Moody (Blue) Baby Bottoms

I finished the Moody (Blue) Sweater a couple of weeks ago and have been muddling around trying to figure out what to make next.
I have a list of things I should do and another of things I must do; which is probably why I can't come up with anything I want to do.
 I obviously have a problem with authority. Obviously. Even though it's Me telling Me what to do. Geez.
Anyway....

I absolutely loved the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino I used for the Moody (Blue) Sweater so I ran right back over to Nature's Yarns for more! Aaaahhhhh. It feels so darned soft and it's a dream to knit with. AND I had figured out what my next project was going to be! Yay! Finally!
I'm making Baby Bottoms from the same place I got the sweater pattern from! [www.knittingpureandsimple.com]  Woot!! Easy! A matching set for new Baby Jax!  Darn. This pattern isn't one of the free patterns, but it doesn't cost that much.  Okay, I can do that! A quick download later and now I'm happily knitting a pair of baby bottom/bib overalls!! 
The pattern really is easy - most of the patterns at Knitting Pure and Simple are! You start at the top with a 1x1 rib using #4, 16inch circulars (or dpns). After that you increase in the center front and center back. Once that's done, you divide for the legs and knit in the round until you have them as long as you want! The pattern for the 12 month size says 8.5inches ~which seems very long!
It goes really fast! I have to finish the left leg and then add the overall straps & wa-la! Completed pants to go with the finished sweater! Go Grandma!!

Now all I gotta do is wait for Baby Jax to hurry up and get here!!

Meet My Yarn Condo.....

The Yarn Condo was an organizing project that started a couple of years ago when 2 silly yarn friends went to Ikea. They went with a purpose (of course) and ended up with oh so much more!
I think (I think!) they went to purchase a table for crafts, some bookshelves, and something to store yarn, but what ended up in their carts was this........

!Yarn Condo!

Four stackable ANTONIOUS frames (hey! They aren't that expensive!) some ANTONIOUS

wire baskets, some nifty ANTONIOUS plastic bins and wa-la! The Yarn Condo was born!!!

Totally out of necessity.... of course......

The silly girls put together the frames and the wire baskets...... oh no! Some of the small stuff falls through! Silly girl! Can't have that! Now another trip to that IKEA store near Seattle was required!  It was only (only) an hour drive.........but some buckets were needed! Let's get some fabric baskets and maybe some nifty little organizer thingys to put inside those buckets and baskets! How about a couple of tops! Yes! Lids were definitely needed!

Phew! Disaster averted! Storage complete!!!

The 'yarn condo' holds a plethera of supplies! Ribbon & fabric, paint and glue .......

Ribbon - held in place with a small bin inside the bigger one!

By adding a storage bin inside the wire basket... nothing falls through!

Ooooh fabric... just another nasty habit of mine!

Sock yarn basking in their bin!

and ........ Yarn!!!! 
Remember? This all started out as a storage system for yarn ...............yeah...........
Right now the baskets and frames are stacked 2x2 (two on top of the other two!).   The configuration can be changed - yarn on top, fabric on bottom........ all four frames beside each other and not stacked... three stacked and one beside...... the possibilities are endless!  Believe me! I've tried a bunch!

The condo can even be easily packed up by movers (who aren't always so diligent in how they pack) and transported to the next place! The bins & buckets don't even have to be unloaded - they just get wrapped with paper (things still inside), placed in a box, one on top of the other.... and they make it all in one piece!! Move and mover proof!

The 'yarn condo' makes me soooo happy! I can have my yarn sorted by color (if I want), by texture (if I wanted that too!) or by type! I have a bin for wool, one for baby yarn, one for (gasp!) acrylic, and one for cotton! I have almost all of my stuff nearly in one spot! Almost! Nearly!!
I either have too much stuff, or just need more storage!
I really think........... I just need some help!

Organizing

For those of us with a need to organize....... oh... okay... a compulsion, obsession ~whatever! This post is for you!!
I've spent the past few days re- organizing my junk! My stuff! AND my favorite thing of all......... my yarn stash!!
I admit.. it's been pretty organized (always) but now it's a little, well..... over the top?



The "yarn condo" aka storage towers in my sewing/craft room are organized by type! One whole bin for sock yarn - yumm!

As I was digging around in my craft closet - which is of course attached to the craft room! I found my scrapbook travel bag! Hmmm..... haven't used that stuff in a while! I found a new home for all the scrapbook stuff and am turning this baby into a 

travelling knitting bag! Go me!!

 I even made a little corner in the dining room for............ yep! You guessed it! More yarn!
It's all hidden in cool baskets, dark boxes and tucked into a corner so even the kid doesn't roll his eyes at me and say.. "gee Mom? Got enough yarn?" -yeah .. um no... Mr. Smarty.  At least I can sit here quietly and knit while the kid is doing homework at the table!

I didn't stop there! I figured I was on a roll............
Might as well take some time & make sure all the little stuff is all put together!
This is some of my older organization........
I made this needle roll almost 4 years ago and it's still holding up! Hard to believe that all my needles fit in here at one time... wow...

