alice in yarnland

Who was I then?

2005-09-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

June? was the last post really in June? Maybe I should start over - new blog, cause I think I am a new person, but the thread that holds the then me to the now me is the yarn, knit continually, sometimes frogged, sometimes tinked, but there. We do knit through the pieces of our life. It is constant.

I am sorry for disappearing from your view, but I do think I had to cocoon for a while, more than the shop keeping me busy, there were changes in me that had to metamorphose. Sometimes years and relationships take us to our knees. Guess I understood the relationship part quicker than I remembered the confidence part. But a really good man walked me through both. He loved me and knew I could do what I wanted. Guess the last 6 months helped me to believe him.

So how is Tangle, it is great, fun, pretty. Yarn is wonderful, but then you know that. Knitters are wonderful and everyday I am touched by how lucky I am. It is like having old friends and new friends for an endless dinner party.

And Knitting, Kalani got me to do lace and I am in love. Started with the green shawl in the Vogue Fall 2005 made from Karabella Margrite, doesn’t matter what it looks like, it is soooo soft. On my fourth repeat of Kiri, planning to make the WrapStyle Shetland Triangle for my ex mother-in-law for Christmas. I have never been a lacy girl, so where did this come from?

Made a list today of my (active) projects and I promise pictures, if I can remember to bring in my camera.

Now life goes on and I have to get to Friday night football.

Tangled up in green?

2005-06-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

So we are here, Tangle, in and open. What fun that the first people through the door Friday were DonnaLee and Patty that knew about Tangle cause they read my blog. Several others through the last few days wandered in from blog land. Some admitted it, some didn't. How fun is it to really meet cyber people. I took this great picture of DonnaLee and Patty - and deleted it from my camera today. To day is computer from hell day!!! Why does Quick Books think I have hundreds of workstations tied to the server when I only have two computers?

So computers be damed here are pictures

It is a little scary, lot of fun - best of all is spending all day with knitters.

What am I knitting? - well nothing that is listed in my side bar. I am halfway through the Scarf Style Touch Me scarf. Made a shawl out of Midas Touch for the shop and am really trying to figure out what do do with one or two balls of the Classic Elite Obsession Any ideas?

Watching paint dry

2005-06-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a girl named Alice, she followed a sheep in through a yarn store door and was never heard from again. Oh wait a minute, here I am, found my way back up from the build out and think the 18 hour days may be at end, or maybe just changing from building to stocking.

But the build out is done, with master minding from my dear husband, a ton of help from the 16 year old and bits and pieces from the rest of the family. Cement overlay was done last Saturday, stained Sunday night, sealed Monday waxed Tuesday and shelves delivered yesterday. Right now I am waiting for the building inspector and trying to figure out how to organize all the yarn I have in boxes in the storeroom. Really I just need a nap, but I want to sew the second side on the bag I made out of Noro Daria – it is so cool! Have you seen that stuff? Have to find another skein cause I want the handle longer – will just have to cut it and graft on cause I am not unsewing the one side that is on to get at the strap seam.

Well the camera is at home and the photo editing program is there too, so you will just have to wait for pictures – or all you Portland people can come in a week – June 17th and visit me. If you find me here make sure you tell me you are a Yarnland friend

But I can find pictures of a great book that came in today, there are so many cool things in this book.

I am going to try some of the knitted beaded wire napkin rings.

Now I have to go wax the bathroom floors.

What to do

2005-05-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

You know my postings have been few and far between lately. There is a reason. I really wanted to keep my blog separate from the knitting store's blog. But sometime this afternoon as I was reading yours, I realized that my life right now revolves aroung Tangle Knitting Studio and if I am going to blog more than once a week, it will have to have shop talk. So if you get bored let me know. I suspect that the love of yarn will carry us through. After all, I know you guys understand, even if DH is gapping as he writes the check for Addi Turbos, one small box, four digits on the check. "Sweetie, you just don't understand, these are the best." But you know it is a great day when you get your first boxes of yarn, the UPS driver says "I can't wait for you to open, I called my friend last night and we are so excited." as she unloads your first 10 boxes of yarn.

Lucky for me my DH is understanding (even if he doesn't understand,) as I have this HUGE grin on my face holding up bags of this incredible pink angora Maggi Knits yarn. DH is happy cause I am so thrilled.

Sorry guys it will have to be shop talk. Pictures tomorrow. Also picutes of the wonderful Secret Pal presents. She was so good to me, and really sent me perfect things, yarn I had never heard of, two books, and other goodies. Secret Pal stuff tomorrow and maybe bales of Manos thrown in too.

New Finds

2005-05-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

Has it really been over a week since I put up and entry? I have done hardly any knitting, just lots of dreaming about yarn. Sometime toward the end of last week I realize I wasn't knitting anything I liked. The baby blanket from my kids to my ex's assisstant at Flowerbud.com, that I hired years ago, and haven't seen in just a few less. The homespun afghan for S#3 (remember the pink sock boy - one is missing), a sweater out of the Phildar spring magazine that the guage is right and the weight what was recommended, but I just don't like the drape of the kni, too loose. Those ladder yarn scarfs for a friend. Nothing was rocking my world. So I am just ignoring all those WIP, pretending they don't exist. And started Donna from Magknits in Cascade Fixation, bright turquoise, this I like. Thinking of the buttonhole bag, one green with pink polka dots and one pink with green polka dots out of Manos, cause I love how it felts.

And in the middle of the night worrying that I may miss some absolutely critical yarn for the shop. Wondering if I can carry Karabella,(want to make pattern 295 in Margritte) Cashsoft and Lang and no Debbie Bliss and Rowan, maybe Jo Sharpe. 3 am this morning after laying there with the yarn worries for a while I just got up, made my camamile tea and knit the Fixation. Have you knit with that yarn. I love the stretch of it. Feels really nice and the texture is great. I promise I will post a picture tomorrow.

Buttonholes and Heaven

2005-04-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

I know I have been pretty quiet lately.In the priorities of knitting, family, reading blogs, business, working on my blog, writing mine seems to be at the bottom. But I have been lurking on your in silence. Thanks for not being like me, quiet.Lets take my life in order:

Knitting:Five felted bags – four buttonhole, one cross between Sophie and buttonhole with a ruffle thrown in. In my neighborhood we have a ~~girls~~ women’s birthday dinner twice or three times a year. So we are celebrating Debbie, Judy, Beth and Karen’s birthdays tonight. Just finished Beth’s bag this morning (do you think she will mind that it is still wet?).
Hers is the red Sophie hybrid. She has an 18 month old and I think that requires a handle that goes over the arm. The black and pink fuzzy reminds me of some beast that might hide under a child’s bed. (You can tell that it doesn’t rock my world.) The sea foam, lavender and butter one is nice colors, but I don’t like the shape – I double stranded on the bottom and not the sides – think it lost that great shape.

Family: DH has been sick for a week so I am hopping with all the kids etc. (And the room got cleaned, before the boyfriend came over)

Reading Blogs: I keep up with you, every morning, my home page is my blog lines, thanks for keeping me entertained and motivated.

Business:

Lease negotiated and gets signed next week. Still aiming to open May.

Do you know what heaven is? Spending a morning with Kym from Knitting Fever looking at yarns and putting together an order. I love the Maggi Knits stuff – what fun to see real art in knitting patterns, why didn’t I look at her stuff before?

Haunted by a mother's words

2005-04-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

I know I should tell you about the knitting I am doing, two buttonhole bags, lucky clover sweater, but I just have to know what you would do with this.

Mom was my room this bad at 15?

All in a days work

2005-04-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

3 extra kids this week. 2 best friends of my kids’ plus a brother. Divorce, father half a nation away, mother not coping well, kids falling through the bottom. So here we are, a little stability and love for three kids in a hard place.

And look at my ROAK from Shannon. Are they the cutest stitch markers you have ever seen – perfect for summer knitting.

Worked on the Shapely T on the two hours drive to and from Rugby Saturday (S#1 is 1st prop) –am at the cap of the sleeves. Funny, I used to always knit the sleeves one at a time, now I do them together, and I like it much better – when you are done with one, the sweater is done.

Three Olives and an Artichoke

2005-04-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

Some days woman does not live by knitting alone:

Followed off by a steak and this perfect cheese cake

Cheesecake in Yarnland

1 T melted butter
3 T graham cracker crumbs
2 lbs regular cream cheese – room temperature
1 ¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1 t finely chopped zest of lemon
2 t vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cover the base of a 10” spring mold pan with Aluminum foil. Brush melted butter in the bottom of pan, sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and distribute evenly.

Beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually add sugar, vanilla and lemon zest and beat for at least 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk one at a time; scrape down sides of bowl and mix well between each addition. (Any cream cheese that is not mixed at this time becomes lumpy).Mix in heavy cream and sour cream by hand.

Pour into pan and put in preheated oven. Bake at 500 for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 200 and bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave in for 1 more hour. Then take out to cool for a little and then chill in the fridge.

This really is the best best best cheesecake. It is a mixture of three of an old recipe from my ex sister in law, the Perfect Recipe cookbook and an Internet recipe I found.

Kelley

2005-04-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad have come and gone. Wonderful visit, always sad to see them leave. My mother brought her knitting, that she hasn't worked on for two years. She knits raglan from the top down, so that she never has to seam. Never uses a pattern, checked her gauge twelve inches into the sweater, had me measure her arms so she knows how many stitches she wants on each sleeve and can't wait to get below the armholes so she can just knit away.

