Confessions of a Clapotis Addict

So after I completed Clapotis #1, I immediately casted on #2...really?  Am I that nut's?  Apparently so since I dug through my "stash" and came up with some sock weight yarn.  Ah ha!  Clapotis #3 is born!  Yep, I'm addicted.  I think it is because of the simplicity of the pattern, the way it looks when it is all complete with the dropped stitches going at a diagonal and the colors interchanging and slopping the same way the stitches do.  I am completely addicted to this pattern and it could be a bad, bad addiction.  After all, how many scarves/wraps can one woman wear!?

Clapotis The First.  I affectionately call it the Clashy Clap, but I love it.

Sharon's Clappy Scarf.  It is a mini version and was super fast to knit up!  2 days start to finish, even with a few frog's in the beginning!

Clapotis...it is addicting, but a good one I must say!

Clapotis

So I have caught the clapotis bug!  I didn't quite understand the hub-bub about this thing in the begining, but I sure do now.  I made a wide scarf/small wrap for my first one.  Now I am making a skinny clapotis.  I will post pictures later(need some motivation to get it photographed today).  It is a fun and easy knit.  It's a bit scary to drop stitches...I mean really, that's normally the no-no in knitting and it's not supposed to happen, but here...that's what you do!  The first few times I caught myself saying Oh CraP! not again!  I would flip my work over, start to pick up the dropped stitch and figure out what I did, then I would smile and laugh.  My husband would look over and just shake his head as I sat there pulling out the rest of the stitches with a big smile on my face.  Oh Clapotis...you have made me insane, but it sure is fun!

Again, another pattern from More Last Knitted Gifts.  LOVE that book.  This was made for my BIL who is a huge Husker fan!  I hope these colors work!  I used Blue Sky Alpacas Hand Dyed, such a wonderful prodcut and so worth the extra money!

Another one in the same yarn, reversed color ways.

A little skirt and sweater I made for my friend.  Skirt pattern is my own, a little full, but hopefully it work for the new baby.  The shrug pattern is here.

FO's...it's a lot!

Close up of the Big Lace Scarf from More Last Knitted Gifts.  LOVE it!

Here is the pattern link.  You may have to sign up for a ravelry account if you don't have one.  If you are a knitter, this a super tool to have!

I used Malabrigo Rasta and did a pattern I thought was my own.  I found out later that this is actually called the Brisbane Scarf by Lion Brand.   I only casted on 15...it is a number combination of 4+3. 

A soft little basket I made for my grandmother-in-law.  It turned out really cute!  I need to make a few more of these to have!

My cross-stitch scarf.  I love this scarf and wear it a lot.  Not the best picture of it, but if you go here you can see my notes on it and better pictures.

So this is a set for my SIL.  Not the best picture(I need to work on that!) but it is the big lace scarf once again and a pattern called the big button from badamyknits.  Super duper hat pattern, give it a whirl and you will love it!

Another big button from the badamyknits(hit the above link).  A skinny little neck warmer.  Made this for my 14 year old neice.  It was a request, so I couldn't say no now could I?

Sweaters

I have made a goal for my self for the year of 2011.  No resolutions, just some goals.  My knitting related goal is to knit at least 4 sweaters in the year 2011.  I am not a big sweater knitter, but I know I can do this and I am hoping that they will be worn.  We shall see!  I am hoping to make sweaters for the kiddo's and maybe one for myself.    Here's to a new goal and a new year!

A confession

So I have a confession.  I am a self-taught knitter and with being said, I am not a very good teacher.  I used a lot of tutorials, but for some reason closed my brain off to how the needles were being inserted into the yarn.  I had one person show me how to do the knit stitch, she is mainly a crocheter and knows enough knitting to get by.  So I learned how to knit through the back loop, creating the twisted stitch when you knit stockinette.  I always wondered why my knitting looked funny and really couldn't figure it out.  So a few month's ago I bought the 400 Knitting Stitches book, I have used it for learning a few stitches.  I totally ignored the beginning where they talk about casting-on, the knit stitch and the purl stitch.  Well a few days ago I was tired of my twisted stitches and decided to see what the heck I was doing wrong.  DUH!  I was doing the whole darn stitch backwards!  Really, really?  Who does that?!  So here I am re-teaching myself and undoing what I did.  It's kind of fun, but it is more frustrating.  So now all these beautiful hand knits I have made that have a twisted stitch to them are really, really driving me crazy.  Oh well, maybe I can keep turning a blind eye and pretend it's all "OK".  Maybe.

New Plan

So I have a new plan...originally the plan was to re-knit, proof and post a new skirt pattern I came up with.  Well, I kind of want to put that on hold.  I'm a little nervous about posting it and I sure don't think this blog is getting read, so I would only be posting it for me for now.  So the new plan is....dadadaaa


Post my super easy dish-cloth or scarf pattern, tomorrow that is.  I want to make up a new dish-cloth, and post pict's of both the dish-cloth and scarf.  I am pretty sure this pattern is probably out there somewhere, it is to simple not to be and I'm not really an inventive genius or super crafty...just like fast and simple.  So I will be back tomorrow, with pict's, instructions and hopefully a fun pattern that someone will enjoy!