Welcome back Autumn....

Ahhhh, my favorite season.... Away with you, hot sun, away with sweat, sunburn and late pool parties.... hehe
Welcome shorter days, rain, falling leaves, creepy dusks, wind and festivities!

I know most people just adore summer, and all that comes with it. But, even as a kid, I always was attracted to the magic of fall, that drastic change of time, pace and color scheme.... Everyone hurries to play in the summer heat and make the best of it. I just prefer to wait, wait for the falling leaves.... It's so peaceful, quiet and relaxing.

So, welcome back Autumn.... You have been missed
PS: oh it's time for crochet pumpkins baby!  :D

Beanie and more beanie....

It's been a while since I blogged.... I admit, I considered giving up.... I guess I just don't know what I'm doing and this is yet another tool to learn, even though this one is supposed to be for fun.

But thanks to my knitting friends, I'm staying!  :)

I've been on a beanie kick lately, just can't stop making beanies.... Baby, adult, repeat... yep. They are fun, and I get to practice my knitting and using DPNs.

 

I started with the 2 above, had a blast. The little purple/green/white one was sent to a FB friend who will gift to her new family addition next month. How cool right? Oh the magic of FB! LOL

Before the baby beanies, I tried an adult beanie pattern, which I now LOVE.... I have made a few of those as well:

This one is my favorite and I can't wait for the weather to get cold so I can wear it! I've also made a red/grey, and fall colored one. I just got some more red/black yarn, which I plan to make, maybe this week.

so.... any wild guess as to which yarn I am using? come on, I am very predictable! Yes, you guessed it, Malabrigo!  :)   I'm quickly realizing that Malabrigo Rios is a major favorite of mine.... Maybe, just maybe more than their sock weight.

Perhaps it makes me boring, but hey, why change what is absolute perfection?  HAHA!

Other than that, I'm just working on a pile of potholders and washcloths.... I'm planning to attend my work's craft fair, and maybe i'll get lucky and sell a few items. That is in December, plenty of time to pile on items. I also plan to make a few simple baby blankets. I decided to make them super plain, but then decorate with small appliques, such as little flowers, teddy bears or hearts, trucks and little animals... sounds fun, doesn't it?
so.... what have you all been up to this past month?

Note to all my friends, readers and followers...

I need to apologize.... Yes, because I have no idea what I'm doing on this blog... LOL.... I accidently deleted all comments too all posts and I didn't mean to!

So, please don't feel offended, I do enjoy your comments, I just need to learn how to use this thing! HAHA

Have an awesome weekend, Happy 4th of July and of course, happy yarning! :)

Beanie for me

I finally am expanding my knitting skills, it's about time, I know... I'm now more confident to use new techniques, such as DPNs and so I wanted to make a beanie. I really love this pattern, called two-tone hat (Ravelry). Easy and lovely.

I just finished my first beanie last night, not too bad for a newer knitter, right? :)

I just love working with Malabrigo yarn.... As you know, it's my favorite obsession. But it's now not just sock weight, I just love all their stuff, it's ridiculous! Of course, my pictures don't do justice to the yarn colors, which are just lovely. Can't wait to start another one of these projects, I already have the yarn picked out!

Then, next step... socks!

Spoiled again....

Last week was my special day, I turned 35. Very exiting as I love my 30s so far....

I was spoiled, I'm quite lucky to be surrounded by people who love me, cherish me as much as I do them. It's great to be me! :)

My boyfriend got me the bag I wanted, the Namaste "Cali Collection" Zuma. It's great for knitters and crocheters, as it opens wide and closes with magnets instead of a zipper. It also includes a pocket in the front filled with slots to store needles, accessories and so on... I love it!

I also received beautiful flowers from my knitting group friends, as seen behind the bag (above). I couldn't tell you the kind of flowers they are, but they are soft to the touch, colorful, fragrant and just beautiful. Of course, I had to keep them in my room, not only to look at them late in the evening, but also to protect them from my kitties....

