A Village Knitiot

NEW BLOG ... and I'M OUTTA HERE!

2006-08-22T13:44:00.000-04:00

My frustration with Blogger has resulted in a move. I'm giving WordPress a shot, and so far I'm liking it. It's free, it's got great templates, but I'm still figuring out how to move the rest of my stuff.

So bear with me, and come see my new place here.

I HAVE A HAT!

2006-08-20T11:22:00.000-04:00

LOOKY! LOOKY! I have a finished project!

Actually, I cheated. I was digging and sorting yesterday and found this at the bottom of one of my (dozen or so) bags. This is actually meant for the Caps for a Cure project, so I'll have to get it in the mail next week.

I'm also taking an occasional breather from the ~~will-this-never-end~~ lovely Cocoon pattern and working on this little bunny blankie for fun. But I'm using some kind of Bernat fleecy yarn (sorry; lost the label), and it's NOT fun! It's like knitting with linty thread.

Thursday, though, was constructive as far as getting patterns organized. I currently have three binders filled with patterns and filed by type. Feels good. Now if I only I could do the same to my clothes closet.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?

2006-08-19T13:59:00.000-04:00

Penny -- darlin' -- you're killin' me. You're giving me a complex. I gotta stop reading your blog. Do you sleep? Eat? Take potty breaks? For the love of Mike (or Stan or Harry or Frank), HOW DO YOU DO IT? I never saw anyone turn out the FO's like you do. And if they did (my sister comes to mind, but not really), then their stuff wasn't nearly as nice as yours. Seems like you have something new almost every day! What do you DO with it? I see a lot of it is for babies (which always makes them even cuter, doesn't it?). Do you have, like, an abundance of baby relatives?

Honest to Murgatroid, I can barely get something done in a month (see referenced UFO's and FROGGED items below). What am I doing wrong?

I work, but not that much. I clean, but believe me, you're not gonna eat off my floor. Laundry has a lot of down time. Cooking -- well, I hate to cook. So why can't I whip some of these babies out faster? I wanna see progress! I wanna see FO's! I wanna start new stuff!

I wanna be YOU!

I DO love Secret Pal!!!

2006-08-14T17:15:00.000-04:00

LOOK AT THIS STUFF!

How fun is this? My Secret Pal angel really came through at the last minute. I had SO much fun opening this box. And she really must have studied my blog and questionnaire. I almost ordered this book last night. I'm so glad I waited! And the great wool! Now I can do felted booties for both girl babies and boy babies! Good & Plenty -- my favorite! A vanilla scented candle and sock yarn...a Knit Simple magazine! And a great eye-soothing mask for when I become cross-eyed trying to read lace patterns.

But best of all?

These beautiful STITCH MARKERS -- including a couple perfect red hat stitch markers! Can't wait to use them!

Thanks so much, Katie!

OKAY. I'M TRYING LACE AGAIN.

2006-08-04T15:19:00.000-04:00

Here goes. I'm going to try my ~~hand~~ needles again on what's hopefully a simpler lace project than that dumb tank I tried just recently...and totally FROGGED!! This one is from Meg Swansen's beautiful book, A Gathering of Lace. So far, so good. But I'm being reeeeally careful and counting stitches each way, back and forth, and tinking wherever it's not right. I'm using the lovely and beautiful Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk in taupe...so soft!!! This is taking longer than the average knit for me, but frankly I'm being much more particular than normal. Have I finally learned my lesson?

Nah.

Just tired of going to the frog pond. (Ribbit!)

CALLING ALL BABY CINDERELLAS!

2006-07-23T20:27:00.000-04:00

I'm totally enjoying this pattern and am so glad I bought it. I'm having a blast trying different yarns and seeing how they felt. I'm trying to figure out a way to make them look more MALE. And I've added little snaps to the straps instead of the buttons suggested because there's no way I could sew on tiny buttons AND an elastic to go around it. No, unh-unh!

Now I have to find some baby feet to fill them! Luckily, in my very large family, there's always a baby! WooHoooo!!!!

Favorite Hat Pattern

2006-07-20T14:05:00.000-04:00

I think this Blanche hat is my favorite hat pattern to make. It's only slightly brainless knitting, which makes it a great project to take places where you only have to minimally think about what you're doing. It seems to work great with whatever yarn you choose to use, and it comes out looking like you really did something creative! It's a wonderful pattern! Thanks, Janelle!

(And it SO works on this little bear, dudn't?)

Love THEEEEESE!!!

