Fast Lace, Knit & Crochet

I have two Finished Objects to show off this Friday! As expected, I finished the turquoise shawl for the mother. I sent her a picture and she seems pleased with it. I know I am. IMG_6097I never get tired of this pattern. This is the fifth time making it, I think, and they now take just a couple of hours.

There were a little over 100 yards left in the ball, so I decided to make a knit scarf with the leftovers. Again, I repeated a pattern: My So Called Life Lacey Scarf. It’s another one that’s super easy and super fast. I started it during Jeopardy and finished it during the boy’s band concert. It’s not as long as I would have liked, but it’s still a wearable length.IMG_6116IMG_6117Just for fun, I made Jack model for me. He wasn’t pleased. IMG_6107IMG_6108

Today I get to cast on for something new! Happy Friday, friends!

Stop: Knitting Time!

I finished the proofreading job last night, and while I enjoyed it, and enjoyed doing something different, I’m ready to get back to my yarn. Do you want to see my new yarns? Of course you do! Remember I was taking the mother to my LYS the other day to pick out yarn for a scarf? We had a lovely time browsing. I should take some photos of this store; it’s HUGE. SO MUCH YARN. We quickly found the yarn for her scarf, but she also wants an afghan, so we started looking for yarn for that, and that was a lot harder. Finally, she picked out a variegated peach/teal acrylic, but they didn’t have enough, and she didn’t want to add a solid color. Thankfully, with some help, we found a different brand of variegated that will go really well. I’ll hold one strand of each, and once it’s done, we’ll go back to the yarn store to pick out a solid for a border.

Nope, no photo of that yarn yet. I forgot to take one and right now I’m outside with the puppies and it’s upstairs and I’m just too plain lazy to go do that. You’ll see it another time, I promise.

Of course we also had to admire and pet and drool over the other pretty yarns, and she even bought me a present! Look at my gorgeous Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Bulky in Rainbow!  IMG_6089I know it will be a cowl for me but I haven’t picked out a pattern yet. Right now it just decorates my desk.

With all the yarn admired, we paid and packed up, and you’ll be AMAZED to know that I bought NO YARN. That’s right: I spent no money! It helped that I was getting a skein as a little gift, but still, I was quite impressed with myself! So we headed off to lunch and errands, and then I got a call: the yarn store had forgotten to put her scarf yarn in the bag. I would have to pick it up on the way home. No problem, it was convenient.

Except. I remembered they’d had a coupon on Facebook. I hadn’t printed it out but thought they might honor it.

And darn it all, she said they would. So my admirable restraint was diminished, and I bought yarn. Still, I only bought one skein, and it was on sale. And it’s gorgeous. IMG_6090I’m thinking this might become a Be Simple Shawl, or maybe the Be Simple Variations. Or who knows, I might stick with tried and true and make another Hitchhiker. I’ve got time to figure it out, since I’ve got one small and three bigger projects I need to focus on first.

First up is the scarf for the mother. She picked out Bamboo Pop in turquoise. The scarf is halfway done and might even be done today. IMG_6095It’s a lovely yarn, a bit slippery with the large hook I’m using (size N/P, 10mm) but it feels silky in my fingers and it will drape beautifully.

Then there’s the mermaid blanket of course, and my mother’s afghan, but at least I have until cooler weather before I need to worry about finishing that. So once the scarf is done, I’ll be casting on a project for my sister. I saw the new Marcelle Wrap pattern by Little Church Knits, and I think it’s gorgeous. I shared it on my Facebook page, and my sister saw it and has to have one for herself! Hooray, a reason to knit one! She picked out the colors and the yarn arrived yesterday. IMG_6094It’s hard to see it well, but the top one is called Forest Heather, I think. It’s a dark green with slight reddish/purple hints. I’m looking forward to starting this one soon.

