If I could I would put a link here to a couple of sites that are kind of cool that I have recently learned about. But, since I have no patience to sit and figure it out, you will need to copy and paste. Both of these are worth checking out.

The first I picked up from another Knit Blog, but unfortunately can't remember whose, but now that I have went back there is more to this than I first saw. The first time I went to: www.rjconklin.com/fabric.htm I just went and looked at the great knit theme fabric for sale. The stuff is so cool! It would be so neat if one had a yarn shop and could use it to decorate with and other things. But, today I went further into the website and she has some great sock pictures with patterns for free and shows how to do two socks on a 40" needle. Pretty cool, but again at this moment in my knitting I have no patience to learn anything new, but when I do, I have it book marked.

The second website is courtesy of Ellen at Lakeview 1st and 4th Tuesday Knit Nite. www.fourseasonsknitting.com This site out of Canada has some great prices on Koigu and Zephyr yarn too. As soon as I complete the Shawlette that I am currently doing, I am going to investigate further. Especially the Zephyr. Char P, I might need your opinion on which way to go.

Don't let this be your last issue it read. I got my Vogue Fall Knitting Mag today. It is thick. But worth renewing another year? Not so sure. I love coming home and finding a new knitting mag on the table. But then I am quickly disappointed in the contents. Wouldn't it be better if I just looked at it when it comes out at Barnes and Noble and see if it is really worth having. When I say worht having I mean, is there more than one sweater in it that I would like to knit?

There was a really neat ad for what looked to be new yarn from Trendsetter. It might be worth investigating, but I could have learned that just from looking at the magazine. And when I have the magazine, I feel the compulsion to keep it, just in case I might change my mind some day, or someone mentions on a list or blog, the issue in regards to something they made and then I beat myself up cause I don't have it. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Welcome Back Norma! One of the Radical Knitter's returns tonight from Safari in Africa. She has been there for two whole weeks. Just wanted to let her know we missed her and can't wait to hear/see all about her trip. Cause I know I am never going there! It will be great to have her back with us. The other Radical Knitter who has been gone, Jan, should be back later this week too, so perhaps we will all be together for next Tuesdays Knit Night at Lakeview.

Just when you thought it was safe to say "I never use straights anymore"! Well, guess what, this morning I was set to start the pouch on my tunic and went to the worm bag for a spare #6 circular. What was in there? A little 16" circular. So I went to the basement, to get a straight, out of desparation. So forget what I said yesterday, I do sometimes use straights but only, only when that is all I got.

I don't use straight needles or rather I don't unless I absolutely have to. So why did I buy these last week? Regular Blog Readers of mine and close knit friends know, because of the color of course! And then the sock yarn, as fate would have it, I read about the new colors of Opal in the morning and there they were at night and in just the right colors. Honest, Mom, they followed me home. Yea, right!

Tonight was Knit Night at Lakeview Library. Our friend Karen had knit 3 Judy Paccale Garter Shawlettes and was on her fourth I believe. She has used Kroy, Cherry Tree to name a few yarns. I had just a few rows of mine there and took it out to compare her gauge with mine. As suspected, mine is too small of gauge, I believe. So I am going to go to my chair now, tear it out and go up to size 10 1/2 needles and begin again. Thank goodness the Cardinals are playing in California so there will be something to watch while I knit some.

Did I tell you I had coffee at Knit Night from Gloria Jeans? I'll be up awhile....

I feel good with what I have accomplished this weekend. Got a touch of cleaning done. With sorting/filing of paperwork that has been stacking for some time feels good. And I straightened up around my knitting chair and gave thought to what I want to accomplish with the knitting and all of that stuff. I had another thought. I have a list of things that NEED to be finished by certain dates. And kind of told myself I could not buy anymore yarn at certain shops until I finished the last purchase from them. Then I went back to the list of dates due.

Which brought me to the current thought. I made a small list and it sits next to my chair as a reminder of what I should be working on this week. It started with three items on it: black mohair shawl(a late birthday gift for a friend which we celebrate in a couple of weeks), footies (cause I want to use up some leftover sock yarn and wear with my new keds) and the garter shawlette from Judy Pascale (and I had enough yarn to make it out of). Then the list grew by one: Charlottes Web Shawl ( I am going to get it out today, to see where I am at). I will work on Charlottes Web when there is nothing on t.v. and it is quiet and work a couple of rows every so often.

Now, I am thinking about adding just one more thing to the list. In anticipation of going to Meg's knitting camp with the Radical Knitters next year, I am going to start working through Knitting Around as a learning perhaps teaching opportunity and so I will be ready for next year. And at the same time, the first project is the moccasin socks and I think they would be great for my nieces/nephews Christmas presents this year.

I am feeling pretty good about what I really have accomplished even though I don't have alot to show for it.

