Just One More Row, Please!?!

Looking Fantastic

2012-01-22T11:57:00.000-05:00

Mom just sent me this - it really looks fantastic on her. Perfect length, perfect color and a perfect necklace she's wearing with it. LOVE this...in fact, I think I gave her the necklace. Hmmmm...meant to be.

My Dad Always Said...

2012-01-21T15:18:00.002-05:00

My dad has a lot of sayings - some will crack you up and some ring true. One he used a lot while we were growing up was "If you are going to do a job half-assed, then don't do it at all". Sort of along the lines of "do it once, do it right".

When I knit my Noisette this summer I just sewed on the buttons willy-nilly with the yarn I used to knit the sweater. I knew that wasn't the right way to do it but I was lazy and just wanted to get it done.

Well, in the end my laziness ended up getting the better of me...the buttons started stretching and pulling and I stopped wearing the sweater. Then I got to thinking about how the Knitmore Girls are always talking about the grosgrain buttonband method they use on their sweaters so I checked out their tutorial and their other tutorial for sewing on buttons.

I recently discovered a website called The Ribbon Retreat and I ordered a bunch of different ribbons and settled on using a matching fun one with little squirrels which really surprises me as my dad always called them "tree rats" (yup, another on of his phrases - other ones are far more colorful).

We had a snowy day today and I got to work - here is the result. I'm SO happy with how it turned out. The buttons have more stability now and I know the stretching of the yarn sewn buttons won't happen.

Isn't this just the cutest ribbon? I even have a turtleneck that matches the fuschia colored squirrel. I know I will be wearing this a lot more and while not everyone will see my button band I know it is there and just the thought of it will make me smile.

Thanks Dad for reminding me without realizing it that I shouldn't do a job "half-assed".

It Fit!

2012-01-20T08:18:00.002-05:00

I got a call from my mom yesterday and it only took 2 days for her sweater to get from Connecticut to Florida. She said it fit perfectly - the length was perfect too! My dad who gets a bit bossy when it comes to opening packages was the one who opened up the sweater and his first comment was on how wonderful the color is. I told my mom that every time I was working on it in the presence of anyone they would always admire the color...it is a winner.

I put a tag on it that I got from Knitterella. In the "made by" section I wrote: Estella. In the "for" section I wrote: her wonderful mother. My mom was so cute when she said that a friend saw the tag and said she should keep it on the sweater - like Minnie Pearl.

No pictures yet as it was a warm day in Florida and she was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. She might get one today or tomorrow and I promise to post it.

Lots of knitting this weekend - track meet and the Giants game. GO GIANTS!

At Last!

2012-01-16T09:14:00.002-05:00

At last, I'm done with this yarn, this project, this sweater! This is the Estelle Cardigan (without waist shaping) that I made for my mom after the terrible flop of the Elizabeth cardigan. Funny but i just realized that both sweaters are names she's familiar with - while my name is Estella not Estelle, my sister's name is Elizabeth. Huh, kind of funny.

I'm so much happier with this and can't wait to send it to her. I'll be sure to post a photo of her wearing it. I wove in all the ends during the Houston/Baltimore game which was a good call as the Giants game (GO GIANTS!) was so exciting I could barely knit let alone weave in ends!

One Down, Four To Go

2012-01-13T05:39:00.003-05:00

I finished the first Corrugated Lace Capelet which my dentist's wife commissioned me to make. (Note for Millie - this is not the one I made at the beginning of summer it is the one I made in late fall). I used Valley Yarns Berkshire and had only planned on 3 skeins but due to their discount when you buy a lot I decided to buy 4 skeins. It was a good thing I did as I needed about 20 yards of the 4th skein to finish this.

I love the color - it is called "Blue Ming" and this photo is pretty true. I'm working on a plum colored one right now and am already fighting the boredom of the same pattern...they aren't due until March but I want to get this off my plate.

My mom's sweater is about dry (Note to Millie - the color changed cause it was wet when I photographed it and I think the true color is somewhere between the two). I'm hoping to pick up the neck edge tomorrow and finish this sucker while watching lots of football.

In The Home Stretch

2012-01-11T08:51:00.001-05:00

I'm winding down on the Estelle cardigan I'm knitting for my mom...I finished the body and have to block it before picking up the stitches around the fronts and neck to do some more feather and fan detail work. I'm SO much happier with this than the previous version. This is knit out of Classic Elite Premiere which has really held up to one blocking then a frogging and washing and then another blocking. It's 50% cotton/50% Tencel and it has really done well.

I'm in the home stretch - my mom said Florida was getting a cold front on Friday and asked if it could be to her by then - we both had a good laugh.

Yarn Diet Solution

2012-01-09T14:16:00.003-05:00

Due to finances, I'm on a yarn diet. It is hard seeing yarn sales and not buying a deal...and it is hard going to fiber festivals and just looking (hence no Vogue Knitting Live for me this year). But I've found a way to feed the fiber beast...use someone else's money!

Our dentist's wife saw my Corrugated Lace Capelet and fell in love with it. She asked if I could knit one for each member of their staff and one for her too - 5 capelets in all. So, I got to go shopping with her money and got some Valley Yarns Berkshire and look at how many pretty skeins of yarn I get to play with!

Here's the first one I'm working on - it is called Blue Ming and is far more teal than this picture shows...next I'm thinking purple or burgundy.

Best of all, she's paying me for my time - I don't know if she decided to do this as she knows our life situation or not - she's that kind of sweet person. Doesn't matter...I get to shop for yarn and knit and she gets some lovely capelets.

One Sleeve Done

2012-01-04T07:32:00.002-05:00

I spent New Year's Day watching football - almost 12 hours worth! What did I do? Knit of course. I finished one sleeve on my mom's Estelle cardigan and am halfway done with the second sleeve.
I put all the body stitches on my Try It On Tubing and am waiting to see how much yarn I have before doing the pretty feather and fan detail on the bottom edge - I want to make the sweater as long as I can for her and make sure I have enough to go around the neckline.

As I told my mom when I emailed her this photo - the detail looks much prettier in person.

Out with the Old, In with the New

2011-12-31T07:37:00.003-05:00

As you can see from the post below, I knit a lot - here's what my KnitMeter says for this year. I realize that a lot of it is guestimate but I try to be accurate based on what I record in Ravelry. This is more than last year's number and to think I frogged about 1200 yards of it and am reknitting it right now.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year - no major reflections this year - my heart isn't in it right now. No goals set either - with the bump in the road that has hit our lives I'm just focusing on each day as it hits me.

Happy New Year! May 2012 be a good one - someone I know turns 50 in 2012! Yikes!

2011 Knitting

2011-12-31T07:35:00.001-05:00

2011 Knitting, a set on Flickr.

Here's a Year's worth of knitting...wonder what next year will bring? According to Knitmeter this totals over 20,000 yards. Wow!

Last Bit of Ornament Knitting

2011-12-29T12:58:00.001-05:00

I had a lot of football in front of me on Christmas Eve - Giants game especially. I wanted to do something that stash busted and was fun and not too hard. I found this snowman pattern and got to work...here is the first one I made.

I then realized the Santa hats I made would fit on the snowman so I made another and put a hat on it and made a matching scarf! I have one more on needles waiting for some more stuffing and then I'll have 3. They will be my ornament gift next year. They are just so cute.

My First Gloves

2011-12-28T12:51:00.003-05:00

After knitting so many pairs of mittens, I tried something new - Gloves! I had some leftover Sheep Shop 3 wool which I searched on Ravelry - I only had 1 skein and some leftover variegated which I had used in a scarf for my daughter. I found someone had made these gloves and decided it was high time to try making gloves.

They were a relatively quick knit - not too hard - just a bit fiddly with the fingers. It is hard to get a clean pickup between the fingers but overall I really like how they turned out. I used the variegated yarn to make a little interesting stripe section on the cuff. I really like how they turned out.

Due to life's curveballs, yarn purchases are not in the cards right now so I'm finding ways to knit through my meager stash. I cast on an Estelle cardigan for my mom - she picked it out from a bunch of patterns I sent her. The yarn went from Ramen noodles back into lovely sweater work - I'm already at the part of the top down where you put the sleeves on waste yarn.

Since I can't just have one project on needles I'm going to see what else I can cast on with the yarn lying around my craft closet.

Another Mini Knit

2011-12-22T15:51:00.003-05:00

Okay, I think my mini collection is complete with this little Santa Hat - found the pattern here. Takes no time to knit up and is delightful.

Okay, I'm A Little Obsessed With Knitting

2011-12-17T15:30:00.002-05:00

So after seeing my wreath with its old wrinkled bow, I did a little surfing on Ravelry and found a pattern called Take A Bow. Not really a pattern but a quick idea how to knit a bow. So I cast on the right number of stitches and did an endless bit of seed stitch. Then I made a little shaped seed stitch piece to go over the center of the bow and left a long enough tail to use it to tie onto the wreath.

I must admit - I LOVE my new wreath bow!

Mitten Mania Continues!

2011-12-14T07:36:00.000-05:00

Just finished (and need to block) these Cable Cuff Mittens out of Cascade 220. They are a quick fun knit and I really love how the cables run around the cuff and the pointed tops. They look like something Santa or his elves would wear - if they were into fuschia!

Okay, I'm over Mitten Madness

2011-12-13T15:31:00.003-05:00

Here's the last pair of mittens I whipped up - also from 60 Quick Knits - pattern#3 Waffle Mittens. Warning - check the errata as I found another error that wasn't in the copy I had printed out a while back...it's since been caught. Kind of a shame that such a useful books has so many errors.

Anyway, our daughter saw these in progress and coveted them - they're going in her stocking and the Kisses and Hugs pair I made a while back are going to a friend.

And now I'm done with mittens for now.

