Christmas UFOs

This year we are hosting my husband's office Christmas party in our home. I love to have parties. I love planning for them, decorating for them, cooking for them (although we are getting a caterer for this one), and everything to do with hosting parties. The only time I don't like it is when I'm busy, kind of like right now. Well, it really isn't as bad as all that, but I'm finishing up performances for INTO THE WOODS through Sunday, and then Monday I go right into rehearsals for another musical, URINETOWN. Also, I'm trying to organize my craft room and especially my stash before company comes over. No easy feat. I'm going to be reading all the e-mails I've seen go around lately on how to organize your stash. Finally, I'm desperately trying to finish the felted Poinsettia Wreath by Pick Up Sticks. There are basically seven flowers to the wreath, and each flower has four layers of petals. I'm almost halfway done with knitting the petals. I'm not even going to get into what it will take for felting and then assembling.


Scary, isn't it. Actually, when it is done I think it will be gorgeous. This is what I hope it will look like!

You can order this pattern from Pick Up Sticks at http://www.pickupsticksonline.com/products/flowers/pw.php.

Finally, here is Justin in his hat. I think he liked it. It is a Knitty.com pattern which can be found at http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATTtopi.html.


Okay, back to knitting poinsettias.

Hat Making Fool...

I have been a hat making fool! Literally. I've made so many hats that I've actually created my own pattern -- called the Easy Peasy Cap, versions 1 and 2. You will find those patterns over to the right. I'm still performing in INTO THE WOODS and these are the hats that the actors and stage crew have asked for. It is a great way to use up my stash yarn! After creating these hats and handing them out this evening, the rest of the cast basically came up and asked if I would make them a hat. As our show ends this Sunday, not likely. I did tell them that if they wanted a hat, I would be happy to make them one -- they just wouldn't get it until after Christmas!

Here are pictures of the cast in their hats, or some are of my daughter modeling the hat.





Finally, another one of my hats for Michael who is playing my son Jack in the show. He is soon going to be a new and first time uncle. As I adore Michael, I wanted to make sure that he would be the favorite uncle by making a matching cap for his nephew-to-be.


On the needles, or OTN (my daughters hate when I talk in knit), a Harry Potter scarf for another cast member which I don't think will be finished prior to Sunday's performance, a bunch of petals for a poinsetta wreath that I am going to felt, a pair of fetching fingerless gloves for my MIL for Christmas and a pair for my DH as well, a self-striping sock and too many charity projects to mention.

My First Movie Wins a Film Festival!!!

I know, I know. What does this have to do with knitting. But I had to share the fact that my first film won Best of Festival and the Audience Choice Award at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, and "Most Dramatic Film" at the What You See is What You Get Film Festival in San Francisco. I had a supporting role, but the film won based on our leads and the beautiful filming/editing. Anyway, you can see a trailer of the film here at www.theoathfilm.com

The film is going straight to DVD and will come out on December 5th, 2006. I don't know where the film will be available yet, but anyway, I just had to share my good news!

Alex's Freshman Sweater

Boy have I been busy this past week. I just opened a musical called INTO THE WOODS, and with late night rehearsals and then performances every evening and two matinees, blogging has been moved to the back burner. I actually have been working hard on a dishcloth with the Monthly Dishcloth KAL (photo to come later), another beret for another actress in my show (again, photo to come later), working on a cap for charity, a Harry Potter scarf, and trying to figure out an entrelac hat. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. I did want to post a pic of the sweater I made for my daughter though. They wear uniforms at her school -- very strict dress code. However, the Freshman class was allowed to select a "class color" and was told they could wear a sweater/cardigan of that color on Fridays. They chose lavender, and this was in late August. There were no lavender sweaters/cardigans to be found in August, so darn it all, I had to knit one for her. I let her pick out the pattern, and lo and behold, she picked an old pattern of a sweater pattern from the 70's. In fact, my mother made me a sweater from the same pattern when I was in highschool. Anyway, as I have not done many sweaters, I was rather proud that it came out pretty cute (of course, I think anything on Alex is cute). More importantly, she went with me to pick out the buttons and she loves it. I think that she really likes that she did receive many compliments on it and she was proud that she could say that her mother made it for her. Even some of her teachers seemed to be impressed. I also made her a pair of fingerless gloves to match with the leftover yarn. Okay, I'm through with my bragging for the moment.

I thought you would like to see a quick cast shot from the show though, I'm the older woman on the left, playing Jack's Mother. What you can't see is that under that mop cap is a wig piece with enough ringlets to make Shirley Temple proud -- a fun and silly look for the second act!

OSU Dishcloth (Ohio State University)

Well, here is another attempt as my design for a dishcloth. Marge kindly asked me if I would give it a shot. I did try to knit up the OSU logo, but it was so busy that it was very difficult to read. When I get a chance, I think I will take what I created, though, it try it in intarsia. I bet that might come out nice. In the meantime, and until I get more time, I wanted to get this posted for any OSU fans out there. Maybe someday I'll even attempt a design of Brutus. In the meantime, the pattern is listed free over at the right.