I am still around. I have just had a very busy week. I am going to spend the weekend inside, cleaning, cooking (preparing for the WW week ahead), sorting through my knitting, reading Harry Potter #4 (yes I am that far behind) and getting ready for the lia sophia kick - off of the new catalog on Monday night.

Last night was Knit Night over at Ewe-nique Yarns. I bought a ball of the new Opal Sock yarn, some needles just because they were caribe blue and lime green and Judy Pascale garter shawlette pattern. Hopefully, I can show you some pics this weekend. I did not buy yarn for the shawlette pattern, I almost did, but remembered that I bought Koigu for some sox last year at SMW. I was going to knit the Broadripple sox so I had three and guess what I have enough to make the shawlette out of it. I think that is what I will do.

So many want tos, so little time tos.

Sometimes you just have to say enough. I worked on the Incredible Poncho last night. I was going to keep knitting until the end of the 4th ball, which I did. The whole time I have been reknitting this (once before on size 15 needles), I have been telling myself if was not wide enough. But I refused to stop, just telling myself that it is a ribbon and it will stretch.

Last night at the end of ball 4 on 17 needles, I pinned it together, tried it on and said it is just not wide enough (which affects the length of it), but as I stood there looking in the mirror, I realized, making it wider would just do nothing for me. So it was at that time, that I decided sew it up, put the fringe on it and let it be what it is.

Is it a favorite or will it be one I truly love? No, I don't think so, but maybe it will grow on me (something you never want knitted items to do), but when you want them to they don't. I am finished with it, have put it away for now, and am moving on to other things, like my SMW Market Sweater Goal. Sometimes, you just have to move on.

I have a very busy weekend. lia sophia party tomorrow and one on Sunday. I will be concentrating on finishing the Incredible Poncho this weekend. On Monday at lunch I am going to teach two of my coworkers how to knit. I am so looking forward to it! I already told them, when they were concerned that they would fail, there are no FAILURES in my knitting class!

I am having some fun with this one. It is almost at the first 6 inch mark where I get to start doing some cables. The Dale Sisik yarn is so soft, almost as good as the cashmere that the pattern calls for. I didn't think it was possible to have it done before SMW (not that I am going to wear it, it just was a goal of mine to complete at least one prior SMW purchase project before the next opportunity comes around), but the way it has been going I might just make it. However, the Incredible poncho has not seen the light of day since I started this project.


This is what happens when the knitting is in the basket and the yarn is in the bag, and you think that you are ready to go out the back door!! What did I do, well, I stood there and knitted it until it was close to the back, but of course!

Last Saturday was garbage day. Because of the 4th ours was picked up a day later than usual. And being up before anyone else, I noticed that someone left one of the cans behind and did not take out to the street. So since I was up and dressed (fell asleep in my chair with Friday's clothes on), I decided to go out and take it to the street. And because I had time before he came, I started taking some stuff out of our freezer that had been there for years and clearly would not be any good.

After I put as much as I could into the one can from the freezer, I started cleaning off of a couple of shelves in the garage. I figured what the heck, some of that stuff had been out there longer than the stuff in the freezer. Most of it was from my days at Off the Bolt in Peoria and prior to that my quilting and smocking days. A couple of boxes I could part with, and there was some batting that was so dusty it never could have went into any quilt.

Anyway over the course of cleaning, I found those handles. I started to toss it but could not make myself do it. Anyway, does anyone have a use for them? Norma? Anyone? They clamp shut when used and we used to incase them in a tube suede. They are kind of neat, but I doubt I ever would get around to using them, they might be neat for a bag of some sorts.

I had such a headache by the time I got home last night and was in such a snit, that I didn't get my weekend pics done. Why was I in a snit, just a very long day with lots of work to do. I sold parking cards for two hours and didn't even get to haul my knitting out once. I took lunch at 2:00 and that was the start of the headache which just kept on going into the night.

I did manage this past weekend to accomplish a few things off of my list.

We did shop, I did plan a couple of WW dishes but, the one will have to wait to the weekend cause it takes an hour an 10 minutes in the oven.

I hauled out the baby yarn. It looks like I had one sweater all knitted in pieces, I just need to sew it tog, add buttons and the neck rib. Then I have enough yarn for two little sweaters out of the above yarn for a sweater that Jo lent me the pattern for. I must of liked the yarn alot cause I bought a bunch. For the last two sweaters, it does not appear that I have enough of anything left to knit them with. I have alot of one - two balls of alot of colors. Nothing enough for two sweaters. But I could make the baby surprise and use all of them if I have enough.

I have decided on my SMW project. I bought navy Sisik last year for a poncho and have since decided it was not for me, so I am using it for a cable sweater from a Phelps/Hiatt book I have. It is actually a mens sweater but I like the sweaters in the book for me. It will never be done by the time I shop at SMW, but it has given me a goal.

