Wishing I was Knitting at the Lake

happy superbowl knitting

2012-02-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

Check out how I'm spending pregame on Superbowl Sunday! Yes, those are the new long Lace Tips, Addi Clicks. The newest in their line of Click needles.

Here's a good look at the length of the needles

Here's the cable goodies-see where I put the tip? That's in the cable to add a lifeline! How ingenious is that?

Here is an original turbo click on the left side, long lace tip on the right. You can see the difference in the tips. Blunt vs pointy.

Here's the box they came in...even that is pink!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...now this is the way needle tips and needles should make knitting feel! Amazing! Yes, if I had not been a fan before, I certainly am a fan now, and my hands are loving the longer tips! But we know I've been a fan since the first time I picked up a pair of addi needles. Even the old 'questionable' chords-but I can't say I miss them now. I am sold, and heading back to this blanket....go so many things on my knitting to do list! happy knitting!

'Tis time!

2011-12-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

Aren't we all supposed to be buying local this year? What is it that they keep saying, $64 of goods from USA saves a bunch of jobs? I'm trying!

Since I'm not near mine, this just 'popped' up on Amazon at a ridiculous price. Bring on the cookies! Thank you Santa!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhh.....SNAP!

2011-12-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate when that happens?

I am not impressed with the 'featherlight' type of Lantern Moon double points. I adore the ebony and the rosewood kinds, and I've used them a whole lot without a single one of them breaking. I've only had the featherlight ones for about 2 weeks. I'm not amused. I'm going back to the ebony and the rosewoods. Those I 'heart' as much as my addis.

So, until next time! May your needles stay sharp and not snap!

How I spent my Saturday

2011-12-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this is first up on today's show and tell...for over a year now, my Auntie has been trying to bring me to a LYS in her neck of the woods that she thought I would like. Yep. Sure 'nuff! No only did they have another great selection of my new found fav Shepherd's Wool, but check out the glass that came home with me! Knit 1, Sip 1. Rumor has it that they now have some Rip 1, Sip 1 in stock, too. But they came after we visited last week. Cute, no?

Oh, the store is called Ewe to You Yarns down in Grand Blanc, MI. Stop by. When I was there it was like a meeting of the Cathys. Mom loved the pattern books with lots of babies and my uncle was asking if I was buying enough to open my own store. (Nope, I didn't tell him what I have back in California. hehe ). I tell you, they know a lot of great places to find fun stuff around this state!

It's that time of year again. Hat knitting in a quick bit of time kinda season. Here's another Stockinette Watch Cap from my fav book, Hat's on! This time, I stripped the cuff.

Top view of the hat.

When I got finished with the stripping, I turned the hat and made the cuff inside out, so that after it's turned up, you don't see the inside. Hope it wears well. That yarn is soooooooooo soft!

Don't you love how right on the label, it's says proudly, 'Made in Michigan'? Love buying something locally, and to have it such a great quality, even better. You should call around to your LYS and see if they can carry it. It's sooooooooooooo very soft! It's a joy to have in your hands.

The skeins are 4oz, not just 100 g, but 113 g and after making this hat, here's what I had left over. Plenty to use for another hat.

Of course, this one is made with their new 'Michigan Blue' color! Yep, GO BLUE! And incase you haven't heard....they're heading for the Sugar Bowl! It's about time!

So, until next time, Happy Knitting!

Happy 84th!

2011-12-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

Happy 84th Birthday Mom!

I think we partied her out all week....

Pre-birthday Celebration #1 at her sister's house with cupcakes that had lemon slices on top.

yes, I have much talent at blinking at the wrong time...

Carmel Cake, birthday celebration #2, her actual birthday...

Her new watch cap, Plymouth encore, 100 sts cast on, Hat's On! book.

3rd party at her Day care center, brownies she made, with chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream.

Her reaction? "This was a wonderful Birthday week!"

And it was. Just the way we wanted it to be.

Starting to play 'catch up'

2011-11-25T10:38:00.000-08:00

I think it was back in March, good grief, it's been so freaking long I can't remember, but I had the chance to go to Boston to see my son and made a quick trip into Windor-Button. If you live there, GO! I love that shop. Since the LYS in Harvard Square is now closed, it's my go-to. So many things all packed into the store. So many stores to pick from! But this one has Happy Feet DK yarn that I just LOVE! And make sure to stop by Finagle a Bagel. Fun shop with great bagel sandwich when you're out and about walking around.

Then I surprised my daughter while she was boarding a plane in Detroit. I had arranged a flight home to California to be on the same flight she was going to be on for her birthday trip home! Imagine changing planes, thinking you weren't going to make your connection, running, running, running, only to get to the gate to hear, 'Oh you're the daughter!'....and then walk onto the plane and seeing your mother sitting next to your seat. SURPRISE! It was fun! Nerve wracking as her first flight was delayed, but we didn't stop talking the whole flight. Sorry to the passengers sitting next to us on the DTW-LAX flight. Hope you enjoyed our conversation!

Baby sister picked us up from the airport and before she returned to California, we figured it was only proper to take her to the beach. Can you see here there? ya, so doggoned foggy you couldn't see the water standing on the pier! But...she was there.

I went back to Michigan for Easter Sunday

Back to California in time for a 'little' bridal shower. My middle daughter, the Cinderella lover that she is, received a 'shoe' cake from her baby sister. How do you like that slipper? I made it out of white chocolate! Isn't it cute?

And then I gained a Son-In-Law!

In June and July, I went back to Mom and Dad's for the 4th and Dad's 83rd birthday. When was the last time you found a neighborhood kool-aid stand? We had a blast. I found a recipe for Dad's birthday to finally make his 'bakery style' frosting that he so greatly loved. It's been a long standing family joke about how Dad loved his little cake with the frosting. Corner piece please, and a few frosting flowers if you so please?

At the end of August, I was flying into Michigan to stay with Mom and Dad for 4 days before driving my daughter back to Michigan. Dad was concerned that she wasn't going to be able to find a job that would support her Master's Degree in this area. He wanted her to use her talents for what she had been trained for. As much as he loved having her with them, he was wanting her to use her degree. He had talked to me in July about getting her to go home. Well, funny how things turn out. Do you want to hear God laugh? Tell him you have plans. While enroute to Michigan, Dad fell out of bed. At midnight eastern time I was on the phone with the paramedics giving them Dad's medical information. Turns out his hip was fine, but he'd had a heart attack. A few days later, packed in the car, Mom and I followed the ambulance as Dad was transported down to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit where they worked on him to the tune of 30 doctors. Yep, 30. So many complications, and body parts just completely wearing out. Baby daughter came to visit for a week. Honestly, I thought he was going to pull through. It wasn't until they told me at noon on September 24th that they were buying him time for oldest daughter to get back to Detroit, and while family were trying to locate my brother in town to get down to be with Dad, did it dawn on me we were going to loose him. I just figured everything was just one more thing, or hurdle for him to get through. The doctors kept telling me they could fix each next thing he came up against. It's really rough to hear your Dad tell the doctors, "I'm ready to go. And I want to go now." But...those were his wishes. And there was no way I was going to let him transition into Eternal life without us there. Mom, Melissa and I were with him as he passed.

Now, I'm here in Michigan. I'm not leaving. I can't fathom Mom being put into a nursing home. She wants to stay in her home and there is no reason she can't. While Dad was in Detroit, my daughter got a phone call from one of the hospitals there with a part time job using her degree! Dad was thrilled to hear not only did she get the job, but being part time it meant that she would be able to stay in the house with them to continue being a huge help. He was looking forward at the time to 'keeping her around'. Neither one of us has plans to leave Mom. We couldn't think of it being any other way.

Besides, Mom likes it when I knit her hats, and she's now hooked on Sbux chia tea with pumpkin spice. Thanks to the granddaughter! So, until next time! Happy knitting!

Bring on the baking, feasting, and eating season!

2011-11-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

Just yesterday morning it dawned on my that Thanksgiving was only a couple of days away. That meant that the oven mitts and trivets (we call them hot pads around here...) from the "Felted Knits" book, needed to jump into the washing machine for a little hot tub action...

And just like that...thanks to adding in a pair of Dad's old tennis shoes....we have a set of felted oven mitts that need to finish drying so I can use them for the turkey tomorrow!

Sadly....they were needed after Mom's original set 'walked out the back door some time this past year. Isn't it sad that people who are hired to help take care of your parents choose to help themselves to things that weren't made for them? Thing is, since they're not allowed to accept gifts, I would have gladly taught them to knit their own. Now? They're no longer coming to this house. Fools.

Anyway...Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to give your kitchen a little knitterly love between now and Christmas!I'm off to the kitchen, I have an apple pie to bake followed by pumpkin!

Somewhat back

2011-10-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

I now have a working computer once again. However, after flying into MBS to spend 4 days with my parents to then move my daughter back to California in hopes of her finding a degree supporting job, plans changed. A lot.

First of all, I have spent a lot of time here at my parent's house over the past year. Feels like I've slept here more often than I have at my own house. While I was in transit to Michigan I got a phone call the night of August 25th very late that Dad had fallen out of bed and thought he'd broken his hip. I arrived hours later to hear that his hip was fine, but he'd had a heart attack. Three days later Mom and I were packed and following the ambulance down to Detroit so we could stay near Dad while he was in Henry Ford Hospital. One complication after the other, one body part wearing out after the other, family coming in and out of the hospital to stay with us to be with Dad...until he passed away on September 24, 2011. His funeral was on September 30, 2011. For now, I'm here with Mom in Michigan. My daughter in the meantime won't be going back to California, either, for now. While Dad was at HFH, she interviewed and was hired down in Detroit at another big hospital for a job that will use her degree! So she's commuting back and forth to help take care of Grandma again. Neither one of us want her to be alone, without family. We wouldn't have it any other way.

So, for now, the new computer is finally up and running...rarely with a direct internet connection here, and it's taken me until now to be able to write about this. Please understand if I'm kinda, sorta, a little bit back, but not all the way. It's been a long year thus far. In fact there was a lot to celebrate, more on that later, but this family has had better days. Just hours after my Dad's funeral, my cousin's three day old baby passed away, too. So many tears and hugs. I'll be around. I have been able to see many comments over the year via my smart phone, I just couldn't post from it. Yea for a new computer. I've missed so many things. But for now....I'll just say, until next time. K?

Knitting 2012 Calendar

2011-08-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the very poor pictures, but since my computer is still broken, this is the best I can do for now. The good news is that my niece's 'Can you knit me something for my purple and black bedroom' afghan not only made the calendar, but it made the inside title page as well! They have labeled it, 'Quick Feather and Fan Afghan'. You can find it on March 5th and 6th. So, grab your calendar, pull out your chunky needles and worsted yarn and make something that's going to be really warm come those colder months down the road! I'll be back when this computer situation gets solved. *sigh*....

Totaly heartbroken at the news...

2011-01-22T01:29:00.000-08:00

I am completely heart broken to have read this article ! This country has lost so many jobs, and this is another 81 that will be gone. 81 families, 81 tax payers, 81 members of a working 'family'. How thrilled have I been over the years to knit with their yarns, knowing that they have a plethora of colors to have chosen when I order, and to know it has been a fabulous product still made here within our own country's boundaries! Not outsourced, not imported, but made here in this country. When companies are sold to another company, changes are made, that's the nature of the beast. What's to come of being able to pick from their wonderful array of colors, and order them on the cones. Walmart doesn't sell the colors I love to knit. I don't know of any brick and mortar store that does. I love using their cones for my kitchen sets, for the placemats, the matching towels, dishcloths, and sack socks. It saddens me greatly to think I may never see these wonderful products available again. For me, personally, I wonder how many more kitchen sets I'll be able to produce, if their products aren't available for other knitters to purchase to knit up my patterns. Heartbroken, just totally heartbroken.

Please, bring the jobs back home! Bring them home.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I'm about to take in my computer to the Geek Squad, since I now have to hold the monitor to get it to show me what it is that I'm typing on the screen. ulg, Don't you just hate that? There's a lot I can do with my new cell phone, but I've tried posting from it, and I haven't quite figured that part out, yet.

I've also been in Michigan for a week giving my daughter some time off for good behavior, but the day I flew in, I started with one of my famous once a year colds. To the point of needing to call my doc back in CA to order some some really good meds. Not the way I wanted to feel near my parents. In fact, to show you how sick I have been, I have 3 coupons for a yarn store here in town for free yarn, and haven't been able to go near the store!!! AND my youngest daughter gave me a gift certificate to a shop back home, and I haven't been able to spend that, either! Can you imagine??????? It's like being a kid on Christmas morning where you opened all your really cool gifts, and then your parents yanked you straight out the door to go visit older relatives that don't have kids/toys and you weren't allowed to bring anything with you for the trip. Sucks rocks, I tell ya!

