Sony Pocket Reader = LOVE!

Well, as the title suggests, I have been doing a lot of reading this week instead of stitching on Blossoming Love (I've finished about 1/3 of page 2). I finished Shades of Midnight by Lara Adrian and started Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian but am having trouble getting into the story. Luckily, I received my library card this week and am able to access the Overdrive online library system to "check out" books to my Sony Pocket Reader. I downloaded my first book Thursday night, Storm of Shadows by Christina Dodd, and finished it yesterday morning. The reading experience on the Pocket is like reading a normal book but better. It is so much easier to curl up on the couch with the reader and hold it comfortably. I've read complaints about the page turns being slightly delayed, but I had no problems with this whatsoever. The online library system is awesome and it is so easy to download the book you want, turn it back in, and check out another book. I've already started another book, Shadow Music by Julie Garwood. Maybe the novelty of the Pocket is what has me so interested in reading right now, but I'm looking forward to a long summer of catching up on my reading!

Blossoming Love Page 1 Completed

I completed the first page of Blossoming Love this week and started the second page. I am really enjoying this project but probably will not be able to work on it much over the next few weeks as the semester comes to an end and all class assignments are due at once.

Here is a close-up of the first page (I really love the colors so far):


Here is my progress on the second page as of this morning when I set it aside to work on a research project:

Thanks for looking!

HAED Page 1 Update

It is a rainy, dreary day here and I'd love nothing more than to just stay home and work on Blossoming Love, but I have an exam this afternoon and will have to drive to campus. Hopefully, the rain slacks off around time for me to leave. *fingers crossed*

Here is my progress on the first page of the chart which is all background. The second page looks like it has the beginnings of the girl's hair at the bottom of the page so it will be fun to see the detail. This page is going much quicker than I anticipated, especially since I have only been able to work on this for an hour or so a day. I originally planned to take this project along with me to work on during my lunch break but that is not possible with my current storage system described below. So, once I can purchase the other colors needed for this HAED, I think I'll start a Quick Stitch (QS) (maybe Coral Addiction since it looks like it uses some of the same colors as Blossoming Love) on 18 or 22 count Aida that will be my travel project.


My current storage system for my HAED is a 12" x 12" scrapbook craft box. It closes securely so I don't have to worry about the cats getting in it and it's really easy to just pull out my q-snap and chart to get a few stitches in whenever I have a minute. I tried using a 2.5 gallon Ziploc bag but it was a PITA to pull the work out with the 11" x 11" q-snap.

I'm hoping to finish the first page this week and purchase the other colors this weekend. I also wanted to add that gridding has really helped me to keep my place with this project. However, I have started pulling the gridding away from the areas I'm stitching in as I get close to the gridlines. It works for me and it prevents the sewing thread that I'm using for gridding from being stitched into the worked area.

Currently reading: Veil of Midnight by Lara Adrian & Dark Victory by Brena Joyce.

I'm getting a little tired of the series by Brenda Joyce so I think I'm going to put it away for a while and read another series for a while. I'm still trying to get through these two series so I can start using my new Sony Pocket!

Thanks for looking and have a great week!

HAED Progress

All of my supplies for Blossoming Love arrived Thursday. I gridded the fabric in 10 x 10 blocks and anxiously started stitching. It took a while to get comfortable with the 25 count fabric but it does not bother me now. So far I'm loving the colors that I'm working with and I'm glad I chose this project as my first HAED. I took the picture this morning so it does not show where I've completed the first column of the first page. I am going to try to post weekly updates on this project but can't promise anything as April is going to be a busy month.

Oriental Butterfly Finish and First HAED

I finally finished all the backstitching and the cords for Oriental Butterfly. This project took much longer than I anticipated, but I didn't expect to catch the knitting bug either. :o) I am very pleased with how this turned out and think that it will look stunning framed. Michaels has a 12" x 12" floating frame with a black border that I'd love to try with this. It will be a while before this get frames, however, since I spent all my hobby money gathering supplies to start my first HAED, mentioned below.

Close up of the butterfly detail:

Overall view of the finished piece:

I chose Blossoming Love by Selina Fenech as my first HAED chart to stitch. All the pinks/peaches and browns are gorgeous and will look lovely in my craft room/office someday. This will be stitched on white 25 count lugana fabric. I just ordered the fabric online yesterday so I will not know if I will stitch one strand of floss or two strands of floss over one thread of fabric until I can do some test stitches when the fabric arrives. Until then, I am going to work on hubby's afghan. I have 34 rows left to finish and, at 30 minutes per row, it may get finished in time for next winter! LOL! The overall size will be approximately 4' x 6'.