So there you have it, all my yarn updates. That’s plenty, right? I certainly have enough to keep my needles and hooks busy for a while. Until next time, here’s a photo of Jack, our resident branch manager. I have no idea how he got this stick up the narrow deck stairs, but he’s pretty happy with himself. IMG_6096

I’m a good girl

You’ll be pleased to know that I stayed focused and got a lot of “must haves” done yesterday! (Or maybe you won’t, but let’s pretend, just for fun.) I made my list of chores for the week and half are already crossed off. Sure, they’re the easier ones, but it’s a start. When I can do that, get a workout in, AND get some work done, that’s a good day. I finished the first pass through the sci-fi book I’m proofreading (it’s the sequel to Mostly Human by Antoinette Houston. I’m not a sci-fi person but I have fun reading these.) and I got a few rows done on the mermaid blanket during Jeopardy! and I even managed to do some fun knitting before bed, starting another set of fingerless gloves. IMG_6084I needed another travel project, and these are perfect.

Now, I need you guys to send me some willpower: I’m going to the yarn store with the mother today. She wants a scarf to go with a certain dress, so we’re going together to pick out a color. I really really need to be good and not come home with extra yarn, so please send good mojo, or juju, or whatever. And tomorrow, I’ll be sure to show what I come with anyway. Sigh.

Here, have a couple of pupdates: IMG_6081Jack follows me around all day long. This is what I have whenever I’m working in my craft room.

IMG_6083And this is why my couches are a wreck. Both of them are in front of big windows, and the puppies have to keep watch whenever possible. I guess I’d rather have happy puppies than pristine couches. (Not sure the husband agrees.)

We had big storms yesterday and last night and this morning everything is bright and shiny and sparkling. Even the power lines have little rainbow droplets. Hope your day is bright too!

Selfish Knitting

I didn’t do anything I was “supposed” to do yesterday. Well, no, I take that back. I did EXACTLY what I was supposed to do: relax, let everybody else do all the stuff, and only do what *I* wanted to do. So we had a lovely brunch, I got a couple of presents from my sweet daughter, we went to see the new Captain America movie (spoiler: I wasn’t a big fan.) and then I knitted the rest of the day while watching old chick flicks. (Sweet Home Alabama and Pleasantville.) I made lots of progress on a beautiful Pink Diamond Shawlette: IMG_6074IMG_6075Pattern is Diamond Shawlette and I’m using KnitPicks Galileo in Abalone and I’m loving everything about knitting this. But for now I must set it aside so I can focus on the things I have to do, like a mermaid blanket and a proofreading job.

Oh, and I finally have pictures of the rainbow scarf, which just got listed on Etsy this morning. IMG_5227IMG_5228

I hope all my fellow mothers had an equally lovely day yesterday!

Wonder Woman Bags

Yesterday, my brother sent me a link about some cosmetic bags Walgreens was selling. Not just any bags: these were WONDER WOMAN bags! I’ve loved her since I was a kid, and I’m a nerd at heart so now that I’m a grown up, I love to have all kinds of Wonder Woman stuff. You guys have seen some of it. So I followed the link and then almost immediately drove to my local store. Nope, they didn’t have them. Didn’t know anything about them. Shoot. I came home, searched some more, and thought the closest store that had any was 30 minutes away. But no! My brother discovered a closer store that said it had one of the bags. I figured one was better than none and set off again. And GUESS WHAT?? They had all three bags I wanted! So yes, I bought myself an early Mother’s Day gift because how could I not? IMG_6025The big one will be a project bag, and I’m not sure about the two medium sizes. That littlest one came with a set of makeup brushes, and they’re cute and all, but whatever. This is a notions pouch, am I right? And that clear one in the back? It has a cape!IMG_6026I am more than pleased with my new bags. I think they’re delightful.

Somehow I also ended up with some new yarn yesterday. I don’t know how it happened. But it was all half off, so that’s something. IMG_6027This is Cascade 220 Superwash Aran, so squishy and soft! Love this stuff.

IMG_6028This is Berroco Lustra. You can’t see it very well, but it has a lovely subtle shimmer. I think it will make a gorgeous lacy cowl.

Now I really need to focus and get back to work. This author’s book isn’t going to proofread itself!

I Can’t Adult Today

May, you’re killing me already. My brain feels so full. I feel like I’m trying to do 50 million things every day and forgetting 49 million of them. Sometimes people think that because I don’t have an official job, I’m a “lady of leisure”, and while it’s true that I do get great downtime some days, I definitely make up for it on others. My schedule is flexible, but that doesn’t mean my days are empty. I’m lucky, so lucky, to be able to be a mom full-time, but it can still be hard and crazy. And when it’s being a mom to a super-active teenager who doesn’t drive yet, managing and supporting her schedule feels like a job by itself sometimes. It’s one I like, one I chose, and remembering that does help.

