Author: achickthatknitz

Girl’s Night in the Yarn Studio

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We had a spontaneous girl’s night in my new yarn studio.  Lauren and Lindy came over to hang out and we painted our first skeins of yarn in the studio!    Lauren knits and crochets and has a love for yarn.  Lindy now has an appreciation for the art of hand-dyed yarn!     (She is an amazing artist!  I hope this reawakens a spark of creativity for her!). Lindy was pretty surprised at how much fun she had.  She is really good with watercolors, so I can see why she loved this so much.

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Look how proud she is!

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We were playing.

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We can’t forget Max!  He is still helping me pose my yarn!

We ended our night eating Mexican bowls at Fuzzy’s along with a margarita.  It was a great spontaneous night with my girls.  We all had a great time.  The girls were tickled pink with their own creations and are eager to cast-on.

On a side note – this would be a great craft to do with your kids.  The math you use is ratio and proportion and would be a great lesson to teach the kids.   They can see math used in a fun creative way.  You need to figure how much dye to use per weight of yarn.  You can also teach fractions with diluting  colors.     Just an idea 🙂

Happy Knitting Friends!

 

Tammy

 

Christmas Cookies

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Merry Christmas!

Look how pretty!

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You all know my daughter–in-law, Lauren.  This is her pretty momma, Amanda.  Amanda hosted a cookie decorating Christmas party for her daughter’s band mates.

Isn’t this a wonderful idea!  I told Amanda about the Craftsy/Blueprint cookie decorating classes and she learned how to do all this from those classes.  Before I took the classes, all I knew was to slab some store bought icing on top of the sugar cookies.  This is so much better and so fun to do.  She said they all had a super fun time!

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Anytime I have the cookies and icing out, everybody that comes over dives right in and has a blast decorating them.   It’s worth the time to watch the classes.

Thank you Amanda for letting me share pictures of your beautiful cookies!

Happy Knitting and Merry Christmas!

 

Tammy

 

Crack me up.

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I love this guy!  He’s very much like my inner child, mine is just not so colorful.

I discovered Stephen West from KnitStars.  I had seen him around Ravelry but he is so “loud” with his colors, I just passed right on by his patterns.  Nothing at all wrong with being “loud”, it just didn’t speak to me at the time.

Then I signed up for KnitStars.  I fell in love with this guy!  He is so charming and such a handsome man.  My husband calls me a 9 year-old all the time.  That’s my child like personality he is talking about.  Stephen West has his “child” out on full display and I LOVE it!  Mine is safely hidden away here at home where it’s safe.

I admire people that can be themselves.  I don’t care how different or unusual you may be.   That just makes you a rare jewel instead of a commonly found one.  The rarest jewels are the most valuable.

I’ve been working in my dye studio.  I ordered some equipment that arrived broken and had to be returned and replaced, so here I wait.  I’ve been playing with some yarn and have actually dyed some.  I’ve also been trying to come up with a label design for my yarn.  Don’t laugh.  Well, okay, laugh if you must.

I’m trying to draw an Alpaca with a daisy on its head and a daisy garland around its neck.  I have the drawing skills of an 8 year old.  My high school art teacher told me I had great ideas but I could not draw worth a darn.  She was right.

All three of my children are amazing artists.  My daughter had to do some community service at the Art Institute in town and the instructor begged her to stay and offered her a scholarship.  She wasn’t interested at all.    Both of my boys can draw anything.

My dad was a hippy.  Big time hippy.  I have  a very unique upbringing.   I’ll have to tell you the story of the time he came over to babysit my kids with his friend the “Contract Killer” in tow.  I ended up taking my kids, my dad, and the contract killer friend to the OBGYN with me. (I’m not making this up.)  At my Dad’s funeral, he came up and was super nice and friendly and told me to call him anytime I needed someone “taken care-of. ” 19225222_10208904777800047_5592424525265611726_n

This is my dad.  He was the most unique person I’ve ever met.  I loved him so!  We used to color Mandala’s together.  He had a big collection of gel pens and we would lay on the floor together and color.    We would color for hours and talk and talk.   I may not be able to draw, but I love color.  I think that’s why I love the 70’s so much.    I love that Bo-ho style that is so popular now.  It’s my style.  Mandala’s, macrame, knitting, flowers, animals….I’m so happy that this stuff is cool again.

