Aran Delight Mittens

Name: Aran Delight Mittens
Pattern: Aran Delight Mittens by Alexandra Charlotte Dafoe
Craft: knitting
Made for: Me :)
Started date: February 28, 2009
Completed date: March 23, 2009
Needle: US6/4.0mm
Yarn: Cascade 200 wool
Colour: 9477 Tutu pink
How much? 1.1 skeins
Modification: I-cord cast on, blocked mitts to make them super comfy
See the project on Ravelry!

Jim and I only spend $20 on gifts for each other for Valentine's Day because we go all out on birthdays and Christmas. What we decided was that we would limit our gifts to $20, but make the gifts extremely mushy and sentimental. So for Valentine's Day 2009, Jim got me a cupcake shaped ceramic container and inside it was a list of 100 reasons why he loves me and a coupon. The coupon states "This coupon is good for one year's worth of yarn store visits because I love how happy it makes you!". He's going to regret giving that to me! *Insert evil laughter.* I also got a skein of pink Cascade yarn from him because he knows how much I love Cascade yarns and pink. When I saw the pattern for the Aran Delight mittens, I knew instantly that my Valentine's gift was meant for it!

I'm really bad when it comes to knitting mittens. I can quickly whip one up in 3 days, but after that I lack the motivation to complete the other mitt. These mittens took me almost a month to complete. I have knitting ADD, I love starting new projects, but find it extremely challenging to finish what I have started. It does not help that I constantly find new patterns that I want to knit on Ravelry!

Overall, I am really pleased with how these mitts turns out. They are super cute and plushy! They were completed just in time for them to be placed away in a drawer because spring is now here.

Easter Eggs

Name: Easter Eggs
Pattern: Easter eggs by Little Cotton Rabbits
Craft: Knitting
Made for Jim's mom
Started date: March 6, 2009
Completed date: March 8, 2009
Needle: US 2/ 2.75mm
Yarn: Bernat Baby Jacquard
Colour: Easter Basket
How much? Less than 0.5 skeins (173 yards)
Modification: Added an extra 6 rows in the center to increase length
See the project on Ravelry!

When I saw this pattern on Ravelry last week, I knew I had to make it! And I knew exactly what yarn to use to get the results I wanted. I have been in love with Bernat Baby Jacquard ever since I received an email from Bernat advertising them. I thought the idea of the yarn was simply brilliant! You get the cute fair-isle pattern without having to change yarn colours or weaving in loose ends! I remember running to the store that weekend with my mom and getting a bunch to test drive them. The key to this yarn is keeping your stitches under 100-ish...anything over that and you will not get the stripping pattern.

My love for this yarn was raised to another level when I found Walmart selling them for $2.74/lb. I went crazy and bought 4 lbs- 2lbs in this colour (Easter Basket) and 2 lbs in "big deal teal". I have only used 1 lbof the Easter Basket so far and have been able to knit a baby blanket, a scarf, and these 6 eggs with it. Best $2.74 I have ever spent!

Ok, enough with declaring my love for Bernat Baby Jacquard...back to these adorable eggs! When I saw them I knew I had to make them for Jim's mom because I knew she would get a good giggle out of them. I didn't bother trying ot stuff with stuffing because I knew the eggs would come out lumpy. I went to the dollar store and bought styrofoam eggs...and voila, perfectly shaped eggs! I also had this "brilliant" idea to knit this in rounds so I wouldn't have to sew them up later. This was not a very smart idea because if I had made this in rounds, there was no way I could fit the styrofoam eggs into it in the end. My mother graciously agreed to sew the eggs for me and I think she did a wonderful job! Look how cute they turned out :)