We're Going To Disneyland!

Well, not really, but Wisconsin and a Knitter's version of Disneyland! Char, Linda and I got into Knit Camp 2.75

Let the knitting begin!

A Short Story About Two Projects

The Mananita...the yarn is just way too soft for it. Here it is after I tore it out. I am giving serious thought to ordering the unspun laceweight icelandic in sage for it.

The Roseleaf Tunic....in timeout for now.

First the dress/color and then I'll devote some time to the knitting of the accessory, which is still up for grabs.

To be continued.

I'm Sayin Nothin About The Weather

But, will bore you with another subject that you are going to be tired of real soon. My hunt for the mother of the groom dress....I have not found one yet. And nothing I see really trips my trigger. I have it in my mind what I want, and I might be forced to have it made or make it myself.

Anyway, now you all get to vote...assuming I find what I want, a simple sheath dress or two piece outfit, but it either will need a jacket from what I see or something to hide two figure flaws...the hips and the arms.

Please help me decide which direction to go, PLEASE!

alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171269406137377650" />The Roseleaf Tunic or the Mananita?

Using the Caribe Blue silk and wool that originally was the wing of the moth shawl OR should I continue with the Wing of the Moth.

Wedding Deadline - May 31st. Help me please!

Ocean Waves

I started thinking I would make the Hybrid Sweater and then switched to the Brooks Sweater from The Opionionated Knitter. All along I have been knitting not knowing if I would make it into a cardigan or just leave as a pullover. I need the practice on steeking and horizontal buttonholes so that is where I was leaning. Until, I tried it on last night.

I decided it really looks nice as a pullover. But, once again the sleeves are too long, and I could roll them up past the cuff, but frankly, I am getting tired of that. And I was not real happy with where the shaping hit. It was about an inch too far over. So, I ripped it out. Ripped back the sleeve a couple of inches and have reconnected it.

It's not a bad think, and I will be happier with it and the fit! And it is a great idiot knitting project. I am off today. But, can't work on it....I have to see how far I can get on the baby sweater for Thursday. Today is laundry day (didn't do much of it this weekend) and knitting on the baby sweater. I was going dress shopping, but I just don't have it in me today....have to be in the mood and I am not!

What Every Radical Knitter Does

The first thing I did, after Mapquesting my trip to Iowa yesterday, was what every Radical Knitter does. I got my handy knit shop guide out and looked for new yarn shops that were in route. What did I find?

Nothing. Nada. Not a one! What? So, I went online - none!

Fort Madison is so quaint. Just a few hours down from Muscatine where there is a yarn shop. It sits along the Mississippi River. I bet it is great place to be in the spring, summer and fall.

But, no yarn shop....so I went to the shower and came home. Yarnless. My knitting was in the back seat for those who wondered if I knitted while I drove. There were times when I thought about stopping and getting it up front with me, but I didn't want to take the time to stop and get it out. Just in a hurry to get there and then get home for our brother-in-law's birthday party.

By the way the bride loved the sewing machine. I think it was a good choice.

I took tomorrow off too. I thought I would go dress shopping for the mother of the groom. But, it is supposed to be kind of rainy tomorrow so I am going to run up to Grand Prairie today and see what Bergners has. Maybe, tomorrow, I stay in and knit on the baby sweater. Wouldn't that be a fun day off?! I think so! Let it rain, I'll have my knitting and coffee!

I'm Off To Iowa

Not for Arnhild's camp as originally planned. But to a shower for Baby Boy A's fiance. I toyed with several options for a shower gift. This probably isn't the most ever needed item, but from a mother who knits and sewed quite a bit before I became a full radical knitter, I think every house should have a sewing machine.

Also, I am giving her a sack of common thread colors, scissors, measuring tape, hand sewing needles etc.

It's not the most common shower present, but it saves hunting someone up to hem some pants when mom isn't going to be in the same city or even state.

Damn Snow!

If it's not the weather we are talking about, it's the flu stuff that is going around! The weather played a cabosh on the Radicals getting together out at Knit 4 Together again this Thursday night. Not that I needed anything, because I was there last Saturday for a real quick trip to pick up some yarn to finish my Brooks Sweater.

I'm off today and Monday. I originally took the days off for Arnhild's Knit Camp, but since plans changed, I still left them on the books. I have errands to run today for a shower I am going to tomorrow and one that I am giving next Thursday at work.

This is the February sweater from Knitter's Almanac that I hope to have for the shower next week. I figured last night when I did not go to Knitting that I would come home and make a dent in it. But, somehow, I was asleep in the chair before 9.

Monday's plan (if the weather) cooperates is to go Mother of the Groom dress shopping. As always, I hope to drop a few pounds before the wedding (officially I went back to WW last Monday), but I better see what is out there, I feel the time crunch coming. The shawl I believe has been abandoned based on what I saw out there on a recent dress shopping expedition.

I spent some time last night (before sleeping in the chair) to take some pictures so I have some things to post about in the next couple of days on the blog. I've been kind of lazy on the posting lately as well as have not been checking my Ravelry buds, but with a couple of days off I hope to catch up on some internet time!

Love These Markers

My friend Julie gave them to me a couple of years ago. I used them on occasion, but when working this Brooks Sweater from The Opinionated Knitter, they really come in handy. The decreases at the yoke, have you working them at marker 1, 2, 3 and 4. Mine have numbers 1 and 2 on them which helps me as I am working them to know where I am at. And they are so my colors.

