tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-378533802011-04-21T22:05:05.653-05:00Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-72416372521253567772008-10-10T09:15:00.002-05:002008-10-10T09:28:21.115-05:00

Long time no see! Well, I guess that it is no secret that I haven't been around this blog in a long time. Some where along the way my desire to blog has just disappeared. Not sure why but I do know one thing and that is I'm going to make my break official by posting it. I'm still knitting and spinning and chasing my kids around all day so nothing has really changed for me I just don't get around

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-48715752433387829362008-08-10T08:01:00.004-05:002008-08-11T13:28:07.868-05:00

The reason that I haven't blogged in awhile is because so much has been going on. I have been plugging away at my Shetland Tea Shawl. Right now I have reached the knitted on edging that is taking an eternity to finish. It's a VERY intricate edging but very beautiful and I can't wait to finish. Now I'm trying to decide if I want to dye the shawl when I'm done because the vanilla color is starting

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-64793821899989763582008-07-14T13:28:00.009-05:002008-07-14T17:12:54.284-05:00

Roving, or in this case combed top, is so much fun to dye and spin because as you plan the color choices in the roving I start to fantasize what the resulting yarn will look like. How I want the yarn to stripe or have that charming Barber pole effect so often seen in handspun is all taken in to consideration before I start applying dye on the delicate, soft, fiber. When all goes according to my

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-29525828012061421522008-07-07T07:01:00.009-05:002008-07-07T08:38:23.539-05:00

Sitting at my computer with my cup of coffee ready to drink and my children sleeping soundly in their beds I realize that I am ready to return to the fiber community that I love so much. I'm so thankful to those of you who didn't give up on me and kept me in their bloglines subscription. I may have lost some of my readers that I valued as friends but I needed that time to take a break from the

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-82548468126866811962008-06-04T17:44:00.003-05:002008-06-04T18:10:09.645-05:00

I didn't realize that an entire month had past since I last looked at my blog. I feel terrible and at the same time some what liberated. You see, I think that I have put myself under too much pressure to be do it all and be super mom and super wife. I knew that putting myself under that kind of stress put me in danger of a burnout and finally it happened. I stopped looking at my blog and in turn

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-64799122096336080112008-05-02T09:02:00.007-05:002008-05-02T09:28:31.597-05:00

I would like to thank all of you for your condolences and nice words about my husband's grandma. She ended up passing away shortly after I announced it and since her funeral I have slowly been working my way back to the land of the living. I hope everyone is doing well because I haven't been keeping up on blogs lately and I'm sorry if I missed something important. I hope that I'll be catching up

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-76784187640854882782008-04-18T13:04:00.003-05:002008-04-18T13:27:24.406-05:00

I am still here, I promise. This week my husband and I had some pretty depressing news dropped on us. We found out that his grandma has stage four lung cancer and things are going down hill pretty fast. All week has been spent with family and not much else has been done. I hope that you can forgive the lack of pictures in this post. My heart just isn't into anything at this point. Hopefully next

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-18871463215685042812008-04-11T11:58:00.003-05:002008-04-11T12:06:35.351-05:00

The winner of the contest is Alana - Knit Wit. Thank you for all of your wonderful comments; I enjoyed reading every one of them. I didn't expect to receive so many though. I had so much fun with this contest and I'm so glad to have so many new blogs to check out. I can't spend too much time today because my little man is sick with a slight fever. Hopefully I will have some knitting time Saturday

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-78805091338325337652008-04-08T08:19:00.007-05:002008-04-09T07:23:11.909-05:00

If you are looking for my contest, scroll down because it's the next post down. If you haven't entered my contest yet do it soon because it ends Thursday April 10 and I will be announcing the winner some time on Friday as time/kids allow. I just wanted to say thank you for all of your entries that I have so far because I have been using some of your color combinations as inspiration as I pick

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-75104782516779383762008-04-01T08:30:00.005-06:002008-04-02T10:12:21.105-06:00

I love April. For me, it is the start of the spring season here in the St. Louis area because the grass is greening up nicely, the daffodils are blooming, and some of our trees are starting to produce flowers. Meaning lots of new and beautiful color to look at. I am infatuated with how color works together. I used to be a floral designer before I became a full time mom; I got to play with mixing

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com117tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-57956586393877199632008-03-27T07:02:00.005-06:002008-03-27T16:37:36.329-06:00