2006-07-18T12:38:00.000-04:00

Well, honest to goodness, if these are the cutest booties you ever did see??? I bought this pattern from Stony Hill Fiber Arts, knitted them up in about a day, and felted them. Here's before and after. I love them, love them, love them! While this color isn't exactly 'babyish' -- boy baby maybe?? -- I still think they're as cute as can be!!! Now I have to dig through my wool stash and see if I have anything more pastel. I want to make a BUNCH!

LOVE IT -- HATE IT

2006-07-17T11:41:00.000-04:00

Love this toe-up sock from Knitty.

And I REALLY like the little picot edging. Don't know how I did it 'cept followed the directions, but it sure did come out cutsie and all.

But I majorly screwed up the gusset area. Not sure exactly what I did wrong, but its mate will be done differently, nodoubtaboutit.

SOME UPDATES

2006-07-06T21:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I have a some pics to post from the last week or so. DH and I went downstate for business (him), so I had to spend my time in a wonderful yarn store in Plymouth called OLD VILLAGE YARN SHOP. I wish they had a website (they're working on it), because they have anything and everything for the Debbie Bliss junkie (me). No, I didn't buy any DB, but only because they're having a HUGE sale this weekend, and I'm going to have my GF pick it up for me.

But on the three-plus hour ride down and back, I was able to make some progress on my Lotus Blossom Tank on the cover of the Summer 2006 IK.

I also was able to knit up this CUTE little Teddy Bear from a pattern off Bev's Country Cottage. Very quick and easy, and made with some Red Heart SuperSaver yarn in Multicolor.

The two skiens I bought are Online sock yarn and the supersoft Plymouth Yarn Jelli Beenz. I'm going to attempt socks again, and I'll probably use the other for a baby item -- maybe even another teddy bear!

THANKS, MANDY!

2006-06-28T23:28:00.000-04:00

WooHOO!! Got more great yarn from Mandy for more Caps for the Cure! Boy, oh BOY, I just love getting packages in the MAIL! And I'm such a schleb, too, because I knew she was sending these and I still got excited!

Will I ever get over this?

AREN'T THESE GREAT?!?

2006-06-24T23:26:00.000-04:00

Well, these have to be the cutest little bootie-shoes I ever did see! I found them on someone else's blog along with the pattern, and now I can't find that blog! DOH! Anyway, I wanted to see how they'd knit up with this RED HEART KIDS YARN. I put little red heart buttons on because that's all I could find, but with a blue or green button, they could be for both boy babies AND girl babies. And they were fun to make in an evening. Well, they were fun after I made the first one and figured out how to read the pattern correctly. But I'll definitely do these again! Thanks to whoever that was that had them on their blog!

SATURDAY MORNING SnB

2006-06-17T22:24:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the gals who keep me knittin' pretty. We meet every Saturday morning at the local coffee house from about 9:00 to noon (or however long we can convince ourselves to stay). We're all at different levels of knitting, with Caryn being our 'local expert' (though she'd beg to differ). I'm on the left, then Caryn, Anita (we like to call her "Aknita"), my sister Molly (who, though a school teacher, refuses to learn to read a pattern), and Brooke (who told us today she PREGGERS!). The only one missing is Kay. I'll catch her next time, though.

AKNITA'S UNFROGGABLE PROJECT

2006-06-17T22:20:00.000-04:00

It was sad. She'd worked on it for weeks. The pattern was difficult to read, especially for a beginning knitter with no fear. We all tried to help. Even me. (That was more like the blind leading the blind.)

We'd seen it done before. Karen, frustrated with a quick-knit cardigan sewn together wrong (we blame ourselves; there was a lot of yakking), and having a heck of a time trying to frog it, impulsively and with no regret tossed the whole project into the trash can. We were shocked. (Although I have to admit I was a bit impressed, myself.)

But we all learn by example. Even those of us old enough to use our mom's words on our own kids. Aknita tried to fix her mistake. I tried, too. So did Karen. In the end, after hours of picking and pulling and snipping and bitching, what else could she do? A precedence had been set.

THIS SWATCH HAD ME IN STITCHES!

2006-06-15T14:40:00.000-04:00

I don't know what happened to me, but a couple nights ago, before bed, I thought I'd try and knit up a gauge swatch for this great-looking sweater in the book Hot Knits by Melissa Leapman.

Well.

I was using Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere, a really beautiful yarn, but also quite slippery on Addi circs.

Not being real familiar with lace, I was trying my darndest just to see if I could accomplish a swatch in the lace pattern written. Instead of winding down for bed, I got so wound UP in this dumb, slippery, swatch that my frustration level (and blood pressure) kept rising.

