Oh Happy Day!!!

IM001341
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.

Yay!! Christmas in November!!! Once I used Kathleen’s ball winder at the knit-in 2 weeks ago I KNEW that I had to have one. A couple days later a 50% off coupon came in my inbox for Joann's. Got this baby for like $25! Then when it got here (one day early!) I did my happy dance! On my arm is one of the Voodoo Wrist Warmers I made for my MIL for Christmas. I’m using 2 skeins of Inca Alpaca I bought long ago at the LYS. It is sooooooooooo soft. I stopped after every round to pet the fabric. I’m making her these and also Branching Out out of some Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran which is also purple.

IM001342
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.

This pattern is sooo pretty and the lace is easy. Its coming along really fast (thank goodness) and I think I can finish the other wrist warmer in 2 days. There are many other people I want to knit for this holiday season I just don’t have any type of plan/organization for it! Lists….I need lists…..

I spoke to my mom today and she says she is LOVING her sweater and wears it practically every day and she may want me to make her another one!! I was so flattered to hear it! Now if I could only get to making myself a sweater……Oh wait…did I forget to mention that I went shopping at the LYS today?

IM001343
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.

6 skeins Cascade 220 in a delicious Heathered Purple. Purrrrr……
To make this from the Rowan Vintage Knits book:

Cherie

Cherie
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.

Its called “Cherie” which is coincidentally my SIL name. Hmmmmm….
Interesting. You can bet your little pink fanny that ball winder is getting broken in tonight!!!! I know that the picture is craptacular. Sorry.

Earline's baby dress

Earline's baby dress
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.

Here it is. A seamed and washed dress. I wish I knew if there were any other embellishments she intended for it. Too late, I realized the sleeve that wasn't sewn all the way on, was on inside out. Hmmmmmm... maybe thats why she hadn't finished it. Maybe, she had seen that mistake and intended to rip out the seam and redo it. Well, I didn't rip back. Her mistake is staying. I just hope I wove in all the ends (there were a lot of little ones) well enough. I'm not good with seaming crochet.

Done and done....

yellow baby sweater
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.

Here is the sweater I pumped out in one week to send to Lee along with Earline's crocheted baby dress. I dunno, I guess, I felt like I would be working with her on a project this way.
I used some of the Bumble Bee baby cotton I got from Smiley's. It came out okay, but knitting cotton.....sheesh! In this picture, its blocking so my sts are all pretty even looking. I chickened out on the embroidery that the pattern called for, but I just couldn't get it right!!! The sweater looks cute anyway. It was a pattern from the Sirdar book.

Weaving in the ends.......

Great Grandma
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.

My Grandmother, Earline Barnes passed away Oct 31, 2005. She was smart, funny and very talented. Here is a picture of her and Maya on our last visit in Sept to my parents home in GA. Maya and Earline both thought the other was the coolest chick they'd ever met. They were a hoot to watch together!
The kids and I flew to El Paso for the service and boy was that a trip. She had soooooo many friends and students it was unreal and they all loved her so dearly. It was so uplifting to know she had been such a positive influence in other peoples lives. While cleaning the house, we came upon all sorts of crochet projects; mostly granny squares in various shades of acrylic yarn. She LOVED to crochet and her mother is the one who taught me to crochet when I was little.

baby dress

baby dress
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.

Here is the baby dress that my Grandmother was working on for my cousin Lee's new daughter. The only thing she didn't finish was the seaming of this one sleeve. I feel very lucky to get to finish it. There are a few loose ends I have to figure out too. I've never seamed anything crochet and I forgot the skeins of yarn she was using for this so I'm gonna have to stash match it. I think Lee will be very happy to get it but I almost hate to part with it. It's really a cute little dress.