SparkleShan

This year I will....make more time for knitting and crafting. My soul NEEDS to be creative on a regular basis. I can't really explain it but when I can't do this I feel out of balance and like something is missing from me. That's why this year our family has made every Sunday "craft day". This year I will finish WIPs that have been sitting for years. Like my first finished knitting project of 2021 that I am wearing in this picture. It is the  #outlinewrap  pattern designed by  #beatajezek  that I started in November 2015. It's been sitting for years 95% done. So I decide to make a plan to work on a WIP on my two days a week at the hospital during my lunch break. And I finished this in a week and a half! Yarns:  @maplewoodkindercoop   #bohoknitterchicspins  indie dyed &  @fleeceartist_handmaiden  purchased from  @colorsong_by_twitchyhands This year I am going to step fully into my power and continue to elevate my vibrations and those ...

Check out the  #frequencycowl  that I test knit for one of my oldest Ravelry/knitting friends  @voxless . The pattern is available to purchase on  R avelry It uses two colors of DK weight yarn. For more details my test knit go check out my project page on Ravelry. Yarns:  M adelinetosh   Tosh DK color Graphite &  @fleeceartist_handmaiden Woolie Silk 3 ply color Periwinkle purchased from  Colorsong Yarn

If you are an avid knitter you have probably heard of New York Sheep and Wool ( http://newyorksheepandwool.com ) , also know as Rhinebeck. It is a two day fiber festival that takes place in Rhinebeck, New York. There are tons of fiber related vendors, selling yarn, spinning fiber, spinning wheels, etc. I have been knitting for almost 9 years and this was the first year I finally got to go this past Sunday. One of my local yarn stores (Madison Wool in Connecticut) organized a chartered bus trip to take us there. So glad I didn't have to drive! I actually got Emma to come with me and keep me company as I browsed around. We had fun petting yarn and watching the sheep dog demonstrations. They also had the cutest Frisbee dogs putting on shows. If I go again I will drive myself because I don't really need to spend 6 hours there and I would bring more money to buy more goodies.

This week I cast on for a Craft-a-long being hosted in Colorsong's Ravelry group.  I am using Fleece Artist Trail Socks in the color Passion flower to knit an Ishbel Shawl by Ysolda Teague.  I knit this pattern 3 or 4 years ago and I love it and have been wanting to knit it again. I bought this yarn for a shawl (I didn't have a particular one in mind) from Colorsong yarns, so I thought it would be perfect to use for this along and pattern.     I finished working on the Magine Shawl by Ambah O'Brien and it is now blocking. I couldn't wait until it was dry to get a picture.  I really love how colorful this shawl is, thanks to the awesome Knit Circus gradient yarns.     Knitting all these shawls is really inspiring me to come up with some shawl designs. So I am working on a swatch sample for a design I have in my head for a three colored shawl. I knit the sample using some Sunrise Fiber Co mini skeins that I bought 4 years...

It's a new way to wear knitting. On a necklace!! I hand knit these necklaces and they are now listed in my Etsy store www.sparkleshanknits.etsy.com

I wrote this cowl pattern a few years ago. It is one of first knitting patterns I ever designed.  Enjoy and feel free to link to the pattern page on Ravelry if you decide to knit this pattern! Reverse Seed Stitch Cowl By Shannon O’Neil MATERIALS Needles: US #7/4.5 mm 24” circular needles Notions: - Tapestry needle - 1 stitch marker Yarn: Fleece Artist Blue FacedLeicester DK Weight Yarn. 250 yards GAUGE 7 sts / 9 rows = 4" instockinette stitch before blocking. PATTERN Set-up: CO 131 STS using thelong-tail cast on. Join in the round beingcareful to not twist the sts. PM Knit for 4 rounds Round 1:   *p1,k1*, rep. from * to last st, p1. Round 2:   * k1, knit next st in the row below*, rep.until 1 st left, k1. Round 3: *k1, p1*, rep.until 1 st left, k1. Round 4: *knit next st inthe row below, k1* rep. until 1 st left, k1. Repeat these four roundsuntil piece measures 6 inches, knit 4 rounds and Bind off sts loosely with yourfavorite stretchy bind off method. Finishing...

