Knitting by the Sea

10 Shawls in 2010

2010-01-08T05:05:00.000-08:00

This is the first shawl I've started for the 2010 challenge. It's the Traveling Woman shawl in Handmaiden Camelspin. The yarn is beautiful and I'm enjoying the pattern.

My friend Debi twisted my arm to join this and knit shawls with her - actually she didn't have to twist very hard. I think this challenge should be less stressful than the sweater challenge of last year since 8 of the shawls can be the smaller size. I'm also planning on knitting most of these from the stash which DESPERATELY needs to get under control. Going through the skeins and donating what I don't need is part of the plan for the new year.

2009-12-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

Last night we got to see a new little baby girl who had been born on December 26th. So sweet and full of hope for a new beginning at this time when we look back at the year behind us and think about the new year ahead. This is the quilt I made for her. It was fun to get back into sewing and I can definitely see quilting taking up a good amount of my time in 2010.

Wishing all my friends and family a happy new year!

Could I be sick of knitting sweaters?

2009-12-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

A funny thing happened on my way to finishing 12 sweaters for 2009. I finished #11 and then just lost the momentum. I hate to say this, but I was actually sick of knitting sweaters. I didn't even want to look at #12 which was actually over 50% finished. The holiday craziness hit, presents had to be worked on, cookies baked, well, you all know how that goes.

And then another funny thing happened. I started sewing. I brought that sewing machine out, started looking at all of the fabulous quilting cottons out there and jumped in with both feet. I finished a baby quilt for a friend's baby that was just born yesterday. And I made an apron for my sister from some beautiful Amy Butler cottons. I really wanted to keep that one for myself but I resisted. So now I have all of these quilting projects lined up for the new year. One of my favorite online fabric shops is the Fat Quarter Shop.

And as if that wasn't enough, my friend told me about the 10 Shawls in 2010 Ravelry group. As it turns out, I have been thinking about knitting shawls in 2010 so this fits right in with my plans. I'm also thinking about knitting as many of these from stash as possible because we are way out of control in that area. And now the fabric stash is increasing. Someone had better yell STOP!!!

2009-12-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

I Can Be Thankful on Saturday Too!

2009-11-21T04:58:00.000-08:00

Somehow Thursday came and went and all of a sudden it's Saturday. But we can (and should) be thankful any and everyday.

This week I decided to focus on little (and perhaps silly) things for which I am thankful. It all started with a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond where I found new hangers. I always had issues with hanging my sweaters in the closet. They would always slip off of the hangers and my solution was to squish them as close together as I could so that they would kind of hold each other up. Then I brought home these new hangers with some sort of anti slip coating and the problem has been solved. Silly this may be, but it makes me so happy when I look into my closet and I can see my sweaters hanging so nicely.

I saw buds on my "Christmas" cactus this past week. It has been a fickle holiday plant with buds showing up anytime from Thanksgiving to Valentines Day. Looks like this year they decided to come early.

I am always thankful for my morning coffee, especially when I have it in one of my favorite mugs.

I am VERY thankful that I finally finished my daughter's quilt! She loves it and I love seeing it wrapped around her.

Monkeys on the front and wolves on the back.

So remember, it's not always the big things but the little things in each day that make us smile and remember how lucky we are.

Things that keep me sane

2009-11-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

I thought that this week I would think about things that I am thankful for that also help to keep me sane. Here goes:

1. My friends definitely help to keep me sane. I feel so lucky to have friends that I love - friends from my childhood, friends I know from work, friends I have met through knitting and other crafts. Friends are so important to have in my life - they know when to give advice and when to listen, they provide a shoulder to lean on when it's necessary, they put me in my place when I need it and provide laughter and comfort. I would be lost without my friends.

2. Another thing that helps me stay sane is my knitting. I can pull it out when I am waiting in line or when I need a distraction. I feel so proud when I learn a new skill or conquer that lace graph and I love successfully finishing a project whether it is for me or for a gift. It brings me comfort when I need it and lends a distraction when necessary.

3. Memories of my mom - she was always there for me, always such a quiet but strong person. She had very strong opinions about what she felt was right and she passed those strong emotions down to me. As I raise my daughter, I think about what my mom would have done and I wish she was still around for me to ask her questions. I hope that I make her proud.

A Little at a Time

2009-11-06T07:02:00.001-08:00

Well, the general consensus seems to be to just keep plugging away at getting rid of stuff - a little at a time. What's that saying - you can't organize clutter, you have to get rid of it. How true!! So that is what I am trying to do - and I will keep at it.

This has nothing to do with clutter, but it certainly makes me smile! Have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursdays

2009-11-05T03:32:00.000-08:00

I really have no reason to be in the mental slump that I'm currently feeling. There are so many things that I know I'm thankful for and yet I still feel dragged down. After reading Margene's post yesterday morning, I think I realize what may be contributing to this mood, at least in part. The simple answer is that there is just too much clutter and stuff around this house and it is dragging me down. I need to do something about it but sometimes it just seems so overwhelming and I don't know where to start. I try to do a little bit at a time but if I slack off, well, it just starts piling up again. One thing I definitely know is that I need to learn to let things go - both mentally and physically.

Carole's suggestion of Thankful Thursday may help me refocus on what I need to be thankful for - in other words, what is really important. So here goes - my first list of three.

I am thankful for my family and for a daughter that I love so much. Those times when she says something so insightful - well that just blows me away. And then of course, there are those times that she is a typical nine year old and drives me nuts - but I guess that I'm thankful for those times too.
In today's economy, I am so lucky to have a job that is secure - or at least as secure as a job can be these days.
And the fact that I get to work part time - that makes it even better.

Thanks Carole, for a great idea!

2009-10-31T04:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!

I decided to make an impromptu Halloween dinner last night. My daughter had a friend over so we invited her to join us.

We started with some Bloody Vampire Soup (dead fish optional).

We supplemented that with Snake Bites.

Yummy snake meat.

A delicious plate of spiders joined us for dessert - little did they know that they were dessert!

Whether you are in it for the tricks or the treats, have a wonderful Halloween!

A Photographic Update

2009-09-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? Maybe I can show you some pictures of things we did over the summer? Are you ready!

We visited a beautiful penthouse in New York City and watched the sunset over the Hudson River.

Looking the other way, we could see the Empire State Building.

We met some great dogs! These Border Collies are amazing - they play ball, they herd children and are great fun to play with.

We went to horse camp and made horse cookies to share with our fellow campers.

We went on vacation to Florida and stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel - by the way, they have a great pool.
We went upside down on scary rides.

This was probably one of my favorite things.

Hanging out with the dolphins at Sea World. We got to feed them, learn a little bit about how they are trained and even try some training signals ourselves. It was great fun!

Oh, and sweaters 8, 9 and 10 are done. Wanna see...

Details forthcoming. Now please tell me - where did September go?

Love those FO's

2009-07-31T06:05:00.001-07:00

Sweater #7 has been done for a while and even worn a few times but I'm finally getting around to posting about it. It's the Lemongrass Bolero and it's been the perfect summer addition to my wardrobe. I had 3 skeins of Dream in Color Classy hanging out in the stash which I had originally bought for the Dream in Color Shrug but then changed my mind about making that. I went through several pattern ideas for this yarn before settling in on this one thanks to Meera's that I saw on Ravelry. It's perfect for throwing over a tank top especially at work where the air conditioning can make it a little uncomfortable.

I also finished knitting my Seraphim shawl which now, instead of sitting around on the needles, will be hanging around waiting for a bath and blocking.

And sweater #8 is on the needles - the Whisper Cardigan from Interweave Knits. I've started this a few times but was not happy with my initial yarn choice. I am now knitting with Malabrigo lace in the Lettuce colorway and I am totally swooning over this yarn. It is so soft - I imagine it must feel wonderful on.

Have a great weekend!

Getting my money's worth

2009-07-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

"I think you are going to get your money's worth." This is what my daughter said to me just before the Jonas Brothers took the stage at their sold out concert in Boston last Friday night. And even though she made me laugh with that statement, she was 100% correct. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but I can honestly say that it was an awesome time. The music was great and my daughter and I shared a memorable experience together as we danced around to some fun songs.

It was fun watching the crowd which varied from children around 5 or 6 to teenage girls and parents. You could tell the parents that were merely along for the chaperoning - the ones sitting with their iPods or their books - but there were also the ones who like me, dancing along to the familiar music. I will admit that I didn't scream as much as many of the girls but I did have fun.

And yes, I definitely feel that I got my money's worth. Being able to share an experience like that with my daughter was priceless!

And the Sweaters Keep On Coming

2009-06-29T04:09:00.000-07:00

Sweater #6 is finished and, thanks to Mother Nature, has even been worn already. Who would have thought I'd be wearing a wool sweater at the end of June. Presenting my May Day Lady sweater knit with Madelinetosh worsted in the Kelp colourway.

The buttons are "Beach Buttons" that I bought from Judy's booth at Cummington. They may turn out to be a little heavy for this sweater but we'll keep them on for a while and see how they do.

And of course I have started a new sweater - the Lemongrass Bolero. Here is mine being knit from Dream in Color Classy - Strange Harvest. Looking at these on Ravelry, I've liked the ones that have been knit a little longer so that's what I'm planning on doing.

I'll leave you with a shot of our dog's favorite spot at our annual Walk for the Animals which benefits our local shelter. We had a great day this year and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

2009-06-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

Just a little reminder to head on over to Claudia's site and check out the wonderful prizes you could win by donating to her annual MS bike ride. Let's make Knitters Against MS number one again this year.

Must Quit Foolin' Around

2009-06-15T04:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, I really have to stop being distracted by other projects. I HAVE to work on sweater #6 - it is the middle of June already and instead of working on my sweaters, I have been knitting a couple of small projects.

Here are two I finished recently for a friend's baby shower. The Baby Bobbi Bear (my second) in Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton (dog not included as part of gift) and a Sweet Pea Baby Hat from the Itty Bitty shop.

The cute baby hats are quite addictive and I've made two more since then (Upside Down Daisy hat and the Bumblebee hat) and started a third.

I've also started a Darkside Cowl with Sunshine Yarn in the Edward colorway (Twilight reference). I guess I'm easily amused, but I find it humerous to think of having Edward around my neck.

But, I need to focus on my goal of 12 sweaters this year and I need to get back to working on my February Lady sweater. I love working with the Madelinetosh yarn and already have more in my stash. It's just so soft and squishy and the color is perfect. And just wait and see the buttons I found - they are perfect for this.

Bragging Rights

2009-06-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

I’m so proud. Our local animal shelter sponsored a poster contest in the area schools and my daughter won second place in her age group. The theme for her grade was “Lost Pets + ID = Ticket Home” and this is her poster. She really loves doing artwork and comes up with some great ideas.

I also finished NaKniSweMoDo09 sweater #5 and my daughter has been wearing it almost everyday. This sweater was a quick and easy knit and she loves it. Ravelry details are here.

For the most part, my daughter has a great group of friends but we have run into some issues lately with parents whose parenting ideas are different than mine. For example, I usually like to be involved in what my daughter is watching on TV, what she is reading, what sites she is visiting on the internet. I feel that it is my responsibility to know what she is being exposed to and I know that as she gets older, I will lose more of this ability. But I would like her to get her information from her parents for as long as possible. Some of the girls in her class are reading the Twilight series and since I had never had any desire to read these books, I had no idea if there were any inappropriate parts for a nine year old. I asked some friends at work and I guess I could have checked with my knowledgeable library resource, but I agreed that she could read the books if we read them together. And let me tell you, I am so glad that I did. The woman at the book store hadn’t read them either but said that she heard they were like eating potato chips – you just couldn’t stop. And boy was she right. My only complaint is that my daughter gets upset if I read too far ahead but this is making the books last longer. Plus if I was reading all the time, there would be no time for knitting.

Fun with fiber in RI

2009-05-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Two fiber events are happening this weekend in Rhode Island and it’s a perfect time to visit.

On Saturday May 16th from 9 am – 4 pm, the third annual Rhode Island Wool and Fiber Festival will take place at Coggeshall Farm in Bristol. This event has gotten bigger each year and I have heard that there are more vendors this year than last. There will also be a fleece to shawl contest along with sheep shearing, a children’s craft tent, wool craft demonstrations and of course the wonderful animals. It is sure to be a fun time.

And then on Sunday there will be the 2nd annual Stitch and Pitch at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket. This will be my first time attending one of these events and I’m really looking forward to it (and keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will behave). There is a ravelry link here for more information.

