I finished this scarf last week and am very happy with it. The yarn is Wool Bam Boo by Classic Elite Yarns and the pattern is from the One Skein Wonders book. This is the second scarf I have made using this pattern. The first  was for one of my daughters.

This pattern says to knit in garter stitch; but in both of the scarves I have knitted, I changed to stockinette, as I think the smoother stitch looks more elegant than the garter stitch.

I used my small Yarn Owl for this project. The yarn and the scarf would have fit very nicely into the medium-sized Owl; but I worked on this scarf at home, so it was easy just to pick up and knit while the small Owl kept my yarn tangle free!

I am working on the French Press slippers now in a beautiful heathered lavendar wool from KnitPicks.  I can’t wait to finish!  With the weather we are having, I could really use them today.  We have had 8-1/2 inches of snow today and expect 1-2 more inches!  That is a lot of snow for a North Texan.  This photo of my youngest daughter, Alli, was taken around noon today at UNT.  

Occasionally I think it would be fun to be a costumer with the theater.  I have worked several plays with the Denton Community Theater and really enjoy the plays and the people.  It has been a few years since I volunteered so when the opportunity arose I said “sure, it will be fun.”   And it was…kind of.  Between moving, filling Christmas orders and teaching, I had quite a few late nights.  But when all was said and done and Buster and Justin put on their waitress uniforms and added their sparkling personalities to the costumes, I felt like I had done something bigger than make a couple of waitress costumes for 2 men who were dressing like women. 

Don’t they have nice legs

The good thing about sewing for the theater, is that you really can’t mess up.  Buster’s costume was a little small, so I added an extra piece on each of the side seams and made the sleeves wider.  What would be a disaster in fashion is only a slight detour in costuming.    I added shoulder pads to Buster’s busts and made his costume easy for quick change by adding Velcro (TM) instead of buttons and made a side closure for the  apron –instead of tying it just Velcro’d on (but it still had the tie.) 

I am cured from costuming for a while.  Unfortunately, like most people I don’t have enough time to do everything I enjoy.  Nevertheless, I am glad I had an opportunity to play a small part in this sold-out show.

This year I wanted to make some felted pincushions to give as gifts.  I decided to try the Little Cotton Rabbits cupcake pattern for the project.  This pattern is not knitted in the round and has a separate base, but it knits up very quickly, and the piecing doesn’t take long either.  

Now these cupcakes are super cute, but I think felting is much better for a pincushion.   I didn’t make any changes to the pattern, other than the yarn and needles.  I used Pattons Classic Wool and US size 9 needles.    I did softly stuff the cupcake, as I wanted the shrinkage to compact the stuffing.  This is what it looked like prefelted.  

I put my washing machine on hot temperature, low water setting, placed the cupcake in a pillow case, washed it and then dried it in the dryer. 

 It came out really looking more like a ball than a cupcake, but there is no need to panic — you can always rewet and refelt to get it even smaller. 

I did this, and while it was still wet, I shaped it and  placed the cupcake in a muffin pan…

and put the muffin in the oven.  I preheated the oven to 350, turned the oven OFF and placed the cupcake in.  Note, I used a clay baking pan as opposed to metal.  If using metal, you should use lower temperatures, I would think. 

This helped to mold the cupcake into a more pleasing cupcake shape.  

I completely dried the cupcake by repeating the heating process for the oven and then finishing up in the dryer. 

No one wants a fuzzy cupcake, so I shaved it with a disposable razor.  You can use a sweater pill remover too. 

Now for the decorating!  I chose a fabric strip with gathered lace placed across the top.  I hand sewed this to the cupcake, added pins for “beads” around the strip and around the center of the frosting and topped it off with a vintage lace flower and sparkly rhinestone button! 

I am delighted with the way it turned out!  I like the neutral colors enhanced by a little bit of embellishment.  But I also want to try some with more color in the yarn, maybe some pink or blue frosting. 

This cupcake pincushion is for Chelsea,  my wonderful teaching assistant who helped in the Intro to Fashion Design Class this semester.  Not only did she do an incredible job but she is very talented and  a lot of fun to work with too. 