Probably my most favorite thing I've done with my needles is this cheap, easy, zip lock bag idea!  I don't even remember when I came up with this but I think it's cool and it works so well!
I put my dpn's into zip lock bags, wrote the # on the front; used a paper punch to make a hole in one corner and stuck them all on a metal ring!

I usually hang it on the yarn condo but now that I'm using the scrapbooking bag..... it may move!~






Not to leave my circulars without a home....I bought this Namaste needle case because it has little "pockets" for each size! AND honestly,  I just had to have it! Had to!  I love how I can leave my circular needles in their wrappers (no naked needles!) and they still all fit and can be organized by size! Even without their packages, I am still able to find a #6, 24 inch in a hurry!   Hmm.... I may need to get one of these cases for each length.... 16 inch, 24 inch.... oh my.........

Even the crochet hooks now have a home! A recycled tin with an easy printable sticker! I really need to step this up a notch huh?

Welcome to the Yarn Condo!

I bought some (all right... 4) of these stacking storage frames and a lot of baskets & bins. I've had them in all different configurations but stacking them up seems to work the best!  My friend V started calling this the 'yarn condo' right after we stacked them all up! (You can look HERE to see how much everything costs & where to purchase.)  The whole thing wasn't extremely expensive and I like how I can sort my yarn into different categories just by putting them into separate bins!
A little OCD anyone? Anyone?

There is still a lot of work to do, I'm not feeling that I'm done! I'm having fun organizing everything but I'm a little worried that I might (just maybe) have to take a trip down 95 to that big blue & yellow store for some more storage ideas!! ~Shhhhh....... do NOT tell Big!

How Much Does a Mile of Yarn Cost?

I was looking at the blog today and couldn't come up with anything interesting, funny, snarky or knitty to tell you about.......... talk about being stuck huh? This is really weird! I don't usually get this stuck for this long and I most always can find something to talk about!
To get inspired (time wasting) I started rearranging the blog page and adding little gadgets (widgets?). I changed some settings and during one of my thousand previews, I looked over at the right hand side and ..... woah! I've knit how far this year?  That can't be right.
Remember the squirrel under the oak tree....... after a windstorm............ yep!! Squirrel!!!!
See that little pink & white box?  Over on the right side of the blog?  Yep. That one! The KnitMeter.
It's a cool little widget that you can pick up over at www.knitmeter.com *just click*
This little doo-dad keeps track of  (and lets me show off ) how much I've knitted this year! I can even add how much I've spun ~IF I ever get that far!
You can keep track and show others how much you have knit, crocheted, and spun with your very own KnitMeter too! ~How's that for a sales pitch huh?  No sales though... it's....... best price ever!..... FREE!! You can even add one to your face book settings! AND it's not just for knitting! It's for crocheting and spinning too!!
 It's a little dorky, but...... hey! I've tried keeping track of the projects I've made by taking pictures and putting them into a little album, but somehow... I always fall short! There seems to be a few (just a couple) empty slots in the little album, but when I go to my blog.... Ta-DA! There it is! 6.25 miles of yarn knitted for 2011! 
I admit..............
I've been a little short here too. I haven't kept up by adding every project I've done this year so I went ahead this morning and added some of the things I did!  This bumped me from 5 miles to over 6! Woohoo! AND I added even more while I was working on the blog....... so now look how many miles I've made!  Kinda looks like I don't do anything else.... geez....... I do! Honest!
Now..... I just gotta add everything I've made this year & see how many total miles I've knitted. Which brings me to.......... hmmm.......... how much does a mile of yarn cost?
If I put the miles into context of how much each skein cost............................. oh wow.  Just exactly how much (yikes) did one of those seven miles (AND still counting)  cost?  Just one of those miles was a verrry expensive mile ~I remember buying a skein of something that made Big sigh (loudly) but some couldn't have been that much..... right?
That was not helpful. Not at all.
Hopefully Big NEVER sees my KnitMeter!  If he does... let's just hope he doesn't look at it with dollar signs in his eyes..........I may be in trouble..........

Start Something Already - Would Ya?

Now that we are done with the Moody Sweater......... what do we (me) do next?

How do you pick your next project?

Do you pick a necessary thing... like a hat for the kiddo because winter is looming? A sweater for a brand new baby? Mittens for hubby who is deploying?

Decisions, decisions, decisions.......................

and I'm stuck!

I've knitted the Glomitt's for hubs because he's leaving in 3 weeks......

I've made the baby sweater for Baby Jax who won't be here until Christmas......

I've made the kiddo a hat.....

Help!

Still stuck......

I've spent hours online looking at patterns trying to find the one thing that inspires me to make it.

I've spent more hours digging through my pattern stash trying to find something to inspire me there.

NOT happening.

I should make some mittens for the DIL's (daughter in law).

I should make hats for the boys.

I should work on a neck warmer for my Dad.

Should

Doesn't mean I can get unstuck and actually knit.....

I went to the yarn store Wednesday and bought yarn (oh my!) to make baby bottoms to match the baby sweater.... haven't started it.......

I bought some yarn to make me (finally) a sweater but I want to save that for January when I'm bored to tears.......

