Noolie Knits

Crazy Hat Lady

I've been known for a long time as the "Crazy Cat Lady"; I'm thinking that may change soon to the "Crazy Hat Lady". 

Presenting hats #8 and #9 for the 300 Hat Project(also #3 & #4 towards my summer goal of 8 additional hats):

Pattern:  Amanda Hat
Yarn:  "Handspun by Laurie" (a local spinner)  100% Romney Wool Needles:  Size 8 Luckily, a nice long soak in Eucalen softened this up nicely!
 
Pattern:  Ball Band Toddler Hat
Yarn:  Paton's Classic Merino, color- Regency
Needles:  Size 6
This hat was started yesterday afternoon and completed last night.  Now that's a quick knit!  (note: if you make this hat, cast on 76 instead of 78 per the errata)

You might think that I'd be getting a bit sick of knitting hats at this point, but I'm not.  I'm really enjoying it.  I think it's because I'm not making the same pattern more than twice and most of the hats have some sort of patterning so that even though its all fairly mindless knitting, it's not boring knitting.  Plus it's for a good cause.   Next hat up:  Noodle Cozy

It hasn't been ALL hats ALL the time here at Noolieville though; there's actually been a little progress made on the Lisha Lace Scarf(another 20 row repeat) and there's been spinning.  Joining the 10 Minutes a Daygroup was the best thing I've done for my spinning. 

Tune in tomorrow for pics of finished yarn and what I'm spinning now.

WNBP (Wednesday Night Bullet Post)

• Another week, another hat. This time it's the Banana Republic Hat Knockoff.
  

• Mine is done in Lamb's Pide Bulky in the Pistachio colorway.
  Needles: Size 8 for the seed stitch band; Size 10 1/2 for the rest of the hat.

• It's an easy and enjoyable hat to make. I'm one of those people who likes doing seed stitch, so the band was my favorite part.

• This is my 8th hat for the 300 Hat Project and my 2nd hat towards my "8 more hats this summer" goal.

• This morning, I cast on for hat #9 The Amanda Hat  in the handspun yarn given to me last week by a friend and coworker.

• It will now be set aside until next Tuesday night because when I finish this post, I'm going to begin this , Lisha Lace Scarf.  I'll be using the gorgeous cashmere yarn which was a birthday gift from Gina. I'm pretty excited to get going on this.

• You may have noticed that both these patterns were designed by Gina; she's one very talented woman!

• At some point tonight, I'll also get in at least 10 minutes of spinning. This may end up being the only night that 10 minutes really is only 10 minutes. After all, there are just so many minutes in a day, you know.

• I finished a third bobbin of the cotton candy the other night, but it was kind of a nightmare. I was spinning away, happy as could be, when suddenly I realized I was WAAAAAYYYY over spinning it. It was terrible! I remembered Amy telling me that when you do that you can run it through in the opposite direction being careful not to take out too much of the twist.

• Can you guess what happened? Yep, took out too much of the twist. Sent it back through again and think I finally got the twist pretty much okay.

• It was like I hadn't ever spun this fiber (or any other fiber for that matter) before in my life - never mind the fact that I'd been spinning this fiber for the last week and 1/2. Oh well; whatcha gonna do, huh? I have one bobbin left to spin and then a decision to make about plying.

• ~Kristie brings up a good point about using the singles; she mentions I might want to avoid that if they aren't nice and balanced. HA! I guess we know how this is going to turn out, don't we?

• Since tonight is Wednesday (as noted by the WNBP), that must mean last night was Tuesday and Chicks with Sticks. It was a smallish group, but a lively one.

• The Sheep came down for her weekly S.O.C.K.S. Program (2nd paragraph). I like to give her grief for having summers off, but really I'm glad she does. Otherwise there would be no S.O.C.K.S. Program and no Tuesday night Sheepie visits. That would just be sad.

• What was sad, was that Patti couldn't be there again last night. She was in San Antonio at a conference. She's expected home tonight though and that's a good thing. I miss my friend     :-(

• Speaking of Patti, last word I heard was that her Dad had taken a bit of a turn for the better. This is good news, but he still needs lots of your good thoughts and prayers sent his way, if you can spare them. He has a long road ahead of him.
  
  

WNBP Short Version

I don't have much for this week's Wednesday Night Bullet Post, so I've added a little something silly for you at the end of this post.

• Last night was Chicks with Sticksand I'm sure you know what that means (at least what that means this summer). Yep, another hat for the 300 Hat Project. This one is crocheted:

Pattern: Skater Beanie(Ravelry link) Yarn: Cascade 220 (maroon) & Lamb's Pride (yellow) Hook: Size H

• This is the reason I didn't find ten minutes to spin on Monday. I had planned to just get it started so that I could bring it on Tuesday to CWS, but I got a bit carried away and worked on it instead of spinning. It's not that I spent a lot of time on it; but by the time I sat down to do anything, it was already pretty late.

• I made up for the spinning I missed on Monday before going to CWS last night, though. I sat down with the intention of doing about 15 minutes and next thing I knew, I had been spinning for half an hour and all of my pre-drafted fiber was gone and I had finished the first bobbin of Cotton Candy. No picture of the full bobbin; you'll just have to take my word for it :-)

• I did start another hat when this one was complete. I managed an entire 2 rows of the rim. This is going to be the Banana Republic Knock-off hat, using Lamb's Pride bulky in Pistachio. I'll probably finish the rim and then set it aside until next Tuesday night.

• Clover went for her 6 month check up today (even though she'll be 7 months next Thursday). We were guessing that she weighed 18 pounds and we were pretty darn close. 17 pounds, 14 ounces and 27 inches long! I've been thinking she looked like she was growing a lot in length recently; guess I was right. She's a big girl. 75th percentile in weight and a little higher in length. She had her vaccinations and all is well with her. She's a happy, healthy girl.

• And now for the chuckle I promised you:

   

WNBP

It's Wednesday and that means it's time for some randomness in the form of a Wednesday Night Bullet Post!

• Yesterday, I received yet another Birthday present in the mail.  This one was from Dana and Dianne.

(photo shamelessly swiped from Dana)
It's a gorgeous pendant made by Sonya Forte'.
Thank you so much, Dana and Dianne; you know how much I LOVE it!

• Yesterday was Tuesday, which means last night was Chicks with Sticks at my favorite LYS.  I look forward to CWS all week.  It's always a good time with good friends.

• Not only is CWS fun, but sometimes a person might even learn something new.

• I learned something new last night. I'm probably the last knitter on earth to learn this.  Did you know that if you are using interchangeable needles (like my new Harmony needles) that are assembled with the little metal thingy (yes, that is the technical term) that you stick through the hole to tighten the cable to the needle,  you can thread a lifeline through that hole and knit it right into your row?  No stopping to thread a needle and having to be extra careful to make sure you go through every stitch and yarn over.

• I was close to the end of a repeat on Twinings, so I finished up the couple of rows I needed to this morning and tried out that new little bit of knowledge.  It was a little difficult getting the lifeline through the tiny hole, but I just used the little metal thingy to shove it through and guess what - it worked!  YAY! 
  

• Speaking of Twinings, I am now back to where I was before having to rip it out; three measley repeats complete.  I just don't know where my time is going, but I don't feel like I'm getting in the knitting time I want (and need).

• Yesterday, I knit another hat for the 300 Hats Project.  Everyone knows that I am not capable of knitting lace at CWS, so that has become my night to knit hats.  I arrived last night with the stitches cast on and the first row knit and finished this in the few hours that I was there:

Avalanche Hat

• That was Yesterday. 

• Today - well, let's just say that some days it'd just be better to stay at home with the people you love - know what I mean?
  

• I really need to just win PowerBall and be done with it.

 

 

FO, WIP's, & 300 Hats

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted about anything I'm working on, hasn't it?  There really has been a bit of knitting going on around here, even some crocheting.  Spinning, on the other hand, has not been happening lately.  I'm going to have to fix that.  But for now, let's take a look at what's been on the needles (and hook) and what's come off.

Samm said that Clover needed some more bibs, so I made this one for her.

"Baby Bib o' Love" by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne
Yarn:  Lily Sugar'n Cream, colorway:  Playtime
Size 8 needles.
Mods:  I  put a snap on it instead of a button, and I'm really not very pleased with it.  I think I'll replace it with some velcro.

I have a lot more cotton yarn, so I'll be making a couple more soon.  Because working with this cotton is so hard on my hands, it takes me a few days to make one and then it takes a while before I feel like doing it again.