While she was here I joined the club and made my first buttonhole bag. I think they may be addicting. Fast to do - I made mine longer and still finished it in one day. This may be an addiction. It is such a great little canvas to be creative on. Do you think I can make one with a red bottom and flames shooting up from the bottom? What about flowers and flower stems? I saw a bag in a magazine the other day and it has 3D daises felted on it, will have to think about what knitting technique could be used for the petals.

I actually want to make four of them for a birthday party for four of my friends. For Debbie B. I will need to put some of that eyelash, furry stuff on is (can you tell how much I ~~dislike~~ enjoy those novelty yarns by my description.) For Debbie D. red flames would be good, some carpetbag type for Judy and daisies for Karen. I am glad you don't mind being part of my thought process, cause I just planned then all out.

The first bag I made for Kelley. Kelley is one of those special people. You are lucky if you have a life that touches hers. When my dad retired from GE, he hired Kelley to be his assistant in his home office. In the 18 years since then she has become part of family.

My three brothers and I all live quite a distance from mom and dad, and as they get older you know how you can worry. But for us, we have Kelley. When mom or dad needs to go somewhere at night and they don't trust their eyes anymore, Kelley takes them. She brings lunch for all three of them everyday so she (and I) know that mom and dad will eat right. I can't really begin to tell you the things she does. But for me, most of all, she gives the gift a child of distance wishes for. The surety that if mom and dad need anything or anyone, at anytime, some one that loves them as much as I do will be there for them.

Kelley, the little knitted bag is nothing compared to the gift you give me, know that every stitch was knitted with appreciation and love for you.

Interviews

2005-04-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

I love getting to know other knitters/bloggers, so here we go, I am asking the questions you have to follow the links to the answers:

For Heatherly (I love that name - it is like a color or a feeling - it is going to be a heatherly kind of day - maybe that is what we should call a day with lots of knitting.)

Obviously religion plays a major roll in your life – but you have this mix of Jewish and Baptist how did it come about and how does it translate to daily (or weekly) life.
With everyone to knit for, how do you decide what to knit for whom?
Do you let your kids pick out what you will knit for them? (This is a two-part question and I say it only counts as one!!!) And if you do, do you find they have problems making the mental/creative leap from a picture to imagining what the real item will be like?
I am impressed by your knitting in relation to how long you have been knitting – so tell me about how and why you learned to knit, then what makes you such and adventurous knitter?
And you have to tell all of us how you ever find time to knit with all the other stuff going on in your life?

For another Alice (love this name too – oh is it mine, but can we share?) think about these and answer, tears don’t show on the computer and maybe it will provide a little diversion.

Tell me at least three of the nicknames that go with Alice that people have come up with for you over your life? (alas alas its all ass alass and ally ally bowling ally were two of mine)
You design your own knitwear and patterns; some knitters are most comfortable with knitting from a pattern with the recommended yarn. What do you think gives you the courage to design and create what you want?
Where do you get most of your yarn and why? What is it about the shop (on or off line) you like best?
Besides conversations on the train – do you knit with others? If you do – when and how did it start? If not – why not?
How do you deal with those people that sneer at knitting when you are knitting in public?

Now the rest of you have to watch their blogs and wait for the answers and while you are waiting have a heatherly day.

Avoiding the Vacuum

2005-03-31T07:39:00.000-08:00

I have been very sporadic in my blogging lately. My mom and dad are coming today from UPSTATE New York and I have been trying to get the house in order. You know how that is with five kids, four cats, and dog, fish, a turtle, a husband and about 20 WIP and the yarn stash. Well I have done it. My knitting shelves look neat, my knitting basket doesn’t – but that is because of the afghan that is stuffed into the big red bag so S#3 doesn’t see it. I have been talking about making him a blanket for a while and when I went to JoAnnes, last Saturday for a zipper, they had Homespun on sale so he is getting his blanket – but I don’t want him to know hence the ugly red bag.

So knitting wise – I finished the short sweater from Knit 1 in time for D to wear on Easter. Finished 1 of 5 dreaded ribbon scarves promised to a friend for teachers gifts. A funky little watery colored scarf for me – but I will probably give it away.

WIP a cotton T from the Shapely pattern at White Lies, This great Phildar sweater out of navy cotton, Lucy Bag – although I seem to be stuck on this. I thought that brown would be a good basic color – but I isn’t rocking my world. Have to start a baby blanket for my boys to give to a friend (grown up friend – don’t worry)

Oh biggest WIP – Yarn store – Name: Tangle, space: lease looks all ok, trying to figure out fixtures and inventory. Went snooping up to Seattle last week, visited Tricoter and So Much Yarn. Both great shops, helped to figure some things out. Got an Anthropology catalog yesterday and have to call my friend Brenda – who makes custom paint colors and ask if we can do the store walls the color of the water on page 54.

So will you help me out here - just for curiosity, and inventory sake will you let me know your three favorite yarns and three favorite knitting books?

Now if you will excuse me I have to go vacuum before mom arrives.

I get by with a little help from my friends

2005-03-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the blog where you saw the great Japanese book with beaded wrist warmers? Do you remember any of the blogs talking about a wool wash that made the wool softer and you didn't have to rinse out?

I don't and I would love to find then again. Do you think I don't remember because I am getting old and my memory is going, or because I read too many knitting Blogs? (Don't answer that one.)

Done (with few words for a change)

2005-03-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

Rachel from Hot Knits

Schmeebot Bunny

Too Much About Camels

2005-03-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

This came from A Stitch in Time, Liz

Here's how it works:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones below.
3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Ask and ye shall be interviewed, by me that is.

For Miss Alice from Liz:
1. I noticed your banner and it made me wonder: Are you also an artist? Since I saw the drawing figure I thought you might be.
2. What other craft related hobbies do you have, and have any of your kids taken an interest in your hobbies yet?
3. How did you end up with a Canadian soccer team in your house?
4. How do you choose your knitting projects? For wearability or looks alone?
5. How long have you been knitting and how and/or why did you learn?

No I do not draw, paint or in any way try to recreate real things. I do a lot of artistic things. Right now I am making fused glass, which is really fun. I have a kiln in my garage, I got it cause I wanted to do pottery (I have a wheel too) but have not had clay for a long time and wasn’t very good at it.

Craft hobbies!! My kids can talk for hours of all the things I have done. Pottery, Fused glass. I made Fimo beads for a while, did a little beading with that. Have made a lot of baskets, the basement storage area is filled with reeds. I used to sew tons, took tailoring classes in college and am not sure why I don’t any more. I loved to bake bread, but my ex husband threw out my four year old sour dough starter one day. My kids have played along with a lot of my hobbies. A little basket making, a little pottery, more fused glass, but so far no one has started knitting. My daughter just asked me to teach her so maybe she will like it.

My oldest son plays High School Rugby in Oregon. The Canadian team was on an 11-day road trip, and we were the first stop. Our players hosted their player, and of course all these teenage boys wanted to hang out together rather than sleep at individual houses. Having 5 kids of our own, our house is usually pretty crazy, so the kids know we say yes to almost anything. So oldest son asked if a mess of his teammates and their Canadian’s could spend the night.

I like to have something complex going that I can only do when I focus completely on it. I like to have something mindless that I can knit watching TV or in the car. I recently have started to think about the finished product more. What fits into my wardrobe, what looks good on me (as opposed to on the model in the picture.)? So somehow I try to combine the process of knitting with what I want in a finished item. Do I want to knit it cause it would be fun to knit and would I buy the end result if I saw it in a store? I have been a lot happier with what I end up with. The biggest thing now is I let myself change my mind. If I am not liking knitting something, I frog it and start something else.

I learned to knit when I was 10, my mother taught me, she rarely used a pattern, she would measure our chests, measure our arms and back length and away she went. It really was a gift to me, cause I know I can do what ever I want, I am never afraid to try anything or change anything. I am kind of a strange blend of analytical and creative so I just do what I want to patterns. (I am finding that most of us knitters are that way.) When I was younger I didn’t knit much, cause mom could do it faster and better and I wasn’t into the knitting, just the clothes aspect. Some point about 20 years ago I fell in love with this aqua variegated silk and started knitting a sweater, I knit for about 5 years, then quit for about 5 years. So about 10 years ago I really started knitting cause I loved the process, not just the results. My knitting disappeared for about 2 –3 while I started Flowerbud.com. That was all encompassing. But then my 1st marriage ended and I turned back to knitting. Now I am rabid and am going to mesh my business sense with my knitting love and open a knitting store.

So how is that for long winded – my dad has a line “that is more about camels than I ever wanted to know.” (Meaning too much useless information) Maybe this is like that.

Weather or Not

2005-03-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

I know we have all been talking about the weather, but here in Oregon we had 70 degrees for about two weeks, and just today rain and 48 degrees came in.

Here is this mornings weather conversation between me and DH:

me 'what do you think the weather is going to do?'
DH 'rain today, and tomorrow.'
me 'what about early next week?'
DH 'the air is pretty unstable so it may stay bad.'
me 'good. I am going to finish my sweater this week end and I want to wear it.'
DH 'honey, you can always turn on the air conditioning.'

Isn't he just the perfect knitters husband!

