Craft time

I miss my knitting time. I have tried to spend some time each night to knit/work on some projects. I would love to be able to make a good supply of hats for my son before the next winter hits. I just have to figure out what size head he will have. I also want to make mittens for my husband and maybe something for me.

For me..What do you all think?

For my son

For my husband...I would add a flip top  cover. 

Ciao,

Oh the knitter in me

It's been a long time since I have talked abut knitting. So to start....Sometimes, I wish people would just let me sit down and knit until I don't want to knit any more.

Or just let me play around on pinterest or in knitting books because

But no. It doesn't happen.  Although when I do get the time to look at pinterest...sometimes I like the tings I see, other  times I try the project and it's a fail. 

This one was a fail...doesn't work. 

And sadly this one doesn't work all the time too :(

And these are super cute...but they don't lead to a pattern. O boy.  Why does pinterest do this to me?

Ciao,

(Oh I know it's Tuesday, but I'm going to have this post be my Pinterest post for the week, so linking up with Michelle from TheVintage Apple for Oh So Pinteresting. )

Yarn balls

I have a funny story to share and when I get a chance I will post some pictures.  As everyone knows, Cats love yarn balls. For some strange reason, cats like to play with yarn. I don't know why, but it is really cute.

Source

well, it's not only cats that like yarn balls. No...Winston like them too. He loves to play with them when I'm knitting. Especially if they fall of the floor. He chases them, carries them like they are a tennis ball, and sleeps with them. Sometimes....I wonder is my dog is part cat. 

(let me play with the yarn)

(fine take my picture,,,but don't expect my face)

What do you think?

Knitting E-book

Happy Monday!

Today, I'm joining a wonderful link up. Are you ready...

And, I'm reviewing an Online, knitting E book.  As this is my first review, I'm super nervous that I'm not going to do this right. So please, please, please let me know what you think. 

The e-book is avaliable at this webiste:http://www.loveofknitting.com/free-easy-lace-knitting-patterns

Lace knitting! Have you done it? I have. Contrary to popular belief, lace knitting is pretty hard. For someone like me, who has knitted for a long time, I find lace knitting hard. I always stick the the easy patterns for lace knitting. Once in a while, I do venture out and try a intermediate pattern, but I always feel that I mess them up. Do you ever have that feeling? For me, it's because some how, my lace holes, look bigger, or smaller than they do in the picture. Which really bugs the perfectionist inside me.

While reading this book, I went in with a clear mind. I looked at the book, patterns and pictures. The first pattern looked doable. It makes me excited, because, I feel I could actually make the Celio shell. It really didn't look too hard and the pattern was super easy to read. (which is a plus for me)

The second pattern looks a bit more difficult. I never learned to read patterns in the graph/chart style. So those are a turn off to me right away. I have tried many times to teach myself how to read those, but..it was an epic fail. Which leads me to believe I will never be able to make the wrap. If you know how to read the graph/chart type patterns, then I guess it would be easy. 

The last pattern looked perfect for me. It's a lace to go on a pillow case and it's beautiful. I think if you are learning to start lace knitting, try the third pattern. 

So, what do you think about me review?

What to wear?

TGIF...I guess.

This week has been very difficult for my husband. He loss his father when he was 9 and if his dad was still alive he would be turning 50 today.  Not only that, but today we have a funeral for an Aunt of his.  Which leads me with this- what should I wear. I was thinking of a plain simple black dress- but now with the snow and the cold I was thinking dress pants and a top.So  I was thinking og just wearing a dark color- what do you all think?

Anyways, since there is travel time...I'm thinking of knitting on the way. I want to build up my inventory of doggy sweaters.

(No- this is not Winston- it's a model for a new sweater idea)

Which leads me to this. I was contacted by a magazine..a knitting magazine about a free contest they are having. The magazine is called  Love of Knitting (I have seen it before-so yay) And if you want some free yarn, please click on of those two links below.

http://ck.upickem.net/r/4w9VxyadDFg?r=359823 

Come enter (LOK) Yarn for Life with me!ck.upickem.net/r/4w9VxyadDFg?…
— Danielle Dawn (@Emraldbaby) April 18, 2013

 I hope if you do want yarn- you enter.

Lastly, I woke up and there was a four letter word on the ground. Those of you in MN I'm so sorry for you. But please stop sending your snow our way.