Have you noticed the lack of socks around here this year?  Yeah, me too.  What's up with that?  I do have two socks on the needles; not a pair, 2 single socks. 
    


Samm's Sweet Clover socks (which are actually almost ready to begin the toe) and my Sockotta socks.
 Both plain ole stockinette, top down socks. 

Nothing difficult, so why can't I seem to finish even one?  No big deal, though.  Remember, I decided to stop putting pressure on myself with the knitting.  Knitting is my enjoyment and relaxation and I'm not letting it get stressful.  No matter how much I want to finish some socks.

I've started another lace project. This is The Twinings Stole by Anne Hanson

I'm using some Fino that I won quite a long while ago from Kelli. This is the first project I've actually knit with laceweight.  I've only completed 2 repeats of the 16 row lace pattern, (actually, I almost completed 3 repeats but had to frog back a bit) but I think it's coming along nicely.  My plan is to complete this shawl before tackling the Flight of the Honey Bees. 

Samm bought a new camera and naturally it's just enough longer than the old one that it doesn't fit in the case I made recently for her.  That's okay though, because I like that one better than the one I made for myself so I'm using it. I crocheted Samm a new one today.  Here it is before felting (sitting next to the one that I'm now using).

I used Lion Brand Wool in "Flower Garden" and a size K crochet hook. I just crocheted until I thought it was big enough and then felted it. It is drying right now; I'll have a completed picture in a couple days.

Okay, I've shown you an FO, a prefelted FO, and some WIP's.  You may be wondering what the 300 Hats in the title is all about.  You know I have NOT knit 300 hats in the last couple of weeks.  As a matter of fact, I haven't finished even one hat in quite a long time.  I did, however, begin a hat today for Colleen and the 300 Hat Project.  The quick details are that Colleen's friend, Kristy, will be traveling to the Ukraine in September and working with several orphanages.  She'd like to bring 300 hats with her and Colleen has offered to be her East Coast Connection.  She'll collect hats through the end of August.  Please click the link for more details.  Oh yeah, there will be prizes too!

Here's my first hat for the project: It's not much yet, but I've only just begun. I plan to knit hats all summer, in between other projects. Won't you join me? 

(Remember to come back tomorrow for my contest!)

What a Weekend!

I had to get back to work to recover from my very busy (but very good) weekend! 

First, on Saturday, Jay graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine.  The graduation ceremony was held at the Cumberland County Civic Center and was really quite nice.  No lengthy, boring speeches; the keynote speaker was especially interesting. 

Clover was awesome throughout the 3 1/2 hour ceremony, only fussing the tiniest bit once when she needed a very wet diaper changed.  She fell asleep a couple of times and the rest of the time, we all took turns holding her (Samm, Jay's parents, Chris and I).  She was able to see Daddy wave at her as he marched up for his diploma,

(It was very hard to get good pictures in there)

and she wore his cap for pictures afterward.

 

Sunday was spent celebrating both Mothers' Day and Jay's graduation.  First thing in the morning, Samm brought me some great gifts:  (Well, actually I received the digital keyring frame a couple days before but didn't figure it out until yesterday). 

Samm and I had recently had a conversation about how certain scents invoke good memories and how she loves the way her Auntie Sherri (my sister) smells.  She thought that I should have a special scent that Clover could associate with me and this is what she chose.  It's a very nice, clean, and subtle scent.  The digital keychain frame is really cool; it holds something like 70 pictures (I've only loaded a few so far.)  I love the  key chain with the "#1 Mom" tag; she said she almost bought me one that said "Hottie".  She's got the same weird sense of humor that I have. 

I then proceeded to give her a card from her father and I, only to have her ask a few minutes later if I had even read the card.  I mistakenly gave her the card for my mother; she wondered why we signed it "Julie and Chris".  Ooops.

Yesterday afternoon we enjoyed a cookout at Jay's mom's house to celebrate his graduation.  It was a beautiful day, maybe a bit breezy but lots of sunshine.  It was a very nice way to spend an afternoon.

Once we left the cookout, hubby and I dropped by my mother's house to give her the gift I made for her.  I made her model it, since I hadn't taken any finished photos of it yet.

 
Looks good on her, don't you think?She had commented after reading this post, that she'd like to start crocheting again and would like to make the same shawl in a neutral color. (She crocheted for a while several years back, but then her hands and neck bothered her too much, so she stopped.)  I thought it'd be nicer if I made one for her.  She liked it enough that she wore it to my brother's house for dinner last night.

Last night I watched Clover while her Mommy and Daddy went to the movies. As soon as they got home, I crashed. 

After reading this, I think you can probably guess that there was barely a stitch knit all weekend; just a bit of a sock I worked on in the car on Saturday.

Have a great night!

Sit Down...

...because I'm going to show you some knitting, and it's actually MY knitting!  I know, I know; you didn't think I really did that anymore; I'm sure you all thought I was just telling stories when I said I was working on a couple of things but have had no pictures.    I've tried to distract you from my lack of production, by focusing on the FO's of my friends.  Yep, I've been an FO user; but no more. I have an FO and a WIP of my own to show you. 

But first, let me show you the stitch markers that Samm made for me.   

Aren't they gorgeous?  They are made using Bead for Life beads and swarovski crystals or seed beads; there are also a few made with glass beads and crystals.   

Now for my knitting:

First, an update on the wrap I'm knitting for Lark.  I finished the first Chart this morning.  I'm so very happy with how this is working up.  Another thing I am happy with is the fact that I've put in a life line every 10 rows.  The lace work is only on every other row, so I decided that it wouldn't hurt too badly to have to rip out 10 rows if the need arose.  Don't ask me why, but for some reason I actually had to use that life line.  This is not a difficult lace pattern, but you do have to pay attention and apparently I wasn't at one point.   Where do you think I was when I discovered the error of my ways?  I was on row 8 of the 10 row life line cycle!  So, I'm sure you don't really care about all that; you want to see the photographic evidence of knitting, don't you?   

So, what do you think?  Of course it's unblocked lace, but I think you can get a good idea of what it'll look like blocked.  The border is worked along with the center, which is pretty nice.  That's a provisional cast on you see at the beginning; I used the crocheted chain type of provisional cast on.  I find it to be pretty simple and easy to take out when it's time to pick those stitches back up for the picot border.  The color is fairly accurate on my screen.  I'm anxious to get started on the next chart (which I have to repeat 11 times!), but I decided after finishing this section, I would finish the neckwarmer I've been working on for Hubby.

 

Initally, I started this as a hat and I was going to surprise him with it.  I'm glad I decided to ask him what he thought as I was beginning it; he said he'd rather have a neck warmer.  Okay, no big deal; I had already cast on stitches for a hat and was a little worried it wouldn't be big enough anyway.  So, I decided to just do a k1p1 rib for about an inch and then stockinette for a couple inches.  He wanted it long enoug to go under his coat, so I did some increases over the next several rows and ended with another inch of k1p1 rib.  It fits him exactly how he wanted and he's very pleased with it.  I still have quite a bit of the yarn left; there's actually a little more left over than what it took to knit this neckwarmer.  I think I may have under-calculated how much yarn there was to begin with.

I have had a great day today.  As most of you know, I work at the local gym on Sunday mornings from 6 to noon, which means I need to get up around 4:30ish on Sundays; but today I was able to sleep until 7:30.  Why? Because a while ago, Hubby asked me if I'd let him take over my Sunday shifts.  At first I wasn't sure why he was asking; it wasn't going to bring more money into the house, but duh, he wanted to give me a break.  Here he is, through no fault of his own,  at home every day while I've been working 6 days a week.  (We're certainly not alone in this situation).   I was reluctant at first to let him; when you've been working the same shift for years, you make friends and look forward to seeing them each week.  Finally, I decided it might be a good idea; but I didn't want to totally give up my shift.  After discussing it with my boss who said to do whatever works for us (he's great!), we decided that I'd work every third Sunday, so that I'd still get to see my Sunday morning friends and I'd also get some much needed rest.  Last week he came to work with me and I showed him what needed to be done and stuck around until around 9 and went home and took a nap until he got home at noon.  Sleeping in today felt so good :-)

The End

I knew it had to come sometime.

I'm sure you've known too, that it would eventually come to this. 

It's the end of an era, so to speak. 

The end of the era of . . .

The Never Ending Sweater!