Wow I didn't realize how long it's been since I last updated this blog. A lot of has been going on in life. I'm getting ready to retire from the Army in a few short weeks. And then I will be doing nothing until I start cosmetology school in the middle of July. I will being going to Paul Mitchell School in North Haven for the next 11 months full time. I also started two college classes online 3 weeks ago just for fun and for something to do when I'm bored and not working. I'm taking a Buddhism class (I'm Buddhist so it's fun and I know most of the stuff) and a Hinduism class. It's weird for the first time I have my homework done early and am not waiting until the last minute before it's due.  I have finished a few knitting projects since I last posted. Most recently was a second Frisson shawl designed by an awesome designer and friend Brittany Wilson. I knit it in a yummy silk blend yarn by Handmaiden Yarns called mini maiden. You can download t...

I counted the number of knitting projects that I have on the needles that aren't hibernating and I have 8! I have a bad case on chronic cast on! Luckily I finished one of those projects tonight, a headband to keep my ears warm.  I'm also working on a linen stitch scarf with scraps of sock yarn.  My first sweater, the Boxy. The Sastrugi Cowl designed by my friend Brittany Wilson in some yummy angora blend yarn. The Bee keepers quilt has been brought out of hibernation.  I'm also working on a test knit for a friend, designing a shawl and another head band and some wash cloths for Christmas gift.  I made a challenge for myself that I won't cast on any new projects until I finish two. Hopefully I can stick to it!

I made some knitting related ornaments for my knitting friends! Super cute idea I found on Ravelry. I got these clear glasses ball ornaments from Michael's and added some mini skeins of yarns and cut off the end of tooth picks to make mini knitting needles.

It has been a long time since I posted a work in progress, because I haven't knit anything this the beginning of April, but I started again last week. Currently on the needles, I am knitting a Stole with one Sleeve out of a bunch of different fingering weight yarns and leftover skeins in blues and greys. It is a lot of garter stitch and I still have a long way to go!   I am also knitting the Terraform Shawl (pattern from ravelry) out of hand dyed yarn by Bohoknitterchic in the Rooster colorway from her Fall Knit a long. I have been working on this mostly because I want to finish it in time to be entered to win a prize in the KAL.  

If I could do any job in the world and not worry about how much I got paid, I would own a yarn store.  That is my dream job.  It wouldn’t be just any old yarn store though.  I would carry yarns and other things that you can’t get at the chain craft stores.  I would carry indie yarns and fibers, handspun yarns, knitting accessories, notions and so forth.  I would also spin and hand dye yarn and knit a lot! I love knitting and the fiber arts and I would love to have a cool place where people could come and find one of a kind quality items to spin and spin with.  No crappy acrylic yarn here!  Well that is my dream job that will probably never come true because I have crappy credit.  Oh well, I guess that’s why it’s called a ‘dream’ job.

Every Wednesday I am going to post about my current crafty (mostly knitting) works in progress. This week I am still working on the herbivore shawl in my lovely sparkley hand dyed sock yarn.

I added several new hand knit items to my Etsy Shop today. They were all hand knit by me using hand spun yarn from my friends or yarn that I spun myself. Here is a preview of what I added. And don't forget my 20% off sale is still going on!! Use coupon code 'KIDNEY' at check out (club listings excluded).

Today I came home to two packages in the mail. I love getting packages, it feels like Christmas. First package was Fiber that I ordered from my friend Brittany. I was her 300th sale so I got an extra mini batt, which is the red one. I love it and want to buy the full size version. Then I got a package from knitpicks.com. So of the items are for me and some are for my Valentine Swap partner, hehe.