Sorry I've been missing in action a lot lately. The truth is that I am very easily distracted by all things shiny and new. First distraction is that I have been searching the world high and low for all the information that I can watch/read on spinning. Spinning has really opened a lot of doors for me in the knitting realm but I digress. Second distraction, a valid one, is that my almost six month

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-84232332082858844862008-03-17T08:10:00.005-06:002008-03-17T14:52:01.397-06:00

On my trip I did not go any where exciting (visiting some relatives) but I sure do feel refreshed. Sometimes a change of scenery is just what the soul needs. On my trip I knitted, relaxed, and let other family members play and tend to my children. Absolute bliss. I was able to complete a pair of socks and start my warm weather project (lace) in just 3 days.Reminds me of the good old days when I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-21157720217012950552008-03-07T17:26:00.005-06:002008-03-07T18:50:14.321-06:00

Hi all! Things have been quiet around here on my blog lately. Sorry about that. If I haven't made it around to your blog in awhile I just wanted to say sorry about that too. I'm getting ready to whisk out the door on a small trip out of town and I just wanted to drop in just to say that I will see you when I get back. By the time I get back I hope to have some knitting that I finished and or

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-83974730440922990602008-02-25T14:42:00.005-06:002008-02-25T15:34:02.865-06:00

Wow, I'm bushed. My kiddos have been running me ragged lately. My little Hannah has cut two new teeth and has also suffered her first cold. My little man caught his sister's cold and some how blossomed into a very moody three year old over night. And I thought the twos were bad! Needless to say there has been very little knitting and even less spinning. Right now I'm just trying to stay awake

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-19321844845776832212008-02-11T08:53:00.000-06:002008-02-12T11:01:29.107-06:00

Just in time for Valentines Day an expression of how much I love my husband. I listened to his pleas for a hat and knit one according to the his list of desires for said hat. This hat needed to have some sort of cabling on it but nothing too fussy. It also had to have a brim long enough so that he could pull it down over his ears if need be. He works outside all year long; even when it's 8

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-87383064912654286632008-01-30T11:05:00.000-06:002008-01-30T13:47:41.027-06:00

In case you have noticed my Ravelry user name changed yesterday. It went from modestpurls to KnittyHaven. KnittyHaven is the name that I decided to call my little space in the basement that I am setting up for all of my knitting and spinning things. I decided that it was time that I tried to claim some part of this house as mine before it is completely taken over by toys. To be honest, I like

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-90141473782034115282008-01-23T14:48:00.000-06:002008-01-23T15:34:03.491-06:00

Is is it me or am I on a posting roll? Don't get use to it, some thing is bound to break my stride. ;) I really would like to keep this pace up but I'm sure my kiddos will see to it that I can't. Well, shall we get down to buisness?I finished my Central Park Hoodie and today seemed like the best day to go outside to take pictures because tomorrow it is supposed to be pretty nasty.The yarn is Knit

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-60294934813118732182008-01-18T11:33:00.000-06:002008-01-18T19:48:51.721-06:00

Woo hoo! I'm back! For those of you that didn't know that I was missing I just want you to know that I missed you all and that it felt like a decade has passed since I last showed my face around here. I unexpectedly lost my Internet service for over a week and it felt like an eternity has passed. But here I am and I have some stuff to share. After all, I had a lot of time on my hands. :)My

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-60212242289124984202008-01-07T14:37:00.000-06:002008-01-07T15:04:10.200-06:00

Even though we're already seven days into the new year I still can't stop thinking about the new knitting/fiber possibilities that this year will bring. I'm determined to branch out and really stretch myself and see what is possible for me to accomplish. I'm not interested in churning out a lot of projects just see how many I can accomplish in a year. Instead I want to spend this year refining

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-70760612097488757082007-12-31T11:28:00.000-06:002007-12-31T11:50:05.843-06:00

I was going to have these pictures posted before Christmas happened but when it got closer to that time I thought that family time was more important. But I digress. Here is the finished Myrtle Leaf Shawl that was gratefully received by my mom on Christmas day. The yarn was Zephyr Wool Silk and I absolutely adored it. I will so be using that yarn in the future. It has such a beautiful drape to it

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-76656465971327732002007-12-17T15:30:00.000-06:002007-12-17T16:10:42.708-06:00