The black shawl, footies with Keds pic and the other sox have not been touched. But stay tuned!

A new yarn out by Plymouth Yarns~~

An old yarn by Patons. Looks awfully familiar to me. See if you hold onto a yarn long enough, it will come back into style. So if you don't get something knit right away, don't worry, you will be just ahead of the next new trend.



How did my list come this weekend? I have given myself til tonight to get some pics together and thoughts. Not everything was completed from my blog list, but I had other items on my personal written list, and alot of them were done. So really, I feel pretty good on what I did get done.

The Incredible Poncho is finally at the point where it was a couple of weeks ago. I went all the way to size 17 needles and 40 stitiches. I still don't think it is airy enough, but it is going to be what it is. I am NOT taking it out again. Only three balls including the one that is currently attached and I will be done with it. This one seems to be taking an awfully alot of time.

I have to sell parking cards at the real work for two hours tomorrow over the lunch hour, I think I will take it along and see how much I can get done! I love the colors (they are all me) and the color name: Copper Penny. Now was that a yarn colorway made just for me??

I have great friends who are always on the lookout for colorways and accessories (caribe blue and lime) that are just scream me, me, me! Thanks Norma~

What are you going to do today I mean this weekend? Me, I have a list :)

1. Grocery Shopping at Walmart and Kroger - our Saturday ritual, but I am going to get stuff for at least one new WW recipe.
2. Pull out my baby yarn and patterns and see what I have for those 5 babies due this Fall.
3. Wind a couple of skeins of that purple yarn and do a gauge swatch.
4. Pull out some of the yarn souvenirs I have bought from the past two SMW and see what I want to work on/complete before I go to market this year.--Goal, complete at least one.
5. Work on the lia sophia flyer for our Open House at the end of the month.
6. And work on the incredible poncho, the black mohair shawl for Cindy's birthday on the 20th and work on these neat new sox I am working on to see how the pattern is working out. ( I wonder who they are for??)
7. Take a pic of these really cool Keds I bought along with this equally cool pair of footies I am trying out.
8. Take pics of all that I have accomplished this weekend as proof that I didn't just sit around. Okay maybe not pics of everything because that could be boring, but the blog needs pics!!

Stay Posted!

Some Friday Thoughts

--I have 5 baby gifts to do between now and October (4 of these are for twins)I hope I have the yarn in my stash somewhere that I can actually use. After last weekend (unearthing yarn downstairs), I surely must have something there. And if not, shopping will surely figure somewhere out there.
--I have two sweaters that persons have asked me to design for them. I wonder if real designers just design them on paper and never actually knit the designs? Can I get away with just knitting a mini sweater? Like in doll size?
--I have one sweater that I want to design. I have the patterns in mind for some time and on a little drawing for quite some time.
--I hope there is some decent t.v. on this weekend so I can knit with it. I do have the 3rd Harry Potter movie to watch. I thought last weekend, I would start with the first one and then continue on until I watched all three. Then I would be ready to read Harry Potter 4. I have both 4 and 5 waiting in the wings.
--Before Stitches Midwest Market in August, I would like to use up one of the yarn purchases that I bought at a previous Stitches Market

Just Some Friday Thoughts

Somewhere I had a link to Interweave Knits, the Fall issue, that had a preview of the upcoming subscription. On Saturday night, I picked it up at our Wal-mart here in Pekin. I put it in my cart, thinking here is some good reading for the night that had nothing good to offer on t.v.

While waiting in the checkout line (there seemed to be a problem with the customer ahead of us and we were there with our stuff on the belt for about 10 mins) Anyway, I decided to look through it. Well, lets back up. I talked to one of my knit buds last week and she asked me if I had seen the new magazine. I told her I had seen a preview on line and it looked pretty good. She disagreed with me vehemently. But, you know sometimes there are varying opinions. Well, when I had all of this time in the check out on Saturday, I thumbed through it. I was glad I did. In the 10 minutes I stood there, I realized there was nothing in it that was worth me knitting so I put it back.I saved myself some $ and was glad that I did not have a subscription to it at this time. But again, there are varying opinions and maybe there is some out there who like it. Rob over at Threadbear Fiberarts discussed it a bit and he saw a couple of things that he evidently liked.

Can't wait for the Knitters Fall Issue. I checked their website lastnight and they are still showing the Summer Issue so I am not going to be checking my mailbox too soon for it. I only have one issue left, but will renew when I go up to SMW market next month. Usually if you renew for 3 years there is a little incentive.

