Cosmic Comforts

it's a new dawn!

2012-02-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

and a new year, and now, a new month - february!

as the new year was approaching i actually took some time and pondered where i wanted my ship to sail this year in regards to my knitting adventures.

let me make this perfectly clear before i go one step further - i have never encountered a brick and mortar or internet yarn shop that i did not love - hence, over the course of time, i have amassed a rather large stash of a variety of different yarns. this stash has finally reached the point where i have hit the wall - i really need to get a grip on my stash building and begin to consume some of it before i make another purchase. i recently opened several storage places where i have yarn squirreled away and discovered yarn that i had no idea when or where or why it was purchased!!! i found this to be somewhat frightening!

so... i resolved that 2012 would be the year of the big yarn bust!! i'm most happy to report that i have successfully survived the first month!! here was my mode of operandi: i found a hat pattern that i thought was pretty swell, dug around and found all of the type of yarn called for and went to work - my pattern was "vortex" by lee meredith, and my yarn was noro kureyon, of which i had approximately 4 different skeins.

with this pattern, you combine two different skeins for one hat so, tada, i was able to complete eight adult hats and two hats for kids. the biggest gain from this knitting experience was that i really solidified my kitchener stitch skills, something that had been lacking from my skill set - win, win, win!

i love this hat which is a good thing since i now have 8 of them - they remind me of dr. seuss and just thinking about that has to make one happy!

as if stash busting wasn't enough of a challenge, i decided to throw caution to the wind and toss a couple of extra caveats into the resolution mix -why not knit a pair of socks and a shawl or scarf each month? well, why not?

here are the scarves: the pattern is "holding hands, feeding ducks", a freebie on ravelry. the yarn i used for the yellow/blue/green number was two skeins of magallanes by araucania yarns - 484 yards total.

the second and third scarves are blue moon fiber arts labrador - 100% australian wool - 200 yards. all were chunky yarns of the thick and thin variety and were knit on size 10.5 needles. the stitch pattern is called the star stitch and was very simple once you get the hang of it!!

as for socks, i knit up a pair of anklets of my own design using knit picks dancing - a cotton, wool, nylon and elastic mix - a perfect summer yarn, nice and light. these were knit on a size 1, 9 inch circular needle which was an interesting experience! was able to use my new gained kitchener stitch knowledge to complete the toe! woo, hoo!

so, it's a new dawn and a new month - i'll let you know what february brings!

socktober

2011-11-18T07:55:00.001-08:00

alas, socktober has come and gone! the surprising news is that i actually knit socks for once! i always have the best of intentions but then life gets in the way (or a shawl, sweater, hat, etc.).

this year, i made the commitment - socks were a priority (its not like i don't have just a tad bit of sock yarn). i didn't want to knit just any socks as i have a drawer full, i wanted special socks. special as in specialty socks - socks with a purpose!

as a yoga devotee with constantly cold feet, i found my mission - yoga socks! so without further ado, here they are:

yoga #1 and #2. easy peasy - no toes and no heels - and they fit the bill perfectly - my feet stay warm and i can still stick to my mat!the best part - the amount of yarn required was minimal so i was able to use leftovers from previous projects, like these:

win, win, win! that's what i'm talkin' about!!

at long last!

2011-10-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

at long last, i have completed the task and another shawl from my knitting bucket list has been completed.

i proudly present: HARUNI by Emily Ross.

i've been smitten with this pattern for a long time but just never seemed to have the perfect yarn. not necessarily the perfect color as i like to think that ~~all~~ most of the yarn i pick is the perfect color since i've picked it!

since i seem to have an addiction to sock yarn, i tend to purchase single skeins that have approximately 380 to 400 yards which just didn't cut it. yardage requirements for this shawl were in the 500+ range. as luck would have it, i found two skeins of this luscious yarn: punta yarns mericash - an 80% merino, 20% cashmere. as is my usual 'mo', i had absolutely no idea what i would be doing with this yarn. fortunately i was able to secure two skeins since it only had 262 yards and i knew just one skein wouldn't cut it! after pondering it's fate for several months, ta da, this is the outcome. success!! soft and cuddly, perfect for the impending fall weather!

possessed!

2011-09-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

indeed!

i certainly must be, or must have been when i purchased this yarn!

i have no idea what possessed me at the time to choose this colorway! i purchased this yarn at the 2009 sock summit from huckleberry knits - an indie dyer from bellingham, washington - and enjoyed the feel and hand of the yarn (willow fingering) as i was knitting this shawl (karen - designed by amy swenson - indigirl.com). the colorway is called endicott west.

apparently, i'm still possessed as this is a yarn i picked up at the 2011 sock summit - indigo moon, fingering weight 100% merino wool in the color starlight. the shawl is an adaptation of the live oak shawlette by romi hill.

the oregon flock and fiber festival is fast approaching and the question is: "will i once again hear a voice telling me to choose a multi-colored yarn or can i possibly choose a yarn that is a solid or semi-solid shade of one color?" only time will tell!

have a berry good day!

2011-09-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

sweet little treats to cover the feet of my new great nephew, jaxon!

enjoy, jax!

back in the saddle again!

2011-03-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

actually, i was never out of the saddle, just waylaid!

i guess i could blame it on my husband because he lost my camera which delayed my taking photos of projects, but that really wouldn't be fair.

i need to place the blame squarely on my own shoulders - time just got away from me....... a day turns into a week, a week turns into a month, a month turns into six.... and there you have it!!! time marches on whether you're ready or not!

so.... let me recap with a few shawls .... 10+ in 2010!

i'd say i reached my goal!!!

summertime and the knittin' is sizzlin'

2010-08-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

and the sticks are flyin'! its been a knitting frenzy around here!

i have completed four summer sweaters and a couple of shawls. a couple of these sweaters have been on my 'to do' list for longer than i'd like to admit and it gives me great pleasure to be able to say: "stick a fork in them, they are DONE!"

without further ado, here goes:

this is the 'bella cardigan' by helene rush from 'knit one, crochet two', knit in mission falls 1824 cotton, a delightful cotton yarn that glides off your needles. this sweater began life last summer as another pattern by helene but when i saw this pattern i knew it would be a much better match. after months of hunting for the pattern, i finally scored but had to order an additional two skeins of yarn - fortunately they were from the same dye lot - dumb luck really!!

was exploring a new yarn haunt in ptown called 'Happy Knits' when i spotted this top called 'Buttercup' (available on ravelry for 'free' - a very good price!). i used classic elite 'pebbles' yarn and miracles of miracles had yarn to spare (probably because i actually bought this yarn for this top hence i actually had enough!). i've used this yarn before and i liked it so when i found this color i was smitten. followed the pattern except for the end of the sleeves where i had to decrease many more times than the original pattern called for - i have skinny arms!

can't begin to tell you how happy i am to finally have this top out of my yarn stash and completed! i've been harboring this yarn for two summers - it's nashua ecological cotton in logwood, and the pattern is 'surplice lace top'. totally did not follow the pattern instructions or the suggestions on ravelry but did it my way! pattern called for the top to be knit in 7 pieces - utterly ridiculous! folks on ravelry were knitting it in 4 pieces - total front, total back and 2 sleeves. as i detest sewing seams, my goal was to knit it as seamless as possible so... i knit the bottom lace pattern as one piece, the top fronts and back as one piece, and the sleeves in the round. that left me with shoulder and sleeve seams and a seam between the top and the bottom!

and last, but certainly not least, is this wonderful and easy 'leaf lace top' i found in the 'knit 1' magazine from last summer. i knit this out of debbie bliss cathay - one of my favorite yarns. as seems to be my m.o. i had to order a couple of additional skeins but once again, i got lucky and was able to score the same dyelot! i varied this pattern some by adding some little cap sleeves by using short rows. like this top alot!

now, if we'd get some consistent warm weather around here, i could wear these goodies! argh!

hello cowgirl in the sand!

2010-06-22T09:47:00.001-07:00

Is this place at your command

Can I stay here for a while

Can I see your sweet sweet smile

Old enough now to change your name

When so many love you is it the same?

It's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game.

eureka! i'm back in the saddle again!

i have finally, at long last, finished a pair of socks!!

and, not just one pair but TWO!

now, that's what i'm talkin' about!

i can't begin to tell you how much anguish i have had over the fact that i hadn't completed a pair of socks in months! oh, it's not for lack of trying, it just seems like i couldn't muster the energy to finish a complete pair - i've got a number of socks on the needles and several single socks finished - it just comes down to that old 'second sock syndrome'!

i've discovered something along the way with this recent episode of sss - if you don't forge ahead with that second sock and get it wrapped up, you have to spend way too much time fussin' around figuring out where you were when!! which, ultimately means less knitting time! and that is just no good!

so... my new mantra is: 'keep on keepin' on! two or die!' and, oh dear, i certainly hope it isn't the death of me!

now, back to the aforementioned completed pairs!

the flashy, trashy red numbers are a variation of the 'cowgirl slipper socks' from interweave knits modified so that i could knit them on size 1.5 needles and fingering weight yarn (panda wool - color: lacquer red). actually the only part of the pattern i used was the lace pattern around the upper edge. i used the dutch heel (from the heel class i took at sock summit 2009) and stockinette stitch with a general run-of-the-mill toe! here's the amazing part - i started them last wednesday and completed the whole enchilada by sunday evening! yeehaw!

the second pair are called 'slip jig' and are the rsc march installment! love the color combo, the pattern, and most of all, the feel of this yarn! you have to go a long way to beat the feel and color of any yarn by blue moon fiber arts! i kind of forget how luscious it is until it's wrapped around my fingers! i had completed one entire sock and had the upper half of the top of the second one complete when i cast them aside for a more pressing knit! they finally resurfaced yesterday and i put the metal to the pedal and cranked the rest of it out last night! whew!

now, let me see, where are those other half-baked socks hiding!

drum roll, please!

2010-04-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

here they come!

marching in....

with a day to spare!

time to kick up our heels and celebrate! yippee!

even though it doesn't look the part, this truly is a plain vanilla sock - stockinette stitch the entire way and since they are knit in the round, knit stitch only except for a few rows of purl stitch in the short row heels! toe-up socks rock!

and as march has faded into a blustery april, what's on the needles now? well, more socks of course!

the weather this past week has been pretty dreadful which enables much knitting - go figure!

i'm trying to avoid second sock syndrome on the feather & fan pair i started last month - if i can just get past the heel, i'm sure with the end in sight i can persevere! it might also help if i hadn't jumped right in on april fool's day by casting on for another pair of socks...and, spring has sprung, which leads to summer knitting so a little summer delight has also found its way onto some needles. oh dear, i hope the rain continues cause i've got knittin' to attend to!!

march is marching on!

2010-03-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

tick tock! tick tock! march is marching on!

which begs the question - how am i doing with my pair of socks per month smackdown?

well....at this point, here's what you get!

one sock down in a feather & fan pattern of my own creation - i mean, really, how difficult is it to cast on enough stitches to repeat the feather & fan pattern four times for the leg, turn a heel of your choice (i tried a square heel) and complete the foot and then bind off. piece of cake! on to the second sock (and i pray not 'second sock syndrome'). i'm using socketta yarn which is a combo of cotton, wool and the obligatory nylon which should be a delightful weight for summer!

here's hoping i complete them by summer!

i've also completed half a pair of plain vanilla toe-up socks - and i do mean plain, nothin' but stockinette stitch the entire way! got the new book by wendy johnson and followed her directions! what a champ! have loved her designs and patterns for a long time and have been craving the opportunity to increase my skills in sock making by adding toe-up to my repertoire! so far smooth sailin'!

so....will i make it? the countdown is on....6 days left and still more march madness games to watch! tick tock! tick tock!

fini!

2010-03-15T15:32:00.001-07:00

let me introduce 'raven swirl' socks in the colorway: blackbird. my second completed pair for ravelympics 2010!
done! done! done! and the best part about it - i actually finished something before the last minute! i beat the deadline by at least 24 hours! heroic, in my book!!
and here is my gold medal! pretty impressive, eh? well, i think so! i'm feeling quite proud of my accomplishments in so many ways - just the fact that i have once again completed a pair of socks is mind boggling!! i'm really feelin' the sock knitten' mojo!! hope i can keep it goin' as i have a multitude of sock yarn that so wants to meet a pattern that it can love and someday be when it grows up! ya know, the yarn harlot has a thing going where she is knitting a pair of socks each month which might not be such a bad idea. if i can possibly get to pair 4 or 5 and get in a groove like pavlov's dog, i might just be able to carry it off myself - it's that whole thing about making it a habit that seems to get me down but, hey, why not give it a go - i've got nothin' to lose and it might put a wee bit of a dent in my sock yarn stash!! i'll keep y'all posted on how i do with a pair for march!

needles up! ready, set, knit!

