Wow – has it really been a year since I blogged?? What the heck is up with that -I have had so much go on the last year – I feel like I should update – so I will get on that. This is a long one, but you knitters will get something out of it if you keep reading (or skip to the 4th paragraph for what’s in this for you

My BFF, a sister in my heart, Danielle?, has breast cancer. Danielle has been with me through a lot. She is my best friend. She is an amazing woman, mother, sister, wife, friend. And right now, she is in chemo, working (not missing a day yet!), and raising Sloane – one of my amazing “nieces”. Her family has accepted me as part of the family. I love her, and them, as if I was born to them instead of meeting Danielle at a party – ok we didn’t meet AT the party because I was drunk in a corner, we met online after through the LOST fandom.

Danielle has insurance, thankfully – but her portion is pretty daunting. To help with that, her amazing sister Emily? started a YouCaring? site for her. I wish I had enough money to fund this (and my yarn habit, but hey I haven’t bought yarn other than to make things for the littles in YEARS! unless you count the chemo hats I am making Danielle). What I can do is tap into the amazing power of the knitters and crocheters out there.

If you help out on Danielle’s YouCaring site, I will do something for you – I will gift you any of my patterns that are available on Ravelry. For every $5 you donate I will give you another one of my patterns (so $5 = 1, $10 = 2, etc.)

Honestly, I know that money is tight for everyone. I will be thrilled if we can help with even $5 extra.

Here is the how to – There are 2 options for me figuring out what you are helping out with –

1 – Send me a copy of the receipt – I donated and got a receipt from PayPal it had none of my personal or payment information in it.

2 – When giving to the YouCaring, leave your name and the amount you are donating – and do not hide the information. You can use your Ravelry name if you would like.

You can either send it to me in Ravelry or in FB messages. In addition to that, tell me what pattern(s) of mine you want and how you want them – email, Ravelry gift, etc.

You can find me on Ravelry as funfairiegirl and view all of my currently available designs – there are a few that are in magazines or not self published – I can’t do those, but anything you can purchase through me on Ravelry is yours. Want to give the pattern as a gift, tell me who to send it to instead.

Ok that is just about it. Thank you to everyone for reading. I appreciate your time, if you have a few extra $, please think about this and I will send you a pattern in return. Please keep Danielle in your thoughts, prayers if you do them.

Quite some time ago, I participated in a project that didn’t come to fruition, but I had a couple of designs from it. So, I am finally getting them out. Well, one of them anyway. The other is with the test knitter. I have knit both of these, but the originals are, sadly, not available to me.

A special thank you to Raveler Catspaw who knit these up for me and provided pictures!

Hooch
Yarn: MadelineTosh Sock (shown in Green with Envy)
Needle: US Size 2
Gauge: 8 stitches x 12 rows per 1 inch
Price: $5.00

These are a fun toe up sock with a drunken rib cuff – and a fun XXX detail – a plain sock with a punch – sort of like the moonshine jugs of the past!

The Sophia bag was inspired by the need for a cool new market bag, wanting it to be in Tunisian Crochet, and Sophia telling me she never uses these bags because she doesn’t want people seeing what she bought!

Once I finished the market bag, I loved it so much, I wanted it to be my new yoga mat bag!

Sophia
Yarn: Ella Rae Phoenix 2 skeins – 3 if you include some of the noted mods in the pattern)
Hook: M – either single or double sided hook w cable.
Price: $5

Rozz approves!!

A few months ago, I released Ami, which I knit for the awesome Judi.

- now I am pleased to release the matching mitts!

Ami Mitts
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Sport shown in Aslan
Needles: US Size 6
Price: $5

Also – if you purchase both patterns – you will get them for $7.00 total instead of $5 each!

I am a little behind in announcing patterns that I have released. I should catch up with that – so here are lotsa socks!

My bestie – Danielle – hasn’t gotten anything knit for her in awhile. Mostly because I knit for the niece these days! But for (late) Christmas I knit her a pair of socks – and a pair for her sister Emily. I adore them both. And wanted them to know it.

Off Kilter
Yarn: Dizzy Blonde Studios Superwash Sock (shown in Hoarcrux)
Needles: US Size 1
Price: $5

This sock looks like it is cabled – but it isn’t! That is all SSK and K2tog! everyone thinks that this sock is WAY harder than it is!

Now – D and I are both pink girls, so I raided my stash for this awesome pink yarn for her!

