Otherside.....

I just started a new summer linen top! You can find this pattern on Ravelry:

This is going to be a fairly quick knit. I am using Shibui Knits Linen in Lime and Tar. I really love how the Tar colorway makes the Lime pop! It's going to be an awesome top! I need to make more than one as I have a feeling this will become a favorite!

This is a very clever, quick and easy pattern to follow. Very well written! I dare say that a "newbie" knitter may be able to do this one easily! I love the crisp hand of linen. The Shibui is "chain linked" linen and is very nice to use. I will update my blog as I get further along! Happy Knitting!

Black Trillium Lilt Sock Gradient Kit

I have ordered two different gradient sets from Black Trillium Yarns. This is a very soft, yet sturdy gorgeous yarn! I am waiting to begin my perfect project for both these sets. One is a full size set in Crater.

This yarn is produced in Portland, Oregon! I love supporting locals! I am very lucky to be able to purchase this yarn here. If you would like to check out her yarns, she has an ETSY Site and does custom orders as well! Here is her link: Melanie is the shop owner and she offers excellent customer service and her work is beyond compare! I highly recommend her lovely yarns! I have also purchased a second gradient kit, which comes with five 133 yard skeins. The colorway is Smoke.

I will update my blog with the perfect projects for these when I choose them! Happy Knitting!

I made another fabulous shawl! This pattern can be found on Ravelry and it's called the "Wholehearted" shawl. Lovely pattern! It was a fast knit despite using light fingering yarn! I used Madelinetosh Merino Light in Antler and Charcoal. I highly recommend this pattern, even for beginning knitters! Great travel knitting!

There are many variations you can try! Remember, your the designer! You can use any weight yarn, any color or color combination. It's your shawl, you make what you would love to wear!!!

Really OFF Topic

This really has nothing to much with my knitting, but the last month has been so strange. It's MadMay (Madelintosh) month on Ravelry and my little hands have been very busy! I have made my first shawl using Madelinetosh DK (Tosh DK) in Tern. I am so in love with this yarn and it's my new "go to" yarn! If you have never tried Tosh yarns, I recommend you try it just once! The colors are "glazed" and unique. I will show you photo's of my Mara Shawl. Madison is my grand daughter who loves to model my finished objects! She is such a darling! This pattern is free on Ravelry. It calls for 3 skeins of DK weight yarn, I used nearly 4 skeins. I would recommend you buy 4. So to move forward, in the last month we have had a horrific bombing in Boston. Three dear people lost their lives and many other's lost limbs and suffered severe wounds. I just feel so sad this can actually happen in America. What is wrong with people? I feel sad and may take some heat for my opinion, for the two brother's who thought it would be alright to do something like this in "their" own country! One of them had a small child he left behind, and for what? What did they prove? What did that show us? This was a true American tragedy, for the poor people who were only there to support friends and family on a what has become a "historic" day. I will never understand it. You may or may not have been following the brutal slaying of Travis Alexander, it happened in June of 2008. The trial began in January 2013 and has almost reached it's climax. Jodi Arias has been found guilty of first degree murder. She slaughtered this man, the man she claimed to love and want to marry. He just didn't agree with that, so ooops, he's dead. This person, Jodi Arias is a joke of a human being and does not deserve the media attention she's been getting. Funny thing, Karma has a way of biting you in the ass when you least expect it. She never believed she would be convicted and even said so in one of her many interviews with the press. All along, this has been a circus for her. She's worried about her appearance, what everyone thought of her. The prosecutor, Juan Martinez has really put her in her place! Convicted of first degree murder! They are going through the death penalty phase now. If ever a human being ever deserved the death penalty, Jodi Arias does! It's been like a train wreck to watch her on the stand, not one shred of truth ever uttered from her lips. She has lied from day one, changed her story three times, admitted to killing him, but said it was because she was abused. She has slandered this poor man's name, all in front of his family. I do not advocate the death penalty, but I feel it's been reserved just for Jodi Arias. She will continue to torment this family from behind bars. She is an evil, nasty ugly person inside and out. So it's been so unreal for me to watch someone like her on the stand, and to finally get what she deserves. She has cost the state of Arizona almost 2 million to defend her pathetic life. Her defense team is a joke, and I mean a joke. They have tried to get themselves removed from this case, but no, they must continue. Those attorneys should be ashamed of themselves for allowing the victim's name, the victim's family to go through what they have put them through. Total satisfaction when the jury handed down the Murder One guilty verdict! They slapped those defense attorney's and Jodi Arias in the face, WE DO NOT BELIEVE YOU! Thank God, I was worried this would be another Cassie Anthony bullshit trial! We all know she killed that poor little baby! What another piece of work as a human being. Her mother is no better. Anyway, this has been an emotionally exhausting trial, one I would have never thought I would become so involved in, but it is, a train wreck, you can't help but watch. I really hope Travis can finally rest in peace and that his family can move on with their lives without Jodi Arias even as a second thought! They deserve it!

HELP!

My most favorite holiday, Valentines Day! I love pink, red and white and chocolate, conversation hearts and currently, I am making the most adorable cowl for the occasion! You can find the pattern on Ravelry! Here is mine in Madelinetosh MCN in the yummy color of Tart!

This is a finished photo of the pattern

I love this pattern! The stitch is great! This is going to be comfy, warm and very fashionable! I love it! I may cast on twice as many stitches next time to make it more slouchy, I may do that one in Malabrigo Rios in Plomo! I am wanting to do a giveaway, if you have ideas please share them! Something yarny and yummy?

I Dare Say.....

That without good tools, you can't very well produce good products! I have had to "make do" with what I have and look for other ways to go about making something look right. I have decided to invest in great tools for my knitting. I have had the Addi Clicks, which were supposed to be top of the line for knitting needles. When Hiya Hiya introduced their new Sharp Interchangeable Needle Set, I ordered one, they sell them in two different packs. The small set comes with 4 cables of various sizes and needles 2 through 8. They are sharp enough to get into the most delicate cobweb yarn without any issue and knit the bulkiest yarns there are! They are amazing! They did not however, make a large set yet in sharps. So I had to make do with the "original" set of larges, which were great, but not "sharp"! I just found out they make the large shape set, so I promptly sold my "unused" original large set and got a fair price for them. I then turned right around and ordered the Large Sharp set!! I am like a kid at Christmas! I cannot wait for them to arrive! If you want a great set of needles, Hiya Hiya are the ones to buy! They are smooth, the joins are fabulous, the tips are PERFECT and they are reasonable! I am thrilled! I do not work for Hiya Hiya, I am just a 20 plus year knitter, with a bit of experience with needles. I highly recommend these awesome needles!

Selfish Knitting!

So now that the holiday madness is over, I have knit some gifts for loved ones and rested my fingers! I have been busy knitting a square for a baby blanket my knitting club is putting together for a fellow knitter due in a few months. I decided on some lovely Spud and Chloe Sweater in Igloo! Lovely stuff! I have been busy combing through patterns, purchasing patterns and getting my Queue together on Ravelry. I have a plan! I needed to order some yarn for a beautiful sweater I am making, first in my Queue. I have never knit with Madelintosh Yarn. I have only heard about the wonder of it. Right along with Malabrigo, which I love and use! Here are a couple of photos of my gorgeous Tosh yarn I ordered!!! All three are Tosh Merino Light in Antler, Tart and Hickory! I am totally in love!

Now I have wound up the Tart, I was wanting to make a pair of fingerless mitts with those just to test out the yarn. It's a gorgeous "cake" just begging to be knit. I am waiting to start, I need to find the perfect pattern! Here is a photo of my "cake"!