I just feel scattered right now, unfocused. I’m trying to get the yarn orders done, I just started a proofreading project, and I’m trying to coordinate all the spring/end of school year stuff that needs to happen. There are birthday presents to buy and forms to fill out and concerts to attend (on a school night, natch, and some of them I want to bring my mom to, which adds another layer of planning) and Mother’s Day is coming up and some days I just want to abdicate my role as social coordinator. Really, that’s all I want for Mother’s Day: someone else to prep the house for company, someone else to buy the food and cook the food and do the dishes without me having to nag. Isn’t that funny, the best gift for Mother’s Day is a day off from being the mom?

Deep breath. I’m on week three of some big changes, and it’s possible they’re affecting me too. I’m halfway through my weaning period for my antidepressant, and I really think it’s going fine. I mean, yeah, I’m stressed out today, but I get stressed out every May when this craziness hits. But I’m not sluggish, overly cranky, weepy, or sleeping poorly, and all of those things are my problem signs.

I think it helps that I’ve committed to becoming healthier, and part of that is regular exercise. I’ve known all along that exercise helps; it’s just been a matter of motivation. Well, I’m tired of being the weight that I am, of feeling the way I have, so yeah, I’m exercising. And even though I admit I feel better when I do it, I still don’t like it. I’m never going to be an exercise junkie, or someone who preaches the joys of exercise. I do it because it’s better for my body and my mind. So, whatever. The stationary bike has become my friend, and I turn up the music and zone out on games on my phone. It works. And I’m making better choices in what I eat, cutting calories, but I’m not calling it a diet. It’s just making healthier choices, and that’s something I need to commit to for the rest of my life.

Ugh. It sucks getting older. Yeah, it beats the alternative, but I do miss the days of not having to worry about calories or exercise or being in charge of multiple people.

But it’s fine. We’re fine. Right? Right. I was going to take today as a rest day, but I think I need the head-clearing action of a little workout, and then I’ll tackle my to-do list, and maybe I’ll feel better when the list is a bit shorter.

Here’s hoping your head space is clearer than mine today!

One Gray Glove

My knitting life has become a bit boring of late, I’m afraid! I haven’t been working on exciting projects for myself in quite a while. I’m making progress on the commissioned Mermaid Blanket; it’s my top yarn priority right now. IMG_5997I’m loving this color combination, and so far it’s working up very quickly. I’m using this pattern and I’m still in the easy flat portion of the afghan. I had to take a break though, for an Etsy order of two Yoda hats! Hooray! I do love getting Etsy orders…but I’m also getting pretty tired of Yoda hats. They were quick, though, and last night during the girl’s band concert I finished another fingerless glove. IMG_6010These are great travel projects, so I keep them in a bag and work on the mermaid while I’m at home.

And that’s all the yarn stuff, can you believe it? There’s always a lot going on in late April and May when you’ve got kids, especially teenage kids involved in lots of activities. So I’m doing plenty of driving around and looking forward to the day when the girl gets her driver’s license. And also not looking forward to it, too, you know? Thankfully, the puppies have been good too…except for wanting to lay on the back of the couch. (They’re not allowed up there, but it doesn’t seem to stop the naughty girl pup.) IMG_5998Yep, I got her down as soon as I took the photo. Do I think she gets up there whenever we’re gone? Yep, I’m sure she does!