So come visit Rhode Island this weekend and have fun playing with fiber.

Can't avoid those health issues

2009-05-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went for blood work and today I went to my doctor to hear my results. For the past few years I have been up and down with my cholesterol numbers – sometimes ok, sometimes not so good. Never great, never really bad – always somewhere in between. Every once in a while the option of medication will be discussed but as I said, the numbers are never bad enough to warrant it and I don’t have any other risk factors so we continue on with other lifestyle changes. Today was supposed to be a sort of deadline – if things didn’t improve we would try medication. So, I was kind of dreading today but also becoming resolved to the idea just in case. I think I almost tried to sabotage the blood work since I really didn’t eat too well this weekend. So, the blood was taken yesterday and I went in today for the results. And the result is … some small improvement (a lower overall number and the LDLs have also lowered) but the numbers are still not great. However, since things went in a good direction, we will once again stick with what I have been doing and I have a stay of execution as far as the medication is involved.

I know that this is a good thing, I really don’t want to be taking medication but I just wish it wasn’t this constant cloud hanging over my head. But I guess it is a lifestyle change and, like weight loss, will not happen overnight so I will continue to watch what I eat and try to increase my exercise (all good things). We recently got a Wii and I added the Wii Fit. I can honestly say that I am having fun with it – about 4 times a week, I set my alarm for 5:50AM and do my aerobics, yoga and strength training. I’m not so good at the balance games but do try those now and then. I take the dog for walks and the doctor suggested adding jump roping to my routine. My daughter will like this as she just did the Jump Rope for Heart at school and came home with 2 new jump ropes. Guess we can jump together.

I’m not planning on running any marathons, but always feel better when I add some exercise to my day. Then I don’t feel guilty about sitting down and knitting everyday – and I definitely feel that knitting is good for my mental and emotional health.

On another health note, Claudia is once again riding as #1 in the MS bike ride. So, head on over to her site and donate - let's keep her team as #1 again. If the good cause is not enough incentive, there are also great prizes to be won!!

Be healthy!!

Still more sweater love

2009-05-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

Finally - as promised. Sweater number 4 for NaKniSweMoDo09 - my Placed Cable Aran in Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed. Another great sweater/yarn combination. The yarn was wonderful to work with and I love the color variations. The pattern was also well written although I did need to lengthen my sleeves by about 6 inches. Not quite sure how this came about but it shows you the importance of measuring yourself or a favorite sweater and then going with that and not just trusting the knitted pattern. My collar is not as "cowly" (is that even a word??) as the pattern picture but it's comfortable and I'm happy. I also knit the body in the round up to the underarms to save on some finishing work. I've worn this several times and one girlfriend told me that this is her favorite one so far this year.

I broke down and am knitting sweater #5 for my daughter - a Liesl in Frog Tree Merino Melange. With the gauge I'm getting with this yarn and the size I need, I'm able to knit the 34" size on the pattern. And since my daughter wants this long (~15" from the underarm) and the longer sleeves, I'm definitely counting this as one of my NaKniSweMoDo09 sweaters.

Knit on!!

A little bit of lace and a sweater

2009-04-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, after all of my big talk about good intentions, I have gone ahead and started a new lace project. When I first saw anne working on this, I fell head over heels and went right out and ordered the yarn even though the pattern wasn’t out yet. By the way, I also ordered more of Kim’s hand cream while I was ordering the yarn. You have to try this stuff – it is so awesome. I accused her of putting something addicting in it because that is exactly how I feel – totally addicted to the stuff. I don’t know if it the fragrance or what but I love this stuff. The smell, the feel – it’s not greasy and just absorbs wonderfully into your skin where you are left with this great smell and great feeling hands. Did I mention how much I love this hand cream?? Hold on a minute while I go get some. I wish there was some way you could try it virtually but alas, it’s all for me.

Oh, yes, I was telling you about my new lace project. Must have gotten distracted. Anyway, I have started anne’s Maplewing with my New England Red yarn from Kim and I love them both. Well, the pattern and the yarn, although the girls are pretty fantastic too. The one thing I REALLY love about this pattern is that it’s very intuitive. Now, I’m not as proficient in lace as some, but I have made a few things and there always seem to be a few rows where I’m just going on blind faith with regards to the pattern and I can’t seem to find a rhythm or an easy way of remembering what is going on in that row. And consequently, I can’t see where I may be off. So, when I get to the end of that row, I breathe a sigh of relief if the count works out and then cross my fingers on the way back that everything will line up correctly. With this pattern I have found a rhythm in every row and I can tell within a few stitches if I am off or have made an error so it’s quick and easy to fix it. OK, don’t laugh, I have only done the first 5 rows but I can tell that the first Chart will definitely be like this all the way. I decided to make the tall size so the cast on was a bit overwhelming, but I figured I have the yarn and when I measured my Moth shawl, the dimensions were closer to the tall size so my decision was made.

And yes, I’m still working on sweaters. The Placed Cable Aran (ravelry link) was sewn up tonight as I was watching Season 4 of Sex in the City. Pictures will be taken soon - maybe I can wear it tomorrow!!

Enough reading – go out and make something crafty!

Can you guess?

2009-04-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd show you the cupcakes I sent in for my daughter's class last week for April's Fools. Another great design from Hello Cupcake. Did you guess what these are supposed to be? I'll give you a hint - it's 2 vegetables that often come together.

Peas and carrots. Cute, huh!! The peas are green M&M's and the carrots are orange Starburst cut into quarters.

Goin’ Loopy

2009-04-01T03:49:00.000-07:00

Isn’t life great!! I am thrilled that even after I have been knitting as long as I have, there are still new things I can learn. The girls at my Friday knitting group showed me how to do Magic Loop and I must say that I love it!!

See that picture – it’s the start of a hat. This Through the Loops beret to be exact out of Misti Alpaca worsted which I picked up at 40% off out of the sale bin at KnitKnack. Great pattern, great yarn and a great new technique. What’s not to love!!

There is one thing that I wish. As I was going all crazy, doing the happy dance after learning how to Magic Loop, I thought about other areas in my life where I may need to learn new things and wondered why I couldn’t be so excited all of the time. For example, I need to learn some new skills for my project at work and I must admit that I can’t get so thrilled about it. I wish I could, but the emotion is just not there (it’s a good possibility that my good friend and also the lead in my group at work may be reading this – hi Wendy!!). Wouldn’t it make for a more pleasant environment if I could get as psyched about my project at work as I can about my crafts? Now, I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy my job – there are many good things to say about it. I work with a great group of people and have some very close friends there. And I have been involved in some really interesting work. But there are many times during the day where my mind will wander off to the sweater I’m knitting or the quilt I am sewing – these are the things that keep me going.

Maybe that’s why they call it work and my extracurricular activities are what I do for fun. Make some time for fun in your day – every day!!

A Finished Chamomile

2009-03-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

My third sweater is complete but it won't be worn until it gets a bit warmer out. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that I've made three sweaters and I love them all. They all fit, feel comfortable and are sweaters I will love to wear. With careful planning, I'm hoping my good luck will continue.

I ended up making my Chamomile a bit longer in the body and I started the front opening a few rows later than the pattern suggested. I do want to be able to wear this to work. I am really happy with the way this third sweater knit up.

Just to clarify yesterday's post, I too am all for making more knitted shawls and all other sorts of knitted items. My problem is that I know I could fall into the trap of casting on for way too many projects and that would not be a good thing for me. What is that saying? Jack of all trades and master of none. Well, I would be the starter of many projects and the finisher of none :)! One reason that NaKniSweMoDo is working for me is that I have been trying to make a conscious effort to knit on only 2 sweaters at a time. Then when I finish one, I can cast on for another. That is not to say that I haven't been spending a lot of time thinking and planning about what to make. Right now, I could easily cast on for at least 5 or 6 sweaters, 4 or 5 shawls and numerous hats, socks, mittens and scarves. But then I don't think I would be making any progress on anything and I'm not sure it would be fun - more stressful than not. So, that was my point and something I have definitely learned about my personality.

Knit on and have fun!!

The Responsible Thing to Do

2009-03-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

I try to live responsibly. I bought those great Sigg water bottles for myself and my daughter so that we wouldn't be buying and using all of those plastic water bottles. I recycle whenever I can and I do try to help others. So, when faced with the idea of bringing another shawl into this world right at this moment,

I thought to myself, what is the responsible thing to do. Is it right to start another shawl when I have a half finished one sitting unloved in my closet? For me, the answer is a definite NO. So, I am resurrecting Seraphim

and working on that in between my sweaters before I start Desdemona.

But I will admit that it can be hard to be good. After all of my good intentions, anne has just released the Maplewing pattern and I already have the yarn from Kim sitting in my stash. What's a girl to do??? Isn't that shawl one of the most beautiful things you have ever seen??!! Of course I ran to her site to purchase the pattern as soon as I found out it was published. I have not wound up my yarn yet, but it is probably only a matter of time. Once again I will admit it - I'm weak!!

Between the Sweaters

2009-03-08T05:13:00.000-07:00

When you have a plan to knit 12 sweaters in one year, it gets difficult when you think about knitting something else. It's easy to fit in some small things - a pair of fingerless mitts knit with Lobster Pot cashmere in the Toasty pattern.

But how do you fit in something bigger? Much bigger!!

Last year I joined the Shakespeare in Lace club from Wooly Wonka Fibers and our first kit has been sent out. It's the Desdemona Shawl by Miriam Felton and it is absolutely gorgeous. But I don't know how to find the time to cast on for this when I have already have a commitment to my sweaters (or maybe I should BE committed :)!)

Speaking of sweaters - numero tres is being sewn up and needs the neck knit up (Chamomile in Rowan Summer Tweed).

And number four is being worked - Fleece Artist Garter Stitch Jacket kit purchased from Colorsong Yarn.

I'm Feelin' the Love

2009-03-01T04:37:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have already seen this finished sweater in my Ravelry projects and some of you may have seen it on me since I have been wearing it almost everyday since the pieces were put together. Since I have been wearing it so much, I will admit that the buttons still are not sewn on, but that has not stopped me from wearing this awesome sweater. Who needs buttons??!!

At some point, I should probably steam the bands of ribbing.

Now I realize the love that everyone has for this sweater. This is definitely one that I can just throw on whenever and one that will become a staple in my wardrobe. It is so cozy and the Peace Fleece is so warm. I can even see myself making another so we know that this is one special sweater. I may just change the cables as in this variation here. Wouldn't that be fun!!

It's Vest Time

2009-02-06T04:13:00.000-08:00

Time flies when you are knitting a sweater a month. Yes, knitting is taking up a good deal of time. When it is time to sit and chill, the knitting comes out. I'm even coming up with strategies so that there won't be any down time with the current sweater. For example, usually I would wait and block all of the sweater pieces together. With my Central Park no Hoodie, I decided I could block the fronts and back while I am knitting the sleeves. This way, when the sleeves are blocking, I can sew up the shoulders and work on the collar and buttonbands. Clever thinking, huh!! Frank Gilbreth would be proud. Coincidentally, the Gilbreth family lived in the town where I grew up - the house they owned was 2 blocks away from my family's house. The story goes that you could actually see the marks on the wood floor where the children rollerskated in the house.

I promised pictures of my first finished knit for NaKniSweMoDo and here are the classic bathroom mirror shots. I've already worn the vest several times since I finished it last week. I'd say it is a hit.

Of course, I can't help thinking about what sweaters/yarn may be coming in 2009. Margene has been singing the praises of Beaverslide for quite a while and I finally decided to order some sample color cards so that I can make an educated choice. I've heard such great things about this yarn and I can definitely see some in my future.

Aaahoo, Werewolves of London

2009-01-30T03:40:00.000-08:00

What would you do on a snow day when the schools are closed and you have to stay home from work? Some people might play out in the snow - go sledding or build a snowman. Others might curl up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa and watch a movie or read a good book. My daughter and I did go out and spend some time in the snow - I shoveled while she built a snow fort but most of our day was spent making werewolves.

What you say? Yes, we did make werewolves - werewolf cupcakes that is. Yesterday was my daughter's birthday and we wanted to make cupcakes to share with her class. And since I have the book Hello Cupcake!, I couldn't just make regular cupcakes. We started out by preparing the marshmallows.

Fruit Rollups are used for the inside of the mouth. Then you need to "glue" on the ears and muzzle with some frosting.

Aren't they looking cute! The frosting part was difficult - I think my frosting to fur technique needs a little bit of work.