I decided to make floss cards for Blossoming Love so that finding the right color will not be so tedious. The idea came from the Dimension's Oriental Butterfly kit as it came with a strip of cardstock with pre-punched holes to organize floss. I'm hoping that this method helps me stay organized with my first HAED since it contains 90 colors (Oriental Butterfly only had around 30 colors). I used 5" x 8" blank index cards and made places for 20 colors per card. I'll let you know how well this works after I'm able to get started.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!

Clapotis de Mermaid Lagoon Finished

I finished my Clapotis scarf about two weeks ago. Towards the end of knitting this scarf I discovered that I could read and knit this at the same time since it is such an easy pattern. It is a very beautiful pattern and this is now my favorite scarf. The yarn was 100% wool sock yarn so it is incredibly warm but also very light.

Spring Break

As the title suggests, I am on spring break this week. I had every intention of working on beaded jewelry (b-day presents) and reading a couple of books, but suddenly had the urge to finish my Oriental Butterfly WIP that I have not worked on since November. I've finished all the cross stitches on the scroll and butterfly and the Chinese symbols along the left side of the design, as well as the backstitching to these areas. These symbols seem to be taking me forever (I do not like backstitching!), so I'm not really enjoying them and am ready to finally finish this project.

I purchased my first Heaven and Earth Design (HAED) chart this week. It is called Blossoming Love and I love all of the pinks/peaches and browns in this piece. This will be my largest project ever (if you don't include my husband's crocheted afghan...ugh!!!) and will be 16" x 23" on 25 count fabric with 90 colors. I purchased all but one color that I need to complete the first page, but I'm hoping to place an online order for that last color, the fabric if I can ever decide which one to purchase, and possibly a larger q-snap as mine is only 6" x 6". I cannot wait to start this project and look forward to working on it.

I did work on some beaded jewelry this past week to try out my new jewelry making tools that I received at Christmas. I'm still not very good at going into Michaels and picking out beads that will look good together, so I purchased a kit with all the beads, wire, and fixings. The eye pins and head pins from the kit keep breaking, so I'm a little discouraged with this right now. I have until the end of the month to finish and have completed one bracelet and one pair of earrings; the kit makes two complete sets consisting of earrings, a bracelet, and a necklace.

Hubby and I watched Alice in Wonderland in 3-D yesterday and it was awesome. Not too sure I'm convinced of this whole 3-D movement as I was constantly having to readjust the glasses to get the screen to focus correctly, but overall it was a fun experience. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was, of course, my favorite character!

Hopefully, I'll have some pictures to post of the finished Oriental Butterfly this weekend.

Currently reading: Dark Embrace by Brenda Joyce

Booklist 2010

Here is my list of books read in 2010 so far:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Born of Ice by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Phantom in the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

Whispered Lies by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love

Dark Seduction by Brenda Joyce

Currently Reading:
Dark Rival by Brenda Joyce

My goal for 2010 is to read a book every week (depending on my class schedule, of course!) and not take more than two weeks per book maximum. I'm already doing pretty well considering that I normally only read about two or three books during the semester. The only problem with this is that I'm not getting much knitting done...oh well, I'm still recovering from Christmas knitting!

2010, A Year of Creativity and Aspirations

I started the year with major knitting aspirations for this year. There is a 10 Shawls in 2010 knit-a-long group on Ravelry that inspired me to set a similar goal for myself. My goal is 10 shawls and here are some of my selections: Swallowtail Shawl, Clapotis, Frost Diamonds, Citron, Aeolian, Haruni, Woodland Shawl, Traveling Woman, Saroyan, and Bitteroot. So far, I have completed Swallowtail (pictures below) and have started Clapotis (over half way finished), Frost Diamonds, and Woodland.

Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark using Knit Picks Shimmer Hand Dyed Lace Yarn in Shallows on US 4 Addi Lace needles. This was the most challenging lace project I've attempted to date and I really loved knitting this shawl. I substituted beads in place of the nupps but plan to do nupps next time.

Citron by Hilary Smith Callis using Knit Picks Shadow Kettle Dyed in Pacific using US 6 Zephyr needles. Finished this on New Year's Eve and love the simplicity of this design. I plan to make another one using variegated yarn.