I did not make it to Knit 4 Together on Thursday, and now I am running out of yarn for my sweater, so I am going to try and make a quick trip out there this afternoon, just to pick up a couple of extra skeins. Yea, right!

Happy Valentines Day!

Tonight is Knit Night at Dunlap and I have a list of things to look at. It is my Valentine's present to me.

Aren't I nice to me?

As always, I am working on several different projects that I hope to have photos for later. They include: the Brooks Sweater from The Opinionated Knitter out of Ocean Waves Brown Sheep, the Taos jacket, the Ribbi Cardi and a new sweater by Christiane from Knit Four Together in Dunlap.

And the list continues......

Sleeping Aids


At night when I go to bed, to help sleep along I listen to knitting podcasts on my MP3 player. There is something so soothing about the voices or maybe it is just the relaxing discussion of knitting, but it does the trick every time. Eventually, if I really want to listen to the podcast I have to do it sitting at my computer.

Meg's DVDs and tapes do the same trick if I am really tired. I got my new Rib Warmer DVD from Schoolhouse Press yesterday. After getting home from visiting family in from Minnesota last night, and every one else here was either in bed, working or out for the night, I popped it in to watch just a little of it before heading down to bed.


Next thing I know Baby Boy B was coming home, shutting the t.v. off and I am snuggling down. I woke up this morning, all snuggled down in my electric blanket, light still on and in my chair still in my clothes of yesterday!

Meg's voice was so soothing and after a long day, she just lulled me to sleep with thoughts of my next ribwarmer and how I could put sleeves on it.

I won't get much time today to watch it again since the family is still here for a funeral today, but tomorrow when the high is supposed to be aroun 11 degrees, I'll pop it in again when I am not so tired so I can see it in it's entirety.

But for those who might have sleeping problems, I recommend Podcasts or one of Meg or EZ's tapings, they just wrap you so snuggly up and off you go.

My Favorite Places

What a wonder the internet is! I must admit it keeps me from knitting sometimes, but it is such a wealth of information. Today, I'll share some of my favorite blog places or websites I visit almost daily.

http://blackdog.threadbearfiberarts.com/
http://theraineysisters.com/
http://fibernating.blogspot.com/
http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/
http://www.chicknits.com/rambles/
http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/
http://aquaknits.factotum23.com/index.php
http://www.ravelry.com
http://techknitting.blogspot.com
http://www.schoolhousepress.com - for Meg's KAL

New Catalogs

I love getting mail. I wonder how that started? I especially like new knitting catalogs and new knitting magazines. And this one did not come in the mail, but it is a favorite too! Those who know me well, know that I sell from it as a part time job....it helps me pay for knit camp and my February vacations. I love when a new jewelry catalog comes out and one just did. It has some cool things in it!shameless self promotion: http://www.liasophia.com/pennyhalverson look under my business and check out the online catalog.

This is the first time that I have gotten the Yarn Barn catalog in the mail, and a gal could do some serious damage from it. But, I really am trying right now to work with a couple of things that are on my plate before going off on another yarn shopping excursion. Well, the stupid weather has been a factor lately too.

I Could Have Been In Jamaica

I woke up this morning thinking that my cohorts in crime were sitting at the airport getting ready to board the plane. I thought about them at noon, figuring they were on the bus to their destination. And around 4:15 I called my travel partner and left her a message that we could be having a cocktail, sitting in the sand instead of sitting here in Illinois, listening to the thunder, watching the lightening and shoveling some more snow and ice from the drives.

This is so unfair!!! And not very fair for her either....maybe next year! And the other couple we travel with may decide to go with us too, depending on the destination. I really needed to save the $ from this year.

The requested Farmington scarf is done. I started knitting on one of the sleeves this afternoon of the Hybrid Cardigan. That's what got me to thinking again about sun and sand and pretty blue water.

Okay, I'm done whining about it and feeling sorry for myself! Really, I am. Really!

I Don't Care What Phil Said

Spring is coming. I have had enough of the snow and the wind! I'm tired of putting on my boots. I'm not tired of wearing my sweaters though.

I should have went into work yesterday. It was interesting who showed up for work. People who probably live in a more country like atmosphere made it in, those of us in the city, did not. But, maybe that's because they have the county and state clearing their roads, where we depend on the city to clear our side streets. Something that ours is just doing this morning, after the parking ban was lifted early last night.

But, I had a good day yesterday anyway. I signed up for Knit Camp 2.75. Listened to a couple of podcasts "Stash and Burn". Knitted a bit. Did some laundry. And last night we went for groceries.

So, today, fighting the urge to go yarn shopping, I am staying in and doing some more laundry and knitting more on the requested scarf.

I'm Stayin Home Today

I had a 9:30 appointment that was rescheduled. I had planned on maybe going in with the tall guy this morning, but wasn't ready when he was ready to go.....I let the younger twin take my car to his work out in the country....so I don't have transportation in.

It looks like our main road is moving better than it was an hour ago, and I probably should have made the tall guy wait for me. But, then I talked to a couple of my other co-workers who live here and they were not going out, so I said what the heck, I'll take a vacation day.

I'll get a head start on my laundry, knit some, surf the internet and sign up for knit camp! Woo hoo!