 As for me- I may be off line for a while well I take care of my husband and help him get through this time.
Ciao,

Books n Chilli n Knitting...Oh my

Hello all,
        After I made a big decision about NOT letting the weather get to me, guess what. We have sun! Sun (I know...what is that) Anyway, the decision was to spend time indoors, cleaning, making chili, reading books and knitting. But now that there is sun, maybe I will go outside for a nice long walk with Winston.

So, today I plan to make my classic Chili and for tomorrow it will be spaghetti with homemade sauce. I'm reading and knitting to build an inventory for my shop. Yes after a lot of thinking I have decided to go ahead with the shop. Anyways if you want the chili recipe you can go here. To let you know there will be no recipe for the pasta sauce mainly because its a secret and also because it's not sauce it's gravy as the pin below says.

 Oh the many problems of being Italian.

 Ciao,

Thursday thoughts

Today linking up with Neely from A complete Waste of Make-up and Amber from Brunch with Amber for It's Okay Thursday.  I am also using a grow your blog hop and Thursday Thoughts (With Toby's Tails)

So to start....

It's Okay...

to want to put my feet up right away when I get home.

to pack the day before leaving on a trip.

to be so tired you fall asleep standing up.

to sound like my mom when disicpling the kids I work with.

to be called "the mean teacher''

and

to knit in the dark.

Speaking of knitting in the dark

Source: sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net viaDanielle on Pinterest

This reminds me of me the other night. I was watching The Hobbit and knitting. That's just how I am.  I'm also a wondering person. Like I really wonder if this

Source: agirlandherneedle.blogspot.com viaDanielle on Pinterest

Works?

Which leads me to this...When working with kids do you ever sound like your mom? I know I do. I did yesterday when talking to a child.  I even said "Wow, I just sounded like my mom" and the kid just looked at me me like "what?!"

Source: fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net viaDanielle on Pinterest

OHP- projects, dance and more

This week I haven't really been on pinterest that much, yea I have the five to ten minutes or so right before my shift starts at work, but I haven't spent a lot of time on pinterest.  Anyways, I have been pinning some wonderful items.

Source: thecottagemarket.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: duitang.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Some fun weekend projects- I love the knitting one. 

Source: handmadeology.com via Danielle on Pinterest

A puppy in a coat

Source: blog.al.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: pixdaus.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: chi-hagihara.tumblr.com via Danielle on Pinterest

and some ballet pins.

 Now that you checked out my Oh How Pinteresting Wednesday please head over to the Vintage Apple and check out other links!

Ciao,

Knitted mittens

This winter I have been working on making mittens for both me and my husband. Below are the final as I like to call them Hobo mittens since the top can be flopped over to use be able to use the fingers.

With my husbands mittens I did a the two most basic stitches- knitting and purling. I started by  knitting and purling, then I went to basic knitting in the row. I measured my husband's hands and knitted to the length I needed before I casted off and made the top flap and the thumb. For his mittens I added a dash of color with the green button to keep the flap down.

My mittens were a bit more complicated. I made some small cables and other designs in them, as well as making sure to use the basic knit and purl on them. I also added a lining from an old t-shirt for some extra warmth. 

Lastly, a I finally I have picture up for my baby blanket design I made back in October. 

Just click the picture and it will take you to the blog post. 

Ciao

Psalm 139: 13 "You formed my inmost being;

 you knit me in my mother's womb"

Yarn, Yarn, Yarn

I love to make stuff out of yarn.  For many items (scarves and hats) it's all muscle memory. Unless it is a kind of scarf I haven't tried, but would like to, I don't need a pattern.  For other items, ( a Winston sweater and mittens) I usually look at a pattern, follow it once to a tea, and then go from there with making my own. For blankets and other items I look at a pattern and don't follow it too much, but just enough to get the dimension down.  And lastly, there are times where I create my own patterns, such Winston's hat, and my head band.

Which leads me to think- so many people have their own patterns out there in the world floating across the Internet. There are times where I love to get free patterns (I'm not much on paying to something when I only use it once), but then I think of how those patterns that cost money could help the seller economically. Which leads me to think? Can selling a pattern help me?