2010-02-22T10:26:00.001-08:00

let the wild rumpus begin!

it rolls around once every four years at about this time - the winter olympics!

and that fabulous knitting website 'ravelry' has once again thrown down the gauntlet for 'ravelympics' - that wonderful opportunity to knit along with the winter events!

since i am woefully behind on my rockin' sock club socks i decided to join the 'sock hockey' event to see if i couldn't diminish my stash just a tad (i had not touched any of my 2009 socks with a new year beginning! yikes!).

first up, an easy peasy pattern with some yarn in a color way that i really, really, really like called 'garden daze' - what gardener would not love a yarn infused with luscious colors from the garden! tomato and beet red, zuchinni green, and squash yellow - yum! i hammered this pair out in less than a week - an exceptional feat for my feet!

mizz daisy mae also thinks they are pretty delectable!

if i was feeling a tad bit cocky over my accomplishment, i have been humbled a touch by my next challenge - 'raven swirl socks' designed by cookie a.

in my usual brash and brazen way, i jumped in with both feet and started knitting this pattern in the size small. i was merrily knitting on my way when i decided about half way into the foot section that perhaps i should try this little puppy on just to check things out - ugh! try it on, hell, that would have to involve some type of miracle as i couldn't even get my foot into the leg portion! argh! attempt #1 was frogged with much disappointment, weeping and cursing!

on to attempt #2 in a larger size - this effort appears to be much more successful and i should really get a gold medal just for having the ability to work on it and watch the men's hockey came, usa vs. canada, at the same time! jeepers! that was some game! my condolences to all of my canadian friends!

so with one week down and one to go, here i am halfway through sock #1 of my second pair. dare i dream of completing another pair - oh, why not give it a go - this is the olympics you know!!

happy, happy

2010-01-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

happy new year!

i've been pondering that whole concept these past couple of days and, frankly, i just don't know why we should be sooooo happy about starting a new year. ok, so 2009 wasn't a stellar year but we really shouldn't wish things away so fast. we should spend some time contemplating the ups

and downs of the past year and what actions and events we want to repeat and what we want to totally forget and never revisit. hopefully the 'want to repeats' will heavily outweigh the 'total regrets'! hey, i'll be pondering that one for months!!!

then there is the issue of new year resolutions! why do we enjoy setting ourselves up for failure each and every january? i mean really! don't we get beat up by others enough - must we continue to self-inflict more pain and suffering? i just don't get it, but each and every january there we are making lists of what we hope to accomplish - shoulda, coulda, woulda!!

one thing i do know... i started 2009 knitting and i ended 2009 knitting - god willing, i will repeat that in 2010! i did complete the first part successfully, knitting in the new year! whew, i'm half way home on that one!

here's another thing i know for sure - i've got a really, really, really bad yarn addiction! i have never met a yarn shop that i didn't love!!! and if i am forced to go shopping, the only stop that really interests me is a lys!! i am amazed how velma (my volvo vehicle) manages to incorporate a swing by a lys on all of our travels - amazing how she knows all the shops around town and she isn't even equipped with 'gps'! go figure!

soooooo.... where does this leave me?

well, before i move into the new decade, let me reminisce a tad bit about december, 2009.

december is when i take my big vacation of the year and spend two whole weeks laying under a palm tree, watching and listening to the ocean while drinking drinks with paper umbrellas in them! it also affords me with lots of uninterrupted knitting time (isn't that what a vacation is supposed to be - doing what you want to do?). here's what is truly amazing about this year's vaca - i only took yarn for three projects and i completed all of them! (excuse me while i break my arm patting myself on the back) perhaps i'm finally getting my act together and developing the ability to judge just how much i can really accomplish and not over pack my suitcase with oodles of yarn that will come and go untouched. tada, this is what i completed:

#1 - 'scroll lace scarf' by ysolda. i am also addicted to patterns by ysolda (well written and wearable). this one certainly didn't disappoint. i knit it out of malabrigo silky merino in the color 416 - indiecita. this yarn is such a pleasure to work with - like knittin with butta! i would throw the word 'addiction' into this mix but really, i think you already know how i feel about malibrigo yarn!! yum! yum! yum!

here's the rub - was i able to cast on and knit away? well, of course NOT! i got about half way through the lace edging and realized that things looked a little loose and that if i didn't change my gauge i probably wouldn't have enough yarn - argh! so, after a visit to the only yarn shop on the island (not too tough an assignment) for a size smaller needles, i was on my way! oh, yay, another little problem, the skeins of yarn were indeed the same color but from two different dye lots - an error on my part, been a long time since i've committed that faux pas!

#2 - 'traveling woman shawl' by liz abinante (free on ravelry). nice yarn and easy pattern to follow. the yarn is: araucania ranco multy in a sock weight in a mouth watering combo of roses, reds and purple. luscious. certainly a much better match for this yarn than what i originally had planned. this was a quick knit that i managed to get right from the getgo - i checked my gauge (an amazing feat for me) and as usual, had to back down a size or so on needles!

#3 - 'old shale scarf' by tiennie (another ravelry find). the yarn for this scarf is artyarns ultramerino 4, both skeins from the same dye lot but here's where it gets funky - they may have been from the same dye lot but they were way, way, way different! this presented quite a problem when the original shawl i had intended to knit was about three quarters complete and the difference in the skeins became glaringly apparent! argh! so.... i spent several unenjoyable hours froggin' my original plans! since my fall back 'vanilla' pattern seems to be 'feather and fan', i decided that i had plenty of yarn to knit a scarf of a reasonable length by alternating the skeins every two rows so the differences were undetectable! voila! a beauty that left me with about a foot of yarn left over - now that's the way to totally use up yarn!

enough is enough!

2009-11-28T19:21:00.000-08:00

exactly when is enough enough?

that's what i'm pondering at this point!

recently, you'll know if you've been paying attention, i've been taking on knitting projects that have involved multiple repetitions of the same pattern.

here's the latest - the "ishbel" scarf by ysolda, a lovely young woman i'm sure has a great

future ahead of her as a designer. she really has her act together.

this pattern really blows my hair back! and this yarn, blue moon fiber arts silkie is delicious!! just delicious!

so... i zip through #1, feel absolutely fabulous and empowered as i head into #2, start to feel the drag with #3, and by #4, well, it is like pulling teeth to get through that one!

so, i ask, when is enough enough?

how does one determine when one has 'hit the wall'? when one can't possibly knit one more of the same object?

i, for one, haven't quite figured that out but i know that i am really, really, really happy when i have reached the end of the assignment i have given myself. perhaps that's the problem, i need to have a chat with myself about goals and expectations!

nah, not right now! i'm too busy basking in the glow of bustin' my stash!!

yahoo, buckaroo!!

there is no 'free lunch'

2009-11-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

don't i know it!!

isn't this an adorable baby sweater? soooooo cute and quick to knit!

the pattern is from the book, 101 designer one-skein wonders, and is titled 'feather-and-fan baby sweater' designed by kimberly conterio. a well written pattern that was easy to follow and fast to knit with no seams to sew - being seamless puts it way high on my list!!

here's the rub - the yarn sucks!! it was like knitting with straw - it truly felt 'yucky'!

and why did i use this yarn? because it was a 'freebie'! when will i learn my lesson - there is no 'free lunch'! in hindsight, which is 20/20 of course, i should have just tossed the skein in the goodwill bag and got on my way, but, ohhhhhh noooooo, 'waste not, want not'!! so i decided to knit this little number to contribute to an upcoming silent auction. my conclusion after enduring this yarn is, (mark my words) never, never, never again! the old adage 'you get what you pay for' is definitely true in this case. i am too much of a tactile person - if it doesn't feel good to the touch in the skein, hey, it ain't gonna get any better when you knit with it!

i've learned my lesson, hopefully, but this whole experience makes me wonder, "how many new knitter's, trying the craft for the very first time, have picked up this yarn, needles and a beginning knitting pamphlet at a big box store (kmart or walmart) instead of a lys and have been totally turned off by the difficulty of using this yarn?" i'm willing to bet that it has been more than i want to imagine!!

i find this so sad! a future that could be filled with hours and hours and hours of knitting enjoyment ruined by a single skein of crummy yarn! truly a travesty!

a tad bit of heaven on earth!!

2009-11-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

mmmmmmmmm....malabrigo!

gotta love it!

gotta love it, big time!

definitely, gotta have it!

once you've touched it, you're hooked! it is addicting but fortunately, besides draining one's pocketbook, it really doesn't do any damage to the physical body but it may cause damage to the psyche when one doesn't have it!

the touch! the feel! truly a sensory delight!

and, behold my latest tactile experiences...

i am not capable of keeping my hands off of the stuff - i just can't seem to make it out of a yarn shop without one skein (be it sock yarn, worsted weight or silk blend) in my hot little hands!

so...as i saw my stash of worsted weight expanding i decided that i would share the wealth with those i love and relatives, in the form of the lovely undulating cowl. the perfect holiday gift! the pattern is: wave by rebecca hatcher, a freebie on ravelry. just the ticket to keep one's neck warm on a blustery winter day and much more practical than a scarf because it can't be lost once it is put over your head! ahhhhhhhhh!

i hope you are seated while reading this because the fact that it is november 6 and i have basically finished my holiday knitting is indeed a shock in itself! it's not christmas eve!! it's november.....early november! wow! i have to thank the ravelry group, malabrigo junkies, for throwing down the stash busting gauntlet for the month of october - seems a tad bit of competition seems to light my fire! and, since it is november and we are looking for things to be thankful for, i can put this up there at the top of my list!! by and large, christmas knitting done! go pati! go pati!

anyhoo, on to the pictures! i would like to give a big 'shout out' to hedwig for volunteering today as the model for these bundles of joy! thanks, heddy!

as i lined the cowls out for picture taking i realized that there are 7 of them - gosh, that would be one for every day of the week! hmmm...perhaps i should reconsider this gift thing! just kidding!!

here goes....

saturday finds heddy ready for the beaver game in her 'glazed carrot' cowl. go beavers!!sunday heddy is off on a walk to explore nature in her 'pagoda' cowl. enjoy it while you can heddy because if we don't do something about global warming there might not be anything to explore!!monday finds heddy coaching the kid's soccer practice. the kids are freezing but heddy is nice and toasty in her 'azul profundo' cowl! girls soccer rules!
tuesday finds heddy meeting friends for lunch looking ever so dapper in her 'geranio' cowl. eat your hearts out, girlfriends, heddy is stylin'!!
on wednesday, heddy beats the blahs with her 'indigo' cowl! the perfect way to get through hump day!
thursday, finds heddy in a 'velvet grapes' cowl, snuggling a starbucks! the feel of velvet or the taste of a chai tea latte has nothing on malabrigo!

and finally its friday which finds heddy finishing up the week in a 'lettuce' cowl as she ponders what her next knitting project will be!

as for me, i need not ponder as my mind is already made up! time to get my 'knit on'!

tell me why......

2009-10-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sailing heart-ships thru broken harbors

Out on the waves in the night

Still the searcher must ride the dark horse

Racing alone in his fright.

Tell me why, tell me why

Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself,

When your old enough to repay but young enough to sell?

Tell me lies later, come and see me

I'll be around for a while.

I am lonely but you can free me

All in the way that you smile

Tell me why, tell me why

Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself,

When your old enough to repay but young enough to sell?

Tell me why, tell me why

and, while you're at it, neil, tell my why it is that i can't seem to stay on task! argh!!!

i start out with such good intentions or ideas and i just can't seem to focus to see those ideas through to completion! argh!!! all i can say is that i'm really lucky that they weren't diagnosing 'adhd' when i was young or i would have been in a world of hurt!!

ya know, october is a 'big' month in the world of knitting, being 'socktober' and all! and have i finished just one pair of socks so far this month - well, not exactly but i do have one of a pair done and at this point that may have to count! that is a sad state of affairs! had you asked what my intentions were on october one, multiple pairs would have been at the top of my list. and, putting a dent in my malabrigo stash during 'stocktober' smackdown would have been right up near the top of that same list!

but, alas, a mere week left of the month and where am i? not very far!

and why would that be? distractions, plain and simple!

if a teacher were filling out my report card, i'm sure that the comments would include a line like, 'pati needs to spend more time in her seat, completing her assignments, instead of being such a gadfly'. i would have to say i'm more like a butterfly - i flit from here to there and back again!

and what have i been flitting to and fro with? shawl patterns - all of a sudden they have become a compulsion - i am working on my third one this month alone! tsk! tsk! tsk! and, i see more in my future!! i am doomed!!

oh, yeah, i did spend a wee bit of time knitting these:

for these - the little punkin heads!

and the others for another little set of punkin heads!!

now, what was i supposed to be focusing on?.....

surrrrrprise!

2009-10-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

stick a big ass fork in it - it's done!the adult surprise jacket! elizabeth zimmermann is an absolute genius!! this sucker was knit in one piece - unbelievable - a little bit freaky while it was on the needles but the results were well worth it! the only seam was the one up the top of the arms!
and i am very happy and very pleased! in many, many ways!!
and the weather has finally cooperated and cooled so that i can actually wear it! yippee!!
and here is the really freaky news about this sweater - i actually followed all of the directions - to the letter - and that, in itself, is a miracle!!

i knit the prerequisite - the baby surprise jacket. what a terrific idea and great advice. it helped instill the concept of layout and knitting methods and procedures. it was somewhat deceptive however - the bsj was knit in a flash and was nice and tiny. that was not the case with the adult version - the garter stitch just seemed to go on and on and on and on as the jacket got heavier and heavier and heavier!!

the pattern also suggested that one include all the colors in one's closet so that the jacket would be versatile and could be worn with everything. i think they were referring to the basics, like brown, black or navy not the whole 9 yards!! since my plan was to do a little stash busting, i decided to really include all the colors in my closet which didn't seem to be much of a problem since i have oodles and oodles of leftover bits of odd ball yarn! why not use them all? great idea, i thought, until i had to work in all of the ends! not such a good idea!

i successfully used 4 skeins of gray paton's wool and made a dent in my tidbit bin! wow, i'm actually stash busting! gosh, i hope i don't break my arm patting myself on the back as i need to be stash bustin' on a much bigger scale!

oh, yeah, did i mention that there was math involved? i actually sat down and did a gauge swatch (another miracle) and did the math - me, doing math! i think that that is why i usually knit from patterns that have all of that business taken care of so i don't have to dig through the cobwebs and engage that part of my brain!! in this case, i'm glad i did.

all in all, i think that this sweater is 'the bomb'!! it's stylish, it fits and is nice and toasty warm! perfect for all those fall days ahead! and....thoughts of knitting this again keep wafting through my mind......someday.....maybe.....

better late than never!

