The Cotton Crafter

Blogging, about my life

So,  I didnt want to clog up my knitting blog about my life, so I have created a new one, I will probably have some similar content on both, but I created my adventure blog to be for my friends and family to read about what is going on in my life outside of my knitting and stamping.

If you want to check it out, you are welcome too, I dont promise that I will keep up with regular updates, just when even i have something to say about my life that doesnt have to do with knitting or stamping it will be there.

Welcome Friends!

to

The New Adventures of Lindsay & Chris

An Update on Projects and photos of new ones...

My Sock Yarn Blanket has been started, I am loving it, if I want something quick to work on I pull this out...

I have also been working on this baby blanket for a very good friend who is expecting in May/June, it is being worked in the same pattern as my sock yarn blanket, but with larger needles and more stitches, it is very quickly knitting up and I love it!

And a Chevron Scarf, this one is my in my purse project at the moment, I know the pattern off by heart now, so no need to carry paper, and it is smaller then most of my other projects that I currently have on the go.  It is lovely, I am using Kroy Sock yarn in the Cream Colorway, and then a hand died yarn from a LYS.

I Don't Usually Cross-Post

What I mean is, these photos of this card are on my Stamping Blog, but I love this card, and because it has Crochet on it (Although not my own), and there are corduroy buttons, and I even sewed on this card, I thought I would share it here.  Keep in mind, that I have sent this card away for a contest, so if I win, I will have to remove the photos from this and my other blog until it is published, if that happens. 

Here it is...

And here are some artsy close up shots of the butterflies and the details in the card...

And so it begins...

The story of a little square...

And her friends...

eventually they will all come together to make a lovely blanket, but for now they are just little scrap balls...

I had to add this photo too just cause I love it...

New Items for my Etsy Shop

I have been busy today...lol...stamping and such, but I wanted to post these new Pins for my Etsy Shop!

Here they are...

I have made a pink one for me, and it is on my jacket, I love it!!

First Monthly Dishcloth Finished

The Yahoo Group that I belong to has finished their first KAL of the month, the group does 2 dishcloths per month, an easy feat, when I work on it in the morning while i walk up and eat breakfast.  I enjoy these cloths and waiting for the rows each day.

Here is the first one...

What am I working on now?

I got asked this the other day, by a fellow knitter.  I figured that since I haven't blogged in a couple of days that I would blog about just this topic.

I am designing, knitting and designing.  Although I did just finish a dishcloth from my monthly dishcloth KAL group I belong to (being blocked at the moment, and photo will come soon)

My knitting and designing is for a friend, mittens with cables.

I am in love with designing, for now, it is very satisfactory when something that fits comes out of it.  For now I will just tease you with words, my camera is all the way in the other room, and for now I am too tired or maybe lazy to go get it.  I also don't want to give too much away before the pattern is published.

and besides, they are not done!! 

Tomorrow when I am knitting with all my knitting friends I will work on them more, teaching my friend as I go.  I hope to finish them fairly soon, then I am thinking about entering them in the Vanna's Choice Contest (because that is what I knit them with) and hey, who knows, I could win something!

I hope that your first week of 2009 was wonderful!

By the Way, pictures will be soon, I just noticed that my last few posts have been pictureless, and that is really weird for me...lol.

Mittens Frogged, only for now...

Oh I was so excited to make these mittens, but being almost done the first mitten...

I am ripping it out. 

Why you ask?  because it is HUGE!  I keep trying it on, hoping that my hands will grow, or the mitten will shrink, but alas, neither has happened!

So I have ordered a smaller set of needles, and some thinner yarn in case that doesn't work.  I didn't test swatch these, so really it is all my fault!  I need to swatch at least one color just to see if it will fit my hand.  I think that this also will give me a chance to practice with color work and make something that will be quick so that I will be ready for when my yarn comes in. 

I will still make the geek mittens, but everything that i try with this yarn just isnt making them fit the way that I want them to.  And I dont want to make them just for the sake of making them and never waer them because the dont fit!!

So for now, the Geek Mittens are on hold...

To Be Continued...

2009 To do's

I hate the idea of creating a new years resolutions list, simply because I create one and then never follow through on them.  That is why this year, it is just a to do list, like a honey do list, but for me.  This way I can cross off things on my list or not, without guilt.

This year I am hoping will be a very good one with things in happening in my life that I have been waiting for, for a long time.  My projects for 2009 will hopefully help me get through all of these things and make time fly by!

So, as for my 2009 to do list...

1. Make some mittens, right now as you know I am working on some Geek Mittens, color work is great fun and I really am enjoying them.
2. Do more Smaller type projects, while I really enjoyed my sweater over the past few months it is sometimes nice to work on fresh projects sooner, this way I will hopefully not en up with so many WIP's.  I have already created my 2009 album of finished projects, which you see on the right column just above the 2008 album.  Ready to start filling it with my FO's.
3. Finish some of my WIP's from 2008, especially my socks!
4. keep up with my monthly dishcloth group, even if that means that I will only make 1 of each cloth instead of 2 or 3 of each cloth to make room for other projects.
5. Design some more things.  I really like the satisfaction of knowing that a pattern came from my head and that I am not just doing a pattern from someone else.

Now for some personal to do's not really related to knitting

1. Take more me time, this past year I have been quite busy with work and such, and I think I need to take more time to just do something for me, it might be knitting, or it might be taking a class, or something like that.  I just need to do more for me.
2. Alot of people have this one, but I would like to lose a few more lbs and not find them again, this past year I have done so well and I would like to keep up with that, getting out and walking more around the lake by our house, and just being a bit more active this year then last.
3. Grow my businesses, even though this needs time, and I said that I wanted more me time, I would like to expand a bit more on my Stamping Business, and maybe even my photography, so that I can cut back on my day job, to make more me time.

I would like to think of all these things as fairly small to do's for myself this year.

I hope this inspires you to create your to do list and keep it small and manageable enough for you.

Nano Sock

I got an iPod Nano for Christmas, and so did my Mom, so while she was here visiting I knit her a sock for her Nano, it was very simple, so here is my short little pattern...

Yarn: Patons Silk Bamboo (light weight #3 yarn) and some scrap white fingering weight

Size 2.5 needles

Using Judy's magic cast on, cast on 12 sts on each side, in the silk bamboo. 24 sts in total

work a 2k x 1p rib for 42 rows, then work the same ribbing with the white, one more row with the bamboo and then 3 rows of the white.  Cast off in pattern.  sew in all your ends and tada!

You could also make it a little bit larger by working a 2x2 rib and working 26 sts in total instead of 24 sts

Here is how it looks in the sock...