Leaf Lace Scarf by Janet D. Russell using Knit Picks Shadow Kettle Dyed in Bordeaux using US 4 Harmony needles. This was a Christmas/B-day gift for my best friend and she loved it. In fact she was hoping that I would give her a scarf! I didn't realize when making this that wool yarn required such TLC so I also gave her a bottle of wool wash and care instructions. After seeing her wearing her scarf, I can't wait to make one for me too!

Clapotis by Kate Gilbert using Knit Picks Imagination Hand Painted Sock Yarn on US 6 needles. This has become my knitting project during my lunch hour at work. I'm around half way finished and am hoping that it will be long enough when finished.

Frost Diamonds by Stephanie Japel using Knit Picks Shadow Kettle Dyed in Atlantic on US 4 Addi Lace needles. This pattern actually calls for a heavier weight yarn, but I wanted to see it in lace weight and make a shawlette. I have finished the first chart and have started the second chart but the Clapotis has held my interest more lately for some reason, maybe because I'm closer to finishing it.

My other goals for this year are to try a cross stitch design by Heaven and Earth Design, specifically the All Hallows Eve free chart , and also read all of the books on my "I'll read someday" shelf of the bookshelf. The reading goal is partially a result of my considering the purchase of an ebook reader. I'm debating between a Kindle 2 or a Nook but cannot decide just yet. There are features of both that I really like but the newness of the Nook makes me nervous. Hopefully, over the next few months more updates will come out to fix the Nook's bugs and this will give me time to read through my thirty or so books that I have left as I read that many have had difficulties putting their readers down to pick up "dead tree" books.

Books read in 2010:

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon (currently reading)

Christmas is almost here...

I cannot believe that Christmas is next Friday! Where did all the time go?! I haven't been blogging in a while since I've been finishing up the fall semester and have been trying to finish Christmas gifts. First of all, I am so happy that the fall semester is over and that I did well in all of my classes. I am also excited to report that I graduated yesterday with my undergraduate degree! It is still trying to sink in because it does not feel real yet. I took two graduate courses this semester and am really motivated to continue after seeing the Master graduates yesterday. Hopefully, this will keep me motivated to continue when I'm ready to throw in the towel.

Now, to the really fun stuff! I have been knitting nonstop since my hubby gave me a set of KnitPicks Zephyr needles for my b-day. They are so light and the clear needle tips are so gorgeous. Also, the cables are much better than other brands I have tried. I will admit though, that I've been eyeing the new Signature circulars and I'm probably going to read every review I can find about them trying to convince myself that I "need" them (they are $40.00 a pair!).

Christmas knitting has been somewhat slow but I think I'm almost finished. Here are some of the patterns that I've been working on:

Leaf Lace Scarf by Janet D. Russell using KnitPicks Shadow Kettle Dyed in Bordeaux. This is my first lace weight project and I think I'm addicted to lace knitting now. I ended up purchasing a set of size US 4 Harmony wood tips to try with lace knitting as I read they are some of the best needles for lace. They are and they are so beautiful!!! This is also the project that I am enjoying the most at the moment so I have to make myself push this one aside to work on my other projects. :)

Strangling Vine Lace Scarf by Nicole Hindes using Caron Spa Bamboo yarn in Green Sheen. This pattern is knitting up beautifully but the yarn is a PITA to knit with as it slits like crazy. I will be happy when this project is finished and hopefully the recepient loves it.

I have a couple of other smaller projects, such as dishcloths and scrubbies. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish all of these in time for Christmas! I am also itching to cast on Citron by Hilary Smith Callis that was featured in the Winter issue of Knitty. I will use KnitPicks Shadow Kettle Dyed in Pacific using size US 6 Zephyr circulars. Maybe I'll be able to hold off on casting on this shawl until all gifts have been finished.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

Knitty Updates

Life has been very busy lately with only one month left in the semester. Here are a few of my latest projects that have helped me keep my sanity.

This scarf is Rosalie's School Scarf by Nancy Fry. It is based on a scarf worn by Rosalie Hale during the lunchroom scene in Twilight. It has been a very fun knit and I have four feet knit with another foot to go. I've decided that this scarf will be mine and I might have a skein of yarn leftover to make another scarf. I'm using Caron Simply Soft in Off-White single stranded on US 7 needles.