I pulled out the yarn to make my Dad a neck warmer - which then I had to find THE pattern and then I found a skull chart that I want to add....... which then forced me to draw up a new pattern for the neck warmer.....

and.... and.... and.... and...

I have yarn (boy do I have yarn)! I know where the knitting shop is! ~so does my credit card! I know how to look up stuff online and I certainly know how to knit...so what's my problem?

See what's happening? I'm running around like a squirrel under an oak tree after a wind storm. Geez.

Which brings me back around to......

how do YOU pick your next project?

Moody BLUE Sweater

My friend Christen came up with the name for this KAL - at the very end, but... it's still an awesome name! Thanks Christen! *I can't tell you what she won because she won't be home for a month to get it.... so remind me later okay?

As I was finishing frogging (yeah... still hate frogging) my sleeve this morning, it dawned on me... my sweater is Blue and it's the "Moody Sweater" so that means....... it's the Moody Blue Sweater! hahahahahaha - yep still laughing! Sorry... it's the inner dorkiness spilling out folks!

After frogging (did I tell you I hate frogging?) the sleeve because I was so busy gabbing yesterday and didn't pay attention to how long the sleeve was...I have an almost done (DONE!) Moody Sweater for new baby Jax! I just have to graft the hood seams together, block it all and woot! Another DONE sweater!

I was a bit (very) nervous about taking out the provisional cast on (click on that to go to a tutorial)  stitches. I've never done it before! This was my first time using that cast on!

After this way of making the sweater....... guess how I'm doing it from now on?! Yep! Provisional Cast on is my new friend! I love how easy it was to pull the cast on pink off and then having the live loops was super cool! The Kitchener Stitch for grafting seams together isn't really all that hard... it just takes some concentration!

At first - because I was so nervous,  I accidentally pulled some of the cast on stitches off and had those dangly, hanging loops (sigh) but by quickly sticking my needle into them, they didn't dangle!  Phew. Disaster averted once again!

So..... obviously...... the trick is to slow down!

Insert your knitting needle into the first cast on stitch - that row of crocheted loops I have in hot pink and make sure the blue stitch is seated on the needle and then.............. pull out the pink!

Here we are up close........ the crocheted (provisional cast on) row in hot pink is where I knitted my very first row of the sweater. Now I just gotta get those live loops onto the needle! Easy enough! It only took a few minutes!

Once you have worked all those stitches onto your needles........ divide them up! 1/2 on each! Now... get ready for Kitchener Stitch! Woohoo!!! That's the only reason I used the provisional cast on method! I wanted live loops at the very end (which is actually the very beginning) so I didn't have to sew a seam ~which for me never (ever!) turns out well!
If you need a little help with the Kitchener Stitch, click HERE ! It's over at Knitty.com and don't be afraid to admit it... you'll need a little help! I do! ~but that totally is another story huh?!
So............ once you've Kitchener stitched your hood seam and you've made 4 - 7 inch ties and sewed them on the front..............

You end up with this!! Isn't it wonderful? So blue (and Moody) and DONE, DONE, DONE! Now all I have to do is block it, send it and then wait, wait, wait for Baby Jax to get here!
The only problem now......... other than waiting........... what do we knit now? Hmmmmmmm

The Moody Sweater

Rememer how y'all were supposed to come up with a name for the KAL? Something other than KAL a Baby Sweater? Hmmmm?
Yeah... you forgot.
That's okay . Really.
It's okay.
 I did too until just a little while ago!
Here's the backstory.................... which will (it will) bring you around to the new name of the KAL!
My friend Christen has the most beeeeeyooooteeeeeful kid (My Best Buddy Ever!) and we were all so excited to meet Baby #2! I was so excited that I started knitting up a sweater in March! I had it finished and waiting for the baby shower which wasn't until May!!! C'mon Baby!! Hurry Up!!! 
When we met Baby Butter....... we were in love! So glad I made the effort and knitted her something!
I honestly forgot all about the sweater until just recently....  when I was thinking up a KAL and then starting a new sweater for my grandchild (C'mon December!!) That's when I remembered and started bugging Christen for a picture of Baby Butter* wearing her sweater!
Because I hadn't seen said sweater on said cute child........... I asked Christen to pleeeeeeeease send me a picture! I told her I wanted to post the picture of a completed sweater in the KAL so that we would  know what to aim for!   Which,  honestly (honest) is the main reason I wanted it, but now that she sent me the picture.... the other reason reared it's little head right up! So.... probably my real to honest reason was I just wanted to see the kiddo in the sweater. Sue me! She's flippin' adorable!!

 See? Beeeyoooteeeful!

She's still cute even though she's screaming!
Christen sent me the pictures today........ when Butter wasn't being her usually easy-going self! You can see by the pictures that she's running through a bunch of different emotions while showing off her cuteness............ which brings us to the name........... THE MOODY SWEATER!!!! See? I told you the story would get you here!
How awesome is that?! NOT nearly as awesome as the cuteness wearing the sweater, but Christen definitely wins a prize for coming up with the name!


*Baby Butter really isn't her name (honest) but it's what my kid calls her and well........ hopefully we will be over it by the time she goes off to college............