Slipping Away
Yarn: Sweet Sheep Superwash Sock (shown in Project Spectrum Pink)
Needles: US Size 1
Price: $5

This one looks hard because it is slipped stitches with the yarn in the front – but I will tell you a secret – I started and knit this whole pair of socks on flights to and from CA and CT – this were plane socks! Super fast, fun and easy!

Lastly – I made these for me ages ago and just never released the pattern- silly Aimee!

Labyrinth
Yarn: Poppy Flower Fibers – I wish I could remember the base and color – sorry!
Needles: US Size 2
Price: $5

These are fun and have little twists all over – they are only 2 stitch baby cables, but they look super special and intricate!

Awhile back, I mentioned that I bought one and only one thing at SAFF – something for my friend Judi. She was here for a work visit, and I was able to catch up with her for dinner and knitting – and give her a little prezzie! (she also got to see my messy house since I was gone for the weekend before and well, super busy before I left – oops!)

Judi loves hats – and she looks amazing in them. She also loves teals and blues and greens. Ask her what colors she bought on our MadTosh binge when I visited her in August. uh huh. So, I went in search of a dk weight yarn that called JUDI!!! when I was at SAFF. Then I set out to design something for her.

Judi had two choices – name the pattern or have it named Judi – she picked the name Ami – which means friend. Which I think is just perfection!

Ami
Yarn: Miss Babs Nurthumbria DK in Dark Blue Teal
Needles: US Size 6
Price: $5

I sent the rest of the yarn home with her to make something with. I hope Judi wears the hat, and uses the rest of the yarn, with happiness and love. And remembers just how much her friendship means to me.

Just in time for this crazy cold snap on the east coast (and yes, it is chilly here in NC!) I found myself with most of a ball of yarn, the right needles, and 2 finished projects with 4 hours of time to kill. I had just finished another project in the yarn and am in LOVE with the Mirasol Ushya – so I knew I wanted a nice snuggly cowl out of it!

Winter Wonderland
Yarn: Mirasol Ushya – 1 skein
Needles: Size US 13 (9 mm)
Notions: Size M (9 mm) crochet hook, 3 buttons, tapestry needle
Gauge: 2.5 stitches and 3 rows per 1″ in SS
Price: $5.00

Wow! What a SAFF! I had a great time this year – as always. Such a good time, that I didn’t take a single picture all weekend. No, really. Not a single one. I was also a little allergy ridden. All of my classes were awesome – brilliant students in them all! And I met some new friends, and hung out with old. I really REALLY love having such amazing fiber friends! I realize what a lucky girl I am sometimes.

My wallet is also lucky – I bought 1 thing all weekend and I can’t show it to you because it is a present for the amazing Judi who couldn’t join me at SAFF since she up and moved to SF last year. grumble grumble.

But it is good to be home with the kitties. And keep unpacking and knitting and doing what I have been doing. Overall the move has been really good for me – so YAY!

OK – time to be off. Get some more knitting done – proposals for classes, things like that!

One of th HPKCHC classes this month was to figure out what someone participating wants and make it. One of the mods wanted cookies. So – I made her cookies. Crochet cookie coasters. They were a ton of fun. I had so much fun – I wrote up a freebie pattern for them!

Cookie Surprise
Yarn: Worsted Weight and Fingering weight – leftovers – less than 100 yards total
Hook: E
Gauge: Not important for this project
Also needed: Felt for backing
Price: FREE

I made chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies (i.e. cookies with no chips!) Hope she likes them!

Now that the Charlotte Area Yarn Crawl is over – no fear – there is still lots and lots of goings on at Yarnhouse! This coming week, I am teaching Tunisian Crochet on Wednesday night (6:30-8:30). There are till spaces left in that class – in that class, we will be starting a Tunisian Crochet Sampler I designed.

Keep going with it and you can make a full afghan. Or baby blanket.

After SAFF, I will be teaching an awesome Fair Isle class where over 2 sessions you will learn how to knit in the fair isle style, setting up steeks and then we will actually cut the steeks! Super exciting!

Lots more coming in November – all of my classes are available on my class page here on the website – and everything through January that is being offered at Yarnhouse is up on their website – Jenny, Amy and I are all thrilled to be bringing some amazing classes to you this winter! Hope you check them out!

Kaylee thinks this is the perfect size for a kitty blankie!

Tunisian Sampler
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Fez (3 balls = 9 squares & border as shown)
Hook: Afghan Hook size G
Gauge: Varies based on square
Price: $5