We used M&Ms for the eyes and nose. Here they are (32 werewolves later) - part of our pack of werewolves.

The white frosting is supposed to be teeth. Personally I think they look like they are foaming at the mouth, but that may be totally appropriate for werewolves. And I found out that the cupcakes were a hit. The teacher and the children loved them. It was a snow day well spent!

Cupcakes weren't the only thing finished that day. I was able to wear my first sweater of NaKniSweMoDo yesterday and plan on wearing it today as well. Details will be posted soon.

One Short of a Hat Trick

2009-01-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

I think that I am using that term correctly, but if there are any hockey fans out there please feel free to correct me!

My daughter has been wearing her new hat everyday since it was finished. As you must know, that makes this knitting mom very happy. Since this hat went so quickly, I decided to make a matching hat to the Dream in Color Tulip baby cardigan I had gifted last month. The baby is due in February and I thought she should have a nice warm hat. Plus I had some leftover yarn from the cardigan that has been sitting around feeling lonely and unused so it was a good match.

The picture came out a little dark, but Bob the sock monkey is enjoying the hat tremendously. Too bad he could only wear it for a short while since I wrapped it up quickly and gave it to the expectant mother who was very happy with it.

The observant readers may notice the cute little pompoms that adorn the top of each hat. I ended up with these Clover pompom makers in a Yankee swap and my daughter and I have been having a blast making pompoms. I have the sizes shown in the linked review and two smaller sizes. They are a great way to use up some yarn and just plain fun to make.

Who's being selfish?

2009-01-17T04:45:00.000-08:00

I once knew a woman who would make up a slogan for the year depending on what it was she wanted to accomplish for that time. For example, I remember one year where her resolution was to to clean things out and declutter, so the slogan was "Out the door in 2004.".

As I started this year of 12 sweaters, I began to wonder if I was going to feel like this was a selfish goal. After all, I will totally admit that these sweaters are probably going to be all for me. I will make sweaters for my daughter and I did make sweaters for my mom and a vest for my dad but when I look at the work involved and the way people like things to fit just so - well, the bottom line is that I'm planning on knitting the sweaters for me and I'm sticking with that. Yes, this could change but right now I'm going with the premise that they are all for me. So, selfish? Maybe.

But I have begun to realize that there is time for little things while I am knitting those sweaters. So yesterday I picked up this hat for my daughter and now am almost done. She designed this hat - drew me a picture with color requirements and all. We still need to decide on the color of the pompom, but it's almost done.

Oh, and the orange and green were Mission Falls superwash wool from the stash. Shopping from the stash is definitely another goal for this year. So there is time to knit things for others although the next few small things that I'd like to knit - Toasty and a Forest Canopy Cowl - well, there are kind of both for me.

Oh, and the saying I came up with for the year - yeah, well that sounds a bit selfish too.

It's all mine in 2009.

Happy Knitting!

My NaKniSweMoDo Progress

2009-01-08T04:12:00.000-08:00

I promised pictures and here are some of my 2009 sweaters in progress. First up is the completed back of my Central Park No Hoodie. I finished the back this past Tuesday and started one of the fronts last night. I'm still loving the Peace Fleece. And the color. And the pattern - really it's a win-win-win proposition all the way!

This next picture is the back of my Noro Striped vest. This picture was taken yesterday morning and last night I finished up the back.

This is my mindless knitting since I do need to keep track of the rows on my CPNH so that I know when to make the cable. I also can say that I am definitely having fun with this - I should hope so since we are only 8 days into 2009. There's still a long stretch to go. Well, I wish I could say it's back to knitting for me but first I must get through the daily grind. I need to talk to some people at work about a new job - wish me luck!

I Cheated!

2008-12-27T07:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit it. I cheated. I started working on my 2009 sweaters 6 days early. I just couldn't wait anymore. I hope that no one will throw me out of the group!!

This holiday I seemed to be quite together in getting most of my knitted gifts done in time. I ended up making several cowls (two with the Forest Canopy Cowl pattern, one with the Spiralicious pattern and one that buttoned for a friend that would hate pulling something on and off over her head). I also made three of the Noro striped scarves (the third one was finished on Christmas Day for my Dad) and a Ravenclaw hat. I'll have some pictures and talk more about those when I get home to my computer.

Now I am visiting in NJ for a while and I brought the yarn for my first sweaters of 2009. Yeah, I could have brought something else to work on and I wouldn't have been tempted, but it really is the perfect time to get some quality knitting in and I just couldn't help myself. The first two sweaters I am working on will be the Central Park Hoodie in Shaba Green Peace Fleece and Amy King's striped Noro vest from Knitty in Noro Silk Garden. I figure they should compliment each other since the vest will be great for mindless knitting and I'm not sure how much I will need to concentrate on the Central Park Hoodie. I have decided to make the button closure on the hoodie and will actually not make the hoodie - so I guess it's actually a CPNH instead of a CPH. I loved Norma's and have since seen Anne's and Karen is finishing up hers and I think that I will get much more wear out of it and love mine more with the buttons and collar.

Please forgive me for breaking the rules but I am having fun and that is definitely one of the most important rules for this 12 sweaters in 2009 marathon!

Reading

2008-12-11T03:56:00.001-08:00

I can’t tell you how happy this picture makes me. I have always loved reading and of course I read to my daughter to help develop her love of books and reading. It wasn’t until the past year or so that she will voluntarily pick up a book and tell me how much she loves it. Right now she is reading the Judy Moody books and it makes me smile when she tells me how funny the story is and how happy she is that I bought her these books. I'm so glad that we have another reader in the family!

Question of the Day

2008-12-07T04:12:00.000-08:00

Why is it that I have to argue with my daughter about cleaning up her room and yet I can leave her at the barn where we take horseback riding lessons and she will clean out the horse stalls with a smile on her face?

A Public Safety Announcement

2008-12-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

We interrupt this blog for a public service announcement. The knitter known only as knittingbythesea seems to have lost her mind. Sources wishing to remain anonymous have revealed that someone calling herself “knittingbythesea” has joined the group known as NaKniSweMoDo (Ravelry link - see *Note below). There are currently over 100 members of this extremist group and each member is planning on knitting 12 adult sized sweaters in 2009. It is not known if there is some sort of Kool-Aid concoction being circulated or if it is the fumes of the yarn itself that is giving these knitters the strength to accomplish this task. Many of the members have talked of using “stash” and working on “WIPS” as part of their plan for 2009.

The pictured button is one of the groups identifying characteristics. If you see someone displaying this symbol, please consider them armed and possibly dangerous. This has been a public safety announcement.

*Note: For those individuals that would like to find out more about this group and do not have access to Ravelry, you can check out this link for more information.

Other Crafts

2008-11-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

I used to do a lot of quilting – belonged to a local guild and everything. Knitting kind of took over since it is much more portable for me and once I had a child, I needed things to do while I was doing other things – watching gymnastics lessons, waiting at piano lessons and things like that. You know – that multitasking thing we are all so great at!

Even though I am not doing a lot of quilting lately, I still love fabric. The colors and texture – you can get into it the same way you get into yarn. It’s all a tactile thing.

Here are some of the quilts I worked on in the past. An appliqued wall hanging:

A paper pieced pineapple (say that quickly 5 times):

We have a handmade quilt on our bed and another one on our couch. This is the quilt I am currently working on and I'm hoping to get it done in time for a Christmas present for my daughter.

I ordered a wolf print for the back. Yes, I know you are thinking – what do wolves have to do with monkeys? What can I say, my daughter is obsessed with wolves but there is no way I am scrapping the monkeys and changing to wolves so this is the next best thing. What do you want to bet that she will be putting the wolf side face up on her bed while the monkeys are no where to be seen. Just my luck!

I'm in love...

2008-11-21T05:41:00.001-08:00

... with a sweater! It’s amazing what you can get done when you work on one thing. This sweater had been sitting around for a while with just the sleeves and the front ribbing to be done.

Whatever took me so long??!! I LOVE THIS SWEATER!!!

I apologize for the crappy mirror shot. The pattern is Mr. Greenjeans but I'm calling mine Ms. Pumpkinpants because of the color.

I now understand Norma’s love of her sweater and why she was wearing it everyday. I’m trying to fool people at work by wearing a different shirt underneath it each time I wear it, but I don’t think it’s working. Although yesterday a friend came up and told me how much she liked it - and she hadn't noticed that I had worn it several times this past week. So maybe I am safe.

This sweater is amazing. The fit is perfect; the yarn is soft and cozy (Jaeger Shetland Aran bought here a while back). It was great to make because there was really no finishing work to talk of when the knitting was done. A little bit of wet steaming with the iron, sew on the button and it was ready to be worn. And believe me, I am definitely wearing it!!!

On a different note, my daughter has another request for a handknit item. As we were watching one of the Harry Potter movies (it may have been Order of the Phoenix), she saw a hat that Ginny Weasley was wearing. Now, it couldn't have been on the screen for very long, but she drew me this picture:

The O's, W's and G's stand for orange, white and green and the thing on top is a pompom (apparently a very important feature). I looked through my stash and found a few skeins of Mission Falls 1824 wool and we went to the store to pick up the white/cream.

Now I have to start a hat to add to all of the other things on the needles around here.

Love My Shoes

2008-11-18T03:44:00.000-08:00

I heart my Professional Danskos. I originally started wearing them because they were the one shoe that I found where I could comfortably wear my handknit socks. And since I especially love to wear my handknit socks, I needed a shoe that would fit. Enter the Professional Dansko. These are usually my first choice when I run out the door. They are so comfortable that I even wear them in the summer without socks. Black is my basic pair

but I also have my own pair of blue suede shoes.

And now I ordered this pair, thanks to Cara and her contest. These will soon be arriving on my doorstep. Can’t wait!

How to Make My Day

2008-11-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

... or even my week. Cara sent me the best email this past Monday morning. I had won the grand prize in her latest contest! Can you believe it!! She had over 600 comments and I won. I was sitting at my desk at work when the email came through and I had to control myself from screaming out loud. The prizes are a $100 gift certificate to onlineshoes.com and a $25 gift certificate from Blue Moon Fibers. I am definitely shopping for a new pair of the professional Danskos (maybe these) since I wear mine all the time. And what are the odds - I have been looking at these kits on the Blue Moon website, thinking about placing an order. I can't wait to go shopping! Cara, thank you so much for haing this contest.

And, on the same day, my girlfriend handed me this magazine. It's been out for a while and of course I decided that I wanted it. And as soon as I decided that, I couldn't find it anywhere. She found the last copy at a Joann's near her.

Talk about a great Monday. Maybe I should have played the lottery.

A Child's Simple Request

2008-11-07T03:34:00.000-08:00

As some of you long time readers may remember, I like to make my daughter a sweater every year. As she has gotten older and become more opinionated, she has definitely challenged me with her requests. This year was no different. The request this year was that she wanted a cardigan with a two way zipper. OK. The cardigan I can handle. The zipper was a different story.
We chose this pattern together and picked out the colors (Ella Rae Classic yarn). I modified the pullover version to include some extra stitches at the front. Hell, if I was going to do this, I may as well go all the way and do a steek also. This way I would learn two new things with this project.

The finished knitting –

Which then sat for a while since the next step was cutting. And all along I was researching what to do after the cutting step. To be honest, the cutting didn’t bother me so much since the whole zipper thing was my real roadblock.

Ok, so I knew that after the cutting, I would need to pick up the stitches and knit some sort of edging. I picked a seed stitch border that I saw on Claudia’s blog. Two of the sites that I found useful were Claudia’s post here and Bonne Marie’s instructions here. I also decided that I would probably go with Anne’s advice on hand sewing the zipper in since that would give me more control. I also liked Julia’s advice on knitting a facing to hide all the inside zipper stuff but then I read somewhere about sewing a ribbon over the inside part of the zipper and this seemed like the way to go.

I shortened the zipper and sewed the ribbon on the back. Then basted the front of the cardigan closed and basted the zipper to the inside of the sweater. Sewing the zipper to the sweater was a little difficult since I also had to be concerned with holding the ribbon out of the way – didn’t want to get that caught in the stitching since the whole idea of using the ribbon was to be able to hide all of the stitching which was holding the zipper down. Hand sewing was definitely the way to go as I think I may have been cursing the machine in this step. I stitched each side of the zipper down twice and then tacked the ribbon down which successfully neatened up the inside of the sweater.

And voila – isn’t it pretty!
It even works!