Anyway, I leave you with a pair of mittens that I have a picture of that I made for my oldest daughter for Christmas. Hopefully, this computer thing won't be long lived and I can show off the rest of the Christmas knitting soon. Miss you all, and hearing from you. Hope your celebrations were great and I'll be back soon!

Weekend Knitting

2010-12-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

These days, there has been a lot of knitting going on at my house. However, a lot of it I can't show you. Yet. But this weekend I knit up another scarf. I worked on it Friday evening, Saturday in a couple of segments, and then this morning. Why? I wanted to avoid shipping it for Christmas. Hand delivery is always best. Right? At least it saves you more money for yarn. ;-) I picked my A Little Bit of Cable Scarf and used two skeins of Hobby Lobby's I Love this Yarn! It weighed in at 400 grams. Which if you read the label makes it 2. 02 skeins of yarn. Go figure. And that's without the fringe. Good thing I opted out, since there wasn't much left in the end.

The finished size ended up at 8 1/2" x 70". This yarn is more like an aran weight rather than a light worsted yarn that I knit the first scarf with. I do like the way this knit up so quickly and how soft it is. I may have to rethink how long it should be to knit more of these? Darn the to-do list!

Guess what we got Mom for her 83rd Birthday!

2010-12-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

We got her a lawyer in the family! He passed, and he's all sworn in! Congratulations my son! We couldn't be prouder of you! And Happy Birthday Mom, Miss you, but enjoy your socks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T22:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! It's been a very long month and for tonight before I go have some pie, I'm going to concentrate on all that I have to be thankful for. My kids, my family, are right at the top. Here's hoping that you and yours are counting your blessings tonight as well. I'll catch up with y'all soon. In the mean time, if you're traveling, I wish you safe travels, and lots of hugs with your loved ones. If you're staying home, I wish you lots of help with the dishes. And when the last of the left overs are put away, put your feet up and knit something for you-be a project for yourself, or with a fiber that you really enjoy. After all, knitting is something else to be thankful for, too!

For now, I'll be thankful that I kept track of my projects the past few years, and that some stores make it possible for my daughter to go back and repurchase yarns that are identical and nearly identical of my socks so that I can reknit them. Yep...story later. *sigh*.

very proud Momma!

2010-11-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

He Passed!

I wore the BD sweater on Saturday because...

2010-11-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

daughter's friends don't want her to leave...

we got our hair done...

drank some hot cider...

picked some apples to buy..

and some apple fritters!

just look at the size!

oh baby! they are good!

went to dinner

had some bar-b-que

with a great group of 'kids'...

and family...

after a little bit of shopping...

and cake!

Why did I wear the BD Sweater? Because on top of everything else, it was my birthday!

The Mother/Daughter Adventure Continues...

2010-11-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Back in the summer of 2008, my oldest daughter and I started on our Mother/Daughter adventure as we drove across the country. She was about to start her Master's Degree at Syracuse University. Today is her last day of work at her 'part time' job here, and we are continuing the next chapter in the saga of Mother/Daughter adventures.

So, I donned my newest hand knit socks (LOVED the way they felt on my cold tootsies) and boarded a plane far too early for my general constitution and took off for the wet and rainy New York State.

Knit a fare amount while in mid air...

to find the last of the colors in the area before being dropped at the hotel while my daughter went to her last night of work. While she's partying it up with rumors of cake,

I'm finishing the 2nd of 3 Cables 'n Columns Placemats that I needed to have finished oh, like yesterday....

and am on the 2nd sock of a pair of boot socks from Knitting Pure & Simple out of Paton's Wool.

Tonight when she's finished, if she's not too tired, we're heading out for part one of a Reuben Sandwich taste off. After watching Man V. Food, from Ann Arbor, MI that was recently aired, we've decided to taste test both the sandwiches here in New York and Michigan as we travel to move her onto the next chapter of her life. We will have our opinion and pictures posted all in due time. Stay tuned? With any luck, we'll make YOU all hungry!

Gotta go, she'll be home soon, and I have a whole placemat to get finished!

Oh, yea!

2010-10-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

OH, yea, we're getting there...I'm down to 7.5 sts/inch at this point...And they're fitting a whole lot better...

but still not as 'snug' as I would like them to be. So I'm on a hunt for some lantern moon size 1's. With all six needles in the package. That seems to be up for debate these days. According to the company the 5" needles of that size should have six in the package...but two stores in this area only had five. Makes you wonder-huh?

These, though have a gazillion mistakes in the lace ribbing. I know. and for the first time in a long time, I don't care. This is proof that you shouldn't try to count when you're really tired. Eh? oh well...I'ma going to wear the tar out of them!

Since I still have my Mom's socks here, I couldn't resist the comparison shot. Or you could think of it as showing off two pairs knit in Wildfoote. Are you buying that one? hehe..

Here are the particulars of the socks that I used. From the Little Box of Socks, Wildfoote yarn, and Crystal Palace needles in size 1 1/2 (2.5mm), knitting them two at a time on double points. The yarn you see here, is what was left over from knitting my funky feet shaped socks. The sock it to me chart is very helpful, but I'm liking the way socks feet a little tighter and shorter than the charts and pattern say for my 'sized' feet.

This is what I had hoped to learn, how to knit socks to fit the way I want them to feel. I can do it with hats, but then again, I've knit up a good 500 or so of them over time. Can you imagine knitting up 500 pairs of socks?

I'm game. Bring it on!

Have you...

2010-10-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

ordered your copy of the 2011 Dishcloth Calendar yet? I got mine (and my sample knits) back in the mail the other day. I ordered enough for my girls and my Mom besides one for me. Did you know that there are 88 pages here? And that you can now order the digital download rather than just the paper one. So, all of you that like to have yours in digital format, hop on over to www.dishclothcalendar.com and get it now! Just think, no shipping, no waiting for the mail to bring you one, and if you have a kindle type thingy...instant gratification. Me? I'm still debating on the digital deal thingy, but I am thinking about it. But I do so love to flip pages a lot!

ps. it's looking like there won't be a calendar next year. So hurry and get one this year!

It's mid PINK month!

2010-10-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's Mid PINK month...how's your pink knitting coming along? Here's a little something I knit up the other day. Now...look closer...

Check out the needles!

They're ChiaoGoo's in (US)7 (4.5mm) that I picked up from Yarns Unlimited on Pico Blvd in Santa Monica, CA the other day. I had gone on an 'Educational Field Trip for Moms' (aka teasing the duaghter's day) with

my friend Cyndi. Everyone, raise your knitting needles to her and wave hello! Not only is she a great friend, but are you ready for this? Mid July she was asking if I could help her learn to knit and she's (sit down for this) already knitting socks! And hats, and baby sweaters, and my favorite question from her went like this. 'Is it OK to buy yarn just because you like it?" followed up by "Can I just lay down in it" when viewing a picture of a stash of yarn. She is fearless! Every needs a friend who happens to knit who will jump in a car with you at a moment's notice to go check out new to her yarn stores, and then 'swing over' to Westwood where we proceeded to send pictures of Diddy Riese to our daughters who aren't able to get there at a moment's notice!

Yes, we laughed and giggled our way into being bad Mothers for mercilessly tormenting our children over

white chocolate chip and Sugar and Cinnamon cookies after being at

Jerry's Deli where I had...

a reuben (mine was minus the sauerkraut!) and also sent cell phone pictures to my daughter. Yes, I am a bad Mommy. ;-)

While we were bouncing around the stores up here, I found these at Wildfiber. They're called DP Wip Tubes by Nancy's Knit Knacks. (click on knitting and needle tool links) Exactly what I needed in my knitting bag! They're cardboard tubes that will

fit around your double point needles.

And protect your knitting bag from being poked by the needles.

You just slip the blue side over your needles and the red section

over the top of the blue tube until they're a snuggle fit around your stitches! Easy as pie-right? The blue and yellow tube is for storing your double points that you're not using in your bag, too. Sadly they only had the one set on hand, but I'd love to get a couple of more. After all, how many projects do YOU have on your needles at once? Ya, that's what I thought. Me, too!

So, on that note, I'm off to figure out how to get the house cleaned, the kids hugged, and the socks finished while Cyndi and I decide where we're going to go today and tease our daughters via cell phone pictures. What ever did we do prior to having cell phones with picture capabilities? Oh ya, that's right, we drove in circles after school hours putting 300+ miles on our cars taking kids to soccer, baseball, softball, dance, church, band practices every week! Eish,...just thinking about it makes me tired all over again!

Still learning...

2010-10-11T23:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went shopping for a wedding dress with and for my middle daughter. After wards we ended up at the mall where I worked on the sock while the others all went in separate directions to shop with old gift cards.

I even tried it on a bit. It's coming along!

(sorry for the pour cell phone pictures...I've GOT to get a new phone soon!)

See? Hugged two more kids. It's always a good day when I can hug a kid. It's a bonus week when I can hug more than one these days. Still waiting to hug all four in one day. *sigh* It might be awhile.

**Double sigh** I only got these down to 7.5 stitches per inch. How in the world do people get socks down to 10 stitches per inch? I don't think I'll ever get that small a gauge! Good grief!

Still trying to wrap my head around...

2010-10-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Oh, ya, I'm hooked-big time. But I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around some of you who have commented and are just that good, to get your socks down to 10 stitches per inch! Oh, my goodness! And here I thought 7 was freakin' fabulous! But I think I just might have a clue why...

The other project that I've been working on? Is with size (US) 15's (10.0mm)-just a 'wee bit' larger than these (US)1.5 (2.5mm) sock needles! Learning to get the right 'feel' of a much smaller gauge has been an interesting journey. So.much.more.to.learn!

I say, Bring it!

When I grow up I want to be....

2010-10-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

called a sock knitter!

Back on New Year's Day of 2007, I (for the first and only time in my life) gave myself two resolutions. The first was to learn to knit with multiple colors using intarsia and fair isle, and the second was to learn to knit socks. I've been practicing them ever since.

And so today, I give you a pair of socks. Not just ANY socks. But socks for my Mom! This past summer her yellow slacks were one of her favorite pairs she picked to wear over and over again. When I walked into The Stitching Well, some Wildfoote yarn jumped right out at me and was the perfect color match for Mom's slacks. (yes, she wears slacks, not pants-there is a difference. She's 82, after all.)

I like the way the socks show up in this picture....

And this one...

But this picture shows the color much more accurately. Here are the particulars...

"Island Fudge" socks by Phyll Lagerman in her Michiganisms! line of patterns, in women's large for size 11 narrow feet. Lantern Moon's sox stix in (US) 2 (2.75mm) needles, knit two at a time, Brown Sheep's Wildfoote 50 g wool (times two skeins) in SY-34 Lullaby color. They have not been blocked, yet. I need to find some sock blockers first. Then they'll be washed and blocked before I give them to Mom. Now, I also have to talk myself into waiting until her birthday in December to gift them to her. That might be the biggest problem yet! I'm terrible with hand knit gifts, I tend to want to give them asap. But then, I'd have to knit something else up in the meantime. See my dilemma?

Yes, I will knit these socks again, only in a much smaller size for me as well as many of her other sock patterns. After all, a Michigan girl HAS to have a slew of Michigan themed socks, right? Even if I only wear them for 2 months out of the year!

So, what did I do last night?

Cast on another pair of socks, but this time they're for me! I'm dropping the needle size down to a (US) 1 1/2 (2.5mm) on this pair. My feet aren't either size small or medium, but somewhere between the two. So, my hope is that if I knit the size medium directions with a smaller sized needle, pay attention to the actual length that I need, they just might feel like 'real socks'.

Every time I go into another yarn store, I go and touch their knitted socks. My aren't as 'tight' a gauge as I've found. Yet. So I keep asking what their tricks are. Smaller needles! Duh! I knew that, it's called...are you ready for it? Gauge.

Here's the particulars for this pair of socks: Lace Rib socks from The little box of Socks (don't you just loveeeeeeeeeeee Charlene Schurch's patterns?) Crystal Palace double point needles in (US) 1 1/2 (2.5mm), Brown Sheep's Wildfoote wool two 50 g skeins of SY-47 Surf Board Blue. I have others that I'd like to knit socks for, but want to practice on my feet, first getting that 'just right' fit. Why?

Because I either need to send my relatives to China and have them start practicing foot binding, or find some smaller footed family members. Here's my size 6 1/2 wide socks next to Mom's 11 narrow socks. Can you see a difference? 'Just a bit', 'eh? I think it's a wiser idea to practice sock sizing on smaller feet. But what do I know? I'm still learning.

It's PINK Month-Show YOUR PINK!

2010-10-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK PINK!!!!!!!!

In honor of My Mom, My Auntie, and all my survivor friends and my girls so they can stay healthy! Go PINK!!!

Is it really the end of September?