A friend of mine also asked if I would knit a hat for her daughter. Of course, she knew exactly what she wanted. A design that I had not seen, so here is my creation of "Sarah's Bobble Hat". I know, Sarah is just so darn cute it is hard to look at the hat, but the pattern is listed at the right. Let me tell you too, that this is a very fast knit and is a great way to use up scrap yarn!

Lakiaya's Beret

Okay, here is another hat made for a cast member. Lakiaya, a sweet girl playing the part of Florinda asked for this Beret. Although it came out kind of big (she does have big hair though), I think it is still cute on her. I seem to be having the continued problem of my hats coming out too big. What, measure for gauge? It just seems like the patterns I have never call for the type of yarn that I have.
Here is another view and yes, she still looks cute in it. This was a really, super fast knit. It got to be a little boring after awhile, just because the decreasing part took forever! I think I would like to make one for me too. Oh, wait, another cast member has already asked for a hat like this. Oh well.

Texas Longhorns.....

This cloth is for all you Texas Longhorn fans out there. Actually, Diane asked me if I would consider designing a Texas Longhorn dishcloth -- so this is my shot at it. I thought it came out kind of cute, even though I'm really a Notre Dame fan.....

Anyway, you'll find a link for this pattern for free over to the right. Enjoy.

Hats galore

I'm in the midst of rehearsals right now for the musical INTO THE WOODS. When I'm not on stage, and when I need to unwind (rehearsals can be a bit stressful at times), I knit. It is amazing how the simple act of knitting will draw people towards you. First, they watch in silence. Some will say "I have always wanted to learn to knit" which I then happily reply that I will be happy to teach them. Some will ask me if I am knitting or crocheting. Then others, will bluntly ask me to make them something. I don't mean bluntly as in rude, but I have to admire the guts to just come on out and ask. Usually it is just one person. But once the first one asks, and then proudly shows off his/her knitted item, they come in droves. The hat pictured is a result of that. The actress pictured is named Karen (very talented actress), and when she saw that I had knitted something for someone else, she promptly found a pattern of an R2D2 hat (she is very big into sci-fi). Of course I thought, when else would I ever get the chance to knit something like this -- so I happily complied. It is also a great hat to use up scrap yarn, as well as working intarsia. Unfortunately, I don't know where she found the pattern, but I'll bet if you Google R2D2 Beanie Hat, you'll find it.

Knit, knit, knit, knit....

Some people call me a prolific knitter. Okay, to be honest, they just call me nuts -- but truth be told I do manage to get many knitted items out in a rather short period of time. Of course, I have an Aran sweater that I've been working on for over a year, but only because I can't really travel with it and I have to set the chart up in front of me and not have anyone talk while I work on it. With a husband, two teenage daughters, two cats and a hectic work schedule, that doesn't happen very often.

I do love quick projects though. I just feel a great sense of accomplishment. The fingerless glove (I will make the second one) is going to be for my nephew for Christmas. I was visiting my Mom in Bakersfield a few weeks ago, proudly wearing my Fetching gloves when he said how much he would love to have a pair of fingerless gloves that he could use for work. As my mother sent me home with a huge suitcase full of yarn (granted, it was all acrylic and I will use most of it for charity), I found a variegated ww yarn that I really liked and thought it would make a nice pair of gloves for him. Also, they are completely washable. Since he also has a Jack Russell dog that he loves, I thought I'd make the dog (Bruno) a matching sweater. Too cutesy? Oh the pattern for the fingerless gloves was created by Amanda Gill, and the pattern is free here http://www.gaea-creations.com/fingerless.pdf.

The hat, another quick project and a great way to use up fragments of yarn is a knitted hat believe it or not. Everyone who saw it thought it was crocheted. A very talented Laura designed this hat and this pattern can be found at http://www.poormissfinch.com/index.php?id=D20041101. I made this hat for Amanda, a young actress that I am rehearsing a show with right now. Needless to say, she was estatic and is eagerly awaiting for our show to open so that I will teach her how to knit.

Pattern for Hershey Kiss Dishcloth

Well, being very computer challenged, I am having difficulty figuring out how to work all this...so here is the pattern!

