. I HATE HATE HATE waiting until the last minute so I'll get things going now and be ready by late fall with everyone's gifts.

What are all of you knitting/making for Christmas? Leave me a comment!!!

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day...

Just in case you thought you were an obsessed knitter - check this one out!

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Monday, June 19, 2006

Weekend Update...

Had game night Friday night and had a blast - not sure quite how Travis took it, but we had fun and he's great - hope we haven't scarred him for life.

Worked Saturday and had a good time there too - slow easy day. We did get the July/August classes outlined so hopefully a calendar is forthcoming this week - we still have some tweaking to do.

Father's Day was nice. I made Daddy's favorite dinner and everyone came to the house to eat. We then played more games and I won everything!!!! - Gee - I'm not competitive am I? We taught Taylor how to play poker and the wench came up with an ace high flush! She drew to an ace high flush! Beginner's luck. Of course we bankrupted Casey - poor guy - he's too honest and REALLY cannot bluff.

On the knitting front: I'm working on another Baby Surprise Jacket - this on in sock yarn and for the store. I'm about 1/2 way finished. It's fun and mindless, but after a while it gets dreadfully boring so I made two more samples for the store - baby booties out of Baby Alpaca
Brush - they are cute and quick - great break from endless garter stitch. I'll take pictures tomorrow at the shop and try to get them posted ASAP.

I've also started working on a crochet design for a class I'll be teaching in July or August. It's a felted crochet tote bag. I can't wait to see how it turns out - so far it's looking pretty cute and I'm excited about it - Andrea you'll have to help me find some funky fabric for the lining!

I've also been sewing this week. I've sewn (just finishing to do yet) 5 little dresses for Anna and I want to make it clear that I LOVE my serger!!!! Anyone who knows me has heard this before - but I LOVE my serger!!! I'll take lots of pics today and tomorrow and get them uploaded for your viewing pleasure...

"Can I get some spaghetti with my meeples?"

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Friday, June 16, 2006

Meeple Meeple Who's got the Meeple???

hee hee hee!

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

So Much To Tell

Arriving Soon to a LYS (well this LYS anyway) Near You...

More Crystal Palace Iceland
Silk & La Boheme from Fiesta
Fiddlesticks Lace Patterns
Lorna's Laces Yarns
Great Adirondack Yarns
TONS of fun felting wool
Malabrigo Hand-Dyed Merino
Great New Yarns from Berroco, Trendsetter, Cascade, Plymouth and more
Lace Yarn & Patterns
Lots of new Books
Lots of new ideas
Lots of new inspiration!

You'll have to come in and check it all out. Products will be arriving nearly daily from now until September.

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Home Again Home Again...

Jiggity Jig. More tomorrow - I'm still tired!

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

Thursday, June 08, 2006

To Market To Market....

to buy a fat pig!

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

Monday, June 05, 2006

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!

My job - working at a yarn shop (not the being a mommy part) is hard - let me tell you!

I spend all day surrounded by beautiful yarn and lovely patterns, charming people (ok there are a few doozies, but it's retail and let's face it - you're not going to like EVERYONE you meet), and pure inspiration.

Take for instance this past Saturday - I worked a 13-hour day. We sat with two different yarn reps for a total of 8 different yarn companies and shopped for 10 hours non-stop. We were so exhausted that we had to replenish ourselves with dinner at Provino's. Tough work I'm telling you!

LMAO

Ok so really I did work 13 hours on Saturday - if you consider it "work" Isn't that what everyone tells you - find something you LOVE to do and you'll never work another day - it's true.

We bought gorgeous yarns and I cannot wait until things start arriving! I also cannot wait until market this weekend. It's is tons of fun - it is work and it is exhausting, but it is glorious! I am so very blessed to have the opportunity to work with Ginger and Dana - they are really wonderful and I love them!

I've got photos!!! First here are a few of the Mason Dixon washcloths I keep working on:
washcloths

There there are craftroom photos: - it looks bad, but let me assure you - it's 100 times better than where it started - right girls? It's still coming along and hopefully I'll have ti workable before I leave for market!
rear left bins1
bins2 bins3
bins4 still work to do
still work to do2

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

Friday, June 02, 2006

Down to the Good Stuff

I promised links - useful one earlier and here are a few.

First - Podcasts! I am thoroughly enjoying many of them and is you are new to podcasts I suggest starting HERE with Brenda Dayne - WONDERFUL!!!! I also like Crochet Cast, Pointy Sticks, and Knitcast. These podcasts (all knit & crochet) are all fairly mainstream and quite enjoyable. There are a few new ones I'm trying out this week (more 'on the fringe') and I'll let you know how they go.

Second - Do Something Good! Knit for others F.I.R.E. has the Dulaan Project and they are in need If that's not for you or the deadline is too close - google "charity knitting" and find somewhere to share your talent and blessings to bless someone else.

Third - NO MORE U.F.O.s!!! I'm not one for Stash-a-longs, or yarn diets, though I do want to use some of the beautiful stash I have aquired, but THIS I can really get behind!!! It's a Finish What You Have project. What a grand idea! Most of the things we have lying around unfinished just need a little bit more work to be completed - so let's get to it and Finish what we have!

Fourth - I'm making HUGE progress on the craftroom/classroom and cannot wait to be finished so I can really get to the fun sort of work in there - you know teaching, sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, etc. It's very exciting and the idea that I will actually be able to use the room as intended is truly motivating - or maybe it's just that I'd rather work in there than figure out what to pack for my travels next week.

Check out the links above and have a great weekend!

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

You So Owe Me...

And YOU know who you are!

I missed lots of folks at knit night last night (I forgot it was guild night). Hopefully we can all get together this weekend and hang out.

Another NOT G RATED link - really - don't follow the link if you were offended by the last Non-G link - however if you thought the last one was &*%^#@@^ hilarious HERE you go.

On the knitting front - I finished a "Baby Genius Burp Cloth" from the Mason Dixon book and I'm working on hats from leftover Zara & Zara plus now. I am getting organized and things are coming together. I have too much stuff (go figure). There are lots of interesting links I want to post (useful stuff not just fun), but I'll get to that later. Right now I have to go and clean while my kids are occupied with coloring!

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe