Sunday, September 28, 2008

Photo Entry...

My ever looming birthday is right around the corner.. October 1oth to be exact and I've decided its time to upgrade my Sony point and shoot camera. Its served me well for years but there are just too many problems as of late. The flash has become weak, he AF is going, and then theres a lot of dust in the lens and some mechanical issues there as well. Ive always been into photography, it's been a passion of mine for years. Took some basic classes back in school but never opted for a professional camera. I'm leaning towards the Canon Rebel Xsi it has all of the features I need in a pro-camera and it's in a price range that I've been saving up for, probably the entire year and then some for.

I wanted to share some photos I've taken with my low range Sony over the years. Ive been very happy with it. Some are a bit grainy but beautiful all the same. Most of these photos are of my son back when I had loads of free time, and few nice landscapes. (Theres even a shot of me 5 months pregnant last June.)
I know my Mom and Aunts would love to see the babies when they come here to read this.



I'll post some knitting soon. I finished a sweater for my son, a scarf for DH that I just might steal, and then theres the progress on the second Icarus Shawl.
Hope everyone is well.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Pumpkins for all..

So we're all getting ready for fall at my house. Decorating inside and out. Planning trips to go apple and pumpkin picking next month. There's just nothing else like it. This time of year when the weather starts changing. The cool air seems to bring a sort of magic with it.

I think my favorite of the season are pumpkins. They fill my creative/artistic void. I like to carve intricate designs into the surface without puncturing through to the inside so they preserve better during the holiday. I wish I had some pictures to post but sadly they are on a computer I don't have access to at the moment. But as soon as I get a few pumpkins and a lil' mommy time I'll post them up. I decided after coming across this pattern on Ravelry that I should start knitting a few in the meantime. Wow, are they fast. I cast on 60 stitches instead of the 35 that the pattern called for. I wanted a bigger squishier pumpkin for my friend's mother who works as a teacher. (She needed one for her desk). The only problem was the stem. In the pattern you are to knit an I-cord but it would've looked ridiclous on such a big pumpkin. So I decided to change it up a lil.



Heres the stem pattern:

CO 6 stitches on DPNs
join being sure not to twist stitches and knit one round.
next round: *k1, kfb* to end (9s)
next round: k all stitches
next round: *k1, kfb, k1* to end (12s)
next round: k all stitches
next round: p all stitches
next round: *k1, p1, k1, p1* to end
repeat last row until desired length
BO



Fill with scrap yarn or fiberfill and sew onto top of pumpkin
There you have it! A stem worth having. Now I'm going to start making more.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Creepy Cloths

I apologize for the lapse in posts. My time has been so preoccupied with knitting two Icarus shawls for my friend's wedding on Oct 18 (I seriously need to pick it up again.) that I needed a break this month. I thought I'd do something fun for everyone. I decided to design some mini-dishcloths that were quick and addictive to knit up. At 5½"x5½" they're adorable and functional. My husbands been cleaning everything in the kitchen with my test knits. Autumn is my favorite season and Halloween is right around the corner so I was inspired. I've already made three sets for the mothers in my life. They are so fast its ridiculous.



There are six patterns all together. I made each written pattern with a corresponding chart of the dishcloth. From the sets that I've already made, I've managed to get about 2-2½ cloths out of one ball of Lily's Sugar'n Cream Solid Yarn. Though you can use any kitchen cotton you prefer.


They're sure to spice up your Halloween.

There are more photos of the cloths on my pattern page on Ravelry here.

The pattern is available as a PDF download and priced at $3.25. You can obtain this pattern if you are a Ravelry member by clicking the "Buy Now" button below the preview. Creepy Cloths are also available in my Pattern Store here as a Ravelry Download.





This is my first time designing a pdf. file so if anyone has any problems with the pattern please leave me a message or email me on Ravelry or at krispatay4@yahoo.com and I will be more than happy to help you in anyway.

I'm really pleased with how these lil' scrubbers came out. It was such a joy to design them. I can't wait for more holidays. Hope everyone is enjoying early fall. The weather here in New York has been delightfully chilly.