Karma Studio's blog

Gettin' Loopy!

LL Shepherd Sock-The Loopy Ewe

 

I finally got my Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn in the exclusive "Loopy Ewe" colorway! So pretty! These beautiful skeins will become some candy cane lace socks in the future. I am so glad to finally get this yarn!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LL Shepherd Sock-The Loopy Ewe up close

Also this week, I placed my 6th Loopy Ewe order on Friday, so I am officially a Loopy Groupie! I'm so excited about getting my order and seeing what awesome goodies are in my welcome kit.

It is a beautiful fall morning here in TN, and I am getting to spend some quiet time with my animals for a change. I'm drinking some delicious apple tea and watching "The Soup" (my secret addiction), and I think it's time to do some knitting while I have the place to myself this morning. :)

Until next time,

Happy Knitting!

~t.

Stash Enhancement and Sew What?

Sept 26 Bounty

So, I had a bit of fun this week, between my favorite LYS, Haus of Yarn, and my favorite online yarn store, The Loopy Ewe. Pictured on the left is my "bounty" from this week: 4 balls of Jojoland Rhythm, a super-soft (and I mean so soft you can't resist touching it) hank of Misti Alpaca Chunky, a beautiful skein of Misti Alpaca Hand-paint Lace, a gorgeous skein of Colinette Jitterbug, and a to-die-for skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. Each one has a special project already in mind for it (as if I needed more projects to do...) so none of it will go to waste. I have in mind a cowl, 2 neckwarmers, a shawl, and a scarf, and I can't wait to get started on them all!

Of course, I need to get on the ball and finish some projects already on the needles, but that is another story. :)

 

sewing machine

Also new this week, look what I found in my parents' storage shed! This was actually my sewing machine that I begged for when I was about 10 or so, but the sewing bug never really bit me, so the machine got packed away. I was amazed to find it in pristine condition. It does 22 different stitches and all of the bobbins, extra feet,  and the instruction book were with it in the case. No, this does not mean that I am giving up knitting for sewing, as sewing in a straight line isn't one of my strong suits, but it does mean that the next time I need to sew a lining for a knitted purse I don't have to spend countless hours sewing it all by hand. I'm also thinking of trying to make a needle case and maybe a knitting bag with it, but that probably won't happen anytime soon since I am really covered in knitting projects that need to be done.

I think that in October I will scale down my yarn buying so that I can save money for Christmas (and I mean it this time), but that doesn't mean that I am going on a full-on yarn diet. I have some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock coming my way as we speak via The Loopy Ewe, and I only have 1 more order to place to make me an official Loopy Groupie! I'm hoping to place that 6th order next payday, so stay tuned for the awesome goodies that will come with that.

Until next time,

Happy Knitting!

~t.

Yarn booty, and an FO!

Haus Loot 2

So, I made another trip to the super-awesome Haus of Yarn here in Nashville on Friday after work, and what you see to the left is what I ended up getting. I got another skein of Chameleon Colorworks Bambino in "October", because I was dying for this color ever since I first saw it. :) I also got some Rhythm by Jojoland so that I can make a cool cowl with it, and I'm pretty excited about that. The book "101 Designer One-Skein Wonders" was also a Haus purchase, and it even features a couple of designs from people that work at the HoY, so that is neat. There are lots of great patterns in this book to help me use up those leftover skeins of yarn that I have, and I'm so glad that I finally went ahead and bought this book. 

 

LL Shepherd Sock-Flames

My most favorite thing this week came from The Loopy Ewe in the form of some sweet Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in "Flames". I'm going to attempt the "Firestarter" sock pattern with these and I can't wait to see how the colors work up in the socks. They are sooooo gorgeous in the hank. Also, the shipping was once again really fast. I ordered on a Friday and my package arrived Monday! Plus, I got some nice little treats from Sheri and the Loopy Elves, and that always brings a smile to my face. I can't wait to place my next order with them. :)

 

  

 

KP Cotlin-Fiesta Pink

The last of my yarn indulgence this week comes from Knit Picks. I ordered some Cotlin yarn in "Fiesta Pink" to knit up some cute ballerina slippers. I always wanted to be a ballerina, but I was told that I was too tall and awkward, so it never came to happen. Once I knit these slippers I can pretend to be a ballerina even if I'm just schlepping about the house in my pj's. (and I'll probably be watching Spongebob....I know, it's like I'm 5 years old, right? lol)

 

 

  

Dad's Work Mask

And now, to top off my mostly productive weekend, I present to you a scary-looking me modeling the ski mask that I made for my dad. The mask is really cozy, so now my dad won't have to worry about his face getting cold when he works outside this winter. He likes this one so much he wants me to make him another one in black so that he has a mask to wear when he's painting handrail. He said I didn't have to do all of the "fancy" ribbing stitches or anything, so working in straight stockinette will probably make this project go by even faster. It feels so good to finally get this done. He's only been asking for it for about a year.... :P

And that caps off this post. I wanted to post yesterday, but we had a brief power outage following by a long internet outage and I couldn't get back on until this morning. I was so bummed. But, I did get some more knitting done, so it all worked out. I'm working on 3 different projects right now, so hopefully my "Finished Object" posts will be more frequent from now on.