   

These pictures don't really show the sweater all that well, but at least you can see that it fits her and she likes it!  I had to make one adjustment, after finishing; Samm hated the side slits (I have to say that when I make sweaters for myself that call for side slits, I don't make them, so I understood).  I just seamed them up and they're fine; just a design element:

So now everyone is happy; I'm happy to be finished with a sweater that took me about 3 times longer to knit than it should have and Samm is happy to have a new sweater that she was able to wear on Easter to Jay's family's activities.

Here's an Easter picture of the little family for your viewing pleasure :-)

And a couple of Clover with the Easter Bunny and her cousins, Cheyla & Alyssa:  

Clover looks thrilled, doesn't she?

And of course, there's this:

Two Days

Until SPA.  Not that I'm counting down the days or anything.  Not that I've done ANYthing to prepare either.  What's the rush?  I have Friday off and we won't be leaving until the afternoon so I have all morning to get ready.  I am the Queen of Procrastination!  I haven't yet decided what to bring with me for knitting; I'm thinking maybe I'll start a sock with my Sweet Clover sock yarn for Samm (I'd like to make a pair for her and for Clover with this very special yarn).  Any knitting that I do bring will have to be mindless knitting.  I plan to bring my spindles and Alice.  I'll bring fiber for the spindles (2 already have some on them), but I think I'll wait until I get there and buy something to spin on Alice. 

Knitting Update:

Samm's Hoodie

Guess I didn't quite reach my goal of having it finished by the end of the long weekend, did I?  As a matter of fact, I barely knit on it all weekend long.  I did finish one thing though:

Clover's Sea Turtle (before and after felting). 

It's about time, wouldn't you say?  This silly little knit took me FOREVER to finish.  (I started it January 28th!) It's not like it was difficult or anything; it just couldn't seem to hold my interest for very long.  Weird.  It's just the first sea creature for a mobile I want to make for Clover.  At this rate, I may finish it in time to gift it to her for her high school graduation.

Last night's Chicks with Sticks was a particularly fun one.  Since it is  school vacation week here in Maine (a time in which teachers and sheep are able to stay up past their normal bedtimes), a certain Sheep (complete with her pretty blue hands) decided to come to York and knit with us.  It's always entertaining when you're in the company of The Sheep, especially when topics such as childbirth and menopause are discussed ;-) 

Have a great day!

Randomness

~ SPA, Knit and Spin is in just SIX days!  YAY and YEEHAW and WOOHOO too!  Do you think I'm anxious to get away for a couple days?  This will be my second trip to SPA and I just can't wait.  Last year, I met several of my blogging friends  for the first time in person; that was so awesome.  I've gotten together with some of them a few times over the past year, but I am so looking forward to seeing them again and meeting some more of you.  SPA is being held this year in Freeport, Maine at two different hotels; the Hilton Garden Inn  (where Patti and I will be staying) and the Harraseeket Inn (where the spa services will be located).  Patti and I are heading up there on Friday afternoon and staying until Sunday.  So, who else is going and where are you staying?  I hear there is going to be a blogger's get together at the Hilton bar on Friday night after the vendors close.  That should be fun!   

~ Samm's sweater, Clover's turtle, and the spinning have all been put on hold while I've been working on this:

for Clover's new best friend:

Olivia was born Wednesday, Februay 13th around 9pm; she was 5 weeks early, but is doing great.  She weighed in at 5 lbs, 12 oz.  Olivia's mother, Jeannie, is the daughter of my good friend and coworker, Mary.  Jeannie and Samm were best buddies for years when they were little.  It's so cool that they have had babies so close together!

~ I want to share with you what we did at work for Valentine's Day this year.  For a couple of weeks before VD, there was a decorated box for us to put Valentine cards in for our coworkers.  Then on VD, the Valentines were placed in individual bags and distributed (just like we all did in elementary school).  It was really kind of fun; check out the goodies:

(Lambert and Lucy were not part of the loot; they just live on my desk). 

But wait, there's more.  Each year for all the years I've worked at Town Hall (and before that, I'm assuming), one of our coworker's, Tim, gives all the women a long stemmed red rose for Valentine's day.   Isn't it lovely? 

~ As most of you know, I quit smoking back in May (YAY); what you may not know is that since then, I have gained a "bit" of weight.  I joined the "Less W8 in 08" group on Ravelry in mid January and set some goals for January (which I promptly ignored).  I've avoided the group since because I've felt like a failure.  However, Samm and I are joining Weight Watchers today and I WILL get back on track and get my weight back to where I want it.  I know WW can work because several years ago (Aug. '01) I joined WW and lost over 90 pounds (by Feb. '03)

Here are my before and after pictures:   

  (click pics for bigger; I can't bear to put them any bigger than this)  Believe it or not, the before picture was actually after losing almost 30 pounds!

Here I am now:     Granted, I'm nowhere near where I began in '01, but also nowhere near where I was from '03 thru mid '07.  My plan is to report in to all of you each week to let you know how I made out at my weigh in for the week. I'm hoping that putting it out there for all to read will help me stay motivated.  My goal is to lose 25 pounds, which doesn't seem unreasonable.  If I could lose over 90 pounds, I can certainly lose 25, right?  Wish me luck!

Have a great day and a great weekend!

A Parade of FO's

First -

Thank you, thank you, thank you all so much.  I knew I could count on you guys to make me feel better!  You have given me some hope; hearing how many of you have gone through the same thing and come out the other end is very encouraging.  With all the good vibes coming our way, Hubby is bound to find something!

Now, on to the promised post of (mindless) FO's.   I've been knitting up a storm, but still, they are all small, mindless projects.  Oh well, knitting feels good whether it's mindless or not.

The slippers I knit a while back:

Pattern:  Fiber Trends Felt Clogs
Yarn:  Lamb's Pride in Sable and Oatmeal
Needles:  Size 13

These are some seriously furry slippers!  I was going to shave them, but decided I kind of like the wild fuzziness.  The only problem I have with this pair of slippers is that I shock everyone I touch while wearing them.  Normally, I'd get a kick out of zapping people, but I don't want to zap Clover.  That just wouldn't be cool.  So, I haven't been wearing them.  Does anyone know if there's a way I can make them less electrifying?

I ended up having plenty of yarn to finish the mitts I was knitting to match the Amanda Hat.  I even had enough to make them a bit longer than the pattern calls for.  I am in love with these:

Pattern:  Maine Morning Mitts
Yarn:  Malabrigo in Velvet Grapes
Needles:  Size 7 dpn's

I have an itty bitty camera that I love; it's small enough and light enough to carry in my purse without adding any weight to speak of.  Up until about a week ago, I kept it in it's own hand knit sock.  It was a sock that I knit which ended up being too big so I used the cuff portion as a camera case.  I've been meaning to knit and felt a new one forever, but just haven't gotten around to it.  I guess the kitties knew I really wanted a felted camera case and decided to help me out the only way they know how; they either hid the sock case or they ate it because it is nowhere to be found! They did me a favor, really.

Pattern:  My own
Needles:  size 10.5
Yarn:  Noro Kureyon (colorway unknown)

Not bad, heh?  Samm liked it so much that she wanted one too. 

I used Paton's Classic Merino in the Regency colorway for hers.  It matches her pink camera.  The Paton's felted better than the Noro, which surprised me.  I made a bag out of the Noro quite some time ago and don't remember having such a hard time felting it.  I ended up finishing  the felting of the Noro by hand.

That's all the knitting FO's, but I have one final FO for you.

     It's a crocheted square for a blanket for Elisa's father.  Read about it here; maybe you'd like to knit or crochet a square too.

I have one WIP at the moment; it's the felted sea turtle for Clover.

Doesn't look like much yet, does it? 

 

Well, that's it for now.  Have a great evening everyone!

MORE HATS

Yep, you read that right; I have more hats to show you.  You must be getting a little sick of seeing hats everytime you come here; I'm getting a little sick of them myself :-)

First, the hat I promised Jay:

The Seaman's Cap (Pompom requested by Jay and made by Samm)
Yarn:  Paton's Classic Merino, Dark Gray Mix
Needles: Size 7 and 8

Jay was very pleased with it; he put it on and kept it on even though it was not cold in the house!

Next up is the wonderful Amanda Hat which I knit as part of the "Do the Amanda" knit along.  Gina designed this beautiful hat and I really enjoyed knitting it.  I used the suggested yarn, Malabrigo, and I'm glad I did.  This pattern is the perfect showcase for the variations in color of this incredibly soft yarn. 

   

I love the way the top looks.