Tomorrow maybe he will take pictures of me in it.

Absolution for a Friend

2005-03-16T08:01:00.000-08:00

(pre cursor to Original Post - my friend LeAnne sometimes feels like she has too many WIP, I think that how ever many you have is the right amount. She feels she should try to knit one thing from start to finish - I never had a burning desire to do that - yet recently I did it with Audrey. So we were talking about it and I wanted to make a little joke out of knitting Audrey non-stop, I don't think it was an accomplishment - just what happened - but I can tell from the comment that my post didn't come across that way. - Please read this as friendly banter between friends, and my way of justifying LeAnne and I switching from project to project, not as definitive rules to knit by.)

Original Post

Yesterday LeAnne and I had a discussion about working on a sweater from start to finish without picking up another piece. I did my Audrey that way and LeAnne thinks it is something to strive for, I think it is sick. She asked me why I did it, and I had to stop and think. Knitting a sweater start to finish has never been one of my lifetime goals. In the end I did it because I wasn’t really happy with other things I was knitting, and I really liked how it was turning out.

So in my mind there are very few reasons to knit one item start to finish without picking up another. First, cause you have a last minute gift that you really should have started two weeks earlier and now you are screwed and have to put down all the fun projects to get this one done. Second for purely selfish reasons, you just don’t feel like working on something else and want some new clothes.

So LeAnne, I do not think working on one project is a sign of accomplishment or organization, I think it is poor planning and self-indulgence.

FYI – new Yarnland service – if you need justification for almost anything - come to me I will help! Now let me go back to Rachel, Shapely T, Clapotis, Lucy Bag, Market Square bag, and ………

P.S. The thrill of the day - This is the first day cool enough to wear Audrey since I finished it. And yes I have it on.

No room at the Inn

2005-03-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

My house is a very, very fine house, with 13 kids in the place….. Here it is Top to Bottom this morning!!!

These two are visiting from a Canadian Rugby Team – Guess which one broke his collar bone yesterday

Well have to run make breakfast

Family Participation

2005-03-10T06:56:00.002-08:00

Well, Audrey is blocked and the weather is 75 degrees, not quite the day for a sweater made in bulky yarn. Just wait and I am sure it will cool down again. I had it all pinned out on my bedroom floor yesterday morning and was amazed at the family comments. 13 yr S walked by and said 'thats really nice, wow I like that.' DH said 'oh you're blocking that, did you measure it?' I looked at him in wonder - how does he know to measure when you are blocking? 'I read it in the book in the bathroom.' So Janet Szabo's I Hate to Finish Sweaters is sitting in the bathroom, are you as amazed as me that he would open it and read about blocking? if I can quote Michelle 'thanks for stepping into my world for a second and talking about yarn!'

Now I am working a scarf with Rowan cotton tape, (had a little help taking this picture as you can see.) and the huge needles, I hate knitting with needles that big - it just doesn't flow - but so far I like how the scarf is turning out, and yes I am going to put some of those pom pom things on it, in a aqua color, am dreaming about how I want to knit them.

Missions

2005-03-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

I think I am in a mode of missions. I finished Audrey - in 10 days and can't believe that I knitted the thing from beginning to end with out touching another needle. Have you ever done that? I don't think I have. It is sitting next to me in need of blocking and it is bulky and our weather is 72 degrees today and somehow I am not really inspired to wear it.

But I found the new Magknits T shirt today and that is more like our weather, so I will have to explore my stash. Doesn't it get your imagination going - I am going to join the KAL

But my next mission is searching for this yarn. Is this the coolest thing - what is the green yarn? Found the scarf at Wendy Freeman, and I really like the pom pom thing going on. So help me out here, have you seen this green yarn? I went to four of my LYS today and the closest I came was the Rowan tape - but it wasn't nearly tubular enough.

When does multi tasking become aimless?

2005-03-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

My morning:

Got up thinking of finishing the neckband on Audrey,
First had to find another size 8 needle,
Started running AntiVir on D computer
Looked on line to see about latest virus she has picked up,
Put away all the needles that were sitting on my coffee table,
Started to clean the kitchen
Ran across camera,
Took picture of yesterdays LYS purchases for blog,
Went to check on D computer,
Did a little more clean up in kitchen
Took some recycling out
Started coffee
Brought vacuum down didn’t vacuum cause it would wake the house
Started laundry (rewash a load that has been in machine 2 days)
Folded sheets from the dryer (so this time I can put wet clothes right in)
Took out some old newspapers and brought in todays
Finished cleaning kitchen
Found size 8 needle on an old project
Poured coffee in one of my favorite mugs
Measured where button holes need to be
Knit button hole row
Heard DH wake took him coffee and talked
Now here I am blogging

But I am bound and determined to finish this sweater NOW with no more interruptions, oh just after I check on how the AntiVir is running on DH machine, and the floors are really dirty and this would be a good time to vacuum, and, and, and……

Tangled Up in Yarn

2005-03-04T17:37:00.000-08:00

So guess what I did today. Bought buttons so I can finish Audrey - only the sleeve caps and the front band left to do. And guess what else I did!!!!!

What do you think of the new me?

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

2005-03-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

The Bad - yesterday opened phone bill (just changed carriers) and found D had gone $300 over regular charges. DH and I got in huge fight caused by it. (we talked it out and made up later)

The Ugly - got both Audrey fronts up to the armholes 78 rows on the bulky yarn (6552 stitches) and I looked at them an realized that I floated the cable the wrong way. Held it up, knew it would drive me nuts and that it wouldn't look good, so I pulled the needle out and started to frog left side down to row 24 where the cable starts to move. 16yr S was kind enough to ask if he could help. Put the needle back in row 24 and started to set up the floating section, when I realized I had done it right the first time.

Some days are just like that. And in the middle of the day as I was sobbing, DH put his arms around me and said "sometimes adversity is what we need, even if we don't know why." And I do always look at those situations and ask myself "What am I suppose to learn from this."

The Good - today is beautiful, well ok its not sunny- but I have a few minutes this morning and I am about to finish the fronts to Audrey, and start the sleeves. I usually don't knit both together - but I knit the fronts together and it wasn't so bad. I didn't get too tangled up in yarn. Did my tax return yesterday and will have enough to cover the phone bill and maybe a little yarn, so life is good and there a lot of people that love me.

Cats and Frogs

2005-02-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

I told you I was having a transformation. That transformation includes a lot of frogs and help from a cat. I was trying to knit Banff, got half the back done and it sat on my shelf for over a month. Frogged it and started Audrey from Hot Knits on Friday and am 2/3 done on Monday.

Do you think we should learn to listen to our inner selves about what to knit and what not to knit. Was about ½ way done with Top Secret, hating it all the way. Frogged it and am dreaming about making this other sweater from Hot Knits. Have two more sweaters in the closet that have been sitting for (cough cough, under my breath) 2 years. They are getting frogged and now I am excited about what I will make next.

And what I really want to make is this Rumpelstilskin Cardigan from Summer 2003 Interweave Knits. I have tons of Debbie Bliss merino aran in a nice purple, I think I will start it this week.

Sweet Sons

2005-02-28T13:12:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post as I am on my way out the door to run errands - one to Borders, so I will have to sneak back to the knitting section.

But my 16 year old son emailed me this from school today - they are studing WWII and he found it on line.

More tonight as I have been frogging up a storm. (a pond?)

Addictions

2005-02-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

I just found out last night I have 12 size 3 addi turbo circs, most the same length. How did that happen? Shows how comfortable I am with you that I can admit it. So who is worried about the number of WIP you have and why do I need 12 of the same size needles? Maybe I should remeasure and some will be 3 mm not 3.25 mm and I can call them 2's. Guess I should break out my Skacel needleguage and then I could say I don't have an addiction. What number do you think is an addiction? Or maybe like Beth I just have ADD - (Addi Durbo Diction?)

The Deep V for ME

2005-02-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

I’m going to be truthful here. I don’t like my body. Sorry for all the learn to love it stuff; I am at least 50 lbs over what I want to be. Somehow in the last month or so, as I pull out the turtleneck baggy sweaters I made, I look in the mirror and don’t like it. But a good friend of mine (her name is ZEN) moved back to town, we were out looking at sweater patterns together and she looked at me and said “Why do you always hide your self. You have a wonderful voluptuous figure don’t hide it.” Some friend huh. So the next day I got up and put on the sweater with the 5X5 rib and DH looked at me and said “I love how that sweater flows over your breasts”!!!!! Guess I should listen to friends more often

A few days later I was at Powell’s Bookstore looking for books of fashion and color, thinking maybe I would like more of what I knit if I thought about how the end product would look on ME, not just the model. I ran across “What Not to Wear” from Britain, then went to their web site and got my own recommendations for what to wear.

So yesterday morning I headed out to the local Mall knowing there were President’s Day sales and with my 15% extra off. I think the sales clerk hates me. I must have tried on 150 things. Pants, tops, jackets. In the end, I have to dump the boxy turtlenecks cause they just make me took bad. So I ended up with boot cut pants, black and jeans, a deep V black sweater, and a scoop neck tee and boots. And you know in the end, I like how I look, may not love the body underneath, but the outside looked kind of voluptuous.