Weekend Whirlwind

Oh, I don’t know, guys. This weekend was so crazy my brain is a little frazzled. I don’t think you’ll be getting a super good post today, but I’ll do my best. Saturday was the state National History Day competition here in Missouri, and the girl was there for the third time. We took a 2-hour road trip and spent half the day on the University of Missouri campus. (It’s nice. We like it. It’s on the girl’s short list for colleges.) Sadly, she didn’t make it to finals, so we hit up the best pizza in Missouri (Shakespeare’s Pizza. SO good.) before we left town. IMG_5974The hubby was kind enough to drive, so I got lots of knitting time. I made two fingerless gloves, start to finish, and got a good start on the third. I’m loving these and want to make them in all the colors. Right now I’m making gray with a hot pink stripe.IMG_5864IMG_5863At home, I started a big commission project: another mermaid blanket. It’s for a friend of a friend, and I’m trying to mimic the colors of The Little Mermaid. I’m really hoping that since this is my second, it will go more smoothly. I struggled a bit with the decreases in the tail last time. IMG_5984Oh, and see my new basket??IMG_5985So pretty! I found them at Aldi, a set of two for $8.99, and they’re perfect for my craft room.

Grace also found a book recently. I was gone, the boy was in his room, and the hubby was in the basement. I came home and found the book in the backyard. This is what was left. IMG_5870IMG_5987This dog. Oy.

Yesterday, the girl had an orchestra concert and afterward we tried a new (to us) local Italian restaurant and I managed to catch a rare photo of the boy. IMG_5983Yes, the photo quality is low but I had to move quickly. He does not allow many photos to be taken.

Today I have a rare free day, that is, if I don’t force myself to go to the grocery store. My goal is to turn on some chick flicks and make good progress on the mermaid blanket. It will work out just fine if these two don’t drive me nuts asking to go outside, then inside, then outside, then inside… IMG_5988Happy Monday, friends.

Yarn De-Stash

After my recent yarn purchases, I spent a bit of time sorting through my stash. It was getting rather over-crowded again and I needed to make some room. I pulled out a few yarns I decided I’d probably never use, and figured I’d post them here in case any of them called to my knit/crochet readers. I’ll attach a contact form at the end of this post, or you can email me at bonny(at)bonnyknits(dot)com. If you’re willing to pay the shipping, I’ll ship anywhere you want me to! Payment through PayPal.

IMG_5938Araucania Ruca Solid color 109. 100% sugar cane. 4 unused skeins. DK weight, 263 yards per skein. $25 for the lot, plus s&h. (Retails at $14/skein)

IMG_5937Classic Elite Yarns Imagine 53/47 cotton/rayon blend. DK weight, 93 yards each. There’s a lovely shimmer that was really hard to catch in the photos. $6 plus s&h.

IMG_5931KnitPicks Brava Worsted, color Caution. Was just too bright for what I wanted. 3 skeins, all unused. $5 plus s&h.

IMG_5940KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Superwash color Camel Heather. No idea why I bought this, since it’s not really my color. $2 plus s&h.

IMG_5934KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Bulky Superwash. Wound but unused. One dark, one light purple. Love the colors, they just weren’t as soft as I like. $5 plus s&h.

IMG_5943Wool Pak Yarns NZ 100% New Zealand wool. Label not marked with ply or shade. Label states 250 grams per skein, these three weigh in at 245 grams. I bought it like this, no idea why it was split into three. $5 plus s&h.

I also have a ton of cheaper acrylic to re-home, too much to list individually. If you like Red Heart Super Saver, Caron One Pound, Homespun, or things like that, give me a holler and I can give you an idea of what I’ve got!

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Anatomy of a Photo

Having finished my shawl and all the Royals-themed orders, I started a new project last night. This morning I set out to take a photo, and I thought I’d share my process.

This is my stack of scrapbook paper backgrounds. Note: this is only a very small sampling of my paper stash, the ones I pulled out as good options. I have A LOT more. I’m glad I’m finally putting it to use again, and actually, going through it all makes me want to start scrapbooking again. Anyway, paper. Plus a cookie sheet so I can set up the photo on it, and move it around easily to find the best light.IMG_5923

Here’s my stash of trinkets and treasures. The tray was handmade by my husband and it pleases me to have it out and use it more often. This is just a start; I’m sure I’ll be adding to this over time.IMG_5924

Then I put them all together and use my phone to come up with photos like these. It’s tricky to find the right background for the project, the way different colors play together. And then finding the best light? Let’s just say I’m a work in progress.

IMG_5927IMG_5929IMG_5930

Which one is your favorite? What’s your best photography tip?

Oh, what’s the project? A Bit of Lace Hemp Triangle, special request from the mother! It’s a paid pattern but totally worth it.