The only modification I made was to continue the top decreases until 6 stitches were left on the needles.  This is a great pattern; the lace pattern is easy enough to memorize quickly yet it is not boring.  I knit most of this hat while at work at the gym on Sunday morning, and finished it up when I got home.  I used just the teensiest bit over half a skein of the yarn and am now working on some Maine Morning Mitts with the remainder.  Keep your fingers crossed that I'll have enough to finish both mitts.  I'm almost done with the first, and I'm guessing I'll have plenty but (I know this is going to shock some of you) I have been wrong before.

I do have another FO, but you'll have to wait for a picture.  I finally felted the slippers I made and they are currently drying.  Boy, are they ever fuzzy!  I think they'll need a bit of a shave once they are dry.

I also managed to squeeze in a little bit of spinning over the weekend, but have no pictures for you yet. 

There are four projects waiting to be cast on and they are all fighting to be first.  There's the Forest Canopy Shawl, the Trellis sweater, a hooded sweater for Samm, and the felted fish for Clover.  Trellis has to be done very soon as it's a shop sample for a class I'll be teaching in March.  I'm thinking I'll end up casting on for the three bigger projects and dividing my time between them.  The fish will probably have to wait just a bit longer, but not too much longer!

That's it for today - have a good one!

 

A Great Surprise

I have an FO to show you, but I can only take credit for part of it.  Before I show it to you, let me give you some background.

We all know that buying a Christmas present for a knitting friend is usually fairly easy - just find some really nice yarn and maybe some neat knitting notions and you're good to go.  But what about when your friend is also the owner of a yarn shop (the best LYS ever!)?  Hmmm, this makes it a little trickier to find just the right gift.

You may remember that before Christmas I was rushing to finishing spinning some beautiful blue and green fiber that Manise had gifted to me when she brought Alice (my wheel) to my house. (phew! can you say run on sentence?)  I told you at the time that I needed to finish it because I had plans for it, but I don't think I ever mentioned what those plans were. I'm sure that by now you've figured it out; that handspun yarn was gifted to Patti.  I wasn't so sure about the quality of the yarn; it wasn't the most evenly spun yarn around.  I was sure about one thing though; I was sure that Patti would appreciate my effort. 

Apparently, I was right about that - last night at Chicks with Sticks, Patti announced that she had some show and tell and pulled this FO out of her knitting bag:

Maine Morning Mitts knit with the yarn I spun for her!

I can't tell you how happy that made me; I was like a little kid on Christmas morning. I was so excited to see that she had actually KNIT WITH MY HANDSPUN YARN!  And, she said it was nice to knit with!  It gets even better - even though we see each other or talk to each other nearly every day, I never knew she was knitting them.  What a cool surprise.

Thanks for making my night, Patti!

Remember Me?

Sheesh!  I complained in my last post that the weekends are too short and the weekdays are so long and what happens?  All of a sudden an entire week has passed and I have no idea where it went. 

So, what have I done since we last "talked"?

I haven't spent much time on the computer which explains why Bloglines says I have over 200 posts to read. 

I also  haven't done any spinning (still), but that's going to change beginning this week.  Brenda and I are taking a spinning class with Amy in a few weeks and I need to have a couple of bobbins of singles spun before the class.  Sometimes, I just need a deadline to force me to make the time to do the things I mean to. 

Okay, so that's what I HAVEN'T done since we last talked; here's what I have done:

Preemie Hat #4
Yarn:  Bernat Satin Sport
Needles:  Size 2.5 dpn's


Preemie Hat #5
Yarn:  Caron Simply Soft Baby
Needles:  Size 4 dpn's


Clover's hat (to match her cousins' hats)
Yarn:  Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush Paint
Needles:  size 7 dpn's


Samm's Hat
Pattern:  Thorpe
Yarn:  Paton's Classic Merino in Bright Red and Dark Grey Mix
(double strand throughout to get gauge)
Needles:  size 9 circulars & size H crochet hook

Are you sensing a theme here?  It's been all about the hats here in Noolieville.  Since the beginning of the year (all 14 days), I've completed 8 projects (9 if you count the slippers that are just waiting to be felted) and 7 of those projects are hats!

Just to break things up a bit (and because I wanted to make Clover's Nana, Jay's Mom, a birthday present) I crocheted a scarf this weekend.  I started it Saturday night and finished it this morning.  It would have been finished yesterday if I didn't have to fight with a skein of yarn that decided to get all tangled up - it took me a couple of hours to untangle it!  I'm kind of proud of myself for sticking with that; normally I would have thrown it in a bag and grabbed another skein; I have plenty more of the same yarn.  Anyway, here's the scarf:

   and a close up:

"Birthday Scarf"
Yarn:  Berrocco Softwist Bulky (I can't believe they call this stuff "bulky")
Color: True Teal
Hook:  Size J
Pattern:  My own, based on the afghans my Nana used to make. 

I love the way this came out - the color is gorgeous, the yarn is soft, and I really like the texture the pattern gives it.  I hope she likes it.  I will be writing up the pattern eventually in case anyone would like it.  It is crocheted on the diagonal and would look great with some self patterning yarn.

I made a yarn trade with Tempe last week, I sent her some Noro Kureyon and some TOFUtsies sock yarn and she sent me FIVE balls of Jojoland "Melody" in a lovely variegated green and purple mix. 

(I shamelessly swiped this picture from Tempe's blog). 

I think I definitely got the best part of this deal!  I have been wanting to knit the Forest Canopy Shawl for a while and think this will be the perfect yarn.  I cannot wait to start it. 

But first I have two projects to complete; can you guess what they are?  Yep, hats!   I promised Jay I'd make him the Seaman's Cap and I've joined the "Do the Amanda" knit along.  Check it out; it's a beautiful hat pattern  designed by Gina using Malabrigo yarn.  I'm planning to make this hat for myself! 

Change of subject - weather:  we are getting blasted with a shitload of snow here today.  I'm pretty tired of it, but I guess I should get used to it because I hear we're getting another big storm on Friday.  I sure hope we have an early spring and a long summer after this nasty winter!

Well, that's it I guess.  Have a great day!

BIG FEET, tiny head

As I told you yesterday, I have my first WIP of '08 and my first FO of  '08 to show you.

I started a pair of Felted Slippers on the 1st; I finished knitting the first one on the 2nd, and am half way through the second one.  Here's the completed one (pay no attention to the ends still hanging around):

 
Pattern:  Fiber Trends Felt Clog (AC-33)
Yarn:  Lamb's Pride worsted in Sable and Oatmeal
Needles:  size 13

and the reason for the first part of today's title:

Of course, this is pre-felting.
When I was almost finished, I asked Samm if she thought this new slipper would fit me.  She looked at me like I had three heads.  hehehehe I'm easily amused :-)

So, that's the first WIP; you want to see the first FO (and the reason for the second part of today's title)?  I started it on Thursday night and finished it yesterday morning (total time was only a couple of hours).

It's a teeny, tiny preemie hat knit on size 2 needles with Bernat Baby Softee yarn.  Here it is on the top of a coffee mug - can you believe how tiny this is?

Jeanne and Chell are having their 4th annual k3tog Preemie Hat Knitting Extravaganza!  Their goal this year is to send 150 knitted preemie hats to Children's Hospital of St Paul.  Want to help them?  If you do, you will not only feel good about warming an itsy bitsy baby head, but you will have a chance to win prizes! So, what are you waiting for?

I'll end today's post with a little chuckle for you.  Click here.

Catch Up

Whew!  Isn't it nice to be able to catch your breath after all the rushing around that comes with the Christmas season?

I have a lot of catching up to do.   I haven't spent very much time on the computer over the last week; want proof?   

That was as of this morning; THREE HUNDRED FORTY FOUR new posts!   I guess you guys haven't been neglecting your blogs, have you? 

There's been a lot going on in the past week so let's start the catching up, shall we?

Saturday:
I'm sure you've read on other blogs that Franklin came to Maine last weekend.   He was here visiting family and took time out of his visit to do a 1000 Knitters photo shoot at Purl Diva on Saturday.   Brenda, Patti, Annie, and I all jumped at the chance to be a part of this project.   It was an excuse to hang out with some friends and to check out another yarn shop; who wouldn't jump at that chance?  We arrived at the shop early (thanks to Brenda's smart planning) and were assigned numbers 3,4,5, & 6.   We did a little shopping while waiting; I picked up some DK weight Cherry Tree Hill yarn and some Schaeffer Anne in a gorgeous red color (pictures later).   I know the CTH will become some nice winter socks for me, but I have no plans yet for the Schaeffer Anne (other than to gaze at its beauty).   I was a little nervous about having my picture taken, but Franklin is very good at putting a person at ease.   We chatted while I knit on the scarf and he snapped picture after picture (hopefully, I'll look half way decent in one of them).   