Just a quick post because I know that at this point in the holiday season time is at a premium. That is why my last post was almost two weeks ago but during my absence from the blog I have been able to finish all of my Christmas knitting and now it is time to show one of them off. The pattern is Snowflake from The Knitted Teddy Bear and the yarn for the bear is Simply Soft. The scarf is made

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-26516917882107987922007-12-04T07:14:00.000-06:002007-12-04T08:03:29.060-06:00

Happy blogaversary to me! A year ago today I made my first post and I am so glad that I did. So much has happened in my knitting life and personal life in this past year. I have met new friends and joined Ravelry which has helped me plan for decades of knitting. I've learned new knitting techniques and in doing so I believe that my knitting has improved. I learned to knit in Oct. 2005 and I feel

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-39454110821721244112007-11-30T08:43:00.000-06:002007-11-30T11:57:21.567-06:00

I have a confession to make. I feel horrible about the bad little blogger I've been lately. My posts are almost two weeks apart and when I post I feel like there is nothing interesting to write about. Unless you are interested in how many diapers I've changed today or how far my daughter projectile vomited. Maybe I could talk about how my son filled up my contact case with toothpaste or how his

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-1745589358963792432007-11-19T17:14:00.000-06:002007-11-19T17:30:25.047-06:00

I should be ashamed of myself. I am weak when it comes to starting projects that I really don't have time for. Its not that I don't I have Christmas knitting to work onand a house to clean and manage. I also have kids to feed and and keep clean so how do I explain this? I've got nothing. I could blame it on Dove but it's not her fault that I'm defenseless against such gorgeous cables. Must.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-57848584376489534662007-11-09T07:36:00.000-06:002007-11-09T10:19:27.405-06:00

I can't believe that it has been almost two weeks since my last post! And it's even harder to believe that Thanksgiving is now a little less than two weeks away. The holidays are right around the corner and I'm totally NOT prepared for them. Sigh. I guess it's time to get a move on those Christmas gifts that I need to knit. I'm keeping it light this year and I'm only going to knit a couple things

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-21768670126574541022007-10-25T17:30:00.000-05:002007-10-27T09:21:55.998-05:00

I must admit that having to wrangle two little ones during the day and at night by myself has left me with precious little time to knit or for that matter blog about knitting. I knew that having a two year old had its' own set of challenges but throw a newborn in there and you have a whole new sense of chaos. But I swear..... I'm loving every minute of it (small hint of sarcasm detected ;) ). In

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-10901768828169460432007-10-16T15:57:00.001-05:002007-10-16T17:07:18.502-05:00

These past two weeks have passed me by with an incredible amount of speed. I guess time and what day it is becomes irrelevant when you are up round the clock with nightly feedings. I am absolutely treasuring this time because I know that it doesn't last long and I will miss her sweet smell in the middle of the night someday. My Little Man is happy with his little sister and is adjusting well

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-19087821606212799502007-10-08T16:10:00.000-05:002007-10-08T16:46:56.178-05:00

Hannah ElizabethOctober 2, 20077:49 a.m.6lbs. 15 ounces My biggest FO of the year yet!! She is so cuddly, soft, and so sweet smelling. My heart is filled to overflowing with how much I love her. But since she is still pretty new I'm still trying to get into the swing of things and I don't have much to write about yet except how happy I am that she is finally here. Our Little Man is taking the

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-16527710574282265292007-09-27T13:18:00.000-05:002007-09-27T13:58:02.918-05:00

Here are my Baudelaires in their finished glory! Even though I had so much fun knitting them they did turn out a tad to big for my foot. Or it could be that I just like my socks a little tighter than most because I did check my gauge and after I went down two needles sizes I was right on target. Since they are superwash wool I was thinking about sticking them in the dyer for a few minutes that

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-5030625580801374802007-09-18T08:59:00.000-05:002007-09-18T09:22:29.969-05:00

For many weeks now I have been going through a knitters slump. Nothing that I had on the needles moved me and I my knitting flame was slowly dwindling. But now I have found my inspiration to help me through this hard time and get me back to planning new projects and fantasizing about yarns as we get ready to head into fall. Perfect sweater making season if you ask me. All it took for me to get

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-77671527361278152342007-09-05T18:05:00.000-05:002007-09-05T18:19:50.147-05:00

I'm sorry that I have been MIA in the blogosphere community and every other community that I might be considered a part of but things in my world have been a little tough lately. Today I just got home from the hospital for the second time in less five days from each other. It seems that I have developed gall stones and they are really giving me a run for my money. I'm sorry for not staying on top

