FO Friday: Knitstant Gratification

With TNNA just around the corner, I've been working long hours and six-day weeks for the last week or so. By the time I'm ready to sign off for the day, my brain power is pretty much spent, so I've been really appreciating the simple knits this week.

First, I found a nearly-finished Itty-Bitty Batty from 50 yards of Fun in my knitting basket! I gave him some ears and feet and now he's complete:

I couldn't resist starting another project from the book, the Small-Peanuts Elephant. I used up every scrap of the grey and blue oddballs from my stash - in fact, I had to pinch-hit to get those legs finished.

I was also gifted a skein of Spud & Chloe Outer, so I whipped up a Slope Hat by Susan B. Anderson in just one night of knitting!

I accidentally ran it through the washing machine on the maximum-abuse setting - usually I choose the delicate cycle for my superwash yarns. It emerged relatively unscathed, especially considering the wild ride it went on!

Thirty-One Party: Last Call
My party will come to an end on Monday, so it's time to get your order in! If you're reorganizing your craft room (or any other part of your house, for that matter) I highly recommend the many storage bin options when you click on the "Home" and "Utility" categories:

Here's my handy tip for the day: add a cedar block to your utility tote when storing yarn and fiber!

How to Join The Party
You can view the Thirty-One catalog here. To place your order through my virtual party, point your browser to www.mythirtyone.com/calliewoodland and click on "My Events." You'll see "Stefanie's 31derful Party" as an option - simply click "shop now" and you're ready to go!

Comments

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

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Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

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