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One more thing!

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It’s my current knitting project!

Happy Knitting Friends!

Tammy

Cowls for Christmas

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Happy holidays!  Are you ready for Christmas?  I’m getting there.  I finished these cowls for my girls.

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I made them with two strands of Cascade 128 yarn held together to make a super-bulky weight yarn.

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They turned out super cute.  I’m happy with them.  I know the girls will be.  I made 3 of these with only 2 skeins of the Cascade 128 yarn.  One in each color, then the remainder used 1 skein of each color for the multicolor effect.  I was able to make 2 of them in one day!  An entire day of binge watching Netflix helped.

You can find the pattern Drop Stitch Cowl link on my Ravelry page.

Screen Shot 2018-12-12 at 10.47.12 AMHere is a picture of the first one I made several years ago.  Lindy loves this, she wears it still and gets tons of compliments on it.  It’s made from a more bulky weight yarn.

Two of my girls have already seen these so they know what’s coming.

I’m working on something new that I will share with you soon. Oh.  It’s a good day to block my new blanket I just finished!  It turned out beautiful.

Just found out that the yarn store, L & B Yarn Store, in Norman, OK is closing its doors.  They are having 50% off everything in the store.   I went yesterday, but they don’t open until noon, so I missed out.

Happy Knitting!

Tammy

 

What’s up?

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This is a family from Texas that has adopted one of our Goldendoodles.  This is my favorite part.  I love being a part of creating a happy family.  Of course, there are lots of things that go into making a happy family, but the family dog is important!  This little pup is so cute!  Looks like he made it to a great home.  What a lucky little pup.

I’ve been working on a rather large blanket for my bedroom.  I’ve got three balls of yarn left to finish, so hopefully that means it will be done this week.  Pics soon.

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Welcome to my yarn dying studio!  I know, it’s my garage.  I like to see it as my Yarn Studio!  I’ve got the yarn ordered, the colors, and the equipment.   Merry Christmas to me!

Any Outlander fans out here?  This weeks show had plenty of knitting!  The hunky hero, Jamie, knows how to knit!  He knit his nephew a pair of socks.  It also shows the beautiful heroine, Clair, knitting!  The knits in this show have a following all themselves.

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Luke came over yesterday and we worked together to get my yarn studio up and going.  My husband accidentally shrunk his new little “Gramps Cardigan” top.  His hat is also too small.   I need to make a new cardigan and hat and some little gloves.  It was a very pretty day, but as it started getting dark, got pretty cold.  I improvised to make him a little hat with one of my scarfs. Hey, whatever works, right.

Tell me what you think about hand painted yarns.  I like them, but they are so expensive.  That’s why I’m starting this new adventure of painting yarn.   Let me know what you think about them.  Yes.   No.  What do you think would be better about them?  I would like to know your opinions.

Thanks!

 

Tammy

Brian and Buttercup

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We have Goldendoodle puppies!  I want to share some cute pictures.  This little boy is my favorite!  They are all adorable cute puppies, but Brian has formed an attachment to me. I was trying to take some pictures to list them for sale and he would not leave my side long enough for me to get a snapshot.   I turned the lens around to get pics of him with me.

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Look how sweet he is!  He is giving me a cuddle!  Unfortunately, it makes no sense for me to keep any of our pups.  My pets are his parents.  Here are a few more pics.,

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This is Buttercup.  She is stunning!  She is so beautiful.

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fullsizeoutput_343eLook at her coat.  It is so thick and curly.  Her mother, Sandy, could have been a show dog.  She is really pretty.  Our vet tells us so :-).  Our vet gets down on the floor and cuddles Sandy and pours out compliments to her.  Buttercup takes after her mother.

We also have a few black Goldendoodles, but they are hard to photograph at times.

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The black Goldendoodles have such silky curls.  The creams ones are more like cotton fluff and the black pups have silky curly coats.