Right now, I'm unsure but I do know that I would like to try it out. Maybe once I know that enough people are looking at my patterns and using them. But how do I know that? Well, I guess the only way to find out is to share some patterns. So this upcoming February  look for some patterns. Try them out. Let me know if the wording is good, or bad. Tell me how it worked for you. I want to hear the good, the bad, the ugly of my patterns. (And I mean it!)

Until then, now that I know how to make buttons I've been making them like crazy. Here is one to grab all about knitting and yarn.

<a border="0" href="http://shortsmallandinlove.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/DaniDawn20/Blog%20pictures/yarnbutton_zpseb75176f.png" /></a>

Ciao,

Yarn, yarn, yarn

I love to read. I was the girl who would carry books around with her everywhere. I still am that girl. But there is something else I make sure to carry in my purse, or bag. Sometimes, it's attached to a crochet hook, sometimes it's attached to knitting needles. Sometimes, it's finishing a project and sometimes it's starting a project. Most of the time, it's in the middle of a project.  What is item that has had a spot in my bag since high school?

Yarn

So, what is it about yarn that has made it a staple in my bag? It is how sometimes it is soft, other times it's scratchy? Or, is it a pull to be able to make my own winter wear instead of spending money on something I could make for cheaper? 

What about knitting and crocheting that seems to have made it come back in fashion? Is my generation one that feels a pull to do things back to the way our grandmothers did things? Or are we forging a new path with old classics?

Do we like challenges? I found this website of a challenge- I'm wondering if I should join and try it?

http://crochetwithdee.blogspot.com/2012/09/9th-annual-60-scarves-in-60-days.html

Please, please share your thoughts.

Pinteresting Sunday's-Books, and yarn

Pinteresting time!!! This week will be a busy week. The Baseball playoffs, more football games, plus it's now getting cold( like snow cold). I'm not ready for snow yet, but when it is cold the best thing is to curl up with a book or some knitting or crocheting. Below will be pins form my Knitting and crafts board, and my books board.

          

             

  

Who doesn't love to read Jane Austen? I think  she has become more popular as of now, but she is a classic. 

Jeff saw this and told me it was a must pin. He thins it's very cute, I also think it is pretty cute and great for a little boy. Oh well, that is many years down the road. 

How to change colors

A pretty scarf pattern

A crochet scarf...the pattern is just not in English :(

Well, those are some great pins for a cold blustery day, like today!

Ciao, 

First blanket is done

As I mentioned earlier Jeff and I want to open a little online store. Well, I finished one of the products a baby blanket. Since it is one of my own creations, I figured I would share the pattern.

Danielle's Baby Blanket

Using size 10 circular needles

Cast on 120 stitches. 

Rows 1-4: Knit

Row 5: Knit 20, place a stitch marker, K1 P1 for the next 80 stitches. Place Marker Knit last 20 stitches

Row 6: Knit to markers, P1K1 to marker, Knit to end. 

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until desired length. Knit the last 4 rows. Then cast off. 

A very easy blanket, but a very nice looking one.

Now it is on to making puppy sweaters. The best part is my model Winston loves to wear sweaters when it is cold, and is between a small/medium size.
Ciao,

Knitting a blanket.

I am attempting to knit my first blanket. My goal is to finish this blanked by the end of Saturday. I'm only halfway through. Which means I have a lot of knitting to do.  Which means I need to buckle down and knit. The problem with knitting is, as many people may have realized, the bigger the project the longer it takes. Jeff and I would like to open an Etsy Store and sell some of my knitting The problem is I first want to have some product already made. I figured it would be helpful to have some pre-made  items. The problem is finding the time to make them. Knitting is something that basically involves sitting on my butt. Doesn't sound the greatest to me. I also don't want to end up hating knitting because of the store, Which leaves me with a dilemma.  Do I want to be knitting and crocheting like crazy, in hopes that some one will buy what I make? What if I'm let down and this fails? Then what?

I know Jeff one day would like to open his own wood working business. All the tables in the apartment but one, where made by him and they look great. I think he has more confidence in himself than I do. But he seems to have confidence in me. If I open a store, we were thinking of just using the name I came up with for my email when I was 13. Emraldbaby. We thought that name would be a good idea because most of the time knitted/ crocheted stuff is for babies. We would have it a tag on the items which would say Emraldbaby Designs and there would be a heart in the middle.

So, readers, what do you think? Should I go for it?