A Big Trip to The Frog Pond

2011-12-13T07:34:00.003-05:00

Remember a while back in August when my mom asked me to knit her a sweater? It was the Elizabeth Cardigan and I was using some Classic Elite Premiere. The pattern is knit from sleeve to sleeve sideways which really doesn't allow for trying on. I also adapted the pattern to pick up and knit the collar on it like you do with a Mondo Cable Cardigan.

Well, when it was finally ready I tried it on and HATED it. I blocked the hell out of it and it still sagged and drooped and pulled and was entirely too short for my mom. So I emailed her this picture which showed the string hanging out to unravel it. She agreed that it wasn't the right length and cracked up when I told her I had put it in a time out.

This past Sunday while in a cranky mood I pulled the whole thing out - I think it made my mood worse and I determined next time I frog a project I should be in a good mood. The last shot shows the ramen noodles waiting for a soak before figuring out what next. Hmmmm...what should I knit with this - she wants a cardigan. I am open to suggestions...it is dk weight and I have 1400 yards.

Mini Knits Resources

2011-12-09T05:44:00.004-05:00

Beverly left a comment asking where I got all my mini-patterns from...so here goes:

Mini - Mittens is a free pattern - Ravelry link and other link.

Mini - Stockings is another free pattern - Ravelry link and other link.

Mini - Christmas lights is a $7.99 Knit Picks download which includes a lot of Christmas knitting projects - Ravelry link and other link.
Mini - Sweaters is a free Berroco pattern called Minutia - I also started inventing my own after a while.

Major Knitter has gotten the mini craze as well - here are her wonderful mini-sweater wreaths.

I also notice Cosmicpluto was working on minis - I'm hoping she'll share her Santa hat pattern.

Have fun with these - they are great for using up old odds and ends of yarn.

Secret Santa Gift

2011-12-07T05:31:00.003-05:00

This year I was asked to join in the holiday lunch and Secret Santa exchange for the 6th grade teaching staff - I was tickled as even though I'm a substitute teacher I do very much feel like one of the gang. I drew the name of a woman who is having her first baby - she taught our daughter so something special was in the works.

After consulting stash ($10 limit and limited family budget sends one stash diving) and found some old Lorna's Laces Shepherd superwash. Hit Ravelry and found this hat pattern in One Skein and this free bootie pattern online. Done! And so was the gift - started on Saturday and done on Monday. I think they are adorable!

Decorating Done!

2011-12-06T05:46:00.002-05:00

We picked our tree and wreath up on Sunday and after decorating the tree, I selected some of my handmade ornaments to decorate the wreath. This year's features the handknit Christmas lights, mini-sweaters, mini-stockings and one pair of mini-mittens.

While we were shopping for the wreath, I commented that I need a new bow but haven't found one I like. To that my family responded that I should knit a bow. When I put my tired 15 year old bow on the wreath I thought about it some more...then I went on Ravelry and found a bow pattern. Stay tuned - if I can power through 21 plus inches of moss stitch we might have a bow. I'm not holding my breath.

A Step Further...

2011-11-30T07:28:00.003-05:00

I decided the mini-mittens could have a whole new level of cute...I took them a step further and personalized them for my sister's kids. Here they are with their initials - now they have their own personal ornaments.

Mini Madness

2011-11-14T07:23:00.003-05:00

I graduated from mini stockings to mini mittens - these are fun to knit up, take very little time and really are adorable. Of course, my whole family thinks I'm a little nuts. I think I'm clever! It's a free pattern and it uses up old scraps of yarn. I love how I can use a yarn and reminisce about what I made with it originally...

When In Doubt - Make More Stockings

2011-11-11T07:22:00.003-05:00

When the October snowstorm hit, I had some knitting time but was at an impasse on some other projects. I rooted around in my knitting closet and found a bag with the materials to make mini Christmas stockings. So, I reacquainted myself with the pattern and cast on. Here's what I accomplished in a few days...I've decided for this year's unplanned frugal Christmas (usually I am frugal but this year we won't even be doing Christmas cards) I'm going to use them to decorate a wreath to give to my MIL for her December birthday. Not the most exciting gift but handmade and done with love...and affordable.

I won't have much knitting to show for a while...this injury to my wrist has really sidelined my knitting - I think I've done perhaps 4 rows on a lengthwise scarf in the past week. So frustrating for me as knitting is my peaceful salvation and I really need it right now more than ever.

The Aunt Hits The Mark Again

2011-11-05T08:55:00.002-04:00

My sister emailed me this photo of my niece on her 8th birthday - the sweater fit perfectly and it was immediately accessorized with some "pearls". How perfect! Don't you just love when you make something for someone and it is loved?

Lots to Tell - The Good, Bad and Ugly

2011-11-04T06:56:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been an interesting week here in our corner of the Northeast. I'll try not to belabor it too much but I will tell you it has affected my knitting. I was wide awake from 3-4am today and had a clever post all written in my head - I don't know that now at 9:40 I'll be able to replicate it.

First of all - I finished this Corrugated Capelet - they must have liked my version as it is now one of the featured photos on the Ravelry page. I made it out of Ecological Wool which I dyed a few weeks ago - LOVE it and love color. My father took one look at it and told my mother it looked like I was wearing a fitted lampshade...now you need to know that when my mom first met my dad he was wearing a striped polo shirt and madras shorts at the same time...enough said. Okay that's "the good".

The "bad" hit on Friday afternoon when my husband came home unusually early which sent of alarms in my head. His company was recently acquired and he was told that he was no longer needed as all the marketing would be handled out their Chicago office. No warning, no severance - nothing - don't let the door hit you on the way out. It's hard to be happy and optimistic in this current economy with 2 college tuition bills looming in the future. I just don't have words or a picture so we 'll cut to a cute dog shot.

The October Snowstorm hit on Saturday - it hit fast and furious and really did a huge amount of damage to our home state of Connecticut. We went out mid-storm to get the snow off the branches as best possible and our sweet dog decided it was a good time to lie down in the snow (she does have a bit of Chow in her). We were one of the lucky 50% in our town that did not lose power - I maintain the guy upstairs new that with our Friday fiasco it was the last thing we could handle.

This is just one of the 4 trees on our property that came crashing down. Our Japanese Maple took quite a hit too but survived. On Sunday morning, we had to spend 2 hours clearing our driveway just so the plow could get in. Okay - here's the "ugly" - there was a large dangling limb on a tree (8 inches in diameter easily). I went to pull it down and didn't move fast enough and it slammed into might right forearm. After trying not to pass out from the pain, I got back to work.

Monday morning dawned and I was on the phone with the doctor (making the most of the few months of insurance we have left before they cut that too). Xrays were ordered and showed up negative. No school Monday or Tuesday but I worked on Wednesday and by Thursday morning the pain was still so bad I couldn't do anything - tears ensued, knitting had halted...not good.

Net/net I was sent to a orthopedic hand specialist who quickly diagnosed "intersection syndrome" where the tendons start grating on each other. You could almost hear them grate. A cortisone shot and a wrist brace have made the pain go away and gentle knitting can begin. Unfortunately the brace has the DREADED Velcro so no hand knits can be worn right now. But this too shall pass. He said this could be from repetitive motions and I admitted I'm "an obsessive knitter" but he deemed it was the accident and not the obsession that cause this.

So for now I'm glad to be free of pain and in a warm home - as for the "bad" only time and patience will take care of that.

Took Me Long Enough To Sew On ONE Button

2011-10-26T08:22:00.002-04:00

I finished this on October 11th according to my Ravelry project page. It is Harvest Moon knit in Berroco Blackstone Tweed (delightfully soft but not a strong yarn). I had a small pile of buttons to choose from and then I finally conferred with Miss America (who has a huge button fetish) and we decided on one. I sewed it on (with a thread I thought would be right and in the light of day I know I'll be redoing it) and wore it to teach today. I love this sweater! Unfortunately, the navy keeps you from seeing the great details on the pockets and collar. That's okay - I know they are there.

Another Addicting Knit

2011-10-22T07:31:00.003-04:00

I've been teaching a lot lately and when the kids are reading/working on packets I need something that is great auto-pilot knitting. My other projects require some serious attention so I cast on for another Scrappy Lengthwise Scarf. This is such an addicting knit. I used leftover Cascade 220, Blackstone Tweed, Wool of the Andes and Brown Sheep Lambs Pride - the colors were so fun to work with and I found myself saying "Just One More Row, Please".

14 Years Ago

2011-10-13T12:45:00.002-04:00

It was 14 years ago our daughter graced us with her presence. I wish I was knitting for her when she was a baby as I would have had so much fun with it. I'm glad now she shares the love of fiber and buttons and color and design. She makes our home and lives a sunnier place - Happy Birthday, Miss America!

Dyeing not Dying

2011-10-07T06:27:00.003-04:00

This past Wednesday I finally got to join knitting group not to knit but to dye yarn/wool. Michelle kindly hosted the group and I couldn't wait. I called my husband and told him I'd be "dyeing this morning" which over the phone could sound like "dying this morning". Of course, I clarifyed what I would really be doing. Funny thing is the emails after the dyeing event were titled dying which prompted Jennifer (who unfortunately was sick and missed the event) to send out dictionary definitions and spelling.

But I digress...here are some photos from the event. We started with colors - Michelle had an amazing array of dyes.

Here's my Cascade Ecological Wool soaking in vinegar and water - it's joined by some of Michelle's roving.

Lisa and I are working on getting two shades of the same blue - one just a bit darker. Unfortunately, all the agitating of the yarn over low heat ended up felting her yarn. Lesson learned the hard way. The colors, however, were amazing!

Here are some of the finished yarns. The divine purple one was done by Joan...she and I mixed together 4 or 5 dyes to come up with the colorway.

Here's my finished color...not what I intended but I'm happy with it. I just barely avoided felting the yarn so I'll wind it up and start something.

Why I Knit

2011-10-06T05:41:00.003-04:00

I knit for many reasons - hmmm...that could be a Ten on Tuesday list (probably has already). Yesterday morning when I logged onto Facebook, our dentist sent me this picture of their daughter wearing the sweater I gave her when she was born. The picture says it all - this is one of the reasons why I knit!

Pretty in Pink

2011-10-04T07:38:00.003-04:00

My niece is turning 8 next month and while I was at Webs with my mom we picked up yarn for a sweater. Abby is very girly girl and loves pink. So we put these colors together and I whipped this Isabella sweater up for her. A good soak and blocking and it will be all set for her.

Now back to working on the sweater for my mom.

In My Ears

2011-09-26T07:28:00.006-04:00

I've really gotten hooked on knitting podcasts - I listen to them when I walk the dog or when I'm in the car running errands. I've reviewed a few of my favorites and have discovered a new one that I adore: A Playful Day.

The host, GreenTriangleGirl on Ravelry, lives in London and has the most delightful accent which I could listen to all day. She describes yarn in such wonderful detail with a variety of terms and adjectives that you can almost feel the yarn.

One of her fun segments is "Munch, Burp, Schlurp" where food and beverages are discussed. She mentioned one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen, and described it perfectly as food porn (try the Asparagus Hash - YUM).

Anyway, I just wanted to share this delightful podcast with you - it is relatively new with only 13 episodes so very well worth starting at the beginning.

Plugging Along

2011-09-20T14:52:00.003-04:00

In spite of my injured finger, I've been able to knit and I've been plugging along at several projects.

First is my Harvest Moon which I started earlier this summer - it went on stall for a few weeks as I needed automatic pilot knitting and I was at the part where I had to do the pockets. I found a few hours and cranked out the pockets and am now back on the autopilot knitting for the sleeves. I really love how this pattern is written.

Next is Isabella...it too is in holding pattern until I free up some long circulars to make the sleeves.

Here is the Elizabeth I'm making for my mom...she keeps asking about its status. This is more boring stockinette with a slipped rib stitch panel. I've actually gotten much further on it. It is knit from sleeve to sleeve and then you knit a collar and attach it. I'm considering changing that to attach the collar while knitting it like you do for the Mondo Cable Cardi. I just hate doing mattress stitch and I think the process of attaching as you go might work.

Lastly, I have to share this yummy yarn I got from Kimberly when she was destashing - Ella Rae Lace Merino - 3 gorgeous skeins waiting to be made into something.

Bump In The Road

2011-09-14T05:46:00.003-04:00

Don't know how I did it but one minute I was closing the car door and the next my middle finger was closed in the car door.

Expetives flew, things were dropped, ice was gathered and I started to feel faint. I then realized out loud "I won't be able to knit". Then I really felt faint and needed to lie down.

A few hours later I did manage to knit...typing however isn't easy so that's then end of today's post.

Not One But Two FOs

2011-09-10T11:46:00.003-04:00

I did knit this summer and I didn't really finish much until the end of summer. First was the 2nd Daybreak I had yarn for - I really like this one and think I will keep it for me. Great fall colors. It is an addictive knit with a lot of stockinette which was perfect for watching tennis matches the kids were playing.

I also made the Cranberry Capelet by Baby Cocktails (aka Thea Colman). I used Cascade 220 in the colorway Heather. I am modeling this in a short sleeve sweater and shorts but with a pair of jeans and a turtleneck it will be perfect for those chilly days where I need an extra light layer.

Here is the detail of the cable that us up the front and back.

As I was on the last rows I noticed a little error where my K2P2 was off. This was probably from when I was knitting in the dark due to our Hurricane Irene power outage. I had a small flashlight which I kept flicking on and off. I considered dropping down and picking it up but it was too far down. For a nanosecond I considered frogging back. Then I realized this will be on the back side and if anyone notices this near the hem of my capelet then they are standing FAR TOO CLOSE!

Don't Faint!

2011-09-08T09:20:00.003-04:00

Don't faint - I'm blogging 2 days in a row and this has actual knitting content.

My mom and I went on a road trip in mid-August to New Hampshire for our camp 100th anniversary reunion. I pointed out to Mom that we were going there on Route 91 right by Northhampton, Mass - the KNITTING MECCA of the world is there - WEBS!

Well, Mom looked at it as a Thelma and Louise outing (without the cliff ending) and booked us in the lovely Hotel Northhampton on a Thursday night (Webs is open late but she had travelled all the way from Florida and I didn't push going as soon as we arrived). We puttered in the morning, toured the town and at 9:58 pulled up to Webs.

I immediately took this picture and texted it to my knitting buddies...and to my knitting sister.

We walked in and it was instantly sensory overload...the store itself is huge. Mom was puttering around as I promised her I would make her something and then I went through some doors and saw the warehouse. I ran back to her and grabbed her arm and we both stood there in the open doors with our mouths hanging open...the picture is a bit blurry - could be my hand was shaking from the yarn excitement overload.

After 1 1/2 hours, we found a pattern for mom and me with 2 different sale yarns. We also came up with something for my niece. We had to get going - we did have a long drive ahead to get to camp!

So, what is in the bags??

Teal yarn is Classic Elite Premiere for Mom to make the Elizabeth cardigan. The dark purple is Nashua Creative Focus Worsted which I'm going to make the same cardigan for myself. Then the pink and purple and white will be a pullover (in the same Classic Elite booklet as Elizabeth)called Isabella.

I also purchased some Eucalan and a few gifties for my knitting buddies. Truly, if you live within a 2 hour drive, go! I wish I could have gone back on the way home or later again the same day after my body had recovered from such yarn shock.

Next post (by Saturday I think) will have some actual FOs!

Where to Begin?

2011-09-07T05:48:00.005-04:00

First of all, no knitting content in this one...

Second, thank you all who sent kind messages about our Hurricane Irene ordeal - I figure one more post about it and then I can move onto knitting content tomorrow.

We were without power for 7 1/2 days - it returned Sunday around 5pm. I must admit though we were very lucky as we escaped to NJ for the weekend where we had power and a lovely beach to enjoy with fun surf.

A few photo moments - here is our daughter (almost 14) teaching our son (15) how to play jacks. Got to love that a hurricane and no power do take you back to basics.

This is the large tree in the back yard that barely missed our back deck - we had 2 more uprooted in the front yard but they ended up leaning on other trees and missing the house. I have a dear friend who had an 80 foot tree crash on her house and go through the ceiling of her son's room - everyone okay but scary.

This was some of the packing before the hurricane - wine was a necessity! I packed mostly red expecting no power to chill white. However, (KNITTING CONTENT) the first thing I packed in the car when leaving NJ for CT was my yarn and knitting. It went in BEFORE anything else - kids, dog, food, wine. Nothing was going to let me leave my fiber to the potential elements and flooding!

We pulled up all the rugs - the house echoed. See my knitting bag on the table - that was the knitting to go - the big box of fiber had already been packed a day earlier.

Yes, we dodged a bullet - the bay came up and flooded the street and stopped 1" below our top step. Thank God!

Tomorrow (if I get my act together) I will tell you of my fantastic fiber adventure with my mom. Think of the yarn Mecca of the northeast - we went there!

One Kind Email

2011-09-02T06:31:00.002-04:00

No, I didn't fall in a black hole...my husband, kids and I left our NJ summer home very quickly last Saturday with Hurricane Irene bearing down on us to prepare our CT home for her wrath as well. I had plans of blogging and catching you all up on my life when on Sunday morning at 5am we lost power.

We are STILL without power and the kids and I returned yesterday morning on Day 5 of no power to NJ where they never lost power.

We live in a house that has a well so water was at a premium...our survival mode (and here I'm thankful I have teenagers and not small kids) included going to the local YMCA for our morning shower then running to our fantastic New Canaan Library to charge electronics and check our email. The Library kept extra long hours and had water and coffee for the refuges of this storm.

That's when I got an email from one of my readers - Millie - who asked how were were and if we were okay. I have to tell you that it made my day when my nerves were shot and I had been worrying about keeping my family fed and clean that someone worried about me for a minute. Thank you Millie.

After the library, we'd forage for water for flushing toilets, ice for the coolers and then treat ourselves to lunch out. Evenings during this power loss included family dinner at home (grilled or thank God for a gas stove) followed by a game and then the laptop (charged at the library) was used as a DVD player and we'd watch a movie in the dark.

As of today, our house is still without power...I won't even go into the craziness of our town thinking they could have school this past week. Fortunately, someone got a clue and put it off til next week. Estimates say our power might not be on til Tuesday...hopefully, they are wrong.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend - I have a newfound appreciation for water, electricity and the dear people who send emails asking if we are okay.

Hats In Haiti

2011-07-24T17:18:00.004-04:00

As promised, I told you I'd let you know when the hats that you all contributed made it to Haiti. My friend Julie updated me today on FB and this is what she posted:

"Hey! I wanted to share one photo with you now of the hats that were given out. This little one was so sick and it made it a little tough to get a happy face :) but they were SO appreciated! A big thank you to all the ladies who worked so hard to make all the hats. We will be going back in October and will be taking more of them with us then and I will get some better photos for you."

Finally an FO to Show

2011-07-16T08:28:00.003-04:00

I admit that I finished this in June but it took me until 2 days ago to get the buttons on it. This is Noisette which is a Berroco pattern and it was not an easy one to find as the pattern is covered by a wrap. I was flying on faith when knitting this because there wasn't a single photo of just the sweater only the HUGE wrap over the sweater.

I made it out of Cascade 220 I had in stash and reswizzled the pattern so the body was knit in once piece rather than seaming all that stuff. I really like this - a good workhorse go to sweater on a cold day.

The buttons were an adventure at Joanne Fabrics. The whole family was in the car going to nearby Walmart when I informed them I needed to pop into Joanne to bet some buttons. Well, #1 son said "No way" and Miss America was thrilled (I've mentioned her button obsession in the past). So, I was told by #1 Son and my DH that I had 10 minutes for my task. We ran into the store while the men waited in the car. I quickly found these stone buttons and got in line when my cell phone rang with my son informing me "tick tock, tick tock...you have 5 minutes left".

