Common Octopus from Amigurumi Knits!

Let me preface this project by saying Hansi Singh is an amazing pattern designer!

Project Details:
Yarn -- Handspun bulky 2ply llama and pink recycled yarn.
Needles -- Size 8 dpn's, yarn needle
Modifications -- went up a couple needles sizes and used a bulky yarn, used scrap yarn for stuffing, and wooden buttons for eyes.

All of the parts before assembly. I cut it close with the pink yarn - I only had about 24 inches left when I was finished!

Bottom view.

The giant squid is next on my list. :)
Also, our beans finally came up!

Haircuts, octopi, ikea, and weddings, oh my!

This last weekend Nate and I were back in Wisconsin for our good friend Jorja's wedding (which was wonderful), and I decided I wanted a haircut. Amazingly when I went in, I had enough to donate! 12 inches gone - and I love it.
We had a great time dancing the night away, but my camera died, so sadly I've got no pictures. :(
I've also started a new knitting project, it is the Common Octopus from the book Amigurumi Knits written by Hansi Singh. Hansi is one seriously amazing pattern writer - the most amazing pattern in the book is a praying mantis. Here is the progress so far on the octopus- I've finished the top of his head.
These are the yarns I'm using, the gray yarn is llama yarn that I've spun, and the pink is recycled yarn that I dyed with koolaid a long time ago. It is left over from some mittens. Nate had a couple of days off last week which was really great. He took me on a date for lunch and a movie the first day. On the second day, we met some friends in Schaumburg for trivia night at an irish pub. Seeing as there was an Ikea a couple miles away, we made a day out of it.
Ikea tourists:
Luckily, I didn't come home with too much, just some essentials that I'd had my eye on for a while. And those bell jars -- I've got plans for those.....
Hope you all are having a wonderful Monday!

Armwarmers, Thrifting

I finally wove in the ends to this fingerless gloves this morning, not that I'll be using them anytime soon! I started them Sunday night, and worked on the bulk of them at my G-ma and G-pa C's house on Monday and Tuesday. It has finally started to really warm up around here. They are made from cotton-ease, in a dark blue/grey color. The pattern is my own, maybe I will write it up someday. Yesterday I went to the studio and then had coffee with miss Ann. I worked on my crocheted lace painting, but I stil have quite a ways to go on it... I want to finish it so I can work on something new. :)
I also did a little thrifting. I got this awesome leather portfolio for $2. It fits my laptop and a few books. It had initials printed on it, but with a little elbow grease, they rubbed right off. Not bad eh?
I also picked up some fabric so that I can make more fabric scarves. I especially like the floral fabric. I just need to find enough quarters now so that I can wash the fabric.
Also, Bo says hi.

Tying Up Loose Ends

I am so glad summer break is here despite feeling a little bit under the weather. It was a rough end of the year, I'm not really sure why, but it seemed like there were a bunch of little things that were bogging me down. I'm ready to get past that now, and move on to happier things!
I've been cleaning my apartment the last few days, along with trying to relax and finish up some projects that have been on hold for quite some time. The first thing I wanted to finish was my Ripple Blanket. I love how it turned out.
I only modified a few things. I used a larger hook size and made it a lot larger than the original. Also, I thought it looked a little boring with the straight edge, so I crocheted the two rounds around the outside through the back of the loop only, and then for the last row, I decided to add a little picot edging.
I also started working on some quick little projects for baby shower gifts. These are simple garter stitch bibs loosely based on KrisKnits' pattern. I made three of them with one skein of kitchen cotton yarn. I used size 8 needles instead of size 6, and cast on 25 stitches for the base. Also, the strap is thinner, and I added two button holes so they can be adjusted.
I still haven't figured out how I want to decorate them, or if I even want to decorate them...
Lastly, I picked up this fabric shaver yesterday, and I LOVE it!! I had been really frustrated with our couch because it had been getting little pills all over it from our cat's hair, and we had been trying everything to get rid of them. I was so sad because it is a pretty new couch and it looked like crud with all of the little pills on it. So I found the fabric shaver at the grocery store, and figured for $5 it was worth a try. It worked amazingly!! Our couch looks brand new. I know it sounds corny, but it was such a relief to have it looking nice again. I also took all of my ratty old handknits and totally rejuvenated them! I could not believe how awesome it made my old knits look. I should have taken a before picture, becuase these things were really ratty looking, now they look brand new. Seriously, every knitter should have one.
In other-than-knitting news, I am excited to have a social life again this summer! Although I am a little freaked out about going in to my last year of grad school. Lets not think about that just yet....