Now I am combing my half knit Top Secret with a deep V neck rather than that high turtleneck. I went on a hunt for patterns that would suit my new style. Boy there are none in my house. Is that because I always bought boxy turtleneck patterns? Belle Epoque, with out the ribbon.Then I have to find something with a waist and a low neckline for bulky yarn I was going to use for Banff. And I may take my Jo Sharp green yarn from stash and make the wrap sweater from SnB Nation. Anyone have any other good wrap sweaters patterns?

Oh, forgot to tell you DH took me out to this local dive we like for burger and beer late afternoon, and he wanted to dance when a good song came one. Guess he liked the new outfit.

Breathing to Knit

2005-02-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

All right I know we all have a million projects going and a million ideas in our heads and yarn for most of them (come on, you can admit it in the safety of the knitting cult.) But this morning I am looking at what I have started and what I want to start. And how do we all make up our minds?

Started

Black Pullover
Pink Mohair Cardigan (started two years ago and just pulled out again)
Aiblhinn
Clapotis #2
Beaded sock (not rocking my world)
Market Square Bag
Kristina Bag
Banff (not rocking my world)

What I want to start

The needle felting kit my Secret Pal sent!!!!!
Lucy Bag
Button Hole Bag
Something with one skein of Himalayan recycled silk that will show it off: the right scarf or a little pouch
The Entrelac Socks
Socks for DH
Socks for S#1
Pulse warmers
And, and , and

So how do you decide what is next on the needles and what do you do with the “not rocking my world” stuff?

And really now I have about 10 eBay things to mail off and have to meet with a realtor about shop space and start looking for display furniture and work on the business plan and find funding – life is busy and full.

But last night once it was settled down and we had had dinner and DH asked me “so what are you going to knit on tonight?” I said, “how do you know I am going to knit?” Pretty stupid huh. He thought it was as dumb as asking “how do you know I am going to breath.”

Spy Cameras

2005-02-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

I think my secret pal has a spy camera into my house. How did she know I looked at this exact felting kit a couple of weeks ago? It is so much fun to get a box and have it be from you secret pal and not have to explain why you ordered or need another bit for the fiber addiction. Looky here - maybe tomorrow I will show you what it looks like done.

And look at what awaited me when I woke Sunday morning and looked over the landing - you got to love a picture of a boy, a cat and a dog.

Knots Can Slip

2005-02-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

"Knit your hearts with an unslipping knot"

from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra:

Shoes off for music

2005-02-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Have I told you the story of Calum and his socks? He is S#3 lives to watch ESPN, play basketball, poker and ultimate Frisbee. One day when I was perusing Elann.com’s sock yarn he spied the pink and thus began his obsession. He had to have them, he lusted after hand knit pink socks NOW. As knitters know there is no instant gratification, but a 12-year-old non-knitter on a mission, in love, would not be appeased. The yarn arrived quickly, as you know Elann does. The mother started as you know a mother does, and every time S saw mother he wanted to know if they would be done that day.

Music is on Tuesday and Thursday; music requires shoes to come off and socks to be shown. “ I know the yarn just came Friday, but I want them to wear Tuesday.” “How much did you do today?” “How long will the second one take?” “Can you get it done tonight?” To the point where everyone but mom was ready to throttle the boy. Older brother home from school, “Did you demand your socks again?” Mom, as obnoxious as S#3 was, still knew that in the end this was a child that loved his hand knitted things. So what do you do when you can’t sleep and there is a good movie on – you guesses it – Socks finished at 3:00 am Friday morning, 7:00 am Friday morning a smile on S#3’s face as big as any sun.

Color Me Spring

2005-02-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

Well, LeAnne called today around lunch time to see if I was ok. She said I had not had a blog entry in so long she was worried. But I have been busy. My excuses - first on the week ends S #4 uses the computer that I do pictures on. Life is crazy, Superbowl Sunday, and really putting a business plan together to open a yarn store. Knitting - sock for S #3 - and he is demanding. I love knitting for him cause he asks and really understands the love involved - but a sock in a day with life to take care of is not really do able.

I have been on a pink and orange trend lately as I try to brighten up my clothes. Then on Monday I stopped to talk to my friend who owns Aubergine in Portland and she said the trends for spring are aqua and fall blues and browns, some how over the course of 3 days when I look around my house I see that aqua yarn sneaking in and I really like it. So much so that I may have a hard time finishing the pink and orange market square bag.

But aren't these colors gorgeous?

So tell me about you and colors you knit, research and curiosity. How much do you follow your same colors and how much does the fashion world influence your yarn colors?

The Cult

2005-02-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

It is your fault, you know who you are, you Charlotte women, enticing me with your pictures. My DH and S have suggested this blogging knitting thing is a cult. Now when a FiberRAOK happens, I just say its The Cult.

If only they knew how bad it is, I am sure they would start an intervention. But please not until after Charlotte is done, and the pink socks for S #3 and the Lucy Bag for me, and the Market Square for Brenda, and the black sweater, and D's pink bag and and and.....

Actually it is so bad that in looking for how to apply my business entrepreneurial skills, which have not been used much since(my last venture), I am in the process of writing a business plan to open (drum roll please) a LYS.

2 Days Out of Touch

2005-02-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

It doesn’t sound like long, but the whole family was off the Internet for two whole days. From Sunday night to Tuesday night, and the kids were off school Monday. Almost forgot we had so many and had certainly forgotten what they looked like. But in the end the change in ISPs and the upgrade of the DSL will make them all happier.

But no Blogging, and I couldn’t even complain, because how could I say in that voice like my mother’s “You spend too much time on the Internet any way,” if I was admitting my withdrawal problems. And I had so much to post.

Last week, Michelle, at The Orange Yarn Please RAOKed me, my very first time. Look at this card is it the cutiest thing. And she sent me pretty stitch markers, which I can't photograph cause they are marking the sides of my dull black sweater. I think her and I are kindred spirits joined by orange. I went running out to the back yard where DH and 16yr S were and they looked at each other and asked “Is this a Cult?” Hummm, maybe it is, no, more like a commune. Then when I finally checked my email I was ROAKed by Lisa the Slip Knot Pixie, she sent me a gift certificate to Adiago Teas, which is like a triple gift, finding a place like Adagio, spending forever perusing their offerings, and then getting to sit and drink the tea. Or wait maybe she read my post about the kids and has a really wicked sense of humor - come on Lisa fess up, we are all waiting to know.

The Second Side of Me - Part 2

2005-01-29T07:38:00.000-08:00

Ok Secret Pal and any one else that cares:

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Anything that feels plasticy, or bad to the fingers. And I swear I will never knit another thing with Ribbon yarn.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Current knitting obsessions are like the rest of the world socks, also learning and stretching my knitting skills.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? If I could only knit two things right now it would be socks and the Clapotis scarf. But really I like variety but I have found that knitting home things, pillows and afghans is not my thing, guess in the end it is clothes!!

17. What are you knitting right now? Right now I am knitting a black sweater - plain, a scarf, socks, a market bag

18. What do you think about ponchos? I wear tons of scarf and I should be a poncho girl – but I haven’t knitted a one!

19. & 20. Needles I am fussy about the needles for really knitting I like Addi turbo circs, sometimes I will knit on something else if the needles are pretty.

21. Are you a sock knitter? Of course I am a sock knitter.

22. How did you learn to knit? My mother taught me how to knit when I was 11, European, even thought she knits English. She rarely used a pattern made her own and could copy anything. She gave me that gift.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? My oldest is maybe two years after that I forget what they are or why I didnt like them and frog.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? - Alice in Wonderland of course.

25. What is your favorite holiday? I dont really have a favorite holiday like the closeness of the family at Christmas.

26. Is there anything that you collect? - Well let me look around my desk; rocks, boxes, blank books, good quotes and animal print, most things orange.

Kool-Aid and Jack Daniels

2005-01-28T11:47:00.000-08:00

Do you know how you peruse the blogs and tidbits stick in the edge of your mind. They are like little worms that grow every time you find a blog reference to feed them. Well two of mine are working their way out. The Charlotte thing, first the word, then a few of the pictures, then the marginal understanding of the color change then the final food was this Koigu color. I broke down and ordered the pattern yesterday. How long till I need the yarn.

Next worm is this Kool-Aid dyeing thing. Yesterday I was digging in my stash and ran across about 1000 yards of Brown Sheep Sport Weight in color Natural - don't you think it would be perfect to try the Kool-Aid?

But I think the first try maybe the worm will need a little Jack Daniels to feed it. Think I will have to unwind the yarn, so the colors can go all the way through, Maybe a lot of JD. Any tips? (in addition to on ice, with coke or straight up.)

What you see is what you get: In 2 parts

2005-01-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

This is me (and my desk):

1.Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high- and/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I am a teeny bit of a yarn snob, but really because how a yarn feels in my hands is critical to my knitting enjoyment.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I do not spin YET, but have been tempted by a knitting spinning friend and all the knitting spinning bloggers –and by The Woolen Rabbit’s angora rabbits

3. Do you have any allergies? I am allergy free.

4. How long have you been knitting? I have been knitting on and off for 35 years!!!(that is scary) Knitting solid on for 10.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? A little Amazon list

6. What's your favorite scent?. Smells I like citrus, or pear. Not the sweet perfumy smells.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes I have a sweet tooth – doesn’t everyone? Milk Chocolate, not dark, anything Carmel.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I am a crafty kind of person and have tried many things, used to weave a lot of baskets, but now I mainly cook, make fused glass and knit? Next I want to try wet and needle felting.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? Music, I like mild country, girl stuff (indigo girls, Sara McLaughlin, some Celtic.) Really anything but the heavy metal my kids like just now. Yes my computer/stereo can play MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? My favorite color is shades of orange, sometime pumpkin orange, but really more toward squash orange, or rosy, melon orange. Right now I drool over Lorna’s Laces Carrot color

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? My family situation is absolutely crazy, second marriage, five kids from 11 to 16, four cats, one dog, a turtle, and four fish.