So I told Miss America to text him that I found some lovely fabric and I needed more time (actually, I was stuck in a line at the cash register but he didn't know that). The text back was "REALLY!!!???". We zipped out of the store to find the car pulled up to the curb with the engine running for a quick getaway...we had made it in and out in under 10 minutes WITH the perfect buttons in hand.

Moral of the story - no men on trips to buy buttons.

I'm So Lame

2011-07-11T09:55:00.002-04:00

I know, I know...I haven't been blogging. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I found out the day before our vacation that our dog had bladder stones and needed to have them removed. It was a complicated affair as she had a staph infection related to MRSA and you can't kill the staph which causes the stones until you take them out. So vacation was deferred a bit and our VISA bill will walk through the door after that operation.

Good news is she's on the mend and the lesson learned is that if you have a dog don't take them to a nursing home and let them lie on the floor - one of the ways they can get staph is transdermally and that is how we think she got it from visiting my FIL.

On the other front, #1 Son is in New Orleans on a mission trip for our church. It is so strange to have him gone and so far away but it such a wonderful, learning and safe environment for him to grow and do some good. I've learned he's like most men and not overly loquacious on the phone.

On the knitting front - I finished my Noisette (pics yet to be taken) and I'm sewing on buttons. I started another Daybreak which is for my summer Stitch and Bitch group time (somewhat autopilot knitting). Next I'll swatch for my Harvest Moon.

I discovered a new podcast which I LOVE - A Playful Day (rav link for group) - it is lovely and I could listen to her delightful British accent and phrases all day.

Bear with me with my summer spotty posting...it is at times like this when I think I'm such a bad blogger that I really question why I keep blogging. I'll mull that over while I head to the beach.

Brave New Knits

2011-06-19T07:13:00.003-04:00

I know this book has been out for a while...in fact our fantastic library got it in on January 25th. Just the other day I found/noticed it on the new books shelf and snagged it. Usually when I get a knitting book there are only 1 or 2 patterns I like...this one differs - look at how many I marked! Guess I'm going on Amazon and buying my own copy.

What do I like in it? Global Cable Coat, Koukla Cardigan, Woodsmoke Scarf, The Orchid Thief Shawlette, and the Lubov Scarf. I also like how the do little bios on the bloggers who are featured - some wonderful designers out there in cyberspace.

More Potato Chip Knitting

2011-06-11T08:28:00.003-04:00

When I knit my Inspira I used the term "potato chip" knitting - someone asked if that was my phrase and I must admit I first heard it from Gigi of The Knitmore Girls. Potato chip knitting is something that is addictive and you say "one more row" (perfect for my blog title). The Inspira was truly potato chip for me - this Daybreak was another potato chip experience.

This is my third Stephen West pattern I've knit and I am constantly amazed by his brilliance in design, colorwork, structure, and pattern writing. I simply LOVE his patterns. I've heard via other podcasts that he might be venturing into sweater design - I can't wait to see what he does.

I have materials for one more Daybreak - I'm taking a break but I think it might be my sit on the beach knitting this summer. I do want to make a Spectra too...it looks like it might have that "potato chip" quality.

Back In the Saddle Again

2011-06-03T05:43:00.003-04:00

A while back I knit a bunch of "bandanas" for my mom and sisters for an upcoming family (just our original family) to Colorado. My parents wanted to celebrate big birthdays (70 and 75) and their 50th anniversary.

The day before I left the weather forecast was for a very cold time and my mom who lives in Florida said "can't you quickly knit me a scarf?" Well, I fessed up and told her not to worry. Then we got there and it was downright hot the first day so my plans to get a group shot of bandanas disappeared (so hot I was laying by the pool after our afternoon ride).

Our last ride was a cool morning and when we headed out I was delighted to see my mom and sister, Catherine, sporting their bandanas. They live in Florida and get chilled quicker than the rest of us. Warmed my heart and warmed their necks!

Here they are sporting their cowgirl gear and a few shots of the countryside in the area. We stayed at the C Lazy U Ranch and if you are looking for a wonderful vacation, this is the place. BTW, the last shot of the huge hill/ridge is where we rode the first day - when we got to the top you could see forever and had a view of the Continental Divide.

On the Bandwagon

2011-05-24T07:38:00.003-04:00

Well, I've jumped on the Daybreak bandwagon. There are a bunch of KALs for it and I've always wanted to make it so yesterday I joined in.

Jennifer gave me a lovely gift certificate to our LYS. So yesterday I trotted up there and found some Happy Feet yarn by Plymouth. The hard thing was deciding which color combination to get...so I decided why choose - get both!

I'm starting on the blue one first...perfectly portable for an upcoming trip with some airplane time. More on that later.

Thank you Jennifer!

Inspira-tion

2011-05-23T07:46:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to make an Inspira cowl for a while...so when Webs had Kureyon and Cascade 220 on sale I picked some up in a fun combination. Okay, I confess, I ordered another colorway of Kureyon thinking I'd make 2 if I liked how the first one turned out.

This is totally "potato chip" knitting - I love seeing what comes up next and how it looks against the main color. I cast on 188 stitches (vs. 144 called for) so it will fit over my shoulders a bit like my Tube of Warmth.

Another Winner

2011-05-19T07:48:00.003-04:00

It has been damp and chilly here in the northeast for the past few days and this sweater is perfect - lightweight and just warm enough. I wore it teaching the other day and decided this one is another winner!

Who Me? I'm a Good Dog! I Promise!

2011-05-17T16:00:00.003-04:00

So I went into the guest room (aka my knitting space) and found our dog, Missy, lying on my Summer Solstice while it was blocking. She was just on the edge and had a bit of a guilty look when I found her.

Then she decided she needed to reposition and cover more of the sweater - look at how she won't look me in the eye. Funny thing is the sweater was still damp - not my idea of a comfy place to rest!

At The Same Time

2011-05-16T11:32:00.004-04:00

When Webs had Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool on sale, I jumped on it and ordered 6 skeins to make Heidi Kirrmaier's Summer Solstice. I wish I had read the pattern ahead of time as it used the 4 dreaded words in knitting - AT THE SAME TIME.

While having a lot of stockinette, this pattern has wonderful design features that are fascinating and fun to knit. You start with the back yoke in the center and knit sideways then turn it into one sleeve. You then pick up the back yoke again which was a provisional caston and then knit the other side and sleeve. Then you make the body and then the whole collar.

My main modification is I did one more section of the collar repeat than it called for in my size. This gives a generous surplus at the front. I used just a tad over 5 skeins which let me have the extra up front as I wanted. It is blocking now - I wish I had finished this last week when it was so dry and crisp here - today it is damp and rainy and still not dry after 24 hours. I promise modeled photos when it is dry.

Keeping track of various decreases on this was a challenge - here are my notes for the arm decreases which took place all over and at odd times. The one below which is on lined paper is from the body where you had increases and decreases. You see it was a lot of "AT THE SAME TIME"!

We Have a Clear Winner

2011-05-10T11:36:00.003-04:00

In a landslide, Harvest Moon won the vote! It IS a lovely sweater and I probably would have picked it all by myself except I was currently knitting another Heidi Kirrmaier pattern (Summer Solstice) and was thinking I should branch out. I've ordered 10 skeins of Berroco Blackstone Tweed in a new color called Nor'Easter. Perfect. I think this will be my summer knit while watching the kids' tennis tournaments - lots of stockinette.

Let's Put It To A Vote

2011-05-07T08:50:00.002-04:00

I have a wonderful gift card to Webs and they have Berroco Blackstone Tweed on sale. Now I need to figure out what to make with it...all these appeal to me but I'd love some input as you all know what I wear/make, etc.

So in no particular order:
Harvest Moon

Nuss

Collins

Baudelaire - and check out the details on the back...

UNCLE!

2011-05-06T07:39:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I pulled out the sewing machine, scissors, needles, zipper foot...etc. I sewed the zipper to the ribbon as the pattern suggested. I hand basted the zipper in after pinning it very carefully. I sewed it on the machine. I zipped it up and then let the four letter words fly...the left side was higher than the right side because one has a firm seed stitch edge and the other is plain stockinette. It looked like hell.

So, I pulled out the seam ripper. I pulled out my supply of snaps and sewed on a snap at the top of the band. Sometimes you need to know when to say "uncle" and remember that this is for a 5 year old and it will be fine as it is. I must admit the 2 hours of precious time wasted left me grumpy for a while.

Simplicity

2011-05-05T05:43:00.002-04:00

Simple things are sometimes the best - this cardigan is called Simplicity and it is simply wonderful. I used Jagger Spun Zephyr Wool/Silk which I got on sale at Webs...these little skeins hold a lot of yarn. I had 3 of them then I panicked and thought I wouldn't have enough and ordered 2 more...didn't need them as I didn't use all 3 skeins. Oh well, I'll make something else out of it.

Perfect layering piece for chilly spring days or summer evenings. I love it!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2011-05-03T07:51:00.003-04:00

Where did April go? I can't believe the last time I posted was April 20th! Sorry!

Anyway, I worked all last week which makes it hard for me to blog...however I do get to knit and I have a few new items on the needles. I also have 2 things off the needles and here is one of them - May Flowers for my godsister's daughter. She turned 5 on May 1st and this is her new jacket (Morgan's Flower Garden) out of Cascade 220 and scraps for the flowers. It is not quite done yet as I have to put in a zipper...hopefully today I can get to the store for the materials.

WIP Wednesday and an FO

2011-04-20T10:13:00.003-04:00

The reason I've been silent for a while is we ran away for vacation. While our vacation didn't start until this week, we skipped a few days of school in order to get reasonable airfares to visit my parents in Florida - we had several days of sun and fun and relaxation and are now back to the drizzly, dreary northeast.