Then I made a little "harRUMPH" noise. Which turned into a little giggle. Which then turned into a laugh. Which led me to hoots and guffaws and screeching laughter that finally caused my son, waaaay down the hall with his headphones on, to come to our room to find out, "What's the matter with mom?"

I could barely see through my tears as I found my way downstairs. By the time all was said and done, my insides ached, my nose was stuffed up, and my face looked like I'd had a bad botox job.

There is a fine line between hysterical laughter and just plain hysterics.

KNITTING FOR AMY

2006-06-13T12:20:00.000-04:00

I just finishsed my second chemo hat for my second friend undergoing chemo. Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer this past March. Due to her fabulous ability to micromanage, she has already completed a double mastectomy, the first stage of reconstruction, and her first round of chemo. This is a rather blurry photo of her during her Race for the Cure this past month. Amy is dear to my heart and a constant inspiration to me.

Love you, Sparky!

CP

I'M SUCH A HAPPY GIRL!

2006-06-12T15:33:00.000-04:00

Look what I won!!! Oh, I am SO excited. I love it, love it, love it! My name was drawn in the Caps For The Cure drawing. I've been eyeing this book for quite some time -- actually had it in my hands last month! Oh, I love to win things!!!

So here's a couple tops I already can't wait to knit! Aren't they great? Love 'em!! Yippee, Caps For The Cure!

FINISHED SUMMER SHELL -- w/additions

2006-06-02T00:51:00.001-04:00

Well, it's finally done, the simple shell I've been working on for -- well, forever, it seems. Of course, when I finally tried it on, I realized that it sure wasn't going to work for me at this age. It was about 3 inches too short! Argh! My 22-year-old daughter even tried it on and wasn't a taker. So I picked up a gazillion stitches around the bottom and added about three inches of a lace pattern from a hat I had been playing with. This is the finished product. I actually like it. The only problem I find with it is the armholes are a bit tight. Not quite sure if there's anything at all I can do about it, but I'll probably wear it anyway, at least a couple times this summer.

THE REASON WHY

2006-05-24T23:33:00.000-04:00

May 20, 2006
The bride, her groom (third from right) and "the boys."

WHY CAN'T I FINISH THIS?!?

2006-05-17T23:00:00.000-04:00

I'm just so frustrated! The big day is fast approaching, the wedding of our son. I'm so close to finishing this shell, and I really want to do it, but I just can't seem to sit down and complete it. All I need to do is finish the shoulders, bind it off, and put the quick edging on. I'd love to wear it at some point over the next three or four days. But it's like I have a mental block, like I can't think enough to do the counting and binding off of just those few stitches. I'm a little brain frozen, like if I try to do anything with my mind, I'll simply lose it, and then everyone will know there's this blithering idiot that's banging around in my head.

I know once this weekend is over, once all the company goes home and we can re-live the BIG EVENT, once I've fully recovered from what I'm sure will be a fractured post-party condition -- well, then maybe I can pick up my therapy again, my knitting, my COMFORT, and re-enter the zone.

SIMPLE SHELL -- SO FAR

2006-05-01T22:16:00.000-04:00

My next project is on the needles, a simple shell tank for summer from Classic Elite. I'm not using their "Posh" yarn, though, because I found a bunch of Caron Simply Soft on clearance at WalMart a couple weeks ago and was compelled to buy it (stashbusters, ignore this). This stuff is SO soft and SO nice to work with! My biggest problem is finding time to do it (see page 2 for reasons why). Luckily it's mostly brainless work with the help of my handy row-counter, so I can actually multi-task and do this while I'm watching "24," the fastest hour on TV.

HATS FOR CAPS FOR A CURE

2006-04-28T23:58:00.000-04:00

Well, here's my contribution to Caps for a Cure. These five hats took about three weeks to make. The first few took awhile, but the last two went really fast. They're so much fun to knit because you get a finished project so quickly! While some turned out smaller than I'd planned, hopefully they'll fit someone!

And I used up more of my stash!

Next project? Hmmmm......

Feza Hawaii scarf finished!

2006-04-25T19:20:00.000-04:00

I also finished this beautiful scarf made from Feza Hawaii yarn. The pattern photo has long fringe attached, but I only bought one skein of it (pricey), and I still think it's long enough without it. The drape is so lovely, and it's as light as air. While this isn't the most fun yarn to knit with (especially on slippery Addis), I still think I'll make more of them for gifts and use bamboo, instead. Another quick knit. (Well, it would have been a quick knit if I wouldn't have dropped so many stitches and had to tink so much.) Again, ~~live~~ knit and learn!

Love this little hat!