Of course I used my Yarn Owls to hold the yarns while I worked!  The medium/small project size Owl holds the Patons Classic Wool with no room to spare. 

My Yarn Owls are a featured product in the Crochet Today magazine! 

I confess I don’t crochet…I can’t keep my tension even.  I made a baby blanket one time that was so wavy it made my poor child seasick.  Maybe I am being a little over dramatic, but you get the picture.    Anyway, this magazine definitely puts the cool in Crochet and I am delighted that they love the Owls. 

Everything on my Etsy site and everything on my website, free shipping! This is automatically calculated in my Etsy site. If you buy from the website, I will refund the shipping charges after payment.

Many thanks to Sweaterbabe.com for her great review of the Skeini-T’s. Good luck to all of you who commented for a chance to win!

Yes, the Skeini-T is open at both ends, but the yarn doesn’t fall out. I am not guaranteeing you that it will never happen, but it has never happened to me. The yarn kind of sticks to the jersey knit. I use these in my bag and outside of my bag and have never had the yarn even think about slipping out. I like the look of it open on both ends and left it that way.

Also, having both ends open allows for carrying 2 cakes or skeins of yarn when working with 2 colors. How convenient!

The T’s are inexpensive, cute and very practical. They will make great stocking stuffers!

See all 3 sizes and styles of the T’s at http://dianacouture.com/skeini.html

Look at this Owl…isn’t it cuter than the money you could be saving with that insurance company?

Here are a few of the new owls

After finishing them I realized they remind me of the colors of my 2 favorite Bath and Bodyworks home scents, Leaves and Winter.  

I did get moved into the new place.  My studio is more organized.  I am working on more owls, T’s and knitting bags.   Check my Etsy site often for updates!

My name is Diana, and I knit  small projects.  Why is that so hard to say?  I love knitting and like what I knit, but I want to believe there is an amazing sweater or 2 or 3 inside me just waiting for the right time to fly off the needles.

When I look at my friend’s Ravelry pages or talk to my daughter-who-I-taught-to-knit, I can’t believe some of the amazing things they have knitted…big things like sweaters and even…gasp…that beautiful Tree of Life Afghan by Nicky Epstein and free from Lion Brand yarns.   I have knitted a sweater and 1 sweater sleeve (yes, only the sleeve) and then there was that felted bag that was actually as big as a sweater before I washed it down to size.    But for the most part, I like projects I know I can finish at some point in the foreseeable future; and I have decided to accept the fact that, at least for now, I am a small project knitter and I love it.  

I love starting new projects.  Knitting small things lets me start more projects and that is fun.  I love yarn (don’t we all).  Knitting small projects allows me to work with a lot more types of yarn.   I love finishing projects, possibly more than starting them, and again, small projects let me have that satisfaction more often than a larger project would.   

I also feel knitting small projects makes me a good friend to the sweater knitters.  They can assume an air of superiority over my small scarves or knitted cupcakes.    They can chose  function over frivolous knitting and I will forever be in awe of their talent.  Maybe I will knit them a Venus de Merino for Christmas. 

You may be asking (or maybe you know) what or who is the Venus de Merino? 

She is a wonderful knitted fertility goddess.  Perhaps she will make my yarn multiply!   She is designed and sold by darktwist.com.  I will have to save her for after Christmas, as I am getting ready to knit some cupcakes using the pattern by Little Cotton Rabbits.   I am thinking they will make cute pincushions. 

I normally am content to follow other people’s knitting patterns, but a few weeks ago I found a H&M ad with a beautiful mobius shawl, and I fell in love.  It looked easy and quick, so I decided to give it a try!

I found a beautiful synthetic yarn by Deborah Norville, Serenity Chunky, at Hobby Lobby.  This yarn was perfect for my scarf.  I decided to add a little interest by knitting 7 rows, purling 1, knitting 5, purling 1 and repeating.   I used 3 skeins of the Premier chunky on size 11 needles.   I cast on 41 stitches, and the completed scarf is 47″ long.    I cast off, added the twist and joined my circle. 

To make the scarf comlpete, I want to add a very big pin, or multiple small pins.  I have a vintage 50’s sweater that is pretty moth-eaten.  I have washed it several times and am going to make flowerettes, add beads and brown silk ribbon flowers. 

