It's Been A Little While...Working on Mount Cardigan and Setting Up Shop...

Something I am knitting to felt up, stay tuned!!! Nice sparkly darning needle in this photo :o)

I haven't posted in awhile, I have been Facebooking and Tweeting a lot. You can find me on both those networking sites as follows, for my custom knitting business called knit shan knit or follow my personal stitches as I log them........I am also offering knitting classes in 2010 and new knitter kits filled with goodies from Knit Picks and etsy.

knitshanknit on Twitter
knit shan knit on Facebook
knitshanknit on etsy

I know it's really original!!!

So lately I have been trying to get my head around knitting more, taking time for designing projects (not fun because no actual knitting happens) and working in creative time whilst taking care of all my awesome menfolk. There is time to be found and I do find it, but it takes a lot of caffeine and organization.

Tonight if the baby allows it, I will start working on a lace pattern out of the second Mason Dixon book. I am going to use huge needles and bulky yarn. Stay tuned for that. It's the shawl that is doubled over and worked in two colors of mohair. Do you know the one I mean?

Soon, if a certain online shop would get my order to me. I won't mention names because I'm not like that and they are a cottage industry like me. I may give them another chance just to make sure it wasn't just an off day or someone over there. But, soon, I will be starting my long lost cousin's snow hiking hat. I am going for glorious. Her request, chic not hippy, so I think I know where I need to go. I am making sure I am using really beautiful wool and researching the cable sequences I'll use. I can't not put cables in this hat. I am pretty sure it's going to be complicated. I don't care!!! This is my sweet cousin T that lives in Connecticut. She blissfully paints away her Saturdays, carries around her Boston Terrier Bernie Mac and has two great daughters. We have always lived on opposite sides of the states, but thanks to Facebook we are getting to know each other. I am supposed to knit for her little pup soon........I love knitting for dogs. Especially dogs I love or know I am gonna love when I meet 'em.

So tonight I have a sick baby...he is either attached to me or to Blue's Clues this fine evening. I am letting him watch his video a little late due to his feeling bad. I think I am going to steal a few stitches while he's finding some clues with Blue.


I will end on this note...I started reading a really sweet book about fine gauge knitting called: Knit So Fine, Designs with Skinny Yarn. This book is going to act as a support group for my cardigan project I started earlier this year. I bought a huge amount of alpaca yarn from Pancake and LuLu on etsy.......started a top down raglan sweater. It is 7 stitches per inch. It's beautiful. I have 7+ inches knit on the raglan. I have a sanity marker to show how many rows I have completed. It is hundreds of stitches at this point because the body and sleeves are being worked at the same time. Here is what it looks like right now. It is gorgeous and will be worth it in the end.


One thing the fine gauge knitting books says is to blog about your progress, so you may get to join in my cardigan support group. I am a half inch or so away from putting the sleeves on their holders, then this blob will start to look like something. By the way, the roll on the outside edge is 3 inches of fabric rolled up, it will lay flat once I block it, etc, get the sleeves on the holders...........I am getting so close. I had to knit an 8 inch raglan and it has an almost boat neckline. I took the Magic Raglan pattern that you can google and changed it to my tastes....wide neckline with 3/4 length sleeves and cropped. I decided cropped is totally back in so why waste time knitting a whole darn sweater at 7 stitches per inch gauge.

Alright, thanks for being patient if you stop by often and I haven't posted since August like a lame-o. Go join my page on Facebook so you can stay in my loop and see what's up with my etsy shop.

shan
Will Knit For Tattoos!
http://www.knitshanknit.etsy.com

Amigurumi Family

Here is my little amigurumi family I have been working on since Christmas. Learning to make these little dolls has been such a fun experiment......and a totally new hobby for me, for sure....

From left to right we have Mousy, Junior, Egg Cozy, Penguin and Chloe the Chihuahua. Mousy, Chloe, Egg Cozy and Penguin all live at my friend Stef's house with their family. Junior, the large bear amigurumi lives here with my 3rd oldest son, Shiny.

You can find all sorts of patterns for amigurumi by google'ing or looking on ravelry.com. You do need to know how to crochet. It was hard to find amigurumi with knitted instructions.

BTW: Amigurumi are japanese crochet dolls.

I hope you're having a great sunny, spring day like we're having here in Washington State.

shan

Busy Bee...

Balls are fun to knit and felt. I put a jingle bell inside to make it extra special.One of my offerings waiting to be listed on etsy.com. My etsy and ravelry id is knitshanknit if you wanna check-me-out! I am also available for custom orders. This scarf is knit in the Dream Swatch pattern from Manos de Uruguay wool. Rustic and cheerful!
The humble beginning to my knitted wool/soybean soaker. It is a newborn size, I think and will most likely be for sale on my etsy store.
And last but not least, here is a ballband washcloth from the delicious Mason Dixon Knitters. I am using a mysterious multicolored yarn from friend's stash donation. I think it has a bit of cotton in it. The white is Peaches and Cream. This pattern is actually from the company that manufactures Peaches and Cream.
That's all for now friends. Please stay tuned. I took some pictures of our last Sit and Knit nite and the process of blocking my Manos de Uruguay scarf.

I am thankful for the new knitting friends that God has brought my way. You know who you are M, S, R, K and J. Thanks for bringing the party to the last Sit and Knit...... 5 people that have come before couldn't this time, get it on your calendar so we can hang out and not get pre-empted by other activities.

A Good Couple Weeks, now..........

A Good Couple Weeks. . .