2009-09-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

at long last, i have completed the task - i have knit socks with all of the yarn from the 2008 rockin' sock club! it only took me a year and two thirds but, hey, who's counting? and i didn't exactly use all of the provided patterns but, here they are in all their splendor!

first up - 'serendipity' by adrienne fong with bmfa str lightweight in dragon dance. a delightful, fast moving knit that created a lacy pair of monochromatic madness! feel like dancin'?

'leafling' by jc briar in bmfa socks that rock mediumweight in the colorway 'lucky'. indeed, these socks certainly were lucky and quite lovely! the pattern was smashing with a lovely vine of leaves twining down the fronts. what a way to welcome spring!

more monochromatic goodness in shades of violet moving from blue-violet back to red-violet. i wasn't blown away by the intended pattern with this shipment so i deviated!! i used the pattern, 'spring forward', from knitty.com by linda welch. a lace sock that undulates around the leg and looks really, really complicated but is really, really simple with an easily memorized pattern stitch! it even worked for my brain!! the yarn is bmfa socks that rock lightweight in the color way, the incredible shrinking violet - absolutely, no shrinking on this one!!!

next up - 'gumdrop socks' by jc briar in a pastel!! wow, a pastel, pretty out of character for this cowboy as well as for the depraved dyer, tina. the coolest part about these socks is that they are reversible, should one so desire to do so!! the color is called 'sweet tarts' and is a bmfa socks that rock lightweight with pastel shades of a variety of colors - very easter eggey!! in hindsight (and now that i have knit one) this would be a great color for an ez bsj! can't you just see it on a new born babe?

now we're talkin'! my kinda color - yum! yum! yum! gold, burgundy, blue-violet and pond scum! yum! yum! the colorway: tide pooling; the pattern: 'cloning anemone rib' designed by team blue moon - i'm over the moon with these - i love, love, love the color - so rich and saturated! yum!

last but not least - muddy autumn rainbow, a mediumweight bmfa socks that rock. a color way that called out 'fall leaves' so once again i deviated and knit these socks in the pattern, 'embossed leaves' by mona schmidt. i think i accomplished my goal - these truly remind me of fall in the great northwest!

one last look at the gang from rockin sock club 2008!

and one last sock! this yarn wasn't part of the 2008 group (it's a mill end from a bmfa sale) but the pattern is. it is the 'sweet tart anklet' by hot flash (aka marilyn kaleikilo). a great sock with a yarn that is a tad bit zippy! i like it!

so, now that i have finished this race, am i done? heavens no, i'm already 4 socks behind in the 2009 sock club mailings so i had better run, i've got another year of socks to start!!! yippee and yikes!!!

ez's bsj!

2009-09-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

well, surprise, surprise!! and indeed it is!

how can an unrecognizable blob like this

turn into an adorable little baby sweater?

it is magic, absolute magic!!

furthermore, it also begs the question - how can this sweater come to fruition with the slightest of pattern information? i am truly amazed and dumbfounded! but, that's elizabeth zimmermann! a one of a kind wonder - indeed the knitting world needs to bow before her as she is definitely 'the oz' of knitting (sorry, barabara walker - but you are a real close second!!).

i whipped this little puppy together in no time, flat! a fast, fast, fast knit provided you throw caution to the wind, trust elizabeth and knit on! and why did i knit this sweater? because the pattern advised me to do just that before launching into an adult surprise jacket so i did and i'm glad i did! now that i've got this one under my belt and i understand the up's and down's of this pattern, i think the adult version should be a piece of cake, except for the oodles and oodles of knitting garter stitch which could become exceedingly boring. i intend to use yarn from my stash and leftovers bin which should add some interest to the whole dog and pony show!

and, you ask, does this cutie have an owner yet? since all of the recent births in my world have been multiples, i guess i'll have to wait for someone to have a single! the miracle of the whole situation is that i've got a gift at the ready - ahead of time! yes, indeed, that truly is a miracle and a surprise!! yippee!

how about a guinness for lunch?

2009-08-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

no, no, no - not THAT kind of guinness!

the world book of records type of guinness!

and here we are, at high noon on friday, august 7, 2009.

myself and about 900+ of "my people" preparing to set a world record for the most knitters knitting together in one location. it really wasn't too difficult a task as the previous record had been set several months earlier in australia with a mere 250 knitters! we did 'kick arse'!!

the whole process was very official - we had to register on numbered cards with both our printed and written signatures; we had to be using straight needles only (no circulars or double points); and we had to knit for 15 minutes (gosh, not a problem for this cowboy!).

it was both fun and thrilling - here i was, surrounded by a group of people of all ages and all ethnicities, doing what they love to do! you could feel the love and electricity in the air! many, many squeals of excitement and bubbly chit-chat! well organized and very official - lots of officials watching over us with an official start and finish - needles up!!

i had the good fortune of sitting next to a woman from south carolina, who brought her two nieces (ages six and ten) from portland, oregon. they were all knitting blue washcloths as a special memory of the occasion. they were awfully excited to be a part of making history!

the whole affair was tremendous. when in this lifetime will i ever have the opportunity to knit with the icons of the knitting world: barbara walker, meg swanson, priscilla gibson-roberts, stephanie pearl-mcphee, nancy bush, cat bordhi and cookie a; and set a guinness world record? probably not anytime soon! but, for now, its back to the double points and more socks!!

three up - three down

2009-08-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

bingo, bango, bongo! when i am beating myself up for not getting anything done, i can take a look at these babies and realize that i actually did accomplish something this summer!! amazing!!

i knit these out of kollage 'luscious' which is a delightful blend of mostly cotton with a touch of lycra to help them hold their shape! very soft and very comfy - i would love to be wearing them each and every day but the weather has been way too hot! ugh! as fall rolls around i'm sure that their time will come! the pattern i used was from interweave knits mag from a couple of summers ago. it is titled: simply lovely lace socks. well, they are lovely with the lace pattern and they are simple to knit so i guess the title fits the description. i think that this will be my new 'vanilla sock pattern' as it is a 4 row pattern with only one row of deviation - my brain appreciates that! and now that i am sock heel literate from my class at sock summit, i can change the heel and whip these puppies out even faster! yahoo!

i plan to use the leftovers to make a pair of striped socks - hang on to your hats, and we'll see if that comes to fruition!! my wool yarn is beginning to beckon.

i just found out by email that another of our local yarn shops is giving up their brick and mortar store front and going online, only! bummer, dude! ordering online is fine and i do it on occasion but when i need a fix now, i need it now - not several days down the line!!

we are blessed in the portland metro area with a number of lys's, but this is the third shop this year to pack it in! makes me sad as i really enjoyed visiting all three of them! however, i did manage to find just a few luscious yarns at the sock summit vendor area and the oregon flock and fiber festival will be here before we know it! btw, mark your calendar for the weekend of september 26 & 27, and boogie on down to canby for a day or two of fun! and...don't forget your plastic as you may find one or two items that scream your name!! i don't seem to have a problem with that...

happy, happy, happy birthday to you, ez!!

2009-08-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either." - elizabeth zimmerman

if she were still amongst the living, ez (elizabeth zimmerman) would have been 99 years young yesterday!!

and could there have possibly been a better way to spend her birthday than among a great group of knitters knitting and listening to the luminaries of the knitting world:

Cat Bordhi, Nancy Bush, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Judith MacKenzie-McCuin, Lucy Neatby, Deborah Robson, Meg Swansen, Barbara Walker, Anna Zilboorg, Stephanie Perl-McPhee, and Tina Newton. words of wisdom from all of them and cake, too!!

NIRVANA!! life just doesn't get any better than that!!

and remember, YOU are in charge of your knitting! and don't you forget it!

ready to rock and roll.....

2009-08-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

time to party!!

one day until the sock summit begins and the 'queen of procrastination' has completed her task and is prepared for class! it truly is a miracle! as you can see, i have six little socklettes ready and waiting for their saturday class - "sock heels". i had set a goal for myself to complete these little numbers during the month of july but, as usual, july came and went and alas, no socklettes so sunday, august 2, i put the pedal to the metal and got crankin'. my procrastination actually turned out to be a good thing, believe it or not! since i had to knit all six in such a short amount of time, i was able to use six different types of needles and compare them while the 'feel' of the needling from the previous set was fresh in my mind!

did i learn anything? well, yes, i guess i can come to some conclusions.

first and foremost, i really do prefer double point needles to the other methods for knitting socks. i knew this before but it was really reinforced through these socklettes - it really is the fastest method for me!

secondly, i have been a wooden needle snob in the past! i found myself somewhat surprised by the metal needles i tried - they weren't as slippery as i had thought they would be and the thinnest ones didn't break when i was knitting (i can't tell you how many times i've had wooden size zero or one needles break when knitting lace socks!) gosh, i may have to reset my priorities!

and thirdly, i really like knitting with little needles - both short ones and thin ones!! big needles and thick yarn might get you a product faster but nothin' beats the feel of little needles and thin yarn!

and, what else will i be up to at sock summit?

well, tomorrow morning, bright and early, i'll be learning to spin with a drop spindle. it should be interesting - will i be able to use both hands at the same time doing two different things! ugh, sort of like rubbing your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time! only time will tell! i'll keep you posted!

more to ponder!!

2009-07-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

and the saga continues.....

handy hobbies

If you’re itching for a new creative outlet, consider taking up a constructive hobby, such as knitting, sewing, quilting, or weaving, or making personal-care products, such as soap and bath oils. Learning to make beautiful, useful objects for your own home and family and to give as gifts means fewer things to buy, and more control over the materials you’re bringing into your life and others’. Even learning to cook is inherently green, because it means you’ll rely less on takeout and dining out in restaurants.

found this post on my daily email calendar. apparently, knitting can now be called a 'constructive hobby' because we make useful objects! god forbid, we knit because we like it!!

ponder this!

2009-07-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

well...it truly has been awhile! isn't it amazing how time flies whether or not you're having fun?

basically, i have a good time most of the time as has been the case since my last note but i have been busy and frankly, i just don't know where the time goes - first, it's morning and then, kaboom, it's evening - another day!

so, in previous posts i have mentioned my new addiction to knitting podcasts. while listening to one such podcast, the caster (i guess that is what one would call the person who is doing the talking - i really don't know what the protocol is to address said person in the techno world!) called knitting a "gateway craft".

first, let me mention that in the real world this caster is a social worker by trade which leads me to believe that 'gateway drugs' are a discussion point that enters conversations she has with her colleagues. i'm sure that most of us have heard marijuana referred to as a 'gateway drug', i.e. a drug that opens the door to the long and ugly road of harder drug use.

when i heard her call knitting a "gateway craft", it set me to pondering, which i have been doing for the better part of the last two weeks!! is knitting really a "gateway craft"? does knitting lead the knitter down a long and winding road? can one simply 'knit' and not do more?

or....does knitting lead to spinning? or dyeing? or sewing? or crocheting? or weaving? or gardening or gathering (natural dyeing)? or animal husbandry (sheep, goats, rabbits, alpacas)? or goodwill or yard sale shopping (recycling old sweaters)?
i mean, really, the list goes on and on!! just ponder that for awhile!

anyhoo, let me leave you with this tidbit that a friend passed on to me! gotta love those non-knitters that understand your obsession and like to enable you!

here goes....
a highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. glancing at the car, he could see that the woman behind the wheel was knitting.

realizing that she didn't see his flashing lights or hear his siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "PULL OVER!"

"NO!" the woman yelled back. "IT"S A SCARF!"

and since i know that you are dying to ask the question, my answer is: "yes, i do knit while driving but only while i am stopped in traffic." i find this much less scary than all the idiots that are driving at top speed while carrying on lively conversations on their cell phones! so, keep those needles moving rather than your mouth!!!

summertime and the livin' is easy

2009-06-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

no cotton, growing that is, but on the pointy sticks!

summer knitting is in full swing - i've got my second pair of cotton/lycra socks more than half way done - one more pair to go (personal challenge)! on other needles i have a cropped cardigan top in cotton/tencel that feels absolutely dreamy! i am really enjoying fondling it each and every

time i pick it up! i've also started another lace shawl.

the greatest news of all is that i have swatched each and everyone of these yarns (plus several others!) to check gauge! really! i know it is hard to believe but, indeed, i really have been knitting swatches! it's a miracle, lord!!

i have managed to put down the pointy sticks long enough to get out in the garden where june

has been busting out all over!! here are a couple of pictures to put you in the mood!

clematis 'venosa violacea'

hemerocallis

rosa 'lyda'

sooooo inviting that i'm headin' out! over and out!

fini, fait, dessus!!!