Until next time,

Peace and Happy Knitting!

~t.

What yarn diet....?

 

 

Haus of Yarn loot

I was absent last week because I was visiting with relatives from out of town, but I'm back now to share some more stashy goodness.

I've decided not to be on a yarn diet anymore. It just wasn't working out for me, and besides, it's not like my stash is so huge that it's putting me into bankruptcy or anything. There are simply too many great yarns out there that I'm dying to try! I'm still working hard on finishing my projects and diminishing the stash, but I just can't live by the hard and fast rules of not buying any yarn at all.

First off, I finally made my first trip to my LYS, Haus of Yarn, and I LOVED it!! I have to admit that I was a little overwhelmed by all of the yarn that was before me, everyone was so nice and helped me find what I was looking for (thank you, "putasockonit" a fellow Raveler!). My reason for just HAVING to go yesterday was that I saw on the HoY website that they had a really awesome pattern for the "Swirl Shawl" from Jojoland. I fell in love and it looked like it was a lot of fun to make, so I picked up 3 balls to make the scarf. I also got a hank of Chameleon Colorworks' Bambino to make a fun pair of socks. I got the color "Briar Rose" and I was having such a hard time choosing between it and "October", so I'll probably go back soon and get that one as well. It was also cool to meet a fellow Raveler in the flesh, and she is sooo nice and helpful. I envy her sock yarn stash. :)

 

Loopy Ewe goodies

Earlier this week, it was time to discover what all the fuss was about The Loopy Ewe. I had heard about how everyone was so friendly and about the little shopping perks, so I wanted to see for myself. One trip to their website and I was in love! It's a sock knitter's paradise. The shipping was indeed very fast, and the little extras were even better than promised. I ordered a keychain sock blocker for making tiny little socks with leftover sock yarn, and a notebook that has all sorts of space for needle inventory, favorite sock yarns, and writing down sock recipients' measurements and favorite colors. I placed my order on Wednesday, and it was here by yesterday morning. My second order is already on the way. :)

I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend last week. I didn't get as much knitting done as I wanted to (if any) so I'm making up for it by knitting my brains out this weekend. It's nice and rainy today thanks to Hurricane Gustav, so it's perfect for staying inside and relaxing. Hopefully I can finish dad's mask/hat. I'm one inch of stockinette away from getting to shape the eyeholes, so wish me luck!

Happy knitting everyone!

~t.

Time for a yarn diet, and I've been a good girl...

NobodyDyes-Punk

Soooooo....

My ever-growing yarn stash and ever-shrinking wallet has made me think that I should be on a yarn diet. Also, I joined a group on Ravelry that is all about de-stashing before the end of summer on September 21st and I really want to stick to it.

But, I couldn't help but get just one last purchase out of the way, for fear that the yarn would disappear and I'd never be able to get it again. The lovely yarn pictured on the left is called "Punk" and it's from NobodyDyes on Etsy. I really need to get away from Etsy for a while...lol. This yarn was calling my name, though, and I couldn't resist. I know I'll find an awesome sock pattern to showcase these lovely colors and I can't wait for it to arrive in the mail!

Other than that, I was a good girl this week. The only other purchases that I made were to get supplies for projects that are on my list. I've come up with about 27 things that I'd like to do before the end of Summer, and while I don't know if I'll get them all done, I'm going to try my damndest. Only when my stash is almost depleted will I buy more yarn. Among the things I bought were size 3 dpns to knit my "Sheldon" kit, lavendar to stuff my sachets and stash moth, and pipe cleaners for the stash moth, and d-rings for the buckle on my future messenger bag. I was surprised to find everything I needed at Michael's, as usually they are out of whatever needle I need at the moment. I usually order my dpns from KnitPicks, but it's always to tempting to pick up a skein or two of yarn while I'm there. It actually felt good to resist the temptation, especially knowing that I was able to buy what I needed to actually finish projects that I have on deck. There's nothing more frustrating than being so close to finishing a project but not having the zipper/fabric lining/buttons/etc.

Until next time, happy knitting!

This Week's Stashy Goodness!!!

081708-New Stash

So yeah, I know what you're probably thinking-"Gee, Toni went really overboard with the yarn buying this week! So much for her stash-busting." I know it seems like a lot. Hell, even I was a little surprised to tally up this weeks' purchases and discover 15 new balls of fuzzy goodness added to my ever-growing stash. But really, I got this yarn at a great price because most of it came in the form of two kits from Knit Picks. One little group, the pastel little gems, came from their "Georgian" sampler. The other little group, the bright little jewels, came with their "Sheldon" kit. The lone hank was purchased for a lovely pair of fingerless gloves that I saw while browsing the Knit Picks patterns. I simply can't resist their yarns. So soft, so colorful, and well, so lovely! I did vow to not purchase any yarn for a couple of weeks while I whittle away at the stash even though I'm absolutely dying to get one of their sock samplers. It will be inevitable that I get a sock sampler soon as I also need to order the needles to do the "Sheldon" project. I mean, c'mon, go to their website, www.knitpicks.com and tell me that you don't see something you like! Go on, I dare you! And no, they are not paying me to say this, I just really like their yarns. A LOT!