2010-09-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Just where did September go? I know, I've been busy, and not sharing well with you all. But I think I'll make up for it here. Sit back and come with me on my journey!

When was the last time you cooked up a batch of No Bake cookies? I think the last time I made these, I was at Beth's house after school way back in jr. high school for me. Boy are, I mean were these good! But I'd forgotten how sugary they were! Makes me want to go grab a glass of milk all over again.

Made a slew of stitch markers for a friend and her Mom to share.

Finished the 'Cuse Scarf (Used Flaunt your Colors Scarf pattern and 2 skeins each of the orange and navy Plymouth's Encore yarn, and 60 st cast on size) which then was mailed to daughter. However, I'd really like the flier miles the scarf went, since it made it way via the postal system to New Hampshire, back to Long Beach, CA, then to Anaheim, before crossing the country once more up to New York for it's delivery! Man, what a trip that scarf made! (See what putting tracking numbers on your packages will do for your handknits?)

Finished the hospital socks and they're just waiting for the final try on before I graft the toes shut. Why is it, that when I want the kids to try on the stuff I knit for them, their schedules just never seem to match with mine? Makes you wish they'd never grown up-eh? Not to mention you'd not have to knit size 13 mens socks, either! Kids sizes would be finished so much faster!

Finished almost the whole kitchen set for the kid's friend's wedding gift (Cables 'n Columns set from the 2011 Dishcloth calendar using a cone of Peaches & Creme cotton )

Hugged a kid...

Added fringe to the high flying miles 'Cuse Scarf...

Hugged another kid...

When I finished the last placemat, look how much I had left from the cone of cotton? Oh, how I love using cones to knit the kitchen sets! No ends to weave in and plenty of cotton to knit the whole set in the same dye lot.

And now Mom's socks are within moments away of starting the toes! Yea! They will be ready to gift to her the next time I go to see her. Now, shhhhhh don't anyone tell her! I can't wait to start a pair of these for myself!

Now, are you ready for what's coming up next on the calendar? There's a hint in one of these pictures, can you figure it out?

Cables 'n Columns Kitchen Set

2010-09-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

2011 Dishcloth Calendar is ready!!!
The sale information is here.
Included in this years calendar will be my patterns:

Cables 'n Columns Dishcloth

Cables 'n Columns Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel

Cables 'n Columns Placemat

Cables 'n Columns Sack Sock

All of my patterns were knit with Peaches & Creme in Article 930 cone in color P94, Deep Red with (US) 5 (3.75mm), (US) 7 (4.5mm) straight needles, (US) 7 (4.5mm) 16" circular needle, and (US) 6 (4.0mm) double point needles.

Enjoy!

The teaser picture? Was this one. Samples here, from top left: knit with Lily's Sugar 'n Cream Stripes in Lime stripes, Peaches & Cream Cone in White, Peaches & Cream Cone Premium in Deep Red

In the meantime...

2010-09-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in the 'announcement', it appears that technical difficulties beyond my control have pushed it back. I was really hoping to have given you all the details on September 5th, but....while you're waiting, I'll bring you up to date on my needles, etc...

The "IU /Perfect" scarf has been finished. Yes, with the Plymouth Encore yarn, I really do like the (US)9 (5.5mm) circular needles with it. So, I would recommend that you play with your yarn and needles and see which size you want for your scarves. The purple and yellow one I knit for my niece last year was knit with Lion Brand's Wool-ease yarn. I like the (US)8 (5.0mm) needles for that yarn, it's skinnier. With the 9/5.5mm's on this one, I ended up with 16sts/21 rows gauge with the white, and 17sts/21 rows with the red. See? The dyes can make a real difference on the same brand/type of yarn. It helps to check your gauge all the time! Flaunt your Colors Scarf pattern can be found here. I'll update that at a later time.

Meanwhile, I'm working on a pair of socks for daughter's fiance. He's been asking for some slipper socks for around the house type of wearing. I'm using one of the A.C.Moore bags of mill ends, which feel a lot like Bernat's Berella 4 worsted acrylic. He tried on the pair of socks that I'd knit for A4A, and liked the way they fit, so that's the same pattern that I'm using for him, too. That is a 'Sock class' that can be found here.

For the last bit today, while I'm 'patiently' waiting for the other news, I bought the yarn for this scarf ohhhhh, probably 2 1/2 - 3 years ago. I spent the better part of last week searching all over the house for it. I had saved it so well that I had to clean out two closets and it still wasn't there, nor in the bin with the rest of my Plymouth Encore yarn bin. [OK choir, do I hear an 'amen' from the peanut gallery? I know you've done this many times, just like me. We're all in good company here.] Why? Because I had intended to knit it for the oldest daughter WHILE she was still a Master's student at Syracuse University. However, since I had it in the planning stage for so long, I couldn't remember where I had it on 'hold' in the 'on deck' circle. Once I finally found it in a totally different location than where I would have bet the farm it was hiding it hit the needles as quick as I could get it to prevent me from 'saving' it so well again. Again I'm using (US) 9 (5.5mm) 16" circular Addi turbos to try and get this finished and off to her before the first snow flakes fly while she's still in the area where the colors would be appreciated. What a shame that Plymouth discontinued that color shade of orange #1383! I think it's the perfect color of orange for all things team/school colors and Halloween/pumpkin! Why oh why yarn companies, do you NOT keep the crayola 8 and pastel colors in your line up so we Moms and sport fans can find the correct team colors and baby colors year after year when we're knitting up sweaters, hats, scarves, and mittens? Add the seasonal colors from time to time, but please, keep the basic 'bread and butter' colors with your 'bread and butter' yarns! It would make this knitting one happy camper to be able to find what I want, when I want, as the inspiration hits to make things for people without adding to the 'someday I'm going to do such and such pile' in my house.

Just sayin'....

Do you remember?

2010-09-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when I posted this picture back here? Well, it's really, really close to the time when I can tell you about it! I know, it's been long in waiting...but....soon! VERY SOON!

I'm excited! Curious? Stay tuned!

buzzing along...

2010-08-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, we're sailing aright along here...now if only I could find the blasted paper where I traced Mom's feet and wrote down all her measurements, I could figure out how long to make these size 11 socks! I love my Mom, I love my Mom...why does she not have puny feet like me? hahaha...

Now that my son has gone back to the mid-west, tailgate season is just around the corner and since he lost he IU scarf eons ago, he needs another one..so ... we're, as in I am knitting circles for the kid...

Using the Flaunt your Colors Scarf. Only this time I bumped it up to (US) 9 needles and I really like the way it feels. I may have to rethink that pattern!

How often do you get to meet the author of knitting books? This one is a gem...the book ain't bad, either! ahahaha....I suggest any chance you get, always have the author sign the book, it makes it a lot more fun! Can't wait to knit up some socks he wrote in here!

Shazam!

2010-08-25T11:11:00.000-07:00


So I've been sick for the past several days. I hate being sick. It plain stinks. You start with a sore throat...spreads to making your eyes water, then your nose runs..well, you get the picture, right? But then all you want to do is get some sleep and will that doggone cold away. For me? That's when the crazy dreams start creeping in. Shazam! is what I heard in my sleep, as if I was channeling Gomer Pyle. Yes, complete with his voice, accent and all. And then it flipped to the socks I'm working on for Mom. Shazam! Like that, we have two socks going at once. But then a few hours later, I get Mike Meyer's voice running through my cold infected dreams hearing him in his best SNL Linda Richman voice saying, 'Like buttah' pointing to both the needles and the color of these socks. Ulg, I don't want to be sick anymore. But I am enjoying these socks. And the needles, "Give a call, we'll talk, no big whoop." Oh, Linda Richman, where are you these days?

Ok, so prior to getting sick, there was a whole lot of knitting going on. You now have the 'Simply a Rug' pattern ready for your kitchen floor, or bathroom, or back door....or where ever the stash of cotton you have will match the colors in your favorite rug kinda place. See? I used 4 strands of cotton at a time with big old needles to make a rug I love to stand on at my kitchen sink in bare feet. Because I used the 14-16oz sizes of huge cones and skeins, I have enough to make at least one more if not two more rugs and they will all match. I used two solid blues, one multi blue and one solid white yarn. The pictures don't even really show the yellow in the multi blue skein. I have a request now for a brown rug for baby daughter. That should be a good choice to keep the 'stuff' from showing the first week of use. I like having multiple rugs to swap in and out while doing laundry. I'm guessing that in the future, I'll end up letting these air dry rather than pop 'em into the dryer. Who knows, but I'll try and remember to let you down down that road. Can't wait to get a few more things off my 'to do' list so I can see how the brown rug turns out. I have soooooooooooo many of those cotton big skeins here, and now I know how I want to mix and match them up. Can you imagine what colors you can put together if you use Peaches & Creme and actually order colors you want to put together, rather than just what you have sitting around? OOOOO girl, note to self...don't tap into that thought, the idea was to use up what you have and do some serious cotton stash busting! ya, ya, ya...I hear ya...

I know that this picture doesn't make these little bitty pink sockies look like they match, but they do. My baby brother's Step daughter is about to have baby #2 in September. And this time, it's a girl! When I asked him which colors she was interested in for a baby blanket, he said white and pink and the socks just hollered at me, that they just HAD to be knit up.

Big brother who was the recipient of this blanket back nearly three years ago, claimed his pawpawa's Tiger's inspired colored hat this Christmas, so I figured he needs to have his own big brother gift to open. He is a lover of all things 'Nemo blue' and this was made from some of the AC Moore blue yarn that I've yet to bust into to. I used the same Mushroom cap pattern in the 80 st cast on as all the other hats I knit for last year's Christmas gifts. I just love how the ribbing makes that hat fit soooooo many different sized heads. Granted some need to be longer, and some shorter, but you don't really have to worry about the width! yeah! If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I say.

Baby sister will have her own blanket now. All pink and soft to wrap her in when she arrives. I used Simply Soft again, for the ease of popping into the washer and dryer. The next step on my to-do list, will be to get these all mailed out before the little lady makes her grand entrance. Are you like that, too? Spend all that time knitting quickly to get the projects finished, but getting them all packaged up and off to the post office, well, that seems to be my downfall. I shall endeavor to improve! It makes me "a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves."

Simply a Rug

2010-08-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Simply a Rug

©Cathy Waldie, July 31, 2010

Finished size: 21”x 33” Rectangle

24 ozs of yarn: 6 ozs of 4 different worsted cotton yarns/ 290 yds/ 263 m of each cotton (Sample knit with a mixture of Peaches & Creme, Sugar 'n Cream, Cotton Mill ends, and Handicrafter Cotton)

(US) 13 (9.0mm) needles (sample made with Addi clicks for width, but knit flat)

Gauge: 8 sts/12 r = 4”/10 cm

C/O = Cast On
Sl 1 = Slip one stitch

St(s)=stitch(es)
K= Knit
P= Purl
B/O= Bind Off

C/O 70 sts

1-4) Sl 1 st, K across

5) Sl 1, K across

6) Sl 1, K3, P62, K4

7-60) repeat rows (5-6) 27 x’s more for a total of 28 pattern repeats.

61-65) Sl 1, K across

66) B/O in P.

Cut Threads, weave ends. Apply rug backing to prevent the rug from slipping.

BU Cable Scarf

2010-08-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

BU Cable Scarf

Found on the October 10th page of the calendar!

This is a double layered scarf knit in the round with cables running up the front side. Perfect for those winters in Boston when you're daughter is going to school. Or any other cold winter area when the snow is blowing sideways and the snow is deep when you're shoveling your car out at 5am.

Just My Size Little Miss B's Preemie Baby Blanket

2010-08-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Just My Size Little Miss B's Preemie Baby Blanket

Found on the May 18th page of the calendar!

This is a Preemie sized baby blanket knit in your favorite DK/Sportweight yarn. The pattern can be found in the new 2011 Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar, currently available from Amazon.com found here.

I just might be in love again....

2010-08-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Wait, let me back that up a bit. Don't you hate it when you get out your pattern and your yarn, and then can't find the needles you need to knit it up? I've looked high and low, I can find the package for the 2.75mm double points that I just finished my socks with. But I can't find them anywhere! It's making me downright grumpy, I tell ya.

I want to knit up Island Fudge socks in the Wildfoote Lullaby for my Mom. And I can't find my blasted needles anywhere! When I was home with Mom recently, I found this yarn in two stores, actually. So now I have four skeins of it. Ya, brain cells not connecting at some point, I tell ya. Anyway, Mom's been partial to her yellow slacks and yellow top with the light houses on it. This color is a perfect match. Now that I've finally figured out the feel of making socks, I want to make her some with cables. Going through all the sock patterns that I've got marked over in Ravelry, I came up to this one that I'd purchased last year, and I think it's perfect for Mom! Not only is it named after the Murdick's Fudge Shop (where I worked the summer of 1979), it's got cables that Mom loves, and being a part of her 'Michiganisms' group of patterns, what would be better for a Mom in Michigan, than a pair of socks from a 'Michigan' pattern, knit with sock yarn that I bought in Michigan, knit from a Michigan hearted daughter? eh?

