Cue the Final Fantasy Fanfare!!!!

Hi all!
   So here I am trying to reactivate my blog, or at least get into the habit of posting regularly again. I am proud to say that I have nearly finished a project that I was knitting for my Best Friend (or should I say sister). It was her birthday a week ago and I wanted to surprise her with the gift and allowed five days to complete it, but alas, life you are a fiendish devil sometimes!! Well, I completed the Bad Hair Day  hat and instead of doing it in one color I decided to go ahead and do it in Pink and Black. The color transition went well, but I accidentally went to 8 and a half inches instead of doing eight so now it reminds me of Link's Hat in Zelda (I think I might knit that one of these days!). So here are the pics!

Hey! Real Men wear Pink!

 So, Walt, my male Styrofoam head is modeling my newest fiber accomplishment. I finished it and I'm glad to say that although it is a little on the long side, I like it, and I hope my friend Jessie likes it to. It matches the scarf I made her for her birthday two years ago. Really, how lucky are my friends that they have a friend who knits? But she's knitworthy. She doesn't beg for knitted items and the scarf I made her was declared her favorite and when it's cold, she always wears it. So, until next time my loves, take care of yourself.

Knittingly Yours,
Ronnie

Been A While...MIA For Personal Reasons

Hi strangers!
   Been a while hasn't it? Life has been getting in the way of my hobby and it freaking sucks. School has been my top priority and sadly this blog had to be put on the back burner as I feverishly try and get my bachelor's in my hand so that I can find a decent job to get my life in order.
  I've had no reason to knit either. I found out a few weeks ago that a friend I lost contact with died in a car wreck. He was special as he and I grew up together  and we had reconnected a few years back. Those losses, the unexpected ones always hurt the most. When I lost my father three years ago, it was expected but at the same time unexpected. My father had cancer, but we lost him to a heart attack due to the chemotherapy and radiation had ravaged his body. My friend was perfectly healthy, except that idiot had a bad smoking habit; Well at least the last time I saw him he smoked, I do hope he stopped though. I have to admit that my friend's death will be slightly easier to get over since we haven't seen each other for a while. My father's has been more difficult since it is a constant reminder that he isn't here physically. I really hope that there is a heaven because I would love to see all whom I have lost throughout the years again.

It really makes me think...Anyway loves, hold those whom you love dearly close and don't forget to tell them how you feel about them, before it's too late.
<3 Knittingly Yours,<3
      Ronnie

Some Selfish Knitting!

  Ok, so I kinda put my charity knitting to the side for a little and worked on my own little project called the Bad Hair Day Hat. This hat was an absolute pleasure to knit. You may not be able to see it because Ravelry requires to register (for free!) but look below for the pictures. 

              

              

               

 For this project I used the Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Zebra. This made an interesting blend of black, white with the transitional grey. I highly recommend that you save your money on knitting books and join Ravelry: the Facebook of knitters and get a lot of FREE patterns! Until next time my minions!

<3 Love and Cupcakes<3Publish Post
       Ronnie

Mission Completed! #2

 Hey All!
Sorry it's been a while. Life is just being an attention whore and taking up my precious knitting time. But I am happy to say that I have finally finished my second hat. I have to say that this one is a much better fit on Olivia. She was complaining that the first one I knit was too big for her.

          

          

          

  

 This pattern is fairly simple It comes in 3 different sizes. The one in the picture is the medium size. Cast on 64 [72,80] stitches. Then K6, P2 and continue this pattern until it measure 6 and 1/2 inches. Then begin the crown shaping:

RND 1: *K6, K2tog* = [56,63,70] stitches

RND 2: *K5, K2tog* = [48,53,60] stitches

RND 3: *K4, K2tog* = [40,45.50] stitches

RND 4: *K3, K2tog* = [32,36,40] stitches

RND 5: *K2, K2tog* = [24,27,30] stitches

RND 6: *K1, K2tog* = [16,18,20] stitches

RND 7:  K2tog           = [  8,  9,10] stitches

RND 8:  K0 [1, 0] *K2tog* [4,5,5] stitches

  *RND 8 Notes: If you are knitting the small size, just knit the K2tog for the entire round. For the medium just K1 and then for the rest of the round K2tog. For the large size it is the same directions as the small size hat.

Once you finished the crown shaping rows, just cut the yarn (about an 8 inch tail) and then use a yarn needle to weave it through the remaining sts and then weave in the ends.

I hope you guys enjoy this project!

Happy Knitting!

Love and Cupcakes

<3 Ronnie <3

Mission Completed!

Ok, so I know it's been a long while, but I thought I would share what I have been doing project wise. So,I've decided that since I haven't been doing community service for a while that I would knit hats for cancer patients. So far this one that I have done is for an adult but I'm thinking of expanding that to children and maybe babies too. But I've finished my first hat over a month ago and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with it.