2006-04-25T19:05:00.000-04:00

This is the Floppy Brim Hat from Heather Spoll's No Hair Day Hat collection. I made it with Red Heart Kids Crayon; love all the primary colors in it! It knits up quickly, and the brim is fun to make. This is my third one for the Caps for a Cure knitalong. I'd like to do a couple more, then get them in the mail.

Here I are...

2006-04-23T15:58:00.000-04:00

Haven't posted in awhile. That's because I've been busy trying to get a transcript typed up, host a bridal shower for my son's fiance (wedding in a month!), switch templates, and KNIT in my spare time. No wonder I'm up till 2:00 a.m. every night! That seems to be my only knitting time (sigh).

This is definitely how I've felt these last couple of weeks. Now I look forward to moving our daughter, hosting a rehearsal dinner, enjoying a wonderful wedding, then holding a four-graduate grad party mid June.

Hope my eyes uncross by then! Oh...to KNIT!!!

Feza Hawaii Scarf in progress.

2006-04-12T23:49:00.000-04:00

I am really enjoying this pattern and this Feza Hawaii yarn. I did start it on some Addi's, but they're so smooth and this yarn is so silky, it just didn't work out. I kept losing stitches and having to frog. I've learned the value of a lifeline in this open pattern! But I'm sure I'll get more of this yarn and make more of these scarves in different colors. I'm almost done with it, then I have to decide whether to add fringe. We'll see how much is left! The pattern instructions were quite vague and never mentioned finished length, so I suppose it's personal preference. But I LOVE it!

STASH-ALONG Update!

2006-04-10T13:55:00.001-04:00

Here's a couple of FO's from my stash. The first one is a felted clutch made with Lion Brand Landscapes, and the second little bag is from the beautiful Lorna's Laces in Shepherd Worsted. I added the little flower just because. These have been fun to knit up quickly, and I'll just save them for presents or something. (I can't bring myself to say I'm working on Christmas just yet.)

I do have to say that I spent my one-day-a-month "buy" on some amazing FEZA Hawaii to make a wonderfully soft scarf from a pattern on their site (see WIP's). I've never felt anything that actually felt like this! It's knitting up quickly now that I've figured out how they dropped a "YO" to make the pattern. I'll get more of this stuff, for sure.

Laughing with Lola! (Thanks, Lionbrand!)

2006-04-06T17:20:00.000-04:00

Joined Project Stashalong!

2006-04-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

I'm going to commit to this before I get committed!

This is the plan, Stan. I'm going to try and make all these little purses from Ann Norling's design patterns. Most of them only take 50g of yarn. These should be fun to knit up, fast, and I can use up some stash. They'll make great gifts or I can use them as gift bags. But after seeing some photos from some of my partners-in-stashing, I actually don't think I'm in that bad of shape. In fact, I'm feeling downright short-changed. Here I'm thinking I have way too much yarn. HA! While it's true I have committed one drawer and the space behind my couch to stash caching, I don't have nearly as much as some. They could open their own small store! (That's envy you're hearing in my tone.)

The hope is to use some of this stuff up and really try to refrain from buying more until I do. I'm going to give myself two months, because I just know myself, and I know that it may be more than I can take to pass up what I'm sure will be treasured buys.

I should also say that I already had plans for this orange bag of Twisted Sisters yarn. That's for my summer clappy which I'd love to start pretty soon. Yeah; right.

So there you have it. Things are going to start happening now. I'm generally pretty bad at finishing things I start; that's why knitting is so good for me. I'll try to remember to post my progress, and I know I'm going to need a good shove in the bee-hind every once in awhile. Feel free.

I'm Just a Knittin' Fool!

2006-03-28T22:17:00.000-05:00

It's finished! My showy shrug made with LionBrand's Mystery yarn is finished! This is for my friend who's a dancer. I don't know if she'll want a button on it or not. It calls for one, but my DD tried it on and it looks nice without one, too. The pattern is from BH&G's Knit It! Spring/Summer 2006 mag.

Off-Shoulder Top Finished

2006-03-25T23:34:00.000-05:00

Well, it's done. But if you look at this picture, you'll see that what was supposed to be the same dye lot definitely looks different at the top than at the bottom. I don't understand why, and if someone has any ideas, please share them. I know that every skein was from the same lot, but for some weird reason, it looks much brighter at the top. It was done on circs and the sleeves added later. I also didn't put the novelty yarn around the sleeves like the pattern calls for. I still like it, but I sure don't understand the color change.

Oh, well! Knit on!

CAPS FOR A CURE!