12. What are your life dreams? daily dreams, time to knit, a good book, time with the kids, simple stuff. Life dreams I have a vision of Rose from the Titanic, at the very beginning of the film there is about 2 seconds when she is old and working on her pottery wheel. She has great earring and I want to be like that when I grow up.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I knit with all kinds of yarn. Usually I am attracted to colors – more orange, bright pinks, always bold, never pastel. And I am tactile –it has to feel good in my hands.

Unwound

2005-01-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

It was a first for me last night. I always wind. In all the years of my life I have never knit off an unwound skein. My friend LeAnne always does it. I was over the other night and she calmly laid her unwound skein on the arm of her chair and knit. I didn't gawk, I just went on knitting from my BALL of yarn. Knitting in public I can do, no sweat, but from a skein.?

Well last night I broke down. It was 11:00, I was into the Sophie Bag zipping along, (remember in my drugged state this is about all I can do,) knitting from two balls, when one ran out. I went to my yarn shelf and found the third SKEIN - oh no. I broke down, I couldn't wind it, I couldn't get out the swift and winder, I couldn't get the chair in the right spot. I just did it. I untied the skein and laid it over the arm of the couch.

This morning I have a new found freedom and think since I only have 20 more rows to go, I may just not wind. So have you ever done that, been unwound - or do you always wind?

No Suzy Homemaker Here

2005-01-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

The pillow is done, and it turned out ok. I am just not thrilled with it. Why if you don't love knitting something, does it not matter how it turns out, you don't love it. I love Entrelac, the colors of this are even ok, so why was it such a chore? I told DH this morning, he may never get his afghan, cause I don't think I like knitting home stuff!!

Beading Through

2005-01-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

Oh LeAnne, your stitch markers are ready. Guess you will have to make January not only finishing month – but also the start of Clapotis!!! Hope they make you happy.

O-Rings and Pillow Dreams

2005-01-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

Still in my Vicodin haze. My dentist can fit me in February 9^th – guess I mean my ex dentist. Little knitting got done over the past two days. Did finish the back of my Entrelac pillow with Domino Squares. I being the fuss budget (where did my mom get that word from?) I am, am not totally happy with the back. Don’t like one of the seams. Did the squares in the wrong order and instead of picking up 55 stitches on the insides to make the last square I had to pick up one side, CO one side then K2T on the inside. And of course I notice when it is done. Yes I know no one else will. So if I can keep from true confessions everyone else will love it. Am busy stitching the front and back together, cause I still want to get it to the store today. In the end, it does look good and will be ooohed and ahhhhed over and I had another lesson in not liking to knit for the home. Clothes it is, if you can’t wear it, it drives me nuts to knit it. (Bags count as being able to wear.)

Have to run take a picture of the pillow (and Aibhlinn). Okay now I have to run back down with the camera battery and take a picture. Funny how they don’t work too well when you leave the battery out.

Do you know the stitch marker trick? I read it from someone online and it turns Aibhlinn into a really mindless knit. With a two-row pattern you attach two different stitch markers together and switch depending on the row. So for Aibhlinn, I know the green stitch marker is the row I switch the pattern and the black mark is the row I knit just like the one before. From whomever I learned that “Bless you my child.” It has made my knitting life easier. Note the little black ring is a small O-ring from my local hardware store. I bought about 30 of them over the weekend. I like how they feel on the needles. I am going to try some beading on them. Do you think I can make them pretty?

Now I am off to do something fun, cause I am a very touchy girl right now and I don’t like being that way. Finish pillow and take it in to the store see how many have signed up for pillow class, and market bag class, find some hot pink yarn to make D the Kristina Bag for Valentine’s Day. (And maybe even get DH to take me out for a beer.)

Dominos and Vicodin

2005-01-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2005

Sitting in a Vicodin haze, tooth pain still there. Why does it happen on a Saturday, and what will my knitting look like tomorrow? I am going to finish the back to the Entrelac pillow this week end, get it sewn together and stuffed by Monday and get it down to Lindy's shop Tuesday. Class I am teaching on the pillow starts two weeks from today.

I am doing the back in four domino squares. Bought the Domino Knitting book last week and wanted to play with this. So this is the perfect opportunity. I have in mind to use one of the techniques in the book to make and afghan for DH. He remembers a knitting afghan his mother used to have that looked like Domino Tiles, the game. Sent an email to Wooly Thoughts, to see if they had a pattern. She did not, but then said I would have to decide if I wanted the tiles lined up - or like at the end of a game. Maybe I should use the game I creamed DH in two turns!!!!!

Am thinking of joining the ThinkPinkKnitAlong, as I am going to do Clapotis in that pink Bamboo. But then I haven't started the Market Bag, maybe next week, and I need a swatch done for the Aran Knitalong by the end of January and I have to finish the beaded sock by the end of January for the 6 Sox Knitalong. And I want to get some knitting done for family Valentine's Day presents - maybe the Kirstina Bag in pink for D. I have one skein of a great Noro in pinks I could use. And am dyeing to make DH a pair of socks in Lorna's Laces camouflage. So Knit adding another knitalong I am not sure.

How thin can one stretch ones self in the knitalong department and will the Knitalong goddess bend your needles if you don't keep up with what you have signed up for?? Or do they send moths to you stash??? Think I should just sign up before the Vicodin wears off.

from knitting to sex and back again

2005-01-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

January 19, 2005

My friend LeAnne just told me I have to blog more - of course I do, but sometimes life intrudes.

Crazy few days - maybe crazy week. DH was sick, sick sick. Amazing how much more work there is taking care of 5 kids alone. Must mean he really helps a lot. I am tired tired tired of the kitchen, dishes on the counter, dishwasher not emptied, kids that could help missing.

Even seems like hardly any knitting got done. But I must have done some, other wise I could be totally CRAZY. Oh wait I am!!! But knitting. Finished DH's watch cap without him knowing. Am very proud of myself that he was very surprised. The Cascade 220 tweed Charcoal, in K1P1 rib turned out really nice.

It was pretty funny – was DH’s birthday yesterday. Gave him the watch cap and a pipe –wanted the pipe cause it reminded him of fond memories of his dad. So he was sitting there in watch cap with pipe hanging out of mouth and he looked just like the old man in the sea. I am sure he smelled like fish!

Then at dinner S 16 yrs said D 15 yrs made a joke about wanting the sign from the Tea aisle at the store. The rest of the kids cracked up and she turned bright red. So DH and I knew we had missed something. Someone mentioned some nickname for and DH and I still were lost. Then D could have killed S as he explained the sexual practice the nickname referred to. Even the 11 yr old knew what they were talking about. Sometimes I think we are tooooo open, that the 11 yr old knew, and that we were talking about it at the dinner table. Although the kids were not sure the liked joking about sex with their PARENTS.

Oh yeah, back to knitting

Started the beaded sock for the 6 sox knitalong, it's ok. Knitting is fine, am not totally thrilled with the colors, and I wish the beads were a little smaller - but SD saw it yesterday and LOVED it, so I quickly said - "well I am making them for you." She was so excited - do you know that 15 yr old girls have this squeal when they are excited, bet you can imagine what she sounded like. So the socks will have a good foot that loves them, and I am happier finishing them. Have tried the Magic Loop one needle technique and love that.

Now have to run, may do some knitting and have a cup of tea!!!! (like my kids say JK LOL JK)

2005-01-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

So what do you do on days you are snowed in? Me I visited Crafter.org The Blog

And found these places to go play.

So go, like the say, pretend you are in prison and make your own license plate at Acme License Maker

Or you could just go make hearts if you are not feeling criminal.

2005-01-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

January 15, 2005

OK ,so I love the quizzes. I likes what knit of knitting needles I was, I like what kind of knitter I was, I didn't like what kind of girl I was until I went back and changed my answers so it told me I was a tom boy. I certainly was not a girly girl.

But I have always been a closet nerd and I guess it is time to come out of the closet. The hardest question on this quiz was "What is the highest level of mathematics you have taken?" It did not give me the option of Advanced Calculus Proofs..

Today we are iced in. What a shame. I spent the morning sitting on the couch knitting on DH's new watch cap. His birthday is Tuesday and I just started it yesterday. But it was in a Cascade 220 charcoal tweed and went really fast. Finished a few minutes ago. DH has been sick the last few days, so I could knit on the hat at home. I definately couldn't knit it in front of him as he actually notices what I am working on and asks when it is something new. That amazes me. Just like the other day he told me he likes that fact that I knit.

I do believe him - just like I believe that he really knows what the cats are saying. Although I think I may have to do something about the language they use. I deffinately do not think a 1 1/2 year old cat should swear like that - and where did the cats learn those words? (oh yeah, I have teenage boys in the house.)