Hope you all had a great week!

Goodbye Winter, Llama Hats, and Yarny Goodness

This is what I woke up to this last Sunday Morning.
It was so beautiful with the snow, it stuck to all of the trees, and when the sun finally came out they all started to sparkle. I decided to pull on my boots for what will probably be the last time this winter, and head outside to take some pictures. I wandered around the outside of the farm that is next to our apartments.
With all of the cold weather these last few days, I finished a hat I had started last week. It is made from the Llama yarn that I had spun about a month ago. I love it, it is warm and lightweight at the same time.
I've also been taking apart more sweaters for yarn. I love the tweedy green yarn. It is 100% wool from a J Crew sweater. The yarn on the right is a cotton/acrylic blend that is buttery soft.I am really excited for tomorrow. Nate and I are heading into Chicago to attend the 'From Trash to Spectacle' lecture series that is going on at the School of the Art Institute (it is free and open to the public if you are in the area!) Tomorrow's lecture covers issues related to contemporary fiber and craft. Up my alley? I think so!

Lovely Weekends - Visiting

This weekend our good friends came down to visit us from Oshkosh, and we had a good time despite all of the gloomy weather. They got the tour of the ever-so-exciting cities of DeKalb and Sycamore. Jacki is a fellow knitter, and so a stop at the Yarn Exchange was mandatory. Good thing both of our husbands have a lot of patience for these things. :) They know me way too well, they brought some knitted mugs for me! I LOVE them!! Jealous?
I also bought two skeins of yarn- Brown Sheep Nature Spun sport weight. I am thinking fingerless gloves. They also fit the color scheme of my life. Ochre yellow and gray. It was the same colors outside yesterday. The sky was grey and the hay field behind my house was matted down and yellow.
I took it very easy yesterday, It was the start of my spring break this weekend, so I've been trying to recouperate from the first half of the semester a little bit. I finished the body of my Francis Sweater yesterday as well, but I am thinking I may go back and add about an inch more of seed stitch to the bottom. I've already added about 3" total to the length, and it just needs a smidgen more. The body fits perfectly though, and I LOVE the color.
Our good friend John ( "Johnny" to me ) is stopping through for lunch today. He is on one of his mini-tours. He just got back from his Eastern European tour, and if you haven't heard his music, you should check it out here: John Statz
He may be coming to a city near you! :)
Thats it for now -- I'm off to start cooking some portabella burgers!

Sunny Sundays

Fresh grapefruit reminds me of spring. I always peel my grapefruit before I eat it. I took this pic as the sun was setting and coming in through my windows.For some reason I was really able to get a lot done today, I think it probably has something to do with the fact that it was sunny outside and nice and quiet around the house. I worked on some paintings, knitting, cleaning, and some stuff for school. Here are two more panels I tinted and then drew on for my painting. I was working on my Francis Revisited sweater as well. I lost my old stitch markers, so I had to make some new ones quickly. I hope you all had a good Sunday as well.

More Coals on the Fire

I found this little bag of vintage lace at the thrift store last week, and it is for sure going to be integrated into some of what I am doing in my studio. I can't wait. A lot of it is yellowed from the sun, but for me, it just makes it even prettier. I think I am going to tack some on to the top of one of my pairs of boots, or maybe on the pockets of one of my coats. All of this wonderful lace for $1!
I'm also chugging away on my Francis sweater. It helps that it is all plain knit stitch, it is excellent for mindless knitting. I love the color of this yarn too. It is a light mossy green (cascade 220) and it is the same color of a sweater of mine that I had for years. The sweater eventually got shrunk in the dryer, so this is its 'replacement' of sorts. It will have a cowl neck and 3/4 length sleeves when I am finished.
I am looking forward to this weekend. I am thinking of going into the city or going to Milwaukee. Either way, it will be better than sitting on my bum doing schoolwork. I am also in better spirits because I think I have finally kicked this cold I've had for a few weeks. Now I've just got to catch up on my paintings. :)

Inside-Out Cowl -- New Pattern!

Check out the new pattern in my Etsy Shop!