This morning I sit here and I'm realizing it's gonna be one of those days. The kind of day where I steal away and cry in the bathroom. Take a few moments in my room when the boys are playing quietly to sit and pray. To lean in to this process of transition and goodbye. I woke up this morning after a really detailed dream about people in my life. I said, "I don't want to leave my friends." On Tuesday I was out running errands and it hit me that I am leaving my protection and security. I am venturing out from underneath Mom's wings. Frank's, Nate's, Brandon's even....

I'm getting older now, so I have learned to not rush out of this place. It will only make me ridiculously hard hearted. So I am crying. I am sighing. I am reminiscing. I am totally hating life at times.

I loved playing my electric guitar this year. What a hoot. I am not playing it yet at Crosswater Church. I will be singing and playing accoustic guitar....Kevin wants me to switch to writing music on my electric. It makes sense, because it's a completely different instrument. So we'll see. I just want to knit right now. I will get a second wind creatively I'm sure this summer. I love when Kevin is on board too. And when he's writing music other than electronica on Garage Band. He's amazing with Garage Band.

I just turned in my completed designs to Aaron for the church logo. He loved them. I also made grayscale examples because he said it needed to look good that way too. My good friend Amy A. said that it's a strong design as far as logos go. I was glad to hear that because I have not designed a logo before and really wanted to do an excellent job. Cherie our children's director asked me to come up with some ideas for the logo for her department. I am going to use a computer for this one, because I think she wants a really eye catching. I'm thinking 3-D design that looks like it's coming off the page. I am going to type in the elements to ppt and mess with their font stuff. I also offered to help with the children's department theme. She liked my idea of Pacific NW river wildlife. I am going to be sketching up ideas for her of fish and other creatures and getting paint swatch samples of colors that would be awesome. The cool thing is Spring is here and this is my favorite colored season.......all the bright new green......you can be sure that color will be in my palette. God brought me a professional quality drafting/art table for $5 off of Craigslist........... so now my work area looks really convincing! hahaa....... It's fun and challenging. A little overwhelming, but, that's usually how things are that I undertake. I love punishment! jk. Thank You God for allowing me to do art for the new church. It's an honor and I need you to inspire and help me.

KNITTING!!!! This is Knit-Shan-Knit after all...........
So, right now, I am knitting premie baby booties to sell at Evergreen Hospital's postpartum center. I think I found a great pattern to use in my baby boots design. The foot is all knit in one piece...very little to weave in at the end. I have four afgans that I am going to make. I want to make baby stuff that is not conventionally colored. The colors for the afgans are: black, kelly green, rust and a crazy granny square quilt. I will post pictures after I finish school and house keeping today.......The premie booties I'm making are light dusty aqua. They are amazing. I would like to get a picture of them on a little one after they sell. The booties I make are boots, knee high. I think I might make leg warmers too....those are popular right now. I get excited about knitting baby items because they are quick to knit. There are so many exciting colors out there to create with.
I'll post pictures in a little bit.

Pray for us that are going to Crosswater. Lift up our planting core team and our friends as we leave the nest. Pray that if we're sad that, we can just be sad and not get ulcers in the process!

Have a blessed day.
As I made coffee today this scripture came to mind:

Isaiah 43:18-20

18 "Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

20 The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen

Much love to you today where ever and who ever you are.
The God of love, loves YOU. . .made you and reaches out to you each day.
Take a look at the spring trees and flowers, imagine they are his hands......reaching out to you....
He is more wonderful than you can imagine, ever.........he waits.........
He is splendid and very good. Generous and ready to help with anything.
What would I do if He had not rescued me.
He healed my wounded life and now I will sing to glorify.

Please email me at: psalm333@comcast.net if you need prayer or would like to know more about Jesus.

2007 wowowow

Hello ya'll,

Can you believe it is January? I am very happy to be in the New Year. Looking forward to spring and not having to bundle up so much....but if I hurry that part of the year up, then the part where I am stiffled by heat in summer will be here sooner. So, I will build a fire and put another layer on. Enjoy today.

So, I am up paying a couple bills. Need to actually build my fire (fingers cannot type that well)

Knitting, not much lately. For Christmas I was able to use my Target Giftcard to buy a thingy for all my knitting thingies. There is a much more expensive knitting bag I would like at Yarn and Tea, a exquisite red knitting bag/purse, but, one cannot or this one cannot spend $100 on it. This woman will find a way to live without it until it's a lot less expensive lol. My mom might be making me a velour one. So I can be patient.

I have Baby Frank's items well underway. I am going to run out of time on some of the stuff. But I will make it big so he can grow into it. Baby Frank is my good friend Heather's baby's nickname en utero. I cannot wait to meet this little one and LONG to see his little face. And see my friends as they turn into Mommy and Daddy.

I will not list the items I am working on for Baby Frank because someone who is pregnant with Baby Frank will read this and not be surprised.

I will end with this for now. I went and got my Christmas present on Friday the 29th. I got a beautiful sparrow tattoo with stars on the outside of my bicep. My tattoo artist Matt Arriola was fantastic. Perfect line work, nice guy, and efficient. He took just as long as it should have. I will be going back to Matt asap to get the rest of my half sleeve done. I will need a few hundred bucks each time, so it won't be tomorrow. Anyways, I need to enjoy this beautiful bird on my arm. I feel very fancy and happy. Kevin is very, very good to me. I will post a picture of it soon. As soon as it heals and I am all unscabby. :o)

xo

shan

Thank you for perusing my pic parade. Pictured is my hub Kevin, me, Sage 9, Eli 7 and Sterling 4. Pudge the Pug is our newest addition, he is 2.