Sunday:
Clover had a special visitor on Sunday afternoon:

Patti was finally able to meet her in person.  I had told Patti that she hardly ever cries, so what do you suppose she did while Patti was there?   Yep, she was a wee bit cranky.   She had a good reason though; the poor little bugger has a cold.   She was cranky with it on Sunday and that was it.   She's feeling better every day.

Christmas Eve:
Christmas Eve during the afternoon is when my whole family gets together to celebrate Christmas.   We spend a few hours at my Dad's house and then head over to my mother's house for a couple more hours.   There are a LOT people gathered and it can get pretty crazy.   It was good though.   Samm & Jay brought Clover and she was the hit of the party (even though she slept through the entire day).

While it's good to see the family, I find it very tiring.   I'm always glad to get home and get into my jammies and relax (after finishing up the wrapping of course).

Christmas Day:
Christmas morning was wonderful; sharing it with a new baby and her Mommy and Daddy really made it special.  I was up very early and had some coffee and just relaxed while waiting for the rest of the family to get up.   Samm and Jay brought Clover into the living room like this:

How cute is that?   She really is the best Christmas present ever!   She, of course, was totally spoiled rotten with lots of clothes and toys.   Doesn't she look thrilled?

You may be wondering (or not) if I was able to finish the Christmas knitting?   Well, as anticipated, Jay received one finished sock with a promissory note for the second one (which I started last night).   I had already ditched the idea that I'd get the fingerless mitts done for the BIL, so he ended up with a warm head and feet, but cold hands (I did get him a Dunkin Donuts gift card though, so he can buy some coffee to keep his hands warm). 

I also knit a couple of ornaments for Clover:

A mini sweater and mini stocking.  I used the Sweet Clover sock yarn from Heather and the pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  I wanted to start a special tradition for Clover and decided that a couple of handmade ornaments each year would be nice. 

I  finished the spinning I was working on:

There's about 260 yards of what I'm guessing is a light worsted weight (I forgot to check the wpi's, so that's just a guess).  I wish that I had done a better job plying this; but its okay.  Brenda and I are planning to take a class with Amy sometime this winter and I'm hoping I'll get some good tips for plying a more even yarn. 

Well, I think I've gone on long enough for one post, so I'll end here.  Have a great day!

Can you find the baby?
(if you'd like to see more Christmas pictures, click here)

Knitter Down!

The good news is - I’m done Christmas knitting. The bad news is – it’s not by choice. I woke up during the night with my right hand throbbing and barely able to move my thumb. By the time I got up this morning, my fingers and thumb on my right hand were terribly swollen and sore. It looks like I broke my thumb but I didn’t ; I’m guessing it’s a flare up of my arthritis.  I can barely grasp anything, so I’m thinking knitting is out of the question.

Luckily, last night I finished Cheyla’s (Jay’s niece) hat.  I had finished Alyssa’s hat the other day. Here are the two hat and mitten sets:

Yarn:  Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush Paint, Color 8818
Needles:  size 5 for all

I started a pair of socks to put in Jay’s stocking as soon as I finished the hat, I may still be able to finish them if my hands get better (they’re worsted weight), but I’m not going to stress over it; I can finish them later.  I had planned another pair of worsted socks for my BIL and a pair of fingerless mitts for a co-worker, but those are definitely out. I’m hoping I’ll be able to spin, but maybe a break for a day or two would be a good idea. I could use that time to catch up on my blog reading – I’m so far behind!

And now, I’ll leave you with a picture of the cutest cheerleader around:

Clover Grace – 5 days old (last Saturday night)

She looks really big in all her pictures, but she's really a peanut.   A very cute peanut :-)

A Bit of Knit

I'm falling behind - on the Christmas knitting, on the spinning, on the blog reading and commenting.  But really, can you blame me?  If you had the choice between reading blogs, knitting, spinning, or holding the world's sweetest baby, what would you do?

I have managed to get a bit of knitting and spinning done, though.  I finished a pair of mittens for Jay's 8 year old niece, Cheyla:

Yarn:  Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush Paint
Needles:  Size 5 dpn
Basic Mitten Pattern - Ann Bud

That picture is a bit bright and this next one is a bit dark.  Truer color is on this post.

This is how I was able to get the mitten sized correctly; Jay had her draw him a hand Turkey on Thanksgiving day.  Pretty clever, no?

I also started a hat for Alyssa (Cheyla's one year old sister).

Yarn: Same as above
Needles:  Size 5 Addi Turbo
Pattern:  Basic roll brim hat

There has been more knitting on this hat since the picture was taken; I'm just about ready to begin the decreases.  I'll make another hat like this for Cheyla and they'll have matching hats and mittens for Christmas.

I was able to get in some spinning time last night; I finished the first bobbin of this.  I really hope to get another bobbin done soon as I have plans for this yarn.  I better start finding more time to spin!

Well, that's gotta be it for tonight; it's already after 10:30 and I have to be up at the hideous hour time of 4:30 in the morning.   

Goodnight all.

Project Update

I think I've gotten into a bit of a small project rut but I don't see anything changing until after the holidays.  I thought I was pretty much done with  Christmas knitting, but as it turns out, I can always find just one more gift I want to make (or two or ten)!  This is okay because I'm knitting for people I really want to knit for, but I'm craving a challenge!  Oh well, there'll be time after Christmas. 

Until then, I'll just plug away at the small projects:

Another pair of Toddler mittens
for KUTO and Month of Mittens KALs

Yarn:  Trekking XXL color 126 (doubled)
Needles:  size 6 dpn    
Pattern:  Basic Mitten Pattern - Ann Budd


Bob Hat

Basic 84 stitch hat on size 8 circulars
1.5" K1, P1 rib
Yarn:  Paton's Classic Merino


The "Bob Mitt" has been renamed "Mitt". 

I got to this point before accepting the fact that it was going to be way too small.  It fit me, and even though I don't have the smallest hands around, I don't think mitts that fit me will fit a man.  Oh well, they are now on the back burner for a while and I've begun new mitts for Bob.  I'm trying a different pattern; actually it is a mix of a few different patterns.  Here's where I am so far:



Jay's Boot Socks

Yarn:  Lamb's Pride Worsted, Sable
Needles:  size 5 dpn's
(oops, the picture looks upside down)


Felted Catnip Fishie


This got mixed reviews:
(click pics for bigger)


Ralph isn't sure at first, but eventually succumbs to the nippy goodness.


Rico loves the fishie!


Peaches Loves it; Ruby - not so much


Moogie and Ruby discuss the fish and decide - Nope, not for them.

Have a great day everyone!

WARNING - Long Post Ahead

Today is Hubby and my 25^th Anniversary. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS!  How did that happen?  We have been married for more than half of my life – WOW.  Shouldn’t I be sipping a drink with an umbrella in it on a tropical beach somewhere right now? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to be doing on your 25^th anniversary?  Instead I’m sitting here in my heavy wool sweater, watching the snow fall outside my window. Just doesn’t seem right.

I know I haven’t posted in several days; sorry about that. I’ve really meant to; as a matter of fact, I’ve actually composed at least one post each day in my head. They just never made it to the blog.  So, what have I been up to? Let’s catch up, shall we?  Bear with me; this is where the title comes in:

I spent last night trying to get some good photos of Samm’s jewelry for her etsy shop. I got some of her necklaces done (although I need to try to get some better ones) and still have to do all her bracelets, watches, and earrings.  Hopefully, she’ll have the shop updated by this weekend.  Right now there are 6 of her necklaces listed; if you check them out, just keep in mind that they are really quite a bit brighter than the pictures would indicate. They are quite lovely; I’m very proud of the work she does!

 Friday was spent at a meeting all day in So. Portland, at SMCC. The morning session was spent listening to exciting speakers tell us all about State regulations concerning gravel pits and what to look for when assessing them. Doesn’t that sound exciting? I know you are all jealous that you didn’t get to be there. The afternoon session was a rehashing of a new tax law.  It was worth it though, because not only did we get lunch served by the Culinary Arts students, but I finished a pair of Toddler mittens for the Knit Unto Others and Month of Mittens knit-alongs.

Reynolds Odyssey Yarn
size 6 dpn's
Basic Mitten Pattern from
The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns

I got home with just enough time to change and get to work at the gym at 5.  I started a hat for my BIL while at the gym, but I have no picture.  It’s not really anything to look at yet.  I left my house at 7am on Friday and didn’t get home for the night until after 9pm. I was a wee bit exhausted! 

