Mossy Scarf

I have been keeping plenty busy since the craft fair, which was mildly successful for me. I certainly did better than I did the last time I participated (by a long shot!), but for the amount of time and effort that I put in preparing for it all, it didn't really balance out.

However, because I posted on Facebook for every hat/cowl/scarf I knitted for the craft fair, I stirred up a lot of interest, starting with my friends, in the selling of what I create. I have been in the process of conferring with the legal office on base to get my etsy shop running while we still live in Germany, but it has been slow moving and frustrating.

In the meantime, though, I have had quite a few people contact me for commissioned projects. One of those commission customers prefers scarves to cowls, and she loved the Mossy Slouch set that I had written up, so I now have a third pattern of the same look to share with you!

Mossy Scarf

Materials Needed:

 

Size US 15/10mm needles to knit in the round

150 yards of bulky yarn

 

Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Cast on 15 stitches

Row 1: Sl st purlwise, *k1tbl, p1tbl,* 6 times; k1tbl, k1

Row 2: Sl st purlwise, *p1tbl, k1tbl,* 6 times; p1tbl, k1

Row 3: Sl st purlwise, *k1tbl, p1tbl,* 6 times; k1tbl, k1

Row 4: Sl st purlwise, *p1, k1* across

Repeat Row 4 until 50"/127cm from cast on edge (or until desired length, which will require more yarn)

Repeat Rows 1 and 2, casting off in pattern with Row 3.

Weave in ends and block as desired.  

The selling of projects resulting in use of this pattern is permitted, but please don't sell the pattern itself, and always provide the link/URL to the pattern where you sell it so others can enjoy crafting as well!  

And now there is third piece in the set to match with the Slouchy Moss Hat and Mossy Cowl! :D 

Happy knitting!

Just keep knitting, just keep knitting....

Wow! Last week was busy!!! We went down to Ramstein (about an hour's drive away) on Tuesday for The Instigator's martial arts class, and again on Thursday so he could pay the fees to attend a seminar (and we then had some good family time together...it was nice!), and then again on Saturday so he could attend a private lesson in preparation for said seminar and the Misha's older son's birthday party! We ended up staying overnight, too! That's a lot for someone that doesn't get to leave the house much...

Friday I finished the hooded scarf (which is going to be sent out this week):

Then while at Luc's bday party, I had to have something to keep me from fidgeting, so I started in on the trio of hats for the trip to London!

I'm making one for Misha, one for Kristin, and one for myself. :D I love this pattern, because it can be worn with the brim folded up, beanie style, or it can be worn tall, like in the picture, and look like a wizard's/witch's hat! (And the Ravenclaw colors are no coincidence...we're going to wear them when we go to Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross!)

So I've got one down and two to go! But then, Ann started a new KAL! (She's the one that designed those amazing scarves I previously made.) This is a baby pattern, and so I'm making a romper/onesie and giving it to a friend from high school that is due in July! I also went a little overboard and planned quite the gift box...LOL But for now, I have finished the first leg (pictured below) and am part way into the second leg. The next pattern release will be this weekend! :D

I am super excited that HSKS is about to start back up! (It's a Harry-Potter themed crafting swap.) I love that group. In fact, it's because of that group I was introduced to Ann's designs and it was on a meet-up in Scotland for that swap that led me to personally make her acquaintance (and later on visit her and stay at her house to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on opening weekend)! And as if that wasn't enough, that group helped me through both times my husband deployed while we were living in Italy. it gave me something to focus on and keep up with, and it helped the time fly right by! I've actually made a quite a few friends through that swap. :) I am grateful for each one of them! (A pair of them even turned me onto  the awesomeness that is Nathan Fillion...and Joss Whedon!)

Also, I made my first Etsy sale back on the 3rd! :D That was very exciting! So these earrings are no longer available:

(Why, yes, I am a bit Potter-obsessed...LOL) I'm thinking, though, of switching to Artfire...I had a friend suggest Artfire instead, but I insisted on testing the Etsy waters first...lol We'll see...