Now I laugh in the face of a zipper – I have conquered that mountain. Of course now I still have the pieces of this sweater to put together and guess what – I’m putting in another zipper!! Where’s my martini?

349 - 147

2008-11-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

I wish my mom was alive to see the results of the presidential election. I think I can safely say that she would have been proud of the choice that the American people have made.

Next in the ABC-Along

2008-11-04T04:08:00.000-08:00

First things first - if you haven't voted yet - go out and do it! Now on to the next letter of my ABC Along.

--------------

Can you guess what one of my favorite colors is? I’ll give you some hints…

Green cup with orange swirls hand painted for me by my daughter at one of those pottery places.

Orange picture frame – hand painted by both my daughter and I (at same place, different time).

Orange sweater in progress.

Orange monkey socks – now finished and worn often.

My orange Wing of the Moth shawl – oh, how I love this one!!

Some orange yarn from my stash which may become this.

I think you may have guessed one of my favorite colors.

2008-10-31T04:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit it. It has been way too long since I have posted. In the beginning it was problems with the computer but then the issue switched to my trying to decide whether I wanted to keep up with this blog. When I do post, I enjoy it but usually it is difficult to find the time. Yes, I know that is a bad excuse and I should be able to find some time to work on the blog. But if it means that it cuts into time for something else, well then I was thinking twice about it. There have been too many things that I have let go lately and I need to prioritize things a bit better.

I’m not ready to give this blog up entirely but obviously, I need a different plan. My new plan is to try and write a little bit during the day and then send it home for posting and adding pictures later. I’ll try that for a while and see how it works. For now, I give you the letter N.

-----------------------------------------

I love going into New York City. There is always so much to see.

We can go to Broadway plays. These are the last two plays we saw: Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

The next one I am planning on seeing is Wicked - I'm reading the book now and it is fantastic.

New York City has Central Park and a statue of Balto.

In New York City, we can go to the American Girl Place for tea and then take a cab downtown for shopping in some great yarn and fabric shops. And there are always fun places to eat. Once in a while, we may see some out of the ordinary sites in New York City.

Want a closer look?

See why I love New York City!

M can only be one thing for me

2008-08-15T17:50:00.001-07:00

M-O-T-H-E-R

"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,

"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,

"H" is for her heart of purest gold;

"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,

"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"A word that means the world to me.

--Howard Johnson (c. 1915)

I really love being a mom although I will admit that can be really hard work. I’m always wondering if I am doing the right things and there are many times when I wish I could ask my own mom how she did things when I was young. One thing I have learned is to go with my gut feeling - even if others are doing it, if it doesn't feel right to me, it probably isn't ok for us.

I've learned that I need a lot of patience and there are times when I am definitely better at practicing it than others. Sometimes I find myself being drawn into the world of an 8 year old and reverting back to that age myself. Then when we start arguing with each other, I need to remember to step back and ask myself – who is in charge here anyway!

I love making things for new moms. I think I enjoy baby sweaters because they take so much less time than adult sized sweaters. I just finished this for my neighbors’ soon to be granddaughter. It's a pattern from Monkeysuits and knit from Cascade 220 Superwash.

I've also finally finished putting the buttons on these two baby sweaters. I wonder why it takes me forever to do those last bit of finishing details - it seems that I'd rather start knitting something new. The sweater on the left is the Rocketry Baby Cardigan in Manos wool and the one on the right is made from Zealana wool/delaka blend (possum wool - cool, huh!) and is a great free pattern.

I’ll even do some baking for a soon to be mom. My daughter’s teacher was out on maternity leave this past year and the woman who came in to take her place was also pregnant. When she was leaving, the class threw her a shower and this was one of my contributions. Cupcakes from the book Hello Cupcake.

I had to make over 40 regular cupcakes and then the same number of small cupcakes. Every detail is edible - the little bottles are a mini marshmallow and a tiny chocolate candy coated kiss. Then you can add a little Teddy Graham for the baby's teddy bear. So cute and they were a big hit.

Proof!

2008-08-12T03:50:00.000-07:00

There has been some sock knitting going on here.

Last week we went to a free outdoor concert/picnic at a local farm. It's the same farm I go to to pick berries and other fruit and it is a beautiful spot. Apparently they have these concerts almost every Tuesday during the summer and I hope to go to a few more. You can bring your own food and wine but they do have food for sale. Besides their regular collection of homemade sandwiches, salads and yummy baked goods, they coordinate a menu to go with the style of music that is being played. Last week it was fish and chips or bangers and mash to go along with an awesome Beatles tribute band - Abbey Rhode. The music was so much fun. As you can see, the kids thought so too!

Where is the summer going?

2008-08-01T11:12:00.001-07:00

The summer seems to be just flying by. Is there some sort of time warp that happens as one gets older? Since I do have to work over the summer, I need to find fun camps for my daughter to attend. So far she has gone to art camps, horseback riding camp and now she is in Girl Scout camp. So far I have been very lucky since she likes going. My workplace and boss are a little flexible but I don't know what I would do if it was a struggle to get her off every day.

I still feel the need for some down time for both of us - it is the summer after all! So I have tried to take some time off for some summertime activities. Early in the summer we went camping with our Girl Scout troop.

The girls stayed in platform tents and the leaders had a one room cabin. I seemed to be the only one who was really excited at seeing the name of our camping area.

Does anyone else get it? Here's a clue - you might need to be a Harry Potter fan to get it. Yes, that's right - the Weasley's house was called The Burrow. Now maybe I amuse very easily, but I got a big kick out of staying in The Burrow.

We also spend time in New Jersey and one of the things we did was visit the lake that my sister and her family joined.

The kids loved playing in the water and the kayak was a big hit with everyone.

My daughter and I had a great time paddling around the lake. It always amazes me how much she can enjoy things and it makes it fun to do things together. My brother in law was awesome and took the kids out in the sailboat. It too was a big hit with my daughter.

This lake club also offers camping sites and we ended up camping there for two nights - another delight for my daughter but not quite as much for me. I didn't sleep all that well but was happy to be camping with adults that took their morning coffee as seriously as I do. I would have been a hurting girl if I hadn't been able to have my morning coffee.

This past weekend we took a quick trip out to the Cape - Wellfleet to be exact. I really wanted to check out the bike paths and the motel we stayed at was just off of one of the converted rails to trails. We also visited one of the ponds that exist in this area and, once again, had a fun time swimming and playing in the sand.

And yes, there has been some time for knitting but that will have to wait for another post. In the meantime, I will leave you with this awesome link - the Twist Collective premiere issue. I've just started looking through it and it is beautifully done. Enjoy!

L ...

2008-07-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

We always hear that it is a good thing to keep learning new things. As we get older it's good to stimulate our minds, so go ahead and try that new lace pattern that looks a little difficult or take a class to learn a new skill. It's also important to exercise your body so maybe you want to learn a new sport. Recently, my daughter inspired me to relearn a skill - something I had done when I was younger but never very successfully.

That's a picture of my daughter since I can't take a picture of myself, but it's true - I am taking horseback riding lessons. I have taken two lessons so far - one on my own and one with my daughter. I think we will continue to take the lessons together - it's a bit cheaper and my daughter loves the idea of us doing this together.

I have never felt in control when I've been on a horse. When I would go on trail rides with my dad, I would get the horse that decided he wanted to go waist high into the lake to get a drink of water. Now is that the fault of the horse or the rider? Or maybe a combination of both. So, I decided to take some lessons and see what happens. It's a lot more work than I remember.

One other benefit - it seems to be great exercise for my legs since I can really feel it the next day. Either that or I am really out of shape which is a possibility too. So go ahead - learn something new. It may turn out to be just what you were looking for!

Contest Winners

2008-07-03T03:20:00.000-07:00

Apologies once again for the unexpected absence. Once we got the hard drive replaced on the computer, we discovered that some of the software was missing so off went the computer again. Hopefully this is it for now and we won't have anymore problems.

My daughter has picked winners for the last contest. She had a hard time narrowing them down and finally settled on 4 winners which was more than I originally told her to have but that's ok. So, here they are (in no particular order):

1. Elaine from Knitting
2. Turtle from turtles lake knitting
3. Bronwyn from Knitting:Impossible
4. Blogless in NJ

Congratulations to all! Please email me at hoyerln at msn dot com and let me know your preferences - what you like to knit, colors you like. I'm not making any promises but I'd like to give you something you will use and love. Oh and be sure to include your address. I will be gone next week so I won't be getting back to anyone until after the 14th.

Thanks to everyone for playing along.

K2tog

2008-06-24T03:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, apologies for the absence. The hard drive on our computer decided it didn't want to be with us anymore so we have been in repair and replace mode. Hopefully all is well now. And, in the next week we will announce the winner in the contest. My daughter has been having fun going through the comments. But today I will once again play catch up with the ABC Along - I'm up to K.

I chose this to display on my car because it means more to me than just knit 2 together. It also makes me think of the times I've sat and knit with friends. The times I've joined a KAL and there are many other knitters working on the same thing. Or the time when we all joined the Knitting Olympics and cast on for our projects at the same time. Or when we all pull together to help someone in need. Knitting together - and isn't that what it is all about!

And speaking of doing things together, click on over to Claudia's blog and make sure you donate towards her MS ride - it's coming up this weekend and there are prizes involved.

A Little Late with J

2008-06-06T05:16:00.001-07:00

I've had this post ready in my mind the same day I posted for I, but haven't had a chance to sit down at the home computer and get it out. The story goes that I was cleaning out my cupboards and I came across this box. Now don't laugh...

My daughter loves this stuff. She's not the greatest eater - one might say that she is a little picky, but I have seen worse. We have this joke that when she was younger and we went to the Chinese buffet for dinner, all she would eat was the Chinese jello. Anyway, I saw the box and decided to make it for dessert that night. As I'm mixing it up, I'm wondering what I will do for my J post. Hey girl, it's right in front of me!

Now, some people might like to eat it like this, but I think it looks a little naked.

Ahh, that's much better!

This could be messy

2008-05-29T04:17:00.000-07:00

I saw this sign at the local Wendy's and had the funniest pictures in my mind. My first thought was of the shakes being spun on a wheel, but I couldn't quite figure that out. And then of course it hit me - they must be using drop spindles. I think that would work better but it still could be messy.

WIP Wednesday

2008-05-28T03:37:00.000-07:00

1. Seraphim: I am still on the stockinette portion but goal is to finish up that part this week and start the first chart. I would have been farther along with this but I started the next two items.

2. Drive Thru: I try to make a new sweater for my daughter each year. At one time she had picked out some pinkish/purple Cascade 220 for this sweater but now she is into blues and wasn't too happy with what she had chosen earlier. What's a mom to do? So, I picked up some Ella Rae Classic at the local yarn shop and started this. Definitely more blue than the picture shows.

This is a child who knows what she wants and she has asked for a cardigan with a zipper (oh no, the dreaded zipper!). Anyway, I've started the body in the round with plans of steeking so I added 5 stitches which I have set off with markers and the 3 middle stitches I purl. This way I should be really clear where I need to cut. Do you think it will work?

3. Lace Ribbon Scarf: I have also started this in some Handmaiden Seasilk from the stash. It's a pretty easy pattern to remember and there is a KAL going on if you are interested.

If you don't know about the contest going on here at Knitting by the Sea, you can check out this post. Please enter if you'd like!

I think it's time for a contest

2008-05-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

A few days before Easter, I received a package in the mail. I was just getting ready to go away for the weekend, so I almost didn't open it, but I am glad I did. I think I can honestly say that this is one of the strangest things I have ever received through the mail.

Eggs! And guess where they came from? They traveled across the country from Utah! My friend Connie has a farm with horses, goats and, of course, chickens and she knew that we needed fresh eggs for Easter. Isn't she great!

I got to thinking that this was indeed an unusual package and wondered what other things have been sent through the mail. So, in honor of this package we are having a contest over here at Knitting by the Sea. What is the strangest thing you have ever received or sent in the mail? Let me know in a comment and sometime around the end of June, we will choose a winner. My daughter will be a judge since she got such a kick out of the eggs. I'm not sure exactly what the prize will be, but it will be fiber related - maybe sock yarn, maybe fiber (if the winner spins). So, have fun.

By the way, we only lost like 4 eggs on the journey. Most of them made it just fine and tasted excellent! Thanks again, Connie, for a great package!

A Transformation

2008-05-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

Just as a caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly or moth, lace also transforms itself before your eyes. From it's start on the needles,

to it's bath and blocking,

the lace becomes a thing of beauty.