If you’ve stuck with me thru the adorable puppy pictures, I have one more thing to show you.   My step-daughter, Bailey, is super creative and talented.  She made me a logo for “Achickthatknitz”.     What do you think?   It’s me.

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She actually started custom making these.  She will work with you to make a logo.  I’m so impressed with her talent.

Happy Thanksgiving !

Apple Salad and Good Vibes

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We are smack dab in the middle of apple season and I want to share a yummy apple salad recipe.  You can make it with Sugar Free pudding or Lite or Sugar Free Cool Whip to cut back on some calories.   It’s best to use a nice crisp apple such as Gala or Honeycrisp.   I’ve used Red Delicious before and it didn’t turn out well.

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I’ve also finally completed my last road trip project!

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It’s the Good Vibes Shawl by Nadia Cretin-Lechenne.

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It was an enjoyable easy knit.

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It will be a cute worn as a cowl with a sweater cardigan.

Bailey and Henry are coming from Wyoming for a visit this week!  We get to take the babies out for Halloween.  Well, the mom’s do.  I’ll be making the hot chocolate for when they get back from their trick-or-treating adventures.

Happy knitting

 

Tammy

Knitting Bags

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Welcome to my knitting closet.   This is where I keep my worsted weight yarns and some other things too.

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This is where I hang my knitting bags.  Some are expensive knitting bags and some are just big purses, and others, my mother made me.

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I want to show off the one’s my mom made for me.  She is a very talented seamstress.  This is the first one she made for me.

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I have to explain…she used to sew scrubs for me for my job as a nurse at a hospital.  She has actually sewn for me my entire life.  She hated it when my girlfriends would want to wear my clothes.   (She didn’t make all my clothes, just some) Most teenage girls share their clothes.   It happened in my early single twenties also.  My girlfriends liked to wear my clothes.  Again, Mom hated it.  So she started putting my initials on my scrubs.

Remember the TV show “Laverne and Shirley”?

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I felt like Laverne with my initials on my scrubs.  I really didn’t like it and asked her not to put my initials on my scrubs anymore.   LOL.   She still wanted to put my initials on my scrubs, so she changed from putting them on the front top of my shirt to the hem of my pants.   Nobody could see the initials.  I was fine with that and she was happy to play with her embroidery.

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What’s that?  Looks like initials to me!   She still does it!  I love it actually.  I think it’s great on my knitting bag.  It was a pleasant surprise when I saw them there.  Even though they are my initials, it’s my mother’s mark, and I will always think of her when I see them.  It’s more than just a knitting bag, it’s a keepsake.

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This bag has several pockets, two large open areas, and a zippered middle area.  It’s a great bag.

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It has a zipper closure too.  You can zip up the entire bag.

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I liked my knitting bag so well, that I bought some materials for her to make me another one.   I like this one better.  I use it often.   It has so many pockets!  They are all around the outside of the bag.

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I love the yellow!  This one came with some matching knitting accessories.

This is a little needle holder and small accessory holder.  Zoom in on this!  It’s really neat!  It has an attached pin cushion (not removable) and check out the little yellow pockets.  There is tons of room for those little stitch markers.  It has a drawstring closure.

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Matching knitting needle holder.

This is a circular knitting needle holder.   I use this when I’m on the road for a road trip.  I can carry several different sizes in here.

I have no idea where to find the pattern.  We found them at Hancock’s (which is now closed in our town).  I don’t sew so I don’t know where people find sewing patterns now.  You’ll have to ask my mom at Joyful-expressions

All the other bags are inexpensive large totes from Target or TJMaxx.  I have one expensive knitting bag that I purchased at the DFW Fiber Festival (Dallas-Fort Worth).

KNITSTARS is open for enrollment for one week for $199.00.    If you haven’t heard of knitstars, click on the link and check it out.   I’ve joined the 1st and 2nd sessions, this will be the 3rd.   I’ve enjoyed the prior 2 and will sign up for 3.  It’s worth the money.  I’ve even gone back and watched the classes multiple times.