2006-03-25T15:51:00.000-05:00

I've decided to do the Caps for a Cure project through Yahoo Groups. I've picked this great hat called ODESSA designed by Grumperina that is shown on the Mag Knits website. I love the textured look of it. I won't be doing the beads, since these are for chemo patients, and if they have to sleep in them, those definitely wouldn't be comfortable. I've already frogged it once because of trouble with the yo's. This is another of those projects that I cannot share with television!

PROJECT PROGRESS (Updated)

2006-03-22T14:40:00.000-05:00

Here's what I've been working on lately (though I can't take much credit for the afghan as a friend helped with the majority of it). The main body of the Showy Shrug is done, but now I have to add all the ribbing that will go around the edges. This is the project that has caused my love/hate relationship with knitting; I love it when it's going well, but I hate frogging it over and over. This yarn, Lion Brand Mystery, is horrid to fix because of the super-bulky areas of color. But I do love the effect! On the bright side, I've become extremely adept at UN-knitting. I need to pace myself, though, as I don't want to finish these at the same time and then have nothing to work on! (Gasp!)

ARGH!!!

2006-03-21T21:44:00.000-05:00

So it's not that I've been ignoring this blog. It's just that I cannot get any photos uploaded for the last week! They said their 'engineers' are looking into it. Uh, yeah. In the meantime, I wanted to post some pictures of my progress on the shrug I've been making and unmaking and making and unmaking -- yeah. It's been that kind of project.

I'm so DMEUMB!

2006-03-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

I'm so BUMMED! I was halfway done with that "showy shrug" I've been working on. I laid it out last night just to make sure it wasn't going to be too big. When I compared it to the image on the pattern, I discovered I'D DONE IT BACKWARDS! I was thoroughly confused because it calls for reverse stockinette stitch, so apparently the purl side is the "RS" and the knit side is the "WS."

So now I have to frog it all the way back to the sleeves, which really ticks me off because I've tried so hard to follow this danged pattern carefully. I should have asked more questions.

Oh, well. ~~Live~~ knit and learn.

What can I say? She's the boss of me.

2006-03-14T09:55:00.000-05:00

This is Cali, our 14-year-old calico. I've posted photos of her before, but I love this one. She knows my attention is at the keyboard, so that's where she decides to lay. She also does this when I'm trying to knit. She's too old to worry about the ball of yarn; instead she just lays on my lap and watches the yarn move past her feet. I know lots of people aren't "cat people," but there's really something special about them once they finally choose to show their affection. It's true what they say: "Dogs have owners. Cats have staff." And I'm really glad I'm hers.

Third time's a charm.

2006-03-10T17:25:00.000-05:00

Woo HOOOOOO!!! It's DONE! FINI! TERMINADO! The third time really was a charm on this dumb thing. And I think I actually LIKE it! This would be a really quick knit-up if you only did it once instead of three times, like me. I may just make another one in a lighter-weight yarn and see how it comes out.

Whew. That was a really long project for me. Glad it's over.

GOTTA LOVE TEXAS!

2006-03-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

Love this limo!

Well, I'm back! I spent five wonderful days in the sun and warmth north of Houston last week. Loved it! Not that Houston is where I'd necessarily vacation, but they do have some great yarn stores; nothing like here in upstate Michigan where they're few and far between. I visited Twisted Yarns, a truly beautiful yarn store with very friendly, helpful people and a wonderful selection of yarn. I also ventured into Yarns2Ewe and was just overwhelmed by the size of the store and the quantity of yarns. Beautiful! I told the gal I just didn't know where to start! I found lots of ideas, bought some beautiful yarns, and learned some techniques that were very helpful.

Luckily we were able to spend one day in Galveston. Last time we were there was over 25 years ago. It looks so different! But we walked the beach and got our feet wet and ate ice cream. Very relaxing and well worth the one-hour drive.

So all in all, I had a short but wonderful break from old man winter. I worked on three different knitting projects until I ran out of yarn, but I was able to finally finish the chemo cap (after frogging it three times and finally getting assistance from the wonderful people at Twisted Yarns)!

TEXAS!

2006-02-23T13:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm heading to the great state of Texas this Sunday, 2-26, a day after my 51st birthday. Hubby and I will be there for five days. While he's in meetings, I'll be traveling to every little (and big!) yarn shop north of Houston. I must remember to bring an extra bag, just in case I find some thing(s) I simply MUST have. From what I've heard from fellow knitters in the Lone Star State, there's some pretty wonderful shops around there. Can't wait to see how many projects I can finish between now and our return, and how many NEW projects I'll have once I get back home!