Rewards for Slogging Along

2005-01-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

January 13, 2005

I have been making myself knit on the black sweater - I know when I get it done I will love wearing it. And I keep making scarves with it in mind. Knitting in the round and I have about 6 inches done. Only 11 more to go to the armholes. It is a case of I think I can, I think I can. If I knit 1 inch on this then I can knit on......

SOMeTHinG FUN

Went to Northwest Wools today and took back the leftover skeins from 4 projects and got yarn for the 6 sox knitalong beaded sox. Picked up the beads down the street. And new Addi Turbos - got a 40" to try the magic loop technique.

Bamboo in pink -for the Clapotis. I was trying to decide between this pink and another more orange and red verigated Crystal Palace yarn, and decided this although the pink is pretty girly, I wanted to knit the Bamboo.

And some more sock yarn in the orange and green - just because. Doesn't new yarn just make you smile!!!!! Somedays are good days. (Maybe last nights fight with DH cleared the air.)

Missing in Action

2005-01-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2005

Where did my pictures go? Why are just some missing - I checked at imageshack and it still looks like they are there? Would reload them, but can't get on the computer they are stored on cause SS2 is on WoW the latest addiction in our house. Everything else stops for that.

Also can't deal with it. Am in a funk today, this week. Something has to give, I will snap out - oooooh - maybe a little knitting will help.

Making flowers to do a scarf from Vogue Holiday 2004, but not in their sparkley s@&t - just some funky variegated soy silk ribbon. What is "soy silk"? Is that like clover honey. Do they only let the worms eat soy? It makes really pretty s#$t. Kaye ( a non blogging knitter) is making one just like mine -we both started last night - only she worked for ages to check her gauge? We knit differently. I just say - "what the h#%l, why would I need a gauge on something where the fit doesn't matter." Kaye says "I want to do it right." I will post pictures of both our scarves when they are done.....if imageshack allows!!!

Meaningless Waves

2005-01-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

January 10, 2005

My second wavy scarf is done. I like this pattern, (maybe one day I will make one for me.) It knits up quick and looks fun – this one is done in none other than (drum roll please) Elann Peruvian Highland Wool.

Oh well, I knit a little on my modified Top Secret yesterday, and keep wondering if I want to do something fancier with all that black Debbie Bliss Merino Aran. I must have 1600 yds of it and decided on Top Secret so I would have a basic live in black sweater. Maybe I am just bored knitting all that plain black.

Coffee and my friend Kaye helped - yes I changed this post……….

Cat-Man-Do...

2005-01-08T01:45:00.000-08:00

January 8,2005

...make me laugh.

Here is my DH and three of our four cats (Will is missing - walked off .)

(note knitting on bed by pillows -Wavy Scarf and knitted watch cap on head)

What you can't tell from this picture is that this man channels animals. At 10:30 one night, bout three years ago on our first phone call, he told me he has always talked for animals and right then and there I was hooked. (maybe it was this silky deep voice I was listening to, sitting there in the dark?) How that whole phone call happen is a different story.

Some days it is hard for me to tell which cat is speaking through DH, their voices seem very similar. They get disgusted if you guess the wrong cat - or god forbid guess the dog when it is a cat. (the dog doesn't care as long as he thinks you are talking to him - you know dogs.)

Right now this is the ongoing conversation with Will:

DH - good morning Will
Will - call me William today
DH - Alright, William Today
Will - Don't call me that, call me William (pause) today.
DH - Ok William Today
Will - Daaaad (in that tone kids use when their parents don't act right.)

Ya gotta love an man that can channel animals!!!

My Mind is in the Toilet

2005-01-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2005

Everyone seems to be doing lists: 100 things about me, 33, 40 things I want to happen in 2005, goals for the year. What a great way to get to know each other. But me, today, I don’t think my brain could come up with 5 things much less 46 or 100. But I did figure out a way you could get to know me (and my family).

This is what my bathroom reading material is:

No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting, Anne L. Macdonald
Japanese Garden, Charmaine Aserappa
Everyday Sacred, Sue Bender
Dominoes, Dominic Armanino
Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Jim Corbett
Guilty Pleasures, Laurell Hamilton
100 Selected Poems, E.E. Cummins
How to Mind Map, Tony Buzan
Mindful Knitting, Tara Jon Manning
The Way It Is, William Stafford
A Woman’s Worth, Marianne Williamson
Jacob I Have Loved, Katherine Patterson
Moebius Scarf- The Original Pattern
Interweave Knits, Winter 2004
Mustang Plus Catalog
Mustang Recognition Guide 1965-1973
Crosswords to Boost Your Brainpower, Will Shortz ( no pencil in sight)
Vogue Knitting, Winter 2002
Knitting Tips & Secrets
Jaeger Handknits JM05
Roman Numbers I to MM, Arthur Geistert
Sophie Bag by Magknits Pattern
Fiber Trends – Easy Lace Poncho Pattern

So tell me a few things to read in your bathroom?

The start of a Movement !!!!

2005-01-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

January 7, 2005

Ok Beth over at Big Geek Knit Blog is organizing a movement. Once she gets a manifesto written be sure to join Knitters Against Fun Fur. If you have any questions about joining I hope this will change your mind!!!

The jeans should be enough to make any one come out of the closet againt FF.

Totally Cellular

2005-01-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

December 6, 2005

I can sure tell I am on a sophisticated knitting mode - Egg hats, Cellular Pigs, what next?

Am giving SD 1000 phone messages per month for Christmas (which we are celebrating tomorrow) and really hate the white paper gift certificates - so the Cellular Pig cell phone pocket, with white paper inside.

Egg-citing?

2005-01-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

Janary 5, 2005

So what are you doing for Easter?

ran across this on my way to the recycling today from Garnet Hill winter catalog.

Did it make you laugh? How long till you make a pattern? Pointy or not?

Reading a Wife

2005-01-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

January 5, 2005

I finished this book yesterday and my DH hated it. He was taking a little nap. I was laying there reading the final pages. My crying woke him up. He woke worried asked me what was wrong. On finding it was the book, said "well, quit reading - I don't like that book anyway." Me "But you haven't read it." DH "Its making you cry, I don't like it."

But I did, I thought about it while I was not reading it, this circular vision of lives possessed by the Henry's time travel, the waiting and aloneness. The ending letter from Henry to Clare haunts me.

I have heard of people who read it, then start right over again at the beginning. Maybe in keeping with the book I will just randomly open it and read again in no order.

Have you read it? What do you think?

Too few needles - or too few hands

2005-01-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

January 04, 2005

Last night I was looking at Alice "Through the Looking-Glass" for some good pictures to make a blog button when I ran across this Sheep who I think I idealize.

"'Are you a child or a teetotum?' the Sheep said, as she took up another pair of needles. She was now working with fourteen pairs at once, and Alice couldn't help looking at her in great astonishment.'"

There are days I wish I could knit with fourteen pairs of needles at once - well maybe just two or three and today is one of those days. I was looking in my stash, the really old stuff in the storage area under the house - not the one in my closet and ran across this:

KOIGU - one ball attached to a 3/4 finished sock. I think I started it about two years ago to learn how to turn heels. Turned the heel and stopped. The pattern was from an old IK that used short row shaping to turn the heel and toe. Pulled the gem out of stash and finished the sock in about 1 1/2 hours last night. And hard as it seems to believe - that is my first sock. Now I want to start the second one.

But I am also working on a Wavy scarf for Kinne, to give to her when we celebrate Christmas next Saturday morning. I think I have enough yarn to make fingerless mittens in the same Wavy pattern. So I need to get them done before Saturday and have to knit during the day or late evening so she doesn't see, but I really want to start the second sock, but I want to see how the Wavy handwarmers will turn out - so maybe I should just head through the Looking-Glass and pick up some extra needles and do it all at once.

Not Yet

2005-01-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2005

The entrelac pillow top is done and I am not thrilled yet. I love doing entrelac - but somehow this pillow top has been work. I am teaching a class at the CozyEwe in mid January and this is the project. So I have been sludging through this pillow top - I love watching the Noro yarn unfold into color squares but it was still was sludging. It became a little better when my friend Debbie said she loved to colors and I realized it would go great in her den. And looking at this picture it is really pretty nice

But I was going to try and find a pillow at Bed, Bath and Beyond to sew it on so I didn't have to start from scratch - no luck. It is an odd shape for the pillow forms - all of which is good stuff to figure out before the class - but.....

Oh well - I need to do some serious blocking of both this and the Obi sweater and maybe I will be more pleased with them both after that. For now back to the green Wavy scarf for Kinne, and maybe I will start my Sophie bag. Or I could start Aibhlinn

Ta Da Clapotis

2004-12-31T01:24:00.000-08:00

December 31, 2004

Ta Da - its done

I love this scarf and can hardly wait to start the next one.

Thinking Through the Looking Glass

2004-12-30T07:48:00.000-08:00

December 30, 2004

Clapotis is done, late last night and I love this scarf. It is perfect. Went to bed with it around my neck and looks wonderful with my pjs. What shall I wear today to show it off. (Of course pictures of it will come soon. ) It also has me thinking about knitting and what turns out best and why. Unknit yarn is such a visual and tactual thing that usually I fall in love with a yarn and then knit it up. Sometimes I fall in love with a pattern then have to find yarn I love to go with it. But I think I have to change that.

