Author: Chauntel Ensey

I was glad to see everyone at Meetup last night. I was hoping for a bigger turnout but it was really nice to see everyone anyway.

I am about 2/3 of the way finished with the homespun circle blanket. I have to say that I have never been a huge fan of homespun to knit or crochet with. I love the colors that are available & how nice it is to just throw in the machine to wash. But this blanket makes me happy! Pretty stripes, colors & all other wonderful things you can say about such soft yarn! I would love to finish it so that I can actually cuddle with it without the stupid circular needle poking me! I have it on my Denise set with the 42″ cord (I think that is the length). All I know is that it is very long & I am so glad that I thought ahead & bought the extra cord!

I finished 2 bags & felted them along with 2 hats. I am working on a third hat & bag. Once those are done they will go to the shop. Let’s cross our fingers that I make a little moolah off this whole ordeal!

SO how much do I LOVE Tracy???? She is an angel that was sent directly to me & George to save us from ourselves….oh & the kids…. She is going to watch the kids for us this weekend so that we can go to Disneyland all by ourselves for 2 nights. SO EXCITED!! I just can’t decided what knitting to bring with me. I am going to bring the blanket to work on in the room and some other project that I can take down by the pool. Not that the weather is going to be good enough to spend a lot of time by the pool but without kids I don’t care if it’s raining cats & dogs!

Okay well I hope everyone has a bad ass weekend & I will be back!

 

I am on a mission to get some crap finished! I have 2 things ready for felting, a bucket hat & a handbag, both made of hpy.com’s natural merino worsted weight. Gorgeous, I just hope my new patterns work out. I am felting the bag with the magnet closure already attached. We’ll see how that will work out. I have a solid black bag & a new striped bag pattern that I am trying to finish to get the the store to sell. Charisma on State St. next to the Hotel Santa Barbara will start carrying my products just as soon as I can get some over to them. Very happy about that! It’s fun to come up with my own patterns for things to sell.

I am awaiting an order from handpaintedyarn.com for some of their bulky wool in turquoise & some bulky merino in paris nights. Can’t wait for those to get here!!

I am slowly working on a few other projects, let’s just make a list shall we??

*turtleneck scarf from scarfstyle

*ruffles scarf from scarfstyle

*aran sweater from Debbie Bliss

*2 bags for felting

*2 bucket hats for felting

*homespun blanket

*various socks, some kneehigh, some crew

*herringbone poncho

And of course I always have a dozen other projects that I want to cast on! Ordering new yarn doesn’t help that situation at all!

As a matter of fact that damn conscience I have is causing serious problems! Hear me now: I am not buying any more yarn for at least 2 months! I give myself a re-start date of May 8th, 2005. Hold me accountable if you feel the need, I would actually appreciate it! I am also considering selling some of my cone yarn on ebay for machine knitters. Since I can’t seem to get my act in gear & use my own machine to make things!! Lame! I also have 2 giant rubbermaid bins of all that charity yarn from Jayme that none of us have really used. If anyone wants to take some of that off my hands I would appreciate it! Let me know!! Have a great week people!

Okay so we are actually having a sunny weekend therefore I haven’t done much knitting this weekend. I am hoping to work on the aran sweater sleeves. I decided to knit both at once thinking maybe I will feel more motivated to get them completed, so far I have rather enjoyed the feeling that I am killing 2 birds with one stone.

I also started hoarding homespun yarn for a new blanket pattern that they had in the catalog this last time.

I have managed to get all but 2 of the colors locally, now I only have to order the other 2 with Tracy online (she needs woolease for her blanket). As she mentionied in her blog post about the blanket   that she is doing I will also be left with a ton of yarn. The idea of a second blanket with the opposite color scheme works well so if I don’t hate it with a passion when I am done with my blanket that is what I will do. I am excited to really get it done but of course the 2 colors I need are holding me up. That’s cool though!

Okay well I need to get home & crackin’ on some knittin’!

The Good Cup on the Mesa, be there or be square!

Amazing all the rainy weather this winter! Wednesday night I had an awesome coffee date with Suzanne & Tracy (of course) at Mojo Coffee. Knit quite a bit on the ruffles scarf from scarfstyle. I also am working on a few felted bags to sell at Charisma on lower State St. Very excited about that! They will sell my stuff on consignment and that is just plain radical!

Also I stopped in at Craft Essentials today & they are having a 20% off yarn sale. Not a huge discount but good enough!

Since I am on the office computer I think I will bring some of my knitting over here on Monday & scan it onto this here blog so y’all can see just what it is I have been doing in the last 6 weeks without my computer! I havent’ done much spinning but I will get back into that rhythm soon I am sure.

Jayme started tunisian crochet & it is something that I have always thought I would try eventually. I got a hook the other day but haven’t tried it yet. So many projects….overload….yet I want to start so many more!!

I need to set this computer up for my camera that way I can empty the card. I also will take my broken computer over to Compusa & have them download my harddrive onto a disk for me. Okay enough talk about computer issues.

I am so out of whack with blogging that I really have nothing of great importance to talk about. So until I get into the swing of things again forgive the lameness!

 

Okay well I am only back because we finally got the dsl hooked up in the office. So now I can catch up on what everyone has done on their blogs plus get you all updated on what is going on with me!