NEW TO JUGGLING

2006-02-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if this is a symptom of ADD knitting, but I've started yet another project. A friend of mine lost her hair to chemo, and I found this great hat in the latest Knit Picks magazine. I'm using Shine and Shine Twist in Apricot. It's a free pattern here. This is really some great yarn; Pima cotton and silky Modal; soft as can be and in great colors.

One more strike and it's OUTTAHERE!

2006-02-19T19:38:00.000-05:00

Let's see. If you check down a few posts, you'll see the Moebius Wrap I've been attempting, completed twice, and frogged again -- for the second time. I made it once with a full twist and had to frog it. Then I made it again, this time with a HALF twist, unsure how it was going to turn out. (Get a load of this pattern's instruction.) Actually, it DID work; it had a half-twist. But it didn't look very good with the knit/purl pattern I put in. So out it all came: "Rip-it, rip-it, rip-it."

I hope I don't hate this thing before I ever get to wear it.

She'll Love It! She PROMISED!

2006-02-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

Well, here I go. I've never done three projects at one time, but heck, why not? As long as the "Project Police" don't come knockin' at my door, I'm gonna attempt it.

My DD was home from college over the weekend.

Do some of you remember being pregnant the first time how, whenever you went shopping, the baby department automatically lured you towards it like you had some kind of homing device implanted instead of a child? Well, that's how knitting has affected me. So of course while shopping together with my daughter, I had to stop and check out the yarn department at Walmart. Now, I know by heart what they have and in what colors, but there's always the off-chance that something NEW might come in; right?

Not this time. But my DD started perusing those little tear-off projects that hang temptingly by the yarns. She found a pattern for an afghan she just LOVED. Would I make her one in pinks and grays? Pleeease?

Since she no longer lives with us, we just love each other to death, so of course I said yes. But the deal was I wasn't going to spend all my time and admittedly meager skills to knit this if she was going to tell me later it was too small. (She loves wrapping herself like a cocoon in her blankets.) She said she'd love it, and even if it were too small, it could be the first thing I knit for her daughter.

Huh?

Yeah. That's generally how our conversations go. And no, she's not pregnant. She's not even married. She's just planning ahead.

So I've started the afghan. Twice, so far. But like she keeps saying, as I emote about frogging it after the wrong stitch count, "It's fine mom. I'll still love it!"

Yeah. So I've got that goin' for me.

Oops. I've Done It Again. : (

2006-02-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

Yay! I finished the shrug last night (well, 1:30 a.m.). When I tried it on, I realized I twisted it a full turn instead of a HALF TURN!!! ARGH! Looked more like an oversized headband than a shrug. So I had to frog it, tink it, RIP IT OUT! Plus I realized afterward that I failed to add the last skein of yarn.

Whatever happened to me trying to enjoy the process?!?!?

So...yeah...I'm starting over.

Give Me a Break!

2006-02-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

I've been working on that off-shoulder knit summer top in the ColorMe Soft Cotton in k2p2 (tedious!) ribbing. I'm about a third of the way done and decided to take a break from it and start a knit/purl patterned shrug in Tahki Yarns Bunny Print shown above. It's nice and easy as it's done on circs, twisted once at the join, with 8 rows knit, 8 rows purl, repeated four times. Won't that be nice on the deck of the cottage this spring?!! Can't wait!!!

BETTER RED THAN DEAD (The Red Hat Society)

2006-02-08T23:02:00.000-05:00

Gotta love the RED HAT SOCIETY for helping all struggling, trailing baby-boomers over the hump of mid-life and into the celebration of THE NEXT PHASE! Our chapter here in northern Michigan is called "BETTER RED THAN DEAD." We have loads of fun and laugh at ourselves while we share our lives with each other; wonderful women who wear their years proudly.

I have a link to a photo album highlighting some of our get-togethers over the last year and a half. We'll use any excuse for a meal out! And the only rule is...there are no rules!

2006-02-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

WORD CLOUD

Summer Top (Aren't I optimistic?)

2006-02-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

I made this last summer out of some discontinued Paton ribbon yarn. I really liked knitting with it; the only big problem I had was the ends were tough to weave in. I find them popping out every once in awhile. But I like how the yarn changes color, and because it's cotton, it's pretty comfortable year-round. Of course, here in northern Michigan, I have to use something around my shoulders if I go anywhere -- like my CLAPOTIS!

Anyway, thought I'd post this since I'm still trying to finish the danged socks. Heading to a LYS tomorrow morning with another pattern to find some yarn. Can't wait!

Who-Dun Knit?