With Clapotis, I loved the pattern and really thought about what I would wear as a finished product. And in the end I loved the finished scarf. Maybe it was one of those perfect combinations, but I think that an eye to the end will make me really love more of what I do. I suppose it is like clothes shopping, in middle age I finally look at what I love, what looks good on me - then the bottom line after that is will I love to wear it. The first two do not always lead to the second. Like my OBI sweater. I love the sweater, sometimes it looks good on me -depending what I pair it with, but I am not sure I love to wear it.

So Kate over at Needles on Fire is making a list of what she would change in 2005 and for knitting

1. I want to go to a three step process a) love the pattern, b) love the yarn, c)think about if I will love and use the finished project.

2. See if I can knit for a very upscale local dress shop

3. Somehow work into math, knitting,wearable art and making money

4. Use some old stash yarn, so I can acquire new stash yarn.

5. will have to keep thinking and adding to this.

Also, what I want to do for the New Year is leave some things behind. Once I was given a ritual where I really sat down and thought how I wanted my life to change. In doing that there were things I wanted to leave behind. I wrote them on a piece of paper and around sunset on Dec 31, I took a match and burned them. I think this year I will do that , then sit down and write what I want to add to my life, roll that one up and keep it.

Clapotis

2004-12-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

December 28, 2004

Have just a few minutes before I have to run to Fry's Electronics to exchange the computer case we got Gavin for Christmas. We have been through three - Clark spends an hour putting all the bits and pieces in, tries it out and it is broken, power doesn't come on, doesn't stay on etc. Then he spends a little less than an hour taking all the bits and pieces back out. So I volunteered to run and exchange the current one for him. Want to get out there early because yesterday's knitting with friends was changed to today.

But really I wanted to post my work on the Clapotis scarf. I am a little over halfway done and I love this scarf. Yesterday I someplace I read someone say that if they could only knit one thing over and over again it would be this scarf. I think I agree. I am already planning my next one.

Four or five years ago my whole family - 24 of us - spent Christmas in Pueto Vallarta. There was a little shop on the edge of town that had sarong and scarf. Near the first day I saw a black and white hand painted chiffon scarf. If it had not been $100 I would have bought it instantly. Everyday I went back and looked at it. Tried it on in front of the mirror - it was thin and scrunched up perfect around your neck, wrapped twice and being black and white added a the perfect neutral flair to any outfit. After about a week of this my niece finally looked at me and said you have thought about this for days buy it.

Now years latter I have been worried, I have lived in that scarf, the ends are getting tatty and pretty soon that will show - even scrunched up around my neck - then in walks Clapotis.

My first one is in the gray to replace the chiffon scarf - Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. Knit on the bias with the dropped stitches it scrunches up just perfectly. I love this scarf.

Already I am dreaming of my next one - yarn from A.L. de Sauveterre at Two Pointy Sticks. Would love the cashmere, but will probably get the Alpaca. But what color?

Just time to get dressed, off to Fry's then the day........

After Christmas

2004-12-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

December 27, 2004

Well Christmas day is done - but we have another Christmas to go, cause step-kids were in LA with their mom. So we get to do it all over again. Still have shopping to do!!!

No kids in the house right now, as it is my ex's week. Luckily he is leaving town half way through his week and Gavin and Calum will be back here early. The house always feels empty with no kids, (as I say that one of the cats walks under my legs rubbing his tail against me. DH says that is how he says "I am here and I love you mom.") Funny when the kids are all awake bopping round the house, its great; but I love the time in the morning when I am the only one up and can sit and knit, and know they are all tucked up in there beds.

This morning I am here on the computer. Will just run down and take a picture of the Vegan Fox I finished last night.

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DH kept asking who it was for and I kept saying I don't know - which I finally decided means "Probably for me, but if I can't pull it off Danielle can use it next time she gets dressed up and comes over."

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Think it would go well with the blonde hair.

But this morning I have a hard choice - as I love to knit in the morning. Somehow it is one of the few times I just knit. Usually knit in the car, in front of the tv, at swim meets, usually while something else is going on. Mornings I just knit and it is nice to just focus on one thing. That certianly doesn't happen much during the day. But this morning I may want to stick my nose back in the book I started at midnight.

I think it was last August I picked up a copy of "The Time Traveler's Wife" anmd in perusing other knitting blogs have run across several references to it. So when DH fell asleep last night I started, only on page 12 but I love it, the writing and the whole concept of over lapping lives.

But now just noticed the time and have to run for my Monday morning knitting group at Lets Do Coffee. Usually it is just Kaye and Me, but last week I think we picked up another member and maybe LeAnne can meet today since she is off this week. So much for reading - guess I will have to knit and talk.

Christmas Movie Tip

2004-12-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

December 24, 2004

DO NOT knit while watching
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

Everyone in the room will look at you when Aunt Bethany pulls out her KNITTING.

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It doesn't matter what you are knittng you will look like her, (even without a hat)

Finally a Tree

2004-12-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

December 23, 2004

Gavin and Clark have spent the last two days looking for the perfect Christmas tree. I think they just liked driving around together, talking about life and stuff. Today they headed out determined to get a tree for a reasonable price. I headed to the mall - YUCK!!!, but necessary. After the mall I headed to Michaels to see if they had fur for the vegan fox. Somewhere back in the yarn section my phone rang, Gavin wanted to know when I would be home. Told me they got a tree, but it was only 8 feet tall and by the time they cut some off it might be 7. (We have a two story ceiling in the living room and were looking for a tall tree.) I told him it didn't matter, we had to have a tree. He called me four more times before I got home to see where I was, tell me Clark needed Coors and they needed me to help get the tree straight and they were sorry it was so small.

I arrived home to see this tree propped upright out side and the two boys (Clark and Gavin) standing by it with HUGE grins, I did not get out of the car before Gavin burst out laughing "we really got you this time!" - like that is a hard thing to do.

I think this is the prettiest tree I have ever had, and I just wish that Kinne, Austin and Riggs were here to see it right now. But they are in L.A. with their real mom for Christmas - don't worry guys it will still be here when you get home.

Knitting fever

2004-12-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

December 20, 2004

Have been fast and furiously finishing Christmas presents. Mom's FedEx-ed off to New York today (upstate!) . Debbie's done, blocked and ready to wrap. Took Joyce her shawl and she loved it. Called yesterday to tell me know much she appreciated it, she is in the nursing home after breaking her hip at Thanksgiving. Said her hands get cold and she wraps the shawl around them. So of course I wonder if I can get a pair of fingerless mittens done by Christmas.

Finished my Obi sweater, will try to get a picture. Like it - but with the weird shape you can't just throw it on and go, you have to think about it. Looks gorgeous with a straight black dress, but too dressy for most days.

Busy trying to get an entrelac pillow done, as I am teaching a class in that at the cozy Ewe in mid January. Want to get the pillow, a scarf and maybe a bag done so everyone can see and sign up for the class.

Almost done with the front of the Banff sweater. That is my mindless project right now. Knit at swim meets and basketball games.

Now I am off to crawl in bed and read "The Shop on Blossom Street." Fun because it is a knitting novel.

Think tomorrow I will start sweater with the Debbie Bliss Merino Aran in black. Need the basic just bum around sweater. But maybe try to get Clark's watch cap done without him knowing - Gavin says that would be impossible. Clark really does notice what I am knitting!

Calum's Poem

2004-12-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

I've Seen It

I've seen it
I've seen what you see
I know what you feel
For I felt it too
I know you never want it to end
For that's how I felt

You seem as if you can't be touched, Until someone touches you
You seem as if you can't be beaten, Until you are beaten

You wonder at all these things
They fly through your mind, As if they know you
As if they know you wouldn't ask them to leave

Why in the world do you feel the way you do?

I know
But I'll stay a while and let you figure it out.

By Calum Hayes 12 yrs old

Beware of Cat and Mouse

2004-12-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

December 15, 2004

Woke up at 6:00 this morning and decided to make the cats a catnip mouse. Found a scrap left over from Kinne's scarf and took about 30 minutes to knit and stuff.. Was going to take a picture when I was done and post it - but my camera was up stairs. So I gave the mouse to the cats. The cats loved it.

this is 10 minutes after receiving the lovingly created toy.

30 minutes later it looked like this

And this is the cat coming down after all the cat nip - in the finished kitty pi bed

My advice, knitted cat toys should not be stuffed with catnip. (maybe I will try to felt one and see if it lasts 1 hour)

Busy Busy Week

2004-12-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

December 11, 2004

I don't really know where the week went, but to say the least it has been kind of stressful. But good things happen in the midst of the swirls. Best of all my neighbor's 1 year old had a successful Kidney transplant yesterday. Youngest child ever in Oregon to undergo a Kidney transplant. Makes all of the trials of my life seem small.

Good knitting week! Finished the Kitty Pi. Three skeins of Lambs Pride Bulky from my stash. (I love it when I can use stash yarn) Finished Joyce's Christmas shawl. It was a struggle. In the end I didn't like the combination of yarns and I think it would have looked better if the green garter stitch was to a tighter gauge. Oh Well, it is done and she will love it. Finished the Entrelac felted bag and it is great how it turned out. After Christmas I will post a picture.

Started the Clapotis Scarf in a light grey tweed from Elesbeth Lavlod. I love the feel of it. Wanted it to scrunch up around my neck and so far so good.

Am going to frog the Farrow Rib scarf I was working on for Christmas, only had about 6 inches done and changed my mind on the pattern.