It all works out well, until you can't find the blasted needles you just finished a pair of socks with a couple of weeks ago. What's a knitter to do??????????????

*ahem* you go shopping. And you fall in love with a new pair of needles. May I introduce you to....

Lantern Moon's Sox Stix, 5" in Rosewood, size 2.75mm.

OOOOOOOOOOOh, baby! Yes, I think we'll have a very long lasting relationship. They come in a pretty sack with six, yes Six! double points!

Well, that is if I can keep track of where they go when I'm done with this pattern. See how fast they knit up last night? I love these as much as I love my Addi's. And y'all know how much I love my Addi's!

This....

2010-08-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

This...makes my yarn stash look like a very poor country cousin! Oh, to go play in the yarn at her house!

Raise your hand if....

2010-08-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

You're like me, have 2 sets of Addi clicks, plus an additional set of cables...

And every single one of those cables now has a project on it. So technically, you can't start anything more unless you want to go back to other needles without the new blue cables. Right?

Today's newest, another NMCRS Basketweave Baby Blanket, ver. 2 My brother called last week to say that his step daughter was having a girl in September. Rats, sorta. I mean, I had another blue blanket all set to go! This is not the first time I thought I was smart and had a blanket ready to go, and found out I'd guessed wrong. Oh boy! wait. I meant...oh girl!

And just like that...

2010-07-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

They popped right off the needles.

Well, after a few hours of working on them steadily. I had thought at the end of 8 pattern repeats the sleeves were long enough. In reality I hadn't read the pattern close enough. I finished my sleeves after 12 pattern repeats of the wishbone cable that I ran up the center of the sleeves and added 2 more rows. Personal preference of how I like to see cables finished at the top. When I've left them uncrossed at the end, they tend to open up too wide for my comfort level. I also like the idea of the sleeves looking more like the body of the sweater. Why the wishbone cable wasn't originally on them, is beyond me.

And yes, I cast right on for the body of the sweater right away. And as is my choice, I'm knitting all three sections at the same time again. Front right, back and left front separated by edge stitches and stitch holders. Once it's finished I'll use the mattress stitch to make a fake seam.

And true to my current Knitting ADD....I found 4 pounds of cotton to cast on my needles for a new idea. We'll see how that works out. And how long I'll continue to flit from one project to the next before anything else gets finished. Stay tuned.

Never ending sleeves

2010-07-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking these are the sleeves that will not finish! I've knit and knit and knit and I can't seem to get them long enough. Well....at first I thought I was about 2 rows away from the end, the other day...

But I was only up to here when I formulated that silly concept!

I have also decided that I want to knit them long enough to cuff up the sleeves and wear it more like a jacket sweater. Looks like I have a ways to go.

I do so very much like the way the Cascade 220 makes the stitch definition POP! right out in this pattern. The cables seem to stand right at attention all on their very own. Nicely done.

But why is it that when I start a sweater, and by that I mean when I generally start a sweater with a lot of cables in it, I have this goofy notion in my head that it's going to be a quick knit and I should be wearing the thing two weeks after I've made my first cast on row?

Clearly I have a false sense of timing here. AND, now that I'm deeply into the second skein on each of these sleeves I can tell it's going to be a warm sweater with all the wool it's sucking up to get it made! I'm very happy that I've altered the pattern a wee bit. Just love the looks of the mushroom cable going up the center of the sleeve and really feel good about the ribs that I've borrowed from Mom's cable sweater (from back in 2008).

As a reminder, I'm knitting the Yankee Aran Sweater (pattern #20) by Melinda Goodfellow as a cardigan in Cascade 220. I've subbed out the seed stitch and Blackberry stitch and put the Wishbone Cable on the sleeves to match the front of the sweater. And, I am knitting the two sleeves at a time so they'll match each other row for row.

See? My knitting, my choices, pattern as a guideline. We'll see how this all plays out down the road. I've also started thinking about lining it in some warm flannel when it's done, but that's nothing more than a mere thought at this time.

And just like that...

2010-07-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

...the phone rang the moment I hit the send button, and I was off to knit a Puffy Basketweave Dishcloth for little brother. Don't you just love it when your day starts with a surprise phone call? The sweater can wait.

Knitting ADD

2010-07-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

Back in June as I was picked up from the airport, we drove directly to a yarn store that was new to me. Check out these cute tags I picked up. Can't read the green line?

Here's a close up picture.

In case you want the details, I took a picture of the back label, too.

Too cute? Next time I'll have to remember to take pictures of the store! (Apple Valley Yarn Company in Freeland, MI )

Over the weekend, I found myself at Joann's and spent a bit of time going through a stack of new to me knitting books. (yes, I have quite the wish list now!) One of the ideas that grabbed me was an afghan pattern that I thought would really bust some stash. It's the Knit Together Afghan from the book, "Fashionable Projects for the New Knitter." Because I have been knitting since the arrival of the dinosaurs here on Earth, I have a lot of left overs. Before I found Hobby Lobby's I love this Yarn! for my new beat the heck out of afghans, I used a lot of Red Heart's Super Saver yarn. I thought knitting up squares from my left overs would be a great way to use the yarn for some future charity donation. I started with the yarn I used on the slipper socks I made last month. Now to locate the rest of the Red Heart stash! But I am noticing how scratchy it feels. Funny, I never noticed it before I started using the 'snooty' yarn. Break out the hand lotion!

I've also started using up some of the cotton skeins that I picked up back two years ago when my son graduated from Law School in Indiana. I had been to Hobby Lobby and found kits of three 14oz size skeins of Lily's Sugar 'n Cream in coordinating colors. They've pretty much just been sitting in my garage after I started ordering the Peaches and Creme cones by color. After a little 'show and tell' session with the ladies at Mom's day care center I committed to knitting up some sack socks for their needs. This is the same place my niece and I visited and then sent the dishcloths for. Stacey picked purple, green and blue as the colors they have in their kitchen room. I thought this one in Purple Camo with the green and purple mixed would fit the bill.

I'm finding that lately I've been flipping from one project to another without spending a whole lot of time on any one at a time. Talk about knitting ADD! My Ravelry projects page has 13 projects on the needles right now. The actual count is much higher. Do you ever find yourself doing this? I am often thinking about Major Knitter and her Finish it or Frogg it Fridays. I would rate a big old fat fail in that category. Maybe when I feel a little more settled down the road I won't feel so scatter brained. I really would like to get my grey sweater ready for the fall season to wear! Seems I can only get a couple of rows down on those sleeves at a time. My goal today, is to finish the sleeves. I am very close, if I can just stay focused for a wee bit longer. Wish me luck!

And while you're at it..wish my son luck, too. More on that down the road. Just remember to Breathe, Believe and repeat. I do!

Catching up-yet again

2010-07-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm back with a better Internet speed, I can play catch up. Once I get my land legs back under me, I can feel normal once again. In the mean time, I am loving nap time!

I have a niece who loves to leave sand messages...what a sweetheart!

Here's how I was working on that airplane knitting...smart cookies who figured it out! Like the red hem?I just couldn't resist!

Mom, Dad and I spent a fair amount of time sitting outside the first week I got to Michigan. Here's Dad sporting his Yankee's hat prior to Melissa's arrival from Syracuse. I did mention to him when they wanted to take his driver's license picture for the state of Michigan, he shouldn't wear it. The DMV lady agreed. (no hats are allowed, but that was beside the point since he wasn't wearing his Tiger's hat!)

You want to make Dad happy? Give him cake. Here we were with their Mall walking group celebrating an 80th birthday and a 49th wedding anniversary. This group LOVES to make cakes to celebrate!

My niece and I went to see Mom's new Day care group one afternoon. She was really excited to have us there the day the 'guitar man' came for his last day for the summer season. He sings and plays songs many of the group remember from back then. Mom loves it when some of the group get up to dance. It was one of the things she told me about prior to my trip that she wanted me to see with her. I'm glad we went!

This trip wasn't all about Mom and Dad, I did take a few moments here and there to play catch up with a couple of friends I'd not see face to face in about 30 ish years. Here's Mary! The night we went to dinner, she became a Grandma for the first time! The last time I'd seen her, she'd just become a Mom herself...and now her 2nd 'baby' had her first! We laughed a lot. Not to mention we'd already had several phone calls before I hopped on the plane that cause a few tired days at work. Opps! I take that as a signal to visit and talk catch up more often than every 30 years.

Want to make Mom happy? It's ice cream all the way! Here we are with extra family meeting at Mama Lupo's in Bay City.

My Uncle with his Granddaughter and Great-Granddaughter(cousins!). Now I ask you, how can you pick a flavor? Well, you go several times!

Later that evening, Ashley and Christine and I met over at Vet's Park for the River Roar concert. Now, I ask you, does it make you feel old when the lead singer ends up sitting down to sing at a Rock Concert? I didn't feel so bad about sitting after wards.

Towards the later part of the concert when the girls had to head back home up north, I moved down onto the 'floor' to hang out with Jeff and Shawn-more cousins! The second band didn't sit for their sets. ;-)

One of the things I remember very clearly growing up was my visits to the Farmer's Market in town with Mom. She used to buy big old bushels of pickling cucumbers to make Bread and Butter Pickles. The Farmer's Market is down to just a handful of farmers coming into town, but I still love buying fruits and veggies in the summer that way. You just can't get it fresher than that!

My niece has recently switched from a vampire lover to a werewolf fan...and was sporting her 'like' shirt the night we went to more family's house for a Pampered Chef party. (which I forgot to take pictures of ...can you imagine that?)

Know what this is? One of the very first dishcloths that I'd knit up for Mom, probably 15-20 years ago. Now that's a testament to how long knitted dishcloths will last. And I'm not certain this one actually 'wore' out, I'm thinking it was caught on a knife. It wasn't in that shape when I left back in March. The only ones I've lost along the way, have been the ones that have met an untimely demise from an encounter with the garbage disposal. (never a good thing!)

More cousin encounters-Melissa arrived and Kristine stopped off and brought more ice cream back to Mom and Dads. Yep, we are an ice cream loving family!

Before they had some fun putting Mom to bed one evening. When my kids were little, Mom used to crawl into bed and sing the 'la la la' song-it was Brahms Lullaby without the words. So, now the tables were turned, and they were able to serenade her to sleep.

The day Melissa left, the huge tree was taken down next door. It was needed, a huge part of it had died and was hanging over the garage. It was only a matter of time prior to it coming down. Making it safer for those in the area, always a good thing.

Here's a couple of 'hot girls'. At 68-86% humidity? sheshhh...3 generations of really hot girls getting Melissa all packed and on her way.

She took with her the first part of the Christmas Lace Dishcloth and Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel set that she had me knit for her friend's wedding in a couple of days.

When my kids were little and we were able to go with my parents to the airport for their arrival and departures and sit at the gates, Mom always made sure they had a window seat. She found that if she used a tissue while waving in the windows we could see them from inside the terminal. Today, we try and still use the signal when leaving. Our timing was a little bit off when Melissa drove out-she had her tissue handy as well, but Mom's balance isn't so great these days...So, hello cell phones with a picture ability! I quickly snapped a picture and sent it to Melissa to see when she stopped for gas! (smart-eh?)

Airplane knitting for the beginning of the trip finished, had to wait for 'little' brother to come over for his modeling moment. First he was 'too cool' before we were both laughing. Nice fit? I'm hoping it will keep him warm next winter as he's out plowing out the schools in town at 2am before the kids have to go to school. It certainly was warm on that 98* day!

Next was Dad's 82nd Birthday. Corner pieces of cake with LOTS of frosting is a must for my Dad! check out the swirls this one had. My niece and I really liked it.

Here's Mom showing her crocheting. She's not picked up a hook in probably 12-15 years. Muscle Memory is true! Now, I have to brush up on crochet information, because I don't know enough to help with what she used to do all the time. But she was happy to sit with a lot of cotton working away as I was knitting up for Melissa's wedding gifts.

Here's another long lost friend-Janet. She and I used to spend a LOT of time together in Junior high school and freshman year of high school. I went over to her house one 'evening' to help her cut costumes that she's is costuming for a play opening this weekend, as a matter of fact. At 4:17 AM! We looked at the clocked and I thought hmmm....where did the time fly? Lots of good visiting in between her sewing and my cutting...again...not going to wait another 30 plus years between visits, I promise!

Here's the Christmas Lace Sack Sock and a couple of Tribbles all finished and ready to pop into the mail to meet up with the rest of the knitting I'd sent along with Melissa. Love that wine color.