On the plane, I finished my Ishbel and promptly blocked it after arriving at my parents. I love it and had hoped my sister or aunt might like it but mom and I realized they'd never wear it. I'll find a person who will love it.

While sitting poolside, I worked on my Simplicity Cardigan sleeve...I remember when I made my Mountain View Cardigan I swore I'd never make a cardigan out of sock weight yarn. What was I thinking with this lace weight yarn cardigan. I know it will be light and perfect for summer IF I can get it done in time.

In the evenings and on the flight home, I worked on this cardigan for my godsister's daughter. The pattern is written in pieces but I knit it as one and did all the shaping simultaneously. I also did a provisional cast on and then knit the hem together rather than having to sew it later. I'm using Cascade 220 and scraps of leftover yarn for the flowers. Her birthday is May 1st, with a little time I might finish it or it might be a tad late as it does involve a ZIPPER!

Full View - Naragansett

2011-04-12T07:38:00.003-04:00

Well, yesterday was warm enough for me to wear Narragansett and I took a full length photo so you could see how it turned out. Since the test knit, the designer has tightened up the neckline which I think I would prefer...I found myself futzing with it so much I just had to take it off. I'm going to see if my godsister likes it and if not, I think I'll frog it and reknit with the revised directions. Thea (aka Baby Cocktails) has amazing designs and I was thrilled to be part of the test knit. Update since this morning's post - I asked my godsister to try it on and it fit her perfectly - she has broader shoulders than I do so the neckline was PERFECT! It was a win/win...she got a great sweater and I got to give her a surprise gift (and I won't have to frog it). The pattern is great and with the rewrite I think I'll make one for myself.

When Webs Has A Sale

2011-04-08T07:42:00.003-04:00

I get a case of startitis whenever Webs has a sale. From top to bottom - Lyndon Hill for Ishbel by Ysolda, Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool for Summer Solstice by Heidi Kirrmaier, and Cascade 220 for Morgan's Flower Garden by Amy Herzog.

Just a little peek...

2011-04-07T05:42:00.003-04:00

I've long admired Thea Colman's patterns - I have Collins and Calvados in my queue and am waiting for the right yarn at the right price. I also want to make her Cranberry Capelet. She also has a great blog with great cocktail combinations every now and then in addition to knitting - what more do you need?!? Anyway, a few months ago I sent her a message on Ravelry and told her if she ever needs a test knitter I would be interested and I had 2 projects worth of worsted weight yarn sitting around. She contacted me back and asked me to work on her new project called Naragansett. I finished it the other day and was given the okay to share some tidbits...so a little peek of the lovely detailing at the raglan. More peeks to come. By the way, apologies again for the previous post - I don't know what is going on with Blogger but I had that one all pretty and it got all smooshed up.

Treasure Trove

2011-04-04T15:23:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago my MIL and SIL spent a few nights with us while they helped clean out my MIL's cousin's house. I would have loved to help with this task but was working. Each evening they'd come back with tales of what they discovered in this house - unfortunately, the cousin was a bit of a hoarder. However, the last evening they brought back a treasure trove for me! A bag full of Rauma strikkegarn - I did some research on Ravelry and found out exactly what it is. There is enough here for a sweater and I think she (cousin, Ellen) intended it for some type of Norwegian sweater. No pattern but lots of possibilities. Then there was this Reynolds Fisherman Knit Kit which looks rather old - the yarn has yellowed a bit and is musty smelling but it is "Irish Fisherman Yarn" and is "unscoured". Potential here too - however, I think I might have to soak and dry the hanks before using them. A bag of unknown skeins of lovely green/blue yarn...this too is loaded with lanolin and there is enough for a sweater here as well. And to top it all off a odd shaped container which had old knitting needles in it! Truly a treasure trove. If anyone has advice about cleaning hanks of yarn, I'll take it as everything is musty (don't worry I'm keeping it far away from my stash).

Remember Bartholomew Cubbins?

2011-03-31T12:36:00.004-04:00

Do you remember the Dr. Seuss story "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins"? That's how I've felt for the past few weeks. You don't realize how many hat 87 are until you stack them all up. THEN try fitting them in a box...let me tell you, they need 2 boxes! They are on their way to Julie and she's going to make the baby care packages first with bottles, pacifiers and hats. That's it for Hats for Haiti...Beth chose a Webs gift certificate which is on its way to her with the book, Hattitude. I promise now that this is all done I'll get back to talking about my WIPs and FOs, etc. I will tell you I'm doing a test knit but that's all I can tell you. BTW, I apologize for the messiness of the last post - I had it all beautifully presented and in order with the text and photos. Blogger really is awful sometimes and won't let you put spacing in the right way. I wrote it twice trying to get it pretty and it just wouldn't work.

And The Winner Is...

2011-03-30T05:42:00.003-04:00

First of all, I want to thank all of you for letting me keep my faith in the kindness and generosity of knitters/crocheters - I received 78 hats for this effort! Wow! Add in the 9 I made and I'll be sending 87 hats to Julie to take to Haiti. She's promised me she'll send pictures of the happy recipients and I'll be sure to post them here as I get them. This was an amazing experience where I "met" new people, knit more hats in a month than I have in 10 years, and had an over-flowing mailbox with packages from all over the U.S. So to do this properly I had to put all the names in a hat - right?! Then I recruited Miss America to mix them up really well - notice her young, unblemished hand? Oh, to be young again - but I digress... I had to laugh and smile at the name she pulled out - this person knit 10 hats but told me she didn't need to be in the contest. I convinced her she should and put her name "in the hat". The winner is... BETH! Congratulations! Beth, leave a comment or email me with your choice of either a Knit Picks or Webs gift certificate. Thank you again all of you amazing women - you are the best!

Ten on Tuesday - Can't Resist

2011-03-29T09:13:00.003-04:00

As you know, I love our local library - I've talked about it a lot in the past. Well, I could resist this week's 10 on Tuesday - 10 Reasons to use the public library.

1. It's Free! I got my first library card when I was six or seven and every time I moved as an adult I never felt like I lived in the town until I got a library card.
2. Books, books and more books! I've loved to read since I was little. I always had a book in hand or had my nose in a book. I've been known to almost miss a flight because I didn't have anything to read on the plane and I would hit the airport store to get something to read on the plane.
3. DVDs - our library has an amazing collection of DVDs and even gets them before Netflix. I'm always reserving the latest and newest DVD.
4. Magazines - why subscribe to People when you can read it at the library (between orthodontist visits)? I also now check out Interweave Knits from the library.
5. Kids programs - our kids used the library from the get-go. They have great toddler programs and even now have teen programs.
6. Annual book sale - great for donating old books and picking up new books - I've even gotten some great knitting books including EZ's Knitting Without Tears.
7. Art - our library has rotating art shows of local artists. They are wonderful and add a certain flair to the place.
8. Computer access - when we lost power for a week last March the library saved our on-line lives.
9. Knitting books - one thing our library will do is place orders based on requests. I've requested quite a few books to be added to their collection of knitting books. I love to go back to the knitting section every now and then for inspiration, resource info, etc.
10. The librarians - we have some amazing people working in our library. I've gotten to know a few of them quite well over the years. Laurie helped me get DVDs for my church youth group and loaned them to me for a month - what a gem she is. Bhanu knows I don't like a printed receipt (save a tree) and always has a smile on her face. Peg always asks after our kids and remembers when Miss America would check out books above her reading level (old ones that had been rebound in those funky covers) and would sleep with them (yes our daughter literally would snuggle with library books). The library is a house...the librarians make it feel like home.

I'm definitely going to need a bigger box!

2011-03-28T15:35:00.003-04:00

Today's mail brought 13 more hats from Diane (hulagirl1 on Ravelry). Aren't they wonderful and so bright and cheery! Thank you, Diane! We have 74 hats I think - wow! I'll do the drawing on Thursday as I'm teaching tomorrow and Wednesday and I truly want the time to do this justice on my blog. I have some ideas...

Overwhelmed and In Awe

2011-03-25T05:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's trip to the mailbox had me staggering back up the driveway with 4 packages from places as far away as Georgia, Wyoming and New Mexico. I'll share them with you as I opened them.

First was Yvonne's (laughingwolf on Ravelry) set of 3 hats (she made the two little ones and purchased the other handmade one from Hats for Hunger on Ravelry).

Check out the wonderful tag she had for the hats saying they were "Made with a Hug by Yvonne S." Thank you, Yvonne!

Next I opened Vanessa's lovely hat which came with a sweet note wishing she had more time to make more...Vanessa, each hat is precious and time is precious too...thank you! Vanessa found me through her friend, Beth.

Then I got to a box from Debora (deborasoule on Ravelry) who I've "met" through the Finish or Frog it group. Debora sent 7 amazing hats both knit and crochet. Check out the lace edge on one of them. Thank you, Debora!

The last box I opened was from Beth (feltlikeknitting on Ravelry) and quite honestly at this point I burst into tears...the hats kept coming out of the box - 10 in all! It was all so overwhelming and because I've followed Beth's blog for a few years I felt like a friend had come through and really put her heart into this not only for this cause but also for me. .

I was telling my DH about my friends I've met through blogging and ravelry - he came up with the term "blog-amie"...Beth is a "blog-amie" - thank you, Beth!

So, as of Thursday end of day I have received...drumroll...65 hats! That's not counting the 9 I made. I know more are on their way. I emailed Julie earlier today and told her I keep thinking "I'm going to need a bigger box to ship these".

Thank you all...knitters leave me in awe.

The past 2 days...

2011-03-24T10:09:00.002-04:00

For the past 2 days I've been under the weather - I worked 4 days last week and caught a nasty cold from some darling student who should have been at home and not at school. Anyway, while I may have been out of it, you guys have been coming through with lots of hats. These are what I got on Tuesday and Wednesday...I have yet to visit the mailbox today.