I have finished a few things since I last posted. I am currently trying to get the aran sweater finished. I am woriking on both sleeves at once and I am about half done with them. Front and back are finished. I am hoping to get it completed this week. Of course I cast on about 10 other projects in the meantime. I bought Scarfstyle with my 40% off coupon this week from Craft Essentials. That just made me yearn for more projects so I cast on the Ruffles and the shrug-cum-scarf (their term not mine ;o)

Let’s see….um….I have on needles right now the ballet wrap sweater from the latest interweave magazine, a pair of homespun pants, socks (4 pair on needles), I finished a pair of kneehigh socks out of some noro kureyon that I got from Suzanne. There is almost too much to go into it all. So for now let’s just leave it at how happy I am to be back online. I suppose I should try to actually go to my blog to see if it works or not. heehee

Okay so let’s just start with the obvious…my computer is broken! Thanks to Tracy I am on her laptop sitting on my bed. Of course I am used to dsl but right now dial up is a heaven send!

Over the past few weeks we have had some developments: Squirt our  beloved lost turtle has died (pond issues), my mother in law moved from the convalescent hospital back to their apartment in Solvang (not sure that is the smartest move but whatever), I have managed to get some fun knitting in along the way.

I started the aran along, then this morning I decided that the verigated cascade 220 #9435, that I decided to use just isn’t showing the cables as well as I would like it to. So I have decided to switch to a cream colored wool blend instead. Lame, what a waste of 4 hours!! I had about 5″ done on the back. But now I have the hang of the pattern so I think I can cruise once I get cast on.

I made my niece Allie a rectangular poncho with a hood out of some lion brand landscapes. Nothing too fancy but it is fun!

I am working on the cabled baby blanket & thoroughly enjoying it! The herringbone poncho is gorgeous & lovely but OMG it is so slow! You would think that on size 17 needles it would go quickly but with the diameter of the needles and the weight of the piece on them it is a literal pain to work on. So I pick it up when I feel my shoulders need a workout. I do like the herringbone stitch though, rather ingenious with the knit 2 tog tbl then pass only one off of the needle. I love how it looks! I have to say that I wish my Denise set had size 17 tips, it would be so much better! I am considering just buying a addi 17 circ needle. Oh, well, now that I am actually online I could do that! Amazing thought!

Okay this is just one of a hundred things I need to do with my limited computer time. I must be off. Ciao & I hope to see some more of you at knitting group! The Good Cup on the Mesa Monday & Thursday nights, 6:30-9pm. Please, please come by! 

Everyone…sing along! Okay so you don’ t have to really. Quick update….finished the circus sweater yesterday. Then I was solicited to make a bag for a friend’s bday this week, Thursday is when we will give it to her. So I am now putting all else on hold to design & make a new bag. I finished the design this mornign & got the bottom about 1/2 done. Now I just need to knit, knit, knit! Hoping I have enough of the lamb’s pride worsted for the body of the bag. If not then I may be going to Solvang tomorrow to get some more. I am very excited about this bag! Not sure I want to let y’all know the design plan yet but let’s just say that it’s springy.

So off to knit & I am going to try pics again right now. Wish me luck!

I wish that computers were perfect, but then they would rule the world so that might not be my wish after all.

I still can’t get onto msn so I am just using ie & hoping that I can do without all my favorites.

I have finished 4 pair of mittenettes in the last 2 days. Fun!

And yesterday was our Girls trip to Solvang to shop at Village Spinning & Weaving. Tracy, Suzanne and Jayme  went along to enjoy the beautiful day along the coast & up into the Santa Ynez Valley. We found many many items to buy & probably spent money we should not have. Jayme had a gift certificate from Thuy to spend and that is what spurred us into a day trip. If I could get pictures to download onto this damn page I could show you all the goodness that we came home with. Tracy also finished the cutest damn shrug from snbnation! We are all very jealous & making one for ourselves this week! I bought some organic handspun cotton for the herringbone poncho from last minute knitted gifts. And a ton of lamb’s pride worsted for felted bags. I promise pictures will come!!

Currently I am in the mindset that I should finish all the little stuff I have going:

*second sock in pink multi

*hood on circus sweater for neice

*woolease sweater for other neice (they are twins with bday next month)

*sweater for Sadie (body ready for joining sleeves)

*stripey sweater for myself (1/3 done with front, all other pieces complete)

*random scarves & hats

*baby blanket for Wilson Walker Jacks born last Thursday Jan. 14th! Gorgeous baby boy, no really he is very handsome (I don’t say that about babies unless I mean it)

Major list but not that much work for each project! So off to add to the completed projects album!!

For some dumb reason my blog host isn’t uploading my photos. I will have to remedy that somehow! I have so many pictures to post too! The Clapotis out of willowbrook handpaintedyarn, one sock, mittenettes, start of the baby blanket, etc. etc. etc.

SO now that I am frustrated with the computer & freezing my butt off in the office, I am done! I will figure it out tomorrow! Hope everyone has a good night!

 

I have to say that I am actually not too tired of the rain yet. I think my attitude is; take it while you can get it. Referring to actually feeling like we have a winter this year. Most years January is the most beautiful month of the year: no marine layer or fog, no rain, gorgeous 70degree days every day. That is why George & I chose Jan 20th to get married outdoors in Montecito, it’s just perfect! Not this year, oh no!

Melissa’s comment reminded me that I need to get started on the baby blanket since the baby could be born any day now. She also hinted, not so slightly, that cotton is a bitch to work with. Unfortunately I have the perfect color yarn but it is mercerized cotton. SO I am debating. Gorgeous yarn & pain to knit or not so gorgeous yarn & easy to knit. So my solution is to do a swatch of this blanket

in the sage green cotton. Then I will decide if it’s worth it, of course the baby is worth it I just want to actually finish it without ripping my hair out!

Stay dry, keep knittin’!