And another angle of it in hanging form.

When Mom goes to her Day Care center (Golden Horizons) she loves to help with the dishes after lunch. I thought the fastest way to thank them for their care of Mom, was to start knitting up a couple of dishcloths. From the top left I used : Mom's Broken Rib Dishcloth, Take Two!, Puffy Basketweave Dishcloth, Christmas Lace Dishcloth, and NYD '05, Ver. 2 Dishcloth. All patterns are on my side bar (<----)

I have also finished another mushroom hat (#15) out of the left over cranberry Encore from my sweater.

Here are two pictures of my socks! YEA! They fit! the ones on, were taken at night when I had just finished, the next picture was outside the next day to see how the colors actually look. They're Zitron Trekking xxL sock yarn and Fiber trend's Railroad pattern. I love 'em. Look out sock yarn stash..now that I have the 'hand' figured out, you're days are numbered! No longer going to be just sitting there looking 'cute'! (actually, I want to make some yellow socks very soon for Mom)

Here's the first of some hotpads that I want to felt for me! Now, I"ll get the rest done (or at least a few) more knitted up before I send 'em off to the hot tub.

Ok, so I'm back...and have a better signal-let's see if I can post more often. (eh, it's a good plan).

Do you know what this is?

2010-07-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is the 'face' of aericept working for my Mom! She crocheted today for the first time in years! Thank you aericept and her doctor for putting her on it 2 weeks ago! I can't tell you how excited it makes me to see this!

Happy 82nd Birthday!

2010-07-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

The Mall Walkers had cake to celebrate my Dad's birthday today! Enjoy the rest of your day while we're sweltering it out here in Michigan!

...my home sweet home!...

2010-07-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

2 years, 10 months, 10 days old...

2010-07-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

What's your excuse for not learning yet? ;-)

Hope your Holiday Knitting is just as fun!
Happy 4th of July weekend!

Airplane knitting means....

2010-06-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

Airplane knitting means...what?

Three guesses and the first two don't count.
Guess where I am?

Back with my Mom!

Nothing serious this trip. While we are doing the usual round of docs and such, I have time to visit family..some planned..and some a big surprise! Now, boys and girls, give a big hello to Marianne. She and her hubby make these fabulous baskets and if you're in Frankenmuth tomorrow-stop by the arts and crafts fair and buy them out! Tell 'em I sent ya! She'll love it.

Mom and I went down to visit her and so Mom could see all the baskets all decked out. What we didn't know was how many others in the family were going to show up with us at the same time. What a great mini family reunion we had today!

Now, how big do you think a single doughnut can be? Here's one next to my fat brat.

And here's Dad's reaction when he opened it up!

Oh.my.goodness! That was priceless!
Enjoy your weekend!

May 18 and Oct 10th, 2011

2010-06-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Get your pre-orders in now! The 2011 Knitting Pattern a Day calendar will be available, according to Amazon.com by August 20th. Check with your LYS to see when they'll have their supply ready for your hot little hands. Why? Check out the May 18th and Oct 10th pages...

New patterns from moi!

This is really getting fun!

Surprises come in different types

2010-06-14T10:23:00.001-07:00

Surprises come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, not to mention how you are surprised by them. Take these for example. Can you see it? I'm not talking about the fact that they are wood, which I adore, and the grooves in them that I doubly adore. Cable needles with grooves are my favorite types. But,...look closer...

Ya, the middle one...that's the kind of surprise that stinks. Like when you're in the middle of a couple of cable sleeves and SNAP! it goes that fast.

But then you get a phone call one day from your LYS and are told that because you've been using their reusable bags and entered their monthly drawing, you have been the winner for May's drawing! So...off you go and this is what they have waiting for you...

It's Lantern Moon's new Mindy Case in the Champagne color.

See how cute it is?

So then I showed them my not so pleasant surprise and was momentarily saddened that they didn't care the birch cable needles. However...

For the same price I paid for the birch needles, out popped the rosewood and ebony sets!

I had a hard time picking between the two to purchase...

So, I reasoned that with dark yarn I would HAVE to use the rosewood set while NEEDING the ebony set for lighter colors of yarn. See how pretty they are? Like knitting art, I think.

Grooves and all! Thank you Cindy and Alamitos Bay Yarn Company! I was happy with the bags-this is just icing on the cake. Color me, errr...knit me a happy camper!

The last kind of surprises are the touching and informative kind. Like my Friend Arlene I saw last week. She's constantly amazing me with what she comes up with next on her knitting machine! Here's a dishcloth she made and gave to me using short rows on her knitting machine! And here I thought a knitting machine would be the fast track to knitting up squares and rectangles in the form of baby blankets to whittle down my yarn stash! Thanks, Arlene! You are an amazing friend who never stops surprising me with your knitting machine tricks. I gotta get mine out of the box one of these days!

But, in the meantime, I'm packing and heading up to Michigan for a couple of weeks to stay with my parents before driving my daughter back to California. Another Mother-Daughter set of adventures will begin soon. I'm wondering if I'll FINALLY get to Mary Maxim in Port Huron this trip???????????

Here's hoping all your summer surprises will be the kind you're looking forward to!

The weekend was scary, sweet, and fun

2010-06-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's a scary day when you go to put groceries away and realize you're standing in a puddle of water in front of your refrigerator. Further investigation reveals these next pictures...

Thanking my lucky stars that I have a cell phone with picture capability, I was able to get help #1 turning off the main electrical switch before replacing the breakers that were no longer usable. It's also a great day when your daughter's boyfriend has a father who has been an electrician for many years, and is willing to talk his sun into the correct parts to touch, not touch, and replace after I'd done my shopping at the hardware store. I was thanking my lucky stars last weekend, that's for certain!

All things were up and running in time to wrap up the Aloha Kitchen set of knitting to bring it over to the daughter's birthday celebration. (pattern is found in the 2010 Dishcloth Calendar you can click on the picture to go to the web site.)

Lots of laughter and giggles, hugs and of course cake came later that afternoon as the reality of how lucky we were with the breaker box outcome hit home. Whew! (notice the blue and white hat? I'll knit for that kid ANYTIME!)

The next day found me knitting up a pair of baby basic socks from the American Needlework book: Knit a Dozen Baby Socks. This is the basic sock pattern, but this time (again) I used a 2x2 ribbing and then extended the ribbing down the top of the foot stopping the ribbing at the toe section. I like the way they turned out! So many things you can do with a sock pattern-even for babies! The more I'm learning making adult socks from worsted weight patterns to fingering weight, I like putting them into the baby sized socks. These were passed off to Arlene who is a member of the AC4C yahoo group. When we were able to answer the question..What's better than 2 AC4C members getting together?

Why that would be when four AC4C Members can get together! What a fun day, dinner and evening as the four of us (who we found out that day all lived in Michigan at one time or another!) were coming and going. That would be Camille, Arlene, Chris, and me. Knitters-what a fabulous group of people!

She's a quarter of a century today!

2010-06-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

Happy 25th Birthday!

What's a surefire way to...

2010-05-31T00:28:00.000-07:00

...increase the number of projects you have on needles at any given point? Well, if you're like me, it means you've finished one and started 12 more. Or something close to that feeling.

A couple of years ago, I started 'filling in the blanks' when I joined Ravelry. And it's really helped me get organized with what yarn I have and to some lesser degree kept me from shopping for more. Well, maybe. I can say that it's put it into a better perspective. That's probably much more accurate. And I'm glad. I do know that there are times when I have gone and checked into the amounts that I already have on hand, and have chosen to NOT go shopping. Granted, it's rare, but it has happened. What it's also done for me, is to give me a realistic view of how much it takes to knit up a sweater dye lot wise. And it's shown me that I have a lot of mismatched dye lots even when I know I have nearly 45 skeins of Hobby Lobby Sweet Delights Baby in Angel, but then know that they're split into 17 different dye lots. Which, on a good day would be fine for knitting up baby sweaters, but not so good when it comes to knitting up a blanket. I learned my lesson long ago about matching dye lots. Just ask the turtleneck sweater I started for myself in Navy wool where the sleeves don't exactly match the rest of the sweater. I'm not sure I have that one listed on my Ravelry projects list I was so upset with the revelation the day I noticed the difference.

Fast forward to making my Mom's cable sweater for her 2008 birthday. When I had found the Paton's Classic Wool on clearance (no less) at an AC Moore store in NY, I just KNEW I needed to knit Mom a whole sweater. I didn't have a clue at the time which sweater I wanted to knit and since I'd been making mostly baby things I just grabbed all they have of the Too Teal wool sitting on the shelf. After all, I didn't want to get back to California and find that I'd been 'just this much' too short to finish a sweater for Mom. Heaven knows I have enough partial projects just sitting there waiting to be 'never finished' and I don't want to add to that pile. So..all 22 skeins of the Too Teal Wool jumped off the shelf, into the basket and were air sucked into zip lock bags to be shoved into my suitcase and brought home. Great plan-huh?

But here's the thing. Her sweater?

Took less than 7 skeins of yarn. Do the math. 22-7=way too much. So I thought I'd start some more projects. That, I told myself, would chew up a whole lot really fast! Couple of coffee sleeves, .23 skein. More coffee sleeves when Dad lost the first set? .16 of a skein. One tam, nearly one more skein. This was not going nearly as fast as I had hoped. I wanted to create some space in my bins!

So last month as I was pulling wool out of my bins before heading up to NY for the daughter's Master's Degree Graduation, I thought I'd pull a couple of skeins of the Too Teal and knit up a pair of socks for a4A! Yea, This would do the trick! After all when I knit for the medical transport for the troops, it goes right through a fair amount of yarn quickly! This was a fabulous idea! After all I had bits and pieces of black left over from black wool hats that would work well for the toes and cuffs. Oh baby, we were going to go to to town and burn up some needles. That feeling lasted until you learn I had this much left over after knitting up ...

...not just a pair of socks but also a Mushroom Cap as well!

Now, I know that the label says Merino Wool, but I'm thinking there has GOT to be some rabbit in there making it multiply. It just won't go away. And it's ooooooooooooooooooh so NOT my favorite color to work with. Here I thought it would just get used up fast and I could start more prepromised projects that I've had rattling around in my head. So, putting those left overs away, I got to working on some little projects that I had been waiting to do. Apparently one wasn't enough because...

Here's six more that I started since Thursday of last week. And my grey sweater and Mom's white hat and brother's black and red hat isn't anywhere to be seen, are they?

I'm thinking if you want the size of your project pile to be increased? Just tell yourself that you have to work out of your stash of yarn and the list of projects that you actually intended to do specifically for people who KNOW that you promised them that you would..and you'll not have to worry about having something on your needles.

Now, of course, I'm not going to tell you how to determine which one you're going to work on first, because three of those things were all started on Friday, and the other three were started on Saturday.

Yes, by me. Yes, while I'm on ice and pain pills. I'm guessing that it's my short attention span due to the pain pills that's causing it all to get so out of control.

My story and I'm sticking to it. Because I have eight more projects all charted out and ready to go. I'm not sure that I can hold out much longer and keep from casting them on. I do have the needles - that's what happens prior to having Ravelry so you're not aware that you already own a gazillion and twelve pairs of (US) 7's (4.5mm) and you end up picking up one more to go.

And Ravelry tells me I still have 13.45 skeins of Too Teal left all in the same dye lot. But Mom doesn't need another sweater in the same color and I can't wear that color.

Recognize the colors?

2010-05-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

I decided awhile back that some of the 'stash' has GOT to go! It's prompted me to find ways to knit it up between other must do projects..after all there was NO way I was going to just toss it out! So, in that vein, I dove in to the gajillion skeins of "too teal" Paton's Wool that I have left over from knitting Mom's cable sweater. While reading though one of the afghans for Afghans' newsletter, I found the link to Elizabeth's Sock Class. Since making socks is one of my newest goals in knitting that will fit me, I'm open to practicing on lots of different sizes, with different fibers to learn new tricks. http://afghansforafghansknitalong.blogspot.com/2010/01/sock-class-part-1-cast-on-and-knit-cuff.html is where the tutorial/pattern begins. I like it. It is a little different than the last worsted weight pattern that I've been using to make the socks for Ship's Support. And I learned a little bit more as well. I like learning new tricks. Especially when I can carry the tips from one project to another. This pattern wasn't as specific as the previous one had been for me, so I had to learn to do a little bit of 'figuring'. And that's never a bad thing-right?

Having still yet MORE left over, I decided to make another Mushroom cap (#14 for those of you who are keeping track.) This time, I didn't have my notes right at hand, so I looked up the pattern again. Funny how you do something one way for a thousand times, and then go back to the original and find out you've been doing the crown top a little bit different. So this is knit to the actual pattern. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mushroom-cap-2 I still think these look a little goofy when you lay then on the table (or floor) to take their pictures. However, I'm so happy that the same number of stitches can fit so many different sized heads! It's a natural pattern to pick for charity knitting, because it fits such a variety of head sizes! And that's always a good thing, too.

