Brunette's Summer Shades

So I am a terrible blogger, obviously, because I never post and when I do it is just not that interesting. However, I have an adventure that I am about to embark upon and it should make for a great blog experience.

Most women at some point want to change their hair color, whether it is a few shades lighter or darker, or something drastically different. Being that kind of woman, I did a home dye kit a few weeks ago to make my dark brunette hair a blackberry/maroonish color. It looked great for a couple of days, but I wasn't using a color shampoo/conditioner routine so it didn't last that well. I think it was also because of the brand I used, which I'm not going to rail against; I'll just say that it was cheap and I should have known better.


My husband is always teasing me to go blonde(which is so far from my natural color that it's not even funny) and I'm too nervous to take the jump. However, I do want to lighten my hair for the summer. I don't want to go the salon and have to pay with my limbs or organs, so I did some research today on natural lightening techniques. So far, I have found that the traditional lemon juice routine is effective, but it will not make dark brown hair turn blonde. Adding chamomile tea and red wine vinegar to the lemon juice is much more likely to brighten up dark tresses, or so I have read on various beauty/DIY websites. I am not going anywhere near hydrogen peroxide as it can ruin your healthy hair and turn it all kind of funky shades of orange(I don't want to deal with that hot mess). So sometime this week I am going to come up with my own concoction to naturally lighten/brighten my hair. Wish me luck, and here's hoping my hair doesn't fall out!

Tunic Troubles

As spring is finally here and soon it will be summer, I decided that I wanted to make myself a comfortable top to wear in the warmer weather. When I've made clothes for myself in the past they were generally cardis or wraps, not true tops to wear basically by themselves. So I'm venturing into something new, even though I am sticking to knitting flat because I'm just not brave enough to knit in the round ;)

So here is the pattern, Aspira One-Button Tunic and isn't it lovely! I really can't wait to try my hand at this, although it uses considerably more yarn than one of my typical projects. As usual, I am hesitant to purchase natural fiber yarn a) because of the expense and b) because of the care required. I just prefer to use acrylic that is as soft as natural fiber, while costing much less and being way more easy to launder. Thankfully this pattern is done by Caron so I can use some of my favorite yarns if I so choose.

There is a hint of crocheting around some of the edges, I believe, but I've mastered at least slip and single crochet so it shouldn't be a problem. I did read some interesting comments on Ravelry of people who made this project and had some problems with fit. I think the pattern must be strictly adhered to, as well as gauge being thoroughly checked if this is to come out well. So here is hoping for a rewarding summer project that will probably end up taking me months to complete.

Stash Busters and Badger Pride

Calling all knitters! I am finally posting and discussing some of my recent projects. Ravelry has been consuming a lot of my time lately, particularly Hogwarts@Ravelry. After my trip to California I was sorted into Hufflepuff house, which I have to say was a bit disappointing as I was hoping for Ravenclaw. (Don't worry Luna, you're still my favorite!) So as for that, I am spending most of my knitting time keeping up to date with what's happening @ Hogwarts and earning points for the Puffs!


Speaking of which...
Here are a couple of projects recently completed that have helped earned my house some Badger pride :)

The Toffee Toned Sweater is knit in acrylic worsted weight yarn, which was scrap yarn(most likely Red Heart something or other). 
The baby sweater is about 6 months size, knit flat and seamed with mattress stitch. I was really pleased with how it came out, especially since I added the stripes and adjusted the pattern. The original pattern, One-Piece Baby Pullover by Lion Brand Yarn, seemed a bit large for the yarn I was using so I shortened the number of rows at intervals. Still very cute!

The Owl Puff is knit in Simply Soft and Bernat Softee scraps I had laying around.

Owl Puffs by Jenna Krupar is a fantastic pattern, and I highly recommend it if you're into knitting owls. I really enjoyed this project as it was not difficult and it allowed me to practice my double-pointed knitting skills. Adding stripes or enlarging/shrinking the pattern would be very simple as well.

So there you have it, my attempts at minimizing my ever-growing yarn stash. There should be more to come as I complete assignments @ Hogwarts. Go Badgers!

Long Overdue Check-In

My promise to post many wonderful things in January 2012 proved to be a terrible resolution as I did not post even once! Life has a habit of getting away from me, and although I have been knitting I just cannot seem to regularly post. I find myself spending more and more time on Ravelry, so my knitting is definitely not suffering; cannot say the same for my blog.


Since my iPod touch battery is nearly dead I won't be posting any photos of projects today, but I thought I should check in anyhow. I have been on a knitting rampage it seems over the last couple of months, focusing mostly on different tops and other clothing articles. I get tired of making scarves and wristwarmers so I have been trying to expand my knitting universe with clothes I can actually wear. Shrugs are working their way into my stash of FO(finished objects) and I have been very happy with the results of trying new types of projects. I am also discovering many other knitting blogs which are fantastic, both for patterns and for inspiration. Perhaps one day my blog will reach such heights; I have serious doubts about that though :) That's all for now but if I can get my iPod charged I will begin posting recent finished projects sometime soon. Thanks for reading and happy knitting!

Holidays and Hurried Gifts

My poor blog and knitting projects have been neglected for much too long as I have been pulling my hair out over my finals at school. But all that is coming to an end with Christmas just around the corner! I just love this time of year, with the gift giving and celebrations posing perfect opportunities to create new knit projects. I think my family has accepted the fact that they will always get homemade gifts from me, especially if I find some fantastic new yarn. I was blessed this year with a whole bunch of free yarn that has come in very handy for Christmas presents. 

Speaking of which, here is a cute set of fingerless mitts which I am in the middle of making for my pastor's daughter; I made her a set last year but apparently new ones were in order. The pattern is a simple rib and moss stitch design which I slightly altered for sizing. Unfortunately, I think they may end up being a little on the small side. We'll see how they turn out. Still working on finishing the cowl for my sister and then I think I am finally done with making presents(what a relief!). I'm not likely to post again before the holidays are over, but by January there will be many posts with pictures of everyone enjoying their knitted gifts. So for all you crafty knitters out there scrambling to finish last minute gifts...  

Merry Christmas!