This lovely cowl is knit in the round, and is completely reversible. One side has ridges (as shown in the pictures) and the other side is less textural and features large ridges of purl stitch. It is bulky but not too bulky, and I designed it this way so that it could easily fit underneath a coat. It also looks great worn inside over a sweater. You have the option of making this cowl in two lengths. All of the photos show the cowl in the longer length. Lastly, I chose a machine washable acrylic/wool blend yarn that is very affordable for this project.

My Neck Will Never Be Cold Again - Noro Striped Scarf and the Gathered Scarf

So, I may have cheated a little bit. I took the pictures for these last weekend, but didn't get around to posting them due to having to read a 80 page essay on dialogical aesthetics. It hurt my brain.
I was on a scarf kick for a while because I only get to work on knitting while doing something else at the same time, and they are both easy patterns. The first is the 'Noro Striped Scarf,' but instead of using Noro, I used bulky weight Tweedle Dee yarn and size 15 ( I think) knitting needles.
I really love how soft and warm it turned out. It is knit in 1x1 rib stitch, so it turns out pretty dense, and is completely reversible. Definitely a winner.This second project is a total cheat as well. I have had this finished for about two months, and just now got around posting pics of it. It is the 'Gathered Scarf' and it is knit with Cotton Fine. I wear this all of the time, and should really knit one in another color so I can mix it up a little bit.
The biggest perk to this scarf is that it washes really well. I just toss it in the machine to wash and dry, and it comes out perfectly. Another win!

FO: Yellow/Green Chunky Cowl

This took me about one evening to knit, and then I let it sit for about four weeks without weaving in the ends. But, last week I bought a new jacket thanks to the super clearance sales going on everywhere, and I needed a new accessory to match it, so I finally finished my cowl.
I love how it turned out! It stands up well, it is reversible, and is snug enough around my neck that it isn't bulky under my coat.
And, it is washable. A big plus when it is going to be worn almost every day in the winter. :)Hopefully, I will get my butt in gear and write up a pattern soon! I have a bunch of patterns halfway written up, I just need to photograph them, proof them, and get them up on my Etsy site. :)

ETA:
I've now got the pattern finished!!
Check it out at my Etsy Shop!
www.cassiemarie.etsy.com

Chevalier Mittens and Blog Feature - Part 1

With school going full force, sometimes I need a bit of quality time with my knitting needles. I've been pining after the Chevalier Mittens from Made by Myself for quite some time. I've also been trying to burn through some stash yarn, so this project was perfect for that lone skein of brown Cascade 220 that was taking up room in my closet. I started them in the morning, and got just past the cuff.
A few episodes of Battlestar Galactica later and I'm almost finished with the first mitten. I really want to finish these so I can wear them. It is SO cold outside today!
I also wanted to start featuring some of my friends' blogs. First up is the blog of my BFF, or as some may think, my brother from whom I was separated from at birth, Tony. His blog, After Fighting For Hours, traces his journey from Wisconsin to Vegas, and his (sometimes elitist- haha ) epiphanies along the way. It is good reading, and sometimes I make an occasional appearance there as well. Here is a picture I stole from his blog of our trip into Chicago from last summer:

Brrrr!

It has been a little cold this last week. The lowest it got on my car's thermometer was -22, and that was without the wind chill. This is the Kishwaukee River, I took it on my walk to class on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, it was completely frozen over.
All this cold weather has had me knitting and weaving like a madwoman. My favorite project has been this scarf which is turning out really well. It is going by very quickly, which is good because I really want to wear it!
I'm weaving a scarf from the same yarn (ModaDea - Tweedle Dee) and it is about halfway done as well. I'm still spinning as well. I want to spin enough of my llama fiber to make a sweater. I'm in the process of looking for patterns, but I'm thinking of just winging my own pattern instead....The cold weather has also prompted my amazing sense of style. Take note: Jeans + Leggings + Christmas Socks + Nate's Socks = SO UGLY, but warm! Oh the sacrifices we have to make for warmth. I hope you have all found some more fashionable ways to stay warm!

Sunday Nights

This is how I've been spending my Sunday Nights the last 6 months or so. Good friends, good food, and of course, knitting.
Here are Carolyn, Kathy, and Mary:
Mary and Heather:Myself and Carolyn:Carol and Trixy:
We are missing quite a few other regulars in these pictures, so I'll try to take some more soon!