     This hat is called the Skull cap which consists of a K2, P2 rib stitch in the round for 2 inches (I would probably do that pattern until you can fold the brim). The cool thing about knitting in  the round is that the stockinette stitch is just knitting. When doing the stockinette stitch on straight needles it consists of alternating rows of knitting and purling, which will be easy to lose track of especially if you're new to stockinette. Knit in the round for 4.5 inches. Then the crown shaping begins:

Rnd 1: *Slip 1 as if to knit, k1, PSSO (pass slipped stitch over), k8, k2tog, k2; rep from * - 72 sts
Rnds 2 and 3: K
Rnd 4: *Slip 1, k1, PSSO, k6, k2tog, k2; rep from * - 60 sts
Rnds 5 and 6: K
Rnd 7: *Slip 1, k1, PSSO, k4, k2tog, k2; rep from * - 48 sts
Rnds 8 and 9: K
Rnd 10: *Slip 1, k1, PSSO, k2, k2tog, k2; rep from * - 36 sts
Rnds 11 and 12: K
Rnd 13: *Slip 1, k1, PSSO, k2tog, k2; rep from * - 24 sts
Rnds 14 and 15: K
Rnd 16: *Slip 1, k1, PSSO, k2tog; rep from * - 12 sts




      Around row seven of the crown shaping, you may find it difficult since the stitches are becoming fewer and fewer. If that is the case then go ahead and switch to double pointed needles until you hit 12 stitches. When you reach the last 12 stitches, cut the yarn, leaving a 8 inch tail and weave it through the stitches and pull tightly, closing the hat up. Then weave in the ends, and congratulations!!!!! you have made a skull cap.


**NOTE** If you want a tight fit, you have to use small gauge circular needles and be patient, or you'll get a loose fitting one!


Love and Cupcakes!
<3Ronnie<3

Knit Tutorial: The Purl Stitch.

Hey Guys!
  Ok, so now we're moving on to the next stitch that will basically set you up to move on to basic knitting patterns. The purl stitch is what I like to call, the "bumpy looking stitch". Like the knit stitch, the purl stitch is the foundation of knitting because you will usually use this stitch in patterns. Now, on to the purl stitch...

1. First thing you want to do is to make sure when you are starting the first stitch on the first row is to keep the yarn in front of the needle.Then, insert the knitting needle like so.

See how the yarn is in front of the needle?

2. Wrap your yarn around the tip of the needle.

3. Move your yarn and needle through the loop making a new loop. Then slide the yarn off of the left needle. 

  It's pretty much a practice makes perfect. But once you get this and the knit stitch you can start with some basic knitting stitch patterns. But that's for another time! Good Luck!

Knit Tutorial:The Knit Stitch

Hi everyone, I'm back again with another explanation on how to do the knit stitch. I have post the video for the youtube video if you need an explination. Just find it under my videos to the right or do it by going here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a6uP2VvFP0. Now without further adieu, the knit stitch.

1. With the right needle, insert it diagonally upward from right to left behind the left knitting needle.

2. Using the yarn you knit with (the one attached to the skein of yarn) and wrap it under and around from left to diagonally downward to the right as the picture shows

4. Make sure you keep the yarn strand you knit with taut as you bring the right needle downwards and pull it out of the loop creating a new loop. Pull through the loop that is still on the left knitting needle.

5. Then slide the loop off of the left knitting needle.

  IMPORTANT! Remeber to pull each new knit stitch tightly so that the knitting stays nice and even!

And that pretty much is all there is to the knit stitch. You can now officially start knitting a scarf. Just cast on as many stitches as you want depending how thick you want the scarf and start practicing your knit stitch.
Remember practice makes perfect, so don't worry if it doesn't go well the first time.

Until the next project/tutorial
Love and Cupcakes!
~<3Ronnie<3~

How to Cast On

Hello once again! So this post is going to go on more of a description on how to cast on to start knitting your foundation row. I'm going to be referring to the end piece as the piece of yarn that is not going to be used until the end when you are weaving the ends in.

Just Like This!

1. Start  by draping your yarn onto the needle with the end piece facing toward you.

2. If you're right handed. make a gun with your pointer and thumb and stick it between the two strings, like this:

3. Then you're going to bring the knitting needle down with the tip going through the the loop that is made with your thumb.

4. Next, wrap the yarn connected to the bundle around the end of the needle from left to right.

5. Bring the loop on the thumb down over the the knitting needle and the yarn that is wrapped around it.

6. Then pull the two ends down and then tighten them. Make sure that you tighten each stitch to make them evenly. Then Voila! you have successfully casted onto your needle.

If you don't get it the first time, do not fear! (I didn't get it on the first time either.)  Just keep practicing and you'll get it eventually!

Good Luck!

Intro/ Info about Knitting Needles!

Hey all. My name is Veronica but you can call me Ronnie. I have been knitting for about two and a half years and  I am loving every minute of it. I actually learned how to cast on from my mother but the rest of the time I have learned from my collection of knitting books.

Enough about me, let's talk about knitting needles. The first video on my KnittinglyYours Youtube page is up: http://www.youtube.com/user/KnittinglyYours.  This video goes into detail about the different types of needles and the different types of materials they are made up of.

My opinion may not count much to you, but I feel as if the best knitting needles are the bamboo knitting needles. I started out with metal ones because they were the cheapest but I always had a problem because the stitches would come off and start to unravel themselves. By the time I discovered the bambo knitting needles I never looked back. To tell you the truth, I enjoy the thought of not having dropped a knitting stitch in a long time since using the bamboo. They may cost a little more than the metal knitting needles, but they are worth it.

Well that's all for now my minions.
Love and Cupcakes!
<3, Ronnie