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-69827086176100044292007-08-28T14:14:00.000-05:002007-08-28T14:42:04.102-05:00

The shawl/blanket is finally done my friends!! It is washed, folded, and waiting for the arrival of my little bundle so it can do its job of keeping her nice and warm. I know that I have already mentioned where I got the pattern but I'll say it again any way as a refresher. ;) The pattern it the Shawl by Debbie Bliss from Special Knits. Forgive the dark pictures but that seems to be the only way

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-56603099382098628512007-08-22T10:10:00.000-05:002007-08-23T08:46:25.592-05:00

..I tied the knot. Yep, today is my six year anniversary! After all the trials and good times that my husband and I have shared I wouldn't take those years back for any thing. He is undoubtedly the love of my life and my best friend. You may wonder if we are doing any thing special today and the answer is YES! We are dropping our Little Man off at grandma's and we are going to see a movie. Some

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-25372102931797933512007-08-17T13:38:00.000-05:002007-08-17T14:01:30.889-05:00

I too must join the ranks of other bloggers not posting as much. My Little Man was sick again this time with a summer flu virus that has been going around. Seems like that poor little boy has been awfully sick this year, which is pretty strange considering that he was not sick the first two years of his life. He is on the mend now and he is going through that needy mommy phase that he seems to go

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-89988098037407445772007-08-06T19:11:00.000-05:002007-08-06T20:11:09.995-05:00

Over the weekend my sister-in law threw me a surprise baby shower and a good time was had by all especially me because I had by all especially me because I got to see some friends that I don't usually get to see but once or twice a year. Their schedules are always super busy and catching up with them is had to do at times but I was so happy that they could make it.My sister-in-law made the cake

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-44460179689732143962007-07-30T10:26:00.000-05:002007-07-30T20:58:14.616-05:00

I'm still here! I'm feeling pretty bad for not posting in a week and the reason for it is that I have nothing interesting to share. And to make matters worse, I can't even take a picture of any thing because my Little Man accidentally put his thumb on the camera lens and left a really bad smudge. I'm praying we can get the print off without scratching the lens or things might get a whole lot

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-73854354580209688192007-07-23T13:09:00.000-05:002007-07-23T13:41:55.574-05:00

It's amazing what happens when you hit your third trimester. All your energy seems to get sucked right out of your body and doing something simple like posting to your blog becomes the equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest. Not to mention all the knitting that needs to be done before my time is in short supply. But all those reasons still did not deter me from casting on yet, another baby knit.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-53192818135903336312007-07-18T08:24:00.000-05:002007-07-18T08:52:10.771-05:00

It's hard to believe that a week has went by since I last posted. Lately time seems to be really flying. Yesterday was the first day of my third trimester and from today my 'baby ticker' says that I have 83 days to go. Of course, I know that babies are not predictable and they arrive precisely when they mean to. But it is nice to know that I am on the home stretch. And with my final count down

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-2424052302569307752007-07-12T14:57:00.000-05:002007-07-12T15:37:56.855-05:00

Sorry about my post from earlier if you read it. Blogger isn't agreeing with me today, I tried to save a post and some how it got published before I was ready but now I am ready. As I was saying.... I love to knit lace and of course the Mystery Stole 3 was to far tempting to resist. I mean you get free pattern and it is so much fun to be part of a knit-along. I didn't even think twice before I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-12506676102698121782007-07-09T13:55:00.000-05:002007-07-09T14:52:49.127-05:00

After closer examination of my Before Baby Goals, I decided that totally ditching the list entirely is not necessary, I can still manage to get most of it done before my little one is due and what doesn't get done will be done before Christmas because they would make great Christmas gifts. As for the stuff for myself, well, that will only get done if I can keep from casting on another project

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-60157335046860889712007-07-06T12:16:00.000-05:002007-07-06T12:40:34.387-05:00

Do you remember a few posts back that I was foolish mention something about goals that I want to complete before my baby is born? If not that is okay because I have thrown those plans right out the window. I am far to scatter brain and impulsive to actually stick to a plan and I should know that by now. Silly me. :) What could make me veer so off course one might ask. Well, this morning I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-23703435802501671462007-07-03T13:14:00.000-05:002007-07-03T14:05:22.764-05:00