Saturday was spent running all over Nashua with a friend of mine. We take this trip every fall, stopping at all the same stores and eating burritos and drinking Margaritas at Shorty’s.  It’s always a fun day, although this year it really wiped me out.  I’m not yet over the stupid cold from hell (working on week 3 here!) and I tire very easily these days. There was minimal knitting on Saturday; I was able to complete a toddler mitten cuff in the car on the way to Nashua, but that’s it.

Up at 4:30 am on Sunday (well I guess after hitting the snooze it was more like 4:45). I have to get up this early to be at the gym to work for 6am.  I finished another pair of mittens while at work though.

Stats same as above except I used some very old Bernat washable wool from the stash.

I also started a pair of fingerless gloves/mittens for my BIL for Christmas.  Yep, I made him socks; I'm making him a hat; AND I'm making him some fingerless gloves.  One of the benefits of doing Holiday Headstart this year is that I have more time to knit now without all the stress. Here's what the glove/mitten looks like as of this morning:

The color is more accurate in the picture of the socks from this post. 
Yes, as a matter of fact, I am making matching socks, hat, and gloves.
I know; I'm a weirdo, but I'm hoping he'll like them.

Sunday evening was spent with Alice; I haven’t done any spinning for a while and it was really nice to get back to it. I’m spinning some gorgeous and wonderfully soft fiber that Manise gave me when she delivered Alice to me.  I’m not sure what the fiber is (Manise?) but I do know that it is sooooft! It’s a real pleasure to spin, too.  It is just the most luscious shades of blue with shades of green thrown in.

Manise, I am really enjoying spinning this.  Thank you so much!

Sometime  last week I loosely spun some yarn for the felted fish I wanted to make for Clover’s room. Well, it turned out much smaller than I expected (BEFORE) felting, so Samm and I decided that I should felt it and make it a catnip toy for the kitties.  Here it is as it sits now; I still haven’t felted it.

Okay, I think we are caught up and I’ve bored you enough for one day. If you’ve stayed with me this far, thank you! I keep telling myself that I’m going to post more often so that I don’t end up doing these long-ass posts, but alas, I just don’t find the time.

Have a great day and be sure to tune in tomorrow for WTF Wednesday.

Knit Alongs

This post is all about knit alongs.

I finished the Bob Socks this morning.    These socks fulfill my requirements for two knit alongs; SAM4 and Holiday Headstart.

Pattern:  Garter Rib
Yarn:  Paton's Classic Merino
Needles:  Size 5 dpn's.

Good timing too, considering today is the start of .  Carole and Margene are hosting this knit along for the third year.  The idea is to spend some time over the next couple of weeks knitting for those less fortunate than yourself.  Click the button to read more about it.  This knit along coincides with another one I’ve had listed in my sidebar since the beginning of the month (but haven’t mentioned because I haven’t done anything with it yet).  Gina is hosting (again, click the button for details). 

Can you guess what my next project will be?  Yep, some mittens for charity.  There are several patterns linked on the KUO blog; why not knit a pair or two or more?  Did I mention, there are prizes for both knit alongs?!

What are you waiting for?  Go raid the stash and start some mitten knitten knitting.

On the Mend

Boy, this cold has kicked my butt!  I'm not usually such a wimp about a cold.  Yeah, I'll whine all day long about it, but usually I'm still able to function.  Not with this one.  I went to bed on Wednesday night and proceeded to shiver and shake all night long, even with a down comforter, two afghans, wool socks, and flannel jammies on!  This is where I spent all day Thursday and most of Friday:

  I spent the days blog reading and sleeping (and using up that entire box of tissues in one day).  Never did touch the stocking until Friday evening when I was able to sit up in my knitting chair in the living room for a few hours.  You know I'm really sick when I can't even manage to knit!

Things started looking up a little bit on Friday night and I was able to finish the knitting portion of the stocking.  I then found a site to create some knitting graph paper according to the gauge being worked and planned how I'd put "CLOVER" in duplicate stitch on the front, which I did on Saturday morning.  I'm so pleased with how this stocking came out. Samm really loves it, too. 

Check out the pocket; isn't it cute?  I wasn't sure how that would come out, but I'm pretty pleased with it.  I used an i-cord bind off across the top the of pocket; I think it put a nice finishing touch to it.

Some close ups:

 
I'm not crazy about how the "V" came out, but I don't see any other way I could have done it.  I used the Eye of Partridge heel and did a stitch combination on the top to resemble it (I used purls instead of slips on the top).

After finishing the stocking, I decided I HAD to get out of the house; I was going nuts (plus we had no food in the house).  So, I went grocery shopping - not a good move.  I really wasn't quite up to being on my feet for two hours yet.  I was totally wiped out!  I spent the rest of Saturday quietly - taking an afternoon nap and knitting.  I needed to be able to get up on Sunday morning and make it to work at the gym.  It was not easy getting up, but I did it.  Thankfully, it was an extremely slow day at the gym so I didn't have to get up to clean as much as usual and I managed to finish the first "Bob Sock" and start the second.  After work, I took a nice afternoon nap and vegged on the couch.  I spent the evening quietly knitting on the second Bob sock and catching up on some blog reading (you guys doing the NaBloPoMo are killing me!) 

So, want to see the Bob Socks?  I rather like the colors I'm using; I think they look kind of sock monkeyish (new word) :-)

Pattern:  Garter Rib
Yarn:  Paton's Classic Merino
Needles:  Size 5 dpn's

Plans for today?  Well, since it's a holiday, I get another day to relax.  I plan to take it easy and do some spinning until I have to meet Patti at the gym.  Luckily, I'm feeling a bit better today but I think I'll take it a little bit easy at the gym.  Then back to work tomorrow.

Ooops, I almost forgot; Chappy's mom is having another calendar contest.  Post a picture of your November calendar and you could win one of her beautiful calendars.  So, here's my entry:

Each year, my Dad makes a Family Calendar.  It's so much fun to see which photos he'll choose (as long as you're not the one whose embarrassing photo is chosen!)  You have until the 15th to get your entry in; what are you waiting for?

She's Back!

Tina's back leading the parade of FO's (if you call 3 FO's a parade)

Velvet Grapes:

Yarn:  Malabrigo "Velvet Grapes", 1 skein
Pattern:  Knitting Pure & Simple Baby Tunic (minus the hood)
Needles: sizes 7 & 9 Addi's

Clover's Crocheted Log Cabin Blanket:

Yarn:  Plymouth Jeannee, 11 colors
Pattern:  My own, inspired by Mason-Dixon Knitting's knitted Log Cabin Blanket
Hook:  Size H

and
Bunny Grabbit Blankie:

Yarn:  Berroco Plush
Pattern:  Mine
Needles: 10 1/2

So, what's that leave on the needles?

Boy Socks

Yarn:  Sockina
Pattern:  Just your plain ole stockinette sock
Needles:  Crystal Palace size 1 1/2

I started this pair of socks for myself, but I didn't do a gauge swatch (never do for socks) and they are working up to be too big for me, but they'll be just right for the hubby.  I figure it's about time I make him another pair of socks anyway, so these are for him. 

There are a few other things on the needles, but I'm not actively working on them; not sure yet whether I want to finish them or not. 

I've got a very small amount of the green merino to finish spinning; I'm hoping to get that done this week.

Next up:  Christmas stocking for Clover using the yarn that Heather was nice enough to dye up for me in the colorway she named for her, "Sweet Clover", (check out all the new yarns she's put up in her etsy shop this week!), socks for my brother-in-law for Christmas, and then, finally, a sweater for me.  I would like to make a new sweater for myself soon; it's been a while.  I'm not sure which one I'll make yet.  I've got a lot of ideas bouncing around in my head.

Well, that's enough for today; have a great one!

As Promised - A Post

I know I haven't been around here much this past week; hope you didn't miss me too much ;-)  I've been fighting a migraine since last Saturday; not yesterday, last Saturday!  I pretty much lost the battle by Thursday and spent the day taking the heavy duty meds and feeling lousy all day. I had either excruciating head pain or extreme nausea from the pain meds.  Fun.  Friday, I woke up and didn't feel like I was doing a whole lot better, but had to go to work or my coworker would have been alone in the office all day.  I did go home after he got back from lunch. It's now Sunday night and I can still feel the pain in my head.  It's not nearly as bad as it was Thursday and Friday, but it's still there.  With all this, it's been a bit difficult to keep up with the blog reading and the e-mails and with keeping this little blog up to date.

