Giveaway, Yarn along & Handmade Christmas Craft Along

If anyone missed me, I have been draggin my sick self around my house trying to keep everyone going while battling the flu. I have been snuggling on the couch with my herbie rice pack, putting eucalyptus oil in the humidifier and lots of herbal teas.  I realized I have not blogged in nearly a week...yikes!

I will be ready for Thursdays Craft Along so please share your projects with me.  I would love to see what you are making and excited to host this weeks giveaway. Seaking of giveaways, please remember tomorrow is the last day to enter the handmade contest for this week.  Alex of The Cloverdilly is giving away some really sweet little earrings in your color choice, a perfect gift for any girl on your list.  You can see how to enter here

One thing I was able to do while on the couch was work on my project for this weeks Yarn Along over at Small Things.  Reading other posts for the past two weeks has inspired me to do something different.  I put down my crochet hooks and picked up my dusty knitting needles! I have to say, after some very trying days, I am loving the rhythmickness of pulling yarn through my fingers, the swishing sound of the wood needles slding over each other. 

This week, the flu has got me reading The Waldorf School Book of Soups. If you are sick, you want this book!

I am working on the easiest sweater I could find on Ravelry. It is a kimono sweater, you can see what it here. It is made for a baby but I am playing around with the pattern to fit my sworthy 2 year old.  This will be the first garment I have ever made. I have not knitted in years and even back then it was just a sorry little scarf...nothing to write home about. 

 so far I have the back done

The first day of knitting I could not remember if I was purling or knitting or if the yarn went in the front or back or what to do next.  I started out the first night making a blanket, but realized quickly that I would not have enough yarn.  I ripped out my stitches a half dozen times and one time I even threw the yarn and needles across the room and went to sit in a rocking chair while feeling sorry for myself.

My stitches do not look anywhere near as nice or magical as most of the knitters I admire at my fave blogs..wink,wink, (you know who you are...hi!) I think I need to work on my tension but I hope they will improve with time.

 In the meantime, I am enjoying the process.  What is your favorite easy for a begginer knitting pattern?  Please do share!

The blanket was not a total waste of time because now I know if I am purling or knitting : )  I am excited to see the sweater on Livie and hopefully will tweak it further to fit my bigger girls too.  So what are you working on?  Come back tomorrow and share your project at the Craft Along.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)