I tried my first beret! This pattern is Spring Beret by Natalie Larson. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease, which was probably too thick for this pattern but the hat is sooooo warm. I'd like to try making another one with some cotton yarn to get the slouchy effect I was going for. This is another knit that I'm going to keep for me! I really need to focus on Christmas knitting as I still have a lot left to accomplish between now and the holidays.

Finally, a knit that was a gift. I made this scarf as a late birthday present for my cousin. It was my first experience with Caron Simply Soft Eco, which has recycle plastic bottles in the yarn, and I was surprised to find that it was enjoyable to knit with. This pattern is Branching Out by Susan Pierce Lawrence and can be found at Knitty.com. This was my first non-sock lace project and I am now completely addicted to lace! In fact, I just placed an order with KnitPicks and bought yarn (lace and fingering weights) for more lacy scarves.

By the way, my cousin loved her scarf and I had quite a few family members place orders for this Christmas. I'm already knitting dishcloths for everyone this year and am debating whether I can fit in a couple more scarves between now and then, not to mention a pair of socks for my youngest cousin who fell in love with my Sugary Sweet socks. I'm thinking about sticking with the dishcloths for this Christmas and taking some patterns with me during Christmas and letting family members "place orders" for next year. What do you think?

As always, thanks for looking and happy crafting! It will probably be a while before I post again as the semester is drawing to an end but I'm hoping to get a lot of knitting done over Thanksgiving break.

Sugary Sweet Finish

I finished my Sugary Sweet Ankle Socks this morning! The pattern worked up very nicely with this yarn and was quite enjoyable. I'd like to try this pattern again with two full skeins of yarn so that I can make full socks instead of anklets. As you can probably guess, Oriental Butterfly did not get any attention this week but I'm going to work on it this afternoon. I'm also debating starting another pair of socks, but I really need to finish my BFF Gloves or they will never get finished!

Quick Updates

Here are a couple of really quick updates! I started this sock this week as a way to do something that didn't require much thought while studying for exams. The pattern is by Wendy Johnson and is called Double Eyelet Rib Socks. I really like how its turning out! I'm using one US 1 (2.25mm) Knitpicks nickel-plated circular to do magic loop and the yarn is Patons Stretch Socks in the color Sugar.


As you can probably guess, I didn't work on Oriental Butterfly much this week. I've been in a knitting mood lately...maybe it's the cooler weather. Here is my progress so far:

Thanks for looking!

First Post of October!

Wow, I cannot believe I have not posted anything for October! This is proving to be a busy school month and I'm currently prepping for mid-terms and trying to complete assignments. I've worked on Oriental Butterfly, but all my other projects have been on the back burner. OB is really coming together nicely and I'm still really enjoying it. Well, I'm off to find some chocolate and then at least finish the scroll area around the medallion tonight. Thanks for looking!

Oriental Butterfly

Here is my progress on Oriental Butterfly. I started stitching Friday afternoon and filled in the orange area of the wing this morning. So far, I am really enjoying this piece and love the colors (even though the picture does not show them that well). This will be a nice project to work on at night after classes or work. Also, I bought a 10" Susan Bates plastic hoop from Michael's to use with this project because I was determined to like using a hoop. This hoop works very well and I actually like it, so mission accomplished!


I'm also trying to finish my first Reclamation Scarf so that I can cast on another one for Christmas presents. Assignments are starting to pile up and mid-terms are looming in the not too distant future, so who know how much free time I'll have to complete Christmas presents this year. At the very least, hopefully, I'll be able to crank out some more dishcloths!

As always, thanks for looking!

The Inspiration Behind Feline Love

Here are my two fur-babies, June (aka Junebug on the left) and Buddy (right). When I saw the picture for Feline Love online, I knew I had to make that one!



**Please note that this is a personal picture and should not be copied or used without the permission of the owner. Thank you.**

Finish and New Projects

Feline Love is completely finished! I finished up the back stitching while on campus Tuesday, but could not figure out how to do the french knots. Tonight, I found a video on youtube that really helped explain french knots and I was finally able to make them. Feline Love turned out very well and I can't wait to frame it!

After classes this afternoon, I went to Michael's and picked up another Dimension kit called "Oriental Butterfly." This is a rather large project, so it will probably take me a while to finish this one! I think this is a gorgeous design and hope to give it to my sister as a gift (maybe for Christmas?). Look out for updates...