My nephew, Christopher, also gave me an awesome present... He drew me a picture! He's 4 and very talented and I love my picture. I have it hanging on my wall at home.... I was also spoiled with some gorgeous yarn from my sister Steph and my sister in law Sharon. They gave me some oh-so-lovely Cashmere yarn, SO soft to the touch and so fancy! It's from Jade Saphire, really check them out, just lovely!

Another awesome gift was a sweet keychain I had been eyeballing for a while.... It's all about yarn of course, and just cool to have.... Isn't it just neat?!

The day wouldn't be complete without some Malabrigo though.... Which came this past weekend, when on vacation in the mountains. It was SO cold, I decided to knit myself a scarf to wear around town.... I decided to go for some chunky yarn called the Rasta, which my boyfriend picked out for me. It's super warm, soft and you know... Malabrigo awesome! I haven't pictured it yet, but look for it on my Ravelry page (tricotteavecninie) soon.

I got more, way more.... I'm just so lucky! I now must find the coolest projects for my fancy yarn, the coolest stuff to put in my new bag and maybe i'll just need to move to a cooler apartment for my new keychain! LOL

It's been a great birthday, and I thank all my friends and family for yet again, spoiling me!

Pet Peeves!

Do you have pets? I do, I have 2 kitties. I used to think I was a dog-person, but after getting my first cat, Shango, I quickly realized how funny and cool cats can be. Yes, they are quite independant, and may only give you the time of day when they feel like it, are hungry, or just because it's what they want to do at this moment.... But, they have very cool personalities.

Shango, who will be 7 years old in 2 weeks, is mellow, lazy and a total lover boy. Since I only had dogs around me when growing up, I taught him how to come when he's called, and to sit when I tell him so.... Took some time, but he totally does, promise!

Jazz... Well, she's definitely a typical cat. She does totally as she pleases... She's super cool though, quite the "scardy-cat" but hilarious too. She talks back and only comes to sit on me if I have a blanket on my lap. She will be 7 next October.

I knit, crochet and basically am in love with yarn and fiber crafts. I do it all the time, daily, and I basically go into withdrawls if I don't "make time for yarn everyday" (quote from a TV show: Knitting Daily).

My cats know they need to respect my yarn, and I do realize it's a great challenge for them... I mean, they are cats after all....

There is one particular brand of yarn that I particularly love..... Malabrigo yarn. It's not the fanciest, or the most expensive, but it's my favorite. I love the colors, the feel of it between my fingers and how well it knits and crochets.

I use the word Malabrigo often in my house, so it's now a common term... Hehe.... So common, in fact, that the kitties actually know not to play with it. I'm serious!

Shango loves to snuggle, he will approach slowly, tentatively place his paw on my arm and if the coast is clear, he will climb on me and lay down.... It's cute, really.

But.... if he hears "not now, love, it's Malabrigo", he knows.... He will lay next to me instead.

Do you have pets? Have some fun stories to share about your "pet peeves"?

Cozy and warm... finished!

Well, it took some time to finish.... Not because the project was complex, but because I kept running out of yarn! Who knew finding more Lion Brand yarn would be a challenge!

I originally received the first set of skeins from my parents at Christmas, a ball of each color. Since a blanket was my project of choice, I knew I would need to get more balls....

I started with JoAnn's, got a few balls there, easy-peasy. Then, I ran out of the green... got some more, ran out again. Man, this blanket takes way more yarn than expected! LOL

Then, JoAnn's ran out too! Michael's and Beverly's didn't carry that specific color, so I got a couple of balls online. Then, I ran out AGAIN! but with only 12 rows to go (on a decrease, too... so little yarn needed).... ugh, right!

Finally, I found some again, at my trusted JoAnn's store.... Hurray! :)
Anyway.... That's my story, I'm stickin' to it, and snuggling as I do!

I think the blanket looks pretty cool, what do you think? I wanted to play with the stripes, makes them un-even and random...

It's super warm and definitely very cozy! I can't wait to take it up to the mountains and snuggle with my man on a chilly evening.... Sip some tea, watch a good movie or read something fun, like maybe some Poe.