My Wing of the Moth shawl in Marmalade Kidsilk Haze.

I is for ...

2008-05-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

I was planning on using ice cream for my I post but there has a little too much ice cream around here lately.

When I took my daughter to the zoo a few weeks ago for Scouting Day, I learned a little something about identification bracelets. For the everyday person who visits the zoo once in a while, it may be difficult to tell one African Dog from another.

Yes, we can see some identifying differences - certain spots or size - but we don't work with these animals everyday and haven't learned enough about them to tell them apart. Basically one elephant can easily look like another.

But wait, what is that with the penguins.

Can you see around this one's flipper?

Was there some sort of make it take it craft at the last penguin party? I hadn't realized that the penguins were into beaded jewelry. Look, there's another one in different colors.

The zoo staff has put these identification bracelets on the penguins to help us identify each individual penguin. Pretty cool! They have a poster which shows each bracelet design and the name of the penguin it belongs to. I was sure I had taken a picture of that but I guess not (bad blogger!).

Beading - it's not just for the bling!

WIP Wednesday

2008-05-07T03:50:00.000-07:00

In between the circus, a parade, baking cookies, visiting a horse farm and other fun activities, two shawls came off of the needles this past weekend. My Wing of the Moth in Marmalade Kid Silk Haze and the Forest Canopy Shawl in Fire on the Mountain Socks That Rock.

I started moth sometime last summer and I know there must be people laughing right now since there are some that finished this in days (there was a moth competition at one time). Even though I put this project down many times and waiteed to pick it up again, I did enjoy knitting it - and I learned a lot! I was able to see where I needed to be in my current row from what had happened in the row below. I guess I'm learning to read my lace knitting. Now, I just need to find the time to block these beauties. I can't wait to see them in all their glory!

Of course, I immediately cast on for another shawl. Any guesses?

I'm knitting my first MimKnits pattern - Seraphim in Brooklyn Handspun.

Eye Candy Friday

2008-05-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

We also saw a 3-D movie when we went to the Museum of Science. Although my favorite was the IMAX Omni movie about the Swiss Alps. What beautiful scenery!

Tonight we go to the circus with the Brownie troop. The girls are very excited. Obviously, I'm not making it to Maryland this year but I wish everyone that goes a great time and good weather. I will, however, be attending this event in a few weeks. It's nice having a festival close to home.

Have a great weekend!

***** 5 rows to go on Moth *****

Free Ice Cream

2008-04-28T04:19:00.000-07:00

Just to let people know if you didn't know already, tomorrow, Tuesday April 29th is Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry's. Click here to get to their homepage where you can find out if there is a participating shop near you. We have two shops nearby which I'm not really sure is a good thing, but I know we will be heading downtown tomorrow to get our free cones. Yummy!

*****9 rows left on Moth*****

H - it's not just for ice cream

2008-04-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places to visit when I go back to New Jersey is a small old fashioned ice cream parlour called Holsten's.

I mainly like it for the ice cream but it's a good place to go for lunch also. (You can click here for lots of pictures of great ice cream and of the restaurant itself.) The burgers, sandwiches and french fries are all good but of course it is the ice cream that you go back for. Holsten's has been there forever and holds fond memories for me since Mom and I used to go frequently. One joke in our family is that when Mom was in Weight Watchers, she used to go to the meeting to get weighed and when the meeting was over would come down to Holsten's for dessert and coffee. Many bets in our family have ended with the loser treating the winner to ice cream at Holsten's. My Dad's favorite here is usually an ice cream soda while I remember enjoying wet walnut sundaes with coffee chip ice cream (still one of my favorites).

If you are a fan of The Sopranos, you will be familiar with this place since the final episode was filmed here. You can now buy commemorative merchandise and the booth that the characters sat in has a plaque next to it.

Of course, I have introduced my daughter to this place and now my sister and her family, my Dad and my daughter and I enjoy having lunch here. If you are in the area, I can definitely recommend it! Enjoy!

Random Thoughts

2008-04-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

***Moth Progress - 12 rows to go ***

I'm going to have a row countdown here showing my progress towards the end of my Moth shawl. I am so close. I currently have 12 rows to go to the end but unfortunately have only been averaging a row a day since we returned home after school vacation.

I was able to finish my Monkey socks in STR Dragon Dance and I even wore them yesterday. Very comfortable!

The remainder of this post was written last week when several things were really getting to me. Obviously, I hadn't posted it and was thinking of deleting it but changed my mind. So, here is my random list with a few updates.

1. My Ms. Orangepants sweater is on hold because I am waiting for my Addi Lace needles. I totally believe that one should support their LYS but I ordered the needles over 5 weeks ago and the store has still not actually placed the order. When I went in 2 weeks ago week to ask about them, I was told that they have been putting the order off and when the woman looked at the list, she seemed quite surprised that there were so many people waiting for their needles. Silently to myself, I wondered how many of those people may have already gotten their needles from somewhere else. I've considered it, but have held off since I do have plenty of other things to work on. When I first asked about the needles I was told that they are placing orders all the time - guess that wasn't really true. I realize that the store has a difficult time competing with the quickness of placing an order over the Internet, but I would hope that there would be some understanding that the customer might not wait too long for something they can get easily somewhere else.

2. What is it with people that always want more from you? I'm not talking about telemarketers and such but about the people you deal with in everyday life - they could be people you work with or even family. It has been happening more and more to me lately - when I give the time I can to someone and instead of saying thank you, they ask for more. I don't know if I am getting less patient or what but it is really starting to get to me. Unfortunately, I end up taking my frustrations out on people that don't deserve it instead of the people that do! Who knows, maybe people think I'm selfish too. I'm sure those people don't think they are and I can't go into more details since I am not quite sure who may read this. Don't worry, it's not you :)!

3. I took my daughter and one of her friends to see Nim's Island last weekend. It was a fun movie and I am now quite attracted to the idea of living on a deserted island (see #2 above).

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I am leaving you with a picture of one of the things we saw when we visited the Museum of Science last week.

What has 4 legs, a long tongue and a long neck?

2008-04-16T03:55:00.000-07:00

Can you guess?

A giraffe! The last time we went to our local zoo, we saw that there had been some babies born. Aren't they cute!

Staying close to mom.

Enjoying a snack.

See you later!

Fearless? You Decide.

2008-04-12T04:16:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind in my ABC posts but will try to catch up. When I uploaded the Fearless Knitter button on my sidebar, I thought about what it means to be fearless. Yeah, I know I haven't put a zipper into a sweater yet, but when it comes to knitting, there are not too many patterns that I'd be afraid to try. Although if you look carefully at my shawl, I did put lifelines in.

I could have been fearless and just continued on but no, I put the lifelines in mainly because I am really afraid that if I make a major mistake, I will not be able to recover especially with this Kidsilk Haze. Hmmm... maybe I'm not so fearless.

But then I went on to think about other aspects of my life. As I've gotten older, I have come across situations where I've been confronted with an opportunity to try something and it was very likely that the opportunity would not arise again. Do you take the plunge and try or do you take the chance of saying "I wish I had"? To me, I think those may well be some of the saddest words you can say - to have had an opportunity, not taken it and then regret it. All of the following pictures are from a trip I took to New Zealand with my Mom and Dad in 1996. NZ is really one of the most beautiful countries - did you know that the sheep outnumber the people?! How can that not be a great place! Anyway, one of the places we visited was Queenstown where there are many outdoor activities in which to participate. When we pulled up to the Kawarau Bridge, my heart was beating quickly but here was one of those opportunities and I knew I had to try.

Here I am standing on the edge of a platform on the bridge. I have put my life into the hands of the nice man behind me as he attached a padded belt around my ankles which was then attached to a giant bungy cord. They adjust the bounciness according to your weight and this is definitely one situation where you don't want to lie! Thank goodness the employees are willing to jump with you because I knew there was no way I would willingly dive off of the platform on my own. You can't jump feet first because the cord is attached around your ankles and you end up hanging upside down.

There we are hanging upside down - that little raft comes and gets you at the end. I can't really say I enjoyed this - it went by way too fast and I had my eyes closed for part of it. You bounce around a lot like you are on a huge rubber band. Now the other thing I got to try was much more enjoyable and you could actually enjoy the scenery. I went flying on a tandem parapente which is a two person parasail. The hardest part was hiking up the mountain because once you are all hooked up, you have to run off the edge of a cliff to catch the air. Here we go.

Now this was a cool ride!

One of Life's Equations

2008-04-09T03:50:00.001-07:00

Work

Travel for Work

Getting Sick After the Travel

A Sick Child

Not a lot of Time or Energy For Anything Else

Consequently, I have not been blogging or reading email and I apologize to anyone who may have emailed me in the past 2 weeks. The crafting has been a bit slow too. We have also been dealing with my daughter's desire to test her independence and her/our limits. It has not helped that she has a few friends that seem to have almost no rules or structure imposed on them and consequently I get the question of why do we have rules when they don't. I explain that we think the rules are important and some of them are for her safety - things like: she is not allowed over a friend's house unless there is an adult present or if she is at one friend's house and they decide to go somewhere else, she has to tell me. Pretty basic things, but difficult when as one other neighbor said to me a few nights ago - "those kids are wild". Don't get me wrong, they are good kids but just don't seem to have the same structure that we try to maintain. This particular problem will actually solve itself in June but I'd love to hear any advice from other parents.

There has been a little knitting and sewing since I remembered that my daughter's substitute teacher's last day is this Friday and she is due with her first baby in May. I knit up a hat from the book Itty Bitty Hats

and made a matching burp cloth for one of the bibs I had shown a while back.

I think this will be a nice gift.

Time Warp

2008-03-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, Carole wanted pictures so here they are. The sad pictures come first. It took me about 5-6 days to go from this

to this.

And less than 10 minutes to get back to this.

Like I said - sad. But such is the life of a knitter. Now I'm waiting for my LYS to order the Addi lace needles in the larger size I need to work on the cabled part of this sweater. Maybe I better swing by there and check that they placed the order.

The not so sad part is that I have been able to work on moth.

Can you see the start of the Twin Leaf pattern?

And I've also worked a bit on my Monkeys -picot edge and I'm going for 7 repeats on the leg and then a short row heel. I hope I have enough yarn!

What's on the Needles?

2008-03-14T11:13:00.001-07:00

To be more precise, the title should be what's on the needles that I am actually working on, but that seems rather long for a title.

1. Ms. Orangepants (thanks Carrie for the new name)
The pressure is off since one participant of March Sweater Madness actually finished her sweater during the first week of competition. I was all ready to tell you that I was about 3 inches away from finishing the body of the sweater when I noticed a slight mistake in the last cable row. I must have put the knitting down in the middle of a row and when I picked it up, instead of finishing the row, I knit in the wrong direction. So like half the sweater had an extra row in it. Now this has happened to me before, but maybe I shouldn't be admitting it since it is possible that this has never happened to anyone else and I am the most unobservant knitter on the planet. Anyway, this meant that I needed to rip out about 3 rows so I took it off the needles and ripped back.

While I had it off of the needles, I thought it would be a good thing to try it on. Oh no! I had dropped down a needle size for the cable section like the pattern suggested, but I think it may be a little too snug. I could block the hell out of it, but I think I will probably rip back to the start of the cable section and continue with the same size needle I had used for the top of the body. This means that the sweater will be on hold as I wait to get a pair of the Addi lace needles in a size 7. I experimented with making my cables without a cable needle and I love the sharp points of the Addi lace needles for picking up the stitches. So, the sweater and I will wait.

2. Wing of the Moth
This is in pretty much the same state as last week since I have been concentrating on the March Madness Sweater. Now with the sweater on hold however, this will change. I am looking forward to getting into the next lace section over the next few days.

3. Monkey Socks in STR Dragon Dance
Also in the same state as last week for the same reason as above. If I was brave enough to bring them out this past week during a day long video teleconference that I sat through, I would have made some progress on them. But, I'm not really sure how it would go over with the higher ups and I really need my job to finance my fiber addiction. So, the socks stayed in the purse.

Maybe it is spring fever, but I also have all these ideas for new projects and have been looking at new yarn. But I have been so good about sticking with the stash, that I need to think for a few days before making any new fiber purchases. Have a great weekend!

E is for...

2008-03-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

I'm cheating a little here for my E post. Recently I introduced my friend Elaine and her new blog. Now, I will admit that I'm not thinking about these ABC ALong posts too far in advance or I would have planned to have that one as an introduction AND my E post. Instead I will link back to it for those who may have missed it so that you can see some of her beautiful handwork.