2009-06-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

stick a fork in it, its done!! and i am finished, done, and over it!! fini, fait, dessus!
this is the aforementioned top that was causing me such consternation in my previous post! observe it is finished!! and after the chorus of "alleluias" all i can say is: "hey, its not half bad!"the major lesson i learned from this knitting adventure was and is: finish your projects in a timely manner especially when they involve a lace pattern that you have drafted and then lost! one must strike while the iron is hot or at least while the brain cells still retain some memory of the pattern. fortunately for me, the yarn i used allowed me to clearly read what was happening as i knit! whew!

the pattern i sort of used as my jumping off point was the 'sleeveless tuxedo shirt' from interweave knits, summer 2007. in reality, the only qualities shared are the name! my changes included:
1. knitting the top in the round up to the armholes instead of knitting a front and a back (that would have involved sewing side seams which is totally unnecessary in my estimation!).
2. adding a lace pattern to the bottom edge and knitting in stockinette stitch (pattern called for reverse stockinette).
3. knitting the lace section as part of the top instead of knitting it separately and sewing in after completing the top.
4. knitting the shoulder pieces as part of the top instead of knitting separately and attaching after the fact.
5. picking up stitches and knitting a garter stitch rib around armholes and neck.

since i did a three needle bindoff at the shoulders i had no seams to deal with - the only sewing involved was working in the ends!! yippee, yippee, yippee! the above picture was taken after it was blocked. the yarn i used was from my stash (yeah!!) and is a combo of 52% silk and 48% wool, sort of tweedy, and was knit on a size 3 needle.

following closely on that top's heels was the 'lotus blossom top' from interweave knits, summer 2006. i pretty much stuck to the pattern as written with the exception of adding an inch in length to the upper body area. loved the yarn, classic elite 'pebbles', and the fact that it once again (dang, i'm good!) came from my stash!!

i'm really starting to feel giddy again - like i've got my knitting mojo back on track!! c'est la vie!

go figure!

2009-06-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

"wisdom comes alone through suffering."

AESCHYLUS

sometimes little pearls of wisdom just seem to drop out of the sky! the above just happened to roll by me this morning and i must say, it sure hit the spot today!! my knitting and i have been suffering but i have to agree that i am learning throughout this process and project.

i am knitting a sleeveless summer top with yarn from my stash (using stash in itself is a miracle!!). one would think that a sleeveless summer top would be a 'quickie' but, alas, it doesn't seem to be the case - it seems to be one step forward and two steps back, as in froggin'!

once again, my lack of attention has caused me grief! maybe i will learn to double check each and every row when knitting a lace pattern rather than every several inches - it would make life much simpler and i would get more knitting done!

i've also learned that it isn't easy and rarely works to attempt to correct an unintended error by picking your way down only a couple of stitches for a number of rows!! if you find an error in plain, ol' stockinette stitch, it is pretty easy to accomplish this but with a lace pattern - not a chance! since i have tried to do this repeatedly on this top without success, hence the froggin', i hope this is another lesson i'll add to the ol' memory bank! well, at least until next time!!

am i bad?

2009-06-12T10:04:00.001-07:00

so, there is this new movement afoot that i think is pretty hot! as you can see by the above logo, it is called "the 3/50 project". the gist of the deal is this: 1) you pick three 'local' (that means locally owned and operated businesses, not franchises or big box) stores; 2) from your three locally owned stores, you spend $50 each month at each store; 3) that helps save three businesses that put their time, energy and money back into the community!

great premise, great idea - exactly what my uncle don harped about year's ago - we need to buy american and buy from locally owned businesses in order to maintain our local economy and our nation's economy! i am really glad that he is taking this whole economic situation in from up above as he would be having a fit and falling into it at this point in time!!! especially the american car situation and the demise of pontiac - his favorite car brand! my aunt and uncle always drove american made cars because don felt that if we didn't purchase our own products made right here in america we were biting the hand that feeds us - who knew that his thoughts would be so prophetic?

anyhoo, here's where i am having just a tad bit of a problemo! my favorite three locally owned and operated stores that i would choose to help save are yarn shops!! go figure! i guess that isn't sooooooo bad a thing, but i had better get knittin'!!

a place of peace and solace!

2009-06-10T07:30:00.001-07:00

I love spring anywhere,

but if I could choose

I would always greet it in a garden.

Ruth Stout

free at last! free at last!

2009-05-31T13:36:00.001-07:00

thank you, lord, i am free at last! and, boy, i am one happy camper!

these two sweaters are just about as cute as they can be, but man, have they been an albatross around my neck this past month!! this whole project has given me fits but i have absolutely no one to blame but myself - pure and simple! no one held a gun to my head and made me knit these - i did it with my own free will!!

the sweater pattern itself was quite simple and my favorite type - knit from the top-down with absolutely no seams to sew!! can't beat that!
what made this ordeal so torturous was the fact that i had to knit each sweater twice!! that is four times!

one of those was because of my own stubbornness and stupidity!! i am so mad at myself because after an inordinate amount of knitting i know better! if i could i would kick myself in the butt!

what was the infraction you ask? it is one of the key mantras of knitting - rule numero uno - 'check your gauge!!'. did i do that - oh, no, not i - i know what i am doing!! yeah, right! well, i do know several things, like i always need to drop down one or two needle sizes because i knit loosely - did i do that? "oh, no," as i so cavalierly stated! 'things will be fine, after all, i'm using cotton not wool and since it is for a baby, if it's a little bigger that will be great, the baby won't outgrow it so quickly!!" well, it was so big that it would've fit a 5 year old and that would be just a tad too long for any mother have to wait to use a gift! so....frog i did! ripit! ripit! ripit!

the problem with the other sweater was with the pattern. once i got the entire sweater finished (seamed and all!!!) i decided i didn't like it! it just wasn't what i wanted - not at all! so...frog i did!

that is when i pulled out this pattern, KNIT A GAUGE SWATCH, made some variations and started knitting! i took some little side trips along the way -like those cute little socks from the last post - but finally i reached a point where i had to put blinders on and ban myself from looking, touching or feeling any other yarn or patterns. i could tell that i was over this project as i found myself wandering aimlessly around my garden and the house, looking for other things to do - and that even included cleaning!! that is when i said to myself, "self, enough of this - get these mother's out of here! get them done so you can move on!!" so, after making a deal with myself that will involve some type of reward, i proudly present the baby sweaters for twin a and twin b!!! i hope they keep the bambinos nice and toasty because i'm burnt out!!

cuter than a bug's ear!

2009-05-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

aren't these about the cutest little socks you have ever seen? had i been bright enough to set a quarter by them in the picture you might be able to visualize how small they really are. apparently i wasn't hitting on all cylinders when i took the picture and now that the socks have been sent to their new owners i guess you will have to rely on my size guesstimate - approx. 3 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide - sooooo tiny and soooooo cute! they will be adorning the little feet of my grandnieces who are due to enter this world on june 16.

yikes, did i really say 'grandnieces'! ouch, could that be possible! apparently while i was blinking i seemed to age - it really seems like it has been an overnight thing, i mean really! but, alas and alack, i find myself really appreciating that tv commercial by kaiser permanente ' when i grow up i want to be an old woman'! well, no shit! as opposed to the other option who wouldn't want to grow up to be an old lady!! i just hope that i have realized the approaching dilemma early enough to make up for my earlier errors in judgement like spending way too much time in the sun and abusing my body in a variety of activities both legal and illegal! one can only hope and ...... keep on knitin'!

one step forward - two steps back!

2009-05-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

argh! it has been one of those knitting weeks! i seem to be on a roll until i forget to pay attention to what i am doing and discover several inches later that i have made an error! argh!i spent 3 hours one evening trying to carefully correct an error by undoing several stitches for about 10 rows. i managed to complete this task but it just didn't look 'perfect' so i called it a night and, wouldn't you know, this dominated my nightly dream! argh! the next morning as i attempted to clean up this area i discovered another error so i frogged the entire sweater, which i am knitting in the round, three full inches!! typically that wouldn't seem like much if i was knitting with worsted weight yarn on size 8 or 10 needles but this is skinny yarn on size 3 needles! another argh!!

i picked up the stitches and went on my knitting way and after knitting about another inch, low and behold, i found another error! argh again!! so again i frogged, picked things back up, and went on my merry way, only to repeat this whole process for a third time!!

so.... at this point i am not feeling that nirvana and trance like state that knitting supposedly creates. to top the whole thing off, on my yarn harlot calendar, the purl of wisdom for the day dealt with this specific subject:

"Lots of knitters decide whether or not to fix an error in a piece of knitting by using the galloping horse theory. That's to say that they don't correct any mistake you wouldn't be able to spot were you on the back of a galloping horse."

and there in lies the rub: i can't seem to let sleeping dogs lie - in other words, i can't leave a mistake that i have knowledge about in my project! never have been able to and apparently, never will. as dave berry says: "There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'."

don't i know it!!

right on, jane!

2009-05-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

“When people ask me ‘What can I do?’—I say, ‘There’s two things. One, you must realize that, unlikely though it seems, your little life does make a difference, what you do each day. And secondly, leading from that, people must learn a little bit more and think a little bit more about the consequences of the choices we make each day—what we eat, where it comes from, how it was made, has it got chemical poisons in it, whether it involves the torture of animals.”

—JANE GOODALL

right on, sister!

yum! yum! yum!

2009-05-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

"we act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about." - charles kingsley

well, my friends, i have found it!

aside from knitting, it is this yarn! tye-dye by knit one, crochet two. my, oh my, it was like butter to knit with, soooooo smooth, soft and easy to needle and heavenly once upon my feet!

i don't know what it is about photos and color but the true colors are so not what you are viewing! the real things are a combo of my favs - variations of green and red - sort of rhubarb and spring green, leaning way toward pond scum! yum! yum!

the pattern is loksins! socks by cassie thoreson which is available on ravelry. it was a quick and easy knit, relatively speaking. by relatively speaking, i mean that it didn't take me toooooo long to memorize the pattern or at least be able to see the error of my ways when i made a boo-boo! and, yes, i would knit this pattern again which is highly conceivable since my sock stash seems to multiply on a regular basis. it appears that i've never met a sock yarn that i didn't love!

speaking of love! i am no longer in love with rain! i was just about to hit the garden this a.m. as the drops started falling. it has been a steady downpour since! argh! my garden is calling but, alas, i cannot answer!!

spring has sprung!

2009-04-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

The pleasures of spring are available to everybody, and cost nothing.

—GEORGE ORWELL

put your knitting down (just for the moment), go outside and check it out! truly, spring has sprung!!! my heavens!

take good care of mother earth!

2009-04-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

this is it! EARTH DAY 2009!

remember to be kind to your mother - we only have one

and we all play a part in keeping it livable!

recycle, renew and reuse!

buy locally!

make today and every day better by doing your part!

think about it - it's a good thing!

take care of your mother!

2009-04-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

“Earth Day is the first completely international and universal holiday that the world has ever known. Every other holiday was tied to one place, or some political or special event. This day is tied to Earth itself, and to the place of Earth in the whole solar system.”

—ANTHROPOLOGIST MARGARET MEAD, 1977

whoa nellie!!!

2009-04-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

so...here's where i am techno wise - i have an ipod shuffle, a nice little unobtrusive gadget that clips to anything. i got it to use when i'm gardening to help pass the time while i am digging out weeds and such. i seemed to have trouble loading it with stuff when i would use my pc (i figure it was a thing between microsoft and apple) so now that i have an apple laptop it is all systems go!

and go i must! and so you ask, where am i going? well, i have jumped or leaped, as the case may be, into the land of podcasts - knitting podcasts to be exact!

and after downloading and listening to a number of different knitting podcasts i really must say:

anyone can make a podcast but only a few should!! yikes, there is some really, really, really bad stuff out there in podcast land!! my, oh my!!! i mean really, i just don't get off on people laughing at things that just aren't funny and rambling on about nothing!

anyhoo, i've found a couple that i will download again but the majority should be banned to spare the podcasters from embarrassing themselves! yikes!! this is about as close as i get to a rant and i rarely do that but 'nuff said!!

words of wisdom?

2009-04-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

i treated myself to the yarn harlot's page a day calendar for my birthday. in hindsight, i am beginning to regret the decision as it produces a page a day of waste paper - i recycle and all that but still i wonder how many trees were sacrificed to make 365 pages! i am enjoying stephanie's daily insights in spite of my guilty feelings and here are a few of the quotes that i can relate too!

"one of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." - a.a. milne

trust me on that one, i make plenty of exciting discoveries each and every day!

"any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better." - john updike

and i have hours worth of froggin' to prove it!!

"a musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if (s)he is to be ultimately at peace with himself." - abraham maslow

and i MUST knit!!

'nuff said!!

food for thought

2009-04-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

“Here we are, arguably the most intellectual, clever species ever to have lived—so how is it that we can destroy the only planet we have?”

—Jane Goodall

take up knitting!

2009-04-06T11:35:00.001-07:00

according to research at the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, the repetitive motion and focus of needlework can elicit what's known as the relaxation response - a calming meditation-like state that slows heart rate and causes blood pressure to drop. in addition, a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests that knitting is associated with a lower risk of dementia for those 65 and older.

don't that just beat all!!!

works for me!!

deviant!