It is just starting to get light so I will try to take pictures of the finished projects, will post later. Now Pip the cat is trying to sit on my arm and is making it hard to type. Think I will run see if he will pose in the Kitty bed!!!

Quiet Weekend

2004-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

December 5, 2004

Very quiet weekend – so I went on a production knitting kick!!! Finished my Newsie Cap – from Stitch N Bitch Nation. Have wanted to try it since I saw the pattern.

Turned out cute – even the Gavin at 16 said so. Clark calls it my hippie hat.

Saturday mostly worked on a bag to be felted for a Christmas present, some on Joyce’s shawl. Although it doesn’t thrill me, she will like it so I plug away.

Have been ~~drooling over~~ looking at the Banff sweater pattern from Knitty.com. Dug through my stash and found enough of this Noro to make it.

Really wanted to sit down this morning and do a gauge swatch but the kitchen was a mess –

So I knitted two rows cleaned a little, knitted a few more rows. Can only get to 13 stitched and inch so think I will just make the smaller size used 10 needles and do 12 per inch. Have to start in secret cause DH doesn’t really understand having a million knitting projects going at once. (really doesn’t mind just teases me about it.

After Thanksgiving before Christmas

2004-12-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

December 1, 2004

I know I have more to write about life and knitting – but it seems right now knitting and life are taking up all the time. Finished Clark’s watch cap – he talked about having one years and years ago and told me how he wore it all the time. He wanted a fine knit and olive drab color. Then watched at the size 3 needles SLOWLY built the hat. Finished the hat on Friday and yesterday Gavin asked Clark if he sleeps in it, as he had not seen it off Clark’s head.

The felted Aran backpack from “Bags – a Knitter’s dozen” is done and I really like how it turned out. Obviously not sewed together yet – but I am toying with the idea of contacting a local leather crafter and seeing if they can sew leather for the bottom band and straps. Guess I could sew the bottom in while I am thinking.

Calum’s basketball team had its first loss last night, final score was 34 – 32. Worst part about it is that I had to run the time clock and couldn’t knit. A good hour I could have put in on Christmas presents, this time of year that is critical.

I keep adding Christmas gifts to my list of projects. Think I will have to finish some I am working on before I add the sweater I wanted to make for someone! Maybe tomorrow I will figure out what I want to make and what I may have time and yarn to make.

How we knit, how we live

2004-11-23T21:30:00.000-08:00

November 23, 2004

I started driving kids around this morning at 6am getting the oldest to swim team practice. Some where around 7:30 and starting my fourth trip I started thinking about knitting; knitting forward, purling versus knitting backward, how you carry your yarn, English or Continental, or throw and pick as my friend Kaye would say. And how we knit is a reflection of who we are.

My mother taught me to knit when I was under ten, I didn’t do it much, there didn’t seem to be much point she was fast and I was slow. My mother knitted everywhere, at my brother’s swim meets, waiting at my piano lessons, while we watched TV, in the dark at school assemblies. I can always hear the sound of my mother’s needles.

My mother usually made up her own patterns, she measured you, she did her gauge swatch and she did the math. When I was little she made raglan sweaters with three stripes around the chest.

A while later she switched to rainbow sweaters, rainbow colors for the stripes. First she researched what order the colors really are in a rainbow. She measured your hand and a day or two later you had mittens to keep you warm.

How like my mother. She wasn’t really like everyone else’s mom. She didn’t follow a pattern. I never realized it until I was much older that everyone’s mom wasn’t like mine. If she had been born twenty years later I am sure she would have been a hippie. She jogged before anyone had hear of it, she put wheat germ in her brownies, fed us whole wheat bread, and taught us the names of the wild flowers and stars.

She lives like she knits, she makes her sweaters according to her own calculations with out following someone else’s plan and she made her life according to her own design.

Occasionally she would knit some complex sweater, Aran isle, or an Icelandic with a ornate yolk, but even with someone else’s pattern she would apply her knitting knowledge, not follow blindly.

Trips and Knits

2004-11-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

November 22, 2004

Gavin needed to get to his dad's house this afternoon to pick up things he forgot yesterday. Told him if he drove it was fine with me (he has his learners permit, not a license.) I would ride along and knit. Earlier I rode along while Clark was driving, looking for car parts, first for our Suburban which is not running right, second for his ex-wife's car, which died last night.

First trip I started a little watch cap for Clark. Just some dark olivie green 4 ply wool in a 1 x 1 rib. Cast on on the way to Oregon City, stayed in the car and got a couple of rows done while Clark was in the car parts store and tried it on his head when we got home, so at least I know it will fit. Knitting it on two circular needles, only way to knit in the round!!!

Second trip I was working on my Obi sweater from Simple Knits. When I started the back last week I wanted to get one stripe done a day - but there are twenty rows and 224 stitches a row. It just has not happen, but I have made good progress, finished my fourth row a few minutes ago.

Have also been working on learning Entrelac, and worked a small piece in Noro - it is so cool how the colored squares come out.

A friend told me it was addicting and it is. Started with the ScarfStyle book and had a little trouble figuring it out - so searched on google and figured it out - just forgot to make the first little triangle. But also read how it was really easy if you knitted backward, so I also tried that.

Was working on this scarf thing this weekend with 25 stitches in a row and had Clark time if it was faster to turn and purl or to knit backward - and backward won. I think for longer rows it is still quicker to purl.

Quiet night tonight, Gavin at swim team practice, Calum at a friends for the night, and Kinne, Austin and Riggs at their godparents. Seems strange after a crazy weekend with kids in and out.

Guess I had best stop looking for a newsboy cap pattern, quit reading knitting blogs and forums and get dinner made....

2004-11-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

Kinne's birthday scarf

One more done

2004-11-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

November 17, 2004

Calum’s team won the basketball game, 23 to 22, after trailing by 9 at one point. It was the first game of the year and took a little while for the boys to get together. Gym was small and there were few seats – so no knitting was done.

Completely forgot about finishing Kinne’s scarf in time for her birthday November 1st. I knit the black half first, and could knit when she was around, black knitting is not interesting. Once I started on the pink half I had to be careful where she was when I was knitting. I know she would have come over to look at the bright pink. One evening I was sitting on the couch with Clark and Gavin knitting away, when Gavin looked up and saw Kinne peering over the landing looking at us. Gavin quickly grabbed the scarf and shoved it under him, me and the couch cushions. Luckily before she saw it. I love the little pompoms on the end of this and it looks really cool folded in half with the ends tucked through the loop – like in the picture.

2004-11-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

the Egyptian hat

2004-11-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

Clark's modeling pose - drives the kids nuts when he does this

Beginning at the center

2004-11-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

November 17, 2004

I was going to write my mother an email about all the knitting I have been doing lately, but decided that a blog would be much more fun. I seem to have taken a year break from knitting (wonder how I survived.) Maybe it was the wedding and the five combined kids. (11 to 16 missing a 14 year old.) But now I am back and as obsessed as ever - projects finished, in the works, ready to be started, just dreamed about.

Recently Finished:

Calum (12 yrs) hat – the pumpkin hat in North Carolina colors, white brim and light blue top. Looks cute on him – which is not how a 6th grader wants to look, so…..
I made him a beanie in orange, gray and green variegated yarn. Made up the pattern inspired by some ribbing in Nicky Epstein’s book “Edges”. He was going with my ex to visit his grandmother in England so I handed it to him and told him to remember every stitch was made with love. He just about gagged, but he wore it the whole trip.
Next Austin (13 yrs) saw Calum’s variegated hat and thought the yarn was cool, could I get it in red and black. (of course not! I combined a predominately red yarn with a strand of black.) Next Riggs saw Austin’s hat and wanted one in green and black variegated yarn. That I have not even been able to come close to even with the five yarn shops I have been to.
Last weekend I just finished Clark’s (husband) sweater that I started before my knitting hiatus. Only had half the back and the sleeves to do so it went pretty fast. Just basic everyday sweater in the Jo Sharp Silkroad Tweed, color Potpourri. A gorgeous dark purple. I have got enough yarn to make me a matching shawl someday.
My Egyptian hat from Anna Zilboorg’s “45 Fine & Fanciful Hats to Knit” It was fun to make and she follows my mother’s golden rule of multicolored knitting – No more than two colors in a row! I made it out of the Debbie Bliss chasmerino aran . It is all wonderful and soft, but has lead to another project.

Clark thought the periwinkle blue from the hat was the most wonderful color he as ever seen and sat trying to figure what he wanted me to make from it – hat? fingerless gloves? not a scarf! I decided to decide myself when I was at Lint (a Portland yarn shop) the other day and bought “Filati edition 3 – Best Fashion for Men.” One of the girls in the shop recommended it, said the models were “hot.” Am going to make Clark the Model 29 – sweater with a big chunky cable up the front. Just have to save my pennies and order the yarn.

It may have to wait a month as I am obsessed with “scarfSTYLE” and am lusting after the color on color scarf. I probably need the yarn for that before Clark’s sweater; after all I just finished a project for him.
Ok so it is now time for me to get Calum and his friend Will from Arbor School to Athey School for basketball. Pick up Austin and Riggs from Athey, get them home, get Austin to guitar lessons at 5:00 and get to Calum’s basketball game at 5:30. Clark said he would get Austin from guitar at 6:00 so I can stay at the game. Wonder which knitting project I should work on while I watch????