I used the Skeini-T to hold the yarn for this project.  I started out using the yarn without a holder, as I knew it would make up quickly.  It didn’t make up quick enough to prevent my yarn from getting completely tangled!  I then put the yarn in the Skeini-T and no more tangled yarn for the rest of the project.   The Skeini-T is $10.00 but knitting without having to stop to untangle yarn is priceless!

Unfortunately, I am having to move this weekend (actually just across the street)!  I rent and the lady who owns the house is moving back to town.   Fortunately for me the house across the street came up for rent.  I love my location and am excited to be staying in the neighborhood, but I HATE to move!  I hope to get back to this project next weekend, but that may be optimistic.  As soon as I complete the pin(s), though, I will post a photo of the completed look.

It is a sale so good it’s scary! 

Buy 3 Yarn Owls, get 1 free! Your choice!!!!  If you don’t see a color or fabric choice you like, let me know and I will make yours to order! 

Buy 2 Yarn Owls, get a Skeini-T for free!  Your choice of design and size!

Add the qualifying items (purchases) to the shopping cart and then tell me your choice for the free item in the notes section on check out, or send me an e-mail.  

I am working on a collection of fancy owls that come in solid colors and suiting fabrics.  The first in this collection is for sale in my Etsy shop.   It is a teal-colored project bag made of dupioni silk.  Truly beautiful! 

I have other colors of dupioni, and all sizes will be available in each color.  Watch for the more to come soon!  Also, what about some fancy, fancy Owls adorned with beads and beautiful trims?  Coming soon!!!

Owls are just like us, they like to dress up, dress down and dress for the holidays.  Get into spooky yarn project this month with a hauntingly unique Yarn Owl.

You don’t have to stop at the yarn owl, get knitting needles and stitch markers to match.  Here are some of my favorites from other Etsy Shops.

These knitting needles and stitch markers are from ScaryMerry’s shop!

My favorite part of Halloween is the candy corn.  These cute stitch markers are from RY Crafty’s shop.

Last but not least are YarnDemon’s adorable pumpkin stitch markers. (She has candy corn stitch markers too!)

How cute would any of these be with the Spooky Owl project bag!  Treat yourself to a little fun this month.

My just-turned 9-year-old had a favorite book bag that she carried to school for 2 years.  The bag, as you can see, has seen better days. 

The fun thing about this bag is the pockets.  I decided to make a new bag using similar pockets but make the bag a little more girlie.  I had a drop cloth from a fabric painting class, and Alli and I decided it would be perfect.

 I used a purple print to soften the colors on the main fabric, and I played with the positioning and shapes of the pockets.  The final look is very different from the original bag; however, it keeps the functional size and shape of the original bag.  The pockets were designed to be more functional, and I added deep elastic-topped pockets to the sides of the bag, perfect for a small bottle of water.

The round pocket in the center of the bag is created using the Round Town pattern. 

The Round Town pattern has an optional pocket as well as instructions for  a small change purse.

The circle pocket is kind of mixture of the small coin purse and the pocket.   I used the front of the coin purse and made the band long enough to go all the way around the pocket.  Instead of an open pocket, the pocket is enclosed and is opened with the zipper. 

As I had already used this raised pocket technique on the Round Town bag, I used the same technique for the other pockets.  On 3 of the pockets; however, I didn’t use the bias binding on the outside but sewed the band to the top pocket right sides together and then topstitched to give it a finished look. 

The pockets with the flaps close with the mini Anorak snaps.  I placed a silk flower in the center of each snap for a girlie touch. 

Depending on the strap you use to carry the bag, the top can fold over as in the above photo.  I thought this was a great place for a little machine embroidery.  These flowers are Mod Flowers from A Bit of Stitch.  I tried them as embroidery without applique fabric behind the stitching, and they disappeared into the background.  I took them into my embroidery software and converted the designs to appliques.  The solid fabric behind the flowers now allows the stitching to stand out. 

Alli has been carrying the bag for about 6 weeks now and still loves it.   It is personalized and definitely a one of a kind!