2009-04-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

deviant - adj. that deviates from normal; n. deviant person or thing.

and there you have it! i have become one of them!! i did not follow the leader, i broke away from the pack and went my own way! yikes, what is this world coming too!!

actually it had never occurred to me that i might not have to knit the exact sock pattern with the exact yarn specified as part of the bmfa socks that rock club! sometimes i am really slow on the uptake!

anyhoo, when i received my last 2008 shipment way back in late november, i gave the assigned pattern a try but it just wasn't blowin' my hair back so i put the yarn aside and knit some other stuff. in my usual fashion, when my first shipment of the 2009 session arrived i started to panic as, woefully i must admit, i had fallen behind on my commitment to keep up with sock club assignments (ha, apparently this will only happen when pigs fly!!).

so, i made myself a deal - i wouldn't start any of this year's socks until i finished knitting last year's yarn allotments which has now put me back one allotment from last year and two allotments from this year (with the arrival late last week of this year's #2 shipment! argh!!!).

the colors in this yarn which is titled 'muddy autumn rainbow' really spoke to me saying: "autumn falling leaves", so i went in search of a sock pattern that had entwining leaves and i came up with this pattern: embossed leaves socks by mona schmidt from favorite socks - 25 timeless designs. i think it really gives this yarn an autumn feel with the colors undulating around the leaves as they tumble to the toe. i am very pleased with the outcome and happy to be back in the saddle, knitting with bmfa str yarn - feels so fab!

this whole gig felt so good that i'm going to deviate again! i've still got the beautiful variegated violet yarn that was supposed to create cleopatra's stockings which ain't gonna happen! stay tuned - i'll keep you posted on what it becomes!!

baubles, bangles and .......

2009-03-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

bubbles! felted bubbles, that is! pretty nifty, if i do say so myself!! and i'll let you in on a little secret... it was soooooooooo easy and quick! may i present the angel puff scarf by nicky epstein, from her book entitled knitting never felt better.

this little scarf number takes one skein of rowan kidsilk haze (dewberry is the color in the picture). you simply cast on 45 stiches on size 6 needles and knit in stockinette stitch until you have knit the whole kit and caboodle, saving enough to bind off, which you do!!

now, the fun part begins... using something round (i used marbles), but the pattern suggested filberts as they were called when i was young and had to gather them, before they became famous and underwent a glamorous name change to the hazelnut (in the shell, of coarse!) - about 4 dozen. since gathering the nuts at this time of year was not an option and since i was in a hurry to get this show on the road and didn't have time to traipse all over town to find such nuts in their shells, i punted and used the marbles as i had them on hand. i placed them at random locations on both ends of the scarf and rubber banded them in place.

then out came that device that no domestic diva should be without... the wonder washer!! if you don't remember it, check out my earlier posts where i wax poetic about the sweet little thing!

anyhoo, i digress! i fired up the wonder washer and after two go-rounds i decided i had felted little scarfie enough (and the knocking sound of the marbles was beginning to wear on me!). so, i pulled her out, rinsed her off, and spread her out on a towel to dry off. after she was good and dry, which didn't take more than a couple of hours, i undid the rubbers, popped out the marbles and, voila, what you see is what you get!!

thank you so much, nicky! you have certainly brightened my day and my wardrobe!!

it's comin............

2009-02-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

the snow drops, hellebores and crocus have made their entrance...can spring be far behind?

i think not!!

better get your knit on as the garden will soon be calling your name!!!

and so it goes.....

2009-02-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

“It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.”

—Ansel Adams

live and let dye!

2009-02-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

well, i'm at it again and this time i'm doing a lot of pondering as to why i am so intrigued by processes. or is it the product? and why is it that i just can't be satisfied with using what already exists and why do i have to go one step further and do it myself. this seems to be a constant that keeps recurring over and over. curious to say the least!

anyhoo, here we go again! i have discovered the art of dying yarn so now, not only can i knit with yarn but i can dye the yarn that i knit! jeepers!

what necessitated this you might ask. well, i've had some yarn hangin' around for awhile the color of which did not blow my hair back so i knew that the only way i would use it was by changing the color soooooo i had to do it!! it really was like a gun was being held to my head!! i've only done this a couple of times but i can see that it can be addictive, very addictive!

once you overcome the fear that is instilled from reading overly written directions and take the plunge it really isn't all that complicated! and the beauty of dying with wilton cake dyes is that you're not putting your life in danger by using scary chemicals - heck, we eat this crap every time we have a piece of bakery cake that is loaded with three inches of frosting! no masks or respirators, no full body or head covering - just a pair of household gloves so your hands don't

look creepy for the next couple of days!

so here goes!

1. get yourself some wilton cake dye (you can obtain at a cake decorating store, walmart, craft stores such as michael's, etc.). pick the colors that will make your day! while you are out and about, score yourself a gallon jug of white (clear) vinegar. if you haven't gotten on the ecological bandwagon yet i'm sure that you must have several empty plastic water bottles with lids hangin' around (you need these for your dye mix); if you really are attempting to save the planet, find some plastic containers with tight fitting lids that will hold a quart or so of liquid.

2. get yourself some 100% wool yarn and make it into a skein (heck, you might get lucky and have it that way already!). your skeins should be tied together in four places an equal distance around the yarn. i had nine balls of rowan 'big wool' to dye so i made nine skeins (the back of a chair works great for creating skeins!)

3. take a clean bucket and fill it with a 50/50 combo of water and vinegar (i mix 4 cups of vinegar with 4 cups of cool water). place one of your skeins of yarn into this mixture (be sure it is completely wet and submerged). let it soak for thirty minutes, then wring out (over the bucket) and place in a plastic bag and twist the bag shut. repeat with all of your skeins. do not throw this water away when you are done soaking your skeins, it will be used again!

4. while your yarn is soaking (this is the longest part of this whole process!), put on your gloves and mix up your dye by placing a teaspoon (give or take) of your dye in one of your plastic

bottles. add a cup of boiling hot water, secure the top and shake the bottle until all of the dye is completely mixed (i do this over the sink for safety's sake) - this could have dire consequences if not completely mixed so, give it an extra shake or two. then fill the bottle to the top with cool water. voila, your dye is ready.

5. cover your counter top or table with a large garbage or dry cleaning bag. tape it down here and there along the sides and on the corners so it doesn't move. place another bag on top of this bag that is large enough to lay your skein of yarn on with about six inches on all sides. you can see that in these photos. have a couple of rags ready to help with spills and drips! now you're ready to have some fun!

6. you can apply your dye to the yarn in a variety of ways - use a plastic spoon, a foam brush, or my favorite, plastic squeeze bottles (the kind that hold mustard and ketchup). make sure you have your gloves on while applying the dye to your yarn. there shouldn't be great gobs of dye on the plastic - your yarn should be absorbing it! remember to check the underside of your yarn so that you have no undyed yarn (unless that's a look you're going for!). keep your rags handy for accidents!

the yarn in this picture has had four colors applied: teal, moss green, purple and a bit of black.

7. after you have applied your dye, fold the plastic up around your yarn (i fold the ends of the plastic over first, and then the sides over and then fold the plastic and yarn in half - this is like a burrito wrap - the point is to cover your yarn completely so it can steam) and place on a glass plate that is microwave safe.

8. place the glass plate in the microwave. set it for a lovely 5 minute steam bath at 50% power.

CAUTION, when done, carefully remove the HOT plate (use potholders!!) and carefully unwrap your yarn and place it in the bucket of vinegar water (remember - you saved it from an earlier step!). let the yarn rest for 5 minutes in this mixture. this is the final dye set!
9. next rinse your dyed yarn in cool water - this will help remove the aromatic vinegar scent. your water should be clear at this point!
10. wring your yarn out and hang it to dry - i let it drip dry in my shower.
11. when dry, ball it up and ta da, you've got new and exciting yarn to knit with! yippee!!

a purl of wisdom from the yarn harlot

2009-02-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

this quote from stephanie pearl-mcphee was on my calendar yesterday and i thought it was priceless sooooooo... here goes:

"i knit a lot when i am bored, annoyed, or ticked off. i know i'm using knitting to turn a situation that would normally be really hard to tolerate into something that i like. in fact, there are probably a lot of situations where i wouldn't be at all nice if i didn't have my knitting with me. if i have a reputation as a kind, tolerant, patient person, i probably owe it all to knitting."

and so it goes!!

68 is great!

2009-01-30T18:09:00.001-08:00

remember way back in december when i said i had hit the mother lode at the blue moon fiber arts sale? well, whatever!
this is project #1 from my haul. it is an unspecified amount of blue moon fiber arts leticia in a no name color (my guess is something in the raven clan). it is a warm and cozy cowl that was sooooooooooooo easy!
and, ta da, here's how i did it:

68 is great!

needles: 10.5 us
yarn: bmf leticia

CO 68 stitches. join to knit in round. place marker to establish beginning of round.
row 1: k1, p1, repeat to end of row.
row 2: p1, k1, repeat to end of row. (in other words: purl the knits and knit the purls - a simple seed stitch.)
continue knitting these two rows until you have just enough yarn left to cast off. (how did i determine this amount? all i can say is: dumb luck!! i am sure that there is some mathematical wizardry that would allow one to determine this but math has never been my forte so i just punted and everything seemed to work! at this point, i must have pretty good karma!)
BO in pattern.
weave in ends and wear!

my cowl turned out to be 6 inches tall and about 20 inches in circumference and took about two hours to knit. not bad for a morning's work! it's a keeper in my book! and the yarn was only six bucks! can't beat that with a stick!! yippee!

i'm in love!

2009-01-29T08:28:00.001-08:00

i have succumbed to the luscious worsted yarn by malibrigo! yum! yum! yum! there is no other way to describe it! it is wonderful to work with and wonderful to wear - light yet oh, so toasty! really one of life's little pleasures!

i knit both of these cowls in the wink of an eye - the pattern is from ravelry and is called 'wave cowl' (go figure!). i had plans of passing one of these gems on but at this time i'm going to be a greedy-gut and keep both of them for myself! i have one more skein of this saliva inducing wonder in my stash - do i envision another wave in my future? no doubt!

let's hear it for the wonderful women of uruguay who spin and kettle dye this amazing stuff!

yum, yum, yum!!!

oh, happy day!

2009-01-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

a village in texas has their idiot back!

i am so happy for them!

back in the saddle again!

2009-01-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

it's been a bummer of a week here in knitville! i just couldn't do anything right as far as knitting was and is concerned! however, as of hump day things have been looking up! and that is a very good thing as i was having my moments and it wasn't pretty!

i started a small shawl in the broken arrow pattern with some new knit picks yarn called imagination. not a terribly large skein, about 215 yards, so i thought i had the perfect pattern (one i had been anxious to knit for quite some time) and the right amount of yarn. so....cast on and knit i did and then, just as i can see the light at the end of the tunnel, i discovered a mistake way up at the beginning of the pattern - argh! after anguishing over whether or not i could live with the error (after all, no one is perfect except God), i finally succumbed to froggin' the effort!! really big bummer but, as is always the case, i will learn from this error (or that's what i'm telling myself)!!

so, instead of hopping right back up on the horse, i decided to start another cowl out of kidsilk mohair and with beads. that little number progressed quite rapidly and after an evening of knitting i had completed about 4 inches. the next morning, glancing at my work (and preparing to pat myself on the back) what was the first thing i noticed? a slipped stitch about one inch from the provisional cast on! argh again!!

let me just say this....froggin' mohair in any way, shape or form is NOT fun but with 300 beads attached, it is especially unfun!!

did i jump right back on the horse again? well, no, i once again took an alternative route and spent several hours cooling off while i wound yarn - not only is the ball winder an essential tool for all knitters but i find that it also has therapeutic properties that come in handy when one is not having the best of days. there's something about the trance created by the spinning yarn that helps put everything into perspective! it also didn't hurt that i found another cowl pattern that i was able to successfully complete without error! pictures will follow soon, i promise!

so, indeed, i'm back in the knittin' saddle once again! progress is being made and my knittin' karma appears to be back in its groove - sooooo ride 'em cowboy!

let's hear it for the boys!

2009-01-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

my neighbors to the south have three delightful young boys (well, i guess they are not so young anymore since one is a sophomore in high school and the other two are not too terribly far behind!). i have watched them grow over the years and i've enjoyed their hi jinks and adventures throughout the neighborhood, however the motor bike phase hasn't been the most pleasant of experiences!

anyhoo, for years i have been giving them secret santa gifts, mostly treat bags with holiday candies and little trinkets, but this year i decided to broaden my horizons and i knit them hats as they are avid skiers and outdoorsmen.

the pattern i used was by jared flood, aka brooklyn tweed, and is called turn a square. it is available for free at ravelry.com. check it out if you are interested in a quick knit that takes advantage of small amounts of leftover yarn! a fabulous stash buster! i used some leftover noro silver thaw for the stripes and leftover brown wool for the background. i altered the pattern by casting on 88 stitches instead of the 96 as the pattern stated. since i'm a loosey-goosey knitter i knit the total hat on size 6 needles. perfecto!!

speaking of stash busting - after hours of pondering, i've decided that 2009 will be the year of the knit down!! my new year's resolution will be to work on bustin' my stash by using the yarn i have acquired on previous shopping sprees and to stay away from all of my favorite lys's! yeah right, we'll see how long that will last! :-) personally, i give it about a week at the most!

knit on! and yes, i will be knitting through the inauguration! go obama, go!!