Hubby is off this week so there has been a lot going on at our house the last couple of days. We have been doing some home improvements like installing new light fixtures and such. Even with all this activity going on it is nice to spend some time with my husband. I've been missing him lately because of all the over-time he's been working but I have managed to tear myself away from him long

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-63374571145587701682007-06-28T11:49:00.001-05:002007-06-28T21:12:39.164-05:00

The sweater seems to be coming along nicely. So far I have completed the back, right front, left front, and one sleeve. I still have the other sleeve and neckband to knit. Hopefully, if all goes well this weekend I will have finished the knitting part and started the seaming process. The picture that I took turned out a little dark but it happens to represent the color of the yarn best. I don't

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-6038942244058358712007-06-26T08:27:00.000-05:002007-06-26T11:41:42.399-05:00

I decided to name these socks Summer Socks because the yarn band didn't have a colorway name and the cotton in the yarn makes them actually pretty comfortable to wear them in warm weather. I also decided to use a technique with these that I never tried before, a picot edging. I'm pretty satisfied with them even though the yarn first struck me as a little busy for my taste but sometimes it good to

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-81519672426863914722007-06-21T16:39:00.000-05:002007-06-21T17:01:03.313-05:00

First, I want to thank everyone that has left a comment on the breastfeeding topic. It feels good to know that so many mothers out there chose to breastfeed their babies. I know that I can now get the support and help that I so desperately needed when I was trying to nurse my first born. I don't feel as alone as I did back then and I know that I will be successful this time.Finally, what I have

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-56873288452164854372007-06-19T17:38:00.000-05:002007-06-19T19:53:33.433-05:00

I'm starting to get impatient. I ordered my package last Monday and a week has went by and still no package. But I guess that's the way it goes, the more you want something the longer you have to wait. ;) I have been keeping busy while I wait. I've finished one sock and started the other, I was going to take a progress pic but the batteries in the camera are dead. Oh well, a little suspense

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-83888608629465174282007-06-15T14:02:00.000-05:002007-06-15T14:34:08.625-05:00

Do you want to know what happens when I take the pressure off myself to complete goals?Knitting happens!! I cast on for these yesterday: Surprisingly, I am thoughly enjoying myself with this yarn. I didn't think that I would because the colors are not my typical choice and I usually don't buy sock yarn with cotton in it and no elastic because the socks don't seem to hold their shape and but so

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-30786785342718843542007-06-13T13:36:00.000-05:002007-06-13T14:21:55.153-05:00

Wow. Already a week has past me by since my last post and the only knitting I have managed to accomplish is the other baby sock. I don't know about everyone else but it seems to me that the days are just flying by and there is so much to do (not all of it has to do with knitting). At this rate the baby will be ready to get here and I won't be prepared. Another knitting hindrance is that my

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-66290423690861785652007-06-06T11:28:00.000-05:002007-06-06T13:56:59.008-05:00

Thank you for the concern and kind comments for my Little Man. He is doing much better now and he is back to causing his two year old mischief again. ;) Now he doesn't seem to want to take naps any more but there isn't a cure for that is there? ;)Lately I noticed that even though I am a die hard lace fan that I can't keep my mind on my Myrtle Leaf Shawl. I pondered the thought that I was growing

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-48008582971339810012007-05-31T10:16:00.000-05:002007-06-06T13:57:28.575-05:00

My current mental state is one that has been drained from severe mental and physical exhaustion, so please excuse me if I don't make a lot of sense. For about a week now my Little Man has had an ear infection in not just one ear but both. To make a long story short, after the first doctor visit we went home with medication that was prescribed at too strong of a dose. After another doctor visit (

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-61603250950817953082007-05-25T17:50:00.000-05:002007-05-25T18:01:34.399-05:00

Today I had my ultra sound and they verified my intuition and told me that I'm having a girl. Now I can finally start looking for a pattern and girly colored yarn to go with it. So now I 've got a whole lot of knitting that needs to be done before the baby is due. :/ Stuff for the baby, things I've promised for my family members, things I want to knit for myself...... I better stop before I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-83945221664196233202007-05-22T08:27:00.000-05:002007-05-22T09:09:20.704-05:00

As I sit here in front of the computer, racking my brain for something interesting to blog about, I realize that I just don't have much. Not a lot of knitting has been going on at the Modest Purl's residence this week. I even set a small goal for myself over the weekend; I was going to get to the half-way point on the center panel of my Myrtle leaf shawl but sadly I failed. I came pretty darn