I must admit that I don't even remember when it was that I first met Elaine (we both work at the same place), but I will say that I am sure glad we met. We both like to try many different types of crafts and are there for each other when questions arise. As I said before, we are a little bit too good at enabling each other and will sometimes find that we have bought similar things without even telling each other. For that reason, we sometimes have to impose a "no buying" time around the holidays because there have been times when I have bought something only to find that Elaine bought the same thing for me for Christmas.

It's great having friends that encourage you and help you when you need it and I am very lucky in that respect. I'll leave you with a picture of one of my Christmas gifts from Elaine - it's from the Stash and Dash pattern by Amy Butler made with Chocolate Lollipop fabric.

It's perfect for that sock in progress.

It's Madness I Tell You, Sheer Madness

2008-03-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

I had expected to concentrate on my Wing of the Moth shawl for the month of March. I had just finished the Fir Cone pattern and put in a lifeline before continuing on to the next chart. Here is a picture of my WIP at this point.

Then March Madness struck. No, it has nothing to do with basketball, but everything to do with sweaters. Michelle announced the start of March Sweater Madness where you choose from 3 sweater patterns and complete your sweater during the month of March. I toyed with the idea but I don't have many options in my stash for an adult sweater. Two options to be precise and one is already earmarked for another sweater. This left one choice - Jaeger Shetland in orange. March 1st the patterns were posted and one of the choices was Mr. Greenjeans which I have been looking at a lot recently. But I had this fear that I would look like a pumpkin in my orange sweater. So the day went by without casting on. Well, I'm sure you can guess where this story ends up - yes, I cast on for Mr. Greenjeans with my orange yarn on March 2 although I am thinking of calling my sweater Mr. Orangepants. Here is a picture of my newest WIP where I have just divided the sleeves from the body.

I am really enjoying this knit and I think that the end result will be quite nice although I don't really have any illusions of being the first one finished. But I do have one request. If you see me wearing the sweater, please don't mention ... well, you know.

A New Craft Blog is in the Neighborhood

2008-02-29T04:21:00.000-08:00

My grrlfriend Elaine, better known as my partner in crime since we are both quite good at enabling each other in our craft endeavors, has started a blog. I know she would love for you to go and take a look, but first, I'd like to show you just a few pictures of things she has made for me over the years. Elaine loves doing many different kinds of crafts - sewing, knitting, beading are just a few - so you will get to see all sorts of fun projects on her blog. Here is a dress she made for my daughter.

Can you see the details of the smocking?

Elaine also made me this beautiful bag out of silk dupioni and it is also smocked at the top. It holds a mess of knitting notions.

She also does awesome bead work - an ankle bracelet on the left and a bracelet on the right.

I wish I could show you better how sparkly the beads are:

One thing you can guarantee about Elaine is that she is very particular about her work - she does a great job on everything and won't give away a handmade gift unless she is absolutely happy with every detail. She is a great inspiration and I know you will enjoy seeing what she has to show you so go over and take a look at Miss L's Craft Room.

D is for ...

2008-02-28T04:14:00.000-08:00

I had planned on taking some pictures for my D post when we were in NJ last week, but unfortunately I couldn't locate the two things I needed to take pictures of and my Dad wasn't sure where they were either. So instead I will have to download a picture from the Internet to share with you.

My D is for the Dala horse.

I was first introduced to these when my family spent a year in Denmark when I was about 5 years old. My father taught college chemistry and took a sabbatical year to teach outside of Copenhagen. I have been very lucky that my parents love to travel and we took some great trips when I was growing up.

I have always loved these horses - the colors are so bright and cheerful. I had cross stitched a Christmas ornament depicting a horse for my parents many years ago, but that was one of the items that we couldn't locate.

The horses do come in other colors, but I think I prefer the orange ones.

I recently found a pair of pajama pants in this print and bought it right away.

WIPs - one day early

2008-02-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

OK, so I take the day off because we had scheduled some work on the house and now it seems like the person may not be coming. To say I'm upset is an understatement. Maybe if I share some pictures of my accomplishments of last week, it may relax me a bit.

Loksins finished on the left. And worn yesterday - great socks and great yarn! These are knit from Dream in Color Smooshy in Beach Fog. Monkeys started on the right in Socks that Rock Dragon Dance. I just love this pattern! And the colors are perfect for PSIII.

Now for some spinning:

I finally plied the Strawberry Fields as chained singles trying to somewhat keep the same colors together. I'm pretty pleased with the results - about 315 yards of a 3-ply. I also played around trying to get a heavier weight with some BFL (also from Amy).

And lastly I tried to get some sort of thick and thin bulky. Not quite as successful although it is rather bulky.

Well, I just got a phone call from the chimney guy - he MAY be able to come this afternoon. Which means I have to stay home JUST IN CASE. I think I need to sit and knit or sew - something to make this day productive. Happy crafting!

What's on and off of the needles?

2008-02-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

The Loksins socks are finally finished. Why do some things stay so long on the needles especially when I love the pattern and the yarn (Dream in Color Smooshy in Beach Fog) and the combination of both together? The socks look awesome and I am very excited to be able to finally wear them. Thank you to Cassie for a beautiful pattern.

Of course I cast on immediately for a new pair in a colorway appropriate for the Project Spectrum Fire theme. Pictures will be coming but I am jumping on the STR Monkey bandwagon complete with a picot edge after seeing Margene's newest pair of socks. I love my one pair of Monkeys and knew I would love making another pair. The picot edge is fun and I am now on the fourth repeat of the lace pattern - for some reason it just goes so quickly.

I also finally sat down in front of my spinning wheel and plied the Strawberry Fields singles that had been sitting on the bobbin since forever. This had been one of Amy's club offerings last summer and I tried to get my singles thin enough so that I could ply chained singles. I had seen this article via Margene's blog and find it very useful since it is not a process I do very often. The finished product is now sitting on my niddy noddy waiting until I get home so I can soak it and set the twist. I haven't figured out how much yardage I ended up with, but I am hoping for enough for some simple stockinette socks.

The next fiber that went on the wheel was also Amy's - some BFL in a blue semisolid. Those 4 ounces went quickly as I tried to spin that a little thicker. It's funny how I spent so much time perfecting my ability to spin a thin single and then find it so difficult to go back and spin something thicker. I'd love to try and spin that thick and thin stuff I spun when I was learning, but I'm not even sure how to begin.

In addition, two baby sweaters are blocked and drying on a rack in my bathtub. They just need the yarn ends woven in and buttons chosen and sewn. I love the Manos sweater now that it had been blocked. The pattern was the Rocketry pattern by Dream in Color, but instead of the Dream in Color yarn, I had three skeins of Manos and used that for a slightly larger striped cardigan.

I have been trying to be really good about shopping from the stash but have been tempted a few times. anne tempts me continuously especially when she teams up her patterns with some awesome looking yarn - just one of many examples here. But I tell myself that I have great yarn in my stash and can even try spinning my own for some of her smaller projects. And then Michelle goes and has a sale and I am tempted once again. I just need to remember all that is in my stash and that I need to be strong.

Happy crafting!

What to do for C

2008-02-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

Once again, I thought of several different options for C and finally settled on cards.

I've been making handmade cards for quite a number of years - probably at least the past 12 years or so.

They mostly involve rubber stamping but there are plenty of other elements you can add to your handmade cards - ribbons, paint, tags, leaves, metal buckles.

You can swap cards among friends where each month you make cards for the other people in the group and then you get a card from each of them (although I'm late with making my card this month, right Elaine!!). We even go to conventions where you can see all sorts of creative things.

Hope you enjoy my C post. Now I better get busy and make my cards for my February swap!

A Sneak Peek

2008-02-12T03:35:00.000-08:00

I've loved the Monkey fabrics ever since I first saw them but I wasn't really doing much sewing so I could not justify the purchase. Well, that has changed and I have pulled out the sewing machine. And, as you can see in the picture, I have bought some of the Monkey fabric. I have enough for two quilt tops and the first one I am working on is from this pattern. Happy crafting!

WIP Wed ... oops ... Friday

2008-02-08T04:16:00.000-08:00

It's been one of those weeks that is so busy, I can't even keep the days straight. Thank goodness for day planners so I can see what I have to get done each day. Last weekend was spent doing table sales selling these, then I had to make a king cake for my husband's Mardi Gras party at work. This is the recipe I used and it came out really well. It was my first time making this and it wasn't hard at all.

There has even been some crafting going on. I sent off this baby gift to my daughter's teacher. The bibs I showed last time along with a scalloped baby blanket also from Bend the Rules Sewing.

She ended up having a boy so I will finish up the blue striped sweater I showed in my B post and that will also go off to her. It looks pretty much the same as last time except I am working on the second sleeve.

Other sewing projects have included this bag - it just needs some topstitching to finish it off. The pattern is Amy Butler's Frenchy Bag.

I totally crashed and burned on the spinning goals for January - you can see my poor neglected wheel in the above picture. I know that I need to do better - especially since my stash of fiber is getting larger instead of smaller. I also signed up for the new Project Spectrum - February and March focus on the element of Fire and since I can't bring myself to start a new knitting project right now (too many things on the needles), I pulled out my Wing of the Moth shawl. I love the pattern but I knit so slowly with the Kid Silk Haze. I think it is because I have this fear that if I make a mistake, it will be close to impossible to fix given the nature of this fiber. As I was thinking about this, the answer hit me. I need to put in a life line so that I will have something to fall back to if indeed I do make an unfixable error.

Hope you have a great weekend!

We Bring You The Letter B

2008-01-31T03:40:00.000-08:00

My first thought for the letter B was to choose our dog Bandit. She is a great companion - she loves to cuddle and gives great kisses. Bandit is a wonderful addition to our family. And she's always smiling.

I have also been very obsessed with making baby things lately. It must be because they are so small and come together quickly - baby things are fun to make. So between baby bibs and baby sweaters, I bring you my other B.

Baby bibs from the pattern in Bend the Rules Sewing.

A bunch of baby sweaters in different stages of development:

Where's the Coffee

2008-01-23T04:58:00.000-08:00

There must be some sort of stomach bug going around and I was up quite a lot with my daughter last night. I think I'll be calling the doctor's office when they open as this has been going for for a while now. I really need this:

I haven't taken any pictures of my projects this week, but I should have another finished baby sweater soon. I love knitting with chunky yarn. Also, I have been doing some sewing from this book. I have been making assembly line bibs. I think anne's right about the little baby things - it's too easy to just keep going with them (By the way, did you see the cute baby socks she just finished writing a pattern for?).

I have quite a stash of fabric from my quilting days so I have plenty to play with - although that didn't stop me from buying more fabric to start this Amy Butler bag. It's fun to be doing some sewing again. A friend pointed me to the blue blog to check out this book - Girls' Best Book of Knitting, Sewing, and Embroidery. This looks like a fun book for my daughter and there might be some good projects for the Brownie troop.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

2008-01-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

Can anyone explain to me why when everything is going along great, there always comes that bump in the road?! I mean, why can't things just stay simple for a while - would that be too much to ask!! It's not really a major thing - just more of a major pain and something that will take up much of my energy and cause some stress for the next week or so. I need to have fun things to think of - like this:

Isn't this the cutest sweater - and such fun to knit!! I have enough leftovers that I think I will make a matching hat. Meanwhile, I started on another baby sweater in chunky Zealana which I had ordered from Twisted (Shannon talks about the yarn here). This yarn is a New Zealand wool/possum blend which is bringing back memories of my trip to New Zealand. I remember being told what a pest the possums were so I am glad their fiber is bring used for something so wonderful.

But, I got slightly distracted by making one of these.

It seems like it is a little larger than it should be so it's a good thing we have all those automatic short row buttonholes. I'm hoping this will serve two purposes - keep my head warm and avoid the dreaded hat hair. I used Noro Silk Garden on size 8's and would probably drop down to 7's if I used this yarn again.

The Ribby Cardi pieces have been blocked. This may not seem like such a big deal, but the fact that it is actually out of my closet after hiding in there for quite a long time - well, it's amazing. So, my goals for next week are to start sewing Ribby up. I am slowly coming to grips with the zipper. Thank you to all of you who offered comfort and advice.

I've also been playing with some embroidery.

I want to continue working on these embroidered dish towels since they will be a house warming gift for a friend. And I may even pull the sewing machine out since I've been on a bit of a fabric buying rampage lately.

What Fiber Are You?