2006-01-31T00:22:00.000-05:00

Who is this creature in my skin who is so thoroughly obsessed with yarn and patterns and dpn's and circs? Why can't I think about doing something else? I've been knitting for over a year now. My projects keep me up till the wee hours of the morning. I take them in the car with me wherever I go in the hopes that maybe -- just maybe I can get a few stitches in while I am ... well, wherever I am. It's something I use as a bribe to reward myself: If I go to the gym, I can knit for a half hour. If I walk two miles, I can knit for an hour. If I make dinner now, I can knit all evening.

I do not have an addictive personality. I've never really felt compelled to do any certain behavior such as drinking, smoking, eating. Well, okay. Sometimes the eating. But it's never been where I felt I just had to do it because of a craving of some sort.

I keep thinking it will probably pass. I've talked to other people who used to knit who were gung ho, knitted up a storm for a couple of years then slowly stopped. Is that what will happen with me? How far down the road? When I'm broke from adding to my stash? When I run out of room for all my gadgets and patterns and needles? When it takes over not just the family room but the family? Do they make a patch for this sort of thing?? Do I need to find a KA meeting somewhere????

I guess I'm still okay, though. My kids still recognize me; they seem to have gotten used to hearing me respond to any request with, "Hang on. Just one more row." I'm still happily married, though my cat does seem a little needy lately. I still hold down a part-time job. I haven't completely let myself go. But I'll definitely have to watch for signs of knitaholism.

I already recognize some of them: Every sweater I see is studied for its knitting pattern. Every purse is discreetly appraised for its use as a knitting bag. Every store is graded on whether it carries yarn. If I have to explain what a "stash" is or what "frogging" means, our conversations won't be that long.

But I think I'll be fine. It's not a problem yet. It's not like I was using that space behind the couch for anything else. No one can even see the stuff that's back there. And I have lots of extra vases, so it's not like those needles are in the way there. And you can always use an extra hat or scarf or purse or two. Right?

I mean, it's not really a problem yet; right?

One Down, One to Go

2006-01-26T23:12:00.000-05:00

Sock number one is done, but it definitely didn't turn out that great. This was knitted on two Addi circs. I do like doing socks better this way since I'm not keen on dpn's, but hopefully the next sock will be better. I've casted it on -- in fact, I think I casted it on six times; I wanted both top edges to be the same color. Course, now I get to do the k1p1 ribbing; nothing but fun, fun fun! At least it's only for three inches; not a tall sock. These are mostly for practice, anyway. Maybe I should try the Magic Loop method...

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!!!

2006-01-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

Here's Cali laying in the kitty bed I made her. She apparently chooses not to notice that it turned out terribly wrong because I knitted it with two kinds of yarn; one was 100% wool, and one was--well, not. When I tried to felt it, some of it felted and then some of it didn't. Instead of looking like a bowl, it looks more like a very large hot pad.

On the right is Bertie, my mom's 8-month-old long-haired calico kitten that we think may have some Maine Coon in her. She just keeps growing!!! She was visiting this particular day and wore herself out tormenting Cali. Time for a cat nap!

I'm Gonna Try This Again...

2006-01-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

While I did knit a pair of socks before, they were wool, and after washing them by mistake, they felted quite nicely and hid all my mistakes. So I can't really claim to be comfortable yet with the whole process of turning a heel, picking up the correct stitches, and hiding that inevitable hole in the gusset. I found a wonderfully helpful site that should be called "Sock Knitting For Dummies." God bless Silver for creating this site.

Digging through my stash, I found some Schoeller Stahl Fortissima Colori sock yarn I bought quite awhile ago. (The sample sock looked so cute!) I've been reading up on knitting socks on two circular needles since I got a bunch of them for Christmas. I finally started this one a couple days ago. Working in a k1p1 pattern is so tedious, I'm glad there was only a few inches of it. I'm also finding one of the circs a bit on the long side, but the Addi cables are so soft and flexible, it hasn't really been that big a deal. Anyway, so far so good. (HA!)

Baby Hats!

2006-01-13T01:01:00.000-05:00

Aren't these the cutest THANGS!?!? I love making these little hats. They knit up so fast, and there are so many cute patterns. And I'm so lucky my brother and his wife had boy and girl twins so I can do both. Who knows if they'll ever use them? They're just fun to make, and they're a nice break from some of the bigger projects.

Woo HOOO!!!! Finished!

2006-01-12T23:57:00.000-05:00

IT'S DONE! My first Clapotis is done! What a thrill for me, because I'd been putting off starting this project for months thinking it might be too hard. After frogging a few times and then finding the best help at the Clapotis Yahoo knitalong, I finished it (photos here)! This has been the most interesting and addicting pattern so far for me. I'm just itching to start my summer one, but I want to hold off a little bit ... at least a month, if I can!