Off to knit on my socks or maybe Mom's hat that also didn't get done in time for Mother's Day. I'm sitting on ice packs today for my back. That's not fun, but it means I'll not be doing much else until I can breathe without my back 'catching'. Love the ice packs, but really wish I didn't know so much about them.

She's a Birthday Girl!

2010-05-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

Happy 23rd Birthday!

800+ stairs, 2 feet and a cane at a time

2010-05-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

I will give you fair notice that this is picture intensive, I cut out well over 100 pictures, and they're small to help them load faster. HOWEVER, if you click on any one of them they will enlarge. I suggest you do one of two things, a-click on the pictures or b-get yourself here!

The day before Graduation ceremonies we headed up to Watkins Glenn State Park in the Finger Lakes area of New York state. They're closed from November to Mid May. They were just opened and my daughter couldn't wait for us to go for a 'walk'. Sounded good to me!

The is the map of the 1 1/2 mile trail along the water we wanted to visit.

Read the sign carefully, 800+ stairs. Yep. All of them. And more. straight.up.

and off we went!

Follow us around this fall....

First side up close

The backside of the falls.

And the other side...

powerful water...

and that's where it all goes...amazing. (Did I turn the water off at home?)

Very peacefully soothing up here.

More stairs...and peaceful moments

Fabulous way to celebrate her Master's Degree!

When he gets back to school, think of the stories he's going to be able to tell!

And these weren't even the best part of the section..that awaited just around the bend....

Please, click on this picture of the Rainbow Falls area! This is the 'money shot' even if the rainbow didn't show at this time of day. Amazingly beautiful!

That's a deep cut in the rock...and a lot of water smashing all over the place.

The guy in the white shirt? RAN ALL THE WAY UP!

Holding onto Mom to keep her from sliding into the water, it was cold but fabulous (don't try this at home!)

The last push of 180 stairs. Took me awhile but at the top I found...

...the best cheerleaders of all time! They waited at the top of the stairs with water and encouraging words.

My proof that I'd made it to the top-after a rest and our lunch at the top. The disclaimer? They hiked down and brought the car back up for me. It was much faster for them to go without me. I'm OK with that! 1 1/2 hours up...~45-60 minutes for them to get back down and drive up for me. Good decision, I think.)

This is the moment I let him know that the blanket he'd been watching me crochet for a long time was his! Yes, he was excited-does it show? [ Lion Brand's Crayon Ripple Throw pattern, I Love this Yarn! in White (2.5 skeins) and Royal (3 skeins) size J hook. Finished size 42"x 72" . Pattern found on the Lion Brand web site. ]

While riding back in the car, he wanted to put down everything he was playing with so he could have 'cuddle time' with his blanket. Now I ask you. How can you not love knitting and crocheting for such a kid?

Yeah! for airport knitting

2010-05-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I have finally gotten a sock to fit me! Took me 4 years to get sock yarn on (US)1's to fit my foot!

To compare, it took my daughter 2 years to earn her Master's Degree.

Yes, I'm a slow learner.

And Yes, I have the 2nd one cast on already.

Finished!

2010-05-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

oh, so close!

2010-05-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

I flew into Syracuse, NY on Mother's Day..having flown the red eye out of California. Why? I have a daughter who's about to be hooded. YEA! On the way I worked on my new socks. If you're a sock knitter, you can see with the sock that I've adjusted the tension here and there. I had debated over ripping it out but decided this would be my sock that will show me from here on out how far I've come. I think I'm finally getting used to the 'hang' of the tiny needles, tiny sock yarn feel. It's something I think I've battled in my sock knitting quest. All I have to do now, is rip out the toes of this first sock, because my counts are way off. The top of the toes have more stitches than the under side of the sock. This MUST be the results of knitting through the night on a flight without any TVs or movies or music while being half asleep. Right?

That's my story and I'm sticking to it being sooooooooo close to finishing this sock. It certainly couldn't be that I just messed up, now - right?

Do you know what this means? Yep, those cranberry bits that have been cut.

Simply put, it means that on my Knitting Pure and Simple sweater, I picked the roll back sleeve cuffs, cut and weaved in the ends. It's my final decision. And I really like how they turned out. It's been a nice surprise.

The jury is still out on the bottom of the sweater. It's still got the 2x2 ribbing on it apart of the pattern directions. Eh...I don't think that matters as much to me. Sleeves are different, sleeves have a tendency to really bug me. I am a 'leaner'...I lean my wrists when I played piano, when I type, and my knitting needles always get caught in my sleeve cuffs. I rarely, if never, keep long sleeves down by my wrists. But at the same time, I don't like wearing 3/4 length sleeves, I'd rather push them up. If a sleeve is the correct width, it'll stay pushed up. If they stretch, they're going to bug me all over again when they keep falling down.

Since I landed here with my daughter still working during the week, I've been concentrating on getting the crocheted afghan finished. The cutest 8 year old joined us last night and doesn't know this is going to be his. I am 'this' close to getting it done. 3 1/2 stripes to go!

Here we are prior to the first pitch of the game. Waiting for the fun to begin...

And here was my son's main event! Stephen Strasburg, 2009's top draft pick for the MLB. Clocking in at 96 and 98 mph. So glad I'm not on the receiving end of them.

Bonus, was the chance to see one of my son's old fellow Little League player on the opposing team.

Sadly, he also was on the receiving pitches at 96 and 98 mph, three times!

I'm off to work on the afghan some more. The 8 year old showed up after a train, a bus and two planes toward the end of the game. Must.crochet.faster.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Ya know...

2010-05-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Ya know, I ONLY showed you the 5 projects that I had worked on last week...I didn't show you how many projects have been started and thrown into a corner/box/bin/garage and left undone! That would just be a big ol' can of worms! (Or would that be a big old box of yarn knots?)

I would HATE to actually go and count up all of those! I did, however, get the first sock done for afghans 4 Afghans current 7-14 aged collection. It seems like I'm not going to make it in time for the May 14th deadline, but then again, ya never know! I do like this idea of using up wool left overs for socks! I had pulled out a lot of my 'end of hat' left overs and didn't even use up one tiny little ball for the cuff and toes! Soooo, maybe this would be a great way to stash bust? And worsted weight on sizes 5 (3.75mm)needles sure goes faster than 2.5mm needles! On my way to use up some more!

How does the saying go?

2010-05-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Oh, I remember, if you wanna make God laugh, tell Him your plans. Right? Well in that same vein, if a knitter wants to make a deadline, then I guess you're supposed to line up your projects?

Yea, I think I've developed some serious Knitter's ADD...

Here are the sleeves for my Yankee Aran sweater...coming along nicely, with the changes to the pattern. I really do like the Wishbone cable going up the center of each sleeve. Can you see the ribbing on the outsides of the sleeves? They're the same ones were in Mom's sweater a year+ ago back in Nov/Dec, 2008. I really don't like seed stitch, etc...these make me happier. But boy, after knitting the Top Down sweater from Knitting Pure and Simple on size 9's...this is a 'little' bit slower! Nope, that's not going to be finished for the Syracuse trip next weekend... But then it doesn't help that I was also working on....

The 'blue stripes' afghan for the cutest 7 year old that was started when he was 6, and just happens to be, as of today, the cutest 8 year old. Hmmmm....wonder if this will end up being a 'take it to college with you' kind of project for him? And that was supposed to have been done for last year's birthday, then Christmas, then toady's birthday...now pushed back to....College Graduation?

But then, I had this brilliant idea that I'd knit up another Tam for Mom for Mother's Day! The one that's next Sunday? yea, keep laughing....

I saw the pattern in Ravelry when I made that decision...

Click on the picture to see the book's pictures. It's really cute. But, two things happened this week...

I only had 1 skein of yarn in the dye lot until yesterday, and didn't realize until I'd reached this point that I wasn't going to have enough. Point to remember...if the pattern says you need 2 skeins of 150 yards each? Ummmmm..1 skein of 190 yards won't be enough! Oh, and if you DON'T remember to stop along the way every so often to relax, you could end up like me with a pinched nerve in your shoulder! And let me just say how much it HURTS until you take time away from knitting to let it stop pinching. Yea...3 hours, pain pills, and a nap...do you KNOW how much time I lost there? Ulg. Next go round...I'm going back to some stretching every so often. Much smarter idea.

OK, this might not be much different than the last time I put up a picture of these socks. However, if you look carefully, you can see the definite area where I finally figured out the correct tension with these needles. I'm still toying with starting over, or just letting it sit for my first teeny tiny needles/yarn pair of socks so I'll always have something to measure my future socks. Subject still opened to debate... Yea, I thought I'd have had those finished while I was back in Michigan to wear and show my Mom....

And since we all know that I suffer from a major case of SOS (shinny object syndrome)....after afghans for Afghans sent out an email asking for socks for the 7-14 age groups by May 14th...

These are also in the works. I'm going to safely guess they won't get mailed in time for the deadline, but I can always hang onto them until they call for worsted weight woo socks again. After all, I still have 13 1/2 skeins left over from making Mom's sweater back in November 20008. If I were to use the rest all for socks, that would be a LOT of socks.

But then, I think I've already proven that I'd never get them done in any sort of short time period. Why? Because last night I also wound up the rest of the blue yarn from my cone of Lion Cotton that I used for the Aloha kitchen set that was part of the Dishcloth Hangups for 2010 pattern book. Why? I still need to knit up one more place mat before June 2nd.

Yea, I have a little bit, OK, a LOT of Knitting ADD going on over here. How about you?

Wonderful Wallaby #2

2010-04-25T11:31:00.001-07:00

When you get a request from a cutie pie 7 year old to make him a sweater just like 'Alvin's', you KNOW you need to jump on it asap.

So, taking his suggestions, I measured him in his favorite jacket, since this is the size he wanted.

He took me by the hand and led me directly to where he KNEW the yarn was already in my house-smart kid, he pays attention!

But then he asked for thumbholes to be added to the cuffs. No problem, just make 'em like wristwarmers! I tried it on just before I went back to Michigan before I joined the sleeves to the body and realized it was a perfect fit for right then. No room for growth. Since I wasn't going to get it done prior to boarding the plane, we decided to add a little extra length in the body and the sleeves.

Then I finished it right after I got to Michigan so I had mailed it to him. I had THOUGHT I'd have left on Valentine's Day, February 14th. Since I didn't leave until the end of March, I had to wait until yesterday when his schedule met up with mine to get pictures of him wearing it so I could see how it fit.

I do believe we got him some growing room. Child sized 12 with extra length in the sleeves and body, just under 3 skeins of 'I Love this Yarn!' in Navy. Then add in one older brother to stand behind my shoulders to make him laugh while taking pictures to show his new big teeth! wa-la...makes the knitter happy!

knitting in my sleep...

2010-04-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

While I was back in Michigan, where I left you last, we had snow...

How much snow?

More than I've seen in a quite awhile.

Yep, that's the whole ruler nearly buried.

In the downtown area, they plowed a lot of it into the middle of the streets

really high...

before they came in the middle of the night to scoop it up and take it to the river.

When I was a kid, we lived on the other side of the river and after big snows, driving downtown wasn't on the list of things to do, so I'd only heard about this. This was my first time really seeing it in person.

However, snow was not the only thing accumulating. There was a coffee sleeve and some stitch markers for the new knitter who...

practiced some new stitches

so she could cast on for her first scarf...

while I knit a hat for ship's support on Dad's surgical day...

Which seemed to take forever, because not only did Dad have an aneurysm, but actually had 5 found and repaired during surgery. Mom didn't get to see him until 8:30ish in the evening! Longggggggggggggg day, I tell ya.

So before heading home that night, we headed over to Grandpa Tony's for my favorite Tony's steak sandwich before making it a night.

Then, Mom's flowers opened and really filled the air with a wonderful aroma.

Oldest daughter sent her Grandma a 'little' bit of tea to make her feel loved.

Before we brought Dad home after a 6 night stay that was intended to be a one night event. During Dad's time in the hospital, both of my parents picked up a stomach bug. Let's just say how much fun that was to try NOT to 'join in' with the 'activity' of the day. ULG. I'd rather not repeat that day again!

The next day, cousin brought over Dad's favorite-cake!

Dad likes a bit of frosting...

With his cake. The more icing? The happier he is.

After cousin had seen my Norwegian Star hat when I was there for her Mom's Memorial service, I said I'd make her one but in purple. I finished it off as my Olympic project. (The sweater never got touched. *sigh*...) I knit the last stitch before the end of the last hockey game! I made it with a whole project. I had begun to think that was never going to happen. Tired? Doesn't begin to describe how exhausted I was getting to feel.