I’ve got to get dressed for bungee fitness!  I have a class this morning.  Happy Thursday!

I have a yummy apple salad recipe to share soon.  I need to take a picture for you.  I will have it here for you shortly!  It’s really good!

 

Tammy

Bungee Fitness

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I have found the funnest way to get some exercise!  It’s Bungee Fitness.  I found this place by chance, driving errands one day.  I’ve seen a video on youtube and it looked like so much fun.  We had our first class today and it was a blast!  We’ve signed up for more.

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Lindy, Lauren, and Tammy

I had a horrible neck injury 12 years ago from being hit from behind at a stop light.  It threw the soft spongy disc between the vertebrae into my spinal cord.  I was told that if I tripped or fell, I would be permanently paralyzed for the rest of my life.  It was a big deal.  It required neck surgery to fix it.  Long story short, I injured my neck again and damaged two other discs in my neck.  I was told never to exercise again other than walk.  Twelve years later and I have become a couch potato.  (always knitting, but in the couch nonetheless).

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This type of exercise is so easy on the joints!  I’ve had knee issues all my life and this did not hurt my knees at all!  I did a ton of squats today and no knee pain!   I’m overweight and out of shape.  This was the beginner class.  I had to stop and rest during the class.  It’s a real workout.  My face was red as a beet and my hair was all wet!  The girls were all sweaty too.  It’s a workout!

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This is Lindy and I after our workout!  Yes, I get extremely red in the face when I work out.  Lauren was worried, she thought I was going to die.  I was hoping the teacher wouldn’t get worried about me and make me stop or say something.  I just get really red in the face with a lot of exertion.

I am a clutz and a couple of times, I couldn’t do it, and just hung there for a second.  I messed up a lot.  It was a nice teacher and she encouraged us and I didn’t feel  self-conscious.  We all loved it and are going back for some more.  If it gets me off the couch,  helps me get healthier, and is fun to do then I’m all in!  If there is one in your area, you should try it too.   It’s also something fun to do with your family and friends.

 

Happy Knitting!

 

Tammy

George

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Good Morning!  Fall has finally arrived here in Oklahoma.  I would like to introduce our newest family member, George, shown here with Luke.

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George is a Standard Poodle.  He will, one day, be the new dad to our Goldendoodles.

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Luke and I are playing with our neighbors here.  I wanted to show you Max.  Do you see where he is?   That cat!  He is so wonderfully weird!  I love him so!  He will sit in the stroller and take a walk with me and Luke.   Max loves this family.  He is often found hanging out with them.

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We drove to Missouri to get George.  He sat on my lap for the entire four hour trip!

I’m going to give a little dog advise.  When you are thinking of buying a dog, especially an expensive one, you need to pay attention to the parents.  Personalities and temperaments are passed down to the pups.  If you want to know what kind of puppy you are getting, pay attention to the parents!

Stitch Markers!

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I was really excited to show you all something neat I had discovered to save you all some money!   Turns out, I have no idea what I’m talking about.  Do you see the little tin with the gold metal stitch markers?  I bought a little bag online at a knitting store and paid about $9.00 for them.   I’ve tried all kinds of different stitch markers and these are my favorites.    I’ve been shopping in the bead/jewelry isle at the craft stores and found these metal colored rings for $2.99 (half price days $1.50).    The green and purple rings I found at a bead store in Colorado, they are the $3.50 ones.

I get really excited when I find great deals.  I thought I had discovered a knit hack and wanted to share with everybody.

I tried to find the website I purchased my $9 stitch markers and found them on KnitPicks for $1.99 for 100 of them!   WHAT!?!?!   How did I not find these before?  They are even cheaper than my great find.

Well, if you want a variety of colors with your stitch markers at an affordable price, go shop at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.  They have lots of different sizes and colors in the jewelry/bead isles.

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Here’s a quick peek at my current knitting project.   It’s my road trip project to Wyoming.  I’m almost done.  I fear I’m going to run out of the brown color for the last stripe!  I’m just going to use a different brown if I run out.  It’s a shawl if you can’t tell.  I will show you all soon when it’s done.