Back in December, I finally got the DSLR camera that I’ve been wanting for years.  Since then, my creative focus has drifted from knitting* and sewing to photography.  It is unbelievable how much I have to learn.  Not only do I have to learn the basics of photography, I also have to figure out how to apply that all to my camera.  In order to learn as much as possible, I’ve been checking out some photography forums and finally found Clickin’ Moms, which seems to be the best fit for me.

As I’ve been browsing around the forum, I have seen some amazing newborn photos.  Not only are they giving me some major baby fever (my baby is turning 2 in two weeks!), but also some baby knitting fever.  Almost all of my favorite newborn photos I’ve seen recently feature some adorable chunky knitted and crocheted items.  There have been some gorgeous hats, baby cocoons, stork slings, and blankets.  This photo session in particular just killed me.  And the yarn!  The beautiful shades spun in a thick-thin mix are driving me insane.  I have to find some of that!

All of this desire for chunky knitted baby items led me to search both Etsy and Ravelry.  I did find a few patterns I want to try, but (so far) I haven’t found the yarn I want.  I’m going to start looking around locally, but I do most of my yarn shopping at either Hobby Lobby or Joann’s and I don’t recall seeing anything like that.  I guess it’s time for me to graduate to a real yarn shop.

So, now I need some advice.  I need to find a good local yarn shop in the Kansas City area that would carry fun super chunky yarn and I need some fun patterns to go with it.  Anyone have any suggestions?

*Yes, I am still knitting when I can find the time.  I just keep forgetting to photograph my finished knits to post!  Seems to be a bit of irony there considering the topic of this post, eh?

Everybody has their off days and when you are a creative type you are bound to have days when you just can’t find inspiration.  What do you do when you just don’t feel inspired?  I’m over at Blissfully Domestic today talking about 10 Tips To Finding Creative Inspiration when you’ve lost yours.  Go check it out and add your own tips in the comments section!

Yesterday at lunch I went on a spur of the moment trip with my mom to a rug and home fabrics store nearby that is going to be closing soon. I wasn’t expecting to buy anything until I came across some great deals on this upholstery fabric. At 20% off of the already marked down prices I just couldn’t resist.

As soon as I can finish up the other six(!) projects that I’ve already got going, these are going to be turning into some fabulous bags.

If you haven’t noticed, there has been quite a lack of posting here. One of the reasons for that is that I just haven’t been doing much knitting. Since I want to keep this site going, I’m going to change things up a bit and form it into more of a general craft blog so that I can include more of my other projects and hopefully update a bit more frequently. So, look for a name change and hopefully more frequent updates soon!

Last week I ran across a link to a really cute hat pattern over at Knitting Passion. I’ve been getting really anxious to branch out a little with my knitting I fell in love with this Grace Beanie from KnitWhits the moment I saw it.

As soon as I had some spare time Sunday evening, I sat down and tried to start in on the beanie, only to find out that I didn’t have the right size of circulars to knit it. I purchased a few circular needles a while back so that when I was ready I could experiment, I just didn’t think I would be experimenting with a pattern quite so soon. I decided to start in anyway and see what I could come up with and to get used to the circulars.

Today I went out at lunch to try to find the right size needles. I headed out to one of my favorite craft stores (which is actually more of a fabric store) and at the last minute decided to change routes and go to a certain chain Hobby store to see what they had. I have to say it was an excellent decision.

Being a bit of a newbie to knitting, I don’t know a lot about yarns yet. I am learning, but there are so many different types and different textures out there. I haven’t yet ventured out to any specialty yarn shops because my skill level just doesn’t make it worth my time or money quite yet. Up until now, I’ve chosen to go the cheap route and pick up my supplies at Wal-Mart or other discount stores. But I think I may have found a new spot.

I was practically drooling over the yarn selection at the big chain Hobby store. There were so many colors and textures and ideas flowing through my head. Each new yarn I noticed put pictures of cute hats and scarves and sweaters and bags in my head. I wanted it all. I wanted to knit it all. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or the money for it all. Besides that, I have quite a stash at home already that I need to use up before I buy any more.

I walked around a bit more, picked up the needles and a couple of other items I needed, and then glanced at the yarn one more time. That is when I caved. I ended up buying 4 skeins of chenille that looked just too fun. It was on clearance and I just couldn’t resist. I already have a gift recipient in mind. Now I just have to figure out what exactly I’m going to make with it. Maybe a larger Grace Beanie with a matching scarf?

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