2009!

2009-01-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR

i'm working on some resolutions but haven't totally formulated my plan of attack so i'll have to give you the rap on another day!

but, i will say, go trojans!! beat penn st. make it 5 out of 5 for the pac 10!!!

and, how about those beavers!! go beaver nation!!!

it truly is a happy new year!! above are the single socks that have now met their match!!!

at least i'll be starting off the new year with no single socks hangin' around!!

now that is something to cheer about! yippee!! good bye 2008!

guilt free knitting!

2008-12-27T08:38:00.000-08:00

i pilfered this from the twist collective website. i do not feel the least bit guilty about doing so as i really believe that all knitters should heed this advice and 'knit on'!!!

mele kalikimaka!!!

2008-12-27T08:19:00.001-08:00

is the island way to say merry christmas to you!!

aloha, i may be just a tad bit tardy in wishing you the best of holidays but i've been a tad bit busy these past several weeks - seems i was forced to kick back, put my feet up and knit under the swaying palms you see in the above pictures! rather rough life, ehhh.....

i've just returned from my annual soiree to the islands! and it was one, hell of a way to miss the biggest snowstorm in history! i did see it on the news everyday and i did feel your pain even though i was basking in 80 degree weather! well, yes, someone has to do it!!

and so...on to the knitting! and first off i must say, i have finally learned my lesson about not completing a pair of socks in a timely manner! i.e. knitting one, setting it aside, and waiting a year to finish its mate! does not bode well! my brain just cannot handle it anymore! it is really a bummer when you have to frog because you weren't using the same size needle as the pattern called for but you forgot to note your change!

however, i am happy to report that at long (and i mean long) last all of my single socks now have a partner! yippee! and i will not, and i repeat, let single socks live alone anymore!! i promise, i promise, i promise! gosh, i see a new year's resolution in the making!!

keep on knitting in the free world!

over the moon!

2008-12-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

my cup runneth over! well, actually, it would be my studio area!

i was in yarn heaven on saturday when i attended the blue moon fiber arts destash sale (believe me, i had absolutely no trouble lending a helping hand with the destashing!).

it was a bright sunny, yet crisp, late fall morning when the mergster and i set sail for a delightful outing to scappoose. the amazing thing about the start of this adventure was that i had actually done a little pre-trip planning and map quested the sale site - not that spending hours wandering around scappoose wouldn't have been delightful but i had other fish to fry that day!

instead of following the map totally, i took a shortcut on the back roads through north portland and over the st. johns bridge. i would have to say that of all the bridges in portland that just might be my favorite. there is absolutely nothing like heading east over the bridge on a clear, sunny day - the views of mt. st. helens and mt. hood are to die for!! but, i digress.

anyhoo, as bernice would say, the voyage was extremely pleasant and we had absolutely no trouble what so ever finding the site! yippee! gosh, maybe i should preplan all the time! and the mergster's wish was granted - they had coffee and doughnuts by the door!!

once inside, i knew i was in trouble! yarn was everywhere! within minutes, my arms were full! it's amazing what one can accomplish when one is on a mission! yes, believe it or not, i did have several knitting projects in mind, such as the february sweater kal but, then i saw it - the str mill ends - and i knew the party was over!! and yes, indeed, it was!! i did my christmas and birthday shopping for myself, of course, in a matter of minutes! and...i actually put a couple skeins of yarn back which is pretty unbelievable!!

in this fun and festive environment, i met a number of my fellow knitaholics, and, just like every other addiction, they come in all sizes, shapes and ages!! we happened upon a wonderful young women that has been knitting the infamous sock monkeys, something like 25 so far!! she had a ton of them with her and they were wonderful - this prompted a trip back to the pattern area! i'm quickly advancing these little cuties to the top of my 'must knit' list!

my damages amounted to three bags full - sort of prophetic, i think!, loads of laughter, some great donut holes and coffee and a chance to chat with my fellow addicts, tina and her fellow sockateers - beats the hell out of a shopping mall hands down and i was home by noon!

now that i'm done with my holiday shopping, i spent yesterday balling up and fondling all of my new acquisitions. i was winding my year at such a furious rate that i am now sporting a lovely bruise on my knuckle from the handle of my ball winder where it kept whacking me when i would let it go! ah, the scares of battle!

o.k., now that that's over, where to begin! who's holiday gift is first on the needles? or, could it be a monkey or two, or three?

tres chic!!!

2008-12-08T08:48:00.001-08:00

word on the street is that this little number is 'hot' down in duckville (u of o land). it's a knock off of the sweater floral earwarmer from www.urbanoutfitters.com. a fast and easy holiday knit for those favorite folks on your list. my friend janice sent me the pattern as she has been making tons for her niece and friends. here's how i did mine:

sweater floral earwarmer

supplies: worsted weight yarn (great stash buster as it doesn't take too terribly much - you can get several out of a skein of brown sheep!); size 7 or 8 circular needles - 16 inch length (i am a loosey goosey knitter so i've opted for the smaller size!); stitch marker.

directions: cast on 100 stitches and join for knitting in the round (be careful not to twist your stitches or you'll find yourself in a world of hurt and froggin'!! argh!!). place stitch marker at beginning of round and k2 p2 for 3 1/2 to 4 inches. bind off and work in ends. could it be any simpler than that? i mean, really, a great beginner project with immediate results - a great ego booster!

rosette: i make two of these.

cast on 112 stitches.

row 1: knit to end.

row 2: k2, *k1, slip this stitch back onto left hand needle, lift the next 8 stitches on left hand needle over this stitch and off needle, knit the first stitch again, k2; repeat from *a total of 10 times.

row 3: knit 24 stitches, *wrap next stitch, turn work.

row 4: knit 24 stitches to end of row.

row 5: knit 16 stitches, wrap next stitch, turn work.

row 6: knit 16 stitches to end of row.

row 7: knit 8 stitches, wrap next stitch, turn work.

row 8: knit 8 stitches to end of row.

cut yarn and thread this yarn through stitches on needle, pull tightly (or looser to create desired size) to create a rosette, secure with a few stitches. make a french knot in center of rosette. the second rosette should be stretched out more to surround the first rosette and secured to first rosette. secure the completed rosette to the headband (i put it over the area where i worked in my ends) stitching it at several locations so it is well secured and doesn't flop around and voila! you have created a work of art that is oh, so, tres chic!! ho, ho, ho!

my vote for sock kal!

2008-12-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

well, the tuesday of thanksgiving week i received my final bundle of joy for the 2009 rockin' sock club (which i am now 2 1/2 pairs behind! argh!), a gorgeous hank of muted fall tones - perfect for late fall! yum! yum!

in her dyer's notes, tina was chatting about sock patterns that would be great for sock kals. she mentioned patterns such as cookie a's 'monkey' and grumperina's 'jaywalker'. this got me thinking about what my choice would be so i am nominating this dandy little number - 'hepsi's sock'. i found this pattern on ravelry.com. it was designed by heli heikkila, who hails from finland, the land of reindeer (fitting for this time of year with santa and all!).

it is a four row pattern that really only has any action on row 1, so any feeble minded person can pretty much memorize it rather quickly (i managed!). it is pretty easy to maneuver through the english translation. god bless those people who speak a foreign tongue and have english as a second language - sometimes the sentence structure leaves a bit to be desired but, hey, at least they know a second language which is more than i can say for myself! and according to friends, my sentence structure also leaves a bit to be desired!

the greatest thing about this pattern is that you can choose to do your own heel thing! yahoo, that works for me as i am currently having a love affair with the short row heel. it is a real slammer, once you get the hang of it - wham, bam, thank you, mam! done in no time at all! i know what you skeptics will say, it probably won't wear as well as the standard, government issue, gusset heel but, hey, if it wears out, i'll just have to knit a new pair, it's not like i don't have any extra yarn on hand!!! :-)

once i complete the yellow pair, i am on to holiday knitting. i've decided to knit cowls for friends and relatives. i found a number of fun and challenging freebies in the pattern section of ravelry so i'm dying to begin. and besides, i think i'll design a pattern of my own!! happy knitting!

where it all began!

2008-11-22T09:45:00.001-08:00

inquiring minds have wanted to know where my blog name came from so here in lies the tale!

a number of years ago i decided i wanted to make soap. after spending a lot of time investigating the subject and overcoming my fear of dealing with lye and the accompanying poison warning signs, i made the leap! now, each and every year, around this time, i make several batches of soap to gift during the holidays. and, this year is no different - in the past couple of weeks i have made batches of lime-coconut, orange-spice, and almond.

i thought i would share some of the steps involved in the process as my science experiment progressed so......here goes!step #1 - i measure out 12 ounces of sodium hydroxide (very scientific, eh?) otherwise known as lye.

step #2 - i combine the sodium hydroxide with 4 cups of cold water. i do this with the windows open, the exhaust fan running full bore, while wearing gloves, goggles and a mask. the fumes are extremely toxic! the neatest part of this operation is that when the sodium hydroxide mixes with the water the temperature rises to well over 180 degrees! science in action - should have paid more attention in high school chemistry class as i know there is some term for this. once the sodium hydroxide dissolves i leave the water/lye mix to cool. step #3 - now i measure out the oilsand place in a pot. i put the pot on the stove on low and waitand wait and wait for the oils to melt (this takes a long time since the oils are over low heat because you don't want them to get too hot!)

step #4 - i spend tons of time checking temperatures of both the oils and the water/lye. both need to be between 100 and 110 degrees.

step #5 - when both have reached the same temperature, i pour the water/lye solution into the oils and begin mixing and mixingand mixing until the solution begins to thicken and saponify (the chemical reaction that binds the oil and lye together to make soap).

when it reaches the stage of thick whipped cream, it's ready for the molds, which are filled in rapid order while the mixture is still pliable!

step #6 - once the molds are filled they are put to bed wrapped in a big wool blanket to hibernate for the next 24 hours while the saponification process continues.

step #7 - 24 hours or so later, the soaps are unmolded and set aside to finish curing for another three weeks.

voila! soap that has a wonderful aroma and good lather that takes you to infinity and beyond!

a sort of 'cosmic comfort'!!

never felt better!

2008-11-14T12:14:00.001-08:00

let me introduce you to the feltmaker's dream machine - the wonder washer. a neat little unit that sits on your counter and whirls away felting the heck out of knitted wool. i acquired this little number several years ago when i discovered that my expensive, 'had to have' (it is environmentally friendly) front loader would not allow me to felt! argh!

after putting the hit on my friends for the use of their top loaders, i stumbled upon the wanda at one of the lys, swishing a felted hat. eureka! i had hit the mother lode! i couldn't get home fast enough and hit the net to order one of these for myself! and i'm mighty glad i did as it works like a charm - a couple of 15 minute rounds and voila, felting ecstasy!

i found a great pattern for a labyrinth carpetbag in the ik holiday gifts 2008. i raided my wool leftovers and put together side a

and side b.

an extremely quick knit (i guess it might only have been a quick knit because i have been obsessed with it and have done nothing else!) so, after coffee this morning i abandoned all other tasks and fired up wanda, the wonder!

i filled up the bucket with hot water and a little detergent and stuffed in the bag!
turned the dial to 15 minutes and let 'er rip!

this is the bag submerged in the water...

and here is the bag agitating, like a whirling dervish!

after a couple of go rounds - tada, the felted bag stuffed with plastic bags (thank goodness i haven't recycled them lately but, my, oh my, they seem to multiple way too easily!). the pattern recommended a dandy set of handles. i googled the brand listed and was astonished to find that they were pushin' $40 a pair!! ouch! so, i think i'll check out the goodwill for a handbag and recycle and reuse an old set!

a win-win all the way around! using up some stash while creating a new project bag! and above all, getting to play with wanda again!! :-)

mission accomplished!

2008-11-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

here they are! shots of the aforementioned sweaters completed during the month of october.

Number 1 is the 'side to side garter stitch vest' from the tahki book terra collection. it is knit in black cable cotton from elisbeth lavold. the pattern had a mistake in it which i, fortunately, learned about on ravelry before knitting the item. once again, aside from the error, i felt the directions were vague and lacking. as is the case with sewing, i'm glad i'm not a newby knitter or this could have put me over the top! as far as the stitches go, it was pretty boring with miles of nothing but garter stitch! ugh!

Number 2 is the february lady's sweater. the pattern is available on ravelry - well written and a fast and easy knit - again, miles of garter stitch in the top area but a fun and simple lace pattern for the body and sleeves. The absolute best bargain with this little number is the lack of seaming since it is a knit in one piece from the neck down! blessings to ez for originally designing this one!
it is knit out of a gorgeous tweed in blues/greens from plymouth. i was forced to make two trips to foothills yarn and fiber in the beautiful hood river valley to get an adequate amount of yarn to finish the sweater. it really was a tough assignment! especially the parts when i was forced to fondle beautiful new alpaca yarn!

Number 3 is 'juliet' from zepher style. i used ggh 'aspen' yarn that i snagged at the abundant yarn and dyeworks end of summer soiree. another fast knit since the yarn is a bulky number. and, once again, another visit to the land of the garter stitch and, of course, knit from the top down so no seams to sew! can't beat that!! the sweater seems to be a hit as i've experienced a lot of swooning!

so, what's next you ask? actually, whether you ask or not, i'll tell! it's time to begin my yearly adventure in soap making. so...out comes the oils, lye and delightful essential oil aromas. let the wild rumpus begin! until next time...bubble, bubble, toil and trouble!

it's in the bag!