I absolutely the book, 'Hat's On!' and the Ella Rae Classic wool for these hats. I kept the needles on the top of the hat until I could see her and have her try it on. Otherwise, it was a done deal. Fits her better than anyone else, so far. Guess she's got the right sized head!

New knitter, ended up making a booga bag for her first completed project! We used Paton's Classic wool that was on clearance (Of all things!) from the Michael's store in the Saginaw area. She knit hers in the purple single stranded, while I used the sesame in a double stranded so I could teach her the steps of knitting in the round, picking up stitches, adding colors, and i-cord while she knit up her bag.

After felting the bags, we used the radiators to dry them. That's another thing I don't have in Southern California. And what a great tool that is for drying felted bags and hot pads, not to mention drying wool hats! After starting out in the pantry.

Not too shabby for a first time knitter! eh?

Cute? But we didn't stop there. Oh, no!

I found the pattern one night on raverly for a child's cupcake hat. Knowing how much Little Miss B loved her own cupcake from the gourmet bakery near her house ....

Hers just HAD to have Chocolate sprinkles, too!

I used Caron's Simply Soft light green and Bernat's Satin in the brown for the hat. The pattern is here: http://rsveverka.com/chileconyarne/2008/12/cupcake-hat/

Rumor has it, that it's her nap-time requirement now! Then, her mother tried her hand at double points....

Cables....

and made her first hat for her husband using the Mushroom Cap pattern : http://www.morehousefarm.com/Original/Pattern/duJour/09/

using two circulars to make the crown. Here she's binding off!

And it's a great pattern to fit lots of sizes of heads! She's a fabulous student I tell ya!

But, back to the Norwegian Star hats for daughter's birthday...

Here's Mom modeling daughter's new apron. Again, I used Mom's apron as the pattern with one side with the Happy Birthday fabric...

and the other side with musical notes for her musical side of her life...

with her pink and purple Norwegian Star hats....

Inside out with my blue one. Hers are smaller than mine...

from the same Hat's On! book, I started another stockinette watch cap. I'm keeping this one at Mom's for charity knitting next fall/winter season. There are several places in Michigan I like to donate hats to, so this should be the seed to the group of hats for the next season's need. That, and being cheap, I won't have to pay to mail them. (ha, ha)

This Christmas Lace Kitchen set was knit just before I left as a thank you for one of Mom and Dad's friends for all the help they've been to them. And since they brought dinner over one night, it's just wrong to send home their dishes empty. Rather than refill them with food, I slipped in the towel and dishcloth for them to find after I left. Good old Peaches and Creme cone yarn for this! Love it!

While Dad was still in the hospital, Mom and I were introduced to the Granddaughter of a couple who own another yarn shop in the area that I didn't even know about! (more later on that ...) I picked up some trekking yarn to start making socks for me. Again, this is as far as they've gotten, but I really like it!

I did pick up some orange and navy Simply soft to make some more socks for the medical transport with Ship's Support. They've requested that we make them in 'guy colors' or our favorite team colors....here's a good shot of the actual colors but the question is...

are they Syracuse U colors?

or Detroit Tiger's colors that I thought I was buying? ahahaha...

I finished the hat after going home to California while watching the DVD for Julie & Julia movie. Cute movie-have you seen it yet?

Before making another cupcake hat for Little Miss 'R'

FINALLY knit up the towel and dishcloth to match the Simply Striped Sack Sock

from a couple of years ago, that I'd never finished for myself. Seems I do very well at making kitchen things for all of my kids and my Mom long before making anything for me. Now, I've really got to make some oven mitts and felted hot pads, too! Someday.....

Back in Michigan, Mom bought me the yarn to make the top down sweater from Pure and Simple. While I technically started it there, I was too tired after getting up every night with Dad at 11pm, 2, 5 and 7am to be able to think straight.

However, when I sat down after a lot of catch up sleeping, I took a page out of the Yarn Harlot's blog. When you're increasing on this pattern, it happens every other row. So I took a contrast color and flipped it back and forth every other row to remind me to knit a row even, and increase the next row. After all the other stitch markers I was using it was a simple reminder that was different at the beginning of the row that I had to do something different. I kept the stitch markers at the points where the increases were to take place. Now, why didn't I think of that before? Too easy!

See? straight up at the beginning of the round in a color that was sure to catch my eye while I was knitting around and around and around.

Next up came the sleeves. I love to do the sleeves at the same time to make sure they're knit with the same amount of tention and number of rows....I was all set to hit it big time. But...

Soon realized that they didn't feel the same. Why? One needle was a (US) 9 while the other was a (US) 8! Opps! Guess I was still tired...So I finished the first sleeve changing it to a 2x2 ribbed cuff rather than the pattern's roll edge. Went back and picked up the stitches with a smaller needle (acting as a lifeline), prior to ripping it back.

Worked like a charm...

Until I changed my mind again, and went back and ripped out the 2x2 ribbed sleeve cuffs and put in the rolled edges from the original pattern. I left a little bit of yarn tucked up and pinned into the sleeve while I wore it a couple of times to make sure I had the correct length and the rolled edges felt alright. Sleeves 'bug' me most days and when I'm knitting, they tend to irritate me when my knitting gets caught up in them.

I can say for certain now, that the sleeves with the rolled cuff edges are soft and non-bugging! they're going to stay. And I'll wager a guess that the bottom 2x2 ribbing will eventually get pulled out and switched to the rolled edge from the original pattern as well. For now, I have a sweater that fits like a loose sweatshirt, which is what I was looking for while I was back in Michigan. It's fabulous to throw over another sweater/t-shirt, etc... for wearing in layers or on a cool night at the beach. (Yep, I've hit the beach already since leaving Michigan! Quite the change after all the shoveling I've done this year!)

I knit it in size 50" with 6 skeins of Plymouth Encore, Cranberry, with this much left over, (US) 9( 5.5mm) circular Addi clicks. It's loose, and I love it!

Back to more cotton, Peaches & Creme...I knit up the Bridal Shower Lace Kitchen sit (forgot to take the picture of the dishcloth with the camera...) as a little take home gift when most of my kids and I had the pleasure of visiting with a dear friend who'd moved away a long time ago!

Don't you love it when you find a friend, that you'd thought through time and circumstance that you'd never see again? Last Saturday we sat and cried, and talked, and hugged and then went to dinner with most of my kids. It was really good, and this time, thankyou facebook, I don't think we'll lose track of each other anymore!

Now, I'm off to another sweater for me. Yep, two in a row, who'd a thunk? No, it's not Florence, which I really need to knit because I still really want to wear it, but this time, it's the Yankee Knitter Aran sweater and I'm using Cascade 220. Of course, I'm changing it around a little bit. Again.

Here are the sleeves, that I'm knitting up first to check on the gauge. I have picked the dark grey color that I used in Dad's vest, brought in the ribbing on the sleeves that I used in Mom's sweater a couple of years ago, and swapped out the Blackberry stitch and put in the Wishbone Cable from the front of the sweater onto the sleeves. I think it needs to be there. So far, I'm enjoying this very much. After all, it's a cardigan, and with a daughter graduating with her Master's Degree in the next couple of weeks in New York, I might need something for the chilly evenings! Wonder how long it's going to be for me to finish this?

Lastly, before I finish....in case anyone is still reading, I'm sending hugs and love to two of my old college roommates. Sandy and Patty! My heart and prayers are with you both. Sandy lost her Dad this week, and Patty and her sisters are making difficult choices with their Dad. I heart you my friends! I understand. "Little girls" with their Dads, something in us says they're always going to be around to take care of us, and when the tables turn, well. I understand. A lot. Hugs and love my friends, hugs and love.

Dad keeps calling wanting me back in Michigan. I'm still trying to play catch up from being there 3 weeks or so from Christmas Dad to January, and then 8 weeks in February and March. I'll get back there, I know. But for now, my brother is holding down the fort. He says he's got it all covered. I just wish Dad would understand that he's ok, too. And he's quite capable himself. In the meantime, I'm knitting and sleeping. And waiting for my daughter to finish her last couple of papers so we can celebrate her accomplishments!

Best question ever!!!!!!!!

2010-02-16T06:24:00.000-08:00

When I was teaching in the classroom, we would start the morning with a group greeting. Today, boys and girls, I'd like you to meet Kristin! Everybody say, "Hello to Kristin." This is Kristin becoming a brand new knitter! Kristin had the very best question I've ever been asked after I sent her a picture of the inside of a LYS, "...that looks amazing!!! is it wrong to buy yarn just cuz u like it...lol"

What do you think, boys and girls? I think she's going to get along with us just fine! We love this girl.

Today we're off for an 'educational field trip'. I'm taking her to her first look inside two LYS. Sunday we bought her 'The Knit Stitch" and "The Purl Stitch", two of the 'bibles of knitting' as far as I'm concerned for first time knitters. Can't wait to put some EZ into her hands. Oh, and the first practice knitting that I left her with? She pulled it out and redid it so it would look better! Ya know what that means? She has no trouble with the concept of frogging and tinking! Yep..she's going to knit circles around us all! Can't wait to see where she takes us. This is going to be fun!

In other news, I got to be a stealth cupid from my Dad for my Mom. Don't you love setting up surprises for people you love?

Dad's surgery will be this Friday morning, as will be my Uncle's. He's have his hip replaced. Dad is having two vascular stints put in. Prayers for them and their surgical teams, good thoughts, candles, etc...all gratefully appreciated.

As EZ used to say, Knit On through all things? Or something like that. Right now, I'm heading for some yarn therapy!

Let the knitting..err....Olympics begin!

2010-02-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

Are you doing any Olympic knitting? Here's how my Florence sweater has been since oh...April, 2009. I think it's time we get back to it-eh?

I saw the sample again the other day at 'A Piece of Ewe' here in Bay City, still up on the wall. It's so much prettier in person that the colors they picked for the pattern book. Can't wait for the opening ceremonies to begin tonight! But first....

I need to finish the baby blanket. Dad's surgery will be next Friday for his Endovascular repair of Bilateral Iliac Aneurysms. Can't wait until he's back on his feet. I have my sweater to knit while I'm driving him to all his appointments.

Ready, set.........I wanna GO KNIT!

Back to knitting again...yea!

2010-02-10T07:19:00.001-08:00

Finally! I have been trying for the past 3 days to get pictures uploaded here and have had forty fits, it seems. The Wallaby sweater has been finished and is off on it's journey to the baker's helper. Now, it's a wait and see game to find out if I added too much length to the arms and body of the sweater. I used the child's size 12 pattern in the booklet by Cottage Creations and then extended the body and sleeves a couple of extra inches. It took me just under 3 skeins of navy "I Love this Yarn!" from the Hobby Lobby stores.

In about 2 days of doc's appointments/knitting time, I'm closing in on the next Feather and Fan Rainbow Baby Blanket. That one was due at Christmas time, I'm a little behind schedule.

But it feels really good to be back to my knitting mojo. And I have to say that it's due to the Baker's Helper. What a charmer. I do hope he's happy with the sweater, even if I didn't put in the 'C' that he wanted on the front. My brain just isn't back to that much figuring.

To answer the question about the Norwegian Star Hat-it comes from Charlene Schurch's book, "Hat's On!", and it's the 3rd time I've knit it up. Sadly I don't have the book with me, so I can't show you the cover. But if you google it, you'll find it right away.

The Irish Hiking Scarf was made with Silky Flamme yarn that I picked up from A Piece of Ewe here in Bay City, MI when I came on Christmas Day without my scarf and hat. It was on clearance, and I really like how soft it is! It doesn't make the cable POP like a solid wool would,but with the alpaca and silk in it, it's sooooooo cuddly soft to wrap around my neck! Even if it does shed on the car seat, I don't mind it one bit!

Prior to leaving over the holidays, I took advantage of some huge book sales, free shipping, and gift money and picked up/ordered some new knitting books. Can you see a theme here? Lots of color knitting! I'm just dying to get some things off my 'to-do' list so I can start the backpack on the cover of Norwegian Handknits! Oh baby! That is screaming my name! Can't.hardly.wait.!

Thank you to each and everyone of you who have taken the time to write about my Auntie and my Dad. We'll know the outcome of surgical appointments tomorrow afternoon when we meet with the surgeon now that all presurgery testing has been completed. He's had an aneurysm that's gone untreated due to the seriousness of his fall back in 2004 that led to all the other surgeries, treatments, etc...since that time. After his 12 weeks of being in the hospital in 2008, he'd sworn off anymore surgery. However, after looking at his pictures last week, we are all in agreement that it can no longer be put off. So for this trip I brought along 2 baby blankets that are past due and my Florence sweater. I have decided to join the Ravelry group for WIP's for the Olympic knitting feat with my Florence Sweater. Because I've not touched it since April, 2009, it qualifies. Now, I know I'll have one baby blanket done prior to opening ceremonies, but the 2nd one is doubtful -and that baby came back in December! Are any of you participating in Olympic Knitting?