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-57368070895390180002007-05-18T08:03:00.000-05:002007-05-18T15:58:48.630-05:00

Here are the rules:Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and need to read your blog. I've been tagged by Amanda.Here are

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-21887428919810702722007-05-14T13:06:00.000-05:002007-05-14T13:51:29.524-05:00

Why is it that when there is a deadline to finish something all these unexpected troubles pop up? But despite all the odds against me I managed to finish the bear and now I feel good about it. Getting up extra early, staying up late, and staying away from the blog was the only way that I could finish it on time but it was well worth it because my mom was well pleased.The pattern is called Heidi

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-9305652610278001702007-05-09T13:09:00.000-05:002007-05-09T13:37:36.111-05:00

I think that I may be in over my head.Lately all that has been consuming my thoughts is Mother's Day this Sunday. Feeling slightly financially strapped I knew that what ever I decided to get my mom for this weekend it couldn't cost me much if any thing at all. Being the knitter that I am my thoughts turned towards my stash and I knew that I had enough to make my mom a small 'some thing'. What I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-84494989711468130452007-05-04T13:17:00.000-05:002007-05-04T16:04:18.076-05:00

Well, I am truly ashamed of myself. I made a simple goal for myself to try blogging twice a week and I now have reverted back to my old ways of once a week. The one thing that has held me back from being a "better" blogger is important life decisions that had to be made. The kind that involved deciding if I should go back to work or not. The verdict is: not yet. With baby on the way we decided

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-79353659093934906172007-04-26T16:56:00.000-05:002007-04-26T17:26:53.102-05:00

I have been a busy girl lately and none of it has to do with knitting. I actually haven't touched a pair of needles since last Saturday and to be honest I am enjoying my little outside break. My garden is looking better and that makes me feel good. It had room for improvement because when we bought this house last August it was brand new(the garden, not the house) and this Spring it needed a few

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-61558225486919961012007-04-20T09:57:00.000-05:002007-04-20T10:25:32.018-05:00

This week has been pretty busy for me; I have been spending time cleaning a slightly neglected house. I had almost two weeks of laundry piled up in the basement! Now that the weather is starting to warm up there is also lots of yard work that needs to be done. So knitting might have to take a backseat for a couple of days. Even with all my work I was still able knit a few rows in between chores.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-6730349294706720482007-04-16T15:50:00.000-05:002007-05-04T16:05:36.626-05:00

They are finally done drying! It took the whole weekend to finish(a total of four days) but here they are:I must say that I love them! They are so warm and comfortable; I was wearing them around the house all day and took them off only for the 'photo shoot'. I now have to make a pair for my husband and my brother because of their requests. Oh how my knitting list grows! Now for the details! I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-85253421031005859812007-04-12T17:23:00.000-05:002007-04-12T17:51:08.241-05:00

Well the clogs are done and I'm sad to say that I don't have a picture to show yet. I took a before felting picture wearing them for scale purposes and I want to have an after felting picture but they are still extremely wet. I thought by morning that they would be some what dry but I was wrong. They are now in front of a fan; hopefully that will speed up the drying process.As soon as I realized

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-45738851689757434372007-04-09T13:35:00.000-05:002007-04-09T14:13:48.896-05:00

I'm sorry that my posting has been seldom and slow but I am making a new schedule for myself that will include more time for blogging. I love to blog so it was a sacrifice that I am willing to make ;) Well here is the progress that I have made so far:One clog down and I will be casting on for the second one tonight. Hopefully I will have a pair of felted clogs by Friday. I really am enjoying

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-77391387561534438882007-04-02T15:36:00.000-05:002007-04-02T16:26:30.883-05:00

I had a wonderful weekend even though not a lot of knitting was accomplished. Instead I embraced one of my other hobbies that doesn't get much attention on this blog. This hobby is slightly unusual and I won't go to far into the subject matter right now for lack of time but I will tell you what it is. I like to paint miniatures; its the miniature part that needs explaining not the painting

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-18704407464448004572007-03-26T12:46:00.000-06:002007-05-04T16:06:16.723-05:00

Yet another doily! I really do like the way this one turned out. I think the crochet thread made the difference, it was fairly soft compared to ones I have tried before and it actually has a slight sheen to it. The name of this one is Fanødugen. I'm not quite sure how you would pronounce that:).Fully blocked out this sucker stretched out to 22" across and after unpinning it shrank down to 21"