2008-11-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

it's been a looooooong time comin'. i picked up this fabric at fibers in motion in multnomah village so many months ago. it spoke to me! not the least bit surprising to me with the fabulous rich color combo! the fabric is from the designer series called 'jane's hothouse garden' by jane sassaman for westminster fibers. if you have never seen a quilt by jane, give her a google - when you've seen one, you'll never forget her and her style and use of color!! va-va-voom!

as usual, the fabric sat in it's bag (i'm not a person who limits their fabric purchases to specific projects, to say the least!!) waiting for that magic moment. lo and behold, that project reared it's head on the cover to the july '08 issue of threads mag - july, mind you! after moving the bag of fabric and the mag around 'my hole' (my beloved's description of my studio!) for many moons, i decided that enough was enough on a dismal, dreary, rainy fall morning. what better way to pick up one's spirits on such a dank day than with bright, vivid color! and so the adventure began.

i must say that the pattern, as is the case with many patterns i seem to come across, was lacking 'big time' in directions. once again, 'thank you, jesus', i'm glad i'm not a beginning seamstress or i would have been extremely frustrated! after multiple re-readings of what brief notes were included and deciphering sparse pictures, i was on my way. and, voila, above is the result - a delightful new knitting bag!

as is usually the case, it took longer to construct than i had anticipated but isn't that the way it always seems to go! and alas, as usual, some activities of daily living (i.e. cleaning, vacuuming, cooking) had to take a back seat - oh, soooooo sad! but, i guess i can apply the old adage that no creative person wants to see on her headstone: "she kept a neat house!". i'd rather have a bright new bag!

YAHOO!!!

2008-11-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

praise the lord and pass the ammunition!!

it's a new dawn!!!

knit on!!!

prolific!

2008-11-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

prolific adj 1 producing many offspring or much output. 2 [often foll. by of] abundantly productive.

and apparently, on hindsight, that is exactly what i have been this past month! not in the offspring area (heaven forbid!!) but in the knitting area! my heavens, i have cranked out a couple of sweaters, a couple of vests, a sock, and a couple of lace shawls! wow!! since i am absolutely the world's worst photographer, i'm waiting for assistance with sweater pictures but here is my latest shawl. it is the evelyn clark pattern 'flower basket' from fiber trends, knit from some wonderful handspun blue faced leicester in the colorway 'autumn' from abstract fiber.com. i scored this delicious find at offf - i passed it in a booth at least three times (it kept calling me!) before i stepped up to the plate and made it mine! it soooo says fall to me!! i love it! casual and dressy at the same time! oh, so versatile!!

and i must say, this lace knitting business is really something!! it is soooo cool! and it really moves along once you get the hang of the respective pattern!! i could be in deep, deep trouble!! every time i look at yarn i am seeing lace patterns! yikes!! i think i'm in love!!

it's a wrap!

2008-10-25T08:23:00.001-07:00

and here's a quick peek before it gets shipped off to its rightful owner, my newlywed niece, rebecca. happy birthday, becs!! it is the shawl collar vest designed by amanda berka and available free on ravelry - and to quote tom peterson, of portland late night tv fame, "free is a very good price!" becca is a wee bit of a thing so i made the smallest size - if i were to make one for me i would definitely go for something a bit larger. of course, i didn't need to use the closure in the front but i tried it just for kicks! what the heck! the yarn is patons classic wool merino. easy to knit with and needles nicely. i got it on sale and my niece wanted a grey sweater so i killed two birds with one stone!!

but, as usual, the best part is that it is done, done, done!! on to bigger and better things!!

it really is here!

2008-10-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

autumn has arrived in all its glory!!

i'm always a tad bit melancholy when i realize that summer has come to an end - ya know, you can just tell when summer is over - there is just something in the air - one day, its summer and then you can just smell fall! it takes me a few weeks to overcome my sadness but then, somewhere around the middle of october, all the wonderful colors of fall foliage break loose and, voila, autumn has arrived!! i love, love, love the colors of fall - the yellows, reds and oranges - i just can't get enough!

as i was out in the garden yesterday taking a few pics, for a fleeting moment, i actually thought that maybe i like fall in the garden better than any other season. i guess that could be heresy in some gardening circles since flowers are generally the rule. for me, its the foliage!!

and what's the tie to knitting? i am currently wrapping up a sweater for my niece's birthday in a nice gray wool (her color choice). i usually love this color but right now i am finding it sooooo boring! my fingers are just twitching to wrap themselves in some wonderful shades of fall but first things, first - i have got to finish this sweater! darn!

meet some of my new friends

2008-10-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

these are some of the folks i met at the OFFF the last weekend in september. the bottom young lady is a pygora goat. they were featured at the festival this year because they are known for their fabulous fiber. so cute!!!!! i could see several of these cuties gallivanting around the property! and the bonus would be some great fiber once a year for knitting!
speaking of the OFFF, it was a fabulously fantastic affair! lots of great people and tons of great fibers! i literally shopped until i dropped! i made several trips to the car to lighten my load! met some great knitters and spinners - shared a picnic table with some gals from yakima who had shopped their way to OFFF through the columbia gorge - tough job - they were forced to stop at knot another hat! in hood river (i love it when i am forced to stop there! it is always such a tough assignment[not]). i also joined the blue moon fiber clan for a little knittin' time under the trees!
the weather was wonderful - a perfect in every way oregon autumn day - sunny with just right temperatures! a true "10"! i would recommend that one DEFINITELY mark their calendar NOW for next year's event! it is one not to miss IMHO!

the sock is rockin'

2008-10-14T08:02:00.000-07:00

i am on a roll! and it's a good one. i received my latest stash of yarn from blue moon fibers 'rsc' approximately two weeks ago and i have almost completed half of my pair!

wow, this is like some kind of miracle! especially since i have had several other projects on my radar screen as well as the stock market tank and the impending election scare.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIc8jdra0o - these people have stolen my idea! if team mccain/palin should somehow turn the entire country into a group of zombies and win the election - i have vowed to move to canada! be afraid, be very afraid and be careful of the koolaid you drink - you never really know what kind of tricks those republicans have up their sleeves, especially since they are not knitted ones!

i regret that i haven't had any new pics to post but i haven't had a willing victim to take pictures of my new knits. but i will say that i have had lots of nice complements and that is always a great 'pick me up'.

until next time, keep on knittin' in the free world!! and...vote obama!

what's with the garter?

2008-10-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

stitch, that is!
i didn't really realize it but it seems that i've been consumed with it of late!
the last three sweaters i've had or have on my needles all contain varying amounts of this oh, so, humble of stitches! as a matter of fact, one sweater was nothing but!!!
my, oh, my! i must say that it certainly can become boring. row after row of knit, knit, knit!!!
but wait, i find myself looking at a new pattern and what do i see? more and more garter stitch! argh!!!!!

does time fly or does it ravel along?

2008-10-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

my heavens, does time fly or what? and it seems to me, it continues to fly, whether or not you're having a good time!
and just what have i been up to?
well, knitting of course and also the activities of daily living - the mundane, trivial tasks that are so necessary - laundry, vacuuming, cooking, cleaning - to maintain a reasonable existence and NOT embarrass the family! God forbid!
enough about the mundane, on to the important stuff! what has and is on multiple sets of needles (i'm in trouble here as it also is beginning to emerge that i have a knitting needle fetish!) - another sock has met it's match! yeah, yippee, happy dance!! one down, still sooooo many to go!; my first big lace shawl is complete, blocked and available for wearing (pictures to follow); two sweaters are approaching completion (ahem, once i obtain more yarn to finish them) and a scarf will soon be seeing the light of day (started last spring and stashed because of warmer weather and cotton yarn!).
and then there is the election and the pathetic attempt by john mccain and the republicans to woo independent hillary backers with sarah palin - as gloria steinem has stated: "the only thing that hillary and sarah share is a chromosome." amen, sister! the whole situation is just disgusting - to think that women, by and large, are that stupid that they would fall for such a twit!!
my heavens, let's get real! that debate was sad and demoralizing - do we really want someone representing us to the world that winks at the camera, avoids the issues, and drops the endings from her words! this is serious business - we don't need a 'comedian wanna be' calling the shots for us! we need someone with demeanor and decorum leading us at this troubled time!
someone who looks and ACTS presidential! go OBAMA/BIDEN!
and that's my two cents worth!

game, set, match!

2008-09-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

another single has met its match! i am most happy to report that my single stack is beginning to dwindle - one down but still several to go. and, i've discovered a problem with not completing both socks within a timely manner - my memory! seems that i can't exactly remember exactly what i may have done on the first sock! argh!!! so, a word to the wise, keep on truckin' and complete both socks before jumping into another project or knit both socks at a time, which i am very reluctant to do as i love brittany dpn's and they don't make circulars!!

i forgot to mention on my previous post that while i was on holiday in delightful trout lake, i scored 'big time' at a garage sale i stumbled upon while i was heading out to pick huckleberries. for a mere ten dollar bill i got two large cardboard boxes full of old knitting mags, including about six years of old 'interweave knits'! boy, did i hit the jackpot! needless to say, my evening of knitting with a law and order marathon became reading back issues and finding way too many new (old) patterns i will really need to try!!

i'm baaaaaack!!

2008-09-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

did ya miss me?

gosh, didn't realize that i've been away sooooooo long! time really does fly whether or not you're having a good time! i've definately been having a good time!

over the holiday weekend i was up in trout lake, washington - a delightful little village by mt. adams on the edge of the giffy pinchot national forest. the weather was fabulous affording wonderful views of the mountain. heaven on earth!

on saturday, i took a little jaunt over to hood river, oregon. the first stop on my agenda was 'foothills yarn & fiber' - a wonderful shop out in the countryside that is part of a working alpaca farm. in these pictures are a few of the alpacas that were roaming about. the most exciting part of my visit was the opportunity to see a brand new baby alpaca that had just been born! what a sweet little girl! itty bitty little thing! a real cutey pie!

my trip back to hood river proper was through the many apple and pear orchards which are just beginning their annual harvest. so pleasant and refreshing with wonderful views of mt. hood!

my other mandatory stop when i'm in this area is 'knot another hat' - one of my all-time favorite local yarn shops. scored some fabulous 1824 cotton yarn for the 'hey, teach' sweater pattern from knitty summer 2008. i think it will be scrumptious! can hardly wait to give it a go! my big challenge now will be to finish what is on my needles before launching into another project - this seems to be my usual mo as can be witnessed by a stroll around my studio area! just glancing around the area, i noticed at least four socks that are longing for a partner!! once again, i believe that i'll have to make a deal with myself - finish at least one sock before beginning something new! only time will tell.....

goodie, goodie gumdrops!!!

2008-08-20T12:17:00.001-07:00

once again, stick a fork in me for i am done, done, done!! i have run the race and shockingly, i have finished with time to spare!! yahooooooooo!

finished this pair of str 'rockin sock club' sunday during the usa women's volleyball match against poland. what a relief! enjoyed the pattern and hopefully, will borrow parts of it for future socks.

now, i'm back to a sweater jacket (pattern actually calls it a vest) that has a poorly written pattern - so far, i've been able to figure things out by peering at the project picture! will keep you posted as to the outcome!

it is wet and soggy outside, therefore the perfect day to be knitting! come to think of it, any day in my book is a perfect day to be knitting. sooo...let's get knitty!

and the winner is?

2008-08-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

one project down! and...it is only the third day of olympic competition!!
i'm so excited to have these finished that i could break my arm patting myself on the back!!
will be casting on my next olympic project today. this should leave me plenty of time to crank out another pair of socks before the closing ceremony.
these socks are the march rockin' sock club 'leafling' pattern in the 'lucky' colorway. they are soooo soft and warm - am looking forward to wearing them when colder weather sets in!

on your mark, get set,.....knit!!

2008-08-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

it's ravolympics time! yippee!

my needles are poised, ready for action!

i've joined team blue moon as i am woefully behind on my rsc socks and i thought i would kill two birds with one stone! we'll see how i fair. here's the dilemma: i just heard on the morning news that the opening ceremonies have just concluded in beijing but we won't be seeing them until this evening on prime time tv - does this mean i can begin now (since they are really over, over there) or should i wait until 'tv time' here? i guess the answer would be: do i think that i will need the extra time at the end of the games to finish my projects? i actually know the answer to this question since i live the lively life of a procrastinator - i'll be starting tonight with prime time tv!

on other knitting fronts: i have completed (totally) two summer sweaters. pictures will follow as soon as i find a victim (oops, i mean friend) to take them! i also have another sock rounding third and heading for home! so...i'm busy, busy, busy and we like it that way! yea!!!

Eureka!!!

2008-07-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

hallelujah! yippee-skippee! praise the lord and pass the ammunition!

the dry spell has ended! hooooooray!! if i were capable of doing a back flip i would be doing just that!

i have finally, at long last, completed a project that i will actually wear! i am so excited that i haven't even worked the ends in yet or blocked it! the yarn is the aforementioned debbie bliss cathay that was previously knit into an oh, so boring debbie bliss pattern that weighed a ton when completed. i am much happier with this little number and am looking forward to hours of enjoyable wear. i promise to post better pictures when i complete the dirty work!

i just can't express the thrill that i am feeling right now having completed a project. boy, i was down in the dumps due to my continued string of failures but i can see the tide beginning to turn! phew!!

fiddle-dee-dee!

