Dying, Knitting, Hooking and Time Management

This week has been tough. I'm slowly getting back into gaming and my time management skills are not good. AT ALL. I'm struggling a lot with deciding which one to do at a certain time...and when i finally decide i feel like i should be doing the other(and back and forth). So many hobbies, so little time! If you have some tips do share; i really need to google this subject and get myself on tract somehow.


More yarn has been dyed this week...yay! Have been experimenting and i definitely rather work with a super-wash wool(no danger of felting). These last two weeks were somewhat Zelda inspired. Last week i did the Link colorway, this week i did one inspired by Princess Zelda. I still have the other characters to do, i think one of these weekends i'll just do all of them(aka the main ones, realistically i don't think i could do ALL of them lol) and leave it at that. Have i posted the ones i did last week on my shop? Of course i haven't, not yet, 'cause i'm slow like that...lol XD.


I did this cool cabled hat from the Stitch 'n Bitch Nation book in my library. I love it. I've probably done one cabled project in my life, and although it turned out pretty awesome it was pretty time consuming since i was a newbie and all(and still am actually). It's inspired me to do more wearable projects. My gauge was a huge problem last week and i felt so awkward and whatnot 'cause i seem to have a pretty loose one. Hopefully the more i knit the better i'll get at it and ideally my gauge will improve as well. Wish me luck! My next hat projects are probably going to be Animal Crossing inspired(i love this game series!).



I'm making another project i picked out while shopping from my stash. I actually have quite a few lined up. One night i sat down and looked through part of my library and picked out patterns i wanted to make. Then i went over to my stash and picked out yarn compatible with said patterns and set them aside so they would be ready to pick up when needed. This is a genius idea! I'll be showing my projects as they get completed of course ;). Check out my cast-off crew vid!

Shawl, Cuffs and Yarn

Hey all, the shawl is finally complete! I used Red Heart's Unforgettable yarn and it turned out pretty awesome. I still wish i would have had a solid color handy to kind of break up the craziness.... but maybe next time. It's a free pattern(link provided in video description).

I've been working on an easy knitted cuff to include in my shop(eventually). I decided against making them in the round since there's color-work involved(perhaps i'm still too much of a newbie to figure it out lol). I'm not sure which i like better, ribbing on the edges or garter stitch. I'm still pretty slow with this color-work; but i'm working on it! Video games will forever be my inspiration, of course <3


This tiny Michael's haul also made me happy. As happy as when i finally finish the socks? Probably not....but it'll tie me over lol. Talking about making me happy...the swift is pretty sweet. I'm thinking of getting another just so i could turn one skein into another without making it into a ball first. Since i dye yarn that would be ideal...i think i just convinced myself! XD

     

               

Namaste, Swift and Link(from LoZ)!

What's this...another crafty haul! This one doesn't include all that much yarn however, and i'm not counting the skeins i dyed myself since they'll be going on sale(sooner or later). Will keep you guys updated! :) I scored these from Michael's this past weekend. I've been thinking of doing some kind of yarn fast or yarn diet recently.... i'm not sure if i'm up to it yet!! It will take some major self control...


I found a few of Lion Brand's Amazing Yarn on clearance for $4...it was an unexpected find! I love the color transition of these yarns, even more so than the Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable i think. Just wish the Michael's i went to had more of the clearance colorways in stock. I also found that Vanna?s Choice is pretty nice to work with; it's way up there with the Red Heart Super Saver (specially for wearables).


Another thing.... i finally started dying yarn again!! I did some cotton yarn with the liquid Rit Dyes (which didn't come out as vibrant as i hoped) in royal blue and aquamarine. I dyed them overnight as opposed to couple of hrs as per the instructions.

I also experimented with food coloring and one of my past Legend of Zelda inspired colorways; Link. I tried to re-create and get the recipe down pat so i could recreate them as i please. I think i got it! The different types of fiber absorbed in different ways, yet they all resemble what it's suppose to be. I did two skeins of Superwash merino and one of 100% Wool (i think this is my fave actually). I will find the time to try out the swift this weekend as well!!! Will be posting up something relating to before and after pics of these awesome skeins. The rest of the LoZ crew colorways is next ;D. Check out my last Yarn Addiction Vid.

The Most Expensive Skein...

This past weekend i have purchased the most expensive skein i have ever bought. Ever. Meet the $30 Plymouth Select Kettle-Dyed Superwash Merino Wool in color 1004...this is the full 436yds/200grams. Isn't it beautiful?! ...it's actually the green skein featured in the 2nd pic :)

The store i checked out was 'They Yarn Store' in Columbus, OH. I also checked out a Michael's in the area, although i'm not sure why! I had this idea that it may differ somewhat from the one around me(in VA), but it didn't, at least not enough to talk about(or perhaps not enough for me to notice). So anyway, via their website this yarn store was the biggest around here and it was also recommended by a fellow Cast-Off crew member so i had to check it out! They also sell online i believe, and while checking out they mentioned that a free membership card is available which offers some nice incentives. If it was compatible with online sales(it's not) i would have got it for sure. 

I picked up a few other skeins for myself(some were sale items) which are also pretty awesome. I have something in my stash that i can pair up with the Peria, and am looking to do something  two-toned with the others as well. Not to mention the Malabrigo...i'm in love with how soft that yarn is. If need-be i'm also going to pair it up with a partial skein i had in my stash ~ whatever this will become, it will be beautiful. 

During this road trip i had lots of time(it was about a 7hr drive each way) to craft and i made reasonable progress. I almost finished one of my socks, yet i decided that it is in fact too big and am unhappy with how the toe was progressing....so i decided to frog and start a pair of to-up and make them two at a time so i could use up all that yarn. I used up a whole skein(i only took 1) of the Unforgettableyarn on my half-granny square shawl, i also wished they had solid colors so i could pair this up with a white or cream perhaps... maybe they will eventually. Check out my cast-off vid here! :)

Road Trip & Unicorns!

This week was kind of a drag! Going to work an hr early is not my ideal, i'm just glad it's almost over. This weekend i'm also going on a road trip to Ohio(Columbus specifically) which is a nice incentive to get through the week. It's about a 6hr drive i believe, which leaves me with plenty of time for projects. I already have some WIPS and new projects to take in mind. :)

Still working on my green/gray stripped sweater of course. I finished one of the side panels and am working on the second; i just haven't felt like measuring out the buttons as of yet(which i need to do since this is the side w/ the button holes).....i actually don't even have the buttons i plan to use either. All in due time i suppose. How do you go about matching buttons to your projects? I'm glad to say that working with the I Love This Yarn brand is pretty enjoyable.

This week i only had 1 (almost)finished project. I checked out Amigurumi Toy Box from the library and made this awesome unicorn . It's a pretty cute pattern and i really want to make a second as a horse(Epona, anyone? The Legend of Zelda reference). The book's due this weekend tho, so again all in due time(or perhaps i'll just purchase it for myself ;D). I should have a list of yarn related items i want so i can give out when the time arises(such as the holiday season or my bday), it would make an awesome gift.