Starting Decreases on Clapotis!

2006-01-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

This may not sound like a big deal to most of you, but if you've ever knitted one of these, you'll know IT IS! Very exciting stuff here. I finally finished my 13th dropped row and can now start decreasing in section 4. This is really one of the more enjoyable projects I've ever worked on. There's nothing boring about it because you're using a lot of different stitches, plus it's so fun to see it progress. There's also more pictures on the link below in A Work In Progress.

A Very Constructive Day, Knitting-wise.

2006-01-06T23:07:00.000-05:00

Well, last night I started a cute little hat for my soon-to-be godson in Cotton Classic thinking I'd take a break from my wonderful Clapotis. It was so quick and easy I ended up finishing it the same evening. Sure, it was 1:30 in the morning when I finally weaved in the last of the loose ends, but it's cute, huh? It probably won't fit him for another month, but here in upstate Michigan we have the never-ending winters, so I have that goin' for me.

I also finally finished the shrug I made last month out of Lion Brand Chenille Thick & Quick. This was a great no-brainer kind of knitting project that kept me busy until I got the nerve to start my Clapotis. This thing had been sitting on my counter all rolled up waiting to be stitched together for too long. I wasn't real sure how it was going to look, but once I finished it, I found I actually liked it. I'm amazed how much it even looks like the picture! Hmm. Go figure.

Oops! I Did It Again.

2006-01-04T16:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I couldn't help myself. I went to our not-so-LYS to pick up two more skeins for my WIP, the Clapotis, and ended up finding some BEAUTIFUL hand-dyed yarn from Twisted Sisters in Mirage and decided that would be my next Clapotis scarf for summer. While I was there, I found the cutest patterns for a couple of baby hats for my new twin neice and nephew, so I had to get some yarn for those! I'll have to get moving on the hats, though. There's a Christening for them on the 21st, and we get to be Godparents to one (Evan)! I'm tickled pink, but I'll make his in blue.

Clapotis - A Work in Progress

2005-12-28T00:25:00.000-05:00

I've been procrastinating on this project for months now. I bought the yarn, a beautiful Berroco Softwist in Ginger, last summer at The Dutch Oven , in Alanson, Michigan, a wonderful little yarn store attached to a small-town bakery that delights the senses.

The pattern is called a Clapotis, pronounced "Clapotee." There's actually a Clapotis knitalong to help guide you through the process (and it's a long one) and give tips and ideas and lots of encouragement. I'll be posting my WIP (work in progress) here as it -- well -- progresses!

Here are a few of my favorite things.

2005-12-28T00:23:00.000-05:00

Here's some of the items I've knitted up over the last 12 months: Knitting Projects . Of course, there's a few items that aren't here that I forgot to take photos of. And of course those are the nicest ones, by far. Yeah...that's it.

It Was Only A Craft Show!

2005-12-27T00:25:00.000-05:00

I started knitting in December of 2004 after buying a lovely Fun Fur scarf at a crap show. Having given up my photography hobby after starting a family, I never really figured my knitting would amount to much. After all, I'd tried it when I was younger, and I never could get the hang of the tautness of the yarn and the swivel of the needles. This time, though, I had the internet. I had online videos that were like having a teacher in front of me. I learned how to knit with the 'throw' method. I had the Stitch 'n Bitch book with its countless hints and pages of humor to help me realize (gasp!) it wasn't just ME!

I took to knitting like a spider to spinning. I loved it. I loved touching the yarn. I loved the gadgets. I loved all the different kinds of needles I could find on e-bay and in craft stores. I loved the patterns and started collecting them and binding them before I ever believed I could knit them. I knit loads of scarves, lots of hats , mittens, socks, purses, purses, purses (all felted, of course), a summer top, shawls, kids' sweaters. When I learned my brother was expecting twins, I went crazy with booties, caps, anything tiny that could be knit up in an evening.

I learned the lingo. I have a "stash." I've had to "frog" my work. I can pm, ssk, ktbl, ptbl, yo, and m1. It's like another language, and I love it. I find I even like winding balls of yarn! Instead of dreading the monotony of garter stitch, I've decided to enjoy the process that lets me feel constructive yet allows me the luxury you might feel staring at a fire or watching waves washing up on the beach. It's calming. It's peaceful. It is rejuvinating.

And not a little bit time-consuming.

But now that I'm a little older (I turned 50!), I try to enjoy the moment. These are the good ol' days.