Needles on Fire

My needles have been on fire over the past few days. There hasn't been a moment where I haven't been knitting and project after project have been completed continuously. Oh joy, oh joy, that powerful creative energy is back and I welcome it with wide open arms. When it comes around, it sure does come around and I jump on it with much delight.

Fast and easy

Fast, easy and instant satisfaction have been my mantra. Super bulky yarn, needlesize #17, oh yeah, just the way I like it!

Just the other day, while I was browsing through the knitwear section of Urban Outfitters, I spotted an infinity scarf. I was struck by its simplicity and wanted to make one myself. And so I did. I made a couple out of my super bulky yarn stash:

As you can see in the pictures, I can wear my infinity scarf wrapped twice around my neck, or I can wear it hoodie style. Perfect for the cold New York winters!

Here's a sample I made out of a boucle, thick and thin Jaeger yarn I had laying around in my stash:

Oh goodies, I cannot wait for it to be freezing cold!

Next up are my super bulky knitted bowls. Once that are not felted:

On the left you can see a shorter bowl made out of Malabrigo Rasta, the middle rosepink one is out of Cascade Magnum and the oatmeal one is made out of Burly Spun. I filled them with some yarn and needles and I think they look so cute on my craft table.

Because they are not felted, they are so easily pliable. I am thoroughly pleased with the results.

The two pieces at the bottom of the picture you might wonder? Ah, those are headbands/earwamers. Let me show you:

Chunky yarn, needle size US11, a simple shadow cable, some sewing at the ends, maybe some gathering/ruching too... and there you have it. I like it very much.

And guess what my dear knitting friends? These pieces I have been working on, will be published very very soon. I am going to end 2010 with a big bang: a last hurrah of free patterns from Getting Purly With It. 

So keep your yarn, needles and good dose of knitting enthusiasm ready!

Writing for the Close Knit blog

Other than knitting like crazy, I have also been writing for the Close Knit blog. I am so happy that Sally has given me the opportunity to do so and I feel like I am still a part of my favoritestestest yarn shop ever.

I have also issued 3 free patterns over at the Close Knit blog. Let me show you which ones.

First pattern published is Miss Violet, a fancy little lace cowl, made out of Kidsilk Aura:

Hair and make up: Kassandra Sommerville

The second pattern published are the Leah Gloves, a simple fingerless glove pattern made out of worsted weight yarn:

And the third pattern is the Chloe cowl, a dainty cowlette with shadow cables all over:

Hair and make up: Kassandra Sommerville

So you see, I have been busy...

What else have you been doing, Nancy?

Oh, nothing much but visiting some yarn shops in NYC...

I made the trek to Brooklyn and visited the Brooklyn General Store. It took me almost well over an hour to get there but it was absolutely worth it!

You must pay them a visit whenever you come this way. Yarn and fabric...and friendly people, what more can you wish for?

And I also visited Purl Soho in downtown Manhattan, also yarn and fabric in one store! Fabulous... the color coding in this store is just stunning.

And I have visited several more yarn shops but I am running out of time, it's getting late. I need to get up very early in the morning tomorrow...because I am going to RHINEBECK!!!

Yes, THAT Rhinebeck. The wool and sheep festival Rhinebeck! 

Oh people...sucks to be in NYC. Really.

Thank you for reading and until the next entry. Which will be very very soon, I promise...