Joan (bmom on Ravelry) sent these 5 hats - don't you just love them? I love that she even included a Thorpe - I bet that one will be coveted by many.

Then Marilyn (gardenstatelapin on Ravelry) sent these 3 adorable hats - perfect for little ones. I got an email from my friend, Julie, who has asked for these hats and she had a great idea. She received a dontation of baby bottles and pacifiers and she was going to package them up with a baby hat from this great drive. She was so excited at the idea of a present that included so much.

8 More Makes It 45 So Far

2011-03-21T12:27:00.004-04:00

Today's mail brought 8 hats from Vanessa (luganknitter on Ravelry)...she even posted about the contest on her blog! Vanessa shows true spirit as a full time student she found time to help out with this cause. Thank you, Vanessa!

PS I had a moment of confusion as there is another Vanessa who is helping out too and it took me a while to realize which Vanessa made these hats.

Holy Hats, Batman!

2011-03-19T12:05:00.003-04:00

Today's mail had everyone astounded - a bounty of hats - 18 to be exact! This brings the total received to 28 and then add the 9 I knit and we're up to 37. I knew knitters/crocheters are amazing but this is unbelievable.

First were these 6 wonderful, colorful hats from Pam (Pammiegirl on Ravelry). Aren't they fun?

And look what Amy whipped up - a whopping 12 hats. One is knit and the rest are crocheted. Her Ravelry id, knitterofhats, sure proves she's a hat person for this effort.

I'm thinking I'm going to need a big box to ship these to my friend, Julie.

Finishing Touches Are The Best

2011-03-17T15:35:00.002-04:00

Today's mail brought 2 more hats for the Hats for Haiti contest. Teresa (knittingdancer on Ravelry) made 2 lovely hats but what makes them special are her finishing touch...

Each hat had a special tag attached which says "Hand knitted by Teresa from Florence, Alabama" and then the tag has the fiber and care instructions. How wonderful and personal. I can imagine the smile it will bring to some Haitian's face to know Teresa in Alabama cares about them. Thank you Teresa!

More Hat Love

2011-03-14T11:38:00.002-04:00

I was so excited when I saw not one but TWO packages in today's mail.

First was 3 hats from Diane (dpeach on Ravelry). Two are crocheted and one is knit in a great swirl pattern with a fun pom-pom.

Then Kaitlin (ispeaknerd on Ravelry) sent these two hats - I love the colors and they too have pom-poms.

Thank you Diane and Kaitlin - I know these lovely hats will be well loved.

3 Chances in the Contest

2011-03-10T14:36:00.003-05:00

Today's mail was fun! A package arrived from Debi (56steps on Ravelry) with her entry into the contest - 3 hats=3 chances. Aren't they adorable!?! Thank you Debi!

I can't wait to see what arrives next in the mail!

Ready to Ride

2011-03-06T07:40:00.003-05:00

As I told you earlier, I am making 5 "bandanas"...here is the final one. I used a stitch pattern from a book I have and basically invented all 5 of these. Each is unique and I'll let my sisters pick out which one they want. I took a photo of them all stacked up - they really look nice. They are tucked away waiting for the dude ranch - we'll be ready to ride!

Don't forget about my "Hats for Haiti" contest...I'll take crochet, knit sized premie on up for kids in Haiti. Leave your contact info or pm me on Ravelry (emhknits) and I'll give you my address. I need all the hats by 3/25. Thank you to all those who already have volunteered!

I've "HAT" Enough! Nine is Fine!

2011-03-04T09:14:00.002-05:00

I started knitting these hats on February 23rd...I have only been working on these hats since I started and I must admit I've "hat" enough! I've knit up 9 hats for the Hats for Haiti effort I'm working on. There is still time to enter the contest...so pull out some yarn leftovers, grab some needles and cast on!

Hats For Haiti Contest

2011-02-27T11:20:00.006-05:00

Okay, I decided to make it a contest...the Hats For Haiti Contest. Read about my inspiration in my previous post and here are the details:

If you want to participate, leave me a comment with your contact info. I'll give you my snail mail address so you can mail me your hat(s). OR go ahead and pm me on Ravelry - my id is emhknits.

It's been brought to my attention that I ommitted some info: Hats can be any size - I've made preemie ones and larger children's hats (I think the kids need them most). You can use whatever yarn you wish - I've used wool, washable wool, cotton, and acrylic. Also, hats can be crocheted if that is your strength.

For each hat you contribute to the contest, you will receive once chance in a drawing for a copy of the book Hattitude by Cathy Carron and a $25 gift certificate to either Knit Picks or Webs (your pick).

Comments/commitment to contribute must be left by March 15th and hats must be received by March 25th. Then I can ship them off to my friend Julie who promises that she will take pictures when they are delivered.

Here's what I've knit so far...

Hats for Haiti

2011-02-25T16:56:00.004-05:00

Did you know that while Haiti is in a warm place that it gets quite cold there at night? I didn't...but my friend, Julie, whom I've known my whole life (our moms are friends and our grandparents were friends), contacted me and told me about her experiences in Haiti. She and her husband, Paul, have spent quite a bit of time in Haiti since the earthquake...in fact, Paul is a doctor and went there in the weeks after the earthquake with their teenage son and helped with all his wonderful medical expertise.

Anyway, Julie saw my knitting on Facebook and contacted me with a message asking that if I had spare time perhaps I could knit some hats for these families. She apparently took some hats with her on her last visit and they were very appreciated by the children and parents. So while our kids were down and out with the flu today, I whipped up these hats...from size 6 to preemie.

Then I got thinking...the knitting community is AMAZING and supportive and caring. I thought I'd give a shout out to see if I could get some more hats for Julie. Maybe you have one or two in a "just in case" drawer of gifts? Maybe you have some leftover yarn from a project and an hour to whip up a preemie hat? If so, leave me a message with your contact info and I'll give you my snail mail so I can collect these for Julie.

Depending on response and I'm thinking I might throw this on Ravelry, I think I'll turn it into a contest where you get a chance for each hat you donate. Hmmm...this sounds like a good idea. I'll get back to you on the prize.

BTW - Julie told me she will definitely take a picture once the hats are delivered so we can see where they ended up and how appreciated they will be.

Get Your Cowgirl On!

2011-02-23T09:06:00.002-05:00

This year is a big one in my family...in March my mom turns 70, in April my youngest sister turns 40, in May my dad turns 75 and in September our parents have their 50th anniversary. All big wow things happening in one year. So, our immediate family (mom, dad and their 4 daughters) are running away for a long, long weekend in May to Colorado to go to a dude ranch. We have our own cabin with a parents room and 2 other rooms with twin beds (just like when we were kids) and we'll be our original family unit for a few days.

I decided that we need our own "bandanas" to help us get our cowgirl on. These 3 are the first ones I have done. I looked at a few Stephen West patterns for some influence then worked on my own trying to make each one unusual. The mauve colored one is from the Textured Shawl Recipe.

I kind of have an idea who gets which one but I think I'll let everyone pick. I have 2 more to make and then we can put on our bandanas and shout "yee-haw"!

Tube of Warmth

2011-02-17T15:57:00.003-05:00

A while back my godmother gave me a bag full of yarn which she had intended for a project and then forgot what she wanted to use it for. It sat for a long time taunting me and begging me to be use it creatively. Well, I found this pattern called Stripes to Keep Me Warm and then I used the Stripe Maker program in the knitting resources section of my toolbar over there on the right and started knitting. It was fun "potato chip" knitting - oh, I just do one more stripe.

I was skeptical as to how it might look but have decided I really like it and I wore it today - it kept me snuggly warm (even though it IS finally 50 degrees) and it was easy to wear around without too much bulk.

This is Why I Knit

2011-02-10T09:52:00.004-05:00

Yesterday my sister received a box of handknits I sent her and emailed me this picture - this is why I knit...these happy (and silly) faces. They're sporting everything from a hand-me-down Starsky Jr. and special scarf to a one of a kind sweater to personalized mittens. I love, love, love that they love my handknits.

Hope She Likes It

2011-02-08T06:59:00.003-05:00

I know my sister doesn't read my blog so I can post her birthday present here...I made her a Saroyan using Malabrigo Twist. The yarn is scrumptiously soft and the color is divine (closer to the top picture).

This is a fast, fun knit - it took me two days! I love the leaf edging on the side. Now I think I'll go to my favorite jewelry store and get her some earrings to go with it and her gift is done!

Not a Pretty Scene

2011-02-07T06:50:00.002-05:00

It's 4:45 pm, just about 2 hours before the Super Bowl kickoff and I realize I have NOTHING to knit...NOTHING on my needles (I just cast of Soroyan which I'll show you later). I go to my stash, I go to Ravelry and I start a search which feels futile. I remember I have a project in my queue to start and I go to purchase it but realize when I hit Paypal that my credit card had been hacked and I don't have one until the new card arrives.

It's at that moment, my DH chooses to call upstairs to me and I answer "WHAT!?!"...he than asks what is wrong and my answer is "I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO KNIT!!!!"...silence then he says "okay, it can wait". Smart man.

I looked at my stash again and found all this yarn my godmother gave me - DK weight mostly and then found a free (remember no credit card) pattern to sooth my itchy fingers so they could do something while I watched good football and fun commercials. All was right with the world again.

Last time this happened it was an easy solution - I cast on mittens for my nephew. However, I think I'll spend today re-assessing my stash and my queue and make sure this ugly scene never happens again. There is something to be said for having lots of WIPs.

I Won! I Won!

2011-02-05T08:20:00.003-05:00

As you can see from my sidebar, I participate in the Ravelry group called Finish or Frog It. This group gets us to focus on our WIPs and assess them and post on Fridays our accomplishments. Jennifer started this great group which provides a lot of inspiration for many.

One of the threads was an Epic FO for 2010. I submitted my Inca Marl Coat which took me forever to finish. The ruffle around the edge was epic for me and even required that I go on Ravelry to find more yarn (which I did - here's the story).