The Fall knitting magazines are starting to arrive. I received my Family Circle a week or so ago. There are a couple of things I wouldn't mind doing.
Like the vest on the right for my FIL, but as I recall somewhere in the basement I have one I started many years ago out of a really nice wool at the time. Course all these years later, he is a little thinner so I am sure it would not fit. I remember at the time I was working at a really nice fabric shop in Peoria and even bought some really cool buttons to go with it. I was always doing that -- buying everything to go with a project so I would have it all.
These mittens might be fun, except I do already have a pattern I like along with one mitten done.
And this over top would be a possibility for next summer maybe in another yarn. I never would spend the money on the Quest to do it, mostly because in Fall an Winter it wouldn't be very warm for me. And you know I am a cold blooded person! More thoughts on Fall knitting as the week progresses!

Tonight is Knitting at the Lakeview Branch of the Peoria Library. Bring your knitting and join us at 7:00 p.m. I always look forward to knit nights. It is great for just a while to sit and enjoy.

I really did put the tunic away after knitting about 3 more inches. Now, I am concentrating on the Incredible Poncho. I am knitting it right from the first try rather than rip out the first one. Now - I am anxious to get it done.

While surfing the knitting blogs, I came across a post that was just unbelievable. Another list maker and that is what her entry was all about on either Friday or Saturday. I could not believe it! She truly must be my twin in another city! Laugh at me, but I am not alone anymore!!

Happy 4th of July! 

Just one more row! Well, I know that is what someone would say, but in my case I just keep knitting and now I am almost at the end of a skein, so I am tellin myself to just knit to the point of adding another skein. Then, I am seriously thinking about adding a pouch to the front like a tunic sweatshirt, and so I say just knit til about 6 inches and add the pouch. Before you know it, it will be half a sweater. I told myself I would not knit past the 4th on it. So wherever it is tonight is where it will be and it has got get put away. No really. No REALLY! :)  

It is Sunday morning, well almost afternoon. And you know what that means - list making and pre planning my week. There is a name for people like me, let me know what it is, but keep it nice. I like making lists, have I said that before? They keep me focused. Or at least at times they do. Other times, they show me what I have NOT focused on.

I make lists of:
-What Blog entries I want to make for the next couple of days.
-Clothes that I am going to wear for the work week and of course what jewelry goes with them - according to what the weather is predicted for - cause you know I wouldn't want to wear the same thing every week.
-Grocery/shopping Lists
-To Do List (for the day, for the week, for gift giving)
-Where I am going ( you know like when you have a whole lot of errands to do in one day and you don't want to be driving the same route over and over, especially with the price of gas)
-Things I want to knit out of a magazine before I put it away. I used to color code the magazine with color post its tabs: yellow (depicting heat and Summer), Blue (cool and Winter), Hot Pink - there weren't a whole of color options out there then
(Babies and Kids), and finally red or green (Christmas)
Now do you know more than you ever wanted to know about me??

When you think about it, a Blog is sort of a list too. A list of things I want to tell others or a diary for me. A way of expression. Hmmm---

Today, I expanded on what I was doing last night. This week's topic: Fall Birthday/Holiday Gift Giving Opportunities

This year for Christmas will be the final year I do stuff for certain members of the family. It just gets too tough and then they feel like they need to reciprocate so we are making a pack to only give when we want to and nothing is expected in return. So - those members that are on this "list" are getting sox (maybe).

We interrupt the previous post's project, to work on this new project, just to the point of join this tunic to be together in the round. I have this little quirk - that if I go to a shop and sit and knit, I like to be knitting on a yarn that I actually bought from that shop. I figure if the shop owner is gracious enough to let me sit and knit there, that I ought to be at least some sort of advertisement for them. Using their yarn, hopefull inspires others to buy yarn and supplies from them.

Keeping this in mind, I want to get this tunic to the point that it can be knit without much thought the next time we go to knit night over in Morton, I am getting this to that point. Then, I am going to put it away in it's special bag just for Morton Knit Night Knitting. Really, no, really I will!

Realization sat it tonight, that winter is only about 5 months away and I would actually like to wear this tunic when it gets here or even before, say like late Fall, when it starts to get a chill. And further realization sat in that I really need to work on it more than sporadically, because say what happens if I
mis-calculated the yardage I need and that one ball that I left behind is gone when I get to the point of finishing it!!?? This is not something I want to have happen. You know you always run the risk of this.

Is it time to put my summer knitting away and be serious about my fall/winter knitting? Thoughts for a very late/early Sunday morning. And I'm PJKnits, signing off for now.

My next project, but first I have to wind the yarn. Yarn and pattern from Threadbear Fiberarts. The pattern is a Vittadini pattern. Do you think I am in a purple mode? I need to work a little more on the Incredible Poncho, it is one where I need to give the needles back cause they are not mine, so they cannot stay in the WIP basket.