2008-07-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

still plugging along not seeming to accomplish anything in the knit department!! i have plenty of items on needles and plenty waiting for their turn but my recent 'semi' finished items have been bombs!! once again, success has eluded me. however, my errors have given me much food for thought and inspiration to try and design something myself!! the real problem seems to be that i had high hopes of having several 'smart' summery tops to wear during the 'summer' months. thank goodness summer doesn't end until late in september as i just might have something done by then!

since i have no knitting pics to share, here are some garden shots of clematis for some eye candy!! pour yourself a nice tall glass of iced tea, put your feet up, and keep on knittin' in the free world!!

success is elusive!

2008-07-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

boy, don't i know it!!

i've been absent from the world of blogging because it has been a troubling two weeks!! i have sort of had several knitting meltdowns!! the aforementioned boring top was completed on the 3rd of july and stitched together early on the fourth. i was excited to try it on but was quickly deflated when i did just that. it seemed soooooo heavy and not that exciting - bummer! it is currently incubating until i decide whether to frog on!
since i had acquired a new and exciting yarn, i quickly started another sweater (shaped lace tee from knitting lingerie style by joan mcgowan-michael) that was a fast knit in a wonderful yarn (pebbles by classic elite). after sewing the seams together in the last sweater, i adapted the pattern and knit the top in the round - worked great. it's complete except for one sleeve - one, simple, quick, easy sleeve - can i get to it? apparently not as i have launched into my not first, second, third but FOURTH reknit of the cece pattern by bonnie burns! argh!! after knitting it according to the directions, froggin' it and knitting it from the top down, froggin' it and knitting it with a different yarn, and froggin' it and knitting it on a smaller needle, i finally feel like i am on to something!! at looooooong last!!

i was pretty down in the dumps about this cute little number when i was skimming the yarn harlot's book cast offs and came upon these words of wisdom: "we all knit crap." wow, what an epiphany!! you can say that again, ms. yarn harlot - was i experiencing that!!! anyhoo, this inspired attempt number four - may it be my last!! please, oh please!!

zzzzzzz!

2008-06-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

man, what a snoozer - i am on sleep mode! currently on my size 4 needles is a sweater that is sooooooo boring that it is a struggle to continue. i just keep telling myself that the product will be worth the process - i love the yarn (debbie bliss cathay) and the look of the finished sweater. apparently my problem seems to be with simplicity! could it be that since there is absolutely no challenge i find it painful! perhaps i've been knitting way too many lace-type patterns recently - now, those will keep you on your toes!
this leads to problem #2 and my earlier decree that i would finish a project before i started a new one - you can kiss that idea 'bye-bye'! two other projects have appeared and i am fighting the urge to begin a third! argh!! the only saving grace with this whole situation is that the temperature is supposed to hover around 100 degrees today so i will be forced to find some type of refuge in the shade which should allow for hours of endless knitting!!! ahhh, nirvana!!!

screw the kitchener stitch!

2008-06-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

and i mean it, damn it!!

there, i've said it, thank you very much!

after two hours of frustration, i am over it!! i finally did a three needle bind off and got on with life! i don't know what it's all about but i just can't seem to make that stitch work!! i read the directions and i follow the pictures and i mentally know what i should be doing but...enough is enough!!!

the good news is that i have finished this little number. it is the minimalist sweater by ruthie nussbaum from interweave knits, fall 2007. and while i've got a whine going, i might as well complain about how long it took to put this sweater together!! jeepers, it took me less time to knit the thing than to sew it together!! now i remember the reason that i like to knit 'all in one' numbers!!

this really is the same sweater even though the color looks different. this is another classic example of my terrific photo abilities! not!

i think this sweater will be a keeper - it feels good and looks pretty good! and, the best part is, i actually used some of my stash instead of buying new stuff. now, that is progress - in more ways than one!! and i really like the texture of the moss stitch - soooo groooooovy!!

time really does fly!

2008-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

man, a week has flown by already! and has my knitting also flown - well, not exactly!! i'd have to say that instead of being on a big ol' jet airliner, my knitting and i am on a slow boat to china!
i am making progress but not quite as rapidly as suits my taste! i'm 'between third and home' on my 'minimalist cardigan' by ruthie nussbaum from IK - fall 2007. i'm halfway through reknitting the back - yes, reknitting as in 'did i swatch the yarn to check the guage?" - well, 'nooooooo, i did not' sooooo, i'm paying the price by having to knit the back twice! ugh! one of these days i will get the hint! what i really can't believe is that i knit sooooo loose that i am using needles that are 2 sizes smaller than the recommended size - what's with that?
anyhoo, the sleeves and fronts are done and languishing in anticipation of the back joining them soon. the back should be joining them sometime this weekend but according to the weatherpeople on all of the local stations, we will be having several rainless days in a row! a miracle!! i hesitate to say this as it surely will put a jinx on it but i've just got to 'soak up some sun' by spending time in my perennial garden. since it was rainy outside, i've also been painting my bathroom this week which has caused my hands to replace knitting needles with brushes and rollers - not nearly as zen like as knitting! i promise to post pics of the finished product in my next post. until then, keep on knitting in the free world!

nirvana

2008-06-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

friday was it! a day of total nirvana! the sky was blue with no clouds in site, the temperature was 75 degrees (perfect in my book) and i was in the garden! it doesn't get any better than that! i've included a couple of garden shots - a beautiful clematis spooneri in full regalia and some chives and siberian iris in dappled sunlight. this spring, our nice days have been few and far between (as i sit here typing, it is pouring outside!) so one must make hay while the sun shines!! so...what does one do when forced to abandon the garden for inside activities...well, knit of course. silly you, what else is there?

speaking of knitting, here is the first half of the rockin sock club 'leafling' pattern in the colorway "lucky". this was the rsc march issue so, as you can see, i have fallen behind in my promise to myself to keep on task and finish these rsc sock projects in a timely manner!! alas, since staying on task seems to allude me, i now have a beautiful violet yarn and an exciting pattern starring at me each and every day - but i will endeavor to persevere - i will not take the new yarn out of its bag and ball it until i finish the mate to the above! i promise, i promise, i promise!!

here is one of the reasons that might have kept me from my appointed task. this is the 'little silk shrug' from the book "lace style" with a close-up of the lace pattern. i had originally knit this yarn into a camisole top but it was just too heavy. i employed the ol' froggin technique which i seem to have mastered quite well, thank you very much, and decided to give this little number a try. wise move on my part as this delight is much lighter in weight! the lace pattern was very simple and easy to memorize (love not having to drag a pattern along!) and was a quick knit - simply a rectangle. doesn't get much easier than that, complete with some pretty instantaneous gratification! yes, yes, yes!

i'm sure that the shrug photo would have been much nicer on a live body but this is NOT the body that needs to be showing it off! i'm hoping i have a niece that will provide that in exchange for the shrug. i'll let you know if that happens!!

bit of a bummer!

2008-05-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

another memorial day weekend and more rain!!
ugh! gray, overcast skies certainly don't inspire one to get outside and do much of anything.
i spent part of the weekend at the beach, seaside to be exact, watching the blue-gray waves pound onto the grayed sand. since beach combing on a bummer of a day was not appealing, what else to do but go yarn shopping!! yippee!!
first stop was creative beginnings in seaside. entering with rowan 'calmer' on my mind, i left with about 100 bucks worth of yarn (and no rowan 'calmer').
next day, the lys of choice was coastal yarns in cannon beach. after a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes at 'the local', my rowan 'calmer' search continued but to no avail. i did, however, manage to find a few other yarns that i couldn't live without!! after fondling many new yarns and old faves, i dropped another 100+ on yarn i can't possibly live without!
but, still no rowan 'calmer'! i've found some wonderful replacements but will they really fit the bill? i hope so but if not, i can always hit the local yarn shops in the pdx area!!

when not shopping, knittin' was the rule of the day!
currently i am working on no less than 4 projects and having to fight the urge to start another one. i've made a deal with myself that i must finish something before i can attach any yarn to needles!! i'm sure it won't be long as i am 'roundin' third and headin' for home' on the little blue silk shrug from lace style. i'm using a bamboo yarn that i frogged from a top that didn't make the cut last summer. wise idea, as i am much happier with this outcome! i am hoping that one of my nieces will like it - it's been a quick and simple knit with a lace pattern that was extremely easy to memorize - a bonus for this ageing brain!

as i am starring out the window watching it rain, again, this weather has me wondering if memorial day really is the start of the summer season. maybe it just might be the 4th of july!

a most beautiful bride!

2008-05-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

i am the happiest auntie around - my beautiful niece, rebecca, tied the knot last friday evening in a lovely ceremony in spokane, washington. (btw, the groom's name is brad) everything was absolutely perfect, most especially the weather which was warm and sunny. after our never ending cold and rainy spring, i was figuring that it would be chilly and overcast but fortunately i was prepared with my aforementioned blue shrug! anyhoo, the weatherman cooperated and a gorgeous evening was had by all.

the only dreaded part of the experience was the 6 hour drive to and from but as a knitter i knew that i would have copious uninterrupted hours to knit so i can't complain!! many inches were added to my feather and fan shawl in progress! thank you to my niece, kelsie, who was the driver for the trip there and my hubby, who piloted the vehicle for the trip home!

here is a shot of the quilt that i made them as a wedding gift!

also a photo of my other nieces, liz and kelsie, who did a tremendous job with their duties as attendants!

fortunately i was able to come to the rescue of my niece, liz, at the rehearsal dinner when she was chilly - i just happened to have my mulberry shrug in my bag!! i haven't seen it since!! i did make her a deal though, if i get this one back, she can have the blue one for keeps!

once again, our rainy weather has returned! yahoo!!! i'm probably the only one who is happy about this situation but after two days of non-stop garden work, i needed a break and my plants are happy for a much needed drink of h2o. so....it is onward to my studio which is in a horrible state of disrepair after the last month of madcap wedding preparations!! keep on knittin' in the free world!

new pics

2008-05-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

here they are! pictures of my two two-toned ribbed shrug from fitted knits. the top photo is the full meal deal out of cherry tree hill yarn - a delightful mulberry cotton! the other shrug is the infamous reknit reknit! the ribbing on the sleeves and the front has been somewhat abbreviated due to my yarn shortage but, hey, it works and is a delightful little coverup for our prevailing winter weather that just won't go away!!! you know, as they say 'there is always a silver lining' and i must admit the blue shrug supplied me with the opportunity to experience that process. i had knit the original reknit on size 6 needles which made the top i constructed very heavy, with the second reknit i stepped up to a size 8 needle which made the whole ball of wax much lighter (or, i guess, seem much lighter!). you know that cotton yarn - sweaters can really get heavy and a heavy sweater ain't a happnin' thing!

and the beat goes on!!

2008-05-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

or the froggin' goes on!
well, i have once again frogged the delightful debbie bliss dk cotton yarn mentioned in my previous post. i had knit all but the sleeve bands on a delightful short (and i mean short) sweater when i ran really low on yarn. not a problem i thought, i'll just get another ball of the yarn for the arm bands on both sleeves, if it wasn't the same dyelot atleast it wouldn't be real obvious if it was only the armbands! i have such good intentions but after checking out three different yarn shops in the portland metro area i discovered that this yarn is in short supply and unavailable in that color - duh, that might be why i got it on sale!! so, nothing to do but frog the sucker (it really was such a heavy little thing knit on size 6) and move on to something else (no, i absolutely refuse to knit even 1 washcloth!!!) you know, knitting is such a learning experience - i knit a gauge swatch on size 8's (this in itself is an amazing thing!! me knitting a gauge swatch!) and discovered that i could use my new favorite pattern, the two-tone shrug. voila, i cast on wednesday and had that puppy off the needles last night and wore it today! whew! now i can move on to something else - maybe one of the 6 single socks that are looking for a partner! good grief!

knittin' knews!

2008-04-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

my needles have been flyin' - not necessarily with knitin' but with froggin'. seems that the yarn that i am determined (never come between a knitter and her yarn!) to be using at this time has not been as cooperative as i would like! i can't blame it all on the yarn, i must take some of the blame for my apparent stupidity (like not checking exactly how much yarn was required for the project and how much i actually had in my stash!). so after knitting about two inches of the sweater with one ball of yarn, the light bulb goes on and i decide that it might be wise to check my stash and see exactly how much of this yarn i have available (and, at the same time check the pattern for the yardage needed - i can be sooooo dense sometimes!). after digging around, it took just a few seconds for me to see that this would not be a happnin' sweater with this yarn! arghhhhh!
so, where is this leading? well, i must tell you about ravelry.com (if you are a knitter, you must sign up for THIS website). i am lovin' it!! since i was a few balls short of being able to knit the aforementioned sweater i trotted on over to the yarn tab and entered the name of my yarn and "presto", just like that i had a gazillion examples of items made with that yarn. after sorting through a ton of wash clothes (what is it with all of those knitted wash clothes?), i found several sweater (or jumpers as the english refer to them) ideas that would accommodate my ball count.
soooo...off i go on my new adventure in knitting! oh boy!!! i'm happy now!