Anyway, just this week I found out that MY epic FO won the contest! My prizes were a generous gift certificate to the LYS (thank you Jennifer) and a bag of goodies from Jan. Well, Jan's package arrived yesterday and I had such fun opening it up and finding goodies inside. She even packed some goodies in the skeins of yarn.

The package contained 6 skeins of Patons Classic Wool in a lovely purple (I'm already looking for something to make with it), a great project bag with a wristlet, gorgeous glass buttons, and some samples of Eucalan wash.

Here's the project bag - it has a snap top and the fabric is a lovely pattern with rabbits and dogs kind of like old tapestry patterns.

This is the card that came with it - had me giggling and when I showed it to my DH he just nodded in total agreement. I love how the yarn on the card matches the yarn that she sent. Thank you, Jan! What a wonderful prize!

Quick Knit

2011-02-03T08:05:00.003-05:00

My nephew's birthday is next week an my sister longingly wanted a Wallaby for him after seeing my other ones I had made. Well my Wallaby pattern is in New Jersey (long story) and I figured I could just make up a sweater for James. So, I consulted my copy of Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns. If you don't have this book, I really consider it a MUST have book for any knitter's library.

I cast on 6 days ago for a raglan pullover and I modified a collar with some short row shaping in the back so it was sort of a polo collar. I will admit I considered and started making a hood but it just wasn't working. Anyway, I think it turned out wonderfully! James has BIG blue eyes and I know this will look great on him.

So yesterday afternoon after I finished this I had a moment of panic. I didn't have a single project on my needles and my hands were at a loss with nothing to do! For the first time in ages I watched an hour of tv without knitting...un-natural! So I grabbed the leftover yarn from this sweater and cast on some mittens for James' older brother.

More Snow=More Knitting

2011-01-27T08:47:00.001-05:00

More of this leads to...

More knitting! These are Susie's Reading Mitts done in Mirasol Qina which I got at Webs on sale. I'm in love with this yarn and want to get more to make something...I don't know what but something.

"In Like" with this FO, Not "In Love"

2011-01-22T09:36:00.002-05:00

I purchased some Berroco Pure Merino a while back hoping to knit up Collins by Thea Coleman. When the yarn was in my hand it had too much drape to it and wasn't "crunchy" or "crisp" enough for the pattern. So I opened up New England Knits and selected the cover pattern called Middlefield Pullover. It is an easy knit and kept my hands busy. I tried it on a lot and made quite a few adjustments to the pattern which are on my Ravelry project page.

I should have realized the ribbing might not be the greatest with "the girls"...I think I'll be futzing with this whenever I wear it. I like the FO I don't love it.

Snow Day Stitching

2011-01-20T08:25:00.003-05:00

Tuesday morning we awoke to a little snow and enough ice to make it a snow day. The kids were thrilled and I took it as a chance to get some knitting related work done. I had made a Coraline way back in the spring but never got to putting on the buttons. It required a bit of clever work creating a loop from embroidery floss. I had all the materials but no desire to make them. So, I stitched up my button loops this past Tuesday and now my sweater is wearable again. I really see this as a March/April sweater as it is a spring color to me.

I have another FO which I haven't photographed yet - later this week hopefully I can get Miss America to be my photographer. Anyway, it had some buttons. So I dug through my button jar and recycled these buttons for the shoulder of the sweater. It felt good to get all this stitching out of the way so I can perhaps cast on another project.

Halftime Hat

2011-01-18T08:38:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday there were two playoff games which we sat down and watched. I was working on finishing a sweater hem and put it aside and decided I needed to cast on another project RIGHT NOW. I had 3 skeins of Classic Elite Duchess in my stash (on sale at Webs right now) and I had found this pattern on Ravelry.

I cast on with size 10 needles and did the seed stitch band...then no size 10 dpns but I had size 9 16" circulars and also longer circulars for magic loop at the top. I kept on going and by halftime I had a hat! It calls for a fun large button and I've had this one for over 20 years - it was one I found in my grandmother's collection. It goes perfectly.

Here is Miss America modeling it...she wants it but it is MINE! Okay, I'll share.

First FO of 2011

2011-01-16T08:33:00.003-05:00

I cast on for Stephen West's Pogona on January 4th and finished it on January 12th - what can I say it was an addictive pattern to knit. I used Auraucania Itata which I got on sale at Webs and found this slightly variegated yarn to be perfect for this pattern. The pattern itself is brilliantly written with 20 stitch markers placed through it to let you know when to go to the next section...it became an almost rythmic knit.

I've included a photo below of the shawl in blocking - it gives you an idea of the construction. I might just have to make another one!

It's a Small, Small World!

2011-01-15T06:46:00.002-05:00

The other day I received my Classic Elite Newsletter email - the usually have a wonderful pattern and I always make sure to look through it. This time I saw this wonderful scarf called Daniel's Kumara Scarf. Then I read through the article and they talked about the designer, Heather McVickar. Now until I was 12 I lived in a small town about 45 minutes away from NY City. All the kids went to the same private school and everyone knew everyone. I knew a Heather McVickar and the coincidence was enough to make me go on Facebook and see if she was there as Ravelry didn't have any more info on her.

So, I sent Heather a message and asked if she was the same person as I remembered from years ago - she's a few years older than me so I mentioned I was a year younger than her brother. Sure enough she's the same person (we are now friends on FB and Ravelry) AND get this...she works for Classic Elite Yarns. Oh, wouldn't you love to have that job?

Anyway, here's how beautiful her scarf is - it's one I'm going to make one day. I think it would be wonderful to make for a college bound kid and use the school colors (if they are good colors).

Had to share my small, small world story.

What Else Is In My Ears

2011-01-11T05:39:00.005-05:00

Okay, now that I've admitted my addiction to The Knit Wits podcast (and I hope those of you who checked it out enjoyed it as much as I do), I thought I'd fill you in on what other podcasts I listen to while running my errands or walking the dog.

I heard on one podcast that you should give a podcast at least 3 episodes before you decide if you like it or not. These are the ones that have made it past the 3 episode criteria - in no particular order they are:

The Savvy Girls Podcast features two sisters - Melanie and Deborah. Melanie is living in NYC right now and has an amazing singing voice...she's a bit of a knitter but not as much as her sister. Deborah is living in Bogata and knits quite a bit. They have some wacky adventures when they are together and their banter back and forth with their Canadian accents is wonderful.

Never Not Knitting is hosted by knitwear designer Alana Dakos. She has a very calm voice and she tells of her designing efforts. She often has great contests (not that I've won yet) and sometimes has special promotions where you can buy patterns at a discount (that I've done). She has interviews with other designers and sometimes has "essays" where other designers tell their back story.

The Knitmore Girls is a mother/daughter podcast featuring Gigi (mother) and Jasmin(daughter). These ladies knit a lot and they have great input and advice about patterns, yarns, etc. It was the Knitmore Girls that put me onto The Knit Wits (very funny bit about Gigi describing Rick's voice and comparing it to dark chocolate and Rick's response in one of their podcasts).

I've also listened to Knit Knit Cafe which is a mother/son podcast and is relatively new. It has potential and I'm sticking with it for now. I do check out the Webs podcast - Ready Set Knit. They discuss yarn sales at Webs and I've found some good ones this way - they have good interviews too.

That's it for now...next post I promise I'll show knitting. I almost have 2 FOs to show.

My Latest Addiction

2011-01-07T05:41:00.002-05:00

About a year ago I started listening to knitting podcasts...and about 3 months ago I became addicted to a few of them and one in particular. But first let me backtrack...I was at our weekly knitting group organized by Jennifer when Lisa (warning a lot of these links are going to be Ravelry links) mentioned a few more to me and sent them to me in an email with a few notes about each one. Now sometimes these podcasts have sponsors/advertisers and sometimes they share promos from each others podcasts...and that is how I discovered my latest addiction.

The Knit Wits Podcast!

I missed the first few ones - I started with Episode 6 - The Dread Stocking Robert - and I was hooked. The podcast is done by Carin and Rick Reilly (sp?). She's the Knit and he's the Wit...he worked in radio for years and does voiceovers now and it really adds to the quality of the podcasts. Their rapport, banter, conversations...everything is wonderful. Sometimes I've laughed so hard I almost have to pull over the car. The conversation ranges from knitting to their lives to what is in their wineglass...it is funny, it is HYSTERICAL, it is touching and moving at times too.

I can't do this podcast justice here - go listen to it (it is on iTunes and they have a Ravelry group too). I suggest you start with Episode 1 - lucky you as you have 17 episodes to listen to. As I mentioned I started with Episode 6 and listened through 10 or so then went back to the beginning when I had a long drive ahead of me (imagine a 7 hour drive and it flew by as I listened to these podcasts).

New Year's Eve Dreaming and Scheming

2011-01-02T08:59:00.002-05:00

Every year my DH and I spend our New Year's Eve with a fire in the fireplace, some lovely appetizers and a bottle of champagne. We dream and we plan things for the future. It is the perfect way for us to spend the evening. When the kids came along, they became part of the evening here and there - this year while #1 son chose to play on the Xbox for a while Miss America joined us and started looking through a book I had picked up at the library - Nicky Epstein's Block By Block. The book as a series of blocks which you can knit up and then make blankets or sweaters - while it wasn't my cup of tea, Miss America saw a block with three ruffles and got inspired.

Here's her New Year's Eve dreaming and scheming...first she sketched up some of the blocks and how they could work in a sweater. Then she broke it into good ideas and rejects.

Once she settled on the ruffles, she sketched up the sweater she wants me to make. We had a discussion of color (the DDP is her signature color of Deep Dark Purple). Notice in the top right corner she signed the sketch with her fancy designer signature. We also discussed yarns...first she asked for cashmere. After I got over choking on my champagne, I told her the sweater with ruffles which EATS UP yarn would cost $400-500 in cashmere. I told her we might find a blend with cashmere (she noted it as crappy cashmere - very funny child). I also suggested bamboo which was in the sweater I knit for my sister and came out soft and ruffly.