But, you're not here to listen to me whine, are you?  Moving on.....

Through it all, there has still been some knitting, crocheting, and spinning going on around here.  The only day I wasn't able to do anything was Thursday; every other day I managed to get something done.   The mailman has also been busy delivering more packages for me. 

Crocheting:  The secret project is done (except for blocking) with almost a week to spare.  YAY!  I enjoyed this project, but I really was ready to be done with it.  Pictures next week.

Spinning:  I finished spinning up a bobbin full of the green merino. 

Knitting:

The Ice Cream Sweater is complete (except for buttons)
Pattern:  Baby Sleeve to Sleeve Cardigan
Yarn: Trekking XXL, color 126
Needles:  Size 2 addis
Cindy inspects and approves.




Itty Bitty Doggie Sweater. 
I made this sweater for Samm & Jay's friend's itty bitty puppy, Chezza.  Samm says she's a "Juggy", part Jack Russell and part Pug.  I really wasn't sure this was going to fit (it's really itty bitty), but Jay got a picture of Chezza wearing it and it fits her perfectly.  The picture he took was on his cell phone; he's going to try and get a better one for me to post here. Until then, you get the monkey modeling it.
Pattern: Penny
Yarn:  Lamb's Pride worsted, Green Apple
Needles:  Sizes 5 and 6

Velvet Grapes:

1 1/2 sleeves and neck band left to do.  Sooo Soft!



Bunny Blankie
I'm winging this; I'll stuff the head lightly with fiberfill and the rest will be a blankie similar to this.  I'm using Berroco Plush - sooo very soft.

I cast on for a pair of socks tonight; I'm feeling the need for a sock fix.  I'm using the Sockina Cotton yarn that Patti gave me.  I've only got a few rows done, so no pics yet.

Mail:

I received my copy of Crazy Aunt Purl's book this past week; haven't had a chance to read any of it yet (headaches and reading don't really go too well together).  I'm anxious to dive in, though.

I've saved the best for last:

The BEST Secret Pal ever strikes again!
Look at these goodies, will ya?
Grapefruit & Orange Bath stuff (soap, lotion, shower gel) smells incredible!
A black kitty box filled with yummy caramel candies.
The greatest book with a most appropriate title; Samm and I had great fun looking through this book.  My queue has suddenly just about doubled in size!  Here's one example of something from the book that will be knit very soon: it's a Christmas tree hat; isn't it great? What a funny picture; makes me laugh every time I look at it!
Some closeups of the items in the front row:

Rubber Duckie soap and Lemon hat and booties for Clover.
OMG, this hat and booties are so damn cute and so soft!
Clover certainly will not be wanting for any knit items; lucky little girl!
And check out this yarn:

When I first saw this yarn, I thought it was just beautiful; the colors are great.  Then I looked closer; check out the colorway name:

Isn't that great?

Now I ask you, do I have the best Secret Pal or what?!

Okay, that's enough for me tonight.  Gotta go rest my eyes.  Goodnight.

The Big Reveal

Now that Lark has launched her new business, I can show you the test knit I completed for her a few weeks ago.

Moonlit Eve Vest designed by Cheryl for Skylark Yarns

I am so obviously NOT a model; please ignore the tired and stupid look on my face and the stupid poses.

A closeup: This was a great pattern, knit in one piece to the underarms, then divided to work the front and back separately.  The lace pattern is easy to memorize, but not so easy that you'll get bored.  And the yarn "Grey Pearls" is to die for!  It's a blend of  alpaca and bamboo and it is just luscious!  I do believe this vest will get a lot of wear!

Thank you, Lark, for this test knitting opportunity.

Too Lazy to Think of a Clever Title

Tuesday already?  I know I say this all the time, but really folks, where the F**k does the time go?  And if so much time has passed, why don't I have more to show for it? 

I did have a nice weekend; spent Saturday saying goodbye to summer.  It was in the 90's here and it was a weekend; I had to spend it in the pool!  Really, what choice did I have?  I even stayed in there after I was ready to get out because I knew it was my last day of pool floating for the year and I was determined to get in every minute I could.  I'm really glad I did too, because the weather took a turn on Sunday and Fall is definitely here.  As soon as it stops raining, I have to go pull the plug on the pool.  That always makes me sad :-(

After getting out of the pool, I brought Alice downstairs and started what I had planned to be just a bit of spinning.  Ha!  Who did I think I was fooling?  Apparently, spinning is as addictive as knitting; who knew?  I ended up spinning for several hours, stopping only long enough to grab something to eat.  Pictures when I finish; I've spun about 3 of the 4 oz. I have of  this fiber.

I finished Clover's first sweater this weekend.  Can you guys handle another picture of Tina?  I hope so, because she's doing the modeling.

I'm very happy with how this came out, and Samm's happy with it too (she even said Tina doesn't look quite so freaky with a hood on).

Pattern:  Knitting Pure and Simple Baby Tunic
Yarn:  Plymouth Jelli Beenz., color 6201
Needles:  Addi's 6 & 8 circular; and dpn same sizes

I made a little, teensy, tiny baby sock out of some of the left over yarn.  I'll show you a picture when I make the second one.  Hopefully, it's not so small that it won't fit.

That's all I've got for you for now.  Chicks with Sticks tonight - YAY!

******************************************
CLICK TO HELP: Goal - $1,500Raised - $55518 DAYS TO GO
******************************************

Where has the week gone?

Can it really be Thursday already?  The last several days have just flown by!  I've meant to post; really, I have, but there just aren't enough hours in the day.  I'm also incredibly behind on my blog reading and e-mails.  I thought that with two weeks off work I'd be able to keep up with things.  Wrong! 

So, what have I been doing with all my free time?  Well, the weather has been absolutely perfect for several days now so I'm sure you can all guess where I've spent a good amount of my time.  Yep, the pool.  It's been great, very relaxing.  I've spent a couple of hours each afternoon just floating and reading a very good book.

I've also completed some projects and started some new ones.

I crocheted a couple of granny squares for Colleen; she's putting blankets together for her local children's hospital.

I started a new sweater for Clover on Tuesday; I was just feeling a very strong need to make her a sweater NOW.  So while at Chicks with Sticks, I picked up some yarn in a really pretty mint green color with flecks of pink to make the Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting.  I took a picture of my progress so far, but it is a really crappy picture so I don't think I'll post it here.  This is such a quick knit, I should be able to show you the finished picture real soon (unless I've just jinxed myself by saying that!) 

Speaking of Chicks with Sticks, Mel and The Sheep were unable to attend and both were really missed :-(    We did have a special, first time visitor this week, though.  Mel's partner, David, joined us; it was great to finally meet him and hopefully he'll join us again.

Yesterday, I finally finished the test knit I've been working on; it's currently drying on the blocking board.  It'll be a couple of weeks before I can show you pictures, but believe me when I say, it'll be worth the wait.  I am very happy with this FO.

This one's for you Patti; also finished yesterday:

School Socks

(this is a strange picture; guess I won't stand the socks up to take pictures again)

Yarn:  Soctoberfest by Scout
Needles:  Crystal Palace size 1 1/2 dpn
Pattern:  Plain ole stockinette on 64 stitches

These are my August socks for SAM4; finished just in time.  The first sock only took 2 days of classroom knitting to complete; the second sock took almost a month!

 

That brings us to today.  I got a new hairdo this morning (no pictures until after the cold sore from hell is gone).  Spent a couple of hours in the pool this afternoon and then spent some time with Alice on the deck.  After my lesson with Cheryl and Manise on Saturday, I put Alice away until the test knit was complete.  Now that I've finished that, I can spend some time getting to know her better.  I sat on the deck spinning for about 1 1/2 hours; I must have looked pretty funny sitting there in my bathing suit spinning away.  Good thing I have a nice private back yard.  Here's what I accomplished:

(Apparently, I'm a lousy photographer; the colors are actually more purple than this photo shows.)
The fiber is some BFL I got from Amy in a "Learn to Spin" spindle kit that I bought back in the fall.  This is about one ounce; there's a total of 4 to spin.  I think I'm doing pretty well, although there are some overspun and underspun bits.  I think I'm getting the hang of it though. 

That brings us up to date; I'm hoping to spend some time tomorrow and over the weekend catching up on some blog reading and e-mails.   