I also purchased the pattern for Reclamation Scarf by Stefanie Japel. So far, the pattern is really pretty and I look forward to seeing how it turns out. This scarf will make a great Christmas present too!

My BFF gloves are also coming along as I was able to do a few cable repeats this week during lunch.

Thanks for looking and happy crafting!

Feline Love Almost Complete

Feline Love is really close to being completed. I started stitching the outline of the butterfly this morning and all I have left is to fill it in and do the back stitching detail. I've been working on this for a month but it feels like I just started it. Hopefully, I will be able to get it framed fairly quickly so I can hang it in my living room. I will post a picture of my progress later as I'm too lazy at the moment to go take a picture.

Originally, I had planned to go to Michael's today to pick up another kit but might not make it (will probably have to wait until Tuesday after classes). I am thinking about purchasing Oriental Butterfly by Dimensions or some kind of hummingbird kit if I can't find a hummingbird pamphlet. I think that my sister would like Oriental Butterfly, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to complete it by Christmas as I've read that it's pretty big. So, once I complete Feline Love this weekend (hubby is going off to a race tomorrow so I'm taking advantage of some down time), maybe I'll finally be able to finish reading Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd or work on BFF gloves a bit.

Busy, busy...

Well, I can see that my plan to update this blog at least once a week is working out very well....not really. This past week was the third week of classes and I am already feeling very burned out. I think that not having a true break over the summer did not help; I spent the first part of the summer studying for the GMAT to get into grad school by the first of July and the second part of the summer in an online class that I equated to ripping off a band-aid. The class was five intensely painful weeks that was over about as quickly as it started! So, I'm taking my current classes one week at a time and trying to make it through.

Last weekend was Labor Day weekend and I had Monday off of work and no classes on Tuesday, which gave me a nice long four-day weekend! It was very much needed! Monday, it rained literally all day long so I was able to get a lot done on Feline Love. I was also finally able to start on the second fingerless glove to my BFF set.

Here is what I have done so far of my second BFF glove. I got through the 12 rows of the cuff and need to do one cable increase row before starting on the cable pattern. At this rate, it may be finished by next Christmas! That may be okay though, since I am seriously considering keeping these for myself. ;)


Feline Love is coming along much faster now that I've completed the cats, which were full cross stitches. As you can see, I am down to the bottom right corner of the chart. I can't wait to see this completed with all of the back stitching detail. Hopefully, I will finish this project next weekend as I have a very intense week coming up and will need the weekend to wind down a bit.

Later today I am going to the bookstore to pick up my signed copies of Nicholas Sparks new book, The Last Song. It has worked out that for the past few years, he has had a book signing every fall and I have been able to buy my grandmother a copy for her birthday in December. Of course, I can never wait until December and always give the book to her asap. This year is no different and I cannot wait to give her his latest book. I basically started this tradition when my granddad got sick with lung cancer and then heart disease and my grandmother was staying with him in the hospital. I gave her a copy of The Notebook to distract her and help her "escape" for a little while. Now, she loves Nicholas Sparks' books and asks me frequently when his next book is coming out. I just smile, say that I'm not sure, and then show up a couple of months later with a signed copy made out just for her. It warms my heart to see the look of shock and excitement on her face every single time.

As always, thanks for looking!

Back to School!

As you can tell by the title, it's back to school this week. Classes start tomorrow and I am hoping that I have not bit off more than I can chew by enrolling in two undergraduate courses and two graduate courses. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue knitting and cross stitching with this busy schedule. I have a four hour break inbetween my morning and afternoon classes so I plan to take something to work on during that time besides studying.

Anyways, here are some updated pics of Feline Love. Junebug, aka "The Craft Kitty", always helps with my projects. She especially likes scrapbooking, well, she mostly likes to lay on my photos and layouts as I'm laying everything out. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up the momentum on Feline Love as I am really liking how it's turning out. Schedule permitting, I'll try to post updates at least weekly.

Have I mentioned how much I am loving my Q-Snap? It fits perfectly in my hand and is holding the fabric tension much better than the cheap plastic hoop I was using from the Hummingbird kit. It is also making this hobby much more enjoyable as I'm not fighting the tool I'm using. Isn't it funny how we can be so picky about our tools? I feel the same way about knitting needles and scrapbooking tools, so I guess this obsession crosses hobby boundaries which is probably good for the industry.

Thanks for looking!