My first Entrelac pattern

As I continue to knit I seem to want to do more and more of it.  I used to knit maybe 2 items a year and now I am finding I constantly want to sit and knit and work on something,  This is a small bag for a cell phone or ipod or whatever.  That would give you the idea of size.  It was the first time I ever attempted to do the "Entrelac" pattern which always intimidated me before.  I had a little help from Barbara at Beau Knits in Cohoes as she taught me how to knit backwards on HER piece whe was working on.  i was a little nervous about messing the whole thing up and it was a big piece.  She actually walked away with me knitting on it.
That is confidence.  Hers, not mine.  Anyway, I didn't mess it up and I learned something new and I found her shop a nice place to go and gather with other knitters sitting and chatting for awhile.  I also had the most amazing blueberry butter pound coffee cake.  A recipe of one of her patrons.  she shared the cake, but not the family recipe.  Where can I get more?!!!

When I got home, I started this project and I ended up going on line and found several videos showing you how to do this pattern.  You can work right along with the video if you are inclined to try this pattern.  It was very helpful without Barbara there to get me started.  If you are a knitter, you should not be intimidated and give it a try.  I'm quite happy with my little bag and proud too.

Next up will be a pair baby UGG Boots for babies.  I don't even have anyone in mind but saw the pattern and "had" to make them.  It will be a couple of days, but do come back to see them.  They are just adorable.

Spring is coming and so are the many pretty colors of yarn and projects.

This is a five piece place setting of some silverplated silverware I purchased at an auction lately.  Tonight I have posted several pictures from this auction.   I have not been able to identify this pattern yet, but am working on it.   For $5.00 I was able to purchase a complete five piece place setting for 6 people and a few extra pieces.  Also, were 7 butter knives of a different pattern and several serving pieces of different patterns all together.  It was amazing.  The downside (if there is one) was the polishing.  I was anticipating a lot of worn off silver on the back of the spoons but it has not been the case.  The whole set is is great condition.
I find if I use it all the time instead of stainless that it does not get tarnished very quickly.  It's much easier to keep up with too but you cannot mix it with stainless or it will pit and spot the silver. 

This little needlepointed T is on a hankerchief I got recently at an auction.  This is a close up but I can't tell you how tiny these stiches are.  Imagine this letter in the corner of a hankie and how could anyone do such tiny stiches in different colors.   It blew my mind.  I used to do counted cross stitch but would never tackle anything this tiny.  Awesome.  Following are more samples of hankies found at thsi sale.

Following are pictures of some of the hankies I got at an auction recently.  Story to follow.  I forget that these photos are posted in the opposite direction from bottom up so laugh with me and follow the pics.

More beautiful crochet and edging.

Delicate pink crochet and scalloped crocheted edges.

Wonderful lace edging

Auction finds

I believe I mentioned I like auctions and we now have one every Saturday night in my small village and it is a place for me to go by myself (or with a friend) and enjoy other people and their "interests".  It also educates me on the value of things which I find facsinating.  What you think nobody would pay for sometimes goes for more than what I think is the nicest.  An education in human behaviour.

Above are pictures of some of the hankies I got in a box for $15.  I thought there were maybe 20 in the box but when I got home and seperated them and was looking at them it seemed there was no end.  So I counted them and there were 73 in this box.  Some have small holes, some stains, but most of them are actually in very nice shape.  I felt like I got a steal.   These photos are just a sampling of the many.  Now, to find a way to either give them to someone who will use them or sell them in some venue and I know I want to use some of them in some art of some kind.  Perhaps I'll make some little hearts?  Small pillows?  Sachets? 

We were snowed in today so I had plenty of time to iron some of these.  Ironing 72 is a daunting task and I found after about 20 that it was enough already. 

Hope you are all going to have a wonderful weekend full of things you love.

Our school district is closed this week for winter break so I had plenty of time to finish my little Mary Jane Shoes for my friend.  These will go with the hat I made in the previous post.

  I found the pattern on Ravelry.com and it was a free pattern and I was a little afraid I wouldn't be able to knit them without a lot of frustration.  (I consider myself an intermediate knitter, and usually lean towards easy things to make.)  Much to my surprise, these turned out to be a very easy pattern and all in one piece and took very little time.  The yarn I used was baby cashmerino by Debbie Bliss.  A wonderfully soft yarn and so nice on my hands to knit with.

So  now, with these projects finishsed I can go back to a wonderful sweater I started before Christmas and on to my next favorite things which I found at an auction this past weekend.  I think the auctions are going to be my Saturday night dates.  I've gotten some beautiful silverplated silverware with serving pieces and some wonderful vintage hankies I have yet to iron and a tray full of Vintage Catholic jewelry and medals etc to polish and clean up.  Pics to come later.

Thanks for visiting and giving me the encouragement to continue.

Hello fellow bloggers.  Today I finished this hat that a friend asked me to make for her.  Well, not for her but for a baby of a friend of hers.  It was a delight to make, very fast and easy.  The yarn I used was called Amerino, a combination of Cotton and Acrylic.  The color does not show exact but is a neutral beige in color with some specks of pure white.  I'm not sure you can see that, but it's there.

Plain I felt I needed to add something.  Originally I knit it with the fun fur fringe in the brim, but it turned out with most of the fur appearing on the inside of the brim and I didn't like it so had to tear it all out.  Instead I knitted a flower and added a vintage pearl button to secure it and make the flower more noticeable.

I tried several color flowers but none of them seemed to do the hat justice.  I went with the same yarn used in the body of the hat.

Now, to see if I can make some little shoes as an ensemble.  I never did them so don't know how long it will take me to find the pattern and actually get them done.  Best be getting busy.

I am enjoying viewing what you are all up to so don't stop. 

I've been in the mood to make cards lately so I created this one for a guy friend of mine.  I know he is trying to find the girl of his dreams so I put on the inside a greeting of  "Wishing you a Happy Valentine.".  I know it's not me, but I care about him and just wanted him to know.

The coloring is much prettier than is showing up in the photo but I could not seem to adjust it via my photo program.  I'm not very good at that kind of work.

The stamp is a Memory Box Stamp, called Branch Heart E1310. 

This card came about from a kit I purchased from Melissa at http://www.stampassion.com/ called Adore Peony Collage Kit.  This stamp is also from Memory Box and is stamped in Brilliance Ink Coffee and colored with Prismacolor Pencils.  The edges were distressed with Brushed Corduroy Distress Inc and mounted on a bright pink card called Begonia.  I'm not sure but I think the cards are from Memory Box as well.

Anyway, I enjoyed my short time in the studio and hope you are getting your time in yours too.

Working on a Baby hat I hope to post very soon.

Hello Bloggers,

Today I was making good on a birthday gift I needed a week or so ago.  It is late, but hopefully well liked by my recipient.

The wood bark was a piece I found while hiking with my friend Marilyn Rock last summer at Wiawaka Retreat on Lake George.  She also found one and we decided we were going to use it in a piece of art someday.  Well today was the day although I had thought about how to use it for some time.

I needed to secure it because the openwork was fragile and felt like it was going to pull apart so I glued it to a piece of art paper that resembled the water in Lake George.  Then I mounted the paper onto a blue felted piece and cut around it to maintain the organic shape.  I varnished the wood also and spritzed it with Tattered Angles Glacier Mist giving it some shine and sheen.  Then I embellished it with things we saw while at the retreat and since we took a wet felting class while there I wet felted the little nest the bird is sitting in.  I thought about hanging some beads or trinkets from the bottom but then changed my mind and decided it might look funny and that keeping it simple seemed like the best idea of all.

Hope she likes it and hope you all have a chance to do art too.