I'll try to be better about posting, too.  No promises though :-)

Weekend Recap in Pictures (and another PRIZE)

First, an update on

We're up to $240!  Way to go people; that's a great start.  Now, as the title suggests, I have another prize to show you.  Heather of Sereknity is an incredibly talented fiber artist with a gift for combining colors in the most goregeous ways.  She has created a very special colorway in honor of my soon to be born (December) grand-daughter and has donated a skein of it as a prize!

Check out that name - Sweet Clover! Isn't it gorgeous? It's even more so in person. That's 400 yards of hand- dyed fingering weight yarn in 60% superwash merino, 30% bamboo, and 10% Nylon. It is so soft and so beautiful. Want to own it? Donate for a chance to win it; the winner of this yarn is going to be very pleased, indeed!  (Remember, you can be entered for a chance to win prizes by donating and/or by mentioning my efforts, with a link, on your blog).

Not only did Heather donate a skein of Sweet Clover as a prize, she also gave one to me! She's such a sweetheart; thank you so much Heather; you don't know how much it means to me.

Now onto the recap in pictures:

Patti and I headed down to Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm in Newbury, MA on Saturday for the Fiber Revival.  What a great day (aside from a bit of wind) and what a beautiful place to hold this event.  This was Heather's first vendor booth and I'm guessing she had a great day since we were only able to get over to talk with her at the beginning and end of the day.  Every time I thought I'd go say "hi" and see how she was doing, her booth was packed. 
Here's a picture of a rare quiet moment in the booth with her and Patti:

Sorry the picture's so dark.

There were lots of spinners and knitters:

There were sheep and alpacas:

This little brown one was soooo soft; that's Lora's little Nathan (the cute guy with the red hair) feeling just how soft.

The white one was incredibly shiny and looked soft, but he wouldn't let me get near enough to pet him. But he let this little girl get pretty close - he belongs to her family's farm.

There was a weaver demonstrating her craft and there were a couple of circular sock machines; don't know why I didn't get pictures. I must have been having a senior moment :-)

I did get a picture of Nancy from Hair of the Dog, spinning some dog hair.
The hat she's wearing is made with dog hair and she had some items there that were made with dog hair and OMG, they are soft! Looks like Patti may be contemplating having her doggies' hair spun.

And finally, my Saturday Sky (late again):

Have a great day!

Yes, This is Still a Knitting Blog

You may not be able to tell from my last several posts, but I have been knitting.  I'll update you on what's on the needles and off the needles and also one project that I can't decide what to do with.

I brought a big bag full of yarn and my spindle with me to school; I always think I'll get more knitting time in when I go away than I actually do.  I was only able to knit during two of my classes, and in that time I started and completed one sock.

I'm calling this my "School Sock" for obvious reasons. This is the third time knitting with this yarn; when I say that, I mean it's the third time with this same skein of yarn! I cast on for two other patterns with it over the winter, but they just didn't work - one was too small and one was just not the right pattern for the yarn. Third time's a charm; this sock fits perfectly and I like the yarn in the plain ole stockinette stitch. I've cast on for the second sock and this will be my "to go knitting"; nice, easy, mindless knitting. The yarn is Scout's Soctoberfest yarn and I'm knitting this pair on size 1.5 dpn's over 64 stitches.

While in Waterville, I visited Yardgoods Center, the LYS (no website that I can find).  The store has kind of a cluttered feeling; I think I'm spoiled by my LYS and have difficulty finding something to buy in a cluttered environment.  I was just about to leave when I spotted an adorable stuffed bunny rabbit.  Samm had asked me if I'd make a stuffed bunny for her friend's daughter's first birthday (which was this past Sunday) and I thought this would be perfect.  I bought the pattern and the yarn and made the bunny in two evenings in the motel room; it's such a quick and easy knit taking only about three hours of actual knitting time. I sewed the eyes and nose on when I got home and it was ready in plenty of time for the party.

Pattern: "Magic Friends" by Barbara Boulton

Yarn: Stylecraft Charleston

Needles:  size 10 1/2

The pattern also has a kitty and a teddy bear; the only difference is the shape and size of the ears.  This is knit in one piece with no seaming except to close the hole at the top of the head when you're done stuffing it.  I've already bought some yarn to make the kitty for Jay's niece's first birthday, which is in a couple of weeks.  I see more of these in my future; easiest stuffed animal ever!

That was the exent of the knitting while away.  Since I've been home, I've made a washcloth for Rabbitch's drive, a baby washcloth for Clover, started a bib (from Mason-Dixon Knitting), and have finished the body of the Simple Knitted Bodice.

Washcloth for Rabbitch using Peaches & Cream cotton

Washcloth for Clover using Bernat Cotton Tots

I haven't taken a picture of the progress on the SKB yet; I'm not sure I will.  Believe it or not, that is the project I'm not sure about.  I think I made it too big and I'm just not happy with it but I'm not yet ready to admit defeat.  I'm picking up the neck stitches and I'll decide whether or not to finish once I see how that looks.  It's a mighty expensive knit to make any rash decisions.

Before leaving for school, I finished my July Holiday Headstart project.

Pattern: Yankee Knitter Fisherlad Guernsey

Yarn: Plymouth Encore, Color 0405

Needles: Addi Turbo sizes 5 & 7

There has been no spinning in the last couple of weeks; I'll have to remedy that pretty soon!  I have some news on that front too, but I'll save that for another post.

I have MANY projects that I'd like to start soon, but the next two will be my August Sockamania socks (once the School Socks are done) and a test knit for Lark which I plan to start this weekend.

I guess that's enough for today; I was planning to tell you about my afternoon with Sara and Cheryl, but this post is long enough as it is.  That'll be next.

Have a great day!

One Finished, Another One Started

Heaven forbid I should finish up everything on the needles before beginning something new!  I finished my Sockapalooza Pal's socks on Friday night as I'd hoped, and instead of getting busy finishing my Simple Knitted Bodice, I cast on for another project.  In my defense, I hadn't yet made anything in July for the Holiday Headstart project.

First, the socks:

 

(The cuffs really are the same length even though they don't look it in this pic)
Pattern: Waffle Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch

Yarn:  Socks that Rock medium weight, "Monsoon" colorway (Feb. 07 Club yarn)

Needles:  Crystal Palace size 1.5 (size 1 for the heel)

I'm pretty happy with them.  At first, I was a bit disappointed with the pooling in the gusset; but have decided that I actually kind of like it.  I don't think there's anything I could have done about it anyway, except maybe use an afterthought heel.  I didn't even think about that until the socks were just about done and there was no way I was ripping both back to the cuff and reknitting all that!  Besides, I've only used the afterthought heel twice and that was on felted Christmas stockings.  I'm not confident enough in my ability yet to use it for gift socks. 

Next up, the new project:

Finished front and beginning of back of Yankee Knitter's Fisherlad Guernsey. This is for my great-neice, Ella. This is a really quick knit; I hope to finish it in the next couple of days.

I finished spinning the fiber for Clover's mittens, now I need to ply it. There's a lot more there than it appears; hopefully, it's enough for the itty bitty mitties :-)

I still haven't even started the July Sockamania socks; I'm hoping I can finish Ella's sweater and get going on the socks before the end of the month. I'm thinking if I could knit a pair in less than 2 days (as I had to do for Sock Madness), I should be able to get this pair done. Only time will tell, I guess.

That's it for today. Have a great one!

One FO

I haven't got much to show you today; just one itty bitty FO, but it's a good one :-) 

Remember this?

  My first spindle spun yarn that I finished a couple of weeks ago?  Well, after finding out Wednesday that Samm is having a girl, I went home and turned it into this:

Clover's First Hat.
I figured my first knit for my first grandbaby should be made using my first handspun. I'm really very pleased (and more than just a little surprised) with how it came out.

I've begun the second sock for my Sockapalooza Pal, but I've only got about 20 rows of the 60 row cuff done. I really need to get moving on that; I'd like to finish those and still have time to make the July Sockamania socks (I've barely even looked at the pattern yet). Not to mention the SKB and a Holiday Headstart project for this month. I was hoping to make another of the Fisherlad Guernsey sweaters for my great-neice, Ella (Colin's sister), this month but I'm thinking that might not happen. Maybe next month for that. I picked up some really pretty mint green Encore to make hers with; Colin's is in the dark green. I thought it'd be cute for them to have the same sweaters in different shades of green.

I think I need to clone myself so that the clone can go to work for me and I'll have time to get everything done that I want to! Not only do I have all of the above on the "list", but there are at least 17 gazillion baby items I want to knit before December :-)

That's it for today, folks. Have a great day!