I guess I have my work cut out for me for 2011! I've already tried to figure out how to do the ruffles and knit it in one piece. This is going to be a fun challenge and so will finding an affordable yarn.

I love that she dreamed and schemed on New Year's Eve in the tradition her parents have for years.

Year End Wrap Up

2010-12-31T07:23:00.003-05:00

Wow, a whole year has gone by - this year I had 116 posts (down vs. YAG at 155). Honestly, there are times I think I don't need to blog anymore. Ravelry has dominated the knitting world for sharing and communication. Still though, my blog let's me have a ramble/rant every now and then and I guess that's good.

Last year I bemoaned the fact that my Knitmeter reset and I forgot my totals for 2009. So I saved it the other day and here's what I knit in 2010!

I also have a final FO for the year - a baby sweater for our dentist's little girl born a few weeks ago. The pattern is Summer Chills Cardigan and I made it in the 6th month size using Classic Elite Summer Set (which is on sale at Webs and only cost $13 for this sweater).

I also reviewed my goals I set last year (not New Years Resolutions as I'm not a fan of those). Here's what I had:

1. Finish Inca Marl Coat (preferably before March) - the collar is going to take forever. Done! I checked and I finished it on March 7th. The collar DID take forever and I ran out of yarn. Thanks the the wonder of Ravelry I found more in the same dyelot and a very nice lady sold me a skein. I LOVE this sweater.

2. Finish the sweater I'm designing for Miss America - it's sat alone for 2 months now. Not done but kind of done...I frogged it as it wasn't working and made a whole new sweater which she loves and wears a lot.

3. Take a class - I know I had this one on last year's list but I still need to do it. Not done again for the 2nd year in a row...I will this year! Thing is I hate committing to several weeks as it cuts into my substitute teaching times potentially. I'll have to find a one or 2 day class and go for it.

4. Learn to crochet (Kimberly if you read this I'm talking to you sister...this summer!) I'm not doing well here am I? No, Kimberly and I never pulled off the crochet class on the beach...we WILL this summer as my schedule will be much easier. I have several things I want to crochet that she's designed.

5. Knit something I've never done before - gloves? Something with a zipper? I dont' know what to say for this...I didn't make gloves or something with a zipper. However I did branch out to different weight yarns...I have never used lace or fingering weight before and did use them this year.

Well, looking at the amount of red above I guess I need to try harder with next years goals. Now, what shall they be? Hmmm...I'll save that for my first post in 2011.

Happy New Year!

It Arrived and It fits

2010-12-28T12:25:00.003-05:00

Better picture later - however, the smile says it all. It arrived and it fits and it looks great on her.

Lucky Me!

2010-12-26T10:17:00.003-05:00

We draw names every year for Christmas in my family (with my parents having 4 kids and 10 grandkids it is a good call)...actually, I keep a list from year to year and re-shuffle the names so no-one gets their spouse or the same name 2 years in a row.

This year my knitting sister had my name...lucky me! I opened a rather large package to find this wonderful basket loaded with goodies. Books, yarn, spot remover, and note cards came pouring out of a wonderful lined basket with a drawstring top. Love it! Hmmm...perhaps I can arrange for her to have me again next year?!?

Been knitting a lot...will show you another day.

Sometimes I Amaze Myself

2010-12-22T15:37:00.003-05:00

I started this sweater on November 17th for my sister. We purchased the yarn on November 13th and she jokingly asked if it would be ready by Thanksgiving. I never expected that I would be done before Christmas. I gave myself the deadline of getting it to her for the new year but ended up mailing it today and I hope it will be to her by Christmas Eve...if not she'll have it for New Year's Eve.

It is Big Frill by Sublime Yarns. The photos aren't great but I made her promise to take a picture of her wearing it so I'll post them later.

My VERY Clever Friend, Kimberly

2010-12-16T05:46:00.002-05:00

This summer I was a witness to a work of art in creation - my clever crocheting friend, Kimberly, was creating a pullover for Interweave Crochet. As we sat on the beach she worked on this sweater now called Frosted Windowpane Pullover. What I love about it is that it almost looks like it is knit!

The thing is when you are as good as Kimberly is they send you yarn to work with...when Kimberly got this divinely soft Manos Silk Blend we both loved the yarn but not the colorway. It had a lovely sheen to it which to me made it look like the belly of a pidgeon. Kimberly kept saying they must have something in mind when they photograph it...and they did as it really looks a million times better here! They chose a dark haired model - the reason Kimberly and I weren't crazy about the color was probably because we are blondes and would look awful in it!

Anyway, it is STUNNING and I feel so lucky to have seen this being created from beginning to end. Congratulations, Kimberly! Now I MUST learn how to crochet! :)

A Little "Just Because" Present

2010-12-10T07:06:00.003-05:00

This past summer my mother said how much she used the scarf I made for her 2 years ago. My parents live in Florida but they are right on the frost line and it can get chilly there sometimes. So I promptly started the Firefly Scarf for her and gave that to her in early November.

When I saw some Skacel Merino Lace on sale I purchased a skein and cast on for Citron. I finished this on Wednesday...it took me about a month of inconsistent knitting. It is a fun pattern and you really need to trust in the magic of blocking as it really looks so much better after blocking.

I mailed it off yesterday and told my mom to open it up as it isn't a Christmas present - it is a "just because" present...just because she asked for a handknit item and just because I love her.

Aidez Info For Sarafina

2010-12-07T14:11:00.002-05:00

Sarafina,
I couldn't email you via your comment so I'm letting you know how I did my Aidez neck on my blog - who knows...maybe it will help someon else!?

I knit the neck bit for the 3 3/4 as it told me to...when you get to that point see if you can gently stretch it to reach the center of the neck. If it works then you are good. Do not make it the full length to get to the center of the neck as I don't think it will set well...it will bunch. When seaming you just need to put the two neck ends together and then ease the fullness of the body to what neck you have knitted.

I hope this helps!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2010-12-04T09:36:00.003-05:00

Just hung up this year's wreath with a few new sweaters - I chose some bolder colors so they really pop! I have over 20 mini-sweaters so the rest will go on the tree...more pictures to follow after we decorate our tree.

Where Did November Go?

2010-12-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

We are getting our tree on Saturday and today we started our Advent Calendar...I truly worried our kids would think themselves too old for it but they love getting their chocolate treat out of the mitten every morning. I married a chocoholic and gave birth to 2 chocoholics...they have checked out what kind of chocolate is hidden in the mittens. No Hershey's kisses for these kids - they like Lindt!

I saw this on someone's blog and it is a little different from the last one I did so I figured I'd fill it out.

1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags? Mostly wrapping paper but gift bags are great in a pinch.
2. Real tree or artificial? Real...preferably balsam.
3. When do you put up the tree? First weekend in December.
4. When do you take down the tree? Usually, the day before New Years Eve...by then I'm ready for the new year and the tree is rather dried out.
5. Do you like Egg Nog? Since I do not like milk, I definitely do not like Egg Nog. My mom used to make homemade egg nog and quite frankly it was vile even when it was liberally laced with bourbon.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember getting a box set of the Little House On The Prairie series - I still have it.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we have 2 in fact. A small simple wooden one and the Playmobil one that the kids loved playing with when they were little. I wish they weren't so expensive as I'd love a nice one.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My sister-in-law (I could go off on her right now but I'll hold back) and my brothers-in-law.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My daughter...girly stuff is so easy.
10. Mail or email Christmas Cards? We do an email card with photo to people we see a lot/local friends and then mail a photo card to those who aren't email types or far way.
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Hands down...It's a Wonderful Life. I cry every time.
12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Pannetone...when I was 16 we spent Christmas with my grandparents in Italy and I fell in love with Pannetone. I don't buy it often as I'm the only one who eats it and I could eat the whole loaf in one sitting.
13. White lights or colored? White!
14. Favorite Christmas Song? The Christmas Song by Dave Matthews...not traditional but I love it.
15. Travel or stay home at Christmas? Stay home. We used to travel to my in-laws on Christmas morning and one year we couldn't due to family visiting us and a snowstorm. After that wonderful time of being home and having a relaxing/stress free time. My DH informed my in-laws they could come to us if they want but otherwise we're staying home and we'd come to them the next day (Boxing Day)...they weren't thrilled but the change has been wonderful for us.
16.Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? Yes, but I have to hum Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in my head to do it.
17. Angel or Star on the top of the tree? Usually an angel - that's what I grew up with...however, when our son was young he insisted on a star as it was "the star that shines on Baby Jesus". Can't argue with that. We have a star but it requires a very strong treetop which can be hard to find.
18. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning? The kids can open one on Christmas Eve but everything else happens in the morning.
19. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Angry people fighting over parking places.
20. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees? Definitely homey trees with handmade ornaments.
21. Gingerbread or Sugar Cookies? Butter cookies which Iguess would be closer to sugar cookies...I use a cookie press and put Hershey's kisses in the center. Yum!

All Done Aidez

2010-11-29T13:39:00.002-05:00

Well, the day before Thanksgiving I finished seaming my Aidez and put it out to block. I then wore it Thanksgiving Day to my mother in laws - it was still a bit damp but I didn't care. I just had to wear it. I had my camera - did I pull it out and get some pictures? No. So, here are a few shots of it hanging out in my room.

I love how it seamed up at the sleeves and the neckband worked like a charm.

Now, all my family knows I knit. I love to wear what I make. I love to give my knitting as gifts. What I love most is when someone compliments what I have made. Not one peep from anyone except from my proud husband about this sweater. Must say it took the air out of my balloon. However, I won't let it bum me too much as I LOVE this sweater and I know I'm going to live in it.