In other news, I finished knitting the 70's Poncho last night. All that's left to do is weave in all those ends (grumble grumble) and knit the I-cord tie that goes at the top and it will be 100% complete. Finally. I'm anxious to get it finished because there are a lot of smaller, instantly gratifying projects that I can't wait to get started on.

And with that, I'm off to end this poncho madness!

This Week's Additions To My Yarn Family

KP Felici-Gelato

I'm still working on finishing that crazy poncho of mine, but that didn't stop me from planning ahead for future projects and adding to my ever-growing yarn stash. :)

 

After a couple of weeks of cruising around on Ravelry.com and getting aquainted with everything, I finally gave in to the urge to knit the ever-popular "Jaywalker" socks that seems to be all the rage. And how could I resist? They are some really cool looking socks. I found the perfect yarn for them on KnitPicks and I can't wait until the day that I actually get to cast them on. But, that will probably be a while since I have some other projects lined up ahead of them.

Noro Kureyon-215

 

I also gave in to the super-loverly "Kureyon" yarn from Noro. Seems like everybody has some Noro in their stash, and now I can join along in all the fun.

I bought this lovely colorway so that I can make those arm warmers in the "Stitch 'N Bitch Nation" book that I have had for over a year now. :)

This is my first time with "Kureyon", and I'm very excited about how the colors are going to come out when the arm warmers are finished. I hope they come out well because I know I'll want to wear them with everything this Fall/Winter!

Until next time, happy knitting!

~toni

Poncho Progress...

70s Poncho-WIP

Ok, so I've been sitting on all this yarn that I bought from eBay (since it was discontinued) for the past 6 months and about a week ago, I finally put it to use by starting on my poncho. I feel like I'm making good progress, in between buying more yarn for other projects that I can't wait to start, and taking gratuitous Ben & Jerry's ice cream breaks (chocolate chip cookie dough is incredible-I'm thinking of eating some right now...). This is the first large project that I've ever really started besides the monkey backpack and I'm proud that I am sticking with it. It is sort of tedious doing the same thing over and over again as I am used to knitting things for instant gratification like gloves and scarves and whatnot, but it is really cool to watch it all take shape and marvel in the fact that I will actually be able to wear this when I am finished. I love how bright the colors are because I totally crave color all the time. The brighter, the better. Don't worry, I don't want to blind everyone with my brightness, so I have lined up a few projects that are a little more pastel. Still colorful, just toned down a bit. I'm always fascinated by what can be done with two sticks and some yarn.

I better go. The ice cream is calling to me and that poncho isn't going to finish itself. :)

Etsy Rocks!!!

 

pink buttons

So I was browsing

etsy.com the other day for some things that I needed for some upcoming projects, and I got a couple of really awesome things.

First, I bought these beautiful pink vintage buttons from Elizabeth Wren Vintage. There are tons of gorgeous buttons in here and they will be absolutely perfect for a wrap that I am going to knit in the near future. I don't even have the yarn for the project yet, but when I saw these buttons I knew I couldn't pass them by for fear that someone else would snatch them up. :)

 

Turtle Stitch Markers

Then, as I was browsing the "knitting" category, I saw these super-cute glass bead turtle stitch markers. Everyone knows how crazy I am about turtles and I instantly fell in love with these little guys. :)  I bought them from Yarn Lust and they arrived in the mail really fast. I can't wait to use them on my next project. For now, they are looking really cute sitting on this cool journal I bought at Michael's for only a buck.

 

I love Etsy.com so much, and it seems like every time I am just looking around on there I always seem to find something that seems as if it were made just for me. If you haven't ever visited Etsy, you really should. I'm warning you, though, there is so much awesome stuff on there that you just might get addicted to it. (As if I needed to add another shopping addiction besides yarn...lol.)

Fingerless Gloves A Go-Go

KPFingerless Gloves-2

FINALLY finished this one last night. All I had to do was weave in the ends and sew up the wrist, but of course, I kept putting it off. I think they turned out well for my first-ever set of fingerless gloves, and they are just the thing to show off that new nail polish I just bought. (Like it? The color is called "Go-Go Green" and I think Maybeline makes it.)

I can't wait to knit more stuff with the yarn that came in my KnitPicks Victorian sampler. I ordered the needles today so that I can do another project. I really like their yarn, too. It's really nice, and it's inexpensive so I can splurge on lots more of it! I also ordered some more of this yarn to do another pair of fingerless gloves from a new pattern book that I just got.

But in the meantime, I've got to knit a poncho.....