2008-01-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

Have you taken the quiz over at Potter Craft? You can find out what kind of fiber you are by answering a few questions. Just click here to check it out.

Here's what it says about mohair:

Mohair – A smooth, polished surface

“Mohair is warmer than wool, with larger, flatter scales that contribute to an overall silky-smooth appearance. The fiber absorbs dye readily and, thanks to that smooth surface, reflects it back brilliantly.” –The Knitter’s Book of Yarn

Mohairs are positive and confident. You always strive to make a good first impression because you are a proud person, and you care a good deal about what people think of you. You are careful with your words and are always tactful. You enjoy having a broad base of support and respect from those whom you come in contact. You attract this with your warm, sunny, and inquisitive personality.

Another Wednesday and the WIPs and FOs

2008-01-09T03:33:00.000-08:00

I’m really enjoying this weekly prioritization of projects. As I commented to Anne, it has helped me to focus on what I need to do and instead of jumping around from one project to another and not really getting anything done, I have goals.

As you saw from my last post, Ariann is complete. I found some great buttons at a place I used to take sewing lessons. Apple Annie's has good quality fabrics and one of the best button collections I’ve seen around here. Of course, as I was nearing the end on Ariann, I will admit that my mind began to think about what sweater is next. I have a few ideas which I will share in time, but the best idea is probably to get out the pieces of Ribby Cardi and continue on with that.

My daughter now has a new pair of fingerless mitts from this pattern of anne’s and she has already worn them to school. It has gotten so warm this week that we didn’t have to worry about freezing little fingers. The yarn is Blue Sky Alpaca sportweight and I think it is a great partner for this pattern. Alpaca is so soft and cozy.

And the Tulip baby cardigan is nearing completion – one cuff left to go and the finishing around the neck. It was a great idea to take breaks from the knitting and weave in the ends as I’d hate facing them all at once. So, this will be complete by next week if not today. For some odd reason, I have an irrational desire to finish this sweater exactly 2 weeks from the night I started it. Hmmm… we’ll see.

Now this leaves me to consider what is next.

I’m pulling out Ribby Cardi as I said above – the back, fronts and sleeves are complete and now need to be blocked. Then I better get to looking for a zipper – maybe ordering it online is the way to go since I’ve read of a few people doing that. Any suggestions or help with where to get the zipper and how to put it in will be appreciated. I'm a little worried about measuring to order the correct length for the zipper. When I was sewing clothes, we would always just shorten a too long zipper by cutting it and folding the top over while sewing it in - couldn't I just do that here also if I need to? Claudia has an excellent tutorial about putting in a zipper and I loved Julia's explanation of knitting in a facing.

I also want to start another baby sweater so that I have a few in my stash. It never hurts to be prepared and I have some yarn that I had ordered from Twisted to start another sweater. Shannon and Emily even sent along some buttons so I have everything I need. I think this should keep me busy until next week, don’t you?

A is for ...

2008-01-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

I thought about several different things for my A post for the ABC Along. And then it hit me that the answer was right in front of me - Ariann. I was able to weave in the ends and find great buttons this weekend so now I have a completed sweater. Let me present my completed Ariann. First, the headless mirror shot:

And now a shot with one of my favorite dogs:

5 - 6 skeins (sorry, but I can't really remember the exact amount I used) of Cascade 220 in color number 8013. I made both the body and the arms longer than the pattern called for and also ended up making a larger size sleeve than the body size I made. The first sleeve I made seemed like it would be a little too snug and so I went up in size. I wore it to work today and am quite happy with my new sweater.

I'm hoping it will be a sweater that I pick up often although I may block it just slightly larger the next time I wash it. I'll decide that as I wear it more. This is my third completed item from one of Bonne Marie's patterns. They are well written and if you do happen to need help, all you need to do is send an email and she replies back quickly. I actually do have a fourth item from one of her patterns almost completed - a Ribby Cardi - but I've been stalled by the idea of putting in the zipper. 2008 will be the year that I conquer that fear!

The Details

2008-01-03T04:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was pictures, now for some details.

Ariann will be one of my goals for this week - now that I am home, I should be able to weave in the ends and hopefully look for buttons. I love the mitts I tested for anne and my daughter is requesting her second mitt, so I will also set that as another goal for this week. The Tulip baby cardigan will be worked on also - working the ends in as you go is really the thing to do if you hate being faced with all those ends after the knitting is complete. And those small sweaters knit up so quickly.

The fairisle hat that I showed yesterday was a Traditional Hat kit from Bea Ellis Knitwear. I had completed about a third of it and since I was looking for a gift for a friend, I grabbed it for the trip to NJ. It was easy and fun to finish and I remembered how much I enjoyed working the fairisle pattern. I think there will be more of those in 2008. As a matter of fact, my friend Connie and I are planning a stranded mitten project. We did socks together once and it is time for another project together. I have a Frostrosen mitten kit from Nordic Fibers somewhere in the stash which I must search for - it will be perfect for this.

Also, the baby mittens are thumbless mittens, not fingerless mitts as I wrote - I think I have those on the brain as I just bought the Hot Waffles pattern from anne. Remember - keep those hands warm.

FOs and WIPs in Pictures

2008-01-02T04:43:00.000-08:00

Ariann blocking

Finished hat

Fingerless mitts

Tulip baby cardigan

Fingerless mitts

WIP Wednesday

2007-12-26T09:59:00.001-08:00

No pictures until I get home but I can give a quick update on my WIPs.

1. The knitting on Ariann is now finished and the underarm seams sewn. She has been blocked and is now in my closet awaiting the weaving in of ends and the selection of buttons.

2. The little sewn knitting bag is complete and given away along with a beautiful Fleece Artist mohair/blue face soft mitten kit. The color combination of this particular FA kit was absolutely gorgeous and extremely difficult to give away.

I did hit a little roadblock in the completion of my goals, but when that roadblock involves knitting, it really is not too much of a hardship. I did run out of time to sew up the pillowcases, but decided that those gifts could be moved to the birthday category which would give me extra time. The first roadblock was that I had forgotten that my daughter's teacher had asked me to knit some mittens for her one year old and while I had quickly completed the first pair, the second was still sitting as a ball of yarn in my bag. I decided that I wanted to complete that before school closed for vacation so I knit up another pair of tiny thumbless mittens - so cute.

The second roadblock was not any problem at all, but an unexpected surprise. An email conversation with anne led to her asking me if I could test knit a pattern for her. I felt very honored but was initially unsure of whether I would be able to complete the knitting in a timely fashion (and you know how quickly anne knits!!). But, since I really wanted to work with her and this was just fingerless mitts and all of my holiday knitting was complete (or so I thought), I decide to accept. And I was so glad I did. The pattern was so much fun and I completed one mitt in 2 days. One funny thought occurred to me after I accepted anne's offer - I was glad that I was able to knit one of her fingerless mitt patterns since I would never have been able to finish one of her beautiful shawl patterns in a decent amount of time. And since I loved the idea of working with her I was glad that it worked out like it did. Thank you anne and I hope you will ask me again when the opportunity arises.

So now I need some goals for this week which are somewhat limited by what I packed in my suitcase. I found out a week or so ago that I will be needing a baby gift come February so I will be starting my Tulip baby cardigan kit that I had ordered from Threadbear a while back. I also started knitting the test pattern from anne in a smaller size for my daughter and will work on those. I'll provide any important information back to anne. This seems like enough for a holiday week. Have a good one!

WIP Wednesday

2007-12-19T10:55:00.000-08:00

I love Anne's idea of a WIP Wednesday - there's even a button! Every week you list your goals for the week and update on your progress from last week. I believe Anne said that you should have no more than 3 goals - makes it easier to manage. I think I'll jump right in and I will try to update each week (but if it's not on a Wednesday, please don't hold that against me :)!)

First off is my Ariann sweater - so close to the end. I really have a goal to finish it by the end of the year. Currently I have about an inch and a half of the collar and then I need to weave in the ends, block it and find buttons. My goal will be to finish the collar by next week.

I also have some sewing to do - 2 pillowcases and one small bag (perfect for those mittens or that sock in progress). Since these are all Christmas presents, I really need to finish them for next week and I think I can.

I think those 2 goals are enough for this next week since there is also some other holiday stuff that needs to get done. Trying to wrap things up before the new year starts, I noticed that I have one last spot open for Pay It Forward (details here). Please let me know if you are interested. Also, I picked another winner for the monkey contest from a few months ago (I never heard from the other winner so I picked another name). So, a package will be going in the mail for anne and I couldn't be more pleased. Although, I am throwing her a curve and instead of sending yarn for her Monkey socks, I am sending some roving for her to spin up into yarn for Monkey socks. anne, you are one person who is always up for a challenge so I hope this package will be fun for you!

Cheers!

2007-12-09T03:41:00.000-08:00

Friday was our yearly lunch and shopping trip and as usual, the time went by too fast. But we savored every minute and had a wonderful time. Once again I'd like to thank these awesome women for being my friends - for accepting me the way I am, knowing when I need someone to just listen and not necessarily offer a solution, and for giving me a shoulder and a hug when I need them. This was a tough year for me and I am thankful that I have such strong women as friends.

Pay it Forward

2007-11-30T05:24:00.001-08:00

I kept going back and forth on whether or not I should join this - but, hey, I have a whole year to send out my gifts so I think I can handle that. Also, being able to sign up on Ina's blog was an extra bonus. You see, Ina and I share a very special bond. She lives in the town where I grew up and went to school, where I still go to visit my family. And that gave me the extra push to sign up.

If you haven't seen this yet, here's the deal.

The PIF pledge:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Since this has been going around for a while (and I don't really get all that many readers), I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get three comments from people who haven't signed up yet. And since sometimes I have problems getting email addresses through Blogger comments, if you are someone new to here and you don't think I have your email address, please email me at hoyerln [at] msn [dot] com because I will need to get your mailing address. Also, it's implicit that all participants have a blog (sorry, blogfree readers) since the reason behind this is to pay it forward through your own blog. Of course, if I don't get three people that I can send a gift too, I will promise to pay it forward in my community.

Here Comes Santa Claus

2007-11-25T04:27:00.000-08:00

I'm the type of person who doesn't like to rush the holidays. For example, I refused to listen to one of the radio stations I usually listen to in the morning because they were playing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving. Please, let's just try to enjoy one holiday at a time.

However, we all know that it's a different story when it comes to making holiday gifts. Sometimes I have to start in January - or maybe that is just finishing up gifts I hadn't completed from the previous year (LOL)! When my daughter made these ornaments this past Saturday at Michael's, I knew they would be a fun project to make at home. Besides decorating the tree, they could also be nice package toppers and would make great little gifts for a child to give to a teacher. All you need are the red, white and black pony beads and some cord. We used the elastic beading cord but other types should work too. Just make sure you have enough cord - probably close to 2 yards. Fold the cord together, tying a knot on top leaving a loop for hanging.

As you can see in the picture, you string the beads on one side and then you need to poke the other cord through the beads in the opposite direction. I just did a search on pony bead patterns - check out this cute lamb one. There are tons of free patterns which will hopefully explain the directions better than I can. Enjoy!

Go Forth and Knit Mittens

2007-11-19T03:38:00.000-08:00

It's time again for Knit Unto Others and I've decided to make mittens. It'll be a great way to use some of my handspun that I'm not sure what to do with and some leftovers from other projects. Small mittens don't take a lot of yarn.

I started out using this pattern (without the stripe). That's the yellowish/pinkish mittens you see in the picture. The fiber is the wool blend from Amy and I think the name was something like Strawberry Lemonade. I had used this fiber to practice my Navajo plying.

Then I switched to the book by Ann Budd that you see in the picture. It's great when you want to just use some yarn you have in your stash. You simply find your gauge, decide what size you want to make and follow the charts in the book. Very easy and versatile. I'm now using the other yarn in the picture and I must admit that I did not enjoy this fiber as I was spinning it. It is slightly scratchy and as I started the mitten, I wondered how I could make the mitten feel softer. Then I remembered that, as a spinner, I have plenty of soft fiber in my stash and I could thrum the mittens. So, I pulled out some leftover Corriedale that I had used for my Diamond Fantasy Shawl and started adding it to the mitten. Much softer and much warmer!!

Memories

2007-11-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

As some of you may remember, I join a local CSA each summer. We had our final pickup 2 weeks ago and I will have to wait until next spring when I can start picking up my share again. The first year was the most adventurous for me since I was introduced to many vegetables I had never tried. This past summer was my third year and I really look forward to seeing what I will get each week. Some people don't get the idea of the CSA and ask me why I can't pick out something else instead. As my daughter learned in preschool - "You get what you get and you don't get upset." And that is what makes it an adventure each week.