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-4604480322127364932007-03-23T16:25:00.000-06:002007-03-23T16:38:51.458-06:00

Unfortunately my intended FO won't be ready for showing until next week. Yesterday as I raced to finish it for it's intended photo shoot. I started getting the chills and much to my dismay a fever! My husband came home with the same symptoms and low and behold we both have the flu. The only healthy one among us is our son and I'm praying he doesn't catch it because it is a NASTY virus. But I am

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-89776999056109948362007-03-14T12:52:00.000-06:002007-05-04T16:06:50.146-05:00

One more bear complete on my family list of bears to make. This one is for my mom and I think my bear making skills have improved some. My satin stitch is more even and the face came out fairly straight (yea!). The purple ribbon is a bit long but it isn't meant to stay on the bear because I want my mom to pick out the ribbon that she wants on it. The yarn was some unknown acrylic my mom picked

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-57247061256337639272007-03-08T18:38:00.000-06:002007-05-04T16:07:18.241-05:00

My new goal for the month of March is that there will be no more goals for me. I've decided that this goal setting thing was taking a lot of fun out of knitting for me. I could no longer be spontaneous because I would think about my goals and how I probably wouldn't meet them if I started some thing new. I figure that this knitting thing is for my enjoyment and is not meant to become actual work.

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-13369981656863722902007-02-27T20:15:00.000-06:002007-02-27T20:50:18.364-06:00

I feel I owe an explanation for the lack of activity on this blog and for the lack of knitting progress and the poor knitting attitude I had developed. The truth is that I am in my first trimester of pregnancy and it is really kicking my butt. Instead of morning sickness I have all day sickness which tends to zap my energy. But I am starting to feel a little better as my pregnancy progresses and

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-47293327282629425402007-02-12T13:25:00.000-06:002007-02-12T13:45:01.302-06:00

Yep! I'm still here and I am actually accomplishing some thing! My desire to knit has been weak at best. Instead I have been reading and finding new ways to relax. For some reason all the fun disappeared and every time I picked up my needles I would start wishing I was doing some thing else. I hope this is temporary and I don't get burned out on knitting altogether. The Northern Lights

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-33311705292358494462007-02-02T14:39:00.000-06:002007-02-02T14:52:16.095-06:00

I lied. I thought that I would have a more exciting post (meaning some thing finished) but no, not this time. I realized that I forgot to mention that I received Victorian Lace Today and I loved it! I am so overwhelmed about what pattern to knit first that I am incorporating that into my goals for this month. Here goes my new list:Finish Northern Lights mittensWork on Sherwood (hopefully come

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-44679773801655048782007-01-31T13:19:00.000-06:002007-05-04T16:08:08.324-05:00

Sadly not a whole lot of knitting has got done this week. I haven't felt very good lately, I might be coming down with some thing. I feel really tired all the time and I can't seem to think straight. Writing this post is proving to be quite a challenge much less trying to do colorwork or make cables on a sweater. In my few and fleeting moments of clarity I started Sherwood. I decided to use

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-70488187273167587212007-01-26T19:41:00.000-06:002007-01-27T08:43:42.650-06:00

As far as goals are I think I have completed all of them except for one. The infamous Peacock Feathers Shawl. I call it infamous because I fear that I have put that project on hold for far to long now. I think with time I have grown disenchanted with the color, so much that I am considering frogging it and starting over. Use the vanilla lace weight for something that I deem appropriate and in

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-12309983320283624162007-01-22T13:37:00.000-06:002007-01-22T14:17:41.395-06:00

Even though my posting hasn't been regular my knitting has. Last Sunday I finished Egebald in the dark over at my parents house. They got hit my another ice storm and lost their power again. This time they were only out of power for two days. Not as bad as the time before. I must admit that this was not the most exciting lace project. I think the color and the crochet thread were to blame. If I

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-53751852157088005432007-01-12T14:58:00.000-06:002007-05-04T16:09:28.659-05:00

I had a lot of fun knitting this one! The pattern was easy to memorize and I could knit it without giving much thought to it. I had a hard time trying to figure out the best way to take the picture of this though. I hope with time my picture taking skills will get better. Anyway, here are the details of the shawl for those of you who like that kind of stuff.Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl Interweave

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-62614335875517818962007-01-08T09:16:00.000-06:002007-01-08T14:49:13.810-06:00