I still haven't finished that blue and green blanket, as I've been drawn to the needles as opposed to the hook lately, though I have gotten 2 rows further into the last 10-ish rows. And I still have not yet stitched the ribbon in place on the baby blanket for another high school friend...her daughter was born in November! (D'oh!) But I'd better get back to the crafting "grindstone" if I hope to get any of this done!

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Listening to: Katharine McPhee - Had It All
http://foxytunes.com/artist/katharine+mcphee/track/had+it+all

Finally settling in!

So much for ending that last blogging lull! LOL I guess that's what happens when the military uproots you and moves you to a new country. ;) We are no longer in Italy. We moved out of our home into temporary lodging the 3rd week of November, and then got up to Germany the beginning of December. Blessedly, it didn't take us long to find a house. (Major perk of moving NOT in PCS season!) We're already moved in and have all of our stuff (it didn't take nearly as long for our stuff to be toted from Aviano to Spangdahlem as it did from Oklahoma to Aviano...for obvious reasons!)

It was painful to leave Italy for the fact that I absolutely adored A's teacher there. She was simply amazing! I truly wish we could have brought her with us! It's not as though the school up here or his new teacher is bad, but there's the whole adjustment time of her getting to know him and him getting used to the new setting and group of people. It's not been easy, and it's not been quick, but I think he's finally getting used to Germany, though he will occasionally ask to move back to Italy and his old class.

C has his days, but he's slowly getting less clingy and becoming more independent and helpful. Yesterday, he helped me to strip the beds and remake them with clean sheets, and tonight before dinner, he cleared and wiped down the table for me. :) Unfortunately, he's still dead set against actual potty training (though he will go pee in the toilet, at least), but as he knows his 5th birthday and starting school are approaching, he knows he needs to get along with it. I think he's finally showing the first signs of genuine interest. I guess I'm not too surprised by the delay as a) his older brother didn't potty train until 4 months before his 5th birthday and b) because of all the changes with his brother starting school and moving and whatnot. We'll get there. Eventually.

Our new base is actually quite small, so I'm grateful for the fact that we live close to Ramstein!!! Their facilities are far superior and I have friends that are stationed down there to visit! Hooray!!! One of them got stationed there following Aviano, so we know her from Italy, but the other one I actually met before I even met my husband! it's been so incredibly nice to have them as close by as they are! My husband takes a martial arts class that's offered down at Ramstein, so we drive down there at least every other week, if not weekly, and this past weekend, they all came up to see us! :D And on top of all that, I've planned a Mother's Day trip (though it won't be on Mother's Day! LOL) to go to London!!!! I am so very excited! LONDON!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! We've got the hotel booked and tickets bought to go see the show "Wicked," and I can't wait!!! I also need to get out and see more of Germany. So far I've only been to the Christmas market in Saarbrucken and the craft shop in Trier. I hope the weather warms up soon enough to walk around the different towns and cities!

And on a final, and exciting (as if I haven't been overflowing with excitement enough already!!!), note.........I MADE MY FIRST LISTINGS ON ETSY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited!!! The crafter's bazaar that was scheduled for while we were in Italy got rained out, and they rescheduled it for after we left Italy, so now I've got all this jewelry and crocheted goods to sell. So to the Internet I go! I'm quite excited! I've made myself only list 7 items for now, until I know for sure how well things are going to sell. It's hard to not list everything! LOL I'm so excited! So feel free to hop on over there and look around! You can find it at http://www.etsy.com/shop/smileynetta . :)

Ending another blogging lull...

I know I've been silent for far too long...particularly since I was striving to blog regularly! (Haha!) But all this moving crap has really got me...I've been working on a few projects (which I'll share later!), but I wnted to take a moment and share this awesome giveaway! I love, love, love her work, and here is the link to her etsy shop. If I had the money, my house would be covered with these things, I swear! LOL

But now I need to go work on finishing up my HSKS spoilee's package!



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Now playing: Rebecca Rudolf - My Hero
via FoxyTunes