Heart *felt* gifts - warning picture heavy

To start with, remember the felted LTK mocs I made for my mom? Well they were a tad too big, so home they came and back in the washer. Now they really should fit her perfectly. They tightened up in the width pretty well and didn't lose that much length, I'm happy to say


And now for the Easter project. I made this Spring Basket pattern for all three of my kids. Pre-felting it was floppy and messy looking. In fact DS2 thought they were hats. So I took a picture of all 3 in their 'hats'. They are pretty big for their heads as you can see.


But after felting, I love them. They're just large enough for the knitted peep, a CP Easter egg a Josh Early chocolate bunny and some small assorted candies






Pattern: Y2Knit Felted Spring Basket March 2005
Yarn: Patons 100% Classic Merino (about half a skein)
Color: Rosewood
Needle: Size 11 Knit Picks Options and Size 11 bamboo dpns

Pattern: Y2Knit Felted Spring Basket March 2005
Yarn: Patons 100% Classic Merino
Color: Denim
Needle: Size 11 Knit Picks Options and Size 11 bamboo dpns

The red one is still felting (it's third time through). The Paton's took one cycle in the machine but I used a different wool for the red one (see this post) and it's turning out a bit larger. I'm sure DD will have a fit that her brother's basket is bigger than hers... oh well... tough nooggies. I have to say, I like hers the best though. I love the way the colors of the varigation felted. The sides are stripey, the attached i-cord is chunks of color and the bottom is so cool the way the colors pooled. But I'm sure her 7 year old mind won't process all that.

I'll definitely make this pattern again... probably for gifts. It would make a great teacher/day care provider gift because it knits up pretty quickly and doesn't use much wool... You may even be able to get by on a 50g skein, although I can't guarantee that.

I was knitting the Monthly Dishcloth KAL in hot orange and once I realized it was the three crosses I frogged it. It just didn't seem right to knit that image in hot orange. Raisin would be a better color I think. And I'm not sure I want to do dishes with a cross cloth, so I'm going to adapt it as a bookmark and knit it in Paton's Grace in the purple color, with only one cross instead of three. Hmmm, something else to finish before Sunday!

happy crafting

New Projects

So I've started some KALs... not as many as I'd like, but one is really cool cuz I'm learning double knitting. You know, use two colors, one side of the FO has the background in the main color with the design in contrasting color and the other side has a background in the contrasting color and design in the main color. I'm starting small with a potholder, but I'm thinking of some very cool baby gifts that this could turn into (too bad I know no one who is expecting.... Laura give me some advance warning if you're thinking of taking the plunge!) I also had to learn the crochet cast on to start this project... Anyway, I think it will be a great tool and could help me when I finally take the big intarsia step!

I'm doing the Monthly Dishcloth KAL as well and want to start the Dishcloth Fun KAL... and there's a group KAL at At My House group that I'll probably start. I've also signed up for the April KAL at Get Stitchy for bath items. I'm thinking of a bath mat. It's been on my to do list for a while and I have all the necessary items, so why not?

I forgot to mention that I taught myself to knit continental last week and at the in-service at work on Friday, I taught myself to truly knit and purl left handed. All that's left is for me to do backwards knitting... and of course intarsia.

I've been spinning whenever I get the chance. Yesterday wasn't too much though. I was too busy digging us and our neighbors out. I wound up shovelling our front and side, and the front of 2.5 more neighbors out. The problem wasn't the snow it was the inch and a half of ice that was at the bottom. I admit.. I'm a bit sore today. I really need to do more exercise.

DH and I had a 'date' last night. One of his college students gave a voice recital so we went together. We should have gone out after but DS1 is still running a fever since Wednesday night so I felt like we really needed to get home. We got here and he was sound asleep.

OK... off to do some nuch needed work...happy crafting!