As to the notes about my Auntie, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. We had my Uncle over for dinner Monday night and there was an obvious 'hole' at the dinner table. They had a love story like no other! I'll try and share the recipe that I made soon. It brought back a lot of good memories! Good food, good family and friends. Not to mention some great memories. I get to sprinkle it all with some good knitting...what more can a girl want?

I'm heading out to take some snow pictures. We are at the top of the snow storm on the weather maps, but we still got plenty! Stay warm!

While you were knitting...

2010-02-01T17:04:00.000-08:00

I had a quick Christmas with the kids...

Saw sunrise from the Detroit Airport...

Ate ice cream with Mom at the mall...

went to Michigan with out my hat and scarf..so started to make Norwegian Start hat for the 3rd time...

Received some venison!

Ate a whole lot of this yummy stuff...

Knit a Christmas colored kitchen set for a very special caregiver...

made another hat in the right colors this time..

said Goodbye to a very special Auntie...who taught me to knit when I was 7 years old with these needles...

Apparently grew much shorter standing next to my niece...

Finished my hat

which looked like this because I apparently had been skipping a whole paragraph of directions on the 2 previous run throughs of this pattern...(amazing how things fit when you read and follow all of the directions-sometimes you find you didn't need such a hu-moungous size!

Shoveled a whole lot of snow...which was covered up..and shoveled lots more...yep, that was a 6"ruler buried in there the night before I left...

fixed Mom's apron.

Watched a HUGE snow plow do it's thing..

Started a scarf to wear in Michigan but worked on it while waiting for the plane to leave Michigan...because I went to Michigan and didn't bring my hat or my scarf...

hung out at the beach with my daughter and the baker's helper prior to the big rain storm of 2010 while we could...

taught the 7 year old, baker's helper to knit so he could help make his scarf for his homework...

got nailed by a whole lot of rain around town..and down the backyard...

yep..a whole lot of rain...

finished the scarf back in California...

after multiple attempts, got all 4 kids to stand together semi-politely for a moment to snap their picture...

before starting on another Wallaby sweater when the baker's helper asked every so shyly how long it would take for me knit him a sweater and taking it on the plane..

to fly back to Michigan this morning while Dad is having some more testing done this week...

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

... As the stockings were hung, by the chimney with care...

Merry Christmas to all and to all, a good night.

While you're preparing for the holidays...

2009-12-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

Do me a favor...reach out and hug your family members really tight...for a really long time. Even the ones you have issues with. I have 4 items left to knit and 2 to sew to get ready for 'the big day'. Then on Saturday morning I'm hopping on a plane to go home. I need to be with my Mom and family as they have been called home to say their goodbyes to her big sister. She's my Auntie who taught me to knit when I was a little kid and her path with Alzheimer's seems to be coming to a close.

Let this season be one that brings you peace and love and healing. May good memories both support you and be created to carry you and yours throughout the years to come. Family is a precious thing where I come from. There is NOTHING that can replace it. I'm hugging my kids tonight really tight..and soon I'll be hugging the rest of the family just as tightly. Consider yourselves all hugged from me, too. May you all enjoy the memories, traditions and love passed down through your own families.

From my house to yours..Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Now..go hug someone.

Worsted, worsted, worsted....bulky.

2009-12-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo we just knew it had to happen...karma will put all things in order. Daily. Right?

I was sooooo happy with the way that Mom's scarf turned out and really pleased that something that is fairly easy, turns out so well, and looks so complicated. Ok, so that's a bit of the ego, but I feel that way about knitting cables, too. For me, it's never been difficult to knit cables or lace, but non-knitters think it's a whole lot of work. It's not brain surgery, or rocket science. If the pattern is written correctly, I can generally get it to work. And I like that. There are plenty of doctors and engineers and technical people out there to do the things I can't so I don't have to. But it's fun to know that I can do somethings that others either can't or won't and with a few twists and turns, or yo's or sk2p's it's going to look great. Add to that a quick wash and block...and waaa-laaa, it looks even better! (And at the same time reminds us that knitting with different fibers than you generally use, feels really good to your hands!)

So....once you're sitting back, admiring what you've already done, feeling pretty smug with yourself, learn another lesson from me. Karma, it's going to come back for a visit.

Let's start this little story from the beginning. And since I'm pretty sure the 'yet to be recipient' doesn't read this, I can tell you all the 'twisted' details.

6 months or so ago, I started looking for the 'correct' colors to knit a beanie for the boyfriend for one of my daughters. One would think that with all my yarn in my stash, I could just open a bin and it would be there waiting for needles. Ah. Not so. One would ALSO think that yarn companies should keep 'on the books' the original crayola 8 colors in their basic color lines. Ah. Not so either, apparently.

Now, I have been looking not only for a wool type in these same colors, but also in a hemp yarn. The 'theme' for this search is the Rastafarian Movement. What better way to knit up 'Rasta' themed items, than to use hemp yarn? [Do some reading on the subject matter, especially if you're a 'green' kind of person! Then, write to your Congressman/woman] ANY way....

Over the past 6 months I have searched through a gazillion nooks and crannies for these 4 colors. For the same weight, in the same brand, in stock all at the same time. Black, red, yellow and green. Shouldn't be a difficult search. Right? Wrong. I can find 2 or 3 in the same brand, but not 4. Or not available at the same time from a single store. Paton's has Black and Red. Lion Wool had the yellow. No one that I could find had the right color green.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I started looking online for a single source. Same trouble I kept coming up with, until someone on one of the yahoo groups mentioned Webs. Not ONLY did they have get this...ALL 4 Colors in Cascade 220...but they were in stock, and could ship with more than enough time for me to knit the hat.

Interject a side note here. I generally don't knit on purpose for Christmas gifts. I don't plan it that way. I'm just not organized for the number of gifts that I'd like to make for people. Many years ago, I started in March knitting sweaters for a whole group of nieces and nephews for their gifts. I think I finished about 2 days before Christmas. It turned out to be a bit of a disaster, yadda yadda yadda...So I decided then and there...to knit for those who appreciate and not put the stress of a time table and just send it on it's way. My own niece would be the perfect example. Her birthday is in September and for the past few years as I come up with ideas that she would like, I intend to get them finished over the summer in hopes that I could mail them in time for her birthday but end up being lucky enough to get things to her before the end of the year.

This year, I'm really proud of myself. Not only did I get Mom and Dad's gifts wrapped and shipped prior to March or June (soooooooooooo many gifts have been handed to them in those months, I kid you not.) But, I was also able to send along some baking for them! I was on a roll. I didn't send the scarf with the box, but knowing that it would be light weight and small to ship, I knew it could go separately and still make it on time. So, click, click, click. I worked away....I had also found a hat pattern (the mushroom hat) that was easy enough to make a hat, or three for my Dad and brothers to slip into the box just in time for Christmas giving. And I had had the colors in my stash that I wanted to use. So, I decided that a little knitting for Christmas wouldn't hurt this year. They went so fast, that I thought I'd add a hat, or two for my son. Then...feeling pretty sure of myself, I decided to add hats for all three of my daughters' boyfriends. Oh boy! Smug. I mean, we were on a roll, and things were happening fast. And really very well.

This is all that was left over of the skein of Plymouth Ecco Cashmere that I used for the scarf. I was really 'feeling my oats' as they say. Even with a couple of days off from knitting on the scarf, as I worked on the hats, it still got done. And then blocked. And then photographed. And then blogged. Boy, the britches were getting big now!

In between time, the online ordering came into place. Point, click...point click..ship, ship, ship....the holidays were falling into place without a whole lot of trying to find a parking place, grumpy salespeople, or 'sorry I just sold the last one a few moments ago'. [can you see where this is going?] Smooth as a baby's behind. Well, sorta. One item was ordered the first week in November, and has been repeatedly been delayed over and over again. Other items were procured in it's place, and if it ever shows up, well, that's OK, there's always other gift giving opportunities to use it for. A second one was ordered as 'in stock' that then went to 'delayed' for 2 weeks, then moved into the 'sold out' category. I had been searching for that one since September. However, another has been found and with the 'gift' of pay 'through the nose' amounts, it should be here by Wednesday. Whew. Love the 'free shipping' many companies were giving this year! The final 'saved by the seat of my pants' happened just last night. While out and about shopping, I'd been trying to order online one of the pastry boards for pies and cookie baking. My computer had frozen up and I wasn't sure the order had gone through. I figured I'd give it over night before trying to call and see if it made it through when I walked into a store and bingo-there it was for about 1/2 the cost!

Oh, ya. Did the happy dance all the way home last night! No shipping costs, no delays, no worries. Even started making plans to have a particular baker's helper come over on Wednesday to help me christen the board. Roll, baby...we were on it. All over it. Like flour in my kitchen after my babies had helped with the baking years ago. alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll over it!

And smug.

Smug will kill you.

Turned on the computer last night to hear the Webs order has been delayed until December 29th. This after finishing all the other hats. Meaning the colors for the one hat that I have been TRYING to knit since June, will not make it on time for Christmas. The other 8 have been completed, washed, blocked and wrapped. Karma, I tell you!

As I was getting to the Post Office to return a box this afternoon, I got some news via text message that threw me off my game. It's not anything that I can do a thing about, and it's a heart breaker, and I just didn't want to deal with it. So with it being 80*F outside, and totally not feeling like Christmas (no snow and slush and ice), I thought I'd run a few errands and dash into the LYS to pick up some yarn for another gifting project that didn't have a deadline. Imagine my reaction to walking through the front door of the store and smack dab in the center of the first display on the counter was THE PERFECT GREEN COLOR in Lamb's Pride! Oh baby! Then, the red, the yellow..the black! OH man! I was about ready to have a Carlton dance moment when I then went to look in the hemp section and check out what I was able to find:

Holy cow! I was able to reset my thinking motors and my feet were not sitting still. They wanted to 'bust a move' and my fingers were itching to snap while the Carlton Dance was hopping around my head! 6 Months. 4 single colors. 2 different types of fibers. All in 1 bag, card swiped and out the door! Prayers for the text messages having been said, and prayers of blessings while I drove home with my treasures! We were going to knit and knit fast and then wrap, wrap, wrap and really get down to some Christmas decorating around this house.

My daughter was off to work and my son went to a basketball game, compliments of his friend. I grabbed the yarn and needles and plopped my behind into the chair for some long winter knitting. OK, so it was 80*F, the doors and windows were wide opened, the TV was on but we were on a roll! Me, and the needles. Oh baby! We had outsmarted the 'back ordered' gremlins! We had spit into the wind. We had laughed at deadlines. We had figured it out. Yarn, in lap. Needles in hands.

Karma hit.

Can you see it? Look closer. Can you figure what went wrong? Look again. It's there..staring me right in the face. Only as I took the pictures prior to sitting in the chair I never noticed it. What, you can't see it? Look once more. It's there....

Worsted,

Worsted...

Bulky.

Knitters, you know that feeling, don'tcha?

Air out of the tires, balloon popped, straight back to ground zero, karma smacking you right between the eyes.

Yep, some days just end up like that.

Worsted, worsted, worsted...bulky.

Magic Time!

2009-12-18T18:36:00.000-08:00

Take 1 tsp of Eucalan, add 1 gallon of tepid water into a clean bowl,

carefully load in a cashmere lace scarf and leave to soak for 15 minutes.

Add one really old, ugly king sized sheet that has line on it, and spread it out on the floor.

Take off all rings,

Gently roll scarf into towel to soak up the water without felting the scarf.

Add 140 pins, give or take and pin scarf out using the pattern on the sheet to keep it evenly pinned.

How do You use your cookie racks?

Using the rest of the Euclan water, soak wool hats that also need a 'bath'. MAKE CERTAIN to go from light to dark...why?????????????

The Burgundy Paton's Classic Wool-bled. All.over.the.white.towel.

See? It even left the water pink.

Leave to dry over night...

Take out the pins and hang in the back yard...

Yo! Mr. DeMille, the scarf ready for it's close up!

Waaaa. Laaaa.....all Prettied up!

Snap, snap, snap goes the camera, wrap, pretty bow and mail off to Mom for Christmas delivery!

This is going to look fabulous with Mom's red coat on Christmas Eve!

2009-12-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Want a fast gift? Copy an apron that you already have in your closet, cut out double fabric, use grosgrain ribbon for ties and stitch it back to back. Then, make matching aprons for the granddaughters to match their Grandma!

One more mushroom hat done...

5 more to go....click click click....

ta-da! Just needs a bath and a block!

2009-12-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

More details with the blocked picture...after it's gotten all 'prettied'.

And yes, I took another 2 days off from knitting on it. OY! So many other things to do this month!