Friday was my son's 2ND birthday! We had a great time the whole day. He is such a great kid, he is a very easy going and a whole lot of fun to be with, for that I am truly blessed.Over the weekend I finished this:The Swallowtail Shawl, it's blocking right now so there will be pictures later. Hopefully they will be more color accurate, in the picture it looks like a hot pink but it is actually

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-84336179337366468682007-01-02T07:25:00.000-06:002007-01-02T16:23:56.582-06:00

Happy New Year!I'm happy to announce that I finally finished my socks last Friday. I think those socks took me the longest time to knit of any pair I have ever made. I'm not sure if it was the holidays or the fact that it was the first time I ever knit with US 0. Anyway, I'm glad there done and the yarn is now soft after I washed it so they are now my favorite pair of socks I have:). I discovered

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-34853947805002896852006-12-27T16:22:00.000-06:002006-12-28T10:42:51.417-06:00

My Eris pullover is blocked and ready to go. It's a shame I hate it and probably will never wear it. It's not so much the design I hate as all the little flaws I made that add up to one big mess. I messed up picking up the stitches around the collar which made little holes that I need to try to sew up (if I feel really ambitious). I didn't seam up the cuffs neatly. I forgot to changes needles to

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-9784429448539943542006-12-22T08:47:00.000-06:002006-12-22T09:07:20.104-06:00

I decided to change my blog's name from Mo-Knits to Amanda's Knitting Journal. Mo is a nickname for my two-year-old and even though he is the light of my life I didn't feel that it was appropriate for my blog. After all, it's my knitting not his. I decided to start this blog because I wanted to keep a record of my knitting and I wanted a chance to communicate with other knitters. I love

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-90729292003324303222006-12-18T17:04:00.000-06:002006-12-19T15:45:31.936-06:00

Right now I don't have the most exciting blogging material. Christmas preparations are taking up most of my time and when that isn't my two-year-old is. I am glad I decided not to knit any gifts this year or I probably wouldn't be getting any sleep right now. Next year will be different though. I think my husband will need a hand knit sweater by then.When time does allow for knitting I either

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-4916212878794088662006-12-14T08:33:00.000-06:002006-12-14T09:12:17.337-06:00

My progress in knitting has slowed down considerably. My son who will be two next month on January 5; has been taking a lot of my time lately. He is finally cutting the last of his baby teeth (his back molars), so he has been incredibly needy lately. I know two-year olds are notoriously difficult but I still love this age. They are so busy discovering what they can do and learning things. I can

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-48092067124302596912006-12-11T13:45:00.000-06:002006-12-11T14:09:50.451-06:00

PashaIf I had worked on Pasha straight through I could have finished him in a day. He was a really fun toy to knit. I made him for myself because I am in love with penguins. I have been collecting them for years. In fact most of the Christmas ornaments on my tree are penguins. I think I will be knitting a lot of toys in the future. They are fun and quick, muck like sock knitting plus I can give

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-35253864851839911972006-12-08T08:44:00.000-06:002006-12-08T15:28:42.411-06:00

Even though I am happy when a project is complete ( it gives me a sense of accomplishment) I still have a short attention span when it comes to knitting. I get tempted by all those beautiful lace shawls, gorgeous cabled sweaters, and colorful stranded knitting.Any way, right now the biggest project I have going on is Peacock Feathers Shawl. I was a rebel and went with an off-white color for my

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-65468968027402589102006-12-06T15:39:00.000-06:002006-12-08T08:52:38.664-06:00

Kristen's Birthday socksHighly modified pattern of Knitty's ThujaYarn: Knitpicks Memories in GeraniumNeedles: US 1These are my nieces birthday present. She turned nine yesterday. Every time she would see me knit a pair of socks she would admire them in such a way that would make me feel guilty for having not made her a pair. Now the monkey is off my back and I will forever knit socks on peace.My

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37853380.post-1165261581692537922006-12-04T13:33:00.000-06:002006-12-06T15:15:28.869-06:00

I have finally caved in and decided to join the exciting world of blogging. After lurking around on other peoples knitting blogs, I decided that I too would have as much fun as they seem to have. I promise that I will speak mainly of knitting but I know that my adorable son will sneak in there every once in a while. And maybe my cat, and birds too. I live in a zoo. Next time there will be

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15154825057047799691noreply@blogger.com0