A few weeks in a row we got cabbage and I had a great idea to make something I had never made before - a boiled dinner. Specifically corned beef and cabbage since I remembered that my daughter, who can sometimes be a picky eater, had tried it when a friend made it and enjoyed eating the corned beef. So, let me present to you my first ever (and definitely not my last) boiled dinner:

Corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Not only did it taste awesome, but the most amazing thing happened - the smell and the taste brought back memories I hadn't even remembered I had. Memories of being a little girl and going to my grandparents for Sunday dinner or having dinner at my aunt's house. I could remember my grandmother's kitchen and sitting at her table - things I haven't thought about in a very long time. It amazed me how vividly the smells and tastes of my dinner could bring back things I had long forgotten. The ties that bind us to past generations are always there in some form, coming back to us when we least expect it and maybe when we need it the most.

I'll be there in spirit

2007-10-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

No Rhinebeck for me this year. For personal reasons, it would just be a little too emotional for me to be there. But I will be thinking about it this weekend (hard not too) and wearing my 2006 Rhinebeck t-shirt. And wishing good weather and fun times for all of you there.

In the meantime, I offer you a nice fall picture:

and what our Brownie troop did with their pumpkins.

We won first prize at the harvest festival for our ghoul scout troop!

Working Through the WIPs

2007-10-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

Finally, pictures of finished objects!

Keeping with the idea of finishing up a project and not starting a new one and given the fact that it is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Socktoberfest, I thought I'd work on these socks.

Not really pink, but shades of red and pink. The first sock is finished and the second one is now almost at the heel. The pattern is the Cable Rib socks from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks and the yarn is Sleeping Dragon in the Candy Apple colorway. And although I really want to start something new, I need to work on these - they are a Christmas gift for my dad so they need to get done. Basic sock with ribbing on the leg in Duet yarn.

I also picked up my Ariann sweater and am working on that for me. So we are trying to finish some projects around here. But I am so itching to start a new pair of socks - maybe a really pink pair from this yarn or one in fall colors with this yarn. Oh the choices! What's a grrl to do??!

The pictures will be coming in the next post...

2007-10-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else as shocked as I am when they look at the calendar and realize that it is October already??!! I can't believe how quickly the time goes. Remember when you were a kid and the days stretched out endlessly. And your parents would be complaining at how quickly the time was flying by and you thought that they had no clue what they were talking about. Well, it looks like they had more than a clue! Unless there is some truth to the idea that the time actually does pass faster as you get older - in which case, I'm in a load of trouble!!

By the way, Cassie's idea of project monogamy is a good one (which I had discussed previously) and works rather well. Since finishing the red scarf, I have finished my daughter's sweater which is the Child's Placket Pullover from Last Minute Knitted Gifts (make sure you get the corrected version) and a pair of socks (my Trekking socks which I am ashamed to say I started last summer (2006) and just finished the second sock). The one major flaw to the plan is that while I might be able to ignore the callings of various other projects that are already on the needles or ones where the yarn is as yet untouched but sitting somewhere in my vicinity, I am totally unable to ignore the calls (or whining as a good friend of mine recently called it) of new yarn when I venture into a yarn shop. And maybe that's my fault in the first place - ever going into a yarn store at all. But then there is Internet shopping and even though I have my speakers turned off, those skeins call out my name. Let's face it - I'm doomed.

When I was visiting in New Jersey this past weekend, I was very lucky to get to visit a new to me yarn store. Knit Knacks in Maplewood has only been open since February (if I remember correctly what the owner said) and they have some really awesome fiber. Add to that some really nice owners and I will definitely be visiting it again when I can. And I think anyone in the area (hello Risa and Ina) would like to visit also. I had called the store in the morning to get directions and after a long day of doing stuff for the kids, I didn't think we would make it there. At 5:15, my oldest niece and my sister insisted that we would go and we ended up getting there about 5:45 - the store closed at 6. The owner was there and kept the store open while we shopped. She has some really nice lines and I personally took advantage of the Fleece Artist, the Dream in Color and the Lobster Pot. My sister picked up some beautiful Lorna's Laces worsted to make the Child's Placket Pullover for her daughter since she loved the one I had just finished. By the way, I will be writing some changes that I made to the pattern when I have a chance to visit Ravelry. One major change was increasing the sleeve length by like 4 inches (and it's not like my daughter has freakishly long arms or anything...).

By the way, my daughter put her sweater on even before all the ends were woven in and wore it that way until she went to sleep and I was able to get it off of her. She's worn it almost every day since except for the few days that it rained because, as she told me, she didn't want it to get wet. I love this child and will gladly keep making her knitted gifts while that attitude continues.

Now, one of the last posts showed the Norma elf and Carole was the only one who attempted to guess where the elf lived. Even though her initial guess was wrong, after some emails back and forth, she guessed correctly and will be receiving a prize in the mail. The elf is one of 26 alphabet elves and is part of a game/activity at Santa's Village in Jefferson, New Hampshire. For this game, each participant receives a card with each letter of the alphabet on it. You then must find each elf and punch your card with this punching tool that each elf holds (it punches out the corresponding letter for each elf). Norma was the elf for the letter N. When you have found all 26 elves, you can turn the card in for a prize.

Red Scarf Done!

2007-09-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

I followed Cassie's advice from this post. When I first read it, I could really relate to everything she was saying as I was feeling pulled in all directions by the projects I was working on and the ones I wanted to work on. A few stitches on one and then a few stitches on another don't amount to much - especially if you want to actually finish something.

So, I pushed those other projects aside and worked solely on my red scarf - since that really has a deadline. It wasn't easy - some of those other projects tried to get me to look at them but I was strong. And now the red scarf is done. The yarn was from the stash and the pattern is the enjoyable rib. And it was pretty enjoyable and easy to remember (and fix if you mess up).

If anyone else would like to guess where the picture in the last post was taken, please do. There may be a skein of yarn in it for you if you are the lucky winner. And Lauren, if you see this, please contact me. You won the other monkey package but I don't know how to contact you and will have to pick another winner if I don't hear from you soon. Well, I'm off to work on the next project that pushes it's way to the front.

For Norma and Red Scarves

2007-09-09T04:34:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on one of our trips this summer and as soon as I saw the name, I knew I had to take a picture for Norma. I had been thinking about taking my red scarf to work on that day but decided on the sock since it was smaller and easier to carry around. So this is for Norma - with a sock instead of a red scarf. If you think you know where this is, leave a comment and I'll put all the correct answers in the pot for some yarn. And here's a hint - this is an elf.

Speaking of red scarves, I received a nice email from the Orphan Foundation thanking me for a donation to the Red Scarf Fund for Foster Youth. Don't know what I'm talking about? You can read about it here. And maybe make a donation too. Or you can knit a red scarf - here is the information that was in my email:

Scarves can be sent between now and October 15th, 2007 to:

Orphan Foundation of America

The Red Scarf Project

21351 Gentry Drive, Suite 130

Sterling, VA 20166

This information was also included in the emails:

Please tell your friends and colleagues to visit The Red Scarf Project Page for details, guidelines, and a host of suggested scarf patterns. Because of the overwhelming response to last year's program, we are asking participants to limit their submissions to a maximum of five scarves per donor.

So, what are you waiting for - go knit a red scarf for a good cause! I'm working on mine.

On a different note, Karen's package is just about ready to be mailed out from the last contest, but I have not heard back from Lauren. Lauren, if you see this, please get in touch or if anyone knows Lauren, please let her know or let me know how to contact her. Once again Blogger has left me with no way to contact her.

Dreams and Winners

2007-09-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

So, I had a knitting dream last night. I was visiting Carole and she loaned me a car so that I could go and check out some yarn shops in the area. The first one I went to was owned by my hairdresser and I saw these beautiful sweaters that had labels on them telling me they were knit with Dale Baby Ull. I'm glad I woke up before I bought anything. Where do these dreams come from anyway??

I came home to 15 comments for the Monkey contest and those names got put into a hat. I decided to pull out two names since I seem to have collected more than a few Monkey items and the winners are
Lauren
and
Karen!

Congratulations to the two winners. I can email Karen, but I don't have Lauren's email or know your blog. Please get in touch. If both of you would like to let me know your color preferences, I can try to match those with some appropriate Monkey yarn in my stash. When I finally get my vacation pictures on the computer, I have another contest in mind so check back. Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!

Playing with Ravelry

2007-08-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Wow! I've finally been able to spend some time on Ravelry and I can see that it is a really great resource. My username is knittingbythesea if you'd like to add me as a friend or check out my area. I'm still learning about it and haven't been able to load pictures since I'm not at my computer although I wonder if I can get pictures from here and use them. Like I said, there is a lot for me to learn. I have added some projects and put some in my queue. It's neat the way there is so much already in the database and it's all linked together. I also don't have a Flickr account and wonder if I need to sign up for one of those?

Also, don't forget to leave a comment for the contest in the last post. Thanks to those who have already entered - I've been looking around for some other fun monkey stuff to include in the package. While I have been in NJ, I was able to stop by some knitting stores - Stix-n-Stitches had a sign up offering a discount on red yarn purchased for use in the Red Scarf Project. It's great to see the support of such a worthy program. I have already started my scarf using some yarn from my stash (yeah for me!!) and this fun pattern.

So, go cast on for a red scarf and leave a comment for the Monkey contest. And have fun!

My Memory is not so Good

2007-08-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Bonne Marie really made my day (maybe even my week) when I received an email from her telling me that I had won some STR in Alina from a random drawing on her blog. Actually, to let you know how bad my memory is, the email was titled something like "Chicknits Sock Yarn" and my first thought was "I didn't know she was coming out with sock yarn. I better go and check this out." I was so happy when I saw that I had won. Thank you Bonne Marie!!

I had been thinking that it was time to give something away on this blog also - so here is the contest. Since it is the Summer of Socks and I (along with everyone else in blogland) enjoyed knitting up my Monkey socks soooo much, I am going to give away a Monkey package. Some sock yarn from the stash along with some monkey paraphernalia. Sounds good? What do you have to do to win such a prize? All you have to do is leave me a comment letting me know why you would like to knit Monkey socks - this can be the first pair you knit or the fourth. It's open to anyone that wants to knit Monkeys. I will pick a winner sometime around Labor Day weekend. I will be in and out a lot over the next few weeks so I may not be able to reply to comments or even post too often, but rest assured that if I receive your comment, you will be entered (even if I can't reply).

Come join the fun and leave a comment! Good luck!

Feelin' the Love

2007-08-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

You know that certain feeling you get - when the yarn and the pattern just come together. You just feel the love for the whole project. I felt that way about the Monkey socks and didn't quite feel it with the two socks that are on the needles now. One sock is almost ready to start the toe and the other is close to starting the heel. This means they both need to be tried on every couple of rows to know just when to start the change. Yesterday I had to fly down to DC for the day (work stuff) and I just wasn't comfortable trying on the sock while I was in the airport or on the plane. This meant I needed to bring something else and instead of bringing something already on the needles, I started a new pair of socks. And the yarn/pattern combination is perfect - I can feel the love.

Dream in Color Smooshy yarn in Beach Fog that I purchased from Twisted. And the pattern is Loksins from Too Much Wool. I love this pattern - it moves along quickly and is fun to knit. And the yarn - well - it's fabulous. The feel, the color and look how it shows off those stitches. Thank you to Emily and Shannon at Twisted for their great online service - I've ordered several things from them already and they are always so helpful. They just opened their store in Portland and I wish I lived closer so I could visit. And thank you to Cassie for this great pattern!

Grrlfriends

2007-07-30T03:40:00.000-07:00

One thing that can definitely make you feel better is a get together with your grrlfriends. Throw in some good food, cosmopolitans and knitting (or whatever craft you wish) and it's guaranteed to be a great time. I had to start a new sock - the above combination called for a mindless stockinette, although the day after this lunch, I discovered where I had split a stitch and had ended up with an extra stitch, so I ripped out about two inches - so much for mindless.

Here is Bandit showing off my two socks in progress. This heat has really decreased my energy level and there has not been much knitting going on but the cable sock is almost ready for a toe.

One last shot of the grrls. We really need to do this more often!

Remembering

2007-07-22T04:27:00.000-07:00

Today is my Mom's birthday. Maybe I should say it would have been or it was her birthday, but I will always think of today as her birthday. Mom, I love you and miss you.