CO 46

B3 = continue established border

1. *K1, p1*
2. *P1, k1*
3. *K1, p1*
4. B3, k41, p1, k1
5. B3, p41, k1, p1
6. B3, k41, p1, k1
7. B3, p41, k1, p1
8. B3, k9, p16, k16, p1, k1
9. B3, p10, k22, p9, k1, p1
10. B3, k7, p26, k8, p1, k1
11. B3, p5, k29, p7, k1, p1
12. B3, k6, p30, k5, p1, k1
13. B3, p3, k31, p7, k1, p1
14. B3, k6, p31, k4, p1, k1
15. B3, p2, k31, p8, k1, p1
16. B3, k7, p31, k3, p1, k1
17. B3, p2, k30, p9, k1, p1
18. B3, k9, p28, k4, p1, k1
19. B3, p4, k26, p11, k1, p1
20. B3, k11, p24, k6, p1, k1
21. B3, p7, k21, p13, k1, p1
22. B3, k13, p19, k9, p1, k1
23. B3, p9, k18, p14, k1, p1
24. B3, k14, p15, k12, p1, k1
25. B3, p12, k13, p16, k1, p1
26. B3, k15, p12, k14, p1, k1
27. B3, p14, k10, p17, k1, p1
28. B3, k16, p9, k16, p1, k1
29. B3, p16, k7, p18, k1, p1
30. B3, k17, p7, k17, p1, k1
31. B3, p16, k7, p18, k1, p1
32. B3, k17, p6, k18, p1, k1
33. B3, p18, k4, p19, k1, p1
34. B3, k18, p2, k21, p1, k1
35. B3, p21, k2, p18, k1, p1
36. B3, k16, p1, k24, p1, k1
37. B3, p24, k2, p15, k1, p1
38. B3, k10, p5, k26, p1, k1
39. B3, p26, k6, p9, k1, p1
40. B3, k6, p6, k29, p1, k1
41. B3, p31, k7, p3, k1, p1
42. B3, k2, p5, k34, p1, k1
43. B3, p34, k2, p5, k1, p1
44. B3, k41, p1, k1
45. B3, p41, k1, p1
46. B3, k41, p1, k1
47. B3, p41, k1, p1
48. *P1, k1*
49. *K1, p1*
50. *P1, k1*

BO in pattern
Weave in ends

Hershey Kiss!!

Woo hoo! I had so much designing this dischloth for Diane Schultz who is a co-member of Monthly Dishcloth KAL. Granted, it is still a little rough, but the most important thing is having fun -- right? I'm tring to figure how to put a link to make this pattern available because Lord knows I don't want to have to retype it! Bear with me gang!

Ice Cream Cozy!!!

Thanks to the Yahoo Group - Lonesome Skein KAL - I was challenged to knit something with a single skein of 100% cotton. Oh, what to knit besides a dishcloth (which I love doing by the way)? Then I thought, what about an ice cream cozy! Why, you might ask? Well, I don't know about you, but when I pull out some ice cream to eat, I don't bother with a bowl. Why do dishes? Just pull out the pint -- but it is just too cold to hold in your hand. Right? Of course, right. Then I thought, I'll put it around an empty Baskin Robbin container, add some beads to the tie, and then include a gift certificate in the container. What a nice little gift it would make for someone -- and cost me very little money. AND a fast knit. That's three pluses in my book.

Working at Creating My Own patterns

Well I'm giving the idea of creating my own patterns a try. I seem to remember doing this same thing when I was first learning to cook. At first, I would never, ever deviate from a recipe, and for years I could literally not cook anything without a cookbook. Now, I rarely use one. Knitting is evolving that same way for me. Some designs are coming out by accident! Like this hat. Well, some of it was by accident and some on purpose.

This hat was created for a musical production of FROG AND TOAD which will begin performing at Main Street Theater here in Houston -- for the character Toad. I actually made a hat for both Frog and Toad, but Toad's hat had to be silly! I think it is. Unfortunately, you can't see the ginamous tassel hanging off the top of the hat. I'll try and get another picture of the actor wearing the hat in costume and make-up. Should be a hoot!


I have also been very busy making Fetching, the fingerless gloves from Knitty.com. I just LOVE making them. They are very fast, and I love wearing them. I think they will make fabulous, inexpensive Christmas gifts. Here are a couple that I made, one with the recommended Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in chocolate, and the lavender pair from leftover Cascade 220 that I had.

Finally, I have joined a monthly dishcloth exchange group for a year commitment. I thought it would be fun to actually try and design a dishcloth to send to each of these ladies. This candy corn cloth is my first attempt. Of course, I am only showing the cloth after my recipient has received it as to not spoil the surprise!

Knitted Girly Knee-High Socks

I love reading everybody's blogs, but I've been very timid in trying to create my own. So bear with me as this may be rough ride!

I am excited to show my first pair of knee high socks for my 12 year old. My children never want me to make them anything. Isn't that the way it always is? I also sew -- used to costume professionally but have put that aside as I prefer performing on stage and knitting. But, when I sewed I always offered to make my daughters their Halloween costumes. Did they want that? Noooooooo, they wanted store-bought! So, when my daughter asked me to make her a pair of pink and green knee high socks, I jumped at the chance.

I knitted them top down on dpn's, but I want to eventually try, circulars, magic loop, toe-up, etc. I bought some self-striping yarn to try the toe-up option next. In the next couple of days I'll post some of my other recently completed projects. I've been working mostly on smallish projects as I have had a need of completion. I also have a number of Christmas gifts I need to get busy on.

As I am involved in a couple of dishcloth exchanges, I have also focused on those. So much fun.